Public University Research Articles

Predictors of Psychological Burnout Among Jordanian University Students: Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Background: Psychological burnout (BO) is one of the most significant challenges faced by university students. This study aimed to explore the perceived levels of BO, psychological resilience (PR), and psychological hardiness among university students in Jordan. It also investigated the factors that may contribute to psychological BO. (2) Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 1219 university students (female = 933 (76.5%), male = 286 (23.5%)) were conveniently selected from four universities (two public and two private) to represent the study sample. (3) Results: Results found that 40.39% of university students had severe psychological BO levels, although most of them had acceptable PR (92.74%) and hardiness (83.7%) levels. Unmarried students at public universities, medical schools, and fourth-year students or beyond showed higher levels of psychological BO than any other category. A negative correlation (p < 0.05) was observed among psychological BO and both perceived PR and hardiness variables. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between perceived PR and psychological hardiness. Significant contributions of hardiness, university type, and academic year to BO were detected, with a variance of 29.7%. (4) Conclusions: Academic teachers and policymakers should tackle this problem among university students to help alleviate the different sources of stressors in university life.

The History of 2-Year HBCU’s in Mississippi: The Often Overlooked Foundation of Higher Education Access for African Americans

ABSTRACT The proliferation of 2-year colleges in Mississippi began with institutions that would now be labeled as HBCU’s. The 2-year HBCU was the original avenue to an advanced education for African Americans in Mississippi. This began decades before Mississippi created the first statewide public 2-year college system. Some of these institutions have had the name of community or junior college, but they all offered sub-baccalaureate higher education for African Americans in Mississippi when access to advanced education was greatly needed and terribly limited. These institutions, both those still operating and those lost to the changing higher education environment, did great work under very trying circumstances. Institutions of higher learning were largely founded, led and staffed by African Americans mere years and decades after the end of slavery. The creation of these colleges was a remarkable achievement under dire circumstances, and they left a legacy that should be honored long after the end of legally codified segregation of higher education. It is the purpose of this study to chronicle the history of these 2-year HBCU’s in the state of Mississippi and to shed light on their continuing impact.

Nutrition Knowledge, Food Insecurity, and Dietary Biomarkers: Examining Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among College Students

Objectives: Food insecurity among college students, combined with limited nutrition knowledge and barriers to healthy eating, significantly impacts diet quality and fruit and vegetable intake. Efforts to address these issues are further complicated by the challenges of accurately and efficiently collecting dietary data in research settings. This study aimed to explore the relationship between nutrition knowledge and fruit/vegetable intake using skin, plasma, and dietary carotenoid levels as biomarkers. Methods: Undergraduate and graduate students aged 18 years and older (n = 166) from a California public university were recruited. The sample was predominately female (n = 133, 80%), with 30 males (18%) and three individuals (2%) identifying as non-binary. Food security was assessed using the USDA’s 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module and nutrition knowledge through a validated questionnaire. Biological data included blood samples and skin carotenoid measurements (Veggie Meter®). Dietary quality (HEI-2015) and carotenoid intake were assessed through Diet ID™, a photo-based assessment tool. Results: The mean nutrition knowledge scores were 36.55 ± 8.83 out of 58 points, and the mean skin carotenoid score was 307.07 ± 110.22. Higher knowledge scores were associated with increased plasma carotenoids, HEI-score, and Diet ID™ total carotenoids. Food security classification did not significantly impact nutrition knowledge but did influence HEI scores and skin carotenoid levels, with very low food security linked to poorer diet quality and lower carotenoid levels. Conclusions: Nutrition knowledge may serve as a significant predictor of fruit and vegetable intake in university students. Despite this correlation, the impact of overall diet quality is potentially hindered by an individual’s food security status. Therefore, while knowledge is critical, addressing food insecurity is essential for enhancing diet quality among college students.

