Search results

1 – 10 of 14
Article
Publication date: 7 August 2019

Oscar Espinoza, Luis González, Luis Sandoval, Noel McGinn, Javier Loyola and Dante Castillo

The purpose of this paper is to improve future teacher training by assessment of university graduates’ satisfaction with their preparation in Basic Education teaching.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve future teacher training by assessment of university graduates’ satisfaction with their preparation in Basic Education teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

This descriptive study employed a self-administered survey questionnaire to a representative sample of 235 graduates between 2014 and 2016 from three universities in Chile. The questionnaire generated information about the graduates’ background (age, gender, parents’ education and prestige of secondary school attended); an evaluation of three dimensions of their degree program (instructional quality, infrastructure and employability), and experiences in the labor market (including salary). Analysis of variance was used to assess relationships between satisfaction, and other variables.

Findings

In general, graduates were satisfied with all aspects of their training. Satisfaction levels were higher from those assumed to have lower expectations. Contrary to this hypothesis, university prestige is not directly related to satisfaction. Instead, expectations and employability moderate the effect of prestige.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is not representative of the 59 universities in Chile nor of the many other degree programs offered in those universities.

Practical implications

Program directors concerned about improving the public reputation or prestige of their program will benefit from efforts to improve the quality of the program and its infrastructure, and relevance for entrance into the world of work.

Originality/value

This study provides information not previously available about graduate satisfaction in teaching degree programs in Chile.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Oscar Espinoza, Luis González, Catalina Miranda, Luis Sandoval, Bruno Corradi, Noel McGinn and Yahira Larrondo

The job satisfaction of university graduates can serve as an indicator of success in their professional development. At the same time, it can be a measure of higher education…

Abstract

Purpose

The job satisfaction of university graduates can serve as an indicator of success in their professional development. At the same time, it can be a measure of higher education systems’ effectiveness. The purpose is to assess the relationship of university graduates’ socio-demographic characteristics, aspects of their degree program, experiences in the labor market and current working conditions and their job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from a survey conducted at 11 Chilean universities with 534 graduates. An ordinal logistic regression model was fit to calculate job satisfaction probabilities for different graduate profiles.

Findings

The results show that sex, field of study, gross salary and horizontal match are related to graduates’ job satisfaction. Men and graduates in education and humanities are more likely to report being satisfied with their current job. Those graduates receiving higher salaries and those who are horizontally well-matched report higher levels of job satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study contributes to expanding knowledge about the job satisfaction of university graduates. Specifically, based on the results obtained, it introduces the idea of aspiration fulfillment as a possible determinant of job satisfaction in different fields of study. This can serve as a starting point for research that delves into differentiated expectations for graduates from different disciplines.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2025

Oscar Espinoza, Catalina Miranda, Noel McGinn, Bruno Corradi, Luis Sandoval and Luis González

This study seeks to assess the impact of three factors related to graduates’ situation in the labor market on their satisfaction with university education. The dimensions are: (1…

Abstract

Purpose

This study seeks to assess the impact of three factors related to graduates’ situation in the labor market on their satisfaction with university education. The dimensions are: (1) the gender of the graduates; (2) the institutional features of the institution attended, such as the selectivity of the university, and (3) the work experiences of young graduates once employed.

Design/methodology/approach

Responses from a sample of 718 graduates from 11 Chilean universities surveyed in 2021 were used to estimate the association between sociodemographic and institutional characteristics and satisfaction. The data analysis was carried out in two steps. First, nonlinear principal component analysis (PCA) assessed the variance shared by the three ordinal variables measuring satisfaction. In the second step, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis assessed the relative contribution of the independent variables to scores on the satisfaction variable.

Findings

The main results emphasize the relevance of two main influences on satisfaction with their university education. These were the selectivity of the university and the graduates’ experiences in the labor market. Graduates from the most selective universities tend to show a higher level of satisfaction with their university education. Satisfaction is also highest among those graduates who rapidly entered the workforce and secured employment closely aligned with their degree.

Originality/value

This is the first study in Chile on the satisfaction of graduates conducted in a representative number of universities.

Details

Education + Training, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Oscar Espinoza, Luis Gonzalez, Luis Sandoval, Bruno Corradi, Yahira Larrondo and Noel McGinn

This study analyzed the impact on the persistence of Chilean university students who had received a government-guaranteed loan (CAE).

Abstract

Purpose

This study analyzed the impact on the persistence of Chilean university students who had received a government-guaranteed loan (CAE).

Design/methodology/approach

Using academic and administrative data from 2016 to 2019, provided by 11 Chilean universities, a discrete-time survival model was constructed. The model was based on data of 5,276 students in the 2016 cohort and included sociodemographic variables, academic background prior to entering university and academic performance once in university. As a robustness check of our results to observable confounding, the analysis was repeated using a control group constructed using propensity score matching (PSM).

Findings

The results reveal that students who receive a bank loan (CAE) were more likely to remain in undergraduate studies for at least the first two years of university, as opposed to their peers who did not receive financial aid. In addition, they show the importance of academic performance in retention.

