Digital Commons Network^™

English Language Learning At Tertiary Level In A Central Mexican Public University: A Case Study, Irasema Mora-Pablo, Edgar Emmanuell Garcia-Ponce

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: Our objective was to examine the perceptions regarding the teaching and learning of English of students in 16 undergraduate programs at a state public university in Mexico.

Method: In our qualitative case study, participating students responded to queries about their experiences learning English at the university, as well as their educational aspirations upon completion of their university studies.

Results: Despite their relevance to language immersion and competency, students struggle to combine prior experiences with current learning. Given Mexico’s English education system and past national initiatives, most participants say they still speak basic English. It is also clear that the …

Examining Technology Use And Competence Of Higher Education Academics During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Devrim Akgunduz, Aysegul Kinik Topalsan

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The present study describes the utilization frequency and competencies of educational technologies among academics at a university in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants were 391 faculty members and lecturers working in the faculties and vocational schools of a Turkish university during the 2020–2021 academic year. A survey included questions regarding the use of educational technologies and perceived competency in the use of those technologies.

Results: Academics are more familiar with distance education than hybrid or blended learning. Academics reported that blended learning, hybrid learning, and distance education provide more effective education on integrating technology but report that …

The Increasing Role Of Technology In Teaching And Learning Activities In Higher Education, Gary J. Burkholder, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

We are pleased to publish the second regular issue (Volume 13, Issue 2) of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) for 2023. If there is a common theme that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the increased role that technology did and will continue to play in teaching and learning activities in tertiary education. The range of articles reflects the interest in digital teaching and learning and includes the use of scaffolded simulations, the influence of immersive virtual reality in the classroom, and gamification. In addition, guidelines around instant messaging are proposed that should continue the conversation around the ethical …

Redefining “Lgbtq+ Interculture” In Academia, Samantha Winterberg, Michelle Mccraney

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Members of the LGBTQ+ community often face discrimination, harassment, and exclusion in academic settings, which can negatively impact their academic and personal success. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ students are more likely to experience negative mental health conditions, drop out of school, and struggle to find employment after graduation. Cultural humility fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is critical to ensuring an equitable educational experience for all students, particularly those from marginalized communities. Intercultural understanding is essential to develop cultural humility so that attitudes reflect empathy and tolerance of differences, including sexual or gender orientation variances or ambiguity. Understanding how …

Enacting Inclusive Mathematics Teaching And Learning Using Biography Driven Instruction, Jessie C. Store

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

As schools become increasingly diverse, there is an increasing need for examples of classroom practices that create inclusive teaching and learning environments. Many research studies found that gaining knowledge of student home life and using it to bridge learning and home supports access and equity. Many scholars have called for exemplars of activities that connect students’ in-school and out-of-school cultural activities. This paper provides an example that may be used in teacher education and K–12 classrooms to bridge out-of-school and in-school activities. In this paper, we discuss the enactment of biography-driven instruction, specifically how cultural biographies can be used to …

The Third Mission Of Universities On The African Continent: Conceptualisation And Operationalisation, Lazarus Nabaho, Wilberforce Turyasingura, Ivan Twinomuhwezi, Margaret Nabukenya

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore the conceptualization of the third mission in African higher education and the activities that universities are required to engage in and/or are engaging in to fulfil the third role.

Method: The interpretive lens underpinned the study. Data were collected from the documents of the African Union Commission (AUC), in which the third mission is both implicit and explicit. We used content analysis as a data analysis technique.

Results: The AUC conceptualizes the third mission as a role of universities, as a social role, as forging partnerships, and as being mutually beneficial …

Seeking Equity, Agility, And Sustainability In The Provision Of Emergency Remote Teaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Center For Teaching And Learning Takes An Expanded Role, Henry Trotter, Cheng-Wen Huang, Laura Czerniewicz

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to illuminate and assess the experiences and feelings of the staff of a center for teaching and learning at one South African university during the early months (April–June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns when it switched from face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching (ERT). It explores the practical, operational, ethical, cultural, and emotional questions that the staff of this center dealt with as they supported the university in ERT provision.

