Student Centeredness: The many facets of a catch-all term in Higher Education

Currently, Student Centeredness is one of the guiding concepts for the development of Higher Education. A critical look, however, reveals that the term is used ambiguously, even conveying conflicting connotations. The paper analyses how the term is used in different contexts within Higher Education. This analysis discloses contradictions between the connotations found – especially between the pedagogical and management perspectives within Higher Education Institutions. Consequently, “Bildung Centeredness” is proposed as a concept focusing on the main objective of Higher Education and avoiding the conceptual ambiguities outlined in the paper.

10.08.2011 | Gabi Reinmann (München) & Tobias Jenert (St. Gallen)