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MORGAN, Keith J. "Quality Assessment in English Universities." 名古屋大学高等研究教育センター, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2237/16569.
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Graves, Roger. "Writing instruction in Canadian universities /." The Ohio State University, 1991. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487758680160531.
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Kolsaker, Ailsa. "Managerialism and academic professionalism in English universities." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2007. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/807465/.
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The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the relationship between managerialism and academic professionalism. It aims to examine how managerial discourses affect academic professionism and the role played by manager-academics. The research surveyed full-time academic staff at chartered and statutory universities. Employing a mixed methodology and stratified random sampling, a focus group and interviews at various institutions were followed by a quantitative survey in which 7,000 full-time staff were invited to participte; 708 responded. The methodology enabled a comparative analysis of variables such as institutional type, rank, gender and number of years employed as an academic across various structuring contexts including workload, managerialism and professionalism. Mirroring earlier literature, the current research indicates worsening conditions across the sector in terms of workload, bureaucracy, prescription and finding time for research. The contribution of this research is the discovery that despite greater demands, academics appear resilient, demonstrating a high level of normative professionalism and surprisingly little instrumentality. They appear generally ambivalent towards managerialism in universities, tending to blame broader societal and political changes for the worsening conditions. Manager-academics were not rated well however, and were not generally seen as supportive. The implications of these findings for public policy and institutional middle management are discussed. It is concluded that academics are perhaps more resilient than earlier studies suggest; that they can be expected to resist managerial activities that threaten their values and autonomy and that hitherto they have been relatively successful in defending their professionalism. It is suggested that efforts now should be directed towards ensuring that the cadre of professional administrators appointed by universities over the last decade or so actually deal with the administration, allowing academics to concentrate on pedagogy. It is also further suggested that manager-academics abandon bureaucracy as a mode of indirect control and develop more 'hands on' social skills to enable them to manage in a consultative, inclusive and motivating manner. For their part, academics need to be cognizant of the political discourse challenging their professionalism and how new forms of accountability might be built upon to enhance trust, motivation, reflexivity and democratic dialogue in an era driven by economic rationality.
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Karakas, Ali. "Turkish lecturers' and students' perceptions of English in English-medium instruction universities." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2016. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/394814/.
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Recently, many institutions in non-Anglophone contexts have switched to using English as a medium of instruction in education mostly as a strategic response to globalisation and internationalisation. This switch has increased the intake of international students and staff, leading to the representation of diverse languages and cultures on campuses. Researchers, fascinated by such transformations, have explored issues around EMI from various perspectives, but less from a language perspective, which is largely concerned with language policy and practice. Given this gap, this research explores Turkish students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of English, by considering their institutions’ English language policies and practices from their viewpoints. In doing so, part of the aim is to discover the language ideologies guiding students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of English. Using a mixed-methods research design, this research project employed three sets of data collection tools: questionnaires, individual interviews and documentary data. The research was conducted with undergraduate students and lecturers from three disciplines of three Turkish EMI institutions located in two provinces of Turkey. To analyse quantitative data, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, i.e. the Kruskal-Wallis tests and the Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted. To analyse qualitative data, a mixture of qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis was utilised. The results show that overall, participants have monolithic perceptions of English in line with their positive perceptions of their own English being perceived as akin to native English, and of their institutions’ English language policies and practices grounded in native English. The results also demonstrate that many participants were more negative vis-à-vis others’ English, including that of Turkish students and lecturers whose English they perceived to be not native-like. It also emerged that various language ideologies, which were found to be formed by several factors, e.g. previous educational experiences, external factors and personal aspirations, have seemed to guide participants’ normative perceptions towards English. The research has ideological and practical implications for English language policy and practice in EMI universities as well as policy makers and content teachers both in Turkey and in other similar settings. The results propose that university policymakers should revise their institutions’ current academic English language policies to make them more linguistically ‘in-line’ with the current sociolinguistic reality of English — for example, by determining more appropriate entry requirements or by providing more appropriate EAP support for students. The research also has implications for ELT and EAP practitioners regarding the teaching of English and testing. ELT and EAP practitioners are recommended to reflect on their normative practices and expectations of their students’ language use and question the appropriacy of teaching standard (i.e. native) English to students who will, most likely, use English for communication with non-native English speakers and, primarily, for instrumental purposes, such as for the purpose of carrying out their academic tasks. At a more practical level, ELT teachers and EAP instructors can adopt error correction techniques which are mainly focused on meaning and content rather than on accuracy and show tolerance to students’ divergent use of English, with an emphasis on their “Englishing,” i.e. what they can achieve by using English, particularly for assessment.
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Jones, Theo. "Multiculturalism and teacher training in Montreal English universities." Thesis, McGill University, 1990. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=59877.
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The contemporary discussion on the topic of multicultural education in the Canadian literature relates questions of race, ethnicity or culture to public schooling, with little attention given to the area of teacher preparation. In this study we review the political and social background of multicultural education. This study notably presents the results of a 42 item survey of pre-service teachers' perceptions of: (a) the concept of multiculturalism and; (b) the adequacy of their training for multicultural classrooms.The pre-service teachers also examine their curriculum for multicultural content. This is followed up by a content analysis of the respective programs by the researcher.
The implications of this exploratory study are especially valuable for teacher training institutions. As multiculturalism is a fact of Canadian society, it is logical to educate our future citizens in accordance with this reality. Institutions are failing to prepare teachers for today's society if they are not providing courses in multicultural education.
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Carroll, James. "Efficiency and competition in English and Welsh universities." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2015. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/19597.
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There is a paucity of efficiency studies on the higher education sector in Britain. Only a small subset of those utilise stochastic frontier analysis (Izadi et al., 2002; Stevens, 2005). This paper bolsters the existing UK higher education stochastic frontier analysis literature through application of the conditional heteroscedasticity approaches to modelling environmental variables suggested by Coelli et al. (1999). Our database consists of 142 higher education institutions within England and Wales from 2004 to 2009. Application of the net and gross efficiency concepts allows the paper to distinguish between factors which affect the level of frontier cost faced by an institution, from those which only impact on efficiency. The analysis shows that institutions with higher proportions of female students, non-EU students, and STEM students suffer from lower efficiency. Conversely higher levels of female staff, membership to the Russell Group, and offering a Law programme are associated with greater efficiency of institution. Additionally, we provide evidence against the efficiency impact of geographical location and changing fee regime before reporting overall efficiency scores. The disparity in efficiency between all institutions will enable Institutional managers to identify key examples of best practice within the Sector, allow managers to separate increased levels of cost from increased inefficiency, and will suggest potential future areas of regulation and legislation to policy makers. Furthermore, this paper contributes a newly derived measure for research output. This extends measures of research output currently used and improves the precision of the estimated frontier enabling future benchmarking analysis to be more robust. The efficiency measures generated suggest that there may be benefits to mergers within the higher education sector. Following the Bogetoft and Wang (2005) model we evaluate the potential gains in efficiency to be realised through merging various institutions. We find that in several instances there are indeed benefits to be achieved through merger, particularly through joining institutions with specific, narrow curricula to those with broader curricula. Additionally there is also benefit to scale efficiency through merging institutions which occupy similar geography such as Birmingham which hosts five institutions. This thesis finally considers the competitive nature of the higher education sector and how intense that competition is. Through a novel application of the Boone (2008) model we evaluate the change in efficiency over the period of the sample find that there was an increase in competition across the full sample immediately following the fee increase in 2006-2007, though interesting the effects of competition are different between Russell Group and non-Russell Group subsamples. The effects of merger and competition within the higher education sector could inform policy decisions with further fee increases looking ever more certain. Encouraging mergers amongst smaller, focused institutions may provide additional resilience within the system, however the effect on competitiveness within the system must also be considered to ensure ever increasing standards.
