Academic Education Research Articles

Balancing Quality and Equity in Education: Finnish Education Experience and Implications

In the 21st century, rapid technological development and changes in the times have made international competition increasingly fierce. The Finnish education system has been highly regarded for its excellent quality of teaching, unique education concepts, and innovative education policies. Through comparative analyses of the Finnish education system, this study finds that the key to its success lies in its unique 'all-inclusive' education system, flexible and reasonable education policies, and comprehensive financial aid system. Compared with Finland, China's education is developing continuously, but there are still many problems. For example, unequal distribution of education resources, uneven quality of education, and poor implementation of education policies are still prevalent. Therefore, this study needs to draw inspiration from Finland's successful experience to further improve China's education system and policies. Taking into account the Finnish experience in reforming the education system, China can carry out education reform by upgrading the links between vocational and academic education, formulating reasonable and flexible education policies, and establishing a sound system of relevant student subsidies.

Nourishing two hearts: The journey of nursing student mothers during academic studies and clinical rotations: A qualitative study

AimTo explore and understand breastfeeding experiences and challenges among student mothers who breastfeed during their academic studies and clinical rotations in nursing school. BackgroundBreastfeeding is recommended for the nourishment of infants. An increasing number of students combine parenthood and higher education, including student mothers who give birth while pursuing their degrees. Nursing students confront a dual challenge. In addition to the rigorous demands of theoretical academic coursework they must also contend with clinical rotations. There is limited literature regarding the experiences of nursing students who breastfeed during their studies and even more limited literature regarding their experiences during clinical rotations. DesignA qualitative design using a constructionist framework for thematic analysis. MethodsFifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted between June 2023 and September 2023 and were analyzed using a thematic analysis. ResultsFour themes were identified, which describe the experiences of nursing student mothers during their academic studies and clinical rotations: The importance of breastfeeding for baby's health and emotional connection; Breastfeeding and pumping during academic studies and clinical rotations requires the students to juggle between the various tasks; Dealing with privacy and modesty during breastfeeding in public on campus and in clinical settings; and Attitudes from academic educators, clinical instructors and classmates that foster, support, or impede the integration of breastfeeding during nursing studies. ConclusionsCreating a supportive atmosphere for breastfeeding students necessitates a comprehensive strategy from academic institutions and hospital nursing administration.

Changing the Education Paradigm to adapt to the Labor Market

The article explores an urgent problem in modern professional education — the imbalance between the spheres of practical experience and academic education. Education is still focused on academic knowledge, whereas employers are interested in hiring employees capable of quality work immediately after the graduation. The integration of Armenia into the general European educational space makes the problem of education quality even more urgent. The labor market’s shifts, which require specialists to possess specific professional abilities rather than a wealth of information or experience in order to successfully and quickly adjust to a new work environment, worsen this process. This has changed the educational paradigm from a qualification-based model to a competency-based model imperative, which can only be achieved through the recalibration of educational programs to be more adaptive to changing the needs of the labor market. This process has been ongoing for a long time, but the mechanisms for developing and validating programs are still far from perfect and do not always provide for extensive discussion with employers. This article discusses the conceptual principles of recalibration of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs based on the Dublin descriptors and Tuning methodology.

THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND READINESS FOR CHANGE ON LANGUAGE EDUCATORS’ WORKPLACE COMMITMENT IN MALAYSIAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY NETWORK (MTUN)

Higher learning institutions aim to ensure continuity and feasibility in the academic sphere for the benefit of academic leaders, language educators, and students. Local governments and international organisations recognise higher learning institutions as contributors to achieving long-term academic aspirations through competent top management and realistic alternatives to current concerns and difficulties. The Malaysian government's educational aspirations require top management to prioritise language educators' potential and improve the language learning environment. Academic leaders are accountable for providing the best academic culture, structure, and environment for language educators, influencing other academic professionals, and aiding the Ministry of Education in raising the standard of language education in Malaysia to a world-class system. The study focuses on determining the level of workplace commitment among Malaysian Technical Universities (MTUN) language educators if their leaders adopt a transformational leadership style. Transformational leaders inspire language educators to prioritise the institution's goals and have a significant impact on their workplace commitment. The study also examines the influence of readiness for change on the relationship between MTUN academic leaders' transformational leadership and MTUN language educators' workplace commitment. The findings from these studies demonstrate that readiness for change mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and language educators' workplace commitment.

TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCE USAGE AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF VISUALLY IMPAIREDSTUDENTS IN BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS OF RWANDA

The effective usage of resources in teaching and learning especially among students having visual impairment improves the academic performance and also enhances the completion of basic education. The purpose of this paper therefore, sought to find out the relationship between teaching and learning resources usage for visually impaired students and their academic performance basic education in Nyaruguru District in Rwanda.This paper employed descriptive correlational analysis with a sample of 5 school administrators, 125 untrained teachers, 34 trained teachers, 186 visually impaired pupils, and 5 librarians. Respondents and key informants were chosen on purpose and at random for this study. Slovens technique yielded a research sample of 188 respondents. The statistical programme for social sciences, version 21.0, was used to evaluate the data and create descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that 84.7% strongly agreed that they use braille 84.8% strongly agreed that they use the slate and stylus 72.9% strongly agreed that they use the orbit reader 51.0% strongly agreed that they use cubes and cuberythms and 85.7% strongly agreed that they use plastic papers and drawing boards in their learning as a visually impaired student. It was also noted that 72.4% strongly agreed that students with visual impairments should sit for a second sitting 91.8% strongly agreed that the number of repeats among students with visual impairments is high due to inadequate materials. Furthermore, the study indicated that there is a statistical significant positive relationship between teaching and learning resources usage for visually impaired students and their academic performance basic education in Nyaruguru District in Rwanda. The study recommends that visually impaired students tools that may be used in both public and private institutions, and train teachers on how to use those materials should be given.

Typology of Informal Learning Spaces (ILS) in Sustainable Academic Education: A Systematic Literature Review in Architecture and Urban Planning

Informal learning spaces (ILS) offer unique opportunities for students to interact and develop skills in a more social, resilient, and sustainable environment. However, there is a lack of a definitive typology for ILS and related design factors and outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the typology of ILS in academic education, including relevant design factors and positive outcomes from architectural and urban planning perspectives. A systematic literature review was conducted on articles published between 2004 and 2024 from four databases: Scopus, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insights, and IEEE Xplore. The included articles are in English and based on empirical data published in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on informal learning and its settings. A total of 37 full-text articles were included in the descriptive review, from which two categories and six types were identified: private indoor quiet space, semi-private/semi-public indoor space, public indoor space, public sustainable space, public outdoor space, and comprehensive space. The results also revealed seven categories of factors affecting these types of ILS: personal aspects, spatial design, physical settings, resources, social aspects, natural environment, and perceived environment. Furthermore, these ILS significantly contributed to five categories of positive outcomes: learning efficacy, socialisation, refreshment and relaxation, health outcomes, and sustainable development. Therefore, this SLR significantly contributed to the definition and typology of ILS in sustainable higher education.

An overview of the historical development and current vision of academic education

The academic side of education has always been the ultimate point regarding purpose, structuring, and reflecting education to society from past to present. Naturally, the definition of the university and its contribution to society should not be ignored. Historically speaking, universities are institutions where inquisitive minds are trained. Therefore, it is necessary to research the quality of their impact on society. This article aims to draw attention to the fact that the educational disciplines of today’s universities need to be questioned more loudly, as the demand for higher education and the increase in quality do not go parallel. In this article, the stages of academic education from its historical beginnings to the present have been evaluated by scanning the literature. Thus, it is aimed to make the readers question themselves about whether the situation of academic education from the beginning to the present is positive progress or just a change. Therefore, the study focused on discussing the quality of education at universities rather than comparing articles with each other. Articles focused on the main idea of the research were downloaded, examined, and indexed according to the path of academic education in history. The optimal approach should be to evaluate each university according to its own social, geographical, and cultural environment, as well as international standards. Easier access to information is of no importance without a mind that questions the accuracy and validity of the information. The ultimate point that an academic education can reach should be measured by the contribution to society of the people who have attained that education.

Digital Accessibility Education in Context: Expert Perspectives on Building Capacity in Academia and the Workplace

The social model of disability, accessibility legislation, and the digital transformation spurred by COVID-19 expose a lack of accessibility capacity in the workforce, indicating persistent gaps in academic and professional education. We adopt a socio-cultural lens to examine how the context of education and training influences teaching and learning in university and workplace sectors, and how expert educators manage and negotiate these contextual factors to build accessibility capacity. This article reports qualitative research with 55 experienced educators using an expert panel method and focus groups. Analysis highlights the important disconnects and contextual challenges that educators must navigate and negotiate to affect and embed cultural change. We find that faculty and workplace cultures frequently perpetuate precarity in accessibility education, individualising the responsibility to ‘heroes’ or ‘champions’, while disciplinary and role-based silos limit the scope for raising awareness and developing widescale competency. Conversely, centres of excellence and communities of practise can cultivate and sustain links between education and research, engage expert users, and promote interdisciplinary and cross-role learning environments, where accessibility is increasingly recognised as a shared endeavour. We conclude that greater collaboration between academia and industry can enhance pedagogical understanding, to transform accessibility educational practices and build and sustain capacity for the future.

