Contemporary Educational Issues Research Articles

Contemporary Issues in Higher Education: Diversity, Inclusion, Management and Governance

Purpose: Teachers, students, and the administration of higher education institutions face a variety of opportunities and challenges as a result of diversity and inclusion. This study looks at diversity and inclusion as a current concern in postsecondary education from the perspectives of instructors, students, and institutional administration. It aims to offer suggestions for dealing with these problems in universities. Higher education institutions are independent and not subject to government oversight in the same manner as public sector organizations, despite receiving significant public funding. The governance, management, and autonomous status of higher education institutions are other topics covered in this work.
 Methodology: This review draws from inclusion theory which has transformed the view on diversity management from preventing discrimination, which suits the moral view on equality as procedural or individual justice, to ensuring inclusion, which fits the moral view on equality as recognition of diversity. The information is based on literature from various sources.
 Findings: This study highlights that diversity and inclusion creates a better workplace for everyone while creating an inclusive learning environment. Good governance assures the quality of decision-making hence promotes effective delivery of educational services in a higher learning institution.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This review article discusses various initiatives, strategies and challenges on diversity and inclusion in higher education as a contemporary issue. The paper also discusses the differences in management and governance as applied in higher education.

Navigating Sustainability: Exploring Multidisciplinary Insights and Innovations in the Asia-Pacific Region

We are pleased to introduce the Special Issue on Sustainability in Asia-Pacific: Multidisciplinary Insights and Innovations, a collaboration between Diversitas Journal, the Asia-Pacific Consortium of Research and Educators, Inc. (APCORE), and Alagoas State University. In the face of increasing environmental challenges, this special issue explores the nuanced complexities of sustainability in the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive exploration of insights and innovative solutions in education, science and technology, humanities, and social sciences. Sustainability, a fundamental concept in contemporary discourse, extends beyond conventional boundaries to encompass various interconnected aspects: environmental, economic, social, and cultural. Amid rapid urbanization, population growth, and climate change, the Asia-Pacific region is a focal point for examining the intricate dynamics between development and sustainability. Under the guidance of Diversitas Journal's Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. José Crisólogo, this special issue presents a diverse collection of scholarship covering a wide range of thematic areas. The research themes covered in this special issue include alternative approaches to education in the new normal, organizational culture in higher education institutions, the COVID-19 pandemic, gender and development, and sustainable practices. These studies provide valuable insights into contemporary issues in education, healthcare, technology, ethics, and sustainable development. They contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the multidisciplinary challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. As we embark on this intellectual journey, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Odilon Máximo, Rector of Alagoas State University, Prof. Dr. Crisólogo, and all those who have shown unwavering dedication and commitment to fostering knowledge exchange and driving positive change through this special issue.

The Contemporary Issues in Chinese Education

Over the past few decades, the Chinese education system has undergone significant changes, influenced by a number of social, economic, and political factors. This paper provides an analysis of contemporary issues in Chinese education, highlighting key challenges and proposing solutions. A major concern is the intense pressure placed on students to excel academically, which results in high levels of stress and mental health problems. A competitive examination system and societal expectations of success are responsible for this pressure. Additionally, the rigid curriculum and emphasis on ranking have been criticized as stifling the development of cooperative and creative skills. It is underway to reform the curriculum and teaching methods, but progress in reducing academic pressure and promoting innovation in education is inconclusive. While Chinese education faces a number of contemporary challenges, efforts are being made to address these challenges and improve its overall quality and equity. It will be necessary to maintain a sustained commitment and implement innovative strategies to achieve meaningful progress over the next few years.

Book Review: Developing Evaluative Judgement in Higher Education: Assessment for Knowing and Producing Quality Work

In the current landscape marked by the emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), our educational methods and assessment strategies are confronting unprecedented challenges. A prevailing worry centers on the possible erosion of a vital educational endeavor – the cultivation of evaluative judgment. This concern stands out as one of the most significant issues in contemporary education, as the insufficiency of students’ ‘capability to make decisions about the quality of work of self and others’ (Tai et al., 2018, p.471). To elucidate the concept of evaluative judgment, this volume, edited by Boud and colleagues, stands as the inaugural work exclusively centered on the theory and practices pertaining to this subject. The book is structured into four sections, including ‘conceptualising evaluative judgement’, ‘alternative theoretical perspectives on evaluative judgement’, ‘approaches to developing evaluative judgement’, and ‘evaluative judgement for practice and work’.

