Nitza Davidovitch

Ariel University · Department of Behavioral Sciences

This qualitative case study examines the cultural adaptation of digital learning tools in Israeli higher education. We explored three questions: (1) How do lecturers experience and implement digital learning tools? (2) What unique challenges and opportunities arise in this cultural context? (3) What strategies do educators employ for culturally sen...

Thesis. The thesis of the article is to examine the discourse in Israel, which compares the events of the Holocaust in Europe in the twentieth century and the events of October 7, in which the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, murdering, raping and kidnapping hundreds of people. Concept. Regardless of the testimonies, terminology, and d...

Aim. This study aims to examine the effect of lecturers’ teaching orientations, as perceived by students, on students’ digital learning patterns, differentiating between research-oriented and pedagogy-oriented teaching approaches. Methods. A survey method was employed to collect data from undergraduate students regarding their perceptions of their...

In academic studies, some course assignments involve slideshows. The current study examines how students perceive the benefits and shortcomings of slideshows as a course evaluation tool. The study combines qualitative and quantitative tools. Predicated on 66 fully completed questionnaires, we perform qualitative analysis, followed by a complementar...

This study investigates the implementation of digital learning (DL) methodologies in Israeli higher education, focusing on lecturers' perceptions and pedagogical transformations. Through in-depth interviews with fifteen lecturers from diverse disciplines, we examine the tension between DL and traditional 'hevruta' learning-a collaborative, discussi...

The rapid integration of Digital Learning into higher education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has transformed educational landscapes globally. This qualitative study employs a phenomenological approach, through thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 lecturers, to investigate the implementation of a Digital Learning initiative by...

This study explores students’ perceptions of the advantages of academic campuses as the location of studies that involve social interaction, with a focus on the role of social interaction in the learning experience. The study examines students’ perspectives approximately five years after the time of COVID-19, when online studies have become more pr...

It has been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019, forcing universities to hastily adopt online teaching. This study focuses on two under-researched topics: whether the shift online may change universities’ model to not require physical attendance and how students’ socioeconomic status impacts their preferences around online versus i...

Pursuing academic studies in foreign countries is a globally prevalent phenomenon for diverse reasons: earning a degree in high-demand subjects from a prestigious university opens more doors than a diploma earned locally. Earning a degree overseas is an opportunity to expand one’s horizons and gain new experiences and exposure to other cultures. In...

Academic practitioners are judged and evaluated by the different academic institutions and by government regulators associated with these institutions. There are various criteria for evaluating the work of faculty members in the areas of research, teaching, and contribution to the department, the academic institution and the community. In Israel, m...

The challenge of becoming integrated in the workforce is relevant for all graduates of the system of higher education, but it is particularly meaningful for those with ASD. Integration in the labour market has a wide impact, beyond the financial aspect, and the impact may be social, psychological, physiological, or other. The research literature fo...

The article analyses knowledge control and evaluation methods in higher education, focusing on both standardized and non-standardized testing. It explores fundamental quality criteria and the perspectives of lecturers and students on the roles of these methods in assessing knowledge. The study evaluates attitudes towards both testing types, conside...

Mentors support novice teachers in the critical stages of their learning, which has an effect on novice teachers’ ability to engage in teaching and to stay in the teaching profession for years. The mentor teacher also helps the novice teacher become well integrated and develop professionally. The current study aims to examine the factors that motiv...

In recent times, global events have starkly illuminated the disturbing absence of ethnic tolerance, thrusting interethnic conflicts into the spotlight and casting shadows over both individual and collective identities. This research focuses on the Holocaust, delving into the annals of history through the lenses of recollection, personal identificat...

The restrictions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to examine various aspects of the field of school counseling. The study focused on school counselors’ perception of their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing it to the time period that immediately preceded the pandemic. The eleven school counselo...

The current study examined educators’ perceptions of figures who inspired them and shaped their educational outlook. The study was conducted according to the ecological model by Bronfenbrenner (1986), a holistic model that attributes changes in human behavior to leaders’ interactions and interrelations with their surroundings throughout their life....

