Students In Degree Programs Research Articles

Predictors of Critical Thinking in Spanish University Students

Critical thinking (CT) is essential for the academic and professional success of university students, yet understanding its complexities remains challenging. This study examines the impact of various predictors on CT and its dimensions (argument analysis/evaluation and problem-solving) among Spanish university students. Using a hierarchical linear regression model with three levels, incorporating individual and contextual variables, data from a sample of 5,238 students across various Spanish universities were analysed. The results revealed significant effects of several predictors on CT and its dimensions, including gender (favouring males), year of study (favouring students in higher years), academic performance (favouring students with higher grades), type of degree (favouring students in double degree programs), and university ownership (favouring public universities). The study underscores the importance of addressing these predictors to enhance CT and promote academic and professional success. Recognising limitations, further research is needed to explore additional predictors, refine models, and deepen the understanding of CT in higher education.

Professional Commitment of 8-Year Medical Doctoral Degree Program Students in China: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy, Learning Engagement, and Academic Performance.

Studying the professional commitment of a student in an 8-year medical training program of China, especially its association with academic performance, can enhance the understanding of professional loyalty in future doctors. This study aimed to investigate the self-efficacy, academic performance, professional commitment, and learning engagement of 8-year program medical students, and explore the mediating roles of professional commitment and learning engagement on the associations between self-efficacy and academic performance. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a Chinese medical university and collected the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Professional Commitment of Undergraduates Scales, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student from self-reported students. Academic performance was ascertained using course examination scores in the most recent year. We conducted a structural equation model (SEM) analysis to examine the mediating roles of professional commitment and learning engagement on the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. A total number of 402 medical students were included in this study. Students in the clinical practice stage had significantly lower professional commitment and learning engagement than students in the pre-medical and medical course stages. The professional commitment of students from low-income families was significantly lower than that of students from high-income families. Professional commitment and learning engagement were mediators in the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. This study is the first to investigate professional commitment among students in the China 8-year medical program. Professional commitment plays an intermediary role between self-efficacy and academic performance.

THE PREVALENCE OF ORTHOREXIA IN TOURISM EDUCATION ASSOCIATE DEGREE STUDENTS

Healthy eating is not a pathological situation, but when it becomes a long-term and excessive preoccupation and causes negativities in daily life, it can cause personality and behavioural disorders. The study is aimed to determine the prevalence of orthorexia among tourism students with and without a nutrition education background and to develop recommendations accordingly. The research population consists of tourism students in associate degree programs (from junior colleges) at various public and private universities and the sample group consists of 581 volunteers. The measurement scale is composed of five constituents, namely, the demographics, nutrition properties, eating under emotional conditions (emotional eating), eating attitudes test and orthorexia test. In the light of the findings it is concluded that the prevalence of orthorexia is higher among tourism students who have nutrition education than those who have not. Eating attitudes test results have shown that tourism students who get nutrition education are at a moderate level compared to those who do not.

Experiencing transnational dual degree programs in China: an exploration of international students’ motivation

ABSTRACT The internationalization of higher education has increased opportunities for collaborative programs, including transnational dual degree programs between universities in China and abroad. Previous studies have focused on students in regular study abroad programs or in-country dual degree modes. However, research on the motivations of international students in dual degree programs operated by Chinese universities and international partner universities is limited. To address this gap, drawing upon the push–pull model, we conducted a qualitative exploratory study to investigate the motivation of 17 international dual degree students at a Chinese university. Findings demonstrate that various motivational factors influenced their decision to pursue a dual degree in China, ranging from the national, institutional, and individual levels. The importance of institutional and governmental cooperation in the development of such programs is also highlighted. The study contributes to the understanding of transnational dual degree programs and provides implications for stakeholders and future studies.

ASSOCIATION OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE STRESS: A STUDY AMONG POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS

The study aims to evaluate the association of Emotional Intelligence (EI) with Organizational Role Stress (ORS) among post-graduate students of public health and healthcare management at various institutes in India. Evidence indicates a depletion and exhaustion of mental and physical energies due to the numerous demands on both post-graduate students personal and professional fronts. Long-term exposure to such demands has been shown to have dysfunctional consequences on students, which can cause stress in their roles. Individuals with higher emotional Intelligence have been perceived to use stress-coping mechanisms effectively.A total of 157 students in post-graduate degree programs in public health and healthcare management were surveyed for data. The 50-item Organizational Role Stress scale and 33-item emotional intelligence scale were used to collect the required data. The findings demonstrate an insignificant correlation between organizational stress and emotional Intelligence. However, among the ten role stressors, inter-role distance and role erosion exhibit a significant positive correlation with emotional Intelligence.

