The underlying paradigms that influence research on quality have remained alarmingly under-researched; this article analyses the constraints that a technical-rational approach for the study of quality in higher education imposes. Technical rationality has been the dominant paradigm that shapes research on quality in higher education.…

A human right to higher education was included in the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which came into force in 1976. Yet the world has changed significantly since the ICESCR was drafted. State legislation and policies have generally followed a neoliberal trajectory, shifting the perception of higher…

Social, economic and political influences are exerting considerable pressure on the development of universities and colleges. Such forces coupled with the growing influence of rankings are exerting a formidable impact upon higher education. The conceptual framework guiding this study was derived from the work of Spence and Signaling Theory (ST).…

This paper aims at looking at governance instruments beyond managerial technicality. It intends to do so by analysing the impact of governance reforms on the universities autonomy assumed as a regulation instrument to politically steer systems and institutions. The regulation efforts undertaken at the European and national levels reflect a trend…

Current literature about interdisciplinary education research is focused on three points: conceptual definitions of interdisciplinarity, the need for interdisciplinary research to tackle the advent of problem-based research and the positive curriculum outcomes to be gained from interdisciplinary research. While this research is important, it does…

"Professors and Their Politics" tackles the assumption that universities are ivory towers of radicalism with the potential to corrupt conservative youth. Neil Gross and Solon Simmons gather the work of leading sociologists, historians, and other researchers interested in the relationship between politics and higher education to present…

Higher education institutions are increasingly experiencing pressure regarding their expected role in addressing immediate and long-term sustainable development challenges. Decisions about what should be taught are heavily influenced by socio-political needs and aspirations. The push towards entrepreneurship education is, perhaps, one example…

Upper secondary vocational education in Denmark is based on the apprenticeship model, which is recognised as a valuable route to employment for young people, who are not aiming for higher education. However, the apprenticeship model has a major weakness: it does not provide eligibility for higher education. The purpose of this article is to…

This paper is an attempt to examine the relationship between higher education and economic growth by taking a country case of the Republic of Korea and comparing this with the Republic of India to show how political educational decisions impact economic growth. Even though both countries began as relatively underdeveloped economies at the time of…

There is a growing prevalence in the use of digital media for education management and international partnerships; however, research continues to reflect the position that the absence of social interaction is a major barrier to a positive on-line learning experience. In 2007, a paper described the application of PESTE (Political, Economic, Social,…

In recent years, studies on teacher training have focused on the development of a culturally responsive understanding in prospective teachers and its use to allow students benefit from learning-teaching environments in the best way possible. Considering diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds of students as wealth is a prerequisite for…

This paper examines the debate in the U.S. Senate over the reasons why state governments have decreased funding for higher education. One side believes that federal mandates on states to pay for Medicaid have forced them to reduce spending on higher education. The other side believes that states unwisely reduced taxes, which decreased their…

Using a critical discourse analysis, this research examines the coverage by Canada's two national English-language newspapers of the 2012 Quebec tuition protests. The goal was to uncover what relationships were formed and constituted by media when representing people challenging neo-liberal assumptions of payment for continuing education. The…

Africa is commonly seen as a continent of rampant political corruption, poverty, violence, and ethnic conflicts rising at times to genocide. There is some truth in this view although the real picture is diverse, with the situation varying considerably from country to country. However, the more important question seldom asked is: What are the…

The article discusses higher education policies and policy making during the period of the author's direct involvement between the mid-80s and the present. The author points to an increasingly ideological form of policy making which has emphasised the economic role of higher education and created a higher education "market". As the scope…