Faculties Of Higher Educational Institutions Research Articles

Mindfulness in Higher Education: Conceptual Perspectives for Self-Leadership and Optimism

Mindfulness can be regarded as a significant factor in transforming the educational landscape in higher education institutions (HEIs) because its integration into educational settings can offer several benefits such as promoting emotion regulation, reducing stress and anxiety, and developing self-control, well-being, and resilience among students and faculty in HEIs. It can foster a more positive learning and work environment in HEIs by enhancing self-leadership and optimism in individuals. Therefore, this study aims to investigate mindfulness in HEIs concerning self-leadership and optimism in the existing literature. Designed as a conceptual exploration of the literature across multiple theoretical perspectives in mindfulness, self-leadership, and optimism in the context of HEIs, this study theoretically examined these concepts in the literature in terms of their definitions and relationships in the existing eligible sources. According to the synthesized results, mindfulness is a transformative factor in HEIs that addresses cognitive, emotional, and social aspects, which promotes comprehensive growth and well-being among students and faculty. Its integration enhances self-leadership skills by improving self-regulation, stress management, and emotional satisfaction among both students and faculty. Furthermore, mindfulness fosters optimism in individuals and contributes to a positive academic environment characterized by resilience and enhanced performance. Despite its benefits, the careful consideration of ethical, cultural, and developmental factors is essential in implementing mindfulness practices to ensure their effectiveness. With the support of policymakers and educational leaders, mindfulness can significantly enhance the quality of HEIs and create a thriving academic community.

HOFIZ KHOREZMI’S "DEVON" AND PHYTONYMS

This article discusses one of the components of onomastics, phytomymics (phyto-Greek. Phyton-plant), and their usage in Hofiz Khorezmi’s "Devon." The study analyzes the skillful use of plant names by the poet for artistic purposes and the creation of artistic devices. Until now, the phytomymics in this work had not been the subject of study. During the analysis, the plant names used in Hofiz Khorezmi’s "Devon" are examined, categorized into semantic groups, and their variants—Arabic, Persian, and Turkic—are identified. Furthermore, the meanings these words convey in "Devon" are compared with how they were used in the works of Beruni, Mahmud Kashgari's "Devonu lug'otit turk," Alisher Navoi, and Babur. The forms of plant names used in the Uzbek literary language and how they are explained in the Uzbek explanatory dictionary are also analyzed. Examples are provided to explain phytomymics whose meanings have expanded today. The article compares how these phytomymics are explained in B.V. Miller's “Persian-Russian Dictionary,” the “Tajik-Russian Dictionary,” and the "Explanatory Dictionary of the Uzbek Language," conducting an etymological analysis. Additionally, the poetic devices created through these phytomymics are explained with examples. Each phytonym is given a specific definition. For example, "Isiriq" is a perennial wild plant from the family Zygophyllaceae. It contains alkaloids and is used in folk medicine for its healing properties, including being burned as incense. In modern Uzbek, the word "isiriq" has served as the root for words like "isiriqdon" (incense burner) and "isiriqchi" (incense seller). The word "isiriq" was borrowed from Persian into Old Uzbek. In "Devon," this borrowed word appears seven times in the sense of "isiriq" and "isiriq seed." This information enriches the article. The study holds significant value in examining the lexicon of the work. The materials researched in the article will be useful in creating the “Dictionary of the Language of Hofiz Khorezmi’s Devon," the "Dictionary of Borrowed Words in Uzbek," and the "Dictionary of Written Monuments," as well as in teaching specialized courses to students in the philology faculties of higher educational institutions.

