Intervention In Higher Education Research Articles

Sustainability education in nursing degree for climate-smart healthcare: a quasi-experimental study

PurposeIn light of the world’s accelerating march towards a sustainable future, the education for sustainable healthcare must be sufficiently acknowledged in health professions curricula. Early integration of these competences into nursing degree programme emphasizes its importance and applicability. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of an educational sustainability intervention in higher education to change nursing students’ attitudes towards sustainability and climate change, and environmental awareness.Design/methodology/approachA quasi-experimental study was performed with repeated measures between September 2019 and May 2023. Undergraduate students were introduced to sustainability and climate change in the context of healthcare using scenario-based learning and augmented reality over the courses in nursing degree. Participants' attitudes and awareness were collected by online questionnaires.FindingsThe educational intervention showed effectiveness in significantly improving attitudes towards climate change and sustainability, and the environmental awareness for changing their clinical practice (p < 0.01). However, students struggled to apply sustainability and address unsustainable practices in healthcare settings.Originality/valueThis study shows an effective model of curricular sustainability that can be implemented in other universities and health disciplines. The findings highlighting the importance of sustainability education in nursing and its potential to drive positive change in healthcare practice and society at large. Embedding key topics aligned with sustainable development goals in the curriculum prepares nursing or health workforce to address planetary health and implement sustainable practices that provide climate-smart care.

Five methodological dilemmas when implementing an activity theory transformative intervention in higher education

ABSTRACT Activity theory is a relatively young methodology for researching higher education teaching practices. Beyond systemic analyse of workplace activities and their development, activity theory used in its full interventionist capacity can foster practitioners’ transformative agency to initiate practice change. Nevertheless, this is not an easy process. This paper shares activity theory research into the digital teaching activity of anatomy teachers within an Australian university. Using the lens of this project, the paper exposes several methodological dilemmas experienced by the researcher. Beyond the issue of the methodological level of activity theory used, these dilemmas relate to the authentic determination of both the unit of analysis and the object of the activity, the type of intervention (i.e. full Change Laboratory or modified), and the complexity in analysis using a concept-rich theory. Sharing these dilemmas invites further research to examine inherent contradictions in the human activity of conducting activity theory research focussed on university teaching.

Can Students Learn to Optimize Their Need-Based Experiences and Mental Health During a Stressful Period? Testing a Need-Crafting Intervention in Higher Education

Can Students Learn to Optimize Their Need-Based Experiences and Mental Health During a Stressful Period? Testing a Need-Crafting Intervention in Higher Education

The educational value of artificial intelligence in higher education: a 10-year systematic literature review

Purpose This paper aims to consolidate empirical studies between 2013 and 2022 to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. It aims to examine published research characteristics and provide insights into the promises and challenges of AI integration in academia. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted, encompassing 44 empirical studies published as peer-reviewed journal papers. The review focused on identifying trends, categorizing research types and analysing the evidence-based applications of AI in higher education. Findings The review indicates a recent surge in publications concerning AI in higher education. However, a significant proportion of these publications primarily propose theoretical and conceptual AI interventions. Areas with empirical evidence supporting AI applications in academia are delineated. Research limitations/implications The prevalence of theoretical proposals may limit generalizability. Further research is encouraged to validate and expand upon the identified empirical applications of AI in higher education. Practical implications This review outlines imperative implications for future research and the implementation of evidence-based AI interventions in higher education, facilitating informed decision-making for academia and stakeholders. Originality/value This paper contributes a comprehensive synthesis of empirical studies, highlighting the evolving landscape of AI integration in higher education and emphasizing the need for evidence-based approaches.

