Third-level Students Research Articles

Building Inclusive Narratives: Methodological Strategies for Creating Stories in Teacher Trainingand University Outreach

The presented methodological and interdisciplinary experience implies a synergy between teaching and university extension at the National University of Costa Rica. The main purpose is to develop learning experiences that foster collaboration, recognition of diversity, and disciplinary encounters in initial teacher education. A total of 48 fourth-level students in Special Education and third-level students in Preschool Education, organized into 12 mixed groups of four individuals each, participated in this initiative along with academic-extensionists from the project "Literacy: A perspective for the construction of inclusive reading environments". The pedagogical proposal is based on the methodology systematized by teacher Oscar Jara, but it is adapted and enriched through three key moments: the initial experience of training in "creating inclusive stories", the interdisciplinary itinerary, and the resulting reflections. During six in-person pedagogical meetings at UNA, aspects of language development were addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The result was the creation of 12 inclusive stories, developed according to the principles of UDL. Through workshop dynamics and reflections, the feelings and thoughts of the participants were reconstructed, thus enriching the initial teacher training experience with an interdisciplinary approach. It is worth noting that this experience enhances the formation of the professional profile, promoting reflective skills, respect, dialogue, and joint construction, in line with regulations on inclusive education and early childhood. In conclusion, this initiative demonstrates how university teaching can promote the training of future professionals committed to inclusion and respect for diversity, through interdisciplinary approaches that foster a deeper and more coherent pedagogical practice with the current demands of the educational field.

The dynamics of syntactic and lexical complexity measures in academic writing

This study explores the L2 production of university students enrolled in an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) course, by means of the analysis of the complexity of their academic writing performance. It focuses on syntactic and lexical complexity and their relationship with L2 writing quality and L2 proficiency. The participants were 182 L2 college-level students at difference levels of proficiency in English. The essays were evaluated by means of both global ratings of writing quality and quantitative measures of syntactic and lexical analysis. Results showed that the length of sentences and noun phrases, as well as subordination are all related to writing quality. In addition, the length of noun phrases along with lexical richness and diversity can differentiate proficiency levels. This study shows a greater use of complex phrasal constructions in the writing of more competent third-level students. Finally, our study that at advanced competence levels syntactic and lexical complexity are not synchronous, as syntactic complexity remains stable while lexical complexity continues increasing.

Resiliensi Akademik terhadap Santri yang Memiliki Tiga Peran

One of the Islamic Boarding Schools located in Bekasi, West Java has a special program that applies to the students, specifically the third level of Aliyah students. The program is in the form of lecture activities that must be followed to meet the graduation requirements for final-year students so that students have three roles. First, the students play the role of third-grade student Aliyah. Second, students play the role of freshmen. Third, the student acts as a student. The three roles of Aliyah third-level students require academic resilience that can help them face difficulties and problems during the learning process. This research uses qualitative methods with a phenomenological approach. The data collection method used semi-structured interview methods and non-participant observation, as well as documentation studies. Furthermore, data analysis uses interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) with atlas. ti software. This study aims to find out how the picture of academic resilience in students who have three roles. The result of this study is that the academic resilience of students is built by the ability of students to regulate emotions, control impulses, be optimistic, conduct environmental and condition analysis, self-efficacy, and reaching out. Keywords:

Lack of influence of social media on vaccine decision-making by university students in Ireland

ABSTRACT Vaccine hesitancy is a complex, context-specific issue that negatively impacts vaccine uptake. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine mis- and dis-information on social media negatively impacted on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. University students’ beliefs and behaviors surrounding vaccine decision-making is less studied, but this population is important in disease transmission, vaccine uptake and effectiveness. Here, we surveyed students in a third-level Irish university, in September 2022, when pandemic restrictions had been removed, to primarily determine if their use of, and influence by, mainstream and social media correlated with their willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or any vaccine. We analyzed 151 responses and found no significant correlation between students’ willingness to receive either a COVID-19 vaccine or any vaccine and their use of social media. There were significant links between vaccine acceptance and a range of factors, namely accommodation type, social media behaviors, perceived exposure to vaccine mis- or dis-information and previous vaccine uptake. This study provides a preliminary insight into drivers of university student COVID-19 and general vaccine willingness. It provides initial data, in the context of post-pandemic restrictions, to support further development of interventions to enhance vaccine uptake in third-level students in Ireland.