Research-driven activities and metacognition enhance listening skills through PPP method: Ecuadorian university case study (July-September 2023)

The burgeoning global demand for English proficiency, particularly within academic, scientific, technological and future-oriented fields, underscore the critical need for robust listening comprehension for academic achievement and lifelong learning. This quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of integrating the PPP method (Presentation, Practice, Production) with metacognitive interventions to enhance the listening proficiency of A2.1 level students at a public university in Quito from July to September 2023. By employing inquiry-based research and fostering critical and reflective thinking through individual, collaborative, and reflective metacognitive assignments, the study aimed to not only improve students’ listening comprehension but also cultivate their metacognitive awareness. Initial assessments revealed significant metacognitive challenges among students, manifesting as difficulties in comprehending and successfully completing listening tasks, ultimately impacting their academic performance. However, post-intervention evaluations demonstrated that this integrated approach yielded substantial and statistically significant improvements in both listening proficiency and metacognitive abilities, empowering learners not only to listen and understand more effectively but also to discern the cognitive processes underlying their enhanced performance attaining significant learning.

Research-driven activities and metacognition enhance listening skills through PPP method: Ecuadorian university case study (July-September 2023)

The burgeoning global demand for English proficiency, particularly within academic, scientific, technological and future-oriented fields, underscore the critical need for robust listening comprehension for academic achievement and lifelong learning. This quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of integrating the PPP method (Presentation, Practice, Production) with metacognitive interventions to enhance the listening proficiency of A2.1 level students at a public university in Quito from July to September 2023. By employing inquiry-based research and fostering critical and reflective thinking through individual, collaborative, and reflective metacognitive assignments, the study aimed to not only improve students’ listening comprehension but also cultivate their metacognitive awareness. Initial assessments revealed significant metacognitive challenges among students, manifesting as difficulties in comprehending and successfully completing listening tasks, ultimately impacting their academic performance. However, post-intervention evaluations demonstrated that this integrated approach yielded substantial and statistically significant improvements in both listening proficiency and metacognitive abilities, empowering learners not only to listen and understand more effectively but also to discern the cognitive processes underlying their enhanced performance attaining significant learning.

The Impact of Educational Economic Factors on Institutional Sustainability Performance: The Mediating Role of Green Management Practices

This study investigates the relationship between educational economic factors and institutional sustainability performance in Saudi public universities, examining the mediating role of green management practices. Using data from 168 respondents across three Saudi public universities, we employed a quantitative approach through structured questionnaires measuring educational economic factors, green management practices, and institutional sustainability performance. PLS-SEM analysis revealed significant direct effects of educational economic factors on sustainability performance, with economic incentive programs demonstrating the strongest influence (β = 0.465, p < 0.001). Green management practices exhibited significant mediating effects, notably between financial resource allocation and sustainability performance (β = 0.191, p < 0.001). The model explains 61.6% of the variance in sustainability performance. The findings provide insights into the dynamics of sustainability implementation in Saudi higher education institutions, particularly highlighting the crucial mediating role of green management practices in translating economic initiatives into sustainability outcomes. While the study’s focus on three Saudi public universities may limit generalizability, it contributes to understanding sustainability implementation within Saudi Vision 2030’s environmental framework. Future research opportunities include expanding to private institutions, incorporating additional geographical regions, and implementing longitudinal studies to track sustainability performance evolution.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of College Students’ Diet, Mental Health, and Hindrances to Healthy Lifestyles

