Online teaching benefits and challenges during pandemic COVID-19: a comparative study of Pakistan and Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahib Khatoon Thaheem ◽  
Mohamad Jafre Zainol Abidin ◽  
Quratulain Mirza ◽  
Habib Ullah Pathan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Research Society ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference

PurposeThe shift from physical class to online classes in the pandemic COVID-19 situation has posited opportunities as well as challenges for teachers and students. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate challenges faced and benefits availed by the teachers at the tertiary level in universities of Pakistan and Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the purpose a mixed-method approach is employed to answer the three research questions of the present study. The quantitative data is obtained from the responses of 66 teachers, teaching online in Mehran UET Pakistan and 102 teachers from Indonesian university. The personal, technological, and pedagogical challenges were analyzed by descriptive statistics on SPSS. Thus, the independent-samples t-test was run to test for statistically significant differences faced by teachers in both countries.FindingsThe findings revealed that there were no statistically significant differences found in personal, and pedagogical challenges faced by both countries' teachers, whereas there is a significant difference in facing technological challenges between Pakistani and Indonesian teachers. The benefits of online teaching were investigated qualitatively by conducting semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers 5 from each country. There are very positive aspects of online teaching revealed in the interviews.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of Computer Assisted Language Learning, the development of technology integrated courses, and for managing the balance between physical and online classes.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study have implications on finding out the solutions of the derived challenges, further it suggests to concentrate on students of public and private universities in Pakistan and Indonesia so that a comparison of challenges faced by teachers and faced by students can be researched and evaluated and it can generate significantly different results.Social implicationsThe implications on the research society and the teachers and designers' communities are very clear in this research because it paves the way forward towards the blending of technology in any way either synchronously/ asynchronously into education, further researches can be done on designing the new concepts, courses, instructional platforms for students and investigate the new dimensions and effects of them.Originality/valueFindings have value, because two countries' context (developing countries) with respect to the comparison of the challenges and benefits is better understood, it would have different results if had done in the developed countries.

scholarly journals Operations sustainability maturity model: preliminary findings of financial services in developing and developed countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
David William Parker ◽  
Alicia Loh ◽  
Delroy Chevers ◽  
Indianna Minto-Coy ◽  
Luca Zeppetella
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Measurement Instrument ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Services Sector ◽  
Strategic Intent ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose This paper aims to develop and apply a measurement instrument to identify a comparative metric that identifies operational sustainability maturity across sectors and countries. Design/methodology/approach Using structured interviews to complete the operations sustainability maturity model (OSMM) in financial services organisations, data were compared to show differences for developed and developing countries. Findings The preliminary findings indicate that there is no significant difference in the sustainability maturity index between countries. However, size and profitability are strong indicators of sustainability maturity. Research limitations/implications These findings represent preliminary findings drawn from the financial services sector in a limited number of countries. Expansion of the data set will give greater confidence of results. Practical implications The OSMM is an empirical tool used to collect data that allows statistical evaluation of sustainable strategies used by firms in various sectors and in different countries. Social implications Sustainability is of critical importance in the economic development of all countries. The OSMM embraces fiscal, operational and environmental considerations. The research gives new insights to alternative strategic imperatives. Originality/value With increased awareness of organisational sustainability, academics have developed a number of tools, approaches and strategies to ensure commercial viability. However, few corporations have successfully institutionalised ongoing sustainability. OSMM is unique. Its wider application to embrace additional industry sectors and countries will bring new insight to strategic intent.

Mapping the landscape of computer-assisted language learning: an inventory of research

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 252-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antigoni Parmaxi ◽  
Panayiotis Zaphiris ◽  
Salomi Papadima-Sophocleous ◽  
Andri Ioannou
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coding Scheme ◽  
Sorting Technique ◽  
Version 2.0

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to chart the development in computer-assisted language learning (CALL), by building a map of existing research work in the field. Based on a corpus of 163 manuscripts, published between January 2009 and September 2010 in four major journals devoted to CALL, it sets out to describe the range of topics covered under the umbrella of CALL and provide a holistic view of the field. Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopted in this research includes: development of the 2009-2010 CALL corpus; literature overview and initial coding scheme development; refinement of the initial coding scheme with the help of a focus group and construction of the CALL map version 1.0; refinement of the CALL map version 1.0 following a systematic approach of content analysis and development of the CALL map version 2.0; evaluation of the proposed structure and inclusiveness of all categories in the CALL map version 2.0 using card sorting technique; and finally development of the CALL map version 3.0. Findings – The research trends in the categories of the CALL map are discussed, as well as possible future directions in the field. Originality/value – This paper provides a holistic view of the field of CALL guiding both junior CALL researchers to place themselves in the field, and policy and decision makers who attempt to evaluate the current and future scholar activity in the field. Finally, it caters for more experienced researchers to focus on certain underinvestigated domains.