Differences in the Improvement of Statistical Reasoning Ability Based on Students' Self-Regulated Learning Level in Online Learning Using LMS

In the literature, studies on technology-supported learning, especially using LMS, have been widely carried out during a pandemic. However, little is known about LMS, which is interesting and helps to develop students' statistical reasoning abilities for online learning by considering the students' Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) levels (High, medium and low). This study aims to examine and analyze the differences in statistical reasoning abilities of students who study using LMS in terms of SRL levels (high, medium and low). This study uses a quantitative method with the type of One-group pre-test post-test design. What took sampled randomly at the University of Pasundan Bandung, totalling 54 third-level students of Pasundan University Bandung, Indonesia. Research data related to statistical reasoning abilities were collected through a test consisting of six questions. In contrast, SRL level data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 46 question items. Paired t-test and One-way ANOVA analysis were applied to answer the research hypothesis. The results of the study concluded that students studying with LMS with High SRL obtained a higher increase in statistical reasoning ability than students studying with LMS with Medium and low SRL categories, with the criteria for improvement in the three categories being in the high and medium improvement categories. Research findings related to learning using LMS can be used as an alternative learning model in online learning situations.

Gender Equality Training for Students in Higher Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

The principles of gender equality are integral to the goals, targets, and indicators of all sustainable development goals. Higher education institutes can be powerful agents for promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion not only in the higher education context but also in society as a whole. To address and overcome gender inequality in the higher education environment, experts posit that change needs to occur from day 1 of the student's academic experience. To this end, training is required. A preliminary review of the literature indicates that multiple gender equality-based training programs or initiatives for students have been designed and evaluated in second and third-level education settings. Examples of educational activities undertaken include delivery of didactic teaching, participation in a face-to-face collaboration project, site visits, case studies, and coaching. Yet, our initial search indicated that, to date, a comprehensive review collating the available evidence on gender equality training for third-level students has not yet been carried out. Our review seeks to identify and explore the existing literature on gender equality training interventions for third-level students, with a particular emphasis on training content, methodology, and outcome evaluation. This scoping review will be structured using the Arskey and O'Malley's 5-stage framework and will consider empirical research and other relevant published works that address gender equality training. Systematic searches will be carried out in 6 research databases and the gray literature using key search terms. Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been defined, and a data charting tool created to methodically extract information from selected literature. The free web software Rayyan will be used for primary screening where each reference will be screened in duplicate first by title, then abstract, and finally by full text. This review forms part of the LIBRA (Balance) study and has received peer-reviewed grant funding from the Irish Higher Education Authority. LIBRA aims to use simulation-based education to develop a gender equality leadership training program for student leaders in higher education. The findings will be summarized in tabular form, and a narrative synthesis produced to inform curriculum development. This review seeks to inform curriculum design by reporting on the gender equality-enabling skills and leadership skills necessary to foster gender equality. This paper should inform recommendations for training and catalyze future research in this rapidly evolving area. DERR1-10.2196/44584.

JournalMate: An Accessible Academic Reading Tool for Third-Level Students with ADHD.

This paper outlines the research activities undertaken to design and evaluate an accessible academic reading tool to support third-level students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This research project was conducted in three phases, using a User Centred design (UCD) approach. The initial research phases explored cognitive processing difficulties related to reading habits and user needs that are associated with ADHD. A series of interviews with 3 subject matter experts and 8 students with ADHD aimed to identify pain points and problems hindering users from carrying out academic reading efficiently and confidently. Phase two involved ideating solutions based on data collected in the first phase and applying universal design principles while focusing on developing an electronic reading tool. After the ideation activity, the resulting prototyped solution was evaluated by 10 users. The data gathered during this evaluation provides insight into the performance of the application and will aid in any subsequent design iteration. The output of the study is an accessible academic reading tool for third-level students with ADHD, using a user-centred design process. Future practical implications and limitations are discussed. Results will provide additional data to build on current study findings and existing theories.

