International Journal of Management in Education (29 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Empirical Evidence of Faculty and Institutional Factors that Affect Student Performance  
  by Donna Whitten, Tantatape Brahmasrene, Carmen Macharaschwili 
  Abstract: This paper investigates trends in higher education for their impact on student performance. Studies focusing on these areas have received much attention in the literature. As homework management systems have become popular, they have been scrutinized, with mixed results. Active learning strategies have consistently reported positive outcomes. Concurrently, institutions have been utilizing contingent instructors more often, primarily for budgetary reasons. This shift in staffing has influenced the level of education and years of teaching experience of instructors, which has altered the tenure status of professors. This study explores these topics for their impact on student performance using assessment data. The findings indicate that the use of homework management systems had a statistically significant negative relationship, while active learning strategies revealed a statistically positive impact. Also, instructor level of education was insignificant, while the years of teaching experience was significant, but negative. Finally, tenure status was positively significant on student performance.
  Keywords: Assessment; student performance; homework management systems; active learning strategies; contingent instructors; years of teaching experience; education; tenure; teaching experience; institutional factors.
  
  
• How to Create An Effective School? Exploration Strategies of An Effective School in Managing Teachers  
  by Rizka Wulandari, Sugiyono  
  Abstract: This research aimed to find out an effective school strategy in managing teachers, specifically to explore information about how the teacher management practices were conducted. A school was chosen with consideration of the excellent student achievements in various fields, such as science, language, sports, and academic achievement, measured in national examinations held by the government. This research methodology used a qualitative approach with a semi-structured interview method. This study found that teacher management conducted by the school considered internal and external organizational factors. Among the school's strategies in teacher management practices were: 1) in teacher selection, the school was very selective, involving administrative selection and several tests, such as microteaching, interviews, English tests, and computers. Moreover, the school preferred applicants with a high cumulative achievement index and committing to teaching. 2) In teacher assignment, the school assigned the best teachers to teach first and sixth graders. 3) In professional development, the school focused on the teachers professional development in the internal school environment through the KKG (Teacher Working Group) forum, a professional learning community for teachers. Besides, the school also facilitated and supported advanced education for teachers. 4) In empowerment, the school actively empowered teachers with individual potential by assigning specific responsibilities and tasks.
  Keywords: effective school; human resource management; teacher management.
  
  
• Higher education teachers and students attitudes towards e-learning and distance education: a comparative study in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia  
  by Fahad Alanezi 
  Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes and technology usage skills of higher education teachers and student towards e-learning and distance education in Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was used to collect the data, and it was distributed to 1787 participants. The mean (M) and the standard deviation (SD) of the scores of students (M=3.85, SD=1.25) and teachers (M=3.88, SD=1.44) reflected that the participants had good technological skills. Also, the scores of the students (M=3.7, SD=1.38) and teachers (M=3.94, SD=1.43) indicated that the respondents had positive attitudes towards e-learning. Likewise, the scores of the students (M=3.8, SD=1.29) and teachers (M=4, SD=1.36) revealed that the participants had positive attitudes towards distance education. Furthermore, significant differences in technology skills and attitudes were observed among male and female students and teachers; and among young and old students and teachers. Consequently, a positive change can be made in the attitudes of student and teachers towards e-learning and distance education, and the universities must develop these strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Keywords: COVID-19; higher education; teachers; students; attitudes; e-learning; distance education; m-learning.
  
  
• Design the Pattern of Increasing Satisfaction for International Students: A Qualitative Study with the Grounded Theory Approach  
  by Mehdi Tajpour, Kursat Demiryurek, Nur Ilkay Abaci 
  Abstract: Today, the benefits and positive effects of higher education are more apparent than ever, as a result of which, the popularity of higher education has increased so that admission to universities in many countries is done in a very competitive environment. So far, a comprehensive model of increasing the satisfaction of international students has not been presented yet. The issue of internationalization of universities on the one hand, requires strategic policy-making in order to take appropriate measures to improve research, educational and service activities, and on the other hand requires internationalizing the activities of universities and creating a dynamic platform for coordination between different departments of a university. Also the international students admission is a key element of internationalization of any university. The present study is a qualitative research and was conducted based on grounded theory. Data collection was done through purposive sampling with 17 international students at Ondokuz May?s University (OMU, henceforth). We used structured interviews, as well as using primary and secondary coding by Maxqda2020, for data analysis, which eventually led to the identification of 8 categories with 49 selected codes. That components such as educational, research, cultural, international, administrative, Social, financial and supportive were selected. The results of this study also showed that by increasing the satisfaction of international students, the university ranking and the relationship between cultures improves.
  Keywords: Internationalization of Universities; Higher Education; Teaching and Service; Students’ Satisfaction.
  
