Developing a research-led culture within post-92 education departments: exploring barriers, problems and potential solutions - Tricia Le Gallais

Developing a research-led
culture within post 92 Education
Department
A workshop exploring barriers,
problems and potential solutions
Tricia Le Gallais
Birmingham City University
HEA @ Worcester University March 2014
1

An outline of this workshop
 Introduction to the topic
 Discussion of the following three key areas,
followed by a summary of relevant literature
in this field
• Barriers to developing a research-led culture
(in post 92 Education Departments)
• Pressures
• Potential solutions
 A case study of a post 92 Education
Department
2

Introduction
 This workshop aims to facilitate a discussion about the
reluctance on the part of a number of academics to
engage with both research and academic writing. Whilst
much has been written about academics’ experience of
teaching, far less time has been assigned to an
examination of their perceptions of research and the
practice of academic writing in HE institutions.
 There are particular difficulties faced by lecturers joining
post 1992 universities, where their sense of professional
identity as lecturers may well be challenged by the
increasing demands placed upon them to conduct and
publish research in academic journals in line with REF
requirements.
3

Questions that need answering!
What are the key barriers to staff becoming
 more research focussed?
 more willing to accept the role of researcher
and academic writer within their professional
identity as lecturers?
4

Barriers ?
 The increasing diversity in the backgrounds of staff
entering universities means that one can no longer
assume academic staff are ‘automatically both able and
willing to write’ (Moore 2003).
 Staff hired as lecturers, usually from a successful
background as teachers, lawyers, etc., saw teaching as
their primary function
 (in consequence) people were quite likely to describe
themselves as ‘teachers’ or ‘lecturers’. Indeed, there was
even some reluctance to identify as an academic (Sikes
2006: 558)
 Such staff were also likely to be anxious about their ability
to carry out research at the level required…..
5

…..Barriers?
 Staff lacked confidence, especially about having to put
their work in the public arena where their managers and
colleagues could judge their competence as academic
writers
 Inadequate appropriate time and space
 A lack of clarity in defining which functions have primacy
at a specific time (which results in) task confusion and a
decrease in satisfaction and productivity. (Macleod
2012:643-4)
 A culture unconducive to research with researchers
feeling isolated and alone
 Mixed messages from managers and colleagues
regarding the value of research and academic writing
and conflicting demands of teaching, marking
administration, research and writing
6

Mixed messages
 ‘The moving goal of what it is to be a ‘proper
academic’…leaves staff uncertain about what
is valued since ‘espoused and actual values
did not seem to match’. (Clegg 2008: 336)
 If the impetus is towards research and all the
status and brownie points are attached to
research then what does that say about
teaching? (Sikes: 2006)
 … being told that everything I had was worth
nothing [because I] didn’t have the
publications – really it was gob smacking.
(Archer 2008: 390)
7

More mixed messages
 ‘I don’t think [writing] is valued. ..If I said to someone I
can’t attend the meeting because I am writing up an
article, that wouldn’t be well received... If you were
sitting around writing, you were skiving. ‘ (Murray 2011:
10-11)
 Tensions…between those individuals who wish to
research and publish, and those who feel the focus of
their work should remain on teaching…may impact on
departmental peer support for research active staff.
(Morss & Murray 2001: 38)
 Writing is, perhaps, still seen by many staff to be the
province of ‘a select, privileged or elite few’ (Macleod
2012: 641)
8

And pressures?
 Any thoughts on the types of pressures
which might cause reluctance to
engage in research?
9

Pressures identified in the literature
 Workload – too many primary tasks!
 REF – more in a moment!
 Own PhD or other studies
 Family commitments
10

THE SHADOW OF THE REF
 December 2013, the date for the REF found
many academic staff experiencing
increasing pressure from their universities to
produce the requisite number of published
articles.
 As mentioned previously, the difficulty for
some staff, particularly those in post 1992
universities, is that they may not identify
themselves as academic writers or indeed
researchers but as educators.
11

The REF: (dis)encouraging research?
 Research into the impact of the REF(RAE) identifies a
range of emotions:
• I do not agree with the RAE at all…It is divisive and
inimitable to good teaching and scholarship.
(Sociologist, old university, Harley 2002: 202)
• (Kate’s) sum value/worth as a potential academic
had been quantified and assessed through the lack
of publications on her CV. (Archer 2008: 390)
• I am proud to be a teacher but that doesn’t seem to
count for much anymore (Sikes 2006: 561)
 But there are many others, (especially those in post
1992 HEIs) who feel that research now has a higher
profile
12

