Tertiary Education Students Research Articles

University support, adjustment, and mental health in tertiary education students in Hong Kong

Depression, anxiety, and stress of moderate to severe levels were found in 21, 41, and 27% of university students in Hong Kong, respectively. The development of a screening tool for assessing adjustment difficulties among tertiary education students is helpful for counseling professionals in university. The Student Perception of University Support and Structure (SPUSS) scale, based on concepts articulated in Baumrind’s theory of parenting styles, is to measure how supportive and structured the college environment is. The present study used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether the SPUSS’ structure is consistent with the typology of four parenting styles. Secondly, factor scores were used to test the hypothesis that a supportive and structured university environment would be associated with students’ psychological adjustment as indicated by measures of depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants were 773 tertiary education students aged 18–25 from three Hong Kong universities. The SPUSS shows a four-factor structure consistent with models of parenting styles; the factor scores have excellent psychometric properties; and the factors represent students’ views of the university environment as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful. This model is different from Yau’s three-factor data-driven model, which identified factors representing psychological, academic, and social adjustment. (2) This study provides evidence of validity in that higher scores on the authoritative factor were related to the lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.

Game‐based assessment: investigating the impact on test anxiety and exam performance

AbstractThe aim of this study is to assess the impact of a 3D educational computer game on students' test anxiety and exam performance when used in evaluative situations as compared to the traditional method of examination. The participants of the study were students in tertiary education who were examined using game‐based assessment and traditional assessment in a 2 × 2 cross‐over design. The game was flexible, providing the instructor with the opportunity to import and edit exam questions and modify several aspects via an administration panel. Following the collection and analysis of both quantitative and interview data, it was revealed that the students' test anxiety was reduced during the game‐based assessment. Furthermore, the exam performance of the students was significantly better when the game method was used. The results showed that there is a linear negative relationship between the students' test anxiety and exam performance as well as that these variables are correlated in a causal way. Overall, this study provides evidence that game‐based assessment could be potentially beneficial for students.

Higher Education Teachers’ Experiences with Learning Analytics in Relation to Student Retention

<p>This paper presents findings from a study of Australian and New Zealand academics (n = 276) that teach tertiary education students. The study aimed to explore participants’ early experiences of learning analytics in a higher education milieu in which data analytics is gaining increasing prominence. Broadly speaking participants were asked about: (1) Their teaching context, (2) Their current student retention activities, (3) Their involvement in, and aspirations for, learning analytics use, (4) Their relationship with their institution around learning analytics. The sampled teaching staff broadly indicated a high level of interest but limited level of substantive involvement in learning analytics projects and capacity building activities. Overall, the intention is to present a critical set of voices that assist in identifying and understanding key issues and draw connections to the broader work being done in the field.</p>

Technology-mediated ELT Writing: Acceptance and Engagement in an Online Moodle Course

In the past fifteen years, Web 2.0 social networking technologies have ushered in a new era of information production, distribution and consumption with significant implications for language teaching and learning. An example of such technology is Moodle, which is a learning management system with several useful features that can transform the learning environment into a site for interactivity, connectivity and great amounts of extensive learning. With this in mind, the present case study aims to investigate tertiary education students’ acceptance of and engagement in a Moodle-hosted writing course. Using case study methodology, qualitative data were elicited from 24 semester-two students on the basis of focus group interviews constructed in line with Technology Acceptance Model 2. Another source of data is Moodle log reports, which offered a detailed account of students’ contributions and activities in the online writing course. The results showed that almost all the students perceived Moodle as a useful tool for sharing, collaboration and learning. The results also uncovered three different categories of students in terms of level of engagement; namely, highly engaged, moderately engaged and poorly engaged. The implications of these results for an effective implementation of Moodle are discussed.

Predicting Academic Success for Business and Computing Students

Various means to predict the success rate of students have been introduced by a number of educational institutions worldwide. The aim of this research was to identify predictors of success for tertiary education students. Participants were 353 students enrolled on Business and Computing programmes between 2009 and 2014, at a tertiary education provider in New Zealand. Enrolment data were used to determine the relationships between completion of the programme and prior academic achievement, age, ethnicity, gender, type of enrolment, and programme of study. These variables, as well as the overall GPA of the programme, were used to examine their relationship with the first year GPA. Results showed that pre- and post-enrolment data can be used for prediction of academic performance in ICT programmes. Based on the significance of some variables, tertiary education institutions can identify students who are likely to fail, these students can therefore be considered for additional support in the early stages of their study, in order to increase their chances of succeeding academically.