  
• IMPACT OF SOCIO DEMOGRAPHICS ON DECISION MAKING FOR PARTICIPATION IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING  
  by Garimidi Siva Sree, RAMLAL PORIKA 
  Abstract: The burgeoning industrialization has been the cornerstone of the increasing relevance of vocational education and training (VET) systems. VET has many societal and economic implications by boosting the employability and self - reliance among young individuals. Despite its salience, VET is plagued by increasing dropouts and shrinking enrollments. Guided by a conceptual framework, the current study investigates the role of demographics, socioeconomic status and their interactions in the motivational orientations involved in VET decision making. Data was collected from 408 first-year students enrolled in VET. The hypotheses are tested using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The vital findings of the study focus on a novel model on decision making for VET, which offers empirical support for the relationships between demographic variables, socioeconomic status, and motivation orientations. Implications for skill development and vocational education-based literature are provided. Future research can consider parents autonomy-supportive behavior as a mediator to socio-demographics and study choice motivation for a more comprehensive understanding.
  Keywords: Vocational education and training; socio-demographics; autonomous motivation; controlled motivation; skill development; interactions; socioeconomic status; late adolescents; emerging adults.
  
  
• School principals perceived knowledge towards information and communication technology in teaching and learning in Zimbabwean secondary schools  
  by Rosemary Guvhu, Thuthukile Jita, Moruf Abiola Olaide Akintunde 
  Abstract: This study investigated school principals perceptions regarding successful implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) policy in Zimbabwean schools. The research employed a quantitative research design, using questionnaires to collect data from a sample of 260 principals. The paper drew upon the pedagogical leadership (PL) framework in examining principals knowledge in the integration of ICTs across the public secondary school curriculum in Zimbabwe. The findings show a significant relationship between principals ICT knowledge and their ability to support integration of ICTs. Findings also revealed a significant and positive relationship between principals ICT knowledge and their ability to integrate ICTs. The more the school principals ICT knowledge, the higher their ability to integrate ICTs into pedagogical practices. The paper recommends that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education provides clear policy guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of principals in the implementation of ICT policy in schools. More continuous professional development training programmes should be organised to equip principals with requisite ICT knowledge and expertise to be utilised in support of ICT infusion into pedagogical practices.
  Keywords: information and communication technology (ICT); knowledge; perception; school-principal leadership; teaching and learning; Zimbabwean secondary schools.
  
  
• A Study of Organizational Determinants Influencing the Employees' Behavior in Educational Sector: A scoping review  
  by Imran Ahmed Shah, Rashid Ali Khuhro, Haroon Bakari 
  Abstract: The current study aims to study key organizational determinants that would eventually enhance the behavior of employees in the educational sector, particularly in terms of increased job satisfaction and reduced turnover. The study reviews existing literature systematically to present insights into the organizational determinants that best shape employee behaviour. Only credible databases are used while extracting relevant studies. The study yields the conclusion that educational institutions must ensure fair treatment of employees at all levels, along with practicing distributed leadership throughout the organization. Moreover, the servant leadership style is affirmed to be the best for upper management in order to enhance employee behavior and garner their commitment towards the organizational objectives. The contribution of the study lies within its implications of generalizability since the context of diverse nations has been reviewed. On the other hand, it also directs opportunities for future researchers employing increasing the number of studies to be reviewed.
  Keywords: Job satisfaction; educational sector; employee behaviour; organizational determinants.
  
