The American professoriate and the movement toward unionization

This paper examines the movement away from professionalization and toward unionization by the American professoriate. A content analysis of the bi-annual addresses of the thrity-two past presidents of the American Association of University Professors demonstrates that the approach taken by this organization which has been central in representing the professional interests of the professoriate has been inadequate. The fact that academics are not independent professionals but carry out their research and pedagogical functions in bureaucratic structures makes their quest for autonomy particularly problematic. The traditional stance taken by the leadership of the American Association of University Professors seems to ignore the obstacles, e.g. the distribution of power in organizations, in the path of attaining full professional status. Consequently, the professoriate has not only fallen considerably short of its aspirations and is beset with a number of problems, e.g. continual violations of academic freedom, but increasing numbers have begun looking to labor unions to further their quest for professional status.     

Learning to Write: Plowing and Hoeing,Labor and Essaying

In this paper Amanda Fulford addresses the issue of student writing in the university, and explores how the increasing dominance of outcome‐driven modes of learning and assessment is changing the understanding of what it is to write, what is expected of students in their writing, and how academic writing should best be supported. The starting point is the increasing use of what are termed “technologies” of writing — “handbooks” for students that address issues of academic writing — that systematize, and smooth the work of writing in, Fulford argues, an unhelpful way. This leads to a reconsideration of what it means to write in the university, and what it is to be a student who writes. Fulford explores etymologically the concept of “writing” and suggests that it might be seen metaphorically as physical labor. Writing as physical labor is explored further through the agricultural metaphors in Henry David Thoreau's Walden and through Stanley Cavell's reading of that text. In making a distinction between writing‐as‐plowing and writing‐as‐hoeing, Fulford argues that some technologies of writing deny voice rather than facilitate it, and she concludes by offering a number of suggestions for the teaching and learning of writing in the university that emphasize the value of being lost (in one's subject and one's work) and finding one's own way out. These “lessons” are illustrated with reference to Thoreau's text Walden and to American literature and film.     

Examining the fabric of academic life: An analysis of three decades of research on the perceptions of Australian academics about their roles

Over the last three decades there have been numerous surveys in Australian universities which have attempted to describe the perceptions of academic staff to various aspects of their roles. Each of these surveys appears to have been inspired by changes resulting from contemporaneous government policies and/or community expectations. Calls for “Efficiency and Effectiveness”, “Accountability”, and “Quality and Diversity”have coincided with massive expansion in the higher education system, the change from a binary system to the Unified National System, and consequent changes to student profiles, funding arrangements, and academic workloads. Academic culture, with its tradition of freedom and autonomy, has been besieged by the alien culture of managerialism with its own vocabulary of “client”, “quality assurance”, and “product”: but has this assault made any difference to how academics perceive their work and their perceptions of quality in university teaching ? This paper reports on an analysis of data (relating to academics' perceptions of their work) from surveys conducted in universities from the late 70s and throughout the 80s and 90s. The paper analyses, compares and contextualises academic perceptions across these decades, and draws some conclusions about the perseverence of academic culture under siege.     

大学教师学术发表的历史演变与动力机制

自17世纪学术出版制度建立开始,西方大学教师学术发表动力不断增强。现代学术研究逐成建制,为大学教师作为研究者的发表活动注入原初动力。研究型大学的出现将学术研究与发表变成了教师基本的职责行为,进而成为教师聘任中的重要评价标准。大学对学术声誉的目标追求与大学绩效主义的治理手段相结合,推动教师不断提升学术产出。学术发表对于大学教师作为谋生工具的意义进一步凸显,乃至形成“不发表,就出局”的学术文化。     

Brand-Name Schools: The Deceptive Lure of Corporate-School Partnerships

In discussions about information literacy and required research assignments, several high school teachers lamented that student research papers had regressed to the point that the completed work represented nothing more than “point and click” exercises. Similarly, Asselin and Lee (2002, 10) began their article on the need for library instruction for teacher education candidates by quoting a student who stated, “I wish someone had taught me how to develop my library information literacy skills through resource-based learning … in school [pre–K—12]. I might not have had such a horrendous time of it when I came to the university.” The problem is apparent; students on university campuses lack basic research and information literacy skills, and do not have a clear understanding of how to use the resources of their campus library. Students also lack the ability to synthesize knowledge gained from the academic classroom, the library, and information technology for the betterment of academic scholarship.

