In the past decades, the role of higher education has changed, not the least as result of the Bologna Process and the establishment of the European Higher Education Area. Higher education is increasingly conceptualized through a market-rationality, including a standardization, commodification, and learnification. The focus on learning-outcomes has led to a limited number of teaching-models becoming hegemonic, models that are aligned with the overarching policy-framework and which are instrumental in the conception of teaching and learning. This book aims to formulate a theory of teaching in higher education which is grounded in educational theory, contributes to a critical perspective on current ideals forms of higher education and a deeper understanding of the pedagogical role of the university. It illustrates how international policies affect conceptualizations of the purpose of higher education, critically examines the pedagogy of higher education, and develops a comprehensive educational theory for teaching in higher education.
This book is a unique contribution to the field of higher education and higher education teaching due to its combination of policy analyses, curriculum theory, and educational theory. It illustrates the consequences of discursive ideals of education on teaching practices and provides a theoretical framework for new thinking on higher education.