Correlation between Students’ Self-Confidence and Speaking Ability

The title of this research is “THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENT'S SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SPEAKING ABILITY”. The objective of the research is to find out whether there is significant correlation or not between student’s self-confidence and speaking ability of sixth and eighth semester student of 2022-2023 academic year English Language Education Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember. The researcher use correlational research, quantitative nonexperimental research. The sample of this study is 33 students from sixth and eighth grade semester English Language Education Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, which consists of 16 students from 6th semester and 17 students from 8th semester. The collecting data technique used a speaking test and a questionnaire. The results of this study show that there is a significant relationship between self-confidence and speaking ability.

Review of didactic methodologies at the academic level in the context of BIM

The article addresses the issue of BIM education at the academic level in Poland and provides an overview of modern methodologies for teaching BIM-related subjects. With the reports of neuroscience and the development of modern technologies, there is a need to take a new direction in student-oriented academic education, in which the main goal will be to prepare graduates for life, work and meet the challenges of a rapidly changing reality. It is necessary to introduce new forms and techniques of education focusing on the concept of deep learning and based on the latest knowledge in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, pedagogy and artificial intelligence. Authentic teaching creativity on the part of the teacher can only come from full awareness of the numerous strategies available and making a thoughtful choice among them of reliable knowledge of their impact on students

ACADEMIC CULTURE OF FUTURE PIANISTS: INTERPRETATION OF THE ESSENCE

The academic culture of a pianist is one of the specialized forms of culture. That is due to the division of labor and the delimitation of mental and practical activity spheres. The generalization of scientific research has revealed a systematic approach to interpreting the concepts of "culture" and "academic culture." Still, no unambiguity has been found in understanding the concept of the "academic culture of the pianist." The article aims to study the essence and structure of the concept of the "academic culture of the future pianist." Research methods: theoretical analysis of scientific sources in philosophy, pedagogy, music, and piano art to identify the characteristic features in the definition of the concept of "academic culture of the future pianist," structural and logical analysis to identify the structural components of this phenomenon. It is substantiated that the academic culture of the future pianist should be understood as a socially conditioned, dynamic personal formation that is formed in the environment of a higher education institution and manifests itself in the system of formed value orientations (to musical art, to music and pedagogical activities, to the personality of students and students), a dynamic system of general (in the field of music education) and special knowledge (about the methods and methods of specific activities, including musical, performing, and piano), including musical, performing, pedagogical), skills (cognition of musical art; perception, performance, creation of music, communication with artistic samples of culture), as well as in the pursuit of creative self-realization in musical activity. It is shown that the complexity and originality of the phenomenon of the "academic culture of future pianists" determine the peculiarities of its formation simultaneously in three spaces: general cultural, general pedagogical, and musical-pedagogical, and the formation of the academic culture of future pianists takes place in an academic environment that takes into account the system of individual requests of pianists for academic education and is addressed within professional educational professional programs.

Calvinist Women’s Fate and Women’s Issues in the First Half of the 20th Century. Part I. The Life of Gabriella Victor (1891–1971) and Her Position on Women’s Movements

The purpose of the research is to present the scientific and religious foundations of Gabriella Victor’s pedagogy. The name of the Victor family is inseparable from the cause of the reformist revival and the internal mission. Gabriella Victor (1891–1971) is the first teacher of the Reformed Teacher Training School in Kecskemét, Head of the Lórántffy Zsuzsanna Association. She published a number of articles, children’s Bible, juvenile novels, and informative books for parents and teachers. She was the Doctor of Philosophy (1917) and Theology (1950). The main topics of her scientific work are women’s education, Christian family education, and school religious education. In this study, we present the activities of the Victor family in the internal mission, Gabriella Victor’s opinion on women’s issues, and her views on the characteristics of the female psyche. Keywords: Hungarian Reformed internal mission, Reformed female education, women in theological academic education, Reformed Teacher Training School in Kecskemét

Особенности положения Калининской и Кашинской епархии перед началом хрущевских гонений (1954–1957 гг.)

