Academic Perceptions Research Articles

English

BACKGROUND The Mini-CEX (Mini clinical examination exercise) is a work place based assessment (WPBA) method used for the assessment of clinical skills. The present study attempts to study the different perceptions of faculty members of clinical and surgical departments in the medical college in using Mini-CEX as an assessment method in undergraduate students. METHODS This was a descriptive study done at Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur for a period of three months.30 faculty members from various departments were requested to conduct the Mini-CEX sessions in their departments and these faculty members were assessed by another Observer from the same department. RESULTS The sample size was thirty. The faculty members with different experience levels were included in the study. They were also the observers mutually. The Mini-CEX was conducted in the hospital premises. The location varied. The duration of the Mini-CEX for a particular skill was noted in minutes. The mean in all 3 skills is around 7.9 with a standard deviation of about 1.2.This shows that the Mini-CEX duration is only about 6 to 8 minutes. The data reveals a mean of 5 minutes with a standard deviation of 1.0 for the feedback session. So in effect the whole session of Mini-CEX was over by about 11 to 13 minutes which is not a lengthy assessment session. 5 point Likert scale was used to analyse the perceptions of the faculty members in the role of examiner and observer as well. The results showed that Mini-CEX is feasible in the medical college setting and can be used for the formative assessment of undergraduate students. CONCLUSIONS Mini-CEX is well appreciated and valued by the examiner for assessment of undergraduate students. Direct observation of medical trainees with actual patients and Mini-CEX during busy clinical postings is feasible with good outcomes. Mini-CEX can be used for the formative assessment of undergraduate students. KEYWORDS WPBA, Mini-CEX, Faculty Perception, Undergraduate Students

Building Educational Research Capacity: Challenges and Opportunities From the Perspectives of Faculty Members at a National University in Oman

The purpose of this article is to explore the perceptions of faculty members regarding research capacity building in the field of Education. It particularly seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with this practice from the perspectives of these members. The study adopted a qualitative research design, using focus group interviews to collect data from a sample of faculty members in the College of Education at a national university in Oman. The results revealed the existence of some challenges that hampered educational research, including time constraints, the lack of a collaborative research culture, the lack of research training, and the absence of a clear research agenda. The analysis also identified a number of capacity building opportunities such as a research-supportive environment, the availability of research funding, and the role of research groups. The study concludes with some recommendations to improve educational research capacity both in Oman and in the Arab region in general.

International Collaboration in the Field of Educational Research: A Delphi Study

(International) research collaboration (IRC) is considered one of the most important aspects of academic careers and, although it is often linked to co-authorship, investigations of academic perceptions and practices are rare. Reflections on factors affecting IRC, as well as effective technology for use in IRC are also now particularly vital, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The aim of this three-round Delphi study, conducted prior to the pandemic, was to explore why and how academics conduct IRC in the field of Education. The results indicate that the benefits of IRC are more relevant than the barriers, and that networking with and learning from others are two of the most important reasons for conducting IRC. Four stages of IRC were identified, alongside a range of influencing factors, which could inform future project management training. Suggestions for institutional IRC policy are provided, as well as considerations for early career researchers.

Compassion in nursing: exploring the perceptions of students and academics.

Compassion is integral to effective nursing practice, yet there is limited empirical research exploring this concept, particularly from a professional perspective. Aim To advance understanding of compassion from a professional perspective, specifically through the perceptions of students and academics from the fields of adult, child, learning disability and mental health nursing. A constructivist grounded theory study was undertaken, and a theoretical sampling strategy was used to guide the selection of appropriate participants. A total of 12 nursing students and eight nurse academics were interviewed to explore their perceptions of compassion in nursing between January and August 2018. The interview transcripts were analysed using grounded theory techniques. Four categories were identified from the interview data: character for compassion, competence for compassion, culture for compassion, and connections for compassion. These categories were interlinked, with each having the potential to influence the implementation of humanising approaches to care, which participants perceived to be fundamental to compassion. Compassion is a complex concept that can be influenced by biological, psychological and socio-contextual factors. Further consideration of these factors is required to support nurses to facilitate compassion through humanising approaches to care. The findings of this study advance the existing evidence to inform future policy, practice, education and research.

