This dissertation consists of four separate essays on sociology of education. The first essay, through a scoping review, aims to enhance understanding and further conceptualise teacher effectiveness in higher education from both practical and research-driven perspectives. This review represents an initial step forward in understanding evidence-based practice in the classroom. The second essay introduces a new way of analysing universities by exploring the use of the SWOC analysis technique. To be more specific, the application of the SWOC analysis is carried out in the Greek Higher Education Institution. Results report that certain methodological and pragmatic weaknesses can be overcome (e.g., budget and process time, space constraints, course language in Greek), while other basic systematic limitations cannot without institutional reform (e.g., entrance of business practices into higher education). Similarly, certain challenges can be solved (e.g., limitations of infrastructure), while others cannot or can only be partially resolved, but there is a need for time, institutional and framework reforms and society preparation (e.g., necessity for external funds and increased self‐funding). The third essay sets out to understand the determinants of teacher effectiveness at a Greek Higher Education Institution by confirming the validity of a 21-item instrument entitled TAGGED, based on an exploration of its dimensionality among undergraduate students. It also aims to assess the perceived teaching quality offered at a Greek university by proposing a shorter (8-item) scale that is extremely accurate in measuring teacher effectiveness. Results reveal that TAGGED is a three-factor instrument consisting of the three dimensions: teaching style, course difficulty, and student engagement. As the first academic research that investigates the possibility of assessing a shorter questionnaire at Greek universities related to teacher effectiveness and thus student satisfaction, this study can help researchers conduct confident investigations using the adapted and validated teaching quality instrument within the Greek higher education system. The fourth essay, exploring the concept of vulnerability, presents some preliminary results concerning the teaching style that vulnerable students at a Greek Higher Education Institution prefer. The essay has gone some way, in the limited context of the data, to make a strong case for locating vulnerability as a generative theoretical framework for exploring the lives of students at risk in Higher Education. Results reveal that although many students are facing some kind of vulnerability, they do not want to be self-defined as vulnerable in order not to be associated with labels and thus not to be discriminated or stigmatized. The analysis further identifies a lack of information to support vulnerable students in making choices about their futures, principally in relation to gaining information about pursuing Higher Education. Further investigation suggests that there must be a commitment on the part of Higher Education Institution to develop student support services and personal development planning must be embedded.

Questa tesi di dottorato consiste in quattro saggi sulla sociologia dell'educazione. Il primo saggio, attraverso una rassegna approfondita, mira a migliorare la comprensione e a concettualizzare l'efficacia degli insegnanti nell'istruzione terziaria. Questa rassegna rappresenta un primo passo avanti nella comprensione della pratica didattica fondata sull’evidenza empirica. Il secondo saggio introduce un nuovo modo di analizzare le università utilizzando la tecnica di analisi SWOC. Per essere più precisi, l'analisi SWOC viene applicata per la prima volta ad una università greca. I risultati mostrano che alcune debolezze metodologiche e pragmatiche dell’ateneo possono essere superate (ad esempio, budget e tempo di elaborazione, vincoli di spazio, lingua del corso in greco), mentre altri limiti sistematici emersi non possono essere superati senza una riforma istituzionale (ad esempio, l'ingresso di pratiche commerciali nell'istruzione superiore) implementata a livello centrale. Allo stesso modo, alcune sfide possono essere risolte (p. es., limitazioni delle infrastrutture), mentre altre non possono o possono essere risolte solo parzialmente, ma c’è bisogno di tempo, riforme istituzionali di tutto il sistema universitario e creazione di una cultura all’interno della società (p. es., necessità di fondi esterni e maggiore autonomia, auto-finanziamento). Il terzo saggio si propone di comprendere le determinanti dell’efficacia dell’insegnante in una università greca, confermando la validità di una scala di 21 item in greco intitolata TAGGED. Mira anche alla creazione di una scala più breve (8 elementi) che possa essere utilizzata da qualsiasi università greca per valutare la qualità dell’insegnamento. I risultati rivelano che TAGGED è uno strumento a costituito da tre dimensioni: stile di insegnamento, difficoltà del corso e coinvolgimento degli studenti. Essendo la prima ricerca accademica che indaga la possibilità di utilizzare un questionario più breve presso le università greche per misurare l'efficacia degli insegnanti attraverso la soddisfazione espressa dagli studenti, questo studio può aiutare i ricercatori a condurre indagini accurate utilizzando la scala breve in una qualsiasi università greca. Il quarto saggio, esplorando il concetto di vulnerabilità, presenta alcuni risultati preliminari riguardanti lo stile di insegnamento preferito dagli studenti vulnerabili di un istituto di istruzione superiore greco. Il saggio individua la vulnerabilità come quadro teorico generativo, e lo utilizza, pur con la limitatezza dei dati a disposizione, per esplorare le vite degli studenti a rischio di vulnerabilità nell’università. I risultati rivelano che, sebbene molti degli studenti intervistati si trovino ad affrontare un qualche tipo di vulnerabilità, la metà di essi non si auto-definisce “vulnerabili”, probabilmente per non essere associati ad etichette e quindi per non essere discriminati o stigmatizzati. L’analisi inoltre analizza la percezione dell’efficacia dell’insegnamento da parte di questi studenti vulnerabili, mostrando come una valutazione negativa dell’efficacia di insegnamento emerga solo per gli studenti che si autodefiniscono vulnerabili, e per gli studenti che chiedono all’ateneo consulenza per la loro carriera. È troppo presto per trarre conclusioni, se non la necessità di ulteriori indagini e la necessità di un ulteriore impegno da parte dell’università per sviluppare opportuni servizi di sostegno agli studenti.

