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Positive academic climates are critical to helping students thrive, and kindness innovations might enhance these climates. This conceptual paper's purpose is to share insights from a consensus building event focused on fostering relationships and knowledge-sharing among an international group of multidisciplinary students, faculty, and staff who explored ways to bring a kindness framework into post-secondary education. Participants underscored kindness as critical for students' experiences and university culture, and identified several levels of influence requiring intervention focus. Ideas and strategies emerging from the event might serve to encourage student-led kindness initiatives and prompt university personnel to integrate kindness into post-secondary institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valorization of skills in English higher education policy-making is a long-standing refrain, informing both rhetoric and investment from government and shaping university behaviour. Critiques of the 'skills agenda' are equally established, on grounds of its contested evidence base, manner of implementation and even its very definition. This paper draws on Bacchi's 'What is the Problem Represented to Be?' (WPR) approach (Bacchi, in: Bletsas, Beasley (eds) Engaging with Carol Bacchi: strategic interventions and exchanges, The University of Adelaide Press, Adelaide, 2021a; Bacchi and Goodwin in Poststructural policy analysis: a guide to practice, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2016) to examine how the UK Department for Education's nascent Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) policy represents, and therefore in Bacchi's sense produces, problems in the English tertiary education system. Through its WPR analysis of a significant contemporary shift in the English funding system, this paper demonstrates how the LLE policy replicates but also extends certain key features of the skills agenda and the dominant presuppositions of current English higher education policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Digital Education Review is the property of University of Barcelona, Virtual Teaching & Learning Research Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Teaching and learning have changed tremendously from traditional teaching to teaching integrating social media (SM) because of immense educational technological advancements and pedagogical innovation. Teachers, thus far, use conventional teaching as a seasoning tool and meet adaptability issues to the new learning environment. In this paper, we define SM, its related aspects, the vitality of social media networks (SMN), and how SM facilitates teaching and learning in tertiary education. It also contends with the benefits of their integration into pedagogy by teachers and students and answers a few fundamental questions on integrating SMN in teaching and learning. Accordingly, a few challenges do appear at different stages that scare us to reflect on SM as a distractor to pedagogy. To integrate and identify challenges in learning and teaching, we claim that a curriculum should be designed incorporating SMN as catalysts and managed as a learning community. The resources needed to operate SMN are also illustrated for both stakeholders to utilize and work together to collaborate for the learner-centered approach to teaching where learners use SMN to share, discuss course materials, post their assignments, get feedback, and interact beyond time, place, and location without any restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the impact of the grant of the 'Scheduled Tribe' status to the Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. We interacted with community members in order to understand their views. The article is based on these responses, supplemented by inputs from published government reports and other secondary studies, and is an attempt to produce a nuanced understanding of the true import of reservation for the Gujjars. We seek to understand whether the affirmative action undertaken to protect the community has produced the desired level of shift in the community's marginal status in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The paper contends that the efficacy of affirmative action is not ensured by the duration of such measures, but by the presence of a robust political will to implement the same. In the case of the Gujjars, the success of these measures has been minimal on account of the tardy manner of enactment of the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The school-to-work transition is widely acknowledged as difficult, requiring meaningful support for young people to navigate successfully. This paper examines the reported experiences of six families navigating 23 home educated young people's transition from compulsory education to tertiary education and work. Data from semi-structured interviews with the parents were thematically analysed using Bourdieu's habitus, capital, and field. Findings indicate that the parents provided ample opportunity for self-exploration to encourage autonomy coupled with opportunity to explore and participate in the wider community, leading to a successful transition experience. The findings suggest that a contrasting, alternative career preparation method can be successful; one that values autonomy over the traditional approach which involves a scaffolded set of knowledge and skills. This study indicates that the transition can be successfully facilitated by providing young people with opportunity for autonomous self and career exploration in the community, without the standardised assistance provided through schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Elementary Education / Revija za Elementarno Izobraževanje is the property of University of Maribor, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tertiary education in Nigeria is in crisis that requires urgent attention. The reason for this crisis is the failure to appreciate and come to terms with the fact that education is fundamental to national development. Thus, stakeholders in education have come to a consensus that there is a need to save the tertiary education sector from imminent collapse. Hence, the need to reimagine the tertiary education sector by setting the conditions whereby it can perform at its best and compete globally. This paper on reimagining tertiary education: Issues, challenges and solutions have as its main thrust: the meaning of tertiary education, the historical development of tertiary education, the goals of tertiary education, the importance of tertiary education, the needs of tertiary education in Nigeria, issues confronting tertiary education, challenges and possible solutions to issues and challenges of tertiary education in Nigeria. These sub-headings provided the direction for this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic started a new era in understanding the topic of resilience and adaptability. The human society has not faced such a widespread global challenge until now. This paper aims to address a context change influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, using a case study in high education. While the character of the issues emerging is the same as in any other domain, in high education, the principles and consequences can be more directly studied and analyzed. Design/methodology/approach: This paper describes a framework to evaluate how the context of the tertiary education service has been disrupted and the influence on the adherence of the students to the educational process, via primary quantitative data collection. This paper tackles the problem of distinguishing the change in context and context change and the possibility of system reconfiguration. Findings: To properly face the evolving conditions induced by the pandemic, the education service system must be aligned to the imposed emergency situations, trying to "find" where the changes have emerged, i.e. what kind of reconfiguration is, whether it appears in the goals or in the service system itself. Furthermore, this study discusses how the findings can be valuable and