Open Access Published since March 30, 2018

Open Education Studies

ISSN: 2544-7831

Editor-in-chief: Theo Bastiaens

About this journal

Open Education Studies is an international peer-reviewed Open Access journal that publishes original and relevant articles in all fields of education research. It publishes both theoretical as well as empirical and methodological contributions to education research. Its coverage encompasses all forms of teaching and learning at all levels, from early childhood development to lifelong learning.

The journal provides the readers with free and permanent access to all content worldwide; and the authors with article promotion, long-time preservation, language assistance, no space constraints and immediate publication.

Open Special Issues:

Disruptive Innovations in Education
Lead Editor: Carla M.A. Pinto, Polytechnic University of Porto – ISEP & CMUP, Portugal
Guest Editors: Mário Cruz, Polytechnic University of Porto – ESE, Portugal; Ricardo Queirós, Polytechnic University of Porto – ESMAD, Portugal; Daniela Mascarenhas, Polytechnic University of Porto – ESE, Portugal
Building Bridges in STEAM Education in the 21st Century
Lead Editor: Carla M.A. Pinto, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal
Guest Editors: Chris Brownell, Fresno Pacific University in California, USA; Zsolt Lavicza, Johannes Kepler University, Austria; Jorge Mendonça, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal; Ana Paula Lopes, Porto Accounting and Business School, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal; Filomena Soares, Porto Accounting and Business School, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal
Transforming Education in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond
Lead Editor: Carla M.A. Pinto, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal;
Guest Editors: Jose Manuel Diego-Mantecón, University of Cantabria, Spain; Zsolt Lavicza, Johannes Kepler University, Austria; Noah Dana-Picard, Jerusalem College of Technology, Israel; Jorge Mendonça, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal; Kristof Fenyvesi, Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä

The journal’s scope includes, but is not limited to the following areas of research:

Educational psychology
Sociology of education
Educational philosophy
Economics of education
Pedagogy

Educational policy
Educational leadership
Higher education
Early childhood education
K12 education
Vocational and workforce education
Teacher and trainer education
Faculty development

Health education
STEM education

Special education
Information literacy education
Teaching and learning with emerging technologies
Distance and e-learning
Games and simulations
Learning Design
Assessment and evaluation

Publication fees
Articles submitted after July 1st, 2023, and accepted for publication in Open Education Studies are subject to Article Processing Charges (APCs). The publication fee amounts to 500 EUR. Authors who have no funding for the submitted research can request a waiver or a discount during the submission process.

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Authors of Open Education Studies enjoy the following benefits:

fast, comprehensive and transparent peer-review
free language assistance for authors from non-English speaking regions
immediate publication upon completing the publishing process
extensive promotion and worldwide distribution of each published article
unrestricted, instant and permanent access to all content worldwide
secure archiving by De Gruyter and the independent archiving service Portico
similarity check and plagiarism screening system.

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Volume 5 Issue 1

January 2023

Special Issue: Transforming Education in the COVID-19 Era

Open Access January 7, 2023

Digital Learning Ecosystem: Current State, Prospects, and Hurdles

Damira Belessova, Almira Ibashova, Lyudmila Bosova, Guldana Shaimerdenova

Article number: 20220179

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Abstract

The article is an analysis of the current topic – digitalization of the educational process. In the course of collecting and interpreting the known data, the authors cite the pedagogical foundations of digital literacy, the current state of digital learning and problems, and the prospects for the development of this direction in the future are also considered. In addition, the situations of creating a digital ecosystem in individual countries of the world were analyzed.

Special Issue: Building Bridges in STEAM Education in the 21st Century

Open Access January 19, 2023

STEMbach Experiences at Higher Education

Laura Castro-Santos, Félix Puime Guillén, Isabel Lamas-Galdo, Ana Isabel García-Diez, Joaquín Enríquez Díaz, Lucía Boedo-Vilabella, María Dolores Lagoa-Varela, Begoña Álvarez-García, Almudena Filgueira-Vizoso

Article number: 20220178

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Abstract

The aim of this work is to describe several experiences of STEMbach in different areas: engineering, economics, materials, etc. The STEMbach is a program carried out by high school students during their two years of study to obtain their High School Diploma (equivalent to A-levels), designed for both the Humanities and Sciences modalities, and created alongside the Galician strategy for digital education. It encourages the vocation of the scholars towards scientific and technological research and allows a connection directly with the college education. The STEM works explained in this work were developed between the University of A Coruña and several high schools located in the region of Galicia (North-West of Spain). Results were very constructive for promoting STEM careers.

