Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemAcademic staff and international engagement in Australian higher education( 2016)Australian higher education appears to be in the vanguard of internationalisation worldwide. In line with global changes to higher education, Australian universities have adopted comprehensive international strategies across their teaching, research and outreach agendas. By many measures, this strategic approach to internationalisation has been successful. Given the central role of academic staff within the life of the university, and with international strategies now touching on all aspects of a university’s activity, academic staff are important to the further internationalisation of Australian higher education. Yet little is known about the factors which influence the international engagement of Australian academics (that is, their involvement with the international dimensions of all aspects of their work) and the extent to which they consider international activities an important aspect of their academic work. This study has investigated the engagement of academic staff with the international dimensions of their work. It sought to identify the extent to which different aspects of international engagement have been integrated into contemporary understandings of academic work in Australia, as well as to examine the factors which influence academic staff choices in relation to their international engagement. Based on an Adaptive Theory approach (Layder, 1998), the research took case studies of two universities – a younger progressive university and an older research intensive university – which, between them, are broadly representative of one third of the Australian university sector. Qualitative data were collected through document analysis and in-depth interviews with thirty-seven academic staff drawn from Science and Business disciplines. The study found that the international dimensions of academic work are predominantly centred on research, despite the literature on internationalisation pointing to a more comprehensive focus and despite institutional strategies advocating for a more balanced approach to international engagement. In terms of contributions, the study has conceptualised a typology of international engagement to address the gap identified in the literature in relation to a holistic understanding of the international dimensions of academic work. Further findings are presented in relation to the influence of institutional and disciplinary context, as well as personal and individual factors. Particular to the Australian context is a finding in relation to geographic isolation, which is commonly described as both a driver and barrier to the international engagement of Australian academic staff. This study argues that institutions need to recognise the complex and interweaving nature of the factors which influence academic staff in relation to the international dimensions of their work. This recognition is important if institutions seek to foster greater international involvement amongst their academic community. In addition, institutions could review the role of leadership at the local level in fostering greater international engagement beyond research, as well as reconsider the availability of funding and technology to mitigate the barrier to international engagement of Australia’s distance from other countries.
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ItemNational policy for research and research training: the case of the Philippines( 2009)Over the past two decades, considerable investigation has been undertaken into the research training of higher degree research students in many parts of the world. However, in developing nations the exploration has been far more limited, particularly concerning the kinds of issues and challenges their higher education systems face. This makes the Philippines an important case, where it is a national priority to develop university research and improve research training practices. This study examined research training in the Philippines from a policy perspective. The study sheds light on the nature of research training of developing nations by (1) describing the context in which it is situated, (2) identifying and examining the issues, challenges that confront government and universities, (3) evaluating the implications of these issues and challenges, and (4) providing recommendations to improve university research and research training in the country. The study’s findings confirm that public and private higher education institutions in the Philippines are largely engaged in teaching while research is a less intense university activity. The current context of university research and research training indicates that the structure of graduate education and training needs improvement in policy and practice domains. The government and universities need to develop new policies and improve practices regarding both staff research training and professional development, and student research education and training. A range of issues and challenges confronting the government and universities have been identified by this study concerning funding, infrastructure, academic staff development, research supervision, student support, quality assurance in research, collaboration and partnerships, research ethics, intellectual property, and research priorities. The most important challenges for government and universities relate to effectively meeting the dual demands of teaching and research, building a critical mass of researchers, and developing excellent research skills and competences among staff and students. The findings from this study have also informed the creation of a timeline that depicts key points in the candidature of masters and doctorate students, particularly identifying coursework, research, and supervision phases, and has identified contributors to the development of student and staff research skills. Together, these provide a basis for considering current and potential research training initiatives. Overall, the study provides a new and comprehensive analysis of the policy issues in research and research training and offering suggestions for advancing policy and practice.