Higher Education Stakeholders Research Articles

Relevance of selected Social Science Degree programs on skills development and graduate employability in Zambia

A pragmatic approach was used to explore the extent to which four selected social science degree programs were relevant for the skill needs of the job market in Zambia. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 162 participants using interviews and questionnaires. The SPSS version 24 and Atlas. Ti Version 8 were used to analyse and interpret data within the framework of the Capability Approach. The findings reveal that the relevance of each of the four social science degree programs depend on how key stakeholders in higher education and the labour market perceive them and that graduate employability was affected by factors such as the need and importance of social sciences to the labour market; employer and student perceptions of employability skills in the degree programs; demand for the programs; graduate work readiness, and the availability of graduate job prospects. It could be concluded that although all four social science degree programs were important, their relevance to the needs of Zambia’s labour market varied from program to program.

The price of knowledge and the wisdom of innocence: A difficult journey through the employability discourse in higher education

Through the examination of knowledge artefacts, utilising an analytical metaphorical representation, the authors present an exploration of higher education. In this way, the exploration is depicted as a schizophrenic, dichotomic journey through the difficult discourse of knowledge, wisdom, and employability in higher education institutions. The article explores how the place and value of knowledge appear fractured in the higher education curriculum. Applying Root Cause Analysis, it is argued that the marketisation, commercialisation and commodification of higher education, with the resulting emphasis on economic value through the employability of graduates, has created unintended consequences in the sector. To insert employability initiatives, something has to give in the module structure so that everything can be fitted in. That ‘something’ is the sacrifice of wisdom within the deeper knowledge of a subject. The authors argue that the depth of knowledge has unintentionally been negatively affected by embedding employability. While some students position themselves strategically to use their education for their individual gain, others want to learn more deeply, and become anxious that they do not have the time to reflect on what they have learned. It is recommended that a deeper reflexive conversation must take place between all stakeholders in higher education if it is to have a future in economic terms.

Involving University Stakeholders in Upgrading the Fostering of Students’ Readiness to Embark on a Career

The purpose of the study was to identify how stakeholders of higher education can influence the quality of the educational process and students’ readiness to embark on a career. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods sequentially with the quantitative method predominating. It relied on a survey research design and quasi-experiment with some features of a descriptive case study such as conducting observations by the external stakeholders and administering measurements. The study addressed the issues related to curriculum governance, instruction, learning assessment, and teaching resources. It also eliminated the loopholes in lecturers’ attempts to foster the students’ readiness to build a career. It enabled an objective and unbiased evaluation of the overall students’ professional efficacy during the students’ job internships. The baseline survey showed that the students and lecturers reported that they experienced limited satisfaction with the programmes. The self-branding project influenced the students’ academic efficiency and career development skills positively. The mean value for the effect size d was 0.67, indicating that it was large and statistically significant. The observation report provided by representatives of the host organizations implied that the representatives of the host companies were generally pleased with the quality of the occupational readiness of the students. The study will benefit the researchers and practitioners in terms of building long-term relationships and sharing responsibility for the quality of professional training of the students.

Improvement of Quality of Higher Education Institutions as a Basis for Improvement of Quality of Life

This paper aims to propose a quality assessment model for higher education institutions in the technical–technological field and a system for decision support and optimal management strategies for quality improvement. Obtaining research results is based on surveying stakeholders in higher education and obtaining quantitative data regarding key performance indices. Quantitative data and the genetic algorithm method are applied to determine optimal management strategies for quality improvement. Quality in the higher education sector is among the current issues in the academic community. By monitoring and researching the higher education field and analysing the literature and the current situation in the system of higher education in developing countries, it can be concluded that there is no single way to assess the quality of higher education institutions. This knowledge was a good starting point for the research presented in this paper. Accordingly, the findings include developing a system for quality assessment and the ranking of higher education institutions. Additionally, evaluating the relevance of key performance indicators of higher education institutions differs from different stakeholder perspectives. However, it is possible to develop a system for decision support and the selection of the optimal strategy for improving the performance of study programs and higher education institutions with regard to quality. The practical implications include defining a decision support system that enables the adoption of optimal decisions by the management teams of higher education institutions to improve study programs and the performance of the higher education institutions. The presented system may enable the benchmarking, simulation, and verification of different scenarios for improving the quality and performance of higher education institutions. In this paper, the authors analysed the characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks of different ranking systems to develop and introduce a novel ranking system that suggests weights for the ranking criteria and different perspectives regarding new digital age requirements. The model was tested, and the results are presented to demonstrate the advantages of the developed model. The originality of the research lies in the presented novel model that can be made available to government institutions and serve as a basis for the overall ranking and evaluation of higher education institutions, with the possibility of developing a performance-based funding system. Additionally, other stakeholders can gain an insight into the performance of an institution in relation to their needs and goals.

