Search Results for
"Higher education"

higher education institutions are challenged to educate students for an uncertain future. Adaptive expertise (AE) is needed to thrive in an uncertain future: the ability to respond successfully to altered situations and changing circumstances. Work-based learning (WBL) environments would allow students to develop AE. However, knowledge about how WBL contributes to AE development in higher education is scarce. This paper reports on a realist review to understand and explain how, why and in what circumstances WBL leads to AE development. Three narratives illustrate how working in challenging conditions, interacting with others and stimulating a willingness to learn were associated with AE development through WBL as a result of shifts in perspective and thinking. Five work-based learning elements for AE development were identified: integrative challenging contexts, reflective practice, interacting with others, guidance and learner characteristics. Future research should focus on how working in challenging situations, interactions with others and guidance interact to stimulate AE development in different types of WBL environments. © The Author(s) 2025.

University commitment reflects students’ emotional and psychological attachment to their institutions. It is fostered by providing essential resources that empower students to shape their futures. Amidst the increasing demand for universities to bolster students’ soft skills for greater adaptability in the contemporary workforce, this study focuses on examining the connections between skill acquisition and healthcare management students’ commitment levels to their university. Data were gathered by two questionnaires measuring three sets of soft skills acquisition (1) Personal skills (PS) involve a commitment to organizational values, ethical navigation in professional settings, self-awareness, resilience, creativity, self-improvement, and work/life balance; (2) Social skills (SS) encompass clear communication, conflict resolution, networking, multicultural navigation, leadership, and fostering collaborative relationships; and (3) Methodological skills (MS) include adaptability, insightful synthesis of information, continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, proactive decision-making, goal setting, resource management, and results-oriented organizational leadership. The results indicated that students have acquired more methodological soft skills compared to personal or social ones. Structural equation modeling (SEM) results showed that among the categories of soft skills, personal, social, methodological, merely the latter was significantly related to university commitment. Methodological skills, including adaptability, analysis, and decision-making, were directly related to university commitment, aligning with educational and professional goals, offering a stronger connection to academic success than personal or social skills. This study emphasizes the need for higher education institutions to improve their curriculum to better develop soft skills. Prioritizing personal and social abilities alongside technical skills is crucial to preparing students for future career challenges, particularly in healthcare. © The Author(s) 2025.

higher education plays an important role in promoting sustainable ‘economic-ecological’ development. In this paper, we selected 22 indicators to construct three core measures of ecological, economic, and higher education quality for 61 sovereign countries from 2000 to 2022. Utilizing Ecosystem Service Values, entropy weighting method, and coupled coordination model, and constructed a double-fixed spatial Durbin model to measure the impact of higher education on the global economic-ecological sustainable development and spatial spillover effects. It is found that in Europe the rise in the comprehensive level of higher education is not significant for the improvement of the sustainable development of the country, and it mainly enhances the sustainable development level of neighboring countries through the interactive flow; while in other regions, such as Asia, the rise in the comprehensive level of higher education will significantly improve the level of sustainable development in the region, but there is a significant siphon effect, which will inhibit the development of the neighboring regions by pooling the talents, funds, and technologies through its development inhibit the development of neighboring regions. In addition, the promotion effect of higher education on regional sustainable development has a diminishing marginal utility and gradually converges to be no longer significant. © The Author(s) 2025.

One of the educational programs implemented in Indonesia is the independent learning program, or it is called as Merdeka Belajar program. The objective is to provide flexible opportunities for students to study according to their interests and abilities. Although the program has been implemented, there is no effective evaluation model to assess its process and result. This research aims to examine the structural effects of different evaluation types in measuring the effectiveness of the Merdeka Belajar program. A mixed-method approach was used with a sequential explanatory research design. The sample was taken from 167 students in higher education through cluster random sampling. Questionnaires, interviews, and documentation were used as data collection techniques. Descriptive statistics, Structural Equation Modeling, and qualitative data analysis were used to process the data. The results show that there are structural effects of the evaluation types on students’ competence. Context and input evaluations influence process evaluations, while process evaluations impact output evaluations and student achievement, with non-academic achievements serving as the more dominant indicator. The research findings contribute to the development of Stufflebeam’s CIPP evaluation model and, in practice, can be utilized to enhance the quality of Merdeka Belajar program management. © The Author(s) 2025.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming the education sector by automating repetitive, rule-based tasks previously carried out by humans. This paper investigates the applications, benefits, challenges, and implications of RPA in education, focusing on its impact on administrative processes, student support services, and teaching methodologies. By analyzing 54 studies conducted between 2020 and 2024, this research explores how educational institutions have adopted RPA to enhance operational efficiency. Case studies reveal common success factors, including significant time savings, error reduction, and improved satisfaction for both students and staff. RPA has enabled institutions to streamline administrative workflows, optimize resource management, and offer personalized learning experiences. However, challenges such as implementation costs, data security, and the need for effective change management are also addressed. Additionally, this paper examines ethical concerns, particularly those surrounding job displacement and privacy. The findings underscore the transformative potential of RPA while highlighting the complexities of its integration into educational settings. The methodology followed PRISMA guidelines, with a systematic search of academic databases including IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria focused on studies published between 2020 and 2024 that addressed RPA applications in education. Data analysis was conducted using thematic synthesis to identify key trends across the selected studies. © The Author(s) 2025.

