Questioning Excellence in Higher Education: Policies, Experiences and Challenges in National and Comparative Perspective: 3 (Higher Education Research in the 21st Century Series, 3) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9460916406 ISBN 13: 9789460916403

Publisher: Sense Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

Excellence in higher education is as old as university, but nowadays the concept is widely emphasized and its meaning has been redefined on the basis of different values and goals, especially those related to market. Excellence has become the meter on which institutions are assessed and public funding allocated, the tool by which worldwide comparisons and rankings of institutions are built, and a marketable brand used by higher education institutions to present themselves. This book offers an international and comparative view on excellence in higher education, ranging from policies to practices, mainly based on research results and empirical evidence, aiming at questioning the concept and its uses which are not only social constructions but also political ones. Far from being a neutral or technical concept, excellence is heavily infused with values which must be traced, analysed and made critical to understand its impacts, backlashes and unintended outcomes on higher education systems, institutions, academics and students. The book is addressed to an international audience and in particular to higher education scholars and professionals. Those who are involved in higher education assessment, members of professional bodies and organizations in the higher education field, students in education, but also policy makers and the public opinion at large will profit from the works of a selected group of scholars coming from a variety of countries.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sense Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9460916406
• ISBN 13: 9789460916403
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 212
• Editor: Rostan Michele, Vaira Massimiliano