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Mador, Martha. "Strategic decision making processes : cases from English universities." Thesis, Henley Business School, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.412430.
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Heath, Linda. "Supervision of professional doctorates : education doctorates in English universities." Thesis, University of Brighton, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.421296.
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Gilworth, Robert. "Organisational responses to the employability agenda in English universities." Thesis, University of Bath, 2013. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.665379.
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Employability is highly topical in UK Higher Education. There is related literature debating the purpose of higher education, learning and skills, contextual social and economic issues and policy matters for the sector as a whole, but no published work on the ways in which universities organise themselves to deal with this particular issue. This study examines the organisational responses of universities to the issue of graduate employability at this pivotal time for English higher education, when the environment is linking employability to institutional success to an unprecedented degree. The study considers key contextual factors including the debate around the relationship between “the knowledge economy” and the demand for graduates, the ways in which success in employability is understood and measured, the impact of recession and the tension between student consumerism and partnership in an environment in which “consumer information” is linked directly by government to notions of return on personal investment and value for money as tuition fees increase. The key questions addressed are: how is the employability offer conceptualised, constructed, managed and measured and what choices about organisational configuration and capability are being made and acted upon? The study required detailed analysis of the relationships between institutional mission and top-level goals, declared strategy for delivery and delivery structures and the roles of key individuals and teams and so, this enquiry is based upon in-depth case studies of five universities, using data on graduate destinations, published statements and strategies and interviews with relevant post holders (with a particular focus on the role of the head of the professional career service). The case studies and analysis relate the organisational responses to the underlying driver of positional competition. The study uses the role and position of careers services as the starting point for attempting to understand the organisational responses in each case.
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Poole, Brian David. "Perspectives on the EdD from academics at English universities." Thesis, University of Bath, 2012. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.571874.
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Since first appearing in British universities during the early 1990s, the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree has spread rapidly through the UK higher education sector. However, despite the existence of a single set of Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) descriptors for doctoral level achievement, some in academia have always been willing to describe the EdD, either openly or in private, as inferior to the PhD. This thesis endeavours (through a wide-ranging questionnaire completed anonymously by 27 academics from a total of 16 English universities, and follow-up interviews with seven individuals selected from the original sample) to discover how a sample of those who teach on such programmes (EdD academics) view the EdD, in general terms. For instance, it seeks to ascertain how widespread among EdD academics is the notion that the EdD does not reach the ‘gold standard’ represented by the PhD in Education. As data collection proceeds from the questionnaire to the interviews, the focus narrows to three key topics: specific characteristics of the EdD as compared with the PhD in Education (in terms, for example, of learning experience, programme aims, and modes of assessment); strengths, weaknesses and purposes of the EdD viva voce examination; and the concept of 'originality' as operationalised by EdD academics/examiners in deciding whether or not an EdD candidate/thesis displays 'doctorateness'. A range of informed and sometimes forthright views from EdD academics on these matters is recorded. On the basis of data analysis and interpretation, the thesis concludes with proposals for further, more extensive research, and a call for one of two courses of action: either the abolition of the EdD, or the appointment of a committee to review EdD practices nationally, and to recommend ways of strengthening EdD rigour and reputation.
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Bissett, Andrew Keith. "The business of English universities : business models and curriculum." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2013. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19357/.
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In some highly publicised cases in English universities well-established disciplines and departments are under threat of closure for financial reasons. The higher education curriculum in England appears to be increasingly shaped by financial pressures. This study argues that universities are tending to be run as businesses, and its central aim is to reveal the business models within. These can be a useful 'lens' through which to view developments in higher education. An overview of the historical development of the curriculum in English universities is presented. The literature on business models and on higher education curriculum change is examined, and a relationship between these two dimensions is developed. In order to discern the business models a qualitative analysis of twenty English university strategic plans is performed using Ritchie & Spencer's (1994) 'Framework' methodology. Two new business models that have explanatory power in the university context are identified, along with two other 'standard' models that are also apparent. These four models might provide a general template that can be used to assess and understand university operation. Some consequences of the business models are discussed. The inquiry questions the possible future direction of higher education in England in the light of these consequences.
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Синилкіна, Анна. "Innovative techniques and methods in teaching english at universities." Thesis, Київський національний університет технологій та дизайну, 2017. https://er.knutd.edu.ua/handle/123456789/7232.
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Furey, Sheila. "A conceptual perspective of the brand promise in English universities." Thesis, Bucks New University, 2014. http://bucks.collections.crest.ac.uk/9537/.
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The thesis considers the multiple perspectives of the brand and evaluates their relevance for the development of university brand promises. It finds that contrary to existing published presumptions, there is considerable potential for the application of branding within the university context. Qualitative data collected from four English universities, two pre-1992 universities: Durham University and The University of Manchester, and two post-1992 universities: the University of Bedfordshire and Oxford Brookes University provide empirical support for the institutional and product related categories around which university brand promises can be defined, categories brought together in the development of an Institutional and Product Dimensions Model. The thesis presents universities’ own perspectives on university branding to assess the level of buy-in, resonance, and understanding of sector fit. Primary evidence is considered against a series of perspectives and models including Product Dimensions and a Differentiation Perspectives Model to identify the breadth and depth to which differentiation is actually achievable in a university environment. Supported by an analysis of 85 English university websites, the research also identifies the 33 characteristic categories around which university brand promises are defined, characteristics brought together through the development of The Brand Promise Characteristic Model. Coupled with that finding is the risk to differentiation that high characteristic convergence around a relatively small set of characteristics presents. The development of The Characteristic Convergence Model captures the areas around which high characteristic convergence is most prevalent. While the research identifies that there is considerable potential for the development of university brand promises, it is in relation to the delivery that the challenges are most acute. The conceptualisation of the factors influencing the delivery of the brand promise identifies the unique sectoral challenges to the application and delivery of university brand promises, concepts such as delivery demarcation, visual identity flouting, jurisdictional impotency, functional irreverence, academic disparateness, subject fixation, and parochialism.
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Fernandes, Marcia Helena Boëchat Alves. "Communicative competence of prospective teachers of english at brazilian universities." reponame:Repositório Institucional da UFSC, 2013. https://repositorio.ufsc.br/handle/123456789/106219.
