Georgeta Ion

Written peer-feedback to enhance students’ current and future learning

Spanish universities are engaged in the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This process implies the use of the most effective instructional designs and methodologies in order to achieve deep learning, increase student involvement in their own development, and professional and personal-greater autonomy in the construction of knowledge. Peer-feedback is an effective strategy to reach such requirements. The study aimed to analyze the type of feedback students provide in peer-assessment in group work projects and to investigate students’ perception towards peer-assessment for the improvement of the learning process.The methods were mixed. A semantic analysis of the type of feedback was conducted. A total of 637 feedback units were analysed according to the guidelines developed in the project. In addition, questionnaires to students and teachers involved in the experience were administrated.The results demonstrate that the great majority of feedback offered by students was related to task development, followed by feedback regarding the motivational aspects of the process and finally the structural and formal aspects of the writing. At the end of the process, both teachers and students declared that the feedback received helped them to better develop the task and support them in future learning.

Analysing the Organizational Culture of Universities: Two Models

This article presents the findings of two research projects, examining organizational culture by means of two different models of analysis – one at university level and one at department level – which were carried out over the last four years at Catalonian public universities (Spain). Theoretical and methodological approaches for the two investigations are also considered with remarks both on positive and negative aspects of each work. The authors eventually point to the two different research methodologies that identify common and divergent features in the two contexts, and to the results of this analysis that could be used as a methodological tool for future research on organizational culture in educational contexts.

Transitions in the manifestations of the research culture of Spanish universities

ABSTRACT Universities must adapt to the challenges of social competitiveness and its new demands but there is still little evidence of how these changes are perceived by the academics. This paper provides insight on this matter and analyses the research culture of five Spanish universities from the perspective of the different academic bodies. A qualitative methodology was employed in the study based on 43 in-depth interviews with institutional leaders (vice-rectors and managers), responsible for research activity, (directors of research centres) and individual researchers (doctoral and postdoctoral researchers). The results point to a clear change in the institutional mission that moves from an institutional model where teaching and research cohabitate together towards another where research activity intensifies. The manifestations of the new research culture is characterised by the quest for efficiency and competitiveness at all levels and bodies. Despite the changes in the university model, participants perceive that the traditional and new models coexist and affect the university structure, the functioning of the centres and departments and the dynamics of the research teams which causes dissatisfaction of the researchers that in this context have to deal with the increasing pressure to publish and obtain external funding to assure ‘survival’. The research culture is also characterised as one that moves towards the scarcity of support measures for training, the confusion perceived between the political discourse and academic practice and the attempt to reposition the university in a social context, through redefining its role and fostering transfer activities.

The Impact of Postgraduate Studies on the Teachers' Practice.

Abstract This paper analyses the perceptions of teachers involved in postgraduate studies of the importance of their study programme for their profession, describes the benefits of postgraduate studies for their practice and examines the strategies used to enhance the impact research they undertake on their teaching. A questionnaire was administered to 161 teachers enrolled in master’s and PhD programmes in schools of education of five research universities in Romania. The results demonstrate that postgraduate studies provide teachers with a crucial link between the research conducted and reported by faculties of education and their own work in schools. A large majority recognised that research conducted in universities had a personal impact, improving their teaching. Developing research projects involving both researchers and practitioners, reading about research findings in journals and enhancing communication between researchers and practitioners were reported as useful strategies that facilitated research utilisation in practice.

Innovative Practices for Higher Education Assessment and Measurement

Editors Cano and Ion offer a group of international voices in their contribution to the Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development Book Series (series editor, Jared Keengwe), with this volume focusing on innovative practices in assessment. The book’s organization structure involves general contents followed by a detailed table of contents with full abstracts for each chapter, then a thorough summary of each of the twenty authors’ works in the preface before turning to relevant chapters. Such a format facilitates pinpointing the reader’s interest in particular methodologies for assessment, measurement, and data-gathering. The volume itself is divided into three main sections: (I) Theoretical Approaches on Students’ Assessment, (II) Research-Based Evidences on Assessment, and (III) Innovative Practices in Students’ Assessment.

