Tertiary Education Institutions Research Articles

Analisis Kritis Madrasah Nizamiyah, serta Pengaruhnya terhadap Perkembangan Pendidikan Islam dan Ortodoksi Sunni

Madrasah Nizhamiyah is an educational institution founded in 457-459 H/1065 AD (IV Century) by Nizham al-Mulk from the Seljuq Dynasty. Nizhamiyah Madrasah is the first madrasah to appear in the history of Islamic education in the form of primary to tertiary educational institutions managed by the government. Nizham al-Mulk's madrasah is called Nizhamiyah and is famous throughout the world, of which the most famous and most important madrasah is Nizhamiyah in Baghdad (apart from the Balkh, Naisabur, Jarat, Ashfahan, Basrah, Marw, Maulus madrasah, etc.). The Nizhamiyah Madrasah can be compared to today's faculties or universities, considering that the teachers were well-known great scholars. The method used in this research is a qualitative method with a library research type of research. In this discussion, the author focuses on deepening the concept of Madrasah Nizamiyah education under the auspices of the Saljuk Dynasty, as well as the concept of education which is widely referred to in the development of Islamic education in the future.

Enhancing Students' Development through Human-Space Correlation: A Conceptual Review of Co-Working Spaces in Educational Institutions

Education spaces are an important factor in maximising students' learning experience. Tertiary education institutions in Malaysia could benefit from co-working spaces as informal learning spaces to improve student interactions, well-being, productivity, and knowledge. This paper aims to establish a framework for developing co-working spaces in tertiary education institutions, particularly in Malaysian institutions. This research undertakes a review of journal articles, reports, and other documents gathered from the Google Scholar database concerning two main areas: firstly, co-working spaces, and secondly, education institutions. The data was analysed using VOSviewer software for specific keywords; 'education institution', 'university', 'student', and 'library'. The review brings forth important attributes when developing co-working spaces in tertiary education institutions. The findings can tremendously help education institutions apply the concept of co-working spaces to enhance learning environments for students' holistic development

Identifying Key Determinants of Islamic Customer Perceived Value: A Mixed-Method Study

The concept of customer perceived value is crucial for businesses to understand consumer behavior and gain a competitive edge; however, research on Muslim consumers remains scarce. This study seeks to identify the indicators and factors that shape Islamic customer perceived value, particularly within tertiary education institutions. A mixed-methods approach was employed, beginning with qualitative research using focus group discussions and interviews, followed by quantitative analysis through principal component analysis. The focus groups included students, lecturers, and experts, while 118 respondents completed the questionnaires. The findings uncovered 21 indicators and 6 key factors, namely: Islamic academic standards, Islamic attitudes, Islamic performance, Islamic physical attributes, Islamic organizational values, and Halal food and beverage offerings. These results advance the understanding of Islamic marketing and provide valuable insights for universities when formulating marketing strategies aligned with Islamic principles.

Factors Associated with Student Feedback to Teachers in Quality Assurance in Iraqi Kurdistan

Over the past few decades, the quality of education has emerged as a critical strategic concern in tertiary education institutions worldwide. University managers’ daily tasks now include comparing educational outcomes and rankings, for which quality assurance is significant. Quality assurance incorporates three separate but interdependent elements including student feedback to teachers, teacher portfolios, and continuous academic development. Student feedback concerns the quality and effectiveness of teaching and teacher performance. University instructors often complain about the grades and feedback they gain from students and reckon that the grades are based on students’ rate of success and teachers’ intimacy with students, rather than on teachers’ performances. Therefore, this study is devoted to investigating student feedback and the factors that determine the quality of feedback provided to instructors. To this intent, the study follows the principles of mixed methods in data collection and analysis; using self-reported questionnaires, instructor feedback scores in quality assurance, and student rates of success for each module as well as using IBM SPSS 25 and thematic analysis. The participants include university students and instructors selected from a public university in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The study assumes that three factors play a significant role in determining the level of feedback including the rate of success, instructors’ intimacy and rapport with students, and the quantity of material provided to students. The study concludes with far-reaching implications for higher education institutions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Attitudes of lecturers towards e-learning: BA ISAGO university

In Botswana e-learning is still in its infancy with most universities currently implementing different strategies to integrate e-learning into the teaching and learning process. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate whether the variables age, gender, training to use e-learning tools, e-learning experience, internet access, and computer skills were associated with the lecturer’s attitudes towards e-learning. The study consisted of thirty-eight randomly selected lecturers at BA ISAGO University, Gaborone campus. The data was collected using a closed-ended questionnaire with items that seek to ascertain their attitudes towards e-learning. To test out the study hypothesis descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and independent samples t-test were computed. The results indicated that half of the participants had positive attitudes towards e-learning. Proving that e-learning was an acceptable teaching method to be utilised at this tertiary education institution. The study further showed that age and gender were not significantly associated with the lecturers’ attitudes towards e-learning. Also, the results indicated that there was no significant relationship between attitudes towards e-learning and training to use e-learning tools, e-learning experience, internet access as well as computer skills. It was therefore concluded that these variables had no impact on attitudes of lecturers towards e-learning as lecturers had become competent and confident in using computers as part of teaching methodology at BA ISAGO University. It is crucial for this university to strengthen the digital culture through training and support, and motivational strategies to build positive attitude towards e-learning.