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Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 1983.Made available in DSpace on 2013-12-05T19:43:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 321691.pdf: 5840854 bytes, checksum: 0bbcdfafda9c2788777137831d26ac67 (MD5)
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Rife, Randolph Charles. "Arrangement of English Department web sites." Virtual Press, 2000. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1179131.
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This study describes the arrangement of four English department web sites. Arrangement is developed as an originally rhetorical, but now interdisciplinary, concept that is particularly relevant to web sites. For the purposes of the descriptions, this concept is broken into three aspects: how the home page of a site labels and lists links to other pages within the site, how the pages of the site are linked in respect to one another, and how visual elements indicate the structure of a site. Screen captures facilitate the descriptions. The sites are critiqued, and the findings are used to make suggestions for Ball State's English department web site and for English department sites generally.Department of English
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Takagi, Akiko. "A critical analysis of English language entrance examinations at Japanese universities." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/117893.
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This study investigates the influence of university entrance exams on the perceptions and attitudes that Japanese students and teachers have towards English-language exams. It is a qualitative study conducted within the framework of a critical paradigm and specifically refers to the theory of critical language testing proposed by Shohamy (2001). The study was conducted within this framework to highlight the current problems of university entrance exams and emphasize the need for change. It also challenges the positivist view which is dominant in Japanese language testing research and expands the research area within the Japanese context. The aim of the study was to empower both students and high school teachers who, as the highest stakeholders, are in a weak position and give them an opportunity to express their opinions and feelings through an open-ended questionnaire and interview. The study also intended to raise their awareness about their rights as test-takers to question the misuse of tests and encourage them to develop a critical view about the exam system. The results demonstrated that university entrance examination has a negative impact on both language learning for students and high school teaching for teachers. The students experience a psychological burden while preparing for and taking the exam. Likewise, teachers feel pressured by various stakeholders including students, parents, and administrators. In addition, both students and teachers realize that entrance exams have an important influence on the life and future of a student and that they cannot be avoided in an exam-driven society. The dissertation concludes with practical implications for both test-takers and testers to improve the current entrance examination system, in order to elicit positive feedback and better outcomes, as well as recommendations for further research.
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Grimshaw, Trevor Alexander. "Discursive struggle in Chinese universities : English #linguistic imperialism', resistance and appropriation." Thesis, University of Kent, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.250334.
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Mak, Winfred. "The positive psychology of Chinese students learning English at UK universities." Thesis, University of York, 2015. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/15516/.
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The main aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between positive psychology (PP) variables, namely, self-regulation, mindset, psychological well-being and psychological adjustment, in a sample of Chinese master’s students studying in the UK on the one hand, and the English language learning activities in social and educational settings that they reported using to improve their English language proficiency on the other hand; and how the scores on the variables and the relationships between the variables changed between the beginning of the academic year (time 1) and mid-way through the academic year (time 2). A mixed-method research approach was adopted. Questionnaire and interview data were collected at time 1 (T1) and time 2 (T2). 152 and 167 participants completed questionnaires at T1 and T2 respectively, and face-to-face interviews were conducted concurrently with sixteen and fourteen participants at T1 and T2 respectively. SPSS and NVivo were the statistical tools used for questionnaire and interview data analyses. Analyses of the data indicated that there was a significant decrease in growth mindset and psychological adjustment scores (p<0.01) between T1 and T2. Concerning English language learning activities, there was a significant increase in scores of ‘I join social activities where English is used’; and a significant decrease in scores of ‘I keep a notebook of new vocabulary that I have learned’ between T1 and T2. Regarding perceived language proficiency, however, there were no significant score changes between T1 and T2. In terms of the relationship between scores of PP variables and English language learning activities, more correlations (≧0.2) were found at T2 than T1. Similarly, more correlations (≧0.2) were found between scores of PP variables and perceived language proficiency at T2 than that at T1. In conclusion, this study contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between PP variables and language learning activities.
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Lin, Shwu-Wen. "The requirement of English language proficiency for graduation in Taiwanese universities : its impact on non-English majors and their English curruculum." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/5fbb0942-aeea-4c75-8538-e6e8865e9089.
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In response to government's policy to improve English language proficiency of university students, some Taiwanese universities now require their students to reach a certain level of proficiency, as evidenced through scores obtained from formal language tests, before they are allowed to graduate. Various English language proficiency tests are dictated in the requirements of different universities. This study examined the impact of such requirements on the English for Academic Purposes curriculum for non-English majors, on the English classroom teaching and learning and on the students themselves. Data were collected from two universities, one with the graduation requirement, and the other without, through classroom observations of sixteen English lessons and interviews with seven teachers and nineteen students. In addition, the learning power of a selective sample of 454 students (including the interviewees) from these two universities was assessed, using the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory. The research findings indicate that the washback of the locally-developed English proficiency test, the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT), on teaching and learning was evident, although limited. The influence of other language tests was minimal. Furthermore, the GEPT washback seemed to have resulted less from the implementation of the requirement per se, than the importance of the test as viewed by the general public. The implementation of the requirement seemed to have reinforced the influence of the GEPT in universities. The students' learning power can offer some insights into understanding their varied perceptions of the graduation requirement and its impact. Students with stronger learning power, and in particular those with a higher level of resilience to challenges and difficulties were more likely to prioritise their English learning and test taking over simply fulfilling the requirement. Those with weaker learning power and lower resilience experienced a higher level of anxiety in taking English language tests to meet the graduation requirement. This present study is significant in two ways. Conceptually, it took into consideration the social agenda of a language test, a crucial factor in understanding the impact of the graduation requirement and the test. Methodologically, the exploration of students' learning power offered opportunities to better understand their varied perceptions of test impact.
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Littler, Frank Anthony Scharton Maurice. "The impact of the Gordon Rule on student writing in Florida colleges and universities." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1987. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p8726503.
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Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1987.Title from title page screen, viewed August 15, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Maurice Scharton (chair), William C. Woodson, Stanley W. Renner, Glenn Grever, John Brickell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-131) and abstract. Also available in print.
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Yevtushenko, Denys, and Денис Павлович Євтушенко. "Telecommunication in the process of education at universities." Thesis, National Aviation University, 2021. https://er.nau.edu.ua/handle/NAU/50565.
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1. Zeleniakova M., Pavolova H., Bakalar T.(2012) Internet communication in the process
of education at universities // Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2012. № 46 P. 2711 –
2715 URL: https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com
2. Nemlii L. (2019) Information technologies in Foreign Language Teaching. URL:
http://www.flyhigh.nau.edu.ua/docs/tezy_2019.pdfThe world has faced a major problem - a coronavirus pandemic. Because of this, university education is conducted in a distance format using telecommunications programs. These programs make it possible maintain a direct connection between teachers and students, as well as control the entire educational process during the semester. The most popular programs which are used to hold online education are called Zoom and Google Meet - services for creating video conferencing.
Світ зіткнувся з головною проблемою - пандемією коронавірусу. Через це університетська освіта проводиться у дистанційному форматі за допомогою телекомунікаційних програм. Ці програми дозволяють підтримувати прямий зв’язок між викладачами та студентами, а також контролювати весь навчальний процес протягом семестру. Найпопулярніші програми, які використовуються для проведення онлайн-навчання, називаються Zoom та Google Meet – платформи, що дають можливість створювати відеоконференції.
