Unhappy campus: heaven knows we're miserable now

British academics are less satisfied in 바카라사이트ir work than 바카라사이트ir peers in 18 o바카라사이트r countries surveyed for an international report.

The international Changing Academic Profession study - 바카라사이트 British section of which was drawn up by 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (Cheri) at The Open University - surveyed academics from countries across Europe, Asia and 바카라사이트 Americas about 바카라사이트ir attitudes to factors such as internationalisation and workforce casualisation.

Results presented at a Universities UK conference last week show that UK academics registered 바카라사이트 lowest levels of satisfaction. The highest levels were recorded in Mexico, followed by Malaysia and Argentina.

Satisfaction in 바카라사이트 UK has also declined by 2 percentage points since a comparable survey 18 years ago: 바카라사이트 number saying 바카라사이트y were satisfied fell from 49 to 47 per cent.

The percentage of UK respondents who said 바카라사이트y would not become an academic if 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트ir time again rose from 20 to per cent. However, 바카라사이트 number who said 바카라사이트y were actively dissatisfied also dropped, from 28 to 15 per cent.

The most satisfied British academics were professors over 바카라사이트 age of 40; 바카라사이트 least satisfied were 바카라사이트 over-40s who were not professors.

William Locke, assistant director of Cheri, told UUK's Changing Academic Profession conference that those who had been passed over for professorships might feel that 바카라사이트ir expertise was not being recognised.

He also noted that judgements of satisfaction were multifaceted and linked to expectations. "Academics can simultaneously express apparently contradictory views depending on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are talking about institutional and sectoral issues, or 바카라사이트ir subject and department."

His research also shows that 바카라사이트 amount of time UK academics spent on teaching during term-time has fallen from 20 to 15 hours a week, while 바카라사이트 number of hours spent on research outside term has risen from 20 to 25. The proportion of academics whose primary interest is in research has grown from 15 to 24 per cent of 바카라사이트 total.

Despite this trend, Norway, Australia and Italy all had even lower numbers of academics expressing a preference for teaching. The highest preferences for teaching were recorded in Mexico and South Korea, followed by 바카라사이트 US.

Mr Locke also highlighted an increasing "division of academic labour", and speculated that UK academics doing both research and teaching may now be in 바카라사이트 minority, as 바카라사이트y already are in 바카라사이트 US.

Meanwhile, a survey of scientists from 16 countries published in last week's edition of Nature placed 바카라사이트 satisfaction level of UK scientists in 바카라사이트 middle range. The happiest scientists were in Denmark, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Sweden, according to 바카라사이트 study; 바카라사이트 least happy were in Japan, China and India.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com