Student Examination Performance Research Articles

Principals’ Instructional Leadership in Teacher Professional Development and its Relationship with Students' State Examinations Performance in Bururi Province Schools, Burundi

Purpose: Students who sit for the state examinations in Bururi Province have recently posted unsatisfactory performance. This poor performance could potentially have a severe impact on the educational system and the subsequent transfer from secondary schools to higher education if it is not addressed. The goal of the current research was to explore the principals’ leadership in teacher professional development and its relationship with student’s performance in the state examinations in secondary schools in Bururi Province. Methods: The transformational leadership theory served as the foundation for the present study. The research design for this study was the correlational research design. The target population was public secondary schools in Bururi province and the study involved principals, teachers, and the provincial directors of education. The researcher used a purposive sampling technique to select 11 boarding schools, all the principals, and the 6 provincial directors of education in the study while simple random sampling was adopted to identify teachers who participated in the study. Principals’ and teachers' questionnaires, as well as interview guides for directors of education in Bururi province, were utilized for collecting data. For quantitative data, Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to identify correlations between the independent and dependent variables in this study. Qualitative data from the interview was analysed thematically. Results: The findings indicated that coordination of teacher professional development had a positive and significant relationship with student performance in the state examination. Conclusion: The study recommends that principals should strengthen activities related to instructional leadership in coordination with teacher professional development.

A retrospective feedback analysis of objective structured clinical examination performance of undergraduate medical students.

Feedback is an essential component of medical education, enhancing the quality of students' knowledge and skills. However, providing effective feedback, particularly in clinical skills assessments like Objective Structured Clinical Examinations [OSCEs], often poses challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the content of OSCE feedback given to undergraduate medical students over five years. A retrospective analysis of 1034 anonymised medical students' OSCE performance was conducted, focusing on written feedback. The written feedback data were randomly selected from OSCE sessions, collected from university assessment records and anonymised for ethical considerations. R software was used to identify the most frequently repeated words in the examiners' feedback text, and word cloud charts were created to visualise the responses. Word clouds generated from the top 200 most frequently used terms provided visual insights into common descriptive words in feedback comments. The most frequently repeated word over five years was "good," indicative of potentially non-specific feedback. The high frequency of non-specific terms like "good" suggests a need for more specific, constructive feedback. However, such generic terms can offer some positive reinforcement, more than they may be needed to foster significant improvement. As previously proposed in the literature, adopting structured feedback forms may facilitate the delivery of more specific, actionable feedback. This study emphasises the importance of providing specific, actionable feedback in medical education to facilitate meaningful student development. As medical education continues to evolve, refining feedback processes is crucial for effectively guiding students' growth and skill enhancement. Using structured feedback forms can be a beneficial strategy for improving feedback quality.

Management Framework for Quality Assurance to Strengthen Technology and TVET Pre-service Teacher Education

This study developed a management framework for quality assurance to enhance Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and technology pre-service teacher education programs in CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon). Using the three-round Delphi consensus-building technique, the research assessed quality assurance practices and challenges in managing Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLEd) and Bachelor of Technical Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd) programs. The study also examined key factors affecting student performance in licensure examinations, career decision influences, and strategies to improve program appeal. Thirteen Delphi experts, including College Deans and program chairs, and 117 BTLEd and BTVTEd graduates participated. Thematic and statistical analyses, including the Mann-Whitney U test, compared assessment differences between graduates concerning licensure exam performance, career decisions, and program appeal strategies. The findings highlight that Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) in the region prioritize quality assurance through curriculum reviews, faculty engagement, accreditation, facility maintenance, and continuous improvement. However, they face challenges such as resource limitations, curriculum misalignment, faculty development issues, and lack of specific quality assurance standards for TVET programs. Graduates noted factors influencing their licensure exam performance and career decisions, emphasizing the importance of review preparation, teaching strategies, and professional development. To enhance program appeal, there is a need for sustained career guidance, institutional initiatives, and program awareness efforts. The study recommends strengthening collaboration with stakeholders and implementing the proposed management framework to align with national and international standards.

