Education Sector Research Articles

Identifying Service, Research and Policy priorities for preventing the impacts of family adversity on children’s mental health: An Australian national resource allocation study with professional and lived experience experts

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to develop Service, Research and Policy priorities to prevent the impact of family adversity on child mental health and determine comparative priorities of diverse stakeholders to those with lived experience of adversity. MethodsValue-weighting approach conducted in a staged process: (i) professionals and experts with lived experience from health, education, justice and social care sectors attended a national symposium to identify priorities for family adversity and mental health and (ii) a subsequent resource allocation survey gathered views from participants and external experts on symposium priorities. ResultsConsensus was reached on priorities. Service priorities included establishing intersectoral hubs for children and families and early childhood nurse home-visiting programs. Research priorities included scaling up evidence-based interventions and evaluating cross-sector, flexible funding models for services addressing childhood adversity. Policy priorities included developing evidence-based policies with evaluation and implementation plans and flexible funding models to support integrated care. ConclusionsOur results provide detailed and actionable clarity on next steps to address family adversities. Implications for Public HealthThe priorities call for a focus on cross-sectoral approaches to preventing or mitigating the effects of family adversity. The current Australian policy environment provides a timely opportunity to action the proposed interventions.

Managing Organizational Capital in the Digital Age: A Study of Technology Adoption as a Competitive Advantage in Private Higher Institutions in South Sumatera

This study investigates the management of organizational capital within the context of private higher institutions in South Sumatera, focusing on the adoption of technology as a means to gain a competitive advantage in the digital age. In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, organizations are compelled to adopt digital innovations to enhance their operational efficiency, educational delivery, and overall performance. Using a qualitative research approach, this study explores the strategies and challenges faced by private higher institutions in South Sumatera as they navigate the complexities of technology adoption. The findings shed light on the various factors influencing the adoption of technology, including organizational culture, leadership support, resource availability, and external pressures. Moreover, the study examines how effective technology adoption contributes to organizational capital enhancement, enabling institutions to differentiate themselves and maintain competitiveness in the dynamic higher education sector. The insights derived from this research provide valuable implications for private higher institutions in South Sumatera and beyond, offering guidance on optimizing technology adoption strategies to harness the full potential of digital tools as a competitive advantage in the contemporary educational landscape.

An optimal estimation approach in stratified random sampling utilizing two auxiliary attributes with application in agricultural, demography, finance, and education sectors

In the contemporary era of information technology, copious amounts of data are ubiquitous, generated across various sectors on a daily basis. Analyzing every unit of data is impractical due to constraints such as limited resources in terms of time, labor, and cost. In such scenarios, survey sampling becomes a recommended approach for extracting information about population parameters. The primary goal of this study is to devise an estimation method for acquiring information about population parameters. We propose an optimal estimator for an improved estimation of the population mean in stratified random sampling by leveraging the information from two auxiliary attributes. The proposed estimator's bias, mean squared error (MSE), and minimum mean squared error are determined up to the first-order approximation. It is demonstrated that, under the derived conditions, the proposed estimator theoretically outperforms existing estimators. Four population are utilized to evaluate both the performance and applicability of the proposed estimator. The percentage relative efficiency (PRE) of proposed estimator for all the populations is 178.389, 142.881, 181.383, and 152.679 respectively. The suggested estimator superior to existing estimators, as demonstrated by the numerical examples.

THE PLACE OF DIGITAL LITERACY IN RESUSCITATING NIGERIAN EDUCATION TOWARDS VOCATIONAL, ENTREPRENEURAL AND PROFESSIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Education for national development and transformation has become fundamental in the process of nation building across different societies. In Nigeria, the education sector is largely faced with multiple problems that have undermined it from pre-colonial to contemporary times. This study used qualitative data that were collected from secondary literature and Bandura’s theory of social learning to develop the content of the study. The study found that the professional workplace in the Nigerian setting have become fundamentally undermined by the multiple effects of the challenges faced in the Nigerian education. The study therefore explained how digital literacy could be applied to vocational and entrepreneurial education in other to attained transformations in the professional workplace.

