Student Perspectives Research Articles

Developing effective communication skills in audiology using anonymous patient feedback

Objective To explore the value of anonymous patient feedback for audiology students, examining alignment between student and patient judgments on communication skills and assessing how students utilise the feedback. Design This study utilised a mixed methods design, employing a Likert survey to collect patient and student ratings on professionalism, compassion, and listening and talking skills in clinical encounters. Semi-structured interviews investigated the student perspective of receiving patient feedback. Study sample 13 Audiology students and 31 patients who were placed at, or received care at an Audiology teaching clinic Results Patients’ ratings across all measures were higher on average when compared to students’ self-ratings, only correlating significantly for the measure concerning students’ talking skills. Five themes and one subtheme were identified: Emotional impacts, A worthwhile experience, Contrasting priorities, Patients retake centre stage, and Self-reflective learners (subtheme Self-doubt). Conclusions This study reveals that patient feedback led student Audiologists to report heightened seriousness in their interactions and increased attention on skills vital for patient-centred care. The process boosted students’ confidence and reinforced awareness of the patient’s perspective. Further research is needed to gauge the extent of these effects and explore the feasibility of implementing a large-scale patient feedback program in audiology training settings.

Investigating the Impact of Teacher Enthusiasm on Engagement Among Saudi First-Year EFL Students

This study examines the influence of teacher enthusiasm (TE) on student engagement in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, it explores the relationships between students' perceptions of TE and their levels of engagement, as well as the teaching methods that lead students to perceive their teachers as enthusiastic and the challenges teachers face in maintaining enthusiasm from the student perspectives. A mixed method approach was employed, involving questionnaires distributed to 202 primary year students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 2 students. The quantitative findings revealed a significant positive correlation between TE and SE. The findings revealed that students perceived certain teaching methods as contributing to teacher enthusiasm, such as varying vocal tones, positive reinforcement, active movement in the classroom, incorporating interactive activities and discussions, and relating content to personal interests. When teachers lacked these enthusiastic methods, students reported a less engaging classroom experience characterized by monotony. Moreover, students reveal key challenges impeding TE which included workload, emotional distress, class timing, and lack of interest from some students. Based on these findings, the study offers practical recommendations for promoting student-centered pedagogy to enhance enthusiasm among EFL teachers and engagement among learners

Promoting higher education students’ self-regulated learning through learning analytics: A qualitative study

AbstractLearning analytics provides a novel means to support the development and growth of students into self-regulated learners, but little is known about student perspectives on its utilization. To address this gap, the present study proposed the following research question: what are the perceptions of higher education students on the utilization of a learning analytics dashboard to promote self-regulated learning? More specifically, this can be expressed via the following threefold sub-question: how do higher education students perceive the use of a learning analytics dashboard and its development as promoting the (1) forethought, (2) performance, and (3) reflection phase processes of self-regulated learning? Data for the study were collected from students (N = 16) through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Results indicated that the students perceived the use of the learning analytics dashboard as an opportunity for versatile learning support, providing them with a means to control and observe their studies and learning, while facilitating various performance phase processes. Insights from the analytics data could also be used in targeting the students’ development areas as well as in reflecting on their studies and learning, both individually and jointly with their educators, thus contributing to the activities of forethought and reflection phases. However, in order for the learning analytics dashboard to serve students more profoundly across myriad studies, its further development was deemed necessary. The findings of this investigation emphasize the need to integrate the use and development of learning analytics into versatile learning processes and mechanisms of comprehensive support and guidance.

Exploring Summer Classes in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study of Lecturer and Student Views

Summer classes have become increasingly prevalent in higher education institutions worldwide, offering students opportunities to accelerate their learning, reduce course loads, and maintain academic momentum. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of lecturers and undergraduate students on the benefits, drawbacks, and strategies for success of summer classes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten students and two lecturers from a university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The findings reveal that the primary perceived benefits of summer classes include the ability to complete courses more quickly, have a lighter subject load during the regular year, and improve academic performance. However, drawbacks cited were the sacrifice of leisure time or income from part-time work and the added pressure of condensed timelines. Recommended strategies comprise proactive promotion of summer class advantages to increase student awareness, careful selection and compensation of skilled instructors, and incorporation of recreational activities to support student well-being. This study contributes qualitative insights to inform the development of effective, student-centered summer programs in higher education.

