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Article
Publication date: 28 February 2024

Mihyun Kang, Katherine Cholakis-Kolysko and Negar Dehghan

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and attitudes of arts and design faculty on teaching sustainability in higher education institutions in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Arts and design faculty from nine universities in the USA were approached for the study, using both closed and open-ended questions in a survey instrument. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data.

Findings

Results related to arts and design faculty’s perception of sustainability showed high confidence in teaching sustainability but lower confidence in inspiring students to take action on sustainability issues. Faculty also perceived time, resources, knowledge and support as barriers to the integration of the topic into the curriculum. This study revealed that the faculty’s attitude toward sustainability demonstrated their recognition that sustainability should be at the core of their discipline and that they support its integration into courses.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to arts and design faculty in higher education institutions in the USA. The results may not be generalizable to other fields or locations. In addition, the use of self-reported data may be subject to bias.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can inform the development of curriculum and pedagogy in arts and design sustainability education. It can also guide institutions in addressing the challenges and barriers related to incorporating sustainability into their curriculum.

Social implications

Prioritizing sustainability education is crucial in addressing global climate change and related issues. Art and design educators’ perspectives on teaching sustainability can contribute to constructing a sustainable future for everyone.

Originality/value

This study provides insight into the perception and attitude of sustainability among arts and design faculty in higher education in the USA and highlights areas for improvement such as training and resources to better integrate sustainability into the curriculum.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 December 2023

Abd Al-Aziz Hamed Al-Refaei, Hairuddin Mohd Ali, Abdulmajid Mohammed Aldaba and Abdul Rahim Zumrah

This study aims to examine the constructs of job satisfaction and organizational commitment (OC) as the determinants of customer-perceived service quality in higher education…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the constructs of job satisfaction and organizational commitment (OC) as the determinants of customer-perceived service quality in higher education context. It also explores the role of OC in mediating the dynamics of the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

It applied the cross-sectional, ex post facto survey method to acquire data from 1,776 respondents at Aden University. Two sets of questionnaires on job satisfaction, OC and perceived service quality were filled out by 296 academic staff and 1,480 students. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results showed that job satisfaction exercised a significant positive effect on OC and students’ perception of service quality (i.e. the quality of lectures delivered in class that shaped their learning experiences). OC also significantly affected students’ perception of service quality and partially mediated the effect of job satisfaction on perceived service quality.

Research limitations/implications

The current research only investigated the outcomes of job satisfaction and did not cover critical antecedents of job satisfaction, such as employee training and development, rewards and benefits and the like. Its outcomes have important implications for managing the link between organizational practices and customers perception of service quality in higher education context.

Practical implications

The results have accentuated the importance of universities’ ensuring and increasing faculty’s job satisfaction and commitment if they seek to enhance students’ perception of service quality. Universities can do so by improving their organizational practices, which are expected to result in faculty well-being and improved working conditions.

Originality/value

The results have contributed new insights into the current understanding of the dynamics between and among job satisfaction, OC and customers’ perceptions of service quality. It has demonstrated how OC is shaped by job satisfaction and can influence the quality of services rendered by employees if they are happy and satisfied with the organization.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2023

Breanne A. Kirsch

The purpose of this case study is to determine the effectiveness of the UDL academy in terms of the number of UDL techniques used by faculty after participating in the academy and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this case study is to determine the effectiveness of the UDL academy in terms of the number of UDL techniques used by faculty after participating in the academy and surveys to explore faculty perceptions of UDL.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative case study utilized faculty surveys about the UDL academy, class observations and review of course syllabi to determine the effectiveness of the UDL academy and explore the experience of implementing UDL.

Findings

The UDL initiative has been a positive and effective experience. Broadly, faculty have had positive perceptions of UDL implementations based on faculty surveys. The effectiveness of the UDL academy was demonstrated by the number of UDL techniques used by faculty increased significantly for faculty that participated in the UDL academy. The control group of faculty members did not increase the number of UDL techniques used based on class observations and a review of course syllabi.

Research limitations/implications

This research is from one librarian's perspective since the librarian led the UDL initiative and is the sole librarian with faculty status currently at the institution. As a proponent of UDL, the librarian's perspective may be biased. Librarians can implement UDL to reduce educational barriers and support student success. Additionally, librarians can offer support to faculty in learning about UDL by offering a similar UDL academy.

Practical implications

Most faculty were able to incorporate UDL elements into their courses and responded positively to the concept of integrating UDL in the classroom, feeling that it helped improve their teaching. These results demonstrate that faculty can integrate UDL into higher education to use effective teaching strategies after participating in a UDL academy.

