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Article
Publication date: 26 January 2023

Marina De Sá Azevedo, Ludmilla Fernandes Silva, Raquel Machado Schincaglia, Luciana Bronzi de Souza and Marilia Mendonça Guimarães

This study aims to assess the relationship between anxiety with body concern, academic variables and food desire in undergraduate Nutrition students.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the relationship between anxiety with body concern, academic variables and food desire in undergraduate Nutrition students.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 173 students from the undergraduate course of Nutrition in the Midwest region of Brazil. Socioeconomic, academic and behavioral data (Beck Anxiety Inventory, Body Shape Questionnaire and Food Desires Questionnaire) were collected.

Findings

One-third of the students had moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. There were no differences between socioeconomic characteristics in terms of the intensity of anxiety symptoms. Students with minimal symptoms of anxiety had a higher average grade in the course, when compared to those with mild or moderate symptoms and those with severe symptoms (p = 0.001). It was observed that 46.2% had some concerns about their bodies and 11% had severe body concerns. The average grade was associated with anxiety so that 1 point in the global grade is associated to 54% (p < 0,001) less chance of having moderate; severe anxiety. In conclusion, average grade was associated with anxiety in undergraduate Nutrition students.

Originality/value

Average grade was a protection factor for anxiety in undergraduate Nutrition students.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 53 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2024

Andrei Ternikov and Mikhail Blyakher

This paper focuses on the factors related to faculty workload in the context of resource scarcity to examine whether there is a relationship between them and grade inflation.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper focuses on the factors related to faculty workload in the context of resource scarcity to examine whether there is a relationship between them and grade inflation.

Design/methodology/approach

As for methodological novelty, the authors created an indicator of students' expectations about grades that is related to grade inflation and conducted regression analysis using cluster-robust error correction based on this indicator.

Findings

The results suggested that proper workload allocation among the faculty can mitigate grade inflation. Namely, such measures as control for concurrent courses, the length of courses and the labor intensity of the faculty are suggested for grade inflation prevention.

Originality/value

Academic literature posits that a steep increase in average grades might cause a long-term depreciation of the quality of higher education. This article is, therefore, focused on various factors connected with grade inflation in higher education. The authors highlighted problems associated with teaching evaluation imperfections, academic norm transformation and workload intensity.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2023

Morgan A. Douglass, Madison L. Colley, Alexander J. Tyskiewicz and Mark A. Prince

College students report high levels of stress, with academic performance serving as a major contributor. The purpose of this study was to examine how drinking to cope with…

Abstract

Purpose

College students report high levels of stress, with academic performance serving as a major contributor. The purpose of this study was to examine how drinking to cope with stressors related to student grade point average (i.e., GPA), while testing academic achievement orientations (i.e. mastery or performance) as possible moderators for this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 325 undergraduate college students from a university in the Mountain West of the USA reported on GPA, daily drinking, coping and academic achievement orientations.

Findings

Drinking to cope negatively predicted GPA. Holding a mastery academic achievement orientation was related to higher GPA, whereas a performance academic achievement orientation was related to a more deleterious relationship between drinking to cope and GPA. However, neither orientation (i.e. mastery or performance) moderated the relationship between drinking to cope and GPA.

Originality/value

Regardless of academic achievement orientation, drinking to cope was negatively associated with GPA. The negative relationship between drinking to cope and GPA for those with a performance orientation may suggest that these students drink to cope with academic stressors. Importantly, students who choose to drink alcohol to cope with academic stress may paradoxically experience poorer academic performance. Future research should examine whether teaching a mastery orientation to college students can protect against the deleterious effects of drinking to cope on GPA.

Details

Drugs, Habits and Social Policy, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-6739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 October 2023

Gazi Mahabubul Alam and Md. Abdur Rahman Forhad

Education can be classified into formal and informal sectors—the first category as a regular schooling system and the latter category as private tutoring. After completing…

Abstract

Purpose

Education can be classified into formal and informal sectors—the first category as a regular schooling system and the latter category as private tutoring. After completing secondary education, students in many countries receive education from private tutoring to get admission into the university. This study examines the effect of private tutoring on university admission and subsequent students' academic achievement at the university level.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data from Bangladesh as a case study, this study employs a two-stage least squares (2SLS) methodology.

