Citation
(2012), "Editorial", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 4 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/jarhe.2012.53304aaa.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Editorial
Editorial
Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Volume 4, Issue 1.
The papers in this edition are, in the main, focused around issues of learning and teaching, a topic, which in these times of mass higher education, grows in significance. Researching, experimenting with and implementing a range of new approaches to teaching and learning is widely, though not universally, viewed as important. Subjects such as nursing, social work and management, as well as education, have over the years viewed teaching and learning as respectable subjects for research, but in many other disciplines have regarded teaching and learning as, at best, of second-order importance. This probably remains the case, though the rise in importance of IT in teaching and learning has seen other disciplines contribute. Further we are seeing the growth in interdisciplinary research in teaching and learning.
A central aim of this journal from its inception has been to raise the profile of research, pure and applied, in teaching and learning and we are delighted with the range and quality of papers. The papers published reflect an international interest in improving learning and teaching, suggesting that this issue is of concern across HEIs in many countries. We also recognize that improving learning and teaching involves more than learning and teaching. Management, policy and the social and economic context all play their part. But central to the debate are philosophical issues around the purposes of higher education. It is a subject that continues to excite comment and we would seek to encourage papers on this topic as well.