Triangulating excellence: the RITE framework for governing teaching enhancement in higher education

The governance of teaching enhancement in higher education is a complex endeavor, often characterized by a disconnect between national policy and institutional practice. Moving beyond traditional regulator-institution models, this study explores the dynamic triadic relationship between a national regulatory body, institutional Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs), and a voluntary national professional forum. Based on a sequential mixed-methods case study of the Israeli higher education system, this paper develops and proposes the Regulatory-Institutional Teaching Enhancement (RITE) framework. This analytical model conceptualizes the governance arena through four interconnected dimensions: Perception Dynamics, Interaction Mechanisms, Influence Pathways, and Resource Relationships. The findings demonstrate that policy implementation is not a linear process but a negotiated outcome shaped by the mediating role of the intermediary forum, which builds trust and circulates social, symbolic, and informational capital. The RITE framework offers a new tool for scholars to analyze and compare governance models internationally and provides policymakers with a more nuanced understanding of the ecosystem required to foster teaching excellence.