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Article
Publication date: 7 November 2017

Laura L. Matherly, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and Nadia Amin

This study examines attitudes toward higher education for men and women among male and female students and parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and demonstrates gender…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines attitudes toward higher education for men and women among male and female students and parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and demonstrates gender differences in parent and student expectations about the importance of higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative study examines attitudes toward higher education among 461 matched students and parents (total sample size 1442 respondents) in six higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and demonstrates gender differences between parent and student perceptions.

Findings

In general, attitudes about the importance of a college degree were high and stable, except that younger, more recent female graduates were more likely to disagree that family traditions were threatened by women completing a college degree. Socio-demographic variables were associated with more favorable attitudes about the value of education for global leadership, the importance of a college education for both men and women and gender equality.

Research limitations/implications

Six higher education institutions were represented in the sample so external validity can be improved by studying these variables in other sample groups across the nation, region and globe. In addition, including additional types of universities, e.g. distance learning, technical, research and military, would indicate if the findings are generalizable to a broader range of institutions of higher education. There are opportunities for future comparative studies to examine the relevance of these findings across cultures and government initiatives to build national human resource capital and to consider other aspects of intergenerational relationships, attitudes and behaviors.

Originality/value

The authors examine perceived implications of the value of higher education on different arenas of men and women’s lives among the Emirates. Additionally, we focus on whether their attitudes vary by gender and generation.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Bothaina A. Al-Sheeb, Mahmoud Samir Abdulwahed and Abdel Magid Hamouda

This study intends to add to the existing body of literature on the impact of a newly implemented first year seminar in the College of Law and Business. The purpose of this paper…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study intends to add to the existing body of literature on the impact of a newly implemented first year seminar in the College of Law and Business. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects the course have on students in regard to three aspects: student awareness and utilization of resources, interaction patterns, as well as, general interests and attitudes toward higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of the assessment included analysis of a survey that has been conducted by the end of Spring 2014 semester. A quasi-experimental design was implemented to measure the impact of the intervention on students’ awareness and utilization of resources, interactions, general interests, and attitudes toward higher education. Through the SPSS application, the Mann Whitney U Test, and χ2 tests were used to check for significant differences while comparing the means or frequencies for both groups. For the three questions, the authors have used the 90 percent confidence level and the standard significance level p-value of 0.05 or less for statistical analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that the course had a highly significant positive impact on student attitudes and awareness of campus resources but had less significant impact on student interactions and utilization of resources. The results in this study reveal a positive impact for the first-year seminar course on student satisfaction and attitudes toward higher education as well as their awareness of campus resources. However, in terms of the course impact on student interaction, results conveyed that students who have participated in the first-year seminar course show a slightly better interaction rate with instructors, academic advisors, and close friends than those in the control group.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study was that the sample was small. Nonetheless, it has provided valuable insights into the understanding of the social and academic impact of first-year seminars on student engagement; through the use of comparison groups, this study increased the validity of prior research.

Practical implications

The first-year seminar course evaluated in this study demonstrated the potential to support and enhance student social and academic engagement during the first year of college. Based on the results in this study, the study team recommended some revisions to the current first-year seminar model (UNIV P100 Skills for University Success). The team proposed three models for subsequent first-year seminars at this university.

Originality/value

This study adds to the existing literature by examining the impact of a newly implemented first-year seminar course at the College of Law and Business at this university on both academic and non-academic aspects from the students’ perspective. These aspects were selected as retention and GPA effects have been widely explored; therefore, the focus is on the less studied emotional and social factors associated with student success and retention. The results from this study can act as a guide for universities intending to introduce a first-year seminar course as it gives clear guidelines on design, content, and course implementation, which can be useful in enhancing general student motivation and attitudes toward academic study and higher education in general.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1995

Leslie B. Buckley and Michael G. Petrunik

Takes a random sample of 156 respondents from municipal and rural police forces in Canada to examine the relationship between various factors concerning their careers. Finds that…

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Abstract

Takes a random sample of 156 respondents from municipal and rural police forces in Canada to examine the relationship between various factors concerning their careers. Finds that a significant number of officers perceive their career orientation to have changed over time. Presents findings on social activists, enforcers, careerists, specialists and self investors. Differs from previous research linking career orientation to personality type by seeing career orientation as changing with time, stages of career and circumstances. Remarks that policing needs to be technically sophisticated, cost‐effective, community‐based and sensitive to the realities of a multicultural society. Recommends that police departments consider the career orientation of recruits and establish a reward structure suited to the varied career types

Details

American Journal of Police, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0735-8547

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 November 2020

Rabah Noui

The 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

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Abstract

Purpose

The 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/approach

The 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.

