Students In Other Disciplines Research Articles

The games economists play: Why economics students behave more selfishly than other students.

Do economics students behave more selfishly than other students? Experiments involving monetary allocations suggest so. This article investigates the underlying motives for the economic students’ more selfish behavior by separating three potential explanatory mechanisms: economics students are less concerned with fairness when making allocation decisions; have a different notion of what is fair in allocations; or are more skeptical about other people’s allocations, which in turn makes them less willing to comply with a shared fairness norm. The three mechanisms were tested by inviting students from various disciplines to participate in a relatively novel experimental game and asking all participants to give reasons for their choices. Compared with students of other disciplines, economics students were about equally likely to mention fairness in their comments; had a similar notion of what was fair in the situation; however, they expected lower offers, made lower offers, and were less willing to enforce compliance with a fair allocation at a cost to themselves. The economics students’ lower expectations mediated their allocation decisions, suggesting that economics students behaved more selfishly because they expected others not to comply with the shared fairness norm.

The power of metaphors in the educational discourse

The aim of this study is to analyse metaphors of power present in the educational discourse, with specific emphasis on the Romanian educational landscape. The research involved questionnaires and interviews with students preparing to become teachers, teacher trainees enrolled on the teacher education module at the University of Alba Iulia, Romania, with students of other disciplines and with beginning teachers. The insights into the educational discourse and the way in which different metaphors, used almost unawares by the different discourse participants have provided us with a deeper understanding of how our future, our career path, attitudes and ideals are shaped by the way in which teachers talk to us.

The power of metaphors in the educational discourse

The aim of this study is to analyse metaphors of power present in the educational discourse, with specific emphasis on the Romanian educational landscape. The research involved questionnaires and interviews with students preparing to become teachers, teacher trainees enrolled on the teacher education module at the University of Alba Iulia, Romania, with students of other disciplines and with beginning teachers. The insights into the educational discourse and the way in which different metaphors, used almost unawares by the different discourse participants have provided us with a deeper understanding of how our future, our career path, attitudes and ideals are shaped by the way in which teachers talk to us.

Academic dishonesty among Italian nursing students: A longitudinal study

Considering the ethical issues related to nursing and that Ethics is an integral part of the nursing education in the degree course, one would suppose that academic dishonesty might be less frequent in nursing students than in students of other disciplines. However, several studies show that this trend of deceitful behaviour seems to be similar among the university nursing students and those of other disciplines.The aim of this study is to investigate the phenomenon of academic dishonesty in the classroom from a longitudinal perspective within a cohort of Italian nursing students.A non-experimental longitudinal design was used. All nursing students were recruited from the Nursing Science Bachelor Degree Program of a big Italian university in the centre of Italy and participants were part of an ongoing longitudinal research project which started in 2011 on nursing students' wellbeing.The results show that students get accustomed to taking academically deceitful actions. They come to consider their behaviours acceptable and normal, thereby stabilizing them, which increases the probability of stabilizing subsequent deceitful behaviours. The stability through time of academic cheating behaviours committed during higher education, within the study's timeframe, provides important perspectives into the establishment of rigorous standards of ethical and moral behaviours by the students.

Learning styles preferences of statistics students

Purpose – Although there are many studies addressing the learning styles of business students as well as students of other disciplines, there are few studies which address the learning style preferences of statistics students. The purpose of this study is to explore the learning style preferences of statistics students at a United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). Furthermore, it investigates whether there are statistically significant differences along the four dimensions of learning styles due to students’ demographic and academic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were distributed to the whole population which included 79 undergraduate statistics students at the UAEU, of which 69 returned the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to present the main characteristics of respondents and the results of the study. Additionally, a chi-square test was used to find out if there were significant differences along the four dimensions of learning style preferences due to students’ demographic and academic characteristics. Findings – The results indicate that UAEU undergraduate statistics students have balanced preferences along the four dimensions of learning styles. Results also suggest that there are no statistically significant differences along the four dimensions of learning styles due to students’ demographic and academic characteristics, except in the active-reflective and sensing-intuitive dimensions with respect to high school type (private vs public). Research limitations/implications – There are a number of limitations associated with this study. First, the findings of the study are based on data from only one university. Second, the sample was small and limited to undergraduate statistics students and, therefore, it excluded graduate students who might have had different experiences. Third, the results are based on a self-reported questionnaire and this, in turn, might have affected the reliability of the results On the other hand, it has a number of implications for educators and students. Educators will benefit from the results of this study in the sense that they will adopt teaching styles and strategies that match learning styles of the majority of their students. Students themselves will benefit from knowing their own learning style. Originality/value – The present study is the first attempt to explore learning styles preference of undergraduate students not only in the UAE setting but also in the developing country setting.

