Exploring brokerage activities between Life Science research and teaching communities in UK Higher Education Institutions

Twenty-three academics working in life sciences departments in eight institutions around the UK were interviewed regarding their roles. They were asked about their teaching, their engagement with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and disciplinary research. The aim of the interviews was to uncover practices of “brokering” – in this case, activities where there is an exchange of pedagogic and disciplinary expertise between academics whose research expertise is within one or other of those domains. Academics described a number of practices which could be described as brokering. These were described as formal and informal arrangements, which differed between departments and
institutions. Teaching-focused and research-focused colleagues spoke of opportunities to contribute to research projects and curriculum redesign, which required their respective expertise. When brokering works well, there is a benefit to the department as a whole. Academics are seen to be valued, irrespective of role. However, there are also situations within departments where teaching-focused academics are not valued equally as research-focused colleagues, leading to frustration and anxiety. The role of the Head of Department (or equivalent leadership role) was seen as vital to the functioning of the department, and support of academics. This role was sometimes in opposition to that of institutional policies and strategy. While this study has uncovered much about brokering and how individuals can be supported to take advantage of opportunities, there is much to be learned about the complexities of teaching in higher education in a research dominant culture, as the effects of this can be seen for both teaching- and research-focused academics.