The Relationships between Research and Teaching in Higher Education - a Review of the Literature

The aim of this paper is to answer the question what do we know about relationships between research and teaching in higher education? This is not a new debate and is not exclusive to the UK. However, the debate is of considerable relevance to individuals and institutions in this sector. The literature review focused upon four leading UK higher education journals: Higher Education, Higher Education Quarterly, Higher Education Review and Studies in Higher Education (all issues from 1990 to 2002 were reviewed). The conclusions are as follows. There are relationships between research and learning, rather than research and teaching. It is necessary to think in terms of research processes, as well as, research content informing student learning. The relationships between research and learning are dependent upon context. Rather than a single relationship, there are relationships, which are dynamic rather than static. Conclusions are also drawn in terms of policy implications and areas meriting further research.