A balancing act for an unknown future: exposing the teaching/research nexus at the University of Otago

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 26: Learning for an Unknown Future

July, 2003, 692 pages
Published by
Helen Mathews and Rod McKay
ISBN
0 90 8557 55 8
Abstract 

This paper examines the ways in which the teaching/research nexus is understood and experienced by two groups of academic staff (experienced and early career) in the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago, against the background of current tertiary reforms in New Zealand. Experienced lecturers described the essential intersection between their research and teaching and demonstrated their beliefs in practice, especially at first-year levels. Early career lecturers, however, articulated tensions in trying to balance their new responsibilities in both areas. We offer some suggestions as ways to develop and support links between research and teaching.

Keywords: teaching/research nexus; Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF); academic staff development