Preface

Situating the current research

The recent establishment of the Irish technological university (TU) sector represents an opportunity to carve out a unique identity for the sector and each of its associated institutions within the Irish higher education landscape. A core part of this identity refers to the impacts made by TUs. Indeed, there is a growing trend in higher-education to better understand, evaluate and maximise such academic impact. However, such efforts often face difficulties associated with coalescing impact conceptualisation (e.g. impact can mean different things to different people) and how best to ‘measure’ impact.

To better understand such issues and pursue the opportunity to carve out a unique impact identity, a series of studies were conducted at one such TU, the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). Following the development of an evolving impact framework from review of the existing literature, Study 1 (Dwyer, & Seery, 2024) explored the perspectives of key institutional staff from TUS, regarding the nature of: impacts that are possible (i.e. in light of the recently developed TU sector); impacts that are currently being made, as well as how these impacts acquiesce with existing perspectives surrounding TUS’s current and evolving identity. The study also informed the previously discussed framework for impact from a TU perspective, in an effort to create better understanding of: to what impact refers in the Irish TU sector, developing an impact identity for TUS (i.e. starting with one campus, and progressing through each and, subsequently, on a sectoral basis) and generating means of capturing such impact. Twenty-six interviews were conducted in this context and resulting data analysed thematically. Further to the development of five themes regarding identity, teaching as the ‘bread-and-butter’, alumni, interdisciplinarity and the nature of ‘our’ research – participants confirmed the framework of impact established as part of the literature review and helped facilitate the development of a list of 157 impact indicators and evidence.

In light of Study 1’s focus on ‘student-centredness’ and teaching-and-learning as core to TUS’s ‘impact identity’, Study 2 (Dwyer & Seery, 2025) featured the survey of 1,232 current students and graduates from TUS in relation to transformative learning (TL), in order to ‘provide a voice’ to students with regards to the potential impact their education has had and evaluated previously established claims of this particular institution’s teaching impact and student-centredness. Transformative learning reflects an individual’s experience of perspective transition, fostered by pedagogical practice or educational intervention, that conceptually reframes the student’s experience of the world and facilitates intellectual autonomy in personal and social-based arenas; and may represent an important indicator of impact, particularly in the recently established Irish TU sector. Specifically, the study aimed to explore both the frequency and nature of the TL (e.g. factors influencing it), as experienced by current and past students. Results revealed that: 77% of respondents had experienced some form of TL and that 37% experienced what was found to be ‘explicit TL’ (i.e. the learner explicitly recognises or acknowledges some transformation as having been contributed to by a particular experience) – both of which being significantly more than those who did not report a TL experience. Results also revealed that explicit TL was primarily influenced by lecturer support and active learning activities; and was more commonly found within the graduate cohort.

Finally, core to rationale of Study 3 – the current study – is that, while the first two studies focused on data sourced from internal ‘players on the ground’, the current research examines perspectives of those more closely engaged with the policies and guidelines that facilitate such impact, as well opportunities to engage and translate impact external to the microcosm of academia, particularly to that of TUS-specific culture. As such, the current study aims to identify and model influences to impact in TUS, from the perspectives of TUS higher-management and external stakeholders, with respect to both barriers and facilitating influences, through interactive management (IM). IM is a thought and action mapping strategy used to aid groups in developing outcomes that integrate contributions from individuals with diverse views, backgrounds and perspectives .

Figure A: Brief representation of the IM process

Findings from two interactive management session (n= 12 per group) revealed a pathway of impact influence, beginning with Funding & Resources as a driving influence on subsequent impact influences, including Impact Considerations; Accessibility & Relationship with Service Engagement; Student Influences; and Morale & Motivation. Findings corroborate research from both previous studies and usefully signals important implications for future consideration, particularly for the wider TU sector. Findings and implications are discussed in light of theory and recent research.

Figure B: Pathway of impact influences yielded from the IM process in the current study