Special Interest Groups

This page details some of the special interest groups in CISHE and related associations, and which may be of interest to members of CISHE.

British Educational Research Association (BERA)
Special Interest Group in Higher Education

Increasingly, Higher Education is prominent in policy debates concerning democracy and an educated citizenry, the knowledge economy, and teaching and learning. Traditionally Higher Education Studies, however, have not featured significantly in BERA conferences or literature.

At the same time, the dominant discourses in Higher Education have tended to focus around somewhat narrow conceptions of teaching and learning, and an instrumental political agenda. This has led to a technicist perspective on professional development and pedagogy in the field.

The aim of the Special Interest Group is to address these issues by gathering together BERA members who share an active research interest in higher education and who are concerned to generate critical and comparative perspectives on higher education policy and practice.

In addition to stimulating debate amongst academics and the wider public, the SIG works to identify key issues for research and create and sustain a significant network for research and development in the field.

These activities contribute to conceptualising higher education within the field of educational studies and generate an interdisciplinary and cross sectional educational forum.

The following themes would be amongst those addressed at BERA symposia:

1. the relationship between teaching and research;
2. the changing circumstances and conditions of learning;
3. the changing role of ‘the academic’ in higher education;
4. the academic disciplines as the site of pedagogic practice.

Membership of the Special Interest Group (SIG) in Higher Education is open to all member of the British Educational Research Association (BERA). For details to joining BERA and the SIG please see: http://www.bera.ac.uk/

For details of seminars organised by the SIG and further information, please contact the SIG convenor, Dr Melanie Walker at m.j.walker@sheffield.ac.uk