Potential solutions?
 What strategies have you and your
organisation tried and how successful
have you been in encouraging a
research-led culture?
13

Strategies tried at other universities
 One Day courses on academic writing, how to
start writing, how to publish in academic
journals – generally thought to be of little real
use in challenging and changing attitudes
towards research and writing
 Writing groups – felt to need considerable
support through convenors to oversee and
organise and keep up the momentum.
Researchers agreed that these could work if
the culture was right by creating a sense of
common purpose and a shared goals and
interests – leading to a community of research
practice… (see next slide)
14

e.g. Setting up writing groups
 Inexperienced writers often have a lack of
confidence about writing which can lead to a
reluctance to start…There has been an agreement
on confidentiality (within the writing group) so that
people feel they can discuss their fears and
weaknesses without fear of them being repeated
outside the group. (Lee & Boud 2003: 192)
 Our differences are many—gender, rank, discipline,
style and genre—but in this time and space, writing
is the tie that binds us…There’s a certain energy in
the air that helps people be productive and
creates a spirit that’s collegial and supportive. We
become allies rather than trying to compete with
each other. (Elbow and Sorcinelli 2006: 18…22)
 …the purpose of having regular discussions at every
meeting was to build a community of research
practice through writing (Lave & Wenger, 1991;
Wenger, 1998). (Murray 2002: 3-4)
15

Further strategies tried at other universities
 Research seminars – these were not felt to be enough
on their own. They were excellent for reinforcing the
place of research in the organisation and in ensuring
colleagues knew what was going on in the research
field. However, it tended to be the converted who
attended
 Utilising Containment Theory to ensure staff spent time
on the primary task before them rather than attempting
to respond to several primary task simultaneously
(Macleod 2012)
 Writing retreats – these came in various shapes and sizes but
generally it was felt that these did the most to engender a
research culture where writing was celebrated as a
worthwhile and valued activity
16

e.g. Attending a writing retreat
 Being able to become totally engaged in writing was
another common theme that participants identified as
important. Moore 2003: 336)
 I was aware at the writer’s retreat of the frustration, of
feeling that you were attempting to achieve
something that was very challenging, and I suppose
the intensity of the writer’s retreat meant that on a
consistent basis you were having to face that
frustration over the course of the weekend, whereas in
daily practice, instead of facing that frustration, I think I
avoid it sometimes. (Lecturer, Macleod 2012: 647)
 It was quite a nourishing and supported environment
…you used the lunches and coffee breaks to talk
about issues that you were working on. It was
concentration but relaxation. (ibid., 651)
17

Longer term impact of writing retreats
 (Staff) made practical changes: writing more frequently
for shorter periods of time, prioritising time to write,
protecting time to write and using targets to develop a
greater sense of focus and achievement. This involved
changing how they thought about writing, in terms of
demystifying the process of writing for publication,
experiencing it as achievable and considering it a valid
use of their time (i.e. seeing it as the primary task).
(Macleod 2012: 651)
 A caveat! The writing retreat has benefits, but it is not a
panacea; organisations must be clear about workloads,
roles and tasks. While there is evidence that structured
retreats have impact, they cannot overcome
organisational practices that contribute to lack of clarity
about primary tasks and otherwise contribute to anxiety.
(ibid., 653)
18

Case study: creating a supportive
research culture at BCU
Over the years we have tried a range of
strategies to engender a climate conducive to
research and academic writing including:
 Research seminars where staff and students
share their work
 Visiting speakers
 Taught sessions on, for example, writing for
publication
And more recently
 A Research Café
 Writing buddies
 and the Writing Retreats
19

The research café
 The research café’s success was immediate and
very visible
 On average about 20 staff regularly attend,
share their research, support each other, enjoy
a delightful buffet and leave, hopefully
refreshed and inspired about research in the
Faculty
 It has become a meeting place for staff across
the Faculty, where staff celebrate the wide
range of research being carried out across ELSS
 It has, for me, been a chance to meet ELSS
colleagues personally and to encourage more
of them to attend the writing retreat
20

