Integration of Research Activity and Academic Studies: Promotion of the Quality of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education?

Author(s):

Andra FernateDaiga KalninaCristina Sanchez Romero Svetlana Surikova

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

11. Educational Effectiveness and Quality Assurance

Format:

Paper

Session Information

11 SES 03 C, Evaluation of Educational Systems and Research on Educational Quality

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-28

14:00-15:30

Room:

HG, HS 48

Chair:

Ineta Luka

Contribution

Within international framework, according to the Bologna process the orientation of master studies in Europe tends to reach substantial improvement of a new generation and offers opportunities for originality in idea development and use, including research. Purposefulness of the research in different rapidly changing and turbulent contexts reinforces the needs of all stakeholders – children, families, professionals and the policy audiences (Maslo&Kiegelman, et all., 2008). It is evident that pedagogical research is complex in nature and none of the existing methodological approaches can be sufficient to discover its complexity. An actual task of contemporary universities is to narrow the gap between research and academic studies through a research-based approach to education by creating environment that includes vital integration of research activity and academic studies, new emphasis and support for innovations, better preparation of students as future professionals (Deem, 2007; Haverhals, 2007; Simons, 2006; Strazdins, 2007; Tranter, 2007; Velez, et al., 1996). Problem-based studies with different modifications support a vision of a university that links research as a creative activity and education at every level (Allen, Duch, Groh, Watson, & White, 2004; Deignan, 2009; Finkle & Torp, 1995; Scripture, 2008; Savery, et al, 2006). Meaningful research and educational experiences should take place in environment in which research and education fit together naturally and reinforce each other and in which interaction takes place among all actors. This is called vertical integration and refers to programs in which research and education are coupled and in which students and academic staff are mutually supportive. One of such programs is the interuniversity Master’s programme “Educational Treatment of Diversity” developed and implemented by four European universities: National University of Distance Education (Spain), Ludwigsburg University of Education (Germany), Karls-University Prague (Czech Republic), and University of Latvia (Gento, 2007). The objective of the paper is to analyze the effectiveness of opportunities of mastering the students’ research process, which furthers the quality of learning outcomes and reveal the ways how integration of research and academic studies is provided in higher education. Research questions: Has research process promoted students’ learning outcomes? Which opportunities in research process were secured and which ones were prevented by the quality of students’ learning outcomes? The study has been conducted in the University of Latvia since September 2008 being the continuation of the previous research conducted in 2007.

Method

Sequential explorative (Tashakkori, Teddlie, 2003) qualitative-quantitative research was conducted (Taylor, 1973; Dockrell & Hamilton 1983; Alteheide & Johnson 1994; Mayring, Huber, Gurtler, 2007) comprising the following stages: qualitative and quantitative data collection; primary and secondary data processing; data analysis and interpretation. The research was conducted in research process whose main idea was to elaborate the approach to accentuate socio-cultural variations of promoting integration of research activity and academic studies in higher education in Latvian context. The intentional cluster sample consisting of 21 student of the master’s programme “Educational treatment of diversity” studying at the University of Latvia was composed. Theoretical and empirical methods of the research – data obtaining methods (“Profile access students” interview, analysis of students’ work, analysis of students’ competencies self-assessment, learning diary in research process) and qualitative and quantitative data processing methods were used.

Expected Outcomes

Integration of research and academic studies allows students to develop research-related capabilities by promoting critical thinking, solution of problems and use other analytic strategies and technical tools; enables students to place learning within a meaningful context, establishing environment that encourages and supports the research and emphasizes the synergy between research activity and learning in interdisciplinary research fields. The deficits of organization of the opportunity of integrated research process are: • because of the influence of the domineering input-output approach at schools and higher educational institutions the first year master students have a deficit in the development of their methodological thinking, e.g., deficit in general competencies how to systematize knowledge into approaches, critically differentiate epistemological structure, define development tendencies, etc. • orientation to teaching not learning has a negative influence upon learning outcomes.

