The BCF-BERA Routledge Prize for joint development work between schools and universities

The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum requires continuous renewal and constant involvement of stakeholders in the redesign process. Due to a lack of curriculum design expertise, TVET institutions in developing contexts encounter challenges maintaining and advancing the quality and relevance of their programmes to the needs of the labour market. The purpose of this multiple-case study is to describe the potential of teacher collaborative curriculum design (TCCD) in TVET colleges for improving the internal and external consistency of curricula. The study describes how four teams from different TVET college departments redesigned their programmes systematically and relationally to improve their internal and external consistency. The findings indicated that although the teams found the re-design task a challenge, they felt positive about the TCCD experience and its outcomes. The design teams also perceived the consistency of their programmes to have improved. The criticality of the support offered to the teams and the variety of the teams' design work were salient themes captured during the design process. It is concluded that supported TCCD teams, applying a systematic and relational approach, can be an efficient strategy for maintaining the consistency of the TVET curriculum.     

Belonging to higher education: inclusive education for students with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The college experience in Iceland has traditionally been reserved for those who have passed the matriculation examination and meet the admission requirements of higher educational institutions. Since 2007, the University of Iceland has offered a Vocational Diploma Programme for people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive settings. The purpose of this article is to describe the diploma programme as well as exploring students’ sense of belonging to the college community. The diploma programme is located at the School of Education and students trained to work at pre-primary schools, after school clubs and within the field of disability such as self-advocacy. Inclusion has been achievable by adapting the general curriculum and learning outcomes to individual needs, flexible teaching methods and the cooperation between academic faculty members, programme coordinators, student mentors and the diploma students themselves. The diploma students receive academic and social support from student mentors who are other undergraduate students at the School of Education. The collaboration with student mentors has proven to be valuable, expanded diploma students’ social networks and contributed to a sense of belonging. Regardless of various attitudinal and structural hindrances, there is much evidence that the diploma students are not only tolerated but welcomed at the School of Education and belong to the college community.     

A Model for Wholesale and Retail Assessment Centres in Regulated Occupational Learning in South Africa

ABSTRACT

South Africa's new occupational and vocational qualifications require assessment centres with a national footprint to conduct national summative assessments which are convenient and cost effective for learners. This new assessment process requires specialised facilities, but few current facilities can provide these. The research project proposed a model which is able to serve the needs of the quality assurance body and industry and be appropriate to the retail sector occupational qualifications. A qualitative method was used, involving a literature review and secondary data analysis; small focus groups; semi-structured interviews; and follow-up workshops to peer review the findings. The participants included industry experts, education providers and quality assurance experts. Two models were identified and considered, namely: Model A, which involves private businesses that can be accredited to become assessment centres; and Model B, which uses Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for all national assessments. The overall finding was that Model B is more suitable.     

Creative Approaches to Raising Achievement of Adult Learners in English Further Education

abstract

The IMPEL2 Project is a JISC‐funded eLib Project based at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. It has been engaged in a 2‐year (1996‐98) investigation of organisational and cultural change in the increasingly electronic environment in UK Higher Education HE. The selection of Case Study sites was purposive; some had participated in the previous IMPEL1 study. A qualitative methodology, using analysis of documentation, semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires, has been used to examine complex and sometimes sensitive issues.

Through Case Studies at 24 Universities and HE Colleges and over 300 interviews, with a range of academic staff, library and information services staff and computer services staff, the Project team has gained insights into the impacts of electronic information provision on academic and student users, the impacts of resource based learning and training, and considered the implications for the training and development of library staff.

This article gives some of the findings of the IMPEL2 Project on supporting students in resource based learning. It considers why it is beneficial to support students and highlights the recent changes in HE which make academic support of students vital to their success.

The article outlines the evidence of the IMPEL2 Project which suggests that certain kinds of support are needed including the provision of appropriate resources, access to these resources, the teaching of skills to students and the provision of on‐going advice, guidance and support. Finally the implications for academic staff are considered.     

如何支持第一代大学生 ——美国联邦教育项目的理念与实践

“学生支持服务”项目是一项美国于20世纪60年代设立的联邦教育项目，旨在通过对第一代大学生等处境不利的学生提供支持服务，有效提高其高等教育成就。在设置理念与性质方面，该项目重视高等教育中的文化因素，采用非经济化的项目准入标准和服务内容，强调形成支持性的文化氛围，以促进处境不利学生的学业成就。在具体设置和运营方面，该项目在国家层面以法律保障项目的地位来运营，由教育部分配项目基金，而具体运作由高校开展，便于为学生提供有针对性的支持服务，三者结合构建了健全的支持体系。“学生支持服务”项目促进了美国高等教育的公平发展与质量提升，其实施经验对于完善我国普及化时代的高等教育学生支持体系有一定借鉴价值。     

Community College Student Perceptions of Their Experiences Related to Global Learning: Understanding the Impact of Family,Faculty, and the Curriculum

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to better understand community college students’ engagement in global learning. The study, supported by the Florida Consortium for International Education, was conducted during the 2015–2016 academic year in Florida across nine community colleges drawing from a 55-question survey with an 11% response rate (n = 175). Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used, with data analysis conducted using NVivo and SPSS software. An electronic survey was piloted with one institution, and a refined version was sent to select professors across nine community colleges in the state for distribution to students in the fall semester of 2015. A total of 175 students completed the survey. The majority of students responding were interested in global learning; however, they reported that this interest stemmed primarily from family encouragement and personal experiences rather than from their academic experiences. Students did report that professors were promoting global learning in their classes, although the results were not statistically significant. Students who did not express an interest in global learning felt as though it was not important because it was unrelated to their daily lives. It is the hope that this study will inform community college administrators and faculty to better understand how and why students become interested in global learning to more effectively promote their engagement both on and off campus.     