The reflexive self; adapting to academic life in a time of social turmoil

ABSTRACT This autoethnographic study explores the lived-experiences and academic perceptions of a first-year non-Lebanese assistant professor working in a private English language university in Lebanon during a period of socioeconomic turmoil. The PI kept an autoethnographic journal throughout the Spring 2020 semester, and data from this journal is triangulated with information from local English language newspapers, documenting key events occurring in Lebanon during this turbulent period. The findings show how the PI found the Spring 2020 semester challenging, struggling to navigate multiple intersecting national crises in conjunction with the demands of transitioning from doctoral studies to academia and forming a coherent academic identity. The author concludes that academic journaling, and the resultant reflexive praxis, were beneficial, helping him to navigate the adverse conditions he faced during the Spring 2020 semester.

Differences between students and professors in difficulty, stress and performance in a nursing Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

The aim of the present research was to analyze those elements could influence on the learning process of the students, and the evaluation process of professors, during the development of clinical practices. For that, we analyze differences on the perception of difficulty, stress, and academic performance between students and teachers in a nursing Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). We analyze the different perceptions in 41 s-year nursing degree students (20.1 ± 2.3 years; 29 females and 12 males) and 21 nursing degree professors (39.1 ± 4.2 years) of the different scenarios that compose the OSCE, that were: BP+EKG, venipuncture, CPR, nutritional assessment, respiratory assessment, mobilization, and interprofessional scenario. After the statistical analysis we found that professors presented higher difficulty perceptions of venopunction, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and nutritional evaluation, as well as higher academic performance perception on all scenarios except nutritional evaluation than students. Students showed higher stress perceptions on venopunction, respiratory evaluation, mobility and interprofessional scenarios, as well as higher academic perception on nutritional evaluation than teachers. Professors presented higher difficulty and academic performance perceptions than students, and stress perception varies depending on the OSCE station between professors and students.

Barriers to Career Progression in the Higher Education Sector: Perceptions of Australian Academics

There are multiple factors that can potentially impact the career progression of academics to professoriate level (referred to as levels D and E in Australia). This research provides a detailed understanding of critical factors (by gender) that negatively influence career progressions. Perceptions of factors that influence career progressions have been found to be more pronounced amongst female academics in STEMM and business disciplines. The conventional view of family commitments as being a hindrance to career progression has not been supported in our data. On the contrary, it is the organizational factors that would appear to be prevalent at an institutional level that seems to be significant barriers to the career progression. Particularly for female academics’ progression to levels D and E. The most prominent factors identified through confirmatory factor analysis conducted in the study are workloads and a lack of resources to undertake research and to generate research performance, which is a critical impacting factor for career progression to professoriate levels. These factors have been exacerbated by COVID-19.

‘Scaling’ the academia: Perspectives of academics on the impact of their practices

AbstractThe pressure on the universities to take a visible place in the rankings has caused anachronistic policies and practices in evaluating the performance of universities. The value attributed to the rankings results in policies prioritizing the criteria imposed by rankings while evaluating the performance of academics, which successively causes several issues in assessing the real impact of the academic practices. Considering these criticisms and concerns about the impact assessment, this study aimed at exploring the perceptions of academics about the impact of their academic practices. Adapting the interpretive phenomenological design, the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 participants from the field of education in five flagship universities of Turkey. The findings of the study revealed that, although impact assessment understanding of the academics and their institutions go parallel with covering the practices around three basic missions of the university, many activities go in between without recognition by the same impact assessment practices. Interestingly, the academics exhibited their commitment to institutional policies in impact assessment practices; however, they exhibit resentment for the same policies due to failing to recognize the localized mission of the university, threatening the deeply rooted values of the academy, fouling the academy with ethical violations, and causing further detachment between academic practices and societal needs. The concerns and criticism of the current impact assessment are likely to alter the priorities of the universities and push them to adapt an impact assessment, which is less relevant to the local needs of their societies.

