Student Choice Research Articles

Drivers of food choice, meal pattern, and lifestyle habits among undergraduate students in Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Background and objective: Food choice is a complex human behavior, which is influenced by many interdependent factors. University students are exposed to unhealthy eating habits and poor dietary intake. This could be attributable to the independent food choices made. This study assessed the drivers of food choice, patterns, and lifestyle habits of undergraduate students at Lead City University Ibadan, Nigeria.Method: The study adopted a cross-sectional design and a multistage random sampling technique to select 200 respondents. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, eating habits, and dietary practices were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire.Results: The mean age of the students was 21 ± 2 years,46% of the students ate thrice per day, 36% skipped breakfast daily and 17% consumed alcohol. The main drivers of food choice among the students were sensory appeal in which taste (79%), pleasant texture (54%), and nice smell (54%) of food were considered very important. Concerning health and natural food content, the respondents considered good feeling (74%), weight control (48%), no additives (46%), low-fat content (42%), and low-calorie content (35%) as very important associated factors. Good value for money (53%), not expensive (42%), and easy availability (49%) were very important economic factors for driving food choices among respondents.Conclusion: Sensory appeal, health and natural food content, and price and purchase convenience were major drivers of food choice among respondents. It is recommended that regular nutrition education programs by the institution with emphasis on healthy dietary practices should be provided for the students.

A Study on the Congruence between College Major Hopes and Actual Choices of High School Students

A Study on the Congruence between College Major Hopes and Actual Choices of High School Students

Student Perceptions and Choices of Metacognitive Strategy Components in French Vocabulary Learning

This study intends to create students' awareness toward the use of metacognitive strategy components and identify their choices of metacognitive strategy components after interventions. 45 students, who learnt French as a foreign language, participated in this study. Ellis’ Second Language Acquisition model and Metacognitive Learning Strategy Model from O'Malley & Chamot were used as a theoretical foundation and framework. Interview protocol was administered as the main research instrument to collect students' perceptions together with a questionnaire. The results were classified into metacognitive strategy components, which are planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Mixed methods research design utilising the quasi-experimental design were used to investigate how students’ perceptions demonstrated their choice of strategies, which were administered before and after the interventions. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested using SPSS. After three interventions using metacognitive strategy components, the results showed that students' perceptions affected choices of strategies; creating awareness among students. 68% of students used evaluation strategies, 54.93% used monitoring strategies, and only 35.93% used planning strategies.

Effects of multiple representations-based instruction on junior high school students’ achievement in linear equations in one variable

The study investigated teachers' mode of representations in linear equations in one variable, what accounts for teachers' choice of representations and students' representations preferences and effects of multiple representations--based instruction on studStud' achievement in linear equations in one variable. A quasi- experimental design was used with a sample size of 86 mathematics teachers and 159 students ( students in Junior High School 2) selected through purposive and convenient sampling technique respectively in the Bimbilla Municipal in the Northern Region of Ghana. The research instructions included: linear equations achievement test (pretest and post test, questionnaire, representations preference test ( RPT) and interview guide. The data collected we're analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. It was found that most teachers (66.3%) used algebraic expression everytime on teaching linear equations while few teachers used manipulatives, graphic and multiple representations due to reasons such as time, difficulty for students, lack of materials, lack of ideas,no relevance and many more. It was also found that most students 59(37.1%) had preferences for algebraic representation citing similar reasons of their preferences as what accounted for teachers' choice. The analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed a statistical significant difference between students' scores in linear equations achievement test in favour of multiple representations-based instructions, F(2,155)=10.20, P 0.05, n^2= 12. The major recommendation is that, multiple representations--based instruction should be used during instruction as well as improving teachers' knowledge on how to integrate untamunfam representations easily in linear equations in one variable.

The devolution of higher education among modern youth as a pedagogical problem

The paper is devoted to the current problem of devolution of higher education among modern youth. The work analyzes the prerequisites for the development and dissemination of this tendency in education. First of all, these are new directions for the development of the market and modern professions that are based on the combination of various activities. New specialties and educational programs, which may appear in the next decade are considered. The study includes an analysis of the demographic statistics of the Russian young population for 20132021 and the student population dynamics enrolled in higher education programmes during this period. Scientific papers and articles devoted to the phenomenon of self-employment and factors influencing the choice of school graduates and university students were also analyzed. The study identified the causes of the devaluation of higher education among the youth. The following points were highlighted as the key ones: the low level of students knowledge and disadvantages in the rating system; the declining popularity for vocational education; the high cost of education in universities; the lack of relevance of educational programs. All of these factors have been substantiated and studied in detail, as each one is a problem of the modern educational system and requires the attention.

