Perspective Of Lecturers Research Articles

Exploring Perspectives of Lecturers and Administrators at Universities On the New Foundation Year Policy for Enhancing Higher Education Quality in Somalia

Exploring Perspectives of Lecturers and Administrators at Universities On the New Foundation Year Policy for Enhancing Higher Education Quality in Somalia

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' PRACTICUM IN GRADE R: INSIGHTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Since 1994, South Africa has prioritized quality education by ensuring that young learners are taught by qualified teachers. A notable shift has been the inclusion of qualified teachers in Reception year classes. This study investigates the experiences of Level 3 and 4 Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase student teachers during their practicum in Reception year classrooms and the perspectives of university lecturers who assessed them. Using an experiential learning theoretical framework and a qualitative interpretive research design, data were collected through open-ended questions posed to student teachers. Findings indicate that student teachers had positive experiences, but university lecturers noted that lessons were often teacher-centred, lacking play or inquiry-based methods. Lecturers also highlighted that the Foundation Phase teacher education programme did not adequately support Reception Year teacher development, citing time constraints and insufficient physical space for practical activities. The study recommends re-evaluating the inclusion of Reception year training in the B. Ed Foundation Phase programme and developing an assessment tool to evaluate Grade R student teachers' planning and presentation skills.

Exploring Summer Classes in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study of Lecturer and Student Views

Summer classes have become increasingly prevalent in higher education institutions worldwide, offering students opportunities to accelerate their learning, reduce course loads, and maintain academic momentum. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of lecturers and undergraduate students on the benefits, drawbacks, and strategies for success of summer classes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten students and two lecturers from a university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The findings reveal that the primary perceived benefits of summer classes include the ability to complete courses more quickly, have a lighter subject load during the regular year, and improve academic performance. However, drawbacks cited were the sacrifice of leisure time or income from part-time work and the added pressure of condensed timelines. Recommended strategies comprise proactive promotion of summer class advantages to increase student awareness, careful selection and compensation of skilled instructors, and incorporation of recreational activities to support student well-being. This study contributes qualitative insights to inform the development of effective, student-centered summer programs in higher education.

Exploring the Impact of Songs in EFL Teaching Across Age Groups: Perspectives from Vietnamese EFL Lecturers

This study investigates the effectiveness of using songs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching from the perspectives of Vietnamese EFL lecturers, focusing on identifying the most beneficial age group among young learners, teenagers, and adult learners. Employing a qualitative research design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with nine EFL teachers from two educational institutions in Vietnam, representing a range of experience levels from novice to near-end career. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by Constructivist and Socio-cultural theories of learning. The findings revealed that the application and perceived effectiveness of songs varied significantly across different age groups and teacher experience levels. Songs were universally recognized as beneficial in EFL teaching, but their implementation and impact differed, with novice teachers focusing on engagement, mid-career teachers on cultural and linguistic nuances, and near-end career teachers on a holistic language experience. The study found that songs are highly effective with young learners, need careful selection for teenagers, and should be thematically rich for adult learners. These insights have implications for EFL practitioners, curriculum designers, and policymakers, suggesting the need for tailored song-based activities and professional development for teachers.

The Terminological Vocabulary in Teaching English for Specific Purposes from the Perspective of Students and Lecturers

The Terminological Vocabulary in Teaching English for Specific Purposes from the Perspective of Students and Lecturers

Who teaches, how they teach, and what they think about environmental impact assessment: perspectives from Brazilian university lecturers

ABSTRACT Research on teaching Impact Assessment plays an important role in seeking improvements in the quality of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This article analyzes EIA teaching from the perspective of lecturers who teach EIA in Brazilian Environmental Engineering Programs. Using an online questionnaire for data collection and content analysis as a method for data analysis, the results are based on the perceptions of 37 lecturers. The lecturers participating in the survey are predominantly female, relatively young (mostly between 35 and 45 years old), and almost all of them hold a doctorate. Results indicate that the content taught, and the methods used are aligned with best teaching practices in EIA to varying extents. In addition, lecturers’ perceptions of EIA teaching and practice align with results of scientific research on practitioners perception and EIA effectiveness in Brazil, which point out, for example, lack or limitations in participation, but also the presence of good practices. We hope that the results can contribute to reflections and improvements on EIA teaching specifically in Brazil.

