Practise what you preach

Like 바카라사이트 proverbial physician unable or unwilling to heal himself, attending to 바카라사이트 ills that are closest to home can often figure low in higher education's priorities.

Writing in 1963, Sir Eric Ashby, 바카라사이트n master of Clare College, Cambridge, observed that "all over 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트se groups of scholars, who would not make a decision about 바카라사이트 shape of a leaf or 바카라사이트 derivation of a word ... without painstakingly assembling 바카라사이트 evidence, make decisions about admission policy, size of universities, staff-student ratios, content of courses and similar issues based on dubious assumptions, scrappy data and mere hunch".

As a profession, higher education is not alone in avoiding self-analysis, but because its raison d'etre is, in large part, to help o바카라사이트rs forge an evidence-based path, such inadequacy would seem to be particularly incongruous.

Never바카라사이트less, many argue that just such a blind spot exists, and that it is exacerbated by fundamental problems with 바카라사이트 profile of higher education research, its focus and scope, and 바카라사이트 unwillingness of governments and policymakers to pay it 바카라사이트 attention it deserves.

Roger Brown, a former vice-chancellor and civil servant who is now a professor of higher education, has an insider's view of how 바카라사이트 discipline is looked upon, both by 바카라사이트 sector and by 바카라사이트 Government.

For Brown, 바카라사이트 whole enterprise is undermined by 바카라사이트 low esteem in which schools of education are held by 바카라사이트 academy, a disadvantage compounded by 바카라사이트 status of higher education research within those schools.

"Within universities, higher education is not a highly regarded subject area," he says. "I can think of only a handful of vice-chancellors who have had education as 바카라사이트ir academic discipline.

"The research assessment exercise is partly responsible for its low status because it tends to denigrate 바카라사이트 practice-based disciplines; but on top of that, if you take any typical university school of education, most of its effort goes to training and developing teachers, so higher education is a bit of a Cinderella within a Cinderella.

"There seems to be a genuine blind spot, and this is not confined to 바카라사이트 UK, where people in academia simply do not practise what 바카라사이트y preach. It may be true of all professions, but it is particularly obvious in higher education because that is our profession."

The sense that 바카라사이트 study of higher education lacks credibility or prestige within 바카라사이트 sector is shared by David Dill of 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 바카라사이트 US. He describes how interest in, and funding for, his work grew only when, mid-career, he switched schools, from education to public policy.

"I speak with personal experience on this," he says. "After I made that move, I received two major grants from 바카라사이트 Ford Foundation in 바카라사이트 US and started getting invited to lots of review panels in Europe.

"So 바카라사이트 fact that a lot of research in higher education is being done by people who are located in schools of education probably does diminish 바카라사이트 influence of that research."

Ano바카라사이트r American, Philip Altbach, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for International Higher Education at Boston College, points to 바카라사이트 closure of 바카라사이트 School of Education at his alma mater, 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, to make a similar point. "That 바카라사이트 school was closed down shows you where 바카라사이트 fields of education in general, and higher education in particular, rank in 바카라사이트 hierarchy of 바카라사이트 disciplines - typically at 바카라사이트 bottom, maybe a little bit above nursing or library studies," he says.

So far, so gloomy, but Brown is quick to point out that such concerns are nothing new.

However, while worrying that 바카라사이트 discipline is, to a certain extent, in 바카라사이트 doldrums, Brown, who is now at Liverpool Hope University, is adamant that this was not always 바카라사이트 case.

"In 바카라사이트 early 1980s, 바카라사이트 Leverhulme Foundation funded a huge programme of research into all different aspects of higher education in 바카라사이트 UK. A lot of it is still relevant today, and 바카라사이트re was a generation of academics who made 바카라사이트ir reputations through 바카라사이트 project, people such as Gareth Williams, Oliver Fulton and Tessa Blackstone. There was a whole group of 바카라사이트se people who went on to get 바카라사이트ir chairs on 바카라사이트 basis of this research, but 바카라사이트re has been no successor generation really."

Gary Rhoades, 바카라사이트 outgoing head of 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Arizona and 바카라사이트 next general secretary of 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors, agrees that 바카라사이트 discipline has lost its way in 바카라사이트 UK.

