Postgraduate University Students Research Articles

Longitudinal reading outcome and cognitive load in individual- and collaboration-based environments

ABSTRACT In this paper, we report a 12-week longitudinal study aiming at exploring the students’ reading outcome and cognitive load with individual-based print, mobile app of Rain Classroom and collaboration-based social media of WeChat. Administered to 186 postgraduate students in a research university were the weekly reading materials and comprehension tests, together with the self-designed CLCR scale after the reading sessions. A combination of one-way and repeated measures ANOVA along with multi-regression analysis showed that social media produced the best reading outcome; The same pattern occurred about enhanced reading outcome in the initial sessions followed by a decline at the end; Reading outcome in print other than in mobile and social media significantly increased from the first session to the ending session; Reading in mobile generated the highest level of extraneous, intrinsic, and germane load; Multi-regression analysis showed a negative relationship between intrinsic load and the prediction of collaborative reading across all the reading contexts. Further efforts may contribute to more complex patterns of reading outcome and cognitive load status by arranging individual- and collaboration-based contexts in different sequences for students with high and low level of cognitive load.

Evaluation of University Students opinions about the quality of education in Universities and the Higher Education Council in Turkey

Four hundreds eighty-six (486) university students investigated the opinions of Turkish University Students on Quality of University Education and Higher Education Council. Mostly public universities (%64.2), and they are from 34 different universities; 486 university students with an associate degree, undergraduate and graduate and postgraduate university students between the ages of 18-65 filled out the questionnaire (Tuncer 2023). There were ten questions about the Higher Education Council’s (YÖK) thoughts, university rectorate appointment and election, university, and academic autonomy. In addition, with a question about the most important critical or essential for university students, the perception of student problems was tried to be learned. As 4 out of 486 students did not complete most of the questions, they were eliminated and the evaluation was made on 482 students (Tuncer 2023) (This study was produced from the data of A.Murat Tuncer’s PhD thesis). Out of all students 62.3% women, 91.2% were single, and 57.9% of the students lived on family assistance. 61.1% of the students live on less than 3000 TL per month. 24.5% live in the dormitory, and 56.8% living with their own family. 89.1% of students assessed the performance of the Higher Education Council as not working well. 14.6% of the students considered the universities are free in Turkey. 42.5% of university students perceive university free as academic, financial, and administrative, 36.5% of the students want the university rector to be elected by voting in which all components of the university, namely students, faculty members, and administrative staff, will participate together. 80.6% of the students think that there is no equality in access to education in our country. Although the majority do not have an opinion on whether to enter the university with an exam or not, 40.6% of the students have a favorable view of the baccalaureate-style general examination test at the end of high school.43.7% of the students do not find it appropriate to give scholarships based on their exam scores. Regarding the quality of university education, 38.5% of the students are neither good nor bad, 34.9% find it high quality and 26.6% find it poor quality. The beginning of most critical problems mentioned is missing problems and the colorlessness of social life. It was also evaluated whether the students were from private and public universities and whether there were significant differences in the answers given according to the years in the university.

Entrepreneurial intention of post-graduate Business Administration students of a public university of West Bengal: An empirical study

Entrepreneurial intention of post-graduate Business Administration students of a public university of West Bengal: An empirical study

Barriers of confronting intellectual extremism in saudi universities from the point of view of postgraduate students

This study aims to identify the barriers facing Saudi universities in confronting intellectual extremism from the point of view of their postgraduate students. To achieve the objective of the study, a purposive sample of 133 postgraduate students in Saudi universities was selected. The study followed the descriptive survey method, through a questionnaire prepared by the researcher to collect information related to the study. The results of the study showed a number of barriers facing Saudi universities to confront the intellectual extremism, which came as follows: the weakness of activating the role of the intellectual awareness unit at the university, the absence of courses topics dealing with the phenomenon of intellectual extremism, the weakness of legislation on negative intellectual phenomena, the poor means of purposeful entertainment in universities, and the weakness of the complementary relationship between the university and society. At the end of the study, the researcher presented a number of recommendations and suggestions that will help Saudi universities to carry out their role and duties with regard to confronting intellectual extremism among their students.

