Academic Profile Research Articles

A One Health information database based on standard bibliometric analysis

BackgroundOne Health is an integrated concept of health that aims to optimize the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. Identifying research gaps and specific expertise areas is important for understanding the role of One Health in practice. This information on One Health could be used to promote collaboration and research, inspire innovative ideas, and accelerate the translation of evidence-based practices into policies. MethodsWe searched the Scopus database for publications related to One Health between 2012 and 2021 to extract bibliometric information and investigate the possibility of establishing a dedicated expertise database. We matched scholarly information using SciVal to exclude duplicate information and identify scholars’ affiliations, countries, and academic profiles. Individual academic contributions to One Health were evaluated according to their citations, publication impact, publication type, and author contributions. ResultsA total of 8,313 publications on One Health over a ten-year period were identified, with the number of publications increasing over time. The largest number of publications came from the United States and the United Kingdom. These countries also had the highest number of experts and a high level of international collaboration. We identified 500 scholars from 53 countries and 313 affiliations with a median Hirsch Index of 20 who could be included in a One Health expert database. These scientists had a median of six publications on One Health, with topics mostly focusing on dengue and antimicrobial resistance. ConclusionA One Health information database could be used as a third-party reference for scholars, a source to track the ongoing academic progress, and support for active scholars in this field of research.

Evaluation of Stress and its Associated Stressors Among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Questionnaire-based Study

Aim: To evaluate the stress and its associated stressors or stress factors among dental undergraduate students.Background: Stress is a subjective feeling that acts as a barrier to preventing his/her goal. Stress occurs in everyone’s life in every aspect of life due to enormous reasons, and so dental students are cited for facing various amounts of stress throughout their academics due to several reasons.Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students (including interns) in a self-financing dental college in Tiruvallur, India. A google survey was conducted to collect data regarding academic sessions, environmental issues, and profiles of socio-demographics.Results: Out of 500 dental undergraduates participating in the study, nearly 332(66%) students are stressed. Nearly two third of students have reported being stressed is a large number. The study has also found that students from the internship are under more stress while studying in college, possibly due to work pressure or fears of their future after graduation.Conclusion: Sociodemographic profile, academic matters (performance of the study, curriculum, and frequency of tests), stress predictors, and physical stressors such as physical problems, high expectations of parents, and family issues are revealed as reasons in this dental curriculum. Management programs in dental colleges should be developed to improve students’ psychological support and promote better psychological health and coping.

Insights from a study on non-submission of assignments: How can students best be supported?

Non-submission of summative assignments has an impact on a significant minority of students but is not well understood (Prinsloo, 2019). At the University of Northampton, 70% of Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) students have a non-submission on their academic profile as they enter Level 4 and nearly 10% of all student assignments overall are not submitted (Coulson and Loddick, 2021). Students who fail to submit initially are offered a second submission point, but their grade is capped at 40%: data suggests that addressing this could close 50% of the GEM (Global Ethnic Majority) attainment gap. A study was initiated in partnership with IFY academic staff to research into the experience and implications of non-submission of assignments for GEM and non-GEM students in IFY. The project aimed to understand the long-term implications in terms of academic outcomes through understanding why students fail to submit and how they recover from this. Data on student outcomes in recent years was interrogated and interviews were planned with current and former IFY students who had failed to submit at least one assignment. These interviews were conducted by existing IFY students to encourage an open dialogue. Following low levels of participation in the research, the project was widened by inviting all undergraduates who had failed to submit at least one assignment to complete a survey with open-ended questions exploring the non-submission. Insights from this study will be reported, which will inform the practice of both Learning Developers and lecturers. If we can offer timely and appropriate support, we may be able to promote assignment submission, which in turn could improve student retention. This would allow more students to achieve their goals and contribute to a sustainable model of higher education.