Impact of ChatGPT on Academic Integrity and Assessment Effectiveness for E-learning in Higher Education: The Need for Redesigning Assessment Practices

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into e-learning in higher education. ChatGPT has emerged as one of the most widely utilised AI tools in students' studies. However, the emergence of ChatGPT has contributed to the development of education while simultaneously impacting the integrity of education and the effectiveness of traditional assessment methods. Whether the teacher's teaching goals are achieved or not, whether the students' learning is authentic and effective, and how to ensure the effectiveness of the assessment pose significant challenges to the educator or education sector in the context of artificial intelligence. Therefore, this paper aims to clarify the negative impact of ChatGPT on educational integrity and assessment effectiveness through a systematic literature review. Through the meticulous synthesis and analysis of diverse existing research, this paper finds that several scholars have already clarified the pressing need for redesigning the assessment method within the context of e-learning. However, further research has found that there are several theoretical countermeasures and suggestions for the redesign of assessment methods, but a systematic system of assessment methods has not yet been formed. And there is no reflective analysis of the practice of the redesigned assessment methods. Therefore, this paper will, through a systematic literature review and reflective summarisation of educational assessment practices, aim to investigate effective and responsible assessment methods to mitigate the impact of the rapid development and inappropriate use of ChatGPT on education.

Bridging the Skills Gap: Integrating Mobile Learning in Adult Basic Education and Training for Enhanced Employability in South Africa

South Africa experiences high levels of unemployment, and, among other reasons, this is perpetuated by a lack of skills development and training for adult learners in the Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) sector. To alleviate poverty and unemployment, adult learners need skills development and training to use mobile devices to learn conveniently. Mobile learning (m-learning) is a form of distance learning and a subset of e-learning and flexible learning. It has significance for the development of individual adult learners and countries. Consequently, this research study aimed to explore the effectiveness of skills development for adult learners in the ABET sector in South Africa and was supported by the theoretical framework of Andragogy. It also used the constructivist paradigm, followed by the qualitative research approach, and data collection methods included focus group interviews. The research findings indicate that skills development and training are desired in the ABET sector and that m-learning could be of greater use as an alternative approach to teaching and learning for adult learners. Based on the findings, the authors recommend integrating practical skills development into ABET programs and expanding mobile learning initiatives for effective mobile learning.

Economic policy mix: An imperative for monetary credibility in Nigeria

This research examined the economic policy mix as an imperative for monetary credibility in Nigeria, covering a study period of 35 years spanning from 1988--2022. The paper sourced data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Bulletin (2022). The study used the autoregressive distributed lag methodology. This study revealed that government expenditure (GOEX), tax revenue and greater trade openness significantly improve monetary credibility. However, lower monetary policy rates (MPRs) enhance monetary credibility. Moreover, the broad money supply (BMOS) does not significantly affect monetary credibility. The paper concludes that fiscal discipline, effective tax revenue collection strategies, low MPR, and high trade openness are crucial for maintaining monetary policy credibility. Consequently, the Nigerian government should prioritize policies that improve tax revenue collection efficiency and compliance. While ensuring that government-awarded projects undergo postproject audits, the emphasis of government expenditures should be on improving the educational sector and healthcare sector.

Exploring Work–Life Balance among Female Staff Members (Teaching and Non-Teaching) in Higher Educational Institutions of Oman: A Study

This research investigates the intricacies of work–life balance among female staff members (including teaching and non-teaching) in higher educational institutions within the Sultanate of Oman. Despite the increasing participation of women in the workforce, achieving a satisfactory work–life balance remains a challenge. This study delves into the factors influencing work–life balance perceptions, considering individual, organizational, and cultural dynamics within the Omani context. Drawing on a quantitative approach, data were collected through structured questionnaires from 268 female respondents. The study explores the impact of factors such as organizational support, workload, family responsibilities, cultural norms, and career development opportunities on work–life balance. The findings reveal both strengths and areas for improvement within organizational support systems, workload management practices, and family-friendly policies. Additionally, cultural factors significantly influence work–life dynamics, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive interventions. Career development opportunities also play a crucial role in shaping work–life balance perceptions. Statistical analysis, including mean scores, provides insights into the areas of strength and concern, guiding recommendations for policy and practice improvements tailored to the educational sector in Oman. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the work–life balance complexities among female staff members (teaching and non-teaching) and offers insights for enhancing employee well-being and organizational effectiveness in Oman’s higher education institutions.

