Academic Experience Research Articles

American campus kaleidoscope

This study explores the academic and social experience of international students in colleges in the United States of America. Specifically, the study focuses on colleges with a high percentage of international students as they represent diverse cultural backgrounds and contribute significantly to the campus environment. Data were collected from 30 participants (undergraduate students) across five focus group interviews and a thematic analysis was performed. For academic experience, four sub-themes emerged: relationship with professors, academic resources, liberal arts requirements; and class participation weightage. For social experience, four sub-themes emerged: role of student clubs and societies; inter-college collaborations; intercultural sensitivity; and religious/cultural events. Findings provide valuable implications on how colleges with a high population of international students can improve the academic and social experience of these students.

Students speak: Academic, career, and sociocultural experiences of African American college students

This manuscript presents the outcomes of a qualitative research investigation centered on the experiences of African American college students in terms of their preparation for high school, college, and careers within a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) situated in rural southeastern Wisconsin. At the time of this research, the comprehensive public university had an undergraduate enrollment of 10,196 students. Among these students, 82.1% self-identified as White, 7.8% as Hispanic or Latinx, 5.4% as African American, 3.2% as Asian or Southeast Asian, and 0.9% as American Indian or Alaskan Native. Using semi-structured interviews with willing student participants, the primary objectives of this study were twofold: (1) to recognize the sociocultural and institutional elements that influence the career trajectories of African American students attending the institution and (2) to effectively capture the educational and career viewpoints and voices of these students as they navigate the complex sociocultural and institutional landscape. Key findings from the research highlight the students’ perspectives on the substantial connections between their high school experiences, particularly those in and around a major urban center in the Midwest, and their subsequent college and career paths. Additionally, the study underscores the challenges these students encounter while navigating the physical and social spaces on a rural PWI campus. Recommendations are made for creating a more welcoming space for African American students and for supporting those engaged in the work.

Efficacy of Martial Arts in Higher Education Affecting Students’ Psychosocial Behavior and Academic Performance

Martial arts, rooted in Chinese martial arts traditions, provides an avenue for cultural appreciation. In higher education, exposure to martial arts can enhance students' understanding and appreciation of diverse cultural practices; martial arts offer an alternative and culturally rich approach to physical education in higher learning institutions, diversifying the options available for students seeking physical activity beyond conventional sports. This paper draws the following conclusions: (1) The efficacy of martial arts in higher education is contingent on thoughtful program design, addressing individual differences, and recognizing the broader impact on students' psychosocial behavior and academic experiences. (2) The practice of martial arts forms and mindfulness techniques contributes to emotional balance, positively impacting the mental resilience necessary for academic success. (3) Martial arts education instills discipline and self-control, transcending the physical domain to influence positive behavioral outcomes. (4) Students participating in martial arts programs often exhibit increased self-discipline, responsibility, and a proactive approach to academic challenges, fostering a conducive learning environment. (5) Martial arts education's efficacy lies in its ability to promote holistic promote the holistic development. By combining physical fitness with mental focus and discipline, martial arts contribute to a well-rounded educational experience, nurturing not only academic excellence but also personal growth and character development.

Cultural Adaptation of Indonesian Muslim Women Students in Europe

Cultural adaptability in the context of international students' intercultural communication has affected how communication works. Indonesian students, especially those who display their identity as Muslim women, have their challenges in adapting to both academic and social-cultural contexts. This study discusses the cultural adaptation of Indonesian Muslim women students to societies in Europe. All informants who are scholarship awardee students have obstacles in adapting, especially when communicating with the societies. This study aims to discover how Gudykunst’s Anxiety and Uncertainty Management theory interprets the experience phenomena around individuals in adapting to Societies in Europe through intercultural communication. The study uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. Five informants in this research have gone through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The results of the study show that the experiences are related to academic and social experiences adapting to the local community’s culture (cultural), adapting to individual personality (sociocultural), and adapting to interpersonal perceptions (psycho-cultural). Indonesian Muslim women students need to be familiar with the local community, open to accepting differences in society, and able to interpret the meaning of accepted in intercultural communication context.

