Science Students Research Articles

Perceptions and attitudes about the contribution of the environment to childhood cancer: a pilot study in a medical guild and undergraduate students

BackgroundIdentifying and recognizing environmental risk factors for childhood cancer is crucial to prevent it. Medical guild are the first contact to monitor children’s health. Therefore, courses about the contribution of chemical toxins in the environment and health outcomes such as cancer should be included in their professional training. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions and attitudes of a medical guild and undergraduate students in health sciences about the contribution of the environment to childhood cancer.MethodsA pilot study was conducted, an online survey including thirteen questions was shared among medical guild members and undergraduate students in health sciences. Frequencies, percentages, and chi-square homogeneity tests were calculated to compare groups.ResultsGenetic factors ranked as the first possible cause of childhood cancer (88.2% medical guild and 97.7% undergraduate students). However, 70.6% of medical guild and 64.6% of undergraduate students reported that they have ever suspected that childhood cancer could be related to the environmental conditions in which children live. More than 95% of the participants reported that they would find it useful to have more knowledge about environmental risks and cancer. When data were analyzed by profession (medical guild) and academic year (undergraduate students), no significant differences were observed. Nonetheless, comparisons by academic discipline between undergraduate students, showed that a higher percentage of medicine and environmental sciences and health (over 98%) reported environmental exposure as risk factors associated with childhood cancer compared to 75% from physiotherapy, (p = 0.001).ConclusionsIn this study, the environmental contribution to childhood cancer is not clear among the medical guild and undergraduate students. They should be trained on the topic of cancer and the environment.

From high-school sciences to university accounting in South Africa: how prior learning affects students’ success

Enrolling students in accounting programs based on their proficiency in English, Mathematics, and Accounting is a prevalent practice in many South African institutions of higher learning. However, certain institutions admit students into accounting programs based solely on their proficiency in English and Mathematics. This study posits that such students encounter challenges in acclimating to the accounting science milieu, consequently impeding their academic success. The research draws from the assessment of 112 first-year BCom (Bachelor of Commerce) Accounting Sciences students during the 2023 academic year. The findings affirm that students enrolled based on competency in Accounting, English, and Mathematics outperform those enrolled solely based on English and Mathematics competency. This underscores the necessity for further investigation into the determinants of success among students in accounting programs. Nonetheless, the study corroborates that self-determination and proactivity are significant contributors to success, notwithstanding students' lack of prior exposure to accounting principles.

Moroccan Secondary School English Teacher’s Perception: Science and Literary Stream Students’ Performance

The study investigates the perceptions of Moroccan secondary school teachers regarding the academic performance of science and literary stream students aged 16 to 18. Through a combination of mail surveys, unstructured interviews with English teachers, and discourse analysis, the research identifies that English as the second foreign language in Moroccan schools influences the perceived advantages of science stream students over their literary counterparts. The findings align with a previous study and suggest that science students often pursue literary studies at Moroccan universities post-baccalaureate. The research delves into the distinctive characteristics of science stream students and proposes recommendations for governmental and ministerial reforms in the Moroccan educational system. The study underscores the historical incorporation of English in the Moroccan educational system since 1956 and highlights recent developments, such as the expansion of English language teaching to middle schools. It emphasises the impact of English language learning on students’ future orientations and tendencies in higher education. Ultimately, the study aims to draw attention to English teachers’ perceptions to facilitate positive changes in the Moroccan educational system, urging the education ministry and relevant authorities to consider reforms.

It Helps with Crap Lecturers and Their Low Effort: Investigating Computer Science Students’ Perceptions of Using ChatGPT for Learning

This study explores how computing science students (n = 335) use ChatGPT, their trust in its information, their navigation of plagiarism issues, and their confidence in addressing plagiarism and academic integrity. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative survey data with a qualitative thematic analysis of student comments to provide a comprehensive understanding of these issues. The findings reveal that ChatGPT has become integral to students’ academic routines, with 87.8% using it weekly with variable frequency. Most students (70.3%) believe the university should allow ChatGPT use, and 66.6% think it is fair to use it for academic purposes despite 57.4% distrusting its information. Additionally, 53.8% worry about accidentally plagiarising when using ChatGPT. Overall, students have moderate confidence in addressing these academic integrity issues, with no differences between undergraduate and postgraduate students. Male students reported higher confidence in handling plagiarism and academic integrity issues than female students, suggesting underlying differences in how students perceive and interact with generative AI technologies. A thematic analysis of 74 student comments on their ChatGPT experience revealed four themes: (a) Usage and Role of ChatGPT, (b) Ethical and Responsible Use, (c) Limitations and Accuracy, and (d) Impact on Education and Need for Clear Guidelines. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on accepting and using ChatGPT, highlighting the need for institutions to provide clear guidelines and ethical considerations to ensure responsible use within educational contexts.

