Academic Institutions In Israel Research Articles

To behave or not (un)ethically? The meditative effect of mindfulness on statistics anxiety and academic dishonesty moderated by risk aversion

Despite the growing interest in mindfulness in higher education, the literature on its relation to decision-making under risk (i.e. academic misconduct) and statistics anxiety is scarce. The present research shall fill this gap. Based on the prospect theory, we assessed the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between statistics anxiety and academic dishonesty moderated by risk aversion. Data were collected from 791 undergraduate students in six Israeli academic institutions studying for bachelor’s degrees in social sciences. Questionnaires included the following measures: risk behaviour according to the prospect theory framework, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale, Academic Misconduct Scale and sociodemographic variables. Correlations among these variables were explored. The data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results indicate that the variance in academic dishonesty is explained by students' statistics anxiety with a mediation of Mindfulness moderated by Risk Aversion. Mindfulness negatively affects Academic Dishonesty, while Risk Aversion has a significant positive effect on Mindfulness. Finally, among individuals with high statistics anxiety, Risk Averse individuals show significantly higher Mindfulness than Risk Seekers. We conclude that mindfulness-based interventions might be a constructive tool to reduce risk-taking and promote ethical decision-making among individuals who experience high levels of statistics anxiety. Furthermore, developing mindful skills may help individuals with higher anxiety levels neutralize these unwanted feelings and get along with their learning tasks. Hence, avoid academic unethical behaviours.

Technological self-efficacy and mindfulness ability: Key drivers for effective online learning in higher education beyond the COVID-19 era

During the COVID-19 outbreak, Israel’s higher education system swiftly transitioned to emergency-adapted online distance learning. Yet, limited research has assessed effectiveness of online learning (EOL) for Arab students in Israel. This study delves into Arab students’ EOL perceptions, focusing on cognitive and emotional aspects. Using a quantitative method, it explored the link between technological self-efficacy (TS), mindfulness ability (MA), and EOL during the pandemic among students from three Israeli academic institutions (N=378). Results showed a positive association between TS and EOL. Further, MA moderated TS-EOL relationship. Men demonstrated higher TS than women. There were noticeable EOL differences between undergraduate (pre-service teachers) and graduate (in-service teachers) students, with the latter exhibiting an advantage. This research contributes to the evolving discourse on post-pandemic online learning, shedding light on potential gender disparities and highlighting the importance of both TS and MA for successful online learning. The findings have implications for instructional designers, educators, policymakers, and academic programs.

From traditional to clinical approach toward continuing professional development: Academia‐field partnership in teacher education

AbstractThe current study sought to characterize three partnership models in Israeli academic institutions—the traditional, the academia‐classroom, and the clinical field‐focused models. 42 interviews were conducted with educators (teacher educators; mentor teachers; program heads) at 14 Israeli colleges and universities where the programs take place. Differences between the models were found in relation to the role definition of the mentor teacher, the relationship between the pre‐service teacher and the mentor teacher, the contribution of the practicum to the pre‐service teacher, and the connection between theoretical and practical knowledge. Furthermore, the contribution of each of the three models is reflected in the scope of the experiential‐clinical component of the practicum; school‐academia partnerships; and the role of the principal of the training school. The study highlights the value‐added meanings and contributions of the experiential‐clinical component in teacher education programs in general and in the practicum in particular.

Information and Communications Technology and Resilience of First-Generation Students Compared to Students with Educated Parents

Aim/Purpose. In this study, we examined, from the perspective of the participants, aspects of information and communications technology (ICT) and resilience, comparing first-generation students in higher education with students whose parents had higher education. Methodology. We examined self-image, motivation, happiness, and the use of ICT. This was a quantitative study. Respondents answered a questionnaire that contained open and closed questions. The sample included 307 students from academic institutions in Israel between the ages of 18 and 64. Findings. The findings were grouped into four clusters: (a) second-generation students under the age of 25 years, members of Generation Z; (b) second-generation students over the age of 25; (c) first-generation students over the age of 25 years (the largest group in the sample), mostly members of the Generation Y; and (d) first-generation students under the age of 25. We found consistent differences on all scales between the group of first-generation students over the age of 25 years and those in the other groups. The research findings indicate that the group with the highest resilience was students who were the first generation acquiring higher education and were over 25, mostly members of the Y generation. Impact on Society. This research allows an instructive look at Generation Y and Generation Z and the academic abilities of this generation. Future Research. Future studies should examine the correlation between a sense of resilience (which was examined in this study) and academic achievement (which was not).

