Integrating Research-informed Teaching into Sustainable Construction Education

Figures & data

Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages of enhancing research-teaching links

Identified by	Advantages	Disadvantages	Identified by
L	S	G		L	S	G
✓	✓	✓	Students develop critical thinking Too much focus on research skills at the expense of practical skills	✓	✓	✓
✓	✓	✓	Students learn research skills Lack of time to embed effectively	✓
✓	✓	✓	Graduates better meet employers' expectations Potential conflict with academic staff personal aspirations/university goals	✓
✓			Students gain confidence Academic staff expectations of undergraduate research exceed student abilities	✓
✓			Students are prepared better for their final year dissertation RiT seen in some cases as benefiting a minority and increasing inequalities	✓
✓			Teaching is delivered by researchers with passion Risk of ‘going off track’ and wasting time		✓	✓
✓			Students gain access to the latest knowledge Risk that compromise between academic and vocational leads to insufficiency in both		✓	✓
✓			Lecturers are kept up-to-date by supervising dissertations Effectiveness of RiT subject to enthusiasm and bias of lecturer		✓	✓
✓			Eases tension between more and less research-active staff More difficult to discern fact from opinion when teaching contains lecturers' own research		✓	✓
✓			Industry-relevant research raises profile of lecturers and students RiT seen as complex, and leading to difficulties in sifting information		✓	✓
✓			Creates a more dynamic HE environment Need for prior information to be provided in order for students to engage in informed debate		✓
	✓	✓	Helps students select and evaluate information RiT not suitable for all types of learners		✓	✓
	✓	✓	Encourages active learning (Research-based teaching especially popular) Variation between effectiveness of different lecturers mediates RiT approach		✓	✓
	✓	✓	Improves ‘objective knowledge’ — and integrates established knowledge with cutting edge research Focusing more on RiT (leading to academic ability) might risk achieving vocational knowledge			✓

Note: L = lecturers; S = Students; G = Graduates

Figure 1 Frequency of RiT practice in the discipline studied Note: Year 3 for optional industry placement, not applicable to the study

Figure 2 Frequency of research-teaching links in the discipline studied (Year One)

Figure 3 Frequency of research-teaching links in the discipline studied (Year Two)

Figure 4 Frequency of research-teaching links in the discipline studied (Year Four)

Table 2 Potential RiT strategies suggested in interviews

Potential RiT strategies suggested	Staff	Students	Graduates
1. Improve communications on RiT within the teaching team	✓
2. Enhance understanding of institutional policies relating to RiT	✓
3. Develop a coherent RiT strategy across all years, starting early	✓	✓	✓
4. Create a process model for implementing RiT	✓
5. Author a RiT guide for staff	✓
6. Link RiT with the real-life to develop knowledge and skills	✓		✓
7. Review module content and delivery to support RiT	✓
8. Support new academics to help them develop RiT in their teaching	✓
9. Emphasise the importance of teaching excellence	✓
10. Encourage critical thinking and scholarly learning	✓
11. Buy in expertise to release staff time to develop RiT	✓
12. Make research-led teaching more active			✓
13. Provide more small group research tutoring		✓	✓
14. Promote research more as a career option		✓
15. Integrate Healey's four research-teaching components		✓