Academic and Social Behaviour Profile of the Primary School Students who Possess and Play Video Games

The aim of this research was to analyze the typologies of primary education students with regard to possession and use of video games, and the possible psycho-emotional and educational implications. To identify the different typologies, a latent class model using Latent Gold v4.5 software was applied in order to model relations between the variables observed, assuming that the structure of underlying relations was explained by a latent categorical variable (not observed). The results revealed two clearly differentiated clusters: one formed of boys who get better marks in Mathematics, usually play video games with gaming consoles for the TV screen, usually play video games online with friends, play video games for more than two hours at weekends, feel very happy when playing video games, and whose first choice of free-time activity is to play video games; the other consisted of girls who get better marks in Spanish Language and Literature, usually play video games on a tablet, usually with a family member, play video games for more than two hours at weekends, feel very happy playing video games, though to a slightly lesser extent than boys, and whose first choice of free-time activity is not usually to play video games.

Learning Analytics to Determine Profile Dimensions of Students Associated with Their Academic Performance

With the recent advancements of learning analytics techniques, it is possible to build predictive models of student academic performance at an early stage of a course, using student’s self-regulation learning and affective strategies (SRLAS), and their multiple intelligences (MI). This process can be conducted to determine the most important factors that lead to good academic performance. A quasi-experimental study on 618 undergraduate students was performed to determine student profiles based on these two constructs: MI and SRLAS. After calibrating the students’ profiles, learning analytics techniques were used to study the relationships among the dimensions defined by these constructs and student academic performance using principal component analysis, clustering patterns, and regression and correlation analyses. The results indicate that the logical-mathematical intelligence, intrinsic motivation, and self-regulation have a positive impact on academic performance. In contrast, anxiety and dependence on external motivation have a negative effect on academic performance. A priori knowledge of the characteristics of a student sample and its likely behavior predicted by the models may provide both students and teachers with an early-awareness alert that can help the teachers in designing enhanced proactive and strategic decisions aimed to improve academic performance and reduce dropout rates. From the student side, knowledge about their main academic profile will sharpen their metacognition, which may improve their academic performance.

Development of Competency-Based Approach to Education

The paper deals with competency-based education. Both the development of the category “competence” and application of competences in educational sphere were considered. The purpose is to examine the development of competency-based approach to teaching and learning from the standpoint of modern educational paradigm. 
 The methods of the investigation are analysis and syntheses of the associated researches used to collect and present the findings and draw the conclusion. 
 The results revealed that competency-based education appeared under the influence of the term “competence”; in its development three main stages may be distinguished: 1) 1960-1970 (introduction of the category “competence” in the theory and practice of language learning); 2) 1970-1990 (extension of the studied phenomenon to the field of management and leadership); 3) since the 1990s to the present (comprehensive consideration and analysis of the stated category; finding the blocks of competencies, the principles of systematization; studying the structure of competencies). 
 The conclusion is that in modern educational system competency-based approach is one of the central as existence of the system of competences contributes in description of academic and professional profiles, levels and results of higher education at the international level. Moreover, due to the application of the system of competencies, the process of expanding academic and professional recognition and mobility, as well as increasing the comparability and compatibility of diplomas and qualifications has become possible.

Preadmission profile and academic performance: Are we selecting the best students for medicine?

India has the largest number of medical colleges in the world. Selection process for entry in these colleges is through entrance examination only. The present study was an attempt to explore such factors in pre admission profile of students that can predict the academic performance of the students. This observational cross-sectional study was carried out on 149 students who appeared for the university examination for first year MBBS of tertiary care teaching and research medical institute of Government of India, Bhopal. A prevalidated, pretested, structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the students regarding their sociodemographic and academic profile. Relationship between the study parameters and academic performance of students was explored statiscally.Majority of the study participants belonged to english medium, urban private schools. Almost 85% hailed from higher socioeconomic strata. Study parameters like performance of students in class X and XII, were positively statistically significantly correlated, while number of attempts taken to clear the entrance was negatively correlated to academic performance. Parameters like socioeconomic status, language, proficiency, place of stay and type of school did not show any relation with the academic performance. The entrance examination was found to be skewed towards students from one particular school board, urban, english medium students from higher socioeconomic strata. Possibility of adding scores of class XII and limiting the number of attempts in entrance examination needs to be considered. A level playing field needs to be provided for students across all school boards and across all the socioeconomic, linguistic and geographic backgrounds.

