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1 – 10 of 486The purpose of this paper is to conduct a brief survey on the Catholic Church in Taiwan since its establishment by the Spanish missionaries in 1662 until today on its internal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a brief survey on the Catholic Church in Taiwan since its establishment by the Spanish missionaries in 1662 until today on its internal development and external relationship with the government. It is interesting to discover that, mostly, the Church has a harmonious relationship with the government, except a very few cases in which its foreign missionaries following the social teaching of the Church antagonize the government. However, it does not affect the close relationship between the Church and government in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach
It is a qualitative research on archive and books to research on the events of the Catholic Church in Taiwan in the discipline of social sciences. Historical research is in the majority of events.
Findings
The finding is acceptable because it is one of the few writings on the Catholic Church in Taiwan when writing on the Protestant Churches in Taiwan is flooding.
Originality/value
This is a ground-breaking work with academic value.
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Ayaka Noda, Angela Yung Chi Hou, Susumu Shibui and Hua-Chi Chou
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Japanese and Taiwanese national quality assurance (QA) agencies, National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Japanese and Taiwanese national quality assurance (QA) agencies, National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement (NIAD-QE) and Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT), transform their respective frameworks in response to social demands, and analyze and compare the respective approaches for the key concepts of autonomy, accountability, improvement and transparency.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a qualitative document analysis approach, this paper initially examines the higher education system, major policies and QA developments, after which the methods associated with the QA restructuring transformations are outlined in terms of motivations, expectations and challenges. Finally, the NIAD-QE and HEEACT evaluation policies and frameworks are compared to assess how each has prepared to respond to emerging challenges.
Findings
During the QA framework restructuring, both the NIAD-QE and HEEACT struggled to achieve autonomy, accountability, improvements and transparency. While the new internal Japanese QA policy is assured through the external QA, the Taiwanese internal QA, which has a self-accreditation policy, is internally embedded with university autonomy emphasized. The QA policies in both the NIAD-QE and HEEACT have moved from general compliance to overall improvement, and both emphasize that accountability should be achieved through improvements. Finally, both agencies sought transparency through the disclosure of the QA process and/or results to the public and the enhancement of public communication.
Originality/value
This study gives valuable insights into the QA framework in Asian higher education institutions and how QA has been transformed to respond to social needs.
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Angela Yung Chi Hou, Christopher Hill, Karen Hui-Jung Chen, Sandy Tsai and Vivian Chen
The purpose of this paper is to examine the student mobility programs of the three initiatives – in Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Institution of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the student mobility programs of the three initiatives – in Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Institution of Higher Education and Development, University Mobility in Asia and Pacific (UMAP), and Campus Asia – and provide a comparative analysis of the respective programs in terms of the role of government, institutional involvement, quality assurance, and challenges. In addition, the paper will assess their impacts on higher education regionalization by regulatory models toward the end of the paper.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts qualitative document analysis as a major research method to explore the developmental models of three student mobility programs. Document analysis is an approach used to gather and review the content of existing written documentation related to the study in order to extract pieces of information in a rigorous and systematic manner.
Findings
ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS), Collective Action for Mobility Program of University Student in Asia (CAMPUS Asia), and UMAP student mobility schemes have a shared purpose in higher education regionalization, but with different regulatory frameworks and Functional, Organizational, and Political approach models. AIMS and CAMPUS Asia as a strong network and government-led initiatives adopt a combination of functional, organizational, and political approaches; UMAP provides university-driven regional mobility programs with a hybridized force. However, all three of them face the same challenges at regional and national levels, such as different national regulation, coordination among participants, and implementation of credit transfer schemes.
Practical implications
The scale of three student mobility programs is still low, which results in limited impact on higher education regionalization in Asia. However, a stronger decision-making model and increased financial support to universities and students are desirable for the creation of a sustainable and effective network.
Originality/value
This is an original research and makes a great contribution to Asian nations.
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Yi-Ping Shih, Wen-Hsu Lin and Chin-Chun Yi
This chapter aims to delineate the indigenous pattern of parental involvement in Taiwan by investigating the effects of specific practices in schools and in the family, such as…
Abstract
This chapter aims to delineate the indigenous pattern of parental involvement in Taiwan by investigating the effects of specific practices in schools and in the family, such as school selection, school involvement, preparing a study place at home, and providing nutritious food.
