Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Future of Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Enriching the Research Culture Among Pracademics
Dr. Lailah Imandin
ABSTRACT:
This study explores the research culture of pracademics at a design school within a private higher education institution, focusing on pivotal areas such as institutional support for research activities, recognition of research achievements, and collaboration among academic staff. The school, being practice-oriented, employs ‘pracademics’ who balance academic and professional responsibilities, creating unique challenges and opportunities for research engagement. A desktop-based thematic analysis was conducted, drawing on secondary data sources including institutional reports, relevant academic literature, and policy documents. These data sources were selected based on their relevance to understanding institutional research practices and their alignment with the study’s objectives. This analysis identifies the main drivers that promote and impede the development of a research culture. While foundational support is offered, there are significant opportunities to heighten recognition and diversify collaboration to enhance the research environment. This study further proposes phased strategies for strengthening a sustainable and dynamic research culture, with a vision to inform broader practices within private higher education. Subsequent phases of this research will employ a mixed methods approach to gain deeper insights into the elements that shape, influence, and drive research culture within the nuanced context of a private higher education school.
keywords: collaboration, design-school, institutional support, practice-oriented, research culture