University Instructors Research Articles

Language Learning Outcomes in on Ground Vs. Online Settings: Comparison and Correlation

ABSTRACT While the effectiveness of online instruction has been well established, there remains a limited understanding of the correlation between language skills and performance across various instructional sections. This study investigates the language proficiency outcomes of college students in online and on-ground language instruction, focusing on four essential language skills: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Data were collected from students enrolled in third-semester language courses in French, German, Italian, and Spanish during the Spring semesters of 2019 and 2021 with on-ground and online instruction respectively in a public university in the United States. Descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and pairwise correlation analysis were used to analyze the students’ performance in both modalities. The results indicate that students generally outperformed in the online modality, demonstrating a significantly higher positive correlation range compared to on-ground instruction. This finding suggests that multi-modality language instruction has the potential to foster more integrated and cohesive language proficiency development. The implications firstly show the positive correlation range in the online modality indicates that college instructors may be more capable of implementing effective online teaching methods due to various reasons. Secondly, college students’ potential for self-directed learning in the online setting may contribute to their enhanced outcomes. However, the study also reveals challenges for less taught languages, such as the need for additional support in terms of resource curation and networking opportunities for instructors.

Comparative study of funding sources for faculty development following COVID-19 in China and the United States

In the post-epidemic era (COVID-19) context, funding university faculty development in China and the United States faces severe challenges. From the perspective of government education grants and social donations from foundations, except for top-ranked universities, most universities have faced increasing difficulties in financing faculty development. In this context, the U.S. government and U.S. universities have promoted university–enterprise cooperation for a long time, and faculty research teams independently seek enterprises’ financial support. These efforts have effectively alleviated the problem of insufficient funding for faculty development. In doing so, these cases provide a valuable example for the funding of faculty development in China. Universities, businesses, and local governments should think about “directed cooperation subjects” from the standpoint of funding units. As a result, university instructor growth will be accomplished through a progression from “money” to “win-win cooperation” and ultimately “wisdom.” As a result, long-term collaboration is required between local governments, businesses, and academic institutions. Moreover, there are two aspects to cooperation between local governments, businesses, and academic institutions. First, collaboration tends to be closer when economic conditions are better; conversely, cooperation tends to be lower when conditions are worse. Second, cooperation is more likely when the program has greater influence.

Using Self-assessment Tools to Enhance English Language Skills in an Online Learning Environment

Self-assessment is considered one of the formative assessment tools, and it is helpful for teachers and students. The instructors use self-assessment to track students’ progress in lessons, while the students use it to identify their strengths and weaknesses and learn how to overcome the points of weakness in their learning. This study examines the impact of using self-assessment strategies to enhance English language skills in the online learning environment. Therefore, this study is significant as it investigates the advantages and efficacy of self-assessment tools for improving English language proficiency in an online learning setting. This research paper is trying to answer the main question which is to what extent using self-assessment tools could improve learners’ English language skills in the online learning environment. The current study has followed a qualitative research method to explore the instructors’ perspectives towards the self-assessment tools used to evaluate learners’ performance. The research instrument comprises semi-structured interviews conducted with six university instructors from three universities in the United Arab Emirates. The findings revealed the positive outcomes of the self-assessment tools by indicating progress in students’ performance in English language skills. These findings will be used to provide recommendations that may inspire teachers to adopt practical self-assessment tools in lectures

Unveiling the Dynamic Landscape of Job Satisfaction: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Teachers in Public and Private Colleges

Workplace satisfaction plays a crucial role in enhancing job performance and overall productivity. This study aimed to investigate and compare the factors influencing job satisfaction among private and public college teachers in District Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan. The research focused on understanding the distinct elements contributing to job contentment within these educational sectors. The study population encompassed all private and public college teachers in District Bhakkar. A sample of 346 college instructors participated, comprising 201 from public colleges and 145 from private colleges. This quantitative research utilized a self-developed questionnaire employing a 5-point Likert scale to collect primary data. The findings revealed a notable difference in job satisfaction levels between public and private college teachers. Public college teachers reported higher levels of satisfaction in areas such as job autonomy, respect, recognition, salaries, personal growth, promotions, and job training, compared to their counterparts in private colleges. Interestingly, there was no significant disparity in job satisfaction perceptions between male and female college teachers. Based on these results, it is recommended that initiatives be undertaken by owners or management of private colleges to enhance teachers’ self-recognition, respect, job autonomy, salaries, rewards, personal growth and development opportunities, promotions, training provisions, and job security. Such measures can potentially improve overall job satisfaction among private college teachers, consequently enhancing their performance and job engagement. Keywords: Job Satisfaction, Intrinsic Factors, Extrinsic Factors, Education, Job Satisfaction Scale, Teacher, Student