Percepção dos acadêmicos de Física acerca do ensino remoto na pandemia da Covid-19

The article aims to understand, based on the perception of academics, the obstacles, difficulties and challenges for remote teaching in the Physics course at the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Piauí,Campus de Angical. Therefore, the starting point was to know: What is the perception of undergraduate Physics students about the challenges in remote education in the context of COVID-19? In the search for answers, a case study was outlined with 38 students, with the application of a questionnaire with open and closed questions, which enabled the production of quantitative and qualitative data analyzed based on the theoretical framework that underlies this study. We conclude that the main challenges for remote learning are related to the difficulties of academics in reconciling studies and domestic activities; impacts of social distancing on the emotional, with emphasis on situations such as anxiety, irritation and sadness; lack of access to equipment (computers, smartphone, tablet, etc.) and internet; reconcile work and study; use of technologies and applications related to remote learning, among others. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the support of family members to the connectivity assistance policy as an important factorin overcoming the difficulties faced by students.KEYWORDS: Pandemic.COVID-19.Remote teaching.Physics teaching.

Islands in the stream: Indigenous academic perceptions of Indigenous senior leadership role

ABSTRACT While the number of Indigenous people holding senior positions across the Australian higher education sector is steadily increasing, understanding the value and subsequent contribution of senior Indigenous leaders is an area that has not been investigated in significant detail previously. Commencing in 2018, the Walan Mayiny: Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education project set out to examine the roles and responsibilities of senior Indigenous appointments. This article outlines the value of such positions through centring the voices of Indigenous academic staff. More specifically, findings reported in this article pertain to the perceived value, perceived characteristics and the perceived challenges of Indigenous leadership across the sector. Three sets of values are identified by Indigenous academics to be critical to Indigenous leadership: ‘visibility, voice and advocacy’, ‘decision making and action’, and ‘institutional accountability’. In terms of characteristics, Indigenous academics believe senior Indigenous leaders need to be resilient, be committed to the wider Indigenous community and also have the ability to create and communicate a vision. There are a number of key challenges facing senior Indigenous leaders such as the significant scope of the role, racism, and in some cases the value of the role is not understood and considered tokenistic. Through better understanding the nuances associated with these positions, the sector can best serve Indigenous staff and students, as well as the broader academy.

Evaluating the Limitations to Academic Publishing in The 21st Century: Perception of Communication Academics of Public Universities in South-South Nigeria

Evaluating the Limitations to Academic Publishing in The 21st Century: Perception of Communication Academics of Public Universities in South-South Nigeria

Evaluating the Limitations to Academic Publishing in the 21st Century: Perception of Communication Academics of Public Universities in South-South Nigeria

Evaluating the Limitations to Academic Publishing in the 21st Century: Perception of Communication Academics of Public Universities in South-South Nigeria

Gender Differentials on Information Sharing and Privacy Concerns on Social Networking Sites

This paper undertakes to explore the perceptions of academics regarding information sharing on social network sites (SNS) and related privacy issues. Specifically, the paper was designed targeting academics using SNS to disseminate information and/or for other academic purposes. The paper is based on a mixed method research, the exploratory stage consequential for the confirmatory stage of the research. The findings of the research highly the complex relationships between personal information collection and usage (PICU) factors, personal information control (PIC) factors, and awareness of the effectiveness of privacy policy (AEPP) factors. This culminates in the formulation of a research model based on the theory of reasoned action. Given that the research took place within a context where gender is significant in shaping the worldview of the individual, groups, and society, the paper also seeks to contribute to the existing gender-based narrative on information sharing and privacy issues on SNS, mainly demystifying gender-based stereotypes.

