Higher education seems to be in a perpetual state of 'crisis'. The many hundreds of books and papers containing this specific, or other relevantly similar expressions, convey a sense of fear and angst. Yet, what are these various crises about, and which values and beliefs are seen as threatened or 'under attack'? This paper will provide an…

Scholars and educators have long considered how schools can foster deep learning that supports the academic success and holistic development of all students. Yet, with the grammar of schooling that governs U.S. schools, educators often encounter institutional, political, and normative barriers that stifle efforts to redesign school environments,…

Across higher education, educational developers and their supporting campus communities are being called upon to scale up evidence-informed practices, to enhance student experiences, and to document the changes. This article builds on the work of scholars who have taken up this evaluative challenge, by examining varied aspects of the evidencing…

In the current hierarchical system of higher education, regional universities in China face the dilemma of homogenization and marginalization. There is an urgent need to find a high-quality development path that suits their own characteristics. From the theoretical perspective of "academic drift", this study focuses on the influence that…

Stemming from the research "The Fourth Impulse of Pedagogical Renewal in Spain", this article addresses three key issues: firstly, and as a terminological exercise, it differentiates three concepts that are too often treated interchangeably. These are: reform, renewal and innovation. Secondly, some of the defining aspects that, in our…

The term "governance" is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research. Yet its meaning has changed over space and time both analytically and normatively. This history is a complicated one marked by both shifts and continuations in the politics of language and the development of unique intellectual histories…

Across the world, the international school sector is changing at a rapid pace, having an impact on all facets of international schools, from curriculum to clientele. This article describes an emerging concept from this sector that I have termed the internationally-national school, borne from the nationally affiliated schools that currently exist…

Informal academic conversations constitute a valuable addition to the repertoire of academic development initiatives. This article proposes that a Change Laboratory methodology may enhance the productivity of such conversations. Support for this proposal comes from a detailed analysis of participants' transformation of conversations on individual…

The need for change in the education system is obvious and overwhelming. But each stakeholder group has its own ideas about why the system is broken and how to fix it. Competing priorities, political inertia and diminishing budgets maintain the dysfunctional status quo. This essential text examines the underlying causes behind the key challenges…

The transformation of China's education reform from extensive to connotative development involved a shift from characteristically exogenous and late development to endogenous and spontaneous development. The mechanism behind the shift from rationalism to universalism has resulted in tension between extension and intension in the process of…

Research of the main university stakeholders has only been of a cross-sectional or short-term nature thereby limiting our understanding of how universities have evolved as a result of stakeholder influence. Indeed, neglect of stakeholders in strategic planning may result in both companies and universities becoming less successful and less…

This qualitative case study explores changes Mexican higher education institutions face due to recent legislation and new regulations. Constitutional amendments, a new higher education Act, legislative mandates, and updated standards to evaluate institutional effectiveness are starting to be implemented. The study examines a contemporary…

This study deals with the academisation or "academic drift" of teacher education in the aesthetic subjects in Sweden from the 1970s to the millennium shift. After long preparations that already began after the Second World War, TE, along with other vocational education, was integrated into the Swedish university system as part of the…

Purpose: The challenges facing 21st-century society are becoming increasingly complex, requiring the development of new citizen competencies. This study aims to validate an educational model focused on developing complex thinking in higher education students. Current educational models lack future-ready competencies, necessitating the emergence of…

Capacity building is ubiquitous in development and education discourse as a means of strengthening approaches to education, among other development goals. However, in crafting a new social contract for education founded in an ethic of care, reciprocity, and solidarity, we must not overlook the significant transformative potential of capacity…