Higher Education Commission Research Articles

The stagnation of leadership in Catholic religious universities in Indonesia

This study demonstrated the connection between leadership and the underdevelopment of the Catholic Pastoral College (Sekolah Tinggi Pastoral Katolik (STPK)). This qualitative study was conducted in five STPKs located in Malang, Semarang, Pontianak and Medan. It involved leaders of four parties: (a) the Bishop; (b) the Directors of Catholic Education representing the Government; (c) members of the Ministry of Religious Affairs representing the Indonesian Catholic Church; (d) representatives of the management of the Colleges alongside teachers. Data was collected via Google forms, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews with the Bishop, government, chairperson and foundation of STPK. The research findings revealed that: the elements of leadership are ineffective and lack coordination and cooperation with bishops and the government; the cultural influence of the Catholic hierarchy is strong; an effective pattern of communication relations is not established; and human resources are not yet professional. This report advised that a higher education commission be established to facilitate the formation of a collaborative task force to address critical challenges and ensure that STPK remains adaptable to changing times. Thus, the efforts and aspirations to transform STPK into a high-quality and competitive educational institution take shape.

Assessing Anxiety and Satisfaction Levels among Dental Students during Online Learning amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread adoption of online learning. In April 2020, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan released policy guidance on online readiness with three levels: basic, effective, and exemplary. However, concerns about the quality and readiness for online curriculum delivery in Pakistan persisted. This study assesses the anxiety and satisfaction levels of undergraduate dental students with online classes during the pandemic. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between June and July 2020. Data were collected via email from undergraduate dental students of a private dental college using convenience sampling, after three months of online teaching. Two tools were used: a student satisfaction questionnaire adapted from Bolliger and Halupa’s study, and a student anxiety questionnaire. Frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were calculated for satisfaction and anxiety scores. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess factors associated with student satisfaction. Results: Out of 300 eligible participants, 237 responded (79% response rate). Most participants (53.16% female, 59.07% hostellers) had no prior experience with online learning (85.65%). The mean anxiety score was 54.87 (SD=9.6), and the mean satisfaction score was 58.63 (SD=16.66). Male students showed less satisfaction than females, though not statistically significant. Second-year students had significantly higher satisfaction scores than third- and fourth-year students. Conclusion: Most students had no prior experience with online learning, resulting in increased anxiety and poor satisfaction with the modality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustainable development goals, sustainable finance, and financial inclusion: An awareness perspective of business graduates

AbstractThe study aims to inquire about the level of understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sustainable Finance (SF), and Financial Inclusion (FI) among business graduates. The data were collected through a self‐administered questionnaire from 342 business graduates from different universities in a developing country like Pakistan. The findings revealed that the respondents have a no‐to‐low understanding of SF, FI, and the role or importance of these in achieving the 17 SDGs. The findings suggest major revisions in the structure and contents of different business degrees in Pakistan. Overall, the study opens new avenues for research and provides important insights for all the key stakeholders, including universities, higher education institutions (HEIs), the Higher Education Commission (HEC), students, and parents. The study also has social and practical implications for various stakeholders in the HEIs.

Proposed Alternative Models for Licensing Filipino Seafarers

Licensing is evidence that one has spent time and money to gain access to a class of professionals that influence the safety, health, and welfare of the public and is charged to conform to codes of ethical conduct and standards. Licensure elevates an individual above other graduates and bestows permission to be legally responsible for activities within his specialization. Licensure will likewise enhance an individual’s personal worth and value, provide a broader set of occupational options, and earn high respect from the public (Berson, 2012). A state’s law governs the merchant marine profession. To practice the profession, one must complete an academic degree in marine courses, such as a BS in Marine Transportation or a BS in Marine Engineering. Seafarers must pass the required state board-written examinations. The passing grade is determined by a body of examiners, usually called the Board of Examiners or, as in. the Philippine setting, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), which is designated by the law to perform the function of regulation (Geguiento, 2010, as cited by Palmejar, 2010). In the attempt to develop alternative models for acquiring professional licenses for Filipino seafarers, a descriptive exploratory study was conducted that involved seafarers, maritime education students, and graduates of maritime education programs. Schools offering maritime education in the National Capital Region, officially listed in the Commission of Higher Education- Maritime Higher Education Institution (CHED-MHEI), as well as Maritime Training Centers and Agencies, registered in the Department of Labor-Maritime Training Council (DOLE-MTC), comprised the research population from which respondents were selected employing non-probability, purposive sampling techniques, particularly maximum variation sampling. The assessment of the acceptability of the current licensing scheme ranged from neutral to slightly acceptable. Students (with CAR and on-board training and junior maritime students) generally favor Alternative Model B, as reflected in the high mean acceptability scores, while unlicensed seafarers showed interest in Alternative Models C and D, as shown in the high mean acceptability scores. Keywords: Licensing Filipino Seafarers, licensing model, maritime licensing, licensure of maritime professionals