Navigating STEM Major and Transfer Destination Choices: Community College Student Experiences through the Lens of Practice Theory

Objective/Research Question: This research explores how community college students, who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and aspire to vertical transfer in STEM make choices about majors and transfer destinations. The question is important to advancing equity in STEM, which continues to perpetuate disparities in attainment for minoritized, first-generation, and financially disadvantaged students, who disproportionately enter higher education in community colleges. Methods: Using a longitudinal, qualitative research design, the study relied on semi-structured interviewing to generate in-depth evidence about student experiences. Results: Findings showed that career goals were uniformly influential to students, yet career information was unevenly available or comprehensible during community college. Students’ choices about what to major in and where to transfer were iterative and intertwined, with these choices deeply connected to students’ families and lifetime priorities. Delays in student decision-making tended to have less to do with uncertain individual preferences than to lack of information about a specific STEM major and its alignment with possible future degrees, transfer destinations, and career pathways, as well as contingencies associated with the transfer admission process. Conclusions/Contributions: This research demonstrated STEM-specific nuance in how underrepresented community college students navigate major, career, and transfer destination decision-making as well as the influence of family and location-based priorities in student choices. Future research should investigate how to best provide directional support for students’ major and transfer destination decisions, including major-to-career awareness and the academic and personal dimensions of transfer.

Wellbeing Amid Digital Risks: Implications of Digital Risks, Threats, and Scams on Users’ Wellbeing

This study investigates how users perceive their wellbeing amid the risks associated with digital media use in Norway. According to the literature, some of these risks include digital dependence, online privacy, scams, thefts, information misuse, and harassment. To expand knowledge on how these and other digital risks are construed by users, this study addresses the following research questions: What implications do digital risks have on users’ perceived sense of wellbeing? What are the solutions proposed by users to manage these risks? Methodologically, the inquiry is led through a qualitative approach comprising 17 semi-structured in-depth interviews of university students in Norway. The investigation centers on<strong> </strong>an interpretative phenomenological analysis. This study contributes to the existing literature by empirically evaluating the notion of digital wellbeing in the everyday choices of university students, thereby comprehending their safety concerns and how they manage online risks while exploring solutions to combat the risks of digital usage. The study adds value to the present literature on digital wellbeing by juxtaposing digital risks with the construct of wellbeing in digitalized societies.

Changes in health-related lifestyle choices of university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Associations between food choices, physical activity and health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on our lives and society, influencing both individuals' lifestyles and habits. Recent research shows that anxiety and loneliness have continued to rise, along with changes in food and lifestyle choices. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the pandemic influenced food choices and consumption of energy drinks, alcohol, fruits, and vegetables among first-year university students. Additionally, assessing the relationship between mental and physical health, physical activity, and food choices. A total of 128 male and 128 female first-year students at the University of Iceland were invited to answer an electronic questionnaire in January and early February 2021. A total of 118 students (54% men) participated in the study and valid answers were 115 (46% participation rate). Almost half of the students (44%) experienced that their food choices had worsened, while 14% reported an improvement, compared to before the pandemic. Consumption of caffeinated beverages increased for 26% of students, while 19% experienced a decrease. Just over half of the students reported not drinking alcohol (13%) or reduced consumption (41%). Participants who reported that their mental health had deteriorated or remained the same tended to spend less time on physical activity and experienced worsened food choices (p<0.05). Similarly, those who spent less or the same time on physical activity estimated that their food choices had deteriorated (p<0.05). The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lifestyles of university students and this study has revealed how lifestyle choices and mental health seem to be highly affected by one another. Additionally, the potentially harmful effects of excessive intake of energy drinks need to be enhanced. Interestingly, about 40% of the respondents in the current study drank less alcohol during the pandemic than prior to the pandemic, indicating a strong relationship between alcohol drinking and social gatherings. This study reveals the importance of educating young people on healthy lifestyle choices and the importance of mental health needs to be emphasised.

