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.

Theory and Method in Higher Education Research, provides a forum specifically for higher education researchers to discuss issues of theory and method. This latest volume presents a truly international approach with contributions from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, the U.K. and the U.S.

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

This is the second volume in this series dedicated to Theory and Method in Higher Education Research. Publishing contemporary contributions to international debates regarding the application and development of theory and methodology in researching higher education, this volume aims to offer a channel for discussion, critique and innovation.

These proceedings represent the work of contributors to the 23rd European Conference on Research Methodology (ECRM 2024), hosted by ISCAP in Porto, Portugal on 4-5 July 2024. The Conference Co-Chairs are Dr Ana Isabel Azevedo and Dr José Manuel Azevedo, both from ISCAP Portugal. ECRM is a well-established event on the academic research calendar and now in its 23rd year and remains an opportunity for participants to share ideas and meet. The aims and scope of this conference is to bring together researchers from a range of disciplines and sectors to share expertise and novel approaches in business and management research methods. ECRM is interested in contributions on the subject of research methods used in business and management research. The papers tend to either focus directly on creating and implementing innovative methodologies or research papers which highlight an interesting use of methodologies in their study. The opening keynote presentation is given by Marta Agostinho, Executive Director of EU-LIFE with the title Excellent Scientific Research: What Does it Mean and Why Should we Care About it? On the second day, Professor Susanne Tietze from The University of Sheffield Hallam, UK will give a talk on the subject Cross-Language Research Methods: Translation and Linguistic Reflexivity. With an initial submission of 90 abstracts, after the double blind, peer review process there are 30 Academic research papers, 1 PhD research paper, 1 Masters Research paper and 1 work-in-progress paper published in these Conference Proceedings. These papers represent research from India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Morocco, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, UK and the USA.

Combining real examples with a roadmap of how to construct studies, analyze results, and share work, this book serves as a primary research methodology text for the field of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The volume seeks to explore key aspects of SoTL that are often missing in past frameworks: research-based ontologies, epistemologies, and ethical axiologies. Chapters map out the expansive continuum of SoTL by detailing its history and key work while incorporating Indigenous perspectives on pedagogy and research methodologies. The text also features methods of qualitative and quantitative data generation essential for SoTL such as conducting interviews and focus groups, procuring data through questionnaires and artifact observation, and sharing results for dissemination in traditional and public scholarship. A comprehensive guide for conducting SoTL research, this book illustrates a broad array of contexts and a spectrum of research methodologies to expand, enrich, and support both novice and experienced SoTL practitioners and researchers in answering the contexts and questions at the heart of teaching and learning.

There are many books about teaching in Geography, but this is the first dealing specifically with Pedagogic Research, its methods and practices. Pedagogy research concerns the processes of learning and the development of learners. It is a learner-centred activity that aims to evaluate and improve the ways that students learn and learn to manage, control and comprehend their own learning processes, first as Geographers in Higher Education but equally as future educated citizens. This book collects together some key research papers from the Journal of Geography in Higher Education. They concern original research and critical perspectives on how Geographers learn, critical evaluations of both new and traditional frameworks and methods used for Pedagogic research in Geography, and some case studies on the promotion of self-authorship, learner autonomy, in key Geography Higher Education contexts such as fieldwork and undergraduate project work. This book is a compilation of articles from various issues of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education.

Using Narrative Inquiry as a Research Method is the ideal introduction to a growing field of study. A full and accessible guide that covers the theory and practical applications of this qualitative method, it provides researchers with a rich framework through which they can investigate the ways people experience the world depicted through their stories. Looking at how this method can effectively be applied in a range of contexts, it demonstrates the value and utility of employing narrative as a research tool in a range of teaching and learning settings. Connecting with the broader academic debate on the value of narrative as an alternative or addition to quantitative and other qualitative methods and updated to reflect changes in the field, this book explores how to use narrative inquiry and gives tested and applied examples; builds on theory to consider practical applications; explores the narrative cross-boundaries between research and practice; and presents a selection of case studies of research on quality in higher education, internationalisation and quality in cross-cultural contexts. Using Narrative Inquiry as a Research Method provides the ideal grounding for all students and researchers looking to learn more about narrative inquiry or use this method within their research.

​This book focuses on the uses of big data in the context of higher education. The book describes a wide range of administrative and operational data gathering processes aimed at assessing institutional performance and progress in order to predict future performance, and identifies potential issues related to academic programming, research, teaching and learning​. Big data refers to data which is fundamentally too big and complex and moves too fast for the processing capacity of conventional database systems. The value of big data is the ability to identify useful data and turn it into useable information by identifying patterns and deviations from patterns​.

This book contributes to the understanding of regional and global perspectives on the development and challenges the higher education sector in sub-Saharan Africa faces in the era of globalization. It focuses on the critical aspects of the higher education sector in the Global South, with a particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. It brings together empirical, theoretical and philosophical perspectives from researchers in some of the leading universities in sub-Saharan Africa. The book highlights the higher education sector’s stages of growth and development and the contemporary challenges it faces in aligning its goals and capacity globally, and maintaining its image and public identity locally. This book covers neoliberal educational reforms, leadership and governance, pedagogy, technology, the global knowledge economy, and digital advancement. It delves into how the nature and practice of learning, teaching, research, and community engagement as core functions of higher education are re-oriented to contribute to societal transformation in Africa. Further, the book discusses the implications of contemporary issues in higher education: internationalization, employability, leadership and management, and accountability and autonomy in teaching, research, and community engagement.