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This study is centered on the young researchers selected from the first call to occupy chairs at Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología--Conacyt). The aim is to describe the strategies these young people employ to sustain labor and science and comply with the activities Conacyt requires, based on their educational training and the differences in the institutions of higher learning to which they are assigned. With a qualitative methodological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with three young researchers. The outstanding results include the multiplicity and variability of spaces for carrying out academic activities, as the researchers sought support from their educators to find spaces where they can comply with specific tasks and the intensification of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Blended learning (BL) has been increasing in popularity and demand and has developed as a common practice in institutions of higher learning. Therefore, this study develops a model to evaluate the critical predictors that determine students' acceptance and deployment of BL in institutions of higher education based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach: The empirical analysis entails data collected from 1,811 responses from an online survey questionnaire from students in Malaysian universities, colleges and polytechnics. Partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) was employed for data analysis. Findings: The results reveal that the attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy were found to influence students' intention to accept BL. Moreover, results suggest that the intention of students to accept BL approach is significantly influenced by actual BL deployment. Research limitations/implications: Data were collected from students in universities, colleges and polytechnics only. Besides, this research is one of the limited studies that explored BL deployment in a Malaysian perspective. Practical implications: Findings from this research not only add scientific evidence to BL literature but also provide a better understanding of the predictors that may motivate or discourage learners to deploy BL in institutions of higher learning. Social implications: Respectively, findings from this study aid students to acquire and apply knowledge on how to effectively improve BL initiatives in learning activities. Originality/value: This study is one of the fewer studies that investigate students' behavioral intentions toward BL deployment in Malaysia. Additionally, this study contributes to the understanding of the predictors that influence students' intention to accept and deploy BL in their respective institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of reading cannot be overstated. The persistent lack of a reading culture in South Africa has been reported by many scholars. Following the growing concern for the lack of reading habits of South Africans in general and students at the institutions of higher learning in particular, this quantitative study investigates the reading habits of students at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. The data were collected using a questionnaire which was completed by 98 students in the School of Education and Programme of Information Studies. The students were identified on the basis that they are being trained to encourage and promote the culture of reading in their work. Microsoft Excel was used to capture, calculate and organise the collected data for analysing. The major findings of this study were that the majority of the students at the University of Limpopo have poor reading habits and that they read for academic purposes only and not for pleasure. The study also revealed that the students were not reading for pleasure as a result of the unavailability of reading materials at the university. It is recommended that the library of the University of Limpopo introduce reading materials to accommodate students to read for pleasure and recreation. The development of lifelong reading interests and reading habits is a constant process which begins in the home, improves systematically in the school and is carried on in later life. Therefore, reading is not just for school, it is for life, as people have to "read to learn to live". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last four decades, increasing numbers of disabled students have entered institutions of higher education worldwide. Since 1994, the South African Government has been committed to transforming educational policy to redress the past oppression of disabled persons. Educational policies, legislation and interventions have been implemented to promote inclusive education. However, recent studies have found disabled students continue to be excluded and discriminated against at institutions of higher education in South Africa. In this analytical autoethnography, I describe my personal experiences of stuttering at two South African universities, exploring personal life stories through Felt's (2017) concept of academic chronopolitics. I argue that chronopolitics, which exists in institutions of higher learning, acts as a barrier to inclusion and participation for disabled students, specifically those who stutter. I advocate for the creation of spaces that are enabling and inclusive for all disabled students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the teaching efficacy beliefs of third-year teacher education students from two different institutions, in three categories: student engagement, instructional strategies and classroom management. The study used a descriptive survey design. The target population for the study was all third-year students enrolled in five different programmes in each of the two universities of technology. A questionnaire, named the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), was used as an instrument to collect data from the participants. A total of 204 students from the two universities of technology completed the questionnaire. The results of the study on teacher trainees’ perceptions regarding their teaching efficacy beliefs revealed that 85% of the teacher trainees feel positive about their future occupation. The results therefore support the view that well-organised work integrated learning can lead to the development of a positive attitude towards the teaching profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academics and/or scholars increasingly feel that their academic voice (combined or individual) has been squelched by the demands of performativity in its various guises, and resultantly, that they have been caught up in a process of steady disempowerment. Rather, it should be their right to be free to use their positions in the pursuit of scholarship as their conscience and their expert knowledge of their subject dictate. Academics should be free to question for themselves the boundaries of their limitations, and not have these imposed on them by the state or government bureaucracy. In order to help empower academics to regain their academic voice and identity, this article transposes six of the philosophical ideas of Belgian philosopher Rudi Visker to the world of academia. It explores the possibilities of using these ideas as instruments for the promotion and maintenance of academic freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For students with visual impairments, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an important means through which they can learn and access learning materials at various levels of education. However, their learning experiences in using such form of technologies have been rarely documented, thus suggests society's lack of understanding and/or interest about the effectiveness of such technologies in responding to the learning needs of people with visual disability. Following narrative inquiry design, the research question that guided this study is: What are your learning experiences of using Information and Communication Technology at an Open Distance Learning institution in South Africa? The narratives were obtained in two ways, namely a written form and then followed up verbally using one-on-one interviews with each participant and were analyzed qualitatively. The findings are presented in the following themes: (a) challenges with mathematical, scientific and accounting signs; (b) difficulty in accessing graphic learning materials; (c) incompatibility of software; (d) lack of timely access to electronic learning materials; (e) unfulfilled promises; and (f) inflexible pedagogical practices. These challenges occur alongside perceptions, which narrowly view students with visual impairment as incapable of following particular subject streams [career], conceptions that make such students blame themselves for having impairments. The findings of this study will contribute towards the improvement of learning experiences of students with visual impairment in institutions of higher learning and fostering positive conceptions about visual impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]