THE most important function of academics at universities is to teach and do research. Different perspectives argue the 2 sports ought to supplement or contradict every different. In truth, there had been allegations where teachers who’re too centered on research fail to convey the identical stage of enthusiasm to the lecture halls in their position of offering know-how to their college students, accordingly affecting the high-quality, or bringing approximately a bad effect on coaching.
Associate Professor Dr. Wan Zuhainis Saad, the director of the instructional excellence division on the Ministry of Education’s department of higher schooling, referred to that it’s miles spotless for teachers to quantify studies paintings in phrases of the number of grants or number of guides. In many promotion physical activities, research outputs were given huge ratings. “For young personnel, the career direction may be immaculate for advertising through research, however not so in teaching. Subsequently, the coaching staff will focus more on their studies work and fulfill the minimal requirements of teaching,” she talked about.
“Research may be impactful in a high-quality way for coaching if researchers can connect their findings to the relevant guides or supply opportunities to undergraduate college students to participate in the studies paintings of their labs,” Wan Zuhainis brought. But she remarked that it’d be exceptional or the other way round if researchers have been doing studies merely for the sake of it, without a connection to the curricula or undergraduate coaching.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
Professor Dr. Ishak Yussof, the seasoned vice-chancellor (Strategy & Corporate Development) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), stated research projects convey new data and knowledge that must be shared with students. “The traditional roles of a college are teaching and studies to grow society and contribute definitely to the countrywide financial improvement. Thus, apart from imparting training essential for non-public improvement, the characteristic of universities is to offer professional training for high degree jobs required using u . S .’s financial system. It is crucial to ensure that the university’s studies are getting used in the coaching and getting to know processes,” he found out.
Professor Mahendhiran Nair, the deputy president (Research and Development) at Monash University Malaysia, said, “Research connects us to new know-how in the discipline; identifies limitations of current expertise; informs us on what needs to be studied, re-examined and researched in addition; and what measures to take to overcome the constraints of cutting-edge know-how. Research is important to update one’s information base and to allow a horizon of recent opportunities,” he said. “Only studies-inspired scholars or lecturers may be in a position to reveal their students to new ideas, discoveries and knowledge via the first-hand revel in. All others are borrowed studies and ideas.
“Furthermore, studies-extensive universities across the globe are also at the forefront of progressive and creative route curriculum layout and teaching pedagogy. Through their research, they may now not most effective continuously enhance their guides; however, maintain those publications up to date in a global that is constantly changing at a rapid pace,” he divulged. “Research isn’t always pretty much extending and generating new information, but it is also approximately fixing issues and evaluating present-day policies and practices,” said Professor Dr. Mohamad Kamal Harun, deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
“Any a part of studies — identification of the hassle, the theories, the method or the findings — may be teaching topics and lecture room discussion points. Academics are tasked to nurture essential thinkers and innovators; as a consequence, college students too must be uncovered and capable of dissecting present day troubles and provide feasible answers,” he stated.
RESEARCH IN THE CLASSROOM
Professor Dr. Noorsaadah Abd Rahman, deputy vice-chancellor (Research & Innovation) at Universiti Malaya, given the right pedagogy and lesson plans, research and teaching can complement one another. “For instance, academics who’re doing studies on a specific subject matter could be capable of formulating assignments and group work that are more fingers-on and practical, consequently making an allowance for a deeper feel of idea in the direction of the subject as opposed to presenting superficial or second-hand know-how from textbooks or references provided with the aid of third parties — consisting of the authors,” she mentioned.
At Universiti Malaya, similarly to analyze in their respective fields, Noorsaadah stated academics are also encouraged and given help to behavior research on their personal teaching exercise through a tiny grant known as Learning Improvement & Teaching Enhancement Research (UM LITER). “Lecturers who undertake Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL), Action Research and Educational Research, are capable of using the findings from their studies to update their curriculum design, enhance coaching transport and most importantly, decorate pupil getting to know,” she said.
“For a research college like UKM, it’s far normal to bring research to the lecture rooms, no longer simplest for science or technical-primarily based subjects but also a number of the social sciences classes. “For technology-based subjects, it is obligatory for the students to get worried with laboratory works which are often carefully related to analyzing tasks specifically among postgraduate students. For technical subjects like engineering or IT (Information Technology), college students are often being requested to provide you with tasks to supply prototypes which are also studies-based totally,” stated Ishak.
Research factors also are embedded in the coaching and gaining knowledge of social science topics. “Students engaging in surveys or mission unique investigations on unique issues will gift their findings inside the study room beneath close supervision by their teachers, which is a norm among social science students. “To fortify and in addition inspire such practices, UKM has decided to award 50 in keeping with cent of the training costs inside the form of studies presents to academics who supervise studies students. In doing so, we trust that scholars will benefit in terms of pioneering frontier understanding through research sports,” he discovered.
