Greek University Students Research Articles

Microaggressions and Psychosocial Adjustment among Greek University Students with Disabilities

This study investigated differences in experiences of microaggressions between students with different characteristics (type, visibility, severity, and onset of impairment) and associations between the occurrence of microaggressions and specific psychological dimensions, such as stress, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. It also examined how the afore-mentioned psychological factors and microaggressions contribute to students’ adjustment to university. Eighty-nine (89) university students with disabilities (USwDs) completed a series of six questionnaires: the Ableist Microaggression Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the College Adaptation Questionnaire. University students with visual and mobility impairments reported higher levels of ableist microaggressions than those with medical/chronic conditions, while students with visible impairments seemed to experience more ableist microaggressions than their university peers with non-visible impairments. Microaggressive experiences were found to be associated with increased levels of depression and stress as well as having negative consequences for disabled students’ self-esteem and life satisfaction. Students’ overall adaptation to university was predicted by a high level of life satisfaction, low level of depression, and limited experience of microaggressions related to otherization. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for USwDs’ adjustment.

Profiling the motivational characteristics of Greek university students

Research in L2 motivation of the past 60 years has gone through a journey from seeking the sources of motivation within the individual to currently locating motivation at the interplay of cognitive, affective, and social parameters. This study adopts Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 Motivational Self System and employs an adapted version of Taguchi et al.’s (2009) questionnaire in order to examine Greek university students’ motivational profiles with regard to ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self and promotion and prevention instrumentality. In the cluster analysis three motivational clusters are identified, with prevention instrumentality and ideal L2 self as main distinguishing factors. Through a series of analyses of variance and crosstabulation the three clusters are associated with language-related, future goals and social variables: The emergent clusters are: the highly motivated students also most proficient in L2, the low motivated students also least proficient in L2 and the overstrivers. Promotion orientations (ideal L2 self and instrumentality promotion) lead to higher L2 proficiency that lasts longer while prevention orientations erode it. The study compares Greek university students’ actual achievement to self-perceived competence and highlights the importance of the two regulatory orientations for the study of L2 motivation.

Can Game-based Learning Facilitate Civics, Negotiation and Conflict Management Attributes? Research Evidence from Greek University Students

Can Game-based Learning Facilitate Civics, Negotiation and Conflict Management Attributes? Research Evidence from Greek University Students

First Impression of Greek University Students on Taking Massive e-Exams due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Previous letters have suggested the implementation of certain measures to either ameliorate the effects of the financial crisis or even modernize the Greek academic institutions over the previous decade (2010-2019), either in general1 or in the context of biomedical education.2 In these letters, the authors proposed a series of predesigned steps to achieve the desired results. What we would like to raise the attention of the readership to, is another driving force of change in the Greek academic sector (other than carefully designed plans): forced adaptation to external circumstances, like to COVID-19 pandemic. Some European countries (like the United Kingdom or Nordic countries) have made serious investments in e-learning platforms and curricula over the last 10-15 years (and thus acclimatized their corresponding academic communities into the concept of e-exams),3 while others, like Greece, are not similarly mature in efficiently (from an organizational, pedagogic and technological point of view) integrating distant learning approaches and e-examinations into their academic curricula. Read more...

Validation of the thermal concept evaluation test for Greek university students’ misconceptions of thermal concepts

ABSTRACT Although students are expected to finish school having a solid understanding of scientific concepts, they graduate from universities maintaining their former misconceptions in several fields, like physics. This study aims at validating the Thermal Concept Evaluation (TCE) test for university student’s misconceptions of thermal concepts in everyday contexts. The test was administered to 643 first-year students from six different tertiary education departments in Greece. Item Response Theory (IRT) was used in order to validate and adjust the instrument to the Greek population of students and estimate the discriminating power of items. This assessment found that the majority of students held alternative conceptions about thermal concepts. Socio-demographic and academic variables have impact on students’ performance.

Rethinking Associations between Distal Factors and Learning: Attachment, Approaches to Learning and the Mediating Role of Academic Emotions

The present study belongs to a new strand of research in learning in higher education focusing on distal and emotional factors that contribute to learning. The purpose of the study was to explore the mediating role of academic emotions in the relationship between adult attachment styles and approaches to learning. The sample consists of 527 Greek university students (72 were men and 455 were women) attending a fourth-year full degree program. They completed the following questionnaires: The Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structure Questionnaire, the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire, and the Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory. Results revealed the mediating role of academic emotions in the relationship between both types of attachment and approaches to learning. Avoidant and anxious individuals seem to keep the same pattern of behavior in their studying as they do in their interpersonal relationships. It is suggested that attachment can function as an innate emotion regulation system that modulates students’ emotions. Findings are discussed in the context of recent literature. Future implications for higher education students regarding close relationships are also discussed.

