Indian Undergraduate Students Research Articles

Impact of “Aegeus” - A Novel Research-Based Quiz for and by the Medical Undergraduate Students in India

Impact of “Aegeus” - A Novel Research-Based Quiz for and by the Medical Undergraduate Students in India

Efficacy of Online Learning on the Development of Students’ Academic Competence: A Case Study of Yemeni Undergraduate Students Studying in India

This study investigates the efficacy of online learning on the academic competence of Yemeni undergraduate students in India. It examines whether online learning delivers adequate quality education by evaluating students’ academic competence levels. Two groups of Yemeni students participated: 27 Arts students and 35 Science students, from five Indian universities. The Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (DiPerna & Elliott, 2000) was employed to assess students’ competence through online learning, with data collected online and analyzed using SPSS. The scale was used to evaluate Yemeni students’ academic competence through online learning. Descriptive statistics indicated moderate levels of academic competence for both groups. Despite the Arts group showing higher scores, the Independent Samples T-test revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups. Pearson Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between students’ academic skills and academic enablers. Furthermore, Linear Regression analysis indicated that academic skills significantly impacted academic enablers. The findings suggest that online learning can be a viable alternative during Covid-19, provided that certain adjustments are made. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on online learning, particularly in developing countries like Yemen, offering empirical evidence for policymakers, educators, and institutions on its effectiveness and areas needing improvement. The results underscore the importance of integrating academic skills and enablers into online learning environments to enhance academic competence among students.

Effect of Multidisciplinary structure of New Education Policy on Achievement Motivation among Undergraduate Students in India

The New Education Policy 2020 was finally implemented after a 34-year delay. This study work is fascinated by the New Education Policy 2020, Multidisciplinary aspect has brought many changes in the curriculum of the Undergraduates and especially how it influences their Achievement Motivation and how much they have adopted the new education policy over time. The researcher used two variables: NEP Multidisciplinary Structure as the Independent Variable and Achievement Motivation as the Dependent Variable. The sample included 142 undergraduates. After applying the AMS scale to measure the students' achievement motivation, interview questions were arranged to support the results, and it was discovered that there were no significant differences in the achievement motivation of first- and second-year students. Overall, the results are supported by the interview responses, as they show that, while students appreciate the Multidisciplinary aspect of NEP and prefer undergraduate degrees with multiple exit options, they are having a difficult time adapting, it also indicated that the institutions are unable of offering the appropriate atmosphere and facilities that students require in order to adapt to the interdisciplinary nature of NEP. This might be because the NEP multidisciplinary feature is new for the institutions as well, and they, too, need some time to polish it in their curriculum. As this is a very new approach in the educational field, additional observations and research are needed to assess the amount of growth and adaptability over time.

Developing a Public Health Course to Train Undergraduate Student Health Messengers to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in an American Indian Community.

The purpose of the Diné Teachings and Public Health Students Informing Peers and Relatives about Vaccine Education (RAVE) project was to develop strategies for health communication that addressed COVID-19 vaccine safety for residents of the Navajo Nation. The RAVE project developed a 16-week course using the Diné Educational Philosophy as a framework to train Diné College (DC) public health undergraduate students (n = 16) as health messengers to share COVID-19 vaccine safety information with unvaccinated peers and relatives. An online community survey (n = 50) was used to assess DC community vaccination perceptions to guide course development. The two primary reasons survey participants got vaccinated were to protect the health of others [82% (n = 41)] and to protect their own health [76% (n = 38)]. A pretest/post-test and a retrospective pretest (n = 13) were implemented to determine course effectiveness. A finding approaching significance was related to student confidence in being health messengers (9.1% increase). RAVE offers the first example in the published literature of successfully training American Indian undergraduate students in the context of a public health course to contribute to the response workforce during a public health crisis.

