Previous research is unequivocal regarding higher education's importance for regional or national development, and the local presence of highly educated individuals in a municipality is crucial for its prosperity and development. The study aim is to increase understanding of representational perceptions of future university students in rural areas…

This study aims to describe the challenges that faculty faced in the transition to distance education in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. The study presents the results from a nationwide questionnaire, answered by 1,963 individuals, concerning the transition among university faculty in Sweden. The results highlight the…

Due to the changing landscapes of higher education, a large body of research has studied how scholars make sense of academic identities and careers. Yet, little is known about how academics actually 'work' on their identities to navigate normative demands and complex career structures. This paper explores how scholars negotiate career scripts…

There is a rising tendency for students in higher education not to attend lectures. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe the reasoning behind nursing students' decisions on whether or not to attend lectures. This qualitative study was performed in a nursing education programme at a Swedish University. One hundred and thirty-one students…

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a well-known academic support model to address retention and student performance in higher education. However, in studies reporting the effect of SI, the number of attendees at SI sessions are seldom mentioned or reflected upon. This study investigates whether there is a lower, optimal, and upper number of SI…

There is a debate on whether higher education in the social sciences generates stronger democratic and environmental norms among students. In our study, we focus on students' perceptions about legitimate rule in the case of environmental protection. We contribute to this debate by using a unique longitudinal data set from seven universities and…

In recent years, research has brought attention to the heterogeneity of resources that first-generation students bring with them to higher education and the factors that assist in these students' social and academic adjustment to university life. However, few studies have focused on how these students' early socialization and experiences over the…

Studies of how contextual factors influence teachers' approaches to teaching have chiefly focused on face-to-face teaching in physical campus contexts. This study advances understanding of how applicable this knowledge is in digital contexts. The study explores how university teachers perceive the differences between teaching in physical campus…

This article highlights interaction within physical and virtual spaces in a higher education HyFlex learning environment with live streamed lectures and seminars. What kinds of learning spaces do we shape when we connect physical and virtual spaces? How does a group of teachers interact in these spaces and how do the HyFlex spaces affect the…

This article highlights the multifaceted character of the Swedish higher education sector and investigates senior academic management positions from a gender perspective using theories about an academic prestige economy and academic capitalism. The focus is on an aspect often overseen in research on Swedish academia: the distinction between…

This article examines Language Policy documents within higher education institutions in Sweden. Its main focus is on how national language policies and policies for internationalization of the higher education are reinterpreted as local language policy. The analysis of ideologies surrounding the prescribed language(s) in meetings of decision…

The article reports on a study that explored the personal narratives of two female travelling academics at a Swedish University who had moved from Australia. To complement previous accounts of difficult migration and enculturation within the research literature, this article focuses mainly on the successful experiences of the academics and how…

The focus of this paper is on how academic staff perceive their roles and responsibilities regarding work-related learning, and how they approach and implement work-related learning activities in curricula across academic environments in higher education. The study is based on case studies, including semi-structured interviews and analyses of…

Snobbery in academia can involve academics, general staff, students and members of the public, and can be based on degrees, disciplines, cliques and other categories. Though snobbery is seldom treated as a significant issue, it can have damaging effects on morale, research and public image. Strategies against snobbery include avoidance, private…

This report aims to provide insight into the realities faced by higher education academic staff at a time of fast-moving change and increasing societal demand. Fluctuating student numbers, new funding and steering mechanisms are among the features of today's European higher education landscape, but not enough is known about how academic staff are…