Let the students be heard – student voices on teaching excellence awards

ABSTRACT Globally, academics are encouraged to facilitate teaching excellence. Many business schools use teaching excellence awards to recognize exceptional efforts toward students’ learning, foster pedagogical innovation, and improve faculty motivation. However, prior literature has noted that many business schools lack clear and transparent criteria for TE awards, which can hinder the process and potentially reduce the motivational effects. Research has yet to fully incorporate student voices across a global setting into the evaluation criterion. As a result, this study seeks to identify universal criteria for TE awards based on a large-scale survey of 2,775 business students across eleven countries and five continents intending to capture global student perspectives. First, we reveal whether the possession of a TE award for an educator has any importance from students’ perspectives. Second, we find that students across the globe have a general agreement regarding the criteria for awarding an excellent educator by identifying 30 criteria for TE awards students noted across our global sample. Third, we reveal 15 criteria that are specific to some countries but not globally. Lastly, we explore the differences in TE award criteria across different study levels. Overall, our study makes a significant contribution by identifying global criteria based on student voice to inform the development of teaching excellence award criteria in business education or by higher education providers and professional bodies.

Peering Deeper: Student Perspectives on School Well-being and Youth Engagement

We examined students’ perspectives on well-being and youth engagement in schools using a Youth Participatory Action Research approach. Students (N = 11) trained as peer researchers and then interviewed their peers. Interviews (N = 21) were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and six themes were developed: desire for versus reality of a healthy school, insufficient school strategies to promote well-being and mitigate harm, listening to and actioning students’ ideas, diverse opportunities for student engagement, pre-conceived ideas of student capability, and importance of a support role. Through this project, we peered deeper into students’ viewpoints about well-being and youth engagement in their schools.

Campus landscape types and pro-social behavioral mediators in the psychological recovery of college students.

Physical and mental health problems of college students are becoming more prominent, and contact with nature has a positive effect on physical and mental health. This paper investigates the psychological recovery effect of different types of campus green space landscape on college students. From the perspective of college students' perception of campus landscape types, the green space, blue space, gray space and movement space of three universities in Anhui Province are investigated. Through choose campus landscape types and questionnaires, structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation modeling were constructed on the role of college students' perception of campus landscape types on psychological recovery. It was found that the level of landscape type perception had a significant effect on the effect of psychological recovery and the generation of pro-social behavior, with no significant gender difference, while psychological recovery also had a positive effect on the generation of pro-social behavior. The study also found that campus landscape type not only directly affect students psychological recovery, but also promote psychological recovery through the mediating role of pro-social behavior. The study reveals the effects of campus landscape type on college students' psychological recovery, and pro vides a basis for planning campus of different types.

Dietetics students' opinion on food and their future profession

Introduction: Although it is believed that dietitians will use their opinions about food in their professional practice, few studies evaluated conceptions about food and health among dietitians, and this evaluation could be useful for understanding university education and thinking about possible professional implications. Methods: The study aimed to understand the role of food and what it means to be a dietitian from the perspective of Brazilian dietetics students (495 from 34 institutions in the state of São Paulo) through the questions, "What do you consider the main role of food?" and "For me, being a dietitian means...” The responses were analyzed with the support of AtlasTi software and codified into analytical categories based on content analysis. Results: Of the total, 93% were female and 20% were enrolled in public institutions. Two main categories were defined for food: biological and psycho-sociocultural aspects, and two for nutritionists: health promoter and integral health promoter; 69% indicated the function of food as only biological and 61,3% see the dietitian to be only a health promoter, considering only physiological aspects. Students from public institutions responded more for psycho-sociocultural aspects and integral health promotion (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Most participants present opinions about food in their professional practice focusing mainly on biological and physical health aspects. The possible impact of these opinions on professional practice should be discussed and addressed so that undergraduation can expand critical training and better professional practice.

