Pub Date : 2022-07-19DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2094815
L. Sercu
ABSTRACT Intercultural competence is an increasingly desirable life skill in a multicultural and globalized world. To promote this learning outcome, higher education institutions can offer internationalization activities both at home and abroad. Research investigating to what extent ‘Internationalization at home’ (IaH) initiatives, as opposed to study abroad, affect the development of intercultural competence (IC) in students, especially in universities where the home student population is still mainly white, like at the university in focus in this paper, is scarce. This survey study aimed to gain insights into the intercultural competence of 506 Flemish university students, and the factors predominantly positively affecting IC development. Our findings reveal that study abroad, participation in cocurricular IaH initiatives, foreign language mastery and use, and the personality traits agreeableness and openness have a bearing on IC and feature among the main explanatory factors. Overall, the findings suggest that the 60,000 student European research university in focus appears successful at having created a study environment that is truly international and can contribute to IC development over the years of study. Via the integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments, it contributes to developing international and intercultural mindsets in students.
{"title":"Internationalization at home as a factor affecting intercultural competence. A study among Belgian university students","authors":"L. Sercu","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2094815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2094815","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT\u0000 Intercultural competence is an increasingly desirable life skill in a multicultural and globalized world. To promote this learning outcome, higher education institutions can offer internationalization activities both at home and abroad. Research investigating to what extent ‘Internationalization at home’ (IaH) initiatives, as opposed to study abroad, affect the development of intercultural competence (IC) in students, especially in universities where the home student population is still mainly white, like at the university in focus in this paper, is scarce. This survey study aimed to gain insights into the intercultural competence of 506 Flemish university students, and the factors predominantly positively affecting IC development. Our findings reveal that study abroad, participation in cocurricular IaH initiatives, foreign language mastery and use, and the personality traits agreeableness and openness have a bearing on IC and feature among the main explanatory factors. Overall, the findings suggest that the 60,000 student European research university in focus appears successful at having created a study environment that is truly international and can contribute to IC development over the years of study. Via the integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments, it contributes to developing international and intercultural mindsets in students.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80618364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-06DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2094816
F. Kaiser, Ana I. Melo, A. Hou
ABSTRACT In the last years, ‘new’ policy issues, such as sustainability, have emerged, and old ones, such as social inclusion, have resurfaced on the political and public agendas. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly expected to respond to these ‘new’ challenges. But how are HE systems and HEIs (namely in Europe and Asia) looking at these ‘new’ policy issues and assessing them? This article focuses on what issues are being looked at by two of the most well-known tools or mechanisms used to assess the quality of HE – quality assurance and rankings – and how are these tools dealing with these ‘new’ challenges. This article concludes that the role of the ‘new’ policy issues in the assessment of institutional performance and quality is still very limited. Developing indicators that may be used for accountability purposes or improvement purposes is a major challenge that lies ahead. Facilitating the exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge on how to measure performance on the ‘new’ policy issues and on how to use that information in any of the rationale settings seems to be a promising way forward to get the ‘new’ policy issues embedded in quality assurance tools.
{"title":"Are quality assurance and rankings useful tools to measure ‘new’ policy issues in higher education? The practices in Europe and Asia","authors":"F. Kaiser, Ana I. Melo, A. Hou","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2094816","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2094816","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In the last years, ‘new’ policy issues, such as sustainability, have emerged, and old ones, such as social inclusion, have resurfaced on the political and public agendas. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly expected to respond to these ‘new’ challenges. But how are HE systems and HEIs (namely in Europe and Asia) looking at these ‘new’ policy issues and assessing them? This article focuses on what issues are being looked at by two of the most well-known tools or mechanisms used to assess the quality of HE – quality assurance and rankings – and how are these tools dealing with these ‘new’ challenges. This article concludes that the role of the ‘new’ policy issues in the assessment of institutional performance and quality is still very limited. Developing indicators that may be used for accountability purposes or improvement purposes is a major challenge that lies ahead. Facilitating the exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge on how to measure performance on the ‘new’ policy issues and on how to use that information in any of the rationale settings seems to be a promising way forward to get the ‘new’ policy issues embedded in quality assurance tools.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"29 1","pages":"391 - 415"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74791634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-06DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2096091
João M. Santos, Yingxin Liu, Hei-hang Hayes Tang
ABSTRACT This paper investigates the research agendas of academics in Asia and Europe with reference to cultural influences rooted in the two continents. Unlike studies on the influence of culture on research that focus on only one or a few countries, this study explores the relationship between cultural dimensions and research agendas at the continental level, across Europe and Asia. The study uses general linear modelling with interaction terms to identify how cultural dimensions influence research agendas and how their influence differs between Europe and Asia. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model and the Multidimensional Research Agendas Inventory-Revised scale are adopted in this study, as measures of cultural dimensions and research agenda-setting, respectively. The results show that culture influences several aspects of research agenda-setting in both Asia and Europe, but these dynamics are not always identical across continents. These findings are relevant both for academics studying the cultural dynamics of science, and also for policymakers who need to consider these cultural dimensions while striving to promote specific research agendas.
