A policy analysis of the Teaching Excellence Framework’s notion of competition for UK higher education

The thesis focuses on this competitive policy document due to its great importance and potential impact for society, especially where the thesis analyses the TEF’s notions of ‘competition’ as a redefining concept for higher education (UK) through critical discourse analysis. The analysis offers a critique beyond that of commodification and economic marketisation, reconceived as a socioeconomic political lever to achieve ‘excellence’ and ‘equality’ - all under the TEF’s notions of competition, whereby competition acts as natural referenda of checks-and-balances thereby assuring ‘excellence’ for higher education.

Through peeling away the TEF’s outer layers of discourse, the analysis reveals underlying ideological political economic beliefs. Competitive tensions are uncovered as key components, whereby policy analysis un-weaves and separates the various complex ideas surrounding important issues of a competitive higher education system, pushing back against its pro-competitive stance. This I argue, is to help highlight and understand the ‘beliefs’ that underpin the TEF’s faith in competition, the ability of competitive markets, and the contours through which a neoliberal paradigm achieves a competitive policy for higher education.

The contribution to knowledge of this thesis is provided through discerning and exposing dissonances within the TEF, namely those between competitive free markets and public higher education institutions.

I argue that reforming higher education into competitive frameworks reduces, not enhances, higher education that commodifies knowledge into capital for sale, whilst ameliorating equality as opportunity for a competitive faithful that believes private self-interest yields the greatest of rewards, for the greatest number of people.