Abstract

Whilst teaching awards have become an established practice in higher education, important questions remain about their effectiveness in recognizing high-quality teaching, with recent research suggesting that they may have dysfunctional consequences. We investigate how awards influence recipients and non-recipients and propose that the potential of teaching awards is mediated by career stage, focus and performance. We also make recommendations for how teaching awards can contribute to a culture of teaching enhancement beyond the recognition of individual practice. In this way, we contribute to knowledge about teaching awards by showing how teaching awards can be designed and used to recognize teaching practice while limiting their dysfunctional outcomes.