Objective: To determine whether dietary intake and restrictions on diet are correlated with sleep, academic achievement, and/or mental health in a college population. Methods: We used Qualtrics to survey a large public university in the Northeast for Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Fall 2023 academic semesters (n = 98;104;90) for campus demographics, diet quality, dietary restrictions, food insecurity, sleep quality and quantity, stress (PSS), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), and academic success (GPA). We performed Spearman rho and Pearson r analyses (IBM SPSS, alpha = 0.05). Results: Diet quality correlated positively with GPA (Rho = 0.265, P < 0.05), dietary restrictions (Rho = 0.498, P < 0.05), and sleep hours (r = 0.284, P < 0.05), but negatively with anxiety (Rho = −0.300, P < 0.01), stress (r = −0.225, P < 0.05), and depression (r = −0.434, P < 0.05). Food insecurity correlated positively with anxiety (Rho = 0.488, P < 0.001), stress (r = 0.557, P < 0.001), and depression (r = 0.489, P < 0.001), but negatively with GPA (Rho = −0.390, P < 0.05). Sleep quality correlated negatively with stress (r = −0.269, P = 0.008), depression (r = −0.350, P < 0.001), and anxiety (Rho = −0.248, P = 0.014). Conclusions: Correlations among diet, food insecurity, dietary restrictions, sleep, and mental health metrics suggest that improvements in diet benefit students’ lifestyles. However, more restrictive diets do not appear to be deleterious, implying a reduced need for dietary interventions in this population.

Does Corequisite Remediation Work for Everyone? An Exploration of Heterogeneous Effects and Mechanisms

Abstract The landscape of developmental education has experienced significant shifts over the last decade nationwide, as more than 20 states and higher education systems have transitioned from the traditional prerequisite model to corequisite remediation. Drawing on administrative data from Tennessee community colleges from 2010 to 2020, this study examined the heterogeneous effects of corequisite reform for remediation-eligible students with varying levels of academic preparation. Using difference-in-differences and event study designs, we found that corequisite remediation significantly improved gateway and subsequent college-level course completion for students in all placement test score groups below the college-level threshold. For math, the positive effects on college-level course completion were stronger for higher-scoring remedial students than for those with lower placement test scores, whereas the pattern was reversed for English. However, since the corequisite reform, students requiring remediation were more likely to drop out of the public college system, and those with the lowest scores were less likely to earn short-term certificates.

Challenges and Attributes for an Agile Management Roadmap of Information and Communication Technology (Ict) Project Portfolio: A Literature System Review

Objective: To identify the challenges and attributes that contribute to the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) portfolio management in federal public universities. Theoretical Framework: The research addresses a gap in the portfolio management of ICT projects in public universities. Methods: A literature review was conducted using the Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, and CAPES databases, employing the PRISMA-P protocol for article selection and filtering. Results and Discussion:: Six major challenges and thirteen attributes were identified that facilitate the development of artifacts specific to the ICT sector in public universities. The study presents two summary tables: one outlining the challenges and another detailing the attributes for developing a roadmap. The study provides guidelines for federal public universities to enhance efficiency in the management of ICT project portfolios. Research Implications: The implications of this research provide guidelines to optimize ICT portfolio management in public universities, impacting sectors such as public administration and digital transformation. The results can guide the implementation of effective strategies to improve governance and efficiency in technological projects. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by identifying and analyzing challenges and attributes specific to ICT Project Portfolio Management (ICT-PPM) in the context of Brazilian public universities. The originality lies in the systematic approach to understanding gaps and ideal characteristics for ICT-PPM, promoting more mature governance processes. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by its potential to guide the implementation of effective digital transformation strategies in public institutions.

Association Between Colleague Violence and the Professional Image of Nursing and Career Decisions Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

To examine how colleague violence affects professional image and career decisions among nursing students. This cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1 to March 1, 2023, at two public universities in Turkey. All nursing students who met the inclusion criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate were included without any special sample calculation, and a final sample of 357 students was obtained. Data were collected between February 1 and March 1, 2023. Data were collected using a survey form that included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, as well as three scales: the Exposure to Colleague Violence Scale (ECVS) scale, the Image of Nursing Profession Scale (INPS) scale, and the Career Decision Scale (CDS). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analyses. The mean ECVS score was 45.43 (20.80), the mean INPS score was 147.15 (13.51), and the mean CDS score was 79.67 (17.34). A weak negative correlation was found between colleague violence and nursing image, a weak positive correlation between colleague violence and career decision, and a moderate negative correlation between nursing image and career decision. This study highlights the negative impact of exposure to colleague violence on nursing students, affecting both their professional image and career decision-making. Greater exposure to colleague violence correlates with more negative perceptions of the nursing profession and increased uncertainty in career choices. Implementing targeted interventions to reduce and prevent colleague violence, especially in clinical practice settings, is essential for promoting a positive professional image and supporting informed career decisions among nursing students. Addressing and reducing colleague violence among nursing students can enhance their professional image and decision-making regarding their careers, which, in turn, may lead to improved patient care and more significant long-term commitment to the nursing profession. This study adhered to the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines for cross-sectional studies. There was no patient or public involvement in this study.