Anthropology's good beyond the discipline

AbstractIn July 2023, the American Anthropological Association's (AAA) members voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions until they end their complicity in violating Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law. The AAA's adoption of this resolution shows the potential good of anthropology, both within and beyond the academy. Anthropology's disciplinary scholarly processes, methods, and theoretical frameworks paved the way for this resolution, providing one answer to the question, What good is anthropology?

Integrating digital knowledge in teaching systems as grounds for developing knowledge economy

We currently live in a digital world, surrounded by and immersed in technology. The pace of technological change and innovation is increasing and leading to massive changes in all aspects of our lives, including the way we teach and learn. Nevertheless, the design of teaching and learning in academic institutions in Israel hardly serves the needs of the digital revolution generation. In some cases, and in a number of educational institutions, the digital space is small and limited, and many student audiences are not exposed to it. Integrating digital knowledge is a key tool in the development of knowledge-intensive professions associated with the employment world of knowledge economy. Šis article attempts to examine how it is possible, and even required to integrate the acquisition of digital tools into the world of teaching, students, and teachers, in order to prepare the grounds for knowledge economy professions among learners.

Does Procrastination Have a Cultural or a Neurological Source? Evidence of its Mediating Role in the Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Academic Adjustment

Objective: I examined the relationships between psychological capital (PsyCap), academic adjustment, and tendency toward procrastination in 3 groups of students in higher education-an ethnocultural minority group (Israeli Arabs), a neurotypical ethnocultural majority group (Israeli Jews), and an ethnocultural majority group diagnosed with learning disabilities (Israeli Jews with learning disabilities). The goal was to deepen and expand understanding of the factors that affect academic adjustment. Methods: Overall, 449 post-secondary students enrolled in various academic institutions in Israel participated in the study. The data were collected using an online Qualtrics questionnaire. Results: First, I hypothesized a positive relationship between PsyCap and academic adjustment and a negative relationship between those 2 variables and academic procrastination. This hypothesis was fully corroborated. Second, I hypothesized that students from an ethnic minority group and majority students with a diagnosed neurological disability would present lower levels of PsyCap and academic adjustment and higher levels of academic procrastination than a majority neurotypical group. The hypothesis was only partially confirmed. Third, I hypothesized that the higher the PsyCap, the lower the degree of academic procrastination and, in turn, the higher the academic adjustment. The hypothesis was confirmed. Conclusion: The findings can help support the design of academic assistance programs to improve the integration into higher learning of students who belong to special groups.

What Do Academic Faculty Members Think of Performance Measures of Academic Teaching? A Case Study From a 10-Year Perspective

Much has been written about myths and facts concerning teaching surveys completed by students at academic institutions. The myths usually emerge among faculty members based on their subjective point of view, personal experience, or intuitive interpretation of events. The following case study is the first of its kind, and it follows how academic faculty members evaluate performance measurement of academic teaching and teaching surveys in particular, while examining the change that has occurred over the last decade. The case analysis, examining instructors’ evaluation of teaching surveys completed by students, is based on a group of senior faculty members in Israeli academic institutions. The current study is unique in examining how academic faculty members perceive alternative options for measuring their overall performance in academic teaching as manifested in teaching surveys. One hundred eighty-two questionnaires were collected from senior faculty members at academic institutions, comprised of open-ended questions concerning suggestions for alternative teaching evaluation surveys and their structure. The research findings show that the instructors mention “professional” alternatives and perceive teaching surveys as an unprofessional and populist tool. Assuming that students’ voices and their opinion of teaching are important, professional alternatives for evaluating and improving teaching should find expression—and instructors relate significantly to professional elements at academic institutions as potentially helpful factors.

Learning via Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic: benefits for Arab students in Hebrew academic institutes in Israel

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of distance learning via Zoom on Arab students in Hebrew academia in Israel, from an academic and socio-individual level. The qualitative research methodology implemented in this study is based on in-depth interviews with 28 male and female master’s students in two academic institutions in Israel. The findings show that learning despite certain difficulties, studying remotely via Zoom made the Arab students more comfortable, and were encouraged to participate more in the lessons. It seems that when studying in class with Jewish students in these institutions arouses fear and self-censorship among Arab students, in turn decreasing their desire and confidence to express themselves in class. As such, learning from home while ‘hiding’ behind the camera decreases their inhibition and offers new opportunities for greater self-expression.

