Academic Learning Environment Research Articles

First Year Students’ Perceptions of the Transition to University: The Role of Informational, Instrumental, and Emotional Support

First Year Students’ Perceptions of the Transition to University: The Role of Informational, Instrumental, and Emotional Support

ChatGPT in higher education - a synthesis of the literature and a future research agenda

AbstractChatGPT has emerged as a significant subject of research and exploration, casting a critical spotlight on teaching and learning practices in the higher education domain. This study examines the most influential articles, leading journals, and productive countries concerning citations and publications related to ChatGPT in higher education, while also shedding light on emerging thematic and geographic clusters within research on ChatGPT’s role and challenges in teaching and learning at higher education institutions. Forty-seven research papers from the Scopus database were shortlisted for bibliometric analysis. The findings indicate that the use of ChatGPT in higher education, particularly issues of academic integrity and research, has been studied extensively by scholars in the United States, who have produced the largest volume of publications, alongside the highest number of citations. This study uncovers four distinct thematic clusters (academic integrity, learning environment, student engagement, and scholarly research) and highlights the predominant areas of focus in research related to ChatGPT in higher education, including student examinations, academic integrity, student learning, and field-specific research, through a country-based bibliographic analysis. Plagiarism is a significant concern in the use of ChatGPT, which may reduce students’ ability to produce imaginative, inventive, and original material. This study offers valuable insights into the current state of ChatGPT in higher education literature, providing essential guidance for scholars, researchers, and policymakers.

Do nursing students' attitudes to clinical practice training affect the levels of vocational motivation?

It is extremely important for nursing students to be professionally motivated to train qualified future professional nurses. Students' vocational motivation is affected by their experiences in clinical and academic learning environments. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the vocational motivation levels of nursing students and their attitudes toward clinical practice. 292 nursing students participated in the cross-sectional, descriptive study. The Student Information Form, Nursing Students' Attitudes Towards Clinical Practices Scale, Motivation Sources and Problems Scale (MSPS) were used to gather the data. The average score for students' attitudes toward clinical practice was 107.08±18.13, while the total score for MSPS stood at 3.80±0.63. A positive correlation was identified between the attitude toward clinical practice and vocational motivation levels (r = 0.367; p < 0.001). There were positive correlations between the intrinsic motivation (r = 0.572; p < 0.001) and extrinsic motivation (r = 0.58; p < 0.001), and negative correlations were observed between the negative motivation (r=-0.324; p < 0.001) and the attitude toward clinical practice scale. There were positive correlations between belief and expectation (r = 0.492; p < 0.001) and positive approach (r = 0.532; p < 0.001) with the MSPS. In the multiple regression analysis, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, satisfaction with studying nursing, and participation in vocational courses were determined as effective predictors of attitudes towards clinical practice and explained 60.4% of the variance. The study concluded that nursing students' attitudes toward clinical practices affect vocational motivation. Clinical learning environments should be arranged in a way to increase the motivation level of students towards professional learning.

Sağlık Akademisyenlerinin Eğitim İnançları ile Öğrenen Özerkliğini Destekleme Davranışları Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi

In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between the educational beliefs of health academics and their behaviors to support learner autonomy. Relational screening model was used. The study was completed with 186 health academics in the 2021-2022 Academic Year. Data; The data were collected with the 'personal information form' created by the researcher, 'Educational Beliefs Scale (EDS)' and 'Learning Autonomy Support Scale (SSS)'. Descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA and correlation analyzes were used in the evaluation. According to the research results, the highest philosophy adopted by academics is existentialism. Essentialism education approach is adopted more by male academicians. With the increase in the titles of academicians, the traditional understanding of education emerges. It has been determined that the rate of providing the opportunity for autonomy to the students of health academics is high, but the rate of support for decision making is low. In addition, a high level, negative significant relationship was found between the education belief of academicians and the total scores of the autonomy support scale. In this direction, it is recommended to create academic awareness trainings and learning environments that support learner autonomy to increase the two-way teacher-learner relationship in university life.

Integrating wellness into curricula using the ten dimensions of wellness as a framework

Burnout is a public health crisis that persists at the expense of clinician well-being, the healthcare workforce, and the quality of care provided. Clinician well-being is a professional imperative, yet nursing students still report higher levels of burnout than non-nursing students. Cultivating an academic learning environment that supports the development of resiliency, well-being, and improved student mental health requires a coordinated and sustained effort from nurse educators and academic leaders. This article aims to inspire nurse educators to take the first or next steps toward integrating wellness into nursing curricula. The ten dimensions of wellness provide a framework for wellness programming. Practical strategies aligned with each dimension are offered. As an exemplar, the Banding Together for Wellness program is summarized, including innovative incentives for student participation. Over the past five years, 426 (approximately 54 %) undergraduate nursing students voluntarily completed the program. While best practices may vary by institution, the strategies and resources offered herein can support nurse educators in the classroom, lab, and clinical setting as we all work to foster personal and professional well-being in nursing students. Nurse educators can be instrumental in cultivating the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for life-long self-care, well-being, and nursing practice.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL SUPPORT INFLUENCING STUDENT LEVELS OF DEPRESSION IN ONLINE LEARNING: A CONCEPTUAL PAPER

