Voices and choices: how education influences the career choices of young disabled people

The changing British society with new commitments to educational inclusion for disabled people should mean increased individual freedom of choice and greater chance of participation. However, juggling this with the continuing emphasis on education for the economy brings the danger of new forms of social exclusion of those who do have different needs and require additional support to take advantage of opportunities and make informed decisions about their professional futures. This contradiction encourages the deteriorating academic and career-oriented foresight of special schools and the inclusion of all disabled students in mainstream education, without providing enough support to cater for the diversity and differentiation it generates. This paper adds to this debate by reporting on the work in progress of a project funded by the European Social Fund, concerning the educational experiences of a group of young disabled people still in full-time mainstream or special education. It presents some personal accounts of the young people's perceptions of how their educational environment influences their personal aspirations for future careers and post-school choices. This research strives to give a voice to young disabled people, informing policy concerned with young people, education and transitions to work.     

Nordic language policies for higher education and their multi-layered motivations

Language policies have been drafted in Nordic higher education with the obvious, but unproblematised and unchallenged motivation caused by internationalisation. In this article, we analyse the various motivations for drafting language policies in Nordic higher education and the ideological implications of those motivations. We do this by approaching the question from multiple (macro, meso and micro) viewpoints, in order to make visible some of the undercurrents in higher education language policy. We are particularly interested in the explicit motivations for language policy change, and the explicit and implicit actors and action represented in our data. We will first discuss the background for internationalisation in Nordic higher education and then move on to our analysis of policy documents, survey data on the motivations for language policy drafting in Nordic higher education institutions. Our results indicate that internationalisation turns into a national question in the motivations. It also appears that the institutions are reactive (rather than active) in responding to perceived needs to draft a language policy.     

Evaluating student allocation in the Portuguese public higher education system

This paper characterizes and evaluates the student allocation in the Portuguese public higher education system. It describes the supply and demand sides of the system by looking at the numerus clausus across areas of study and institutions, institutions’ degree of diversity, and performance and adjustment indicators based on students’ revealed preferences. Performance indicators quantify the adequacy between demand and supply, across institutions and fields of study, and gauge the performance of public higher education institutions in the competition for candidates. Adjustment indicators allow us to predict the potential impact of changes in higher education regulations on student allocation and its stability. According to these indicators, such changes could result in an expansion for some institutions and fields of study, whereas other institutions might face a reduction.

Multicultural influences on group learning: a qualitative higher education study

Although the literature examining the usefulness of group projects is extensive, the link between cooperative learning, group performance and skills transfer in multicultural contexts remains unclear. Focus groups were conducted with a sample of 107 international and domestic postgraduate and undergraduate marketing students to investigate this link. Results confirm that group work facilitates the development of interpersonal skills, cross‐cultural collaboration and higher‐level learning. While there is the promise of transfer of learning to other situations, group learning effectiveness appears conditional on instructors preparing, coaching and debriefing students as to the expected benefits associated with participation in group projects throughout the semester. In addition, limited differences were observed between how international and domestic students responded to group activities, although this may (in part) be due to subtle differences in preconceived attitudes to group learning activities from the outset.     

Promoting communication skills for information systems students in Australian and Portuguese higher education: Action research study

This paper aims to examine the value of communication skills learning process through various assessments in Information Systems (IS) postgraduate units in Australia and Portugal. Currently, communication skills are indispensable to students in expanding their social networks and their knowledge at university and in the future workplace, since businesses expect their employees to have strong communication and presentation skills. This paper provides empirical evidence based on the anonymous quantitative and qualitative data collected during 2 years from 126 postgraduate students, which were collected via formal and informal feedback. Various assessment methods were used in Information Systems units to promote and develop the communication skills; these assessments are: reflective journal, business plan and prototype, discussion forum, presentation, and final examination. A Communication skills model (CSM) was developed based on Action research principles to promote the assessments which will assist IS students to enhance their communication skills. The research outcomes indicated that integrating communication skills in the assessments will allow students to promote their communication skills and boost their self-esteem skills. Furthermore, this paper added a new theoretical and practical contribution to higher-education teaching and learning literature, especially the action research for teachers to promote and develop communication skills among students. Finally, integrating these skills in the units should meet the objectives and aims of the units, Master’s degrees, universities, and businesses’ needs, and satisfy our student’s needs.     