  
• Why lecturers do not produce adequate scientific publications: an empirical study in private universities in Indonesia  
  by Meirani Harsasi, Manuntun Parulian Hutagaol, Lukman Mohammad Baga, Illah Sailah 
  Abstract: This research aims to analyse why lecturers of private universities in Indonesia are still lagging behind in the number of publications, although there are more lecturers in private universities than lecturers in public universities in Indonesia. Its designed using a mixed method research of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The quantitative research is done by collecting data through a questionnaire, while the qualitative research is carried out through interviews to reinforce the results of quantitative research. Using simple random sampling method, there were 208 respondents of lecturers were obtained for the quantitative research. For qualitative research, interviews were conducted with 8 informants. Using conjoint analysis, the results indicate that motivation and teaching workload are the most important attributes. The finding contribute to the field of higher education management, how private universities can encourage lecturers to produce more scientific publications.
  Keywords: lecturers; motivation; research; scientific publication; teaching workload;.
  
  
• Inhibitors of e-learning in engineering education: an interpretive structural modeling approach  
  by Pramod V.R., S.R. Devadasan, Murugesh R. 
  Abstract: Modern engineering educationalists face the challenges of training and educating, engineering graduates on the state of the art fast developing technological infrastructure and processes. In order to face this challenge, the adoption of e-learning process in engineering education has been widely recommended. This is due to the reason that e-learning process has the benefit of teaching and training the engineering graduates who are situated in different parts of the world by posting state of art information in internet portals. Despite this unique benefit, e-learning has not been effectively adopted in engineering education. This situation indicates the need to identify the inhibitors of adopting e-learning in engineering education and their relationships. In order to meet this requirement, the research reported in this paper was carried out. While beginning this research, ten inhibitors of e-learning adoption in engineering education were identified. Subsequently, the views of engineering educationalists about the importance of inhibitors were gathered. By making use of these data, an interpretive structural model was developed. This model indicated the relationship between these inhibitors. Further, driving power-dependence diagram was drawn by referring the final reachability matrix of interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique developed during this research. The diagram indicated that out of the ten inhibitors, seven inhibitors play powerful role in preventing the adoption of e-learning process in engineering education. Among all, financial constraint was found to be playing a powerful role in inhibiting the adoption e-learning process in engineering education. The identification of these powerful inhibitors and their relationships through the application of ISM will facilitate the modern engineering educationalists to successfully incorporate e-learning process in engineering education for educating and training the engineering graduates in large number on the state of art technologies and processes.
  Keywords: Engineering Education; E-learning; Interpretive Structural Model; Inhibitors; Interrelationship; Digraph; Driving power-dependence diagram.
  
  
• Challenges and opportunities in incorporating entrepreneurial competences into pre-university schools for all  
  by Andrej Šorgo, Kosta Dolenc, Mateja Ploj Virti? 
  Abstract: While the core ideas about the importance of including entrepreneurship in education are sufficiently elaborated, a problem arises in the day-to-day practice of an individual teacher working in the school. Who is competent enough to teach about entrepreneurship? Teachers or entrepreneurs? The research was conducted online using Google form application on a sample of 165 university students. The aim was to investigate the difference between the groups of pre-service teachers and students of non-pedagogical programs. When we correlated the desire to work in education with the desire to start a business, we found that there was literally no evidence of correlation. However, we can predict that those who possess adequate theoretical knowledge about the entrepreneurial perspective stemming from the interest will not entering the teaching profession and those who choose to enter the teaching profession do not possess such knowledge. The results lead us to conclude that in order to teach entrepreneurship competences to all students, a completely separate compulsory course should be created, taught by pedagogically qualified entrepreneurs.
  Keywords: entrepreneurship in education; entrepreneurial competences; pre-service teachers; non-pedagogical students.
  
