Zoekresultaten

Abstract submission from U!REKA

Higher education institutions are more and more attempting to connect research to teaching. One way of enhancing this connection is within the work of academics. Currently it is unknown if research and teaching are connected in the work of academics and if this relationship differs between new and old universities. Due to the fading boundaries between new and old universities within binary educational systems, comparing both settings becomes relevant. This research considers the relation between research and teaching in the work of academics by analysing tasks and competencies within job openings of new (N=126) and old (N=246) universities within the Netherlands. Data reduction was done in Atlas.ti8 using coding schemes. Hereafter, a quantitative analysis was applied, containing a descriptive and a correlation analysis. The findings show a negative relation between teaching and research-related tasks and competencies in job openings of new universities, while this relationship is sometimes positive, and sometimes negative in job openings of old universities. These findings yield a discussion about the professional profiles of teachers and researchers appropriate to enhance the connection between teaching and research within new and old universities.

Onderzoeksintegratie en de Intentie tot Onderzoeksgedrag van Studenten in Hoger Beroepsonderwijs

A questionnaire to compare lecturers’ and students’ higher education research integration experiences

Students and lecturers share educational experiences, each in their role: Students as part of their learning context and lecturers as part of their work environment. But how much of their experiences are similar? A questionnaire was developed to provide insight into the experiences of research integration of undergraduate students (N = 2336) and lecturers (N = 379). For measurements, the Research Attitudes in Vocational Education Questionnaire (RAVE-Q), and Experience in Research Integration scale were applied to the student survey design. For lecturers, all items of the student surveys were rephrased into items related to lecturers’ perceptions of their students’ attitudes and experiences. The findings show that students and lecturers share perceptions about the role of research in their related vocational field and about research integration. However, important cognitive and affective differences were found between students and lecturers regarding research practice. Implications for further research and educational design will be discussed.

Building research capacity in new universities during times of academic drift

New universities on the European mainland were mostly teaching oriented until the start of this century. Current national and local management intends to better connect research and teaching through the increase of lecturers' research capacity, often defined through their master's degrees or PhDs. However, this strategy is complex due to the needed combination of didactical expertise, professional practise, and research competencies in lecturers' professional profiles, which are not captured by the notion of formal degrees. This study considers the professional profiles of new lecturers through a thematic analysis and a correlation analysis of tasks and competencies in job openings (N = 126). The findings show that two professional profiles underpin the hiring of new lecturers: the teaching lecturer and the research-active lecturer. These profiles do not imply a better connection between research and teaching. To reach this goal, higher education policy should explicitly define lecturers' professional profiles beyond their formal degrees.

Mapping Dutch Higher Education Lecturers’ Discourse on Research at Times of Academic Drift

With the introduction of research activities in higher professional education in the Dutch higher education system, the notions of ‘research’ that were previously silently agreed upon among academics in traditional universities also came under pressure. Additionally, bothtypes of higher education actively claim to have educational programs of a different character. The ground underneath the difference is claimed to be the presence of distinct research activities. This study considers this difference through the discourse on ‘research’ of lecturers in both higher professional education and university education. In interviews, lecturers were asked to judge an argument on their own work-related activities to be ‘research’ or ‘nonresearch’. Through a network-analysis approach, the data results in five discursive building blocks that all lecturers apply in their arguments, and three discursive themes on research. Furthermore, this research indicates that differences among lecturers on discursive themes areonly partly based on institutional differences.

Academic Drift in Dutch Non-University Higher Education Evaluated: A Staff Perspective

In the context of a European knowledge economy, the Dutch non-university institutions systematically develop research activities at a higher frequency than before. With this development, they have been accused of academic drift, of striving to receive a status comparable to traditional universities. This study considers the perceptions of both managers and lecturers in non-university higher education concerning the organisational aims for research activities. The intention is to add an empirical base to the debate of academic drift, especially to the potential of academic drift on the staff level. The results show a moderate indication of potential for academic drift on the staff level. In addition, managers have more positive perceptions regarding all aims for research than lecturers, but both groups prioritise that the results of research should, first and foremost, be directed towards improving the quality of education.