Academic Staff Research Articles

ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE THROUGH BIOPHILIC DESIGN: A CASE STUDY OF URBAN RESIDENTIAL SPACES

This study aims to investigate how applying biophilic design principles to interior architecture—especially in urban residential contexts—can improve the user experience while accounting for the influence of different user profiles. It has been demonstrated that using natural components and patterns in constructed settings has a good influence on people's health and sense of connection to the natural world. The impact of numerous biophilic design elements on occupant well-being, productivity, and emotional connection to their living environments will be thoroughly examined. These include natural light, vegetation, water features and natural materials. University faculty and their families are the sole residents of Kayseri Nuh Naci Yazgan University Faculty Residences in Turkey a unique urban living community. Located at the corner of the university, this space offers individualized accommodation alternatives, creates a close-knit community and provides a distinctive living environment that meets faculty members' academic needs by guaranteeing easy access to educational resources. 54 residential units are participating in the study. Respondents are academic staff members that reside and work in the residences of Nuh Naci Yazgan University. The study centers on their housing experiences and they are its primary subjects. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered using a combination of in-depth observations, questionnaires and interviews in addition to random sampling. The study closes a crucial knowledge gap regarding the application of biophilic design in urban settings, given the current state of growing urbanization. This study is significant because it may help design more environmentally friendly and psychologically stimulating urban living environments. The results of this study can help architects, designers and urban planners create healthier and more user-centered urban places, which will ultimately improve the quality of life in urban settings, by examining how biophilic design affects user experiences. Using a case study methodology, the study was focused on NNYU Residences as a particular urban living environments as its study subjects. Observations, surveys and interviews was used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data to investigate users' opinions about the integration of biophilic design elements in their surroundings. This study has multiple main objectives. It seeks to comprehend how consumers interpret biophilic design elements, evaluate how the design affects inhabitants' well-being, investigate sustainability issues and offer useful advice for designers and architects. According to this study, biophilic design enhances sustainability and user satisfaction in urban residential environments. This has significant ramifications for urban planners and architects. Nonetheless, the case-study methodology and possibility for participant bias are two of the study's shortcomings. Also, because interior architecture is the study's primary focus, related bioinspired fields are not included. To learn more about these topics and how they contribute to biophilic design in interior products, future studies should investigate them.

Supplementary Vocational Education of Academic Staff: Opportunities and Problems of Implementation

The article deals with the problem of the involvement of academic staff (AS) of universities in the system of continuing education. The subject of the study is the possibilities and problems of supplementary vocational education (SVE) for academic staff of Russian universities. Based on the materials of statistics and analysis of documents (university development programs, regulations on advanced training), the objective aspects of the functioning of the university system of AS supplementary vocational education have been studied. The subjective aspects of obtaining supplementary vocational education are revealed on the basis of materials from semi-structured interviews with AS of universities of the Ural Federal District. The motivation for obtaining SVE, the needs for specific content and types of training, financing, and organizational conditions are analyzed. The key problems of the academic segment of the SVE system are revealed: reduction of the state financing of the costs of universities for the training of AS; commercialization of the university SVE system; the lack of guaranteed quality and diversity of SVE programs for AS; unsatisfactory organizational conditions for SVE of AS; inflexibility of the continuing education system in terms of taking into account the results of AS training. In a practical sense, the identified problems are directions for changes in the state and university policy of professional development of the AS in the context of the implementation of higher education development programs

The Role of Academic Ethics in the Professional Relationships of University Academic Staff

The subject of the research in the paper is academic ethics in the professional relationships of university teachers. The final results are presented on the basis of in-depth interviews with representatives of the academic staff of Russian universities (N=35). The purpose of the paper is to show how academic ethics as a value-normative phenomenon supports the professional relationships of academic staff at the university and forms certain values that ensure the effectiveness of the scientific and educational process. In this interpretation, the emphasis is placed on identifying the creative potential of academic ethics, its impact on the scientific and educational process at the university in terms of professional interaction of its main subjects. An assessment of the structure and content of academic ethics is given. It is established that academic ethics, being an element of academism in the higher education system, influences the formation of value-normative attitudes of respect and recognition. In addition, the importance of this phenomenon for the strategic development of the university and at the same time the preservation of academic traditions is revealed. The article also summarizes the assessments of the state of academic ethics at universities formulated by informants. In such assessments, value-semantic reflection prevails, which makes it possible to identify academic ethics as a factor of effective professional interaction between subjects of the educational process in order to achieve joint goals for the formation of their value world and professional knowledge and skills.

