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1 – 2 of 2Anna Chwiłkowska-Kubala, Małgorzata Spychała and Tomasz Stachurski
We aimed to identify factors that influence student engagement in distance learning.
Abstract
Purpose
We aimed to identify factors that influence student engagement in distance learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The research involved a group of 671 students from economic and technical higher education institutions in Poland. We collected the data with the CAWI technique and an original survey. Next, we processed the data using principal component analysis and then used the extracted components as predictors in the induced smoothing LASSO regression model.
Findings
The components of the students’ attitude toward remote classes learning conditions are: satisfaction with teachers’ approach, attitude to distance learning, the system of students’ values and motivation, IT infrastructure of the university, building a network of contacts and communication skills. The final model consisted of seven statistically significant variables, encompassing the student’s sex, level of studies and the first five extracted PCs. Student’s system of values and motivation as well as attitude toward distance learning, were those variables that had the biggest influence on student engagement.
Practical implications
The research result suggests that in addition to students’ system of values and motivation and their attitude toward distance learning, the satisfaction level of teachers’ attitude is one of the three most important factors that influence student engagement during the distance learning process.
Originality/value
The main value of this article is the statistical model of student engagement during distance learning. The article fills the research gap in identifying and evaluating the impact of various factors determining student engagement in the distance learning process.
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Keywords
Tiina A. Tuononen, Milka Kauhanen, Anna Liisa Suominen and Marja-Leena Hyvärinen
This study aims to explore what kind of perceptions dental students at graduation stage have on leadership and work communities, and themselves as leaders and work community…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore what kind of perceptions dental students at graduation stage have on leadership and work communities, and themselves as leaders and work community members after completing a leadership course tailored for them.
Design/methodology/approach
The research material comprised reflective essays written by fifth-year dental students who had participated in a leadership course. The essays were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings
Most students reported that they had not considered seeking a leadership position before the course, but their views of leadership had grown more positive as a result of completing the course. Students perceived interpersonal communication competence as the most important factor for leaders, the whole work community and for themselves. They assessed that their biggest strengths were found in this area. The biggest challenges in adapting to a work community concerned the students’ professional identities, which were still taking shape at the time of graduation.
Originality/value
The need for leaders in health-care professions is growing due to ongoing reforms, multidisciplinary teamwork, the development of new technologies and patient demands. Therefore, undergraduate leadership education is needed to ensure that students have knowledge of leadership. Graduating dental students’ perceptions concerning leadership and work communities have not been widely explored. Students’ perceptions of leadership were positive after the course and helped students to realize their own potential in this area.
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