Implications of student conceptions of teaching for the reform of engineering education

Quality assurance of higher education is based on a combination of collegial and student evaluation in many universities. Conceptions of what teaching at university level involves can be expected to play an important role in defining what we mean by high quality instruction. This paper presents a case study, based on official quality assurance data and student reflection, which illustrates the external pressures which prevail on university teachers, and the potential these constraints have to discourage innovation and provide and incentive for teachers to adopt a conservative pedagogy.