Academic Quality Of Life Research Articles

Positive Thinking as a Mediating Variable between the Quality of Academic Life and Academic Motivation among Jazan University Students

The current research aims to identify the mediating role of positive thinking in the relationship between quality of academic life and academic motivation among Jazan University students. The researcher used a descriptive method, and the research sample consisted of 311 students from Jazan University, including 113 male students and 198 female students. Measures of positive thinking, quality of academic life, and academic motivation (prepared by Zakri, 2020) were used. The SPSS program, Amos program, and Hayes PROCESS macro model 4 were utilized for statistical analyses. The results showed that the levels of positive thinking, quality of academic life, and academic motivation among the students were high. The results also indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between (positive thinking and quality of academic life), (positive thinking and academic motivation), and (quality of academic life and academic motivation). Furthermore, the results revealed that positive thinking mediates the relationship between quality of academic life and academic motivation. In light of the current research results, recommendations and future studies are presented that may contribute to the development of the variables addressed.

The Relation between Anxiety and the Academic Quality of Life among University Students.

The Relation between Anxiety and the Academic Quality of Life among University Students.

Modeling the Relationships Between Academic Boredom, Self-Compassion, and Quality of Academic Life Among University Students

Academic boredom and self-compassion are among the numerous variables that affect the academic life quality of university students, although the literature investigating these variables together is scarce. In this study, we develop a model to indicate the direct and indirect relationships and effects between academic boredom, self-compassion, and the quality of academic life of university students. The research sample comprised 478 male and female students from the Faculty of Education at Assiut Al-Azhar University. Academic boredom, academic quality of life, and self-compassion scales were used for data analysis. The results revealed that the proposed structural model achieved a satisfactory goodness-of-fit level with the participants’ data and that the research variables had direct and indirect relationships and effects. The findings also demonstrated that self-compassion partly mediated the relationship between academic boredom and academic quality of life. Recommendations and research suggestions are also provided.

The impact of anxiety and life quality on the mathematical performance of dyscalculic middle school children

Dyscalculia is a specific difficulty in learning mathematics that strongly influences activities of daily living that require skills such as counting and simple mathematical operations. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of negative emotions on mathematical performance in children with and without developmental dyscalculia using psychosocial tests, a quality of life test, an anxiety test and the Zareki-R mathematical performance test. This pilot study was realized on a sample of 20 children in the first year of secondary school (a group of 10 dyscalculic children and another group of 10 control children with an average age of 12.65 years). Descriptive statistics showed that dyscalculic children had low scores on all Zareki-R subtests. The Mann Whitney analysis revealed a significant difference between dyscalculic children and typically developing children on the Zareki-R subtests and the quality of life test, but no significance was found for the anxiety test. Analysis of the ANOVA by gender revealed no significant differences for the three tests, and the opposite for the ANOVA by age (F = 3.86, dll = 2, p ˂ 0.05). Using multiple linear regression, the subtests of physical quality of life, emotional quality of life and academic quality of life were significantly different for the two groups. In conclusion, the psychosocial quality of life and the high level of anxiety in dyscalculic children strongly influence their performance in mathematics.

Modeling the relationships between quality of academic life and academic engagement: mediating role of academic self-efficacy

Modeling the relationships between quality of academic life and academic engagement: mediating role of academic self-efficacy

Social Networking Addiction and Quality of Academic Life among First-Year High School Students in Saudi Arabia: The Mediating Role of Academic Procrastination

Students with high levels of procrastination were unable to organize and achieve their academic goals. A student who procrastinates may face internal consequences such as low academic performance, bad learning habits, and low learning motivation. When he/she is unable to address procrastination, this will hinder his/her academic performance. The study group of the research consists of 258 boys studying in high schools in the Riyadh region in the 2019-2020 academic year. They aged 16-18 years, (M= 17.23,SD= 4.45). Social Media Addiction Scale - Student Form, High-School Satisfaction Scale, and Tuckman's procrastination scale –short form were used for gathering and analyzing data. Quality of academic life correlates negatively with social networking addiction and academic procrastination.
 On the other hand, social networking addiction was found to be positively correlated with academic procrastination. Regression coefficients of the empirical model show that social networking addiction had a direct negative effect on the quality of academic life (b= -0.49, p<0.001) and a direct positive effect on academic procrastination (b=0.52, p<0.001). Results support previous research showing that social networking addiction negatively impacts academic achievement by creating academic procrastination, reducing sleep quality, and increasing academic stress. Evidence indicates a positive and significant correlation between inappropriate and problematic use of technology and quality of academic life. Procrastination may interrupt the academic performance, as procrastinators are likely to avoid completing the task at Hand until the last moment. They may also be unable to invest the time and effort necessary for performing as they underestimate the amount of time required for completing specific tasks.

