High-tech Nationalization of Gulf Employment: A New Labor Market Approach in the United Arab Emirates

Gulf economic development is increasingly taking place across digital spheres and being driven by actors with advanced technological skill sets. Gulf Arab governments like the United Arab Emirates aim to encourage technology-driven economic growth and innovation. Spurring recession-resistant growth is especially desirable in the aftermath of the coronavirus-induced economic downturn of 2020–2021. Regional policymakers want to position national citizens at the forefront of this technology-oriented economic development, and consequently they have pursued traditional workforce nationalization policies to ensure the continued participation of citizenry in the region's labor markets. Using the UAE as a case study, this work explores the prospects for better aligning direct labor market interventions with economic growth and development strategies. An Emiratization policy approach focused on digital and technology-oriented skills is raised as an alternative policy option, subjected to critical evaluation, and considered alongside an initial set of recommendations for harmonizing labor market demands with future-oriented growth. © 2023, Gulf Research Centre Cambridge.

Demand on Digital Skills in Russia: Regional Differences

This paper examines regional differences in the demand for digital skills based on an analysis of 9 million vacancies posted on the Unified Digital Platform ‘Work in Russia' in 2018–2022. We examine approaches used in the literature to classify digital skills and using it develop our own classification. The paper studies the advantages and limitations of various indicators of the demand for digital skills. We suggest that the ratio between the share of vacancies requiring digital skills of a certain group in the region and the labor force population should be used as the most appropriate one. The results of the study show that in Russia there is still a significant regional differentiation in the employer's demand for all selected groups. Differentiation increased with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and decreased slightly in 2021–2022. We reveal that regions with a higher level of economic development have higher requirements for digital skills. Digital skills are more often required in regions specialized on primary production and less often in agricultural regions. Of the federal districts, a slightly higher level of demand for digital skills is observed in the Ural and Far Eastern federal districts, while a significantly lower level is observed in the North Caucasus federal district. © 2023 Spatial Economics. All rights reserved.

From Resistance to Resilience: Teachers' Adaptation Process to Mediating Digital Devices in Pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and Post-COVID-19 Classrooms in Nepal

This qualitative study explores the implementation and adoption process of the use of digital devices and tools in teaching and learning before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Using Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory as a framework, the study examines the adoption and adaptation of digital devices by in-service secondary mathematics teachers (n = 62) and the teachers' perceptions of and preferences for instructional modalities. The findings suggest that, despite the increased reliance on digital devices during the pandemic, there is a lower likelihood of them being used in face-to-face classrooms in developing countries, such as Nepal. The adoption of online learning had not yet reached the adoption stage, even after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, online learning was not widely adopted by teachers in developing countries societies. The study also provides important insights into the challenges of and opportunities provided by using digital devices in post-COVID-19 classrooms, and its implications for policymakers and educators in Nepal. © 2023 by the authors.

Perspectives on the use of the Fraction Strips application in teaching fractions

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide and the limited tech-nopedagogical proficiency of teachers. To improve the teaching of fractions, thirty elementary school teachers were trained in the use of the Fraction Strips virtual manipulative. Phenomenology was used to assess their learning experiences and the dynamics of technological appropriation were recorded. The results showed a significant appropriation of the manipulative, the importance of multiple representations in the conceptual understanding of fractions and the promotion of meaningful and discovery learning. In conclusion, the training improved the teach-ers' digital competencies and pedagogical practices. © GKA Ediciones, authors. Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada.

Social and Educational Challenges for Primary Education in Spain in the Sdgs

The main objective of this article is to show the challenges faced by primary schools in Spain, included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in the post-covid era. Challenges that range from the training and preparation of teachers in digital skills to the availability of digital resources in schools and in the homes where primary school students spend their lives, as well as additional specific digital training for mothers-fathers and for the students themselves. The objective is to generalize the familiarity of students, mothers-fathers, and teachers with digital devices and with the telematic learning model, not as a substitute for face-to-face teaching, but as training support for face-to-face teaching. The data we use comes from the TIMSS 2019 Report microdata file, published by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement OEA) in December 2020, with a sample for Spain of 501 primary schools and 9,555 students. This database allows us to contextualize the digital capacities of schools, teachers, and students (with answers from families) of primary education in Spain, just before the pandemic, and, with it, show the challenges that face in its future, in accordance with the SDGs.