Impact of the modified curricula on periodontal instrumentation skills development during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of curriculum modifications on periodontal instrumentation skills development among classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic began and affected the three classes at different stages of their studies. Onsite simulation-based learning (SBL) was employed for the classes of 2021 and 2022; remote SBL was adopted for the class of 2023. Modified clinical education, due to social distancing guidelines, impacted the class of 2021 significantly and the class of 2022 to a lesser extent. A multiple linear regression model was built to examine the association between the fourth-year patient-based scaling competency examination scores and selected predictors. The classes of 2021 and 2023 showed consistent performances over time, while the class of 2022 exhibited significant variation exhibiting the lowest performance at the second-year practical examination. While the clinical experience of the class of 2021 was significantly less than that of the classes of 2022 and 2023, the fourth-year competency examination scores did not differ across the three classes. The clinic points (p=0.014) significantly affected the fourth-year competency examination score while student gender (p=0.18), the first-year (p=0.736), and second-year (p=0.198) practical examination scores showed no correlations. Based on student performance in the fourth-year scaling competency examination, the curriculum modifications due to the COVID pandemic did not affect student learning outcomes. Clinical experience was the most influential determinant of skill development in periodontal instrumentation.

RETRACTED: Elevated ceiling heights reduce the cognitive performance of higher-education students during exams

Examinations are a widely used assessment method in higher education. They are often conducted in large indoor environments that can accommodate high numbers of students to maximize scheduling and cost efficiency. Recent evidence, however, suggests enlarged room scale impacts brain activity that is associated with concentration, which could negatively impact cognitive performance. We analysed data (N = 15,400) from undergraduate students over eight years across three campuses at an Australian tertiary institution. Using a linear mixed model, we compared examination performance across different room scales, while accounting for coursework performance, and other variables. We found student examination performance was reduced in rooms with elevated ceiling heights. These results support the notion that built environment scale influences cognitive performance, and argue against conducting examinations in large scale, high-ceiling rooms.

Evaluation of Student Academic Performance After Curricular Content Reduction

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of curricular content reduction in an integrated course sequence spanning 3 years of a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum on student examination scores and course grades. MethodsThis 2-year, prepost study compared student overall average and final examination scores and overall course grades after the transition from a 5-day to a 4-day week of an integrated learning experience (ILE) course sequence. In addition, an anonymous, optional 23-item survey was distributed to first to third year pharmacy students asking about the 4-day week change, how they utilized the non-ILE day, and additional demographic and social characteristics to identify factors influencing success on examination and course performance during the 4-day week. ResultsThere were 533 students included in the overall analysis, with no significant differences in overall course grades in the 5-day vs 4-day week. Examination scores were not significantly different after the transition, except in 2 of 12 courses where scores were higher and final examination scores were not significantly different, except for higher final examination scores in 1 course during the 5-day week. Significant positive influencers of top quartile of examination performance included prepharmacy grade point average ≥ 3.5, age 25 to 29 years, and prepharmacy coursework at the parent institution, whereas using the non-ILE day primarily to sleep negatively influenced outcomes. ConclusionCurricular density is a prevalent problem and addressing it at a program level is essential. Reducing curricular content and hours at our institution did not adversely impact student examination and course performance and slight improvement was noted in some areas.

Rapid detection of non-normal teeth on dental X-ray images using improved Mask R-CNN with attention mechanism.

