Academic Pathways Research Articles

Evaluating the usefulness and utility of a webinar as a platform to educate students on a UK clinical academic programme.

The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) is the first step of the UK's national integrated clinical academic pathway; however, the application process can be unclear. We evaluated webinars as a teaching medium to enhance knowledge and confidence of prospective applicants. Medical students were invited to attend a free webinar. The webinar was designed by a former academic foundation trainee, outlining the UK integrated clinical academic pathway and how to apply to the AFP. An online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted pre- and post-webinar. In total, 118 out of 199 (59.3% response rate) attendees filled out the pre-webinar questionnaire, while 64 out of 199 attendees (32.2% response rate) filled out the post-webinar questionnaire. Of these 83.1% had never previously attended a medical education webinar, and 92.3% agreed webinars offer flexibility and convenience, saving time and money on travel. Matched pre- and post-webinar data showed an increase in participants' knowledge (p< 0.0001) and confidence (p < 0.001). This study has demonstrated the utility of a focused webinar in enhancing medical students' knowledge and confidence in AFP applications. Webinars are a rarely utilised yet highly acceptable way to engage millennial students and could be used to enhance engagement with clinical academia.

Drivers of academic pathways in higher education: traditional vs. non-traditional students

ABSTRACT Dropout rates in higher education (HE) are particularly high for non-traditional students which may be due to unadjusted educational policies. Considering as non-traditional the students who are employed at the enrolment moment and using a longitudinal database containing information on 5351 students from a Portuguese HE institution, an event history analysis approach is employed to distinguish the main drivers of graduation and dropout risks for traditional and non-traditional students and to test a set of research hypotheses. The results show significant differences between the two types of students, confirming the need of discretionary policies. For non-traditional students, policies that assist them in an early stage are shown to be of critical importance, for example by offering pre-enrolment preparatory courses or by joining them, in the classroom, with students with similar characteristics. For traditional students, providing solutions for financial limitations and promoting academic integration seem to be more effective.

Choosing to study music in high school: Teacher support, psychological needs satisfaction, and elective music intentions

High school students do not value music education highly, nor do they see it as a useful part of their academic pathways. When music becomes an elective subject, low enrolment in elective classes is seen as a challenge for music educators. This study aimed to further investigate this issue by examining the motivational climate of the music classroom, including the perceptions of the music teacher, in the development of student motivation for music. It also examined how these motivational factors influenced students’ intentions to take music as an elective subject. A hypothesized model based on self-determination theory was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), based on survey data from N = 395 students from 11 schools. The hypothesized model fit the data well. Students’ basic psychological needs fulfillment was predicted by the perceived needs-supportive practices of their teachers. These in turn were predictive of students’ elective intentions. Using multi-group SEM analyses, findings were invariant across gender, school type, year at school, and socio-economic status, and the role of prior music learning was examined. The results indicate that an effective target for increasing students’ motivation and value for music at school may be the motivational climate of the music classroom.

Hesitant hopes: How a comprehensive approach to learning impacts on the transition hopes of marginalised young people in an alternative learning programme in regional Australia

Concerns have been raised internationally about whether alternative learning programmes are producing low‐skilled labourers for rapidly disappearing twenty‐first‐century jobs. Researchers claim that learners in alternative programmes are more at risk due to the focus on low‐level vocational and basic skill attainment, with a lack of formal academic pathways available to them. This article questions whether and in what ways an alternative learning programme supports young people to achieve successful transitions to sustainable social mobility for informed citizenship through a holistic approach to learning; or if class stratification is being re/enforced through systems’ accountability discourses. Hesitant hopes in alternative learning are explored through an ethnographic study of one alternative learning programme across five sites in regional Australia. Contextually, not‐for‐profit community agencies provide physical infrastructures as well as youth workers and volunteers, while a publicly funded School of Distance Education provides teacher oversight of the curriculum. Findings suggest that the theme of ‘hesitant hope’ is constructed through the analysis of the discourses of supporting wellbeing, life skill development and academic learning. These discourses facilitate further analysis of the concept of social mobility, suggesting a conceptual starting point for an engaging critique of the differing perspectives on how support could be providing these marginalised young people with a sense of hope for a socially mobile future.