Social and economic influences on graduation rates from higher education in Australia

This paper presents an examination of national survey data on the graduation rates of young people who enter higher education in Australia. Two cohorts of young people were surveyed – those born in 1961 and those born in 1965. Of interest is the influence of gender and of selected social and economic background characteristics on graduation rates. The results for both cohorts provide further evidence of the gains made by young females during the 1980s in terms of educational participation and attainment. The results for the first cohort show also there were some signs of lower graduation rates being associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, at least as indicated by parent'`s occupational status and family wealth. For the second cohort, however, there was little evidence of any effect in the same direction. This suggests that attempts to deal with equity which have focussed on performance within higher education have either been quite effective or might be better directed towards the selection processes which lead to higher education.     

赠地学院对美国高等教育的影响

1862年美国颁布《莫里尔法案》,拨地兴办赠地学院,以培养农工建设人才。该法案的颁布和赠地学院的创建促使美国高等教育课程内容和教学方式进行变化;最终确立并强化了大学服务社会的职能;同时也促进了美国高等院校数量的增加和教育结构的多样化。因此,赠地学院对美国乃至世界的高等教育的发展都产生了深远的影响。     

On the relationship between student tastes and motivations,higher education decisions,and annual earnings

We examine the degree to which measures of student tastes and motivations are associated with the outcomes of three important higher education decisions and subsequent annual earnings. Within a sample of nearly 9000 students from the Baccalaureate and Beyond, we find that these measures are correlated with college type, college major, and highest postgraduate degree earned in generally predictable ways. For instance, students claiming it important to be well-off financially are significantly more likely to attend top public universities and major in Business or Engineering while students claiming it important to live near family are significantly less likely to attend top quality private institutions and significantly more likely to major in education.     

Students' Preferences and Needs in Portuguese Higher Education

In Portugal, there is a diversified higher education system comprising some 160 institutions: universities, polytechnics and isolated schools, public or private, with a total enrolment of some 350,000 students. This article presents the analysis of the results of questionnaires which were completed in 2004 by students entering higher education for the first time so as to understand their perceived needs and aspirations and how they chose their institution/study programme.
In the last few years, there has been a decline in the number of candidates to higher education — mainly due to demography — which created strong institutional competition. Therefore it is important to understand the reasons behind students' choices, perceived needs and aspirations and how students assess the capacity of different institutions/programmes to fulfil these. It is also relevant to understand how their choices may be conditioned by factors such as their socio-economic and cultural background, employability prospects, other available information, gender and type of institution and study programme.     

Research focus and methodological choices in studies into students' experiences of blended learning in higher education

The paper reviews representative research into blended learning in universities, taking into account the methodology used, the focus of the research and the relationship between the two. In terms of methodology, most research was classifiable as case-studies, survey-based studies or comparative studies. A small number of studies take a comparatively more holistic approach and one of the outcomes from this review is a recommendation for more holistic studies to be undertaken. In the studies reviewed, the focus of the research is often related to the degree of methodological complexity. That is, less methodologically elaborated studies tend to have a more specific focus, while the studies employing a more complex methodology tend to report more varied aspects of the students' learning experience. It is argued that educationally useful research on blended learning needs to focus on the relationships between different modes of learning (for example, face-to-face and on-line) and especially on the nature of their integration. In particular, such research needs to generate usable evidence about the quality of the students' learning experiences and learning outcomes. In turn, this demands appropriately powerful methodologies, rooted in a firm theoretical foundation.     

高等教育质量保证机制:国外趋势和中国面临的战略选择

当今世界范围内兴起了一个高等教育质量保证的热潮 ,中国也走上了高等教育发展的快车道 ,如果在数量大幅扩张的同时没有质量的保障和提高 ,最终也达到不到数量扩张的根本目的 ,并影响中国高等教育的国际化进程。为此 ,中国高等教育应借鉴国际先进经验 ,进行战略选择 ,切实建立一个合理、公正、透明和权威的高等教育质量保证机制。具体而言 ,政府应转变职能 ,建立独立、自治的专门评估、认可机构 ,建立分层、多元的评估体系 ,并制定相应的规划、政策和工作重点 ,注重校园评估文化的养成     

Effects of “nonrational” influences on decision making in higher education: A simulation test

