Higher Education Workforce Research Articles

Transitional experiences of Australian health science researchers: where is academic teaching preparedness?

Academic career development relies on a combination of teaching and research skills. In Australia, it is common for recent Doctor of Philosophy graduates to have a short-term post-doctoral research experience to build publication track-record and increase grant competitiveness, before securing a combined research and teaching or ‘academic’ role at a university. Other scientists work as full-time researchers for several years before transitioning to academic roles with expectations they can teach. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of health and biomedical science researchers transitioning into academic roles using a mixed methods design. Sixty-six participants working in health and biomedical sciences at over 20 Australian Universities who had been in an academic role for 5 years or less completed an online survey. Of 66 participants, 18 (27%) had never been in a research-only role before, while 48 (63%) had held a research-only role for up to 11 years before starting their current academic role. Findings showed most academics were not trained nor equipped to successfully undertake scholarly teaching. They reported a lack of awareness of teaching expectations, practical resources, and direct support provision at the start of their appointment. For former researchers specifically, these experiences led to low confidence and poor enjoyment in their academic role, with the potential to decrease overall teaching quality, student learning and student satisfaction. We postulate that these issues may be mitigated by the implementation of teaching-specific training programs catering for the research-only background of staff entering health and biomedical academic roles in the higher education workforce.

COVID-19 and doctoral education in Australia

ABSTRACT This article considers issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of relevant issue, and to identify opportunities for future research. It describes examples of responses taken at an institutional level, and their implications for the norms and practices associated with postgraduate research, supervision and candidate support. Comments from discussions with a small number of Australian Deans of Graduate Research are used to illustrate the challenges faced, and the responses taken. The article provides a concise outline of the policy and historical context for these responses, and concludes by considering some of the issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia today. It highlights the rise of location-independent graduate research and the prospect of generational change in the higher education workforce as significant factors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as potentially fruitful avenues for future research.

Women in the higher education workforce will never achieve pay equity without increased representation in leadership

Women in the higher education workforce will never achieve pay equity without increased representation in leadership

Financial literacy and financial well-being among the higher education workforce

Financial literacy and financial well-being among the higher education workforce

A systematic scoping review and textual narrative synthesis of trust amongst staff in higher education settings

ABSTRACT Trust is an essential underpinning foundation of effective functioning amongst all staff in higher education. However, there is limited knowledge on the ways in which trust operates, including the extent to which it exists, is recognised, can be built, or lost. This article systematically scopes the international literature on trust amongst staff in higher education institutions, the value of that literature, the research methods used, areas of research focus involved, and overall findings. A systematic scoping literature review, combining descriptive synthesis and textual narrative synthesis, was undertaken. As far as we are aware, this is the first review of this type to be undertaken on trust amongst all types of personnel in the higher education workforce. The review followed a data-based convergent synthesis design, identifying qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies in a single search, integrated throughout analysis, synthesis, and presentation. PRISMA and ENTREQ reporting guidelines were followed: 512 records were identified in two search phases (2020, 2022). Findings revealed relatively little research on trust amongst all types of staff in HE, with a surprising lack of research on trust relating to remote working during COVID. The heterogeneity of papers was striking, yet a wide variety of perspectives on trust tended to be located in single institutions or situations and provided little robust empirical evidence linked to theoretical definitions of trust. Qualitative papers were generally more thoughtful in investigating the complexity of trust. Further research on the relatively neglected but essential field of trust amongst staff in higher education is recommended.

Third space workers in higher education in times of dislocated complexity

AbstractIn this article we examine the changing nature of the higher education workforce with specific reference to the increasing influence and importance of third space workers (e.g., blended learning designers, e‐learning developers, partnerships managers, associate tutors, learning technology specialists and communication and engagement officers). Discussing the contextual framework, we contend that the higher education context is uncertain and has taken on a disrupted character, generating a social condition that we term dislocated complexity. Through the lens of Giddens' Theory of Structuration, we analyse empirical data from two studies—one in Scotland and one in Australia—to shed light on how the workforce in higher education is changing. We illuminate the need for greater recognition of third‐space workers as part of a team alongside academic discipline experts in these times of dislocated complexity. We propose the term dislocated complexity as a means to describe the heightened state of complexity that exists in higher education systems in times of crisis, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, and highlight the need for structural and policy changes.

Child Sex Trafficking in Higher Education

ABSTRACT Using a pragmatic exploratory sequential mixed methods design in data collection and analysis (QUAL quan), this study analyzes 223 child sex trafficking investigations, arrests, and/or prosecutions within the United States (U.S.) higher education workforce. Despite growing awareness of the crime, research on child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) is surprisingly scant with a near total absence of perpetrator data. This is the first examination of the crime in U.S. tertiary education. Policy recommendations, guided by the research results, contribute to progress in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on anti-trafficking: Gender Equality (SDG 5.2) and Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions (SDG 16.2).

