Research Activities at Higher Education Institutions
Research Profiles in Non-Traditional Higher Education: An Exploratory Cluster Analysis of Lecturers in Switzerland
Sheron Baumann (HSLU)
Abstract:
This contribution focuses on the lecturers in Swiss non-traditional higher education and a number of their characteristics which are relevant for fulfilling their sector’s public research mandate. Universities of Teacher Education and Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts are confronted with financial, structural, and human resource issues that relegate its institutions to a rather marginal role on the research stage in comparison to the cantonal universities and the federal institutes of technology. One particular challenge is the consequence of the sector’s decreed balance between practice orientation and scientific commitment for the research activities of its lecturers. I analyze recent survey data (N = 2454) by means of a two-step cluster analysis in order to categorize lecturers in Swiss non-traditional higher education regarding research related variables. The findings can be interpreted as the current outcome of the Swiss higher education reform that started more than 25 years ago. They suggest that notable differences between the lecturers within the sector exist and that they can be clustered into two distinct profile groups. One consists of active and experienced researchers, spending a considerable amount of time on research and participating in the scientific discourse through publications and conference presentations. The other group has significantly less research experience and devotes little time to research activities. There are also clear differences regarding qualifications and the research motivation between the two groups. The findings also call into question the Humboldtian model implicitly adopted by the institutions of the Swiss non-traditional higher education sector.
Research Productivity of Lecturers in Non-Traditional Higher Education
Melanie Elderton (PHLU) & Sheron Baumann (HSLU)
Abstract:
The knowledge of what influences the scholarly output of faculty members over time is the basis for any reliable governance measures aimed at improving their productivity. This is true for all aspects of academic work at higher education institutions (HEIs), which commonly includes research, teaching and services. While research productivity of faculty members has been the topic of numerous studies, it is very rarely addressed in the specific context of non-university higher education. This contribution gives an insight into the research productivity of lecturers working in the non-traditional university sector, more specific working at universities of applied sciences (UAS’s) and universities of teacher education (UTE’s) in Switzerland.
The data resulting from a nationwide survey in the non-traditional higher education sector (N = 2454) is used to predict the research productivity of lecturers in terms of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. There are 40% of lecturers at UAS’s and UTE’s in the dataset who published peer reviewed texts in the previous two years. 55% of lecturers contributed presentations, poster presentations or a project or product at a conference in the previous two years. Through logistic regressions the impact of predictor variables on research productivity was examined.
The analysis confirms a negative effect of the teaching load on research productivity and reveals that the incentive of paid time for the preparation of scientific contributions is not very effective. The presentation will provide detailed insight into the results of factors determining research productivity and address differences between the two examined types of HEIs.
Participation of Universities of Applied Sciences in EU Research Projects: Influence of the Academic Drift and Subject Specialization on the Integration to the EU Research and Innovation Landscape
Marco Cavallaro (USI)
Abstract:
In the last decades, University of Applied Sciences (UAS) have developed research activities to varying degrees. In most European countries, UASs adopted characteristics of Universities, but kept a certain degree of differentiation, e.g. specific research missions towards applied sciences and regional innovation. These differences added up to the existing heterogeneity among UASs with regards to funding, education intensity and positioning in their respective higher education system.
The present work investigates how UASs’ heterogeneity is reflected in their participation in Horizon 2020 (H2020), the eighth European Framework Program for Research (EU-FP). The lack of literature on the subject can be explained by the relatively low levels of participation of UASs when compared to Universities. We analyze UASs’ and ex-UASs’ (in UK and Norway) participation at the organizational level, considering their proximity to the University model (University status, availability of PhD programs), their research and innovation output (experience in EU-FPs, publications, and patents), education intensity, and subject specialization (Number of STEM students).
The preliminary results show that UASs closer to the model of Universities benefit more from scientific excellence and research mobility programs than from funding schemes targeting more applied projects and where UASs with high STEM intensity tend to participate more.