Public Higher Education Research Articles

A Study Examining the Customer Service Experience Using the Partial Least Square (PLS) Approach, with a Particular Focus on Personal Interaction Encounters and Customer Involvement

The relationship between academic achievement, student happiness, and the quality of academic services provided by university staff is a critical issue in Malaysian public higher education. This correlation highlights the importance of understanding the factors that influence the interactions between academic staff and students. Knowledge of the variables affecting how academic staff members and service encounters interact is quite important. This study aims to examine the influence of personal interaction encounters and customer involvement on the level of customer service experience provided by academic staff at Malaysian public universities. To gather data from 454 academic faculty members at Malaysian public universities, a self-administered questionnaire was developed. PLS 4.0 was used in this work and proportionate stratified random sampling was utilized. The results showed significant relationships between consumer involvement and personal interaction encounters with customer service experience. By acknowledging and addressing these variables, Malaysian public universities can foster more positive and productive interactions between staff and students or other stakeholders, ultimately improving the academic experience.

Are profiles of job insecurity associated with health-related indicators among faculty in Swedish academia?

Job insecurity is a work stressor associated with various health-related impairments. As concerns about the ubiquity of job insecurity in academia have become increasingly prominent, the potential implications of job insecurity for the health and well-being of faculty require attention. Specifically, these implications may vary between groups within academia, yet little is known about such variations, particularly with respect to different indicators of health and well-being. This study aims to identify and examine profiles of job insecurity (including quantitative and qualitative dimensions) in relation to exhaustion, depressive symptoms, well-being, and work-family conflict among faculty in Sweden. Self-reports in questionnaires were collected in 2021 from a representative sample of faculty, with a doctoral degree, working in Swedish public higher education institutions (N = 2,729 respondents; 48% women; average age: 50 years; 82% born in Sweden). Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify profiles of job insecurity, followed by statistical comparisons on demographic covariates and health-related indicators across profiles. The latent profile analysis revealed five job insecurity profiles: the moderately insecure (n = 215), the secure (n = 1777), the secure; quality-concerned (n = 406), the insecure; employment-concerned (n = 177), and the insecure (n = 154). Twelve percent of the sample was identified as vulnerable, particularly the insecure profile, where these individuals may be most at a risk for exhaustion disorder and depression. Among faculty in Sweden, quantitative and qualitative dimensions of job insecurity appear to be closely connected, with the qualitative dimension seemingly more informative for health-related indicators.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Propensity to Cheat Scale Validation in the Ethiopian Public Higher Education Institutions

Background This study was primarily intended to develop and validate a comprehensive and psychometrically acceptable measure of students’ propensity to cheat (PTC) behavior among undergraduate students in Ethiopian universities by assessing their engagement in different types of cheating behavior. Methods The present study employed an explanatory research design using a questionnaire based on the Propensity to Cheat Scale (PCS). The questionnaire was administered to 500 university students (male = 367 [73.4%]; female = 133 [26.6%]) selected from three Ethiopian public universities between November and January 2022. In order to measure the underlying variables of propensity towards cheating, a factor model is developed using exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis was employed to validate the students’ perceived PTC. The internal consistency of the PTC scale was assessed using reliability analysis, and validity evaluations were conducted to confirm the scale’s discriminant and convergent validity. Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results revealed a good fit to the data, and the internal consistency of the PCS was found to be strong, providing a reliable measure of students’ propensity for cheating. Validity evaluations, including discriminant validity and convergent validity, confirmed the validity of the scale. The average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability values also supported the scale’s convergent validity. The multidimensional concept of the PTC was supported by a four-factor solution consisting of 26 reliable and valid items. Conclusion The findings of the study demonstrate that the scale has also provided sufficient evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. By establishing discriminant and convergent validity, as well as reliability, through different validation procedures, the study has provided strong evidence for the effectiveness of the PCS as an instrument for determining whether university students are likely to engage in cheating behavior.

