Minding your Ps and Qs: how to stand out from the crowd, as an academic Keynote address presented at...

Minding your Ps and Qs: how to stand out from the crowd, as an academic

Keynote address presented at The SRHE Newer Researchers Conference

Celtic Manor Resort8th December 2015

Linda EvansUniversity of Leeds, UK

Welcome to Academia!

‘Carving out a career in academia can be tough. … Competition is fierce.’ (The Guardian, 18.11.15)

2012-13 Clare College Cambridge received 657 applications from postdoctoral researchers for 3 advertised posts (THE 06.11.14)

University of Warwick received 116 eligible applications for five postdoctoral research fellowships 2012-13. (THE 06.11.14)

Only 19 per cent of UK PhD-holders are in HE research roles three and a half years after getting their doctorate. (THE 06.11.14)

Welcome to Academia!Venue for the Hunger Games?

‘As a doctoral student, I was told that I needed a thick skin to survive as an academic. This involved more than just being able to accept rejection. I had to be able to weather blistering reviews that cut to the core.’

‘I had to learn to let cringe-worthy criticisms roll off me in order to earn my academic stripes.’

‘I suppressed memories of the most painful reviews, but I do remember that they made me question whether I was cut out to be an academic.’

‘I recall losing talented peers who decided that academia was just too much of a blood sport.’

‘We had to be tough because only the tough survived.’(Editorial, Academy of Management Review, 2015, 40 (1) )

Digging deeper

We need to go beyond consideration of superficial factors:

‘S/he has been the main influence on my own work.’

‘His/her work is so impressive!’

‘His/her work fitted so well with my theoretical framework.’

‘S/he’s the leading expert in the field.’

Descriptors of distinction? Prolific - has published lots Good speaker – gives a good conference

presentation Focuses on un(der)-examined issues/topics Focuses on important issues Is well-read – draws on wide and extensive

reading Rigorous – research design and method Writes well – has a way with words Presents incisive discussion

Prolific - has published lots

Good speaker – gives a good conference presentation

Focuses on un(der)-examined issues/topics

Focuses on important issues

Is well-read – draws on wide and extensive reading Rigorous – research design

and methodWrites well – has a way with words

Presents incisive discussion

Descriptors of distinction?

Develops theory and theoretical perspectives Manages to be published in the top journals Her/his books are world famous His/her work is seminal Wins lots of research funding Is well cited Is the world’s leading expert on … Applies in-depth analysis Presents radically new ideas

Develops theory and theoretical perspectivesManages to be published in

the top journalsHer/his books are world famousHis/her work is seminal

Wins lots of research funding

Is well cited

Is the world’s leading expert on …Applies in-depth analysis

Presents radically new ideas

What makes for distinction?

What do academics and researchers say about professors? Intellectual capacity was the key quality that

gives professors credibility and distinction: ‘I still see the key criterion for a professor is

intellectual ability’ ‘Professors have to be power thinkers and leading

luminaries in their subject areas’ ‘Professors should be outstanding scholars’ ‘I think the generally agreed baseline [for professorial

status] is outstanding scholarship’ ‘I thought, intellectually, he [the professor] was head

and shoulders above the rest of them’.

And now, spotlight on you

What might people think of you, as a researcher?

How might they describe your research?

How would you like them to describe you and your work?

Do you stand out from the crowd?

5 Ps and Qs

Professionalism

Professional development

Proximity theory

Quiddity

Quality

?

Knowing your place

Do you stand out from the crowd? Where do you stand, in relation to other

researchers in your field? ‘Anybody who works in a given research

community ought to have a pretty good sense of where they are in that research community in terms of status and respect, and publication record and so on. I know I do; I know exactly where I am in relation to all my colleagues on an international level. My junior colleagues don’t.’

Where would you like to stand?

