Education Commons^™

Generation And Digital Citizenship Among Doctoral Students: Another Debunking Of The Digital Native Myth, Jenna K. Ladd, Rebecca R. Simataa, Danilo Lj. Bojić

Essays in Education

Internet and digital technologies are integrated into nearly every aspect of contemporary life, and digital citizenship skills are necessary for professional and personal success. Previous research has described the digital citizenship of undergraduate and K-12 students, but there is little literature describing the digital citizenship among doctoral students. Doctoral program cohorts often include students born in 1984 or before and those born in 1985 or after. Students born after 1985 are frequently assumed to be “digital natives” with advanced technology skills, although there is little evidence to validate the digital natives vs. digital immigrant theory. The present study seeks to …

Book Review: Documentary Research In The Social Sciences By Malcolm Tight, Patrick W. Leeport

Essays in Education

Documentary research methods are a critical, yet often overlooked approach to research in the social sciences. Malcolm Tight’s book, Documentary Research in the Social Sciences not only makes the case for the value of documentary research, but serves as a pragmatic introduction to a wide array of different genres within documentary research. The book is suited well to graduate students as well as researchers and practitioners looking to expand their understanding of, and ability to conduct, document-based research.

Selling Graduation: Higher Education And The Loaning Of Liberation, Annie Pocklington, Elizabeth J. Flanagan, Christopher Bodenheimer Knaus

Essays in Education

While the costs to attend college continue to rise exponentially, a bachelor’s degree is held up as required for economic stability within the U.S. and across the globe. With drastic disparities in earning potentials after graduation reduced by racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and related structural disparities, the value of a degree continues to be questioned, especially for historically marginalized communities. As the loan industrial complex continues to profit off of students, President Biden has offered $10,000 in student loan relief for some borrowers, though this action has been blocked by federal courts and is currently on hold. Whether Biden’s …

The Nitty-Gritty Of Successfully Completed Doctoral Studies: A Personal Review And Lessons For Prospective, New And Final Year Doctoral Students, Samson Damilola Fabiyi

Essays in Education

Finding the direction for a doctoral research can be problematic. Also, keeping in touch with friends and relatives, and managing one’s time effectively can be challenging for doctoral students. Other challenges bedeviling doctoral students are lack of motivation, inability to manage the student-supervisor relationship, etc. This paper seeks to explore different skills and knowledge which can be useful in overcoming challenges which confront doctoral students. Specifically, using autoethnography, this paper explores the author’s successful doctoral experience and presents recommendations that can be tapped into by doctoral students to prevent an abrupt end or a late completion of their studies.

Accessibility Of University Course Syllabi, Steven M. Baule, Sara A. Fister

Essays in Education

Over the last twenty years, governments and a range of disability rights organizations have advocated for increased accessibility to educational materials and school documents for people with disabilities. Recently, several studies have shown that accessibility is still lagging among educational institutions and other government agencies. The purpose of this study was to analyze extant higher education syllabi to determine the level of compliance with the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0). The study reviewed the current accessibility requirements for schools under WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 2018. It then provides a review …

Skills To Pay The Bills: A Review Of College Student Employability Literature, Christopher Burnett, Zachary W. Taylor

Essays in Education

Research has shown that many U.S. college students do not graduate with employable skills beyond academic competency to facilitate their professional success post-graduation. Moreover, researchers have found that academic- and industry-specific knowledge alone is inadequate to help college graduates secure a job and meet the demands of the contemporary, nuanced, dynamic work environment. In addressing decreases in state and federal allocations for higher education and the added pressure to produce work-ready college graduates, institutions have grappled with how to enhance student workforce development and prepare students for the labor market. As a result, this literature review provides a comprehensive, global …

A Review Of My Teaching Philosophy Through A Covid-19 Lens, Michelle L. Boettcher

Essays in Education

This essay focuses on how the pandemic has informed my teaching philosophy and centered the humanness of students rather than course content or my role, identity, and pedagogy as instructor. The article includes three examples from my teaching philosophy: Expertise, Mistakes, and Reflection. As a result of the pandemic, I have added caring as a part of course content, reframed the idea of “no excuse” for late work, and incorporated reflection as an element of academic rigor. As a result, a renewed focus on student learning has usurped my past inclination to focusing on my teaching in my philosophy statement.

Factors Affect Students’ Satisfaction In Blended Learning Courses In A Private University In Vietnam, Tuong Cao Dinh Mr., Kien Trung Dao Mr., Duyen Kim Quach Mss., Nhu Phan To Ha Mss., Mai Cam Ho Mss.