Becoming a language teacher educator: An outsider perspective

This is a reflective piece theorizing my personal and academic experiences working with preservice teachers who are pursuing a Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate with immersion experience participating in a study abroad program teaching English to university students in Ecuador. Teaching predominantly white students as a woman of color is always full of stories, both real and imaginary. This is an opportunity to theorize the role of non-native English speakers guiding preservice teachers to teach English learners in the global south while discussing or contesting language aspects such as pronunciation, accuracy, proficiency, among others.

AI-driven empowerment of international higher education and international networking: A case study of Moroccan universities

In the rapidly evolving 21st century, characterized by technological advances, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and intelligent systems has become increasingly important. This research focuses on the role of AI and intelligent systems in strengthening higher education and networking in an international context, with a specific focus on Morocco. It is undeniable that the advent of Internet communication technologies has facilitated networking, especially in the international educational context. This paper presents an analysis of three Moroccan universities, shedding light on the impact of international networking on academic and professional experiences, especially for doctoral students in Morocco. This paper is based on a mixed method research with a focus on primary data collection in Morocco. This research aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations for fostering a robust educational ecosystem in the context of international collaboration. Some of the findings of this paper highlight that, despite some limitations, AI and intelligent systems could potentially be used as important tools to create innovative learning materials. AI is becoming essential for predicting student needs and behavior, as well as for enabling international higher education and international perspectives within universities.

Burlyuk, O., & Rahbari, L. (Eds.). (2023). Migrant Academics’ Narratives of Precarity and Resilience in Europe. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. Review by Zuzanna Ściborska and Luisa Voss <!--EndFragment--> <!--EndFragment-->

Migrant Academics’ Narratives of Precarity and Resilience in Europe dives into six main themes that correspond to different aspects of the migrant academic experience. Under each theme, the editors collected autoethnographic accounts of different scholars working in various Western academic institutions. The first theme, ‘(Non)Belonging,’ centers around the issues of othering, the post-colonial predicament of precarity and enforced mobility, and the process of (de)constructing and (un)learning who and what an academic should be. The second one, ‘(In)visible Inclusion and Exclusion,’ discusses the painful experience of what Dragana Stojmenovska describes as “knowing your place” (2023, p. 51) and navigating the manifestation of precarity and exclusion within oneself.

The Academic and Personal Experiences of Engineering Technology and Welding Technology Students: A Literature Review

Objective/Research Question: There is a growing demand for skilled workers in engineering and technology fields. However, the number of engineering technology degrees awarded is much less compared to engineering, and a high percentage of students in engineering technology do not persist beyond the first year. To meet the demands for skilled workers, it is important to understand the experiences of engineering technology students to identify factors that contribute to their matriculation and persistence. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research that exists on the academic and personal experiences of engineering technology and welding technology students. The research questions guiding this study are: (a) what are the academic and personal experiences of engineering technology and welding technology students at 2- and 4-year institutions? and (b) what are students’ experiences with persisting in engineering technology? Methods: Using our research questions and predetermined inclusion criteria, we performed a literature review of relevant articles retrieved from Scopus and ERIC ProQuest databases. Results: We identify three areas of opportunities for future research examination: (a) experiences of students of marginalized populations in engineering technology, (b) how to leverage career and technical education and 2-year engineering technology programs to support matriculation, and (c) ways to address the negative stigma associated with engineering technology programs. Conclusions/Contributions: To meet the demands of the nation’s economy and future workforce, it is important to further examine the experiences of engineering technology students.

Initial Professional Education for Youth and Community Workers: Exploring Academic’s Experiences

AbstractThis paper reflects on a small-scale piece of research into the experience of academics involved in the initial professional education of youth and community workers in England during the period 2015–2016, when multiple factors were affecting degree-qualifying youth and community worker education. Interviews with six academics identify the influences of funding issues, changing contexts for fieldwork settings, varied perceptions of professional youth work to ongoing pressures within higher education which inform their experience. This research draws on Bourdieu’s thinking tools of habitus and illusio as a theoretical lens to explore academics’ ongoing commitment to professional youth and community worker education. The actions and messages from the research participants offer an insight into the varied situations academics are navigating at this point in time, and resonate with a contemporary, post-pandemic context. The paper concludes with areas for further research into the ongoing development of initial professional youth and community worker education.

