scholarly journals Learning from within: a longitudinal case study of an education research group

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Burt ◽  
Kathryn Lundgren ◽  
Joshua Schroetter
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Research Group ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Research Competencies

Purpose Professionals in higher education are expected to be informed consumers of knowledge who seek out scholarship, critical evaluators of the applicability of extant knowledge, and contributors who build new knowledge for higher education practice. Despite the understood importance of developing research competencies, many have limited opportunities to develop these skills. This study aims to explore one way individuals develop research competencies: through participation in team-based research experiences. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal case study approach was used to investigate what participants in an education research group learn, and how their participation in the group changes the ways in which they think about themselves as researchers and scholars. Four group members participated in two focus group interviews (at the end of the fall 2015 and spring 2016 academic semesters). Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings Study participants report gaining knowledge about research, developing an identity as a researcher, and learning about faculty roles. Particular group practices and activities (e.g. full group meetings, subgroup meetings, professional development moments) helped mediate members’ learning and identity development. Originality/value Research groups should be considered valuable contexts where teaching and learning take place. By learning – and integrating what we learn – from research group participation, the higher education and student affairs fields may become better able to generate innovative practices and activities that provide students and professionals with opportunities to develop important research competencies.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 pandemic: a catalyst for creativity and collaboration for online learning and work-based higher education systems and processes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tashmin Khamis ◽  
Azra Naseem ◽  
Anil Khamis ◽  
Pammla Petrucka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Faculty Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to focus on work-based problems catalysed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, based on a case study of a multi-continental, multi-campus university distributed across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Pakistan. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries lacked pre-existing infrastructure to support online education and/or policy and regulatory frameworks during the pandemic. The university's programmes in Pakistan and East Africa provide lessons to other developing countries' HEIs. The university's focus on teaching and learning and staff development has had a transformational organisational effect.Design/methodology/approachCase study with participatory approaches aimed at co-production of responsive systems and co-creation of effective curriculum and faculty training is used.FindingsSystems and processes developed across the university in the effort to ensure educational continuity. From the disruption to all educational programmes and the disarray of regulatory bodies' responses, collaboration emerged as a key driver of positive change. The findings reiterate the value of trust and provision of opportunities for those with the requisite competencies to lead in a participatory and distributive manner whilst addressing limited human and financial resources. The findings reflect on previous work respecting organisational change recast in the digital age.Originality/valueThis paper reflects the authors' work in real-time as they led and managed changes encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will be of value to management and leadership cadres, particularly in developing contexts, responsible for recovery and sustainability of the higher education sector.

Adaptive education applied to higher education for sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1111-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Earl ◽  
Robert VanWynsberghe ◽  
Pierre Walter ◽  
Timothy Straka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Real World ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interpretive Case Study ◽  
Real World Learning ◽  
Sustainability Challenges

Purpose This paper aims to present an interpretive case study in education for sustainability (EfS) that applies VanWynsberghe and Herman’s (2015, 2016) adaptive education as pedagogy. Dewey’s theory of behaviour change is applied to educative experiences based on habit disruption and real-world learning, leading to creativity in the formation of new habits. The programme presented inverts dominant conceptions of knowledge to design innovative sustainability pedagogy. Instead knowledge resides alongside experience, cases, intuition, advice, experimentation and dialogue in the individual and collective effort to address daily sustainability challenges. Design/methodology/approach The paper reports on the outcomes of an interpretive case study (Merriam, 1998) of a higher education programme in sustainability pedagogy. It presents a series of reflections by instructors and participants in discussing the programme’s relationship with the core themes of habit, disruption, creative action and dialogue framed within the five features of adaptive education: stakeholders, real-world learning, off campus, transdisciplinarity and non-traditional rewards. Findings Through this examination, the authors found that adaptive education offered a pedagogy that simultaneously addressed the need for increased sustainability knowledge, whilst inverting its dominance. As a long-term project, the extent of the programme’s impact will be evident beyond the programme’s completion. Research limitations/implications This interpretive case study is analysed through high-level conceptual and theoretical aspects of the pedagogy rather than the particularities of the case. By putting the centrality of knowledge into question, the authors are advocating for a more experimental role for higher education in its teaching and learning. These questions are broadly applicable. Social implications There are research, learning and social benefits to this programme. Adaptive education builds capacity for future leaders and educators of sustainability. Originality/value The paper concludes with a discussion for further theorizing and research on adaptive education and EfS in higher education. This research will contribute to broader discussions of the evolving role of education in sustainability.

