Self-identified learning needs of university teachers: recommendations for generic and role-based professional development

The article is devoted to improving the psychological climate in university teaching staff. The article provides a theoretical analysis of the considered phenomenon, its connection with the phenomenon of communications, and its elaboration in the pedagogical and psychological research. The study highlights the importance of socio-psychological climate in the context of the effectiveness of the activities of teachers and teaching staff in general. The study is aimed at examination of the problem of improvement of psychological climate in university teaching staff. To achieve the goal of the research, the authors developed and carried out an experiment aimed at examination of the ways to improve the psychological climate in university teaching staff with the help of training activity. The authors selected the research methodology and its algorithm, including a complex psychological and pedagogical experiment and tracking the state and dynamics of socio-psychological climate in university teaching staff before and after the formative influence. The research was carried out during one semester at the Institute of Foreign Languages of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. The study involved 40 teachers; the sample was representative in terms of gender and other characteristics. The results of the study allow concluding that training is an effective method of improving the socio-psychological climate in university teaching staff under several significant conditions.

The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) is a survey instrument used to determine technology usage intention and behaviour. UTAUT consists of four predictor variables; performance expectance, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. This study investigates the technology acceptance profiles of university teaching staff, by using the UTAUT predictor variables as clustering variables, in the context of the implementation of a new learning management system (LMS). While students are mostly the focus of research on technology acceptance in higher education, university teaching staff are predominantly overlooked. Using a modified UTAUT questionnaire, 244 university teaching staff from a Belgian university took part in a survey focusing on their acceptance and use of the new LMS. Most studies on LMS acceptance in higher education are variable centred, whereas this research takes a person‐centred approach. This approach will shed new light on how UTAUT can provide information which can be used to interpret the professional development needs during an institution‐wide educational technology implementation. A cluster analysis with the predictor variables of UTAUT as input variables resulted in three distinct groups: a high, moderate and a low scoring cluster. These differences between the clusters were also reflected in the acceptance of the LMS. The results of this study will therefore facilitate decision making and guidelines for the design of institution‐wide professional development initiatives that are targeted towards the needs of specific groups of university teaching staff. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Most research has focused on university students, or on general barriers to technology acceptance. The four core predictors of UTAUT are reliable determinants of intention and attitude, which in turn are direct determinants of use. An alternative to measuring actual use, self‐reported intensity of use, has been found to be a direct determinant of actual use. Previous cluster analyses in connection with technology acceptance have shown that there are meaningful differences between groups of users in the way they accept and use a technology. Clustering gives additional information about technology users that may facilitate follow‐up research or support initiatives designed to suit the needs of the groups. What this paper adds A three‐solution cluster analysis reveals three distinct groups of technology acceptance in university teaching staff: High, moderate and low. High users are most likely to innovate. Moderate and low users most likely need additional support as well as increased social influence from policy and decision makers. Implications for practice and/or policy The professional development support needs of each group can be more easily addressed and targeted separately to suit their specific needs. This is an opportunity for policy and decision makers to revise and optimise policies on LMS use as well as on the supportive initiatives needed to facilitate better and more effective use of the LMS. Innovating will require additional support. While the high usage group is clearly more inclined to use the system more innovatively, the two other groups will require additional resources and social pressure to influence their intentions regarding innovating.

