Not quite university people? Academics teaching on foundation studies programmes in New Zealand universities     

Pat Strauss 《高等教育研究与发展》2020,39(5):1013-1025

ABSTRACT

In the current neoliberal environment in higher education, universities are viewed as a valuable source of income. To generate this income, universities need to attract students, and in order to do so, they need to perform well in global ranking tables. These tables are influenced to a large extent by staff research and postgraduate teaching. Foundation studies programmes (FS) do not usually have a great deal to offer in these categories and this places staff teaching on these programmes in a difficult position. This article explores the perceptions of staff teaching on FS programmes in New Zealand universities, drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with 22 lecturers from four universities. Although lip service is paid in higher education circles to the importance of widening access to university education for traditionally marginalised groups, it appears that staff teaching on FS programmes do not, on the whole, receive acknowledgement, support or reward for the work that they do. Despite their marginalised status, these lecturers are committed to helping second chance learners. However, their ability to make a positive impact on these students’ lives is limited by their lowly status in the university sector. This article discusses the insights of FS staff and considers the implications of their positioning in the university sector. It offers some suggestions as to how, in a small way, universities could address the difficulties these academics face in their attempts to widen university access.  相似文献   

Diversity Literary Awards: A Tool for Assessing an Academic Library’s Collection     

Laurel Kristick 《资料收集管理》2020,45(2):151-161

Abstract

Diversity literary awards and other sources were used to create a list of high-quality titles written by and about underrepresented groups. This list was used to assess the diversity and inclusiveness of the library collections of a land-grant university in the Pacific Northwest and compare it to peer institutions. Gaps in the collection and acquisition processes were identified and will be used to improve the processes to increase the number of diverse titles added to the library’s collections.  相似文献   

Health-related fitness knowledge growth in middle school years: Individual- and school-level correlates     

Xihe Zhu  Justin A. Haegele  Haichun Sun 《运动与健康科学(英文)》2020,9(6):664-669

BackgroundHealth-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) has been an essential concept for many health and physical education programs. There has been limited understanding and longitudinal investigation on HRFK growth. This longitudinal study examined HRFK growth and its individual- and school-level correlates in middle school years under 1 curriculum condition: Five for Life.MethodsParticipants were 12,044 students from 47 middle schools. Data were collected at both individual/participant and school/institution levels. Individual-level variables included gender, grade, and HRFK test scores. School-level variables included percentage of students receiving free and reduced meals (FARM), student-to-faculty ratio for physical education, and school academic performance (SAP). We used hierarchical linear modeling to examine HRFK 3-year growth in relation to individual- and school-level correlates.ResultsThe average HRFK score at 6th grade for females was 42.81% ± 1.32%. The predicted HRFK growth was 17.06% ± 1.02% per year, holding other factors constant. A 1-standard deviation increase in FARM correlated with a 14.68%-point decrease in predicted test score (p = 0.02). A 1-standard deviation increase in SAP was associated with an 11.90%-point increase in HRFK score. Males had a significantly lower growth rate than females during the middle school years (0.78%/year, p = 0.02).ConclusionThe result showed that both individual- and school-level variables such as gender, FARM, and SAP influenced HRFK growth. Educators should heed gender differences in growth curves and recognize the correlates of school-level variables.  相似文献   

Representation in the Collection: Assessing Coverage of LGBTQ Content in an Academic Library Collection     

Julia Proctor 《资料收集管理》2020,45(3):223-234

Abstract

Academic library collections have been built and shaped by a focus on dominant voices and perspectives. In order for collections to reflect the value librarianship places on diversity as well as represent multiple perspectives and serve users of diverse backgrounds and identities, collections need to be assessed for coverage of content related to diversity. This article discusses the challenges inherent in engaging in such an assessment, discusses collection assessment methods, and describes an analysis performed on the Penn State University Libraries collections focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer content.  相似文献   

Independent reading in rural China’s elementary schools: A mixed-methods analysis     

《International Journal of Educational Development》2020

Independent reading—unassigned reading for personal pleasure—has been shown to be an important driver of reading skills and academic success. Children that commonly read for pleasure exhibit higher academic performance. However, little research has been done on independent reading in rural China, where the education system is charged with schooling tens of millions of students. Many rural students fall behind their urban counterparts in school, with potentially troubling implications for China’s ongoing development. This article explores the prevalence of independent reading and its associations with reading ability and academic performance among rural students. Using a mixed methods approach, we analyze quantitative data from a survey of 13,232 students from 134 rural schools and interviews with students, teachers, principals, and caregivers. We find that independent reading is positively and significantly correlated with reading ability as well as standardized math and Chinese tests scores. Despite such correlations, only 17 percent of students report reading for pleasure for an hour a day. Interview findings suggest that inaccessible bookstores, curriculum constraints, unsupportive home environments, low availability of appealing and level-appropriate books, and insufficient school investment in reading resources may explain the low prevalence of independent reading.  相似文献   

