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Valerie Anderson, University of Portsmouth Richard Atfield HEA BMAF Network

'Win, Win, Win’: Can support for new academics be improved through collaborative appreciative enquiry?. Valerie Anderson, University of Portsmouth Richard Atfield HEA BMAF Network Higher Education Academy Annual Conference 2010. Context.

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Valerie Anderson, University of Portsmouth Richard Atfield HEA BMAF Network

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  1. 'Win, Win, Win’:Can support for new academics be improved through collaborative appreciative enquiry? Valerie Anderson, University of Portsmouth Richard Atfield HEA BMAF Network Higher Education Academy Annual Conference 2010

  2. Context • Subject Centres have a remit which includes to support new career academics (NCAs). • PGCert programmes “may not be adequate for business school purposes.” (Francis 2006) • “Engagement with T&L is primarily through the disciplines.” (ALTC 2007) • ‘Business’ subjects recruit 1000+ new academics each year • Appreciative inquiry seen as a way forward in this context

  3. Presentation aims and objectives • To evaluate the use and contribution of appreciative inquiry to: • Explore existing support and development for New Business Academics (NBAs) • Evaluate the learning needs and priorities of NBAs • Enhance provision and practice at departmental, institutional and discipline levels

  4. Appreciative Inquiry “A distinctive approach to Action Research”(Huang, 2010) • Premise • ‘Deficit’ views constrain practice improvement and knowledge creation (Ludema, 2001) • Highlight the positive in order to achieve positive change (Rogers and Fraser, 2003) • A collaborative approach that aims to: • Find the best of ‘what is’ • Establish what ‘might be’ • Enable consent about ‘what should be’ • Foster experience of ‘what can be’ (Cooperider and Srivastva, 1987)

  5. Why Appreciative Inquiry? • Previous experience where a ‘problem-focused’ project had restricted access to HEIs. • Previous experience of using AI in another setting (NHS). • Positive interest by members of project steering group. • Positive attitude attractive to HEIs at both pilot and main project stages

  6. Data access and intended outputs • Identify NBA characteristics through HESA Data • Gain access to purposive sample of HEIs with: • Involvement of business school and academic / educational developers • Access for interviews with senior staff, PGCert lead and NBAs • Collaborative participation of ‘paired’ HEIs. • Intended outputs • Encourage participating HEIs to share and enhance development opportunities for NBAs • Adjust BMAF activities to focus on aspects best provided nationally and across the subject disciplines • Disseminate in appropriate ways to encourage positive change in the sector

  7. Project process • Pilot study (2 HEIs) – April to November 2008 • Selection of 6 (from 14) further HEIs • HEI ‘pairs’ and data protocols agreed – January 2009 • Data gathering and initial analysis; feedback to paired HEIs – Feb to May 2009 • Knowledge sharing; further discussion / analysis and action planning involving all participating HEIs – June 2009

  8. Participating HEIs * Russell Group; ** Million +; *** 1994 group; **** University Alliance

  9. Questions and frameworks • Data gathering • Contextual questions • What are the most useful / beneficial things about your experience / support processes etc? • What are the challenges / frustrations? • Describe your experiences • Reporting • Context • Reflection on data gathering process • Assessment of the most useful features • Indication of the frustrations • Description of good practice

  10. The Practice of Appreciative Inquiry The main activities, steps and applications of AIthat are uniquely different in each situation • The 5 Generic Processes • Choose the positive as the focus of inquiry • Inquire into stories of life-giving forces • Locate themes that appear in stories and select topics for further inquiry • Create shared images for a preferred future • Find innovative ways to create that future • The 5 Core Principles • Constructionism • Simultaneity • Anticipatory • Poetic • Positive • The Soil of Appreciative Inquiry • Sociology of Knowledge (Social Constructionism) • New Sciences (Chaos Theory, Complexity Theory Self Organising Systems, and Quantum Physics) • Research into the Power of Image The Structure of Appreciative Inquiry Magruder Watkins and Mohr (2001:37)

  11. Critiques of AI • Encouragement of excessive optimism and avoidance of dealing with known problem areas? • Substantive problems remain unexamined? • Descriptive rather than analytical outcomes? • Another management fad?

  12. Our reflections on the process • HEIs • External yet supportive assessment of context and provision for NBAs • Other HEIs can access those reports online. • New Business Academics • Raised awareness and changes of practice in project sites; increased awareness of BMAF resources etc. • BMAF • Clearer identification of resources to develop and share, excellent value for money. • Similar issues highlighted in other comparable countries • Participants • Dissemination and personal development opportunities

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