scholarly journals Creating a reflective space in higher education

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Katina Thelin

This article considers the conditions, possibilities, and challenges of creating what is referred to here as a ‘reflective space’ within a higher education course for principals. It is informed by the findings of a qualitative research inquiry conducted in the interests of enhancing the principals’ learning and professional praxis and the university educators’ pedagogical praxis, within a Swedish course for school and preschool principals. Analysis of the findings highlighted two significant patterns. The first relates to the transformative benefits of creating a ‘reflective space’ for the principals attending the course. The second is more ambiguous and reflects their relation to and engagement with scientifically constructed knowledge. Based on these findings, the article offers considerations relevant for creating ‘reflective spaces’ as a means to enhance the quality of learning in higher education. Additionally, some guiding pedagogical implications are included in the final remarks.

1995 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Fernández ◽  
Miguel A. Mateo ◽  
José Muñiz

The conditions are investigated in which Spanish university teachers carry out their teaching and research functions. 655 teachers from the University of Oviedo took part in this study by completing the Academic Setting Evaluation Questionnaire (ASEQ). Of the three dimensions assessed in the ASEQ, Satisfaction received the lowest ratings, Social Climate was rated higher, and Relations with students was rated the highest. These results are similar to those found in two studies carried out in the academic years 1986/87 and 1989/90. Their relevance for higher education is twofold because these data can be used as a complement of those obtained by means of students' opinions, and the crossing of both types of data can facilitate decision making in order to improve the quality of the work (teaching and research) of the university institutions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Zamzam Amhimmid Mare

This study aims to show the importance of evaluating the teaching performance level of the University teaching members. It also aims to provide the suggested mechanisms for evaluating the teaching performance of the teaching staff members of Sebha University. This study was based mainly on documents and analytic description to collect information about the importance and ways of evaluating teachers with reference to some of the international experiences on teaching performance development. This study concluded that the absence of an experienced entity that would develop the teaching performance of faculty members is one of the main reasons for the weak teaching performance at Sebha University. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that there should be a planned system based on measured standards and criteria for evaluating staff members to improve the quality of teaching in the higher education domain. 


2021 ◽  
pp. 5-19
Author(s):  
Yurii Skyba ◽  
Hanna Lebedynets

Ensuring and improving the quality of teaching and learning, in particular the academics’ potential development, is reflected in strategic European and domestic documents, namely in the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, the Paris Communiqué, the Strategy for Higher Education in Ukraine for 2021-2031 and others. The expediency for academics’ potential development is confirmed by the results of a national survey on the needs for the development of Ukrainian universities in the process of reforming higher education in the context of European integration. The article highlights the problems of academics’ potential development. Based on foreign and domestic experience, the theoretical bases for academics’ potential development, in particular the conceptual and terminological apparatus and structural components of teaching metacompetence are substantiated. The concept «potential of an academic» is defined as a set of intellectual, intangible resources, conditions and opportunities created for the production and accumulation of new knowledge, ideas, technologies, competencies and other productive properties at the university, which combines two levels of connections functioning in unity. The first level of connections are resources that are the result of past and present, and the second – opportunities, i.e. those abilities and connections that are future-oriented, constantly changing, evolving, forming new abilities, characteristics, including elements of the future development. The following components are distinguished in the structure of teaching metacompetence: prognostic; design; objective; innovative; pedagogical partnership; organizational; information and digital; reflexive; linguistic and communicative; inclusive; motivational; health-preserving; emotional-ethical and evaluative-analytical. The development of the above components of teaching metacompetence will help ensure the quality of higher education and increase the competitiveness of the university in the educational services market.


Author(s):  
A. Artyukhov

The article is devoted to the description and analysis of factors that potentially and actually affect the socio-economic development of the state on the example of the higher education institution. It is established that at the system level the level of ensuring the quality of educational activities and the quality of higher education has a decisive influence on the formation of a positive image of a higher education institution. The results of a survey of students on the criteria for choosing a university to study are presented. Statistics on public funding of education in general and higher education in particular are presented and analyzed. It is established that, despite the formally high percentage of education funding from the level of GDP in absolute terms, the actual funding is low and needs to be strengthened by attracting external funding from customers. Attention is also paid to the state of development of educational services for foreign students. In a competitive environment at the national and international level, the decisive influence on the involvement of foreign students in the university is influenced by the structure of the training program, teacher qualifications, organization of the educational process in the classroom and so on. The article on the example of a higher education institution presents the main stages of formation and development of the internal system of quality assurance of education as an object of influence on the socio-economic development of the state. The development and/or improvement of internal quality assurance systems in universities is becoming a powerful basis for increasing university funding from external (personally involved) sources, reducing the outflow of applicants abroad and the successful provision of educational services to foreign students. At this stage, given the limited opportunities for funding of educational activities by the state (compared to EU countries), the successful implementation of the university development strategy is possible provided that systematic work is done to improve the quality of educational services for domestic and foreign citizens. As part of further research, it is planned to analyze the mutual impact of the education quality assurance system on the effectiveness of scientific activities, the provision of additional paid educational services, training for external customers and other sources.


