Tertiary Education Policy Research Articles

Moving interprofessional learning forward through formal assessment

There is increasing agreement that graduates who finish tertiary education with the full complement of skills and knowledge required for their designated profession are not 'work-ready' unless they also acquire interpersonal, collaborative practice and team-working capabilities. Health workers are unable to contribute to organisational culture in a positive way unless they too attain these capabilities. These capabilities have been shown to improve health care in terms of patient safety, worker satisfaction and health service efficiency. Given the importance of interprofessional learning (IPL) which seeks to address these capabilities, why is IPL not consistently embedded into the education of undergraduates, postgraduates and vocationally qualified personnel through formal assessment? This paper offers an argument for the formal assessment of IPL. It illustrates how the interests of the many stakeholders in IPL can benefit from, and contribute to, the integration of IPL into mainstream professional development and tertiary education. It offers practical examples of assessment in IPL which could drive learning and offer authentic, contextual teaching and learning experiences to undergraduates and health workers alike. Assessment drives learning and without formal assessment IPL will continue to be viewed as an optional topic of little relative importance for learners. In order to make the next step forward, IPL needs to be recognised and endorsed through formal assessment, both at the tertiary education level and within the workplace environment. This is supported by workforce initiatives and tertiary education policy which can be used to specify the capabilities or generic skills necessary for effective teamwork and collaborative practice.

Tertiary education reform and legitimation in New Zealand: the case of adult and community education as a ‘local state of emergency’

This paper explores recent changes in tertiary education policy in New Zealand, which are designed to address legitimation deficits. By offering an analysis of the making, and the subsequent unmaking, of quasi‐markets in tertiary education, this paper attempts to describe how the state dealt with legitimation deficits resulting from providers’ of tertiary education use of the adult and community education funding category to increase their revenues. In providing this description, the paper helps to provide a way of understanding how the state in New Zealand has responded to legitimation deficits by introducing a new regime of governance. The paper concludes by arguing that, in terms of its treatment of category 5.1 funding, this regime is supportive of neo‐conservative goals.

Convergence of Tertiary Education Policies in Europe and Implications for the United States of America

European policy‐makers hope that by 2010 tertiary education in European countries will be ‘connected’ and become the much sought for European Higher Education Area. The reforms currently unfolding will modernize the daily practices of European higher education institutions. From transferability of degrees, employing a credit‐based system and improving the capital base of institutions, the shape and make‐up of tertiary systems will yield more alignment from disparate systems with heterogeneous parts. The policy innovations in Europe, as a consequence, have implications for American policy‐makers as well. As European tertiary education evolves, it will pressure American policy‐makers to adapt and react, especially as its leadership in educational capital has slipped as a result of Europe's surge in degree attainment.

Change, Complexity, and Challenge in Social Work Education in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Social work education in New Zealand is undergoing considerable change as new registration and education policies take effect. Within a complex environment, the major force is the implementation of registration since the passing of legislation in 2003. Parallel to this is considerable change in tertiary education policy. Both the Social Workers Registration Act (2003) and the New Zealand Tertiary Education Strategy (2002) will have considerable impact on social work education. The present article explores the challenges of this environment and briefly considers strategies to ensure that the perspectives of key stakeholders are sought in the development of responses to this complex situation. Students, practitioners, social work educators and researchers, agencies, and the communities we ultimately serve all have a stake in what we do in schools of social work, but have different roles. A review of the system and nature of social work education may be timely.

The Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) reforms

In this article Bill English, New Zealand's Shadow Minister for Education, tells the story of New Zealand's tertiary education policy development over the past several years. His perspective comes from time in government and from time in opposition. He concludes with the lessons to be learnt, and his prognosis of the main issues to be confronted by that tertiary sector, in the years to come. The lessons to be learnt are just as valuable for the Australian sector as they are for New Zealand academicians.In this article, Polytechnics are the equivalent of the old Colleges of Advanced Education in Australia, or roughly between the TAFE and university sectors. MMP (mixed member proportional) is the proportional system of electing the New Zealand Parliament. This system is similar to the method by which Australians elect their federal Senate. A Wananga is a tertiary institution set up by statute to focus on the educational needs of Maori.

The Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) reforms

In this article Bill English, New Zealand's Shadow Minister for Education, tells the story of New Zealand's tertiary education policy development over the past several years. His perspective comes from time in government and from time in opposition. He concludes with the lessons to be learnt, and his prognosis of the main issues to be confronted by that tertiary sector, in the years to come. The lessons to be learnt are just as valuable for the Australian sector as they are for New Zealand academicians.In this article, Polytechnics are the equivalent of the old Colleges of Advanced Education in Australia, or roughly between the TAFE and university sectors. MMP (mixed member proportional) is the proportional system of electing the New Zealand Parliament. This system is similar to the method by which Australians elect their federal Senate. A Wananga is a tertiary institution set up by statute to focus on the educational needs of Maori.