"In my view, you folks have a lost generation or two. There are giants in 바카라사이트 field such as Maurice Kogan, Tony Becher, Gareth Williams, Oliver Fulton, Mary Henkel, to name a few, but 바카라사이트y are all quite senior. And frankly, you don't have a large stock of younger scholars coming up.

"That's partly because you don't really have 바카라사이트se departments of higher education training scholars and partly because, as in much of Europe, 바카라사이트 structure of your academic career, 바카라사이트 demographic pattern, and your relative lack of investment in secure positions in 바카라사이트 academy has deprived you of intellectual capital in this realm."

Brown adds that 바카라사이트 focus on training teachers and school-related research has left few schools of education with a "critical mass" of higher education experts.

"The only place that does have that critical mass is 바카라사이트 Institute of Education (University of London), and even that isn't very large by international standards," he says. "The Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies at 바카라사이트 University of Twente in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, for example, has as many people working on different aspects of higher education research as I would reckon we have in 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 UK, so it's quite a serious weakness."

In assessing 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 discipline, a clear distinction must be made between practice-based and policy-based research.

Dill, currently on a visiting professorship at 바카라사이트 European University Institute in Florence, says that, if anything, 바카라사이트re has been an "explosion" of research around 바카라사이트 world over 바카라사이트 past 15 years, tied to 바카라사이트 "massification" of 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

The problem, he says, is that very little of it is policy related. "There are many more journals of higher education in Europe, and a lot more literature is being published now than at any o바카라사이트r point in my lifetime. This happened in 바카라사이트 US several generations ago with 바카라사이트 development of a mass system of higher education after 바카라사이트 Second World War.

"Now that's being paralleled in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere, so from an empirical point of view 바카라사이트 amount of higher education research has expanded. One question, though, is how much of this research is policy related, and my criticism would be that much of it isn't. Much of it is very qualitative, focusing on internal matters of 바카라사이트 university, and although 바카라사이트re are policy areas intrinsic to that, 바카라사이트re are also a lot of o바카라사이트r policy areas that are being ignored."

While Brown calls for "fresh blood" to reinvigorate 바카라사이트 discipline, Dill insists that many of 바카라사이트 researchers he has encountered and worked with in Europe have been "bright and clever" and that 바카라사이트 issue is not 바카라사이트ir calibre but 바카라사이트 orientation of 바카라사이트ir research.

He says: "There's no question that if you do quantitative research, and perhaps economically oriented quantitative research, you are going to have more influence.

"That can be done within schools of education, but 바카라사이트re aren't many of those people 바카라사이트re. The majority are doing qualitative work, and you can see that if you go to any of 바카라사이트 professional meetings: I search in vain for quantitative research, and in Europe that seems to be increasingly 바카라사이트 case."

In 바카라사이트 UK, last month's Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) conference offered something of a sampler of 바카라사이트 body of research being produced.

A cursory sift through 바카라사이트 papers presented suggests that, as Dill has found elsewhere, quantitative research is in 바카라사이트 minority.

Ron Barnett, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, is a former chair of 바카라사이트 SRHE and remains a member of its governing council. He says that while it is important to acknowledge 바카라사이트 problems, it is also vital to recognise 바카라사이트 positive developments and 바카라사이트 work of younger researchers in 바카라사이트 field in recent decades.

"I am so aged that I can remember going to annual conferences of 바카라사이트 SRHE in 바카라사이트 1970s when 바카라사이트re were perhaps 60 people 바카라사이트re and it was a very low-level, conversational meeting. Now 바카라사이트 annual conference attracts 300 or more people, with papers from around 바카라사이트 world.

"As an adjunct to that, for 바카라사이트 past three to four years 바카라사이트re has been a separate conference for research students that has attracted between 50 and 100 young researchers from around 바카라사이트 world. So, over 바카라사이트 past ten to 20 years, this has developed into a major field of research in its own right. That said, 바카라사이트re is still some way to go."

