First-year Bachelor Research Articles

Effect on exam performance through massive open online courses versus face-to-face classrooms among Indian medical students: An analytic study

Background & Objective: With the affluence of use and better accessibility, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become essential in imparting education in the ongoing COVID scenario. The study aims to compare the effect of MOOCs versus face-to-face classrooms on medical students’ learning outcomes in anatomy exams at the end of the first year of a medical course. Materials & Methods: The cross-sectional study included 300 first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students in two batches (150 each). The first group underwent a one-year MOOCs group, and the second group experienced a one-year face-to-face classroom. The training program and study materials for the anatomy curriculum were kept the same for both groups by the standard National Medical Council curriculum of India. The assessment was standardized and based on summative University examinations. Results: The mean score in the university theoretical exam was significantly higher in the MOOCs group as compared to the classroom learning group (66.68 ± 6.61 vs 63.52 ± 7.97, P-value: 0.001), whereas the mean scores in the practical examination were significantly higher in classroom learning group as compared to MOOCs group (78.71 ± 6.28 vs. 74.19 ± 7.45, P-value: 0.001). The MOOCs group shows better learning in the cognitive domain. Conclusion: The classroom learning groups performed better in the practical examination, which assesses the psychomotor and affective domain of learning. Hence, a blended T/L method involving both classroom and online methods is recommended as India’s preferred approach to imparting medical education.

Teaching Russian to foreign master’s students of non-humanitarian profile in modern educational conditions

The relevance of the study is due to the lack of a methodological concept and training program for foreigners entering the Russian magistracy after completing bachelor's degree in their home country. As a rule, these students are not well-trained in Russian. This negatively influences the formation of their professional and communicative skills and abilities necessary for mastering the subject competence in the university. The aim of the study is to propose a methodology of professional language education of foreign non-humanitarian undergraduates in the conditions of linguistic educational situation with reduced teaching time, weak general language preparation of students and/or lack of understanding of the language of the specialty. The authors used the methods of direct and indirect observation of teaching and communicative activity of undergraduates while studying the teaching material according to the proposed methodology, accompanied with the analysis, fixation, description and generalization of accompanying changes, as well as the analysis of students’ communicative needs and mistakes. The research is based on practice of teaching scientific speech to non-philological first-year bachelor and master foreign students of the Academy of Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science of RUDN University, and also conducting entrance, intermediate and final tests. As a result of the research, the teaching program with the system of text and lexical-grammatical tasks for both classroom and independent work adapted for the students, was developed. The given technology allows to form and improve not only linguistic but also cognitive and metacognitive skills of undergraduates, extending possibilities of self-education, abilities to take independent decisions. It seems promising to use the obtained results to create a full-fledged textbook on scientific speech not only for undergraduates, but also for PhD students who have completed the previous stage of professional training in their home country.

Caught in the Middle—Experiences of Student Peer Mentors in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study

The use of digital and remote teaching has expanded in higher education and reached a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the social component of the learning process may increase students’ isolation, loneliness, and dropout rates. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of student peer mentors who participated in a mentoring program that was implemented to increase student well-being and prevent dropping out among first-year Bachelor of Nursing students at a university in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven semi-structured interviews were carried out with student peer mentors. Using a thematic analysis, four themes were identified: being someone who can ease the transition, defining roles and boundaries, developing communication strategies, and developing their own professional competence. Knowing how difficult the transition to higher education was and being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic made it challenging for the mentors to set boundaries. It was also challenging to develop effective ways to communicate with the first-year students. Being a mentor was considered beneficial for developing professional skills such as empathy and communication and to gain self-confidence. There is a need for more knowledge about how to support mentors in clarifying the peer mentoring role, setting boundaries, and coping with the emotional labor involved in peer mentoring.

