La influencia del género en los emails de queja en interacciones de servicio de estudiant

Attitudes, Motivation and Parental Encouragement in Learning English as a Foreign Language: the Croatian Context Ana Penjak, Hrvoje Karnincic Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate, establish and analyze differences in students’ motivational patterns (attitudes, interests and parental encouragement) towards English as a foreign language (EFL) and to find possible differences in motivation. The sample consisted of 53 (34 male and 19 female) students at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Croatia. Variable sample consisted of a questionnaire of 30 statements divided in 3 parts. The questionnaire is reliable (Cronbach's alpha > 0.80). The results show that male students have statistically significant positive attitude (p = 0.03) towards English as a foreign language than female students. Female students, on the other hand, have almost statistically significant difference (p = 0.06) concerning the parental influence in learning EFL. In addition, the results reveal that attitudes and interests in learning English in female students seem to be significantly correlated, while male students show statistical correlation between interest in learning a foreign language and parental encouragement in learning EFL. Furthermore, while male students express more positive attitudes towards English based on the level of their parental encouragement, female students do not base their interest in learning English on their parental encouragement but rather on their personal attitude towards English. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jflcc.v3n2a3

Influences of motivation and grit on students’ self-regulated learning and English learning achievement: A comparison between male and female students

Aim/Purpose: Educational robotics competitions are a popular way to increase students’ interest in science and engineering during their K-12 years. However, female students are typically underrepresented in these competitions. The goal of this study is to determine differences in the experiences of male and female robotics competition students in order to better support female students and increase their representation in competition leagues. Background: VEX Robotics Competitions are one of the fastest-growing educational robotics competitions available to middle school and high school students around the world. Despite growing numbers of participants, VEX programs have a notice-able lack of female participants. In order to create a more diverse and representative program, it is important to investigate why fewer female students participate in the competitions and what can be done to better support female students. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from VEX mentors and students through online surveys. A total sample of N=675 VEX mentors and students participated (n=47 students and n=628 mentors). The surveys asked scaled, multiple choice, and free response questions. Through these surveys, the following research questions are answered: 1) What (if any) are the differences between male and female student experiences with VEX? 2) What (if any) are the differences in male and female students’ confidence in their technical ability? and 3) What (if any) are the differences in male and female students’ performance on VEX related robotics team tasks? Contribution: This study contributes to the growing body of work on engaging female students, and other underrepresented students, in STEM fields such as programming, engineering, and robotics. Findings: Results demonstrate the male students outnumber female students and male mentors also outnumber female mentors in this sample. Male students are significantly more confident in their general technical ability and their ability to put things together (p<.05) and students of both genders generally wished to have more female students on their teams. Results also indicate that mentors generally perceive their female students as requiring more help and that they are less engaged with construction tasks as compared to male students. Recommendations for Practitioners: VEX mentors should focus on enhancing female students’ confidence with the construction and building aspects of robotics and ensuring they get the same experience with these tasks as male students. They should consider providing supplemental hands-on training sessions, within or outside of regular team sessions, for students who wish to build confidence and experience in these areas. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should continue to explore the experiences of female students in robotics competitions, including differences based on grade level, mentor gender, and more. Researchers should additionally look at female students who are not a part of robotics teams (or who have left a robotics team) to understand why these teams do not appeal to them. Impact on Society: Women are still underrepresented in engineering and computer science professions. In order to bridge this gap, it is critical to find effective ways to reach girls in their K-12 years to build their confidence and interest in these fields before they reach college. This study points out critical areas where robotics competition teams should focus on building female students’ confidence. Future Research: The findings in this paper present research from year 1 of a multi-year longitudinal study. Future research will continue to track the mentors and students in this study in order to gain information on retention and change over time.

[Objective] The current study explored the correlation and contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female and male students' retention in senior high school. [Methodology] This study used a descriptive correlational design, where critical thinking and metacognitive skills served as the predictor, during retention as the criterion. A total of 230 students participated in this study. The participants comprised 112 (48.70%) male students and 118 (51.30%) female students. An essay test and a scoring rubric were used to collect data on participants' critical thinking and metacognitive skills. The research data were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis at a 5% significance level, followed by ANOVA to examine the contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward male and female students' retention. [Results] The statistical analysis revealed that the simultaneous contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female students' retention was higher than that toward male students' retention. The effective contribution values of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward male students' retention were 2.44% and 10.06%, respectively. Meanwhile, critical thinking and metacognitive skills contributed 7.89% and 12.81% toward female students' retention. [Conclusions] There was a simultaneous correlation between critical thinking, metacognitive skills, and retention of male and female high school students. The effective contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female students' retention was more significant than that toward male students' retention. The findings of this study suggest that high school teachers need to consider gender equality when implementing learning strategies to improve critical thinking and metacognitive skills.