Collaboration between teacher education faculty members and academic librarians for the advancement of academic research and the development of transferable information literacy skills is necessary. These two distinctive, yet interdependent, parts of higher education organizations represent the greatest potential for the development of stronger programs in the fields of research and information literacy by incorporating computer technology and traditional research methods into coursework in a collaborative environment.     

新时代大学教师的学术责任精神及其培育

大学教师的学术责任精神是内化于心的学术契约,是其在学术角色认同与学术活动中自生自发形成的“必然无知”的约定俗成的伦理规范约定,主要包括学术信念、学术气质、学术交往与学术自律四种责任精神。然而,当工具理性压倒价值理性成为现代性社会的宰制力量后,“什么知识最有用”成为大学教师从事学术研究的“目标”,知识成了大学教师达致某种目的的工具,导致大学教师学术责任精神陷入窘境。复燃凝聚教师共同体普遍共识的学术信念,养成良好学术习惯作用下的学术精神气质,搭建以理性交往为载体的学术交往共生机制,拓展以责任伦理为轴心的学术自我修复能力,应成为新时代培育大学教师学术责任精神的核心要义。     

Supporting academic literacies: university teachers in collaboration for change

This article deals with an action research project, where a group of university teachers from different disciplines reflected on and gradually extended their knowledge about how to support students’ academic literacy development. The project was conducted within a ‘research circle’ [Bergman, L. 2014. “The Research Circle as a Resource in Challenging Academics’ Perceptions of How to Support Students’ Literacy Development in Higher Education.” Canadian Journal of Action Research 15 (2): 3–20], in which the teachers engaged in a continuous dialogue where experience-based and research-based knowledge could meet. The two-year long process was divided into three phases: exchange of experiences and knowledge, small-scale empirical investigations in the participants own teaching, and presentations of the outcome of the research circle work. The main focus in this article is the second phase. The choice of small-scale-investigations, and how they were discussed and developed in the collaborative work, will be foregrounded as well as the changes that occurred in the participants’ teaching practices and how the participants value the outcome of the research circle work.     

世界一流大学教师工资规模、结构与科研产出关系的实证研究——基于2002-2020年间36所美国大学的数据分析

基于36所美国世界一流大学18年间的校际面板数据,研究发现科研产出数量、影响力和综合表现分数分别呈“先降后升”“先平后降”与“持续下降”趋势,校均总工资绝对规模逐年增长,占校均总支出50%左右,师均工资呈增长趋势,校均工资结构多元且稳定。工资规模、结构与科研产出关系的OLS、随机效应和固定效应模型结果表明：在工资规模上,增加大学总工资支出、提高全职教师师均工资均可显著提升大学科研产出数量、影响力和综合表现,但总工资规模对科研产出数量的正向影响更明显,而师均工资则对科研产出影响力的正向影响更突出;在工资结构上,增加工资结构中的研究工资、支持类与服务类工资规模亦可显著提升科研产出数量、影响力和综合表现,其中,研究工资对科研产出数量和综合表现的正向影响更为突出,而支持类和服务类工资对科研产出影响力的正向影响更为显著;教学工资的增加能够提升科研产出数量与影响力,但全职教师工资规模的增加却仅有助于提升科研产出数量,对科研产出影响力和综合表现有明显抑制作用。基于研究发现,我国政府和世界一流大学建设高校需要继续优化大学经费支出结构,大幅提高教师的总工资和研究工资规模;变革工资制度,提升教师工资水平等...     

