Development Of Higher Education Research Articles

Mutuality in engaged North–South transnational higher education partnerships: The case of Kenya

AbstractThe quality of transnational higher education partnerships (THEPs) has increasingly come under scrutiny with the growing role of higher education in development. Mutuality has emerged as a key focus of this examination. We seek to understand how mutuality is expressed within North–South THEPs that have a major focus on community engagement. We refer to THEPs with this focus as engaged transnational higher education partnerships (ETHEPs). This study is based on a secondary analysis of extant literature on one ETHEP based in Kenya. A thematic content analysis revealed that celebrated outcomes of mutuality included capacity building, institutionalization, collaborative relationships and solidarity around community engagement. Challenges to mutuality were related to structural and cultural differences, self‐sustainability and equity. A discussion of findings is followed by possible questions to guide inquiry toward strengthening mutuality in North–South ETHEPs.

Dense and Disconnected: Analyzing the Sedimented Style of ChatGPT-Generated Text at Scale

ChatGPT and other LLMs are at the forefront of pedagogical considerations in classrooms across the academy. Many studies have spoken to the technology’s capacity to generate one-off texts in a variety of genres. This study complements those by inquiring into its capacity to generate compelling texts at scale. In this study, we quantitatively and qualitatively analyze a small corpus of generated texts in two genres and gauge it against novice and published academic writers along known dimensions of linguistic variation. Theoretically, we position and historicize ChatGPT as a writing technology and consider the ways in which generated text may not be congruent with established trajectories of writing development in higher education. Our study found that generated texts are more informationally dense than authored texts and often read as dialogically closed, “empty,” and “fluffy.” We close with a discussion of potentially explanatory linguistic features, as well as relevant pedagogical implications.

Insights from the Practice of Hong Kong in Promoting Industry-University Synergy through Digital Platforms

Based on the human capital theory and systems theory, and considering the practical needs of China's economic transformation, Development of higher education should go hand in hand with that of industry. The types and levels of talents cultivated by higher education should align with the status of local industries. Currently, there is a lack of coordination between the structures of higher education and the industrial structure in mainland China, and the functions of the government, enterprises, and colleges need to be further strengthened. The Hong Kong digital platform is an innovative initiative jointly promoted by the government, enterprises, and colleges to advance Industry-University collaboration. It has established a dynamic interaction mechanism centered on the linkage between job vacancies and courses. This platform provides valuable insights in terms of how to design the platform from user’s perspective, how to properly play the role of government, and how to utilize the initiative of human capital.

Study on Talent Cultivation Management Model of Universities Based on Fuzzy Neural Network Algorithm

The Talent Cultivation Management Model for Universities represents a strategic framework designed to optimize the development and oversight of academic programs. This model focuses on identifying, nurturing, and assessing talents within the university ecosystem. It incorporates innovative methodologies to align educational offerings with individual needs and career goals. This study presents an innovative approach to developing a talent cultivation management model for universities, leveraging the integration of the Fuzzy Neural Network Algorithm with the proposed Optimized Spider Monkey Fuzzy Neural Network (OSMF-NN). Recognizing the critical importance of talent development in higher education, this research seeks to enhance the efficacy and adaptability of existing management models. The OSMF-NN algorithm, inspired by the optimization capabilities of spider monkey behavior, enhances the traditional fuzzy neural network algorithm, enabling more precise and efficient talent management. By harnessing the synergies between fuzzy logic and neural networks, the proposed model offers a robust framework for identifying, nurturing, and evaluating talents within the university ecosystem. Through comprehensive experimentation and validation, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of the OSMF-NN algorithm in optimizing talent cultivation strategies, promoting personalized learning experiences, and fostering student success in higher education institutions.

Immersive learning platforms: analyzing virtual reality contribution to competence development in higher education—a systematic literature review

BackgroundThis study evaluates the effectiveness and pedagogical integration of Virtual Reality (VR), exploring its application in various educational contexts. In this systematic literature review, the role of virtual reality in enhancing competency development within higher education is examined.MethodsThe search was conducted in two databases (Scopus and Web of Science) following the PRISMA method guidelines. Inclusion criteria were limited to studies that used virtual reality as a tool within the classroom, analyzing the competencies developed through its application.ResultsOut of the 1,671 articles retrieved, 61 full texts were selected for review, resulting in 27 academic articles published in the last five years. The findings highlight the capacity of virtual reality to foster interpersonal skills while simultaneously addressing the challenges of its integration.DiscussionThe adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) in higher education is notable for its immersive learning experiences. Despite VR’s significant contribution to education, its widespread integration faces challenges, including the high costs of VR technology and the lack of specialized educational software, which limits its accessibility across various academic disciplines.ConclusionThe advent of global technological advancements has unveiled numerous opportunities within the educational sector, with VR emerging as a transformative technology that offers immersive learning experiences, propelling educational methodologies beyond traditional boundaries. Through this SLR, it becomes evident that the application of VR in education transcends mere knowledge transfer, facilitating the development of critical competencies.Systematic review registrationhttp://bit.ly/3SyKPhv.