Akademische Lesekompetenz in der L2 Deutsch

Given that reading German scientific texts is an essential skill for international students in German-language degree programs, one would not expect that this key competence for academic success is hardly promoted at German universities. That is why the question arises of how international students can achieve the level of academic reading competence required in German-language degree programs. This paper focuses on findings from a study using educational design research to investigate the academic reading competence in L2 German of international students in humanities and social sciences. Through the development and implementation of an academic reading program for international students, valuable insights into the acquisition of this key competence were gained in authentic learning situations.

Who cares? Effects of gendered self‐perceptions on dropout intentions in communal degree programs

AbstractGlobal population aging trends create an increased need for educated workers in the health domain. At the same time, communal degree programs (i.e., health care and early education [HEE]) show high dropout rates—particularly for men. Extending person‐environment fit theory and the lack of fit model, we investigate whether students' (gendered) self‐perceptions relate to perceived fit and whether fit is associated with their sense of belonging to the degree program and dropout intentions. We conducted an online experiment with 298 Norwegian students enrolled in HEE degree programs (66 men, 232 women; Mage = 25.32, SD = 6.08). We experimentally manipulated the importance of communal versus neutral traits in communal occupations. The manipulation showed no effects on students' perceived fit or sense of belonging. However, students' gender was significantly related to their communal self‐perceptions. Male students perceived themselves as less communal, and this perception was associated with lower perceived fit. Lower perceived fit was associated with a lower sense of belonging and higher dropout intentions. Our findings indicate that gender differences in communal self‐perceptions exist even among students in communal degree programs, and that this difference in perceived communality may contribute to the higher dropout rates of male students.

A comparative case study of the accommodation of students with disabilities in online and in-person degree programs.

Fully online degree programs are an increasingly important part of the higher education ecosystem. Among the many challenges raised by the growth of fully online courses and degree programs is the question: Are institutions providing online students with disabilities accommodations that are comparable to those provided to students in traditional in-person degree programs? To explore this question, we compared students in a fully online biology degree program to students in the equivalent in-person degree program at a large research university. For each group, we assessed the frequency with which students register with the disability resource center, the range of specific accommodations provided, and course grades. Results show that students in the in-person program were nearly 30% more likely to be enrolled with the disability resource center, and that students in the online program were offered a narrower range of accommodations. However, in relative terms (i.e., compared to students without disabilities in their degree program), online students with disabilities perform better than in-person students with disabilities.

Concept and Impact of an Integrated Approach to Entrepreneurship in Higher Education

Studies show that the intention of students at Swiss universities to become an entrepreneur has been showing a positive trend since 2013 resulting in a 18,8 percent rate in 2021. The first part of this paper documents the analysis of how the business faculties of the nine Universities of Applied Sciences belonging to the Swiss universities Association take up the topic of entrepreneurship in their Bachelor- and Master-degree programs. This part is based on an analysis of publicly accessible module descriptions of the business administration curricula. The results show that three patterns can be recognized. Firstly, a group of universities that explicitly take up entrepreneurship as a focus subject in their curricula. Secondly, a group that deals with the topic in conjunction with the topic of "innovation". And thirdly, a group of universities that do not address the topic at all in their curricula. The second part presents the case study of the "Entrepreneurship Pyramid" which is an Integrated Concept implemented at the School of Business of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) which belongs to the first group of universities mentioned above. The concept divides the entrepreneurship education into four levels. At the lowest level, there are compulsory courses for all students in the bachelor's degree programs. The next two levels are optional specializations in bachelor's and master's courses, the latter of which can already lead to founding a company. On the fourth level, there are other, mostly post-graduate offers. For this purpose, the School of Business of FHNW has built up a network within a regional ecosystem, which supports graduates in their entrepreneurial activities even after completing their studies. Start-up competitions, financing and coaching are offered in cooperation with state institutions, associations, and private companies. This part includes the results of a study which analysed how large the number of startups founded by graduates from the School of Business of FHNW is.