Putting pedagogy back in: Moving from “whether” to “when” compulsory entrepreneurship education “works”

ABSTRACT The growing interest in entrepreneurship education has sparked a debate about how pedagogy can support an intention to innovate. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we examine the links between experiential pedagogy, students’ intention to innovate, and entrepreneurial intent. Using structural equation modeling on a survey of 361 students of compulsory entrepreneurship education across public and private universities in a developing economy, we find that compulsory entrepreneurship education alone has minimal impact on entrepreneurial intent and innovation intention. However, engaged faculty and out-of-class experiences, both elements of experiential pedagogy, positively influence attitudes and behavior toward entrepreneurship, regardless of university type. Out-of-class experiences notably boost innovation intentions, mediated by behavioral control. Our findings contribute to entrepreneurship education scholarship by highlighting the efficacy of experiential pedagogy in resource-constrained environments and informing the optimization of entrepreneurship education strategies in developing economies.

Organizational Climate as a Key to Positive Mental Health and Academic Engagement in University Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This study aimed to examine the relationships between mental health, organizational climate, and engagement through a structural equation model, for which a quantitative methodology was developed. A total of 1971 students from a public university in Lima (between 16 and 56 years of age, with a mean age of 21.09 years and standard deviation of 3.2) participated in the study. Three instruments with high internal consistency were used: the Positive Mental Health Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and the FOCUS Organizational Climate Questionnaire. The results show that organizational climate is positively related to mental health and engagement, with life satisfaction being the most significant dimension in mental health (0.768), the vigor the strongest in engagement (0.814), and the innovation climate stood out in organizational climate (0.819). At the same time, mental health directly impacts engagement. The structural model revealed that organizational climate directly influences mental health (0.64) and engagement (0.49), while mental health has a direct impact on engagement (0.43). In addition, this structural model presents an adequate fit. The findings highlight the need to design interventions prioritizing students’ psychosocial well-being and managing a positive organizational climate as a premise. Implications of the study are discussed.

Validation of a Questionnaire of Motivations for Moderated and Severe Alcohol Consumption Among College Students

Objective: This work aimed to develop and validate a scale to assess motivations for alcohol drinking among Mexican college students. Methods: The scale design consisted of applying a stimulus phrase to assess motivations for moderate alcohol drinking (up to three drinks per occasion) and severe alcohol consumption (four or more drinks) in 130 college students. The semantic network technique was applied to identify 15 defining motivations (with more considerable semantic weight) for each drinking level, constituting the pilot scale. The pilot scale was validated on 307 students from a public university in Mexico (255 with moderate drinking and 82 with severe consumption). Results: The final number of items per level of drinking was 10 (moderate drinking) and 13 (severe consumption). Internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) for the first one was 0.886 with three factors that explain 57.5% of the total variance; the second had an alpha of 0.884 with four factors that explain 70.5% of the total variance. All the factors had positive correlations with the risk perception for alcohol drinking, and there was a positive correlation between severe consumption motivation and the risk perception for consumption of other substances. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the proposed theoretical models adjust to the data with an error of approximately zero (i.e., RMSEA of 0.088 for moderate consumption and 0.074 for severe consumption), which also carefully measures the motivation for moderate and severe alcohol consumption among college students. Conclusions: The new scale is valid and reliable for assessing motivations for moderate and severe alcohol consumption in Mexican college students. This may be a valuable tool to design and evaluate interventions for the prevention of alcohol use among college students.

