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1 – 10 of 32Jafari Abdala and Sharifa Juma
The purpose of this study is to evaluate an in-service training (INSET) programme for improving the quality of English language teaching in Zanzibar’s secondary schools…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate an in-service training (INSET) programme for improving the quality of English language teaching in Zanzibar’s secondary schools. Specifically, there were two objectives: i) to explore the teachers’ views on the zanzibar improvement students prospect (ZISP) training programme in improving the English language teaching techniques in secondary schools in Zanzibar and ii) to find out the organisational support provided to teachers when they are using the skills and knowledge acquired from the ZISP teaching programme.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a qualitative research approach, particularly the case-study design. It used interviews to collect qualitative data that was analysed thematically. Twelve English language teachers from seven secondary schools who had benefited from the ZISP teaching programme and five headmasters from five schools participated in the study as respondents.
Findings
The study found that the ZISP training programme equipped teachers with pedagogical skills useful for preparing lessons and materials, using technology in teaching and providing timely feedback to students. In terms of support, teachers receive materials and motivation from various organisations.
Research limitations/implications
This study focused on ordinary teachers and headmasters. Nevertheless, other studies could use classroom observation, focus group discussion, document review or survey questionnaire to evaluate the impact of the programme and look at how the skills obtained are used in the teaching and learning of the English language. In addition, this study involved 12 participants who were teachers and headmasters, respectively. Other studies could include students, their families, employers and non-teaching staff. This would provide a holistic view of how the stakeholders perceive the INSET programme.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the benefits and organisational support teachers receive after participating in the INSET training programme in Zanzibar. Thus, teachers need regular exposure to INSET so that they improve the quality of their teaching.
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Teodoro Luque-Martínez, Luis Doña-Toledo and Nina Faraoni
This study aims to advance the understanding of both the challenges and the priorities facing Spanish universities undergoing the digital transformation era, to identify areas for…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to advance the understanding of both the challenges and the priorities facing Spanish universities undergoing the digital transformation era, to identify areas for improvement in university management, from a managerial point of view.
Design/methodology/approach
To analyze the importance and adequacy of various aspects related to digitalization, the authors use the importance–performance matrix, by surveying figures who have or have had a managerial position in the university, such as rectors and vice-rectors.
Findings
The results showed that the priority areas were related to strategic and financial management, knowledge management and the society and environment dimension. It all revealed imbalances, the most important of which were in the areas referring to attracting talent, sources of financing, strategic management and digitalization.
Research limitations/implications
The study could benefit from considering or placing greater emphasis on alternative viewpoints, including those of external experts and administrative managers at public universities.
Practical implications
The practical implications relate to university management. In particular, the study highlights two issues that are a priority: attracting talent and training for university management as well as for data management. It follows from these results that legislative development and public funding should be directed towards adapting the training offer as well as the management structure and processes to the context of digitalization.
Social implications
These results have implications for the public sphere, for decision-making related to the public funding that organizations receive from governments. Indeed, as the empirical results demonstrate, the proposed framework is effective not only in assessing the status of digitalization in the university but also in providing information on the most important aspects that need particular attention to achieve the desired future condition.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study lies in the analysis and evaluation of the digitalization process and how public universities are facing it, from the perspective of university management. Methodologically, the novelty lies in the use of the importance–performance matrix, which not only provides insight into the importance of different aspects to be analyzed but also provides information about their adequacy.
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Elizabeth Addy, Isaac Ayitey and Emmanuel S. Adabor
The purpose of the study is to identify barriers to collaboration among female administrators at a Ghanaian technical university (TU), based on the social identity theory (SIT).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to identify barriers to collaboration among female administrators at a Ghanaian technical university (TU), based on the social identity theory (SIT).
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method approach was adopted, integrating qualitative interviews of 15 female administrators and completing structured questionnaires from 117 randomly sampled female administrators. The SIT, as the analytical framework, identified themes emerging from the data on barriers to collaboration among female administrators. While exploratory factor analysis identified measures of factors hindering collaborations, the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) enabled the confirmation of relationships among the barriers to collaboration with female administrators.