Motivation of Students for Teaching Career

The contemporary European context foreshadows many challenges for young people who want to pursue a teaching career. Our study is of interest in the initial preparation for the teaching career of students who have experienced online school and who are required to reconfigure their training in the direction of solid skills, especially digital. Opinion polls reveal a demotivation of students towards school learning, a fact amplified by the Coronavirus pandemic that fundamentally changed the development of the educational process. University departments that train teachers have struggled to provide high-quality training due to the limitations of the pandemic. In the perspective of similar challenges, the initial training of teachers is much more intensely calibrated to the technological needs of education. Requests to increase the quality of education that depend on the quality of teachers are imperative. This study is conducted to find out the opinion of future teachers about the training requirements for the teaching profession. The aim of the study is to survey among young people preparing for teaching careers their motivation for learning in the context and in the perspective of professional teaching standards. The methodology includes recruitment, sampling and application of tools. We used opinion questionnaires to identify the reasons for choosing the initial training in the educational field and the awareness of the difficulties and standards required by this profession. The conclusions of the article indicate that the reasons for choosing a teaching career are diverse, associated with individual options and a superficial knowledge of a teacher's skills. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Romanian Journal for Multidimensional Education / Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala is the property of Lumen Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The role of school-home communication in supporting the development of children's and adolescents' digital skills, and the changes brought by COVID-19

School-home communication is a growing research field in social sciences, particularly in education sciences and communication studies. While previous studies have paid much attention to the importance of school-home interaction in supporting primary academic socialisation and progress of elementary school pupils, the role of teacher-parent communication and collaboration in influencing the development of children's and adolescents' digital skills remains an under-researched area. This paper employed thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with education experts in six European countries, providing an insight into their opinions and views on the problems in communication between homes and schools. The analysis identified main problems in and obstacles to school-home collaboration on children's digital skills development, and the changes the COVID-19 pandemic brought along in this field of education. The paper provides five policy recommendations for enhancing school-home collaboration on digital skills development. © 2023 Author(s).

Factors influencing small and medium size enterprises development and digital maturity in Latin America

The Covid-19 pandemic has made digital transformation no longer an option but a necessity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to succeed in a highly globalized market. The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of digital maturity factors on the level of development of SMEs in Latin America. The data for this study was collected using an online survey from the representatives from 490 SMEs from Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay, using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression for the analysis. There were several results found in the study. First, the results suggested that commitment to digital maturity (CDM) does not influence participants' training and digital skills (TDS) and development level (DL) directly but does have a positive indirect influence on the development level of participants if they are provided training in digital skills. Second, digital maturity experience (DME) directly influenced TDS and positively impacted DL directly and indirectly. Third, training in digital skills does influence the development level of participants. However, CDM alone was not enough to affect the DL of SMEs and was only significant when TDS acted as a mediating variable. Few studies have been conducted to address this critical issue in Latin America, especially to determine which variables impact the development of SMEs the most. Hence, this study provides a novel contribution to the literature. The results of this study are expected to support SMEs in increasing their competitiveness in this era of accelerated digital transformation.

The digital skills divide: evidence from the European tourism industry

PurposeThis paper aims to present the findings from a European study on the digital skills gaps in tourism and hospitality companies.Design/methodology/approachMixed methods research was adopted. The sample includes 1,668 respondents (1,404 survey respondents and 264 interviewees) in 5 tourism sectors (accommodation establishments, tour operators and travel agents, food and beverage, visitor attractions and destination management organisations) in 8 European countries (UK, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands and Bulgaria).FindingsThe most important future digital skills include online marketing and communication skills, social media skills, MS Office skills, operating systems use skills and skills to monitor online reviews. The largest gaps between the current and the future skill levels were identified for artificial intelligence and robotics skills and augmented reality and virtual reality skills, but these skills, together with computer programming skills, were considered also as the least important digital skills. Three clusters were identified on the basis of their reported gaps between the current level and the future needs of digital skills. The country of registration, sector and size shape respondents' answers regarding the current and future skills levels and the skills gap between them.Originality/valueThe paper discusses the digital skills gap of tourism and hospitality employees and identifies the most important digital skills they would need in the future.