Open Access April 1, 2023

Poly-Universe Resource for Solving Geometric Tasks by Portuguese Basic Education Students

Alexandre Matos, Vanda Santos, Teresa B. Neto

Article number: 20220181

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Abstract

This article presents the analysis and discussion of solving geometry tasks by Portuguese Basic Education students, using material from the Poly-UNiverse in Teacher Training Education (PUNTE) project. The teaching experience developed was aimed at testing and disseminating new resources, and innovative and transdisciplinary methodologies in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). The adopted methodology involved two phases. The first phase was exploratory, followed by a second phase where the exploration of geometry concepts in the plane (namely, the perimeter and the similarity of triangles) was carried out using the Poly-Universe material. The results of the study show that the Poly-Universe materials constituted an important teaching resource in solving the proposed tasks. Its manipulation allowed the visualisation of the situations involved in the tasks, as well as contributed to an implication in the activities developed by the students.

Open Access April 19, 2023

Automatic Exercise Generation for Exploring Connections between Mathematics and Music

Irene Brito, José João Almeida, Gaspar J. Machado

Article number: 20220183

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Abstract

Mathematics and Music are closely connected and their multifaceted relationship has been explored since ancient times. Pythagoras was one of the first who discovered and formalized one of those connections by studying the arithmetic of musical intervals, expressing them by numerical ratios and relating ratios to consonance/dissonance notions, being the Pythagorean tuning and scale based on arithmetic principles. Another interesting link between Mathematics and Music is the geometric approach to musical composition. Geometric patterns are present in different musical style compositions and some composing techniques, such as the 12-tone technique, use geometric transformations, involving also applications of modular arithmetic and set theory to Music. The aim of this work is to present existing relations between Mathematics and Music and to propose automatic exercise generation for exploring and studying those relations. The exercises are generated using the system MVGEN and the LaTeX package MusiXTeX. The generation process and the automatically generated exercises can be used for creating learning and assessment materials for education in Mathematics and Music, linking Science and Art.

Open Access April 25, 2023

“Literally I Grew Up” Secondary–Tertiary Transition in Mathematics for Engineering Students beyond the Purely Cognitive Aspects

Mirela Vinerean, Yvonne Liljekvist, Elif Bengü

Article number: 20220184

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Abstract

High dropout rates in the first year of undergraduate studies are an expression of the secondary–tertiary transition problem and they seem to be particularly high in those degree programs where specialized mathematics courses are taught in the first year of study. Research shows that students’ difficulties during the transition period cannot be reduced to purely cognitive factors. In this article, we address the secondary–tertiary transition problem in mathematics for engineering students. Based on a questionnaire with focus beyond the purely cognitive aspects, a comparison of the transition problem at three European mid-sized universities is carried out, to identify common challenges and difficulties, as well as differences. The questionnaire concentrates on the four dimensions (personal, organizational, content related, and social) and corresponding critical requirements for a successful transition described in Trautwein, C., & Bosse, E. (2017). The first year in higher education – critical requirements from the student perspective. Higher Education , 73 , 371–387. A group of 308 first-year engineering students partook in the study. In the presentation, we highlight students’ perceptions regarding the transition, changes, and challenges they experienced under the above-mentioned four dimensions and discuss similarities and differences between countries.

