The Main Reciprocal for Teaching Load: Faculty Use of Research Time.

Abstract

This study examined the allocation of time college faculty give to various research tasks. Case studies were conducted of 12 faculty members in four departments selected for variation by university type (research and comprehensive) and discipline (Physics and English). The work of each faculty member was observed on five non-consecutive days for a total of 60 days and respondents tracked work activities performed outside of the university. Time spent on research was categorized as either: inquiry, scholarship, writing, presenting, logistics, grants, or other research. Among findings were that physicists at both institutions spent more time on research than the English professors and that there was much variation in the amounts of time spent on research activity categories. Faculty tended to enact one of two alternative contextually-shaped roles as researchers, either as developers or as synthesizers. The time spent on the combined activities of logistics, grant work, and other research tasks was similar whether or not the professor had external research funding. Nine of the 12 spent more time on teaching than on research. The faculty spent from 8 to 34 percent of their time on integrated teaching and research (mostly in informal training of student researchers). Data tables detail the study's findings. (Contains 20 references.) (JLS) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************************