Poster 9:

The perceptions of Teaching Only Academics (TOAs) in a research-intensive university in Aotearoa New Zealand

Timothy McLennan, University of Otago

Teaching-only academics (TOAs) make up a sizeable minority of academic staff in most research-intensive universities. However, the experiences of TOAs are underreported, especially in an Aotearoa New Zealand context. This study sought to address a research gap by investigating the scope of the TOA role, TOAs’ perceptions on their progression pathway and sense of value, and their conceptions of teaching excellence in a research-intensive university. An online questionnaire was used to survey TOAs (Teaching Fellows, Senior Teaching Fellows, and Professional Practice Fellows) in the Division of Health Sciences at the University of Otago. The questionnaire contained Likert scale and open-format questions. In this session, I will discuss the findings of this survey, including the major themes that were identified in participants’ responses. I will also discuss how this research can inform practice by providing a summary of recommendations to better support TOAs in their role in research-intensive universities.