Year Of University Study Research Articles

Prevalence of depression and anxiety, and attitudes toward seeking help among first-year pharmacy, medical, and nursing students at a Nigerian university

IntroductionThe first year of university study tends to be particularly challenging and exhausting, especially for students in health sciences. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of anxiety and depression among first-year pharmacy, medicine, and nursing students at a Nigerian university as well as their attitudes toward seeking professional support. MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey among all first-year pharmacy, medicine, and nursing students. Paper-based self-administered questionnaires were used, and they included the Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. ResultsThe study included 522 students (89% response rate). The prevalence of depression among participants was 71.8%, while the prevalence of anxiety was 61.7%. Only 24.9% of the participants expressed willingness to seek professional psychological help. Attitudes toward getting professional care was inversely related to the prevalence of depression (r = −0.155, P = .01) and anxiety (r = −0.098, P = .05). Age, smoking, alcohol intake, and dietary habits were associated with the occurrence of depression and anxiety. No demographic variables were related to the participants' attitudes toward seeking professional care. ConclusionsDepression and anxiety symptoms were very common among health science freshmen. However, the vast majority of students were unwilling to seek help. Students' attitudes toward seeking treatment are influenced by the prevalence of depression and anxiety. Therefore, educational interventions on mental health promotion are recommended.

5. Artistic Expressiveness - Exhaustive Component in the Teaching-Learning Process for “Dance” Specialty Students

Abstract The given paper elucidates one of the main professional skills of a dancer / performer - artistic expressiveness. Following the analysis of several studies in the field of choreographic art dedicated to expressiveness and methods of its development in choreographic creation, the concept of expressiveness is revealed by defining it in different types of art, cultural studies, philosophy, etc. The most complex description of the component of artistic expressiveness is present in classical, folk and modern dance, where the conditions of its formation and development are exposed in the practical classes of classical, folk and modern dance. The stated issue was researched in a study was conducted over three years of university studies at cycle I (Bachelor).

The development of world language speaking and writing in US higher education: A longitudinal case study

AbstractMeeting the specific needs of each individual learner in an inclusive world language (WL) curriculum is key to success in the modern classroom. A learner's innate or previously learned writing ability is thought to affect speaking ability (and vice versa), with the stronger of the two skills helping to prop up the weaker skill. However, this proposed relationship is not well understood at this point. This longitudinal study followed a cohort of 27 WL majors and minors in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish over the course of 3–4 years of university study; examined the different language courses that they completed; and measured their proficiency at the end of each academic year. Results indicate largely symmetrical development of speaking and writing, with significant exceptions.

Adaptation to university studies affects on functional state of freshmen

According to different researches, 30% of university graduates have a low level of health, and studying at university is one of the factors of its deterioration, besides the first year is considered critical. The purpose of research is to study the dynamics of physical development, physical fitness and functional state of young men during the first year of university studies. For the survey we used standard measurements and index calculations for 11 indicators of physical development, 9 indicators of physical fitness and 15 indicators of functional status. We calculated the arithmetic mean (M), the standard error of the mean (m), then evaluated differences by the Student criterion (t) for independent samples and considered them as reliable atр < 0.05. It is shown that during the first year of studies, young men have an increase in the Erismann index, the corpulence (Rohrer’s) index, the body mass index and a decrease in the Pignet index. There is also an increase in the coefficient of endurance, adaptive capacity and diastolic pressure, while vital capacity of the lungs, the vital index, time of hanging on the bar and the speed of running 1000 m decrease. The dynamics of physical development is expressed in a change in mass-growth indices and indicates an increase in body weight. The dynamics of physical fitness is expressed in a decrease of the time of hanging on the bar and the speed of running 1000 m. The dynamics of the functional state is expressed in a decrease of vital capacity of the lungs, vital index, increase in the coefficient of endurance, adaptive capacity and diastolic blood pressure.

Questionnaire-Derived Sleep Habits and Academic Achievement in First Year University Students.

