Theory development and application in higher education research: The case of threshold concepts

Abstract

This chapter examines the case of threshold concepts, as an example of a theory being developed and applied within higher education research. It traces the origins and meaning of the term, reviews its application by higher education researchers and discusses the issues it raises and the critiques it has attracted. This case is of particular interest, as the idea of threshold concepts is little more than a decade old, yet in that time it has attracted considerable attention.

Citation

Tight, M. (2014), "Theory development and application in higher education research: The case of threshold concepts", Theory and Method in Higher Education Research II (International Perspectives on Higher Education Research, Vol. 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 249-267. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3628(2014)0000010018