To bring studies to the lecture room, Mahendhiran said conventional and didactic coaching methods ought to give manner to greater innovative and experiential learning techniques, supported by constructing robust fundamental expertise to discover the reality of using high-quality medical strategies, innovations, and knowledge. “Sound essential know-how supported by experiential getting to know with a sprint of passion and inspiration will move a long way in supporting college students contextualize and observe what they examine in existence. It can be a splendid recipe to enrich their learning, revel in and nice of life,” he said.
PATHWAY CHOICES
But does this mean that teachers need to positioned greater cognizance on studies at universities? Professor Dr. Kamila Ghazali, the deputy vice-chancellor (Academic & International) at Universiti Malaya, stated that the organization emphasizes both coaching and research. “We do no longer lose sight of one over the other as each is essential for the college and the united states. In phrases of annual value determinations and the promoting workout, studies are assessed primarily based on the output and acquisition of offers, whilst coaching is classed primarily based on student evaluations of publications taught and supervision of postgraduate students.
“Many universities inclusive of Universiti Malaya are now supplying academics the choice of building their educational careers both through Research Pathway or Teaching Pathway, in which theoretically, innovative curriculum design, notable teaching, at the side of impactful research in Teaching & Learning (T&L) could be assessed,” she shared. At UiTM, 4 pathways are followed in determining an academic’s career — Inspiring Educators, Accomplished Researchers, Experienced Practitioners, and Institutional Leadership describe the attributes had to be a completed academician.
“While they cannot be collectively distinctive, in most instances, lecturers generally tend to show some strengths over every other. Researchers, for instance, generally tend to fare better in research sports as compared to institutional leadership. “However, lecturers who spend extra time inside the schoolroom and curriculum creation such as those in the coaching and learning song also are expected to research to enhance innovation in teaching and getting to know. As such, their promotional physical activities shall take into account all indicators and outputs like studies grants, courses, patents, and so forth,” said Mohamad Kamal.
“This additionally consists of action studies. The findings of this sort of study are equally publishable and might affect the teaching of the concern count number. There is much-gaining knowledge of problems that are yet to be solved. There are also superior technologies bringing new demanding situations that require exploration and research as to how college students can learn the quality,” he stated.
STUDENTS’ SAY
Muhammad Afiq Hariz Khatem, who’s studying for a Bachelor in Business Administration Entrepreneurship at UiTM, believes that academicians heavily concerned in research make true instructors. But they have got a good way to additionally attention on their students thru a progressive manner of conversation and learning to make sure that scholars are properly looked after even supposing the lecturers have time constraints. “For me, the great is that if the academician has area paintings revel in within the guides that they’re presently coaching. The sharing of past studies and being involved in research as a scholar could boom independence of concept, ensuing in a greater intrinsic motivation to learn, and a extra active position in studying,” said Muhammad Afiq.
On being involved in a lecturer’s studies, he said the college ought to set some guidelines at the volume of scholar involvement to avoid them being used unscrupulously. “The pupil need to have a minimal position this is based on the consensus of the scholars and the college, and they ought to additionally get hold of sure credits in phrases of monetary useful resource or different advantages in some manner as they may be completely dedicated within the studies,” he said. Emmie Carmiela Norsam, a Bachelor of Mass Communications (Honours) Public Relations scholar at UiTM, also stocks similar worries about time management in which instructional-researchers are involved.
“Based on my revel in, a number of my teachers who are doing studies and teaching simultaneously don’t simply recognize the way to use their time properly. They will come overdue to elegance, or they might no longer show up at all. They rarely do magnificence replacements. Instead, they deliver more assignments which I doubt could be of gain to students,” she said. On being worried about the lecturers’ research, she stated it would be a win-win state of affairs for both parties.“It will gain the teachers as they’ll be able to garner different perspectives from their students, and the students will most likely benefit from knowledge by assisting their lecturers.
“However, whilst the lecturer’s essential motive is best to get thoughts from the students, then it turns into unfair, except the lecturer credits them in their research. Thus, it’s greater foremost for a lecturer to cognizance on one element at a time,” she opined. Samuel Loh Yung Jian, who’s pursuing a Bachelor of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya, commented that academicians at establishments of better knowledge need to have exposure to research. Not most effective does this improve their gentle skills, he stated it enables to offer know-how and insights from a more empirical attitude.
“If my lecturers have a holistic portfolio, that complements their ability to supply information and teach. Nonetheless, some are too academic and incapable of delivering what’s needed to their focused audience, and heavy involvement in studies does grow this kind of hazard,” he remarked. Loh additionally said that being involved in a lecturer’s research is a matter of personal choice. “Personally, I like the venture that includes involvement. Not only does it assist me in examining new things out of the doors of the lecture hall, but it also improves my gentle abilties in lots of areas. However, depending on the direction, I too opt for having teachers focused on coaching — at the least, teachers who can make time for their college students for consultations. Lecturers from my department balance that nicely, and I can meet them outside the classroom for consultations, no matter their busy schedules,” he stated. Guardiola Mohd Zaihidee, who’s pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering at Universiti Malaya after acquiring a Master of Engineering (Mechatronics), thinks that researchers do make desirable, if no longer higher, teachers.
