Higher Education in Transition (HET) research group operates at the Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University in Finland.
HET research group explores the ongoing transitions within higher education by researching higher education institutions, communities and individuals from societal, cultural and pedagogical perspectives. Research activities in HET group are organised around four focus areas which aim to bridge different theoretical and disciplinary approaches and to have a systemic and holistic understanding on higher education. These focus areas aim to transcend the traditional division between psychological and sociological theories in the interpretation of education.
- Curriculum, culture and communities. In this focus area, the research activities focus on the different meanings of curriculum, the relations between knowledge and curriculum, and the intentions and dynamics in curriculum change. The aim is to strengthen research-based dialogue and development practices in higher education teaching and research communities. Research topics often relate to academic practice, higher education teaching cultures and teachers’ orientation towards educational and curriculum changes. We have an enterprise to rethink and cross the divide between critical and normative theories of curriculum.
- Student experience and learning. The aim is to address the importance of learning, reflection, and engagement in changing conditions of higher education from different perspectives such as equal access to education, various disciplinary contexts, changing technologies in learning, characteristics of student backgrounds or student groups (including adult and international learners), and meaning of guidance and counselling. Our aim is to develop more holistic ways of understanding student experience, wellbeing and learning.
- Internationalisation in higher education and educational environments. The aim is to examine the changes and meanings of internationalisation in higher education and transnational virtual and sociocultural educational spaces. Our focus is on how these changing spaces of education are transformed within cross-cultural communities and networks. Our goal is to enhance theoretical and practical understanding of international and transnational educational spaces and environments, and the impacts within them.
- Community and professional development in educational organisations. The aim is to examine and understand the collaborative and systemic nature and dynamics of development processes in educational communities and organisations. We are particularly interested in the different forms of agency and collaboration in educational communities and potential of community development and reciprocal leadership to support the professional expertise, but also the frictions in these processes. Our goal is to produce theoretical knowledge of the relations and social mechanisms inside the institutions but also develop tools and methods to support leadership and professional development processes.
HET group is open for new doctoral researchers and faculty’s master students interested in researching higher education. The group organises doctoral seminars that focus on higher education research (supervisors Vesa Korhonen and Johanna Annala). Several master thesis seminars are also supervised by HET group members.
If you are interested to know more about the HET research group, please contact the group leaders Vesa Korhonen or Johanna Annala.