Profile of ecological practicum, logical thinking, and system thinking pre-service biology teacher

Ecology is a complex system, so it requires thinking skills to understand it. One of the skills that can be trained in ecological practicum lectures is systems thinking skills. Ecology practicum has the potential and strategic role in preparing quality students to face the era of industrialization and globalization. This potential will be realized if practicum activities can equip students with the ability to think logically, think creatively, think critically, and think systems, which ends up being able to solve integrated problems. To design an ecology practicum program that can train systems thinking skills, it is necessary to know the existing forms of ecological practicum implementation, students' systems thinking skills, and their logical thinking skills. This study aims to obtain information on the description of these three things so that it becomes the basis for developing a better practicum program. and adaptive to changes and developments of the times. This research is in the form of field research, namely research whose object is about the symptoms or events that occur in the subject group. 18 third-level students and 39 fourth-level students were selected as research subjects. Limited interviews were conducted with practicum assistants and course lecturers. The instrument used consisted of a logical thinking ability test, systems thinking scale, systems thinking test, and interview guidelines. The results of the study show practicum activities only practice the skills of collecting, processing, and analyzing ecological data. Students' logical thinking ability is in a “good” category, especially at the level of combinatorial reasoning. Students' systems thinking ability is low, especially forest thinking skills.

Mental, physical and sexual health in sexual minority third-level students: Findings from My World Survey 2.

Sexual minority youth experience health disparities across mental, physical and sexual domains. However, little is known about the extent to which mental health overlaps with sexual and physical health to compound health problems among sexual minority youth. This study examined risky health behaviours, adverse health outcomes, and their overlap across mental, physical and sexual domains, in lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning (LGBQ) and heterosexual third-level students in Ireland. Cross-sectional data from the My World Survey 2-Post Second Level (MWS2-PSL) were used. Analyses were conducted on data from N=7950 18-25-year-old students, of which 6204 (78%) identified as heterosexual, 910 (11.4%) bisexual, 412 (5.2%) lesbian/gay and 424 (5.3%) questioning. Risky health behaviours (e.g., self-harm), adverse outcomes (e.g., mental health difficulties, physical health conditions) and their overlap across mental, physical and sexual domains were compared across heterosexual and LGBQ students using Chi-square tests. Clustering of health behaviours/outcomes within and between domains were examined. LGBQ students were more likely to exhibit a greater number of risky mental and sexual health behaviours and outcomes. Sexual, physical and mental health behaviours and outcomes overlapped to a greater extent in LGBQ versus heterosexual students. Distinct health outcomes were observed across sexual minority subgroups (e.g., bisexual women reported greater mental health difficulties). Findings demonstrate health inequalities experienced by LGBQ students, particularly across mental and sexual domains. Holistic integrated approaches that consider multiple health domains simultaneously and the distinct health needs of sexual minority subgroups are needed to promote greater health equity.

Small but smart: international shared virtual class link-up during the pandemic 2020-2021 - third-level students in Ireland and Israel

This paper explores the experiences of a cooperative class link-up between geography students and teachers in Ireland and Israel in 2021 during the Coronavirus lockdowns, and hence the use of virtual education. There was a followed-up class in 2022. The aim was experimental T&L, enhanced by cooperative approaches, with the objectives of getting students from different cultures to interact, discover their shared geographies, and reflect on their self-perception of their countries and preconceptions of other countries and people. Implicit in the PBL was to gain greater awareness of cultural and critical geopolitics. Another aim was for the two lecturers managing the course, to share their pedagogies and experiences. This paper is not simply exploring the ‘teacher telling or guiding the trainee teachers’ what to do but calling on lecturers and trainers to reflect on their own attitudes and perceptions in delivering quality Geographical Education. Student group work entailed a series of activities: (i) Icebreaker: Hello – Ireland and Israel. (ii) Model lesson: joint preparation of a geography class on Ireland and Israel. (iii) Fieldwork: development of a joint virtual trip for students to Israel and to Ireland emphasizing the places selected by each subgroup; and (iv) an evaluation of the experiences of the class link-up. The main communication devices used were Zoom for joint class sessions, while students selected WhatsApp for small mixed group work. Despite some challenges for students and teachers, in their evaluations, they all agreed that the experience was positive for them.