The suicide mortality rate per 100 000 population (SMRP) consistently decreased before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Japan and then unexpectedly increased during the pandemic. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To identify trends in and factors associated with suicidal mortality and motives among students in Japan from 2007 to 2022. In this cross-sectional study, data on SMRPs among Japanese middle-school, high-school, and university students were obtained from the government suicide database Suicide Statistics of the National Police Agency. Age-dependent and temporal fluctuations in annual SMRPs, disaggregated by suicidal motive (7 categories and 52 subcategories), sex, and school, were analyzed using linear mixed-effect and joinpoint regression models, respectively. Total suicide numbers from 2007 to 2022 were as follows: 760 male middle-school students, 635 female middle-school students, 2376 male high-school students, 1566 female high-school students, 5179 male university students, and 1880 female university students. The mean (SD) student populations from 2007 to 2022 were as follows: 1 752 737 (81 334) male middle-school students, 1 675 572 (78 824) female middle-school students, 1 648 274 (67 520) male high-school students, 1 614 828 (60 032) female high-school students, 1 652 689 (32 724) male university students, and 1 229 142 (57 484) female university students. Among male students, the leading motives were school-related factors (underachievement and worrying about the future), followed by family-related and health-related motives. Among female students, school-related and family-related motives decreased, but health-related motives showed an age-dependent increase. The SMRPs of middle-school male students and female students were almost equal (mean [SD], 2.7 [1.0] vs 2.4 [1.4]), but the age-dependent increase in SMRPs among male students was pronounced (mean [SD], high-school vs university male students, 9.1 [2.4] vs 19.6 [3.0]; high-school vs university female students, 6.1 [2.4] vs 9.6 [1.8]). However, the incidence of suicide among high-school students associated with health-related motives was greater in female students. The majority of suicides associated with major impactable suicidal motives (school-related, health-related, and family-related motives) began increasing before the pandemic. Changes in SMRP associated with interpersonal relationships, such as conflict with classmates or parents, were not significant, but the rates increased greatly during the pandemic. School-related, health-related, and family-related problems were major motives, whereas the impacts of health-related and family-related motives increased and decreased with age, respectively. Notably, most SMRPs associated with major impactable motives (underachievement, conflict with a parent or classmate, and mental illnesses) had already begun increasing in the late 2010s, indicating that recent increasing SMRPs among school-aged individuals were associated with pandemic-related factors and other factors affecting this generation before the pandemic. It may be inappropriate to uniformly apply research findings based on school-aged individuals to school-based suicide prevention programs for students in middle school, high school, and university.

Objectives This study analyzes the relationship between work experience in school and job values of male and female college students. In particular, it is to confirm the effect of work experience on job value according to gender. Using the 2017~2020 Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey, let's analyze the consistent effect of college student's work experience in school on job value.
 Methods Using The Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey (GOMS) 2017-2020 and subjects of this surveys were 35,217 people who four-year male and female college students(8,933 people in 2017, 9,116 people in 2018, 9,350 people in 2019, and 7,824 people in 2020). A t-test was conducted to verify the change in job value according to the work experience in school of male and female college students. And Regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact.
 Results The study results can be summarized as follows. First, it was found that male students' work experience and work experience related to their major consistently increased intrinsic job value and had a positive (+) effect. Second, it was found that female students' work experience related to their major consistently increased the intrinsic job value and had a positive (+) effect. On the other hand, it was analyzed that female students' work presence or absence of work experience consistently increases the external job value and has a positive (+) effect. Third, the consistent effect of the number of work experiences of unversity students was not confirmed. However, it was confirmed that there was no effect except for 2020.
 Conclusions The work experience in school of a male and female college students was identified as an important factor influencing job values. First, male and female college students should have work experience related to their major in order to increase their intrinsic job values. Second, it seems necessary to differentiate the career guidance of male and female students. Third, the number of work experiences in school should be selected and focused on meaningful work experiences rather than work experiences that do not help university students' career development. This result presents the direction of work experience in school for the development of job values of university students. And I think it will be helpful for the school and the government to establish policies on the work experience of university students.