We Can All 3MT: Student Science Communication Workshop on Quick and Effective Talks

We Can All 3MT: Student Science Communication Workshop on Quick and Effective Talks

Exploring Academic Well-Being Of College Students In The Digital Age: Evaluating YouTube's Impact As An Educational Resource

Social media has strongly influenced various aspects of our everyday walks of life. During the pandemic, Online education tools and techniques have taken over from the traditional face-to-face teaching-learning method of chalk and board. As a good digitalized teaching medium, YouTube has now emerged to satisfy Generation Z's needs. With its ground-breaking approach to audio-visual learning, YouTube has simplified and revolutionized teaching and learning. YouTube has shown to be a successful educational tool since it links academics, educators, and research investigators across the globe and provides intriguing, enlightening, and entertaining content. This has given education a new dynamic perspective by fostering innovation and creativity. Hence, the objective of the current study is to investigate the various factors that influence the use of YouTube as a learning tool, which also influences the academic well-being of college students in the digital era. Structural Equation Modeling was applied to evaluate the influence of key constructs like Information Quality, Information Usefulness, and Information adoption on the Academic well-being of the students in digital format. The study confirms the significant effect of YouTube as a learning tool on the academic well-being of Undergraduate students of Arts, Science and Humanities disciplines.

Satisfaction of medical and health science students with their clinical learning environment and its determinant factors at Debre Markos University, northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundUnderstanding the student’s perspective of their clinical learning environment (CLE) might assist to discover solutions to improve the learning process and increase engagement. However, there is a lack of information on this issue, particularly in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to assess the satisfaction of undergraduate medical and health science students with their clinical learning environment, as well as to identify the factors that affect it.MethodsInstitutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among 412 medical and health science students from Debre Markos University in 2023 through a simple random sampling technique. Mean, median, frequencies, and percentages were used to describe the data. A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to test the association of dependent and independent variables. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to check the fitness of the model. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval were considered statistically significant.ResultsThe questionnaire was completed by 394 individuals in total, generating a response rate of 95.63%. Approximately half (49.7%) of the participants were satisfied with their CLE. Age (AOR = 1.12; 95%CI = 1.02, 1.22), university positive perceptions (AOR = 1.60; 95%CI = 1.04, 2.43) and curriculum positive perception (AOR = 2.70; 95%CI = 1.73, 4.10) were all positively associated with CLE satisfaction.ConclusionIn this study, approximately half of the respondents were satisfied with their CLE. Age, positive perceptions of the university and positive perceptions of the curriculum were all positively associated with CLE satisfaction. The university and clinical facilitators should work together to improve infrastructure, and the facilities at the university, build dormitories at the clinical placement sites, as well as the curriculum review should involve students to increase their academic performance, self-esteem, and satisfaction with CLE.

A Framework for the Communication Capabilities of scientists

ABSTRACT The ability to communicate science effectively is a key attribute for science graduates, and considerable work has been done to establish the techniques and skills associated with effective communication. What is less clear however, is the learning progression students traverse as they develop proficiency in science communication. In this study we evaluated aspects of university-level student science communication capabilities pre- and post- explicit teaching of core science communication capabilities. We used this data to identify the characteristics of early science communication learners and synthesise a robust learning progression Framework for Communication Capabilities (FCC). The FCC was created to support educators in identifying the characteristics of their learners to facilitate the constructive alignment of learning objectives, curriculum, and assessment rubrics for learners of science communication through early phases of their development.

