Sustainability of Higher Education in Emergencies: The Case of Turkey

Year 2023, , 751 - 769, 30.10.2023

Burcu Erdemir

https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1344652

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on higher education systems and necessitated policymakers to take immediate measures. While this period is an opportunity to correct imperfections in higher education systems, it is also a challenge in terms of planning new policies that necessitate digitalized equipment and personnel support that increased due to the pandemic. The study aims to examine which factors of higher education learning communities can help sustain higher education institutions during and beyond emergencies. Based on a qualitative study presenting views of Turkish faculty, major findings reflect the key components of higher education learning communities. These were spotted as; ‘democratic and collaborative environments that target equitable student access to education, student success, as well as faculty professional development and well-being of faculty and students and examined through the lenses of critical pedagogy and transformational theory. Apart from the suggestions of the participants for sustainability, the author also presented some immediate-to-long-term policy suggestions for higher education decision-makers that prioritize equity, accountability, and quality, and the main principles of learning communities as collaboration and democracy, all of which are also important concepts for further development of society.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic, emergency situations, higher education learning communities, sustainability

Olağanüstü Durumlarda Yükseköğretim Öğrenme Topluluklarının Sürdürülebilirliği: Türkiye Örneği

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemisinin yükseköğretim sistemlerine yıkıcı etkileri oldu ve politika yapıcıların acil önlemler almalarını gerektirdi. Bu kriz dönemi, yükseköğretim sistemindeki eksiklikleri gidermek için bir fırsat olsa da, aynı zamanda, salgın kaynaklı artış gösteren dijital ekipman temini ve personel desteğini gerektirecek yeni politikalar planlama açısından zorlayıcı bir durumdur. Bu çalışma, acil durumlarda ve acil durumların ötesinde, yükseköğretim öğrenme toplulukları prensiplerinden hangilerinin yükseköğretim kurumlarının sürdürebilirliğine yardımcı olabileceğini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Türk öğretim elemanlarının görüşlerini sunan nitel çalışmadaki başlıca bulgular, yükseköğretim öğrenme topluluklarının temel bileşenlerini yansıtmaktadır. Bunlar; ‘öğrencilerin eğitime adil erişimini, öğrenci başarısını, aynı zamanda öğretim elemanlarının profesyonel gelişimini ve hem öğretim elemanı hem de öğrencinin iyi oluş halini hedefleyen, demokratik ve işbirlikçi ortamlar’ olarak tespit edilmiş ve eleştirel pedagoji ve dönüşümsel teori bakış açısından incelenmiştir. Katılımcıların sürdürebilirlik için olan önerilerinin yanında yazar da kısa ve uzun vadeye yönelik yükseköğretim karar vericileri için, hakkaniyet, hesapverilebilirlik ve kalite ve öğrenme topluluklarının temel prensiplerinden olan işbirliği ve demokrasiyi önceleyen politika önerilerinde bulunmuştur ki bunların hepsi toplumun ileri gitmesi için önemli kavramlardır.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemisi, olağanüstü durumlar, yükseköğretim öğrenme toplulukları, sürdürülebilirlik

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