Short-term, short-changed? A temporal perspective on the implications of academic casualisation for teaching in higher education

Leathwood, C. and Read, B. (2022) Short-term, short-changed? A temporal perspective on the implications of academic casualisation for teaching in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 27(6), pp. 756-771. (doi: 10.1080/13562517.2020.1742681)

Abstract

The increasing casualisation of academic labour over recent years has been noted across the global north. In the UK, this takes a number of forms, including fixed term, hourly paid and zero hours contracts. What tends to characterise them all, however, is a focus on the short-term. In this paper, we draw on a qualitative study with 20 UK-based academics on casualised contracts to consider the implications of the short-term nature of such employment for teaching and pedagogy. We come to this with a temporal perspective, in part in response to Felt’s call for a chronopolitical analysis of the changing temporalities of academia. We discuss how short-term temporal logics marked by last-minute or ‘just-in-time’ modalities can be seen to impact negatively on teaching preparation and pedagogical relationships, raising questions about innovation and criticality, power and in/security, continuity and care.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Read, Professor Barbara
• Authors: Leathwood, C., and Read, B.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Professional Learning and Leadership
• Journal Name: Teaching in Higher Education
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 1356-2517
• ISSN (Online): 1470-1294
• Published Online: 23 March 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Taylor & Francis
• First Published: First published in Teaching in Higher Education 27(6): 756-771
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher