Open research questions in Higher Education Practises and Engagement

What the literature leaves open

• However, the data is unclear on if the CNP credential helped alumni secure their first job in the nonprofit sector. Again, alumni may not be in contact with the faculty after graduation, so the data is limited on this inquiry.

  Professional Credentialing and Higher Ed: The Case of the Certified Nonprofit Professional Credential to Enhance Student Readiness for the Nonprofit Sector · 2026 · DOI

• The findings of this study have several suggestions for HE institutions, such as having structured induction programmes. Institutions should develop comprehensive induction programs that address the unique needs of lecturers transitioning from teaching in BE to lecturing in HE. These programmes should include mentorship, pedagogical training, and opportunities for reflective practice, to better assist the novice lecturer with the transition. Effective communication strategies during these processes will also assist not only in improving institutional reputation but also in establishing relationships with novice academics. Recognition of prior experience should be acknowledged by hiring and promotion policies, as the value of BE experience in shaping effective HE teaching must be recognised, especially in teacher education. This recognition can enhance the confidence and retention of early career academics, as a novice teacher educator of English who has practical BE experience, is able to take authentic scenarios into the HE lecture room. All HE institutions should encourage and support novice lecturers in engaging with SoTL through workshops, research funding, and publication opportunities. This engagement fosters a scholarly identity and contributes to teaching excellence. Professional development initiatives should be inclusive, context-sensitive, and aligned with the principles of transformative learning. They should empower educators to critically reflect on their practice and adapt to evolving educational landscapes.

  Looking back to move forward: Exploring a novice lecturer’s experiences of transitioning from Basic Education to Higher Education · 2026 · DOI

• Universities should integrate teaching excellence explicitly into promotion and reward frameworks, ensuring that pedagogical innovation, reflective practice, and graduate supervision are valued on research achievements. Academic par with promotion criteria should incorporate structured evidence from teaching portfolios, peer review, activities.

  Promoting and Recognising Teaching Excellence in Research-Intensive Universities: An Exploratory Systematic Review of Global Mechanisms, Pedagogical Innovations, and Institutional Quality Frameworks · 2026 · DOI

• AND teaching including excellence institutional The study demonstrates that in research-intensive remains universities, undervalued relative to research outputs such as publications, grants, and citation indices. While some mechanisms exist, teaching awards, teaching-focused promotion pathways, and recognition frameworks, these initiatives are often symbolic and not systematically integrated criteria. into Consequently, academic staff may prioritise disciplinary pedagogical innovation, limiting the adoption of student- centred teaching methods, reflective practice, and active engagement with graduate supervision. This imbalance perpetuates a culture in which treated as secondary, reducing teaching incentives for academics to invest in sustained professional innovative instructional approaches. development promotion research over or is However, Secondly, emerging pedagogical strategies such as active learning, flipped classrooms, blended and hybrid teaching, and experiential learning have been shown to significantly improve student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world the skills. problem-solving effectiveness of these methods depends on institutional support in the form of technological infrastructure, continuous professional development (CPD). The study indicates that teaching excellence is strongly influenced by the ability of universities to provide development resources opportunities that enable lecturers to adopt and sustain innovative teaching approaches. Without such support, even well-intentioned pedagogical innovations risk limited adoption or superficial implementation. structured training, and and The interpretation of this is that recognising engagement in professional development as part of teaching excellence rewards ongoing skill enhancement, strengthens instructional quality, Lastly, quality assurance mechanisms, academic portfolios, and structured CPD programs are critical enablers of teaching excellence, providing 64 | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. East African Journal of Education Studies, Volume 9, Issue 2, 2026 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.9.2.4761 frameworks. tangible evidence of instructional effectiveness and reflective practice. The study also highlights that graduate supervision, although essential for postgraduate success and institutional research capacity, is rarely formally recognised within promotion these mechanisms into institutional reward systems ensures that teaching is assessed as a scholarly activity, not merely a routine task, and aligns professional development, quality assurance, and teaching promotion processes. Sustainable excellence, therefore, requires coherent alignment across institutional policies, reward structures, and academic identity formation.

  Promoting and Recognising Teaching Excellence in Research-Intensive Universities: An Exploratory Systematic Review of Global Mechanisms, Pedagogical Innovations, and Institutional Quality Frameworks · 2026 · DOI

• Based on these reflections, our recommendations are focused on the need for continuous improvement and feedback, enhancement of professional development and support, and promotion of the dissemination of students’ research. To maintain the momentum of program improvements such as our ECE, we recommend the establishment of continuous feedback mechanisms for students, faculty, and other stakeholders. Regular surveys, interviews, and focus groups can provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of these types of program improvements and identify areas for further improvement. This will also ensure that the program remains responsive to the evolving needs of its participants. Furthermore, we suggest using the taxonomy of pedagogical innovation in higher education (Palmer & Giering, 2023) as it helps structure the evaluation of innovation(s) as well as elevates the scholarly rigor behind program redesign. By addressing each domain—focus, degree, outcomes, barriers, risks, and costs— institutions can have a systematic approach to evaluating program innovation. Enhanced opportunities for student and faculty professional development are also necessary to support program improvements. We recommend that virtual workshops, webinars, and peer mentoring and support programs be developed to complement residency programs such as our SI. This will help sustain the collaborative and supportive environment needed for successful program innovation. To support faculty, it is important to provide ongoing best practices in assessment, evaluation, feedback, and mentoring so they have the knowledge and skills to guide students through moments of program innovation. Finally, we recommend that programs encourage students to disseminate their PoP dissertations through publications and conference presentations that can amplify the impact of their research. Programs should provide resources and support for writing and presenting to help students navigate the process of disseminating research for the field. In conclusion, the process of preparing a POY application provided the University of Findlay an opportunity to engage in critical Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice Vol. 11 No.

  Real Problems, Real Practice · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies could (a) replicate the design across multiple departments and institution types, (b) compare delivery modes (e.g., face-to-face workshop vs. asynchronous micro-learning PD), and (c) test which accountability features most effectively support persistence without reducing autonomy. Longer-term follow-up could examine whether alignment and reflection routines endure across semesters and whether student outcomes measurably improve.

  A needs analysis study for faculty active learning training in a MOOC professional development environment · 2026 · DOI

• This study examined an underexplored dimension of CT in an ODeL institution by providing a firsthand account of stakeholder collaboration, the challenges encountered and the pathways identified during the process.

  Curriculum transformation in a South African open distance e-learning university: A firsthand account of stakeholder collaboration, challenges and pathways forward · 2026 · DOI

• How do you make this real and how do you take it forward, we know the problems, how do we solve it? (Lara) We, therefore, suggest that as there is a need for a version of clinical supervision that is suitable for staff and students within these community-facing degrees, future research should examine the form such supervision could take and its feasibility within the higher education landscape. Though our participants have suggested that supervision is a viable path forward, research suggests that many models of supervision are lacking in empirical support (Watkins, 2019).

  Navigating the swampy lowlands: Higher education staff perspectives on the construction of professional identities through moral education within professional and community-facing degree programmes · 2026 · DOI

• Veza, I., Ismael, M. A., & Mohamad, T. I. (2024, June 23). To build resilience, we need to embrace failure in the classroom and beyond. THE Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/build-resilience-we-need-embrace-failure-classroom-and-beyond Worsley, J. D., Harrison, P., & Corcoran, R. (2021). Bridging the Gap: Exploring the Unique Transition From Home, School or College Into University. Frontiers in public health, 9, 634285.

  Preparing students for a successful transition and first year studying a pharmacy degree: Preparing for Pharmacy - a first year student’s perspective · 2026 · DOI

• so they don't have to go through the same things I have experienced as the first in the family to go to university. Our aim throughout is to provide students an opportunity to engage and interact with professionals and other undergraduate students to support first year success. Peer to peer support and learning is hugely important, and students on PfP have benefitted from continued mentoring by current pharmacy students. As PfP students progress in their studies they are also able to gain skills and become mentors for future cohorts, meaning the programme continues in a cyclical fashion to support first year success. Seeing students who have been supported by the programme, flourish and succeed in HE is hugely rewarding, and the richness and quality of these partnerships ensure we continue to learn together the barriers and enablers to first year success. As academic leads for PfP, we’ve worked closely with students like Akshika to co-create a programme that not only prepares students academically but also nurtures their sense of belonging in their first year and beyond.

