Reward and Recognition

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Reward and Recognition

• Dr Sean Walton
• Higher Education Academy
• Stirling 22 May 2008

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Aims

• To determine the extent to which higher education
  institutions are committed to recognising and
  rewarding teaching.
• To explore the practices of universities in
  recognising and rewarding teaching and the
  perceptions of academic staff regarding this.

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Project objectives

• Determine the extent to which university policies
  incorporate a commitment to recognising and
  rewarding teaching.
• Develop a typology of institutional policies
  about rewarding and recognising reaching.
• Identify to what extent policies concerning
  reward and recognition are implemented within
  universities.

4
Project objectives continued.

• Determine to what extent teaching is recognised
  and rewarded in comparison to research activity.
• Identify the perceptions of academic staff about
  the extent to which teaching is recognised and
  rewarded.
• Assess the perceived importance amongst academic
  staff of recognition by students for teaching
  quality.

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Methodology

• Project uses a mixed methods approach.
• Literature review of relevant material (this is
  scant).
• Review of the CETL interim evaluation reports.

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Methodology continued

• Online survey of academics.
• In-depth qualitative interviewing of academic
  staff (including a broadly grounded theory
  analysis of data).
• The work will be undertaken in collaboration with
  the Genetics Education for Innovation and
  Excellence (GENIE) CETL at the University of
  Leicester.

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Phase one of project

• A survey of promotional policies and criterial
  for all UK HE institutions. Information has been
  sourced through websites (where this is
  available), or through telephone enquiries where
  it is not. Info from approximately 110
  institutions has been sourced.

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Phase two of project

• The implementation of promotion policies and
  criteria for all UK HE institutions will be
  assessed. Statistical data about the promotion of
  academics at each level has been sourced and is
  currently being analysed. An indication of the
  numbers of successful promotions based primarily
  on teaching contributions will be obtained.

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Phase three of project

• The perceptions of academic staff regarding
  reward and recognition policies for teaching and
  learning in the HE sector will be assessed via
  the use of both quantitative and qualitative
  questionnaires and subsequent analysis of
  findings.

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Progress to date

• Information approximately 110 institutions has
  been obtained regarding university policy for
  rewarding and recognising teaching activities.
• Information regarding the implementation of these
  policies has been received from approximately 95
  institutions.
• This information is currently being analysed.

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Progress to date continued

• The online survey closed on the 16th May 2008.
• We have had an unprecedented response to the
  survey with 2768 responses.
• A preliminary (and tentative) review of survey
  data shows that the RAE and an academic culture
  that focuses on research are the major obstacles
  to gaining reward and recognition for academic
  teaching activities.

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Progress to date continued

• Approximately 35 qualitative interviews have been
  conducted.
• A group interview of academic staff has also been
  conducted.
• A preliminary (and tentative) review of
  qualitative data supports the survey data an
  over-emphasis on research activity in promotion
  criteria and an academic culture that is
  preoccupied with research are frequently cited as
  obstacles to gaining reward and recognition for
  teaching activities.

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Project outputs

• The interim findings of the research will be
  presented at the Academys annual conference at
  the beginning of July 2008.
• A final report will be published at the end of
  August 2008.
• Dissemination plans for the report are yet to be
  decided by the Academy.