Employment Skills in Tertiary Work-Based Learning: A Multiple-Stakeholder Investigation into China’s “3 + 1” Programs

Rapid economic development and globalization have reshaped the labor market, demanding a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. Tertiary education institutions worldwide have increasingly incorporated work-based learning into their curricula to close the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills. In China, the “3 + 1” programs, combining three years of academic study with one year of practical training, have emerged as a prominent work-based learning model. Despite the strategic importance of these programs, critical gap in consensus remains regarding the specific employment skills that should be imparted, leading to unemployment or underemployment of graduates and employer dissatisfaction. This qualitative study explores the employment skills expected from students in China’s “3 + 1” programs and identifies factors contributing to effective program organization. Through insights gathered from in-depth interviews with multiple stakeholders, including 28 students, educators, and employers, the study highlights the importance of industry-academia collaboration, curriculum relevance and flexibility, professional development for educators, enhanced work placement quality, and effective feedback mechanisms. The findings suggest that these strategies can promote effective work-based learning, equipping graduates with the essential skills emphasized by multiple stakeholders in the study, such as technical proficiency, problem solving, effective communication, teamwork and cooperation, adaptability and agility, digital literacy and technological skills, innovation and creativity, and initiative and proactivity. The study offers implications for both educational institutions and policymakers aiming to improve graduate employability, particularly by enhancing the quality of the “3 + 1” programs through the effective integration of academic studies and industrial training.

Promoting quality education through blended learning during and post COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on all facets of education. This led to educational institutions deploying blended and online systems for teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of blended learning in promoting quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research design was deployed in this study and enabled the researcher to collect data via in-depth interviews. Twenty-five (25) tertiary institutions accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) were randomly selected to participate in this study. The registrars of the institutions were purposively selected and served as the participants for the study. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data collected via the interview. Ethical considerations were adhered to during the study. Findings The study established that COVID-19 had a devastating effect on tertiary institutions; multiple technological and open-sourced systems were deployed for teaching and learning; blended learning was adopted to augment the traditional face-to-face mode of teaching and learning due to its ease of use, usefulness and accessibility as it was used for quizzes and assignments, accessing lecture notes, among others. Despite these, the deployment of technological and blended systems was met with challenges that somehow affected effective teaching, learning. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to 25 tertiary educational institutions in Ghana. It was again limited to the COVID-19 era. Practical implications This research aids in understanding the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning and how blended learning is currently deployed and used in tertiary institutions in Ghana. The findings are relevant to policymakers and management of educational institutions as it informs them of the right method and tools to deploy for teaching and learning during pandemics. Originality/value As educational institutions globally are dealing with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is prudent to look into how tertiary institutions in Ghana deploy blended learning to facilitate teaching and learning. Thus, this paper is original as it fills the relevant literature gap in terms of scope, setting, methodology and findings.

Understanding congruence of values: a phenomenographic data analysis

This study focuses on understanding the concept of congruence of values. Congruence indicates that there is alignment between the values of an employee and those of the organization. It is a condition where an employee embraces, adheres, and develops a deep understanding of the significance of the organizational core values. The focus of this study is the core values of a tertiary higher education institution located in Manila, Philippines. Congruence is key to the success of the institution as it ensures that the behaviors exhibited by employees in the workplace are strategically aligned with the organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Through phenomenographic data analysis, metaphors have been identified to create a more comprehensive view of congruence of values. As a phenomenon, other meanings may be derived in order to establish a clearer conceptualization of congruence of values. A Phenomenographic Outcome Space of Congruence of Values is presented to provide a complete picture of the phenomenon. The Phenomenographic Outcome Space ties together the metaphors associated with congruence of values, namely: timeline, imprint, compass, light, and legacy.