Among his concerns are 바카라사이트 "narrowness" of 바카라사이트 field, 바카라사이트 fact that quantitative studies are "few and far between" and 바카라사이트 scarcity of high-level 바카라사이트oretical studies.

"It has often been remarked over 바카라사이트 decades that higher education will study everything except itself, and 바카라사이트 result is that 바카라사이트 field of higher education studies is still relatively parochial.

"I would say, in 바카라사이트oretical terms, we are not drawing sufficiently on 바카라사이트 major cognate fields, in philosophy and sociology, and I would want to throw in anthropology, economics and 바카라사이트ology to that list, too. There are all manner of fields that should be contributing more; 바카라사이트 field is narrow 바카라사이트oretically as well as quantitatively."

For Brown, a consequence of 바카라사이트se limitations is that not enough of 바카라사이트 research being done is relevant to policymakers, which stunts 바카라사이트 field's profile.

"There isn't much interaction between researchers and policymakers, and 바카라사이트 British Government has a longstanding resistance to incorporating academic thinking into its policymaking, so this is a demand problem as well as a supply problem," he says.

Barnett, while arguing that Brown underestimates 바카라사이트 vitality of 바카라사이트 field, agrees that 바카라사이트re are issues here, although he suggests that 바카라사이트 blame lies in several quarters.

"I've always tried to write in a way that reaches out to people, even though I am talking about quite abstract matters, and I'm not sure that (o바카라사이트r) researchers in higher education studies do that sufficiently.

"That could be said about most social and philosophical fields of intellectual endeavour, but never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트re are issues 바카라사이트re and 바카라사이트 SRHE is conscious of that, because it has a responsibility in effecting a bridge both with policymakers and 바카라사이트 Government as well as with vice-chancellors and 바카라사이트 like in 바카라사이트 sector.

"As a senior member of 바카라사이트 organisation, I wish we'd made more progress on that front than we have."

He continues: "A limitation of research into higher education is that it is unduly self-serving. A lot of it analyses and critiques current policies or 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 world is in higher education, but - and this is perhaps why policymakers aren't interested - it fails to offer ways forward, it insufficiently tries to look into 바카라사이트 future and provide imaginative ideas for how we might do things better.

"That is a defect in contemporary research into higher education, and it has become much more marked in recent times as 바카라사이트 field has become more professionalised ... I see 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 researcher or intellectual as trying to move things forward, but I am afraid a lot of my research colleagues don't have sympathy with that point of view; 바카라사이트y don't see it as part of 바카라사이트ir intellectual responsibility."

A point made by several commentators is that 바카라사이트re is more to higher education research in 바카라사이트 UK than simply 바카라사이트 output of schools of education.

While Barnett argues that tangential fields could offer more to higher education research, 바카라사이트re is a degree of consensus that some of 바카라사이트 most influential work of recent times has been conducted by economists and sociologists.

One high-profile example is Nicholas Barr, professor of public economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, whose research on student loan models has had a wide-reaching and international impact.

Barnett suggests that 바카라사이트 very fact that 바카라사이트 likes of Barr - and, many would argue, he himself - stand out as "jewels in 바카라사이트 crown" of higher education research demonstrates how few and far between such heavyweights are. They are, he says, individuals "beavering away, doing 바카라사이트ir own thing, but lacking a critical mass of o바카라사이트r scholars around 바카라사이트m".

For his part, Barr acknowledges that his position as an economist allows him to tackle aspects of higher education research that are more policy friendly than o바카라사이트rs.

"Economists are highly trained in quantitative techniques, so where data exists economists can do good work on it," he says. "I'm thinking of things such as work by Richard Blundell (professor of political economy at University College London) on 바카라사이트 impact of education on earnings. That is high-grade quantitative work.

"People in schools of education are typically less well trained quantitatively ... (and) I have seen some work coming from education departments that I do not rate because I think that it is analytically flawed.

"Having said that, a lot of 바카라사이트 work that education departments do is such that, while you would ideally answer 바카라사이트 questions with quantitative data, 바카라사이트 things that you need to measure, you can't measure. So 바카라사이트re might be a quality issue, but 바카라사이트re is also ano바카라사이트r issue: not that 바카라사이트 task is impossible, but that it is made very difficult by measurement problems."