Video annotation ‘Prepare-Participate-Connect’ models: Promoting student learning

<p class="ETSNormal">Annotation of video for learning provides tertiary education students with the opportunity to view and engage with course material in an active rather than passive-receptive mode. This multiple-case study examined the integration of a media annotation tool, <em>MAT</em>, across four vocational programs in a Melbourne university. <em>MAT</em> was integrated to allow students to access, interact with, and learn from a range of video-based learning materials. Within one audiovisual technology and three property services cohorts, the teachers planned for and implemented <em>MAT</em> to allow students to analyse case-based and role-played scenarios to help develop workplace skills. This paper frames these integrations within ‘Prepare-Participate-Connect’ models, and illustrates that while students were in the main satisfied with their learning experiences, learning design contexts (such as video choice, individual versus team analysis, and timing of intervention) affected student satisfaction. Analysis of the data indicates that additional to participation, preparation and connection are key to student satisfaction when annotating video.</p>

Teaching mathematics with intelligent support in natural language. Tertiary education students working with parametrized modelling activities

Teaching mathematics with intelligent support in natural language. Tertiary education students working with parametrized modelling activities

Is Gender Imbalance in Brunei Tertiary Education Student Populations Caused by Inclusion of Mathematics in the Admission Criteria? Exploring the Personality Characteristics of High Mathematics Achievers

The study found some connections between personality and mathematics achievement. All the ten personality variables investigated in the present study correlated positively and significantly with mathematics achievement scores. However, only self-efficacy, resiliency, integrity and distortion were good predictors of achievement in mathematics. Female participants performed far much better on a mathematics test than their male counterparts. The personality characteristics of high mathematics achieving students differed significantly from those of low math scorers. Based on these findings, we recommend providing early individual and group counselling to vulnerable students at risk of failing mathematics. Educational interventions should also be provided in form of remedial teaching and motivational talks or workshops to sensitise students about the role of personality attributes in mathematics achievement. Further mixed-methods research is desired to gain additional insights into the problem and its solutions.

The adoption of tablet PCs by South African college students: an application of the technology acceptance model

This paper reports the results of a study that investigated South African tertiary education students’ adoption patterns of tablet PCs as an e-learning medium. Utilizing structural equation modelling techniques, the study tested the hypothesized effects of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, two constituent variables of the technology acceptance model (TAM), to predict the adoption of tablet PCs among college students. Self-completion questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 344 students from a South African college. From the study, two important findings were made. First, the association of innovation awareness and adoption was established. Second, the relationship among perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the adoption of new technology in situations involving discontinuous innovations is clarified. In addition, the study makes two contributions. It is the first to utilize structural equation modelling to study the adoption of tablet PCs within the context of e-learning in South Africa. More importantly, the study develops a technology usage model for discontinuous e-learning innovations

Knowledge and perception of plastic surgery among tertiary education students in Enugu, South-East Nigeria.

Knowledge, perception, and acceptance of plastic surgery among any population are influenced by channel of presentation. A good understanding of the public awareness will define the way plastic surgery services will be provided. To assess the knowledge, awareness of availability, and acceptance of plastic surgery practice in Enugu, South East Nigeria. A questionnaire-based prospective study. The electronic media is the most common medium of awareness. Less than half the sample knew about the existence of plastic surgeons in Enugu even though a large proportion was aware of the existence of plastic surgery as a specialty. The concentration of plastic surgeons in a center is directly related to awareness of plastic surgery services in that facility. The most common esthetic procedure done by a plastic surgeon in Enugu is tattoo removal and scar refashioning. Orthopedic surgeons are thought to be key players in the management of burn patients as much as the plastic surgeons due to the "SIGNPOST EFFECT." The level of awareness is high in the sampled population with associated increase in acceptance of its practice and willing utilization. All public hospitals should be encouraged to employ the services of plastic surgeons. Appropriate branding of specialized hospitals where plastic surgery service is available will advance the practice significantly.

Work-life Balance Decision-making of Norwegian Students: Implications for Human Resources Management

Objective : The paper aims at identifying and assessing the significance of work-life balance determinants between the Youth of highly developed societies and its implications for human resources management on the example of Norway. Research Design & Methods : The research target group consists of 236 respondents recruited among Norwegian tertiary education students. It employed literature analysis, two-stage exploratory research: direct individual in-depth interviews, survey based on a self-administered, web-based questionnaire with single-answer, limited choice qualitative & quantitative, as well as explanatory research (informal moderated group discussions). Findings: The research on perceptions of determinants of quality of life and attractiveness of life strategies shows that in a country with relatively high socio-economic development level, such as Norway, differences in rankings do exist. They can be observed in relevance to both material and non-material QoL determinants. Implications & Recommendations: The study revealed a need for deeper research on individually driven early decision-making of future employees and entrepreneurs. This will result in closer modelling of socio-economic phenomena, including more accurate adaptation to trends on the labour market and creation of new business models Contribution & Value Added: Research value added comes from the comparison of perceptions of quality of life determinants between countries at various stages of socio-economic development and its implications for human resource management.