THE IMPACT OF LEARNING STRATEGIES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF TRANSNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS (TNE)

This study investigates the impact of learning strategies on the academic performance of transnational higher education (TNE) students. In the context of Pakistan, where traditional rote-learning methodologies are prevalent, this research focuses on understanding the learning strategies adopted by transnational university students and their influence on academic outcomes. The rote-learning methodology is a traditional technique adopted by the students in higher education degree programs in the universities of Pakistan. This technique has made domestic students the passive recipient of information during their lectures in classrooms and hence influence their learning outcomes (Bal-Taştan et al., 2018). The study aims to bridge the gap in research regarding the correlation between learning strategies and academic performance among transnational students. The significance of this study lies in its potential to shed light on how learning strategies affect academic success and satisfaction levels among TNE students. The research employs a cross-sectional, quantitative, survey-based approach to gather data from transnational students enrolled at the IVY College of Management Sciences (ICMS) in Lahore, Pakistan. The collected data is analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The findings reveal that learning strategies, particularly microstrategies and keys of memory and metacognition, are significantly correlated with academic achievement. Moreover, student satisfaction levels are also positively associated with academic performance. The results suggest the need for targeted training programs to enhance learning strategies among students and promote a deeper understanding of the relationship between learning approaches and academic success.

COVID-19 has highlighted the role of a public health perspective in social work education

ABSTRACT With the exception of students in dual MSW-MPH degree programs, few social work students are exposed to public health in the classroom setting. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of training social workers in health promotion, prevention, and addressing health disparities at the population-level. This article describes the field of public health social work, the foundational principles of public health and the benefits of including public health in a social work curriculum. Specific examples of content are presented related to COVID-19 vaccine access and hesitancy to illustrate this interdisciplinary approach. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that public health is an integral component of social work education.

Investigating the Role of English as a Second Language in Supporting Career Development at Tertiary Level Education in Pakistan

This study has taken the initiation to focus on the interrelatedness and discontinuity of ESL among the students of four leading International universities: Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University, University of Management and Technology, and the University of Central Punjab. To observe the usage of ESL competencies in information searching, contrivance treatment, and construction for research purposes, and for applied intercultural professionalism, communication accommodation theory with career development indicators has been applied. A questionnaire (α = .702), comprising 37 statements based upon six domains was administered. The data was collected from 850 students of different degree programs in journalism and mass communication discipline. ANOVA (one-way) and t-tests (Independent Samples) were brought into play to find out the relationship between the study’s variables. Both government-regulated and non-government varsities bespoke similarities feting positive treatment of ESL’s functions while managing its impact according to their atmospheric obligations. The students of PU and LCWU proportionately adjudged second language more as confluent, dispenser, endorser, broker, liaison, and facilitator to be the source of providence for media in Pakistan as compared to the students of UMT and UCP. Overall results show that students took more precedence over practice patterns of ESL in their career building.

Interprofessional education: the attitude among students of health science bachelor's degree programmes at universities of applied sciences in Austria / Interprofessionelle Ausbildung: Die Einstellung der Studierenden gesundheitswissenschaftlicher Bachelor-Studiengänge an österreichischen Fachhochschulen

Abstract Introduction Interprofessional collaboration is a strategy to meet the challenges of increasing complexity in the health system. The basis for cooperation in professional life must already be established in the context of interprofessional education (IPE). Students’ attitude towards IPE is a crucial factor in the development of interprofessional competences. The aim of this study is to investigate the attitude towards interprofessional education among students of health science bachelor's degree programmes at selected universities of applied sciences in Austria. Method An empirical, quantitative, non-experimental approach in the form of a cross-sectional study was chosen, with the survey being carried out online using the questionnaire University of the West of England Interprofessional Questionnaire © (Pollard et al., 2004) in its German translation von Mahler et al. (2017), as a self-assessment measuring instrument to investigate the students’ attitude towards communication and teamwork, interprofessional learning and interprofessional interaction. The data evaluation was both descriptive and analytical. Results 505 students from nine different health science degree programmes participated in the survey. 79 % (n = 504) rate their communication and teamwork skills positively and 76.6 % (n = 505) have a positive attitude towards interprofessional learning. However, only 8 % (n = 396) have a positive opinion on interprofessional interaction. In the group comparisons, significant differences are observed between the various study programmes, semesters of study and previous professional experience. Conclusion The knowledge of the attitude towards IPE should be considered when designing interprofessional activities during the course of studies in order to influence the students’ attitude positively.