Mature student teachers in initial teacher education in Greece: personal and academic identities

This qualitative study examined mature student teachers in initial teacher preparation for primary schools in Greece. More specifically it sought to identify the profile of mature student teachers, their intentions to become primary school teachers, their academic needs, concerns and expectations as well as their coping strategies across private and public spheres in university departments preparing primary school teachers. Adapting an ethnographic research approach and a case study design, 15 mature student teachers were followed throughout the final year of their studies, investigating patterns of personal and academic identities developed in order to become primary school teachers. Mature student teachers consist of a limited number in the total higher education student population. However their skills and experiences can be regarded as significant in course completion and contributing to a high standard of education in both the university and primary schools.     

Navigating across academic contexts: Campo and Angolan students in a Brazilian university

This paper draws on the Academic Literacies approach to examine tutor/student relations in the production of academic texts. We address issues associated with learning to write in such contexts, through exploring the perspectives of two groups of non-traditional students as they reflect on their experiences in navigating educational contexts in a Brazilian public university. The term non-traditional is used here to refer to students from social groups whose previous generation had no, or very limited, access to university. In order to explore the “hidden features” of the contextualized nature of academic writing, we present two cases: students from Angola and from Campo, both groups not traditionally represented in Brazilian universities. We explored the development of writing in academic contexts by examining tensions identified by these students and their tutors/teachers as they engaged with academic literacies.     

The organizational impact of university labor unions

The current review presents both postulated and empirically tested consequences of university unionization and labor strikes on the North American institution’s administration, faculty, and students. The review explores the impact of collective bargaining on employee working conditions including job security, academic freedom, university governance, and due process. More importantly, this review examines the much neglected issue of organizational work relationships in a unionized academic environment. The relationships discussed include those between faculty members, between the faculty and administration, between the faculty and the university as an institution, and between the faculty and their union. The threat of unionization and labor strikes to the professor–student or mentor–mentee relationship has been a central concern of those opposed to graduate student unions, and this issue is also addressed here. The text concludes with the identification of potential areas for future research.     

How first-year students perceive and experience assessment of academic literacies

Abstract

First-year university students’ underdeveloped academic literacies can lead to dissatisfaction and poor performance. University teachers find it difficult to take action without an understanding of students’ perceptions and needs. This study investigates first-year Chinese students’ perceptions and experiences related to assessment of academic literacies in an English-as-a-foreign-language university context. The datasets include student focus groups at two different time points over their first university year, self-reflective essays written by students at the end of the year, and audio records of nine units of teaching in three teachers’ classes. Findings highlight that fostering students’ academic literacies incorporates both linguistic development and epistemological adaptation. Students held mixed feelings towards alternative assessment other than examinations. Their personal learning goals of using English in everyday scenarios dampened their commitment to teachers’ goals of developing learners’ academic literacies. Findings suggest assessment can be an effective ‘card’ played by teachers to nurture students’ appreciation of new learning goals, communicate areas for improvement in learning strategies, and demonstrate their visible progress.     

