The Changing Nature of the Academic Profession
About the Project
The Martin Institute, in collaboration with the Centre for Higher Education Policy and Management (CHEMP) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is conducting a project to examine the nature and extent of the changes experienced by the academic profession in recent years. The project explores both the reasons for and the consequences of these changes. It will consider the implications of the changes for the attractiveness of the academic profession as a career and for the ability of the academic community to contribute to the further development of knowledge societies. The study is the largest ever of its kind, being part of an international comparative study that includes some 20 countries, and is a follow-up to a similar study carried out under the auspices of the US Carnegie Foundation in the early 1990s of which Australia was a part.
A common survey instrument has been developed and will be administered to academic staff in the participating countries during 2007. The survey will be administered on-line. The Australian data set will be incorporated into the larger international data set which will enable international comparisons to be made regarding the changing nature of the academic profession.
Download the Australian Questionnaire
Central questions for the study include:
- To what extent is the nature of academic work changing?
- What are the external and internal drivers of these changes?
- To what extent do changes differ between countries, disciplines, and types of higher education institutions?
- How do the academic professions respond to changes in their external and internal environment?
- What are the consequences for the attractiveness of an academic career?
- What are the consequences for the capacity of academics to contribute to the further development of knowledge societies and the attainment of national goals?