Years Of Higher Education Research Articles

Radical Welcome in the Archives: What Does It Really Mean to Say “You're Welcome Here”?

Radical Welcome in the Archives: What Does It Really Mean to Say “You're Welcome Here”?

Personalising the student first year experience – an evaluation of a Staff Student Buddy System

A student’s transition into higher education or a new learning environment can set the foundation for the remainder of their study, both in perception and academic ability. Mentoring is a transition intervention strategy and most types of these interventions are student peer to peer. However, there is a growing interest in academic involvement in mentoring and consequently this paper is an investigation into the effective implementation of assigning students with an academic staff buddy or mentor in the transition period of their first year of higher education i.e. the Staff Student Buddy System (SSBS). The analysis focusses on using two measures to inform the results by qualitatively analysing the feedback from the students, and quantitatively measuring the difference in academic performance of both student participants and non-participants. The sample of the students come from the University of South Australia, and the qualitative analysis indicated that students enjoyed SSBS, particularly with the ability to ask questions to those that would be teaching them. The quantitative statistical evidence indicated that SSBS could be a positive factor on a student’s Grade Point Average. Overall, the conclusion was that that the combination of the SSBS and these students produced improved academic performance while providing a positive student experience.

Combining Korean Confucianism with European values to build successful business relationships

Confucian and Buddhist influences in Korea combine to create paradoxical culture in which different ideas merge harmoniously. Meanwhile, Aristotelian European values have developed in a different direction. With increasing collaboration between European Union (EU) countries and Korea, developing enduring and successful business relationships is imperative. This paper addresses the lack of focus on Korean Confucianism and its effect on relations with Europe. It emerges from an evaluation of successful EU-Korean collaborations over 11 years in higher education and industry. Using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 'critical cases', our findings show that Korean Confucianism is a positive influence on relationships to achieve complex, ambitious aims. We posit that a combination of Korean and European values is ideal as Korean society undergoes rapid change and Europe faces political upheaval. Finally, we find that value adjustment from both sides is essential and a new framework of approaches to this process is proposed.

Formation of information and communicative competence of students in educator-supervisor’s work

Abstract. We consider the role of a supervisor in a higher educational institution. The delay in the maturation of young people observed in recent decades makes this work relevant especially in the first years of higher education. The work of the supervisor in the student group on the formation of information and communication competence should include the study of the emotional and cognitive sphere of students, the peculiarities of their interpersonal relationships and monitoring of the psychological state of the collective and individual. An important part of the supervisor's work is the choice of approaches to the formation of a student team, which often unites representatives of different nationalities and different cultural traditions. The key direction is the diagnosis of the psychological atmosphere in the student team. Examples of diagnostic tests that are simple and accessible for use in the practice of an educator-supervisor are given. The methods that can be used in the supervisor’s educational work are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the need for close cooperation with specialists of specialized departments of pedagogy and psychology, providing substantial professional advice in solving these problems. The work of the educator-supervisor, aimed at the formation of information and communication competence of students, contributes to the process of adaptation to new living conditions, which ultimately leads to an improvement in the quality of education and further successful implementation in professional activities.

Психологическое благополучие и приверженность нормам фемининности студенток, овладевающих помогающими профессиями в региональном и столичном вузах

