Higher Education Providers Research Articles

Revisiting values in evaluation: exploring the role of values in shaping evaluation practices and their influences on decision-making within English higher education providers

AbstractTheoretical and empirical contributions to research on evaluation have advanced our understanding of how values influence evaluation practice. Yet rather than understand how values shape evaluation and its use, research on the evaluation of widening participation (WP) programmes delivered by English higher education (HE) providers has focused on methodological deficits. Rather, this study explores the complexity of how national policy, organisational imperatives and the individual values of staff responsible for WP within HE providers influence how evaluation is practised and used to inform decision-making. The results of semi-structured interviews with 17 staff members spanning the organisational hierarchy of three diverse English HE providers highlight conflicts between staff values, job roles and responsibilities and espoused organisational values, and how they can influence symbolic and legitimising evaluation practices. Alternatively, at the individual level staff values support the process and instrumental use of evaluation to inform programme improvements. The findings identify implications for how HE providers can shape their evaluation systems, and how staff choose to enact evaluation within their programme areas.

Building Collaborative Innovation Platforms for Engineering Education

The paper discusses the challenges of co-creating a 21st-century engineering, architecture, and urbanism curriculum in Egypt, emphasising the need for collaboration between the government, industry, and higher education providers. The paper aims to overcome barriers in the Government-University-Industry (GUI) nexus to align and enhance the engineering sector's contribution to Egypt's economic prosperity. The study identifies cultural, educational, and structural factors influencing innovation in Egypt and addresses gaps at the national, university, and program levels. The paper highlights the similarities of innovation landscape with the UK. The authors identified, poor communication and alignment between national goals, industrial strategy, and academic research that hinder engineering innovation in Egypt. The research highlights the inflexibility and lack of clarity in the current engineering curriculum, contrasting the evolving demands and advancements in engineering technology. The paper also refers to the UK Apprenticeship Education Programme as a possible model for improving industrial collaboration and discusses its relevance to Egypt's technical education initiatives.

CLOSING THE TALENT GAP: A PROPOSED MICRO-CREDENTIAL MODEL IN MALAYSIAN FORMAL EDUCATION

The global talent gap is a consequence of skills mismatch among job seekers. Although micro-credentials appeared to be a potential solution to narrow the talent gap, it is unclear how they can be effectively implemented in a structured academic pathway. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of a proposed micro-credential model for formal education via the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning Micro-credentials (APEL.M), to support the talent gap challenges faced by companies in Malaysia. The study used a qualitative case study method with data collected mainly from a focus group discussion among relevant faculty heads, administrators, and senior management team members. The findings indicated that despite potential challenges and issues towards implementing the new micro-credential model, the proposed model is significant for policymakers, higher education providers, and industry stakeholders interested in addressing the talent gap and creating alternative pathways to formal academic qualifications.

Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' professional development needs in educational contexts: Exploring the challenge of reflective practice.

This study investigated Iranian, English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' attitudes toward reflective teaching compared with their classroom assessment preferences and up-take of strategy-based instruction. It compared their views in the two key higher education provider contexts of the university and institute. In this cross-sectional correlational study, a total of 90 teachers, half drawn from each university in a major city in Iran, were selected using controlled quota sampling. Data were collected through a four-part survey. Besides gathering demographic data (Part A), the survey drew upon three established instruments that used a Likert Scale format. Part B comprised the Teacher Reflectivity questionnaire, and Part C focused on the Classroom Assessment Preferences Survey Questionnaire for Language Teachers. Also, part D administered the Teachers' Beliefs Inventory for Strategy Instruction. The reliability of this and the CAPSQ-LT was confirmed by the researchers using Cronbach's alpha at 0.842 and 0.951, respectively. A total of 90 questionnaires were distributed, with 72 fully completed (80%) and returned. the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed to analyze the data, using the independent sample t-test and ANOVA. Also, Pearson product-moment correlations were used to measure the association between the variables. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. As shown in findings, a statistically significant and positive correlation was found between the teachers' reflective teaching scores and classroom assessment preference scores (r=0.473, p0=.001). This correlation was moderately high and positive, thus supporting that higher teacher reflective practices reflect a broader application of classroom assessment. The Table also shows that there was no significant correlation between the teachers' attitudes toward reflective teaching and their uptake of strategy-based instruction (r=0.094; p=0.434). Similarly, there was no statistically significant correlation between the teachers' attitudes toward classroom assessment preferences and their beliefs about strategy-based instruction (r=0.038, p=0.752). As shown, no statistically significant difference was observed between the teachers' attitudes toward reflective teaching and their uptake of strategy-based instruction (p<0.05). This study draws attention to the need for teachers in EFL contexts, such as this, to have access to professional development opportunities that deeply engage and guide them to be reflective practitioners who can make the connections between assessment techniques, strategy-based instruction, and students' improved language learning outcomes.