Encompassing trust in medical AI from the perspective of medical students: a quantitative comparative study

BackgroundIn the years to come, artificial intelligence will become an indispensable tool in medical practice. The digital transformation will undoubtedly affect today’s medical students. This study focuses on trust from the perspective of three groups of medical students - students from Croatia, students from Slovakia, and international students studying in Slovakia.MethodsA paper-pen survey was conducted using a non-probabilistic convenience sample. In the second half of 2022, 1715 students were surveyed at five faculties in Croatia and three in Slovakia.ResultsSpecifically, 38.2% of students indicated familiarity with the concept of AI, while 44.8% believed they would use AI in the future. Patient readiness for the implementation of technologies was mostly assessed as being low. More than half of the students, 59.1%, believe that the implementation of digital technology (AI) will negatively impact the patient-physician relationship and 51,3% of students believe that patients will trust physicians less. The least agreement with the statement was observed among international students, while a higher agreement was expressed by Slovak and Croatian students 40.9% of Croatian students believe that users do not trust the healthcare system, 56.9% of Slovak students agree with this view, while only 17.3% of international students share this opinion. The ability to explain to patients how AI works if they were asked was statistically significantly different for the different student groups, international students expressed the lowest agreement, while the Slovak and Croatian students showed a higher agreement.ConclusionThis study provides insight into medical students’ attitudes from Croatia, Slovakia, and international students regarding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future healthcare system, with a particular emphasis on the concept of trust. A notable difference was observed between the three groups of students, with international students differing from their Croatian and Slovak colleagues. This study also highlights the importance of integrating AI topics into the medical curriculum, taking into account national social & cultural specificities that could negatively impact AI implementation if not carefully addressed.

Medical students' initial experiences of the dissection room and interaction with body donors: A qualitative study of professional identity formation, educational benefits, and the experience of Pasifika students.

The first experience of medical students in the dissecting room (DR) likely influences professional identity formation (PIF). Sparse data exist exploring how exposure to the DR and body donors without undertaking dissection influences PIF, or how culture may influence this experience. This qualitative study explored students' first, non-dissection DR experience to determine how this contributes to PIF, including the impact of culture through a Pasifika-student lens. It also explored student perspectives on what learning opportunities are unique to this experience. Medical students with no prior DR experience were recruited and then interviewed after initial engagement with the DR and body donors. Questions included participant experiences, cultural perspectives, and how the DR differed from other teaching experiences. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Twenty students were interviewed (mean age 22 years, 12 females; 8 Pasifika) resulting in 520 min of audio recording (mean 26 min). Four primary themes were identified: professional identity formation, educational elements, death and spirituality, and cultural perspectives. Three subthemes including student experiences, behaviors, and environment were developed within each theme. Findings indicate development of PIF likely occurs from a single engagement with body donors without undertaking dissection, including recognition of professional role. Culture can play an important role for students, with several Pasifika students viewing the DR as a "cultural purgatory". Unique learning experiences are identified, such as cultural awareness around behaviors with the dead. The experience is an educational "threshold concept" where students likely undergo substantial developments in PIF, and educational initiatives to support students are outlined.

Barriers to Communication in Undergraduate Medical Education: Perspectives of Students From Karnataka, India.

Background Communication barriers in medical education can impede learning. Understanding these barriers from students' perspectives is crucial for developing effective solutions. The objectives of this study were to identify the barriers to communication in undergraduate medical education and their solutions from students' perspectives as well as to determine the demographic factors associated with these barriers. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2018 to July 2019 among undergraduate students at a medical college in Karnataka. Using a stratified sampling method, data was collected from 400 students via a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between demographic factors and barriers to communication. Results Students identified several communication barriers, primarily in the domains of language, environment, psychology, and teacher-related issues. Key barriers in theory classes included the use of medical jargon, overcrowding, faulty microphones, absent-mindedness, peer pressure, fast-paced teaching, monotonous sessions, and information overload. In practical classes, barriers were overcrowding, absent-mindedness, and fast-paced teaching, and for clinical case discussions, barriers included difficulty understanding the local language, overcrowding, and leg pain. Proposed solutions by students for theory classes included simpler explanations, smaller batches, microphone maintenance, interactive lectures, and breaks between classes. For practical classes, solutions were smaller practical batches, interactive sessions, and simpler explanations of topics, while for case discussion, solutions included optional local language classes, smaller groups, and better seating arrangements. Conclusion This study highlights key communication barriers in medical education and underscores the influence of demographic factors such as gender and academic year. The solutions proposed by the students are practical and could enhance communication and the overall educational experience if implemented in medical colleges across India.

Needs Assessment for a Leadership Course in Saudi Medical Schools: The Student Perspective.