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>Determination of the specifics of the relationship between psychological well-being and adherence to the normative model of traditional femininity based on the example of female students mastering helping professions at the medical and psychological faculties of Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod universities. <strong>Background. </strong>In the context of social instability and the constant growth of negative impacts on a person there is a need for detail study of psychological well-being and the specifics of the connection with it of other socio-psychological and personal phenomena. At the same time, the changed socio-cultural context of personality development as a gender subject, caused along with the traditional emergence of new egalitarian norms, in particular, femininity, actualizes the problem of the relationship between the psychological well-being of a woman's personality and the degree of adherence to traditional gender standards. <strong>Study design. </strong>The relationship between the level of psychological well-being and the degree of adherence to the traditional model of femininity among female students of psychological and medical faculties of Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod universities was studied. To analyze the data the Student's t-test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, correlation analysis (Spearman's coefficient), and the Fisher coefficient were used. <strong>Participants.</strong> Sample: 92 female persons, 42 students of psychological faculties and 50 students of medical faculties of the 1st and 2nd years of higher education in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod aged 18 to 23 years (M=19,53; SD=1,11). <strong>Measurements. </strong>Questionnaire "Scale of psychological well-being" by K. Riff (adaptation by T.D. Shevelenkovа and P.P. Fesenko), Questionnaire "Norms of female behavior" by I.S. Kletsina, E.V. Joffe. <strong>Results. </strong>The average level of psychological well-being was found in the entire sample, while there are differences in female students of psychology and medicine between the scales of "Environment Management" and "Personal growth". The sample of female students of medical faculties of regional university shows a greater commitment to traditional norms of female behavior, and their well-being is more associated with traditional femininity. <strong>Conclusions. </strong>The relationship between psychological well-being and adherence to the norms of femininity in female students mastering helping professions in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod universities is established.</p>

Ефективність експериментальної розробки у формуванні мотивації здобувачів вищої освіти до фізичної активності у позаавдиторний час

Information from literary sources has shown the need to solve the problem of motivating applicants for higher education to engage in physical activity in their free time. The aim of the research is to determine the effectiveness of experimental development in developing the motivation of girls for physical activity during the out-of-school period during the first year of higher education. Material and research techniques. The achievement of the research objective was ensured by the use of a set of methods, inter alia, analysis, systematization, pedagogical experiment, somatometry and somatoscopy, sphygmomanometry, pulsometry, dynamometry, spirometry, anthropometry, oral inte r-viewing, mathematical statistics. The study was attended by 117 girls (41 of the experimental groups and 76 of the control age) aged 17,8 ± 0,6 years and representing different somatotype according to the Stefko-Ostrovsky diagnostic scheme in modification C. Darskaya. Results. The use of experimental author's developmen by girls has helped to improve the number of researched functional indicators and achieve better results. This is not the case with the conventional approach of measuring physical condition. Conclusion. The data obtained show the effectiveness of experimental development in improving the functional performance of female first-year students and indirectly in instilling in them an internal type of motivation to engage in physical activity during leisure time. In view of the results obtained, we consider it advisable to use the tested experimental development in the physical education of candidates for higher education, and also as a fundamental provision of the methodological system of personalization of this pedagogical process.

Differences and similarities between familial and sporadic frontotemporal dementia: An Italian single-center cohort study.

