European Journal of Social Sciences

Volume 47 No 4
June, 2015
Towards Gender Equity in Higher Education Enrolment: An Examination of Affirmative Action Policy in Kenyan Public University Admissions
337-343
John Mugun Boit
 
Abstract:
This paper presents the results of analysis centering on the impact of affirmative action policy that seeks to enhance the proportion of female students studying in public universities as a means of achieving gender parity in university enrolment. Analysis of enrolment data and review of Joint Admissions Board documents and Government reports show that, gender parity in public university education is still elusive despite decades of affirmative action policy implementation. Female students continue to be disproportionately represented at 38% and are effectively excluded from physical sciences and technologically oriented degree courses such as mechanical engineering, geospatial engineering, mathematics, computer science, microprocessor technology and instrumentation where their participation rate is below 8.0%.Affirmative action policy which has become the policy-of-choice in addressing the gender conundrum in university enrolment should be seen as one of the strategies that can be used to correct gender imbalances but not as a panacea for achieving gender parity. The analysis of the gender gap helps to open public dialogue around gender equity issues, the scope and the perverse gender inequalities that continue to exist in provision of university education and other areas of society despite numerous efforts to address it. The findings will be found useful by public universities senates, management, policy makers and the agency responsible for university student placement.
Keyword: Affirmative action policy, gender, equity, enrolment, universities.

 
 
Institutional Isomorphism and Performance Measurement System: In the context of Sri Lankan Water Board
344-360
Dayananda Ambalangodage, David Yong Gun Fie, Kenedy D Gunawardana
 
Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose this study is to report the results of a study in the context of Sri Lankan water Board that explains the relationship between institutional isomorphism and performance measurement systems (PMS) practices. The study investigates the pressure of funding agencies, and other stake holders in society concerning the PMS practices.
Design/ Methodology/Approach - Drawing from the new institutional sociology theory, the paper expects to identify the extent to which institutional isomorphism influences PMS practices. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 223 managerial employees of Sri Lankan Water Board. Three pillars of institutional isomorphism (coercive isomorphism, normative isomorphism, and mimetic isomorphism) were tested against the PMS practice via multiple regression analysis. Further, semi-structured interviews were employed with 10 survey participant to gain further insights into the survey results.
Findings - The findings of this study reveal moderate positive relationship between institutional isomorphism and PMS practices. The relationship is statistically significant. Mimetic isomorphism in terms of imitating private sector practices, other public sector organization, and getting services of leading consultants was found to be the most forceful when compared with other institutional isomorphism.
Practical Implications – Recognizing the important role of copying the practices of successful organizations and getting the services of leading consultants in design and implementing PMS in Sri Lankan Water Board
Originality/value- This study offers an understanding from the new institutional sociology perspective concerning the type of isomorphism that influences Sri Lankan Water Board to design and implement PMS.
Keywords: Performance measurement systems, Institutional isomorphism, new institutional sociology, coercive isomorphism, normative isomorphism, and mimetic isomorphism.
 
 
Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Students Field Working Practices in Higher Education Tourism Institutions in Medan
361-376
Bahagia Tondang
 
Abstract:
This research aims to identify and assess the influence of organization culture, satisfaction of learning, creative behavior and achievement motivation against the effectiveness of the implementation of the practice of field work. The population in this research is the practice of student field work that exist in the institution of higher education in the field of tourism which totaled 365 people. Proportional sampling technique using stratified random sampling in order to obtain a sample of 190 people. The data collected by using question form which is filled out by the respondents coming from 7 units of the Academy of tourism. Further data were processed by using the path analysis. The results showed that: work culture (X 1) the direct positive effect on Satisfaction Study (x 2) demonstrated that = 0,427; Work culture (X 1) the direct positive effect on Creative Behavior (X 3) indicated that = 0,398; Work culture (X 1) positive direct effect on the motivation of Overachievers (X 4) indicated that = 0,592; Work culture (X 1) the direct positive effect on the effectiveness of the implementation of the practice of field work (X 5) indicated that = 0,172; The satisfaction of Learning (x 2) a direct positive impact on the effectiveness of the implementation of the practice of field work (X 5) indicated that = 0,323; Creative behavior (X 3) a direct positive impact on the effectiveness of the implementation of the practice of field work (X 5) indicated that = 0,282; and motivation of top achievers (X 4) a direct positive impact on the effectiveness of the implementation of the practice of field work (X 5) indicated that = 0,329.
Keywords: Organizational culture, Learning, conduct Creative Satisfaction, motivation and effectiveness of Implementation, an accomplished Practical field work
 
