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Article
Publication date: 22 August 2023

Oghenere Gabriel Salubi and Ndakasharwa Muchaonyerwa

This study empirically analyse the lived and individual experiences of internet use time among postgraduate students in a period where the line between the virtual and real is…

Abstract

Purpose

This study empirically analyse the lived and individual experiences of internet use time among postgraduate students in a period where the line between the virtual and real is blurred. The infusion of the internet in higher education has not only facilitated the production of new knowledge but has also led to reports of internet addiction among many users during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. This study aims to evaluate the level of internet addiction among postgraduate students and the supportive information services role that librarians could provide.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 279 postgraduate students completed a quantitative survey targeted at all the postgraduate students at a university campus in South Africa. Data was collected using an adopted internet addiction test questionnaire. The data was descriptively and inferentially analysed.

Findings

As many as 61 (22.7%) are always online, with most of the respondents, 112 (41.6%) spend 10 h or more on the internet daily. Laptop computers at 44.7% emerged as the primary electronic device used by postgraduate students for accessing the internet, surpassing the prevalence of mobile phone usage. On internet addiction level, internet use time had a statistically significant relation with problematic internet use levels in respondents. These results suggest that the increased uncontrolled internet use could negatively interfere with productive academic work of postgraduate students. However, based on the inferential statistical results, it can be concluded that academic use of the internet does not contribute to increased levels of internet addiction. The study recommends that librarians should provide literacy education and resources on how to use the internet safely and responsibly, including tips on setting boundaries, managing time online and productively using online information resources.

Originality/value

The study assesses problematic internet use among postgraduate students and provides suggestions on supportive information services that librarians could provide in an era where many library information services provision and higher education are hinged on the internet.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Antonio Caparrós Ruiz

The current expansion of the knowledge economy and its requirements of highly educated workers make interesting to analyse the effects on the labour market outcomes of completing…

Abstract

Purpose

The current expansion of the knowledge economy and its requirements of highly educated workers make interesting to analyse the effects on the labour market outcomes of completing a master's degree. This study examines the factors determining the probability of pursuing a postgraduate programme and observes whether workers reaching this educational attainment reap the benefits of their human capital investment through better paid jobs compared to college-only degree holders. On the other hand, it analyses whether individuals with a master's degree are more prone to upward wage mobility.

Design/methodology/approach

The study relies on data obtained from the second survey on the Labour Insertion of University Graduates conducted by the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2019). This survey allows us to observe labour market transitions of the first group of Spanish university graduates under the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and their earnings. The methodological procedure consists of the estimation of wage models controlling for the unobservable differences between workers who have or have not completed a master's degree.

Findings

The results indicate a significant positive impact of master's degree on salaries. Furthermore, individuals with postgraduate studies are more prone to upward wage mobility in comparison to college-only degree holders.

Research limitations/implications

Data used does not allow us to identify which competences associated with the completion of a master's degree are more remunerated by employers.

Practical implications

The econometric specification applied allows us to compute the direct effect of a master's degree on wages and predict the average probability that an individual is in a determined wage interval according to the knowledge area and controlling by the rest of characteristics.

Social implications

The findings are helpful to diagnose and understand how the knowledge acquired through postgraduate studies are rewarded by the labour market, which is essential to evaluate the return on educational investments when making decisions about whether or not to continue postgraduate studies.

Originality/value

This research addresses novelty aspects on tertiary education in Spain and its effects on workers' careers.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 44 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2023

Abdurahman Ahmed Endris and Yohannes Sisay Molla

Most educational institutions worldwide have suddenly switched to online instruction due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and English language teaching took its part in…

Abstract

Purpose

Most educational institutions worldwide have suddenly switched to online instruction due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and English language teaching took its part in this transition. The immediate transition from face-to-face to fully online instruction affects its effective implementation, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia where online learning is in its early stage. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate postgraduate EFL students’ perceptions and practices of online learning.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a descriptive survey design. Using simple random sampling, 91 postgraduate EFL students were selected from four universities. Online questionnaires were employed to collect data. To analyze the data, both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (one sample t-test) statistics were used.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that the students had favorable perceptions of online learning. Despite the students' positive perceptions, the results of the study showed that the practice of online learning in the universities was limited; especially the practice of synchronous online learning was low.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest that the concerned bodies at the universities should consider implementing a blended (both synchronous and asynchronous) learning system to deliver an online learning approach.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies in a higher education context in Ethiopia, which tries to investigate the postgraduate EFL students' perceptions and practices of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper is original because it investigated the status of online learning during the pandemic in a developing country like Ethiopia; it provides a real and convincing idea of a new way of learning in the post-COVID-19 context. The study can also be useful for related future research in the context of a pandemic-like COVID-19.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 13 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2022

Muhammad Nizam Zainuddin and Dzulkifli Mukhtar

The purpose of this study is to examine postgraduate students' reflexive narratives about their entrepreneurial passion (EP) experience as a result of their direct participation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine postgraduate students' reflexive narratives about their entrepreneurial passion (EP) experience as a result of their direct participation in a series of hand-selected experiential learning events within the curated identity workspace (IW) of a cross-disciplinary postgraduate entrepreneurship education programme.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative exploratory design using interpretative phenomenological analysis with a group of graduate students from a cross-disciplinary postgraduate entrepreneurship education program at an entrepreneurial university.