IntroductionThe possibility to generalize our understandings on treatments and assessments to both familial frontotemporal dementia (f‐FTD) and sporadic FTD (s‐FTD) is a fundamental perspective for the near future, considering the constant advancement in potential disease‐modifying therapies that target particular genetic forms of FTD. We aimed to investigate differences in clinical features, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and blood‐based biomarkers between f‐FTD and s‐FTD.MethodsIn this longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated a consecutive sample of symptomatic FTD patients, classified as f‐FTD and s‐FTD according to Goldman scores (GS). All patients underwent clinical, behavioral, and neuropsychiatric symptom assessment, CSF biomarkers and serum neurofilament light (NfL) analysis, and brain atrophy evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsOf 570 patients with FTD, 123 were classified as f‐FTD, and 447 as s‐FTD. In the f‐FTD group, 95 had a pathogenic FTD mutation while 28 were classified as GS = 1 or 2; of the s‐FTD group, 133 were classified as GS = 3 and 314 with GS = 4. f‐FTD and s‐FTD cases showed comparable demographic features, except for younger age at disease onset, age at diagnosis, and higher years of education in the f‐FTD group (all P < .05). f‐FTD showed worse behavioral disturbances as measured with Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI) negative behaviors (14.0 ± 7.6 vs. 11.6 ± 7.4, P = .002), and positive behaviors (20.0 ± 11.0 vs. 17.4 ± 11.8, P = .031). Serum NfL concentrations were higher in patients with f‐FTD (70.9 ± 37.9 pg/mL) compared to s‐FTD patients (37.3 ± 24.2 pg/mL, P < .001), and f‐FTD showed greater brain atrophy in the frontal and temporal regions and basal ganglia. Patients with f‐FTD had significantly shorter survival than those with s‐FTD (P = .004).Discussionf‐FTD and s‐FTD are very similar clinical entities, but with different biological mechanisms, and different rates of progression. The parallel characterization of both f‐FTD and s‐FTD will improve our understanding of the disease, and aid in designing future clinical trials for both genetic and sporadic forms of FTD.Highlights Do clinical features and biomarkers differ between patients with familial frontotemporal dementia (f‐FTD) and sporadic FTD (s‐FTD)?In this cohort study of 570 patients with FTD, f‐FTD and s‐FTD share similar demographic features, but with younger age at disease onset and diagnosis in the f‐FTD group.f‐FTD showed higher serum neurofilament light concentrations, greater brain damage, and shorter survival, compared to s‐FTD.f‐FTD and s‐FTD are very similar clinical entities, but with different cognitive reserve mechanisms and different rates of progression.

Predictive Factors for Conversion to Dementia in Individuals with Early-Onset Mild Cognitive Impairment

Introduction: There is little research on factors predicting conversion to dementia in early-onset mild cognitive impairment (eoMCI), a transitional stage between healthy ageing and dementia in individuals below the age of 65. We aimed to examine whether sociodemographic and clinical factors at initial presentation predicted dementia progression in a cohort of eoMCI patients attending a memory service, at a university teaching hospital in the UK. Methods: This is a retrospective case note study of individuals diagnosed with eoMCI between 2000 and 2013 at the Younger Person’s Memory Service (YPMS) in Leicestershire, England. Data collected at assessment included social factors, demographic characteristics, and medical and psychiatric history, as well as standardized cognitive assessment scores. Variables were analysed using χ² or independent sample t tests to identify associations. A Cox regression survival analysis was done to identify predictive factors for dementia conversion. An ROC analysis for total CAMCOG was used to investigate sensitivity and specificity for dementia converters versus non-converters. Results: Out of 531 subjects who attended YPMS, 65 patients were given a diagnosis of eoMCI (47.7% female; mean age 56.4 ± 7.54 years). Of these, 21 (32.3%) converted to dementia during their course within the service. Comparison between subgroups revealed a significant association between dementia conversion and higher years of education and lower MMSE and CAMCOG (total and subscale) scores at baseline. Smoking history, alcohol use, or medical history such as diabetes or heart disease were not associated with conversion. Cox regression survival analysis showed higher education in years and lower total CAMCOG scores were significant predictors for conversion. Lower scores on the recent memory, remote memory, learning memory, and executive function subscales of the CAMCOG were also significant predictors for conversion. ROC curve analysis for total CAMCOG demonstrated that the best detection of dementia converters can be achieved with a cutoff score of 90.5/107 (sensitivity of 76.2% and specificity of 68.2%). Area under the curve was 0.808 (95% CI: 0.697–0.920). Conclusion: More years in education and lower cognitive scores on CAMCOG at initial assessment are associated with progression to dementia from eoMCI. Further research is required to explore these predictive factors more.

