Recognising & enhancing Teaching-focussed colleagues' contributions to research culture

This project aims to recognise and enhance the contributions of teaching-focused colleagues to research culture within the Social Sciences at the University of Warwick. Despite growing awareness of the need to recognise often overlooked contributors to research culture, and the fact that teaching-focussed colleagues constitute a significant proportion of academic staff (Nyamapfene, 2018), teaching-focused colleagues remain largely absent from research culture discussions. This omission reflects a longstanding structural divide in UK higher education between teaching and research, one that many have sought to bridge but which has yet to be meaningfully addressed in the research culture space.

By investigating the experiences, aspirations, and contributions of teaching-focused staff, this project seeks both to address this gap and to ensure that these colleagues feel a sense of belonging within the research environment.

Phase 1 involves qualitative data collection via up to five focus groups with teaching-focussed colleagues across the Social Sciences at Warwick. This ensures their voices are heard, their expertise recognised, and their development needs accurately articulated. The resulting evidence will inform strategic planning in the Faculty, and particularly within SELCS which has a large number of teaching-focussed colleagues. It will directly contribute to the development of a new Scholarship Strategy and Research Culture Strategy in the School.

Phase 2 will translate these findings into a tailored developmental event (or series of events) for teaching-focussed colleagues, depending on identified needs. This may include sessions on navigating scholarship, accessing research networks, building communities of practice, or strengthening scholarly identities. The event(s) will be advertised Faculty-wide and aim to be both practically useful and symbolically significant, demonstrating that teaching-focussed colleagues are full participants in research culture.

Phase 3 ensures dissemination and legacy. The project will produce a short report, which will be disseminated. Findings will inform future strategy and support the development of new structures or mechanisms for teaching-focussed colleagues.