Group Of First-year Students Research Articles

An Ecolinguistic Study of Language Teachers as Activists in Promoting Dialogue on SDGs

The present study examines the effect of EFL teachers assuming the role of activists in promoting dialogues regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among university-level students. The study aims to quantitatively assess the influence of EFL teachers who adopt an activist attitude on the knowledge, involvement, and understanding of global sustainability concerns among a particular group of first-year students at the university level. These students, ranging from 19 to 22 years old, were native Arabic speakers from Saudi Arabia. Through a quasi-experimental structure, this investigation compares the results obtained from an experimental group, which undergoes an instructional regimen that integrates SDG-focused activism, to a control group that receives traditional EFL instructions. Data collection is structured around pretest and posttest assessments. The results are anticipated to emphasize the effectiveness of incorporating ecolinguistic principles and activist teaching approaches in language education. The observations mentioned above have the potential to substantially impact the ecolinguistic study field and instructional approaches designed to cultivate a more profound comprehension and dedication to sustainability goals. This study not only emphasizes the capacity to utilize language teaching to promote awareness of sustainability among young students but also establishes a model for forthcoming investigations into the function of education in tackling global environmental and societal predicaments.

Decoding the Collective Image of Malmö

Public spaces, parks, walking, cycling, and transit paths in Malmö are designed to create an accessible and integrated city. In this study, three groups of first-year students were asked to draw their mental maps of Malmö to investigate how they perceive Malmö as a legible, conceivable, and connected city. The results reveal that these young residents have a clear picture of most public places and the predominant landmarks’ positions. Still, the links between many public places were unclear, not legible enough, or even negligible according to their drawings.

The Impact of Scene Teaching in Smart Classrooms on Learners’ Learning Performance and Effectiveness

As a new teaching method, scene teaching in smart classrooms directly impacts the overall quality and efficiency of education. Two groups of first-year students were selected as the research subjects for a study on intelligent learning performance and outcomes in a smart classroom teaching scenario. The results indicate that the intelligent teaching mode can lead to better outcomes in learners’ intelligent learning. It can improve learners’ participation in intelligent learning and enhance their performance. Additionally, it highlights the significance and differences in learners’ intelligent learning effects. However, the research process must prioritize the dominant role of students and teachers in teaching in smart classroom settings. It should also focus on upgrading software and hardware to enhance effective teaching and on the rational use of multimedia technology in smart classrooms to provide robust support for college students’ intelligent learning.

Leveraging Systems Thinking, Engagement, and Digital Competencies to Enhance First-Year Architecture Students’ Achievement in Design-Based Learning

In recent years, teaching and learning practices have transformed greatly due to emerging technologies. Despite various pedagogical and technological innovations, the learning effectiveness of the new learning environments is still being debated. Systems thinking concepts and methods are needed regarding how to accommodate digital technology to optimize the efficacy of students’ learning, especially when student cohort specificities are addressed. For the purpose of this study, we used an empirical research design supported by a bibliometric analysis. Multiple regression using dummy coding of the predictor variables was conducted to compare the prediction models across different groups of first-year students, while a sequential mediation model was used to examine the students’ perceptions of systems thinking, engagement in the design course, and information communication technology (ICT) self-concept in relation to academic achievements. The results indicate that systems thinking centered around the understanding of feedback behaviors and causal sequences in the system has a direct effect on the design outcome and ICT self-concept related to problem solving and cognitive engagement, while, indirectly, systems thinking also mediates achievement in design courses. The ICT self-concept related to problem solving and cognitive engagement mediates the relationship between systems thinking and design course achievement. This study highlights the importance of leveraging learning system dynamics factors in diverse student cohort design courses and provides implications for developing a high-performance digital education sustainable ecosystem.

Teacher-initiated vs. student-initiated written corrective feedback in EFL writing

With the popularity of student-centered pedagogy in language education, research on alternative feedback strategies to supplement teacher written corrective feedback (WCF) has flourished in different contexts. Such research, however, has viewed alternative feedback strategies as initiated, deployed, and controlled by teachers, paying little attention to students’ capability in identifying and correcting their linguistic errors on their own. The current study adopts a quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of a student-initiated feedback intervention on undergraduate students’ error identification and correction ability at a major university in Oman. To this end, two groups of first-year students (n = 63) from two different sections of an essay writing course were assigned to a control group, who received the traditional teacher feedback, and an experimental group, who consulted alternative sources of feedback on their own. Analysis of the data from pre-test and post-test tasks revealed that while both groups significantly improved their scores on different error correction attempts over a 16-week semester, the source of feedback did not lead to significant between-group differences in the scores. Furthermore, qualitative data indicated that, despite some challenges, students drew on a variety of sources and resources to reduce linguistic errors in their writing.

