Building higher education: The tension between espoused educational values and physical infrastructure

Through interviews with senior academic management representing 16 UK higher education institutions (HEIs), this study explores the relationship between the espoused pedagogical values focusing on student-centred learning, and the construction of large-class, fixed-seat lecture theatres. Despite the widespread promotion of student-centred, collaborative, and active learning approaches in university policy, educational strategies, and corporate literature, the physical infrastructure reflects a different set of priorities, often driven by logistical and financial considerations rather than pedagogical intent. The conceptual basis for the article is Argyris and Schön’s theory of action: a theoretical framework that distinguishes between organisational espoused theory (what organisations say they do) and theory-in-use (what they actually do). The framework was designed to better understand how organisations produce behaviour sometimes at odds with their own values. The results of the study reveal a remarkable lack of pedagogical intentionality behind the investment in large-class auditoria. This study contributes to the discourse on the alignment between HEIs’ physical infrastructure and their educational policies, highlighting a significant gap between pedagogical ideals and the realities of the physical teaching spaces created.