Bachelor Students Research Articles

PROJECT MODELLING TOOLBOX IN HIGHER EDUCATION: HEXAGONAL CANVAS IN PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Inclusion of project modelling tools into higher education is based on expectations of industry about young professionals with applicable, rich skillset. Business or project model canvas is one of the most widely used frameworks in contrary to traditional planning tools. Pedagogically - project model canvas is a teaching goal and method simultaneously. Those aspects widen possibilities to integrate the tool in various study courses and levels. The aim of the research is to explore and evaluate functional and cognitive impacts of Hex-canvas use in project-based learning in higher education. This tool is represented in a form of template of 11 fundamental elements which describe a specific aspect of a project. The research is based on experiences gathered in Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Latvia. Data used in this research has been comprised of structured interviews of doctoral level students (n=8) who used Hex-canvas in summer school and from bachelor and master level students (n=16) of “I Living Labs” study course (year 2022). Results reveal high applicability in structuring of the projects, defining aims and activities for implementation, it gives overall perspective of project, however there must be clear instructions by teachers, as well the consistency of usage is recommended.

An analysis of suicide rates in Kerman province, the largest province in Iran, before and after COVID-19: (2017–2020)

This study aimed to investigate the suicide incidence rate in Kerman before and after the pandemic and the characteristics of suicides. During four years, 642 suicide occurred in Kerman province. The suicide rate of suicide has increased in 2020 compared to previous years. Suicide among females, singles, people with bachelor's degrees, students, governmental, non-governmental occupations, and people without a history of mental illness, and suicide history increased in 2020. Identifying individuals at risk is crucial in order to get exceptional support from the government and society during crises like COVID-19.

Predictors of Academic Success in Students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Considering that academic success is one of the most important topics for medical sciences schools and faculty members, this study was conducted to determine the predictors of academic success in students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was performed on 542 students of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The sampling method was stratified at random. The socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, Multiple Intelligences Profiling Questionnaire (MIPQ), College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES), Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ-85-PART2), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS 16 software. The General Linear Model (GLM) was used to determine the predictors of academic success. According to the Pearson correlation test, there was a significant positive correlation between academic grade point average (GPA) and social support (r=0.10, P=0.048), academic self-efficacy (r=0.36, P<0.001) and there was a significant negative relationship between GPA and total mental health score (r=-0.14; P=0.003) and its subdomains including anxiety (r=-0.10, P= 0.027), depression (r = -0.15, P = 0.002), and social dysfunction (r=-0.12; P=0.010). According to GLM, the variables of academic self-efficacy, and level of education were among the predictors of academic success, so the GPA increased significantly with academic self-efficacy (β:0.02, P<0.001). The GPA was greater in bachelor's students than in professional doctorate students (β:0.76, P<0.001). The significance level was considered at P<0.05. Due to the significant relationship between academic self-efficacy, and educational level with academic success, the promotion of self-efficacy is necessary for all students of all educational levels.

ОБЗОР И РАЗВИТИЕ В ПРОФЕСИОНАЛНИТЕ ИНТЕРЕСИ НА СТУДЕНТИТЕ ДИПЛОМАНТИ

In this article, we will analyze the needs, interests and realization of the students of Faculty of mathematics and computer science of Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, preparing to become teachers of mathematics, informatics, computer modeling and information technologies. The group we are considering are the students of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. The data for students who choose to graduate with thesis defense are being studied. The aim is to track the trends and the reflection of current methodological directions in the interests of students. A classification is proposed in the main areas in which students choose to work. A content analysis of the protected developments in the period 2014 – 2022 was made. The realization of the students was tracked. Ideas that are to be realized in diploma thesis in the future are marked.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation to Learn as Factors of Resilience in Students' Pedagogical Disciplines - Pilot Study

Motivation determines the dynamics of behaviour and helps in overcoming obstacles. A related concept is resilience, which also relates to overcoming stressful situations and speaks to an individual’s ability to adapt to challenging circumstances in life. The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between resilience and motivation to learn in students studying in the field of education. One hundred and thirty students participated in the research (100 bachelor students and 30 master students). The research instrument used to measure resilience was The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10) and to detemine motivation The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C 28) tool was used. The Mann-Whitney test found no significant difference between the two groups of students in each of the variables measured. The results show a significant association between resilience and types of intrinsic motivation in particular, but the strongest relationship was found between resilience and the lack of motivation. Students with low resilience scored higher on amotivation. For students at university, motivation to learn based on intrinsic drives is assumed to be self-evident. However, the ability to overcome obstacles is also necessary for the attainment of learning goals. Its degree can also be developed through educational intervention, which provides an opportunity for university teachers to expand their area of operation.

