The teaching–research gestalt: the development of a discipline-based scale

This paper reports the development and empirical testing of a model of the factors that influence the teaching–research nexus. No prior work has attempted to create a measurement model of the nexus. The conceptual model is derived from 19 propositions grouped into four sets of factors relating to: rewards, researchers, curriculum, and students. The propositions are operationalised by 61 scale-items and empirically recomposed by a factor analysis on data obtained from 247 UK accounting academics. We demonstrate that, in the discipline of accounting, there are six factors that describe the positive effects of relations between academic research and teaching. We also identify five factors that militate against productive relations between the two. This double-edged sword we term the teaching–research gestalt: although faculty research can be beneficial to teaching and vice versa, there can also be negative effects. The relationship between academic research and teaching therefore requires judicious management.

[1]  Barney Pell,et al.  The research–teaching nexus: a case study of students' awareness, experiences and perceptions of research , 2010 .

[2]  Jung Cheol Shin,et al.  Teaching and research nexuses across faculty career stage, ability and affiliated discipline in a South Korean research university , 2011 .

[3]  S. Richardson,et al.  Exploring the teaching potential of empirically-based case studies , 2004 .

[4]  James S. Fairweather,et al.  Faculty reward structures: Toward institutional and professional homogenization , 1993 .

[5]  Elaine Martin,et al.  Recognition of good university teaching: Policies from an Australian study , 1996 .

[6]  Lewis Elton,et al.  Research and Teaching: Conditions for a positive link , 2001 .

[7]  Judithe Sheard,et al.  Research and/or learning and teaching: a study of Australian professors' priorities, beliefs and behaviours , 2014 .

[8]  Richard E. Coppage,et al.  A synergistic approach to an accounting educator's primary responsibilities , 2001 .

[9]  Charles A. Buckley,et al.  Student and staff perceptions of the research–teaching nexus , 2011 .

[10]  Jane Robertson,et al.  Beyond the ‘research/teaching nexus’: exploring the complexity of academic experience , 2007 .

[11]  Miguel A. Quintanilla,et al.  The teaching and research relationship within an institutional evaluation , 2000 .

[12]  R. Griffiths.  Knowledge production and the research–teaching nexus: the case of the built environment disciplines , 2004 .

[13]  Carol L. Colbeck,et al.  Merging in a Seamless Blend: How Faculty Integrate Teaching and Research. , 1998 .

[14]  Roger Lindsay,et al.  Academic Research and Teaching Quality: The views of undergraduate and postgraduate students , 2002 .

[15]  N. Haigh,et al.  Contemporary accounting education and society , 1999 .

[16]  Peter Cabrera-Nguyen.  Author Guidelines for Reporting Scale Development and Validation Results in the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research , 2010, Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research.

[17]  William J. Goode,et al.  A theory of role strain. , 1960 .

[18]  Flora F. Tien,et al.  To What Degree Does the Desire for Promotion Motivate Faculty to Perform Research? Testing the Expectancy Theory , 2000 .

[19]  S. Ball,et al.  Insights on how students perceive the research-teaching nexus: a case study of hospitality management students. , 2010 .

[20]  K. Eble,et al.  The craft of teaching : a guide to mastering the professor's art , 1989 .

[21]  Educating professionals – perceptions of the research–teaching nexus in accounting (a case study) , 2015 .

[22]  Jan Elen,et al.  The ‘research–teaching nexus’ and ‘education through research’: an exploration of ambivalences , 2007 .

[23]  Joanna John,et al.  Researcher development: the impact of undergraduate research opportunity programmes on students in the UK , 2011 .

[24]  Jan Elen,et al.  Faculty Development in Research‐Intensive Universities: The role of academics’ conceptions on the relationship between research and teaching , 2007 .

[25]  Lynn K. Harvey,et al.  Chief academic officers’ perceptions of the relationship between faculty research and undergraduate teaching , 1998 .

[26]  Elaine Martin,et al.  Academics’ experiences of understanding of their subject matter and the relationship of this to their experiences of teaching and learning , 2005 .

[27]  Roger Lindsay,et al.  Teaching and research: Student perspectives and policy implications , 1998 .