A systematic review of information literacy models in Yunnan province’s physical education faculty

This research aimed to explore the concerning characteristics of information literacy in the physical education faculty of higher education institutions in Yunnan Province. This study provides a systematic meta-analysis of 33 peer-reviewed papers from 2019 to 2023. It discusses that information literacy includes basic research skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving, which include their application in the learning process. The paper describes some approaches that can be used to implement information literacy into teaching and learning, including courses with learning objectives, learner-centered approaches, and institutional support. The study also explored technology and its relation to adopting competencies for the growing technologies’ evolution within the region’s education sector. In addition, the following factors could have enhanced the process: time constraints, differences in discipline, and variations in the usage of information technology. The results indicate the need for context-specific professional learning and policy intervention to facilitate the practice of physical education faculty in Yunnan. The information collected here serves as the framework for effective regional policies regarding education, curriculum, and teacher training, among other related aspects.

Digital leadership in the digital era of education: enhancing knowledge sharing and emotional intelligence

PurposeEstablishing an effective educational system is directly tied to academic leadership, a multifaceted concept that differs from one environment to another. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of digital leadership (DL) aspects in the enhancement of technical knowledge sharing (KS) and dealing with emotional intelligence (EI) among the teaching faculty of higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approachFollowing a quantitative and cross-sectional research design, convenient sampling is employed for data collection via a self-administered questionnaire from 320 faculty members of private HEIs in Pakistan.FindingsStructural equation model (SEM) is used for path analysis. The results reveal a positive and significant effect of DL, aspects like visionary leadership (VL), digital citizenship (DC), systematic improvement (SI), on knowledge sharing (KS), and emotional intelligence (EI).Practical implicationsThis study has highlighted the significance of DL in private HEIs. The findings of the study imply that institutional heads of higher education institutions (HEIs) can successfully manage the knowledge assets that they have and those of their staff members, ensure the successful adoption of technology and foster product and process innovation that improves organizational performance and integrates successful strategies into the educational system by demonstrating DL aspects. The research also analyzes institutional heads' present leadership strategies to enhance response to technological change and innovations, which are considered fundamental pillars of organizational success. Ultimately, this will extend the literature on adopting DL techniques towards digital transformation in the education system.Originality/valueThis study empirically confirms the role of DL aspects such as VL, DC, and SI towards KS and EI. Most of the research demonstrates the direct impact of DL on EI, whereas the aspects of DL are not directly related to KS and EI. Studies have also shown how DL enhances its role in incorporating leadership in organizations, industries, and education, mainly in Western countries. This research addresses the gap in understanding the direct effects of DL aspects on KS and EI in non-Western countries, particularly within the education sector.

Development and validation of teachers’ e-readiness scale: a study on higher education institutions in India

PurposeDue to the growing complexity involved in leveraging the endless possibilities of ICT on all levels, the technical competence of faculties of higher education institutions (HEI) and effective methods for fostering e-readiness has become questionable.Design/methodology/approachThis research has developed and validated an empirically supported e-readiness scale, which can be used by HEIs to assess faculty members’ preparedness toward online teaching. The measurement model and the structural model were developed as the results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 245). The previously identified components and their indicators were validated using the structural models and the final scale was developed with five dimensions (“online technological readiness, pedagogical readiness, institutional readiness, learning and delivery readiness and content readiness”).FindingsThe faculties’ e-readiness assessment tool, as a useful tool, could aid institutions in identifying problems that affect the implementation of e-learning or digitalization in the institutions and developing strategies in response.Research limitations/implicationsLike any research this research also has some limitations and can be considered as future research probability like the responses for this research were collected from HEI in India; however, a cross-cultural study can be conducted to understand the parameters across the globe. Although the psychometric qualities of the e-readiness scale are acceptable, additional research in various higher educational environments, both nationally and internationally, is required to further establish the scale’s relevance, validation and generalizability.Originality/valueAlthough many scales have been developed to assess the readiness level in the education sector, a scale, that holistically measures, the readiness level of faculties from an overall perspective was required. This scale can be used to recognize the e-readiness level of teachers in HEIs. This scale can also help the institutions assess the readiness level of their faculty members and address any improvements required in their teaching and learning pedagogy, further acknowledging training needs.