Findings

This study discovers that students’ EP experience is developed through the internalisation of an entrepreneurship learning activity into their personal identity through the harmonisation and reorganisation of their competing micro-identities of professional and entrepreneurial identity, prompting them to create a new identity that enables them to act entrepreneurially without relinquishing their existing professional identity.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates how entrepreneurial education programmes function as an IW and posits a theoretical model illustrating the hidden connections between entrepreneurial activity, personal identity and entrepreneurial learning experience that collectively influence individuals' entrepreneurial behaviour.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 15 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 October 2023

Neema Florence Mosha and Patrick Ngulube

The study aims to investigate the utilisation of open research data repositories (RDRs) for storing and sharing research data in higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania.

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the utilisation of open research data repositories (RDRs) for storing and sharing research data in higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey research design was employed to collect data from postgraduate students at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania. The data were collected and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. A census sampling technique was employed to select the sample size for this study. The quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), whilst the qualitative data were analysed thematically.

Findings

Less than half of the respondents were aware of and were using open RDRs, including Zenodo, DataVerse, Dryad, OMERO, GitHub and Mendeley data repositories. More than half of the respondents were not willing to share research data and cited a lack of ownership after storing their research data in most of the open RDRs and data security. HILs need to conduct training on using trusted repositories and motivate postgraduate students to utilise open repositories (ORs). The challenges for underutilisation of open RDRs were a lack of policies governing the storage and sharing of research data and grant constraints.

Originality/value

Research data storage and sharing are of great interest to researchers in HILs to inform them to implement open RDRs to support these researchers. Open RDRs increase visibility within HILs and reduce research data loss, and research works will be cited and used publicly. This paper identifies the potential for additional studies focussed on this area.

Article
Publication date: 16 September 2022

Daniel Bernardo Ribeiro, Aparecido dos Reis Coutinho, Walter Cardoso Satyro, Fernando Celso de Campos, Carlos Roberto Camello Lima, José Celso Contador and Rodrigo Franco Gonçalves

Construction industry (CI) has great prominence for the world economy, and it is expected that, with the use of the innovative technologies and approaches of Industry 4.0 (I4.0)…

Abstract

Purpose

Construction industry (CI) has great prominence for the world economy, and it is expected that, with the use of the innovative technologies and approaches of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), the new industrial paradigm, construction can reach higher levels of productivity. This study aims to develop a model (readiness model) to assess the level of use of I4.0 technologies by the construction sector in Brazil and its most relevant applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used was bibliographic research, design-science research and a survey to validate the model, carried out with 162 companies, considered among the main ones in the sector in Brazil. The literature review revealed 13 technologies of I4.0 applied to construction; hence, the views of industry experts were based on these technologies.

Findings

The Digital Advancement Within CoNstruction (DAWN) readiness model was proposed, showing that among the 13 evaluated technologies of I4.0 and their applications, the Brazilian construction companies had a low level of utilization; both high and middle-income companies presented this low level of use; some technologies with a greater number of scientific publications were less used in practice in the Brazilian construction.

Originality/value

The originality and theoretical contribution are to present a readiness model to assess the level of use of I4.0 technologies and their most relevant applications in the CI in countries with an economy similar to Brazil’s, making it possible to measure the level of adoption of these technologies.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2023

Deyan Zou and Binghui Wang

The number of universities offering Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) in China has increased to 316 in 15 years. This paper aims to take a closer look at the production…

Abstract

Purpose

The number of universities offering Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) in China has increased to 316 in 15 years. This paper aims to take a closer look at the production patterns of experimental report theses in terms of total number, distribution across universities, supervision model and research content, reflects on the problems and suggests improvements, provides a reference for MTI education in China and beyond.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the published final theses of experimental reports for the MTI in China between the years 2012 and 2022, the period during which this type of thesis was produced, to identify the production patterns of these theses.