Open Access June 9, 2023

Narrative Didactics in Mathematics Education: Results from a University Geometry Course

Matthias Brandl, Mirela Vinerean

Article number: 20220186

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Abstract

In a Swedish second semester course on Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry in mathematics education at Karlstad University, a bridging teaching strategy comprising elements from Mathematics, Didactics, History, Literature, and Technology was applied by using the concept of Narrative Didactics and Digital Interactive Mathematical Maps developed by the Professorship for Didactics of Mathematics at the University of Passau, Germany. The complete assessment of the teaching strategy comprised both an evaluation of the technological and the narrative didactical scaffolding and was partly analysed previously concerning especially the technology acceptance aspect, while here we broaden and deepen the evaluation analysis of the application of narrative didactic elements. Regarding the latter, at the end of the course, students were asked to formulate a short historical-oriented narrative motivation for a school topic of own choice with the help of information provided by the timeline of the Mathematical Map. A representative example of these art-combining products is presented and evaluated according to elements of narrative didactics. Results indicate a fruitful, promising, and synergetic connection between different fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics that can lead to a richer and more sustainable learning process in mathematics lessons both at university and school level.

Open Access July 5, 2023

Solving Authentic Problems through Engineering Design

Isabel Vale, Ana Barbosa, Ana Peixoto, Fátima Fernandes

Article number: 20220185

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Abstract

The importance of STEAM education in preparing students to deal with societal challenges is nowadays an international recommendation. We may find different perspectives concerning STEAM education and the integration of its disciplines. A possible pathway to achieve a balanced integration is through Engineering Design (ED), starting from problems of reality that enable the articulated mobilization of concepts from various disciplinary areas, promoting interdisciplinary where teamwork and context play a fundamental role. This article reports a study with primary preservice teachers (6–12 years old) that aims to analyze the learning displayed and the difficulties underlying the usage of ED in solving STEAM problems. The participants were 45 preservice teachers. We adopted a qualitative methodology, and data were collected through observation, documents, artifacts, and photos. The preliminary results show a very positive reaction of the participants to the experience of solving real context problems collaboratively and mobilizing mathematical and physical science concepts in an integrated way. We identified active engagement, persistence, and motivation in the creation of a model that fulfilled the requested conditions. Difficulties were evidenced in the identification of some concepts and the mobilization of adequate scientific language in the argumentation of decisions.

Open Access July 5, 2023

Using STEAM and Bio-Inspired Design to Teach the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Engineers

Lisa Bosman, Katherine L. Shirey

Article number: 20220187

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Abstract

The need for addressing global and societal problems is stronger than ever, as demonstrated by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges. However, engineering undergraduate students rarely get to experience engaging with the associated real-world projects and challenges. This has the potential to result in attenuation from engineering education and career pathways. This study aimed to overcome this issue by reaching the United States’ untapped future engineering workforce via an engineering educator professional development “train-the-trainer” program. This train-the-trainer program guided engineering educators to apply evidence-based pedagogical methods (e.g., backward course design) to couple entrepreneurial mindset (EM) development with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) and bio-inspired design in an effort to improve the retention of underrepresented engineering students via a transdisciplinary, humanistic approach. This study employed a mixed methods approach including retrospective post-then-pre items based on perceived learning gains, rating the overall satisfaction with the program, and open-ended questions to better understand what went well, what did not go so well, and what can be improved. From a practical perspective, this study shows that integrating STEAM (with a specific focus on the arts) into the engineering classroom promotes problem-solving and critical thinking across disciplines. Here, applying STEAM principles encourages diverse perspective taking and making by bridging paradigms and theoretical frameworks across a variety of humanities and technical disciplines. As a result, combining STEAM with bio-inspired design and the EM has the capacity to increase engagement and broaden participation among students traditionally underrepresented in engineering, including females and minoritized populations.

Open Access July 18, 2023

Escape Rooms for Secondary Mathematics Education: Design and Experiments

Jake Andrews, Ovidiu Bagdasar

Article number: 20220194

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Abstract

Escape rooms are an increasingly popular form of live-action entertainment in which teams of players need to solve puzzles to escape or reach a narrative goal within a specified time limit. Current research suggests that this style of activity promotes the effective use of team skills in the classroom, which are desirable in the workplace, and also that students are more engaged in the hands-on learning environment. During this study we created a game designed to teach mathematical concepts related to finding missing side lengths in a right-angled triangle using trigonometry to secondary school students who had limited knowledge in this area. Our experiment tested the success of our escape room’s teaching capabilities through comparing student performance on a test completed immediately after finishing the game. We also evaluated whether students’ perception of the applicability of mathematics and their feelings towards studying it improves from playing. Finally, we intended to confirm the findings of other researchers on engagement; extend that to the effective use of team skills through examining if there is a relationship between completion time and the observed behaviours within each team. Results suggest that the game is successful in teaching and building familiarity with some aspects of the topic and that there is no correlation between effective team skills and completion time. We make suggestions for improvements to the game design that would warrant an additional experiment into the teaching potential of escape rooms.

