Implicit contradictions in public messages of “low‐stratified” HE institutions: the case of Israeli teacher training colleges

Abstract

The current paper explores the messages through which low‐stratified higher education (HE) institutions strive to increase their organisational image and “product” status and concurrently to attract prospective students. Thus, by a qualitative content analysis of 66 advertisements of teacher training colleges in Israel, the paper provides insight into the complexity of re‐building new images for HE institutions that have long suffered, and still suffer, from a low public image. It is argued here that both the messages directed to transmit a more “academic”, “professional” and “university‐like” image, and the messages aimed to emphasise the personal advantages gained by applying to the colleges, may, ironically, further weaken the publicly low‐academic image of the low stratified HE institutions and re‐position them in the post‐secondary system. Practical implications for marketing the low‐stratified HE institutions are suggested.