  
• Do teacher characteristics matter? Findings from the PISA performance of Kosovar students  
  by Arif Shala, Albulene Grajcevci, Fadil Latifi 
  Abstract: PISA continues to be the international assessment program which fundamentally influences educational policies and approaches globally. This triennial assessment program provides information on the Reading Literacy, Mathematics and Science performance of 15-year-old students in various world economies. Kosovo participated for the first time in the PISA 2015 and for a second time in 2018, with both years being ranked among the lowest performing countries. The present paper aims to explore the link between teacher characteristics and PISA student performance while comparing the student performance in 2015 and 2018. The findings demonstrated that teacher characteristic are linked to student performance both in PISA 2015 and PISA 2018. Techer characteristic such as providing feedback, showing an interest in students, providing help and assistance in most lessons are linked to higher achievement of students across all domains and years, compared to cases when teachers rarely or never show interest, provide feedback and help. Additionally, the findings showed that Kosovar students performed worse in the PISA 2018 compared to PISA 2015. To elaborate, while there is a small increase of roughly 4 points in Reading Literacy and Mathematics between 2018 and 2015, this increase is not significant. The performance in science has decreased in 2018, compared to 2015 and this decrease is significant. Furthermore, the performance gap between public and private schools has increased significantly, by almost 100 points, with private schools continuing to perform higher across all domains.
  Keywords: teacher characteristics; PISA; performance; teacher feedback; Kosovo.
  
  
• Adopting Enterprise Resource Planning in Higher Education: A SWOT Analysis  
  by Mohamed Soliman Mohamed Soliman, Noorliza Karia 
  Abstract: The higher education institutions (HEIs) need for the digital transformation is to stay competitive. The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, through its robust platform, can provide them with their competitiveness. However, there are many barriers and concerns associated with ERP adoption, which should be eliminated. That explains why ERP adoption is relatively slow among Egyptian HEIs so far. Therefore, the current researchs main objective is to employ the SWOT analysis as a situational investigation to describe the current situation of Egyptian HEIs based on a descriptive analysis. The current study also aimed at reflecting a better understanding of ERP adoption among HEIs to ease any substantial changes required. This study explored 112 Egyptian HEIs towards their internal and external potentials of adopting ERP systems. The findings showed a reflective perception of ERP systems, demonstrating HEIs are technologically ready for the adoption. They have a cheerful ERP readiness, although HEIs managers are still uncertain, expecting some ERP inhibitors. Therefore, ERP adoption is principally contingent on perceiving benefits and value and eliminating any difficulties or security concerns that delay the adoption decision. Finally, this study recommends Egyptian HEIs for ERP adoption to be competitive; however, it highlights some further research work in the ERP setting.
  Keywords: Higher education; SWOT; ERP adoption; ERP value; ERP readiness; ERP benefits; competitive advantage; Egypt.
  
  
• Human resource management practices in higher education: A literature review using co-word analysis  
  by Phong Dong Nguyen, Luc Tan Phan, Huong Xuan Ho, Angelina Nhat-Hanh Le 
  Abstract: This article aims at providing a conceptual structure and the evolution of human resource management research in higher education from 1966 2019. By using co-word analysis, the current study analyzes 352 publications related to human resource management practices in higher education from the Scopus database. Thematic networks reveal that research on human resource management in higher education can be categorized into five themes, namely human resource management systems and societies and institutions, teaching and the field of application of human resource management in education, educators performance and motivation, innovation and sustainable development in universities, and educational decision-making and personnel management. Based on dominant keywords and a further content analysis of each identified theme, future research directions such as applications of emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, cloud computing, machine learning) in human resources management, decision-making systems, green human resource management, and personnel management in higher education are recommended. This study is one of the first attempts to use co-word analysis to explore insight into the structure of human resource management research in higher education and to visualize all subfields and their interrelationships. It thereby provides a robust roadmap for further investigation in this field.
  Keywords: co-word analysis; higher education; human resource management.
  