  Preparing students for a successful transition and first year studying a pharmacy degree: Preparing for Pharmacy - a first year student’s perspective · 2026 · DOI

• Students face multiple challenges in first year transition (Mulaudzi, 2023), and finances is a particular challenge. We incorporated transferable and practical skills for success at university in PfP and these workshops made a tangible difference to students’ first year experience. In my second semester, I had the opportunity to take blood pressure readings on my peers, a skill I had practiced during the PfP programme. Although I initially forgot the procedure, remembering my previous experience reassured me. It was comforting to know that I had already navigated this before and the staff were always there to help clarify any uncertainties. The workshops on hypertension mirrored what I had learned in the PfP programme. Lab work has also been a key part of my first-year experience. My prior experience with lab equipment during another UEA biology outreach event for 16-17 year olds called DNA fingerprinting, made me feel comfortable and confident when using micropipettes. This familiarity alleviated any anxiety I might have felt in the lab, enabling me to focus on the tasks at hand. During the first year of my degree, we had to create a presentation in our Problem-Based Learning group. This experience taught me a lot about leadership and teamwork, building on the skills I developed through the PfP programme. PfP gave me first experiences of pronouncing complex drug names, and while I mispronounced a few, the supportive environment made it easy to learn from my mistakes. Now, as a first-year student, I don’t find it awkward anymore. I realised that practice and constructive feedback were essential for my growth, and I embraced every opportunity to improve. I was also already familiar with key pharmaceutical resources. Despite the time gap since the programme, recalling how to use these resources has been crucial. I now use them regularly and continue to deepen my understanding, utilising them to the fullest. To appropriately support first year students, we intentionally built PfP with workshops to develop the same skills, using identical teaching and assessment methods, and introducing appropriate professional resources that all students embarking on a pharmacy course would encounter (Fellingham et al., 2024). This provided students with an advantage of familiarising with these methods and developing the cultural capital to support first year success (Leese, 2010). Students often experience anxiety in making mistakes during unfamiliar environments or assessment strategies which differ to previous educational experiences, but supporting students to appreciate the importance of getting it wrong and learning from it is key to their professional development (Veza et al., 2024). Overall, the PfP scheme has been key to my first year academic and social journey, broken down barriers and clarified my career path. I've learned that resilience and support are key to overcoming obstacles.

  Preparing students for a successful transition and first year studying a pharmacy degree: Preparing for Pharmacy - a first year student’s perspective · 2026 · DOI

• numerous challenges prior to HE and had concerns about gaining entry into my desired university course. The PfP programme significantly impacted my transition to university life, equipping me with essential skills and support that provides benefits throughout my academic journey and future career. Entering my first year as a pharmacy student, I felt well-prepared. The connections made with faculty members and fellow students on PfP fostered a supportive environment that eased my transition into university life. My advisor has been particularly impactful; our strong student-advisor relationship has instilled a sense of confidence in me throughout this journey. Having known her since the PfP programme, I feel secure reaching out to her whenever I need 1-1 guidance, knowing I have someone who genuinely cares about my progression through the pharmacy degree. The Preparing for Pharmacy programme is summarised in Figure 1 and is part of the UEA’s Access and Participation Plan, which aims to increase students from underrepresented groups to consider university and subsequent careers as an option. Students from these groups often have financial barriers limiting their participating in activities like PfP, so student participation is entirely free. Figure 1 Diagram summarising the Preparing for Pharmacy scheme. We created a BECOME model (Table 1) to build around PfP, which focuses on emphasizing identity, connection and supporting transition. Its flexible nature allows use across disciplines.

  Preparing students for a successful transition and first year studying a pharmacy degree: Preparing for Pharmacy - a first year student’s perspective · 2026 · DOI

• Developing an online programme to partner with and strengthen on-campus orientation and transition activities recognises that students learn in different ways and through diverse means. Being able to combine digital videos, text content, activities and supplement this with in-person activities enables mixed modes of learning and participation. © 2026 Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice 177 Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice | Vol 14 | Issue 2 (2026) My Maynooth on Moodle - Introducing a year-long digital student transition programme. The experience of developing and implementing My Maynooth on Moodle highlights several key considerations for practitioners: ● Co-creation & partnership: Engaging students in meaningful ways allows staff to recalibrate assumptions and respond to authentic experiences. Co-creation strengthens the relevance and impact of transition programmes. ● Cross-institutional engagement: Coordinating content across multiple departments requires careful planning and structured processes. Dedicated project teams and content review templates support timely and accurate contributions. ● Peer validation: Students particularly value peer-led content, which reassures them that challenges are common and normalises the transition experience. Integrating digital and in-person orientation enables mixed-mode learning that accommodates diverse student needs. This approach fosters belonging, inclusion, and student success from the outset. The programme offers a sustainable model for other institutions seeking to combine co-creation, technology, and pedagogy in supporting student transitions.

