Skip to main content
Log in

How academics view their work

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Twenty-four members of the academic staff of an Australian university were interviewed in 1979 in order to seek their views on the ways in which their professional lives were being affected by the current recession in higher education. Their responses have been drawn upon to construct a picture of how this group of university teachers perceive their working environment and their own place within it. The comments cluster around seven topics: teaching, students, research, colleagues, career prospects, the university, and the quality of academic life. It is concluded that the responses suggest that there is a widening gap between academic ideals and institutional realities and that this will have a strongly negative effect upon the morale of the profession.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baird, L. L. and Hartnett, R. T. (1980). Understanding Student and Faculty Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filstead, W. J. (1970). Qualitative Methodology - Firsthand Involvement with the Social World. Chicago: Markham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Genn, J. M. (1980). “Australian university teachers' perceptions of the ideal and actual reward structure in the academic profession,” in A. H. Miller (ed.), Research and Development in Higher Education, Vol. III. Sydney: HERDSA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halsey, A. H. and Trow, M. (1971). The British Academics. London: Faber & Faber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magin, D. (1973). “Evaluating the role performance of university lecturers,” Universities Quarterly 28: 69–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitroff, I. (1974). The Subjective Side of Science: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Psychology of the Apollo Moon Scientists. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, J. P. (1981). “The impact of the steady state on the professional lives of academics,” Vestes 24: 27–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, J. P. and Shanker, V. S. (1980). “The impact of the ‘Steady State’ on the professional lives of academic staff”. Paper presented to ANZAAS Congress, Adelaide.

  • Roe, E. and Vasta, E. (1980). “Assessment in higher education: the current Australian scene,” Assessment in Higher Education 5: 218–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saha, L. J. (1975). “Job attraction and job satisfaction: a study of academics at an Australian University,” in D. E. Edgar (ed.), Sociology of Australian Education. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Startup, R. (1979). The University Teacher and His World. Farnborough: Saxon House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veblen, T. (1954). The Higher Learning in America. Stanford, Calif.: Academic Reprints. (First published 1918).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Powell, J.P., Barrett, E. & Shanker, V. How academics view their work. High Educ 12, 297–313 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00154426

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00154426

Keywords

Navigation