Leading the Horse ...

Mandatory Certified Training for all Higher Education Teaching Staff in Europe?

“You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink” (Proverb)

Mandatory certified pedagogical training for all staff In Higher Education in Europe is one of the recommendations of the McAleese Report on improving the quality of teaching in Higher Education. Recognising the financial burden this may place on institutions and the potential staff resistance to the change this mandatory training imposes, this article presents a model of professional development (MALT) that takes into account the needs of the student, the institution and the individual academic. The author examines the features of the MALT programme that align with Self Determination Theory and the potential benefits it offers, including how it may mediate staff resistance to what can be considered a complex change.