Majority Of Undergraduate Students Research Articles

The relationship between dental students' perceptions of their educational environment and their life satisfaction and psychological resilience

Aims: Students' positive perceptions of the learning environment increase learning efficiency by contributing to increased participation. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between students' perceptions of the educational environment and life satisfaction and psychological resilience. Methods: As part of the research, students were asked questions under 7 subheadings, including age, gender, parents' health status, education level, number of siblings, family income level, systemic diseases, if any, and their impressions of the faculty. In addition, life satisfaction and psychological resilience scales were administered face-to-face. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyse the data. The significance level was set at p = 0.05. Results: A majority of undergraduate students (90.8%) reported positive initial impressions of their educational institutions. Additionally, a considerable proportion (93.4%) indicated satisfaction with the physical infrastructure, including the number of classrooms and laboratories. While 68.4% of respondents indicated that the intensity and cost of the educational process was negative, 77.6% reported that dental education was stressful. The psychological resilience of the students was examined, and it was found that 44 (57.8%) exhibited low resilience, 23 (30.2%) exhibited medium resilience, and 9 (11.8%) exhibited high resilience. In terms of life satisfaction, 26 (34.2%) of the participants were found to be at a medium level, 13 (17.1%) at a high level, and 3 (3.9%) at a very high level. Nevertheless, 36 (47.3%) of the participants exhibited a low level of life satisfaction. Conclusion: Despite the generally positive perceptions of the faculty held by students, they perceive the cost of dentistry education as high and the stress associated with it as considerable. Given that students' life satisfaction is low and their psychological resilience is moderate to weak, it is necessary to review educational programmes and psychological support systems.

The Smartphone Use and Its Impact on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students

In this study we aimed to investigate the impact of using smartphones on the academic performance of undergraduate students at the Kumaun University Nainital. To know the impact, this study used the quantitative research approach to gather data from 450 undergraduate students using google form questionnaires. It had been found that the majority of undergraduate students are using their smartphones to interact with fellow students and lecturers. It had been also found that using smartphones distracts students’ academic lives in certain aspects. The results also indicate the impact of using smartphones on students’ academic capabilities and progress.

Attitudes of EFL Learners towards Communicative Language Teaching

Communicative Language Teaching, as a responsive teaching approach to the needs of learners, has been extensively recognized as a favorable approach to EFL teachers and learners around the world. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of EFL students towards CLT in an Afghan EFL setting. It also attempts to determine the effects of CLT activities on their motivation and CLT challenges by their demographic profile. The data were collected from 201 English major undergraduate students from the Faculty of Language and Literature at Takhar University purposefully through a questionnaire which consists of 30 items. For answering the research questions, descriptive statistics, sample T-test, and a one-way ANOVA test were employed. The findings revealed that Afghan EFL students have positive attitudes towards CLT approach. The study also showed that the attitude of the students towards CLT is positive in terms of their gender. Moreover, there is no statistically significant difference among the group factors (age, first language, and English learning experience) of the participants.

Exploring the Levels of Undergraduate University Students' Study Skills

The ability to study well is crucial to students' academic performance. The aims of this research were to investigate the study skills levels of undergraduate students, to determine the correlation between academic performance and the study skills of undergraduate students, and to identify any noteworthy variations in study skills based on gender and location. Multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select representative sample of 2207 undergraduate students from Punjab, Pakistan's general public universities. With the author's consent, a modified version of the study skills evaluation questionnaire was adapted, and the academic performance scale was created, verified, and subjected to a reliability coefficient of .094 and 0.85. Four research hypotheses were developed and put to the test using the t-test, Pearson r, mean, and standard deviation. The results indicated a substantial difference in terms of gender and location, as well as a favorable link between study skills and academic performance. Moreover, the majority of undergraduate students employed study skills at a moderate level; therefore, it is recommended to design and incorporate study skills in educational courses for students in academic curricula.

