99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Who Are They Now? Faculty in evolving higher education institutes
Michelle Greene, Anne Graham Cagney
South East Technological University, Ireland
Presenting Author: Greene, Michelle
Five new Technological Universities (TU) have been created through a series of mergers within the Institutes of Technology (IoT) in Ireland. The large scale sectoral changes have resulted in substantial organisational pressures on staff, students and stakeholders. One significant change is the shift from the previous IoT academic 16-18 hours per week ‘teaching-only’ model to a ‘teacher-researcher’ one balanced across research, teaching and innovation. TU key performance indicators (KPIs) will measure organisational success through increased faculty levels of: i) engagement with research/research related activities; ii) increased postgraduate studies research and teaching; and, iii) engagement in knowledge transformation and innovation.
These changes to faculty roles at work are manifesting in a significant shift in individuals’ perceptions of their professional role, leading to an evolving professional identity from ‘teacher’ to that of ‘teacher-researcher’ in the new TUs. Hazelkorn and Moynihan (2011) identify this as a ‘research-led teaching’ role that incorporates the three strands of ‘research, teaching and administration’. The previous ‘academic hours allocation’ model of 16-18 teaching hours per week is still in place within the changing working environment, which doesn’t provide any allocation for research. This is problematic as TU success criteria stipulate the need for increased research outputs and metrics (HEA, 2014; OECD, 2022). The diverse nature and roles of individuals working in the TU sector has also added a layer of complexity as not everyone is in the same place, ready or willing for these changes to happen. Consequently, there is a growing need to explore faculty experiences as they grapple with these changes and endeavour to meet their organisation demands of engaging in research as an integral part of their teaching role at work.
This paper shares results from Phase 1 of the overall study on the profile of the potential population of interest. It draws on a bibliometric analysis to map the evolutionary stages of faculty positions in relation to the personal changes required to move from a ‘teaching’ only to the new ‘teaching/researching’ role. Results from Phase 1 identify positions and roles that individuals typically occupy in IoT-TUs and share information on the nature of their work role as it currently is and what it may look like because of the proposed changes of the new TU.
Objectives
- Map the distinct types of teacher-researcher practice and the characteristics of these different types of practitioners.
- Examine the impact of the new TU ‘teacher-researcher’ role on the professional identity of individual’s working in the sector.
Literature
‘Identity self-states’ draws on ‘motivational self-systems’ that incorporate ‘possible’ and ‘ideal’ selves’ theory (Markus and Nurius, 1986) and informs emergent research on evolving educator identities (Beijaard, Meijer and Verloop, 2004; Rodgers and Scott, 2008; Beauchamp and Thomas, 2009; Graham-Cagney, 2020). Personal engagement as conceptualised by Kahn, (1990) is an internal state of being, comprised of three psychological domains of meaningfulness, safety and availability. They determine whether and to what extent an individual brings their ‘preferred self’ to their role as a professional working within a discipline and that of their role as a teacher-researcher within the organisation (Kahn, 1990; Lave and Wenger, 1991; May, Gilson and Harter, 2004; Saks, 2006; Shuck, 2011). The personal, professional and situational contexts of teacher’s lives, experiences, beliefs and practices are integral to one another. Tensions between these often impact to a greater or lesser extent upon teachers’ sense of self or identity (Day et al., 2006). Similarly, the complexity of moving from a singular role of ‘teacher’ to one of ‘teacher-researcher’ in a changed HE sector, requires a consideration of the distinct types of practice and the characteristics of these different practitioners (Rouna & Gilley, 2009).
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThis paper is situated within a wider PhD study ‘An Exploration of the Nature of Personal Engagement in Research Work in Institutes of Technology-Technological Universities’ (SPaRC).
Data drawn from Phase 1 is combined with a documentary analysis of reports relating to the proposed changes to the IoT-TU Higher Education sector (OECD, 2022).
Phase 1 the quantitative stage is a sectoral analysis of the field of interest.
Data collection involved a combination of data mining, bibliometric, and social networks.
Data mining was conducted from government publications, academic publications, organisational reports, faculty individual professional profiles and websites.
