PhD Defence Nelleke van Adrichem-Rotteveel

flexibility, Coherence and mechanisms - Case studies of Master's programmes offered by universities in the Netherlands and United Kingdom

Nelleke van Adrichem-Rotteveel is an external PHD candidate of the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social sciences (BMS). Her supervisor is em. prof. dr. J.M. Pieters from the Department of Teacher Development (ELAN) and her co-supervisor is dr. J.J. Vossensteyn from the Center of Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS).

Students studying university Master’s programmes today come from increasingly diverse backgrounds with correspondingly divergent learning needs. To respond to these factors, these programmes must offer Flexibility in content, form and organization that may be detrimental to programme Coherence. This study focuses on the tension between offering Flexibility and maintaining Coherence. The main study question is: 

Does a high degree of Flexibility in Master's programmes have a negative influence on the programmes’ Coherence, and which Mechanisms can universities employ to limit this influence? 

To answer this question, system theory was used as a basis to devise a theoretical framework with variables, dimensions and indicators. Four case studies were carried out, two in the Netherlands and two in the United Kingdom. The case studies were compared and analysed using the pairwise comparison method, combined with visualization and cluster methods.

The study results included an alternative conceptual model in which Flexibility is categorized in system terms. This makes it possible to indicate which dimension of Flexibility can influence which specific form of Coherence in a Master’s programme. In addition, the study indicates which Mechanisms contribute to the creation of university Master’s programmes that are both flexible and coherent.