Legitimizing university governance: Theory and practice

This paper attempts a theoretically based articulation of the concept of legitimacy and applies the elements of the concept to concrete problems in university governance. Legitimacy is measured by the assessment of several elements of governance by constituents. It is a function of constituents' value systems, of the decision-making issue, and of the level at which decisions are made. The components of legitimacy are developed, and illustrative applications are provided. Through operational application of the idea of political legitimacy, it is contended that more realistic and workable solutions to governance can be approximated and that crisis oriented governance tactics can be reserved for situations which genuinely require them.     

The influence of Work-Integrated Learning and paid work during studies on graduate employment and underemployment

To enhance employability and improve the career prospects of graduating students, this study explores the influence of practical experience on graduate employment outcomes in an Australian setting. To develop our understanding of the relative benefit of different forms of practical experience, the study evaluates the influence of both Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and paid work in the final year of study on graduate employment and underemployment. Two samples are used, N?=?628 and N?=?237, to evaluate institutional data on practical experience combined with national data on graduate employment outcomes. Findings indicate that participating in WIL does not produce an increase in full-time employment rates. There is some evidence to suggest that it could lead to higher quality, relevant employment in both the short and long term. Paid employment during the final year of undergraduate study produced higher full-time employment rates, but had little effect on underemployment. Findings will help to inform stakeholders of the relative benefit of curricular and extra-curricular work experience and contribute to the dearth of empirical evidence on the value of activities designed to improve graduate employment prospects. This is particularly important given growth in the supply of graduates, concerns for credentialism, soft graduate labour markets and global economic weakening.     

Models of innovation scaling in Singapore schools: process objects as multi-level role clusters and outcomes—a multiple case study approach

Asia Pacific Education Review - Studying the processes involved in scaling technologically-mediated pedagogical innovations has moved into understanding how wider contexts relate to qualitative...     

Longitudinal Genetic Analysis of Early Reading: The Western Reserve Reading Project

We examined the genetic and environmental contribution to the stability and instability of reading outcomes in early elementary school using a sample of 283 twin pairs drawn from the Western Reserve Reading Project. Twins were assessed across two measurement occasions. In Wave 1, children were either in kindergarten or first grade. Wave 2 assessments were conducted one year later. Results suggested substantial genetic stability across measurement occasions. Additionally, shared environmental influences also accounted for stability, particularly for variables more closely tied to direct instruction such as phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and word knowledge. There was also evidence for independent genetic and shared environmental effects, suggesting that new sources of variance may emerge as the demands of school change and children begin to acquire early reading skills.     

The Career Potential of Migrant Scholars: A Multiple Case Study of Long‐Term Academic Mobility in Finnish Universities

This multiple case study features interviews with forty‐two migrant scholars, from twenty‐seven countries, in five Finnish universities. In Finland, an aging, culturally homogeneous population is experiencing a rapidly transforming labour force and uncertainties about migration dynamics. This analysis illuminates a surprising degree of stratification, in a society normally associated with the absence of stratification. The framework presented in this study draws on higher education theory to highlight tensions between societal expectations of equity, in an age of global academic capitalism. The implications for stakeholders center on assessing higher education's capacity for explaining change within higher education, as well as society.     

Some characteristics of mathematics teaching in Zimbabwean infant and primary school classrooms

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some observations made in a recent study aimed at describing the nature of current practice in the teaching of mathematics in Zimbabwean infant and primary school grades. It has been observed that the teaching is characterized by, among other things, a preponderance of chorus responses, non‐questioning pupils, lack of problem solving, teaching more than mathematics, more product and less process orientation, and small group work with group leaders. It is proposed that if teachers wish to improve the quality of their teaching then an appropriate starting point is that of apprehending and understanding what they currently do in their classrooms. Such an understanding can be developed through deliberate and serious observation of and reflection on their own current practice. This paper is intended to stimulate that process. It is also suggested that the observations described here can be turned into research questions for investigations that can provide insights into ways of increasing effectiveness of mathematics teaching and learning in primary schools.