Australian Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

An Empirical Study of Cultivating Innovative Practice Abilities in an Interdisciplinary Education Environment in Australia

Interdisciplinary education is increasingly recognized for its potential to cultivate innovative practice abilities essential for addressing complex, real-world challenges. This empirical study investigates the impact of interdisciplinary education on the development of innovative skills among students in Australian higher education institutions. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative data from surveys with qualitative insights from interviews, focus groups, and case studies. The findings reveal that interdisciplinary education significantly enhances skills such as creative problem-solving, collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability. Institutional support, effective teaching methods, and high levels of student engagement are identified as critical factors influencing the success of interdisciplinary programs. Despite the benefits, challenges such as institutional resistance, curriculum integration difficulties, and resource constraints are highlighted. The study’s implications for educators, administrators, and policymakers include the need for increased investment in interdisciplinary resources, adoption of active learning strategies, and fostering industry partnerships. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge on interdisciplinary education and provide actionable recommendations to enhance its effectiveness in cultivating innovative practices.

Leadership education: a content analysis of postgraduate leadership education programs for health and human service leaders in Australian universities

PurposeA systematic investigation of postgraduate leadership programs for health and/or human services offered by Australian higher education institutions was undertaken.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative analysis identified the core characteristics of the programs. A thematic analysis of the course learning outcomes was conducted and six major themes of disciplinary leadership and management knowledge; research and analytical skills; professional practice; communication and collaboration; creativity and innovation; and system knowledge are shared in this study.FindingsThe authors conclude that Australian universities have taken an evidence-based approach to leadership education.Originality/valueMore work might need to be undertaken to ensure leadership theories are incorporated into learning outcomes.

Nursing action towards the sustainable development goals: Barriers and opportunities

BackgroundClimate change, poverty, hunger and complex diseases are just some of the many wicked problems impacting human health. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to alleviate these and many other global issues. Although the nursing profession is paramount to successfully achieving the goals, nurses require increased education to maximise their contributions. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of education on graduate nurses' action towards the Sustainable Development Goals. DesignThis study applied a qualitative case study methodology. SettingThe study took place within an Australian Higher Education institution. Graduate nurses working in clinical settings were invited to reflect on the Sustainable Development Goals. ParticipantsParticipants included thirteen graduate nurses (n = 13) working in a variety of clinical settings that had completed the final year capstone subject. MethodsIndividual semi-structured interviews were undertaken with graduate nurses who undertook education on the Sustainable Development Goals in an undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing capstone subject. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. FindingsData was analysed through two lens focusing on the barriers and opportunities for action towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Three core barriers were identified as ‘Drowning’; ‘Powerless’; and ‘Invisible’. Three key opportunities were designated as ‘War on Waste’; ‘Front and Centre’; and ‘Revolutionary Leadership’. ConclusionsEducating undergraduate nurses on the Sustainable Development Goals had limited impact on specific graduate nurses' action towards the goals due to significant barriers within the healthcare system. However, graduate nurses recognised the importance of contributing to the goals and identified opportunities for future action. Education providers and the healthcare industry should work in partnership to create a more sustainable future for healthcare.

Improving success and retention of undergraduate nursing students from rural and remote Australia: A multimethod study protocol

AimThe aim of the proposed research is to develop, pilot and evaluate a novel, bespoke intervention with in-built consideration of the factors influencing attrition and barriers to retention for rural and remote undergraduate nursing students. BackgroundThere are high rates of attrition in nursing students with rural and remote backgrounds in Australia. However, there is a lack of understanding of what enables or impedes these students to progress in their studies and the strategies available to support them to become part of the nursing workforce. Addressing these gaps is critical to informing the efforts of those involved in nursing education, training and workforce planning. DesignA multi-methods study. MethodA project involving a multi-methods approach will be undertaken at an Australian higher education institution. In the first exploratory study, interviews and student cohort data will be used to understand attrition and retention, influencing factors and barriers to retention among rural and remote undergraduate nursing students. Findings from this study will be used to guide the development and implementation of a novel tailored student support service targeted to increase retention for this cohort. In the final evaluation study, the attrition and retention outcomes of participating students will be examined via interviews, surveys and existing cohort retention data. Expected resultsThe study will provide insights into the factors that can shape the retention experiences of rural and remote undergraduate nursing students and generate much needed evidence concerning what Higher Education Institutions can do to support the retention for this specific student cohort.