Empowering Minds: A Study of Mental Health Among Pharmacy Students

: Pharmacy students are the next generation of frontline healthcare providers. However, the course itself is very challenging and requires students’ ultimate commitment to keep track with learning in the ever-changing healthcare field. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate their current mental well-being and its associated factors for better planning student’s support initiatives. This study aimed to assess psychologically distress and its associated factors among pharmacy students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students in a tertiary university. Students were required to answer a self-administered questionnaire consisting of demographic questions and General Health Questionnaire-12(GHQ-12). Mean, standard deviation, Pearson chi-square test were used to find the association difference between various parameters using SPSS 26 software. A total of 243 out of 302 pharmacy students took part in the study. The overall response rate was 80.5%. The prevalence of psychologically distress students was 41.6%, based on the cut-off points 4 of GHQ-12. The factors that were found to be associated with mental health status are gender, pharmacy as first choice of study and satisfaction towards their relationship with family. A higher prevalence of psychologically distress students was found among female students, students who do not have pharmacy as first choice of study and students who do not have satisfying relationship with family. Year 3 has the highest prevalence of psychologically distress students compared to other year of study. Social and psychological support to improve mental health of pharmacy students is needed due to high prevalence of psychologically distress students found in this study in order to improve mental health of pharmacy students. Intervention that can be done include stress management, group counselling mentor-mentee program to cope with mental problem.

After High School, What’s Next? Exploring Refugee Youths’ Perceptions and Preparations Around College Choice and Transition

Higher education can offer refugee youth a route to economic advancement and improved quality of life. However, the decision to pursue college poses a unique set of challenges and considerations. Drawing on Perna’s conceptual model of student college choice, this study employs a phenomenological approach to examine refugee students’ motivations and perceptions of college as well as their career aspirations. Semi-structured interviews with 15 refugee students revealed a strong desire to go to college and pursue a STEM career; an unfamiliarity with the college process; and a preference for community colleges. Modifications to using Perna’s model to better capture refugee youth’s college choice experiences are discussed. Findings from this study yields important insights regarding how high schools can offer guidance to refugee youth on the college choice process.

Relations between Australian primary teachers’ approaches to student choice and their reported science teaching efficacy beliefs and teaching practices

ABSTRACT As a myriad of student-centred practices in primary science education have been established as valuable, effective cornerstones of teachers’ repertoires, there is now space to further consider student choice in science education. This paper seeks to examine the role of student choice in primary science education by exploring the relationship between primary teachers’ attitudes towards student-choice (minimal, emergent, and planned) and their science teaching efficacy beliefs and reported science teaching practices. A sample of 206 Australian primary teachers responded to a digital quantitative survey comprised of items that included professional demographics, the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument A (STEBI-A), science teaching approaches, and student-choice in science teaching. Descriptive statistics, T-tests, ANOVAs and Chi Squares were used in data analysis. The results showed that teachers who reportedly embraced student-choice were more efficacious and reported more expansive arrays of science teaching approaches than those who purported to minimise choice. Although there is a need for follow-up proximal research to elucidate these findings, some speculative interpretations and recommendations are discussed.

Daya Tarik Nama Prodi Dan Gelar Pada Minat Siswa Kelas Xii Kuliah Di Perguruan Tinggi

The increasing number of educational institutions in Indonesia makes its managers have to think hard in developing it. These managers need to make strategies so that their educational institutions can win the competition in the market. In addition, education managers also need to understand the interests and desires of prospective students. To find out how high the interest of students to go to college, research was conducted using the comparative causal method. The results showed that out of 1,120 respondents, as many as 84.6% or 948 students wanted to go to college, while 15.4% or 172 students did not want to go to college. Of the students who want to study, as many as 63.8% or 715 students are interested in studying in applied tourism graduates. The remaining 36.2% or 405 students did not want to study in tourism science. In the category of applied tourism undergraduates, as many as 16.3% or 182 students want to study tourism science, while 43.6% or 448 students want to study tourism business management. In addition, as many as 16.2% or 181 students want to study hospitality management, 13.8% or 155 students want to study in travel business management, and the rest, 10.2% or 114 students want to study in gastronomy. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that applied tourism graduates are the most popular choice for prospective students

Factors Influencing Students’ Choice of Enrollmnt in Accounting Professional Program: Evidence From Malaysian Private Higher Institution

