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Accessibility and utilization of electronic information resources for research and its effect on productivity of academic staff in selected Nigerian universities between 2005 and 2012Ani, Okon Edet 06 1900 (has links)
The study investigated the effect of accessibility and utilization of electronic resources by academic staff on productivity at the University of Calabar and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In order to determine the effect of accessibility and utilization of e-resources on productivity of academic staff, a lone hypothesis was formulated thus: there is no significant correlation between accessibility and utilization of e-resources and productivity of academic staff in Nigerian universities. The study adopted quantitative approach as research paradigm; with survey and bibliometrics as research methods. Questionnaire was used as the primary instrument for data collection on accessibility and utilization of e-resources and productivity of academic staff in the study. The population of 2035 academic staff and sample size of 586 academic staff were used for the study, and a response rate of 55.29% was obtained for data analysis. The data for the study were analysed with SPSS. The finding of the study revealed that there is significant correlation between accessibility and utilization of e-resources and productivity of academic staff at the surveyed universities (r=0.135; p=0.004), especially at the level of international publication (r=0.158; p=0.004). The study concluded that there is a positive effect due to accessibility and utilization of e-resources on productivity at the surveyed universities. Further findings of the study revealed a low level of electronic information environment at the surveyed universities in relation to global practices; although, the University of Ibadan was found to have a better electronic information environment than the University of Calabar. The result from questionnaire survey revealed that the University of Calabar was more productive than the University of Ibadan; the converse was obtained with bibliometric analysis as the University of Ibadan was found to be more productive than the University of Calabar. From the findings of the study the influence of demographic variables (discipline, gender, age, education and professional rank) on accessibility and utilization of e-resources was not significant at the surveyed universities. The study recommended increased investment in ICT facilities at the surveyed universities to promote increase in accessibility and utilization of e-resources by academic staff in research. / Information Science / D.Litt et. Phil. (Information Science)
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Job satisfaction among academic staff in Ethiopian public universitiesBekele Meaza Damtae 06 1900 (has links)
This study aimed at exploring the level of job satisfaction among academic staff members in Ethiopian public universities. For this purpose, a conceptual framework incorporating group of constructs, namely university policies and support, working conditions, student achievement, and demographic factors was developed based on the literature reviewed in the study. A descriptive survey research design was employed in the study to collect and analyse quantitative data obtained from participants. Clustered and systematic random sampling techniques were used in the study to choose 400 academic staff members from eight public universities. A questionnaire comprising closed- and open-ended questions, and Likert scale items was adapted in order to gather data from the participants. Descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were used to analyse the relationships between all the study constructs with the help of IBM SPSS, version 25. The study revealed that there were significant differences among different demographic groups, and positive relationships between job satisfaction and its defining constructs. The study also found that most of the academic staff members were dissatisfied with their jobs. Female academic staff members were more significantly dissatisfied with students‟ discipline policy, university governance and support, their salary, workload, communication, and students‟ achievement than male academic staff members. Male academic staff members were, however, more significantly satisfied with the promotion policy and more significantly dissatisfied with reward than the female academic staff members. The study revealed that academic staff members significantly differed in the level of job satisfaction corresponding to their age and qualification. The study also indicated that academic staff members significantly differed in the level of job satisfaction corresponding to their work experience and academic rank. Significant correlations between the eight constructs and job satisfaction of academic staff members were also found in the study. Finally, the study recommended directions for policy amendment and implications for practice and future research relevant to the issue under study. / Educational Studies / D. Phil. (Education)
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Access to and use of library electronic resources at the National Open University of NigeriaOpeyemi, Oluwaseun Babarotimi January 2018 (has links)
The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of access to and use of library electronic resources and their implications on remote users at the National Open University of Nigeria. Specific objectives were formulated to: find out the different types of electronic resources available in the NOUN Library; investigate academic staffs’ and students’ level of awareness of electronic resources available in the NOUN library; explore the various types of electronic resources used by academic staffs and students of NOUN; find out how academic staffs and students access and use electronic resources in NOUN library; analyze the policies that enable access to and use of electronic resources by academic staffs and students at NOUN; find out the perceptions and attitudes of academic staffs and students toward the electronic resources available in the NOUN library; and identify the challenges associated with access to and use of electronic resources by the academic staffs and students of NOUN.
