Student Perceptions Research Articles

Predictive Model to Evaluate University Students' Perception and Attitude Towards Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is emerging as a transformative tool impacting various industries, including education As Artificial Intelligence continues to develop and gain prominence in classrooms, understanding how students perceive this integration and how it affects their educational experience becomes crucial. The aim of this research was to develop a model to predict the perception of students at Bolívar State University regarding the use and potentialities of Artificial Intelligence in the educational field. The methodology employed a factorial analysis, which represents the relationships among a set of variables. From this, a logistic regression was performed, generating an equation to identify predictors that allowed understanding student behavior based on specific characteristics such as attitude, perception, and satisfaction. As a technique for information gathering, a questionnaire composed of 25 items on a Likert scale was used, statistically validated with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.925. The results of the model show that all covariates, except "Insecurity and fear of using artificial intelligence tools", are significant (p < 0.001). This suggests that the remaining variables are related to the dependent variable "Positive Perception of the Usefulness of Artificial Intelligence in Learning". It is concluded that students have limited knowledge about Artificial Intelligence, and this may cause them to have unrealistic expectations. Training can help students learn about AI and how to use it effectively and ethically. Received: 9 May 2024 / Accepted: 12 September 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

Language Policies and Ideologies for Socialization and Identity-Building in U.S. Schools: The Case of Newcomer and Refugee Students in Arizona and New York

Although multilingualism is a major issue in educational policies, especially in states hosting a high number of newcomer immigrant students, there is limited research exploring the experiences of a multilingual group of newcomer students and how they use language in schools. This article draws on 112 interviews with students from an immigrant background across four high schools in Arizona and New York. We illuminate the role of language in shaping identity and inclusion. Through conceptualizing power and language ideology, we find that language ideologies and practices shape the perception of students’ social interactions in school settings. Our findings also indicate that teachers’ practices and school policies surrounding language(s) have the potential to affect how students view language in relation to their own identity and via social interactions. We contribute to an understanding of how language policies and ideologies shape the experiences and power dynamics of diverse, multilingual, immigrant-origin students.

School Inclusion at the Federal Institute of Amapá: a Case Study at the Macapá Campus

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of teachers and students about the school inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) at the Federal Institute of Amapá (IFAP), Macapá campus, focusing on the adequacy of pedagogical practices and institutional infrastructure. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on the concepts of school inclusion, accessibility, and teacher training for specialized services. References such as the Salamanca Declaration and Brazilian legislation on inclusive education provide theoretical support. Method: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. Participants included 7 students with SEN, 18 teachers, and the coordinator of the Nucleus for the Support of People with Special Educational Needs (NAPNE). Data analysis followed Bardin’s content analysis method (2016). Results and Discussion: The included students expressed satisfaction with the physical and pedagogical structure but identified areas for improvement. Teachers, on the other hand, pointed to a lack of training and capacity as barriers to full inclusion. The discussion highlights the need for ongoing adjustments to ensure a more inclusive educational environment. Research Implications: The study emphasizes the importance of educational policies that promote continuous teacher training and the adjustment of educational institutions, contributing to the construction of a more inclusive school environment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by providing a comparative analysis of the perceptions of teachers and students regarding school inclusion in the context of technical and technological education, expanding the debate on challenges and progress in this field.

Massive Open Online Courses in Higher Education Institutions: The Pedagogical Model of the Instituto Superior Técnico

In the context of 21st-century educational transformation, Massive Open Online Courses have emerged as a global and flexible learning opportunity. This study explores the impact of MOOC implemented at Instituto Super Técnico on student engagement and attendance, focusing on their effectiveness in higher education. A descriptive approach was applied, selecting three MOOC as the empirical field, combining quantitative data from participation logs and qualitative feedback from student surveys. The key characteristics, the challenges, and the effectiveness of educational resources were evaluated, particularly concerning student interaction and perceptions of course quality. The pedagogical analysis highlighted both successful strategies and areas for improvement. The findings offer valuable insights into the influence of MOOC on students and the institution, contributing to the broader understanding of Portugal’s educational landscape. This study also proposes a framework for enhancing MOOC strategies in higher education globally, considering the potential of technological innovations in the 21st century.