Formation of Digital Skills of Personnel in the Cooperative Sector of the Economy in the Face of New Challenges

Industry 4.0 is the central topic of numerous publications by foreign and Russian scientists, most of which are conceptual in nature. The current labor market requires the formation of new competencies and skills demanded in the digital economy. Digital reality dictates the need to develop new competencies—digital skills. Knowledge of computer technology, the use of software, and programming have become essential. For most organizations worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization and adoption of digital ways of working. The development of new forms of employment (remote and combined) using digital technology will contribute to positive changes in the labor market. Based on these trends in the digital transformation of current society, the research aims to examine the digital skills of employees in the cooperative sector of the economy and their demand in the labor market in the context of Industry 4.0. The authors use descriptive statistical methods to process official data from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation and the Higher School of Economics. The research indicates that the transformation of the labor market and forms of employment requires the development of new competencies demanded in Industry 4.0. In the digital economy, employment opportunities increasingly depend on a person's digital skills and competencies. This paper is one of the first comprehensive studies of the changing labor conditions, working environment, and the emergence of new competencies in Industry 4.0. This research contributes to the problem of studying digital skills as a component of human capital and can be the basis for further research in this subject area. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Green Human Resource Management, Green Supply Chain Management, Green Lifestyle: Their Effect on Business Sustainability Mediated by Digital Skills

Purpose: This study aims to empirically test and analyze the role of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) and Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) and Green Lifestyle on business sustainability mediated by digital skills. Design/Methodology: This study involved logistics managers at manufacturing companies in DKI Jakarta and West Java, Indonesia. It is because these two provinces have the largest manufacturing companies in Indonesia. From a late survey, the researchers obtained data from 250 questionnaires that were distributed. Then from all the data, there were 218 data that could be processed for further analysis. This study utilized the Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis technique with AMOS 24 software in the data testing process. Findings: This study has confirmed a number of findings including: With the current COVID-19 Pandemic, Green Human Resources Management (GRHM) and Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) are needed in Business Sustainability. GSCM has a positive effect on Business Sustainability (BS). Indonesia is also facing a revolution of 4.0 and 5.0, and Green Human Resources Management (GHRM) practice has an influence on BS and is deemed having significant and positive effect. In addition, manufacturing companies support the practice of green environment so that Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practice needs Digital Skill (DS) in enhancing its performance. Also, it has been proven in this research that GSCM has positive and significant effect. Digital Skill (DS), however, has no direct effect on Business Sustainability (BS). Research Limitation/Implications: This study focuses on the scope of green human resource management, green supply chain management, and green lifestyle and their impact on business sustainability mediated by digital skills. The next study is expected to examine the concept of green human resource management in service companies in order to obtain unique findings and confirm the relevance of the green human resource management concept in various business phenomena. Originality/value: This study explains the concept of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM), Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) and Green Lifestyle (GL) towards Business Sustainability (BS) which is a different concept from the concept of Human Resource Management (HRM) implemented in manufacturing companies. In addition, this study discusses the green supply chain in its influence on business sustainability. Also, this study explains the role of the concept of Digital Skills (DS) in influencing Business Sustainability (BS).Practical and Social Implication: This study is expected to be a reference for practitioners, especially in the fields of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM), Green Lifestyle (GL), and Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) in improving Business Sustainability (BS). Furthermore, the concept of green human resource management can be used by organizations as an effective alternative to increase responsibility in increasing business sustainability. Digital skills have a very significant role in implementing the research model.

Training for innnovative teaching online with SPOC: expectations and results

This article collects the experience and evaluation of the first two editions (2020 and 2021) of an innovative open networked learning project for teacher training that emerged in the context of Covid-19: a continuing education course on innovative networked teaching, SPOC format (#Dienlinea), organized as part of the strategy and social function of a Spanish public university, the International University of Andalusia (UNIA).As a quantitative and descriptive research, we analyze, through surveys, on the one hand, initial expectations and motivation and, on the other hand, the evaluation of the experience by its participants, while the results of the completion rate are collected as a complement. With all this, we present the main strengths and aspects that can be improved in the teaching-learning experience, thus contributing to the transfer of good practices and improvement of future activities.

