scholarly journals An Analysis of the Use of English Language for Career Development in African Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Pinto Mario Covele
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
English Language ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Comparative Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Although the internationalization of higher education through the standardization of English language is considered progressive, unfortunately, for Lusophone universities it remains a deterrent for scholars’ career progression. The evidence of lived experiences in Mozambican universities suggests that the relationship between English language competence and professional status remains inconclusive. The study explores the impact of English language for career development in two Portuguese language-speaking universities, namely Eduardo Mondlane and Catholic universities in Mozambique. Case study design, purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews with scholars, documents reviews and content analysis approach will be employed. Career construction theory and practice (Savickas, 2013), is considered ideal based on its fundamental premise of individual and social constructivism of knowledge through which individuals construct themselves. The study contributes to a comparative higher education career research by guiding the formulation of language policy for career development in Lusophone countries.

scholarly journals Language Policy and Power in Out-of-Classroom EFL Contexts: The Case of English Departments in Saudi Arabian Higher Education Institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Mohammad Almoaily
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
English Language ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The Impact

Most of the research on language policies in educational institutions has hitherto focused on the creation, interpretation, or appropriation of language policies that govern language use in the classroom. Language policies, however, can be instantiated or implemented in out-of-classroom settings. Hence, the current study examines the impact of language policies, in terms of both beliefs and practices, as mechanisms of power in communication between staff members in official meetings taking place at higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. An online survey taken by 208 members, in addition to semi-structured interviews with eight department chairpersons, revealed that the implementation of monolingual English language policies can minimize the proportion of engagement of staff members, who are less competent in English, in department council meetings, committee meetings, and other official meetings. The data also suggested that the majority of participants in the study believe that multilingual language policies (allowing the use of both Arabic and English) should be avoided in order to not exclude non-Arabic speaking staff members from participation in official dialogue. The study concludes with implications for language policy creation and implementation for out-of-classroom English use in EFL educational institutions.

Mutual recognition of certification systems: The case of SERMO and ACLES

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-319
Author(s):  
Julia Zabala-Delgado ◽  
Barbara Sawicka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mutual Recognition ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Strong Basis ◽  
The Bologna Process ◽  
Staff Exchange

Abstract The Association of Language Centres in Higher Education in Spain (ACLES) and the Association of Academic Foreign Language Centres in Poland (SERMO) established the mutual recognition of their English language competence certificates (CertAcles and ACERT examinations) in 2017, on the basis of previously performed analyses of routine pre-exam and exam procedures, specifications and applied evaluation criteria. This paper represents a further step towards comparability by reporting the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of data from a summer examination session in 2018 carried out with Spanish and Polish students who took a commonly developed English exam combining the features of both certification systems. The exams were carried out at Universitat Politècnica de València (ACLES) and Poznan University of Technology (SERMO) and the data was collected by means of test scores, student and teacher questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The results obtained are encouraging and provide a strong basis for further collaboration between the certification systems. Furthermore, they give support to the mutual recognition of our certificates while encouraging similar studies with other non-commercial university accreditation frameworks. These initiatives are in line with the objectives of the Bologna Process, facilitating student and staff exchange between institutions within the European Higher Education Area.

scholarly journals Teacher Fellow accreditation – a madrigal of voices! But is it the right tune? Tensions of standardisation, engagement and neoliberalism

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazel Kershaw-Solomon ◽  
Nick Beech ◽  
Jeff Gold ◽  
Julia Claxton ◽  
Tricia Auty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competency Frameworks ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact competency frameworks as standardisation can have on the employee engagement of academic staff within higher education (HE) through their employment as managerial tools. Design/methodology/approach A literature review is conducted from which the conditions for effective competency frameworks are evaluated and the influence of changes in the HE environment in the form of political agendas and tight resources are explored. Findings This paper provides insights into the dynamics of public service modernisation and the tensions between the dominant discourse of managerialism and the degree of agency afforded to professional academics. It highlights the relevance of informal peer relationships in setting the climate to generate collegial bonding and professional engagement that underpin successful teacher fellowship accreditations. It further highlights the key role managers play in this process and provides a conceptual framework highlighting the dynamics and combined effect of employee engagement and competency frameworks set within complex HE environment. Practical implications This paper brings together the prerequisites for effective implementation of competency frameworks to implement successful employee engagement strategies set within the complexities of the HE context, which has not been studied to date. Armed with such insights, Human Resource Development (HRD) departments and universities can implement competency assessments that generate greater staff engagement. Originality/value The paper provides a critical approach in reviewing the impact of Continued Professional Development and its link to professional status and thus helps British Universities and others to understand how the mechanisms at work affect engagement levels of academic staff. Armed with this depth of understanding of how the change initiative works, with whom and under what circumstances, universities will be better able to meet target UK Professional Standards Framework membership levels required by the higher education academy (HEA) and, subsequently, the HEA to meet their targets for the government.

