First-year Performance Research Articles

The type and amount of paid work while studying influence academic performance of first year nursing students: An inception cohort study

BackgroundWorking while engaging in tertiary studies can have potential benefits for students in developing their repertoire of employability skills, including teamwork, time management, customer service and interpersonal communication. Not unexpectedly engaging in excessive hours of work can have a detrimental effect on students' grades. Yet little is known about the impact of engaging in different types of paid work (nursing or non-nursing), and the amounts, on first year nursing students' academic performance across different nursing programs. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the association between: a) amount; and b) type of term-time weekly paid work, particularly its effect on academic performance, among commencing undergraduate students in the first semester of nursing studies across different nursing programs. DesignInception cohort study. SettingsFour tertiary institutes across Australia and New Zealand. ParticipantsAll commencing Bachelor of Nursing students attending Orientation sessions at their respective institutes were invited to participate in the study. The median age of participants was 23 years, the majority (87.5%) were female and nearly two-thirds were non-school leavers. Among those in paid work, the median hours worked was 20 h. MethodsA baseline survey, completed by consenting students at the start of their Orientation session included items related to respondents' demographic data, self-reported paid work engagement (type and hours); we also requested their permission to link grade point average (academic performance data) at the end of first semester. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 25. ResultsA total of 1314 students completed the survey and 89% of survey respondents agreed for their survey to be linked to academic grades at the end of the semester. There was an inverse relationship between time spent in weekly paid work and academic performance. Additionally, three predictors emerged as statistically significant for high grade point average: (i) engaging in non-nursing related work (AOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.19–2.26); (ii) not being first in family to attend university (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.20–2.07) and; (iii) being a school-leaver (AOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.12–1.98). ConclusionsDespite the diversity among undergraduate nursing students studying across Australasia, it is evident that the amount and type of paid work engagement can impact on students' academic performance while studying. This underscores the importance for tertiary institutes to not only support students in their learning but also understand the need to achieve the right balance, in working while studying, to support students' academic success.

Student motivation to learn: is self-belief the key to transition and first year performance in an undergraduate health professions program?

BackgroundStudent motivation to learn has been undervalued to date though has been identified as an area influencing student success and retention at university. The transition into university has been highlighted as a key period affecting student outcomes as well as well-being. Early identification of those students at risk may assist the transition for many students moving into higher education. Previous research has identified the Motivation and Engagement Scale – University/College (MES-UC) as a valid instrument for measuring motivation to learn in physiotherapy students. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between a student’s motivation to learn on entry into an undergraduate physiotherapy program and their performance through first year. The relationship of admissions scores, to motivation to learn on entry, were also considered, to determine any link between these measures.MethodsAn observational longitudinal study was conducted on one cohort of undergraduate physiotherapy students commencing their studies in 2015 with a response rate of 67%. Correlations were performed between admission variables and Year 1 MES-UC scoring; and between Year 1 MES-UC scoring and subsequent academic performance across first year, taking into consideration gender and age.ResultsSelf-belief was identified as the key dimension of motivation influencing student success in the transition into university. Results identified the link between self-belief scores on entry and academic performance in first year, including grade point average and performance in six of nine courses. Courses where there was no significant relationship were identified as curriculum areas where students may be less motivated. There was a relationship between the admissions interview and MES-UC scoring, demonstrating a link between non-cognitive selection measures and student motivation to learn on entry into the program.ConclusionMotivation to learn and specifically self-belief with learning, may be influential in the transition into higher education. Undertaking measures of academic motivation may be useful to determine student engagement with curriculum, through identifying any link between student self-belief and performance in specific courses. Changes to curriculum based on student motivation as well as targeting early those students with reduced self-belief may improve student success, psychosocial wellbeing and retention.

