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The purpose of this study is to examine the adoption of the active learning and teaching methods by university lecturers, taking into account the contribution of certain important…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the adoption of the active learning and teaching methods by university lecturers, taking into account the contribution of certain important factors, including trust, empowerment, thinking styles and emotional intelligence. In addition, this study further reveals the diverse nature of university lecturers with regards to their tendencies to adopt active teaching methods using the segmentation technique of marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured survey was implemented with university lecturers in Hanoi (Vietnam), obtaining a sample of 218 respondents from six universities. Descriptive analysis was carried out to identify the extent of the adoption of these methods. In addition, cluster analysis and analysis of variance were computed to extract and define the segments of university lecturers.
Findings
The findings show that the lecturers, on average, had a tendency to apply active teaching methods. However, the extent of the application of these methods differed among four clusters: “conservatives,” “liberals,” “junior conservatives” and “junior liberals.” In addition, it was found that the degree to which active methods were applied may have been affected by the lecturers' trust in and their empowerment of the students. The application of active methods may also have been influenced by various covert characteristics of the lecturers, including thinking styles (cognition-based) and emotional intelligence (affect-based). The lecturers' overt characteristics, such as age, education and experience, may also have affected their application of active methods, while biological sex seems not to have been a significant factor.
Originality/value
The results of this study expand the literature by explaining the diversity of university lecturers from the perspective of the active teaching and learning methods. They also provide implications for the management of education reform based on the varied implementation of the said methods that has already taken place.
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Aminudin Zuhairi, Navaratnasamy Karthikeyan and Saman Thushara Priyadarshana
The purpose of this paper is to reveal how support services for open and distance students are designed, developed and implemented to ensure successful learning to take place…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal how support services for open and distance students are designed, developed and implemented to ensure successful learning to take place, with specific references to the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia. Success in distance learning is one major challenge for open universities to respond to expectations of students and stakeholders. This study focuses on the strategies of student support services in OUSL and UT, investigating related factors including instructional design and development, learning engagement and motivation, policy and strategy in reducing dropouts, use of OER/MOOCs, and quality assurance.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study was employed involving analyses of documents; interviews and focus group discussion with senior administrators, academic staff, students; and on-site observation in locations of teaching and learning.
Findings
This research is exploratory in nature. Findings of the study are expected to improve our understanding of student support in distance learning, in which analysis is based on good practices, challenges and rooms for improvement of both OUSL and UT.
Practical implications
Findings of this study reveal practices and lessons learnt that may be useful as reference to open universities, taking into considerations the fact that each open university has been established to address specific challenges in its own unique circumstances.
Originality/value
This research may be adopted as baseline framework for analysis of student support for open universities. Further in-depth study is needed to understand how various aspects of student support contribute to success in open and distance learning.
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Gustav Hägg, Diamanto Politis and Gry Agnete Alsos
This study aims to examine the role of gender balance in forming individuals’ understanding of entrepreneurship as manifested in the graduates’ occupational choices, asking: Does…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role of gender balance in forming individuals’ understanding of entrepreneurship as manifested in the graduates’ occupational choices, asking: Does gender balance in entrepreneurship education influence start-up behaviour after graduation? Based on gender mainstreaming, this study builds on the assumption that gender balance influences classroom and student community discourses. This study presents two hypotheses suggesting a positive relationship between gender balance (student and mentor gender balance, respectively) and the likelihood of engaging in start-up behaviour after graduation.
Design/methodology/approach
The context is an international one-year master's programme in entrepreneurship and innovation, which adopts an experienced-based pedagogical approach to support learning. This study applies binary logistic regression analysis to test the hypotheses on a sample of 107 graduates who responded to a web-based questionnaire on post-graduation career paths.
Findings
This study finds support for the first hypothesis indicating that student gender balance in the classroom has a significant positive impact on graduates' likelihood of engaging in start-up activity post-graduation. In the interpretation of these findings, this study emphasizes that a master's programme in entrepreneurship is an important arena where students' attitudes, values, aspirations and intentions towards entrepreneurship are shaped and their identity developed.
Originality/value
While studies have demonstrated gender bias in the discourses on entrepreneurship education and content, there is little evidence of its consequences or how it is addressed. Findings of this study point directly to this gap by revealing that improved gender balance is not only beneficial to the underrepresented gender, but to the overall student group.
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Mary Pomaa Agyekum, Selase Adjoa Odopey, Sabina Asiamah, Lucy Wallis, John E.O. Williams and Rachel Locke
The purpose of this study explores the perspective of key informants (educators, preceptors and former students) of the Kintampo Project, on the perceived effectiveness, gains and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study explores the perspective of key informants (educators, preceptors and former students) of the Kintampo Project, on the perceived effectiveness, gains and challenges in delivering this large-scale training innovation in Ghana. The problem of mental health care neglect in Ghana is gradually improving. The Kintampo Project which trained mental health workers in Ghana has played a critical role in increasing access to mental health care.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study explored participants' perspectives on the Kintampo Project in three broad areas: perceived effectiveness, gains and challenges. In all, 17 interviews were conducted with former students, preceptors and educators from the project. The interviews were digitally audio-recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed using deductive and thematic methods.
Findings
The participants perceived the project to have been successful in increasing the number of mental health workers in Ghana. The project provided a route for career progression for those involved. However, the Kintampo Project faced accreditation issues, low recognition, improper integration and remuneration of trained staff in the Ghana Health Service. This study points to the fact that the sustainability of mental health training in Ghana can be obstructed, because of this career path being less attractive. Further research is needed to explore how best to achieve sustainability of similar mental health innovations.
Originality/value
This paper shares the views of participants in the Kintampo Project.
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Anna Schreuer, Annina Elisa Thaller and Alfred Posch
This paper aims to explore the manoeuvring room of higher education institutions to take action to reduce emissions from academic flying. In particular, this study investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the manoeuvring room of higher education institutions to take action to reduce emissions from academic flying. In particular, this study investigates how university staff and central actors in university management evaluate potential measures in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors applied a single case study design encompassing an online survey directed at staff (N = 338) and 11 semi-structured interviews with key actors from management at an Austrian university. The authors used descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis to examine the data.
Findings
This study found considerable support among university staff in principle for implementing measures to reduce academic flying, but also serious concerns about the fairness and viability of some restrictive measures, especially disincentives and caps on flying. However, bans on short-haul flights were largely supported. Actors from university management saw their manoeuvring room limited by the potential resistance and non-compliance of staff, as well as by framework conditions external to the university.
Practical implications
Dedicated leadership is needed to facilitate broad commitment within the university and to avoid shifting the responsibility between different governance levels. Restrictive measures to reduce academic air travel will be more readily accepted if perceived as fair and viable.
Originality/value
Although several papers have addressed the behavioural and institutional factors that sustain extensive flying in academia, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first contributions to investigate the potentials and challenges of introducing measures to reduce air travel in higher education institutions.
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