Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science

12-22

Authors: Jana Pavelková, Jana Turčínková, Jakub Šácha

Attracting prospective students could be difficult and expensive. Candidates, when choosing a future school for their studies, consider a great number of factors. Information from official university websites don´t suffice to persuade. Among others, the word of mouth plays a significant role. The aim of this paper is to present findings about important factors influencing the overall satisfaction of current students with university life as well as their willingness to share positive references. The study took place in the Czech Republic with students attending business schools at universities. Primary data was collected via online questionnaire with students of bachelor’s master’s, and doctor degrees (n = 274) and in-depth interviews (n = 10). Data was processed with regression analysis and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The main findings suggest that there is a close positive correlation between students’ satisfaction and the willingness to recommend the university. The quality of student life and the reputation of the school were identified as the most important factors influencing this satisfaction and willingness to recommend.

35-54

Authors: Gustavo Ferro, Nicolás Gatti

Knowledge applied to innovation is increasingly recognized as an explanatory factor of economic growth. Innovation derives from applying knowledge to generate new products or processes. National Innovation Systems (NIS) performs as the formal or informal network of people within institutions, interacting to produce and apply knowledge to innovation. NIS can be understood as two subsystems: one based on scientifical and technological work, producing codified products (publications and patents), and the other centered on practical actions to diffuse, apply, and use knowledge. Our objective is to assess cost efficiency in the production of codified knowledge outputs (CKO), being our unit of analysis NIS (countries). To attain our goal, we apply a Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) to estimate a cost frontier of CKO. The sample is a panel that includes 1189 observations, for 23 years (1996-2019), and 82 countries. Our main results identify determinants and patterns of efficiency and productivity, tendencies, and specifics of countries and groups of them.

67-78

Authors: Rena Denya Agustina, Riki Purnama Putra, Milla Listiawati

Innovation in learning design certainly continues to evolve over time, and so do the needs. Including blended laboratory, which is almost like blended learning, but blended laboratory has characteristics where activities fully use laboratory test results to study theory along with observational. However, blended laboratories must be accompanied by use of the right technology. The presence of the Sophisticated Thinking Laboratory (STB-LAB) in effort to fulfill the implementation of blended laboratory syntactically feels right to be done building collaborative learning and forming collaborative skills of students, and Gather Town as a tool to accommodate blended laboratory is felt very appropriate as a gamification tool. This study aims to find out the implementation of the blended laboratory using STB-LAB assisted by Gather Town as a gamification tool using the Assessment Based on Teaching and Learning Trajectory (AABTLT) with Student Activity Sheet (SAS), and find out the improvement of students' collaborative skills. The results obtained from this study are that all STB-LAB syntax in blended laboratory activities is carried out well, while the increasing collaborative skills results show an increase with very large effect of the Cohen's D Effect Size obtained 2.1 for physics education major and 1.7 for biology education major.

92-106

Authors: Achmad Rante Suparman, Eli Rohaeti, Sri Wening

This study focuses on developing a five-tier chemical diagnostic test based on a computer-based test with 11 assessment categories with an assessment score from 0 to 10. A total of 20 items produced were validated by education experts, material experts, measurement experts, and media experts and obtained an average index of the Aiken test > 0.70. The validation results were tested on 580 respondents and analyzed using the Generalized Partial Credit Model (GPCM) Item Response Theory (IRT) type. The results of the analysis show that all of the items meet the requirements to be said to be valid for the model; the evidence of the value this: RMSEA < 0.08, CFI > 0.87, SRMR < 0.10, GFI > 0.90, NFI > 0.90, NNFI > 0.90, IFI > 0.90, TLI > 0.90, and RFI > 0.90, and all items were obtained has a p.S_X2 value greater than 0.05 which indicates that all items developed are fit and by the GPCM model. The construct reliability (CR) value is 0.99, which suggests the construct is reliable. The most challenging item is item 9, and the most accessible item is item 4.

