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Professor Malcolm Tight

Professor in Higher Education

Associated research centres and groups: Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation

Current Teaching

I direct the Doctoral Programme, which offers a route to a PhD for professionals working in higher and further education. I also teach on masters and undergraduate programmes.

Research Interests

I have a broad range of research interests in the fields of higher and post-compulsory education. Over the years, these have included research into:

• changing patterns of academic work
• the nature of the academic experience
• the development of higher education research
• the history and meaning of higher education
• alternative modes of study
• the postgraduate and research experience
• mature and 'non-traditional' students
• comparative studies
• patterns of participation
• the role of learning in adult life

Potential Doctoral Proposals

• Changing patterns of academic work;
• The nature of the academic experience;
• The history and meaning of higher education;
• Alternative modes of study;
• The postgraduate and research student experience;
• Mature and 'non-traditional' students;
• Comparative studies;
• Patterns of participation;
• The role of learning in adult life

Career details

I previously worked at the University of Warwick, the Open University and Birkbeck College London.

I am Editor of the leading international journal Studies in Higher Education, and of the book series International Perspectives on Higher Education Research, and also on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Education and Work and Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning.

Publications

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Publications

Books

1. 2012 - Researching Higher Education. Maidenhead, Open University Press, second edition (forthcoming).

2. 2010 - How to Research. Maidenhead, Open University Press, fourth edition, 315pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

3. 2009 - The Development of Higher Education in the United Kingdom since 1945. Maidenhead, Open University Press, 354pp.

4. 2008 - Como se Investiga. Barcelona, Editorial Grao, 301 pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes - Spanish version of the third edition of How to Research).

5. 2007 - Kertines Suaugusiyiy Svietimo ir Mokymo Idejos. Vilnius, Kronta, 184 pp. - Lithuanian version of second edition of Key Concepts in Adult Education and Training.

6. 2006 - How to Research. Maidenhead, Open University Press, third edition, 287 pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

7. 2004 - How to Research. Shanghai, McGraw-Hill Education (Asia)/China Renmin University Press, 342pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes - Chinese version of second edition of How to Research).

8. 2003 - Researching Higher Education. Maidenhead, Open University Press, 257pp.

9. 2002 - Key Concepts in Adult Education and Training. London, Taylor and Francis, second edition, 196pp.

10. 2001- How to Research. Buckingham, Open University Press, second edition, 286pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

11. 2000 - Como se hace una Investigacion. Barcelona, Gedisa, 351pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes - Spanish version of first edition of How to Research).

12. 1999 - How to Research. New Delhi, Viva Books, 263pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes - Indian publication of first edition of How to Research)

13. 1998 - The Academic Career Handbook. Buckingham, Open University Press, 230pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

14. 1996 - Key Concepts in Adult Education and Training. London, Routledge, 180pp.

15. 1996 - How to Research. Buckingham, Open University Press, 263pp. (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

16. 1993 - Open Universities: a British tradition? Buckingham, Open University Press, 180pp. (with Robert Bell).

17. 1990 - Higher Education: a part-time perspective. Milton Keynes, Open University Press, 170pp.

18. 1989 - Part-time Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. Cambridge, Hobson's Press, third edition, 100pp.

19. 1987 - Part-time Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. Cambridge, Hobson's Press, second edition, 104pp.

20. 1986 - Part-time Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. Cambridge, Hobson's Press, 104pp.

21. 1984 - Education for Adults: present and future. Milton Keynes, Open University, 64pp.

22. 1982 - Part-time Degree Level Study in the United Kingdom. Leicester, Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education, 129pp.

Edited Books

1. 2011 - Institutional Transformation to Engage a Diverse Student Body. Bingley, Emerald (forthcoming, with Liz Thomas).

2. 2011 - Higher Education (Major Themes in Education). London, Routledge, five volumes, 2180pp.

3. 2010 - Interdisciplinary Higher Education: perspectives and practicalities. Bingley, Emerald, 349pp (with Martin Davies and Marcia Devlin).

4. 2009 - The International Handbook of Higher Education. London, Routledge, 525pp (with Jeroen Huisman, Ka Ho Mok and Christopher Morphew).

5. 2006 - Autonomy in Social Science Research: the view from United Kingdom and Australian universities. Oxford, Elsevier, 230pp (with Carole Kayrooz and Gerlese Akerlind).

6. 2005 - International Relations. Oxford, Elsevier, 309pp.

7. 2004 - The RoutledgeFalmer Reader in Higher Education. London, RoutledgeFalmer, 318pp.

8. 2003 - Access and Exclusion. Oxford, Elsevier Science, 270pp.

