tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/academic-skills-68596/articlesAcademic skills – The Conversation2023-01-23T13:23:09Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1975152023-01-23T13:23:09Z2023-01-23T13:23:09ZOnline racial harassment leads to lower academic confidence for Black and Hispanic students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505447/original/file-20230119-13-j3f6us.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C108%2C5961%2C3899&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students of color become less confident in their academic abilities when they encounter racially demeaning content online.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenager-sending-email-from-smart-phone-in-his-bed-royalty-free-image/537461694?phrase=online%20harassment&adppopup=true">ljubaphoto / Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em> </p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Online racial discrimination or harassment has a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01689-z">negative effect on the academic and emotional well-being</a> of students of color. That is the key finding from a study I published recently in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.</p>
<p>For the study, I surveyed 356 Black and Hispanic teens across the U.S. I analyzed their responses to questions about their social media use and experiences. I also asked about their mental health and beliefs about their academic potential. The adolescents were 16 years old on average.</p>
<p>Girls in this study had on average one to three more social media accounts than boys. Girls reported depression levels that were four points higher than those of boys. This suggests more depressive symptoms among girls. Black teens reported social media activity that was three points greater than that of Hispanic teens. They also reported more online experiences of discrimination – almost 10% more – than their Hispanic counterparts.</p>
<p>Black and Hispanic teens who used social media more were more likely than not to encounter online racial harassment or discrimination, whether as direct victims or observing their racial group or another racial group being demeaned or discredited. <a href="https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/4237/3282">Brendesha Tynes</a>, a researcher at the University of Southern California, describes online discrimination as “disparaging remarks, symbols, images, behaviors that inflict harm through the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.”</p>
<p>Additionally, students who observed more online racial harassment or discrimination suffered more depression and anxiety than those with fewer of these negative online experiences. Higher levels of depression and anxiety undermined Black and Hispanic adolescents’ confidence in their academic abilities. </p>
<p>Students didn’t experience more depression and anxiety only when they personally, or members of their own racial or ethnic group, were targeted. They also experienced more depression and anxiety when they observed other people and racial or ethnic groups being targeted.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>When teens encountered online discrimination during their social media use, they had fewer positive beliefs about their academic skills. This is noteworthy, because if it weren’t for this discrimination, teens who use social media often had more positive perceptions of their academic skills and abilities than those who used less social media.</p>
<p>Online racial discrimination and harassment represents a unique risk for teenagers of color. Not only are they <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/08/15/blacks-more-likely-than-whites-to-see-and-post-race-related-content-on-social-media/">more likely to see and post more race-related content</a>, but when this race-related content is negative it has <a href="https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2015/12/online-racial-discrimination">harmful effects on their mental health, academics and overall behavior</a>.</p>
<p>If society has a better understanding of how online racial discrimination and harassment affects teenagers’ mental health and academic well-being, then schools, parents and youth agencies could be better able to help reduce the harm.</p>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p>My lab and other researchers are conducting studies to determine other effects that online harassment may have on young people of color. For instance, I am currently exploring whether these negative online experiences may influence young people to engage in social and political activism. This includes protests, voting, canvassing, writing to legislators and community organizing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197515/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alvin Thomas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Depression and anxiety often follow when teenagers see or experience racial hostilities online.Alvin Thomas, Assistant Professor, Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellow, University of Wisconsin-MadisonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1513752021-01-10T19:11:50Z2021-01-10T19:11:50ZUnis want research shared widely. So why don’t they properly back academics to do it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377666/original/file-20210107-13-v7ugzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2799%2C1873&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/panel-speaker-on-stage-presenting-vision-1223620837">Life and Times/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Academics are <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/cjhe/2017-v47-n3-cjhe04386/1057102ar/">increasingly expected</a> to share their research widely beyond academia. However, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/leap.1365">our recent study</a> of academics in Australia and Japan suggests Australian universities are still very much focused on supporting the production of scholarly outputs. They offer <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/leap.1365">relatively limited support</a> for researchers’ efforts to engage with the many non-academics who can benefit from our research. </p>
<p>One reason engagement is expected is that government, industry and philanthropic sources fund research. And when academics share their research with the public, industry and policymakers, this engagement is good for the university’s reputation. It can also lead to other benefits such as research funding.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/who-cares-about-university-research-the-answer-depends-on-its-impacts-149817">Who cares about university research? The answer depends on its impacts</a>