Attitudes of EFL learners towards communicative language teaching

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes of EFL students towards CLT in an Afghan EFL setting. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), as a responsive teaching approach to the needs of learners, has been extensively recognized as a favorable approach for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and learners around the world. It also attempts to determine the effects of CLT activities on their motivation and CLT challenges based on their demographic profile. The data were collected from 201 English major undergraduate students from the Faculty of Language and Literature at Takhar University purposefully through a questionnaire that consists of 30 items. For answering the research questions, descriptive statistics, sample T-test, and a one-way ANOVA test were employed. The findings revealed that Afghan EFL students have positive attitudes towards CLT approach. The study also showed that the attitude of the students towards CLT is positive in terms of their gender. Moreover, there is no statistically significant difference among the group factors (age, first language, and English learning experience) of the participants.

“Research Mentors Should Support Students of Color by Taking an Extra Step.” Undergraduates’ Reasoning about Race and STEM Research Mentorship

Racial inequities and the adoption of a colorblind approach in education contribute to a situation wherein many academics lack the personal experience and incentive needed to identify and confront racism within society and institutions. This may be particularly the case in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), which tend to have lower levels of diversity compared to other fields. The current study examines undergraduates’ perceptions of whether STEM research mentors should consider race when mentoring students from marginalized backgrounds. We employ a mixed-methods approach with the goal of uncovering how undergraduate students perceive and rationalize research mentoring practices. Findings reveal that a strong majority of undergraduate students believe that research mentors should take race into account when mentoring students from marginalized backgrounds. During the qualitative coding process, the research team unearthed seven overarching themes that outline undergraduates’ reasoning, both in favor and against STEM research mentors considering race. We conclude by presenting an intervention intended to motivate individuals to redress colorblind ideologies and thus support a culturally sensitive mentoring style.

상담전공 학부생의 진로장벽인식이 진로결정수준에 미치는 영향

This study was to examine if career exploration efficacy has a mediating effect in therelationship between career barrier perception and career decision level of undergraduatestudents majoring in counseling. To do this, a survey was conducted on undergraduate studentsmajoring in counseling by career barrier recognition, career exploration efficacy, and careerdecision level. SPSS macro PROCESS was used to verify the mediating effect. As a result, first,the correlation between all variables was significant. Second, career exploration efficacy showeda partial mediating effect in the relationship between career barrier perception and careerdecision level for undergraduate students majoring in counseling. This indicated that the effectof career barrier perception on career decision level can be alleviated by increasing the senseof career exploration efficacy of undergraduate students majoring in counseling. Implicationsand suggestions were presented based on the results of this study.

Use of motivational regulation strategies and its relations to motivational beliefs in a college English course context

While motivational regulation strategies (MRSs) both as a core facet of self-regulated learning and as a pedagogical issue have attracted increasing attention from researchers and practitioners, what motivational regulation strategies learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) tend to use and how these strategies may be associated with learner motivational beliefs in English learning remain under-researched. To fill this research gap, this study aims to contribute to a holistic understanding of Chinese EFL students’ use of MRSs and its relations to English learning motivational beliefs. Data were collected from 638 non-English major undergraduate students through two self-report questionnaires in a College English Course context. Results showed that students reported high frequency use of performance-enhancement or interest-related strategies while reporting using other types of regulation strategies (e.g. performance-avoidance self-talk) to a lesser extent. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses suggested that among the four types of motivational beliefs investigated in this study, control of learning beliefs, intrinsic goal orientation, and extrinsic goal orientation were the top three most powerful predictors of the students’ use of MRSs in English learning. Pedagogical implications and directions for future research were also discussed.

Examining the association between peer support and English enjoyment in Chinese university students: the mediating role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

As positive psychology is imported into second language acquisition, we witness the increasing interest in the research of English enjoyment. Therefore, investigating the antecedents of English enjoyment is of paramount importance. Although internal and external factors have been scrutinized by researchers, scarce studies have explored the effect of peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on English enjoyment. Thus, this study was designed to further clarify the association between these two constructs and English enjoyment. A questionnaire involving the three variables of peer support, English enjoyment, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy was administered to 324 non-English major undergraduate students at a comprehensive university in Eastern China. Correlation analysis and mediation effect tests indicated that peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy positively predicted English enjoyment, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy played a mediating role between peer support and English enjoyment. This study highlights the significance of peer support and positive emotions in second language learning and extends our understanding of enhancing students' learning enjoyment through teachers' positive intervention to facilitate peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

