18 results
Search Results
2. Conceptualising routes to employability in higher education: the case of education studies.
- Author
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Menendez Alvarez-Hevia, David and Naylor, Steven
- Subjects
- *
EMPLOYABILITY , *HIGHER education , *EDUCATION research , *EDUCATIONAL change , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges - Abstract
This paper contributes to critical understandings of the significance of employability in current debates about the transformation of Higher Education (HE). We express our concerns about the implications of orientating HE to utilitarian demands in the light of a tendency to align discussions about the significance of studying at university with the idea of employability. The research underlying this article explores how the experience of UK university students in the context of education studies programmes shapes their conceptions of employability and their understanding of their subject of study. Ideas developed by Gert Biesta are used as a framework to discuss different forms in which thoughts about employability are articulated. The analysis of data that includes reflections on the experience of placement suggests that tensions between education as training for teachers and education as the possibility for change, point to the emergence of a new form of understanding employability that may have to work the boundary between both. We argue that lessons learnt from the case of education studies can be useful to other subjects and programmes of study that also share an interest in the theoretical study of a discipline or where a narrow career expectation is being challenged by broader possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Widening participation in higher education with a view to implementing institutional change.
- Author
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Banerjee, Pallavi Amitava
- Subjects
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HIGHER education , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *UNIVERSITY autonomy , *STUDENT participation , *EDUCATIONAL change - Abstract
In this research informed perspective, I discuss some of the barriers students face during progression to higher education. A crucial role can be played by higher education institutions (HEIs) and other public bodies. I discuss some of the measures taken and critically evaluate these to show how these can be improved. In the absence of a centralised admission system and autonomy exercised by HEIs, it is not clear yet how these targets will be achieved. HEFCE and OFFA play a vital role, but there is further scope towards addressing equality and diversity. This paper discusses some of the ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Relationships, variety & synergy: the vital ingredients for scholarship in engineering education? A case study.
- Author
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Clark, Robin and Andrews, Jane
- Subjects
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ENGINEERING education , *ACADEMIC achievement , *HIGHER education & society , *EDUCATIONAL change , *ENGINEERING & society , *HIGHER education , *ADULTS , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges - Abstract
This paper begins with the argument that within modern-day society, engineering has shifted from being the scientific and technical mainstay of industrial, and more recently digital change to become the most vital driver of future advancement. In order to meet the inevitable challenges resulting from this role, the nature of engineering education is constantly evolving and as such engineering education has to change. The paper argues that what is needed is a fresh approach to engineering education – one that is sufficiently flexible so as to capture the fast-changing needs of engineering education as a discipline, whilst being pedagogically suitable for use with a range of engineering epistemologies. It provides an overview of a case study in which a new approach to engineering education has been developed and evaluated. The approach, which is based on the concept of scholarship, is described in detail. This is followed by a discussion of how the approach has been put into practice and evaluated. The paper concludes by arguing that within today's market-driven university world, the need for effective learning and teaching practice, based in good scholarship, is fundamental to student success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Has economics become an elite subject for elite UK universities?
- Author
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Johnston, James, Reeves, Alan, and Talbot, Steven
- Subjects
- *
ECONOMICS education in universities & colleges , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL equalization , *EDUCATIONAL change , *HIGHER education - Abstract
The decline in the number of UK universities offering undergraduate degree programmes in subjects such as sciences, mathematics, modern languages and humanities has been well documented and is now of real concern. It appears that economics may be going through a decline in new (post-1992) UK universities with many economics programmes having been withdrawn altogether. How market forces, government policy and other developments in UK higher education may have combined to stimulate the withdrawal of the undergraduate economics degree is explored in this paper. Data on the current level of provision and how this has changed over the last decade are presented. The study reveals how the economics degree, which until fairly recently was offered by old and new universities alike, appears to be expanding rapidly in the former but not in the latter. The withdrawal of economics undergraduate degree programmes from the UK’s new universities coupled with the fact that these institutions are the primary conduit through which under-represented groups are able to access the UK’s higher education system raises important questions about lack of equality of opportunity. The paper concludes by considering the implications of polarisation of access to economics degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Professional dialogues: exploring an alternative means of assessing the professional learning of experienced HE academics.
- Author
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Pilkington, Ruth
- Subjects
- *
PROFESSIONAL learning communities , *HIGHER education administration , *EDUCATIONAL planning , *EDUCATIONAL change , *ORGANIZATIONAL learning , *TEACHER development , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges - Abstract
Courses are widely used to provide professional qualifications for higher education (HE) practitioners. However, the question of how experienced academics might gain recognition as professional educators without completing a course is not well explored. This paper introduces the use of professional dialogue for this purpose, describing an approach being applied within four UK universities. The paper discusses the value of the professional dialogue, drawing on assessors’ and participants’ voices to provide empirical evidence. Findings from the study suggest that ‘assessed dialogues’ provide a more authentic route to professional recognition for experienced HE academics, effectively synthesising professional development, the individual and organisational learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
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7. Professors and examinations: ideas of the university in nineteenth-century Scotland.