Critical Policy Analysis of the Second Round of the Double First-Class Project in China

Purpose This critical policy analysis aims to comprehensively examine the second round of China's first-class discipline development project, commonly known as the “Double First-Class Project” (DFC Project or Shuang Yi Liu Project). Design/Approach/Methods We conducted desk research between May 2022 and December 2023 using relevant policy documents, academic literature, news sources, and commentaries that specifically focused on the second round of the DFC Project in China. Employing a critical policy analysis approach, we analyzed the gathered data from three key perspectives: policy as text, policy as discourse, and policy effects (including both first- and second-order effects). Findings The second round of the DFC Project was implemented within the context of strengthened state regulation, prevalent managerialism, and an emphasis on promoting education equality in China's higher education development. A notable shift in structural dynamics occurred between the first and second round. These include the possibility of universities being added to or removed from the official list, increased academic autonomy for selected universities, and the promotion of interdisciplinary research within specific institutions. The implementation of the second round of the DFC Project reflects China's commitment to developing an internationalization strategy with Chinese characteristics. This strategy aims to align with China's national strategic needs and position the country as a cooperative partner, promoter, competitor, and potential leader in global scholarship. Originality/Value By employing a critical policy analysis approach, this study offers a comprehensive examination of the second round of the DFC project in China, contributing to existing knowledge on the development of world-class university policies in the country.

The Impact of Society 5.0 on Curriculum Development in Higher Education

This article explores the concept of Society 5.0, originating from Japan, which envisions a future where the physical and virtual worlds merge to create a more sustainable and inclusive society. Building upon previous societal stages, Society 5.0 leverages advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and robotics to address social challenges while prioritising human welfare. The article delves into the objectives of Society 5.0 and the need for a human-centered approach, accompanied by significant challenges and the imperative for educational reform. Reshaping curriculum development in higher education by emphasising technological literacy, interdisciplinary approaches, ethics and social implications, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning are changes aiming to prepare students to the rapid technological advancements in the society.

Digital Twins Empower Higher Education

This paper explores the application of digital twin technology in higher education and its enabling effect. Through literature review and case studies, this paper studies the generation, basic concepts, technical frameworks, and application scenarios, e.g., in higher education, of digital twins. The results show that digital twin technology can significantly improve the teaching quality and learning effect and optimize educational resource allocation and management efficiency. This paper also discusses the challenges of digital twin technology and the prospects for future development in higher education. It provides new ideas and practical paths for the digital transformation of higher education.

The Effects of Development-Oriented Aid on Student Development in Higher Education: The Mediating Effect of Psychological Capital

Recently, there has been a transition from guarantee-oriented financial aid to development-oriented aid for economically disadvantaged students. Development-oriented aid aims to enable economically disadvantaged students to acquire long-term and sustainable self-development capacity. However, to what extent and how development-oriented aid promotes student development remains unclear. Identification of the related mechanism can help both students and educators effectively apply development-oriented aid in higher education scenarios. The main objective of this study was to uncover the effect of size, pathways, and mediating factors of development-oriented aid on student development in higher education. Drawing from a sample of 1792 sponsored students at University G in China and applying the structural equation modeling method for quantitative analysis, the results indicate that development-oriented aid directly shows positive influences toward student development and indirectly impacts student development through psychological capital. These results also show that development-oriented aid directly impacts Han Chinese students’ development more than the development of ethnic minority students. The pathways through which development-oriented aid positively influences Han Chinese students and ethnic minority students vary.

Transformative Pathways: Implementing Intercultural Competence Development in Higher Education Using Kotter’s Change Model

This study explores the efficacy of Kotter’s eight-step change model in fostering intercultural competence among faculty and staff within a large Midwestern public university. Recognizing the need for intercultural development in higher education, this research applies a structured change framework coupled with the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment tool to guide the change process. The development of intercultural competence among faculty and staff is crucial for creating inclusive learning environments, as they play a pivotal role in modeling intercultural competence and fostering students’ skills necessary to navigate an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. This study employs an instrumental case study design, utilizing interviews, document analysis, and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessments to examine the change process over a three-year period. The findings demonstrate how each step of Kotter’s model was successfully adapted to drive organizational change and enhance intercultural competence among 639 faculty and staff members across 11 departments in the College of Agriculture. This study highlights the importance of creating a shared vision, empowering stakeholders, and anchoring changes in the institution’s culture and emphasizes the pivotal role of structured change management in achieving substantive improvements in intercultural learning environments. The insights and strategies presented can serve as a foundation for other higher education institutions seeking to implement similar initiatives and foster inclusive learning environments.