Increasing Diversity in Teacher Candidates: An Oregon Model Using a Community College Pathway into Teacher Education

ABSTRACT The need to diversify the teaching workforce is well documented. However, there are few resources outlining specific models to carry out this work, and even fewer examples that describe a community college academic pathway into teacher education. Because community colleges serve a high percentage of diverse students, a community college pathway into teaching represents a promising approach for increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce. This paper outlines an Oregon community college pathway into teacher education that is successfully adding diverse teachers to the Pacific Northwest region’s education workforce. This paper describes a model that other institutions may want to replicate, either wholly or in part. The paper describes a set of interrelated strategies designed to support all students, with specific approaches that encourage diverse student populations. Though this paper focuses on bilingual Hispanic students, the model could be tailored to unique community college demographics in other regions.

Higher degrees in nursing: traditional research PhD or professional doctorate?

Doctoral-level study is increasingly popular for clinicians who wish to advance their clinical, research and academic career pathways. A range of alternatives to the traditional PhD are now well-established. This article aims to outline the different approaches and discuss some advantages and drawbacks of doctoral-level postgraduate study. By comparing the various doctoral programmes, the authors seek to clarify the issues for clinicians who may wish to embark on a future doctorate. Primary clinical or medical degrees are not discussed.

A machine learning algorithm framework for predicting students performance: A case study of baccalaureate students in Morocco

The use of machine learning with educational data mining (EDM) to predict learner performance has always been an important research area. Predicting academic results is one of the solutions that aims to monitor the progress of students and anticipates students at risk of failing the academic pathways. In this paper, we present a framework for predicting student performance based on Machine Learning algorithm at H.E.K high school in Morocco from 2016 to 2018. The proposed model was analyzed and tested using student’s data collected from The School Management System “MASSAR” (SMS-MASSAR). The dataset used in this study concerns 478 Physics students during the school years: 2015–2016, 2016–2017 and 2017–2018. The predictive performance results showed that our model can make more precise predictions of student’s performance.

Learning to teach the M in/for STEM for social justice

Issues of global and local importance such as climate change and homelessness require critical perspectives across multiple disciplines including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Our paper brings critical mathematics education and social justice alongside STEM education to explore experiences of learning to teach. We focus specifically on learning to teach through creating mathematics problems in/for STEM and social justice. As a collaborative research group we are from five countries with varied cultural backgrounds, teaching experiences, and academic pathways. Dialogue as method is used to examine experiences of creating problems through which students can interpret and transform the world. Data collected included 46 h of audio-recorded dialogue meetings, 26 developed problems, and 7 interviews with 12 students. Results indicate creating mathematics problems in/for STEM involved navigating between mathematics, social justice, and STEM across all education levels and is supported with critical dialogue across cultural perspectives, diverse experiences, and expertise. Challenges lived include questioning the content of mathematics and STEM, deepening our own expertise to draw upon local and global problem contexts, and interrogating who benefits from such problems. Our study highlights the need for continued collaborative dialogue that not only gathers educators across disciplines but also includes students as co-creators of mathematics problems that could change their relationship with the world.

Why do UK academics become Associate Deans and what are their future career plans?

ABSTRACTThe role and number of Associate Dean posts in UK universities has grown considerably in recent years. Despite this, relatively little is known about the reasons why individuals take on such roles and how it fits into their career trajectories. The purpose of this article is to explore these issues by drawing on data from the first national study of Associate Deans in the UK. Adopting a two-staged mixed methods approach, data were collected from semi-structured interviews (n = 15) and an online survey (n = 172). The findings suggest that academics take on the role for a number of reasons such as the challenge of working across the University, making a difference to staff and students, or being asked to take it on by a senior member of staff. It is argued that these Associate Dean roles are part of new and emerging academic career pathways within the higher education sector.

Emerging Academic Pathways for the Evolving Health Care Workforce.

In North Carolina, total health care employment increased by 70% between 2000 and 2016. Many health care professions are evolving and experiencing rapid growth due to changes in the professions themselves and in how these workers are being utilized in the health care environment. Academic institutions must stay abreast of trends in health care workforce needs including new and emerging professions.