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<p>But the work involved in sharing our ideas beyond academia can be diverse and substantial. For example, when we write for The Conversation, it takes time to find credible sources, adopt an appropriate tone, communicate often complex ideas simply and clearly, and respond to editor feedback. We also need to be able to speak to the media about our findings, and respond to public comments when the piece comes out. </p>
<h2>Unis don’t allow for the time it takes</h2>
<p>However, as one respondent said in explaining why they were <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1807477?journalCode=cjfh20">not sharing research with end users beyond academia</a>:</p>
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<p>It’s not recognised by uni. So, when it is not recognised, it means that I don’t have any workload for that, and obviously I’m work-loaded for other stuff, and that means that I don’t actually have enough time to do this. </p>
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<p>Sharing our findings beyond academia isn’t typically seen as part of our academic workload. This is problematic for academics who are already <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/3/e004462.short">struggling to find time</a> to do all the things their complex workload requires of them. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-kpis-on-university-engagement-need-more-thought-78026">Why the KPIs on university engagement need more thought</a>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="woman concentrates as she types on a laptop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">It takes to write an article or engage with non-academics in other ways, but universities typically don’t treat this work as an integral part of academic duties.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/focused-female-customer-working-on-computer-1514779214">Mangostar/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In our research, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">time and workload constraints</a> were the most often-cited barriers to sharing research beyond academia. One respondent said they saw lots of opportunities to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">build partnerships</a> with practitioners in their field, but added:</p>
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<p>[I] just cannot do that, because I’m doing other things that, in my work, are a priority. </p>
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<p>When we spend our time sharing our research with academic readers through journal articles, conference papers and academic books, our employers clearly value and expect these scholarly publications. These works, and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-020-03691-3">how the scholarly community receives them</a>, have more weight in evaluation of our performance. Last year an Australian academic <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/industrial-umpire-lashes-universities-obsessed-with-rankings-and-reputation-20200311-p5495e.html">nearly lost her job</a> for failing to meet a target for scholarly publications. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-universities-for-if-mainly-teaching-can-they-sack-academics-for-not-meeting-research-targets-143091">What are universities for? If mainly teaching, can they sack academics for not meeting research targets?</a>
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<p>Our research found <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346974034_Perspectives_on_institutional_valuing_and_support_for_academic_and_translational_outputs_in_Japan_and_Australia#read">Japan-based academics feel a greater weight of expectations</a> than their Australian counterparts to engage with diverse audiences beyond academia. Universities clearly expect this engagement. Yet they often don’t back it up with support such as workload recognition, resourcing and training. </p>
<p>Universities need to offer better support if they wish to increase academics’ engagement with diverse audiences. They should also consider both the benefits and risks of this engagement.</p>
<h2>Academics see the benefits of sharing research</h2>
<p>The academics we spoke with valued the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">benefits</a> of engaging with diverse audiences. They were pleased to see others putting their research to use. Sharing research often helped to secure funding. </p>
<p>They also saw engagement as an opportunity to learn from end users. This helped ensure their research was responding to real-world needs.</p>
<p>Even very early in their careers, many researchers look to engage with audiences beyond academia. In previous research, we found doctoral candidates may opt for a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2018.1498461">thesis by publication</a> rather than a traditional thesis approach due to their <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2019.1671964?journalCode=cjfh20">desire to share findings</a>. </p>
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<img alt="Doctor and researcher chat about findings" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Engaging with the end users of their research provides valuable feedback for academics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/doctor-talking-pharmaceutical-sales-representative-1662004078">Halfpoint/Shutterstock</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-measuring-research-we-must-remember-that-engagement-and-impact-are-not-the-same-thing-56745">When measuring research, we must remember that 'engagement' and 'impact' are not the same thing</a>
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<h2>What other problems do researchers face?</h2>
<p>The early-career researchers we interviewed noted other barriers and risks in sharing their work with diverse audiences. Universities often did not help with these issues. </p>
<p>They described <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">communication skill gaps</a> when seeking to tailor research content for diverse audiences. For example, the way research is communicated to industry experts needs to be different to how it is shared with governments or the general public. </p>
