Perspectives in Education最新文献

{"title":"Academic burnout among Open Distance e-Learning students during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"A. Fynn","doi":"10.38140/pie.v40i4.6298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.38140/pie.v40i4.6298","url":null,"abstract":"The transition to online learning at a time of intensive efforts to ensure that the academic project continued under the trying conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic placed intense pressure on both staff and students, increasing their workload. The increased workload placed students at a risk of burnout. While most burnout research focuses on the workplace, there is growing recognition that study activities can have a similar impact on students. The study drew on the conceptualisation of various authors on burnout which is conceived as three subdomains, namely, emotional exhaustion, cynicism and feelings of low accomplishment or inefficacy. This study made use of a cross-sectional survey design. The sample for the study was drawn from students at an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) institution in South Africa using a census sampling approach. The findings of this study show relatively low levels of burnout and high levels of study engagement among respondents. This is despite most respondents reporting being employed while studying. Furthermore, the relationship between dropout intention and burnout was weak but significant. Further areas of research in this field could include students from contact institutions, or a focus on postgraduate students who are employed while studying or explore gender differences among students in different fields of study.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85461345","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}

{"title":"Insights into community engagement at a University of Technology in South Africa","authors":"S. Chandramohan, R. Bhagwan","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i2.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i2.14","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88229460","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}

{"title":"Mitigating the digital divide in the South African higher education system in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic","authors":"E. T. Woldegiorgis","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.13","url":null,"abstract":"The advent of the pandemic has, however, brought a new context to the challenges of higher education access, deepening the precarious position of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. [...]online teaching and learning intensifed the digital divide between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots', exacerbating the already existing inequalities in the South African higher education system. Even though the severity, effects and consequences of the pandemic are yet to be understood properly, it has already affected various sectors and created a new order that is complex and uncertain. Since the outbreak in late December 2019, Covid-19 has wreaked havoc across the world in critical sectors, including higher education. According to the April 2020 World Bank report, by that time, 175 countries had closed their higher education institutions, affecting a student population of over 220 million (World Bank, 2020). [...]the precarious position of students from disadvantaged backgrounds during the pre-Covid-19 era has amplified several challenges that embrace the students' broad economic and social experiences;these have manifested in diverse forms of academic exclusion. Several pressing and critical questions need to be addressed, including how to reinforce alternative teaching methods and delivery structures - notably, many South African institutions are still struggling with the rapid digitalisation of the curriculum to ensure alignment with the latest digital era. [...]critical reflection on the challenges caused by the digital divide in South African higher education is needed.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87769961","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}

{"title":"“I decided…”: Agency in Black women professors","authors":"N. Zulu","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i2.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i2.15","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90899959","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}

{"title":"Sustaining the Ecosystem of Higher Education in China: Perspectives from Young Researchers","authors":"H. Chen, N. Pang","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88343550","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}

{"title":"Using teaching, social and cognitive presences as a lens to reflect on teaching a research module amid COVID-19","authors":"F. B. Zulu","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i1.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i1.11","url":null,"abstract":"COVID-19 forced academics to transition from face-to-face to remote teaching using various online platforms. This article focuses on my experiences of teaching a research module during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The social, cognitive and teaching presences from the Community of Inquiry Framework for a successful higher education experience was used as a lens for the study. The data are generated from my reflection on teaching, the WhatsApp chat transcript and student emails. My reflections on teaching a research module suggest that the teaching, social and cognitive presences were experienced to a certain extent. The findings indicate that training and trials in preparation for transition to online teaching are important. In this study trials to familiarise academics and students with online teaching influenced the establishment of teaching presence positively because challenges related to online teaching were identified and addressed before the commencement of the actual online teaching. Therefore, when making instructional decisions, it is crucial first to diagnose and address challenges regarding online platforms. However, being accustomed to traditional face-to-face teaching, dominated by oral communication and telling methods, influenced the social presence negatively. Online collaboration among students was unclear. Notably, my social presence experiences suggest that teaching during and beyond COVID-19 requires a pedagogical approach that relies heavily on the social and collaborative component of learning as a point of departure for the development of online teaching and learning practices. The Community of Inquiry Framework used in this study could be helpful for higher education institutions to evaluate academics and students' experiences of online teaching and learning, particularly when the institution is planning to redesign and implement online courses.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87919542","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}

