Previous research has evidenced the importance of student and staff interactions as critical functions to support student success at university. Increasingly, academic advising units support these interactions. However, while common throughout North American contexts, little is known about the implementation of such units internationally. In this…

In this article, we explore the extent to which 42 newer researchers, in the academic sub-field of higher education, were aware of, responded to and negotiated their careers in relation to higher education policies. Participants, who were mainly from European countries, tended to divide into two similarly sized groups: one that engaged with and…

This article describes higher degree research supervisors' experiences of supervision as teaching. While research education is considered central to the higher degree research experience, comparatively little is known to date of the teaching lenses adopted by supervisors as they go about their supervision. We worked with 35 supervisors engaged in…

This paper builds on earlier work by the author to explore the international dimensions of a study of the changing roles and identities of professional staff in higher education (Whitchurch 2008a, b). It further develops the concept of the "blended professional," characterising individuals with identities drawn from both professional and…

This research attempts to explore the key social characteristics and demographics of Australian chancellors to determine who they are and where they come from. The chancellor of an Australian university wields an enormous amount of power, from overseeing the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor (VC) to fulfilling various statutory requirements.…

This paper explores opportunities and challenges presented by the development of graduate skills in Australian universities. We challenge the dichotomy that conceives of a fundamental disjuncture between the idea of universities as institutions of vocational education and the more traditional conception of universities as key institutions in the…

The conceptualization of teacher role has led to the six-factor Role Dimension Profile Scale. When responses to the scale used with a Likert data collection format are analyzed, the resulting single dimension is interpreted as the teacher's "professional horizon." Implications of these results are discussed. (Author/GSK)

A study of the governing boards of two Australian universities whose membership was drawn from academic, government, and business circles was concerned with role perceptions of the members. Their expectations of their functions were fewer than might be expected, and as a group they held conflicting expectations. (Author/JMD)

A teacher education program was developed to enable preservice teachers to discuss and role-play the kinds of behavior associated with being a classroom teacher. This evalution report examines the curriculum design and trialing procedures, and reports the findings from experimental use of the curriculum in four institutions. (Author/BW)

Questionnaires administered to all 4,128 of the teaching staff at nine institutions of higher education in Australia and New Zealand received a 46 percent response rate. Significant differences between the work-related attitudes of staff at colleges and those at universities are attributed to institutional culture rather than demographic…

Studies of the perception of academic prestige in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are examined. Reviewing the arts, science, and engineering, the studies consider faculty perceptions of how the public and students see the faculty's status and also makes comparisons with government and other professional occupations. (MSE)

Tasks required of nurses in community settings were investigated as an initial step in identifying the competencies that comprise the role of community health nurse (CHN). An instrument to assess task performance was devised as a survey mailed to 376 field, outpost, child health, and school health nurses employed by the Western Australia Health…

A study of 16 middle-aged adults undergoing a career change into teaching investigated their relationships with their practicum supervisors, focusing on sources of tension arising from prior occupational identity and self-concept. A strong effect of prior occupational identity on social dynamics of the classroom supervision process was found.…

This research combines personal experience and a literature review to explore the issue of duality of social positioning of Australian ethnic minority girls. Caught between the minority cultural values and the larger culture's values of girls' education and multiculturalism, the dualism causes conflict within many minority girls. Of particular…

Describes a study of women in Australia enrolled in distance education programs that focused on the culturally different social setting they encountered. Portions of interviews are included that address issues related to gender, parenthood, career and employment, attitudes toward higher education, and motivation. (Contains 29 references.) (LRW)