This paper investigates grammatical difficulty from the perspective of Saudi university students, of EFL as well as from the perspective of university teachers. It aims to find out which English grammar features are more difficult/less difficult than others. Furthermore, it attempts to determine the reasons and causes that account for such grammar…

Existing initiatives purporting to promote teacher research are often found to be inadequate to encourage EFL teachers to engage in research due to the fact that they impose a top down, expert model approach to research engagement. This study reports on a pioneering programme at Sultan Qaboos University Language Centre in the Sultanate of Oman…

This article attempts to explore the extent to which Lecturer e-Training Program (LeP) supports lecturers in their preparation for student-centred teaching. LeP was conducted in a blended mode, that is, it involved an online self-paced learning module followed by an interactive online discussion and ended with a face-to-face action learning. It…

This study explores the challenges faced by young lecturers in managerial transformation in elite Chinese academic institutions which aim to develop into world-class universities. Drawing on data from in-depth interviews, the paper discusses how a group of lecturers on tenure-track contracts at a research university in China perceived the impacts…

The purpose of this study was to investigate academics' lifelong learning positions and preferences. The research was designed as survey research. The participants consisted of 230 academics from Faculty of Education of Anadolu University in Turkey. Data were collected using a survey form which had items about the factors that affect lifelong…

This study explored the modern environment in Chinese higher education and trust development with faculty and students within the Chinese educational setting. Qualitative methods were used to conduct semi-structured interviews at two large universities in China. Findings showed that Chinese faculty members viewed trust with their students in a…

Some students perceive that online assessment does not provide for a true reflection of their work effort. This article reports on a collaborative international project between two higher education institutions with the aim of researching issues relating to engineering student perceptions with respect to online assessment of mathematics. It…

This study aims to analyze how the middle management at university handle with the order versus freedom dilemma--bureaucratic discipline, professional expertise; coordination, communication; managerial planning and individual initiative by giving a university case. A survey was applied on two different sample groups. 607 middle managers and…

Two motivational factors--self-efficacy and interest--may be especially relevant to deepening students' understanding of astronomy. We examined the relationship between students' self-efficacy for, interest in learning about, and changes in their knowledge of stars, as measured by the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Approximately 700…

Learning student names has been promoted as an inclusive classroom practice, but it is unknown whether students value having their names known by an instructor. We explored this question in the context of a high-enrollment active-learning undergraduate biology course. Using surveys and semistructured interviews, we investigated whether students…

Recently, many universities have started to do their best to enhance their contribution in the scientific publication. Thus, researchers and faculty members have been offered many various financial and promotional incentives for publishing their papers in international journals, particularly the ISI ones. The present study aims to identify the…

The aim of this study is to validate MOOC-based curriculum in higher education in Iran. The research method is mixed and of exploratory type. Method of grounded theory is used in the qualitative section and the Validation Test Pattern among the faculties and PhD students of Tehran's Universities is considered in the quantitative part. The…

This paper draws on British Council commissioned research in response to concerns about women's absence from senior leadership positions in higher education in South Asia. The study sought existing knowledge from literature, policies, and available statistics and collected original interview data from 30 academics in Afghanistan, Bangladesh,…

This study investigates how academics hired during the period of rapid neoliberal reforms differ from the senior academics hired before the reforms and the junior academics hired after the reforms were institutionalized. The faculty members who were employed in a period of radical reform may be impacted by the additional requirements and tasks…

The move on decentralization of curriculum development in recent decade has become one of the major tasks in developing scientific fields in Iran. By implementing these programs some drawbacks have become evident. The objective of this study was to identify and assess the existing challenges involved in the development of academic disciplines from…