The impact of academic training programmes in improving teaching and learning: A case of academic staff at a selected university of technology

Academic staff are required to change and adopt new teaching approaches to meet the requirements and expectations set by higher education institutions.  This means that there is a drastic need for academics to be competent to help boost their teaching abilities, knowledge, and be encouraged to upgrade their qualifications.  Without a continuous well-coordinated academic training programmes, training and skills development, academics will continuously struggle to perform their core functions which include research, teaching and learning, continuous professional development and community engagement.  The intention of this study therefore, is to identify academics perceptions on academic training programmes provided by the selected university of technology and the predicaments, and the complexities involved in empowering academics to improve their teaching and learning approaches. A quantitative research approach was therefore used, with a questionnaire used as data collection instrument.  Using a nonprobability purposive sampling technique, a sample size of 132 was considered. The study findings revealed that the university lacked a proper system to evaluate and measure the impact of academic training programmes offered to academic staff.  The recommendations were made on different aspects in line with the findings and the study aims and objectives.  But most significantly, the study recommended that a systematic review should done to monitor the impact these training programmes have towards the development and support to teaching and learning

A Model for Academics' Perceptions of Organizational Structure, Individual Performance and Turnover Intention

The study aims to develop a model for the relationship between the current organizational structure, along with some variables, in universities, which are an educational organization, and the perceptions of academics' individual performance and turnover intention. While the population of research is composed of all universities carrying out educational activities in Turkey, the sample of research consists of a total of 37 universities selected by quota sampling method by taking into account certain criteria. Analyses were performed on the data obtained from a total of 1242 academics working at these universities. Following the analyses, it was determined that there was a positive interaction between the enabling organizational structure and the academics' perceptions of individual performance and other positive variables, and that a positive interaction existed between the coercive organizational structure and the academics' perceptions of the turnover intention and other negative variables. Moreover, it was found that the positive relationship of the coercive organizational structure with the turnover intention and other negative variables was stronger than the negative relationship of the enabling organizational structure. Based on these results, it was concluded that it is necessary, but not sufficient, to have an enabling organizational structure in order to increase the positive feelings, attitudes and behaviours of academics.

University Academics’ Perceptions Regarding the Use of Information Technology Tools for Effective Formative Assessment: Implications for Quality Assessment through Professional Development

The study sought the perceptions of university academics on the use of IT tools for the formative assessment (FA) of students’ learning outcomes. This study adopted a quantitative research approach and descriptive survey research design using a sample of 180 university academics. Academics’ perception questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument with two clusters was properly validated, and its internal consistency reliability indies found to be 0.79 and 0.85 for clusters A and B using the Cronbach alpha method. The obtained data were analysed using mean and t-test of independent samples. The results revealed that university academics perceived the use of information technology tools as veritable tools for effective implementation of FA. Further analysis revealed that the perceptions of the academics differed significantly by gender and qualification. IT tools are indispensable in the effective implementation of formative assessment practices in institutions of higher learning. This finding implies that quality assessment can be achieved using IT tools, but there is a need for professional development of the lecturers. It was therefore recommended that efforts should be made by the Nigerian Education stakeholders in making adequate provisions for the effective implementation of quality assessment using IT tools.

Akademik Örgütlerde Dedikodu ve Söylentilere Yönelik Algılar

Gossip and rumour, as forms of informal communication in academic organization have attracted little research attention in the literature. This paper examines the perceptions of Turkish academics of gossip and rumours, gossip topics and their relationship with certain organizational cultural issues. A web-based questionnaire was sent to 356 academics working in the communications field. The findings revealed that gossip and rumours are quite common in academic organizations. Internal gossip and rumours are perceived to be more common than the external gossip and rumours. Gossips and rumours about the management and the personnel rights are among the top topics. On the other hand, academics generally have negative opinions about gossip and rumours. However, such negative opinions about gossip and rumours were found to decrease when the perceived organizational democracy and internal communication levels increase. It is clear that academic administrators may not cope with gossip and rumours successfully unless they improve democratic participation and internal communication.

