http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/4347 2026-04-04T03:27:55Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/7442 Title: Student Engagement Variations across Institutions and Disciplines: Findings from Azerbaijan Authors: Isaeva, Razia; Uusiautti, Satu; Ratinen, Ilkka Abstract: Although student engagement has been a widely researched area known to improve student learning and a topic of scholarly debate for many decades now, this has yet to be the case in Azerbaijan. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, conducted among 433 undergraduate students of the 18-23 age range (M = 21.37, SD = 1.43) at eight universities in Azerbaijan, allowed us to examine variations in the conditions meant to foster student engagement, as well as students’ perspectives on improving their educational experiences. Specifically, we looked at differences related to academic challenges, learning with peers, teacher experiences, and campus environment. Student engagement varied across disciplines. Small universities in the capital city provided better collaborative learning conditions. However, students at regional universities were more satisfied with the quality of student-faculty interactions. Nonetheless, students saw a strong need for fundamental changes in higher education in Azerbaijan, focusing on improving the quality of teachers, teaching and the curriculum. The study provided an overview of student engagement variations across institutions and disciplines and how students conceptualise necessary improvements in student experiences. Institutional leaders must understand the variations for seeking essential changes in the HE system to effectively accommodate students’ needs and expectations. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/6672 Title: Understanding student success in higher education in Azerbaijan: the role of student engagement Authors: Isaeva, Razia; Ratinen, Ilkka; Uusiautt, Satu Abstract: Research on student engagement in higher education (HE) has addressed the conceptualisation, measurement and criticism of the phenomenon over the last two decades, predominantly in Western countries. The conceptualisation of student engagement has received little attention in countries of a lengthy association with the Soviet realm. This study investigated student engagement in Azerbaijani universities using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) tool, under licence granted by Indiana University in 2018, to gather data. The survey was conducted among more than 430 students at eight Azerbaijani universities to explore what universities do to engage their students in learning. After a preliminary examination of the data for reliability, only the data from urban universities comprising 266 students were considered suitable for further analysis. The data were analysed to look at descriptive statistics and to identify linkages between student activities and student outcomes in Azerbaijan through bivariate correlation and regression analysis. The study revealed that, according to the NSSE categories, a supportive student environment and the quality of interactions, combined under the campus environment theme, and student–faculty interactions were essential elements for student learning, success, satisfaction and engagement in academically challenging practices. 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/6374 Title: Excellence in teaching at Azerbaijani universities: a conceptualisation Authors: Isaeva, Razia; Aliyev, Razim Abstract: A qualitative empirical study of how higher education actorsin Azerbaijan conceptualise excellence in teaching and howthey promote it at different levels. The findings provide anoriginal insight into how the concept of excellence is under-stood in the higher education of Azerbaijan. Intriguingly,there is no definition of teaching excellence nor an equiva-lent of it in the Azerbaijani language, let alone an existingpolicy on framing its standards. Furthermore, both socio-eco-nomic and cultural contributors make educational contextsdifferent, thus affecting the conceptualisation of the phe-nomenon in focus. The article’s key findings indicate severalserious barriers to achieving excellence, mainly associatedwith the apparent lack of a practical framework for definingthe standards of excellence in teaching, measuring these andestablishing a resources-enhanced system that can allow forcontinuity of the process. 2023-01-30T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/4454 Title: How Covid-19 is reshaping teaching and learning: A perspective from Khazar University Authors: Isayeva, Raziya 2020-05-20T00:00:00Z