Development and validation of an assessment tool for higher education learning abroad programs: A qualitative Delphi study

BackgroundHigher education learning abroad programs provide many benefits to healthcare students. However, inadequate preparation prior to their international travel, and misdirected motivations for their participation, can jeopardise the benefits and increase the risks. While it is pivotal to objectively evaluate pre-departure student preparation and the impact the programs have on students, existing assessment questionnaires fail to inform these aspects. ObjectivesTo develop an assessment tool (two surveys) to holistically evaluate learning abroad programs for higher education healthcare students. DesignA qualitative Delphi technique. ParticipantsA total of 24 experts who had designed, managed, participated in, hosted, funded, and/or researched Australian learning abroad programs for higher education students. MethodsThe study was conducted over a 4-month period. An initial set of pre-departure and post-program questions was developed through a review of the existing literature and from a post-program survey previously used at an Australian higher education institution. Subsequently, experts provided constructive and practical feedback on the questions to be included in the two surveys. ResultsThe experts reached consensus on the 26 questions to be included in the pre-departure survey and the 16 questions in the post-program survey after three Delphi rounds. Key areas of interest to the experts were mitigating student risk, improving effectiveness of pre-departure briefings, gaining a better insight into student motivations for participation, and understanding the impact the programs have on students. ConclusionsThe development of this valid assessment tool (two surveys) will provide higher education institutions and program leaders with the ability to better evaluate the effectiveness of the pre-departure preparation they provide to students, understand the motivations of students who participate, as well as assessing the impact these programs have on students. The insights gathered can be used to improve future program offerings and maximise the benefits to healthcare students while reducing the risks.

Crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic response within an Australian higher education institution – a qualitative analysis

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has caused a revelation of change across the world. Higher education leaders faced significant challenges during the unprecedented crisis, particularly in the early stage of the pandemic. We examined the University of Sydney’s response to the pandemic using key informant interviews with leaders at different levels of the university structure to fill the crisis management gap in Australia’s higher education sector. Key themes that emerged from the interviews focused on the importance of communication strategies in crisis, how the level of collaboration affected the pandemic response efforts and that adaptability to change was essential for engagement and communication in a time where face-to-face contact was limited. We applied the thematic analysis results from the interviews to Mitroff and Pearson’s crisis management model to reflect on the University’s response. We identified several recommendations from the experiences for future public health crisis responses.

Investigating Cloud ERP Adoption in Australian Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study

Background: Some higher education institutions (HEIs) are constantly under pressure to deliver superior quality education services at low costs through deploying traditional on-premise systems. Cloud-based enterprise resource planning (Cloud ERP) presents an ideal opportunity to lower HEI costs in terms of scalability and pay-per-use features. Adoption of Cloud ERP is, however, still low for the context of HEIs. The successful adoption of Cloud ERP depends not only on the support of system providers but also on understanding Cloud ERP adoption from the client organization perspective. This study explores Cloud ERP adoption in the context of Australian HEIs. Method: This study adopted a case study methodology involving the in-depth semi structured interviews of several key stakeholders. Thematic analysis was used to analyze and interpret interview data. Results: Based on the case study, our findings suggest that this particular Australian HEI was subject to strategic, operational, technological, and financial motives originating from either internal or external locus. Most of the expected motives were realized, except the full flexibility of Cloud ERP. Four major challenges of Cloud ERP implementation were found. Conclusion: This study empirically investigates Cloud ERP adoption in HEIs by identifying the motives, realized benefits and challenges of Cloud ERP adoption, which bridges the research gap of this topic. This study could assist Cloud ERP providers to adjust their marketing strategies to promote the adoption rate of Cloud ERP in HEIs. Understanding the motives, challenges and benefits of IT adoption in HEIs facilitates judicious decision-making prior to selection and minimizes the possibility of the failure of Cloud ERP adoption.

Feeling supported: Enabling students in diverse cohorts through personalised, data-informed feedback


 
 
 Students entering enabling programs as an alternative pathway to University tend to have higher rates of attrition than their peers admitted via more traditional pathways. Students in enabling programs require high levels of personalised feedback to support their transition to study. However, the size and diversity of the enabling student cohort presents formidable challenges for instructors. The field of learning analytics offers a viable solution for scaling the communication of personalised, data-informed feedback to support student learning. This study describes the use of a novel learning analytics-based feedback system called OnTask, to provide personalised feedback and support to students in an enabling course at one Australian higher education institution. An end-of-course student survey (N=41; 17% response rate) was employed to gain insights into their perceptions of personalised, data-informed feedback messages. Using importance-performance analysis (IPA), the survey results indicated that this technology-mediated form of feedback exceeded students’ expectations of learning support, as well as the enhancement of their overall course experience. The implications for using learning analytics and data-informed feedback mechanisms in teaching and learning are discussed.
 