Governance of Zakat Distribution in Malaysian Public Higher Education Institution

Governance of Zakat Distribution in Malaysian Public Higher Education Institution

Diagnostic Evaluation of the Contribution of Complementary Training Subjects in the Self-Perception of Competencies in Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability in Engineering Students

Higher education institutions, as organizations that transform society, have a responsibility to contribute to the construction of a sustainable and resilient world that is aware of the collateral effects of technological advances. This is the initial phase of a research that aims to determine whether subjects in the complementary training area have a significant effect on ethical, social responsibility, and sustainability (ERS) competencies in engineering students at a public higher education institution (HEI). To this end, a quantitative approach was used, adopting a descriptive comparative cross-sectional design and applying a self-perception instrument to a population of 418 students in the first and last semesters of engineering undergraduate programs. As a result, it was found that students that took subjects in the complementary area did not show significant development in social responsibility and sustainability competencies but did in ethical dimensions. Furthermore, in the triad of ERS competencies, there was a significant difference in students over 36 years of age, suggesting that time and academic experience contribute to a greater understanding and application of ethical and moral principles. These results support the idea that ethics and social responsibility are the pillars of sustainability. The findings highlight the importance of intervening in these subjects and complementing them with educational strategies that promote the continuous development of ERS competencies throughout the entire training itinerary, not only in complementary subjects, but as cross-cutting components of all specific engineering discipline subjects.

IMPRESSÕES DE ACADÊMICOS DE ENFERMAGEM SOBRE O ENSINO REMOTO DURANTE A PANDEMIA E ISOLAMENTO SOCIAL

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the sociodemographic profile, remote academic activities, and impacts on the daily lives of nursing students. METHOD: The survey included 446 students from two federal universities in Rio de Janeiro, through an electronic questionnaire containing open and closed questions. Of these, 96 responded by providing their impressions of remote teaching. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the institutions involved. RESULTS: The analysis of the participants’ impressions pointed to the high workload and lack of leisure as factors that weighed most heavily on the lives of students, which could affect their mental health. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that a reflection on the desired image for public higher education and that professors and institutions have real knowledge of student profiles.

Mentorship Interventions Personalized Support Systems Across Varying Higher Educational Settings: Recommendations for Personalized Educator Support

This mixed methods case study examines the experiences of mentors and mentees in a personalized mentorship support program (PMSP) at a midwestern public higher education (MPHE) institution as the program transitioned from a pilot phase dedicated to historically underrepresented educators (HUE) into year two, which sought to position the program as a viable system of institution-wide faculty support and retention. Results from year 1 and 2 of the program indicate a closing gap between faculty mentors and mentees for the outcomes of career success, intention to stay, and job satisfaction. This study provides recommendations for program strategy at varying higher education institutions to better promote program innovation and future research.

Exploring the Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) Practices of Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Towards the Development of Green Social Responsibility Program Model

This study explores the practices of green human resource management (GHRM) and its relationships to environmental management systems (EMS) towards the development of green social responsibility program model. The study also looked at the impact and commitment to social responsibility programs and human resource management practices of selected HEIs in the provinces of MIMAROPA Region 4-B. The ability, motivation, and opportunity (A-M-O) theory was used to explain how the factors in this study related to one another and to enhance employees’ abilities and efforts by fostering a collaborative work environment . Alternately, to consider statistical treatment of data, through analysis of variations (ANOVA), and to determine the correlation between green HRM practices and the perceived level of environmental management systems’ performance of the Romblon State University (RSU), Palawan State University (PSU), and Mindoro State University (Min SU) as higher education institutions (HEIs) in MIMAROPA Region IV-B, Pearson’s product-moment correlation (Pearson’s r) was used to identify which among the green HRM practices that predicted the environmental management performance of these selected universities that significantly correlated the relationship between Green Human Resource Management and environmental Management Practices, with p value of less than 0.05, and it is interpreted that the correlation between the two variables is significant at 0.01 level (2-tailed). It means that GHRM affects the EMS through the full mediation of HEIs environmental knowledge, thus strengthening and validating the finding of a theoretical implication in terms of ability, motivation and opportunity (A-M-O)theory.