The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in entrepreneurial competencies and self-efficacy among middle school students in an entrepreneurship program. Research shows entrepreneurship is perceived as a male domain, yet girls exhibit strengths in skills like collaboration, creativity, and practical planning that predict entrepreneu...

This study centers on public policy concerning the retirement age in Israeli academia. The purpose of this study is to analyze the justification for the existing policy on this issue that allows academic institutions to end the employment of faculty when reaching the legal retirement age. The research method is based on analysis of the research and...

Cyberbullying has emerged as a pressing global issue, impacting internet users worldwide. This study examines the association between social media, bullying, and gender, with the aim of assessing the influence of social media on the aggressive tendencies of adolescents. The study involved 157 young adults aged 18 to 28 in Israel, who completed a se...

The Covid-19 outbreak created challenges for higher education as well as opportunities for transitioning to flexible models of teaching and learning adapted to the vision and culture of institutions of higher education in the new era. This study examines students’ perceptions of face-to-face teaching and learning on the academic campus, after engag...

The challenge of becoming integrated in the workforce is relevant for all graduates of the system of higher education, but it is particularly meaningful for those with ASD. Integration in the labor market has a wide impact, beyond the financial aspect, and the impact may be social, psychological, physiological, or other. The research literature fou...

This research discusses whether various educational approaches can bridge the wide gaps between national narratives of the Holocaust, augmented by the Act on the IPN: 44, and the reactions that followed it in Israel, Poland, and the West. We start with a brief account of the Polish narrative of the World War II experience, and the Israeli narrative...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the critical needs for a well-qualified and proficient workforce to provide comprehensive, high-quality health services, reach minorities, reduce health inequalities, and confront emerging health challenges. We aimed to generate insights on how best to enhance the compatibility between Public Health (...

Issue The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) exerts negative consequences on both individual and public health. High sugar consumption is associated with the development of non-communicable diseases, increases health care costs, and reduces labor productivity. The WHO and the World Bank thus encourage countries to tax SSBs. Descriptio...

Background As the world's population continue to age, it's crucial to prioritize interventions that enhance quality of life, well-being, and health of older people. Sustainable environments that fulfill basic needs such as food and nutrition can aid in meeting the social needs of seniors, including belonging, autonomy, independence, and safety. The...

This article examines the way students attending middle and high schools in Israel evaluate leadership education in their schools and the extent to which it contributes to their leader self-efficacy. Based on 376 questionnaires completed by teenage girls (n = 243) and boys (n = 133) who attend middle and high school in the public education system i...

The study aims to analyze the portrayal of teachers in the works of Ukrainian writers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The selected literary works include I. Franko's "Emerick Torchinsky", "The Education of Hrytsko", "Schon schreiben", "Father-Humorist"; B. Hrynchenko's "Exam", "Rebellious", "Brother against brother", "Stolen"; and G....

Aim. The study aims to analyze the social factors influencing the students' reading habits: The educational sphere, academic performance, the availability of free time, their parent’s level of education and the number of children in the family. Methods. Psychological and pedagogical literature was analyzed, and the main concepts of the study were r...

Supervision of capstone projects in engineering programs is an interdisciplinary challenge, for both students and Faculty. The project considered the highlight of the undergraduate program, summarizes all the knowledge students have accumulated throughout their studies and aims to train them for the challenges of graduate engineers. Although the pr...

The current study is a case study examining a student association’s endeavors to foster a social–academic climate on campus, grant students a sense of self-efficacy, and even contribute to students’ motivation. The research literature lacks empirical knowledge on the activity of student associations and their contribution to institutions of higher...

This study explored the relationship between the size of the study group and the motivation and engagement of students in online and face-to-face classes while exploring the effect of personal and academic background variables, the number of students in the study group, and the level of their motivation to study. The study included 122 participants...

Abstract Thesis. This article provides an analysis of online social interactions in two online Temporary Learning Groups (TLG) and their correlates with both pre-admissions scores and academic achievements. Concept. The function of Social Networking Systems (SNS) use on academic achievements is most often indirectly assessed through surveying atti...

Much has been written about myths and facts concerning teaching surveys completed by students at academic institutions. The myths usually emerge among faculty members based on their subjective point of view, personal experience, or intuitive interpretation of events. The following case study is the first of its kind, and it follows how academic fac...