Enhancing deficit schizophrenia treatment in college students through the integration of paliperidone and reformed civic education in higher education

BackgroundCollege students face challenges in communication, employment, learning, and emotional interaction, contributing to a range of psychological issues. Deficit schizophrenia, though uncommon among college students, can exhibit symptoms of delayed thinking and cognitive impairment. Prolonged use of traditional medications can lead to tolerance. This study investigates the synergy of reformed ideological and political education in higher education with Paliperidone to offer comprehensive intervention for college students with deficit schizophrenia.Subjects and MethodsA study was conducted on 85 college students with defective schizophrenia at a certain university. They were divided into Group C and Group D. Group C received a single treatment with Paliperidone, while Group B received combined treatment with reformed ideological and political education and teaching in universities. The treatment lasted for 3 months, and after treatment, SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis, and the Mental Classification Cognitive Test Scale was used to quantify the mental status of college students.ResultsPost-treatment, positive symptoms in Group D reduced to 15.46 ± 1.53 points, negative symptoms dropped to 15.61 ± 3.51 points, and general psychiatric symptoms decreased to 15.12 ± 1.21 points. These values were lower than pre-treatment levels and Group C scores. The effective treatment rate for Group D reached 96.67%, surpassing Group C.ConclusionsThe intervention involving the combined use of reformed ideological and political education in universities with Paliperidone exhibited efficacy in addressing deficit schizophrenia in college students. This approach showcases the potential of interdisciplinary interventions in higher education for improving psychological well-being.

All inside our heads? A critical discursive review of unconscious bias training in the sciences

AbstractIn response to persistent systemic gendered and racial exclusions in the sciences, unconscious or implicit bias training is now widely established as an organizational intervention in Higher Education (HE). Recent systematic reviews have considered the efficacy of unconscious bias training (UBT) but not the wider characteristics and effects of the interventions themselves. Guided by feminist scholarship in critical psychology and post‐structuralist discourse theory, this article critically examines UBT across STEMM and in HE institutions with a discursive analysis of published studies. Drawn from systematic searches in 4 databases, we identify three types of UBT reported in 22 studies with considerable variation in intervention types, target groups, and evaluation methods. Guided by limited cognitive problematizations of unconscious bias as a problem located inside individual minds, interventions follow established patterns in neoliberal governmentality and make available specific feeling rules and subject positions. These current Equality, Diversity &amp; Inclusion practices present a new technology of power through which organizations may regulate affect and behavior but leave structural inequalities and barriers to inclusion intact.

A Protocol to Assess Contextual Factors During Program Impact Evaluation: A Case Study of a STEM Gender Equity Intervention in Higher Education

Program evaluations that lack experimental design often fail to produce evidence of impact because there is no available control group. Theory-based evaluations can generate evidence of a program's causal effects if evaluators collect evidence along the theorized causal chain and identify possible competing causes. However, few methods are available for assessing competing causes in the program environment. Effect Modifier Assessment (EMA) is a method previously used in smaller-scale studies to assess possible competing causes of observed changes following an intervention. In our case study of a university gender equity intervention, EMA generated useful evidence of competing causes to augment program evaluation. Top-down administrative culture, poor experiences with hiring and promotion, and workload were identified as impeding forces that might have reduced program benefits. The EMA addresses a methodological gap in theory-based evaluation and might be useful in a variety of program settings.

Who cheats? Do prosocial values make a difference?

Research has indicated the importance of internal motivation as a factor in reducing academic misconduct in higher education and some commentators have also cited prosocial values as buffers against the temptation to cheat. In light of this research, the goal of the present research was to study the roles of motivation and prosocial values in combating academic misconduct. Specifically, it examined how internal motivation and strong prosocial values might impact the risk of academic misconduct. For this purpose, 455 student participants completed a self-report questionnaire. The results support the hypothesis that high internal motivation and strong prosocial values reduce the tendency to cheat. In comparison, high external motivation and weak prosocial values were associated with higher levels of academic misconduct. In addition, male students were more likely to cheat than their female classmates and science students were more likely to cheat than social science students. The ability to identify factors that reduce the risk of academic misconduct can inform interventions in higher education. According to the present results, such interventions should involve the promotion of prosocial values and enhance student well-being.