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of church life in the Kalinin and Kashin diocese for three years before the start of Khrushchev’s “thaw”. Until 1954, taking into account the consequences of the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1930s, a series of church and administrative transformations of the Kalinin diocese in the last years of the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period, determined by the needs of the Church, as well as the activities of diocesan bishops in 1935–1953, Church life in the Kalinin region was in decline. The revival of the Kalinin and Kashin diocese was initiated by Patriarch Alexy I (Simansky). By appointing as diocesan bishop an outstanding hierarch from the widowed clergy, who had an academic theological education and was imprisoned in the Solovetsky camp for special purposes, Bishop Barsanuphius (Grinevich), the patriarch, with the assistance of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church, ensured non-interference in the activities of the bishop authorized by the Council for the Kalinin Region V.I. Hebronov, who was distinguished by his irreconcilable position towards the Church. In such conditions, Bishop Barsanuphius managed to achieve outstanding results in the revival of the diocese in three years: to increase the number of registered churches, to resume services in churches remote from Kalinin, where services had not been held for a long time, to increase the number of parish clergy, to stabilize the state of their morality, to ensure remote rural churches by clergy, to carry out repairs in them. Considering that the population of the Kalinin region was recognized as religious, the events of 1954–1957. were characterized by the patriarch, clergy, believers of the Kalinin region and even the authorized Hebronov as a revival.

Academic or vocational education? A comparison of the long-term wage development of academic and vocational tertiary degree holders

Education is a key determinant of wage development. The relationship between education and wages is particularly strong in countries with vocationally oriented educational systems and a clear distinction between general and vocational education, such as Germany and Switzerland. However, whether general and vocational education offer the same returns to education is an ongoing debate. Previous findings from international research are still inconclusive. Against this background and based on theoretical arguments from human capital and signalling theory and the task-specific learning-by-doing approach, our paper examines the long-term wage development of Swiss university and professional education degree holders from the time they obtain their tertiary degree until their late career. It asks how differences between the two groups in wage development may be explained. Our results, produced with regression decomposition methods, show that within the first 20 years after graduation, university degree holders experience steeper wage growth. An important reason for this difference is that university graduates move more often than vocational tertiary degree holders into well-paid labour market positions endowed with formal authority, management responsibility, and a large proportion of cognitive nonroutine tasks.

Integrating Quality and Sustainability: Exploring the Dynamics of Internal Quality Assurance Systems and Sustainable Development Goals in Vietnamese Higher Education

This study explored the integration of internal quality assurance (IQA) systems with sustainable development goals within the Vietnamese academic context, aiming to elucidate the perceptions, experiences, and challenges faced by lecturers. Employing a qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 university lecturers, and the data was interpreted through Constructivist Epistemology (CE) and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings underscored the profound influence of collaborative dialogues, leadership dynamics, experiential learning opportunities, and cultural nuances on the melding of IQA processes with sustainability initiatives. Participants highlighted the tension between the prescriptive nature of IQA and the adaptive essence of sustainable development, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach. Furthermore, the role of leadership in shaping institutional narratives emerged as a pivotal factor, with a clear vision and commitment facilitating seamless integration. Cultural factors, unique to the Vietnamese context, either propelled or hindered this fusion, revealing the deep interplay between cultural values and academic practices. The study concluded that while challenges persist, the merging of IQA with sustainable development objectives offers promising avenues for fostering holistic education, grounded in both quality and sustainability. The findings have implications for academic institutions, policymakers, and educators striving to align quality assurance mechanisms with evolving global sustainability objectives.

Integrating Character Education in Al-Syifa Islamic Boarding Schools: A Case Study Approach

Character education is a crucial aspect of student development, especially in Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantren, where both academic and moral education are emphasized. This study investigates the integration of character education at Al-Syifa Islamic Boarding Schools, aiming to understand the theoretical and practical frameworks used in these institutions. The primary objective of this research is to analyze how character education is integrated into the educational framework of Al-Syifa Islamic Boarding Schools. The study aims to uncover the strategies, principles, and effectiveness of character education programs through an extensive review of existing literature and documented practices. This research employs a literature review approach, systematically examining academic articles, books, official school documents, and previous studies related to character education in Islamic boarding schools. By synthesizing findings from these sources, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the methods and outcomes of character education integration at Al-Syifa. The literature review reveals that Al-Syifa Islamic Boarding Schools employ a multifaceted approach to character education, integrating it through both curricular and extracurricular activities. The curriculum includes dedicated character education subjects, while extracurricular activities reinforce these values through real-life applications and community involvement. The review also highlights several key principles, such as the emphasis on Islamic values, community living, and moral exemplarity. The integration of these principles has shown positive outcomes, including enhanced student behavior, improved academic performance, and stronger community ties. Challenges noted include the need for continuous professional development for teachers and the alignment of character education goals with academic objectives

What to consider at the development of educational programs and courses about next-generation cyber-physical systems?