<p>Researchers may need to learn to communicate their ideas in <a href="https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/leap.1296?af=R">many different forms</a>. They may have to be skilled in producing industry reports, doing television or radio interviews or presenting their findings in professional forums. </p>
<p>Some encountered frustrations when sharing research via the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">bureaucratic processes</a> of government. For example, a respondent explained:</p>
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<p>There’s still that much back and forth because there’s three or four different government departments that are involved in the process and it goes to different people. Some people don’t want it to be changed because they’re vested in the old way of doing things, and then they’ve got to bring ministers up to speed, and then all of a sudden you’re got a new state government that comes in, so that all changes. </p>
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<p>Many felt unprepared to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1807477?journalCode=cjfh20">deal with the media</a>. </p>
<p>One respondent described being cautious about overstating the impact of their research. In their field, they saw messages claiming: “This is the be all and end all. This will cure cancer.” They were “wary of accidentally going down that path and making a claim bigger than is true”.</p>
<p>Respondents also described risks in sharing controversial and sensitive research beyond academia. </p>
<h2>What can universities do?</h2>
<p>For respondents in both Australia and Japan, demanding and diverse workloads crowded out opportunities to share findings. Universities cannot just expect engagement responsibilities to be absorbed into an already swollen workload.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-coronavirus-universities-must-collaborate-with-communities-to-support-social-transition-140541">After coronavirus, universities must collaborate with communities to support social transition</a>
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<p>If universities are serious about supporting the sharing of research beyond academia, they need to recognise these contributions in meaningful ways. For example, Australian academics usually must meet teaching, research and service requirements in their workloads. If sharing research with audiences beyond academia were counted toward service, academics could have this work properly taken into account in performance management and when seeking promotion. </p>
<p>Universities can do better at supporting academics to share their research with the public, industry and government. Improving access to training and mentoring to communicate research findings both in academia and beyond would be an important step forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Margaret Kristin Merga receives funding from the BUPA Health Foundation, the Ian Potter Foundation, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, Edith Cowan University and the Collier Foundation. She is the current inaugural Patron of the Australian School Library Association.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shannon Mason receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.</span></em></p>Researchers will struggle to meet universities’ expectations of engagement beyond academia until this work is better recognised as part of their duties.Margaret Kristin Merga, Senior Lecturer in Education, Edith Cowan UniversityShannon Mason, Assistant Professor, Education, Nagasaki UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1430912020-08-18T20:10:33Z2020-08-18T20:10:33ZWhat are universities for? If mainly teaching, can they sack academics for not meeting research targets?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352833/original/file-20200813-16-1rzi722.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2325%2C1548&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hand-removing-replacing-book-on-library-16575541">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Questions about the purpose of universities have been highly topical lately. Federal <a href="https://ministers.dese.gov.au/tehan/job-ready-graduates-power-economic-recovery">Education Minister Dan Tehan</a> has suggested the purpose of universities is to produce job-ready graduates – preferably in STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) rather than HASS (humanities, arts, social sciences) areas. </p>
<p>This has spurred debate about the purpose of universities. Is it to “<a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6819761/is-it-the-role-of-universities-to-train-young-people-for-jobs/">train young people for jobs</a>” or to “nurture intellectual endeavour and the capacity for expansive conceptual thinking”? Put simply, is the primary focus of universities today meant to be education, or is it both education and research? </p>
<p>There appears to be no national consensus on these questions. </p>
<h2>State laws on universities vary</h2>
<p>One reason may be the lack of consistency in the objectives and functions set out in the different state laws that govern universities. </p>
<p>Former Chief Justice Robert French’s <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/report_of_the_independent_review_of_freedom_of_speech_in_australian_higher_education_providers_march_2019.pdf">recent review</a> of freedom of speech in higher education providers noted this inconsistency. Some university acts, he observed:</p>
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<p>define the university’s functions by reference to the delivery of education, the provision of facilities for learning and research, and encouraging the advancement of knowledge. </p>
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<p>French cited the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014C00377">Australian National University Act 1991 (Cth)</a> as an example of this. Other university acts provide only <a href="https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/UNIVERSITY%20OF%20ADELAIDE%20ACT%201971/CURRENT/1971.41.AUTH.PDF">a single object</a> or <a href="https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/TORRENS%20UNIVERSITY%20AUSTRALIA%20ACT%202013/CURRENT/2013.43.AUTH.PDF">none at all</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-and-university-reforms-put-at-risk-australias-research-gains-of-the-last-15-years-141452">Coronavirus and university reforms put at risk Australia's research gains of the last 15 years</a>