Promoting students’ argument comprehension and evaluation skills: Implementation of two training interventions in higher education

The ability to comprehend and evaluate informal arguments is important for making sense of scientific texts and scientific reasoning. However, university students often lack the skills necessary to comprehend the functional structure and evaluate the structural plausibility of informal arguments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two training interventions to a) improve students’ argument comprehension (identification of argument structure), and to b) improve students’ argument evaluation (distinguishing good vs. bad arguments). The training interventions were implemented as a voluntary online add-on to a regular university course. The study used a crossover-experimental design with a pre-test and two training phases in which participants (N = 29) alternated between the two training interventions. Students generally improved on the measures of scientific literacy that were practiced in each training intervention. The results provide evidence that voluntary online training interventions for components of scientific literacy can be effectively integrated into higher education settings. However, results further showed an interference effect between the training interventions, indicating that students had problems integrating the different aspects of scientific literacy targeted in the two training interventions.

Purposeful Change: the Positive Effects of a Course-based Intervention on Character

ABSTRACT Having purpose is linked to lifelong thriving across the lifespan. However, not all aspects of purpose, such as beyond-the-self purpose, are common among emerging adults. Purpose-relevant interventions in higher education, especially when focused on character development, may facilitate purpose development and have a positive effect on emerging adults’ character. Using mixed-method data from college students in a course designed as a character intervention (n = 32), we explored how the course impacted student purpose. Pre- and post-course purpose scores indicated that the average intervention group’s purpose changed significantly over the semester in two subdomains and that these intervention group changes were significantly greater when compared to a control group (n = 49). Qualitative analyses of intervention group assignments revealed four themes related to purpose: beyond-the-self orientation, tools to pursue purpose, individual flourishing, and building relationships. These results show the power of holistic character interventions to foster purpose in emerging adults.

The impact of mindfulness interventions in higher education to enhance engagement

ABSTRACT Most of our current university student cohort, known as GenZ, have grown-up in a digitally connected world with access to various technological devices and social-media platforms. While technology can assist to engage students, in the learning environment many students spend a significant amount of time switching between devices engaging in non-learning activities. This results in decreased engagement which can adversely affect their academic performance. Conversely, students who can self-regulate their technology usage are more likely to be engaged in the learning process. Mindfulness is a strategy that can encourage students to self-regulate their thoughts and behaviours to stay on task. Previous research has focused on student’s in-class technology usage, self-regulation and mindfulness to enhance engagement. This study adds to current research by investigating short mindfulness practices in a higher education first year business degree. The paper examines the usefulness of two mindfulness interventions to encourage students to self-regulate their in-class technology use and enhance engagement. Using a critical realist lens, the paper incorporates quantitative and qualitative data analyses through student surveys and focus groups. Twenty-nine first year undergraduate students were exposed to the mindfulness interventions. Results indicate the mindfulness interventions improved students’ ability to self-regulate, contributing to student engagement and feeling connected at university.

Rethinking Faculty as Street-Level Bureaucrats: Exploring the Role of Ethics and Administrative Discretion in Contemporary Higher Education

Within the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic and political intervention in higher education has highlighted the need to reconceptualize higher education administration. This work addresses the roles faculty currently serve and how their ethics guide discretion while acting as the engagement point and makes the case that the group should be characterized as street-level bureaucrats. The article uses a theoretical analysis to provide support that faculty’s place as street-level bureaucrats is changing due to political and ethical demands. The article provides evidence for a redefinition of faculty’s role and suggests implications for the change.

