Cent Of Students Research Articles

Are we reaping what we sow? Gender diversity in surgery: a survey of medical students

BackgroundA survey of medical students from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) at Dublin, Perdana and Penang in Malaysia was undertaken in an attempt to explore attitudes towards...

An Exploratory Study to Assess the Reproductive Sexual Health Behaviour and its Relationship with Academic Performance among Adolescent Students in the Selected School of Manipur

Introduction: Adolescence is a period when the individual is vulnerable and exposure to sexually implicit/ explicit programs on television and internet can influence their sexual behaviour and make them more permissive towards premarital sex, which is known to influence their academic performance. Keeping this in view, an exploratory study was done to assess the reproductive sexual health behaviour and its relationship with academic performance among adolescent students in the selected school of Manipur. The main objectives of the study were to identify sexual health behaviour among adolescent students, to study the factors responsible for the development of risky sexual health behaviour among adolescent students, to assess the academic performance of the adolescent students and to establish relationship between risky sexual health behaviour and academic performance. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya located in Chandel District of Manipur State. A quantitative research approach was used to achieve the objectives of the study. A non-probability sampling method was adopted and a convenience sampling technique was employed for the study. Data was collected via structured questionnaire from 100 students belonging to the age group of 16-18 years studying in 11th and 12th class. Results: 75 per cent of adolescent students were found to be in romantic relationship, 25 per cent of the students reported to have dropped out from school due to unplanned/ premarital pregnancy, 12 per cent of the students reported having indulged in sexual intercourse and these same students used condoms as a protective measure during the intercourse and 50 per cent of the students reported having watched porn. There was significant relationship between reproductive sexual heath behaviour and academic performance among adolescent students. Conclusion: Sexual health education helps students protect their sexual health and avoid these negative outcomes. By providing sexual health education programs, schools can support student health and foster their academic achievement.

Perceptions and experiences that may influence consideration of breast imaging as a career option

IntroductionStaff shortages and increasing workload raises concerns about maintaining breast services. Recruitment and retention of radiographic staff is vital. We explore views of UK undergraduate radiography students and breast radiographers to gauge how training experiences influenced their career choices on graduation. MethodTwo questionnaires were distributed on line, one to female final year undergraduate radiography students, the second to screening and symptomatic breast units, targeting radiographers in post ≤10yrs. ResultsThere were 133 student and 126 radiographer responses for analysis. Sixty nine per cent of student respondents were ≤25 yrs. Over 40% of radiographer respondents were ≥36 yrs Seventy five per cent of students and 70% of radiographers had a practice placement in breast imaging (BI), many commenting this should include positioning technique. Experiences during placement were more influential than academic content for career planning. Seventy per cent of students and 50% of radiographers felt BI suitable as a first post. Negative influences came from higher education institution staff and qualified radiographers. Ninety per cent of students intended working in general radiography first, 47% considering BI in future. Sixty nine per cent of radiographers did not choose BI for their first post. Interest and career progression influenced radiographers choosing to subsequently train in mammography. ConclusionMost respondents took a non BI post first with later attractions into BI including interest and career progression. Practice placement was the most influential aspect of training for both groups citing a need for ‘hands on’ experience and positive engagement from mammographers.

Entrepreneurial competency and self-efficacy among the agricultural graduates of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Nurturing entrepreneurship among students has become an important issue in universities as well as in other such organizations. For getting into the entrepreneurial society it is very important to have entrepreneurial competencies. Therefore this study attempted to investigate the entrepreneurial competencies and career self-efficacy among the agricultural students. Data were collected from 250 UG agricultural students of all the campuses of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University viz Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai and Killikulam. The entrepreneurial competencies were analyzed using factor analysis and the results comprised three dimensions such as management competency, opportunity competency and personal competency. In case of career self-efficacy, 70 per cent of the sample students had medium level of career self-efficacy followed by 18 per cent having low level. Among these management competency (F= 64.301) and opportunity competency (F= 58.953) were found to be important dimensions in discriminating the two groups such as students with low and high career self-efficacy. Therefore efforts must be made to improve the managerial competency among the students and they may be offered the personality development programmes as their career development process.

