Paul Trowler
Biographic Data
| ID | 1499707 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul Trowler |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul |
| FAMILY NAME | Trowler |
| SIGNATURE | TROWLER P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Lancaster University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9039-2084 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 10 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 33 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 10 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Mapping ecologies of practice: A framework for reflective teaching and academic development in higher education
Critical reflection on teaching is essential for educators to develop a strong rationale for their practice. However, fully grasping the complexity of social practices within the classroom requires a more nuanced approach. To make their reflective work influential for enhancement, it is important for educators to incorporate the broader conditioning factors influencing classroom practices, including the dynamic interplay between teaching, learnin…
Doctoral supervision: Sharpening the focus of the practice lens
The literature on doctoral supervision is heavily informed by a focus on the individual and dyad, together with a self-help ethic of supervisory improvement. On the margins is a disparate literature taking a ‘practice’ perspective on doctoral supervision. But this literature is disconnected and lacking in some important features. This paper’s intention is to sharpen the focus and so to enhance the utility of a social practice theory lens. It refu…
Depicting and researching disciplines: Strong and Moderate Essentialist Approaches
This paper considers how the idea of ‘discipline’ can best be conceptualised, both in general and particular terms. Much previous research has employed a strong essentialist approach, a model of disciplines which exaggerates the homogeneity of specific disciplinary features and accords disciplines generative powers which they rarely possess. That approach is disabling because it closes down the appreciation of the heterogeneity within disciplines…
A Sociology of Teaching, Learning and Enhancement: Improving Practices in Higher Education
Aquest article examina la falta relativa d’atenció sobre les qüestions d’ensenyament i aprenentatge en el nivell departamental de les universitats. Utilitzant la teoria de la pràctica social com a aproximació al tema, l’article mostra com la construcció i la posada en funcionament dels règims d’ensenyament i aprenentatge a nivell departamental pot tenir efectes significatius sobre la recepció i la implementació d’iniciatives dissenyades per millo…
Freeing the chi of change: The Higher Education Academy and enhancing teaching and learning in higher education
This article examines recent UK policy initiatives to enhance teaching and learning in higher education in the UK, and the quality of the student experience there. The Higher Education Academy has recently begun to work in this area and the Higher Education Bill (2004) has passed into law. A reflective review of previous initiatives is therefore very timely. The article shows that, while these different initiatives have been explicitly addressed …
Captured by the Discourse? The Socially Constitutive Power of New Higher Education Discourse in the UK
This paper addresses the extent to which academic staff are ‘captured’ by the discourse associated with the ‘new higher education’ (NHE) in the UK and identifies the factors which condition their ability to displace, negotiate, reconstruct and create alternative discourses. In addressing this task, the paper draws on data from a five-year ethnographic study of an English university, NewU, a single document from NewU published after that study, a …
Department-level Cultures and the Improvement of Learning and Teaching
This article argues that good practice in teaching and learning in the English-speaking world may be compromised by structural changes in the higher education system. The impact of these changes is, however, affected by leadership practices and working cultures at the departmental level. These can, it is argued, assist in the development of 'deeper' teaching and learning practices even in a context which may be seen as unfavourable to them. Rejec…
What managerialists Forget: Higher education credit frameworks and managerialist ideology
This article uses data from a five-year ethnographic study of a single higher education institution to assess aspects of the 'realism' of managerialist approaches articulated through the credit framework in higher education in the United Kingdom. By 'credit framework' is meant the constellation of more or less compatible features facilitated by the assignment of credit to assessed learning, including modularity, the semester system, franchising, …
Beyond the Robbins trap: Reconceptualising academic responses to change in higher education (or … quiet flows the don?)
This article argues that there is an urgent need to emphasise the role of the academic as an important actor in the study of policy implementation in higher education. It asserts that research into higher education is distinctive in adopting an ‘over-socialised ̊s conception of men and women. To demonstrate the actor's importance in the understanding of change the article draws on the results of an ethnographic single-site case study of NewU, a p…
Angels in marble? Accrediting prior experiential learning in higher education
After a brief account of the background to the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) in higher education, this paper elaborates on what are usually seen as two contrasting approaches to it: the credit exchange and developmental models. The paper argues that these should be recognised as poles of a continuum rather than dichotomous approaches and subjects each end of this continuum to critical scrutiny. Practical, epistemological, pe…
Department-level Cultures and the Improvement of Learning and Teaching
This article argues that good practice in teaching and learning in the English-speaking world may be compromised by structural changes in the higher education system. The impact of these changes is, however, affected by leadership practices and working cultures at the departmental level. These can, it is argued, assist in the development of 'deeper' teaching and learning practices even in a context which may be seen as unfavourable to them. Rejec…
Angels in marble? Accrediting prior experiential learning in higher education
After a brief account of the background to the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) in higher education, this paper elaborates on what are usually seen as two contrasting approaches to it: the credit exchange and developmental models. The paper argues that these should be recognised as poles of a continuum rather than dichotomous approaches and subjects each end of this continuum to critical scrutiny. Practical, epistemological, pe…
Depicting and researching disciplines: Strong and Moderate Essentialist Approaches
This paper considers how the idea of ‘discipline’ can best be conceptualised, both in general and particular terms. Much previous research has employed a strong essentialist approach, a model of disciplines which exaggerates the homogeneity of specific disciplinary features and accords disciplines generative powers which they rarely possess. That approach is disabling because it closes down the appreciation of the heterogeneity within disciplines…
Freeing the chi of change: The Higher Education Academy and enhancing teaching and learning in higher education
This article examines recent UK policy initiatives to enhance teaching and learning in higher education in the UK, and the quality of the student experience there. The Higher Education Academy has recently begun to work in this area and the Higher Education Bill (2004) has passed into law. A reflective review of previous initiatives is therefore very timely. The article shows that, while these different initiatives have been explicitly addressed …
What managerialists Forget: Higher education credit frameworks and managerialist ideology
This article uses data from a five-year ethnographic study of a single higher education institution to assess aspects of the 'realism' of managerialist approaches articulated through the credit framework in higher education in the United Kingdom. By 'credit framework' is meant the constellation of more or less compatible features facilitated by the assignment of credit to assessed learning, including modularity, the semester system, franchising, …
Angels in marble? Accrediting prior experiential learning in higher education
After a brief account of the background to the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) in higher education, this paper elaborates on what are usually seen as two contrasting approaches to it: the credit exchange and developmental models. The paper argues that these should be recognised as poles of a continuum rather than dichotomous approaches and subjects each end of this continuum to critical scrutiny. Practical, epistemological, pe…
Beyond the Robbins trap: Reconceptualising academic responses to change in higher education (or … quiet flows the don?)
