Exploring the contribution of professional staff to student outcomes: a comparative study of Australian and UK case studies

This paper reports on the second stage of a comparative study between two higher education institutions: one in Australia and the other in the United Kingdom, which explored the contributions of professional staff to student outcomes. The first stage acted as a scoping exercise to ascertain how the contributions of professional staff to student outcomes could be investigated. The second stage of the study aimed to undertake a more in-depth exploration of self-reported behaviours in a range of professional staff roles, within the two case studies. The main finding of the comparative study is the broad similarities between the case studies, in self-reported behaviours that contribute to successful student outcomes. Four key factors were identified, which enable or inhibit the contributions of professional staff to successful outcomes. Three of the four factors were found to be the same in both case studies, whereas technology was more important in the Australian case study.     

Male and female academics' gendered perceptions of academic work and career progression in China

This article explores the experiences of male and female academics in China's higher education system concerning career progression and examines how they perceive the challenges faced by the opposite gender. Our analysis of interviews with 40 academics from a research university revealed that academics' experience of career progression is informed by gendered divisions of labour at home and work and by gendered role expectations that are prevalent in Chinese culture. Female academics reported performing a disproportionate amount of household work: some felt satisfied with having moderately successful academic careers, whereas others aspired to do more but grappled with the difficulties of doing so. In contrast, male academics mentioned great pressure to pursue promotion and career progression: they reported feeling less work–family stress but were fearful of failing in their role as breadwinners. Male and female academics showed mixed comprehension of each other's plight, but in general, female academics recognised that male academics faced higher career expectations but lower household burdens, and male academics felt that female academics had lower career expectations and many more burdens and constraints. Male academics tended to stress biological and societal reasons for gender differences in Chinese academia, whereas female academics highlighted the power of cultural and social beliefs. We argue that the challenges faced by Chinese academics can only be mitigated if gender-specific promotion paths that recognise men's and women's social roles and obligations are made available.     

地方高校专业技术人员分级设岗理论探析

为调动广大教职员工的积极性,实施全员聘任制,进一步优化师资队伍结构,并最终奠定分配制度改革的基础,专业技术人员分级设岗制度应运而生。目前,分级设岗有了一定的社会基础和制度保障,可在兼顾地方高校的实际情况和按需设岗、精简高效、突出重点、兼顾一般、公平竞争、择优聘用六原则的指导下顺利实施。     

Role stressors,engagement and work behaviours: a study of higher education professional staff

The study used data provided by 349 professional staff employees from 17 different US higher education institutions to assess aspects of their working conditions that could influence their own work engagement and the work-related behaviours of their colleagues. Relationships among three role stressors (role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload), work engagement, organisational citizenship behaviours, and in-role behaviours were examined using correlation, regression and relative weight analyses. The higher participants’ perceptions of role ambiguity, conflict and overload, the lower were the levels of their own work engagement and organizational citizenship and in-role behaviours of their colleagues. Work engagement partially mediated the relationships between role ambiguity, conflict and overload and both organizational citizenship and in-role behaviours. The analysis indicated that role ambiguity had the strongest relationship with work engagement, organisational citizenship and in-role behaviours, followed by role conflict and then by role overload. Practical implications are discussed and managerial interventions suggested.     

Institutional transformation at South African universities: Implications for academic staff

In South Africa the restructuring of the higher education system and the transformation of higher education institutions are located within the country's broad political and socio-economic transition to democracy. This paper focuses particularly on institutional transformation, and pays attention to the implications of the process of transformation for academic staff.The following five interlinked and interdependent issues characterizing institutional transformation in South African higher education are identified:democratising the governance structures of institutionsincreasing access for educationally and financially disadvantaged studentsrestructuring the curriculumfocusing on developmental needs in research and community serviceredressing inequalities in terms of race and gender.Although the overall effect of institutional transformation is experienced rather negatively by many academic staff members, the paper concludes that academics have to be empowered by means of staff development to remain active partners in the transformation process.     

Three pathways to support the professional and career development of casual academics

Almost half of current academic staff will need to be replaced within three years in the Australian academic workforce. Literature suggests that casual academics are a potential solution, yet they are frequently excluded from the career development opportunities that would allow them to fulfil an ongoing academic role. Most academic development programmes designed for and delivered to casual academics are constructed by academic developers with little or no input from casual academics themselves. This paper documents what casual academics determine to be their academic development needs and how they could be addressed using three pathways of professional and career development.     

