Search results

This qualitative study interrogates the barriers that historically disadvantaged higher education students in South Africa face when it comes to access and success. It specifically explores the challenges black students encounter in gaining epistemic access within the South African higher education system.

This research draws upon empirical data collected from a mixed-methods research project conducted at six higher education institutions. It focuses on issues of epistemic access and success within humanities and sciences faculties. The dataset comprises interview transcripts involving 34 student and ten staff cases. Thematic analysis, aided by MaxQDA software, was meticulously conducted to extract and synthesise meaningful themes, crafting comprehensive narratives.

The study uncovers multifaceted challenges, including difficulties in understanding the admission process, financial barriers and language proficiency issues, faced by disadvantaged students when accessing universities and transitioning from basic to higher education. The research emphasises universities taking proactive measures, such as providing comprehensive early support, identifying at-risk students and collaborating with schools to prepare prospective students better. It advocates for the potential of resilience theory in addressing social justice issues related to access and success for these students. Furthermore, the study recommends developing inclusive curricula and underscores the need for universities to actively support disadvantaged students academically and socially.

This research departs from the conventional focus on physical access to universities, introducing a more comprehensive perspective that emphasises epistemic access as a pivotal aspect of higher education. Drawing on empirical data, it sheds light on the obstacles faced by disadvantaged students during the transition from high school to higher education while also exploring their resilience strategies.

This research paper investigates the theoretical frameworks encompassing a nuanced analysis of the digital divide in the Indian educational context, recognising that it is not merely a matter of technology access but also the ability to effectively use the resource for enhancing learning outcomes. This research provides valuable insights for fostering a more equitable and digitally inclusive learning environment by integrating conceptual insights with empirical evidence. The New Education Policy (NEP), India 2020 firmly emphasises the appropriate integration of technology into the teaching-learning process to develop relevant competencies. The pertinent question is, for India to conquer the second digital divide challenge, is the pace of technology accessibility and skill development sufficient?

The paper is a desk research, using secondary data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+), the Indian Government database of schools. A structured dataset has been created for all years, where states are grouped in descending ranking order of availability of infrastructure and teachers trained. A colour key segregates the States into three zones demonstrating their different levels of performance – high (green), moderate (blue) and low (yellow). The purpose is to identify state/s that have moved from one zone to another and, thereafter, analyse the reasons behind the movement.

Almost all states remained in the same digital resource availability zone for the four years studied, except for a limited few. Despite government interventions through higher budget allocation and targeted policies, growth rates of teacher training in computer usage slowed down post-COVID-19. A high positive correlation between Teachers' training in computer usage and the availability of computer and Internet facilities in schools indicates that an increase in digital infrastructure in schools is highly linked to teachers' training in computer usage and would ultimately translate into better use of digital resources to impart equitable education opportunities.

Primary data collection through interviews might have added to the critical findings. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further on a case-by-case basis for any state under consideration.

Enhancing digital infrastructure in schools and building digital competence in teachers must be understood in the context of the learning organisation and the beneficiaries' attitudes at the meso-level to expand stakeholder motivation towards digital internalisation. This requires continuous engagement with education institutions as professional learning organisations, which will thereby help develop a decentralised context for teacher competency building. Collaboration, continuous monitoring of the outcomes of professional development programs, and sharing best practices are crucial in improving teacher readiness for digital education.

Access to tangible resources, such as computers, Internet connectivity and educational software, and developing intangible resources, such as teacher digital competencies, will play a pivotal role in shaping students' learning experiences. By studying the discrepancies in digital resource accessibility and teacher technology adoption, this research endeavours to add to the efforts towards enhancing the educational landscape.

This paper seeks to address a critical issue in the Indian education system and contribute to the ongoing effort to prevent the widening of the second and third digital divide in schools, and help achieve UN SDG Goals 4 and 10.

The use of cutting-edge technology in education has the potential to transform the learning experience and greatly contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in emerging economies. With the increased accessibility of technology and online resources, digital literacy has become an essential skill in today's world. Smart e-learning platforms have emerged as a new tool for offering education and training in emerging economies, while also boosting digital literacy.