Introduction Academic distress has been frequently reported following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study estimates academic distress among undergraduate students, characterizes its nature in relation to economic, social, and health indicators, and examines the level of request for help following mental distress. Students with higher levels of academ...

This article analyzes psychological, pedagogical, and literary aspects of reading needs development. A survey was conducted to identify the ways, means, conditions, goals, and content of reading as a need of today's students. The survey was aimed to find out what ways of obtaining information the students prefer: with the help of gadgets or printed...

This article examines the way post-primary school contributes to the extent female teenagers perceive themselves as leaders. Based on 14 in-depth interviews among teenage girls who are attending middle and high schools in the public education system in Israel, it focuses on their personal social experiences and perceptions regarding their school as...

During their residency year and concurrent with their first year of work at a school, teacher residents must participate in an internship workshop to receive support, empowerment, and professional development. The purpose of the current study is to examine the efficacy of an internship workshop combining simulations for teacher residents, and wheth...

The current study was designed to identity if and to what extent differences in motivation exist between high school students, for whom school is mandatory, and undergraduate students in tertiary institutions, who make an active choice to study in an academic institution. This study also explores whether and to what extent motivation affects the ac...

Many academic institutes were forced to close their campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop alternative teaching programs. In this pioneering study, we examine the effect of COVID-19 on the off-campus learning experience of university students in public institutes that is in addition to the on-campus learning experience. Off-campus lea...

This article discusses the contribution of Torah study as leisure activity to social support, hope and quality of life among Israeli adults. It shows that such study is associated positively with learners’ quality of life due to the acquisition of psychological resources that include social support by peers and hope. Shedding light on the world of...

According to the research literature, the teacher is perceived as a cultural agent of society, an agent of knowledge and values. Jewish society also charged teachers with the obligation for the growth and success of their students, as part of an ethical-religious, national, and supra-generational endeavor. Studies in Israel and around the world sho...

Aim The study was aimed to assess whether leisure learners who engage in Torah/Bible studies report higher levels of spirituality than those who study other subjects, and whether higher levels of spirituality result in a higher meaning in life and greater psychosocial resources, specifically hope and quality of life. Methods A survey of 234 partic...

The research literature on adult leisure devotes very little attention to studying as a leisure activity, although studying has become one of the most common and popular leisure activities. With the passage of time, adult studies have undergone a transformation from a compulsory activity to extra-curricular classes, clubs of interest groups, as a l...

The last two decades have seen the emergence of social-technological networks, which have changed the teaching methods and technological learning techniques. Social networks, learning technologies, and digital teaching tools are gradually becoming major work tools, integrated in the different educational systems. The integration of digital technolo...

The COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all aspects of life around the world, including academic studies. Although some medical experts claim that the pick of the pandemic is over, its effects will probably remain for a long time. In this pioneering study, we examine the effect of the COVID-19 on off-campus learning experience of university students...

This article examines, for the first time, the relationship between learning style, motivation, and self-discipline, as factors that affect tertiary students’ perceptions of online learning, from a retrospective perspective. The period between 2019 and 2022 was and remains one in which students are rethinking the components of teaching and learning...

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the learning process into the home and family space, such that parent marital status can affect the student’s studies. These circumstances might pose a challenge for students in general and in particular for those coping, in addition to COVID-19, with family difficulties such as their parents’ divorce. Hence, it is nec...

This chapter examines the associations between gender, culture, and higher education, through a case study of the integration process of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) women in Israel’s system of higher education, representing the clash between the traditional-religious values of Haredi society and the modern value systems of western-Israeli society. The...

The uncertainties and risks of high-tech ventures are well known, and, despite the increasing number of start-up companies founded annually, few survive. This study examines the correlation between the entrepreneurial skills and multiple intelligences of entrepreneurs, as well as their influence on success in high-tech ventures. The theoretical fou...

The concept of professional identity is attributed to both personal and group levels. The school counseling profession lack clear definition jeopardized the development of counselors' professional identity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate school counseling professional identity by testing the relation between personal and g...

