Poor Time Management Research Articles

Social Accountability of Medical Schools Toward Their Students

Social accountability refers to the role of institutions, including medical schools, as contributors to an evolving society. The COVID-19 pandemic and global health crisis have exacerbated challenges and difficulties of medical schools to adopt the social accountability paradigm. This exploratory study aims to identify weaknesses and demands of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic with the intention of developing interventional, socially accountable educational programs. An online questionnaire was sent to medical students in year one to three for collecting data about students’ perception of preparedness to cope with sudden changes from in-person to online teaching due to COVID-19 measures. In addition, data about students’ well-being was collected according to the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. 221 of 376 students completed the questionnaire (58.7%). During the COVID-19 pandemic, most medical students kept up with new educational technologies and adjusted to online learning. However, most students suffered from poor time and learning management, poor quality of life and burnout. Data analysis on wellbeing variables showed: a) poor quality of life (52%); b) medium to high level of burnout (65.1%), with the highest number of students with burnout (70%) in third year; c) medium level (73.8%) to high level (23%) of resilience across all years. Our study indicates that medical schools need to be socially accountable towards their students and allocate additional resources into programs for the support of the cognitive and emotional needs of medical students, with the emphasis of improving students’ learning management and cognitive skills, and by doing so, reducing burnout and improving quality of life. Finally, social accountability should also include students’ wellbeing, in addition to activities related to patients, health system and society.

University Students’ Perspectives on Synchronous Online Teacher- and Student-led Group Activities: Based on General English Classes

For nearly two years, virtual learning has been employed by most Korean university instructors and students in online teaching environment. A major negative result of prior research on this issue has been a feeling of isolation and desire for more interactions by students. Therefore, this study was conducted to elicit student insights and feelings related to their satisfaction, self-ratings, and advantages and disadvantages of online Teacher-led (TL) versus Student-led (SL) team activities in their online learning environment. A total of 53 freshman students in two general English classes took part in four Zoom group meetings. The surveys and reflection essay were analyzed through qualitative methods. Major findings included: students from both the TL and SL groups reported relatively higher satisfaction and self-ratings of English skills through the four team activities. However, the TL group indicated that there was a lack of emphasis on reading skills, and an overreliance on teacher interventions led to a lack of team cooperation. While the SL group reported that a lack of teacher interaction led to confusion, poor time management, increased Korean use, and fewer listening comprehension opportunities. Implications and a discussion of team activity use in general English programs are included.

Online University Students’ Perceptions on the Awareness of, Reasons for, and Solutions to Plagiarism in Higher Education: The Development of the AS&P Model to Combat Plagiarism

Academic plagiarism has remained a major concern for higher education institutions, as it hampers not only the quality of the teaching-learning process and research, but also the overall educational institution. This issue appears to be even more serious in online and distance education institutions. As a result, a qualitative study was conducted on an online university in Pakistan to investigate the determinants of academic plagiarism and to find ways to address this issue. The students were given an open-ended questionnaire to reflect their opinions on the awareness and understanding of plagiarism, its determinants, and ways to address it. The findings revealed that most of the 267 online university students had a poor awareness and understanding of plagiarism. Major reasons for students’ plagiarism turned out to be a lack of a proactive approach to create awareness, an omission of citation conventions from course content, untrained teachers, a lack of strict penalties and their proper implementation, poor time management, a fear of failure, a lack of confidence, laziness, and a culture of plagiarism. The study proposes the Awareness, Support, and Prevention model (AS&P model) to address this issue in higher education institutions.

DISTRICT RETOOLING AND UPSKILLING: A RESPONSE IN OVERCOMING CHALLENGES OF TEACHERS IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH

School heads and teachers as the frontline in the educational system need to develop a deep understanding of teaching phenomena and practices in schools. This understanding can be done through research. Most of the teachers are not motivated to conduct research even if they encountered lots of problems in the new normal. With this, the researchers determine the challenges in researching and provide an immediate response in overcoming challenges. Design/methodology /approach: The descriptive-quantitative method was used with 132 teacher participants selected randomly using the Raosoft application from District VIII. While online survey questionnaires and interviews, frequency, percentage, weighted mean, ranking, and t-test were used. Findings: The challenges faced by teachers before the conduct of upskilling are lack of knowledge and skills in completing the research; the upskilling is highly effective in terms of content, design, attitude towards the conduct of research, and knowledge and skills development. Meanwhile, the challenges faced after the upskilling are poor time management, and lack of self-confidence; and there is a significant difference before and after upskilling, thus, a proposed innovative Professional Development activity may be utilized to help teachers overcome their challenges.

