Undergraduates In China Research Articles

Factors influencing self-regulated learning ability among Medical undergraduates in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSelf-regulated learning (SRL) is the core purpose of lifelong learning and the precondition for medical staff to continuously adapt to and excel in their current and future positions. Good SRL abilities positively impact the academic performance and clinical skills of medical students. Despite its importance, the factors influencing SRL among medical students in China remain under-explored. This study investigates these factors among Chinese medical undergraduates.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of undergraduate students at all four medical universities in Guangxi, using a questionnaire developed and tailored by Zude Zhu. Responses from 2,179 Chinese medical undergraduate students were included in the analyses. The data were collected using the College Student SRL Questionnaire which consisted of 69 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (very inconsistent) to 6 (very consistent), and scored by calculating the mean and standard deviation. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22.0 (IBM SPSS Corp).ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that registered residence, specialty, educational system, parental educational background, parenting style, annual household income, parental occupation, grade point average (GPA), engagement in SRL activities, and participation in SRL training were significantly associated with SRL scores (p < 0.05 for all). The results of the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that educational system (“5 + 3”-year) (p < 0.001; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 9.842 to 15.686), mother’s occupation (staff of government agency/institution) (p < 0.001; 95% CI, − 3.798 to − 2.081), GPA (p < 0.001; 95% CI, − 10.009 to − 5.712), engagement in SRL activities (p = 0.001; 95% CI, − 11.903 to − 3.162), and participation in SRL training (p < 0.001; 95% CI, − 15.966 to − 9.972) were positively related to SRL abilities in medical students.ConclusionsFurther studies are necessary to identify additional external (e.g., academic environment, parents’ expectations for their children) and internal factors (e.g., student cadres or not, interest in medicine or not, whether there is a clear career planning) affecting SRL abilities. Initiating relevant training early in the college career could enhance SRL capabilities in medical students.

Enhancing Sustainable Development Competence in Undergraduates: Key Determinants in the Context of “Dual-Carbon” Targets

Sustainable development is vital for achieving balanced progress across the economic, environmental, and health domains, and it is closely tied to the global drive for addressing climate change and environmental challenges. In this context, reaching the “Dual-Carbon” targets—carbon peaking and carbon neutrality—have become critical priorities both domestically and internationally. As a result, the cultivation of Dual-Carbon professionals is essential for driving sustainable development. This paper investigates the sustainable development capacity of Dual-Carbon professionals through an empirical study of 613 undergraduates in China utilizing Astin’s I-E-O theoretical model. This research examines the impact of course experience, self-efficacy, and learning engagement on sustainable development capacity. The results demonstrate that the course experience has a significant positive direct effect on sustainable development capacity. Moreover, self-efficacy mediates the relationship between the course experience and sustainable development capacity, while both self-efficacy and learning engagement serve as chain mediators. Based on these findings, this paper offers practical strategies to enhance the sustainable development capacity of Dual-Carbon undergraduates, providing valuable insights for the education and training of future Dual-Carbon professionals.

A cross-sectional survey on COVID-19 phobia and its influencing factors among undergraduate nursing students

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the psychological well-being of undergraduate nursing students in China. It is vital to have an understanding of their COVID-19 phobia and its predictors, especially during transitions in public health policy.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the situation and factors contributing to COVID-19 phobia among nursing students in Southwestern China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2022 among nursing undergraduates in southwestern China. A convenience sample of 317 undergraduate nursing students from all grades at a medical university in Chengdu was assessed using the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P).ResultsThe mean COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-SC) score was 52.92 (± 13.02), indicating moderate levels of phobia, with gender, chronic disease, and perceived susceptibility being significant predictors. 11.67% of the students reported an infection history, while 81.39% knew an infected individual. Notably, fourth-year students showed significantly higher phobia level than first-year. Gender, chronic disease, perceived susceptibility, and risk significantly predicted COVID-19 phobia, explaining 16.4% of the variance Results of the thematic analysis revealed four main themes related to COVID-19 phobia and career choice among nursing undergraduates: concerns of infection risk, professional commitment, compromise and acceptance, and confronting phobia.ConclusionsThis study discovered a significant level of COVID-19 phobia among undergraduate nursing students and identified several risk factors, including being female, having chronic diseases, perceiving a high susceptibility to the virus, and perceiving a high level of harm after infection. These findings highlight the importance of educators focusing on the mental well-being of nursing students, particularly seniors, to reduce the impact of phobia on their social interactions and career aspirations. This will help ensure that they are well-prepared for their future roles in healthcare.

Effects of short-form video app addiction on academic anxiety and academic engagement: The mediating role of mindfulness.