Originality/value

The article advances in the identification of the impact of bank loans on permanence. Although previous research has evaluated the impact of the CAE, it has been conducted on small samples of students. These studies also lacked student records associated with their academic performance at the university. The present research overcomes both weaknesses, allowing us to estimate the impact of the CAE on a larger population of students that is representative of the system.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 38 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2021

Óscar Espinoza, Luis Gonzalez and Noel McGinn

The objective of the present study was to assess which teachers hired to teach secondary school dropouts are most likely to adapt their practices to match their students'…

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of the present study was to assess which teachers hired to teach secondary school dropouts are most likely to adapt their practices to match their students' characteristics. Chile recently initiated a system “second chance” schools for dropouts. Most of the teaching staff were recruited from the secondary schools from which the students had withdrawn. There was little variation in instructional practices or schedules. The second chance schools provide intensive instruction, small classes and flexibility in schedules and sequence of courses. The study sought to identify the teachers most likely to adapt old practices or learn new ones in order to provide students a different educational experience than that offered in conventional secondary schools.

Design/methodology/approach

The sampling design for this study was developed by the Statistics Department of the Ministry of Education. Taking enrollment into account, they randomly selected second chance schools from 13 of Chile's 16 regions. Then, they randomly selected 617 teachers from 38 of the selected schools. The teachers were invited to respond to a self-administered survey questionnaire that covered beliefs about and attitudes toward dropouts, and frequency of use of different teaching methods. The analytical procedures used include nonparametric correlations and logit regression.

Findings

Teaching methods in the second chance schools are influenced mostly by type of in-service training and not by student characteristics. Most teachers expect most students to graduate; teachers with more years of teaching are the least optimistic.

Originality/value

Relatively little research on second chance schools has been published in Latin America. The Second Opportunity Schools are the first effort in Chile to provide public secondary school to dropouts. The study provides detailed information about background and training linked to current teachers' instructional practices. The findings suggest actions that can be taken to improve the new schools.

Details

International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2396-7404

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2019

Oscar Espinoza, Noel McGinn, Luis González, Luis Sandoval and Dante Castillo

The purpose of this paper is to determine which of the two variables would be a more reliable proxy for quality of university training: graduates’ satisfaction with their degree…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine which of the two variables would be a more reliable proxy for quality of university training: graduates’ satisfaction with their degree program, or institutional prestige.

Design/methodology/approach

Graduates of professional psychology and teaching programs from three Chilean universities responded to a questionnaire asking their perception of different aspects of their degree program and experiences in their first employment. The three universities differ significantly in the proportion of applicants admitted, and in their prestige.

Findings

Salary levels are highly related to profession, but unrelated to graduates’ ratings of quality of curriculum or teaching methods. Overall satisfaction with the university experience is not linked to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction, on the other hand, is highly influenced by salary and secondarily by instructional practices and perceived work relevance of the degree program.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on data from 3 of Chile’s 60 universities, and graduates of two programs. Most employment in the two professions is regulated by labor agreements. Generalizability of results is limited. Graduates may not have been employed enough to demonstrate their capacities.

Practical implications

The findings offer more evidence that prestige ratings are an unreliable indicator of the quality of formation offered by universities. If the government seeks to reduce income inequality, public subsidies of higher education should be based on program quality rather than on institutional prestige.

Originality/value

The findings are directly relevant to the current debate in Chile about what might and what might not help to reduce severe economic inequality.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 61 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 11 December 2024

C. C. Wolhuter, Oscar Espinoza and Noel McGinn

This paper takes stock of developments in, and the state of, the field of comparative and international education at the beginning of the 21st century, using as data base articles…

Abstract

This paper takes stock of developments in, and the state of, the field of comparative and international education at the beginning of the 21st century, using as data base articles published in the journal Comparative Education Review during the second decade of the 21st century and to compare results with a content analysis done on the first 50 years of the existence of the Review and which was published in 2008. The 246 articles that were published in the Comparative Education Review during the decade 2010–2019 were analyzed under the following metrics: levels of analysis of articles; number of units covered by articles; research methods; narrative basis; phase of education articles cover; and mode of education articles deal with. Compared to the first 50 years of the existence of the Review, single-unit national-level studies still dominate the field, though less so. A case can be made out for a deconcentration to allow more space for research at geographic levels both larger and smaller than the nation-state. The most prominent narrative in which articles are framed is that of the social justice narrative. The neo-liberal economic narrative stands strong too, while the poor standing of the human rights narrative is disappointing. Turning to modes and phases of education is concerned, the shadow education system has registered on the comparative and international education research agenda, while there seems to be a modest upswing in interest in pre-primary education. Thoughts about the future trajectory of the field are suggested.

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 11 December 2024

Abstract

Details

Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2023
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83549-318-2

Article
Publication date: 1 November 1997

John Lie

From 1953 to 1961, the South Korean economy grew slowly; the average per capita GNP growth was a mere percent, amounting to less than $100 in 1961. Few people, therefore, look for…

Abstract

From 1953 to 1961, the South Korean economy grew slowly; the average per capita GNP growth was a mere percent, amounting to less than $100 in 1961. Few people, therefore, look for the sources of later dynamism in this period. As Kyung Cho Chung (1956:225) wrote in the mid‐1950s: “[South Korea] faces grave economic difficulties. The limitations imposed by the Japanese have been succeeded by the division of the country, the general destruction incurred by the Korean War, and the attendant dislocation of the population, which has further disorganized the economy” (see also McCune 1956:191–192). T.R. Fehrenbach (1963:37), in his widely read book on the Korean War, prognosticated: “By themselves, the two halves [of Korea] might possibly build a viable economy by the year 2000, certainly not sooner.”

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 17 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 13 December 2010

Abstract

Details

Post-Socialism is not Dead: (Re)Reading the Global in Comparative Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-418-5

1 – 10 of 14