A bibliometric analysis was then conducted from the publications associated with each institution to ascertain cited researchers and their resulting publications.
A social network analysis (SNA) was carried out in order to also identify individuals, and their co-authorship ties that could further contribute to the population of interest and if any, establish further academics involvement in relevant scholarly activities.
The Phase 1 data led to a sectoral analysis of the field of interest that mapped and identified a multidisciplinary and diverse population of researchers and their research activities within each Technological University (TU). This resulted in the identification of a preliminary population of the interest that was of interest to the study.
Documentary analysis
A documentary analysis was conducted from the reports relating to the Technological University and the ‘hours allocation model’ (HEA, 2014; OECD, 2022). These were examined to gather information relating to the prosed changes within the Technological University and identity the current trajectory of faculty academic career paths and contracts.
This paper presents an analysis of findings from one TU – the South East Technological University. SETU is a typical example of a merger between two institutes; Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow. Results from the analysis will create a framework to profile the overall population of interest and that of their distinct types of practice and the characteristics of these different types of practitioners.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsAnticipated outcomes from this paper it will add to what is known about faculty roles in an IoT-TU. It will further the discussion about an evolving faculty professional identity and that of their engagement in their work roles in a changing IoT-TU sector. Additionally, mapping the work of a teacher-researcher as that of a scholar practitioner may provide useful insights into why an individual would either engage or disengage with research and research related activities in their new roles at work.
Outcomes from this paper, will inform the development of an in-depth profile of the designated population of interest and identify typical characteristics of the individuals as they relate to their role at work as either a teacher or a teacher-researcher. Finally, this paper will aid the researcher in transitioning into the next stages of the PhD study.
ReferencesBeauchamp, C. and Thomas, L. (2009) ‘Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education’, Cambridge Journal of Education, 39(2), pp. 175–189. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/03057640902902252.
Beijaard, D., Meijer, P.C. and Verloop, N. (2004) ‘Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), pp. 107–128. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.07.001.
Day, C. et al. (2006) ‘The personal and professional selves of teachers: Stable and unstable identities’, British Educational Research Journal, 32(4), pp. 601–616. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920600775316.
Graham-Cagney, A. (2020) ‘Constructing an evolving FE Teacher Identity: Professional voices from the field of futher education and Training.’, Education Matters, (2020), pp. 1–8.
Hazelkorn, E. and Moynihan, A. (2011) ‘Transforming Academic Practice: Human Resources Challenges’, in S. Kyvik and B. Lepori (eds) The Research Mission of Higher Education Institutions outside of the University Sector. Springer Dordrecht, pp. 77–93. Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/cserbkwww.springerlink.comhttp://www.springerlink.com/home/main.mpx.
HEA (2014) ‘Review of workload allocation models in Irish Higher Education Institutions June 2014’, (June).
Kahn, W.A. (1990) ‘Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work’, Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), pp. 692–724. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5465/256287.
Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) ‘Situated Learning’, Situated Learning [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511815355.
Markus, H. and Nurius, P. (1986) ‘Possible Selves’, American Psychologist, 41(9), pp. 954–969. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.41.9.954.
May, D.R., Gilson, R.L. and Harter, L.M. (2004) ‘The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), pp. 11–37. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1348/096317904322915892.
OECD (2022) ‘A review of technological university academic career paths, contracts and organisation in Ireland’, (64). Available at: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1787/2b7ee217-en.
Rodgers, C. and Scott, K. (2008) ‘The development of the personal self and identity in learning to teach’, in Handbook of Research on Teacher Education, pp. 732–755.
Saks, A.M. (2006) ‘Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), pp. 600–619. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169.
Shuck, B. (2011) ‘Integrative Literature Review: Four Emerging Perspectives of Employee Engagement: An Integrative Literature Review’, Human Resource Development Review, 10(3), pp. 304–328. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484311410840.
99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Research and Teaching in the Career Development of Higher Education.
