Attitudes toward research and teaching at some Nigerian Agricultural University institutions

Abstract

The attitudes of faculty members from four universities toward teaching, research and the associated reward system were studied through questionnaires. The survey generated 302 responses (i.e. 76.8% response rate) from two agricultural universities as well as two faculties of agriculture. Principal component analysis shows that attitudes toward teaching and research are multifaceted. Faculty members believe that teaching and research are mutually supportive, and represent the basic mission of the universities; the reward system influences teaching staff's participation in research, while both teaching and research offer satisfaction. Teaching and research are incompatible but have a positive affect on teaching. However, t-test analyses show that the faculty differ in the strength of their attitudes due to institutional affiliations and personal characteristics (such as gender, tenure, and rank).     

Who mentors undergraduate student researchers? An analysis of faculty involvement at a four-year university

ABSTRACT

In this study, we investigated a profile of faculty who mentor undergraduate researchers at a four-year Hispanic-serving, public research university. Six variables were investigated: ethnicity, gender, age, tenure status, teaching evaluations, and research productivity. Data were compiled from institutional databases. Findings showed a greater percentage of tenured faculty mentoring undergraduate researchers while the percent of minority UR faculty mentors was consistent with institutional percentages. Additionally, findings included a higher percentage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Undergraduate Research (UR) underrepresented minority faculty mentors compared to STEM Institution (INST) underrepresented minority faculty. For research productivity, UR faculty mentor funding comprised 28.0% of all external grant awards and 36.0% of all external funding during the sampling period. The majority funding for INST and UR faculty were found to be in the STEM disciplines. These findings provide evidence of potential predictors to describe UR faculty mentor profiles and can be considered important information for determining future educational policies and practices.     

The Task of Didactics

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) arose, in part, out of a need to rebalance the triadic mission of large academic institutions that have traditionally emphasized research over teaching and service. But how do you encourage SoTL when the faculty reward structure is weighted toward traditional research? Therein lies the SoTL paradox. The authors describe a program developed at the University of Minnesota to engage faculty in SoTL projects by relying on the nonmonetary rewards of scholarship, trust, and cross-disciplinary community.     

The teaching researcher: faculty attitudes towards the teaching and research roles

Results from a survey on faculty attitudes towards the teaching and research roles are presented. Attention is given to: (i) the perceived value of teaching (and teaching achievements) relative to research, (ii) approaches for research and teaching integration, (iii) the satisfaction gained from typical work tasks, and (iv) the importance of various work-life factors. Factors such as academic freedom, an intellectual work environment, flexible work hours, inspirational colleagues, and work diversity are found to be highly valued. Support from peers and colleagues is also seen as a key in learning to manage the different academic roles. A relatively low value is attributed to teaching achievements. Likewise, there is often little utilisation of teaching opportunities to support research work (other than senior-year research projects). Female faculty were found to give marginally a higher importance to teaching recognition and collaborative teaching opportunities. Based on the findings, general recommendations for supporting the teaching researcher are presented.     

论教师专业化过程中大学教师的专业发展

大学教师专业发展是实现大学教师专业化的重要手段,而大学教师的专业发展有赖于良好的内在与外在环境,同时,大学教师专业发展的核心就是教学与科研的协调发展。而教学与科研并行发展的愿望和教学与科研不均衡发展的现实状况,要求我们应不断完善大学教师的科研与教学评价机制,而大学教师在关注教学质量的同时,也要充分意识到自己作为“学术人”的角色,提高自己的学术科研能力。     

Faculty Entrepreneurialism and the Challenge to Undergraduate Education at Research Universities

This study attempts to unravel the complex relationships between faculty entrepreneurialism and teaching. Specifically, this study (1) compares the extent of entrepreneurial activities (i.e., using funds for research and consulting activity) across disciplinary fields and levels of teaching commitment and (2) examines the relative effects of faculty entrepreneurialism on commitment to teaching. Using a national database of four-year college faculty, research findings demonstrate variations of teaching commitment with respect to disciplinary fields and forms of entrepreneurial activities. More important, this study reveals rather strong negative relationships between using funds for research and teaching commitment. Such findings have important implications for policy makers, administrative leaders, and university faculty as they seek to balance the institution's instructional mission in light of the increasing trend toward entrepreneurialism.     

