The network has a long history within NERA under somewhat changing labels. During the last four years Network 11 has worked as a meeting place for researchers and projects from the broad field of higher education. The network has had its meetings during each NERA-congress. Fifteen to twenty researchers have met at those occasions. Considering the contributions to network sessions at the Congresses over the last years the character of the network could be described as framed by higher education as a sector.
The network consists of educational researchers engaged in any aspect of or phenomenon in higher education as the object of research. The research within the network, thus, represents varied research-paradigms, methodological approaches, educational theories or learning theories. Higher Education is understood as a broad term covering the social life, learning and teaching, professional development in and the organisation of higher education nationally as well as internationally.
The common research interest could be described as the life and changes in and development of the sector of higher education. Over the last years the more prominent contributions have been related to: student learning in different programmes, students´ characteristics and learning trajectories, student assessment, university teachers´ development and working conditions, institutional and curricular development and the Bologna process.
Contact convener Elina Ora-Hyytiäinen.