{"title":"Research agendas and culture: a new approach to analysing the academic profession in Asia and Europe","authors":"João M. Santos, Yingxin Liu, Hei-hang Hayes Tang","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2096091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2096091","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper investigates the research agendas of academics in Asia and Europe with reference to cultural influences rooted in the two continents. Unlike studies on the influence of culture on research that focus on only one or a few countries, this study explores the relationship between cultural dimensions and research agendas at the continental level, across Europe and Asia. The study uses general linear modelling with interaction terms to identify how cultural dimensions influence research agendas and how their influence differs between Europe and Asia. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model and the Multidimensional Research Agendas Inventory-Revised scale are adopted in this study, as measures of cultural dimensions and research agenda-setting, respectively. The results show that culture influences several aspects of research agenda-setting in both Asia and Europe, but these dynamics are not always identical across continents. These findings are relevant both for academics studying the cultural dynamics of science, and also for policymakers who need to consider these cultural dimensions while striving to promote specific research agendas.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"518 1","pages":"434 - 455"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77170818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-29DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2080729
A. Marczuk
ABSTRACT Understanding why students drop out from university has received much research attention. While the influence of students’ individual characteristics is well understood, the role of universities, however, has rather been neglected. This study draws attention to the effect of study conditions on individual dropout intention. On focus is the structure of the curriculum, achievement norms and the practical component of higher education programmes. A modified cost-benefit approach is introduced, systematising the most prominent individual dropout factors identified by prior research. It is assumed that these factors mediate the effect of study conditions on dropout intention. Analyses are conducted using the German Student Survey data (2000–2016), allowing an aggregated measurement of study conditions at the broad field of study level. Multilevel regression models support most of the theoretical assumptions: whereas a more highly structured curriculum improves students’ academic self-efficacy, and thus lowers their dropout intention, practical components have a similar effect by promising benefits in the form of good job preparation. On the other hand, achievement norms increase dropout intention by lowering performance or by leading to high psychological burdens. The results emphasise that study conditions play a significant role in student success by driving the main individual dropout factors.
{"title":"Is it all about individual effort? The effect of study conditions on student dropout intention","authors":"A. Marczuk","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2080729","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2080729","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Understanding why students drop out from university has received much research attention. While the influence of students’ individual characteristics is well understood, the role of universities, however, has rather been neglected. This study draws attention to the effect of study conditions on individual dropout intention. On focus is the structure of the curriculum, achievement norms and the practical component of higher education programmes. A modified cost-benefit approach is introduced, systematising the most prominent individual dropout factors identified by prior research. It is assumed that these factors mediate the effect of study conditions on dropout intention. Analyses are conducted using the German Student Survey data (2000–2016), allowing an aggregated measurement of study conditions at the broad field of study level. Multilevel regression models support most of the theoretical assumptions: whereas a more highly structured curriculum improves students’ academic self-efficacy, and thus lowers their dropout intention, practical components have a similar effect by promising benefits in the form of good job preparation. On the other hand, achievement norms increase dropout intention by lowering performance or by leading to high psychological burdens. The results emphasise that study conditions play a significant role in student success by driving the main individual dropout factors.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"381 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78971435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-19DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2075417
Katri Kleemola, Heidi Hyytinen, A. Toom
ABSTRACT Critical thinking, a complex set of cognitive skills, and the ability to communicate one’s thoughts are vital in successful studying for new higher education students. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of socioeconomic background and prior academic performance on new students’ critical thinking and writing. The participants were 1006 first-year students from a range of disciplines in 18 Finnish higher education institutions. An open-ended performance task was used to investigate students’ critical thinking and writing. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The grade in the native language and the scholarly culture of a student's childhood home were found to be the most important predictors of strong critical thinking and writing. In contrast, parents’ education and students’ grades in mathematics were not significant. As Finnish student admissions are reformed, there is a growing need to understand the predictive value of relevant background factors. Findings give insights into the development of admissions and remind developers that not all prior performances have equal predictive value. Findings invite careful consideration in determining which skills are necessary for new students. It is suggested that in future research, a wider range of skills should be investigated.