Dental health has been getting increased attention. Timely detection of non-normal teeth (caries, residual root, retainer, teeth filling, etc.) is of great importance for people's health, well-being, and quality of life. This work proposes a rapid detection of non-normal teeth based on improved Mask R-CNN, aiming to achieve comprehensive screening of non-normal teeth on dental X-ray images. An improved Mask R-CNN based on attention mechanism was used to develop a non-normal teeth detection method trained on a high-quality annotated dataset, which can segment the whole mask of each non-normal tooth on the dental X-ray image immediately. The average precision (AP) of the proposed non-normal teeth detection was 0.795 with an intersection-over-union of 0.5 and max detections (maxDets) of 32, which was higher than that of the typical Mask R-CNN method (AP = 0.750). In addition, validation experiments showed that the evaluation metrics (AP, recall, precision-recall (P-R) curve) of the proposed method were superior to those of the Mask R-CNN method. Furthermore, the experimental results indicated that proposed method exhibited a high sensitivity (95.65%) in detecting secondary caries. The proposed method took about 0.12s to segment non-normal teeth on one dental X-ray image using the laptop (8G memory, NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics processing unit), which was much faster than conventional manual methods. The proposed method enhances the accuracy and efficiency of abnormal tooth diagnosis for practitioners, while also facilitating early detection and treatment of dental caries to substantially lower patient costs. Additionally, it can enable rapid and objective evaluation of student performance in dental examinations.

Assessment of Competencies of Secondary School Principals in Kisii County, Kenya

The question of performance in education has occupied center stage in educational discourse the world over. Many factors have been attributed to influence performance in schools. At the secondary school level in Kenya, principals have been thought to play a crucial role in the performance of students. In Kisii county, the performance of students in examinations has not been impressive and this has partly been blamed on principals. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the competencies of the principals in Secondary schools in Kisii. The main objectives of the study were to: Determined the competencies of principals in terms of human resource management, general management, financial management, carrying out action research, curriculum development and implementation; and to assess the competencies of the principal in adhering to established supervision criteria. The study used a mixed method research design and within it used concurrent triangulation design. The target population was 360 principals, 360 Board of Management Chairpersons (BOMs), 11 Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDs) and 11 Quality Assurance and Standard Officers (QASO). The sample population consisted of 36 principals, 9 QASOs, 9 SCDs and 36 BOM Chairpersons selected through simple random sampling. Questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection. The validity of the instruments was ensured through expert vetting. The reliability of the instruments was ascertained through piloting and use of the test-retest method. It was found out that the principals’ competencies in human resource management was poor, general management was average, competencies to carry out action research was average, curriculum development and implementation was average, and supervisory competencies were poor. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the principal should be taken through an education programme to improve their competencies.

Online medical student OSCE examinations during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to three years pre-pandemic: An Australian experience in psychiatry and addiction medicine

Purpose We have evaluated the final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine (PAM) summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) examinations in a four-year graduate medical degree program, for the previous three years as a baseline comparator, and during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). Methods A de-identified analysis of medical student summative OSCE examination performance, and comparative review for the 3 years before, and for each year of the pandemic. Results Internal reliability in test scores as measured by R-squared remained the same or increased following the start of the pandemic. There was a significant increase in mean test scores after the start of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic for combined OSCE scores for all final-year disciplines, as well as for the PAM role-play OSCEs, but not for the PAM mental state examination OSCEs. Conclusions Changing to online OSCEs during the pandemic was related to an increase in scores for some but not all domains of the tests. This is in line with a nascent body of literature on medical teaching and examination following the start of the pandemic. Further research is needed to optimise teaching and examination in a post-pandemic medical school environment.

Effectiveness of a Modified Phantom-based Mannequin in Improving Vaginal Toucher Examination Skills of Midwifery Students

Introduction: The goal of clinical practice is to provide students with practical training experience and the ability to work as a team. Objective: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of a phantom-based mannequin in improving midwifery students’ performance in vaginal toucher (VT) examinations Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design. Participants were 70 final-year midwifery students in two groups of factory mannequin (n=35) and modified mannequin (n=35). The instrument used for assessing performance was a validated 10-item scale. Data analysis was done using paired t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and ANCOVA. Results: Participants had a mean age of 21.6±2.2 years in the modified mannequin group and 21.3±2.4 years in the factory mannequin group. There was no significant improvement in students’ performance after using the factory mannequin, but the modified mannequin improved their skills, since there was a significant difference in VT examination performance before and after using the modified mannequin (mean difference=3.97, P=0.001). The ANCOVA results showed a significant difference in the mean post-test scores between the factory and modified mannequin groups (mean difference=1.59,η2=0.299, P<0.05). Conclusion: The modified mannequin is more effective than the common factory mannequins in improving the VT examination performance of midwifery students. For this reason, these devices are highly recommended for practical learning of VT examinations.