Linguistic equity as open access: Internationalizing the language of scholarly communication     

Race MoChridhe 《The Journal of Academic Librarianship》2019,45(4):423-427

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The Ultimate Survey: Asking One Question at a Time to Get Feedback from Library Users     

Leticia Camacho  Brian Wages  Taylor Harris 《The Reference Librarian》2020,61(1):1-14

ABSTRACT

Libraries use surveys and other instruments to gather feedback from their users. However, with competition from many other campus entities requesting input, how can survey fatigue be avoided? To gather this feedback, the Social Sciences Reference Desk utilized a short, fun and easy method. Each week for 10 weeks during the fall semester of 2017, the reference assistants wrote a survey question on a whiteboard and provided sticky notes for patrons to write their answers. The survey provided valuable information about patrons’ needs and expectations. It also fostered changes that were easily implemented to improve the delivery of library services.  相似文献   

University reform and the development of social sciences in Indonesia     

《International Journal of Educational Development》2020

Much has been studied regarding university reforms and their impacts on scientific development worldwide. This paper aims to enrich current perspectives on university reform by developing a distinct concept of social science development in the context of the emergence of academic social sciences in Indonesia. Using a bibliometric method, this paper finds a significant increase in the volume of international scientific publications focusing on socio-economic and political issues. However, two issues that presently color the landscape of social scientific publications are the bifurcation of academic dependencies and limited extension of Western social theories. The future of the social sciences in Indonesia will be determined by interrelationships between the state, universities, and networks of academics who can address the former issue and ensure that academics publish in mainstream international journals emphasizing the prominence of the latter. In doing so, the social sciences will have the potential to improve future university teaching and engagement in public policymaking in Indonesia.  相似文献   

Psychological responses to reservation-based discrimination: A qualitative study of socially marginalized youth at a premier Indian university     

《International Journal of Educational Development》2020

Given the history of caste politics in India, it is not surprising that the socially marginalized students face discrimination, especially after the introduction of the reservation policy (affirmative action) in educational institutes. Our qualitative study, informed by Meyer’s Minority Stress model, analysed in-depth interviews with 30 undergraduate students, 3 faculty members, and 4 administrative officials at a premier Indian university to examine the psychological wellbeing of the reserved category students. We analysed how the discrimination processes contributed to students’ poor academic performance, low self-esteem, and weak motivation. Student group affiliations and university resources created a supportive environment for the socially marginalized, despite a small risk of stigmatization due to enrolment in a few campus support-programs. Moreover, there existed a palpable frustration among the socially privileged students, resulting in discriminatory attitudes against reserved categories but not “lower” caste. Our findings call for the attention of college administrators, policymakers, and the society at large to ensure that well-intended social justice policies are efficiently implemented, to deliver justice to the underprivileged students of India.  相似文献   

Finding the missing Einsteins: Expanding the breadth of cognitive and noncognitive measures used in academic services     

《Contemporary educational psychology》2020

Education researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are concerned with identifying and developing talent for students with fewer opportunities, especially students from historically marginalized groups. An emerging body of research suggests “universally screening” or testing all students, then matching those students with appropriate educational challenges, is effective in helping marginalized students. However, most tests have focused on two areas: math and verbal reasoning. We leverage three nationally representative samples of the U.S. population at different time points that include both novel cognitive measures (e.g., spatial, mechanical, and abstract reasoning) and non-cognitive measures (e.g., conscientiousness, creativity or word fluency, leadership skill, and artistic skill) to uncover which measures would improve proportional representation of marginalized groups in talent identification procedures. We find that adding spatial reasoning measures in particular—as well as other non-cognitive measures such as conscientiousness, leadership, and creativity—are worthwhile to consider for universal screening procedures for students to narrow achievement gaps at every level of education, including for gifted students. By showing that these nontraditional measures both improve proportional representation of underrepresented groups and have reasonable predictive validity, we also broaden the definition of what it means to be “gifted” and expand opportunities for students from historically marginalized groups.  相似文献