Ancillary Elements of Undergraduate Economics Programs: The Extras Can Make All the Difference

Successful economics programs recognize that the well-rounded student is best supported through a multi-faceted approach that considers the student’s academic life in a holistic way. While traditional classroom instruction forms the core of economic education, ancillary elements, such as student clubs, speaker series, internships, and research opportunities, are also vital components. They can support content mastery and student success, provide opportunities to apply concepts and skills in real-world contexts, and expose students to new developments in the discipline. This overview paper first gives a sense of the current landscape regarding ancillary provision at US institutions and then introduces the other contributions to this symposium. These papers provide detailed examples of effective ancillary elements, offering guidance and inspiration for enriching students’ academic experiences.

Influential factors on academics’ digital hoarding behaviours: an exploratory PLS-SEM research

ABSTRACT The transition to digital mediums among instructors, who are instrumental in shaping the higher education, streamlines and diversifies the instructional methodologies. Yet, it concurrently elevates the concern of digital hoarding behaviours to a prominent position in scholarly discourse. In view of digital hoarding’s detrimental outcomes, the current study initially undertook a descriptive scrutiny of the digital hoarding behaviours among academics, subsequently correlating these tendencies with diverse factors. In addition, the study formulated and empirically tested a theoretical framework for understanding digital hoarding predicated on the employment of digital resources in academia. The research engaged 213 academicians voluntarily, with empirical evidence substantiating 13 of the 27 postulated hypotheses. The data indicated a predominant accumulation of text files among academics, alongside a tendency towards digital hoarding that surpasses the average. The outcomes of the PLS-SEM analysis, conducted to elucidate the justifications for digital hoarding, suggest that the level of experience of academics and the obstacles to digital data elimination exert a profound influence. It is imperative for the cultivation of a robust digitalisation culture within institutions, as well as the formulation and execution of data governance strategies, to involve all stakeholders, especially those within the academic sphere.

The Effects of Thoppukaranam (Super Brain Yoga) on Stress Management and Psychological Health to University Students: An 12-Week Intervention Study

Introduction: Effective coping mechanisms that are practical and economical for everyday life are required to handle the challenges that contemporary academic students experience. In clinical samples, Thoppukaranam has been shown to lower stress, but more research is needed to see whether regular Brain yoga lessons among functional Students produce the same effects. Objectives: This study examined the effects of 12-week Thoppukaranam practice on stress and psychological wellness. In this study, we tested whether college students experienced these kinds of stress. Studies involving participants have examined important psychological factors including stress. After receiving stress management training for students. participants who were practise super brain yoga had improved mental function and experienced reduced stress. Design / methodology / approach: sixty individuals participated moderate-to-high stress were randomly assigned to 12 consecutive weeks of Thoppukaranam practice. To achieve this purpose of the study, 60 Students were selected in the technique of stratified random sampling from SRM institute of science & technology Tamilnadu, India; their ages ranged from 19 to above years. another group is control group who did not practice Brain yoga. Stress and psychological health variables were assessed. Results: Significant reductions in stress and all psychological health measures were found within the Thoppukaranam practice group over 12 weeks. When compared to the control group, Super brain yoga practitioners showed significant decreases in stress, anxiety, and general psychological health, and significant increases in well-being. The group who did not practice yoga showed not significant decreases in stress. Conclusions: Super Brain yoga appears to be beneficial for stressed-out students and has the potential to support their psychological well-being.