Engineering Design Education by Problem Based Learning Using Quality Function Deployment

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a comprehensive design method to translate the voice of the customer into engineering characteristics of a new product. The author designed a problem based learning seminar for identifying the customers’ requirements, classifying the importance of those requirements, and finding the engineering characteristics which will be highly relevant to these requirements using QFD. In a seven times seminar, students conceived of the complaints and desires for the product, a handy cleaner, formed the voice of the customer, and defined the customers’ requirements. Then they extracted engineering characteristics from the requirements, composed a quality matrix, calculated the strength of influence between the requirements and the engineering characteristics, and determined the important characteristics for improving the customers’ satisfaction. The results of a post seminar questionnaire showed that ninety-six per cent of students felt improvements of their design ability.

Assessing food insecurity prevalence and associated factors among college students enrolled in a university in the Southeast USA.

To assess rates of food insecurity (FI) among college students enrolled at a large public university system across one US state and identify factors associated with experiencing FI. Cross-sectional online survey administered to eligible, enrolled students (n 38 614) across three campuses within the university system, with 5593 students responding (4824 final sample after applying exclusion criteria, 12·5 % response rate). FI was assessed using the US Department of Agriculture's Adult Food Security Survey Module. Descriptive statistics were conducted to calculate FI status and identify sample characteristics. Associations between FI status and independent variables were assessed using bivariate analyses (χ2 and ANOVA tests) and multivariate logistic regression. Large public university system, Southeast USA. Enrolled college students (excluding freshman, <18 years of age). Thirty-six per cent of students were classified as FI. After controlling for confounders, factors that were significantly associated with increased likelihood of FI included previous FI (P<0·001; OR=4·78), financial factors and self-reported grade point average ≤3·85. Seniors were significantly more likely experience FI than graduate students (P=0·004, OR=1·41). A significant relationship was not identified between FI and meal plan participation, and no differences in FI were found between graduate students and individuals with sophomore or junior standing. This research identifies high rates of FI among college students enrolled in a large public university system in the Southeast USA, as well as selected factors related to FI. Programmes to assist college students experiencing FI need to be developed and tested.

‘We are not all equal!’

In my role as programme leader of the BA (Hons) Criminal Justice and Criminology, I observed that students who entered with A-levels were more likely to achieve a 2:1 or 1st class degree than students from other routes of entry. Analysis of five cohorts showed that less than half of entrants with Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualification achieved a 2:1 classification, compared to over 90 per cent of A-level students. In the interests of equity, this phenomenon deserved further investigation. I set out to identify issues in the transition to higher education that may cause BTEC students to struggle to adapt to academic study and any skills deficits that may ultimately lead to underachievement. As a result of the study, a toolkit was devised to smooth the transition, raise aspiration, enhance self-esteem and improve outcomes.

The utility of virtual reality surgical simulation in the undergraduate otorhinolaryngology curriculum.

To examine the impact of temporal bone virtual reality surgical simulator use in the undergraduate otorhinolaryngology curriculum. Medical students attended a workshop involving the use of a temporal bone virtual reality surgical simulator. Students completed a pre-workshop questionnaire on career interests. A post-workshop questionnaire evaluated the perceived usefulness and enjoyment of the virtual reality surgical simulator experience, and assessed changes in their interest in ENT. Thirty-two fifth-year University of Auckland medical students were recruited. The majority of students (53.1 per cent) had already chosen their career path. The simulator experience was useful for: stimulating thoughts around career plans (71.9 per cent), providing hands-on experience (93.8 per cent) and teaching disease processes (93.8 per cent). After the workshop, 53.1 per cent of students were more interested in a career in ENT. Virtual reality may be a fun and engaging way of teaching ENT. Furthermore, it could help guide student career planning.

Rural Agriculture Work Experience Programme in Agriculture College: A Study in Tarai Region of Uttarakhand