Seal of Approval or Ticket to Triumph? The Impact of Accreditation on Medical Student Performance in Foreign Medical Council Examinations

Abstract Accreditation of medical schools refers to a systematic process of external quality assurance, wherein the school is evaluated depending on the prespecified set of standards. Accreditation becomes quite essential to monitor the quality standard adopted by medical schools and also to give an indication to the foreign medical council about the quality of training imparted to the students. The research findings obtained from different studies have shown that medical graduates passing from accredited medical schools perform much better than their counterparts who complete their education from unaccredited schools. A number of factors and strategies adopted by accredited medical schools eventually determine the performance of students in examinations after the completion of their training. In conclusion, the process of accrediting a medical school tends to have multiple benefits for medical students, as it ensures the delivery of quality medical education. Moreover, owing to the multiple quality measures adopted by these accredited medical schools, medical graduates are well-equipped and better prepared to Excel in entrance examinations and deliver quality assured health-care services to patients.

Toward improving student motivation and performance in introductory programming learning by Scratch: The role of achievement emotions.

This study investigated the differences in programming novices' intrinsic motivation and performance within a Scratch-based programming learning environment using a pretest-posttest intervention design. Specifically, this study aimed to examine what and how achievement emotions were aroused to impact learners' academic success during Scratch implementation processes by employing regression analyses. One hundred and seventy-two undergraduates (Mage = 20.44, SDage = 1.09, 55.8% female) were voluntarily recruited to participate in a Scratch-based instruction workshop during a 6-week period. The workshop was structured with regard to preparation, Scratch-based programming learning and projects, and assessment activities and questionnaire implemented both before the instructional period and after the workshop. The results suggested that the Scratch-based intervention significantly increased students' overall motivation and examination performance. Concerning achievement emotions, the outcome emotion of hopelessness first negatively predicted students' motivation and performance. Anxiety then replaced hopelessness as a negative predictor, while enjoyment was the strongest predictor of motives and performance. Taking eight emotions together, the arousal of activity and outcome emotions within visual programming environments facilitated students' emotion dynamics that impacted motivation and performance. The discussion and contributions concerning the mechanism behind the effectiveness of visualization and the emotion-performance relationship are presented herein.

Asynchronous student-generated flip videos facilitate student learning and assessment in a large-enrollment introductory human physiology course.

Oral demonstration of knowledge is an effective learning and assessment strategy. It has been shown that generating explanations to oneself, or self-explaining, can improve student understanding of information. This can be achieved via student-generated videos. The quantitative effects of student-generated videos on learning and assessment in postsecondary education are unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the effects asynchronous student-generated videos have on student learning and assessment in a large-enrollment (∼400 students), undergraduate physiology course. Students were charged with making self-generated videos discussing major physiological concepts and uploading these videos to Flip for assessment. Flip is an online, social education platform for asynchronous video-based discussion. In the present study, we combined four semesters (n = 1,100 students) of Flip data and analyzed the effects it had on student examination performance. Specifically, we first analyzed how students performed on exam questions corresponding to their Flip prompts in comparison to students not assigned those prompts [25/44 (57%) were statistically significantly different]. Second, we analyzed the association between Flip prompt score and performance on corresponding exam questions [39/44 (89%) were statistically significantly different]. Third, we analyzed the association between cumulative Flip score and performance on all corresponding, and noncorresponding exam questions. Finally, we analyzed the association between cumulative Flip score and averaged exam performance. There was a positive association (r = 0.54). Taken together, our data suggest that asynchronous student-generated Flip videos can facilitate student learning and assessment in a large-enrollment, undergraduate physiology course.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Oral demonstration of knowledge is an effective learning and assessment strategy. Student-generated videos have been shown to improve learning and assessment in secondary education. To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the effects asynchronous student-generated Flip videos have on student learning and assessment in postsecondary education. The results of the present study suggest that asynchronous student-generated Flip videos can facilitate student learning and assessment in a large-enrollment (∼400 students), undergraduate physiology course.

