Higher Education Institutions In Israel Research Articles

"Now you see me, now you don't": why students avoid turning on their cameras in synchronous online lessons?

ABSTRACT One of the phenomena that lecturers who switched to online distance learning during COVID-19 reported is the refusal of students to turn on their cameras during online classes. This study aimed to examine the factors that predict the opening of cameras in class. The study examined this issue regarding three types of predictors: resistance factors, learning environment factors, and personal factors. The population included 205 students from higher education institutions in Israel who studied online during the COVID-19 period. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings show that camera opening among students during academic classes is indeed relatively low and only partial. The study also revealed four rejection factors to turning on cameras and personal characteristics, such as gender and self-image, that predict students’ rate of turning on cameras. However, the more the lecturers demanded to open cameras, the higher the students’ responsiveness, and the smaller the classroom, the greater the willingness to turn on cameras. Finally, the findings may help lecturers better understand the students’ perspectives of camera use in online classes and develop effective strategies to increase turning on cameras by students.

Students’ Attitudes to Online Learning by Means of Zoom in the Period of the COVID-19 Crisis

This study examined students’ attitudes to characteristics of learning in Zoom, attitudes to the quality of teaching in Zoom and ways of learning, about a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. The aim of the current study was to examine, What are students’ attitudes to the characteristics of learning in Zoom, the quality of teaching in Zoom and ways of learning in Zoom? Facilitators, inhibitors, implications and recommendations were identified. The study is a quantitative one, the questionnaire contained closed questions, and 712 students who study in higher education institutions in Israel participated in the study. The findings showed that most students are satisfied with learning in Zoom, and that there was a significant improvement in the students’ attitudes towards learning in Zoom during their studies in the Covid-19 period. It was found that older students have more positive attitudes towards learning in Zoom, and learning disorders are connected to more negative attitudes towards learning in Zoom; however, there was also an improvement in the attitudes of students with learning disorders, during their learning experience in the COVID-19 period.

The degree of implementing total quality management (TQM) standards in Arab minority higher education institutions in Israel

The purpose of this article is to identify the degree of implementing TQM standards in the Arab Minority Higher education institutions in Israel as perceived by lecturers and administrators. The article also aimed at identifying the impact of gender, education, job title, job position, years of experience, and in which faculty members and administrators applying TQM standards. Results revealed that Arab higher education need more involvement and decentralization in decision making. The Arab higher institutions need to rely on scientific mechanisms to check efficiency of the lecturer's staff on both scientific and professional levels. Also, there were significant differences that were attributed to the effect of the variables of gender, job position, and specialization, while there were not any significant differences that can be attributed to the effect of education, job title, and years of experience.

Labor market facing higher education surplus, trends and solutions (the case study of Israel)

Annotation: Since the 1990s, the government has increased outputs from higher education institutions in Israel, by increasing public funding for these institutions. The policy of increasing output was based on an approach according to which more accessible higher academic education is the key to growth on individual and national levels and narrowing gaps between weak and stronger populations. Added to these national steps, was the introduction of the information revolution and accelerated technological advancements that changed the structure of focus of the employment market in Israel and around the world. These processes even underwent a more aggressive tendentious change after the wave of global quarantines caused by the Corona pandemic. Hence, a negative educational-employment trend started which made education redundant. This article will examine the phenomenon in Israel, looking at what is happening around the world and the author’s proposals for feasible solutions.

The Degree of Using Entrepreneurship Strategies in Higher Education Institutions in Israel from the Viewpoint of Their Employees

This study aimed at identifying he degree of using entrepreneurship strategies in higher education institutions in Israel from the viewpoint of their employees, and to achieve the study objective; the researcher used a questionnaire consisted of (15) items divided into three fields, and it applied to a random sample consisted of (102) employees, during the first academic semester 2020/2021. The study findings showed that the reality of using the strategy of excellence in higher education institutions in Israel from the point of view of its employees came to a high degree, while the reality of using the risk strategy in higher education institutions in Israel from the point of view of its employees came to a medium degree, and the reality of using the innovation strategy in higher education institutions in Israel from the point of view of its employees came to a high degree. Keywords: entrepreneurship strategies , higher education institutions, employees DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-3-10 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Instructional leadership in higher education: The case of Israel

AbstractInstructional leadership demands educational leaders to become intensely involved in improving teaching and learning. While extensive research found this approach to be beneficial in school settings, it was insufficiently explored in higher education. Therefore, the current study explored how Israeli higher education leaders perceive their leadership role in relation to teaching and learning. Participants were 22 heads of departments in higher education institutions in Israel. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews, and analysed in a four‐stage process—condensing, coding, categorising and theorising. Findings indicated that higher education leaders in Israel demonstrated very little instructional leadership, based on three perceptions: regarding the autonomy of faculty members, the low priority of teaching quality in higher education, and the style of teaching required in academia. To enable the borrowing of instructional leadership from the school system context to the higher education context, a customised version of instructional leadership is needed.