Open Access September 7, 2023

Towards a Pedagogical Model Applying Commedia dell’Arte and Art Workshops in Higher Education Design Studies

Heini Haapaniemi, Teemu Leinonen

Article number: 20220199

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Abstract

This study introduces a pedagogical model: “the parallel co-inquiry cycles with performative inquiry for character related design” for higher education design studies that focus on characterization. The disciplines benefitting from cross-fertilization provided by the model include game design, fashion design, graphic design, theatre, and actor’s art. Besides the model, the article discusses curriculum integration of a shared thematic denominator Commedia dell’Arte in higher education design studies. The model synthesizes progressive inquiry, drama pedagogical methodologies, and theories on theater with hands-on art workshops to create tangible and digital knowledge vessels for characterization. The research design relies on parallel co-inquiry cycles, participatory ethnography with elements from participatory design tradition. The model identifies three major components within the single 3E-inquiry cycles, namely exercise, experiment and experience. The entire process acquires complexity as each single inquiry cycle enters the next loop of Observe–Plan–Act–Reflect and more time and resources are allocated to the process. The pattern of action and reflection has an iterative cycle format in this model. Reflection has two distinguished purposes: first, to internalize reflective design and to become a reflective practitioner. Second, to see the importance of reflection as distancing oneself from the current process, to allow a reflective mind to linger on the process and learn from mistakes to turn them into assets. Reflection as a metacognitive skill has an all-encompassing purpose in both design and learning processes. The model distinguishes two types of knowledge vessels. Knowledge objects are abstractions that condense knowledge in the co-design process, whereas knowledge artifacts are concrete items, such as masks, outfits, and accessories in both digital and tangible formats. The model connects maker-culture, practice-based inquiry, and performative inquiry in the inquiry cycles. The drama method with performative inquiry acknowledges shared knowledge building in a collaborative, dialogical inquiry that fosters both argumentative and reflection skills.

Regular Articles

Open Access March 18, 2023

Motivators for University of Professional Studies Accra Students to Adopt a Learning Management System in Ghana

Samuel NiiBoi Attuquayefio

Article number: 20220182

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Abstract

The use of a learning management system (LMS) is believed to be significant for students’ academic performance, but students’ attitudes regarding its use are divided. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to apply a modified version of the technology acceptance model to determine the motivators for University of Professional Studies Accra students’ behavioural intentions (BIs) and actual use of LMSs using a convenient sampling technique to elicit data from first-year students in the faculty of information technology and communication studies. The investigation included a total of 188 samples. The study used structured equation modelling partial least squares to analyse the data. Specifically, the study employed the importance-performance map analysis to establish the factors that are important to students’ actual use of an LMS. The study’s findings suggest that REL and output quality significantly impact the perceived usefulness (PU). Also, perceived enjoyment and subjective norm exert a significant impact on the perceived ease of use (PEOU). Additionally, PEOU influences the PU, which in turn influences the BI. Furthermore, the findings reveal a strong link between BI and the actual use of the LMS. Finally, the study suggests that students’ BI to use the LMS is the most important factor for students’ actual use. PU is also an important determinant factor of students’ actual use. Following the study’s conclusion that BI and PU are important for students’ actual use of an LMS, higher education administrators must develop rules that increase the students’ PU of LMSs, while also ensuring that current measures that awaken students’ BIs are maintained or improved so that students can use the LMS for academic work.

