Mati Heidmets

Bio: Mati Heidmets is an academic researcher from Tallinn University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Higher education & Educational robotics. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 21 publications receiving 139 citations. Previous affiliations of Mati Heidmets include Pedagogical University.

Conflicting views on quality: interpretations of ‘a good university’ by representatives of the state, the market and academia

Abstract: This article presents the results of research conducted over the period 2010–2012 in Estonia with the aim of identifying the expectations for the quality of higher education by principal parties in higher education, the state, the market and academia, as well as describing the differences and similarities in their expectations. The findings show that the interpretations and expectations of different parties in higher education differ noticeably. It became evident that the market has the most balanced view valuing almost equally input, process and output characteristics, although the greatest emphasis is placed on inputs. The state and academia also emphasise processes and inputs but somewhat less outputs. Students focus on process and input characteristics only. The article details the approaches to ‘a good university’ by different stakeholders and discusses possibilities of considering the different expectations when further developing the external quality evaluation system.

The Phenomenon of Personalization of the Environment: A Theoretical

Abstract: The changes taking place in the residential environment have raised a very acute question: How to give due consideration to the distinctive features of the particular human being and the laws and patterns of his activity and social intercourse; how to include the "human element" in the ever more complicated mechanism of environmental planning as the man-made world, from the apartment to urban agglomerations, is shaped and transformed? Quests for an answer to this question over the past fifteen to twenty years have produced a new area of psychological investigation, most commonly referred to as "environmental psychology."

The Impact of Educational Robots as Learning Tools on Mathematics Learning Outcomes in Basic Education

Abstract: Educational robotics is a promising tool for bringing excitement, motivation, and growth of mathematics and other STEAM skills into the classroom. This paper presents the preliminary results of the pilot experimental study that was conducted in Estonia in the spring of 2018. The goal of the study was to clarify how educational robots can be used as learning tools in mathematics lessons, and what the teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward educational robots are. The study involved 10 classes in an experimental group (A) and 10 classes in a control group (B). In group A, robots were used as tools in visualizing numbers, results, shapes, distances, calculations, etc., and in group B, the lessons were carried out in a traditional way. The paper presents the results of the pilot study and discusses the pros and cons of using robots in math education.

School leadership, teacher’s psychological empowerment and work-related outcomes

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of teacher’s psychological empowerment between school leadership style and teachers’ work-related outcomes.,A total of 711 teachers from 31 Estonian schools were surveyed with a questionnaire measuring four dimensions of psychological empowerment (competence, meaning, self-determination and impact), school leadership characteristics (leadership style, leader’s empowering behavior and trust in leader) and teacher’s work-related outcomes (job satisfaction and workplace attachment). AMOS path analysis was used to investigate the direct and indirect relations between the teachers’ perceptions of school leadership, their psychological empowerment and their workplace attachment and job satisfaction.,This study found that psychological empowerment (subscales meaning and impact) mediates the relationship between perceived leadership empowerment behavior and teachers’ work-related outcomes. Also, the psychological empowerment (meaning and impact) mediates the relationship between perceived leadership style and teachers’ work-related outcomes. Trust in the principal has direct and indirect effect (through psychological empowerment) on job satisfaction, whereas there only seems to be indirect effect on workplace attachment through two components of psychological empowerment.,The mediating role of psychological empowerment includes an important message for school principals – in order to empower employees it is not sufficient to merely delegate formal power and decision-making rights. To facilitate the development of psychological empowerment, it is important to provide employees with an opportunity to experience agency, to experience that their voice and opinions are taken into account (perceived impact) and the purpose and targets of the whole organization are discussed with the employees and formulated in collaboration with them (perceived meaning).,Psychological empowerment as a mediating variable has not been widely researched, especially in school environment. The results will provide important signals for school principals, where and how to find leverage to improve teachers’ job satisfaction and workplace attachment.

The Impact of External Quality Assessment on Universities: The Estonian Experience

Abstract: This article seeks to establish what impact external quality assessment had on universities in Estonia between 1997 and 2009. It is based on a study of the analysis of experts’ reports of curricula accreditation and interviews with university and programme managers, undertaken between 2007 and 2009. The study included an analysis of 12 curricula in 3 public universities. According to the findings the general impact was evaluated as comparatively low. It was stronger in relation to the curriculum, study process and academic reputation of a teaching unit, but in several other significant aspects, such as university management, quality assurance and funding, there was little influence reported. The research findings suggest a number of possible developments for further design modifications for a quality assessment system in Estonia, as well as in other countries using similar assessment models.