Students’ perception and satisfaction of services provided by public and private higher education institutes: a case study in Albania

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Drita Kruja ◽  
Huong Ha ◽  
Elvira Tabaku
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Instructional Effectiveness ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Individual

Purpose There have been many research studies on students’ satisfaction of services in universities in developed countries. However, students’ expectation and satisfaction of public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) with regard to service quality in Eastern Europe have been under-researched. Therefore, this study aims to offer an empirical examination of student satisfaction of the service quality of public and private HEIs in Albania by evaluating the gap between students’ expectation and perception and the effect of student satisfaction on retention in HEIs. Design/methodology/approach The survey instrument used in this study was the student satisfaction inventory in the USA. Primary data were collected from a survey of students in two private and four public HEIs in Albania. A total of 554 valid responses were collected from the survey. Findings The findings suggested that there were performance gaps between public and private HEIs. Public universities performed well in terms of concern for the individual, campus support services, student-centeredness and instructional effectiveness. Private HEIs scored well in terms of concern for the individual, academic advising effectiveness, instructional effectiveness and safety and security (parking). There is a significant difference in students’ perception of the overall satisfaction of HEIs. Students’ overall satisfaction positively impacts their retention. Originality/value Overall, this study provides valuable insights to private and public HEIs’ administrators regarding to student satisfaction and retention. The findings will have far-reaching managerial implications for all groups of stakeholders in terms of the service delivery by universities in Albania and Eastern Europe.

Research from China finds no significant difference in impact of public service motivation (PSM) in public and private sectors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The authors assumed PSM would be higher in the public sector, but they set up a trial to find out if this was the case. Design/methodology/approach To test their theories, the authors conducted two independent surveys. The first consisted of 220 usable responses from public sector employees in Changsha, China. The second survey involved 260 usable responses from private sector employees taking an MBA course at a university in the Changsha district. A questionnaire was used to assess attitudes. Findings The results found no significant difference between the impact of public sector motivation (PSM) on employee performance across the public and private sectors. The data showed that PSM had a significant impact on self-reported employee performance, but the relationship did not differ much between sectors. Meanwhile, it was in the private sector that PSM had the greatest impact on intention to leave. Originality/value The authors said the research project was one of the first to test if the concept of PSM operated in the same way across sectors. It also contributed, they said, to the ongoing debate about PSM in China.

Start-up motives and challenges facing female entrepreneurs in Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nsubili Isaga
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Research on women-owned business is more extensive in developed countries than in developing countries and such one cannot compare the results. This paper aims to examine the motives of women in Tanzania (a less developed country) to start their own businesses and the challenges they faced in running their businesses. Design/methodology/approach Based on 400 response to a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview with 20 female entrepreneurs. Subsequently, descriptive and factors analysis were performed to analyze the data Findings Based on survey responses, the primary reason for starting a business was to create employment for the woman herself. Other motives include supplementing income and enabling women to be able to do the kind of work they wanted to do. According to the factor analysis, female entrepreneurs are driven more by push factors than pull factors. The most serious problems faced by female entrepreneurs are lack of access to finance, gender-related problems and social and cultural commitments. Research limitations/implications The sample was selected from urban areas of only three regions, out of 26 regions in Tanzania. Researchers may extend the study to other regions; also, the non-probability sampling method used in this study essentially means that there is a limitation to the extent to which the research findings can be generalized to the rest of the population of female entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Practical implications Policy makers, financial institutions and all organization that have a stake on development on female entrepreneurs in Tanzania should design policies and programs that encourage and promote the creation and growth of businesses. Collective efforts from the government, public and private institutions and NGOs are needed to eliminate the challenges, especially gender-related problems. Practical implications By studying female owner-managers’ motivations and constraints, the author suggests that to a greater extent, gender-related problems, social and cultural commitments and access to finance and networks are the constraints faced by female entrepreneurs. Originality/value The research on female entrepreneurs in the context of Tanzania is scarce, this study responds to a need of better understanding women motivations and constraints. By studying these factors, this study shows that startup motives and constraints faced by female entrepreneurs are unique to different contexts.

Reporting human resources in annual reports

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Kansal ◽  
Mahesh Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent of corporate disclosure on human resources (HR) in the annual reports of top performing Indian companies. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the extent to which top 82 companies from India present information about HR in their annual reports. This study examines the annual reports of each of the top Indian firms listed on the Bombay stock exchange, using the “content analysis” method. Statistical tests have been performed to analyse the difference between the HR disclosure score across public and private sectors and disclosure variations among various industrial sectors. Findings – In-house training programmes has been noticed to be the favourite item of disclosure followed by safety awards/certifications and statements regarding cordial relations with the employees/unions. A majority of the Indian firms have ignored significant HR issues such as employee welfare fund, maternity/paternity leaves, holiday benefits, employee loans and adopting old age homes, etc. Overall, the study reflects low HR related disclosures. No statistically significant difference has been found between the mean HR disclosure from one industry to another and disclosure practices of the private and the public sector companies. Practical implications – The disclosure pattern of the Indian companies suggests that they only a few companies are concerned about employees’ welfare than the rest. This may motivate a change of the disclosure policy of the rest of the firms who may follow the reporting pattern of the most disclosing ones. Originality/value – This is first study on the disclosure of HR by the Indian corporate sector in the CSR domain with a disclosure analysis for a period of nine years . This research provides new directions for the literature in this area and may promote comparative studies on HR-based studies from different perspectives.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of computers on vocabulary learning among preschool children: a semiotic approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tutku Basöz ◽  
Dilek Tüfekci Can
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Instruction ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Instruction Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Semiotic Approach

