The research-teaching nexus in the sciences : scientific research dispositions and teaching practice
Rijst, R.M. van der
Citation
Rijst, R. M. van der. (2009, September 23). The research-teaching nexus in the sciences : scientific research dispositions and teaching practice. ICLON PhD Dissertation Series. Leiden. Retrieved from
https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14011
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University of Leiden
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Table of contents
1. General introduction 13
1.1 Introduction 13
1.2 The research‐teaching nexus 14
1.2.1 Higher education and society 14
1.2.2 Studies on the integration of research in teaching 15
1.3 Teaching in higher education 17
1.3.1 Higher education as a separate field of research 17
1.3.2 Research on teaching in secondary education 19
1.4 Relevance of the studies 21
1.4.1 Scientific research dispositions in university education 21 1.4.2 Tangible and intangible elements of the research‐teaching nexus 22 1.4.3 Teachers’ intentions and approaches to teaching 22 1.4.4 Students’ perceptions of learning environments 23
1.5 Context and research questions 24
1.5.1 Research context 24
1.5.2 Research questions 24
1.6 Outline of the thesis 26
2. Exploring scientific research disposition from the perspective of academics 31
2.1 Introduction 32
2.1.1 Scientific research dispositions in literature 32
2.1.2 Nature of science and scientific inquiry 34
2.1.3 Context and research question 36
2.2 Methods 36
2.2.1 Participants 36
2.2.2 Procedure 37
2.2.3 Qualitative analysis of interview data 39
2.2.4 Quantitative analysis of codes 40
2. 3 Results 41
2.3.1 Six aspects of scientific research dispositions 41 2.3.2 Percentage distribution of codes among participants 46 2.3.3 Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis 46 2.3.4 Relationship between clusters and background variables 50
2.4 Conclusions and discussion 51
2.4.1 Scientific research dispositions 51
2.4.2 Implications for research and teaching 54
3. Towards an empirically based notion of the concept of disposition 59
3.1 Introduction 60
3.1.1 Dispositions of substances in modern philosophy 61 3.1.2 Three principles for the concept of disposition 62 3.1.3 Dispositions of subjects in educational research 63
3.1.4 Habitus as a system of dispositions 64
3.1.5 Thinking dispositions 66
3.1.6 Teacher dispositions 67
3.1.7 Research question 68
3.2 Methods 68
3.2.1 Three instruments to assess scientific research dispositions of academics 68
3.2.2 Participants 69
3.2.3 Instrument 1: Semi‐structured open‐ended interview 69
3.2.4 Instrument 2: Hierarchical ordering task 69
3.2.5 Instrument 3: Structured mapping task 70
3.3 Results 74
3.3.1 Results instrument 1: Semi‐structured open‐ended interview 74 3.3.2 Results instrument 2: Hierarchical ordering task 74
3.3.3 Results Instrument 3: Structured mapping task 74
3.4 Conclusions and discussion 78
3.4.1 Differences and similarities between the instruments 78 3.4.2 Implications for an empirically based notion of the concept of disposition 80
3.4.3 Suggestions for further research 81
4. Speech act theory as an instrument to capture university science teachers’
discourse 85
4.1 Introduction 86
4.1.1 Discourse analysis and speech act theory 86
4.1.2 Methods of instruction 88
4.1.3 Approaches to teaching 88
4.1.4 Research questions 89
4.2 Methods 89
4.2.1 Sample and research context 89
4.2.2 Procedure 90
4.2.3 Analysis of teachers’ speech acts 90
4.2.4 Post‐course administration of the ATI 91
4.2.5 Analysis of typical speech act sequences 93
4.3 Results 94
4.3.1 Teachers’ speech acts 94
4.3.2 Typical speech act sequences 98
4.3.3 Groups of typical speech act sequences 98
4.3.4 Characteristics of the typical speech act groups 102
4.4 Conclusions and discussion 103
4.4.1 Assertive and directive speech acts 103
4.4.2 Limitations and suggestions for further research 104
5. Associations between teachers’ intentions and students’ perceptions of the
research intensiveness of learning environments 109
5.1 Introduction 110
5.1.1 Intangible elements in the research‐teaching nexus 111 5.1.2 Modes of integration of disciplinary research into teaching 111 5.1.3 Students’ perceptions of the research intensiveness of learning environments 114
5.1.4 Research question 115
5.2 Methods 115
5.2.1 Sample 115
5.2.2 Procedure 116
5.2.3 Interview about teachers’ intentions 117
5.2.4 Student questionnaire on research intensiveness of learning environments 117
5.2.5 Analysis 119
5.3 Results 120
5.3.1 Teaching research‐led courses 121
5.3.2 Teaching research‐tutored courses 122
5.3.3 Teaching research‐oriented courses 122
5.3.4 Teaching research‐based courses 124
5.3.5 Congruence between teachers’ intentions and students’ perceptions 124
5.3.6 Aspects of scientific research disposition 125
5.4 Conclusions and discussion 128
5.4.1 Congruence between teachers’ intentions and students’ perceptions 128 5.4.2 Limitations and suggestions for further research 129
6. General conclusions and discussion 133
6.1 Introduction 133
6.2 Links between research and teaching 133
6.3 Findings with regard to the research questions 135
6.3.1 Research question 1a 135
6.3.2 Research question 1b 135
6.3.3 Research question 2 135
6.3.4 Research question 3a 136
6.3.5 Research question 3b 137
6.3.6 Research question 4 137
6.4 General conclusions 138
6.4.1 Research dispositions of academics 138
6.4.2 Evaluation of research dispositions 138
6.4.3 Teachers’ speech acts 139
6.4.4 Teachers’ intentions regarding research in teaching 139
6.5 Strengths and limitations of the studies 139
6.5.1 Strengths 139
6.5.2 Limitations 141
6.6 Suggestions for further research into higher education 143 6.6.1 Further development of the research instruments 143 6.6.2 Student evaluation of research‐intensive learning environments 145 6.7 Recommendations for teaching practice in higher education 145
6.7.1 Educational policy and consultancy 145
6.7.2 Teaching practice and teacher training 147
6.7.3 Student learning 147
References 149
Summary 165
Samenvatting 173
Publications 183
Curriculum Vitae 187
Dankwoord 189
ICLON PhD dissertation series 191