Enhancing aviation English competency: A simulation-based approach for aspiring pilots

Aviation English (AE) represents a noteworthy area of investigation within the realm of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), aimed at fostering English language competency among aspiring pilots. In this study, a simulation-based aviation English course was designed and implemented for improved learning gains. The present study took place at a tertiary educational institution, focusing on the analysis of AE vocabulary development, the readback performance of student pilots, and the examination of participants' perceptions of simulation-based training. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design, data were gathered from 21 ab-initio pilots enrolled in the Pilotage Training program. The quantitative results showed that participants significantly improved their readback performance and AE vocabulary knowledge over the course of a semester. With regard to the qualitative results, student pilots overall perceived the simulation-based training as an innovative and effective method. The present study, therefore, constitutes a notable advancement in the AE research domain by documenting, for the first time, the application of simulation-based training in the aviation context. Moreover, the study offers insights into the implications for ESP practitioners and stakeholders in the aviation sector, along with recommendations for future research, which are delineated in the study's conclusion.

Relationship Between Parents’ Involvement with Students’ Interest and Achievements in Mathematics Learning

Parental involvement has been recognized as a crucial factor in shaping a child's educational outcomes across various subjects, including mathematics. When parents actively participate in their child's education by showing interest, discussing mathematical concepts, and assisting with homework, students are more likely to develop a deeper interest in mathematics. This engagement fosters a positive attitude towards learning the subject and can lead to improved grades and overall academic success. Mathematics has been defined as the study of assumptions and applications and is one of the compulsory subjects in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). The students need to achieve at least a passing grade, since most tertiary educational institutions in Malaysia, especially the public have very strict requirements for enrollment, not to forget the stiff competition. The main purpose of this research is to study how parents’ involvement influences students’ interests, as well as their self-perceptions, and consequently how these elements may affect their achievements in Mathematics. 186 Form Four students from SMK Bandar Baru Bangi were selected as the respondents. A quantitative method, using a questionnaire was opted as instrument for data collection. The collected data was analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS). The findings showed that majority of parents can provide the essential educational tools for children, such as geometry sets, scientific calculator etc. Most students prefer their parents to engage more in their learning process. There is a statistically positive significant relationship between parents' involvement and students’ achievements, which proves the important roles of parents in improving the interest of their children towards learning. In a nutshell, based on the evaluations done by the students, this study may indirectly assist the parents to identify the ideas and the initiatives that they may take in improving their children’s performances.

Potential reduction of CO2 emissions which is the cause of greenhouse gases during COVID-19

Background: The implementation of education in tertiary institutions contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes the greenhouse effect and global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies transportation, energy supply, and industry as the primary sectors driving CO2 emissions over the past 30 years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly reduced CO2 emissions globally by up to 70% due to restricted activities. In 2020, the pandemic led countries, including Indonesia, to enforce Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) to curb virus spread, which significantly limited community mobility and vehicle use. Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is a critical development challenge for Indonesia. Method: The study uses various calculation methods from journals and websites, incorporating expert opinions and the IPCC's method, to analyze emission reductions. Findings: The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns reduced CO2 emissions due to decreased fuel consumption and mobility. Conclusion: This period highlights opportunities for strategies like low-carbon development to continue reducing emissions from vehicles. Novelty/Originality of this Study: This study provides a novel contribution by quantitatively assessing CO2 emission reductions during the COVID-19 lockdown, emphasizing the unique context of an unprecedented global event. It conducts a comprehensive literature review to integrate various CO2 calculation methods, particularly highlighting the sophisticated IPCC method, and offers a comparative analysis of emission reduction techniques.

Nursing Students’ Spiritual Care: Implications to Related Learning Experience (RLE)

The integration of spiritual care into the education of nursing students is paramount for fostering holistic and patient-centered healthcare. As the nursing profession evolves, there is a growing recognition of the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. However, traditional nursing curricula often inadequately address the spiritual dimension of care, potentially leaving nursing students ill-prepared to address the diverse and complex needs of their future patients. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the level of spiritual care practices and knowledge among nursing students in a private tertiary higher education institution during the new normal in one of the private colleges in Pampanga. This study establishes facts that are used to analyze nursing students’ level of spiritual care practices and knowledge. A descriptive design is applied specifically, the descriptive-evaluative and descriptive-comparative research designs in this study. Purposive sampling was utilized and included a total sample of 154 nursing students who have face-to-face classes and clinical duty, particularly levels II and III from one of the Colleges of Nursing in Pampanga, Philippines. This study will utilize a two-parted questionnaire. Part 1 involved the profile of the respondents as their age, gender, civil status, year level/religion. Part 2 will use an adopted standardized instrument, the Spiritual Tool Questionnaire contains (Robles, 2014) that a 64-item questionnaire that focuses around seven elements. The result of the study shows that there is no significant difference between institutional support. Thus, the null hypothesis is accepted. Additionally, the researchers propose that student nurses incorporate a transcultural approach in their patient interactions. This is essential for minimizing bias, building positive relationships, and fostering an environment where patients feel at ease expressing their emotions to student nurses. Furthermore, armed with verified facts and data, nursing institutions can formulate targeted strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing education in spiritual care. Consequently, this contributes to the progression of clinical competence among nursing students.

