Contribution Of Higher Education Research Articles

Education in the knowledge-based society: the case of the Philippines

There has been a sustained interest in the contribution of higher education in local, regional and national development in many countries. Along this line is the increasing internationalization and globalization of services to which the higher education sector is anticipated to respond through the updating and modernization of its offerings, changing of its formal structures and methods, policies regarding access, among others. The challenges of higher education in the global context anticipate the internationalization of this sector as a means that can provide an efficient response to and training for the evolving demands of modern society. This article reviews the programmes enacted by the Philippine government in response to the changing context of higher education with the move towards the knowledge-based society as central in policy. Issues relevant to the growing internationalism of education as seen through, among others, related human capital training, the role of research and development (R&D), and the increasing privatization of education as a result of the expansion of higher education will also be discussed.

Higher education and growth performance of Pakistan: evidence from multivariate framework

This study investigates the relationship between higher education and economic growth in Pakistan by using the annual time series data from the period of 1980–2011. The ARDL bound testing cointegration approach confirms the valid positive relationship between higher education development and economic growth in long run as well as in short run. Results of Granger causality test, Toda and Yamamoto Modified Wald causality test and variance decomposition test confirm the bidirectional causal relationship between higher education and economic growth in Pakistan. Results of rolling window estimations suggest that the contribution of higher education in economic growth is significantly increased after the formation of higher education commission of Pakistan in 2002. It is clear from our findings that higher education commission plays an important role in the development of higher education in Pakistan which leads to enhance economic growth. It is recommended that policy makers should make policies to strengthen the higher education commission to ensure continuous and rapid economic growth in Pakistan.

The endangered subject of quality Visual Art education

Quality and meaningful Visual Art education provides opportunities for learning and holistic development to all children at school. Research projects in this regard highlight the problems that teachers experience in this field. The contribution of higher education in the training of educators to provide for teachers in Visual Art education is important. Curricula of four local and one overseas university for the BEd training in theArts are compared and discussed. The importance of literacy and numeracy at schoollevel is not disregarded, but the fact that visual literacy is an important part of being literate is emphasised. The current shortage of well-trained Visual Art educators is a challenge. Overcoming this challenge will provide all members of future generations in schools with the learning opportunities that are available through quality Visual Arteducation. The impact of several reviews of the South African Educational system and the effect thereof on Visual Art education are discussed.

Contribution of Higher Education to Economic Development: A Survey of International Evidence

While developing countries have prioritised primary education, higher education seems to have been neglected. The paper suggests that the low emphasis placed on higher education is because there has been a general under-appreciation of the contribution of higher education to development. The paper starts by proposing a functional definition that considers ‘higher education’ as a dynamic concept which changes over time and with levels of development. The paper also emphasises the importance of quality of education in development and suggests that most policy focus in Africa has focused on the quantity of education and largely ignored the equally important quality dimension. The paper reviews a wide range of literature that has sought to investigate the link between higher education and development. The studies reviewed focus on returns to higher education and the impact on higher education on economic growth. One of the evidence of the importance of higher education on development is revealed by the fact although there has been convergence across countries in primary school enrolments, the incomes of African countries have diverged from those of Asian and Latin American counterparts. On the other hand, just as incomes have diverged so have enrollments in tertiary education. Overall, the empirical evidence available shows that higher education is crucial to the development of today's societies. The paper concludes with confidence that while primary and secondary education is necessary for development and economic growth, it is clearly not sufficient. The paper provides suggestions for research.

Higher Education, Policy Networks, and Policy Entrepreneurship in Africa: The Case of the Association of African Universities

Higher education institutions in Africa are increasingly vital to development efforts. While there is burgeoning research that suggests many universities are reforming in order to include intentional development efforts, perceived crisis and the paucity of resources on the continent has created a contentious relationship between higher education and development. To surmount this prevailing sentiment, alternative organizations that facilitate higher education's contribution to the development process in Africa should be considered. One such alternative is the higher education policy network. This case study examined the Association of African Universities (AAU) as a policy network influencing development in Africa. The results are interpreted through Roberts and King's (1991) notion of policy entrepreneurship, a framework that provides an analytical understanding of AAU activities in policymaking and development. We suggest that this framework may be pursued with more intentionality by higher education policy networks, particularly in regard to building organizational capacity and monitoring and evaluating policy innovations.

Supporting the contribution of higher education to regional development: lessons from an OECD review of 14 regions throughout 12 countries

Instituições de ensino superior (IES) podem e fazem uma contribuiçãosignifi cativa para o desenvolvimento econômico regional, social e cultural. Numa economia globalizada, a relevância de várias atividades conduzidas naquelasinstituições é crescente em importância e está sujeita a um aumento de uma avaliaçãominuciosa e cuidadosa. Entretanto, falhas de comunicação entre os agentesregionais e as IES reduzem a efetividade dos seus esforços no ensino, na pesquisa eno serviço público e limitam a compreensão do nível local de seus impactos. Estasfalhas de comunicação estão frequentemente associadas aos sinais políticos fracosou confusos, e agendas confl itantes. Com o propósito de responder este dilema, a OCDE implementou um projeto de pesquisa que envolveu 14 regiões através de12 países. Este artigo objetiva retirar algumas importantes lições da pesquisa daOCDE entitulada “Apoiando a Contribuição das Instituições de Ensino Superiorpara o Desenvolvimento Regional”.

