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Strategic instrument or social institution: Rationalized myths of the university in stakeholder perceptions of higher education reform in Poland

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  • Shaw, Marta A.

Abstract

European universities have come under reform pressures to make them instruments of social and economic development, compromising their earlier status as socially buffered institutions. The aim of this paper was to investigate the hypothesis that tensions and inconsistencies in recent higher education reforms in Poland trace back to a fundamental conflict between institutional and instrumental visions of the university. Findings suggest an intersection of “rationalized myths” that locks the university sector in a “corset” experienced by stakeholders more like a return to the Soviet past than the way of a better future. Seen through the lens of second-order systems theory, these findings problematize the assumption that the historically grounded institution of the university can be re-oriented as an instrument for achieving state priorities with a mere balance of carrots and state-of-the-art sticks.

Suggested Citation

  • Shaw, Marta A., 2019. "Strategic instrument or social institution: Rationalized myths of the university in stakeholder perceptions of higher education reform in Poland," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 9-21.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:69:y:2019:i:c:p:9-21
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2019.05.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Å. Gornitzka, P. Maassen, J. P. Olsen, & B. Stensaker, 2007. "“Europe of Knowledge”: Search for a New Pact," ARENA Working Papers 3, ARENA.
    2. Kwiek, Marek, 2015. "The unfading power of collegiality? University governance in Poland in a European comparative and quantitative perspective," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 77-89.
    3. Ernesto Tavoletti, 2010. "Matching higher education and labour market in the knowledge economy: the much needed reform of university governance in Italy," Working Papers 27-2010, Macerata University, Department of Studies on Economic Development (DiSSE), revised Jun 2010.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marek Kwiek & Wojciech Roszka, 2022. "Academic vs. biological age in research on academic careers: a large-scale study with implications for scientifically developing systems," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(6), pages 3543-3575, June.
    2. Kwiek, Marek & Roszka, Wojciech, 2021. "Gender-based homophily in research: A large-scale study of man-woman collaboration," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3).
    3. Ana Bustamante-Mora & Mauricio Diéguez-Rebolledo & Yemsy Hormazábal & Yolanda Valdés & Rodrigo Cadena, 2023. "Learning Models for Higher Education in Engineering: Motivation, Self-Determination, and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-29, August.

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