Originality/value

This paper is an original work describing a campus UDL initiative from a librarian's perspective.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Meghan J. Pifer, M. Cynthia Logsdon, Maria Ibarra and Kevin Gardner

There is a need to support midcareer faculty who have demonstrated scholarly success but require additional development. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an…

Abstract

Purpose

There is a need to support midcareer faculty who have demonstrated scholarly success but require additional development. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an initiative for “star faculty” at midcareer, with an emphasis on the role of exceptional others in their professional growth.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an exploratory, single-site case study of a midcareer faculty excellence initiative. Data sources include document/site analysis and individual interviews.

Findings

Findings reveal the value of “exceptional others” in professional growth among high-performing midcareer faculty. Perceptions about excellence at midcareer emerged as an antecedent to developing midcareer faculty members. Analysis generated themes in behaviors related to supporting midcareer scholars’ professional growth.

Research limitations/implications

This study is an initial step toward refining concepts such as exceptional others, academic stars and scholarly advancement within the academy. There is a need for equity-minded research about these topics. In addition to replication across institutional and disciplinary contexts, there is also a need for longitudinal mixed-methods studies of midcareer faculty mentoring outcomes over time.

Practical implications

The study points to the role of the institution and its senior faculty in fostering midcareer scholarly excellence. Mentoring and development around individualized goals may be of value in addition to an emphasis on clarity around institutional expectations and norms in faculty performance reviews.

Originality/value

Midcareer faculty are a crucial component of the academy, yet they are often overlooked as needing career support, resources and development. This study focuses on mentoring and coaching for postsecondary faculty at midcareer and the role of exceptional others in facilitating faculty professional growth.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 November 2023

Claudia W. Tridapalli and Oliver Elliott

Sustainability has emerged as a key concept in 21st-century education. The purpose of this paper is to identify faculty’s behavior and barriers to incorporating sustainability in…

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainability has emerged as a key concept in 21st-century education. The purpose of this paper is to identify faculty’s behavior and barriers to incorporating sustainability in business school classrooms and suggest potential ways to tackle them.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses focus groups and interviews with faculty at a European business school using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore their beliefs and practices in incorporating sustainability in the classroom.

Findings

The results show that business school faculty have a strong awareness of sustainability and a desire to incorporate it into the classrooms. Recommendations for deans and curriculum creators are proposed to reduce obstacles to successful implementation.

Originality/value

The perceptions of faculty, a key agent of change in the incorporation of sustainability in the classroom, are analyzed, and practical steps to support them are suggested through the use of a TPB framework.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 March 2024

Hiroshi Ito, Shinichi Takeuchi, Kenji Yokoyama, Yukihiro Makita and Masamichi Ishii

This study examines the impact of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation on education quality. We discern the prospective influences of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the impact of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation on education quality. We discern the prospective influences of AACSB, focusing on shifts in teaching methods and content and assessment procedures.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a case study approach, in-depth interviews are conducted with a Japanese-accredited business school’s faculty members to understand their perceptions of the school’s education-quality issues. The data were thematically analyzed.

Findings

Respondents acknowledged that AACSB accreditation has positively influenced teaching, encouraging active learning and the case method. However, they also indicated that accreditation had a restrictive effect on assessment activities, pushing toward compliance rather than genuine learning evaluation. This dichotomy suggests a need for balancing standard adherence with the flexibility to maintain educational depth and assessment integrity.

Research limitations/implications

Convenience sampling may introduce self-selection bias. Furthermore, the qualitative case study approach does not allow for statistical generalization. However, when combined with existing literature, the findings can be analytically generalized and transferred to other contexts.

Originality/value

We provide insights regarding AACSB accreditation’s impact on business education, encompassing shifts in teaching methods and content and faculty perceptions of assessment. This study enhances the scholarly understanding of business school accreditation and offers guidance to accredited or accreditation-seeking academic institutions.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 April 2024

Ibraheem Abdulaziz Almuaqel

The study aims to qualitatively analyze how faculty can mobilize the intellectual capital of higher education institutions (HEIs), comprising human, structural and relational…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to qualitatively analyze how faculty can mobilize the intellectual capital of higher education institutions (HEIs), comprising human, structural and relational capital to enable the education and learning of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the extant literature, the researcher conducted a qualitative study through written, in-depth interviews with a sample of 40 academic staff/faculty members having prior experience in teaching individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The data was collected through a set of questions formulated as key questions, to be asked to all participants for their responses.

Findings

Results of the analysis demonstrated that intellectual capital’s contribution to higher education of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be best understood in terms of its three components/dimensions. Accordingly, three main themes, with each comprising two sub-themes were uncovered. The first theme, leveraging human capital comprised: faculty acumen and faculty training as sub-themes; the second theme, resourcing structural capital comprised: tangible and intangible structural capital as sub-themes; and the third theme, nurturing relational capital comprised: in-class engagement and the second is ex-class connection as sub-themes.

