Universities In Developing Countries Research Articles

E-learning use and teaching and learning performance in Tanzanian universities

The use of E-learning as a new educational technology is currently a top priority in many universities in developing-countries. The main purpose of this research is to determine how e-learning affects the teaching and learning (T&L) performance in Tanzanian universities. Employing a questionnaire tool, a quantitative approach was used to collect the data. A total of 390 out of 400 respondents including lectures and students were taken into account, with a 97.5% response rate. Data in SPSS version 21 were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). According to the findings of this study, only one of the nine hypotheses tested have a non-significant effect on T&L performance, as indicated by p-values >0.01. Further, there is no statistically significant effect of perceived usefulness in using e-learning in T&L performance by lowering cost/expenses. Furthermore, other variables assessed including performance expectancy, ease of use, and perceived usefulness have significance effect on T&L performance by increased quality of instructional material delivery, convenience in teaching and learning facilities. The findings of this study inform policymakers on how to reformulate information and communication technology (ICT) policy to clearly spell out the adoption of e-learning for providing facilities in universities. The policy should, in particular, have a clear vision of implementing an appealing, conducive teaching and learning service delivery environment, as well as achieving appropriate and high T&L performance. By influencing the cost/expenses in T&L, quality of instructional material, and the convenience of T&L service delivery as the indicators of performance, this paper contributes to improve understanding of the factors of e-learning (including performance expectancy, perceived usefulness, and ease of use) on teaching and learning performance of the Tanzanian universities. These factors, which have a substantial influence on T&L performance in Tanzanian universities through affecting its indicators, were not thoroughly addressed in earlier relevant studies.

COVID-19 epidemic anxiety, mental stress, and sleep disorders in developing country university students

COVID-19 damaged the quality of sleep and mental stamina worldwide despite public health initiatives. Problems with sleep can damage health and academic performance, thus university students should know their frequency and causes. This study explored university students’ COVID-19 Anxiety, Mental Stress, and Sleep Disorders. The internet-deployed transversal analysis includes 443 Indian and Ethiopian students from April 1 to 13, 2021. After creating a Google form link, respondents received the survey via WhatsApp, E-mail, Telegram, and others. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index examined student sleep concerns. Descriptive and inferential studies estimated sleep disruption frequency and causes. Logistic regression and chi-squared testing found sleep problems in Indian and Ethiopian university students. The researcher examined SPSS 25 data. 54.7% had sleep difficulties. Being female [Conditional Odds Ratio = 4.32, 95 percent Confidence interval (Lower-1.807)–(Upper-10.370)], smoking [2.81, 95 percent CI (Lower-1.609)–(Upper-4.920)], spending 14 days in quarantine [1.87, 95 percent CI (Lower-1.042)–(Upper-3.373)], and having a family member with COVID-19 [1.94, 95 percent CI (Lower-1.anxiety [Conditional Odds Ratio = 4.01, 95 percent CI (Lo Ethiopian and Indian pupils sleep poorly. Female gender, smoking, 14-day quarantine, and sleep troubles were connected to COVID-19 dread, COVID-19-infected family member, viral exposure, depression, anxiety, and stress in Indian and Ethiopian university students. Interventions should increase university students’ sleep.

Role of Quality Assurance and Quality Accreditation in Higher Education in Some Developing Countries and Vietnam

In today's fast-changing and highly volatile world, improving the quality of education has become a universal goal. The curriculum and content of higher education are all directed toward forming the personality and intellectual abilities of students to meet the job market. Striving to ensure the quality of education is an important goal for any country, especially for developing countries, because it has been proven that economic growth is determined by educational growth. If they ignore the quality of education or are not interested in accrediting the quality of education, universities in developing countries, including Vietnam, will face the risk of development being pushed back. Accreditation in education is a process by which agencies evaluate an educational institution or an educational program and recognize that it has met and satisfied, or exceeded, predetermined educational quality requirements and standards. However, instead of implementing effective activities to ensure the quality of teaching and learning, many universities in developing countries, including in Vietnam, are trying to seek external assessment and recognition though missing preparing records, documents, reports, and evaluations, quality assurance plans about policies, and community services.

Activity theory analysis of the virtualisation of teaching and teaching environment in a developing country university

This study aims to understand how a developing country higher education institution (HEI) attempted to digitalise teaching. The Internet has disrupted the traditional teaching environment and teaching practices leading to the migration from physical face-to-face teaching to online teaching changing the work environment of the teacher. Information systems literature has examined the academic environment of HEIs from student’s perspective in a virtual learning environment but not from the instructor’s perspective in a teaching work environment. How the teaching work environment can be virtualised has not also been widely explored. Using activity theory and an interpretive case study approach data was obtained from interviews, documents and participant observation. Using hermeneutics as the mode of analysis the findings reveal how tools: an open source technology and rules are modified through the resolution of contradictions to suit developing country context of the HEI. The study provides practitioners insights on how emerging contradictions in tools, implementers and rules in a teaching work environment virtualisation can be used as an avenue for development. It also offers insight into how HEIs can migrate their physical teaching environment to online.