Biomedical Waste Management: A Study on the Awareness and Practice among Dental Healthcare Workers in India

ABSTRACT Background: Biomedical waste includes waste products generated from medical procedures within healthcare centers, research facilities, diagnostic laboratories, and treatment procedures, immunization process of humans as well as animals from the production and testing of biological substances. Management and disposal of biomedical waste should be done using safe as well as proper methods. These methods should be known as well as practiced by all healthcare professionals for reducing transmission of different infections and prevention of different types of health as well as environment-associated hazards. Aim: The aim of the present study was to analyze knowledge, awareness, and practice of the management of generated biomedical waste among dental undergraduate students in India. Materials and Methods: This randomized cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 450 dental undergraduate students after obtaining the institutional ethical committee clearance. The questionnaire included details of sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, religion, and caste), knowledge, awareness, and attitude regarding handling as well as management of biomedical waste in healthcare settings. Data collection was done for a period of 1 month. Results and Observations: On assessing knowledge regarding the generation of biomedical waste along with legislation, it was observed that only 10.19% of dentistry students had an excellent level of knowledge regarding generation as well as legislation concerned with biomedical waste, whereas only 2.03% of undergraduate dental students possessed an extremely poor level of knowledge. On analyzing awareness concerning practices of waste regulation and management, it was observed that only 6% of dental undergraduate students had “excellent” level of knowledge concerning the practice of biomedical waste management. On analyzing the attitude of dental students toward the management of biomedical, it was observed that 29.1% possessed a poor attitude regarding the issue of proper biomedical waste management. Conclusion: In the present study, it was observed that the majority of dental students pursuing undergraduate courses did not have adequate knowledge, attitude, and awareness regarding the practice of adequate biomedical waste management and disposal.

Impact of Multimodal Intervention on Empathy Levels in Medical Students: A Questionnaire-Based Study.

Background Empathy is essential for effective doctor-patient communication. It enables doctors to understand patients' emotions and concerns, facilitating personalized care and support. Empathy can be cultivated through various methods and training programs. Objective The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention involving interactive lectures, peer role-play, and guided reflection in enhancing empathy levels among second-year medical undergraduate students in India. Methods This study utilized a questionnaire-based, pre- and post-test interventional design. Seventy-nine second-year medical students were included after obtaining their informed consent. The students received the intervention through an interactive lecture on communication skills, role-play on selected case studies, and guided reflection. The empathy levels were assessed using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) before and after the intervention. The Mann-Whitney U test was utilized to compare pre-test and post-test TEQ scores. A univariate analysis of variance was conducted to explore the relationship between demographic variables and post-test TEQ scores. Statistical significance was considered at p ≤ 0.05. Results The TEQ score improved significantly (p=0.009) after the intervention. The univariate analysis indicated that gender, style of education, and place of residence did not have a statistically significant impact on post-test scores. Conclusion The study demonstrates that a multimodal intervention significantly enhances the empathy level of medical students, highlighting the potential of focused interventions to reduce gender disparities in empathy levels. There were no significant differences in empathy scores based on gender, place of residence, or schooling, suggesting the intervention's benefits may apply to all medical students.

IJCM_423A: Mental Health Literacy for Depression and Schizophrenia among Undergraduate students

Background: Mental Health Literacy (MHL) arose as a facet of Health Literacy after it was understood that the concept of health went beyond the physiological or the physical aspect. Despite improvements in various health indicators in the last couple of decades, India still significantly contributes to the global burden of disease and mental illnesses. Objective This study aimed to examine the level of Mental Health Literacy in terms of diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and help-seeking behavior for Depression and Schizophrenia among Indian Undergraduate students and to compare the levels of Mental Health Literacy among males and females Methodology: The study used a cross-sectional design with snowball sampling across various educational institutions the participants 324 in number were undergraduate students aged between 18 and 23. All consenting participants were recruited for the study and Google forms consisting of case vignettes and questions that followed them were distributed using snowball sampling. Results Participants were able to diagnose depression but were poor at diagnosing Schizophrenia. Psychological therapy was rated as the most effective treatment for depression and psychological and drug therapy were rated as the most effective treatments for Schizophrenia. Higher prognosis ratings were given to Depression as compared to Schizophrenia. Females were more optimistic about the prognosis of both disorders as compared to males. Conclusion: Overall, participants demonstrated better Mental Health Literacy for depression as compared to schizophrenia, possibly due to the availability of internet resources.