Method: This paper draws on in-depth interviews with 23 staff members of the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) who …

Exploring Language And Cultural Disconnects: Learning From Bsw Students And Faculty Within An English As A Medium Of Instruction Environment, Beverly A. Wagner

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

English as the medium of instruction (EMI) is a growing global phenomenon that impacts social work educators who are teaching in second-language environments. This study used action research to explore barriers to EMI learning and teaching among students and faculty in a BSW program at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) college. Cognitive load theory provided a lens to understand these obstacles. Participants included five students and seven faculty. Findings indicated communication deficits among students and faculty, which were further influenced by the cultural environment. This study contributes to an understanding of the obstacles encountered in social work programs that use …

Why Narrative Poetry Still Matters In Stylistics, Rachid Acim

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

In Morocco, debates over English language instruction have marginalized poetry as a distinct literary genre. The shortage of poetry events arguably makes poetry teaching both daunting and intimidating. Besides fostering trust, memorization, and empathy, helping students develop a penchant for English language, as well as humanity, poetry, and narrative poetry, in particular, proffers teachers ample opportunities to fully engage students in the learning process. Not only does it awaken their senses and make them establish connections but leads them to think in a critical way about the world around them. In this paper, the teaching of narrative poetry through the …

First-Year Experience Course Impact On Undergraduate International Student Retention And Graduation, Dylan Rust, Raghvendra Singh

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

As institutions look to improve student retention through first-year experience (FYE) courses, some have implemented courses targeted specifically to the international population. A quantitative comparison of international students who took an FYE course with international students who did not take an FYE course was completed to analyze the differences in retention and graduation rates between the two groups. International freshmen who participated in the FYE course were retained and graduated at significantly higher rates than international freshmen who did not take the course. Aspects of the course that likely led to student retention and graduation are discussed.

Systematic Collective E-Cheating In A Saudi Arabian Higher Education Context: A Case Study, Amel M. Shoaib, Khawla A. Zahran

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The primary purpose was to investigate organized group cheating in a Middle Eastern institution during the shift to e-learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Method: The study explores the personal experiences of ten Saudi Arabian English as a Foreign Language program graduates in a higher education institution through in-depth interviews via qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study was guided by Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior.

Results: A novel type of misconduct coined systematic collective e-cheating was identified and discussed. In addition, insights on the causes and types of e-cheating in a Middle Eastern context were provided. …

An Evaluation Of Local Mentor Support In Ae E-Teacher Educational Technology Integration Online Teacher Training Course, Yasemin Yelbay Yilmaz, Seher Balbay

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study addressed a different approach to online language teacher training programs. The researchers investigated the pros and cons of having local mentor support for an online course titled Using Technology in the English Language Classroom provided by the AE E-Teacher Program. The course was offered to preservice teachers from 24 different universities across Turkey. The study collected data through a pre- and post-online survey and individual semistructured interviews. The results revealed that while local mentoring as a supplement to the main course content contributed to teacher candidates’ emotional and professional attachment to their profession by helping them relate theory …

Students’ And Faculty Members’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Classroom Assessment: A Case Study Of A Public University In Afghanistan, Sayed Ahmad Javid Mussawy, Gretchen Rossman, Sayed Abdul Qahar Haqiqat

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The primary goal of the study was to examine students’ perceptions of classroom assessment at a public university in Afghanistan. Exploring current assessment practices focused on student and faculty members lived experiences was a secondary goal. The study also sought to collect evidence on whether or not the new assessment policy was effective in student achievement.

Method: Authors used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to conduct the study. Initially, we applied the Students Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), translated into Dari/Farsi and validated, to collect data from a random sample of 400 students from three colleges: Agriculture, Education, and …

University Professors’ Perceptions About Patient Safety Teaching In An Interprofessional Education Experience: A Phenomenological Study, Gabriele Vilanova, Andreas Xyrichis, Elena Bohomol, Rosana Aparecida Salvador Rossit

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) and patient safety are recurrent and linked themes within the field of healthcare worldwide. International organizations have repeatedly called for and research has shown the benefits of health and social care professionals learning how to work collaboratively and efficiently to provide safer and better care. This study was undertaken to explore professors’ perceptions and experiences of an IPE curricula project with a view to improving future patient safety teaching in undergraduate health courses.

Methods: This qualitative study utilized phenomenology as a theoretical framework. The participants were 11 professors from a public university in south-eastern Brazil, recruited …

Review Of Schooling Of Learners With Disabilities And The Manifestation Of The Hidden Curriculum Of Time, Theodoto Ressa

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Postsecondary outcomes remain difficult to attain despite their significance to learners with disabilities. This qualitative study investigated the impact of a hidden curriculum of time on the education of five undergraduate students with disabilities at a Carnegie Research One institution in the midwestern U.S. Participants in their quest for an education experienced a hidden curriculum of time in the form of physical impairments, educational costs of ill-health, and disability discrimination. The academic barriers participants encountered in reaching their educational goals suggest that addressing the hidden curriculum of time is essential for authentic inclusion and achievement of postsecondary education outcomes.

Challenges Of Using A Blended Learning Approach: A Flipped Classroom In An English Teacher Education Program In Mexico, Edgar Emmanuell Garcia-Ponce, Irasema Mora-Pablo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The objective of the study was to understand the views, experiences, and challenges that preservice English teachers perceived in a flipped classroom, which was implemented in a language teacher education program following our institution’s desire to promote blended learning.

