Students In Palestine Research Articles

Bullying Behaviors among University Students in Palestine

Background: The problem of bullying in schools and universities is an issue of every nation around the globe. Researchers around the globe pointed out an abundance of negative impacts on students involved in bullying and require the focus and attention of adults to address and resolve bullying incidents among students. Objectives: The purpose of the study investigating the prevalence rate of bullying and victimization and causes of bullying among university health sciences students in Palestine. Method: The current survey design study was directed on samples were randomly and the total number of sample was 191 students (the male was 81 and the females were 110). Bullying was assessed by using a questionnaire developed from the literature by the researcher. Result: As a result, it causes psychological disorders in the long-term, such as depression, anxiety, and aggression, whether it is directed toward the self, or toward others. In this study, the sample was randomly selected from one governorate in the West Bank of Palestine. Conclusion: The study concludes that the common type of bullying behavior among male university students was physical and verbal bullying the highest among female university students. Also, the participants in the study mention that stress, jealousy, and revenge were from the common reasons for the bullying.

Nursing Students' Perceptions of Peer Evaluation in Group Work at Bethlehem University, Palestine

This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of peer evaluation (PE) in group work (GW) among nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bethlehem University, Palestine in spring 2016. While previous studies have examined the importance of PE in GW in a variety of disciplines in higher education, researchers have not paid much attention to PE in the assessment of nursing students in Palestine. A qualitative approach was used on a sample population of third- and fourth-year nursing students (n = 70) at Bethlehem University who had participated in PE in previous courses at least three times. Results revealed that participation in GW promoted the students' leadership skills, team spirit, self-confidence, and respect for others, while significantly contributing to their professional growth. The results also highlighted challenges to GW such as distributing assignments to groups and providing clear specifications for the group leader's role. Results also showed that the main challenges facing PE were the lack of objectivity, fairness, anonymity, and clear evaluation criteria, as well as the limited items in the evaluation forms. The study recommended the development of a faculty handbook containing guidelines for GW and PE, conducting training sessions for students, and encouraging all faculty members to use GW and PE routinely in their teaching practices.

Assessment of Knowledge about First Aid Methods, Diagnosis, and Management of Snakebite among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from Palestine.

Background Snakebite is a serious and important medical emergency encountered in many parts of the world. The estimated number of victims of venomous snakebites in Palestine is about 100 to 150 annually, with death occurring in 2 to 3 of them. This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge on the diagnosis and management of snakebites among nursing students in Palestine, as well as their attitude towards snakebites. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey that took place at An-Najah National University. Two hundred nursing students were asked to fill a questionnaire that was developed to assess the participants' knowledge and attitude regarding snakebite's diagnosis and management. Different knowledge scores were calculated, and the relationships between students' knowledge and their characteristics were calculated by implementing the Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis test. The statistical significance limit of p values was set at 0.05. Results The majority of the participants (57%) were fourth-year students with an average age of 20.7 ± 1. Areas of knowledge and the participants' mean scores on them were as follows: Vipera palaestinae snake, 5.1/13; signs and symptoms, 9.6/16; laboratory investigations, 6.1/10; anti-venom, 4.2/11; and first aid, 6.6/15. The only statistically significant differences in knowledge were between male and female students on Vipera palaestinae (male students scored higher, p value = 0.004) and between different types of residence (village dwellers scored the highest, p value = 0.041). Conclusions We found knowledge gaps in many aspects of snakebite's diagnosis and management among nursing students in Palestine. Based on the results of this study, we suggest integrating more materials on this topic in the curriculum of Palestinian nursing schools, as well as more practical training, which will positively reflect on the care for snakebite victims.

E-Payment Services Among Undergraduate Students in Palestine: Survey Study

This work aims to explore the extend of knowledge that undergraduate students at local Universities have about electronic payment (e-payment) methods. The population is chosen to be the undergraduate students studying at the faculty of information technology (IT) and engineering faculty at both the Islamic University of Gaza and Gaza University in Gaza, Palestine. To satisfy the aim of this work, electronic questionnaire (e-questionnaire) is built and distributed to the population of this study. The retrieved questionnaires were 10% of the population of the study. The collected data have been analyzed using SPSS program. The results showed that the students trust the e-payment services but they lack the needed knowledge about the system and its usage. To over this deficiency, we recommend that local universities should provide training courses and specialized lectures given by experts in the field to the students. In addition, we recommend that local universities introduce new courses to the students in which they learn about e-commerce, e-banking and e-payment methods.

