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Education Sciences
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Higher Education Challenges in the Post-pandemic Era: University Norms, Globalization...
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Higher Education Challenges in the Post-pandemic Era: University Norms, Globalization and Innovations for a Future Sector

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Higher Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 4648

Special Issue Editors

Dr. William Gaudelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Education, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
Interests: global citizenship education; innovations in higher education; teacher development
Dr. Cheryl Matherly

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Office of International Affairs, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
Interests: international education and engagement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Higher education is in a period of disruption that is unprecedented in modern university culture. Venture capital, private enterprise and online providers have aligned to create a wide range of courses and programs that strategically exploit long-standing weaknesses in higher education, including our rigidity of modality, excessive price points, and thereby exclusivity, and our failure to quickly respond to market needs and social changes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing obstacles to change that are endemic in universities, specifically, tendencies to ‘set it and forget it’ and to ‘risk aversion’. Universities are known for their repetitive tendencies, such that courses and programs can remain virtually unchanged for decades. Thus, scholars have learned to operate within a reputation economy; we have habitualized a way of thinking about work in order to avoid stepping too far out of the norm, such that the idea of public failure is avoided at nearly all costs. These two dynamics alone, in light of the external threats that we face, may lead to substantial losses in our sector. What can be done to address this problem in light of the missions and values that higher education institutions create for our global society?

Globalization and the role of higher education in this domain is a critical dimension of what we as a sector value, and what is also under threat. The loss of mobility due to a number of pandemic-related issues, e.g., the closure of national borders and consular offices, along with exacting fees associated with student mobility, have all taken their toll. How have universities responded to these challenges in light of the current moment to move towards a more sustainable future with respect to globalization?

Innovation is often heralded as a core value of universities. The idea of thinking differently and changing social activity as a result is part of the core mission of higher education institutions. How do innovations—in how we teach, who we teach, how we conduct research, and what communities we work in solidarity with—shape the future of higher education?

We envision a Special Issue that invites empirical studies, think-pieces and illustrations of theorized practice around the broad challenges articulated herein, namely: (1) how market forces have and will continue to disrupt the work of universities; (2) how the reset of globalization will occur as we work towards a post-pandemic world; and (3) how innovations across the work of higher education—education, teaching and community engagement—shape the future of universities and colleges.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. William Gaudelli
Dr. Cheryl Matherly
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 245 KiB  
Article
On the Relationship between a Student Association’s Endeavors to Foster a Social–Academic Climate on Campus, Students’ Self-Efficacy, and Academic Motivation
by Nitza Davidovitch and Ruth Dorot
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(7), 647; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070647 - 25 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1328
Abstract
The current study is a case study examining a student association’s endeavors to foster a social–academic climate on campus, grant students a sense of self-efficacy, and even contribute to students’ motivation. The research literature lacks empirical knowledge on the activity of student associations [...] Read more.
The current study is a case study examining a student association’s endeavors to foster a social–academic climate on campus, grant students a sense of self-efficacy, and even contribute to students’ motivation. The research literature lacks empirical knowledge on the activity of student associations and their contribution to institutions of higher education and their students. Moreover, academic institutions see student associations at times as a burden, a type of labor union to be placated by the faculty and the academic institution. The research sample consisted of 122 students from a university in Israel (38 men and 84 women; mean age 25). Several questionnaires were administered to the respondents: a questionnaire on the social–academic climate on the academic campus, a questionnaire on students’ academic motivation, a questionnaire on students’ self-efficacy, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. From the research findings, it is evident that the activities of the student associations on the academic campus play a meaningful role in fostering students’ academic motivation and self-efficacy. The research findings indicate that the scope of student association activities is positively related to the students’ academic motivation and self-efficacy. Moreover, students living in student dorms were found to evaluate the activities of the student association as higher than did students who were not living in student dorms. These findings constitute a preliminary foundation for future studies on the importance of student associations in academic institutions and their contribution to the students. Furthermore, these findings highlight the need to boost and increase student associations’ activities to provide students with adapted and efficient solutions to their challenges. The student association can be transformed from a burden to an asset for the academic institution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Higher Education Challenges in the Post-pandemic Era: University Norms, Globalization and Innovations for a Future Sector)

Review

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16 pages, 1707 KiB  
Review
Digital Competence in University Lecturers: A Meta-Analysis of Teaching Challenges
by Marta Liesa-Orus, Raquel Lozano Blasco and Lorena Arce-Romeral
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050508 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1569
Abstract
This meta-analysis (random effects) studies the self-perceived digital competence of university lecturers in university teaching, using 7470 lecturers from Europe and Latin America collected in K = 31 samples, with teaching experience of between 6 and 15 years. The effect size obtained from [...] Read more.
This meta-analysis (random effects) studies the self-perceived digital competence of university lecturers in university teaching, using 7470 lecturers from Europe and Latin America collected in K = 31 samples, with teaching experience of between 6 and 15 years. The effect size obtained from a moderate random effects model of r = −0.21 with a 99% confidence interval is significant, negative, and moderate, confirming the low competence level. The meta-regression results show that the area of knowledge plays an important role. The systematic review of the literature shows that the perception of ICTs is positive, while the level of competence is low, and there are institutional and training challenges to be solved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Higher Education Challenges in the Post-pandemic Era: University Norms, Globalization and Innovations for a Future Sector)
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10 pages, 261 KiB  
Opinion
Incorporating Field Experience into International Agricultural Development Programs
by Alexis Zickafoose and Gary Wingenbach
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050456 - 28 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1370
Abstract
Some graduate education programs support experiential learning but do not require practical experiences for students specializing in international agriculture development. We examined U.S. land grant university graduate international agricultural education program descriptions for experiential learning requirements and found them lacking. The literature surrounding [...] Read more.
Some graduate education programs support experiential learning but do not require practical experiences for students specializing in international agriculture development. We examined U.S. land grant university graduate international agricultural education program descriptions for experiential learning requirements and found them lacking. The literature surrounding volunteerism is reviewed and examples are described. International volunteerism can fill the experience gap for future international agricultural development professionals studying at U.S. land grant institutions. Graduate students can acquire practical field experiences through short- or long-term volunteer assignments, such as those in the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer program for international agriculture development. Graduate students build their capacities by providing technical and agricultural assistance in Farmer-to-Farmer assignments, whereas host country participants enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities to expand and increase agricultural sector productivity. Short-term international volunteer assignments help graduate students gain practical experience, improve interpersonal skills, and enhance cultural competencies. Host communities and volunteers alike benefit by engaging in intercultural exchanges that promote increased understanding of differing societies worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Higher Education Challenges in the Post-pandemic Era: University Norms, Globalization and Innovations for a Future Sector)
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