A critical perspective on industry involvement in higher education learning: Enhancing graduates’ knowledge and skills for job creation in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 095042222091965
Author(s):  
Ugochukwu Chinonso Okolie ◽  
Chinyere Augusta Nwajiuba ◽  
Beatrice Eneje ◽  
Michael Olayinka Binuomote ◽  
Christian Ehiobuche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Career Training ◽  
Rich Information ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Development Of Students

This study explores how Nigerian higher education institutions can facilitate industry involvement in the design of programmes and activities that enhance the development of students’ knowledge and skills for business start-ups, leading to job creation. Using interview and focus group methodologies, the researchers obtained rich information from 50 participants, including higher education teachers, final year undergraduate students who had taken part in the compulsory Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme and industry executives with an understanding of how industry can make a meaningful contribution to learning in higher education. Focusing on four dominant themes from the thematic analysis, the authors analyse the factors that contribute to students’ knowledge and skill development. Building on human capital theory, they make recommendations for curriculum restructuring, renewed pedagogical approaches and competencies, building linkages between higher education and industry and career training and mentoring to enhance the development of students’ knowledge and skills for job creation.

scholarly journals Is there a link between industry involvement in higher education learning and student job creation intention?

2021 ◽  
pp. 095042222110105
Author(s):  
Christian Ehiobuche ◽  
Ugochukwu Chinonso Okolie ◽  
Anthony Chukwuma Nwali ◽  
Paul Agu Igwe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Career Training ◽  
Curriculum Restructuring ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches

This study examines how the constituents of industry involvement in higher education learning (IIHEL) – namely curriculum restructuring, renewed pedagogical approaches and competencies, building linkages between higher education and industry, and career training and mentoring – might impact student job creation intention. The study builds on social cognitive theory (self-efficacy) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (attitude towards behaviour) to assess the mechanisms through which these relationships exist. The researchers used cross-sectional data from 268 final-year undergraduate students of 12 Nigerian public universities to analyse these relationships. Structural equation modelling analysis (SEM-AMOS) was employed to test the direct relationships, and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro 3.5 was used to test the specific indirect effects. The findings show that all the constituents of IIHEL were associated positively with student job creation intention. However, only self-efficacy mediated the relationships between curriculum restructuring, renewed pedagogical approaches and competencies and student job creation intention. The findings provide practical implications for higher education teachers, managers, practitioners, policymakers and students by demonstrating the importance of IIHEL in boosting student job creation intention.

Factors contributing to the early failure of small new charity start-ups

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Small Enterprise ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Sampling Frame ◽  
Early Failure ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Charity Commission ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the main causes of early failure of small recently established fundraising charities. Design/methodology/approach – Heads and ex-heads of small recently established British charities that had either shut down within two years of registration with the Charity Commission or had survived for two years following registration were surveyed to determine the sorts of issue they believed were particularly problematic at the time their charities were formed or shortly thereafter. The research combined ideas from human capital theory, organisational ecology, and the survivor principle to investigate the mortality of new charity start-ups. Information was obtained from the ex-heads of 182 charities that had been removed from the Charity Commission’s register and from 356 heads of charities that were still in operation. Findings – Participants in both groups reported that they had experienced major difficulties relating to funding, the development of plans, lack of marketing and management skills, and personal workload. Differences between the groups emerged with respect to their perceptions of problems involving competition from other charities (both for donations and for clients), internal conflict within their organisations, networking, and the need for background research. Start-ups run by people with prior experience of working in charities had a significantly better chance of survival than start-ups managed by individuals lacking such experience. Research limitations/implications – The data used in the investigation were self-reported and less than a majority of the sampling frame participated in the study. Practical implications – Prospective founders of small new charities need to recognise competitive realities and the competencies required for success before commencing operations. Government and nonprofit support organisations should arrange short work experience placements and shadowing activities for individuals contemplating starting a new charity. Originality/value – This was the first research ever to examine reasons for small enterprise collapse within the nonprofit domain.

scholarly journals Analyzing novices' fun and programming behaviours while playing a serious blocks-based game

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 1337-1355
Author(s):  
Adilson Vahldick ◽  
Maria José Marcelino ◽  
António José Mendes
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Middle Schools ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Perceived Learning ◽  
Trial And Error ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Problem Solving Strategies ◽  
Programming Knowledge ◽  
High Level

