Higher Education Project Research Articles

The Hybrid Modality Model in Higher Education Institutions

The aim of the article is to provide a research result to support the process of consensual and collegiate decision-making in order to mix study models in undergraduate degree courses and postgraduate projects in higher education. The deductive method was used as a starting point and a mixed phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was applied for the methodological design, based on the use of quantitative and qualitative techniques, for which a sample of undergraduate and postgraduate students was selected from the active student population in the year 2021. A structured survey was applied as a technique and a nominal scale was used to collect and analyse the data, which made it possible to determine the students' preferences according to the face-to-face or virtual modality, as well as the incidence of the mixture of both modalities for learning. The results of the research show that undergraduate students show a preference for the face-to-face modality, while postgraduate students prefer the virtual modality. From the examination of the problem, the analysis of the theoretical framework and the applied methodology, it is concluded that the results of the research can help in the process of collegiate decision making by the management agents of higher education institutions, to adequately dose the time load of the face-to-face or virtual modalities, as appropriate to the degree courses and projects.

Main competencies of future coaches: investigation and effectiveness of development within the tuning project in higher education in China

BackgroundThe purpose of this article is to study the core competencies of future coaches, as well as the effectiveness of their development under the conditions of the Tuning Project in higher education in China.MethodsA survey was conducted in three groups using a random sample of participants (96 student-athletes, 29 teachers and 35 employers of the School of Physical Education of Chongqing University) created by the authors to assess 30 competencies included in the Tuning Project and correlations between the groups’ assessments were examined.ResultsAccording to the ranking and rating results of 30 competencies included in the Tuning Project, there were significant differences between the answers of these three clusters. The competence “Ability to apply knowledge in practice” had the highest correlation of the results in all the clusters of the respondents (students, teachers, employers) for both importance (0.2976) and effectiveness (0.2845). “Problem-solving skills” – (0.2453) and “Will to succeed” – (0.2152) were the next two competencies that the respondents had rated highly according to the both evaluation criteria.ConclusionsThis paper can be used for further studies of the Tuning Project in the educational processes of China, in particular, in higher sports education.

Enhancing creativity through a problem-based design thinking project in higher education

Enhancing creativity through a problem-based design thinking project in higher education

Labouring on a journey in conceptualising a needs-based induction (NBI) programme: An Autoethnographic reflections and experiences

This autoethnographic (AE) paper draws directly from a national collaborative project called the New Academics Transitioning into Higher Education Project (NATHEP), which is funded by the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG). We adopted evocative and narrative AE methodology to confront, interrogate, and uncover our own biases, assumptions, and preconceptions of induction before NATHEP, how it is now, and how it should be understood and conducted after being part of the NATHEP project. Our AE showcases our critical and reflective thoughts on the learning acquired throughout the journey, consciously and intentionally asking ourselves whether the NATHEP journey was worth it and how it benefitted the induction programme we conceptualised and implemented. Through a combined autoethnography study design and technique, we were able to gather qualitative data from the two of us and present it as written reflective narratives. Together, we developed an open-ended questionnaire in which we asked questions that sought to elicit our experiences throughout the journey as a way of reflecting on the overall learning acquired by being part of the NATHEP project. Our responses and narratives are reflectively and thematically analysed to make sense of how we interpret our eventful NATHEP journey thus far. We conclude and submit that this paper has implications for academic development practice and academic developers who aspire to be reflective practitioners, constantly reflecting on their practices to dismantle and disrupt cultural tendencies in their quest to transform their context of work and induction practices.