Office clutter or meaningful personal displays : The role of office personalization in employee and organizational well-being

Abstract: It has been suggested that personalization of one's space may enhance well-being, though this relationship has not been empirically studied. Other research points to gender differences in personalization. To determine whether office personalization is associated with employee well-being and to determine the effect of gender on this relationship, a survey of 338 office workers at 20 companies was conducted in Orange County, California. In addition, 23 of the participants were interviewed and their workspaces observed. Results revealed an indirect relationship between personalization and employee well-being with satisfaction with the physical work environment and job satisfaction as intervening variables. Further, an association was also found between the company's personalization policy and organizational well-being. There were also gender differences in personalization: women personalized more than men, and men and women personalized with different items and for different reasons. Moreover, the interview data suggested that personalization is more integral to the well-being of women than to that of men, although the survey data did not confirm this finding.

Theory of personalization of appearance: why users personalize their pcs and mobile phones

Abstract: Three linked qualitative studies were performed to investigate why people choose to personalize the appearance of their PCs and mobile phones and what effects personalization has on their subsequent perception of those devices. The 1st study involved 35 frequent Internet users in a 2-stage procedure. In the 1st phase they were taught to personalize a commercial Web portal and then a recommendation system, both of which they used in the subsequent few days. In the 2nd phase they were allocated to 1 of 7 discussion groups to talk about their experiences with these 2 applications. Transcripts of the discussion groups were coded using grounded theory analysis techniques to derive a theory of personalization of appearance that identifies (a) user-dependent, system-dependent, and contextual dispositions; and (b) cognitive, social, and emotional effects. The 2nd study concentrated on mobile phones and a different user group. Three groups of Finnish high school students discussed the personalization of their mobile phones. Transcripts of these discussions were coded using the categories derived from the 1st study and some small refinements were made to the theory in the light of what was said. Some additional categories were added; otherwise, the theory was supported. In addition, 3 independent coders, naive to the theory, analyzed the transcripts of 1 discussion group each. A high degree of agreement with the investigators' coding was demonstrated. In the 3rd study, a heterogeneous sample of 8 people who used the Internet for leisure purposes were visited in their homes. The degree to which they had personalized their PCs was found to be well predicted by the dispositions in the theory. Design implications of the theory are discussed.

How Adolescents in 27 Countries Understand, Support, and Practice Human Rights

Abstract: An understanding of human rights among young people forms a foundation for future support and practice of rights. We have used data from 88,000 14-year-olds surveyed in the 1999 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study to examine country differences in students' knowledge pertaining to human rights compared with other forms of civic knowledge, and in students' attitudes toward promoting and practicing human rights. A hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis examines student-level predictors (e.g., gender and school experiences) and country-level predictors (e.g., history of democracy) of rights-related knowledge and attitudes. Countries with governments that pay more attention to human rights in intergovernmental discourse (i.e., dialogue between nations and international governing bodies) have students who perform better on human rights knowledge items. Students' experiences of democracy at school and with international issues have a positive association with their knowledge of human rights. Significant gender differences also exist. Looking at rights-related attitudes, students with more knowledge of human rights, more frequent engagement with international topics, and more open class and school climates held stronger norms supporting social movement citizenship, had more positive attitudes toward immigrants' rights, and were more politically efficacious. Implications are drawn for psychologists and educators who wish to play a role in increasing adolescents' understanding, support, and practice of human rights.

A Survey of Robots in Healthcare

Abstract: In recent years, with the current advancements in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), robots have the potential to support the field of healthcare. Robotic systems are often introduced in the care of the elderly, children, and persons with disabilities, in hospitals, in rehabilitation and walking assistance, and other healthcare situations. In this survey paper, the recent advances in robotic technology applied in the healthcare domain are discussed. The paper provides detailed information about state-of-the-art research in care, hospital, assistive, rehabilitation, and walking assisting robots. The paper also discusses the open challenges healthcare robots face to be integrated into our society.