  
• Exploring Organisational Culture in Higher Educational Institutions: a comparative study  
  by Marina Sousa, Maria João Raposo, Jorge Mendonça, Beatriz Corchuelo Martínez-Azúa 
  Abstract: The concept of organisational culture has been the object of increasing attention of the scientific community. In this study we analyse the organisational culture of two higher education institutions, one from Portugal and another from Spain, and how it has changed - or should be expected to have changed - following a modification in their legislative frameworks and mission definition, imposed coercively by their governments in the transposition of European directives. To achieve this study, the concept of Competing Values Framework (CVF) and Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) was used. The main conclusion of this study is that it is not clear that there has been a statutory change oriented towards the implementation of a market model and there has clearly not been a significant change in the pre-existing organisational culture in these two institutions, which may indicate weak levels of organisational effectiveness.
  Keywords: higher education; organisational culture; institutional change; competing values framework; organisational culture assessment instrument; comparative study; Portugal; Spain.
  
  
• What really matters? Factors impacting international student satisfaction: the case of the UK  
  by Rachael Merola, Robert Coelen, W.H.A. Hofman 
  Abstract: This study explores how international student satisfaction is affected by certain aspects of the learning and living experience, including university reputation, size, and proportion of international students, as well as student gender and stage of study. It draws on data from undergraduate international students enrolled in full time, on-site programs at 32 universities located in the United Kingdom that administered the International Student Barometer (ISB) in Fall 2017 (N=11,652). Multi-level linear regression revealed that international student satisfaction was predicted by stage of study, the reputation of the university, and the proportion of international students enrolled. Comments from the survey are used to better understand these findings. This study gives institutional leaders insight into what factors influence the international student experience, allowing them to better prepare for the challenges confronting international higher education today.
  Keywords: education management; international student; student satisfaction; student experience; rankings; league tables; student life.
  
  
• The impact of personal factors and firm dynamics on knowledge workers counterproductive work behaviour  
  by Simona Leonelli, Raja Nabeel-Ud-Din Jalal, Um-E-Roman Fayyaz 
  Abstract: The paper empirically tests the impact of abusive supervision and organizational tenure on emotional exhaustion and counterproductive work behaviour of knowledge workers as well as investigating the moderating role of psychological capital in the relationship between abusive supervision and organizational tenure and emotional exhaustion. Data were collected from a sample of knowledge workers, i.e., teachers, in Rawalpindi and Islamabad via a two-wave onsite-based survey. The final sample consisted of 243 teachers. Structural equation modelling analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Our results show that supervisors abusive supervision is positively related to employees counterproductive work behaviour and that supervisors abusive supervision and employees organizational tenure are positively related to employees emotional exhaustion. Additionally, employees psychological capital moderates the relationship between employees organizational tenure and their emotional exhaustion. Ultimately, employees emotional exhaustion partially mediates the relationship between supervisors abusive supervision and employees organizational tenure and their way of engaging in counterproductive work behaviour. The paper adds to the knowledge about the antecedents to employees counterproductive work behaviour in the field of knowledge management research.
  Keywords: Abusive supervision; Organizational tenure; Psychological capital; Emotional exhaustion; Counterproductive work behaviour; knowledge workers.
  
  
• Mediating role of Teacher confidence between Support system and Satisfaction  
  by Sharon Valarmathi B, Veerta Tantia, Jacqueline Kareem 
  Abstract: Online education in India has witnessed a shift due to the ongoing pandemic, compelling the Indian education sector to adapt to new advancements quickly. This research examines the perception of teachers' Confidence to use technology for teaching and assessment processes. This study's main purpose is to find the relationship between the support system, comprising the institutional support, the teachers support and students support towards teacher satisfaction. It further analyzes the mediating effect of teacher confidence to the support system and teacher satisfaction. The sample for our research consisted of 129 teachers of higher educational institutions. We also used Pearson's correlation, regression, and path analysis for analyzing data in addition to descriptive statistics. We found that there is a significant relationship between Support systems and Teacher satisfaction. Among the three-support systems, institutional support systems did have a significant influence on teachers' satisfaction. On the other hand, teacher confidence had a partial mediator effect on teacher satisfaction, which could translate to higher effectiveness in online teaching. Further, this study presumed that educational institutions were quick to adapt to online teaching due to ongoing pandemic. Teachers have had to gain mastery in the same, familiarizing themselves with new technologies that have evolved rapidly.
  Keywords: Online teaching; Teacher satisfaction; Teacher confidence; Institution support; teacher support; student support.
  