The COVID-19 pandemic issue has made online learning a requirement in all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities. Even though they face challenges in many ways, teachers and students must adapt to online learning technologies to ensure that it is used as usual. Some of them struggle with anxiety and depression. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing student levels of depression in online learning. Specifically, the researcher focused on the relationship between academic performance, learning environment, and social support and their impact on students' levels of depression. Students with higher academic performance and a supportive learning environment reported lower levels of depression. Moreover, students who received greater social support from peers, instructors, and family members also reported lower levels of depression. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on the mental health of students in online learning environments by highlighting the importance of academic performance, learning environment, and social support in influencing levels of depression. The study's findings have important implications for educators and policymakers, highlighting the need to prioritize students' mental health and well-being in online learning environments. To improve students' mental health, educators must provide students with a supportive and engaging learning environment that fosters a sense of community and belonging. Additionally, educators should focus on helping students achieve academic success, as this can have a positive impact on their mental health.

Building a Trauma-Informed Community: Applying Community Building Circles to an Academic Health Research Setting.

Within health science disciplines, power dynamics exist that can not only perpetuate harm but also foster feelings of powerlessness and disengagement. Although diversity, equity, and inclusion approaches have been prioritized by many institutions to improve student and staff recruitment, few effective structures exist to promote the retention, support, and inclusion of these individuals. Restorative justice circles facilitate a collaborative and personal exercise that welcomes the input of all members, thus acting as a catalyst toward broader and more deeply rooted culture changes and conflict resolution. Restorative justice circles can be applied to strengthen academic learning environments by building community and creating intentional dialog spaces to promote accountability and belonging. The Phoenix Gender-based Violence Lab is an interdisciplinary health research lab composed of diverse researchers who meet monthly for a restorative justice-inspired community-building circle and discussion. The lab members participated in community-building circles from August 2021 to August 2022 during which circle facilitators aimed to prioritize safety, trustworthiness, and transparency and provide collaboration opportunities. All 10 research team members consented to an anonymous evaluation survey to share their perspectives about incorporating this approach into lab time. Research team members expressed many benefits of circle discussions, including mitigated power dynamics (n = 5), increased lab cohesion (n = 9), improved research processes (n = 6), and enhanced honesty and accountability (n = 4). Circle practice has shown promising results within the Phoenix Gender-based Violence Lab, indicating that other academic and medical settings should consider its potential to enhance group dynamics, foster accountability, and cultivate deeper collaboration and appreciation among group members. Further investigation of circle practice in diverse medical and academic settings is needed to fully comprehend the range of outcomes resulting from this intervention and whether they align with the fundamental principles of restorative justice.

The Cognitive Component of Academic Teachers’ Attitudes Towards E-Learning – Research Report

The content of the article was directed at determining the level of the cognitive component of university teachers in relation to the use of e-learning in the process of academic education. The purpose of the research being carried out was to determine the dependence of the cognitive component of academic teachers’ attitudes toward e-learning in higher education on the implementation of a distance learning course in Poland. For the purpose of our own research, a survey method was chosen, while the technique used was questionnaire surveying. The research tool used to determine the cognitive component was a test consisting of a set of 30 purposefully selected single-choice questions with three possible answers. The test consisted of three main parts, and each part contained questions on basic knowledge and specific aspects of the issues discussed. The questions were created to verify the mastered content, which was implemented during a training course designed for university teacherson the use of e-learning in the process of educating students. They were used to determine the scope and depth of knowledge possessed by academic teachers regarding the use of elearning in the academic learning environment. Based on the analysis of the study, it can be noted that the implementation of trainingcourses to improve the teaching and information and communication skills academic teachers at the University of Rzeszow brought an increase in the level of the cognitive component. The task of academic teachers is to self-improve their workshop. The role of lecturers is to constantly update their knowledge using various e-learning technologies for this purpose. A key role is the awareness of the need for lifelong learning in a rapidly developing reality.

Retracted: Construction Path of Academic English Learning Environment in Colleges and Universities from the Perspective of Education Ecology.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/6727334.].