New organisational structures and the transformation of academic work

This article will particularly focus on Norway and the consequences for academic work. Frequently in studies of academic work, focus has been on academics’ individual autonomy and to what extent the latter is challenged (Altbach in Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci 448:1–14, 1980; Shattock in High Educ 41:27–47, 2001). One of the shortcomings in literature dealing with academic workplace is lack of attention paid to the emerging division of work generated by an increasing differentiation of the academic profession (Musselin in Knowledge Matters, The public mission of the research university, 2011). In order to better address complexities and dynamics that surround academic work, the article will in particular examine whether academic work is subject to an increasing specialization and collectivization. In our attempt to observe changes in the practices of academic work, particular interest is given to “how the organization of an academic enterprise affects academic work” (Blau in The organization of academic work. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, 1994:8). Inspired by organizational theorists such as Brunsson and Olsen in The reforming organization. Brunsson and Olsen (The reforming organization. Fagbokforlaget, Bergen, 1997) we also want to attend to the relations between organizational change and academic work. Here we address the relationship between formal organization and informal organization which is likely to develop as decoupled structures—one adapted to institutionalized norms of society and the other for coordinating activities. Furthermore, there are tendencies suggesting that universities are becoming less special as an organization (Musselin in Key challenges to the academic profession. INCHER-Kassel, Paris, 2007) and converge to more general organizational characteristics by constructing dimensions of organizations such as identity, hierarchy and rationality (Brunsson and Sahlin-Andersson in Constructing organizations: the example of public sector reform, Organization Stud 21:4, 2000). In this article we are mainly interested in how hierarchy is constructed enabling coordination by an “authoritative centre” (Brunsson and Sahlin-Andersson in Constructing organizations: the example of public sector reform, Organization Stud 21:4, 2000:726) and how it interferes with traditional forms of organizing the university. This calls for a concern to whether the specificity of academic work, built of the mainly individual exercise of a large diversity of tasks, remains a key characteristic for organizing academic activities at universities. Empirically this article studies changes in academic work regarding new patterns in organizing research funding and doctoral education in Norway that emerged in the last decade. Like in other European countries, new policies for research funding and doctoral education have led to the creation of new organisational structures within Norwegian HEIs, namely research centres and doctoral schools.     

Universities on the Market

The modern university and the academic profession itself are facing new challenges: First, the increasing complexity of labor markets and globalization are undermining the structure of the academic profession, and secondly, the rise in cost of university research calls into question the autonomy of the university. The internationalization of the academic labor market encourages rethinking the structure of academic professions that have historically been focused on national (regional) contexts. The university is too expensive for the state and/or for students. One way to preserve the autonomy of the university is to offer society, the state, and businesses a wide range of services. This study seeks to answer the following questions: Can bureaucratic (self-)management effectively regulate the growing body of the university? Is it necessary to relinquish part of the university’s autonomy to a hired manager? Can “soft managerialism” and new economic instruments help unleash the modern university’s potential for society and sustain its autonomy?     

Teachers' perceptions of students' excuses for academic difficulties

Ninety-seven teachers described situations in which their students experienced academic difficulties and gave reasons (excuses) to explain their difficulties. Teachers indicated whether or not they believed the reasons students gave, what they thought the “real” reasons for the students' difficulties were, and how they reacted and behaved toward the students. Analysis of teachers' reports indicated that students were most likely to attribute their academic difficulties to external, uncontrollable factors, whereas teachers tended to believe that the “real” reasons for students' difficulties were internal and controllable. Teachers reported that they would react in a positive manner toward the students whether or not they believed the reasons the students gave to explain their difficulties. Implications of these findings for student motivation are discussed.     

The beliefs and perceptions of pre-service teachers enrolled in a subject-area dominant teacher education program about “Effective Education”

Teacher educators and researchers have studied the improvement of teacher education programs so that pre-service teachers may be well prepared. Research has shown that not only teachers’ knowledge but also their beliefs have major influence on their approach to teaching. This present research examined the mathematics and science pre-service teachers’ beliefs and perceptions in Turkey. Specifically, the study focused on the student–teachers’ perspectives on “effective education” at the end of their subject area dominant program before the student teaching and the changes in those beliefs after having teaching experience. Many pre-service teachers described the teacher-centered environment as effective, and those who supported a student-centered environment discussed difficulties they faced in creating it during student and full-time teaching.     

Low (linear) teacher effect on student achievement in pre‐academic physics education

