Polish Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

Strategic directions of the development of higher education in Ukraine

Modern dynamic changes affect the development of higher education. This confirms the urge to actualize quality planning considering rapid educational transformations and a significant set of challenges. The purpose of this study is to theoretically and methodologically substantiate promising strategic areas of higher education in Ukraine. The paper identifies the key aspects of the modern strategy of higher education in the context of its key trends. It highlights the critical role of strategy to support the long-term success of the higher education sector in modern conditions. The necessity of considering a wide range of interests by groups of key stakeholders in the education sector is emphasized. The paper also stresses the importance of sustainable development goals to form and implement a modern higher education strategy. It is highlighted that the modern strategy of higher education covers the whole complex of drivers of exogenous and endogenous nature, which determines the vector of development. Comparative analysis is used to determine the peculiarities of the state of modern strategies of higher education on the example of Ukrainian and Polish higher education institutions. This comparative analysis of modern strategies of higher education stresses a number of differences between the state of the strategy for Ukraine and Poland. This study may be useful for researchers and analysts in eduction sector, non-profit organizations in the field of higher education, higher education institutions, international organizations, and public and local authorities. Prospects for further research are the deepening of modern strategies of higher education in the key European integration movements of Ukraine.

Communicative and linguistic translation tools for academic adaptation of educational migrants in crisis conditions

The article is devoted to solving the urgent scientific and methodological problem of adaptation of migrants to living conditions in a new socio-cultural space, which is caused by the current crisis conditions that have developed in Europe and the world and pose a threat not only to the health, but also to the lives of millions of people. A significant part of migration flows is made up of students who master their future profession at foreign universities, in particular in Polish higher education institutions. Modern approaches to determining the structure of communicative competence of an educational migrant, types of adaptation, and tasks of language training are analyzed. The level of proficiency in the language of instruction is the main factor of the success of the educational process. It has been found that todayʼs conditions require clarification of the composition of participants of the academic adaptation of foreign students. The authors believe that at the initial stage of the adaptation process, the role of translators increases significantly. The requirements for the structure of communicative competence of an educational migrant and the professional and communicative competence of a translator have been clarified. A list of actual communicative situations in the domestic, educational, professional, administrative, socio-cultural spheres of communication is determined, examples of lexical units that will ensure the implementation of communicative tasks are provided. For the formation of professional translation competence, the development of communicative and linguistic tools is proposed: the creation of an educational complex consisting of a syllabus of an elective discipline, a manual, the theoretical and practical sections of which will provide linguistic and methodical guidelines for the formation of interpretation and translation skills in situations of adaptation of educational migrants. It is also proposed to add a complex dictionary of a new type to the toolkit, which will combine the characteristics of different types of lexicographic works and perform the task of interpreting and explaining current lexical units. The developed linguomethodical principles for the creation of an educational complex for the formation of professional and communicative competence of translators can become an invariant model for the creation of variable methodical materials for teaching translation from/into other languages.

Studying at higher education institutions in Poland as seen by students with disabilities in the context of the geographical model of disability

The subject addressed in the present paper is important for the current social and educational policy regarding persons with disabilities. The development of the accessible education concept should be based on the geographical model of disability, whose main principle is to focus on the varied social needs and adjust the conditions of the geographical environment accordingly rather than to concentrate on the disability itself. The main aim of the study was to recognise the opinions of students with disabilities about studying at Polish higher education institutions (HEI). The study was based on the results of online interviews including standardised questions (open- and close-ended). The time scope of the study covers the years 2019 and 2021. The research has shown that some students hide their disability until it is visible. As a result, they do not receive adequate support and limit the achievement of goals that were the main motivation for studying. Measures taken to support students with different needs at HEIs must have a systemic nature and be addressed to the entire academic community, as well as to the society.

Education for sustainable development in Polish institutions of higher education – present and future

Education for sustainable development is still developing as a broad and comprehensive concept that includes related content on the environment, economy and society. Key issues of sustainable development include, among others, economic issues, production and consumption models, natural resource management, environmental protection, development models, poverty reduction, civic rights, democracy, governance etc. These issues are very diverse and require a holistic approach to teaching. The objective of this article is to diagnose and evaluate the current state of education for sustainable development in Polish higher education institutions, with particular emphasis on the EU in Katowice and to identify the directions of change. This article was written based on the Authors’ many years of scientific and teaching experience. It was also supported by a survey conducted in the year 2020/2021 among the students at the University of Economics in Katowice, which allowed them to identify directions for future educational activities.

