Managing the teaching–research nexus: ideals and practice in research-oriented universities

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that while ideals of close linkages between research and teaching are widely embraced in research-oriented universities, a practice of division of labour between teaching-oriented and research-oriented staff persists. In an investigation of how the research–teaching nexus is managed at three Swedish universities, we identify a perceived misalignment between institutional incentives for individual academic staff and the needs of teaching. Under pressure from such tensions, managers are forced to deploy pragmatic strategies for the staffing of undergraduate education tasks. This includes allowing research needs and agendas to take priority over teaching needs. While managers seek to secure the participation of senior researchers in education, they often actively prefer to delegate the bulk of teaching activities to less research-active staff. Such strategies seem to reinforce existing patterns of division of labour among academic staff.

Keywords:

• academic career
• academic work
• higher education policy
• leadership
• teaching–research nexus

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences for allowing them to use data owned by the academy and to two anonymous referees for constructive comments on a previous version of the text.

Notes

1 Respondents were instructed to estimate what percentage of their work time they had spent on the following seven categories: (1) research and development (R&D), including direct support; (2) applying for funds for R&D, including direct support; (3) teaching (Bachelor + Master levels), including direct support; (4) teaching (PhD education), including direct support; (5) administration not related to own research or teaching; (6) committee work and consultations and (7) other activity.

2 The survey was conducted by Statistics Sweden. For the purpose of the research presented in this paper, new aggregates were constructed from micro-level data.

3 In the Swedish context, directors of studies typically are responsible and thus the initial targets. However, it turned out that the title director of studies was not used at all universities and as a consequence we also sent the survey to department heads, deputy department heads, programme managers and programme leaders.

4 For an internationally oriented overview of Swedish HE, see Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (2010).

5 Staff who are employed as professors, associate professors, senior lecturers or assistant professors are included. Note that these positions are not entirely comparable to their US counterparts, as Swedish HEIs generally do not employ formal tenure track schemes.

6 In the Swedish context, ‘professor’ is a title for which all academics are entitled to apply. Qualification is based on demonstrated ability in research and teaching. The granting of the title does not automatically change the duties or the resources assigned to the academic. Thirteen per cent of academic staff currently hold the title.