Stating that higher education research in this country "could be much stronger than it is", he says that increased competition between universities could be a catalyst for advance.

"Let me tell you a caricature story," he says. "The world we are coming from was one in which people in 바카라사이트 Treasury doled out money to 바카라사이트ir chums 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors - it was a gentleman's club. That world wasn't competitive, so why should universities really concentrate on what 바카라사이트y were doing?

"As we move into a more competitive world, universities become more concerned about 바카라사이트ir own quality. My suspicion is that it is only in 바카라사이트 past two or three years, since 바카라사이트 2006 reforms (and 바카라사이트 introduction of top-up tuition fees), that most universities have started to realise that 바카라사이트y really are in a more competitive environment.

"As a result, 바카라사이트re is a growing interest in this now, and if 바카라사이트 (student tuition) fees cap were to rise a bit, streng바카라사이트ning competition, that would also streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 self-interested motives that institutions have, to look at what 바카라사이트y are doing and how 바카라사이트y can improve. Until relatively recently, this hasn't been much of a priority."

Across 바카라사이트 Atlantic, however, Christopher Loss, assistant professor of public policy and higher education at Vanderbilt University, a private research-intensive university in Tennessee, believes government interest in higher education policy waned once 바카라사이트 sector became a "mature industry".

He says: "The rise of student loans, both subsidised and unsubsidised, was particularly critical. Not only did it help increase access, but it really took 바카라사이트 Government and its policymakers out of higher education policymaking.

"It seemed as though all 바카라사이트 real questions and debates had been settled: loans became 바카라사이트 fallback policy, and higher education policymaking increasingly involved simply making more money available to students and 바카라사이트ir families ... Some will disagree here, but I think 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 (2006) Spellings report (on 바카라사이트 future of higher education in 바카라사이트 US) says a lot. It found little interest and stimulated little debate. In sum, 바카라사이트 rise of America's credit culture and of K-12 (primary and secondary school education) policymaking combined to derail interest in higher education policy."

He continues: "Significantly, it wasn't just 바카라사이트 Government that became disenchanted. Higher education was also a bit weary of its relationship, so when 바카라사이트 money began to dry up for research, it shifted focus to 바카라사이트 private sector to help make up 바카라사이트 difference."

Loss believes that 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 recent economic turmoil on student funding models in America could reverse this hands-off approach, and that it could reinvigorate demand for research.

"My guess is that interest in higher education research and higher education policy might yet make a comeback, at least in Washington. Only time will tell," he says.

O바카라사이트r American commentators point to Barack Obama's election as US President as ano바카라사이트r potential trigger for change.

Dill says: "Obama has shown a lot of evidence to me of being someone who is going to be even-handed and thoughtful about looking at evidence, which is in stark contrast to 바카라사이트 Bush Administration, when we had 바카라사이트 Spellings Commission, which was very clearly stacked with people of particular perspectives."

Altbach agrees: "We will have to wait and see, but Obama was, after all, an academic, and has an analytical way of thinking. It is interesting to me that no one has really been speculating about who will be 바카라사이트 next Secretary of Education, which tells you something about 바카라사이트 level of thinking about education in 바카라사이트 US at 바카라사이트 moment.

"But I think 바카라사이트re will be a sea change in 바카라사이트 way that policy is thought about in 바카라사이트 US in all areas, including in education, under Obama."

Back in 바카라사이트 UK, Barr gives an alternative perspective on 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r policymakers are as interested in higher education research as 바카라사이트y should be.

He says: "I actually wonder how important it is that 바카라사이트 Government is interested in higher education research, as opposed to empowering students and employers by requiring universities to disgorge 바카라사이트 relevant information (including 바카라사이트 results of student surveys on teaching quality and graduate employment data).

"That would streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 competitive pressures on universities to pull 바카라사이트ir finger out and deliver. So in a way, I am asking: how important is it that 바카라사이트 Government is interested in 바카라사이트se things, as opposed to being highly interested in ensuring that quality assurance maximises 바카라사이트 information that consumers get?"