The well-being of female administrative staff in managerial positions in Polish Higher Education Institutions

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to theoretically and empirically explore the issue of well-being (WB) of female administrative employees who work on managerial positions at higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on both literature studies and explorative empirical research conducted in Poland with the use of snowball sampling. It adopted a questionnaire authored by Parker and Hyett and covered 121 respondents.FindingsLiterature studies show that invisibility of work, low level of empowerment, increased stress, workload and expectations, reduced resources, high level of anxiety, fatigue and low level of vitality negatively impact the WB of HEIs’ administrative staff. The presented research provides insight into the internal structure of the administrative staff’s WB. Both the main construct (i.e. employees’ WB) and its subconstructs are on moderate level. Respondents’ age and tasks performed are correlated only with the subconstruct of WB in the form of intrusion of work into private life.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the research is not based on large sample, it provides both practical and theoretical implications.Originality/valueMost of studies discuss the issue of WB of scholars. The paper fills the research gap in terms of examining female administrative employees who work on managerial positions at HEIs.

Occupational burnout and chronic fatigue in the work of academic teachers-moderating role of selected health behaviours.

Increasing and changing demands for academic teachers worldwide are leading to different consequences, some of which are negative, such as physical and mental health impairment. With the job demands-resources model and the transactional model of occupational stress adopted as a theoretical framework, a cross-sectional study among Polish academic teachers was conducted. The aim of the study is to identify the role of vital personal resources understood as selected health-promoting behaviours, such as (1) stress-coping strategies, (2) sleep hygiene, and (3) using annual vacation leave, in the process of the regeneration. In a cross-sectional survey, the following variables have been assessed: 1) work-related stress using the Psychosocial Risk Scale, 2) occupational burnout using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), 3) chronic fatigue using the Polish adaptation of the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS), and selected health behaviours of academic teachers 4) stress-coping strategies with the help of the Polish version of Mini-COPE and 5) rest: the amount of sleep and vacation days devoted to rest using a short questionnaire designed by the authors. The sample (N = 340) was comprised of academic teachers employed at Polish higher education institutions who have experienced changes in the work environment in recent years. We conducted a multiple regression analysis to determine the relationships among stress, burnout, and chronic fatigue, looking at coping strategies and rest as a moderator. The results indicate that there is a strong relationship between stress resulting from an excessively demanding work environment on the one hand and occupational burnout and chronic fatigue on the other. At the same time, selected health behaviours of academic teachers only slightly moderate the analyzed relationship. Avoidance strategies strengthen the relationship between stress and its negative consequences, while rest and-to a limited extent-the amount of sleep only slightly contribute to weakening the analyzed relationship.

Teaching online in Polish higher education institutions

This article presents the system of higher education (HE) in Poland and the role of remote (and later online) learning in education with the focus on changes induced as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis begins with a historical background that shows how higher education has been changing after the political transformation of the 1989, and proceeds with a discussion about the conditions in which remote learning emerged. On the one hand, these conditions relate to the existing programmes that e-learning offers – the tools. On the other hand, they refer to the level of digital preparedness – the skills. The article is meant to be descriptive and combines didactic (both institutional and student-related) and administrative perspective of responding to COVID-19. The article analyses how the Polish HE system managed the transition to online teaching caused by the pandemic.

Teaching Social Studies Online. Insights from a Preliminary Quantitative Study in Poland in the COVID-19 Era

The COVID-19 situation has made higher education institutions face the unprecedented challenge of transition into distance learning. As a result, students had to acquire some skills and knowledge remotely, including the experience of learning social research. The article presents the results of research on students’ attitudes and perceptions regarding online teaching, learning, their digital skills, and the presence of subjects connected with social research in their diverse study programmes. The study was conducted to investigate how social research is taught at the university level. Using an online survey distributed in May and June 2021, data were collected from 103 students enrolled in bachelor (BA) and master (MA) studies at Polish higher education institutions. Findings from the study show a broad spectrum of students’ diverse experiences connected with their participation in online education.