Changes in science classrooms after experiencing an international professional staff development program

This professional development program was designed to prepare science teachers to be more student-centered and to implement newer goals for science instruction. These goals are to improve science teaching in ways that promote broader and longer-lasting learning. Secondary school science teachers in Korea are expected to follow a rigid national curriculum with large classes - often with more than 50 students. This study focuses on feedback and follow-up interaction with teacher participants who were enrolled in a month-long workshop in the U.S. before returning to Korea to implement the new ideas. Assistance was offered to help teachers develop teaching modules which were more constructivist while also assisting with assessment efforts that provided further evidence of use of the new teaching practices and their effect on student learning. Student mastery of concepts and improvement in student creativity were two aspects of the summer workshop experiences and these were evaluated to illustrate workshop effects on teacher participants in their actual classrooms. An erratum to this article is available at .     

工学结合下高职教师专业发展的内涵解析

针对在工学结合人才培养模式下高职院校专业师资队伍的建设问题,从分析教师劳动的特点入手,探讨了高职教师需具备的知识、技能和素质,得出了20项基本要素;建立了4个层次的高职教师专业结构模型。该模型为高职院校专业教师个体的专业发展指明了方向;也为高职院校的师资队伍管理者提供了专业师资的选拔条件或评价标尺,有利于实现师资队伍建设和管理的科学化。     

An exploratory study into work/family balance within the Australian higher education sector

The higher education landscape is undergoing major transformation, with a significant impact on the work and family practices of academics and professional staff. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the extent to which (1) time-related, (2) strain-related and (3) demographical variables impact on the work/family balance of academic and professional staff in Victorian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. Our findings reveal that university employees experience greater work/family imbalance. The results of this research demonstrate how the three constructs contribute to work/family imbalance in academia, especially within the university sector. This paper is believed to be the first to explore work/family balance from an Australian cross-sectoral perspective. It provides an agenda for future theory and research to increase understanding of work/family balance from a cross-sectoral perspective.     

高职院校兼职教师及其管理

高职院校由于其自身发展的局限性、受国家经济实力的制约和自身可持续发展的需要，走专职教师和兼职教师相结合的道路将是师资队伍建设中的一个长期战略选择。本文以高职院校为切入点，从五个方面对高职院校聘任兼职教师的积极意义进行了论述。同时，对如何加强高职院校兼职教师的管理提出建议。     

Competing priorities in professional development: an Australian study of teacher professional development policy and practice

This paper argues that neoliberal and managerial pressures external to the teaching profession, as well as more progressive and democratic approaches internal to the profession, have simultaneously influenced professional development policy and practice in Australia. In making this case, the paper reviews the nature of the teacher professional development that is supported in federal Australian policies associated with the recently defeated Liberal/National Coalition government (1996–2007) and research into how professional development has been enacted in practice in Australia, during this government's tenure. While acknowledging the significant impact of more neoliberal and managerial approaches and how such policy emphases contribute to the continuation of traditional, systemic/employer provided workshops, the paper also provides evidence of competing, more teacher‐centred approaches.     

The perceived value of work placements and part-time work and its diminution with time

This paper explores the perceptions of degree students at two UK universities regarding their work placement and part-time working activities, to assess if the two activities converge. The research comprises three stages: interviews for preliminary exploration of students’ perceptions towards work placement and part-time work; interviews to examine how placement opportunities link with career aspirations; a survey of students who had completed a placement, and those currently on placement. Students acknowledged part-time working helped their placement activity, providing transferable skills beneficial to both study and career aspirations. A significant finding was with respect to time: the closer to the placement activity the data was collected, the stronger the impact of appreciating the value of placement. The paper therefore highlights the value of timing in the assessment of work placement. It also offers value for universities’ by providing insight into students’ perceptions regarding embedded external work activities that can enhance graduate employability and career prospects.     

Towards professionalisation? Restructuring of administrative work force in universities

This article examines the restructuring ofadministrative staff in universities throughempirically documenting such processes andproviding a theoretically foundedinterpretation and analysis of change. Theempirical material is drawn from a context ofNorwegian universities the last two decades.Two major changes can be observed in thisperiod. First, a period of steep growth inuniversity administration in early 1990sfollowed by a period of moderate growth and insome cases even decline. The second dominantdevelopment pattern in the 1980s and 1990s isthe change within administrative staff,which could be interpreted as a professionalisation of administrative staff.The article concludes by presenting possibleexplanations to the structuring of theadministrative work force in universities onthe basis of different theoretical approachesto organisational change.     