The Development of Online Learning in Israeli Higher Education

The COVID-19 pandemic that swept through the world in 2020 and forced the various higher education institutions in Israel and around the world to promptly embrace the online teaching method, placed on the agenda the question of this method’s efficacy as well as deliberations regarding its future implications. The current study reviews the development of online teaching in Israel’s higher education and examines whether this development derives from an organized and well-formulated public policy with a view to the future or is the result of the constraints and various actors within the free market. In addition, the study presents a case study of an academic institution, examining the opinions of students with regard to the benefits and shortcomings of online teaching. The research findings indicate that the development of online teaching in Israel is the result of needs, constraints, and opportunities that emerged in the free market rather than a result of organized public policy by the Ministry of Education and the Council for Higher Education. Consequently, the study presents the various implications of these unregulated developments for the quality of teaching and for student satisfaction. The study illuminates a thorough discussion that should be conducted by movers of higher education and academic institutions concerning a new effective designation of the campuses following the COVID-19 crisis as well as the distinction between virtual and real-life dimensions of academic teaching.

The Influence of Corona Epidemic on Teaching Methods of Higher Education Institutions in Israel

The Influence of Corona Epidemic on Teaching Methods of Higher Education Institutions in Israel

Implicit Theories, Social Support, and Hope as Serial Mediators for Predicting Academic Self-Efficacy Among Higher Education Students

This study examined the predictive role of learning difficulties in the academic self-efficacy of students enrolled in higher education institutions and the serial multiple mediation of inner and external resources. The sample consisted of 2,113 students (age range = 18–35 years) at 25 higher education institutions in Israel. Participants were divided into four groups: (a) 668 typical students (without learning difficulties or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]), (b) 370 students with self-reported but undiagnosed academic difficulties, (c) 372 students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), and (d) 703 students diagnosed with attention-deficit disorders (ADHD). Implicit theories on accommodations, perceptions of social support, hope, and academic self-efficacy were examined. Results demonstrated that students with SLD and ADHD had higher beliefs in the value of expectations, yet they experienced lower levels of academic self-efficacy than their typical peers. These implicit theories did not predict directly the academic self-efficacy, but external resources (perceptions of support) and internal resources (hope) mediated these relationships. The results focused on the accommodations and beliefs in their value for predicting academic self-efficacy, and the importance of social support and hope.

Students Shaping Internationalization in a Conflict-Ridden Society: Experiences of Israeli Teacher Education Colleges

This article focuses on students from two Israeli teacher education colleges serving marginalized communities, both of which participated in a European Union (EU) project aimed at fostering internationalization in higher education institutions in Israel. The study reported focuses on students’ agency in shaping institutional internationalization processes, in particular during their studies but also, as it became apparent, later in their teaching careers following graduation. Moreover, we explore how students’ agency in internationalization is shaped by the conflict and its consequences. Employing a qualitative methodology, we followed six students’ personal and professional trajectories, revealing the nature and scope of their activities and perceptions in light of their proactive role in internationalization in their institutions. We show how life in a conflict-ridden society may prompt proactivity and agency among marginalized students, revealing and discussing the potential transformative nature of students’ agency in internationalization processes. Our findings indicate that institutions can strive to facilitate student agency and utilize it to further develop internationalization within their institutions.

Scientific Advice and Administrative Traditions: The Role of Chief Scientists in Climate Change Adaptation

The role of the chief scientist (CS), a key administrative position in various Israeli ministries, is to fund policy‐oriented research and support evidence‐based decision‐making. Has the CS's role promoted or constrained incorporation of scientific advice regarding climate change adaptation into governmental policy? Have administrative traditions affected the adaptation planning process in Israel? Analysis of documents and 26 in‐depth interviews with key stakeholders sheds light on the ongoing climate change adaptation policy formulation process. Our study reveals that the CS of the Ministry of Environmental Protection functions as a bridge at different interfaces and can be characterized as a boundary worker between institutions. The inherent independence of this position facilitates the CS's ability to initiate, foster, and prioritize complex issues such as adaptation. Our findings further suggest that the perception that Israel has already adapted, or will easily adapt, has negatively affected the adaptation process. 科学建议和行政传统：首席科学家在气候变化适应工作中的作用 首席科学家是以色列各部门的一个关键行政职务, 其具体作用是为政策性研究提供资金, 并支持循证决策。对于有关气候变化适应的科学建议, 首席科学家的作用是促进还是限制了其被纳入到政府政策中？行政传统是否影响了以色列的气候适应规划进程？通过文件分析及与关键利益相关者的26次深入访谈, 笔者揭示了正在进行的适应气候变化政策的制定过程。研究表明, 环保部门的首席科学家在不同的层面上起着桥梁作用, 在不同机构的分界线上工作以彼此连接。该职位的内在独立性能促进首席科学家在发起问题、培养和优先考虑包括适应气候等复杂问题的能力。研究进一步表明, 以色列已经适应了或即将轻易适应某些观点, 而这已经对气候适应过程产生了负面影响。 Asesoria cientifica y tradiciones administrativas: el papel que juegan los cientificos principales en la adaptacion al cambio climatico El papel que juegan los cientificos principales, un puesto administrativo clave en varios ministerios israelies, esta especificamente designado para el financiamiento de investigacion orientada hacia la politica y el apoyo a decisiones basadas en evidencia. ?El papel que juegan los cientificos principales ha promovido o limitado la incorporacion de asesoria cientifica en lo que concierne a la adaptacion al cambio climatico dentro de las politicas del gobierno? ?Las tradiciones administrativas han afectado el proceso de planeacion para la adaptacion en Israel? El analisis de los documentos en 26 entrevistas exhaustivas con partes afectadas clave ilustra el proceso de formulacion de las politicas de adaptacion al cambio climatico actual. Nuestro estudio revela que el Cientifico Principal del Ministerio de Proteccion Ambiental funciona como un puente para diferentes interfaces y puede ser caracterizado como un trabajador limitrofe entre las instituciones. La independencia inherente de esta posicion facilita la habilidad del cientifico principal para iniciar, fomentar y darle prioridad a complejos problemas como la adaptacion. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que la percepcion de Israel ya se ha adaptado, o se adaptara facilmente, y ha afectado negativamente el proceso de adaptacion.