Towards informed policy decisions: assessing student perceptions and intentions to use ChatGPT for academic performance in higher education

Towards informed policy decisions: assessing student perceptions and intentions to use ChatGPT for academic performance in higher education

Perceptions of Tertiary Level Students About Peer Feedback in Writing Classes in Bangladesh

Peer feedback of writing involves writers receiving constructive criticism and suggestions on their work from peers, typically from classmates to improve the quality of their writing. It is widely used as a collaborative learning strategy for developing writing skills. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of first-year students regarding peer feedback. The researcher used a volunteer sampling technique; the participants were from two universities, one located in Dhaka, the capital city, and another in Chittagong, a large city in Bangladesh. The interview data revealed that participants have positive perceptions toward peer feedback. Although there are some challenges with peer feedback, the study found that to gain the highest benefits, students need to be educated regarding its benefits and develop a multicultural setting in the class where everyone’s voice will be respected.

Effects of SI-PASS on a high-risk course – A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundSI-PASS is a structured academic support program employing successful later-year students to facilitate peer-learning sessions attached to high-risk courses, specifically here statistics for psychology at ULiège. The research translates as: How much does this method improve academic performance and impact socio-affective perceptions in first-year students? AimsThis study compares academic performance and socio-affective variables of first-year students in the experimental condition and the control condition. SampleParticipants were 245 freshmen for the experimental trial, and 985 for the quasi-experimental trial. MethodsParticipants were assigned to either participate to the SI-PASS scheme or not during the first semester following a randomized controlled trial with stratified random assignment method. Then, the whole cohort enlisted for the course was analyzed to validate supplementary hypotheses. ResultsThe first step of the study reveals no difference between both groups on academic performance, unless the level of attendance is considered; nor does it identify any significant impact on socio-affective variables. The second step consisted in the comparison of the experimental group and the group of students who chose not to volunteer for SI-PASS and resulted in significant improvement in academic performance in favor of SI-PASS. ConclusionsThis delivered significant results in favor of the program but only when attendance is considered, thus offering empirical evidence that a genuine experimental design is likely to mitigate the effects found in a tradition of quasi-experimental designs. These results are valuable for the SI-PASS community, where randomized trials are still scarce, and for higher education institutions seeking evidence-based assistance.

The perceptions of Autistic school students of their well-being at school: a meta-synthesis

ABSTRACT Students identifying as autistic, whose numbers have grown rapidly in recent years, often encounter a lack of understanding from teachers and peers at school, and face high levels of bullying and interpersonal abuse. Increasing knowledge of autistic students’ own understanding of their wellbeing is important for developing appropriate intervention strategies to support their school experience. In this meta-synthesis, 22 in-depth qualitative studies of 10–14-year-old students’ perspectives on their wellbeing at school were systematically analysed. The 225 students in these studies were mostly male and from resource-rich countries. Three synthesised findings were identified: first, autistic students’ wellbeing is connected to positive relationships at school; second, autistic students’ wellbeing at school centres around their self-identity; and third, the experience of school environments impacts autistic students’ wellbeing. Findings suggest first, that schools need to support the development of positive relationships between autistic students, their peers and teachers; second, that schools need to respond to how autistic students identify themselves and provide support appropriate to that identity; and third, that autistic students’ sensory needs need to be better supported through improved school design. Implications for practice include development of rights-based approaches and privileging autistic students’ own ideas about wellbeing and inclusion at school.

