FoR Codes pendulum: Publishing choices within Australian research assessment

This paper reports on an exploratory case study that considered the impacts of journal ranking and Fields of Research codes on the publishing decisions of Australian authors. The study also considered the level of alignment between authors’ allocation of Fields of Research codes and the codes assigned to the journals in which they were published. The conclusion is reached that authors are still coming to an understanding of the impact of research assessment on their publishing choices and the process of scholarly communication within their discipline. Findings point to a number of concerns about the impact of both journal ranking and discipline-specific research codes

Shifting the cantus firmus: Australian music educators and the ERA

Managing the teaching-research-creative practice nexus is a concern for everyone working in higher music education, particularly those involved with the supervision and mentorship of graduate students and early career academics. This paper takes as its subject the new Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), drawing examples from research frameworks elsewhere to identify some of the pertinent issues facing music educators and their students. The findings from a series of surveys and short interviews suggest that the formal recognition of artistic research remains largely dependent on the articulation of that research into traditional academic language. Furthermore, the increasing focus on research as a form of revenue generation highlights the separation of research and teaching and the lessening of academic autonomy. The paper argues that a balance can be achieved only with a fundamental, systemic shift that recognises the new knowledge and innovative methodological approaches within artistic research and, equally, within the scholarship of teaching

Education research in Australia: where is it conducted?

Research assessment exercises aim to identify research quantity and quality and provide insights into research capacity building strategies for the future. Yet with limited knowledge of the ecology of Australian educational research, there is little chance of understanding what research audits might contribute towards a capacity building agenda for such a complex field. This paper draws on secondary data analysis of research outputs submitted by 13 Australian higher education institutions to the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2010 and 2012 national research assessment exercises, to show where Australian educational research is conducted. Findings offer a profile of education researchers by location in academic organisational units within universities. By analyzing data not accessible through reported ERA data we were also able to present information about appointment profiles, specifically levels and type of appointment within universities, as well as data on institutional and geographic region, and patterns associated with type of outputs (books, book chapters, journal articles, conference papers and other outputs) and field of research. Analysis of the data reveals definitive shifts in the nature of the published outputs and in employment profiles of researchers and their location across university and regional groupings. Research audits are administrative processes that reshape institutional and disciplinary governance structures, policies, individual outputs, work practices and careers, but they are not the sum total of the field per se

Research classification and the social sciences and humanities in Australia: (Mis)Matching organisational unit contribution and the impact of collaboration

The capacity to recognize the contribution of individual researchers and their organizational unit is likely to be at odds with the purpose of a national research assessment, due to the broader approach to identifying research strengths and its classification at disciplinary levels. The Australian research assessment exercise, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), is devised to determine research quality in this wider context. To explore the impact of research classification on the visibility of research contribution, this study analysed articles published by authors affiliated with two social sciences and humanities (SSH) fields—‘education’ and ‘language, communication and culture’. Article classification was examined for agreement with the authors’ affiliated organizational unit’s field. The influence of national and international co-authorship on article classification was also examined. Articles were distributed across different classification categories and a substantial proportion did not match with the authors’ organizational unit’s field. National and international co-authorship by education-affiliated authors was found to be significantly associated with publishing outside their organizational unit’s field. As the first investigation to focus on how research is distributed by the ERA’s classification scheme when applied to journal articles by SSH authors, the study provides empirical evidence of the challenges involved in recognizing the contribution of organizational units. This work builds on the existing literature relating to classification and research evaluation and has the potential to inform research managers of the complexities in setting strategic research priorities based on ERA outcomes

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) sebagai bagan klasifikasi untuk institutional repository

A classification scheme has an important function in the organization of information. In its hierarchical structure, the classification chart can help users search for documents or items stored in an online database or repository through common subjects to more specific sub-subjects. Searching in this way will have significant benefits if the classification chart used is sufficiently adequate as a means of classifying documents or scientific work items stored in a repository. In this article the author will discuss the potential of Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) to serve as a classification chart in the repository; Advantages and disadvantages of ANZSRC in its function as a classification chart; Strategy for implementing ANZSRC as a classification chart in the repository; etc