9. 2000 - Academic Work and Life: what it is to be an academic, and how this is changing. Oxford, Elsevier Science, 406pp.

10. 1988 - Academic Freedom and Responsibility. Milton Keynes, Open University Press, 150pp.

11. 1983 - Educational Opportunities for Adults. London, Croom Helm, 321pp.

12. 1983 - Adult Learning and Education. London, Croom Helm, 300pp.

Articles in Refereed Journals

1. How Many Universities are there in the United Kingdom? How many should there be? Higher Education (forthcoming).

2. 2011 - Student Accommodation in Higher Education in the United Kingdom: changing post-war attitudes. Oxford Review of Education, 37, 3 (forthcoming).

3. 2010 - The Curious Case of Case Study: a viewpoint. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 13, 4, pp. 329-339.

4. 2010 - Are Academic Workloads Increasing? The post-war survey evidence in the UK. Higher Education Quarterly, 64, 2, pp. 200-215.

5. 2010 - The Golden Age of Academe: myth or memory? British Journal of Educational Studies, 58, 1, pp. 105-116.

6. 2008 - What's the Point of it all? Researching and writing higher education. Uniped, 31, 4, pp. 61-69.

7. 2008 - Higher Education Research as Tribe, Territory and/or Community: a co -citation analysis. Higher Education, 55, 593-608.

8. 2008 - Dead Academics: what can we learn about academic work and life from obituaries? London Review of Education, 6, 2, pp. 125-135.

9. 2007 - Institutional Diversity in English Higher Education. Higher Education Review, 39, 2, pp. 3-24.

10. 2007 - The (Re-)Location of Higher Education in England (revisited). Higher Education Quarterly, 61, 3, pp. 250-265.

11. 2007 - Bridging the Divide: a comparative analysis of articles in higher education journals published inside and outside North America. Higher Education, 53, 2, pp. 235-253.

12. 2007 - The Life and Death of a Course. Teaching in Higher Education, 12, 1, pp. 1-12.

13. 2006 - Higher Education Post-War: a novel history. Higher Education Review, 39, 1, pp. 17-33 .

14. 2006 - Changing Understandings of 'Public' and 'Private' in Higher Education: the United Kingdom case. Higher Education Quarterly, 60, 3, pp. 242-256.

15. 2006 - Higher Education Research: a citation analysis. Higher Education Review, 38, 2, pp. 42-59.

16. 2004 - Higher Education Research: an atheoretical community of practice? Higher Education Research and Development, 23, 4, pp. 395-411.

17. 2003 - The Organisation of Academic Knowledge: a comparative perspective. Higher Education, 46, 4, pp. 389-410.

18. 2003 - Reviewing the Reviewers. Quality in Higher Education, 9, 3, pp. 295-303.

19. 2002 - What does it mean to be a Professor? Higher Education Review, 34, 2, pp. 39-56.

20. 2000 - Do League Tables Contribute to the Development of a Quality Culture? Football and higher education compared. Higher Education Quarterly, 54, 1, pp. 22-42.

21. 2000 - Critical Perspectives on Management Learning: a view from adult/continuing/lifelong education. Management Learning, 31, 1, pp. 103-19.

22. 1999 - Writing in British Higher Education Journals, 1993-98: concerns and omissions. Higher Education Review, 31, 3, pp. 3-20.

23. 1998 - Writing on Academic Careers. Studies in Higher Education, 23, 3, pp. 281-95 (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

24. 1998 - The Emerging Structure of Post-compulsory Education in England. Tertiary Education and Management, 4, 3, pp. 223-30.

25. 1998 - Telling it how it is: accounts of academic life. Higher Education Quarterly, 52, 3, pp. 300-15 (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

26. 1998 - Lifelong Learning: opportunity or compulsion? British Journal of Educational Studies, 46, 3, pp. 251-63.

27. 1998 - Education, Education, Education! The vision of lifelong learning in the Kennedy, Dearing and Fryer reports. Oxford Review of Education, 24, 4, pp. 473-85.

28. 1998 - Bridging the 'Learning Divide': the nature and politics of participation. Studies in the Education of Adults, 30, 2, pp. 110-19.

29. 1996 - University Typologies Re-examined. Higher Education Review, 29, 1, pp. 57-77.

30. 1996 - The Re-location of Higher Education. Higher Education Quarterly, 50, 2, pp. 118-35.

31. 1996 - The Ever Changing World of Further Education: a case for research. Research in Post-compulsory Education, 1, 1, pp. 7-18 (with Christina Hughes and Paul Taylor).

32. 1996 - Mature Student Markets: an institutional case study. Higher Education, 31, 2, pp. 187-203 (with Loraine Blaxter and Kate Dodd).