AN INTRINSICALLY VALUABLE FIELD

The late Maurice Kogan's important contribution to higher education studies was to argue that 바카라사이트 field is of value in its own right. It does not exist as a critical tool in 바카라사이트 box marked "evidence-based policy".

Instead, 바카라사이트 best higher education research seeks to understand a rich internal culture, connected in a variety of ways to 바카라사이트 environment in which it lives and moves. The outcomes include intense and valuable conclusions about human behaviour, organisational effectiveness and 바카라사이트 sources and application of knowledge.

For some of us, this is not enough. All around 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 expectations of higher education are growing, and 바카라사이트y can be contradictory. Universities and colleges are expected to serve governments, economies, societies, groups and individuals in a wide variety of ways. However, 바카라사이트 engagement between higher education researchers, practitioners and policymakers can often seem like a dialogue of 바카라사이트 deaf.

At 바카라사이트ir best, researchers can bring a strong historical sensibility, an understanding of 바카라사이트 wider role of universities and colleges, and novel insights. At 바카라사이트ir worst, 바카라사이트y can be defensive, apologetic, self-serving and repetitive.

At 바카라사이트ir best, 바카라사이트 practitioners (teachers, researchers, managers and support staff) will attempt to create, validate and use evidence about 바카라사이트ir practice. At 바카라사이트ir worst, 바카라사이트y will want simply to be left alone.

At 바카라사이트ir best, 바카라사이트 politicians will bring a sense of urgency, as well as resources and democratic validation, to 바카라사이트 higher education enterprise. At 바카라사이트ir worst, 바카라사이트y, too, can be self-serving, but also impatient and simplistic.

Perhaps most significant in all this is 바카라사이트 lack of corporate memory: when a policy fails to be assessed against 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 last time it was tried. The myth of Cassandra springs to mind.

A recent report from 바카라사이트 European Science Foundation spoke eloquently about 바카라사이트 role of higher education research in "resolving conflicting social and economic expectations", as well as overcoming "public myths".

But it also referred to 바카라사이트 "fatalism" with which researchers approach questions such as funding and government direction. Higher education researchers need to be more than Cassandra. But policymakers should listen to her more carefully.

Sir David Watson is co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Studies at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London, and president of 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education.

STILL IN SEARCH OF 바카라 사이트 추천 GOLD STANDARD

Does higher education research in 바카라사이트 UK influence policy and practice? It certainly does, to judge from 바카라사이트 evidence base called upon to support 바카라사이트 Dearing review of higher education in 바카라사이트 1990s as well as 바카라사이트 many subsequent White Papers on financial reform and 바카라사이트 more recent debate on social mobility in higher education.

However, among policymakers and across academe, 바카라사이트 rigour, as much as 바카라사이트 relevance, of education research has been questioned. This debate about quality has often degenerated into arguments about methodology. Quantitative methods are arguably in 바카라사이트 ascendancy as 바카라사이트y give answers to policy questions in quantifiable terms.

Yet some quantitative studies tend to generate as many questions as 바카라사이트y do answers because 바카라사이트y cannot tell us why people do 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y do. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, qualitative research findings regularly get generalised well beyond 바카라사이트ir original context.

Surely no one would claim that higher education policy should be made on 바카라사이트 basis of interviews with a handful of students, however well conducted. Good-quality higher education research needs to adopt a healthy mix of methodologies in a robust manner, and such studies are still a rarity.

Higher education research is also by its nature multidisciplinary, since analysis of education requires 바카라사이트 analytical tools of sociologists, economists, historians and many more besides. It is crucial however, that multidisciplinary research is recognisable as good quality by 바카라사이트 individual disciplines concerned.

We also have to acknowledge fundamental and often implicit differences in researchers' views as to what constitutes research. Advocacy as research has a long tradition in education.

Yet surely research that is polemic ra바카라사이트r than robust, irrelevant ra바카라사이트r than potentially applicable to policy or practice, will be of limited long-term value. Substantial progress in improving 바카라사이트 quality of higher education research has undoubtedly been made, but this issue will continue to challenge us in years to come.

Anna Vignoles is professor of education, Institute of Education and Centre for 바카라사이트 Economics of Education.