Vietnamese Female Faculty in Higher Education Institutions with Work-life Balance: A Qualitative Study

Despite ample literature regarding acculturative stress among international students, there is a gap in the literature synthesizing the sources of acculturative stress and the coping strategies that can help international students to deal with acculturative stress. In this systematic literature review, we aim to investigate the current state of acculturative stress among international students, through empirical research published in peer-reviewed journals between the years 2018 and 2022. Using a predetermined review protocol, this review analyzed 66 publications on acculturative stress for international students. These studies were mainly published in 2021 in the Journal of International Students. The preliminary findings provide a comprehensive range of sources for acculturative stress that can be broken down into four levels: Macro (socio-economic factors from both home and host countries or national level), Meso (institutional factors), Micro (individual, personal, or psychosocial factors). Drawn upon the sources of acculturative stress, international students are expected to reduce acculturative stress by improving their English proficiency, practicing self-compassion, adopting a positive perspective, adjusting expectations and perfectionism, attending serious leisure engagement, and seeking social support. The findings from this review will be used to help policy makers and university leaders and managers to better optimize their resources to improve international students’ acculturation experience and enhance the overall higher education system.

Sustainability teaching in higher education: assessing arts and design faculty perceptions and attitudes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA. Design/methodology/approach Arts and design faculty from nine universities in the USA were approached for the study, using both closed and open-ended questions in a survey instrument. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings Results related to arts and design faculty’s perception of sustainability showed high confidence in teaching sustainability but lower confidence in inspiring students to take action on sustainability issues. Faculty also perceived time, resources, knowledge and support as barriers to the integration of the topic into the curriculum. This study revealed that the faculty’s attitude toward sustainability demonstrated their recognition that sustainability should be at the core of their discipline and that they support its integration into courses. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to arts and design faculty in higher education institutions in the USA. The results may not be generalizable to other fields or locations. In addition, the use of self-reported data may be subject to bias. Practical implications The findings of this study can inform the development of curriculum and pedagogy in arts and design sustainability education. It can also guide institutions in addressing the challenges and barriers related to incorporating sustainability into their curriculum. Social implications Prioritizing sustainability education is crucial in addressing global climate change and related issues. Art and design educators’ perspectives on teaching sustainability can contribute to constructing a sustainable future for everyone. Originality/value This study provides insight into the perception and attitude of sustainability among arts and design faculty in higher education in the USA and highlights areas for improvement such as training and resources to better integrate sustainability into the curriculum.

The Journey of a Non-Native English Speaker towards Scopus Publication: An Autoethnography

Research publication continues to be a challenge for faculty in higher education institutions. Much more is expected of research leaders. My journey towards Scopus publication started over a decade ago when I was designated as a research director. I worked hard on my first publication in Scopus for years, but to no avail. Applying Autoethnography, I chronicle my publication journey, which can be a glimpse of the situation of other neophyte researchers who are non-native English speakers. In this paper, I discuss my struggles toward publication, such as losing confidence, excitement, and ignorance of standards, and Filipino English as a liability. However, I also expounded on the essential lessons I gained, such as article-journal fit, journal quality and standards, editing help, and focus and determination. Indeed, publishing in high-end journals like Scopus is challenging, but there is always a way, particularly learning from past mistakes and maximizing the lessons learned.

Culture of Educational Institutions on Psychological Empowerment of Women Employees in Higher Education Institutions

Women’s empowerment is a worldwide issue addressed by the government in every country. It has been the main agenda point discussed in all government plans. In India, we aim to achieve women’s empowerment and gender equity, one of the sustainable development goals to be achieved by 2030. Women’s empowerment is achieved by creating a conducive social environment that facilitates individual or collective decisionmaking for social transformation. This can be achieved by looking at women’s empowerment from a psychological perspective. This study aims to find the impact of institutional culture on the psychological empowerment of women faculty in higher education institutions. It also aims to find suitable institutional culture types to enhance women’s psychological empowerment in institutions. This study was developed based on selfdetermination theory proposed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan in 1985. Descriptive research was conducted, and quantitative analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS and AMOS version 23. A sample of 385 women faculty working in higher education institutions in India was contacted to collect primary data. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model, and it was found to be acceptable. Statistical analysis of the data reveals that there exists a strong positive relationship between dimensions of institutional culture and psychological empowerment.