Polish Higher-Education Institutions in International Cooperation: Evidence from the European Union Framework Programmes

Objective: Polish higher-education institutions (HEIs) compete for European funds with excellent European universities that have comprehensive support systems for applying for research grants. This paper’s aim is to analyse the patterns of participation of Polish higher-education institutions in the 7th and 8th EU framework programmes, and their relationship with the characteristics of universities and national and geographical effects. Research Design & Methods: This article uses the CORDIS database for analysing data concerning projects financed under FP7 and the Horizon 2020 Programme. Findings: The literature emphasises the weak starting position of Polish entities in competing for international grants. The low results of Polish institutions in EU FPs might be due to many factors, including system and structural, institutional, and mental barriers. Implications / Recommendations: There is the necessity for a detailed examination of the determinants of the success of research proposals and the development of a system that will support strategic decisions on applying for grants at Polish universities in order to increase the absorption of EU funds. Contribution / Value Added: New legislation in Poland has forced universities to change their expectations towards academic staff in order to achieve the highest possible categorisation of disciplines and universities. Polish scientists are under pressure to publish their research in reputable journals. Therefore, it might be possible to observe a direct emphasis on application for research grants and timely settlement of projects in case of obtaining grants.

Internationalization of Polish higher education in the context of demographic challenges. Selected aspects

Purpose: This article addresses selected aspects of internationalization of higher education (HE) in Poland in the context of demographic changes. The purpose of it is to analyze the dynamics of the number of foreign students studying at Polish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their structure by type of HEI, field of study and origin. Design/methodology/approach: A review of the literature on the subject and desk research with reference to data from the Statistics Poland were used. The analysis, covered the years 2004-2020, was based on selected methods of descriptive statistics. Findings: Between 2004 and 2020, the number of foreign students increased almost 10-fold. The average growth rate in the analyzed time series was 15.2% for the group of HEIs and 21.5% for non-public HEIs. The choices of foreign students most often group fields of study in the areas of social sciences, economy and medicine. There has been an increase in interest in studies in technology and services, while there has been a marked decline in fields of study related to the humanities and education. Research limitations/implications: The demographic perspective adds a new dimension to the issues of growth and development of HEIs, that is why this issue involves further in-depth analysis. Practical implications: Despite the apparent positive change with regard to the number of student-foreigners studying at Polish HEIs, this statistic, compared to other European countries, is still unsatisfactory. In the face of projected further unfavorable demographic trends, countries with positive natural increase and younger age structures, become an opportunity to compensate for the loss of Polish students. Efforts by the entire HE sector are needed to seize these opportunities. It is necessary to further correlate sectoral policies — HE with population, foreign and social policies. HEIs should improve processes related to caring for the broader relationship with foreign students. Originality/value: The paper is addressed to all interested in HE policy. The study should be seen as a contribution to the existing discussion in the issue of growth and development of HEIs. Keywords: higher education, higher education institutions, internationalization, demography. Category of the paper: research paper.

Acquiring Marketing Communication Competences of the Future - Expectations of Polish Students

Abstract Higher education in specific professional competencies is each time a challenge to combine the expectations and capabilities of universities, the expectations of the labor market and the expectations of students. With regard to the competencies of the future, relevant to the marketing communications sector, the situation becomes further complicated due to the dynamically changing digital media and modes of communication. In Polish conditions, numerous research results are available, indicating the expectations of employers of the marketing communications sector. However, there is a lack of research dedicated to the competence offer of universities in this regard, as well as the expectations and interests of students. This article attempts to fill this gap. It presents the results of a survey of 156 students at Polish higher education institutions regarding the assessment of the presence of future competencies in the study plans of the majors they study and their perceived professional usefulness of these competencies. The results of the survey indicate the existence of a competence gap both between the offer of higher education institutions and the expectations of employers, as well as between the expectations of students and employers. This article was written as part of the implementation of the “Media and Communication in Education and Science” project, under the International Partnerships program, funded by the National Agency for Academic Exchange.

Property Tax Exemptions for Polish Higher Education Institutions. Problems and Dilemmas

The contemporary socioeconomic reality poses a number of new and difficult challenges for higher education. In this context, it is vital that a perfect fiscal and legal environment be created. A significant role is also played by local taxes on real property held by higher education institutions. On the one hand, it is commonly argued that a well-developed infrastructure facilitating modern forms of education and innovative research is a direct measure of a university’s development. On the other, one must not overlook the increase in fiscal obligations related to the same. This paper analyses the problems of legal cohesion in terms of the provisions of tax law, Commercial Law, and the system of higher education. With due reference to the scarce available literature, case law and decisions of fiscal authorities, the study provides a comprehensive analysis and verification of the structure of property tax exemptions applicable in this context. Given the legal character of said exemptions and ratio legis, the paper presents practical difficulties pertinent to the application of such legal instruments, flaws in their normative construction, and interpretative discrepancies – to arrive at specific conclusions and evaluations.