  
• Predicting Organizational Creativity Based on Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Well-being among Irans School Principals  
  by Morteza Raei Dehaghi, Abbas Rohani 
  Abstract: Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being with organizational creativity on a group of school principals. The statistical population included all school principals in Mobarakeh province in the academic year 2018-2019. The sample size was obtained equal to 113 persons based on the Morgan Table. The research tools were the Bar-On emotional quotient inventory, Reef questionnaire and Torrance test. Gathering data method was Stratified random sampling. Findings showed that there is significant correlation between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being with organizational creativity. Besides, the multi-variable regression analysis revealed that net effects of emotional intelligence and psychological well-being on managers' creativity (R2=0.329), i.e., about 33% of variance or individual differences in principals' creativity, are related to variance of scores of emotional intelligence and psychological well-being. Thus, emotional intelligence and psychological well-being have acted as significant predictors of organizational creativity of the principals.
  Keywords: Organizational Creativity; Emotional Intelligence; Psychological Well-being; School Principals.
  
  
• TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY IN HANDLING VIOLENT EVENTS: ITS IMPACT ON TEACHER WELLBEING  
  by Megan Barr, Sonja Newman, Tammy Hunt, James Hunt 
  Abstract: This study investigates violence in the classroom as a unique job demand of teachers and examines how its effect on teacher wellbeing can be improved through teacher self-efficacy. Teachers from the U.S. completed a cross-sectional questionnaire of their wellbeing, workplace engagement, self-efficacy in handling violent events, frequency of violence experienced, and job characteristics. Findings show violence in the classroom to be a significant predictor of teacher burnout and leaving the profession. Teacher self-efficacy in handling violent events lessens the impact of classroom violence on teacher wellbeing. Additionally, school support in handling violence reduces the impact of the violent event on teacher wellbeing. This has implications for the development of public education policy and highlights the importance of participation in school-wide violence prevention training and teacher victimization training programmes as instrumental parts of pre-service and in-service training curriculum.
  Keywords: teacher wellbeing; self-efficacy; school violence; teacher burnout; teacher training.
  
  
• Teachers' Organisational Citizenship Behaviour: Do Students' Behaviour Patterns and Teachers' Ideology on Student Control matter?  
  by Ariyaratnam Harry Gnanarajan, Navaneethakrishnan Kengatharan, Thirunavukkarasu Velnampy 
  Abstract: Teachers' extra-role voluntary behaviours have been found essential for the effective functioning of schools. The present study pioneers in examining the relationship between student behaviour patterns (SBP) and teachers' organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB), and investigates teachers' pupil control ideology (PCI) as a moderator. The structural equation modelling examined the study model. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 572 teachers in secondary schools in Sri Lanka. The results revealed that teachers' propensity to perform OCBs was not affected by student behaviour, implying that teaching is a vocation devoted to serving the humanity despite challenging circumstances. The results also revealed that custodial teachers seemed to be affected by student behaviour, though PCI had no moderating effect. As many teachers in Sri Lanka advocate more a authoritarian style of discipline, the present study may offer suggestions in the arenas of classroom management, school leadership and teacher education on ways to embrace humanistic perspectives on student control.
  Keywords: organisational citizenship behaviour; student behaviour patterns; pupil control ideology; classroom management; teacher OCB.
  
  
• Determinants of University Student Dropout: The Case of the Polit  
  by Rodolfo Casadiego-Alazate, Javier A. Sánchez-Torres, Francisco-Javier Arroyo-Cañada, Ana Argila-Irurita 
  Abstract: The aim of the paper sought to identify the factors that influence the dropout risk of university students. We worked with data from a sample of 476 students, including academic, institutional and socio-economic information. Logistic regression was applied to identify the variables with the greatest impact on the dropout risk and thus propose actions that could help mitigate this phenomenon. The model correctly predicted 84% of cases. Among the most important results of this study was that the youngest students taking classes during the day were those who tended to abandon their studies during the first four semesters. Additionally, the effect exerted by age of entry, number of semesters completed, accumulated average, total number of credits approved, financing and obtaining educational aid with the institution was greater when compared with other factors analysed in the present study.
  Keywords: Dropout; Colombia; dropout; university; strategies; enrolment.
  