Professional development approaches and business educators’ job performance in tertiary institutions in Imo State

The study examined professional development approaches and business educators’ job performance in tertiary institutions in Imo state. It specifically focused on the relationship between in-service and on-the-job training approaches of professional development and the teaching and research performance of business educators in tertiary institutions. A co-relational research design was adopted in the study. The population of the study comprised 52 business educators in the two tertiary institutions currently running business education programme in Imo state. Data was collected from the respondents with the means of a structured questionnaire designed by the researchers. Data collected for the study was analyzed with mean (X) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r). Analysis of the data collected revealed that both in-service and on-the-job training have a very strong positive relationship with business educators’ job performance in tertiary institutions. Consequently, it was concluded that in-service and on-the-job training approaches of professional development play important roles in the performance of business educators in tertiary institutions. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that: government should come up with a compulsory policy that will coerce management of institutions to prioritize regular professional development of their employees; and Management of institutions should combine both in-service and on-the-job training approaches in the professional development of their employees.

A Lifecycle Approach for Artificial Intelligence Ethics in Energy Systems

Despite the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics frameworks, the practical application of these frameworks in industrial settings remains limited. This limitation is further augmented in energy systems by the complexity of systems composition and systems operation for energy generation, distribution, and supply. The primary reason for this limitation is the gap between the conceptual notion of ethics principles and the technical performance of AI applications in energy systems. For instance, trust is featured prominently in ethics frameworks but pertains to limited relevance for the robust operation of a smart grid. In this paper, we propose a lifecycle approach for AI ethics that aims to address this gap. The proposed approach consists of four phases: design, development, operation, and evaluation. All four phases are supported by a central AI ethics repository that gathers and integrates the primary and secondary dimensions of ethical practice, including reliability, safety, and trustworthiness, from design through to evaluation. This lifecycle approach is closely aligned with the operational lifecycle of energy systems, from design and production through to use, maintenance, repair, and overhaul, followed by shutdown, recycling, and replacement. Across these lifecycle stages, an energy system engages with numerous human stakeholders, directly with designers, engineers, users, trainers, operators, and maintenance technicians, as well as indirectly with managers, owners, policymakers, and community groups. This lifecycle approach is empirically evaluated in the complex energy system of a multi-campus tertiary education institution where the alignment between ethics and technical performance, as well as the human-centric application of AI, are demonstrated.

Interprofessional Competency Acquisition in an Interprofessional Training Ward Four-Week Placement: “Teamwork Is What Is Going to Ensure Our Patients Are Happy and Safe”

Demand on education and health authorities to provide workplace based learning opportunities for students to acquire interprofessional collaborative practice competencies is increasing. This article outlines the acquisition of interprofessional competencies by pre-registration health professional students in a four-week interprofessional training ward placement. Four final-year health professional students (medicine, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy), from two tertiary education institutes worked together on an assessment, treatment and rehabilitation ward for older adults based within a local tertiary hospital. Four competency domains were the focus for the placement: role clarification and appreciation; interprofessional communication; team functioning; and interprofessional coordination and shared decision-making. Sequential audio-recorded focus groups were undertaken with the students each week. Using template analysis, student reports on each of the four interprofessional competencies each week over the four-week period were explored. Findings demonstrated all students incrementally and differentially acquired the four competencies over the course of the placement. The period between week-two and week-three was a critical time for competency acquisition as the students encountered real-life clinical problems. The study contributes to a growing body of research demonstrating the potential for interprofessional training wards to enable competency acquisition for undergraduate health professional students, and that competency acquisition may be time sensitive.

Critical thirding and third space collaboration: university professional staff and new type of knowledge production

In this article, the author first addresses the persisting knowledge invisibility of university professional staff by drawing on selected findings from their qualitative, multiple case study research conducted in an Australian university with a campus in Singapore. Analysing a selected case of a university project, the author applies critical thirding as a concept to demonstrate how university third space collaboration resulted in creating new, Mode 3 institutional knowledge and led to a transformative change of research commercialisation practices. The author then compares research findings from this selected Australian university case study to the insights from a systematic literature review which was conducted three years later as a separate research project using an international literature sample. The review provided evidence that since the 2000s university workers, professional and academic alike, in tertiary education institutions around the world, have been engaged in complex identity work, demonstrating increased agency towards de-invisibilisation of their roles and co-creating new knowledge, thereby contributing to university advancement. The author concludes that by applying the analytical power of critical thirding to social spaces of new knowledge production, it is possible to support and promote equal contributions of all university actors to achieving institutional goals.