Findings

The 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/implications

The sample for this study is very limited, the results of this finding cannot be generalized to the entire university student as a whole.

Originality/value

This 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.

Details

Higher Education Evaluation and Development, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-5789

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 12 November 2012

Oren Pizmony-Levy, Idit Livneh, Rinat Arviv-Elysahiv and Abraham Yogev

Similar to community colleges in the United States, the Israeli tertiary system includes two-year technological colleges, which provide students with a labor-market relevant…

Abstract

Similar to community colleges in the United States, the Israeli tertiary system includes two-year technological colleges, which provide students with a labor-market relevant qualification. Nonetheless, unlike the community colleges, the technological colleges are not considered to be part of the higher education system and their transfer function is irregular and confined. In order to understand these differences, the chapter has two complementary objectives: (a) to describe the emergence and development of technological colleges and (b) to evaluate the implications for social inequality in access to higher education in Israel. We use a mixed-methods research design, including analyzing primary and secondary sources describing the official policy and public discourse around these colleges (qualitative/historical research) and comparing students attending academic institutions to students attending technological colleges and students across different fields of study offered by these colleges (quantitative research). Drawing on Phillip's (2004) model for policy attraction in education, we find that technological colleges in Israel were based on the Dutch HTS model, while the founding of these colleges was initiated by local impulse. The implementation of the technological colleges in the Israeli context was shaped by a cultural logic for higher education that emphasizes research and knowledge production, creating a binary tertiary system. Drawing on sociological literature on diversification and stratification in tertiary education, we find that technological colleges attract more students from disadvantaged groups and more students with relatively low academic ability than academic institutions. In addition, within technological colleges, students from advantaged background and higher academic ability are more likely to study in more prestigious fields of study. These findings suggest that if policy makers in Israel aspire to increase access to higher education, they should rethink policy instruments and cultivate the transfer function of technological colleges. This is among the first studies to examine technological colleges in Israel and we conclude with different directions for further research.

Details

Community Colleges Worldwide: Investigating the Global Phenomenon
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-230-1

Book part
Publication date: 4 January 2016

Jürgen Deeg

University reforms have been pervasive in European higher education over decades. Analyses of these reforms are still incomplete, however. To find a more comprehensive approach in…

Abstract

University reforms have been pervasive in European higher education over decades. Analyses of these reforms are still incomplete, however. To find a more comprehensive approach in explaining the relentless transformation of public universities, this paper suggests a novel, interactionist point of view. Drawing on ideational aspects of universities as institutions, the paper first explores the differentiation of basic, influential ideas of change. A recently developed typology is then used to further elaborate upon the composition and relation of these ideas. Finally, evidence is provided that supports a non-linear dynamic consisting of reciprocal influences, which overall indicates a recursive contingency between institutional context and coexistent frames of change.

Details

Towards A Comparative Institutionalism: Forms, Dynamics And Logics Across The Organizational Fields Of Health Care And Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-274-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1976

A.J. Kondonassis and S.C. Tseng

Introduction Since 1949, when the Chinese Communists took over the mainland China and the Nationalists fled to Taiwan, many changes have taken place in almost every respect on the…

Abstract

Introduction Since 1949, when the Chinese Communists took over the mainland China and the Nationalists fled to Taiwan, many changes have taken place in almost every respect on the island. Among the changes, the development of higher education has been one of the most noticeable. In 1945, when the island was first restored to the Nationalist Chinese from the Japanese, there were only four institutions of higher learning. All were publicly supported. Private colleges and universities had not been established prior to 1945 due to the suppressive colonial policy of the Japanese in Taiwan. In addition, students of native origin, with very few exceptions, were barred from entering law school or pursuing the social sciences. As a consequence, most of the students went into areas such as agriculture, engineering and medicine.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 3 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Article
Publication date: 17 July 2020

Katarina Perander, Monica Londen and Gunilla Holm

The purpose of this study was to investigate how a workshop can enhance first-year university students' understanding of their study strategies and self-regulated learning.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate how a workshop can enhance first-year university students' understanding of their study strategies and self-regulated learning.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative content analysis was done of 190 reflective journals written by first-year university students.

