{"id":2135,"date":"2015-11-09T13:45:53","date_gmt":"2015-11-09T13:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.reading.ac.uk\/engage-in-teaching-and-learning\/?p=1327"},"modified":"2019-10-04T15:36:31","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T15:36:31","slug":"a-welcome-website-for-the-newborn-national-network-of-teaching-focussed-academics-by-rita-balestrini-and-chiara-cirillo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/2015\/11\/09\/a-welcome-website-for-the-newborn-national-network-of-teaching-focussed-academics-by-rita-balestrini-and-chiara-cirillo\/","title":{"rendered":"A welcome website for the newborn National Network of Teaching-Focussed Academics by Rita Balestrini and Chiara Cirillo"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Teaching-Focussed Academic Staff Network<\/a>, whose inaugural conference was hosted by the University of Durham on 16th<\/sup> and 17th<\/sup> July, now has a dedicated website.<\/p>\n

When we read the call for papers of the conference, entitled \u2018Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship<\/a>\u2019, we realised that besides providing an opportunity to share innovative scholarly activities across disciplines for the enhancement of student learning, the conference also intended to address the issue of the career progression of staff on teaching-focussed contracts. Quoting a study by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the call for papers drew attention to the \u2018predominance of teaching-only contracts among part-time academics\u2019 and the existing \u2018gap between policy and implementation regarding promotion policies\u2019 in UK universities. It also stressed the importance of raising the profile of teaching-focussed academics in order to enhance teaching and the scholarship of L&T across the HE sector.<\/p>\n

In recent years, contributing to raising the profile of language L&T at the University of Reading \u00a0has been one of our objectives and, together with colleagues of the Department of Modern Languages and European Studies (MLES) and of the International Study and Language Institute (ISLI), we pursued this aim in various ways. For this reason, we decided to participate in the conference and give a presentation on the place that the scholarship of language L&T can have, and should have, in British universities. We addressed some issues specific to the tradition of languages as a university subject which hinder the scholarship of language L&T, and affect the academic identity and career development of language professionals on teaching-focussed contracts. We talked about the organisation of the discipline around\u00a0 binary divisions such as \u2018language\u2019 and \u2018content\u2019, \u2018language skills\u2019 and \u2018cultural knowledge\u2019; \u00a0we illustrated the multifaceted nature of language teaching and the theoretical and practical competence it requires. We ended our presentation by pointing out the lower status and casualisation of language teachers in higher education as acknowledged and lamented by several authors (Coleman, 1999; Gieve and Cunico, 2012; Klapper, 2005; Quist, 2000; Worton, 2009), but we also highlighted the beginnings of some positive changes.<\/p>\n

In general, from the plenary talks and the sessions we attended (\u2018Embedding and Enhancing Scholarship\u2019, and \u2018Career Pathways for Teaching Focused Academic Staff\u2019), it emerged that there is still a way to go to transform the current hierarchy between teaching and research into a balanced relationship, although some progress has been made. The teaching-only academic role, in fact, seems to be still characterised by a lower status, a high degree of casualisation, and a gender imbalance (with more women in teaching-focussed roles, compared to teaching and research roles and more women on the low grades of the teaching-focussed roles).\u00a0 It has been stressed that fellowships and awards are not sufficient recognition in themselves, and that a better way to enhance teaching in HE is to create a credible career path based on promotion criteria which actually reward excellence in teaching.\u00a0 The lack of transparent criteria for progression seemed to be a common issue, and the need for a review of teaching roles undertaken by a national body was highlighted.<\/p>\n

In our view, one of the most thought-provoking aspects of the talks we attended was the reflection on the necessity of a reconceptualisation of teaching and research in relation to each other which goes beyond the current perceived hierarchy. The idea of a learning culture in which the student researcher and the learning teacher are both submerged was offered as a possibility, together with the notion of \u2018research\u2019 as part of a wider concept of \u2018scholarship\u2019. The need for a re-imagined academic role appeared as a running thread in many presentations. In this sense, important innovations mentioned at the conference were the introduction of a \u2018Study leave\u2019 and a \u2018Personal Scholarship Plan review\u2019 for teaching-focussed academics already embraced by some enlightened institutions.<\/p>\n

