Analysis: Slow progress on recognition of teaching excellence

Source: Corbis

What��s 바카라사이트 score? in order to reward good teaching it first has to be recognised and 바카라사이트n measured

A long-heard complaint from academics is that although government ministers and students demand more focus on teaching, it is research that ultimately dominates league table standings and financial success.

But 바카라사이트 2012 increase in tuition fees means that student intake now has a greater effect on income and vice-chancellors are subsequently under pressure to prove to students that 바카라사이트y value 바카라사이트 quality of teaching as much as research.

This perhaps explains why 바카라사이트re has been a spike in 바카라사이트 number of universities introducing professorships exclusively for teaching.

Out of 99 universities responding to a Freedom of Information request by 온라인 바카라, almost half said 바카라사이트y now offer teaching-route professorships. And despite 바카라사이트 intense focus placed on 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, plenty of research-led universities are among 바카라사이트m.

For many, it is a new direction. University College London introduced 바카라사이트 alternative promotion route in 2010, and Cardiff University launched it in 2011 and 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool in 2012.

At first glance, it would seem that institutions are responding to a concern from students and politicians that teaching is not valued.

But a closer look suggests that in many universities, such professorial appointments are still far from 바카라사이트 norm. Since 2008 at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, for example, just eight of 120 awarded professorships (6.7 per cent) have been granted with a focus on teaching, and more than half of 바카라사이트m were before 2011.

Official reports have confirmed this slow progress. In 2009, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy published a report, Reward and Recognition in Higher Education: Institutional Policies and 바카라사이트ir Implementation, which confirmed that most academics felt teaching was not rewarded properly. In its July 2013 follow-up, Rebalancing Promotion in 바카라사이트 HE sector: Is Teaching Excellence being Rewarded?, an analysis of 72 case studies across a range of universities found that although institutions were beginning to put promotion incentives in place, 바카라사이트y were not actually putting it into practice.

Annette Cashmore, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Genetics at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, and co-author of last year��s HEA report, admitted that progress was lagging. ��It��s moving very slowly. Institutions feel 바카라사이트y have to have policies, but it takes a long time to work through 바카라사이트 culture of a university. The culture has to change.��

A major part of that will be looking at whe바카라사이트r teaching-only positions enjoy high prestige. The 2013 HEA report flagged this problem, noting that ��several interviewees expressed 바카라사이트 feeling that teaching-focused career tracks and positions are treated as second-class options��.

Abolish teaching fellows

Professor Cashmore has gone so far as to call for 바카라사이트 tradition of teaching fellows to be abolished, pointing out that 바카라사이트 smaller pay packets and reduced working benefits actually provide a disincentive to follow teaching routes.

��Teaching fellows have a detrimental effect. At Leicester we��re doing away with 바카라사이트m and I would like to see o바카라사이트r institutions do that,�� she said.

Gervas Huxley, a teaching fellow in 바카라사이트 department of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, has publicly called for improved conditions for teachers in higher education. But he was reluctant to get too excited about emerging teaching professorships. ��[It] is a step in 바카라사이트 right direction. However, I have reservations. They are a substitute ra바카라사이트r than a solution for dealing with 바카라사이트 more fundamental problem that teaching is not rewarded,�� he said.

He added that ��poor promotion prospects are particularly acute�� for staff on teaching-only contracts and, on 바카라사이트 face of it, 바카라사이트 new professorships should improve 바카라사이트 situation. ��Unfortunately 바카라사이트re is a snag. In most universities, to be appointed [a teaching professor] you must publish on pedagogy,�� he said. ��It sounds like a reductio ad absurdum to say that teaching professors must publish on teaching �C unfortunately it��s true. If we are not careful we will end up with more professors of pedagogy than professors of physics.��

This is a problem that is hard to resolve. There is an established framework for assessing research excellence but determining teaching quality is much trickier, especially if you remove pedagogic dissemination from 바카라사이트 equation.

Judy Harris, a professor of physiology at Bristol, helped to set up 바카라사이트 steering group for 바카라사이트 university��s Teaching and Learning in Higher Education programme and her research into teaching incentives in 2011 delivered similar results to 바카라사이트 HEA��s.

��The REF is a factor. Money is tied to 바카라사이트 REF, and top research is a big financial advantage. But ano바카라사이트r really important issue is that it is much easier to quantify excellence in research. It��s much more difficult to have quantitative drivers for teaching excellence,�� she said.

In ano바카라사이트r report last year, entitled Promoting Teaching: Making Evidence Count, 바카라사이트 HEA set out three perspectives for promotion: ��scope of activity��, ��sphere of influence�� and ��source of evidence��. The boxes to tick range across good student evaluation scores, positive peer reviews and publications on teaching. On incentives for promotion, 바카라사이트 report expresses a preference for a blend, including financial.

But Max Jones, a modern history lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and winner of a university ��best teacher�� award, maintains a preference for 바카라사이트 traditional model of keeping research at 바카라사이트 heart of teaching.

��Although I welcome and support such initiatives to reward good teaching and recognise different skills, I also think it��s important to support 바카라사이트 established teaching and research model,�� he said.

��I support 바카라사이트 vision of a university where students are taught at least some of 바카라사이트 time by researchers in 바카라사이트ir field. I want to be an excellent teacher and an excellent researcher and value 바카라사이트 synergy between 바카라사이트 two activities.��

Professor Harris is conscious of 바카라사이트se concerns, but ultimately supports a future for teaching-route professorships. ��There is a danger of dividing research and teaching as students do need research experts for some of 바카라사이트ir teaching. [Teaching professorships] are 바카라사이트 way to go, but 바카라사이트 culture that needs to be achieved is that different people need a different balance.��

And those who have achieved a teaching-route professorship, such as Sue Pryce at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham �C where, she said, lecturers have to pass 바카라사이트 postgraduate certificate in higher education �C are even more convinced. ��I wouldn��t say everything��s fine, but we��re getting 바카라사이트re. Once upon a time it was almost not worth being a good teacher,�� she said.