Global perspectives: aligning agendas?

In recent years there has been a growth in interest amongst a number of universities in the UK and elsewhere in the world on reflecting upon the contribution of higher education to a global society and exploring ways to broaden the curriculum to enable students to make a positive contribution to the world as ‘global citizens’. This paper will suggest, using the UK as an example, that the policy context provides a favourable environment for such developments. However, policy documents often confuse rather than clarify precisely what needs to be addressed, despite their recognition that change is required. Students are increasingly demanding more opportunities to learn and reflect upon their role and contribution to global society and at the same time employers are seeking graduates who have a ‘broader world view’, who can manage across cultures, and who understand the need for sustainable development. Summarising the influences of these drivers, the paper proposes that through a framework of global perspectives developed at Bournemouth University in the UK, these agendas around internationalisation and sustainable development can contribute to better learning and enhance the broader work of the university.

The Social effects of the Australian Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS)

Australia’s Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) is an income contingent loan scheme, in which university students pay back part of the costs of their tuition after their post-university income reaches a certain threshold, is an important policy innovation for the financing of higher education. However, its critics claim that HECS increases socioeconomic inequalities in higher education and the HECS debt reduces the ability of young people to make the transitions to adulthood. This paper investigates these claims. There is no evidence that socioeconomic inequalities in higher education in Australia increased after the implementation of HECS in 1989 or the 1997 reforms. The magnitude of the HECS debt was found to have a negative impact on the transition to parenthood, but had no negative impacts on other transitions to adulthood: leaving the parental home, marriage and home ownership. Its effects on parenthood were moderate compared to other influences, such as full-time work in the previous year, marriage and being in a de facto relationship. Furthermore, only a small proportion of young people who attended university have large enough HECS debts for it to affect their fertility decisions.

Ethnic Minority Graduate Entrepreneurs in the UK

Small ethnic minority businesses make an important contribution to the UK economy, and this is reflected in their rapid growth over the last decade. A considerable proportion of the growth in new venture creation can be attributed to ethnic minority graduates, who increasingly embark on entrepreneurship as a rewarding and fulfilling alternative to paid employment. An illustrative case study approach is adopted for the purpose of this research study. The results of a qualitative investigation of four new venture creation case studies of graduate ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the UK indicate that the main contribution of higher education for these graduate entrepreneurs was in the area of knowledge and skills acquisition. The main motivational factors acknowledged by the respondents included ‘lack of satisfaction’ in working for others, the need to be their own ‘boss’ and achieve more, and the prospect of higher earnings. The authors found no correlation between degree discipline and graduates' propensity to become entrepreneurs. Graduates from non-business disciplines appear to be more likely to engage in entrepreneurship. The size of start-up finance can have an impact on the survival and growth of new ventures. It is therefore suggested that financial institutions and government agencies should develop more focused services, aimed specifically at supporting ethnic minority graduate entrepreneurs in their drive to convert business ideas into thriving and employment-generating enterprises.

Promoting critical conversations: the distinctive contribution of higher education as a partner in the professional preparation of new teachers

Higher education institutions have long argued that they have a distinctive and critical role to play as partners in initial teacher education. This research offers an evaluation of this claim by exploring the contribution of higher education alongside the school‐based input it is intended to complement. Using a case study approach within a well‐established ‘collaborative’ partnership, focused on advice about choosing appropriate lesson activities, data were collected from 18 university‐based sessions, and from the weekly mentor meetings of four experienced mentors. Despite important differences between individual schools, a high level of consistency was found between the partners in terms of their substantive recommendations. Where the university tutors' input was clearly distinctive from that of school‐based mentors was in the explicit nature of the procedural advice given to trainees, the sources on which each drew in making their recommendations, and in the extent to which ideas were subjected to critical scrutiny.

Managing the Unmanageable

All around the world, the importance of research undertaken within universities and other institutions of higher education is widely recognised by governments, industries and diverse stakeholders. Indeed, it is likely that the contribution of higher education in the generation of new ideas and knowledge, and as an economic driver, has never been higher. At the same time, universities face a rapidly changing environment shaped by pressure on funding, an emphasis on quality assurance and the increasing impact of globalisation, marketisation and new technology. Such pressures for change have placed a particular emphasis on the need for effective management of higher education institutions. This article aims to bring together these two themes, looking at the management of research universities. What are the key management characteristics of some of the world’s leading research-intensive universities? Are there particular models of internal organisation, leadership, resource allocation and human resource management that lend themselves to the successful encouragement of research? Further, how do these approaches relate to some of the inherent difficulties in the management of research?

