Pedagogy And The University

Outlines the main trends in university pedagogy within the context of academic practices and socio-economic developments. This book shows, among other issues, how to relate 'macro' issues to 'micro' issues, and challenge the paradigm of education as a purely 'technical rational' process designed to contribute to economic growth. This is an intellectually lively book with genuine scholarly ambition. McLean outlines the main trends in university pedagogy within the context of academic practices (funding, curriculum development, audit, access etc.) and socio-economic developments. The author: shows how to relate 'macro' issues (e.g. globalization) to 'micro' issues (approaches to teaching); challenges the paradigm of education as a purely 'technical rational' process designed to contribute to economic growth; and argues that the process will not achieve its desired ends and ignores other, more emancipatory, values in education. Whilst supporting an 'evidence-informed' and research-led approach to developing pedagogy, McLean demonstrates that these conceptions need to include a role for action research and reflective practice.

Provides an investigation of how the contemporary university should develop, the form of pedagogy to be used, with unique insights into the relationship between macro and micro issues in Higher Education. The question of what form of pedagogy should be used at university is a complex and important one. So too is the question of how the contemporary university should develop. In this book Monica McLean advances fresh and lucid arguments concerning both. Drawing on the theories of Jurgen Habermas, she demonstrates how these two apparently disparate questions are in fact closely linked. In the process McLean provides unique insights into the relationship between macro and micro issues in higher education.