Teaching quality and staff research: are there connections? A case study of a metropolitan university department

Abstract

In recent years, much energy and finance has been expended by successive governments in monitoring teaching and – separately – research quality. Although official conceptions of quality have been challenged, there has been little serious questioning in the UK of the supposed connections between teaching quality and staff research. This is surprising, since the weight of international evidence suggests a limited – and perhaps even negative – relationship between these activities in terms of the student experience. Drawing on the findings of a detailed case study, this paper argues that encouraging and enabling research among academic staff not only enhances their job satisfaction, it can also improve the educational experience of their students. The potential benefits to students, however, will be maximised only if the potentially negative impacts of staff research are managed carefully.

Citation

Thomas, R. and Harris, V. (2000), "Teaching quality and staff research: are there connections? A case study of a metropolitan university department", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 139-147. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880010341242