Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The purpose of this study was to collect information of career history, earnings, qualifications and attitudes of British university teachers and to ascertain their perceptions of and attitudes towards higher education, politics and social issues.
Main Topics:
Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Type of university, subject, status, date of first appointment and each successive grade, number of years in grade. Type of institution (for each appointment), nature of post and source of funding, tenure. Details of applications made for other posts, experience of work in a non-university post. Full details of most recent non-university post, number of universities in which respondent has held full-time posts, details of posts held overseas. Financial situation of respondents and source of earned income (salary, allowances, expenses, benefits, additional payment, payments for examination work or supervision outside university). Single most time-consuming activity. Main subject of specialisation, number of first degrees obtained (subject, university, class, year of completion). Attitude to: short part-time courses for staff; teacher training courses for university teachers. Proposed course of action to deal with an increase in potential entrants to university and expected effect on standard of undergraduate work. Single most likely occupation if not in university employment. Comparison of academic work with other employment for a variety of criteria. Whether ever considered leaving academic life permanently, date of most recent occasion, whether active steps taken. Factors influencing decision in choice of another academic post. Comparison of financial situation in relation to the overall (dis)advantages of the profession with that in other types of employment or work abroad. Attitude to pay differentials. Respondents were asked to place a range of posts (with differing grades and at different universities) in order of preference. Opinion on most important qualities of a good undergraduate teacher/a good professor. Attitude to assessment of lecturers' teaching performance following appointment, type of assessment preferred and use of information. Opinion on a proportion of the university salary bill being allocated to members of staff for special merit. Whether respondent had been actively involved in promotion recommendations or committees, use of efficiency bar in respondent's department. Type of handicaps to research respondent had experienced, opinion on value of published work versus teaching ability for promotion. Respondents were asked to rate resources and services available to them. Opinion on: present number of administrators in university; amount of influence academic staff/non-professional academic staff should hold on management of university. Attitude to and opinion of outside work in relation to personal aspirations. Respondents were asked to agree/disagree with a number of statements about university teaching and policy towards students. Attitude to expansion of non-university forms of higher education, formal teaching commitment during Lent term, preferences for amount of time spent on various aspects of work. Most important factors which led respondent to embark on a university career, main disappointments and alternatives considered, reasons for working abroad. Opinion on: useful methods of assessing performance of individual teacher, main factors taken into account in promotion. Perception of differences between university and polytechnics, policies towards student unrest respondent would like to see implemented, effect student unrest has had on respondent's attitude or action towards students. Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, number of children, spouse's occupation and hours of work, parents' full-time occupations when respondent began secondary education. Qualifications (professional, diplomas, doctorates). Details of trade union/professional association membership, political affiliation.
One-stage stratified or systematic random sample
stratified by staff grades
Postal questionnaire (main sample) Oral interview (sub-sample)