EXPERIENCES OF UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH COMPLETION STUDENTS IN SOCIAL WORK UNDERGRADUATE DEPARTMENTS

With this research, within the scope of the undergraduate completion program in health initiated by High Education Board in 2015, 19 qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with snowball sampling in order to determine the experiences of undergraduate completion students placed in social work departments of state universities. There is not enough research on the experiences and problems of the students in this context. Therefore, the experiences of students in this context are important for the future of social work education. It was observed that social work students within the scope of the undergraduate completion program chose the department consciously and knew about social work. However, it has been revealed that undergraduate completion students have difficulties in their education life, find the lessons difficult, and encounter prejudiced attitudes and behaviors of their classmates and academic staff. In order for social work education to be inclusive and free from discrimination and prejudice due to the focus of the profession, it is recommended that research and improvement activities be carried out with undergraduate completion students and lecturers.

Unveiling challenges with e-learning faced by academic staff at a University of Technology after COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa

The global shift from traditional face-to-face learning to e-learning, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly transformed higher education (HE) landscapes. Many institutions in developing countries, unprepared for this shift, now find e-learning integral to the educational process. This study explores challenges faced by academic staff at a South African University of Technology (UoT) post-COVID-19. Utilising a phenomenological qualitative research approach, insights were gathered from academic staff through semi-structured interviews. Key challenges identified include insufficient infrastructure, limited training, technological proficiency gaps, student engagement issues, and concerns about academic dishonesty. Practical recommendations encompass infrastructure enhancement, digital training, blended learning strategies, improved student engagement, and measures to ensure academic integrity. These adaptable suggestions provide insights for institutions seeking to enhance e-learning environments, contributing to improved teaching and learning (T&L) outcomes in an evolving educational landscape. It was further recommended that future studies can explore long-term intervention effects, conduct comparative institution studies, and delve into innovative pedagogical approaches.

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Employee Loyalty: Case of Teaching-Researcher Staff

Employee loyalty is an important determinant of business productivity and management effectiveness, and its decline can cause organisational deviance, reputational losses, counterproductive behaviour of staff, reduced manageability, and, ultimately, increased staff turnover and loss of key employees. The article proposes and empirically confirms two hypotheses: 1) a significant relationship between job satisfaction and employee loyalty; 2) job satisfaction directly affects the employee’s intention to leave the organisation. These hypotheses were tested on the example of academic staff of different universities in Algeria. For this purpose, a random sample was formed, the reliable representativeness of which corresponds to the general population in terms of age, gender and length of service of respondents (500 questionnaires were randomly distributed, 329 of which were approved for analysis, i.e. the share of respondents who agreed to participate in the survey is 65.8%). The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (a short version of 20 job facets with a five-modality measurement scale) was chosen as the basis for the study of job satisfaction, which was improved by removing and adding individual items and adjusting the wording of individual questions. The validity and reliability of the scales measuring job satisfaction and employee intentions to leave the organisation are high (Cronbach’s alpha is 0.91 and 0.81, respectively). The data was analysed using the statistical software SPSS. V.27, and several statistical methods and tests (Cronbach’s alpha, ANOVA, regression analysis, etc.) were used to test the hypotheses. The study has shown that job satisfaction is significantly related to an employee’s intention to voluntarily leave the organisation: (β = -0.547, p < 0.000), (F = 19,357, p < 0.000). Job satisfaction explains 29.9% of the variance in intentions to leave voluntarily. Job satisfaction has a direct impact on reducing voluntary turnover. This relationship is negative and significant. A moderate direct relationship between employee loyalty and job satisfaction has been confirmed (correlation coefficient R=0.547 is positive), i.e. the higher the job satisfaction, the more loyal employees are to the institution where they work.

Exploring barriers to measuring ROI for training and development interventions

The objective of this article is to investigate obstacles that hinder the assessment of return on investment (ROI) for academic staff development initiatives in public universities in South Africa. The primary objective of this study is to address the following research inquiry: What are the obstacles hindering the assessment of return on investment (ROI) for training and development interventions offered to academics within the higher education landscape of South Africa? The study employed a qualitative research methodology, which was based on an interpretive philosophical standpoint. The researchers employed purposive sampling to carefully select a total of fourteen participants who were selected to represent a range of cases or institutions. These included six universities and government institutions, namely the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), and the Education, Training, and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDPSETA). The interview data was subjected to thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti. The factors that hinder the measurement of ROI include the intricacy of the process, insufficient capacity, time lag between training and improved performance, lack of motivation, financial limitations, absence of processes, fragmentation of training and development interventions, interventions producing non-financial advantages, and insufficient data. The study enhanced the existing information on human resource development and practice by identifying the obstacles to measuring return on investment (ROI). Additionally, it offered practical advice and suggestions for future research.