Scrutinizing EFL students' plagiarism practice

The current study was designed to investigate the types of plagiarism that appear in EFL students’ theses at Ar-Raniry State Islamic University, Indonesia. It sought to examine the plagiarism level, and investigate the triggering factors encouraging these EFL students of the 2019 batch to plagiarize. This study used a qualitative method with a case study approach. The participants in this study were ten EFL students of the 2019 batch and their theses. The participants were randomly selected. The data collection was carried out using two research instruments, namely document analysis, and interview. The researcher analyzed the student's thesis using Plagiarism Checker X. The results of the document analysis showed that there were two types of plagiarism detected in the student's thesis, namely word for word and mosaic plagiarism. Second, the researcher found that the plagiarism level of the 2019 batch English students' thesis of UIN Ar-Raniry was at the low-level plagiarism category, which can be observed from the result of the similarity index. The level of plagiarism found in these theses was less than 30%, still at an acceptable level as stipulated by the university regulation. Meanwhile, the result of the interview showed that all participants know what plagiarism is and they think that plagiarism is a negative conduct. Several factors influences EFL English students to plagiarize, such as poor time management, laziness, poor paraphrasing skills, affordable internet access, and running out of ideas.

THE STUDENT NURSES’ SKILL OF MANAGING THEIR TIME

Introduction: Time is one of the basic resources in each human activity. It holds a special place in health care. Either its deficiency or underestimation may lead to the negative and even fatal aftermath for human life.
 Objective: The purpose of this report is to identify the reasons for poor time management of student nurses.
 Methods: A standardized questionnaire was answered by a total of 89 student nurses from the 1st year and 3rd year courses, in the nursing bachelor degree from the Ruse University of Angel Kanchev, Bulgaria. The questionnaire was held in January 2021.
 Results: From this study we have determined that those who are capable of managing their time and always plan well are just 26%(23n) of all respondents, more than a half of them only sometimes plan their tasks, 61%(54n), whereas 13%(12n) never do. As for the compliance of the deadlines, only 31.5% (28n) of them always manage to do so, while the rest of the students only sometimes do so.
 Conclusions: The inability of student nurses to plan their time is just one of the reasons for concern. It was determined that the lack of training for effective time management, intense workload in higher education, not realizing they have to manage their time and their young age, significantly affect the student nurses’ proper management of time.
 UDC Classification: 37.04, DOI: https://doi.org/10.12955/pmp.v2.170

A study on stress factors in ferrous metallurgy in Bulgaria and ways of their minimizing and control

Abstract Background Stress at workplace arises when the requirements for workers don't meet their personal or social capabilities, or differ from the individual's needs and motivation. Occupational stress is observed in a number of both elementary and high-tech occupational fields. In ferrous metallurgy it could be associated with 24/7 operating mode, high work intensity and a variety of unfavorable characteristics of working environment. The aim of the study is to clarify the nature of factors - stressors in ferrous metallurgy and to define ways for reduction of their negative health impact. Materials and Methods Study subject are 91 workers in an electric steel-making department of a ferrous metallurgy enterprise in Bulgaria. Data, concerning working conditions, work characteristics, workers satisfaction, presence/absence of stress and chronic diseases, were collected by direct individual self-administered questionnaire and documents review. Results Two of three study subjects reported stress related to their work. Noise, varies from 89.2 to 92.2 dB/A (at rate 85 dB/A) in different sections of the workshop, is the biggest stressor according to 77.5% of the investigated people, followed by short deadlines for task performance (46.5%) and ineffective leadership (32.4%). In addition, negative effects of stress is increasing by high dust levels, reaching up to 7 mg/m3 air at a standard of 6 mg/m3 air, and contain manganese, coke, chamotte, free and bound silica, rare metals, increased concentration of CO and more.Nevertheless workers consider that the organization provides measures for stress reduction by strict control on the limit values of noise, dust, temperature and chemicals (49.2%),provision of personal protective equipment establishment (69%) of a rational mode of work and rest (56.3%) and healthy eating (47.9%). Conclusions Despite a plenty of environmental and organizational stressors, their negative effects could be decreased by appropriate preventive measures. Key messages Factors-stressor in ferrous metallurgy could be associated with a variety of unfavorable characteristics of working environment,non-stop operating mode, high work intensity and poor time management. Noise is the biggest stressor followed by short deadlines for task performance and ineffective leadership. Stressors are modifiable and preventable by strict hygienic control and improved management.