Barriers to Attracting and Retaining Female Construction Graduates into Academic Careers in Higher Education Institutions

Increasing women’s representation in male-dominated professions has become an unending debate due to different gender barriers across various sectors. This study examined the barriers to female construction graduates’ employment as construction faculty in Nigerian higher education institutions. This study developed a quantitative questionnaire to examine the barriers to female construction graduates entering academic careers using purposive sampling technique to identify Master of Science graduate students in higher education institutions in southwestern Nigeria. Three hundred copies of the questionnaire were administered to female construction graduate students, while two hundred and fifty-nine retrieved data were analysed. Firstly, data validity and reliability were determined using Cronbach’s alpha, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test, and Bartlett’s sphericity tests, followed by descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. The exploratory factor analysis clustered five factors of barriers to female graduate student recruitment as faculty in higher education institutions: gender profiling, academics competency requirements, non-prioritised support for female careers in academics, female enrolment, graduation, and job position difficulties and perceived difficulties in women’s recruitment, workload, and growth. The study recommends establishing grassroots female careers support, improving female enrolment and graduation rates, campaigning against gender profiling, and establishing career pathways in academics to improve gender inclusiveness in higher education institutions when recruiting female construction graduates as faculty.

Inclusive education in higher education institution: Are Ukrainian faculty members’ ready for it?

Quality higher education involves making it accessible to students with special needs and disabilities. Therefore, the implementation of inclusive education is a certain indicator of quality among higher education institutions (HEIs). At the same time, faculty members play a fundamental role in promoting inclusive learning environments working with students with disabilities. The aim of research is to determine the readiness of faculty members to implement an inclusive education in Ukrainian HEIs, because their willingness to work defines the practical implementation of legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding the organization of inclusive education in the actual educational practice. For this, we conducted a survey among 186 faculty members with different age, teaching experience, and professional category. The results confirm that the faculty of HEI are primarily focused on working with students with normative development and almost do not take into account the characteristics of educational difficulties of students with disabilities. In addition, their level of knowledge about basic legal and regulatory documents, elements of an inclusive learning environment, and typical problems of implementing an inclusive approach in the educational process of HEI are not uniform. But faculty members showed their readiness to master the practices of implementing an inclusive learning environment in higher education institutions. The results obtained can be useful for the development of institutional policies for the implementation of inclusive education in HEIs.

Assessing Stress Levels and Influencing Factors for Faculty in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh

Stress is common among faculty during their college work. They can often experience high levels of stress because they frequently encounter various challenges at their workplace that can negatively affect their academic performance and general health. However, familiar sources of stress among faculty working in higher education sectors have not been clearly defined. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the familiar sources of stress among them in the region of Visakhapatnam. One of the northeastern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh belongs to south India. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The convenience sample included 85 faculties working in various higher education colleges in Visakhapatnam. The Faculty Stress Index (FSI) was used to describe the sources of stress from four domains: academic load, financial concerns, personal problems, and interface worries. The majority (60%) of the participants were aged between 31 and 60. The primary source of stress was academic load and interface teaching and research responsibilities (M = 3.74, SD = 1.156), followed by financial worries (M = 3.73, SD = 1.285), lack of appreciation regarding their contributions (M =3.61, SD = 1.319), and personal problems to excel in teaching evaluations (M = 2.75, SD = 1.272). The faculty’s stress resulting from their academic load was higher than the other sources of stress, and it was related to a large number of materials like targeted assignments, extended working hours, or other research-related works required for faculty. It is suggested to create a positive and supportive work environment at the workplace, implement strategies for workload management, and professional development opportunities.