Author(s):  
Ирина Ивановна Широкорад ◽  
Олеся Михайловна Фадеева ◽  
Елена Геннадьевна Пафнутова

Система высшего образования развивается не в изоляции. Она находится в непосредственной зависимости от школьной системы и от рынка труда. С одной стороны, образовательные результаты, полученные в университете, зависят от уровня знаний и навыков, которые получили студенты на предыдущем этапе образования, с другой стороны, ожидаемое высокое качество жизни, которое является ключевой мотивацией для поступления в вуз для большинства населения, определяется состоянием и структурой рынка труда. Именно наличие спроса на продуктивную рабочую силу определяет результативность системы высшего образования. The higher education system does not develop in isolation. It is directly dependent on the school system and the labor market. On the one hand, the educational results obtained at the University depend on the level of knowledge and skills that students received at the previous stage of education, on the other hand, the expected high quality of life, which is a key motivation for entering the University for the majority of the population, is determined by the state and structure of the labor market. It is the demand for productive labor that determines the effectiveness of the higher education system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Sayidah ◽  
Sri Utami Ady ◽  
Jajuk Supriyati ◽  
Sutarmin Sutarmin ◽  
Mustika Winedar ◽  
...  

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the importance of quality in university governance in Indonesia. The researcher designed this study with an approach of qualitative research approach with Focus Group Discussion (FGD) method. Participants come from 25 universities throughout Indonesia. Participants are leaders of higher education ranging from the head of the study program to the rector. The result of the focus group discussion shows that the quality of higher education will decrease if there is the scarcity of qualified lecturers. Declining quality of higher education will affect the number of students. Finally, if the student decline happens continuously, then higher education can close. So quality is a top priority in university governance.


Author(s):  
María Pache-Durán ◽  
Esteban Pérez-Calderón ◽  
Alicia Fernanda Galindo-Manrique

This study focuses on the results obtained from the teacher's assessment of Project-Based Learning, a methodological approach that implies a change in the university pedagogical paradigm that affects both the teaching and learning processes. To this end, a study is carried out taking as a sample university teachers during the academic year 2018-2019. Among the results obtained, it is worth mentioning that the teacher considers the Project-Based Learning a methodology that favours in the classroom, constituting a valid alternative to improve the quality of learning in university students.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Branka Drljača Margić

The perceived benefits of English-medium instruction (EMI), such as greater competitiveness of universities, are the reasons why meso- and macro-level stakeholders in Croatian higher education (HE) seek to implement it. Nevertheless, the overall adoption of EMI has been rather slow, resulting in only 3% of study programmes in English. Such a small number has sparked no public or scholarly resistance to this aspect of Englishization. On the micro level, however, the introduction of EMI has provoked a range of different reactions, from favourable attitudes to concerns over the quality of education and the status of Croatian in academia. Evidence for these views were gleaned from the studies conducted at the University of Rijeka, Croatia.


Author(s):  
Fergal Finnegan

The chapter explores the impact of neoliberalism on Irish society and higher education (HE) and how this has been resisted. Taking a critical realist approach it seeks to analyse neoliberalism in HE in a way that is neither simplistic nor politically immobilising. It outlines the trajectory of neoliberal ideas in Ireland and their impact on higher education especially in the wake of the Great Recession. Most research on this topic neglects questions of agency and resistance. Thus, the main concern of the chapter is to document and analyse the various ways neoliberalism has been resisted in Irish higher education by staff, students and through social movement campaigns. It draws on mixed methods and qualitative research alongside documentary analysis for this purpose. The chapter concludes with reflections on how this resistance might be strengthened in the future by building alliances in order to reimagine the university.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Irliana Mohd Rahim ◽  
Azizah Abdul Rahman ◽  
Noorminshah A. Iahad

In recent decades, working from home (WFH) method has spread their wings beyond of normal boundaries for many sectors in working organization. Work nowadays can be categorized as “unbounded activity” environment and freely conducted at anywhere and anytime. In Malaysia as a developing country, WFH approach is not being implemented widely but there are limited group who has implement WFH unofficially after having an agreement from organization. This research study will cover the important elements for implementing WFH in HEI context. The elements are not limited on HEI context but it able to be use in other field. The university itself will be an organization who involving the employees as well as the employers. To understand more about WFH requirement, current issues and required WFH approach from organization will be consider. The overview of elements consideration will be discussed and a conceptual model is derived to support WFH for HEI. At the end of the study, a framework will be developed in order to support above elements for both employees and employers in the organization itself. The aim of this study is to increase productivity, efficiency and quality of work while the organization allows a flexible working style such as WFH to the lecturers in HEI. The result of this paper is to derive a conceptual model, which are the main elements in conducting WFH for the whole research study.


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