- Author
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Anderson, Robert
- Subjects
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UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *COLLEGE teaching , *BRITISH education system , *HIGHER education exams , *COLLEGE teachers , *EDUCATIONAL change , *YOUNG adults , *HIGHER education , *HISTORY , *NINETEENTH century , *HISTORY of education - Abstract
The separation of examining from teaching, pushed furthest in the ‘examining university’ of which London University, founded in 1836, was the model, was a much-debated principle in nineteenth-century Britain. This separation was generally rejected in Scotland, but only after complex controversies that illustrate how Scots defined their university tradition in comparative terms, and how Scottish developments interacted with those in England and Ireland. Among the issues involved were proposals for a National University or central examining board, and claims that graduates should have a right to give ‘extramural’ teaching in competition with professors. The paper traces this aspect of university reform in Scotland from the 1820s to the 1890s, and argues that the professorial model and the integration of teaching and examining were successfully consolidated and defended. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. The 2011 BELMAS Conference: new topics, diverse ideas, much more international than before.
- Author
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Oplatka, Izhar
- Subjects
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SCHOOL administration , *CONFERENCES & conventions , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL change - Abstract
The current article analyses the papers presented at the 2011 BELMAS Conference in order to understand the sorts of works it contained in terms of topics addressed and types of papers, as well as authorship patterns of the presenters. Based on an analysis of 57 works presented at the Conference, it was found that the typical paper was authored by a single individual, who might originate from countries other than the UK. Additionally, the presenter is usually a university member who presents empirical and conceptual works mostly in the area of policy/reforms and headship (leadership) but not solely. Compared to the 2007 BELMAS Conference, some increase in the works authored by practitioners from schools and a variety of educational agencies was observed. A major shift between the conferences is evident in respect to the topics discussed by the presenters. Some suggestions for BELMAS end this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Education reform and managerialism: comparing the experience of schools and colleges.
- Author
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Simkins, Tim
- Subjects
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EDUCATIONAL change , *PUBLIC schools , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATION policy - Abstract
This paper explores the organizational and management consequences of the changing policy environment facing public sector education in England and Wales over the past 10 years. In particular it considers how far arguments about the replacement of older ‘bureau-professional' forms of organizational order by more ‘managerialist' forms in the public sector in general can be applied to the specific case of education. The paper begins by reviewing the major policy changes that have affected schools and colleges since 1988. Drawing on published studies from these sectors, it then considers a number of themes: changing roles of senior and middle managers; changes in managerial and organizational culture; and changes in specific aspects of management. Emphasizing the tentative nature of the evidence, the paper identifies some common trends which imply a movement towards managerialism in many institutions. However, it also identifies areas where the position is less clear and suggests a number of factors which may explain differences of experience. It emphasizes the importance of not reifying a previous ‘golden age' of collegiality and concludes that what is being experienced is a complex and dynamic process of adjustment between old and new organizational and managerial forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Performance Management and the Stifling of Academic Freedom and Knowledge Production.
- Author
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Morrish, Liz and Sauntson, Helen
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UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *ACADEMIC freedom , *ACADEMIC achievement , *NEOLIBERALISM , *EDUCATIONAL change - Abstract
In an era of neoliberal reforms, academics in UK universities have become increasingly enmeshed in audit, particularly of research 'outputs'. Using the data of performance management and training documents, this paper analyses the role of discourse in redefining the meaning of research, and in colonizing a new kind of entrepreneurial, corporate academic. The new regime in universities is characterized by slippage between the audit and disciplinary functions of performance management. We conclude that academic freedom is unlikely to emerge from a system which demands compliance with a regime of unattainable targets and constant surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Supporting the development of assessment literacy of staff through institutional process change.
- Author
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Forsyth, Rachel, Cullen, Rod, Ringan, Neil, and Stubbs, Mark
- Subjects
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EDUCATIONAL evaluation , *ASSESSMENT literacy , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *PROFESSIONAL staff of universities & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL change , *HIGHER education , *COLLEGE students - Abstract
This paper reflects on the work done at a large UK university to redesign assessment procedures in a way that was intended to contribute to an improvement in assessment literacy for staff. Existing practice was reviewed and showed that changes in assessment processes were needed to make the organization of assessment more consistent and more transparent across the institution and to develop staff assessment literacy. Revised procedures were designed and implemented in order to make a clear distinction between institutional requirements for ensuring standards and recording outcomes, and academic decisions that ensured that assessment was designed to be appropriate for disciplinary requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Continuity and Change in English Further Education: A Century of Voluntarism and Permissive Adaptability.
- Author
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Bailey, Bill and Unwin, Lorna
- Subjects
- *
FURTHER education (Great Britain) , *VOCATIONAL education , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL change , *EDUCATION policy , *BRITISH education system , *TWENTIETH century , *HISTORY of education - Abstract
This paper argues that the evolution of further education colleges in England is marked by both continuities and change, and provides evidence to show that they retain many of the characteristics and the underlying rationale present at the turn of the twentieth century. A defining characteristic remains the colleges’ need to respond to student demand in a continued climate of voluntarism and lack of policy commitment to the education of young people beyond school-leaving age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
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13. Changing Internal Governance: Are Leadership Roles and Management Structures in United Kingdom Universities Fit for the Future?
