The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?

This paper reports on the results of an investigation into the impact of increasing workloads in higher education on teaching quality. Thirty eight academic staff in a Western Australian university were interviewed on a number of issues related to the increasing hard managerialism evident in their w...

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Main Authors: Dixon, Kathryn, Dixon, Robert, Scott, Shelleyann
Other Authors: Peter L Jeffery
Format: Conference Paper
Published: AARE 2007
Online Access:http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2007/dix07047.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/40630
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author Dixon, Kathryn
Dixon, Robert
Scott, Shelleyann
author2 Peter L Jeffery
author_facet Peter L Jeffery
Dixon, Kathryn
Dixon, Robert
Scott, Shelleyann
author_sort Dixon, Kathryn
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper reports on the results of an investigation into the impact of increasing workloads in higher education on teaching quality. Thirty eight academic staff in a Western Australian university were interviewed on a number of issues related to the increasing hard managerialism evident in their work environment as well as other issues associated with the changing nature of organisational culture. The results indicated that the sample believed there were mixed messages emerging from the university administration regarding the importance of teaching. The available reward structures including job security were perceived to be focussed on the research agenda rather than good teaching. The research has revealed that although the majority of those interviewed perceived themselves as having positive attitudes towards their teaching, this did not always translate into time spent on effective preparation and delivery. With increasing pressure placed upon the higher education sector we may be facing a crisis of confidence with the quality of teaching in our universities as we move further into the 21st century.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-406302017-02-28T01:46:05Z The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching? Dixon, Kathryn Dixon, Robert Scott, Shelleyann Peter L Jeffery This paper reports on the results of an investigation into the impact of increasing workloads in higher education on teaching quality. Thirty eight academic staff in a Western Australian university were interviewed on a number of issues related to the increasing hard managerialism evident in their work environment as well as other issues associated with the changing nature of organisational culture. The results indicated that the sample believed there were mixed messages emerging from the university administration regarding the importance of teaching. The available reward structures including job security were perceived to be focussed on the research agenda rather than good teaching. The research has revealed that although the majority of those interviewed perceived themselves as having positive attitudes towards their teaching, this did not always translate into time spent on effective preparation and delivery. With increasing pressure placed upon the higher education sector we may be facing a crisis of confidence with the quality of teaching in our universities as we move further into the 21st century. 2007 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/40630 http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2007/dix07047.pdf AARE restricted
spellingShingle Dixon, Kathryn
Dixon, Robert
Scott, Shelleyann
The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?
title The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?
title_full The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?
title_fullStr The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?
title_full_unstemmed The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?
title_short The impact of increasing workload on academics: Is there time for quality teaching?
title_sort impact of increasing workload on academics: is there time for quality teaching?
url http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2007/dix07047.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/40630