Training citizens for a management role in regeneration

This is the second of a series of four articles on the debate about skills deficiencies and the range of new skills required in order to address the ‘new urban agenda’ in the UK. This debate was directly addressed by the Egan Review (2004) in England and by similar work commissioned by Communities Scotland (2004). From 2000 to 2003 the Planning Network was commissioned by the Centre for Education in the Built Environment to research the changing skills agenda and to investigate the contribution of higher education in providing education in the new range of generic and integrated skills appropriate to achieving more sustainable communities. This series of papers draws on both the work of the Planning Network and the outcomes of a specially convened conference held in October 2003 sponsored by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and Communities Scotland. The first article in the series by Nick Bailey on The Great Skills Debate: Defining and Delivering the Skills Required for Community Regeneration in England was published in Edition 20.3.

Policies Towards Work-Focused Higher Education – are they Meeting Employers’ Needs?

Since the mid-1980s, the UK government polices for higher education have reflected a belief in the contribution of higher education to economic prosperity and have generally encouraged the development of work-related curricula in higher education. In 2000, the government supported the introduction of a new kind of higher education programme (the foundation degree) specifically aimed at improving the delivery of technical and professional skills to meet industry and business needs. Foundation degrees were to be work-related intermediate awards which also provided opportunities for progression to honours degrees. In this paper, I look at employers’ perceptions of intermediate, work-focused higher education in general, and consider the issues raised for the government’s new policy in relation to foundation degrees.

An income‐related loans proposal for drought relief for farm businesses

In 2004 the Commonwealth government is undertaking a review of its drought policy. This follows expenditure in excess of $1 billion on drought relief during 2002 and 2003 and comes only a decade after similarly large expenditure on support for farmers during the drought of the 1990s. Drought support for farm businesses has been provided within the framework of the National Drought Policy (NDP) agreed by Commonwealth and state governments in 1992 and at present is in the form of interest rate subsidies. This article suggests an alternative form of drought relief for farm businesses based on the Higher Education Contribution Scheme, which is more equitable between farmers, less regressive in its impact on tax payers and less open to politicisation.

Reading Between the Lines of Graduate Employment

This paper comments on findings from a European survey of graduate employment and shows the difficulty of trying to make international comparisons of higher education's contribution to graduate employability. In the process it is suggested that comparison within the United Kingdom is also problematic and evidence is provided of the impact on employability of factors outside higher education institutions' control. The conclusion is that employability figures are not trustworthy indicators of higher education quality.

The contribution of higher education to the development of educational leadership

The contribution of higher education to the development of educational leadership

Alternatives to the entrepreneurial university: New modes of knowledge production in community service programs

Globalisation has significantly altered patterns of research and development, and production. In turn, this has generated new organisational forms and practices in higher education knowledge production. As a result, a strong trend towards the 'entrepreneurial' university has emerged, characterised by increasing market-like behaviour and governance. Within the dominant neo-liberal global consensus, this primarily serves the market and the private good. However, this is a growing counter concern for higher education's contribution to equity, community development and the public good. Drawing from various case studies, focusing on South Africa, this paper identifies the higher education-community partnership model as a complementary alternative to the entrepreneurial university. It is shown that knowledge production in these partnerships closely resembles so-called “mode 2”, applications-driven knowledge production. Potentially, however, the partnership model integrates and mutually enhances experiential learning, relevant research and community development.

An alternative assessment to higher education outcomes: Differentiating by institutional type

In this paper we propose higher education, and community colleges in particular, be evaluated not solely on their functional merits, but on their value in promoting, what Dewey (1966) called an “active citizenry.” Rather than considering only how well higher education meets the needs of democratic capitalism, we investigate alternative methods of assessing the contribution of higher education to the development of active citizens. In this exploration we consider how higher education preparation differs based on an individual's gender, race, class, academic program and the postsecondary institution attended. We explore alternative concepts of assessment in higher education not as proof we have discovered the method for assessing outcomes of higher education, but, rather, as an alternative approach to understanding the potential outcomes of higher education at its different institutional levels. Of special significance for our study is the finding that although students who attend a community college, for example, may not be as successful economically as university students, attendance at a community college is associated with an increased sense of self-empowerment. When we consider community colleges have a higher proportion of students who are typically marginalized by postsecondary institutions, the community college does appear to offer opportunities for students that are not measured only in economic terms.

The Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS): the rise and rise of ‘user pays’ in Australian higher education

The Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS): the rise and rise of ‘user pays’ in Australian higher education

Special Focus: The Latin American University and R&D

The three case studies that follow in this special focus on Latin America arise from the UNESCO/COLUMBUS project on ‘The Higher Education Contribution to R&D in Latin America’. In this introductory article, Hebe Vessuri discusses some of the findings of the research carried out in that project and presents an analytical summary of the major issues and challenges facing Latin American universities in evolving the culture and conditions for an R&D effort that will underpin their countries' economic and social development. Among the issues she picks out are evaluation systems and quality criteria; the establishment of research priorities; institutional restructuring and strategic thinking; and the essential elements in a consensus among the major universities, the state and industry, which the most influential universities must take a lead in establishing.