US Students Research Articles

Dental students' knowledge and reporting of child maltreatment: Where are we at today both here and abroad?

The study investigates whether suspected child abuse/neglect (SCAN) training in dental school has increased dental student SCAN knowledge and, consequently, reporting. A 25-question survey used to assess for SCAN knowledge in 2006 was readministered to a group of dental students at one US dental school in St. Louis, MO, which has integrated SCAN training into its curriculum for at least 3years, and one dental school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which has not integrated SCAN training as a control. Of 16 questions assessing for SCAN knowledge, group US students answered 14 questions correctly and performed better than US students surveyed in 2006. By comparison, group Bulgaria students with no SCAN training answered 15 questions correctly. When asked what their legal responsibilities were concerning SCAN, 96.4% of group US students knew they were required to report, whilst only half of group Bulgaria (48.9%) responded correctly. The results suggest that integrating SCAN training into the curriculum is effective in conveying this important message. However, in a question asking students whether they encountered a child at dental school who they suspected was the victim of child maltreatment and if so, how did they act, there were no indications that students at either school made any reports as the question was either answered "no" or left blank. The number of SCAN cases reported by campus authorities was also zero. The results suggest that classroom training in SCAN is not motivating students to report SCAN at their dental school, despite increased knowledge.

Awareness and Use of Heated Tobacco Products Among Middle School and High School Students, United States, 2019-2020.

Heated tobacco products (HTP) heat-processed tobacco leaf into an aerosol inhaled by the user. This study assessed prevalence and correlates of HTP awareness, ever use, and current use among US middle and high school students. Data came from the 2019 and 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a cross-sectional survey of US public and private, middle and high school students. HTP awareness, ever use, and current (past 30-day) use were assessed. Weighted prevalence estimates and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were assessed overall and by sex, school level, race/ethnicity, and current other tobacco product use. In 2019, 12.8% (3.44 million) of all students reported HTP awareness, increasing to 19.3% (5.29 million) in 2020 (p < .01). Ever [2019: 2.6% (630 000); 2020: 2.4% (620 000)] and current [2019: 1.6% (420 000); 2020: 1.4% (370 000)] HTP use did not significantly change from 2019 to 2020. Current e-cigarette users were more likely to report ever (2020 aPR = 1.79, 95% CI:1.23, 2.62) or current HTP use (2019 aPR = 5.16, 95% CI: 3.48, 7.67; 2020 aPR = 3.39, 95% CI: 2.10, 5.47) than nonusers. In both years, ever and current HTP use was more likely among current combustible (aPR range = 3.59-8.17) and smokeless tobacco product (aPR range = 2.99-4.09) users than nonusers. HTP awareness increased 51% among US students during 2019-2020; however, HTP use did not significantly change during this period. Students who used other tobacco products were more likely to currently use HTPs. Estimates of HTP awareness and use provided serve as a baseline as future monitoring of these products is warranted. Awareness of heated tobacco products (HTPs) increased among US youth from 2019 to 2020; however, HTP use did not change. These estimates of HTP awareness and use serve as a baseline for future surveillance of these products as their availability in the US increases.

The Relationship Between Sexual Intercourse Before the age of 13 and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug use among High School Students.

Research has indicated that early sexual intercourse in high school is associated with poor health outcomes such as unintentional pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). What is lacking in the research is an understanding of the relationship between even earlier sexual initiation (i.e., before the age of 13) and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use behaviors. As such, the purpose of this study was to assess whether sexual intercourse younger than 13 years of age was predictive of ATOD use among students currently in high school. Data was derived from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 15,624). This national study is conducted every odd year, and is a representative sample of high school students in the United States. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between sexual initiation younger than 13 years of age and current ATOD use among high school students. The results of this study found that early sexual initiation was predictive of current high school ATOD use with students who had initiated early sexual intercourse having significantly higher prevalence rates among all variables measured. The results of this study indicates health education regarding ATOD use, as well as sexual health education should be introduced to US student at an earlier age. These results indicate that continued education is needed in the pre-teen years to prevent early health risk behaviors in our youth.