In choosing a career decision of an individual, a student’s choice of enrolment at the tertiary education level is one of the vital elements that influence students’ preference for program selection. This study explores the accounting students’ choice of enrolment in the professional qualification ACCA course and the factors that influence their decisions to take the ACCA course at Kolej University Poly-Tech MARA, Kuala Lumpur (KUPTMKL). Online questionnaires were distributed to ACCA students in KUPTMKL in January 2021. About 203 questionnaires were completed and usable for the purpose of the study. To analyze the data, descriptive and regression analyses have been employed in this study. The findings show that all predictor variables explain students’ decisions to pursue professional qualifications. The findings reveal that personal factors, student motivation, student choice in the ACCA course and job-related are significant in influencing accounting students’ decision to pursue professional qualifications. The favorable information about the profession may attract potential students to take the challenge to become a professional accountant in Malaysia. This is in line with the government’s aspiration to accomplish 60,000 accountants which are currently still low.

Identifying Middle School Students’ Perceptions of STEAM Careers

The aim of this study was to identify the students' perceptions of STEAM careers. The effect of the STEAM intervention on students’ perceptions was evaluated using one group pretest - posttest experimental design with career questionnaire. The sampling of the study consists of 37 seventh grade middle school students. In the study, STEAM activities were used in the teaching of the Force and Energy unit. First of all, the students were asked about their career choices and their responses were evaluated quantitatively. There was statistically significant difference between the distributions of changes in the number of students choosing STEAM careers. Content analysis also was performed on the findings obtained from the questionnaire. As a result of the study, it was determined that the students increased the percentage of choosing careers in the STEAM career fields such as scientists and engineering. Looking at the interest of students in STEAM fields, one of the biggest changes was in the field of science. One of the important findings of the research was that after the implementation, the majority of the students thought that gender was not important in the success of STEAM career fields. The results of the research revealed that the STEAM education approach can be used a lot to evaluate and improve the academic career choices of middle school students.

Application of Spatial Analysis to Eliminating Radicalism in Madrasah Schools

The attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2011 in New York, United States caused madrasas to be considered Islamic schools that gave birth to a radical generation. Madrasas' efforts to improve this negative image by improving the quality of education, especially 10 years after the incident, have succeeded in making Madrasas the schools of choice for students in Indonesia. This study focuses on analyzing the rise of Madrasah Tsanawiyah in the city of Pekanbaru, especially on students' mastery of knowledge for the last 4 years (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019) by means of spatial analysis. The progress of science in Madrasas can be seen from the mapping of the value of knowledge, especially in the downtown area which is complete with various facilities and activity centers in Pekanbaru. The performance of some madrasas is almost the same as SMA in terms of mastery of knowledge. This study leads to an important analysis that the Pekanbaru madrasa as a Muslim-majority city has succeeded in making madrasas the main choice of parents to equip their children with religious and scientific education, which indirectly proves that madrasas do not provide space for the formation of radical Islamic generations, on the contrary. Madrasas have succeeded in forming a generation of Muslims who have good religious and scientific knowledge

Peran Aplikasi Notion dalam Perkuliahan untuk Mewujudkan Produktivitas Mahasiswa

This study aims to explore the role of the Notion application in increasing student productivity in lectures. The quantitative method was used by sending online questionnaires to 67 students from various institutions in Indonesia, including users and non-users of Notion. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques to assess the significant impact of the Notion application on student productivity. The research results show that Notion helps students manage schedules, create task lists, and organize lecture notes more efficiently and effectively. This application also makes it easy to manage complex tasks. Notion's strength lies in its accessibility, which allows students to access information and documents from their mobile or desktop devices anytime and anywhere. Notion has become a popular choice for college students to increase their day-to-day productivity. With Notion, students can tackle various tasks such as writing notes and setting reminders without the need to use paper, but via a smartphone or laptop device.

DISTINCTION OF SOCIAL AND PUBLIC RELATIONS IN SOCIETY

Mastering of the “sociology” major by domestic students takes place in accordance with the curricula approved by the management of each university, taking into account the normative documents of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Therefore, modern applicants (students) are initially inclined to functionalism and systemic theory in sociology, offering to study the works of the classics of sociology of the end of the 19th century – the beginning of the 20th century. However, the applicants will later learn about theoretical polyparadigmism in modern sociology and the possibility to choose not only classical concepts for the implementation of their scientific developments. This possibility was a consequence of the fact that changes were taking place in the paradigm of system theory. This influenced the evolution of sociological theorizing. Therefore, the above now affects the choice of applicants, post-graduate students and doctoral students of the basic concept for their sociological explorations, in order to avoid accusations of ignorance of modern sociological theory. The situation, as a rule, has two contradictory sides. So, on the one hand, there are classical instructions or settings for scientists to carry out their cognitive procedures (for example, diagnosis, classification, stratification, typology, or systematization in general). On the other hand, alternative post-classical foundations have already been proposed, which are rather only outlined in most textbooks and textbooks on sociology, and therefore deserve in-depth study in order to reveal their diverse potential (heuristic, diagnostic, methodological, etc.).