AACP’s Strategic Commitment to Improving Pharmacy Education: Past, Present, and Future

Since its founding in 1900, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) has been focused on quality pharmacy education. As the Association and its institutional and individual members now consider contemporary issues in education, such as competency-based education, it is important to continue their collective work in the context of AACP’s enduring mission: to advance pharmacy education, research, scholarship, practice, and service, in partnership with members and stakeholders, to improve health for all. While language, labels, and strategies evolve over time and across significant changes in social, economic, political, and health care environments, AACP’s commitment to quality in education has been and must continue to be unwavering. Constraints and challenges perceived in the short term should not deter deliberate and strategic quality improvement efforts over time and in the longer term. AACP’s 2021–2024 Strategic Plan, entitled Preparing Pharmacists and the Academy to Thrive in Challenging Times, acknowledges the need to prepare pharmacists for seemingly constant change in the health care environment.

A Former Principal’s View and Experience of the Ministry of Education’s Involvement in Contemporary Education Issues in New Zealand

This commentary provides a former principal’s perspective on contemporary educational issues and the role of the Ministry of Education in addressing these. In the author’s experience, when the Ministry of Education works with principals, positive changes have begun to happen, although often not to the stage of embedding these changes. Problems can emerge when the Ministry of Education makes decisions without involving the sector.

Using Learner Logs to Enhance Metacognition in Two Teacher Education Courses

This paper shares reflections from an empirical study on the experience of using Pintrich et al.’s (1991) Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and learner logs to strengthen metacognition and self-regulated learning in students enrolled in two education courses: a) an educational foundations course, which focuses on critical and contemporary issues in education, and b) a mathematics course for elementary education majors, which studies geometry. Student reactions as well as the qualitative benefits and drawbacks of these tools are also shared. In addition, important pointers are highlighted in the following areas: designing pre-class work, providing feedback on the MSLQ, and using the MSLQ results to generate learner log prompts.

Isu Kontemporer Pendidikan Islam dalam Peningkatan Kurikulum (Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka di Madrasah)

Islamic education must be taught to the younger generation, especially Muslims, so they grow to be good members of society. When it comes to issues such as curriculum development and education renewal, learning studies play an important role to be carried out to raise the effectiveness of Islamic education in Islamic educational institutions such as Madrasah. 
 This research was conducted using the library research method (Library Research), curriculum development is one of the contemporary issues in Islamic education, the question arises whether contemporary issues of Islamic education in the implementation of independent curriculum activities in madrasah are needed.
 This paper also explains what and how scope the implementation of the independent curriculum is implemented in Madrasah and the renewal of the curriculum imposed by the government should be able to make Madrasah more independent in management and learning. The increase of activity and creativity of students in groups could build a sense of working together according to the indicators in the pancasila profile on independent curriculum.

Establishing Philosophy for the Development of School Curriculum

This paper is an attempt to explore the guidelines for establishing philosophy for school curriculum development. It is a theoretical article that consulted several philosophies, theories, books, and research articles to understand multiple realities and issues of philosophy concerning curriculum development. The data collection and analysis were organized with global themes that emerged through the review of different literature. The paper has analyzed that the curriculum development process required a particular process rather than employing an established philosophy. The curriculum depends upon what society has understood about education and should be designed upon building such society which the society aspires to transform into. The legal and political system, educational philosophies, global and local philosophical perspectives of curriculum development, curriculum conceptions, and contemporary educational issues are the major influencing factors to ponder upon for developing a philosophy of school curriculum.

Spotlight on the December 13 Issue

![Graphic][1]</img>#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that examines the association of striatal dopamine depletion pattern and white matter networks in Parkinson disease; another investigates the prevalence and patterns of interfacility transfers after seizure-related emergency department visits. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research article presents a progress report of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's 2021–2026 Strategic Plan. ### Longitudinal Brain Atrophy Rates in Presymptomatic Carriers of Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia ![Graphic][2]</img> Identifying the timing of brain changes in genetic frontotemporal dementia (FTD) may improve diagnostics, care, … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif

Spotlight on the June 14 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that examines the association of race and ethnicity with stroke mortality among patients with different stroke types; another investigates the association of particulate matter and stroke fatality. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research highlights health disparities experienced by African American patients with multiple sclerosis. ### Brain Metabolism Related to Mild Cognitive Impairment and Phenoconversion in Patients With Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ![Graphic][1]</img> The authors of this prospective longitudinal study investigated the … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Spotlight on the June 7 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that reviews the safety and efficacy of l-arginine use to treat stroke-like episodes in people with mitochondrial disease; another examines whether the children of women who use serotonergic antidepressants during pregnancy are at higher risk for neonatal seizures and epilepsy. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research article identifies obstacles to parental leave for neurology residents and suggests solutions. ### The Cerebral Collateral Cascade: Comprehensive Blood Flow in Ischemic Stroke ![Graphic][1]</img> This multicenter retrospective … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Spotlight on the May 31 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that examines health-related quality of life in people with Parkinson disease; another explores trends in outpatient depression treatment for individuals who have had a stroke. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research article reports neurology residents' survey responses regarding their fellowship application experiences. ### Association Between Semiology and Anatomo-Functional Localization in Patients With Cingulate Epilepsy: A Cohort Study ![Graphic][1]</img> Cingulate epilepsy (CE) is extremely difficult to diagnose. Researchers reviewed 122 seizures in 57 … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Analysis of Transforming Pedagogy and Learning Outcomes

This paper aims on research how does transforming pedagogy improve student's learning outcomes to face contemporary educational issues. And it applied the method of comparison analysis to figure out the difference between innovation transforming pedagogies and traditional educational approaches.

Spotlight on the April 26 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that examines the causes and outcomes of stroke in patients with renal impairment; another investigates the risk of sudden death or arrhythmias in patients taking lamotrigine. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research provides a framework for implementing the American Academy of Neurology’s 2018 Practice Guideline on disorders of consciousness. ### Cerebrovascular Reactivity Across the Entire Brain in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy ![Graphic][1]</img> In this cross-sectional study, cerebrovascular reactivity … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Comparative Perspectives on the Role of National Pride, Identity and Belonging in the Curriculum

In this Special Issue, Comparative Perspectives on the Role of National Pride, Identity and Belonging in the Curriculum, Pedagogy and Experience of Higher Education, papers explore how contemporary issues in democratic education play out in higher education curriculum policy, pedagogy, and the student experience within and across different national contexts [...]

Spotlight on the March 8 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that investigates the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with symptoms of depression after a stroke; another examines the association between flavonoid intake and the risk of mortality in people with Parkinson disease. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research article envisions what the US health care system will look like in 2035. ### Clinical Outcome After Endovascular Treatment in Patients With Active Cancer and Ischemic Stroke: A MR CLEAN Registry Substudy ![Graphic][1]</img> This study … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Spotlight on the February 22 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that examines the association between COVID-19 and risk of acute ischemic stroke; another investigates whether epilepsy type, seizure location, and medications influence seizure frequency during pregnancy and postpartum. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research article explores strategies to generate more interest in neurology among undergraduate neuroscience students. ### Prevalence and Significance of Impaired Microvascular Tissue Reperfusion Despite Macrovascular Angiographic Reperfusion (No-Reflow) ![Graphic][1]</img> The no-reflow phenomenon refers to persistent tissue hypoperfusion despite macrovascular reperfusion after a successful thrombectomy. … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Opportunities for the development of professional skills for undergraduate civil and environmental engineers

ABSTRACT Employability and skills development are contemporary issues in higher education. For vocational-professional disciplines, such as engineering, the signature pedagogy directs teaching and learning towards acquiring scientific knowledge. Engineering employers have called for graduates to be more work-ready and trained in team-working, communication and other professional skills. These skills can be developed and assessed within curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular settings. We consider how a sample of undergraduate civil engineers (N = 58) perceive the contribution of the above activities on the development of six professional skills (Problem-solving; Planning; Leadership; Team-working; Self-confidence; Resilience). Embedding these skills within curricular activities offers the greatest potential for helping all students improve their employment prospects. Finally, we make suggestions for improving the deployment of professional skills in our four undergraduate programmes, and higher education institutions in general.

Spotlight on the February 8 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This Week This issue features an article that examines regional and ethnic differences in stroke incidence among young adults; another investigates the effect of formaldehyde exposure on cognition. A featured Contemporary Issues in Practice, Education, & Research article discusses the future role of artificial intelligence in neurologic practice. ### Characterization of Subarachnoid Hyperdensities After Thrombectomy for Acute Stroke Using Dual-Energy CT ![Graphic][1]</img> Using postinterventional dual-energy CT, researchers investigated the prevalence and clinical relevance of subarachnoid hyperdensities (SA-HD) seen after mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif