Individual Study Plan Research Articles

Aspects of Throughput Rate and Scientific Output in Doctoral Education: Changes over Time at the Departmental Level

Doctoral education has been shaped by a continuous interaction between the research community and representatives of the governmental authorities. In Sweden, doctorates were organised into structured educational programmes in 1969. In this study, the development of doctoral education in Medical Radiation Physics at Lund University, Sweden, was analysed over approximately 50 years, in terms of quantitative parameters related to throughput rate and scientific production making up the doctoral theses. Theses from two time periods (1970 to 1999 versus 2001 to 2023) were compared in terms of the total number of full papers (either accepted or in manuscript form), number of accepted full papers and number of accepted full papers as first author. For all three categories of included papers, median values were not significantly different between the two time periods while the variances were significantly smaller for the period 2001 to 2023 (level of significance 0.05). The time between admission and thesis defence decreased with time, according to linear correlation analysis, while the number of supervisors increased. Doctoral theses showed a significantly more uniform composition after a major political reform in 1998. Hence, doctoral education can be described as becoming more efficient and predictable. It is suggested that the primary causes include the introduction of individual study plans and secured personal financial support. The increased efficiency can also be problematised regarding, for example, insufficient independence and limited freedom of research.

Organization of PhD studies at the Faculty of Public Health of the Slovak Medical University in the context of practice.

The Slovak Medical University (SMU) holds a unique position in the health education system in Slovakia. It has a direct connection to the health sector, allowing health education to reflect the actual needs in this field. Because of increasing importance of public health in the last decades, more attention must be given to disease prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. We aim to highlight the main characteristics of health higher education at one of the specialized health universities in Slovakia, with a particular focus on public health and its practical impacts. We analysed the available legal regulations for postgraduate studies in Slovakia and the officially valid documents of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the Slovak Medical University in accordance with the accredited study programme in Public Health. Archived data from the Department of Science, Research, and Doctoral Studies of the Faculty over the past 10 years were used for the analysis of postgraduate studies (2013-2023). PhD studies in Slovakia are conducted in accordance with Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on amendments to certain acts. There are two forms of PhD study in Slovakia: full-time and external. The evaluation of study results is based on the credit system. The doctoral study programme proceeds according to an individual study plan under the guidance of the advisor. The PhD study concludes with the defence of the dissertation, which serves as the final thesis. A total of 97 students have graduated at FPH SMU in Public Health in the last 10 years. The majority of graduates were females (68% vs. 32% males) and studied in the external form of study (80.4% vs. 19.6% in the full-time programme). The most frequent research topics at FPH SMU in the last 10 years included Epidemiology and Prevention of Non-communicable (21.7%) and Infectious Diseases (11.3%), Health Management and Policy (17.5%), Environmental Health (15.5%), as well as Occupational Health (13.4%). High-quality and innovative postgraduate education in public health plays a crucial role in this field, preparing experts for the public health services. From a quality perspective, it is substantial to share experiences with various study programmes across the European region, as well as with other universities. Graduates of the Faculty of Public Health are highly sought-after professionals with diverse career opportunities not only in Slovakia but also within the European Union, other countries, and various important international institutions.

Curator's work during the adaptation period of students at the Kharkiv National Automobile and Road University

Due to the transition to the new generation of educational standards and the increase in hours for independent work, there is a need to train a creative, active person who can independently choose his own life path. The educational process in the life of the university is planned and organized along with studies and scientific activities. The curator of the academic group is usually assigned an experimental teacher, since this position includes responsible and thorough work, which should take into account the profile of training of specialists and the specifics of the faculty. Students' problems related to the educational process at the university, interpersonal conflicts and relations in the group, and the question of the student group participation in the public and cultural mass activities of the university are resolved by the curator. The effectiveness of the educational work of the curator of the academic group is largely determined by its planning. Based on the analysis of theoretical studies and the experience of modern pedagogues-practitioners, the roles and functions of the curator in working with the group are defined, the curator's duties are described, and an approximate plan for the work of curators in universities is proposed. The views on the organization of educational work in higher education are presented. The creation of new mechanisms related to the selectivity of some disciplines makes it necessary to carry out additional explanatory and advisory work of curators regarding the formation of individual study plans for applicants. It is shown that the curator uses various forms of educational work in his activities, which contribute to the formation of the personality of the future specialist as a patriot citizen, who cares about the fate of the Ukrainian state, law, and order, education, and culture.