Problem-based learning with library e-resources to enhance student information literacy self-efficacy

PurposeThis study investigates the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in information literacy curricula using library e-resources to enhance information literacy self-efficacy (ILSE) of students in two universities in Indonesia, in Java Island (University A) and Sumatra Island (University B).Design/methodology/approachA comparison of the effectiveness of the approach in the two universities forms the focus of the study, which has adopted a single group quasi-experimental design which was conducted in one online teaching-learning session. The authors compared the pre-test and post-test scores of 65 library and information science (LIS) students from both universities.FindingsThe results show that the treatment enhanced ILSE effectively. After the treatment, University A students performed better than those at University B.Research limitations/implicationsThe factors which affected the success of PBL using library e-resources have not been identified in this study, a task for a future qualitative research study.Practical implicationsThis study will both inspire the use of library e-resources in learning activities and promote ILSE.Originality/valueIntegrating PBL with library e-resources provides opportunity to identify the advantages of library e-resources in supporting student ILSE, resulting a better learning achievement.

Bioscience Students in Physics Courses with Higher Test Anxiety Have Lower Grades on High-Stakes Assessments and Women Report More Test Anxiety than Men

Test anxiety is beginning to be recognized as a significant factor affecting student performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, potentially contributing to gender inequity within these fields. Additionally, the management of test anxiety can improve self-efficacy, which is a construct that has been well studied in the physics context. In this study, we investigated the relationship between self-efficacy, test anxiety, and gender differences in performance in a two-semester-long introductory physics course sequence for bioscience students in which women outnumber men. Using validated survey data and grade information from students in a two-semester introductory physics course sequence, we compared the predictive power of self-efficacy and test anxiety on female and male students’ performance on both low- and high-stakes assessments. We found that there were gender differences disadvantaging women in self-efficacy and test anxiety in both Physics 1 and Physics 2, as well as gender differences in high-stakes outcomes in Physics 1. There were no gender differences in low-stakes assessment scores. We also found that self-efficacy and test anxiety predicted high-stakes (but not low-stakes) assessment outcomes in both Physics 1 and Physics 2. Comparison of these findings with prior studies involving physical science and engineering students shows that although women outnumber men in physics courses for bioscience students and the career goals of bioscience students are very different from the earlier researched group, most of the negative trends hold even for this new population. Thus, these findings, in a new context involving bioscience students in physics courses, are very important because they reinforce the systemic nature of women being affected more adversely by anxiety in high-stakes assessments, which is a threat to creating equitable and inclusive learning environments. An important implication is that course instructors should carefully consider how high-stakes and low-stakes assessments are used to determine grades and how to create an overall equitable, inclusive, and low-anxiety learning environment.

History of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Guelph

A review of the 150 year history of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Guelph is presented. The department was formed at the creation of the Ontario School of Agriculture in 1874. It was a central figure in the growth of the school into the Ontario Agricultural College. With the creation of the University of Guelph in 1964, the department developed into a modern research chemistry department, tasked with the instruction of chemistry for science students at the university. It continues to this day to be a key source of chemical research and education.

AI anxiety and fear: A look at perspectives of information science students and professionals towards artificial intelligence

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within society and the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), has ignited a spectrum of emotions in society, ranging from enthusiasm to anxiety. This study investigates the depths of AI anxiety and fear among a population of information science students and professionals. Utilising a survey of over 200 current students and professionals, this study explores the connections between age, gender identity, ethnicity, geographic location, educational attainment and residence, and the levels of anxiety and fear associated with AI and the 4IR. The findings reveal nuanced relationships, with age, ethnicity, academic achievement and regional context serving as critical differentiators in 4IR and AI anxiety within this population. Students and professionals alike may benefit from seeking further education about this emerging technology.

INCIDENCE OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS AMONG STUDENTS OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND NON-HEALTH SCIENCES; A COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM PAKISTAN