The present study explores Saudi EFL male and female university students’ standpoints on language learning demotivation which can reduce their motivation to foreign language learning. It also attempts to identify the most and least demotivating dimensions/factors of EFL Saudi male and female university students and to find out if there are statistically significant differences between male and female students in EFL demotivation dimensions/factors or not. To that end, a modified version of Sakai and Kikuchi (2008) Questionnaire of Demotivation of English Language Learners (DQELL) was administered to randomly selected 30 male EFL students and 30 females from third year Foreign Languages Department at Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Albaha University, KSA in the academic year 2021/2022. Results indicate that male students consider Learning contents and materials and Inadequate college facilities as their most EFL demotivating factors and the least ones were Teachers’ competence and teaching styles, Lack of intrinsic motivation and Test scores. On the other hand, female students consider Inadequate college facilities the most demotivating factor, while Learning contents and materials, Teachers’ competence and teaching styles and Test scores were their least demotivating ones. In addition, T-test results showed that there are statistically significant differences between male and female students on EFL demotivation factors Learning contents and materials and Teachers’ competence and teaching styles in favor of females. There are not significant differences between males and females on Inadequate college facilities, while there are significant differences between them on Lack of intrinsic motivation and Test scores in favor of female university students. Finally, statistical results were discussed and implications for ELT were suggested.


 
 
 
 The English status of a Foreign Language (FL) in Indonesia has been granted. However, the language has become quite popular and dominant in several schools in Indonesia, especially in private colleges and universities. The study aimed was to find out the male-female English foreign language (EFL) students’ attitudes and perceptions toward learning English and female and male students’ difficulties in learning English. The data was collected from 30 Islamic at the first student’s semester at STITMA Yogyakarta. Data collecting techniques used in this research were through a set of close-ended questioners. The study used a qualitative and quantitative resign design. The research finding revealed that male and female Islamic education students have positive attitudes and perceptions to learn English although the male students had lower enthusiasm to gain their knowledge in learning English than female students. Both (male and female students) perceived learning English was important not only for their future life but also for spreading Islam around the world. The female and male students had similar obstacles in pronunciation and vocabulary mastery. Moreover, most female students thought that speaking skills were the most difficult skill, while most male students consider listening was the most difficult skill to learn.
 
 
 

The study was performed to examine the health interest, dietary habits, and depression in male and female college students in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area. The survey was conducted on 566 (269 males, 297 females) college students, aged 19∼29 years. The online and written data were analyzed by using the SPSS WIN 21.0 program. Body weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were higher in male students than in female students. In the category of health interest, the average score and the score for ‘I arrange the menu for weight control’ was significantly higher in female students than in male students, whereas the score for ‘I tend to exercise everyday’ was significantly higher in male students than in female students. For nutritional supplements, the intake of sports drinks, protein beverages and powders, vitamin A, vitamin B complex and calcium supplements showed significant differences according to sex. An analysis of dietary habits showed that the frequency of intake of seaweed, greasy food, processed food, and water was significantly higher in male students than in female students, while the frequency of intake of fruits, sweet food, and dairy products was higher in female students than in male students. The score for depression was significantly higher in female students compared to male students. Dietary habits were divided into appropriate dietary habits and inappropriate dietary habits. Health interest showed a significant positive correlation with BMI and appropriate dietary habits in both male and female students. In female students, inappropriate dietary habits were positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with health interests. This study thus provides information on health interests, dietary habits and depression in college students according to sex and suggests further research to improve dietary habits in male and female college students with higher levels of depression.

In language learning, reading is a skill that enables interaction with a text inwhatever field of knowledge thelearner is pursuing. Readers tend to use strategies such as comprehension, interpretation and conception of decoding written language and texts to enhance their reading capacity. This research explores the reading strategies applied by Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and compares the reading abilities of male and female EFL students. The study interviewed three EFL students about the reading strategies they applied while reading passages and texts. Then an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) reading test was handed over to 26 randomly selected students. The study found that the reading strategies used by the students interviewed involved skimming, scanning, guessing the meaning from context, identifying the mean idea, and summarizing the body of the text in question. Moreover, the study revealed that both male and female students scored low in the IELTS tests that the researchers conducted. The average mean score they reached was 7.15 out of 20. However, even in the low scoring ratio, female students (M=7.69) outperformed male students (M= 6.62) and the difference between them remained significant, P=.000. The study recommends that the language instructors help EFL learners in developing their reading strategies and applying them every time they read any text.