Exploring dual career quality implementation at European higher education institutions: Insights from university experts.

This paper examines the convergence of the opinions of European higher education institution (HEI) experts on possible implementation of dual career policies and provision areas at university level. An online 32-item questionnaire encompassing 26 dual career aspects collected the opinion of European HEI experts as the last phase of a Delphi method preceded by i) focus groups with student-athletes who aimed to identify needs for dual careers and ii) a workshop with 21 dual career experts to generate the statements to be included in the survey. Seventy-one HEI experts from 12 EU member states participated in the survey, rating each dual career aspect identified in previous phases. The relative position of each aspect has been plotted based on relevance (x-axis) and feasibility (y-axis). The Quadrant IV of the resulting scatterplots identified the following nine aspects rated as highly relevant and highly feasible for implementation: tutorship/mentorship, psychological support, programmes based on integration of academic departments and sports services, and adaptable programmes to the needs of each student-athletes (assistance/tutorship area), individual study plans and distance learning (curricula requirements area), publicity for student-athletes and initiatives for increasing the awareness of student-athletes and knowledge of dual career issues (social support area), and access to educational facilities (logistic support area). The HEI experts' views represent a coherent and useful starting point to develop a deep understanding of the considered 26 aspects founded on a phenomenological lifeworld-led approach and emphasizes the need for a minimum standard for dual career policies and provisions.

TECHNOLOGIES OF SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS IN US UNIVERSITIES

The article expands on the meaning of the concept of «social support» as a term that is often interpreted differently by social workers. The relevance of the study of social support of students arises due to the following factors: the diversification of problems typical for modern students; the increase in the number of students in need of social support; the presence of positive experience of social support for students in higher education institutions in the United States whose competent use in Ukrainian universities will contribute to the progress of the domestic education system. Scientific researches of social support as a direction of social work are analyzed. The problems of students include: the unavailability of higher education due to its high cost, which is also growing every year; socio-psychological adaptation of freshmen to new conditions of studying and living; the possibility of employment during training and after graduation; organization of leisure. The main sources of social support for students are identified: they are parents, teachers, classmates, friends and student social services. The student service of the institution can perform such types of work as recruitment of students or their transfer from other universities; assistance to students in creating thier individual study plan; consultancy; financial assistance to low-income students; provision of services to students with disabilities; assistance to students who have not yet decided on the choice of future profession or place of work; assistance to servicemen who are legally educated on preferential terms; assistance to those who are lagging behind in education; assistance to students who came to study in the United States from other countries; assistance to those who receive education mainly through the Internet; publication of diplomas and statements. Social support for students at US universities includes moral (emotional), financial (technical), academic (informational), service (professional), religious, and online support. The best option for a student is to form their own individual network of social support. In US universities, student social support is better developed as more support is provided and more specialized services and professionals are available. In addition, student services can use a wider range of resources, and therefore social support is longer in duration and better in quality.

О ЧЕМ РАССКАЗАЛ АРХИВ. НЕИЗВЕСТНОЕ ОБ ИЗВЕСТНОМ МУЗЫКАНТЕ: И. Г. АГАФОННИКОВ — СТУДЕНТ МОСКОВСКОЙ КОНСЕРВАТОРИИ

This article documents the student path of Igor Germanovich Agafonnikov, based on his personal file, stored in the archive of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. 23 sheets of archival material reveal new facets of the talent of the choral conductor. The article for the first time presents his documents: student record book, application, autobiography, examination sheet, student's study card and individual study plan, indicating the musical programme of each semester. First published pages of his introductory essay testify to the literary giftedness of the young musician. Extensive information is provided on the Agafonnikov Dynasty, prominent figures of the Russian Church. In particular, on the holy martyr Fr. Nikolay of Podolsk, a subtle connoisseur of church singing art. The article contains excerpts from the orders on the Conservatory testifying to its great organizational and sports activity, the minutes of the meeting of the State Examination Commission and graduation characteristic of I. G. Agafonnikov.