A validade preditiva do desempenho acadêmico no primeiro ano para a performance final no ensino superior

O presente estudo procura verificar a relação entre os indicadores de desempenho ao final do primeiro ano do ensino superior e aqueles que resumem a performance final, quando da conclusão do Curso para os mesmos sujeitos. O que se quer, portanto, é verificar a validade preditiva que aquela variável tem para esta segunda. A intenção do estudo que se coaduna com tal objetivo surge da preocupação com a descoberta de indicadores que permitam um diagnóstico antecipado das tendências de desempenho acadêmico, permitindo, assim, atuação da Administração Universitária no sentido de intervir com ações de gestão acadêmica mais ativa para tratar dos casos tempestivamente. Para a realização da análise foi feito estudo de caso incidente sobre os dados dos ingressantes nos Cursos de Administração, Direito e Pedagogia de uma Universidade Federal no ano de 2009. Após coleta das informações de performance acadêmica dos sujeitos, operações para verificação de correlação foram feitas entre o desempenho na conclusão do primeiro ano e na conclusão do Curso para verificar se aquele fator antecipa este. O estudo de caso quali-quantitativo, com ênfase na segunda componente do título metodológico, identificou que em todos os recortes existe forte correlação (resultados de r variando entre 0.7 e 0.9) entre as variáveis, apontando que – ao menos para os casos em análise – o desempenho no primeiro ano seria forte preditor da tendência de desempenho global dos estudantes.

Predictive modeling of first-year student performance in engineering education using sequential penalization-based regression

Modeling and predicting of academic performance and student retention (SAP&R) have recently become a focal concern of managements of educational institutions all over the world. The application of classical regression analysis is a common trend in literature. However, the complexity of interpretation and over fitting are two common issues that often arise due to the collinearity among predictors or due to the high dimensionality of the factor space. This study sequentially applies both the LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) and ridge regression to develop a GzLM model serving to predict the SAP&R of the first-year students. The prediction performance is assessed using a real dataset of a set of fourteen non-cognitive factors collected from the first-year students of the college of engineering in Qatar University.

Prior knowledge in mathematics and study success in engineering: informational value of learner data collected from a web-based pre-course

ABSTRACTThe article describes the development and evaluation of a web-based pre-course in mathematics, delivered to four cohorts of engineering students at a German university. Based on demographic, personal, and learning-related data relationships between students’ preconditions, their learning gains in the pre-course, and study success in the degree programme were analysed. The results support the existing literature in that domain-related prior knowledge and secondary school achievement play a dominant role regarding study success in engineering. The analyses also showed that the influence of cognitive predictors could only be compensated for by a strong learner engagement. At-risk students with high pre-course learning gains showed significantly better first-year performance. The number of self-tests a student attempted was positively related to pre-course learning gains and even to first-year performance, suggesting that this variable is a good indicator of student engagement.

Rethinking Dental School Admission Criteria: Correlation Between Pre-Admission Variables and First-Year Performance for Six Classes at One Dental School.

Admissions committees in dental schools are charged with the responsibility of selecting candidates who will succeed in school and become successful members of the profession. Identifying students who will have academic difficulty is challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of pre-admission variables for the first-year performance of six classes at one U.S. dental school. The authors hypothesized that the variables undergraduate grade point average (GPA), undergraduate science GPA (biology, chemistry, and physics), and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores would predict the level of performance achieved in the first year of dental school, measured by year-end GPA. Data were collected in 2015 from school records for all 297 students in the six cohorts who completed the first year (Classes of 2007 through 2013). In the results, statistically significant correlations existed between all pre-admission variables and first-year GPA, but the associations were only weak to moderate. Lower performing students at the end of the first year (lowest 10% of GPA) had, on average, lower pre-admission variables than the other students, but the differences were small (≤10.8% in all categories). When all the pre-admission variables were considered together in a multiple regression analysis, a significant association was found between pre-admission variables and first-year GPA, but the association was weak (adjusted R2=0.238). This weak association suggests that these students' first-year dental school GPAs were mostly determined by factors other than the pre-admission variables studied and has resulted in the school's placing greater emphasis on other factors for admission decisions.