33. 1996 - Doughnuts and Jam Roly Poly: sweet metaphors for organisational researchers. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 20, 1, pp. 51-7 (with Christina Hughes).

34. 1996 - Changing Concepts in Adult Education. Studies in Continuing Education, 18, 1, pp. 59-72.

35. 1995 - The Myth of the Learning Society. British Journal of Educational Studies, 43, 3, pp. 290-304 (with Christina Hughes).

36. 1995 - Open Universities in Nineteenth Century Britain. Open Learning, 10, 2, pp. 3-11 (with Robert Bell).

37. 1995 - Linking University Teaching and Research. Higher Education Review, 28, 1, pp. 51-65 (with Christina Hughes).

38. 1995 - Life Transitions and Educational Participation by Adults. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 14, 3, pp. 231-46 (with Loraine Blaxter).

39. 1995 - Education, Work and Adult Life: a literature review. Research Papers in Education, 10, 3, pp. 381-98.

40. 1994 - Utopia and the Education of Adults. International Journal of University Adult Education, 33, 2, pp. 29-44.

41. 1994 - Models of Part-time Higher Education: Canada and the United Kingdom. Comparative Education, 30, 3, pp. 183-92.

42. 1994 - Juggling with Time: how adults manage their time for lifelong education. Studies in the Education of Adults, 26, 2, pp. 162-79 (with Loraine Blaxter).

43. 1994 - Crisis, What Crisis? Rhetoric and reality in higher education. British Journal of Educational Studies, 42, 4, pp. 363-74.

44. 1994 - Alternative Models of Continuing Higher Education: Canada, Finland, the United Kingdom. Higher Education Management, 6, 2, pp. 191-202.

45. 1993 - Rolling with the Flow: the prior educational career paths of part-time degree students. Journal of Access Studies, 8, 1, pp. 191-202 (with Loraine Blaxter).

46. 1993 - Is Britain a Western European Country? A multivariate analysis of western higher education systems. Higher Education Quarterly, 47, 3, pp. 221-36.

47. 1993 - Audiences for Part-time Degree Study. Research Papers in Education, 8, 3, pp. 369-87 (with Loraine Blaxter).

48. 1993 - "I'm only doing it to get in the black gown": dream and reality for adults in part-time higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 17, 1, pp. 13-21 (with Loraine Blaxter).

49. 1992 - Reclaiming our Traditions: part-time higher education in Britain. Higher Education Review, 24, 2, pp. 52-73.

50. 1992 - Part-time Postgraduate Study in the Social Sciences: students' costs and sources of finance. Studies in Higher Education, 17, 3, pp. 317-35.

51. 1991 - Part-time Higher Education in Western Developed Countries. European Journal of Education, 26, 1, pp. 63-85.

52. 1989 - Part-time Higher Education as Open Learning. Open Learning, 4, 2, pp. 3-6.

53. 1988 - Institutional Typologies. Higher Education Review, 22, 3, pp. 27-51.

54. 1988 - Continuing Education and the Redrawing of Boundaries. Higher Education Quarterly, 42, 4, pp. 335-52 (with Tom Schuller and Susan Weil).

55. 1988 - Access not Access Courses. Journal of Access Studies, 3, 2, pp. 6-13.

56. 1987- The Value of Higher Education: full-time or part-time? Studies in Higher Education, 12, 2, pp. 169-85.

57. 1987- Mixing Distance and Face-to-Face Higher Education. Open Learning, 2, 1, pp. 14-18.

58. 1987- Access and Part-time Undergraduate Study. Journal of Access Studies, 2, 1, pp. 12-24.

59. 1987 - The Value of Education for Adults. International Journal of University Adult Education, 26, 3, pp. 37-48.

60. 1987 - The Location of Higher Education. Higher Education Quarterly, 41, 2, pp. 162-83.

61. 1986 - The Provision of Part-time First Degree Courses in the United Kingdom. Studies in Higher Education, 11, 2, pp. 173-88.

62. 1985 - Modelling the Education of Adults. Studies in the Education of Adults, 17, 1, pp. 3-18.

63. 1985 - Academic Freedom Re-examined. Higher Education Review, 18, 1, pp. 7-23.

Chapters in Books

1. 2012 - The Myth of the Learning Society Revisited. In T Kerry (ed) International Perspectives on Higher Education: challenging values and practice. London, Continuum (forthcoming, with Christina Hughes).

2. 2011 - Selecting and Developing Quality University Staff. In A Abouammoh and L Smith (eds) Higher Education in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, Ministry of Higher Education, Saudi Arabia.

