Teaching within a Consumer Model of Higher Education

Authors

  • Mandy Frake-Mistak York University

Keywords:

marketization of HE, scholarship of teaching and learning, consumerism

Abstract

The political economy of higher education has transformed our ways of thinking about knowledge, teaching and learning, and labour relations. As students are increasingly seeking to attend a university that, they perceive, will offer them the best entry point into the global market place, the work of university teachers is transforming. This literature presents a critical discussion of sociological aspects of consumerism in higher education as it seeks to highlight notions that feed our current conceptualization of consumerism. Furthermore, it articulates a number of critical consequences of teaching to a consumerist ideology. These findings suggest that numerous pedagogical strategies have been implemented in response to the current political economic climate of higher education, and that curriculum has become increasingly responsive to stakeholders in higher education as well as the strategic positioning of programs within the institution and the global labour market. This discussion is framed by a discourse of labour relations.

Author Biography

Mandy Frake-Mistak, York University

Mandy Frake-Mistak is a full time PhD. Candidate in the Faculty of Education at York University. Additionally she holds an Honours Bachelor in Physical Education, a Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Education, from Brock University. Mandy was a teaching assistant and part time instructor for a number of years. She is currently teaching pre-service courses at Brock University and Trent University. Her areas of research are in health and physical education, teaching and learning in higher education, as well as the marketization of the institution.

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Published

2014-03-27

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2014)

Section

Literature Review/Revue de la documentation

License

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