A Model for Institutional Capacity Analysis for Education Sector at Regency Level in Indonesia: A Case Study on the Office of Education the Regency of Sleman

A Model for Institutional Capacity Analysis for Education Sector at Regency Level in Indonesia: A Case Study on the Office of Education the Regency of Sleman

Unlocking Learning: The Impact of an Educational Escape Room on Energy Transition

Since the first escape room opened in 2007, the industry has grown to attract people from all over the world and is expected to continue to grow. This trend of rising social and recreational interest has, in turn, being introduced in the education sector in many countries. The use of escape rooms for educational purposes has become increasingly popular across different levels of education, including higher education institutions. This innovative and ludic approach involves students in their learning environment, encourages the use of numerous soft skills (creativity, problem solving, teamwork, etc.), and provides opportunity to escape the ‘routine’ of traditional and less student-centered learning methods. Although Educational Escape Rooms (EER) are becoming more prevalent in formal education, initiatives related to the topic of energy transition are scarce. As a result, there is limited information on the impact of these strategies to promote youth motivation and learning towards the energy transition. Exploring this issue is particularly relevant as young people have the potential to play an active and important role in achieving a sustainable future. This case study employs a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with mixed data. The sample consist of 32 students playing an EER, designed by higher education students, on energy transition. The study aims to assess the quality of the resource design and its impact on students’ knowledge, motivation to learn, soft skills utilization, and engagement. The study results show a noteworthy improvement in self-perceived knowledge regarding the energy transition after playing the EER. This increase is associated with new knowledge gained by the players about energy consumption, production and transformation. The results indicate that the EER is ineffective in increasing or decreasing motivation to learn among players. Engagement is perceived as positive with respect to the experience of playing the EER. However, there is no correlation between motivation to learn and engagement. The study also suggests that the EER has the potential to improve various soft skills, especially teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Finally, the EER was generally praised by the players for its engagement, on both quantitative and qualitative data in the study. On the other hand, the thematic analysis revealed some design issues that may have affected the players' experience and learning outcomes. These included excessive difficulty in some puzzles, lack of guidance, and insufficient time to complete. These issues need to be addressed in order to improve the overall impact of the EER, despite players' generally positive perceptions of it. In relation to the four puzzles that compose the EER (which relate to energy consumption, production, storage and transformation), they were generally positively rated by the participants, with the energy consumption puzzle being the highest rated for its practical application.

Strategies for Enhancing College Students’ Digital Literacy in the Digital Age

The advancement of digital technology has catalyzed digital reforms in the education sector and upgraded the structure of talent demands. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance college students’ digital literacy in the digital age. This paper begins with analyzing the definition of digital literacy, and then introducing the significance of cultivating college students’ digital literacy. But there are some challenges in the cultivation of digital literacy among college students, hence this paper analyzes these challenges and proposes four suggestions: promoting the development of digital infrastructure in education, implementing digital literacy training, incorporating digital literacy into the curriculum, and motivating students to consciously improve their digital literacy

Типология педагогических общностей и их включенность в непрерывное педагогическое образование: социологический подход

The article examines pedagogical communities and their typology through the lens of their inclusion in the process of continuous pedagogical education. The analysis of the works of Russian scientists dealing with the typologization of schoolchildren, students and teaching staff on various grounds allowed us to propose our own typology, uniting pedagogical communities included in the process of continuous pedagogical education. As the basis of the typology of pedagogical communities, the position to continuous pedagogical education as a necessary condition of pedagogical skill or a formal condition for the teaching profession and educational and professional strategies are highlighted. The author identifies four types of pedagogical communities: “Devotion to the Teaching Profession”, “Selection of Alternative Professional Pathways Related to Education”, “Retirement from the Teaching Profession” and “Uncertainty in Professional Strategy”. Each type possesses specific characteristics that differentiate one from another. Particular attention is given to the pedagogical community characterized by “Uncertainty in Professional Strategy”, which illustrates the issue of the outflow of young professionals from the educational sector in Russian pedagogical education.

N-TUTORR: Addressing Artificial Intelligence as one element of the transformation of Ireland’s technological higher education sector