Small but smart: international shared virtual class link-up during the pandemic 2020-2021 - third-level students in Ireland and Israel

This paper explores the experiences of a cooperative class link-up between geography students and teachers in Ireland and Israel in 2021 during the Coronavirus lockdowns, and hence the use of virtual education. There was a followed-up class in 2022. The aim was experimental T&L, enhanced by cooperative approaches, with the objectives of getting students from different cultures to interact, discover their shared geographies, and reflect on their self-perception of their countries and preconceptions of other countries and people. Implicit in the PBL was to gain greater awareness of cultural and critical geopolitics. Another aim was for the two lecturers managing the course, to share their pedagogies and experiences. This paper is not simply exploring the ‘teacher telling or guiding the trainee teachers’ what to do but calling on lecturers and trainers to reflect on their own attitudes and perceptions in delivering quality Geographical Education. Student group work entailed a series of activities: (i) Icebreaker: Hello – Ireland and Israel. (ii) Model lesson: joint preparation of a geography class on Ireland and Israel. (iii) Fieldwork: development of a joint virtual trip for students to Israel and to Ireland emphasizing the places selected by each subgroup; and (iv) an evaluation of the experiences of the class link-up. The main communication devices used were Zoom for joint class sessions, while students selected WhatsApp for small mixed group work. Despite some challenges for students and teachers, in their evaluations, they all agreed that the experience was positive for them.

Reciprocal migration: the coloniality of recent two-way migration links between Angola and Portugal

Reciprocal migration—which we define as the mutual exchange of origin and destination by two different migrating groups—is hardly acknowledged in the migration literature. In terms of the temporalities of migration, which are usually seen as sequences or transitions, reciprocal migrations are simultaneous. We analyse the reciprocal migrations between Angola and Portugal over the time-frame of the past 10–15 years. In-depth interviews were carried out with Portuguese migrants in Angola, most of whom moved there in the wake of the post-2008 financial crisis, and with Angolan third-level students and recent graduates in Portugal. A key operational concept in our analysis is the plastic notion of skill and its differential racialisation. Portuguese migrants in Angola are automatically regarded as ‘skilled’ even when they are not, whereas Angolan students and graduates in Portugal, when they seek work, are often viewed as ‘unskilled African migrant workers’. We thus distinguish and deconstruct the geographical binary between transnational origin and destination spaces and the social binary between ‘skilled white bodies’ and ‘unskilled black bodies’. These racialised embodied tropes draw on histories of Portuguese colonisation and the contested notion of ‘Lusotropicalism’, as well as the so-called Lusophone migration system involving complex transnational relations and two-way migration flows. Theoretically we frame this asymmetrical system of reciprocal migration within a modified version of core–periphery relations, as well as the coloniality of power and its enduring influence over the racialisation of skill, education, culture and language across the Portuguese–Angolan transnational space.

Coping with dysmenorrhea: a qualitative analysis of period pain management among students who menstruate

BackgroundDysmenorrhea, or period pain, affects up to 95% of menstruating individuals and is a common cause of educational absenteeism among students who menstruate worldwide. Evidence suggests that students may lack sufficient knowledge about their menstrual health, which may impede self-management. The aim of the current study was to explore pain management strategies used by students in Ireland with painful periods and to identify their unaddressed needs across physical, psychological, educational, and social domains.MethodsThis study used a qualitative, interpretive design and opportunity sampling approach to collect and interpret individual accounts of dysmenorrhea from third-level students in Ireland. Data from 21 students were collected using semi-structured online one-to-one interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsAnalysis resulted in the construction of five themes: (1) Pain management is self-directed trial-and-error, (2) Home as safe haven, (3) Prioritising productivity over pain, (4) We’re missing an option between ‘normalise’ and ‘medicalise’, and (5) Cycle of censorship and concealment. Overall, limited formal education on dysmenorrhea and prevailing negative attitudes towards menstruation create an unsupportive environment for students to learn adequate coping skills. Beyond education, menstrual stigma may also restrict the availability of clear management guidance in domestic and medical spheres. Experiences of dysmenorrhea were also influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, where work-from-home measures were viewed favourably by individuals with dysmenorrhea.ConclusionsThis study indicates that students in Ireland are inadequately prepared to cope with dysmenorrhea. The current findings have substantial implications for evaluating and reforming current menstrual education standards, in addition to clarifying the negative effects of social stigma on menstrual health literacy.