Transformative Critique: What Confucianism Can Contribute to Contemporary Education

Critical thinking is currently much celebrated in the contemporary West and beyond, not least in higher education. Tertiary education students are generally expected to adopt a critical attitude in order to become responsible and constructive participants in the development of modern democratic society. Currently, the perceived desirability of critical thinking has even made it into a seemingly successful marketable commodity. A brief online search yields a vast number of books that are mostly presented as self-help manuals to enable readers to enhance their critical abilities. But how should critical thinking be taught? Is it at all possible? Instead of attempting to provide a direct answer to this pressing question, this paper seeks inspiration in a culturally rather remote philosophy of education that hitherto has not been regarded as a stimulant for critical thinking, namely the ancient philosophy of Confucianism. The paper argues that not only are most if not all types of thinking regarded in the West as ‘critical’ also present in Confucianism, but also that the Confucian philosophy presides over a particular type which increasingly tends to be neglected in the contemporary West; a type that I call ‘transformative self-critical attitude’. Through a comparison with the well-known Teaching Perspectives Inventory in higher education, the transformative self-critical attitude is used to elucidate some further aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education that may offer valuable insights to contemporary educators.

¿La Universidad de Chile promueve las habilidades de argumentación escrita: Un estudio exploratorio comparativo de estudiantes de educación universitaria y educación técnica

Argumentation skills play an important role in higher education. Empirical evidence shows that higher education students have better argumentation skills than their peers without university studies. However, it is still unknown whether this is a product of higher education or self-selection. The goal of this study was to explore written argumentation skills development in Chilean tertiary education, in order to contribute to the body of knowledge on the relationship between argumentation and higher education (university and vocational training). The written argumentation skills of 336 tertiary education students, from university and vocational training programs, were evaluated. The sample was comprised of five different programs from two Chilean institutions, and of two cohorts, evaluated at the beginning and end of the school year. Descriptive, correlational and covariance analyses were run. Results show that the participants are less skilled at formulating counter-arguments that in general, they significantly improve in the sub-aspects of acceptability and soundness; and when controlled for age and academic performance, university students improve significantly more than technical students, over the course of one year. Finally, results show that university students’ improvement is greater for those that have below average performance on the standardized test required for university admission in Chile (PSU). The implications for Chilean higher education is discussed.

Higher Education Teachers’ Experiences with Learning Analytics in Relation to Student Retention

This paper presents findings from a study of Australian and New Zealand academics (n = 276) that teach tertiary education students. The study aimed to explore participants’ early experiences of learning analytics in a higher education milieu in which data analytics is gaining increasing prominence. Broadly speaking participants were asked about: (1) Their teaching context, (2) Their current student retention activities, (3) Their involvement in, and aspirations for, learning analytics use, (4) Their relationship with their institution around learning analytics. The sampled teaching staff broadly indicated a high level of interest but limited level of substantive involvement in learning analytics projects and capacity building activities. Overall, the intention is to present a critical set of voices that assist in identifying and understanding key issues and draw connections to the broader work being done in the field.

Can MOOCs enhance sexuality education?

There is a revolution taking place in teacher/learner/technology relations. At primary, secondary and tertiary education levels, teachers and students are being confronted by new technologies, new pedagogies, new relationships in teacher-student roles, as well as reconsiderations about how information is to be learned. The growth of information technology and its permeation into schools and universities and in the wider world for adults and older people, is quickly becoming ubiquitous. At the same time, and again at all levels, education for relationships, gender, sexuality and reproductive health has never been more urgently needed. Universities provide pre-service teacher education, but very few include courses on learning and teaching in sexuality education. This paper aims to provide an analysis of whether sexuality education pedagogies, using MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), might enhance or detract from competent, in-person delivery of professional quality sexuality education, to people of all ages. Possible advantages and/or disadvantages that characterise MOOCs are identified for the teaching and learning of sexuality education.

