Transcript Document

Changing Nature of the
Academic Profession:
preliminary findings from a
national survey
CHEMP Seminar Series: 19 June 2008
Leo Goedegebuure
Jeannet van der Lee
Background
• International comparative project
• Follows from 1990s Carnegie Survey
• 21 countries
preliminary data
available
under
construction
Central Questions
• To what extent is the nature of academic work changing?
• What are the external and internal drivers of these
changes?
• How does this differ between countries, disciplines, and
types of higher education institutions?
• What are the consequences for the attractiveness of an
academic career?
Method
• Target population: all academic staff in universities
working in faculties rather than central administration,
who do not have adjunct, casual or honorary
appointments as their substantive position
• 21 institutions volunteered to participate in response to
invitation sent to all 37 Australian universities
• Representative of state and institutional groupings
• Participating institutions supplied population list from
which sampling frame was constructed and the staff
sample drawn (no central frame exists)
Survey distribution & response
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Online survey distributed to 5,496 individuals
Survey period: September to December 2007
1,252 responses after final validation
Final response rate of 24.2 per cent
The sample is representative of the total population
hence outcomes can be generalised
A few words on the
Carnegie Study
• Australia included in the 1990s study
• As yet we do not have the original
dataset available
• Therefore, comparisons are made on
reported outcomes in a number of
publications
• Note: the 2007 survey is not a replication
of the Carnegie Study but some elements
are identical
Introducing Colin and Cheryl
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Born 1960
Married (82%)
2 children
English = first language
Partner tertiary educated (54%),
non-academic (78%)
Colin - 91% no major breaks
Cheryl - 44% 4 years interruption
1st academic in family
27% - father tertiary educated
20% - mother tertiary educated
Citizenship at birth
>40%
10%
1-10%
0.5 -1%
<1%
Work
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Colin 14 yrs, 3 institutions, full-time
Cheryl 11 yrs
Both employed full-time (85%)
Females more part-time
Males occupy higher ranks
Academic Rank
by Gender
CARNEGIE
Gender
disparities
evident by
rank,
particularly
at senior
levels
Job Satisfaction
• Rather satisfied (very high to high 55%)
• Compared to Carnegie: 1990s
1990s
Very Satisfied
Satisfied
14
75
Neutral
Dissatisfied
2007
41
25
25
20
Job Satisfaction
•
If I had to do it again, I would not
become an academic
1990s
2007
Agree
16
21
Neutral
18
20
Disagree
66
59
• This is a poor time for a young person to
begin an academic career
1990s
2007
Agree
33
46
Neutral
21
18
Disagree
46
36
Job Satisfaction (2007)
• 2/3 believe working conditions
deteriorated
• 3/4 have considered changing jobs,
outside sector (38%), other
institution (33%), 25% overseas,
15% management
• 11% have undertaken concrete
action
Some interpretations
• Pearson and Seiler (1983) Moses
(1986) context factors such as work
environment are most influential
• Watty, Bellamy and Morley (2003)
(2008) autonomy most important in
determining satisfaction
• 2007 survey suggests support for
both propositions, but further
analysis necessary
CARNEGIE
Activity
Average 50 hours per week
46 hours
per week
Teaching
• Mostly undergraduate (59%), master
(27%), doctoral (22%)
• Undergrad classes ~ 220 students
• Classroom instruction, individualized
instruction, course materials & curricula.
• 1/4 distance education, 14% offshore
• Practically orientated knowledge & skills
• Teaching reinforced by research
• Teach basic skills due to deficiencies
• Quality focused
Research
• Individual (79%), Collaborative (88%)
• Collaborators: Australian (70%), Overseas (61%)
• Publications: 67% peer reviewed, 52% Aust co-authored
(o/s 20%), 45% published overseas
• Ethical compliance, results freely available
• High expectation to increase productivity (conform
Carnegie)
• Funding should not be concentrated on most productive
researchers
• $$ = research councils (49%),
institutional (44%)
CARNEGIE
Teaching v Research
Preference
for
teaching
• The majority of Australian
academics express a preference for
research over teaching, with only
7% indicating a preference for
teaching.
• 70% prefer both teaching and
research, but lean towards research
(40%) or have a strong preference
for research (29%).
Preferences for
teaching v research
Level A
Level B
Level C
Level D
Level E
90
07
90
07
90
07
90
07
90
07
Teaching
56
28
56
29
48
34
30
20
25.5
8
Research
44
72
44
71
52
66
70
80
74.5
92
Management
• Most influence department  school  inst
• Influence = international linkages, internal
research priorities
• Shared power managers & faculty committees
• Budget - institutional (56%) faculty (21%)
• Internal mgt: government & external diminished
• Institutional management: top-down;
administration cumbersome; strong
performance orientation; little collegiality in
decision making; communication with
academics poor ~ managerialism
• University should play an active role in
community
Where to next?
• Further detailed comparison with
1990’s Carnegie survey
• International comparisons and
benchmarking
• More detailed analysis reflecting
current policy issues such as diversity,
governance & management, and the
international academic labour market
Project website
• http://www.une.edu.au/chemp/proje
cts/cap/
• email [email protected] to be
kept up to date on further project
outcomes