Government research evaluations and academic freedom: a UK and Australian comparison

Performance management systems have been an inevitable consequence of the development of government research evaluations (GREs) of university research, and have also inevitably affected the working life of academics. The aim of this paper is to track the development of GREs over the past 25 years, by critically evaluating their adoption in the UK and Australian higher education sector and their contribution to the commodification of academic labour, and to highlight the resultant tensions between GREs and academic freedom. The paper employs a literature-based analysis, relying on publicly available policy documents and academic studies over the period 1985–2010. GREs are a global phenomenon emanating from new public management reforms and while assessments of university research have been welcomed, they have attracted critique based on their design, the manner in which they have been applied, and the unintended consequences of their implementation on academic freedom in particular. Consistent with international research on the impact of GREs, Australian research assessments appear to be undoing the academic freedom that is central to successful research. Further empirical research on the impact of GREs on academics is urgently needed.     

Evaluating academic development in the higher education sector: academic developers’ reflections on using a toolkit resource

The professionalisation of teaching is of increasing importance in UK higher education due to converging processes including the proliferation of managerialism, increasing quality agendas and changes to student fee structures. These have brought into sharp relief the need for greater understanding of how quality teaching evolves in university settings. One key element of this involves academic development and its impacts on teaching and learning. Current literature suggests that a plethora of ideas, frameworks and instruments claiming best practice exist but that take-up of these is inconsistent. This prompted a UK national research project which produced an evidence-based toolkit for evaluating academic development. As part of the toolkit augmentation, academic development representatives from across the sector were asked to create, review and test uniquely tailored evaluation instruments. These instruments were then piloted on university teachers who had participated in teaching-related continuing professional development activities. This paper reports on these individuals’ reflections of using the toolkit. It suggests that academic developers are interested in evaluating the impact of their work on teachers, students and on the wider institutional culture but that confidence and expertise varies. Using the toolkit generated ‘traditional’ evaluation data including satisfaction with the development activity and changes to lecturers’ conceptions and behaviours. However, it also prompted critical discussions around current evaluation practice. This included the need for transformational reform of institutional culture to support links between evaluation and good standing; and making explicit the thorny issue of evidencing student learning. This paper will be of interest to those with an interest or responsibility for evaluating teaching in higher education. The paper offers an important contribution to the international literature at a time when global higher education is faced with questions about teaching, learning and quality. Evaluation, and how to do it well, is timely and important business.     

Analysis of academic administrators’ attitudes: annual evaluations and factors that improve teaching

This article examines academic administrators’ attitudes towards the academic evaluation process in the US and those factors that are utilised to improve teaching. We use path regressions to examine satisfaction with evaluation procedures, as well as the direct and indirect effects of these factors on perceptions of whether the evaluation process facilitates quality instruction. With increased pressure for accountability being placed on higher education, it is important to ensure that we are meeting both public and academic expectations. The evaluation process is an important tool to ensure the university’s goals and values are articulated and that academics can be successful in their individual career paths. The problem is most research finds flaws with the current method of evaluation, and academics and academic administrators are sceptical about the process and results. We find there are environmental factors that influence academic administrators’ perceptions of academic evaluations and the ability to improve classroom instruction.     

Action learning as an element within an assessed and supported year in employment for newly qualified social workers: a three-role perspective

The assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) is employer-led and provides a programme to support and assess newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) working with children and families and adults during their first year of employment. Action learning was brought into Cambridgeshire County Councils ASYE programme as a 12-month pilot from October 2015 to September 2016, with the view of providing an opportunity for the 55–60 NQSWs to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills. This paper gives an account of the journey from the perspective of the roles of the accoucheur and action learning lead, ASYE Programme Lead and Evaluator and identifies key learning points. In writing this paper, the authors acknowledge the contribution of their colleague facilitators and the NQSWs who participated in action learning sets.     

