Strengthening the Links Between Research and Teaching: Cultivating Student Expectations of Research-informed Teaching Approaches

This article contributes to the pedagogical literature in drawing on findings from an institutional survey exploring perceptions of research-informed teaching, to examine how links between research and teaching can be suitably strengthened. Whilst the integration of research and teaching in higher education can provide valuable ways
of enhancing the student learning experience, establishing such integrative links can be complex and problematic given different practices and levels of understanding. Definitions of ‘research-informed’ teaching indicate variations with respect to the active involvement of students in research that can be compounded by
disciplinary traditions. The survey provided an indication of the extent to which research-informed teaching was practised at the University of Birmingham and thus an insight into understanding and practices. In particular, it offered insights into the ways in which research-informed
teaching relationships were interpreted and embedded within
disciplines, the barriers/difficulties to linking research and teaching and the perceived impact on the student learning experience. The findings suggest that understanding with respect to research-informed teaching
was variable, with a lack of understanding among students of precisely what it constitutes identified as being a key issue. In this paper we discuss the type of approaches that could support more active student engagement in the curriculum and call for the sharing of more curriculum examples from within the disciplines.