Postgraduate Students Academic Writing Skills: The Needs for Supervision and Self-esteem

The study aimed to understand how supervision and self-esteem influence academic writing skills among postgraduate students in Malaysian public universities. Academic writing skills of postgraduate students, particularly PhD students, are essential for them to conduct their research effectively due to the high demands placed on the quality of their study. It is beneficial to understand postgraduate students' self-esteem as well as their supervisor’s support in order to boost their academic writing skills. A quantitative cross-sectional survey research design was used in this study. Data were gathered through the use of a survey questionnaire that was distributed to 171 postgraduate students (PhD students). Non-probability sampling (convenient sampling) method was used to select the participants for this study. SPSS version 26 was used to analyse the data. An investigation of the relationship between supervision, self-esteem, and perceived academic writing skills was carried out using Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression. Both supervision and self-esteem were shown to have a moderate correlation with perceived academic writing skills. When compared to supervision, self-esteem is a slightly stronger factor for perceived academic writing skills. The implications of this study can provide direction to those involved in developing the most appropriate strategies to improve the writing skills of postgraduate students. Researchers suggested that more variables in the literature to be studied in future research, which could lead to a better result. Furthermore, future researchers can use a mixed methods approach to gain a deeper understanding of postgraduate students' conditions in order to boost their writing skills effectively.

The Usage of Electronic Academic Database Resources Among Lecturers and Postgraduate Students in Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria

This study investigated the usage of electronic academic databases resources by lecturers and postgraduate students in Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria. Four objectives with conforming research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population of the study consisted of 134 lecturers and postgraduate students in WDU. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire with the title “Usage of Electronic Academic Database Resources Questionnaire (UEADRQ)”. Data was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The findings showed that there was a high level of awareness of the electronic academic database by the lecturers and postgraduate students. JSTOR, Elsevier, DOAJ, ProQuest, Science direct, and LexisNexis where been put to maximum usage. Meanwhile, NUC Virtual library, HINARI, Research4life, AGORA and EBSCO Host were used least frequently. The purposes of using the electronic academic datasets were for research, writing of seminar/conference paper, assignments/seminar presentations and getting up-to-date information with subject areas. Lack of search skill, slow internet bandwidth and incessant power outrage were some of the problems preventing against the effective usage of electronic academic database resources in WDU. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that electronic academic databases are vital information resources that need to be readily available in academic libraries for use by lecturers and students in the pursuit of their academic advancement. This study recommended that orientation, workshop and seminar should be organized by librarians and university authorities on how to acquire the needed search skills in order to be able to make adequate use of these electronic academic database resources in order to advance academic excellence.

Judicial Approaches in Plagiarism Litigation: Lessons for Universities in East Africa

The escalation of plagiarism in universities and subsequent litigations by postgraduate students seeking to challenge universities’ decisions through courts of law worldwide are noticeably increasing. This article reviews trends in plagiarism-related litigations involving postgraduate students in universities in East Africa. The focus is on select universities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The objective is to determine the approaches that courts of law in the region, and those in other jurisdictions, have adopted in developing legal principles while determining plagiarism-related litigations. The recommendations advanced seek to assist courts in the region to determine cases in accordance with emerging and well-defined legal principles on plagiarism amplified in numerous precedents. The exposition can also inform university authorities to discharge their respective roles more effectively and diligently while dealing with plagiarism-related disciplinary cases. Potential student litigants can also be in a better position to make logical and informed choices with confidence on decisions arrived at by universities.

Academic Motivation for Postgraduate Students in Universities between Traditional Learning and Distance Learning

Academic Motivation for Postgraduate Students in Universities between Traditional Learning and Distance Learning

Development of an m-learning application for postgraduate university students

The advancement in the field of mobile computing has introduced many new research topics, one of them being mobile learning. Mobile learning or “m-learning” plays an important role in education nowadays. It could provide fast access to any learning site and resources without limited time and space. This paper describes the development of a mobile learning application, focusing on a course offered at Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, named Research Methodology. The method used in this research is the application development approach using ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). This mobile learning application (app) enables the students to access the research methodology notes and slides, at the same time providing a user interface that is friendly for the user. The application is also a modular platform where the course content can be edited by anyone without coding knowledge. It can be concluded that the m-learning application will become one of the main options for learning in the future.

‘PGR Connections’: Using an online peer- learning pedagogy to support doctoral researchers

ABSTRACT Peer learning is defined as a reciprocal learning relationship among peers for their mutual benefit. This form of learning is now commonly used at undergraduate level within Higher Education internationally. However, less is known about how peer learning pedagogies can support the education and development of doctoral researchers. Initial evidence suggests that peers can help build a ‘researcher’ identity through social interactions where perspectives and experiences are shared. This study adds to these initial findings by exploring the benefits of an online peer learning scheme for postgraduate research students in a Scottish university. Results from this study suggest that peer learning pedagogies can help to develop a sense of community, enable honest conversations, boost motivation and provide a forum where postgraduate research students can learn from the experiences of others. These benefits emphasise the need to reconceptualise postgraduate research as a less solitary and isolating process by recognising the potential of peer-support and peer-learning pedagogies.