Method: Two focus groups were conducted with the students (19). We analyzed the data using thematic analysis.

Results: The results show that the students perceived flipped practices as innovative and beneficial for their learning. However, their responses also reveal that the autonomy required from them and taking more responsibility for their own learning were particularly challenging because of their lack …

A Study Of The Difficulties And Instructional Support Related To Spoken Interaction In An Emi Course For Higher Education Students, Mei-Ying Chien, Martin Valcke

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in higher education is considered a vehicle in non-English speaking countries for the purpose of internationalization, enhancing students’ employability, and international competition. Many higher education institutions in Europe adapted their curriculum and started teaching in English, while enrolling international students from Erasmus programs and non-European countries. This study builds on an EMI course set within a Belgian university. Six L2 (English as a second Language) students were interviewed to identify and explore their motivation, difficulties, and instructional support as it relates to their spoken interaction during the class. The findings …

How Generation Z College Students Prefer To Learn: A Comparison Of U.S. And Brazil Students, Corey Seemiller, Meghan Grace, Paula Dal Bo Campagnolo, Isa Mara Da Rosa Alves, Gustavo Severo De Borba

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The purpose of this study was to engage in a comparative analysis of Generation Z college students in the United States and Brazil regarding characteristics, motivations, interpersonal styles, learning styles, and learning methods. Quantitative data in both countries were collected and analyzed to formulate comparative findings. Themes that emerged include learning that makes a difference, achievement orientation, logic-based learning, intrapersonal and interpersonal learning, applied and hands-on experiences, learning through words, recognition, and lacking vision, inspiration, and creativity. More similarities than differences were found across themes in both populations.

Book Review: 57 Ways To Screw Up In Grad School: Perverse Professional Lessons For Graduate Students, Christiana Horn

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The selection of and transition to graduate school can be a daunting task for many students. Once accepted into a program, students continue to be faced with an assortment of challenges that they must overcome to graduate. Kevin Haggerty and Aaron Doyle, in their book, 57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School: Perverse Professional Lessons for Graduate Students, offer graduate students key pieces of advice to propel them toward success. The book’s coverage of all stages of a graduate degree from applying to colleges to graduation and professional jobs makes it applicable for all graduate readers. Key points of …

Scholarly Inbreeding In Latin American Academically Managed Journals, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

From a bibliometric perspective, scholarly inbreeding has been identified in journals through the excessive use of both author and journal self-citations. However, editorial bias toward researchers from the same institution as the editorial management team has seldom been considered. According to the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, this occurs when a journal publishes more than 20% of documents authored by researchers affiliated with the same institution as the editorial management team. The purpose of this study is to establish the extent to which 81 Latin American journals managed by universities publish intramural documents (defined as those published by its …

Insights For Community Outreach Building To Promote Lifelong Learning With Higher Education Alumni In Chile, Paula A. Charbonneau-Gowdy, Héctor A. Magaña

Higher Learning Research Communications

Despite conclusive evidence from high performing Higher Education (HE) institutions worldwide demonstrating the benefits of strong alumni-relations, institutions in many evolving countries often neglect their graduates. And this, despite rapid advances in technology that can support ongoing relations. The objective of our year-long project was to address this neglect. We (re)connected with 220 English Pedagogy alumni through a digital newsletter. The newsletter provided a forum for building community and mediating professional development among graduates and current faculty. Our qualitative mini case study focused on uncovering the emotions, perspectives and needs of former students through the lens of sociocultural and identity …

Western Faculty Members' Cross-Border Lived Experiences, Xin Bu, Bill Mccaw, Patty Kero

Higher Learning Research Communications

Universities in China and the United States have been engaged in cross-border education through partnerships establishing international branch campuses (IBCs). This qualitative study used Moustakas’s (1994) strategy of inquiry as a framework and explored Western faculty members’ cross-border lived experiences at IBCs in China. IBCs in this study were coestablished by American universities and their Chinese partners. The central research question that guided this study asked about the lived experiences of Western faculty members at IBCs in China. This study purposefully selected 14 participants and data were collected through semistructured, one-on-one, face-to-face interviews. Moustakas’s (1994) seven-level method of analysis involving …

Adjunct Faculty Perceptions Of Participation In Online Collaborative Research Teams, Rita Hartman, Danielle Sixsmith Edd, Patricia Akojie, Christa Banton

Higher Learning Research Communications

Career professionals who serve as adjunct faculty at the university level are expected to engage in continual research and publishing to maintain their status as adjunct (part-time) faculty, to be considered for potential advancement, and to qualify for additional compensation. One way of meeting this objective is to participate in online collaborative research projects benefiting from a set of multiple lenses, multiple insights, and a multitude of considerations in regard to design, methodology, data interpretations, and broader reaching implications. A narrative inquiry approach was applied to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of adjunct faculty working in online collaborative …