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Bradley, William S. "Technology, risk and education: English language teaching with computers in Japanese universities." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/279850.
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A study of computers and the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Japanese universities was designed to look at interrelations of technology and teachers' theories in these contexts. A review of the literature on technology and education concludes that technology is often given a purposive role in formulating change. However, instead of focusing on the effects of technology, it is argued that technology is better seen as indicative of other purposes. Connections to changing employment opportunities, skills, relations of professionals within the university, as well as problems and issues in teaching and learning with computers, lead to a conceptualization of risk in the teaching approaches in this study. In recent years, Japanese universities face increasing competition for a declining population of students. The financial pressures are concomitant with changes impinging on Japanese universities. These include the first attempts at on-line education in Japan, the need to reduce costs, initiatives from the central government to reform higher education, and demands for new skills. The primary source of data in this study were 14 in-depth interviews with experienced university English teachers who used computers frequently in teaching. A second source was a reflective journal of the author's teaching in a computer classroom for two years. Themes in the data were analyzed and linked to sociological theories of risk. Two strands of risk-oriented theories reviewed, Beck's risk society and Foucault's governmentality, were used to hypothesize simplified approaches to risk, one that is ethical and another that is strategic. Both approaches help explain ambivalences in the pattern of responses in the interview data. How these teachers value the skills of computing in English as necessary but at the same time express reservations for the isolating tendencies of using computers in teaching is an example. The results show that risk is useful in explaining ambivalences while pointing to the need for further research to understand how computing is becoming part of the educational equipment of more and more teaching contexts in Japanese universities and how risk as strategy and ethics opens up possibilities for increased understanding of computers and education.
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Sarchet, Christopher. "Managing in the middle, the practice of managing change in English Universities." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134952.
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Higher Education Institutions are worth £45 billion to the UK economy, according to a report published in 2006 by Universities UK (UUK), the representative organization of the United Kingdom’s universities. The higher education sector has undergone considerable change with the introduction of the marketplace, tuition fees and business management structures and methods. Managing change as a middle manager is acknowledged to be important activity (see for example, Beer, Eisenstat and Spector, 1990) and yet there is a limited amount of empirically research that has been conducted to discover how change is managed in the higher education sector in England by these staff. This study explores the perceptions of higher education managers about their role in managing change in the higher education sector. It is an exploratory study based on thirty-one interviews with managers in nine universities from across the higher education sector in England. The universities were chosen to ensure there was a representative sample from the main groups within the sector and a geographical spread across the country’s regions. The literature review found a wide range of contrasting viewpoints that provided a myriad of support and confusing messages. There was a lack of information about how higher education managers manage and, in particular, how they manage change. Managers, and those who seek to help them, face challenges in seeking and providing guidance and improving practice. The middle manager has to manage change and use a variety of means to achieve it. They are caught in the middle between senior managers and staff and other stakeholders. They have primarily learned from experience but need support and guidance when they come across change projects of which they have no knowledge. This can be provided by access to case based practice and a network of experienced experts. This research recommends the creation of such support using new media available via the internet provided through professional associations such as the Association of University Administrators (AUA).
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Chou, Mu-hsuan. "The evaluation of English listening courses at Taiwanese universities : an exploratory study." Thesis, University of York, 2008. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/9934/.
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Precious, Carol. "Conceptions of academic freedom in English faith-based universities and university colleges." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2014. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10018660/.
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Academic freedom is a contested concept, and in the present climate in higher education, is currently considered by many academics to be under threat nationally and internationally. This thesis focuses on how academic freedom is conceived and addressed within the context of a particular sector of higher education. The focus of the study was the fourteen English members of the Cathedrals Group, which is a distinctive sector in higher education, as the members are universities and university colleges with a historical faith-base. Formerly established as Church teacher-training colleges, these institutions have latterly evolved and gained university college and university status. Within higher education, faith-based institutions differ from secular universities and university colleges in that they have a historical relationship with their founding Church, which continues to be a part of their institutional identity to the present day. The reason for selecting this group of institutions was that faith-based institutions are sometimes criticised for placing limits on academic freedom. The empirical data for this research was gathered from indepth semi-structured interviews with eleven senior managers and eleven academics. The findings indicated that although there were isolated instances where academics had experienced restrictions, for the majority of those interviewed there was no tension between the institutions’ faith-base and their academic freedom. The Christian foundation was not an important consideration, had little effect upon their academic work, and academics’ definitions and experiences of academic freedom were reported as no different from traditional conceptions of academic freedom. One of the possible explanations offered for this is that in their progression towards achieving university status, the institutions have become increasingly secularised and therefore for many academics the possibility of any limitations to academic freedom in relation to the faithbase of their institution was not an issue for consideration.
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Zuo, Huanqi. "Analysis of the experimental College Entrance English Examination in the People's Republic of China, with a proposal for revision." online access from Digital dissertation consortium, 1995. http://libweb.cityu.edu.hk/cgi-bin/er/db/ddcdiss.pl?9620313.
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Yeh, Hsi-nan. "Evaluation of the senior high English-gifted students admission program in Taiwan /." Digital version accessible at:, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.
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Dobson, Gretchen C. "Young alumni perceptions of English universities in an era of tuition and fees." Thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3592276.
Full textAbstract:
Before 1998 a majority of English youth were supported to attend university. The government paid out "living grants" to students who enrolled in universities across the country. Some of the grants covered all living and school expenses outside tuition; others were not as generous. The subsequent story in England, however, is one of a society having been given a public good, like education, to then experience that security dwindling away in the form of new tuition and fees. This study analyzes the perceptions of former students who have been caught in the financial spiral and whether their own experience while at university and as recent alumni motivates their involvement with their university. Specific attention to the most recent tuition increases effective in 2012 and the changing nature of alumni relations services across three institutions illustrates how universities have reacted to their own awareness that students and young alumni may be expecting more from universities. A qualitative methodology including document analysis and interviews with three peer universities was conducted in efforts to study this phenomenon. Alumni engagement, however, is not a one-way street. Higher education institutions in England are aware of the notion of alumni as consumers and some are preparing proactively for addressing the needs and interests of their constituents. The quantity and quality of these interactions between the young alum and alma mater may be influenced by what is perceived today as a lifelong transaction. Success in building relationships with recent graduates faced with greater financial debt rests with the ability of the institution to provide relevance and value for students and young alumni alike.
29
Gill, Judith M. R. "Academic freedom in English universities : an exploration of the views of Vice-Chancellors." Thesis, University of Derby, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10545/621972.