Application of an Automated Essay Scoring engine to English writing assessment using Many-Facet Rasch Measurement

We investigated the relationship between the scores assigned by an Automated Essay Scoring (AES) system, the Intelligent Essay Assessor (IEA), and grades allocated by trained, professional human raters to English essay writing by instigating two procedures novel to written-language assessment: the logistic transformation of AES raw scores into hierarchically ordered grades, and the co-calibration of all essay scoring data in a single Rasch measurement framework. A total of 3453 essays were written by 589 US students (in Grades 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12), in response to 18 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing prompts at three grade levels (4, 8, &amp; 12). We randomly assigned one of two versions of the assessment, A or B, to each student. Each version comprised a narrative (N), an informative (I), and a persuasive (P) prompt. Nineteen experienced assessors graded the essays holistically using NAEP scoring guidelines, using a rotating plan in which each essay was rated by four raters. Each essay was additionally scored using the IEA. We estimated the effects of rater, prompt, student, and rubric by using a Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (MFRM) model. Last, within a single Rasch measurement scale, we co-calibrated the students’ grades from human raters and their grades from the IEA to compare them. The AES machine maintained equivalence with human scored ratings and were more consistent than those from human raters.

Rethinking Language Education in the US – A New Paradigm for Language Educators, Advocates, and Stakeholders

In a globalized and interconnected world, language skills are more important than ever, yet US students lag behind those in many countries, and foreign language enrollment has declined, especially at the elementary and postsecondary levels. In order to build language skills in the US, it is necessary not only to embrace interdisciplinary collaborations, but also partnerships with communities. However, in addition to developing sustainable interest in languages and cultures and sustainable motivation for language learning, it is also necessary to address the issues of accessibility and affordability. Accessibility issues include availability of both in-person and online programs, and affordability includes fees and tuition at all levels, including after-school and weekend programs, and summer camps. Online learning and community partnerships, along with increased funding, play a vital role in make language learning accessible and affordable for all interested students. A language advocacy partnership among all stakeholders can play a significant role in resolving accessibility and affordability issues and making language learning available to all.

Sharing communicative responsibility: training US students in cooperative strategies for communicating across linguistic difference

Abstract The internationalization of Anglophone universities could allow English-dominant students to benefit from experience with English speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds, but US students have often complained of difficulty communicating with such instructors, especially International Teaching Assistants (ITAs). Research has largely focused on helping ITAs assimilate linguistically and culturally, although many applied linguists suggest that ITAs’ students would also benefit from training in skills for communication across linguistic difference, through attention to their language attitudes, familiarity with diverse Englishes, and communication strategies. We report on an intervention designed to address all three, here focusing on students’ willingness to engage in collaborative communication strategies. The intervention, conducted in a computer science department and reaching over 300 first-year students from varied linguistic backgrounds, included an online and an in-class component, each lasting about an hour. This brief intervention resulted in small but significant gains in domestic undergraduates’ (n = 174) stated intention to engage in collaborative behavior with their ITAs, although our detailed examination of qualitative responses suggests important areas for continued improvement of the intervention. We discuss the potential for such interventions to facilitate institutional and cultural change, encouraging the recognition of the shared responsibility for successful communication.

Age, Period, and Cohort Effects of Internalizing Symptoms Among US Students and the Influence of Self-Reported Frequency of Attaining 7 or More Hours of Sleep: Results From the Monitoring the Future Survey 1991-2019.

Adolescent internalizing symptoms have increased since 2010, whereas adequate sleep has declined for several decades. It remains unclear how self-reported sleep attainment has affected internalizing-symptoms trends. Using 1991-2019 data from the Monitoring the Future Study (n~390,000), we estimated age-period-cohort effects in adolescent internalizing symptoms (e.g., loneliness, self-esteem, self-derogation, depressive affect) and the association with yearly prevalence of a survey-assessed, self-reported measure of attaining ≥7 hours of sleep most nights. We focused our main analysis on loneliness and used median odds ratios to measure variance in loneliness associated with period differences. We observed limited signals for cohort effects and modeled only period effects. The feeling of loneliness increased by 0.83% per year; adolescents in 2019 had 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.87) increased log odds of loneliness compared with the mean, which was consistent by race/ethnicity and parental education. Girls experienced steeper increases in loneliness than boys (P<0.0001). The period-effect median odds ratio for loneliness was 1.16 (variance=0.09; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.17) before adjustment for self-reported frequency of getting ≥7 hours sleep versus 1.07 (variance=0.02; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03) after adjustment. Adolescents across cohorts are experiencing worsening internalizing symptoms. Self-reported frequency of <7 hours sleep partially explains increases in loneliness, indicating the need for feasibility trials to study the effect of increasing sleep attainment on internalizing symptoms.