In language learning, reading is a skill that enables interaction with a text inwhatever field of knowledge thelearner is pursuing. Readers tend to use strategies such as comprehension, interpretation and conception of decoding written language and texts to enhance their reading capacity. This research explores the reading strategies applied by Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and compares the reading abilities of male and female EFL students. The study interviewed three EFL students about the reading strategies they applied while reading passages and texts. Then an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) reading test was handed over to 26 randomly selected students. The study found that the reading strategies used by the students interviewed involved skimming, scanning, guessing the meaning from context, identifying the mean idea, and summarizing the body of the text in question. Moreover, the study revealed that both male and female students scored low in the IELTS tests that the researchers conducted. The average mean score they reached was 7.15 out of 20. However, even in the low scoring ratio, female students (M=7.69) outperformed male students (M= 6.62) and the difference between them remained significant, P=.000. The study recommends that the language instructors help EFL learners in developing their reading strategies and applying them every time they read any text.

Successfully taking a multiple-choice test requires understanding the testing situation and knowing how to take the test efficiently. This study analyses the relationship between multiple-choice test-taking strategies (MCTTSs), test anxiety and the English language achievement of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. A mixed-methods approach – quantitative and qualitative – is used by collecting data using a questionnaire and interviews, to increase the research validity. The MCTTS questionnaire of Nguyen (2003), and the test anxiety scale of Aydin et al. (2006) and Burgucu et al. (2011), were used. A total of 727 male and female students from different academic levels and tertiary colleges at an English language centre were chosen as samples. The results broadly show a positive correlation between MCTTSs and English language achievement and a negative relationship between MCTTSs and test anxiety. However, the results revealed significantly higher English language achievement by the female students than the male students. However, there was no difference in the MCTTSs and the degree of test anxiety according to gender. The results suggest raising teachers’ and students’ awareness of the importance of using test-taking strategies. Furthermore, the results can help English language instructors to explain test scores from a different viewpoint, to provide a reliable assessment of language students’ true competence and to reduce the likelihood of measurement errors.

The main purpose of this study is to determine the dominant types of multiple intelligences and motivational orientations of students in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). To achieve this objective, two research tools were used namely, survey questionnaire and focused group discussion (FGD). For quantitative data, the researcher used a standardized Multiple Intelligences Inventory by Walter McKenzie (1999) and a questionnaire on Motivational Orientations in Learning EFL. For qualitative data, FGD sessions with selected AMAIUB students were conducted. The participants of the study were 165 AMA International University-Bahrain (AMAIUB) students for the Academic Year 2011-2012 and were categorized according to sex and programme enrolled. Results of the study revealed that the dominant types of intelligences of AMAIUB students are existential, bodily-kinesthetic, and intrapersonal. When grouped as to programme enrolled, the Business Informatics, International Studies, and Informatics Engineering students have existential; Mechanical Engineering students have visual-spatial; Computer Science students have intrapersonal and the Medicine students have naturalistic. When grouped as to sex, male students’ dominant types of intelligences are existential, intrapersonal, and bodily-kinesthetic while female students have existential, bodily-kinesthetic, and intrapersonal. Further, results showed that AMAIUB students have the integrative or intrinsic motivational orientation in learning EFL. When grouped as to sex, both male and female students have integrative or intrinsic motivational orientation in learning EFL. As to their programme enrolled, Business Informatics, International Studies, Mechatronics Engineering, and Computer Science students have integrative or intrinsic motivational orientation in learning EFL while the Informatics Engineering students have instrumental or extrinsic. The Medicine students have both integrative and instrumental orientations. As ascertained in this study, there were no significant differences on the students’ types of intelligences when grouped as to sex. However, a significant difference in the types of intelligence was found when the students are categorized as to the programme enrolled, specifically, on the Naturalist type of intelligence between the Medicine and Computer Science and International Studies students. Moreover, there were no significant differences on the students’ motivational orientations in learning EFL when they were grouped as to programme enrolled and sex. In the basis of the findings, the following conclusions were drawn: Sex is not a correlate of the types of multiple intelligences. Programme enrolled is a significant determinant of the types multiple of intelligences. Sex does not affect the motivational orientations in learning EFL. Programme enrolled does not affect the motivational orientations in learning EFL. Keywords: Multiple Intelligences, EFL, Motivational Orientations in Learning in English