The impact of short-form video app addiction on academic performance, including academic anxiety and engagement, has not been adequately explored or addressed. This study tested the effects of short-form video app addiction on academic anxiety and academic engagement and the mediating role of mindfulness in these relationships. The participants were 1,879 undergraduates in China who completed the Short-Form Video App Addiction Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Academic Anxiety Sub-questionnaire of Academic Emotions Questionnaire, and Engagement Scales. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. The results indicate that short-form video app addiction has significant positive effects on academic anxiety and negative effects on academic engagement. Furthermore, short-form video app addiction has significant indirect effects on academic anxiety and engagement via mindfulness. The proportions of the mediation effects are 19.23 and 51.85%, respectively. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Associations between soft drinks intake and primary dysmenorrhea among Chinese undergraduate female students

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a common global health concern. However, limited studies explored the association between soft drinks intake and PD among female undergraduates in China. To determine the association between soft drinks (carbonated soft drinks, etc.) as well coffee intake and the incidence/severity of PD among female undergraduates in China. We performed a cross-sectional study among 1809 female undergraduates in China from September 29, 2020 to October 22, 2020. The demographic information and menstrual information of the participants were collected by a self-administrated questionnaire. Chi-square test, ANOVA test, and logistic regression test were used to investigate the association between soft drinks intake and the incidence/severity of PD. We also conducted stratification analysis among different locations (rural or urban). The prevalence of PD was 47.1% (n = 852). There were 221 (25.9%) participants suffered from severe pain. In the participants with PD, the OR of carbonated soft drinks intake was 1.244 (95% CI 1.010–1.533). Among the participants with PD from rural areas, the OR of carbonated soft drinks intake was 1.402 (95% CI 1.045–1.881), compared with the non-carbonated soft drink group. In the participants with moderate and severe PD, the OR of coffee intake was 0.451 (95% CI 0.228–0.892), compared with the non-coffee-drinking group. There was a significant association between carbonated soft drinks intake frequency and the severity of PD (P < 0.05). Our study showed that carbonated soft drinks intake is a risk factor for PD, especially in participants from rural areas. Coffee intake is a protective factor for the severity of PD. Periodical awareness programs about adverse effects of excessive soft drink consumption should be introduced to reduce the prevalence and exacerbation of PD. Coffee intake might be helpful to relieve the severity of PD.

Team personality characteristics and performance in a simulated largeaircraft instrument control task

We investigated the relationship between personality characteristics and performance on a simulated large-aircraft instrument control task. The sample comprised 155 undergraduates in China, who completed the Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire to assess personality characteristics, and were randomly allocated to one of 31 teams of five people. We used multiple regression analysis to establish a predictive model of team performance based on team personality elevation and team personality diversity integration models. The results showed that when the team personality elevation integration was used as the independent variable, an increase in rule consciousness led to improvement in team performance, whereas an increase in vigilance, dominance, and social boldness led to a deterioration in team performance. When team personality diversity integration was used as the independent variable, an increase in warmth and openness to change led to improvement in team performance, and an increase in sensitivity led to deterioration in team performance. The simulation task designed in this study provides a specific tool for research involving flight crews on large aircraft. The findings provide a theoretical reference for optimum allocation of flight crews.

Dietary Knowledge, Attitude, Practice Survey and Nutritional Knowledge-Based Intervention: A Cross-Sectional and Randomized Controlled Trial Study among College Undergraduates in China.

Understanding undergraduates' dietary literacy, including dietary knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), is important for future health promotion policies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the current status and influencing factors of dietary literacy in Chinese college undergraduates and explore whether a nutritional lecture could improve their dietary literacy. This study included two parts: a cross-sectional study (n = 1026) conducted by a dietary literacy questionnaire, and a randomized controlled trail (RCT) that enrolled 99 college undergraduates who were randomized to a control group or a nutritional lecture group. Data from the questionnaire and 72 h food records were obtained on day 0, day 3 and day 100 before and after intervention. This cross-sectional study showed that the mean scores of dietary KAP were respectively 100.0 (33.3), 59.1 (13.6) and 71.7 (11.7), with an excellent rate of 36.6%, 1.9% and 3.4%. Female upper-grade undergraduates and those with medicine-related majors illustrated higher dietary knowledge scores (p < 0.001). Dietary attitude rather than dietary knowledge had a significant impact on dietary practice (p < 0.001). This finding was in line with the results in the RCT study. Compared with the control group, dietary knowledge was significantly improved in the nutritional lecture group on both day 3 (p = 0.002) and day 100 (p = 0.023) after intervention. However, dietary behavior was improved only on day 3 post nutritional lecture (p = 0.029) but decreased to the original level 100 days later (p < 0.001). This study discovered the unsatisfying status and discrepancy between dietary literacy among college undergraduates of different sex, majors and college years. Dietary attitude instead of dietary knowledge was discovered as a determining role in dietary practice. One nutritional lecture could improve undergraduates' dietary literacy but the effect was not long-lasting. Further studies with more reinforced and durable interventions are warranted.