A major transformation programme is underway across seven technological higher education institutions in Ireland. Investment of €40m #NextGenerationEU funding enables a programme to empower learners, to enhance staff capabilities, to improve the digital infrastructure, and to ensure long-lasting sustainable impact. Designed and implemented by significant collaboration of partner institutions, the programme explicitly adopts a holistic approach with inter-related work streams and work packages. The programme is underpinned by the six core themes of academic integrity, digital transformation, education for sustainability, employability, equality diversity & inclusion, universal design for learning. This comprehensive structure enables focus on key issues, emerging topics, and ensuring sustainable enhancement of learning, teaching and assessment across the technological sector. Multiple elements of the programme provided opportunities to reflect on the role of artificial intelligence, ranging from the perspective of challenges associated with academic integrity to the wider potential to be exploited to support and enhance learning and teaching. Students play an active role in considering these issues through focussed projects in partnership with staff and by acting as student champions to ensure that students‟ perspectives inform related discussions. Staff development opportunities have focussed on artificial intelligence and specific training is in place for senior institutional leaders. Active cooperation with the National Academic Integrity Network, which is facilitated by the national external quality agency, has led to complementary focussed activities. A national practitioners‟ network is being established to examine the impact of generative AI on higher education. Many of these structures could be replicated in other institutions or groups of institutions. While there are many examples of programme activities addressing important or topical issues, this paper particularly focuses on themes relating to the 2024 EDEN conference.

Evaluating the Impact of Behavioral Stress on Employee Productivity and Innovation in the Higher Education Sector of Pakistan

This research examines the effect of behavioral stress on employees’ performance and innovativeness in the higher education Industry of Pakistan. This involves forces put on the employees from personal or organizational factors which place psychological and emotional strains on them. In HEIs, these pressures are further compounded by workload, management pressure and expectations, role clarity and identity confusion, and fast technological changes that characterize the sector that could impact on individual and contextual productivity. The proposed research also follows a mixed-methods approach aimed at identifying the correlation between behavioral stress with productivity and innovation of the employees. Using a questionnaire, quantitative data were obtained from academic as well as administrative staff drawn from different universities in Pakistan regarding their stress level, job performance, and innovation capability. More open-ended interviews were conducted to establish which of these causes of stress impinges on the employees’ performance of their creative roles and output. These findings revealed the negative relationship between behavioral stress and averagely poor productivity of the employees since the high levels of stress affected efficiency, job interest, and performance of the employees. Another area, which promote creativity, open-mindedness and freedom, failed as stressed workers said that they had lower probability to experiment or introduce new ideas. Other organizational characteristics like lack of support from managers, role ambiguity and also scarcity of resources compounded the stress level of the employees and thereby limiting their productivity and innovation. But the employees who had positive leadership styles and good organizational climate experienced less stress and worked better in terms of performance and innovation. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that one of the constructs; behavior stress is a key factor that degrades both, productivity and innovation in higher education sector of Pakistan. To overcome this, institutions should come up with supportive policies that will enhance work life balance, communications and counseling services. Therefore, by dealing with stress organizers and self-organizers, higher education institutions can create the best working environment that will be healthy, innovative and productive.

Barriers to Childhood Immunization in Rural and Remote Areas: A Qualitative Exploration From the Perspectives of Community Leaders in Sindh, Pakistan.

Despite overall improvements observed at the national level, there is a significant disparity in childhood vaccination coverage rates between urban and rural regions, particularly within tribal and remote areas in Pakistan. Our study aimed to explore the views of community/tribal leaders concerning barriers and their local solutions for improving vaccine uptake, with a specific focus on remote settings. An exploratory qualitative research study was conducted from July to September 2019 in Shikarpur, Sindh, Pakistan. We interviewed 11 community leaders, after developing a semi-structured interview guide based on the health belief model. Following validation, the collected data was transcribed and subsequently translated into the English language. A stepwise process of manual familiarization, coding, theme generation, and theme review using an inductive approach was followed. While most of the rural community leaders expressed a willingness to support vaccinations, numerous unexplored barriers were identified. These barriers included an unsustainable communication system heavily dependent on polio mobile teams, discourteous behavior of healthcare personnel, cultural restrictions that limited women's involvement, economic hardships, limited transportation options, insufficient collaboration with the education sector, poor knowledge among community leaders, and security concerns. Additionally, they proposed some innovative solutions of information dissemination methods through the Ottaque system, ethics-based training, subsidized transportation services or voucher system, and addressing security concerns in collaboration with community leaders. Our findings suggest policymakers take both community leaders and members for an inclusive policy-making process to redraft the special policy for these remote and rural areas.