Students’ foundational understanding of chemical reaction in the forensic science bachelor’s degree program at the National Autonomous University of Mexico

ObjectiveTo compare the understanding of the concept of chemical reaction—as operationalized by Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive levels—of students in forensic science bachelor’s degree with that achieved by students majoring in chemistry, as a prerequisite for future professional collaboration and communication. Materials and methodsUsing previously validated and published tests developed to assess students’ knowledge, comprehension, and application of the concept of chemical reaction, we explored how conceptual understanding developed in students enrolled in (a) a forensic science degree program in a Mexican public university and in (b) chemistry undergraduate programs offered by the same university, and whether both groups achieved comparable attainment levels. Findings and implicationsDespite receiving considerably less chemical instruction, forensic science students achieved comparable levels of conceptual understanding of chemical reaction to those exhibited by chemistry students. This finding is encouraging because it might mean that future forensic scientists could graduate with a solid foundation of chemical knowledge. More research, particularly on the learning of other key concepts, will be needed to verify these initial findings.

University Students’ Perspectives on Online Learning via the Microsoft Teams Platform

Aim. The aim of the study was to determine students’ perspectives on collaboration, the study process and motivation while using the Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) platform for online learning.&#x0D; Methods. The study involved 124 (N=124) students of 1st-level higher professional education, bachelor’s and master’s study programmes, who studied in full-time and part-time study forms. The study addressed three research questions. RQ1: What are students’ perspectives on collaboration while learning online via the MS Teams platform and whether their opinions depend on age, study level, form of study and course? RQ2: What are students’ perspectives on the study process via the MS Teams platform, and whether their views influenced by age, study level, study form and course? RQ3: What is the students’ motivation to study online on the MS Teams platform, and does it depend on age, level of study, study form and course? The study used statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 22.0) for quantitative data analysis.&#x0D; Results. The students believe that they can easily collaborate on the MS Teams platform. Students' perspectives on collaboration are not related to study form, the level of study, or the course, but in some instances, are connected with the age of the students. The majority of students evaluate the study process on MS Teams positively. Their views are not related to study form, the course or the age, but in some cases, connected with the level of study. The students’ motivation to study online using MS Teams is grown by reducing time consumption, the convenience of learning in their environment and the ability to complete the tasks easier, but their motivation could decrease because this form of study is less exciting compared with face-to-face and does not create satisfaction.&#x0D; Conclusion. The study concluded that: Firstly, with increasing age, student satisfaction with mutual collaboration on the MS Team platform declines, secondly students of the lower-level programme believe they are more likely to ask questions, receive feedback, and understand information than those who study in the higher-level programme, thirdly young students and those who study in the lower-level programme find learning online via the MS Teams platform more exciting than older students and those who study in the higher-level programme. Further research needs to find out why students of the lower-level study programmes believe they are more likely to ask questions, receive feedback and understand information while learning online on MS Teams, and it is also essential to investigate what factors determine whether or not studies are exciting.

Analytical Study on Punctuation Errors in the Persuasive Writing of English Language Learners

The study was conducted to determine the types of punctuation errors and the most frequently occurring punctuation errors in persuasive writing committed by English language learners in higher education. The descriptive-qualitative design was employed to obtain the purpose of the study. The study participants were eighteen (18) third-year students of Bachelor of Arts in the English Language in one of the state universities in Negros Occidental during the academic year 2022–2023, chosen through purposeful sampling. The data source is the participants' independently composed persuasive essays with a provided topic. The errors were identified according to the rules of punctuation by Straus et al. and classified according to the surface strategy taxonomy by Dulay et al.: omission, addition, misformation, and misordering. The results revealed that omission obtained the highest frequency among the four (4) types of error, and comma is the most frequent punctuation error they committed, obtaining 67.7% and 77.4%, respectively. The researchers recommend that English language learners engage in self-correction and peer-correction activities to build competence and gain command and intelligibility in English language writing.