Online learning predictors of mental health in third-level students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland

Objective COVID-19 forced third-level students to transition to online learning (OL). Many students encountered issues with OL, such as accessibility. However, the relationship between OL issues and mental health during this time remains poorly understood. Participants: Third-level students in Ireland (N = 268) completed an online questionnaire examining experiences with OL and mental health during COVID-19. Methods: OL social, lecturer, accessibility, individual skills, and environment issues, were entered into logistic regression analyses to examine whether these variables predicted mental health outcomes and/or preference to keep OL. Results: Students reporting more individual skills issues were more likely to attain a probable diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression (p < 0.0083); students who reported more environment issues were less likely to report preference to keep OL (p < 0.0005). Conclusions: Given individual skills issues associated with worse mental health, future research should examine improving student perceptions of their own OL skills.

What motivates students to decrease or cease substance use?: A scoping review.

The association between illicit substance use by third-level education students and their mental and physical health is well documented. The aim of this scoping review was to determine factors that contribute to student motivations to reduce or stop their use of illicit substances, and to elaborate on factors that may be pertinent for student-focused behaviour change interventions for substance use. We searched eight databases in March 2021 using search terms based on 'students', 'illicit substance use', and 'motivations'. We identified 86 research articles that reported on third-level education students' illicit substance use and included reasons or motives for their use. After full-text screening, three studies were eligible for inclusion in the qualitative synthesis. The majority of studies described motives for abstention but did not describe motivation for reducing or stopping current patterns of use of illicit substances. Few studies have examined motivations of third-level education students to decrease or cease substance use. Promising avenues for research on motivations to change substance use behaviour include the social contextual factors, perceived effects on social relationships, and actions of friends and family to prompt contemplations of change.

Investigating COVID-19 risk perception and preventive behaviours in third-level students in Ireland

ObjectivesThe novel coronavirus outbreak required the population's compliance with public health measures yet young adults have been identified as having low risk perceptions and relatively low adherence with preventive measures. This study investigated third-level students' COVID-19 risk perception, knowledge and attitudes, and preventive behaviours between February and June 2021 to further understand young adults' beliefs and behavioural response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. DesignCross-sectional quantitative online survey design. MethodsThree hundred and sixty-four university students completed an online survey which measured risk perception, preventive behaviours, knowledge of COVID-19, vaccination attitude and source of COVID-19 information. ResultsUniversity students in Ireland reported high levels of knowledge of COVID-19 and high adherence to preventive behaviours. While risk perception levels were moderately high, students displayed higher concern for others than for themselves. High levels of risk perception significantly predicted preventive behaviours while general knowledge of the virus increased the likelihood of vaccine uptake. Over two-thirds of participants were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine if available. ConclusionsVaccination hesitancy remains a concern among the young adult population requiring urgent attention from public health officials. The implication for health policymakers is that positive behavioural responses of the young population can be reinforced by targeting risk perceptions and by increasing the public's knowledge and understanding of COVID-19.

The insiders' gaze: fieldworks, social media and visual methodologies in urban tourism

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;This paper aims at scrutinizing the role of two overlapping dimensions in tourism geography teaching and learning: the real-world perspective, represented by the fieldwork as a long-established practice in geographical teaching; and the digital sphere, namely the use of visual methodologies and social media as tools to activate city image-making in tourist practices.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In particular, the work deepens critical aspects and potentialities of a mixed-method approach combining both traditional methods and more innovative tools to carry out researches and teaching in the field of tourism geography and cultural heritage. Theoretically inserted at the interplay among tourism, digital geography and visual methods, it draws on a series of workshops organized with third-level students between 2016 and 2018. Although problematizing some crucial conceptual issues related to the role of visualities and new technologies, findings highlight the didactic effectiveness of mixed methods that entail the more traditional ones such as team working and fieldworks, and the most innovative such as visual methods and social media, to increase students' interest in geography learning and stimulating their own perceptions of ordinary landscapes through a gaze repositioning.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;

