Teaching Nexus Research Articles

Research–Teaching Nexus in Electronic Instrumentation, a Tool to Improve Learning and Knowledge of Marine Sciences and Technologies

Research–Teaching Nexus in Electronic Instrumentation, a Tool to Improve Learning and Knowledge of Marine Sciences and Technologies

Cultivating a culture of inquiry: exploring the factors influencing the integration of research and teaching in higher education institutions

PurposeTo determine the factors influencing the perception of undergraduate students toward research–teaching nexus and also to examine its impact on the attitude of the students.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a quantitative design to examine the perceptions of students in higher education institutions in India. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the data and test the hypothesis. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire for a sample of 188 students from higher education institutions (HEIs). Further, in line with the purpose of the study and to test the hypotheses, the study used descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and multivariate regression analysis.FindingsThe study demonstrates that the factors influencing the perception of undergraduate students toward research teaching nexus were identified using principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation, conducted on 27 measurement items. In addition, the results of the multivariate regression analysis indicated that research-based, research-tutored and research motivation dimensions, significantly impact the graduate students' perception of research–teaching nexus.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of this research may become valid input to HEI regulators, researchers and teachers while framing the policies and implementation of the same about the pertinent issues discussed in the paper. Further, it contributes to the existing theory that teaching–research quality and level of motivation are also the predominant factors influencing the teaching–research nexus among students. In addition, the outcome of this paper also supports HEIs to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) at large.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the ongoing debate and scarce literature on research–teaching nexus at the higher education level. The factors derived in this paper propose a framework for aligning teaching and research in academic programs to create high-quality human resource in the nation.

Book Review: The Nexus of Teaching and Demographics: Context and Connections from Colonial Times to Today

Book Review: The Nexus of Teaching and Demographics: Context and Connections from Colonial Times to Today

A Book Review of The Nexus of Teaching and Demographics: Context and Connections from Colonial Times to Today

A Book Review of The Nexus of Teaching and Demographics: Context and Connections from Colonial Times to Today

A Study of Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions of Research-Teaching Nexus in HEI (Higher Education Institutions)

Due to institutional accreditation requirements, the linkage between research and teaching has become increasingly important for higher education institutions in Oman over the past few years. This study describes teachers' experiences and perceptions of the research and teaching nexus in Oman's higher education college. Staff at International Maritime College Oman (IMCO) were taken as samples to confirm the study's themes. This paper aims to study the views of faculty about integrating research into teaching and the factors that strengthen or weaken the nexus. Primary data was collected via survey questionnaires and focus group discussions. The finding indicates that staff perception of integrating research into teaching is diverse. However, the majority confirmed the positive contributions of integrating research into teaching. The study also finds that student engagement in research will improve undergraduate education. Hence, integrating research as part of the staff load, allocating some budget and training staff on how to conduct research will help improve staff and students' research engagement, which improves teaching quality. This study contributes to the debate around the research-teaching nexus in Oman's colleges and universities of higher education.
 
 Received: 26 April 2022 / Accepted: 30 June 2022 / Published: 5 July 2022

The future of the research and teaching nexus in a post-pandemic world

ABSTRACT Vaccines and treatments produced during the global coronavirus crisis demonstrated the importance of university research and teaching. There was widespread celebration of university–industry partnerships and collaborations across disciplines and geographical locations. However, simultaneously, higher education institutions in England faced serious financial and organisational challenges throughout the pandemic, which has implications for the relationship between teaching and research, for who undertakes each, and for the students’ experience of teaching and learning (some of whom become the next generation of researchers). The rapid movement to online learning created further tensions within an already demoralised, precarious and divided workforce. This paper considers the potential social good of universities’ two core missions, research and teaching in a post-pandemic world, exploring the inherently political nature of the link, as well as its encoded inequalities and dysfunctions. Drawing on documentary and secondary data analysis, this paper explores, first, the long-standing sectoral and institutional discrepancies through analysing trends in student recruitment rates and research funding. Second, it investigates how student and staff experiences of the link between research and teaching were changing in the pandemic, pointing to substantive equity issues in how the pandemic response affected access to research opportunities and to research-led teaching. The paper argues that a more equitable and inclusive university that appreciates the research-teaching nexus and is flexible and collaborative in nature is key to contribute to tackling global and local challenges, such as environmental destruction, climate change, conflict and socio-economic inequities.