This study was conducted to investigate the preference and consumption status of non-alcohol and alcohol beverages of Korean and Chinese university students in the Jeonbuk area. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 241 Korean and 198 Chinese students. Statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS v. 12.0. ‘Water’ was the most commonly consumed non-alcohol beverages by all Korean and Chinese students. The intake frequency of ‘carbonateddrink’ (p<.001), ‘fruits/vegetable juice’ (p<.05), and ‘vinegar drink' (p<.01) of Chinese male students was significantly higher than the Korean male students. The intake frequency of ‘ionic drink’ (p<.001; p<.01) of Korean male and female students was significantly higher than the Chinese male and female students. The intake frequency of ‘fruits/vegetablejuice’ (p<.001), ‘milk’ (p<.01), and ‘soymilk’ (p<.05) of Chinese female students was higher than the Korean female students. For the choosing the non-alcohol beverages, the Chinese female students were more health-oriented than the Korean female students (p<.01). ‘Beer’ was the most commonly consumed alcohol beverages by the Korean male and female and Chinese male students whereas ‘Wine’ was the most commonly consumed alcohol beverages by the Chinese female students. The intake frequency of ‘Soju’ of Korean male (p<.001) and female (p<.001) students was higher than the Chinese male and female students. The intake frequency of ‘Wine’ of Chinese male (p<.05) and female (p<.001) students higher than the Korean male and female students. Compared with the Chinese female students, the Korean female students more funds have to spend, in order to buy alcohol beverages (p<.01). More 81% of the Korean male and 80% of the female students reported drinking alcohol in ‘beer house' whereas 78% of the Chinese male and 65% of female students drunken the alcohol in the ‘beer house' or at ‘home' (p<.01; p<.001). In conclusion, a practically and foreigner-friendly alcohol policies of university should be devised to reduce the alcohol consumption of students and related problems.

The study aims at identifying the trends of the youth towards women’s work in tourism sector in Jordan, through knowing the relation between social, demographic and economic variables along with the women’s work in tourism sector from youth perspective. This study also detects the challenges that prevent the women from working in the tourism sector and its relation with the social, demographic, and economic elements. In addition, it highlights the expectations and solutions that may contribute in increasing the involvement of women in the tourism sector from the youth’s perception. The community of the study consists from students of the University of Jordan (both male and female) from the colleges of Business Administration, Languages, History, Tourism and Archaeology, and Information Technology. The number of male and female students studying at the said colleges is (6’548) students. The number of students surveyed reached (1’321) female and male students, which represents 20% of the total number of students, all of which have been selected randomly and in a manner that commensurate with the community of the study. The descriptive analytical method was applied to the study, whereby a questionnaire tool was developed to measure the trends of the male and female students towards the women’s work in the tourism sector. Further, the program Statistical Package For Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze data, where methods of descriptive analysis such as arithmetic average, standard deviations, and percentages were applied. Also, the method of test based on Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the difference between the averages of the different variables as well as testing the future variables. The study concluded that there is a positive trend among male and female students towards the women’s access to the labor market, but the trends of male and female students towards the women’s work in tourism sector indicate that: despite the existence of positive trend among male and female students towards the women’s access to the tourism sector with a medium degree, yet they prefer traditional professions over the work in the tourism sector. With regard to the impact of demographic, social and economic factors on the trends of the male and female students towards the women’s work in the tourism sector, the results show statistically significant differences between the trends of the male and female students towards the women’s work in the tourism sector due to sex and in favor of females. It also shows that there are statistically significant differences in the trends of the male students, their education term and in favor of the first year. There are also statistically significant differences in the trends of the male and female students due to the age and in favor of the ages between (22-24 years). Moreover, there are statistically significant differences due to the college in favor of Tourism and Archaeology college. In addition, there are statistically significant differences due to the number of the family members and in favor of 6 members. Lastly, there are statistically significant differences among male students towards the women’s work in tourism sector due to place of residence in favor of Badia residents, and in connection with female students in favor of the residents of villages.