Enhancing University Students' Motivation in Basketball Courses through Tactical Games Model.

As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, universities face challenges such as diminished student physical fitness and a decreased interest in physical education courses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the tactical games model (TGM) in enhancing university students' motivation in basketball courses, using a comparison control group taught using the direct instruction model (DIM). Additionally, this research delves into the motivational dynamics explained by self-determination theory, aiming to identify key factors influencing student engagement and participation. A total of 141 sophomore university students were analyzed and divided into an experimental group (68 students) and a control group (73 students). The participants engaged in an 8-week teaching intervention program. To assess motivation, the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) was administered both before the start and one week after the conclusion of the intervention. Differences in motivation and subscale scores between the TGM and DIM groups were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results of the study demonstrated that the TGM significantly enhanced university students' motivation (SDI: F = 6.949; p = 0.009; η² = 0.049). Furthermore, TGM enhanced scores on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation sub-scales more effectively than the DIM. These findings advocate for the adoption of TGM by university instructors as a potent tool to elevate student motivation, emphasizing the importance of focusing on both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational elements within physical education programs.

Orientaliści i orientalistyka w międzywojennym Wilnie (1920–1939)

In interwar Poland, academic Oriental studies developed in three distinct centres, although the Orientalist community remained decentralized. In Vilnius, several scholars in this field were active and conducted both research and instruction of Oriental languages. Among them were Poles, Jews, Karaites and Tatars. Professionally, they were also diverse, including linguists, biblical scholars, Palestinologists, museologists, lecturers, and rabbis. Their academic pursuits encompassed religious studies, Semitic studies (with a focus on Hebrew), Ancient Eastern philology, Sanskrit, Ottoman Turkish studies, Turkish dialectology, Karaim studies, and ethnographic studies of the Polish Orient. In terms of education, they were involved in both school and university instruction, teaching Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish, and Karaim. Noteworthy figures among these scholars in Vilnius included: Antoni Cichoński, Zofia Dubińska, Aleksander Dubiński, Dawid Neiger, Paweł Nowicki, Jan Otrębski, Seraja Szapszał, Jakub Szynkiewicz, Franciszek Tyczkowski, Bolesław Wilanowski, Ali Ismaił Woronowicz, Ananiasz Zajączkowski, and Włodzimierz Zajączkowski, along with Władysław Zimnicki. However, the research on Jewish, Tatar (Quranic) and Karaim education in Vilnius remains scant. Beyond scholarly and pedagogical pursuits, Orientalist activities in Vilnius extended to numerous institutions, including the Jewish Library, the Karaim and Tatar Museum, and various associations (including the Polish Oriental Society). Moreover, the city served as a hub for many periodicals, such as “Myśl Karaimska,” “Rocznik Tatarski,” “Życie Tatarskie,” as well as many Jewish magazines. Vilnius also hosted two Congresses of Polish Orientalists (in 1932 and 1937).