This study aimed to determine the effect of sleep quantity and quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on students’ academic achievement in their first year of university study. In this cross-sectional study, 193 students (102 female, 91 male, mean ± SD; age = 19.3 ± 2.9 y) from an undergraduate Health degree in New Zealand completed the PSQI four weeks prior to the end of the semester in their first year of university study. Results from three core subjects in the first semester were averaged and correlations between the PSQI and academic success were evaluated using Spearman’s rho (ρ). The group were also trichotomized using a PSQI global score of ≤5 as the threshold for “good” sleepers (n = 62, 32%), a score of 5–8 for “moderate” sleepers (n = 63, 33%) and a score ≥8 to characterize “poor” sleepers (n = 68, 35%). Overall, students averaged 7 h 37 min of self-reported sleep duration with an average bedtime of 22:55 p.m. and wake time of 8:01 a.m. There was a significant, small inverse relationship between academic performance and bedtime (p = 0.03, ρ = −0.14), with those going to bed earlier having superior academic success. The trichotomized data demonstrated no significant differences in academic performance between students with poor, moderate and good sleep quality (p = 0.92). Later bedtimes were associated with lower academic performance in a group of first year university students. However, there were no other relationships observed between academic success and self-reported sleep quality or quantity as determined by the PSQI. Enhancing awareness of the impact of sleep timing on academic success should be prioritized and strategies to improve sleep hygiene should be promoted to university students.

The Role of Science High School Optional Curriculum and Knowledge Coherence in the Science Academic Success of Students in the First Year of University Studies

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships between the science high school optional curriculum, knowledge coherence, and science academic success of first-year students at university. The correlational quantitative approach, the structured questionnaire, and a non-random sample of students were selected to be used in the study. The study found a high positive correlation between science high school optional curriculum and science academic success variables (r = 0.608). It is also revealed that the total variance of science academic success explained by knowledge coherence level is 33.8%, the other variance may be explained by other variables. The study found that high school optional curriculum, as well as knowledge coherence, predicts science academic success.

The Impact of High School Program Reform on First-Year University Students’ Academic Performance. Case Study: Biology

The student transition from high school to university is a complex process in which various factors operate. One of these factors is the degree of the students’ academic preparation in certain subjects. This article analyzes the impact of this factor on the students’ success in the first year of university studies, in the conditions when the subject program in high school has been reformed. This impact on the students’ success, which is expressed both in the degree of academic preparation and in the students’ attitude in the relevant subject, has been assessed employing statistical analysis. The analysis covers a period of 3 years (2017-2020), and is based on a sample of first year students of the Bachelor degree in Biology. The results of the questionnaire, conducted with first year university students, show the impact of their high school academic preparation on the success they have in the first year of university. This success is measured by assessing the change in average grade and their pass rates. Evidence of the impact of this factor in teaching has helped to know in detail these intermediate phases of this process. The built model makes it possible to analyze the impact of the high school curriculum reform on the students’ success, creating the opportunity for further improvements. Despite the fact that the object of the study is the Biology curriculum and the evaluation of the impact in academic success of students who graduated from high schools where a competence based curriculum was implemented, this methodology can be used for the study in other subjects, especially life sciences.

Resilience and professional assessment of the medicine interns

The study’s objective was to know the private school of medicine interns resilience level according to the following dimensions: equanimity, personal satisfaction, feeling good alone, self-confidence and perseverance. Their professional assessment was also measured through their levels of in-depth interviews, technical procedures, and observable attitudes. The approach used was the quantitative, basic type, with a descriptive scope. The non-probability sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of 524 medicine students, 321 women (61.3%) and 203 men (38.7%), who are currently studying in thirteen and fourteen cycle of the seventh year of university studies. For the resilience variable, the instrument used was the survey; and for the professional assessment variable, in-depth interviews were conducted, as well as observation of technical procedures and attitudes of the medicine interns at a private university. The instrument used was the questionnaire called the resilience scale. The study shows that medicine interns resilience is on an inadequate level (75,2%), and that the professional assessment presented a low level (48,9%).