Managing English Language Classroom for Meaningful Teaching and Learning: A Case Study for Hochland High School in Windhoek

Total management of overcrowded classrooms have across-the-board effects for English as a Second Language teaching and learning environments as in any subject. Greater attainment and achievements in schools depend on the choices made with regard to teacher-learner ratios that consider of classroom management. Recruitment of learners and teachers should ensure that classrooms are enabled to meet the demands of professional teaching challenges, amongst other, inidvidualised teaching and learning. The aim of the research was to explore the challenges and related matters in managing English as a Second Language overcrowded classrooms. A qualitative approach, steered by a case study design, purposively guided the study. It was deemed fit in order to understand the phenomena with deeper understanding of beliefs and situated lived experiences. Semi-structured interviews and nonparticipant observations were used as methods to generate data for analysis. The research exposed that copious problems were experienced by teachers and leaners who were subjected to overcrowded classrooms. Amongst many, noise and unruly behaviour, poor time management and teaching approaches result in such classes. Guiding principles regarding sound teacher-learner ratios should be put in place by policymakers and schools in order to support both teachers and learners for the success of teaching and learning.

Impact of work–life balance with the role of organizational support and job burnout on project performance

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the impact of work–life balance on project performance with mediating role of job burnout and moderating role of organizational support and what are the indirect effects of work–life balance on project performance via organizational support. For quantifying this effect, regression analysis has been used, and to calculate variable mediation, moderation and conditional process analysis, Model of Preacher and Hayes has been utilized.Design/methodology/approachFour variables and 23 measurement items have been extracted from published literature. Further, data collection for this research study has been conducted through the “Questionnaire” technique. The questionnaire has been developed based on previously established questions available in the literature. Finally, to obtain a more objective assessment, a statistical model is developed, and regression analysis is performed to highlight the most significant variables that impact the project performance.FindingsThe results of the study show that work–life balance harmed project performance, and organizational support was putting the main impact on project performance. Moreover, the findings of the study include the positive association of job burnout with project performance. And a total mediation effect was observed between work–life balance and project performance, through the bootstrapping results.Practical implicationsThe authors have found that the theoretical model got practical implications, both for the managers and the organization involved in the project. The first implication is that adopting suitable work–life balance practices will be beneficial and support professionals working on projects. Professionals engaged in projects, both at managerial and team levels, are exposed to work–life balance resulting from work performance and personal life responsibilities. The empirical results revealed conflicts came across due to poor time management, and these conflicts have adverse effects on personal and professional commitments. It should be one of the basic considerations for project-based organizations, to make available ample time for the professionals to be with their families.Originality/valueThis study has enabled the authors to understand the work–life balance, organizational support and job burnout and how these variables affect project performance via their relationship as described in a theoretical framework. Furthermore, this research contributes toward the field by considering different ways to balance the work–family conflicts by examining the effects of work–life balance on Job Burnout and Project Performance. This study brought some significant insights and one of its kind in the developing countries and adds to the existing body of knowledge by developing a regression model that will help decision makers and top management to further enhance their project performance.

Intervensi Mindful Breathing Untuk Mengatasi Stres Akademik Pada Remaja Sekolah Menengah Atas

High school students are prone in experiencing academic stress. Academic stressors faced are in the form of pressure to have a lot of assignments, length of study, poor time management, to anxiety facing exams. Some research shows that academic stress of high school students are in the high category. In an extreme case, academic stress can lead to self-harm behavior. One of the interventions that can overcome academic stress is mindful breathing. This study aims to determine the result of mindful breathing intervention to overcome academic stress in high school students. This study used a single-subject design, with one subject aged 16 years who was in grade XI. The flow of intervention consists of counseling sessions, preparation, implementation of the intervention, and evaluation. The results showed that the mindful breathing intervention was successful in dealing with academic stress in high school students.

