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The future of the research and teaching nexus in a post-pandemic world

Hordósy, Rita; McLean, Monica

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Authors

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Dr RITA HORDOSY RITA.HORDOSY@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Assistant Professor in Education

Monica McLean



Abstract

Vaccines and treatments produced during the global coronavirus crisis demonstrated the importance of university research and teaching. There was widespread celebration of university–industry partnerships and collaborations across disciplines and geographical locations. However, simultaneously, higher education institutions in England faced serious financial and organisational challenges throughout the pandemic, which has implications for the relationship between teaching and research, for who undertakes each, and for the students’ experience of teaching and learning (some of whom become the next generation of researchers). The rapid movement to online learning created further tensions within an already demoralised, precarious and divided workforce. This paper considers the potential social good of universities’ two core missions, research and teaching in a post-pandemic world, exploring the inherently political nature of the link, as well as its encoded inequalities and dysfunctions. Drawing on documentary and secondary data analysis, this paper explores, first, the long-standing sectoral and institutional discrepancies through analysing trends in student recruitment rates and research funding. Second, it investigates how student and staff experiences of the link between research and teaching were changing in the pandemic, pointing to substantive equity issues in how the pandemic response affected access to research opportunities and to research-led teaching. The paper argues that a more equitable and inclusive university that appreciates the research-teaching nexus and is flexible and collaborative in nature is key to contribute to tackling global and local challenges, such as environmental destruction, climate change, conflict and socio-economic inequities.

Citation

Hordósy, R., & McLean, M. (2022). The future of the research and teaching nexus in a post-pandemic world. Educational Review, 74(3), 378-401. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.2014786

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 2, 2021
Online Publication Date Jan 13, 2022
Publication Date 2022
Deposit Date Jan 6, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Educational Review
Print ISSN 0013-1911
Electronic ISSN 1465-3397
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 74
Issue 3
Pages 378-401
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.2014786
Keywords Education
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7167548
Publisher URL https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2021.2014786