Higher education commission's English-speaking curriculum: The preparation for speaking skills at graduate level in Pakistan

Higher education commission's English-speaking curriculum: The preparation for speaking skills at graduate level in Pakistan

Student Interns Performance Using Strategy Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) Tool Aligned with Program Outcomes

Higher Education Intuitions needs to evaluate student interns’ performance in Host Training Establishments. The study aimed to evaluate student intern performance for Practicums 1, 2, and 3 using the Strategy Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) tool, as well as to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of student intern performance output aligned to BS Hospitality Management Program Outcomes, so that the research could help in developing course syllabi. Quantitative research method was used and adopted questionnaires were handed out to the industry partners to evaluate the student interns’ performance. The research used the percentage frequency method and Likert scale in order to analyze strengths and weaknesses. Based on the result of the study, the summary of Strategy on Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) tool shows that weaknesses in knowledge got average score of 89.88%, skills 89.16% and attitude with 88.74% all verbally interpreted as very satisfactory, where the student interns displayed a good performance. Strength in knowledge got an average score of 93.07%, skills 92.91% and attitude 93.57% all verbally interpreted as highly satisfactory, the student interns displayed thorough performance. This proves that the Strategy on Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) tool of First City Providential College is aligned with the program objectives mandated by the Commission of Higher Education (CHED).

Student Interns Performance Using Strategy Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) Tool Aligned with Program Outcomes

Higher Education Intuitions needs to evaluate student interns’ performance in Host Training Establishments. The study aimed to evaluate student intern performance for Practicums 1, 2, and 3 using the Strategy Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) tool, as well as to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of student intern performance output aligned to BS Hospitality Management Program Outcomes, so that the research could help in developing course syllabi. Quantitative research method was used and adopted questionnaires were handed out to the industry partners to evaluate the student interns’ performance. The research used the percentage frequency method and Likert scale in order to analyze strengths and weaknesses. Based on the result of the study, the summary of Strategy on Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) tool shows that weaknesses in knowledge got average score of 89.88%, skills 89.16% and attitude with 88.74% all verbally interpreted as very satisfactory, where the student interns displayed a good performance. Strength in knowledge got an average score of 93.07%, skills 92.91% and attitude 93.57% all verbally interpreted as highly satisfactory, the student interns displayed thorough performance. This proves that the Strategy on Learning Outcomes Progress for Employability (SLOPE) tool of First City Providential College is aligned with the program objectives mandated by the Commission of Higher Education (CHED).

Readiness of Pakistani journals for open access publishing

PurposeThis study was designed to discover the readiness of the higher education commission (HEC)-recognized journals of Pakistan in terms of human, financial and technological resources, technical expertise, institutional support, availability of open access (OA) policy, availability of guidance and training, willingness, motivation and so on for OA journal publishing and to expose the challenges in OA journal publishing.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research approach was used and a structured questionnaire was developed to meet the objectives of this study. A survey method was used to collect data from the editors of all 329 HEC-recognized journals in Pakistan.FindingsThe respondents of all the HEC-recognized journals of Pakistan are neutral and are not of the view that they have sufficient financial, human, technological/infrastructural resources and technical expertise to continue/initiate an OA journal publishing. ‘No academic reward’; and ‘no monetary reward for the editorial staff’ are both enormous challenges for OA journal publishing. The perceived challenges of OA have a negative impact on readiness for OA publishing. The readiness level of the respondents of the OA journals is higher as compared to the readiness level of the respondents of non-OA journals.Research limitations/implicationsThis study covered the lists of HEC-recognized journals of 2019. More studies may be conducted based on updated lists of HEC-recognized journals. Qualitative studies may also be conducted to discover the readiness of the HEC-recognized journals of Pakistan for OA journal publishing.Originality/valueThis study is the first comprehensive study on this phenomenon and is an effort to fill this gap to invigorate scholarly literature. It may attract the attention of policymakers, funding bodies, parent institutions of the journals and the HEC regarding the readiness of journals in terms of financial, human, technological/infrastructural resources, technical expertise of the journals and challenges of journals to prompt the OA journal publishing paradigm.