Career change teachers: solving the teacher shortage?

ABSTRACT Teacher shortages are a global problem. One solution to this problem, offered in Australian policy, is the notion of the career change teacher (CCT). This study analyses the responses from 23 teacher educators who were asked what they themselves thought might enable and/or constrain this cohort entering teaching as well as those they saw for the pre-service teachers and the systems of both the university and the school. Data were analysed inductively and then deductively using Margaret Archer’s emergent properties as a robust theoretical frame. Findings highlight the range of programmes, models, and strategies that higher education providers are adopting to support these career-change pre-service teachers. Data suggests that schools are neither able to provide workplace flexibility and support that career change teachers are looking for nor the recognition of their prior skills, expertise, and experience. New approaches for school–university partnerships are suggested to better address some of these issues.

Let the students be heard – student voices on teaching excellence awards

ABSTRACT Globally, academics are encouraged to facilitate teaching excellence. Many business schools use teaching excellence awards to recognize exceptional efforts toward students’ learning, foster pedagogical innovation, and improve faculty motivation. However, prior literature has noted that many business schools lack clear and transparent criteria for TE awards, which can hinder the process and potentially reduce the motivational effects. Research has yet to fully incorporate student voices across a global setting into the evaluation criterion. As a result, this study seeks to identify universal criteria for TE awards based on a large-scale survey of 2,775 business students across eleven countries and five continents intending to capture global student perspectives. First, we reveal whether the possession of a TE award for an educator has any importance from students’ perspectives. Second, we find that students across the globe have a general agreement regarding the criteria for awarding an excellent educator by identifying 30 criteria for TE awards students noted across our global sample. Third, we reveal 15 criteria that are specific to some countries but not globally. Lastly, we explore the differences in TE award criteria across different study levels. Overall, our study makes a significant contribution by identifying global criteria based on student voice to inform the development of teaching excellence award criteria in business education or by higher education providers and professional bodies.

Micro-credentials through the eyes of employers: benefits, challenges and enablers of effectiveness

Purpose This study explores the perceptions of Australian employers regarding the benefits and challenges of micro-credentials within higher education and enablers of their effectiveness.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach that included 11 semi-structured interviews with employers affiliated with an Australian university was used. A deductive thematic approach was employed to analyse the data.Findings Micro-credentials were generally seen to be beneficial for an array of people, including employees, employers, customers and communities – stakeholders in all environmental layers of micro-credentials’ ecological system. Findings also indicated that both challenges of micro-credentials and enablers of their effectiveness depended heavily on attributes of learners, employers and higher education providers. The conclusion is that, based on the evidence of this study, micro-credentials within higher education are worth trialling.Originality/value Although research interest in micro-credentials is growing, few empirical studies have investigated micro-credentials’ benefits, challenges and enablers of effectiveness, especially from the perspective of employers. The study carries practical and policy implications for those involved with micro-credential research and development.

Development of Extemporaneous Compounding as an Initiating Factor in the Transformation of Pharmaceutical Education: International Experience and Current Trends