The purpose of the present study was to determine if a nonrational model of decision-making was used by college administrators in three typical areas of college operations. Were the value positions taken by three college constituency groups (faculty, students, community board) on problems in curriculum, student affairs, and personnel influencing decisions made by administrative groups? In a simulation study, information describing a mythical community college was prepared, using the dimensions of the management-information system CAMPUS (Comprehensive Analytical Methods for Planning in University Systems). Three simulated problems within the hypothetical community college setting were administered to teams of decision makers each composed of three junior college administrators. Junior college administrators did not use the nonrational model in reaching group or individual decisions in the three simulated problem areas. Administrators did not respond in a significant manner to the influence of college constituency groups in reaching decisions. The type of problem being considered (curriculum, student affairs, and personnel) was a significant factor in determining decision alternatives selected by administrators. Both the rational and nonrational models of decision-making as used in this study appear inadequate to explain administrative decisions. It is tenable to posit that decision-making is influenced at least as much by previously learned responses of the decision-makers, and it may need to be considered as an important element in any model of decision-making.     

精英高等教育与大众高等教育:两个体系的解读

高等教育机构应该按功能分化,而不是趋同。精英高等教育与大众高等教育作为两个体系,既是概念层面的划分,也是操作层面的划分。绝大部分的高等教育机构应该有清晰的定位,或者属于精英高等教育,或者属于大众高等教育。有质的差别的教育应该在不同质的教育机构内完成。精英高等教育与大众高等教育的关系既是冲突的,又是和谐的。我们既要防止精英高等教育压抑大众高等教育,又要防止大众高等教育消解精英高等教育。     

我国近代高等教育学制与高等教育现代化

中国近代学制的建立与发展极大地推动了高等教育的现代化进程,并在此期间受到了许多西方包括日本等国影响,但学术界对其发展过程是依附还是借鉴分别持不同观点。通过分析中国近代高等教育学制的嬗变来反思中国高等教育的现代化进程,势必对高等教育未来的发展有所帮助。     

The application of production functions to the higher education system — some examples from Portuguese universities

Production functions were established for the Arts and Law Faculties of Coimbra and Lisbon Universities and for the Higher Institute of Engineering of Lisbon, in which the number of enrolled students was related to the number of professors and assistants. It was possible to find in Coimbra and Lisbon Universities the existence of possibilities of substitution among those factors and economies of scale. In the case of the Higher Institute of Engineering there seems to exist a relation of complementarity between the number of professors and assistants. Also with regard to this Institute, a production function for graduates was estimated which relates them to the expenditures on academic staff and materials. It was found that in this case it was necessary to introduce time as a representative of technological progress, although it was found to be negative. These results are discussed, and the interest and the limitations of the use of production functions for educational management purposes are outlined.     

经济发展的不确定性对我国高等教育的可能影响

高等教育健康发展需要一个稳定有序的社会经济环境。当前,全球金融危机使国内外经济发展的不确定性陡然增加,全球和本土经济正面临衰退的危险。经济衰退一旦发生,将对我国高等教育规模发展、高等教育融投资、学生就业、高校教学和科研等各个方面产生不同程度的影响。可能的经济衰退也为我国高等教育进一步深化改革提供了契机。     

不同家庭经济背景子女的高等教育选择差异变化研究

本研究基于全国2007级与2017级大一新生择校数据,分析了 10年间不同家庭经济背景子女高等教育选择的客观分布情况、满意度与决策依据的变化.研究发现:与2007级相比,2 017级低收入家庭子女在民办本科院校和民办高职高专院校中的入学机会增加,但在重点本科院校和一般公办本科院校中的入学机会减少,而高收入家庭子女在各类高校中的入学机会均有所增加;2007级不同收入家庭子女的高校选择满意度并无显著差异,2017级低收入家庭子女的满意度明显偏低;从高等教育选择决策依据来看,2017级学生较2007级发生了明显变化,即"父母、家人或其他亲属的影响或建议"重要性下降,"校园环境、设施、设备"重要性提高,2007级不同家庭经济背景子女对"学费和生活费用""大学所在地的经济发达程度"的重要性评价存在较显著差异,到了 2017级已不再显著.本研究在综合运用多元无序逻辑回归分析对其他因素进行控制后发现,相较于2007级,收费较低且具有公办性质的高职高专院校对2017级低收入家庭子女依然"友好",在一般公办本科院校和民办本科院校的竞争筛选过程中家庭经济状况的影响显著降低.