Academic Values & Student Identity in the Marketized Higher Education Sector: Student Perceptions of Transforming Universities in Germany and Denmark
Author
Schmidt, Veronika Maria
Term
10. term
Publication year
2013
Submitted on
2013-05-30
Pages
80
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan tyske kandidatstuderende ved Aalborg Universitet (AAU) opfatter deres personlige og akademiske udvikling i en højere uddannelsessektor præget af globalisering, markedsgørelse og øget konkurrence. Med udgangspunkt i de studerendes erfaringer fra bachelorstudier i Tyskland sammenlignet med AAU i Danmark belyses forskelle mellem traditionel undervisning og AAU’s problemorienterede projekt- og gruppearbejde (PBL). Studiet kombinerer relevant sekundærlitteratur om universiteternes transformation, identitet og forbrugsstudier med kvalitative, dybdegående interviews med ni tyske AAU-studerende, analyseret inden for en fortolkningsbaseret ramme ved hjælp af den hermeneutiske cirkel. Resultaterne peger på, at lærings- og undervisningsvilkår flere steder i Tyskland er forringet, med et skifte fra kritisk tænkning til overfladisk “bulimilæring”, og at de få universiteter, der markedsfører sig offensivt, kan præges af konkurrence og et kontraproduktivt miljø. AAU beskrives som kollegialt, venligt og serviceorienteret, hvor tæt samarbejde med undervisere og PBL fremmer kritisk læring, men hvor udførelsen udfordres af løs struktur, manglende kontrolmekanismer og ulige arbejdsfordeling i grupper. De studerende forholder sig kritisk til påtrængende, indtægtsfokuseret markedsføring i Tyskland, mens AAU’s mere informative tilgang vurderes positivt, om end “det tyske blik” ikke er vant til højere uddannelse i reklamer. Samlet antyder fundene et værdiskifte ved nogle tyske universiteter, som svækker den klassiske universitetsidé, mens AAU’s PBL under de rette betingelser understøtter en mere bæredygtig akademisk identitet. Markedsføring behøver ikke forringe læringsmiljøet, hvis den ikke drives af rent økonomiske motiver. Praktisk anbefales mindre fokus på annoncer og større brug af uddannelsesmesser, besøg, personlige online/offline-erfaringer og et stærkt tysk alumnenetværk samt tydeligere kommunikation om PBL-forventninger og gruppestruktur for at mindske frustrationer.
This thesis examines how German master’s students at Aalborg University (AAU) perceive their personal and academic development within a higher education sector shaped by globalization, marketization, and rising competition. Drawing on students’ bachelor experiences in Germany and their current studies in Denmark, it contrasts traditional teaching with AAU’s problem-based, project- and group-oriented learning (PBL). The study combines relevant secondary literature on university transformation, identity, and consumption with qualitative in-depth interviews with nine German AAU students, analyzed within an interpretivist framework using the hermeneutic circle. Findings indicate that learning and teaching conditions in parts of Germany have deteriorated, shifting from critical thinking toward non-reflective “bulimia learning,” and that the few universities pursuing strong marketing strategies can foster competitive behavior and a counterproductive climate. AAU is described as collegial, friendly, and service-oriented, with close collaboration with teaching staff and the PBL model enriching critical learning, yet its implementation is challenging due to loose structure, limited control mechanisms, and uneven group workloads. Students critique intrusive, revenue-centered higher education marketing in Germany, while viewing AAU’s more informative efforts positively, though “the German eye” is not accustomed to university advertising. Overall, the results suggest a shift in academic values at some German universities that weakens the classic idea of the university, whereas AAU’s PBL, under the right conditions, supports a healthier academic identity. Marketing need not harm the learning environment if it is not driven by purely financial goals. Practically, the study recommends less reliance on ads and greater use of education fairs, outreach visits, personal online/offline reviews, and a strong German alumni network, alongside clearer communication of PBL expectations and group structures to reduce frustrations.
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