Agricultural education is evolving in a very rapid manner to meet the needs of the society. RAWE (Rural Agriculture Work Experience) was introduced in the Agricultural Universities mainly to bring overall improvement in quality of life of rural families. This programme is offered in final year of the B.Sc. (Agri) degree programme which includes training, demonstration, observation, practice and participation in purposeful activities and to orient agricultural graduates for participation in various rural developmental programme.&#x0D; This pioneer study about RAWE was undertaken to study the perception of RAWE programme by the students and to know the constraints of students for effective conduct of RAWE. The data was collected from 40 students of College of Agriculture, GBPUA&amp;T, Pantnagar by using semi-structured interview schedule.&#x0D; The findings revealed that majority of the students belonged to urban background. More than half per cent of students had parents with Intermediate level followed by Graduate level and Post Graduate level. Some of the students belong to families with annual income of over 2 lakh/annum (high category). At GBPUA&amp;T, Pantnagar, majority had medium OGPA. Cent Per cent students were using mobile phone followed by television. A great majority of students read newspaper followed by magazine. It can be observed that majority of the students were fully agreed that RAWE programme had helped them to get familiar with rural people followed by RAWE had helped them to understand village situations. The Perception of the students regarding extent of achievement of RAWE is to understand rural institutions, socio economic conditions of farmers, adoption patterns and adoption gaps, farmers’ problems, farming systems and farming, improvement in diagnostic skills, provided practical training in crop production, improved communication skills, improved leadership qualities, provided opportunity to work with various Agri based institutions, developed confidence and professional competence to solve field problems. The suggestions for improvement of RAWE by students are the Time for each module in RAWE to be increased, stipend should be increased, University should increase its credibility and accessibility among farmers.

Assistive technology applications for students with reading difficulties: special education teachers’ experiences and perceptions

Purpose: Reading and writing applications (with text-to-speech, TTS and speech-to-text, STT functions), used as assistive technology (AT) for students with reading difficulties are increasingly used in education, however, research has not sufficiently enough evaluated its potential. The purpose of this study was to explore how assistive reading and writing applications were perceived to function with regard to students’ possibilities to assimilate (i.e., “read”) and communicate (i.e., “write”) text.Methods: Following a six-week app intervention, this follow-up survey contained 54 special education teachers’ perceptions of how the use of apps impacted student motivation, learning, and its usability in special education. A total of 59 students with reading difficulties from Grade 4, Grade 8 and from high school, were assessed. Analyses included quantitative and qualitative analyses of teachers’ responses and written material.Results: The results showed individual differences in how teachers perceived app usage for text-interaction purposes, including how app usage affected student motivation and autonomy for text-based learning. Eighty-two per cent of the younger and forty-seven per cent of older students continued to use the technology after the intervention, but in various degrees.Conclusions: Based on these findings, students with reading difficulties seem to be able to use AT in order to assimilate text (i.e., to read) and to communicate text (i.e., to write), and, thus, AT has the potential to promote participation in regular education. Future research should focus on how to customize assistive technology support in order to better utilize the potential.Implication for rehabilitationThis study found that students with reading difficulties could use reading and writing apps (with text-to-speech, TTS and speech-to-text, STT) in portable tables to be able to gain access to, and to produce text in an applied school setting.To use TTS and STT as assistive technology efficiently may require relative extensive support and training, but even with this support, not all students in this study benefited from the potential use of the technology, as the processes of being able to gain access to and to produce text with assistive technology seem to be a difficult process for some of the students.It is proposed that in order to enable all students with reading difficulties possibilities to use assistive technology efficiently, its uses need to be customized even further than was done in this extensive intervention.

Evidence-based dentistry skill acquisition by second-year dental students.

Identification and assessment of Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) outcomes have been elusive. Our objective was to describe EBD skill acquisition during the second (D2) year of pre-doctoral dental education and student competency at the end of the year. The first and fourth (final) curricular-required EBD Exercises (ie, application of the first 4 steps of the 5-Step evidence-based practice process applied to a real or hypothetical situation) completed by D2 students (n=151) during 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 were evaluated to measure skill acquisition through use of a novel rubric with measures of performance from novice to expert. Exercises were evaluated on the performance for each step, identification of manuscript details and reflective commentary on manuscript components. Changes in performance were evaluated using the chi-square test for trend and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Seventy-eight per cent of students scored competent or higher on the Ask step at the beginning of the D2year; scores improved with 58% scoring proficient or expert on the fourth Exercise (P<.001). Most students were advanced beginners or higher in the Acquire, Appraise and Apply steps at the beginning of the D2year, with minimal growth observed during the year. Identification of manuscript details improved between the first and fourth Exercises (P=.015); however, depth of commentary skills did not change. Unlike previous investigations evaluating EBD knowledge or behaviour in a testing situation, we evaluated skill acquisition using applied Exercises. Consistent with their clinical and scientific maturity, D2 students minimally performed as advanced beginners at the end of their D2year.