Multivariate dynamics of Spanish universities in international rankings

Global rankings help boost the international reputation of universities, which thus attempt to achieve good positions on them. These rankings attract great interest each year and are followed attentively by stakeholders in higher education. This paper investigates the trajectory of Spanish universities in the ARWU and THE rankings over the last 5 years using the dynamic biplot technique to study the relationship between a multivariate dataset obtained at more than one time point. The results demonstrate that Spanish universities achieve low positions on international rankings when analyzed using this multivariate and dynamic approach. Indeed, only a small percentage occupy good positions in both studied rankings and stand out in terms of some of the indicators, whereas most achieve weak scores in the global context. Spanish universities should attempt to improve this situation, since the prestige resulting from a good position on these lists will always be beneficial in terms of the visibility of both the universities themselves and the whole Spanish university system.

An Online Survey of the Problems Being Faced by Students and Teachers in Higher Education with Special Reference to Jammu Region

In the present paper results from an online survey have been reported. The study was conducted to identify the problems being faced by the teachers and students working/enrolled in institutions of higher education in Jammu region. The survey involved a sample of 350 students and 50 teachers (total 400), selected randomly from a population of 4000 community members both students and teachers who were enrolled as members of a social media platform Educational Community. For the purpose of conducting survey, two questionnaires, one meant for students and the other for teachers were constructed and uploaded on Survey Monkey website for administration. The participants were free to respond through the use of desktop computers, laptops, tablet/iPads, smart phones etc. The responses were later analysed. Students and teachers were able to identify different problems they were facing while receiving/imparting education in higher education institutions. These were ranked in order of magnitude. The main problems in case of students were lengthy courses/curriculum for studying, long distance between institution and residence, inability to express ideas, less or no financial-aid/scholarships, lack of communication skills, financial problems in the family, etc. Problems reported by teachers were regarding the salary, workload, job insecurity etc. The results highlight the need to conduct such surveys periodically so that the problems faced by the major stakeholders in higher education can be identified and solutions provided to raise the quality of higher education in different regions.

Latino Men Using Compañerismo to Navigate the Unchartered Waters of the Doctoral Program: A Conceptual Model

In this paper, we present a conceptual model of the development of a relationship between first-generation Latino men while navigating the unchartered waters, or the unknown, of a doctoral program. Drawing from focus groups, we outline the various components (e.g., institutional role and support, resilience, cultural affinity) that contributed to the model of compañerismo and how this cultural phenomenon, in turn, led to the participants’ successful navigation of their graduate education. Compañerismo represents the evolvement from a surface-level friendship to a cultural, personal, and academic support system. Guided by the data, we offer practical implications for higher education stakeholders to better support Latino men and their persistence and retention in doctoral programs.

ПРОФЕСІЙНИЙ КАПІТАЛ У ВИЩІЙ ШКОЛІ: ПОНЯТТЯ І РОЛЬ

The issue of efficient use of non-material resources both in business and education is currently generating increasing scientific interest across the globe. In this regard the article deals with the concept of professional capital and its components as the major prerequisites of ensuring high quality and efficiency of higher education. Professional capital of higher education is viewed as synthesis of intellectual, social and decisional capital of institutions of higher education which in their turn are realized through interpersonal communication, cooperation and networking, knowledge and experience of university employees, faculty, students and other higher education stakeholders, their relationships, achievements and decisions which altogether ensure the high quality and efficiency of higher education. Major components of professional capital, i.e. intellectual (including human and organizational capital), social, and decisional capital are characterized and detailed with respect to higher education. Human capital of higher education, an integral element of its intellectual capital, is analyzed and viewed at the following levels: personal (the level of an individual), microeconomic (the level of an institution), and macroeconomic (the level of higher education of a nation or the world). Social capital is primarily based on cooperation which is realized through the listed major activities within academia. Decisional capital involves making decisions in complex situations on innumerable occasions with a variety of problems and cases. Finally, the interpretation of professional capital of higher education is provided and its significance in ensuring high quality and efficiency of education is stressed as well as prospects for future research are outlined.