Personal characteristics and risk tolerance in a natural experiment

PurposeThis paper examines students' decisions when playing an in-class version of the TV game, Deal or No Deal (DOND), to study the relation between personal characteristics and individual decision-making under risk.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes DOND game play data collected from 374 students in 13 university finance classes, and their personal characteristics collected in a post-game survey. It uses ordered probit, OLS and probit regression analysis to examine the impact of personal characteristics on an individual's risk tolerance.FindingsThe key finding is that international students are significantly more risk averse than US domestic students. Additionally, given the natural control for age and education, the study finds that gender, race and religion have a limited impact on an individual's risk tolerance. Finally, the study provides evidence that the structure of the DOND game, in general, rewards risk-taking as long as it is not excessive. Once participant behavior becomes risk-seeking, the correlation between risk-taking and game payoff becomes negative.Research limitations/implicationsThe homogeneous set of contestants (business students) analyzed in this study presents some limitations yet provides opportunities to examine risk tolerance differences between the US and international students, and whether gender, race or religious affiliation has an impact on the level of risk tolerance given a natural control for age and education level.Practical implicationsThe evidence suggests that culture and environmental unfamiliarity may impact an individual's risk tolerance. This finding is useful when providing financial advice to diverse clients or when conducting international business. Additionally, understanding that education and financial literacy reduces differences in risk tolerance across gender, race and religion can impact the way we interact with others. A broader practical implication for all investors is that, while under normal circumstances, risk-taking is rewarded with a higher expected return, excessive risk-taking may harm their investment performance.Originality/valueThis paper utilizes a unique data set, collected through a class activity and post-class survey. While there have been empirical studies using DOND data, this is the first study that examines the impact of personal characteristics on game participants' behavior, thereby generating unique findings not reported in previous studies employing DOND data.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Examining School Practices That Support Immigrant Students’ Feelings of Belonging

ABSTRACT A quarter of all US students are immigrants, children of immigrants, or immigrant-origin youth. In this article, we examine how school practices can either support or hinder these students’ feelings of belonging. Given the important relation between students’ feelings of belonging and a range of academic, motivational, and socioemotional outcomes, in this study, we specifically asked: How do students’ experiences in two very different schools shape their feelings of belonging? To answer this question, we drew from studies of two high schools serving recently arrived immigrant students in communities with distinct immigration histories. Using the nested context of reception as our theoretical lens, our analysis reveals that the symbols, subtle acts, and overt actions students encountered in schools influenced their feelings of belonging. These findings show that belonging operates on multiple levels and have several implications for school leaders, educators, and educational policymakers.

The hidden minority: Discrimination and mental health among international students in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.

International students in the US occupy a precarious position at the intersection of immigration policy and global education mobility, one made more challenging by the disparate impact of COVID-19 on college students' mental health. Few studies, however, have explored the pandemic's effects on mental well-being among the international student population in the US. Our study aims to provide initial empirical evidence on the mental health status of these students, with a specific focus on discrimination, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. We propose a mediation framework and estimate the mediating effects of loneliness and anxiety in the relationships between discrimination and depression in a sample of US-based international students (N=103). We collected cross-sectional data from July to August 2020, using a 50-item online survey instrument with three open-ended questions. Mediation analyses using PROCESS Macro were used to analyse quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Findings showed that higher levels of discrimination were significantly associated with higher levels of loneliness. Higher levels of loneliness were significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety, which in turn led to high levels of depressive symptoms. Our study contributes to understanding the needs and capacities of international students in the wake of COVID-19 and simultaneously provides pragmatic program and policy implications for inclusive higher education environments and the overall health and well-being of this crucial US student population.

Item Response Theory and Differential Item Functioning Analyses With the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised in US and Chinese Samples.

