Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research

Workplace Conflicts and Perception of Quality Higher Education in Ghana

2022-06-30T04:19:33+02:00

Conflicts as a complex reality are common in higher education settings. Unfortunately, little is known about their impact on perceptions of the quality of higher education. This study assessed the impact of structural and interpersonal conflicts on the perception of quality higher education. To obtain the data, the study used a cross-sectional survey research design. The study sampled 310 academic and administrative staff from three universities in Northern Ghana using a multi-stage sampling technique. The questionnaire was the primary data-gathering tool. The prevalence of conflicts and perception of quality in higher education were assessed using simple frequencies and percentages, while the structural equation modelling technique was used to investigate the complex relationship among structural conflicts, interpersonal conflicts, and perception of higher education quality. The results indicate that most workplace conflicts in higher education are structural in nature, arising from jurisdictional uncertainties, interdependence, and authority relationships. The findings further indicate that structural and interpersonal conflicts have little influence on perceptions of quality higher education. Nevertheless, in terms of direction, structural conflicts have a positive link with the perception of quality higher education, whereas interpersonal conflicts have a negative relationship. It is hereby recommended that a cross-sectional survey on the influence of conflicts on effective teaching and learning in public universities in Ghana should be conducted.

Prioritisation and Nationalisation of Teaching of Sciences in Ugandan Schools: Practitioners and Documentary Perspectives

2022-06-30T04:49:05+02:00

Considerable investment in and prioritisation of teaching of sciences among secondary schools in Uganda have been made. But despite this, performance in sciences remains poor. We sought to understand why this is so, and to this end, the present study explores perceptions regarding reasons surrounding students’ poor performance in sciences. We used an exploratory case study to interview teachers of science, inspectors of schools, and a representative of the Uganda National Examinations Board. Also, documentary analysis was done for a deeper understanding of the study question. Qualitative analysis was employed in the identification of themes and sub-themes. In the findings, what our research suggested is that there is a combination of factors which have resulted in poor science results within schools – the quality of the teaching, the expectations and support of the school and the ability of the pupils themselves, although the quality of teaching seemed to be the major factor. Therefore, this would suggest that the teaching and learning of the sciences in Ugandan schools could benefit from adapting to new ways – teaching the necessary skills, developing the pupils’ scientific interest and skills, and improving facilities within the schools. Further inquiry could be channeled towards understanding apathy in the teaching and learning of sciences, support strategies in resource utilisation, and monitoring of the teaching-learning process.

The Impact of Take-home Open-book Examinations due to COVID-19 among Business Students. Do Gender, Age, and Academic Skills Matter?

2022-06-30T05:00:19+02:00

Due to COVID-19, numerous universities and colleges have been forced to arrange home-based exams in many countries. We know relatively little about what consequences this might have for the ranking of students based on qualifications in the various subjects. This is an important issue for administrators, educators, and others involved in planning the design of higher education. The intention of this article is to get more insight into this issue. By analysing administrative data from a Norwegian Business School, we examined the impact of moving from traditional school exams to home-based exams in 2020 due to COVID-19. The chosen methodology is the comparison of means by using t-test and standard linear regression models. The results indicate a weaker link between high school performance and achievements in business administration courses. Furthermore, home-based exams might disadvantage older students. This is useful knowledge in the judgement as to whether or not to introduce home-based exams as a permanent arrangement.

Headteachers' Leadership Practices and Students’ Discipline in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Uganda

2022-06-30T05:12:45+02:00

This study examined the relationship between headteachers' leadership practices and students' discipline in secondary schools in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Uganda. Particularly, the study tested the relationship between headteachers' collaborative culture practice and students' discipline, the relationship between headteachers' distributed leadership practice and students' discipline, and the relationship between the headteachers' interpersonal relationships leadership practice and students' discipline. The cross-sectional design was adopted using the quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected on a sample of 310 teachers using a questionnaire survey. The findings revealed that while the collaborative culture and interpersonal relationship had a positive and significant relationship with students' discipline, distributed leadership had a negative and insignificant one. Therefore, it was concluded that the collaborative culture leadership practice is imperative for promoting students' discipline in secondary schools, distributed leadership practice is not an essential practice for promoting students' discipline in secondary schools, and interpersonal relationship leadership practice is vital for the promotion of students' discipline in secondary schools. Therefore, it was recommended that headteachers should promote collaborative culture practice in schools to promote students' discipline, headteachers should not over-emphasise distributed leadership in implementing measures of promoting student discipline, and headteachers should prioritise enhancing interpersonal relationships in secondary schools to promote students' discipline.

