The Perverse Dynamics of University Career: A Narrative Analysis Based on the Personal and Professional Implications

Authors

Gustavo González-Calvo, University of ValladolidFollow
Alejandra Hernando-Garijo, University of BurgosFollow
David Hortigüela Alcalá, University of BurgosFollow
Ángel Pérez-Pueyo, University of LeónFollow

Abstract

We seek to describe some of the features and symptoms that define novice university teachers in their attempts to pursue a professional career at university. Presently, university culture revolves around the evaluation of professionals based on the quantity of work published in high-impact journals (“weight evaluations”).This situation not only has its effects at a personal level, but also on the quality of the education that teachers might wish to impart. Nine university teachers -five women and four men- with experience of between three and five years in different knowledge areas were interviewed to ascertain these symptoms. The results reflected the stress to which the new teachers are subjected, the implacable assessment programmes that are part and parcel of a professional university career, the distancing of good teaching in favour of demonstrable quality as an investigator and the possibility of suffering from teacher burnout syndrome no sooner than having commenced a professional career.

Keywords

Audit Culture, Higher Education, Narrative Analysis, Qualitative Research, University Accreditation, Weight Assessment

Author Bio(s)

Gustavo González-Calvo holds a Degree in PE´s Primary Education, a Degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Education. He works as a teacher in a public primary school in Spain, and he works as a university part-time Junior Lecturer and researcher in the University of Valladolid (Spain). Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: Dr. Gustavo González-Calvo, Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Musical, Plástica y Corporal, Universidad de Valladolid, Facultad de Educación de Palencia. Avenida de Madrid, 44. 34004, Palencia, España; Phone: +34 647545915; Email: gustavo.gonzalez@uva.es.

Alejandra Hernando-Garijo. PhD in Education. Expert in bilingual methodology, pedagogical models in physical education and psychomotor skills in the early stages. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: ahgarijo@ubu.es.

David Hortigüela Alcalá. PhD in Education. Director of the Department of Body Expression Didactics at the University of Burgos (Spain). Expert in formative and shared assessment, active and participatory methodologies in education and qualitative research. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: dhortiguela@ubu.es.

Ángel Pérez-Pueyo. PhD in Sport Science. Expert in the treatment of competences in education and the design of curricular proposals that allow schools to work collaboratively. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: angel.perez.pueyo@unileon.es.

Publication Date

8-9-2020

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4253

Recommended APA Citation

González-Calvo, G., Hernando-Garijo, A., Hortigüela Alcalá, D., & Pérez-Pueyo, Á. (2020). The Perverse Dynamics of University Career: A Narrative Analysis Based on the Personal and Professional Implications. The Qualitative Report, 25(8), 3000-3018. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4253