Appraisal of Students Admission on Service Delivery in the Directorate of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) Federal College of Education (FCE), Yola

Establishment of relationship between policy issues and service delivery in tertiary institution of learning requires to encourage policy implementations to relate to policy formulation that would address rather than dismal service delivery in tertiary educational institutions across the country. Precisely the research intends to establish if policy issues on students’ admission affect service delivery in DUS FCE, Yola. The main instruments used for data collection were the Questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), observation check list and Semi Structured Interview (SSI) formats. This paper proposes Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test statistic as a measurement tool for the study. The findings show that consideration of only first choice for JAMB Admission affect students intake in DUS and cut off marks for admission into DUS poses a threat to intake in some programmes. Post JAMB screening of applicants ensures selection of better candidates. Also, clearly stated memorandum of understanding (MoU) with portal managers and memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ICT facility managers would enhance service delivery in DUS. The study recommends that admission guidelines/policies of regulatory bodies like JAMB and affiliate institution need to be carefully studied and regularly incorporated in the students’ guide book.

Lecturers’ Engagement and Job Performance: Experiences from Kwara State Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

The study examined lecturers’ engagement and job performance in tertiary education institutions in Kwara state. A descriptive survey type was adopted as the research design, with a study being guided by two research questions, one of which was the main question and four operational hypotheses. The population consisted of all 14,000 lecturers in Kwara State tertiary institutions. The researchers used a purposive sampling technique to select 350 lecturers who were engaged in the four components, i.e., teaching, research, academic advising and administration, as the respondents for the study. The data collection instrument was a researcher-designed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the research questions, while inferential statistics was used to test all the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The study revealed that lecturers are more engaged in teaching, research, academic advising, and administration. The study recommends the need for robust measures to enhance lecturers’ engagement in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Academic Adaptation of Chinese Postgraduate Students in Malaysia

In recent years, there has been a notable rise in the number of Chinese applicants seeking admission to Malaysian tertiary education institutions, particularly for postgraduate programmes. This trend can be attributed to the favourable policies implemented by the Malaysian government. For Chinese students themselves, the prior task of studying abroad is to achieve their educational goals, which is challenging for them to study in an unfamiliar educational context. This study aims to explore Chinese postgraduate students’ academic adaptation to Malaysian research-oriented universities that provide qualified postgraduate programmes. Using qualitative methods, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese postgraduate students studying in five Malaysian public universities. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data collected. The study’s findings unveiled the various factors affecting Chinese postgraduate students’ academic adaptation throughout their postgraduate tenure, encompassing language ability, supervisor-supervisee relationship, pedagogic differences, academic support and emotional support. In addition, the study also highlighted the strategies that Chinese postgraduate students employed to embrace these challenges. The implications of the findings are expected to help Chinese postgraduate students develop effective strategies and programs to facilitate their academic adaptation in Malaysia. Further to this, these findings can offer recommendations to higher education institutions on how to collaborate effectively with Chinese students. Keywords: Academic adaptation, Chinese postgraduate students, Malaysian universities, challenges, strategies.

Knowledge and Attitude Towards COVID-19 Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Study of Students at a Tertiary Educational Institution in Nigeria

The level of the COVID-19 vaccine uptake in African countries and especially Nigeria is still considerably low, when compared with other developed countries, despite the established fact on its efficacy in protecting the populace from the negative consequences of the disease. This research investigated the knowledge and attitudes of students at Ondo State College of Health Technology regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the study targeted Technician students from six departments, with 300 participants selected via random sampling. Data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire, “Trainee Health Workers Knowledge and Attitude Questionnaire,” addressing four research questions and seven hypotheses. Frequency counts, percentages, and charts were used for analysis, while Chi Square was used to test hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed a high acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine among students, though fewer had taken the second and booster doses. Participants demonstrated high knowledge and positive attitudes toward the vaccine, with low levels of misconceptions. Gender and age did not significantly influence students' knowledge or attitudes. However, the course of study significantly affected their knowledge and attitudes toward the vaccine. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between knowledge and attitude, indicating that knowledge does not necessarily equate to willingness to accept the vaccine. Recommendations included increasing exposure to valid information about the COVID-19 vaccine and conducting college-wide sensitization campaigns to persuade unvaccinated students by emphasizing the vaccine's importance. These efforts should particularly target those with remaining misconceptions.