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Dissertation

The research-teaching nexus in the sciences: Scientific research dispositions and teaching practice

This dissertation describes several studies concerning the research-teaching nexus in the sciences.

Author
Roeland van der Rijst
Date
23 September 2009
Links
Fulltext in Leiden University Repository

Generally, it is recognized that a strong nexus exists between research and teaching in university education, but it was not always clear in which ways this relation could be implemented to positively influence student learning. Connections between teachers’ intentions, teaching practice, and scientific research dispositions were studied in this dissertation. Associations between these factors and suggestions for teaching practice in higher education were described in the context of the nexus of research and teaching in bachelor science courses. The findings show that scientific research dispositions of academics can be characterized by six qualitatively different aspects, namely the inclination to understand, to achieve, to share, to be critical, to be innovative, and to know. Furthermore, it became clear that teachers’ intentions not always correspond to students’ perceptions of research activities during the courses. Teachers’ intentions on tangible elements of the nexus were relatively more congruent with the students’ perceptions, than teachers’ intentions about intangible elements. The results suggest at that intangible elements of the research-teaching nexus, such as the stimulation of a critical disposition or the creation of an innovative atmosphere, need to be emphasized, if we want that students develop realistic conceptions about the nature of scientific research.

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