Abstract:

The principle aim of this research is to investigate what might an institute of education be in the future through viewing the current changes afoot in a higher educational institution undergoing transformation, and driving factors behind these changes taking place. It is to understand the effects of Higher Educational (HE) change on academic and pedagogic cultures and subsequent effects on professional identities in a college. It is not proposed that this institution is the ideal example but it is one example of Irish higher education (HE) in transition to be more students focused and flexible for future demands.

The HE system in Ireland is broad in scope and encompasses the university sector, the technological sector, the colleges of education and private, independent colleges. Ireland is a society undergoing major change economically, but also demographically through recent migration and mobility of workers from all over Europe and beyond. In an economy as open as Ireland’s it is vital that higher education operate to a maximum effectiveness responding to changing societal needs. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has recommended that Institutions need to compete globally and changes are being implemented to effect these recommendations. Such changes are already transpiring within this HE institution as it has already undergone some operational structural changes which have seen old Faculties merge to form one College.

The methodology will be a case study of the institution as it goes through its transition from traditional multi-site colleges to one main campus in the heart of the city. Individuals driving the process will be interviewed in selected College sites (those merged and proposed to merge) to ascertain the internal actors’ perception of this change and what it means to them and the future of education.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Change, Culture, Identities.