Exploring ICT-based learning adoption in higher education: An extended perspective of the technology acceptance model

This article analyses the self-perception of digital technology learning competence among engineering and science students. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is now considered highly essential in higher education. Today's higher education institutions (HEIs) seldom employ traditional methods of instruction; instead, sophisticated ICT is starting to emerge as a feasible paradigm for fundamental change. To this end, Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) has heavily invested in technology in the education sector and initiated several programs. The ramifications of ICT utilization on the environment, student academic performance, and capabilities remain ambiguous. In delving into how students embrace and utilize ICT systems for learning in HEIs, researchers felt the need to grasp the factors that influence students' acceptance and utilization of ICT skills through the lens of the Extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This study develops an exclusive conceptual model by incorporating TAM with a set of latent variables identified in the available literature: interest, ICT self-efficacy, economic cost, and performance expectancy. The adapted TAM model developed in this study considers the influence of these variables on students’ ICT acceptance and its impact on academic performance in emerging countries. As part of this study, reports on the development of instruments and validation in the research field were managed using a cross-sectional survey method and SPSS-22 and Smart PLS-4 software. In addition, association rule mining applied in demographic data. A sample of 69 students was randomly selected from three universities representing engineering, medical, and general HEIs in the Sindh province. Though the sample size was small, it showcases that the reliability of the scales is within an acceptable range and can be used to test the main study hypotheses. A conceptual framework model is introduced to offer a comprehensive framework derived from the amalgamation of various acceptance and usage models of technology. The results demonstrate that the survey items are appropriate and suitable for further research.

Higher education governance in Pakistan: the role and influence of HEC in the post-18th Amendment

In the 18th Amendment in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, the role of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan was limited to the quality standards of higher education and federal institutions and research centres only, as explained in Federal Legislative List I and II. Despite this constitutional constraint, the HEC maintains significant power over the universities and higher education, including policy formation, budgetary administration, and governance. The HEC was established as an advisory body under the HEC Ordinance, 2002. However, its powers have since then expanded its role to that of a quasi-governing organisation. The 2011 Supreme Court decision reaffirmed the HEC's authority under the law, emphasising the necessity of maintaining high educational standards and effective control. This article critically explores the degree of HEC's impact after the 18th Amendment, investigating the conflicts between provincial autonomy and federal monitoring and assessing the ramifications of HEC regulation on Pakistan's higher education environment. The study's findings show that despite the passage of the 18th Amendment, higher education is a more centralised subject controlled by Pakistan's federal government. The provinces, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, possess limited autonomy concerning higher education governance and rely on HEC for higher education governance.

Unveiling the Interplay of Educational Excellence and Talent Mobility: An In-depth Exploration of Pakistan's Educational Revitalization Efforts by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to Mitigate the Talent Drain Challenge

Unveiling the Interplay of Educational Excellence and Talent Mobility: An In-depth Exploration of Pakistan's Educational Revitalization Efforts by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to Mitigate the Talent Drain Challenge

Sustainable Development

An analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, highlights the presence of socio-economic and political obstacles. This research examines the challenges that are impeding the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as poverty (SDG 1), health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), and economic growth (SDG 8), utilizing data from the World Bank, IMF, WHO, and FAO. The financial facts given highlight the immediate need for significant actions. The report recommends that Developed Countries (DCs) take on a crucial role by allocating at least one per cent of their Gross National Product (GNP) towards development aid. Achieving success in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires effective governance and the execution of structural changes. The report advocates for providing development aid from developed countries to underdeveloped countries (UDCs), aiming to foster the exchange of experiences to address common difficulties. The conclusions guide South Asian governments in formulating efficacious economic strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. In addition, the study examines 26 papers issued by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) that investigate sustainability in Pakistani Higher Education Institutions. An analysis of this research reveals both advancements and obstacles in pursuing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Various stakeholders actively participate in the transformational process, including administrators, leaders, instructors, and students. The examination focuses on governance, communication, coordination, and campus outreach and tackles problems. Aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), prioritizing logistical assistance and excellent education (SDG 4) is crucial. The study is a manual for educators, policymakers, and curriculum creators to promote Sustainable Development, assisting researchers in formulating inquiries for sustainable development objectives.