Lecturer’s Belief and Classroom Practices on The Use of Video in English Language Teaching

This study aims to investigate the EFL lecturer's beliefs in teaching speaking using video to fifth-semester students in a private university in Indonesia. A qualitative method was employed as the design of this study, involving an in-depth exploration of the lecturer's perspectives and practices. An English teacher was purposefully selected as the research subject of the study. The data were collected through stimulated recall and semi-structured interviews, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the lecturer's beliefs and classroom practices. The findings were categorized into six major themes: 1) the source of the lecturer's belief in teaching speaking using video; 2) the purpose of using video in teaching speaking skills; 3) the reasons for using video in teaching speaking skills; 4) the reflection of those beliefs in classroom practices; 5) considerations in choosing the videos; and 6) challenges faced by the lecturer in teaching speaking using video. The results revealed that there was no discrepancy between the teacher's beliefs and teaching practices. The lecturer believes that using video in teaching speaking classes enables students to learn individually, which is reflected in his teaching practice. For example, the lecturer allows students to watch videos individually, facilitating a more personalized learning experience. This alignment between belief and practice underscores the importance of integrating multimedia tools in language teaching, as they can enhance student engagement and autonomy. The study highlights the potential of videos as a valuable resource in language education, particularly in improving speaking skills among EFL learners

Satisfaction of lecturers and undergraduate students of medical faculties in Indonesia towards online anatomy learning during COVID-19 pandemic

The changing of education activities (offline into online) to reduce coronavirus transmission during COVID-19 pandemi has influence on the learning strategies, which ultimately might impact the achievement of learning objectives. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study using a valid (p < 0.01; two-tailed Pearson correlation) and reliable (r = 0.878 and r = 0.849; Cronbach Alpha) online questionnaire to evaluate the perspectives of human anatomy lecturers and undergraduate medical students in Indonesia in implementing the online anatomy learning. We also explored their expectations and preferred learning methods after COVID-19 pandemic. Using purposive sampling, 467 respondents, which consisted of 66 lecturers from 41 universities in six islands (Java, Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Papua) and 401 students from 19 universities in four islands (Java, Sumatera, Kalimantan, Papua) were recruited. A Chi-square test was used to analyze the differences in categorical variables. The lecturers (74.2%) and students (63.1%) agreed that online learning effectively delivered the course material (p = 0.095). They (69.7% lecturers and 57.9% students) also agreed that learning time allocation was sufficient (p = 0.079); moreover, lecturers (53%) and students (56.1%) had good interaction (p = 0.689). Nevertheless, 56.1% lecturers and 63.3% students had problem during online practical sessions. They had different perspectives about issues during online classes (69.7% vs 36.4%; p < 0.01), motivation improvement (72.7% vs 37.4%; p < 0.01), and time management (87.9% vs 58.4%; p < 0.01). According to the location of the university, especially in the student's side, students in Java had higher proportion in the two aspects, i.e. learning material (p < 0.01) and lecturer-student interaction (p < 0.01), and had lower proportion in the problems during online class (p = 0.003) and practical sessions (p = 0.008). Majority of the respondents (62,2% lecturers in Java, 71.4% lecturers outside Java, 79.6% Students in Java, and 76.6% students outside Java) preferred the use of blended learning after the pandemic (new normal era) and expected to continue the cadaveric practical sessions (82.2% lecturers in Java, 81.0% lecturers outside Java, 91.1% students in Java, and 78.3% students outside Java). In conclusion, the study showed that the satisfaction toward online anatomy learning related to the subject’s role (lecturer or student) and the university region in some aspects.