INTRODUCTION. Currently, stakeholders across the Russian medical and pharmaceutical community are focusing on the restoration of national pharmaceutical compounding. The Russian pharmaceutical compounding market, with its great potential for growth, requires highly qualified professionals able to ensure the operation of compounding pharmacies and the proper quality of extemporaneous medicinal products. The effectiveness of training for such specialists can be improved by analysing the experience of educational institutions in countries with developed pharmaceutical compounding systems.AIM. This study aimed to analyse the distinguishing features of training for pharmaceutical compounding specialists, as well as determine the main trends in pharmaceutical compounding education in leading international academic institutions.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study used methods of logical, comparative, structural, and content analysis. The analysis covered 106 pharmacy and pharmacology curricula of the top-25 higher education providers from the QS World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds. The curricula were analysed using open data published online, particularly, on the official websites of the selected universities.RESULTS. The article presents the distinguishing features of pharmaceutical compounding education at different academic qualification levels; these features include the requirements for applicants, time to degree, competence standards, structure of exams, and specifics of students’ professional engagement, with consideration of the national context. The key trends in the education of specialists in pharmaceutical compounding include a decrease in training time for mid-level specialists; a tendency towards concentrating on clinical disciplines due to the expansion of the roles of pharmacy professionals; a growing focus on specialisation in the areas of paediatric, dental, sterile, veterinary, radiopharmaceutical, and orphan drug compounding; increasing use of simulated practice experiences and online learning technologies; and the development of continuing professional education systems.CONCLUSIONS. Pharmaceutical education programmes of leading international educational organisations include disciplines related to extemporaneous compounding. Current international trends—pharmaceutical education with further specialisation in extemporaneous compounding, integration of simulation technologies and online learning into the educational process, and development of continuing professional education—coincide with the development directions of pharmaceutical education in the Russian Federation. Whereas international pharmacy specialists complete additional professional education programmes to gain an additional specialisation in the extemporaneous preparation of paediatric medicinal products, sterile dosage forms, chemotherapy products, radiopharmaceuticals, veterinary products, and dental products, Russian specialists can acquire these additional competencies through further education programmes at the levels of advanced training and residency.

Tutors’ Responses to Student Disclosures: From “Suicidal Ideation to “Feeling a Little Stressed”

Tutors in higher education are receiving and responding to student disclosures that include racism, anxiety, loneliness, legal disputes, family upheavals, physical, emotional, and mental health, bereavement, legal battles, and harassment. In many cases, this caring aspect of the tutor role is not acknowledged, allocated time in job descriptions, or accurately remunerated. This qualitative study explored how tutors experienced and managed student disclosures, the personal and professional impact of responding to disclosures, and how tutors believed they could be better supported. Data was collected from two cohorts of participants tutoring at a University in Aotearoa New Zealand. using interviews and questionnaires and analysed by reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings showed that our participants believed they were positioned vulnerably between a rock and a hard place. At the rock, tutors were told to follow university guidelines and refer distressed students to over-loaded course coordinators or over-subscribed support services. At the hard place, tutors were often the first to be disclosed to, because of their front-facing positioning at the university and once they had heard the disclosure felt it was unethical not to try and help. Tutors believed they could assist students with personal challenges if their precarious positioning within the university was protected and strengthened and if appropriate support was provided by their university through training, time, and remuneration. Findings have implications for higher education providers to reconsider how tutors are supported to support students.

A qualitative exploration of transitions, compliance, and onboarding challenges for international students in health professional education degrees

Background: Australia provides education services to international students which includes international students completing a health professional education (HPE) degree. Studying for a HPE degree can be challenging for most students. There are specific challenges for international students when completing a degree with clinical placements. The challenges international students can face include receiving adequate and timely information, understanding health service access, and receiving the correct information from education providers and agents. Objectives: To gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges for international health professional education students in accessing healthcare, understanding the requirements of compliance to attend clinical placements and the difficulties with attending clinical placements. Design: A semi-structured interview schedule based on findings from a survey (N = 318 participants) was used to explore international student perspectives in one-on-one interviews. Methods: Data were collected from international HPE students from a single Australian metropolitan multi-campus university using a questionnaire, which included qualitative open-ended questions, in addition to semi-structured follow-on interviews. Data collection took place between March and October 2021 and qualitative data were inductively thematically analysed. Results: Challenges reported in interviews by six international students were focused on understanding the navigation of new administrative systems and compliance processes. Students noted gaps in the communication of understanding legislative compliance requirements to attend clinical placements, difficulties accessing healthcare and making use of overseas student health cover, organisational issues, and transport issues when attending clinical placements. Conclusions: Higher education providers and international education agents must address communication deficits in course requirements linked to clinical placement prerequisites. This study highlights gaps in commencing international students’ understanding, and higher education providers' communication of clear, timely detailed information.