Does academic self-concept drive academic achievement?

ABSTRACTGaps in GCSE attainment have long been the concern of policy makers, academics, and social commentators, largely due to the importance of these exams for setting children on their future academic and career pathways. In the past a wide range of factors relating to the pupils, their families, and their schools have been found to account for differences in GCSE attainment. In this paper we examine the role of pupils’ beliefs in their own academic ability (academic self-concept). Using Next Steps data, we examine whether pupils with higher academic self-concept do better or worse in their GCSEs than pupils with lower academic self-concept. Results show that on average, controlling for other characteristics, having high academic self-concept increases GCSE scores by four grades. When we compare academic self-concept to measured achievement we find that both high and low attainers have higher probabilities of achieving five A*–C GCSEs and higher GCSE point scores on average if they have high academic self-concept than similarly able students who have lower academic self-concept.

A Participatory Action Research study on the impact of Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS) and Supplemental Instruction (SI) by international PhD students

Using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, this evaluative research study gives an insight into the implementation of a pilot study of a newly implemented Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS) and Supplemental Instruction (SI) Programme. The focus of the study involved six postgraduate PhD students delivering a PASS/SI scheme to cohorts of MSc Public Health, MSc Nursing and MSc Psychosis and Complex Mental Health Interventions students, all undertaking their final dissertations.The study was used to illuminate the degree to which PASS and SI were perceived to impact on the overall student experience as part of a quality enhancement initiative. Findings of the study revealed that the programme had positively impacted on both PASS/SI leaders and participants of the scheme, who reported increased confidence and an increased sense of social inclusion and belonging to the institution respectively. Being facilitated by students who had experienced the same academic pathway was perceived to have widened networking opportunities and to have positively impacted on the capacity of the participants and leaders to build relationships and prepare skills of direct relevance to the requirements of an employer such as teamwork and initiative.

And Shift! A Review of Approaches That Support Transition from A-Level Art and Design to Fine Art Undergraduate Study

The profile of students applying to BA Fine Art undergraduate programs has shifted in the United Kingdom (UK). Until recently the usual academic pathway was to proceed after A-level to a one-year Art Foundation program; this route is increasingly challenged by a sense of urgency to enter university earlier. Students more frequently enter straight from school. To accommodate the recruitment of younger applicants there are significant implications for Higher Education Fine Art pedagogy. This article reports on some of the approaches implemented at Northumbria University to support positive transition and learning within the BA Fine Art program. Using the Year 1–Level 4 Fine Art as a case study this reflects on how one university fine arts team has responded to the challenge of induction.

Trainee and supervisor experience of the Academic Foundation Programme.

The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) is often the initial step along the Integrated Academic Training pathway in the UK. It is relatively new and research as to its effectiveness is limited. Our objective was to evaluate the AFP in terms of its impact on academic career aspirations and to explore trainees' expectations and experience of the programme and investigate the enablers and barriers to success. Seven supervisors of Academic Foundation trainees were interviewed over a 5-month period in 2014. AFP trainees' views were sought by way of an online questionnaire that covered six areas: demographics, expectations, academic time, experience, research and achievements. Thirty-four trainees completed online questionnaires. The majority of trainees (94%) did not proceed directly along the Integrated Academic Training pathway to complete Academic Clinical Fellowships, but those who applied to do so were often successful (nine applicants, six successful). Free-text comments revealed an expectation of a more course-like structure to the programme, this is in contrast to the authentic experience of clinical academia, along with its associated challenges, that some of the supervisors reported. The importance of planning and preparation for success was a recurring theme from the supervisor interviews. The programme is achieving some success in encouraging academic careers. There are several areas that can be improved. Improving the availability of information and guidance for supervisors and facilitating Academic Foundation Doctors to network are both feasible changes that could lead to improvement.

