Research-Informed Teaching Practice in Continuing Higher Education: Insights From a Swiss University of Applied Sciences

Abstract

Continuing higher education helps individuals adapt to evolving professional demands. While aiming to provide practical benefits, it is equally defined by its scientific orientation. Swiss universities of applied sciences, which recently transitioned into higher education institutions, play a key role in this field. However, there is little empirical knowledge about how their teaching integrates research and science. This lack of evidence extends beyond Switzerland, representing a broader international research gap which this article aims to address through a descriptive and exploratory case study approach. In the absence of a validated measurement tool, a survey was developed, drawing on current literature about research-informed teaching. Data were collected from 150 lecturers teaching in continuing higher education at a Swiss business school. The responses were quantitatively analyzed to test three hypotheses. The most common form of establishing a scientific link in teaching is seen as the least laborious one and consists of referencing research results. Despite the short research tradition of universities of applied sciences, over 60 percent of lecturers incorporate multiple forms of research informed teaching in their classes. However, 12 percent establish no link to research and science and lecturers without a PhD are associated with fewer forms, highlighting room for improvement in fulfilling the institutional higher education profile. This article contributes to applied higher education research by providing a first empirical insight into how strong the profile-forming link between research, science, and teaching is in continuing higher education at non-traditional higher education institutions.