Faculty Research Productivity: Exploring the Role of Gender and Family-Related Factors

This study explores the role of several family-related factors in faculty research productivity for a large, nationally representative sample of university faculty members. The role of marriage, children, and aging parents is examined after controlling for other personal and environmental factors, such as age, rank, department, and intrinsic motivations to conduct research, that previous research has shown to influence research productivity. Analyses are conducted on a sample of 8,544 full-time teaching faculty (2,384 women and 6,160 men) at 57 universities nationwide. Results show that factors affecting faculty research productivity are nearly identical for men and women, and family-related variables, such as having dependent children, exhibit little or no effects on research productivity.     

Using faculty evaluation to improve teaching quality: A longitudinal case study of higher education in Southeast Asia

This paper presents a case study of implementation of a new system of faculty teaching evaluation at a graduate school of business in Thailand. The research employed a non-experimental, longitudinal case study design in the analysis of student course evaluation data gathered over a period of 21 terms during a seven-year period. The report describes the design of the performance and reward system and its role in the college’s quality improvement program. Quantitative data analysis focused on results related to both instructor performance and faculty turnover. The data suggest statistically significant improvement in levels of instructor effectiveness and faculty turnover in the college over the seven-year period. While the research is subject to the contextual limitations of case studies, it also demonstrates the possibilities and problems of employing performance and reward in higher education.     

Pay,rank, and growing old with more of each

Factors which comprise the bases for salary increases and adjustments at major research universities have long been topics of conversation and supposition. Based on responses from over 12,000 faculty members, this paper reviews, by faculty rank, items which are likely to contribute to salary and suggests that faculty members can follow certain strategies which are more likely than others to bring a financial reward. Research procedures employed include linear models and multiple regression.     

Faculty attitudes toward student evaluation of teaching

This study dealt with university faculty attitudes toward the validity of and varying uses for student evaluations of teaching. It was hypothesized that faculty attitudes toward the potential uses of student evaluations would be systematically related to a professor's a priori frame of reference regarding the validity of these instruments. On the basis of responses to selected questionnaire items, faculty were divided into those whose frame of reference (1) opposed the idea that student evaluations could be made valid, (2) supported the idea that existing evaluation forms were valid, and (3) were uncommitted regarding this validity question. A fourth group, administrators at the university, were also surveyed. Large and consistent differences among these groups were found on policy matters such as the use of student evaluations in tenure and promotion decisions, in providing information to students to help them choose courses, and on a variety of other issues. In each case the results supported the hypothesis.Authors' names are ordered randomly.     

The influence of students' values and educational attitudes on their evaluation of faculty

The study determined the influence of students' values and educational attitudes on their evaluation of faculty. Sixty-five graduate students completed an evaluation form, a value survey, and an attitude scale at the end of an adult learning theory course. Multiple regression and path analysis showed that (a) educational attitudes and selected values accounted for 27% of the variance in student evaluation of faculty, (b) educational attitudes were responsible for 8% of the variance in student evaluation of faculty, and (c) values per se were not significantly related to student evaluation of faculty. A path model suggested that values influenced student evaluation of faculty through educational attitudes. The findings suggested that students' values and attitudes play a major role in their evaluation of faculty and should be recognized by teachers when interpreting the results of such ratings.     

