University Degree Programs Research Articles

Aprendizaje colaborativo en odontología conservadora mediante el uso de la lluvia de ideas como recurso educativo

La implementación del Aprendizaje Colaborativo (AC) ha aumentado notablemente en los últimos años, ya que permite la construcción del pensamiento, crear clases más dinámicas y el desarrollo de habilidades sociales y comunicativas de los estudiantes. Estas últimas son primordiales para el desempeño profesional en áreas sanitarias donde el trabajo colaborativo es fundamental. Nuestro estudio descriptivo de corte transversal evaluó el efecto de la implementación del AC en dos entornos de aprendizaje distintos, tradicional y digital, en el módulo de Técnicas de Ayuda Odontológica/Estomatológica. La población de estudio (n=25) fue dividida aleatoriamente en 8 grupos de 3 o 4 estudiantes. Como herramientas digitales se utilizaron Stormboard y Socrative para realizar la lluvia de ideas y cuestionarios de repaso, respectivamente. Después de la impartición de 6 sesiones teóricas y familiarización con el uso de las plataformas digitales, se realizaron 2 actividades colaborativas (instrumental y caso clínico) de manera tradicional y digital. Al término de cada actividad, se lanzaron cuestionarios gamificados Space Race individuales para valorar los conocimientos adquiridos. Finalmente, se aplicó un examen teórico final y una encuesta anónima para valorar la metodología aplicada. Nuestros resultados reflejan que la adquisición de contenidos en un entorno colaborativo tradicional y virtual es bastante similar. Además, un alto porcentaje del alumnado consideró que el empleo de las herramientas digitales les ayudó a ampliar conocimientos sobre el tema estudiado y en su proceso de aprendizaje. En conjunto, Stormboard es una herramienta digital colaborativa innovadora que se podría aplicar a otros Ciclos Formativos o niveles educativos superiores como el universitario, con las adaptaciones y mejoras pertinentes. The implementation of Collaborative Learning has increased appreciably in recent years since it facilitates learning, creates more dynamic classes and promotes students’ social and communication skills. The latter is crucial for healthcare workers, where collaborative work plays a pivotal role. Our cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to evaluate the effect of collaborative learning implementation in two different learning environments, traditional and digital, in the module of Techniques of Odontostomatology. It was conducted on a sample of 25 students, which were randomly divided into eight groups with 3-4 people per group. Stormboard and Socrative were used as digital tools for brainstorming and quiz activities, respectively. After the theoretical sessions, collaborative activities were carried out in different environments (traditional and digital). At the end of each activity, individual Socrative Space Race questionnaires were performed. Finally, a theoretical exam and an anonymous questionnaire were applied to assess the knowledge gained and the perception of students on this teaching strategy. Our results suggest that the acquisition of contents in a traditional and virtual collaborative environment is quite similar. Moreover, a high percentage of the students considered that digital tools helped them expand their knowledge of the subject studied and their learning process. Altogether, these observations point out that Stormboard can be an innovative and collaborative digital tool, applicable to Professional Cycles or university degree programs, with appropriate adaptations and improvements.

Predictors of Choosing Business Analytics Concentration and Consequent Academic Performance

Choosing a major field of study is important, and so is the selection of a specialized concentration that is aligned with an individual’s career aspirations. In this paper, we explore a relatively newer concentration in the area of business, namely business analytics. The field of analytics has seen a rapid growth in recent years and enrollment in college degree programs in this area has also skyrocketed. The goal of this study is to understand the primary reasons that influence a student’s decision to self-select a concentration of business analytics at a large public university. Moreover, we determine which factors are likely to have a significant effect on the performance of students enrolled in this concentration. The primary factors considered are individuals’ bright and dark personality traits, self-perceived satisfaction in related courses, along with several background control factors. The major insights obtained from analyzing our data revealed a significant effect of certain personality characteristics on both students’ concentration choice (extraversion, narcissism) and on performance (conscientiousness, emotional stability, narcissism). On the other hand, students’ performance in foundational courses in the concentration and self-perceived satisfaction in the chosen concentration had no statistically significant effect on their performance.