Medical students’ perception of general practice: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundAn increase in the demand for general practitioners is expected in many countries, but only a minority of medical students consider a career in general practice. More detailed and up-to-date knowledge about medical student’s perception of general practice would be helpful for efforts to encourage medical students to consider a career in general practice.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional single center survey among Dutch medical students to evaluate their perception of general practice at three different stages in their study: Ba1: first-year bachelor students; Ba3: third-year bachelor students; Ma3: third-year master students. The impact of different factors on their attitudes and perceptions was quantified. A multivariate logistic regression was performed with ‘interest in general practice’ as the outcome variable.ResultsThe median age for Ba1 was 18 (IQR: 18–19) and 71.5% were female, for Ba3 the median age was 20 (IQR: 20–21) and 70.6% were female and for Ma3 the median age was 25 years (IQR: 24–26) and 73.3% were female. On average, 31.2% of the respondents had a migration background. The mean response rate for this study was 77.1%. Of the participating Ba1 students (n = 340) only 22.4% considered working as a GP after medical school; for Ba3 students (n = 231) this percentage was 33.8%, and for Ma3 students (n = 210) it was significantly higher at 70.5%; in the final multivariate model this corresponded to an odds ratio (OR) of 4.3 (95%-CI:2.6–6.9) compared to Ba1 students. The strongest predictor in the final model was the opinion that general practice provides a pleasant working environment (OR 9.5; 95%-CI: 6.2–14.5).ConclusionThis study showed that multiple factors are significantly related to medical students’ interest in general practice. Although students believed that general practice does not have a high status within the medical profession, they acknowledged the social importance and the pleasant working environment of general practice. Knowledge obtained in this study can be used when designing a medical curriculum or a general practice course.

Mobile technology as a dependable alternative to language labs and to improve listening skills

There is an incessant gap between language acquisition and adoption of modern technologies, especially in semi-urban parts of economically growing countries in Asia. There is a need to establish infrastructure for Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Information Communication Technology (ICT), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) to enrich English Language Teaching. Though these types of establishments instil confidence and fluency among English learners, investment in procurement, running costs towards maintenance and service cost deter institutions from establishing Language Labs and Language studios. The objective of this study was to establish Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in higher education institutions and enhance English fluency and accuracy with minimal operation and low maintenance cost. The study also methodologically shortlisted open-source mobile applications based on users' feedback on their user-friendliness, skill-levels, content, and options that promote Learners' Autonomy. A quantitative true-experimental study was conducted at the Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India, to develop the listening skills of (n=121) students of first-year Bachelor of Technology in a varied branch. The pre-test and post-test results revealed improvements in the experimental group. The findings would immensely help the underprivileged to serve ESL learners from any part of the globe who intend to enhance their proficiency in English.

Adapting to Changing Expectations: Accounting Students in the Digital Learning Environment

As a developing nation, Malaysia is looking forward to transforming its direction towards the Industrial Revolution 5.0. Aligned with the transformation process that is mainly driven by the rapid modern industrial transformation, Malaysian education system is faced with a variety of challenges especially in equipping young adults with innovative, digitally literate, and high critical thinking skills to make them future-ready. Additionally, the growing digital world economy has resulted in the loss and transformation of jobs which necessitates the transformation of Malaysian education for future employability. Moreover, the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of the education sector. Hence, this study aims to explore, analyze, and evaluate first-year Bachelor in Accountancy students’ perspectives with regard to their online learning experiences in digitalized classrooms by looking at six dimensions: 1) Self-Directed Learning, 2) Learner Readiness toward Online Learning, 3) Learner Control, 4) Online Communication, 5) Computer/Internet Self-Efficacy, and 6) Motivation for Learning. Using a qualitative research design, online interviews via Google Meet involving 43 first-year students were conducted. The recorded interviews were then transcribed and analyzed using ATLAS.ti 8. The results of the study suggest that online learning has its advantages and disadvantages based on the respondents’ perspectives and experiences. A majority of the respondents reported that they enjoyed online learning and were well prepared for it while some of them perceived online learning as a complicated approach due to some factors. It can be concluded that these students were ready for online learning.