Background: Despite the widespread use of the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) and advances in item response theory (IRT) modeling, item-level analysis with the SBQ-R has been minimal. Aims: This study extended IRT modeling strategies to examine the response parameters and potential differential item functioning (DIF) of the individual SBQ-R items in samples of US (N = 320) and Chinese (N = 298) undergraduate students. Method: Responses to the items were calibrated using the unidimensional graded response IRT model. Goodness-of-fit, item parameters, and DIF were evaluated. Results: The unidimensional graded response IRT model provided a good fit to the sample data. Results showed that the SBQ-R items had various item discrimination parameters and item severity parameters. Also, each SBQ-R item functioned similarly between the US and Chinese respondents. In particular, Item 1 (history of attempts) demonstrated high discrimination and severity of suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Limitations: The use of cross-sectional data from convenience samples of undergraduate students could be considered a major limitation. Conclusion: The findings from the IRT analysis provided empirical support that each SBQ-R item taps into STBs and that scores for Item 1 can be used for screening purposes.

COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORT INSTRUMENT: USING DISTRACTOR ANALYSIS TO EXPLORE STUDENTS’ SCIENTIFIC REASONING BASED ON ACADEMIC LEVEL AND GENDER DIFFERENCE

Scientific reasoning ability is essential to get developed in the current digital age, particularly in the process of judgement and decision-making in complex problems. Few studies have conducted an in-depth exploration of scientific reasoning ability, especially in relation to the confidence level and gender. The scientific reasoning ability of Indonesian upper-secondary school and university students were examined and compared with previous recorded data of US students. In this study, the data were collected from 372 university and 528 upper-secondary education students in Indonesia. Students’ scientific reasoning ability was measured using a scientific formal reasoning test (FORT). In addition, confidence level and metacognitive data was collected through self-reported measures. Two-way ANOVA was performed to compare mean differences between groups based on academic level and gender and to observe interaction between the variables. Students’ confidence level in selecting the correct answer and distractor answer was analyzed using an independent t-test. The results reveal that many Indonesian students selected specific distractors with relatively high confidence. Moreover, upper-secondary school students and female students selected more distractors than the groups’ counterparts. Finally, the factors related to Indonesian students’ responses to the scientific formal reasoning were discussed. Keywords: confidence level, distractor analysis, gender differences, scientific (formal) reasoning test, scientific reasoning ability, Indonesian student

Why study abroad: Differences in motivation between US and international students

Globally, collegiate students possess distinct drives, opportunities, and constraints that influence their choices regarding if, when, and where to study abroad. This research explored the study abroad motivations of US students who were studying in other countries as well as international students who were studying in the US. Data was collected using a cross-sectional survey constructed from pre-existing study abroad motivation instruments. Human capital theory and the push-pull model of international education flow were used as the theoretical frameworks grounding this study’s survey. A principal components analysis helped determine the most parsimonious number of latent motivation constructs in the survey. Using independent samples t-tests, significant differences were found in motivations related to language learning, academic enrichment, avoiding social limitations, and aspiration to work in host country; these factors were significantly higher among international students as compared to US students. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis found that when holding all other independent variables constant, international student status significantly predicted language learning as a study abroad motivation. This study’s results offer insight on how colleges and universities can craft global experiences suited to students’ desires to study outside their home country. It also brings awareness to the role of country of origin in motivational factors when studying abroad and encourages stakeholders to consider the importance of cultural and national background when engaging students in these opportunities.

Minding the gap

This study investigates how different ways of receiving peer written corrective feedback (WCF) affect learners’ opportunities to actively engage in negotiation of form in tandem virtual encounters. Two types of WCF are compared, namely direct WCF plus oral metalinguistic explanation and indirect WCF plus oral prompt. During a telecollaboration programme between Italian students of English and US students of Italian, the participants (n = 16) were given several tasks to complete in dyads, including that of providing feedback on written compositions produced by their partner in the target language. The eight dyads were divided into two groups which received the same instructions for the activities, with the exception of instructions on how to provide WCF to their partner. The data of six dyads – three from each group – were analysed with regard to the quality of language-related episodes. The data analysis showed that indirect WCF plus oral prompt was more effective in leading the NNSs to actively engage with negotiation of form during the discussion phase. This result will be discussed together with other findings which emerged from the analysis, with the aim to provide useful insights on how to promote focus on form when implementing peer-review activities in telecollaboration programmes.