With Phenotypic Signs of Connective Tissue Dysplasia: Cross-Sectional Clinical Study

Background. The dental health is an integral part of a person's well-being. Students of higher educational institutions comprise a health risk group, since they experience extensive physiological changes and personal socialization. The impact of connective tissue dysplasia on dental health is a relevant research task.Objective. To analyze the correlation between dental pathology and phenotypic signs of connective tissue dysplasia in first-year students.Methods. A cross-sectional clinical study of the dental health and phenotypic signs of connective tissue dysplasia was conducted as part of routine dental examination of 263 first-year students of KubSMU, aged 18–23. All participants were divided into 2 groups: group 1 – participants with 0-2 signs of connective tissue dysplasia (n = 108); group 2 – participants with 3 or more signs of dysplasia (n = 155). Statistical analysis of the results was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2010 and Statistica 6.0.Results. Unsatisfactory and poor oral hygiene levels in the group of participants with connective tissue dysplasia outnumber these levels in the control group by 30% and 22%, with very poor level in the second group 2.3 times higher (p ≤ 0.05). The incidence of noncarious tooth pathology in individuals with dysplasia is 26% higher than in the control group. The caries intensity index in group 2 is almost 20% bigger than in the control group. As expected, the group of participants with no signs of dysplasia revealed better periodontal health, namely 51.85% versus 45.81% (p ≤ 0.05). In terms of mucosal pathology, a statistical significant difference between groups 1 and 2 was noted for traumatic injuries (16.35% and 19.35%, respectively). Dentofacial abnormalities were observed more often in individuals with 3 or more phenotypic signs of connective tissue dysplasia.Conclusion. Higher morbidity rate of caries and noncarious pathology in the group of first-year students with 3 or more phenotypic signs of connective tissue dysplasia, compared to the group with 0–2 phenotypic manifestations of dysplasia, indicated the need to create a database of the dentofacial profiles of students, develop an algorithm for regular medical check-up of students, as well as provide differentiated preventive and therapeutic measures for students with dysplasia.

A Sociological Lens on Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Writing Inclusive Multiple-Choice Assessments

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are widely used in large introductory courses. Recent research focuses on MCQ reliability and validity and overlooks questions of accessibility. Yet, access to the norms of academic discourse embedded in MCQs differs between groups of first-year students. We theorize these norms as part of the institutionalized cultural symbols that reproduce social and cultural exclusion for linguistically diverse students. A sociological focus on linguistic diversity is necessary as the percentage of students who use English as an additional language (EAL), rather than English as a native language (ENL), has grown. Drawing on sociology as pedagogy, we problematize MCQs as a medium shaping linguistically diverse students’ ability to demonstrate disciplinary knowledge. Our multimethod research uses two-stage randomized exams and focus groups with EAL and ENL students to assess the effects of a modification in instructors’ MCQ writing practices in sociology and psychology courses. Findings show that students are more likely to answer a modified MCQ correctly, with greater improvement for EAL students.

THE COMMUNICATION APPROACH AND ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF SPORTS ACTIVITIES ON HEALTH

The student population is one of the most sensitive populations today, whereby it is necessary to consider the relationship between health and physical activity in order to improve students’ quality of life. In addition to physical inactivity, health status is adversely affected by constant technological innovations and excessive socializing, consumption of alcohol, tobacco and narcotics. The aim of this study was to determine the differences between the communication approach and attitudes of first- and fourth-year students of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education on the impact of sports on health and improvement of mental hygiene. Using a 60-item questionnaire, the study included 70 healthy respondents of both genders (Mean ± SD: 20.86±1.76 years). The respondents were divided into two subsamples, i.e. a group of first-year students (IG; n=34; F=15, M=19) and a group of fourth-year students (IVG; n=36; F=18, M=18). All obtained data are presented by descriptive parameters. The reliability of the survey in terms of internal compliance was tested by Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. The manifest space of attitudes was processed by the scaling technique. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to determine differences in attitudes between first- and fourth-year students. For statistical significance of the differences in results between groups, the p<0.05 level of significance was used. The data were processed in the SPSS statistical package. The results of the study unequivocally confirmed the existence of a positive attitude among the student population about the impact of sports on health and improvement of mental hygiene, as well as that there are no statistically significant differences in most of the variables included in the testing (eight out of ten domains), i.e. that there is no great difference in the attitudes of first- and fourth-year students on the importance of sports for their psychophysical health.