Collaboration/Competition Crossroads: National/Supranational Tertiary Education Policies on a Collision Course

In the context of tertiary education, the paper explores the nature of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiation process and obligation framework, with examples, considers whether GATS is needed to support a country’s “export education” and what a country could do to protect its tertiary education system from the impact of a GATS involvement. Various effects of participation are discussed, including the illustrative case of New Zealand where, due to an early locked-in GATS involvement and subsequent changes of government and direction, tertiary education operates along disparate national (collaborative) and supranational (competitive) policy roadways. How can, or should, the tension be resolved?

Key competencies in the New Zealand curriculum: development through consultation

Abstract The Curriculum/Marautanga Project was launched in 2003 to build on the recommendations of the Curriculum Stocktake Report (Ministry of Education, 2002) in reframing the national curriculum. A key change to the curriculum is the proposed replacement of the essential with key competency groups. The process of co-construction, through various forms of contribution, has led to the development of a framework of five key competency groups. This article (1) reflects upon those contributions and traces movements in thinking around the concept, construction, and inclusion of key competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum Project. Key themes of exploration include the of key competencies, the definitions it encompasses, and the theories of learning, teaching, and curriculum it implies. Questions about the place of key competencies within the New Zealand curriculum in relation to the essential learning, areas and defining and naming a key competency framework relevant to New Zealand are also explored. Introduction In 2003 Cabinet agreed to the Ministry of Education undertaking redevelopment of the curriculum to focus on high-quality teaching and empowering schools to meet the needs of all students. While the Curriculum Stocktake Report (Ministry of Education, 2002) concluded that the New Zealand Curriculum Framework and Te Anga Marautanga o Aotearoa are coherent, sound statements, it recommended modifications to ensure a clearer focus on high expectations for all students and more flexibility for teachers and schools to help students achieve these expectations. Believing that revised curriculum policy is not sufficient in itself, the Ministry decided to take a co-constructive approach to the Curriculum Project. The Ministry sought engagement with the sector in the redevelopment of the curriculum by consulting with teachers, principals, advisers, lecturers, and students, both face to face and through an online discussion forum. The Ministry also sought a range of position papers and discussion documents based on current theory and international research. This article is based on the feedback provided by those processes. The Maori medium strand of the Curriculum Project is entitled Te Alga Marautanga o Aotearoa. This project follows the same goals and premise as the Curriculum Project. Perspectives relevant to Maori medium curriculum, including issues surrounding essential skills, values, and attitudes, have been sought through concept papers still due for submission. These perspectives have not been included in this article. A definition of competencies In 2004 the Ministry commissioned a background paper to consider the implications of the OECD Defining and Selecting Key Competencies (DeSeCo) project for the New Zealand curriculum. The paper (Brewerton, 2014a) takes the DeSeCo definition of competencies as representative of the international scene and shows an acceptance of the work of the OECD as it is based on extensive and robust cross-disciplinary research and international debate. As the OECD framework may be used as the basis for international assessments such as PISA (2) and ALL, (3) alignment with their work would make these international assessments more directly useful for evaluating the effectiveness of New Zealand policy and practice. The OECD framework has also been adopted as a starting point by New Zealand's tertiary education policy developers for their work on key competencies. (4) A brief explanation of the competencies model is given in Figure 1. Figure 1 The competencies model * Competencies are integrated, holistic, and complex: they include the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed to meet the demands of a task. * Competencies are not synonymous with skills and are a concept fuller than abilities. * Competencies are performance based and inferred from the action, behaviours, and choices of an individual in a particular context. …

Collaboration/competition crossroads: National/supranational tertiary education policies on a collision course

Collaboration/competition crossroads: National/supranational tertiary education policies on a collision course

From conflicting interests to collective consent in advanced vocational education: policymaking and the role of stakeholders in Sweden

This study considers the policymaking process of forming a new tertiary vocational education and training (VET) policy in Sweden during the 1990s, and the influence that external stakeholders played in that process. Since the late 1960s onwards, the VET system in Sweden has been mainly integrated with general and school‐based education. Due to the changes in working life VET has recently undergone a transformation process moving towards a more demand‐led mode of functioning. Following perhaps the most significant education policymaking process on the reform of advanced vocational education, the study by analysing requirements and policy recommendations made by the six largest employer, employee and public education bodies from 1995 to 2000, suggests that private industry and commerce managed to establish their requirements, while the employee stakeholders made the largest concessions from an ideological standpoint.