Beyond “Male versus Female”: Understanding the Dilemma of Chinese Female STEM Undergraduate Students through Intersectionality

Although the majority of undergraduate students in Chinese universities are women, those who choose to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) face marginalisation and discrimination due to the traditional patrilineal society. However, while much of the existing literature investigates this population based on the traditional binary male/female perspective, it ignores the complexity of the societal “matrix of domination” and individual variations among this cohort. To better understand the obstacles female undergraduate STEM students face from their perspective, we propose using a theoretical and methodological framework of intersectionality to re-evaluate their educational experiences based on social categories. With three main intersectional paradigms, the intracategorical intersectionality can show the subgroup differences. Intercategorical intersectionality can investigate not only the process of identity formation based on intersecting social categories but also individual differences in constructing their identity when they study STEM. Systematic intersectionality examines how high-level educational and industrial policies influence these female students. Overall, intersectionality provides a solid research paradigm and theoretical framework to address the dilemma of Chinese female STEM undergraduate students.

The Narrative Study of Guidance for Postgraduate Entrance Exams for Master's Students

To improve the tutoring work for the college postgraduate entrance examination, a narrative study was conducted on Zhang San (pseudonym), an undergraduate student majoring in chemistry education in the 2022 cohort of a certain university. Through the discussion and analysis of the postgraduate entrance examination environment, the handling of interpersonal relationships, and the personal significance of the examination, it is concluded that specialized tutoring for college students is a comprehensive consideration of the impact of the learning environment, dedicated to serving students, helping them resolve conflicts, overcome crises, establish and improve interpersonal relationships, and so on.

SMART CTZEN: A DIGITAL STORYTELLING APP TO EMPOWER YOUTH’S AWARENESS IN CYBER SAFETY AND SECURITY

The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on Malaysian educational institutions highlights the rise in cybercrime cases among students. Studies indicate that university students are the top users of the Internet with high daily internet usage, yet, this group of users are not only the victims but also the perpetrators of cyber threats and crimes. Despite being the top Internet users, youth aged 18-25 have been found to have limited understanding of cyber threats, making them more susceptible to such threats, or to become an accidental outlaw. Therefore, this study aims to uncover the types of threats that are prevalent among university students and ways to address these threats. This study found that majority of undergraduate students experienced cyberbullying, gaming addiction, depression and anxiety due to cyber threats, online sexual harassment and online financial scams. In order to address this contemporary phenomenon, this study proposes a digital storytelling application which aims to educate youth about strategies to recognize cyber threats, respond to these threats appropriately, and make informed decisions about their cyber behaviour. It also proposes that being vigilant about these strategies are in line with Islamic teachings and principles. This will equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to protect themselves, their finances, and their safety, security and privacy in the cyber space, so that they are able to contribute to a safer digital community.

A Research on Needs Analysis from Students for Developing an Intercultural Communication Course

Background and aims: This research aims to investigate the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of English major undergraduate students at Heilongjiang International University. It delves into students' attitudes, knowledge, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness to improve the students’ ICC. The research reveals that while students possess some level of ICC, there are areas where they lack confidence and knowledge. Materials and methods: The study draws on questionnaires to gather data from 181 participants and utilizes a five-point scale for interpretation. Results: Results indicate that students are unsure about their knowledge of cultural aspects, specifically the history, etiquette, and lifestyle of English-speaking countries. Similarly, they exhibit uncertainty in their skills of interpretation and relating, especially regarding sensitivity to intercultural differences and their language capabilities. However, they show confidence in their skills of discovery, interaction, and critical cultural awareness. For attitude, students display a willingness to engage in intercultural experiences, although they lack confidence in suspending their perspectives in conversations. Cultural awareness is apparent, but some students recognize the influence of their cultural identity on communication. The study also explores students' experiences and difficulties in learning English, such as language barriers, cultural gaps, and limited exposure to foreign cultures. Conclusions: The study concludes that while students have ICC potential, targeted interventions are necessary to improve their overall competence. Recommendations include enhancing language proficiency, cultural knowledge, and exposure to authentic language use and cultural references. Finally, students express their desire to improve listening skills, vocabulary, oral communication, grammar understanding, and intercultural competence, which should guide curriculum design and educational strategies.