Exploration of student perceptions on the benefits and challenges of face-to-face instruction in a state university

Exploration of student perceptions on the benefits and challenges of face-to-face instruction in a state university

TIMSS INTERNATIONAL STUDY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE THINKING OF 4TH GRADE STUDENTS

The article examines changes in the state and psychological perception of fourth-grade students when performing TIMSS tasks, especially in the mathematical part. Attention is paid to the international assessment study TIMSS and its significance in modern society and leading world powers. The article describes the contribution of the leading countries in the study to the development of education and comprehensive personality development of primary school students. The development of schoolchildren affects the stability of education in the state and its international capabilities. Thearticle describes the educational environment in several major countries with a full description of its structure. The article also discusses the results of TIMSS and its impact on students 'creative thinking, the structure of TIMSS test tasks (blocks "Knowledge", "Applications", "Reasoning"). The articleis relevantforteachers, teachersandstudentsof primaryeducation.

Cross-sectional assessment of perception and attitude of pharmacy students towards pharmaceutical promotion: a study from developing country, Pakistan

BackgroundThe pharmaceutical promotion is “all informational and persuasive activities by manufacturers and distributors, the effect of which is to induce the prescription, supply, purchase and/or use of medicinal drugs. These promotional activities affect the dispensing behavior of physicians and pharmacists and influence begins from educational institutes.ObjectiveOur study’s main aim was to evaluate opinion and attitude of pharmacy students towards pharmaceutical promotion.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 3rd, 4th and final year pharmacy students of 3 public and 3 private sector universities in Punjab Pakistan. A modified version of pre available questionnaire was used to collect data from students between June 2020 and December 2020. The tool was made available through a Google Form, assessable to students via provided link. We utilized the snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the demographics, while Chi-square and t-test were used to analyze associations between demographics and items. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.ResultsA total of 1,195 students participated in the survey with an average age of 22.2 ± 1.2 years. Nearly 2/3rd of the students were males (62.2%) and a significant proportion (87.3%) of pharmacy students had never taken part in any training provided by pharmaceutical company. Among all, 51.9% confirmed that pharmacists who frequently interact with medical representatives tend to dispense more antibiotics. Additionally, 42.1% indicated they may dispense antibiotics under the influence of promotion. Pharmacy students in senior college years and those with lower parental exhibited significantly more perception and attitude scores (p < 0.001).ConclusionA significant number of students concurred with the notion that promotional activities could impact dispensing practices and they also believed that such activities contribute to the growing issue of irrational antibiotic use. This study underscores the necessity for a heightened emphasis on the educational needs of pharmacy students.

Perceptions of homelessness: Is there variation across medical careers and specialties?

Medical students, residents and faculty are all capable of holding biases towards stigmatised groups like people experiencing homelessness. This study sought to investigate how the level of training may influence perceptions of homelessness among medical students, residents and faculty. Additionally, we sought to understand how different specialities perceive people experiencing homelessness and whether this changes at various points in a career. The Health Professionals' Attitudes Towards the Homeless Inventory (HPATHI) was administered to medical students, residents and faculty at one institution in the United States. Basic demographics as well as length of time spent in practice were collected in addition to HPATHI responses. A total of 1,141 individuals were invited to complete the survey, including 736 medical students, 214 residents and 191 faculty. Two hundred and ninety individuals participated in the survey and 238 recorded complete responses were analysed for a sample response rate of 238/1141 (20.9%.) Overall perceptions of homelessness across the entire sample were positive and not greatly influenced by the level of training during a medical career. Medical students across classes were largely in agreement and there was a noticeable increase in positive perceptions for students engaged in clinical rotations. However, clinical specialties demonstrated wide variation in perceptions, with the most prominent differences amongst individuals from surgical subspecialties of General Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Our study demonstrates the largely favourable attitudes physicians, residents and students have towards people experiencing homelessness with implications for future work to support greater exposure to underserved populations during training. Specialty choice appears to play a larger role in the formation of attitudes towards underserved populations rather than the length of time spent in a particular specialty.