Writing buddies
 All you need are approachable people,
who are enthusiastic about research
and keen to bring on new researchers. It
is a really rewarding role!
 Sometimes buddying is informal, at other
times there is a degree of nudging to
bring someone to the point where they
realise a buddy could help with their
writer’s block, etc.
21

Our writing retreats
 The very first retreat, organised through BCU’s Centre
for Research in Education took place over 1.5 days
in July 2011 at Woodbrooke Conference Centre.
 Since then we have held further retreats at
Woodbrooke in July 2012, again for the School of
Education
 and in 2013 we opened the retreats to the whole
Faculty of Education, Law and Social Sciences
 The most recent retreat took place in February 2014
with 28 participants. We now run four retreats a year
 Opening the retreat to the whole of ELSS staff has
facilitated a greater sense of being part of a wider
Faculty. Collaborative research links are already
taking place across Faculty
22

So, where does our retreat take place?
HEA @ Worcester University March 2014 23

The venue is a crucial part of the retreat!
 The venue plays an important, indeed vital part in the overall
success of the retreat. Colleagues referred particularly to the
calming atmosphere and the beauty of the surroundings and
to the internal and external space which afforded
opportunities to reflect in tranquillity, while walking in the
extensive grounds or to relax with colleagues in the lounge or
to sit at a laptop in isolation The comments below
encapsulate the feelings of all the delegates:
 A truly wonderful space and atmosphere in which to work.
The staff were most warm and welcoming. Inspiring!
 The calm, peace and quiet promoted thinking and
engagement. It was excellent.
 The grounds offered quiet thinking time away from the
structured environment of an office which was much
appreciated.
24

And how does our Writing Retreat work?
 Very simply! We advertise across the Faculty
asking for expressions of interest.
 Both seasoned and new researchers are
welcome. Our only expectation is that
colleagues come with a clear purpose
regarding a research task or perhaps a
collaborative project – and at the close of the
retreat we ask for evidence of outcomes, such
drafting a paper, preparing for a conference,
etc…
 Our numbers have increased steadily from 15 to
the high twenties
 Following each retreat we send out evaluation
requests, which help us to assess the value of
the retreats for both individuals and the Faculty
as a whole
25

The key objectives of our writing retreat
 To create an environment for the delegates
which offers mental and physical space for them
to think without the usual time constraints and to
reflect upon potential and actual areas of
research.
 To provide the right atmosphere and research
ethos to enable delegates to set pen to paper,
possibly complete a draft for a conference or an
article for a journal.
 To be a vital step in our efforts to build a sense of
community amongst the participating
researchers. All too often researchers work in
isolation.
26

During the retreat
 Formal ‘taught’ sessions as requested
 Flexible spaces to work in
 Informal meeting and buddying opportunities
 Regular breaks with everything laid on
We have observed a gradual change from
colleagues working on their own research within
a supportive environment to one where staff are
identifying those with expertise in different areas
and utilising the retreat to draw on that expertise
– it is becoming a community of researchers of its
own accord
27

Regular breaks and superb meals - all part of the
cherishing!

AIM: To creating an environment for the delegates
which offers mental and physical space
Delegates’ comments:
 The calm, peace and quiet promoted thinking and
engagement. It was excellent. The grounds offered
quiet thinking time away from a structured
environment of an office which was much
appreciated.
 The atmosphere is ideal for the retreat. The tranquility
is amazing and just what a ‘space-to-research-
starved soul’ needs.
 I can't think of how you could make this a more
appropriate venue. It gets everything right. A
peaceful, reflective space. Same again please!
29

Working alongside fellow researchers

AIM: To provide the right atmosphere and research
ethos to enable delegates to set pen to paper
 I needed to make peer reviewer changes to my draft
article. I managed to achieve a great deal by making
recommended changes and working on the comments.
 I revised two presentations and made a 'to do' list! I
started a conference paper for later on in the year.
 I pulled together the first draft of an article drawing on a
previous research project. ..I'd been putting this off as it
seemed a luxury to dedicate time to writing articles and
I was convinced it would take a least a week to pull all
the data together. The environment was obviously
conducive to writing for me and had a positive impact.
31