Healthy lifestyles in pre-service teachers in Israel: the impact of academic institutions.

This study examines the impact of academic institutions on changes to students' awareness and habits regarding a healthy lifestyle, specifically through nutrition and physical exercise, following the Covid-19 pandemic. In May 2020, quantitative online questionnaires were completed by 266 pre-service teachers (83.5% female), aged 19-63, who were studying at an academic institution in Israel. The questionnaire, which included health-related 15 items, as well as a number of demographic questions, was distributed via social media, academic mailing lists, and the researchers' colleagues. The respondents were asked to provide socio-demographic data and information regarding their health-related habits, such as smoking and exercising, at two timepoints: prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and during the first lockdown in Israel (March-May 2020). Statistical analysis included paired t-tests, Wilcoxon and McNemar tests, Pearsons's correlations, and hierarchical regressions. The academic institution's promoting of a healthy lifestyle, as perceived by students, was found to contribute to the explained variance (EPV) of their maintaining a healthy lifestyle, prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic (R2 = 9.4%, p < .001and R2 = 2.4%, p = 0.009, respectively), beyond the respondents' demographic characteristics. Moreover, correlations were found between the institution's promoting of a healthy lifestyle at both timepoints. Respondents who perceived their institution as promoting a healthy lifestyle prior to the pandemic maintained healthier lifestyles than their peers; healthier lifestyles were also maintained by respondents who were unmarried, non-smokers, more educated, and watched less television. Finally, the institution's promoting of a healthy lifestyle prior to the pandemic significantly contributed to the students' maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition during the pandemic. The findings of this study highlight the impact of academic institutions on maintaining healthy lifestyles, even in times of crises and emergencies, thereby contributing to public health.

חוויית המעבר מעולם האקדמיה לעולם העבודה עבור בוגרי תואר עם מוגבלות

The inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market strengthens personal development and equal participation in society. Acquiring a higher education in today's modern world increases the likelihood of integrating in the world of work. For people with disabilities, participation in the workforce is strongly dependent on obtaining a higher education. Consequently, enhancing participation in higher education is of great importance. Recognition of the importance of higher education has led to the development of support services for students with disabilities. Nevertheless, success with respect to including students with disabilities in higher education institutions has not yet yielded adequate success with respect to their transition into employment. Students with disabilities rarely acquire preparation to cope with the transition to the world of work. Therefore, the current study examined the experience of students with disabilities as they transitioned from higher education into employment. Method: The study used a qualitative-phenomenological research approach in which 15 graduates with disabilities from five different academic institutions in Israel were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed and encoded in a multi-stage analysis. Results: Analysis of transcripts revealed three main themes: (1) The meaning of the academic studies; (2) The transition into employment; (3) The participants' life journey as people with disabilities. In all three themes, interviewees stressed the development of self-determination skills, such as active conduct, assertiveness, and self-advocacy for integrating into various aspects of life. Discussion: The research findings can be used as a basis for recognizing the factors that influence the integration of graduates with disabilities into employment. A significant research finding is the importance of skills in self-determination to achieving life goals. The skills in self- determination are conceptualized as a mediator between the graduates' self-perceptions of being like everyone else and being different from the mainstream. The research emphasizes the need for intervention in academic settings to support students with disabilities in their transition from higher education into employment, with an emphasis on their development of skills in self- determination. This study raises awareness about occupational therapists' potential to contribute during academic integration and transitions to work

Factors influencing researchers to publish in open-access: Is it a self-decision or a self-reinforcing cycle?

PurposeThe current study examined Israeli researchers from various disciplines concerning their perceptions, attitudes and awareness of scientific publications in open access (OA) journals and repositories.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was developed and distributed to 202 Israeli researchers from universities, colleges and research institutions. The study used the united theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model as a tool for mapping the factors known to influence researchers to publish in OA journals and repositories.FindingsThe empirical model confirmed the mediating effect of the association between researchers’ perceptions and the actual publishing in OA, through their behavioral intentions (BI). Furthermore, the BI are mediated by researchers’ self-decision to publish in OA. More specifically, a researcher's publication level in OA depended not only on the positive attitudes (Atti), performance expectancy (PE) and social influence (SI) mediated by BI, but also on conditions that support researchers who publish in OA, and disciplinary affiliation to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) which lead the researcher to voluntarily publish in both green and gold OA.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributed to the cumulative understanding of OA publishing by formulating and validating an empirical research model of acceptance and use.Practical implicationsThe implications of the findings for scientific publication theory and practices are discussed.Originality/valueThe study suggests an effective framework to understand the researcher's final decision to publish in OA. This study's results are an essential step towards the cumulative understanding of OA publicity adoption and use by researchers as a global issue in general and in Israeli academic institutions in particular.