A new experience of online education under the COVID-19 pandemic for occupational therapy students in Palestine

ABSTRACT There are circumstances and conditions that stimulate thinking and research in a scientific and practical way. These conditions fit into our reality under the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience related to myself and my field of work as an instructor of occupational therapy at the Arab American University in Palestine. There are students that I teach that have not been accustomed to distance learning through online courses using social media, especially zoom. This unfamiliar situation provided an opportunity for my students and myself to re-think the cases we deal with and the methods that we typically use, especially those people with spinal cord injuries. Here, I started creating an educational unit for students, in order to answer the questions posed by students. How can we provide an occupational therapy service under quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic? In what ways are patients suffering in the same way that we are suffering from the coronavirus pandemic? How can I adapt my teaching strategies methods to achieve the goals that I previously set for my students’ education before the pandemic?

The Effect of the Contradictory Events Strategy on Modifying Misconceptions in Chemistry for Tenth Grade Students in Palestine

This study aims at investigating the effect of using the discrepant events strategy on modifying the alternative misconceptions in chemistry of 10th grade students compared with the traditional method. The researcher used the semi-experimental method by applying the study to a sample of (74) 10th grade female students in the secondary school of girls in the district of Tulkarem, in the second semester of the academic year (2016/2017). To actualize the purpose of the study, the researcher used the alternative misconceptions test. The analysis of variance (ANCOVA) showed presence of a statistically significant difference between the means of grades of the students on the alternative misconceptions test was in favors of experimental group members. Based on the results, the study recommends that it is important to use this strategy in teaching chemistry because of its role in modifying the student’s misconceptions. Keywords: Alternative Misconceptions, Contradictory Events, Teaching Chemistry.

Effects of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking on the Spirometric Profile of University Students in Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Waterpipe smoking in young individuals is increasing with limited studies addressing its respiratory health effects. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of waterpipe smoking on young adults' lung functions. Spirometric parameters were compared between waterpipe smokers and nonsmokers. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study of university students, including males and females, was conducted. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to record students' characteristics. The spirometry test was performed to assess students' lung functions; we recorded the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC ratio, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of FVC (FEF25–75%). Results A total of 300 apparently healthy students (150 waterpipe smokers and 150 nonsmokers) were included in the study. Waterpipe smokers showed significantly lower values in FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF, and FEF25–75% compared to the nonsmoker group (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). The subgroup analysis on female students (50 WP smokers and 50 nonsmokers) showed a significant decrease in FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF, and FEF25–75% parameters (P < 0.001). Conclusion Waterpipe smoking is associated with reduced spirometric parameters in healthy young adults with relatively limited smoking years.

Prevalence and factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among Palestinian medical students

BackgroundCo-existence of depression and anxiety can be associated with severe detrimental consequences to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the affected populations. This study was conducted to determine prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among Palestinian medical students and to investigate associations between sociodemographic factors of the students with depressive and anxiety symptoms.MethodsThis study was conducted in a cross-sectional observational design using a questionnaire in the period between September 2018 and April 2019 in a major university in the West Bank of Palestine. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The questionnaire also collected the sociodemographic characteristics of the students. Reliability of the questionnaire was tested using the test re-test method. A total of 425 medical students were invited to participate in the study.ResultsOf those invited, 286 students completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 67.3%. More than half (56.6%) of the students had minimal depression, 20.3% had mild depression, 14.0% had moderate depression, 9.1% had severe depression, 23.4% had no anxiety, 29.7% had mild to moderate anxiety, 25.5% had moderate to severe anxiety, and 21.3% had severe anxiety. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that academic stage (p-value < 0.01), Grade Point Average (p-value < 0.01), mental health status (p-value < 0.001), ever attempted suicide (p-value < 0.05), and religious commitment (p-value < 0.01) were predictors of BDI-II scores. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that academic stage (p-value < 0.05) and mental health status (p-value < 0.001) were predictors of BAI scores.ConclusionsDepressive and anxiety symptoms were prevalent among Palestinian medical students in a major university in the West Bank of Palestine. Interventions might be designed to improve self-rated mental health of medical students in their academic years, ameliorate study conditions, and provision of counseling services to improve spirituality might be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among medical students in Palestine. Future studies are still needed to investigate if these interventions could be useful in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms among Palestinian medical students.

Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders among Palestinian medical students

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a collective term that involves alterations in the temporomandibular joint, muscles of mastication and the occlusion. The TMD disorder is a common health problem which affects about 33% of the population within their lifetime. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of TMDs among university students in Palestine. The role of various risk factors in the etiology of TMD symptoms was also addressed. This is a cross sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 416 dental and medical field students from all cities of Palestine studying at Arab American University of Palestine (with an age range of 18 – 27 years). In this study, 63.5% (n = 264) of the investigated students had at least one TMD symptom; clenching was the most prevalent TMD (35.6%) followed by joint noise (33.4%) while locked jaw was the least prevalent (10.6%) symptom. In the conclusion high prevalence of TMD among Palestinian medical students was reported, females reported more pain on TMJ area than males, age group (23 to 25) years reported more frequency of clenching than the other age groups, and strong correlation was found between stress, headache and TMD.