Social Networking Websites and Family Relationships; Students’ Perceptions

This article examines on the one hand whether the remembrance of perceived paternal and maternal rejection affects positively the search for social support on social networking websites and on the other hand to what extent the high quality of a friendship affects the search for social support on these websites. Data were collected from 200 Greek university students and were analyzed with binary logistic regression model which was used to predict the outcome ‘’Search for social support on social networking websites’’. The scores of the following three questionnaires; (α) Perceived parental remembrance of the rejection was estimated via the Short form of the Adult Parental Acceptance and Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) (24 items), (b) The friendship quality was evaluated with the Adult Friendship Questionnaire (AFQ) (27 items), (c) The need to seek support was measured with the questionnaire Attraction to Computer-Mediated Social Support (33 items), were included as predictive variables in this model. Enter method was also used. The final model was able to define 15.6% till 21.4% of the variance, while it was able to successfully predict in total 69.1% of the cases. It has been proved that the increase of friendship quality entails reduction of the possibilities of seeking social support through social networking sites (OR 0.965). Present study is thought to be important because to the best of our knowledge it is the first study that examines students’ perceptions with regard to family relationships and social networking websites

Η σχέση της oικονομικής κρίσης με την υποκειμενική ψυχολογική ευεξία των φοιτητών στα ελληνικά ΑΕΙ

In this study, we examine the relationship between the perceived effects of the economic crisis on the subjective well-being of Greek University students. The sample consisted of 203 students in five institutions of higher education across the country (mean age: 21,7 years). Participants were administered two questionnaires. The first tool explored the perceived consequences of the economic crisis. Its construction was based on thematic analysis of a focus group discussion. The discussion explored the perceptions of a group of eight students on how and to what extent they were affected by the economic crisis. The second tool was the psychological well-being questionnaire of the World Health Organization (Bradley, 2013). Demographic data regarding sex, age, and SES were also collected. Findings suggested a negative association between the perceived effects of the economic crisis and the subjective well-being of students. Furthermore, participants seemed to realize the significant impact of the economic crisis in their lives. Specifically, they reported that they had to reduce daily expenses and to adjust their studies taking into account the economic crisis. They also declared pessimism regarding future employment. Findings are discussed in light of the literature on the effects of the economic crisis on young people.

ARGUMENT, KNOWLEDGE AND ETHICS: UNDERSTANDING CORE CONCEPTS IN PHILOSOPHY BY AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON GREEK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

An empirical study was conducted measuring the degree to which Greek university students’ understanding of core philosophical concepts (that is, ‘argument’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘ethics’) has been shaped by the material taught in the classroom. The extent of this transition from pre-instructional conceptions to textbook formulations has been investigated through the use of a new questionnaire. Findings indicate that generally, students retain their pre-theoretical understanding of these terms. Within this framework, some formal definitions are closer to common sense (e.g. ‘ethics’) and some others aren’t (e.g. ‘knowledge’). Furthermore, the role of intuitions in this process is been evaluated, leading to the ascertainment that previous philosophical encounters seem to play a crucial role in determining actual understanding.

Academic Procrastination in Greek Higher Education: Shedding Light on a Darkened yet Critical Issue

Αcademic procrastination, characterized by self-regulation difficulties in delaying the start or completion of academic tasks (Ferrari, 2010), is widespread among university students. One of the most widely used measures of academic procrastination is Procrastination Assessment Scale Students (PASS, Solomon &Rotblum, 1984). However, there is adearth of research investigating its factorial structure using confirmatory factor analysis. Greek studies on academic procrastination are also scarce. The present study investigated academic procrastination among Greek university students (n = 865),as well as the factorial structure of PΑSS. Results from a CFA supported a one factor solution. Moreover, 40.5% of students were characterized as frequent procrastinators, towards reading for the exams, writing essays or attending classes. The reasons students gave for procrastinating were “fear of failure”, “task aversion”, “fear of success /peer pressure” and “lack of assertiveness/ time management skills”. No major, age, or gender differences in academic procrastination were detected. Finally, most students wished to participate in a future anti-procrastination program. Findings increase the ecological validity of current literature and could be potentially useful for counselors and researchers

Σχέση του Ψυχωτισμού, νευρωτισμού και εσωστρέφειας-εξωστρέφειας με τη μοναξιά σε Έλληνες φοιτητές

Η ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ ΒΡΙΣΚΕΤΑΙ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΟ ΑΡΧΕΙΟ PDF

Διερεύνηση των σχέσεων της γονικότητας με την εκδήλωση τελειοθηρίας σε φοιτητικό πληθυσμό