The study adopted a quantitative research approach and survey research method was employed. The study targeted 1,680 population samples of which include 1,513 Students, 140 Academic staffs, and 27 Academic Librarians. Probability (Stratified random and systematic) sampling and nonprobability (purposive) sampling methods were adopted. Two sample frames were used: Students - classified into subgroups (Level) in each selected study centers and Academic staff - classified into subgroups (academic staff/academic librarian). Online (Google form) self-administered closed-ended questionnaire was sent to participants’ email. Data collected were analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
This finding revealed that electronic journals and electronic books are readily available in the NOUN library. Academic staff most likely, interact with the library staff or visit the library to be aware of library electronic resources, however, the students struggled to be aware through personal efforts. NOUN library creates awareness through the email and notice boards. The academic staff and students access and use the library electronic resources for various multidimensional purposes, however, there is a low patronage of these electronic resources by academic staff and students as less than 40% of academic staff and students access and use the library electronic resources. Electricity outage, low internet connectivity speed and high cost of access to internet were presented as challenges encountered while accessing and using electronic resources. Recommendations: the library management should develop awareness programmes that is appropriate for an ODL university community through the use of modern communication tools, and emphasy should be on the use of electronic resources in the university curriculum. / Information Science
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Academic staff development in higher education institutions : a case study of Zimbabwe state universitiesChabaya, Raphinos Alexander 10 1900 (has links)
This study investigated how institutional conditions and cultures enabled or impeded the development and implementation of academic professional development programmes in Zimbabwe State universities. The study was prompted by undervaluing of academic professional development in Zimbabwe State universities manifested by its absence in half of the institutions. Literature suggests that factors that enable or impede implementation of academic staff development programmes include irrelevant academic professional programmes and influence of departmental cultures.
The critical theory paradigm guided this study because the intention was to change and transform teaching practices by gaining insights on academics‘ perspectives on conditions that influence implementation of academic staff development programmes.
A qualitative study was employed where interviews, focus group discussions, documents and questionnaires were used. Two state universities were conveniently sampled from which sixteen academics, four deans, two Directors of the Teaching and Learning Centres and two Vice Chancellors were purposively selected to participate in the study.
The research produced findings reflecting that disciplines have huge influence on the development and implementation of academic professional development in higher education institutions. The scholarship of research constrained the scholarship of teaching in higher education practice. It was realised that academics‘ research interests subordinate teaching interests and by implication academic professional development programmes. This influences academics to have negative attitudes towards academic professional development programmes resulting in poor uptake of the programmes. It also emerged from the findings that promotion policies favour research over teaching resulting in academics marginalising teaching in their academic roles. It also emerged clearly as well that good researchers are not necessarily good teachers and that holding a PhD does not translate an academic to be a good teacher. However, it also emerged that departmental cultures can be used to promote interdisciplinary research which academic professional development might embrace in its practice.
The research experienced limitations in terms of time and threat to confidentiality but their effects were countered through control measures effected by the researcher.
The study recommends that State universities should set up teaching and learning centres that will lead in the development of a culture that values teaching and learning in faculties in which academic professional development programmes will professionalize university teaching The study also recommends that academic professional development should address needs of academics for them to be relevant and that their approach should include formal courses such as Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education in which teaching in higher education is valued / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)
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Accessibility and utilization of electronic information resources for research and its effect on productivity of academic staff in selected Nigerian universities between 2005 and 2012Ani, Okon Edet 06 1900 (has links)