‘Restricted’ and ‘Extended’ Professionals(adapted from Hoyle, 1975)

‘restricted’ professionals: adopt an intuitive approach to practice use skills derived from practical experience do not reflect on or analyse their practice are unintellectual in outlook and attitudes avoid change and are set in their ways

‘extended’ professionals: adopt a rational approach to practice use skills developed from both theory and practice are reflective and analytical practitioners adopt intellectual approaches to the job experiment with and welcome new ideas

‘Restricted’ and ‘Extended’ Professionals

The researcher located at the ‘restricted’ extreme of the professionality continuum typically:

The researcher located at the ‘extended’ extreme of the professionality continuum typically:

conducts research that lacks rigour; conducts highly rigorous research;

draws upon basic research skills; draws upon basic and advanced research skills;

fails to develop or extend her/his methodological competence; strives constantly to develop and extend her/his methodological competence;

utilises only established research methods; adapts established research methods and develops methodology;

fails to develop basic research findings; generates and develops theory from research findings;

perceives research methods as tools and methodology as a task-directed, utilitarian process;

perceives research methodology as a field of study in itself;

applies low level analysis to research data; strives constantly to apply deep levels of analysis to research data;

perceives individual research studies as independent and free-standing;

recognises the value of, and utilises, comparative analysis, meta-analysis, synthesis, replication, etc.;

perceives individual research studies as finite and complete; constantly reflects upon, and frequently revisits and refines, his/her own studies;

struggles to criticise literature and others’ research effectively; has developed the skill of effective criticism and applies this to the formulation of his/her own arguments;

publishes mainly in ‘lower grade’ academic journals and in professional journals/magazines;

publishes frequently in ‘high ranking’ academic journals;

is associated mainly with research findings that fall into the ‘tips for practitioners’ category of output;

disseminates ground-breaking theoretical issues and contributes to, and takes a lead in developing, discourse on theory;

perceives research activity as separate and detached from wider contexts requiring interpersonal, organisational and cognitive skills.

recognises the applicability to a range of contexts (including, in particular, work contexts) of generic skills developed within and alongside research activity.

‘Restricted’ and ‘Extended’ Researchers

5 Ps and Qs

Professionalism


Proximity theory

Quiddity

Quality

Quality Research quality:

rigour analyticism developing theory and theoretical perspectives

Quality gives credibility being taken seriously

‘The academy judges by the theory and scholarship emerging from a particular field and discipline - can’t be helped, that’s the nature of academic discourse and its self-construction. We stand or fall by the weight others attribute to our scholarship’(Chapman, V. L. (2005) Attending to the theoretical landscape in adult education, Adult Education Quarterly, 55(4), 308-312)

5 Ps and Qs

Professionalism


Proximity theory

Quiddity

Quality

Quiddity

The ‘whatness’ of something: what it is substance essence

Construct validity Developing theory ‘We cannot develop theory if we are not

certain what we are talking about.’ (Freidson, E. (1994), Professionalism Reborn: Theory, Prophecy and Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, in association with Blackwell Publishers, p. 15)

Exploring the quiddity of something

Definitional precision defining the concept

Conceptual analyses analysing the concept

Componential structure identifying components and dimensions

Identifying relationships Identifying processes Formulating theoretical models, taxonomies,

etc.

Exploring the quiddity of professional development

Which of the following are examples of professional development?1. A part-time university teacher who is uninterested in research, unimpressed by

research achievement, and is not himself research-active, overhears a conversation in the senior common room in which two colleagues are discussing their recent research findings. Finding these of interest to his non-university work as a practitioner, he joins in the conversation, learns something that he considers to be of value and that he can apply to improve his practice. He becomes less sceptical about and dismissive of research, accepting that it can, indeed, be useful in developing practice. He decides he may like to try his hand at a little action research sometime in the future.

2. A doctoral student attends a workshop on how to use the bibliographic referencing system, Endnote, finds it very helpful, and henceforth uses Endnote for all referencing.

3. An early career academic reads a book on how to win research funding and applies the lessons learned from reading this book to her next funding application. Her application is nevertheless unsuccessful.

4. A senior lecturer in a university observed a colleague teach and picked up ideas for improving his own teaching. He adopted these in next semester’s courses, and student feedback on his teaching was thereafter more positive than it had been.

A doctoral student attends a workshop on how to use the bibliographic referencing system, Endnote, finds it very helpful, and henceforth uses Endnote for all referencing.An early career academic reads a book on how to win research funding and applies the lessons learned from reading this book to her next funding application. Her application is nevertheless unsuccessful.

A senior lecturer in a university observed a colleague teach and picked up ideas for improving his own teaching. He adopted these in next semester’s courses, and student feedback on his teaching was thereafter more positive than it had been.

A part-time university teacher who is uninterested in research, unimpressed by research achievement, and is not himself research-active, overhears a conversation in the senior common room in which two colleagues are discussing their recent research findings.

