Juan J. Sevilla-García

The Divergent Worlds of Teaching and Research Among Mexican Faculty: Tendencies and Implications

This chapter analyzes the relationship between teaching and research for the case of Mexican academics. The chapter is organized in four sections. In the first one, and in a brief manner, we will discuss the way in which teaching and research might be related as well as the way in which such relationship might be studied. In the second section, we will provide a brief historical and contemporary context of Mexican higher education, paying particular attention to current public policies relevant to academic work. In the third section, we will deal with the way in which Mexican academics view their work, and data will be presented on faculty activities, use of time and productivity, academic preferences and notion of academic work, recognition and compensation, personal characteristics, and, finally, job satisfaction and commitment. It will be argued that teaching and research activities serve to differentiate two academic worlds that, in the case of Mexican higher education, are increasingly drifting apart. The chapter ends with a recapitulation of the information presented and a small set of reflections based on it.

México: A Portrait of a Managed Profession

On the basis of a national survey on academics, this chapter discusses their perception of the governance and management within the institutions in which they work. With some variation according to institutional type, academics reported moderate to less than appropriate working conditions and yet, at the same time, they expressed that such conditions have improved somehow during the last years. Mexican academics perceived an absence of clear academic criteria in academics’ appointment and promotion, as well as a relatively low influence, on their part, in key professional decisions; this situation speaks of Mexican academics as managed professionals. Academics also reported low levels of communication between management and academics, a top-down administrative style, relatively low involvement in collegial decision-making, cumbersome processes, and a low appraisal of top-level administrators as competent leaders. Nevertheless, Mexican academics expressed a high appreciation of their career, as well as high levels of job satisfaction, whose sources could be found in other aspects, more intrinsic to their work, than to the governance and management of their institutions.

Análisis preliminar de la productividad académica en los institutos públicos tecnológicos mexicanos

Resumen Para conocer las actividades de docencia e investigacion que realizan los academicos de los institutos publicos tecnologicos ( ipt ), se recurre a la informacion de tres encuestas aplicadas en Mexico en 1992, 2000 y 2007-2008 relacionadas con tres estudios nacionales. En este primer analisis se explora cada una de las bases de datos generadas en estos estudios para conocer cuantos academicos de los institutos publicos tecnologicos participaron en la muestra, el numero de grupos atendidos, el porcentaje de tiempo dedicado a docencia e investigacion, pertenencia al Programa de Mejoramiento del Profesorado o al Sistema Nacional de Investigadores ( sni ). La informacion preliminar obtenida permite aventurarnos en el conocimiento de la productividad academica en docencia e investigacion que han tenido los academicos de estos institutos y proporciona una idea de los cambios que han ocurrido de 1992 a 2008 en estas instituciones publicas de educacion superior.