Full textAbstract:
‘Academic freedom’ in the Twenty-First Century is a contested concept and there exist many interpretations, or versions, of academic freedom, a number of which have been identified through a review of the literature. Some scholars now claim that academic freedom no longer exists in academia, or that it has become a second order value that competes with other priorities more appropriate to the now competitive business of higher education. In this context, the philosophical and legal responsibilities that Vice-Chancellors have in protecting academic freedom can no longer be taken as unproblematic, and their views may not be clear to themselves or to the staff and students in their institutions. This thesis explores the views Vice-Chancellors have on the concept of academic freedom, how they manage academic freedom and the extent to which they believe academic freedom is practised in their university. The Vice-Chancellors interviewed, of a regional and representative sample of English universities, included those from leading pre-1992 universities and new post-1992 universities as well as one private university. Vice-Chancellors were found to have paid little, or no, attention to academic freedom. They implied that academic freedom was a matter for individual subject departments, but they were resolute that they were the arbiters whenever academic freedom became an issue. Some thought that the concept of academic freedom had been misused by individual academics who raised issues motivated by political and ideological beliefs, and those who conflated it with the civil liberty of free speech. In summarising the Vice-Chancellors’ ‘version’ of academic freedom, a key finding was that they had neglected academic freedom. Consequently, one important proposal was that Vice-Chancellors in English universities should review the nature of academic freedom and consider the implications at governance and managerial levels, at departmental level and in practice. As one Vice-Chancellor admitted: “…we’ve never said to, or proven to, the outside world that academic freedom is important”.
30
McCallum, Beatty Krista L. "Selected Experiences of International Students Enrolled in English Taught Programs at German Universities." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1273200519.
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Soorenian, Armineh. "A qualitative study of the experiences of disabled international students in English universities." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2011. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5791/.
Full textAbstract:
This study comments on the relevance of inclusive educational theories and policies within English Higher Education (HE), with reference to disabled international students' experiences. The project is both timely and appropriate as there is an acute shortage of documentation on the application of policies for the inclusion of disabled students and disabled international students in particular in English universities. The methodology adopted was essentially qualitative but did, where possible, adhere to 'emancipatory' principles. Data collection strategies included content analysis of relevant literature and policy statements, and field studies involving a focus group and semi-structured interviews with 30 disabled international students in English universities. The study provided an up-to-date snapshot of disabled international students' accounts and the multiple disadvantages they experienced in their universities based on their identities as disabled, international and sometimes mature students. In conclusion, a number of insights have been provided which will contribute towards a more inclusive HE system.
32
Gudkova, N. "Students' independent work in the conditions of module teaching English at technical universities." Thesis, Київський національний університет технологій та дизайну, 2018. https://er.knutd.edu.ua/handle/123456789/10555.
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Toprak, Elif Leyla. "An eclectic approach to narrative comprehension teaching with special reference to Turkish universities." Thesis, University of Kent, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.244326.
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Saitis, C. "A comparative study of some aspects of the administration system of English and Greek universities." Thesis, University of Hull, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.383694.
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Lin, Baysan. "An Assessment of Undergraduate Course Syllabi in the Departments of English at Universities in Taiwan." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2010. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28451/.
Full textAbstract:
This exploratory, qualitative research explored the extent that course syllabi in the Departments of English in 13 public and 9 private universities in Taiwan reflect the inclusion of syllabus components to promote learning as recommended in the literature in the United States. Research questions included: what components can be inferred from the literature in the U.S. for the recommended components of a course syllabus, for the components for a learning-centered syllabus, and for a model to analyze Bloom's cognitive level of learning? And when these are applied to analyze course syllabi in English courses, are syllabi in these universities congruent with the models? The research identified and analyzed 235 course syllabi from the core courses listed online at these universities. The findings indicated that these syllabi are highly congruent with the syllabus components template; 68% of the syllabi included seven or more of the ten components. Additionally, these syllabi reflect medium congruency with the learning-centered syllabus template. Verbs used in objectives and learning outcomes in different English courses indicate different levels of cognitive learning goals as identified by Bloom's cognitive domain. Additional findings indicate that there was no difference in inclusion of components based on where faculty earned their doctoral degree. This research assumed similarities between higher education in Taiwan and the U.S., conclusions indicate that the course syllabi in Departments of English in Taiwan are congruent with the models recommended in the literature in the U.S.
36
Wilson, Roy. "The PTE academic and outer circle students : assessing proficiency in English, ownership of English, and academic performance at UK universities." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2016. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/90065/.
Full textAbstract:
This mixed methods study explores the relationship of an academic English language proficiency test - the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA) - to the academic performance of its test takers at university. The particular focus is on the English language proficiency and academic performance of students from the “outer circle” (Kachru, 1985), many of whom have an accompanying ownership of English (Norton, 1997, Widdowson, 1994; Higgins, 2003). The implications of this proficiency and ownership of English for admissions, test performance and academic performance, are explored in the two strands of the study. The first strand uses mixed methods including statistical analysis of a large data set of PTEA test scores; analysis of university admissions policy documents; and thematic analysis of interview and survey data. The second strand of the research uses interviews (tutorials) to investigate the interpretability of the test for four individuals from the outer circle (Anglophone West Africa), in particular, looking at what can be inferred from the PTEA score profiles about their English language proficiency at university. The strand investigates whether the test served any purpose for the evaluation of these four individuals’ English language proficiency. The study indicates that there are some statistically significant differences in the proficiency of test takers from the outer circle as compared to the expanding circle (as expressed through mean test scores) according to nationality sub-groups and L1s. Ownership of English is a theme manifested in the educational and social background of the survey and case study participants emerging from thematic analysis of the data. Regarding inferences from test scores, the PTEA score profiles for the four cases do, to some extent, match their actual experiences at university regarding linguistic difficulties encountered on their courses. The case study also reveals other important factors in academic performance which are related to language proficiency but are also part of the adjustment to university experienced by all students including acquisition of academic skills and academic literacy. The study makes a contribution to the study of World Englishes and language testing, in particular the legitimacy of the English of test takers from the outer circle and how they are viewed and processed in the admissions system to UK universities.
37
Smith, Paul Jeremy. "Work-based learning programmes within English universities : a study of government policy and practice." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.484902.
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The first part of the thesis outlines and discusses governmental policy and strategy relating to work-based learning (WBL) programmes in Higher Education (HE) in England. It draws on key policy documents, the literature on WBL, and interviews with government policy advisors. The thesis then turns to a case-study based overview of the operation of such programmes at postgraduate level in three universities, and. academics, students and employer representatives experiences of, and attitudes towards, su~h programmes. A number of positive aspects were identified, including flexibility, student career developmen\ and' student's enhanced influence over the learning process and content. On the other hand, there were also instances of a disjuncture between government policy and practice, a lack of awareness and interest in such programmes, resistance, and implementation constraints. The conclusions examine the policy issues and implications of the research for the development of WBL within British higher education.
38
Murray, Catherine. "Exploring the impact of organisational and environmental factors on the behaviour of English universities." Thesis, University of Hull, 2012. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:6305.