Prevalence and Perspectives of Cyberbullying Victimisation and Its Effect on Mental Health Among Students in Public Higher Education Institutions in the East Coast Region

Prevalence and Perspectives of Cyberbullying Victimisation and Its Effect on Mental Health Among Students in Public Higher Education Institutions in the East Coast Region

Factors Influencing Academic Performance, With the Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing of Students: Evidence from Public Higher Education Institutions in Vietnam

Factors Influencing Academic Performance, With the Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing of Students: Evidence from Public Higher Education Institutions in Vietnam

Performance Indicators of Budget Management at UFSC from 2010 to 2013

Objective: The objective of this study is to verify the variation in budget management performance at UFSC based on indicators from 2010 to 2013. Theoretical Framework: The main concepts and theories underpinning this research were Results Planning and Control, Budgetary Process, and Higher Education Institutions. These concepts were essential for understanding the study's context. Method: The research is characterized by its qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, applied, bibliographic, documentary, and case study nature. Results and Discussion: From the collection of secondary data from documents obtained from UFSC, variations in performance indicators were observed. Although not significant, these variations considerably influenced the budget. Management of financial resources in a public higher education institution of UFSC's size should be continuously monitored to take timely actions and make corrections to avoid greater losses. Research Implications: This study exposes and clarifies the Performance Indicators of UFSC's budget management from 2010 to 2013, for future reflection on budget management. Originality/Value: his study contributes to understanding UFSC's budget management by examining its performance indicators. The relevance and value of this research lie in the growing necessity for effective financial management in public universities.

The Impact of Leadership Styles and Motivation on Entrepreneurial Inclinations Among Higher Education Students: Implications for Policy Development in Malaysia

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of leadership style and motivation on the entrepreneurial propensity of students in a public higher education institution. The research seeks to comprehend the relationship between these elements and their impact on students' inclination towards entrepreneurship. Theoretical Framework: Based on recent research, the theoretical framework highlights the importance of transformational and transactional leadership styles, as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, in influencing students' entrepreneurial tendencies. Additionally, it integrates discoveries from prior research on the correlation among motivation, leadership style, and entrepreneurial inclinations. Method: The study used a quantitative survey approach to gather data from undergraduate students at a public higher education institution, using a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The data is examined using SPSS software, specifically using inferential analysis, notably Multiple Regression analysis, to explore the influence of leadership style and motivation on students' predisposition towards entrepreneurship. Results and Discussion: The findings demonstrate a notable and favourable correlation between leadership style, motivation, and students' tendency towards entrepreneurship. The study reveals that motivation is the primary element that accounts for 63 percent of the variation in entrepreneurial inclinations among students. On the other hand, while leadership style also has an influence, its effect is less significant in contrast. These results emphasise the need to incorporate motivating tactics and efficient leadership techniques into educational programmes to cultivate entrepreneurial inclinations among students. Research Implications: The research offers valuable insights for educational institutions and policymakers who seek to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in students. It highlights the importance of creating educational programmes and activities that not only teach entrepreneurial knowledge but also actively increase student enthusiasm and expose them to transformational and transactional leadership styles. These endeavours have the potential to provide a nurturing atmosphere that fosters innovation and creativity. Originality/Value: This study enhances the current knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between leadership style, motivation, and students' inclination towards entrepreneurship in higher education institution. It offers valuable insights into the effectiveness of different leadership styles and motivational factors in promoting entrepreneurial behaviours among students.

Entry into public higher education - differences highlighted with UFPE data between open competition and quota students

The Quota Law for Higher Education in Brazil, implemented as in the entry of 2013, was designed to facilitate access for students from public schools to higher education, in universities and federal institutes, and promote social inclusion. The law provided that within ten years, counting from the date of publication, a review of the special program for access to higher education institutions would be promoted. This work seeks to contribute to the analysis of law enforcement, especially by observing admission scores comparing quota and non-quota students. We analyzed data from students entering courses in the Basic Area of Entry (ABI – Engineering), Law and Medicine at UFPE, at Campus Recife, which are courses in different areas of knowledge. To analyze performance in the admission process, based on the SiSU grades, all students entering the aforementioned courses in the period from 2016.1 to 2020.2 were considered, totalizing 5145 students. The results reveal that there is evidence that the SiSU grades of students in open competition are higher than the grades of quota students, for the three courses analyzed (Medicine, Law and ABI-Engineering at UFPE), throughout the study period, namely 2016.1 to 2020.2, and also that among the quota students, those self-declared as black, brown or indigenous entered with lower average grades than the other quota students, in all years.