Findings
There existed statistically significant relationships between four of the barriers: intergroup relations conflict, trust with stakeholders and among females and structural barriers (SBs). For the quantitative analysis, it was found that SBs, intergroup relations, conflict and trust were statistically significant except for weak cultures. For the qualitative, results showed that SBs, lack of trust with stakeholders and among females and intergroup conflict hinder collaboration.
Research limitations/implications
The study has a limited scope in using only one TU and focusing on a particular gender. The implications of this research will enrich the literature on barriers to female administrative collaboration in technical education based on the SIT.
Practical implications
Promoting administrative collaborations in the TU will ensure sustainability and efficient administrative systems.
Social implications
Institutional policies should include gender inclusivity and equality on networking opportunities and provide mentorship programs for efficient administrative systems.
Originality/value
We used the SIT to determine barriers to collaboration among female administrators in a technical education institution, and the mixed methodology added a unique dimension to the study.
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Hardeep Chahal and Aiyushi Gupta
This study examines the impact of organisational agility on the performance of higher education institutions. It also aims to explore the mediating role of various capabilities…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the impact of organisational agility on the performance of higher education institutions. It also aims to explore the mediating role of various capabilities, namely, service innovation, technology capability, learning capability, and collaborative knowledge creation, in the agility-performance relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample of this study includes teaching staff of two prominent state universities of J&K, India. The study employs Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structured Equation Modelling (SEM) for scale purification and hypotheses testing.
Findings
The results show that organisational agility positively influences performance of higher education institutions. Capabilities, namely, service innovation, technology capability, learning capability and collaborative knowledge creation, partially mediate the organisational agility-performance relationship.
Research limitations/implications
The sample comprises teaching staff of two established universities of J&K, India.
Practical implications
For sustenance in the turbulent environment, higher educational institutions should employ practices like regular modification of academic programs, increasing the speed of logistics activities, investing in high-ended software and hardware facilities, and developing an open environment for the exchange of ideas by employees. Policy formulation should encourage adopting agile practices in higher education institutions for enhanced performance.
Originality/value
This paper focuses specifically on organisational agility and its impact on the performance of higher educational institutions. The study contributes to the agility literature by testing the mediating roles of service innovation, technology capability, learning capability and collaborative knowledge creation collectively in the relationship between organisational agility and performance, concluding that all these capabilities except service innovation enhance the effect of organisational agility on performance.
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Ramakrishna Gollagari, Temesgen Birega and Santap Sanhari Mishra
Organizational justice and its impact on employee commitment have received a lot of attention these days. The objective of this study is to see the effect of job satisfaction as a…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizational justice and its impact on employee commitment have received a lot of attention these days. The objective of this study is to see the effect of job satisfaction as a mediator in the relationship between organizational justice and employee commitment. Also, the role of academic rank as a moderator in the model is probed.
Design/methodology/approach
A moderating mediation structural equation model was used for randomly collected cross-section data on 285 employees from public universities in Ethiopia. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was employed to check the importance of the variables. The Gaussian copula approach was used to check endogeneity in the structural model.
Findings
NCA confirms the importance of organizational justice and employee satisfaction as the independent variables. The Gaussian copula approach reveals no endogeneity problems in the structural model. The results supported the partial mediating role of job satisfaction in organizational justice and academic staff’s commitment. Moreover, though staff rank is not a necessary condition, it plays the role of moderator in the relationship between academic staff’s job satisfaction and commitment.
Practical implications
This paper affirms that public institutions must implement fair initiatives and procedures to promote academic staff satisfaction and commitment.
Originality/value
This is the first study to check the job rank as a moderator in the model comprising organization justice, employee commitment and satisfaction. Moreover, application of NCA and Gaussian copula adds to methodological innovation.