Open Access March 22, 2023

Self-Confidence and STEM Career Propensity: Lessons from an All-Girls Secondary School

Alessandro Siani, Jasmine Harris

Article number: 20220180

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Abstract

Gendered barriers in education and attrition along the academic and professional pipeline are key determinants of the current STEM skills shortage. While enrolment in STEM undergraduate courses has been increasing in the recent decades, STEM degree choices still suffer from considerable gender imbalance, whereby women are underrepresented in maths-heavy subjects and overrepresented in biological and healthcare subjects. This study sought to investigate the relationship between maths/science self-confidence and propensity towards STEM careers during secondary education, a critical period in the university course decision-making process. Non-parametric analysis of cross-sectional survey data collected in an English all-girls secondary school revealed an overall decline in self-confidence over the 5 years of secondary education, which was statistically significant for science, but not maths. Self-confidence in maths showed a strong positive correlation with students’ propensity towards careers in maths and science, but not in technology/engineering. Likewise, self-confidence in science was positively correlated with maths and science propensity, but had no effect on technology/engineering propensity. These findings indicate that the teaching of maths and science is by itself not sufficient to promote engagement with STEM career pathways in engineering and technology. Secondary curricula should explicitly emphasise the links between the learning of mathematical and scientific concepts, their practical applications, and the career opportunities they enable.

Open Access June 22, 2023

“Tis Early Practice only Makes the Master”: Nature and Nurture in Economic Thinking During School Time – A Research Note on Economics Education

Peter Gordon Roetzel, Lina Roetzel

Article number: 20220188

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Abstract

In this article, we contribute to the longstanding debate among economists regarding the question of “nature or nurture” with respect to economics students’ attitudes toward various allocation mechanisms for a scarce resource. While previous research starts the debate by beginning with first-year economics students, we aim to evaluate pre-first-year individuals, i.e., school pupils. Drawing on the seminal works of Haucap, J., & Just, T. (2010). Not guilty? Another look at the nature and nurture of economics students. European Journal of Law and Economics , 29 (2), 239–254 and Frey, B. S., Pommerehne, W. W., & Gygi, B. (1993). Economics indoctrination or selection? Some empirical results. The Journal of Economic Education , 24 (3), 271–281, we investigate a sample of 697 pupils ranging from the 5th to the 13th grades to determine whether pupils are “born economists” (nature), develop economic thinking (nurture), or both. We find that young individuals start to think differently in early grades and that their thinking and attitudes are shaped differently throughout their school careers, thereby providing support for the effects of both nature and nurture. Our findings show that school time impacts fairness judgments, particularly regarding price mechanisms. Regarding learning or indoctrination, we find that economics-inclined pupils are positively affected by lessons in economics in school, while pupils who are economics-averse draw completely diametric conclusions from economics lessons, thereby exhibiting increased disapproval of price allocation over the course of these classes and increased approval of the first come, first served and governmental action mechanisms. Moreover, we find strong effects of gender and migration background in this context. This study is the first to elucidate the development of economic thinking in 5th–13th grade pupils. Our results are important for economists, educators, and researchers because they can serve as a starting point for subsequent investigations in this under-researched field.

Open Access June 23, 2023

Commuter Students and Psychological Sense of Community: How Ties to Home Relate to Academic Success

Brian T. Smith, Kelly Charlton, Ashley Batts Allen

Article number: 20220189

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Abstract

Universities spend significant time and energy establishing a sense of community for their students. University personnel strive to increase school community ties for commuter students who travel back and forth from home to campus under the assumption that these increased ties will predict academic success. In an effort to understand those variables related to commuter student success, 335 participants responded to questions regarding commuter status, psychological sense of community with one’s school, psychological sense of community with one’s hometown, and academic self-handicapping. Results indicated that those with a strong sense of community with their hometown were less likely to engage in academic self-handicapping. Moreover, this relationship was moderated by commuting status, such that the effect was stronger for commuter students than for non-commuter students. Implications for commuter student success and future research are discussed.

Open Access June 27, 2023

International Students’ Experience of Remote Teaching and Learning in Portugal

Joyce Aguiar, Cristina Sin, Orlanda Tavares

Article number: 20220190

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Abstract

This article analyzes international students’ assessment of remote teaching and learning (T&L) during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. While all students have suffered the consequences of campus lockdowns and distance teaching, international students represent a particularly vulnerable group since, even under normal circumstances, they already have to deal with the challenges of new academic and living conditions. In Portugal, most international students come from Portuguese-speaking (designated as Lusophone) countries. Students’ experiences were gathered via an online cross-sectional survey ( N = 672), and the quantitative analysis compared Lusophone and non-Lusophone students and undergraduate and postgraduate students. Non-Lusophone students were more negative about remote education than Lusophone ones, being less interested in continuing to study online and giving a more negative assessment of the T&L experience than their counterparts. For them, cultural immersion is probably as important as degree attainment. Postgraduate students reported a lesser increase in study time and rated the pedagogical aspects better than undergraduate students, which suggests, by comparison, a better adaptation to the remote regime. Implementing flexible and hybrid education solutions is critical to maintaining international students’ interest.