מערכת ההשכלה הגבוהה בישראל מנוהלת על ידי משרד החינוך – המועצה להשכלה גבוהה (להלן: המל"ג) זה מעלה משישה עשורים. במהלך תקופה זו התרחשו תמורות משמעותיות במערכת האקדמית בעולם כולו, כמוגם בישראל, שנתנו אותותיהן על תחומי המחקרוההוראה ועל הגופים הרגולטורים הקשורים בהם. מחקר זה בוחן את דרכי ההתמודדות של הגוף המפקח על ההשכלה הגבוהה – המל"ג לאור השינויים שח...

Under-representation of minority groups in the academy reflects inequality and lack of social mobilization. The Druze in Israel are a small minority, but they have a unique place in society because they have been serving in the IDF almost since its formation. The IDF maintains an academic reserve track, where young men and women complete their stud...

Thesis. This study explores the role of postcards as a historical, documentary, and artistic source depicting the events of the Holocaust, focusing on postcards written or received by inhabitants of the Lodz Ghetto. 78 postcards were translated into Hebrew and on exhibition at the Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Museum in Israel. Research indicates...

Professional identity development in higher education and its implications is a growing interest in the literature. Research indicates that the professional identity of academic lecturers has been unstable and influenced by a variety of personal and contextual factors. With a lack of a clear definition of professional identity in literature, we com...

Previous studies confirmed that training for master’s programs for school counseling is deficient. The present study differentiates between three types of academic institutions that train school counselors in Israel: Universities, education colleges and academic colleges, in terms of how professional counselors evaluate the efficiency of academic s...

The research literature on leisure indicates that it is perceived differently by sector and culture. In Israel, one’s affiliation with religious or non-religious groups affects one’s perception of leisure and its legitimacy. The common activities of religious and secular people include studies in general, and Torah study in particular, as activitie...

The last two decades have seen significant growth in e-Learning in many institutions, with the main growth engine being significant development of technologies providing access to information. These technologies have dramatically changed how societies and individuals communicate. The current study examined whether the paradigm of good teaching dime...

The pandemic affected the most on the student population in the shortest time. The number of students whose studies were discontinued in March 2020 was about 300 million. The number reached to 1.6 billion on April 2020. To provide basic education for the students during the pandemic, many countries transferred to a mandate of distance learning for...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic world came into contact with a virtual learning environment that allows students and educators to leave the boundaries of space and time and maintain academic interactions at unrestricted times and sites. After three semesters of remote learning, there is a feeling that the return to universities and to cl...

In this study we will discuss works of Israeli modern composers who set traditional prayers (piyut) to music. People are poised between tradition and modernity – always yearning for meaning and striving for the transcendental, the eternal. We will discuss the modern interpretations of individual and congregational prayers and the role that these co...

The COVID-19 pandemic created a disruption of the educational system. The transition to e-learning in a state of emergency involved breaching barriers and challenges for both faculty and students. In the current study, we examine the opinion of students on the advantages of e-learning, in a systemic, multi-institutional perspective. Based on 1,859...

This study centers on a retrospective investigation of effective and pedagogic planning of academic digital courses taught during the COVID-19 crisis, from the students’ perspective. We shall focus on the difference between the traditional, teaching-centered paradigm, and the modern learning-centered approach, while emphasizing the formulation of l...

This study explores postcards written in the Lodz Ghetto, which serve as a source of knowledge about their historical context. The postcards, by their very nature, reflect the social, demographic, and psychological processes among the ghetto inhabitants during their years of forced habitation. Postcards were found to be a primary source of informat...

The COVID-19 year was a difficult and challenging year in all areas of life. The academic world as well was compelled, in a matter of days, to shift from face-to-face learning on campus to e-Learning from a distance, with no adequate preparation. Despite the difficulties generated by e-Learning and students’ many complaints, the Israeli Council for...

This study examines the advantages of online teaching from the perspective of students at eleven institutions of higher education, universities and colleges, in Israel. The study was conducted at the end of the second semester of their academic studies, after students had experienced “face to face” studies, and they were asked to reply freely to an...

p style="text-align: justify;">During the period of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the boundaries between the home and the school as study spaces were blurred. School studies entered the home, with the parents present and observing their children’s e-lessons and the teachers’ teaching methods. The purpose of the current study was to explore th...