The effect of Alzheimer’s disease risk factors on brain aging in normal Chineses: Cognitive aging and cognitive reserve

Aging has been recognized as a major driving force of the Alzheimer’s disease’s (AD) progression, however, the relationship between brain aging and AD is still unclear. There is also a lack of studies investigating the influence of AD risk factors on brain aging in cognitively normal people. Here, the “Brain Age Gap Estimation” (BrainAGE) framework was applied to investigate the effects of AD risk factors on individual brain aging. Across a total of 165 cognitively normal elderly subjects, although no significant difference was observed in the BrainAGE scores among the three groups, AD risk dose (i.e., the number of AD risk factors) is tend to associated with an increased BrainAGE scores (high-risk > middle risk > low risk). Female exhibited more advanced brain aging (P = 0.004), and higher education years were associated with preserved brain aging (P < 0.001). APOE-ɛ4 (P = 0.846) and family history (FH) of dementia (P = 0.209) did not increase BrainAGE scores. When comparing 52 aMCI patients with 38 cognitively normal controls from ADNI dataset, aMCI patients showed significantly increased BrainAGE scores. BrainAGE scores were negatively correlated with CSF Aβ42 levels in the aMCI group (r = −0.275, P = 0.048). With an accuracy of 68.9%, BrainAGE outperformed APOE-ɛ4 and hippocampus gray matter volume (GMV) in predicting aMCI. In conclusion, AD is independently associated with structural changes in the brain that reflect advanced aging. Potentially, BrainAGE combined with APOE-ɛ4 and hippocampus GMV could be used as a pre-screening tool in early-stage AD.

‘Welcome to Wonderland’. Integration rituals and ceremonies for higher education first-year students, and lessons for institutions

ABSTRACT Students' integration into the environment of the higher education institution (HEIs) is a shared concern found in the literature. This notion of integration is particularly relevant in the first year in higher education, when students face increased difficulties of adapting to a new environment, being the year when a higher number of students drop out. Thus, the main purpose of the study is to grasp students' perceptions of the measures put in place to ease their integration into the academic and social environment of the HEI. This study used a qualitative methodology, and data collection instruments used are twofold: semi-structured interviews with students and document analysis. In Portugal, the welcome to students who enrol in higher education is made in two ways: through a ceremonial proposed by peers and through the institutional welcome promoted by the HEI. The results reveal the relevance students ascribe to strategies for welcoming newcomers in the HEI, promoted both by peers and by the institution itself. Thus, having identified this pivotal dimension of the students' experience, namely in their likelihood of remaining in the institution, HEIs should endeavour to make students feel comfortable in this new environment and perceive the institution as their ‘second home’.

Predictive factors for conversion to dementia in individuals with early‐onset mild cognitive impairment

AbstractBackgroundEarly‐onset Mild Cognitive Impairment (eoMCI) is defined as difficulties in cognition that are worse than in normal ageing for individuals below the age of 65. Some will go on to develop dementia, but there is currently limited research on which risk factors make someone more vulnerable to conversion. The present study aimed to examine whether sociodemographic and clinical factors at the initial presentation predict dementia progression in a cohort of eoMCI patients attending a memory service, at a university teaching hospital in the United Kingdom.MethodsA retrospective case note study utilising a database of individuals diagnosed with eoMCI between 2000‐2010 at a Younger Person’s Memory Service (YPMS) in Leicestershire, England. Data collected at assessment included social factors, demographic characteristics, medical and psychiatric history, as well as standardised cognitive assessment scores.ResultsOut of 531 subjects who attended YPMS between Jan 2000 to Dec 2010, 65 patients were diagnosed with eoMCI (47.7% female; age 56.4 years ±7.54). Of these, 21 individuals (32.3.%) converted to dementia during their course within the service. The mean period of conversion was 30.40 months (±23.08). A comparison between the subgroups revealed a significant association between dementia conversion and higher years of education, lower MMSE and CAMCOG (total and subscores) scores. A subsequent survival analysis found that higher education, lower CAMCOG score, impaired memory (remote, recent, learning) and impaired executive functions, at initial assessment were significant predictors for converting to dementia.ConclusionHigher education, impaired memory and impaired executive functions at initial assessment are associated with a progression to a dementia diagnosis. The present naturalistic study identifies potential characteristics that predict the likelihood of an individual with eoMCI converting to any type of dementia. This has vital clinical implications and additional research is needed to explore these risk factors further.