This article examines the development of the scientific mentoring institute in Russian universities. The authors assume that it should be based on scientific ideas about the content and features of the professional roles of a scientific supervisor and a scientific mentor. Despite all the similarities, these roles of research and teaching staff correspond to different functional areas of their activities with their own set of tasks, results, and features of interaction with students. The purpose of this article is to compare the professional roles of a scientific mentor and a scientific supervisor of undergraduate and graduate students for the purpose of updating the meaning of mentoring activities in the field of university research work. The subject of the analysis is the features of the professional role of a student's scientific mentor. Their presence substantiates the independent nature of mentoring activities and "legitimises" it in the role repertoire of research and teaching staff of universities. The empirical basis of the article is the materials of semi-structured interviews with research and teaching staff of Russian universities, conducted within the framework of an all-Russian study (n = 30, 2024). The interpretation of the empirical data is based on the theoretical provisions of the sociological theory of roles, the theory of social identity, the concept of professional morality and ethics. The study not only substantiates the differences in the functional content of professional roles and everyday practices of a supervisor and a mentor, but also reveals the paradoxes of the professional identification of supervisors and mentors, the moral and ethical dimension of their activities. It is shown that the features of the prescriptions, expectations and performance of their roles by supervisors and mentors are manifested in the degree of formality of their rights, duties and responsibilities, the level of individualisation and the nature of the temporal organisation of interactions with students. The practical significance of the results obtained is associated with the possibility of developing university programs to support mentors as key actors in involving students in the academic profession and university science. The role differences between a scientific mentor and a scientific supervisor allow us to further specify the management requirements for different types of professional activity of scientific and pedagogical workers, as well as optimize their resource support. The practical significance of the study for academic workers is to obtain grounds for self-assessment of their readiness for the professional role of a scientific mentor and to determine the areas of professional responsibility associated with this role.

The study's main purpose was to establish the influence of job satisfaction as a mediator in the correlation between career development and talent retention among teaching staff in Uganda's private and public universities. Quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional research approaches were used to achieve the study objectives. 341 respondents from the four selected universities were considered. Data was analyzed and presented using a copyright-licensed SPSS tool based on the study's guiding objectives. The correlation results revealed that career development, job satisfaction, and talent retention are significantly correlated. The Medigraph tests revealed that employees' satisfaction with their current job partially mediated the association between career development and the retention of academic staff. The findings of this study are important to university management, the ministry of education, and policymakers in enhancing the retention of talented academic staff in the education sector. It is observed by the investigators that this is the opening investigation conducted to identify the mediating effect of job satisfaction in examining the link between career development and retention of skilled and experienced academic staff using empirical evidence from Uganda's education sector. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge by making an extensive study on the relationship between career development and talent retention of the teaching staff in universities of Uganda. Additionally, it demonstrates that job satisfaction partially transmits the effect of career development on talent retention in Ugandan universities.

This research focuses on resilience and perceived stress as important components of university teachers’ well-being. Resilience is generally conceptualized as a process and an outcome of successfully adapting to difficult / challenging life experiences and perceived stress as individual feelings or thoughts about the level of stress a person is experiencing at a given time period. In the context of the teaching profession and the current pandemic circumstances, we investigated university teachers’ resilience and perceived stress. The Brief Resilience Scale and Perceived Stress Scale in digital format as Google Forms surveys are used in this study. The sample consisted of 100 university teaching staff (university teachers and university teaching assistants). The results show that the resilience of the university teaching staff is at a medium-high level. Perceived stress is low. The correlation between resilience and perceived stress of university teaching staff is negative and relatively high. University teaching assistants perceive more stressful situations and stress feelings than university teachers. There are no differences in resilience and perceived stress between university teaching staff from different educational and research fields. This study introduces new research topics and considerations in the contexts of teacher education and university activities aimed at enhancing university teaching staff resilience, stress management, and well-being

Aim: The objective was to analyze burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression and sleep quality in teaching and research staff in the university setting and its impact on temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), and to analyze the psycho-emotional variables that could explain the possibility of someone suffering from TMD. Methods: A transversal study was carried out with a sample consisting of 173 participants belonging to university teaching and research staff. The correlation between variables was performed using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Through a linear regression, an estimate of the degree of contribution was calculated that each independent variable (burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression and sleep quality) has on the dependent variable (TMD). Results: the scores are higher in the group non-tenured staff compared to tenured staff in relation to psycho-emotional variables and TMD and how psycho-emotional variables can influence the presence or absence of temporomandibular dysfunction based on job stability, this value being higher in the group of non-tenured staff (77.8%) compared to the tenured staff (44.2%). Conclusions: The non-tenured university teaching staff demonstrate higher levels of depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and poorer sleep quality. Furthermore, these variables show a higher incidence in the probability that university teaching and/or research personnel suffer from TMD.

