Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective
Academics form the core of an educational institution and building continuous capacity in training academics’ competency and knowledge with Learning and Development (L&D) programmes is a key gateway to improve academic reputation, delivery and success for the institution and its graduates. The C...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/69524/ |
| _version_ | 1848800571698446336 |
|---|---|
| author | Seah, Seng Wee |
| author_facet | Seah, Seng Wee |
| author_sort | Seah, Seng Wee |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Academics form the core of an educational institution and building continuous capacity in training academics’ competency and knowledge with Learning and Development (L&D) programmes is a key gateway to improve academic reputation, delivery and success for the institution and its graduates. The Covid-19 pandemic have transformed educational delivery and new training strategies to adapt to online and offline delivery have been introduced to enhance academic competency and familiarity with new operating workstreams. In this regard, school of private Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) embarked on staff development alike public government educational institutes, albeit with limited resources. Quantifying the application of learnings and the returns of investment (ROI) is critical to justify L&D budgets and resources set aside. Smaller private commercial schools lag behind its L&D efforts where prioritization on organisation practice and student enrolment numbers remain key to their commercial viability. This research sets to address the gap in inclusive training and L&D practices with a sustainable ROI as the goal to create an equitable co-learning knowledge ecosystem within the context of academics with management support. The study utilises a sequential mixed methodology approach with quantitative surveys targeted at academics and qualitative one-to-one semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The quantitative methodology has a final sample size of 78 comprising academics within the institute’s 251 academics with a participation ratio of 31%. Findings from the quantitative study and literature affirm that academics’ competency is enhanced with L&D and trainees are satisfied with the L&D events and find their learnings useful for post-L&D application which contributes to favourable ROI impacts. These were then structured into qualitative interview questions aiming to capture ROI returns and to understand management support for strategic ROI. The mixed methodology revealed three key insights. Firstly, leaders are supportive towards inclusive L&D practices and it builds a knowledge ecosystem of sharing and co-learning. Secondly, academics are satisfied of PEI ‘A’s L&D strategy and offer areas for improvement in strengthening inclusiveness, application of learnings and sustainability of knowledge and competency in the PEI academic team. Thirdly, the acquisition of knowledge through training and the subsequent application of L&D learnings in the academics’ workstream are correlated with positive ROI impacts. Effectively, the research findings could potentially contribute to improve L&D program offerings in other private commercial schools and facilitate in framing tomorrow’s challenges rightly with collaborative solutions in the everchanging education L&D needs for academics whilst balancing the ROI considerations by key stakeholders. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:53:41Z |
| format | Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) |
| id | nottingham-69524 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:53:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-695242023-02-23T04:06:25Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/69524/ Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective Seah, Seng Wee Academics form the core of an educational institution and building continuous capacity in training academics’ competency and knowledge with Learning and Development (L&D) programmes is a key gateway to improve academic reputation, delivery and success for the institution and its graduates. The Covid-19 pandemic have transformed educational delivery and new training strategies to adapt to online and offline delivery have been introduced to enhance academic competency and familiarity with new operating workstreams. In this regard, school of private Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) embarked on staff development alike public government educational institutes, albeit with limited resources. Quantifying the application of learnings and the returns of investment (ROI) is critical to justify L&D budgets and resources set aside. Smaller private commercial schools lag behind its L&D efforts where prioritization on organisation practice and student enrolment numbers remain key to their commercial viability. This research sets to address the gap in inclusive training and L&D practices with a sustainable ROI as the goal to create an equitable co-learning knowledge ecosystem within the context of academics with management support. The study utilises a sequential mixed methodology approach with quantitative surveys targeted at academics and qualitative one-to-one semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The quantitative methodology has a final sample size of 78 comprising academics within the institute’s 251 academics with a participation ratio of 31%. Findings from the quantitative study and literature affirm that academics’ competency is enhanced with L&D and trainees are satisfied with the L&D events and find their learnings useful for post-L&D application which contributes to favourable ROI impacts. These were then structured into qualitative interview questions aiming to capture ROI returns and to understand management support for strategic ROI. The mixed methodology revealed three key insights. Firstly, leaders are supportive towards inclusive L&D practices and it builds a knowledge ecosystem of sharing and co-learning. Secondly, academics are satisfied of PEI ‘A’s L&D strategy and offer areas for improvement in strengthening inclusiveness, application of learnings and sustainability of knowledge and competency in the PEI academic team. Thirdly, the acquisition of knowledge through training and the subsequent application of L&D learnings in the academics’ workstream are correlated with positive ROI impacts. Effectively, the research findings could potentially contribute to improve L&D program offerings in other private commercial schools and facilitate in framing tomorrow’s challenges rightly with collaborative solutions in the everchanging education L&D needs for academics whilst balancing the ROI considerations by key stakeholders. 2023-02-18 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/69524/1/Seah%20Seng%20Wee%20MP%20Report%20Submission.pdf Seah, Seng Wee (2023) Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] |
| spellingShingle | Seah, Seng Wee Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| title | Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| title_full | Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| title_fullStr | Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| title_short | Developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in Singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| title_sort | developing a strategic learning and development framework for private institute of higher learning in singapore from a return of investment perspective |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/69524/ |