Student teachers’ views of competence goals in vocational teacher education

ABSTRACT Competence-based education (CBE) is an international educational trend and a core issue in developing Finnish vocational upper secondary and higher education. The theory and practice of the competence-based approach should preferably be included in vocational teacher studies. Yet, there are still relatively few organisations implementing competence-based vocational teacher education in Finland. This article examines the realisation of competence-based vocational teacher education. The small-scale mixed-method case study explains the student teachers’ conceptions of the competence goals in their studies. The competence goals describe the competencies to be achieved as a result of training. According to the research findings, competence goals clarify the student teachers’ understanding of the demands of a teacher’s work, facilitate students to reflect on their competences and help in preparing individual study plans and promoting their studies. However, the student teachers need university teachers’ guidance to get their studies started and to promote the competences flexibly.

A project perspective on doctoral studies – a student point of view

PurposeMany doctoral students never obtain a doctoral degree, and many do not finish their studies in time. To promote aspects of effectiveness and efficiency in doctoral studies, the purpose of this paper is to explore a project perspective, more specifically how doctoral students experience their studies in terms of key dimensions of projects.Design/methodology/approachWritten reflections concerning a project perspective in doctoral studies, based on 18 students at a Swedish university, have been categorised and analysed by the means of the qualitative research software NVivo.FindingsMain findings are reflections on the project manager role including both the supervisor and the doctoral student, and different views on project control parameters and the concepts goal-seeking and goal-orientation. A more comprehensive picture of project planning is presented, compared with the Individual Study Plan, including different project methods and tools that can be suitable in a doctoral project.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on a limited number of doctoral students; however, the aim has been to give examples of project perspectives. The findings could be valuable for increased understanding of doctoral studies and of the project management field in general.Practical implicationsThe study can induce awareness among doctoral students and supervisors of a project perspective in doctoral studies, promoting aspects of efficiency and effectiveness.Originality/valueCompared to previous research, this study explicitly tries to understand how doctoral students make sense of their doctoral studies from a project perspective.

High performance Athletes dual career support opportunities in the context of the European Union

This article aims to provide an overview of high performance athletes - students dual-career support opportunities in the European Union, in order to create dual career support system in Latvia. The paper provides an explanation of terms, and analyzes the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and other countries' experience in the dual career. In the process is created a comparative overview of the possibilities for support in several European countries. High-performance athletes main types of support are flexible exam schedule, individual study plan, consultations with lecturers, distance learning studies (e-learning), the mentor's advice, and reduced requirements for entrance exams. In Latvia there is not created united support system, each university tries to find support for their athletes at their own discretion.

Внутренняя дифференциация как фактор формирования индивидуальных образовательных траекторий студентов

Education process based on using individual study plans acquires the attribute of internal differentiation as self-regulation of the student’s learning and becomes an integral part of his or her professional development. There is no “estrangement from the information”, as a traditional regulation of education always accustoms a future professional to waiting for instructions from outside and to demanding provided decisions, but a choice, on the contrary, makes the ability to orient oneself in the flow of information, to take one’s own independent decisions. This is important for a person’s adaptation in different life situations, this prepares him or her for an active search for an individual professional way, develops one’s adaptation abilities, one’s own unique individuality, the ability to self-actualizationin the process of the life and professional choice.