Team-based Learning versus Problem-based Learning among First-year Medical Students in Biochemistry: A Quasi-experimental Study

Introduction: Team-based Learning (TBL) and Problem-based Learning (PBL), both active teaching methodologies, are known for improving problem-solving abilities, clinical reasoning, and motivating students for self-directed studies. Although both active methods, TBL and PBL, differ in methodology and required resources, it is always a challenge to choose active methods that are more feasible and effective in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Aim: To compare two active teaching strategies, viz., the effectiveness of TBL vs. PBL in first-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students in terms of learning outcomes, development of critical thinking skills, and retention of knowledge. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Department of Biochemistry, NKP Salve Medical College and RC Nagpur, Maharashtra, India from August 2017 to October 2017. A total of 150 first-year MBBS students were included in the study. TBL and PBL were performed following the protocols of their respective methodologies, and scores for learning gain and critical thinking were compared between the TBL and PBL groups. Student perception regarding the procedures was collected using a prevalidated structured questionnaire. The retention of knowledge was assessed by comparing scores from a pretest and a test conducted two months later. Data were statistically analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In the present study, the mean age of the participating students was 20±2 years. Post-test results, obtained just after the intervention, demonstrated a significant learning gain in students using both methods, with a statistically higher gain in TBL (p-value <0.0001) compared to PBL. PBL was appreciated for providing freedom of learning style and facilitator guidance during discussions. Critical thinking skills improved more in PBL, particularly in terms of drawing inferences and interpretations (p-value <0.001). However, no statistically significant differences were found in knowledge retention when the test was conducted two months later in both groups. Conclusion: Learning gain was higher with TBL compared to PBL, with no difference in knowledge retention and the effect on different parameters of critical thinking skills. Students found TBL to be more beneficial for the undergraduate curriculum.

WHAT WE KNOW AFTER THE PANDEMIC. ONLINE AND FACE-TO-FACE TESTING IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

The article aims to find out the impact of online education on on-site education by analysing the results achieved by the respondents in the tests. We used descriptive statistical methods to analyze the data. The reason was that such methods allow us to better understand the correlation between the results obtained in traditional testing and online testing. The research was conducted in the summer semester of the academic years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. 2508 students of the University of Economics in Bratislava participated in the research. The respondents were first-year Bachelor's degree students at the University of Economics in Bratislava whose first foreign language was professional English. When analyzing the data we took into account the test results, the number of students who did not take the test, the number of students who had to retake the test, and the number of students who did not take the test. The results confirmed that students who took the test in the home environment performed significantly better than students who took the test in person at the university. The results of on-site education were influenced by the online learning process. As students adapted to the online environment, they changed their study habits, which had a negative impact on learning. This negative impact was also reflected in the results of the on-site testing. The solution to this situation is to better prepare teachers for online learning and to ensure that schools are equipped with the latest technology.

Reaching out to those we teach about: a qualitative appreciative inquiry of older persons’ experience as mentors in a bachelor of nursing programme during the Covid-19 pandemic

Background: This article describes the development and refinement of a component of a first-year nursing course called ‘Theoretical perspectives in nursing care: complexities in seniors care’. Initially developed in 2020 in response to the pandemic restrictions and guided by the philosophy of person- centredness and person-centred practice, a senior mentorship programme called ‘Engaging with your senior mentor in the community’ has become an important element of the broader theoretical course. Aim: To report on the experiences of older persons living in the community who volunteered to be mentors to first-year bachelor of nursing students, and explain how their experiences informed person-centred quality improvements for future courses. Methods: Appreciative inquiry principles guided the study. Qualitative descriptive design methods – online surveys and focus groups – were employed to evaluate the senior mentorship initiative. Thematic analysis was performed to identify themes that described what the experience of participating in the initiative was like from the perspective of the senior mentors themselves. Findings: Our analysis identified five themes: (a) sharing; (b) contributing; (c) listening; (d) self-reflecting; and (e) communicating expectations. Conclusion: Sharing wisdom informed by lived experience can be a rewarding part of ageing. Senior mentors believed they had contributed in a meaningful way to the student nurses’ learning. Implications for practice: This article reaffirms that older persons are keen to participate in education initiatives Insights from the senior mentors will inform educators in health and social sciences who want to incorporate the voices of older persons in their classroom and practice teaching Older persons should be considered potential partners who can help educators develop a culture of person-centredness to help students prepare to appreciate the older persons in their care

“Do you just have to know that?” Novice and experts’ procedure when solving science problem tasks