National Survey on the importance of sleep in the quality of academic life and mental health of college students in Portugal.

The academic years are a period of vulnerability when considering sleep problems and mental health. Growing evidence suggests poor sleep patterns are related to impaired academic life and lower psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to explore the importance of sleep habits and report the associations of sleep problems with quality of academic life and different dimensions of mental health (e.g. worries, anxiety, self-regulation and resilience) in a large sample of college students. The HBSC/JUnP data base comprises a representative sample of 2991 college students (n=2203; 73.7% women), aged from 18 to 35 years old (22.43±3.83). Participants socio-demographic characteristics included sex and age. Besides, participants were inquired about sleep duration, characteristics of their sleep habits, questions about quality academic life, namely feeling bored in university, pressure from academic work and academic performance perception and mental health, namely worries, anxiety, self-regulation and resilience. Results showed most young people report an average value for sleep habits (M=4.41; SD=1.46) and that they sleep an average of 7 hours a night. More than half of the young people report either being affected by difficulty falling asleep, showing signs of sleep onset insomnia (67.7%). The conducted analyses indicated that the difficulty falling asleep (having insomnia) was associated with poor/reasonable academic performance perception, higher levels of concerns and anxiety, and lower levels of self-regulation and resilience, thus jeopardizing the mental health of college students. In turn, that characteristics of sleep was also associated with poor sleep habits. In conclusion, this study showed that poor sleep habits were associated with a worse level of academic performance perception and low levels of mental health among college students in Portugal. Universities offer enormous potential as settings to promote sleep-health programs since they can reach many young people who are future-oriented and willing to learn. There is then the need for academic researchers, teaching staff and health professionals working for college students health, to develop and test a wide array of sleep-promoting interventions (e.g., education classes, online programs, adjustment of class time), thus preventing negative secondary outcomes.

Qualidade de vida acadêmica: sono e uso de múltiplos medicamentos

Objective:to describe the quality of life and its interface with the quality of sleep and multiple drug use among university students. Materials and Methods: this is a cross-sectional research, carried out with a sample of university health occupation students, having the perception of quality of lifeas an outcome variable,and the report of sleep disorders and multiple use of medicationsas predictors. This research was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Bahia, under nº2.852.559. Results:158participants(66,1%) of the sample are women, with an average age of 22±3.53 years. The prevalence of multiple medication use was 59(24.7%). Dissatisfaction with sleep reached 119(49.8%), andquality of life was perceived as poorby94(39.3%), with a significant association of these variables (p<0.03). Conclusion:dissatisfaction with sleep is frequent and itsassociation with quality of life declared as bad obtained positive significance. The practice of multiple use of medications highlights the importance of awareness and further research on the association of these outcomes, reflected in the academic quality of life.