 
Evaluation the Predictive Role Factors Family Process and Family Content in Prediction of Marital Adjustment
377-386
Hadi Salimi, Maryam Ahmadi, Maryam Hanaie Jahromi and Parya Hoseinzadeh
 
Abstract:
Marriage is one of most important and most stable interpersonal relationships. Couples are faced with problems in their marital relationship that they must be adjustable. In the meantime factors are that increase or decrease the adjustment between the couples. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluation the predictive role factors family process and family content in prediction of marital adjustment. Research method was descriptive and from correlation type. The statistical population were include all married teachers of elementary schools in Karaj city (Iran) in the academic year 2014-2015 that by using random cluster sampling 358 person were selected based on Morgan table. To collect information was used from Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976), Samani questionnaire family process (2007) and Samani questionnaire family content (2007). The correlation results showed that collection of factors family process and family content have significant relationship with marital adjustment and also regression results showed that components of family solidarity, communication skills, coping strategies and decision making and problem solving explain together 49/6 percent of variance marital adjustment and components of content time for togetherness, physical and mental health, financial sources and physical appearance and social prestige of family explain together 33/6 percent of variance marital adjustment. According to research findings can be concluded that the factors family process and family content have ability to prediction of marital adjustment.
Keywords: marital adjustment, family process, family content.
 
 
The Relationship between Self-Disclosure and Management of Marital Conflict among a Sample of Educational Zarqa First Directorate Teachers in Jordan
387-398
Ziad AlKhazaleh and Mohammad Bani Younes
 
Abstract:
The current study aimed to identify the relationship between the levels of self-disclosure and management of marital conflict among a sample of teachers in Zarqa Governorate, educational Zarqa first directorate, of Jordan. Data collection method of study comprised a survey applied to 253 teachers (102 male teachers and 151 female teachers), the researcher used the self-disclosure and conflict management scales. Moreover, researcher made sure of the validity and the reliability. The data analysis showed that the level of self-disclosure variable based on different dimensions was medium while the level of conflict management variable was low. Furthermore, self-disclosure proved to be a good predictor of conflict management.
Keywords: self-disclosure, conflict management, marriage.
 
Adjustment of Criteria with Guidelines for the Selection of Judges in Islam and in the Statutes
399-408
Amir Kondori and Mohammad Mahdipour
 
Abstract:
Judgment and judicial authority aresome of great affairsin Islam, since judgment is based on the establishment of justice.Judgment is one of the guardianship public affairs and is deemed an official position. The only Judgment accepted by the glorious Godis judgment based on “awareness and justice”. Due to special status of judgment, judgment bench should be given to the competent and righteous people. In this paper, a comparative study of the requirements, criteria and methods for selecting judges in Islam and in the statutes is conducted.Requirements and characteristics of the judges appointed by Sharia Law, judgment in the Holy Quran, the judgment of Islamic regime, the requirement of Ijtihad based on legal opinions, the judgment bench according to Islam and to the statutes are analyzed. In this writing, different aspectswill be analyzed from the perspective of Islam and the statutes, so that common and different points of view are clarified.
Keywords: Judgment, Selection Of Judges, Judgment In Islam, Judgment In The Statutes
 
Towards Gender Equity in Higher Education Enrolment: An Examination of Affirmative Action Policy in Kenyan Public University Admissions
409-415
John Mugun Boit
 