The effect of construction intensity on landscape preferences in Cuban tourist resorts

Within the context of the increasing importance of tourism in large all-inclusive resorts in tourist destinations such as Cuba, this study analyses the preferences of potential tourists (university students) from Spain and Brazil based on the construction intensity in these resorts and the academic background of the participants. To this end, an online questionnaire with photographs of landscape units in Cayo Santa María (Province of Villa Clara, Cuba) was devised. The two-fold objective focused on assessing the valuation of the landscape's visual quality related to the presence and intensity of tourism-related constructions, as well as assessing the potential bias linked to the academic profile in said assessment. The results indicate that a majority of those interviewed preferred landscapes without constructions. Construction intensity was also an important variable, in that landscape preferences declined as construction intensity increased. At a secondary level, the academic background also had a significant influence on landscape preferences. Most Natural Science students preferred landscapes that were free of constructions, while those studying Health Sciences preferred the ones containing constructions. In conclusion, it is recommended that landscape preference studies be taken into account to optimize tourism planning in areas of enormous ecosystem and landscape value.

Academic and Non-Academic Profile Affecting the Nurse Licensure Examination Performance of the Nursing Graduates of a Higher Education Institution in Davao City

The Nurse Licensure Examination is conducted by the Professional Regulatory Commission to screen Nursing graduates who will be licensed to practice nursing. The study aimed to determine the academic and non-academic profiles of the respondents and their possible correlation to the respondents’ Nurse Licensure Examination performance. Using total enumeration, sixty-seven Nursing graduates of the pioneering batch under CMO 14 s. 2009 were used as respondents. The academic profile included Nursing Care Management (NCM), Nurse Aptitude Test (NAT), English Proficiency, and Nursing Enhancement Program (NEP). The non-academic profile covered Emotional Quotient, the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), and the Schedule of Examination. The study used the non-experimental descriptive-correlational research design. Frequency and percentage, mean, Pearson r, Chi-Square, and Linear Regression analysis were the statistical tools employed in the study. Results revealed that all individual parameters in the academic profile are significantly correlated to the licensure examination performance. On the other hand, only the OLSAT in the non-academic profile showed a significant correlation to the licensure examination performance. Finally, the regression model obtained in the study is written as NLEP = 18.139 + 0.413 (NCM) + 0.018 (NAT) – 0.195 (EngProf) + 0.399 (NEP).

Post-COVID-19 Transition in University Physics Courses: A Case of Study in a Mexican University

The extended confinement imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns resulted in the imposition of online education for two years. Many students experienced their transitions to higher educative levels during this time, surely losing some academic learning as a consequence. On the other hand, this context could have promoted different types of competencies, until recently not explored, as a function of students’ personalities or academic profiles. Physics teaching is among those areas which have changed from its traditional methods during this period. The return to school during the ‘New Normal’ has resulted in certain concerns about students’ adaptability due to their possible lack of learning over this time. We analyse, in the current research, the transitions of three generations crossing several pandemic stages during their time participating in university physics courses during the first year, a common entry point for engineering programs. In addition, we analyse several academic traits as causal factors of academic success in order to understand how performance could be affected during online education and during the ‘New Normal’. The results highlight a general high level of adaptation for the most of the students, but still, some of them were affected in terms of the functioning of their learning styles or regarding their personality profiles. Notably, no meaningful losses were detected among the last transition; instead, several interesting aspects were found relating to academic profile appearing to have an effect on the students’ performance during the first transition to online education, and then during the second transition back to face-to-face education in the ‘New Normal’.

