Global Perspectives on Higher Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2015) | Viewed by 60397

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Co-Director MSc Social Responsibility and Sustainability Aston Business School, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
Interests: urban sustainability; sustainable work systems; sustainability and learning; sustainability and media literacy; image based environmental communication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Higher Education has not always been particularly swift in its response to change and for many this is part of its value and purpose. But the world is now changing very rapidly and in many ways quite profoundly with potential consequences that are only half understood and sometimes only partially acknowledged. Climate change, digital technology, energy security, environmental sustainability, planetary boundaries to economic growth, the nature of work in a jobless future, the power of big corporations, socio-economic inequality and much more. Conventionally, Higher Education practitioners have sought to analyze and evaluate these changes, and others, from within specific ideological, institutional and (often single) disciplinary frameworks. However, these frameworks may no longer be fit for purpose as, for example, economic growth is increasingly seen as a recipe  for environmental disaster. So, where does the future value of higher education lie? And, has globalization compromised Higher Education’s sensitivity to space, place and regional distinctiveness? Where is new, radical and perhaps even dangerously progressive thinking to be found? This open and wide ranging call for papers invites contributions from established academic faculty, independent scholars and other creative thinkers from across the globe that can offer both a critical and transdisciplinary understanding of our present realities while not being afraid of peering into the future in a reasoned and speculative manner to help us answer the fundamental question: what is to be done?

Dr. John Blewitt
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

References:

Blewitt, J. (2013) ‘EFS: Contesting the market model of higher education’. In Sterling, S., Maxey, L. and Luna, H. Eds The Sustainable University: Progress and prospects. London: Routledge.
Brynjolfsson, E. and McAfee, A. (2014) The Second Machine Age: work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. New York: W W Norton.
Latouche, S. (2009) Farewell to Growth. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Lazzarato, M. (2014) Signs and Machines: Capitalism and the production of subjectivity. Los Angeles: Semiotexte.
Peters, M.A. and Bulut, E. (2011) Cognitive Capitalism, Education and Digital Labor. New York: Peter Lang.
Sarkar, S. (2102) The Crisis of Capitalism: A different study of political economy.  Berkeley: Conterpoint.

Keywords

  • transdisciplinarity
  • sustainability
  • education
  • capitalism
  • degrowth
  • climate change
  • value
  • power

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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286 KiB  
Article
Undergraduate Research Involving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Interdisciplinary Science Projects
by Todd Pagano, Annemarie Ross and Susan B. Smith
Educ. Sci. 2015, 5(2), 146-165; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci5020146 - 21 May 2015
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7026
Abstract
Scientific undergraduate research in higher education often yields positive outcomes for student and faculty member participants alike, with underrepresented students often showing even more substantial gains (academic, professional, and personal) as a result of the experience. Significant success can be realized when involving [...] Read more.
Scientific undergraduate research in higher education often yields positive outcomes for student and faculty member participants alike, with underrepresented students often showing even more substantial gains (academic, professional, and personal) as a result of the experience. Significant success can be realized when involving deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/hh) undergraduate students, who are also vastly underrepresented in the sciences, in interdisciplinary research projects. Even d/hh Associate degree level students and those in the first two years of their postsecondary careers can contribute to, and benefit from, the research process when faculty mentors properly plan/design projects. We discuss strategies, including the dissemination/communication of research results, for involving these students in research groups with different communication dynamics and share both findings of our research program and examples of successful chemical and biological research projects that have involved d/hh undergraduate students. We hope to stimulate a renewed interest in encouraging diversity and involving students with disabilities into higher education research experiences globally and across multiple scientific disciplines, thus strengthening the education and career pipeline of these students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Perspectives on Higher Education)
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859 KiB  
Article
Women and Gender Equality in Higher Education?
by Miriam E. David
Educ. Sci. 2015, 5(1), 10-25; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci5010010 - 16 Feb 2015
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 30080
Abstract
I look at the changes in higher education (HE) and women’s lives over the last 50 years, drawing on my recent book Feminism, Gender & Universities: Politics, Passion & Pedagogies which is a life history of feminism entering academe. The Robbins Report (cmnd [...] Read more.
I look at the changes in higher education (HE) and women’s lives over the last 50 years, drawing on my recent book Feminism, Gender & Universities: Politics, Passion & Pedagogies which is a life history of feminism entering academe. The Robbins Report (cmnd 2154 1963) on HE was published in the same year that I went to university. It inaugurated a process of change and educational expansion that was linked to other major social transformations, including feminism. Its effects have been widely felt such that women now participate in education and employment on unprecedented levels. Indeed, it has opened up opportunities for education and employment for women including individual and social mobility. From my study I show how it opened up opportunities for women from both middle class and working class backgrounds to be first-in-the-family to go to university. I will also argue that whilst there have been very welcome changes in education, and HE especially, such that there is a gender balance of undergraduate students in HE, this does not mean that gender equality has been achieved. Patriarchy or hegemonic masculinity in HE is still strongly felt and experienced despite women’s and feminist involvements in academe over the last 50 years. The question remains about how to transform universities to achieve genuine gender equality across all students and academics in HE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Perspectives on Higher Education)
151 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Impact of the Increased Tuition Fees on Academic Staffs’ Experiences in Post-92 Universities: A Small-Scale Qualitative Study
by Elizabeth A. Bates and Linda K. Kaye
Educ. Sci. 2014, 4(4), 229-246; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci4040229 - 7 Nov 2014
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 10801
Abstract
The introduction of the new tuition fee regime in the UK academic session 2012–2013 has resulted in concerns in the Higher Education (HE) community that students’ expectations may become unmanageable. Previous research has explored the expectations and experiences of undergraduate psychology students; the [...] Read more.
The introduction of the new tuition fee regime in the UK academic session 2012–2013 has resulted in concerns in the Higher Education (HE) community that students’ expectations may become unmanageable. Previous research has explored the expectations and experiences of undergraduate psychology students; the current study extended this by considering whether the increased tuition fees have changed the experiences of academic staff in HE. To achieve this, five semi-structured interviews with psychology staff in two post-92 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were undertaken. Results suggested staff perceptions have undergone minimal change in their day-to-day experiences. However, perceptions of the wider HE issues, such as meeting targets and fulfilling requirements of the role, appear to be enhanced following the contextual changes of HE. Finally, the results reported here suggest generally good staff satisfaction, regardless of these changing times within the sector. Future research and the need for more widespread, large scale studies are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Perspectives on Higher Education)