Situation Analysis of Female Academics' Career Advancement in Higher Education in Syria

This research examines factors which may be influencing female academics career advancement at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Syria. The paper conducts situation analysis on academic environment at HEI in Syria, exploring factors which may be impacting female academics experience and career progression and lack of academic representation at senior management levels. The paper examines a private HEIs investigating the environment in Syria highlighting the situation after 2011. The methodology applied in diagnosing the situation, is based on data collected from a capacity building in higher education project (CBHE), funded by Erasmus+. The methodology employs the design of questionnaire survey administered at the research target group. A one-way translation from English to Arabic is performed by expert academics and verified by linguistic experts. The sample design employs nonprobability sampling techniques. The size of the sample is 47 observations for academics. The findings of the analysis are reported across individual, and institutional levels. The research results signify that interest in research is a strong motivator; while career satisfaction still reveals an area of future development. There is still little awareness on gender issues topics, as well as little research works being performed in the scope gender research issues. The concept of gender equality has a high potential for evolution and expansion on the intermediate and long term at the institutional and socio cultural contests in Syria. The future direction of this research emphasizes developing a conceptual framework on the factors which may be affecting female academics experience and career advancement in HEIs in Syria. Furthermore, future research recommends the development of institutional and national policies in the scope of gender equality, which could be reflected at human resources practices, environment of the workplace, infusion of gender at university mission and planning, curriculum, research, and university governance.

Braiding together Critical Race Feminista participatory action research: conceptual and methodological considerations

In this article, I discuss conceptual and methodological considerations for the design and implementation of Critical Race Feminista Participatory Action Research (Critical Race Feminista-PAR) projects in higher education. I share some theoretical considerations of Critical Race Feminista praxis and methodologies that have been made by scholars who bridge critical race theories and Chicana feminist epistemology and then offer considerations for areas of expansion for Critical Race Feminista methodology. I also provide an overview of the social justice and liberatory origins of PAR and examples of other “braided” approaches of PAR that help inform Critical Race Feminista-PAR. To illustrate the application of this methodology, I provide an example from a previous study I co-constructed along with Latina higher education staff, administrators, and students that had elements of Critical Race Feminista-PAR. This article has implications for how Critical Race Feminista-PAR can be used to address social problems in higher education and beyond.

Applying collaborative research supervision approach in higher education

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the application of the collaborative research supervision approach (CRSA) to learning projects in higher education, using socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation (SECI) dimensions. The study, therefore, examined how these dimensions assisted learners in Botswana's higher education to generate research knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a mixed-method research approach and exploratory research design. Purposive sampling was used to examine how the CRSA dimensions were employed in a classroom of 111 higher education learners who were carrying out research projects. Out of this population, 97 responded to a questionnaire, and 14 learners participated in a face-to-face interview. One hundred and eleven research documents produced by learners were analysed, and 42 observations were conducted.FindingsThe study found that the four dimensions of CRSA assist greatly in the development of knowledge of the research processes. This study confirms that the CRSA in higher education institutions has the potential to enhance research knowledge and skills, build learners' confidence in research, engage in learning, reduce workload, reduce the frustration of doing research and help learners complete their work in time. Learners with weak research skills easily catch up with their average-performing peers.Research limitations/implicationsIt is important to recognise the methodological limitations of this study. The study used a mixed method and a single case. As a result, the results' significance cannot be justified. Additionally, the context and methodology restrict the findings' generalisability. There is obviously potential for additional cases since this article only offers a preliminary analysis of the single case issue. Consequently, the study recommends that yet another study could be conducted to check if the approach could be used for graduate learners. Another study could also be conducted to check if the approach could be used as a supervisory approach that can provide prospects for knowledge sharing and creating learning in an organisation.Practical implicationsThe study discovered that when properly implemented, CRSA arrangement enhances research knowledge development and reduces the workload for both the supervisor and the student. When choosing this desired research supervision approach, either in terms of policy or in actual practice, it is important to take the potential for information exchange into account. This might result in improved research supervision efficacy in higher education and hence the production of better quality graduate learning projects.Social implicationsThis study recommends the use of the CRSA in higher education, so as to help learners with weak research skills, to collaboratively work with learners with high and average research skills. It also improves the quality of supervisor–learner learning relationship.Originality/valueThe research results were given to participants and respondents for approval to find out if what was written was what they said. The research results were also given to colleagues to check whether the analysis is balanced and fair and to check biases and exaggerations.