Safe and sound: examining the effect of a training targeting psychological safety and trust in peer assessment

IntroductionPeer feedback can be very beneficial for student learning in higher education, yet students may feel uncomfortable providing and receiving peer feedback: they may for example not feel safe in the group or have little trust in their peers’ abilities to provide feedback. Surprisingly, only few studies have investigated how students’ feelings of discomfort can be reduced. To fill this gap, we created a 1-h training session using active learning methods. The training focuses on enhancing students’ perceptions of psychological safety, trust in their abilities and in their peers’ abilities to provide feedback.MethodsThe efficacy of this training was tested using a quasi-experiment with pre-and post-test design. Third-year bachelor students in physical education participated in a peer feedback activity to fulfill the requirement of an obligatory course. In 2019–2020, 47 students participated in a peer assessment activity without specific training on psychological safety and trust (control group), while in 2021–2022, 42 students received specific training before peer assessment (experimental group).ResultsAnalyses include a comparison of the control and experimental groups with regard to (1) the evolution of their perceptions (psychological safety, trust in their abilities, and trust in their peers’ abilities) for pre-to post-test, (2) the quality of the feedback they provided to their peers (3) and the improvement of students’ work between the draft submitted for the peer activity and the final version submitted to the professor.DiscussionResults do not support the training’s efficacy, yet suggest pathways for future research.

The development of Ukrainian university students’ discourse-oriented translation competence in Chinese and English as foreign languages

The manuscript covers some methodological issues related to the development of Ukrainian university students’ discourse-oriented translation competence in Chinese and English as foreign languages at the State Institution “South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky”, Odesa, Ukraine (Ushynsky University). Against the backdrop of the competence-based curriculum design for training translators, this research is aimed at investigating the structure of the discourse-oriented translation competence and possible means that contribute to its development within specialized translator training in Chinese and English majors. The importance of the study is actualized through the analysis of translation competence models which can be applied to different professional spheres alongside teaching methods and technologies that can provide for students’ academic success. In this perspective, the discourse-oriented translation competence indices as well as evaluation criteria of students’ proficiency level (excellent, sufficient, satisfactory, and low) were determined. The authors used the research tools as follows: the methods of systemic and content-based analyses to examine and generalize the theoretical foundation for the topic under focus, to systemize the outcomes of the study; focused observation using two similar multiple-choice questionnaires and the register as tools for data collecting in three groups of bachelor students majoring in Translation Studies (Chinese/English major and Chinese/English minor) and one group of Chinese/English teachers at the platform of Ushynsky University.

International college students’ impact on the US skilled labor supply

While US universities attract millions of international students, we do not know how many of them work in the US after graduating. In this paper we implement an instrumental variable estimation, using quasi-random variations in the tuition charged, and we estimate that between 2003 and 2017 one more international master (or bachelor) student, attracted by a university, increased the US skilled labor supply in the year of graduation by about 0.23 (0.08) employees. Only for STEM students such effect on labor supply was positive and significant, especially after the 2008 Optional Practical Training reform.

Togolese EFL Learners’ Attitudes toward Learning English Language

The current study aims to investigate learners' attitudes regarding studying English. The purpose of this study is to discover the attitudes of Togolese EFL learners about learning English. The current study is being undertaken with students from two public universities in Togo (University of Lomé and University of Kara) as well as some high school pupils. Thus, (50) students were chosen at random from various levels [bachelor's students, master's students, and high school students] to participate in this research. To collect data for this project, questionnaires were distributed to students online. The major findings suggest that students have positive attitudes toward English learning. The findings really show that Togolese students are really motivated to learn the English language, and they give great importance to the English language.

Using an expert survey and user feedback to construct PRECHECK: A checklist to evaluate preprints on COVID-19 and beyond