Analysis of the digital gender gap among undergraduate students in business administration and management degree programs

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo general determinar el nivel de competencia digital del alumnado del Grado de Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ADE) de la Universidad de Extremadura (España) e identificar si existe o no, una brecha digital de género. La investigación se ha basado en la aplicación del Cuestionario de Competencias Digitales en Educación Superior (CDES) organizado en base a 5 dimensiones (Alfabetización tecnológica, Acceso y uso de la información, Comunicación y colaboración, Ciudadanía digital y Creatividad e Innovación), estructurado fundamentalmente en base a preguntas de una escala tipo Likert. Para alcanzar el objetivo del estudio se ha seleccionado una muestra de 371 alumnos y alumnas de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad de Extremadura y los datos recogidos en el cuestionario han sido analizados con el programa informático SPSS. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que, el 73% del alumnado posee un nivel alto de competencia digital, distribuidos en un 72,6% de hombres y un 73,5% de mujeres, no encontrando diferencias significativas según el análisis estadístico realizado, por lo que se puede concluir que no se ha encontrado brecha digital de género en nuestro universo de análisis.

Psychosocial Services for Students in Metro Manila Universities Offering Social Work Degree Programs

The state of mental health among Filipino college students remains a major concern, especially in the context of the pandemic. Cases of mental health-related problems have been seen to have risen, particularly among tertiary-level students. Fortunately, academic institutions are working to address these ongoing issues that hinder students' social functioning. However, there is a need for further research on the actual presence of psychosocial support services in universities to know and understand how school systems address the concerning problem about the mental health of their students. Identifying and discerning these support systems, as well as the gaps that come with them, is crucial in providing relevant knowledge and information for the students, faculty, and university administrators alike, to be more aware of the pressing need to come up with strategies and plans in the form of equipping more effective and more efficient psychosocial support systems to ultimately help college students in need. This paper identifies the psychosocial support systems in place among Metro Manila universities that offer social work degree programs, including the benefits, opportunities, risks, and challenges they have come across, to provide a background of what is happening and what is needed to attain social functioning, all for the students’ well-being.

Recommendations for a ‘Wellbeing Curriculum’ to Mitigate Undergraduate Psychological Distress Associated with Lack of Careers Confidence and Poor University Engagement

To foster a ‘wellbeing curriculum’ in a climate with an increasingly competitive graduate jobs market, we believe it is critical to support undergraduate career development and to develop positive peer and educator relationships, particularly for non-vocational degree programs. However, these relationships between undergraduate wellbeing and their career development or peer/educator relationships have not been specifically examined. This study used a mixed methods approach to examine if poor career development or university engagement (quality of relationships with peers or educators, use of the university careers and counselling services, time studying) were associated with psychological distress for students in non-vocational degree programs. Undergraduates (biomedical science; n=1100) from five Australian universities participated in a survey to investigate relationships between psychological distress, as determined by their responses to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales, and their career development or university engagement. Almost half of the students lacked confidence in their ‘future employment and job prospects’. Students’ psychological distress was significantly correlated with lack of confidence with their career development, poor relationships with their peers and educators and little use of the counselling service. Further exploration of these factors in student focus groups highlighted stress associated with academic competition between students and a critical need for undergraduate career development, especially industry placements. We provide pivotal recommendations to promote undergraduate and educator wellbeing, by developing a ‘wellbeing curriculum’ that supports career development and positive relationships between students and their peers and educators, particularly vital for non-vocational degrees.

Informatıon About X-Ray Radıatıon, Determınıng The Awareness Level Of Vocational School of Health Services Students

This study was carried out in order to evaluate the radiation awareness of the students who receive education in various fields in hospitals in the future, and to draw attention to this subject. It was applied to all associate degree program students at Toros University Health Service Vocational School between November-December 2021. Thus, the difference between the Medical Imaging Techniques students who receive training on radiation and the students in other programs that are not given information about radiation in the training content has been revealed.