3. 2011 - Editorial Introduction. In L Thomas and M Tight (eds) Institutional Transformation to Engage a Diverse Student Body. Bingley, Emerald (forthcoming, with Liz Thomas).

4. 2011 - Editorial Introduction. In M Tight (ed) Higher Education (Major Themes in Education). London, Taylor & Francis, five volumes, pp. 1-21.

5. 2010 - Editorial Introduction. In M Davies, M Devlin and M Tight (eds) Interdisciplinary Higher Education: perspectives and practicalities. Bingley, Emerald, pp. xiii-xxi (with Martin Davies and Marcia Devlin).

6. 2009 - The Structure of Academic Research: what can citation studies tell us? In A Brew and L Lucas (eds) Academic Research and Researchers. Maidenhead, Open University Press, pp. 54-65.

7. 2006 - Autonomy in Social Science Research. In C. Kayrooz, G. Akerlind and M. Tight (eds) Autonomy in Social Science Research: the view from United Kingdom and Australian universities. Oxford, Elsevier, pp. 3-27 (with Carole Kayrooz and Gerlese Akerlind).

8. 2006 - Autonomy, Acquiescence or Anomie? Reflections on a Constructed Research Career. In C. Kayrooz, G. Akerlind and M. Tight (eds) Autonomy in Social Science Research: the view from United Kingdom and Australian universities. Oxford, Elsevier, pp. 149-165.

9. 2006 - Review and Conclusions. In C. Kayrooz, G. Akerlind and M. Tight (eds) Autonomy in Social Science Research: the view from United Kingdom and Australian universities. Oxford, Elsevier, pp. 219-227 (with Carole Kayrooz and Gerlese Akerlind).

10. 2005 - Re-writing History: the University of London as a global institution in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. In M. Tight (ed.) International Relations. Oxford, Elsevier, pp. 289-306.

11. 2004 - Higher Education as a Field of Research. In M Tight (ed.) The RoutledgeFalmer Reader in Higher Education. London, RoutledgeFalmer, pp. 1-14.

12. 2003 - Naming Academic Knowledge: what is included within the university? In M Tight (ed.), Access and Exclusion. Oxford, Elsevier Science, pp. 247-268.

13. 2002 - Institutional Models of Higher Education. In S Kontiainen (ed.), Dynamic Concept Analysis: integrating information in conceptual models. Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, pp. 107-129 (with Seppo Kontiainen).

14. 2000 - Reporting on Academic Work and Life: a year of The Times Higher Education Supplement. In M Tight (ed.), Academic Work and Life: what it is to be an academic, and how this is changing. Oxford, Elsevier Science, pp. 371-406.

15. 1998 - The Myth of the Learning Society. In S Ranson (ed.), Inside the Learning Society. London, Cassell, pp. 179-88 (with Christina Hughes).

16. 1997 - Education, Work and Adult Life: how adults relate their learning to their work, family and social lives. In P Sutherland (ed.), Adult Learning: a reader. London, Kogan Page, pp. 135-47 (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

17. 1994 - Continuing Higher Education in Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom. In M Parjanen (ed.), Outside the Golden Gate: prospects and comparisons in Finnish adult higher education. Tampere, University of Tampere, Institute for Extension Studies, Publication A 3/94, pp. 43-59.

18. 1993 - Adult Access to Higher Education. In J Calder (ed.), Disaffection and Diversity: overcoming barriers for adult learners. London, Falmer Press, pp. 19-32.

19. 1992 - Institutional Autonomy. In B Clark and G Neave (eds.), The Encyclopedia of Higher Education, Volume 2: analytical perspectives. Oxford, Pergamon Press, pp. 1384-90.

20. 1992 - Access, not Access Courses: maintaining a broad vision. In R Edwards, S Sieminski and D Zeldin (eds.), Adult Learners, Education and Training. London, Routledge, pp. 62-74.

21. 1991 - Institutional Models of Higher Education. In S Kontiainen et al, Use of Conceptual Models in Case Studies: dynamic concept analysis. Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Department of Education, Research Bulletin No. 78, pp. 99-125 (with Seppo Kontiainen).

22. 1989 - The Ideology of Higher Education. In O Fulton (ed.), Access and Institutional Change. Milton Keynes, Open University Press, pp. 85-98.

23. 1988 - So What is Academic Freedom? In M Tight (ed.), Academic Freedom and Responsibility. Milton Keynes, Open University Press, pp. 114-32.

24. 1988 - Open Learning and Continuing Education. In P Jarvis (ed.), Britain: policies and practice in continuing education. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, pp. 75-83.

