exploring the links between research and teaching in economics dr linda juleff, edinburgh napier...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics
Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University
Economics Network Project 2008-09
![Page 2: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Objectives
To examine the perceptions of economists with respect to the links between (subject based) research and teaching
To examine the ways in which research-teaching linkages are used to enhance students employability skills via engagement with the research process
![Page 3: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Background (1)
Funding council agenda re the “value for money” of research and knowledge transfer in terms of the transmission of research into teaching at (particularly) undergraduate level
HEA interest in research teaching linkages and the development of employability skills
Economics Network has 6 case studies relating to the links between research and teaching on its website
![Page 4: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Background (2)
QAA (Scotland) Research Teaching Linkages: Enhancing Graduate Attributes Enhancement Theme – 9 discipline based reports
Question: Is Economics a Business and Management related discipline or an Arts and Social Sciences related discipline?
![Page 5: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Background (3)
Answer: Economics is mentioned just twice in the Business and Management report and not at all in the Arts and Social Sciences report
In both cases it is argued that the hierarchical nature of the discipline inhibits research and teaching links especially at years 1 and 2.
![Page 6: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Theoretical Framework - Types of Research-Teaching Linkage
Research led (or research informed) – teaching subject content
Research tutored – learning focussed on students writing discussion papers or essays
Research based – students undertaking inquiry-based learning
Research oriented – teaching processes of knowledge construction in the subject
(Healey, 2005)
![Page 7: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Evidence from the 2005 Economics Network Lecturer Survey (1) 82% of respondents believed that research
played a positive role in their teaching. Examples:
“Empirical findings from the research complements theoretical understanding of the topics covered in teaching” (research led/research informed)
“Provides issues for class discussion” (research tutored)
![Page 8: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Views from the 2005 Economics Network Lecturer Survey (2)
58% of respondents agreed that teaching and research are complements in some respects and substitutes in others.
30% thought that they are complements and not substitutes
4% stated that they are substitutes and not complements.
![Page 9: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Views from the 2005 Economics Network Lecturer Survey (3)
“More effort should be made to integrate the two”
“Departments need to exploit the synergy between research and teaching”
“Advanced teaching is research informed”
“Advancing research keeps teaching current”
“I am not using my research in my teaching since I am teaching different stuff from my research”
![Page 10: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Focus Group Pilot Study
Three focus groups undertaken at a single conference
Random mix of academic staff – 5 to 6 per group - drawn primarily from across the UK but some from overseas
Primarily lecturers/senior lecturers
![Page 11: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Focus Group Results (1)
Q1 How do stakeholders perceive the link between research and teaching in economics?
“A lot of staff see research and teaching as substitutes”
“Research is very specific in economics and is difficult to include in teaching”
“A lot of universities use PhD students to teach who aren’t good at teaching”
![Page 12: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Focus Group Results (2)
Q1 How do stakeholders perceive the link between research and teaching in economics?
“Students are not equipped to deal with research (undergraduate)”
“Employers want evidence based arguments and some research is not (though may be in the long term..) …more interested in what you can use economics for”
![Page 13: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Focus Group Results (3)
Q2 What skills/graduate attributes do economists value most?
“Critical thinking skills – need to be able to apply theories”
“To identify key aspects of a problem and what the first steps in problems solving would be”
“Awareness of policy implications”
“Economic intuition”
![Page 14: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Focus Group Results (4)
Q3 “How does economics research inform programme or module development?”
“Incentive structure for lecturers to spend time on teaching doesn’t encourage research-teaching linkages”
“New topics according to research interests”
“Update the reading list with new papers”
“New approaches are guided by research”
![Page 15: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Focus Group Results (5)
Q3 “How does economics research inform programme or module development?”
“Varies enormously – particularly as academic research is unlikely to inform a level 1 module”
“Economics research generally should influence module development – maybe at 3rd year…2nd and 3rd year should be more journal driven”
“Good to start teaching the research approach at level 1”
“Difficult to do….class size matters”
![Page 16: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Focus Group Results (6)
Q4 Is your department’s teaching research led, research-tutored, research based or research oriented?
“Research led”
“Research led….depends on level….graduate level more so”
![Page 17: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Conclusion
On the basis of the (limited) evidence reported here:
the tension between research and teaching that exists in some other disciplines appears to exist within economics
there appears to be a link between the level of a module/programme and how/the extent to which research is used within that module
research led approaches are most common but research tutored, research based and research oriented approaches are also used, although these particular terms may not be used in practice
![Page 18: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Economics Network Resources http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/handbook/ugresearc
h/ Outlines some of the methods currently being used in the
US (mainly for final year courses) http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/handbook/dissertatio
ns Discusses issues relating to undergraduate final year
dissertations http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/research 6 case studies of how research and teaching can be
linked
![Page 19: Exploring the links between research and teaching in Economics Dr Linda Juleff, Edinburgh Napier University Economics Network Project 2008-09](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022081907/5515c47d55034689058b46d9/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
References
Healey, M. (2005) Linking research and teaching exploring disciplinary spaces and the role of inquiry-based learning, in Barnett, R. (ed.) Reshaping the university: new relationships between research, scholarship and teaching, pp.30–42. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press.
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/projects/lec_survey2005.htm