Psychological Adaptation Of International Students In The Northern Part Of Cyprus, Ariel Ladum, Gary J. Burkholder

Higher Learning Research Communications

This study examined how cultural distance, acculturative stress, and social support interacted to influence emotional responses among international students studying in the northern part of Cyprus. Acculturation models and the stress-buffering hypothesis served as theoretical frameworks. The research questions involved understanding whether international students experienced more negative emotional responses compared to students from the home culture and whether social support moderated acculturative stress and reactions to being in the northern part of Cyprus. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined differences in emotional reactions between home and international students while hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the moderation hypotheses. ANOVA …

Indirect Feedback: A Dialoguing Approach To Assessment, Dimitrios Vlachopoulos, Ricardo Tejeiro, Anthony Edwards, Estefania Campos

Higher Learning Research Communications

Whilst there is consensus in the current literature that feedback plays a fundamental role to student performance and learning, there is also debate about what makes it effective. Particularly, some assessment instruments, like the National Student Survey in the United Kingdom, reveal that evaluation and feedback are systematically amongst the areas that students are less satisfied with. This paper aims to describe the ‘indirect feedback’ (IF) technique, which was utilised by the principle author in his previous tenure as a Professor at the University of Cadiz (Spain) and to reflect on how it can be applied to overcome some of …

Investigating Writing Performance And Institutional Supports Among Teacher Candidates Who Transferred From Community Colleges, Katharine Pace Miles, Leslie Craigo, Selenid Gonzalez-Frey

Higher Learning Research Communications

To provide a snapshot of the skills of community college students as compared to senior college students, this study investigated writing performance and college experience of initial two-year enrolled (community college transfer students, n = 17) versus initial four-year enrolled students (n = 12) in a teacher preparation program. Results of independent samples t-tests on in-class writing, research paper, and final score were non-significant (p =.28, p = .54, p = .15, respectively) indicating that two-year and four-year start teacher candidates did not differ in their performance on these assignments nor overall in the course. Qualitative data indicated that while …

Designing A Peer-Mentoring Program For Education Doctorate (Edd) Students, Kendra Lowery, Rachel Geesa, Kat Mcconnell

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: In preparation for creating a peer-mentoring program for education doctorate (EdD) students, we conducted a literature review to learn about the characteristics of peer-mentoring programs for graduate students and EdD students specifically. Method: Our search criteria included articles about peer mentoring for graduate students only; published in peer-reviewed journals since the year 2000; and about programs that involved more experienced students, students farther along in the program, or recent graduates. These criteria resulted in 15 articles. Results: We applied what we learned about program design and characteristics in the creation of a voluntary peer-mentoring program for first year students, …

A Literary Approach To Teaching English Language In A Multi – Cultural Class - Room, Sanju Choudhary

Higher Learning Research Communications

Literature is not generally considered as a coherent branch of the curriculum in relation to language – development in either mother tongue or foreign language – teaching. As teachers of English in Multi cultural Indian class rooms we come across students with varying degree of competence in English language learning. Though, language learning is a natural process for natives but the Students of other languages put in colossal efforts to learn it. Despite their sincere efforts they face challenges regarding Pronunciation, Spelling and Vocabulary. The Indian class rooms are a microcosm of the larger society, so teaching English language in …

Communication Skills–Core Of Employability Skills: Issues & Concerns, A.V. Bharathi

Higher Learning Research Communications

Based on a case study conducted by the researcher on a sample of 618 UG students, this paper focuses on identifying certain flaws in the present educational communication. The researcher after presenting the data analysis of the survey, attempts to highlight the present ELT scenario and its relevance to the present day needs of the society. It also emphasizes on the need to focus on practical dimensions of learning. It substantiates that inadequate language proficiency, lack of presentation skills knowledge and unawareness about life skills are the main reasons for the educated unemployment. Finally, the researcher concludes this paper with …

The Role Of Information Literacy Competence And Higher Order Thinking Skills To Develop Academic Writing In Science And Engineering Learners, B. Kranthi Kumari

Higher Learning Research Communications

The English syllabus for learners pursuing engineering courses includes teaching writing as one of the objectives. Learners who enroll for these courses are not equipped with the general writing skills that they should have mastered at the entry level. In this context, a study was organized to develop academic writing skills of the undergraduate learners who are pursuing engineering courses. The study focused on raising awareness in the learners of the nature and characteristics of academic texts in order to develop academic writing skills. The study also emphasizes that involving the learners in the cognitive processes of writing that include …