Linking teaching and research: do we? Can we? Should we?

Part of the Linking teaching and research across the disciplines project

Claims have been made that linking teaching and research is important to the development of students and results in better learning. Some universities are founded on this idea; others are not. Is there any evidence that such linking does produce better students? Better doctors?

Most studies have looked at whether lecturers' research productivity and teaching effectiveness are correlated and, basically, come up with a zero correlation - some people are good at one or the other; some are good at both; some are probably bad at both. (See Hattie and Marsh, 1996, for a meta-analysis.) But perhaps this is the wrong question. We should be asking whether the students who are involved in, or at least encounter, research in the course of teaching are better prepared for whatever they go on to door get more out of their educational experience.

It has been found that exposing students to research makes them more likely to consider doing research themselves which could be important in areas where there is a shortage of researchers in medicine. Also, many people have bemoaned students' lack of ability to critically analyse research papers, a skill they certainly would need to develop to understand research in which they are involved.

The Boyer Commission Report on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University, a report from the US, found that the universities who consider themselves research-led are heavily involved in linking research and teaching. These 125 universities account for only 3 per cent of the total number of institutions of higher learning, but they confer 32 per cent of the baccalaureate degrees, and 56 per cent of the baccalaureates earned by recent recipients of science and engineering doctorates. This would indicate that the exposure the students got as undergraduates seems to have influenced them to continue with their research interests.

But most students will not go into research, including most of our medical students. Is linking research to teaching important for these students' experience? Or is it simply piling more into a crowded curriculum?

We are interested in finding out your thoughts and we hope that you will be willing to contribute to this debate.

To find out more, contact MEDEV, enquiries@medev.ac.uk

References

Boyer Report: http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf/

Hattie, J. and H. W. Marsh (1996). The Relationship Between Research and Teaching: A Meta-Analysis, Review of Educational Research 66: 507-542.