Perfil cardiovascular en estudiantes de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, estudiantes de otras disciplinas y trabajadores en activo

IntroductionAs the main hypothesis of the study, it is argued that Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (PASS) students have a better cardiovascular profile than other groups due to a healthier lifestyle. The study sets out to achieve better results in PASS students and to determine the differences between cardiovascular profiles as regards a more or less healthy lifestyle. Materials and methodsAn analysis is made of the different markers that determine the cardiovascular profile in 73 young people between 18 and 25 years old. This analysis includes blood tests, anthropometric measurements, and questionnaires to find out the relationship between independent variables analysed and the diagnostic markers that make up a more or less favourable cardiovascular profile. ResultsA higher amount of physical exercise can be observed in PASS students in comparison to students of other disciplines and active workers (8.3hours per week vs. 3.8hours and 4.4hours, respectively). There were also differences in the levels of blood triglycerides, body fat percentage, glucose levels, and cigarettes smoked weekly between the three samples, with better results being obtained in the PASS students group. ConclusionsThe results obtained indicate that PASS students have a better cardiovascular profile than the students of other disciplines and active workers, and they also suggests the amount of physical exercise per week, smoking levels, and the type of oil consumed have an important role in determining this profile.

Exploring the causes of stress and coping with it amongst doctoral level students: Highlighting the importance of information collection and management

Stress may hinder the efficiency and performance of individuals. However, little attention has been given to academic stress especially stress experienced by doctoral level university students. Understanding and comprehending the causes of their stress and relevant coping strategies is indeed essential for their better performance. Hence, to address this gap, the purpose of the study was to explore the stressors produced by academic environment and the stress coping strategies adopted by doctoral scholars. Unit of analysis were the individuals enrolled in doctoral studies at the Business School of University Kebangsaan, Malaysia. In-depth analysis of eight doctoral level students revealed that they, in general, share the same experiences and adopt similar coping strategies as were reported to have been experienced and adopted by students of other disciplines (i.e., nursing or psychology students). However, a lack of ability to manage information, information ambiguity and ambiguity regarding quality of one's own work emerged as the major stressors in this study, which have not previously been commonly highlighted by past researches. This study, therefore, reveals that information collection, scarcity of information resources, information ambiguity and work related ambiguity are major stressors for doctoral students. Further, it is also identified that social support, problem diversion, effective information management and time management are significant stress coping techniques. The implications and future recommendation are also discussed in the paper.

Comparison of oral health behavior among dental students, students of other disciplines, and fashion models in Switzerland.

Self-reliant oral health behavior exert great influence on the oral health of our society. The aim of the present study was to find out whether there is an occupation-related difference in the oral health behavior between dental students, students of other disciplines, and fashion models in German-speaking Switzerland. The survey comprised 19 questions which were asked using a web-based anonymous questionnaire. The investigation particularly inquired about employed auxiliaries and their application for an improvement of oral hygiene. In addition, the satisfaction with the own teeth and smile as well as the influence of the occupation or the study on oral hygiene were examined. Included in this evaluation were 204 dental students, 257 students of other disciplines, and 117 fashion models aged between 21 and 25 years. The evaluation reveals that the state of knowledge and the professional relationship affect the practice of oral hygiene, in particular among dental students. Fashion models, however, are most intensively concerned with body care and oral hygiene. Their attention is directed particularly to means supposed to improve the smile as well as to ensure fresh breath. Dental students and fashion models constitute a selected minority clearly demarcated from students of other disciplines regarding a higher awareness of self-reliant oral hygiene. The comparatively minor rating of oral health in a group of basically well-trained individuals suggests great need of educational work in the general population.

The Belief that Market Transactions Are Mutually Beneficial: A Comparison of the Views of Students in Economics and Other Disciplines

Using a survey of a large group of first- and final-year students of different disciplines to study their beliefs in the existence of mutual benefits of market transactions, the authors observe significant differences between economics and business students versus students of other disciplines. These differences increase over time, due partly to economics students increasingly supporting the belief and partly to other students, in particular psychology students, increasingly disagreeing with it. The beliefs of economics students are more homogeneous at the end of their studies. The authors, therefore, report evidence of both a selection effect and an effect of studying different disciplines that goes beyond initial self-selection.

Comparison of oral health behavior among dental students, students of other disciplines, and fashion models in Switzerland.