The transition to an academic career represents a critical stage in the professional development of young teaching staff, characterized by complex challenges that require specialized support and professional guidance. In the current context of higher education, marked by structural transformations and increasing pressures, mentoring must be viewed as a fundamental necessity for ensuring the success and retention of new members of the university teaching staff. The contemporary academic environment faces unprecedented challenges that particularly affect young teaching staff. Recent research highlights significant deficiencies in support systems for young teaching staff. Empirical studies consistently demonstrate the benefits of mentoring for academic career development. Meta-analyses show that mentoring can improve research productivity, enhance teaching effectiveness, and increase retention and recruitment of young university teaching staff. Investment in research and development of mentoring for young teaching staff has direct implications for the quality of the entire higher education system. Well mentored teaching staff integrated into the academic community will be more efficient in all aspects of their professional activity: teaching, research, and community service. Research on mentoring young university teaching staff entering higher education represents not only a theoretical necessity but a practical urgency based on: the growing challenges of the contemporary academic environment, the clear benefits of mentoring on career success, and the current lack of models and programs adapted to contemporary realities.

The study investigated selected co-teaching models and effective instructional delivery among educational management teaching staff in public universities in Rivers State. This study used correlational research survey design and comprised two specific objectives, two research questions and two hypotheses. The population of the study was 104 Educational Management teaching staff in all public universities in Rivers State. A sample size of 104 was derived from the population using census sampling technique. The data collecting instruments were two self-structured questionnaires titled Co-Teaching Models Questionnaire (CMQ) and Effective Instructional Delivery Questionnaire (EIDQ). A total of 104 copies of the instruments were distributed and all 104 were retrieved for analysis. The instruments were validated by one expert in the Department of Measurement and Evaluation from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and two experts in the Department of Educational Management from Rivers State University and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha statistics which yielded reliability indexes of 0.78 and 0.82. Pearson Product Moment Correlation and z-ratio were used to answer the research questions and test the null hypotheses formulated for the study. Findings revealed that a high positive relationship exists one teach-one observe and station teaching and effective instructional delivery among educational management teaching staff in public universities in Rivers State. Results from the two formulated null hypotheses showed significant relationship between one teach-one observe and station teaching and effective instructional delivery among educational management teaching staff in public universities in Rivers State. Accordingly, recommendations made were that one teach-one observe model should be adopted in all the public universities in Rivers State for effective instructional delivery and the school administrators should provide all the instructional facilities needed for the effective application of station teaching model in public universities in Rivers State.

Language test scores are often used as one of the entry requirements for university admission, but perceptions of university teaching staff about students’ language proficiency (including those based on test scores) can have far-reaching impact beyond admissions selection – in teaching, learning and assessment. This paper explores what aspects of test score interpretation and use might be useful to embed in professional development for university teaching staff, an emergent theme from a multiple case study involving interviews with admissions personnel in six university admissions contexts. The analysis identified the need to further develop knowledge about the meaning of language test scores and the limits of inferences based on such scores, as well as an appreciation of the complex relationship between language proficiency and academic literacy. We conclude by envisioning an agenda for research and engagement embedding language assessment literacy in professional development programmes for university teaching staff.

Burnout syndrome and associated factors among university teaching staff in Cameroon: Effect of the practice of sport and physical activities and leisures

In this article, we examine the link between national measures to encourage the professional development of university teaching (academic) staff and the practices of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom. More specifically, we look at how one UK institution (the University of Southampton) has responded to the demands of the national standards set with regards to teaching and learning. The main argument of the article is that a national context which encourages and values the development of pedagogical knowledge and skills by university teaching staff is essential for HEIs to adopt institutional policies and practices in that regard. The article ends with some thoughts for the future development of university teaching and learning in Switzerland.

