Principles of integrating research into teaching in higher education

Integrating new knowledge created through research with teaching has become an important area that needs prompt attention with the growing emphasis on student learning activities, quality assurance procedures and research funding mechanisms within the UK higher education system. The link between research and teaching is not automatic. Thus, it needs to be formally created in higher education departments in order to achieve a productive relationship and manage research activities of university staff with teaching duties. The research study on which this paper is based on, aims to develop generic principles to enable transfer of research knowledge into teaching. This study is different from previous approaches in that it looks into the research and teaching link as a two-way knowledge transfer process in the light of growing knowledge management viewpoints. This research uses the case study approach and has conducted five case studies that represent five disciplines. Finally, the research introduces principles of research to teaching transfers that are applicable for higher education institutions.