Findings

Considering that coaching centers offer services such as private tutoring, this study finds that an informal education for admission greatly helps academic achievement. Students who benefit from informal schooling are more likely to achieve higher grades in subsequent programs.

Originality/value

This study strongly suggests that formal education at the secondary school level is unable to meet the academic expectations that are demanded at the tertiary level. This forces the development of private tutoring, which supports the students from more financially well-off families to perform well at the cost of educational disparity.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Katrina E. Forbes-McKay, Pauline A.M. Bremner, Pamela Johnston and Carol Air

This study addresses gaps in the existing literature on students' understanding of Independent Learning (IL), whilst exploring the link between levels of IL, growth mindset…

Abstract

Purpose

This study addresses gaps in the existing literature on students' understanding of Independent Learning (IL), whilst exploring the link between levels of IL, growth mindset, motivated strategies for learning and academic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Three hundred and eighty-six university students recruited via opportunistic sampling completed an online survey to measure: understanding and level of IL, Motivated Strategies for Learning (MSL) (Duncan and McKeachie, 2005) and growth mindset (Dweck, 2000). Interaction with the university Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and academic grades were also measured. A correlational design was implemented, and a Spearman Rho was calculated to explore the relationship between level of IL, MSL and growth mindset. A between-subjects design using independent measures t-test was employed to determine the significance of any difference in level of IL and VLE engagement according to academic grade.

Findings

Whilst most students: considered themselves an IL and understood what IL was, the majority erroneously believed it meant learning alone or without help. Level of IL, however, was positively associated with motivational beliefs (self-efficacy and mindset), cognitive strategies (rehearsal, elaboration, organisation and critical thinking), and metacognitive strategies (time management and self-regulation). Further, those with grades A-C scored significantly higher than those with grades D and below on cognitive strategies (elaboration and organisation). Those attaining higher grades also interacted with the VLE significantly more frequently and regularly than those attaining lower grades.

Originality/value

This study adds to the existing literature by highlighting the positive relationship between level of IL, MSL, mindset and academic achievement. It also addresses the under-explored potential for VLE engagement in predicting grades amongst on-campus courses. Given that cognitive strategies and VLE engagement differentiate the high and low achievers, interventions to develop such skills may enhance academic achievement.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2023

Md. Abdur Rahman Forhad, Gazi Mahabubul Alam, Afruza Haque, Md. Sawgat Khan and Mamunur Rashid

This study examines whether students graduating from SSC-VOC perform better in diploma engineering programs.

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines whether students graduating from SSC-VOC perform better in diploma engineering programs.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how secondary school certificate-vocational (SSC-VOC) graduates perform in their subsequent vocational programs.

Findings

Despite having vocational training orientation, this study finds that graduates from SSC-VOC receive lower grades than their public counterparts by 0.109 cumulative grade points average (CGPA).

Social implications

Findings imply that policymakers should increase teachers' numbers, salaries and laboratory facilities. In addition, collaboration between SSC-VOC institutions and polytechnics would allow them to offer a quality engineering education. In such a way, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs prepare human resources to promote economic development and employment, expand production opportunities and improve employment quality.

Originality/value

This is the first piece of work conducted in Bangladesh that has examined the quality of VET graduates for furthering their studies. This study added value by providing some pragmatic suggestions for practical implications.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 13 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 27 September 2023

Caroline Hands and Maria Limniou

Prior learning and prior knowledge are among the most dependable and consistent factors in predicting students’ success (Richardson et al., 2012). Although for UK Higher…

Abstract

Prior learning and prior knowledge are among the most dependable and consistent factors in predicting students’ success (Richardson et al., 2012). Although for UK Higher Education, the traditional A-level (advanced level qualification) remains the principal qualification students use to gain entry to University, there has been a small but significant rise in alternative qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and vocational qualifications such as that from the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC). The multidisciplinary nature of Psychology means students enter the degree program with a range of qualifications in differing topic areas. The current case study aimed to assess if science qualifications aided student success in the University of Liverpool’s Psychology course. Ordinal regression and correlations were used to examine the impact of prior qualifications on three first-year cohort module scores (Psychobiology, Social psychology, and Research Methods) and the overall degree mark across three cohorts of Psychology students (n = 1,072). University entry grades showed a significant overall and subject specific effect of scientific prior knowledge. However, the effects of previous qualifications were not cumulative and did not persist beyond the first year of study. These findings were strongest for Chemistry in the Psychobiology module suggesting that scientific literacy – the understanding of scientific concepts, phenomena, and processes, as well as an individual’s ability to apply such knowledge to new or non-scientific situations (Schleicher, 2019) – rather than domain-specific knowledge is driving such increase in grades. A negative relationship was seen for those holding BTEC qualifications, suggesting that vocational qualifications, specifically for this Psychology program, were of less use than academic ones, even if topic areas were similar – a finding which may also apply to other academic based courses, and warrants further study. Although the advantage of prior qualifications diminishes across the course of study, this small but distinct advantage suggests that making a science qualification a requirement for a place on a Psychology degree course would be a beneficial step for admissions tutors to consider.

Details

High Impact Practices in Higher Education: International Perspectives
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-197-6

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 5 May 2023

Joseph C. Hermanowicz

The author argues that contemporary college culture is predicated on hedonism indicated by a use of predominantly social time in which parties, alcohol, casual sex, and lax…

Abstract

The author argues that contemporary college culture is predicated on hedonism indicated by a use of predominantly social time in which parties, alcohol, casual sex, and lax academics pervade students' experiences. Coincident with this culture, however, is a deleterious pattern among students that has developed dramatically: their compromised mental health. The situation presents an apparent paradox: why are many students suffering when enveloped by fun? This chapter draws a connection between fun and suffering by treating each as conditions that spring from the sociohistorical context that situates institutions of higher education. In so doing, a theory is set forth to explain why despair is rendered applicable and how it is institutionally installed in the minds of modern-day college students.

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2022

Nursuhana Alauddin and Shu Yamada

The availability of daily assessment data in a centralized monitoring system at school provides the opportunity to detect unusual scores soon after the assessment is carried out…

Abstract

Purpose

The availability of daily assessment data in a centralized monitoring system at school provides the opportunity to detect unusual scores soon after the assessment is carried out. This paper introduces a model for the detection of unusual scores of individual students to immediately improve performances that deviate from a normal state.

Design/methodology/approach

A student's ability, a subject's difficulty level, a student's specific ability in a subject, and the difficulty level of an assessment in a subject are selected as factor effects of a linear ANOVA model. Through analysis of variance, a case study is conducted based on 330 data points of assessment scores of primary grade students retrieved from an international school in Japan.

Findings

The actual score is below the lower control limit, which is recognized as an unusual score, and the score can be detected immediately after sitting for an assessment and is beneficial for students to take immediate remedies based on daily assessment. This is demonstrated through a case study.

Originality/value

The detection of unusual scores based on a linear model of individual students soon after each assessment benefits from immediate remedy aligns with a daily management concept. The daily assessment data in a school system enable detection based on individual students, subject-wise and assessment-wise to improve student performances in the same academic year.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 35 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 October 2022

Ümmühan Avcı and Ayşe Kula

Recently, online learning and online environments have become even more important. Students' engagement, fear of missing out and Internet addiction are seen as interrelated…

1172

Abstract

Purpose

Recently, online learning and online environments have become even more important. Students' engagement, fear of missing out and Internet addiction are seen as interrelated components that affect students' online teaching and learning process. In this context, university students' engagement, fear of missing out and Internet addiction in online environments, the relationship among them and students' demographic characteristics, online environment usage status and Internet usage profiles as their predictors are examined in this study.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a relational study and is carried out with 179 university students. Personal information form, student's engagement, fear of missing out and Internet addiction scales were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation, hierarchical linear multiple regression analysis are used for the analysis.

Findings

According to the results, variables related to students' demographic characteristics, online environment usage status and Internet usage profiles together significantly predict the students' engagement, fear of missing out and Internet addiction in online environments. When students think positively about taking courses online, their engagement increases accordingly and their fear of missing out levels decrease. Increase in student's academic achievement leads to decline in Internet addiction.

Practical implications

In practice, examining the related variables about students in terms of engagement to the learning environment, fear of missing out and Internet addiction could bring a new perspective to studies on problematic use of the Internet and technology such as nomophobia and digital distraction. The results of this study reveal how and which components to be focused on for increasing the university students' engagement, reducing Internet addiction and fear of missing out in online learning environments.

Originality/value

The findings of this study provide a versatile perspective with the variables of student participation, fear of missing out, Internet addiction and their predictors in online learning environments, which are becoming widespread and increasingly important today and shed light on future researches.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 36 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

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