Finding these of interest to his non-university work as a practitioner, he joins in the conversation, learns something that he considers to be of value and that he can apply to improve his practice.

He becomes less sceptical about and dismissive of research, accepting that it can, indeed, be useful in developing practice.

He decides he may like to try his hand at a little action research sometime in the future.

Attending a training course? Reading relevant literature? Learning new ways of working? Learning new techniques? Observing colleagues? Improving one’s skills? Extending one’s knowledge? Researching one’s own practice – action

research? Reflecting one one’s own practice?

What constitutes professional development?

Conceptual clarity and definitional precision

‘There's glory for you!' [said Humpty Dumpty]'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"' 'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected. 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

Exploring the quiddity of professional development

My current ‘umbrella’ definition: ‘Professional development is the process

whereby people’s professionalism may be considered to be enhanced, with a degree of permanence that exceeds transitoriness.’

Who decides what constitutes enhancement? It’s entirely subjectively determined.

Key components of professionalism

What practitioners do How and why they do it What they know and understand Where and how they acquire their knowledge and

understanding What kinds of attitudes they hold What codes of behaviour they adhere to What purpose(s) they perform What quality of service they provide The level of consistency incorporated into the above

professionalism

rationalisticdimension

comprehensivedimension

epistemologicaldimension

analyticaldimension

intellectualcomponent

proceduraldimension

productivedimension

processualdimension

competentialdimension

behaviouralcomponent

(e)valuativedimension

motivationaldimension

perceptualdimension

attitudinalcomponent

My definition of professionalism

consistent with commonly-held consensual delineations of a specific profession or occupation and that both contributes to and reflects perceptions of the profession’s or occupation’s purpose and status and the specific nature, range and levels of service provided by, and expertise prevalent within, the profession or occupation, as well as the general ethical code underpinning this practice.’Evans, L. (2011) The ‘shape’ of teacher professionalism in England: professional standards, performance management, professional development, and the changes proposed in the 2010 White Paper, British Educational Research Journal, 37 (5), 851-870.

rofessionalism is: ‘work practice that is

professionalism




analyticaldimension


proceduraldimension

productivedimension

processualdimension





perceptualdimension


professional development

rationalisticchange

comprehensivechange

epistemologicalchange

analyticalchange

intellectualdevelopment

proceduralchange

productivechange

processualchange

competentialchange

behaviouraldevelopment

(e)valuativechange

motivationalchange

perceptualchange

attitudinaldevelopment


productivechange

proceduralchange

processualchange

competentialchange


Behavioural development is:

the process whereby people’s professional behaviour or performance are modified with the result that their professionalism or professional practice may be considered to be enhanced, with a degree of permanence that exceeds transitoriness.

Processual change is about change in relation to the processes that constitute people’s practice – how they ‘do’ or ‘go about’ things.

Procedural change relates to changes to procedures within practice.

Productive change refers to change to people’s output: to how much they achieve, produce or ‘do’.

Competential change involves the increase or enhancement of skills and competences.


rationalisticchange

comprehensivechange


analyticalchange


proceduralchange

productivechange

processualchange

competentialchange


evaluativechange

motivationalchange

perceptualchange



evaluativechange

motivationalchange

perceptualchange


Attitudinal development is:

the process whereby people’s work-related attitudes are modified with the result that their professionalism or professional practice may be considered to be enhanced, with a degree of permanence that exceeds transitoriness.

Perceptual change refers to change in relation to people’s perceptions, viewpoints, beliefs and mindsets.

(E)valuative change is about changes to people’s professional- or practice-related values, including the minutiae of what they consider important: i.e. what they value.

Motivational change refers to changes to people’s motivation and levels of job satisfaction and morale.


rationalisticchange

comprehensivechange


analyticalchange


proceduralchange

productivechange

processualchange

competentialchange


evaluativechange

motivationalchange

perceptualchange



rationalisticchange

comprehensivechange


analyticalchange


Intellectual development is:

the process whereby people’s professional-related knowledge, understanding or reflective or comprehensive capacity or competence are modified with the result that their professionalism or professional practice may be considered to be enhanced, with a degree of permanence that exceeds transitoriness.

Epistemological change is change in relation to the bases of what people know or understand and to their knowledge structures.

Rationalistic change is about change relating to the extent of and the nature of the reasoning that people apply to their practice.

Comprehensive change involves the enhancement or increase of people’s knowledge and understanding.