The study investigated the effect of accessibility and utilization of electronic resources by academic staff on productivity at the University of Calabar and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In order to determine the effect of accessibility and utilization of e-resources on productivity of academic staff, a lone hypothesis was formulated thus: there is no significant correlation between accessibility and utilization of e-resources and productivity of academic staff in Nigerian universities. The study adopted quantitative approach as research paradigm; with survey and bibliometrics as research methods. Questionnaire was used as the primary instrument for data collection on accessibility and utilization of e-resources and productivity of academic staff in the study. The population of 2035 academic staff and sample size of 586 academic staff were used for the study, and a response rate of 55.29% was obtained for data analysis. The data for the study were analysed with SPSS. The finding of the study revealed that there is significant correlation between accessibility and utilization of e-resources and productivity of academic staff at the surveyed universities (r=0.135; p=0.004), especially at the level of international publication (r=0.158; p=0.004). The study concluded that there is a positive effect due to accessibility and utilization of e-resources on productivity at the surveyed universities. Further findings of the study revealed a low level of electronic information environment at the surveyed universities in relation to global practices; although, the University of Ibadan was found to have a better electronic information environment than the University of Calabar. The result from questionnaire survey revealed that the University of Calabar was more productive than the University of Ibadan; the converse was obtained with bibliometric analysis as the University of Ibadan was found to be more productive than the University of Calabar. From the findings of the study the influence of demographic variables (discipline, gender, age, education and professional rank) on accessibility and utilization of e-resources was not significant at the surveyed universities. The study recommended increased investment in ICT facilities at the surveyed universities to promote increase in accessibility and utilization of e-resources by academic staff in research. / Information Science / D.Litt et. Phil. (Information Science)
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Curriculum and practice to develop critical thinking competencies in first-year students / Kurrikulum en praktyk om kritiese denke in eerstjaarstudente te ontwikkel / Ukusebenzisa ikhayityhulam ngenjongo yokuphuhlisa ukucinga nzulu kubafundi bonyaka wokuqalaGoode, Heather Ann 23 October 2020 (has links)
Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa / Critical thinking competencies are not only seen as crucial for success in higher
education, but also for future personal and workplace success. These competencies
are commonly cited as a graduate attribute or goal of higher education, and resulting
research has tended to focus on exploring and measuring the development of critical
thinking competencies in students within higher education. However, few researchers
have explored the curriculum and practice of academic staff within higher education
in relation to their influence on developing critical thinking competencies in students,
or how they theorise about the development of these competencies as part of their
professional practice.
Within the South African context, there is a perception of a decline in the development
of critical thinking competencies within the secondary school system. This has
informed policy imperatives to improve access and success in South African higher
education through additional support for students, as well as through research into the
first-year experience.
Within a constructivist paradigm, and adopting a qualitative approach, this study takes
the first year of higher education as its context in order to explore the curriculum,
assessment, pedagogical and andragogical practices of academic staff designed to
develop critical thinking competencies in first-year students. The aim is to explore how
academic staff construct their theory and practice in order to contribute to the
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in South African Higher Education.
Phenomenological case study research methods, which draw on data collection
through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, enabled a better
understanding of the lived experience of academic staff within private higher education. Academic staff, as research participants, were able to describe deliberate
actions taken in their teaching practices to facilitate the development and assessment
of critical thinking competencies. The findings revealed that academic staff – while
having no coherent, well-articulated construction of critical thinking competencies –
feel that such competencies are essential for academic and future life success. This
not only affirmed previous research reviewed, but aligned to the inclusion of explicit
and implicit references to critical thinking competencies found in the curriculum and
assessment documents. Recommendations for professional development responded
specifically to these findings. / Kritiese denkvaardighede word nie net as wesentlik vir sukses in hoër onderwys
beskou nie, maar ook vir toekomstige sukses, op persoonlike vlak en in die werkplek.
Hierdie bevoegdhede word algemeen aanvaar as dié van ‘n gegradueerde of as
oogmerk in hoër onderwys. Gevolglik was ondersoeke geneig om te fokus op die
verkenning en meting van die ontwikkeling van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede by studente
binne die hoër onderwys. Min navorsers het egter die kurrikulum en praktyk van
akademiese personeel binne die hoër onderwys met betrekking tot hul invloed op die
ontwikkeling van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede in studente verken nie, of hoe hulle
teoretiseer oor die ontwikkeling van hierdie bevoegdhede as deel van hul
professionele praktyk.
Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is die persepsie dat die ontwikkeling van
kritiekedenkbevoegdhede binne die sekondêreskoolstelsel afneem. Dit het bygedra
tot beleidsimperatiewe om toegang en sukses in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys
te verbeter deur bykomende ondersteuning aan studente te gee, asook deur die
eerstejaarervaring te ondersoek.