The medical condition of the higher-education teaching personnel of the university is reflected in the quality of the educational process in the educational institution and, as a consequence, in the formation of professional competencies of future graduates. It is known that workers in the fields of education and health care more than others are subject to stress, physical inactivity and, as a result, professional (emotional) burnout. The present study is devoted to the study of the state of health, activity, mood, professional (emotional) burnout of the teaching staff of a medical university, assessment of the intensity of their work process, professional risk. The study of well-being, activity, mood, professional (emotional) burnout was carried out using a questionnaire survey using well-known methods. The assessment of the intensity of the labor process was carried out in accordance with the Guidelines for the assessment of occupational health risks for workers. The assessment of occupational risk categories was carried out in accordance with the Guidelines for Assessing Occupational Risk for Workers' Health, as well as using a matrix of consequences and probabilities according to GOST Risk Management. Risk assessment technologies. It was found that the working conditions of the teaching staff of a medical university are tense 2 degrees. Evaluation of the functional emotional state showed that the teaching staff of a medical university has moderate emotional burnout, against the background of a high level of psychoemotional exhaustion. Indicators of well-being and mood have high (favorable) levels, while the activity indicator, on the contrary, has a low (unfavorable) value, presumably against the background of increasing employee fatigue. The occupational health risk of employees is medium (significant), the risk class according to the severity of the possible consequences of identified hazardous events is medium (T3), the probability of the consequences of a hazardous event is high (B4), the risk class is medium (C12).

ABSTRACTA study was conducted to determine general professional development activities perceived to be important in enhancing university teaching staff’s job performance, and the extent to which teaching staff participate in these activities in Uganda. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with faculty deans and department heads (n = 20), and a questionnaire administered to university senior administrative staff (n = 90) and teaching staff (n = 126). Deductive content analysis and descriptive statistics techniques were used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. It was established that university teaching staff rarely participate in professional development activities. Nevertheless, activities such as accredited university teacher education and training, symposia, workshops, and professional networks, all oriented on contemporary teaching and learning, research and innovation, and community development activities, are perceived to be important in improving teaching staff job performance. Thus, there is a need to make participation in formal and informal professional development activities mandatory for university teachers.

This article gives an overview of current social work training issues in Vietnam and solutions are being implemented to address the major issues that Vietnam is facing. This article also refers to five major issues that currently directly affect the training and development of social work in Vietnam. Firstly, it is the training program framework (standard training programs). Secondly, the teaching staff in universities engaging in the training of social workers. Thirdly, practical training for students in universities and colleges in Vietnam. Fourthly, a lack of textbooks, teaching materials and electronic materials. Finally, the employment of students who have completed professional training in social work after graduation is a big problem

Background: Teacher stress potentially impairs personal and professional competence and compromises productivity. Aversive emotional experience has been most comprehensively encapsulated by the phenomenon of burnout, which is particularly prominent for staff in human service sectors. Burnout reactions have been characterised as tripartite: the depletion of emotional reserves (emotional exhaustion), an increasingly cynical and negative approach towards others (depersonalisation) and a growing feeling of work-related dissatisfaction (personal accomplishment). Purpose: Few studies have investigated the emotional consequences of teachers' stress and even fewer have specifically focused on university educators. A systematic literature review was thus conducted to evaluate the extent of burnout for university teaching staff and specifically to reveal predictive variables, which may explain this experience in this understudied occupational group. Design and methods: Six databases including Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC), PsychINFO and Scopus were searched using the terms burnout, university, academics, teaching staff, lecturers, research staff and faculty. Papers were limited to English language peer-reviewed empirical investigations ofburnout in full-time university teaching staff. Papers not adopting a clear operationalisation of burnout were rejected. Twelve papers met the criteria and were included in the review. A detailed data extraction form was used to reveal relevant information from each paper. Conclusions: The review revealed that staff exposure to high numbers of students, especially tuition of postgraduates, strongly predicts the experience of burnout. Other predictive variables included gender, with higher depersonalisation scores found in male teachers and female teachers typically scoring higher onthe emotional exhaustion dimension. Age also demonstrated an association, with younger staff appearing more vulnerable to emotional exhaustion. Burnout in university teachers was comparable with other service sector employees such asschoolteachers and healthcare professionals. The current review reveals a scarcity of comparative studies across different university contexts, therefore multi-site studies are required in order to control for the potential influence ofmoderating variables such as institution age when measuring burnout in university teachers.