Reflective thinking in higher education: examining practices of higher education faculty

ABSTRACT A reflective teacher thinking paradigm usually might shape the teaching practices of professionals, especially in learner-centered educational environments. This study aims to reveal reflective thinking and reflective practices of qualified faculty in higher education institutions in more than twenty countries. To do that, 257 responses to a 5-point scale questionnaire from volunteer university faculty were analyzed. The relationship between reflective thinking and other components of the questionnaire is also presented in the study. The results provide evidence that reflective thinking is not a stand-alone attribute, and it works together with other abilities such as self-assessment, teaching awareness, and self-efficacy. The responses of the faculty were also examined and discussed. Based on the results, most of them have an interest in self-discovery and awareness on what they teach, assess their performance, and value feedback although the scores present a low performance on reflective thinking individually.

Role of Absorptive Capacity for E-learning and Organizational Culture on Job Performance: An Empirical Study from Pakistan

Employee job performance is a critical topic of interest and concern for the organization. In order to evaluate the factors that may impact employee job performance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to explore the impact of absorptive capacity for e-Learning on the job performance of teaching faculty. Additionally, the study explored how organizational culture may act as a mediator. The COVID-19 pandemic calls for a transformation in the educational system from the physical to the virtual, which requires teaching faculty to increase their E-learning proficiency. It was necessary to assess each faculty member's effort in this situation. An analytical cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from the teaching faculty of higher education institutions in Karachi, Pakistan. The sample size was 377. Data was collected through reliable and valid self-administered tools. SPSS 23.0 and the PROCESS macro were used to conduct data analysis. Empirical findings from the study demonstrate the significant positive effect of knowledge recognition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation on job performance. Furthermore, organizational culture significantly mediates the effect of knowledge recognition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation on job performance. The findings have important implications for managers and policymakers besides employees in creating opportunities for their employees to develop high absorptive capacity and recommend managers to create an appreciative climate within their organizations, which may influence job performance.

EDUCATIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF TEACHING ISSUES OF GENDER DIFFERENTIATION IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF MORPHOLOGY AT MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Introduction. The main problem in teaching the processes of gender differentiation during practical classes is that all biochemical and genetically determined processes of gender differentiation are insufficiently covered or detached from the accompanying morphological transformations. Often, educational programs consist only of topics that highlight the morphological processes of the development of a certain sex, avoiding the main questions - the biochemical causes of morphological transformations.The purpose of the research is to find out the current state of studying the problem of teaching the topic "Gender differentiation" at the medical and biological faculties of higher educational institutions of Ukraine and highlight our own experience in teaching the topic "Sex differentiation" at Bukovinian State Medical University.Material and methods. Educational and methodological practice is based on researched 19 sources of foreign scientific literature from the electronic database "PubMed". The methods of comparative content analysis and information-analytical analysis were used.Research results and their discussion. Sex differentiation in humans and other animals is associated with many biochemical processes that occur at the level of genes and proteins. Here are some biochemical aspects of sex differentiation: Hormones are key factors that influence sex differentiation. In boys, the gonads produce testosterone, and in girls, estrogen. These hormones promote the development of various organs and systems, including the reproductive system. Genetic mechanisms: every organism has two sex chromosomes – X and Y. Males have XY, and females have XX. Genes on these chromosomes affect the development of various aspects of sexual differentiation. Proteins produced by genes play an important role in sex differentiation. For example, the SRY protein is responsible for the development of the testicles in boys, while the FOXL2 protein is responsible for the development of the ovaries in girls.Conclusion. The morphological processes that accompany sex differentiation are certainly only a reflection of the complex biochemical transformations that ensure this process. In our opinion, the study of morphological transformations will not have an effect if we consider them without reference to biochemical and genetic processes at the molecular level.