‘You shouldn’t be making people feel bad about having sex’: exploring young adults’ perceptions of a sex-positive sexual health text message intervention

Young adults are disproportionately affected by negative sexual health outcomes, such as sexually transmitted infections. One strategy for reducing such negative outcomes involves the use of comprehensive sexual health education. As comprehensive sexual health education programmes are adopted, there is a need to evaluate the messaging approaches that might best connect with young people. Sex-positive approaches, which describe sex as a healthy practice and personal choice, are becoming popular, but whether this strategy works has not been tested from a message design perspective. This study examines the reactions of young adults to sex-positive or sex-negative messages, framed as a gain or loss, designed for a text message-based intervention. Participants quantitatively evaluated 24 messages on their mobile phones. Gain frames were preferred over loss frames, and sex-positive messages were rated as more believable and persuasive. An interaction between the two concepts was also found. Results highlight how sex-positive messages that focus on the benefits of certain behaviours tend to resonate better with young adults. Implications for health educators and practitioners are discussed.     

农业科研机构作物学科科技竞争力评价研究

从作物学科领域的视角出发,以期建立一套反映农业科研机构科技竞争力的全面、规范、系统的评价方法,此方法可作为农业科研机构和高校作物学科科技竞争力的评判工具,也可为其它农业学科评价工作提供借鉴。综合运用文献计量和层次分析方法对中国作物学科科技竞争力水平进行评价研究。从学科发展基础、创新能力、产业影响三个角度出发,构建三层递阶架构的评价模型,通过系统分析和筛选,最终确立16项评价指标,并基于这些指标建立学科科技竞争力评价体系。在此基础上,基于层次分析法计算各指标的合成权重,设计学科科技竞争力综合水平与分项水平的评价模型。利用该模型既可以进行机构学科综合竞争力水平的整体评价,也可以进行分项水平的具体评价。     

协同创新能力评价指标体系构建——基于国家重点实验室的实证研究

解析了国家重点实验室协同创新能力的内涵与要素,梳理出协同创新能力的测量指标。通过德尔菲法、隶属度分析、相关分析和信度效度检验对指标进行甄别筛选,构建了国家重点实验室协同创新能力评价指标体系,采用模糊层次分析法确定了各级指标权重。选取化学领域的26个国家重点实验室作为协同创新能力评价的实证对象,对其协同创新能力进行模糊综合评价,对评价指标体系进行了验证。     

基于计划行为理论的高校图书馆移动信息服务质量评价

为研究移动信息服务质量这一图书馆以及用户共同关注的焦点问题,文章基于计划行为理论,构建移动信息服务质量评价指标体系,设计调查问卷对使用移动信息资源的用户进行指标重要度调查,利用加权统计方法对调查结果进行计算获得指标权重,通过模糊综合评价方法对西安科技大学图书馆移动信息服务质量进行评价。研究结果显示,该馆移动信息服务质量处于中等偏上水平,该图书馆还需要在服务手段、移动资源、检索系统、个性化服务等方面加强和创新,提高其移动信息服务水平,从而更好地满足用户的移动信息需求。     

中国风险投资制度演进过程与发展水平评价

1998年以来,在国家宏观政策的引导下,中国风险投资业进入了快速发展的时期,本文通过对33个国家的数据分析,构建了风险投资发展指数,并测度了中国风险投资业的发展水平。但在宏观数据背后,中国风险投资业还面临很大问题,对此通过个全国22个主要省市数据的回归分析,认为政府的过多介入是主要问题之一。     

公共科研机构绩效评价测度体系研究

科技过程的复杂性和创新产出的多样性使得对公共科研机构投入与产出的量度难以全面而完整,因而到目前为止依然没有形成一套相对标准化并普遍适用的测度体系。为此,本文引入结构化方法和经济学模型,建立了基于知识生产函数的公共科研机构绩效评价测度体系。应用结果表明,该测度体系通过量度实际产出和计算理论平均产出,实现了同类研究机构间横向与纵向的比较,为公共科研机构的绩效管理提供了更为科学的定量依据。