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Tiago Oliveira, Helena Alves and João Leitão
This systematic literature review aims to identify the main areas of study related to co-creation and innovation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as well as the main…
Abstract
Purpose
This systematic literature review aims to identify the main areas of study related to co-creation and innovation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as well as the main external and internal stakeholders with whom co-creation is made.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical approach is based on 258 articles selected from the Web of Science (WoS), Clarivate Analytics and Scopus, Elsevier databases, with analysis of titles, abstracts and keywords following a research protocol. VOS viewer and CitNetExplorer software were used, with the twin aim of identifying publications with a higher number of citations and designing maps of reference word co-occurrence.
Findings
The analysis led to three clusters being identified: Cluster 1. Management and transfer of knowledge from HEIs to companies; Cluster 2. Co-creation and innovation in HEIs through cooperation between universities and companies; and Cluster 3. Universities’ third mission and their role in developing entrepreneurship education. The results of the literature clusters analysis led to proposing a conceptual model of analysis.
Research limitations/implications
Despite only employing two databases and the content analysis criteria, the three found clusters are linked, recognising the interplay between co-creation and innovation in HEIs, knowledge transfer to enterprises and the influence on HEIs' third goal.
Practical implications
This systematic literature review highlights and gives a picture of the state-of-the-art in co-creation and innovation in HEIs, as well as presenting a model of co-creation and innovation in HEIs that can contribute to reinforcing the University-Industry-Community ties.
Social implications
This study can lead to a better knowledge of the issue of co-creation and innovation at HEIs, as well as a deeper analysis of the sorts of relationships between HEIs and their stakeholders, as well as its impact on surrounding areas and influence.
Originality/value
The research highlights the interaction between HEIs and their stakeholders on a basis of value co-creation and innovation, providing mutual benefits for all involved, as well as greater development and recognition of HEIs and their surrounding regions’ image andreputation. A future research agenda is also presented on the topic of co-creation and innovation in HEIs.
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Phebe Hassana Obaka, Seyi Julian Adelegan and Leonard Shaibu
The level of deterioration of educational facilities, such as leaking classroom roofs, inadequate good seats, obsolete offices, broken shutters and doors, outdated school…
Abstract
Purpose
The level of deterioration of educational facilities, such as leaking classroom roofs, inadequate good seats, obsolete offices, broken shutters and doors, outdated school buildings, power plants and office equipment like ICT media, laboratories, offices and workshops, despite the involvement of Alumni association in the maintenance of educational facilities for the effective actualization of school objectives was a worrisome nightmare in Kogi state. This, therefore, prompted the researchers to explore the Alumni’s participation in plant maintenance for effective implementation of the universal basic education (UBE) programme in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state. The purpose of this study was guided by the research question which stated that to what extent does the Alumni Association participate in plant maintenance for effective implementation of the UBE programme in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state?
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research approach using a descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The sample was drawn using a proportionate stratified sampling technique comprising 387 participants which consisted of 191 (49%) urban junior secondary school principals and 196 (51%) rural principals in selected UBE junior secondary schools. Alumni’s Participation in Plant Maintenance Questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The data were analysed with the aid of mean and standard deviation for the research question and z-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance and the value of z-crit. of 1.96 was used to determine the rejection or otherwise of the hypotheses.
Findings
The descriptive analysis revealed that the average mean set of 2.64 pointed to the fact that the respondents averagely agreed that there was a high extent to which Alumni participate in plant maintenance in urban than rural areas for effective implementation of the UBE programme in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state. This indicates that Alumni contribute to the management of UBE schools in Kogi state, especially in the areas of funding, infrastructural facilities, discipline, politics and quality control. This finding also shows that the contributions of the alumni to educational institutions are still unclear if they have made contributions to education in some areas and none in other areas making their relevance to plant maintenance unclear.
Research limitations/implications
In terms of practical implications, the study has contributed to knowledge in that it is the first of this form of a study carried out in Kogi state, and as such the findings of the research will make contributions to the physique of information on plant maintenance for the profitable implementation of the UBE programme in Kogi state. Besides, the degree of plant preservation for the implementation of the UBE programme among applicable stakeholders in Kogi state is nevertheless at a low extent.
