Erdem Aktug

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

I enrolled in the Ph.D. in Economics program at Lehigh University in September 2004 and I am expecting to graduate by December 2009. At Lehigh, I was a teaching assistant and an online instructor for the Introduction to Economics, and a teaching assistant for the Money and Banking courses. Currently, I am teaching the Applied Microeconomics and the Statistical Methods courses as an adjunct faculty at Lehigh, and two sections of the Business Statistics course as a part-time faculty at Kutztown University. Managing research and a teaching load has been a challenge for me. But I believe that this challenge has served as good training, since a position as an assistant professor will require establishing a good balance between research and teaching.

My fundamental view regarding education is that students pay a greater attention to lectures if they believe that the material covered in lectures connects the theory to the real life. This view is parallel with an emphasis on approaching the students as adults and potential job seekers. As an economics instructor-faculty at Lehigh University, I felt that I have to convey basic ideas in economics as simply and strongly as possible, so that the students have a very good understanding of economics and its widespread use throughout many different industries. Nothing is more detrimental to students than being lost in a forest of details and missing the big picture. To avoid this, I focus on the core principles of economics, such as the equilibrium concept, marginal analysis and optimization principle, and show the everyday use of these principles.

My role in the classroom is more than simplifying the material and giving good examples. Even though the classroom is a venue to exchange ideas and information, I always pay great attention to the human aspect. Therefore, my typical lectures include some ice-breakers and chit-chat about current events at the beginning. I always try to promote interaction in the classroom by asking questions and encouraging everyone to take a shot at answers. Moreover, I try to look the students in the eye and assess their attention level frequently during the lectures. I believe that most of the students appreciate this approach, and a mutual respect adds more enthusiasm and a family climate to the classes.

In addition to the appropriate selection of course materials and a good sequence of lectures, the students still need to follow the principle of “learning by doing”. Appropriate amounts of problem sets and assignments at the right times will help the students digest the material more easily. However, I believe that the real “learning by doing” takes place during the actual tests and quizzes. Therefore, I pay a great attention to choosing the test questions, and focus heavily on the major mistakes after the tests are graded. In addition, I believe that the learning channels of the students are much more open when exams approach. Thus, I try to set up extra review sessions and office hours during the weeks of the exams to meet the needs of the students.

Finally, I also understand that not all the students are equal in terms of their academic strengths and weaknesses. Thus, I try to evaluate student profiles very carefully, and provide additional assistance via my office hours or via posting helpful materials online. Depending on the ability of the students to grasp the material, I also increase or decrease the pace and difficulty of classes, so that the students stay on track.

Last Update: September 2, 2009

For further information, please contact me at rea204@lehigh.edu