 

The need for English language development in anglophone higher education settings: A case study from Australia

The literature focusing on the linguistic development of students with English as an additional language (EAL) in higher education has tended to focus on settings where English is not the first language of the majority of the population. This has led to the implicit assumption that English language outcomes in English-taught programs in anglophone higher education institutions (HEIs) are unproblematic. Yet the linguistic outcomes of EAL students in Australian HEIs have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years, and the available research provides evidence that improvement is not guaranteed over the course of a university degree.The national focus on international EAL students and the volume of research on the topic makes Australia a useful case study, specifically for anglophone nations with similar international student profiles. Using Australia as a case study, this article outlines the issue to evidence that this is still not being adequately addressed. It describes the national sets of principles and standards and the research evidence around EAL graduates' English language outcomes. It makes the case that it is necessary to measure and evaluate English language outcomes and to ensure that English language proficiency is explicitly developed as part of a university's core business, even in traditional anglophone nations. Recommendations to assist universities to develop and evaluate English language outcomes are provided, along with a call to action for HEIs to evaluate and assure context-specific graduating English language outcomes.

Exploration of health and health behaviours of undergraduate nursing students: a multi-methods study in two countries

Background Nurses play a vital role in health promotion, and there may be a link between a nurse’s own lifestyle practices and how they educate others. Supporting health and well-being in student nurses is critical given they will be educating others once registered and practicing. Objectives To explore the health and health behaviours of undergraduate nursing and midwifery students considering the demands of their profession, their public health role and their ability to be role models. Design Multi-methods study. Methods Undergraduate nursing students in the second and third years of their programme were invited to self-complete a health and health behaviour questionnaire in a Scottish and Australian Higher Education Institution. Qualitative data were collected from a convenience sample of 20 third-year nursing and midwifery students. Results Two hundred and thirty-five Scottish students and 113 Australian students, 175 (85%) and 84 (74%), respectively, completed the questionnaire. Some differences and similarities were noted across groups, in particular, perceived physical health, the prevalence of binge drinking, smoking and being overweight/obese and some dietary measures were found to be less favourable among Scottish students. There were worryingly high levels of poor mental well-being at both higher education institutions, with scores on a mental well-being scale suggesting that (82) 34.7% of Scottish students and 33 (29.6%) of Australian students were at risk of depression. Nine Scottish students and 11 Australian students were interviewed. Key contributors and barriers to healthy behaviours were noted across both groups of students in relation to lifestyle. Students perceived that certain elements of their curriculum had implications on their ability or motivation to make healthy lifestyle choices. Conclusion The poor health and health behaviours of future nurses need to be addressed in their higher education to shape resilient role models for future nursing practice. Impact Statement Priority should be given to supportive learning environments for student nurses that foster emotional support and encourage healthy lifestyles.

Social media academic networking – insights from first-year accounting university students’ experiences

ABSTRACT With the use of social media for academic purposes gaining in popularity, the underlying motivation for this study was to seek a detailed understanding of its impact on students’ academic performance. A survey of 334 first-year students in accounting courses at five Australian higher education institutions was undertaken to evaluate the different types of academic engagement through social media and impacts on students’ academic performance. Using the Connectivist theory, the study aimed to relate social media use to different types of academic engagement and students’ academic performance. Our key finding is to identify the establishment of self-initiated mentor–mentee relationships through social media use for academic purposes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first academic article that has applied the four Principles of Connectivism to understand the use of social media for academic networking amongst students in Australia.

Career development for female academics in Australian and South African universities

South African and Australian higher education sector is facing challenges of fewer females in leadership positions despite policies in place in both countries. The main purpose of this integrative literature was to analyze and compare journal articles related to career development for female academics in South African and Australian higher education institutions to ascertain the challenges faced by women in both countries. South Africa and Australia were chosen for this study due to the differences in cultural background and legislation. Females are still underrepresented in leadership positions both in Australia and South Africa, hence this study investigated the reasons and provided recommendations to improve female academics representation in higher education institutions. A literature review of 15 research papers and journals articles published from 2010-to 2020 was conducted. The keywords “career development for female academics” were searched in three databases namely, Google Scholar, Ebsco-host and Emerald. The results from the literature showed that female career development in Australia is moving at a faster pace than in South Africa. The results also show that in both countries glass ceiling and limited female representation in leadership positions are rife in both countries. Female-only career development programs are essential to promote female development in higher education. As this study is focusing on two different countries on different continents, both countries have a lot to learn from each other in terms of policy implementations to enhance female career development. This article provides an analysis of the trends of female career development in South Africa and Australia. Therefore, from the existing literature for a period of 10 years, a conceptual career development model was developed.

