Academia has an ambivalent relationship with rankings. On the one hand, academics constantly complain about them; on the other, they always look for ways to “fix” them. A similar observation could be made about scholars researching higher education. I argue that this ambivalence contributes to the further entrenchment of rankings as a practice in higher education and I call for a heightened appreciation of reflexivity in the research on the subject.
higher education research
Organizational Institutionalism in Higher Education Studies
Organizational institutionalism (in its many variants) is a commonly used theoretical framework in higher education studies focusing on organizational dimension of universities. Whenever we speak of isomorphism, rationalization, decoupling, organizational […]
The Making of Early Career Higher Education Researchers: An open-ended experiment in community building
A a narrative reflection on the past, present, and future of the Early Career Higher Education Researchers (ECHER) network. Given its independent, informal, loosely structured, and voluntary character, we conceptualise it as an open-ended experiment in community building. We discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges which accompany the said experiment.
What are the “classics” of higher education research?
Let’s brainstorm about the works which have made lasting contributions to higher education studies. Which works come to your mind first? What do they all have in common? In what […]
Thinking with theory & doing theory in higher education research
How do we think and work with theory in higher education studies? Where do theories come from, what role(s) do they play, and how can we make the most of […]