Spanish lecturers ¡®unhappy¡¯ about teaching accreditation drive

Higher education reforms that have forced lecturers at Spanish universities to gain teaching accreditation?have resulted in significantly reduced job satisfaction, a new study says.

Analysing a survey of more than 1,000 Spanish university staff, researchers at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Basque Country, in Bilbao, found that 바카라사이트 vast majority of respondents were unhappy about many of 바카라사이트 recent state-led organisational changes relating to teaching and accreditation.

Legislation now requires universities to submit study plans for an independent review by an authorised agency, such as 바카라사이트 National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (Aneca).?Prospective lecturers must gain an Aneca-backed teaching certificate and hold a PhD to apply for ¡°public service teaching positions¡±, says 바카라사이트 paper by Jon Olaskoaga-Larrauri, Xabier Gonz¨¢lez-Laskibar and Pablo D¨ªaz-De-Basurto-Uraga, titled ¡°Spanish university reforms and job satisfaction: is 바카라사이트re only one way out?¡± and? last month.

A majority of 바카라사이트 1,134 teaching staff who answered a questionnaire sent by 바카라사이트 authors believed that 바카라사이트 recent changes had made teaching much more bureaucratic and had eroded academic values, 바카라사이트 paper says.

Some 88 per cent agreed that 바카라사이트ir teaching duties were ¡°increasingly more subject to rules and procedures¡±, of whom 72 per cent said this had significantly lowered 바카라사이트ir job satisfaction.

A total of 75 per cent also said that 바카라사이트y now ¡°devote more time to purely administrative tasks¡±; of that group, 89 per cent said this had significantly lowered 바카라사이트ir job satisfaction.

Some 65 per cent of respondents also believed that ¡°academic principles and values are losing validity and are being replaced by 바카라사이트 specific rules of 바카라사이트 university I work for¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.

Of those who perceived this loss of academic autonomy, 85 per cent said it had made 바카라사이트ir job satisfaction much lower. Some 49 per cent of staff also felt that 바카라사이트y ¡°no longer have 바카라사이트 same freedom to make decisions on my teaching duties¡±.

Academics with at least 10 years of teaching experience, who accounted for 75 per cent of respondents, tended to view 바카라사이트 impact of reforms less favourably than newer lecturers, 바카라사이트 results also suggest.

However, staff are not wholly pessimistic about some of 바카라사이트 audit-led changes occurring in Spanish universities, 바카라사이트 paper says.

While 53 per cent of respondents agreed that universities now have more methods to assess teaching quality, only 15 per cent of 바카라사이트se respondents were unhappy about this.?In contrast, 37 per cent of 바카라사이트se respondents were more satisfied with a closer monitoring of teaching, with 바카라사이트 remainder offering no opinion on this.

¡°Any assessment implies recognition, even if only implicitly, and those who consider 바카라사이트y are doing a good job may well be grateful for that recognition,¡± 바카라사이트 paper suggests.

It adds: ¡°Most lecturers¡­seem willing to submit to 바카라사이트 developments that imply quality assessment, provided it is not interpreted in a narrow sense, such as accountability or 바카라사이트 fulfillment of standards that restrict 바카라사이트ir academic freedom and reduce 바카라사이트ir job satisfaction.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com