This series critically explores the self-awareness, training and the mental well being of professionals. In this episode, Bob and I discuss the structural pressures on professionals in a HE context and how ai is being used uncritically in an ever changing fast-paced education space. Today we focus primarily on structural pressures. 

 2.39: I begin this episode by asking Bob what he thinks are the structural pressures causing stress amongst teachers and other educational professionals. He responds with the corporatisation of universities being a challenge, where vice presidents and deans, even administrators with PhD’s are seeing their role more as managers keeping the customer ‘student’ happy and this leads to a disconnect between the academic mission and what the university sees itself as providing, i.e., a service economy. 

 5:40: I add to this discussion and then ask Bob what changes he has seen in the history of his career. He feels the challenges we face have always been there, particularly since he started out in the 90s, but over time they have become much more prominent. As we move on and the university degree is watered down, Bob asks if will we offer professional programmes or will it be credentially. Though only a teenager myself in the 90’s, I have witnessed the cuts he discusses, the changes to programs and the worries that professionals have with their changing roles.

 13.05: In terms of contract talk, some researchers prefer to research without the teaching and vice versa and the changing role of the academic has proved beneficial here but as Bob points out there haven’t been a lot of tenure track jobs so opening up teacher stream jobs could make this area more competitive with research than the two working together. I agree. Doing research makes teaching more effective as we generate new ideas amongst the students.  

 16.04: We discuss how research and teaching go hand in hand, it’s not only beneficial for the professional but the student too, they are in a position of learning and teaching as they do their own research projects in areas that we may not know a lot about and Bob gives his experience of this.

 18:14: After a brief discussion relating to last episode, I ask Bob with the introduction of generative ai, what he feel is happening to the intellectual labour of educators. Though Bob points out the positives, he is a little sceptical and give his experiences of it with his students and also gives an example from a colleague demonstrating how there is a lack of critical thought especially as ai is not always correct.

 21.24: I offer my thoughts and tend to agree with Bob. In my opinion, ai is used far too freely and is replacing some of the work of the teacher resulting in the teacher having to think in different ways.

 We end this episode with our concluding thoughts and strategies that education professionals may find useful to ease the pressures we’ve discussed.