Increasing University Competitiveness through Assessment of Green Content in Curriculum and Eco-Labeling in Higher Education

Growing environmental problems and increasing requirements of green jobs force universities around the world not only to transform their curricula but also to enrich existing ones with contents related to the promotion of sustainable development. This paper aims to show the importance of measuring and monitoring the share of green contents in all university activities, as only in that way it is possible to monitor trends and give realistic assessments of their effect and importance. The paper presents a comparative analysis of different types of methodologies for assessing sustainable activities at universities as well as research conducted at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia and its comparison with the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). This research aims to point out the importance of increasing competitiveness in higher education through assessment of green content in a curriculum and its promotion. In this way, through eco-labeling methodology, it would be easier to identify those contents that, in a certain share, contribute to the promotion of sustainable development. Furthermore, this methodology can easily be extended across the country and the region, which would bring positive effects to all stakeholders in higher education.

Assuring Quality amidst Political Intrigue in Higher Education Institutions

This article provides an anatomical analysis of the political intrigue within quality assurance and management mechanisms of higher education institutions in East Africa. Actionable strategies are hence proposed for circumventing the negative effects of such intrigue in order to ensure quality service delivery within the institutions while respecting the need for diversity and innovative practices in research and education. We recognize that the primary responsibility for quality assurance and quality management lies with the higher education institutions themselves, rather than with any outside body. The article therefore discusses issues of autonomy internal to the institutions and those external - between the institutions and regulatory cum oversight bodies that have perpetually riddled the efficiency of quality enhancement. The article draws its data and information from international, national, and institutional policies as well as refereed studies on quality assurance and quality management, especially those highlighting political intrigue in the processes. It has been observed that quality assurance of higher education processes is desired to enhance quality in the response of higher education to labour market needs. However, the article reveals the existence of immense negative politicking and intrigue in the quality assurance processes in higher education institutions in East Africa which are responsible for compromising the quality of services delivered by the institutions. It is argued that being an indicator for organisational performance, the continuous monitoring and enhancing of quality of higher education should be the primary goal and objective of all stakeholders of higher education in East Africa, meaning that quality assurance processes should be embedded in the conducting of the routine business of the institutions.

Taxonomy of higher education delivery modes: a conceptual framework

ABSTRACT Even after the two decades of the Internet’s emergence, the higher education sector has not fully capitalized on the online platform’s efficiency. Online education has remained a small proportion of the overall course/degree program offerings at most universities. While the online platform enables cost and time efficiencies due to its inherent spatial and temporal flexibilities, it also creates efficacy challenges in meeting diverse learning and pedagogical needs. Before the coronavirus pandemic, online education was predominantly deployed in an asynchronous mode, resulting in a lack of effective student engagement, personalized learning, integrity issues, and market acceptance. The Covid-19 pandemic has compelled the widespread adoption of synchronous online education that can remove efficacy barriers of asynchronous online mode. Based on the efficiency and efficacy tradeoffs, a conceptual framework for classifying various higher education delivery modes is presented in this article. The framework can help higher education stakeholders choose the most appropriate delivery mode based on their diverse needs.

Higher Education Mergers in China: Lessons for Tanzanian Higher Education Institutions

Today, China stands out as a good example in terms of higher education institutional mergers, given its accumulated experience and great number of cases of university mergers compared to other countries around the world. This Paper aims to examine mergers in Chinese higher education institutions (CHEIs) by reviewing and analyzing an extensive body of literature on these CHEI mergers and drawing lessons for Tanzanian higher education institutions (THEIs). The study also aims to closely examine some critical aspects of CHEI mergers such as merger policies and restructuring strategies. From the analysis, the study uncovers five CHEI merger solutions, including: Joint Construction, Institutional Amalgamation, Cooperative Administration of Institutions, Transfer of Jurisdiction and Participation of Other Social Sectors in Institutional Operation, from which THEIs can draw inspiration as they lead to academic programs benefits, improved student enrollment, personnel benefits, educational quality enhancement, and financial resource benefits. It is hoped that this study will contribute to narrowing the research gap in university merger studies. It also has a potential to better assist higher education institutions, decision-makers, policy-makers and other higher education stakeholders in planning and implementing higher education merger policies. Keywords: Higher education mergers, Institutional Mergers, CHEIs, THEIs, Merger policies DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-2-09 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