Promoting Critical Thinking Through Argument Mapping: A Lab for Undergraduate Students

Aim/Purpose: In undergraduate training, helping students improve argumentative text comprehension (CoT) by identifying the elements of an argumentative text and critical thinking (CT) by reconstructing the meaning of the text and constructing their own reflections is relevant. Argumentative skills are essential on both the personal and professional levels. Background: In recent decades, concern has developed over undergraduates’ poor skills in reframing and articulating their thinking on a topic, which affects critical thinking and the ability to express unique perspectives. Customized interventions in higher education could develop argumentative abilities for professional and personal use. In this regard, argument maps (AM) could be a useful tool for the visualization of arguments. They provide logical relationships between statements to help understand the reasoning chain. Methodology: Hybrid presence-distance research was conducted over four days. A quasi-experiment with one group and three tests – S1, S2, and S3 – was conducted. Contribution: Our study aims to investigate and enrich the research landscape, especially in the Italian university context, regarding the use of AM to support text comprehension and the development of argumentative skills. Findings: Our preliminary descriptive analysis showed that AM improves students’ CoT and CT proficiency levels. These abilities improved from the beginning to the end of the experiment. Inferential analysis showed a beneficial pathway inflection on final learning improvement. Early encouraging results suggest that AMs can improve argumentation comprehension, production, and critical thinking in teaching and learning. Recommendations for Practitioners: The learner could better manage knowledge and understand different perspectives with AM usage rules. Recommendation for Researchers: It is essential to remember that critical thinking is a multifaceted and complex concept. This article examined it as a proxy variable for text comprehension and argumentation skills. The length of exposure to the method, contexts and instruments (analog or digital), and age/education of participants must be considered when doing AM research. Impact on Society: The method would improve awareness of shared ideas and make it easier to enrich and rethink one’s thoughts on the topic. Future Research: To study AM roles in diverse types of information, future research could incorporate quantitative and qualitative approaches. Cross-curricular learning for everyday life in digital and AI-driven environments, as well as text comprehension and critical thinking, could also be examined. Further research could cover other aspects of the topic of critical thinking.

Closing the Cybersecurity Skill Gap in Kenya: Curriculum Interventions in Higher Education

In the wake of increased cybercrime against insufficient cybersecurity professionals, there is an urgent need to bridge the skill-gap. The demand for skilled and experienced (approximately 40,000 to 50,000) cybersecurity professionals in Kenya is soaring all-time high. This demand is against the available 1700 certified professionals. Therefore, this paper seeks to bring to fore interventions put in place to address the skill gap through curriculum interventions. In order to get a clear understanding, the paper sought to determine the status of cybersecurity skill gap in Kenya and what universities are doing to address the gap. The paper also sought to propose the way forward to close the skill gap. This is a seminal review paper in the field of cybersecurity in Kenya focusing on institutions of higher learning and the interventions to address the cybersecurity skill gap. This research is significant to the general institutions of higher learning in both private and public universities. Results show that the cybersecurity skill gap is very high in Kenya. Interventions being offered by universities include partnerships with private cybersecurity organizations, offering cybersecurity certification training hackathons, and degree programs. However, it was established that only 13.2% of registered universities that offer cybersecurity degree programs in Kenya. The paper therefore strongly recommends launch of cybersecurity programs at the levels of undergraduate and graduate in many universities. This can therefore be augmented with other interventions such as certifications, hackathons and partnerships. Further research can be conducted to establish factors affecting the launch of cybersecurity programs in institutions of higher learning in Kenya. A further research can also be conducted to determine the effect of supplementary cybersecurity trainings such as hackathons and certifications.

Transforming mental healthcare in higher education through scalable mental health interventions.

A significant number of young people throughout the world are experiencing mental health concerns. Many young people will develop their first mental health concerns or will be managing their symptoms while enrolled in institutions of higher education. Although many colleges and universities are aware of the significant mental health needs among their students, the mental health and psychosocial needs of students often exceed the availability of resources and cultural and contextual barriers, such as stigma, may further impede access to care. Such gaps and barriers in mental health may lead to poor prognosis as well as negative educational and social outcomes. We propose that non-specialist delivered mental health and psychosocial interventions may play a critical role in reducing the gaps in care for students in higher education. In particular, non-specialist delivered care can complement existing specialized services to provide stepped models of care. Importantly, the adaptation and implementation of non-specialist delivered mental health and psychosocial support interventions in higher education may lead to innovative strategies for increasing access to care in this context, but may lead to adaptations that could apply to contexts outside of higher education as well.