Research note: are caring professions’ students more receptive to diverse groups?

ABSTRACT Cultural competence (CC), also known as cultural intelligence (CQ), is a necessary skill for caring professions. Little is known, though, about initial levels of CQ or differences in CQ levels between students in caring and non-caring programs. A group of first-year students (n = 172) from diverse demographic backgrounds and different fields of study (social work, nursing, behavioural sciences) participated in an online survey that assessed their CQ and background attributes. Significant differences were found across fields of study so that students pursuing caring professions were more receptive than their counterparts in non-caring fields to intercultural interaction in the motivational, cognitive, and meta-cognitive CQ dimensions with no significant difference in the behavioral dimension. Mastering a non-native language was also associated with motivational and cognitive CQ. These findings suggest that greater receptiveness to intercultural interaction among students pursuing caring professions needs to be nurtured in order to generate behavioral changes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC YEAR IN TEACHING LEGAL ENGLISH FOR LAW MAJORS

This article seeks to provide a detailed overview focusing on the significance of an academic year in teaching legal English for law majors at tertiary level. Case study is used to analyze observation data as it is an empirical investigation of contemporary phenomena within real-life contexts. The study is within Tashkent State University of Law (TSUL). One group of first-year students and one group of second-year students of TSUL participated in the study. Two groups were chosen and their classes were observed. After classroom observations, some volunteers were invited to the interview. The data was analyzed based on the Grounded theory as it preserves the holistic nature of the data. The study suggested that starting teaching Legal English from the second academic year would be more useful and practical as the students are likely to have less knowledge on the legal topic when they are freshmen.

ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНИЯ О ТРАЕКТОРИИ САМООБРАЗОВАНИЯ У СТУДЕНТОВ ПЕРВОГО И ВЫПУСКНОГО КУРСОВ БАКАЛАВРИАТА

Statement of the problem. The article is devoted to the problem of forming students’ representations about the trajectory of self-directed learning in order to increase their adaptability in a rapidly changing world. The need to increase students’ degree of its thoughtfulness is emphasized. This article emphasizes the need in independent and thoughtful construction of this trajectory by university students. The purpose of the article is to present the results of a study on creation of a technique identifying students’ perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory, as well as to report findings about features of these perspectives among first-and final-year undergraduate students. Research methods. To identify students’ perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory, a questionnaire was developed in accordance with the ideas of A.V. Hutorskiy, G.M. Kuleshova, E.A. Aleksandrova, Y.G. Yudina, S.V. Vdovina, I.S. Yakimanskaya, S.V. Yudakova, etc. The questionnaire identifies the following components for perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory: plans for self-directed learning, ideas about their implementations, and ideas about actions for achieving aims of self-directed learning. Research results. Statistically significant differences between perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory among first- and final-year students were revealed: the perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory and range of interests are clearer among final-year students than among first-year students. Additionally, self-directed learning motivation and time-management skills are higher in the group of final-year students in comparison with the group of first-year students. First-year students prefer workshops, lectures, conferences, summer or winter schools as ways to improve their knowledge and skills, while final-year students prefer to read books, take notes, and communicate with specialists. All students are characterized by a poor level of analysis of difficulties which they may encounter in the process of self-directed learning, and unwillingness to allocate fixed time for classes during self-directed learning. Conclusions. The guidelines for students in order to help them to build clear perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory were developed. The authors’ contribution consists in creation of the questionnaire for identification of students’ perspectives of self-directed learning trajectory and in conducting the study that expands knowledge about the psychology of students’ self-directed learning.

“First years' information literacy backpacks: What's already packed or not packed?”

This survey-based research explores whether first-year college students who have had previous interactions with library instruction, services, and resources at the high school level are better prepared to undertake information literacy challenges and are better equipped to adapt to the rigors of academic research. In this collaborative project, academic librarians across six colleges in New Jersey surveyed first-year students regarding their research preparation and their experiences in high school and in their first year of college. Additionally, the team surveyed a group of vetted, certified high school librarians in New Jersey regarding their resources and instructional practices and followed members of their senior class to college Based on student survey responses relating to their high school experiences, the team was able to identify, study, and compare three groups of first-year students: novice researchers, non-novice researchers, and a subset of non-novices from the high schools with vetted librarians. These were labeled alumni non-novices. The team found that students with prior high school research experiences (non-novices), especially those followed from schools identified as having certified librarians (alumni non-novices), felt more prepared for academic research and performed at a higher level relating to their understanding and use of research tools and strategies. The results point to equity concerns and suggest that students require differentiated attention at the college level.