Analytical change refers to change to the degree or nature of the analyticism that people apply to their working lives.


rationalisticchange

comprehensivechange


analyticalchange


proceduralchange

productivechange

processualchange

competentialchange


evaluativechange

motivationalchange

perceptualchange


Two definitions of professional development

Professional development is: the process whereby people’s professionalism may be considered to be enhanced, with a degree of permanence that exceeds transitoriness.

Micro-level development is: the enhancement of individuals’ professionalism, resulting from their acquisition, through a consciously or unconsciously applied mental internalisation process, of professional work-related knowledge and/or understanding and/or attitudes and/or skills and/or competences that, on the grounds of what is consciously or unconsciously considered to be its/their superiority, displace(s) and replace(s) previously-held professional work-related knowledge and/or understanding and/or attitudes and/or skills and/or competences.

The researcher located at the ‘restricted’ extreme of the professionality continuum typically:

The researcher located at the ‘extended’ extreme of the professionality continuum typically:

conducts research that lacks rigour; conducts highly rigorous research;

draws upon basic research skills; draws upon basic and advanced research skills;

fails to develop or extend her/his methodological competence; strives constantly to develop and extend her/his methodological competence;

utilises only established research methods; adapts established research methods and develops methodology;

fails to develop basic research findings; generates and develops theory from research findings;

perceives research methods as tools and methodology as a task-directed, utilitarian process;

perceives research methodology as a field of study in itself;

applies low level analysis to research data; strives constantly to apply deep levels of analysis to research data;

perceives individual research studies as independent and free-standing;

recognises the value of, and utilises, comparative analysis, meta-analysis, synthesis, replication, etc.;

perceives individual research studies as finite and complete; constantly reflects upon, and frequently revisits and refines, his/her own studies;

struggles to criticise literature and others’ research effectively; has developed the skill of effective criticism and applies this to the formulation of his/her own arguments;

publishes mainly in ‘lower grade’ academic journals and in professional journals/magazines;

publishes frequently in ‘high ranking’ academic journals;

is associated mainly with research findings that fall into the ‘tips for practitioners’ category of output;

disseminates ground-breaking theoretical issues and contributes to, and takes a lead in developing, discourse on theory;

perceives research activity as separate and detached from wider contexts requiring interpersonal, organisational and cognitive skills.

recognises the applicability to a range of contexts (including, in particular, work contexts) of generic skills developed within and alongside research activity.

The ‘Restricted’-‘Extended’ Researcher Continuum

researcherprofessionalism




analyticaldimension


proceduraldimension

productivedimension

processualdimension





perceptualdimension


5 Ps and Qs

Professionalism


Proximity theory

Quiddity

Quality

Introducing proximity theory:Amanda’s career agenda

Current job: Senior lecturer in UK

research intensive university

Career goals: Professor Oxbridge Prolific Distinguished

Amanda’s pursuit of her ideal job

Her strategic focus: publications in top, international journals; authored books conference presentations research bids networking research supervision external examination (especially of dissertations) substantive focus of her work correlates with the

priorities of the Oxbridge departments that she’s targeting.

Amanda’s pursuit of her ideal job

She marginalises/avoids: student interaction (especially undergrad.) teaching preparation departmental and faculty meetings administrative jobs responding to policy document drafts, etc. being on campus

The bases of academic practice

What motivates academic practice?

needs?

values?

interests?

identity?

habitus?

The bases of attitudes towards work

What influences: morale? job satisfaction? motivation?

It depends It depends on the individual:

everyone is different heterogeneity within professions/occupational

groups

Proximity theory

There are two distinctive classes of theoretical analysis (Jasso, 1998): speculative thinking formal reasoning

‘discursive’ theorists tend towards the first class; ‘mathematical’ theorists tend towards the second class.

My work represents at least the first. I have made inroads into the second:

framing the speculative thinking as postulates

Proximity theory

The closer one considers oneself currently to be in relation to what one currently considers to be one’s ‘ideal job’, the more positive will be one’s job-related attitudes.

Proximity theory posits that there is a direct correlation between job-related attitudes and perceived proximity of one’s current perceived job situation to one’s current perceived ideal job situation.

Proximity theory ‘The ideal theory is a theory of the operation of a basic

force’ (Jasso, 1998) By this reasoning, as a basic theory, proximity theory

would be described as a theory of human motivation in the work context.