To fail or not to fail: enhancing our understanding of reasons why social work students failed practice placements (2015–2019)

ABSTRACT Social Work qualifying programmes teach students the necessary knowledge, skills, and values during a series of taught modules. Formal opportunities to integrate knowledge into practice are provided through practice placements in social work agencies. Each practice placement enables agency and/or academic staff to gate-keep entry into the profession, through assessing student competence against agreed practice learning requirements, readiness to practice, and adherence to professional social work standards. This research study seeks to expand our understanding of the incidence of and reasons why students failed their practice placement whilst studying social work on the island of Ireland. On receipt of ethical approval, Practice Teacher reports and minutes of Practice Assessment Panels were used for data collection. Sixty-three students (19 male, 44 female; mean age 34 years) failed placement 2015–2019, with the majority (58.7%) failing first placement. Reasons for failing were categorised into knowledge, skills, values and personal reasons. The most common reasons for failing were a poor understanding of the professional social work role, poor time management, poor written work, the inability to follow direction, limited application of knowledge to practice, and poor professional conduct. Results suggest most students disclosed mitigating circumstances, which affected engagement and competence.

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON PLAGIARISM IN HIGHER EDUCATION: TRIGGERING FACTORS AND AVOIDING STRATEGIES

This study was aimed to examining EFL students’ perception towards plagiarism, factors triggering students to plagiarize in completing their undergraduate theses and their strategies in avoiding plagiarism. The study, conducted at English Language Education Department, in one of the universities in Indonesia, employed a qualitative method approach aiming at getting more information and a detailed description of social or human issues. Ten alumni who were randomly selected agreed to participate in this study. Selected participants were interviewed to collect required information needed to address research questions of this study. Besides interviewing the students, the researchers also analyzed their theses in order to examine the level of plagiarism by using Turnitin software, the result of which showed that the range of similarities index in students’ theses varied from 16 to 36 %. The findings of the study revealed that there were three strategies that students implemented to avoid plagiarism; paraphrasing and quoting others' ideas, understanding the meaning of plagiarism, and using the lectures' particular method and online plagiarism detection software. Furthermore, the study found that the factors influencing students to plagiarize were related to time limitation on an assignment and poor time management, ease of using online sources, lack of understanding to plagiarism, and poor understanding of plagiarism acts.

Fourth-year Indonesian medical students’ time management in Problem-based learning

problem-based learning involves the student in its learning process. The students are expected to do an independent learning in every aspect of learning events, which is very effective to students depend on how they can manage their own schedules and their own activities. This was a qualitative study. The subjects were twenty six medical students with focus group discussion method, it has 1 key informant and 26 common informants. Data analysis used matrix technique where the information was processed in table and they were: number, informant’s name, emik, ethic, conclussion and displayed in descriptive narration. Students with good time management had characteristics of play an active role in answering and asking questions, have a lot of information about the case in the scenario, understand the explanation given by friends, and achieve the learning objectives given in the tutorial discussion. While students with poor time management were still looking for the materials during the tutorial discussion, confused by the explanation given by friends during the tutorial, passive during the tutorial, and give opinion during the discussion, but no relevant reference. The strategy used by students is reading tutorial material and discussing with friends before the session. The importance of time management in implementing problem-based learning is that students can comprehensively study the given cases and encourage students to actively identify and solve problems in discussions

Exploring The Challenges Facing Teenage Mothers in School and How They Cope in the Wa West District

Education is a built-in mechanism that retains its essential value as a human right, not as a static commodity to be viewed in isolation from its larger context. Every person has the right to quality education and the ability to guarantee their human rights are secure for the long term. This research examined teenage mothers' struggles in school. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twelve teenage mothers were selected, using a snowball sampling approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from these teenage mothers by audio taping. The data was transcribed, pursued and analysed thematically. The research revealed that teenage mothers in school face various difficulties in school, including lack of financial support, poor time management, low self-esteem, and emotional instability. The further revealed that majority of teenage mothers in school employ direct problem solving, cognitive decision-making, understanding, and constructive cognitive restructuring to cope with the challenges they face.