Investigating Task-Oriented Leader’ Behavior in Public and Private Universities to Establish the Structure of Quality Improvement

This study aimed to ascertain if task-oriented leaders' behavior and the establishment of structures to improve the caliber of universities are correlated. Furthermore, this research also assessed the disparity in the quality improvement framework between public and private universities and the variation in task-oriented leadership behavior shown by leaders in these universities. The survey comprised 369 participants, including Punjab's heads of departments, faculty deans, and directors of quality improvement cells drawn from public and private universities, as well as those accredited by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Task-oriented leaders' behavior was assessed using the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), while universities' quality improvement progress was gauged using the Institutional Performance Questionnaire (IPQ). The independent sample t-test and Pearson Correlation Coefficient were used to examine the data. According to the research, leaders at public universities are more task-oriented than private ones. Furthermore, the study showed that private universities had better quality improvement structures than public universities. The results of this study indicate that enhancing the quality of universities may benefit from a task-oriented leadership style.

Overcoming barriers to meaningful research in Pakistan: charting a path forward

Research is the most unwanted, and orphaned part of every discipline in Pakistan. Pakistan Medical & Dental Commission, Higher Education Commission (HEC) or numerous medical universities in the country have been responsible for promoting research, but their responsibilities are finished after counting the number of published papers by any candidate for promotion. HEC has developed a software - called HJRS, but you visit this site and find a jumbled-up data which is four years old. Out of 58 listed Pakistani medical journals only 4 are in ‘W’ category. Many of the journals have been derecognized, but listed. Research related software like plagiarism check, reference actuality check, reference accuracy check, language etc. are hard to find by the average researcher. ‘Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care’ was started in 1997, with the objective to foster the culture of research in the members of the neglected specialty of anesthesia, and the journal engaged renowned research fellows to write on the research related topics and published. This invited editorial sheds some light on the barriers to research and the suggested measures to promote research in Pakistan. Keywords: HEC, Pakistan, Research, Research paper, Software Citation: Hussain SA. Overcoming barriers to meaningful research in Pakistan: charting a path forward. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2024;28(4):611−615; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v28i4.2497 Received: 22 June 2024; Accepted: July 05, 2024

Developing an Application for Document Analysis with Latent Dirichlet Allocation: A Case Study in Integrated Quality Assurance System

Background As part of the transition of every higher education institution into an intelligent campus here in the Philippines, the Commission of Higher Education has launched a program for the development of smart campuses for state universities and colleges to improve operational efficiency in the country. With regards to the commitment of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges to improve the accreditation operation and to resolve the evident problems in the accreditation process, the researchers propose this study as part of an Integrated Quality Assurance System that aims to develop an intelligent model that will be used in categorizing and automating tagging of archived documents used during accreditation. Methods As a guide in modeling the study, the researchers use an agile method as it promotes flexibility, speed, and, most importantly, continuous improvement in developing, testing, documenting, and even after delivery of the software. This method helped the researchers design the prototype with the implementation of the said model to aid the file searching process and label tagging. Moreover, a computational analysis is also included to understand the result from the devised model further. Results As a result, from the processed sample corpus, the document labels are faculty, activities, library, research, and materials. The labels generated are based on the total relative frequencies, which are 0.009884, 0.008825, 0.007413, 0.007413, and 0.006354, respectively, that have been computed between the ratio of how many times the term was used in the document and the total word count of the whole document. Conclusions The devised model and prototype support the organization in file storing and categorization of accreditation documents. Through this, retrieving and classifying the data is easier, which is the main problem for the task group. Further, other clustering, modeling, and text classification patterns can be integrated into the prototype.

Level-8 Ph.D. Programs In Medical Sciences: High Time For The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Of Pakistan To Establish A Medical Wing

Level-8 Ph.D. Programs In Medical Sciences: High Time For The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Of Pakistan To Establish A Medical Wing

The Research Growth Rate (2019-2020) of Forty Countries in the Field of Earth and Planetary Science Research

