Application of research-informed teaching in the taught-postgraduate education of maritime law

Abstract

Despite numerous studies of the research-teaching nexus, applying research-informed teaching (RiT) to taught-postgraduate education has been largely overlooked. This knowledge gap is particularly significant in the maritime law discipline given the fast-growing business of international shipping and logistics. This paper aims to examine the impact of applying RiT in the taught-postgraduate education of maritime law. The research employed a multiple-method case study with the maritime law discipline at a university in Hong Kong where research-teaching linkages were introduced. The results indicate that the application of RiT had a positive impact on students’ learning. Through the learning process, students’ perceptions and attitudes were revealed to have changed towards favouring RiT, and were found not sensitive to their programmes and backgrounds. The findings assert that RiT should be promoted for taught-postgraduate education of maritime law and integrated into the learning programme systematically.

Keywords:

• Research-teaching nexus
• research-informed teaching
• maritime law
• taught-postgraduate
• non-law students

Acknowledgements

The research on which this paper reports was financially supported by Learning & Teaching Development Funding of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (LTG 12-15/ss/LMS2). The authors are grateful to those who participated in the survey and the colleagues who provided assistance to this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.