Developing Teaching Material Used Project-based Learning to Improve Student's Research Skills

This research is intended to develop teaching materials for learning theories courses and test the feasibility of the learning materials products. This research seeks to uncover problems and challenges in learning theories courses from the perspective of lecturers and students. The subjects of this study are students and lecturers of the master program in Islamic Religious Education, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo Semarang. This research applies a 4D development model to develop teaching materials, which includes four stages: defining, design, development, and dissemination. Researchers use questionnaires and focus group discussions involving lecturers and students. The result of the development in this study is teaching materials of project-based learning teaching materials for learning theories courses. Based on expert validation tests, material experts, curriculum experts, and media design experts declare that teaching materials for project-based learning theories courses are feasible with a scoring average of 81,79%. After being applied to the learning theories course, out of 60 students, 75.17% strongly agreed, 22.17% agreed, and 2.67% disagreed that the teaching materials using Project-Based Learning improved student research skills and helped students more easily understand the course. From the lecturer's point of view, using Project Based Learning (PjBL) in learning theory courses can allow students to learn actively, collaborate with classmates, and develop better research skills. Therefore, implementing PjBL in learning theory courses can effectively improve the quality of learning and student understanding.

University lecturers’ lived experiences of teaching critical thinking in Australian university: a hermeneutic phenomenological research

AbstractThe study explores insights into the phenomenon of Australian lecturers’ lived experiences of teaching standalone critical thinking units within associate degree courses at one university in Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. The study makes an original contribution by focusing upon the experiences of teaching staff in Australian universities in relation to teaching critical thinking, particularly from a Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological and Gadamerian hermeneutic theoretical and conceptual framework. At present, there are no unified methods, frameworks, or models of teaching critical thinking in Australian higher education. This problem for lecturers is an important aspect of a university education that is not well understood. This is a global educational issue and is a matter of teaching and learning concern worldwide in tertiary education (e.g. United States of America, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK). Although, several studies have been conducted on teaching critical thinking from the perspective of university lecturers. There is limited research that focus on teaching staff in Australian universities’ experience with teaching critical thinking that has used Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology and Gadamer’s hermeneutic circle, interpretive approach in gathering data. Using interviews, data is conducted with three first-year undergraduate Australian university Ph.D. lecturers. During the analysis of the empirical data, three themes were significant in revealing the key findings: (a) Dwelling; (b) Sorge, and (c) Concern. The comprehensive understanding of the results was that the challenges university lecturers faced in developing students to thinking critically provided new pedagogical curriculum insights for the teaching and learning of a standalone critical thinking unit within the associate degree course.

Comparative Analysis of Knowledge Control and Evaluation Methods in Higher Education

The article analyses knowledge control and evaluation methods in higher education, focusing on both standardized and non-standardized testing. It explores fundamental quality criteria and the perspectives of lecturers and students on the roles of these methods in assessing knowledge. The study evaluates attitudes towards both testing types, considering factors such as efficiency, usability, reliability, objectivity, accuracy, and content relevance. The findings suggest that combining standardized and non-standardized tests with problem-solving tasks significantly enhances knowledge assessment in technical disciplines, demonstrating the methods’ interdependence and complementarity. Data shows that both testing types achieve high scores, with standardized tests receiving an integral index of 0.72 and non-standardized tests scoring 0.69. Respondents positively evaluate the effectiveness and convenience of standardized tests, attributing their reliability, objectivity, accuracy, and practical orientation. Although there is a clear preference for standardized tests among participants, the benefits of non-standardized tests are also acknowledged. The study thus recommends a balanced approach, incorporating both methods to ensure an effective and high-quality assessment and knowledge control strategy in higher education.

Exploring Project-Based Learning: Physics E-Posters in Pre-Service Science Education

This study investigates the implementation of project-based learning, explicitly focusing on designing and presenting e-posters within the Basic Physics course for pre-service science teachers, with a particular emphasis on pre-service biology teachers. Descriptive and correlational quantitative methods were utilized to analyze data collected from 16 participating students throughout 16 sessions. The assessment perspectives of lecturers, peers, and self-assessment were examined, revealing disparities in scores and highlighting the importance of multiple assessment sources. Recognition through awards was granted to students with exemplary performance, while guidance sessions led by the instructor significantly correlated with improvements in poster design. Analysis of poster content indicated a focus on fundamental physics concepts, mainly mechanics, with students utilizing various information sources. The study underscores the effectiveness of project-based learning in promoting student engagement, skill development, and conceptual understanding in physics education.