Education Financing Planning Strategy in the Field of Middle School Education Development, Maybrat Regency Education Office

This research aims to examine education financing planning strategies in the field of junior high school education development at the Maybrat District Education Office. This study was carried out using a bibliographic approach, which involved collecting secondary data from various relevant literature sources. The main findings of this research show that the main source of education financing in Maybrat Regency comes from the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) and School Operational Assistance Funds (BOS). However, this funding allocation is often insufficient to meet school operational and development needs. In addition, some schools are trying to find alternative funding sources through collaboration with private institutions and non-governmental organizations, although these initiatives are still limited. This research also found that transparency and accountability in the management of education funds need to be improved through financial management training and the implementation of an integrated financial information system. In addition, annual budget planning carried out by schools in Maybrat Regency needs to be performance-based and more flexible in dealing with changing needs. Other challenges include limited facilities and infrastructure, as well as limited accessibility due to remote geographical conditions. Recommendations from this research include diversifying funding sources through developing partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organizations, strengthening financial management capacity through regular training, optimizing the use of funds through performance-based budgeting, and increasing community involvement in planning and monitoring education financing. It is hoped that the implementation of these strategies can improve the quality of education and create a more conducive learning environment for students in Maybrat Regency.

ИНВЕСТИРОВАНИЕ В ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСКИЙ КАПИТАЛ КАК ФАКТОР РАЗВИТИЯ СИСТЕМы ВыСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ

Investments in human capital directly affect the improvement of the quality of work of a specialist, an organization, which, in turn, directly affects the economic development of the country. Investments in human development are of particular importance in the context of the reorganization of the higher education system. The article deals with topical issues of formation, development and use of intellectual potential. The directions of evaluation of investments in human capital of educational organizations are highlighted. Attention is focused on the development of creative potential that contributes to improving the quality of education and the formation of competitive, highly qualified workforce. The indicators of the assessment of human capital in the higher education system from the point of view of investments are formulated. Special attention is paid to the problem areas of human capital development in higher education. Priority directions for solving the identified problematic issues are highlighted.

Students’ Perception of Cultural Literacy Development in Higher Education

Students’ Perception of Cultural Literacy Development in Higher Education

Echoes of social experience: tracing the link between a sense of belonging in school physics classes and physics students’ persistence in higher education

The present study investigates on an exploratory level the extent to which the sense of belonging that university physics students experienced in their physics classes in secondary school impacts their intention to drop out or alter their course of study in higher education. Analysing data collected between April and June 2022 among first-year physics students at 20 German universities (N = 263), we find a significant and negative effect on the part of participants’ (remembered) sense of belonging in school physics classes on their intention to drop out or change their studies. Parallel mediation analysis further reveals that this effect is fully mediated by students’ current sense of belonging to physics and their university. Notably, the indirect effect via participants’ current sense of belonging to physics is approximately four times as high as the indirect effect via university belonging. These results emphasise the importance of social embeddedness in early physics experiences on students’ academic development in higher education. Limitations of these results as well as implications regarding a potential improvement of persistence and satisfaction within physics-related higher-education programs are outlined at the end of this paper.

The affordances of artificial intelligence-based tools for supporting 21st-century skills:

Twenty-first-century skills should be integrated into higher education to prepare students for complex working-life challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools have the potential to optimise skill development among higher education students. Therefore, it is important to conceptualise relevant affordances of AI systems for 21st-century skills development in higher education. This study aimed to present an overview of journal articles published in the Web of Science database that specifically addressed the affordances of AI-based tools for 21st-century skills development. Four distinct categories of AI-based tools (intelligent tutoring systems, chatbots, AI-powered dashboards and automated grading systems) were identified as capable of promoting six main 21st-century skills (collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, information and communication technology and problem-solving). The review revealed that the utilisation of AI-based tools might contribute to the simultaneous development of multiple 21st-century skills (e.g., collaboration and critical thinking). The results showed that adaptive feedback from AI plays a significant role as a facilitator in the development of 21st-century skills. Furthermore, the utilisation of diverse functional AI affordances (e.g., prediction and profiling) might contribute to the development of various skills. AI-based technologies appeared to target the 21st-century skills of problem-solving and its subskills the most. Implications for practice or policy: More functional affordances of AI (e.g., prediction and profiling) should be employed in AI-based tools. This could support higher education students’ 21st-century skills. AI-based tools (e.g., chatbots and intelligent tutors) interact with end users through their data. AI systems have the potential to promote 21st-century skills by using students’ multimodal data. AI technologies should be more integrated into the social sciences and humanities in the higher education context to support students’ 21st-century skills.