A Model for Alleviating Work Pressures and Enhancing Teachers’ Resilience

Teaching is a complex task that requires knowledge of what to teach, how to teach it, and how to cope with educational challenges. To perform their duties effectively, teachers’ mental well-being and inner states are essential. This study aims to define teacher resilience, give examples of the stressors and challenges that EFL/ESL college instructors face and the factors that lead to attrition and burnout. It also aims to propose strategies for coping with negative stressors. Results of a survey with a sample of EFL/ESL college instructors at five higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia who teach language, linguistics, translation and interpreting courses to undergraduate students showed that they face intellectual, emotional, and service-related stressors and challenges that impact their well-being and effectiveness such as high workload, limited support, meeting deadlines, managing their time effectively, students’ behavior and attitudes, classroom management and health concerns, financial and economic issues, balancing their work and personal, and lack of support and recognition. In addition, some instructors complained of lack of motivation and enthusiasm, fatigue, headaches, irritability, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating. To combat stress, mental and emotional challenges that some instructors face, this study proposes some coping strategies based on the principles of positive psychology to help foster teacher resilience, maintain a strong and effective teaching workforce, and empower educators to thrive in their profession. These coping strategies cover psychological, pedagogical, interpersonal, and pragmatic aspects such as identifying the signs of stress, prioritizing self-care and well-being, setting achievable goals, time management and organization, embracing flexibility and adaptability, adopting a positive mindset, classroom management techniques, advocating for resources and support, attending professional development workshops, building/joining a strong support network, collaborating with other colleagues to share ideas and strategies, reflecting on and assessing their teaching practices, practicing mindfulness, quick relaxation techniques, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, listening to music, regulating emotional responses, and celebrating small wins. The coping strategies posed herein are described in detail.

Predatory Journals and Afghan University Instructors; The Extent of Usage, Factors and Impact- Acknowledging Authors to Manage Their Publication Process

Purpose: As specialists having seen that a large number of Afghan authors throw their hard work and efforts into a trash along with an exuberant amount of their money, we conducted this study to find the root causes of predatory publishing among Afghan university instructors. Methodology: looking at the type of research problem we adopted survey design. We administered a Google Forms survey questionnaire containing both close and open ended questions to which 230 Afghan university instructors responded. Findings: The results demonstrated that a large number of Afghan university teachers get published in predatory journals for several reasons. These instructors (2.83) heavily relied on their guide teachers’ and colleagues, thus made publications based on their order or recommendation. Others (3.4) had no idea how to spot or what to do to identify predatory journals. Among them some (3.17) were either pushed or compelled themselves to publish perpetually. A number of theses teachers (3.39) knew not about predatory publishing, especially new recruited ones. Others (3.52) found it difficult to distinguish between authentic and predatory journals and a small number of them (3.65) could not afford the publication fees required by high standard, reputable journals. Theoretical framework: As indicated we first identified themes and then conducted survey to find evidence for accepting or rejecting them. The existing theories were further explored through the study. Implications: the study opens the gate for further studies and actions needed by practitioners especially calling on officials at the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan to prevent predatory publishing. Value: Not only will this paper inform policy makers and practitioners to take steps but will also help authors get aware that a work can be invalid and be cautious. Limitations: This study only provides the extent, impact and reasons of predatory publishing by Afghan authors and beware them of the danger. Therefore, further study, in particular, action study is needed in their own language to help them be able to manage their scholarly publications.

Embedded monitoring system and teaching of artificial intelligence online drug component recognition.

Drug testing has many test elements. It aims to prevent unqualified drugs from entering the market and ensure drug safety. The existing artificial intelligence (AI) online monitoring system identifies active ingredients in the process of use. Owing to their openness, data are easy to be lost, failing to meet user needs and inducing a specific impact on the use of the monitoring system. With the continuous development of computer and measurement technologies, various biochemical data are increasing at an unprecedented speed, and numerous databases are emerging. Extracting patterns from considerable known data and experimental facts is an essential task for a wide range of biological and chemical workers. Pattern recognition is one of the essential technologies for data mining. It is widely used in industry, agriculture, national defense, biomedicine, meteorology, astronomy, and other fields. To improve the effect of the online drug ingredient recognition system, this study used AI to design an online drug ingredient recognition-embedded monitoring system and applied AI to the teaching field to improve teaching efficiency. First, this study constructed the framework of the AI online drug ingredient recognition-embedded monitoring system and introduced the process of online drug ingredient recognition. Then, it introduced the pattern recognition method, constructed the pattern recognition system, and presented the pattern recognition algorithm and the algorithm evaluation index. Afterward, it used pattern recognition to conduct a qualitative analysis of the infrared spectrum of drug components and introduced the overall process of the qualitative analysis. In addition, this study employed AI to implement changes to the embedded system instruction in colleges and universities, summarizing the current issues. The impact of drug component recognition and the educational impact of embedded systems were investigated in the experimental portion. The experimental findings demonstrated the excellent accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Matthew correlation coefficient of the online drug component recognition-integrated monitoring system in this work. Compared with that of other systems, its average drug component recognition accuracy was above 0.85. Students in five majors reported high levels of satisfaction with the embedded system teaching, which is better for delivering college instruction.