scholarly journals The Impact of Faculty Experience with Emergency Remote Teaching: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-23
Author(s):  
Maha Al-Freih
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this phenomenological study is to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of remote teaching on instructors’ perceptions of online learning and future teaching practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze open-ended semi-structured interviews conducted with five higher education faculty in Saudi Arabia. Three major themes were identified: enhancing student engagement; increased awareness of technology affordances and constraints; and moving from emergency remote teaching to technology-enhanced and blended learning. Participants of this study were mainly concerned about finding ways to support active student engagement in this new learning environment, which in turn increased their awareness of the educational affordances and constraints of online learning and technologies. Participants’ deeper understanding of the potential of online technologies in supporting student learning, as well as their own and students’ increased familiarity and comfort with online learning and technologies, served as the main drivers for potential future implementation of blended learning and technology-enhanced teaching practices. With that said, participants were still apprehensive about engaging in fully online teaching, arguing that blended strategies and enhanced-technology integration are more likely to overcome some of the limitations of face-to-face teaching and improve the overall learning experience for their students. Discussion of these findings in relation to the extant literature and their implications for higher education institutions moving forward are provided.

Higher education institutions, PRME and partnerships for the goals: retrofit labeling or driving force for change?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Hauser ◽  
Annmarie Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Current Mode ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Important Variation ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to propose a framework to map partnerships as practiced in higher education institutions (HEIs) and trace the current mode of engagement between HEIs and their partners. This paper reflects on the alignment between current practices and what is understood in the literature as “true” partnerships. We are interested in the different modes of engagement that are labeled by the HEIs as partnerships and consider the plasticity of the term. The interest is in how the term is operationalized by HEIs and how variations in approach can be accounted for while still maintaining some stability and common understanding of the term partnership. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on extant literature in the field of cross-sector partnerships, a three-dimensional framework is proposed to map partnerships as practiced in HEIs. Furthermore, this paper draws on insights gained from the partnership stories of 13 leading principles of responsible management education (PRME) signatories to evidence examples of how this framework can help us to categorize the different types of engagement that the HEIs call partnerships. These case stories were gathered in the fall of 2019, based on a brief inquiry form sent to the 39 PRME signatories who were part of the PRME Champions Cycle 2018–2019. Findings This paper sees cases where faculty drive interaction on sustainable development goal-related issues with external stakeholders, but where the impact of these interactions seems to reside within the main business of the HEI (teaching and research). In contrast, much partnering work addresses broader social impacts. Of particular, interest in partnerships that seek to address a specific local issue, first and foremost and doing so in such a way as to apply the unique resources of the HEI working in multi-stakeholder networks. This paper also notes important variation between individual faculty-driven initiatives and initiatives where the school provides a strategic framework to support these efforts. Research limitations/implications By focusing on the academic sector and its stakeholder partnerships, this paper contributes to the literature on cross-sector partnerships. In particular, the specifics of this context and the importance of, for example, academic freedom have been under-researched in this field. Furthermore, the framework presented is novel in that it helps us to grasp the nuances of external university partnerships that can form out of individual, programmatic and other institutional levels. Practical implications From a practice perspective, the framework offers a useable tool for HEI partnership managers to position themselves and their activities and reflect more on how they organize external partnerships. Further, this tool offers a more precise framework for the discussion on partnerships within the PRME to sharpen the partnership instrument and bring more clarity about what is meant by the partnership for the goals. Originality/value The paper offers a novel partnership portfolio framework that contributes both to theory and practice. The framework aids in mapping the locus of benefits/outcomes and the material and affective commitments made by the HEI to bring these collaborations about. In dimensionalizing partnerships in this way, this paper can conceptualize a balanced portfolio in an HEI’s partnerships for the goals.