Trials and tribulations of an early career academic pathway after returning to Australia: reflections from an early career investigator

Trials and tribulations of an early career academic pathway after returning to Australia: reflections from an early career investigator

Training‐related dimensions of apprenticeship programmes in crisis‐ridden Greece: an exploratory study

Since the 2008 financial crisis there has been increased interest in apprenticeships in Greece, largely due to the perception that apprenticeships, in comparison to academic studies, may improve the employment prospects of young people. Before this time, there had been little interest in vocational education and training (VET) and consequently few efforts to develop the VET system. This exploratory article focuses on training, a crucial aspect of apprenticeship programmes, and offers a critical overview of key dimensions of the training content of apprenticeships in Greece. The article draws on the findings of a large‐scale, mostly qualitative research project (carried out between December 2015 and March 2017), which aimed at reviewing the Greek apprenticeship system and gathered, inter alia, the views of 150 individuals representing different groups of stakeholders. It is argued that, despite positive features, the training offered in Greek apprenticeships still suffers from severe shortcomings, which highlight the need for urgent reform and restructuring. Without such reform, the potential of the system to be an effective, alternative to the academic pathway or to boost employment will be seriously constrained.

Trabalho e Carreira Docente na Rede Municipal do Rio de Janeiro

Teachers of K-12 education have great challenges in order to gain the valuation of teaching profession in the face of national career policies and education financing. The career is investigated as an indicator of the working conditions of the teachers of the educational public system of Rio de Janeiro, who held a strike in 2013 demanding for better conditions for their career. The proposal in this article is to compare two career plans: one current at the time of the strike and other which was approved during the mobilization. It was analyzed the following elements: admission criteria, working hours, career movement and compensation components. In the comparative analysis, it can be seen that the admission to the career was maintained by public tender; there were changes that fostered the creation of a 40-hour workweek; and there was an expansion of the career progression through the academic pathway. These were restricted to budgetary criteria, so that these elements are not established as teachers' rights.

Labour Market Responsiveness of Greek Apprenticeships: An Empirical Investigation

The ongoing economic crisis in Greece has given rise to a new interest in apprenticeships, linked to the perception that such programmes can provide an alternative to an academic educational pathway that can boost the employment prospects of young people. Against this background and drawing on the findings of a large-scale, mostly qualitative, research project that reviewed the Greek apprenticeship system and involved surveying 150 stakeholders, this original exploratory article provides a critical, succinct, but also comprehensive exploration of three major themes associated with a key aspect of apprenticeships in Greece: labour market responsiveness. These themes which emerged from the thematic content analysis undertaken, are: (i) content-related issues; (ii) actor-related issues; and (iii) issues related to the mismatch between the offer of and demand for apprenticeship positions. The article argues that, despite some strengths, serious weaknesses jeopardize the potential of apprenticeships in Greece to function as an effective alternative to academic study and an efficient path towards labour market integration.

Junior clinical academic psychiatrists in Australia: The University of New South Wales initiative.

We examined current pathways of training for junior clinical academic psychiatrists in Australia. An initiative of the School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, is described from the perspective of two junior clinical academics. Australia has limited defined clinical academic pathways for psychiatrists when compared internationally. Numerous challenges for junior psychiatrists entering academia include tensions between clinical and academic roles, reduced remuneration, difficulty building a competitive track record and a scarcity of funding. Potential solutions lie with universities and local health districts partnering to fund clinical academic roles and offering flexible entry points across specialty training. Fostering research engagement in junior psychiatrists will develop the next generation of clinical academics with benefit for clinical and academic domains.

Introduction to Special Issue on Universal Design for Inclusive Pedagogy and a Future Research Agenda

This Special Issue seeks to address the needs of all postsecondary/tertiary students for a barrier-free learning environment to increase their academic achievement, engagement, learning mastery, and persistence to graduation. Universal Design for Inclusive Pedagogy (UDIP) is sensitive to diverse students and individual differences to promote access and equity. While our colleagues in elementary and secondary education have been addressing this issue for many years, postsecondary education is a newer field for this approach. The six articles in this issue break new ground with regards to expanding the boundaries of Universal Design (UD). Areas explored in this Special Issue are transformed curriculum, innovative teaching and learning practices, cross-national and cross-cultural student interactions, application of UD to academic pathways, and UDIP embedded into the institutional culture and policies. The central themes of the articles are increased access, equity, and social justice for all students.