Diffusion of Pure and Hybrid Forms of a Practice: Language of Instruction in Turkish Universities, 1983–2014

Abstract

It is well recognized in the literature that practice variation is an integral part of diffusion processes. What remains less explored is the emergence of distinct forms of a novel practice and the interdependencies in their diffusion. In this study, we make a distinction between the pure version of a practice and ensuing hybrid variants and investigate how diffusion processes unfold for these alternative practice forms. Our empirical investigation in the Turkish higher education field demonstrates that hybrid practice forms became viable alternatives to the pure version of instruction in English and diffused in an interdependent manner. Further, diffusion of pure and hybrid forms was uneven across private and public universities. Our study contributes to the diffusion and practice variety literature as we establish that multiple versions of a practice that diffuse concurrently in a field may be building on or hampering each other, and they may diffuse in fragmented ways across different sub-populations.