AI Literacy across Curriculum Design: Investigating College Instructor’s Perspectives

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent, permeating various aspects of and spreading across education. However, a comprehensive understanding of AI applications and how to define AI literacy is under-investigated. On this note, teaching and evaluating AI literacy necessitating educators to integrate it in course content. The implementation and utilization of AI are reshaping college students’ experiences mannerly. A limited efforts have been made to promote artificial intelligence (AI) literacy for individuals at academic institutions. This study aims to investigate college instructors’ perspectives towards AI integration in curriculum design at a higher education institution, Palestine technical university Kadoorie (PTUK). A mixed study approach is utilized with a pre-existing questionnaire containing 14 items in this study and 17 semi-structured interviews. The data were collected from nine different departments at PTUK. The target population consisted of college 176. The results revealed that college instructors are perceiving AI literacy at a weak degree in the curriculum. Three themes merged from qualitative data: positive perspectives, negative perspectives, and willingness of integration of AI literacy across the curriculum. Recommendations include: there is a necessity to incorporate AI literacy curriculum design and in higher education context in different disciplines.

A point contingency increased webcam usage in a university classroom

The use of online instruction has increased substantially in the last few years. An important aspect of remote instruction that has received some attention via survey-based research is student webcam usage. There are few empirical strategies to increase students’ webcam usage. In the present study, we replicated a prior study by providing students with points contingent on webcam usage during remote college instruction. An alternating treatments design was used to assess the influence of the contingent point delivery on webcam usage. Twenty-four undergraduate students in a psychology course participated. The contingency enhanced webcam usage and the points served as effective reinforcers. A simple reinforcement contingency can improve webcam usage in a college classroom, but outcomes can likely be enhanced by including additional antecedent operations.

Do Engineering Instructors Teach Induced Travel? If Not, Why Not?

As travel costs fall with new capacity, the quantity of travel increases. This concept—induced travel—has profound implications but remains unevenly embraced in practice. Do instructors teach it in transportation engineering classrooms? What explains their pedagogical decisions? Interviews with university instructors revealed remarkable variation. Whereas some featured induced travel as a key takeaway, others omitted the idea entirely. Instructors also varied in their willingness to critique standard engineering practices; some were largely uncritical while others sought to “counteract conventional wisdom.” In justifying their choices, instructors offered a range of overlapping concerns. Those who “believed” in induced travel but did not teach it often lacked expertise in the area and were uneasy teaching “soft” concepts. Because teaching was seen as a lower priority than conducting research, instructors had little motivation to overcome those challenges. Instructors also advanced pragmatic concerns about the need to prepare students for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and their careers. Instructors who were more skeptical of induced travel wondered whether seemingly new travel was instead shifted or previously suppressed. Some of these instructors argued that even if new travel was indeed induced, engineers still had a responsibility to accommodate it. Finally, the contested language of induced travel can lead parties to talk past each other. “Believers” and “skeptics” sometimes have more in common than initially thought. However, there are still profound disagreements—about induced travel, standard engineering practices, and indeed the very purpose of engineering. In these debates it will be essential to operate from a shared vocabulary.