Managing university degree programmes acceditation in the era of economic recession in Nigeria

The economic recession experienced in Nigeria between 2015/2017 was a great concern to the management of the university system especially with shortfall in the prices of oil and gas in the global market. It would not be an understatement to say that, Nigeria university degree programmes accreditation would suffer because funding of these programmes comes from oil and gas revenue due to Nigeria mono-economy. It is evidently glaring that managing programmes accreditation during this dispensation would be affected in no small measure due to the economic recession. In view of the above, this paper would examine the following: the concept of university management, university programmes, programmes accreditation, objectives of accreditation, accreditation instrument, criteria for programme accreditation, challenges of accreditation, sources of funding university degree programmes, economic recession and its effect on university management, recommendations and conclusion.

Depicting the Ecosystems of Support and Financial Sustainability for Five College Promise Populations

The college promise movement is aimed toward making the attendance and completion of college affordable for eligible Americans in hundreds of local communities and states throughout the United States. Many college promise programs are designed with the intent of enabling students to start and complete college degree and/or postsecondary certificate programs without taking on unmanageable college debt. Two significant issues were examined at the June 2019 symposiumDepicting the Ecosystem of Support and Financial Sustainability for Five College Promise Populations, sponsored by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the College Promise Campaign with the generous support of the ECMC Foundation and the Strada Education Network. First, how would college promise programs be enhanced if they were reconceived with a deeper understanding and intent to accommodate the diversity within the postsecondary student population (traditional‐aged students, adults, undocumented students, veterans, and justice‐involved students)? Second, how could extant and new funding models be aligned to leverage the financial support needed to develop and implement these subpopulation‐targeted ecosystem designs? The symposium united the higher education community with scholars, policy makers, student representatives and other stakeholders to develop comprehensive ecosystems of support for these five subpopulations as they make their way to, through and beyond college. Additional aims were (a) to identify the cross‐group connections for use and adaptation in local communities and states and (b) to explore the variety, and knitting together, of funding opportunities for program supports.

Student Characteristics Associated with Passing the Exam in Undergraduate Pharmacology Courses\u2014a Cross-sectional Study in Six University Degree Programs

Adequate knowledge in pharmacology is crucial in many professions but a non-negligible proportion of students fail the exams and knowledge of underlying factors is largely lacking. This study was performed to evaluate to what extent various factors are related to student performance in pharmacology-related courses in higher education, linking administrative data to attendance at non-mandatory teaching sessions and questionnaire replies. A total of 596 students (median age: 22 years; 70% female) were included from eight courses which are part of either the medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, or biomedical analyst degree programs at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden. In all, 380 (64%) students passed the regular program- and course-specific exam. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a high participation rate in non-mandatory teaching sessions, as well as a perceived great interest in pharmacology, was associated with students’ passing of the exam; adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.30 (1.19 to 1.42; per 10 percentage unit increase in attendance) and 3.38 (1.86 to 6.12), respectively. Working for wages during the course weeks and pre-university grades used in the program application were significant factors in subgroups of students, negatively and positively associated with the exam results, respectively. Age, having Swedish as a second language, and time spent studying were only associated with the exam result in the univariate analyses. To conclude, both students and teachers can contribute significantly to successful education within pharmacology, students by participating in the teaching sessions and teachers by encouraging students to find the subject interesting.

Profiles of Students in Bilingual University Degree Programs Using English as a Medium of Instruction in Spain

This is an empirical study which aims to examine the profile of Spanish university students in bilingual degree programs that employ English as a medium of instruction by utilizing the bilingual section of the teaching degree course at the University of Granada as a sample. To this end, a questionnaire was applied to 216 students. While 75% of the students reported having problems when following a bilingual class, these difficulties were found to diminish or disappear after the first trimester. The majority of the students (70%) were satisfied with the program offered but they also detected some deficiencies, which provided a basis for various suggestions as to how university bilingual programs might be improved.