The knowledge work of professional associations: approaches to standardisation and forms of legitimisation

This paper examines how professional associations engage themselves in efforts to develop, regulate and secure knowledge in their respective domains, with special emphasis on standardisation. The general emphasis on science in society brings renewed attention to the knowledge base of professionals, and positions professional bodies as key regulatory agencies. At the same time, knowledge takes distinctive forms in different areas of expertise, and the ‘knowledge work’ of professional associations is embedded in complex settings of actors and interests that need to be negotiated. Based on documents and interviews with core representatives, we examined approaches to standardisation in three associations that represent the main bodies of nurses, teachers and auditors in Norway. The analysis shows that all associations engage themselves in efforts to develop standards for knowledge and professional practice, but that they do so in different ways and with alternative sources of legitimisation. Standardisation is initiated for variegated purposes, and involves the ongoing negotiation of tensions between different concerns. We discuss the approaches taken in relation to conditions for professionalism, and argue that the knowledge work of professional associations is becoming increasingly important in a society where knowledge, as well as the market for professional services, is becoming internationalised.     

浅谈高校机构与编制工作的有效性

强调高校机构与编制工作的有效性是实现这项教育人事政策价值特征的基础，是国家宏观管理高等教育和高校自身发展的客观要求。作为高教工作，要正确理解和准确把握高校机构与编制工作有效性的内涵，不断地转变那些与高校机构与编制工作有效性相悖的观念与行为，才能实现高校管理工作的创新，高校的管理体制改革才能达到预期效果。     

高师学生自我专业发展意识现状调查与分析

采用“高师学生自我专业发展意识问卷”对652名高师学生进行调查,结果表明:(1)总体上,我国高师学生的自我专业发展意识在性别、城乡上不存在显著的差异,在个别维度上存在着性别和城乡的显著性差异:女生的专业发展自我认同的水平高于男生;来自农村的学生在自我调节水平上高于来自城市的学生。(2)不同年级的高师学生的自我专业发展意识存在着显著的差异。四年级的学生无论是从总体上还是在各个维度上的发展水平均高于其他三个年级的学生。(3)教育教学实习对高师学生的自我专业发展意识有着显著的影响,参加教育教学实习能够提高高师学生的自我专业发展意识水平。     

浅谈兼职教师的管理

搞现代化,人是第一要素,有了现代化的人,才有现代化的经济,现代化的政治,现代化的管理.而现代化的人是靠现代化的教育培养造就的,为赶超世界先进水平,发展教育事业,实现教育现代化是成教事业发展的必然.搞好教学工作,提高教育质量,必须要使教学与管理相互配合.兼职教师的管理,已成为开放教育较为突出的问题,坚持"管理育人"的观点,规范兼职教师的管理,以科学管理理论为指导,运用现代化的管理方法和手段,进行科学管理,才能适应现代化成人高等教育日益发展的需要,实现教育目标.     

Future and changing roles of staff in distance education: a study to identify training and professional development needs

Abstract

The roles of distance education teaching staff are changing, necessitating role clarity and the development of appropriate competency frameworks. This article investigates the perceptions of the teaching and research staff at the University of South Africa, regarding the current and future roles of distance educators, their own competencies in each role and training that they require in order to address competencies required in these future roles. This research forms part of a larger project that focuses on capacity and continuous professional development processes that are necessary to train staff to be prepared for these changing roles. A quantitative web-based survey was sent to all academic (teaching and research) staff at the University of South Africa. Key results indicate that competencies in the roles of technology and instructional design have emerged as crucial for distance educators, and that future training programmes need to be developed to support these areas.     

The challenge of assessing professional competence in work integrated learning

A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professional competence, the ability of students to perform in the workplace. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of WIL should include an assessment of students’ demonstration of professional competence in the workplace. The assessment of professional competence in WIL is, however, problematic. It may be impractical for the academic supervisor to directly assess professional competence if there are a large number of students in external placements. If evidence of professional competence is provided by the student, the student’s ability to articulate his or her own capabilities will interfere with the validity of the assessment. If evidence of professional competency is provided by the supervisor then the assessment is heavily dependent on the individual supervisor and may be unreliable. This paper will examine the literature relating to the assessment of professional competence in WIL. The paper will be informed by the author’s experience in coordinating a WIL subject in an undergraduate law course. It will recommend that a mix of evidence provided by the student, the workplace supervisor and the academic supervisor should be used to assess professional competence in WIL.