Prediction of medical sciences students’ performance on high-stakes examinations using machine learning models: a protocol for a systematic review

IntroductionPredicting medical science students’ performance on high-stakes examinations has received considerable attention. Machine learning (ML) models are well-known approaches to enhance the accuracy of determining the students’ performance. Accordingly, we...

Flipped Classroom Case Learning vs Traditional Lecture-Based Learning in Medical School Ophthalmology Education: A Randomized Trial.

To address the problem of teaching noncore specialties, for which there is often limited teaching time and low student engagement, a flipped classroom case learning (FCCL) module was designed and implemented in a compulsory 5-day ophthalmology rotation for undergraduate medical students. The module consisted of a flipped classroom, online gamified clinical cases, and case-based learning. Final-year medical students in a 5-day ophthalmology rotation were randomized to the FCCL or a traditional lecture-based (TLB) module. The outcomes of subjective assessments (student-rated anonymous Likert scale questionnaire, scale 1 to 5, and course and teaching evaluation, scale 1 to 6) and objective assessments (end-of-rotation and post-MBChB multiple-choice questions, scale 0 to 60) were compared between the 2 groups. Between May 2021 and June 2022, 216 students (108 in each group) completed the study. Compared with the TLB students, the students in the FCCL group rated various aspects of the course statistically significantly higher, including feeling more enthusiastic and engaged by the course and more encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions (all P < .001). They also gave higher ratings for the instructional methods, course assignments, course outcomes, and course workload ( P < .001). They gave higher course and teaching evaluation scores to the tutors (5.7 ± 0.6 vs 5.0 ± 1.0, P < .001). The FCCL group scored higher than the TLB group on the end-of-rotation multiple-choice questions (53.6 ± 3.1 vs 51.8 ± 2.8, P < .001). When 32 FCCL students and 36 TLB students were reassessed approximately 20 weeks after the rotation, the FCCL group scored higher (40.3 ± 9.1) than the TLB group (34.3 ± 10.9, P = .018). Applying the FCCL module in ophthalmology teaching enhanced medical students' satisfaction, examination performance, and knowledge retention. A similar model may be suitable for other specialties.

Online Exam Proctoring System

Plagiarism has been more common in recent years, which is a cause for concern. In a course taught utilizing Personalized Instruction methods, the impacts of using advanced undergraduate students (external), currently enrolled students (internal), constant, variable, and no proctor systems were compared. The results showed that there were no variations in student examination performance independent of proctor system, using both between and within group designs. Student performance and progress were also substantially connected with ability in the no-proctor scenario; however, ability level was not a significant factor in determining student performance and advancement when any type of proctor system was used. Students favored the proctor system to which they were exposed, though those who were exposed to more than one system preferred either an internal or an external proctor. The use in behavioral instruction research, the use of intra-group and multiple baseline designs is examined. Internal proctoring is explored in terms of teacher and student benefits.

Panel Data Models for School Evaluation: The Case of High Schools’ Results in University Entrance Examinations

To what extent do high school students’ course grades align with their scores on standardized college admission tests? People sometimes make the argument that grades are “inflated”, but many school districts only use outcome-based descriptive methods for school evaluation. In order to answer that question, this paper proposes econometric models for panel data, which are less well-known in educational evaluation. In particular, fixed-effects and random-effects models are proposed for assessing student performance in university entrance examinations. School-level panel data analysis allows one knowing if results in college admission tests vary more between high schools than within a high school in different academic years. Another advantage of using panel data includes the ability to control for school-specific unobserved heterogeneity. For empirical implementation, official transcript data and university entrance test scores of Spanish secondary schools are used.