275-286

Authors: Martin Flegl, Sonia Valeria Avilés-Sacoto, David Güemes-Castorena, Estefanía Caridad Avilés-Sacoto

Education has been considered a cornerstone for human and economic development. Although there is a national educational strategy in most countries, various implementations are at the state level. This paper studies academic efficiency at the primary and secondary levels and the human development dimensions –long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and enjoying a decent standard of life– at the state level. For this purpose, a network data envelopment analysis (NDEA) with two stages was proposed. The first stage studies the educational process efficiency, while the second evaluates its impact in the form of the human development index. The study found significant differences between the evaluated states in the education stage, where the lowest efficiencies are mainly in the southwest of Mexico. The results also indicate that better education quality leads to greater regional, economic, and social development at the state level. This study contributes to the NDEA applications on the understanding of the impact that education has in improving the development of the regions holistically.

299-312

Authors: Rohemi Zuluaga, Alicia Camelo-Guarín, Enrique De La Hoz

This research aims to design a helpful methodology for estimating universities' relative impact on students as a sustainability factor in higher education. To this end, the research methodology implemented a two-stage approach. The first stage involves the relative efficiency analysis of the study units using Fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis. The second stage consists of a predictive evaluation of the efficiency of the study units. Consequently, among the most relevant results of the research, it is observed that the methodology identifies the institutions that need to strengthen the academic competencies of the industrial engineering program. Additionally, we developed a benchmark analysis called Efficient Route to help inefficient units achieve efficiency, associating efficiency, and sustainability as pillars of higher education processes.

329-342

Authors: Hamza Dogan

The efficiency of universities, which have a network structure of production process, is an essential component of performance measurement in education. However, most previous studies use traditional Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which disregards the network structure of the production process in universities. This study adopts a two-stage Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) with shared inputs model to assess the overall, teaching and research efficiencies of Turkish research universities. The findings show that only 6 out of 23 research universities are efficient, and some universities with lower world rankings are more efficient than those with higher rankings. On the other hand, no significant difference was found between the efficiency levels of regions with a high level of socio-economic development and regions with a relatively low level of socio-economic development. The study also evaluates the effects of different priority scenarios on efficiency and the optimal allocation of shared inputs between sub-processes. This study provides guidance for universities seeking to improve their performance and for the Council of Higher Education (CHE) in determining incentives for research universities. It also promotes the use of multi-stage NDEA with shared inputs model over traditional DEA for accurate efficiency assessment in the field of education.

173-185

Authors: Luis Antonio Andrade Rosas, Perla Lomelí

When workers hear about a possible promotion, it is common for them to get training, and they can do so through education. However, there is the possibility that the worker needs to receive a salary according to the knowledge acquired in such training. In this study, considering a population of employed workers with incomplete secondary school, we apply game theory concepts to explore whether workers can train through study. If so, the model shows the percentage of the salary the worker is willing to invest in his education. Furthermore, the cost of studying implicitly involves an opportunity cost, deduced quantitatively in the model. In conclusion, our article defines specific thresholds to decide if the worker should study, the economic investment, and the time he would spend on it, depending on how strict the company is in auditing. The analysis does not define a Nash equilibrium since the company’s reaction is not considered.

196-207

Authors: Osman Birgin, Murat Yılmaz

This study aims to develop a scale to identify the factors influencing mathematics teachers' grading practices regarding students' in-class performance. The study was carried out with 180 secondary and 140 high school mathematics teachers from the southwestern region of Türkiye. The scale’s construct validity was determined using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA results showed that the scale consisted of a 5-point Likert-type scale with 36 items under eight factors (mathematical knowledge and skills, social behaviors, affective skills, effort, homework performance, follow-up test results, academic exam results, and external benchmarks). The scale explained 70.02% of the total variance, with factor loadings ranging from 0.50 to 0.92. The item-total correlations ranged from 0.36 to 0.64, and t-test results for the item discrimination index were significant. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall scale was calculated to be 0.92. The CFA results indicated that the scale model had a good fit (Chi-square/df = 1.39; RMSEA = 0.051; IFI = 0.98; NNFI = 0.97; CFI= 0.98; and SRMR = 0.062). Based on the findings, the scale is a valid and reliable instrument that may be used in determining the factors influencing mathematics teachers’ grading practices.

