Croatian Higher Education System Research Articles

The Role of Agencies in Creating Network Approach in Higher Education

An analysis of different aspects regarding the creation of networks within the Croatian higher education system is presented in the paper. The larger part of the paper refers to the analysis of public services in general and the network approach in public administration in particular. The state of the higher education system is presented through the inclusion of market and network principles and the establishment of numerous actors in this field by which effectiveness of this field of public administration is trying to be improved. The aim of the detailed examinations is to pro-vide an overview of all relevant actors whose interactions and roles resemble network-like relationships. To examine the starting hypothesis that neo-managerial approach leads to networking within the higher education system, an empirical study was conducted at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Croatia among the teaching staff and students. The final chapters of the paper present and discuss research results which principally support the initial assumptions.

Optimising the number of teaching and researching staff within Croatian higher education system

Optimising the number of teaching and researching staff within Croatian higher education system

Lost in the Process: How Stakeholders View the Quality of Public Universities in Croatia?

Outcome-based education is becoming relevant discourse in evaluating the quality of study programmes through the European Commission Policies. Using an analysis of the evaluation indicators that point to the desired concept of quality, this research provides a deeper insight into the expectations that the major stakeholders (government, academia and agencies) in the Croatian higher education system have from public universities and whether these institutions are output- -oriented, which is stated as an objective in the European, and also in the Croatian context. The perception of quality that stakeholders imply by measuring the academic performance of public universities for different purposes is analysed by means of characteristics of indicators in the input-process-output matrix. The results show that the overall quality is largely based on measuring the quality of processes at higher education institutions, then on inputs and very little on outputs. According to the importance of indicators, teacher and student mobility are categories evaluated in the documents of all stakeholders. Lastly, this study contributes to the consideration and evaluation of the quality of public universities at the national level and their compatibility with international perspectives.

The consistency and complexity of accounting terminology in Croatian higher education system

Usually the most important role of language is to facilitate communication, which often proves challenging if the used terminology is inconsistent, complex or not understandable. These issues may especially affect specific language that is characteristic for a certain profession, particularly when the members of the profession communicate the message to the outsiders. Literature review suggests that the accounting terminology may sometimes be perceived as complex or incomprehensible, due to multiple changes and variations of accounting terms. Since there is a lack of research in the field of higher education, a research was conducted with the aim of analyzing accounting terminology used in the higher education institutions in Croatia. Both secondary and primary data were used in the analysis. The secondary data included accounting courses curricula of a sample of higher education institutions in Croatia, which were analyzed in order to explore the consistency of accounting terminology. In addition, the research was supplemented by collecting primary data using questionnaire on the attitudes of students about the complexity of accounting terminology. The analysis of accounting terms used in accounting courses curricula led to a conclusion that the analyzed courses, in most cases, are not harmonized regarding the terminology used. However, these results were expected from the previous research, that showed that the same applies for the Croatian regulatory accounting framework, which is why it was concluded that using different synonyms for the same accounting concepts may be beneficial for students. As for the students’ attitudes towards accounting terminology, the students who participated in the research mostly agree that the accounting courses often use different synonyms for the same concept. Although they perceive this as confusing, they are also aware that using multiple synonyms during courses for the same accounting concepts is useful because it serves as a preparation for practice. On the other hand, they mostly disagree with the statement that the accounting terminology is too complex and incomprehensible, which has proved to be influenced by the students’ characteristics, such as the type of study program enrolled, year of study, number of accounting courses attended, secondary school type and working experience. This research complements previous research conducted in Croatia in other areas where the accounting terminology is present, such as the legislation or in practice among business professionals, which is its main scientific contribution As for the practical implications, results of the research may serve as an indicator to educators and legislators in their future actions, since the potential problem of inconsistency and complexity of accounting terminology in courses' curricula are a direct consequence of inconsistency and complexity of terminology in accounting legislative.

