ERIC Number: EJ1404191
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0307-5079
EISSN: EISSN-1470-174X
True-Belief, Pragmatism or Alienation: A Study of HE Academics' Response Orientations to Metrics-Based Evaluations
Studies in Higher Education, v48 n12 p1870-1882 2023
While much has been written about the impact of metrics in higher education, less is known about the variety of response orientations that individual academics may adopt in reaction to the increasing metricization of academia. Taking the English higher education sector as a case study, this research surveyed the views of academics from Education and Economics departments in England regarding the impact of teaching and research metrics on their academic identity and practice. Based on a hierarchical cluster analysis of their survey and interview responses, we proposed three distinct response orientations which we called true-belief, pragmatism or alienation, based on how they negotiated or accommodated their academic practices in response to metrics-based evaluation. This heterogeneity of academics' responses to metrics-based evaluation, proposed by our research, suggests the need for a leadership culture which acknowledges a more varied set of attitudes and challenges resulting from that evaluation. The findings of our study also make the case for a more inclusive approach to deciding the institutional response to metrics; allowing all individuals within an institution to make meaningful contributions which are better aligned to their academic identities and professional values.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Inclusion, Foreign Countries, College Faculty, Economics Education, Professional Identity, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Evaluation, Alienation, Educational Practices, Performance Based Assessment, Leadership Styles, Professional Autonomy
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A