The project is designed to explore the research output of the world’s top forty countries in the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences from 2010 to 2020. The data in the field of earth and planetary sciences for each country was retrieved from Scopus. Based on the number of publications (in 2020), the top three most productive countries are China (n = 39236), United States (n = 27889), and United Kingdom (n = 10784). However, based on the growth rate (for 2019-2020), the top three countries are Pakistan (n = 38.86), Indonesia (n = 31.36), and Finland (n = 22.00). In 2013-14 and 2010-11, Pakistan was in the 3rd position. While for the years (2015-2018) Pakistan occupied the 2nd position. This motivated us to decode the research productivity of Pakistan since independence (1947). The total number of publications was found to be 4972, where 8814 authors and 10445 institutes significantly contributed. The University of Peshawar was the most productive university with 584 publications. Pakistan produced 90.50 % (n = 4500) publications in the 21st century (after 2000). The astonishing growth could be attributed to several reasons, for example, the establishment of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, Pakistan, an increase in total expenditure on higher education, an increase in international collaboration, etc. At the same time (in 2020), Pakistan has a meagre global share of only 0.178 % (total global production is 2,790,854). This confirms that significant measures are needed to increase the overall productivity (both the number and quality of research publication.

Instructional Strategies for TEFL Online Learning

The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has led to the closure of educational institutions around the world, prompting the exploration of instructional strategies for online teaching in higher education. This case study develops effective online teaching methods without compromising the quality of student learning. Ideas for online education in developing countries, including maintaining the voice of the instructor, practicing vocal functions, and sharing resources before class, are considered. These strategies support improved student learning, with suggestions for collaboration between the Higher Education Commission and the telecommunications industry to address internet issues. Factors such as student feedback, flexible teaching and grading policies, and support from teaching assistants, play an important role in improving distance learning. TEFL certification is becoming an important component in job applications for teaching English abroad, offering the ability to teach English as a foreign language in various countries.

Online information retrieval self-efficacy of library professionals: a predictor of patrons’ satisfaction in university libraries

PurposeThe primary purpose of this study was to check the online information retrieval self-efficacy among library professionals in predicting the satisfaction of patrons within universities’ libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe study was grounded on Bandura four sources of self-efficacy, encompassing mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion and physiological states. To accomplish this, a meticulously designed questionnaire was administered to collect data from library professionals employed in universities libraries recognized by the Higher Education Commission in Punjab and capital city of Pakistan (Islamabad). Following by the validation of assumptions, researchers conducted a multiple linear regression test to predict the outcomes of the dependent variable by using the independents variables. Additionally, a comparative evaluation was carried out among all the independent variables to determine their respective contributions to satisfaction of library patrons.FindingsThe results emphasized the distinct and substantial significance of three variables, physiological states, social feedback and mastery experience in predicting the satisfaction of library patrons. Nevertheless, vicarious experience did not demonstrate a significant influence on the satisfaction of library patrons. Furthermore, influence of physiological states on the improvement of library patrons’ satisfaction was relatively higher compared to other three self-efficacy sources. In conclusion, research established the essential role of online information retrieval self-efficacy in enhancing the satisfaction of library patrons.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study can form a solid basis for devising academic programs to train the library professionals for effective utilization of various information systems and databases. These programs play an important role in improving the self-efficacy of library professionals, ultimately refining their skills in online information retrieval.Originality/valueIn essence, this study provides insights into the factors which are pivotal in effective information searching process, ultimately leading to increase the satisfaction level of library patrons which has not been previously researched in Pakistan as well as the world context. Moreover, the study significance lies in contribute to academic discourse, its potential to transform and promote the library services and as well as empower library professionals in delivering the satisfying and efficient experience for library patrons in the current digital age.

Impact of Teachers’ Competency in the Students’ Academic Satisfaction in STEM Subjects at the University Leve

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of teachers’ competency on the students’ academic satisfaction in STEM subjects at the university level. A positivist research philosophy was applied. Therefore, survey research was used. A sample of 372 participants (83 teachers and 289 students) was selected by using a stratified sampling method. Tow instruments were used. Teachers’ competency scale was used for data collection from teachers whereas the Students’ satisfaction scale was used for data collection from students in STEM subjects. Instruments were validated by experts at Gomal University whereas reliability was measured through Cronbach’s Alpha. The reliability of teachers’ competency and students’ academic satisfaction scale was estimated at .843 and .789 respectively. Pearson Product Moment Correlation, linear regression, independent sample t-test, and ANOVA were used. The study concluded a positive correlation between students' satisfaction and teachers' overall skills. Student satisfaction is the term used to describe the positive feelings that students have about their education. Teachers' competencies are one of the key factors that impact students' satisfaction among other factors. The study recommended that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) arrange a workshop to uplift the teachers’ competencies in STEM subjects.