Partnered research and emergent variation: developing a set of characteristics for identifying complexity in higher education partnerships

This paper responds to a growing literature arguing that change in higher education institutions might be better understood and managed if such institutions are understood as complex systems with emergent properties. Based on complexity theory, the paper articulates a set of characteristics that mig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of higher education policy and management 2021-01, Vol.43 (1), p.91-109
Main Authors: Woolcott, Geoff, Leonard, Simon, Scott, Amanda, Keast, Robyn, Chamberlain, Dan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Studies
complex system characteristics
Complex systems
complexity
Departments
Educational Change
Educational partnerships
Elementary Secondary Education
emergent variations
Enhancing the Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers (ETMST)
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Higher education partnerships
Higher education programs
initial teacher education
Institutional Characteristics
Kindergarten
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Organizational Change
Partnerships in Education
Preservice teacher education
Primary secondary education
Schools
Science
Science Education
Teacher Education Programs
University administration
University role
University school cooperation
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Summary:This paper responds to a growing literature arguing that change in higher education institutions might be better understood and managed if such institutions are understood as complex systems with emergent properties. Based on complexity theory, the paper articulates a set of characteristics that might be expected if institutions are in fact acting as complex systems. The utility of these characteristics for identifying complexity in the field is tested in the context of a large partnered research project involving the mathematics, science and education colleges from six Australian universities and their local K-12 schools. The study finds evidence of subsystem variations on the initial partnership priorities, including substantial boundary crossing, leading to emergence and co-evolution, indicating that a macroscopic view of emergent variation rather than 'micromanaging' may be an essential factor in scaling and sustaining collaborative partnerships.
ISSN:1360-080X
1469-9508
DOI:10.1080/1360080X.2020.1733734