Facebook as Complementary Teaching Material: Reconceptualizing the Context Boundaries of Formal and Informal Learning in EFL Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Iman Abbas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Survey Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Skills Learning

This article is a case study that aims to understand and explore a teacher's perspective about integrating Facebook as an informal social platform into the EFL classroom in a higher education context in Oman. The study further aims to identify the attitudes and perspectives of a group of students belonging to the same context. Research data came from semi-structured interviews with a teacher participant and a survey questionnaire with student participants. The study provides a set of findings based on interview data analysis and questionnaire survey analysis. The study's findings revealed the teacher and students' positive attitudes and perspectives towards the role of Facebook in boosting pedagogical practices and increasing English language skills learning. This study contributes to knowledge by providing insights on the integration of Facebook as an informal platform into the formal curriculum-based learning in TESOL. The insights and findings are of value to the teachers and instructors in EFL higher education contexts. Pedagogical implications for ESL (English as a second language) and EFL (English as a foreign language) and researchers are offered in the light of these results.

Entry Barriers for Academically-Underprepared African American Students at American Institutions

2022 ◽  
pp. 105-124
Author(s):  
John Robert Harrell II
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
African American ◽  
Education System ◽  
English Language ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
African American College Students ◽  
Racial Oppression ◽  
The Impact

The impact of systematic racism within the education system has been a web that researchers have aimed at detangling for many years. The myriad effects that racial oppression have had on the education system are numerous; one area of overwhelming concern is the impact on incoming students' readiness to do college-level work in math and English language arts. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the historical implications that race has had on systems of higher education and to describe the perceptions of a subset of African American college students in Texas regarding barriers to college access and program completion during times of crisis. The researcher will use the historical context of racial oppression and the establishment of higher education systems. The demographics shifts to provide a lens through which the perceptions of a sample of African American college students' experiences can be viewed. Ultimately, this chapter aims to share the lived experiences of these students and give voice to college success data.

Knowledge Management Trends

2011 ◽  
pp. 3475-3483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Petrides ◽  
Lilly Ngyuen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Systemwide Change

While the pressure of public accountability has placed increasing pressure on higher education institutions to provide information regarding critical outcomes, this chapter describes how knowledge management (KM) can be used by educational institutions to gain a more comprehensive, integrative, and reflexive understanding of the impact of information on their organizations. The practice of KM, initially derived from theory and practice in the business sector, has typically been used to address isolated data and information transfer, rather than actual systemwide change. However, higher education institutions should not simply appropriate KM strategies and practices as they have appeared in the business sector. Instead, higher education institutions should use KM to focus on long-term, organization-wide strategies.

scholarly journals Omani Students’ Perceptive of Communicative Language Teaching Approach in Higher Education in Oman: Its Practice

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (21) ◽  
pp. 1333
Author(s):  
Mouza Said Al Kalbani ◽  
Josu Solabarrieta ◽  
Ahmad Bin Touq
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Approach ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to analyze and understand learners’ attitudes towards Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in a foreign language context in higher education in Oman. In the literature review, learners’ attitudes play a strong role in determining the success of innovations in instructional practices (Savignon and Wang 2003). In addition to that, this study is considered as an evaluative study to explore teachers’ implication of CLT and the impact of this implication on students “communicative competence”, which is considered as an ultimate goal of communicative language teaching in a foreign langue context (FL). The importance of this study is due to its significance to come up with a clear understanding of Omani learners’ beliefs considering teaching and learning process. It also aims to specify the impact of CLT as an effective teaching approach in English as a foreign language (EFL) among higher education students and to specify any difficulties or challenges that might hinder CLT implementation in the Omani context. To achieve this, a quantitative study had been used to collect data from both teachers and learners. The participants of this study were 631 students (189 male and 391 female) who were enrolled in Intensive English language programs (IELP) in Foundation Institute (FI) in two Universities (210 students from public university and 421 students from private university) and those participants were from three different English proficiency levels (247 level 1, 155 level 2 and 229 level 3). The analysis revealed that students perceived classroom’s practice to be more oriented towards using strategic and grammatical competence and less towards sociolinguistic and intercultural competences. Additionally, Omani learners reported statistically significant correlation between CLT practice. The students’ gender, language proficiency and education context affected how students perceived classroom practice.

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