The findings of a study of Research and Scholarly Activity in Higher
Education departments in Further Education partner institutions
working with the University of Hull’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Charlie Cooper (University of Hull)i
1.0 Background
At a Higher Education Summit at Doncaster College in 2008 the issue of the difficulty
of undertaking research and scholarly (R&S) activity within higher education (HE)
department’s based within a Further Education (FE) setting was raised. It is generally
recognised that teaching staff in FE colleges have less time for R&S activity, and that
generating and maintaining a research profile requires flexibility to tailor teaching
hours with other activities. Despite the difficulties, however, there are clear examples
of high quality R&S activity already happening in the colleges, as this study
reinforces.
In order to consider how the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FASS) at the
University of Hull (UoH) might work more effectively alongside our partner
institutions to support their R&S activity, a short questionnaire was designed, in
consultation with the Faculty Collaborative Provision Committee, to survey the
existing profile of R&S activities that were already taking place. More specifically,
the aim of the survey was to:
(a) map out what types of R&S activities academic staff in HE departments in
FE partner institutions working with FASS were engaged in;
(b) identify what support for these activities was currently received from staff
within FASS; and
(c) identify what additional support staff in our partner institutions thought
would be desirable to further develop their R&S profile.
The research was conducted in late 2008 and early 2009. A one-page questionnaire
survey was circulated with a covering letter to academic staff at Bishop Burton,
Doncaster, East Riding, Selby and Yorkshire Coast colleges (to 35 names), and to a
senior member of staff at Grimsby Institute for circulation (to 26 names) – making a
total of (at least) 61 names contacted. By the (extended) deadline for returns (12th
December 2008), 26 responses had been received (an estimated response rate of 43%)
– 7 from Doncaster, 16 from Grimsby, 2 from Yorkshire Coast and 1 from Selby. No
responses were received from East Riding and Bishop Burton. To supplement the
survey findings, discussions were also held with senior managers in two of the larger
partner institutions FASS works with – Grimsby and Doncaster – to allow a
management perspective to be embedded in the findings. The next section describes
the main findings from this study.
2.0 Findings from the survey
2.1 Types of R&S activities staff are currently engaged in
From the responses received, respondents are currently engaged in a range of R&S
activities. More specifically,
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19 were attending conferences
12 were attending research seminars
12 were attending guest lectures
10 were doing research
Additionally,
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4 were presenting academic papers
4 were attending research training
4 were registered for postgraduate qualifications
4 were engaged in consultancy work
3 were engaged in exhibitions
3 were getting published
3 were writing with a view to publishing
2 were applying for research funding
2 were engaged in media production
1 was engaged in performance arts
1 was engaged in pod-casting
1 was engaged in screen printing
1 was engaged in researching a FdD award
1 was engaged in knowledge updating
1 was attending a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) training course
2.2 Support for R&S activity received from staff in FASS
The majority response (16) cited that respondents received little support for R&S
activities. Where support was received, this included:
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Opportunity to attend/present papers at research seminars (Social
Sciences/Philosophy/General) (cited by 3)
FASS staff presenting papers at colleges (English/Social Sciences) (cited by 2)
Staff development programmes at UoH (2)
Attending conferences (Fine Art) (1)
Support for developing research projects (Digital Media) (1)
Support from individual staff (1)
PhD supervision support (English) (1)
2.3 Additional support thought desirable to further develop R&S activities
The majority of respondents felt that additional support to further develop their R&S
activity profile was desirable in the following areas:
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More funding for attending conferences (15)
Advice on getting published (13)
Advice on applying for research funding (12)
More guest lectures (12)
More research seminars (11)
Advice on how to do research (9)
Provision within contracts/clear guidelines on teaching relief/time allocation
for pursuing research (4)
Training in PhD supervision (1)
Further discussion on defining scope of R&S activity (1)
Additional library resources (1)
3.0 Management perspectives
The Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education (GIFHE) define R&S activity
as ‘Academic or professional activity aimed at developing the individual by
undertaking study or other professional development to support and inform their
teaching’ (GIFHE 2009: 5). Examples of this include:
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study periods or professional activity through secondments or updating in the
field;
involvement with professional bodies or subject-based groups;
participation in college, regional or national forums;
working towards higher level qualifications;
maintenance of professional body status funded by the college;
External Examiner or reviewer roles;
membership of validation panels;
delivering CPD to employers;
and accessing the workplace.
The focus is very much on R&S activity aimed at enhancing the quality of the
teaching.