Eating habits in students with sports specialization

University studies with its increased psychological demands on all students in comparison to secondary schooling causes changes in their eating habits. Moreover, university degree programmes with sports focus may also be associated with increased physical load of students. This work investigates students´ dietary habits at the Faculty of Sports Studies of Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic) using a questionnaire survey. 80 persons (45 men and 35 women) were randomly selected to participate in the survey. The average age of respondents was 20.18 years for men and 20.56 years for women. The average BMI was 24.48 for men and 22.01 for women. All subjects were found in the normal weight range according to BMI. The findings of the questionnaire survey showed that while men typically (49.8%) eat 5 times a day, most women consume (65.7%) 4 daily meals. Furthermore, the frequency of consumption of main meals, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner, was examined. It is gratifying to find that most students - both men (66.7%) and women (65.7%) have breakfast daily, which is in agreement with nutritional recommendations. Lunch is considered the most important meal of the day. Lunch is also consumed by most respondents daily - the answers are the same as the answers to the previous question: 66.7% of men and 65.7% of women said that they have lunch daily. Concerning the consumption of dinners, most men (again 66.7%) have dinner daily, most women (34.3%) have dinner daily and the same number (34.3%) have dinner most days of the week, but not daily. Regarding the amount of fluids, most men (51.1%) reported that they drink 1.5-2 litres of fluids daily, while most women (66.7%) reported that they drink 2-3 litres of fluids daily. These results are related to the difficulty of various sport activities during the day.

Using Virtual Patient Software to Improve Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Geriatric Patients

Objective. To evaluate the effect of using a virtual patient software program to improve pharmacy students' knowledge of and attitudes toward geriatric patients. Methods. The Virtual Patient for Geriatric Education (VIPAGE) software program was used in two Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree programs in Brazilian universities. The virtual consultations were divided into an initial evaluation, care plan, letter of referral to another professional, and evaluation of follow-up. Each weekly session lasted two hours. Students answered questionnaires before and after using the virtual patient software relating to the following: demographics, geriatric experiences, Geriatric Attitudes Scale, and the Facts on Aging Quiz. Results. Of the 128 students who completed the baseline questionnaires, 109 students also completed the second questionnaire. The mean Geriatric Attitudes Scale score before the intervention was 3.7 (SD=0.8) and after was 3.9 (SD=0.7). Significant improvements in Geriatric Attitudes Scale scores after using the virtual patient software were seen in students who were male, whose grandparents were still alive, or whose parents were elderly, who had frequent contact with the elderly, who did not have frequent contact with the elderly, and who did not have professional contact with the elderly. The average score on geriatrics knowledge was 44.7 (SD=12.0) before completing the virtual patient consultations and 52.6 (SD=11.9) after. The mean score measuring students' lack of geriatrics knowledge was 27.3 (SD=15.8) before and 19.1 (SD=12.8) after using the software. Conclusion. Completing virtual patient consultations using the VIPAGE software positively impacted pharmacy students' geriatrics knowledge and attitudes.

Using Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy as an Indirect Measure of Entrepreneurial Education

Business schools are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their educational achievements. In particular, some have questioned the utility of entrepreneurship education. As a result, measuring the knowledge and skills obtained from entrepreneurship education is crucial for both entrepreneurship programs as well as for business schools. While other studies have tried to measure entrepreneurship intent, this study seeks to validate and use a tool developed by Gedeon and Valliere (2018) in order to compare students who have taken an entrepreneurship course with students who have yet to take the course. Unlike the entrepreneurial intent measure, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, as developed by Gedeon and Valliere (2018), is founded on an educational assessment perspective, thereby seeking to augment a university degree program's learning outcomes. The measure is validated and tested using a sample of 560 students from four private universities in Lebanon. The results obtained using confirmatory factor analysis both support the internal consistency of the measure as well as support its utility as a tool to measure differences between both groups of students. The results show that in the sample used, the entrepreneurship course has led to an increase in entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Applicability of skyline query algorithm for career identification of k-12 graduates Primary tabs