References

1. Allen, D.E., Duch, B.J., Groh, S.E., Watson, G.B., & White, H.B. (2004). Scaling Up Research-Based Education for Undergraduates: Problem-Based Learning. Retrieved January 2009 from: http://www.cur.org/publications/aire_raire/delaware.asp 2. Altheide D.& Johnson J., (1994), "Criteria for assessing interpretive validity in qualitative research". In N. Denzin and Y. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 485-499. 3. Deem, Rosemary (2007). Producing and Re/producing the European University in the 21st century: research perspectives on the shifting purposes of higher education. Paper for the World University Network 'Realizing the Global University' Seminar, London, 14th November 2007. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the European Conference of Higher Education Researchers, Ghent, Belgium, 19th-21st September 2007. Retrieved January 2009 from: http://www.wun.ac.uk/theglobaluniversity/documents/papers/14Nov/DeemBristol.pdf 4. Deignan, Tim (2009). Enquiry-Based Learning: perspectives on practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 14 (1), 13-28. 5. Dockrell, W.B., & Hamilton, D., (1983). Nuevas Reflexiones sobre la Investigación Educativa. Madrid Editorial Narcea. 18. 6. Finkle, S.L. & Torp, L.L. (1995). Introductory Documents. Illinois Math and Science Academy, Retrieved May 2005 from: http://www2.imsa.edu/programs/pbln/tutorials/intro/intro3.php 7. Gento, Samuel. (2007). Inter-university Master on “Educational Treatment of Diversity”. Didactic Guide. 4th Edition. April 2007. Faculty of Education UNED, Madrid. 8. Haverhals, Barbara (2007). The normative foundations of research-based education: Philosophical notes on the transformation of the modern university idea. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 26 (5), 419-432. 9. Mayring, Philipp&Huber, Günter, L.&Gurtler, Leo (Eds). (2007). Mixed Methodology in Psychological Research. Sense Publishers. 10. Maslo, Irina&Kiegelman, Mechthild, (2008) Introduction and Overview. Qualitative Psychology in the Changing Academic Context. QualitativePsychology Nexus VII 11. Savery, John R. (2006). Overview of Problem-based Learning: Deﬁnitions and Distinctions. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1 (1), 9-20. 12. Scripture, Jerome D. (2008). Recommendations for Designing and Implementing Distributed Problem-Based Learning. American Journal of Distance Education, 22(4), 207-221. 13. Simons, Maarten (2006). “Education through research” at European Universities: Notes on the orientation of academic research. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 40(1), 31-50. 14. Strazdins, Peter (2007). Research-Based Education in Computer Science at the ANU: Challenges and Opportunities. Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science,The Australian National University DCS Seminar Series, 04 June 2007. Retrieved January 2009 from: http://cs.anu.edu.au/~Peter.Strazdins/seminars 15. Tashakkori, Abbas & Teddlie, Charles (Eds.). (2003). Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research. Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage. 16. Taylor, W., (eds.) (1973) Research perspectives in Education. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul 217 17. Tranter, Elizabeth A. (2007). Integration of Research and Education in a Multi-Institutional Center. International Conference on Engineering Education – ICEE 2007, Coimbra, Portugal, September 3-7, 2007. Retrieved January 2009 from: http://icee2007.dei.uc.pt/proceedings/papers/520.pdf 18. Velez, William Yslas. (1996). Integration of Research and Education: What does it mean and how can it be accomplished? Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 43 (10), 1142-1146.

Author Information

Andra Fernate

The Institute of Pedagogical Sciences, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, University of Latvia, Latvia

Daiga Kalnina

Institute of the Pedagogical Sciences of the Faculty of Pedagogy of yhe University of Latvia

Riga

128

Cristina Sanchez Romero

Faculty of Education, National University of Distance Education, Spain

Svetlana Surikova