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Higher Education Evaluation and Development
Number of Followers: 9

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 2514-5797 - ISSN (Online) 2514-5789
Published by Emerald

[362 journals]

Ensuring bachelor’s thesis assessment quality: a case study at one
Dutch research university
- Authors: Ya-Ping (Amy) Hsiao, Gerard van de Watering, Mathe Heitbrink, Helma Vlas, Mei-Shiu Chiu
  Abstract: In the Netherlands, thesis assessment quality is a growing concern for the national accreditation organization due to increasing student numbers and supervisor workload. However, the accreditation framework lacks guidance on how to meet quality standards. This study aims to address these issues by sharing our experience, identifying problems and proposing guidelines for quality assurance for a thesis assessment system. This study has two parts. The first part is a narrative literature review conducted to derive guidelines for thesis assessment based on observations made at four Dutch universities. The second part is a case study conducted in one bachelor’s psychology-related program, where the assessment practitioners and the vice program director analyzed the assessment documents based on the guidelines developed from the literature review. The findings of this study include a list of guidelines based on the four standards. The case study results showed that the program meets most of the guidelines, as it has a comprehensive set of thesis learning outcomes, peer coaching for novice supervisors, clear and complete assessment information and procedures for both examiners and students, and a concise assessment form. This study is original in that it demonstrates how to holistically ensure the quality of thesis assessments by considering the context of the program and paying more attention to validity (e.g. program curriculum and assessment design), transparency (e.g. integrating assessment into the supervision process) and the assessment expertise of teaching staff.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2023-05-30
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-08-2022-0033
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
Internationalization of quality assurance and the international quality of
higher education in Taiwan
- Authors: Wei-Cheng Chien
  Abstract: This study employs survey methods to statistically examine the internationalization of quality assurance (IQA) in Taiwanese higher education. The data collected were analyzed to assess the associations between administrators' opinions of the importance of IQA and their evaluations of its implementation, as well as the relationship between implementation and opinions on seven measures of international quality. The study also explores the mediating effect of implementation assessments on the relationship between opinions of the importance of IQA and opinions of international quality. This study targeted higher education administrators from universities in Taiwan, including presidents, vice presidents, deans, section chiefs, directors, and heads of schools in various departments. Using systematic sampling methods, 80 universities were selected from a population of 159 higher education institutions in Taiwan, with 17-40 potential participants each in 2015. A total of 2,377 questionnaires were distributed to all the administrators of those institutions, and ultimately, 65 institutions and 337 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The importance of IQA directly and positively influenced implementation of it on higher education institutions. The implementation directly and positively influenced the level of international quality of the institutions and the importance of IQA had an indirect positive influence on international quality through implementation. The aggregated institution-level results were similar to but much stronger than the individual-level results. This study examined the IQA of higher education in Taiwan, which is increasingly important to institutions' competitiveness in the global higher education market. The data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling at the individual-level and the aggregate-level. The analysis revealed direct and indirect associations between opinions about IQA and institutional quality. This study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it clarifies the role of administrators (individually and collectively) regarding their institutions' educational quality, and it provides useful information that institutions could apply to improve their international competitiveness.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2023-05-08
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-08-2022-0032
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
Micro-credentials and reflections on higher education
- Authors: Rukiye Orman, Elif Şi̇mşek, Meryem Ayşegül Kozak Çakır
  Abstract: Micro-credentials, which have been widely used in re-skilling and skills development, provide advantages for improvement in the professional career. As a complementary approach to career and professional development in formal education, it can be said that micro-credentials are preferred for supporting professional development and/or to acquiring new skills to find a job in a new field (Fisher and Leder, 2022). This study aims to provide a detailed perspective on conceptual framework and the use of micro-credentials in higher education. Many questions have arisen regarding micro-credentials, applicability, quality assurance, inclusion in formal educational settings and how to include them in traditional education systems, especially in higher education institutions. Oliver (2019) emphasizes that there is little research on micro-credentials or their derivatives in the literature. There is still uncertainty on micro-credential on behalf of students, employers or employees. In addition, although there are studies on micro-credentials in the USA, Europe and Australia, there is very little research around countries such as Turkey (Yilik, 2021). This study discusses the use of micro-credentials in the world and their reflections on higher education. As it is shown in this article, micro-credentials have the potential to challenge or complement traditional ways of how learning is taking place, understood, recognized and certified. Research on micro-credentials is still in its infancy and could benefit a lot from more research. Especially research on employers' recognition and appreciation of digital credentials needs to be studied. Also, empirically confirming propositions of literature on micro-credentials could be beneficial. This study is original in terms of discussing the use of micro-credential in the world and their reflections on higher education and presenting suggestions on this subject.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2023-05-02