Semiotics in foreign language learning has recently achieved some prominence as a theoretical foundation for language teaching and learning. Although there have been a number of research on the semiotics in foreign language learning, the practical use of semiotics in preschool classroom environment still remains unanswered. What is more, the effectiveness of computers on vocabulary learning among preschool children is still an obscure area, which attracts the attentions of researchers, scholars and practitioners. Thus, the present study aims to investigate whether there is a significant difference in preschool children’s vocabulary gain depending upon the computer assisted vocabulary instruction or the traditional vocabulary instruction both adopting a semiotic approach. The sample group of the study included 35 preschool children (5-years) who are studying at Balıkesir University Necatibey Faculty of Education Kindergarten. In this quasi-experimental study, the children were assigned to computer assisted vocabulary instruction group (16) or traditional vocabulary instruction group (19), which were the experimental and control groups. Before the experiment, the children were given a pre-test, which measured the number of target vocabulary the children had already known. While the experimental group learned the target vocabulary through computer-assisted instruction, the control group was taught the same target vocabulary via traditional vocabulary instruction. After the experiment, the same test was given to the children as the post-test. The results of the study showed that both instruction types were successful in teaching vocabulary and there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of their vocabulary gain. Keywords: Vocabulary learning; semiotic approach; computer assisted vocabulary instruction; preschool children; foreign language learning 

scholarly journals The impact of online learning on student motivation in science and biology classes

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Mila Bulić ◽  
Ines Blažević
Keyword(s):  
Student Motivation ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Motivation For Learning ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

The research aimed to check for difference in learning motivation between students learning online and students participating in modern classroom instruction. The study participants included students attending grades 5 to 8, divided into experimental (online classes) and control groups based on pre-testing. The results show that there is no statistically significant difference in motivation between the tested sub-samples. Student motivation for learning natural sciences declines with their years of schooling, but this is not statistically significant. It can be concluded that online teaching of Science and Biology as a learning tool can be as motivating as modern teaching using active classroom methods.

Exploring the Difficulties Encountered by the Non-English Department Students in Learning the English Language: A Study on the Tertiary Level of Education in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Md. Musrifur Jelane
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
English Department ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
English Departments

Most of the non-English departments at the tertiary level of education in Bangladesh conduct the English language course for the development of English language skills of the non-English department students. However, the non-English department students at the tertiary level of education in Bangladesh face many troubles in learning the English language efficiently. The purpose of this study was to explore the difficulties encountered by the non-English department students at the tertiary level of education in Bangladesh in learning the English language. This study followed a quantitative research approach. Data collected from 100 non-English department students both from public and private universities of Bangladesh through survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings of this study disclosed that the non-English department students face the most difficulty in productive skills (speaking and writing). Moreover, duration of the class and semester, syllabus design, needs analysis, classroom techniques, and methods are the significant factors that affect the English language learning of the non-English department students.

scholarly journals User-centric work environments in modular healthcare facilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1047-1062
Author(s):  
Leena Aalto ◽  
Pia Sirola ◽  
Tiina Kalliomäki-Levanto ◽  
Marjaana Lahtinen ◽  
Virpi Ruohomäki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
User Centric ◽  
Traditional Construction

Purpose The challenges arising from the reform of the social and healthcare sector call for efficient, effective and novel processes in both public and private health and medical care. Facilities need to be designed to suit the new processes and to offer usable workspaces at different levels of healthcare services. Along with traditional construction, modular facility innovations could be one solution to these pressures. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This case study analyzed the different usability characteristics of the work environment in modular and non-modular healthcare facilities (HCFs). The qualitative research method was based on semi-structured interviews of employees and observations of the case buildings. Findings According to the results, the usability characteristics were divided into four main categories: functionality, healthiness, safety/security and comfort. The main differences between the modular and non-modular facilities appeared to be room size, soundproofing, safety issues and the utilization of colors and artwork, which were all perceived as better realized in the non-modular facilities. The staff highlighted functionality as the most important characteristic in their work environment. They even considered functionality as a feature of a comfortable work environment. Originality/value This paper presents new knowledge and a detailed description of the opinions and experiences of healthcare professionals concerning a user-centric, usable environment in the context of modular and non-modular HCFs.

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