Student entrepreneurship ecosystems at Australian higher education institutions

PurposeDespite the significance, university student start-ups and student entrepreneurship ecosystems (SEEs) have been subject to little research. This study aims to apply a qualitative emergent enquiry approach to explore best practice SEEs in Australia, complimented by narratives from leading scholars in higher education institutions with the aim of delineating the integrative components of SEEs.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the entrepreneurial ecosystem framework and aligned to the social cognitive theory, this paper explores the components and dynamics of SEEs, contributing to an understanding of how such components can better support the growth, sustainability and success of student start-ups. The authors extend entrepreneurship research on social construction using narrative research.FindingsThe findings provide guidelines for researchers, entrepreneurship scholars and educators, entrepreneurship students, policymakers and practitioners to enhance the impact and success of university student start-ups by adopting a student ecosystem approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe narratives represent a limited number of universities with an opportunity for further research to empirically measure the impact and outcomes of SEEs. The research is exploratory, inherently conceptual and emergent, providing an opportunity for validation of narrative frameworks in future studies.Practical implicationsThe findings may assist university managers to be more aware of their own subconscious preferences to student entrepreneurship and start-up initiatives, which may be useful in refining their impact and offerings regarding a quest toward the entrepreneurial university.Social implicationsFrom social perspectives, the alignment of the components of SEE has the ability to enhance and shift the entrepreneurial mindset of entrepreneurship students, notwithstanding enhancement of intentionality and self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis is the first study of SEEs in Australia, highlighting the importance of the integration of entrepreneurship education programs, entrepreneurship education ecosystems, the entrepreneurial university and specific start-up initiatives such as university accelerators. Furthermore, students may enhance their entrepreneurial mindset by actively engaging in such ecosystems.

Illuminating the liminality of the doctoral journey: precarity, agency and COVID-19

ABSTRACT There is an academic acceptance that doctoral studies are a complex, multifaceted endeavour bound with the differing, emerging and contrasting identities of the students who undertake them. This article explores such journeys in the context of one of the most disruptive events to hit the higher educational sector worldwide: COVID-19. The study utilises data collected via an online forum established to collectively explore the challenges, the opportunities and the tensions in the lives of 12 students enrolled in a doctoral degree in an Australian higher education institution. Results indicate that the journey of such students pre-COVID-19 was characterised by a sense of liminality, agency and journey. COVID-19 exacerbated such feelings. The conclusion points to a need to enhance spaces of agency in the graduate research experience to reflect the multidimensionality of students’ lives.

Supporting (or not) the career development of culturally and linguistically diverse migrants and refugees in universities: insights from Australia.

The present study used a mixed-methods approach to understand the challenges faced by Australian higher education institutions in supporting the career development of students from culturally and linguistically diverse migrant and refugee backgrounds. Specifically, this project included a desktop audit of all Australian universities, data from a survey (n = 32) and interviews with staff in various functions (n = 10). Four main challenges were identified: (1) difficulties in identifying and engaging with students; (2) a lack of targeted resources and programs; (3) difficulties faced by students in engaging with employers; and (4) a lack of work-readiness and unfamiliarity of Australian work culture.

Students’ reflections on an employability skills provision

ABSTRACT For many years, a key driver for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has been ensuring that students are prepared for employment post-graduation. This has often resulted in HEIs providing specific modules of study focussing on employability and soft skills. The existing research literature presents a variety of strategies for embedding employability within curricula, often focusing on frameworks to review the provision of employability opportunities within a degree programme. The authors have previously investigated an employability module within an Undergraduate Chemistry Programme at their UK HEI, particularly focusing on students’ perceptions – these coalesced around the themes of personal progression, relevance of the module and interactions. However, before using these findings to further develop the module, it was deemed necessary to investigate the module in a different context. This study investigates the employability module in an Australian HEI and its delivery to undergraduate and postgraduate students from a range of different disciplines. Free text comments from questionnaires answered by 85 participants were subjected to thematic analysis in order to understand students’ perceptions of the module in this new context. The new thematic map was compared to that from the original study to reveal several key similarities and differences between students’ perceptions. However, the most important finding is thast employability modules should be tailored to a specific cohort to ensure they are aligned with their needs. This suggests that Central University employability module providers should work closely with individual departments to maximise the impact of these for students.