Distance Learning in Moroccan Higher Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Case of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University Students

With the spread of Covid-19, several countries, including Morocco, have declared the status of a health emergency. This caused schools to stop giving classes and block the Moroccan educational system. The Ministry of Education resorted to implementing distance education as an alternative to guarantee learning continuity. This includes applying some measures, such as broadcasting classes on TV and encouraging teachers to use online platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. However, the online experience was not an easy task due to a lack of digital training and internet access. In this regard, the present paper aims to investigate the extent to which Moroccan university students are satisfied with the implementation of online learning. It also investigates the main challenges students encounter in their virtual experience. This study is significant as it provides us with a clear understanding of distance learning as a novel experience in Morocco and the challenges that hindered its success. It is also important because it would add to the accumulation of human knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed through means of questionnaires and interviews, respectively. Questionnaires were administered to students from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fes who belong to different departments. As for interviews, they were conducted with the same students to give them the chance to elaborate on their answers. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of Moroccan university students were not satisfied with their distance learning experience as it was hard for them to interact due to connection issues. The study also showed that most of the students were confused and unmotivated to learn.

The impact of equity and accessibility to technology on student achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic

This causal comparative mixed-methods study details if students in Grades 4 and 5 from Title I schools, who had access to one-to-one devices in school prior to the COVID-19 pandemic had an academic advantage over students who did not have access to one-to-one devices. Specifically, Arizona state assessment scores from three elementary schools from District One, who had access to one-to-one devices, were compared to five elementary schools from District Two, who did not have access to one-to-one devices. Utilizing two independent t-tests, there was no statistically significant difference in mean scores between the two subgroups. Through a two-phased explanatory model, a survey was sent to participants who could detail the technological resources and skills that were available to students and teachers prior to the pandemic and which digital skills and resources were needed during remote learning. The survey results indicated that although technology and professional development were available to District One, they did not outperform their peers in District Two who did not have one-to-one devices. Although policy makers have made it a priority to increase access to technology and the internet, schools continue to lag in utilizing technology in meaningful ways. Further research from school and district leaders could provide beneficial details on how best to motivate teachers and students to utilize technology, how to best support the use of technology with professional development and proper infrastructures and understand the benefits of utilizing technology in meaningful ways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Work-based learning in a pandemic

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsBy acquiring and growing knowledge, proactively using skills, and improving digital skills via project-based learning, students will be well-prepared for their future careers.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Digital Skills for Performance: a framework for assessing current and future digital skills needs in the performing arts sector

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to embrace digital ways of producing work and reaching audiences in the hard-hit sectors such as performing arts. In the context of post-pandemic recovery, this paper explores the notion of digital performance and proposes a framework for categorisation of digital skills currently associated with the digital making and sharing of performance work. It also aims to review the current digital skills offering in the performing arts training at Scottish universities and suggests strategies to drive accelerated digital skills development in performance education.Design/methodology/approachLiterature on digitalisations, digital skills and digital performance have been reviewed to provide the context and inform the proposed Digital Skills for Performance Framework. Subsequently, a pilot desk-based study selected 15 Scottish Higher Education Institutions in the area of performance and analysed their publicly available programme documentation for the presence of digital skills.FindingsWhile all of the programme specifications mentioned the use of "digital portfolios” and "digital performance”, there was little specific detail concerning "baseline” (transferable) and "specific” (technical) digital skills such as competency in the use of specific technologies. More notably, there was a complete absence of content relating to digital aesthetic identity.Originality/valueUpskilling future performance makers in digital competencies seems particularly important at present. This paper offers a useful categorisation of the digital skills in performing arts context, which higher education programmes can use to update their curricula, prepare the work-ready graduates and explore technological opportunities for the sector's long-term post-pandemic recovery.