Is There a Real Need for the Preparatory Years in Higher Education? An Educational Data Analysis for College and Future Career Readiness

Universities seek to qualify students for their academic and career futures and meet labor market requirements. Hence, a preparatory year is provided to bridge the gap between high school outcomes and the needs of university study plans. The preparatory year is the first year of support in the life of university students, and for decades, it has been recognized as important. It is considered the most crucial stage in the life of university students, where they build and refine their skills and choose their academic major, in which they complete their academic and career life. Due to the importance of this year, which requires the full attention and care of the higher authorities in terms of preparation, development, and renewal, this research outlines the importance of the preparatory year at a local level and in international institutions. Moreover, it sheds light on the details of King Abdulaziz University (KAU) students as a case study. It measures the relationship between the admission weighted ratio (AWR), the college enrollment allocation weighted ratio (CEAWR), and the performance of three batches of male and female students (three consecutive years), with details of students’ college allocation after the end of the preparatory year. More importantly, it aims to realize students’ progress through their weighted averages during their preparatory year, and the extent to which the goals of the preparatory year are achieved. After an analytic survey of the reality of the preparatory year, based on the statistical tests conducted, this study found that it is not possible to be satisfied with the weighted ratio for colleges’ direct allocation of high school students. The tests showed a difference between the AWR and that of the CEAWR, which indicates a change in the level of students’ performance from high school to university, due to the positive impact of the preparatory year. More precisely, it was noted that there is a possibility of studying the sufficiency of the weighted ratio for the direct allocation of some colleges in future research.

Exploring University Students’ Perceptions Of Online Physical Education Class As Participants: A Qualitative Case Study

Compare face to face learning, the implication of online courses has been discussed for several years in higher education. However, in 2020 the rise of the global COVID-19 pandemic has created obvious shifts in university students’ life. In order to ensure the “suspension of classes”, university students took part more in online classes compare to physical education (PE) classes in China. It is significant to explore students’ views on PE online learning that is benefit for teachers to provide students with high quality of online PE courses, which will be better to guide students to take PE lessons and also improve students’ health. This study investigated the issues of students’ perceptions toward online physical education courses in Tianjin University of Technology in China based on a case study. The findings of this study indicate that some students don’t like taking online PE courses due to there were some disadvantages of online PE lesson. Some students enjoy taking online PE courses because of the interesting sports videos. This study also explored teachers’ view on how to motivate college students to engage in physical education classes and recommends specific strategies for teachers to motivate college students to take online PE courses.

Psychological Distress and Use of Psychotropic Drugs Among University Students-the SHoT Study, Norway.

Background: Students pursuing higher education are struggling with psychological distress, which in turn may negatively affect their academic self-efficacy and study progress. Although psychotropic drug use is widespread and increasing, patterns of psychotropic drug use among students are not well-known.Aim: To describe prevalence and gender differences in psychotropic drug use among Norwegian students in higher education, and to examine associations with level of psychological distress.Methods: The study is based on data from the Norwegian Student's Health and Well-being Study (SHoT), 2018, a national survey including all fulltime students aged 18–35 years in higher education. Our sample included 49,836 students, 69% females. Use of psychotropic drugs and psychological distress (The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist [HSCL-25]) were self-reported. Generalised linear models were used to assess associations between psychological distress and psychotropic drug use.Results: Psychotropic drug use was more frequent among female than male students: 4 vs. 2% daily antidepressants usage; 5 vs. 3% last month use of anxiolytics/tranquillisers; and 8 vs. 5% last month use of hypnotics. In contrast, male students reported use of performance enhancing drugs more often than females (7 vs. 5%). Adjusted associations between high level of psychological distress (HSCL-25 ≥ 2.0) and use of psychotropics, showed an about 2-fold increased relative risk, largely consequent across drug classes and genders.Conclusion: Prevalence and gender patterns of intake of the most common psychotropic drug classes among Norwegian students are comparable to previous studies. Unexpectedly, among students with moderate to severe psychological distress, the patterns of psychotropic drug use were more or less identical between genders.

