Professional Development Of Academic Staff Research Articles

Internationalisation and a post-development vision

The best futures concepts are simple and can be taken up by many people to help create much-needed shifts in perception.[1]However, the change process is not easy. Futures concepts and techniques continue to challenge my thinking and my work in the professional development of academic staff. From a basis in multicultural education and cross-cultural curriculum development, this article explores some issues of internationalisation of education within the context of a post-development vision of the future.[2]Despite the current emphasis on internationalisation as educating for profit, it remains an opportunity to develop education with the planet in mind.

The long‐term effects of ‘one‐shot’ professional development courses: An Indonesian case study

Short courses and workshops are a common approach to the professional development of academic staff, yet we know little about their long‐term effects or how to enhance their impact on organizational change in universities. These issues are especially true in the development of third world universities, but here the challenge of change and development is compounded by a host of cultural, educational, and social issues. On the basis of an Indonesian case study and a theoretical analysis, recommendations are developed for universities and aid agencies who plan to implement professional development programmes. It is concluded that without complementary and supporting organizational change strategies such programmes are at risk of being wasted activities.

Quality assessment of higher educational practice: Scylla or Charybdis?

This paper reviews the development of a sector-wide concern with the improvement of teaching and learning in UK university-level institutions. It places such developments in the context of similar advances in other first-world higher education systems (Australia, Canada, United States) and identifies a number of imperatives which have shaped and driven the changes.The paper generally welcomes the move towards a greater importance being given to teaching and learning issues and to the professional development of academic staff for this aspect of their role. Although assessment of teaching quality has been operating for a limited period, the impact it has made on practice has been considerable and, in the main, beneficial. It is expected that many of the initiatives undertaken by universities to improve the quality of students’ experiences will be endorsed by the current Dearing Committee and will be recommended as standard “good practice” for the sector as a whole.

Professional development and accountability: Working with newly appointed staff to foster quality

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to examine some issues in professional development and the accountability of academic staff particularly in regard to newly appointed staff. It examines ways in which universities can assist new staff develop their skills in the various aspects of their academic role and identifies the responsibilities of the university and heads of departments in this task. It illustrates these issues by reference to a case study of a major Australian university which has recently adopted a department-based scheme for the professional development of academic staff. This scheme, amongst other things, involves new staff in planning sessions with the head of their department and the keeping of records of responsibilities, achievements, needs for professional development and the resources which will be provided to assist staff. The introduction of any scheme for accountability of staff or of professional development is likely to encounter some resistance in the prevailing academic ethos. The...

Freedom and control in higher education: Who needs a policy?

The question posed in the title refers to policy for the professional development of academic staff. The answer is considered in five parts with reference to (a) staff associations; (b) university councils; (c) university departments; (d) individual staff; and (e) students.