This study investigates the effect of physics education on students' achievement in a large‐scale quantitative study of pre‐academic high school students throughout the Netherlands. Two aspects of teacher characteristics as perceived by their students are included: their “pleasantness” principally defined by their perceived friendliness and positive feedback and their “centeredness” principally defined by the perceived teacher centeredness in the lessons. Furthermore, this study includes four student aspects: their “general capability,” their “quantity of work,” their “quality of work,” and their “interest in the lessons.” Structural Equation Modeling is used in order to cluster the different variables defining the perceived pleasantness and the perceived centeredness of the teacher and the general capability, interest, and learning attitudes of the students. Furthermore, interrelations among these components and students' achievement are analyzed. Eventually, a very large effect of the students' general capability (61–72%) and a remarkably smaller effect of the remaining parameters (<3%) on achievement are detected. However, one should not yet conclude that teacher effect on high‐achieving‐students' achievement is consistently low. To the contrary, these results should be seen as an incentive to consider nonlinear effects, to vary ones viewpoint and to include more/other variables. In spite of the almost negligible correlation between the measured aspects of the physics teachers and achievement, the correlations between the teacher variables and the remaining student variables are quite significant. Both the perceived pleasantness and the centeredness of the teachers have a significant effect on the interest of their students. Furthermore, the pleasantness of the teacher correlates with the quality of the students' work and the centeredness of the teacher with their quantity of work. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 465–488, 2012     

Heterogeneity Analysis on the Influence of the Supply of Teachers on the Academic Performance of 15-Year-Old Students: Based on PISA 2018 Samples from Four Provinces and Municipalities in China

The quantitative and qualitative supply of teachers has a significant influence on student academic performance. Based on the samples collected from four provinces and municipalities in China for the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, this study analyzes the effects of the supply of teachers on the academic performance of 15-year-old students through a hierarchical linear model (HLM) as well as a quantile regression model. The study has found that the shortage of teachers and the proportion of teachers with a master’s degree significantly affect student academic performance, and the supply of teachers with higher degrees has a decreasing marginal benefit on student academic performance; its best marginal benefit on student academic performance is achieved when the proportion of teachers with a master’s degree reaches about 75%. For students in different academic performance subgroups, the marginal benefit of an increase in the proportion of teachers with a master’s degree in schools is higher for “top students” than for “students with learning difficulties.” In terms of the difference between urban and rural areas, the shortage of teachers in rural schools is more prominent than that in urban schools, and teachers with higher degrees tend to cluster in core cities. The marginal benefit of an increase in the proportion of teachers with a master’s degree is higher for improving student academic performance in rural areas. Therefore, it is recommended to design a policy of differentiated compensatory earnings for rural teachers, and efforts should be enhanced to promote programs for supporting high-quality teachers. In addition, the allocation of teachers should follow the principle of “differentiated equity,” and more differentiated teaching strategies should be adopted for students with different academic abilities.     

Faculty renewal in Canada and Ontario: No forthcoming shortage! (with particular reference to education professors)

The age profile and other characteristics of the full-time professoriate in Canada and Ontario are discussed, with particular focus on the geographical source, previous activity, and age distribution of new appointments to university teaching posts. Patterns of inter-institutional mobility within the regions of Canada for junior and senior faculty are presented. Analysis includes the sources and implications of attrition and changing age profile trends. Historical data, in most cases from the 1970s onward, are presented and analyzed. The increasing use of part-time faculty is discussed, particularly in the context of diminishing federal and provincial government financial support for universities. Discussion on the future demand and supply of professors in Canada and Ontario is presented, but focuses on Faculties of Education. Some reference is made to the comparable situation in Australia, the United States, and other major industrialized countries. Despite the rapidly aging professoriate, the article concludes that there will not be an overall shortage of university teachers in the coming decade or so.     

Implementing vertical and horizontal engineering students’ integration and assessment of consequence academic achievement

Recent scholarship references indicate that integration of the student body can result in an enhanced learning experience for students and also greater satisfaction. This paper reports the results of a case study whereby mechanical engineering students studying at a newly established branch campus in Dubai of a British university were exposed to vertical and horizontal integration. Different activities have been embedded to ensure that students integrated and worked together with their peers and colleagues at different levels. The implemented processes and practices led to improved academic achievements, which were better than those of a similar cohort of students where no effort had been made to integrate. The analysis revealed that cooperative learning and the degree of academic support provided by teachers are positively and directly correlated with academic as well as the students’ own sense of personal achievement. The results are discussed in light of previous research and with reference to the cultural context of the study.