Is academic drift detected in the organizational development of Nordic higher education systems and nonuniversity

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Ezra Banks
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1 Is academic drift detected in the organizational development of Nordic higher education systems and nuniversity institutions? Lecture at Tampere University March, 13th 2008 Gyða Jóhannsdóttir Associate professor Icleand University of Education

Lecture at Tampere University March, 13th 2008 Gyða Jóhannsdóttir

2 Comparison of structure and structural change in Nordic higher education (four decades) Why the Nordic countries? The countries have similar social, cultural, and political contexts Nordic higher education expanded during the 1990s

The countries have similar social, cultural, and

3 Academic drift (cont.) Academic drift= the tendency of institutions to copy the prestige institutions (Morphew 2000), i.e. universities A process referring to the actions of different but related actors and the consequences of these actions

4 Acdemic drift Academic drift Kerfisrek Systemdrift Institutional drift Student drift Faculty drift Curriculum drift

5 Scott s typology of the organization of higher education University-dominated systems Traditional university; other institutions are within the secondary school system Dual systems Traditional universities but also other institutions at post-secondary level. They are specialized and small

are within the secondary school system Dual systems Traditional

6 Scott s typology of the organization of higher education (cont). Binary systems Two parallel higher education systems Traditional universities Alternative institutions ( such as Polytechnics or högskola related to regions and merged into centres) Often there exists rivalry between the two parallel systems

universities Alternative institutions ( such as Polytechnics or högskola

7 Scott s typology (cont.) Unified systems A comprehensive higher educational system including all institutions of higher education. The same menclature applies to all institutions (usually university) The institutions are t formally differentiated but often rivalry remains Stratified systems USA

8 Questions Three questions are dealt with: 1) Is there a Nordic model of higher education? 2) Is academic drift reflected in the development of Nordic higher education? 3) Is possible academic drift related to cultural and educational/political conditions?

2) Is academic drift reflected in the development of Nordic

9 Method Documentary analysis Official documents from the Nordic countries. Interviews with key persons The organization of Nordic higher eduation was based on P. Scotts typology Follow up on Finnish and Danish n-university institutions (spring 2007)

10 Criteria of academic drift Emphasis on research University degrees University titles Promotion system (institutional and individual) Other concepts usually used about universities

11 Classification of the organization of Nordic higher education Uni.dom syst Dual syst. Binary syst Unified syst. Finland 1992 Norway 1994 Denmark 2000 Sweden 1977 Iceland 1997

12 Higher education systems and institutions Binary systems Unified systems Denmark university and CVU/professionshøjskoler (university colleges) Norway Finland university and state colleges university and Polytechnics UAS Sweden Iceland university and colleges university

colleges) Norway Finland university and state colleges university

13 The position of n-university institutions regarding institutional drift Norway Finland Denmark Institutions State colleges AMK/Polytechnic CVU/Professionshöj skole University titles Yes No No Research Yes, R&D Applied R&D No University degree Yes Diploma professional bachelor but mostly equivalent to B.A Professional Master Diploma professions bacelors mostly equivalent to B.A. Promotion Other concepts usually related to universities Not investigated Professional Ph.D? University of Applied Science University College, master,faculty, Dean

professional bachelor but mostly equivalent to B.A

14 Professional education Yrkesutbildning in Iceland Yrkesutbildning is either located within secondary schools or universities Some secondary school vocational programs have developed within their legal framework and are mostly postsecondary Will a n-university sector be established in Icleand in the near future

vocational programs have developed within their legal framework and are

15 Comparison of university activities in Iceland 2001 and 2008 Yes Lmt. HH Land.H LH.ÍS LHÍ LHÍ H.Bif H.Bif HR b ut HR TH HA HA KHÍ KHÍ HÍ Hí Ph.D M.A B.A Resear ch. Ph.D. M.A B.A Research

16 Conclusions There does t exist a Nordic model of the organization of higher education but system drift has occurred in all countries Institutional drift was detected in the development of higher education but the drift was at different phase in the countries The drift seems unavoidable and indicates a tendency of systems to converge The strength of the drift seems to be related to cultural context

education but the drift was at different phase in the countries The drift seems unavoidable and

Reports and annual conferences over the last two years

Reports and annual conferences over the last two years Nordic Declaration on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education Report to the Nordic Council of Ministers - 2007 Nordic National Recognition Information Centres Introduction All the