Previous research suggests that the origins of perfectionism lie in parental factors. The present study examined how parenting style and family perfectionism is associated with the manifestation of perfectionism in a sample of 855 Greek university students, using the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), the Family Almost Perfect Scale (FAPS) and the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ). The subscales of APS-R and FAPS are combined to provide three types of personal and family perfectionism respectively (adaptive, maladaptive, absence of perfectionism), whereas PAQ distinguishes three parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive, authoritative). The authoritative parenting style was positively associated with adaptive perfectionism in both genders and negatively associated with maladaptive perfectionism among women, the authoritarian parenting style was positively associated with maladaptive perfectionism among men, whereas the permissive parenting style was positively associated with maladaptive perfectionism among women and the absence of perfectionism among men. Moreover, the type of personal perfectionism was associated to the respective type of family perfectionism.

Greek students’ attitudes toward rape

Literature on sexual harassment and violence against women describes a variety of myths and stereotypes regarding partial or total responsibility of rape victims and their “enjoyment” of sexual violence. Rape stigma and rape myths are aspects of generalized attitudes toward victims of rape and rapists, while it seems that sexual violence remains a taboo in today’s western societies. This study explores Greek university students’ attitudes towards rape. A questionnaire created for the purpose of this study was administered to 950 Greek students at the University of Athens and at the University of Ioannina, divided into three groups: a group of students from the Faculty of Law, a group from Departments orientated to Humanistic and Social Sciences and a group of students from other Faculties and Departments of Applied Sciences. Factor analysis revealed four factors: “Rape victim’s responsibility”, “Defining the concept of rape”, “Rape motivation” and “Rapist’s characteristics”. In line with previous research findings, the results indicated that women were less accepting of conservative attitudestowards rape than men; they also seemed to reject attitudes of “blaming the victim” more, and to hold negative views of rapists. Additionally, the results showed that students of rural origin retain more conservative attitudes with respect to the victim’s responsibility and the rapist’s characteristics than students of urban origin. Finally, students in Law Departments seemed to have accepted more moderate attitudes than the other two groups of students; they mostly disagree with conservative attitudes regarding victim’s responsibilities along with the Social Science students, but they agree more with Applied Sciences students in defining rape.

Studying Vs Internet Use 0–1: the Mediating Role of Academic Procrastination between Flow and Problematic Internet Use among Greek University Students

University students are at high risk of exhibiting problematic Internet use as they tend to spend a lot of time online. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that procrastination would mediate the relationship between flow and problematic Internet use in a sample of 178 Greek University students, 67% of whom were females using a snowball sampling technique. Results revealed that flow was positively related to problematic Internet use (r = 0.36). In addition, mediation analysis revealed that academic procrastination mediates the relationship between flow and problematic Internet use. Findings suggest the more pleasurable is the Internet activity, the more the students tend to procrastinate towards meeting their academic obligations, and this is related to long hours of Internet use. Findings enrich previous literature on problematic Internet use and could potentially inform policies aiming to protect students’ health and well-being.

Greek university students’ attitudes towards refugees: The role of contact with refugees in a common context since the beginning of refugees’ arrival

Introduction: The massive migration flow that arrived into Europe since 2015 was a new challenge which gained prominent attention. Despite the vast literature on migration processes, research on refugees’ arrival in Greece is still limited. The aim of this study was to examine Greek university students’ attitudes towards refugees and to explore factors that are possibly related to the academic context where participants studied or to their contact with refugees.Method: A self-report questionnaire was administered to 437 Greek young adults with a mean age of 22.63 years (SD=4.72).Results: Factorial ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect among gender, year of study and academic discipline on attitudes towards refugees. A multiple linear regression analysis also showed that the interaction effect of seeing a refugee, meeting a refugee and discussing with a refugee explained a small but a significant proportion of variance in attitudes towards refugees.Discussion: Findings have important implications for the better integration of refugees in Greece.

Counterintuitive Effects of Individualistic Diversity Discourse on “Generation Bataclan”

Coverage by international broadcasters and other media of the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015 made extensive use of mainstream diversity discourse to describe the victims and venues targeted by jihadists, emphasizing the unique preferences, unconventional life plans and individuality of victims. Based on sociological accounts, this paper sees that discourse as part and parcel of an individualistic ideology of diversity, which celebrates individual uniqueness and espouses relativism on the value of differences across individuals and groups. The two studies presented here address the consequences of framing the events in Paris in individual diversity (ID) ideological terms and question their impact on lay representations of the events and on support for antiterrorist policies by Greek university students. In Study 1, personal endorsement of ID ideology was associated with indirect support for strict border controls. Study 2 manipulated descriptions of victims and found that priming ID themes directly produced increased support for strict border controls and an increased understanding of the main symbolic target of the attacks as an assault against the West. The results extend the past work on the effects of ID ideas on lay representations of social discrimination.

