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Research Led Teaching at Cardiff University. PCUTL Group Research Project Michael Arribas-Ayllon (SOCSI) Samuel Bigot (ENGIN) Jonathan Gosling (CARBS) Jonathan Lees (ENGIN) Luke Sloan (SOCSI). Our Research Questions. Our research topic is ‘research-led teaching’ - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Research Led Teaching at Cardiff University
PCUTL Group Research Project
Michael Arribas-Ayllon (SOCSI)Samuel Bigot (ENGIN)Jonathan Gosling (CARBS)Jonathan Lees (ENGIN)Luke Sloan (SOCSI)
Our Research Questions
• Our research topic is ‘research-led teaching’
• Our specific research questions are:– What is research-led teaching at Cardiff
University?– Is it a realistic vision?– How is it achieved in practice in different Schools?
Research Design• Semi-structured interviews (n = 10) • Devise standardised interview schedule• There are 2 comparative dimensions:
– ‘Age’ or ‘seniority’– ‘Discipline’ or ‘School’
• Interviews conducted across 3 Schools:– Engineering– Business– Social Science
Business1 x Senior1 x junior
Social Sciences2 x Senior2 x junior
Engineering2 x Senior2 x junior
The questions
• What does RLT mean to you• Do you agree with CU RLT definition• How realistic is this vision?• Has the relationship between teaching and research changed
during your career ?• What are the barriers to achieving RLT• Examples of how RLT has been incorporated into teaching• Does RLT help or hinder teaching?• Are prospective students attracted by RLT – why?
Definitions and disciplinary Differences
EngineeringBusiness
Social Sci.
Junior Senior“Publication led teaching” – SocSi
“Connected to a research culture” – SocSi“Keeping material current” – Bus“Proof that theory works” - Bus
“Teaching Research” - Engin“Problems without sols.” – Engin
Definitions of RLT
“has the relationship changed during your career”
no but yes
“The high-quality of the research at Cardiff contributes significantly to the quality of
teaching at postgraduate and undergraduate levels …….”
Do you agree with theCU definition of RLT
agree but Not realistic
Definitions and disciplinary Differences
EngineeringBusiness
Social Sci.
Junior SeniorWriting
Text Books
Using examples &
scenarios
Students do Research & learn
methods
Examples of RLT
Performs Informs Shapes
“Does RLT help or hinder teaching”
helps both hinders
“Are prospective students attracted by RLT”
yes I wish no
“Barriers to achieving RLT”
syllabus workload abilityconflict
Analysis
• We conducted a simple thematic analysis based on semi-structured interviews and identified several ‘value-tensions’:– ‘teaching’ versus ‘research’– ‘tradition’ versus ‘innovation’– ‘autonomy’ versus ‘competition’
• We also identified one important cross-cutting theme:– ‘rhetoric’ versus ‘reality’
Core Tension: ‘Teaching’ vs ‘Research’
TEACHING• Universally less prestigious• Quality of instruction a priority• Fostering meaningful learning
experience, i.e. student-oriented
RESEARCH• Universally more prestigious• Quality of knowledge a priority• Fostering meaningful academic
identity, i.e. expert-oriented
“Research has more prestige and its effects are longer lasting in terms of legacy and reputation. Teaching is more transient yet pleasurable.”
“RLT universities should attract good scholars but it doesn't mean they will be good teachers. Good scholarship and good teaching is not so much different skill sets but different values. Some scholars are potentially good teachers but they don't value teaching ”
Core Tension: ‘Teaching’ vs ‘Research’
TEACHING• Universally less prestigious• Quality of instruction a priority• Fostering meaningful learning
experience, i.e. student-oriented
RESEARCH• Universally more prestigious• Quality of knowledge a priority• Fostering meaningful academic
identity, i.e. expert-oriented
“Research has more prestige and its effects are longer lasting in terms of legacy and reputation. Teaching is more transient yet pleasurable.”
“Research active academics should be well versed with what is happening in their field, and relevant concepts. This awareness helps to convey the gaps, industry based tools and techniques in a more meaningful way.”
“Research, for the most part, makes you engage with experts and the best people in your field.”
Teaching Regimes: ‘Innovation’ vs ‘Tradition’
TRADITION• Knowledge is centralised and
impersonal amenable to team teaching flexible and transferable
INNOVATION• Knowledge is diffuse and
personal less amenable to team teaching limited flexibility and transferability
“So rather than teaching from the textbooks it's about new developments in the areas that you're aware of. Using your own research experience to illustrate points you're teaching.”
“I don't think that it just happens by itself, it depends on how teaching is organised … Research-led teaching might be discouraged due to team teaching.”