Critical Thinking Skills and Reading Proficiency among the English Language Students of Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Sulu

The sobering realization of the critical thinking and the difficulty in the language comprehension, specifically in English language piques the researcher's interest in learning more about the experiences of tertiary students majoring in English language studies at other public HEIs in Sulu. This study sought to investigate the significant difference in the extent of critical thinking skills and reading proficiency among the English language students. This study employed a variety of statistical techniques, including the adopted weighted mean, standard deviation, t-Test for independent samples, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s r test of correlation to analyze the reading comprehension and critical thinking skills among English language learners in Sulu's public HEIs throughout the 2023–2024 academic year. A surveyed has been conducted on 200 female students aged 20-21 from public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Sulu, revealing high critical thinking abilities and average reading proficiency ratings. Students' demographic profiles did not significantly influence their assessment of critical thinking or perceived reading proficiency. The study supports Anderson's Theory of Schema, which suggests that comprehension is an interactive process involving the reader's background knowledge and the text, requiring the ability to relate the material to one's own knowledge. The school administration will partner with language teachers to provide reading materials that enhance students' critical thinking skills and reading proficiency. Teachers must guide students to comprehend texts thoroughly, while parents play a crucial role in their children's future. Students will develop the ability to comprehend texts thorough through books and other reading materials provided by teachers. The objective of this study is to offer a foundation for upcoming researchers to enhance their own investigations on critical thinking abilities and reading competence within their field of study. The study will be conducted during the Academic Year 2023-2024 in Sulu province.

Anxiety Symptoms Influence Food Consumption Differently Depending on Nutritional Status During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study with University Students

Background Anxiety symptoms are factors that directly affect eating habits, but this interference can be heterogeneous depending on the nutritional status of the individuals. Objectives To analyze whether the presence of anxiety symptoms at the beginning of the pandemic influenced the change in food consumption according to its purpose and extent of processing during a one-year follow-up and whether this association occurs equally with excess weight and without excess weight university students. Methods This longitudinal study was carried out with 583 university students from a public Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Brazil. The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was used to verify whether anxiety symptoms were associated with changes in food consumption over time. Results The results showed that previous moderate/severe anxiety symptoms were associated with an increased frequency of consumption of both fresh or minimally processed foods (β: 0.2 95%CI: 0.1; 0.7 p = 0.013) and ultra-processed foods (β: 5.6 95%CI: 1.8; 17.7 p = 0.003), but with different magnitudes. In university students who were not excess weight, previous moderate/severe anxiety symptoms were associated with a reduction in the frequency of consumption of fresh or minimally processed foods (β: −2.0 95%CI: −3.5; −0.5 p = 0.008), while in those who were excess weight, there was an increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods (β: 4.5 95%CI: 2.2; 6.8 p < 0.001). Conclusion This study confirms the influence of anxiety symptoms on food consumption according to the extent and purpose of processing. In addition, these results emphasize the role of psychological distress in the university population, and that this factor can affect excess weight and without excess weight individuals differently.

Toxic leadership in higher education: a typology of behaviours

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to create a psychometrically valid and reliable toxic leadership scale (TLS) for use in higher education workplace environments. The TLS was administered to a sample of 482 faculty members employed by three public universities in Jordan. Another aim of the study was to determine the level of toxic leadership based on the perceptions of faculty members. In addition, the current study sought to ascertain how perceptions of toxic leadership varied according to differences in gender, level of education, experience, and academic rank. The findings of the study revealed that the TLS is composed of 15 items spread over three factors named managerial harassment, falsified show, and dictatorship. Results also indicated the presence of toxic leadership in public higher education with a low degree for the managerial harassment factor. However, moderate degrees of toxic leadership were found for the falsified show and dictatorship factors. Regarding the demographics of faculty members, the findings showed that lower academic ranks and less experienced faculty members had lower views of toxic leadership, while men had greater perceptions of toxic leadership. The study provided numerous recommendations for theory development and practitioners in higher education.

