An academic portfolio is used when applying for new positions, promotions, or tenure, but also for engaging in professional development discussions. Beyond the intended use of an academic portfolio, we encourage creating and maintaining a teaching portfolio as a means to reflect on, document, and evaluate your pedagogical competence.

At Lund University, the academic portfolio should include research, teaching, service, and other professional activities. For those staff with teaching responsibilities, a teaching portfolio can serve as a reflective text used to document and evaluate teaching excellence. Such portfolios are required both when applying for positions, for promotion, and for faculties with formal systems to recognize teaching merits such as pedagogical academies. These academies ask for a teaching portfolio, a targeted document that provides accounts and illustrations of teaching practices, innovation, and dedication to student learning outcomes. We promote the deliberate practice of creating and maintaining a teaching portfolio. 

On this page, explore the relevant information on the following: 

• Introduction to the teaching portfolio
• Key principles for creating and maintaining a teaching portfolio
• Support for writing a teaching portfolio

Introduction to the teaching portfolio

A teaching portfolio is a well-recognized method for documenting teaching practices and achievements in a structured and meaningful way. This approach should provide both quantitative and qualitative material to support a comprehensive assessment of pedagogical competence, principles that guide one’s teaching, and impact on student learning. The portfolio not only serves as a reflective tool for personal and professional growth but can also be a critical component in applications for new teaching positions, promotions, or membership in pedagogical merit systems like pedagogical academies. As such, a well-prepared portfolio can help academic teachers and leaders to communicate their teaching values, strategies, and contributions.

The purpose of creating a teaching portfolio varies depending on the individual’s goals. For some, it’s an opportunity to reflect on and improve their teaching practices by critically analyzing their experiences, successes, and challenges. For others, it serves as a formal document to demonstrate their teaching qualifications and experiences when applying for career advancement or recognition within the academic community. No matter the objective, a teaching portfolio provides a structured way to highlight commitment to the profession and the continuous efforts to evolve and adapt to, sometimes, changing preconditions.

Unlike portfolios documenting scientific achievements, teaching portfolios do not have a long-standing tradition in academia. However, this is changing as institutions recognize the value of reflective and evidence-based teaching practices. As such, a growing number of universities and educational institutions are adopting standardized formats for these portfolios, encouraging academic teachers to compile and present a well-rounded view of their pedagogical competence.

Key principles for creating a teaching portfolio

By thoughtfully crafting a teaching portfolio, academic teachers and educational leaders can present a cohesive narrative of their teaching journey, document their professional accomplishments, and outline their ongoing commitment to educational excellence. Whether the goal is personal development or career advancement or both, a well-constructed portfolio can be an invaluable tool in a teacher’s professional toolkit. Consider these key principles: 

1. Start collecting material early. 
   Begin by gathering a diverse range of materials from your teaching experiences. This can include lesson or workshop plans, written notes/reflections about your teaching and contact with students, examinations, student feedback, peer reviews, and samples of student work. It can also include documentation such as course handbooks, assessment practices or online resources. If you work with pedagogical matters on a departmental level, materials could include engagement in departmental or subject quality review activities or engagement with student- or education related issues in departmental or faculty committees.
2. Integrate scholarly approaches into your implementation and experimentation.
   Implementation of new teaching and learning activities, inclusive practices, assessment, curriculum design, student support across a course or a program is also valuable material. Over time, this collection will form the foundation of your portfolio, allowing you to select the most representative and impactful artifacts for inclusion.
3. Tailor your portfolio to the criteria. 
   When preparing a portfolio for a specific purpose, it’s crucial to understand and target the criteria that will be used to assess it. Review any guidelines provided by the institution or position you’re applying for and align your portfolio content to these standards. This can mean emphasizing certain skills, outcomes, or teaching principles that resonate with how the portfolio will be assessed.
4. Showcase student-centered practices. 
   Emphasize your methods and strategies for supporting student learning and engagement. This could involve descriptions of teaching and learning activities, examples of active learning, or projects that highlight student creativity and critical thinking. By focusing on student outcomes, you underscore the impact of your teaching beyond the classroom.
5. Reflect on your growth. 
   A teaching portfolio is not just about showing what you’ve done but also about illustrating how you’ve developed over time as an academic teacher. Include sections where you reflect on past experiences, challenges you’ve faced, and how you’ve worked to improve.

Support in writing a teaching portfolio 

AHU offers a course to support participants’ understanding of the concept of teaching portfolio, as well as their writing of a teaching portfolio of their own. The course focuses on principles and approaches for documenting pedagogical merits and qualifications with particular focus on writing and compiling a reflective teaching portfolio.

Learn more about the AHU course on developing a pedagogical portfolio – ahu.lu.se