220-230

Authors: Mohamad Arief Rafsanjani, Albrian Fiky Prakoso, Eka Indah Nurlaili, Riza Yonisa Kurniawan, Wida Wulandari

As a developing country, Indonesia faces many obstacles in implementing online learning due to the lack of infrastructure and technical skills. The mandated online learning policy during the spread of the covid-19 virus became a turning point and made massive use. However, the online learning policy raised unforeseen issues such as stress, especially among students. This study focuses on the continuance intention of online learning among college students in Indonesia. The person-environment fit theory serves as a theoretical anchor, with technostress being examined as a predictor. This research uses an online questionnaire to reach 466 college students as research participants. We used partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the research model. The result shows that three types of technostress (techno-overload, techno-invasion, and techno-uncertainty) are confirmed to have a significant negative effect on the continuance intention of online learning. Meanwhile, the other two (techno-complexity and techno-insecurity) do not affect online learning continuance intention. The current study contributes to the literature regarding the technostress and continuance intention of online learning topics, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia. Furthermore, the research provides valuable insight for policymakers and university administrators, enabling them to formulate effective policies for mandated online learning.

245-261

Authors: Sayed Masood Haidari, Ayhan Koçoğlu, Sedat Kanadlı

This meta-analysis examined whether motivation mediated the relationship between self-efficacy, locus of control, and academic achievement. Thirty-seven studies providing correlation estimates for 40 different samples were included in the analysis. The data from these studies were fitted to three models using a two-stage structural equation modelling method. In stage 1, a total correlation matrix was created by combining the correlations. In stage 2, this matrix was used for examining the models. First, a proposed model was fitted to examine the effect of self-efficacy and locus of control on achievement through motivation. Second, an alternative model was tested by drawing a direct line from self-efficacy to achievement. Third, another model was tested by examining the mediating role of motivation between self-efficacy and achievement. The analyses suggested that academic achievement significantly correlates with self-efficacy (r=0.218) and motivation (r=0.237). Motivation significantly correlates with self-efficacy (r=0.415) and locus of control (r=0.216). However, locus of control does not correlate with self-efficacy and achievement (p>0.05). Self-efficacy and locus of control positively influence motivation. Self-efficacy influences achievement both directly and indirectly through motivation. The findings provide a general overview of how these variables correlate and affect student achievement.

102-112

Authors: Menderes Tarcan, Gözde Yeşilaydın

The purpose of this study was to determine which of the input and output variables made a statistically significant difference in the efficiency status of undergraduate departments offering Health Management education in Turkey, to identify areas where inefficient departments could improve, and to determine which of the input and output variables made a statistically significant difference in the efficiency status of inefficient departments. The output-oriented data envelopment analysis model was employed in the efficiency analysis. As a decision-making unit, there were 43 Health Management departments. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse whether or not there was a statistically significant difference between the efficiencies of the departments based on the input and output variables. In Turkey, 15 of 43 state universities providing formal undergraduate education in the field of Health Management are fully efficient. Also, there was a significant difference in terms of the “number of completed projects” and the “number of papers in journals screened within the scope of Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC)” variables. No study examining the efficiency of Health Management departments has been found in the literature. Department administrators are encouraged to increase their publications and look into ways to design more initiatives.

128-139

Authors: Jakub Pivarč

The aim of this research was to determine what children aged 10–15 associate with happiness/satisfaction as well as to analyse which factors are related to their feelings of happiness and their evaluation of life satisfaction. A total of 954 children attending Czech primary schools from various socio-cultural backgrounds were surveyed using the incomplete sentence method. The levels of both their happiness and satisfaction were measured using the Subjective Happiness Scale and Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale. The results indicate that the children considered themselves relatively happy and satisfied, and they understood happiness/satisfaction in terms of the concept of eudaimonia (personal growth, achievement of school goals, etc.). Happiness/satisfaction were indicated at a significantly lower level if the children did not feel accepted by their caregivers, described themselves as ‘melancholic’, were raised in a single-parent family, or spent their childhood in institutional care. Further, as the children grew older, their happiness/satisfaction levels declined. Neither gender nor spirituality were found to predict happiness/satisfaction.

149-158

Authors: José Carlos Véliz Palomino, Ana Maria Ortega

College dropout proves to be a critical problem in undergraduate programs that directly affects students and the related community, due to direct economic losses and significant social costs. This article addresses a systematic review of the literature on predictors of student dropout intention in higher education, focusing on scientific production in Q1 and Q2 journals from 2018 to 2023, performing a bibliometric review and analyzing the available empirical and theoretical data on the phenomenon of college dropout intention and its affecting factors. The bibliometric results and those related to predictors of dropout intention introduced in previous studies are presented. The largest number of researchers studying this phenomenon are from Germany, however, the United Kingdom is the country with the largest number of publications. Previous research can be grouped into two categories: studies analyzing psychological factors of dropout intention and those related to academic and social integration.