Self-reliant oral health behavior exert great influence on the oral health of our society. The aim of the present study was to find out whether there is an occupation-related difference in the oral health behavior between dental students, students of other disciplines, and fashion models in German-speaking Switzerland. The survey comprised 19 questions which were asked using a web-based anonymous questionnaire. The investigation particularly inquired about employed auxiliaries and their application for an improvement of oral hygiene. In addition, the satisfaction with the own teeth and smile as well as the influence of the occupation or the study on oral hygiene were examined. Included in this evaluation were 204 dental students, 257 students of other disciplines, and 117 fashion models aged between 21 and 25 years. The evaluation reveals that the state of knowledge and the professional relationship affect the practice of oral hygiene, in particular among dental students. Fashion models, however, are most intensively concerned with body care and oral hygiene. Their attention is directed particularly to means supposed to improve the smile as well as to ensure fresh breath. Dental students and fashion models constitute a selected minority clearly demarcated from students of other disciplines regarding a higher awareness of self-reliant oral hygiene. The comparatively minor rating of oral health in a group of basically well-trained individuals suggests great need of educational work in the general population.

Editorial, Volume 10(2)

Editorial, Volume 10(2)

Effects of field of study on university students’ attitudes towards animal issues

AbstractThe field of study of university students may influence their attitudes towards animals, which in turn may influence their behaviour. Attitudes to animals in university students in eleven countries were obtained by survey, and the influence of field of study was evaluated after correcting for other influential factors. Students of agriculture were most accepting of killing animals, unnatural practices on animals, animal experimentation and animal rights issues, whereas humanities and arts students were less accepting of unnatural practices on animals and animal experimentation than students of other disciplines. Nevertheless, agriculture students had one of the highest proportions involved in animal protection organisations. It is suggested that regular contact with animals inures agriculture students to animal issues, whereas students in the humanities and arts, that have less contact with farm animals, have greater concern.

El diario del estudiante de enfermería en la práctica clínica frente a los diarios realizados en otras disciplinas. Una revisión integradora

El presente artículo es una revisión integradora de la literatura cuyo objetivo fue identificar, en revistas nacionales e internacionales indexadas en las bases de datos Isi Web of Knowledge, Eric, PubMed, EbscoHost, Scopus, SciELO, Cuiden, Cuidatge y Scirus, en el periodo comprendido entre 1995 y 2011, datos que contribuyeran a determinar cómo la escritura del diario reflexivo ayuda al estudiante de enfermería durante sus prácticas clínicas, así como a establecer diferencias y similitudes con los diarios realizados por estudiantes de otras disciplinas. Se llevó a cabo una revisión amplia de la cual se seleccionaron 54 artículos científicos con base en criterios de inclusión y exclusión, sin descartar ninguna metodología de investigación e incluyendo aquellos que analizaran el diario del estudiante, fueran o no del ámbito de la enfermería. Se concluye que la escritura del diario reflexivo que realiza el estudiante de enfermería durante sus prácticas clínicas tiene beneficios tales como la mejora de la comunicación con el paciente, fundamental para el cuidado. La escritura del diario debería ser incluida en todos los planes de estudio de grado en el ámbito de las prácticas clínicas.

Individual differences in recognising involuntary autobiographical memories: Impact on the reporting of abstract cues

This study examined individual differences in the ability to recognise involuntary autobiographical memories. We hypothesised that individuals may not always recognise involuntary memories which are cued by abstract experiences (e.g., thoughts or language), while they are better able to recognise those which are cued by concrete sensory/perpetual experiences. We hypothesised that individuals without formal training in psychology would be more prone to these recognition failures than individuals with training in psychology. We tested the hypothesis by comparing the results of general first-year undergraduate students, graduate students in psychology and graduates students in other disciplines after each had participated in a two-week diary study of their naturally occurring involuntary memories. The results showed undergraduate participants and non-psychology graduate participants reporting fewer involuntary memories being triggered by abstract cues than the graduate psychology participants, while the groups did not differ in the report of memories triggered by sensory/perpetual cues. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Prevalence of stress in Casablanca medical students: a cross-sectional study.

IntroductionRecently, an important literature data has reported that medical students experience stress more than students in other disciplines. In contrast, there is a significant shortage of the stress impact on the academic performance. The primary purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of stress among Casablanca Medical students and to investigate if there is an association between stress and academic skills.MethodsA total of 275 participants studying at Casablanca Medical School were included. The study was conducted using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire, which included four subscales on academic skills perception (Academic competence, Test competence, Time management and Strategic study habits) and a Test Anxiety scale to assess the degree of stress related to exams among medical students.ResultsThe overall findings showed that 52.7% of respondents were stressed by examinations, and the highest stress prevalence was among the fifth-year medical students. Measures of comparative stress degrees between male and female students did not show any statistical significant differences (p=0.34). Correlation analysis revealed negative association between stress and academic competence (-0.394), test competence (-0.426), time management (-0.240), strategic study (-0.183) respectively (p<0.001).ConclusionMedical educators and psychologists have to increase clinical awareness of stress among medical students, by establishing strategies for stress management.