Prevalence of water-pipe smoking and associated factors among university students in Palestine: a cross sectional study

Prevalence of water-pipe smoking and associated factors among university students in Palestine: a cross sectional study

E-Payment Services Among Undergraduate Students in Palestine: Survey Study

E-Payment Services Among Undergraduate Students in Palestine: Survey Study

Gender Difference and Bullying among Secondary School Students in Palestine

Background: Bullying in schools is the problem and an issue of every nation around the globe. Researchers around the globe pointed out an abundance of negative impacts on students involved in bullying and require the focus and attention of adults to address and resolve bullying incidents among students. Aim: This research aimed to study the impact of bullying on gender of secondary school students in Palestine. Methods: The present mixed-method study was directed on samples randomly and total number of samples was 827 students (the male was 388 and female was 439). Bullying was assessed by using Bully Victim Determination Scale, developed by Piskin & Ayas (2007). Result: After analyzing data by using the Mann Whitney U test, it was found that male students are more bullied than females. Conclusion: The study concluded that girls and boys are vulnerable to bullying. But the boys are found to be more bullied than girls.

The Role of Science Teachers in Developing the 21st Century Skills for the Elementary School Students

The paper measures the actual role of science teachers in developing the 21st century skills for the elementary stage students in Palestine. The population consisted of all West Bank and Gaza’s science 3-9 grade teachers. The sample comprised 560 male and female teachers who were chosen randomly. A scale was used to test 48 practices across 8 major categories: Critical Thinking Skills, Collaboration Skills, Communication Skills, Innovation Skills, Self -Direction Skills, Global Connections Skills, Local Connections Skills and Using Technology as a Tool for Learning. Surveyed teachers reported that they advance toward these categories with a frequency of 1-3 times a month, which is not quite Adequate. The findings should be sequential for educators, education planners and stakeholders focused on professional development and teacher training.

Determinants of M-Commerce Adoption: An Empirical Study

M-commerce has very rapidly developed into a very powerful way of reaching out to the consumer. M-commerce has been a massive success in terms of users’ adoption in some markets like Japan, while, astonishingly, not as thriving in others. However, its acceptance and level of adoption are low in Palestine compared to other countries. The research main objective is to classify the key variables that influence the acceptance of M-commerce among higher education students in Palestine by developing an M-commerce adoption Model based on an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A total of 430 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique. The findings revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, personnel innovation, security and privacy, subjective norms, and perceived trust are found to have an important effect on consumer behavioral intention to adopt M-commerce. These results will benefit stakeholders involved in M-commerce activities such as service providers, retailers, consumers, academicians, and students.

Internet Addiction and Perceived Self-Efficacy Among University Students

Much concern has been raised of late regarding factors predicting vulnerability to addictive behaviors in general and most recently those related to the newly emerging area of risk of excessive and addictive patterns of use on the internet, including social media and gaming. The current study was designed to investigate the relationship between levels of addictive patterns of internet usage (as related to social media) and perceived self-efficacy among university-aged students in Palestine (a country with some of the highest levels of internet addiction). The sample consisted of 505 university students, selected randomly across area of study. Results indicated a high negative relationship between excessive internet use/addictive patterns of use and perceived self-efficacy. Findings conversely showed no significant differences in internet addiction and perceived self-efficacy dependent on area of study, gender, age or academic level. These conclusions illuminate concerns related to factors of vulnerability as well as possible negative effects of excessive internet use and self-efficacy, especially in the highly sensitive group of university students where behavioral patterns may lead to lifelong habits and/or interfere with developmental and educational tasks and demands. In addition, as self-efficacy is known to be a risk factor in both symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation, further research into this relationship may be critical in devising interventions to both reduce internet addiction and increase self-efficacy during the critical life period of late adolescence.

METABOLIC SYNDROME STATUS DEFINED BY THE INTERNATIONAL DIABETES FEDERATION AMONG A SAMPLE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM PALESTINE

Introduction: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors including central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure (BP). It viewed as the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). We aim to determine the prevalence of MetS among Palestinian college students using the definition proposed by the international diabetes federation (IDF). Methods: This study was a cross-sectional. A total of 100 male students and 100 agematched female students were randomly selected. Personal, clinical, and lifestyle data of the students were gathered by questionnaire. Anthropometric and biochemical indices were measured. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Results: Male students were more active in their lifestyle, more obese, hypertensive, hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia than female students (p≤0.05). The most common MetS criteria among the students were low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) 31.0%, large waist circumference (WC) 14.0%, high Glucose 12.5%, high Triglycerides (TG) 8.5%, and high blood pressure (BP) 6.0%. MetS occurrence in the current study was 7.0% with 8% of women and 6% of men having MetS. Obese students had the greatest occurrence of high WC and elevated BP compared to those in other students (p≤0.05). Furthermore, obese students had a higher prevalence of MetS than found among other students. Conclusion: MetS is found among college students in Palestine. It also appears that obesity contributes to the high incidence of MetS. Early diagnosis and treatment of MetS risk factors and healthier lifestyle promotion lead to decrease the risk of MetS occurrence.

