Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science

Academic Benchmarking and the Provision of Quality Secondary Education in Tanzania

Haruni Machumu — 2024-06-30

The study explored the use of academic benchmarking in the provision of quality education in Tanzania secondary schools. The study found that the ABM process plays a significant role in ensuring the provision of quality education through internal assessment, comparisons, and adoption of best practices from benchmarked schools. The findings disclosed that the secondary education system in Tanzania uses academic benchmarking to inform decision-making. Further, the findings disclose that six types of academic benchmarking are utilised in Tanzanian secondary schools. The study concludes that the academic benchmarking process enhances the provision of quality education since it affects future performance and commitments to work on the goals, vision and mission of secondary schools. Furthermore, academic benchmarking helps to make comparisons and sustain school performance.

Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Sudden Implementation of the Synchronous Online Course: Findings of a Mixed Method Study

Linda Margarita Medina-Herrera — 2024-06-30

Tragedies are neither sought nor requested. Unfortunately, they happen and affect all areas of life, especially education. However, they leave lessons that work to face new challenges. This study aims to analyze the transition from classroom classes to distance classes due to an earthquake that hit Mexico City in 2017, damaging its buildings and infrastructure, to find the necessary aspects for an efficient transition in these cases. Faculty members were interviewed about their views during the transition. The student’s grades were also compared. Student responses were analyzed in the teacher satisfaction surveys. According to the results, a statistical model was finally generated to establish a correlation between the studied factors. A model was obtained with four clusters in which different teacher profiles are grouped. Young teachers with excellent technology management or experienced teachers with good use of technology and who are very well trained is the profile required for an efficient transition. This study served as a basis to meet the contingencies, which allowed the establishment of a more expeditious and efficient online educational system.

Gender Differences in Faculty Experience with Start-up Packages: A Case Study from a Public University in the Southeastern U.S.

Alena Höfrová — 2024-06-30

Start-up packages are a tool for successful transition to an academic career. This institutional case study examined the faculty experience with start-up packages at one public university in the Southeastern United States including gender differences, content, negotiation, and perceived outcomes. A mixed method research design was utilized to answer the study research questions. Data were gathered through an online survey with quantitative and qualitative questions. Data from 121 participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi‐squared test, and thematic analysis. Most start-up package agreements included moving expenses, personal computer and software, and start-up funds. On the other hand, child daycare, guaranteed junior sabbatical, and salary advancement were the most missing benefits in the agreements. Male faculty were able to obtain, significantly more often than female faculty, a specific number of years for secure funding, laboratory space, and student or postdoc funding in their agreements. Faculty were not well prepared for the negotiation process, and they were not aware what exactly they needed to establish a successful research program. Universities should focus more on the influence of start-up packages on faculty careers because perceived unfair treatment during the negotiation process or during administration can influence faculty performance and their turnover intentions.

Improving Teachers’ Professional Vision Through a Video-based Reflection Program: A Case Study in Mexican Primary Schools

Michaela Cocca — 2024-06-30

Enhancing teachers’ professional vision (TPV) may contribute to increasing the quality of teaching-learning processes through higher perceived efficacy, leading to autonomy-supportive environment. This is of particular importance in Physical Education (PE), due to the fact that this subject presents different challenges and more dynamic situations compared to others. One of the latest approaches for enhancing TPV is video-based reflection, which allows teachers to observe recorded lessons and analyze them. The aim of this research was to test the effect of a video-based reflection program on TPV in PE. Two teachers participated in a 3-step video-analysis program consisting of self-reflection, peer reflection, and expert feedback. Notable changes were found in TPV at the end of the 6-month intervention, both in terms of teachers’ selective attention to classroom events and their knowledge-based reasoning. Our findings suggest that video-based reflection programs could represent an important part of any teacher training program aiming to increasing PE teachers’ responsiveness to diverse in-class situations.

More Pay and Benefits or Better Work-life Balance? Post Pandemic Perspectives on Employee Centricity among University Frontline Staff

Phillip Dangaiso — 2024-06-30

The COVID-19 pandemic forced organisations across diverse industries to redraw their business models globally. Businesses crumbled, downsized, lay off workers, streamlined and digitalized their workflow, maintaining skeletal staff to support integral business functions. Remote working and flexible schedules were institutionalized to manage service employees globally. The study conducted a comparative analysis on the effects of work-life balance and employee remuneration on employee job satisfaction and loyalty intentions. The study targeted frontline staff at three public universities in Zimbabwe and 327 valid responses were obtained. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that employee remuneration, remote working and flexible scheduling had positive and significant influence on employee job satisfaction. Further, analysis indicated employee preference of remote working and flexible work scheduling and over more pay and benefits. The positive impact of job satisfaction on employee loyalty intentions was also confirmed. This study flags the significant contribution of work-life balance by bringing new empirical evidence on the relative significance of remote working, flexible working arrangements and employee remuneration on employee job satisfaction and loyalty intentions in the post pandemic normal. The study recommends that universities should harness digital technologies to promote sustainable remote working and enhanced employee autonomy.

Bidirectional Braille-speech Communication System for Deafblind Students

Ana Paula Pérez-Aguirre — 2024-06-30

Deafblindness is a type of dual disability wherein both visual and auditory capabilities are significantly impaired. Special communication methods have been developed for the deafblind community, yet these methods require that both people involved have prior knowledge and training to successfully communicate; limiting deafblind people’s social interactions, particularly in academic settings. This paper describes the development of a device that enables two-way communication between a severe to profoundly deafblind user and a hearing person with no prior knowledge of Braille and no additional intermediaries. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) scheme for speech recognition was designed and implemented along with the development of an algorithm capable of developing both text-to-speech and Finger-Braille-to-text conversion. Lastly, a system integration via 3D modelling and additive manufacturing was carried out to deliver a functional prototype. The resulting device aims to allow deafblind students to send and receive information entirely in finger Braille, using buttons and vibrotactile feedback, while the hearing tutor receives auditory messages and speaks to reply, making the educational experience as familiar as possible for both parties. Users testing the device achieved an average typing accuracy of over 95% and demonstrated understanding of commands transmitted through the device’s components.

Does Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Drive Entrepreneurial Intention and Students’ Business Preparation? Lesson from Indonesia

Bagus Shandy Narmaditya — 2024-06-30

Finding the way out for new business creation has been a global issue and the Indonesian government responded to this issue by promoting the entrepreneurship program for students. For this matter, understanding the role of entrepreneurial ecosystem can be used to design and promote business from universities students. This study employed structural equation modeling with partial least square to raise understanding among variables. This study involved entrepreneurial ecosystem to explain the intention for business among university Indonesian students. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial ecosystem robustly links with students’ entrepreneurial intention and new business creation. This study confirms that access to finance, government programs and support, access to physical infrastructure factors, education and training factors are crucial for determining Indonesian university students’ business. The theoretical and practical implications were provided in this research.