Prior knowledge and academic performance in first year accounting course

The study is motivated by the poor performance of students in their first year accounting course despite meeting up with the minimum entry requirement based on NUC BMAS and UTME. The paper examines the impact of prior knowledge from the conceptual and metacognitive dimensions on academic performance in the first year accounting course. Using filters, 408 students of the Federal University Dutsinma, Nigeria in the 2012/2013 to 2015/2016 academic sessions were adopted for the study. Ordinal regression adopting the ordered logit procedure in STATA was carried out. Prior knowledge was found to have significant impact on the performance in the first year accounting course. Findings showed that the joint impact of conceptual and metacognitive knowledge outweighs that of either conceptual or metacognitive. We therefore recommend among others that a composite scoring system incorporating conceptual and metacognitive knowledge variables be designed and used for admission placement in BSc in Accounting, BSc in Management and BSc in Economics.

Factors Influencing Academic Success of High Achievers and Low Achievers in Physiology

Introduction: Academic success of medical students is influenced by several factors. Aim: To determine whether academic success of high as well as low achievers in physiology in the present academic context is influenced by pre-reported factors. Materials and Methods: Focus Group Discussion (FGD) sessions were conducted to explore perceptions of high as well as low achievers in physiology, regarding seven pre-reported factors influencing academic success. These factors were: attitude towards medical school, attitude towards teachers, interest in subject, time-management, strategic studying, academic self-perceptions and test competence. First year students (n=13) who had scored distinction (>75%) in physiology, in three block-end examinations and second year students (n=7) who had distinction in all four block-end examinations when they were in first year, were categorized as high achievers. Students (n=14) who were unsuccessful in first year final summative examination, were grouped as low achievers. Results: The FGD data which was analysed using a deductive analysis framework revealed a positive link between responses for all pre-reported factors with the academic success of high achievers, except time management and strategic studying. Even though the responses from low achievers regarding medical profession, teachers, and interest in subject were positive, these could not be linked to their academic performance in first year. The low achievers in the present study believed that with continuous teacher support, their understanding of physiology could be improved, which in turn could lead to an increased interest in the subject which could motivate them to work hard and improve their academic performance. Conclusion: To conclude, academic success of both high and low achievers in the present academic context were influenced by pre-reported factors. Through this study, students were provided with an opportunity to reflect upon the learning process which is reported to be a learning supportive process. This study also gathered evidence for the fact that medical students need to be made aware of and has to be trained in effective time management skills.

Prior knowledge and academic performance in first year accounting course

The study is motivated by the poor performance of students in their first year accounting course despite meeting up with the minimum entry requirement based on NUC BMAS and UTME. The paper examines...

Evaluation of the role of incentive structure on student participation and performance in active learning strategies: A comparison of case-based and team-based learning

Background: Student participation is important for the success of active learning strategies, but participation is often linked to the level of preparation. At our institution, we use two types of active learning activities, a modified case-based learning exercise called active learning groups (ALG) and team-based learning (TBL). These strategies have different assessment and incentive structures for participation. Non-cognitive skills are assessed in ALG using a subjective five-point Likert scale. In TBL, assessment of individual student preparation is based on a multiple choice quiz conducted at the beginning of each session.Methods: We studied first-year medical student participation and performance in ALG and TBL as well as performance on course final examinations.Results: Student performance in TBL, but not in ALG, was strongly correlated with final examination scores. Additionally, in students who performed in the upper 33rd percentile on the final examination, there was a positive correlation between final examination performance and participation in TBL and ALG. This correlation was not seen in students who performed in the lower 33rd percentile on the final examinations.Conclusions: Our results suggest that assessments of medical knowledge during active learning exercises could supplement non-cognitive assessments and could be good predictors of performance on summative examinations.

