Cultural Challenges and Adaptations of Overseas School Teachers in a Gulf Country: A Phenomenological Study

Sayed Mahmoud, Sharifa Soudan AlEnezi

Cultural differences between overseas teachers and the Arabian Gulf environment can significantly impact teaching and learning. Thus, a better understanding of the cultural differences is necessary and crucial. This study explores how overseas teachers become accustomed to one of the Arabian Gulf countries’ cultures in a school. A phenomenological approach was adopted using semi-structured interviews with ten teachers to identify the cultural challenges, how teachers adjusted to them, and what role technology plays. This research suggests that professional development programmes can prepare teachers to address cultural challenges. The findings have implications for the success of international teachers who want to work in international schools in one of the Arabian Gulf countries. Furthermore, the study reveals that overseas teachers face diverse cultural challenges, including language barriers, communication differences, religious differences, racism, and climate disparities. This study can help to explore how Gulf institutions recruit, integrate, and retain international faculty through strategic talent management and employer branding practices.

Post-Secondary Expansion and Quality in the Brazilian Federal University System

W. E. (Ted) Hewitt, Priscila Ribeiro Prado Barros

The expansion of tertiary education systems has assumed considerable importance worldwide, given the needs of underserviced populations and its contribution to national and regional development. At the same time, few studies have examined the relative impact of system expansion, particularly with respect to its effects on system quality and performance.  This paper examines the impact of post-secondary expansion within Brazil’s federally funded university sector, which has grown substantially during the past two decades. Using data from both official and non-government sources, the study reveals significant disparities between more established and newer federal universities suggesting that in its initial phases at least, system expansion may not always deliver the quality promised.

Enhancing Student Success in HyFlex Learning: Examining the Role of Experiential Learning and HyFlex Design Principles

Yuxi Vania Shi, Sherrie Komiak, Dharini Suresh Kumar

Purpose: This study examines how experiential learning and HyFlex design principles contribute to student success in higher education. Drawing upon Beatty’s HyFlex framework, the study investigates the relationships among experiential learning, learner choice, equivalency, accessibility, reusability, student satisfaction, and academic self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey-based experimental design was employed. University students were randomly assigned to evaluate either a traditional in-person learning environment or a HyFlex learning environment. Data from 223 valid responses were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the proposed relationships among the study constructs.

Findings: The results indicate that experiential learning positively influences all four HyFlex design principles. Accessibility and reusability were found to be important predictors of student satisfaction, while accessibility demonstrated a strong positive relationship with academic self-efficacy. Contrary to expectations, learner choice did not significantly influence student satisfaction and exhibited a negative relationship with academic self-efficacy. Students in HyFlex environments reported higher levels of learner choice, accessibility, and reusability than students in traditional in-person learning environments.

Originality/value: This study extends the HyFlex literature by empirically validating Beatty’s design principles within a higher education context and identifying the mechanisms through which experiential learning contributes to student success. The findings highlight the importance of accessibility and reusability in HyFlex course design and suggest that flexibility alone may be insufficient to enhance student outcomes. The study provides practical guidance for educators seeking to develop more effective and engaging HyFlex learning environments.

Innovative Education in Russia: On the Path of Development and Transformation

Aleksandr V. Skazochkin, Nadezhda А. Skazochkina

The article presents the essence and characteristics of innovative education, and also highlights the main elements of the system of teaching innovation creation that has developed in countries leading in innovative education. It lists the reasons why the American innovative education system is difficult to implement in Russia. These include the lack of rights similar to those enjoyed by US universities, the rigid internal hierarchy at Russian universities, which precludes a high degree of organizational initiative by departments, and the weak connection between Russian businesses and the university environment. The integrative approach characteristic of US innovative education, which implies interdisciplinary education and the teaching of the fundamentals of innovative entrepreneurship management, is particularly emphasized. The article also lists elements of the American innovative education system that could be widely adopted, as they would improve the effectiveness of specialist training and would not conflict with the current Russian education system.