Patricia Arroyo-Ainsa, Reina Ferrández-Berrueco
Universitat Jaume I, Spain
Presenting Author: Arroyo-Ainsa, Patricia
The idea of the university initially emerged as a form of transmission of knowledge, culture and values. It was later that the purpose of this search for knowledge through research emerged, and it is now impossible to understand the university without this research aspect (Flander et al. 2020). This change came from Humboldt's University idea. He understood the work of a lecturer as a nexus from teaching and research (Paulsson y Macheridis, 2022). Nowadays, higher education has three missions within society. The first one is the education for the labour market insertion through the teaching part, the second one is the research with the aim to build up the life of everyone and the third one is to transfer knowledge to society. It is for this reason why not only do lecturers investigate their own field but also, they have to be able to transmit this knowledge to the society and to their students (Hordósy y Mclean, 2022).
In order to define this union, different perceptions of university faculty staff are found: 1) those who are skeptical of this relationship; 2) those who claim that there is no such union; 3) those who perceive it as a symbiotic relationship, in which research is used as a teaching tool (Tesouro et al., 2014). This is why it is often questioned whether good researchers make good teachers and vice versa (Paulsson and Macheridis, 2022).
Even though nowadays many universities in Europe follow Humboldt’s idea, there are preferences related to the focus of activity towards teaching or towards research (Paulsson y Macheridis, 2022). These preferences tend to be a function of how organizations evaluate academic work. Part of the problem with this duality might be that teaching is often seen as a secondary task in the academic profession (Lankveld et al., 2017).
On the other hand, some researchers have analysed the non-relation between these two dimensions, arguing that it is not worth their while to try to transfer what people research to what they teach (Ulla y Tarrayo, 2021). For this reason, some authors have spoken about the barriers in the academic career that prevent the realization of this union. These barriers might be identified as three factors: the first relates to time, dedication and commitment; the second relates to personality characteristics; and the third focuses on the incentives to pursue a career in academia (Pinchado et al., 2019).
Despite the large number of studies that we find in this regard, there is no clear idea of the benefits that this union can bring to higher education. This is why the aim of this research is to address the concept of a university teaching career by focusing on the link between research and teaching.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedIn order to respond to the general objective of this study, a systematic review was chosen as the research method. This method is characterized as a process of searching for information by which a rigorous and transparent literature review is carried out, allowing it to be repeated and updated (Newman and Gough, 2020).
The information was obtained using the PRISMA method (Urrútia and Bonfill, 2010). The selected documents respond to the following search formula ("teaching" AND "researching") AND "nexus" AND "higher education", and a time limit set from 2015 to the time of the study (April 2022). This research was carried out in three international databases relevant to the topic of study: Web Of Science (WoS), Scopus and Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC).
The last phase of the process, which pertains to the complete analysis of the articles, was carried out using an Excel spreadsheet. A content analysis (Flores-Kanter and Medrano, 2019) of the texts was carried out, indicating the year, authors, countries and methodological approach (quantitative, qualitative or mixed), and the information was classified deductively according to the categories that emerged from the bibliographic search. These categories are: arguments in favour, proposals for a nexus, arguments against and barriers to its implementation. A fifth category was also detected inductively, which refers to the demographic differences that influence the conception of this union. The inclusion criteria are: 1)Focusing on linking teaching and research by university faculty staff, 2) Focus on higher education 3) Written in English, Spanish or Catalan 4) Documents published between 2015 and 2022 5) Open access. And the exclusion criteria are: 1) It does not focus on the linking of teaching and research by university faculty staff, 2) focus on other levels of education, 3) Written in other languages, 4) Documents published before 2015, 5) Non-open access.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsDespite the fact that the teaching-research nexus has been studied through the years, there is not an agreement of how to make both activities something in common. However, this requires a transformation in the way of understanding the union or even a change of outlook in the institutions or in the agencies that evaluate these professionals (Paulsson and Macheridis, 2022).