Open Access July 10, 2023

Exploring the Validity of a Single-Item Instrument for Assessing Pre-Service Primary School Teachers’ Sense of Belonging to Science

Markus Sebastian Feser, Thomas Plotz

Article number: 20220191

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Abstract

It can be suggested that pre-service primary school teachers’ sense of belonging to science may be influential to their professionalization within university-based teacher education programs, which intend to prepare them for teaching natural sciences in primary school. Nevertheless, because only few studies have examined teachers’ sense of belonging to science so far, further research in this regard seems both reasonable and necessary. To this end, there is a need for instruments enabling a valid assessment of pre-service primary school teachers’ sense of belonging to science. However, existing sense-of-belonging-to-science instruments require a comparatively long time on task due to their significant number of items. Consequently, the applicability of these instruments within research is limited because surveys in educational contexts must often be brief and economical. The research we present in this article aims to tackle this issue by examining on an exploratory level whether and to what extent pre-service primary school teachers’ sense of belonging to science can be validly assessed using a single-item instrument. In doing so we report qualitative, as well as quantitative, findings that provide evidence regarding the validity of our instrument. Implications of the present study for future research are outlined at the end of this article.

Open Access July 11, 2023

Barriers to Basic School Teachers’ Implementation of Formative Assessment in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana

Eric Asare, Elizabeth Afriyie

Article number: 20220193

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Abstract

Despite the identified benefits of formative assessment to teaching and learning, its implementation in the classroom remains a significant challenge to teachers. This has widened the gap between the theory and practice of formative assessment in the classroom to enhance students’ learning. This study investigated the potential resource-related factors that affect basic teachers’ adoption of formative assessment in their classrooms. A descriptive survey design with a multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 300 teachers from the six circuits in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. Data gathered were analyzed using descriptive (mean values, SD) and inferential statistics (two-way ANOVA). Time, workload, overcrowded curriculum, class size, and the number of lessons were reported as barriers to the effective implementation of formative assessment. Findings also revealed no statistically significant interaction effect of gender and grade level on the resource-related barriers. Moreover, grade level and gender had no statistically significant main effects with respect to the resource-related barriers. Recommendations and implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

Open Access July 24, 2023

The Impact of Organizational Climate on Teacher Enthusiasm: A Two-Staged Structural Equation Modelling–Artificial Neural Network Approach

Poonam Punia, Manju Bala

Article number: 20220195

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the influence of the school organizational climate on teacher enthusiasm. A sample of 600 teachers was drawn using a multi-stage random sampling method. The study variables were assessed using two main instruments: the organizational climate scale and teacher’s enthusiasm scale. A two-staged structural equation modelling and artificial neural network approach was used for the analysis. The study has unveiled the importance of the school’s organizational climate in determining the enthusiasm level of teachers. All the dimensions of organizational climate acted as significant predictors in the model. The study encourages periodic examination of the school climate and teachers’ enthusiasm to take any decisions or initiatives necessary to address deficiencies in schools.

Open Access August 10, 2023

Estimation of GPA at Undergraduate Level using MLR and ANN at Arab International University During the Syrian Crisis: A Case Study

Aref M. al-Swaidani, Tamer al-Hajeh

Article number: 20220197

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Abstract

The aim of the current study is to estimate the graduation grade point average (GPA) at the Arab International University (AIU). The importance of this study is that it is the first of its kind in Syria, particularly under the conditions of the bitter war, which has not yet come to its end. The sample of the study consists of data collected from AIU registry system, which covers students of six faculties from both sexes over a period of 5 years, i.e., between 2014 and 2018. The variables of the study include the student’s high school GPA, the source of the student’s certificate, and the gender of the student (GR). MLR and ANN approaches were employed in the analytical study. The correlation coefficients and several statistical criteria were calculated to evaluate the developed models. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the male students were among the key factors affecting the output, i.e., GPA. In addition, ANN tool is more accurate when the estimation of GPA value is concerned. Further, re-evaluation of this study can be done in future particularly when the male student’ trepidation disappears as stability and safety return to the country.