In making the student highly proficient in a particular field, choosing the right program track in the Senior High School (SHS) program is critical. The additional 2 years in high school allow them to choose a specialization that is related to the field or profession that they wish to pursue in College. Computing user preference using skyline query algorithm can be a tool in determining the right career intended for a student since it can be used for various applications that include decision making, personalized services, and search pruning. This paper focused on reviewing significant literature concerning the applicability of this algorithm in identifying the right course based on the student’s academic qualifications and K to 12 program tracks, strand and specialization as entry requirements in higher education. Different skyline query algorithm and processing were presented. Other significant variables like academic performance, examination taken and other significant variables will be considered in evaluating the capability of the student before entering to a college degree program. Identification of the data sets of the senior high school program tracks will be categorized into Academic tracks, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, and Arts, Design and Sports which can be used to classify all the courses available related to the students’ chosen career.

What generalizations do students achieve with respect to trigonometric functions in the transition from angles in degrees to real numbers?

The aim of this study is to examine prospective mathematics teachers’ generalizations of trigonometric functions from the unit circle to the Cartesian coordinate system. The researcher developed a test that aimed to reveal students’ generalizations, as well as the possible differences between them. The test was administered to 30 students who were near completion of their university degree program. The findings showed that the students were unable to establish the link between the unit circle and the Cartesian coordinate representation system; and therefore, they were not able to interpret the outputs of trigonometric functions with input of a real number that is not a multiple of π. The researcher also found that the students had developed certain misconceptions regarding the properties of trigonometric functions. To improve the teaching of trigonometric functions an instructional sequence and an alternative definition for trigonometric functions is proposed.

Thoughts and Practice of the Construction of Master's Programs in Provincial Universities in the New Era

Aiming at the shortcomings of talent training characteristics and practical ability improvement in the construction of master's degree programs in provincial universities in the new era, a solution was proposed to build a new engineering tutor construction team, develop a high-level talent introduction mechanism, and cultivate high-level scientific research results. Through a series of policies and measures to improve the ability to convert new and old kinetic energy services and the quality of social services.

Training Capacity of the Fixed Wing FAA Part 141 Flight Schools within the United States

Discussions have been held in classrooms, industry forums and in the media about the looming pilot shortage. Discussion to date has primarily focused on causal factors, and forecasting industry need for pilots; there is little research on where those pilots are going to come from. A study was conducted to quantify the pilot training capacity in the United States, focusing on FAA Part 141 certified flight schools associated with University degree programs. This information will be used to help the FAA and industry members make informed decisions and plan for the future. In total, 33 schools participated in a survey, ranging in size from 1700 students to 11. Lack of CFI’s was the most common limiting factor, followed by lack of aircraft. 14 of the 33 schools were at or above 100 percent capacity. Several other metrics were surveyed, including costs, total pilot output, training duration, and CFI attrition, in order to build a broad picture of the state of pilot training within the United States.

Drop-Out Prediction in Higher Education Among B40 Students

Malaysia citizens are categorized into three different income groups which are the Top 20 Percent (T20), Middle 40 Percent (M40), and Bottom 40 Percent (B40). One of the focus areas in the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11MP) is to elevate the B40 household group towards the middle-income society. In 2018, it was estimated that 4.1 million households belong to this group. The government of Malaysia has widened access to higher education for the B40 group in an effort to reduce the gaps in socioeconomics and to improve their living standards. Statistical data shows that since 2013, a yearly intake of students in bachelor's degree programs in Malaysia's public universities amounts to more than 85,000. Despite this huge number of enrolments, not all were able to graduate, including students from low-income family background. Data mining approach with machine learning techniques has been widely used effectively and accurately to predict students at risk of dropping out in general education. However, machine learning related works on student attrition in Malaysia's higher education is generally lacking. Therefore, in this research, three machine learning models were developed using Decision Tree, Random Forest and Artificial Neural Network algorithm in order to classify attrition among B40 students in bachelor's degree programs in Malaysia's public universities. Comparative performance analysis between the three models indicates that the Random Forest model is the best model in predicting student attrition in this study. Random Forest model outperforms the other two models in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and F-measure with the value of 95.93%, 97.10%, 81.26% and 88.50%, respectively. Nevertheless, there is a statistically significant difference in performance between the Random Forest model and Decision Tree model but no statistically significant difference between Random Forest models and Artificial Neural Network model.