Readiness for self-directed learning among undergraduate medical students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during COVID-19, Pakistan.

The field of medical sciences has continuously been changing and evolving rapidly pertaining to the newly introduced practices and guidelines according to the principles of evidence-based medicine. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for the healthcare practitioners to keep themselves updated and regulated through self-directed learning. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the readiness of self-directed learning among undergraduate medical students. A total of 824 students participated both from public and private medical colleges of KPK. A self-reported validated SRSSDL scale was used to obtain data. The perception of public and private medical colleges students was compared and analyzedusing SPSS version 24. Differences in SDL mean scores of student groups were analyzed through independent sample t-test for groups having two categories (e.g. gender, medical college setting etc.). Mean scores of all the five academic years were compared using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The levels of SDL readiness (e.g. good, average, poor) were cross tabulated with gender, medical college setting and academic years categories by using Chi-squaretest. the p - value was set at 0.05. The self-rated scale for SDL readiness among undergraduate medical students showed a mean score of 226.91 ± 30.074 (Minimum score = 81, Maximum score = 300) with a range of 219. On the whole, among 824 students, 61.3% of students reported good readiness for self-directed learning, 38.2% average readiness.Students enrolled in private medical colleges were more likely to report good readiness for SDL (58.4%) compared to those enrolled in public sector medical colleges (41.6%). The findings of this vast survey suggest that overall undergraduate medical students are ready for self-directed learning in their prevailing circumstances at undergraduate medical education. It also finds that students enrolled in private medical colleges are more likely to be ready for self-directed learning than those studying in public medical colleges.However, further research with qualitative analysis and longitudnal designs is recomended to explore factors promoting or preventing self directed learning.

The Role of Personality Traits and Decision-Making Styles in Career Decision-Making Difficulties

Career decisions are one of the most important decisions individuals make in their lives. These decisions are multifaceted and complex, making them a challenging process, particularly for students. This creates obstacles for students navigating the career choice process. The aim of this study is to examine career decision-making difficulties within the framework of personality traits and decision-making styles. The target group of this study is undergraduate students studying at a public university. For this research, we collected data through online questionnaire forms. The questionnaire comprised demographic questions and three scales: career decision-making difficulties, personality traits, and decision-making styles. A total of 505 students (63.2% female) participated in the questionnaire. The research model was tested using path analysis. We also conducted network analysis in order to better understand and visualize the relationships between the sub-dimensions of the scales. The findings showed significant direct relationships between career decision-making difficulties and personality traits (conscientiousness, openness, neuroticism, and agreeableness) and decision-making styles (rational, dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous). According to the path analysis result, neurotic personality traits were positively correlated with career decision-making difficulties, while openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were negatively correlated with them. The relationship between dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous decision-making styles and career decision-making difficulties was positive. These results provide valuable insights into the factors that shape career decisions, helping students make more informed choices and manage their career paths effectively.

Influence of digital leadership on Malaysian public university branding: professionals’ identity as mediator

Influence of digital leadership on Malaysian public university branding: professionals’ identity as mediator

Transfering Sustainability Competences through Green Pedagogies and Service-Learning in Higher Education

Sustainability competences are reflected in the ability to look ahead to change and shape the future of the societies in which they live through active participation in the sense of sustainable development. Through service-learning, students take responsibility for their actions. The complex nature of sustainability issues makes it useful to explore problems and their solutions holistically. In the framework of the NEMOS project (A New Educational Model for Acquiring Sustainability Competences through Service-Learning), a collaborative process was initiated to pool the knowledge and experience of five Higher Education Institutions working together to implement new educational models for effectively acquiring sustainability competences through service-learning in food-related degrees. This EU-funded project was launched and aimed to advance the transition to sustainability education through practical and innovative educational approaches and interventions. Green pedagogy can support transformative learning through the exploration and clarification of learners´own values. In the case of the Public University of Navarre (UPNA), which leads the NEMOS project, practical sessions on service-learning and green pedagogies were held to train university lecturers who teach in different degrees to integrate sustainability in higher education, recognising the relevance of the connection with the environment and the active participation of educators in this process. Keywords: Experiential learning, know-how, sustainability education

ColombiaTuitionSET: Labeled dataset for exploring socioeconomic status, career selection, and tuition fees at a Colombian public university.