Background: Depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) are prevalent psychological conditions worldwide, accounting for approximately 15% of the global burden of disease, particularly in developing countries. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan is 42.66%. Objectives: The main aim of this research was to investigate the incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress amongst both health sciences and non-health sciences university students and their association with socio-demographic characteristics. Methodology: The DASS-21 was used to collect data on depression, anxiety, and stress, in addition to socio-demographic factors. The data was collected through a web-based questionnaire from November 06, 2023, to January 06, 2024, from private and public universities in Punjab, Pakistan. 1177 students participated, including 586 (49.78%) health sciences students and 591 (50.21%) non-health sciences students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: It was observed that the incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the university students of Pakistan was 52.8%, 40.5%, and 44.8%, respectively. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant relationship between social media use and DASD (p &lt; 0.001). In terms of study time, students who studied for less than 3 hours had a significantly higher prevalence of DASD, indicating a substantial association between study time and depression. Conclusions: According to the results of the current study, psychological conditions were highly prevalent in both health sciences and non-health sciences students. Moreover, contrary to male students, female undergraduates have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. Particular attention should be paid to the students, and counselling sessions should be designed to improve their mental health. Hence, a comparative study of different psychological conditions among health sciences and non-health sciences students could be of interest and helpful to higher education policymakers. Screening students’ mental health is crucial to understanding the prevalence rates of DAS and its associated factors.

Gamified Networked Learning Environments in Higher Education: A Study on Student Engagement and Value Creation in Computer Science

In the rapidly evolving domain of computer science education, fostering deep engagement and sustained motivation among students remains a challenge. This study introduces the Answers platform, a pioneering online learning environment developed at TU Delft. This research aims to reimagine the learning experience for Bachelor and Master of Science Students in computer science by integrating gamification elements grounded in Wenger's value creation framework. Our paper explores two critical research questions: the perception of learners towards gamified learning experiences and the impact of the Answers' system on value creation and motivation. We incorporated points, badges, and leaderboards in a semester-long intervention to enrich the learning landscape. The Value Creation Questionnaire (VCQ) results indicated that the platform effectively created potential and applied value, significantly enhancing students' learning practices and motivation. However, its impact on fostering social connections could have been more pronounced. The platform also moderately influenced students' ability to impact their world and shift perspectives. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) revealed that students generally enjoyed using the platform but felt it did not significantly enhance feelings of connectedness. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by demonstrating the efficacy of gamification in computer science education and offering insights into the design of engaging online learning platforms. By bridging theoretical frameworks with practical application, the Answers platform exemplifies the potential of gamified environments to revolutionize educational practices in the digital age.

Learning from Designing a Board Game for Policy Thinking in Computer Science

Technology does not exist in a vacuum, but is influenced by society and at the same time shaping it. In order to educate future computer scientists to be able to assess and create technology in a conscious and responsible manner, we provide first-year Computer Science (CS) students with an introductory course on different ways of thinking about CS by offering them a transdisciplinary view of the field. As we continuously strive to use engaging teaching methods to foster long-lasting interest for the topics of the course, as well as enhancing students’ learning experiences, we have introduced a unique game-based learning pipeline: In a game design course, advanced CS students design non-digital games that address various topics from the introductory course. These games are later played by first-year CS students, who are reflecting on the content and their experience as a part of their course assignments. In order to learn from the first iteration of this process, we analyse one of the games created, in particular its design and the educational objectives intended by the game designers, including the students’ feedback. We found that the game was perceived to be good in achieving learning outcomes; however, it scored even higher in terms of being an interesting and entertaining game. Overall, we conclude that the game was successful in creating an engaging learning experience, demonstrating the potential for game-based learning with non-digital games. This case study also highlights the importance of creating a suitable environment for game-based learning approaches to enhance the educational effects and utilise individual strengths of educational games, providing inspiration and groundwork for future research.

Development of Learning Video Media in Biology Subjects

The purpose of this study is to produce valid and practical learning video media for use in the learning process. This research is a development research used to produce a product in the form of learning video media. The stages in this development include: planning stage, design stage, and development stage. The subjects in this study were 2 validators consisting of learning media experts and content or learning media material experts, 31 grade XI science students and 1 Biology subject teacher. Data collection techniques used observation, interviews, questionnaires and documentation. The data analysis techniques used were Qualitative Descriptive Analysis, and Descriptive Static Analysis. Research on this offers novelty in the form of more visual and interactive learning media, allowing students to understand complex biological concepts through interesting graphical and animated representations. In addition, these learning videos provide flexibility for students to learn independently and repeatedly, thus improving conceptual understanding and accommodating various learning styles.