Factors Influencing International Students' Choice to Study at Malaysian Private Higher Education Institutions

The decision of international students to pursue private HEIs in Malaysia is examined in this study. It attempts to investigate the relationship between the programmes offered, the tuition price, an institution's recognition and reputation, and the choice made by international students to enroll in Malaysian private higher education institutions (HEIs). This paper aims to identify the determining elements while choosing to attend Malaysian private HEIs, and the push-pull theory was applied. Through an online survey, a total of 110 respondents were gathered. The findings of Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a substantial association between the programme offered, the cost of education, the reputation and recognition of institutions, and the choice of international students to study in Malaysian private HEIs. The findings of this study can be valuable to policymakers, educators, and higher education institutions in Malaysia, as they provide insights into the factors that influence international students' choice to enroll at private HEIs. The results may also be useful for marketing and recruitment strategies to attract more international students to Malaysian private HEIs. Recommendations for HEIs are provided based on the findings.

Formazione Service e-Learning: esperienza media-educativa

The use of technology is an interesting device, which constitutes a useful self-training approach, related to an experience, from which to extract significant materials and traces of their personal learning. In Italy, Service Learning (SL) projects that use digital media in the university environment are still rare and therefore there are not many data and research results related to the introduction of SL in the training of future teachers. On the contrary, at the international level we find a vast scientific literature on SL and its applications, also in the academic field. Service e-Learning (Se-L) can in fact represent an essential approach for university education, which allows students to mobilize skills, putting into practice what they have acquired, and to improve their self-efficacy. Ability to check if your knowledge has an applicability, useful in a real-life situation, opportunity to develop digital skills and self-reflective on their actions. The contribution presents a training experience to the Service e-learning (4 meetings, for a total of 16 hours) realized in the academic year 2022/23, for the Project [PR]A.S.S.I. with a sample of 260 students enrolled in the first year of the Master of Science in Primary Education (LM-85bis) of the University of Palermo. In this experience we have chosen to give voice, consistency to the actions and methodological choices of university students who, through specific activities, were able to express the enormous potential of technology as a relevant tool to promote engagement and learning, factors linked in SL. It presents a laboratory path of Service e-learning that takes advantage of the potential of the MED, the referral to the internal and external resources of the person, to intercept, tune and strengthen its generating tension useful to itself and the community service. Technology, a source of strategic information in order to identify the progress of experience and skills, has thus been considered a training engine-effect for the construction of critical thinking and personal identity.

Planning the Future: Greek Students of Secondary Education Choose to Study in Tertiary Education and Their Future Profession: A Quantitative Approach

The decisions that male/female students should make regarding their schooling, are believed to be extremely important, since these decisions will affect the future life of students. Therefore, we attempted to explore the factors that affect students in making education and career related decisions, and which specifically apply to General High School students from various areas in mainland and insular Greece. The research objective is to study the reasons that cause students in Greek secondary education and their parents to decide for students to go to university after finishing school. In more specific, it is attempted to study the following: The factors affecting male and female students in choosing to go on into university, along with the reasons why parents believe that their children want to study, parents' aspirations regarding the career future of their children, factors that determine the students' chances of going to university, as well as factors affecting the future career choices of students according to their attitude.In the first, theoretical, part, the concept of education and career related decision-making is presented. Following that, the factors are presented that underpin both the education and career related decisions of students. Specific reference is made to personal factors, such as biological factors, e.g. gender, physical characteristics, aptitudes, etc., acquired factors, e.g. skills, values, interests, etc., and social factors, which determine education and career related decision-making, such as family, school, etc. This is followed by the second part of the article, which is the research part. In order to inquire into the factors that affect adolescents, when it comes to decisions referring to their education and career, quantitative research was conducted. More specifically, 670 questionnaires were collected from male and female students attending the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades of High School. The research data are analyzed, and to sum up, in the end of the article, the research conclusions will be listed.