The nexus of teaching, research and practice: perceptions and expectations of undergraduate education students in Southeast Turkey

PurposeThis study aims to explore the perceptions and expectations of the undergraduate students toward the teaching-research-practice nexus (TRPN) and propose a framework for the integration of nexus components at each undergraduate level. It also intends to identify whether students' views differ depending on their specialization, year of study, academic performance and gender.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative analysis was employed to evaluate the views of 460 undergraduate students from faculties of education in the Southeast Anatolia region of Turkey. The data were collected through the survey with a five-point Likert scale. A t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for the analysis of data.FindingsSignificant differences in the perceptions and expectations of the undergraduate students in relation to the TRPN suggest a gap in their satisfaction with the present teaching approach. The factors influencing students' perceptions include specialization, year of study and academic performance. Student expectations of the TRPN are affected by their specialization and GPA. The influence of gender was not confirmed.Research limitations/implicationsThe lack of previous research on the TRPN creates a need for further development in this area of study. The sample limited to education faculty in one region precludes generalization of the findings beyond the study setting.Practical implicationsThe present study provides preliminary information for education faculties on how to meet students' learning expectations through proportional integration of the TRPN components into the undergraduate curriculum.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the ongoing debate and scarce literature on the TRPN at the undergraduate level and proposes an original framework for linking teaching, research, and practice.

Using concept mapping for faculty development in the context of pedagogic frailty

The quality of teaching does not depend exclusively on the knowledge and experience of teachers, but also on the contextual variables that go along with the teaching (attitude, objectives, students, resources, etc.) or dimensions of pedagogic frailty (regulative and instructional discourse, pedagogy and discipline, research teaching nexus and locus of control. Identifying these variables may help to enhance teaching. A procedure for the capture, representation and transfer of knowledge between peers regarding active didactic methodologies supported by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was applied in a case study research. The data were represented by concept maps. The aim was to identify variables that affect Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), the use of technology in teaching and pedagogic frailty, through the analysis of the interrelations among the concept maps.The analysis of the maps shows the implementation of many innovations with ICT (project-based learning, service-learning, collaborative learning), their positive aspects and the difficulties in carrying them out. The teachers involved pointed out some factors that contribute to the development of pedagogic frailty, including the number of students in each class, the organization of teaching, the motivation, among others, and as conditions for a greater progress in innovative educational experiments using ICT.

Bridging the Divide: The Potential Role of Contemporary Geographical Research in Schools

This article examines the implementation and impacts of a program intended to improve research-led teaching in schools. Little consideration is given to the role of research-led teaching in schools; the argument is that this is a consequence of fractures between schools and universities. A program was developed to bring contemporary geographical research of university scholars into schools. Examining this program, the finding is that being exposed to research: improves access to up-to-date knowledge; heightens student enthusiasm; and informs choices students make about their learning. This article calls for bridges to be built between universities and schools upon the nexus of teaching and research.

Rebalancing the Teaching-Research Nexus for Quality Teaching and Learning Environment at the Tertiary Level in Nigeria

This is a quantitative study stressing on the need to rebalance research and teaching nexus. Research and teaching are intertwined characteristics of a university. There should be stronger connections between research activities and teaching roles. Effective teaching-research links are not automatic and have to be consciously constructed and implemented. The changing world to be faced by today’s students and tomorrows graduates will demand unprecedented skills of intellectual flexibility, analytical ability and sense of enquiry fostered by research-oriented approach to teaching. Universities need to be reformulated to help students and society deal with the ever changing complex society. The teaching research nexus is central to university education. This paper examined the link between teaching and research in relation to quality teaching and learning environment at the tertiary level in Nigeria. It highlighted the inherent benefits of a balanced teaching and research, identified the reasons for apparent disconnect, the basic assumptions fueling this disconnect and streamlined possible ways of strengthening the link and integrating research into teaching in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. This paper is intended to expand and improve existing knowledge and inform policies in the area of research and teaching nexus.

