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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 February 2024

Elisei Emili Lubuva, Placidius Ndibalema and Esther Mbwambo

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of engaging tutors in designing and using ICT integrated lesson activities in strengthening their pedagogical use of ICT competences.

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of engaging tutors in designing and using ICT integrated lesson activities in strengthening their pedagogical use of ICT competences.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data from an intervention group of 70 tutors from two teachers colleges (TCs) were used to compare their level of ICT competences and domains of professional practice before and after the intervention. Document analysis, lesson observations and feedback from the learning management system (LMS) were used to describe tutors’ experiences from the intervention.

Findings

There was a statistically significant increase in tutors’ level of pedagogical use of ICT competences and domains of professional practice associated with hands-on practice in designing and implementing the intervention.

Research limitations/implications

The intervention focus on hands-on practice, actual teaching and learning needs, and the use of active learning strategies like flipped classroom and the LMS, were useful means for tutors to make sense of pedagogical use of ICT competences.

Practical implications

The results offer useful insights to teacher education institutions and policymakers on how to prepare professional learning and supportive policies to enhance teaching and learning with ICT for addressing the learning needs of the subject matter.

Originality/value

Creating 16 ICT integrated lesson activities helped tutors to learn pedagogical use of ICT competences by doing. Use of such intervention could be a useful strategy in teacher education institutions to reposition ICT competence development from reproducing technological competences toward developing knowledge creators who could innovate their pedagogical practice with support from mentors, digital learning resources and networks.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 May 2022

Yijing Wang, Mélodine Sommier and Ana Vasques

This study aims to examine whether the development of students’ sustainability competences is dependent on how courses are delivered at higher education institutions (HEIs). It…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether the development of students’ sustainability competences is dependent on how courses are delivered at higher education institutions (HEIs). It further investigates to what extent such competences can affect students’ belief in the new environmental paradigm (NEP) and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs).

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected through an online survey conducted in 2021 among the students of an international research university based in The Netherlands. The final sample (N = 262) consisted of all the students who completed the survey and claimed that they had taken at least one course that addressed sustainability. Linear regression models were used to examine the relationship of sustainability education and students’ competences, as well as their pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.

Findings

The findings reveal that the strength of universal, broadly applicable pedagogies is positively related to the development of students’ sustainability mindset/framework as well as their sustainability action/communication. The results also reveal that developing students’ competences on sustainability mindset/framework is directly related to their belief in the NEP and PEBs.

Originality/value

To develop an integrative pedagogical approach requires understanding how a HEI’s engagement in sustainability can impact students’ attitudes and behaviors, but little research has actually measured the development of students’ competences. This study fills this gap through empirically testing how different pedagogical approaches can affect students’ sustainability competences differently. This has important implications for systematically linking pedagogical approaches to teaching practices or concrete learning objectives.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 23 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 September 2019

Payal Sharma and Jagwinder Singh Pandher

This study aims to identify and classify various competences and competencies that educational leaders should essentially possess.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify and classify various competences and competencies that educational leaders should essentially possess.

Design/methodology/approach

The systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify various competences of educational leaders in the institutions. Later, an empirical research was conducted. The data were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS 20.0 to classify these competences according to their relative importance considering natural gaps in standardized beta (ß) values. In all, 96 administrators of 35 technical institutions of Punjab (India) offering engineering and management programs and 93 veteran educational experts had responded in a survey.

Findings

The results of the study identified five competences: pedagogical, leadership, innovative, research and evaluation competences. The competencies “help others in improvement and not blame circumstances”, “set high benchmarks” and “align class activities with learning objectives” have qualified among the “most important” competencies for the educational leaders.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was specific to one state. There may be the chances of response bias in a few situations. Therefore, there are few reservations in generalizing the findings.

Practical implications

The study has several implications for both the faculty and the technical education degree institutes. The study provides a link between the characteristics and competencies of educational leaders. This study also contributes in terms of mapping of these competencies while recruitment of the faculty to test whether the candidates possess the potential of becoming educational leaders.