Best practices in online education during covid-19: Instructors' perspectives on teaching and learning in higher education

By the end of 2019, the World Health Organization was informed about the first unknown pneumonia cases, later labeled the COVID-19 global pandemic. Based on Mezirow's transformative learning theory, COVID-19 has been the trigger event that challenged adult learners' values, beliefs, and expectations in higher educational institutions. The study sought to identify best practices across American higher education institutions (HEIs) to adapt their teaching approach to the online environment. It answered the question, "What are the best practices for higher education instructors to adapt their teaching approach to online environments?" This study uses a systematic literature review and an online survey for data collection across HEIs in the United States. The web-based questionnaire includes fixed-choice, closed-ended, and open-ended questions in four sections: demographic information, attitudes about online education, online teaching and learning strategies, and challenges. The study follows ethical procedures, thematic analysis, and discussion of the findings in the context of existing literature to outline best practices in online higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Digital skills and tourism workforce recovery in the post-covid-19 pandemic era: Case of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (smtes) in Nairobi, Kenya

Purpose: Kenyan Small and Medium-sized Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) have been highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the tourism workforce had to face lockdowns and travel restrictions. In order to maintain business and operational continuity, the tourism workforce had to leverage on internet technologies and digitalisation as a means of enabling business continuity and providing value addition in their supply chains. This study sought to investigate on the extent to which digital skills aid in the tourism recovery process as well as improve the employees' well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic among SMTEs in Nairobi City County. Methodology: The study took a qualitative approach based on constructivist grounded methodological approaches that emphasised specifically on the discovery of emerging trends and patterns in behaviour as well as development of new theory. The aim was to understand the tourism workforce recovery process using digital skills. The process involved data gathering from interview participants, qualitative emic and etic coding, analytical memo writing, theoretical sampling and reconstructing theory. Findings: The findings of the study showed that due to losses attributed to the lockdowns and travel restrictions, prospective digital business models have been formulated for tourism stakeholders during the lockdown period. The changing technological landscape globally showed that digital skills will continue to be in great demand to meet the needs of the marketplace. Further, the use of social digital tools to build a mental health response to COVID-19 was instrumental to the recovery process. Technological resilience is a key factor that will play a role in reviving the sector. Research Implications: A structured vision, roadmap and tourism strategy for mainstreaming digital skills and developing technological resilience within the tourism and hospitality sector is important towards coping and adaptive strategies for the SMTEs in the Kenyan context. Originality/Value: This study examines how digital skills are vital for tourism recovery especially for the SMTEs within the developing countries context. © 2022 Shem Wambugu Maingi and Hildah Mumbi Wachira.

Unleashing the potential of online learning in Spain: An econometric analysis

Online learning and training continue gaining momentum worldwide resulting in the reduction of the traditional form of face-to-face education with its temporal and spatial limitations. Online education improves access to education and training, as witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic. This article focuses on online education adoption in Spain. A representative survey on ICT use in households conducted annually by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics is used to construct a panel database for the years 2008–2020. The first objective is to provide an econometric model for adopting online education using this panel data. Next is to measure the effects of relevant observable individual socioeconomic variables on adoption. A Heckman selection model allows for estimating the impact of gender, age, education, digital skills, habitat, and income. The article also measures the effects of Covid-19 in 2020 on different population groups. The drivers and impediments have the expected signs and plausible sizes. The paper concludes with policy recommendations and suggestions for further research. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Report on Smart Education in Latvia

Due to rapid changes in socioeconomic life influenced by the development of new technologies, education and science are becoming even more significant in the world. Excellent education and science are essential to guarantee the transformation of the national economies recovering from the Covid-19 crisis, by all means ensuring wellbeing as a basic element of quality of life nowadays and in the future. It is evident that the success of digital transformation does not rely only on technology, but also on the people, particularly their level of education and skills. This chapter very briefly discusses the changes in higher education since Latvia became an independent state in 1991 and the main policies now serving as guidelines for the development of smart education in Latvia. Close attention is devoted to the quality assurance of digitalization in higher educational institutions (HEI) in order to ensure the competence of the new graduates in different fields of economy and social life. The chapter presents a SWOT analysis of the HE institutions performance based on research on digitalization in 2020 and "lessons” learnt from the Covid-19 period. As a result, online teaching and learning has become a core part of the educational system that has to be developed not only during a pandemic crisis, but in everyday life. Significant attention is paid to the following aspects such as: development of people's competences, development of technologies and learning environments and improvement of services by promoting quality in digitalization. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.