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<p>The High Court of Australia alluded to the lack of clarity resulting from this inconsistency in a 1982 case, <a href="https://staging.hcourt.gov.au/assets/publications/judgments/1982/050--THE_QUEEN_v._McMAHON;_Ex_parte_DARVALL--(1982)_151_CLR_57.html">Queen v McMahon; ex parte Darvall</a>. It considered the general functions of universities to include education, research and the maintenance of intellectual standards and integrity. </p>
<h2>The case of Zhao v UTS</h2>
<p>More attention needs to be paid to the legislation governing universities when considering their purpose. The recent case of <a href="https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/html/pdf/2020fwc416.pdf">Zhao v University of Technology Sydney</a> (UTS) illustrates the consequences of failing to consider this legislation. The Fair Work Commission instead opined about the purpose of a university and the primary working focus of its staff. </p>
<p>Zhao v UTS related to the dismissal of a business academic in mid-2019. UTS dismissed her for alleged unsatisfactory performance because she had failed to meet its research publication requirements. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="UTS Business School building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352835/original/file-20200813-14-aqizmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">UTS Business School essentially dismissed the academic for failing to have at least one research article published in a high-ranked journal over a two-year period.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sydney-nsw-australia-february-10-2020-1766597432">Shahram Babakhanian/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>She sued for unfair dismissal at the Fair Work Commission and won. In his <a href="https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/html/pdf/2020fwc416.pdf">March 2020 decision</a>, the commission’s deputy president, Peter Sams, made some contentious observations on the purpose of universities. </p>
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<p>[…] in my humble opinion, the teaching of future generations of tertiary qualified students of all ages is the primary purpose of a first-class university.</p>
<p>[…] achieving the top research rankings and reputation […] may tend to distract from the focus of providing a quality learning experience for students. </p>
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<p>His reasoning appeared to be that the academic had performed satisfactorily in her teaching. There was no evidence she was failing in her administrative duties, which meant she was satisfactorily performing the majority of her job. This made it “difficult conceptually and rationally” to conclude that her performance was unsatisfactory overall, warranting dismissal. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-have-gone-from-being-a-place-of-privilege-to-a-competitive-market-what-will-they-be-after-coronavirus-137877">Universities have gone from being a place of privilege to a competitive market. What will they be after coronavirus?</a>
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</p>
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<p>Sams did not, however, make any reference to the <a href="https://beta.legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1989-069">University of Technology Sydney Act 1989 (NSW)</a>. The act expressly states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The object of the University is the promotion, within the limits of the University’s resources, of scholarship, research, free inquiry, the interaction of research and teaching, and academic excellence. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Commissioners divided on appeal</h2>
<p>UTS <a href="https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/html/pdf/2020fwcfb3571.pdf">sought to appeal the decision</a>. Ruling on the university’s application, three Fair Work commissioners were split 2:1 as to whether Sam’s observations on the purpose of universities were “merely general observations” or formed part of his reasoning. </p>
<p>In their joint decision, Vice President Joseph Catanzariti and Commissioner Leigh Johns labelled his observations three times as “unhelpful”. They found, however, that these were “inconsequential musings” and not the critical “driving part” of the reasoning for the decision. They refused permission to appeal. </p>
<p>As they formed the majority, the decision that UTS had unfairly dismissed the academic stands. </p>
<p>Deputy President Alan Colman strongly disagreed. He considered the observations on the purpose of universities to be “highly relevant […] expressions of opinion”. He would have granted permission to appeal on the basis that UTS had not been heard on the purpose of the university and thus had been denied procedural fairness. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Front of Fair Work Commission building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/352838/original/file-20200814-20-1llw4wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Fair Work Commission’s failure to consider the University of Technology Sydney Act 1989 (NSW) in its decision was a striking omission.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-vicaustraliasept-9th-2018-sign-fair-1417088552">Shuang Li/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Universities still waiting for clarity</h2>
<p>The case has left universities uncertain about their ability to manage the performance of staff who are not meeting research expectations. </p>
<p>Can a university justifiably dismiss an academic whose teaching performance is satisfactory but whose research is non-existent or inadequate? Or is the university obliged to retain the academic, although it has the power to transfer them to a teaching-focused position? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-governments-funding-changes-are-meddling-with-the-purpose-of-universities-141133">The government's funding changes are meddling with the purpose of universities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If the primary focus of a university is said to be teaching, as Sams suggested, a decision to dismiss an incompetent teacher may be reasonable, irrespective of their research performance. </p>
