Education Service Delivery Research Articles

Evaluating service quality and performance of higher education institutions: a systematic review and a post-COVID-19 outlook

PurposeThis study aims to present a systematic review on service quality in higher education. It discusses about the latest opportunities and challenges facing higher educational institutions (HEIs) following the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study relied on the grounded theory’s inductive reasoning to capture, analyze and synthesize the findings from academic and non-academic sources. The methodology involved a systematic review from Scopus-indexed journals, from intergovernmental and non-governmental policy documents, as well as from university ranking sites and league tables.FindingsThe comprehensive review suggests that HEIs can use different performance indicators and metrics to evaluate their service quality in terms of their resources, student-centered education, high-impact research and stakeholder engagement. Moreover, this paper sheds light about the impact of an unprecedented COVID-19 on higher education services.Practical implicationsDuring the first wave of COVID-19, the delivery of higher educational services migrated from traditional and blended learning approaches to fully virtual and remote course delivery. In the second wave, policy makers imposed a number of preventative measures, including social distancing and hygienic practices, among others, on HEIs.Originality/valueThis timely contribution has synthesized the findings on service quality and performance management in the higher education context. Furthermore, it investigated the effect of COVID-19 on higher education services. It deliberates on the challenges and responses in the short/medium term and provides a discussion on the way forward. In conclusion, it implies that HEI leaders ought to embrace online teaching models and virtual systems, as they are here to stay in a post-COVID-19 era.

Factors Influencing Student Information Technology Adoption

Innovating service delivery in higher education by leveraging technology is central to supporting goals of transforming higher education to center on the needs of today's students. Aligned with these goals, this article identifies key determinants of student information technology adoption. Using a mixed-methods and empirical approach based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), a web-based survey was administered to undergraduate students at a public university in the Western United States to learn about their experiences with a web-based digital services platform (native mobile app and website), that aids students in accessing services and resources critical to maintaining their enrollment. Structural Equation Modeling, including Principal Components Analysis, was used to analyze 1841 valid survey responses and derive statistical results. The findings suggest that effort expectancy and social influence stand out as critical influences on behavioral intention to adopt the software for accessing university services, and new to UTAUT, that social influence and a students’ basic technology skills are significant determinants of effort expectancy. This article makes unique contributions to the research literature. It applies UTAUT to a higher education context to help explain the critical determinants of the adoption of software for accessing university services. It also provides insights for how UTAUT can be applied in the university setting and offers suggestions for enhancing UTAUT.

Maslow’s Hammer: teacher assistant research and inclusive practices at a crossroads

ABSTRACT Internationally, teacher assistants (TAs) have emerged as a prominent feature of inclusive educational service delivery and existing research has focused extensively on their roles, training and supervision. In the context of this special issue on TAs, this article describes reasons why relying extensively on TAs as a central feature of inclusive educational service delivery can be problematic and provides suggestions of what educational teams can do when considering the use of TAs. Recommendations for future research are offered that encourage the field to explore existing gaps while remaining cognisant of the contributions of TAs.

The socio-economic transition and health professions education in Mongolia: a qualitative study

BackgroundFormer socialist countries have undergone a socio-economic transition in recent decades. New challenges for the healthcare system have arisen in the transition economy, leading to demands for better management and development of the health professions. However, few studies have explored the effects of this transition on health professions education. Thus, we investigated the effects of the socio-economic transition on the health professions education system in Mongolia, a transition economy country, and to identify changes in requirements.MethodsWe used a multi-level perspective to explore the effects of the transition, including the input, process, and output levels of the health professions education system. The input level refers to planning and management, the process level refers to the actual delivery of educational services, and the output level refers to issues related to the health professionals, produced by the system. This study utilized a qualitative research design, including document review and interviews with local representatives. Content analysis and the constant comparative method were used for data analysis.ResultsWe explored tensions in the three levels of the health professions education system. First, medical schools attained academic authority for planning and management without proper regulation and financial support. The government sets tuition fees, which are the only financial resource of medical schools; thus, medical schools attempt to enroll more students in order to adapt to the market environment. Second, the quality of educational services varies across institutions due to the absence of a core curriculum and differences in the learning environment. After the transition, the number of private medical schools rapidly increased without quality control, while hospitals started their own specialized training programs. Third, health professionals are struggling to maintain their professional values and development in the market environment. Fixed salaries lead to a lack of motivation, and quality evaluation measures more likely reflect government control than quality improvement.ConclusionsMongolia continues to face the consequences of the socio-economic transition. Medical schools’ lack of financial authority, the varying quality of educational services, and poor professional development are the major adverse effects. Finding external financial support, developing a core curriculum, and reforming a payment system are recommended.