We use two waves of data from the Taiwan Youth Project (2000, 2003) to examine how parental involvement varies between dual- and single-earner families, and we further demonstrate how sons and daughters have different access in terms of recognizing their parents’ effort, and how children’s subjective appraisals promote their academic performance with respect to test scores.
We find that dual-earner families have higher incomes, higher educational levels, and have fewer children than single-earner ones. Our multivariate analyses show that parental involvement does increase youngsters’ Basic Competence Test (BCT) score. However, we are unable to find any direct or indirect effects from parental employment status on BCT scores. Further analysis indicates that the relationship between parental school involvement and BCT score is only significant among dual-earner families, but not for the single-earner ones. In addition, our multiple group analysis reveals that sons’ BCT scores are affected more by parents’ school involvement, whereas daughters’ are affected more by special home provision. Our findings from adolescents’ subjective responses imply that sons may be more responsive to a non-familial context in contrast with daughters, who react more positively to familial provision.
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Chenchen Liu, ChiuLin Lai, Gwo-Jen Hwang and Yun-Fang Tu
This study aims to investigate the information literacy (IL) performance and higher order thinking skills of students with different levels of growth mindset and their perceptions…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the information literacy (IL) performance and higher order thinking skills of students with different levels of growth mindset and their perceptions of library-supported learning by using the annotate, summarize, question and evaluate (ASQE)-based learning approach.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the ASQE-based learning approach was applied to the learning activities to cultivate students’ IL, problem-solving awareness and critical thinking tendency. A total of 60 postgraduate students were invited to participate in this study. In addition, students’ perceptions of library-supported learning were analysed via drawing analysis.
Findings
Introducing ASQE-based learning into an IL learning activity promoted reflection and thought and had positive effects on students’ problem-solving awareness and on the critical thinking tendency of students with different levels of growth mindset. Additionally, the drawing analysis indicated that most of the students with low levels of growth mindset believed that learners should actively study in the library and students with higher levels of growth mindset preferred more motivating and enjoyable learning environments.
Originality/value
The findings of this study demonstrate that the ASQE-based learning approach can improve higher order thinking skills of students with different levels of growth mindset. In addition, this study examined the perceptions of students with different levels of growth mindset of library-supported learning via drawing analysis.
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John Chung-En Liu and Ting-Yu Kan
This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context. Methodologically, this study calls for more research to go beyond case studies and take a similar approach to examine university curricula and facilitate cross-country comparisons.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines the status of climate and sustainability curricula in Taiwan’s higher education system. Using the course catalog for the 2020–2021 academic year, the authors constructed a unique data set that includes 1,827 courses at 29 major universities in Taiwan. In each institution, the authors search for course titles that include “climate,” “sustainable/sustainability” and “environment/environmental” as keywords and code the courses according to their disciplines.
Findings
The finding highlights the variations across institutional types and subject matters. Public universities have an average of 4.94 related courses per 1,000 students, whereas private universities have only 3.13. In general, the relevant courses are more concentrated in the STEM and bioscience fields. The curricula, however, are seriously constrained by the disciplinary structure and foster few transdisciplinary perspectives.
Originality/value
The authors seek to go beyond case studies and offer one of the most comprehensive curricula samples at the national level. Taiwan adds an important data point, as the current literature focuses heavily on the USA and Europe.
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Yun-Fang Tu, Gwo-Jen Hwang, Shu-Yen Chen, Chiulin Lai and Chuan-Miao Chen
This study aims to compare similarities and differences in library and information science (LIS) and non-LIS undergraduates’ conceptions and perceptions of smart libraries via…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to compare similarities and differences in library and information science (LIS) and non-LIS undergraduates’ conceptions and perceptions of smart libraries via drawing analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a total of 156 undergraduate students described their perceptions of smart libraries as drawings and textual descriptions. A modified coding scheme with 8 categories and 51 subcategories was used to analyse the undergraduate students’ drawings.