Аналізування маркетингових інструментаріїв ЗВО в online-сфері: порівняльний аналіз досвіду українських і польських університетів

The purpose of the article is to study and analyze the use of marketing tools by Ukrainian and Polish higher education institutions in the online sphere and compare the activity of higher education institutions of Ukraine and Poland in the social networks Facebook and Instagram by the number of user preferences of active accounts. This will serve as the basis for the development of a marketing strategy for higher education institutions to increase their competitiveness and popularize them in the educational services market. The article reviews the professional literature on the issues under study, which allows to distinguish the interpretation of the term of «marketing of educational services». The relevance of reorientation of higher education institutions in terms of the use of marketing tools from offline to online sphere is substantiated. The activity of higher education institutions of Ukraine and Poland in social networks is analyzed. The rating of the top 10 pages of higher education institutions of Ukraine and Poland on Facebook and Instagram is studied by the number of user preferences of active accounts. It is determined that higher education institutions actively share information on their Facebook and Instagram pages, where they also post information on education, educational process, various activities in higher education institutions. It is concluded that at the present stage of functioning, marketing tools in the online sphere are a key communicator between higher education institutions and consumers of educational services. In view of this, higher education institutions need to focus the main vector of attention on the maximum use of Internet marketing. For higher education institutions, it is proposed to develop social media promotion strategies that will cover both the content plan and the target audience.

Local use of metrics for the research assessment of academics: the case of Poland

ABSTRACT This article discusses the use of bibliometric indicators for the assessment of individual academics. We focused on national indicators for the assessment of productivity in Polish higher education institutions. We analysed whether institutions (N = 768) adopted national templates for their own sets of criteria for intra-institutional evaluations. This study combined an analysis of internal policy documents with semi-structured interviews with deans from institutions in different fields of science. Our findings showed that, despite their high levels of institutional autonomy, the majority of institutions adopted the national criteria for the evaluation of individual academics. This article concludes with recommendations for reducing the negative consequences of local use of national indicators for the assessment of researchers.

ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКА СИСТЕМА ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЯКОСТІ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ: ДОСВІД РЕСПУБЛІКИ ПОЛЬЩА

The article deals with the coverage of the quality provision system of higher education in the European educational space. It is emphasized that the idea of creating the systems of quality provision for education appeared in the late 20th century. It is generalized that in 1999 provision of the quality of education was one of the six main goals identified in the framework of the Bologna Process to promote European cooperation in the sphere.In the process of considering the problem of quality of education and the emergence of the idea of creating its internal provision systems, it was emphasized that the main strategic goal of the process was to create a single European space for higher education. It was found out that this process was initiated with such measures as the approval of unified degrees, introduction of the two-tier system of higher education and credit transfer system ECTS, promotion of students’ academic mobility, as well as cooperation in developing and making decisions that ensure high quality of higher education.The authors state that the quality of educational activity and the quality of educational services in higher education institutions in pedagogical education is treated as training of specialists in accordance with the objective and expected results of the educational process.Having examined in more details the complex processes concerning the internal quality provision system of higher education on the example of Ukraine’s neighbour, a member of the European Union - the Republic of Poland, we found out that education quality provision systems in Polish universities are not innovative nowadays. The quality of education in Polish higher education institutions is assessed in two ways. Firstly, using internal quality provision systems, which are a set of regulations of governmental agencies for higher educational institutions. Secondly, the external system is presented by the Polish Accreditation Commission, which is an independent institution that statutory tasks are to assess the quality of education in the field of education. In addition, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland carries out legislative activities and regulates financial instruments that allocate funds to provide universities with high quality education.

