The Research Assessment Exercise, funding and teaching quality

Argues that the funding arrangements for UK higher education and in particular the rules and rewards of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) have encouraged individuals, departments and institutions to prioritize research at the expense of teaching. Presents empirical evidence from geography, including the views of selected staff on the impact of the RAE on teaching in their departments and the negative impacts on the writing of textbooks and involvement in the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme. Argues that there should be a reappraisal of the impact of RAE on UK higher education. These developments are set in the context of the discussion of quality concerns in education in the United States.