Gaining teaching experience as a member of research staff is vital if you want to progress to a lecturing position. It also provides useful skills whatever your chosen career direction - such as oral communication, visual presentation of material, time management, and planning and organisation.
As a member of research staff you are most likely to be involved in:
These pages provide general information and links to help you access the huge amount of guidance, advice and support that is available to new teachers.
The Higher Education Academy provides an extensive database of case studies on aspects of teaching, learning and assessment. It also hosts a network of Subject Centres for discipline-related advice and guidance.
Encouragement to teach
- Research Councils encourage funded research staff to teach as long as they do not teach more than an average of six hours per week including preparation, marking and training
- The European Charter and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (2005) states that teaching is a valuable activity for researchers to be involved in, but it should not be excessive and training should be provided.
Training to teach
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education recommends that all lecturers, research staff, postgraduate researchers and part-time teachers should receive a minimum level of training and support for their teaching role.
All universities run workshops and courses on teaching, learning and assessment. Contact your staff development function or human resources for more information. They will be able to advise on which workshops or courses you need to attend in order to be able to teach.
All universities now offer, or give their staff access to, accredited courses on learning and teaching/ academic practice. These are usually targeted primarily to new lecturing staff, but research staff are often eligible to enrol if they fulfil the application criteria. Sometimes universities also offer part-awards (e.g. a Postgraduate Award rather than a Masters) specifically for research staff or postgraduate researchers that teach.
Some examples of Postgraduate Certificates in Learning and Teaching or Academic Practice are:
- Leeds Metropolitan University PgCert. in Higher Education
- Birmingham City University PgCert. in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
- University of Warwick Postgraduate Certificate in Academic and Professional Practice
- University of Sheffield M.ed in Teaching and Learning for University Lecturers
Accreditation and recognition
The Higher Education Academy, as the professional body for teachers in Higher Education, supports professional accreditation. Research staff that teach are eligible for Associate membership status if they meet Level 1 of the Professional Standards framework (PDF)
Membership is granted to individuals that have either completed an HEA-accredited course at their own institution or who apply through the HEA recognition scheme .
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