25. 1983 - A Local Centre for the Education of Adults. In M Tight (ed.), Educational Opportunities for Adults. London, Croom Helm, pp. 225-42.

Other Publications

1. 2002 - The Organization of Academic Knowledge: a comparative perspective. In C Wang, K Mohanan and D Pan (eds) Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. National University of Singapore, pp. 78-87.

2. 2002 - Cult Fiction. In C Grey, S Fox and T Wisniewska (eds) Connecting Learning and Critique. Cambridge-Lancaster 3rd International Conference, pp. 463-8.

3. 2000 - How to, Can do: a review and critique of the literature on the management of higher education. In C Grey, S Fox and T Wisniewska (eds) Emergent Fields in Management: connecting learning and critique. Lancaster-Cambridge 2nd International Conference, pp. 529-41.

4. 2000 - Are we Speaking the Same Language? Conceptualising learning in research. In R Preston (ed.) The Theory and Practice of Lifelong Learning Research: three perspectives. Coventry, University of Warwick, Department of Continuing Education, pp. 13-28.

5. 1999 - Czy Tabele Ligi Pilkarskiej Przyczyniaja sie do Podwyzszanai Jakosci Edukacji? Porownanie Futbolu I Szkolnictwa Wyzszego. Terazniejszosc-Czlowiek-Edukacja, 4, 8, pp. 117-136 (Polish version of refereed article no. 5.

6. 1998 - Supporting the Flamingo: critical perspectives on human resource development from adult/continuing education. In C Grey and S Fox (eds.) Emergent Fields in Management: connecting learning and critique. Leeds-Lancaster Collaborative Conference, 21pp.

7. 1998 - Only Connect: constructing the compleat adult educator/student. In R Benn (ed.) Research, Teaching, Learning: making connections in the education of adults. Exeter, Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults, pp. 213-8.

8. 1997 - Part-time Higher Education in the United Kingdom: a report for the Wissenschaftsrat.

9. 1997 - Learning and Career. Adults Learning, 9, 2, p. 6 (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes: this was the introduction to a special issue of this journal edited with these two colleagues).

10. 1997 - Career as Concept and Experience. Adults Learning, 9, 2, pp. 22-4.

11. 1996 - Living Lifelong Education: the experience of some working class women. Adults Learning, 7, 7, pp. 169-71 (with Loraine Blaxter and Christina Hughes).

12. 1995 - Part-time Higher Education in England: a report for the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

13. 1994 - Time Management and Part-time Study. Adults Learning, 5, 5, pp. 126-7 (with Loraine Blaxter).

14. 1992 - Provision and Productivity in University Continuing Education. Adults Learning, 4, 4, pp. 101-2 (with Kishamer Sidhu).

15. 1991 - The Re-organization of Australian Distance Education. Open Learning, 6, 3, pp. 53-5.

16. 1991 - Part-time Postgraduate Study in the Social Sciences: a report for the Economic and Social Research Council.

17. 1988 - The Practical Implications of Non-traditional Provision. Teaching News, 34, pp. 3-4.

18. 1988 - Open Learning for Continuing Education. Open Learning, 3, 2, pp. 23-26.

19. 1988 - Distance Education: discipline and service. Journal of Distance Education, 3, 1, pp. 81-4.

20. 1988 - Defining Distance Education. Bulletin of the International Council for Distance Education, 18, pp. 56-60.

21. 1985 - Do we really need Course Teams? Teaching at a Distance, 26, pp. 48-50.

Current Projects

Current Research Projects

Currently, there are two main research projects on which I am working, one concerning the nature of research into higher education, the other the post-war history of higher education in the United Kingdom.

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The Nature of Research into Higher Education

For the last decade I have been undertaking a mapping of higher education research, with the aim of better understanding what has been studied and what needs to be studied more.

The initial part of this project focused on books in print (284 in total) and specialist academic journals (406 journal articles) published during the year 2000 outside of North America. The analysis focused on the themes and issues researched, the methods and methodologies employed, the levels at which the research was focused, and the characteristics of the authors. The results were published in my 2003 book, Researching Higher Education (Maidenhead, Open University Press).

Since then, I have extended this analysis to consider also the degree of theoretical engagement present in published research on higher education, citation patterns and North American publications. You will find several recent articles that have come out of this research in my publications list. I have also used the framework developed to produce two readers.

I am currently replicating the 2000 study for 2010, seeking to identify contemporary trends in higher education research and publication.

The Development of Higher Education in the United Kingdom since 1945

The major part of this project was recently published in book form. However, so much data was collected and generated, that I am continuing to work on it and publish supplementary analyses in article form.

Associated Keywords: Higher education HE, Higher education policy

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