Only teachers who possess problem-solving skills can develop them in their students. These skills therefore need to be accentuated during teachers’ pre-service training. In this study, attention was given to pre-service chemistry teachers’ (students) problem-solving skills measured with the use of two sets of problem tasks–chemistry and general science tasks. Based on a pre-test consisting of both types of tasks, one successful, one partially successful and one unsuccessful solver was selected from a group of first-year bachelor chemistry teacher students. To compare, the tasks were also given to three experts (post-docs in the field of chemistry education). All the participants solved two tasks on a computer with their eye movements recorded. After the procedure, retrospective think-aloud and interviews were conducted to provide data about the problem-solving process. The results showed several trends. (1) Students–novices considered the chemistry task more difficult than the science task, which correlated with their task results. (2) Experts considered the science task more complex, therefore more difficult, however scored better than the students. (3) Even the successful student only solved the chemistry task using memorized facts without the support provided. (4) Experts’ direct focus on relevant parts was confirmed, whereas unsuccessful (novice) students distributed their focus toward other task parts too. (5) When students faced a problem during task solving, they used limiting strategies. This behavior was not identified in the expert group. The results thus showed a need to support students’ problem-solving strategies in several areas, especially careful reading, and identifying the main problem and supporting information. Moreover, the results showed a need to present chemistry tasks to students with more variability and explain their reasoning rather than testing field-specific, separated, memorized information.

UTILIZATION OF SCHOOLOGY: ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SELF-ASSESSMENT OF FIRST YEAR BEED STUDENTS

Central to this research is the utilization of Schoology as a learning modality and its relationship to self-assessment. This study employed the descriptive-correlational research design to determine the nature and magnitude by which these variables are related to each other. It included as respondents thirty first-year Bachelor of Elementary Education students who were enrolled in Notre Dame of Midsayap College during the second semester of Academic Year 2021-2022. Findings of the study revealed that the respondents had always utilized the learning management system (LMS) for uploading and notification, and monitoring and evaluation, and had oftentimes utilized it for activities and submission. However, they had only occasionally utilized it for the timely submission of their tasks. Meanwhile, the respondents were very good in performing their reflection papers, taking multiple choice types of exams and engaging in class discussions. Nevertheless, they were merely fair in doing poem/song compositions. Results bared that there is a moderately strong direct relationship between utilization of Schoology and self-assessment, and that relationship is highly significant, signifying that the LMS via Schoology had promoted effective learning among the respondents.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0597/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

State of health of first-year bachelor students at the higher educational institution

The article is devoted to one of the topical issues of modern medicine — the health of students at a higher educational institution. The relevance of the work is due to the significant prevalence of various disorders in the adaptive reactions of the body, especially in the first year of study at a higher educational institution. This study included 2 groups of students: 1st group — 12 male students, 2nd group — 18 female students. An anonymous survey was conducted in two groups, and in each of the groups, students had certain complaints that indicated the disruption of adaptation processes in the body in the first year of study.

Flipped Classroom Formats in a Problem-Based Learning Course: Experiences of First-Year Bachelor European Public Health Students

Objectives: Students would like to see more creativity and flexibility in the performance of problem-based learning (PBL). Therefore, we applied flipped classroom formats in a course of the Bachelor European Public Health at Maastricht University to investigate the experiences of the students. The main objective was to stimulate interaction between students mutual, and between students and teachers. Methods: 304 first-year students following the course on “Ageing in Europe” in three academic years, were asked to fill out questions focussing on prior knowledge, preparation work, and group session parameters, e.g., duration, content, extent of interaction and format group session. Results: In-class activities, such as debate, making a mind map, giving a pitch, role-play e.g., were highly appreciated by students, especially the interactivity and discussions with the experts during these sessions. Students felt they applied knowledge. Conclusion: Flipped classroom formats can be used to extend the Maastricht University PBL design and students do recommend this. It can be a relevant and challenging answer on the articulated request for more creativity and flexibility in the regular PBL format.

Using blogs to develop and determine graduate competencies in an undergraduate business subject


 
 
 Graduate competencies are increasingly in demand from professional sectors, but with insufficient response from professional degree programs. This study examines the use of blogs as assessment in a first-year Bachelor of Business program. Three hundred and nine students responded to an online questionnaire exploring their perceptions of blog as a learning and assessment tool. Of particular focus were students' perceptions on ease of use, benefit and impact on the recognized graduate competency of writing skills. A regression model was applied to data analys in association between perception of improvement in the quality and quantity of the students' work (Q&Q) and several other variables. Results suggest a significant and complex relationship between participants' perception of the flexibility and benefit of the blog and three areas relevant to writing skills: self-reported improvement in writing, increased ownership of learning, and development of reflective skills. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.
 
