ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a brief overview of the changing character of teaching and learning in UK universities with respect to its position and operation in an international market for higher education. Since the 1970s, UK higher education has moved beyond an elite system to one that is more accessible and inclusive, has expanded enormously and widened its offer with respect to the diversity of subjects offered at degree level, mode of study and range of providers. Not only have the numbers of UK students increased, but also those from outside the UK. The growth in numbers of non-EU students has been particularly significant and important over the past twenty years. This chapter explores some of the main drivers for this growth in non-EU (‘international’) students and the associated implications for academic staff working in UK universities and colleges. These include where staff teach because some have a requirement to teach at an overseas campus; who they teach, recognising the rising proportions of international students in their classes; how they teach to meet the needs of international learners; and what they teach.