The consideration of these functions as two connected activities is defended by understanding research as a fundamental point for the search for knowledge, while teaching becomes an essential means for its dissemination (Paulsson and Macheridis, 2022). In this sense, the literature on research-teaching nexus might explore how staff see their different, often divergent and potentially competing roles, or analyses the impact of different curricula and approaches on student outcomes and perceptions. In the same way, the relationship between the two activities makes sense as long as it is understood that the main driving force that links teaching and research is knowledge, so that research builds knowledge and teaching transmits it (Hordósy and Mclean, 2022).
This is why the institutions should somehow encourage this union, or even try to connect the subjects taught by the faculty staff with their interest in research, perhaps in this way teaching will be something motivating and not simply a work obligation. For this reason, it could be proposed to use research as a means of teaching by using some methodologies that facilitate this. Thus, it would be necessary to change the faculty staff's thinking about teaching and ways of teaching, so that it is considered from an approach centered on student learning. (Pinchado et al., 2019)
ReferencesFlander, A., Rončević, N. and Kocar, S. (2020). How Teaching and Research Nexus in Academic Attitudes, Behaviours and System of Promotion Influences Academic Satisfaction? Case Study of Croatia and Slovenia. Higher Education Forum, 17, 177-205. http://doi.org/10.15027/48960
Flores-Kanter, P. E., and Medrano, L. A. (2019). Núcleo básico en el análisis de datos cualitativos: pasos, técnicas de identificación de temas y formas de presentación de resultados. Interdisciplinaria, 36(2), 203 215. https://dx.doi.org/10.16888/interd.2019.36.2.13
Hordósy, R. and McLean, M. (2022). The future of the research and teaching nexus in a post-pandemic world, Educational Review, 74:3, 378-401, https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.2014786
Lankveld, T., Schoonenboom, J., Volman, M., Croiset., G and Beishuizen, J. (2017). Developing a teacher identity in the university context: a systematic review of the literature. Higher Education Research & Development, 36 (2), 325-342. DOI:10.1080/07294360.2016.1208154
Newman, M. and Gough, D. (2020). Systematic reviews in educational research: Methodology, perspectives, and application. En O. Zawacki-Richter, M. Kerres, S. Bedenlier, M. Bond y K. Buntins (Eds.), Systematic reviews in educational research (pp. 3-22). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27602-7_1
Paulsson, A. and Macheridis, N. (2022): The policy unconscious: educational labor, the research-and-teaching relationship and the unquestioned meaning of higher education, Critical Policy Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2022.2064889
Pinchado, L. E., Rosero, A. R., and Montenegro, G. A. (2019). The research-teaching relationship and its impact on educational quality. Revista Unimar, 37(1), 13-33.
Tesouro, M., Corominas, E., Teixidó, J. and Puiggalí, J. (2014). La autoeficacia docente e investigadora del profesorado universitario: relación con su estilo docente e influencia en sus concepciones sobre el nexo docencia-investigación. Revista de Investigación Educativa, 32 (1), 169-186. https://revistas.um.es/rie/article/view/172771
Ulla, M.B. and Tarrayo, V.N. (2021). Classroom teaching or academic publishing? An investigation of Philippine doctoral academics’ beliefs. Research in Education, 111 (1), 80-88. doi:10.1177/00345237211024670
Urrútia, G. and Bonfill, X. (2010). Declaración PRISMA: Una propuesta para mejorar la publicación de revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis. Medicina Clínica, 135(11), 507-511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medcli.2010.01.015
99. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Paper
Academic Diaspora, Home Country Development, and Internationalization
Tugay Durak
UCL Institute of Education
Presenting Author: Durak, Tugay
Over the recent decades, the UK has become a global hub for international scholars worldwide. Statistically speaking, in 2021, more than 70,000 international academic staff were employed at UK higher education institutions (HEIs), accounting for nearly one-third of the academic workforce. While the UK benefits substantially from its international academic workforce, the homelands of these international scholars pay the price for losing such talented minds to the UK. However, there are ways to ameliorate the effects of brain drain and even benefit from such academic diasporas. The literature suggests that academic diasporas can play a role as knowledge brokers (Larner, 2015), support home country development (Tejeda et al., 2013), or even offer political leverage for their homelands (Rabinowitz & Abramson, 2022). However, little attention has been paid to how academic diasporas reinforce the internationalization of higher education in the host country while supporting fellow nationals from the respective homeland. This paper explores the multiple roles academic diasporas can play by taking the example of UK-based Turkish academics and how these roles reinforce the internationalization of higher education.