Global Studies and Education in Developing Countries: Road-mapping Interdisciplinarity for Sustainable Development

The education landscape in the 21st Century is witnessing global paradigm shifts. Emergent pedagogic practices are redefining hitherto compartmentalized systems of teaching and learning. With the advances in technology and the attendant expansions of the frontiers of knowledge - through the processes of digitalization and globalization -, the hitherto intellectual boundaries between disciplines are increasingly becoming blurred and of little or no relevance to contemporary scholarship. Emergent 21st century scholarship in the developed countries is characterized by a continued break down of intellectual barriers or walls between academic disciplines. A critical look at the courses being offered by academic institutions in the developed countries reflect interdisciplinarity: Global Studies; History and Philosophy of Sustainable Development (HPSD); and, History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) among others. A similar look at the curricular of most departments of higher institutions in developing countries however reveals holding on to traditional departmentalizations that characterized scholarship prior the commencement of the 21st century. With particular reference to the discipline Global Studies, we shall in this paper analytically discuss the emergent phenomenon of interdisciplinary scholarship as a means of road-mapping and repositioning academic departments and disciplines for sustainable development in developing countries. The paper argumentatively recommends frameworks for reforming the largely monodisciplinary education service delivery system in developing countries. In particular, the paper analytically asserts that interdisciplinarity has the potentials of engendering imperative solutions to the myriad of developmental challenges confronting developing nations across the globe.

The Dynamics of Educational Services in the Decentralization Era in Lampung Timur Regency

The Dynamics of Educational Services in the Decentralization Era in Lampung Timur Regency

Sustained CPD as an effective approach in the delivery of the incredible years teacher classroom management programme

ABSTRACT The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IYTCM) programme aims to equip teachers with the strategies and skills necessary to promote socio-emotional child development. In Ireland, educational psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) are involved in the delivery of the IYTCM programme training to primary school teachers. This study sought to ascertain experiences of the continuing professional development (CPD) offered to teachers by NEPS during IYTCM programme dissemination. A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was adopted. Data were collected from primary school teachers and educational psychologists. Findings indicate that the sustained CPD, facilitated by NEPS, during programme delivery, presents as an effective approach to teacher CPD and to educational psychology service delivery. The study highlights the importance and efficacy of customising programme delivery, co-constructing behaviour plans and facilitating sustained support. The evaluation considers implications of the findings and possible further developments for this model of working.

Rapid Transitions: Experiences with Accessibility and Special Education during the COVID-19 Crisis

The ongoing outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ensuing preventative lock-down and shelter-in-place policies enacted around the world have caused unanticipated disruptions in the delivery of educational content and accessibility services to children, youth and adults with disabilities. The rapid move to online and remote learning, socialization, and therapeutic activities have surfaced some of the inadequacies of existing systems and infrastructures as well as opportunities for creating novel and accessible solutions. We conducted semi-structured remote interviews with nine special education teachers, therapists, community advocates, and individuals with disabilities to capture their perspectives on delivering services and supporting children and adults with disabilities and their families during the pandemic. Participants shared reflections on their experience and those who they serve during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges and insights that this experience surfaced. Findings include a need to better support families in facilitating remote learning experiences for their children, developing tactile modes of engagement to complement online interactions, and the impact of a lack of contingency plans specifically to support people with disabilities and their families during crizes. The participants also described the lack of clarity about the future as one of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic. We conclude with a discussion of these findings and directions for future research.

Preparing Accountants of the Future: Five Ways Business Schools Struggle to Meet the Needs of the Profession

ABSTRACTIn the past few years, the demand for accountants has decreased significantly. Much of the decrease can be explained by offshoring and use of robotic and automated cognitive processes. To prepare for changing needs of the financial community, several groups have identified professional competencies they believe will be needed by future accounting professionals. The intent of this commentary is to illustrate changes in the profession and emphasize how academic institutions might preemptively address those needs. I discuss five ways business schools have struggled to meet the needs of the accounting profession. These include obstacles related to (1) developing competency-based curricula, (2) formulating reliable indicators of student performance, (3) offering convenient delivery of educational services, (4) delivering economical tuition value, and (5) providing meaningful opportunities for lifelong learning. I conclude by suggesting ways academic institutions might improve their value to the accounting profession.