The Effect of Interactive Drills Using Dry Lab on the Acquisition of Laboratory Skills in Learning Science Among the Ninth-Grade Female Students in Palestine in Light of Their Thinking Style

The study aimed to identify the effect of the interactive drills using the dry laboratory on the acquisition of scientific concepts and laboratory skills in science among the ninth-grade female students in Palestine in light of their thinking styles. The study used quizzes of experimental method. The sample consisted of 68 female students distributed on two groups: an experimental group (n = 34 students) and a control group (n = 34 students). In order to achieve the objectives of the study, test of laboratory skills and thinking styles tests were used. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences between the means of the experimental group that was studied using the interactive method of the dry laboratory and the control group that studied using the traditional method via laboratory skills tests in favor of the experimental group. The results also revealed that there was an interaction between the method of teaching (the interactive drills using dry laboratory and the traditional method) and thinking styles on the acquisition of laboratory skills. In light of these results, several recommendations were suggested.

A Usability and Acceptance Evaluation of the Use of Augmented Reality for Learning Atoms and Molecules Reaction by Primary School Female Students in Palestine

The chemical reaction between different molecules is an important learning subject in a chemistry course. Especially for elementary school students, this can be an abstract concept and therefore difficult to understand. One way to facilitate this learning process is to use Augmented Reality (AR) technology, which is considered as an added value compared with classical learning materials such as textbooks, two-dimensional images, video, and so forth. Among the different advantages of using AR technology in the context of the educational domain is the fact that three-dimensional technology is offering a safe environment especially if the students have to perform critical tasks such as simulating chemical reactions. This work investigates students' attitude toward the use of a mobile AR application for learning atoms' and molecules' reactions. In particular, we focused on female students because, in general, female students show less interest in science and technology than male students. We were keen to investigate whether the use of AR technology could change this attitude. The students are able to interact with different AR components to explore the possible reactions in a three-dimensional interface, to understand the structure and shape of atoms and molecules, and to view related explanations in their native language, that is, the Arabic language. The mobile AR application was evaluated by a class of 12- to 13-year-old (7th grade) students in a Palestinian primary school. The number of participants was 50, all female students. After analyzing the results, we can conclude that these female students had a positive attitude toward the use of this AR application in their learning process.

Determinants of Building 21st Century Skills in Palestinian Elementary Schools

To fully engage in modern society, learners need to acquire not only individual skills&amp;ndash; such as critical thinking, innovation and self-direction, but also participatory competences&amp;ndash; such as collaboration, local connections, global connections, technology utilization and communication. The present study measures the factors influencing the development of such skills in the elementary stage science students in Palestine. The population comprised the science teachers for third through ninth grades at West Bank schools, while the sample consisted of 560 teacher respondents who provided self-assessment of their role in developing the 21st skills in their students. A scale developed by Ravitz et al (2012) was used to test 48 practices across 8 major skill categories: Critical Thinking Skill, Collaboration Skills, Communication Skills, Innovation Skills, Self -Direction Skills, Global Connections Skills, Local Connections Skills and Technology Utilization. Our focus was on measuring results in relation to five teacher-related variables: sex, academic degree, years of experience, teacher major and active learning training. The findings suggest that these variables are crucial in skill-building.

Constructive content-based feedback in EAP contexts: lessons from a cross-border engineering-related pre-sessional course

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates a small-scale project concerned with establishing and sustaining an e-partnership between international students in the UK and engineering students in Palestine. It focuses on the value of peer teaching and learning as an attempt to ensure a greater balance between knowledge and language on a UK pre-sessional English language course, by involving more able peers from a Gazan student body. At the same time, it was hoped that such an arrangement would enable the Gazan students to develop a range of transferable skills, of use in accessing employment at a distance. The article initially outlines the wider context to the Project, discussing the issues related to instituting peer learning/teaching schemes in an HE setting. At its centre though is the presentation and evaluation of a constructive feedback course, whose design and delivery aimed at facilitating the development of skills needed to perform as a peer mentor. It demonstrates students’ attitudes towards feedback and the strategies they use when asked to provide their peers with content feedback in an e-partnership. In this way, it provides food for thought to educators interested in developing similar cross-border schemes. Though the potential issues that emerge in terms of First World/Global South imbalance are very considerable, the paper suggests that telecollaboration projects of this nature may help overseas students start interrogating discipline-specific literacies, thus preventing the decontextualisation of the learner, including those unable to pay to study at a prestigious HE institution.