Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Supporting Doctoral Candidates through Completion and Final Examination
Completion and final examination comprise the final stages of a doctoral program and represent the culmination of the doctoral candidates’ years of research. In this entry, completion is defined as the writing and submission of a doctoral thesis, and final examination is defined as the viva voce. Over the years, the format and scope of doctoral degrees has expanded and a variety of formats are now offered. In addition to the traditional research-only doctoral degree, professional, practice-based, and new route programs also contain a taught element alongside research. However, the creation of a substantive thesis or practice-based alternative addressing a novel research question is common to all. In contrast, processes and formats of viva voces vary across the globe. These range from private, closed-door defenses to assessed or ritualistic public defense presentations. For both completion and final examination, there are many practical and psychological hurdles that need to be navigated in order for the candidate to attain their doctoral degree. This entry will highlight these aspects as well as provide evidence-based guidance for supervisors in supporting their doctoral candidates through these daunting final stages.
  • 184
  • 15 May 2024
Topic Review
The Psychology of Forgiveness
Forgiveness psychology is a thriving field with ample implications for personal and relational well-being, community health, international relations, and politics. The aim of this entry is to briefly introduce the science of forgiveness that emerged over three decades ago and document its major developments. In this entry, definitions of forgiveness, the emergence of the scientific study on forgiveness, models of forgiveness, forgiveness education, measures of forgiveness, and benefits of forgiveness will be discussed, followed by several implications for consideration.
  • 214
  • 13 May 2024
Topic Review
STEAMComp Edu: STEAM Competence Framework for Educators
STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education is gaining increasing attention worldwide, with many initiatives being implemented to promote its adoption and effectiveness; thus, its successful integration into educational systems has become increasingly critical. Educators will play a central role in this integration; that is why it is critical to assess their needs, map the necessary roles and competences, and provide the means to guide their professional development in a systematic way. To address these requirements, our study introduces the STEAM Competence Framework for Educators (STEAMComp Edu), as a culmination of literature reviews, expert consultations, and empirical validation by 302 educational professionals, policymakers, and scholars.
  • 1.6K
  • 26 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Teachers’ Attitude and Behavioral Intention toward Online Teaching
Online teaching, with its potential to provide accessible, flexible, timely, and lifelong learning opportunities, is considered an essential approach for achieving sustainable learning and education. Because university faculties’ attitude toward online teaching and behavioral intention for online teaching directly affects the motivation, effort, and success of online teaching, this is crucial for the sustainable development of online education; even in the post-pandemic era, where online learning is no longer a requirement, college teachers with a positive attitude and behavioral intention will continue to attempt online teaching activities during the teaching process, thus transforming online learning or blended learning into the new norm in higher education. Therefore, online teaching attitude and behavioral intention research merits the special attention.
  • 125
  • 19 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Serious Games in Higher Education in Education 4.0
The digital transformation associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution is having an impact on the way we teach. Under the term Education 4.0, new teaching methods, new technologies, as well as a student-centered approach, are expected to be used in teaching. One established method of teaching is the use of Serious Games, as it has various positive effects in terms of motivation and engagement. 
  • 141
  • 18 Mar 2024
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
The Balancing Act of Repurposing Feature Films and TV Series for University Teaching
Contemporary educators have increasingly recognised the diversity of their student population and, hence, have attempted to use multimodal teaching methods for additional student learning benefits. One popular example is repurposing film and TV content for higher education pedagogies. However, integrating these materials into teaching effectively often proves more complex than lecturers might anticipate. This entry investigates the merits and challenges of using FF/TV in teaching to determine the factors that impact development of an effective FF/TV pedagogy for student learning, through an interdisciplinary review of the existing literature, followed by a qualitative survey and semi-structured interviews with lecturers across disciplines at Australian universities. Using visual literacy theory, cognitive load theory, and dual coding theory, data analysis reveals that the pros and cons of integrating film and TV in teaching are in fact interconnected, and the main role of the teacher is to pedagogically balance them. Evidence-based and theory-grounded suggestions for application are detailed throughout the discussions.
  • 504
  • 11 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Culturally Relevant STEM (CReST)
Convergence education, driven by compelling or complex socio-scientific problems, is an approach to bring cultural relevance into secondary STEM education. National trends show the need to increase the STEM workforce by leveraging educational research and innovative practices within the secondary level to increase student interest prior to graduating high school.
  • 115
  • 04 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Empowering Vocational Students
Vocational Education and Training (VET) faces significant challenges in equipping individuals for modern workplaces, which increasingly require digital literacy and Computational Thinking (CT) skills. A methodology primarily involves a systematic literature review, resulting in the identification of 29 relevant papers. Through qualitative content analysis, researchers develop a CT integration framework that connects CT practices and integration elements to the engineering design process, while highlighting the VET context. Arguably, the innovative aspect of this framework lies in its core dimensions of harnessing computational power for enhanced efficiency. Raising the question of whether computers can optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of specific tasks is paramount for addressing challenges in technology-rich environments. Therefore, this inquiry merits unwavering attention at every stage of the process. The proposed framework provides educators with a structured approach to identify integration opportunities and help prepare students for multifaceted vocational careers. Furthermore, other key findings underscore the inherently interdisciplinary nature of VET, the growing demand for STEM competencies, and the transformative potential of CT integration. Implications emphasize the need for further research, supportive policies, and practical CT integration.
  • 159
  • 01 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Key Paradigm Shifts on Disability, Inclusion, and Autism
In the past two decades, students have been more willing to disclose their disability status when entering higher education (HE) in the United Kingdom (UK). Concurrently, higher education institutions (HEIs) have adopted disability policies and service teams for enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion in the UK.
  • 242
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Organizational Identity, Locus of Control, and Burnout
Teachers’ locus of control, organizational identification, job satisfaction, and exposure to organizational stressors all work together to influence their risk of burnout. Strong organizational identification and job satisfaction can help shield teachers from the negative impacts of external locus of control and high-stress work environments. By fostering supportive environments, fair policies, manageable workloads, and opportunities for input, schools may be able to promote teachers’ well-being and prevent burnout.
  • 164
  • 27 Feb 2024
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