A systematic review of students’ support services provision in higher education (SSSPiHE) in sub-Saharan Africa

A systematic review of students’ support services provision in higher education (SSSPiHE) in sub-Saharan Africa

Making it work in practice: how heads of quality negotiate the third space

Recent decades have seen increasingly complex external regulation applied to higher education providers. This has accentuated the role of heads of quality, who require considerable specialist knowledge and insight to ensure that organisational practices align with regulatory expectations. However, while the existing literature recognises that heads of quality do not perform a uniform role, it does not typically discuss the key organisational features which explain the differences in the role or necessarily position of heads of quality as third space professionals. Drawing on a comparative case study of three universities, the article extends our understanding by confirming that heads of quality can legitimately be termed third space professionals and by showing that heads of quality must navigate their environment in different ways according to the degree of access to the third space offered by their organisation. A more structurally situated explanation of third space activity is thus required. The article also reflects on the tendency to discuss a particular group of third space professionals and to characterise their experience as though it were broadly common. It argues for a more nuanced explanation, taking account of organisational structure as a further variable which may help to explain the experience of the third space professional.

Systematic literature review of online academic student support in higher education

COVID-19 led to an increase in the provision of online higher education courses. Online academic student support is often provided to students to assist them in developing the skills and knowledge to successfully complete their course. However, it remains unclear whether online academic student support in higher education is successful, and if so, what makes it successful. This systematic literature review seeks to provide an overview of research on online academic student support in higher education. Out of 5385 initially identified publications from 2013 to 2022, 12 papers were included for review; seven studies were quantitative and five were mixed methods. The synthesis of the findings reported outcomes on students’ improved engagement, access to support and usage patterns, satisfaction, academic performance, motivation, creativity, self-efficacy, retention or course completion, and social benefits. This range creates a challenge for higher education providers who are considering implementing best practice in the provision of online academic student support in higher education due to the diversity of approaches. Future research, that is methodologically strong, is needed to demonstrate the impact of online academic student support detailing how higher education providers can improve the quality, learning outcomes, and retention

Investigating changes in student mental health and help-seeking behaviour after the introduction of new well-being support services at a UK university.

Growing numbers of students now seek mental health support from their higher education providers. In response, a number of universities have invested in non-clinical well-being services, but there have been few evaluations of these. This research addresses a critical gap in the existing literature. This study examined the impact of introducing non-clinical well-being advisers on student mental health and help-seeking behaviour at a large UK university. Survey data collected pre-post service introduction in 2018 (n = 5562) and 2019 (n = 2637) measured prevalence of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7), and low mental well-being (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), alongside student support-seeking behaviour. Logistic regression models investigated changes in outcome measures. Administrative data (2014-2020) were used to investigate corresponding trends in antidepressant prescribing at the onsite health service, student counselling referrals and course withdrawal rates. Adjusted models suggested reductions in students' levels of anxiety (odds ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96) and low well-being (odds ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.94) in 2019, but not depression symptoms (odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.93-1.17). Statistical evidence showed reduced student counselling referrals, with antidepressant prescribing and course withdrawal rates levelling off. Student perception of the availability and accessibility of university support improved. Our findings suggest a non-clinical well-being service model may improve student perception of support, influence overall levels of anxiety and low well-being, and reduce clinical need. The current study was only able to examine changes over the short term, and a longer follow-up is needed.

The political economy of education: Politician criminality and higher education institutions

This paper establishes the links between politician criminality and higher education provision by studying the causal impact of electing leaders with accusations of serious crimes on the opening of new publicly funded colleges in India. Using a regression discontinuity design with close elections between candidates accused of serious crimes and candidates not accused of serious crimes, I show that constituencies represented by state legislature members accused of serious crimes are less likely to witness openings of new state government funded colleges. Further, this effect is not compensated by openings of new private colleges. This negative impact is higher for constituencies with representatives aligned with the party governing at the state level, confirming the notion that access to power is essential for the ability to influence provision of higher education institutes. Finally, this study provides suggestive evidence that such lower provision of state government colleges is most likely to impact the lowest income groups in society.

How do university students’ personalities affect their engagement, satisfaction, and stickiness toward E-learning?: evidence from Australia

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of e-learning systems worldwide. While much research has explored how learners' personality traits affect their acceptance of e-learning, there's a gap in understanding their readiness to continue using online platforms post-pandemic. This study aims to address this gap by developing a more comprehensive framework for examining the role of the Big -five personality traits in student engagement, satisfaction, and stickiness with e-learning platforms. Data was collected from 403 students across three Australian higher education providers and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that agreeableness and conscientiousness positively influence student engagement, while extroversion and agreeableness impact satisfaction. Furthermore, students' extrovert and conscientious personality traits influence their stickiness towards e-learning. Additionally, student engagement positively correlates with satisfaction, leading to greater stickiness towards elearning. These insights can inform the development of more user-centric e-learning designs and contribute to future research on educational technologies and sustainable user behavior.