applied to situations beyond the pandemic, in other cases of context disruption to highlight how general the service activities are within our reconfiguration approach. Originality/value: From a theoretical point of view, this work is in line with main assumptions of system thinking, by confirming several insights of service systems' behavior, even in a logic of B2B interactions (from the offer side); first in terms of openness and adaptation, in addition to readiness to change and – when and how – this change can occur. From a practical point of view, this paper's contribution is directed toward achieving the more successful change management process, as reached together by motivated partners working hard for a common final goal. Realizing that the pandemic has brought a completely new context of education, managers should focus now on monitoring all aspects of the education business, not only directly affected projects and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The few existing studies in international literature about students with learning disabilities' postsecondary persistence and academic performances show varied outcomes. Rigorous research has been limited. Moreover, in Italy there is a dearth of public data on students' careers and clearly a deficiency regarding literature on this topic. To tackle this situation, propensity score matching techniques were used in this paper to compare data about persistence and academic success of students who reported a learning disability with those who did not, all enrolled in a large University in Northern Italy. Once potential confounders were taken into account, our findings indicated that students with an attested learning disability were as likely to persist in academic context as peers without any LD. However, for what concerns academic performances, the outcomes varied according to the measures being used. Although there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the number of course credits (ECTS) earned, students with learning disabilities continued to lag behind their counterparts without disabilities concerning first-year grade point average achieved. This paper includes final recommendations for future research, in order to fill existing gaps in methodology and area of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a longitudinal mixed methods study investigating tertiary humanity students' dropout considerations, utilizing Tinto's institutional departure model as theoretical background. The research question is: How do students' dropout considerations take form and evolve throughout tertiary education? Methodically we have collected half-yearly register and survey data from 2,781 tertiary humanities students matriculating in 2017--2019. Additionally, we have conducted half-yearly interviews with 14 focus students that had high dropout considerations in the first survey round. Quantitative analysis of all humanity students and qualitative analysis of three case students are presented and discussed. The complementary analysis provides an in-depth understanding of the complex interplay between individual characteristics and institutional factors in shaping different students' dropout considerations and decisions in tertiary education. We find that there is a stable share of students with low, medium, and high dropout considerations throughout time. However, although we find stable shares, we identify primary movements from high dropout considerations towards dropout, and from low dropout considerations towards completion, we also find considerable secondary movement (i.e., from low dropout considerations towards dropout). As is also confirmed in the qualitative analyses, there are significant fluctuations in some students' dropout considerations. Dropout considerations are thus malleable and do not necessarily accumulate linearly over time to dropout. Individual students' dropout considerations change repeatedly in interaction with their experiences, their expectations for the future as well as with current challenges in meeting academic and personal requirements. Challenges are often about a lack of alignment between expectations and experiences and how well students and the study programs' norms and values match. We find students who seek to improve this match through personal transformations and others who try to change their study program. In both regards successfully improving the match seems to be a profitable strategy to prevent dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics frameworks, the practical application of these frameworks in industrial settings remains limited. This limitation is further augmented in energy systems by the complexity of systems composition and systems operation for energy generation, distribution, and supply. The primary reason for this limitation is the gap between the conceptual notion of ethics principles and the technical performance of AI applications in energy systems. For instance, trust is featured prominently in ethics frameworks but pertains to limited relevance for the robust operation of a smart grid. In this paper, we propose a lifecycle approach for AI ethics that aims to address this gap. The proposed approach consists of four phases: design, development, operation, and evaluation. All four phases are supported by a central AI ethics repository that gathers and integrates the primary and secondary dimensions of ethical practice, including reliability, safety, and trustworthiness, from design through to evaluation. This lifecycle approach is closely aligned with the operational lifecycle of energy systems, from design and production through to use, maintenance, repair, and overhaul, followed by shutdown, recycling, and replacement. Across these lifecycle stages, an energy system engages with numerous human stakeholders, directly with designers, engineers, users, trainers, operators, and maintenance technicians, as well as indirectly with managers, owners, policymakers, and community groups. This lifecycle approach is empirically evaluated in the complex energy system of a multi-campus tertiary education institution where the alignment between ethics and technical performance, as well as the human-centric application of AI, are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we, two transnational doctoral students and language educators of color, engage in a reflexive dialogic conversation focusing on the positionality of our identities. Utilizing duoethnography research methodology, we explored our academic and professional journeys in post-secondary education in our home countries and an Anglophone context. A discussion on negotiating our positionalities in our immediate academic, professional, and sociocultural contexts is provided. We argued that unveiling one’s positionality requires a prolonged reflexive engagement that assists in establishing quality in qualitative research and exploring fluidity in positionality. We closed with implications and invitations to use duoethnography as a path to self-exploration, solidarity, and allyship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate students' viewpoint regarding continuation of using online learning in the post-COVID-19 pandemic world. While during the pandemic years predominantly all formal learning was forced to move online, in the postpandemic environment traditional postsecondary education institutions generally resumed in-person (or face-to-face) learning. Nonetheless, it is possible that some students would like to continue using online learning after using such a system during COVID-19 restrictions. Therefore, it is important for postsecondary institutions to understand students' views on continuing with online learning so that these institutions can better adapt their offerings to learners' preferences. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a cross-sectional online survey-based approach grounded on an innovative theoretical framework blending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 into the expectation-confirmation model of information systems continuance. Data were collected from 247 students in Canada in Fall 2022 and were analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling techniques. Findings: Perceptions of usefulness and of monetary benefits relative to costs together with developing positive habits regarding online learning are the most significant beliefs motivating students to want to continue with online learning. Furthermore, positive disconfirmation of initial expectations and satisfaction relying on previous use together with a favorable attitude with respect to online learning strongly influence the intention to continue with online education. Originality/value: The study opens the door for similar research in other cultural contexts (e.g. with a different individualistic-collectivistic pattern) and for other domains that moved totally online during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. primary health care) to maximize people satisfaction while minimizing societal costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaborative retrospective account attempts to share an insight to the outputs and processes of several national collaborative projects advanced over the course of academic years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in the Irish tertiary education sector. The paper shares the realities of national collaborative working, challenges, and opportunities to create sustainable whole systems impact to enhance equity of access, engagement, and experience for all in Irish tertiary education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for a shift in approach to dance education and non-Eurocentric dance forms in postsecondary dance programs is apparent. This paper begins with a fundamental why and then offers the frameworks of gnosis (knowledge by perception) and episteme (knowledge by systematic study) and process-based teaching-learning as viable approaches to inclusion. Embracing values such as inquiry, plurality, and reflection is essential to postsecondary dance programs including South Asian dances, whether in formal academic structures or informal spaces of partnership. Simultaneously, South Asian dancer-collaborators take on response and responsibility in this work and reflect deeply on what we know, as we share our knowledge. This paper enumerates possible manifestations of including South Asian dances in postsecondary education, which depend on dance programs fully embracing new approaches in education. Together with South Asian collaborators, programs can perform their work so that all participants relish the rasa (profound engagement) of the experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to highlight the complexity and the central importance to academic achievement of taking and reviewing notes at third level. It is based on a review of international literature on the notetaking process between 1970 and 2023. The paper describes notetaking and reviewing as the method of encoding and externally storing new material, for the purpose of advancement in learning and attainment in assessment. It outlines research on the benefits of typed versus handwritten methods of notetaking. The overriding outcome demonstrates that taking notes, either by longhand or typing, produces superior results than not taking and reviewing notes. The remainder of the review focuses on the status of notetaking instruction in third level colleges and universities. It is observed that despite the centrality of notetaking to educational success, and the positive impact of instruction on taking notes, skills training and modelling are generally not taught or embedded in the curricula in tertiary education. Furthermore, the paper describes teaching strategies alongside linear and non-linear notetaking methods that have been shown to encourage students to take and revise notes which has, in turn, led to the enhancement of learning. The conclusion reviews the main points of the article and its limitations. A further review of literature on the examination of cognitive and metacognitive functions on notetaking would contribute to the understanding of how notetaking and revision operate to increase students' capacity for recall, comprehension, and knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a possible future for postsecondary education in the age of AI. The consensus view among economists is that AI is a general purpose technology (GPT), similar to the steam engine, electricity, and the internet. As a GPT, AI will be the main driver of innovation for the foreseeable future in most sectors of the economy, including education. As AI evolves, it holds the promise of fundamentally redefining the educational landscape, influencing not only current practices in institutional management and pedagogy but also shaping future trends in learning, evaluation, and accreditation. While traditional college-aged students have received significant attention in educational studies, this paper emphasizes the needs of adult learners as lifelong learners and explores how AI-driven innovations can enhance their educational experiences, offering personalized and flexible learning solutions. This paper also argues that a dramatic breakthrough is needed in the cost–value equation for education to support workforce development and lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different aspects of modern society can be transformed by the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI-powered tools have promoted changes in the financial industry by applying inventive methods for data analysis and automating processes, efficiency enhancement, cost reduction and more personalised services to customers. However, AI algorithms may activate significant ethical and regulatory concerns that should be addressed by the industry and society as a whole. In line with the Erasmus+ project Transversal Skills in Applied Artificial Intelligence - TSAAI (KA220-HED - Cooperation Partnerships in higher education), which aims to establish a training platform, this paper focuses on an analysis of study programmes in formal tertiary education across consortium countries (Spain, Estonia, North Macedonia, Croatia, Germany, and Slovenia) with a special focus on applied artificial intelligence and development of curriculum that will integrate teaching guidelines covering the areas of application of AI technology in the financial and insurance sectors. To this end, a Systematic Review of Literacy (SRL) on the web methodology identifying the existing employability requirements in AI and the Learning-Centred Syllabus (LCS) methodology for curriculum development was applied, with the presented curriculum expected to serve as a framework to develop teaching materials to help students, academics and employees enhance their professional skills, thus satisfying labour market needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unequal access to university and the decision processes that give rise to it are important factors in the accumulation of educational inequalities. In this paper, we investigate a specific aspect of such decision processes by focusing on those students who change their original plans to start a (nontertiary) vocational education and decide to pursue a tertiary degree instead. In doing so, we find that more than one-fifth of the students in our sample who originally planned to pursue a vocational education change their original decision in this way. Moreover, while students from a more advantaged background are more likely to go to university in the first place, those among them that initially opted for a vocational education are also more likely to change their decision and go to university instead. We also find that parental preferences for tertiary education play an important role in the process of changing one's mind, even for adult children. Moreover, we find that differential parental preferences contribute to both the emergence of social background effects and—as a result—the perpetuation of educational inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether expanding Medicaid eligibility affects the employment patterns and academic progress of college students. To estimate causal relationships, we use variation in eligibility due to the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions that occurred in a subset of US states. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, we show that expanding Medicaid resulted in a decrease in employment intensity that is most pronounced for students at community colleges. We also see evidence of students making better progress towards graduation, suggesting that expanding Medicaid may have benefited some students by allowing them to shift their focus from work to school. These findings provide insight into how access to publicly provided health insurance can reduce inequalities in long-term education and socioeconomic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the transition between the secondary and the tertiary levels is a main theme in mathematics and science education. More so, this paper considers the transition that intersects with the after-effects of COVID-19, or the transition together with an educational context dominated by sociocultural differences and educational disadvantages. With this knowledge in mind, we investigated the effects of predictive mathematical models (multiple regression, logistic regression, and decision trees) to predict at-risk students at three time intervals (weeks one, three, and seven) in the semester. The idea was implemented with a first-year life science class of 130 students. Variables from an academic readiness questionnaire along with early assessment grades were used to build these models. Through a Monte Carlo cross validation method, the performance of the executed predictive models was assessed, and limitations were reported. We argue that the results obtained from predictive models can support both lecturers and students in the transition phase. The idea can be expanded to other courses in STEM fields and other educational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality research has a positive impact on the development of a country. Literature has shown that there is a limited quantity of quality African research articles in reputable journals. Training and workshops have consistently been shown to have a positive impact on the productivity of academic staff and researchers. If academic staff are trained in writing and publishing research articles, it will go a long way to improve the contribution of African research to reputable journals. Hence, the focus of this study is to evaluate the workshop conducted on writing and publishing academic papers in highly reputable journals for academic staff in tertiary institutions. The study's population consists of academic staff in tertiary institutions in Delta State, Nigeria. The sample comprised 59 academic staff who participated voluntarily in the workshop. Through a pre-questionnaire, a post-questionnaire, a participant satisfaction level questionnaire, and interviews, the four stages of the Kirkpatrick Model were used to assess the effectiveness of the workshop. High levels of participant satisfaction and notable advancements in academic writing, publication, and research exposure were observed as a result of the workshop. As they established online research profiles, identified predatory journals, and improved paper preparation, participants actively were able to apply their newly gained abilities. A 12-month post-workshop evaluation found remarkable results, including 18 participants publishing articles in journals with a Scopus index and many more creating profiles on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academic.edu. The study highlights the significance of customised workshops in advancing research abilities and academic recognition by demonstrating a favourable association between customised workshops and increased research capabilities. Future evaluations can use the evaluation model as a useful framework, allowing for well-informed judgments about institutional and educational improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines staff perspectives on institutional representations of a range of areas of diversity and inclusion in a key post-compulsory education sector: that of UK Higher Education (HE). The paper focuses on comparing representational statements made by institutions with the reality of their lived experiences as perceived by staff. The paper first reviews literature around key issues of promoting and progressing in these areas, and how these areas are represented by institutions and the sector as a whole. It presents and discusses data from a survey (n = 300) to show strong agreement with representational statements as mirroring those of institutions, yet statistically significant differences between representations and the reality of lived experiences, particularly in relation to the lived experiences of staff. These data are discussed in the light of progress made by institutions, and the challenges faced in translating representations into real lived experience. Suggestions for institutions and policy makers are made to help better align reality with these representations in the UK Higher Education sector and, theoretically, for post-compulsory education sectors elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition period from high school to post-secondary can be particularly challenging for many, including varsity student-athletes (SAs). To better support SAs through this transitional experience, some institutions have created peer mentor programs. What is unclear, however, is the perceived value of these mentorship programs from the perspectives of multiple stakeholder positions. This paper contributes to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by presenting findings of a program evaluation that investigated the perceived value of a peer mentor program to its stakeholders. To accomplish this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants to discuss SA's experiences with being a first year student, making the transition from high school to post-secondary studies, and also, to discuss their lived experiences with the peer mentor program developed for SAs. Using the findings from the inductive thematic analyses, the peer mentor program's effectiveness, areas of strengths, and areas of improvement are discussed to better align with the stakeholders' needs and experiences. Findings offer insights into a) the trials and tribulations of the first year SA experience, b) how peer mentor programs can better support SA's transition to post-secondary education, c) the benefits of conducting a program evaluation, and d) strategies to enhance the peer mentor program to better support students' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, emphasis on helping postsecondary students develop personal and social responsibility has increased in higher education. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to propose a kinesiology-based model to assist in defining, implementing, and evaluating personal and social responsibility education with postsecondary students. In the paper, a general overview of the higher education landscape as it relates to personal and social responsibility is presented. Then, the teaching personal and social responsibility model is presented as a model that is already familiar in kinesiology and may assist in defining, implementing, and evaluating structures and strategies for promoting personal and social responsibility in higher education. The alignment of this model and the personal and social responsibility priorities of higher education are analyzed. Recommendations for implementing specific strategies and resources associated with the teaching personal and social responsibility model into higher education are shared, and next steps for integrating these resources are acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of universities on firm performance based on the universe of firms in Germany from 2013 to 2017. From a regional perspective, firms have 0.92 % more revenues per employee in counties with a university than in a county without a university. To address potential endogeneity concerns, I focus on a subsample of universities, founded for political reasons. Analysing different types of German universities indicates that the high-skilled regional labour supply is important for the positive impact of universities, while proximity to the knowledge spillovers of research-intensive universities is associated with weaker firm performance. The latter finding is at least partially explained by the networks of multinational firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student academic performance in secondary level of education is essential as it is a determinant of their future pathway to tertiary education. The effective performance of students in academics is dependent on the technical leadership skills that their principal applies in leading their schools. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations by public secondary schools in Mount Elgon Sub County has been below average in recent years. The aim of this paper was to investigate how technical skills of principals affected the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Mount Elgon Sub County, Bungoma County, Kenya. The study is anchored on descriptive survey research design targeting 17 public secondary schools in Mount Elgon Sub County. A total of 256 teachers formed the study population. A sample size of 152 teachers was selected based on Kathuri and Pals table. The respondents were selected through use of stratified random sampling technique. The research instrument used was a questionnaire. To ensure validity and reliability the questionnaire was send to an expert in the pilot study and test- retest method was conducted respectively. Analysis of data was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS (Version 25.0) for quantitative data. It was established that there was significant weak positive relationship between principals' technical skills (r=0.248, p=0.006) and academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Mount Elgon Sub County. The study concludes that there was significant weak positive relationship between principal's technical leadership skills and performance by students in secondary schools (p<0.05). This meant that the technical leadership skills application by principals influenced academic performance of their schools. The study recommends that principals should undergo training on ICT use, principals to ensure that they provide instructional guidance to teachers and ensure that prudent financial management practices are implemented in their schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), set a global target of 15 percent enrolment of refugees, in higher education, by 2030. Relatedly, UNHCR stated that beyond access, higher education should build individual and collective resilience of refugee students. This paper looks at the support mechanisms various stakeholders use, to build the resilience of South Sudanese refugee higher education students, from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda. This is within the context of Uganda's Education Response (ERP) for refugees and host communities. The study adopted a qualitative approach, an exploratory case study design, and an advocacy/ participatory philosophical lens, using the intersectional theory. Twenty-seven (27) purposively sampled participants took part in the study. They included 12 undergraduates from two private Ugandan universities, a total of 13 government and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials, and two officials from public and private universities, all involved in refugee higher education. Data was collected through a literature review, in-depth interviews with key informants and students, and a students' focus group discussion. The study established that, within the context of Uganda's ERP, South Sudanese refugee higher education students have their resilience built through support, mainly from HEIs and NGOs. The support uses multiple approaches and takes place mainly within the HEIs, with a bit in the settlement. However, it is offered within each stakeholder's context and thus takes on a silo rather than integrated approach. Support also does not always consider the individual and complex student needs. Nevertheless, the support, which is relatively student-centred does register good social and academic resilience. The study therefore recommends that through a situational analysis and needs assessment, Uganda develops clear objectives, activities and outcomes in the ERP, to guide stakeholders, towards strengthening refugee higher education students' resilience. The study also designed a model towards enhancing student resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educating the next generation of cybersecurity professionals requires a shift into the K-12 space. Introducing cybersecurity at K-12 provides general cybersecurity literacy, career readiness, and early development of cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities to become cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity education standards and guidelines traditionally focused on post-secondary education until 2021 when Cyber.org and TeachCyber released their K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards and the High School Cybersecurity Curriculum Guidelines respectively. Despite these initiatives, there is limited literature on the development of cybersecurity programs at secondary education institutions. Also, available resources to develop and support these programs differ from district to district and among states. To overcome these deficits, this paper presents a case study conducted at a comprehensive fouryear cybersecurity program at a secondary education institution. The case study consisted of opensource research, document reviews, questionnaires, and interviews. The data collected were compiled into a program profile consisting of student enrollment; demographics; personnel; operational requirements; formal, informal, and non-formal learning activities; and pathway opportunities. The developed program profile provides a structure to analyze other programs internal or external to Arizona. The enhanced data set can provide the ability to compare programs to develop best practices for establishing cybersecurity education programs at secondary education institutions. This profile can allow schools considering the development of a program at their institutions to better understand the requirements and resources needed to establish the program. Additionally, the data collected provides a baseline to compare their district and school to understand the implications within the context of their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the roles of quality managers at community colleges, their experiences balancing accountability and improvement and their insights into the future of quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach: This phenomenological, qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with eight community college quality managers to investigate their roles, experiences and perspectives. A reflexive thematic approach was used to analyze the interview data. Findings: Four themes were identified from participant responses: quality managers frame and enable program quality, quality managers drive program change, quality managers cultivate a culture of quality and quality managers seek system change. The findings illustrate the roles played by quality managers as they work to improve college education at program, institution and system-wide levels. Research limitations/implications: The decision of participants to accept the recruitment invitation might reflect particular attitudes, perspectives or experiences. Practical implications: Quality assurance has emerged as a key mechanism for ensuring postsecondary programs are current, relevant and meeting the evolving needs of students and employers. This study advances the understanding of how quality assurance processes play out at the operational level and explores the experiences of quality managers as they navigate various quality tensions. Originality/value: Quality managers play key roles in leading, evaluating and influencing quality assurance processes in postsecondary education yet they are underrepresented in the literature. The findings of this study shed new light on the aspirational and influential roles they play in advancing quality assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Contemporary Humanities & Educational Science is the property of International Journal of Contemporary Humanities & Educational Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The most recent UN publication on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which covers issues related to socioeconomic, environmental, and technological development on a global scale towards 2030, has expanded its focus to include tertiary education and the role of Universities in contributing to societal development. SDG 4, particularly, calls for equal access to tertiary education from a lifelong perspective, and consequentially an increasing need for flexible education. It has therefore become pivotal for Higher Education Institutions to promote the implementation of both flexible study programs and related innovative learning environments to sustain learners' lifelong education and the development of critical skills in an increasingly digitalized world. Innovation, however, has a cost. In Higher Education, innovation must necessarily reconcile academic advantages with economic conveniences. In this paper, we look in retrospect and share our experiences from a major research project linked to creating and implementing an innovative hybrid learning space within the frame of a cross-campus and cross-institution master's degree based at two Norwegian universities. In the evaluation phase of the project, tension became apparent between the underlying pedagogical visions that sparked the enthusiasm for the project and the challenging reality of having to create, organize, and manage a complex cross-campus and cross-institution study program and build the learning space related to it. It seems that traditional university structures as a closed ecosystem made it difficult to anchor the development of the program in/within/between the organizations. The administration did not seem equipped to manage the uncertainty such an innovative project presented in the form of many new unforeseen, challenging, and unpredictable variables. In two related publications we have specifically discussed the results from the project by focusing on the experiences educators and students collectively reported about working and studying in the ad hoc learning environment developed for the master's program. We wish now to look back and explore the topic from an organizational perspective where the administration of the cross-campus and cross-institution project acts as a filter between the educators' pedagogical vision and the students' experiences. In this exploratory case study, we have opted for a phenomenological investigation and a qualitative approach to research design that is informed by constructivist grounded theory methods. We went back to the educators' and students' feedback and tried to understand not just what worked and what did not, but why. What contributed the most to the increasing tension between the initial pedagogical vision of the educators and the practical development of the project in reality? We believe that sharing the experiences harvested from our project along the road can be of help to other researchers and stakeholders in confronting and finding solutions to the challenges that complex innovative projects might constitute for higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present a step-by-step process for using self-monitoring to support college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to achieve a variety of goals. Self-monitoring can be used with no technology (e.g., pencil and paper, tangible object placement) or technology-based applications (e.g., interval timers, mobile applications) in non-obtrusive and socially valid ways. College instructors, inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program staff, disability office support staff, and other service providers may use this article to guide in the design and implementation of a self-monitoring intervention for college students with ASD. As increasing numbers of transition-age youth with ASD are pursuing higher education, it is important to identify and disseminate a variety of interventions to enhance their college experiences, and self-monitoring is a viable intervention to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the potentially fruitful interplay between a set of practical and theoretical approaches developed to teach post-secondary students about accounts of dreams and of exemplars, in cases where these phenomena have been deemed significant by specific religious discourse communities. Incorporating insights from his participation in the Comparative Hagiology group, the author suggests—in particular—that the expanded perspective on hagiography proposed by Rondolino, Hollander, and others can serve as a fruitful vantage from which to survey both of these phenomena in the classroom, revealing some intriguing correspondences between them. The author concludes by proposing some ways that the comparative hagiological classroom could be a particularly productive learning environment, and one that directly addresses some of the challenges of contemporary post-secondary education (from both the instructors' and students' perspectives). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Since man is a being in search of meaning, religion can be defined as a way of 'sacral search for meaning' related to certain events in life. While sacrality is central to some people's systems of meaning-seeking, it is marginal or not sacral at all in the systems of others. It is clear that religion can be an important guide for the individual, as it can influence one's understanding of the world and make individual challenges and social conflicts understandable and bearable. As faith, in its mature developmental form, underpins the way religious people live their lives, the sacral search for meaning can also play a crucial role in one's coping processes. However, the extent to which religion is involved in coping with a particular life event depends to a large extent on the extent to which it is part of an individual's orientation system. The protective effect of religion in coping is a thesis already recognised by scientific psychology and therefore has an undisputed place in the scientific professional discourse on reintegration. The aim of this paper is to provide scientific evidence for the place and legitimacy of religion in reintegration. Methodology: The research is based on two sub-samples, one religious and one control group. Inclusion in the religious group was based on self-reporting, regardless of whether the subjects of the study had a religious experience in the life period prior to serving their sentence. The data were analysed using SPSS statistical software package. Findings: Juveniles in juvenile detention who self-reported being religious showed a different attitude towards conflict management compared to the control group. This suggests that a framework of cooperation between civil churches, the academic community and decision-makers in custodial institutions could be used to develop a diversified, faith-based reintegration model to increase the effectiveness of efforts to reduce crime. Value: The publication is a gap in the empirical study of religion-based reintegration. The topic is a practical one, but its full exploration requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The student experience with mathematical modelling has the potential to differ in nature to the experience of a typical mathematics student. The research reported in this paper forms part of a broader study looking into tertiary learning experiences for mathematical modelling. This paper reports on: What are the student experiences when learning to mathematically model? How might these experiences inform mathematics education? Data were collected across two different tertiary mathematical modelling courses in the form of student interviews. Student interviews were analysed, using reflective thematic analysis, to identify themes relating to the collective student learning experience. The results show that modelling provides an opportunity for students to be actively involved with their learning. Being open-minded was a key behaviour for a productive student experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology such as multimedia, particularly podcasts, is becoming more widely used in educational settings. The podcasts have been utilized at many levels of education, including elementary, secondary, and tertiary education. Along with this, many articles were written and published about the use of podcasts in education among university students. Our main objective in this study is to examine the use of podcasts in higher education among university students by systematically searching the Scopus database for papers relevant to the study. Eighteen papers were chosen and retrieved, then meticulously studied to uncover the new themes that have been classified as the result. The review found that podcasts have a favorable impact on university students and help them better understand the learning process. It also highlights the limits in its deployment that need to be addressed in order to improve the teaching and learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External program review is often considered the "gold standard" approach to evaluating academic programs in higher education. Despite the importance of program review, skepticism persists regarding its ability to meaningfully engage faculty and have sustaining impact on program improvement. This paper builds on the academic Program Review Learning Community conceptual model and presents a process for applying a project management facilitation technique that leverages a course structure. The Program Review Course allows for multiple programs to be reviewed concurrently as part of an interdisciplinary cohort. Within the cohort, faculty teams gain access to templates, information sessions, workshops, and discussion forums, with opportunities for engagement both within and across multiple disciplines. Using learning modules, this approach is designed to create efficiency and collaboration in delivering program review tools and customized supports. Utilizing a course structure for program review fits well with a new way to think about program review because successful learning communities are often embedded within institutional structures. Use of this approach is expected to increase clarity and consistency, improve administrative feasibility, provide guidance for those new to program review, promote collegiality within and across programs, and involve team members in the creation of action planning. The authors propose that a course-based approach for conducting program review, with teams of disciplinary faculty joining an interdisciplinary cohort and supported by quality assurance practitioners and educational developers is a novel way to provide structure and academic development while meeting legislative requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Indian schools, there are numerous hurdles associated with English communication, particularly within the secondary school curriculum. High school education in Indian typically follows a top-down approach when structuring curriculums, which is believed to impact students' communication skills later on during university studies. The communication courses offered at the tertiary level aim to enhance students' proficiency beyond what they learned in secondary school, fostering a gradual progression in their communication abilities. While several studies have delved into these issues, there's limited attention given to understanding the expectations and obstacles faced by both students and teachers. Within engineering education, accreditation methods have been implemented to meet international standards. English classes, specific to engineering majors, supplement the general English courses provided. The program, titled Effective English Communication for Teaching and Research (EECTR), aims to offer English language assistance to all academic staff within the institution. This paper outlines the process of developing and adjusting our initial plans for program delivery, considering various contextual limitations, and applying a theoretical framework that emphasizes reflection within a comprehensive genre-based approach. Our discussion in this paper revolves around unpacking the discourse between the providers and recipients of EECTR. By detailing the development of a contextualized, reflective genre-based approach to staff training, we aim to illustrate that such an approach extends beyond mere structural directives. Instead, it represents pedagogy of possibilities within the context of staff development. The study emphasizes the significance of utilizing installed capacity within a production plant, particularly in evaluating the MOORA score. However, discrepancies arise between expert opinions and data, notably in assessing solar energy and geothermal electricity. While solar energy is renewable, its limitations in accessibility and efficiency diminish its prominence as a primary power source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a new measure of human capital, which distinguishes both quality and quantity components, to estimate the long-term effect of the COVID-19-related school closures on aggregate productivity through the human capital channel. Productivity losses build up over time and are estimated to range between 0.4% and 2.1% after 45 years, for 12 weeks and 2 years of school closure, respectively. These results appear to be broadly consistent with earlier findings in the literature. Two opposing effects might influence these estimates. Online teaching would lower economic costs while learning losses in tertiary education (not considered here) would inflate them. Policies aimed at improving the quality of education and adult training will be needed to offset or, at least, alleviate the impact of the pandemic on human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for higher and tertiary education in Africa is now high, and as a result, public institutions are enrolling many students, a phenomenon now called massification (Pillay, 2020; Noui, 2020). The term massification is defined as the increase in the enrollment of students without a proportionate boost in resources (Adetiba, 2019; Mohamedbhai, 2016). Zimbabwean universities are enrolling many students to fund operations since government funding has dwindled (Garwe, 2016; Madzimure, 2016). The provision of quality education is becoming a challenge due to the high lecturer-student ratio, especially on courses that are highly practical in nature (Adetiba, 2019). There is a lack of proper management and engagement of students in very large classes, and as a result, students resort to memorizing content learned instead of engaging in critical thinking (Madzimure, 2016; Lee, 2016). Literature points out that if students develop self-regulated learning strategies, they will overcome challenges brought by massification. The purpose of this paper was to develop and evaluate the impact of a multimedia teaching tool in assisting students to develop selfregulated learning strategies so that they improve their performance while learning computer programming in a large class setup. Purposive sampling was used in this study, and the researcher adhered to design science research methodology.Students enrolled in introduction to computer programming used the multimediaClearn teaching tool that was developed hencepurposive sampling was used in this study.One class (BITH131) was the control group and students enrolled in BSIT 131 were the experimental group. Results obtained indicated that students who used the Clearn teaching tool performed better in a programming test as compared to students in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood education (ECE) spaces within settler-colonial societies operate as sites of violence and oppression whereby non-conformity to white, rational, ableist, cisgender norms is weaponised as developmental deficits. In this paper, we refer to the refusals of non-dominant ways of knowing as forms of epistemic injustice (Fricker 2007). We describe the foundational underpinnings of ECE throughout the twentieth century in Ontario, Canada and trace how normative ideas of children, educators, education, and childhood developed through a largely