Living in a 2.2 World: ERA, Capacity Building and the Topography of Australian Educational Research

Early in 2011, the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) and the Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) established a joint working party to create a strategic plan for strengthening national research capacity in the field of Education. This proposal followed the publication of Excellence of Research in Australia (ERA) 2010 results, which revealed that the national average weighting of Australian research in Field of Research 13 (FoR 13) - Education was well below the 'world standard' rating of 3.0. Moreover, the 2010 ERA data demonstrated that we had no up-to-date picture of who is involved in educational research, what their strengths are, or how they relate to one another. As an input into strategic research capacity building in Australian educational research, this project begins the process of documenting who 'we' are as educational researchers. The research described within the report used an ecological model to address the project's overarching question, which was: What is the topography of Australian educational research

The connection between experience and learning: student perspectives on the significance of international study

Life-experience learning is a key part of adult learning as there is potential in every experience for personal growth. Learning, however, is not an automatic result of experience. The learner needs to interpret their experiences to facilitate change to their sense of self and/or capabilities. A significant learning experience impacts a person in ways that have personal value, through a meaning-making process where the person makes sense of their experiences using their unique frame of reference. This kind of learning involves the learner assigning meaning to their experiences to determine what was significant, how the experience has changed them, and why those changes matter. \ua0This research explores the connection between experience and learning, through the construct of significance and the meaning-making process of understanding and articulating the significance of life experiences. The two dimensions of the construct of significance – personal impact and subjective value – explain how an experience is significant (because it has an impact on the learner) and why an experience is significant (because it is subjectively valued). International study was selected as the vehicle for this investigation as, outside of the formal academic component, there are endless opportunities for significant learning from living and studying in another country. There are, however, concerns in the international study community about what students are learning from study abroad and how learning is recognised and measured. There are calls to take seriously student claims that their international study experiences were valuable, and find better ways to understand what students are trying to say about those experiences.Drawing on a constructivist research paradigm, this research uses a qualitative descriptive case study to explore the relationship between experience and significant learning in the context of international study. The single case study with embedded units design provided the researcher with 14 instances where the significance of the international study experience was described. The 14 returned study abroad students who participated in this study undertook meaning-making work to first identify the significant elements of their experience using a mind map. The participants then reflected on how and why those elements were significant. A framework that synthesises scholarly literature on meaning-making and significant learning was used to inform the students’ reflections and analyse the findings to create a picture of what, how and why international study was significant to the participants.This research found that students identified the ‘ordinary’ experiences of living away, studying and learning, and travelling as personally significant. These everyday experiences occurred in extraordinary and uncomfortable circumstances, where the students could explore liminal spaces and transition to independence in a dynamic and unbounded environment. This learning environment facilitated the kinds of personal impact that the students described. They articulated that impact as realisations about self, others and the world that framed the extension of their personal capabilities and enhancement of their self-efficacy. They described why they valued their experiences and the perceived impact, using their unique frame of reference in their meaning-making work.This study contributes to ongoing work to theorise how adults learn, using the construct of significance to bridge the gap between life experience and learning. The research provides insight into the construct, revealing that learning that changes us (i.e. has personal impact) changes our identity and our perceptions of our personal capabilities. The research reveals the influence of the learner’s frame of reference on all stages of meaning-making, and how social and contextual factors underpin the learning process.A key outcome of this study is a meaning-making protocol which consists of a framework, a mind map, and set of reflective prompt questions for supporting learners to understand and articulate the significance of experiences outside of formal learning environments. This innovative inquiry protocol has the potential to transform how universities support students to making meaning of, and recognise the impact of, their study abroad experiences.\ua0 It has wider implications for how to appreciate the value of study abroad and other informal learning experiences that happen outside of classroom contexts and how to measure that value.Application of the inquiry protocol to the study abroad experience revealed new insight into the significance of the experience to participants. The study showed that students experienced a changed sense of self and a broadened perspective on people and the world. This thesis argues that for young adults who are exploring their identities and their place in society, this learning is profound. It further argues the need to acknowledge participant claims that their study abroad experiences had an impact on their personal growth and continue to explore ways to recognise, value, and measure this growth