Digital equity

ELearning has been touted as the way in which universities can enable participation by large numbers of students from non-traditional cohorts. There is no doubt that the flexibility of access that eLearning allows makes study accessible for a number of cohorts, including those engaged in full-time work or caring duties. However, cohorts such as incarcerated students and other students without Internet access, are sitting on the wrong side of the digital divide and are increasingly marginalised by the very technology anticipated to overcome their exclusion from study. This paper examines the fundamental issues of equity involved with eLearning, and particularly for incarcerated students. The very issue of access to the Internet is fraught with rates of access varying widely between different sectors of society. This discussion prompts higher education providers to think beyond business-as-usual when speaking of increasing participation in higher education.

Implementation of Religious Moderation at Wahid Hasyim University

Higher Education (PT) as a provider of higher education has an important role in efforts to implement religious moderation, unfortunately, in recent years universities have become fertile fields for regeneration of groups that seek to undermine the existence of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). In its implementation, the Ministry of Religious Affairs established a Moderation House in PTKIN, while in PTU there has been no special attention related to this. In particular, this study aims to find out the concept of implementing diverse moderation in Unwahas, which is a PTU under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Research and Technology. This research is a qualitative research using data collection including documents, interviews, and observations. This study found that the implementation of religious moderation at Wahid Hasyim University was carried out in at least two strategic steps, namely through structured and academic programs. The structured program is a program that has been planned and implemented by the Aswaja Center Management and Young Aswaja Activists, Wahid Hasyim University, while academic means through the curriculum of the General Basic Course (MKDU), implemented in the Semester Learning Plan (RPS) of Islamic Religious Education Courses, to Aswajaan, Pancasila and Citizenship and also Compulsory Curriculum Courses (MKWK).

Lost futures: COVID-19 as a crisis of employability for arts and humanities students in the UK

ABSTRACT That COVID-19 impacted the ability of Higher Education providers to furnish students with practical learning experiences is in no doubt. Between 2020 and 21, national and internationally imposed restrictions on in-person activities incurred a dramatic shift towards online learning systems across the globe and the de-prioritisation or adaptation of many employability-based offers for university students. Arguing that these changes disproportionately impacted employability provision for students registered on professionalisation-based Arts and Humanities courses we use the results of 27 semi-structured interviews, conducted with students registered on one of six UK-based museums, curatorial or heritage courses between 2020 and 2021, to explore how COVID-19 manifested as a crisis of employability for these students. Focusing particularly on Mark Fisher’s [2014. Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology & Lost Futures. Winchester: Zero Books] reflections on the psychological and affective impacts of previous international crises (e.g. the 2008 financial crash), we use our analysis to highlight the ways in which employability was felt by our participants during this period through the effects of stagnation, loss and a resistant hauntological presence. Such findings, we argue, are not specific to COVID-19 alone, but are conditional to a more general response to the employability crisis that we suggest has relevance to university educators beyond the UK. Indeed, it is our contention that understanding such global systemic shocks from a student perspective is essential if we are to improve our responses to such crises in the future, and we use this article to urge further reflections on the enmeshment between employability and crisis going forward.

How Do We Decolonise the Social Work Curriculum?

ABSTRACT In recent years, social work educators have raised the need to decolonise the curriculum. This article explores what is meant by decolonising the curriculum, and why just adding some new readings and/or widening the diversity of presenters can result in efforts which are no more than superficial and tokenistic. Rather, decolonising the curriculum requires an openness to learn and unlearn and to put new learning into action, and includes reconsidering the validity of knowledges recognised and taught by higher education providers. Moreover, it requires a vision of what can be achieved and commitment to realise that vision. It takes time to listen to the pain and anger of those who have been colonised, to understand what it is we need to address these emotions, and to not just rush straight into action. Drawing on the international literature on decolonising education as well as writings by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social work educators, this article identified a range of critical processes that may contribute to a decolonised curriculum being realised. This not only includes processes directly associated with pedagogy and student learning, but also the role of institutional processes in supporting or hindering such efforts. IMPLICATIONS Decolonising the curriculum is consistent with a human rights approach to social work. Decolonising the curriculum requires a fundamental rethink about how social work education is provided and what knowledges are privileged. Non-Indigenous social workers can play a crucial role in decolonising the curriculum, providing their efforts are accountable to Indigenous Peoples.