Originality/value

The administrators can test these competencies in their faculty for the purpose of identifying both the educational leaders within their institutes and the potential educational leaders in future by assessing “requisite” and “important” competencies.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 31 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 September 2021

Sanna Brauer

The twenty-first century education system seeks to meet the societal demands of economic effectiveness and the unique professional development needs of individuals. This paper…

4155

Abstract

Purpose

The twenty-first century education system seeks to meet the societal demands of economic effectiveness and the unique professional development needs of individuals. This paper aims to discuss the qualities of competence-oriented educational processes and the recent movement towards competence-based curricula in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology to explore the concept of competence within the context of educational science. The subsequent thematic synthesis analyses the findings of reviewed publications regarding graduate attributes in competence-oriented higher education and their perspectives and working-life expectations on exit profiles.

Findings

Interest in competence-oriented education, training and learning has grown in recent years, resulting in numerous theoretical and technical pedagogical applications in higher education. Nonetheless, ambiguous terminology presents a significant challenge, which is demonstrated by the inconsistent language of the study's results. Moreover, there is an obvious need for teachers' in-service training. The qualitative synthesis of this article will be useful for both educational and working life sectors to inform and promote different perspectives on competence-oriented educational processes. A clear articulation of competences is crucial for reforming higher education to meet students' interests and recognise their work-life needs.

Originality/value

The concept of competence has been under-investigated in higher education research and practices. This study offers novel insights and practical implications for competence-oriented learning concerning the paradigmatic change across higher education.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 63 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2018

Payal Sharma and Jagwinder Singh Pandher

The quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers, i.e. professional competence. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the state of faculty’s quality in…

Abstract

Purpose

The quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers, i.e. professional competence. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the state of faculty’s quality in technical higher education institutions of Punjab (India) in terms of their competences. Later, differences in the quality of the faculty of both public (government funded) and private (partially or not funded by government) technical institutions were examined.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 35 technical institutes were selected to conduct a field survey and total 594 respondents including teachers, students and administrators had responded to the present study from different departments of engineering and management. The state of faculty’s quality in terms of their competences has been examined through confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS 20.0. Discriminant analysis in SPSS 20.0 has been performed to find the differences in faculty of both the public and private sectors.

Findings

This paper provides a broader picture of the poor quality of teachers in technical institutions of Punjab (India) in terms of lacking most of the competencies. The study also reveals significant differences in the faculty of both public and private sector institutes in terms of select competences.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates an alarming stage of poor-quality state of teachers. Therefore, educational administrators and policy makers need to show their concern for the improvement of teachers’ quality in technical higher education institutions of Punjab (India).

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Vesna Nikolic, Slobodan Milutinovic, Pece Nedanovski and Kornelija Mrnjaus

The paper aims to deal with the education for sustainable development (ESD) competences of university educators. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to deal with the education for sustainable development (ESD) competences of university educators. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of opportunities for the development of ESD competences in higher education (HE) institutions in Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. In addition, the paper explores the drivers and barriers experienced in this area using a process-oriented approach.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose of collecting data, internet and desktop research was carried out, which was then followed by interviews with key respondents and experts in HE. The interviews were carried out face-to-face or via telephone. In addition, information collected from the interviews was compared with both data found in the literature and official documents.

Findings

The comparative analysis indicated how specific institutional and cultural contexts affect the development of ESD competences in HE in the region. There were differences but also common opportunities for developing the ESD competences of university educators in the countries analysed. For each country, the drivers and barriers, as well as their relevance, were manifested differently and specific key constructs were identified to explain the implementation process for developing ESD competences of university educators.

Practical implications

This paper tried to respond to this diversity of perspectives, contexts and initiatives and attempted to extract the benefits of different approaches to the ESD professional development of university educators in Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. It is hoped that this paper will provide valuable insights into the development of ESD in HE and support the development of ESD competences in the region.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers that provide a comparative analysis of the ESD professional development of university educators in Balkan countries. The value of the paper lies in its potential to help us to understand the role that different drivers and barriers play in different patterns of implementation for developing the ESD competences of university educators.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 July 2017

Maria Mercedes Callejas Restrepo, Norka Blanco-Portela, Yolanda Ladino-Ospina, Rosa Nidia Tuay Sigua and Kenneth Ochoa Vargas

The aim of this paper is to present a vision for university educator professional development, based on self-analysis of pedagogical styles and production of knowledge about the…

2131

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present a vision for university educator professional development, based on self-analysis of pedagogical styles and production of knowledge about the practices that promote education for sustainable development (ESD).