Las competencias digitales y la autonomía del estudiantado de educación superior. Validación y diagnóstico

Aim. This study aims to analyze the levels of digital competencies (DC) and autonomy among higher education students and to characterize the possible correlation between these variables. Method. A non-probabilistic convenience sample of 294 Mexican undergraduate Social Sciences and Humanities students was used. The research was quantitative-correlational, descriptive-cross-sectional, and non-experimental. Self-administered online questionnaires were used to measure the DC and autonomy variables: an adaptation to Mexican Spanish of the instrument “Basic Digital Competencies 2.0 of University Students” (COBADI®) (Zapata-Ross, 2013) and the “Autonomy” by Bei et al. (2019), respectively. Results. Diverse levels of DC and autonomy were found among students from the different universities. Higher levels of DC and autonomy were associated with being female, using ICT for academic activities, having computer equipment and the Internet, and using the computer for more hours. Non-parametric tests confirmed direct and moderate associations between the variables, particularly when considering some of their dimensions. Conclusions. Adequate levels of DC are associated with higher student autonomy in ICT-mediated education.

Perceptions and influencing factors of interprofessional collaboration in final-year health science students

ABSTRACT Interprofessional education (IPE) is vital for preparing a competent health workforce. Despite the proven benefits of interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP), barriers to its implementation persist. Given the importance of health professionals’ perspectives for IPCP success, we investigated the perceptions of IPCP among final-year health science students at Khon Kaen University, Thailand, while they transition into practice. A cross-sectional online survey conducted from February to April 2023 included 989 students across six health science disciplines, with a response rate of 57.8%. Using the SPICE-R2 questionnaire on a five-point Likert-type scale, we assessed perceptions related to interprofessional teamwork, roles and responsibilities, and patient outcomes. Results showed significant diversity in IPCP perceptions and experiences with IPE. Nursing students consistently demonstrated the highest IPCP perceptions, while medical and public health students scored the lowest. Positive perceptions about IPCP were notably associated with nursing students and those satisfied with the learning process. Dentistry students and those with IPE experience also exhibited more favorable views on teamwork. This study suggests the need to address disparities in IPCP perceptions among student groups, which is essential for enhancing interprofessional collaboration in future health professionals.

Synergistic effects of students’ mathematics and science motivational beliefs on achievement, and their determinants

BackgroundStudents’ mathematics and science motivational beliefs are crucial determinants of their school academic achievement in math and science. The current study aimed to identify the group memberships of students’ motivational beliefs in math and science, which are closely related. Furthermore, this study probed the predictive effects of individual students’ experiences at school on forming group membership. We also tested the mean differences of the identified latent groups in math and science achievement.ResultsUsing latent profile analysis modeling, we examined data from 3857 Korean eighth-grade students participating in the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. The theoretical rationale and supplementary statistical indices showed a five-group membership as the optimal solution. The five groups are high motivation, medium motivation, low math/high science motivation, low motivation, and very low motivation. Students’ sense of school belonging was the most crucial predictor in forming group membership, whereas perceived student bullying did not predict group membership. Finally, students in distinct motivational belief groups exhibited differences in their math and science achievements.ConclusionsThis study identified five subgroups of students based on their distinct motivational beliefs in math and science, and variations in their association with achievements. In terms of policy development and intervention, it is important to nurture students’ sense of school belonging. This study advances motivational theories in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, and provides practical suggestions for improving educational practices to enhance student math and science motivational beliefs.

Analysis of Self-Confidence of UNJ Communication Science Students Class of 2020 Regarding Standardization on the Tiktok Application

The rapid development of technology has given birth to many new media as intermediaries in communicating. And this development gave birth to a media, namely social media which has now become an intermediary for communicating and needs for humans which can be considered difficult to separate because humans are very dependent on social media, and one of the social media is TikTok which is a medium for creating and share videos widely. However, with the presence and increasing use of TikTok, especially during the pandemic, many people feel that TikTok is a place to compare themselves with others in how good or creative the content is, to physically compare which ultimately affects one's self-confidence. In this study, using a qualitative research approach with interview data collection techniques which in this study interviewed students from the Jakarta State University Communication Studies program class of 2020, and this study aims to find out how far TikTok social media can affect a person's self-confidence. The conclusion obtained from the results of this study is to conclude that the use of social media, especially TikTok, has an impact in the form of a negative impact and a positive impact on a person's self-confidence studied in this research which will certainly affect a person in living his daily life. And the impact of this use is a decrease in self-confidence or can grow one's self-confidence.