Faculty workload calculation and applications in the quality of higher education

• Grant number: 11/20000-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal researcher: Marcelo Knobel
• Grantee: Tania Patricia Simões Yamaki
• Home Institution: Reitoria. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This work aims to study how the calculations of professors/researchers workload, applied in foreign universities, are performed and how they can be added to the faculty productivity issue and quality on higher education in Brazil. The national status regarding this calculation will be contrasted with how it is done in some foreign universities. As a case study, an overview of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) since 1989 will be done (quantity of professors, of students, of publications, etc.) and then faculty workload will be calculated in the 2010-2012 period data. The work will involve literature review and may include visits to state and federal universities in Brazil as well as foreign universities, with the aim to investigate how have been made the data collection, the calculations and consequent improvements in higher education through the results. The methods of analysis will be customized to local characteristics such as difference in curriculum or labor laws. Also study of correlations will be done between teaching activities and undergraduate students characteristics, using statistical tools. The data being considered include the time used by the professors in all related activities to undergraduate program instruction, students test scores average, teachers assessment by students, student/professor ratio, among others. Through the findings it is expected to discuss proposals for action and/or guidelines based on real data to improve the quality of higher education. (AU)