'Win, Win, Win’: Can support for new academics be improved through collaborative appreciative enquiry?

'Win, Win, Win’: Can support for new academics be improved through collaborative appreciative enquiry?

Valerie Anderson, University of Portsmouth

Richard AtfieldHEA BMAF Network

Higher Education Academy Annual Conference 2010

ContextContext

• Subject Centres have a remit which includes to support new career academics (NCAs).

• PGCert programmes “may not be adequate for business school purposes.” (Francis 2006)

• “Engagement with T&L is primarily through the disciplines.” (ALTC 2007)

• ‘Business’ subjects recruit 1000+ new academics each year

• Appreciative inquiry seen as a way forward in this context

Presentation aims and objectivesPresentation aims and objectives

• To evaluate the use and contribution of appreciative inquiry to:– Explore existing support and development for New

Business Academics (NBAs)– Evaluate the learning needs and priorities of NBAs– Enhance provision and practice at departmental,

institutional and discipline levels

Appreciative InquiryAppreciative Inquiry

• Premise– ‘Deficit’ views constrain

practice improvement and knowledge creation (Ludema, 2001)

– Highlight the positive in order to achieve positive change (Rogers and Fraser, 2003)

• A collaborative approach that aims to: – Find the best of ‘what is’– Establish what ‘might be’– Enable consent about

‘what should be’ – Foster experience of

‘what can be’ (Cooperider and Srivastva, 1987)

“A distinctive approach to Action Research” (Huang, 2010)

Why Appreciative Inquiry?Why Appreciative Inquiry?

• Previous experience where a ‘problem-focused’ project had restricted access to HEIs.

• Previous experience of using AI in another setting (NHS).

• Positive interest by members of project steering group.

• Positive attitude attractive to HEIs at both pilot and main project stages

Data access and intended outputsData access and intended outputs

• Identify NBA characteristics through HESA Data

• Gain access to purposive sample of HEIs with:– Involvement of business

school and academic / educational developers

– Access for interviews with senior staff, PGCert lead and NBAs

– Collaborative participation of ‘paired’ HEIs.

• Intended outputs– Encourage participating

HEIs to share and enhance development opportunities for NBAs

– Adjust BMAF activities to focus on aspects best provided nationally and across the subject disciplines

– Disseminate in appropriate ways to encourage positive change in the sector

Project processProject process

• Pilot study (2 HEIs) – April to November 2008• Selection of 6 (from 14) further HEIs • HEI ‘pairs’ and data protocols agreed – January

2009• Data gathering and initial analysis; feedback to

paired HEIs – Feb to May 2009• Knowledge sharing; further discussion / analysis

and action planning involving all participating HEIs – June 2009

Participating HEIsParticipating HEIs

Institution Pre / post 1992 Business School academics

Most academic staff background

Pilot 1 Pre 1992* 71 Research

Pilot 2 Pre 1992 140 Practice

A Pre 1992 100 Research

B Post 1992 **** 75 Practice

C Pre 1992 * 118 Research

D Post 1992 **** 180 Practice

E Post 1992 ** 100 Practice

F Pre 1992 *** 90 Research

* Russell Group; ** Million +; *** 1994 group; **** University Alliance

Questions and frameworks Questions and frameworks

• Data gathering– Contextual questions– What are the most

useful / beneficial things about your experience / support processes etc?

– What are the challenges / frustrations?

– Describe your experiences

• Reporting– Context– Reflection on data

gathering process– Assessment of the

most useful features– Indication of the

frustrations– Description of good

practice

The Structure of Appreciative InquiryMagruder Watkins and Mohr (2001:37)

The Practice of Appreciative InquiryThe main activities, steps and applications of AI

that are uniquely different in each situation

The 5 Core Principlesa) Constructionismb) Simultaneityc) Anticipatoryd) Poetice) Positive

The 5 Generic Processes1. Choose the positive as the focus of inquiry2. Inquire into stories of life-giving forces3. Locate themes that appear in stories

and select topics for further inquiry4. Create shared images for a preferred future5. Find innovative ways to create that future

The Soil of Appreciative Inquiry• Sociology of Knowledge (Social Constructionism)• New Sciences (Chaos Theory, Complexity Theory Self Organising Systems, and Quantum Physics)• Research into the Power of Image

Critiques of AICritiques of AI

• Encouragement of excessive optimism and avoidance of dealing with known problem areas?

• Substantive problems remain unexamined?• Descriptive rather than analytical outcomes?• Another management fad?

Our reflections on the processOur reflections on the process

• HEIs– External yet supportive

assessment of context and provision for NBAs

– Other HEIs can access those reports online.

• New Business Academics– Raised awareness and

changes of practice in project sites; increased awareness of BMAF resources etc.

• BMAF– Clearer identification of

resources to develop and share, excellent value for money.

– Similar issues highlighted in other comparable countries

• Participants– Dissemination and

personal development opportunities