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-08-2022-0028
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
Exploring the possibilities and challenges in developing the Japanese
qualifications framework
- Authors: Ayaka Noda
  Abstract: This study aims to examine the rationales for and obstacles to developing a national qualifications framework (NQF) in Japan. From a research perspective, it attempts to propose a model of a qualifications framework in the national context to provoke further political discussion in developing the Japanese Qualifications Framework (JQF). To propose a possible model of a qualifications framework in the Japanese context, this study employs a qualitative document analysis approach to known NQFs. Next, based on documents and the literature, including government data and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Tokyo Convention (2011a, b), this study analyzes the motives and challenges in developing the JQF. Japanese motives to develop the JQF can be summarized in four conditions: (a) International expectations along with the Tokyo Convention and establishment of the National Information Center, (b) avoiding qualification holders’ disadvantages in mobility, (c) quality assurance of qualifications with a competence-based approach and (d) lifelong learning by promoting recognition of diverse learning. The challenges in developing the JQF are (a) fitness with the traditional employment system and (b) multiple stakeholders’ involvement. The current priority in developing an NQF in Japan is to make educational qualification information “visible” based on legal grounds, particularly entrance requirements, to facilitate mobility. This study explores the possibility of the JQF by summarizing the background and roles of NQFs worldwide and clarifying the motives and challenges for developing the JQF. This study provides suggestions for the possible qualifications framework model in the Japanese context from academic and practical perspectives in Japan, where official discussions on establishing an NQF have not progressed. Ensuring the international compatibility of qualifications so that qualification holders can smoothly take the next step in their studies and employment is important.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2023-02-06
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-05-2022-0019
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
Evaluating team dynamics in interdisciplinary science teams
- Authors: Sara Bolduc, John Knox, E. Barrett Ristroph
  Abstract: This article considers how the evaluation of research teams can better account for the challenges of transdisciplinarity, including their larger team size and more diverse and permeable membership, as well as the tensions between institutional pressures on individuals to publish and team goals. An evaluation team was retained from 2015 to 2020 to conduct a comprehensive external evaluation of a five-year EPSCoR-funded program undertaken by a transdisciplinary research team. The formative portion of the evaluation involved monitoring the program’s developmental progress, while the summative portion tracked observable program outputs and outcomes as evidence of progress toward short- and long-term goals. The evaluation team systematically reviewed internal assessments and gathered additional data for an external assessment via periodic participation in team meetings, participant interviews and an online formative team survey (starting in Year 2). Survey participants had a better understanding of the project’s “Goals and Vision” compared to other aspects. “Work Roles,” and particularly the timeliness of decision-making, were perceived to be a “Big Problem,” specifically in regard to heavy travel by key managers/leadership. For “Communication Channels,” Year 2 tensions included differing views on the extent to which management should be collaborative versus “hierarchical.” These concerns about communication demonstrate that differences in language, culture or status impact the efficiency and working relationship of the team. “
  Authors hip Credit/Intellectual Property” was raised most consistently each year as an area of concern. The study involves the use of a unique survey approach.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2022-09-13
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-10-2021-0069
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
An empirical survey on prevalence and demographic differences in academic
dishonesty among undergraduates from four public universities in China
- Authors: Xinjuan Liu, Noryati Alias
  Abstract: This empirical survey is conducted to investigate the prevalence rate of academic dishonesty (AD) in examinations and assignments among undergraduates. The study compared the difference in admitted behaviours of academic dishonesty between male and female students comprising second-year, third-year and fourth-year students from the discipline of business, engineering, information technology (IT) and education. A cross-sectional study was utilized in this study and collected data via the online questionnaire. A total of 1,624 respondents participated from four public universities of four provinces in China Mainland. The findings showed that the proportion of respondents from China participating in AD is between 15.4 and 51.7%. The findings showed that more than two-thirds of the respondents stated involved dishonesty in examinations and assignments at least once during the previous academic year. In addition, male and female undergraduates in second-year, third-year and fourth-year showed statistically significant differences in dishonest behaviours. Specifically, the male/senior students were more involved in dishonest behaviours than the females/sophomores. Unlike previous studies, this study found that discipline in the Chinese context was not a significant demographic predictor of dishonesty. Although not significantly different, the respondents majoring in business reported a high engagement rate of dishonesty, followed by engineering and information technology undergraduates, but education undergraduates revealed the lowest engagement rate of dishonesty. The target integrity education should be imparted among male and senior students.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2022-08-11