Transforming a synchronous community of collaborative critical inquiry into co-performing construction of professional development in education

ABSTRACT This paper reports a university instructor’s critical evaluative rethinking for inspiring teaching and re-development of a course for schoolteacher professional development at times of crisis, from local socio-political movements to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The instructional mode was expected to revitalise schoolteachers’ collaborative critical inquiry in multiple digital realities of a synchronous blended learning community when university campuses and schools were closed during the pandemic. A qualitative case study was adopted to evaluatively, critically, and collaboratively unpack the effects of rethinking in response to the challenge. The participants included the instructor and 25 schoolteachers. The findings highlight the inspired rethinking of synthesising emerging elements of collaborative critical inquiry in connection to the philosophical underpinning and practical structure of the Community of Inquiry framework. The course was innovatively infused with the interdependent presences of the framework towards transactional cycles of professional teaching and learning in the community. This sheds new light on the effects of co-performing construction of teaching towards deep learning experiences on professional development. The main implication of the co-performing construction is trustful cohesion of common professional identity for professional development across educational levels.

Collaborative Action Research in a Northern Early Childhood Educator Program: Professional Learning of Instructors and Interns

This collaborative action research, carried out by early childhood education interns, with the support of their instructor and two university researchers, shows the empowerment of postsecondary students that occurs when they are responsible for designing and implementing research projects tailored to their placement contexts. The early childhood educator interns took up a stance as reflective practitioners who developed professional skills and knowledge in an area that was meaningful to them—teaching young children their Indigenous language. The interns shared responsibility for their learning with their instructor, who was also conducting research into her practice, gathering data to identify the impact of her new teaching approach on interns’ learning. The simultaneous use of collaborative action research methods at the instructor and intern levels provides research-based information for the larger professional field. Additionally, the college instructor and the student interns are positioned as research-practitioners who use action research to support their professional growth.

Multicultural Efficacy Beliefs in Higher Education: Examining University Instructors' Burnout and Mental Well-Being.

Canadian universities are experiencing a dramatic increase in enrollment of students from diverse backgrounds. Evidence suggests many educators are not prepared to teach in multicultural contexts. Educators' lack of preparedness to teach in such contexts may lead them to develop burnout, which can negatively impact their mental and professional well-being. However, self-efficacy beliefs may buffer against job burnout and promote mental well-being. Hence, multicultural efficacy is an important factor for teaching in multicultural settings. In this study, we examined the relationships of multicultural efficacy with university instructors' burnout and mental well-being. A total of 158 faculty and sessional instructors were recruited from four prominent higher education institutions in Canada. The results revealed that multicultural efficacy was significantly related to the Personal Accomplishment facet of burnout and mental well-being, even after controlling variance accounted for by demographics, job-related characteristics, teaching self-efficacy, and colour-blind racial attitudes. These findings indicate that domain specific multicultural efficacy and general teaching self-efficacy are distinct constructs. Further, findings may inform the development of training opportunities and diversity-related workshops to enhance university instructors' awareness of diversity, social justice issues, and multicultural efficacy to better equip them for instruction in multicultural classrooms.

Flipping diverse classrooms

Flipped Classroom is a pedagogical approach in which all or some of direct instruction is moved outside of the face-to-face environment to dedicate more in-class time to ‘hands-on’, experimental and engaging activities. Usually enabled by educational technology, the Flipped Classroom approach draws on the ‘active learning’ philosophy which implies that students must share responsibility for their learning with their instructors, resulting in more impactful learner behaviours. Considering university classrooms are increasingly diverse, with international students forming a significant cohort of learners, instructor perceptions of internationals students in Flipped Classrooms are of interest. This is particularly important because international students, especially those from Asian countries, can be perceived by instructors as ‘passive’ learners’ regardless of students’ actual skills, learning preferences and goals. This presumed ‘passivity’ may clash with instructors’ goals, potentially creating tensions-filled dynamics between instructors and international students in Flipped Classrooms. The proposed article explores university instructors’ perceptions of international students in technology-enabled Flipped Classrooms to understand how these perceptions may influence instructors’ choices for the design of the flip. Findings demonstrate that while some instructors view international students as a barrier to impactful Flipped Classroom, others draw on their classroom’s diversity, using it as a source of inspiration, and designing the flip with international students in mind.