Originality/value

The paper collects data from 40 faculty having prior experience in teaching individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to explore and reveal a completely new perspective of looking at intellectual capital as a means of providing accessible and inclusive higher education to differently-abled students, making them a part of the mainstream.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2023

Natasha Pennell and Gabriela Sabau

This paper aims to investigate the role of multidisciplinary course requirements in shaping student attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of multidisciplinary course requirements in shaping student attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development. Previous research indicates that students conceptualize sustainability based on their academic discipline; thus, this research investigates whether there is a difference in student attitudes toward sustainability at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, where students are encouraged to cross the borders of their academic disciplines.

Design/methodology/approach

This research reports on the findings from a mixed-methods study to assess the impact of program requirements on student attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland. In phase one, an anonymous survey was administered to students regarding their perceptions and attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development. The survey yielded 100 usable responses. Phase 2 consisted of a series of 10 semi-structured expert interviews with key faculty and staff at Grenfell Campus and a representative from the City of Corner Brook, which gave further insights regarding sustainability programming and campus culture.

Findings

Contrary to previous research, the results of this research indicate that the School of Study does not have a statistically significant impact on student attitudes toward sustainability. This may be attributed to Grenfell Campus’s Breadth of Knowledge requirement within the School of Arts and Social Science and the School of Science and the Environment, which requires that students take elective courses from a broad range of subject matter to develop their holistic awareness of social, cultural, scientific and political issues.

Practical implications

The results of this research indicate that students who are exposed to broad multidisciplinary requirements may be more likely to have positive attitudes toward sustainability than students who focus on a single discipline.

Originality/value

A limited number of studies investigate the impact of core program requirements on student attitudes toward sustainability. This paper promotes an effective way of raising sustainability-literate young people/citizens in a Canadian higher education context.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 February 2024

Jennifer M. Blaney, David F. Feldon and Kaylee Litson

Supporting community college transfer students represents a critical strategy for broadening participation in STEM. In addition to being a racially diverse group, students who…

Abstract

Purpose

Supporting community college transfer students represents a critical strategy for broadening participation in STEM. In addition to being a racially diverse group, students who pursue STEM degrees by way of community college report frequent interests in graduate study and academic careers. Thus, supporting and expanding transfer students’ PhD interests can help to diversify the STEM professoriate. This study aims to identify the experiences that predict PhD interests among students who transferred into the computer science major from a community college.

Design/methodology/approach

Relying on longitudinal survey data from over 150 community college transfer students throughout their first year at their receiving four-year university, we used regression analysis to identify the post-transfer college experiences that predict early interest in PhDs.

Findings

We found that receiving information about PhDs from a professor strongly predicted PhD interest among transfer students. Relationships with other variables indicate that the provision of information about graduate school was more likely to occur for students who participated in undergraduate research experiences than for those participating in internships. Descriptive data document inequities in who has access to these types of experiences.

Originality/value

This paper provides new insight into how STEM departments can develop targeted efforts to ensure that information about PhD training is equitably available to all transfer students. Working to ensure that faculty equitably communicate with students about PhD opportunities may go a long way in countering potential deterrents among transfer students who may be interested in such pathways.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2023

Lan Anh Nguyen

Although student evaluation of teaching (SET) is widely used, there has been a significant disparity between its potential benefits with the actual impact on improving educational…

Abstract

Purpose

Although student evaluation of teaching (SET) is widely used, there has been a significant disparity between its potential benefits with the actual impact on improving educational quality. This study aims to inquire into the factors contributing to this discrepancy and the underlying mechanisms hindering the effective utilisation of SET.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative case study used problem-based methodology to investigate the theories of action of administrators involved in SET. The study uses SET documents and individual interviews with 18 administrators from six Vietnamese higher education institutions.

Findings

While the administrators monitored SET data and addressed SET problems, few used it for quality improvement. The participants’ SET approaches were influenced by various constraints, especially the intricate interaction between neoliberal agendas with professional and cultural values.

Research limitations/implications

Despite a lack of statistical generalisability, this study contributes to analytical generalisation by vividly portraying the complexity of the SET practice in a higher education context.

Practical implications

This study suggests a more inclusive approach to quality improvement that prioritises multi-stakeholder engagement.

Social implications

The constraint analysis offers invaluable insights into the challenges and dynamics of SET practice, which can be used to enhance SET effectiveness and overall educational quality.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the need to examine the theories of action of administrators involved in SET, emphasising the significance of a comprehensive understanding of the stakeholders’ underlying reasoning process for successful evaluation implementation.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

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