Challenges and Opportunities for Education in Irrigation Engineering

Declining enrollments in a declining number of university degree programs in irrigation engineering are generating concern about the future of irrigation engineering expertise.Technical degree and certificate programs offer options for professionals in irrigation careers, especially those in landscape irrigation careers requiring licensure.Extension programs are evolving to include more on-demand internet-based and social media-based information delivery, as audiences have become more accustomed to these platforms.Addressing workforce and expertise needs in irrigation engineering is critically important, and it will involve equipping future professionals to address national and international challenges in agriculture.Abstract. Irrigation continues to be economically important in the U.S. and internationally, yet there is concern about future accessibility to appropriate expertise and the engineering preparation of irrigation professionals for both public and private sectors. Recent and impending retirements of academic and industry leaders, losses of some important academic programs (curricula/degree programs, research, and extension) in irrigation engineering, and reduced numbers of students threaten to significantly limit irrigation engineering capacity, especially in agricultural irrigation. Some of the challenges can be met through opportunities afforded by development of distance education programs; expansion of multi-state, multi-agency, multi-university collaborations; and increasing public-private partnerships, as well as through vigorous recruitment efforts. Recruitment can be strengthened by improving the competitiveness of salaries to be commensurate with other engineering disciplines, and by demonstrating and better explaining the abilities of the irrigation engineering profession to meet future challenges related to food, fiber, fuel, and ecosystem demands of a rapidly growing global population. While access to irrigation engineering expertise, especially domestic expertise, has declined, the need for such technical support and information for practitioners has not decreased. In fact, in many cases, technical advancements from public and industry developments have greatly outpaced the capacity for applied research and extension programs to robustly evaluate technologies and deliver objective, science-based recommendations. Growing knowledge gaps and time lags have exacerbated restlessness among some audiences, increasing the opportunities for promotion of unsubstantiated claims for some products that remain unchallenged, and further confusing appropriate selection from a growing array of available technologies. Keywords: Continuing education, Distance education, Extension, Irrigation engineering, Public-private partnerships, Technical support.

A knowledgebase to promote self-directed learning among postgraduate trainees of MSc in Biomedical Informatics degree program in University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Biomedical Informatics degree program was formulated by the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo to develop medical professionals with digital health competencies to help the digital reforms in Sri Lankan health sector. Medical professionals are expected to have lifelong learning for professional development and for being up to date where Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is considered pivotal. Knowledgebase which includes document repository and discussion forum provides the platform for improving SDL related to biomedical informatics body of knowledge, facilitating collaborative learning and allowing long term knowledge management. Methods: Participatory action research was conducted among the postgraduate (Pg.) trainees who currently enrolled and completed the biomedical informatics degree program. Knowledgebase, a web-based SDL platform using Flask (Python) micro framework was introduced as the intervention and its development was guided by the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) model. Validated questionnaires were used as data collection tools. The analysis was done with the pre-implementation stage questionnaire by assessing the SDL practices and requirements for the knowledgebase. The evaluation was done on the knowledgebase users with post-implementation stage questionnaire including the Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) by Fisher et al. SDLR was assessed along with the improvement of SDL and the relationship of socio-demographics with SDLRS scores. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Ninety per cent out of 52 participants confirmed the need for a web-based SDL platform at the pre implementation stage. Internet and peers were the main resources used for SDL. Twenty-three (response rate=82%) knowledgebase users participated in the post implementation stage. Nineteen (82%) confirmed that the knowledgebase improved their SDL. Mean SDLRS score was 153.83 with highest for self-control (58.52) and lowest for self-management (45.74) subscales. Around 65% had high SDLRS scores (above 150 out of 200). Statistically significant (p Conclusions: High level of SDLR was present among the majority of the knowledgebase users which was known to enhance web-based learning. Knowledgebase platform was perceived to improve the SDL among the Pg. trainees, therefore, web-based learning will augment SDL. Attention should be paid to improve self-management among the Pg. trainees of the biomedical degree program to further improve SDL.