This study involves e-learning skills via educational software, compared to instruction via educational software with the mediation of an instructor. In the last two decades, the role of the teacher-lecturer has changed, from teaching to guidance and instruction. The technological tools have changed the nature of the learning space and the manner i...

This study focuses on the role of school counselors during the COVID-19 crisis. Previous studies indicated that school counselling lacks a robust professional identity and an unequivocal role definition. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how the school counselors operated during the pandemic and to what extent the school counselor was a signif...

Background The COVID-19 crisis poses challenges to healthcare systems and their employees. Medical staff are at the front of the battle against COVID-19. They must cope with a crisis accompanied by personal health and occupational ramifications and ongoing job stressors, which may lead to adverse mental health symptoms and may affect the quality of...

This study examines the perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards tablets as pedagogical aids from an intergenerational perspective. It is based on sociological theories and definitions that emphasize the disparities and the uniqueness of each “generation” as well as customary teaching and learning methods. The study compares teachers from Gene...

This article deals with the relationship between the Holocaust and antisemitism, focusing on the events of 2020-2021. The point of departure is the fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, held under the slogan: “Remembering the Holocaust, fighting antisemitism”. The event took place at the invitation of Israel’s president, Reuven Ri...

In the current study we sought to examine how school counselors in Israel, who work in profession for several years, evaluate the association between academic studies and the professional training they received during their Maters’s degree in school counseling. Fifteen school counselors were interviewed regarding their Academic courses, Practical t...

This article examines the similarities and differences between Janusz Korczak’s concept of the teacher and the concept of the teacher in contemporary Israel. It also examines the correspondence between Korczak the man, his principles, and educational endeavours, as well as his portrayal in painting and sculpture. The findings show that the more fre...

English language skills are considered of great value in the labor market and in the field of research. As such, learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) becomes of great importance, especially for foreign students and employees working in international settings. The goal of the present study was to explore students’ self-efficacy in language l...

This article claims that many elements of the new pedagogy were already tried and proposed in Jewish tradition, by the sages who lived in Israel and Babylonia from 2nd BC-6th AD centuries. This paper discusses the pedagogy of the sages and shows how they preceded their times, for instance on issues such as the teacher’s status and role, centering o...

“After the death of the last witnesses the memory of the Holocaust must not be left to historians alone, now is the time for works of art” Aharon Appelfeld. This study focuses on the role and contribution of monuments to educating about Holocaust commemoration in Israel. Holocaust monuments are located throughout Israel, from north to south, and ov...

This study addresses the effectiveness of learning via educational software. Recent decades have seen the integration of technologies, which are changing teaching and transforming teachers into mediating, facilitating, and guiding figures by means of digital learning methods that serve as a major tool in schools, colleges, and universities. The cur...

Side by side with awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, attention is now focusing on the caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and on how they enhance the quality of life of this population group. In community-based residential facilities, these care workers provide people with IDD with training...

Aim. This study examines the characteristics of the individuals who go on the journey to Poland, which is a key element of the Holocaust education curriculum in Israel, their personal connection to the Holocaust, as well as the socio-political developments in Israel that attempt to bridge the gap between the various poles in society – between East...

The purpose of the current study is to examine the differences in the functioning of school staff and management in the southern district (a peripheral area) and in the central district. This, in light of the Meitzav test (Hebrew acronym for School Efficacy and Growth Measures) administered in junior high schools from 2016-2019. The preparations un...

In recent years a new culture of online interactivity and pedagogic management through learning management systems has been gradually acquiring force, in addition to the traditional culture of face-to-face interactions as well as use of other media. Although much research work has been done in recent years on the significance of parent involvement...

For over six decades Israel’s system of higher education has been managed by the Ministry of Education and the Council for Higher Education (CHE). During this period, significant transitions have occurred in the academic system throughout the world and in Israel, leaving their mark on research and teaching and on the related regulatory agencies. Th...

Reducing disparities and equal opportunities between central and peripheral areas is a leading topic in the educational discourse. The current study examines to what degree the Meitzav test, which constitutes a measure of the school’s level (academic achievements and social-academic climate), can bridge the disparities between students of different...