Higher Education Policy Research Articles

How do higher education policies influence the shaping of sustainable development values in China: a three-dimensional framework

IntroductionIn the face of global challenges, higher education is regarded as an important force to promote the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Existing research has focused on articulating and analyzing the impact of value shaping for sustainable growth in higher education, although articulation and systematic analysis of higher education policy remain lacking.MethodsBased on the policy tool perspective, this paper constructed a three-dimensional analysis framework by using content analysis and the PMC index model to undertake a thorough analysis of higher education policies published at the central level in China from 2009 to 2024.ResultsThis study found that current higher education policies had multiple impacts on the formation of sustainable development values: (1) In the four dimensions of sustainable development proposed by the United Nations, China's higher education policy had shown clear guiding ideology and action direction; (2) In shaping sustainable values, China's higher education policies showed clear progress in three key dimensions; (3) The value and innovation of this study in shaping the values of sustainable development in higher education policies were primarily expressed in the following aspects.DiscussionThis paper suggested a way for optimizing the design of China's higher education policies, providing empirical data and theoretical support for China's higher education policies to better promote the ideals of sustainable development.

Student perceptions of global citizenship education in the university curriculum

ABSTRACT Given the pressing global challenges facing society, it is imperative that students are well equipped to contribute to solving problems, in an informed, ethical and meaningful way. This is the basis of global citizenship education, which is rapidly emerging in Higher Education policy as an important pedagogical philosophy and set of graduate attributes. We examined UK undergraduate student perceptions of global citizenship education (N = 202). Only 12.87% of students had come across the term global citizenship education, but a content analysis of their definitions demonstrated that they showed generally accurate understanding of the term. A thematic analysis of open-ended responses identified three dominant themes related to student perspectives on the concept of global citizenship education, (1) perceived importance of global citizenship education, (2) challenges within the conceptualisation of global citizenship and (3) perceived challenges with the subject-level implementation of global citizenship education. Implications for Higher Education policy and practice are discussed.

학부모 교육열의 종단적 변화 유형 탐색

This study aims to categorize the patterns of change in parents' educational enthusiasm and explore student- and parent-level predictors for each group. For this purpose, data from the 3rd to 8th waves of the Korean Education Longitudinal Study 2013 (KELS 2013) were analyzed, focusing on the parents of students who transitioned from middle school to high school. Using Growth Mixture Modeling(GMM), changes in parents' educational expectations and shadow education expenditures were examined. First, distinct subgroups of parents were identified in terms of educational enthusiasm. Changes in educational expectations were categorized into low expectation maintenance group, decreasing expectation group, and high expectation maintenance group, while changes in shadow education expenditures were classified as increasing expenditure group, medium expenditure maintenance group, and high expenditure maintenance group. Second, the predictors of educational enthusiasm included student gender, academic performance in the first year of middle school, parental education, occupational characteristics, and average monthly income. Based on these findings, this study recommends higher education policies that consider parental demands, the expansion of various public education services, and educational programs targeted at parents with low socioeconomic status.

Balancing Athletic and Academic Excellence: A Quantitative Study of Student-Athletes' Time Management Strategies

This study focuses on the unique challenges faced by student-athletes and explores how they find a balance between competitive sports and academic pursuits. Through a one-year longitudinal study of 360 college athletes from a variety of sports and academic backgrounds, we deeply analyzed the relationship between time management strategies and academic achievement, athletic performance, and psychological health. The study used quantitative research methods to analyze the data and revealed several key time management strategies that were associated with significant improvements in academic and athletic performance. In particular, we discovered a novel "flexible focus" strategy that enabled students to quickly switch their attention between learning and training while maintaining high efficiency. In addition, the study found the moderating effects of social media use, sleep patterns, and nutritional intake on time management effects. Based on these findings, we proposed a comprehensive "dual-track development model" to provide a practical guidance framework for student-athletes, coaches, and educators. This model is not only applicable to traditional college sports programs, but also considers the emerging field of e-sports, providing a new perspective for understanding and supporting the comprehensive development of student-athletes in the 21st century. The results of this study have important implications for higher education policy, athletic training program design, and the development of student support services, providing an empirical basis for promoting the comprehensive development of student-athletes.