{"title":"Critical thinking and writing in transition to higher education in Finland: do prior academic performance and socioeconomic background matter?","authors":"Katri Kleemola, Heidi Hyytinen, A. Toom","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2075417","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2075417","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Critical thinking, a complex set of cognitive skills, and the ability to communicate one’s thoughts are vital in successful studying for new higher education students. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of socioeconomic background and prior academic performance on new students’ critical thinking and writing. The participants were 1006 first-year students from a range of disciplines in 18 Finnish higher education institutions. An open-ended performance task was used to investigate students’ critical thinking and writing. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The grade in the native language and the scholarly culture of a student's childhood home were found to be the most important predictors of strong critical thinking and writing. In contrast, parents’ education and students’ grades in mathematics were not significant. As Finnish student admissions are reformed, there is a growing need to understand the predictive value of relevant background factors. Findings give insights into the development of admissions and remind developers that not all prior performances have equal predictive value. Findings invite careful consideration in determining which skills are necessary for new students. It is suggested that in future research, a wider range of skills should be investigated.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87359019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-05DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2068637
Cristina López-Duarte, J. Maley, Marta M. Vidal‐Suárez
ABSTRACT International mobility is an integral part of higher education strategy in Europe. This action has triggered the development of the Erasmus program, the most popular scheme for student credit mobility at the European level. Although the program has generally been a success, it also endures several weaknesses, among them, the financial and social selectivity that prevents many students from participating. International credit virtual mobility (ICVM) is an alternative that facilitates mobility to a broader range of students. However, there is a lack of research that analyses students’ perspectives and attitudes to ICVM programs. This study aims to explore the students’ profiles, needs and expectations related to these mobility programs. The empirical analysis relies on a sample of over 1000 Spanish students involved in international physical and virtual credit mobility programs from 2018 to 2021.
{"title":"International mobility in higher education: students’ attitude to international credit virtual mobility programs","authors":"Cristina López-Duarte, J. Maley, Marta M. Vidal‐Suárez","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2068637","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2068637","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT International mobility is an integral part of higher education strategy in Europe. This action has triggered the development of the Erasmus program, the most popular scheme for student credit mobility at the European level. Although the program has generally been a success, it also endures several weaknesses, among them, the financial and social selectivity that prevents many students from participating. International credit virtual mobility (ICVM) is an alternative that facilitates mobility to a broader range of students. However, there is a lack of research that analyses students’ perspectives and attitudes to ICVM programs. This study aims to explore the students’ profiles, needs and expectations related to these mobility programs. The empirical analysis relies on a sample of over 1000 Spanish students involved in international physical and virtual credit mobility programs from 2018 to 2021.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75339559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-16DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2060846
T. Siekkinen, E. Pekkola, T. Nokkala
ABSTRACT The role of universities in knowledge production has changed. Although most higher learning still takes place in universities, knowledge is increasingly produced in collaborative networks comprising partners from different sectors (Välimaa, Papatsiba, and Hoffman, 2016. “Higher Education in Networked Knowledge Societies.” In Re-becoming Universities, The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective. Vol. 15, edited by D. M. Hoffman and J. Välimaa, 13–39. Dordrecht: Springer). In addition, the focus of universities’ personnel policies has shifted from supporting professional inclusion and exclusion towards supporting the national development of talent and human capital. New kinds of networks and collaborative arrangements have emerged to facilitate the mobility of academics between universities and other sectors. This paper draws upon survey data collected in 2017 from PhD graduates working in universities and the private and public sector in Finland, in order to explore their perceptions related to the relevance of their work, and their commitment to the organisation and the scientific community. We found some differences between the private sector, and the public sector and universities, and between disciplines. Between public sector and universities only small differences occurred. The results indicate that the research work between sectors is rather similar according to the indicators that were used, in some cases the differences might be more significant between disciplines.