Abstract:
This paper presents the results of analysis centering on the impact of affirmative action policy that seeks to enhance the proportion of female students studying in public universities as a means of achieving gender parity in university enrolment. Analysis of enrolment data and review of Joint Admissions Board documents and Government reports show that, gender parity in public university education is still elusive despite decades of affirmative action policy implementation. Female students continue to be disproportionately represented at 38% and are effectively excluded from physical sciences and technologically oriented degree courses such as mechanical engineering, geospatial engineering, mathematics, computer science, microprocessor technology and instrumentation where their participation rate is below 8.0%.Affirmative action policy which has become the policy-of-choice in addressing the gender conundrum in university enrolment should be seen as one of the strategies that can be used to correct gender imbalances but not as a panacea for achieving gender parity. The analysis of the gender gap helps to open public dialogue around gender equity issues, the scope and the perverse gender inequalities that continue to exist in provision of university education and other areas of society despite numerous efforts to address it. The findings will be found useful by public universities senates, management, policy makers and the agency responsible for university student placement.
Keyword: Affirmative action policy, gender, equity, enrolment, universities
 
 
Equipping Learners with Soft Skills using Collaborative Teaching/Learning Strategies
416-424
A. C. Izuagba and A. O. Afurobi
 
Abstract:
It has been observed that teacher education programmmes in Nigeria do not prepare teachers to use collaborative strategies in equipping learners with the soft skills (creative thinking, critical thinking, collaborative and communicative skills), to enable them compete favourably in the knowledge-driven market. As a result, stakeholders in the education sector in Nigeria are bothered about how learners can function effectively in the knowledge driven economy without these skills. This paper sets out to explore to what extent teacher educators perceive the effectiveness of the collaborative teaching/learning methods in equipping learners with these soft skills. 349 teacher educators from Faculties of Education in the South East were randomly selected for the study. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A 22item structured questionnaire was used and data collection were analysed with simple percentages and chi-square test of independence. Findings showed among others that teacher educators were not cognizant of the use of collaborative strategies in equipping learners with soft skills and there is no significant difference in teacher educators’ cognition of the use of collaborative strategies in equipping learners with soft skills based on years of experience. Some recommendations were made among which are workshops and seminars be organized to update teacher educators’ cognition of the use of collaborative teaching/learning strategies. Collaborative strategies should be included in the teacher education curriculum so that their effects can be experienced in the course of study.
 
 
Increasing Personal and Social Competence the Early Childhood’s (Action Research on Kindergarten Arrusydah Bandar Lampung)
425-444
Nilawati Tadjuddin
 
Abstract:
The objective of this research is to make early childhood’s personal and social competence increase through the integrated learning based-emosional intelligence model. The study was conducted at Arrusydah and Perwanida Kindergarten in Bandarlampung in the year of 2011.The method of this research was action research which apply Kemmis and Taggart model with mix methods (Qualitative and Quantitative) to analyze data. The study concludes that the use of learning basedemosional intelligence model can increase the personal and social competence ability of the early childhoods. Each model has two cycles has four steps. They are as follow: 1) plan, (2) action, (3) observe, and (4) reflect. To analyze the data, qualitative and quantitative were used. Spradley model was used for qualitative data while t-test was used quantitative data.The result shows that thereare integrated learning based-emosional intelligence model involved various activities, media and methods. The result of the quantitative shows that there are significant differences between pre and post assessment of personal and social competence early childhood. To conclude that in applying the integrated learning based-emosional intelligence model will influence plan, learning development, teacher’s role, management and curikulum of instruction at the Institute of Educators And Education Support.
Keyword: personal and social ability, learning based-emosional intelligence

 
 
Immortality of Soul in Islamic and Hindu philosophy
445-452
Afifeh Hamedi
 
Abstract:
From ancient times, the philosophers and religions have tried to solve the problem of the soul and its destiny. Immortality is the ability to live forever. The most common conceived from of Immortality involves a spiritual existence after physical death. Immortality, attribute of deathlessnes ascribed to the soul in many religions and philosophies. Immortality of the soul is a cardinal tenet of Islam. The religions arising in India generally consider individual immortality undesirable and believe in reincarnation of men. Islam believes that everyone has an immortal soul that will live on in either paradise or hell the aim of this research is that to emphasize that man naturally wishes to live forever. So all religions believe in immortality of soul and life after death but in different forms. This paper examines immortality of soul in Muslim and Hindu philosophy.
Keyword: Immortality, Soul, life, death, Islamic philosophy, Hindu philosophy.