Two Poems

Very little information exists regarding the mental health needs of student artists. This study compared psychological symptoms and diagnoses of college students in 3 conservatories (n = 607) with those of college students in traditional colleges and universities (n = 87,105). The study found no difference in psychological symptoms except for increased stress among art students. The study also found that art students in these conservatories were more likely to make use of counseling services than students at traditional schools.     

“Wait,What Do You Mean by College?” A Critical Race Analysis of Latina/o Students and Their Pathways to Community College

ABSTRACT

As a group, Latina/o students are more likely to experience a substandard K–12 education complete with underresourced schools, high teacher turnover, and fewer college-preparatory courses. It is this same inferior education that denies many Latina/o high school students the opportunity to engage in college-choice—leading to their disproportionate enrollment in community colleges over 4-year colleges or universities. In California alone, approximately 75% of Latina/o students in higher education can be found in the community college sector—making this an important pathway for many Latina/o students. This qualitative study incorporated a Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Education framework to focus on the racialized K–12 experiences of four Latina/o graduate students who started their postsecondary career at a community college. This study was undertaken to better understand what led Latina/o students to enroll in community colleges after high school. Exploring the pathways of Latina/o students from high school to community college is imperative to community college practitioners (i.e., faculty, staff, and administrators) when considering best practices for their large Latina/o student body, as is found in California. The initial findings suggest that racism in K–12 in the forms of tracking, limited college information, and low expectations from academic personnel had a direct impact on the postsecondary experiences and opportunities available to Latina/o students. Lastly, the findings challenge prevailing portrayals where Latina/o students passively accept their marginalized position in education by highlighting their voice, resiliency, and agency in the face of systematic racism, as evidenced by their successes in academia.     

A SYSTEMS MODEL FOR CURRICULUM DECISION MAKING

Abstract

Two types of community colleges are described, one serving as a miniuniversity and the other as an opportunity center. The academic progress of 750 students from four community colleges, two classified as miniuniversities and two as opportunity centers, was compared in terms of (a) persistence, and (b) success after transferring to a senior institution. Institutions classified as opportunity centers were found to graduate a greater proportion of their students than did the miniuniversities. Academic performance after transferring to a senior institution was equivalent for students graduating from either type of institution. It is concluded that large numbers of community college students are unnecessarily discouraged and thereby deterred from higher education by community colleges that operate as miniuniversities and that the needs of most community college students are better served by the opportunity center.     

The Influences of Faculty on Undergraduate Student Participation in Research and Creative Activities

Using data collected from surveys of college juniors and seniors and faculty members in related academic departments, this study examined whether faculty teaching and research orientations, as well as faculty external funding, had any impact on undergraduate student participation in research and creative activities. The results of the study indicated that faculty research orientation and external funding were indeed positively related to student participation in research activities. However, faculty members’ teaching orientation was not significant. Further analyses indicated that faculty teaching and research orientations had different impacts on a range of research and creative activities by undergraduate students. The findings from this study provide insight on ways of improving college teaching and learning as well as informing the development of institutional academic policies related to faculty and undergraduate education. Shouping Hu is Associate Professor of Higher Education at Florida State University. He received his M.S. degree in Economics and Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University. His research and scholarship focus on college access and success, student engagement, and higher education policy. Kathyrine Scheuch is the Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation in the Division of Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education. She received her Ed.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University. Her research interests include undergraduate research activities and minority student issues. Joy Gaston Gayles is Associate Professor of Higher Education at North Carolina State University. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Ohio State University. Her research interests include the college student experience and its impact on student development and learning.     

One Goal,Two Institutions: How a Community College and 4-Year University Partner to Bridge Student College Readiness Gaps

ABSTRACT

Recent national attention on college completion poses unique challenges and opportunities for community colleges. Moving underprepared students through basic skills educational courses to degree attainment represents an ongoing challenge. With more than 60% of community college students enrolled in remedial education, 2-year institutions must explore innovative approaches aimed at underprepared student completion. One community college did just that and partnered with a 4-year institution to expand postsecondary pathway options for underprepared first-year students. By establishing the Tiger Gateway Program, these two institutions collaborated to address student college readiness gaps using a summer bridge model. Seventy-five percent of participants self-reported as Hispanic/Latino with the remaining 25% identifying as African American or Black. Outcomes indicate participants who completed the program, 23 of 26, made gains in intellectual, academic, and social development. Findings support scholarship attesting that highly structured, meaningful, well-defined collaboration particularly benefits students from low-socio-status and underserved populations.     

