Rethinking educational gain in higher education: beyond metrics to a multi-dimensional model

This paper proposes a multi-dimensional model of educational gain, in response to the shift in policy discourse from learning gain. In English higher education, particularly in the Teaching Excellence Framework, there is now an emphasis on institutions to evidence the progress students make over the duration of their study. Yet, there is an absence of agreed indicators as to what educational gain entails, including the theories that underpin the concept. While established approaches are often grounded in narrow psychometric ideas, policy now recognises personal, social and emotional development. Drawing on educational, psychological and sociological theory, this paper conceptualises educational gain through three interlinked domains: cognitive and metacognitive development, personal and affective growth, and social and cultural development. A multi‑dimensional approach calls for the use of mixed-methods and longitudinal data, where sector-wide benchmarks are contextualised with institution-specific evidence to enhance evaluative practice.