Real-World Experiences in Higher Education: Contributing to the Developing a Systems Thinking Paradigm

Background: Systems thinking has been proposed as a means to address complex and wicked problems. Systems thinking involves moving beyond looking at an issue from a static perspective and seeing interrelationships between parts and wholes. Students will be better prepared to handle the complexity of the world if they develop a systems thinking paradigm. Yet, little research exists on how individuals develop a systems thinking paradigm. Purpose: This phenomenological research study focuses on “What real-world experiences contribute to developing a systems thinking paradigm?” Methodology/Approach: Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 11 faculty affiliated with the University of Florida School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Data were coded using Colaizzi's seven-step approach. Findings/Conclusions: The essence of the study was that real-world experiences contribute to developing a systems thinking paradigm. Fieldwork, laboratory, and research experience develop the knowledge needed to understand the concept of complexity. Immersive academic experiences create opportunities for people to interact with others who have varying perspectives. Nonacademic work in the real world gives people a holistic view of the system. Implications: It is recommended that faculty focus on incorporating real-world experiences into their pedagogy and obtain support to create these opportunities.

The role of grit in thinking styles and academic major satisfaction.

Satisfaction with one's academic major is critical to a university student's development. This study explores the interrelationships among thinking styles, grit, and academic major satisfaction in both deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) and hearing students, employing independent samples t-tests to compare the two groups, Pearson's correlation analysis to explore relationships among the variables, and mediation analysis to understand the mediating effect of grit on the relationship between thinking styles and academic major satisfaction. The results indicated significantly higher levels of grit and consistency of interest in DHH students than hearing students, with no significant differences in perseverance of effort. A strong correlation was found between thinking styles and both grit and academic major satisfaction, particularly in DHH students. Mediation analysis revealed that grit significantly mediated the relationship between thinking styles and academic major satisfaction, underscoring its role in enhancing students' academic experience. These findings contribute to the limited literature on DHH students' psychological attributes and the complex interplay of psychological constructs in academic major satisfaction, offering valuable insights for tailored educational strategies.

CEOs’ Academic Experience and Innovation Performance: Moderating Effect of CEO Duality

CEOs’ Academic Experience and Innovation Performance: Moderating Effect of CEO Duality

Comparisons of special education teachers and faculty's perceptions of employing augmented reality for pupils with intellectual disabilities

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the comparisons between faculty and special education teachers' views of the use of augmented reality with learners with intellectual disabilities. In recent years, the Saudi education minister has made many reforms to advance the use of assistive technology in the teaching of learners with intellectual disabilities. The design of descriptive research was methodologically used to gather data from a hundred and sixty-five faculty members from Taif University and ninety special education teachers from Taif schools through an electronic survey. The questionnaire is divided into two parts: the first part includes demographic variables, namely gender and academic experiences. The second part included statements that focused on the views of special education teachers and faculty members regarding the use of AR technology for students with ID. The findings showed that faculty have more agreeable perceptions compared to special education instructors in Saudi Arabia. Also, there was a significant impact on special education teachers' perceptions of using augmented reality for students with intellectual disabilities based on gender. However, years of teaching experiences did not impact the special education teachers and faculty perceptions of using augmented reality with students with intellectual disabilities. Thus, the implication of the study recommends that special education teachers and faculty members should be more exhibited in training courses emphasizing raising awareness on the utilization of augmented reality for students with intellectual disabilities within general and university education.

Effect of different instrumental techniques and clinical experience on shade matching.