(2021). Teaching Effectiveness and SWOC analysis at a Greek Higher Education Institution. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2021).

Teaching Effectiveness and SWOC analysis at a Greek Higher Education Institution

MASTROKOUKOU, SOFIA
2021

Abstract

This dissertation consists of four separate essays on sociology of education. The first essay, through a scoping review, aims to enhance understanding and further conceptualise teacher effectiveness in higher education from both practical and research-driven perspectives. This review represents an initial step forward in understanding evidence-based practice in the classroom. The second essay introduces a new way of analysing universities by exploring the use of the SWOC analysis technique. To be more specific, the application of the SWOC analysis is carried out in the Greek Higher Education Institution. Results report that certain methodological and pragmatic weaknesses can be overcome (e.g., budget and process time, space constraints, course language in Greek), while other basic systematic limitations cannot without institutional reform (e.g., entrance of business practices into higher education). Similarly, certain challenges can be solved (e.g., limitations of infrastructure), while others cannot or can only be partially resolved, but there is a need for time, institutional and framework reforms and society preparation (e.g., necessity for external funds and increased self‐funding). The third essay sets out to understand the determinants of teacher effectiveness at a Greek Higher Education Institution by confirming the validity of a 21-item instrument entitled TAGGED, based on an exploration of its dimensionality among undergraduate students. It also aims to assess the perceived teaching quality offered at a Greek university by proposing a shorter (8-item) scale that is extremely accurate in measuring teacher effectiveness. Results reveal that TAGGED is a three-factor instrument consisting of the three dimensions: teaching style, course difficulty, and student engagement. As the first academic research that investigates the possibility of assessing a shorter questionnaire at Greek universities related to teacher effectiveness and thus student satisfaction, this study can help researchers conduct confident investigations using the adapted and validated teaching quality instrument within the Greek higher education system. The fourth essay, exploring the concept of vulnerability, presents some preliminary results concerning the teaching style that vulnerable students at a Greek Higher Education Institution prefer. The essay has gone some way, in the limited context of the data, to make a strong case for locating vulnerability as a generative theoretical framework for exploring the lives of students at risk in Higher Education. Results reveal that although many students are facing some kind of vulnerability, they do not want to be self-defined as vulnerable in order not to be associated with labels and thus not to be discriminated or stigmatized. The analysis further identifies a lack of information to support vulnerable students in making choices about their futures, principally in relation to gaining information about pursuing Higher Education. Further investigation suggests that there must be a commitment on the part of Higher Education Institution to develop student support services and personal development planning must be embedded.
COMI, SIMONA LORENA
teaching quality; Analisi SWOC; students’ opinion; stili di docenza; studenti vulnerabili
teaching quality; SWOC analysis; students’ opinion; teaching styles; studenti vulnerabili
SPS/07 - SOCIOLOGIA GENERALE
English
18-giu-2021
ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES
33
2019/2020
open
(2021). Teaching Effectiveness and SWOC analysis at a Greek Higher Education Institution. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2021).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/325866
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