Utilizing Partnerships to Maximize Resources in College Counseling Services

Research indicates an increasing number of college students are experiencing severe psychological problems that are impacting their academic performance. However, many colleges and universities operate with constrained budgets that limit their ability to provide adequate counseling services for their student population. Moreover, accessing off-campus mental health services can be difficult for college students, in particular community college students, for a variety of reasons. This article describes a partnership between a community college and university that utilizes a graduate training program to provide on-campus counseling to both student populations enabling both institutions to maximize their resources.     

Social Support and Success in Higher Education: The Influence of On-Campus Support on African American and Latino College Students

This study focuses on how personal support from the college environment influences the academic performance of African American and Latino college students attending selective colleges. Under-represented students at selective colleges continue to face challenges to their academic success, and support from the college environment is a key factor in the academic success of many of these students. The results indicate that it is important to distinguish between different forms of personal support and the race and gender of students receiving support. However, I find that the influence of faculty, specifically support from faculty of color, is important for the success of African American and Latino students at selective colleges.     

CLASSROOM GROUPING AND INTEGRATION

African American students and former students from a predominantly white institution (PWI) were interviewed to understand their perceptions regarding the impact of their families on their academic achievement and persistence. The characteristics of families that students perceived to support and hinder their academic success at college are described along with implications for improving African American college student retention theory and practice.     

Lecturer experiences of TVET College challenges in the post-apartheid era: a case of unintended consequences of educational reform in South Africa

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in South Africa has undergone major institutional, structural and curricular changes over the last fourteen years. Drawing on figurational sociology by Norbert Elias, the study worked within a qualitative research paradigm and used open-ended interviews to investigate lecturers’ experiences of TVET challenges in the post-apartheid educational reform era. Findings revealed lack of compatibility between curricular reforms, student type and lecturers’ adaptability to the reform. Research further disclosed unintended consequences of educational change and existence of tensions between perceptions, vision and experiences of lecturers and students with the national vision of skills development for the country’s economic benefits.     

Examination of Factors that Predict Academic Adjustment and Success of Community College Transfer Students in STEM at 4-Year Institutions

ABSTRACT

There are a limited number of individuals who possess the skills to fulfill the workforce demand in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the United States. Therefore, community colleges and 4-year institutions must be able to identify academic and social factors that impact students’ participation in the areas of STEM. These institutions must also explore the possibility that these factors contribute to the high rate of students switching out of STEM fields. This study’s purpose was to develop a better understanding of the perceptions of community college transfer students who continue at a 4-year institution to determine academic and social factors that influenced their academic success in STEM. To collect the quantitative data, the Laanan-Transfer Students’ Questionnaire was utilized. The results of this study reveal that Academic Adjustment was predicted by father’s highest level of education, interaction with faculty at the community college and university, and perception as a transfer student at the university. The cumulative grade point average (GPA), was predicted by the highest level of education of the father, associate degree obtained at the community college, community college transfer GPA, general courses from the community college, transfer credit hours, and university course learning. Overall, the findings indicate that community colleges and 4-year institutions should encourage students to be connecting more in class and after class—not only with their peers, but also with faculty. Findings also suggest that students should become more involved academically and socially to enhance their academic and social adjustment at a 4-year institution.     

You Can't Please All of the People All of the Time

Abstract

The prevalence of on-campus psychological services throughout the country attests to the sympathetic support they receive from key constituencies-faculties, administrators, students, and boards of governors-at their respective institutions. However, on all college campuses there are also normative institutional resistances to the delivery of psychological services with which such programs must continually contend. This article describes those institutional resistances in discrete form using examples from the experiences of the author and some of his colleagues in various parts of the country.     

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REVERSE TRANSFER,LATERAL TRANSFER,AND FIRST‐TIME COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Among the “new” students attending community colleges are a large number of reserve and lateral transfers, students with previous college experience. This study was conducted to provide information on their characteristics and their reasons for attending and leaving colleges as compared to the first‐time college study. A sample of 10,196 students in the Los Rios Community College District (California) was studied and five student groups were identified: First Time Students (FTS), 54.7 percent; Noncompleter Lateral Transfers (NCLT), 19.2 percent; Completer Lateral Transfers (CLT), 7.5 percent; Noncompleter Reverse Transfers (NCRT), 12 percent; Completer Reverse Transfers (CRT), 7.6 percent. The CRT and FTS groups differed most significantly. The CRT were older, more often married with children, worked more hours, and were taking fewer units. In general, the characteristics of the other three groups were similar and at a mid‐point between the CRT and FTS. Factor analysis of the reasons for attending showed that factors related to job training, location, low cost, lack of admissions requirements, and the colleges' reputation were important for study groups. Preparation for transfer was not among the most important factors for any group. Students who left four‐year colleges listed reasons related to academic indecision, cost, and items critical of the previous institutions significantly more often than students who had left two‐year colleges. They reported reasons related to mobility and short‐range goals significantly more often. Results appeared to support previous studies with regard to students' characteristics. Further research on students' reasons for attending and leaving, as well as a reexamination of colleges' program formats, services and delivery systems were recommended.