Assessment of Oral Health Behaviour &amp; Self Practice among Hazrat Bari Sarkar Medical &amp; Dental Students using the Hiroshima University - Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU - DBI)

Objectives: To assess oral health behaviour &amp; self-practice among HBS undergraduate medical &amp; dental students in Islamabad, Pakistan &amp; to evaluate the variations in oral health behaviour &amp; self-practice based on age, gender, academic program (MBBS/BDS) &amp; education year.Methods: Hiroshima University Dental Behaviour Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire in English version consisting of 20 dichotomous responses (Agree/Disagree) was self-administered among 300 undergraduate medical &amp; dental students of HBS Medical &amp; Dental College in Islamabad. Three hundred medical and dental students were selected by convenience sampling. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the month of October 2019 &amp; 38 questionnaire forms were excluded from the study which was incomplete &amp; data was analysed on 262 (51 from dental &amp; 211 from medical students) student's responses using SPSS Version 24 and statistical significance was set at P &lt; 0.05.Results: The mean age of students who participated in the study was 21.26 ± 1.90 years with a total number of 109 males &amp; 153 females. A significantly higher HU-DBI score was observed among students from higher years of education only (p-value of 0.015). The majority of students (80.1%) brush their teeth daily. About 64.5% of students mentioned that they use toothbrushes &amp; 15.6% used miswak on daily basis for cleaning their teeth. About 88.6% of students did not use mouthwash &amp; toothpicks regularly.Conclusion: It can be concluded from the results that students belonging to higher years of education showed improved oral health behaviour and attitude as compared to the early years of education. Overall health behaviour observed was adequate.

Medical care disruptions during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic: the experience of older breast cancer survivors.

PurposeOlder cancer survivors required medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are limited data on medical care in this age group.MethodsWe evaluated care disruptions in a longitudinal cohort of non-metastatic breast cancer survivors aged 60–98 from five US regions (n = 321). Survivors completed a web-based or telephone survey from May 27, 2020 to September 11, 2020. Care disruptions included interruptions in seeing or speaking to doctors, receiving medical treatment or supportive therapies, or filling prescriptions since the pandemic began. Logistic regression models evaluated associations between care disruptions and education, medical, psychosocial, and COVID-19-related factors. Multivariate models included age, county COVID-19 death rates, comorbidity, and post-diagnosis time.ResultsThere was a high response rate (n = 262, 81.6%). Survivors were 32.2 months post-diagnosis (SD 17.5, range 4–73). Nearly half (48%) reported a medical disruption. The unadjusted odds of care disruptions were higher with each year of education (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08–1.37, p = < 0.001) and increased depression by CES-D score (OR 1.04, CI 1.003–1.08, p = 0.033) while increased tangible support decreased the odds of disruptions (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97–0.99, p = 0.012). There was a trend between disruptions and comorbidities (unadjusted OR 1.13 per comorbidity, 95% CI 0.99–1.29, p = 0.07). Adjusting for covariates, higher education years (OR1.23, 95% CI 1.09–1.39, p = 0.001) and tangible social support (OR 0.98 95% CI 0.97–1.00, p = 0.006) remained significantly associated with having care disruptions.ConclusionOlder breast cancer survivors reported high rates of medical care disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic and psychosocial factors were associated with care disruptions.Clinicaltrials.gov IdentifierNCT03451383

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF SPORTS STUDENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MANAGERIAL INTERNSHIP