Transhumant Domicile and Educational Service Delivery for Pastoralist Afars Children in Ethiopia-Implications for Mobility Mapping

The aim of this study is to investigate the rationale for the seasonality of mobility, division of labor and organizations, and the availability of educational services in their routes and mobility corridors. It further looks for the convenience of the education service delivery to the mobile way of life and pastoralist livelihoods of Afar pastoralists and its implications for the need to have mobility mapping for effective delivery so as achieve educational equity. Hence, it follows a qualitative exploratory design so as to investigate the existing facts on the mobility of pastoralists’ Afars. The qualitative data was gathered from purposively selected clan leaders. The data were categorized thematically and analysed qualitatively. The findings revealed that Afar pastoralists’ mobility is rational, systematic, and well organized through their traditional social structure with a clear division of labor. Moreover, the education service delivery modalities are not fit in to the mobile way of life in which they are not following their mobility pattern, route, and corridors. This gives the insight to have a mobility mapping for clearer information of their mobility and school mapping so as to deliver proper education and achieve educational equity.

SISTEM PENYAMPAIAN JASA PENDIDIKAN

Providers of educational services are part of marketing management. Marketing management for educational institutions (in schools, especially madrasah) is needed in line with the increasingly attractive competition between schools. Marketing is needed for educational institutions to build a positive image. If the institution or school has a good image in the eyes of the community, it is likely that it will be easier to overcome competition. Judging from its type, this research is a case study, data collection methods, namely: (1) Observation (2) interviews (3) documentation. Furthermore, the data obtained and collected from field activities and qualitative analysis with data grouping techniques, then conclusions are drawn. The results of research on educational service delivery / marketing systems carried out by MIN 2 Jombang are: using internal marketing (internal marketing), external marketing and interactive marketing.

Placing blame or a call to action? An analysis of Uwezo in the Kenyan press

Citizen-led assessments were developed in the mid-2000s to gather evidence on children’s learning outcomes following the rapid increase in primary student enrolment in the developing world. Integral to their philosophy is social accountability and community engagement. While most large-scale assessments focus on test-based accountability to promote policy shifts, citizen-led assessments, utilizing the information-accountability causal chain, theorize that information of low learning outcomes, disseminated widely, will engage stakeholders in activities and debates, ultimately leading to improvements in education quality and service delivery. This paper examines Uwezo, the oldest citizen-led assessment in East Africa, and its portrayal in the Kenyan print media. I explore whether discourse concerning Uwezo exposes education quality issues while promoting citizen engagement and how Uwezo’s social accountability philosophy is used in public discourse through the lens of political evolutionary mechanisms. I find that Uwezo’s findings were prominently discussed beginning in 2013, but that shock value of low learning levels has since decreased. Moreover, public discourse has highlighted cross-national and provincial/county comparisons in achievement levels while focusing on blaming teachers and the education system’s culture. Although Uwezo has succeeded in disseminating its findings widely in Kenya, there is minimal engagement in public discourse with its social accountability and community engagement philosophy and discourse does not promote citizen action on a national level. As Uwezo has become a respected education policy player in East Africa, and globally, it must find ways to engage communities to act upon its findings to directly improve education quality.

Toward making sexual and gender diverse populations count in Australia

Background Comprehensive data on gender and sexual identity is critical for the planning and delivery of health, education, and social support services. This paper examines ways in which sexual and gender diverse populations are being counted in research, with a view to informing discussions about how to represent these populations in future research.
 Aims To examine approaches used for the collection of data from sexual and gender diverse populations in Australia.
 Data and methods We reviewed nine examples of large national surveys conducted in Australia over the past ten years and compared the approaches used for collecting data on gender and sexual identity.
 Results A diversity of approaches and a range of limitations were identified in how these diverse populations are counted. The proportions of survey respondents across sex, gender and sexual identity categories, and the types of categories, were also found to vary across studies.
 Conclusions There is currently no consistent approach for collecting data involving sexual and gender diverse populations in Australia despite the need for large-scale surveys that reflect sexual and gender diversity. This paper identifies conceptual and methodological questions for consideration when planning how to capture diversity related to gender and sexual identity.