Determining the Effect of Social and Academic Support on STEM Confidence and Learning Environment Among Female Engineering Students in Pakistan

Gender inclusion and female participation in STEM courses have always been challenging in a patriarchal country like Pakistan. Women are often underrepresented in engineering fields, as engineering fields are usually considered manly. Female students confront many challenges, be it workplace or educational institutes. Some of the self-perceived and determined challenges are discussed in this study. As determined through this research study, factors affecting female participation are low STEM confidence, Gender disparity, Social and Academic Support, and Learning Environment. Empirical Evidence is collected using a questionnaire with 25 items based on the Likert scale. The dependent variables are STEM Confidence and Learning Environment, whereas the independent variables are Social and Academic Support. Participants included 170 female UG and PG engineering students from 4 universities in Pakistan. Data were collected through the Questionnaire, which included an online survey. Correlation method and statistical test MANOVA were applied, using SPSS 21 to determine the effect of social and academic support on STEM confidence of female students and to find a relationship between the variables. Results indicate a positive correlation between the variables STEM confidence and social and academic Support and Learning environment, whereas a slight correlation has been observed between social Support and LE. MANOVA results indicated a significant effect of Social and Academic Support on the STEM confidence of female students. Empirical Evidence shows that Social and academic support can affect the STEM of female engineering students, and the LE of females can also be affected by social and academic Support.

Lateral incivility, nursing students, and the academic environment: A modified epidemiological triangle

The traditional epidemiological triangle identifies an infectious disease causing agent, a susceptible host to house the agent, and an environment conducive to the agent's proliferation and sustenance. Social epidemiology expands this basic triangle to address health determinants, social inequities, and heath disparities related to and encountered by vulnerable populations. A group is considered vulnerable if it is susceptible to poor physical, psychological, spiritual, social, or emotional health, attack, and censure or criticism. Nursing students fulfill these criteria for vulnerability. Lateral student-to-student incivility as the disease causing agent, nursing students as the susceptible hosts, and the academic and clinical learning environments reflect a modified epidemiological triangle. Nursing students experience physical, social, and emotional problems from experiencing and witnessing incivility. Students replicate modeled incivility behaviors. Learning may be negatively compromised. Oppressed group behavior is presented as one cause of lateral incivility. The transmission of incivility behaviors as the disease causing agent can be interrupted through civility education offered to nursing student hosts and a no tolerance stance against incivility in the academic learning environment. Cognitive Rehearsal is an evidence-based strategy to teach nursing students how to confront incivility victimization.

Perception of Nursing students towards their Academic and Clinical Learning Environment

Perception of Nursing students towards their Academic and Clinical Learning Environment

Analysis of Factors Influencing Academic Performance in Primary School National Examination in Tanzania: A Case of Kilosa District

This paper examined the factors influencing academic performance in primary schools in the Kilosa district, Mrogoro region in Tanzania. The study employed a qualitative research approach through a cross-sectional research design. About 106 participants were involved including five (5) head teachers (from five schools), one (1)district education officer, one (1)ward education officer, 30 primary school teachers, and 69 students from the five selected primary schools. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The collected data were qualitatively analyzed. The study shows that poor academic performance in primary schools in the Kilosa district was first, contributed by a learning environment characterized by the poor quality of school infrastructures, long distance to schools, few desks, and poor teachers' houses. The second was a lack of motivation and the last one was a lack of parental involvement. The findings of this study add to the body of literature on academic performance and learning environment. It also underlines the importance of creating favourable working conditions for both teachers and students that fosters high morale among workers and students. This study also broadens our understanding of the importance of government intervention as part of the strategies for improving teaching and learning environments to improve academic performance.

국내 대학 문제중심학습(PBL)의 학습 효과에 대한 메타분석

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the learning effects of problem-based learning(PBL) implemented in universities in Korea and to provide implications for the instructional design of PBL in higher education. Methods Researchers collected manuscripts published in academic journals and dissertations related to PBL conducted in Korea from 2010 to September 2022, and finally selected 116 studies following the PICOS approach. We conducted a meta-analysis to analyze the overall effects, the effect sizes for cognitive and affective variables, and the effects of moderating variables using CMA software. Results As a result of analyzing 392 effect sizes from the 116 research results, the overall effect size of PBL was 0.737, indicating an intermediate effect size. The effect sizes for cognitive and affective variables were 0.582 and 0.837 respectively, which indicates affective variables showed significantly higher effect size than cognitive variables. Moderating variables were academic domains, curriculum, learning environment, and program duration. Among the moderating effect of subgroups, the effect size of the academic domains was significantly larger in the order of humanities, social sciences, arts and physical education, natural sciences, and engineering. Regarding the curriculum variable, the effect size was significantly larger in the order of the teaching professional subjects curriculum, the major curriculum, and the liberal arts curriculum. Conclusions Based on the results, it was suggested that further research on the design and delivery of PBL in various learning environments is needed. The results of this study are expected to be used as a basis for effective PBL design in higher education.