Improving the management of universities in developing countries

Depuis quelques annees, on observe que l'investissement de capitaux dans les infrastructures economiques, le developpement de l'enseignement et des ressources humaines, et le transfert de technologie n'apporte plus de garantie suffisante a la relance du developpement economique des pays du Tiers-Monde. Envisageant l'universite comme une organisation, l'A. etudie la pertinence des theories administratives de Kiggundu. Il s'interroge sur les moyens a utiliser pour ameliorer la gestion et l'administration des universites

A critical analysis of performance appraisal system for teachers in public sector universities of Pakistan: A case study of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB)

Performance appraisal systems are always of imperative concern of any organization/institution while managing its human resources. Although, higher education institutions depends upon both teaching and non teaching staff working in it, yet major responsibility comes upon teachers who are the source of student’s knowledge, learning and development. Therefore, this need of teachers’ performance management compels these institutions to have systematic performance appraisal systems, in order to administer, evaluate and enhance teacher’s performance. The purpose of this study is to explore various aspects of performance appraisal (PA) systems used for teachers in higher educational institutions (HEIs) and to address the question of how appraisal can play its role in improving performance of teachers in higher education of Pakistan. Researchers have undertaken Public Sector University of Pakistan, as a case study in the present research. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research approach has been adopted which consist of a questionnaire in order to get primary data for investigating different aspects of current performance appraisal system and in-depth interviews in order to study thorough perceptions of teachers regarding performance appraisal approaches in their institution. Findings have shown that obsolete evaluation system, exclusion of students’ feedback, untrained evaluators and decreased motivation for the process are the potential hindering factors for performance appraisal systems of the case study university. Researchers have also explored various suggestive solutions, after discussing the potential concerns of teachers regarding said factors. This study will not only contribute in performance management research but can also be an effective study for considering potential issues and challenges while implementing performance appraisal system in universities of developing countries like Pakistan. Key words: Human resource management (HRM), performance appraisal (PA), performance evaluation, performance planning, higher education commission (HEC), teacher, higher education institutions (HEIs).

535 Malignant giant breast masses in adolescent females: spectrum in a specialist unit of a developing country university hospital

Five hundred breast tissue samples from 404 cases were immunostained with A-80, a murine IgM Mab that recognizes a mucinous glycoprotein associated with exocrine differentiation. Samples included 196 primary breast carcinomas, 30 breast carcinoma metastases, 118 fibrocystic disease (FCD), and a further group of 84 samples of FCD from cases known to have breast carcinoma. These samples represented a broad spectrum of common and rare variants of carcinoma and FCD. Samples of fibroadenomas, lactating adenomas, cystosarcoma phylloides, gynecomastia, and normal breasts were similarly studied. The vast majority of carcinomas, 203/212 (95.7%) were immunoreactive; staining varied in extent and intensity, and was virtually unrelated to histologic type and to the presence or absence of recognizable glands. In samples including in-situ and infiltrating ductal or lobular carcinoma, reactivity was frequently stronger in the infiltrating components. No significant difference in reactivity between primary and metastatic carcinomas was noted. Of the group of 118 FCD, 27 were negative whereas 91 showed focal and weak staining. Seventy-two/84 FCD with associated carcinoma were immunostained; in 13 of those 72, staining was strong and extensive. Fibroadenomas, lactating adenomas, gynecomastia, and normal “resting” and lactating breast samples stained focally or not at all.Our findings indicate that Mab A-80 is an excellent immunohistochemical marker for the overwhelming majority of breast carcinomas whereas it marks weakly or not at all the majority of benign neoplasms and normal breast. Moreover, Mab A-80 recognizes a subset of FCD that includes proliferative variants associated with an increased incidence of carcinoma, and FCD in association with carcinoma. Questions regarding rare breast carcinomas that do not react with Mab A-80 remain unclear; yet, we believe that Mab A-80 is a highly promising marker of malignant and dysplastic breast epithelium.

Research organization in the university: the case of a leading Uruguayan group in basic science

This article presents the results of a case study of a university research group in basic science, the Laboratory of Enzymology and Free Radicals at the Universidad de la Repblica, Uruguay. The study explores some of the research dynamics and rationales within the university setting. It also analyses the relationship between science and society based on the links between the research group and the productive sectors. The study noted that research groups are not always stable structures and tend to change according to institutional policies, economic contexts, disciplinary evolutions and personal motivations for research. In this regard, the article contends that the expansion of research capacities on a developing country university setting can be based on integrated strategies of research organization, group management and symbolic rewards for researchers.

Teaching Globalization, Globally: A 7-Year Case Study of South Africa–U.S. Virtual Teams

This article reports on a project conducted from 1999--2006 that involved a substantial collaboration between South African and U.S. universities to build human capacity for the knowledge-intensive global economy through geographically distributed collaborative learning. The project used a highly interactive, rich media, synchronous and asynchronous learning environment to foster U.S.--South Africa student team learning. Particular attention was paid to the use of commercially available Web-based collaboration technologies that work well in both developed and developing country university settings. The study had one overarching research question: Can universities in developing as well as developed countries use a suite of commercially available Web-based collaboration technologies to successfully deliver an advanced global graduate seminar? Data for the study came from narrative evaluations and post-hoc surveys of student participants. Focusing on providing a model that can be used in disparate multidisciplinary and university settings, the article highlights both the technologies and the pedagogy that recognize cultural differences and cross-national collaborative opportunities in university settings.

Financing Universities in Developing Countries. Adrian Ziderman , Douglas Albrecht

<i>Financing Universities in Developing Countries</i>. Adrian Ziderman , Douglas Albrecht

Resources, Acquisitions and the Viability of University Libraries in Developing Countries

A survey of university libraries has confirmed the common perception that collections, and particularly acquisition rates, are grossly inadequate to support both teaching and research, even if judged by minimal standards accepted in developed countries. Attempts to alleviate the situation with various forms of aid, though intrinsically meritorious, offer little hope for long term improvement. It is proposed that the basic problem should be divided into that of providing adequate materials for undergraduate study, and that of providing the necessary support for research. Proposals are made for radical programmes to reduce the costs of undergraduate textbook materials for developing country university libraries which would make international aid programmes more effective