“Cinemeducation” as a teaching–learning tool in Community Medicine for Phase II MBBS students

ABSTRACT Background: Many public health topics in the subject of Community Medicine have a psycho sociocultural aspect to them, and these are taught by traditional methods like didactic lectures with little or no interaction of faculty and students. This limits the comprehensive understanding of the students regarding sensitive issues. There is a felt need to improve the knowledge and understanding of many of these competencies among students through available cinema movies addressing these concepts. Objectives: 1. To assess effectiveness of “Cinemeducation” as a tool to teach identified competencies in Community Medicine subject. 2. To assess perception of students for “Cinemeducation” to enhance learning and communication skills. Methodology: Study Design: Nonrandomized intervention study. Setting: Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Pali, Rajasthan. Participants: Year 2 from 2020 Batch. Sample Size: 159 students. Sampling: Complete enumeration. Intervention: All 159 students were divided into two groups and alternately shown movies, Toilet–Ek Prem Katha, Padman, Outbreak, and Steel Magnolias, or exposed to didactic lecture and were assessed using pre- and post-tests and student satisfaction and self-confidence in learning scale. Results: The post-test scores of cinemeducation showed an improvement by a mean of 1.88 ± 0.7 points. The self-confidence and learning scale showed that 86% of students agreed that cinemeducation was better than didactic lectures. The mean satisfaction index of cinemeducation as a teaching–learning method was 97.6. Three out of the four movies addressed the competency well, and the difference between the pre- and post-test scores was statistically significant following cinemeducation as compared to lectures. Conclusions: As the student correlates real-life situations in movies like Toilet–Ek Prem Katha, Outbreak, and Padman, they definitely understood the topic better with cognitive scores showing an increase.

Student Perceptions of Cheating Behavior Reviewed from Tauhid Character Values at Djuanda University

Student Perceptions of Cheating Behavior Reviewed from Tauhid Character Values at Djuanda University

Impact of Biophilic Design on College Student Perception of Mental Health and Environmental Benefits: A Dose-Response Study

Impact of Biophilic Design on College Student Perception of Mental Health and Environmental Benefits: A Dose-Response Study

Holding the Knife on Perceptions of Surgery

Negative stereotypes associated with surgery by medical students are well documented in literature. Many cite long hours, poor work-life balance, pessimism, mean personalities, and cynicism as pervasive among surgeons and operating room culture. If allowed to persist, these negative perceptions can deter otherwise interested students from pursuing surgical subspecialties. Incorporation of peer-teaching in the third-year clerkship to not only illuminate the hidden curriculum in surgery but adequately prepare students to participate in the operating room is paramount to taking steps to improve student perception as well as success as clerkship students. An academic medical center. Pre-clinical medical students. One-hundred and forty-three third year clerkship students were surveyed with pre- and postinstruments. Students who participated in these pre clerkship peer-teaching sessions reported significant improvements in their ability to identify surgical anatomy (p < 0.001), an increased confidence in answering questions from attendings about anatomy and function as well as in identifying anatomical abnormalities (all p < 0.001). Students also reported significantly improved perceptions about surgeons as teachers and their willingness to support students pursuing surgery. This study demonstrates that the incorporation of an immersive orientation prior to the start of the surgery clerkship has significantly positive impacts on the learning experience and confidence of medical students. Increased efforts should be made to introduce students to surgeons, surgical careers, and the operating room prior to the surgery clerkship, being sure to incorporate aspects of the hidden curriculum, to address the negative perceptions that continue to exist regarding surgical fields.