Teaching the Professional Dimension of Translation in Academic Translation Programmes

Reform policies in higher education have brought about changes in attitudes regarding the education of translators. One of the latest challenges concerns the concept of professionalization of translation and the need for a type of training that would provide students with the specific skills required for the translator’s profession. Indeed, most translation programmes today aim at educating highly qualified translators on a competence-based training. Μore particularly, the emphasis is on metacognitive competence acquisition and the reflexive capacity development taking into account students’ motivation and expectations, their general background knowledge as well as individual learning styles. The present paper proposes a didactic approach on a professionally-oriented basis that would help students enter most effectively the translation industry by realizing at the same time the importance of acquiring a strong theoretical background on translation. Among the main issues to be addressed are the contribution of translation theory to the practice of translation, the role of the translator as cultural mediator, his social responsibilities as well as the translator’s psychological traits and their effect on translation quality. Finally, it proposes a variety of learning activities that are closely related to the act of translating together with a number of student assessment methods bearing a strong professional orientation.

Higher education and the public good in Finland

AbstractThis paper discusses understandings of higher education and the public good in the context of Finland. A lexical-based comparison of public goods terminology reveals that the Finnish translation of public good—julkishyödyke—is used in comparatively recent (post-1970s) scholarship, mainly limited to the fields of economics, forestry and agriculture. It is notably absent in discussions of higher education. Instead, universities’ contribution to the public good is expressed as sivistys, service, social impact and national development. The second half of the paper discusses findings from a qualitative study of university staff and policymaker understandings of public good(s) (n = 21). Participants framed the contribution of universities to the public good as sivistys, service and social impact and also highlighted the dimension of social equality. These goods were viewed as applicable to local, national and global levels, flowing both out of and into Finland, thus benefiting everyone. As such, responses were closely aligned with the UNESCO (2015) definition of higher education as a global common good. Recent higher education policies that are based on the logic of higher education as a private good (education export, tuition fees for international students) threaten this model, revealing a conflict in the role of the state as protector of the public good at the national level and promoter of higher education as a private good at the global level.

The Norwegian language policy in higher education: an evaluation of policy design

ABSTRACT This article evaluates the design of the official language policy of the Norwegian government in the field of higher education, which was set out in two white papers in 2008 and 2020. The language policy aims to avoid domain loss of the Norwegian language and thus keep it ‘complete' and able to function as a unifying factor in society. In the two white papers, however, the logic of collective action in language policy is not explicit. We adopt a theoretical approach based on public policy evaluation to reconstruct the language policy's internal logic of action (i.e. its ‘programme theory' or ‘theory of change’). Secondly, we assess the validity of the assumptions underlying the programme theory of the two white papers in light of the criteria of plausibility, feasibility, and testability. The results show that most of the measures included in the 2008 language policy are not supported by a valid programme theory. By contrast, most of the measures in the 2020 language policy are based on a valid theory of change although several weaknesses persist. This article contributes to research on the evaluation of language policies by focusing on a relatively unexplored aspect, i.e., the evaluation of policy design.

Higher education and public good in England

AbstractIn the Anglophone jurisdictions, higher education policy is over-determined by economic policy and subjected to neoliberal regulation based on quasi-market competition between corporatised institutions, regulated by performative comparisons, tuition fees, and outputs imagined as commodities. England installed marketisation in successive policy changes between the Thatcher government’s introduction of commercial fees for international students in 1979 and the full-fee market for domestic students, supported by subsidised income-contingent loans, in 2012. Policy commitment to public good outcomes (the collective and non-pecuniary individual benefits of higher education) was largely emptied out, leaving only attenuated proxies such as widening participation and research impact. Responsibility for public good outcomes was transferred from government to institutions. Following a discussion of Anglophone concepts of ‘public’ and an overview of key policy reports from 1963–2019, the paper reports on qualitative research into approaches to higher education and public good in England. There were 24 semi-structured interviews, with middle and senior manager-leaders in two universities and policy professionals. Nearly all advocated a broad public good role, in contrast to policy in England, and provided examples of public outcomes in higher education. However, these concepts lacked clarity, while at the same time the shaping effects of the market were sharply understood.