Essays in Education

Blended learning, a combination of online and offline learning, is believed to enhance students’ self-learning, and help increase their learning performances. To successfully operate a blended learning system, increasing the learners’ satisfaction seems to be an important task. Moreover, there should be a duty to understand the self-efficacy of a student to encourage them to participate in this course (Chen & Yao, 2016). As a result, knowing the internal or external factors that influence student satisfaction in blended learning is critical for the effective design of blended learning courses in the future (Graham, Henrie, & Gibbons, 2013). In this study, …

Specialized Accreditation In Collegiate Aviation: A Case Study On Evaluative Inquiry Practices Required By The Aviation Accreditation Board International, Jordan G. Lyons

Essays in Education

Market changes within the aviation industry have increased the demand for aviation professionals worldwide (Christensen, 2013). The Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) represents the only specialized accrediting organization in the world for non-engineering collegiate aviation programs (Council for Higher Education Accreditation [CHEA], 2020), and their mission is to advance quality aviation education in partnership with industry (AABI, 2019b). In 2019, AABI expanded its continuous assessment criteria despite issuing citations previously to accredited collegiate aviation programs for non-compliance predominately with continuous assessment and improvement requirements (AABI, 2020). Program accreditation through AABI has demonstrated value to students (Bjerke et al., 2016; Christensen, …

Deconstructing The Anomaly Of India’S Higher Education Ranking Framework: A Case Of Misdirected Selection Of Evaluation Parameters, Praveen B. Malla Dr.

Essays in Education

Indian higher educational institutions (HEIs) are not making it to the top of the global ranking tables, except for a few. The Indian government has taken cognizance of this failure and launched a domestic ranking framework to foster competition and consequently improve quality of education. Interestingly, the framework is riddled with issues of misdirected metric selection. Given the complexity and vastness of the Indian higher education ecosystem this one-size-fits-all framework is not appropriate.

Public universities are predominantly policy driven and have a charter that is not in line with the mandate of the private and deemed universities. Likewise, institutions of …

Spreading The Good Word: What Student Affairs Can Learn From The Jehovah's Witnesses, Z. W. Taylor

Essays in Education

Although institutions of higher education are thoroughly polylingual, evidenced by the linguistic diversity thriving on college campuses all over the United States and beyond, postsecondary communication is primarily in English. As a result, this conceptual essay introduces the translation and equity work performed by the Jehovah's Witnesses and how that work may translate into student affairs and higher education work.

The U.S. Academic Profession: Some Thoughts On The Past, Present, And Future, Michael W. Simpson

Essays in Education

This essay reflects the personal and professional, the past as well as the present as they relate to the nature of college and the professors that work in them. The past is not seen nostalgically by the author, but such a romanticized view may be hindering professional empowerment by professors themselves in these times of massive administrative growth. Suggestions are given on how to possibly save the humanity of the profession and the spirit of higher education.

Problems For Teacher Education For Primary Schools In Nigeria: Beyond Curriculum Design And Implementation, Olusegun Akinbote

Essays in Education

Primary education is the core of development and progress sin modern societies. However the quality of teachers who are to ensure the realization of the aspirations we hold for our children has fallen below expectations. This study therefore investigated the entry qualifications, the mode of entry into and the reasons why students enroll in Colleges of Education. The findings showed that majority of the student teachers are not ‘good materials’ for teacher education and that only a few of them really have the genuine desire to become teachers. Recommendations are made on how to improve on the quality of entrants …

Towards Student Involvement In Essay Assessment, Aynur Yürekli, Evrim Üstünlüoğlu

Essays in Education

In language teaching, assessment is one of the most formidable challenges for both the students and the teachers. Especially, when the assessment of productive skills which are subjective by their nature are concerned, the "challenge" could very well turn into a "nightmare" for both parties. In order to avoid this undesired possibility, the attitude of the grader and the students towards the evaluation rubric is as vital as the rubric itself.