Teaching English for Specific Purposes in Tertiary Contexts: Navigating Education and Assessment Challenges

ABSTRACT Since its inception in the early 1960s, English for specific purposes (ESP) has been characterised as a materials-driven and a teacher-led movement. Distinctively separated from general English teaching, ESP teachers often function as designers and implementers in curriculum development. Attaining a certain degree of disciplinary expertise is the greatest challenge that they encounter while transitioning from general to specific language teaching. Recognising a dearth of research on ESP teacher development, this study has emerged from in-depth, unstructured interviews conducted with both novice and expert educators. This qualitative inquiry examines the collaborative strategies employed and hurdles encountered by ESP educators within the tertiary education arena, with a specific emphasis on their vital contributions to the English language instruction of undergraduate students in India. The findings offer insights into the evolving specificity of English language education in India, particularly for educators and institutions committed to improving language teaching practices in higher education.

Factors affecting the Performance of Undergraduate Students in India: An Empirical Validation of Conceptual Model

Factors affecting the Performance of Undergraduate Students in India: An Empirical Validation of Conceptual Model

A Novel Approach and Implementation Concept For A Nanosatellite Backup on-Board Computer

STUDSAT-2 (STUDENT SATellite-2) is a one-of-a-kind satellite technology project undertaken by Indian undergraduate students. The aim of this project is to demonstrate the On-Board Computer's redundancy (OBC). The OBC subsystem is one of the many subsystems that make up the STUDSAT-2 satellite system. It is critical to the satellite's operation. Even a minor malfunction in this system could lead to the mission's complete failure. As a result, OBC redundancy management is required to overcome this. As a result, the proposed model of Backup On-Board Computer for STUDSAT-2 was planned and built by incorporating redundancy in both software and hardware, thus increasing the OBC's reliability.

Perceptions and Attitudes of International Undergraduates Toward Zoom-Based Language Learning

This study investigates the attitudes of international undergraduate students in India toward Zoom-based learning and its implication on the willingness to communicate using four skill areas: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. The study was conducted at Aligarh Muslim University, sampling 46 undergraduates studying in different departments. Data were collected quantitatively through an online questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS. Results of the descriptive statistics indicated that international students in India have positive attitudes toward Zoom-based language learning. Although they perceive it as an interesting novel learning tool, they prefer face-to-face to online learning. The results showed that Zoom is a flexible, encouraging tool, providing real-time interaction and participation and immediate teacher feedback. Based on the findings, this learning mode has a relatively high effect on reading and listening skills and a low effect on speaking and writing skills. In light of these findings, the study recommends that teachers exert effort in involving students in speaking and writing during Zoom sessions. It also suggests that teachers and learners integrate Zoom-based learning more effectively.

Role of Privacy Concerns and Trust in Consumers’ Intention to Use Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL): An Extended TPB Model

Privacy concerns and trust have recently been proposed as crucial issues in consumers’ adoption of online services. Therefore, we have used an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate how privacy concerns and trust influence consumers’ attitudes toward the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). We also examined the mediated role of trust in the relationship between privacy concerns and attitude. An online survey was conducted among Indian undergraduate and postgraduate students, as BNPL is most popular among young consumers. We found that privacy concerns decrease consumers’ trust and attitude towards BNPL. Specifically, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior emerged as significant predictors for consumers’ intention to use BNPL. A complementary partial mediating role of trust in the relationship between privacy concern and attitude was discovered. That implies that users apprehensive about their data’s security are less likely to trust that the provider will safeguard their information. However, by increasing trust, users’ privacy concerns can be reduced in BNPL services.

A nationwide survey on the preference of Indian undergraduate medical students to go abroad for higher studies and residency.

