Designing Research to Capture and Understand Variations in Higher Education in Prison

Higher Education in Prison (HEP) has expanded dramatically due to its success in effecting change in students, their families, and institutions. However, in demonstrating its effectiveness, research has lumped together a vast array of courses into a single construct of HEP. In this conceptual article, we encourage the discipline to think beyond this HEP monolith in order to capture and understand the variation that exists within HEP. We offer three ways to distinguish between HEP courses—by structure, student experience, and teaching practices. We argue that understanding how and why our courses achieve the positive outcomes requires systematic attention to teaching practices.