Many factors can affect the aesthetics of dental restorations, including the instrumental techniques used in shade matching, and can lead to clinical failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using the cross-polarization digital photograph technique and intraoral scanners for shade matching, and also evaluate the effect of the level of clinical experience on shade matching success. Color analysis was performed on the maxillary right central incisors of 10 subject models with Vita Easyshade. Intraoral scanning was performed 10 times on each model using TRIOS 3 and color analysis was performed from the same spot. Then cross-polarized and non-polarized photographs of the models were taken with standard settings using a gray reference card. Each shade tab of the Vita System 3D-Master scale was also photographed with two different polarization techniques. Four groups (n = 12), including prosthodontics faculty staff, postgraduate students in prosthodontics, undergraduate students, and dental technicians matched the shade tabs and the model photographs obtained with both techniques on a standardized computer screen. Finally, the color differences between the shade tabs and maxillary central incisors matched by observers from four different groups were recorded using a colorimeter, Classic Color Meter, in accordance with the CIELAB system and CIEDE2000 (ΔE00) values were calculated. The data were compared with the acceptability threshold of 1.80 for ΔE00. The data obtained from the observers were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 Release Notes program. Independent Samples t-test was used to compare normally distributed data according to binary groups. The level of significance was 0.05. A statistically significant difference was found in the shade matching on photographs taken with different techniques in postgraduate students (p = 0.02). Also, there was a statistically significant difference in success between the groups that made shade matching based on photographs obtained with the non-polarization technique (p = 0.00). The undergraduate students achieved statistically significantly lower results than all other groups (ΔE00 = 5.57±1.07). The kappa value between the intraoral scanner and spectrophotometer results was 0.10, and this value was not statistically significant (p = 0.32). The cross-polarization technique used especially for shade matching is not superior to the non-polarization technique. Academic and clinical experience might be correlated with shade-matching success with the non-polarization technique. The clinical acceptability threshold could not be achieved in the shade matchings made on digital photographs taken with both techniques. Shade matching performed with an intraoral scanner did not yield reliable results.

The power of scholar: CEO academic experience and corporate debt default risk

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of CEO academic experience on corporate debt default risk among Chinese A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2021. The findings highlight the significant role of CEO academic experience in reducing the risk of corporate debt default. Channel analysis further elucidates that CEOs with academic backgrounds contribute to easing financing constraints and enhancing corporate innovation, thereby mitigating debt default risks. Further analysis indicates a more pronounced inhibitory effect on debt default risk for CEOs with academic backgrounds, particularly in financially distressed, high-tech and CEO non-politically affiliated enterprises. The study provides valuable insights for strategic executive selection and promotes the high-quality development of enterprises.

Universities with standards but not standard universities: students and academics reflection of university operating standards in Tanzania

Quality of teaching and learning in higher education is explained by the teaching and learning milieus through which academic staff and students interact. Subsequently, governments across the globe have been establishing standards that aim at improving the teaching and learning milieus in universities as part of the efforts to facilitate the provision of quality university education that address national and global needs and contexts simultaneously. This paper draws evidence from the quantitative data gauging the reflection and experiences of academic staff and students regarding the extent to which milieus for the provision of education in post-1995 universities reflect the goals of the standards established to govern the operation of universities in Tanzania. Overall, the study found dissatisfactions from both academic staff and students regarding the extent to which the teaching and learning milieus in post-1995 universities in Tanzania reflect the standards. This poor reflection may have negative impacts on the realisation of the goals the standards intend to achieve. The study therefore underscores the need for the government to plan, design and enforce the appropriate standards that would have notable impacts on the academic experiences of academic staff and students and subsequently provision of education for national and global needs.

A Malta Experience of Being a University Academic: A Thematic Narrative

This paper shares the research results of an explorative study investigating university lectureship experience in a Malta university context. The study aimed to obtain a holistic description of the university academic experience. The qualitative research findings, based on a thematic analysis of 10 individual interview transcripts, describe the experience of being a university academic as a journey of time passages in space and time. The journey is characterised by the strong theme of teaching along with the two other primary themes, labelled identity and un/belonging. Identity feeds on, but not only on, teaching and the sense of un/belonging. Profession/Practice and Research/Publication are two other themes that, in this study, emerge as feeding the primary themes. These research findings unsettle the privilege portrayals of tenure-track university lectureships. They confirm the emphasis on teaching in this local context and increased administration obligations. Distinctively, they expose another identity dimension in addition to the teacher and researcher attributions highlighted in the mainstream literature. These findings suggest that academics need to be supported for keeping alive differentiated identity dimensions, which are not in opposition to each other but are in competition for time. While the limitations of the study are acknowledged, several recommendations deriving from the research findings are shared.