Blocks-based environments have been used to promote programming learning mostly in elementary and middle schools. In many countries, isolated initiatives have been launched to promote programming learning among children, but until now there is no evidence of widespread use of this type of environment in Brazil and Portugal. Consequently, it is common that many students reach higher education with little or no programming knowledge and skills. NoBug’s SnackBar is a game designed to help promote programming learning. This study examined students' behavior and attitudes when playing the game on their initiative. It used a sample of 33 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory programming course. The variables studied were students' performance and engagement, satisfaction, and problem-solving strategies. The main findings were (1) better performing students had a high level of perceived learning, (2) all the students had similar perceptions about their fun while playing, (3) the leader board was the most used game element not directly related to learning and (4) the top-ranked students access previous solutions to help them solve a new mission, while the others often use a trial-and-error approach.

scholarly journals International undergraduate business students' perceptions of employability

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eszter Kiss ◽  
Michelle Barker ◽  
Parlo Singh
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Curriculum Review ◽  
Multiple Focus ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Professional Contexts

Graduate employability is a highly contested topic by education providers, employers and governments.  The responsibility of universities to enhance students’ employability through work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities is also debated. This study explored international students’ understanding of employability skills and their self-perceptions of their employability at an Australian university. It also investiaged students’ perception of the universities’ role in enhancing employability. A qualitative approach informed by Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown & Hackett, 1994), used multiple focus groups comprising 18 international undergraduate students from Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Papua New Guinea, South Korea in their final semester at an urban Australian university. The key findings are: (1) Participants were unable to differentiate between employability skills, personality traits and job-specific skills; (2) The importance of social skills and networking were recognised by Chinese respondents, in particular; (3) The perceived level of work-readiness was higher among respondents who had previous work experience; (4) The inclusion of more practical WIL components in the degree program calls for curriculum review; (5) Creating opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills in professional contexts is highly desirable. The findings highlight curriculum considerations needed in the development of high-quality WIL experiences that will enable students to apply the knowledge and skills learnt in the classroom, thus enhancing their self-efficacy about their employability.

Indigenous Undergraduates’ Use of Supplementary Tutors: Developing Academic Capabilities for Success in Higher Education Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
Martin Nakata ◽  
Vicky Nakata ◽  
Andrew Day ◽  
Gregory Martin ◽  
Michael Peachey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Indigenous Students ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Success In Higher Education ◽  
Hidden Knowledge

This article presents an analysis of statements from Indigenous students in an Australian university that describe how they use supplementary tutors. The analysis provides some evidence that students use tutors for much more than the prescribed remedial purpose to assist with gaps in assumed academic knowledge and skills to prevent subject failures. Students also use tutors to access hidden knowledge and develop capabilities that assist their progress from dependence on assistance to independence in learning. Our analysis has implications for the conceptualisation and management of supplementary tutoring for Indigenous students.

scholarly journals CEOs’ International Work Experience and Compensation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schmid ◽  
Sebastian Baldermann
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Human Capital Theory ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
International Work ◽  
Executive Remuneration ◽  
To Receive

AbstractIn this paper, we study the effect a CEO’s international work experience has on his or her compensation. By combining human capital theory with a resource dependence and a resource-based perspective, we argue that international work experience translates into higher pay. We also suggest that international work experience comprises several dimensions that affect CEO compensation: duration, timing and breadth of stays abroad. With data from Europe’s largest stock market firms, we provide evidence that the longer the international work experiences and the more numerous they are, the higher a CEO’s compensation. While, based on our theoretical arguments, we expect to find that later international work experiences pay off for CEOs, our empirical analysis shows that earlier international work experiences are particularly valuable in terms of compensation. In addition, our data support the argument that maturity allows a CEO to take advantage of the skills, knowledge and competencies obtained via international experience—and to receive a higher payoff. With our study, we improve the understanding of how different facets of a CEO’s background shape executive remuneration.

Philosophy’s rematch: A new conceptualization of the study of higher education

2021 ◽  
pp. 147402222110029
Author(s):  
Gabe A Orona
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Virtue Epistemology ◽  
Bayesian Epistemology ◽  
Higher Education Research ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Research Philosophy ◽  
Development Of Students

In recent decades, philosophy has been identified as a general approach to enhance the maturity of higher education as a field of study by enriching theory and method. In this article, I offer a new set of philosophical recommendations to spur the disciplinary development of higher education, departing from previous work in several meaningful ways. Due to their deep and useful connections to higher education research, philosophy of measurement, virtue epistemology, and Bayesian epistemology are introduced and discussed in relation to their conceptual association and potential practical influence on the study of higher education. The culmination of these points signals a learnercentered lens focused on the development of students.

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