Prospects and Challenges of Capacity Building Projects in Higher Education: University of Dar es Salaam Experience

The development of skills and competences is a fundamental objective of capacity-building projects in order to achieve successful long-lasting outcomes. This study is about factors that influence effective implementation of capacity-building projects at the University of Dar es Salaam. For it is necessary that capacity building projects implemented by higher education institutions achieve a standard of performance that results into better and sustainable outputs. The study was guided by a qualitative research approach and a case study design. It involved five selected capacity-building projects at the University of Dar es Salaam. The sample included respondents from both members of top management, stakeholders and project beneficiaries. The study revealed that among the three successful of the five selected capacity-building initiatives each achieved the majority of its primary objectives. Among the elements that helped these projects succeed were the careful objective-setting and execution that come from committed and qualified leaders. The study learned in order for a project to succeed, dedicated full-time supervisors and operators who are specialized in that field and possess in-depth project management skills are needed. The following are recommended among others: a charter outlining the precise responsibilities of each management entity and participants, better disbursement of cash and decentralisation of responsibilities. Keywords: Higher education, Capacity building, Projects, Success factors, Challenges

Investigating the Pedagogical Potential of Entrepreneurial Projects in Higher Education

The current rate of technological advancement across the globe underlines the importance of higher education institutions incorporating project-based learning into their teaching approaches. This article investigates the capacity of entrepreneurial projects to address the skills gap in the Sub-Saharan African higher education sector. This study was conducted in two rural universities in South Africa and Nigeria. Data were collected from student participants from the two institutions using semi-structured questionnaires. The authors discovered that, despite the involvement of student participants in entrepreneurial projects over a considerable period of time, most participants from both universities still exhibit inadequate skill levels. This result suggests that certain conditions should be met for entrepreneurial projects to be considered effective for teaching and learning in the higher education context. It is imperative to include enabling factors such as high-quality mentoring from industry professionals and an unwavering university support system for student entrepreneurs. These enabling factors are cornerstones that strengthen a university's entrepreneurial standing.
 
 Received: 8 January 2023 / Accepted: 2 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023

Online group projects in higher education: persistent challenges and implications for practice

With the rapid adoption of online learning across higher education, there is an urgent need to identify its challenges and ways of addressing them. Online group projects, in particular, present significant issues for educators. This paper presents the findings of a systematic literature review identifying the key challenges of online group projects, together with strategies to address them. From a corpus of 114 recent papers, the 57 most relevant were analysed, to identify themes related to challenges and strategies. Key challenges were: low and uneven participation by students; a lack of clarity and preparation for students; and poor relationships. Strategies for addressing challenges were: careful design of projects, particularly regarding fair assessment; clear guidance and preparation of students; and practical and emotional support throughout, to encourage confidence and engagement. The findings of this review will enable educators to design and facilitate online group projects which students find rewarding and valuable.

A service-learning program assessment: Strengths, weaknesses and impacts on students

Purpose: This paper aims to research the strengths and weaknesses of service-learning programs in order to identify the challenges of their application, the educational possibilities of service-learning and the impact on students. Design/methodology/approach: An observational case study model was used, through a qualitative research approach based on participant observation. Additional data collection tools were used before and after the service-learning methodology; these included personal interviews, field diaries and videos. Data analysis was performed using Atlas.ti7 qualitative software. Findings: This paper shows the relevant educational possibilities of service-learning. Students have the potential to take action in response to social problems, using the professional skills they have learned in their degree program, encouraging their critical awareness through reflection processes and promoting their involvement as citizens engaged in their own reality. This work reveals both the strengths and weaknesses of service-learning programs, including the needs assessment, project-based learning, and partnership engagement, all of which are outlined as challenges in terms of their application. Research limitations: The findings of this qualitative paper pertain to one single case, but they are generalizable to related theories . Practical implications: This research could be used to a guide to begin or improve service-learning projects in higher education. Social implications: The findings on the social impact of service-learning for all the agents involved show the positive value of service-learning. Moreover, it shows service-learning is an efficient tool to introduce sustainability and the SDGs in the students’ curriculum. Originality/value: this research reveals the importance of the promotion and evaluation of service-learning in an area where little research has been done in this regard.