Teaching Regimes: ‘Innovation’ vs ‘Tradition’
TRADITION• Knowledge is centralised and
impersonal amenable to team teaching flexible and transferable
INNOVATION• Knowledge is diffuse and
personal less amenable to team teaching limited flexibility and transferability
“Old notes, old handouts, legacy material passed on from academic to academic, no time to improve or update, so this statement is almost a lie.”
“Historical and traditional way of doing things - 'passing the baton' with modules being inherited and regurgitated - no room or time for introducing new, research relevant material. Too many modules - no room for new and exciting modules.”
Intellectual Values: ‘Autonomy’ vs ‘Competition’
AUTONOMY• Fostering personal intellectual
value, i.e. ‘scholarship’– accrues status for an individual– process-oriented
COMPETITION• Accruing institutional value, i.e.
symbolic capital– accrues status for a university– output-oriented, e.g. REF
“Get the opportunity to tell the student about the research work that you are doing. For me, it has to be relevant ... RLT can give exposure to relevant, current research in the particular discipline. The danger otherwise is that we repeat outdated theory with no context.”
“Research has become very very important. My teaching is more research informed than ever before. This shift is a confidence thing and a network thing.”
Intellectual Values: ‘Autonomy’ vs ‘Competition’
AUTONOMY• Fostering personal intellectual
value, i.e. ‘scholarship’– accrues status for an individual– process-oriented
COMPETITION• Accruing institutional value, i.e.
symbolic capital– accrues status for a university– output-oriented, e.g. REF
“RLT is not a realistic portrayal because not all universities have a research culture. RLT is a scarce entitlement in a competitive and hierarchical context of increasing differentiation between universities.”
“Corporate line to advertise university to students. PR statement for public to read ‘come to Cardiff we're great’ - not the same as an honest assessment of teaching.”
“NSS is increasingly important, moving into greater competition for students, recruit students rather than select. Use eminent scholars to sell the university. This is right as teaching is part of the job and pays research professors salaries.”
Cross-Cutting Theme: ‘Rhetoric’ vs ‘Reality’
• Teaching and research is zero sum game• Being a good researcher <> good teacher• Research-led teaching is a buzzword• Research-led teaching invokes two opposing realities:
– an honest assessment of how to improve teaching and close the gap between teaching and research cultures
– an exercise in producing symbolic capital to boast the competitiveness of universities in a climate of neo-liberal (consumer-led) economics
Low integration of research and teaching
What is RLT?
Lack the skills to translate research into effective teaching material
Time Pressures
RLT not an important priority
Not relevant to teaching ‘Inheritance’
Workload and Performance Measurement
Characteristics of Teaching Responsibilities Nature of Research Undertaken
REF pressure to publish
Tension Between Research and Teaching
Separate Research / Teaching Identities
Teaching Allocation
Motivation and Meanings
Syllabus Constraints
Limited Applicability to ‘level’
Team Teaching Structures
Limited AutonomyHigh level Theory
Shared Modules
Unclear definitions
Too ‘advanced’Not suitable for teaching
Recruitment based on research outputsPerformance
Measures
Lead to
Exacerbates
Create
Generates income for
Attracts
Promotes
Research Excellence
Barriers to Integrate
Research and Teaching
Confusion over R & T
Relationship
Reputation(Symbolic Capital)
Student Numbers
Prestige Virtuous Circle
Implementation Vicious Circle
Value Tensions
Traditional Ethos of Research-led University
Problems Encountered in RLT Practice
Many thanks for listening
PCUTL Group Research Project
Michael Arribas-Ayllon (SOCSI)Samuel Bigot (ENGIN)Jonathan Gosling (CARBS)Jonathan Lees (ENGIN)Luke Sloan (SOCSI)
Implications of Findings
Overall there is a need to properly conceptualise RLT
Teaching vs ResearchThe disparity in recognition and prestige between teaching and research needs to be
addressed or the gap between ‘researchers’ and ‘teachers’ will continue
Tradition vs InnovationIt takes time to do something new – if teaching is low status then why would people
spend time on andragogic innovation?
Autonomy vs CompetitionIf RLT is more than a branding exercise then leading scholars need to teach – teaching
finances the high level of autonomy that some researchers enjoy
Rhetoric vs RealityAre we currently doing RLT or just saying that we do? Is it feasible for all teaching to be research-led? What about those of us on the ‘teaching and scholarship’ route?
Unused Slides
These following slides just summaris the answers from questions
(numbers represent where to position on scale on graphs)
What does RLT mean to you• Junior
– Engin Teaching Research - not using research to enhance teaching– Engin A means of updating material, and illustration– Bus Keeping current - key issues and debates– SocSi Publication led teaching - conflict here– SocSi Using own research as a tool to illustrate
• Senior– Engin Enthuse and push research agenda, problems without solutions.– Engin Where research informs teaching– Bus Proof that theory works!– SocSi Connected to other peoples research, involved in a culture of research– SocSi Taught by real experts
Do you agree with the University's definition of RLT?