Adapting to technology tools in a learning environment: A case study of first-year students at a traditional African university

The introduction of technology to teaching and learning has brought about modernisation of academic activities. The drastic paradigm shift faced by the education sector is inevitable, especially as the impact of the much-touted Fourth Industrial Revolution is being felt in key sectors of the economy. This reality imposes the need for technology-enhanced learning for tertiary students as it represents the future of the workplace for which they are being prepared at university. For effective learning to take place, institutions need to incorporate technological tools in their teaching and learning. Adapting to a myriad of technology tools can be challenging, especially for less privileged learners who might be adjusting to tertiary life and previously have not been exposed to the basics of computers and other technology tools. This challenge is further compounded by the fact that most of these learners are experiencing the independence of tertiary education for the first time and are still struggling to balance their academic workload with the anxieties of social blending. This paper investigated how first-year students at a traditional, previously disadvantaged university in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, adapted to Blackboard Learn (also referred to as WiseUP), the learning management system (LMS) adapted for blended learning at the university. The paper explored the challenges faced by the new students and thereafter employed a combination of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Technology Acceptance Model to build a new model, which reveals the critical factors that influence students to embrace technology. This model will assist lecturers, faculty and student support structures to understand the underpinning factors that influence first-year students to embrace the technology tool, namely, the university’s LMS. Quantitative data collection and analysis were used in the case study, which was conducted with two groups of first-year students in management and information technology courses. Results show the significant factors that influence students’ attitudes positively towards the use of technology for learning.

Efficiency of blended learning of calculus content during the Covid19 crisis

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present the analysis of the students’ achievements in learning calculus in a dynamic software environment during the Covid19 crisis. Two groups of students, the experimental and the control one, were monitored. Blended learning was applied to the students in the experimental group, with the help of Microsoft Teams and dynamic software GeoGebra, in autumn 2020. All students in the control group learned in the classroom without using GeoGebra in 2019. The comparison between these two groups of first-year students, regarding their calculus test results, is described in this paper. It is interesting that the results of the experimental group were significantly better than the results of students in the control group, despite the fact that the students from the experimental group learned during the Covid19 crisis.

THE EFFECT OF PQRST (PREVIEW, QUESTION, READ, SUMMARY, AND TEST) STRATEGY ON READING COMPREHENSION AT FIRST-GRADE STUDENTS OF SMAN 1 SABAK AUH SIAK

This paper discusses an experimental research study regarding the effect of PQRST (Preview, Question, Read, Summary, and Test) strategy on reading comprehension of the first-year students at SMAN 1 of Sabak Auh Siak. The study shows that 65% of the students have difficulties in comprehending the reading passage about a descriptive text. Based on the students’ reading indicators, it can be identified that they have difficulties in determining the main idea, locating references, understanding vocabulary, making inferences, and finding detailed information. This study uses a quantitative method on a true experimental design of two groups of first-year students using pre-test and post-test. The study involves 44 students, divided into two classes: the control class with 21 students and the experimental class with 23 students. The instrument is a test that consists of questions with multiple choices and four options (A/B/C/D). In order to analyze the data formula, statistical software namely SPSS version 23 is used to analyze the results of the study. The significant effect of PQRST (Preview, Question, Read, Summary, and Test) strategy on reading comprehension at the first-year students of SMAN 1 Sabak Auh in Kabupaten Siak (2-tailed) is. 000 ˂ .005, which means that the H0 is rejected, while Ha is accepted. Thus, there is a significant effect on first-year students' reading comprehension in descriptive text between the students who are taught by applying the PQRST strategy and those who are not.

The content of toxic metals in the hair of students from different regions of the world

The results of a study on the content of toxic metals in the hair of first-year students of the Peoples Friendship University of Russia who arrived for training from various climatogeographic regions of the world are presented. The research involved first-year students from Africa, Latin America, the Near and Middle East, and Southeast Asia. A group of first-year students from the Moscow region acted as a control during the research. Studies have shown that there are significant differences in the content of toxic metals (Al, As, Hg, Pb, Cd, Sn) in the hair of foreign first-year students, depending on the region of residence. Students from Africa and Latin America were characterized by the highest content of toxic metals in their hair.