Integrity of nursing students in Israel: An exploratory study

AimResearch regarding the relationship between academic year and age and academic integrity is ambiguous; and at times confounded by a conflation of the terms “age” and “academic year.” This research aims to disentangle age from academic year and to assess the possible impact of those two factors on academic integrity. BackgroundThere is a growing concern regarding the lack of academic integrity among nursing students. The lack of academic integrity not only undermines the ability of academic institutions to accurately assess the professional training of nursing students, but also poses a danger to those who may ultimately depend on these nurses for treatment. DesignCross-sectional analysis of self-report measures of nursing students. MethodsIn the Fall of 2020, 143 nursing students at a faith-based academic institution in Israel completed an online, anonymous questionnaire addressing academic integrity and background demographics of respondents (i.e. age, academic year, sex). ResultsNo general trends regarding dishonesty and academic year or age emerged, though advanced students reported being less honest on work-based presentations. Also, differences emerged in self-acknowledged frequency of the different forms of cheating. Cheating on exams is the least frequent of all the forms of cheating, while enabling others to cheat was the most frequent type. ConclusionsWe hypothesized that academic dishonesty would decrease with both age and academic year. No such overall trend emerged when all cheating items are considered as an unweighted ‘cheating index.’ However, there were differences among different types of cheating. Cheating on exams is the least frequent of all the forms of cheating, while enabling others to cheat is engaged in most frequently and presumably perceived to be the most benign. Enabling others may be related to the communal nature of Israeli society and further amplified by the homogenous nature of the student body. Also, it is suggested that differences between cheating on familiar methods of evaluation (e.g. tests) and unfamiliar methods, which the students only experience as they advance in their degree (e.g. case studies) is a function of their gradual exposure to these novel methods. It is suggested that further research regarding this matter is warranted. Finally, the possible importance of the findings for those interested in advancing academic integrity are discussed, with a focus on how cultural matters and the novelty of forms of evaluation should be addressed to advance academic integrity among student as they advance in their studies.

Adjustment of Israeli undergraduate students to emergency remote learning during COVID-19: a mixed methods examination

ABSTRACT Using a mixed method approach, the study examined the emotional and academic adjustment to higher education amongst undergraduate students, in light of the Spring, 2020 COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The undergraduate students’ social, emotional, institutional and academic adjustment, during the COVID-19 outbreak pandemic was compared with a database of undergraduates examined before the pandemic, which served as a control group. Four hundred and twenty-three undergraduates from 30 academic institutions in Israel participated in the study: 226 before COVID-19 and 197 undergraduates examined during the Spring, 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. The results indicated that undergraduate students during the Spring, 2020 pandemic had significantly lower academic, social, emotional and institutional adjustment compared with controls tested before the pandemic. In the COVID-19 sample, higher self-perception of satisfaction with life predicted better adjustment. Emotional stress as well as financial burden reported by undergraduates were associated with lower adjustment. Qualitative analysis revealed that social isolation was considered the most disturbing factor. Findings showed that there is a need to support students’ social, emotional and academic concerns during COVID-19 and also highlighted the role of instructors’ and support staff in particular.

Epistemology of surveillance: Revealing unmarked forms of discipline and punishment in Israeli academia.

This paper analyzes the unmarked forms of discipline and punishment employed against Palestinian researchers in Israeli academia, attempting to decolonize it through critical knowledge production. Based on interviews with 15 researchers from a cross-section of academic institutions in Israel, the paper identifies subtle mechanisms of discipline and punishment, directed toward normalizing the epistemology of the colonized. The findings suggest that the gatekeepers of Israeli academia not only seek to maintain the existing racial hierarchy between Israeli and Palestinian researchers but also seek to "eliminate" the indigenous epistemology of the latter through mechanisms of hidden surveillance, used to control them as colonized subjects unable to challenge the Zionist ideology that is an essential aspect of Israeli academia. The current paper aims to unpack these invisible mechanisms of surveillance, which are part of a broader colonial apparatus aiming to maintain not only territorial sovereignty but also epistemologic sovereignty.