A mobile mindfulness intervention for emergency department staff to improve stress and wellbeing: A qualitative study

BackgroundOccupational stress and burnout in emergency departments (ED) are prominent issues requiring effective solutions. In other health settings use of a smartphone mindfulness app have been shown to be a cost-effective strategy for stress management. AimTo understand ED staff’s experiences of practicing mindfulness using a smartphone app. MethodA qualitative study was undertaken with 24 ED staff at two Australian EDs who had used a mindfulness app for 4 weeks. Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were conducted between late 2019 and early 2020. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Descriptive description was utilised in content analysis. ResultsFour main themes were identified: individuality in use of the app, perceived benefits and impacts on life, perceived barriers and enablers to use. Participants reported that mindfulness practice had numerous benefits including better stress and anxiety management, as well as improved general wellbeing. The main barriers to mindfulness practice were poor time management for mindfulness and lack of motivation. Reported enablers included a strong desire for promoting wellbeing and the ability to embed practice into existing routine. ConclusionPracticing mindfulness with a smartphone app is a useful strategy to promote ED staff wellness and manage stress. Healthcare organisations should consider the implementation of a mindfulness app for staff.

Teacher Trainees Readiness for E-learning in Colleges of Education in Ghana

Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the study investigated college students’ readiness for online learning from seven colleges of education in Ghana’s Volta and Oti Regions (UTAUT). The study focused on college students’ eLearning readiness and their perceptions of eLearning in Ghana. The descriptive phenomenological research design was used in this study. Using the convenience sampling technique, seven colleges were chosen from a pool of forty-six colleges of education. The participants were interviewed through WhatsApp and Telegram chats. For this study, the phenomenological data analysis process developed by Colaizzi was used. The findings were organized into the following themes: Adaptability Struggle, The New Digital Divide, A shift in teacher professional development, A shift in teacher professional development, Interactivity, and Time Management. According to the findings, colleges used Google Classroom, WhatsApp, Edmodo, and Telegram for learning and teaching. It was discovered that students face internet connectivity issues, accessibility issues, poor time management, adaptability challenges, technical support issues, high cost of internet bundle challenges with smart devices, and disruption as a result of the need to assist with other domestic activities. Due to the numerous challenges associated with online learning, college students suggest that the teaching and learning should be done in conjunction with face-to-face learning (blended learning) or suspended entirely.

Academic Dishonesty in the Philippines: The Case of 21st Century Learners and Teachers

Purpose: Studies revealed that in the eyes of teachers, online education leads to more academic dishonesty, however, this study does not intend to justify that it is more prevalent in this mode of learning compared with physical classes. Nevertheless, the world has shifted to a modern learning approach called online education when the pandemic brought significant changes in people’s lives, and that the respondents of this study were students who during the data gathering procedure are enrolled in courses that utilize online learning approach and “academic servers” who during the same process are offering their services to students enrolled in the same mode of learning. This has led to this study that primarily aims to explore the industry of academic servicing that is believed to be a platform where academic dishonesty is tolerated and widely practiced amidst the new normal. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study has focused on 650 members of three groups in social media that promotes academic servicing where students can transact with people who offers their services in doing students’ academic requirements. The researcher utilized a qualitative-descriptive research approach whereas Semi-Structured interviews have been conducted and coding has been performed to analyze the data collected. Findings/Result: Results show that there is lack of discipline among students of the 21st century, particularly students who have enrolled during academic year 2020-2021, whereas, it is in the Senior High School Level and College Level where academic dishonesty is most prevalent. It was revealed that the key players in this “industry” aside from these students includes private and public-school teachers, unemployed senior high school and college graduates, and industry professionals. Most people who offer their services to do students’ academic requirements who are called academic servers are teachers, and they usually earn between Php. 1,500.00 and Php. 20,000.00 on a weekly basis from their clients who pay an average of Php. 500.00 per work. The top reasons why students engage in academic dishonesty are the overwhelming workload which is linked to poor time management, inability to independently study which is linked to poor or zero understanding on lessons and low support from teachers and parents, laziness, influence of peers, and pressure to get good grades, while the main motivation of academic servers in offering their services to students is to earn money, though some have expressed that at the same time, they would like to help struggling students. Results of this study shows low quality of education in the country and poor integrity of graduates of school year 2020-2021, and indicates clear violation of the code of ethics for professional teachers. Originality/Value: This study explored a problem in education that has been poorly addressed in the Philippines over the years. This study shows low quality of education in the country and poor integrity of graduates of school year 2020-2021, and indicates clear violation of the code of ethics for professional teachers. Results also questions the effectiveness of online learning in the Philippines, which the researcher believes to be relevant today as educational institutions shifted to online classes. Paper Type: Exploratory Research

