They want to fly! – International students attitudes concerning the climate crisis and their air travel behavior

[EN] What do international students think about the impact their travels have on climate change? As the relationship between academia and higher education institutions with regards to protecting the environment and mobility continues to be complex, universities and other higher education institutions are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. However, international students often travel globally for their study programs and other associated trips, raising questions about their awareness concerning the impact of their travels on climate change. A qualitative case study conducted in two international study programs in Austria reveals the presence of five different types of students. While most students are aware of climate change, only one group is taking active steps to address it at an individual level. Furthermore, there is also a distinct group of students who are unaware of basic climate change-related issues. The findings of the study highlight the importance of incorporating climate change education into international study programs on both a curricular and practical level, from the admission process to program-related travels. It is crucial for universities and higher education institutions to address this issue and promote sustainability in international student programs. Prandner, D. (2023). They want to fly! – International students attitudes concerning the climate crisis and their air travel behavior. En 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'23). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 287-294. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd23.2023.1627128729

Building a Sampling Frame for Migrant Populations via an Onomastic Approach: Lesson learned from the Austrian Immigrant Survey 2016

Immigrants are traditionally seen as hard to survey. Their number is often too small to be analysed via data gained in general population surveys, and registers to identify them are often missing or incomplete. Therefore, researchers are forced to use alternatives for sampling. In the case of the Austrian Immigrant Survey 2016, an onomastic (name-based) approach was used, establishing a sampling frame in a two-step procedure. This article describes the concept and the implementation of the sampling and evaluates the sample that could be realised

Embracing the digitalization of research education? How social science research education was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic

[EN] The COVID-19 pandemic led to a strong digitalization push at university level teaching. The latter had to be converted to distance modes quickly. This paper discusses the consequences of these developments for the field of social science research education, a discipline where the personal interaction between lecturers and students traditionally plays a major role in the transfer of knowledge and competences. Accordingly, we ask whether lecturers accepted distance learning as part of their work and if they will implement the associated digital teaching modalities into their regular teaching repertoire in the future. Furthermore, indicators shaping the acceptance of future distance teaching are explored. The article is based on a continuous online survey of lecturers (n = 169) who teach social science methods and methodology at Austrian public universities. The results of this study show that more than 40 % of the sample with or after the experience of distance teaching will retain some aspects of it in their teaching due to the CODIV-19 pandemic. In particular, the evaluation of the preparation effort, the interaction with students and the attitude toward new didactic methods play a central role in the acceptance of distance teaching.Prandner, D.; Hasengruber, K. (2021). Embracing the digitalization of research education? How social science research education was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 413-420. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.12984OCS41342

Who is even studying journalism to become a journalist?

[EN] The paper addresses the question why people are entering training programs which disseminate knowledge necessary for becoming part of the journalistic profession and how these motives go along with the intention to become a member of the profession. Therefore it draws on data collected among students in journalism related programs in Austria in 2015 (n=352) and tests the linkage between socioeconomic background of the students, their motives for entering a program and how these affect the intention to work in the field of journalism. Factor analysis allowed the identification of four main motives: political and social agency; employment driven; social benefits; and calling/talent. Results show that a) motives for entering a program differ according to the socioeconomic background of the respondents. And b) the intention to work in the field is higher if motives tied to the ideas of agency and calling are reported and lower if employment driven motives are predominant. This leads to the conclusion that the motivation of students to join the journalistic profession is deeply related to believes and normative aspirations of individuals.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Prandner, D.; Moosbrugger, R. (2018). Who is even studying journalism to become a journalist?. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 629-636. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8047OCS62963

Higher Education and Solidarity? The Integration of Refugee Students at Austrian Universities

The refugee streams of 2015 had a tremendous impact on European societies. In context of the influx of refugees, civil society showed large solidarity. Universities did so as well, organizing programs to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees on campus. As solidarity is necessary for social relationships and coordinating life chances in a just way, the effectiveness of such programs can only be understood, taking insights from refugee students’ experiences into account. In this article the case example of the Austrian MORE Initiative is used to tackle the question what kind of bonds refugee students see between themselves, the universities and the goal to become part of the new (host) society. Results show that refugee students are in danger of not being recognized, either because of their legal status or lack of opportunities and migrant sceptic surroundings. Programs like MORE – and universities in general – may contribute to lessen these effects.Prandner, D.; Moosbrugger, R. (2020). Higher Education and Solidarity? The Integration of Refugee Students at Austrian Universities. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):617-624. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.11117OCS61762430-05-202

Adapting your teaching during the pandemic? How social science research education adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic

[EN] University lecturers worldwide had to adopt to online teaching at very short notice due to restrictions related to COVID-19. This is a particular challenge for social sciences research methods education, which often requires face-to-face interactions. Data from an online survey of lecturers (n = 105; March 2020) who teach social science methods and methodology at Austrian public universities was used to discuss their adaption behavior and the corresponding determinates. Consequently, a measure for the rate of adaption of teaching materials and methods per lecturer was constructed and a linear regression model employed to discuss the determinants of this adaption. The results show the following: Understanding online teaching as a permanent solution for the future, the extent of an individual’s teaching load and a tenured employment were identified as significant influences fostering the adaption of teaching methods and materials to the online context. The predictors discovered differ from previous studies, and it has to be assumed that the adaption behavior in the wake of the pandemic had a profound impact on the ongoing digitalization of university education.Hasengruber, K.; Forstner, M.; Prandner, D. (2021). Adapting your teaching during the pandemic? How social science research education adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 281-288. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13059OCS28128

Measuring which support systems really work to improve students learning in your class – A case study on quantitative methods courses in the social sciences

[EN] While the so-called “datafication of society” increased the societal relevance of quantitative data analysis, social science students – who should use such data to understand and explain society – are often skeptical towards quantitative methods and overwhelmed by it. Thus, universities around the world should find means to help their students improve their corresponding analytical skills. The paper uses a case study from the University of Salzburg – Austria – to illustrate which aspects actually improve student-learning outcomes in the field of quantitative methods. The researched aspects focus on the program and institutional levels and address two specific issues: The evaluation and feedback on student performance and the introduction of additional support structures. While homework and feedback still show the best results additional – technology based – approaches like video-tutorials have a significant impact on student performance.Prandner, D.; Tabakovic, A. (2019). Measuring which support systems really work to improve students learning in your class – A case study on quantitative methods courses in the social sciences. En HEAD'19. 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1027-1034. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD19.2019.9133OCS1027103

Zur Reflexion massenmedialer Information bei formal hoher Bildung

Information literacy is a term that gains ever more importance in today's media societies. The following article thus asks the question if and how University students are able to use the skills and competences they acquired in regards to Information literacy during their academic training to reflect upon information presented in today's mass media. Using data from a 2009 case study done at the University of Linz it is shown that students do reflect upon information presented in mass media in accordance to their education, but have a hard time accepting information that is contrary to prior established ideas and concepts

Open Educational Resources for Social Science Research Methods – A Case Study from the D-A-CH-Region

[EN] The D-A-CH region has traditionally been sceptic towards OER materials. Despite a very active open science community the three German speaking countries in Europe did not embrace wide reaching OER policies. This can be seen in the field of social science research materials as well. With national initiatives missing it falls to individual universities, organizations and persons to provide free online education materials. Most of those do not match the OER criteria and have limited application scenarios. If the region wants to truly embrace an open science policy, it needs to strengthen OER in the future. Prandner, D. (2022). Open Educational Resources for Social Science Research Methods – A Case Study from the D-A-CH-Region. En 8th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'22). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 935-942. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd22.2022.1457393594