Cloud computing adoption status in Oman (Arab) higher education: unified theory of acceptance and use of technology in education management

Cloud computing is offering various solutions to the world and in this paper we are exploring the possible solutions in higher education system. The emphasis is on cloud adaptation in Arab world education system. We took case study of Oman higher education system. We explore the factors that have slowed cloud adoption mainly in higher education and find meaningful solutions to improve the usage of cloud in colleges and universities. Responses to examination inquiries give information about the present condition of moderate cloud selection in higher education. A possible solution could be the adoption of cloud computing and its services. The examination will give knowledge about why higher education work force is reluctant to adapt to this technology. Cloud computing additionally has a few issues and concerns like virtualisation, security and trust. This study explores into the slow adoption of cloud in higher education. Cloud adaptation in developing countries specially in Arab world is needed where higher education is in developing stages. In this study we focused on education sector especially higher education.

Empowering satisfaction: analyzing the relationship between empowerment, work conditions, and job satisfaction for international center managers

The rising cost of higher education has driven researchers and practitioners alike to identify areas of waste and search for practices associated with increasing efficiency. One area commonly targeted is human resources, where the dominant narrative focuses on the role of downsizing as a way to decrease cost. In contrast to workforce reduction, institutions could reduce inefficiencies by finding effective ways to avoid premature departure and strengthen the current workforce in higher education. In this study, we analyze employees’ perception of their work conditions and sense of empowerment, in relation to job satisfaction, which has been found to increase productivity and reduce turnover. To illustrate and model key variables, we utilize structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between our key latent constructs. We find empowerment is positively related to job satisfaction, while working conditions are not.

Language and learning advisors as a valuable but under-recognised workforce in higher education: a Bourdieuian analysis of their professional development in international education

ABSTRACTLanguage and learning advisors (LLAs) play a vital role in supporting the academic development of a fast-growing population of international students. This paper tackles the professional development practices for LLAs and barriers to their professional development. Using Bourdieu’s concepts of field and habitus, the paper addresses the mutual interactions between the work environment and LLAs’ thinking and actions regarding providing language and learning advice to international students. The analysis of 44 semi-structured interviews with LLAs from 18 institutions shows that there was a scarcity of targeted professional development opportunities for LLAs to improve their expertise directly related to international students and internationalisation of education. Financial shortage, time constraints, casualisation conditions, managerial issues, academic to professional employment re-classification for LLAs and the ongoing marginalisation of LLAs have created unfavourable contexts for LLAs’ professional development. The paper points out the critical need to create better work conditions for LLAs, to ensure more investment in creating targeted opportunities for LLAs’ professional development and to provide more resources and attention to support their enactment of agency and development of professional capacities.

Design and Intervention of an Educational-Leadership Program: Student Voice and Agency, Expectations and Internationalization

This paper explores the lived experiences of a diverse student cohort enrolled in a master’s degree educational-leadership program. The program’s global focus was on the quality of teacher education, prospective teachers’ workplace preparedness and leaders in the workforce in higher education. Internationalization, real-life experiences and student voice served as an enacted intervention curriculum for an educational leadership course designed to reveal the gap between theory and practice. An epistemological diversity lens stimulated critical reflection on students’ participation in the course design and its connection to realities in the field. Diverse higher-education classrooms pose specific challenges for educational leadership programs in including effective internationalization, workplace relevance and improving the generalizability and content validity of the educational leadership course. This small qualitative exploratory investigation provides an in-depth understanding of the value of student voice in informing course and program design. Interviews, observations, two surveys and a document analysis triangulated the data and provided information on the complexities in higher-education classrooms. The findings focus on teacher-educators and higher-education classroom management as well as on the value of critical inquiry, reflection and intervention for existing course designs and transformation.

Building an online community to support the professional development of casual teachers

With the burgeoning casualisation of the higher education workforce, the precarious nature of casual teaching has become increasingly well documented. Universities are recognising that enhancing quality learning and teaching must include attention to the provision of services, support, and professional development for teachers employed on a sessional or casual basis. This paper presents a study investigating an online course for supporting and connecting dispersed and diverse casual teachers at an Australian university. The study explores the role of community and the impact of professional development for casual teachers across discipline boundaries in an institution-wide online course.

Understanding the changing faculty workforce in higher education: A comparison of non-tenure track and tenure line experiences

Non-tenure track faculty are a growing majority in American higher education, but research examining their work lives is limited. Moreover, the theoretical frameworks commonly used by scholars have been critiqued for reliance on ideologically charged assumptions. Using a conceptual model developed from Hackman and Oldham’s (1980) Job Characteristics Model (JCM) and prior research on faculty workplace experiences, this study considers the extent to which full-time non-tenure track and tenure line faculty share a professionalized approach to their jobs, working conditions, and how this is associated with their organizational commitment. Findings demonstrate important consistencies in full-time faculty views of their workplaces and jobs across appointment type. Satisfaction with resources, rewards, autonomy and feedback had a significant positive relationship with odds of organizational commitment for all faculty groups. Overall, the results suggest being removed from the tenure track is not associated with faculty viewing their jobs in a substantially different way than those in tenure line positions, which underscores the importance of conceptualizing full-time faculty work as an integrated whole.