大学在知识生产中的角色发生了变化。虽然大多数高等教育仍然在大学进行，但知识越来越多地在由不同部门的合作伙伴组成的协作网络中产生(Välimaa, Papatsiba, and Hoffman, 2016)。网络知识社会中的高等教育。在重新成为大学中，变化的学院——国际比较视角下变化的学术职业。第15卷，由d.m. Hoffman和J.编辑Välimaa, 13-39页。多德雷赫特:施普林格)。此外，大学人事政策的重点已经从支持专业包容和排斥转向支持国家人才和人力资本的发展。新型的网络和合作安排已经出现，以促进大学和其他部门之间的学术流动。本文借鉴了2017年从芬兰大学、私营和公共部门工作的博士毕业生中收集的调查数据，以探索他们对工作相关性的看法，以及他们对组织和科学界的承诺。我们发现在私营部门、公共部门和大学之间，以及不同学科之间存在一些差异。公共部门和大学之间的差异很小。结果表明，从所使用的指标来看，各部门之间的研究工作相当相似，在某些情况下，学科之间的差异可能更为显著。
{"title":"Visible organisational boundaries and the invisible boundaries of the scholarly profession","authors":"T. Siekkinen, E. Pekkola, T. Nokkala","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2060846","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2060846","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The role of universities in knowledge production has changed. Although most higher learning still takes place in universities, knowledge is increasingly produced in collaborative networks comprising partners from different sectors (Välimaa, Papatsiba, and Hoffman, 2016. “Higher Education in Networked Knowledge Societies.” In Re-becoming Universities, The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective. Vol. 15, edited by D. M. Hoffman and J. Välimaa, 13–39. Dordrecht: Springer). In addition, the focus of universities’ personnel policies has shifted from supporting professional inclusion and exclusion towards supporting the national development of talent and human capital. New kinds of networks and collaborative arrangements have emerged to facilitate the mobility of academics between universities and other sectors. This paper draws upon survey data collected in 2017 from PhD graduates working in universities and the private and public sector in Finland, in order to explore their perceptions related to the relevance of their work, and their commitment to the organisation and the scientific community. We found some differences between the private sector, and the public sector and universities, and between disciplines. Between public sector and universities only small differences occurred. The results indicate that the research work between sectors is rather similar according to the indicators that were used, in some cases the differences might be more significant between disciplines.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"401 1","pages":"415 - 434"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76530061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-08DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2058045
J. E. Schijf, G. P. van der Werf, E. Jansen
ABSTRACT The growing number of interdisciplinary degree programmes offered at comprehensive research universities aim to ensure that students gain interdisciplinary understanding, defined as knowledge and skills that provide them with the means to produce cognitive enhancements that would not be possible through monodisciplinary programmes. Previous studies suggest that interdisciplinary understanding comprises six main elements: knowledge of different disciplinary paradigms, knowledge of interdisciplinarity, reflection skills, critical reflection skills, communication skills, and collaboration skills. However, empirical evidence to support this conceptualised model is lacking. The current study therefore proposes an Interdisciplinary Understanding Questionnaire (24 items) to assess this model. Its construct validity and measurement invariance were tested among 505 first-year Bachelor’s students from different academic disciplines (e.g. humanities, science, social sciences). A (multigroup) confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the conceptualised model of interdisciplinary understanding, as well as measurement invariance across academic disciplines. Implications for educational practice, for instance regarding student assessment and quality assurance, are discussed.
{"title":"Measuring interdisciplinary understanding in higher education","authors":"J. E. Schijf, G. P. van der Werf, E. Jansen","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2058045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2058045","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The growing number of interdisciplinary degree programmes offered at comprehensive research universities aim to ensure that students gain interdisciplinary understanding, defined as knowledge and skills that provide them with the means to produce cognitive enhancements that would not be possible through monodisciplinary programmes. Previous studies suggest that interdisciplinary understanding comprises six main elements: knowledge of different disciplinary paradigms, knowledge of interdisciplinarity, reflection skills, critical reflection skills, communication skills, and collaboration skills. However, empirical evidence to support this conceptualised model is lacking. The current study therefore proposes an Interdisciplinary Understanding Questionnaire (24 items) to assess this model. Its construct validity and measurement invariance were tested among 505 first-year Bachelor’s students from different academic disciplines (e.g. humanities, science, social sciences). A (multigroup) confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the conceptualised model of interdisciplinary understanding, as well as measurement invariance across academic disciplines. Implications for educational practice, for instance regarding student assessment and quality assurance, are discussed.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82579965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-02DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2058975
Siru Myllykoski-Laine, Juulia Lahdenperä, Leena Nikander, Liisa Postareff
ABSTRACT To face the challenges demanded by a changing and uncertain world, it is essential for students to develop generic competences during their studies. However, recent research shows worrying results concerning the development of generic competences among higher education students. This quantitative study explores students’ experiences of the development of generic competences and the connections to the experiences of the teaching-learning environment at a university of applied sciences. Further, the significance of the students’ approaches to learning is examined. Generic competences were examined on two dimensions: (1) constructing and applying knowledge and (2) collaboration and communication. Through a path analysis (N = 191), the study showed that students’ experiences of the interest and relevance of the studies and working-life orientation were directly connected to the development of competence in constructing and applying knowledge. The students’ experiences of peer support were directly connected to the development of competences in collaboration and communication. Some differences were detected in how students who adopted different approaches to learning reported the relations between their experience of the teaching-learning environment and generic competences. The study has implications for the development of teaching-learning environments where pedagogical practices should be in accordance with the expected development of generic competences.
