Voices of Future Educators: Graduate Students’ Conceptions about Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Teaching and learning as a process and concept is often researched through the viewpoint of graduate students as future educators in their respective fields. The aim of this study was to explore graduate students’ conceptions, experiences, and advice about teaching and learning as they embark on their journey as educators. Through purposive sampling, data were collected from students in the final year of their master’s program in education at a large university in Saudi Arabia. A qualitative content analysis of students’ written responses revealed three main themes: 1) definitions of teaching and learning were either teacher-led (predominant) or student-focused; 2) practical activities and assignments framed students’ memorable experiences; and, 3) updated, diverse methodologies including practical applications formed the main advice for educators. Student conceptions of teaching and learning, while predominantly teacher-led, illustrated elements of student-centered learning. An underlying trend throughout the data was an awareness and description of the ongoing transition from teacher-centered/led to student-centered classrooms in their higher education experiences. Implications of this study include reflection on teaching and student-centered learning as a concept and process in graduate-level education programs and faculty academic development and reconsideration of the traditional faculty-student relationship to a more cooperative and involved one, particularly at the graduate level. Received: 12 July 2021 / Accepted: 20 August 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Cloud-Based Learning Management: An Effective Learning during Social Distancing

Teaching and learning as a process and concept is often researched through the viewpoint of graduate students as future educators in their respective fields. The aim of this study was to explore graduate students’ conceptions, experiences, and advice about teaching and learning as they embark on their journey as educators. Through purposive sampling, data were collected from students in the final year of their master’s program in education at a large university in Saudi Arabia. A qualitative content analysis of students’ written responses revealed three main themes: 1) definitions of teaching and learning were either teacher-led (predominant) or student-focused; 2) practical activities and assignments framed students’ memorable experiences; and, 3) updated, diverse methodologies including practical applications formed the main advice for educators. Student conceptions of teaching and learning, while predominantly teacher-led, illustrated elements of student-centered learning. An underlying trend throughout the data was an awareness and description of the ongoing transition from teacher-centered/led to student-centered classrooms in their higher education experiences. Implications of this study include reflection on teaching and student-centered learning as a concept and process in graduate-level education programs and faculty academic development and reconsideration of the traditional faculty-student relationship to a more cooperative and involved one, particularly at the graduate level. Received: 23 June 2021 / Accepted: 4 August 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Exploration of the Experiences That Shape Engineering Students’ Entrepreneurial Mindset Development

The overall purpose of this research is to be able to understand how engineering students believe they are developing EM throughout their higher education experiences. Is EM development attributed to the inclusion of EM based projects and activities within their engineering course work? Perhaps, EM development occurs more readily through engineering students’ participation in extracurricular or co-curricular activities? Alternatively, maybe EM development is not tied to the higher education ecosystem at all, and engineering students develop EM as a result of job or volunteer experiences. As such, this research study seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) Which types of experiences contribute to engineering students' EM development? And (2) What types of attributes of EM do engineering students perceive are developed through these experiences? The study involves a qualitative analysis of engineering student interviews to determine the experiences that have contributed to student EM development as well as EM traits that were specifically focused upon within these experiences. Through understanding engineering students’ perceptions of how they developed an EM, it will provide the necessary information to determine best practices for EM student development in the future.

Enhancing social work education’s diversity-oriented perspective by integrating refugees into higher education: Experiences from the ‘refugee crisis’ in Germany

This note describes how integrating refugees into programs of social work education at universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany influenced the education provided, especially in rural areas where student bodies tend to be homogeneous groups. The refugees enrolled in social work courses changed those mostly homogeneous groups of students not only with their presence but moreover by introducing new perspectives on course content. As the changes prompted shifts in the global mindedness of fellow students and the teaching staff, the quality of the programs was enhanced.

Dialectics of Transnational Mobility, Class, and Cultural-Intermediary among Indonesian Student-Migrant Workers in South Korea

Cosmopolitanism among migrant workers may present as the result of interpretations between transnational mobility, class, and cultural intermediary. Applying the ethnographic method this research was carried out during 2018-2019, which took Indonesian student-migrant workers aged 20-35 years in South Korea as informants. Travel and immigration, and higher education experiences have left Indonesian migrant workers at work in any places both in and out of campus areas. These practices show that the broader social, cultural, and individual agendas are one way of recognizing a new cosmopolitanism. There are two factors influence the cosmopolitanism process of Indonesian migrant workers; first, the transnational migration process. Second, the process of cultural intermediation in universities. This study reveals significant differences in how Indonesian migrant workers respond to the possibilities and opportunities of transnational mobility, from developing the cultural acceptance skills needed in their life trajectories for building network relationships with other transnational actors. Higher education for migrant workers has introduced another form of work, namely cultural intermediation, which can be seen as a cosmopolitan process.

The Flipped Classroom Model in Libyan Higher Education: Experiences with Students of Computer Principles

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the flipped learning approach in a computer principles course at Alasmarya Islamic University, Libya. Background: The reason for this consideration was to evaluate the viability of conventional lecture-based educational programmes versus the active learning of computer concepts in flipped classrooms for college economics students at the Alasmarya Islamic University. Methodology: The experiment was applied to two groups: one, class A, undertook the course through the traditional method, while the other, class B, undertook the course according to the flipped classroom model. Class A students had to attend a face-to-face classroom lecture, while Class B students had to watch a pre-recorded YouTube lecture before attending class. Findings: The findings show that students participating in the flipped classroom were satisfied with this model, which produced a positive effect on students’ achievements in higher education. The flipped model also has the ability to increase students’ motivation to teach themselves compared with the traditional model. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study recommends the use of flipped learning paradigm to teach in higher education in Libya, as the teachers who applied flipped learning may also provide students with the opportunity to practice and improve their independent learning.

Teacher Experiences in Converting Classes to Distance Learning in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The authors conducted a worldwide survey to explore the experiences of higher education faculty who converted classes to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents experienced much higher workloads and stress than in face-to-face classes. Previous experience with Online Distance Learning (ODL) predicted positive faculty response. Less than half used a school-provided LMS, instead using a wide range of other technologies. Respondents said they learned the need for adaptability and good planning, emphasizing doing what it takes to serve their students. There was high variability in most answers, indicating that the experiences of individual teachers ranged widely between positive and negative. The researchers provide recommendations based on the findings, including the need for better ODL instructional design training as part of long-term professional development for faculty and remembering the importance of all student higher education experiences, many of which are beyond the scope of the actual classes.

Student Perspectives on Educational Helping Instructor–Student Relationships

The instructor–student relationship may be understood as an educational helping relationship. Through interviews with 15 participants enrolled in masters or doctoral programs in education, this qualitative study explored graduate students’ perceptions of educational helping instructor–student relationships over the entirety of their higher education experiences. Participants discussed the structuring of instructor–student relationships in terms of perceived level of care and nurture, family as a metaphor for instructor–student relationships, and the quality of class participation. Implications for practice and research are offered.