This chapter will attempt to investigate the impact of new-age technologies on the educational system and how they can help emerging economies achieve the SDGs. This study looks at case studies from various emerging economies, analyzing how innovative technologies like digital learning, smart teaching and learning, mobile learning, online learning, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and gamification are used to improve education quality and promote SDGs. This chapter emphasizes the impact of technological integration on access to education, reducing inequality, and improving educational quality and relevance. This study also looks into how education may help promote environmental sustainability and economic growth. According to the findings, integrating new-age technologies into the education system can be a game changer in achieving SDGs in emerging nations.

This study analyzes the significance of various attributes of developmental psychology developed by male and female students within higher education institutions (HEIs) in Cambodia. It also focuses on the mismatch between planned enrollments and the final selection of a course, and the knowledge and skills accessed during the study.

A sample of 463 students (267 female) was selected for a survey from two private and two public universities, located in both Phnom Penh and other provincial locations.

It was found that (1) the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goal targets related to quality education are likely to be achieved by 2030, but this will require close monitoring of the targets. While it is likely that the male ratio will be accomplished by 2030, this is less certain for the female ratio. (2) There was a mismatch between the planned enrollment and actual course selection for just under half (49.2%) of students surveyed due to high tuition fees, a lack of scholarships, unavailability of preferred courses, failure to gain admission and parental influence. This mismatch was higher for female students for all of these factors except for parental influence. (3) Students indicated a high degree of access to knowledge and skills, except for technological literacy, economic aspects and interpersonal effectiveness. Overall, male students were found to access a higher degree of both knowledge and skills. (4) The developmental psychology of students was found to be significantly influenced by decision-making ability, empathy, people skills, community engagement and voluntary work.

There were a number of limitations in carrying out this research. For example, discussions were separately organized at each university; the authors did not organize a consultative meeting gathering all the students from the four universities to discuss and get consensus. Moreover, the study did not cover the interviews of parents to gain their views regarding support for their children at HEIs.

Improvement in key aspects of developmental psychology for male students was found to be more significant than for female students, except for intellectual capacity.

Still, improvement in the adopt of developmental psychology is required at HEIs in Cambodia and developing countries. Improved developmental psychology among students at universities has been shown to result in a significant enhancement in study performance and competencies. These competencies range from cognitive and intellectual capacity, associated with thinking and analysis; and emotional and social capacity, associated with the development of a societal vision. Students who develop cognitive and intellectual capacity tend to perform tasks more accurately and efficiently, make decisions more effectively and respond intelligently to new or complex circumstances. Students who develop emotional and social capacity are better guided toward focusing on caring for others in the community and establishing peaceful and safe environments. An important implication of the developmental psychology of students within HEIs in Cambodia is the holistic nature of education integrating knowledge, skills, competencies and social responsibility. HEIs should take on the role of equipping students with both cognitive and intellectual capacities for employment; as well as the emotional and social capacities required to build a society based on mutual trust and harmony. Improving the psychological development of students at HEIs in Cambodia may also be significant in achieving the CSDG targets. In terms of policy, HEIs should integrate opportunities for this to be included in the curriculum to increase the opportunities for students to engage in practice-based learning and community engagement activities. This will require providing sufficient learning materials and equipment to enable students to self-learn, think, analyze and innovate, using theories obtained in class, at home. This should be coupled with community engagement programs that provide students with the opportunity to work in the field. All knowledge and skills accessed by students should be integrated with the development of both cognitive and intellectual capacities. Further, social activities organized by HEIs are required to assist in developing the emotional and social capacity of students to interact with communities.

The paper is solely conducted and prepared by SOK Serey, CHEB Hoeurn, CHHINH Nyda, BO Chan Koulika and NGUONPHAN Pheakdey. The findings of the research produce both quantitative and qualitative information on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at higher education in Cambodia. In particular, this research is one of the most pioneer academic research studies conducted by a local scholar from Cambodia.

This brief highlights policies and procedures adopted by governments in South East Asia to increase better access to higher education among the lower socio-economic population groups. Increasing skills, knowledge, and competencies will create a competitive workforce for the manufacturing industry that is fast adopting Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) for increased production and viability. The brief also outlines the challenges faced in actualizing these policies. It highlights the impact of Covid-19 in accelerating technology use in higher education, as well as underscoring the increased gaps in access to higher education in the region due to Covid-19. The policy brief concludes with recommendations of best practices adopted in developed countries that are grounded in collaboration and sharing of resources.