Design/methodology/approach

The “STSE” course is part of the department’s Professional Development Program. The course aims to articulate the relationship between ESD processes and university educator training through reflection on their practices. To accomplish this objective, the course promotes interdisciplinary groups of educators from different backgrounds. These groups are encouraged to introspect regarding their pedagogical styles. A survey is applied to encourage self-analysis of the four pedagogical style dimensions.

Findings

University educators adopt their own pedagogical styles based on the evolution of their practices. This information is useful in generating education, formation and transformation of new professionals in their respective fields. This knowledge also raises questions about ESD, and the construction of processes, values and attitudes to aid this education.

Research limitations/implications

This paper only describes the characterization stage of the university educator pedagogical styles through practice-related self-analysis

Originality/value

This study builds pedagogical knowledge, promotes higher education transformation for sustainable development and strengthens the quality of university education.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2020

Saga Stenman and Fanny Pettersson

The aim of this study is to explore equality and inclusion as an aspect of remote teaching in rural areas. Moreover, the aim is to explore teachers' pedagogical digital competence

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to explore equality and inclusion as an aspect of remote teaching in rural areas. Moreover, the aim is to explore teachers' pedagogical digital competence (PDC) and school organizational support as conditions for developing remote teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach with both qualitative and quantitative data was used.

Findings

According to this study, remote teaching can solve many problems for school organizations and offer pupils new opportunities to learn in rural areas. Remote teaching expands the learning environment and provides pupils with equal access to qualified teachers and a wider range of learning solutions for different needs. However, the learning context needs to be redesigned with flexibility to meet the needs of individual pupils, whereas the remote teaching format itself can contribute to difficulties in teachers' flexibility. In meeting these challenges teachers' PDC and digital relational competencies are becoming increasingly important. Moreover, teachers' access to communities and school contexts where remote teaching is collaboratively discussed and elaborated on.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to a region in Sweden, with ten participants.

Practical implications

The practical implications are that equal and inclusive remote teaching is dependent on technological as well as pedagogical competence from teachers as well as from organizations.

Social implications

If sufficient professional development for teachers is provided as well as organizational structure are in place, remote teaching is an option for equal access to education in sparsely populated areas. This means inclusive education can be provided to areas otherwise lacking in teacher competence.

Originality/value

The study is one of few that investigates how remote teaching teachers perceive the teaching form and the competencies and support required to develop and use it in rural areas.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Understanding Industry 4.0: AI, the Internet of Things, and the Future of Work
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-312-9

Article
Publication date: 9 August 2019

Kamila Ludwikowska

Teachers at the tertiary level play an essential role in the expansion of quality in higher education. The issue of competence and its development has particular importance in…

Abstract

Purpose

Teachers at the tertiary level play an essential role in the expansion of quality in higher education. The issue of competence and its development has particular importance in creating the new landscape of the twenty-first century. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop validated inventory identifying future-oriented competences required for the teaching profession in the changing environment of higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

In the study, teacher competences and related teacher’s behavior were theoretically defined and underwent principal factor analysis. The survey was carried out among teachers, students and graduates of HEIs in India.

Findings

The analysis revealed future-oriented teacher competences resulting from the globalization process of the teaching profession. Testing the inventory indicated that there was a high Cronbach’s α reliability. Results show that the inventory enjoyed proper internal consistency for four dimensions as general teaching competences. The inventory with 66 items and four factors explained 47.279 percent of the total variance and indicated a strong factor model.

Practical implications

Teacher competence inventory (TCI) can be used to modernize study programs of teacher education and shift focus toward future-oriented competences required for the teaching profession in HEIs in India. Therefore, TCI could be essential to prepare teachers for the changing environment of teaching.

Originality/value

This study is an essential step in reorienting the process of teacher education toward professional development aimed at developing future-oriented competences in the teaching profession. It proposes to develop an instrument measuring teacher competences areas and related teacher behavior.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 61 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

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