Low research productivity: Transformation, institutional and leadership concern at a South African university

A key indicator of the academic worth, value and development of a university is its research capacity and publications. The universities of technologies (UoTs) that merged from former technikons have been poorly ranked due to low research performance. Hands have been pointed at the academics, some school of thought blamed the institutions, others pointed at the government agencies in charge of higher education policies, regulation, and restructuring. The aim of this paper is to examine empirically from the institutional point of view, reasons for low research output in the UoTs. A qualitative research approach was adopted by conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 academic staff and a comprehensive focus group meeting among six academics from three faculties in the same UoT. Heavy workload, career ambiguity, poaching, staffing, sabbatical leave policy, large student numbers, unawareness of incentives, poor retention strategies, institutional history, understanding of research mandate, clarity of policies and procedures and poor time management emerged as the contributing factors to low research output in the UoT. According to the fourth dimension of systems archetype, the study contributes to knowledge by allowing a level of understanding into the problem under investigation. Strategic issues to be considered were suggested for the stakeholders as a way forward.

Replacing a Veterinary Physiology Endocrinology Lecture with a Blended Learning Approach Using an Everyday Analogy

Understanding scientific concepts and processes is critical for veterinary education. This article outlines the impact of blended learning and the use of an analogy on student understanding of the hypothalamic-pituitary-target gland axis over a three-year period. The first-year veterinary physiology course at our institution was modified to incorporate a blended learning approach. An analogy centered around a fast-food restaurant was introduced via an animated video to explain key concepts using an online module. Students completed the module on their own time and class time was optional for asking questions or obtaining clarification as needed. Learning was assessed using the same set of multiple-choice exam questions (MCQs). As hypothesized, students using the online module performed equally well (significantly better for those in the lower quartile) on three summative MCQs to those who received the same information delivered by traditional lecture. Student feedback identified positive aspects regarding blended learning using the analogy, including dynamic visuals, ability to work at their own time and pace, and ease of repeating information. Students cited lack of discipline and poor time management as obstacles to completing the module. Changing the anatomy and physiology of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland from static images and text to an animated video significantly improved student's preference for the blended learning approach. Blended learning and the analogy was preferred by 47% of students over the traditional lecture format (21% preferred traditional lecture and 32% were indifferent) and it was more effective in helping students master this important physiological concept.

Academic Guidance for Undergraduate Students in a South African Medical School: Can we guide them all?

Higher education institutions, including medical schools, still grapple with the challenge of poor academic performance of students. Some studies report the positive results of providing academic guidance for common challenges such as poor and/or ineffective time management, study methods,test- and exam-taking techniques and management, and the high academic workload of undergraduate medical students. However, limited detailed insights and understanding of medical students who experience more complex challenges are available. This study was conducted at a medical school in South Africa to determine undergraduate medical students’ perceptions of factors affecting their academic performance. A total of 89 semi-structured interviews were held with undergraduate medical students who were identified as having academic problems between 2012 and 2015. According to the results, more blacks, males and first- and secondyear students experienced poor academic performance. Prominent findings included the harsh realities and implications of lack of accommodation for black students; how poor academic performance can lead to an array of other social and psychological problems, such as withdrawal of bursaries and negative achievement emotions that some students experience. Compared to the usual objective measures of individual ability, the rich qualitative data of cases presented in this study reveal critical, real insights and understanding of students’ challenges from their own perspective.