Undergraduate Research and Inquiry in New Zealand

1
Undergraduate Research and Inquiry in New Zealand
Rachel Spronken-Smith (University of Otago), Neil
Haigh (Auckland University of Technology)
Billy OSteen (University of Canterbury)

• New Zealand aims to have a research culture
  within which undergraduates learn to take a
  research-based approach to their lifelong
  educational development (Ministry of Education
  2002, 60).
• Summary
• New Zealand has a clear legislative framework
  for close links between research and teaching
• Recent research has showcased examples of
  learning through inquiry and undergraduate
  research, as well as adding to the theoretical
  base
• Although the government has promoted
  mainstreaming of inquiry and undergraduate
  research, the practice is at best patchy across
  universities, but more strongly embedded in
  polytechnics
• Encouragingly, the adoption of inquiry and
  undergraduate research is becoming more
  widespread in universities

• The Systems Organisation of Teaching and
  Research
• The NZ tertiary education sector includes
  universities, institutes of technology /
  polytechnics (ITPs), Wananga (reflect Maori
  tradition and custom), and private providers. The
  distinctiveness of each of these institutions is
  prescribed in legislation and Government
  strategy.
• The Governments Tertiary Education Strategy
  (2010-2015) steers the strategic direction of
  the sector and stipulates priorities for student
  enrolment, support and achievement programme
  focus, relevance and responsiveness and research
  emphases. Government funding for institutions is
  influenced by their alignment with the strategy.
• Research is a required activity in universities
  and Wananga. It is optional but prevalent in
  ITPs. A portion of Government funding is
  contingent on assessment of institutional
  research activity and outputs (Performance Based
  Research Fund). Concerns are expressed about the
  valuing of research on teaching and learning
  within this funding regime.

• What the Research Revealed
• Inquiry-based learning (IBL) - used to capture
  a range of student-centred curriculum experiences
  that develop inquiry and research skills.
• IBL can include structured (heavily scaffolded by
  teacher), guided, and open (student-led, lightly
  scaffolded) forms, as well as focussing on either
  existing information or in a discovery mode (see
  the work of Levy, 2009) (Figure 1).
• Whilst arguably all forms of IBL lead to enhanced
  student learning outcomes, learning through open,
  discovery-oriented IBL develops the best outcomes
  (Spronken-Smith et al., 2010 Spronken-Smith
  Walker 2010). However, more structured and guided
  forms are useful to progressively develop inquiry
  and research skills.
• Ten cases of IBL, covering a range of disciplines
  and stages of study were showcased (see
  http//akoaotearoa.ac.nz/projects/inquiry-based-le
  arning).
• A current study is using the survey developed by
  Turner et al. (2008) to explore undergraduate
  experiences of research and inquiry in a southern
  university.

• How the Research is Being Considered for Practice
• The research from the 10 cases of IBL and the
  resulting findings about the different forms of
  IBL has been shared through papers,
  presentations, and collaborations.
• One collaboration has occurred with the
  Physiotherapy programme at Auckland University of
  Technology and their efforts to incorporate IBL
  principles into a revised curriculum. Their plan
  is to categorise each course across the
  curriculum with regard to the structured, guided,
  or open approaches. In that way, both students
  and instructors would have a map of the
  progression of IBL teaching strategies and
  learning outcomes throughout the course of study.
• Massey is introducing a new degree in Natural
  Sciences, and this degree will be based around
  the progressive development of inquiry and
  research skills. Also at Massey, the Veterinary
  Science Programme are seeking to overhaul their
  curriculum to incorporate more active learning
  approaches including learning through inquiry. In
  both cases, assistance was sought from our team
  to help facilitate curriculum planning
  discussions.
• Haigh, N. (1994). Promoting intellectual
  independence A legislative catalyst. Proceedings
  of the Annual Conference of the Higher Education
  Research and Development Society of Australasia,
  Canberra.
• Levy, P. (2009). Inquiry-based learning a
  conceptual framework. Centre for Inquiry-based
  Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences,
  University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. Available
  at http//www.sheffield.ac.uk/content/1/c6/09/37/
  83/CILASS20IBL20Framework2028Version20429.do
  c (accessed August 3, 2009).
• Ministry of Education (2002). Tertiary Education
  Strategy 2002/07. Wellington, Ministry of
  Education.
• Spronken-Smith, R.A., Walker, R., Batchelor, J.,
  OSteen, B., Angelo, T. (2010). Evaluating
  student perceptions of learning processes and
  intended learning outcomes under inquiry
  approaches. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher
  Education (in press).
• Spronken-Smith, R. and Walker, R. (2010). Can
  inquiry-based learning strengthen the links
  between teaching and disciplinary research?
  Studies in Higher Education, 35(6) 723-740.
• Spronken-Smith, R.A., Walker, R., Batchelor, J.,
  OSteen, B., Angelo, T., Matthews, H. (2008).
  Inquiry-based learning. Prepared for the New
  Zealand Ministry of Education, July 2008.
  Available at http//akoaotearoa.ac.nz/projects/in
  quiry-based-learning (accessed August 3, 2010).
• Turner, N., Wuetherick, B., Healey, M.(2008).
  International perspectives on student awareness,
  experiences and perceptions of research
  implications for academic developers in
  implementing research-based teaching and
  learning. International Journal for Academic
  Development,13(3)199-211.

Figure 1 Conceptual model showing the relation
between focus of learning, level of independence
(or conversely scaffolding) . The darker shading
is indicative of both the potential for a strong
research-teaching nexus and enhanced student
learning outcomes (see Spronken-Smith and Walker
2010 Spronken-Smith et al., 2010)

• Cultural and National Policy Conceptions
• There is a legislative mandate for undergraduate
  research and inquiry in New Zealand tertiary
  education institutions (Education Amendment Act,
  1990)
• i ...principal aim (higher education) ... to
  develop intellectual independence and ii
  (required for universities) .... research and
  teaching are closely interdependent.
• Intellectual independence is manifest when
  students learn as researchers (Haigh,1994). The
  intellectual weaning process begins in
  undergraduate programmes.
• One variant of interdependence of research
  learning teaching is inquiry/research-based
  student learning the focus of a recent national
  project (Spronken-Smith et al., 2008).
• The mandate is endorsed in the Governments
  Tertiary Education Strategy links between
  research and teaching ... must be strengthened.
  
• Institutional academic audits conducted by New
  Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit
  recurrently focus on the presence of links.

References