Components of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework
Effective teaching is a complex challenge that requires a clear, evidence-based approach to ensure quality and consistency across disciplines. This complexity can make evaluating teaching and guiding professional development daunting.
The Teaching Effectiveness Framework simplifies this process by organizing teaching into seven interrelated domains with Inclusive Pedagogy at its core. Each domain plays an integral role in supporting student learning and success. TILT recommends faculty focus on one domain at a time to approach professional growth in a manageable, meaningful way.
The seven domains of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF) align with the definition of effective teaching in the CSU Faculty Manual:
Excellent teachers are characterized by their command of subject matter; logical organization and presentation of course material; formation of interrelationships among fields of knowledge; creation of inclusive learning environments, energy and enthusiasm; availability to help students outside of class; encouragement of curiosity, creativity, and critical thought; engagement of students in the learning process; use of clear grading criteria; and respectful responses to student questions and ideas.
Each TEF domain consists of a curated list of evidence-based teaching practices with links to implementation strategies.
Rubrics for each domain were designed for self-reflection purposes – to help faculty identify strengths and track growth – and to give faculty the language to describe teaching achievements.