The Quality of Students’ Accommodation in Nigeria’s Tertiary Institutions

2022-06-30T05:34:13+02:00

The quality of students’ accommodation has been one of the factors that influence students’ academic performance and achievements. This has been shown in Sustainable Development Goals as related to education and housing. This paper thus assessed the quality of students’ accommodation in a Nigeria’s tertiary institution. The objectives are to determine the factors responsible for students’ choice of accommodation and examine the variation in students’ accommodation based on their quality. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 212 (10%) students living in 8 on-campus and 8 off-campus hostels in the study area. Questionnaires were used as research instruments in this paper. This study adopted descriptive, inferential, and spatial analytical techniques. The results reveal that the hostel fee was higher off-campus than on-campus, while the power supply was more stable at on-campus hostels than at off-campus hostels. At a p-value greater than alpha at 0.05, and an F-calculated value of 1.613 which was less than the F-tabulated value of 1.71 at F_{0.05, 15, 196}, there was no statistically significant variation in the overall mean value of the factors considered for the quality of students’ accommodation across all sixteen hostels. This paper concludes that the quality of students’ hostels is not significantly different in both on-campus and off-campus in the study area. This paper thus recommends that the quality of students’ accommodation should be improved without exerting an exorbitant fee on students. There should also be a government policy regulating the off-campus and on-campus hostels in terms of fees and quality.

Exploring Educational Technologies Used by Mthwakazi University Rural Satellite Campuses to Implement Distance Teacher Education Programmes

2022-06-30T05:48:49+02:00

The 21st century has seen a massive advent of technologies, arguably more than any other time in the history of humankind. Education systems worldwide have embraced emerging technologies to expedite their teaching and learning systems to stay abreast and relevant to the time. The study explored the types of educational technologies used by Mthwakazi University (MU) rural satellite campuses to implement distance teacher education programmes. An interpretive research paradigm was employed using a qualitative research approach and a case study design. Interviews were used to gather data from six purposively selected lecturers at MU rural satellite campuses. Data was analysed narratively under emerging themes. Findings concluded that lecturers at MU rural satellite campuses used limited educational technologies, mostly traditional paper and text, due to electricity and internet challenges and lecturers’ lack of ICT skills and knowledge. The study recommended that MU rural satellite campuses should use flash drives, Compact Disks (CDs) and Digital Versatile/Video Disks (DVDs) to download Encarta, encyclopedia and updated information and upload it into computers for access by students, invest in alternative internet sources like dongles and wireless mobile networks like ECONET and MTN.

Form and Function of Teacher’s Questioning Technique in English Foreign Language Classroom Interactions

2022-08-23T18:41:16+02:00

English Foreign Language (EFL) teachers most frequently deal with question types in their interactions with students. However, questioning is not only concerned with type but also with form and function. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to examine the types, forms, and functions of the questions altogether raised by EFL teachers as they interacted with students. The researcher observed and recorded two college-level EFL teachers. Using the conversation analysis tenets, the data were transcribed and examined. The results have demonstrated that the teacher questions used were insufficient for the questioning activity. The form is related to the question type. Additionally, the teachers’ questions had diagnostic, educational, and motivating purposes. Therefore, it is advantageous for teachers to ask questions during class discussions if they have a comprehensive understanding of type, shape, and function.

Using Smartphones in Teaching English to Secondary School Students in South Africa

2022-08-22T19:35:03+02:00

This study aimed to explore teachers’ experiences of using smartphones in teaching and learning English in Capricorn South Circuit, Limpopo Province. We used a qualitative research approach and adopted a case study design to conduct the study. Purposive sampling strategy was used to select data from six teachers. Data were collected through three methods, namely; interviews, observation and a reflective journal. We adopted Strauss and Corbin’s Model to analyse data. Thus, the study generated three findings: (a) reluctance among some teachers to use smartphones in teaching and learning; (b) challenges experienced at schools such as contextual factors (e.g., poor network coverage) and disruptive learners; as well as (c) strategies used by teachers to plan and implement the use of smartphones in teaching and learning to determine its success. These findings have major implications for the use of smartphones in teaching English in schools. Therefore, the study recommends that there be training for teachers regarding the use of smartphones in teaching. Additionally, the study recommends that the school management should be supportive and actively involved in the implementation of using of smartphones for teaching and learning in schools. In conclusion, teachers should ensure that timeous and thorough planning is done to ensure success if the use of smartphones is to succeed. This study is significant because it emphasises the need for a shift in teaching from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-centred approach that incorporates the use of technology in classroom.