Supporting the Academic Majority: Policies and Practices Related to Part-Time Faculty's Job Satisfaction

The academic workforce in higher education has shifted in the last several decades from consisting of mostly full-time, tenure-track faculty to one comprised predominantly of contingent, non-tenure-track faculty. This substantial shift toward part-time academic labor has not corresponded with institutions implementing more supportive policies and practices targeted toward part-time faculty. This study examines the associations between part-time faculty satisfaction and a set of items that measure campus resources provided to part-timers, their perceptions of the campus climate, and measures of the institutional context. Findings point to opportunities for campuses and departments to improve parttime faculty's satisfaction through providing access to office space and developing a sense of respect among part-time and full-time faculty.

Supporting the Academic Majority: Policies and Practices Related to Part-Time Faculty’s Job Satisfaction

The academic workforce in higher education has shifted in the last several decades from consisting of mostly full-time, tenure-track faculty to one comprised predominantly of contingent, non-tenure-track faculty. This substantial shift toward part-time academic labor has not corresponded with institutions implementing more supportive policies and practices targeted toward part-time faculty. This study examines the associations between part-time faculty satisfaction and a set of items that measure campus resources provided to part-timers, their perceptions of the campus climate, and measures of the institutional context. Findings point to opportunities for campuses and departments to improve part-time faculty’s satisfaction through providing access to office space and developing a sense of respect among part-time and full-time faculty.

‘I now know I can do this now’: Indigenous women and writing in the Australian higher education sector

This paper explores the challenges of writing and publishing faced by Indigenous women who work in the Australian higher education sector. It demonstrates that Indigenous women are under-represented in the academy and argues that Indigenous styles of writing are typically not valued for broader publication. The authors describe a writing mentoring and support program specifically developed for Indigenous academic women in Australia. The Tiddas Writin’ Up Workshop provided a safe and culturally-appropriate space for women to learn about academic writing and develop their writing skills. The workshop led to the publication of a special issue of the Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues – known as the Tiddas Collection. The authors highlight the power and strength of well-developed support programs to address skills development, confidence, inequities and under-representation of Indigenous women within the higher education workforce. Image: John Hill, ‘Tile on street depicting Aboriginal women gathering yams. Cooktown, Australia’, (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Impact of Alumni Status on Institutional Giving by Faculty and Staff

This study explores the association between propensity toward giving and personal and positional characteristics of faculty and staff across 3 years within a large, public, multi-campus higher education institution. Informed by the literatures on organizational identity and commitment, faculty and staff giving, and the higher education workforce, the study employs a hurdle analysis to estimate the predictors of likelihood of donating (the hurdle) and the amount given among those who donate. Following up on earlier research by the authors that demonstrated that academic employees and employees who are institutional alumni are more likely to give, the present study explores the interaction between these roles and offers a more powerful model for predicting the amount given. The results of this study have implications for understanding how organizational commitment and identification may be relevant in addressing giving, for institutional fundraising, and for building institutional loyalties.

An exploration of the development of academic identity in a School of Education

This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity in a UK School of Education. Building on seminal literature in this field and drawing on the research of four academics, it begins by discussing teacher educators’ varying perceptions of the need to re-configure their identity to meet the expectations of a twenty-first-century higher education workforce. The article proposes the formation of this identity to be a dynamic, career-long process. Diverse scaffolds for the development process are proposed, including opportunities for new teacher educators to be apprenticed into an academic role, the centrality of communities of practice and the importance of the supported development of academic skills such as writing for publication.

Philanthropy, the new professionals and higher education: the advent of Directors of Development and Alumni Relations

In recent years, in response to pressures to diversify their income, many British universities have established development and alumni relations offices. The creation of development offices illustrates how the internal environment of universities has been affected by the need for universities to meet challenges in the wider higher education context. In this regard, conceptions of professional identity help us to understand how changes to the internal organisation of universities have affected the higher education workforce and the dynamics of relationships between universities and external stakeholders. This paper examines how the professional identities being cultivated by directors of development inform and shape philanthropic fundraising in British universities. In this way, it seeks to enhance our understanding of higher education philanthropic fundraising. The analysis also shows how studies of particular roles provide for more nuanced understandings of professional staff in higher education. Two themes of relevance to the broader study of professionals are discussed: relationships between academics and professional staff and the roles of professional managers, particularly relating to the nature of their power and influence.

Capturing wellbeing at work

PurposeThis paper aims to report on a 12‐item measure developed by the authors, which assesses and monitors the wellbeing of employees across an organisation: Wellness at Work (W@W).Design/methodology/approachThe W@W questionnaire for employees was delivered in parallel with a multi‐site survey undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive, during the development of their management standards. This paper reports its testing across a higher education workforce with 552 diverse participants.FindingsThis survey revealed that individuals with low or deteriorating “wellness” gave distinctive responses to questions about their future work, and enabled widespread discussion within the organisation about actions to improve employee wellbeing.Originality/valueW@W is a practical measure for use in workplace settings.