Getting residency training abroad is a critical motivator in the emigration of Indian medical students. Brain drain is an emerging issue, especially for developing countries as it causes a shortage of trained staff in the donor country. We aimed to survey Indian medical students to know about their intentions to get trained abroad and to understand the factors influencing their decision. In this cross-sectional observational study, we surveyed Indian undergraduate medical students of all professional years, including internship. A validated questionnaire collected data on students' demographics and educational characteristics, intention to study overseas or stay back in India, and factors influencing their decision. Out of a total of 1199 responses (51.1% males, 48.9% females), 45.0% partakers had planned to pursue their residency abroad, while 33.8% wanted to stay in India and 21.2% were undecided. Better lifestyle and higher pay grades overseas were viewed as the most significant barriers to staying back in India and a key influencer in decision-making among the maximum number of students (412; 76.3%). On the other hand, a whopping 58.2% of participants opined that they wanted to stay back in India for taking care of their parents. Source countries with better healthcare facilities and better incomes tend to attract medical students. Awareness among medical educators regarding constantly changing curricula, a shift to a competency-based education system, better pay grades, limited working hours, and interventions to mitigate workplace violence could help prevent brain drain among Indian medical students and graduates.

Exam Anxiety and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Indian Medical Undergraduates

Background: Exam anxiety is a global troublesome psychological problem, impairing the academic performance of medical students. This study was planned to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of Exam anxiety among Indian medical students Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 230 Indian medical undergraduate students. Westside Test Anxiety Inventory (WTAI) was used to estimate the level of Exam anxiety among medical students. We utilized multivariable logistic regression to identify independent risk factors among medical students. Results: The prevalence of high Exam Anxiety among medical students was 49.6 % (95% CI 43.9-57.0). The mean age of the students was 21.3 years. Multivariable logistic regression revealed the presence of excessive course load [AOR=2.22,95% CI:(1.03,4.78)], the presence of psychological stress [AOR=2.89,95% CI:(1.51,5.48)] and low self-esteem [AOR=8.15,95% CI:(1.51,43.96)] to be independent risk factors for exam anxiety. Conclusions: Our study findings suggest that the prevalence of Exam anxiety is very high among Indian undergraduate medical students. Our study also showed that the perception of excessive course load, psychological stress and low self-esteem were the independent risk factors in medical students.

A survey to assess the understanding of healthcare research among the Indian undergraduate medical students

A survey to assess the understanding of healthcare research among the Indian undergraduate medical students

The Relationship Between Parental Attachment and Career Aspirations in Indian Female Undergraduate Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the career aspirations of Indian female undergraduate students, by utilizing a theoretical framework integrating Attachment Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). Data were collected from 157 female Indian undergraduate students at a Liberal Studies college in India to study the contribution of self-reported maternal and paternal attachment security in predicting career aspirations. In particular, the mediating effects of student-reported self-esteem and career decision self-efficacy were examined in the relationship between their perceptions of maternal and paternal attachment security and career aspirations. Secure attachment to mothers, but not fathers, was found to relate to self-esteem and career decision self-efficacy, which in turn predicted career aspirations. Findings from the study contribute to the literature on career aspirations of women in India and lend support for the integration of attachment theory and SCCT. Future research and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Prognosis of entrepreneurial traits among agricultural undergraduate students in India using machine learning

PurposeThis study aimed to understand the agri-entrepreneurial traits of undergraduate university students using machine learning (ML) algorithms.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a conceptual framework of individual-level determinants of entrepreneurship and ML. The Google Survey instrument was prepared on a 5-point scale and administered to 656 students in different sections of the same class during regular virtual classrooms in 2021. The datasets were analyzed and compared using ML.FindingsEntrepreneurial traits existed among students before attending undergraduate entrepreneurship courses. Establishing strong partnerships (0.359), learning (0.347) and people-organizing ability (0.341) were promising correlated entrepreneurial traits. Female students exhibited fewer entrepreneurial traits than male students. The random forest model exhibited 60% accuracy in trait prediction against gradient boosting (58.4%), linear regression (56.8%), ridge (56.7%) and lasso regression (56.0%). Thus, the ML model appeared to be unsuitable to predict entrepreneurial traits. Quality data are important for accurate trait predictions.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies can validate K-nearest neighbors (KNN) and support vector machine (SVM) models against random forest to support the statement that the ML model cannot be used for entrepreneurial trait prediction.Originality/valueThis research is unique because ML models, such as random forest, gradient boosting and lasso regression, are used for entrepreneurial trait prediction by agricultural domain students.

