Delving into Undergraduate Students’ Choice of Higher Education in Uganda

2020 ◽  
pp. 79-105
Author(s):  
Godwin Tindyebwa Muhangi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students

scholarly journals Talking the Talk and Fitting In: Troubling the Practices of Speaking? ‘What you are Worth’ in Higher Education in the UK

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Addison ◽  
Victoria ◽  
G. Mountford
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
University Staff ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
The North ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Fitting In ◽  
Uk Higher Education

In this article we raise questions about fitting in pertaining to various classed identities within two UK Higher Education Institutions (HEI). We discuss the pains and privileges attached to accent and ways of speaking worth: Who is able to mobilize and capitalize on inscribed values, as they come to be attached to ways of talking? Accents and ways of talking are part of embodied class identities and whilst some carry connotations of intelligence, other ways of talking are positioned as lacking value, as well as other cultural meanings ( Sayer 2002 ; Spencer, Clegg and Stackhouse 2013 ; Lawler 1999 ; Skeggs 1997 ; Southerton 2002 ; Taylor 2007 ; Macfarlane and Stuart-Smith 2012 ). In this article we discuss our empirical research carried out in two separate qualitative ESRC-funded research projects in the north of England with undergraduate students (Victoria Mountford) and university staff (Michelle Addison). Focusing primarily on white British ways of talking, we examine how embodying particular accents or ways of talking affect classed notions of ‘fitting in’ or ‘standing out’ (Reay et al 2009: 1; Abraham and Ingram 2013 ) in HE. In a climate of uncertainty in Higher Education we are concerned that the importance of demonstrating one's impact, value and worth comes down to more than just productivity, it is becoming demonstrably about being able to ‘talk the talk’. Here we trouble the practices of speaking ‘what you are worth’.

Determination of criteria for assessing the quality of training future specialists for higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila Sokorutova ◽  
Natalia Prodanova ◽  
Inna Ponomareva ◽  
Oleg Volodin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Professional Employee ◽  
Professional Fields

PurposeThe most important problem for higher education in the post-COVID period is the production of highly qualified specialists for the labor market. The purpose of this study is to determine effective criteria for assessing the quality of training of future specialists and the adequacy of their readiness to solve real problems of the future specialty.Design/methodology/approachA study was carried out among students in order to determine some of the most important characteristics of them as future specialists. Based on the survey results, non-academic indicators were identified that participants perceive as significant for a highly professional employee. The empirical study included 300 undergraduate students from four universities (66% women and 34% men aged 20–21). All participants represent full-time training.FindingsThe survey showed that the participants identified the ability to learn and personal development as the most significant personal qualities.Originality/valueMany criteria for assessing the quality of training of specialists in different professional fields have not been precisely defined. Several ways of solving this problem can be proposed: developing criteria for assessing quality in hiring; revising the methods of work of universities; presenting to students the criteria for development in the profession or adopting international criteria for assessing pedagogical quality.

The wheel of fortune as a novel support for constructive alignment and transformative sustainability learning in higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Noy ◽  
Teresa Capetola ◽  
Rebecca Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Constructive Alignment ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Changing Times

Purpose Education for Sustainability in Higher Education (ESHE) sits within and across disciplinary settings that share the need for a framework that provides a basis for pedagogy, assessment and learning outcomes (Kalsoom, 2019). ESHE strives to create transformative learning spaces that help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to understand and contribute to shaping a world based on communities living within the limits of earth’s resources. This paper aims to offer a novel solution to the challenge of teaching students from different disciplines struggling with the complexity of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the development of an interdisciplinary subject designed for undergraduate students from four faculties. It presents a case study of pedagogy that moves away from three pillars/concentric circles approaches towards practices based in systems thinking and interactive transformative learning. It describes the iterative process of developing and implementing an infographic: the “Sustainability Wheel of Fortune” (Wheel), to support constructive alignment of content, assessment tasks and learning outcomes. Findings The Wheel provides a holistic, interconnected and dynamic focus for framing content and teaching. The pedagogy aligns with sustainability competencies, builds in flexibility in response to changing times and student experiences and provides teachers and students with a common framework for interrogating the possibilities for sustainable futures. Originality/value The Wheel is a novel learning tool for contemporary sustainability education. It captures key elements of approaches to and concepts about sustainability, visually reinforces the idea of a holistic interconnected approach and provides a framework that supports the constructive pedagogy of an interdisciplinary sustainability subject.

A comparative study of formal coaching and mentoring programmes in higher education

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Jones ◽  
Helen A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Business School ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Practice Recommendations ◽  
Matching Process ◽  
Two Phases

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate two coaching and mentoring programmes focused on the ever-increasingly important aim of enhancing the chances of professional level employment for undergraduate students, at two UK universities. In addition, to offer recommendations to enhance coaching and mentoring success within higher education (HE).Design/methodology/approachTwo similar programmes are compared; the first study is a coaching programme delivered in two phases involving over 1,500 students within the business school. The second study is a mentoring programme involving over 250 students over a ten-year period within the business school at a different institution.FindingsThe two programmes have been compared against the key success criteria from the literature, endorsed by coaching and mentoring experts. The results highlight the importance of integrating with other initiatives, senior management commitment, budget, an application process, clear matching process, trained coaches and mentors, induction for both parties, supportive material, ongoing supervision and robust evaluation and record keeping.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on two similar institutions, with comparable student demographics. It would have been useful to dig deeper into the effect of the diverse characteristics of coach/mentor and coachee/mentee on the effectiveness of their relationships. In addition, to test the assumptions and recommendations beyond these two institutions, and to validate the reach and application of these best practice recommendations further afield.Practical implicationsThe results identify a number of best practice recommendations to guide HE institutions when offering coaching and mentoring interventions to support career progression of their students.Originality/valueThere are limited comparison studies between universities with undergraduate career-related coaching and mentoring programmes and limited research offering best practice recommendations for coaching and mentoring programmes in HE. The top ten factors offered here to take away will add value to those thinking of running similar programmes within HE.