  My Maynooth on Moodle - Introducing a year-long digital student transition programme. · 2026 · DOI

• Further research is needed into the conditions under which SI-PASS is sustained, scaled or discontinued, and into its wider effects on belonging, study behaviours, Leader development, staff practice, curriculum development and institutional approaches to student success. In particular, the staff development dimension remains underexplored, especially where Supervisor Training is used within academic development or early-career professional learning programmes.

  The evolution of the peer learning model Supplemental Instruction in Europe and its impact on the student first year experience · 2026 · DOI

• Drawing on these reflections, several recommendations emerge for colleagues leading similarly complex, digital education projects: ● Leaders operating across boundaries should actively acknowledge the hybrid nature of their role. Rather than attempting to conform to traditional academic or administrative categories, embracing third space positionality enables more effective mediation between diverse groups and supports the negotiation of competing priorities. ● Before focusing on deliverables, invest time in building relationships, trust, and shared purpose. This includes creating informal opportunities for colleagues to connect, especially when working across subjects, departments, or professional cultures. Early relational work strengthens collaboration and reduces tension later in the project. ● Themes with a clearly articulated purpose (particularly where deliverables align with existing workload or strategic priorities) are more likely to succeed.

  Wearing many hats: Leading complex projects · 2026 · DOI

• including apprenticeship programmes that Future research should explore the empirical dimensions of this conceptual model, particularly how students experience movement between the three spirals and how these interactions shape identity, emotional resilience, and ethical decision-making.

  Student-led consultancy as a distinctive model of experiential learning: a structure–process–outcome framework for higher education · 2026 · DOI

• 1. Explore conversational approaches to leadership-as-practice to foster effective collaborative transnational education partnerships. 2. In addition to facilitating student and staff exchanges and delivery of degree programmes, also consider the quality of teaching and learning, as a factor when planning transnational education partnerships. 3. Enhance quality education in collaborative transnational higher education contexts by providing high-quality CPD to develop academic practice. 4. Extend the reach, value, and impact of academic practice related CPD through capacity building initiatives that disseminate effective inclusive practice and build communities of practice. 5. Recognise the value of teaching qualifications and professional recognition for the enhancement of quality education in the post-compulsory schooling sector. 6. Further research is needed to confirm, or not, the efficacy of the Proposed Model for Sustainable Higher Education Development in other situations.

  Leading Quality Education in a Collaborative Transnational Higher Education Context · 2026 · DOI

• Building on the success of the DHSI initiative, OLLU is exploring several next steps: • Expanding EXL and UDL-based redesign to all gateway courses, not only in STEM. • Incorporating emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and data science, into STEM curricula to ensure students’ career readiness. • Strengthening longitudinal tracking of alumni outcomes to assess the long-term career impacts of redesigned courses. • Partnering with other HSIs to develop a consortium focused on evidence-based STEM pedagogies for Hispanic student success. These future directions underscore OLLU’s commitment to continuous improvement and its role as a national model for advancing equity in STEM education. iJAC | Vol. 19 No.

  Redesigning STEM Courses to Advance Hispanic Student Success: A Case Study of OLLU’s Title V DHSI Initiative · 2026 · DOI

• Future researchers should conduct longitudinal studies to examine long-term impacts on faculty and students. Researchers should investigate inno- vative approaches, such as gamification and mobile learning for PD. More importantly, the role of individual characteristics in shaping faculty atti- tudes to PD should be explored. The future studies should develop tailored PD programs that are con- text-specific that help in the PD. DECLARATION I declare there are no competing interests and I received no financial or nonfinancial funding for this research. that leadership support, along with effective com- munication, was the most crucial factor behind faculty members’ participation in these TDPD pro- grams (Gyawali & Mehndroo, 2024).

  A Scoping Review of Faculty Attitudes Towards Technology-Driven Professional Development: The Role of Institutional Support and Workload · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should explore how students’ perceptions of their skill development evolve during longer or multi-phase partnership activities, and how reflection, feedback, and performance-based assessments might reduce the gap between teacher and student perspectives. Research‑practice partnerships in education: Outcomes, dynamics, and open questions.

  Interest and Competence Development in School-industry Partnership: Exploring the Stratosphere · 2026 · DOI

• Current Issues in Education, 27(2) 15 MAPUYA: EXPLORING HOW TO PROMOTE Limitations and Future Studies The limitations of this study arise from its epistemological, philosophical, and methodological underpinnings. As a theoretical study, one key limitation is its reliance on secondary data, which limits the availability of empirical evidence to either corroborate or contradict the findings drawn from literature.