Knowledge, attitudes and practice of final-year student pharmacists in public health in Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe: an exploratory survey.

To explore the knowledge, attitudes and practice of final-year student pharmacists about public health. Knowledge, attitudes and practice of all final-year student pharmacists (N = 158) in Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe were assessed through a quantitative 12-item survey. The survey assessed personal interest and attitude towards public health activities, self-assessed ability to perform basic public health activities, perspectives towards current pharmacist practices within public health activities in their country, and student involvement in public health activities during pharmacy school. Eighty-two per cent of students responded to the survey (n = 129). The majority (95%) of all final-year student pharmacists are interested in contributing to public health activities in both health promotion and disease prevention and feel, as pharmacists, they have the responsibility to do so. Additionally, the majority of students would like more education during pharmacy school on health promotion (93%) and disease prevention (89%). Despite their interest, low numbers of student pharmacists feel that pharmacists are currently utilised in disease prevention (35%) and health promotion (42%). Final-year student pharmacists in Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe express strong interest in public health education and involvement in public health activities. This interest and enthusiasm can serve as evidence for advancing public health education in the pharmacy curricula and for developing pharmacist opportunities in public health efforts that match the needs of the country.

Does medical students’ gender affect their clinical learning of gynaecological examination? A retrospective cohort study

IntroductionMedical graduates should be competent in gynaecological examination as well as associated skills including speculum use and swabbing. Male and female medical students may have different opportunities to practise these...

Nottingham: A History of Britain’s Global University, by John Beckett

Is Nottingham ‘Britain’s global university’? Of course not. In terms of global influence, it performs respectably, but not spectacularly. The most recent rankings saw it placed 147th in the Times Higher league, and somewhere similar in the Shanghai classifications. With branch campuses in China and Malaysia, it does have a global reach, to be sure. And it is only fair to note that these were the first branches established by any British institution. But, even taking account of such intriguing offshoots, it is scarcely the most internationalised of Britain’s very international universities. Forty-one per cent of its students—or 27 per cent if one only counts those resident in Nottingham—are from overseas. By contrast, 67 per cent of students at Imperial and 69 per cent of those at the LSE are non-British. The title of this book, and its concluding claim that Nottingham is ‘Britain’s one truly global university’ (p. 516) is somewhat disconcerting. So is the fact that the manuscript was read by the vice-chancellor and is now prefaced by a glowing foreword from the registrar, celebrating a project which ‘took longer than everyone imagined’ but nonetheless has generated important ‘outputs’ (p. vi). Its glossy paper; its 487 full-colour photos; its (surely subsidized) price: all this, too, evokes a promotional piece rather than a work of history. The tone of the text, which begins by extolling ‘a story of success when measured in terms of the higher education world more generally’ (p. 2), is likewise typical of the sorts of corporate celebrations that many universities now delight in.

Students' perception of lacunae in medical education in India, and suggestions for reforms.

The methods of classroom and clinical teaching in the MBBS course in India have not seen major modifications or innovations in recent decades, leading to dissatisfaction among students. Lack of conclusive data in this regard and absence of a mechanism for students' feedback are also areas of concern. We aimed to assess the satisfaction levels and identify lacunae in undergraduate medical education in India. We used an 8-item questionnaire to identify lacunae in medical education. A total of 336 undergraduate medical students from second and third professional years and interns of Delhi voluntarily participated in the study. Data were analysed using SPSS 17 version. Eighty-one per cent of students were not satisfied with teaching methods due to lack of coordination between different departments and lack of problem-based learning. Sixty-five per cent of students did not find the classroom environment conducive to learning due to large sizes of teaching batches and inadequate maintenance of infrastructure. Eighty-six per cent of students were not satisfied with learning experience during clinical postings attributing it to 'doctors being too busy to teach in clinics'. There is dissatisfaction among students indicating their desire for improved methods in medical education. Suggestions include short-term reforms such as encouraging interdepartmental planning and introducing problem-based learning, coupled with long-term measures such as improving infrastructure.

Expectations of the university to post-graduation transition of students with mental health conditions

The number and percentage of students with mental health conditions (MHC) attending university is increasing. Students with MHC can be well supported during their time at university, but receive less support with the transition from university to post-graduation. This time is characterised by great change and can be accompanied by mixed feelings. This paper presents preliminary data on the transition expectations and perceptions of 35 students with MHC. High levels of fear and low levels of preparedness regarding the transition were reported. Only 55-60 per cent of students had accessed transition-related or careers-related support, but those who had found it productive. Students suggested that more condition-specific support, and support in the form of workshops, lectures and one-to-one meetings would be beneficial. This knowkdge can be used to better support students with MHC with the university to post-graduation transition.