Relationship Between Sensation Seeking And Irritability Among College Students

Over the past few years, surveys assert that young adults are prone to road accidents at an increased rate. There are numerous reasons that could play a role in this significant increase in road accidents among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. The present study examines the relationship between sensation seeking and irritability among college students. Sensation seeking is the tendency to search out and engage in thrilling activities as a method of increasing stimulation and arousal. Irritability is a state of excessive, easily provoked anger, annoyance, or impatience. The study was conducted on the population of college students in Kerala. The sample size consists of 40 undergraduate students in India. The process of data collection was done by means of questionnaires and personal information that was gathered via Google Forms. The two questionnaires used for this process are the Sensation Seeking Scale (ZKA-PQ) and the Brief Irritability Test (Holtzman et al., 2015). The study came to the conclusion that there is no significant relationship between thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, boredom susceptibility, and irritability.

Perceived leadership quality and empathy among Indian undergraduate medical students.

Efficient leaders from the medical fraternity may understand healthcare in depth. Empathy is important for patient care, job satisfaction, and the psychological well-being of doctors. Empathic leadership is concerned with an interest in the people around them. This study aimed to observe the perceived leadership quality and empathy among Indian medical undergraduate students, find any correlation between them, and assess age, sex, and semester of study as predictor variables for leadership and empathy. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted on Google Forms with undergraduate medical students in India with a convenient snowball sample. The Abbreviated Self Leadership Quality (ASQL) was used to find the leadership quality and the eight-item Empathy Quotient (EQ-8) to find the empathy. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated between ASQL and EQ-8 score. Age, sex, and semester were used as predictor variables in regression analysis with leadership and empathy as dependent variables. A total of 439 (50.8% male, 49.2% female) Indian undergraduate students participated in the study. Males showed higher leadership qualities. There was no gender difference in empathy. Leadership was positively correlated (rs =0.13, P = .006) with empathy in the overall sample. The age (P = .001), sex (P < .0001), and semester of study (P < .0001) successfully predicts leadership (F = 57.167, P < .0001). Although age, sex, and semester combined successfully predict empathy (F = 5.31, P = .001), individually, only a semester of study (P = .009) significantly contributes to the prediction. Male and female medical students show a similar level of empathy but male shows higher leadership quality. Leadership and empathy are positively correlated; hence, students with higher leadership quality would show higher empathy and vice versa. The age, sex, and semester of study are determinants of leadership whereas semester of study is the determinant of empathy.

Gender and sexual orientation of undergraduate medical students in India: A cross-sectional study.

Although the potential for alternate conceptions of gender roles and sexual orientations are diverse, it is by-and-large not well tolerated. This study explores the self-reported gender-roles and sexual orientations of Indian undergraduate medical students. To study self-reported gender role and sexual orientation of undergraduate medical students in India. One hundred twenty volunteers were included in the study consisting of 60 males and 60 females. A questionnaire comprising of a sociodemographic proforma, Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), and Epstein Sexual Orientation Inventory (ESOI) were given to each participant. The scales were scored, tabulated, and statistically analyzed. The BSRI revealed that femininity was predominant in both female and male participants, at 68.33% and 55%, respectively. The ESOI revealed that females had significantly higher opposite-sex attraction than males. Though males had higher same-sex attraction than females, the difference was not statistically significant. Females also had a significantly higher sexual orientation range and a mean sexual orientation. Sexual drive was significantly higher in males. Significantly more females supported homosexuality and bisexuality as compared to males. This study helps establish that gender roles can be non-conforming. It helps ascertain that while heterosexual orientation predominates, alternate sexual orientations also exist. It paves the way for future studies and explorations to alleviate public misconceptions.