In this article we present the topic of the orientation of university curricula, the pressures that exist today as a response to the demands of the market, and we examine specifically the transformation that has developed in Spain during the last two decades. We have tried to base the statements and analyses that are presented on empirical data…

Although much research has now accumulated on the dominance of English in world science, attention to the specific reality of Southern European countries has been comparatively scarce. This paper intends to partly redress this imbalance by reporting on survey data gathered at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Data were collected by…

This article presents the estimation of a synthetic economic wellbeing index using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The DEA is a multidimensional technique that has its origins in efficiency analysis, but its usage within the social indicators context is particularly appropriate. It allows the researcher to take advantage of the inherent…

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study conducted by the author on the implications of e-learning programmes for the higher education systems of the member states of the European Union. The study takes a look behind the scenes of the eLearning Programme and other e-learning actions within other European programmes by tapping into…

The authors carried out a 4-year qualitative analysis of a case study in higher education. An undergraduate course based on the principles of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) was designed, implemented, and evaluated. The process was developed by a community of practice, formed by quite a number of researchers coming from the…

Spain has begun a serious effort to increase its scientific and technological research efforts and to develop a large body of qualified researchers to participate in areas of science important to the European Economic Community. (MSE)

The changing role of the external researcher is explored in the context of two action research projects in Malaga (Spain). The first project was an evaluation of a trade school program for disadvantaged young people in a low-income rural area of Spain. Researchers began as friendly evaluators in a democratic evaluation of the program's first…

This volume constitutes an updating of a survey carried out five years ago concerning educational research policies in member states of the Council of Cultural Cooperation. Countries whose educational research policies are assessed include Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. For…

The history of university faculty in Spain and the changes brought about by the University Reform Act of 1983 are discussed, including the faculty status as civil servants, faculty hiring, provisions for research opportunities, age distribution, women faculty, and faculty development opportunities. (MSE)

A group of European countries cooperated to conduct a two-year Special Project Mobility with the aim of proposing practical ways of improving information and overcoming obstacles to academic mobility after they had been identified. The recommendations are grouped here in five categories: (1) organization and distribution of information; (2)…

This project brought together educational theorists and practitioners in Spain to create a model of teacher training based on research by trainees into their own practice and to create a curriculum of Spanish language adapted to the students of the location where it was developed. The project was undertaken in the context of educational policy…

The way in which changes in overall university funding can affect systems for paying staff, and in turn affect faculty career patterns and mobility, is examined. Data on pay, responsibilities, and qualifications of different faculty ranks in 8 countries (Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, United States) are compared. (MSE)

Higher education in Southern Europe was the topic of a symposium sponsored by the Council for Cultural Co-operation of the Council of Europe. The following speeches were presented: "Problems of Expansion and Change in Higher Education: An English View," by Lord James of Rusholme, United Kingdom; "The German Advisory Council for…