{"title":"Students’ experiences of the development of generic competences in the Finnish higher education context – the role of the teaching-learning environment and approaches to learning","authors":"Siru Myllykoski-Laine, Juulia Lahdenperä, Leena Nikander, Liisa Postareff","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2058975","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2058975","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT To face the challenges demanded by a changing and uncertain world, it is essential for students to develop generic competences during their studies. However, recent research shows worrying results concerning the development of generic competences among higher education students. This quantitative study explores students’ experiences of the development of generic competences and the connections to the experiences of the teaching-learning environment at a university of applied sciences. Further, the significance of the students’ approaches to learning is examined. Generic competences were examined on two dimensions: (1) constructing and applying knowledge and (2) collaboration and communication. Through a path analysis (N = 191), the study showed that students’ experiences of the interest and relevance of the studies and working-life orientation were directly connected to the development of competence in constructing and applying knowledge. The students’ experiences of peer support were directly connected to the development of competences in collaboration and communication. Some differences were detected in how students who adopted different approaches to learning reported the relations between their experience of the teaching-learning environment and generic competences. The study has implications for the development of teaching-learning environments where pedagogical practices should be in accordance with the expected development of generic competences.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76470979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-29DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2022.2056494
Andreas Hadjar, Christina Haas, I. Gewinner
ABSTRACT Based on the classic models developed by Spady and Tinto on the link between social and academic integration and dropout, we propose a refined model to explain dropout intentions – relating to dropout from higher education (HE) and dropout from a specific study programme – that more strongly emphasises individual background characteristics (e.g. gender, social origin, and immigration background). Additionally, we consider students’ satisfaction with the institutional support structures. Using Eurostudent survey data, this conceptual model was tested using structural equation modelling in the international and diverse HE context of Luxembourg. While the fitted model confirmed most of the expected associations of the conventional Spady–Tinto approach, initial study commitment was not linked to social integration (contacts with fellow students). We were able to identify satisfaction with institutional support as a key factor in explaining dropout intention, thus contributing to existing knowledge. In addition, we found that the link between socioeconomic factors and dropout intention from a study programme is not entirely mediated by the Spady–Tinto factors of commitment and integration.
{"title":"Refining the Spady–Tinto approach: the roles of individual characteristics and institutional support in students’ higher education dropout intentions in Luxembourg","authors":"Andreas Hadjar, Christina Haas, I. Gewinner","doi":"10.1080/21568235.2022.2056494","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2056494","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Based on the classic models developed by Spady and Tinto on the link between social and academic integration and dropout, we propose a refined model to explain dropout intentions – relating to dropout from higher education (HE) and dropout from a specific study programme – that more strongly emphasises individual background characteristics (e.g. gender, social origin, and immigration background). Additionally, we consider students’ satisfaction with the institutional support structures. Using Eurostudent survey data, this conceptual model was tested using structural equation modelling in the international and diverse HE context of Luxembourg. While the fitted model confirmed most of the expected associations of the conventional Spady–Tinto approach, initial study commitment was not linked to social integration (contacts with fellow students). We were able to identify satisfaction with institutional support as a key factor in explaining dropout intention, thus contributing to existing knowledge. In addition, we found that the link between socioeconomic factors and dropout intention from a study programme is not entirely mediated by the Spady–Tinto factors of commitment and integration.","PeriodicalId":37345,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75733809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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