Leaders in healthcare no longer need to hold formal management positions; instead, leadership is perceived to be the responsibility of all healthcare professionals. Despite changes in curricula and teaching design, however, this review of the content taught in medical colleges in Saudi Arabia reveals a lack of leadership and a failure to equip young graduates to compete on the global stage. Medical students need leadership skills for patient care, cooperation, and navigating the complex healthcare system. Clinical management skills in hospitals require these talents also. The complexity of healthcare and the impact healthcare executives have on people's lives highlight the importance of these skills. Thus, healthcare practitioners must develop non-technical skills like proactivity, motivation, and change management to lead across professional boundaries and negotiate the increasingly complex healthcare landscape. This cross-sectional study combines a quantitative approach with a self-administered questionnaire-based survey. The sampling procedure is a non-probability convenience technique, adapted for 700 male and female undergraduate medical students from four medical colleges. Of the students, 75.46% had minimal leadership experience and 22.69% had some leadership experience; 3.02% of 464 students considered themselves highly experienced in leadership. As the needs assessment and other relevant factors show, leadership should be introduced as a skilled subject. There will always be a growing demand for competent medical graduates, who are capable of becoming future leaders. Although elementary leadership concepts remain fundamentally the same, curricular development must focus on the needs of society and stakeholders.

Food accessibility: A lived experience perspective of college students living away from parents’ home

This article aims to examine food accessibility for college students who moved away from their parents’ home, focusing on both objective and perceived perspectives. It considers all the food options surrounding them in the city where they lived for their studies. Using a qualitative methodology based on interviews with 24 students living away from their parents’ home, local stakeholders, heads of university organizations, and field observations, this research shows a gap between objective accessibility (OA) and perceived accessibility (PA) of the supply of food shops, whereas a greater convergence is observed for offers of meals taken away from home. The results show that food options that are available close to where college students live (study, home, commute) are not often included in their set of consideration. Furthermore, they experience conflicts between the three dimensions of PA (price, distance, and cognitive). College students react to these conflicts with different coping strategies depending on their level of food and urban literacy. To improve food accessibility, it is necessary to adopt an integrated approach according to the types of literacy.

Beyond Boundaries: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Shaping the Future Careers of Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of revolutionizing healthcare, wielding its computational prowess to navigate the labyrinth of medical data with unprecedented precision. In this study, we delved into the perspectives of medical students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) regarding AI's seismic impact on their careers and the medical landscape. A cross-sectional study conducted from February to December 2023 examined the impact of AI on the future of medical students' careers in KSA, surveying approximately 400 participants, including Saudi medical students and interns, and uncovering a fascinating tapestry of perceptions. Astonishingly, 75.4% of respondents boasted familiarity with AI, heralding its transformative potential. A resounding 88.9% lauded its capacity to enrich medical education, marking a paradigm shift in learning approaches. However, amidst this wave of optimism, shadows of apprehension loomed. A staggering 42.5% harbored concerns of AI precipitating job displacement, while 34.4% envisioned a future where AI usurps traditional doctor roles. Despite this dichotomy, there existed a unanimous recognition of the symbiotic relationship between AI and human healthcare professionals, heralding an era of collaborative synergy. Our findings underscored a critical need for educational initiatives to assuage fears and facilitate the seamless integration of AI into clinical practice. Moreover, AI's burgeoning influence in diagnostic radiology and personalized healthcare plans emerged as catalysts propelling the domain of precision medicine into uncharted realms of innovation. As AI reshapes the contours of healthcare delivery, it not only promises unparalleled efficiency but also holds the key to unlocking new frontiers in treatment outcomes and accessibility, heralding a transformative epoch in the annals of medicine.

Student Perspectives of Success and Failure in Biology Lecture: Multifaceted Definitions and Misalignments.

Investigating definitions of success and failure among introductory biology students is essential for understanding what underlies their self-efficacy; a student who gets a B on an exam may lose self-efficacy if they define failure as anything less than an A. Yet, whether students have the same definitions for success as they have for failure in these classes is unknown, nor how those definitions relate to course performance. To better understand student definitions for success and failure and their implications, this mixed-methods study collected survey data from students in two introductory biology courses about their definitions of success and failure and their self-reported grades. Coding of open-ended responses revealed four broad themes related to both success and failure: Performance, Content, Preparation, and Attitude. Although there were common themes in how students defined success and failure overall, individual students often (65%) described success or failure in relation to different standards. We also found some definitions of success and failure were predicted by grades. These results highlight the complexity of building self-efficacy in introductory biology and suggest the need for greater awareness and acknowledgment of the different standards students use to judge their success and failure.