Використання проєктного менеджменту як інноваційно-енвайронментального підходу в системі підготовки фахівців з економіки та управління науково-технічною сферою

Today, in the global economic crisis and the transformation of the Covid/SARS-19 pandemic (strains), the issues of development and functioning of distance student learning by higher education institutions are relevant in time. The crisis of Covid-19, in addition to the global pandemic, has dealt a devastating blow to the economy of higher education institutions, they have suffered the most financially. Insufficient level of research, imperfect organizational structure and organization of management of scientific and scientific-technical activities in higher education institutions necessitate revision and improvement of the existing system of research project management in higher education institutions with specific learning conditions. The authors of the study substantiate the method of distribution of research projects among research teams of the educational institution, which takes into account not only staffing and workload of performers, but also has a mechanism for evaluating the successful implementation of the project in the overall portfolio of research projects. A method of assessing the scientific potential of scientific and pedagogical departments of the institution was developed, which in addition to the trivial emphasis on the personnel component takes into account the level of security of the project. It is possible to assess both static and dynamic components of the scientific potential of higher education institutions, as an indicator of sustainability and development of the organization, taking into account the personal achievements of employees of higher education institutions. Economic method of distribution of the bonus fund of employees based on the results of research projects in higher education institutions, as an additional motivational lever to influence a specific project. The authors have identified as an additional motivational tool, developed a method of distribution of the bonus fund based on the results of research projects in higher education, which allows to take into account the personal contribution of executors, project team, necessary resources in conditions of uncertainty. The mechanism of stimulation in the conditions of specific restrictions allows to improve the system of rewarding of the educational personnel, and to differentiate the scientific personnel with use of means of project management.

Former les acteurs des transitions soutenables. Les apports des projets tutorés dans l’enseignement supérieur

Tomorrow, today’s students will have to face the socio-environmental challenges of this new century. To prepare them to become actors of sustainability transitions, the graduation projects assigned to them have numerous benefits, but their interest can be further enhanced. This article examines how Edgar Morin’s complex thinking and its intrinsic transdisciplinarity can enrich the practice of graduation projects in higher education. Four graduation projects from recent years are re-examined in light of the literature on education for sustainability, interdisciplinarity and complex thinking. As a result of this work, we present a theoretical proposition and four practical proposals aimed at better training future actors of sustainability transitions.

Peculiarities of Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Innovative Projects in Higher Education

Peculiarities of Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Innovative Projects in Higher Education

Europeanization Through Education: Promoting European Studies In Eastern Partnership Countries

Our aim is to problematize Europeanization through education in EaP countries by studying the promotion of EU studies in higher education. The paper discusses the educational dimension of Europeanization in EaP countries from three interrelated perspectives - social constructivism, the Foucauldian concept of governmentality and a post-structuralist reading of centrality and marginality. We specifically focus on a series of international projects developed by the University of Tartu (Estonia) in partnership with other EU-based and non-EU universities from the EaP. We used qualitative data from reports of 4 EU-funded cooperation projects and also student’s views obtained in 2 focus groups that explored how the EU is taught and discussed. In the end, the added value of the article is that it offers a critical view on teaching about the EU in the Eastern neighborhood, focusing on local perspectives on EU-funded projects in higher education.

