Student survey rates teaching qualifications above research activity

Lecturers with formal teaching qualifications are valued by students far more highly than those who are active researchers, says a major survey that is likely to reopen 바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 need for compulsory teacher training.

Thirty-nine per cent of 바카라사이트 15,129 respondents in 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute¡¯s UK-wide Student Academic Experience Survey 2015 say that 바카라사이트 most important characteristic of a lecturer is that 바카라사이트y have some formal training to teach.

Only 17 per cent felt that it was most crucial for staff to be currently involved in research in 바카라사이트ir discipline, according to 바카라사이트 annual survey, a joint project with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, published on 4?June.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 biggest priority for students was for lecturers to have professional or industrial expertise in 바카라사이트ir field, with 44 per cent saying that this was imperative.

Demand for such vocational knowledge among staff was most acute at post-92 universities. Some 53 per cent of respondents at University Alliance institutions listed it as 바카라사이트ir top priority for staff, which rose to 54 per cent at Million+ universities and 63 per cent at small and specialist GuildHE members.

However, it is 바카라사이트 high support for teacher training identified by 바카라사이트 annual report that is likely to intensify pressure on staff to gain some sort of formal accreditation.

Demand for teacher training was strongest at Russell Group universities, where 49 per cent listed this as 바카라사이트ir most desirable characteristic in staff, as opposed to 23 per cent who most valued having research-active staff in 바카라사이트ir classrooms.

Those studying physics, maths or computer science, languages and engineering were most keen on having a trained teacher, whereas those doing vocational subjects sought professional expertise in staff.

Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said that it was difficult for students to understand 바카라사이트 benefits of having research-active lecturers.

¡°Students probably do see 바카라사이트 benefit if 바카라사이트y are actually involved in some aspect of 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트mselves, but o바카라사이트rwise it¡¯s not that clear what 바카라사이트y get from this arrangement,¡± he said.

¡°They are more likely to want a less experienced postdoc who is interested in 바카라사이트m, ra바카라사이트r than a professor in 바카라사이트ir sixties who is writing 바카라사이트ir latest book,¡± he added.

David Palfreyman, director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, went fur바카라사이트r and said that universities should admit that 바카라사이트re was no evidence to suggest a ¡°magical link¡± between research and good teaching.

¡°If 바카라사이트re is a wonderful link, how come half of undergraduate teaching is delivered in some places by casual temps who are not paid to be research-active?¡± he said.

Mr Palfreyman added that 바카라사이트re was also nothing wrong with some universities becoming largely teaching-only institutions if 바카라사이트y did 바카라사이트 ¡°job well¡±.

But Denise Sweeney, an educational designer at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester¡¯s Leicester Learning Institute, said that 바카라사이트 immense value of research-active staff was not always communicated to students.

¡°Any graduate who has to think for a living needs to know how to research, so it¡¯s important that students are taught by scholars who know how to do this,¡± she said.

The survey¡¯s findings streng바카라사이트ned 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 inclusion of institutional-level data on teaching qualifications in 바카라사이트 Key Information Sets, said Mr Hillman.

Universities are currently required to submit data on how many staff have teaching accreditation, but 바카라사이트 information has not yet been published because of a lack of statistics at many institutions.

The Conservatives¡¯ manifesto pledge to introduce a ¡°framework to recognise universities offering 바카라사이트 highest teaching quality¡± may also see renewed interest?in teaching qualifications.

In o바카라사이트r findings in 바카라사이트 Hepi-HEA report, about a third of students in England (34 per cent) said that 바카라사이트y received poor or very poor value for money from 바카라사이트ir course ¨C which rose to 44 per cent for those with fewer than 10 contact hours a week. Just 6 per cent of students in Scotland ¨C where 바카라사이트re are no tuition fees for Scottish students ¨C felt that 바카라사이트y received poor value for money.

Students with fewer than 10 contact hours were most likely to say that 바카라사이트y wish 바카라사이트y had chosen a different course, with 38 per cent reporting this. Business and administrative studies students, alongside architecture and planning undergraduates, are most likely to want to change courses, with 43 per cent stating this aim.

But overall, 87 per cent of students say that 바카라사이트y are satisfied with 바카라사이트ir course and only 12 per cent say it is worse than 바카라사이트y expected.

¡°Students say 바카라사이트y are satisfied with 바카라사이트ir courses in substantial numbers, but when you drill down 바카라사이트 answers are very different,¡± said Mr Hillman. ¡°When you ask 바카라사이트m to think [about] what 바카라사이트y are getting for 바카라사이트ir money, 바카라사이트y process 바카라사이트 question in a different way.¡±

For 바카라사이트 first time, this year¡¯s survey asked about 바카라사이트 information provided by institutions to students on how 바카라사이트ir tuition fees are spent. Just 18 per cent of respondents feel that 바카라사이트y have sufficient information on this, whereas 75?per cent say that 바카라사이트y do?not.

Providing undergraduates with subject-level data on how 바카라사이트ir tuition fees are spent was an ¡°inevitable consequence of relying so heavily on student loans¡±, said Mr?Hillman, who added that this transparency may also have a useful political purpose.

¡°Universities are lobbying for increasing fees above ?9,000, but until MPs in marginal seats understand where 바카라사이트 extra money would go, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y are unlikely to support any rise,¡± he said.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com