MARKET VALUATION OF GRADUATES WITH AGRICULTURAL DEGREES IN POLAND

This paper is an analysis of the salary levels in a group of people who graduated, in 2014, from Polish higher-education institutions with agricultural degrees, i.e. degrees in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, veterinary science, zootechnics and fishery. This analysis is based on data from reports published as part of the Polish National System for Monitoring the Situation of Polish University Graduates. In a group of 1,953 graduates with agricultural degrees, the average gross salary in the fourth year after graduation amounted to PLN 3,416.85. This shows that the salary paid to such graduates after four years of work was lower than the average salary in Poland for all working year-2014 graduates with second-cycle degrees (PLN 3,765.30) and long-cycle master-level degrees (PLN 4,209.21). Moreover, the data shows that the highest average pay in the fourth year after graduation is earned by graduates with forestry degrees. It is worth noting that the results of the study are relative in nature. If other degrees, such as biotechnology, food technology or human nutrition, were included in the analysis, the classification would probably be different. This paper is by no means an exhaustive explanation of the topic and, given the limitations mentioned above, should be regarded as a contribution to further analyses.

University Social Responsibility – Good Practices of Polish Higher Education Institutions

All organizations, including Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), should be socially responsible. Therefore, the article aims to answer the following research questions: How are the principles of social responsibility implemented by Polish HEIs? Through what good practices are they manifested? What formal national regulations support these activities? To answer those questions, the principles of the Declaration of University Social Responsibility and of good practices implemented by 23 universities, the first signatories of this Declaration, were reviewed. The applied research method has incorporated the analysis of the literature on the subject, documents and websites of the above 23 universities. The study presents the essence of university social responsibility and the special role of universities in promoting and implementing the principles of sustainable development and social responsibility. The activities of the Polish public administration in partnership with the representatives of HEIs, businesses, NGOs which led to the creation of the Declaration of USR were outlined. Examples of good practices applied by the examined universities and the ensuing conclusions were briefly discussed.

Incentives for Polish higher education institutions to improve real estate efficiency

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the appropriateness of incentives used by governments for Polish public higher education institutions (HEIs) to be more efficient in real estate and how these incentives can be strengthened. Design/methodology/approach A closed-ended questionnaire was sent to all public HEIs in Poland. Of the 132 questionnaires sent, 57 were successfully completed and returned, representing a response rate of 43 per cent. Findings Analysis of empirical data demonstrates that when considerable public funds, both national and European, were distributed to extend and upgrade academic infrastructure, Polish HEIs have had no obligation to show how they manage the assets entrusted to them, and the government has not created adequate incentives to encourage efficiency in the use of HEIs real estate. This may have resulted in a significant, yet not always justified, increase in the space at their disposal. In view of a demographic decline, the low level of internalisation of Polish HEIs, the decreasing level of funding from the public purse and the growing operation and maintenance costs of the buildings, an oversupply of space may cause financial distress to some establishments. This may affect the future of the whole system of higher education. Practical implications This paper can be a resource for HEI chancellors, financial directors and campus managers, as well as HEI funding and supervisory institutions. Originality/value This paper highlights the need to strengthen incentives for public HEIs in Poland to foster their greater efficiency in resource allocation and utilization. Greater transparency in HEI operations and the improvement of the POL-on system may contribute to more efficient use of university assets.

Human Resources Management in Higher Education Institutions in Poland

Human Resources Management in Higher Education Institutions in Poland The paper presents the diagnosis of the human resources management in Polish higher education institutions. The analysis of source literature was applied as a research method. The essence and components of HRM in connection with the university management system were discussed, the theoretical solutions, including those resulting from the provisions of the Law, and their practical implementations, were given a broad outline. The directions of changes concerning HRM that have recently taken place in HEIs were indicated. In conclusion it was stated that the human resources management in Polish higher education institutions still requires improvement, primarily in the areas of motivation and remuneration, evaluation and development of employees. It requires the improvement of the university management system, a reliable development of its mission, vision and strategy, and on the basis of those - the development of personnel strategy, and HRM processes, procedures and tools. It has been suggested that the inclusion of university employees, particularly the research and teaching staff, in the management process (through the participatory management style), can contribute to both improving the process and developing and improving the personnel function.

Poprawa efektywności kosztowej i dywersyfikacja przychodów w instytucjach szkolnictwa wyższego

The aim of this article is to present activities aimed to improving cost-effectiveness and revenues diversification in higher education institutions operating in highly developed countries. On the basis of the analysis of foreign literature, methods of induction and deduction, and based on the results of observations of the Polish higher education system made in recent years by the author it was possible to confirmed the adopted hypothesis, according to which, despite significant social, economic, cultural and political differences between individual countries, financial challenges facing higher education institutions are very similar, and the experience of foreign universities can be important for Polish higher education institutions. These experiences indicate the need to introduce some changes in the financing of higher education institutions in Poland, and at the same time outline the direction in which the financing system is likely to be heading.