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The thesis explores how environmental and organisational factors impact the organisational behaviour of English universities. Drawing on post-war higher education literature the organisational characteristics of universities and the environmental pressures they have been subject to over the last fifty years are described. A case study of an English university covering the same period was undertaken to illustrate how the organisational and environmental changes faced by the sector affected a particular organisation and how the way it responded to external pressures changed during that time. The case study was analysed according to a theoretical framework, drawn from Neo-Institutionalism and Resource Dependency theory, which seeks to understand how the internal and external contexts of organisations interact and influence the way in which they respond to pressure to change. The results of the literature review and case study demonstrated that, as institutional-organisations, universities are primarily concerned with achieving legitimacy (rather than maximising resources) and that for cultural and structural reasons they are inherently resistant to changing their strategies and behaviours. The case study results indicated that traditional universities are likely to be prompted to change when compelled to respond to external/environmental pressures. When faced with significant environmental pressure they may begin to adopt behaviours associated with production-organisations which challenge and erode academic autonomy and the traditional university model of ‘academic self-government’, but can result in improved performance in terms of revenue generation and institutional outcomes in Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) reviews and research selectivity exercises. The results of the case study informed the development of a model that can be used to plot the organisational-type/level of environmental dependence of organisations and predict the behavioral traits that they are likely to adopt.
39
Rababah, Ghaleb Ahmed Ali. "An investigation into the strategic competence of Arab learners of English at Jordanian universities." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/953.
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This thesis is a qualitative study of the strategic competence of Arab English majors at Yarmouk University in Jordan. Its aim is to fill the gap found in communication strategy (CS) research, which has at present little relevance to the Jordanian situation. Its main aim is to determine which communication strategies (CSs) are used by English majors while communicating in Ll Arabic and L2 English. Furthermore, since meaning is very important in language teaching, it aims to examine whether the messages transmitted by the learners are successful and comprehensible or not. This will increase our knowledge of how and by means of which strategies Arab English majors overcome their communication problems, and which strategies they use in communicating in their native language. The subjects of the study are 30 English majors at Yarmouk University, a typical Jordanian university, put into three proficiency levels according to an adapted TOEFL test. The sample represents a full range of English majors' ability at the English Department of the same university. Their ages range from 19-23. ... The main finding of the research is that English majors make wide use of CSs. These strategies are mostly L2- English based strategies. Another finding is that in spite of their limited linguistic knowledge, English majors manage to communicate their intended meaning by making use of CSs. It is also found that the learners' use of CSs is related to their proficiency level, in that Ll-Arabic based strategies decrease as proficiency improves. One of the most interesting additional findings is the effect of the mother tongue/Arabic which increases the variety of strategy use. For example, literal translation and word coinage are widely influenced by mother tongue interference. It is found that Arabic speakers use many communication strategies when compared with speakers of other languages in CS research. The subjects' use of CSs is also related to the type of task they are performing. Finally, Arab learners use CSs in their native language, but when compared to the CSs used in their target language, these are fewer in terms of frequency and vary in terms of type. Pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research are presented in light of the findings.
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Aldradi, Ibtesam. "Quality assessment of English language programmes in Libyan universities : with reference to Tripoli University." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2015. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4364/.
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This study examined the quality of English language programmes at Libyan universities and in particular at Tripoli University, in order to identify the factors that have contributed to the decline in standards of students studying English at degree level. The motivation behind selecting this topic area is that English language programme at Tripoli University is dated and not fit for purpose. Thus English programmes are in need of major changes to improve students’ language skills. There is a broad literature on the need for research on language programme evaluation across many parts of the world. Many educational systems and teaching institutions undertake periodic evaluation of their programmes. Many key authors agree on the importance of evaluation and argue that evaluation is more than just the collection of information and data, it involves making judgements about the worth, merit or value of a programme. Programme evaluation is also a form of validation process to find out if the assessed programme is fit for purpose and meets the students’ needs and expectations. This study adopted a mixed methods approach as relying on one single research approach and strategy would reduce the effectiveness of this study. The rationale for adopting a quantitative and qualitative research approach is related to the purpose of the study, the nature of the problem and research questions. Thus quantitative data were collected through questionnaires involving (300) students at Tripoli University (Libya) and was analysed using SPSS. This was supported by qualitative data using semi-structured interviews involving eight lecturers at Tripoli University using content analysis. The findings revealed that most of the students recognise the need for radical changes to revamp the language programme to address the decline of English language skills. Students are aware of their inadequate English standards, as the findings showed that a majority of students had positive attitudes and were highly motivated to learn the English language. The conclusions indicated that the English language programme has major shortcomings that need to be addressed such as resources, teaching and learning facilities, training workshops for staff development and insufficient library resources. The results also clarified that the English language programme needs to be evaluated on a regular basis in order to assess its effectiveness in order to enhance the quality of education. The study makes suggestions that will have implications for improvement and development for the English language programme. A framework is proposed to reform and revamp the English language programme. This study contributes to raise awareness regarding the importance of evaluating English language programmes, to allow decision-makers to take necessary steps to promote the English language. This study also makes a theoretical contribution by expanding the literature on the research topic which is Quality assessment English language programmes at Libyan Universities. It also raises awareness about the root causes of the decline of English language standards.
41
Duck, Allen George. "Empire made : an historical survey of the English universities and of the processes globalisation." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2014. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/empire-made(9eb824fa-815f-499e-8ba4-c9224353b743).html.
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This thesis argues that English higher education has, for several centuries, progressed in a loose confederation with the spread of the economic and culturally homogenising phenomenon we now recognise as globalisation. The study comprises an historical survey that maps the evolution of the universities and their international influence. This interaction becomes more identifiable toward the end of the eighteenth century, after the independence of the American colonies when the British consolidated their empire elsewhere. The thesis argues that the universities, in their role as educators of the elite for the world’s largest empire, shaped the politics and the progress that contributed to modern globalisation. English institutions of higher education crafted their own attitudes and philosophy into a formula that was adopted, adapted and integrated into a worldwide ‘knowledge society’. This investigation spans two centuries, the long nineteenth and the short twentieth. The long nineteenth century is considered to have begun in 1789 with the French revolution and the publication of the ‘Rights of Man’ and to have finished in 1914 with the start of the Great War, which wrecked the existent globalised network. The short twentieth century starts with the conflict of 1914 and finishes in 1989 with the collapse of the Soviet empire and communism in Eastern Europe. It is not my intention to construct a complete history of this period but, rather, to trace the steady progress of the technological and socio-economic conditions that have created an ever shrinking world. This ‘time-space convergence’ is central to globalisation theory and will be juxtaposed with the equally complex cultural, economic and often political route of English higher education from an exclusive elite system to massification.
42
Eret, Esra. "Prospective English Teachers." Master's thesis, METU, 2008. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12609632/index.pdf.