Governance in Spanish Universities: Changing Paradigms.

This article reviews the current model of governance within Spanish universities, focusing on the areas of state regulation, academic goals, and organizational management. A qualitative approach was adopted for this research, comprising the use of a survey and a focus group. The conclusions of this study provide some insights into the new governance models being applied in Spanish universities and the implications of these models for academics, managers, and policy makers.

Successful Women Researchers in the Social Sciences: A case study of Catalan public universities

This article examines the factors which contribute to the success of female academics engaging in research in social sciences. The data were obtained through a series of interviews carried out at public universities in Catalonia with women, all of whom were the heads of research groups recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government). These results reveal several aspects relevant for women academics, at both the individual and institutional levels, in terms of employment opportunities, management of research programmes, development of teaching strategies and individual time management. This should assist the development of institutional policies and practices within higher education to help women build successful research careers.

How can researchers facilitate the utilisation of research by policy-makers and practitioners in education?

Abstract Interest in research utilisation in policy and practice has grown in the last few years for both academics and users. This interest is partly due to changes in higher education institutions in many countries that emphasise a research-centred approach, which prioritises the dissemination and transfer of research results to end users. The process represents a paradigm shift and a challenge, especially for countries in which the transition from a university model based on teaching to one intensive in research is still ongoing. Our research analyses academics’ perceptions in relation to the utilisation of their research in policy-making in Romania. One hundred and fifteen academics answered a survey based on an adapted research utilisation scale. Academics’ perception is that educational research is generally only slightly used by policy-makers and practitioners. Academics have more influence on the transmission of knowledge and less on the rest of the research utilisation (RU) process, which involves end users. Furthermore, they generally see research as part of their professional growth and less as a way to respond to social problems.

Does Research Influence Educational Policy? The Perspective of Researchers and Policy-Makers in Romania

The aim of the paper is to analyze the relationship between educational research and its use in the policy-making process in Romania. We examine the ways in which research influences educational policy, the mechanisms by which this influence operates and whether it can be improved. We focus firstly upon research production, looking to identify the researchers’ perception regarding the quality and the potential of their research with respect to the policy-making process. Secondly, we analyze policy makers’ opinions regarding research and its incorporation into policy-making. Finally, we discuss the obstacles and opportunities presented by the transfer of research into policy making, and make some suggestions as to how this can be improved. We used qualitative methods based on in-depth interviews with researchers and policy-makers in Romania. The results show that, in general, policy makers are not using research results, and we identify the causes of this situation. We identify different types of causes, from the quality and visibility of research activity to the structural and institutional obstacles which research activity and transfer have to face. The implications are discussed at three different levels: the micro level represented by the individual researcher, the mezzo level, represented by the organization and the macro level – the systemic context. The conclusions offer researchers and policy-makers opportunities to consider opportunities and constraints, in order to improve the relationship between the educational research and its potential users.

Peer learning in international higher education: the experience of international students in an Irish university

Some of the main concerns in international higher education are the feeling of isolation among international students and their inability to adapt to the host environment, which may result in sub-optimal academic performance. Theoretically, peer learning can be an effective method to reduce these problems since it has the capacity to address isolation and adaptability issues among international students in a way that improves their learning experience and outcomes. Given the above, our study was designed to investigate this topic, focusing on the experience of international students. In this exploratory case study of a leading Irish university, we adopted a survey method via questionnaire to quantify and compare the experiences of a sample of international students at the said university. Five aspects of peer learning were explored, namely usage rate, current practices, outcomes, challenges, and coping strategies. We also included an open-ended section in the survey instrument for respondents to offer qualitative suggestions to the host institution. Through methodological triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data, we discovered diverse practices, challenges, and outcomes of peer learning across different groups of international students in this university. The paper concludes with a discussion of research implications and suggestions for future studies.