Between Teaching and Research: Challenges of the Academic Profession in Croatia

Discussions about synergy or independence of teaching and research are present in many studies (Bilić, 2009; Brew & Boud, 1995; Enders & Teichler, 1997; Griffiths, 2004; Jakovljević, 2010; Jenkins, 2000; Ramsden & Moses, 1992). Humboldt’s model introduced synergy between teaching and research, thus highlighting the importance of originality in scientific work and of the dissemination of the knowledge stemming from it. The synergy between teaching and research is also referenced in the education policy of the European Union, with the Berlin Communique (2003) introducing a request for the promotion of better synergy between European educational and research areas. However, studies reveal a different understandingof the teaching-research relationship between those who advocate their synergy (Brew & Boud, 1995; Jenkins, 2000; Neumann, 1993) and those who advocate their mutual independence (Hattie & Marsh, 1996; Ramsden & Moses, 1992). Examining different perspectives of the teaching-research relationship, the research presented in this paper focused on understanding how academics see their dominant roles. Its objective was to examine how academics perceive their roles as teachers and researchers. A qualitative approach was used, with data being collected using a standardised semi-structured interview. A total of 60 interviewees participated in the research, all academics from Croatia. The results revealed that the research participants see themselves most frequently as teachers, then as teachers and researchers, and least frequently as predominantly researchers. Their identification is mainly determined by external factors, most frequently negatively connoted, which presents a challenge within the context of job satisfaction. Such results also point to legal, material, personnel and administrative difficulties in the Croatian higher education system.

Education Challenges and Developments in Foreign Language Teaching in Croatian Law Schools Education Challenges and Development for the Future

In the modern world of global economic and political associations, the knowledge of foreign languages and communication skills represent essential factors in all professions. In this respect, knowledge of English language as lingua franca of international communication is an indispensable prerequisite for communication within the legal profession worldwide. This paper is a case-study of teaching foreign languages in Croatian Law Schools, presented on the case of the Faculty of Law, University of Osijek. In the introductory part of the paper, a short description of the status and the position of foreign language courses in the Higher Education System of the Republic of Croatia is offered. In the main part the author presents new developments in the foreign language teaching in Croatian law faculties as answers to current challenges of Croatian membership in the EU. On the example of the Faculty of Law, University of Osijek, new projects on teaching foreign languages to practicing lawyers and law students are presented, with an emphasis on the Lifelong Learning Programme for Lawyer-Linguists. This programme, as well as specific foreign language courses in Legal English, Legal German and Legal French, have been developed within the lifelong education projects for lawyers, by which young lawyers are offered an opportunity to learn and/or to improve their knowledge of the three working languages of the EU. These developments in foreign language teaching within the Croatian Higher Education System are one of the responses to current challenges of the internationalization of the modern world. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1s1p87

Student and faculty perceptions of service quality: the moderating role of the institutional aspects

The purpose of this study was to explore key attributes of service quality in the Croatian higher education system. In particular, the study aims to compare student and faculty perceptions of service quality and to identify institutional aspects that may affect the perceptions of these two customers. Principal component analysis is used to define key dimensions of service quality and independent sample t test or one-way between groups ANOVA to analyse the impact of institutional aspects on customer perceptions. The findings of this study showed that students and faculty separate service quality dimensions in a similar manner. The study also provides insight into the effects of institutional aspects on customer perceptions. The results revealed that ownership status, research orientation, and size significantly moderate customer perceptions of the service quality. The findings reported in this paper draw attention to the importance of the customer perceptions in the higher education context and the role of institutional characteristics in the formation of customer perceptions.

Survey of self-assessed preparedness for clinical practice in one Croatian medical school