Developing a Framework to Measure Competency Levels of Students with Special Needs to Attend Advanced Vocational Courses

: Students with special needs (MBK) should not be considered students who fail or have no future. Although MBKs are those with intellectual problems or shortcomings, they may have strengths or powers in other areas that need to be identified and improved. The respondents who were the sample of this study were 44 people consisting of MBK with intellectual disability, dyslexia, and visual impairment. This research employed instruments of academic success perception (α = 0.78, construct validity = 0.85), multiple intelligences (α = 0.86, construct validity = 0.87), and interview protocol to recognise the dominant aspects of MBK to build further the framework of courses advanced/vocational following the interests of the respondents. The dominant aspect for the perception of academic success was External / Future (μ = 3.43, SD = 0.38), while the most dominant aspect for multiple intelligences was Visual-Spatial Intelligence (μ = 3.22, SD = 0.46). The dominant aspects were also very relevant to MBK’s choice of advanced/vocational courses, particularly cooking, bakery, sewing, carpentry, entrepreneurs, logistics, and mechanics. It is hoped that this study’s conclusions can present information on the courses that are the authentic choice among MBKs for consideration by stakeholders in offering advanced/vocational courses to this group.

The Relationship Between Language Learning Strategies And Academic Self-Concept

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between language learning strategies of secondary school students and the concept of academic self. The study was carried out with 522 students enrolled in an Anatolian high school in the central district of Ankara. In the study, Personal and Academic Self-Concept Inventory (PASCI), which was developed by Fleming and Whalen (1984), and the Turkish version of Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL), which was developed by Oxford (1990) and adapted into Turkish by Cesur & Fer (2007), were used. Canonical correlation analysis was used in the study. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the scores obtained in certain sub-dimensions of language learning strategies were predicted by the scores obtained in some of the academic self-concept sub-dimensions; however, the effect of the scores concerning some sub-dimensions remained at low levels. In the study, the relationship between the strategies in the language learning strategies sub-dimension and the academic self-concept sub-dimensions was explained through two canonical variables for the 9th, 10th, and 11th Grades. Based on this result, it could be argued that the increase in scores obtained from academic self-concept led to an increase in scores obtained from language learning strategies. In addition, it was concluded that the best predictors in explaining memory strategies were academic and verbal skills; post-cognitive strategies had low power to predict language learning strategies; and, social anxiety and family acceptance dimensions had low powers in predicting academic self-concept perception.

Atuação do Cirurgião-Dentista na equipe multidisciplinar em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva: Percepção dos acadêmicos

Objetivo: Descrever a percepção dos acadêmicos, do décimo período do curso de Odontologia de duas Instituições de Ensino Superior, sobre a atuação do cirurgião-dentista (CD) em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI). Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo observacional transversal, com aplicação de questionário para acadêmicos concluintes do curso de Odontologia, sobre a atuação do CD na UTI, os protocolos de higiene e a relação dos patógenos bucais com doenças sistêmicas. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente e de forma analítica por meio do teste do qui-quadrado. Resultados: Dos 71 participantes, 87,3% afirmaram conhecer sobre a atuação do CD na UTI. Todos os entrevistados julgaram como importante o tema Odontologia Hospitalar e a presença do CD na equipe multidisciplinar, porém 7% se consideravam aptos para atuar nesta área. Cerca de 87% dos acadêmicos consideraram a solicitação de exames complementares, prescrição e realização da desinfecção da cavidade bucal como atribuições do CD em ambiente hospitalar. O procedimento de prescrição medicamentosa e solicitação de exames complementares foi mais relatado pelos alunos que tiveram aulas sobre Odontologia Hospitalar na graduação (p<0,05). Cerca de 62% dos acadêmicos têm conhecimento sobre os protocolos de higiene bucal que devem ser realizados na UTI e todos os acadêmicos avaliados afirmaram que a doença periodontal tem influência nas patologias sistêmicas. Conclusão: Os acadêmicos consideraram que o CD deve participar da equipe que compõe a UTI, possuíam algumas informações sobre a atuação da Odontologia no ambiente hospitalar, no entanto, poucos se sentem aptos para atuar nesse espaço de trabalho.