<p>Universities are likely waiting with anticipation to see if UTS takes the case to the Federal Court. We can only hope that if the court considers the purpose of universities relevant to the case, it gives some regard to the University of Technology Sydney Act 1989 (NSW).</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143091/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Narrelle Morris has received funding from the Australia Research Council, the National Archives of Australia and the National Library of Australia.She supports the view that the purpose of universities is teaching and research and that HASS areas are just as important to Australia's future as STEM areas.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pnina Levine does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Legislation governing universities varies from one to the other, often leaving their purpose undefined. But it certainly matters when determining an academic’s duties in an unfair dismissal case.Pnina Levine, Lecturer in Law, Curtin Law School, Curtin UniversityNarrelle Morris, Senior Lecturer, Curtin Law School, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1364822020-04-17T13:25:02Z2020-04-17T13:25:02ZPoliticians and scientists need strong connections during the coronavirus crisis — and beyond<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328493/original/file-20200416-192731-c1nhpx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C40%2C3836%2C2626&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Chrystia Freeland have relied heavily on the science-based advice of Chief Medical Officer Theresa Tam during the coronavirus pandemic.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The reaction of governments to the coronavirus pandemic perfectly illustrates the importance of maintaining strong links between the scientific and political communities.</p>
<p>Federal and provincial political leaders in Canada are working closely with scientific experts to slow the spread of the infection, combat misinformation and respond quickly and effectively.</p>
<p>Sadly, we have also seen in some cases the harm that weakening the role of science in policy-making can cause. </p>
<p>Whether in times of crisis or not, the constructive integration of scientific evidence into political decision-making strengthens policy initiatives, improves the quality of debate and leads to robust, cost-effective and successful outcomes for society.</p>
<p>Despite the importance of science in society — and we mean science in its broadest sense, including the natural, health and social sciences — there is a considerable gap between the scientific and political spheres.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/eclipse-of-reason-why-do-people-disbelieve-scientists-81068">This gap is widening in the current “post-truth” era</a>, where the role of science has become weakened in many public institutions, and is often discredited to the benefit of vested and financed interests. It is also increasingly difficult for policy-makers to navigate the growing quantity and variety of scholarly research and evaluate its validity. </p>
<p>In order to make full use of our knowledge resources, we need researchers from all disciplines to engage with the policy-making process. However, researchers are underrepresented in politics and governance worldwide. Canada is no exception. A recent analysis has revealed that <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2019/11/28/do-we-have-enough-scientists-in-parliament/">scientific disciplines are strongly underrepresented within the current Parliament</a>.</p>
<h2>Why aren’t more scientists in politics?</h2>
<p>Scientists have often been portrayed as looking down from an ivory tower and many researchers still perceive science as outside of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02379-w">or “above” politics and everyday life</a>. However, <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2084">a growing number of scientists worldwide recognize the need for public engagement</a> and involvement in the policy-making process to ensure that society can take the maximum benefit from the knowledge that science generates.</p>
<p>Why then do so few scientists run for office or engage with policy-makers? </p>
<p>One key problem is that <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2084">engaging in government policy is not well rewarded by academic institutions</a>. Given heavy demands on researchers’ time, it can be difficult to justify activities that <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/if-you-love-research-academia-may-not-be-you">are not typically recognized as benchmarks of academic achievement by research institutions or funding agencies</a>. </p>
<p>In addition to a lack of professional motivation, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02831-3">few scientists know how to communicate effectively with politicians</a>, provide valuable and timely input to policy questions or <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/want-get-politician-listen-science-here-s-some-advice">connect with government representatives</a>. While Canadian policy-makers rely on parliamentary committees to review and use scientific evidence, academics are largely unaware of the committee process or how to get involved.</p>
<h2>Science meets Parliament</h2>
<p>We were privileged to be among the scientists who participated in Canada’s inaugural <a href="https://academic.oup.com/spp/article/doi/10.1093/scipol/scz062/5710706">Science Meets Parliament</a> in November 2018.</p>
<p>This non-partisan event brought together academics and policy-makers to promote a mutual understanding of their respective roles and to build new relationships between the two communities. Based on <a href="https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/science-meets-parliament/">a model founded in Australia</a> more than 20 years ago, the <a href="https://sciencepolicy.ca/en">Canadian Science Policy Centre</a> and Mona Nemer, <a href="https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_97646.html">Canada’s Chief Science Advisor</a>, partnered to co-ordinate this two-day program on Parliament Hill.</p>
<p>Science Meets Parliament included workshops where scientists discussed methods for effective communication, the structure of government and legislative processes, national science-related policy issues and methods to assist MPs and senators to advance evidence-informed policy.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/328468/original/file-20200416-192762-jhalsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Participants in the first meeting of the ‘Science Meets Parliament’ program with Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Canadian Science Policy Centre)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Building on our experience from Science Meets Parliament, we are proposing six recommendations for improving science-policy relationships in Canada. </p>
<h2>1. Integrate public policy communication into academic training</h2>
<p>Effective communications with policy-makers is a key skill that researchers must develop if they are to facilitate the incorporation of science into policy. Yet this element is missing from most graduate programs and faculty training. </p>
<p>We contend that including policy communication skill development into professional training will provide the current and future generations of scientists with the tools necessary to engage with policy-makers. </p>
<h2>2. Develop incentives for policy engagement</h2>
<p>Researchers have identified the lack of professional incentives for policy engagement as an important reason why a gap exists between science and policy.</p>
<p>We recommend that universities and granting agencies view policy input, such as briefing notes or committee testimony, as valid research outputs and service for the purposes of promotion and funding applications. Additionally, to streamline faculty engagement with the policy process, public outreach offices could monitor parliamentary committee agendas and alert researchers to opportunities to contribute their expertise.</p>
<h2>3. Establish and support forums for public engagement training</h2>
<p>We applaud efforts to establish <a href="https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/canadian-science-policy-fellowship">Canadian Science Policy Fellowships</a> and <a href="https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Promoter-Promotion/ScienceComm_eng.asp">funding opportunities for scientists to participate in training activities</a> focusing on public communication skills. </p>
<p>Science Meets Parliament has demonstrated the potential to grow into a major capacity builder in this area. Starting with a <a href="https://sciencepolicy.ca/smp-2020">second edition planned for the fall</a>, we recommend funding this program on an annual basis to continue introducing scientists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds to the policy-making process.</p>
<h2>4. Create a research chair at the Chief Science Advisor’s office</h2>
<p>We propose the creation of visiting research chairs within the office of the Chief Science Advisor. This would allow scientists to learn and develop new strategies for integrating science into politics. This position could take the form of internships lasting from four months to one year for researchers who participated in the Science Meets Parliament program.</p>
<h2>5. Establish science literacy opportunities for Parliamentarians</h2>
<p>Parliamentarians should be offered more opportunities to enhance their science literacy through campus and community visits, targeted training and workshops, <a href="https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/pairing-scheme/">or pairing with scientists</a>. These would enhance understanding of the scientific landscape in Canada, including how to access credible information from the scientific community. Access to relevant scientific information could also be facilitated by collaboration between academic researchers and analysts from the <a href="https://hillnotes.ca/">Library of Parliament, which publishes a research document called HillNotes</a>.</p>
<h2>6. Extend Science Meets Parliament to other levels of government</h2>
<p>In Canada, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/intergovernmental-affairs/services/federation/distribution-legislative-powers.html">legislative powers are distributed among the federal and provincial/territorial governments</a>, and in co-ordination with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation communities. While the municipalities report directly to the provinces, they often have the most direct relationships to local residents. Strong links between scientists, Indigenous leaders and members of municipal councils and provincial legislative assemblies are therefore equally important as links with federal legislators.</p>
<p>Both scientists and policy-makers considered the inaugural Science Meets Parliament event highly successful. We hope the lessons learned can be applied to strengthen the program in order to foster a robust culture of science in Canadian public life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136482/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dominique Robert receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adam T. Ford receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde receives funding from the Canada Research Chair program and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda J. Moehring receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angela Kaida receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs program, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Grand Challenges Canada, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Arjun Krishnaswamy receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Canada Research Chairs Program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine L. Mah holds funding from the Canada Research Chairs program, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cole Burton receives funding from funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation, Mitacs, and British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erin Bertrand holds funding from the Canada Research Chair Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the New Frontiers in Research Fund, the Ocean Frontier Institute and the Simons Foundation</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heather Sparling holds funding from the Canada Research Chairs program and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She has received funding from several Nova Scotia government grants at various points.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jackie Dawson receives funding from SSHRC, ArcticNet, MEOPAR.