Originality/value
Researchers have conducted studies that show how non-state Alumni members contribute to the administration of education across different states. Some of these studies revealed that Alumni members have assisted schools in the provision of teaching and learning materials at the senior secondary or tertiary education level. There are no sufficient studies to show how these Alumni members have contributed to the implementation of the free education programme, especially in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state and this is the gap this study intends to fill.
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Khurram Shahzad, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Abid Iqbal and Asfa Muhammed Din Javeed
This study aimed to identify the university librarians’ readiness to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) for innovative learning experiences and smart library services.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to identify the university librarians’ readiness to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) for innovative learning experiences and smart library services.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research design followed by a survey method was applied. Data were collected from 174 professional librarians of 58 university libraries in Punjab province, Pakistan.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed that the adoption of AI enhances innovative learning. The results displayed that AI adoption assists librarians in the provision of smart library services to end users.
Originality/value
The study has offered practical recommendations in light of the evidence-based data for the efficient adoption and sustainability of AI applications in university libraries for innovative learning and smart library services. It contributes to the theoretical understanding by expanding the existing knowledge base. It offers managerial insights and has a societal impact. The study has provided a framework based on the empirical findings for efficiently adopting AI tools in academic settings for the provision of innovative learning experiences and sustainable smart library services.
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This paper aims to assess the considerations for implementing sustainability initiatives in higher education institutions (HEIs).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the considerations for implementing sustainability initiatives in higher education institutions (HEIs).
Design/methodology/approach
It employs a qualitative approach. It is based on opinions gathered from 272 stakeholders (including authorities and academicians) of HEIs.
Findings
Nepalese HEIs are facing several challenges, such as the lack of a changing vision and values to create a culture of sustainability initiatives and the socioeconomic and cultural gaps between policy sources and implementation approaches for sustainability. Therefore, they need to consider several sustainability initiatives to improve their performance and competitiveness. Effective leadership, learning culture, sustainability-related policy, effective HRM, organizational structure, supportive culture, technology, rewards, and university-academia-industry linkages are the key prerequisites for implementing sustainability initiatives. Thus, HEIs must make substantial investments in such aspects. Furthermore, they have to focus on sustainability initiative context, feasible strategies, and actionable/practical solutions to implement sustainability initiatives that help in achieving performance outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
It is solely based on the opinions of authorities and academicians of Nepalese HEIs. Since it was carried out in the Nepalese context, results might vary at other times and in other nations.
Practical implications
It serves as a wake-up message to HEIs' officials about the barricades associated with sustainability initiatives and also addresses important requirements for putting such initiatives into practice.
Originality/value
It provides a holistic framework to initiate sustainability in HEIs to help them achieve expected outcomes.
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This qualitative study discusses the importance of effective leadership practices in connecting the macro-, meso-, and micro-contexts in which school leaders operate, considering…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study discusses the importance of effective leadership practices in connecting the macro-, meso-, and micro-contexts in which school leaders operate, considering the colonial and apartheid history of South Africa and the current era of neoliberal philosophies by exploring the degree to which school leaders in historically disadvantaged schools in Western Cape Province use an edupreneurial approach to steer their schools in new directions. The school leaders, especially in historically disadvantaged Colored schools, are expected to be more autonomous and accountable for making the school environment conducive to performance standards and improved learning results. The study uses an edupreneurial leadership approach as a theoretical lens to explore entrepreneurial agency, together with the educational leadership approach of school principals as a consequence of neoliberal policies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on secondary schools in historically Colored communities in Western Cape Province through semi-structured interviews with four purposively selected school principals and four teachers from four different schools in the Western Cape Province.
Findings
Education and training programs should focus on cultural values and practices to enhance the efficacy of these schools. Furthermore, an entrepreneurial mindset and spirit are aspects that can be encouraged in a culturally sensitive manner. The edupreneurial leadership approach in developing countries has a distinctive nature.
Originality/value
This study contributes to forging an understanding of how neoliberal trends influence school leadership practices in developing countries, especially the leadership work of school principals across public schools in the Western Cape Province in South Africa.
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