Findings
Most of the undergraduate students’ conceptions of smart libraries still involve self-checkout and learning/reading, focusing on information appliances, technical services, activities and objects. The differences are that the LIS undergraduates’ drawings showed smart libraries with robots, interactive book borrowing with technology tools, intelligent services, location-aware services or mobile applications, whereas non-LIS undergraduates presented smart libraries as readers (learners), other activities and no smart technology services. LIS undergraduates focused on providing patron services with technologies. Non-LIS undergraduates were more likely to draw a complex space with immediate access to books or digital resources, quiet reading and the freedom to engage in library activities.
Originality/value
The results provide a baseline for future research on the topic and provide preliminary evidence of using the methods to discern LIS and non-LIS undergraduates’ conceptions of smart libraries.
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Yun-Fang Tu, Gwo-Jen Hwang, Joyce Chao-Chen Chen and Chiulin Lai
This study aims to investigate the influences of task-technology fit on university students’ attitudes towards ubiquitous library-supported learning when they use a mobile library…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influences of task-technology fit on university students’ attitudes towards ubiquitous library-supported learning when they use a mobile library app, Line@Library.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, structural equation modelling to examine 158 valid questionnaires are used. The study aims to examine the effects of task-technology fit (TTF) on university students’ attitudes towards mobile learning (AML) when using Line@Library.
Findings
The results show that task-technology fit is an important role that influences the students’ attitudes towards mobile learning. The factor “technology characteristics” is considered when the students attempted to use the mobile app to solve problems or complete tasks. This study also found that the students responded with positive perceptions of the task-technology fit and had positive perceptions of its ease of use. Furthermore, usefulness, ease of use and affection of AML were found to be the most influential predictors of mobile library adoption intention.
Originality/value
From the perspective of learners, this study investigates the relationships of the combination of social media and a mobile library between TTF and AML. This study further found that not only ease of use, usefulness and affection but also task-technology fit can be a predictor that influences students’ attitudes towards mobile learning.
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Rongying Zhao, Fengjiao Guo and Zhuheng Fu
The purpose of this paper is to generalize the teaching characteristics of some typical colleges in China which offer Informetrics courses, and to propose useful suggestions for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to generalize the teaching characteristics of some typical colleges in China which offer Informetrics courses, and to propose useful suggestions for the course construction of Informetrics through empirical investigation.
Design/methodology/approach
The statuses of Informetrics curriculum education of the top ten universities in Library and Information Science and Archives Management in Chinese mainland as well as Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan have been investigated and analyzed through a network survey and a telephone survey. Wuhan University and Fu Jen Catholic University are considered as the typical examples.
Findings
The educational development of Informetrics in China has gone through three stages: the initial stage, the developing stage and the improving stage. Based on the empirical investigation and analysis, some meaningful conclusions are drawn concerning the education system, teaching objectives, teaching contents and teaching methods of Informetrics courses.
Originality/value
This paper provides curricular information about Informetrics courses in China.
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Luo Lu, Cary L. Cooper, Shu‐Fang Kao and Yun Zhou
Towards the end of the twentieth century, the world has witnessed an amazing economic take‐off in the East Asia, especially within the territory of so‐called “Greater China”…
Abstract
Towards the end of the twentieth century, the world has witnessed an amazing economic take‐off in the East Asia, especially within the territory of so‐called “Greater China”, encompassing the PRC and Taiwan. Against this economic and cultural background, this study surveyed 258 and 189 employees respectively in Taiwan, and the PRC (Shanghai), to examine generalizability of a generic work‐stress model to the Chinese societies. It further examined the sub‐cultural differences in the work‐stress processes, by drawing contrast of the PRC and Taiwan. In addition, roles of emic constructs of Chinese primary and secondary control beliefs were also examined. Results showed that the generic work‐stress model could be reasonably applied to Chinese urban work contexts in the PRC and Taiwan. Work stress related as expected to strain effects. At a more refined sub‐cultural level, it was found that different sources of work stress became salient contributors to strain outcomes in the PRC and Taiwan. These differences reflect the diverse political, social, and economic characteristics of the two Chinese societies. More importantly, emic constructs of Chinese control beliefs were found to have rather consistent direct effects on strain outcomes. However, indirect (moderating) effects of control beliefs were not strong and inconsistent.
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