“Out of my control”: science undergraduates report mental health concerns and inconsistent conditions when using remote proctoring software

Efforts to discourage academic misconduct in online learning environments frequently include the use of remote proctoring services. While these services are relatively commonplace in undergraduate science courses, there are open questions about students’ remote assessment environments and their concerns related to remote proctoring services. Using a survey distributed to 11 undergraduate science courses engaging in remote instruction at three American, public, research-focused institutions during the spring of 2021, we found that the majority of undergraduate students reported testing in suboptimal environments. Students’ concerns about remote proctoring services were closely tied to technological difficulties, fear of being wrongfully accused of cheating, and negative impacts on mental health. Our results suggest that remote proctoring services can create and perpetuate inequitable assessment environments for students, and additional research is required to understand the efficacy of their intended purpose to prevent cheating. We also advocate for continued conversations about the broader social and institutional conditions that can pressure students into cheating. While changes to academic culture are difficult, these conversations are necessary for higher education to remain relevant in an increasingly technological world.

Effect of Physical Activity, Exercise and Sedentary Behaviour on Academic Performance of Students in Higher Institutions

This study investigated the relationship between physical activity, exercise, sedentary behaviour, and academic performance in higher education students. Staying physically active is crucial for preserving general health and well-being. The study aims to investigate the effect of physical activity, exercise and sedentary behaviour on students' academic performance in tertiary institutions. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The population comprised 200 students from the Federal, State and Privately owned tertiary institutions in Ekiti State. Physical activity and exercise levels were assessed using a self-developed questionnaire titled: “Effect of Physical Activity, Exercise and Sedentary Behaviour on Students’ Academic Performance (EPESSAP)” as an instrument for the study. The instrument's dependability was determined using the test-retest procedure. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to collect and analyze the responses. With a reliability coefficient of 0.83, it was found that the instrument proved reliable for the research. Two hypotheses and three research questions were presented. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected data. The findings of the study revealed that most undergraduate students are aware that regular activities or exercise positively impact their academic performance; the findings of the study further revealed that a sedentary lifestyle makes students too lazy to get involved in physical activities or exercise, which eventually tells on their academic performance and that despite the wealth of knowledge on the importance of being physically active, majority of undergraduate students still live a sedentary lifestyle, among others. The study concluded that physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behaviours are not opposite ends of the spectrum. However, there are distinct behaviours with different predictors and pathways towards students' academic performance in tertiary institutions. Based on the findings, the study recommended that regular exercise can positively impact cognitive function, memory, and attention, which can lead to improved academic performance.

Assessing Attitudes and Usage of ChatGPT in Jordan among Health Students: A Validation Study of the Technology Acceptance Model-Based Scale (TAME-ChatGPT).

ChatGPT is a conversational large language model that has the potential to revolutionize knowledge acquisition. However, the impact of this technology on the quality of education is still unknown considering the risks and concerns surrounding ChatGPT use. It is necessary to assess the usability and acceptability of this promising tool. As an innovative technology, the intention to use ChatGPT can be studied in the context of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). To develop and validate a TAM-based survey instrument that could be employed to examine the successful integration and use of ChatGPT in healthcare education. The survey tool was created based on the TAM framework and the tool comprised 13 items for participants who heard of ChatGPT but did not use it and 23 items for the participants who used ChatGPT. Using a convenient sampling approach, the survey link was circulated electronically among university students during February-March 2023. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to assess the construct validity of the survey instrument. The final sample comprised 458 respondents with a median age of 20 years and a majority of undergraduate students (n=442, 96.5%). Only 109 respondents (23.9%) heard of ChatGPT prior to participation and only 55 self-reported ChatGPT use before the study (11.3%). EFA analysis on the attitude and usage scales showed significant Bartlett's tests of sphericity (P<.001) and adequate Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measures (0.823 for attitude scale and 0.702 for usage scale), confirming the factorability of the correlation matrices. The EFA showed that three constructs explained a cumulative total of 69.3% variance in the attitude scale and these subscales represented perceived risks, attitude to technology/social influence, and anxiety. For the ChatGPT usage scale, EFA showed that four constructs explained a cumulative total of 72.0% variance in the data and comprised the perceived usefulness, perceived risks, perceived ease of use, and behavior/cognitive factors. All of the ChatGPT attitude and usage sub-scales showed good reliability with Cronbach alpha values >0.78 for all the deduced sub-scales. The TAME-ChatGPT demonstrated good reliability, validity, and usefulness in assessing the attitudes towards ChatGPT among healthcare students. The findings highlighted the importance of considering risk perceptions, usefulness, ease of use, attitudes towards technology, and behavioral factors when adopting ChatGPT as a tool in healthcare education. This information can aid the stakeholders in creating strategies to support optimal and ethical use of ChatGPT and to identify the potential challenges hindering its successful implementation. Future research is recommended to guide the effective adoption of ChatGPT in healthcare education.