As the demands for a global workforce continue to evolve, there is more emphasis on equipping learners with academic knowledge and innovative and creative skills essential for success in different professional environments. This study delves into the intricate landscape of intensive training programs in a South African higher institution, exploring the impact on skill acquisition and development among students. The study employed a hybrid of experimental methods and a cross-sectional survey design to capture a holistic understanding of the experiences and outcomes of the intensive training initiative. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire to identify how students’ self-efficacy and individual entrepreneurial orientation were influenced, employing a handy, convenient sampling. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) examined variables to explain variation in the seven latent constructs. The findings revealed numerous differences in the effects of theoretical learning and that students had a high degree of entrepreneurial self-efficacy without taking part in intensive entrepreneurship training. The findings hold the potential to inform policy decisions, institutional strategies, and curriculum design, ultimately fostering a more responsive and adaptive higher education system in South Africa. As the nation strives for socio-economic growth and global competitiveness, understanding the dynamics of intensive training and skill development becomes paramount in shaping the future of the workforce. The study recommends the study model in higher institutions’ curricula for entrepreneurship training and development in theory and practice. © The Author(s) 2025.

This paper analyses the impact of the Project-based Continuous Instructional Planning (PCIP) method on the key and professional competencies of university students, with consideration of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). PCIP is an innovative teaching method that incorporates blended learning strategies into the four-year university curriculum for majors. It integrates Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), Project-Based Learning (PBL), Competition-Based Learning (CBL) and collaborative teaching and learning. Projects are integrated throughout the four-year curriculum to enhance knowledge acquisition and develop key competencies. PCIP aims to develop sustainable learning competencies such as teamwork, active learning, critical thinking and problem identification and solving. It creates a dynamic closed loop that promotes continuous innovation, from identifying needs to realising value, and lays the foundation for students' future development. Also, PCIP promotes responsible management (RM) and sustainable development, helping students develop managerial competence for ethics, responsibility, and sustainability (ERS). The study was conducted with a sample of 285 E-commerce students and statistical regression analyses confirmed that PCIP effectively enhances critical and professional competencies and that higher-achieving students benefit more. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

As microcredentials proliferate across higher education, questions of quality, equity, and trust remain central. This paper presents a case study from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), highlighting the development of an institutional governance model and evaluation framework to ensure the integrity of its microcredential portfolio. Drawing on national frameworks such as 1EdTech (2024), Quality Matters (2023), and Harrison and Williams (2024), UMBC created a microcredential taxonomy and a twelve-criterion evaluation rubric, which is used by its Microcredential Review Board (MRB) to assess all proposals. These efforts are supported by the Microcredential Advisory Committee (MAC), which provides strategic guidance to ensure relevance and alignment with learner and employer needs. The paper details how these structures work together to foster consistency, transparency, and institutional trust, and reflects on key lessons learned through implementation. UMBC’s experience offers practical strategies for other institutions seeking to operationalize microcredential quality assurance in scalable, equity-minded ways. © The Author(s) 2025.

Entrepreneurship education significantly impacts students’ entrepreneurial competencies, intentions and behavior. higher Vocational education Institutions (HVEIs) play a vital role in China, and they have recorded milestone achievements that foster economic growth and stimulate students’ entrepreneurial mindsets. Applying underpinning theory, this study aims to examine the effect of entrepreneurial education (EE), knowledge (EK) and self-efficacy (ESE) on intention (EI) through the mediating role of entrepreneurial attitude (EA). Using a self-administered survey, cross-sectional design and stratified random sampling technique, this study targeted students enrolled in five HVE institutions in Guizhou, China and collected 416 completed questionnaires. The sorted results revealed that EE positively impacts EI and EA. In contrast, EK and ESE positively impact EI and EA. While this last (EA) positively impacts EI, it also mediates the relationship between EE, EK and ESE on EI. The originality of this study linked the underpinning of entrepreneurship theory with the five supporting theories to explain the relationships among constructs and cover the holistic picture of EE-EI from personnel, environmental and cognitive perspectives. The study recommended that educational managers prioritize developing entrepreneurship curricula and more practices to foster students’ entrepreneurial knowledge and skills for better future entrepreneurial careers. EE is a necessary program, and HVEIs potentially impact the industry and the future of the Chinese economic agenda. This study has several socioeconomic implications and contributes to the Chinese sustainable development agenda. © The Author(s) 2025.

This study highlights the priorities of accounting students’ employability skills in enhancing their employability opportunities by analyzing self-reported skills through their curriculum vitae (CVs). This study also examines whether pre-graduation work experience and participation in training courses contribute to the development of these employability skills. Employability skills examined included both soft and hard skills. Accounting students were asked to self-identify their acquired skills (i.e., self-reporting) by listing them in their CVs. The results showed that accounting students prioritized 17 skills deemed essential for employability, with the highest-ranked being computer use, Microsoft Office proficiency, communication skills, English language proficiency, and the ability to work under pressure. The findings also revealed that the pre-graduation work experience and participation in training courses had varying influences on the development of employability skills. There were no statistically significant differences in the importance of either skill group (hard or soft) between students with pre-graduation work experience and those without. However, a significant difference was found between students who had taken training courses and those who had not. Additionally, the results of additional analysis confirmed that factors beyond work experience and training courses—such as activities embedded within academic courses—likely influence employability skills development. This study contributes to the growing debates on students’ perspectives on the priority of employability skills for career success. It also offers the potential practical implications for higher education institutions (HEIs), suggesting that they can better support students by fostering the development of employability skills through curricular and extracurricular activities, including pre-graduation work experience and training course participation. The role of curricular and extracurricular activities during students’ education is likely to form a significant frame of reference through which they understand the connection between their experience in HEIs and their future prospects in the labor market. © The Author(s) 2025.