A small scale study using qualitative methodology is presented. The paper identifies differences in revising for exams between Greek first and fourth year psychology students. In-depth interviews, were conducted with eight first year and seven fourth year students. Students' studying activities in revising for exams were explored. The interviews…

In this article, the concept of approach related to tutor functioning in problem-based learning (PBL) is explored and the significance of a phenomenological perspective of the body in relation to learning and tutoring is investigated. The aim has been to understand the concept of approach in a context where the individual, thoughts, emotions and…

This paper focuses on the multi-sectoral regional growth partnerships established as part of the new Swedish regional policy. It asks the question whether participation in these partnerships marks a closer involvement on the part of universities in the processes of regional governance. This paper argues that at least part of the explanation for…

This article examines the determinants of the salaries that Spanish university graduates earn on the labor market. Different earnings equations are estimated that allow us to measure the economic returns to investment in human capital at the university level, demonstrating that: on the one hand, considering schooling to be an exogenous variable…

Today's experts must continuously reconstruct their expertise and be able to apply their theoretical knowledge in actual work. The development of expertise is a long process, during which theoretical, practical and metacognitive elements of expert knowledge are integrated into a coherent whole. It is important to foster student's learning and…

Progress files, involving personal development planning (PDP), are becoming a feature of many higher education systems internationally. In the UK they will become mandatory for all undergraduate students from 2005. This presents a major implementation challenge, because while reflection has been a cornerstone of practice in some areas of higher…

This paper documents the results of a qualitative study of student-faculty interactions. The work explores the frequency and nature of interactions, sheds light on the determinants of interactions, and reveals the dynamic processes that underlie contact between faculty and students. Focus group results indicate that students have minimal contact…

This article discusses the major issues and character of internationalization of curricula in higher education institutions in recent years in three non-English-speaking countries--China, Japan and The Netherlands. By making a comparative analysis of curricula provided for international students and curricula with international subjects,…

This article explores the issues of trust, control, professional autonomy and accountability in higher education quality assurance in the UK. The main part of this article is conceptual, but it includes results from semi-structured interviews with academic staff that were conducted at two "new university" business schools. Both institutions are…

Economic success is an aim of governments around the world. Their "human capital" stance towards higher education implies the need to develop graduates' capabilities to the full. The concept of graduate "employability", currently being developed in the light of theory and empirical data, is beginning to find acceptance in the UK. One of the keys…

The search for more flexibility in financial management of public universities demands adjustments in budgeting strategies. International studies on this topic recommend wider financial autonomy for management units, the use of budgeting models based on performance, the implementation of formula systems for the determination of financial needs of…

A qualitative study of faculty members participating in a campus-wide problem-based learning initiative examined the process of transforming faculty pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers found that faculty existing knowledge and the institutional intervention influenced new knowledge of faculty roles, student roles, disciplinary structures,…

Analysing foundation charters, this article explores the various purposes universities have been said to serve at different periods of time, how the distinction between universities and other educational establishments has been made, and how the actions of the academic community have been justified. The data consist of 225 charters of foundation…

Much of the writing on higher education in recent years has tended to assume that the new management push in higher education is both universal and irreversible. This paper, however, presents evidence from Portugal to challenge that assumption. While elements of the new managerialism are clearly evident in the perceptions and attitudes of…

Economy- and technology-driven theories dominate current explanations of social change. The political orientations of the European Union and many of its member states are increasingly based on the idea of knowledge economy where public organisations move towards market-orientation. Among the other producers of knowledge, universities are expected…