positivist, developmental orientation. Ultimately, we call for epistemic justice (Fricker 2007) as an emancipatory way forward in post-secondary ECE programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instructor performance plays a critical role in fostering student learning. Unlike the postsecondary level, many states in the United States, have substantially regulated class size in the p-12 education system with the aim of enhancing quality learning. Thus, the purpose of this research paper is to examine the correlation between instructor evaluations and class size in tertiary institutions as the findings can inform regulatory decisions regarding class sizes in postsecondary facilities. The study reviewed 97-course evaluations garnered in the Fall of 2019 from a Midwest University. The feedback of students, undertaking physical, and virtual classes, was considered regarding teachers' performance. Different course evaluations included in the study were adjunct faculty, full-time faculty, graduate level, and undergraduate level course assessments. The research findings depicted a negative correlation between class size and instructor evaluation, positing that teachers teach the same way in smaller classes as they do in larger classes. Nonetheless, the study results showed that the sizes of conventional virtual classes had a lower correlation with course performances compared to traditional face-to-face classes. In the latter, there was more engagement between teachers and students, as the latter appeared to be more active than in online classes. With the technological effect that Covid-19 has brought forth in online learning, population sizes of online classes have changed. Therefore, considering the data used for the research was collected preCovid-19, it is essential that future studies pay considerable focus on the quality of evaluation of virtual classes to help with directing of school budget allocations toward online learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global COVID-19 pandemic has led educational institutions to shut down and adopt e-learning practices through computer-mediated communication. An unanticipated switch of online classes from face-to-face classes isolates students from social groups and teachers, causing online disinhibition. Therefore, this paper investigates factors influencing university students' toxic disinhibition behavior in online classrooms, WhatsApp groups, and Telegram groups. Also, social isolation has been used as a moderating variable to identify whether social isolation strengthens or weakens the proposed association. The research holds the basis of "Social Cognitive Theory" and "Theory of Planned Behavior." The data from 506 university students have been collected for analysis. The proposed framework and research hypotheses have been assessed via PLS-SEM using Smart PLS software. Findings from the study show that toxic behavior victimization, attitude, subjective norms, and behavioral control are factors that positively & significantly affect toxic disinhibition online. Furthermore, motives and self-efficacy showed an insignificant influence on toxic disinhibition. Additionally, toxic disinhibition significantly & positively affects toxic behavior. At last, social isolation is likely to have a moderation effect on the variables. Hence, the research yields guidance on reducing toxic disinhibition online. Further, implications and recommendations are discussed at the end of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer review offers benefits to post-secondary students and their instructors. In recent years, some instructors have shifted to virtual means of student peer review; however, face-to-face peer review is still a viable option. This mixed-methods study explored the substance of peer review conversations, as well as their impact on students' academic writing, in a graduate-level research design course. Discourse analyses revealed that all peer review conversations displayed high levels of engagement. Results demonstrated that all students provided substantive comments to their peers, regardless of their scores on pre-draft papers. Peers consistently used mitigating and empathetic language with one another, which may have afforded students a better conduit for sharing constructive feedback. Final analyses of post-drafts revealed that students made revisions that aligned directly with peer feedback, which collectively resulted in higher post-draft scores. Conclusions underline that face-to-face peer review can support students academically and emotionally and encourage them to improve their writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges and tensions experienced by mid-career faculty (MCF) can lead to frustration, disengagement, or leaving the professoriate altogether, a trend noted by researchers prior to and especially after the pandemic. In this article, we explore the role that collegial support and career reflection and assessment strategies targeting mid-career faculty can play to preserve institutional vitality, support faculty agency, and promote student success. Additionally, we propose initiatives and supports that may assist these faculty members in staying in the academy and staying well as they pursue professional fulfillment and work towards their goals, including promotion to full professorship. We contend that post-secondary campuses should invest in keeping MCF engaged because of the crucial roles they serve on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The journey to pursue and persist with a career in STEM is a complex process that begins at a young age, continues across secondary education and the end of school transition to university. Such decisions are influenced by a range of personal, social and environmental factors, highlighting the practical complexities of supporting young people in their transition to university. This paper explores the post-school transition of two students, one female and one male, with strong technological dispositions and aspirations to pursue careers in STEM fields. We focus on two STEM disciplines, Information Technology and Engineering, chosen by our participants. We employ the theory of practice (Bourdieu 1977) to analyse two students' experience of transition. The findings from these case studies are not intended to be generalised. Rather the in-depth stories and theoretical case analysis provides a nuanced account of transition to study STEM disciplines. Importantly, the pathways into university were not equal for the participants. Class and gender intersected with university structures to enable and constrain students' transition highlighting the significance of institutional supports within STEM disciplines to better support diverse students across the period of transition to university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim is to assess how a policy of tertiary education for all affects the shape of the unconditional earnings distribution. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses the quantile-regression literature looking at the link between education and wage inequality, also proving new evidence based on unconditional quantile regressions. Findings: The findings support the idea that a policy of tertiary education for all increases the overall level of wage inequality. Research limitations/implications: The research has implications for public policy and administration. Among the limitations, the paper does not deal with distributional aspects related to other outcomes (e.g. health outcomes) of the policy of interest. Practical implications: The analysis highlights a series of potential government interventions aimed at reducing the wage-inequality externalities of the policy of interest. Social implications: A policy of tertiary education for all, by itself, is not useful to fight wage inequality. Originality/value: This paper belongs to the small group of studies using unconditional quantile regressions to study the link between education and wage inequality. It is the first study specifically looking at the distributional effects of a policy of tertiary education for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]