Need and Scope of Research in Higher Education | What Steps can be Taken To Promote Research Culture in Pakistan

 QUESTION

 Elaborate on the need and scope of research in higher education and what steps can be taken to promote research culture in Pakistan

Course: Higher Education
Course code 8625
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment

ANSWER:

Scope Research in Higher Education is directed to those concerned with the functioning of post-secondary education, including two-year and four-year colleges, universities, and graduate and professional schools. It is of primary interest to institutional researchers and planners, faculty, college and university administrators, student personnel specialists, and behavioral scientists.

By concentrating so heavily on graduation rates and attainment levels, policymakers are ignoring danger signs that the amount that students learn in college may have declined over the past few decades and could well continue to do so in the years to come. The reasons for concern include:

§ College students today seem to be spending much less time on their coursework than their predecessors did 50 years ago, and evidence of their abilities suggests that they are probably learning less than students once did and quite possibly less than their counterparts in many other advanced industrial countries.

§ Employers complain that many graduates they hire are deficient in basic skills such as writing, problem-solving, and critical thinking that college leaders and their faculties consistently rank among the most important goals of undergraduate education.

§ Most of the millions of additional students needed to increase educational attainment levels will come to campus poorly prepared for college work, creating a danger that higher graduation rates will be achievable only by lowering academic standards.

§ More than two-thirds of college instructors today are not on the tenure track but are lecturers serving on year-to-year contracts. Many of them are hired without undergoing the vetting commonly used in appointing tenure-track professors. Studies indicate that extensive use of such instructors may contribute to higher dropout rates and grade inflation.

§ States have made substantial cuts in support per student over the past 30 years for public colleges and community colleges. Research suggests that failing to increase appropriations to keep pace with enrollment growth tends to reduce learning and even lower graduation rates.

While some college leaders are making serious efforts to improve the quality of teaching, many others seem content with their existing programs. Although they recognize the existence of problems affecting higher education as a whole, such as grade inflation or a decline in the rigor of academic standards, few seem to believe that these difficulties exist on their own campus, or they tend to attribute most of the difficulty to the poor preparation of students before they enroll.

Seven things that could help you promote good research integrity, and contribute to improving research culture:

1. Small steps can make a big difference

Facilitating open discussions can help foster a more collaborative environment, by giving researchers the chance to share their experiences of not only their successes but also their “failures”. This helps to build respect and trust within the research team, by talking openly and giving support when things don’t always go right. The Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, based at the University of Bristol, has a range of different communication channels to support their work, with one focused specifically on “triumph and disaster”, which dispels the assumption that senior academics have had continuous successes to get to their esteemed positions.

2. Establishing support systems can boost morale and enhance positive research

Providing and promoting career counseling, coaching and support services available to staff may help to reduce pressures within a research environment, which is imperative to staff well-being. This can help in limiting stress and time pressures, and connect researchers to other resources available at their institution, such as forms for deadline extensions, assistance programs, career services, and mental health and well-being services. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center provides a career-counseling service solely to their scientists, providing the opportunity to discuss their career paths and the steps they need to take to progress.

3. Ensure everyone is on the same page

Research teams could openly discuss, amend, and build on existing guidelines, to develop a consensus on their collective and individual behaviors and attitudes. This could be used to develop a group standard or pledge, ensuring all team members are aware of what is expected in the research environment. This helps to enhance a positive culture by refining standards and “norms”. The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park developed a code of good scientific practice, which sets out the expectations of individuals and the collective research team.

 

4. Research culture “cafes” are an excellent way to share best practice

Encourage researchers and support staff to find time and space to meet to share ideas and experiences. By involving other departments, institutions, and sectors, discussions can focus on improving research integrity and culture, to share best practices on what has worked, what hasn’t, and its impact. The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park is one example of where this has been put into practice.

5. Organization, department, and team leaders leading by example in promoting an excellent research culture

Often seen as “role models” to their early-career peers, organization, department, and team leaders who are at the forefront of promoting a positive research culture – such as by taking part in training, encouraging discussions to address difficult questions openly and honestly and by having an open door policy – set a “norm” and redefine standards. Participants at the Royal Society’s research culture workshops gave examples of leaders initiating small but impactful ways to set the culture and improve morale in the workplace. An example of this is setting regular hours, to tackle the perception that only academics working extensive hours are successful.

6. Discuss training gaps for all team members

Career progression is a key factor in retention and enhances not only the quality of research for the institution but for the research community as a whole. Researchers can feel more valued if skills needs are reviewed individually and as a group, ensuring they all possess the necessary skills for their roles, such as statistics, data handling, proposal writing, and resource management. And following on from this, identifying gaps, and offering courses for development. Software Carpentry developed such an initiative, by running training workshops at the University of Florida, to increase the data literacy of university staff.

7. Embed research culture at an institutional level

Highlight the importance of research culture and engage all staff across the organization by hosting a research culture and integrity day. Presentations, workshops, and panel discussions could be given from across the organization. Different departments could showcase the ways they have improved research culture and integrity, as well as address areas where there is still room for improvement. The University of Nevada organized an “Ignite Integrity Week” where all staff was encouraged to participate in activities to discuss good practice.

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