Not really a smoker? Prevalence and attitudes to social occasional smoking in Trinity College Dublin

Abstract Background Occasional smoking is defined as any smoking which occurs on a less than daily basis. Social smoking is a sub-group of occasional smoking which is smoking primarily carried out in social contexts. Data on occasional cigarette smoking and the subset of social smoking among third-level students are limited. This study assessed the prevalence of and attitudes to occasional/social smoking among undergraduates and postgraduates in an Irish university Aims (1) To determine the prevalence of occasional/social smoking among third-level students; (2) To evaluate students' attitudes to occasional/social smoking, including perceived benefits and harm; (3) To explore when students commenced occasional/social smoking, their reasons and their continued smoking habits; and (4) To determine any influence of other factors e.g. alcohol consumption on occasional/social smoking. Methods Anonymous online survey of undergraduates and postgraduates, via email and social media using Survey Monkey. Data were analysed in Microsoft Excel. Results 1,310/18,407 (7.1%) of students responded. 1,267/1,310 (96.7%) provided adequate data for analysis. 423/1267 (33.4%) self-reported as current smokers of whom 106/1267 (8.4%) classified themselves as daily and 317/1267 (25%) as occasional smokers. The occasional smokers comprised 266/1267 (21%) social smokers and 51/1267 (4%) non-social smokers. Occasional smokers tended to start smoking later and think less about quitting than daily smokers. 386/423 (97.2%) of all current smokers reported that alcohol increased their smoking habits. Conclusions Prevalence of self-reported occasional smoking among university students was higher than daily smoking. Most occasional smokers primarily smoked in social contexts. All current smokers reported that alcohol increased cigarette intake. Effective intervention campaigns tailored to determinants of occasional/social smoking are needed as part of induction to third level. Key messages Prevalence of self-reported occasional smoking among university students is higher than daily smoking. Most occasional smokers smoke primarily in a social environment. Campaigns tailored to determinants of occasional/social smoking are needed for university entrants as part of induction to third level.

Methodological strategy in foreign language teaching through artistic creations with seeds

After using for years many traditional didactic materials in the EFL classroom, it was experienced with something different taken from nature; seeds from fruit and other plants in order to create with them forms of art and uncover from the students their talents and capacities. Seeds are mainly disposed as garbage, but they constitute a marvelous resource that is close to our hands. A big storage was collected and given to the students of third level of English at Universidad Técnica del Norte so that they can propose new images and generate original ideas based on them in their spoken and written texts. The seeds’ forms, colors, sizes and texture captivated the students who created with them original and creative designs. This is a simple classroom project that has delighted many students.

Risk factors for carriage of meningococcus in third-level students in Ireland: an unsupervised machine learning approach

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors for pharyngeal carriage of meningococci in third-level students using an unsupervised machine learning approach. Data were gathered as part of meningococcal prevalence studies conducted by the Irish Meningitis and Sepsis Reference Laboratory (IMSRL). Pharyngeal swab cultures for meningococcal carriage were taken from each student once they had completed a single-page anonymous questionnaire addressing basic demographics, social behaviors, living arrangements, vaccination, and antibiotic history. Data were analyzed using multiple correspondence analysis through a machine learning approach. In total, 16,285 students who had a pharyngeal throat swab taken returned a fully completed questionnaire. Overall, meningococcal carriage rate was 20.6%, and the carriage of MenW was 1.9% (n = 323). Young Irish adults aged under 20 years and immunized with the meningococcal C vaccine had a higher MenW colonization rate (n = 171/1260, 13.5%) compared with non-Irish adults aged 20 years or older without the MenC vaccine (n = 5/81, 6%, chi-square = 3.6, p = .05). Unsupervised machine learning provides a useful technique to explore meningococcal carriage risk factors. The issue is very complex, and asked risk factors only explain a small proportion of the carriage. This technique could be used on other conditions to explore reasons for carriage.