Does statistics anxiety impact academic dishonesty? Academic challenges in the age of distance learning

This study discusses the mediating role of statistics anxiety and motivation in the relationship comprising academic dishonesty, personality traits, and previous academic achievements in three different learning environments (Face to Face -F2F, Planned Online Environment – POE, and Emergency Remote Teaching – ERT). Self-determination theory (SDT) provides a broad psychological framework for these phenomena. Data were collected from 649 bachelor-degree students in the Social Sciences in five Israeli academic institutions. Structural equation modelling was employed to investigate the research variables’ relationships. Findings indicate that statistics anxiety mediates the relationship between personality traits and academic dishonesty in the POE and the ERT learning environments. Findings also indicate the relationship between students’ achievements and academic dishonesty, but only in the ERT learning environment. In contrast, motivation mediates the relationship between students’ achievements and statistics anxiety only in the POE learning environment. This study unveils that learning environments determine the mediating role of statistical anxiety. In digital learning environments (POE, ERT), mediation has been found between students’ personality traits and academic dishonesty. No similar parallel mediation could be established in the physical learning environment, F2F. Thus, we conclude that online courses should be designed according to student-centred approaches.

Beliefs of Social Work Students in Israel about Wife-Beating: Are They Influenced by Their Patriarchal Ideology and Exposure to Violence in Their Families-of-Origin?

ABSTRACT Beliefs of Israeli undergraduate students of social work about wife-beating were examined, based on a combination of two theoretical frameworks, i.e., patriarchal ideology (as reflected in participants’ attitudes toward women and marital role expectations) and social learning theory (as reflected in their exposure to family violence during childhood). Self-administered questionnaires were filled out by a convenience sample of 542 students, from all three years of undergraduate studies in social work in seven academic institutions in Israel. The majority of participants were female (90.7%); 91.5% were Jews, and the remaining 8.5% were Arabs. The majority of participants expressed opposition to negative beliefs about wife-beating (e.g., opposed justifying wife-beating, expressed opposition for blaming battered women for husbands’ violence), and expressed willingness to help battered women. In addition, high percentages of the participants expressed willingness to hold violent husbands responsible for their behavior. Students’ liberal attitudes toward women and egalitarian expectations of marriage correlated significantly with most non-lenient beliefs about battered women and violent husbands. Nevertheless, participants’ exposure to family violence did not correlate significantly with these beliefs. The predictability of these beliefs by participants’ patriarchal ideology and exposure to family violence has been examined. The implications of the results for future research and theory development as well as for professional socialization are discussed.

“It’s Our Duty to Give Them a Voice” Participation of Children and Adolescents in College Courses

This study explores how participation was experienced by children, adolescents and social work (SW) students who studied together in two unique college courses. Participants met weekly for 2–4 h, during one semester, at two different academic institutions in Israel. Both courses employed a developmentally appropriate model for child participation, inspired by (Lundy, British Educational Research Journal 33:927–942, 2007). Using a phenomenological approach, the study applies several qualitative methods to glean experiences of participation: focus groups (n = 40), personal interviews (n = 16) and reflective papers by SW students (n = 28). The results highlight participation experiences as a realignment of power relations, enabled through close, non-hierarchal relationships. In addition, they reveal that SW students realize the potential of participation and the unique knowledge which can be acquired through it, and they report a newfound commitment to children’s participation. The study illustrates how a developmentally appropriate model for child participation can be carried out in academia, contributing not only to the realization of children’s right to participate, but also to the provision of experiential learning.

Milestones in the development of educational radio in Israel

ABSTRACT For over 25 years, college radio stations have been operating in academic institutions in Israel. This article explores the main milestones in the development of college radio in Israel; the processes of establishment and ideological vision and goals underlying them; and the impact of college radio on political, social and cultural history of Israel.

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in the Higher Education System in Israel: Successes and Challenges

Summary Studies show the very high probability that a child with learning disabilities will grow up to be an adult with learning disabilities and will experience difficulties in his academic or professional studies and in the world of employment. Today, there is an increase in the number of students with learning disabilities in academic institutions in Israel and around the world, with the extent of students with learning disabilities in Israel being estimated at up to 15% of diagnosed students. The article discusses the problem that most studies address children and teens with learning disabilities, while knowledge about coping with students with learning disabilities in the higher education system is limited. Moreover, there seems to be no uniform policy on supporting these students. The article is addressed to policymakers and lawmakers in Israel’s higher education system, with the aim of presenting current support and proposing changes and improvements intended for these students.