Threshold Concepts within the Disciplines
Abstract
Threshold Concepts within the Disciplines brings together leading writers from various disciplines and national contexts in an important and readable volume for all those concerned with teaching and learning in higher education. The foundational principle of threshold concepts is that there are, in each discipline, ‘conceptual gateways’ or ‘portals’ that must be negotiated to arrive at important new understandings. In crossing the portal, transformation occurs, both in knowledge and subjectivity. Such transformation involves troublesome knowledge, a key concern for contributors to this book, who identify threshold concepts in their own fields and suggest how to deal with them. Part One extends and enhances the threshold concept framework, containing chapters that articulate its qualities, its links to other social theories of learning and other traditions in educational research. Part Two encompasses the disciplinary heart of the book with contributions from a diversity of areas including computing, engineering, biology, design, modern languages, education and economics. In the many empirical case studies educators show how they have used the threshold concept framework to inform and evaluate their teaching contexts. Other chapters emphasise the equally important ‘being and becoming’ dimension of learning. Part Three suggests pedagogic directions for those at the centre of the education project with contributions focusing on the socialisation of academics and their continuing quest to be effective teachers. The book will be of interest to disciplinary teachers, educational researchers and educational developers. It also is of relevance to issues in quality assurance and professional accreditation.
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A novice stands at the threshold, not knowing what to expect and sometimes not knowing what to look at; this is liminality.
“A novice stands at the threshold, not quite knowing what to expect, and sometimes not even knowing what they are supposed to be looking at.This is a state of liminality, and the learner needs to have some threshold concepts so that they can move further (Land et al. 2008;Meyer et al. 2010).”
From Adult learning theories: Implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83 (2013) · cites this paper as Land et al. 2008
Learners need threshold concepts to move beyond liminality.
“This is a state of liminality, and the learner needs to have some threshold concepts so that they can move further (Land et al. 2008;Meyer et al. 2010).”
From Adult learning theories: Implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83 (2013) · cites this paper as Land et al. 2008
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- Authors
- Land, R., Meyer, J. H. F., & Smith, J.
- Venue
- BRILL eBooks
- Publisher
- BRILL
- Published
- 2008-01-01
- OpenAlex
- W1528558039
- Cited by
- 311
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 24.47
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- BRILL eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Evaluation of Teaching Practices
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
- Keywords
- threshold concepts, higher education teaching and learning, disciplinary knowledge, troublesome knowledge, being and becoming, academic socialization, teacher effectiveness, quality assurance, professional accreditation, computing education, engineering education, biology education, design education, economics education
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