Graduate employability: the higher education landscape in Australia

ABSTRACT The Dawkins white paper of 1988 was introduced by the Australian government to reshape the Higher Education (HE) landscape. Dawkins’ discussion paper of 1990, Nelson's policy document of 2003, the Bradley Review of 2008 and the Lomax-Smith Review of 2011 built on and extended Dawkins’ white paper. Such policy reforms have transformed the culture of Australian HE and contributed to shaping the employment outcomes of graduates of Australian HE institutions (HEI). However, rather than HE qualifications enhancing a resume, such qualifications are now expected. Today, HE graduates in Australia can face long periods to secure full-time jobs with many experiencing underemployment and unemployment. Using document reviews to research for this article, the article contributes to the discussion of HE graduates in Australia in several ways. Firstly, it reviews five key policies that led to the massification of HE in Australia. Secondly, it presents a comparison of the composition of university graduates in the period from 1989 to 2019. Thirdly, it examines how policy reforms contributed to shaping graduate employment prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic occurring. Finally, and importantly, this article will assist as a point of reference when researching graduate employability outcomes post COVID-19 global pandemic. This article represents a knowledge base for all stakeholders in the HE sector to draw from in terms of policy and planning with the end goal to enhance the employment prospects and employability of HE graduates. This article also presents numerous areas for future research.

Empowering the voices and agency of Indigenous Australian youth and their wellbeing in higher education✰

Despite wellbeing being critical for individuals and communities to thrive in life and succeed in education, there is little research that investigates how Indigenous Australian youth attending universities conceptualise wellbeing. The purpose of this research was to empower the voices and agency of Indigenous youth attending higher education institutes to identify their construals of: the significance and nature of their wellbeing, the factors influencing their wellbeing, and the drivers and barriers to their wellbeing. Focus groups were undertaken with Indigenous youth (N=30) attending four Australian higher education institutions. The participants construed wellbeing as holistic, multidimensional, interconnected, collective, and subjective. Cultural identity, family and kinship, connection to Country, spirituality, having a sense of self, Indigenous student role models in higher education, and Indigenous staff support are facilitators of wellbeing. Factors such as racism and discrimination, lateral violence, non-culturally safe university spaces, family violence, “walking in two worlds”, and Indigenous community wellbeing when at risk, were identified as barriers to their wellbeing.

Accountability in educational dialogue on attrition rates: Understanding external attrition factors and isolation in online law school

Australian higher education institutions have focused on attrition rates with increased vigour in light of the introduction of a new student success metric tied to attrition rates. Online programs have been of particular concern given persistently high attrition rates, being roughly double that of programs delivered either face-to-face or in blended online/face-to-face mode. This study considers attrition theory as it has evolved for the online environment with particular reference to the role of external risk factors such as employment, and internal factors, such as social integration. The study presents data from a 2018 survey of students enrolled in a fully online law school program at an Australian university (n = 203). The data reveals a cohort with an array of external attrition risk factors, who are not only time poor but experience a strong sense of isolation. The study contributes to the attrition literature by providing insights into effective educational design and delivery aimed at student retention.
 Implications for practice or policy
 
 Online program convenors ought to consider the attrition risk factors at issue in their cohort before designing comprehensive retention initiatives and plans.
 Instructors ought to consider external attrition factors, such as family and employment demands, when selecting and designing student assessments.
 Instructors ought to realistically appraise retention initiatives, such as social media initiatives, to address internal risk factors of perceived isolation and institutional commitment.

Students’ motivation and engagement in higher education: the importance of attitude to online learning

The emergence of online environments has changed the landscape of educational learning. Some students thrive in this learning environment, but others become amotivated and disengaged. Drawing on self-determination theory, we report the findings of a study of 574 undergraduate business students at an Australian higher education institution on their attitude toward online learning, and its impact on their motivation and educational engagement. Data was collected via an e-mail survey and analysed using structural equation modelling and the Hayes’ bootstrapping method. The results of the study were mixed. Attitude to online learning mediated the relationships of both intrinsic motivation to know and extrinsic motivation with engagement, indicating that the design of online learning environments can play a role in enhancing learning experiences. However, attitude to online learning was not found to mediate the intrinsic motivation to accomplish and engagement relationship. A negative mediation effect was partially supported between amotivation and engagement, with study mode found as a moderated mediator to this effect, being stronger and significant for online students as opposed to on-campus students. These results have implications for how students can be engaged online, and the need for educators to design online learning environments that support the learning experience for all students.