Other

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391 KiB  
Discussion
Explorations into Becoming New, Radical, and Quite Possibly Dangerously Progressive within an Aotearoa New Zealand Context
by Nicola Dunham, Hazel Owen and Yo Heta-Lensen
Educ. Sci. 2015, 5(2), 65-84; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci5020065 - 9 Apr 2015
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5646
Abstract
This paper draws on an initiative where we experienced being new, radical, and, from some viewpoints, dangerously progressive at Unitec—a Polytechnic/Institute of Technology in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The initiative was driven by a need to improve student experiences of interdisciplinary learning and teaching, [...] Read more.
This paper draws on an initiative where we experienced being new, radical, and, from some viewpoints, dangerously progressive at Unitec—a Polytechnic/Institute of Technology in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The initiative was driven by a need to improve student experiences of interdisciplinary learning and teaching, and to develop a common semester for students transitioning to a bachelor degree programme, as well as a new suite of interdisciplinary qualifications at postgraduate level. This discussion paper is situated within a self-study paradigm befitting educational contexts, by drawing on the reflective narratives of three participants who held a range of different roles—and, hence, perspectives within the change process. Interpretations and implications are discussed using the lens of the Inclusive Framework, to illustrate personal, professional, and political elements. Our overall aim is to add to current understandings of change within the higher education sector. However, this is a study of our own experiences and we are not making claims that we are in the possession of “truth”, but, rather, we seek to identify aspects that may have relevance in other contexts. We conclude that navigating the next phase of transformative change in our context will involve seeking resolutions to key emerging questions. This includes exploring notions of multiple innovators, creating agile development environments in education and exploring the concept of time as multifaceted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Perspectives on Higher Education)
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123 KiB  
Case Report
Role of Leading Programs in Doctoral Education: A New Type of Leadership Education in the Sciences at University of Hyogo, Japan
by Maya Okamoto and Hiroshi Matsuzaka
Educ. Sci. 2015, 5(1), 2-9; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci5010002 - 12 Jan 2015
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5725
Abstract
Fostering global leaders for the next generation is an important mission of universities. In Japan, Leading Programs in Doctoral Education (LP) has been implemented in many graduate schools. The main goal of this program is to foster PhDs with deep specialization and peer [...] Read more.
Fostering global leaders for the next generation is an important mission of universities. In Japan, Leading Programs in Doctoral Education (LP) has been implemented in many graduate schools. The main goal of this program is to foster PhDs with deep specialization and peer leadership who will be able to compete well internationally. The Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo is implementing a LP to foster global leaders using cutting-edge technology. They are also trying to create new evaluation criteria of human resource development with their corporate sponsors. The success of LP depends not only on how many graduates can play leading roles globally, but also how university staff can create a superior new evaluation criteria of human resource development and how much it can be shared with universities and industry. Development of students and graduates with a high level of ability takes time, thus it is important to consider the continuous development of LP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Perspectives on Higher Education)
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