The internationalisation of Portuguese higher education implies multicultural challenges arising from the Portuguese language variation. Nevertheless, the perceptions of lecturers about their students are rarely analysed, though influencing learning. This will be the focus of our article, using focus groups. Findings show that lecturers experience…

This qualitative study explored the experiential group learning experiences of student teachers (STs) who participated in a two-day experientially based group learning programme, as part of their curriculum at a teacher training institute in Singapore. This programme is designed as a personal growth group with an emphasis on value and character…

Debate about the defining features of 'doctorateness' or what examiners look for in a PhD thesis is on-going, but hardly any attention has been paid in related literature to Postgraduate Researchers' (PGRs) perceptions of the key attributes that make a PhD thesis excellent. In this study we examine the state of play of the former to then go on to…

This paper analyses the language educator's experience of delivering an Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP) in an Irish University. It uses a focus group to explore the experiences of six International Language Tutors who delivered modules on a pilot IWLP between 2021 and 2024. The findings indicate that designing and delivering the…

The theoretical literature on the meaning of qualification standards depicts a variety of definitions. Some definitions describe properties of examinees, whilst others rely on cohort-level or system-level characteristics. Different definitions can be compatible or contradictory. In this study, stakeholders' views of the meaning of qualification…

It is known that first-year retention rates are a cause for concern within higher education. One way in which to tackle this is to consider how institutions can best prepare new students for the transition to university. The current paper details a project from the University of the West of Scotland where first year psychology students enrolled on…

In this study, we explore the perceived affordances of simulation-based learning (SBL) among online student teachers in Norway. We investigated how simulations mediate professional learning when coupled with educator-led debriefings and peer-led focus groups. Using an exploratory qualitative design, we examined 21 pre-service teachers'…

This study used the Community of Inquiry framework to examine how university instructors designed, facilitated, and supported social and cognitive processes in online courses, and how instructors and students experienced these processes. In early 2021, 25 online focus groups were organized with instructors (n = 52) and students (n = 44) from all…

The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological mechanism of self-regulated learning in a technology-enhanced learning environment and to develop a comprehensive model of its function. As a theoretical approach, we used Pintrich's model of Self-regulated learning. The mixed research methods were used in this study. First, we conducted…

This article describes students' experiences of different activities arranged by a Swedish university in connection with their internship. The article presents two approaches for conducting seminars while students are on an internship. One student group attends formal, structured seminars while the other group attends seminars in the form of focus…

Post-secondary institutions need clarity regarding what their educational technology teams can offer. Educational technology is not simply a hammer that can be quickly utilized, but rather an instrument that needs to be tuned for each unique learning context. Using a modified Delphi approach, we validated an educational technology framework that…

Surfacing student voices is of utmost importance in higher education institutions. However, the use of large-scale student surveys may not represent the most effective method of eliciting meaningful student perspectives. Focus groups have the potential to elicit a more authentic student voice through greater engagement with students. Furthermore,…

This article explores arguments for adopting appreciative inquiry (AI) as an action research approach that generates pedagogic development in UK and international higher education. An overview of AI considering the methodological dilemma of focusing only on positive experiences is discussed. Findings from focus group discussions in a post-1992 UK…

A reflexive thematic analysis is applied to focus group data to understand how students experienced working in partnership with university staff and clinical professionals to co-design aspects of the curriculum. A qualitative descriptive approach is used to examine power dynamics, hierarchies, and student voice. Four themes are identified:…

Due to myriad applications of the nominal group technique (NGT), a highly flexible iterative focus group method, researchers know little about its optimal scoring procedures. Exploring benefits and biases that such procedures might present, we aim to clarify how NGT scoring systems can privilege consensus or prioritization. In conducting the first…