Social network analysis and educational change: unravelling the role of innovative teaching staff in a higher education environment.
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| Title: | Social network analysis and educational change: unravelling the role of innovative teaching staff in a higher education environment. |
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| Authors: | Blumenschein, Dario (AUTHOR), Hannisdal, Bjarte (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Studies in Higher Education. Dec2024, Vol. 49 Issue 12, p2827-2843. 17p. |
| Subjects: | Social network analysis, Diffusion of innovations, Educational change, Social innovation, Higher education |
| Abstract: | As the higher education landscape has shifted and calls for change and improvements have grown louder, researchers have turned to empirical investigations of what makes change possible in higher education. Recent studies on the impact of informal interactions for promoting change have given impetus to social network analysis as an approach to studying higher education change. However, the relationship between teachers' social network characteristics and their disposition to adopt changes remains largely unknown. In this study, we describe the characteristics of teaching networks and explain the network characteristics of the most innovative teaching staff. By capturing whole teaching and research networks within a STEM discipline department at a Norwegian university, we show that teachers tend to speak to the same colleagues about both research and teaching, and that teaching communities are constrained by departmental sub-units (i.e. research groups). Furthermore, by combining the network data with a survey on diffusion of innovation, we find that the most innovative teachers (1) are central in the network, having the largest personal networks, (2) have a substantial reach to the rest of the network, and (3) are highly interconnected. This paper contributes to the understanding of change theories in higher education and discusses how these results can inform the practice of change agents and educational developers. In addition to confirming the presence of a research-teaching nexus, we discuss why leveraging the networks of the most innovative teaching staff would be a promising strategy for facilitating change in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 181054705 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Social network analysis and educational change: unravelling the role of innovative teaching staff in a higher education environment. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Blumenschein%2C+Dario%22">Blumenschein, Dario</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hannisdal%2C+Bjarte%22">Hannisdal, Bjarte</searchLink> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Studies+in+Higher+Education%22">Studies in Higher Education</searchLink>. Dec2024, Vol. 49 Issue 12, p2827-2843. 17p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+network+analysis%22">Social network analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diffusion+of+innovations%22">Diffusion of innovations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+change%22">Educational change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+innovation%22">Social innovation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: As the higher education landscape has shifted and calls for change and improvements have grown louder, researchers have turned to empirical investigations of what makes change possible in higher education. Recent studies on the impact of informal interactions for promoting change have given impetus to social network analysis as an approach to studying higher education change. However, the relationship between teachers' social network characteristics and their disposition to adopt changes remains largely unknown. In this study, we describe the characteristics of teaching networks and explain the network characteristics of the most innovative teaching staff. By capturing whole teaching and research networks within a STEM discipline department at a Norwegian university, we show that teachers tend to speak to the same colleagues about both research and teaching, and that teaching communities are constrained by departmental sub-units (i.e. research groups). Furthermore, by combining the network data with a survey on diffusion of innovation, we find that the most innovative teachers (1) are central in the network, having the largest personal networks, (2) have a substantial reach to the rest of the network, and (3) are highly interconnected. This paper contributes to the understanding of change theories in higher education and discusses how these results can inform the practice of change agents and educational developers. In addition to confirming the presence of a research-teaching nexus, we discuss why leveraging the networks of the most innovative teaching staff would be a promising strategy for facilitating change in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=181054705 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/03075079.2024.2324346 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 17 StartPage: 2827 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Social network analysis Type: general – SubjectFull: Diffusion of innovations Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational change Type: general – SubjectFull: Social innovation Type: general – SubjectFull: Higher education Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Social network analysis and educational change: unravelling the role of innovative teaching staff in a higher education environment. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Blumenschein, Dario – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hannisdal, Bjarte IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 12 Text: Dec2024 Type: published Y: 2024 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 03075079 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 49 – Type: issue Value: 12 Titles: – TitleFull: Studies in Higher Education Type: main |
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