The Role of Learning Analytic in Education Reform

In year 2009, the nascent research community of Educational Data Mining (EDM) has been found to continually and increasingly grow. Now the education data mining has become popular and deeply studied in all universities. Specially, in United Kingdom, United State, Canada, they held several conferences annually on learning analytic discussion, which is related with Educational Data Mining. Learning analytics refers to the collection of large volume of data about students in an educational setting and to analyze the data to predict the students' future performance, identify risk and provide recommendations for improvement. LA is an increasingly emerging field, it is necessary for higher education stakeholders to become more familiar with the issues related to LA's use in education. Such a paper provides a brief introduction, methods and benefits, and challenges of LA.

Exploration of University Sustainability Report Indicators: Evidence from Indonesia

Due to the phenomenon of university corporatization, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is now widely adopted by many universities worldwide, although it was initially used only by large companies. This study tries to add a lifeworld perspective to the university's sustainability report. This is an effort to maintain the university as an educational institution with different values from the company. This study provides a new perspective on lifeworld in the preparation of sustainability reporting of universities in other countries with different life world. The author explores sustainability reporting indicators in one of the universities in Indonesia based on the GRI standards and university lifeworld. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study approach at one of the universities in Indonesia. Data is collected from documents consisting of reports and other relevant data that can be accessed through the university's website and data from interviews with informants. As a result, the indicators of the sustainability reporting of universities in Indonesia based on the Global Reporting Initiative and lifeworld were systematized. The university lifeworld is a culture and educational values that reflect its identity. The indicators of the GRI consist of economic, environmental, and social. Lifeworld indicators are curriculum set product and policy, a number of research, and a number of religious, nationalism, and other activities. This research contributes to enriching theory in sustainability reporting research at universities using Habermas theory. This research is helpful for higher education stakeholders and can be used to prepare university sustainability reports.

The university as a terrain for hidden language conflicts? German, English and the silence beyond them

Abstract In this paper, language policy (LP) at the University of Salzburg (Austria), a mid-size seemingly monolingual university, serves as an example to analyse (potential) language conflicts at the institutional level considering the roles played by German, English and ‘immigrant’ languages at the university. Language management, beliefs, and (reported) language use by different stakeholders in higher education (administrators, academic and administrative staff and students) are contrasted, also taking into consideration different linguistic backgrounds (German as L1, German as L2 and German as a foreign language). This offers an overall perspective on institutional LP that is still group sensitive, one that reveals two different hidden language conflicts: the non-addressed conflict between the two most important and visible languages at the university by far, German and English, as well as the neglected and negated conflict between German and the hidden “immigrant” languages. A consistent ‘internationalisation at home’ strategy would address these hidden conflicts and show backwash effects on ideas of language use in education as well as in society in general.

Higher education between massification and quality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how the policy of massification as a characteristic of the higher education system influences the quality of education? and what higher education model can the authors adopt to reconcile flow and quality?Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted is based on a questionnaire survey of a population of young graduates divided between graduates with a conventional license and LMD license, either in the process of preparing for a diploma or in unemployment or work. But also, the qualitative dimension which, although secondary in this survey, the authors mobilized it through the analysis of open questions relating to the perceptions and representations that young graduates have of their situations.FindingsThe higher education reforms are perceived differently by higher education actors. The results found show that university massification has had the opposite effect by training graduates doomed to unemployment and expatriation.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample for this study is very limited, the results of this finding cannot be generalized to the entire university student as a whole.Originality/valueThis study emphasizes the duality of flow and quality in higher education. The authors have shown the different perceptions of stakeholders in higher education and that despite the multiple reforms of this system the authors still cannot find the best model.