From 2007/08, each faculty with a responsibility for HE submit an annual
report detailing staff engagement in R&S activity and its relationship to the
programmes/modules taught. The first of these reports identified various activities
including: published papers in peer-reviewed journals; work towards doctoral theses;
conference paper presentations; completion of masters and teaching qualifications;
exhibition and performance work; and action research (GIFHE 2009).
In 2006/07, GIFHE established a Research Policy and Strategy Group and a
Research Interest Group – the latter being a forum for staff to rehearse their research
papers. Since this time, GIFHE have also published Focus, a journal whose principle
objective is to provide a medium through which staff and students can present their
research findings and other scholarly outputs to a wider audience. GIFHE also
conduct annual appraisals which discuss inter alia staff research plans. Staff teaching
within HE start with an annual benchmark of 684 teaching hours (compared with 828
in FE) and any remission from this has to be negotiated with Deans of faculties.
Deans produce business plans which compare the faculties’ Guided Learning Hours
(the aggregate sum for all the contact teaching hours needed to deliver programmes)
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against the total available staff hours based on the benchmark less approved
remission. Where there is a deficit this will be dealt with by bringing in temporary
staff or appointing new permanent staff.
The importance of the research agenda within University Centre, Doncaster
College, was emphasised through the appointment in late 2008 of a Dean of Research.
The role was contextualised through the College’s intention to apply for taught degree
awarding powers as part of its overall HE strategy. Alongside this appointment was a
re-profiling of the college’s committee structure with the establishment of a new
Research Committee and a Research Ethics sub-committee.
The research agenda at Doncaster has been informed by the four core elements
described in the Boyer (1997) model of scholarship. These four elements – discovery,
integration, application and teaching – have been simultaneously embedded within the
HE staff appraisal document. The key emphasis is upon the scholarship of teaching
and learning. Six research centres have been established which, while still very much
in a state of infancy, provide a focal point for staff research and scholarship interests
within each faculty/school/department. Each research centre has a coordinator who
has been working on establishing a database of staff research interests. Alongside this,
the Journal of Research and Scholarship is published twice yearly. Additionally, the
Research and Scholarship forum meets each month to discuss, in a more informal
manner, a wide range of issues and provides a focus for staff from different
disciplines to share good practice and ideas for research.
For the academic year 2009-10, a calendar of HE staff development
opportunities has been put in place comprising sessions ranging from publishing in
journals to skills in qualitative data analysis and interviewing techniques for research.
A comprehensive staff qualifications audit has also been undertaken which has
informed the development of a staff scholarship scheme in tandem with Human
Resources/CPD activities and which aims to provide appropriate opportunities for
staff to develop their skills.
4.0 Conclusions
The estimated response rate to this survey was high. Amongst those who responded,
there is evidence of a healthy engagement in a range of R&S activity that is related
not just to teaching-quality enhancement but also more theoretically-grounded work
(particularly conference papers and publishing). Where more support for R&S was
identified, the priorities appear to be more funding for attending conferences, advice
on getting published, research funding and doing research, and more guest
lectures/seminars.
From the perspective of management, there is evidence of a growing
recognition of the need to develop a research culture within HE departments in the FE
sector – in some cases, largely geared to teaching quality, but also with an emerging
focus on encouragement for more theory-driven research (particularly through the
development of forums to discuss and share research ideas; journals to provide a
medium for publishing research papers; and staff development activities geared to
research).
Throughout early 2009, these findings were discussed at Joint Boards of
Studies between the UoH and partners. It would seem clear from these discussions
that despite the difficulties, particularly of time constraints, R&S activity within HE in
FE is evolving. In respect of the needs of the different academic disciplines, support
from FASS for this evolving process is perhaps something best negotiated at the
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micro level between academic contacts and their corresponding contacts within the
colleges – taking the form, for example, of guest lectures/seminars to students and
staff, or engaging in staff development sessions on research specifically organised at
the colleges. General guidance on this could be written into FASS’ academic
contacts’ responsibilities and an item on R&S activities included on future Joint
Boards of Studies’ agendas.
References:
Boyer, E. L. (1997), Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate, San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
(GIFHE) Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education (2009) Partner Quality
Enhancement Report 2008-09, Reviewing 2007-08, Grimsby: GIFHE.
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With contributions from Dave Collins (Dean of Research, University Centre Doncaster) and Ellen
Thinnesen (Director for Quality & Standards Higher Education, The Grimsby Institute of Further &
Higher Education).
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