BackgroundThe Croatian higher education system is in the process of reforming its medical curricula to comply with European Union standards. We conducted a survey of students enrolled at the University of Zagreb (Croatia) asking them to rate their perception of preparedness for clinical practice prior to initiation of the reform process. The purpose of the survey was to identify self-perceived deficiencies in education and to establish a reference point for the later assessment of ongoing educational reform.FindingsOne-hundred and forty seven (N = 147) graduates reported the levels of perceived preparedness on 30 items grouped into 8 educational domains. Main domains were: understanding science, practical skills/patient management, holistic care, prevention, interpersonal skills, confidence/coping skills, collaboration, and self-directed learning. For each item, graduates self assessed their preparedness on a scale ranging from 1 to 4, with 1 = "Very inadequate", 2 = "Somewhat inadequate", 3 = "Somewhat adequate", and 4 = "Very adequate". In 7 out of 8 domains the achieved median score was ≥ 3. Students expressed low confidence (defined when ≥ 25% of respondents supplied a rating for the survey question as: "very inadequate" or "somewhat inadequate") with interpersonal skills (discussing terminal disease, counseling distraught patients, balancing professional and personal life), and in performing certain basic semi-invasive or invasive procedures.ConclusionZagreb medical graduates identified several deficiencies within educational domains required for standard clinical practice. Ongoing educational efforts need to be directed towards the correction of these deficiencies in order to achieve standards required by the European Union.

Toward a successful taxonomy for Croatian academic libraries

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the degree to which the unfavourable state of the Croatian higher education system (the lack of vision, goals and objectives, insufficient budgeting and no quality control system) reflects on the organization, development and continuous dedication to quality of academic libraries in Croatia.Design/methodology/approachThe situation is illustrated by a study conducted among academic libraries of the University Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek in 2003. A questionnaire for librarians and one for chief librarians was used and data were processed by software package StatSoft, Statistica 6.0. Next to the descriptive statistics, Mann‐Whitney test, Pearson Chi‐Square, Maximum Likelihood and Fisher exact Chi‐Square test were used. Annual reports were also used.FindingsThis research revealed that the academic libraries of Osijek University are unprepared for performance measurement. It was clear that they are unfamiliar with many elements of evaluation. Librarians are usually excluded from decision making regarding library operations, which results in their low motivation. However, the greatest dissatisfaction of academic librarians of Osijek University comes from their low status. Furthermore, librarians rarely get support from their colleges for their professional education (no travel money, no paid leave, etc.)Research limitations/implicationsOsijek University is a relatively small university. It consists of nine colleges, one institute and one university library. The size of the target sample influenced the choice of research instruments – questionnaire, interviews with chief librarians and analysis of library annual reports.Originality/valueThis was the first such study in Croatia and its main goal was to test theoretical approaches and research methodology, which could be later applied for a study on a nation‐wide level.

Power-discourse Relationship in a Croatian Higher Education Setting

Croatian higher education system's public space is researched through a critical analysis of a Croatian faculty's discourse. Representing a typical faculty social situation, two council meetings recorded in minutesare critiqued. Both meetings' minutes provide evidence of discourse strategies of deception used by faculty power holders to create an illusion of consent. We attribute the success of the deception to council members' ideas about the Faculty's groups/individuals, relations and issues related to the Faculty's hierarchy, their rank within that hierarchy, and their position within the Faculty's social network. To support our argument, we explore how the Faculty power holders' discourse is built on a power/ideology/language formation. We conclude that, failing to critique the faculty's discourse, council members neglected their historical task of paving the way to democracy.

KRITIČKA TEORIJA I ELEKTRONIČKO OBRAZOVANJE

U visokom obrazovanju u Republici Hrvatskoj postoji vidljiv trend povećane uporabe e-obrazovanja i sve pozitivnijeg stava o njemu. U ovom članku želimo ispitati koliko studenti razumiju neka meta-teorijska pitanja u e-učenju poput pozitivističkog, postmodernističkog i kritičkog metodološkog pristupa. Nadalje, želimo ispitati njihov stav prema glavnim pristupima uporabe edukacijskih tehnologija. Namjera nam je provjeriti što očekuju od novih tehnologija u obrazovnom procesu, kako procjenjuju vlastito poznavanje i sklonosti k primjeni, razinu svjesnosti o potencijalima i granicama novih tehnologija, te primjenjivost za studente s invaliditetom. Nadalje, želimo provjeriti postoji li mjesto strahu i provjeriti moguće facete otpora prema tim tehnologijama. S obzirom na širinu primjene e-obrazovanja, istraživanje je ograničeno na podučavanje hrvatskog jezika i fi lozofi je.