{"title":"The sustainable development goals as criteria for the global ranking of universities","authors":"C. Wolhuter","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.1","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this article is to survey and interrogate the university sector of the world ranked by international rankings critically as to the sector’s pursuit of the sustainable development goals. Universities have a unique and indispensable role to play in the pursuit of the lofty objective of the sustainable development goals. However, when dealing with the global impact rankings, three provisos should be kept in mind, namely that academic autonomy is a prerequisite for a university and cannot be sacrificed, the sustainable development goals do not capture the entire round of challenges facing humanity and social metrics should be treated with circumspection, as these too have their shortcomings. Most universities, with the possible exception of a few very top-tier universities, seem not to be geared to make their contribution to the realisation of the sustainable development goals. However, pockets of excellence exist, also in the Global South, and in terms of internationalisation and comparative international studies, these should be capitalised on.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"63 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72466561","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}

{"title":"Across continents: A comparison of African and Australian academics’ online preparedness","authors":"U. Singh, Rashmi Watson, C. S. Nair","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i1.3","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted higher education across the globe, in particular the shift from face-to-face teaching and assessment, as well as interaction with students. In 2020, an online survey was distributed to African and Australian higher education academics to gather insights into academics' transformation of educational practices during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular it focused on the effects on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The survey questions investigated the comparison of the use of teaching and assessment technologies prior to, and during the COVID-19 pandemic;academics' experiences with the sudden shift to work-from-home (WFH) arrangements and quality assurance measures for digital technologies. The sample included 71 academics across 12 Australian universities/tertiary institutions and 278 academics across 21 African higher education institutions. This study identified that while many Australian academics had prior experience and training in online/blended delivery, African academics, despite not having formal training in digital pedagogy, rated themselves as more than average in their ability to adopt technology for the online environment, just as the Australian cohort had. The most effective online tools adopted during the crisis in the African region were Zoom and WhatsApp while in the Australian region the learning management system (LMS) was the most popular. The major factors that affected African and Australian students' ability to engage online included lack of access to connectivity and devices, technological competency and emotional and social factors. The results suggest that the predominant challenges faced by students as reported by academics across both continents in the \"forced\" remote work environment other than general anxiety about COVID-19 were social isolation (Aguilera-Hermida, 2020), connectivity for their students and the lack of a balanced work life (Kotteeswari & Sharief, 2014;Oliveira et al., 2021). This study has implications on institutions' readiness in terms of capacity building for academic staff, infrastructure and support during digital delivery of courses.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82139682","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}

{"title":"Postgraduate students’ views on the use of WhatsApp groups as an online communication tool to support teaching and learning during COVID-19","authors":"G. van den Berg, Patience Kelebogile Mudau","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i1.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i1.7","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this research was to identify students' views on the use of WhatsApp in an online postgraduate course at a South African Open Distance eLearning institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, lecturers and students relied on their mobile devices to communicate using different tools, including WhatsApp. Although it is a trending communication tool in teaching and learning, little is known about students' views on using WhatsApp to support teaching and learning in a time of crisis. Within an interpretative paradigm, the research followed a case study design and a qualitative approach. The study used questionnaires with open-ended questions to collect data. The sample consisted of 16 students enrolled for a Master's in Education programme. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. The findings showed that WhatsApp groups provided students with immediate, fast, easy to use and affordable communication and connection, thus, creating a sense of belonging. However, a possible disadvantage was also observed. A WhatsApp group can defeat its purpose if students use it for non-academic chats and it can become a distraction. This study proposes that institutions of higher learning consider using WhatsApp groups to support learning communities as they can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, specifically in times of crisis. Furthermore, the study recommends that the purpose of WhatsApp groups should be clearly outlined to students and that lecturers and students should agree upon some ground rules before they start using WhatsApp groups to support teaching and learning.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89142812","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}

{"title":"Inclusion and education for sustainable development: the experience of the University of Siena","authors":"Alessandra Viviani","doi":"10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593x/pie.v40.i3.9","url":null,"abstract":"According to SDG 4.7, by 2030 all learners will \"acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development\". Since 2009, with the establishment of the Working Group on Good Practices for Sustainable Development at the University of Siena has worked to raise awareness and promote good practices for the sustainable development: the campus became carbon neutral, it encouraged sustainable mobility, it tried to put the 2030 Agenda goals into practice, and it expanded the educational activities on sustainability themes. Recently the international conference organised in June 2021 by the European Training Foundation and UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the European Bank for reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and UNICEF, \"Building lifelong learning systems: skills for green and inclusive societies in the digital era\",1 has made evident that the challenges brought in our lives, including the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic, require \"changes in values, mind-sets, attitudes\" to make sure that all contribute to and benefit from these changes. [...]it becomes important to define how education can contribute to SD, which kind of ESD the Agenda 2030 wishes to promote, and what role higher education institutions can play. The relevance of ESD is demonstrated at international level by several recommendations such as those adopted at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) (Hopkins, 2012). Since the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2004-2015)3, UNESCO has launched a programme aimed at reorienting education systems towards sustainable development through its Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development.","PeriodicalId":19864,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Education","volume":"97 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88522062","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}