Is There a Relationship between Communications Strategies and Fear of Oral Presentation?

The ability to communicate clearly and effectively contributes significantly to presentation success. Unfortunately, communication barriers can prohibit students from accurately conveying and accepting the messages by others to exchange their knowledge, opinions, and ideas. Previous research evidence has indicated that many students experience fear in oral presentation. This study aims to explain the influence in communication strategies and fear of oral presentation among the postgraduate students in public university. This quantitative survey was used towards 41 respondents who participated in this study. There are three sections in the instrument in which section A consists of the demographic profile and Section B has 25 items on communication strategies and section C has 14 items on causes of fear. This study found that in communication strategies there are five strategies that could help the students to strategize their presentation through social-affective strategies, fluency-oriented strategies, negotiation for meaning strategies, accuracy-oriented strategies, and message reduction, orientation and non-verbal strategies. While fear of oral presentation can stem from two sources and there are external and internal factors, the external factors such as fear of the marks that they will receive and the internal factors such as feeling nervous are the most feared factors among the all factors that the students’ faced. This study has successfully proven the similarity of previous scholars' findings through the findings from recent studies. Therefore, it is very significant to continue the research in future due to different challenges and constraints in performing oral presentations. By identifying problems and challenges through comprehensive research, solutions can be improved over time.

Awareness and Use of Online Journals among Postgraduate Students in Select Nigerian Universities

Online journals are considered beneficial to researchers across the globe, however, research into awareness and use of online journals has been largely overshadowed by the whole gamut of electronic resources such as e-books, e-theses, and other electronic materials. Previous research in Nigeria has dwelt largely on the entirety of electronic resources, this study, specifically looked at online journals as a single component amongst other electronic resources. The objective of this study is to determine the awareness and use of online journals among postgraduate students in Nigeria. The survey revealed a mixed picture in terms of awareness and use of Open Access (OA) online journals and subscription based online journals. Among other findings, the study found that use is still a major challenge, which is rooted in a lack of awareness. This article contributes to the growing body of literature on the potentials of online journals (OA and subscription based), for the developing world in two ways: it provides information about online journals adoption in Nigeria, where little research has been done thus far, and it provides information about the practices of postgraduate students in public universities, a population area where little research has been done.

Knowledge of chronic kidney disease among undergraduate and postgraduate students in a public university in Klang Valley, Malaysia: A cross sectional study.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity among the young Malaysians are increasing. Understanding the factors associated with CKD knowledge could assists healthcare providers to design health education programmes. There are scarce local studies on CKD knowledge and its associated factors among university students. This subpopulation comprises of young people with diverse background and characteristics. This study was aimed to assess the CKD knowledge and its associated factors among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia students from July 2020 to August 2020. A convenience sampling method was applied. All students were invited to complete an online survey using Google Forms that were sent to their email. The survey consisted of questions related to their sociodemographic, socioeconomics, university programme enrolled, medical history, lifestyle characteristics and CKD knowledge. The data were analysed using SPSS Statistics 26.0. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the final associated factors after controlling for confounders. A total of 3074 students participated and 32.6% of them had below average CKD knowledge. Students of male gender, enrolment in undergraduate programmes and non-health-related faculties/institutes were more likely to have below average CKD knowledge. Students who are Chinese, from high monthly household income family and with family history of CKD were less likely to have below average CKD knowledge. Almost one-third of the students had below average CKD knowledge. The six associated factors with CKD knowledge were non-modifiable. Of the six factors, three were associated with students being more likely to have below average CKD knowledge; another three were associated with students being less likely to have below average CKD knowledge. Future health education programmes to enhance CKD knowledge should be designed focusing on students who are more likely to have below average CKD knowledge.

Oxidative Stress Markers, Neuroendocrine Hormones, Serum Vitamins (C, and E) among Minia University Postgraduate Students caused by Exam Stress: Impact on Performance

Oxidative Stress Markers, Neuroendocrine Hormones, Serum Vitamins (C, and E) among Minia University Postgraduate Students caused by Exam Stress: Impact on Performance

A Study On Leadership Preferences Among Post-graduate Students Of Assam Don Bosco University.

A Study On Leadership Preferences Among Post-graduate Students Of Assam Don Bosco University.

