This study investigates the role of social factors in the access to and equity in higher educatio... more This study investigates the role of social factors in the access to and equity in higher education (HE) for students with a low socioeconomic status (SES) in Indonesia, from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students, lecturers, and support staff at a large Indonesian university. Focus group discussions were organised to validate the interview results. Family and mentoring programmes appear to play a major role in accessing HE, while lecturers and peers play a significant role in equity. This study highlights the importance of mentoring programmes that guide students to continue their study at the university level. The result provides insights into programmes at the university itself that should focus on developing social skills. This study illustrates the necessity of social support factors, including family, peers, mentor programs, teachers, and lecturers, in supporting access to and equity in HE.
This literature review study aims to provide an overview of influencing factors of access to and ... more This literature review study aims to provide an overview of influencing factors of access to and equity in higher education. In this way, the research offers insight into specific factors that support or hinder access and equity, respectively. Forty factors from thirty-three peer-reviewed articles, mostly from three continents: Europe, Australia, and America, published between 2014 and 2018, were selected for further analysis. The articles were analyzed into four organizational levels: government, university, pre-university education, and student. Most findings on this topic discuss government policies and financial support. In addition to financial support, the significance of this paper discusses social support influence (by peers, by family, by teachers, by university officers, and via programs) to improve access and equity in higher education. Social support emerged as crucial for both access and equity. This study alerts researchers, teachers, administrators at the university level, and policy-makers at the national level to focus more on social relations between peers, students, and lecturers, support by the managerial level, and establishing programs that provide basic academic skills to disadvantaged groups.
Schools in the Netherlands are encouraged by the national Government to develop their own in-serv... more Schools in the Netherlands are encouraged by the national Government to develop their own in-service training policy. Teachers' involvement in school policy-making and the effectiveness of in-service training policy are assumed to be related. In the present study, this assumption was examined. For this purpose, 1079 teachers from 98 schools for secondary agricultural education filled in a questionnaire. The study shows that teachers working in schools for secondary agricultural education are involved in school policy-making to a low extent. It also appears that these schools have not (yet) been able to develop effective in-service training policies. Additional analyses revealed that teachers' involvement in school policy-making and the effectiveness of in-service training policy are correlated: in-service training policy is relatively most effective in schools in which teachers are most involved in school policy-making. One may conclude that schools for secondary agricultural education are not yet successful in developing effective in-service training policy because of their limited policy-making capacity.
Cet article porte sur la question de recherche suivante: la participation des enseignants a la fo... more Cet article porte sur la question de recherche suivante: la participation des enseignants a la formulation des politiques des etablissements educatifs peut-elle etre stimulee par le travail collaboratif assiste par ordinateur (TCAO)? Il rend compte d'une etude de cas exploratoire sur l'utilisation d'une plate-forme de discussion electronique entre les enseignants et entre ces derniers et la direction de l'etablissement, pour accroitre la participation des enseignants aux processus decisionnels. A partir des resultats de la recherche, des recommandations sont proposees sur la maniere de convaincre les enseignants de la valeur ajoutee que peut apporter le TCAO a la formulation de nouvelles politiques au sein d'un etablissement.
Nowadays, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a great role in all aspects o... more Nowadays, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a great role in all aspects of human life, and education is not an exception. Wageningen university and Research Centre (Wageningen UR for short) is a leading international knowledge institute in the fields of nutrition and health, sustainable agricultural systems, environmental quality and processes of social change. The research presented in this paper is about the use of e-learning at the university. In this paper the following questions are raised: In Wageningen university: What is the teachers' attitude toward e-learning? Which features of e-learning do teachers often use? What added value do teachers perceive in teaching in e-learning environments? What are the barriers for implementing e-learning environments in learning process? Results have shown among features and capabilities of the e-learning environment "presenting course material and literature", "PowerPoint presentation" and "e-mail" were most used and "chatting", "voice conferencing" and "Shared whiteboard" were least used.. Also teachers' attitude toward constructivism, computer-assisted learning, and web-based education correlated significantly with their use of e-learning environment and their belief in its added value.
Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences
Interdisciplinary thinking as a skill appears to be of value to higher education students and tho... more Interdisciplinary thinking as a skill appears to be of value to higher education students and those in employment. This idea is explored with reference to the agricultural and life sciences. The need for further understanding of the development of interdisciplinary thinking is acknowledged. This is closely related to the requirement for wellfounded curriculum and course design. This publication presents a brief introduction to a systematic review of scientific research into teaching and learning in interdisciplinary higher education. While tentative, the understanding arising from the review findings is considered to be of potential value to educational practice. A selection of the review findings is presented by way of illustration. The selection is believed to be of relevance to the agricultural and life sciences. The review findings presented here take the form of interdisciplinary thinking subskills and enabling conditions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. Whil... more During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. While some seized the opportunity to learn and innovate, others experienced difficulties. This study provides insights into the differences between university teachers during the COVID-19 crisis. A survey among university teachers (N = 283) was conducted to investigate their attitudes towards online teaching, beliefs about students’ learning, level of stress experienced, self-efficacy and beliefs about their own professional development. Employing a hierarchical cluster analysis, four distinct teacher profiles were found. Profile 1 was critical but eager; Profile 2 was positive but stressed; Profile 3 was critical and reluctant; Profile 4 was optimistic and easy-going. The profiles differed significantly in their use and perception of support. We suggest that teacher education research should carefully consider sampling procedures or take a person-centred research approach and that universit...
Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education appro... more Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education approach. However, little is known about teachers' and students' attitudes, emotions, and perceptions of blended education. This study aims to first explore teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions (workload, stress, well-being, and motivation) related to blended education and then model these attitudes and emotions, and online tools satisfaction with perceived teaching and learning performance by considering satisfaction with teaching and learning activities as a mediating variable. To do this, in total, 327 teachers and 547 students from a Dutch university participated. Of these, 307 teachers and 534 students filled out a survey, and 20 teachers and 13 students were interviewed to get more in-depth data. Quantitative data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling and multiple linear regression and qualitative data was analyzed via Atlas.ti 9 software. The main results showed that both teachers and students perceived high workload, low well-being, and high motivation in blended education. In addition, while a significant relationship between teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions and their perceived teaching and learning performance were found, no significant mediating role was reported for satisfaction with teaching and learning activities. We discuss these results and provide recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. Whil... more During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. While some seized the opportunity to learn and innovate, others experienced difficulties. This study provides insights into the differences between university teachers during the COVID-19 crisis. A survey among university teachers (N = 283) was conducted to investigate their attitudes towards online teaching, beliefs about students' learning, level of stress experienced, self-efficacy and beliefs about their own professional development. Employing a hierarchical cluster analysis, four distinct teacher profiles were found. Profile 1 was critical but eager; Profile 2 was positive but stressed; Profile 3 was critical and reluctant; Profile 4 was optimistic and easy-going. The profiles differed significantly in their use and perception of support. We suggest that teacher education research should carefully consider sampling procedures or take a person-centred research approach and that universities should develop targeted forms of teacher communication, support and policy.
The International Journal of Management Education, 2023
Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education appro... more Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education approach. However, little is known about teachers' and students' attitudes, emotions, and perceptions of blended education. This study aims to first explore teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions (workload, stress, well-being, and motivation) related to blended education and then model these attitudes and emotions, and online tools satisfaction with perceived teaching and learning performance by considering satisfaction with teaching and learning activities as a mediating variable. To do this, in total, 327 teachers and 547 students from a Dutch university participated. Of these, 307 teachers and 534 students filled out a survey, and 20 teachers and 13 students were interviewed to get more in-depth data. Quantitative data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling and multiple linear regression and qualitative data was analyzed via Atlas.ti 9 software. The main results showed that both teachers and students perceived high workload, low well-being, and high motivation in blended education. In addition, while a significant relationship between teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions and their perceived teaching and learning performance were found, no significant mediating role was reported for satisfaction with teaching and learning activities. We discuss these results and provide recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.
We know little to what extent peer feedback strategies can be applied on a large scale in higher ... more We know little to what extent peer feedback strategies can be applied on a large scale in higher education for complex tasks. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate an online-supported peer feedback module for large-scale use to enhance higher education students' argumentative essay writing performance. To do this, 330 students from five different courses at bachelor and master levels followed the online supported peer feedback module. In this module, students were asked to write an argumentative essay about a controversial issue, provide peer feedback for two peers, and revise their original essays based on the received feedback. Three types of data including original essay (pre-test) data, peer feedback data, and revised essay (post-test) data collected. Students also filled out the learning satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the module. The findings showed that the suggested online-supported peer feedback module was effective in improving students' argumentative essay quality in all courses at the bachelor and master levels. The findings also showed there is a difference in the level of students' satisfaction with the module among the courses and between the education levels. The findings of this study provide insights into and add value to the scalability of online peer feedback tools for argumentative essay writing in different contexts. Based on the findings, recommendations for future studies and educational practice are provided.