The relevance of social and academic integration for students’ dropout decisions. Evidence from a factorial survey in Germany

ABSTRACT Dropout rates from higher education programmes are high and constitute a problem for both the individual and society as a whole. To effectively develop measures to combat dropout, the reasons why students drop out of higher education need to be understood. Building on Tinto’s integration model, this paper tests the extent to which students’ social and academic integration increases dropout intentions and whether the effect differs by students’ academic family background. A sample of German students in their first year of university studies was presented hypothetical scenarios with varying degrees of academic and social integration (vignettes) and evaluated the likelihood of dropping out under the described conditions. This factorial survey design improves upon previous studies that were unable to separate the ambiguous causal ordering of the relationship. Subsequent multilevel analyses corroborate Tinto’s integration model by revealing that all subdimensions of academic and social integration predict dropout intention, but also show that not all subdimensions are equally important. Cross-level interactions unveil that the effect of academic and social integration largely does not depend on students’ academic family background.

Do Students With Different Majors Have Different Personality Traits? Evidence From Two Chinese Agricultural Universities.

This paper explores whether a Student’s choice of major leads to certain personality traits and the reasons for this phenomenon. Specifically, we look at evidence from two Chinese universities, both of which specialize in agricultural studies. Using the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) questionnaire and the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) questionnaire, we collected data from two groups of students: those who study agriculture-related majors (ARM), and those who study non-agriculture-related majors (NARM). The surveys all showed no significant change in personality traits during Students’ freshman year. However, after 3 years of university study, significant personality trait changes were noted between seniors in the ARM and NARM groups. Whereas ARM seniors tended to be socially shy and lower in communicative competence, NARM seniors were better at expressing themselves and communicating with others. Although a Student’s choice of profession has an influence on their personality traits, it is not the only factor. The differences between ARM and NARM training models and curricula are also undoubtedly significant. Moreover, the bias against ARM in Chinese society further magnifies the differences in personality traits among students with different majors.

Eliminating curricula deficiencies for Informatics teacher specialty in Azerbaijan

The article investigates higher education curriculum shortcomings and their impact on the development of ‎school teaching of informatics in Azerbaijan as well as underlines the role of timely taught informatics for the economy of the country and students’ well-being. The article summarizes the steps taken in the field of informatics curriculum improvement. Moreover, it offers arguments against the efficiency of the current education system and suggests solutions which may help overcome the existing deficiencies. Curricula of the Ganja State ‎University and the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, which prepare students on the ‎specialty of Informatics Teacher, were compared based on the results of document review. The shortcomings of both curricula were identified and ‎classified, examples of deficiencies and ways to remedy them were proposed. The principles of continuity ‎and sequencing of curriculum during school and first two years of university studies were emphasized. ‎The study involves the causal relationships between the new steps made in the domain of curriculum design on different stages of education in Azerbaijan and the deficiencies which arise in informatics education despite the fact that successful innovations, new subjects, programs, textbooks, trainings, approaches and ‎principles are being discussed, explained and compared to those emerging in the world educational process‎.

Library and Information science in Spain: an assessment of 40 years of university studies

Universities first taught Library and Information science (LIS) studies in Spain in 1982, reaching a zenith at the end of the 1990s. However, from 2000 onwards, student enrolment began to drop and some programmes closed, producing a crisis in the studies on offer, which is yet to end. The evolution of LIS education in Spanish universities over 40 years is analysed and its future is evaluated based on the opinions of academic leaders from Spanish university centres that offer LIS degrees. The article aims to provide a detailed analysis of the opportunities, threats and necessary priorities in the field and a general assessment of its chances of remaining an independent discipline. 23 interviews were carried out with lecturers of the Spanish university system, and a Likert questionnaire was responded by 34 experts. Disappointments are noted: loss of interest in the subject, failure to generate academic and professional visibility, and failure to take advantage of technological change to position the field in the mainstream. Opportunities: orienting the degree course toward new topics, and prioritising postgraduate programmes. Threats: loss of students, failure to convey the value of the discipline to society, and failure to redefine its profile. Priorities: adapting current qualifications more closely to needs, participating in European research projects, and adopting technological change. More than 60% of the respondents agree that Library and Information science will remain an independent discipline in the short and medium term, while 20% disagree, although they do not see this as a problem.

