The purpose of this study was to investigate the music teaching efficacy beliefs and commitment to teaching of preservice music teachers enrolled in an introductory music education course. Also explored was the impact of introductory music education course experiences on preservice music teachers' music teaching efficacy beliefs and commitment to…

The nearly ubiquitous access to technology and the diversity of social media sites has provided students with easy access to a wide range of information and opportunities for interaction with other individuals. The nature of social media creates a context in which students can determine when they view information, the duration of the viewing,…

Purpose: Ideally, quality should be, and is, an integral element of education, yet capturing and articulating quality is not simple. Programme quality reviews in third-level education can demonstrate quality and identify areas for improvement, offering many potential benefits. However, details on the process of quality programme review are limited…

The demands and pressures during the first study year at university are likely to arouse a variety of emotions among students. Nevertheless, there are very few studies on the role of emotions in successful studying during the transition phase. The present study adopts a person-oriented and mixed-method approach to explore, first, the emotions…

As part of my PgCert in Higher Education Practice, I undertook a learning and teaching research project into the effect of small group mathematics tutorials on student confidence and academic performance. I chose this project because it related directly to my practice as a higher education lecturer: I regularly supported first year animal science…

This study aimed to identify elements related to "intercultural communicative competence" in the textbook series "Life" at A1 and A2 level published by "National Geographic Learning" which incorporates plentiful photographic content. Activities in the textbooks, based on the four skills and visuals, were analyzed…

Drawing on Bourdieu's theory and using Durkheim's concepts of "social fact" and "regulation", this article examines the place held by public universities within the French higher education (HE) system, breaking with the purely bureaucratic vision prevailing in France today. By setting aside some of the main received ideas about…

Environmental education scholars have argued for the need to focus on identity as a more predictive factor than attitude of individuals' environmental behavior. We examine individuals' decision-making as a mediating process between identity and behavior. University undergraduates (N = 299) were surveyed, with a select sub-sample interviewed. As…

The present article offers a mixed-method perspective on the investigation of determinants of effectiveness in quality assurance at higher education institutions. We collected survey data from German higher education institutions to analyse the degree to which quality managers perceive their approaches to quality assurance as effective. Based on…

Peer tutoring in undergraduate education can provide many benefits to students and instructors. However, the roles and responsibilities of peer tutors can be complex and varied, even within a single program. In particular, navigating between students and faculty can challenge peer tutors' sense of purpose and role clarity. In order to bring the…

In "Maths for Business", a mathematics module for non-mathematics specialists, students are given the choice of completing the module content via short online videos, live lectures or a combination of both. In this study, we identify students' specific usage patterns with both of these resources and discuss their reasons for the…

In this case study, the results and recommendation following the redesign process of an advanced engineering course for Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) students is presented. Three Ph.D. students from the college of electrical engineering in United Arab Emirates university enrolled in the course during one academic semester. The Ph.D. supervisor for…

Organisational change literature is littered with labels for those who instigate, support, resist, or implement change. Absent is research into the perspectives of those who are given these labels. This paper reports findings from a literature search, journal scan and a case study of an Australian university where change agents were labelled…

The use of simulated instruction is a growing trend in social work education. This study examined the effectiveness of simulated instruction with undergraduate social work students. In this mixed methods study, the extent to which simulated instruction improved self-efficacy and practice readiness was assessed. Results of the study suggest that…

Student demand for distance learning, changing student demographics, and low retention compel institutions of higher education to develop alternative forms of academic support that can effectively serve the increasingly diverse needs of students. Videoconferencing provides institutions with the capacity to provide interactive real-time academic…