Incorporation of Universal Prevention Curriculum into established academic degree study programme: qualitative process evaluation.

Comprehensive bachelor's, master's, and doctorate-level curricula of Addiction Studies (Addictology) were developed and implemented at Charles University (First Faculty of Medicine) between 2003 and 2012. This Prague model combines three evidence-based approaches to addressing substance use - prevention, treatment, and public health - into a balanced professionalised discipline. Graduates from this programme are licensed by the State Authority as addictology, a regulated profession in the Czech Republic. Professionals with these degrees are recognised as healthcare professionals, can perform directly in the field and can be contracted by health insurance companies. In 2016, it was decided to integrate the Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC) into these programmes of study. The UPC was developed by a group of prevention researchers from the United States. This article describes the technical steps involved when adapting the UPC into an established university degree programme. We describe the requirements needed for successful implementation and reaccreditation. Finally, we examine both barriers and enhancers of the adoption of UPC as a university programme. A qualitative process evaluation study was conducted on the activities carried out in 2017-2018, demarcated by a successful university accreditation of the new curricula combining the original Prague model and the UPC curriculum. Field records, observation methods, official documents, curricular documents, syllabuses, content analysis, and thematic analysis were used for this process. We identified three clusters of issues and challenges during the adaptation and implementation process: technical (developing a new credit scheme, adopting new terminology using local and culture-specific examples, and cancelling, establishing, and/or fusing particular courses, identifying some critical issues for any practical implementation of the UPC); teaching staff-related (team work, involving motivated and qualified staff for moving from a national to an international perspective); and content and contextual (the conflict between different theoretical perspectives such as public health vs. mental health and drug use prevention vs. risk behaviour prevention). The adaptation of the UPC had a significant impact on study profiles and competencies. Such an implementation necessarily requires a team of staff members with sufficient capacities to be able to coordinate the process, facilitating each step and supervising it. The current adaptation of the UPC involved specific merging procedures to fit in with existing courses and emphasising an international perspective. This process opened a national discussion about the implementation of the UPC in the system of life-long education programmes and training. Beginning in September 2019, when the first group of students will attend this new model of Addictology studies, we will continue our evaluation of the implementation process and the factors that played a role in either hindering or supporting the implementation. The findings from this evaluation will be used to make adjustments to the curriculum.

Students\u2019 reasons for STEM choices and the relationship of mathematics choice to university admission

BackgroundDespite the increasing need for STEM skills, to date, the connection between STEM subject choices and their impact on students’ educational pathways has not been widely studied. Focusing on the mathematics choice (basic/advanced/no mathematics), a large register dataset that covered students admitted to Finnish universities during 2013–2015 (N = 46,281) was combined with upper-secondary school matriculation examination data (N = 93,955) to find out how this choice influenced the students’ university admissions. This large dataset was also examined to establish the current gender distributions in different university degree programs from the perspective of mathematics choices. Further, to find out the students’ reasons behind their mathematics choices, a cohort sample of 802 student responses was collected from upper-secondary schools. We also investigated the students’ interests in different fields of study to establish any gender differences in them.ResultsThe register data analysis suggested that in Finland, students’ mathematics choices had a strong influence on the university admission outcomes. For instance, only 33% of the upper-secondary school graduates took the advanced mathematics ME test in 2013–2015, yet the number of those admitted to universities who had taken the advanced mathematics ME test was 55%. Most of the university degree programs were female dominated, yet the university students with advanced mathematics were mostly male, and especially the STEM fields in the Finnish universities were male dominated. As for the reasons behind the mathematics choices, students who chose advanced mathematics believed in its usefulness for their future studies and careers. We also found significant gender-based educational differences regarding all the study fields, with STEM careers attracting more males than females.ConclusionAdvanced mathematics was highly valued in Finnish universities, and many students chose advanced mathematics believing in its usefulness for their future studies or careers. Yet, their further study interests and career plans were segregated by gender. As there is a rising need for STEM skills, we must seek effective ways to deliver the evolving possibilities of STEM fields to students, especially girls, during the earlier years of their educations.