Tertiary Education Policy in OECD Countries: developing the human resource

Cet article presente un panorama des initiatives, reflexions et developpement lies au role de l'enseignement superieur dans le developpement regional dans le cadre des pays de l'OCDE. Les orientations generales du travail de l'OCDE dans le secteur educatif sont brievement presentees et l'auteur s'inspire en grande partie des rapports, resultats et conclusions tirees par l'OCDE, donnant une importance particuliere a l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie dans le contexte du developpement regional.

The missing link in Australian tertiary education: short-cycle higher education

The blurring of the boundary between Australian vocational education and training and higher education is leading to a reconsideration of the current structure of Australian tertiary education. This paper starts with the main overlap of the Australian tertiary education sectors, diplomas and advanced diplomas. The ambiguous treatment of these programs and Australia’s unusually deep organisational separation of vocational education and training and higher education has made it difficult for governments to have an integrated tertiary education policy, and it has restricted vocational education and training’s role. By comparing arrangements for the highest sub baccalaureate qualifications in Aotearoa New Zealand, North America and the UK, known generically as short-cycle higher education, the paper develops some new options for Australia. The paper concludes by arguing that Australia should follow North American and UK examples and decouple the institutional and programmatic designations of the sectors to allow vocational education and training institutes to offer unambiguously higher education programs.

Adult Learning, Tertiary Education Policy in New Zealand and the Future

This article traces ideas about adult learning from Unesco’s Hamburg Declaration (1997) to the Labour government’s Tertiary Education Strategy (2002) and speculates how these ideas might fare over the next five years in a policy context dominated by “third way” politics. It is divided into three sections. In the first, the Hamburg Declaration’s Agenda for the Future is discussed in the broader framework of thinking about adult learning. In the second, the themes from the Agenda for the Future are used to analyse the emerging strategies for tertiary education in New Zealand. In the final section it is suggested that the “third way” future envisioned by the Strategy is beset with economic, social and cultural tensions.

Evaluating the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission: An Insider’s Perspective

The Labour/Alliance government established the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) in April 2000 to advise it on the future direction, shape, regulation and funding of the tertiary sector. During the subsequent 19 months, the Commission produced four public reports and advised the government on a wide range of policy issues. Drawing on the experiences of TEAC, this article considers the necessary conditions for (relatively) short-term advisory bodies to provide ministers with timely, high-quality policy advice and make an effective contribution to the policy process. It then outlines a series of criteria for evaluating advisory bodies like TEAC, examines the performance of the Commission in the light of these criteria, and considers its likely contribution to the evolution of tertiary education policy in New Zealand.

Information Technologies and Tertiary Education in New Zealand

This article considers the extent to which, and ways in which, information technology issues have been addressed in recent tertiary education policy documents in New Zealand. By comparison with other reviews of tertiary education - notably the Dearing Report in the United Kingdom - these documents have little of substance to say about such issues. It is possible to speculate, nonetheless, about what might happen should current trends in the reform of tertiary education continue. It is argued that changes in the tertiary education sector need to be seen as one part of a wider process of neoliberal social transformation. Building upon some prophetic comments from Jean-François Lyotard on the changing role of the state in postmodern societies, the paper discusses three key features of New Zealand's tertiary education environment: the decline in institutional authority, the heavy emphasis on skills, and the emergence of new forms of control over educational subjects. A brief assessment of future prospects for education in a social world combining neoliberal individualism with the latest developments in information technology is offered.

BUREAUCRATIC POLITICS AND THE DEMISE OF THE COMMONWEALTH TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION

Abstract: In the early 1980s the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission functioned as a relatively independent, self‐directed policy arena within the commonwealth bureaucracy. Policy outputs tended to be consistent and coherent over time. During the last three or four years, however, a number of federal departments succeeded in gaining control over aspects of tertiary education policy. This development was due partly to a changed economic environment which encouraged the growth of cross‐sectoral programs, and partly to administrative reforms introduced by the Hawke government which fostered increased interdepartmental competition. The outcome was the fragmentation of the tertiary education policy process. The removal of CTEC and the creation of the Department of Employment, Education and Training is an attempt to reimpose a greater degree of coordination and integration upon tertiary education policy procedures.

Tertiary education and public policy: Australia's response to a changing environment

This paper discusses how tertiary education policy is handled at the national level in Australia, and how effective this approach is today in terms of the considerable future problems to be faced. An assessment is made of both policy successes and policy failures over the last two decades, and brief comments are offered about future prospects.