  
• A Systematic Mapping of empirical MOOC Studies: Research Methods, Perspectives, Themes and Trends  
  by Neeraj Chopra, Rajiv Sindwani, Manisha Goel 
  Abstract: MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have evolved considerably and emerged as a great online self-learning tool. Despite this fact, extant MOOC literature is fragmented and lacks a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. For a comprehensive presentation and to highlight the critical research gap, the paper presents MOOC studies published during January 2008February 2021 in chronological order through the Gartner Hype Cycle. 613 studies were shortlisted from two popular academic repositories, namely Scopus and Web of Science by applying well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study employed a systematic mapping technique to present publication channels, trends and publication outlets. The findings reveal that most of the studies are conducted from students perspective using quantitative research methodology, and maximum research publications are observed in 2018. 23 themes are noticed during the investigation and grouped under three broad categories. The findings present useful insights for academicians, practitioners and researchers.
  Keywords: Online Learning; MOOC; systematic mapping; research methods; research themes; research trends.
  
  
• Educational Leadership for the National Curriculum Implementation: The Case of Kosovo  
  by Osman Buleshkaj, Andrej Koren 
  Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore leadership practice regarding curriculum implementation in ten Kosovo schools and to outline the main strategies devised for enhancing school-based activities. Practical approaches used for leading school-based curriculum implementation were investigated, and efforts of educational leaders in envisioning and leading the curriculum implementation in Kosovo schools were highlighted. Furthermore, different conceptions of successful curriculum implementation from the perspective of participants were examined; six main themes were identified and discussed; a case study methodology was conducted involving school principals, teachers, curriculum coordinators, municipal education officials, and Ministry of Education officials; and three methods of data collection were applied via interviews, focus group discussions, and document analyses. Finally, we explored the participants various perceptions of reality regarding the leadership role in supporting national curriculum implementation in pilot schools in Kosovo.
  Keywords: Leadership; change; curriculum implementation; policy; education; Kosovo.
  
  
• The role of household structure, parental education and income on children schooling in Thailand: a gender-based perspective  
  by Md. Nasir Uddin, Saran Sarntisart, Syed Mahbubur Rahman 
  Abstract: This paper aims to analyze gender inequality in schooling, taking the effects of parental education, income, and household structure, using a nationally representative sample from Thailand. The results show that males underperform females in schooling, even though the contributions of parental education, income, and household structure towards males are higher than that of their counterparts. More specifically, on average, males attain almost a year of schooling less than what females attain. The findings of this paper recommend policies to reduce gender inequality and to improve overall human capital in Thailand by promoting boys' schooling through for instance dedicated stipend program for boys.
  Keywords: gender inequality; education; intergenerational transmission; Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition; Thailand.
  
  
• Mixed method research on lifelong learning: capturing its dynamics in a multi-generational workforce in the wake of COVID 19  
  by Jaya Gupta, Pooja Misra 
  Abstract: The coronavirus outbreak has ignited significant disruptions across industries. An agile mindset to assimilate learning into life is mandatory to be able to perform in the redesigned workplace. The pandemic is disrupting the workforce of all the generations. The present mixed-method study seeks to examine the differences in lifelong learning attribute of the prominent generations in the Indian workforce through qualitative, in-depth interviews followed by a more generalisable, quantitative survey. The qualitative interview data of the Phase 1 was analysed using text mining and topic modelling. Based on the topics identified, the quantitative data related to lifelong learning and self-efficacy was gathered in the Phase 2 from the respondents of different generations by questionnaire. The lifelong learning trait differences and drivers of self-efficacy across generational cohorts were analysed by MANOVA followed by a regression analysis. The results suggest that there are major differences across generations.
  Keywords: lifelong learning; generation z; self-efficacy; COVID 19; mixed method; topic modelling.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2021.10038435
   
