The Role of Research in Teaching: A Comparison of Teachers from Research Universities and those from Universities of Applied Sciences

Yanjuan Hu; Roeland van der Rijst; Klaas van Veen; Nico Verloop

doi:10.1057/hep.2014.19

Higher Education Policy

December 2015, Volume 28, Issue 4, pp 535–554 | Cite as

The Role of Research in Teaching: A Comparison of Teachers from Research Universities and those from Universities of Applied Sciences

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Yanjuan Hu
Roeland van der Rijst
Klaas van Veen
Nico Verloop

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First Online: 15 July 2014

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Abstract

We explored how the institutional and individual backgrounds of university teachers influence their beliefs about what the role of research in university teaching should be and their perceptions of how they have managed to incorporate research into their actual teaching. A total of 132 teachers from research universities (RU) and universities of applied sciences (UAS) participated in our survey study. Teachers from both institutions highly value the role of research in teaching. The teachers from the RU were more positive about the incorporation of research into their teaching than the teachers from the UAS. To explain these differences, the institutional and individual backgrounds of the teachers were investigated in terms of: perceived research support and the institutional research culture, time spent doing research, educational background and research experience. Research support and research culture were found to be particularly and highly relevant for the teachers at the UAS. The teachers with higher educational backgrounds and more research experience — at the RU — were more positive about incorporating research into their actual teaching. We conclude that both institutional and individual backgrounds play a significant role in the incorporation of research into university teaching, particularly in the case of universities of applied sciences.

Keywords

institutional context research–teaching nexus scholarship of teaching teachers’ beliefs

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Appendix

Table A1

The questionnaire section on goals of including research in teaching

	Ideally in my teaching I would …					In my actual teaching practice I …					Scale
	Almost never				Almost always	Almost never				Almost always
… stimulate students to learn about research findings	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RoR
… value students’ contribution to research.	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SaP
… motivate students to learn more about the discipline	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SRI
… develop students’ critical attitude	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CritD
… increase students’ ability to analyse complex situations	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RSk
… teach students to pay attention to the way research is carried out	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RoR
… consider students’ participation in research important	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SaP
… increase students’ enthusiasm about the scientific world	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SRI
… stimulate students not to be easily satisfied with an explanation	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CritD
… increase students awareness of the need to be creative	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CreaD
… make the scientific research process an essential part of the curriculum	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RoR
… ask students to make a contribution to research	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SaP
… increase students’ awareness of the research issues currently being discussed	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CR
… encourage students’ interest for research	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SRI
… stimulate students to read scientific literature critically	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CritD
… foster students’ sense of innovation	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CreaD
… develop students’ research skills	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RSk
… pay attention to research methodology	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RoR
… involve students in scientific studies	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	SaP
… show students the kind of studies carried out in areas related to languages	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CR
… stimulate students to ask critical questions about their work	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CritD
… make links to the current research practices	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CR
… encourage students to have opinions of their own	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	CreaD
… increase students’ ability to conduct research	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	□	RSk

Table A2

The questionnaire section on institutional background

	Almost never				Almost always	Scale
We have opportunities to learn about current research (through official publications, journals, books, conference papers, websites etc.)	□	□	□	□	□	RSu
The management encourages us to become involved in research	□	□	□	□	□	RSu
The common belief is that research competencies help students to become better employees later	□	□	□	□	□	RC
We are supported to attend research activities such as conferences, symposiums etc.	□	□	□	□	□	RSu
Most of us consider research important	□	□	□	□	□	RC
The general opinion is that research can enhance the credibility of an institution	□	□	□	□	□	RC
We are given support to improve our research competencies (through workshops, seminars etc.)	□	□	□	□	□	RSu
Conducting research is viewed as important in our institute	□	□	□	□	□	RC
In our institute, it is generally believed that including research in university education is important	□	□	□	□	□	RC

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Yanjuan Hu
- 1
Roeland van der Rijst
- 1
Klaas van Veen
- 2
Nico Verloop
- 1

1.ICLON Graduate School of Teaching, Leiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
2.Teacher Education, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands

The Role of Research in Teaching: A Comparison of Teachers from Research Universities and those from Universities of Applied Sciences

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