Quality of Academic Life at the Postgraduate Stage: A Saudi Female Perspective

Aim/Purpose: Vision 2030 (Saudi Arabia’s national development plan) expects women (50% of all university students) to contribute to a viable economy and ambitious nation, meaning data about their quality of academic life (QAL) during their university experience are timely and significant. They are key players in the nation’s future. Background: This inaugural, exploratory study addresses this under-researched topic by exploring the spiritual, cognitive, physical, social, and psychological dimensions of Saudi female graduate students’ QAL. Methodology: Data comprised the lead author’s reflections and reflexion and interviews with 17 Saudi female graduate students conveniently sampled from Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal University (IAU) (Eastern Province) in January 2020. A new Academic Quality of Life Schema was especially designed for this study and future research. Contribution: A Middle Eastern country’s perspective is shared about female graduate students’ QAL from a holistic perspective (spiritual, mind, and body) and through the lens of a new QAL Schema (cognitive, social, and psychological). Findings: Spirituality was the highest rated holistic QAL dimension (76.6%) followed with body (67.4%) and mind (intellect) (58.8%). Despite a generally positive QAL evaluation (67.6%), participants (a) lamented their inability to sustain previous levels of religious devotion and practice, (b) reported health issues with deep emotions and surprise, and (c) experienced dissatisfaction with the educational aspect of their QAL. Regarding the QAL Schema, (a) their lack of research savviness hampered their ability to learn and enjoy the graduate experience; (b) psychological anxiety hampered their ability to connect with the Creator and poor time management and heavy academic workload compromised exercise and leisure with all three causing an imbalanced lifestyle; and (c) social peer camaraderie and positive classroom environments were appreciated. Recommendations for Practitioners: Women’s colleges should (a) collect subjective data about female graduate students’ satisfaction with university services, specialization and teaching decisions, and faculty members’ and peer colleagues’ support; (b) provide and promote services related to places and means of recreation, leisure, and alone time; and (c) ensure that guidance and counseling offices develop strategies to reduce stress and anxiety factors hindering QAL. Recommendation for Researchers: Future studies should use larger sample frames and, for comparative purposes, previously validated empirical QAL instruments. Saudi-based QAL studies should include religion. Mixed methods research designs are recommended as is a gendered comparative study for the gender-segregated Saudi higher education context. Impact on Society: Deeper understandings of Saudi female graduate students’ QAL will facilitate (a) tailored institutional and faculty support leading to higher enrolment levels, (b) stronger knowledge bases and more sophisticated research skills for students and (c) improved labor force participation. Future Research: Over 1/3 of participants felt their academic gains were not as strong as anticipated, yet few commented about teaching staff or teaching methods. Future research should expand inquiries into the educational aspect of QAL as well as the underrepresented social aspect of QAL.

Investigating the Effect of Parent Participation on Quality of Life and Adjustment in Students

Objective: The aim of this study was The effect of parental participation on the quality of academic life and the Compatibility of students. Methods: The research method was descriptive and structural equations. The population of this study was male and female high school students in the fourth district of Tabriz in the academic year 2018-2019, which using Cochran's formula and random sampling method 371 people (172 girls and 119 boys). The instruments used included the Williams and Button quality of life questionnaire, Sinha and Singh adaptation questionnaire, and Fan and Williams academic conflict questionnaire. Data analysis using structural equation statistical test with Smart PLS.2 software was developed. Results: The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between parental participation and quality of academic life (r=96.969, t=10) and also between parental participation and student adjustment) (r=0.309, t=4). The structural equations also show that parental involvement plays a mediating role in students' quality of academic life and adjustment. Conclusion: Therefore, parental involvement can play an essential role in the quality of education and student adjustment.

Unveiling the relationship between quality of academic life and regional development

ABSTRACT The paper examines the still unexplored role played by quality of academic life (QAL) related to Higher Education Institution (HEIs) students in fostering regional development. The work aims to assess the nature of the relationship between satisfaction and the QAL of HEIs’ students; and also to evaluate whether the QAL is associated with the regional development of the HEIs’ surrounding areas. The objectives are to identify which areas of academic life influence QAL and what the aggregate effects associated with HEIs are, in terms of regional development. Based on a sample of 719 students from all Portuguese public HEIs, a two-step methodology is applied. Firstly, a selected specification of a structural model (SEM-PLS) is tested to evaluate the impact of administrative management, infrastructure, educational provision and social action on QAL; and secondly, a Two-Stage Least Squares regression analysis evaluates the impact of the HEIs on regional development (NUTSII) using the Synthetic Regional Development Index. The main results reveal a positive and significant relationship between service satisfaction and QAL and statistically negative influence of QAL on regional development, which raises important challenges in terms of future research efforts contrasting high versus low density regions of HEIs influence in the international context.