  Exploring How to Promote Access to and Success in Postgraduate Studies Through Supervision: A Conceptual Perspective · 2026 · DOI

• For research There is a need for further research into the process of professionalization within the ID field, particularly how IDs navigate their professional identities in the context of higher education institutions.

  Claiming professional status: identity work among instructional designers in higher education · 2026 · DOI

• Purpose This research examines the challenges of teaching a research-based capstone unit in Master of International Business (MIB) programmes, focusing on coursework students with limited research training.

  Teaching my past self: a dual perspective on designing a research-based capstone unit in the Master of International Business · 2026 · DOI

• The findings demand targeted multi-level interventions to mitigate supervisory conflicts and support black PG students effectively. The implication for practice then leads directly to offering of recommendations for the study. The following recommendations are offered. i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. Mandatory supervisory contracts and joint protocols: HEIs should enforce signed agreements at program inception outlining roles, feedback timelines (such as 4 to 6 weeks), and dispute escalation procedures for multiple-supervisor teams to prevent contradictory directives and neglect. Penalties should be imposed for proven wrongdoing. Supervisor accreditation and training programs: HEIs should implement certification that requires confirmed PG completion success, coupled with annual workshops on cultural competency, ethical practices, anti-bias training, and conflict mediation to address inexperience and favoritism. Institutional grievance and advocacy structures: HEIs should establish dedicated PG ombuds offices with formalized resolution pathways, from mediation to external supervisor reallocation, tracked via digital platforms to ensure resolutions within 30 to 60 days and bypassing ineffective HOD escalations. Feedback and accountability mechanisms: HEIs should introduce anonymous biannual student surveys connected to supervisors' performance reviews and resource allocation, with penalties for chronic neglect or ethical violations such as gift acceptance. Scope and progress monitoring tools: HEIs should deploy institutional software for real-time progress tracking, proposal scope audits, and pre-submission reviews to avert irrelevant objectives and academic penalties. Support services integration: HEIs should also provide accessible counseling, peer mentoring networks, and financial aid buffers for extended timelines. They should prioritize mental health resources attuned to racialized stress in supervision.

  Navigating supervisor conflicts: The experiences of black postgraduate students in South African Higher Education Institutions · 2026 · DOI

• This study’s qualitative design and reliance on a small purposive sample of six black PG students limit its generalizability to wider populations across South African HEIs. Participants were self-selected based on reported supervisory conflicts, potentially introducing selection bias toward more extreme experiences and underrepresenting students with positive or neutral supervision experiences. The narrative data, while rich in depth, drew from retrospective accounts that may be influenced by ongoing frustrations or memory reconstruction. It lacked triangulation through supervisor or institutional perspectives. 320 Mmapaseka & Matshonisa, International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy, 8(2), (2026) 316-324 Additionally, the focus on black students' experiences, while intentional to address equity gaps, did not systematically compare dynamics with white or other racialized peers. This constrains insights into intersectional influences beyond race and gender. Geographic and disciplinary diversity was constrained to unspecified universities of technology and traditional institutions, which then potentially disregarded variations in rural versus urban or STEM versus humanities contexts. Lastly, the absence of longitudinal follow-up prevents assessing long-term resolution outcomes post-intervention, such as graduation rates or career impacts.

  Navigating supervisor conflicts: The experiences of black postgraduate students in South African Higher Education Institutions · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Higher Education Practises and Engagement

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• Student mental health and transitions into, through and out of university: student and staff perspectives · Journal of Further and Higher Education · 2021 · 132 citations
• What are the key elements of a positive learning environment? Perspectives from students and faculty · Learning Environments Research · 2022 · 121 citations
• Assessing agency of university students: validation of the AUS Scale · Studies in Higher Education · 2016 · 106 citations
• The complex social ecology of academic development: A bioecological framework and illustration examining the collective effects of parents, teachers, and peers on student engagement · Educational Psychologist · 2022 · 103 citations
• Fostering student engagement through a real-world, collaborative project across disciplines and institutions · Higher Education Pedagogies · 2020 · 102 citations
• Well-being of students in higher education: The importance of a student perspective · Cogent Education · 2023 · 100 citations
• Implementation of micro-credentials in higher education: A systematic literature review · Education and Information Technologies · 2023 · 95 citations

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