Action Research in Higher Education: A Way of Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Professional Practice?

The modern world is in a state of acceleration; continuous development and rapid transformation, as noted by Hartmut Rosa. This is also true for the Danish welfare state. Technological innovations, and economic, social, and climate-related challenges, are causing shifts that impose new demands on the welfare professions and their field of practice. Additionally, this also affects the professional education programs at Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s). They must continually adjust and adapt their curricula and formats to incorporate latest research and insights into how the demands of today unfolds in practice, whether for primary school teachers, nurses, or other welfare professionals. Often, research knowledge involves a lengthy journey from production at universities to publication in journals, followed by the integration and transfer of new knowledge into education programs and professional practice. This process entails a relatively long lead time and cross-institutional shifts that can challenge or even hinder the exchange of knowledge between universities, universities of applied sciences, and practical settings.
The (missing) link between research, education, and practice has been discussed across Europe and worldwide for many years. The fact that this discussion is still going on might reflect the level of complexity on this matter. This paper brings the pathways of knowledge exchange between academia and professional practice into question and discusses the potential of action research as an approach to support the link between research, education, and practice.