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kin Chan receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs program, SSHRC, NSERC, and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mary A De Vera receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Arthritis Society, the Canadian Initiative for Outcomes in Rheumatology Care, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meghan Azad receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Research Manitoba, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Manitoba Children’s Hospital Foundation, Prolacta Biosciences, Mitacs, and the Garfield G. Weston Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sheldon Williamson receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program, the Natural Sciences and engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the Ontario Centers of Excellence (OCE), MITACS, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), NSERC Discovery Grants Program , and the NSERC Alliance program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Waterman receives funding from the Canada Research Chair Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the New Frontiers in Research Fund, MITACS, Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation ( CFI) and the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trushar R. Patel receives funding from the Canada Research Chair program, Alberta Innovates, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery program and Canada Foundation for Innovation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Valorie A. Crooks receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and the Canada Research Chairs Secretariat. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jiaying Zhao et Matt McTaggart ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.</span></em></p>The effective integration of science into policy-making improves legislation and leads to effective solutions for society — and not only during times of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic.Dominique Robert, Professeur et Chaire de recherche du Canada en écologie halieutique, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)Adam T. Ford, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of British ColumbiaAlbrecht Schulte-Hostedde, Professor - Applied Evolutionary Ecology, Laurentian UniversityAmanda J. Moehring, Professor of Genetics, Western UniversityAngela Kaida, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Perspectives in HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health, Simon Fraser UniversityArjun Krishnaswamy, Assistant Professor, McGill UniversityCatherine L. Mah, Canada Research Chair in Promoting Healthy Populations, Dalhousie UniversityCole Burton, Canada Research Chair in Terrestrial Mammal Conservation, University of British ColumbiaErin Bertrand, Assistant Professor of Biology, Dalhousie UniversityHeather Sparling, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology; Canada Research Chair in Musical Traditions, Cape Breton UniversityJackie Dawson, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Geomatics, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaJiaying Zhao, Associate Professor, Psychology, University of British ColumbiaKin Chan, Assistant Professor in Biochemistry, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaMary A De Vera, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British ColumbiaMatt McTaggart, Assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of CanadaMeghan Azad, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of ManitobaSheldon Williamson, Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering, and Canada Research Chair, Ontario Tech UniversityStephanie Waterman, Assistant Professor, Physical Oceanography, University of British ColumbiaTrushar R. Patel, Assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Canada Research Chair, University of LethbridgeValorie A. Crooks, Full Professor, Department of Geography, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1134692019-03-31T13:15:16Z2019-03-31T13:15:16ZTo help students overcome setbacks, they need to develop ‘academic buoyancy’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/266234/original/file-20190328-139380-f6arxz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C186%2C5176%2C2506&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Commitment, co-ordination and control are part of academic buoyancy. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Teachers, parents, and academics have become increasingly concerned about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-mental-health-crisis-among-americas-youth-is-real-and-staggering-113239">increase of mental health distress in students</a>. Many schools have begun to address this issue by focusing on building student resilience.</p>
<p>Academic resilience is a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03054980902934639">person’s ability to respond effectively to long-term academic challenges</a>, such as chronic underachievement. Australian psychologists Andrew Martin and Herbert Marsh proposed that building students’ <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022440507000131">academic buoyancy</a> is one way to help promote long term resilience. </p>
<p>Academic buoyancy is the ability of students to rebound from daily setbacks that are a normal part of schooling, such as a poor grade on a test, negative feedback from a teacher or being cut from a sports team. </p>
<p>Over my 19-year teaching career, I have worked with many buoyant — and many “drowning” — students. I noticed that certain students bounced back from daily challenges better than others. This observation led me to research resilience for both my graduate education degrees. </p>
<p>Buoyant children and youth recognise that the daily setbacks associated with school are temporary and non-threatening. A failing grade does not endanger long-term success and even final year end tests can be re-done. Critical feedback in school is a necessary part of learning, not the end of the world.</p>
<p>Academic buoyancy has been linked to another psychological construct – <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0734282907313767">workplace buoyancy</a>. Students who are able to rebound effectively from daily school-based challenges are also better equipped to face workplace challenges.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/266412/original/file-20190328-139374-1eq4jlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Buoyant ships also need guidance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Regardless of the profession, employees and employers face uncertainty and stressful situations they need to deal with effectively each day.</p>
<p>Buoyant adults are persistent, feel control over their professional growth and are confident in their ability to execute their daily tasks. They effectively plan ahead to meet deadlines. Adults who are effective members of the workforce have practised these skills during their school years.</p>
<p>What can educators and parents do to help children deal with daily setbacks in school and navigate everyday stress? </p>
<h2>Sail through life with the ‘five Cs’</h2>
<p>Academic buoyancy can be built by addressing all of the “five Cs:” <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/000709910X486376">composure, confidence, commitment, control and coordination</a>. </p>
