The Study On Institutional Change Of Research Assessment System In UK University

Research assessment system of the UK university is now a mature scientific research quality management system in the field of the world higher education management.It includes both an external quality assessment system,subject to discipline,and research performance appropriation system based on the evaluation result.With research assessment system of the UK university as the research object,and the course of institutional change as the breakthrough point,from two dimensions of the characteristics and dynamics of institutional change,the paper makes a comprehensive analysis of the changes of the British universities' scientific research assessment system.From the perspective of history,this paper analyzes the basic structure and operating mechanism of the system in different stages of development,taking three stages as the main line of the research evaluation system of British University,Research Selectivity Exercise(RSE),Research Assessment Exercise(RAE),Research Excellence Framework(REF).Based on this,it makes an analysis of the basic characteristics of the system changes by the theory of institutional change:from the process of the institutional change,it is the government-led functional system change;from the perspective of institutional change,it is a system innovation in the process of progressive reform;from the perspective of institutional change,the path dependence of the system is presented in the dynamic adjustment.This study selects interpretation model of institutional change agent as an analytic framework,and explains the reasons for the changes of scientific research evaluation system in British universities from two aspects of "deep structure" and "actor".In the process of the research,on the one hand,the system,as a dependent variable,is used to analyze the impact on the changes of scientific research assessment system,by the changes of political parties advocates and economic policy adjustment,cultural heritage and cultural identity enhancement,education system reform and system expansion,etc.On the other hand,the system,as a independent variable,is used to research on how "actors",namely,the government,universities,and the third party,act on the change of systems,and the impact of the system on their behavior,relationships,and processing methods.Based on the above analysis,this paper draws the conclusion:First,the basic logic of scientific research evaluation system changes is to realize the maximization of national utility.Second,the power contest between the actors and the interests of the game promote scientific research evaluation system changes.Third,the course of development and its institutional change is a gradual process of institutional arrangements.Fourth,the external environment changes or the failure of the internal mechanism can easily lead to the changes of the system.After nearly thirty years of construction and development,scientific research assessment system of British universities has accumulated rich experience.Taking it as the research object,this study strives to be innovative in the following areas:First,the research paradigm of historical institutionalism is selected for the first time to analyze the scientific research evaluation system changes of British universities,and provides a new research approach to institutional change of university scientific research evaluation,by organically combining historical analysis and institutional analysis and making a breakthrough in the past studies of the simple listing of the system node and the lack of institutional analysis of the problem.Second,the basic characteristics of the changes of scientific research evaluation system in the UK university are also resolved dynamically for the first time from three perspectives:from the process,pattern and the track of institutional change,which is the development and innovation of the system research in the static perspective of the existing literature,and the dynamic attempt of the research on the evaluation system of scientific research in UK universities in the perspective of institution.Third,the first choice of historical institutional change theory for the study of the vicissitude of scientific research system in British universities,and the framework of interpretation combining macro " deep structure " with"actor ",is not only helpful to understand the dynamic laws of the system changes,but also helps to explore the important factors of promoting the system reform.Fourth,it,for the first time,makes a complete analysis of the technological change in the course of the UK's research assessment institutional change and specifically ananlyzes the calculation of the level of scientific research evaluation achievements and the performance funds as well as the specific research cost compensation method,which makes a breakthrough in the plight of the study with assessment activity analysis mostly made and lack of specific operational approach in the current domestic research achievements and provides the reference basis for understanding the UK university's research assessment system from the perspective of performance.Fifth,the study has carried on the rational reflection on the many problems existing in our country's scientific research assessment and management practice,and has carried on the value consideration to our country university scientific research quality management system.Our country should gradually improve the scientific research quality evaluation system,which is the object of the whole subject,promote the ranking system of assessment achievements and lead internal quality construction universities,establish the stability of the central and local levels of research funding system,make an arrangement of scientific research management system,and improve the indirect cost compensation mechanism of scientific research.Though there exist greater differences in political,economic and social environment between the UK and China,this study argues that the essence of "profound knowledge" in higher education is the same and so is the reform goal of promoting scientific research and development level,and besides,under the international context,the higher education system is also more similar.In this study,a panoramic and deep analysis of the changes of scientific research evaluation system in the UK universities is carried out,hoping to reveal the historical experience of scientific research quality management system,deepen our understanding of the basic law of scientific research management system,expand and enrich domestic scholars'study of the evaluation system of scientific research in the UK universities,and ultimately promote the development of theory and practice of higher education quality assessment in China.