Teacher-led strategies for maximizing learning outcomes in higher education / Estrategias dirigidas por el profesorado para maximizar los resultados de aprendizaje en Educación Superior

A number of challenges have arisen in educational policies for higher education (HE) contexts in the last decades, leading to a shift from teacher- to learner-oriented methodologies. However, there is a dearth of studies revising effective teacher-led strategies aimed at maximizing learning outcomes in HE, since learners may still need teachers’ support in organizing their acquisition process. Consequently, adopting this instructional perspective, this paper has examined how teachers’ methodology can be (re)designed to promote successful learning in HE by means of strategies aimed at scaffolding content, language, design of tasks and output. A systematic list of effective instructional strategies is developed in this paper, overlooking those techniques that, despite their frequent use, have not proved to be highly beneficial for promoting learning outcomes. When students become expert learners, a shift from instructional to discovery or learner-based methodologies may occur.

Professionalisation of initial teacher education in China: 1974–2024

ABSTRACT Over the past 50 years, China’s initial teacher education (ITE) system has undergone significant changes and improvements. To review and reflect on these experiences, we construct a multi-level, context-specific conceptualisation of ITE professionalisation. Guided by this framework, we segment the history of ITE professionalisation into three phases: the specialising phase (1974–1998), the upgrading phase (1998–2012), and the quality-equity balancing phase (2012-present). The specialising phase is characterised by a single-purpose ITE system that is directly governed by educational authorities. The upgrading phase involves a policy-driven enhancement of ITE within higher education institutions and the transition from single-purpose to general-purpose institutions, reflecting broader transformations in higher education policies in China. The quality-equity balancing phase focuses on policies aimed at improving the quality of ITE while ensuring equitable access to high-quality teachers in underdeveloped regions and hard-to-staff rural schools. Our historical review contributes new insights into ITE research, offers practical implications for ITE reform and improvement, and raises questions for further investigation of ITE in both the Chinese context and internationally.

Multilingualism rather than English-only: policy and practice in classical music higher education

ABSTRACT The rise of English-medium education in (European) higher education has attracted considerable attention, but most analyses of the topic to date have been conducted in traditional universities. Highly international fields such as that of classical music higher education (CMHE) remain under-researched. Dafouz, E., and U. Smit. 2016. “Towards a Dynamic Conceptual Framework for English Medium Education in Multilingual University Settings.” Applied Linguistics 37 (3): 397–415 and Dafouz, E., and U. Smit. 2020. ROAD-MAPPING English Medium Education in the Internationalised University. Palgrave Macmillan. The ROAD-MAPPING framework provides an analytical tool for examining such complex contexts and unpacking the various factors at play in these multilingual university settings. In this paper, we present a mixed-methods case study at one of Austria’s largest state-funded music universities, comprising a policy analysis, a survey and semi-structured interviews with students, teachers and management. Using the ROAD-MAPPING framework to guide our analysis, we found that university policy and reported practice were coherent among all groups, with German as the default medium of education. English is explicitly designated the second academic language, while multilingualism and multimodality are actively promoted as a means of achieving educational and professional goals. However, we also noted that many strategies for coping with these multilingual teaching and learning contexts seem to be rather ad hoc, suggesting that there is a need for more awareness of multilingual pedagogy, and confirming the value of the ROAD-MAPPING framework for examining such complex settings.

On Pipelines and Precarity: Competing Narratives on the Roles and Functions of Postdocs in South African Higher Education

It is broadly understood that postdoctoral research fellows (hereafter postdocs) play a significant role in higher education’s research outputs, teaching and learning, and the rating and ranking of an institution. Largely shaped by the neoliberal turn(s) in higher education from the late 1970s and 1980s, postdocs have become an indispensable yet precarious labour force that higher education institutions have come to rely on. In the South African context, research on postdoc fellowships is relatively new, with limited scholarship focusing on the narratives and voices of these marginalised scholars. In this article, I purposively recruited and interviewed 23 former and current postdocs in three research-intensive universities in South Africa as well as a university vice dean of research, and a former senior official of the Department of Higher Education and Training. I also consulted and analysed various South African higher education policy documents and ministerial articulations regarding postdocs in the country. Through the use of in-depth semi-structured interviews, two competing narratives emerged from the data—that is, the deeply rooted and entrenched idea of the postdoc system as a pipeline for novice researchers to transition into established scholars, and the idea of the postdocs as precarious scholars whose academic labour is insecure, unstable, and exploited in the university. I conclude the article with some broad systemic implications on the role and function of postdocs in South African higher education, and the need for more research to understand these marginalised scholars.

