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‘ This can ’ t be the new norm ’
The effects of the pandemic on Australia ’ s academic landscape .
By Wade Zaglas
A study on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Australian academics and their respective institutions has recently been released , highlighting some concerning findings but also some “ silver linings ”.
The study , published in the Higher Education Research and Development journal and part of a broader 2020 global survey , captures the perceptions of 370 Australian academics through the framework of self-determination theory ( SDT ), which “ posits that ... motivation is sustained by the fulfilment of three principles and psychological needs : competence , autonomy , and relatedness ”.
The authors state that the study was particularly focused on whether COVID-19 , and institutional responses to the pandemic , “ were intensifying already established trends in higher education as a result of marketisation ”.
“ These trends included work intensification , job insecurity , inadequate support from management , and lack of trust in institutional leadership ( Abery & Shipman Gunson , 2016 ; Kinman & Wray , 2015 ).”
A TIME OF INTENSE WORK STRESS AND PRESSURE
The survey indicated that the majority of Australian academics were experiencing a multitude of “ significant strains ” during COVID-19 , including witnessing how the pandemic was negatively affecting not only their own wellbeing , but that of their students and colleagues .
For instance , more than half ( 62.4 per cent ) of the respondents reported “ increased student disclosures of health and wellbeing problems ”. A substantial 82.6 per cent of the academics also reported that the pandemic had a deleterious effect on the wellbeing and health of their colleagues .
A significant proportion of the academics ( 78 per cent ) reported that COVID-19 had triggered work-related stress and the majority had difficulty achieving work-life balance ( 77.1 per cent ). With the transition
Staff are so desperate to keep their jobs , that they are too scared to say ‘ no ’ to the staggering increase in workload .
to online learning , 77.6 per cent of respondents said they were suffering from digital fatigue .
COVID-19 ’ S EFFECTS ON INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE AND PRACTICES
In addition to the pandemic ’ s effects on Australian academics ’ and students ’ health and wellbeing , the study also uncovered how the academics felt COVID-19 affected their respective institutions ’ culture and work practices .
For example , more than half believed the pandemic had exacerbated work-based inequalities , and a meagre 25.7 per cent felt it had improved opportunities for more diversity , equity and inclusion in academia . A concerning finding was that 65.8 per cent
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