Factors of E-book Use Intentions: Perspective of Students in a Developing Country

E-books are regarded as a new, digital way to access reading material and as a learning tool for students. Therefore, South African institutions of higher learning are spending increasing amounts of money on the provision of e-books for use by students. However, the extent to which students will accept e-books remains unclear. This paper is aimed at examining the factors of e-book use intentions among students in tertiary education, based on theoretical considerations rooted inutaut. Data used in the analysis was sourced from 544 participating students from five institutions of higher learning using a structured questionnaire. Results of the analysis identified performance expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions as salient factors of e-book use intentions among tertiary students. Interestingly, gender and e-book use experience had no significant moderating effect of the factors of use intention examined in this study. The implications of these findings on the efforts aimed at promoting a more enthusiastic acceptance of e-books among tertiary students are highlighted in this paper.

Gender Imbalance in Brunei Tertiary Education Student Populations: Exploring English Language, Self-Efficacy and Coping Mechanisms as Possible Causes

Brunei has a multilingual society where no citizens (except very young children) are monolinguals. The dominant and official language of the country is Bahasa Melayu. English is widely spoken by many bilinguals and used as the medium of instruction in most schools in addition to being an admission criterion to colleges and universities. Arabic, the language of both Islamic educational institutions and religion, is added to trilinguals who are adherents while each indigenous language is used by most of the multilinguals. In such a complex linguistic environment, the learning and use of spoken or written English is often affected by both retroactive and proactive interferences from other competing languages. In the present survey (N = 287) females scored significantly higher on an English test than their male counterparts. In addition, females significantly used the emotion-oriented coping strategy more than the male peers. No significant differences were obtained on self-efficacy variable by gender and ability in English. Similarly, no significant differences were also obtained on coping strategies by ability in English. However, the task-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping styles were predictors of good and bad achievement in English respectively. Overall, English appeared to be a partial causal factor to the gender gap in Brunei tertiary student populations. Further mixed-methods research was recommended to access more details and possible solutions.

Volume 6, Issue 2

Welcome to the newly titled Student Success: A journal exploring the experiences of students in tertiary education

Sertifikasi Kompetensi Profesi Pendidik

<p>The most recent research finding has shifted the old paradigm on the <br />importance of quality of educator in improving education quality. The old paradigm on the quality of educator based solely on education certification is a fallacy, because the most important is now rely on the level of competence and its effective use in classroom. It means that the role of professional educator in terms of competence is required. However, like other professions, educator as a profession is still in the process of development. Consequently, certification of educator profession needs to be developed and standardized because those are not only to speed up the development of educator profession, but more importantly also to drive the quality, the effectiveness, and the tideness of education process. Moreover, the enfoscement of profession educator will not <br />only guarantee quality, but also protect education process from possible existing <br />malpractice behavior of educator and having exposed from inadequate education <br />materials. Moreover, this will also provide legal security and become the basis of appropriate renumetation system for educator profession accordingly. Toward the establishment of an accountable certification system for educator profession, a systematic steps have to be carried out, including: formulating standard of competence for educator, exploring supporting body of knowledge, framing types and levels of competence, articulating professional code of ethics, developing standards of professional education and training, establishing system and mechanism for professional enhancement, formulating licencing system and mechanism for institutions running professional education program, monitoring and safeguarding the implementation of profession, implementing a punishment system for those who breaks profession code of ethics, and developing professional certification management system. Collaboration with professional organizations, tertiary education institutions, parents, and students, the <br />government as a regulator, distributor, and resource allocator should comprehensively regulate certification for educator profession. With support from academician, practician, and parents, professional organization should take an initiative in the movement of educator profession certification development. Tertiary education institutions, institutionally or through their individual academicians, may take part in developing concent and regulations for both insititution and individual educator, and offer pre- and in- service training program in one or more specializations of educator profession. <br /> <br /><br /></p>

Tertiary Education Students' Attitudes to the Harmfulness of Viewing and Distributing Child Pornography

Little research has examined public support for criminalising viewing and distributing child exploitation material (CEM). Using an online survey of 431 undergraduate students from Australia, we explored perceptions of the harmfulness of CEM. The majority of respondents agreed that viewing and distributing CEM lead to further production and had a negative effect on victims. Although 93% of respondents agreed that CEM involving real child victims should be illegal, 22% did not agree that CEM involving pseudoimages should be illegal. Those who demonstrated higher levels of agreement with explanations of the harmfulness of CEM were more likely to be female, to have achieved postsecondary qualifications, to have never viewed pornography, to support censorship of pornography, and to believe that CEM involving pseudoimages of children should be illegal. The implications of these findings are discussed.