Open Access August 11, 2023

Research is for Hunters, Teaching for Farmers. Investigating Solutions to Lecturer-Related Problems of the Teaching–Research Mission of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences

Sheron Baumann

Article number: 20220196

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Abstract

This study qualitatively investigates solutions to lecturer-related problems caused by the relatively recent introduction of a teaching–research mission at Swiss universities of applied sciences (UASs). It thereby makes an empirical contribution to the debate on organizational actors in higher education. The investigation is informed by a theoretical framework primarily drawn from the literature on organizational actorhood and relies on data from semi-structured interviews. Representing all public UASs in Switzerland, the sample consists of 19 directors and 1 head of institutes of business schools and engineering schools. The analysis identified five problem themes and numerous solutions. The findings suggest that after almost 30 years of their inception, UASs have been utilizing their decision-making leeway to a great extent at the central and decentral levels, and in some cases are still in the process of solving the problems caused by integrating teaching and research activities at the individual and institutional levels. While various solutions in terms of structure, culture, and resources have been developed and implemented, isomorphic tendencies can also be observed. The data suggest that the common key to solving many problems lies in the human resources and a post-Humboldtian configuration of research and teaching.

Open Access August 29, 2023

Strategic Performance Management Using the Balanced Scorecard in Educational Institutions

Ali Coskun, Mirgul Nizaeva

Article number: 20220198

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Abstract

The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a mission-oriented and strategy-focused performance management tool for educational institutions. The study reviews the literature on the implementation of the BSC by different educational institutions as a strategic performance management. After a comprehensive review of the literature, we analyzed the documents based on the publication trends during the years, authors’ affiliations by countries, sources from which the documents have been published, most frequently used keywords in the documents, and the highest cited documents in the Scopus database. A bibliometric mapping analysis was used to construct and visualize the bibliometric networks. We found that 267 documents that were published in the sources are indexed by Scopus. Finally, gaps in the relevant literature are identified, leading to several directions for future research.

Open Access September 7, 2023

Reciprocal Teaching as a Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategy in Promoting Saudi University Students’ Reading Comprehension

Rafik Ahmed Abdelmoati Mohamed

Article number: 20220200

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Abstract

Reciprocal teaching (RT) involves collaborative dialogue between the teacher and students, with the aim of jointly constructing the meaning from a shared text. This study employs RT as a cognitive and metacognitive set of strategies for enhancing students’ reading comprehension and monitoring skills. Thirty-four students were assigned to the RT group for reading instruction, whereas 30 students were assigned to the control group for regular reading instruction. The four RT strategies (predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing) empowered the students to engage in a non-linear approach to comprehend texts and monitor their reading comprehension. They afforded the students the chance to engage in pre-, during-, and post-reading cognitive and metacognitive processes, collaborate with their peers, read with intentionality and focus, and assume shared responsibility for monitoring their advancement in reading comprehension. The students engaged in the scaffolded activities of read-aloud, dialogue, structured comprehension, and peer teaching to develop their reading comprehension and monitoring skills. The results showed that the RT group outperformed the control group on the post-test in both total score of reading comprehension and individual reading skills. Therefore, language instructors are recommended to use an array of effective RT strategies to enhance their students’ reading comprehension and monitoring skills.

