The closure of higher education institutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a sudden and unexpected transition from face-to-face to online teaching and learning. This paper draws on data from a broader study focusing on higher education students' perceptions and experiences of online learning during the first lockdown in…

Purpose: To map and discuss core narratives and challenges crossing the field of DE in Portugal, from a postcolonial stance. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on a qualitative approach, comprising two studies: interviews with experts and online analysis of development NGOs active in the field of DE. Findings: DE is discussed as a…

This paper was developed within the scope of a PhD thesis that intends to characterize the use of mobile applications by the students of the University of Aveiro during class time. The main purpose of this paper is to present the results of an initial pilot study that aimed to fine-tune data collection methods in order to gather data that…

This article performs an exploratory study of the potential of flow theory and FLIGBY game to contribute to develop entrepreneurship competencies among higher education students. For this purpose, this study considers the use of a focus group consisting of eight students enrolled in the entrepreneurship course in a higher educational institution…

Drawing inspiration from Clegg's [2008. "Femininities/masculinities and a Sense Self-Thinking Gendered Academic Identities and the Intellectual Self." "Gender and Education" 20 (3): 209-221, 241] statement that "less traditional universities and areas of course provision and research might be important sites to investigate…

Given the fact that countries can differ in their educational policy and practice and that these national contexts are influenced by international developments makes it interesting to do comparative research into policy and practice of different countries. In this article we present the results of a comparative inquiry into citizenship and…

This article contributes to conceptualisations of public engagement as part of academic practice in higher education. It uses Hannah Arendt's idea of action in the public sphere, which is underpinned by the belief that all have the capacity to contribute to the renewal of the world, and that we are equally different. It argues that public…

This paper presents a comprehensive model for supporting informed and critical discussions concerning the quality of Technology-Enhanced Learning in Blended Learning programmes. The model aims to support discussions around domains such as how institutions are prepared, the participants' background and expectations, the course design, and the…

This paper reports the results of preliminary research into how Portuguese academics and employers perceive the responsibility of different higher education stakeholders-students, teaching staff, higher education institutions, employers, and policy-makers-for developing graduate employability. The study was conducted 8 years after the…

Cross-border higher education (CBHE) has been changing the organizational boundaries of higher education institutions (HEIs). This study aims to analyze the shifting boundaries of Portuguese HEIs through the lens of the identity concept in organization theories, considering three contexts with different levels of regulation: African…

In recent years, technological advancements have enabled higher-learning institutions to offer millions of independent learners the opportunity to participate in open-access online courses. As this practice expands, drawing considerable media attention, questions continue to arise regarding pedagogical methodology and the long-term viability of…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how academics enact trust in e-learning through an inductive identification of perceived risks and enablers involved in e-learning adoption, in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach: Grounded Theory was the methodology used to systematically analyse data collected in…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an exploratory study that investigates Portuguese academics' conceptions concerning the temporal properties of e-learning, in the context of traditional Higher Education Institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Grounded Theory methodology was used to systematically analyse data…

Universities are an important part of the process of change taking place in society. However, this is often overshadowed by these institutions giving priority to technocratic models in the relationship between science and society. In this context, according to Habermas, theories can serve to clarify practical questions and guide praxis into the…

This article analyses the impacts of the Portuguese quality assurance system on academic cultures, using the Cultural Theory proposed by Douglas (1970, 1982) and developed by Thompson, Ellis and Wildavsky (1990) as an explanatory framework for Portuguese academics' preference formation in relation to quality assessment. The Portuguese higher…