Implementation of Erasmus+ Projects in the Republic of Moldova: Case Study

The article analyzes the implementation of Erasmus+ projects in the Republic of Moldova based on the example of a capacity-building project in higher education – Elevate. The comparison of the established objectives and the results obtained of the targeted project, including in terms of their quality and usefulness, is framed in the general context of carrying out such projects in the Republic of Moldova. The analysis revealed the inefficient use of European funds and the need of impact assessments and ex-post evaluations of European Union projects in the field of higher education implemented at the local level.

Sports projects in higher education: challenges and adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Resumo O texto aborda uma situação vivenciada pelo primeiro autor em um programa esportivo de política de esporte federal, cujo objetivo é atender a comunidade universitária, prioritariamente discentes. O programa em tela consiste em parceria pública entre uma instituição de ensino superior pública e o Ministério da Cidadania, por intermédio de Termo de Execução Descentralizada. Iniciado em março de 2019, decorridos 12 meses de sua execução, frente à pandemia mundial da COVID-19 e ao isolamento social, o coordenador do projeto se viu diante da necessidade de tomar decisões emergenciais. Analisados o contexto, as normas federais que regulamentam o programa e as questões pedagógicas relacionadas ao ensino-aprendizagem das práticas corporais a priori, o gestor tinha a convicção de que era apropriado suspender as atividades até o final da pandemia. No entanto, sabia, também, que tinha até outubro de 2020, prorrogável até dezembro de 2022, para cumprir as metas pactuadas. Estava ciente, ainda, da incerteza quanto ao tempo necessário de controle da pandemia e de retorno dos atendimentos presenciais. De tal modo, viu-se frente a alguns dilemas. Deveria solicitar ao órgão concedente a suspensão do programa? Deveria consultá-lo sobre a possibilidade de elaboração e desenvolvimento de um projeto adaptado por meio de videoaulas de práticas corporais via ferramentas remotas? Entre a consulta ao órgão concedente e sua manifestação, deveria suspender ou manter o pagamento das bolsas aos recursos humanos sem que estivessem desenvolvendo alguma atividade? Deveria manter o pagamento das bolsas e atribuir atividades alternativas a serem desenvolvidas até manifestação do órgão concedente?

Reflections on Discipline Construction in General Local Undergraduate Colleges

Discipline construction is an extremely important basic project in higher education. Due to its own strength and other reasons, there are some problems and contradictions in the discipline construction of general local undergraduate institutions. This paper attempts to explore its countermeasures and measures, and try to find a development path suitable for the discipline construction of Local Undergraduate institutions, so as to promote the healthy development of discipline construction.

Luchas de saberes: Lo “posible” como metáfora de interculturación en la educación superior comunal-comunitaria

This article focuses on the master’s degree of Communality Education understood as a higher education project, which takes place in the state of Oaxaca. We analyze the narrative of “the possible” present in the speeches of the students during their time at the postgraduate. We suggest that this metaphor is established as a bridge between “self-knowledge” (ancestral, indigenous, non-Western) versus the “knowledge of others” (Western, universal, hegemonic). We recover the critical perspective of the coloniality of knowledge to think about frames of interculturation of “own and others’” knowledge. The methodology is based on the construction of the bio-school trajectories of the program students, with emphasis on the experience of their choice by master’s degree. It is concluded that the metaphor of “what is possible” is a process of interculturation, if understood in terms of decolonizing to consolidate new knowledge.

Managing task and relationship conflicts in international online team learning

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to understanding the role of task conflicts in team-based online learning. The X-Culture network has created an online learning community that involves students all over the world. Correlation and regression analysis revealed that a higher diversity of teams by nationality positively affected team performance. The indirect effect of team diversity on team performance mediated by task conflicts accounted for 59.6% of the total effect. Moderate task conflicts improved team performance. However, instructors and coaches have to prepare students at the early stage of their project cooperation to distinguish between task conflicts and relationship conflicts influenced by motivation, free riding, and online communication habits of team members living in different time zones. Suggestions for preparing students to manage conflicts in online international team projects are presented. These suggestions are relevant for innovative learning projects in higher education involving students from many countries to knowledge co-creation.