Prevalence and functional impact of social (pragmatic) communication disorders.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Children's Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2) for measuring social-pragmatic communication deficits and to ascertain their prevalence and functional impact in a community sample. We used parent and teacher responses to the CCC-2 to approximate inclusion (poor social-pragmatic skills) and exclusion (poor structural language skills or autistic symptomatology) criteria for social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD). We tested the prevalence of social-pragmatic deficits in a population-based sample of children (n = 386) aged 5-6 years old using CCC-2 algorithms. We also investigated the academic and behavioural profiles of children with broadly defined limitations in social-pragmatic competence on the CCC-2. Regardless of the diagnostic algorithm used, the resulting prevalence rates for social-pragmatic deficits indicated that very few children had isolated social-communication difficulties (0-1.3%). However, a larger proportion of children (range: 6.1-10.5%) had social-pragmatic skills outside the expected range alongside structural language difficulties and/or autism spectrum symptoms, and this profile was associated with a range of adverse academic and behavioural outcomes. A considerable proportion of children in the early years of primary school has social-pragmatic deficits that interfere with behaviour and scholastic activity; however, these rarely occur in isolation. Exclusionary criteria that include structural language may lead to underidentification of individuals with social-pragmatic deficits that may benefit from tailored support and intervention.

A multi-phase mixed-method study defining dissertation writing enjoyment and comparing PhD students writing in the company of others to those writing alone

ABSTRACT To overcome the assumption that dissertation writing is an anxiety-provoking process, this multi-phase mixed-method research aimed to develop a comprehensive picture of writing enjoyment in the context of doctoral studies, as well as to understand if and how writing in the company of others can enhance dissertation writing enjoyment. Firstly, we interviewed 30 PhD students to conceptualize writing enjoyment. These qualitative results revealed that dissertation writing enjoyment represents a moment of clarity when doctoral students’ ideas are easily extracted from the mind to be written as a tangible text perceived to be of high quality. Then, based on a pre-experimental design, a T-test was used to compare the scores of writing enjoyment and sense of writing community for two equivalent groups in terms of sociodemographic and academic profiles: 59 PhD students participating in writing retreats (experimental group) and 59 PhD students writing alone (control group). Overall, the experimental group shows higher writing enjoyment. Lastly, 15 PhD students participating in writing retreats were interviewed to understand how writing in the company of others seems to enhance writing enjoyment, that is, by way of social flow. Finally, this article provides empirical evidence for reforming pedagogical practices to foster PhD students’ positive emotions.

Pedagohiya ng Kaligtasan: Community-Based Hazard Identification and Assessment Project through the Application of Problem-Based Learning Approach in Senior High School

Disaster preparedness and risk reduction are recognized as fundamental actions for creating a safe future and for reducing the severity of losses during disasters. In this context, DRRR education was included in the curriculum of the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum. Innovative use of the problem-based learning (PBL) approach was applied as a pedagogical approach in DRRR subjects in this study. It was used to test how effective is the PBL approach in engaging the respondents to propose and suggests feasible solutions to the identified community hazards. Further, to assess if the academic profile relevant to the basic concept of hazards of the respondents will significantly become more positive before and after exposing the students to the PBL approach. The research utilizes data analysis with a One-Group Pretest Posttest Design. Thirty-one (31) Grade 11 STEM students from Rosario National High School enrolled in the DRRR subject are the participant of this research. The research runs for the entirety of the SY 2018-2019 second semester. Its procedure was divided into three phases; Phase 1: conduct a pre-test without the PBL approach. Phase 2: the development of the learning tasks in DRRR lessons using the PBL approach Phase 3: conduct post-tests after the participants took the learning tasks in DRRR lessons using the PBL approach. The study revealed that students exposed to the PBL approach gain higher grade ratings from satisfactory to outstanding. There is a significant increase in the problem-solving skills of the students at 0.05 after being taught using the PBL approach on concepts of hazards and how to identify them in the community. PBL approach is significantly effective in engaging the respondents to propose and suggests feasible solutions to the identified community hazards. The proposed action plan should be realized to enhance the student’s academic performance in DRRM lessons using the PBL approach. Keywords: disaster risk reduction; PBL (problem-based learning) approach; pedagogy; problem-solving skill