Mindfulness in the English Language Classroom: Student Perceptions of Positive Psychology Curriculum Interventions

Mindfulness has received increased attention recently in educational contexts as a tool helping students mitigate negative emotions, enhance resilience, reduce classroom anxiety, and improve academic performance. Although interventions that teach mindfulness principles have flourished in elementary school and university contexts, limited research has investigated the effects of interventions in educational contexts for English language learning. This study investigates student perceptions of the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in an intensive English program for non-matriculated university students where teachers taught a 65-minute mindfulness lesson once a week for 13 weeks in addition to their normal English language curriculum. Six teachers and 107 English language learners participated. Teachers were given the flexibility to decide how best to incorporate the mindfulness interventions into their lessons. Survey and focus group data were collected. The qualitative comments were analyzed following a phenomenological approach to understand how students perceived their individual learning experiences. Students’ overall reaction to the mindfulness interventions was positive; they highlighted benefits to both their emotional toolbox and their classroom experience. Implications of this research incorporating mindfulness instruction into the ESL classroom are also included.

Perception of Students Towards Tech-enabled Startups: A Case of J&amp;K UT

The research study on Perception of students towards tech-enabled startups in Jammu and Kashmir” has been conducted in Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir. The study is based on primary as well as secondary data collection and used descriptive and exploratory research models for conducting the survey among the respondents. This study delves into the nuanced perceptions of students in Jammu and Kashmir regarding tech-enabled startups, shedding light on the factors influencing their perception towards entrepreneurship. The study garnered responses encompassing a diverse age range. Notably, 56.7% of respondents were male, and 43.3% were female. The respondents hailed from various academic institutions, with SK University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, University of Kashmir, and Central University of Kashmir being the prominent contributors. Educational backgrounds varied, with predominantly 74.6% in undergraduate, the research unveils a tech-aware demographic. Awareness levels regarding government initiatives and incubation centres varied, indicating a need for improved information dissemination. The results indicated and depicted a moderate awareness of tech-enabled startups (55.2%), with varied exposure levels. Challenges in accessing information on government initiatives and incubation centres were evident, emphasizing the need for improved information dissemination. The study also revealed that students expressed diverse views on the impact of startups on the local economy and job market. University support for entrepreneurship garnered mixed responses, and 53.7% affirmed the importance of the inclusion of entrepreneurship subject in curriculum. Family and peer influence on entrepreneurial perceptions reflected varied attitudes. While 35.8% believed their parents were positively inclined, 52.2% were uncertain about their friends' views on entrepreneurship as a logical choice. While 46.3% engaged with tech-enabled startups, a majority remained unconnected to incubation centres (83.6%). This concise study offered crucial insights, suggesting areas for targeted support in fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Students' Readiness and Perceptions Towards Unity for Developing a Multimedia Interactive Package

This study investigates students' readiness and perceptions towards using Unity, a development platform, for creating a Multimedia Interactive Package (MIP). With the growing demand for interactive digital content in education, it is crucial to understand students’ readiness and perceptions in engaging with a platform like Unity in developing a language learning application in the form of MIP. The study examines language students' technology readiness as well as their perceptions towards integrating technology into educational content creation. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey to gather data using a set of questionnaires. The sample involved university language students who enrolled in multimedia development courses. Results indicate that while students generally show enthusiasm for using Unity, students faced challenges that may affect their learning experiences. However, the perceived benefits, including enhanced creativity, interactivity, and practical skill development, contribute to a positive overall attitude. The findings suggest that with adequate support and training, Unity can be a valuable tool for developing educational MIPs, promoting both student engagement and technical proficiency.

Gamification Elements in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

This paper explores the role of gamification in online courses and demonstrates three applications of gamification in a virtual learning environment (VLE). The research evaluates the effect that these gamification tools can have on the student's perception of their learning, affective responses towards the course and motivation. Three different cases are demonstrated using experience points, badges, and the progress bar in Moodle. Finally, students' responses to these elements and future expansion of gamification in these courses are discussed. The value and contribution of these cases is that it demonstrates how to successfully implement these gamification elements and how to use it effectively within the VLE to promote learning, and advance motivation and participation. Students reported improvements in learning efficacy, motivation, affective perception and self-efficacy through the use of Moodle gamification elements. This research is original as the approach is novel within the institution and to the student body in general.