Curriculum agility in higher education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to identify and encapsulate the enablers that can facilitate curriculum agility in higher education and second, to understand the interplay between the factors. Literature review and academic experts helped identify eight factors crucial for driving curriculum agility in higher education. The total interpretive structural modelling (TISM), a widely used method in theory building, was used to develop a hierarchical conceptual framework of the curriculum agility factors. The TISM model helped comprehend the relationship between the factors and the logical reasoning behind the relationship. The cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification, also known as MICMAC analysis, was applied to rank the enablers based on their driving power into independent, autonomous, linkage, and dependent zones. The participants for the study included faculty members from higher education institutions in India. A closed-ended questionnaire and scheduled interview helped in gathering data. The TISM model revealed curriculum leader, organisational governance and teacher autonomy as the most crucial factors in driving curriculum agility in higher education. The results of this study would assist the policymakers and management of higher education institutions to understand the critical factors and work around them to add value to the curriculum.