SSCI現象的省思：從隱性社群、教師學術發展構成因素看SSCI對台灣英語教學學術場域之影響

Abstract

近年來有鑑於國內高等教育之蓬勃發展及國際化的競爭壓力，各類評鑑制度及學術評鑑指標應運而生。目前國內各類學術研究評鑑為求公正客觀，多採用質量並重的方式，透過同儕評鑑（peer review）和書目計量（bibliometrics）兩面向進行質性與量性之評量。而SSCI (Social Science Citation Index)發表的論文篇數往往被視為衡量人文學科教師個人學術表現之標準。 以明確的量化指標作為評鑑依據，有其正面的功能。簡化的指標易於取得，而同儕評鑑的能力不易掌握。然而許多學術機構的行政體系，往往獨尊SSCI等書目計量指標，將之做為單一或是主要的評鑑指標。在過度強調SSCI論文篇數，而非論文本身的獨創性、重要性、與對本國社會的影響力與貢獻等因素，以致研究結果無法有效解決國內的問題。面對SSCI風潮，多數國內學者往往只能無力地接受，鮮少做出省思與檢討。而在英語教學領域，亦鮮少文獻針對相關議題有所闡述。有鑑於此，本研究計畫擬深究SSCI現象在國內英語教學研究場域所產生的影響，透過分析學術發表論文中，學者相互引用的情形，探究國內英語教學領域的隱性學術社群之生成與結構。透過質性訪談與量性調查，探究英語教學領域學者對於SSCI現象的觀點、態度、及對自身學術生涯發展產生的影響。藉由此研究，重新審視SSCI現象對於學者本身、學術場域、甚至整體學術發展的影響。 本計劃第一年將探討台灣英語教學界之隱性社群，研究問題包括(1) 台灣英語教學領域學者學術發表的對話對象與引用的來源為何？(2) 國內學者出版數量、教育背景、年資、任職學校類型、出版類型、研究領域等因素對於其文獻引用情形之相互關係為何？第二年將以質性探討SSCI現象對於台灣英語教學領域學術發展之影響。主要研究問題包括(1) 台灣英語教學領域學者對於SSCI現象的觀感及看法？(2) SSCI現象對於國內英語教學學者的學術生產、傳播與消費行為之影響為何？(3) 台灣英語教學領域學者對於學術邊陲化的看法為何？(4) SSCI現象對於國內學者研究取向、研究動機、學術發表行為、研究成果的產出影響為何？(5)英語教學領域學者對於學術評鑑與學術發展的觀點為何？第三年計劃將以量性調查SSCI現象對於台灣英語教學領域學者整體學術發展及生態之影響。主要研究問題包括(1) 學者心理特質、所屬組織類型、對SSCI現象之觀點、及學者學術生產、傳播與消費行為等因素之相互關係為何？(2) 學者心理特質、所屬組織類型、對SSCI現象之觀點、及學者學術生產、傳播與消費行為等因素與其學術表現之關係為何？(3) 學者心理特質、所屬組織類型、對SSCI現象之觀點、及學者學術生產、傳播與消費行為等因素與其文獻引用行為之關係為何？ 縱使國內學界對於SSCI期刊發表之重視已延續多年，然而在英語教學領域，對於SSCI現象所產生的效應等相關研究，似乎仍付之闕如。有鑑於此，本研究擬藉由三年的時間，從英語教學領域學者之學術發表文獻引用情形、深度訪談及問卷調查等多重角度，探索SSCI在台灣英語教學界引發的影響。藉由本計劃之執行與研究成果之發表，其目的不在於提出一套解決方案，而是希望能開啟英語教學領域學者對SSCI現象的對話與省思，開始探討SSCI現象對英語教學領域所帶來的正面效益及負面影響，進而能逐漸朝更趨完善的學術評鑑體系邁進。

In light of the flourishing higher education system in Taiwan and the pressure of international competition, various evaluation system and indicators have emerged to assess one’s scholarly work. In Taiwan, to ensure fairness and objectivity, the evaluation of one’s scholarly work often rely on both qualitative (peer review) and quantitative measurements (biliometrics). In social sciences and humanities, however, one’s scholarly work is often evaluated by the number of publications he or she has in journals listed on the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). The use of straightforward and quantified indicators to evaluate scholarly work has advantages, for the indicators are easily accessible and they ensure standardized presentation of measurement. Nevertheless, many academic administrative systems overtly rely on the quantity of SSCI publications as the sole or major indicator of one’s scholarly performance without careful consideration of a research project’s originality, significance as well as its possible influence and contribution to our society. Facing this blind adoption of the SSCI in the evaluation of one’s intellectual performance, most Taiwanese scholars accepted the de facto standard uncritically. As a matter of fact, little attention has been paid to this “SSCI phenomenon” in the TESOL community in Taiwan. The proposed research attempts to examine the SSCI phenomenon and its impact on the TEOSL community in Taiwan, including its scholars, the research environment, and its overall development. By analyzing of scholars’ behavior of literature citation in published research articles, the study aims to unveil the formation and structure of the invisible academic communities. Specifically, qualitative interviews and quantitative investigation will be conducted in the proposed study to explore TESOL scholars’ perception and attitudes toward the SSCI phenomenon and its impact on their professional development. The first year of the three-year project will focus on exploring the invisible college of the Taiwan TESOL community. The research questions include (1) which scholarly conversation are the scholars entering and what are the sources of their literature citation? (2) How do factors such as a scholar’s number and type of publication, education background, years of experience, affiliated institution, and research areas influence their literature citation behavior? In the second year of the project, the impact of the SSCI phenomenon on the academic development of the Taiwanese TESOL community will be qualitatively explored. The guiding research questions in this phase will be (1) What is Taiwanese TESOL scholars’ perception and reaction to the SSCI phenomenon? (2) How does the SSCI phenomenon influence Taiwanese TESOL scholars’ production, dissemination, and consumption of knowledge? (3) How do Taiwanese TESOL scholars perceive the problem of academic peripheralization? (4) How does the SSCI phenomenon affect Taiwanese scholars’ research approach, motivation, publication behavior, and research production? (5) What are TESOL scholars’ views on academic evaluation and development? In the final year, quantitative investigation will be conducted to examine the influence of the SSCI phenomenon on the TEOSL scholarly environment and its development in Taiwan. Research questions include (1) What is the relationship among scholars’ psychological traits, affiliated institutions, views on SSCI phenomenon, and their academic production, dissemination, and consumption behavior? (2) What is the relationship between scholars’ academic performance and their psychological traits, affiliated institutions, views on SSCI phenomenon, and academic production, dissemination, and consumption behavior ? (3) What is the relationship between scholars’ behavior in literature citation and their psychological traits, affiliated institutions, views on SSCI phenomenon, and academic production, dissemination, and consumption behavior? Despite the ongoing emphasis placed on SSCI publication in measuring scholarly performance, little research has been done in looking at the impact of the SSCI phenomenon on the TESOL community in Taiwan. Therefore, the proposed study attempts to fill the gap in knowledge. Through the examination of scholars’ literature citation behavior, in-depth interview, and survey study, this three-year-project will explore the impact of the use of SSCI on the TESOL community in Taiwan. The goal of the research is not to provide a solution to a problem. Rather, the study aims to help TESOL scholars in Taiwan critically re-examine the positive and negative influences of SSCI phenomenon in the academic community and how it has influenced their own scholarly work. It is hoped that such critical reflection could urge development of a well-balanced scholarly evaluation system that provides a more complete picture of one’s research capacity and performance.