12-25

Authors: Ekaterina Koubek, Stephanie Wasta

Reflection on teaching and learning is considered one of the most essential elements of teacher development. With the rise of multilingual learners in U.S. public schools, the role of critical reflection has become even more prominent in teacher preparation programs to disrupt preservice teachers’ (PSTs) biases and stereotypes regarding these learners and their families. Moreover, to address the widening educational inequities and to enact more equitable teaching practices, PSTs ought to reflect on their pedagogical practices with the guidance of an educator-mentor. Therefore, this qualitative action research case study explored how one teacher preparation program implemented reflective and experiential practices in their graduate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages coursework to assist PSTs in systematically examining their understandings of culturally responsive practices. Our research was grounded in culturally responsive teaching. Our findings revealed that our PSTs had an awareness of culturally responsive pedagogy; they recognized the importance of learning from and with their students and families but still had areas for growth when implementing culturally responsive practices, prompting us to further explore how these PSTs enact culturally sustaining practices in their future classrooms.

36-45

Authors: Amanda Giles, Bedrettin Yazan

Research calls for practice-based inquiry where language teachers conduct exploratory action research to transform their pedagogical practices to impact student achievement. This study builds on the research in practitioner inquiry, teacher collaboration, and teacher identity to investigate how a seventh-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher (Heather) constructed her identity as she collaborated with an ESL teacher (Amanda) to plan for and teach ESL students in a collaboratively taught ELA classroom. Our qualitative inquiry included data gathered from two collaborative cycles with three semi-structured interviews, two collaborative planning sessions, fieldnotes of the collaborative teaching sessions, and two reflective journals authored by the ELA teacher. The findings illustrate that Heather constructed her teacher identity as a novice teacher with surface-level understandings of ESL students and a limited knowledge about how to plan for the ESL students in her classroom. Collaboration did not disrupt her deficit student perspectives nor did this partnership pave the way for Heather’s renewed understandings about how to teach ESL students in the ELA classroom. Collaboration, instead, provided Heather access to Amanda, whom Heather positioned as an experienced content teacher who could make the content accessible to ESL students.

55-64

Authors: Yasemin Kırkgöz

This paper reports the professional journey of an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher from teaching older learners to teaching younger children at a primary school, and the impact of mentoring on the teacher in facilitating the transitioning process. The participant is a Turkish native-speaker male English teacher with 23 years of teaching experience. He participated in the mentoring program, which was organized as a collaborative action research teacher development project, and implemented by the author of the present study. During this process, the participant completed three cycles of action research. For each cycle, he identified a problem and/or any aspect of teaching he wished to improve, designed an action plan, applied it in his Grade 2 English classes, reflected upon his action, and documented his action research. He was also interviewed to gain additional insight into his experiences. Qualitative inductive analysis was used to analyse the interviews and reflective writings. The findings suggest that the mentoring process led to an increase in the teacher’s self-efficacy in young learner pedagogy and teaching performance, helped him socialize into the community of young learner teachers, and gain teacher-researcher identity, which is perceived to smooth his transition into teaching a younger age.

81-82

Authors: Erzsébet Ágnes Békés

The volume Sustaining Action Research: A Practical Guide for Institutional Engagement by Burns, Edwards and Ellis looks at Action Research (AR) and similar participant-oriented approaches from a new perspective. Rather than adding to the growing literature of AR research reports and accounts provided by individual teachers or small groups of teachers, the volume looks at how, beyond the micro level, educational leaders can initiate, support, and sustain AR at their institutions and influence educational developments at meso and macro levels. The book provides teachers, teacher educators, mentors, and educational leaders with a wealth of activities that, in themselves, create an AR cycle, moving from the local context of the microcosm of a classroom up to the institutional and, ultimately, the national and even international level. The volume looks at education from a socioecological perspective and convincingly establishes a solid link between theory and practice, where the individual experiences of classroom practitioners are scaffolded by relevant research and the AR process is both reflected on and celebrated at key stages. The presentation is user-friendly, the information is up-to-date, and the resources are both varied and easily accessible.