Academic Advising as Perceived by Business Students

Business students' perceptions concerning several academic advising resources are presented. Using a Likert scale, students evaluated resources such as their academic advisor, course instructors, staffs, friends, and parents as well as the university catalog and the Foundations of Business Administration (FBA) course. Selected demographic information was also collected. Results show that students ranked the FBA course, which provides an overview of an individual's 4-year study plan, as the most helpful. The course instructors and academic advisors were ranked second and fourth, respectively. Enrollment status, declared major, and gender were related to students' views on some advising resources, but transfer status was not. Moreover, we found some connection between the effectiveness of advising resources perceived by students and the students' developmental stages. Relative Emphasis: practice, research, theory

Administration and Management of Research at Kaunas University of Technology

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is the largest technical university in both Lithuania and the Baltic States. It contains 11 faculties, Panevezys branch with 2 faculties, library, high school (gymnasium), 14 research institutes and centres, 5 faculty institutes and 22 centres. Over 20 000 students are enrolled in studies including 500 Doctoral (Ph.D.) students; the academic staff exceeds 1000. The main study fields are as follows: technological, physical and social sciences, humanities, biomedicine. The University offers 36 Bachelor’s, 59 Master’s and 8 Master Engineer’s degree study programs. Lectures at the University are given in five different languages – Lithuanian, English, French, German and Russian. Students are enabled to frame their individual study plans that would meet their wishes, potential and future plans the best way. Scientific research and research-based studies are the basis of the University’s activity, therefore all members of University research-academic staff allot no less than one third of their working time for research. The University also employs more than one hundred of research staff whose main area of activity is research work. Participation in research projects is especially important for Master’s and Doctoral students, as it is a productive form of learning, allowing to gain practical experience and take part in the creative scientific process. Those scientists who have done research as students, even if they do not become researchers, are exposed to the newest technological advances, develop skills and a scientific approach. In turn, this enables science to renew itself and retain its vitality. Research and technological development is funded by various sources: the State budget, the Lithuanian State Science and Studies Foundation, State and branch programmes, local and foreign economy subjects, and international programmes. Research and technological development funding is shown in thousands LTL in Figure 1.

Remediation of Low ABSITE Scores

In 2000, a program was initiated to improve American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam (ABSITE) scores below the 40th percentile (PGY-1 and -2) and the 30th percentile (PGY-3 and -5) for categorical residents. The goal of this program is to maintain scores above this standard. One faculty member was designated to meet with each resident with ABSITE scores below the standard described above. In April, individual study plans were designed with each resident, which emphasized practice questions and strategic planning for study, and the ABSITE test structure and results were reviewed. Two subsequent meetings were held between November and December to monitor progress. Emphasis was placed on minimizing the stigma of poor scores and on maximizing the efficiency of study time. If the resident scored above-standard that year, further support was not required. From 2000 to 2004, 12 (9.5%) ABSITE scores were below-standard, which resulted in 8 (20.5%) residents receiving program support 9 times. All but 1 program encounter resulted in above-standard scores the following year (improvement range, 16 to 65 percentile points; average, 34 points). Two residents had recurrent below-standard scores in subsequent years despite above-standard scores immediately after the program. One resident did not participate in the program, despite it being designated as mandatory. During the same interval, the ABSITE scores of residents not involved in the program decreased by an average of 3.7 percentile points per examination (improved scores 31 times; 39.2%, range 1 to 46, average 13.5, worse scores 45 times; 57%, range 1 to 65, average 15.2, and no change 3 times, 3.8%). An individualized program that minimizes the stigma of poor test results, the time commitment required by the residents, and maximizes the benefits of a question-based study system and the knowledge of approach to the ABSITE resulted in significant improvements in scores the next year. However, maintenance of these results needs continued evaluation because 3 residents had recurrent poor scores in subsequent years.

Experimental Programs: Individual mathematics study plan

After three years' experience with an individual study plan for certain able mathematics students at Urbana High School, we want to share some of our observations and conclusions with other high-school mathematics teachers who might find these methods useful in their own classes.