Evaluation process use in the University Capacity Development Programme at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa

Background: The higher education (HE) policy framework identifies funding inter alia as one of the steering mechanisms, for the transformation of HE in South Africa. However, the role of monitoring and evaluation (ME) in facilitating this transformation is still emerging. While the instrumental use of evaluation findings is common, research on how process use can also play a critical role in facilitating sector change is missing.Objectives: The study investigated the use of process evaluations in enhancing the performance of the University Capacity Development Grant in a previously disadvantaged institution in the Eastern Cape province.Method: Purposive sampling was used as a method to select the participants. The case study design, interpretive paradigm and qualitative methods approach were adopted, and data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews, focus groups and document review. The study sampled 17 participants, including the Department of Higher Education and Training officials, the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) management and two staff focus groups.Results: If process use is to be strengthened, the evaluation process must be highly adaptable to specific programmatic circumstances and organisational contexts.Conclusion: Evaluation process use, in its practical form, must go beyond issues of participation from an individual perspective and include organisational and stakeholder management for effective implementation.Contribution: The study’s results are pivotal as they would assist different organisations worldwide that are running similar projects as the UCDP but have not yet understood the benefits that would be obtained by key stakeholders involved in an evaluation process.

The Implementation of the National Standards for Higher Education Policy as Quality Assurance

Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) College in Aceh differs from other private universities because it has a complex organizational structure compared to other private universities. Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) College in Aceh, apart from being a higher education foundation leader, must also synergize with the Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) organization. This is what drives the author’s interest in studying the implementation of the National Higher Education Standards in quality assurance improvement at Nahdhatul Ulama College in Aceh. In this study, researchers focused on the implementation of the National Standards for Higher Education Policy at Aceh’s Nahdhatul Ulama Sharia Science College. The method used in this research is descriptive-qualitative. Furthermore, the data source used is the results of interviews with informants, who serve as primary data, and other documents as secondary data. In determining the informants, the researcher used the Purposive Sampling Technique; the data were then obtained through interviews, and documentation was analyzed using the Interactive Model, which follows the flow from data collection, data display, data condensation, and conclusions. Based on the results of research and findings, there are leadership, information technology, infrastructure, finance, university values, and culture, which include attitudes, habits, organizational behavior, work ethics, creating, serving, and interacting with colleagues and the community with good results, all of which contribute to organizational capacity in implementing internal quality assurance at the college. On the other hand, the limited opportunities available to academic staff to enhance their national and international competencies in line with their positions and areas of expertise and the inconsistent application of the PPEPP model at Aceh’s Nahdhatul Ulama College are some of the weaknesses. The implementation of the internal quality assurance system at Aceh’s Nahdhatul Ulama College demonstrated a good strategy; however, there are still areas that require constant improvement in addition to upholding current standards. Keywords: policy, education policy, quality assurance, national standards for higher education

Enhancing Inclusion, Equity, and Access: An Analysis of Higher Education Policies in Nepal

Higher education is the backbone for the human resource development which are crucial for the economic and socio-cultural development of any country. Unlike other sector, higher education is imperative not only for the welfare of the human beings but also fundamental for nation building through innovation in areas that concern the society. The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the policy arrangements of higher education in Nepal and its impact on enhancing inclusion, equity and access. Adopting Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) research method which is combined with policy review, it is found that though commendable efforts by the government and the commission have been continuing, the issues of access, equity, and inclusion remain still lacking in some areas. Therefore, more policy and programmatic actions are necessary for improvement the situation. If the policy recommendations outlined above are seriously considered by the Government of Nepal, the commission, universities, and other relevant bodies, it is possible to further promote and improve the state of access, equity, and inclusion in Nepal’s higher education.

Changes in mathematical skills among freshman engineering students

This study investigates the critical transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics education, focusing on students’ challenges and the impact of curriculum reforms in Sweden. Through an analysis of diagnostic test scores and admission data from Umeå University over the period 2006–2021, we examine the evolving mathematical competencies of incoming engineering students and the broader implications of these shifts for educational policy and student preparedness for higher education. Our findings indicate a significant improvement in students’ mathematical readiness in the latter years of the study, correlating with the implementation of curriculum changes and variations in admission statistics. This research documents the positive outcomes of these educational reforms on student preparedness. It places these findings within a global context, highlighting the universal challenges and responses in mathematics education transitions. The study underscores the complex dynamics of the secondary-tertiary transition and provides valuable insights into the specific mathematical areas where students have shown varying degrees of improvement.