Job search strategies of recent university graduates: prevalence and effectiveness

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to analyse the prevalence and effectiveness of methods and strategies for job searches amongst recent graduates of Russian universities.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis is carried out on data from the Russian Graduate Survey 2016, which is representative of individuals graduating during 2010–2015. The sample included 12,370 individuals. The empirical approach combined standard descriptive statistics, factor and regression analysis (multiple logit regression).FindingsResults show that the most common strategies are a combined strategy that involves the use of formal and informal methods, as well as “pure” informal strategies – applying to relatives and friends or contacting employers. The most effective strategies are job searches with the help of relatives and friends, by contacting employers and with the help of educational organisations. The choice of job search strategy is determined by the expected return in terms of the likelihood of finding a job.Practical implicationsThe paper increases understanding of graduate job search behaviour. The results can be used by multiple stakeholders in higher education to better prepare students for job seeking.Originality/valueThis research, based on a large field survey of recent university graduates, provides the first estimates of use of job search strategies and their effectiveness for Russian university graduates.

Challenges of higher education institutions against COVID-19: The case of Turkey

The global COVID-19 outbreak has caused an anxious situation in every part of society and forced many countries to implement distance education programs without even knowing the fundamental components involved in the processes and the consequences of their decisions. Likewise, in Turkey, it is still uncertain as to what will be taught, what instructional technologies will be employed, how infrastructural inequalities will be addressed, and how assessment and evaluation activities will be conducted. In this context, the purpose of this study was (a) to examine the experiences and opinions of academics, Distance Education Center managers, students, and parents and (b) offer solutions to emerging issues. In doing so, a qualitative research approach was employed, and the study was designed as a phenomenology. The data were collected from 175 individuals from 20 universities through Google Forms. The second cycle coding methods were employed in the analysis. The results indicated that COVID-19 had mostly psychological effects on individuals, and it affected every level of education at varying degrees. The pandemic reminded us how hopelessly we are dependent on traditional means of instruction by rendering us unable to use them. Since the beginning of the outbreak, many higher education institutions have been trying to implement distance education; however, the quality of instruction is rather questionable. This situation threatens the quality of learning outcomes and if not approached with due diligence, results could be catastrophic. Also, this mandatory transition to distance education has made the difference between the experienced and inexperienced academics more apparent. In light of the results, recommendations were provided for national and international policymakers. As long as the recommendations were implemented, all higher education stakeholders could attain the required knowledge and skills, and, in return, the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could be alleviated.

Lessons from Covid-19 and a resilience model for higher education

In this article the authors first highlight major challenges that higher education institutions (HEIs) are facing during the Covid-19 pandemic. They then consider the challenges HEIs should expect in the post-Covid period. In practice, HEIs are keen to maintain their core activities during the pandemic and in this context the authors examine how institutions can continue their activities efficiently by addressing issues related to the potential socio-psychological damage to stakeholders in higher education. To answer this question, they recommend the application of an all-inclusive resilience model at the beginning of the recovery period to withstand the shock of the pandemic and show how an HEI can apply the antifragile model for the advancement and betterment of the experience of individuals associated with it. The recommendations of the study contribute to the literature related to HEIs and the coronavirus, and constitute practical guidance for a post-Covid model that may be followed by HEIs around the world.

The Relative Contribution of Higher-Order Thinking in Predicting Psychological Hardiness of University Students

Higher order thinking skills include critical, logical, reflective, metacognitive, and creative thinking. They are activated when individuals encounter unfamiliar problems, uncertainties, questions, or dilemmas. They play an important role in developing University students to encounter any stressful situations. This study aims at identifying the extent to which higher-order thinking degrees contribute to predicting the psychological hardiness of university students and at identifying the differences between males and females in higher-order thinking skills and psychological hardiness The higher order thinking scale (prepared by the researchers) and the psychological hardiness scale (by Mukhaimar, 1996) were completed by (485) male and female Minia University students. The current research adopted the descriptive research approach. According to the statistical analysis, results revealed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between higher-order thinking and psychological hardiness among the study sample and there were no statistically significant differences between males and females in higher-order thinking. In addition, higher-order thinking skills contributed holistically in predicting the psychological hardiness among the university students. This study recommended that higher order thinking skills should be an integral part of higher education. Lastly, this study offers specific suggestions for higher education stakeholders.