Epistemological foundations of key authors on teaching and learning in higher education : an analysis of three journals : 1976-2003
Research on teaching and learning in higher education is an emerging and dynamic intellectual area, involving a diversity of disciplines : how can we make sense of all these works ? Starting with a critique of the concept of paradigm, we elaborate four research propositions grounded in philosophy, history and sociology. A careful analysis of key research contributions in the domain of teaching and learning in higher education extracted from three journals during the 1976-2003 period provides an epistemological map constructed into three research programmes. The article ends with a discussion concerning theoretical and practical issues.