Findings

The main findings confirmed that starting studies in higher education is challenging for many students. New insights were provided on how these challenges can be addressed, especially regarding self-regulated learning. Students perceived that they gained several insights from the workshop that they believed could benefit their studying and thereby enhance motivation.

Practical implications

This study showed that even small measures promote both good study habits and specifically self-regulated learning skills. Interventions like the workshop described in this study ease first-year students' transition to the university and foster successful studies for all students.

Originality/value

This study contributes to research on supporting students' transition to higher education by investigating how students perceive early study skill interventions. It adds to a holistic perspective of students' challenges and coping strategies during their first semester in higher education.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2012

Jamie Murphy

Unlike Sisyphus – condemned by Zeus to an eternity of perpetually rolling a massive boulder uphill only for the boulder to roll back down – universities, students and academics…

Abstract

Purpose

Unlike Sisyphus – condemned by Zeus to an eternity of perpetually rolling a massive boulder uphill only for the boulder to roll back down – universities, students and academics seem destined to educational technology experiences ranging from futile and frustrating to effective and engaging. As technology evolves, related costs, applications, interoperability and purposes evolve – as do the students. The purpose of this paper is to propose two contrasting ideologies of technology‐mediated education, LMS teaching and Community Learning, to question the inexorable march towards the former.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach used is a literature review and case study.

Findings

Most traditional universities would embrace a Community Learning ideology, yet many of these same universities practice LMS teaching. This paper draws on the literature to contrast these two technology‐mediated learning ideologies, and argue for Community Learning. These contrary ideologies help administrators and academics reflect upon, and then align institutional ideologies with their educational pedagogy and technology. The paper includes a short case study to illustrate aspects of Community Learning, a few simple ideas for shifting towards Community Learning and future research avenues.

Originality/value

This paper answers calls for critical discourse of effective educational technology use, particularly LMS technology, and adds to a nascent research field that uses ideologies to help explain technology consumption. In addition, this is one of a few papers that reviews social media as a learning management system.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 24 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2020

Tefera Tadesse and Beshir Edo

Whereas the influence of engagement on learning outcomes has been extensively investigated, this has not been studied for undergraduate students of sports science major field. The…

Abstract

Purpose

Whereas the influence of engagement on learning outcomes has been extensively investigated, this has not been studied for undergraduate students of sports science major field. The objective of this study was to measure the extent of student engagement and learning outcomes and further examine their relationships in the context of a sports science program in the Ethiopian public higher education system.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a cross-sectional survey design collecting quantitative data from a random sample (n=83) of volunteered undergraduate sports science students from four public universities in Ethiopia. The student engagement theories were used as guiding frameworks.

Findings

Findings reveal above-average levels of engagement and learning outcome scores and low to moderate relations between the scores of engagement and outcomes measured. Both independently and interdependently, the student engagement factors reveal statistically significant relationships with all the measured outcomes, adjusted R2 ranging between 17 and 50 percent (p < 0.001).

Research limitations/implications

Because of disciplinary focus on sports science and small sample size, generalization is limited in scope.

Practical implications

Higher education teachers and administrators who work with undergraduates of sports science major should take into consideration the contexts and the relevance of student engagement for greater learning outcomes, especially student-teacher relationships. Hence, mandating instructional interventions to promote engagement through authentic faculty development and increasing academic rigor should be serious concerns.

Originality/value

Undergraduate students of sports science major field have received little attention in the higher education research literature, and discipline-based education research is a growing field of inquiry. This study addresses this gap.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 63000