Abstract
This chapter explores the nature of current higher education practices in the context of broader neoliberal conditions, and how these conditions can be challenged. Specifically, the chapter draws upon neo-Aristotelian theorizing to help make sense of these practices, and as an alternative to neoliberalism to guide educators’ work and learning . The project explores the value of these concepts through research into tertiary teaching practices in an Australian university. The chapter argues for a praxis-oriented approach to educational practice as a challenge to more neoliberal influences, and seeks to reveal how more neoliberal and praxis-oriented positions coexist in both policy and practice. The research reveals how the conditions for practice in the university, as evident in key policies for university teaching, act as ‘practice architectures’ for the practices which subsequently develop, and also provides insights into how these conditions might be better managed for more educative purposes.
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- 1.
Perna et al. (2014) refer to how major MOOCs established in 2012, such as Stanford’s Udacity and Coursera, had partnerships with 16 universities/other organisations, and 107 partners respectively, and MIT/Harvard’s EdX had 30 partners by January 2014.
- 2.
Australian Graduate Survey—Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ).
- 3.
Names of organisational units have been anonymised.
- 4.
Names of positions of personnel have been anonymised.
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Hardy, I., Garrick, B. (2017). Educational Practice as Praxis: Understanding and Challenging Neoliberal Conditions in University Settings. In: Grootenboer, P., Edwards-Groves, C., Choy, S. (eds) Practice Theory Perspectives on Pedagogy and Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3130-4_7
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