A Cross-sectional Comparison of First and Second Year Thai EFL Student Writing: Syntactic, Phrasal, and Lexical Features

This cross-sectional study compares the written language of Thai EFL students in their first two years of university study. First- and second-year students (N = 170) wrote opinion paragraphs by hand in response to six prompts. Using automated textual analysis tools, clausal (subordination), phrasal (coordinated phrases and complex nominals), and lexical (AWL use and lexical diversity) measures were obtained. Matched-pairs were created by pairing different first- and second-year students from the same faculty of study who responded to the same writing prompt. The results indicated that second-year students produced significantly more complex nominals and AWL words than the first-year students with effect sizes ranging from small to medium. Implications are discussed in terms of pedagogical approaches and assessment in EFL settings, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Making the connection: Examining the relationship between undergraduate students’ digital literacy and academic success in an English medium instruction (EMI) university

The transition through the first year of university study is challenging for the majority of students. For students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, commencing studies in an English-Medium Instruction (EMI) university program presents a number of specific challenges. These students are faced with meeting both language demands as well as learning expectations of the institution, which often differ markedly from their previous formal learning experiences. Developing CALD students’ digital literacy practices has been shown to lead to improved academic performance, success and retention in some higher education settings. This paper focuses on the digital literacy practices of undergraduates at a national public university in a Gulf State. Results from a survey and focus groups are analysed to identify the students’ access to and use of digital technologies, in order to better understand how their academic success can be enhanced through digital literacy development. The study identifies a disconnect between students’ perceptions of their digital capabilities and the institutional requirements for study. The research recommends that providing integrated, institution-wide digital literacy development focused on accessing, assessing and incorporating online resources in their work, will help improve transitioning CALD students’ preparedness for undergraduate study in this and other EMI universities.

Spatial Skills and Perceptions of Space: Representing 2D Drawings as 3D Drawings inside Immersive Virtual Reality

Rapid freehand drawings are of great importance in the early years of university studies of architecture, because both the physical characteristics of spaces and their sensory characteristics can be communicated through them. In order to draw architectural spaces, it is necessary to have the ability to visualize and manipulate them mentally, which leads us to the concept of spatial skills; but it also requires a development of spatial perception to express them in the drawings. The purpose of this research is to analyze the improvement of spatial skills through the full-scale sketching of architectural spaces in virtual immersive environments and to analyze spatial perception in reference to the capture of spatial sensations in virtual immersive environments. Spatial skills training was created based on the freehand drawing of architectural spaces using Head Mounted Displays (HMD) and registered the spatial sensations experienced also using HMD, but only in previously modeled realistic spaces. It was found that the training significantly improved orientation, rotation and visualization, and that the sensory journey and experimentation of architectural spaces realistically modeled in immersive virtual reality environments allows for the same sensations that the designer initially sought to convey.

The Role of Science High School Optional Curriculum and Knowledge Coherence in the Science Academic Success of Students in the First Year of University Studies

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships between the science high school optional curriculum, knowledge coherence, and science academic success of first-year students at university. The correlational quantitative approach, the structured questionnaire, and a non-random sample of students were selected to be used in the study. The study found a high positive correlation between science high school optional curriculum and science academic success variables (r = .608). It is also revealed that the total variance of science academic success explained by knowledge coherence level is 33.8%, the other variance may be explained by other variables. The study found that high school optional curriculum, as well as knowledge coherence, predicts science academic success.