- Author
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Middlehurst, Robin
- Subjects
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UNIVERSITY & college administration , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL leadership , *EDUCATIONAL change , *HIGHER education administration , *BUSINESS schools , *EDUCATIONAL ideologies - Abstract
This paper examines changes and developments in institutions' internal governance during the last decade, identifying points of continuity in the policy and political environment in the United Kingdom as well as points of difference. External drivers are discussed as part of the increasingly dynamic and volatile operating conditions for higher education. Institutions' internal governance arrangements are presented within a framework drawn from Clarke's studies of entrepreneurial universities. The final section of the article argues for a re-interpretation and strengthening of collegial forms of governance, using models and examples drawn from innovative private sector companies that can indicate useful directions for higher education institutions so that they are better fitted to meet 21st century challenges. While the analysis is focused on the UK, the lessons are more widely applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Representing 30 years of higher education change: UK universities and the Times Higher.
- Author
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Gewirtz, Sharon and Cribb, Alan
- Subjects
- *
HIGHER education , *EDUCATION periodicals , *HIGHER education & state , *EDUCATIONAL change , *UNIVERSITY rankings , *HISTORY , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges - Abstract
This paper argues that theTimes Higherprovides a powerful tool for understanding the changing character of UK higher education (HE) and can usefully be seen as representative, and in some ways constitutive, of that changing character. Drawing on an analysis of a sample of stories from theTimes Higher, it documents the changing policy climate of UK HE from 1979 to 2010. It offers a broadly chronological account of themes that have emerged as prominent at different times during this period, pointing,inter alia, to fears about threats to the humanities, the rise of various forms of instrumentalism and the incorporation of HE institutions and agencies into a common mindset characterised by a preoccupation with marketing and corporate success. The last of these is embodied in the changing format of the newspaper itself and in its own activities as a key player in the HE sector, notably as a sponsor of university rankings and awards. Whilst being sensitive to countervailing tendencies, the authors suggest that the growing instrumentalisation of HE and related cultural shifts represent a changed ‘structure of feeling’ in UK HE. They conclude that the university rankings, awards and other image commodities that are a key part of this changed structure of feeling now play such a substantial role in the cultural life of universities that the norms of both rationality and professional ethics which tended to prevail in deliberations about university strategy 30 years ago may no longer be taken for granted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Can Governments Improve Higher Education Through ‘Informing Choice’?
- Author
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Davies, Peter
- Subjects
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HIGHER education , *EFFECTIVE teaching , *HUMAN capital , *COLLEGE graduates , *HIGHER education & state , *EDUCATIONAL change , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *BRITISH education system - Abstract
Over the past decade higher education policy in England has gradually switched from a stance of ‘government as purchaser’ to ‘government as informer’. During 2012 this policy stance has been intensified through new requirements for the advice provided by schools and the introduction of ‘Key Information Sets’ which are intended to ‘drive up quality’ through informed choice. This paper documents this policy shift and subjects it to critical scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Identifying effective drivers for knowledge exchange in the United Kingdom.
- Author
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Upton, Stevie
- Subjects
- *
INFORMATION sharing , *EDUCATION research , *HIGHER education , *EDUCATIONAL planning , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL change , *EDUCATIONAL programs - Abstract
This paper examines the drivers for knowledge exchange in British research-intensive universities, at a time when research impact is coming to be seen as an increasingly important outcome of research in all disciplines. It provides evidence of an over-emphasis of the economic benefits of knowledge exchange in the policy sphere and of a quite different value system amongst academics. Academics' commitments having been described as occupying a single bounded space, this enhanced understanding of the motivations and needs of academics as they engage in knowledge exchange points to a new way of approaching the facilitation and promotion of knowledge exchange activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Check the small print before you shout 'Freedom!'
- Author
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Barton, Geoff
- Subjects
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FREEDOM of teaching , *TEACHING , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL change , *FINANCE - Abstract
The article offers the author's view on the white paper introduces by Michael Gove which emphasizes freedom for teachers in Great Britain. He says that the white paper is an idealistic treatise which aims to elevate the position of the teaching profession, make teacher more significant, and to reduce control from Whitehall. He mentions that the white paper suggests equal funding among schools and colleges. He adds that the proposed changes in teaching to satisfy league tables must be resisted.
- Published
- 2010
18. For-profits be warned -- of all the buyout hurdles, the greatest of these may be charity.
- Author
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Baker, Simon
- Subjects
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HIGHER education , *EDUCATIONAL change , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges - Abstract
The article discusses the reassurance sought by the Charity Commission from the British government that its higher education reforms will not set an alarming precedent by removing protections that safeguard the charitable status of universities. The Charity Commission says that it is concerned about speculation that the higher education White Paper opens the possibility for universities to convert to non-charitable for-profit status. The terms of the law governing charities are also discussed.
- Published
- 2011
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