Research and teaching: a holy or an unholy alliance?

Much of the self-image of the Western university hangs on the idea that research and teaching are intimately connected. The central axiom here is that research and teaching are mutually supportive of each other. An institution lacking such a set of relationships between research and teaching falls short of what it means to be a university. This set of beliefs raises certain questions: Is it the case that the presence of such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching is a necessary condition of the fulfilment of the idea of the university? (A conceptual question). And is it true that, in practice today, such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching characterises universities? (An empirical question). In my talk, I want to explore these matters in a critical vein. I shall suggest that: a) In practice today, such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching is in jeopardy. Far from supporting each other, very often research and teaching contend against each other. Research and teaching are becoming two separate ideologies, with their own interest structures. b) Historically, the supposed tight link between research and teaching is both of recent origin and far from universally achieved in universities. Institutional separateness between research and teaching is and has been evident, both across institutions and even across departments in the same institution. c) Conceptually, research and teaching are different activities: each is complex and neither is reducible to the other. In theory, therefore, research and teaching may be said to constitute a holy alliance but in practice, we see more of an unholy alliance. If, then, in an ideal world, a positive relationship between research and teaching is still a worthwhile goal, how might it be construed and worked for? Seeing research and teaching as two discrete and unified sets of activity is now inadequate. Much better is a construal of research and teaching as themselves complexes, as intermingling pools of activity helping to form the liquid university that is emerging today. On this view, research and teaching are fluid spaces, ever on the move, taking up new shapes, and themselves dividing and reforming, as the university reworks its own destiny in modern society. On such a perspective, working out a productive relationship between research and teaching is a complex project. This is an alliance that is neither holy nor unholy. It is an uneasy alliance, with temporary accommodations and continuous new possibilities

La Autogestión del aprendizaje y la autonomía e iniciativa personal = The self-regulation of learning and autonomy and personal Initiative

En esta investigación se trata de vincular la autogestión del aprendizaje con el desarrollo de la autonomía personal, la cual favorece el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida. Partimos, en este proyecto de investigación, de la hipótesis de que la autogestión del aprendizaje es un elemento multidimensional cuya mejora revierte de forma positiva en el desarrollo de la autonomía e iniciativa personal. En esta comunicación se presentan los resultados obtenidos en la aplicación de la fase piloto de un proyecto más amplio, en el que se ha recogido información a través de autoinforme sobre las distintas estrategias y aspectos de la autogestión del aprendizaje y sobre la autonomía e iniciativa personal. Los resultados indican que, en general, hay una relación significativa positiva moderada entre las estrategias de aprendizaje y la autonomía, lo que confirma la importancia de ambos aspectos para favorecer el desarrollo integral de los estudiantes. El fomento de las estrategias de aprendizaje hace que los estudiantes desarrollen la autonomía. A su vez, exponer a los estudiantes a situaciones de aprendizaje que fomenten su autonomía mejora su competencia para aprender