Language investment and identity construction trajectory amongst ethnic minority preparatory undergraduates in China: a narrative inquiry

ABSTRACT China has adopted preferential policies, such as the Ethnic Preparatory Education Program, to promote the opportunities of ethnic minority students from underdeveloped regions to receive high-quality education, which has caused great tension in the identity construction of these students. This study adopted a qualitative narrative inquiry approach to investigate the investments and identity construction of three ethnic minority preparatory undergraduates (EMPUs) throughout their language learning process in the preparatory stage. The findings indicate that these participants have shown varying types and degrees of investment in language learning and constructed dynamic identity as a trajectory influenced by their language learning experiences in various contexts. Their language investment and identity construction have an impact on one another and are shaped by their aspiration to participate in an imagined community and realise an imagined identity.

Factors Affecting Sustainability-Related Career Expectations among Engineering Undergraduates in China: An Empirical Study Based on a Modified College Impact Model.

The international engineering education community has reached a consensus regarding the need to enhance engineering students' awareness of and capability to provide sustainable services in their future careers. Based on a modified college impact model, this study analyzed the impacts of curricular emphasis, curricular instruction, and sustainability-related career self-efficacy on the sustainability-related career expectations of engineering students and investigated the moderating effects of gender on the relationships among the research variables. The results show that both curricular emphasis and curricular instruction have direct positive effects on the sustainability-related career expectations of engineering students; sustainability-related career self-efficacy plays a partial mediating role in this process; and gender significantly moderates the influence of curricular emphasis and curricular instruction on sustainability-related career expectations. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that can be used by higher education institutions and engineering educators to enhance the belief of engineering students in their ability to solve sustainability-related issues in their future careers and promote the diversification of engineering education.

Understanding of Psychological Literacy: Comparative Insights From Undergraduates in China and the United Kingdom

Background Psychological literacy has attracted considerable attention globally. However, no study has focused on this concept in China, where interest in psychology is growing. Objective The present study aimed to investigate perceptions of psychological literacy in a sample of undergraduate psychology majors from Chinese public universities, and compare findings with previously reported data from the United Kingdom. Method Participants completed a survey in which they rated eight core attributes of psychological literacy across the dimensions of awareness, development, confidence in explaining, and importance in their future career. Results Students gave the highest ratings to the importance of psychological core attributes in their future careers and understanding the application of theory, but the lowest to the development of attributes and understanding the role of theory in research. Comparisons with the United Kingdom sample revealed culturally specific differences of potential interest. Conclusions Findings from this work can inform the refinement of undergraduate psychology programs in China, and help calibrate standards in support of international mobility of Chinese students for postgraduate study outside of the home country. Teaching implications Psychology educators in China should consider providing more opportunities for students to gain awareness of their own development and engage in research firsthand.

Factors influencing the health literacy among undergraduates in China : a review

Factors influencing the health literacy among undergraduates in China : a review

How social media sharing drives consumption intention: the role of social media envy and social comparison orientation

BackgroundSocial media benign envy, an upward comparison-based and painful emotions associated with the motivation to improve oneself, has attracted increasing attention from researchers due to its ubiquitous and significant impact on social network users’ intentions and behavior. However, the results of previous studies on whether material or experiential consumption is more likely to cause social media envy (treated as a single construct) have been inconsistent, and there is a lack of research on what triggers social media users to experience more intense benign envy and thus inspiring their consumption intentions. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the type and luxuriousness of shared consumption and viewer’s social comparison orientation jointly affect social media users’ consumption intentions through benign envy.MethodsA 2 (type of consumption sharing: experiential vs. material) × 2 (luxuriousness of consumption sharing: luxury vs. non-luxury) × 2 (social comparison orientation: high vs. low) mixed-design experiment was conducted to test theoretical model with data from 544 undergraduates in China. SPSS 26.0 and the Process macro were used to test the model.ResultsThe results revealed that luxury experiential consumption information shared on social media triggered more benign envy compared with other types of shared consumption information. When social media users shared non-luxury consumption, experiential consumption was more likely to inspire benign envy among users with high social comparison orientation than material consumption. However, when luxury consumption was shared, benign envy acted as a mediator between purchase type and participants’ purchase intention regardless of whether participants’ social comparison orientation was high or low.ConclusionThis study revealed that whether and how social comparison orientation of social media users who read the shared content influences the mechanism by which the type of consumption sharing on social media affects social media users’ consumption intentions through benign envy as a mediator is dependent on the luxuriousness of the shared consumption. The findings not only provide new insights for researchers to better understand social media envy and the underlying psychological mechanism for social media readers’ consumption intention, but also have practical implications for practitioners.