As was noted, \u2018faculty-based cultures\u2019 differ slightly. It seems, for example, that among STEM disciplines, the role of the teaching-focussed academic is more established.\u00a0 There seems to be a higher awareness of the value of the scholarship of L&T and, in some cases, career progression is more likely to occur. For example, at one Scottish university, Teaching Fellows recruited by the School of Biology are now attaining senior positions not just at School, but also at Faculty and University level. In general, across the sector, the support of PVCs and senior managers and the creation of local networks of teaching-focussed academics have proved to be enabling factors for the recognition of the scholarship of L&T and for the establishment of a successful promotion culture.<\/p>\n

Where do we stand at the UoR? Does our research-intensive University promote and support the scholarship of L&T and parity of esteem and opportunities for the staff delivering teaching excellence?\u00a0 The current University Learning and Teaching Strategy<\/a> suggests a positive answer, with \u2018scholarship\u2019 and \u2018staff recognition\u2019 stressed as a key priority.<\/p>\n

It is also encouraging to see an active and growing Community of Practice of University Teaching Fellows (UTF), \u2018teaching enthusiasts who are not only committed to teaching innovation and excellence, but to continuing professional development of themselves and their colleagues\u2019 (see \u2018University Teaching Fellows – A Growing Community<\/a>\u2018 blog)<\/p>\n

The University clearly recognises and rewards staff for their outstanding contributions to L&T through a number of schemes. However, in our view, even more could be done. For example, the career progression of Teaching Fellows could be better supported. At the moment, in the University Framework of Academic and Research (A&R) Role Profiles<\/a>, * Teaching Fellows are placed on grade 6 regardless of their academic background and level of expertise. They are included in the A&R job family for illustrative purposes, but this does not make them \u2018academics\u2019. The \u2018proper\u2019 academic role profiles start at grade 7 and include both T&R activities, while the profile for grade 6 is split into Research Fellow and Teaching Fellow roles. Rather than delving here into the implications of this approach with regard to career progression of Teaching and Research Fellows, we refer to two documents. The first is a recent report of the HEA, \u2018Rebalancing promotion in the HE sector: is teaching excellence being rewarded<\/a>?<\/u>\u2019, which critically analyses promotion policies in British universities; and the second is the \u2018National Library of Academic Role Profiles<\/a>\u2019<\/u>, set up by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) \u2013 of which the UoR is a member \u2013 that outlines\u00a0 five levels for the teaching-only career path**.<\/p>\n

We wonder if, at the UoR, alongside a Community of Practice of University Teaching Fellows (UTF), there might also be the need for a similar \u2013 informal, loosely structured – yet wider and open network of colleagues with teaching-focussed roles interested in not only enhancing student learning through excellent teaching and sharing of good practice, but also in discussing and developing the concept and the practice of \u2018scholarship\u2019, including its operationalisation and recognition, and the role of teaching-focussed academics at the UoR. This local network could link up with the wider national network that has emerged from the Durham conference and would naturally be an interlocutor for those engaged with L&T at strategic and operational level. We trust that our initiative would receive support from our senior colleagues, as this would be a further demonstration of the University\u2019s commitment to L&T.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the Teaching-Focussed Academic Staff Network, visit:\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/community.dur.ac.uk\/teachingfellow.network\/<\/a><\/p>\n

If you are interested in joining a Teaching-Focussed Academic Network at Reading, contact: r.balestrini@reading.ac.uk<\/a> or c.cirillo@reading.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* These role profiles were created by the UoR in 2014.<\/p>\n

** The \u2018National Library of Academic Role Profiles is part of the 2006 Framework\u00a0 Agreement for the Modernisation of Pay Structures, agreed by the Association of Universities and Colleges Employers, and Associations of Universities and Colleges Unions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Teaching-Focussed Academic Staff Network, whose inaugural conference was hosted by the University of Durham on 16th and 17th July, now has a dedicated website. When we read the call for papers of the conference, entitled \u2018Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship\u2019, we realised that besides providing an opportunity to share innovative scholarly activities across […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[204],"tags":[557,558,561,479,480,212],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2135"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2135\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}