The Long-Run Impacts of Special Education

Over 13 percent of US students participate in special education (SE) programs annually, at a cost of $40 billion. However, due to selection issues the effect of SE placements remains unclear. This paper uses administrative data from Texas to examine the long-run effect of reducing SE access. Our research design exploits variation in SE placement driven by a unique state policy that required school districts to reduce SE caseloads to 8.5 percent. This policy led to sharp reductions in SE enrollment. These reductions generated significant reductions in educational attainment, suggesting that marginal participants experience long-run benefits from SE services. (JEL H75, I21, I28, J13, J14)

Food Insecurity on College and University Campuses: A Context and Rationale for Solutions

Food Insecurity on College and University Campuses: A Context and Rationale for Solutions

Feedback and uptake in videoconferences for online intercultural exchange

Incidental focus on form (FonF) refers to the treatment of linguistic elements incidentally arising in a communicative setting during a meaning-focused activity. Videoconferencing for Online Intercultural Exchange (OIE) projects represents a typical meaning-focused communication activity but incidental FonF in group-based OIE projects is underexplored. The present study investigated the longitudinal changes of feedback types and factors related to successful uptake in Zoom-based videoconferences during a five-week OIE project. Chinese students and US students participated in weekly Zoom videoconferences to collect intercultural student ethnography data for their group projects with English as the exchange language. The videoconferences were recorded, transcribed, coded, and subsequently analysed quantitatively. Results returned that recast, clarification request, and translation were more frequently used but their frequencies did not significantly fluctuate throughout the OIE project, while metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, and explicit corrective feedback were less commonly used but their frequencies of use varied significantly. Repair provider (self-repair vs. other repair) and English proficiency were significantly associated with Chinese students’ successful uptake. The findings have implications for incorporating OIE and similar virtual exchange models into language teaching and learning.

Highlighting altruism in geoscience careers aligns with diverse US student ideals better than emphasizing working outdoors

A common approach to attract students in the United States to the geosciences is to emphasize outdoor experiences in the natural world. However, it is unclear how successful this strategy is. Specifically, the geosciences have been less successful than other sciences at recruiting a diverse workforce that reflects different perspectives and life experiences. Here we present a survey of students enrolled in College Algebra at a Hispanic-serving institution in the southwestern United States where, of 1550 students surveyed, 55.3% identified as an underrepresented minority (URM). We find that surveyed students care little about working outdoors. Instead, they rate altruistic factors, such as helping people or the environment, as most important. Female respondents rate these factors higher than male respondents. We also find that many respondents know little about what a career in geoscience entails. We argue that better informing students about the altruistic potential of geoscience careers would be an effective strategy to broaden recruitment.

Availability and Utilization of Automated External Defibrillators in New York State Schools.

Background: Use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) improve survival. Professional health organizations recommend that AEDs be available in crowded places, including schools but currently only 18 US states require them. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) research in the school-age population has largely focused on school sub-groups, leaving out the majority of US students and adults working in schools. New York State (NYS) has one of the largest student populations in the US. Our objective was to gain epidemiologic data on SCA across a variety of school levels and examine the availability and utilization of AEDs in a state that requires them.Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study utilizing an electronic survey. We included NYS school nurses and collected electronic surveys in January-March, 2018. We analyzed demographic data of school characteristics, SCA occurrences and AED use and availability.Results: Of 876 respondents (36.1% response rate), 71 (8.2%) reported SCAs, with 41 occurring in adults. AEDs were deployed in 59 of 71 (84.3%) events, 40 individuals had long-term survival. Most SCAs occurred in middle-schools. School size or number of AEDs/school had no bearing on short-term or long-term survival. AEDs were widely available in private schools, though this was not required by state law.Conclusions: Our data suggest a need for more comprehensive examination of SCA in US schools. Research comparing the availability and utilization of school AEDs between states that do and do not require them is needed and may have important clinical and policy implications for SCA emergency preparedness in US schools.

Mathematics vocabulary differentially predicts mathematics achievement in eighth grade higher- versus lower- achieving students: Comparisons across two countries

This study explored the relationship between mathematics vocabulary and mathematics achievement, controlling general vocabulary, for eighth graders (ages 13 to 14) from the United States (US; n = 89) and Turkey (n = 188). The mathematics achievement of Turkish students fell into higher- and lower-achieving groups, with students in the higher-achieving group showing achievement levels like their US peers. For US students and the corresponding higher-achieving Turkish students, mathematics vocabulary predicted mathematics achievement and mediated the relation between general vocabulary and mathematics achievement. For the lower-achieving Turkish students, only general vocabulary predicted mathematics achievement. The pattern of results extends findings from studies of younger students and is interpreted in terms of the domain-general and domain-specific contributions to mathematics achievement.