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ABSTRACT
PROSPECTIVE ENGLISH TEACHERS&rsquoVIEWS ON THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, AND PROGRAM OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS ERET, Esra M.S., Department of Educational Sciences Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet OK June 2008, 137 Pages The purpose of the present study is to investigate the prospective English teachers&rsquo
views on the physical environment, human resources, and program of their departments. Participants of the study were 278 fourth year prospective English teachers (senior students) from three public universities in Ankara. A fifty-six-item questionnaire, developed by the researcher and subjected to factor and reliability analysis, was used for data collection. Data were collected from all fourth year prospective teachers. Statistical program, SPSS, was utilized to carry out the descriptive statistical analyses. Responses to open-ended question were qualitatively analyzed. The results of the study revealed that the prospective English teachers agreed on the views that the instructors in their departments were qualified and competent
the physical environment as regards to meeting their basic needs, such as heating and safety, was satisfying
and the program and courses were generally adequate. On the other hand, from the students&rsquo
viewpoints, the institutions had common problems on the three dimensions, especially on the physical environment and resources. The students disagreed on the presence of language laboratory, the existence of social areas, guidance provided by the instructors, and the administration&rsquo
s support and attitude to the preparation of prospective English teachers. In conclusion, the results of this study can contribute to efforts on displaying the current status of the departments and evaluating the quality of the English language teacher education.
43
Khan, Humaira Irfan. "An investigation of two universities' postgraduate students and their teachers' perceptions of policy and practice of English Medium of Instruction (EMI) in Pakistani universities." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2013. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4451/.
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In this thesis, I examine the perceptions of university staff and postgraduate students to explore the relation between policy and practice of English as the Medium of In-struction (EMI) in Pakistani universities. The theoretical framework of the study comprises literature on language in education policy, language in education goals, the status of English and World English. Findings from qualitative and quantitative data collected from students and staff in two public universities are compared to identify the perceptions of issues concerning EMI for postgraduate study. The findings indi-cate that although EMI is accepted as compulsory in Pakistani universities for post-graduate study, it is not fully implemented. The evidence supports the view that multi-lingualism, cultural diversity and ethnicity present challenges to the country’s national integration and the formulation and implementation of an effective language policy. The perceptions support the view that in Pakistan, English is required for socio-economic development and higher education and symbolises liberal values. However, the views signifying pride in local culture and national language highlight a potential conflict between modernity and tradition. The findings show a number of practices that indicate a pragmatic approach to implementation of the English medium policy. It appears that not only do postgraduate students express their preference for using Urdu in classroom but highly qualified university teachers’ views, under the plea of covering up their own deficiencies in English, show an inclination towards using Urdu in the classroom to accommodate students from diverse educational backgrounds. University faculty consult and provide reading material in English but postgraduate students find language and content of curriculum challenging because of their need for English language and lack of familiarity with foreign culture and philosophical ideology. Postgraduate students experience academic challenges arising from EMI which are demonstrated by their hesitation to speak English in classroom, difficulties of understanding teachers’ lectures, confusion of interpreting reading texts and stress of academic writing. The university teachers claim that their postgraduate students use memorisation as a strategy to get through the examinations rather than working ar-dently towards the development of academic skills. The responses suggest that solu-tions may lie in the area of reducing the anxiety that postgraduate students experience as a consequence of their language learning difficulties. The participants express their preference for using Pakistani English (PakE) in the study context. Motivation might act as an effective strategy to assist students to overcome their language problems. These views suggest that universities can enhance the communication skills of postgraduate students through the inclusion of English language proficiency courses in their curricula to support language development and possibly avoid foreign language anxiety. The professional development programmes should train University staff with strategies for teaching postgraduate students using EMI. It would seem advisable that the University can encourage the use of PakE by giving it recognition as an acceptable variety of English in the University context.
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Wegrzecka-Kowalewski, Eva. "Critical Thinking in Intensive Language Programs for International Students in U.S. Universities." Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=13819975.
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This dissertation examines how critical thinking skills are addressed in university-level intensive language programs for international students in the United States. The theoretical framework for this study was built upon Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Three research questions inquired about language instructors’ ability to conceptualize critical thinking, integration of critical thinking into intensive language programs curricula and assessment tools, and obstacles in implementation of critical thinking in language instruction. Twenty-one instructors from intensive language programs for international students at six research universities in the Northeast part of the United States participated in this study. The data collection instruments were a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. A qualitative data analysis using a coding scheme revealed that the majority of the participants did not have a strong conceptualization of critical thinking and had difficulty in articulating critical thinking as a cultural construct. The analysis also revealed that the instructors from intensive language programs with re-designed curricula that included critical thinking as learning and instructional objectives reported a high success rate in preparing international students for academic challenges unlike the instructors from language programs that follow a traditional structure-oriented approach to language teaching. Some instructors from structure-oriented language programs reported that they developed their own critical thinking materials to infuse language instruction with critical thinking instruction. Other than their programs’ focus on language assessment, obstacles in implementing critical thinking into language curricula listed by the instructors included a lack of textbooks encouraging critical thinking, resistance from administrators and other instructors to re-design language curricula, students’ lack of motivation to learn critical thinking, and difficulty of teaching and evaluating critical thinking. With no other studies existing on teaching critical thinking in intensive language programs in universities in the U.S., this study offers pioneering evidence and implications for (a) stronger implementation of critical thinking skills in language support programs for international students planning to pursue academic degrees, (b) reconceptualization of the notion of academic literacy to include critical thinking, (c) development of critical thinking instructional materials and textbooks for language instruction, and (d) training in critical thinking instruction in teacher education programs and professional development initiatives.
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Abushafa, Mohamed. "Changing practices in a developing country : the issues of teaching English in Libyan higher education." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/10133.
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Libya is a country which is trying to find its place in the international community. It has a mainly youthful population of about 5.6 million with a median age of 24.8 years and large numbers of young people are accessing university courses. This creates a demand for university places which is increasingly difficult to meet. The recent political changes in Libya have compounded these difficulties. This study investigates the challenges of teaching English in Libyan Higher Education as the country prepares its young people for living and working in a global environment where the English language is predominant. The investigation finds that there is recognition of the importance of English, but the level of language skills of students entering university is well below an acceptable standard, and both teachers and students advocate an early start for learning English in schools. Within the universities the curriculum is not consistent and leads to graduates in English having a limited command of the language. Some evidence suggests that students are not motivated to study English and often choose the programme simply as a means of guaranteeing them a job in the future, or because it is at the most convenient location for them. There is a lack of resources and facilities, with large classes and few rooms for teaching, limited internet and communication technology, and little access to libraries. Teachers are not prepared well for their teaching roles nor supported with development activities, and there are few opportunities for teachers or students to practise their English. The thesis makes a number of recommendations including running summer schools in English speaking countries, online courses with native English speakers, and exchange programmes where teachers can benefit from updating their methodology as well as their language skills. Further recommendations are for the Ministry of Education to have overall control of the curriculum, and for the Libyan government to continue its building programme and prioritise access to technology. One year exchange programmes with English speaking countries would enable native English speakers to be available in all university English departments. It is also recommended that students are motivated by providing courses relevant to them, and that more workshops and activities such as competitions and monthly magazines written by students and teachers are used to encourage involvement.