Supporting Remote Laboratory Activities at an Institutional Level

Learning Tools that rely on information and communication technologies form an essential part of distance education. Remote Access Laboratories (RAL) is one example that has been widely discussed in the research community; in particular, in the context of engineering and science education. However, remote laboratory technology is not widely used. This study explores whether the benefits offered by the RAL systems can be extended to students in other disciplines and how this process can be supported. The key aim of this activity is to create more equitable opportunities for student learning across faculties and the university. The study identifies considerations for the wider adoption, implementation and uptake of remote laboratory based learning activities. Four learning activities at various stages of the development cycle in three different disciplines are evaluated using a program logic methodology. Evaluation questions address the areas of appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. It is concluded that remote laboratory are open and flexible enough to suite a variety of learning objectives and pedagogies in a number of contexts. This study also highlights some wider issues that are significant to the acceptance of RAL learning activities. Findings include that a number of conditions need to be met if remote laboratory activities are to occur more broadly across universities as learning systems.

Female undergraduate fine arts students: A high-risk population for multiple sexual partners, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in China

ABSTRACTObjectives To compare risky sexual behaviour and risk factors associated with unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female fine arts undergraduates and students of other disciplines in China.Method Anonymously completed questionnaires were received from 4769 unmarried female undergraduates, recruited using randomised cluster sampling. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with lifetime number of sex partners, self-reported pregnancy, and STIs.Results The proportion of students who had ever had sex was higher among female fine arts majors (35%) than among other females (15%). Not using a condom at first sex (87%), multiple lifetime partners (44%), and extramarital lover now or ever in lifetime (9%) were more common in sexually experienced fine arts students. Self-reported pregnancy (23%) and STIs (33%) were also more common in fine arts students. Years spent in school, understanding or approval of multiple sex partners, younger age at first sex and coercive first sex were associated with multiple lifetime partners, which was a risk factor for both unintended pregnancy and STIs.Conclusions Female fine arts students hold more tolerant attitudes toward sex than other female students. They were more inclined to risky sexual behaviours, and thus more vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy and STIs.

Empathy as a Determining Factor for Nursing Career Selection

The ability to empathize with others is a highly desirable characteristic for the delivery of quality care by nurses. Little research is available that explores the empathy characteristics of students who are attracted to nursing. The purpose of this study is to explore whether empathizing and systemizing characteristics are important factors underlying students' self-selection into and continuing success in nursing programs and whether the importance of these characteristics tends to differ for men and women who choose nursing as a career. A descriptive correlative design was used for this study of 1,872 undergraduates enrolled in a variety of majors, including nursing, at a large midwestern U.S. research university. Findings supported that nursing students had significantly higher empathy characteristics than students in other disciplines.

Pharmacases.de – A student-centered e-learning project of clinical pharmacology

Aim: The aim of the project Pharmacases.de was to develop an innovative concept for creating high-quality e-learning content which integrates and promotes the theoretical and cooperative skills of final-year medical students and is easily adoptable by cooperating institutes and hospitals.Methods and results: A peer-teaching concept was developed in which final-year medical students with the elective pharmacology independently researched and wrote e-learning cases of clinical pharmacology (“pharmacases”). Subject-specific expertise was acquired by consulting a peer network of elective students of other disciplines. The created material was subjected to a multi-step peer review and published on the open-access internet platform http://www.pharmacases.de. At present, the website contains 45 e-learning cases, 27 quizzes, and a student-managed discussion forum. Each month, approximately 1200 students access the e-learning content on the website with above-average evaluation results.Summary and conclusion: The didactic concept of Pharmacases.de enabled the efficient generation of high-quality e-learning content in a student-centered and interdisciplinary manner and was well received by the students. It will likely facilitate the transfer of theoretical pharmacological knowledge into clinical practice.

How graduate students perceive, use, and manage electronic resources

PurposeThis study aims to investigate graduate student perceptions of electronic resources, their search behaviour, and their usage patterns.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted in a research‐oriented university, and participants included 18 graduate students from three disciplines: humanities, social sciences, and science and technology.FindingsGraduate students are frequent users of electronic resources, particularly during the thesis‐writing period. Graduate students of science and technology perceive electronic resources to be considerably more important to their research and studies than students of other disciplines do. Few students use the metasearch tool to retrieve heterogeneous electronic resources in the library. Very few students use alert services to obtain updated information.Originality/valueThe findings of the study could help university librarians acquire an enhanced understanding of the usage behaviour of graduate students on electronic resources.