The Research Teaching Nexus: An Innovation for Strengthening Research in India

There is need to move beyond the conventional teaching formats to leverage the linkage between teaching and research in higher education. The contribution of students to the research output of faculty occurs when the curriculum is designed to include inquiry-based processes, as a substitute of simply focusing on knowledge acquisition processes (Horta et al.2012) Inquiry-based curricula necessitate students to be involved in research activities, minimizing the division of roles between faculty and students, and reinforcing the synergy between teaching and research as part of the same learning process (Griffiths 2004). The integration of students in research-oriented activities helps to link teaching and research activities, that supports in increasing production of research outputs by the faculty (Horta et al.2012). This also supports Brew and Boud’s (1995) argument that teaching and research are integrated when they become two aspects of the same activity (i.e. learning).This article aims to contribute in this direction by sharing an innovative experience with undergraduate students in India that links teaching and research in the existing system in the institutes of higher education. It demonstrates that teaching and research can be leveraged synergistically and contribute to research output with influencing research skills in students as well as faculty. This innovative experiment was based on the idea that learning constitutes the vital link between research and teaching. Learning is used as the key concept linking the activities of teaching and research because these represent learning processes, and also because faculty are expert learners who guide the learning process of beginners, the students (Brew 1999; Elton 2001).

Chalkface; interface; screenface: moving the metaphor of teaching towards the nexus of teaching and learning

This paper provides a nuanced metaphor for teaching and learning, taking into account newer mediated forms of learning that lie at the nexus of teaching and learning. Firstly, the paper navigates this metaphorical minefield by tracing the evolution of the terms for describing learning environments: specifically coalface, chalkface and interface. Secondly, it addresses ways of thinking about curriculum design, taking account of the different actors involved in curriculum — designers, teachers and learners — at the chalkface, the interface and in the proposed new metaphor — the screenface. The screenface metaphor is then elaborated both in terms of the shifts in thinking it can facilitate and the implications of viewing research into teaching and learning through this lens. The screenface is a useful metaphor, with application beyond this initial proposal providing new and fruitful questions that can be asked about teaching and learning. Keywords: teaching; learning; technology; curriculum (Published: 25 April 2012) Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2012, 20 : 17187 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v20i0.17187

Introducing ‘SandRA’: Visual Representation of the Research-Teaching Nexus as a Tool in the Dissemination of a New Research Strategy

The ‘research–teaching nexus’ has been the subject of much recent debate, yet little attention has been paid to institutional initiatives to promote and encourage the integration of teaching and research. This article presents a novel diagrammatical representation of the relationship between research and teaching which was developed to aid the dissemination of a new research strategy in a small, teaching-led higher education institution. It provides a reflective account of the use of the diagram and responses to it, both within and beyond the institution. It is proposed that the ‘vagueness’ inherent in visual representation can aid reflection on the multiple ways in which teaching and research may connect, encouraging individuals to construct their own understanding of the nexus. Equally important, though, is that the institutional definition of research is relevant to the nature of that institution, and sufficiently flexible to allow for variation within it.

The `Research—Teaching Nexus' and the Learning—Teaching Relationship: Who's in charge?

This article engages, from the point of view of the higher education (HE) department and practitioner, with the realities, and explores the rhetoric, of the `research—teaching nexus' with reference to the role of research and research skills, in the context of the student experience in higher education. The ultimate questions are: How serious should we be about responding to this rhetoric? Would it mean significantly changing the way we currently do things? Who decides such questions? What control do practitioners have? In so doing, the article focuses on examples of `the student as researcher' as an educational goal relating to employ-ability, the Extended Project that will result from 14—19 curriculum reform and the undergraduate dissertation. It also provides rule-of-thumb definitions for the technical language that is evolving in this area.