Does the quality of academic life mediate the satisfaction, loyalty and recommendation of HEI students?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of students’ satisfaction with services on quality of academic life (QAL), formed by cognitive and affective components; and to assess the mediating effect of QOL components (cognitive and affective) on students’ loyalty and recommendation.Design/methodology/approachBased on 726 respondent students from public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal, this paper uses a partial least squares approach to analyze the impact of satisfaction on emotions and students’ QAL and to assess whether emotions influence recommendation and loyalty.FindingsThe results reveal that satisfaction influences both cognitive and affective components of QAL. The cognitive component has a positive and significant influence on recommendation and loyalty whilst the affective component has no significant effect.Practical implicationsThe results obtained here provide implications for future action to be taken by HEI managers, in order to increase efficiency in the allocation and management of scarce resources. Therefore, when incorporating these results in decision-making processes, attention should be paid to the importance of the influence of satisfaction on QAL’s cognitive and affective components, stressing the importance of the cognitive components associated with learning experiences that play an important role in students’ future decisions in terms of loyalty and recommendation, which, in turn, are pillars of HEI sustainability.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to the literature on HEI management by assessing the influence of satisfaction on two components of QAL separately: cognitive components and affective components. In addition, the causality relationships are analyzed, assessing the emotional nexus, in order to deepen knowledge about the role played by both affective and cognitive components in students’ loyalty and recommendation, which need to be addressed and studied by carrying out new research.

Prevalence of Menstrual Pain among Saudi Nursing Students and Its Effect on Sickness Absenteeism

Background: Primary menstrual pain is a well-known gynecological disorder among adult females including nursing undergraduate students. Nursing students tend not to seek medical treatment. As a result, this affects their quality of academic life and also absenteeism rate is increased. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of menstrual pain and its effect on sickness absenteeism on nursing student. Methods: This is a descriptive survey research design study by means of using a validated and modified questionnaire. Questionnaire information regarding menstrual pain severity, history and absenteeism were included. The research took place in the collage of nursing at the largest University in the world, Princess Nourah Bint Abdelrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 100 single, female, unmarried undergraduate nursing students (Year 1, 2, 3, 4) were recruited by personal invitation during lectures. Result: The prevalence of menstrual pain was 92%. Most of the nursing students 27% had menstrual pain of moderate grade 5 - 6 and 38% of nursing students did not take pain medication for it. Lecture and collage absenteeism due to menstrual pain was present in 9% and 30% respectively. Finally, there was no significant correlation between menstrual pain and age of menarche, age and height. Conclusion: Menstrual pain is widely common prevalent among nursing undergraduates. As a result, it affects the quality of students’ day-to-day life routine. The majority of nursing students’ rarely seeks medical treatment. Providing health and patient education to improve awareness on managing menstrual period might help in avoiding students’ absence from classes.

Does the Quality of Academic Life Matter for Students’ Performance, Loyalty and University Recommendation?

The quality of academic life (QAL) is concerned with all the general feelings of satisfaction of a student who experiences university. For universities, academic staff, public managers and policy makers, the fundamental question is how the measures and management of this construct can be improved in order to render a better service to students. Based on a sample of 726 students from all Portuguese State universities, we test a structural model that allows us to evaluate the impact of QAL on students’ academic performance (SAP) along with loyalty and willingness to recommend the university. In the analysis of all groups, the results reveal that QAL has a positive and significant, although not robust, influence on SAP. That positive influence is ratified, however, in the multi-group analysis for the 2nd and 3rd Study Cycles, through obtaining significant and robust empirical evidence. The results also show that QAL is a good predictor of loyalty and university recommendation.

A Preliminary Investigation Comparing Academic Locus of Control and Perceived Quality of Academic Life across College Students with and without Disabilities

A Preliminary Investigation Comparing Academic Locus of Control and Perceived Quality of Academic Life across College Students with and without Disabilities

