Shifting from a community of practitioners to a research programme. Considerations on the development of research in teaching and learning in higher education in French-speaking Switzerland
Research in higher education pedagogy is little developed in French-speaking Switzerland. In order to understand this, this article reviews the position of educational sciences and the associated research traditions within the universities. It underscores the lack of a research programme in the field within the traditional academic structures whereas faculty development units carry out sound research in higher education. The growth of these units has produced a community of practice with a strong potential for research. The article concludes that the development of research in higher education requires strengthening the collaboration between the faculty development units and the academic research teams.