This two-volume book addresses the need for continuous professional development among educators in higher education to meet contemporary challenges and enhance teaching quality.
Teaching in higher education is a context-sensitive and culturally based activity that requires a dialogic approach between teachers and students, making it essential for educators to stay updated with the latest teaching strategies and methodologies. This first volume is focused on establishing conceptual clarity, pedagogical models and systemic frameworks that advance professionalism, underpin teaching excellence and support educational transformation in higher education, paving the way for in-depth investigation of pedagogical growth in specific contexts in Volume 2. This volume is organised into two thematic sections. Chapters in the first section explore the conceptual, philosophical, and systemic underpinnings of pedagogical competence, addressing accreditation, standardisation, and the balance between theory and practice, and laying the foundation for understanding teaching as a profession grounded in both technical expertise and ethical reflection. The second section situates pedagogical competence within institutional, cultural, and geopolitical contexts, and explores how educators in varied and sometimes fragile higher education systems negotiate development amid structural, digital, and socio-political challenges. Through case studies from Yemen and postcolonial settings, the chapters illustrate how contextual constraints can become catalysts for innovation and resilience.
An indispensable resource for educators in higher education, these two volumes address the critical need for continuous professional development, reflective practice and collaboration, for advancing pedagogical professionalism, and for ensuring that higher education remains responsive to the needs of students and society.
Table of Contents:
List of Contributors
Section I: Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations of Pedagogical Competence
1. A Conceptual Clarification and Advancement of Pedagogical Competence in Higher Education
2. Why Do Higher Education Teachers Need Pedagogical Competence on Supporting Students’ Learning of Generic Skills?
3. Handling Standardisation in Higher Education: Approaches and Paths Ahead
4. Technical Pedagogy and the Dialectial Alternative in Higher Education
5. Standardized or Situated? Rethinking Professional Learning in University Pedagogy
6. Validation of Practical Experience as a Supplement to Formal Training for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
7. The Impact of the Pedagogical Competences on the Accreditation Processes of the Teaching Staff in the Spanish Higher Education Institutions
Section II: Contextual and Institutional Dimensions of Pedagogical Practices
8. Self-Initiated Professional Development of English Faculty in Yemen
9. A Holistic Approach to Updating English Education Programs at Yemeni Public Universities
10. A Model for Establishing a University Pedagogy Program in a Conflict-Affected Context
11. Graduate Research Supervision as Pedagogical Craft: Perspectives of the Professoriate in a College of Humanities in a Postcolonial Context
12. Digitalization and Datafication in Higher Education: Experiences of English Language Instructors
About the Author :
Abdulghani Muthanna is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Pedagogical Development and Learning, Østfold University College, Norway. His research interests include critical pedagogy, teaching professionalism and collaboration. He has recently co-edited a book about professional identity development, published by Routledge.
Håkon Naasen Tandberg is the head of the Centre for Pedagogical Development and Learning at Østfold University College, Norway. He is currently a board member of the Norwegian Network for University and College Pedagogy. His research interests include teaching cultures and dialectical pedagogy.
Myint Swe Khine is an academic staff member at Curtin University, Australia. He has worked at the Learning Science and Technology Academic Group at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and published widely on teacher education and educational research.