Önlisans Öğrencilerinin Girişimcilik Eğilimlerinin Belirlenmesine Yönelik Bir Araştırma

Ülke ekonomilerinin olmazsa olmaz yapı taşlarından olan girişimcilerin önemi her geçen gün artmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda üniversiteler vermiş oldukları eğitim ile sürece değerli katkılar sunmaktadır. Üniversite öğrencileri potansiyel birer girişimci adayı olarak değerlendirilebilir. Bu çalışma, üniversitelerin önlisans programlarında öğrenim görmekte olan öğrencilerin girişimcilik eğilimlerini belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklem grubunu Adıyaman Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Meslek Yüksekokulu’ nda öğrenim gören öğrenciler oluşturmaktadır. Nicel araştırma yönteminin kullanıldığı bu çalışmada, açıklayıcı araştırma tekniğinden yararlanılmıştır. Veri toplamak üzere anket yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada kullanılan anket formu iki bölümden oluşmaktadır. Birinci bölümde ankete katılan öğrencilerin demografik özelliklerini belirlemeye yönelik 8 soru yer almaktadır. İkinci bölümde ise katılımcıların girişimcilik eğilimini ortaya çıkarmak amacıyla Yılmaz ve Sünbül’ün (2009) üniversite öğrencilerine yönelik geliştirmiş olduğu “Üniversite Öğrencilerine Yönelik Girişimcilik” ölçeğinden faydalanılmıştır. Verilerin analizi için SPSS 22.00 istatistik analiz programı kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen verilere keşfedici faktör analizi, güvenilirlik analizi, frekans analizi, bağımsız örneklem t testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizleri uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına bakıldığında, demografik değişkenler açısından girişimcilik eğilimi alt boyutlarının (özgüven, kontrol odağı, fırsatları kullanma, yenilikçilik, risk alma, başarma arzusu), katılımcıların girişimcilik eğilimi üzerine anlamlı bir farklılık ortaya çıkarmadığı görülmüştür.

Admissions and Selection Criteria for Master’s Students in Music Education Degree Programs

The purpose of this study was to examine music education faculty members’ perceptions of admissions and selection criteria for entering master’s students in music education degree programs. Using multistage sampling, we distributed a questionnaire to music education faculty at National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)-accredited institutions in the United States that offered master’s degrees in music education. Results indicated that music education faculty were involved in most admission decisions, and that transcripts, interviews, and letters of recommendation were the most common materials submitted for review. In response to open-ended questions, participants reported that their admission decisions are usually determined by four criteria: academic skills, demonstration of potential as a graduate student, demonstration of teaching ability, and less measurable indicators. This exploration of the admissions and selection criteria that music education faculty use when making admission decisions provides music teacher educators a greater understanding of this important transition point.

Assessing the Strategies for Coping with Academic Stress among the Undergraduate Students of TNAU

Aims: College students experience stress from many different sources that ultimately have an impact on their academics. To cope with the academic stress, it is needed for them to undertake appropriate coping strategies. This study aimed to identify the extent of various strategies used among the students to cope with the academic stress and to compare coping strategies used by the male and female students. 
 Study Design: Ex post facto research design was used in this study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Study area: Four Constituent colleges of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University viz., Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Killikulam. Sample: Third-year B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture Undergraduate degree programme students. 
 Methodology: Sample: 180 students (90 male and 90 female) from the four colleges were chosen based on employing proportionate random sampling. The coping strategies were classified into five categories namely relaxation, social support, personal, diet and exercise and psychological strategies The most preferred coping strategies were identified by computing mean scores and Mann Whitney U - test was employed to find the gender difference in terms of major stress coping strategies.
 Results: The findings from the study showed that listening to music, seeking out friends for conversation, consulting with parents and relatives, using past experience to handle problems, getting enough sleep, look at the bright side of the things with mean scores of 2.48, 2.3, 2.29, 2.37, 1.99 and 2.35 respectively. There also existed a significant difference between male and female undergraduate students concerning relaxation and personal strategies at a 1% significance level. 
 Conclusion: It could be concluded that the students should regularly be encouraged and motivated to get involved and take up better-suited and also scientifically approved coping strategies to handle and get relieved from their academic stress.