[28]  Philippa Levy,et al.  How do first-year university students experience inquiry and research, and what are the implications for the practice of inquiry-based learning? , 2012 .

[29]  Brad Stappenbelt,et al.  The effectiveness of the teaching–research nexus in facilitating student learning , 2013 .

[30]  R. MacCallum,et al.  Applications of structural equation modeling in psychological research. , 2000, Annual review of psychology.

[31]  David E. Stout,et al.  Survey evidence of teacher development based on AECC recommendations , 2000 .

[32]  Nico Verloop,et al.  The ideal research‐teaching nexus in the eyes of academics: building profiles , 2010 .

[33]  Susan Sandretto,et al.  An investigation into excellent tertiary teaching: Emphasising reflective practice , 2004 .

[34]  W. Locke.  The Dislocation of Teaching and Research and the Reconfiguring of Academic Work. , 2012 .

[35]  F. Veloso,et al.  The determinants of research output and impact: A study of Mexican researchers , 2007 .

[36]  Jan Elen,et al.  Bologna in European Research-Intensive Universities: Implications for Bachelor and Master Programs , 2008 .

[37]  Robert C. Serow,et al.  Research and teaching at a research university , 2000 .

[38]  Kirsten Zimbardi,et al.  Embedding undergraduate research experiences within the curriculum: a cross-disciplinary study of the key characteristics guiding implementation , 2014 .

[39]  Christine Halse,et al.  The research–teaching nexus: what do national teaching awards tell us? , 2007 .

[40]  Kate Wilson,et al.  Connecting expectations and experiences of students in a research-immersive degree , 2013 .

[41]  Hugo Horta,et al.  An output perspective on the teaching–research nexus: an analysis focusing on the United States higher education system , 2012 .

[42]  Barbara Zamorski,et al.  Research-led Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A case , 2002 .

[43]  L. Willcoxson,et al.  Enhancing the Research-Teaching Nexus: Building Teaching-Based Research from Research-Based Teaching. , 2011 .

[44]  Nico Verloop,et al.  Relating academics' ways of integrating research and teaching to their students' perceptions , 2012 .

[45]  Rebecca Walker,et al.  Can inquiry‐based learning strengthen the links between teaching and disciplinary research? , 2010 .

[46]  Marc Romainville.  Teaching and Research at University: A Difficult Pairing. , 1996 .

[47]  Lars Geschwind,et al.  Managing the teaching–research nexus: ideals and practice in research-oriented universities , 2015 .

[48]  Ronald Barnett,et al.  Linking Teaching and Research: A Critical Inquiry. , 1992 .

[49]  Alan Jenkins,et al.  Teaching/research relations in departments: the perspectives of built environment academics , 2005 .

[50]  James S. Fairweather,et al.  Academic Values and Faculty Rewards , 2017 .

[51]  Angela Brew,et al.  Research and Teaching: Beyond the Divide , 2006 .

[52]  Jens-Christian Smeby,et al.  Knowledge Production and Knowledge Transmission. The interaction between research and teaching at universities , 1998 .

[53]  The Research-teaching Nexus in Higher Education Curriculum Design , 2012 .

[54]  Ronald Barnett,et al.  Relationships Between Teaching and Research in Higher Education in England , 2001 .

[55]  Nihel Chabrak,et al.  Student imaginings, cognitive dissonance and critical thinking , 2013 .

[56]  Anne-Barrie Hunter,et al.  Becoming a scientist: The role of undergraduate research in students' cognitive, personal, and professional development , 2007 .

[57]  Jane Robertson,et al.  Experiences of the Relation between Teaching and Research: What do academics value? , 2001 .

[58]  Ruth Neumann,et al.  The Teaching-Research Nexus: Applying a Framework to University Students' Learning Experiences. , 1994 .

[59]  P. Ramsden,et al.  Associations between research and teaching in Australian higher education , 1992 .

[60]  Steven J. Kachelmeier,et al.  Assessing the Shortage of Accounting Faculty , 2006 .

[61]  M. Nehme.  The Nexus between Teaching and Research – Easier Said than Done , 2012 .