The Influence of Research on Career Development at Academic Colleges of Education in Israel

A questionnaire and interviews involving 20 faculty members were administered in a College's School of Education faculty in Israel. Ninety-six responses were received. Several groups could be identified within this population. The young and ambitious (35%) seemed to be involved in research for extrinsic rewards: additional pay, Ph.D. or promotion, and are at the advancement or maintenance stage of their career. They use research to advance their careers but do not consider that research as helpful for their inclusion in decision-making processes at the College (Schein, 1971). A second group are teacher educators, towards the end of their career (45%), who view research as an activity that can contribute to their professional growth and self-actualization. They tend to look for intrinsic rewards such as esteem, need for affiliation, relatedness and job autonomy. They are at the withdrawal stage of their career, and use research to remain 'stars' or 'solid citizens' (Hall, 1976), and to slow down their decline. Finally, about 20% of the respondents are not tenured, probably are at the establishment stage of their career, and hope that engagement in research will improve their chances of obtaining tenure.