The Enduring Value of the VA in Health Professions Education: Medical Student Perspectives.

The Enduring Value of the VA in Health Professions Education: Medical Student Perspectives.

Life Cycle Assessment as a Catalyst for Embedding Sustainability in Waste Management Practices

The establishment of sustainable campuses acts as a catalyst, fostering a Living Lab environment where active community engagement is crucial. Recognizing the pivotal role of waste management, university campuses prioritize detailed mapping and characterization of organic waste streams. This process paves the way for the identification of alternative scenarios that reduce and divert waste from landfills through valorization routes such as composting and anaerobic digestion. Acknowledging students' pivotal role in shaping sustainable solutions, their perceptions of solid waste separation assume significance. The effectiveness of the current separation system is critical, especially given the monitoring of bin contamination levels, revealing hindrances to organic waste valorization. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) emerges as a valuable tool for identifying alternative scenarios for waste reduction and diversion, encompassing anaerobic digestion, composting, and waste-to-food strategies. This study centers on evaluating and reshaping student perspectives on organic waste separation and end-of-life waste management through LCA. A comprehensive survey was designed to elucidate current perspectives on the efficiency and communication of the existing waste management system. Student insights into waste separation practices revealed that the major barriers to effective waste management practices on campus include a lack of education and awareness regarding waste separation. The survey findings also underscore the significance of LCA not only in measuring carbon footprints but also in influencing perceptions and behaviors towards sustainable waste management practices. In conclusion, our study contributes to the discourse on embedding sustainability in educational settings, offering valuable insights for institutions aspiring to drive positive change through innovative waste management strategies.

The Role of Recast and Metalinguistic Feedback on Essay Writing: Pakistani Students Perspective

This study investigates the comparative study which concentrates on the impact of the two types of feedback: recast vs. metalinguistic, as an intervention in second language writing in English in Pakistan to reduce error essay writing. Written corrective feedback is a process which is introduced by educationists and psychologists which attracts the attention of the learner and stimulates him to improve his cognition by the direction given by teachers. Mixed method is used to evaluate the effect of these two types of feedback at intermediate level in Pakistan. Quasi experimental method was used to evaluate the development of the student in the destined writing by using test in the form of pre-test and post-test. The problems which are persisted in the text are exposed in the interviews that had paid little attention to the feedback comments. The collected data is analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The finding reveals an overall effect indicating the written corrective feedback has a potential to enhance the second language writing grammatical accuracy. The results of this study highlights that metalinguistic feedback is more efficacious than its near counterpart recast.

“I Learned How to Think, Not What to Think.” Student Perspectives on an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Honours Programme

The Arts and Science Honours Academy (ASHA) is a unique interdisciplinary undergraduate honours programme at a large research-intensive university in Canada. Data were collected in early 2020 from 108 past and present students, representing the first eleven cohorts of the programme. Triangulating results from quantitative and qualitative analyses, we describe the ASHA students’ educational and social experience during their time at university and, for those who have graduated, their post-graduate activities. Situating our investigation within previous literature examining interdisciplinary undergraduate learning communities and high impact practices, we assess whether students from arts and science disciplines experienced the programme differently, and which aspects of the programme were most impactful. We find that academically, students reported benefiting from the exposure to interdisciplinary thought, the opportunity to do research, and the study abroad requirement. Socially, students reported benefiting from the connections they formed with a small cohort of high achieving peers from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. While science students reported benefitting the most from ASHA socially, arts students were more likely to indicate that the programme influenced their careers following graduation. These findings provide evidence to support the creation and design of future interdisciplinary undergraduate programmes.

Peran Ilmu Kimia dalam Kehidupan Sehari-hari Menurut Perspektif Santri Puteri Pondok Pesantren Al-Ihsan Banjarmasin

This research aims to explore the role of chemistry in daily life from the perspective of female students (santri puteri) at Al-Ihsan Islamic Boarding School in Banjarmasin. Through qualitative methods including interviews and observations, this study investigates the understanding, perceptions, and experiences of the students regarding the practical applications of chemistry in their everyday lives. The findings highlight the significance of integrating chemistry education with real-life contexts to enhance students' comprehension and appreciation of this scientific discipline. Understanding the perspectives of female students in Islamic boarding schools sheds light on how chemistry education can be tailored to meet the needs and interests of diverse learner populations.