• Junior– Engin no - marketing tool only (-5)– Engin yes (5)– Bus yes, enthusiasm there, but done on best endeavors basis (+2)– SocSi no - bad use of language (-5)– SocSi yes - but - potential to be true - needs careful planning (-4)
• Senior– Engin yes - works well (+5)– Engin No - no real definition there - student awareness is good. (-2)– Bus No - but intentions are good (-3)– SocSi No - not all Unis can do it - only the privileged (-2)– SocSi Yes - in principle - but mostly a marketing strategy (+2)
How realistic is the vision?• Junior
– Engin Not realistic - enthusiastic researcher <> good lecturer (-3)– Engin Realistic - but hands-on access required (+3)– Bus realistic - but only with sufficient support and commitment (+3)– SocSi RLT Unis. should attract good scholars - doesn’t necessarily lead to
good RLT. Value tension. Institutional issue. (0)– SocSi realistic - but research usually 'applied' to existing modules. (+1)
• Senior– Engin realistic - but with buy in (+1)– Engin realistic - but with proper guidance (+1)– Bus realistic - but unlikely (-1)– SocSi not realistic - although this individual speaks general for HE sector
(-3)– SocSi not realistoc - good scholars cant communicate, god teachers don’t
have the research understanding. (-3)
Has the relationship between teaching and research changed during your career?
• Junior– Engin No - but difficult to gauge as new. Would like to see change. (-4)– Engin No - teaching legacy material (-4)– Bus Yes - but previous Uni teaching focused - Lucky to have RLT! (+4)– SocSi Yes - now teaching led research! Own research enhanced because of this.
Think of teaching in a different way. (+5)– SocSi Yes - RLT will become more difficult as HE continues to change (+3)
• Senior– Engin No. Always been the same. (-5)– Engin yes - just got better at integrating it. Enjoy teaching more as a result (+3)– Bus No - Not really - RLT just used as a buzz word these days (-5)– SocSi yes - research has informed and improved teaching (5)– SocSi yes - more emphasis on research (+1)
What are the barriers to achieving RLT?
• Junior– Engin legacy material - passing the baton, reluctance to change, time - no time to
do effectively, Research 'stars' too busy, workload - no space in curriculum, more active the researcher - less time – balance?, Leadership at school level.
– Engin Well defined legacy material - no room for new material, workload - difficult to implement no matter how passionate
– Bus Fixed syllabus / team teaching, Workload– SocSi Teaching/publishing conflict– SocSi Fixed syllabus / team teaching
• Senior– Engin Student ability - ability to answer questions without solutions, Enough staff
being 'on- board’, additional effort required.– Engin The need to teach fundamentals. Reluctance to revise curricula radically– Bus Suitability of students, Class sizes - only deliverable to small groups,
workload– SocSi Interdisciplinary nature of research - no strong identity– SocSi Ability of researchers to teach.
Examples of RLT
• Junior– Engin Undergrad (year 3) projects– Engin Undergrad (year 3) projects– Bus examples and scenarios from own research - contextual– SocSi Literature surveys– SocSi examples and scenarios from own research - contextual
• Senior– Engin Year 3 and 4 projects - developed into stand alone laboratoroes– Engin Illustrating linkage between research and fundamantal knowledge– Bus Studies on current issues - students adapt well, actual research
methodology– SocSi textbook authorship– SocSi evidence based policy
Does RLT help or hinder teaching?
• Junior– Engin reverse is true - teaching hinders research, this is the reality– Engin neutral, but hopeful– Bus helps with keeping content current– SocSi Neutral - pressure to publish probably means hinders.– SocSi Helps - makes content more engaging.
• Senior– Engin Helps - enhances student experience– Engin Helps - adds significant value to 3rd year student projects– Bus Offers a better platform for explanation / learning– SocSi helps– SocSi Neutral - should be part of teaching anyway
Are prospective students attracted by RLT?
• Junior– Engin No - not sold at UCAS, opportunity missed (-4)– Engin Yes - drawn by expertise (+3– Bus yes - but not sure to what degree (+2)– SocSi yes - but students / parents aware that more research means less contact
time. Price worth paying (+3)– SocSi yes - its all about prestige (+2)
• Senior– Engin yes - bright students are aware of prestige (+3)– Engin yes - facilities are better - but need to make prospective students aware (2)– Bus No - not for undergrads (-4)– SocSi No - not recognised as a quality by prospective students (-4)– SocSi No - although books and textbooks have impact once students enrolled (-4)
Unused Slides
Definitions and disciplinary Differences
TEACHING PRACTICE
TEACHING CONTENT
EnginBusinessSocial
ShapesPerforms
Conflicts
Informs
What does RLT means to you?
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Junior Senior