The ‘research–teaching nexus’ and ‘education through research’: an exploration of ambivalences

This article presents and discusses the results of a literature review that was conducted in order to understand ambivalences observed in reflections on the research–teaching nexus. As a result of this literature review, it is possible to attribute these ambivalences to the mixed use of two approaches: on the one hand, a functional approach that regards research as a tool in the learning environment in order to develop competencies that are functional for the knowledge society, and, on the other hand, an idealistic approach that regards research as a process of edification and understands academic education as participation in research. This article examines these two approaches and discusses the critical issues that have to be taken into account in order to deal with the ambivalences.

RT02 The Research teaching nexus in veterinary pharmacology

ObjectiveAfter the Bologna declaration, signed by 29 European countries in 1999, a strong debate on veterinary education arose. Although at present none of the European veterinary schools have officially introduced the Bologna process to veterinary curricula, the discussion about the definition of competence and professional skill of graduates in veterinary medicine is controversial. In this context, veterinary pharmacology and toxicology are disciplines undergoing continuous development and becoming increasingly important in the different areas of veterinary profession. In this round‐table, different points of view on the challenge to teach Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology at a high quality level in the third millennium will be considered.

Para‐teacher scheme and quality education for all in India: policy perspectives and challenges for school effectiveness

Improvement in the quality, efficiency, and equity of education, to a considerable extent, depends on the nexus of teaching and learning, which is in turn influenced by the quality of teachers. The teacher has been identified as the single most important factor influencing the quality of education by the Indian Education Commission and the National Policy on Education. Consequently, the government of India, like that of many other developing countries, has been trying to meet the challenge of improving the quality of education by improving teacher quality on several fronts—by raising pre‐service education requirements, improving teacher training, increasing the diversity of the teaching force and promoting stronger participation by local government and community organizations. However, the appointment of contract teachers, popularly termed as ‘para‐teachers’, in the primary education sector at a mass level raises serious question regarding the quality of education at primary level, as in the majority of schemes the academic and professional qualifications for these teachers have been relaxed and lowered as compared to those of regular teachers. They are also paid less. Therefore, a peculiar situation is prevailing in India's primary schools where we have two sets of teachers appointed as ‘regular’ and ‘para‐teachers’ working in the same school and performing the same duties, but are governed by different service conditions. This situation raises questions such as ‘Can India aspire to quality education and school effectiveness in such a situation?’, ‘Who are these para‐teachers, what is the rationale behind their appointment and how widespread is the practice?’ These and other important concerns are discussed in this paper, and the implications identified for school effectiveness and quality of primary education in India.

Doctoral supervision of colleagues: peeling off the veneer of satisfaction and competence

The nexus of teaching, administration and research activities engaged in by academic staff in higher education means that each individual plays a multitude of roles in relation to colleagues, producing inevitable tensions. One role relationship that epitomizes this extraordinary juggling task is that of doctoral supervisor/supervisee, when both are academic staff in the same institution. The last 10 years has seen an upsurge of research interest in doctoral research students, and government and funding bodies have imposed ever more stringent requirements on supervisors. However, staff pairings have been ignored in this literature and research. This article reports on an exploration that seeks to redress this omission by giving voice to the participants (colleague supervisor or research student), allowing them to articulate constructs about what may be unique in the interaction, thus highlighting factors that support or impede success in the enterprise.

Use of large databases for group projects at the nexus of teaching and research

Final year, group (capstone) projects in computing disciplines are often expected to fill multiple roles: in addition to allowing students to learn important domain-specific knowledge, they should reinforce computing and software engineering concepts and provide for the acquisition of transferable skills. For motivational and pedagogical reasons, it is clearly preferable that such projects respond to real needs, be those in research or industry. We describe two student projects based on a large repository of usage data and integrated into a course in Professional Computing. These projects fulfilled the objectives outlined above and were closely linked to the research of the first author. We suggest that similar projects based on large databases may offer a transferable paradigm for others to follow. Finally, we outline some important elements for a successful group project based on a large database.