Status of Instructional Leadership Practices in Botswana's Public Technical and Vocational Education and Training: A Case of Brigades

This qualitative multi-case study explores instructional leadership practices at Botswana's brigades, a key provider of semi-skilled Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes. This study investigated the perspectives of instructional leaders and lecturers at two institutions in the Southern District to understand their experiences with leadership practices. Drawing on Hallinger and Murphy's (1985) framework, this research examines how instructional leadership unfolds within brigades, focusing on defining the mission, managing curriculum and instruction, and fostering a positive learning environment. Furthermore, it explores the collaborative practices of the leadership team, including principals, deputy principals, and department heads. The findings reveal a general understanding of instructional leadership among participants, with some evidence of practices, such as curriculum management and stakeholder involvement. However, concerns have been raised regarding communication gaps, limited shared leadership, and ineffective evaluation. The study also identified essential competencies for instructional leaders, including communication, planning, and resource management. Key challenges include information overload, resource shortage, and staff training gaps. The participants suggested strategies for improvement, emphasizing streamlined expectations, consistent monitoring, leadership development, and adequate resourcing. Overall, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of instructional leadership in Botswana's TVET sector and provides insights for enhancing programme quality and graduate employability.

Charting the Landscape of English-Medium Business Education in Oman: Insights into Lecturer Perspectives on Teaching Approaches, Pedagogy, and Reflective Practices

This study delves into the challenges faced by business studies lecturers in Oman's English-medium business programs, brought about by the recent shift towards adopting English as the medium of instruction. These challenges span linguistic barriers, cultural disparities, and varying student language proficiencies. The study explores the strategies lecturers employ to overcome these obstacles and assesses the effectiveness of these strategies in fostering positive learning outcomes. Regression and correlation analyses use a quantitative research design to quantify the relationship between challenges and strategies. The findings offer valuable insights for curriculum development, faculty training, and pedagogical support, enhancing teaching quality and students' readiness for the global business environment.

Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education: Challenges of Diversity in Learning Situations from the Lecturer Perspective

This paper contributes to the dialogue around how to increase inclusion in higher education, taking the lecturer perspective as the point of departure. Theoretically, disability is understood as an interaction, which means that lecturers partake in the constitution of dis/ability in learning situations. Two qualitative interviews were conducted with an interdisciplinary lecturer employed in an institution of higher education in Norway. These data are used for this single case study to illustrate and reflect on the challenges of diversity in learning situations. Findings suggest that the lecturer struggles to encounter an increasingly diverse student population inclusively. Overall, her experiences unpack the outcome of a structural lack of prioritization to ensure accessibility for disabled students at an institutional level at the university where she is employed. This article emphasizes that the responsibility to ensure an inclusive teaching practice in higher education must be recognized and treated as an institutional obligation. To signal its priority, all institutions of higher education should make inclusive training obligatory for lecturers, as well as assigning hours to work on enhancing the development of inclusive skills in this group.

A viewpoint on folklore education: providing students freedom and empowerment

Oral folklore tradition is a unique phenomenon in West Borneo. This study aims to gain the lecturer's perspectives and reflection toward its implementation as a project-based activity for encouraging university students to transform local folklore into texts in English. It combines Finnegan's instructional procedure, and Gordon's synectic model and the creative state, which has been defined as creative instruction. Multiple observations and an in-depth interview with the folklore lecturer were conducted for this qualitative investigation. The lecturer is recognized as being exceptionally representative of this study employing purposive sampling under lived experience study because of his proficiency and enthusiasm. Having this creative instruction under supervision makes it clear that there is more room for the student's imagination and creativity to grow throughout this project-based activity. It gives them freedom to freely pursue their interests. Without excluding the possibilities of use in areas where there is still local folklore, this creative instruction is specifically suited for regions that are still rich in oral tradition. Further research is essential, nevertheless, as this study does not go into great detail on the perspectives and involvement among various students, the diversity of cultures and geographies, or the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).