In the more specific context to which I apply it, it becomes a motivational theory of academic practice.

It stems from the axiom of comparison: a wide class of phenomena, including happiness, self-esteem, and

the sense of distributive justice, may be understood as the product of a comparison process

In proximity theory the phenomenon in question is, fundamentally, the conception of oneself-at-work, or professional self-conception.

The comparison element is the comparison between the ‘actual’ and the ‘ideal’, as subjectively perceived.

Proximity theory in relation to Amanda

Not everyone is like Amanda

Some academics or researchers may have no conscious conception of an ideal job.

Their practice is nevertheless still determined by their pursuit of their ideals.

Ideals manifest themselves through preferences and choices.

Preferences in academic and/or research practice

Does an academic prefer: to teach undergraduates or postgraduates?

or neither? to design a new module or write a research bid? to write a research bid or write an article? to be invited to present a keynote address, or to

receive a standing ovation for a lecture s/he has delivered to undergraduates?

to do research alone or in a group?

Preferences in academic and/or research practice

Does an academic prefer: to work on campus or at home? to work close to where s/he lives, or to

commute? to dress smartly or casually to work? to attend staff meetings or to send apologies?

Preferences among early career researchers

Might a doctoral student prefer: To spend a day reading, or a day writing:

or a mixture of the two? To network at the SRHE conference, or to work

quietly in a corner or spend time in the pool?

To attend a university in a big city, or in a quieter spot?

To attend seminars and lectures on campus, or to get on quietly with her/his research?

To focus on finishing her/his thesis, or to write an article for publication?

Minding your Ps and Qs in researching higher education

Clarify the key concepts that your research focuses on.

Consider carefully what they mean to you: their quiddity

Formulate definitions. Or, at least, make clear your interpretations

Avoid simply describing: presenting simplistic or superficial findings

Pursue in-depth analysis. Keep asking yourself, ‘But, why?’

Try to develop theory or theoretical perspectives.

Why bother? ‘Theory is something like physical exercise or taking Vitamin C:

some people are hooked on it, even to excess’ ‘The best days, when I’ve just, sort of, walked six inches off the

ground, it’s just realising something or discovering something that really does happen.’

‘I think that feeling of being “on the edge” of something new, of finding something new, is what satisfies me about the research. think it’s exciting when, if you’re with a team of two or three people, you’ve almost got some kind of reinforcement that what you’re doing is new, novel and is going to inform the debate.’

‘My research has been in two main areas, and I do get a huge amount of satisfaction and excitement from working in those areas. Intellectually, it’s exciting to feel you’re doing things which are new.’

‘Theory is something like physical exercise or taking Vitamin C: some people are hooked on it, even to excess’ ‘The best days, when I’ve just, sort of, walked six inches off the ground, it’s just realising something or discovering something that really does happen.’

‘I think that feeling of being “on the edge” of something new, of finding something new, is what satisfies me about the research. think it’s exciting when, if you’re with a team of two or three people, you’ve almost got some kind of reinforcement that what you’re doing is new, novel and is going to inform the debate.’

‘My research has been in two main areas, and I do get a huge amount of satisfaction and excitement from working in those areas. Intellectually, it’s exciting to feel you’re doing things which are new.’

The ‘Restricted’-‘Extended’ Researcher Continuum

Further readingEvans, L. (2002) Reflective practice in educational research: Developing advanced skills, London, Continuum.

Evans, L. (2015) Professionalism and professional development: what these research fields look like today – and what tomorrow should bring, Hillary Place Papers, 2nd edition (Jan. 2015). http://hpp.education.leeds.ac.uk/files/2013/11/HPP2015-2-Evans.pdf

Evans, L. & Cosnefroy, L. (2013) The dawn of a new academic professionalism in the French academy? Academics facing the challenges of imposed reform, Studies in Higher Education, 38 (8), 1201-1221.

Evans, L. (2012) Leadership for researcher development: What research leaders need to know and understand, Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, 40 (4), 432-435.

Evans, L. (2011) The scholarship of researcher development: mapping the terrain and pushing back boundaries, International Journal for Researcher Development, 2 (2), 75-98.

http://hpp.education.leeds.ac.uk/files/2013/11/HPP2015-2-Evans.pdf

http://hpp.education.leeds.ac.uk/files/2013/11/HPP2015-2-Evans.pdf

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