Políticas de liderazgo y gestión en instituciones de educación superior de México y Costa Rica

Educational policies focused on management and leadership in higher education have gained significant importance in recent years. Decision-making, planning, organizing, and executing strategies are the responsibility of the leadership of schools, units, and faculties within various university bodies. The knowledge, skills, and competencies in management and leadership of these leaders are essential elements for implementing development strategies for research, teaching, and outreach. This study aims to compare educational leadership policies in higher education in Mexico and Costa Rica, focusing on regulations, policies, and professional development at the University of Guadalajara, the National University of Costa Rica, and the University of Costa Rica, as well as to identify a binational model. The research was conducted from a naturalistic approach with a comparative methodology, using the case study technique through document analysis. The findings conclude that the three universities are characterized by a diversity of styles and approaches in their policies, regulations, training programs, and curricula to address management and leadership, ranging from more traditional models to more participatory and collaborative approaches. They address university organization indifferent and varied ways, each with a specific logic. It was not possible to determine a binational university leadership model, nor are there institutional policies directly aimed at management and leadership for university authorities, thus opening a research avenue for future academic and interinstitutional practice.

Social work and support policies in higher education in Portugal

Portuguese student welfare policy is a field of action in which social workers develop interventions to promote school success, equal opportunities and well-being for students. This study aims to discuss the consequences of monetary support policies and how these are associated with university students’ monetary and emotional safety and academic success. It further analyses managers’ perspectives regarding social workers’ participation in student welfare policy. Mixed research methods were applied, taking into consideration empirical data from three levels of analysis involving different data-processing techniques. The results show that monetary policies contribute to students’ monetary and emotional safety. However, monetary policies have no influence on the time dedicated to school activities. Results also demonstrate that the production of follow-up strategies would benefit from managers fomenting a proactive attitude among social workers.

English as a lingua franca discourse in European Union higher education and research policy

The use of English as lingua franca in mainland Europe’s higher education and research sectors has rapidly expanded over the past several decades. Despite these expansions, critics claim that there is a conspicuous absence of European Union (EU) language policy concerned with the use of English as a “contact” language in education and research contexts. This study attempts to assess these claims by conducting a comparative analysis of English as a lingua franca discourse in the policy declarations and communications of two EU actors with remits for higher education and research – the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA). Using methods that draw on critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics, I compiled specialised corpora consisting of the policy documents published by the EHEA and the ERA over the past twenty years. I then used the corpus analysis tool Sketch Engine and a reference corpus of general EU discourse to assess how often and in what ways language policy was considered. The analysis reveals intra-institutional conflicts in how language is conceptualised between policy actors and across policy portfolios in the EU. The findings also confirm the absence of explicit discourse on the use of English in academic and research contexts over the institutional lifetimes of two actors with remits for these sectors. The study highlights the persistence of a “top-down/bottom-up” conceptual gap at the heart of EU language policymaking regarding English as a lingua franca in European higher education and research.

Assessing the Potential for a PhD in Education Program with Specializations at LSPU-System: A Feasibility Study

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of offering a Doctor of Philosophy in Education program at LSPU. The study utilized a quantitative research design to gather data from 243 respondents consisting of teachers, education professionals, and stakeholders in the field of education. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis to evaluate the potential demand for the program, the availability of qualified faculty members, and the resources needed to support the program. The results showed that there is a high demand for advanced degrees in education, as evidenced by the majority of respondents expressing interest in pursuing a PhD in Education. The study also found that LSPU has an adequate number of qualified faculty members who meet the minimum requirements set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) policies and guidelines. Additionally, LSPU's status as a Center of Development in Teacher Education reflects the university's commitment to excellence in teacher education, which is directly relevant to the proposed PhD in Education program. The study concluded that LSPU is well-positioned to offer a PhD in Education program, given its available resources, qualified faculty, and high demand from potential students. This study's findings can provide valuable insights for LSPU in making informed decisions regarding the development and implementation of a PhD in Education program. The study's implications extend beyond LSPU, as other universities interested in offering similar programs can use these findings as a reference for their own feasibility studies.