Assessment of early scientific research skills training for medical undergraduates in China.

The medical field is facing a physician-scientist shortage, threatening future medical research and development. Medical institutions can contribute to developing physician-scientists by stimulating students' involvement in research. In this study, a medical undergraduate teaching module to develop research skills and encourage interest in research was held in Chongqing, China. Undergraduate medical students at Chongqing Medical University completed research skills training. Before and after the training, an online, anonymous, self-reported questionnaire was administered. The self-reported questionnaire investigated students' demographic characteristics, students' perception of attitudes toward conducting research, research skills (e.g., identifying and utilizing information, critical appraisal of literature, paper writing, and understanding of research), and feedback on scientific research training. The module was implemented with 25 students from July 2019 to October 2019, and 96.0% (N = 24) of participants responded to the questionnaire both prior to and after the training. In the evaluation of research skills, results showed that use of appropriate tools for research (Z = -3.340, p < 0.01), students' ability to undertake a focused literature search (Z = -3.40, p < 0.01), identifying and utilizing information (Z = -3.34, p < 0.01), and paper-writing skills (Z = -3.49, p < 0.01) were significantly improved after the undergraduates participated in the scientific research training. A qualitative analysis of the feedback showed that students found that the training helped to enhance their knowledge, improve their study scores, and motivate them to conduct research in the future. Early scientific research ability training strengthened the research skills of medical undergraduates and motivated them to pursue research.

Development and applications of graduate outcome-based curriculum for basic medical education.

Outcome-based education (OBE) leads to revolutionary change in medical education, but each medical school is acknowledged to develop suited framework based on specific positioning, educational philosophy and expected outcomes. Based on the graduate outcomes of basic medical education in China released by Working Committee for the Accreditation of Medical Education (WCAME) which officially recognized by World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Taizhou University re-documented the overall organization of the curriculum and classified the courses as "Crucial, Supporting and Associated (CSA)" categories to connect the graduate outcomes and course objectives. We redefined the standard for graduates in Taizhou University Medical School including 34 items in four domains and redesigned the curriculum with 76 courses classified as CSA. Empirical data reveals a substantial improvement in students' performance on Standardized Competence Test for Clinical Medicine Undergraduates in China (SCTCMU) by implementing the CSA system between 2022 and 2023. Notably, in 2023, Taizhou University's students achieved pass rates more than 20 percentage points higher than the national average, demonstrating a profound and unprecedented impact. The CSA classification system provides a notably clear and structured framework for categorizing courses based on their direct or indirect relevance to educational objectives, which provides clarity to educators and empowers students with a more purposeful approach to their studies.

Self-regulation of online homework behavior: using latent profile analysis to identify online homework management profiles

The aim of this investigation is to identify different profiles of undergraduates based on online homework management strategies: arranging the environment, managing time, monitoring motivation, cognitive reappraisal, emotion management, and handling distraction. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to investigate online homework management profiles of 612 undergraduates in China. Five different profiles were found: Very Low Except for Handling Distraction, Very Low Handling Distraction/High with Other Strategies, Low Across All Strategies, Moderate Low Across All Strategies, and High Across All Strategies. Results revealed that profile membership was predictive of online homework effort and completion. This study offered new insights into self-regulation of homework behaviour in online learning environments, by suggesting that handling online distraction functions differently from other homework management strategies.

Negative Life Events on Depression of Vocational Undergraduates in the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Approach Perspective: A Mediated Moderation Model.

Following China's strategy of developing applied and compound social talents, vocational undergraduates are surging rapidly, and it is essential to understand the causes of their depression to effectively prevent and intervene in schools. We aimed to investigate the relationship between negative life events (NLEs) and depression among vocational undergraduates in China, along with the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of socioeconomic status (SES). A convenience sample survey was conducted at a vocational education university (N = 1487), and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings showed that NLEs directly predicted depression (β = 0.399, 95% CI [0.339, 0.452], p < 0.001) among vocational undergraduates. Furthermore, this relationship was partially mediated by loneliness (β = 0.182, 95% CI [0.145, 221], p < 0.001); SES moderated the link between NLEs and depression (β = 0.051, 95% CI [0.004, 092], p < 0.05), but not between NLEs and loneliness (p > 0.05). The current study highlights the impact of NLEs on depression among vocational undergraduates, indicating the importance of addressing NLEs and consequent feelings of loneliness to promote mental health. In addition, the moderating role of SES underscores the necessity of targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of NLEs on depression. The present study contributes to our understanding of the unique characteristics of depression in vocational undergraduates and has practical implications for psychological support services. Moreover, it probably has broader implications for addressing mental health challenges in global education settings for vocational undergraduates.