Drivers of change for researcher development in Tanzania

ABSTRACT The research landscape in higher education is changing rapidly, with new challenges and opportunities emerging that require researchers to be adaptable and willing to learn new skills. The study reported in this article explored how Tanzanian universities can support the development of researchers. The study was guided by Linda Evans’ conceptual model of researcher development. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with national higher education leaders, senior university leaders, academic staff members and postgraduate students drawn from four universities and the National Directorate for Higher Education. The study found that researcher development in Tanzania can be supported by strengthening individual and institutional research capacity, establishing a research mentoring programme, introducing research incentives, streamlining research funding and optimising research time and space. Our findings suggest that a holistic approach to researcher development, encompassing both individual and institutional dimensions, can have a positive impact on research culture. In this respect, the identified strategies serve as drivers of change for universities and individual academics to develop programmes and initiatives that support the development of researchers at all stages of their careers.

Pragmatic co-design methodology: a tale of university and retirement village friendship

ABSTRACT Co-authored by academic staff and older adult community members, this paper reports on an incidental and pragmatic co-design model grounded in a round table friendship-informed approach. Interdisciplinary academics met with residents of a proximate retirement community, sharing open discussions with no agenda, including improving engagement between the two communities. The ensuing co-designed programme of outreach activities was of myriad mutual benefits: the retirement community benefited through opportunities for meaningful engagement via inter-generational knowledge-sharing, social connection, and access to expertise and equipment, whilst the University benefited across Learning and Teaching, Research, Engagement, and Commercialisation sectors. This pragmatic co-design approach described resulted in equitable contributions to knowledge generation, exchange, and translation in an interdirectional way. We argue that future research can adopt such an approach, exhibiting potential across all forms of community engaged research.

Recognition Strategy and Performance of Non-Teaching Staff at University of Eldoret in Kenya

Non-academic staff contribute significantly to the effective functioning of universities across the globe, supporting the institution's mission of education, research, and service to society. Their roles are diverse and essential, helping to create a supportive and conducive environment for academic excellence and student success. Their performance is aligned with broader national development priorities and the global agenda set forth by the SDGs. Their contributions are essential for advancing education, fostering innovation, promoting sustainable development, and building inclusive societies. By recognizing and supporting the role of non-academic staff, governments and institutions can better harness their potential to contribute to positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes. By facilitating access to quality education, they help build the knowledge and skills necessary for individuals to participate effectively in society and contribute to economic development. Unlike academic staff, whose work is more closely tied to research and teaching, the roles of non-academic staff, may not always be as directly connected to the core mission of the institution. This disconnect has led to several challenges that demotivate the work of non-teaching staffs. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which employee recognition strategy has influenced the performance of non-academic staff in the UOE, in Kenya. The study based on a quantitative research approach and underpinned by Maslow Theory of Motivation. The researcher used a correlational research design to establish the relationship between the study variables. The target population of this study comprised all the 208 permanent non-teaching staff in the university of Eldoret from which 137 were picked as sample size of the study Yamane formula. Stratified random sampling and simple random samplings were used to select respondents for the study. The study used structured self-administered questionnaires as its main primary data collection tool. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics included percentages, frequencies, mean and standard deviation. Inferentially, regression analysis was applied to get the changes in dependent variable caused by the influence of independent variables. Analyzed data was presented in form of tables, suitable graphs based on the APA format. The study results revealed that there was positive linear effect of influence of recognition on employee’s performance (β1=0.798, p=0.000 < 0.05). The study concluded that there is a significant relationship between recognition and performance of non-academic staff in the University of Eldoret.

The Study of the Components and Indicators of the Innovative Organizations of Secondary Schools Under the Office of the Basic Education Commission

The objective of this study was to study the composition and indicators of innovative organizations of secondary schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission using research papers study principles and concepts. Then, data was collected, analyzed, and synthesized to obtain the composition and indicators of the innovative organization of secondary schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission. The tools used to collect data included document notes and assessment forms for the suitability of elements and indicators by confirming elements and indicators from 9 experts. Among the informants are notable people. Three expert groups’ credentials are ascertained by Purposive Sampling: Group 1: Academic staff members in postsecondary education establishments who hold a Ph.D. in education, educational administration, or a related field and are assistant professors or higher. Group 2: Educational Administrators having a Ph.D. in Education and a minimum of five years’ experience in the field. Group 3 consists of school administrators who have at least five years of experience managing schools and a doctorate in educational administration.
 