Varied study spaces

AIM: To engender a sense of supportive
fellowship amongst those present
 I did not really believe that I had research suitable for
working up into a journal article, until I discussed my
ideas at the writing retreat.
 I had the opportunity to work for many hours with my
writing buddy and was able to resolve issues and answer
questions.
 Whereas in the university time is always so precious with
teaching time going on, within the relaxed environment
this was much easier to have constructive and critical
conversations.
 Being part of a learning/research community is of huge
personal significance and enables me to engage in a
profound and meaningful way with research practice.
34

Staff and students working together

AIM: To be a vital step in our efforts to build a sense of
community amongst the participating researchers.
 (The retreat was) a worthwhile opportunity that
allows you the chance to think outside of the fast
pace of university space and speak with those who,
ordinarily, you may not get the opportunity to speak
to.
 (It offered) the opportunity for collegial exchange,
stimulating discussion and time for reflection. This
retreat embeds research into the calendar rather
than it being something done in time left over from
managerial time and teaching.
 The writing awaydays have proved once again to
be a research haven, encouraging reflection,
sharing resources and reinforcing a real sense of
community amongst those fortunate enough to be
there.HEA @ Worcester University March 2014
36

Sense of community

The value of attendance at the retreat as
described by delegates
What came across very strongly from delegates was that
they felt valued by the university, their managers and the
Education Department.
 I feel that I am valued and that the constraints of my day
job are recognised.
 It is a valuable opportunity to put time aside. When
working full time there are other pressures that sometimes
mean research get put on the 'back burner'. The retreat
validates what we are doing and means we can be
focused.
 I feel a valued member of a team and enjoy the
opportunity to have a dialogue with members of the
early childhood research team whom I normally only see
in corridors or at formal meetings when they are busy
and stressed.
 I really valued being asked to go on the writing retreat as
it allowed me to completely focus on my writing without
any other intrusions.HEA @ Worcester University March 2014
38

Some key reflections about the retreat
 The venue is a vital component of the writing
retreat
 The importance of time away from desks, emails,
etc., is reinforced through the mental and
physical space of the retreat
 The retreat facilitates the sense of shared
endeavour and purpose and supports the act of
writing – working towards a community of
research practice
 The financial outlay the Faculty commits to the
retreat is a clear acknowledgement of the
legitimacy of research and research practices
within the Faculty and involvement in the retreat
gives a sense of worth and value to the individual
researcherHEA @ Worcester University March 2014
39

Continuing concerns
Comments are still being expressed about mixed messages:
 Research is valued but there is conflict regarding
precedence of other tasks, such as invigilation –
‘research time is always the first thing to go’.
 The unhelpful setting of teaching versus research remains
an issue and endangers staff relationships.
 Low self esteem regarding research capabilities – ‘I
thought you’d tell me I had nothing worth sharing’.
 Some staff still find it hard to identify themselves as an
‘academic’
 The low esteem of those whose total commitment is to
their teaching, who feel the REF has changed what is
important in the Faculty
 The anxiety of those not selected for returning to the REF,
despite their efforts to meet the criteriaHEA @ Worcester University March 2014
40

Closing thoughts
 There are complex reasons for some academics not
engaging with research or not writing.
 Often workloads are blamed or the lack of uninterrupted
time and a suitable space; however, I believe that there is
much more to this dilemma than the parade of the usual
and obvious suspects.
 Academic identities also need to be considered. How do
staff see themselves and how are they perceived by others,
in particular their management.
 Dealing with the practical aspects of how and where to
publish fails to touch the part that needs to be addressed,
namely the emotional aspects of being and becoming a
writer
 We at BCU have sought to address the above areas
through a package of strategies. We hope we are moving
towards the development of a community of researchers,
who feel valued and confident that research and writing
are as legitimate and rewarding an activity as lecturing.
41

Developing a research-led culture within post-92 education departments: exploring barriers, problems and potential solutions - Tricia Le Gallais

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Similaire à Developing a research-led culture within post-92 education departments: exploring barriers, problems and potential solutions - Tricia Le Gallais

Similaire à Developing a research-led culture within post-92 education departments: exploring barriers, problems and potential solutions - Tricia Le Gallais (20)

Plus de The Higher Education Academy

Plus de The Higher Education Academy (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Developing a research-led culture within post-92 education departments: exploring barriers, problems and potential solutions - Tricia Le Gallais