Comparative Study of Students’ Perception and Behavioral Intention in MOOC Context: Undergraduates in China and Spain

Comparative Study of Students’ Perception and Behavioral Intention in MOOC Context: Undergraduates in China and Spain

The Effect of Siblings on the Academic Self-efficacy and Self-educational Expectations of University Students

With the introduction of Chinas one-child policy in the 1970s, much research was done to study only children on their well-being, personality, and academic achievement. However, few studies have focused on how they differ from non-only children regarding academic self-efficacy and self-educational expectations and the results have not come to an agreement. Thus, this study targeted the undergraduates in mainland China and those who come from the mainland but studying in Hong Kong. An online questionnaire was published and a total of 140 valid responses were collected. MANOVAs and multiple linear regression models were established in order to investigate the effect of singleton status, birth order, and gender of siblings on university students academic self-efficacy and self-educational expectations. The results showed that the singleton status, birth order, and gender of siblings had no significant influence on both academic self-efficacy and self-educational expectations, and a significant interaction between birth order and gender of siblings on the score of academic self-efficacy. This study adds to the recent status of the academic self-efficacy and self-educational expectations among undergraduates studying in Mainland and Hong Kong, only children and non-only children. However, due to insufficient sample size, gender and current years of study of students were not included in the comparison, which needs to be further investigated.

Improving Chinese nursing undergraduates’ nurse-patient clinical communication competence in English: A study based on a target situation needs analysis

BackgroundThe internationalization of higher education has stimulated an ever-increasing demand for English for Medical Purposes (EMP) courses for nursing undergraduates in China. EMP courses are designed to provide learner-centered language instruction to satisfy students’ English communication needs in the future workplace. To date, far too little attention has been paid to developing a well-rounded and theory-guided nurse–patient communication teaching model based on target needs analysis in nurse–patient communication. ObjectiveTo develop an EMP teaching framework to improve Chinese nursing undergraduates’ nurse–patient communicative competence in clinical settings based on target situation needs analysis. MethodsA survey of nurses' target situation needs analysis in clinical nurse–patient communication was conducted among nurses in five teaching hospitals in China. A teaching model was developed based on the survey analysis to improve nursing undergraduates’ nurse–patient communicative competence. ResultsA total of 411 nurses participated in this study. There were no significant differences in the overall satisfaction in target-situation communication and self-assessment in three-aspect communicative competence in clinical communication among nurses with different sociodemographic characteristics. Nurses with better self-assessment in the three-aspect communicative competence are more likely to satisfy their needs of nurse–patient clinical communication in target situation. Nurses self-reported the tasks and language skills commonly involved in nurse–patient clinical communication. A four-step teaching model was developed to respond to the findings of the target situation needs analysis. ConclusionThis study provides important insights into the essential role of employing and integrating a language communicative competence framework and a target-situation analysis framework in formulating a needs-driven and tailor-made EMP teaching model. Based on the previous framework, the teaching model is adapted and characterized by systematic and interconnected teaching steps, core target-situation topics, and a complete set of task forms, providing EMP instructors with operable scaffolds to help nursing students observe, analyze, practice, and assess nurse–patient communication. The study will be of significance for EMP researchers and instructors simulated to conduct further research and practice in English communication in the wider medical field.

Empowering online learning engagement through interaction: effects of self-regulated learning and family function

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that interaction with others (learners and instructors) impacts online learning engagement (OLE), it remains unclear how and when interaction relates to OLE. By integrating social-cognitive theory with ecological systems theory, we theorise a moderated mediation model that links interaction to OLE by exploring the effects of self-regulated learning and family function. Data were collected from 606 undergraduates in China. Our results revealed that interaction positively affected students’ OLE. Especially, learner – learner interaction explained a larger proportion of variance than learner – instructor interaction. In addition, the interaction contributed to OLE through the beneficial effects of self-regulated learning. Furthermore, the mediating effect of self-regulated learning on the association between learner – learner interaction and emotional engagement was moderated by family function. The implications for theory, practice, and future research have been discussed.