Newer researchers in higher education: policy actors or policy subjects?

Abstract

In this article, we explore the extent to which 42 newer researchers, in the academic sub-field of higher education, were aware of, responded to and negotiated their careers in relation to higher education policies. Participants, who were mainly from European countries, tended to divide into two similarly sized groups: one that engaged with and made strategic use of higher education policy, who we termed ‘policy actors;' and another who felt that they were shaped by policy rather than working with it, who we termed ‘policy subjects.' These differences appeared largely to relate to participants’ background prior to studying for their doctorate, their mode of study and doctoral route. All of our participants appeared to perceive the relationship between their research and policies in individual terms, rather than in terms of being a part of a community of higher education researchers. We explore the implications of these findings.

Keywords:

• newer researchers
• higher education
• policy
• policy actors
• policy subjects

Acknowledgements

The project reported in this article arose from a UK Society for Research into Higher Education Donald Bligh funded workshop series on newer researchers in higher education held between 2011 and 2013. We thank the other participants in this series for the very stimulating discussions that helped to inform our research and also participants in an SRHE dissemination seminar held in October 2013. An earlier version of this article was presented at the CHER 26th Annual conference, Lausanne, 9–11 September 2013 and at the European Conference of Educational Researchers, Istanbul, 10–13 September 2013.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.