ІСТОРИКО-РЕТРОСПЕКТИВНИЙ АНАЛІЗ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАГІСТРІВ СПЕЦІАЛЬНОСТІ ДОШКІЛЬНА ОСВІТА У ВІТЧИЗНЯНІЙ ТЕОРІЇ ТА ПРАКТИЦІ

Historical and retrospective analysis of forming the magistracy is made in the article. The main stages of this process are distinguished, namely: the 1st one is the appearance of master’s degree programs in the first universities of Western Europe in the XII-XIII centuries; the 2-nd stage is training masters in the universities of Eastern Europe in the 18-th century; the 3rd one is masters’ preparing at the universities in Russia in the 17-th – 18-th centuries; the 4-th stage is magistracy renewing in Ukraine in 1993-1997. The interpretation of the concepts of “master”, “magistracy” is considered. The analysis of publications devoted to the issues of developing the magistracy in Ukraine and abroad is presented. The characteristic of the first curricula of masters’ training in the field of 0101 Pedagogical education of the specialty 8.010101 “Preschool education” on the basis of education qualification level “Specialist” of a number of Ukrainian institutions of higher education, that were the first to introduce the stage education is presented. The analysis of the content of the curricula is presented from the point of view of forming intending specialists’ readiness to ensure the quality of the educational process in a preschool education institution. Common and distinctive features of the curricula are distinguished. The possible reasons for their differences and the lack of courses, studying of which purposefully forms the components of masters’ readiness to ensure the quality of the educational process in a preschool education institution are pointed out. The conclusions emphasize that the training modern masters for preschool education in Ukrainian higher education is oriented to the European standards, and in each higher education establishment there is their own system of training, the visions of its content and the end result, taking into account the qualifications obtained by the intending specialists. It has been stated that since magistracy renewal there has been no thorough researches in Ukraine on the issue of training masters for preschool education in doctoral theses. Key words: historical and retrospective analysis, master’s degree, magistracy, masters’ training, the curriculum for masters’ training of the specialty “Preschool education”, readiness to ensure the quality of the educational process in a preschool education institution.

Measuring academic learning and exam self-efficacy at admission to university and its relation to first-year attrition

Self-efficacy is associated with both academic performance and attrition in higher education. Whether it is possible to measure students’ academic self-efficacy after admission and prior to commencing higher education (i.e. pre-academic self-efficacy) in a valid and reliable way has hardly been studied. Aims: 1) to evaluate the construct validity and psychometric properties of two short scales to measure Pre-Academic Learning Self-Efficacy (PAL-SE) and Pre-Academic Exam Self-Efficacy (PAE-SE) using Rasch measurement models, 2) to investigate whether pre-academic self-efficacy was associated with half-year attrition across degree programs and institutions. Data consisted of 2686 Danish students admitted to nine different university degree programs across two institutions. Item analyses showed both scales to be essentially objective and construct valid, however, all items from the PAE-SE and two from the PAL-SE were locally dependent. Differential item functioning was found for the PAL-SE  relative to degree programs. Reliability of the PAE-SE was .77, and varied for the PAL-SE  from .79 to .86 across degree programs. Targeting was good only for the PAL-SE, thus we proceeded with the PAL-SE. PAL-SE was found to be associated with half-year attrition: A difference in PAL-SE from minimum to maximum was associated with a difference in half-year attrition of approximately 7%. This association was found both in the bivariate model and in the multivariate models with control of degree program, and with control of degree program and individual covariates such as earlier educational achievement and social background variables. Results thus also indicate that PAL-SE has a causal effect on half-year attrition.