This article argues that there is an urgent need to emphasise the role of the academic as an important actor in the study of policy implementation in higher education. It asserts that research into higher education is distinctive in adopting an ‘over-socialised ̊s conception of men and women. To demonstrate the actor's importance in the understanding of change the article draws on the results of an ethnographic single-site case study of NewU, a p…
What managerialists Forget: Higher education credit frameworks and managerialist ideology
This article uses data from a five-year ethnographic study of a single higher education institution to assess aspects of the 'realism' of managerialist approaches articulated through the credit framework in higher education in the United Kingdom. By 'credit framework' is meant the constellation of more or less compatible features facilitated by the assignment of credit to assessed learning, including modularity, the semester system, franchising, …
Department-level Cultures and the Improvement of Learning and Teaching
This article argues that good practice in teaching and learning in the English-speaking world may be compromised by structural changes in the higher education system. The impact of these changes is, however, affected by leadership practices and working cultures at the departmental level. These can, it is argued, assist in the development of 'deeper' teaching and learning practices even in a context which may be seen as unfavourable to them. Rejec…
Captured by the Discourse? The Socially Constitutive Power of New Higher Education Discourse in the UK
This paper addresses the extent to which academic staff are ‘captured’ by the discourse associated with the ‘new higher education’ (NHE) in the UK and identifies the factors which condition their ability to displace, negotiate, reconstruct and create alternative discourses. In addressing this task, the paper draws on data from a five-year ethnographic study of an English university, NewU, a single document from NewU published after that study, a …
A Sociology of Teaching, Learning and Enhancement: Improving Practices in Higher Education
Aquest article examina la falta relativa d’atenció sobre les qüestions d’ensenyament i aprenentatge en el nivell departamental de les universitats. Utilitzant la teoria de la pràctica social com a aproximació al tema, l’article mostra com la construcció i la posada en funcionament dels règims d’ensenyament i aprenentatge a nivell departamental pot tenir efectes significatius sobre la recepció i la implementació d’iniciatives dissenyades per millo…
Freeing the chi of change: The Higher Education Academy and enhancing teaching and learning in higher education
This article examines recent UK policy initiatives to enhance teaching and learning in higher education in the UK, and the quality of the student experience there. The Higher Education Academy has recently begun to work in this area and the Higher Education Bill (2004) has passed into law. A reflective review of previous initiatives is therefore very timely. The article shows that, while these different initiatives have been explicitly addressed …
Depicting and researching disciplines: Strong and Moderate Essentialist Approaches
This paper considers how the idea of ‘discipline’ can best be conceptualised, both in general and particular terms. Much previous research has employed a strong essentialist approach, a model of disciplines which exaggerates the homogeneity of specific disciplinary features and accords disciplines generative powers which they rarely possess. That approach is disabling because it closes down the appreciation of the heterogeneity within disciplines…
Doctoral supervision: Sharpening the focus of the practice lens
The literature on doctoral supervision is heavily informed by a focus on the individual and dyad, together with a self-help ethic of supervisory improvement. On the margins is a disparate literature taking a ‘practice’ perspective on doctoral supervision. But this literature is disconnected and lacking in some important features. This paper’s intention is to sharpen the focus and so to enhance the utility of a social practice theory lens. It refu…
Mapping ecologies of practice: A framework for reflective teaching and academic development in higher education
Critical reflection on teaching is essential for educators to develop a strong rationale for their practice. However, fully grasping the complexity of social practices within the classroom requires a more nuanced approach. To make their reflective work influential for enhancement, it is important for educators to incorporate the broader conditioning factors influencing classroom practices, including the dynamic interplay between teaching, learnin…
Sociology (10 works) · Political science (9 works) · Higher education (8 works) · Pedagogy (7 works) · Epistemology (5 works) · Higher Education Learning Practices (5 works) · Innovative Education and Learning Practices (4 works) · Law (4 works) · Psychology (4 works) · Public relations (4 works)