Findings

The number of experimental reports published by the nine leading universities accounts for 80% of the total 296 papers. The uneven development is also reflected in the supervision model and research content. Most universities can structure the main content of theses according to the suggestions of the MTI Guidance Training Outline. However, there are still deficiencies in the areas of experimental design, experimental validity, research questions and academic standards.

Originality/value

This paper reflects on the problems of MTI theses of experimental reports. Also, suggestions are made for linking top-level design and university education, for joint progress in faculty development and talent training and for integrating industrial aspects and international visions, to provide a reference for MTI education in China and beyond.

Article
Publication date: 24 October 2023

Alana Guadagnin, Jandir Pauli, Juliane Ruffatto and Leila Dal Moro

For sustainable strategies to be developed in business schools, it is essential to understand which sustainability drivers and barriers are identified by academic managers and…

Abstract

Purpose

For sustainable strategies to be developed in business schools, it is essential to understand which sustainability drivers and barriers are identified by academic managers and coordinators in the implementation of sustainable practices. In this scenario, the study aims to understand the barriers and possible drivers for the implementation of sustainability practices in Brazilian business schools. The subjects are managers and coordinators of business schools that are part of the Principles for Responsible Executive Education Network – Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Chapter Brazil/UN.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive research with a qualitative approach was conducted to achieve this objective. The study included academic managers, responsible for the general management of academic and administrative activities and coordinators, responsible for supervising and coordinating academic activities in a specific area, of schools that are part of PRME Chapter Brazil (interviews). For data analysis, the content analysis technique was used.

Findings

Taking into account the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental and social) as categories of analysis, as well as management, curriculum and teaching as subcategories, the study identified 10 barriers and 12 drivers.

Originality/value

The results reveal that both the barriers and the drivers are supported by the social pillar, which focuses on the academic community and society as a whole. The “Management” subcategory was also the most mentioned, indicating guidelines for the strategic academic management of these organizations.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2023

Christopher Chapman, Asako Kimura, Norio Sawabe and Hiroyuki Selmes-Suzuki

This paper aims to explore how researchers in general, and field researchers in particular, might respond to systems of governance of the researchers' activity in ways that can…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how researchers in general, and field researchers in particular, might respond to systems of governance of the researchers' activity in ways that can support rather than distort the quality of the research.

Design/methodology/approach

We draw upon literature on serendipity to develop a framework for engaging with the positive and negative potentials of systems of governance. We ground our analysis in discussion of participation in the field comprising two parts: first, the examination of our own activities and second, the accounts of participation found in two career-autobiographical interviews with emeritus professors of management accounting from Japan.

Findings

We highlight the potential for a productive tension between two contrasting perspectives that researchers might take on governance of their activity. A contractual perspective sees the value of targets and detailed pre-planning. A reflexive perspective sees the value of exploring the unexpected and considering many alternatives. We offer a framework for considering serendipity and the conditions that facilitate serendipity to help researchers maintain a productive tension between these perspectives.

Research limitations/implications

We build upon retrospective accounts of two successful individuals whose careers evolved in a specific context. The intention is not to set out what might be generally achievable in a research career, nor to propose specific lines of action or planning in relation to specific systems of governance, since these vary across countries and over time. Rather, the paper draws on these materials to illuminate the more general challenge of preparing for serendipity in a way that goes beyond simple opportunism.

Originality/value

We analyse how researchers' mindfulness of serendipity and the nature of contexts that facilitate serendipity can encourage a productive tension between contractual and reflexive perspectives on governance of academic activity.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 August 2023

Thi Kim Thoa Ninh, Thi Huyen Ngo and Hong Sinh Nguyen

The aim of this paper is to investigate the needs of lecturers and learners for digital scholarship services (DSS) and to suggest recommendations for the development of DSS at…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the needs of lecturers and learners for digital scholarship services (DSS) and to suggest recommendations for the development of DSS at Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM).

Design/methodology/approach

The research employed a mixed method approach, comprising a paper questionnaire with 360 respondents to collect quantitative data and in-depth interviews with 18 participants, including lecturers (L), postgraduate students (P), and undergraduate students (U), to gather qualitative data.

Findings

The findings indicate that lecturers and students have diverse needs for various DSS services, with digital information resources and institutional repositories being the most common, followed by new and workable digital technology infrastructure, training courses in using digital tools and methods, and ongoing advice and support at different stages of the research process.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this study indicate that further research is necessary to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the DSS needs in higher education institutions in Vietnam of various sizes and characteristics.

Practical implications

This research provides a practical basis for the development and provision of appropriate support to the development of DSS at VNU-HCM.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper and its value lies in the contribution to the understanding of the needs of DSS in a context of the digital transformation and the improvement of the quality of education and research in the higher education sector in Vietnam.

Details

Library Management, vol. 44 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

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