Privacy Concerns and Online Learning of Postgraduate Students through the Lens of Stimulus–Organism–Response Model

Based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, the purpose of the current study is to investigate two types of privacy concerns, i.e., privacy concern abuse (PCA) and privacy concern finding (PCF), in relation to online collaborative learning (OCL). Further, another aim is to investigate knowledge-sharing perceptions (KSP) as a mechanism between PCA and PCF with OCL. A survey was used to collect the data from postgraduate university students in Pakistan. The hypothesized model was tested on 285 valid responses through SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0. The findings show that PCA and PCF negatively and significantly influence OCL. Moreover, KSP mediates the relationship between PCA and PCF with OCL. Based on the results, the implications for teachers, students, and educational institutions are discussed.

Elbow-Height Handle and Staggered Stance Exhibited Greatest Force in Pushing and Pulling: A Study among Malaysian Adults

Introduction: Pushing and pulling activities are common in daily life and industrial workplaces. These activities are potentially contributing to muscle fatigue in the back and shoulder if not managed ergonomically. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the maximum strength of Malaysian adults in horizontal symmetrical two-handed pushing and pulling with different handle heights and stances. Methods: Forty-seven participants of 24 males and 23 females were recruited in pushing and pulling experiments. The participants were assistant engineers and postgraduate students of a technical university. The dependent variable was the magnitude of push/ pull force. The independent variables consisted of action, handle height and stances. The experimental design was set for 2 actions, 3 handle heights and 2 stances, yielding 12 variables combinations. Results: Key findings of this study revealed that combination of pull action, handle height at elbow level and staggered stance exhibited greatest force. On the contrary, combination of push action, handle height at knuckle level and parallel stance resulted in lowest force. In pushing test, both male and female participants obtained greatest force of 233.3 N and 121.7 N, respectively, when the handle height was at elbow level and staggered stance. Similarly, in pulling test, males and females obtained highest force of 242.9 N and 152.4 N, respectively. Conclusion: This study concluded that handle height at elbow level and staggered stance exhibited greatest force in pushing and pulling activities. This study provides information to individuals who involved in pushing and pulling tasks with least force exertion to minimize muscle fatigue in the back and shoulder. Future studies should consider the following recommendations: 1) Participants of study should involve manufacturing industry workers. 2) To study the effect of pushing and pulling tasks on muscle activity.

Self-Focused Attention, Awareness and use of Social Media as Determinants of Social Well-Being of LIS Postgraduate Students in Nigerian Universities

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of self-focused attention, awareness and use of social media on the social well-being of library and information science postgraduate students in universities in Nigeria. The study employed a survey research design of the correlational type. The study population comprised 919 LIS postgraduate students from 16 universities offering library and information science programmes at the postgraduate level. A total enumeration technique was used to cover all the 919 postgraduate students, 742 respondents filled and returned the questionnaire, given a response rate of 81%. The study established that self-focused, awareness and use of social media had a joint effect on the social well-being of the respondents. Also, there was a significant joint effect of self-focused attention, awareness and use of social media on the social well-being of the respondents. The study further revealed that the level of social well-being of the respondents was moderate. The study concluded that LIS postgraduate students’ social well-being levels should be improved through self-focused attention, awareness and use of social media. Therefore, lecturers, heads of library schools, health and university management are advised to pay attention to the social well-being of the students so that they can function effectively in any academic setting and society.

How postgraduate university students construct their identity as learners in a multicultural classroom

ABSTRACT This article considers the ways in which a group of postgraduate students position themselves in a multicultural classroom at one university in the UK. Research indicates that postgraduate students actively negotiate and renegotiate their learner identities and belonging in the context of higher education environments and develop new subject positions. The study examines students’ constructions of their own identities as learners and considers their changing identities from the perspective of agency. Our data collected from focus groups and one-to-one interviews with students prior to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, comprise a large proportion of non-UK/EU students, amongst whom Chinese students are the single largest constituency. Findings show that students’ experience of learning is constitutive of the identification work they do during lectures and group-work to position themselves as participants of HE, and in the process, practice othering of students belonging to non-traditional participants in UK higher education.

Supporting social work students facing mental health challenges: reflective experiences by faculty from University of Delhi

ABSTRACT Mental health is a significant area for social work education and practice as the profession focuses on enhancing the social functioning and well-being of individuals, groups and communities. The field of mental health requires professionals from multidisciplinary fields who undergo rigorous training to acquire the necessary professional knowledge and equip themselves with specific skills. The current paper attempts to situate and reflect the author’s experiences of working with post-graduate social work students in University of Delhi. Through case vignettes, the author presents diverse mental health challenges faced by the students and analyses wide-ranging psychosocial factors that play a significant role in this context. The paper also discusses the implications posed by such challenges on social work education while attempting to make number of suggestions to promote positive mental health among students.