Bridging the Disciplines: Interdisciplinary Discourse and Faculty Scholarship

The Luce Seminar is... almost like a hub, the spokes coming out, so many different things going on, and each one touches an important aspect of what Emory is about. I saw it as a benchmark in my development.... I don't approach any topic without... wanting to know what other disciplines have said about it. I am a better teacher, a better professor... a better citizen of the because of the seminar. Although some scholars and academic leaders pay lip service to the need to create a vibrant intellectual community, others view the ingredients of such a community as key to sustaining high quality faculty work. Their idea of lively and genuine scholarly exchange is far from ivy-clad nostalgia. In their view, a strong community not only supports interaction across disciplines, but also helps connect the larger purposes of scholarly inquiry. Because current demands to connect teaching and research across fields of inquiry are influencing all types of institutions, this need has extended from the more elite research institutions to the full range of higher education. However, trends suggest that successful connections may be hard to achieve. The industrialization that followed World War II created an unprecedented demand for new knowledge. In turn, economic and technological expansion fueled the development of professional expertise in the disciplines that continues unabated (Bender, 1998; Geiger, 1993). Some scholars suggest the need to rein in the dominance of disciplinary specialty. Concerned that overemphasizing disciplinary expertise may reduce the richness of local interaction and dilute the herence of academic culture, they seek to develop mechanisms for ntellectual exchange aimed at integrating across fields (Austin, 1990; Boyer, 1990, 1997; Clark, 1983; Damrosch, 1995; Dill, 1991; Kerr, 1982; Tierney & Rhoads, 1994). Even thoug h interaction across disciplines seems to improve the ability of scholars to address societal problems, the caliber of solutions they pose, and the quality of academic life in general (Benson, Harkavy, & Puckett, 1996; Boyer, 1990, 1997; Hollingsworth, 1996; Rice, 1996), disciplinary pecialty erodes the vitality of local connections. Assuming that local connections across disciplines contribute to the quality of scholarly work, leaders at one research university initiated an eight-year experimental program of in-depth discourse among faculty from a wide variety of fields. Such programs appear to help scholars overcome barriers that can impede meaningful interaction (Klein, 1996). In a previous qualitative analysis, we examined some ways the program supported exchange and community (Frost & Jean, 1999). In this qualitative analysis based on the perceptions of the participants, we seek to gauge the potential breadth and depth of the program's effects on the ways faculty members think, work, and interact. To provide foundation for our findings, we explore some aspects of academic culture and disciplinary specialty that influence such programs, regardless of location or type. Academic Culture, Disciplinary Specialty, and Faculty Programs Since Clark described the cultures of the academy in 1983, scholars have explored the forces that influence the attitudes and practices of faculty (Austin, 1990; Cameron & Ettington, 1988; Dill, 1991; Peterson & Spencer, 1990; Tierney & Rhoads, 1994). These forces include patterns of attitudes, meanings, symbols, and behaviors that coalesce around disciplines, institutions, and the profession. The culture of the discipline, for example, consists of a knowledge tradition that includes categories of thought, a common vocabulary, and related codes of conduct. The culture of the institution surrounds individual universities, generating loyalty through symbols of unity while permitting various subcultures to flourish. …

Academic employment decisions and gender

This study explored gender differences in the reasons why academics accept or reject offers of faculty positions. Using both open-ended questions and rating scales, 115 academics in the early stages of their careers who had accepted or declined/resigned university positions between 1986 and 1989 were interviewed. Contrary to suggestions in the literature, few significant gender differences emerged. In particular, family needs were a major consideration for both men and women. Responses revealed that both female and male academics who accepted positions generally were influenced most strongly by the academic reputation of the department and university, the compatibility of the appointment with the needs of family members, including dual-career relationships, and the attractiveness of the job offer, especially the length and type of contract. Male rejecters showed a similar pattern while female rejecters focused primarily on family needs and the job offer. Opportunities for personal development, support for research, the job market, teaching assignments, and geographical location were generally less influential for all respondents. Salary and discrimination were cited least frequently as factors underlying employment decisions. The results imply that academic recruiting for both female and male faculty members can be best enhanced by emphasizing the quality of academic life in the department and university, accommodating the needs of family members, and offering greater job security in the form of longer, tenure-track appointments.

Integrating a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the quality of academic life: Political and logistical issues

Integrating a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the quality of academic life: Political and logistical issues

How academics view their work

Twenty-four members of the academic staff of an Australian university were interviewed in 1979 in order to seek their views on the ways in which their professional lives were being affected by the current recession in higher education. Their responses have been drawn upon to construct a picture of how this group of university teachers perceive their working environment and their own place within it. The comments cluster around seven topics: teaching, students, research, colleagues, career prospects, the university, and the quality of academic life. It is concluded that the responses suggest that there is a widening gap between academic ideals and institutional realities and that this will have a strongly negative effect upon the morale of the profession.