Weaving Together Undergraduate Research, Mentoring of Junior Faculty, and Assessment: The Case of an Interdisciplinary Program

Scholars in teaching and learning value student research and program assessment as strategies to promote excellence in undergraduate education. Yet, in practice, each can be complex and difficult to sustain. This case study demonstrates how undergraduate research, mentoring of junior faculty, and assessment can be integrated in ways that enrich the educational experiences of students and the professional development of faculty and improve research on teaching and learning. The authors describe a lively undergraduate research project that became tied to the mentoring of assistant professors and then to program assessment. We conclude with recommendations for implementing such a project in other academic settings. Elizabeth Thomas is Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and teaches courses on inquiry in the social sciences, community psychology, and psychology and the arts. Her research examines sociocultural contexts for learning and development with a particular focus on the role of the arts and the potential of participatory action research strategies. Diane Gillespie is Professor and Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS) at The University of Washington, Bothell, received her Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln in Cultural and Psychological Studies in Education. She teaches multicultural social science courses and qualitative research. Her recent publications explore the importance of narrative for reflective teaching and learning, learning in small groups, and the role of human rights in nonformal education.     

Research Productivity and Student Evaluation of Teaching in Social Science Classes: A Research Note

Research on the relationship between research productivity and student evaluations of teaching (SETs) has been marked by several shortcomings. First, research typically fails to check and adjust for nonlinear distributions in research productivity. Since approximately 15% of researchers account for most articles and citations (e.g., Zuckerman, H., Handbook of Sociology, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA, pp. 511–574, 1988), this failure might explain weak or nonsignificant findings in some of the past research. Second, the unit of analysis is typically the instructor, not the class. Since top researchers might disproportionately teach small classes at the graduate level, and that SETs are usually higher in such classes, the small relationships between research excellence and SETS found in previous research may be spurious. The present study corrects for each of these issues. It analyzes data from 167 classes in the social sciences and on 65 faculty. The quality of research productivity (raw citations/post-PhD year) is not related to SETs. However, when the distribution of citations is corrected for skewness, a significant positive relationship between research productivity and SETs emerges. This relationship survives controls for course and instructor characteristics, and holds for both the faculty member and the class as units of analysis. This is the first systematic investigation to demonstrate a significant relationship between the quality of research (citations) and SETs.     

大学教师发展：教学学术的新视角

数以万计的大学教师发展问题亟待解决,这也是当前提高高等教育质量和建设高等教育强国面临的艰巨任务。引入教学学术理论,从教学学术的视角研究大学教师发展将具有重要意义。教育者、研究者和学习者角色的统一融合体就应该是大学教师最核心和最重要的角色,这样的角色定位有利于大学教师的发展。好的教学还应意味着,教师既是学者又是学生,因此应该加强教师与学生之间的交流,形成一个师生学习共同体。教师与教师之间的学习共同体和教师与学生之间的学习共同体都可以促进大学教师的发展,大学教师的发展也都需要这些学习共同体的熏陶和培养。每位教师都必须坚持忠诚的最高标准,既要重视教师职业道德修养也要加强学术道德修养。     

Academic achievement and personality traits of faculty members of Indian agricultural universities: their effect on teaching and research performance

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to assess academic achievement, teaching aptitude and research attitude of Indian agricultural universities’ faculty, to predict indicators for successful teachers and researchers, and thereby enhancing the quality of higher agricultural education. Methodology: Five hundred faculty members were selected to elicit information on academic, teaching and research achievements. Teaching aptitude and attitude of faculty towards research were measured through standard psychometric tests. Correlation and regression analysis was carried out to establish the relationship among selected variables. Findings: Combination of academic achievement and teaching aptitude was a superior predictor for the teaching achievement compared to either of them alone. Similarly, research achievement of faculty was predicted better by the combination of academic achievement and research attitude. Practical Implications: The study showed the need for training faculty members in interpersonal relationships for effective teaching, and in research methodology and research processes for improving research attitude of faculty. Theoretical Implications: The expectancy-value model provides a useful framework to understand the role of attitude/aptitude in better prediction of research and teaching behavior. Originality/Value: The present study showed that teaching aptitude and research attitude be considered along with academic achievements for promoting quality teaching and research and hence the educational programmes.     