This study describes the standardization process of the writing rubric for the assessment of essays, which is accepted both by the graders and the learners who are subject to …

Teacher Candidates’ Emerging Perceptions Of Reader Response Theory, Khaled Alazzi

Essays in Education

What are the possibilities when teacher candidates participate in focused instruction in reader response theory and connected opportunities to experience response to literature, then design and implement response experiences with their elementary students? Consideration of this question led to this study that describes teacher candidates’ knowledge about reader response theory and their perceptions of the value and usefulness of reader response theory throughout a semester of focused experiences in university and elementary classrooms. Through qualitative analysis, four distinct, but related themes emerged. These themes describe teacher candidates who: 1) are at differing stages of understanding, 2) find that responding to …

Study/Teach Abroad Programs For Higher Education Faculty, Osman Özturgut

Essays in Education

With all the benefits of study abroad programs for students in higher education, as suggested in the literature, this study proposes promoting study/teach abroad programs for faculty members. Through such programs, institutions will benefit from diversity and promotion of study abroad programs for students will be much more efficient with faculty members giving the account of first hand experience of their studying/teaching abroad.

Using The Reflective Research Journal To Develop Thoughtful School Leaders, Paula Selvester, William Rich

Essays in Education

This study examined student outcomes through the use of a reflective thinking/research model (Kraus & Butler, 2000) in a collaborative research seminar designed as a pre-requisite to a comprehensive MA exam. Questionnaire and document analysis revealed improvement in students’ academic understanding and application to professional work.

University And Community Partnerships: A Full Circle Program, Richard Thurlow, Michael Ledoux, Nadine Mchenry, Michele Burns

Essays in Education

Civic engagement by universities has taken shape in a number of ways. This article describes the efforts of the Center for Education at a metropolitan university in the United States, whose outreach is to a under resourced school district in an economically distressed area. Partnerships with the Local Educational Agency (LEA), private foundations, divisions of the university, and local churches will be addressed. This is a descriptive article showing one university’s efforts at civic engagement.

Temple: The Story Of An Urban University, Eric G. Lovik

Essays in Education

This article provides a brief history of the formation of Temple College in the late 19th century and its official recognition as a university during the early years of the 20th century. The institution evolved from very humble origins of private tutoring sessions in a Baptist pastor’s office. In only a few decades, the institution attracted faculty with reputable academic credentials, offered undergraduate degrees in practical and scholarly fields, and provided graduate and professional education to men and women of the working class, various racial and national heritages, and wealthy families. Despite numerous obstacles, Temple’s founder, Russell Conwell, turned his …

Exploring New Faculty Orientation: The Good, The Bad, And Making It Better, Chlotia P. Garrison

Essays in Education

This article reports survey results of a special segment of academics, those who worked in industry prior to becoming full-time faculty. The survey solicited their opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of university and department orientation programs. The survey results suggest that most institutions have orientation programs and the participation rate is high. Interaction with other faculty and interaction senior faculty were the most frequently selected strengths. Lack of a feedback mechanism was the most frequently selected weakness. Analyses of suggestions reveal eight areas where institutions can assist the general new faculty member, mentoring being the most recommended.

Online Survey Research Of Faculty Attitudes Toward Promotion And Tenure, Thomas Diamantes

Essays in Education

This study is an extension of the preliminary study on faculty attitudes toward the processes of promotion and tenure in higher education. It began when several colleagues banded together and submitted proposals to a national conference establishing a panel to discuss promotion and tenure, which were subsequently accepted. The panel proposal consisted of: (1) a comparison and analysis of the tenure and promotion process at two institutions; (2) an analysis on mentoring a newly hired non-tenured colleague for the academic year; (3) an analysis of being mentored during the entry year at an institution; and finally; (4) an analysis of …

Teaching Vs. Research: Toward The Reconciliation Of An Academic Dilemma, Mario Norbis, Angela M. Arrey-Wastavino, F. Abel Ponce De Leon

Essays in Education

A line of thought that compares two major changes in Higher Education and the societal environments surrounding them is presented. A model, currently taking place, associated with the perceived controversy between teaching and research is introduced and discussed. The need to foster appropriate procedures where university constituencies are brought together to participate in the process of reshaping the university model guaranteeing its survivability is recognized. Finally, options for teaching comparable with the scale established for research are proposed as a reconciliatory model to solve this academic dilemma.

Bring Context To Mentoring, Dean Cristol

Essays in Education

The nature of mentoring varies, but shares a commitment to nurture on-going, indepth relationships through dialogue, decision-making, and reflection that has often been absent in traditional university-field site settings. One of the most exciting aspects of this new approach to teacher education is sharing power and wisdom with a variety of participants. Teachers and teacher educators provide avenues for beginning teachers to teach from real world contexts in order to study the complexities of their own teaching. School-university partnerships inherently provide a rich resource for modeling problem solving and effective decision-making. This article will describe and examine staff development delivery …