Participatory Arts-based Game Design: Mela, a Serious Game to Address SGBV in Ethiopia

<p>The emerging body of work on participatory game design (PGD) highlights the significance of working with end-users’ voices as the starting point. This is particularly critical in serious games that seek to impact social change in areas such as sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This article, which is based on fieldwork with 16 college instructors in four agricultural colleges in rural Ethiopia, draws together concepts of participatory visual methods (particularly cellphilming), PGD and a game universe perspective to offer an engaging and interactive approach to the design of serious games. We refer to this as ‘Participatory Arts-based Game Design’ (PAGD), an approach that was used to create Mela, a serious game to address SGBV in Ethiopian agriculture colleges. Exploring Mela game’s participatory and engaging design process, this article offers a framework for serious game development to address critical social change issues that go beyond the game itself. It has the potential to not only place the end-users at the centre but to recognize the critical role of engagement and immersivity in a field oriented towards impact and sustainability.</p>

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATIVE DISTANCE LEARNING IN ESP INSTRUCTION

In post pandemic instruction fueled by digital media and technology, distance learning emerges as a powerful opportunity for higher education collaboration. The Directorate of Students’ Learning, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia opens opportunities for universities across Indonesia to have collaborative online learning with those students based on underprivileged regions in Indonesia. This research investigates a case of collaborative online learning project between two universities in East Java and East Nusa Tenggara province with two ESP courses designed collaboratively and implemented with shared classes in online mode. Through this case study, two things are explored during the program: challenges and opportunities in the stage of course development and course implementation. Two course developers, four university instructors, and thirteen selected students from both universities were involved in this study. Data collection combined interviews, virtual observations, and instructional documents. Analysis employed thematic layering and triangulation, revealing challenges in four areas: course development, technology readiness, teaching methods, and student support. However, rooms of improvement are there for more prepared future collaboration. Despite the challenges, collaborative distance learning conducted by both universities can be a lesson to learn for a better online instruction in the future amidst the pluralistic backgrounds of the students and problematic technology support.

Animal Rights in Greece: Legislation and Perceptions

Animal rights are a controversial issue that often causes ethical dilemmas within modern civilization. Philosophical thought plays a key role in this debate, through various theories that put forward the establishment of moral rights to animals. All this is also reflected in the adoption of strict legal frameworks in favor of animal protection throughout the Western world. In Greece, in recent years huge steps have been taken compared to the past and now a fairly strict legal framework has been adopted for the protection of animals (mainly companion animals) but also for the obligations of their owners. Nevertheless, animal abuse in Greece continues almost on a daily basis. To better understand the parameters that determine the human-animal relationship from an ethical point of view, an empirical study was conducted as part of an ongoing research investigating the perception and level of familiarity of university instructors on this topic. Research findings refer to four thematic categories: a) legal framework, b) animal rights-ethics, c) experimental animals, d) technology and animals and show that the academic background of the participants generally does not play a significant role in their answers.

Comparison of self-efficacy among graduate teaching assistants before and after training

BackgroundTeaching assistants (TAs) play a crucial role in pedagogical practices, and the TA training has emerged as a vital strategy for enhancing teaching quality and fostering effective interactions. The self-efficacy of TAs can substantially impact their performance. Nevertheless, little research has focused on the change in TAs’ self-efficacy following their training.MethodsA self-control quasi-experiment was conducted to examine shifts in the self-efficacy of Tas at Peking University before and after their TA training. A questionnaire was used to assess the change, and the reliability and validity of the questionnaire was also calculated. A paired data rank sum test was used to analysis the changes in TA self-efficacy before and after training.ResultsA total of 372 TAs from School of Basic Medicine (N = 173), School of Pharmacy (N = 112), School of Public Health (N = 69), and other schools (N = 18) submitted complete questionnaires. The questionnaire showed a good performance in internal reliability and validity test (Cronbach’s alpha index = 0.906, and KMO value was 0.903). Participants had a median total self-efficacy score of 88 and 85 before and after the TA training, respectively, which shows a lack in the total TA self-efficacy score following the TA training (P < 0.001). TAs who have no desire to becoming a college instructor have a higher self-efficacy when compared to TAs who have expressed neutral attitudes in becoming college instructors.ConclusionThe participated TAs display a lack of self-efficacy after attending the TA training at Peking University. Therefore, it is necessary to establish and strengthen TA’s self-efficacy beyond academic skills when designing and delivering TA training programs at Peking University.