Field Of Higher Education Research Research Articles

Higher education research as a field in China: its formation and current landscape

This paper outlines the field of higher education research in China from its historical roots through to its current development. It is a case study of how the field of higher education research emerged and was co-constructed by the state and the academic community of higher education researchers to become an established and recognised discipline in a national context. The rise and formation of higher education as a research field in China has been closely related with the substantive growth of the higher education system itself. Knowledge production in the field is currently characterised by being increasingly outward-looking and supported by the state.

Higher education research as tribe, territory and/or community: a co-citation analysis

This article builds upon existing research which has been mapping and analysing the field of higher education research, and, in particular, on the analysis of the articles (n = 406) in 17 specialist higher education journals published in the English language outside of North America during the year 2000. It extends that analysis by examining the citations (n = 10,065) given in the articles, in particular the patterns of co-citation. This enables a clearer identification of the tribes or communities of practice that occupy the territory of higher education research. An attempt is be made to identify the key members of these tribes or communities, and to chart the key relationships within and between them.

The government‐higher education institution relationship: Theoretical considerations from the perspective of agency theory

Abstract This article introduces the agency theory to the field of higher education research. By applying agency theory to the inter‐organisational relationship between government and higher education institutions, it is possible to illustrate general problems facing control and governance in a more theoretical and analytical way. The conceptual arsenal provided by the agency theory may benefit various research settings that are related to government‐higher education institution relationships. In addition to its descriptive elements, agency theory also provides theoretical explanations for e.g. the establishment of quality assurance systems and performance‐based funding procedures.

Globalisation and Higher Education Research

Globalisation has become one of the key concepts in the social sciences today. In higher education research, too, the term is used frequently. Maybe even so frequently that it sometimes seems possible to pronounce virtually anything under the heading of globalisation. This article attempts to identify the various interpretations of globalisation in general, as well as in higher education research. It will do so in an interdisciplinary manner. The different interpretations of globalisation are related to the different past realities that are taken as a point of departure. Four different conceptualisations are identified and will be further explored. These are also explored for the field of higher education research. The following broad topics are identified in this field: the changing nature of international linkages, government authority over higher education, threats to diversity, and the loss of national identities.