Trust and trustworthiness in pedagogical competence development programs: tensions between systemic contexts and interpersonal relationships

Abstract

Pedagogical competence development programs in universities are gaining in importance across national contexts. In response to the demand for better teaching in higher education, Scandinavian universities have made the programs a standard part of the application for full employment and qualification for a professorship. Though pedagogical competence development programs are not new, such programs have now become a central part of recent political calls for quality in higher education teaching. It is therefore important to investigate what influences these processes and the outcome of involvement in the programs. This will ultimately raise pedagogical competence and broaden the culture for quality teaching in higher education. A qualitative research project investigating challenges and possibilities for pedagogical competence development programs commenced in the fall of 2020. In this article, drawing on interviews with participants and educational developers, a reflexive thematic analysis provides interesting findings on the role of trust in relation to the topic of challenges and possibilities in such programs. This article contributes to the discussion on how we can understand trust and trustworthiness in academic and educational development in higher education in general, and pedagogical competence raising in particular.