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<p>Through interviews with senior academic management representing 16 UK higher education institutions (HEIs), this study explores the relationship between the espoused pedagogical values focusing on student-centred learning, and the construction of large-class, fixed-seat lecture theatres. Despite the widespread promotion of student-centred, collaborative, and active learning approaches in university policy, educational strategies, and corporate literature, the physical infrastructure reflects a different set of priorities, often driven by logistical and financial considerations rather than pedagogical intent. The conceptual basis for the article is Argyris and Schön’s theory of action: a theoretical framework that distinguishes between organisational espoused theory (what organisations say they do) and theory-in-use (what they actually do). The framework was designed to better understand how organisations produce behaviour sometimes at odds with their own values. The results of the study reveal a remarkable lack of pedagogical intentionality behind the investment in large-class auditoria. This study contributes to the discourse on the alignment between HEIs’ physical infrastructure and their educational policies, highlighting a significant gap between pedagogical ideals and the realities of the physical teaching spaces created.</p>

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Building higher education: the tension between espoused educational values and physical infrastructure

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年2月27日

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  • Colin Loughlin

摘要

Through interviews with senior academic management representing 16 UK higher education institutions (HEIs), this study explores the relationship between the espoused pedagogical values focusing on student-centred learning, and the construction of large-class, fixed-seat lecture theatres. Despite the widespread promotion of student-centred, collaborative, and active learning approaches in university policy, educational strategies, and corporate literature, the physical infrastructure reflects a different set of priorities, often driven by logistical and financial considerations rather than pedagogical intent. The conceptual basis for the article is Argyris and Schön’s theory of action: a theoretical framework that distinguishes between organisational espoused theory (what organisations say they do) and theory-in-use (what they actually do). The framework was designed to better understand how organisations produce behaviour sometimes at odds with their own values. The results of the study reveal a remarkable lack of pedagogical intentionality behind the investment in large-class auditoria. This study contributes to the discourse on the alignment between HEIs’ physical infrastructure and their educational policies, highlighting a significant gap between pedagogical ideals and the realities of the physical teaching spaces created.