Factors Influencing Job Choice among Agricultural Graduates in Tamil Nadu

The results revealed that 96 per cent of the doctoral degree students selected the course by choice, which was 97.5 and 74 per cent in case of master and bachelor degree students, respectively. Majority of the students opted bachelor degree course to learn practical agriculture, while post-graduation has been opted for attaining a better job. The percentage of students who selected agricultural studies by their own decisions have increased with increase in the degree level, which was 36, 57, and 62 per cent at bachelor, master and doctoral degree levels, respectively. Apart from their own decisions, their fathers and siblings served as a source of motivation for a significant number of students at all the degree levels. Majority of the students, as well as their parents, wished to get employed in the service sector, and a considerable proportion of them wanted to go for higher education. Within the service sector, state government jobs were mostly preferred and private sector jobs were least preferred. Interestingly, a significant volume (26%) of the bachelor degree students wanted to take up farming as their profession. There was a significant positive relationship between career preferences and profile characteristics like family income, degree level and medium of instruction at the secondary level. Student respondents felt that family type, family background and income were the major constraints in selecting their career options.

The Digitally Disadvantaged: Access to Digital Communication Technologies among First Year Students at a Rural South African University

ABSTRACTConsidering the importance of digital skills in university education, this article reports on a study which examined access to technology among first year students at a rural South African university. The study focused on the digital readiness of students prior to their admission to the university, since many universities provide access to computers and the internet. The survey of 156 first year students revealed that 73 per cent of the students had no access to computers at their high schools and 82 per cent of students from rural high schools had no computer access and internet at their schools. Most students from rural areas used a computer for the first time when they were 19 years and older. Many students gained access to computers and the internet for the first time at the university. As a result, they enter the university digitally disadvantaged. Solutions that involve initiatives to provide access to technology are required in addition to digital literacy for educators at high schools.

The Scenario of Higher Education in India; challenge and elucidation

The role of the higher education in the national development is well established. A significant growth in this sector has been observed in the last six decades. The fact is Indian Higher Education System Network is largest in the world with maximum number of affiliated and constituent colleges or institutions. This has also contributed significantly in the economic growth of the India. When India introduced its first five year plan there were 28 Universities, 695 colleges and 1,74000 students in comparison of today’s more than 700 universities and 36,000 affiliated colleges enrolling nearly 30 million students which makes about 18 per cent Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India, the scene is quite complex. With all these institutions, nearly 86 per cent of students are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs with about 74 per cent enrolling in three-year B.A., B.Com. or B.Sc. degrees. One-sixth of all Indian students are enrolled in engineering/technology degrees. Education, medicine, agriculture, veterinary science and law all together accounts for less than 10 per cent of total enrollment. About 12 per cent students pursue post graduate studies whereas only 2 per cent are enrolled in doctoral degree and other diploma programs. Still the higher education system is passing through turbulent time and facing many challenges. The gross enrollment ratio of India is is very low in comparison with other countries eg. China more than 23%, UK 57% and US with 83%.

An innovative long final year assistantship in general practice: description and evaluation

We describe and evaluate an innovative immersive 15 week final year assistantship in general practice. Evaluation data was taken from five years of routinely collected School data and available national comparative data. The assistantship aims to enable students to consolidate knowledge and hone their skills through central participation in the care of large numbers of patients with acute and long term conditions. We estimate that most students consulted with over 450 patients during the assistantship. Students report that they became useful to their practice teams, had multiple episodes of feedback on their performance which they found useful and, in the school exit survey, reported that they were highly prepared for practice. 9.4 per cent of students reported that the assistantship was ‘too long’ and, especially those who completed the assistantship in the second semester, they were out of hospital for too long before F1. Some described a learning ‘plateau’ after the 10th week which was addressed by modifications to the assistantship. Nevertheless, in national surveys, our graduates’ self-reported preparedness for practice is high, a perception shared by their F1 supervisors. General practice can make a valuable contribution to the education of senior medical students and contribute to their preparedness for practice.