The Third Space in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The idea of a third space, positioned between academic and professional domains, has proven useful in examining the evolving nature of higher education work. The continuing disruptions in higher education worldwide highlight the importance of the third space and the need for further exploration. A scoping review of third space work in the higher education literature from 2000 to 2022 was conducted. More than 2870 articles retrieved from nine databases were screened based on title, abstract, and keywords, resulting in 54 papers for analysis. Data were extracted to summarise the literature, including method, participant characteristics, and theoretical framing, implications. The articles revealed that the third space is an emerging area of study which, while valuable, is yet to influence policy and practice at the institutional or national level. Thus, third space presents a fertile space for more analytical and empirical investigations that go beyond descriptive case studies.