Advocating for global health locally: Swedish Red Cross nurses as nursing activists for COVID-19 vaccination

The COVID-19 vaccination has created turbulence in many communities. The dilemma has been particularly alive among health professionals such as nurses. As lecturers at the Swedish Red Cross University, whose academic profile is global nursing and global health, we promote the importance of the nursing profession as advocates for the COVID-19 vaccination. The main objective of this commentary is to reflect on the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) fundamental tenet based on its principles in relation to nursing commitment beyond traditional responsibilities in times of pandemic when urgency, reactivity, and pedagogical health education become a priority. The notion of ‘globality’ and the contextualization and modernization of nursing responsibilities are associated with these professional reflections. We conclude that activism and advocacy, on issues crucial to planetary health and the advancement of social justice globally, are the responsibility of nurses. Furthermore, the liability of RCRC nurses is accentuated by the seven principles and the significance of humanity within the global perspective.

Factors Affecting Undergraduate Medical Students' Perception of Online Education During the COVID Pandemic at a Teaching Hospital in Eastern India

Background: Shift from medical education to online mode during the coronavirus pandemic started without much preparation. Students’ perception is vital to further improve online medical education. Objectives: This study aimed to assess undergraduate medical students' perception of online education and conduct factor analysis of responses to identify latent variables. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted among the phase II undergraduate medical students. A structured questionnaire was mailed to 200 randomly selected students. Variables collected were demographics (age, sex, residence, and mother language), academic profile, and perception of online education. Outcome measures were frequencies, percentages, and the degree of agreement to given statements about online education. Factor analysis was done by principal component analysis with varimax rotation to identify latent factors. Results: Analysis was done for 115 completed questionnaires. The mean age of the respondents was 21.2 yrs, with a male preponderance (82.6%). The students had low satisfaction with online classes and did not consider online education as effective as offline classes. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors, including 'planning and delivery of online lessons', 'satisfaction with online education,' and 'opportunity to interact.' Conclusions: Online education was not as effective as in-person education. The reason was mainly changes in student-teacher interaction.

Ontology-Based Linked Data to Support Decision-Making within Universities

In recent years, educational institutions have worked hard to automate their work using more trending technologies that prove the success in supporting decision-making processes. Most of the decisions in educational institutions rely on rating the academic research profiles of their staff. An enormous amount of scholarly data is produced continuously by online libraries that contain data about publications, citations, and research activities. This kind of data can change the accuracy of the academic decisions, if linked with the local data of universities. The linked data technique in this study is applied to generate a link between university semantic data and a scientific knowledge graph, to enrich the local data and improve academic decisions. As a proof of concept, a case study was conducted to allocate the best academic staff to teach a course regarding their profile, including research records. Further, the resulting data are available to be reused in the future for different purposes in the academic domain. Finally, we compared the results of this link with previous work, as evidence of the accuracy of leveraging this technology to improve decisions within universities.

Essential Guide to Manuscript Writing for Academic Dummies: An Editor’s Perspective

Writing an effective manuscript is one of the pivotal steps in the successful closure of the research project, and getting it published in a peer-reviewed and indexed journal adds to the academic profile of a researcher. Writing and publishing a scientific paper is a tough task that researchers and academicians must endure in staying relevant in the field. Success in translating the benchworks into the scientific content, which is effectively communicated within the scientific field, is used in evaluating the researcher in the current academic world. Writing is a highly time-consuming and skill-oriented process that requires familiarity with the numerous publishing steps, formatting rules, and ethical guidelines currently in vogue in the publishing industry. In this review, we have attempted to include the essential information that novice authors in their early careers need to possess, to be able to write a decent first scientific manuscript ready for submission in the journal of choice. This review is unique in providing essential guidance in a simple point-wise manner in conjunction with easy-to-understand illustrations to familiarize novice researchers with the anatomy of a basic scientific manuscript.