Manipulative Techniques in Italian Political Discourse in the Context of Teaching Professionally Oriented Translation in the Senior Years of University Studies

Manipulative Techniques in Italian Political Discourse in the Context of Teaching Professionally Oriented Translation in the Senior Years of University Studies

Difficulties facing students of the College of Education / Department of Quranic Sciences in the research course and its relationship to scientific specialization

The graduation research presented by the student is the fruit or outcome of the fruit of the science, arts, skills, information, methods and teaching methods during his four years of university study. The field of Islamic sciences doubles its efforts and responsibilities as it presents a problem that is essentially a religious one linked to the living life of the people, whether this is an intellectual, social or moral problem .... What makes it imperative for the student to be very restrictive and careful when dealing with these issues, as well as other difficulties faced, whether related to the curriculum and vocabulary and methods and methods of teaching received or whether related to the level of university students. Therefore, this study comes as an attempt to reveal these difficulties that the university student is exposed to in the field of Quranic Sciences and Islamic Education when writing scientific research. The objectives of the current research target the following: 1- Difficulties related to the student in preparing the graduation research project. 2-Difficulties related to faculty members in preparing a graduation research project. 3-Difficulties related to the subjects in preparing the graduation research project 4-Difficulties related to the management of the college and the department in the preparation of annotation research graduation. 5-Difficulties related to scientific specialization Quranic sciences and Islamic education in the preparation of a research project The research was limited to students in the early morning studies from Anbar University College of Education for Girls and College of Education based and Education for Humanities for the academic year (2018 - 2019), where the size of the research sample (100) students. To achieve the objectives of the present research, the researchers extracted the statistical characteristics of the two measurements (the distinction and difficulty of the paragraphs, and the reliability of the two measurements) and after analyzing the data using the appropriate statistical methods. The current research has reached the following results There are varying difficulties in writing scientific research by each of the areas identified in the research scale.

THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSITY AND HOSPITAL SUPPORT ON NURSING INTERN SATISFACTION

The year-long clinical internship is important for undergraduate nursing students who are completing their four years of university study. It gives them an opportunity to work and practice the tasks assigned to them by different units and departments. To ensure that nursing students have a positive working environment, it is essential to examine the impact of support from both university faculty and hospital staff on nursing intern satisfaction. To assess this, cross-sectional surveys were distributed to nursing interns after they completed their internships. Researchers collected descriptive data and looked for correlations, later creating a model designed to measure direct or indirect impacts of faculty and hospital support on nursing intern satisfaction. This analysis, along with a regression model with goodness-of-fit test, was calculated using SPSS version 24 and AMOS version 24. In total, 138 students responded to the questionnaire. The majority of the participants were female, with 88 participants (63.8%), while only 50 males (36.2%) participated. Analysis showed a strong correlation between hospital support for nursing interns and interns’ perception of a positive working environment, as well as a good correlation between positive working environment and overall nursing intern satisfaction. On the other hand, weak correlations show that university faculty had little perceived impact on whether or not nursing interns felt they worked in a positive environment. The study also confirmed that the hospital setting has impact significant on clinical positive environment. Knowing about what satisfies nursing interns helps nursing educators to devise internship programs that will improve the process for future cohorts.

Adaptação acadêmica de estudantes do 1º ano

O presente artigo tem como objetivo desenvolver uma reflexão teórica a partir da compreensão dos fenômenos multifacetados que estão presentes no ingresso do estudante no ensino superior. Este constructo contemplou as expectativas que este novo contexto provoca nos estudantes e o impacto das primeiras vivências adaptativas no êxito e permanência do estudante na universidade. A transição e adaptação ao ensino superior constituem verdadeiros desafios e são descritas através de diferentes dimensões adaptativas em relação à instituição, aos estudos, aos seus pares, às exigências de autonomia pessoal e emocional, ou ao planejamento da carreira. Propõem-se alternativas de prevenção ao abandono universitário precoce, aqui entendido como o direito que o estudante possui de iniciar e concluir seus estudos com qualidade, com o devido suporte acadêmico, social e político, disponível nas instituições de ensino superior. Busca-se, portanto, uma reflexão sobre novas práticas formativas nesse nível de ensino diante dos alunos, os quais, potencialmente, estão mais vulneráveis em termos de desenvolvimento de competências. Abrange-se a necessidade de apoio social, psicológico e educativo, destinado a apoiar o êxito universitário dos estudantes e, consequentemente, a conclusão dos seus cursos, fazendo diminuir as taxas de abandono, tendencialmente mais elevadas entre os estudantes do 1º ano.