Open Access September 25, 2023

The Effects of Learning Design on Learning Activities Based on Higher Order Thinking Skills in Vocational High Schools

Dainita Rachmawati, Suharno Suharno, Roemintoyo Roemintoyo

Article number: 20220202

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Abstract

The twenty-first century requires Vocational High School (VHS) graduates to have high-order thinking skills (HOTS). Although HOTS-based learning in VHS has been implemented in Indonesia, the graduates are less creative in complex work. Also, teachers have insufficient knowledge about this learning design. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between learning implementation and planning, specifically focusing on the knowledge of teachers in planning lessons. To measure this knowledge, several aspects were established based on the concept of Anderson and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy 2001. The concept was used to measure knowledge, which was categorized into the factual, conceptual, procedural, and meta-cognitive dimensions. To analyze each dimension, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication were employed as key elements. A quantitative approach with a survey design and a random sample of productive subject teachers was used. Cross-sectional analysis and F -test were applied to the primary data using multiple linear regression. According to the F -test results, planning aspects simultaneously affect the implementation of HOTS-based learning in VHS. This is because the calculated F -value was greater than the table F -value. HOTS-based learning activities can be easily achieved in case the lesson plan has the same basis.

Review Article

Open Access July 12, 2023

Underlying Educational Inequalities in the Global and Fijian Context

Prashneel Ravisan Goundar

Article number: 20220192

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Abstract

The delivery of education and the outcome it produces largely depend on how students are taught, the resources they are exposed to along with the kind of facilities they are provided with. We have to acknowledge that teaching and learning do not occur in the same way across the world due to critical factors. These factors cause hindrances in the education system that create educational inequalities which exist in various forms as this article aims to outline. Some of these include shortage of teachers, poverty learning-gap, distribution of resources, location of schools, access to scholarship, and school curriculum. It is worth comparing Fiji’s education system to the global context using all the three streams of education that is primary, secondary, and higher education. It is prudent that stakeholders in all three education streams are aware of the nature of inconsistencies that affect the students. This will inform and enable policy makers to engage with the current underlying inequalities in education in order to address these that persist in the world and in Fiji. Conversations that revolve around these issues will be fruitful for the education system in Fiji and worldwide.

CiteScore	1.8	2022, Scopus (Elsevier B.V., 2023)
SCImago Journal Rank	0.343	2022, SJR (Scimago Lab, 2023; Data Source: Scopus)
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.819	2022, CWTS Journal Indicators (CWTS B.V., 2023; Data Source: Scopus)

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Editorial

Editor-in-Chief:
Prof. Dr. Theo J. Bastiaens, University of Hagen, Germany; Open University of the Netherlands

Editorial Contact:
AssistantManagingEditor@degruyter.com

Senior Editors:
Tobias Ley, Tallinn University, Estonia, and Danube University Krems, Austria
Daniel B. Wright, University of Nevada, United States

Editorial Advisory Board:
Saul Carliner, Concordia University, Canada
Chun-Yen Chang, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
Geoffrey Crisp, University of New South Wales, Australia
Gayle V. Davidson-Shivers, University of South Alabama, United States
Martin Ebner, Graz University of Technology, Austria
Lyn D. English, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Roland H. Grabner, University of Graz, Austria
Yishay Mor, Levinsky College of Education, Israel
Matthias Nückles, University of Freiburg, Germany
Marie-Christine Opdenakker, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Carla Pinto, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal
Christiane Spiel, University of Vienna, Austria
Martin Valcke, Ghent University, Belgium
Lieven Verschaffel, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Richard Waller, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Richard E. West, Brigham Young University, United States

Editors:
Farshad Badie, Berlin School of Business & Innovation, Germany
Ana Barbosa, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Nicole Bianquin, Aosta Valley University, Italy
Małgorzata Bronikowska, Poznań University of Physical Education, Poland
Anna Elizabeth Du Plessis, Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Australia
Rawad Chaker, Université Lumière Lyon 2, France
Benjamin Fauth, Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Germany
Kristof Fenyvesi, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Ján Gunčaga, Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
Tomasz Kopczyński, University of Silesia, Poland
Zsolt Lavicza, Johannes Keppler University, Linz, Austria
Héctor Opazo Carvajal, Universidad Católica Silva Henriquez, Chile
Stefanie Panke, University of North Carolina, USA
Carla Pinto, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal
Theodosia Prodromou, University of New England, Australia
Víctor Hugo Perera Rodríguez, University of Seville, Spain
Kostas Zafiropoulos, Department of International and European Studies, University of Macedonia, Greece

Managing Editor
Joanna Kosińska

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Type: Journal
Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Open Access
First published: March 30, 2018
Publication Frequency: 1 Issue per Year