상담전공 학부생의 진로멘토링 경험에 관한 현상학적 연구

This study was carried out to explore the thoughts and emotions towards the experience and meaning of career mentoring activity, the experience of career mentoring activity and the changes after the career mentoring activity for the undergraduate student who were major in counseling and participated in a career mentoring program. The participant group consisted of eight students. This interview utilized the Colaizzi analysis method, which is one of the phenomenological methods, to analyze the content of the interviews. The analysis resulted in 23 subjects and three categories. Qualitative analysis revealed ten subjects and three categories, with ten subjects being categorized into ‘expectations of the activity/ tension towards the activity/ education related to the activity/ effort in the interaction/ responsibility in the activity/ resources and environments of career mentoring/ ability in managing the program/ self-confrontation and introspection/ career clarification/ and sense of achievement and growth. The three categories identified were ‘original intention’, ‘procedure’ and ‘meaning.’ This research results are expected to assist a better understanding of the experience of participating career mentoring and serve as a fundamental basis for invigoration of career mentoring program for undergraduate students.

Towards a Pedagogical Professional Activities for Translation Major Undergraduate Students

Translation is a real-life, natural activity and is increasingly necessary in a global environment and as a future job. The article aims to describe individual and collaborated activities instructors use inside classes to train students who study translation as a major. Translation activities can be personal or in groups. Both categories involve sub- divisions. As teachers of translation in universities, we attempt to implement a variety of tasks in our classes to reinforce our students’ capabilities and remove the toughness of translation on the other hand. Identifying the type of activity that is suitable for students’ level will be a first step in introducing translation activities into classrooms. Teachers should plan every move, keeping in mind their learners’ capabilities and selecting the suitable time for each task. For enhancing students, there is a need for discussion and assessment. The method followed in this article is descriptive and theoretical. This work will be of significant importance and a guide for teachers in this area, given that there is little research on the subject.

Challenges in using information resources: a case study of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture library, Nigeria

The utilization of information resources holds significant importance in the realm of undergraduate education. However, undergraduates often encounter diverse challenges when it comes to accessing and effectively utilizing these resources. This study aims to investigate the specific challenges faced by undergraduates in their usage of information resources, focusing on the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Library as a pertinent case study. The study seeks to discern the types of information resources commonly employed by undergraduates, identify the obstacles they encounter in the process of accessing and utilizing these resources, and explore potential strategies to overcome these challenges. In pursuit of these research objectives, a total of 150 questionnaires were disseminated to a carefully selected sample of undergraduate students from the aforementioned university. The questionnaires served as the primary instrument for data collection. The obtained results shed light on various noteworthy aspects. Notably, a significant majority of undergraduate students (86%) reported visiting the library weekly. However, it was found that only a comparatively smaller proportion (36%) of students indicated frequent utilization of electronic resources, such as e-books and online journals. The most prevalent challenges included inadequate availability of resources (52%), poor Internet connectivity (46%), limited proficiency in information literacy skills (38%), and restricted access to relevant materials (34%). These findings underscore the need to address these challenges to facilitate enhanced access to and utilization of information resources among undergraduate students. In conclusion, by examining the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Library as a case study, the study provides valuable insights on how to mitigate the challenges observed such as providing Improved Library Resources and Better Internet Connectivity utilized by undergraduates.

Meet the First Authors.

Meet the First Authors.