Research on the Joint Supervision System of Finance, Audit and Inspection in Universities

With the continuous improvement of the global economy and information technology, the education sector has entered an unprecedented new stage of development. As an important component of the education sector, the scale of universities are expanding year by year. With the continuous development of universities, the multi campus education model has quietly emerged, and research projects are increasing day by day. The diversification of research funding channels has put forward higher requirements for government supervision of universities, and relying solely on single department supervision is no longer applicable. At present, the supervision subject of finance, auditing, and inspection in universities generally work independently and perform their duties independently, lacking communication, resulting in poor supervision effectiveness and resource waste. Therefore, integrating the supervisory forces of universities and establishing a joint system is an urgent need for the rapid development of universities. So, this article analyzes the current situation of financial, auditing, and inspection supervision in universities, explores the significance, principles, and methods of constructing a joint supervision system for financial, auditing, and inspection in universities, and strives to provide some suggestions for the construction of joint supervision system for financial, auditing, and inspection in universities, in order to provide reference for other researchers.

Improving post‐pandemic environments for children with disabilities through effective partnerships

AbstractAmid the pandemic, the education sector experienced rapid and profound transformations. Notably, the Philippines transitioned from traditional face‐to‐face instruction to the realm of distance learning, impacting students, particularly those with disabilities. This shift, called Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), underscored the imperative of collaboration between special education (SpEd) teachers and families. However, the practical implementation of these collaborations often fell short, with stakeholders unprepared for the challenges. Using a qualitative descriptive case study within an interpretive paradigm, this research delved into ERT practices and outlined strategies for the post‐pandemic educational landscape. Challenges encompassed generational disparities, technological hurdles, and learners' characteristics due to suboptimal learning environments. To tackle these issues effectively, the study advocated for essential practices: fostering open communication between SpEd teachers and caregivers, delivering direct instruction, offering personalized activities, and implementing accommodations tailored to children with disabilities (CWD). These practices were poised to enhance support for students as the education sector transitions into a post‐pandemic teaching environment.

Self-Narration in the Oppressive Niche

AbstractFor several decades, research on situated cognition and affectivity has neglected cases in which environmental features in the niche have a negative impact on agents’ cognitive and affective wellbeing. Recently, however, a new research cluster has emerged that explores how things, technologies, and organisational systems across corporate, healthcare, and educational sectors wrongfully harm certain kinds of agents. This article contributes to this research cluster by integrating work on negative niche construction, structural oppression, enculturation, and self-narration. It thereby offers a new perspective on the negative, structurally oppressive impact of the socio-culturally shaped niche on enculturated self-narration. The main argument is that master plots, understood as narrative arrangements that dominate in the socio-culturally shaped niche, contribute to the structural oppression of enculturated self-narrators with systematically undermined socio-cultural identities. An analysis of the influence of pronatalist master plotting on enculturated self-narration serves to illustrate and strengthen the overall argument.

Building a web-based Comprehensive School Portal System Using the CodeIgniter Framework

With the various advantages and conveniences that the internet can provide, various fields of human activity have begun to use internet technology to help facilitate the activities they undertake. Likewise with the education sector in managing its administration. The web is one of the internet technologies that is widely used to facilitate monitoring of school activities because it can be accessed easily anywhere and at any time, from school facilities to school activities. Through the use of a web data system, problems involving redundancy of student information, insynchronization between existing information and slow production of information can be overcome. By designing an information system or web-based portal, you can increase performance effectiveness.

Politics and Education in Nigeria: Issues and Consequences

This study examined Politics and Education in Nigeria: Issues and Consequences. Three research questions guided the study; descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 73,400 academic staff of the public universities in South-East Nigeria. The sample comprised 1,040 academic staff of the universities. Purposive sampling technique was used to obtain Professors and Readers given that the record number of lecturers that participate in politics and management of elections. Then proportionate sampling technique was used to obtain 10% of Professors and Readers to give rise to 700 Professors and 340 Readers. Data collected were analyzed using mean. Findings of the study showed that the importance of education for those participating in Nigerian politics includes; it Increases political participation, Increases political awareness ; some of the major issues in Nigerian politics includes ; Ethnic bigotry, Religious bigotry, Corrupt Leaders and the consequences of the major issues in politics in Nigeria are failure in governance, poor economic indices, multi-dimensional poverty, insecurity, poor education outcome, unemployment and other vices. The study recommended that government should address different issues that have to do with education sector as a means of building its capacity in order to ameliorate the issue of politics in Nigeria through the means of human capacity building, widening, deepening knowledge on different political issues confronting the nation and government at all level should eschew politics in governance and face governance properly in other to salvage what is left of the nation from the major issues that has to do with politics in the country.