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-11-2021-0081
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
The hunt for computerized accounting education in the GCC:
a structured literature review
- Authors: Mohammed Muneerali Thottoli
  Abstract: The objective of this paper is to review and analyze the existing literature on computerized accounting education (CAE) in educational institutions across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and to suggest a research agenda for the future. The author employs a structured literature review (SLR) approach to analyze CAE research published in the GCC between 1981 and 2021. The current study has focused mainly on education in the field of computerized accounting (CA); however, very few research studies have focused on CAE. The author recognized two key topics: the broad concept of CA and the identification of software programs used to teach CA courses. A future study might extend to address the gap in the knowledge of graduate students’ theoretical concept in accounting with CA program across higher-educational institutions (HEIs) in the GCC. The broad topic analyzed by the author leads to highlight the growing need for students’ practical skills in CA, particularly in the GCC, and to give suggestions for future research. This study also provides a kind of advice to educational institutions to implement an appropriate CA program for CA courses. Currently, there is a lack of SLR on CAE. Findings on the broad topic analyzed in the current study have been addressed by agreeing on a critical assessment of present research and future research goals.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2022-07-22
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-11-2021-0077
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
Covid-19 and intentions to study abroad: evidence from overseas university
applications to the UK
- Authors: Giorgio Di Pietro
  Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate how Covid-19 impacted overseas students’ decision to apply for an undergraduate degree at UK universities. This study compares the number of university applications from overseas students in summer and autumn 2020 with those in the period 2011–2019. Multivariate analysis techniques are used. The results show that the pandemic has led to a drop in university applications from foreign students by 11–14%. Such decline has been driven by a reduction in the number of applicants from high-income countries as opposed to those from middle-lower income countries. Two explanations may account for this finding. First, students from affluent countries, compared to those from poorer countries, may be more likely to find a good alternative to the UK where to carry out their studies (including their home country). Second, the option of deferring study abroad plans due to the pandemic may be more affordable for applicants from high-income countries. While understanding how Covid-19 has impacted international student mobility is an emerging issue in the literature, not only are there few studies providing evidence on this, but these are based on qualitative analysis. This paper uses quantitative methods that allow to separate the effect of Covid-19 from that associated with other factors affecting the flow of international students.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2022-05-03
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-11-2021-0080
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
Examining toxic supervision in higher education in India
- Authors: Mohammad Ghazi Shahnawaz, Nasrina Siddiqi
  Abstract: With issues like increasing student dropout rates, low productivity and compromised quality, research in higher education is faced with a number of paralyzing challenges in India. This study aims to locate the role of toxic academic supervision in relation to decreased quality of research. Following a sequential mixed method design, the research begins with a quantitative analysis, which is then followed by an in-depth qualitative exploration. The results of mediation analysis in this study reveal that students who experience toxic research supervision have a weak sense of identification and are also poor at self-disclosure, which results in increased distress and reduced engagement and productivity. Moreover, identification and self-disclosure have also been found to partially mediate the relationship between toxic supervision and distress. Furthermore, a thematic analysis of this study provides a detailed behavioral profile of toxic academic supervisors and highlights the consequences of such supervision with regard to students' well-being and productivity. In terms of theoretical contributions, the study provides evidence that the concept of toxic leadership has applicability outside of the organizational context; in the educational sphere as well and that the toxic leadership scale can be successfully used to assess the severity of toxic supervision within the academic domain, and corrective actions can be taken to mitigate the effect of such supervisory style on students. The study not only highlights the repercussions of toxicity in academia and higher education but also provides a detailed and in-depth description of the personality traits and behavioral idiosyncrasies of toxic supervisors, which can help in the early identification of toxic tendencies and can enable us to mitigate and prevent toxicity from the academic space and to ensure a conducive environment for students in higher education. Overall, the present research has important implications for researchers, academicians as well as policymakers. The study is the first of its kind in terms of both, objective and methodology.
  Citation: Higher Education Evaluation and Development
  PubDate: 2022-04-14
  DOI: 10.1108/HEED-06-2021-0047
  Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)