Students Of Different Nationalities Research Articles

NATIONALITY AS A FACTOR UNDERPINNING STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD SEEKING PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP

Student life often involves separating from home, parents and parental support, so for students it, not rarely, presents a quite challenging, difficult and stressful period of life. For these reasons, students become the users of psychological counseling services. The aim of this paper is to explore whether students’ nationality is an important factor contributing to the development of attitudes toward seeking psychological help. As the instrument we used a Scale for Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help comprising four subscales: recognition of the need for psychological help, the tolerance of stigma associated with seeking psychological help, interpersonal openness toward somebody else’s problems, and confidence in mental health professionals. The sample consisted of 600 students, coming from three countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey. The research was carried out using an online questionnaire. The results indicate that there are differences between the students of different nationalities, but visible only on the scale of recognition of the need for psychological help, with Croatian students showing the greatest tendency to recognize the need, in contrast to the students from Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gender differences were also significant on the subscale of stigma tolerance in all three nationalities, with women obtaining a significantly higher score, while the interaction of nationality and gender was statistically significant for all four variables.

Virtual forums as a learning method in Industrial Engineering Organization

A practical experience using electronic debates in the Area of Industrial Organization has been developed. The Harvard case method (HBS) was used with students of different nationalities, over 5 years (2007-2012). The analysis of test records and data from student surveys allow to conclude that the discussion forums, such as alternative to traditional classroom learning methodology, significantly improve learning in the area of Industrial Organization.

Preface: Eighth European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics

In this book a collection of the lecture notes given during the Eighth European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics is given. The school, whose first edition was first held in 2003, took place from 13 to 20 of September 2015 in Santa Tecla, a small village about 15 km north of Catania, characterized by its position on the volcanic shores of the Ionian Sea, surrounded by the spectacular "Timpa" area, a green protected park specific for its mediterranean vegetation. 80 young students and researchers from more than 20 countries attended the lectures and were also encouraged to present their work and results.

English

Online cultural exchanges between students of different nationalities may be quite common in this digital age but expanding and adjusting them to include new and more specialized participants can be a challenging task. The Online Cultural Exchange Program (OCEP), currently hosted by the University of Miyazaki (Japan) has been functioning successfully since 2007 (see Araki, Shirasaka, and Larson, 2008), gradually expanding its scope from nursing students alone to include engineering and agriculture majors, consisting largely of online written personal introductions and light-hearted cultural exchanges. However, recent planned expansions of the program into the Faculty of Medicine between the host university in Japan and a new participant in Vietnam has demanded a re-evaluation of what is expected from the program with regard to its utility for medical students. In order to develop a focus suited to the academic and professional needs of medical students in both the hosting university (Miyazaki, Japan) and the new Vietnamese participant (Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy) a pre-program survey was designed by the authors in order to gauge medical students’ expectations, specific interests, preferences, anxieties, and abilities to fruitfully participate in such a program. In this paper, some salient results of these surveys are presented, along with the implications of moving the program towards a more professional and academic focus, and cultural factors that may affect participant expectations and potential outcomes. We expect that the data generated from these surveys may inform and influence similar international online exchange and learning programs being established elsewhere. Keywords: online cultural exchange programs; medical students; CALL programs; Japan; Vietnam DOI: http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2016-2201-06

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Self-Medication Among Basic Science Undergraduate Medical Students in a Medical School in Western Nepal.

Studies have shown self-medication to be common among medical students. These studies are however, few in Nepal. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication among second and fourth semesters' undergraduate medical students and studied differences in knowledge and attitude (if any) among different subgroups of the respondents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire among basic science medical students of Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Nepal. Semester of study, gender, age, nationality, and the profession of their parents were noted. Students' knowledge and attitude about self-medication was studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 40 statements using a Likert-type scale. The average scores and frequency of occurrence of particular behaviors among different categories of respondents were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Two hundred and seventy-six of the 295 (93.6%) students participated. The mean (SD) knowledge, attitude, and total scores were 74.54 (6.92), 67.18 (5.68), and 141.73 (10.76) with maximum possible scores 100, 100 and 200, respectively. There was no significant difference in scores according to respondents' gender, age, and the profession of their parents. However, the mean knowledge, attitude and total scores were significantly different among students of different nationalities. Mean scores of fourth semester students were significantly higher compared to second semester students. There were differences in knowledge and total scores among students of different nationalities. Eighty two percent of respondents had self-medicated during the one year period preceding the study; 149 respondents (54%) shared that previous experience with the medicine was one of the information sources for self-medication. Prevalence of self-medication among respondents according to semester of study, gender, age, and profession of the parents was not significantly different. The use of self-medication was more common among Sri Lankan respondents compared to Nepalese. Painkillers (73.2%), antipyretics (68.8%), and antimicrobials (56.2%) were most commonly used for self-medication. Students' knowledge and attitude about self-medication is good. The prevalence of self-medication among medical students was high.