Free Appropriate Public Education in the Time of COVID-19.

In the spring of 2020, public schools across the United States were forced to close their campuses due to an emerging public health crisis caused by the detection of the first cases of the COVID-19 virus. Although schools closed their buildings, the delivery of educational services did not stop. This included the ongoing provision of services mandated by federal law under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which establish educational protections, processes, and rights for students with disabilities and their families to ensure educational equity. In this article, we describe the potential legal implications of COVID-19 for schools, students with disabilities, and their families with a focus on challenges faced in rural areas. Strategies for mitigating legal impacts are described.

CHALLENGES OF STUDENT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) IN GHANA: A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, WA CAMPUS

In conformity with Ghana Government’s policy towards digital information system ostensibly to promote ‘paperless’ economy, UDS in 2016 established the Management Information System (MIS). The aim was to seek efficiently and systematically help in records keeping to ensure quality education service delivery of both staff (teaching and non-teaching) and students. However, the system is beset with inconsistencies and frustrations to users of the system. The study delved into the record keeping function to unearth the challenges of MIS in UDS-Wa Campus. The fact of paucity of literature in this area leaves a gap to be filled. The study is qualitative in nature and purposive sampling technique was used to sample forty (40) respondents. They were six (6) administrative staff, fourteen (14) senior and junior lecturers and twenty (20) student leaders. The study revealed that administrators, lectures and students are unable to assess the Management Information System regularly regardless of entering their correct identification numbers and passwords. The study also found out that the web page and database of the Management Information System of UDS (Wa campus), is very slow distorted always. The study also found out that UDS (Wa-campus) does not have a student Management Information System manager but rather depends on the manager at central administration in Tamale campus. The study further revealed that there are limited experts operating UDS (Wa campus) Management Information System as compared toother public Universities of the country. The study recommends that management of UDS (Wa campus) should employ Information and Communication Technology experts in the area of Management Information System (MIS) and Computer Engineering to ensure proper functioning of UDS (Wa campus) Management Information System.

Training a Fit-For-Purpose Rural Health Workforce for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): How Do Drivers and Enablers of Rural Practice Intention Differ Between Learners From LMICs and High Income Countries?

Equity in health outcomes for rural and remote populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited by a range of socio-economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health. Health professional education that is sensitive to local population needs and that attends to all elements of the rural pathway is vital to increase the proportion of the health workforce that practices in underserved rural and remote areas. The Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet) is a community-of-practice of 13 health professional education institutions with a focus on delivering socially accountable education to produce a fit-for-purpose health workforce. The THEnet Graduate Outcome Study is an international prospective cohort study with more than 6,000 learners from nine health professional schools in seven countries (including four LMICs; the Philippines, Sudan, South Africa and Nepal). Surveys of learners are administered at entry to and exit from medical school, and at years 1, 4, 7, and 10 thereafter. The association of learners' intention to practice in rural and other underserved areas, and a range of individual and institutional level variables at two time points—entry to and exit from the medical program, are examined and compared between country income settings. These findings are then triangulated with a sociocultural exploration of the structural relationships between educational and health service delivery ministries in each setting, status of postgraduate training for primary care, and current policy settings. This analysis confirmed the association of rural background with intention to practice in rural areas at both entry and exit. Intention to work abroad was greater for learners at entry, with a significant shift to an intention to work in-country for learners with entry and exit data. Learners at exit were more likely to intend a career in generalist disciplines than those at entry however lack of health policy and unclear career pathways limits the effectiveness of educational strategies in LMICs. This multi-national study of learners from medical schools with a social accountability mandate confirms that it is possible to produce a health workforce with a strong intent to practice in rural areas through attention to all aspects of the rural pathway.

Children's Oral Health: Progress, Policy Development, And Priorities For Continued Improvement.

