Research into higher education has blossomed internationally during the last few decades, as participation in higher education has expanded and concern over delivering it effectively has increased. Higher Education Research offers an overview of what we have learnt through researching different aspects of higher education. Leading academic in the field Malcolm Tight codifies and classifies all research on higher education, offering an accessible but comprehensive guide to the field and its scope. Topics covered include: Teaching and learning Course and design Student experience Quality System policy Institutional management Academic work Knowledge and research Tight discusses the work of key researchers, and explores the varied use of methodologies, theoretical frameworks and research designs. He also identifies topics and areas where further research is needed.

This book is for anyone who wishes to improve university teaching and learning through systematic inquiry. It provides advice, but also a constructive critique of research methods and, in turn, the authors also make a contribution to the theories of research methodology. Topics covered include ontology, epistemology and engagement with academic literature, as well as research design approaches and methods of data collection. There is a keen focus on quality in both the analysis and evaluation of research and new models are proposed to help the new researcher. The authors conclude by examining the challenges in getting work published and close with some words on quality of thought and action. The ideas in the book come from the authors’ extensive experience in teaching research methods courses in higher education, health and the corporate sector, as well as several empirical research projects that have helped provide a methodology for higher education. It will be of particular interest to postgraduate students, academic developers and experienced academics from a wide variety of disciplines.

This volume of Theory and Method in Higher Education Research contains contemporary contributions to international debates regarding the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education.

Theory and Method in Higher Education contains contributions to international debates regarding the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education.

The vision of the Nordic council of Ministers for the Nordic region is built on visibility and international engagement. In research and education, the aim is to strengthen international competitiveness and safeguard a leading position in knowledge and welfare. Against this background Oxford Research and the Confederation of Danish Industry has been asked to conduct a feasibility study on how to increase cooperation between the Nordic countries and the U.S. within higher education, research and innovation. The results of the study shows that cooperation is well established but at the same time there is an interest in and potential for even stronger collaboration. A number of recommendations are given for concrete actions to be taken the by Nordic Council of Ministers and other actors interested in increasing the cooperation between the Nordic countries and the U.S.

Values and Virtues in Higher Education Research centres on practitioners studying and researching their practices in higher education settings, in order to improve those practices for the benefit of others and themselves. Making research public is a key aspect of ensuring the quality of educational research and educational practices: Values and Virtues in Higher Education Research raises questions and develops conversations about why higher education practitioners should study and improve their work, how this may be done, and what might be some of the benefits of doing so. What we do as practitioners is influenced by and linked with what we value, what we believe is good. Improving practices therefore involves becoming aware of and interrogating the values that enter into and inform those practices; a study of practices becomes a study of the relationships between the practices in question and their values base. From an international group of contributors in this growing field, this book provides strong theoretical resources and case study material that shows how this transformation may be achieved, including topics such as: Theorising practices to show personal and organisational accountability Developing inter-professional and inter-disciplinary dialogues for social transformation Establishing communities of inquiry in higher education and other workplace settings Reconceptualising professional education as research-informed practice Locating educational theory in the real world for human and environmental wellbeing Showing the evolution of theory through critical engagement, this text will be a valuable companion for lecturers, students and professional developers in higher education. This book will form core reading for those who are interested in engaging in practice-based research, and as additional reading for those whose aim is to broaden their thinking in relation to the role of values and virtues in educational research. Jean McNiff is an independent researcher and writer, Professor of Educational Research at York St John University, and Visiting Professor at Oslo and Akershus University College, Beijing Normal University and Ningxia Teachers University. She is also the author of key texts Action Research: Principles and Practice, You and Your Action Research Project and Writing Up Your Action Research Project.

The relationship between research, on the one hand, and policy/practice on the other hand, is complicated and collaboration between scholars in research on higher education (RHE) and institutional research (IR) practitioners is often lacking. This book marks a collaborative effort of a diverse range of South African RHE and IR scholars and asks the overarching questions: What do we know about the utilisation of South African research on higher education (SARHE) and its subset of research known as Institutional Research? How and by whom is this research used? The book begins by looking at the historical underpinnings of SARHE and delineating the shape and size of this body of research. This is followed by a series of case studies on South African Higher Education institutions and governmental bodies, investigating how, when and by whom are research on higher education and institutional research used in the decision-making of these organisations. This book is the first of its kind in South Africa and sets out to lay the groundwork for further research into the use, uptake and utilisation of RHE and IR in this country.

Considering both the theoretical and practical possibilities of the sustainability of higher education research in a world in which research budgets are often hard to secure, this book shares results from international research to demonstrate the innovation occurring to secure sustainable research funding. Rooted in diverse research experiences and reflections of academics and higher education institutional leaders, this book explores ways to promote and sustain pedagogical innovation in the higher education context. Beginning with an analysis of theoretical views from political, institutional and research practice spheres about the relevance of sustainability of educational research in higher education, it considers the need to promote educational research focused on pedagogical innovations in higher education. The second part of the book addresses practical experiences of funded educational research and offers guidance to assure the future of sustainable pedagogical interventions. This book is ideal reading for anyone interested in the role of sustainable funding in ensuring the future of higher education research, including researchers and postgraduate or undergraduate students who are researching or interested in the topic. It will also be of interest to senior institutional leaders and managers responsible for educational development in higher education.

Based on a systematic literature review, the book aims to forecast the investment scale of Chinese higher education and the allocation structure of different types of higher education institutions in the next decade. The authors first introduce the complex setting of Chinese higher education finance, including the background and theoretical foundation, as well as an in-depth literature review. Via international comparative data, they explore the adequacy and equity of the financial resources. By applying quantitative methods, such as panel data analysis and time series analysis, they forecast the public investment scale in higher education and the allocation structure and proportion among different types of higher education institutions. In addition, the book investigates the standards of teaching funding and teacher research funding, which are considered the main funding resources of Chinese universities and individual teachers. As China has become the world’s largest country of higher education, "how to provide adequate and equal funds to meet the increasing demand" is of great interest to scholars and policymakers both from China and abroad. The book will also appeal to postgraduate students who would like to know the overall status of Chinese higher education finance.

This book discusses higher education research as a field of study in Asia. It traces the evolution of research in the field of higher education in several Asian countries, and shares ideas about the evolving higher education research communities in Asia. It also identifies common and dissimilar challenges across national communities, providing researchers and policymakers essential new insights into the relevance of a greater regional articulation of national higher education research communities, and their further integration into and contribution to the international higher education research community as a whole.