Abstract We live in an age in which new things are emerging faster that their deep understanding. This statement in particularly applies to doing research and educating university students concerning next generation cyber-physical systems (NG-CPSs). The fast evolution of this system paradigm would have expected a rapid and comprehensive paradigmatic change in research and education concerning this family of systems. However, this has not happened yet. Seeking for a sufficing explanation, this paper reviews the current literature and makes an attempt to cast light on the most significant recent developments in the field of NG-CPSs. The main assumptions of the authors are that research and education should appear in harmony in academic knowledge acquisition and distribution processes, and that academic education of NG-CPSs should be organized and conducted according to a defendable future vision. Combining the results of a broadly-based study of the literature with prognostic critical thinking and personal experiences, this review-based position paper first discusses the current socio-techno-scientific environment, the involved stakeholders, and the demands and two approaches of truly systems-oriented education. Then, it concentrates on the recognized limitations of mono- and interdisciplinary research, and on supradisciplinary approach and transdisciplinary knowledge generation for NG-CPSs. As main contributions, the paper (i) identifies and analyzes the latest theoretical, engineering, and technological developments, (ii) reveals the major trends and their presumably significant implications, (iii) presents a number of thought-provoking findings and makes propositions about the desirable actions.

Reflection of the sustainable urban mobility paradigm shift in teaching at three European universities

Over the last few decades, the urban transport planning framework has changed significantly towards sustainable mobility planning. It brings new requirements for the education of transport experts. In the paper, we discuss the future of academic education concerning these changes based on case studies of two prestigious technical faculties in Germany and Poland and a social science faculty in Czechia offering study programmes related to sustainable urban mobility planning. We applied a self-assessment questionnaire to investigate how the study programmes prepare future mobility managers and present the concept of sustainable mobility to students. Our results show that the existing study programmes do not cover all steps of sustainable urban mobility plan development. We identified a few gaps common to the technical and social science faculties, such as consensus-seeking knowledge and methods, monitoring and evaluation tools and approaches, and the development of soft skills (presentation and communication skills and stakeholder involvement techniques).

Membangun Generasi Sehat dan Aktif Melalui Olahraga di Sekolah Dasar

This article discusses the importance of building exercise habits from elementary school age to create a healthy and active lifestyle. The research method used in this study is a literature study research method. The sources of literature that are referenced in this study are books, scientific journals, articles, and various other references that are relevant to the research topic. Data Analysis of Literature Review Using Content Analysis. Research shows that sports participation can have a significant positive impact on children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Additionally, this article highlights the additional benefits of exercise, such as improving motor skills, promoting teamwork, and reducing stress levels. This article suggests that by providing opportunities to participate in sports, elementary school can help build a foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle that will continue throughout life. Therefore, attention to academic education and the fulfillment of balanced nutrition is also important so that children can actively carry out daily activities. Let's build a healthier and more active future generation through sports in primary schools.

Transistion from clinical practitioner to academic educator: the experiences of radiography lecturers in Nigeria

Background: Clinical educators are essential in radiography education programmes. Transitioning from clinical practicing radiographers to academic educators is a rewarding journey. This study was designed to examine the experience of Radiography Lecturers in the Nigerian universities that converted from radiography practitioners to academic educators. Materials and methods: A Google form questionnaire-based study design was conducted among 35 radiography lecturers in Nigeria. Only lecturers in Nigerian Universities who had worked as radiography clinical practitioners before transited to academics and consented to participate in this study were included. The questionnaire captured responses on socio-demographic variables, challenges, barriers, successes of transition from practitioners to academic educators. Results: The majority 17(48.6%) of the respondents earned income of above #251,000.00 as a practicing radiographers. Of the 35 respondents, the majority 12(34.3%) each respectively earned #101,000.00 -#150,000.00 and #151,000.00 - #200,000.00 as an academic radiographers. Majority 17(48.6%) of the respondents agreed that the main challenge they are encountering as an academic educator is rigorous research activities. Family issues affected smooth transition process as 23(65.7%) of the respondents agreed to that. Majority 18(51.4%) perceived mentorship as the key factor responsible for smooth transition from practice to academic. There was statistically significant relationship between gender and challenges encountered by the responders (χ2 = 28.194, p = 0.00). Conclusion: The respondents experienced different challenges as they transited from clinical practice to academic. Mentorship is the key factor that militated against the smooth transition process. There was statistically significant relationship between gender and challenges encountered by the responders.