Exploring the Difference in Academic Performance Determinants between Public and Private Junior High Schools

Despite improvements in basic education accessibility in public schools throughout time, there are worries regarding the lower Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) performance of students in public schools when compared with the performances of private schools. The current study sought to establish if there is, the differences in academic performance indicators between private and public junior high schools (JHS). The study focused on the Effutu Municipality following the establishment of the lower performance of public JHS students in literature. The study employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design to sample JHS teachers in the Municipality. The study used a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 385 teachers who were chosen by quota sampling. Teacher professional practice (TP), schools’ resource endowment (SR), instructional supervision (IS), school time usage (ST), teacher motivation (TM), and parental support (PS) were considered as the determinants of academic performance in the study. It was revealed that private schools scored higher in terms of the indicators of academic performance, except for ST where equal variances were established for either school type. Statistically significant differences between established with the Mann-Whitney U test were found for all indicators except as well for ST. the study recommends that there should be efforts to boost-motivate public Junior High Schools teachers, and also consider subsidization over free public schools to generate funding for school resourcing.

A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Effect of Disabling Backward Navigation on Calculations-Focused Computerized Examinations

Objective. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to examine the effect of disabled backward navigation on computerized calculation examinations in multiple courses.Methods. Student performance on comprehensive pharmacy calculation examinations before and after implementation of disabled backward navigation were compared. Deidentified data from ExamSoft were used to determine median examination scores, passing rates, and time to completion for all three attempts given on comprehensive calculation exams held in a pharmacy calculations course (PharDSci 504) and in three applied patient care laboratory courses (Pharm 531, 541, and 551). An anonymous, voluntary student survey gathered student perceptions of disabled backward navigation. Qualitative data were evaluated for thematic findings.Results. The impact of disabled backward navigation on test scores and passing rates varied by course and test attempt. Students in Pharm 541 and 551 performed significantly worse on the initial test attempt after backward navigation was disabled compared to the previous year, with no significant differences in student performance seen on the retakes. Performance in PharDSci 504 and Pharm 531 followed the opposite pattern, with no significant difference in performance for the initial tests but significantly increased performance on the retakes. The amount of time spent on examinations either significantly decreased or remained the same. Student perceptions were generally consistent across all cohorts, with at least 74% agreeing that disabling backward navigation increased examination difficulty.Conclusion. Disabling backward navigation had a mixed effect on student examination performance. This may highlight how student behaviors change as backward navigation is disabled.

Extended reality veterinary medicine case studies for diagnostic veterinary imaging instruction: Assessing student perceptions and examination performance.

Educational technologies in veterinary medicine aim to train veterinarians faster and improve clinical outcomes. COVID-19 pandemic, shifted face-to-face teaching to online, thus, the need to provide effective education remotely was exacerbated. Among recent technology advances for veterinary medical education, extended reality (XR) is a promising teaching tool. This study aimed to develop a case resolution approach for radiographic anatomy studies using XR technology and assess students' achievement of differential diagnostic skills. Learning objectives based on Bloom's taxonomy keywords were used to develop four clinical cases (3 dogs/1 cat) of spinal injuries utilizing CT scans and XR models and presented to 22 third-year veterinary medicine students. Quantitative assessment (ASMT) of 7 questions probing 'memorization', 'understanding and application', 'analysis' and 'evaluation' was given before and after contact with XR technology as well as qualitative feedback via a survey. Mean ASMT scores increased during case resolution (pre 51.6% (±37%)/post 60.1% (± 34%); p < 0.01), but without significant difference between cases (Kruskal-Wallis H=2.18, NS). Learning objectives were examined for six questions (Q1-Q6) across cases (C1-4): Memorization improved sequentially (Q1, 2 8/8), while Understanding and Application (Q3,4) showed the greatest improvement (26.7%-76.9%). Evaluation and Analysis (Q5,6) was somewhat mixed, improving (5/8), no change (3/8) and declining (1/8).Positive student perceptions suggest that case studies' online delivery was well received stimulating learning in diagnostic imaging and anatomy while developing visual-spatial skills that aid understanding cross-sectional images. Therefore, XR technology could be a useful approach to complement radiological instruction in veterinary medicine.