Integration of open educational resources in undergraduate chemistry teaching – a mapping tool and lecturers' considerations

This study examines chemistry lecturers' considerations for using open educational resources (OER) in their teaching. Recent technological developments provide innovative approaches for teaching chemistry and visualizing chemical phenomena. End users' improved ability to upload information online enables integration of various pedagogical models and learning theories. These improvements strengthen the need for up-to-date evaluation tools for educational websites. Building on existing taxonomies, a set of new criteria for the evaluation of online learning materials was developed and used to analyze 100 websites directed towards teaching chemistry. In addition, a questionnaire was circulated among 100 chemistry lecturers from various higher education institutions in Israel, 66 of whom responded. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with 17 of the questionnaire respondents. Our findings demonstrate that most of the chemistry lecturers who were interviewed integrate innovative learning materials such as simulations, videos and exercises found online in their teaching, but do not use web 2.0 that enables content sharing and collaborative learning. With respect to the selection of web-based learning materials, we found that the lecturers interviewed tended to select OER intuitively, mainly considering the reliability of information, pedagogical issues and the visual contribution, while paying less attention to collaborative learning and content sharing.

From marginalisation to integration: Arab-Palestinians in Israeli academia

The Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel, one-fifth of the country's population, has been underrepresented in Israeli institutions of higher education since the establishment of the state. This article focuses on the authors’ shared aim of promoting diversity and multiculturalism in institutions of higher education in Israel. It first introduces Arab marginalisation within Israeli society as a whole. Subsequently, it offers a critical overview of existing data and research on the challenges faced by young Arab-Palestinians in higher education institutions in Israel. Based on this indispensable analysis, which clearly shows the numerous obstacles that await Arab-Palestinians on their path to graduation, the article goes on to suggest some required changes. Presenting some useful policy transformations and courses of action, it subsequently introduces multicultural academia as a better conceptual and practical framework for achieving inclusive education.

Cultural pluralism increases difficulties in learning experiences yet advances identity formation for Muslim Arab female students at higher education institutions in Israel

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how learning experiences are shaped for Arab Muslim women students by the different educational approaches (teaching style, relations with lecturers and types of knowledge) and extent of cultural pluralism in three different higher education (HE) campuses in Israel. Design/methodology/approach – To clarify these issues the authors conducted narrative interviews with 12 Arab Muslim women students in the Hebrew University and in two academic colleges. Significant differences were found in the women's experiences between the university and the two academic colleges. Findings – Arab women had difficulty integrating in the university in contrast to a supportive more familiar environment in the colleges. The different environments also had different implications for the women's identity formation. The findings indicate that since Arab women students have specific needs stemming from their different socio-cultural background, they should be assisted in their integration in academic courses with preparatory instruction and guidance. Originality/value – Implications for minority students in different HE campuses are discussed.

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: Performance and participation in student's experiences

To expand knowledge on the accessibility of higher education to students with disabilities, the study compared 170 such students in higher education institutions in Israel with 156 students without disabilities for formal achievements and overall participation in higher education. Results revealed that academic achievements of students with disabilities were almost as high as those of students without disabilities, and overall students' experiences were similar. But the two groups of students differed in areas of experiences, as did students with various disabilities among themselves. Analysis of the data indicates that students with disabilities invested more time to meet the demands of their studies, participated in fewer social and extra-curricular activities, and used computers and information technology less. Higher education institutes still have a long way to go to reduce the gap in social inclusion of students with disabilities and to adjust academic standards for their needs.

Collapse of Monopoly Privilege: From College to University

This article focuses on the erosion of the monopoly by universities of the higher education system in Israel. The hegemony of the universities, the major player in the academic field, has been shattered by the development of the regional colleges that unsettled the preconceptions concerning the higher education system in Israel, including the goals, student profiles, curricula and organizational structure of the various types of academic institutions. This article examines how colleges and universities, the two major types of higher education institutions in Israel, were affected by enhanced access to higher education in the past decade.