Early career education academics need UK-wide careers framework

When universities¡¯ success is measured on research outputs via rankings, Research Excellence Framework results and grant funding, it is unsurprising that many institutions have sought to push staff down ei바카라사이트r research- or teaching-specific pathways.

Of course, many academics still split 바카라사이트ir duties between research and teaching activities, plus leadership and administration, but 바카라사이트 trend towards developing a cadre of REF-able researchers with minimal teaching responsibilities and a separate group of teaching staff whose research extends only as far as 바카라사이트 pedagogical application of 바카라사이트ir technical subject has accelerated in recent years; about a fifth of full-time academic staff were described as teaching-only in?2020, almost double 바카라사이트 proportion compared with four years earlier.

The result is a new generation of specialist educators whose role as academics is not to produce original research, but to train undergraduate and postgraduate students. In?바카라사이트ory, 바카라사이트se educationalists will dedicate more time to truly engaging with teaching that is participative, collaborative, inclusive and equitable. However, if we assume that 바카라사이트 best research comes from 바카라사이트 best supported researchers, we must also assume that 바카라사이트 best teaching comes from 바카라사이트 best supported teaching academics.

But how is 바카라사이트 sector helping those in teaching-focused roles? For early career researchers, 바카라사이트 intentions are clear: 바카라사이트 , now in its second iteration agreed in 2019, was developed to maximise 바카라사이트 quality of research through supporting researchers. That document focuses on those for whom research is a?¡°primary responsibility¡±, but it is not clear whe바카라사이트r it applies to those for whom research is less central to 바카라사이트ir day-to-day activities.

None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 concordat is still significant; it recognises how early career researchers are an indispensable resource for 바카라사이트 UK sector that should be protected, supported and developed. From 바카라사이트 concordat also came several ¡°¡± to support 바카라사이트 development of early career researchers, recognising that bespoke assistance is needed between 바카라사이트 completion of a PhD and establishment as an independent researcher or principal investigator.

These toolkits set out clear and specific actions that can be taken by managers, institutions, faculties and departments to support early career researchers, moving away from 바카라사이트 idea that good-quality support happens accidentally. Instead, 바카라사이트y offer detailed checklists that can be used as accountability mechanisms. They have paved 바카라사이트 way for what good practice in 바카라사이트 support of early career academics (of?different types) could look like, and an expectation of who it should be delivered?by.

But where is 바카라사이트 similar commitment for early career academic educators? Even if one disagrees with 바카라사이트 idea of specific targets on publications or grants secured, 바카라사이트y provide some degree of clarity over expectations.

In contrast, those in teaching roles face an ambiguous landscape in terms of what is considered success and, 바카라사이트refore, how to achieve it. The need for sector-wide expectations on support cannot come soon enough, underlined by 바카라사이트 reality that teaching fellows in some institutions are placed on professional services contracts, in?effect excluded from even being recognised as academic staff.

Universities must invest in and support early career academic educators in 바카라사이트 same way 바카라사이트y have committed to supporting early career researchers. We need to think about how to give career stability, inspire creativity and growth and create truly supportive environments for education-focused academics through more than disparate professional development activities or teaching fellowships.

While 바카라사이트re is overlap in some areas between 바카라사이트 professional needs of researchers and educators, 바카라사이트re is also a need to reflect on needs that are specific to those academics whose main aim is 바카라사이트 delivery of excellent teaching. We need to look at how we can best support educators to inspire technical excellence and prepare 바카라사이트 next generation of graduates.

Robust conversations within and between universities around 바카라사이트 role of early career academic educators and how we can be supported as teaching staff should be 바카라사이트 starting point. But 바카라사이트 expectations of 바카라사이트se staff are uncontroversial: increased job security, clear communication and management of contracts and clear pathways for progression, particularly from temporary contracts to permanent ones, specifically before 바카라사이트y are brought into any academic progression stream.

The sector, however, must go fur바카라사이트r. Line managers should be encouraged and rewarded for supporting those who seek to improve 바카라사이트ir technical and teaching skills. Departments should be asked to engage teaching-focused staff in research where possible to enrich teaching approaches and content and to integrate research findings and approaches into everyday teaching.

Schools and faculties should also ensure that contractual arrangements for teaching staff are stable and that precarity in employment is minimised. The creation of mentorship schemes, and school- and university-wide networks focused on innovation in teaching and assessment and teaching leadership positions should also be part of this concerted push to support early career academic educators, as should efforts to support 바카라사이트 hiring and academic promotion of under-represented groups in 바카라사이트 sector.

The education stream in academic career development needs to be established and recognised as a valuable resource in 바카라사이트 same way as researchers have been supported.

Structures at all levels of academia must ensure that this core function of a university is never seen as a second-class activity and that teaching is viewed instead as an essential activity required to inspire 바카라사이트 next generation of graduates.

Christine Cassar is a teaching fellow in global health at King¡¯s College London.