The Satisfaction of the Students on Home-Based Distance Learning in the Philippines

Distance education has quickly been integrated into the education system anywhere, and the pandemic has intensified the need for it. The Philippines is just one of the countries that grappled with the effects of the unseen enemy; therefore, leaning mainly to home-based learning just cope to the need for learning and continuity. This study aimed to elicit the satisfaction level of Filipino college students both enrolled in private and public higher education in the country. To proceed with the study, the researchers adapted an 18-item questionnaire to find out the satisfaction level of the students in the home-based learning modality implemented in the entire country during the school year 2022 – 2023. Using the satisfaction scale adapted from Nabayra and Tambong (2023), results showed that Filipino students had an overall slight satisfaction with the implemented home-based learning modality. Moreover, the demographics, namely gender, year level, type of institution, and type of home-based learning modality, are not directly associated with students' level of satisfaction, which can only contribute less than 1% of the variance to their satisfaction.

Effectiveness of English language teaching methods and language learning skills among college students in public higher education institutions in Sulu

English is the most widely spoken language in the world, serving as a common medium for people from different linguistic backgrounds. It is the primary or secondary language in many countries and is often used as the international language of business, diplomacy, science, and technology. Hence, there was a need for effective teaching and instructional strategy to enhance the competence of the college students. This study investigated the effectiveness of various English language teaching methods and assessed the language learning skills of college students in public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sulu, Philippines. Quota sampling (n=200) was carried out to sample the college students from four (4) different public HEIs in Sulu. Close-ended questionnaires were administered to determine the effectiveness of three different English language teaching methods—(i) Grammar-Translation Method, (ii) Direct Method, and (iii) Audio-Lingual Method. This study also analyzed the level of English language learning competence of college students based on their (i) listening skills, (ii) speaking skills, (iii) reading skills, and (iv) writing skills. Key findings indicated that different teaching methods, namely the Grammar-Translation Method, the Direct Method, and the Audio-Lingual Method, each offered distinct advantages for language learning. In assessing the language learning skills of the students, the study found high competence across all four key areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Inferential analysis indicated that the effectiveness of English language teaching methods can be correlated to the language competence of college students. Further studies shall be done to determine whether the teaching methods could directly influence the language skills of students.

Understanding task-based learning and its implementation: a Public University case

This article derives from the research project “Evaluación del alcance de la competencia comunicativa en un programa de formación en lengua extranjero –inglés- en el Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano” subscribed to the Research Direction with code PCI19201. It presents the findings related to the results obtained from the evaluation of an English language acquisition program offered at a public higher education institution in Medellin, Colombia, when it comes to analysing the understanding of the teaching methodology used (Task-Based Learning) in terms of its principles, application and assessment. A mixed methods explanatory multiple case study was carried out and the data collection techniques included document analysis, online surveys, and interviews. Findings show that there is an overall comprehension of Task-Based Learning principles, application and assessment, however, there is a lack of clarity as to why using this methodology in this specific context, which in turns, reflects on unanswered questions when it comes to certain methodological issues of Task-Based Learning use itself within the classroom.

Matrícula escolar de nivel superior por área de conocimiento y regiones en México 2010–2022

The objective of the research is to describe the behavior of enrollment in Mexico from the school year 2010-2011 to 2021-2022 divided by area of knowledge in the eight regions of the country. A quantitative approach was used, with a non-experimental type and an exploratory-descriptive scope in an evolutionary way, taking information from the ANUIES about public higher education institutions, and schooling modality. Throughout the country, from the 2010-2011 cycle there was an enrollment were 1,933,907 to 2021-2022 with 3,493,562 students. The areas with the highest enrollment are Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction; Social Sciences and Law; along with Administration and Business. In the last twelve years, enrollment in Mexico has increased by 44.64%; being the area of Services the one that grew the most with 63.94% along with that of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics with 58.7%. The one that had a decrease was the Area of Education Sciences with -52.24%; and Information and Communication Sciences with just 5.12% growth. In the last school year 2021-2022 with respect to the previous one; the ones that grew the most were Education Sciences (10.49%) and Information and Communication Technologies (12.23%).