 The results of the study showed that 1) the innovative organizational composition of secondary schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission consisted of 5 components: (1) Vision and Strategy, (2) Organizational Structure, (3) Organizational Culture, (4) Human Resource Development and (5) organizational communication. 2) Elements and indicators of vision and strategy are most appropriate, 3) Elements and Indicators of organizational structure are most appropriate, 4) Elements and Indicators of Human Resource Development and 5) Elements and Indicators of corporate communication are most appropriate.

The effect of human resource development practice on employee performance with the mediating role of job satisfaction among Mizan Tepi University's academic staff in Southwestern Ethiopia

PurposeThis study examined the effect of human resource development practices on employee performance, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable among academic staff at Mizan Tepi University. MethodsA standardized Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to academic staff members selected through stratified random sampling from eight colleges at Mizan Tepi University. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including a structural equation model and t-tests, were used for data analysis. ResultsThe study found a significant positive correlation between human resource development practices and employee performance. Job satisfaction was identified as a mediator between HRM practices and employee performance. Specific dimensions of human resource development practices, such as training and development, academic career development, teamwork spirit, and counseling, had significant effects on employee performance, with both positive and negative impacts observed. Additionally, academic career development, succession planning, and counseling were found to have a statistically significant positive effect on the academic staff at Mizan Tepi University. ConclusionsThis study found that training and development, academic career development, teamwork, counseling, and job satisfaction significantly impact employee performance. The results of the regression analysis using the SEM model revealed that job satisfaction, training and development, and teamwork positively affect academic staff performance while negatively affecting academic career development and counseling. Academic career development, teamwork, counseling, and succession planning were found to have a positive effect on job satisfaction. The mediation analysis indicated that academic career development and counseling partially mediate employee performance, while succession planning fully mediates it. Therefore, focusing on training and development, performance appraisal, rewards, teamwork, academic career development, succession planning, and counseling is essential to enhancing job satisfaction among academic staff at Mizan Tepi University.

Work Environment and Academic Staff Performance in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

This study is a review study and it was aimed to examine the impact of work environment on academic staff performance in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Depending on secondary data that were systematically collected from print and online publications. The results collected indicated that the work environment of tertiary institutions influences academic staff job performance. The paper concluded that a good and conducive working environment enhances the job performance of Academic Staff in tertiary institutions. Based on this, the paper suggested that the government and relevant stakeholders in the management of tertiary institutions in Nigeria should ensure that: a conducive work environment should be provided in all tertiary institutions across the country.

Assessing the Distrust and Vaccine Hesitancy about COVID-19 Vaccines Among Academic Staff in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

Assessing the Distrust and Vaccine Hesitancy about COVID-19 Vaccines Among Academic Staff in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

Rankings in Higher Education: criteria for measuring Gender Equality in Universities

University rankings are an increasingly important aspect of the world of higher education. They have become an essential component for providing transparency in universities, serving at the same time to help measure and evaluate the quality of those institutions. Rankings differ according to their objectives, target audience, content, and methodologies. In general, rankings do not include indicators relating to gender equality. There are a few exceptions that include indicators of gender balance – understood as the proportion of women and men in different academic fields – in the student body and among academic staff. The main objective of this article is to consider which indicators should be incorporated into measurements of equality in Spanish universities. The article explores the idea that measuring equality can be interpreted from two different perspectives: either as a measure equivalent to parity or as a measure equivalent to equity. The two approaches have distinct ideological and philosophical bases, and their operationalization provides different results in the classification of universities.

Personality traits and job performance among academic staff in a private academic institution

<span lang="EN-US">This study investigates the association between the personality traits of academic staff members and their job performance in a Malaysian private educational institution. The personality traits were based on the Big Five model, which has five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. About 110 participants from this institution were surveyed using a quantitative questionnaire, and their data were gathered. Throughout the study, the data were examined utilizing multiple regression analysis and factor analysis. According to the study’s findings, conscientiousness, and openness to experience significantly positively affect job performance. However, it was determined that extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism were not statistically significant and had no connection to job performance. As a result, in this institution, openness to experience is the most essential predictor of job performance. The findings of this study showed the management that openness to experience and conscientiousness are crucial for improving job performance inside the institution. Therefore, the management should pay more attention to these areas and recruit new employees with openness to experience and conscientious personality traits.</span>