Deconstructing quality in South African higher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kehdinga George Fomunyam
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
South African Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to examine six South African universities with a particular focus on the quality of teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study approach was adopted and data were mainly generated by means of open-ended questionnaires. The questionnaire was circulated to approximately 1,800 students and 746 completed it. The data were categorized and analysed thematically, using both national and international benchmarks for quality teaching and learning. Findings The findings reveal that teaching and learning in South African universities is marred by a plethora of challenges. Lecturers lack basic skills and essential resources to effectively facilitate teaching and learning. Furthermore, quality benchmarks set by the Council on Higher Education are only met on paper and little or nothing is done to translate this into practice. Originality/value The study proposes among others that clearer policies on funding are recommended to ensure proper allocation of resources, staff development and institutional comeliness. Finally, to enhance transformation, universities should prioritize teaching and learning and take steps to ensure that those teaching in the classroom are qualified to do so.

Postdoctoral scholars’ perceptions of a university teaching certificate program

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-248
Author(s):  
Lorelli Nowell ◽  
Audrey Laventure ◽  
Anu Räisänen ◽  
Nicholas Strzalkowski ◽  
Natasha Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Course Evaluations ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Certificate Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Learning Development

Purpose This study aims to explore postdoctoral scholars’ experiences and perceptions of a teaching certificate program and identify how they use the knowledge and skills developed through the certificate program to improve their teaching practices. Design/methodology/approach In this case study, the authors explored postdoctoral scholars’ experiences and perceptions of a teaching certificate using a multiple methods and data sources including documents, course evaluations, interviews and surveys. Findings The teaching certificate program helped postdocs learn the language and theory of teaching and learning in post-secondary education; practice specific strategies and develop confidence in how to teach; network with colleagues about teaching and learning; develop a reflective teaching practice; and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Practical implications The findings from this study will inform efforts to develop new or refine existing approaches to promote teaching and learning professional development opportunities for postdoctoral scholars. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to study teaching and learning development for postdoctoral scholars.

Risk management and cultural virtue in HE co-delivery arrangements

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Talbot ◽  
David Perrin ◽  
Denise Meakin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Specialist Field

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the debate on the maintenance and enhancement of quality in the emerging landscape of higher education practice and delivery where new kinds of institutional relationships are emerging. Much of the literature describes situations where the risk to quality assurance is relatively low. The example discussed here details how principles of risk management can be used to assure quality where the risk of reputational damage is far greater. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a single case study approach. Findings – New and flexible forms of delivery in higher education present opportunities but also the potential for reputational damage so innovative delivery must be matched by a corresponding commitment to quality. This must be embedded at all levels, including tutors. Much of the literature from the perspective of tutors emphasises their experience of quality as a matter of bureaucratic compliance. The case study illustrates that in circumstances where there is a risk of compromise academic tutors can actively engage with a quality enhancement process. Research limitations/implications – Although a case study of specialised practice there is evidence that increasing numbers of universities are seeking to engage in similar methods. The literature on the implications of these initiatives is comprised of case studies so there is a need for more systematic research which examines practices more broadly. The case study also suggests that the search for quality cultures in HE may fruitfully investigate circumstances where quality has to be fought for rather than assumed. Practical implications – The paper demonstrates that universities can deliver in flexible and innovative ways which do not compromise their reputation provided they risk assess the implications of each arrangement and develop appropriate procedures and practices at all levels of operation. Originality/value – The case study is not the first of its kind to be published but it is the first to be published in the context of the quality assurance literature rather than the more specialist work based learning literature. It links developments within that specialist field to more mainstream discourses in the quality assurance literature. It also draws attention of a wider audience to some of the more innovative developments in British HE practice.

Higher education and the development of competencies for innovation in the workplace

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 1634-1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis E. Vila ◽  
Pedro J. Perez ◽  
Francisco G. Morillas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Graduate Survey ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Learning Modes

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the production function nexus between higher education practice and the development of innovation‐related competencies by university graduates in Spain. The research hypothesis is the presence of statistically significant relationships between the development of innovational competencies and the modes of teaching and learning used in higher education practice.Design/methodology/approachThe relationships are modeled through a set of stochastic frontier and variance component equations with the development of each competency as the dependent variable. The main explanatory variables capture the prevalence of diverse teaching/learning modes and the behavior of graduates during their studies. Controls for individual and study programs are also included. Data comes from the European graduate survey REFLEX and includes about 5,500 records.FindingsEstimates show evidence of significant marginal effects of the teaching and learning modes and the development of specific competencies by graduates. Proactive methods in general, and problem‐based learning in particular, appear as the most effective classroom practices to develop the competencies required to innovate in the workplace.Research limitations/implicationsTo guide the implementation of reforms in higher education, more must be learned about possible trade‐offs between the diverse types of resources involved and the outcomes obtained. Resources should be examined in terms of their relative costs and the results interpreted with regard to their value to individuals and society.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to explore quantitatively the influence of higher education practice on the development of the capabilities required to innovate in the workplace.