<h2><em>1. Composure</em></h2>
<p>Anxiety can strip students of the calm, confident mindset that they need to successfully meet daily academic challenges. Children experiencing anxiety become very focused on their belief <a href="https://www.anxietycanada.com/parenting/generalized-anxiety-disorder">that they are in danger</a>, and rather than listening to instruction or reviewing skills, they are constantly looking for evidence their fear is justified. </p>
<p>Research into academic buoyancy has revealed that more buoyant students are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608013000812">generally less anxious</a>.</p>
<h2><em>2. Confidence</em></h2>
<p>Confidence is a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608012001057">student’s belief in their own competence in a subject area</a>. </p>
<p>For example, if a student believes that mathematics is their strength, then they will see a low math score on a quiz as a temporary problem that can be fixed through review. If they see themselves as incompetent in math, they may see a low score as a reflection of their inability instead of as a prompt to practise more. </p>
<p>Endless rote practice of skills or memorization of basic facts is less effective for building student confidence than having a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10984-013-9151-9">positive relationship with a teacher who has set high expectations</a> for achievement or who provides students with a <a href="https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1877042815040550?token=7AAB617E6A15CEC224F6EADF95E9BC893D31901621F18458CCF5E560BD62850E45D81062B7B8648309E4A296AB2AC600">realistic sense of their capabilities</a>. </p>
<h2><em>3. Commitment</em></h2>
<p>Commitment relates to a <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=-25QCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Better+than+OK:+Helping+young+people+to+flourish+at+school+and+beyond&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-tcml2qPhAhVIRqwKHdg2AS8Q6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Better%20than%20OK%3A%20Helping%20young%20people%20to%20flourish%20at%20school%20and%20beyond&f=false">child’s persistence to complete a task</a>.</p>
<p>Buoyant children and youth understand that successful learning requires time and effort. They also understand that a failure in the present does not predict failure in the future, so they welcome feedback from expert educators on how they can improve. </p>
<p>Playing board games can help <a href="https://theconversation.com/boost-kids-skills-and-memories-with-weekly-game-night-109386">children by both developing skills and persistence</a>. If the intent is to improve reading and writing, playing word games (such as Scrabble, Bananagrams and Quiddler) with an adult can help students with both spelling and remembering words.</p>
<h2><em>4. Control</em></h2>
<p>Children and youth need to believe that they can achieve better outcomes in the future, and that they have the ability to overcome daily challenges. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjep.12066">Because their future learning is under their own control</a>, a low grade or critical feedback does not impact their ability to improve their overall achievement.</p>
<p>Children and youth who feel control over their ability to learn recognise that having a low grade can be remedied through changing their approach to studying or meeting with their teacher to gain deeper understanding into the course concepts.</p>
<p>Those students who feel that they lack control might not take the necessary steps to improve their grades because they attribute their failure to an external force. Rather than seeking ways to improve their understanding of a topic, they might blame their parents, the teacher or the educational system for their failure to thrive.</p>
<h2><em>5. Co-ordination</em></h2>
<p>Buoyant children and youth have learned strategies to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03054980902934639">manage their time</a> and plan ahead to complete school assignments or tests. Learning to break down larger or difficult assignments into smaller tasks, with daily deadlines for completion, is a key life skill.</p>
<p>Educators and parents can role model co-ordination skills by teaching <a href="https://udlresource.ca/2017/12/backward-design/">backward design planning</a>. </p>
<p>I have embraced this instructional design while teaching in my own university classes, after learning through experience that students can be fantastic procrastinators who wait until days before a deadline to start major assignments. </p>
<p>To help my students create stronger submissions, I now create assignments with progressive deadlines that eventually lead up to the final due date. This kind of assessment aims to <a href="https://theconversation.com/kindergarten-classes-are-too-big-for-teachers-to-effectively-assess-students-113709">to boost students’ self-regulation</a>.</p>
<p>For example, if I have assigned an essay, then I will create deadlines for brainstorming, research, outlining, rough draft, feedback and then the final copy for grading. As a result of deliberately breaking down each aspect of the writing process for the students, I have found the quality of writing my students produce is significantly better. </p>
<h2>Tugboat parents and educators</h2>
<p>In a time of <a href="https://theconversation.com/helicopter-or-hands-off-todays-parents-cant-seem-to-win-43023">helicopter</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/snowplow-helicopter-medieval-parenting-advice-for-the-ages-29850">snowplow</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/bulldozer-parents-creating-psychologically-fragile-children-32730">bulldozer relationships</a>
between children and adults, perhaps tugboat parenting can be the next trend. The sturdy tugboat guides, nudges and — only when necessary — pulls the ship to shore. </p>
<p>Daily stress exists for students. By building buoyancy, children and youth can ride the turbulent waves instead of being crushed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113469/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Astrid Helene Kendrick is affiliated with the Health and Physical Education Council of the Alberta Teachers Association. She is also the voluntary co-chair of the Health Promoting Schools Collaborative. </span></em></p>How can parents and educators assist children and youth with dealing with everyday challenges and stresses?Astrid H. Kendrick, Contract Instructor/Literacy Teacher, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.