Background: The quality of COVID-19 preprints should be considered with great care, as their contents can influence public policy. Efforts to improve preprint quality have mostly focused on introducing quick peer review, but surprisingly little has been done to calibrate the public’s evaluation of preprints and their contents. The PRECHECK project aimed to generate a tool to teach and guide scientifically literate non-experts to critically evaluate preprints, on COVID-19 and beyond. Methods: To create a checklist, we applied a four-step procedure consisting of an initial internal review, an external review by a pool of experts (methodologists, meta-researchers/experts on preprints, journal editors, and science journalists), a final internal review, and an implementation stage. For the external review step, experts rated the relevance of each element of the checklist on five-point Likert scales, and provided written feedback. After each internal review round, we applied the checklist on a set of high-quality preprints from an online list of milestone research works on COVID-19 and low-quality preprints, which were eventually retracted, to verify whether the checklist can discriminate between the two categories. Results: At the external review step, 26 of the 54 contacted experts responded. The final checklist contained four elements (Research question, study type, transparency and integrity, and limitations), with ‘superficial’ and ‘deep’ levels for evaluation. When using both levels of evaluation, the checklist was effective at discriminating high- from low-quality preprints. Its usability was confirmed in workshops with our target audience: Bachelors students in Psychology and Medicine, and science journalists. Conclusions: We created a simple, easy-to-use tool for helping scientifically literate non-experts navigate preprints with a critical mind. We believe that our checklist has great potential to help guide decisions about the quality of preprints on COVID-19 in our target audience and that this extends beyond COVID-19.

Unreasonable borrowings in the metalanguage of public administration of the construction industry

Introduction. The purpose of this research is to analyze the frequency of use of foreign-language terms (in particular, anglicisms) in the modern official style, to evaluate the comprehensibility of terms, used by students majoring in public and municipal administration in their professional communication in the field of construction, and to prove the inexpediency of use of some loanwords in the speech of public and municipal government officers. The authors also investigated the availability of Russian equivalents, capable of replacing anglicisms, as well as the influence of loanwords on the quality and purity of the native language. The issue of loanwords has always been debatable in the Russian language, and it gained particular relevance after amendments to the Federal law “On the State Language of the Russian Federation” had been adopted.&#x0D; &#x0D; Materials and methods. Works addressing the reasons for and trends in (1) loanword borrowing by the Russian language, (2) official documents, published in Russian in 2000–2023, and (3) speeches delivered by representatives of public and municipal authorities, as well as (4) results of the survey, carried out by the authors among the bachelor students of the Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (National Research University)” in the field of studies number 38.03.04 “Public and municipal administration” served as the materials for the research. The authors used such methods as observation, description, survey, quantitative and statistical analysis, comparative analysis, structural analysis, semantic and stylistic analysis, method of distributive semantics, frequency analysis, etc. to draft the article.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results. The authors studied the reasons for and types of borrowings in the Russian language. Foreign words of various extents of assimilation, most widely spread in the field of public and municipal administration, are identified. Some widely spread borrowings are analyzed in terms of their comprehensiveness, relevance, extent of assimilation, existence of adequate Russian equivalents and expediency of their use. The analysis of the results of the survey, launched among the ba-chelor students, majoring in Public and Municipal Administration, confirmed the assumption about the frequent failure to fully understand the foreign-language terminology, as a result of which loanwords are used incorrectly in the formal speech.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusions. The results of the research let the authors make a conclusion that the decline of foreign words is impossible and unnecessary. However, there is a need to stop overusing loanwords, and to use them consciously and reasonably. That will allow avoiding incorrect or ambiguous interpretations of official texts, prevent any negative effects, and, in the end, facilitate improvement in the quality of the official language, as well as public and municipal administration in general.

P100 Undergraduate research-based education for identifying new treatment options for cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease were approximately 100.000 cases worldwide, 15% of which cannot be treated. Interdisciplinary collaboration is necessary to solve complex problems like this. To train interdisciplinary collaboration, at Utrecht University bachelor students biomedical sciences and medicine (>100 students) were challenged to brainstorm feasible research proposals for new CF treatments. From this, one proposal was selected to be executed in the undergraduate course, Experimental Translational Medicine. This is an interdisciplinary 10-week research-based course where 16 medicine and biomedical sciences bachelor students execute the best research proposal in a dedicated wet laboratory (Bachelor Research Hub) together with and facilitated by faculty staff, including researchers and medical doctors.