This dataset examines the interplay between socioeconomic status and educational outcomes among students at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Collected from publicly available data in collaboration with the National Directorate of Information, the dataset includes anonymized records of 3361 students from multiple university campuses during the first semester of 2021. It captures a diverse array of socioeconomic and academic variables, such as family income, residence type, tuition fee, and career choice, providing a unique basis for studying educational access in Colombia. Following authorization from the National Directorate of Information, the dataset underwent a rigorous anonymization and validation process, ensuring data integrity and reproducibility. The data was systematically cleaned and organized to highlight key demographic and socioeconomic variables relevant to student accessibility, persistence, and financial sustainability in higher education. With its detailed structure, this dataset is a valuable resource for policymakers and researchers focused on reducing educational inequalities. It supports analyses that reveal how socioeconomic conditions impact educational pathways, enabling the design of targeted interventions to enhance equity in university access and retention. This dataset contributes significantly to the understanding of educational challenges in Colombian public universities, providing a comprehensive basis for the investigation of the socioeconomic factors that influence students' access to and success in higher education.

Washback of Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP.3-5) on Undergraduate Students’ Learning Strategies

Studies on washback of not only international standardized proficiency tests, but also localized high-stakes tests have been increasingly attracting considerable interest. The current study explores the washback effects of a Vietnam-made localized English proficiency test named “Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency, level 3-5” (VSTEP.3-5) on undergraduate students’ learning strategies. This research employed a mixed-methods design featuring two major research instruments labeled as questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected from the survey questionnaires delivered to 600 English-majored sophomores at a public university in Central Vietnam. Additionally, qualitative data were obtained and analyzed from semi-structured interviews with 12 student participants through a prudent coding process. The findings indicated that a majority of undergraduate students claimed that VSTEP.3-5 affected their learning strategies in a positive way, especially “cognitive and metacognitive strategies”. Besides, preferences for distinct strategies utilized in specific English skills were particularly evident in such productive skills as Speaking and Writing.

Predictors of the Higher Education Psychosocial Learning Environment: Students’ Perspectives

Research indicates that the psychosocial learning environment in higher education substantially influences the quality of teaching and learning by shaping classroom instructional practices. However, the extent to which teachers’ communication style, classroom management strategies, and the classroom physical environment predict the learning climate remains largely unexplored. Using the structural equation modelling technique, this study aimed to determine how these factors predict the psychosocial learning environment in Ghanaian public universities. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, involving 403 students from four public universities in Ghana. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses validated the conceptual framework of the psychosocial learning environment. Structural equation modelling revealed that teachers’ communication style and classroom physical conditions positively and significantly predict the psychosocial learning environment in higher education. The study concludes that teachers’ classroom management style and physical environment jointly play critical roles in shaping the psychosocial learning environment, which encompasses students’ sense of belonging, emotional support, involvement, cohesiveness, interactions, cooperation, satisfaction, and task orientation. The researcher argue that these factors are essential and should be prioritised to enhance the higher education psychosocial learning environment. Teachers and higher education authorities must take deliberate steps to improve the classroom physical environment by providing necessary facilities and resources that ensure student comfort and security. Furthermore, improving the communication style and effectiveness of higher education teachers should be a key focus in initiatives aimed at enhancing teaching, learning, and student welfare. Future research should explore the impact of the psychosocial learning environment on students’ motivation and self-reported academic achievement."