Digital Age and Sustainable Development in Higher Education

Digital Age and Sustainable Development in Higher Education

Cocoa Farming Commercialization Level and Influencing Factors

Abstract Cocoa in Indonesia is an important agricultural commodity that plays a significant role in the national economy. As the main raw material for the industry, cocoa is recognized as a commercial commodity. However, at the farm level, the issue of subsistence in cocoa farming is believed to still be a current issue. This study aims to measure the level of cocoa farming commercialization and determine the factors influencing it. The research utilizes secondary data from a survey conducted in collaboration between the Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB University, and Maastricht School of Management (MSM) in the Netherlands, under the Project NICHE (The Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education) in 2016. A total of 270 cocoa farming units were selected from three provinces, namely West Sulawesi, Bali, and West Sumatra. The Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method was used in this study. The results of the analysis indicate that the characteristics of subsistence cocoa farming are more dominant (54.45 percent) compared to the characteristics of commercial cocoa farming (45.55 percent). The factors influencing the level of cocoa farming commercialization are the characteristics of the farming system and the role of economic institutions related to cocoa farming. Personal characteristics of farmers were not confirmed as determinants of commercialization. The implication of these findings is that the level of commercialization is an outcome of the socio-economic environment in which cocoa farming operates.

Communicating Clear Guidance: Advice for Generative AI Policy Development in Higher Education

This article presents the ongoing conversation about generative AI guidance and policy in higher education. The article examines syllabus policies, including analyzing sentiment, emotion, and common themes in GenAI policies. Findings show that policies should be audience-focused, clearly written, and grounded in strategies to promote ethical AI use in academia and the workforce. Practical tips for policy writing and sample policies are provided.

A Study of the Impact of Urban-Rural Education Gaps on Income Levels in China

The development of higher education and the improvement of education levels is one of the crucial and effective means of balancing urban and rural incomes, and the relationship between education levels and income levels has shown different relationships over time and under distinct economic conditions, thus having certain impacts on policy formulation. The issue of urban-rural income and education gap has received wide attention, but there is still insufficient analysis of the development and interaction between the two. This paper analyzes the relationship between the two and the current problems. The analysis of this paper concludes that the difference between urban and rural education has an impact on people's income levels, and there is an interactive relationship between the two. However, the relationship between the two is not static and will fluctuate due to different factors. In addition, the article describes the problems in the interaction between the two. Based on this, the paper puts forward the following recommendations: adjusting the industrial distribution and reducing the policy priority to cities as well as to the increase of China's urbanization rate.

Leadership training and development in the age of artificial intelligence

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the multifaceted implications of AI on leadership dynamics and organizational practices. By synthesizing insights from behavioral theory, AI analytics, and ethical considerations, the study aims to equip leaders with the requisite knowledge, skills, and mindset to foster adaptive leadership, anticipate change, and cultivate innovation amidst AI-driven disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThis article employs a qualitative research approach, integrating literature review and conceptual analysis to explore the intersection of leadership development and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Drawing insights from scholarly articles, theoretical frameworks and practice, the study elucidates the evolving landscape of leadership in the context of AI adoption. Practical action points are derived to guide organizational leaders and educators in navigating AI-induced transformations effectively.FindingsThe integration of AI into leadership dynamics necessitates a paradigm shift in leadership paradigms, emphasizing the fusion of technical proficiency with emotional intelligence. Behavioral theory coupled with AI analytics offers valuable insights into effective leadership behaviors, facilitating the design of tailored leadership development programs. Proactive leadership strategies, ethical considerations, and talent management emerge as pivotal factors in navigating AI-induced transformations and fostering organizational resilience.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the literature by synthesizing diverse perspectives on AI leadership and offering practical action points for organizational leaders and educators. By highlighting the integration of behavioral theory, AI analytics, and ethical considerations, the study underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in leadership research and education. The insights derived from this study inform organizational practices, curriculum development in higher education, and future research agendas, fostering ethical AI adoption and cultivating adaptive leadership cultures in the age of Artificial Intelligence.