Student well-being in times of COVID-19 in the Netherlands: basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration within the academic learning environment

The COVID-19 pandemic affected student well-being through measures such as closing educational institutions and social distancing, which forced universities to adapt the student learning environment. Previous research has demonstrated that the learning environment influences student well-being by satisfying their basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The present study therefore aimed to investigate, against the background of the pandemic, (1) how the basic psychological needs related to student well-being, (2) how students perceived interaction within the academic system, and (3) how they would like the “new educational normal” to look. To address these aims, we implemented a cross-sectional survey which included both quantitative measures and qualitative open-ended questions and distributed it at a Dutch university (n = 653). To identify the predictive strength of need satisfaction and frustration, we ran multiple regressions. We found that need satisfaction and frustration were significantly related to the well-being measures, of which relatedness was only weakly related to student well-being. Moreover, students reported restricted interactions with their teachers and fellow students, leading to feelings of disconnectedness, as well as struggles to establish or maintain relationships. In contrast with the quantitative findings, students highlighted relatedness as an essential, currently lacking part of their experience. They suggested a potential hybrid learning environment with a focus on social cohesion. This study emphasizes the relevance of interpersonal connections within higher education and provides practical ideas for post-pandemic academic structures. These insights can support systemic investments of universities in student well-being and creating a healthier learning environment for the future.

Assessment of educational environment of midwifery students in Auxillary Nurse and Midwifery Institutes, Tamil Nadu – A descriptive study

Introduction: Tamil Nadu has a well-established public health-care delivery system with the Auxiliary Nurse and Midwifery (ANM) or Village Health Nurses. They learn and qualify for their job from ANM institutes and become the key field level functionary who interacts directly with the community. Their ability to provide quality community care is largely determined by the quality of ANM education they receive during their training. Hence, this study aimed to assess the perception of these students to facilitate a conducive educational environment. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out among 244 ANM students from across 10 randomly selected government ANM schools in Tamil Nadu. A self-administered Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was used for assessment. The data was analyzed using EpiData. Results: Among the 244 students enrolled in the study, the mean (standard deviation) global DREEM score was 167.39 (±18.06). Student's academic perception was the highest (91%), followed by student's perception of atmosphere (84.2%), learning (84%), and teachers (83.5%), and the least average score was from student's social self-perception (74%). Conclusion: The study showed the nursing students' view on their academic learning environment as “more positive than negative,” Centers were also considered excellent, and this assessment would provide an useful guide into the areas that students felt “good” about, which should be reinforced and the weaker areas that need to be strengthened for better services.

Other Perspectives: Extending the Architectural Representation

This paper discusses how the tension between arts and science inherent in the discipline of architecture, can be traced in architectural representations, which are not neutral but actively contribute to the design process, ranging from highly poetic, subjective, and artistic to more exact and objective. Within this paper, we reflect on how to overcome this restrictive perspective implicit in conventional design media by comparing two elective courses that aim to broaden the traditional architectural perspective. In doing so, we take a position in the broader debate on the role of artistic practices within an academic learning environment.

Importance of Interprofessional Education for Occupational Therapy.

The purpose of this position statement is to provide recommendations for educators on best practices to embed interprofessional education (IPE) into today's occupational therapy curricula, whether entry level or postprofessional, to bridge academic and clinical learning environments.

Construction Path of Academic English Learning Environment in Colleges and Universities from the Perspective of Education Ecology.

This paper probes into the construction of academic English learning environment in colleges and universities from the perspective of educational ecology. This paper aims to construct academic English learning environment from the perspective of educational ecology by constructing a teaching community, organizing learning activities, using tool mediation, and optimizing the social and material environment. Understand the construction effect through a questionnaire survey. The results show that among the 1000 surveyed students' average satisfaction with the five elements of the learning environment, the teaching community is 4.6355, the learning community is 4.8963, the learning activity is 4.6987, the tool intermediary is 4.9258, and the social material environment is 4.2536, indicating that the students' satisfaction is high. From the perspective of educational ecology, the construction of academic English learning environment in colleges and universities can effectively optimize teaching and learning community and help to enhance students' motivation, cultivate learning interest, and improve practical ability. The construction effect is worthy of recognition.

VOCATIONAL INTERESTS OF ADOLESCENT LEARNERS IN RELATION TO FAMILY ENVIRONMENT AND ACADEMIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The present study was an attempt to find the vocational interests of adolescent learner in relation to their family academic learning environment. Vocational interests and choices do not appear all of a sudden during adolescence, they appear as a result of developmental process.Normally the notion was there that vocational choices had their root in the family environment. To study the relevance of the impact of family on vocational choices this study was conducted. The Sample for the study was 200 adolescent learners from Fatehgarh Churian City. Percentage Analysis was done to analyze the vocational choices of the adolescent learners. Survey was conducted online to get the responses of the adolescent learners. The main finding of the study reflected that the influence on vocational choices had been shift from family influence towards Academic Learning Environment.