General education requirements, the liberal arts and government intervention in higher education: a case from Jordan

PurposeHeavily regulated higher education institutions may not be able to possess the autonomy to produce students who are both college and career ready. This paper aims to explore the role of the Ministry of Higher Education in Jordan in determining the content and direction of general education requirements, the historical roots of this type of intervention and its possible implications for the future of liberal arts in general education requirements.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a critical and historical reflection that combines practitioner research perspectives – the author is a university president – with reference to a single case study from a Jordanian university to demonstrate the real-life context of government intervention in general education requirements.FindingsUniversity education is inextricably linked with employability rather than inquiry-based disciplines that produce both intellectual development and technical skills. Jordanian universities, heavily regulated by the government, are required to allocate between 21 and 27 credit hours to general education requirements. Lost between universities that are mandated to have them and policymakers who impose them, general education requirements, as recently reformed, possess neither the ability to produce intellectual skills or career-readiness skills.Originality ValueThis paper highlights the importance of university autonomy in determining its approach to general education requirements to allow students to develop both career-readiness and college-readiness skills.

Rethinking the Multidimensionality of Growth Mindset Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Framework Proposal

Students, staff, and faculty in higher education are facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data revealed that a good number of academic activities and opportunities were disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants. While much uncertainty remains for the next academic year, how higher education institutions and their students might improve responses to the rapidly changing situation matters. This systematic review and framework proposal aim to update previous empirical work and examine the current evidence for the effectiveness of growth mindset interventions in young adults. To this end, a systematic search identified 20 empirical studies involving 5, 805 young adults. These studies examined growth mindset within ecologically valid educational contexts and various content areas. Generally, these findings showed that brief messages of growth mindset can improve underrepresented students' academic performance and facilitate other relevant psychological constructs. In addition, we argue, although growth mindset has been identified as a unitary concept, it is comprised of multiple interdependent skills, such as self-control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Understanding the nature of growth mindset may contribute to successful mindset implementation. Therefore, this article presents a practical framework to help educators in higher education rethink the multidimensionality of growth mindset and to provide their students with alternative routes to achieve their goals. Finally, additional articles were discussed to help evaluate growth mindset interventions in higher education.

Identifying Key Concepts in Ambassador Interventions for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Succeeding at university can be a complex matter, and the barriers are manifold for students with disabilities (SwDs). Accommodations are available for those with needs, but these alone do not meet the political goals of inclusive educations. Student ambassadors act as experienced representatives on campuses, supporting others and gaining individual benefits themselves. Approaches building on SwDs’ experiences and capacities can be a means to overcome the complex barriers often faced throughout education. This scoping review aimed to map research on student ambassador interventions for SwDs in higher education and identify the interventions’ key concepts. The result will inform an ambassador intervention in higher education. Six electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles of any design published between 2010 and December 2020. Six studies met the inclusion criteria. A thematic synthesis resulted in three key concepts: peer guidance and supportive relationships; building strategies and transferable skills; and advocating for change. However, no program utilises exclusively students with disabilities in ambassador roles. The results indicate a lack of research as well as awareness on the unexplored potential of actively involving SwDs in ambassador roles.

Learning Outcomes of Digital Learning Interventions in Higher Education: A Scoping Review.

CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing: March 2022 - Volume 40 - Issue 3 - p 219 doi: 10.1097/01.NCN.0000805452.71758.f9

Challenges and tensions of social work in higher education in Chile in the context of Covid-19

This article is a reflection based on a documentary review of the role of social workers within public universities in Chile. The aim of this paper is to offer an analysis of how the university (students, professors and administrative staff) is being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and, specifically, to answer the following question: What are the new challenges and tensions for social intervention in higher education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic? The method used is a documentary review of the available literature. Psychosocial and educational experiences as well as knowledge about social work in the field of education are used as a theoretical framework. As conclusions, some challenges and suggestions for social intervention in the context of higher education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic emergency emerge.