According to Vermunt (1998), teaching and learning are interdependent processes that can adjust to each other, by adapting the teaching strategies used by the teacher to the way students use and regulate their learning activities. Teaching, thus involves guiding students in the process of choosing learning strategies that allow the construction, modification and use of knowledge. Such teaching is oriented towards learning processes and implicitly towards the student because it focuses on the processes through which knowledge is built and then applied in practice. Most frequently, studies that have addressed this issue have found an increase in understanding, metacognition, and self-regulation [8,9]. Moreover, studies show that meaning-oriented learning is positively associated with the indicators of study efficiency, even in the case of scores obtained in exams containing factual questions. Reproductive-oriented learning has shown negative correlations with outcome measurement systems. Non-directed learning showed for the most part strong negative relationships with exam performance, while in most cases, application-oriented learning demonstrated a lack of a relationship with academic success. In addition, regular examinations in the first years of higher education hardly manage to capitalize on students' ability to use critical, analytical and concrete processing strategies. [4,10]

Implementation of the Development of Digital Book for National Insights Learning with a Contextual Approach to Citizenship Education Courses

Citizenship Education (Civics) learning objectives include improving students' knowledge, attitudes, and skills in the Indonesian national insight, namely Archipelago Insights. So far, archipelago insight books are still in the form of paper books containing theories about national insight, not yet equipped with actual daily cases, so they are less interesting for students to read. This National Insight e-book contains learning material related to national insight and visual, audio and audio-visual media. Learning by using e-books attracts students to read/learn about national insight through e-books. Once opening e-books, students can learn theory as well as learning actual cases/events in everyday life related to national insight. This research was conducted on students who took Citizenship Education courses in the Odd semester of the 2020-2021 academic year in Higher Education in Semarang City. For the research method using the ADDIE R&D model (Analysis, Design, Develop, Desiminate). The results are effective for the achievement of learning objectives. This study shows that the learning of national insight using e-books with a contextual approach can be interesting and pleasing to students.

Career competencies in the transition from higher education to the labor market: Examining developmental trajectories

Career competencies refer to knowledge and skills central to career development. They are particularly important at the start of the career, as early-career choices can have an impact on career outcomes in the longer term. Building on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study sets out to investigate (1) how career competencies on average change in the transition from higher education to the labor market, (2) whether there are different trajectories (3) connected to labor market experiences. Results are based on a sample of 1180 young adults at five time points, spanning their final year of higher education and the first 10 months at the labor market. Data were analyzed using latent growth curve and latent growth class analyses. Results demonstrated that (1) career competencies on average increased during education and remained stable after labor market entrance: Our interpretation along COR theory is that the transition triggers investment in career competencies and that excess resources are then stalled. (2) Three profiles of change in career competencies were identified, described according to their starting values and change pattern after graduation: high-stable, medium-steadily increasing, and low-late increasing. (3) Individuals in the high-stable profile reported higher education-job fit, whereas individuals in the low-late increasing profile were less likely to be employed four months after graduation. Hence, by including multiple time points, by accounting for within-person dynamics and by taking two contexts (education and labor market) into account, this study was able to increase understanding of change in resources in transition periods.

Students’ experiences of a first‐year block model curriculum in higher education

AbstractThe first year in Higher Education (HE) is an international priority because of its importance to the retention of students. While initiatives to improve students’ commencing experience continue to develop one area that has received limited consideration is the first‐year curriculum. The aim of the research reported in this paper was to enhance the student experience in HE by expanding understandings of the first‐year curriculum. Focus groups and an online questionnaire were the research methods used to, explore students’ experiences of learning in a newly developed First‐Year Block Model (FYBM) curriculum, implemented at a university in Australia. Findings from the research revealed that features in the design of the FYBM framed and permeated the students’ experiences of learning. The students explained that a sense of familiarity, curriculum leadership, teaching and teachers and curriculum customisation influenced their engagement and achievements. The study highlights that HE requires staff who possess deep knowledge and expertise in the first‐year curriculum because this valuable asset can positively influence student learning and success.