Linet Arthur

From performativity to professionalism: lecturers’ responses to student feedback

Student evaluation questionnaires are used to measure academics’ performance in most English universities. Academics are assumed to respond professionally to student feedback, making appropriate improvements to their teaching. This paper describes a small-scale study into lecturers’ responses to student feedback. The evidence from semi-structured interviews suggests that the process is complex and is influenced by lecturers’ perceptions, beliefs and feelings. A typology of lecturers’ responses is developed, linked to concepts of performativity and professionalism, and consisting of four possible reactions: shame, blame, tame (the students) and reframe (the negative as something positive).

Postgraduate Professional Development for teachers: motivational and inhibiting factors affecting the completion of awards

Many more teachers begin studying for masters’ level awards than complete them. This situation is a concern to participants, providers and funders of courses. The research project reported here explores teachers’ perceptions of factors affecting their success in completing assessed work. Questionnaire and interview responses from 46 students in three higher education institutions (HEIs) emphasise a number of motivational and inhibiting factors experienced by teachers. Some of these, including styles of assessment and access to resources, can be influenced positively by HEIs through course design and structures of institutional support. Other influential factors included time, personal circumstances and support in the workplace. Although these factors are not controlled by HEIs, they might be influenced by partnerships between tutors, school managers and local advisory staff working together to plan participation from course design to final impact. The research, although small‐scale and exploratory, will thus be of interest to HEIs and their local and national partners who seek to increase participation, retention and completion rates of teachers engaged in Postgraduate Professional Development.

Researching from within: external and internal ethical engagement

This article examines the superficial and deep ethical and moral dilemmas confronting ‘insider’ researchers, which we term external and internal ethical engagement. External ethical engagement refers to the traditional, easily identifiable ethical issues that insider researchers attend to by submitting their application for ethical approval to their institutions internal review board. Internal ethical engagement relates to the deeper level ethical and moral dilemmas that insider researchers have to deal with once ‘in the field’ linked to ongoing personal and professional relationships with participants, insider knowledge, conflicting professional and researcher roles, and anonymity. By reviewing the literature in this area and drawing on the authors’ experiences of undertaking interpretive studies at institutions where they were members of staff, we explore these concepts and examine the implications for insider researchers.

Communities of practice in higher education: professional learning in an academic career

Abstract This article focuses on the life history of a university academic, and the ways in which he learned in different communities of practice during his career. This account raises questions about the applicability of situated learning theory to a knowledge-based organisation, and argues that both the external context and the individuals within the community impinge on learning. It suggests that the role of academic staff developers may vary depending on the CoP and should include developing networks, facilitation, providing relevant expertise, improving harmony within CoPs and harnessing the benefits of internationally dispersed CoPs.

Leadership for Inter-service Practice Collaborative Leadership Lost in Translation? An Exploration

Collaborative leadership is increasingly cited as the key framework for leadership in the 21st century. Yet its meaning remains complex, contested and frequently school-centric. This article examines understandings and applications in developing inter-service and inter-professional practices for children and young people. Drawing upon desk research from the fields of education, health, social care, and social work, base-line literary analysis is used to interrogate leadership. In addressing the implications for ELM theory and practice when engagement beyond single organizations and services becomes the ‘norm’, the article looks towards more futures-orientated leadership theory and research that both define and develop the capabilities needed to lead learning in inter-professional, inter-agency environments, including schools.