Teachers: key factors for preparing students to contribute in a democratic society

Kosovar society is facing social reforms. Deep reforms are being conducted in the field of education. Education in Kosovo aims to prepare its citizens to live in a democratic society. In this context, teachers have a major role. Through civic education, they have the opportunity to help their students develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required in a democratic society. The purpose of this study is to present the teacher’s role for preparing students to contribute in democratic society. Also, in this paper we will present the opinions of the students about the role of their teachers for citizenship education. The research was conducted in 142 primary schools in rural and urban areas. The research included Kosovar students of different nationalities, social backgrounds, religions, genders, etc. A standardized questionnaire has been used for the research and, as the research involves a rather large number of respondents (1700), we consider that the findings of this survey are representative of all primary schools in Kosovo. In each of the schools where the research was conducted, an eighth class was selected, and within that same class, 10 students were selected to participate in the research. The selection of classes was done based on the following criteria: in the first school, the first class was selected, in the second school, middle classes were selected, and consequently, in the third school, the last classes were selected. This method was used in all the schools included in the research. Students were selected randomly applying thus the principle of random sampling. Analysis of the data shows the teachers’ role in preparing their students to overcome the challenges they face, and on the other hand, their role in preparing their students in democratic spirit. In the end we can say that the findings from this research will help teachers and other relevant stakeholders to develop democracy and promote its values. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n19p234

Enhancing Intercultural Collaborative Learning in a Multinational Classroom: Case of Taiwan

With more international programs being offered by universities in Asia nowadays, students have the opportunity to study together with foreign classmates. However, in practice, there exists a level of mistrust and apprehension between local and foreign students, especially among those with different physical appearances and distant cultural backgrounds. This research aimed to identify and understand intercultural obstacles to in-class collaboration among local Taiwanese students and their foreigner classmates in a Taiwan international college. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire and participant observation from 52 students of different nationalities (Haitian, Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, American-Chinese, New Zealand-Chinese, Mongolian and Taiwanese). In order to minimize cultural bias, two researchers jointly conducted content analysis in combination with ethnographic observation. This study found that differences in physical appearance and communication styles strongly deterred intercultural communication among the students in the beginning. It was found that in-class group discussions and group projects helped to dispel negative stereotypes, by cultivating greater mutual respect and understanding among the students in a multinational classroom. In fact, several misunderstandings and cultural conflicts could have been resolved in the classroom. Findings suggest that teachers have a crucial role in developing students' intercultural competence by implementing collaborative learning methods.

(Mis)use of e-mail in student-faculty interaction: Implications for university instruction in Germany, Saudi Arabia and Japan

This paper examines student-faculty communication by email and the lack of clear guidelines that leads to misuse of email in student-faculty interaction, whereby status-incongruent pragmatic markers are employed, resulting in impoliteness and inappropriateness. The main objective is to bridge the gap in research on other than requestive speech acts in this particular type of e-interaction, taking into account various pragmatic markers and cultural determinants of the subjects’ email communication styles. The main purpose of the study was to determine whether and to what degree the use of pragmatic markers by students is congruent with the English netiquette in this specific domain. Moreover, the aim was to investigate the relation of the usage of speech acts and pragmatic markers by students to politeness, as well as to cross-culturally compare the data obtained. The research questions were as follows: Which pragmatic markers distinguish students of different nationalities and in different university settings? What are other than requestive purposes for which students deploy email communication? Which pragmatic markers, in general, are associated with student-faculty email? Is there a correlation between the three countries represented in the corpus and (im)politeness based on the data found in all the emails? What are the implications of the study for computer-mediated language learning? The corpus consisted of 1,200 student-faculty emails written in an academic domain by university students from a German university, a Saudi Arabian university, and two Japanese universities (400 emails per country). The research method employed was of mixed qualitative-quantitative nature, with the focus on pragmatic analysis of speech acts with their illocutionary force and functions, as well as on their impact on the receiver (perlocution). It was determined that the impolite acts occurred most frequently in the corpus. This shows that students appear not to be aware of the role their email messages play in creating an impression on faculty and that structured instruction in email writing is required to improve the situation. The lack of pragmatic competence was found in all three groups of students, independent of the proficiency level and seniority; whereby explicit course guidance in email writing and its netiquette had a clear positive effect on the student-faculty interaction in terms of appropriateness and the level of politeness.