This is an exploratory study, and in line with this, I employed a qualitative research design underpinned by a social constructivist philosophy. Further, I employed a transnationalism perspective to understand how UK-based Turkish academics develop a belonging to both countries. From this perspective, individuals act as carriers of their own identity without being uprooted from their home country so that they can belong to several places simultaneously whilst building up and maintaining transnational links.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThis is an exploratory study, and in line with this, I employed a qualitative research design underpinned by a social constructivist philosophy. Further, I employed transnationalism perspective to understand how UK-based Turkish academics develop a belonging to both countries. From this perspective, individuals act as carriers of their own identity without being uprooted from their home country so that they can belong to several places simultaneously whilst building up and maintaining transnational links. Data were collected through 50 semi-structured in-depth online interviews with UK-based Turkish academics. Interviews were carried out in Turkish (a native language shared between the interviewer and participants) and lasted between 45 and 60 min. Participants were asked flexibly worded questions to elicit their thoughts. The carefully chosen open-ended prompts encouraged detailed and free responses. The participant sample was diverse, stratified by academic position and affiliated institution, contract type, discipline, age, number of years living in the UK, gender, and bachelor's de- gree–awarding institution and Ph.D.-awarding country. Participants worked at 33 UK universities spread across four nations. Once the data collection was concluded and the transcriptions of audio recordings were completed, thematic analysis was employed to elicit a variety of themes via data analysis software (NVivo). Throughout the study, British Education Research Association and UCL ethical guidelines are followed, and anonymization is strictly ensured to protect participants' anonymity.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThe data suggest that the support that diasporic Turkish academics provide to fellow nationals and the development of Turkey takes the form of mentorship of junior scholars and students, co-authorship, joint grant applications, and acting as hosts for visiting fellows from Turkey.
Firstly, many Turkish academics have Turkish mentees, while some are the source of tacit knowledge about UK academia for outsiders. This tacit knowledge includes strategies to advance the chance of getting scholarships and preparing for job interviews at UK HEIs.
Further, UK-based Turkish academics, particularly social scientists, easily engage with bi/multinational research projects with fellow nationals as these collaborations could occur without the need for complete physical togetherness. The UK’s generous funding opportunities to promote partnerships with developing countries are widely used by UK- based Turkish academics to collaborate with Turkey-based academics.
Finally, hosting fellow nationals, notably students and junior researchers from Turkey, is a common form of support cited by many interlocutors. Once the UK-based Turkish academics hold permanent positions or have administrative roles at the UK HEIs, they welcome and even encourage academic visitors from Turkey.
Importantly, UK-based Turkish academics’ diasporic engagements reinforce the internationalization of higher education, as these activities involve attracting international students and researchers, establishing transnational partnerships, and co-authorship with international (Turkey-based) academics. Therefore, I further suggest that the UK and other significant hubs should support bi/multinational research projects and mobility schemes in which academic diasporas can take an active role in building bridges.
In concluding remarks, academic diasporas, in this case, UK-based Turkish academics, play a vital role in supporting the development of the home country (Turkey) by establishing transnational research partnerships, transferring knowledge, and hosting fellow nationals. However, these contributions remain limited due to the lack of binational funding, bureaucratic challenges, and the heavy workload in Turkey and the UK.
ReferencesLarner, W. (2015). Globalising knowledge networks: Universities, diaspora strategies, and academic intermediaries. Geoforum, 59, 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.10.006
Rabinowitz, O., & Abramson, Y. (2022). Imagining a ‘Jewish atom bomb’, constructing a scientific diaspora. Social Studies of Science, 52(2), 253–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/03063127221077313
Tejada, G., Varzari, V., & Porcescu, S. (2013). Scientific diasporas, transnationalism and home-country development: Evidence from a study of skilled Moldovans abroad. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 13(2), 157–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2013.789674
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