Evaluating student satisfaction with blended learning styles in the post- COVID-19 era at Umm Alqura University

This research aims to assess student satisfaction with blended learning styles in the post-COVID-19 era at Umm Alqura University, taking into consideration the variables of gender, study level, and academic major. The study utilizes a descriptive analysis methodology to evaluate student satisfaction, employing a sample of 248 students enrolled at Umm Alqura University during the 2021–2022 academic year. A satisfaction questionnaire was developed and administered to collect the necessary data from the participants, ensuring the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The research findings indicate a high level of satisfaction among university students towards the various blended learning styles, namely the Rotation Model, Lab Rotation, Flipped Classroom, and Individual Rotation. Statistical analysis reveals no significant differences in the mean scores of student satisfaction across different study groups, indicating a consistent level of satisfaction with the blended learning styles, including individual rotation, flipped classroom, lab rotation, and rotation model. Furthermore, there are no statistically significant differences in satisfaction levels between male and female students. Similarly, no significant differences are observed in satisfaction levels between bachelor and postgraduate students. However, a statistically significant difference is found between scientific specialization students and literary specialization students, favoring the literary specialization students' approval of the blended learning style. These research findings contribute to the understanding of the blended learning environment and its associated styles. Moreover, the results highlight the need for further investigation into the effectiveness of blended learning and its various patterns in promoting diverse learning outcomes.

The Motivation Influence On Level of Physical Activity Among UKM Students Bachelor’s Degree in Sports and Recreation Education

The Motivation Influence On Level of Physical Activity Among UKM Students Bachelor’s Degree in Sports and Recreation Education

MEASURE UP: A SERIOUS GAME FOR TOPOGRAPHIC EDUCATION

Abstract. Topographic education requires the use of delicate and expensive equipment in a wide range of field exercises. To reduce the risk of improper handling by students, this work proposes the creation of a serious game to teach the basic principles and correct techniques to complete the field exercises successfully. Due to the constant evolution of the course material, there is also a need for a modular and expandable design to increase the relevance of the serious game over a longer period. Using a system of cloud-based hosting and progression, we can make sure the students are always using the most up-to-date version of the game. The game covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from levelling to triangulation. It is currently in use at the KU Leuven Geomatics group and has been evaluated positively by the bachelor students.

Educational needs assessment of medical and midwifery students about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV: a cross-sectional study.

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), is an important way of acquired immune deficiency virus (AIDS) transmission. Medical and midwifery students need to have sufficient knowledge in terms of MTCT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational needs of these students regarding MTCT of HIV. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 medical (extern and intern) and midwifery Bachelor (semester 4 and above) and Master students in Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2019. The real needs questionnaire on MTCT AIDS and the perceived needs questionnaire on MTCT were used for need assessment evaluation. Majority of the participants were female (77.5%) and single (65%). Study participants included 48.3% medical and 51.7% midwifery students. High real educational need was reported by 63.5% of medical and 36.5% of midwifery students. More than half of the participants (59.2%) felt a great need for education on MTCT of HIV. OF the areas of real educational needs, the highest and lowest scores were related to the areas of prevention and symptoms, respectively. Students in higher semesters had the highest percentage of real need compared to other students (p = 0.015). The real need for MTCT of HIV prevention was higher among medical students compared to midwifery students (p = 0.004). The observed high real and perceived needs of students, especially in the higher semesters and the field of medicine, necessitates the re-examination of their educational curricula.

A Quadruple “E” Approach for Effective Cyber-Hygiene Behaviour and Attitude toward Online Learning among Higher-Education Students in Saudi Arabia amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has made online learning more common worldwide than ever before. However, recent research showed that higher-education students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were exposed to cyber threats and attacks during online learning that affected their attitudes toward online learning, despite a high level of cybersecurity infrastructure and digital capabilities in KSA universities. There were several calls for enhancing higher-education students’ cyber-hygiene awareness to improve their cybersecurity behaviours, develop healthy cyber-hygiene habits, and ensure positive attitudes toward online learning amid COVID-19. The current research developed an integrated cyber-hygiene model for improving this behaviour entitled the quadruple “E” approach (QEA), which includes four stages: educate (E1), explore (E2), execute (E3), and evaluate (E4). The research compares students’ cyber-hygiene behaviour and attitude toward online learning pre- and post-implementation of QEA. A sample of 446 bachelor students distributed between females and males in four public KSA universities was adopted during the academic year 2021. The results showed statistically significant differences in students’ cyber-hygiene behaviour and attitude toward online learning pre- and post-adoption of the QEA. Students showed more positive cyber-hygiene behaviour and attitudes toward online learning post-QEA adoption than pre-QEA implementation. In addition, female students have more positive behaviour and attitudes than their male counterparts post the adoption of QEA. The current research stimulates positive cyber-hygiene behaviour and enhances attitudes toward online learning in universities, which have implications for the sustainability of KSA higher education, particularly in relation to SDGs 4 and 10.