Agronomic performance of Populus deltoides trees engineered for biofuel production

BackgroundOne of the major barriers to the development of lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of plant cell walls to deconstruction and saccharification. Recalcitrance can be reduced by targeting genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis, but this can have unintended consequences that compromise the agronomic performance of the trees under field conditions. Here we report the results of a field trial of fourteen distinct transgenic Populus deltoides lines that had previously demonstrated reduced recalcitrance without yield penalties under greenhouse conditions.ResultsSurvival and productivity of the trial were excellent in the first year, and there was little evidence for reduced performance of the transgenic lines with modified target gene expression. Surprisingly, the most striking phenotypic effects in this trial were for two empty-vector control lines that had modified bud set and bud flush. This is most likely due to somaclonal variation or insertional mutagenesis. Traits related to yield, crown architecture, herbivory, pathogen response, and frost damage showed few significant differences between target gene transgenics and empty vector controls. However, there were a few interesting exceptions. Lines overexpressing the DUF231 gene, a putative O-acetyltransferase, showed early bud flush and marginally increased height growth. Lines overexpressing the DUF266 gene, a putative glycosyltransferase, had significantly decreased stem internode length and slightly higher volume index. Finally, lines overexpressing the PFD2 gene, a putative member of the prefoldin complex, had a slightly reduced volume index.ConclusionsThis field trial demonstrates that these cell wall modifications, which decreased cell wall recalcitrance under laboratory conditions, did not seriously compromise first-year performance in the field, despite substantial challenges, including an outbreak of a stem boring insect (Gypsonoma haimbachiana), attack by a leaf rust pathogen (Melampsora spp.), and a late frost event. This bodes well for the potential utility of these lines as advanced biofuels feedstocks.

Real world headwinds for Trump climate change policy

ABSTRACTIt has now been 12 months since Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States, a man who as a candidate for the job called the scientific evidence for climate change “a hoax,” vowed to deregulate the American economy from what he considered to be onerous oversight, and bring back jobs that he claimed were lost as a result of the effort to combat the rise in global atmospheric temperatures. So, now is a good time to examine the president’s words and deeds regarding climate change – a sort of first-year job performance review or report card. What has he been able to accomplish? Has he laid a foundation for a successful agenda? And what are the most significant challenges to his energy and climate policy objectives?

Correlating Preclinical Ambulatory Care Specialty Exposure with First-Year Medical Student Performance on an Objective Structured Clinical Examination

Preclinical Ambulatory Care exposure offers medical students early opportunities to improve clinical performance; however, it is unknown whether exposure to generalist care rather than specific specialties results in variable performances on standardized patient examinations (SPEs). We intend to compare mean objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores for students by ambulatory specialty exposure. One hundred ninety-seven first-year medical students were exposed to one of ten outpatient specialties before taking a two-station OSCE. Performance was assessed in the domains of communication, elicitation of patient concerns, and history-taking. OSCE scores were measured and compared by specialty and on the basis of generalist versus specialist preceptors. By specialty, student performances in all domains did not significantly differ. Students with generalist preceptors outperformed peers with specialist preceptors in eliciting concerns from patients in their first case (1.00 vs. 0.98; p = 0.03), but results did not significantly differ in the second case or in the total score for that domain. No other scores significantly differed. Our results allow for the recruitment of preceptors from a variety of outpatient specialties to provide preclinical students with a longitudinal ambulatory care experience without concern for significant differences in clinical development or performance communicating, attaining clinical histories, or eliciting patient concerns on an OSCE.

Counselling: An effective tool to improve the academic performance of first year M.B.B.S. students

Counselling: An effective tool to improve the academic performance of first year M.B.B.S. students

An economic analysis comparison of stationary and dual-axis tracking grid-connected photovoltaic systems in the US Upper Midwest

ABSTRACTThis paper presents an economic analysis of stationary and dual-axis tracking photovoltaic (PV) systems installed in the US Upper Midwest in terms of life-cycle costs, payback period, internal rate of return, and the incremental cost of solar energy. The first-year performance and energy savings were experimentally found along with documented initial cost. Future PV performance, savings, and operating and maintenance costs were estimated over 25-year assumed life. Under the given assumptions and discount rates, the life-cycle savings were found to be negative. Neither system was found to have payback periods less than the assumed system life. The lifetime average incremental costs of energy generated by the stationary and dual-axis tracking systems were estimated to be $0.31 and $0.37 per kWh generated, respectively. Economic analyses of different scenarios, each having a unique set of assumptions for costs and metering, showed a potential for economic feasibility under certain conditions when compared to alternative investments with assumed yields.