Breaking the code: barriers affecting inclusive thinking-HETL Scotland 2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-129
Author(s):  
Linda Carol Algozzini ◽  
Valencia Lavon Gabay ◽  
Shannon D. Voyles ◽  
Kimberly Bessolo ◽  
Grady Batchelor
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
First Century ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Change Model ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Group Coaching ◽  
Regulated Learning

Purpose This case study reviews a group coaching and mentoring (GCM) change model and its significance in dissolving barriers and promoting equity in virtual learning environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine the model’s approach to shifting instructor mindsets to align with institutional core values and initiatives that best serve a twenty-first century adult learner. Design/methodology/approach The change model, grounded in GCM, metacognition, self-regulated learning, and community of practice theory, incorporates participatory action research design focusing on cycles of action, reflection, and evaluation. Findings This study illustrates the change model’s success in moving educators toward deeper understanding of self and individual student differences. It further showcases how professionals adapt and improve practices using self-regulated learning and metacognition to better serve the population they teach. Practical implications The GCM framework improved engagement. The design, while implemented in a higher education arena, is applicable to other entities seeking to bridge gaps using metacognition and self-regulated learning to become adaptable and inclusive. Originality/value The change model, recipient of one of this year’s Effective Practice Awards from the Online Learning Consortium (2017), is recognized for innovation and replicability in and beyond higher education.

Is culture change a fad? Driving business results at Penna, ten years on

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-126
Author(s):  
Bev White ◽  
Gary Browning ◽  
Javier Bajer
Keyword(s):  
Culture Change ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Results ◽  
Sustainable Culture ◽  
Systemic Interventions ◽  
Successful Business

Purpose – Ten years ago Penna, the global HR services group, needed a radical business and culture re-invention if it was to survive. This article aims to tell the story behind Penna's journey and describe how a sustainable culture change intervention became the cornerstone of a successful business. Design/methodology/approach – This case study is the result of an initial ethnographical research followed by concrete and systemic interventions. Findings – The case study identifies four elements that sustained the business impact of a culture change program over a significant period of time. Originality/value – This longitudinal case study follows a culture change program in an organizational context over a period of ten years.

scholarly journals “You would expect the successful person to be the man”

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Jones
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Symbolic Violence ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Method ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to to explore power and legitimacy in the entrepreneurship education classroom by using Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological and educational theories. It highlights the pedagogic authority invested in educators and how this may be influenced by their assumptions about the nature of entrepreneurship. It questions the role of educators as disinterested experts, exploring how power and gendered legitimacy “play out” in staff–student relationships and female students’ responses to this. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple-method, qualitative case study approach is taken, concentrating on a depth of focus in one UK’s higher education institution (HEI) and on the experiences, attitudes and classroom practices of staff and students in that institution. The interviews, with an educator and two students, represent a self-contained story within the more complex story of the case study. Findings – The interviewees’ conceptualization of entrepreneurship is underpinned by acceptance of gendered norms, and both students and staff misrecognize the masculinization of entrepreneurship discourses that they encounter as natural and unquestionable. This increases our understanding of symbolic violence as a theoretical construct that can have real-world consequences. Originality/value – The paper makes a number of theoretical and empirical contributions. It addresses an important gap in the literature, as educators and the impact of their attitudes and perceptions on teaching and learning are rarely subjects of inquiry. It also addresses gaps and silences in understandings of the gendered implications of HE entrepreneurship education more generally and how students respond to the institutional arbitration of wider cultural norms surrounding entrepreneurship. In doing so, it challenges assertions that Bourdieu’s theories are too abstract to have any empirical value, by bridging the gap between symbolic violence as a theory and its manifestation in teaching and learning practices.

Cooperative behaviour and place branding: a longitudinal case study in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Rinaldi ◽  
Alessio Cavicchi
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Area ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Cooperative Behaviour ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
As Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to understand the motivations driving cooperative behaviour between heterogeneous stakeholders in place-branding activities, focusing on contract-based and relation-based cooperation constructs. Design/methodology/approach The longitudinal case study method is used to help understanding how the investigated network has evolved over four years from an attempt to build a regional umbrella-brand to a network contract between 13 enterprises. Findings The findings suggest that the relationships of trust and shared values among stakeholders are essential to foster cooperation, but also that contract-based governance complements a relation-based governance, enhancing the performance of the alliance. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is related to the case study methodology, as results are strongly dependent on the specific characteristics of the stakeholders and the geographical area analysed. Social implications The role of stakeholders in building a place brand is increasingly important. When analysing cooperative behaviour drivers, more attention should be paid to such intangible assets as social, human, relational and organisational capital. Originality/value This longitudinal case study emphasises that for success in place-branding activities, contract-based cooperation can be particularly useful at the beginning of a network alliance, while relation-based cooperation ensures the strength and continuity of the partnership but it takes time to develop. Responsible leaders, working as relationship facilitators/enablers, are important to keep network members engaged, by creating trust and favouring mutual beneficial relationships between stakeholders.

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