This study investigates the role of social factors in the access to and equity in higher educatio... more This study investigates the role of social factors in the access to and equity in higher education (HE) for students with a low socioeconomic status (SES) in Indonesia, from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students, lecturers, and support staff at a large Indonesian university. Focus group discussions were organised to validate the interview results. Family and mentoring programmes appear to play a major role in accessing HE, while lecturers and peers play a significant role in equity. This study highlights the importance of mentoring programmes that guide students to continue their study at the university level. The result provides insights into programmes at the university itself that should focus on developing social skills. This study illustrates the necessity of social support factors, including family, peers, mentor programs, teachers, and lecturers, in supporting access to and equity in HE.
This literature review study aims to provide an overview of influencing factors of access to and ... more This literature review study aims to provide an overview of influencing factors of access to and equity in higher education. In this way, the research offers insight into specific factors that support or hinder access and equity, respectively. Forty factors from thirty-three peer-reviewed articles, mostly from three continents: Europe, Australia, and America, published between 2014 and 2018, were selected for further analysis. The articles were analyzed into four organizational levels: government, university, pre-university education, and student. Most findings on this topic discuss government policies and financial support. In addition to financial support, the significance of this paper discusses social support influence (by peers, by family, by teachers, by university officers, and via programs) to improve access and equity in higher education. Social support emerged as crucial for both access and equity. This study alerts researchers, teachers, administrators at the university level, and policy-makers at the national level to focus more on social relations between peers, students, and lecturers, support by the managerial level, and establishing programs that provide basic academic skills to disadvantaged groups.
Schools in the Netherlands are encouraged by the national Government to develop their own in-serv... more Schools in the Netherlands are encouraged by the national Government to develop their own in-service training policy. Teachers' involvement in school policy-making and the effectiveness of in-service training policy are assumed to be related. In the present study, this assumption was examined. For this purpose, 1079 teachers from 98 schools for secondary agricultural education filled in a questionnaire. The study shows that teachers working in schools for secondary agricultural education are involved in school policy-making to a low extent. It also appears that these schools have not (yet) been able to develop effective in-service training policies. Additional analyses revealed that teachers' involvement in school policy-making and the effectiveness of in-service training policy are correlated: in-service training policy is relatively most effective in schools in which teachers are most involved in school policy-making. One may conclude that schools for secondary agricultural education are not yet successful in developing effective in-service training policy because of their limited policy-making capacity.
Cet article porte sur la question de recherche suivante: la participation des enseignants a la fo... more Cet article porte sur la question de recherche suivante: la participation des enseignants a la formulation des politiques des etablissements educatifs peut-elle etre stimulee par le travail collaboratif assiste par ordinateur (TCAO)? Il rend compte d'une etude de cas exploratoire sur l'utilisation d'une plate-forme de discussion electronique entre les enseignants et entre ces derniers et la direction de l'etablissement, pour accroitre la participation des enseignants aux processus decisionnels. A partir des resultats de la recherche, des recommandations sont proposees sur la maniere de convaincre les enseignants de la valeur ajoutee que peut apporter le TCAO a la formulation de nouvelles politiques au sein d'un etablissement.
Nowadays, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a great role in all aspects o... more Nowadays, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a great role in all aspects of human life, and education is not an exception. Wageningen university and Research Centre (Wageningen UR for short) is a leading international knowledge institute in the fields of nutrition and health, sustainable agricultural systems, environmental quality and processes of social change. The research presented in this paper is about the use of e-learning at the university. In this paper the following questions are raised: In Wageningen university: What is the teachers' attitude toward e-learning? Which features of e-learning do teachers often use? What added value do teachers perceive in teaching in e-learning environments? What are the barriers for implementing e-learning environments in learning process? Results have shown among features and capabilities of the e-learning environment "presenting course material and literature", "PowerPoint presentation" and "e-mail" were most used and "chatting", "voice conferencing" and "Shared whiteboard" were least used.. Also teachers' attitude toward constructivism, computer-assisted learning, and web-based education correlated significantly with their use of e-learning environment and their belief in its added value.
Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences
Interdisciplinary thinking as a skill appears to be of value to higher education students and tho... more Interdisciplinary thinking as a skill appears to be of value to higher education students and those in employment. This idea is explored with reference to the agricultural and life sciences. The need for further understanding of the development of interdisciplinary thinking is acknowledged. This is closely related to the requirement for wellfounded curriculum and course design. This publication presents a brief introduction to a systematic review of scientific research into teaching and learning in interdisciplinary higher education. While tentative, the understanding arising from the review findings is considered to be of potential value to educational practice. A selection of the review findings is presented by way of illustration. The selection is believed to be of relevance to the agricultural and life sciences. The review findings presented here take the form of interdisciplinary thinking subskills and enabling conditions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. Whil... more During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. While some seized the opportunity to learn and innovate, others experienced difficulties. This study provides insights into the differences between university teachers during the COVID-19 crisis. A survey among university teachers (N = 283) was conducted to investigate their attitudes towards online teaching, beliefs about students’ learning, level of stress experienced, self-efficacy and beliefs about their own professional development. Employing a hierarchical cluster analysis, four distinct teacher profiles were found. Profile 1 was critical but eager; Profile 2 was positive but stressed; Profile 3 was critical and reluctant; Profile 4 was optimistic and easy-going. The profiles differed significantly in their use and perception of support. We suggest that teacher education research should carefully consider sampling procedures or take a person-centred research approach and that universit...
Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education appro... more Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education approach. However, little is known about teachers' and students' attitudes, emotions, and perceptions of blended education. This study aims to first explore teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions (workload, stress, well-being, and motivation) related to blended education and then model these attitudes and emotions, and online tools satisfaction with perceived teaching and learning performance by considering satisfaction with teaching and learning activities as a mediating variable. To do this, in total, 327 teachers and 547 students from a Dutch university participated. Of these, 307 teachers and 534 students filled out a survey, and 20 teachers and 13 students were interviewed to get more in-depth data. Quantitative data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling and multiple linear regression and qualitative data was analyzed via Atlas.ti 9 software. The main results showed that both teachers and students perceived high workload, low well-being, and high motivation in blended education. In addition, while a significant relationship between teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions and their perceived teaching and learning performance were found, no significant mediating role was reported for satisfaction with teaching and learning activities. We discuss these results and provide recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. Whil... more During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to move their teaching completely online. While some seized the opportunity to learn and innovate, others experienced difficulties. This study provides insights into the differences between university teachers during the COVID-19 crisis. A survey among university teachers (N = 283) was conducted to investigate their attitudes towards online teaching, beliefs about students' learning, level of stress experienced, self-efficacy and beliefs about their own professional development. Employing a hierarchical cluster analysis, four distinct teacher profiles were found. Profile 1 was critical but eager; Profile 2 was positive but stressed; Profile 3 was critical and reluctant; Profile 4 was optimistic and easy-going. The profiles differed significantly in their use and perception of support. We suggest that teacher education research should carefully consider sampling procedures or take a person-centred research approach and that universities should develop targeted forms of teacher communication, support and policy.
The International Journal of Management Education, 2023
Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education appro... more Literature on post-pandemic education suggests blended learning as a new balanced education approach. However, little is known about teachers' and students' attitudes, emotions, and perceptions of blended education. This study aims to first explore teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions (workload, stress, well-being, and motivation) related to blended education and then model these attitudes and emotions, and online tools satisfaction with perceived teaching and learning performance by considering satisfaction with teaching and learning activities as a mediating variable. To do this, in total, 327 teachers and 547 students from a Dutch university participated. Of these, 307 teachers and 534 students filled out a survey, and 20 teachers and 13 students were interviewed to get more in-depth data. Quantitative data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling and multiple linear regression and qualitative data was analyzed via Atlas.ti 9 software. The main results showed that both teachers and students perceived high workload, low well-being, and high motivation in blended education. In addition, while a significant relationship between teachers' and students' attitudes and emotions and their perceived teaching and learning performance were found, no significant mediating role was reported for satisfaction with teaching and learning activities. We discuss these results and provide recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.
We know little to what extent peer feedback strategies can be applied on a large scale in higher ... more We know little to what extent peer feedback strategies can be applied on a large scale in higher education for complex tasks. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate an online-supported peer feedback module for large-scale use to enhance higher education students' argumentative essay writing performance. To do this, 330 students from five different courses at bachelor and master levels followed the online supported peer feedback module. In this module, students were asked to write an argumentative essay about a controversial issue, provide peer feedback for two peers, and revise their original essays based on the received feedback. Three types of data including original essay (pre-test) data, peer feedback data, and revised essay (post-test) data collected. Students also filled out the learning satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the module. The findings showed that the suggested online-supported peer feedback module was effective in improving students' argumentative essay quality in all courses at the bachelor and master levels. The findings also showed there is a difference in the level of students' satisfaction with the module among the courses and between the education levels. The findings of this study provide insights into and add value to the scalability of online peer feedback tools for argumentative essay writing in different contexts. Based on the findings, recommendations for future studies and educational practice are provided.
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Papers by Harm Biemans