First year and adjustment in university life: A qualitative study to determine the needs of first year university students

This study was conducted to identify the adjustment needs of first-year university students during their transition to university. The first year at university is a time when students review and organize their needs, their expectations from the university, the quality of their communication with other students, academic and administrative staff, the rules and working methods of the new academic environment, and the personality traits that students bring to the university. In the first year, most university students have to deal with many stress factors such as economic difficulties, academic difficulties, loneliness and homesickness, and difficulties in establishing social relationships. Based on this information, this study aims to explore in depth the needs and experiences of first-year university students in Turkey. In this study, the case study model, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used to determine the adjustment difficulties and first-year needs of first-year university students. The participants were asked 11 open-ended questions with a semi-structured interview form. Content analysis, which is a qualitative data analysis method, was conducted by creating themes and codes for the data obtained from the interviews. The findings from the research were discussed in the context of the literature.

Self-Perceptions and Benefits of Psychological Resilience Among Women Academics in the Context of Working in South African Higher Education Institutions (SA-HEIs): A Mixed-Method Approach

Higher education institutions (HEIs) globally heavily depend on the resilience of academic staff members to achieve excellence in teaching and learning. The extant scholarly work on resilience seems to take the relationship between workplace environmental factors (WEFs) and the adverse experiences of resilience among women academics for granted. Using South Africa as an example, this research mainly focused on the WEFs acknowledged as the primary sources of adversity and the overall perceptions and experiences of resilience among women academics in South African HEIs. This research employed a mixed methods sequential explanatory design comprising an online quantitative survey of 135 women academics, and individual in-depth/semi-structured qualitative interviews of 27 women academics. The aim of this article was to illustrate how resilience can shape the way women academics interpret and respond to adversity. More specifically, the mixed-method findings presented in this article thought to document the perceived experiences of PR among women academics in South African Higher Education institutions (SA-HEIs), with a particular focus on the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) which is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The findings unpack how four building blocks of psychological resilience (BBPRs)—neuroticism, mindfulness, self-efficacy, and coping—moderated the effects of WEFs-related adversities; and provide insights into the impacts of human resources management practices (HRMP) on women academics’ resilience. We conclude that a higher self-reported level of resilience is not necessarily indicative of positive experiences of WEFs amongst women academics in South African universities.

Level of Satisfaction in Higher Education L&T Based on VLE Functionalities: A COVID-19 Perspective

The problem of the sudden transition from offline to online due to COVID-19 was not easy and may involve significant challenges; faculty members are critical for the success of any university and their satisfaction does matter for online education. The purpose of this research was to determine the factors influencing the satisfaction of the faculty in the virtual learning environment and to focus on the responses of faculty members to the pandemic and their satisfaction levels due to challenges and benefits that faculty members faced during the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. The six factors include flexibility, training, institutional factors, ease of use, technical factors and personal or psychological factors were utilised to understand the satisfaction levels of the instructors concerning the usage of the virtual instructional platforms. The hypothesis testing of the factors was conducted and different tests, that is, regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Cronbach alpha were utilised for analysing the data. Data were collected from 300 academic staff members from varied colleges and universities of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The results indicated that all the factors have a significant impact on the satisfaction levels of the academic staff members. Moreover, respondents opined about the challenges faced by the instructors in conducting online classes could be eased out via obtaining adequate training in batches from the academic institutions for the smooth conduct of the online sessions without any hindrances.

Queering primary initial teacher education

ABSTRACT This research was designed to raise awareness, access and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual/aromantic and others who sit outside of the heteronormative binary (LGBTIQA+), inclusion for pre-service educators studying in Bachelor of Education (Primary) and Master of Teaching (Primary) ITE courses in one Australian university. The project involved the production of three video resources intended for inclusion in existing teacher education units. Whilst originally conceptualized as ’bite-sized‘ resources intended for use by pre-service educators, initial survey data from academic staff indicated the need to first develop the collective understanding of primary education LGBTIQA+ inclusion for the academic staff themselves. This teaching and learning project built on existing work focused on the mapping of LGBTIQA+ content and resources in the Primary ITE courses and is linked to the wider University agenda on equity and diversity. The project was a preliminary investigation into the viability of micro-credentials for Primary pre-service teachers to develop their knowledge and understanding of LGBTIQA+ inclusion in Primary Education. Findings affirm that whilst culturally responsive pedagogical practices are needed in ITE, further resource development and upskilling of teacher educators is required to better support future teachers and the children they work with in relation to LGBTIQA+ issues, and resources.