Binne ‘n konstruktivistiese paradigma, en deur gebruik te maak van ‘n kwalitatiewe
benadering, neem hierdie studie die eerste jaar van hoër onderwys as konteks ten
einde die kurrikulum, assessering, pedagogiese en andragogiese praktyke van
akademiese personeel wat ontwerp is om kritiekedenkbevoegdhede by
eerstejaarstudente te verken. Die doel is om na te volg hoe akademiese personeel hul
teorie en praktyk saamstel ten einde by te dra tot die Kundigheid in Onderrig en Leer
in Suid-Afrika se Hoër Onderwys. Fenomenologiese gevallestudienavorsingsmetodes
wat steun op die inwin van data deur middel van semigestruktureerde onderhoude en
dokumentontleding, het gelei tot beter begrip van die geleefde ervaring van
akademiese personeel binne privaat hoër onderwys. Akademiese personeel, as
navorsingsgenote, kon optrede beskryf wat doelbewus in hul onderrigpraktyke
geneem word om die ontwikkeling en assessering van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede te
fasiliteer. Die bevindinge het getoon dat akademiese personeel – sonder koherente,
goed geartikuleerde konstruksie van kritiekedenkbevoegdhede – voel dat sulke
vaardighede wesentlik is vir akademiese en toekomstige sukses in die lewe. Dit het
nie net vorige navorsing bevestig nie, maar gestrook met die insluiting van eksplisiete
en implisiete verwysings na kritiekedenkbevoegdhede binne die kurrikulum- en
assesseringsdokumente. Aanbevelings vir professionele ontwikkeling het spesifiek op
hierdie bevindinge reageer. / Ubuchule bokucinga nzulu abubonwa kuphela njengecebo elibalulekileyo
lokuphumelela kwimfundo ephakamileyo, bukwabonwa njengecebo lokuphumelela
komntu kwizinto zakhe nakwindawo axelenga kuyo. Obu buchule bukholisa
ukuchazwa njengenjongo yemfundo ephakamileyo, kwaye uphando lweziphumo
luthande ukugxininisa ekuqwalaseleni nasekulinganiseleni ukuphuhliseka
kwezakhono zokucinga nzulu kubafundi bemfundo ephakamileyo. Noxa kunjalo,
bambalwa abaphandi bolwazi abakhe baqwalasela ukusetyenziswa kwekharityhulam
ngabahlohli bemfundo ephakamileyo malunga nefuthe ekuphuhliseni izakhono
zokucinga nzulu kubafundi, okanye iingcingane zophuhliso lokuphuhliseka kwezi
zakhono njengenxalenye yomsebenzi wabo.
Kwimeko yoMzantsi Afrika kukho imbono yokuba ziyaphelelwa izakhono zokucinga
nzulu kwinkqubo yemfundo yezikolo zeesekondari. Oku kukhokelele ekusekeni
iinkqubo zempumelelo kwimfundo ephakamileyo ngokunika inkxaso
eyongezelelekileyo kubafundi, nangokuphanda ngamava abafundi abakunyaka
wokuqala.
Ngokujonga kwinkalo ethi imfundo yinkqubo yokusebenza, nangokusebenzisa indlela
yophando lomgangatho, esi sifundo sithatha unyaka wokuqala wemfundo
ephakamileyo njengemeko nendawo yokuqwalasela ukusetyenziswa
kwekharityhulam, uhlolo, ukufundiswa kolutsha nasebekhulile ngabahlohli
ekuphuhliseni izakhono zokucinga nzulu kubafundi bonyaka wokuqala. Injongo
kukuqwalasela ukuba abahlohli bayiqulunqa njani ingcingane nokusebenza ukuze
kuncediswe kubungcali bokufundisa nokufunda kwimfundo ephakamileyo yoMzantsi
Afrika. Iindlela zophando zeemeko ezithile, ezifumana iinkcukacha zolwazi
ngokuqhuba udliwano ndlebe oluphantse lwangqongqo, nangokuphengulula imibhalo, kwanceda ukuba kuqondakale ngcono amava abahlohli bemfundo ephakamileyo
yabucala. Abahlohli abangabathathi nxaxheba kuphando baye bakwazi ukuchaza
izenzo ezingqalileyo ezenzelwe ukuphuhlisa nokuhlola izakhono zokucinga nzulu.
Okufunyanisiweyo kwadulisa ukuba abahlohli – lo gama bengenasakhelo
sibambekayo nesinokuchazwa gca sezakhono zokucinga nzulu – bayaqonda ukuba
ezi zakhono zingundoqo kwimpumelelo kwezemfundo nakubomi obuzayo. Oku
akwanelanga nje ukungqina okuvezwe luphando lwangaphambili, koko kongeze
kosele kuthethwa ngqo okanye mayana, kwimibhalo yekharityhulam nohlolo, malunga
nezakhono zokucinga nzulu. Iingcebiso zophuhliso zisabele ngqo koko
kufunyanisiweyo. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Phil.(Education in the subject Curriculum Studies)
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