Crafts and craft education as expressions of cultural heritage: individual experiences and collective values among an international group of women university students

This paper explores relationships between crafts, craft education and cultural heritage as reflected in the individual experiences and collective values of fifteen female university students of different nationalities. The students (all trainee teachers) were following a course in crafts and craft education as part of an International Study Programme in Finland. Data were collected from a small group activity and individual autobiographical essays. The essays were analysed qualitatively using Atlas-ti. Key statements were consolidated under three headings: personal values and meanings placed on crafts; cultural, community and family influences; and crafts at school. The outcomes of the group activity and the essays are discussed under these headings. Concluding perspectives are offered on: intellectual foundations for crafts in educational systems; competition between beliefs, ideas, and forms of behaviour in respect of the practice of crafts and perceptions of cultural heritage; and tensions among the aesthetic and economic dimensions of crafts.

Student attitudes on animal sentience and use of animals in society

Cultural differences in students' attitudes towards animals need to be better understood and respected in order to promote tolerance in multicultural biological education. A cross-cultural study was conducted to investigate the beliefs of 425 students of different nationalities on animal sentience and attitudes towards the uses of animals. European students and, to some extent, those from the USA were less likely to condone cruelty to animals on farms than students from Asian countries. Students from Europe had more concern for suffering during life than students from Asia, but there was no difference in the extent of reverence for animal life. Female students had both more concern for animal suffering during life, and a greater concern for the reverence of animal life than males, but there were no gender differences in sentience attributed to the different animal species. Teacher awareness of these cultural and gender differences should engender tolerance towards different students' attitudes to the use of animals in education. The order of sentience across nationalities that was attributed to different species was monkey > dog > newborn baby > fox > pig > chicken > rat > fish. Correlations between animal sentience and attitudes towards the uses of animals showed that the students opposing, or advocating constraints on, the use of animals in society attributed more sentience to those animals. This reinforces concern by some students, e.g. of veterinary medicine, about the use of dogs for terminal surgery practicals. It is concluded that teacher recognition of students' perceptions of animal suffering, their reverence for animal life and attribution of sentience to different species is important in ensuring that the use of animals in education is in harmony with the students' beliefs and concerns.

Experiences and Difficulties Encountered during a Course on Veterinary Public Health with Students of Different Nationalities

Veterinary public health (VPH) issues have received increased attention over the last few years as a result of the rising threat of emerging zoonoses (i.e., those due to globalized trade in animal and animal products and to changes in livestock production systems and the environment). The international dimension of VPH is gradually becoming recognized, and there is a growing need for veterinarians with experience in this field. In order to familiarize (future) veterinarians with the international dimension of VPH, the Department of Public Health and Food Safety of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, has been organizing a course in Veterinary Public Health and Animal Production for over the last 10 years. This course has been intended for Dutch as well as foreign final-year veterinary students and recent veterinary graduates. By bringing together participants from different countries, the course reinforces the international dimension of the issues addressed through the exchange of experiences by the participants themselves. The present article provides information about this course on Veterinary Public Health (VPH): it discusses logistics, didactical approaches, the course program, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT). Special attention is given to the intercultural aspects of higher education, all of which play an important role in the efficient exchange of knowledge between lecturers and students. International courses are an important tool to enable participants to interact in a multicultural environment and address issues that demand international cooperation and a global public health focus.

The relationship among knowledge, opportunity, and ethical perceptions: A cross-national investigation

The focus of this paper was to study the effectof prior knowledge and situationalopportunities on ethically questionablebehaviors among students of differentnationalities. A study was conducted toinvestigate the role and impact of thepredictor variables (knowledge and opportunity)on ethical perceptions toward copyrightviolations. The study also examined thedirect and the moderating effects of age,nationality, ethnic identity, gender, andeducation major. The research was conducted ona sample of 160 students of an Americanuniversity located on the U.S.–Mexican border. The results indicate that the predictorvariables, knowledge and opportunity,significantly affect ethical perceptions. Demographic variables like age, nationality,gender, and education major had no directeffects ethical perceptions. Different ethnicidentities, however, exhibited significantdifferences in their ethical perceptions. Onexamining moderating effects of the demographicvariables, younger respondents weresignificantly different from older respondents. Differences between the ethnic identityconstruct and nationality are highlighted. Implications of prior student knowledge aboutethical standards and expectations arediscussed.

THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF CULTURALLY DETERMINED IMPLICIT VALUES FOR THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION

As international mobility increases not only for students and teachers but also for other categories of professionals, thus ceasing to be the reserved purview of a small sophisticated elite, the need to predict in advance the cultural adaptability of large numbers of average candidates becomes increasingly important. After a short description of what culturally determined implicit values are and how they are formed and articulated, the authors describe a survey instrument which they developed for measuring culturally determined implicit value differences among selected groups of students of different nationalities and present some of the tentative conclusions which it enabled them to reach.