Supporting learners’ STEM-oriented career pathways with digital badges

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 87-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline R. Pitt ◽  
Adam Bell ◽  
Rose Strickman ◽  
Katie Davis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Industry ◽  
Learning Pathways ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the potential for digital badges to support alternate learning and career pathways in formal and informal learning environments. Stakeholder groups in higher education and industry discussed how digital badges might transform current processes of admitting undergraduate students and hiring young professionals. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 30 stakeholders in higher education and the technology industry. Findings Interview participants expressed optimism about the potential for digital badges to make learning pathways visible to learners and external audiences and to promote equity in STEM (STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and careers. Participants noted several obstacles, largely focused on issues of credibility and logistics of working with badges across settings. Research limitations/implications Though the research approach is limited in geographic scope, the findings have broad applicability and insight for the use of digital badges in general. Practical implications Education policymakers, employers and scholars will be able to use the insights from this investigation in their efforts to find innovative ways to expand and diversify the STEM workforce, as well as support a wider range of learners than is currently supported by initiatives aligned with the school-to-workforce pipeline metaphor. Originality/value This paper directly confronts issues of real-world applications of digital badges by discussing practical implications with college admissions officers and employers. The current study fills a need for research that investigates the use of digital badges across – as opposed to within – contexts.

scholarly journals The Relevance Of The Big Five Model To Students’ Adaptation To The Academic Environment Personality and Academic Experiences

Psico ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 31599
Author(s):  
Cristian Zanon ◽  
Alexandra Araújo ◽  
Claudio S. Hutz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Big Five Model ◽  
Academic Adaptation ◽  
Experience Questionnaire

The Big Five has been used as a theoretical framework for the evaluation of the 21stcentury skills and is associated with desirable outcomes. This study evaluates the extent to which the Big Five relates to students’ adaptation to the academic environment. Participants were 845 undergraduate students (60.7% female), aged from 17 to 31 years who answered the Factorial Personality Battery and the Academic Experience Questionnaire. Data reduction analysis at the facet level recovered the Big Five structure and indicated that Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness are, respectively, associated with higher personal, interpersonal, and study related academic adaptation dimensions. Agreeableness and Openness did not cluster with academic dimensions, suggesting lower relevance for academic adaptation in higher education.***A Relevância do Modelo dos Cinco Grandes Para a Adaptação dos Estudantes ao Ambiente Acadêmico***O Big Five tem sido usado como referencial teórico para a avaliação das habilidades do século 21 e está associado a resultados desejáveis. Este estudo avalia o quanto os Cinco Grandes Fatores se relacionam com a adaptação dos alunos ao ambiente acadêmico. Participaram 845 estudantes de graduação (60,7% do sexo feminino), com idades entre 17 e 31 anos, que responderam a Bateria de Personalidade Fatorial e o Questionário de Experiência Acadêmica. A análise de redução de dados no nível de faceta recuperou a estrutura dos cinco grandes fatores e indicou que Extroversão, Neuroticismo e Conscienciosidade estão, respectivamente, associados a dimensões de adaptação acadêmica pessoais, interpessoais e relacionadas ao estudo. A Amabilidade e a Abertura não se agruparam com as dimensões acadêmicas, sugerindo menor relevância para a adaptação acadêmica no ensino superior.

scholarly journals ‘Centering’ Teaching Excellence in Higher Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diarmaid Lane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Effectiveness ◽  
Corporate University ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching Awards ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Significant Weakness

This paper explores the complexity of ‘teaching excellence’ (Kreber, 2002) in contemporary higher education. It describes how a university academic, who has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, questions if they really are an ‘excellent teacher’ and if their student-centered philosophy is sustainable.  An analysis of data related to teaching and learning effectiveness over a seven year period highlights a significant weakness in how the academic approached the teaching of undergraduate students.  This had a subsequent negative effect on several levels.  The paper concludes by describing the merits of academics ‘centering’ themselves between the corporate university and the needs of students in striving for ‘teaching excellence’.

scholarly journals Predictive Analysis of Higher Education Graduation and Retention in Saudi Arabia u sing Multinomial Logistic Regression

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Ahmed Bagabir ◽  
◽  
Mohammad Zaino ◽  
Ahmed Abutaleb ◽  
Ahmed Fagehi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
At Risk Students ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
First Year ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Admissions Policy

It is suggested that this study contributes by establishing a robust methodology for analyzing the longitudinal outcomes of higher education. The current research uses multinomial logistic regression. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first logistic regression analysis performed at Saudi higher education institutions. The study can help decision-makers take action to improve the academic performance of at-risk students. The analyses are based on enrollment and completion data of 5,203 undergraduate students in the colleges of engineering and medicine. The observation period was extended for ten academic years from 2010 to 2020. Four outcomes were identified for students: (i) degree completion on time, (ii) degree completion with delay, (iii) dropout, and (iv) still enrolled in programs. The objectives are twofold: (i) to study the present situation by measuring graduation and retention rates with benchmarking, and (ii) to determine the effect of twelve continuous and dummy predictors (covariates) on outcomes. The present results show that the pre-admission covariates slightly affect performance in higher education programs. The results indicate that the most important indicator of graduation is the student's achievement in the first year of the program. Finally, it is highly suggested that initiatives be taken to increase graduation and retention rates and to review the admissions policy currently in place.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document