Online Learning: Are You Ready to Adopt?

Online learning is a new paradigm in the education sector. UNUSA is one of the universities that still not optimal in online learning adoption. This study aims to identify elements and levels of adoption readiness. The result is four elements including technology, organization, infrastructure, and human resources. Overall, there are several differences in the level of readiness from the perspective of lecturers and students. There are three dimensions with the same index of readiness. The dimension with the highest score is technology, which is 3.84. While the lowest dimension of readiness is financial.

A Meta-Analysis on the process of how to understand Semantic Correlation Rules

The academic training of young professionals plays a particularly important role in the field of technical communication (TC). Since well-trained specialists are in great demand in this domain, it’s important for students to successfully learn semantic correlation rules. But there must be a good interaction between different parties because students face major challenges when it comes to TC topics such as content management, metadata management or semantic technologies. There are several challenges to understanding in the considered case of semantic modelling and technical communication in general. However, this paper does not just show different ways of bringing together the different perspectives of students, lecturers and institutions related to a specialized course on semantic correlation rules. Rather, it develops a new area of work that enables new collaborations and takes the field of technical communication to a new level.

The reshaping of curriculum transformation to address the 21st-century skill sets and employment prospects during the Fourth Industrial Revolution era: A case of the South Africa TVET colleges

This research explores the employability of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college graduates in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era in South Africa. It examines the role of TVET lecturers in providing skills that are relevant to the contemporary period. The study uses qualitative research inspired by the interpretivist approach, and a purposive sampling strategy to get the perspectives of TVET lecturers and employers. It was observed that TVET lecturers play a minimal role in the development of the curriculum due to a rigid top-down approach from the Ministry of Higher Education. Companies are forming partnerships with TVET colleges by offering places for in-service training, practicals and internships. The study reveals that South African businesses have adopted 4IR-related technologies, requiring a skilled TVET force that is ready for these transformations. The findings highlight the need for regular curriculum transformation and the importance of TVET education in producing artisans, technologists and technicians that are vital for the South African economy on an ongoing basis.

Online Learning in Dental Education: Comparison of Perspectives of Lecturers and Undergraduate Students Between a Public and Private University: A Mixed-Method Study.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the undergraduates' and lecturers' perspectives on the implementation of online learning and to compare perspectives between private and public universities. Materials and methods: The study followed a mixed-method design and involved dental undergraduates and lecturers from two study settings in Malaysia: International Medical University (IMU), a private university, and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), a public university. All undergraduates and lecturers were invited to complete an online questionnaire with evaluative statements regarding three domains: handling, didactic benefit, motivation, and an overall assessment. The comparison of perception between the private and public universities was analyzed using Mann-Whitney test. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out for undergraduates and lecturers. Each FGD consisted of six people. The audio-recorded conversations were transcribed verbatim. Results: Mean scores of perceptions regarding the domains, handling, and motivation were higher among undergraduates from public universities (p < 0.05), while there were no differences for the didactic domain. There was no difference in perception of any of the three domains between private and public university lecturers. Mean scores for perceptions on the optimal amount of online learning in the future domains were higher among undergraduates from a public university (p < 0.05), while lecturers' perceptions showed no difference. Thematic analysis of FGDs revealed that both groups from private and public universities felt that flexibility and a student-centered approach are the advantages of online learning. The inadequacy to cover the entire curriculum and lack of student engagement and interaction were highlighted as limitations. Conclusion: Regardless of the university background, the undergraduates and lecturers were able to adjust to the online learning environment, which mainly reflected a positive perspective on the implementation of online learning. There were modest differences in the perceptions of dental undergraduates between private and public universities, while the perception of the lecturers did not show any difference.