  
• Relationship between perceived organisational politics and workplace ostracism at higher education institutions  
  by Dewan Niamul Karim 
  Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship of the three dimensions of perceived organisational politics: general political behaviour, go along to go ahead, and pay and promotion policies with workplace ostracism at higher education institutions. A total of 127 complete responses from full-time faculty members serving in six Bangladeshi public universities were used for the data analysis. The study employed partial least squares path modelling to test the research hypotheses. Drawing on the social exchange theory, the findings of this cross-sectional study revealed a significant positive relationship between three dimensions of perceived organisational politics and workplace ostracism. The findings provided initial evidence that perceived organisational politics is associated with greater employees' feeling of being ostracised in the workplace. Based on the findings, the study suggested theoretical and practical implications, and directions for future research.
  Keywords: perceived organisational politics; general political behaviour; go along to go ahead; pay and promotion policies; workplace ostracism; higher education institutions.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2021.10038437
   
  
• Identifying factors contributing to the development and sustainability of professional learning communities in Malaysian secondary schools  
  by Mei Kin Tai, Abdull Kareem Omar 
  Abstract: The aim of this research was to develop a Professional Learning Communities Model in Malaysian secondary schools. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify the underlying factors whereas Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to examine the measurement models. A total of 532 and 1062 respondents completed the survey with usable data for EFA and CFA, respectively. With normed χ² = 3.223, TLI = .950, CFI = .953 and RMSEA = .046, the results suggested that the model can be explained by two factors: Organisational Factor and Non-Organisation Factor. The Organisational Factor consists of four indicators: Shared Norms and Vision, Principal Commitment and Support, Structural Support, and Collegial Understanding and Trust whereas Non-Organisational Factor encompasses four indicators: Collaborative Learning, Reflective Dialogue, Collective Inquiry and External Support System.
  Keywords: professional learning communities; collegial understanding and trust; collaborative learning; reflective dialogue; collective inquiry; external support system.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2021.10038436
   
  
• The role of language adequacy in effective educational leadership  
  by Vasiliki Brinia, Eleni Michopoulou, Alexandros Dimos 
  Abstract: The main purpose of this research was to investigate the verbal characteristics of the philologists as school leaders in secondary educational institutions and to evaluate their effectiveness in verbal communication with teachers. The investigation of the verbal behaviour of philologist principals is considered particularly important as, according to a recent demographic study, scholars rank first in the number of serving principals in secondary educational institutions in Greece. A qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews and a combination of mixed purposeful sampling strategies were used to achieve the research goal. A total of 45 participants were selected from educational institutions of Athens Secondary Education: 15 principals who are philologists, 15 vice-principals and 15 teachers who are mathematicians. Parallel to that, the strategy of data triangulation from three perspectives: the philologist leader's, the vice-principal's and one mathematician's from the same school institution has been applied. A key factor in effective verbal communication was the principal's personality with their ethical-spiritual characteristics, not their scientific expertise. This research seeks to identify the most efficient way of communication between teachers and principals for the optimisation of the school's means and processes, taking into consideration the difficulties deriving from the teachers' different scientific backgrounds.
  Keywords: philologist principal; verbal communication; communication skills; language proficiency; effective administration.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2021.10038433
   
  
• The efficiency of expenditures for general education: empirical evidence from Vietnam's transitional economy  
  by Quang Canh Le 
  Abstract: This paper analyses the efficiency of expenditures for general education across Vietnam's provinces and estimates the impacts of provincial institutions on the efficiency of such expenditures. Using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach, the paper finds that, as a whole, the general-education system is not performing efficiently, but that upper-level education in the system is more efficient than lower-level education; that the state budget allocated for primary education is managed efficiently, whereas the budget allocated for secondary education is not; and that household expenditures on education are inefficiently used. Empirical evidence from Tobit models for panel data with bootstrap procedures suggests that more prosperous provinces are negatively associated with lower efficiency in education expenditures, while more transparent and densely populated provinces are strongly associated with higher efficiency in education expenditures. These empirical results shed light on issues of educational management and have policy implications for a more efficient allocation of public resources to the education sector.
  Keywords: efficiency; general education; DEA; provincial governance; transitional economy.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2021.10038438