Considerable progress has occurred in the US over the past quarter-century in terms of improving children's oral health. Federal and state policies, programs, and partnerships have contributed to improvements in oral health status. Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program coverage expansions helped increase the use of dental services, and investments in safety-net facilities and training programs helped expand service delivery and the oral health workforce. Nevertheless, dental caries remains the most common chronic disease of childhood, notable oral health disparities persist, and the adoption of evidence-based innovations remains slow and uneven. This article highlights improvements during the past twenty-five years in US children's oral health and oral health care that stem from major federal and state initiatives, as well as persistent disparities. We offer promising strategies for reducing gaps and suggestions for overcoming challenges to future progress, including renewed emphasis on oral health during early childhood; greater integration in education and clinical service delivery programs; development of standardized quality measures; and data collection systems that support more robust surveillance, program monitoring, and system improvements.

Effective Management of Private Schools in Nigeria: Necessity for Governments’ Intervention

Private schools and owners invest a lot of worthwhile input in the provision of functional educational service delivery thus paving way for further access, equity and fair play to every intending learner as complement to the effort of government, the public school providers in Nigeria. This development actually met the world declaration of the expectation from all nations of the world to provide mass, quality and free education to all citizens. By and large, education service delivery as a social service requires huge sum of money in its operations across all levels of educational institutions – basic, post basic and tertiary. The paper examined effective management of private schools in Nigeria and the necessity for governments’ intervention. In a nutshell, the paper espoused: the world demand on provision of quality education; available sources of funding for private school ownership; challenges of private school ownership and management; justification for the establishment of private schools to support government established institutions; comparism of funding and management pattern of private schools in Nigeria and diaspora; and core constraints of private schools. The paper concludes and recommends that, respective governments, their agencies and parastatals should participate actively in rendering adequate support regarding award of grant-in-aid to owners of private schools; and that cost of registration and set up cost on infrastructural facilities for private schools - low, medium and high scales should be cut down by FME or SMoEs , ZIE, LIE, UBEC, TRCN, and similar institutions thus, affordable to create more access to learners with standards.

Does Location Matter? A Single-State Case Study Examining Geographic Differences in School-Based ASD Identification Practices

Special education service delivery may vary, in part, by geographic location of the school districts. This variation may be especially important to understand for students who require comprehensive evaluations and specialized services, such as students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Much of the existing literature focuses on geographic locations in isolation, rather than examining differences between contexts. Better understanding these differences may improve identification processes and lead to improved long-term outcomes for students with ASD. The authors examined difference in ASD identification practices relative to geographic location in one U.S. state by surveying school-based practitioners about their practices in identifying ASD in students. No significant differences were found between geographic location (rural, small city, midsize city, large city, and suburban), the number of sources of information about ASD symptoms (evaluation tools), and the number of collaborations in the ASD identification process. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Barriersto accessing maternal health care services in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh: A qualitative descriptive study of Indigenous women's experiences.

Increased maternal health care (MHC) service utilisation in Bangladesh over the past decades has contributed to improvements in maternal health outcomes nationally, yet there is little understanding of Indigenous women's experiences of accessing MHC services in Bangladesh. Face-to-face semi-structured qualitative interviews with 21 Indigenous women (aged 15-49 years) within 36 months of delivery from three ethnic groups (Chakma, Marma and Tripura) were conducted between September 2017 and February 2018 in Khagrachhari district. Purposive sampling was used to recruit women representative of the population distribution in terms of age, ethnic community and service use experience. All interviews were conducted in Bangla language and audio-recorded with consent. Interviews were transcribed directly into English before being coded. Data were analysed thematically using a qualitative descriptive approach aided by NVivo12 software. Of the 21 women interviewed, 14 had accessed at least one MHC service during their last pregnancy or childbirth and were categorised as the User group. The remaining seven participants were categorised as 'Non-users' as they had not access antenatal care, facility delivery or postnatal care services. Women reported that they wanted culturally relevant, respectful, home-based and affordable care, and generally perceived formal MHC services as being only for complications and emergencies. Barriers to accessing MHC services included low levels of understanding about the importance of MHC services, concerns about service costs, limited transport and fears of intrusive practices. Experiences within health services that deterred women from accessing future MHC services included demands for unofficial payments and abusive treatment by public facility staff. Improving access to MHC services for the CHT Indigenous women requires improved understandings of cultural values, priorities and concerns. Multifaceted reform is needed at individual, community and health systems levels to offer culturally appropriate health education and flexible service delivery options.