 

The importance of Life Orientation in a time of COVID-19: Perceptions of preservice teachers

This research explored the challenges experienced by society during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the role thereof in the validation of Life Orientation in South African schools. The importance of Life Orientation as a subject has been questioned since its implementation in 2006. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that the skills and values taught in Life Orientation were actually needed to survive the mental and emotional impacts of the pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore the preservice teachers’ perceptions of Life Orientation, the importance of this subject and the knowledge, skills and values that are taught in Life Orientation and how these can equip society during the pandemic. The research followed a qualitative design in an interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through an online questionnaire that preservice teachers had to complete. A group of 102 first-year Bachelor of Education students, 18 fourth-year Bachelor of Education students and 20 students in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programme were involved in the study. Preliminary data revealed that COVID-19 challenges had a possible impact on the attitudes of 140 preservice teachers towards Life Orientation as a compulsory subject in South Africa and further concluded that Life Orientation plays a significant role in preparing learners for various challenges faced by society, not least the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding Blood Donation among Bachelor Level Students in Kathmandu

Background and Objectives: The practice of blood donation is largely dependent on one's level of education and attitude. Over 13 thousand blood facilities in 169 countries report collecting 106 million blood donations worldwide, totaling 118.5 million. However, there is still no equilibrium between blood demand and supply. Every year, in underdeveloped nations like Nepal, the need for safe blood is vital. Thus, this research was carried out to examine knowledge, practice, and attitude of blood donation among bachelor level Students.
 Material and Methods: This study used a systematic approach to analyze knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards blood donation among undergraduate students. A descriptive cross-sectional analysis was conducted utilizing stratified random samples on 110 samples. The pretest self-administered questionnaire was employed, which included both structured and semi-structured questions (r=0.70). The respondents included first- and second-year Bachelor of Social Work and Business Studies students, as well as first-year Bachelor of Computer Administration students. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (i.e., chi-square and spearman's test) in SPSS 16 version.
 Results: This study found that 4.5% of the respondents had good knowledge, 63.7% had average knowledge, and 31.2% had poor knowledge. Among the respondents 23.60% had practice of blood donation while 76.10 % have not performed blood donation. The study also revealed 21.10% have negative attitude and 78.20% have positive attitude. There is a positive relationship between knowledge and attitude as Spearman's coefficient value r = 0.150, and p= 0.117 (p>0.05)
 Conclusion: The study concludes the highest number of female respondents and a Hindu majority. Despite having a positive attitude, they have not practiced blood donation indicating a need to increase reinforcement and motivation among youths to bring positive changes in blood donation.

Measuring interdisciplinary understanding in higher education

ABSTRACT The growing number of interdisciplinary degree programmes offered at comprehensive research universities aim to ensure that students gain interdisciplinary understanding, defined as knowledge and skills that provide them with the means to produce cognitive enhancements that would not be possible through monodisciplinary programmes. Previous studies suggest that interdisciplinary understanding comprises six main elements: knowledge of different disciplinary paradigms, knowledge of interdisciplinarity, reflection skills, critical reflection skills, communication skills, and collaboration skills. However, empirical evidence to support this conceptualised model is lacking. The current study therefore proposes an Interdisciplinary Understanding Questionnaire (24 items) to assess this model. Its construct validity and measurement invariance were tested among 505 first-year Bachelor’s students from different academic disciplines (e.g. humanities, science, social sciences). A (multigroup) confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the conceptualised model of interdisciplinary understanding, as well as measurement invariance across academic disciplines. Implications for educational practice, for instance regarding student assessment and quality assurance, are discussed.

EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE TESTING IN GENERAL ENGLISH UNIVERSITY COURSE FROM TEACHER AND STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

With most switching to distance education due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, the efficacity of assessment is a major concern. The research was aimed to analyze how Moodle learning management system (LMS) can be applied to online language testing, study the effectiveness of online testing and compare the students’ and teachers’ attitude towards online testing in General English university course. Online tests were administrated as a synchronous component of the distance learning to 857 first-year bachelor’s degree students of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (Ukraine) by 20 teachers during the 2020-2021 academic year. A mixed research design was employed, which involved collecting data using an online questionnaire completed by students and teachers anonymously as Microsoft Forms; Excel spreadsheets were used for the analysis afterward. A quantitative descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the students’ and teachers’ satisfaction with online testing. The expert evaluation method was prioritized to define the expediency of the effectiveness of the online test by the specified criteria and indicators based on the judgments expressed by 7 experienced teachers who are competent in test design. In addition, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to compare the results of an online test and oral exam. The qualitative research method allowed to analyse and interpret data of the experimental learning. Based on the results of our study, we can conclude that different types of Moodle LMS questions can be successfully applied to online language testing as part of course assessment at the university level. The paper argues that online language testing can be effective and relevant to course objectives from both students’ and teachers’ perspectives with positive washback on education. The results of the study can be employed by university teachers for language course design both for distance and blended learning.

Barriers to Effective Utilization of Teaching-Learning Methods: A Qualitative Study Using Focus Group Discussions among First-Year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Students in a South Indian Medical College

Background: Lecture, practical, and dissection classes have been the mainstay of teaching in first-year bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) courses. Competency-based medical education (CBME) implemented by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in 2019 aims to improve teaching-learning experiences and outcomes. A clear idea about attitudes and perceptions of students toward the present teaching-learning methods will help better implement CBME. Objectives: (1) To find the attitudes and practices of first-year MBBS students toward lecture, practical, and dissection classes, using a focus group discussion (FGD) as a tool of a qualitative study. (2) To analyze the factors that prevent active students from participating in different teaching-learning methods in pre-clinical subjects. Methods: This qualitative study using an FGD was performed after obtaining the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) approval in 36 first-year MBBS students, both female and male, divided into six groups. Written informed consent for the audio recording was obtained. A semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions was used. The FGD was recorded, transcribed in spoken language, and converted into English. Content analysis was performed, key concepts were extracted and coded manually, and common themes were generated. Results: The following seven themes emerged: (1) Attendance being prioritized by students, (2) Note-taking done as a chore during lecture classes, (3) The time duration of the lectures as a hindrance to effective learning, (4) Inadequacy of self-directed learning, (5) Preference of practical sessions over theory sessions, (6) Cell phone usage as a reason for not being attentive in the class, and (7) Interest in interactive methods. Conclusions: This study identifies factors that impede the utilization of teaching-learning methods by medical students. The CBME model addresses many of these problems. Further studies on students under the new curriculum will help refine our teaching-learning methods. The strength of this study is the FGD sessions conducted by a medical student, which would have put the participants at ease.

Depression and Anxiety in Times of COVID-19: How Coping Strategies and Loneliness Relate to Mental Health Outcomes and Academic Performance.

The link between depression, anxiety, and loneliness has been well established in the literature. Yet, the performance consequences of these negative mental health outcomes and the role of coping behaviors, as well as behavioral consequences such as procrastination as mediators have received far less research attention. Due to the COVID-19 social isolation restrictions, people are at risk of falling into a negative mental health spiral that can also affect their performance over time. The purpose of this longitudinal study among 881 first-year bachelor students is to explore the mechanisms by which loneliness, coping strategies in the context of COVID-19, mental health outcomes and procrastination sequentially mediate the relationship depression and anxiety on the one hand, and academic performance on the other hand. We measured mental health variables several times during the COVID-19 crisis and assessed how this translates into academic performance at the end of the academic year. By performing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, three high-order factors for the coping strategies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis were identified, namely maladaptive coping, adaptive coping, and supportive coping. Structural equation modeling was used to test the sequential mediational model. The results showed that maladaptive coping strategies employed at T2 during the lockdown, but not adaptive or supportive coping partially mediate the trajectories of depression (T1) and anxiety (T1). Loneliness (T2) partially mediated the trajectory of depression and anxiety (T1), and procrastination fully mediated the impact of depression (T3) on academic performance (T4). These results help understand the mechanisms that influence mental health and academic performance outcomes in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Based on the study outcomes, educational researchers can test strategies to reduce the adverse effects of stressful situations in learning environments by targeting maladaptive coping behaviors and procrastination.