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Koc, Serdar Engin. "English Language Teachers." Phd thesis, METU, 2009. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12610499/index.pdf.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of teacher trainers and trainees about a web-support system and its components developed and implemented as an integral part of the in-service teacher training program entitled &ldquoCertificate for Teaching English&rdquo
(CTE) program for the newly hired teachers in the two departments of the School of Foreign Languages at Middle East Technical University (METU). The overall design of this study was a case study which was conducted as action research within the qualitative research paradigm. Some participants&rsquo
perceived the file system as usable, reachable, and beneficial because the file types used in the web-support were in congruence with the CTE program. Some participants had difficulty finding files that they were looking for. The participants were not able to use the forum frequently enough because they did not have enough time and they were always in contact with each other during their work hours. However, they suggested the usage of compulsory activities that are separated to be used within the forum. The participants perceived the online tasks as beneficial in terms of retention and revision of sessions and showing examples of how to use video in class. The participants thought that the presence of the curriculum information on the web was essential as information. The participants perceived that the integration of web support and sessions was partial and they wanted to do some sessions online in the future. The participants perceived news section as beneficial in directing them but they thought it should be updated more often.
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Leišytė, Liudvika. "University governance and academic research case studies of research units in Dutch and English universities /." Enschede : University of Twente [Host], 2007. http://doc.utwente.nl/58088.
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Vorley, Timothy Ross. "Government, governance and governmentality : a study of technology transfer and academic commercialisation in English universities." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.439423.
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Saeed, Tania. "Education, Islamophobia, and security : narrative accounts of Pakistani and British Pakistani women in English universities." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2013. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a16609c7-7f06-4926-afc8-ce2c8e9fc347.
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This thesis explores the experiences, encounters, responses and reactions to Islamophobia through a narrative study of forty female Pakistani and British students with a Pakistani heritage in universities across England. In exploring Islamophobia as a ‘racialised’ phenomenon, the participant narratives locate the experiences and encounters of Islamophobia within their ‘intersubjective’ realities, across various ‘communities’ of ‘discourse.’ These realities are informed by the wider socio-political milieu of a war against Al Qa’ida and its affiliates that ‘securitizes’ the Muslim and Pakistani identity(s) particularly in Britain. The university is also implicated in the counter terrorism agenda of the state, depicted as a ‘vulnerable’ space for radicalizing students. However, females in this discussion are predominantly absent within the academic and public narratives. Therefore, this research will explore the experience of Islamophobia, the way it is perceived by the British/Pakistani/Muslim/female student, and the way students respond and react to it within the university. The research employs a narrative method of inquiry. The narrative analysis is informed by a Bakhtinian notion of ‘dialogics’ to explore the multiplicity of ‘meanings’ that emerge through individual accounts of Islamophobia located within their public and private realms. In exploring these narratives the thesis illustrates how ‘degrees of religiosity’ influences encounters and experiences of Islamophobia, and highlights responses and reactions of students to such experiences, that include individual and group activism to challenge Islamophobia and the insecure meta-narrative about Muslims and terrorism. The research further focuses on both the religious identity of the Muslim student, and their problematic ethnic identity, Pakistani demonstrating how in a securitized socio-political milieu Muslim students are further vulnerable to experiences of Islamophobia, in the form of Pakophobia, where both their religious and ethnic identities are held suspect. These narratives have implications for the emerging understanding of Islamophobia as a ‘racialised’ phenomenon. They further have implications for universities that are encouraged to participate in the government’s counter-terrorism agenda. The narratives by locating the research within the particularities of a wider socio-political milieu that ‘racialises’ and ‘securitizes’ Muslims raises critical questions about the nature of discrimination in a post 9/11, 7/7 era that may have repercussions for other Muslim minority groups.
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Abosnan, Salem Hamed. "The teaching of 'reading English in a foreign language' in Libyan universities : methods and models." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2016. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/7829/.
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This study focuses on the learning and teaching of Reading in English as a Foreign Language (REFL), in Libya. The study draws on an action research process in which I sought to look critically at students and teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Libya as they learned and taught REFL in four Libyan research sites. The Libyan EFL educational system is influenced by two main factors: the method of teaching the Holy-Quran and the long-time ban on teaching EFL by the former Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi. Both of these factors have affected the learning and teaching of REFL and I outline these contextual factors in the first chapter of the thesis. This investigation, and the exploration of the challenges that Libyan university students encounter in their REFL, is supported by attention to reading models. These models helped to provide an analytical framework and starting point for understanding the many processes involved in reading for meaning and in reading to satisfy teacher instructions. The theoretical framework I adopted was based, mainly and initially, on top-down, bottom-up, interactive and compensatory interactive models. I drew on these models with a view to understanding whether and how the processes of reading described in the models could be applied to the reading of EFL students and whether these models could help me to better understand what was going on in REFL. The diagnosis stage of the study provided initial data collected from four Libyan research sites with research tools including video-recorded classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after lesson observation, and think-aloud protocols (TAPs) with 24 students (six from each university) in which I examined their REFL reading behaviours and strategies. This stage indicated that the majority of students shared behaviours such as reading aloud, reading each word in the text, articulating the phonemes and syllables of words, or skipping words if they could not pronounce them. Overall this first stage indicated that alternative methods of teaching REFL were needed in order to encourage ‘reading for meaning’ that might be based on strategies related to eventual interactive reading models adapted for REFL. The second phase of this research project was an Intervention Phase involving two team-teaching sessions in one of the four stage one universities. In each session, I worked with the teacher of one group to introduce an alternative method of REFL. This method was based on teaching different reading strategies to encourage the students to work towards an eventual interactive way of reading for meaning. A focus group discussion and TAPs followed the lessons with six students in order to discuss the 'new' method. Next were two video-recorded classroom observations which were followed by an audio-recorded discussion with the teacher about these methods. Finally, I conducted a Skype interview with the class teacher at the end of the semester to discuss any changes he had made in his teaching or had observed in his students' reading with respect to reading behaviour strategies, and reactions and performance of the students as he continued to use the 'new' method. The results of the intervention stage indicate that the teacher, perhaps not surprisingly, can play an important role in adding to students’ knowledge and confidence and in improving their REFL strategies. For example, after the intervention stage, students began to think about the title, and to use their own background knowledge to comprehend the text. The students employed, also, linguistic strategies such as decoding and, above all, the students abandoned the behaviour of reading for pronunciation in favour of reading for meaning. Despite the apparent efficacy of the alternative method, there are, inevitably, limitations related to the small-scale nature of the study and the time I had available to conduct the research. There are challenges, too, related to the students’ first language, the idiosyncrasies of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, and the continuing political instability of Libya. The students’ lack of vocabulary and their difficulties with grammatical functions such as phrasal and prepositional verbs, forms which do not exist in Arabic, mean that REFL will always be challenging. Given such constraints, the ‘new’ methods I trialled and propose for adoption can only go so far in addressing students’ difficulties in REFL. Overall, the study indicates that the Libyan educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to REFL. My data indicates that the teacher participants have received little to no professional developmental that could help them improve their teaching in REFL and skills in teaching EFL. These circumstances, along with the perennial problem of large but varying class sizes; student, teacher and assessment expectations; and limited and often poor quality resources, affect the way EFL students learn to read in English. Against this background, the thesis concludes by offering tentative conclusions; reflections on the study, including a discussion of its limitations, and possible recommendations designed to improve REFL learning and teaching in Libyan universities.