Erasmus student mobility and Emerging Adulthood: implications on students’ development

The present study focuses on Erasmus student mobility and emerging adulthood. We attempt to detect possible emerging adulthood characteristics to Greek university students, in the frame of their participation in mobility programmes. A qualitative analysis with in-depth interviews of students was applied, in order to investigate the implications of this experience for Emerging Adulthood. Interviews were addressed to Greek students from various disciplines that participated in mobility programmes in different countries and higher education environments during the past two years. The research revealed empowerment of specific emerging adulthood characteristics of the participants, while studying abroad emerges as a significant learning experience that fosters students’ developmental process to adulthood.

A Bayesian longitudinal model for quantifying students’ preferences regarding teaching quality indicators

The aim of the paper is to estimate the posterior mean values and analyze the posterior variation in students’ prioritization of teaching quality components within a 10-year frame. The results are based on longitudinal data gathered among Greek university students during the period of the national economic crisis in Greece spanned from 2009 to 2018. The analysis consists of fitting a Bayesian hierarchical beta regression model with a Dirichlet prior on the model coefficients that correspond to twenty quality attribute measures. Using this natural way to implement the usual constraints, the model coefficients can be interpreted as weights and thus they measure the relative importance that the students give to the different attributes. By estimating the posterior means and positioning measures of all consecutive sampling instances and summarizing posterior distributions of the differences between consecutive periods in the model weights, the study identifies and evaluates the major changes and patterns in students’ perception of academic quality over the ten-year sampling period.

Safe use of chemicals and risk communication among dentists and dental students in Greece.

Use of chemicals, most often classified for intrinsic hazards, is rather common among dentists. To date, no data have been recorded in the European Union (EU) on dentists' awareness regarding the safe use of chemicals. In the EU regulatory framework, two Regulations with wide applications, namely Regulations (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH) and 1272/2008 (CLP), have been introduced to protect human health and the environment and clearly communicate hazards posed by chemicals to workers and consumers. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of comprehension of hazard communication of chemicals among Greek dentists. For this, a closed-ended, anonymous and validated questionnaire was initially distributed to a total of 300 Greek dentists, both professionals and university students, over a period of 4 months. The collected data from 240 final responders were subjected to statistical analysis (frequencies, percentages, chi-square (χ2) and significance (p < 0.05)). The vast majority (90%) of the interviewed dentists are not aware of the CLP. Main sources of information regarding chemical hazard and safe use was the supplier through direct communication (90%), while some dentists also consulted the product labels (39%) and the material safety data sheets (54%). Regarding hazard communication, the perceived information from the pictograms is confusing to the vast majority of the dentists (86%), especially for systemic hazards (carcinogenicity and/or reproductive toxicity). In addition, 88% of the professional dentists have not noticed any changes in the labelling of chemical products, which also shows the low input of labels to hazard communication. On the other hand, 90% of the responders always utilize personal protective equipment (PPE), although it is not clear whether this PPE is adequate. In conclusion, rising awareness campaigns are needed, in collaboration with universities and dental care professional associations, to inform dentists about the safe use of chemicals not only to ensure protection of their own health but also to contribute to environmental sustainability.

The role of psychological distress as a potential route through which procrastination may confer risk for reduced life satisfaction

Procrastination, mental health problems and decreased life satisfaction among university students constitutes an issue over which there is growing public concern. Yet, there is little research explaining the mechanisms through which academic procrastination may lead to less life satisfaction. The present study aimed to explore the link between procrastination and psychopathology among 2 samples (sample 1, N = 681 and sample 2, N = 183) of Greek University students. We also further tested the assumption that psychological distress would mediate the relationship between procrastination and life satisfaction. Data were analyzed using correlational analyses and structural equation modeling. In the first Study, procrastination was related to psychopathology. In the second study, results revealed that students who had the tendency to procrastinate in general, or their academic obligations, in particular, reported less psychological well-being, more anxiety, more psychological distress, less emotional ties, less general positive affect, more loss of behavioral and emotional control, more depressive symptoms and less life satisfaction. More importantly, the model exhibited a good fit to the data, while the bootstrapped standardized indirect effect of procrastination on life satisfaction was statistically significant supporting the hypothesis that Psychological distress partially mediated the relationship between procrastination and life satisfaction. In conclusion, difficulty to meet deadlines within a specific time-frame is related to worse mental health and decreased overall life satisfaction Academic procrastination, general procrastination, psychopathology, mental health, life satisfaction.