Wrigley's Eclipse Gum: Managing Brand Adolescence

Wrigley launched Eclipse gum in August 1999. In early 2000, Paul Chibe became senior marketing manager for Wrigley's breath freshening portfolio, which included Eclipse. With the disappointing first-year performance of the brand, Chibe needed to take action to turn Eclipse around. His task was to use the opinions from other Wrigley executives and from marketing research data to decide if Eclipse could be turned around or if it should be abandoned.After reading and analyzing the case, students should be able to: Identify the most important variables that drive the success of consumer package goods brands Interpret and use data from various types of marketing research to evaluate marketing mix strategies Develop fact-based marketing recommendations

Predicting First-year Law School Performance: The Influences of Race, Gender, and Undergraduate Major

We use regression analysis and proprietary data from three top 30 law schools to test the relationships of race, gender, and undergraduate major to first-year law school performance, as measured by law school grade point average at the end of the first year. We conclude that, all else equal: (1) Non-white students perform worse than white students, (2) Women on average do as well as men, though non-white women do worse than both white and non-white men, and (3) For the most part, undergraduate major has no relationship to first-year law school performance.

Effectiveness of non-selective evaluation test scores for predicting first-year performance in university career: a zero-inflated beta regression approach

The background preparation of students entering the university system is checked through evaluation tests in Italy. The test is non-selective in most degree programmes, as it does not preclude the possibility of enrolling in the student’s chosen program. However, the initial preparation and attitude of the students seem to be key issues in explaining their performance and predicting the performance outcome of their first-year in university. The evaluation test results are used to predict the students’ performance at the end of the first year by a zero inflated beta regression model. The analysis was conducted on the evaluation test carried out in September 2013 with students at the Department of Economics and Management, University of Pisa.

Learning Factor Models of Students at Risk of Failing in the Early Stage of Tertiary Education

This paper reports on a study to predict students at risk of failing based on data available prior to commencement of first year of study. The study was conducted over three years, 2010 to 2012, on a student population from a range of academic disciplines, n=1,207. Data was gathered from both student enrolment data maintained by college administration, and an online, self-reporting, learner profiling tool administered during first-year student induction. Factors considered included prior academic performance, personality, motivation, self-regulation, learning approaches, age and gender. Models were trained on data from the 2010 and 2011 student cohort, and tested on data from the 2012 student cohort. A comparison of eight classification algorithms found k-NN achieved best model accuracy (72%), but results from other models were similar, including ensembles (71%), support vector machine (70%) and a decision tree (70%). Models of subgroups by age and discipline achieved higher accuracies, but were affected by sample size; n<900 underrepresented patterns in the dataset. Results showed that factors most predictive of academic performance in first year of study at tertiary education included age, prior academic performance and self-efficacy. This study indicated that early modelling of first year students yielded informative, generalisable models that identified students at risk of failing.

“I Know That I Should Be Here”: Lessons Learned From the First-Year Performance of Borderline University Applicants

At many higher education institutions, admissions decisions often rely on standardized test scores and high school grades; yet, they are less reliable predictors for applicants falling slightly below cutoff points, what we call borderline applicants. Since borderline applicants are often from underrepresented backgrounds and diverted to 2-year institutions, this may potentially jeopardize efforts to increase campus diversity. Using a mixed-methods approach, two studies investigated an “admissions experiment” designed to increase campus diversity by admitting 34 borderline applicants into a summer bridge program. Study 1 compared program participants’ performance to two comparison samples of regularly admitted students ( N = 912). Compared with a matched sample, borderline students performed better after the first semester and comparably after the first year. Study 2 identified program components that helped or undermined participants’ college adjustment and performance. Results suggested several program improvements that might enhance underrepresented students’ performance and experiences on 4-year campuses.