A Field Study of Adjunct Faculty: The Impact of Career Stage on Reactions to Non-Tenure-Track Jobs

As universities increasingly employ adjunct faculty in both teaching and research positions, how these individuals experience their jobs becomes of greater concern. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 105 non-tenure-track instructors and research associates to examine the work experiences of adjunct faculty. The article examines both the advantages and disadvantages associated with this type of employment. In addition, the article examines how career stage influences individuals' reactions to these positions. Specifically, the results suggest that adjunct faculty in late career generally demonstrate more positive job attitudes and work behaviors than adjunct faculty in earlier career stages. The article concludes with implications for the more effective management and utilization of adjunct faculty.     

The Three-ring Circus of Academia: How to Become the Ringmaster

The three-ring circus of academia is made up of research, teaching, and service. It is also characterized by continuous action that must be facilitated by the academic ringmaster. Academic life is more difficult than most anticipate because the responsibilities are time-consuming, diverse, and conflicting. Therefore, this article focuses on strategies faculty members can develop to meet these pressing demands. Specifically, we begin with a discussion of how to balance research, teaching, and service. We then highlight strategies faculty members can use in becoming an effective academic ringmaster. We conclude with a discussion of life outside the “big top.” Michelle L. Toews received a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University and is currently an Assistant Professor of Family and Child Development at Texas State University-San Marcos. Her research interests include separation violence as well as conflict and coparenting after divorce. Ani Yazedjian received a Ph.D. in Human and Community Development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an Assistant Professor of Family and Child Development at Texas State. Her research interests focus on adolescents and the role of families, peers, and schools in promoting ethnic identity development. In addition, both authors are currently working on a longitudinal study examining personal and internal variables as predictors of college adjustment and achievement.     

Why Universities Need Institutional Researchers and Institutional Researchers Need Faculty Members More Than Both Realize

This paper provides an overview of research that I have conducted during my career using data sets collected by offices of institutional research. Many of the examples discussed in the paper deal with graduate education. The paper illustrates how valuable the data collection efforts by these offices are to academic researchers interested in helping to formulate institutional, state and national higher education policies. It concludes with suggestions for how the usefulness of institutional researchers to colleges and universities can be improved and stresses that institutional researchers and administrators would be wise to involve more faculty members in research that aids in institutional decision making and the formulation of public policy towards higher education.     

Faculty role orientation and perceived teaching effectiveness: The case of an intervening variable

This study was designed to explore the relationship between faculty role orientations and student perceptions of teaching effectiveness in community colleges. Survey questionnaires were completed by 260 faculty members and 12,396 students at five Pennsylvania community college campuses. Using a conceptual framework drawn from symbolic interaction theory, it was hypothesized that faculty members holding a student-centered role orientation will be perceived as more effective teachers than those holding a subject-matter orientation. Results indicate that whereas there is an association between a student-centered role orientation and perceived teaching effectiveness, the relationship is due to an intervening variable—the expected course grade. An examination of the causal chain of relationships among these variables is presented.This is a revision of a paper presented at the 1975 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (see South, Morrison and Hill, 1975).     

美国大学教师教学发展项目的评估研究

20世纪70年代中期迄今,美国研究者就诸多教师教学发展项目进行了大量评估。在评估内容上,基于不同目的,以及评估活动的各不相同,评估对象以教师与学生为主,对管理者的评估日益受到关注;在评估方法上,多采用严谨的对照实验与前后测实验设计,使用问卷、观察、访谈以及混合方法等实证研究方法,戏剧表演、学习评估工具等也是常用评估方法;在评估效果上,很多项目不仅改善了教师教学,也促进了学生学习。其项目评估可以给我国以借鉴:扩展项目评估对象,丰富项目评估活动;加强实证研究设计,提高评估的科学性;重视形成性评估,确保评估的连贯性。