Pertinencia curricular: caso enfermería, estado del arte

This product emerges with the aim of building a state of the art in the field of nursing curriculum relevance. The organization and approach to the object of study was carried out in two phases, first in the heuristic phase and later in the hermeneutic phase. Regarding the structure of the work, the theoretical background of the curriculum is presented, highlighting its conceptualization, the main historical moments and exponents; the professional nursing academic profile is broken down in a general way in relation to curricular relevance; Subsequently, references are shown with the current situation of the nursing curriculum; findings of convergences and divergences in different related studies; challenges of curricular design in the nursing discipline. The project concludes with the evident need to propose the revision, continuous evaluation and redesign of nursing curricula through constant interaction between graduates, employers, the needs of society and health establishments in such a way as to promote the development of comprehensive skills for the future nurse and the ability of this to be able to provide holistic care. Providing a leading role to students for the construction of school curricula.

Identity as a source of agency for transformative english language teachers

Objective: This study aims to analyze two teacher-researchers’ stories about their socially enacted identities as a source of agency for transformation to revindicate what language teachers have to say and do about themselves and to position them as valid interlocutors of the educational system. Method: We used the narrative inquiry approach to analyze the participants’ small stories. The study attempted to answer the following research question: What reflexive and transformative perspectives do language teachers use to tell their story as English language teaching professionals? The data corresponded to two participants’ meaningful life stories that involved their personal, professional, and academic profiles. Those stories were collected through narrative interviews. Results: The analysis was encapsulated in the category titled Transformative Teachers’ Storied Agency Being Affected by Neoliberal Dynamics. It is defined through two emerging subcategories—Asymmetric Social Relations: Educational Equality through Teacher-Researchers’ Storied Agency Despite the Neoliberalism Hierarchy and Teacher-Researchers’ Decisions and Actions for Tackling the Univalence and Ambivalence of the English Language Teaching Curriculum. Discussion and Conclusion: We account for the participants’ transformative teacher-researcher identity as a site of agency in the frame of macro policies with a neoliberal influencing force. Our definition of the categories reflects one of the lessons we learned after our small story analysis: the concept of storied agency.

An Analysis of Academic Background and Research Activity Among Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Division Chiefs and Fellowship Program Directors

Background: Pediatric orthopedics has seen a large increase in the number of practicing surgeons. As a field that is concentrated at tertiary referral centers, research productivity can be a critical component of academic advancement for pediatric orthopedics. Little has been published on the academic profiles of pediatric orthopedic leaders, and therefore, this study sought to highlight the demographics of these individuals. Methods: Pediatric orthopedic division chiefs and fellowship program directors (PD) were identified for all Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA) accredited fellowship programs in the 2020-21 application cycle. A combination of organizational and public websites was used to compile the academic profiles of these leaders, including demographic variables and research productivity. Division chiefs and PDs were then compared, as were leaders when stratified by fellowship size. Results: A total of 46 POSNA-accredited fellowships were identified. As 12 surgeons held dual roles as division chief and PD, 46 division leaders and 34 PDs formed the groups for comparison. Division chiefs had greater median years-in-practice (24.0 vs 13.0, p<0.001), PubMed publications (56.0 vs 27.0, p=0.037), and more frequently were appointed as “Professor” (54.3% vs 23.5%, p=0.013) compared to fellowship PDs. Leaders working at programs with >1 spot/year were more likely to have completed fellowship at their home program (40.0% vs 8.0%, p=0.001) and had higher research productivity across all metrics (all p<0.002) than leaders at programs with 1 position/year. Female representation among division chiefs and fellowship PDs was 10.9% and 14.7%, respectively. Conclusions: When compared to fellowship PDs, pediatric division chiefs had higher research productivity and academic appointments. Division leaders at larger programs additionally had higher research output and more commonly trained at their current institution. Female representation among pediatric orthopedic leaders was higher than the field of orthopedics at large, but lagged behind reported POSNA membership.