Service user and carer involvement in online interprofessional learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Patients, service users and carers are now expected to contribute to teaching health and social care students in all professions. This follows policy directives driven by a review of failings in NHS standards for patient involvement in all aspects of health and social care. Patient and carer contributions to interprofessional education hold fast to values for patient/carer-centred care. This article discusses the context to service user and carer involvement in health professions education, drawing on current evidence and with considerations for midwifery students. A case study of a well-established carer's session is presented, drawing on the input of a mother, which was continued online during the pandemic. It was ensured that this important learning was not lost when teaching became remote, relying on technology-enhanced learning methods. These adaptations depend on long-standing patient partnerships between faculty in higher education institutions and patients/carers who must feel safe and trust the teaching context where they contribute to student learning. Effective learning can be maintained in online environments to ensure the patient voice remains central to health professions training.

Targets' Coping Responses to Workplace Bullying with Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Tolerance: A Two-Phased Study of Faculty in Higher Education Institutions.

This study aims to examine the relationship between workplace bullying and Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect (EVLN) coping responses with Perceived Organizational Tolerance (POT) of bullying as moderator using the integrated model of reactance and learned helplessness theory. The data has been collected from junior faculty in higher education institutes of Punjab. The study has been conducted in two phases, with phase 1 including identifying targets of workplace bullying using cut-off scores and phase 2 studying the perceived organizational tolerance. The results show that junior faculty chooses neglect as a coping response and that the level of perceived organizational tolerance moderates the relationship between workplace bullying and exit-voice-neglect. This study contributes to existing literature by employing integration of theories and using multi-level research design. It also is an addition to the literature on the coping response of targets to workplace bullying in higher education and is a rare attempt at operationalizing perceived organizational tolerance and its relation with workplace bullying.

Does workplace happiness lead to organisational citizenship behaviour: a study of faculty in higher education institutions

Does workplace happiness lead to organisational citizenship behaviour: a study of faculty in higher education institutions

A study on relationship of gender and features of leadership style and effectiveness in higher education institutions

In today’s dynamic business world, effective leadership is crucial. Although research in this area is expanding, there is still a lack of information regarding the relationships between gender and leadership style characteristics and effectiveness. In addition to examining the correlations between gender, leadership style, and effectiveness, this work examines the characteristics of different leadership styles. Four hundred faculties of higher education institutions provided information on the leadership characteristics and effectiveness of both men and women. During the study, seven characteristics of leadership styles were identified: goal-oriented, balanced, commanding, encouraging, team spirit, systematic thinking, and empowerment. One sample T-test was applied to the data for analysis. The results revealed a distinction between the leadership styles and effectiveness of men and women. Common leadership characteristics identified in women were balance, systematic thinking, encouragement, and goal-oriented, whereas men’s leadership characteristics included commanding empowerment and team spirit. This research article will be useful for academics, HRD professionals, and researchers.

Experiences of Online Teaching Learning of Students Enrolled in the Universities of Lahore during the Multi Lockdown due to Covid-19

Universities along with all other educational institutions were being suspended in almost all countries since April 2020, and in the second phase of COVID lockdown the entire education system had shifted on on-line mode from traditional teaching. The study aimed to describe the experiences of students during on-line classes. The research design was quantitative. A close ended questionnaire was used for research reliable at alpha=.89. The researchers have selected 6 universities and collected data from 262 students from Lahore randomly. Study reveals that there is no significance difference (t=0.544, df=260, sig=0.587) in the experiences of students based on their gender. All male and female students have same opinions. Since the r=.514, Sig=.000, N=262 indicate a significance positive correlation between Novitiate experiences of on-line class and good experiences. The participants from University of the Punjab, UMT, UET and other have same views (F=1.111, df=261and Sig=0.345). We recommended that Institutions that offer on-line courses or programs should make an effort to facilitate the faculties of higher education institutions about the effective use of technological tools and gadgets for on-line and blended learning for students to achieve their learning outcomes.