This chapter presents empirical results of an analysis of the content of education reform globally in nine policy areas during the recent wave of neoliberal reforms between 1970 and 2018. It draws on data from the World Education Reform Database (WERD), the most comprehensive database to date of education reforms around the world. The results show a dramatic increase in policy reform discourse on improving educational quality compared to reforms in other policy areas between 1970 and 2018, with the pace accelerating from 1990 onwards. Expanding access to education remains an important priority. Access reform discourse slightly increases during the peak period of education reform from 1992 to 2009, before leveling off. The results also show a significant rise of reforms in policy areas related to accountability discourse. Overall, the descriptive trends presented in this chapter complement case study literature on neoliberal education reform and suggests directions further cross-national research.

Alexa’s integration in rural primary schools has improved the pedagogy and has created an engaging and objective learning environment. This study investigates the integration, with a specific focus on exploring its various aspects. The impact of Alexa’s on students' English vocabulary, comprehension and public speaking are examined. This study aims to provide insights the teachers and highlight the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in rural education.

This content analysis study explores the use of Alexa in primary education in rural areas of India. The study focuses on the types of the questions asked by the students and examines the pedagogical implications of these interactions. By analyzing the use of Alexa in rural educational settings, this study aims to contribute to our understanding of how voice assistants are utilized as educational tools in underprivileged areas.

Alexa significantly improved students' English vocabulary, comprehension and public speaking confidence. Alexa increased school enrollment and retention. Virtual voice assistants like Alexa may improve pedagogy and help India’s rural education. This study shows AI improves rural education.

The study only covers rural India. Self-reported data and observations may bias the study. The small sample size may underrepresent rural educational institutions in India.

Alexa is used to study rural India’s primary education. Voice assistants in rural education are understudied. The study examines Alexa’s classroom use, student questions, and policy and teacher education implications. AI’s education transformation potential addresses UNESCO’s teacher shortage. This novel study examines how AI can improve rural education outcomes and access.

This work aims to assess the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) on inequalities in access to professional training (PT) in Cameroon.

This study used data from the fourth Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM 4), the concentration index (CI) calculations and the Wagstaff et al. (2003) decomposition.

The preliminary results show that the CI calculations by groups of individuals reveal the existence of significant inequalities in favour of the poor. This is the case for all groups of individuals who use ICT tools, namely radio, internet, telephone and television. The results of the Wagstaff et al. (2003) decomposition reveal that an equitable distribution of income between those who use and those who do not use the telephone, radio and internet reduces inequalities in access to FP in favour of the poor.

Despite the wealth of literature devoted to the study of inequalities in access to education, the consideration of PT is still very marginal. In Cameroon, the literature devoted to the study of inequalities in access to PT is still almost non-existent, probably because of a low level of interest in the scientific community. However, as just seen, PT is a tool for combating unemployment, particularly in economies where the informal sector is important, insofar as the proportion of unemployed and inactive people is very low amongst the ones that have taken a PT course. Moreover, studies on the effects of ICT on inequalities in access to PT are still rare in the literature.

Although there has been considerable growth in the higher education systems of Turkey and China in about the last two decades, there is still a room for development in enabling equity in all regions, increasing opportunities and resources regardless of socio-economic status or gender differences. Students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds do not have enough tools to change their fate for the better due to the accumulated barriers they face. Given this background, the chapter discusses how the barriers to equitable HE admissions relate to each other and which one has a greater negative impact over the Accumulated Conversion Barriers Modal we propose defined by personal, discriminatory, institutional, and geographical barriers. The perspectives of Turkish and Chinese HE stakeholders were examined through 21 in-depth interviews that were subjected to content analysis and interpreted in a comparative style using the lens of Capabilities Approach of Sen. We also offer policy suggestions to increase students’ conversion capacities for better outcomes to serve both the national and the international educational contexts owing to the adaptable nature of our modal to other countries experiencing similar issues in their higher education systems.