The problem of information hygiene and the relevance of late-antique ethics

Today a completely new type of reality – «digital reality» – is being formed, which entails new challenges for individuals and society. Deep involvement in digital reality and the active use of its technical mediators creates a load on the psychophysics of the individual, which, especially in the stage of active growth, not only deforms behavioral patterns, but can also influence the formation of brain structures. Educational practices, through which society helped the individual to form their identity, lose their former certainty in the digital dimension. As a response to these challenges at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries, the concept of information hygiene was formed within the medical sciences, describing ways to minimize the destructive effects of the information environment. However, developed for a narrow field, this concept does not take into account the fact that psychophysical transformations under the influence of destructive influences of modern media threaten to destroy the basic constants of the human body. Positivist medicine, due to the specificity of its subject, does not see the eschatological horizon of the problem, on which the contours of our «posthuman future» are already clearly outlined. At this point, philosophy can and should recall that at the dawn of European civilization, medicine was inseparably an ethical program: a single set of practices – ascetic, hygienic, and mental-aimed not only at minimizing destructive influences but also at discovering and cultivating the individual's own humanity. Thus, in this article, the concept of information hygiene is thematized taking into account its historical and philosophical implications. On the one hand, it is intended to reflect the current specifics of the challenges, on the other – to take into account the experience of preventing destructive influences, practiced by late-antique philosophers in the status of «healers of the soul». For the empirical verification of this concept, the authors performed the following experiment. A group of first-year students were asked to spend a day without the Internet and describe their feelings and thoughts. The analysis of spontaneous ways to overcome deep involvement in digital reality allowed us to identify the most adequate forms of minimizing its destructive influences: avoidance of active leisure in the real world. These forms were in tune with the late-antique practices of self-care in the editorial office of the Epicurean school. This broader ethical consideration of information hygiene opens the way for theming a comprehensive approach to the problem of human survival in the face of digital reality

Similarly different: Finding the nuances in first year students' library perceptions

Information literacy efforts in academic libraries commonly target first-year students as a way to ensure that students learn foundational research skills at the beginning of their college experience. However, little has been written about different populations within the category of first-year students. First-year students may come to college with a variety of different experiences, concerns, and backgrounds. In this study, the researchers explored how students from several different first-year learning communities described their previous experience with libraries, research, and their perceived preparation for college-level research. The researchers found that different groups of first-year students did express varying perceptions about their level of preparedness for college research, research anxiety, and perception of librarians at the beginning of their college experience. An end of year survey after a library intervention showed a reduction in research anxiety and increased confidence for some groups of students. These findings support library efforts to tailor instruction to the needs of a particular student group.

Illustrative presentation in formation of ESL students’ lexical skills

The article is devoted to the problems of forming and developing lexical skills by modern multimedia means of visualization in the ESL classroom. Modern technologies have been led to new possibilities to integrate multimedia tools and means of visualization in the ESL classroom. The aim of this paper is to analyze the current ESL coursebooks and coursebook supplements and give recommendations to teachers how to use the sufficient range of means of visualization effectively. As a part of research different types of questionnaires were handed to teachers and first-year students of Bachelor’s Program "Pedagogical Education (double major) and Second Foreign language " (5 years, full time) of Kazan State University. After this, a set of classes was organized for two groups of first-year students. The outcomes have been measured with qualitative and quantitative methods. The results show that the teachers do not use means of visualization and are not ready to make them the integral part of everyday lessons due to time management issues, lack of methodical ways of organization of educational process. Due to these results it can be resumed that using multimedia means of visualization as tools in the ESL classroom is highly beneficial for students and enhanced the learning process.

Адаптація студентів-першокурсників до умов навчання у закладах вищої освіти

The problem of adaptation of first-year students is a topical issue of higher education institutions. Adaptation of students is a rather complex and long process that lasts during all years of study in a higher education institution, but the most important and problematic period is the period of study in the first year. One of the important criteria for the adaptation of freshmen to the conditions of stay and the learning process in higher education is their health. The stronger the health of students, the more successful their adaptation. The article presents the deteriorating health of first-year students; interpretation of the concept of «adaptation»; various forms (types) of adaptation of student's youth are considered; factors influencing the adaptation process; difficulties in adapting freshmen. Independent physical education and sports in extracurricular time contribute to the more successful adaptation of freshmen to the learning process. The article considers the most common forms of independent physical education classes among students. Adaptation takes place during all years of study, but the most important and problematic period is the period of study in the first year. Admission to free economic education is determined by changes in the living conditions of students, leads to the destruction of previously developed habits, skills, values ​​of former high school students, partial or complete loss of relationships with former classmates and more. There are several (types) of forms of adaptation: formal adaptation, refers to the cognitive and informational adaptation of students to the new environment, to the structure of higher education, to the requirements and their obligations; social adaptation – the process of internal integration of groups of first-year students and the integration of these groups with the student environment as a whole; didactic adaptation, concerns the preparation of students for new forms and methods of educational work in higher education.