Pennsylvania Academic Libraries and Student Retention and Graduation: A Preliminary Investigation with Confusing Results

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Gregory A. Crawford

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This study examined the relationships between specific institutional financial variables and two library-related variables on graduation and retention rates for colleges and universities through correlations and multiple regression analysis. The analyses used data for Pennsylvania colleges and universities that were extracted from the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System (IPEDS and the Academic Libraries Survey (ALS.  All analyses were run using IBM SPSS software. The correlations showed that both library expenses per student and library use per student were significantly correlated with both graduation and retention rates. In contrast, the multiple regression results showed that neither library budgets nor library use had significant effects on either graduation rates or retention rates. As would be expected, instructional expenses per student had the highest correlation with both graduation and retention and also yielded the strongest coefficient in the resulting regression equations.

Reading Ability as a Predictor of Academic Procrastination among African American Graduate Students

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Collins, Kathleen M. T.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.; Jiao, Qun G.

2008-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between reading ability (i.e., reading comprehension and reading vocabulary) and academic procrastination among 120 African American graduate students. A canonical correlation analysis revealed statistically significant and practically significant multivariate relationships between these two reading…

Acculturative Experiences Among Indonesian Graduate Students in US Higher Education: Academic Shock, Adjustment, Crisis, and Resolution

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Amirul Mukminin

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to describe and understand the lived experiences of the acculturative process of Indonesian graduate students at an American public research university. The theoretical frameworks of Oberg’s (1960 Culture Shock Model and Berry and his colleagues’ (1987 and Berry’s (2006 Acculturation Stress Model were used to guide this study. Data for this study were collected through a demographic background survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with Indonesian graduate students. The demographic data were analyzed descriptively. The interviews and focus groups data were analyzed using within-case and cross-case displays and analyses (Miles and Huberman 1994. Five salient themes and sub-themes that emerged were: academic shock, adjustment, crisis, resolution, and what helps/does not help? Implications and strategies for professionals and scholars who work with international students in practice, education, and policy are discussed. In addition, strategies to promote Indonesian graduate students’ academic and social success in graduate programs are included. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Assessed perceptions of female materials science and engineering graduates on academic advising, student support services and retention strategies

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Washington, Renita Linette

Females currently undertaking STEM-related programs can benefit from knowing about how other females who had been in a similar position as them were able to persevere through the challenges of higher education with the help of advisement and student support services that aim to increasing student retention. While there have been a depth of studies on the development of academic advising, there have been limited studies on this development with respect to the needs of specific marginalized groups. This is the gap in literature that is addressed by this study. The outcomes observed in this study can potentially benefit female students at the institution where the study was conducted. This study focused on the group of female students who were able to successfully complete their STEM-related degrees. A significant difference was found between tutoring and learning support, F = 4.65, sd = .78 and a sig. level = .004. A strong negative relationship existed between the ages of the graduates and assessed academic advisement. A perfect positive relationship existed between the age of the graduates and assessed course concierge service scores; and between the age of the graduates and assessed career services and counseling scores. A moderate negative relationship existed between the age of the graduates and assessed curriculum/degree planning database scores, the age of the graduates and assessed academic and program advisement scores and the age of the graduates and assessed tutorial and learning support services scores. A weak negative relationship existed between the age of the graduates and assessed retention scores.

The Assessment of the Perception of the Academic Self Efficacy of Turkish Education Graduate Students

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Gocer, Ali

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to determine the perception of the academic self efficacy of Turkish Education graduate students. This study applied qualitative research approach and interview method. Master's students of Erciyes University, Institute of Education Science were chosen as a sample for the purpose, using clustering method. In this…

Academic Success and Initial Labor Market Outcomes for Pharmacy Graduates

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Sean Murphy

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study examines the relationship between academic success and labor market outcomes among graduating pharmacy students. Unlike previous studies, this paper characterizes labor market outcome not only as an individual's starting salary, but also whether or not the student had a position secured at the time of graduation, whether or not a signing bonus was received, and the setting in which (she will practice. Methods: A standard exit survey was administered to graduating Doctor of Pharmacy students at a Midwestern, public university within two weeks of graduation. The relationship between academic success and initial labor market outcome was assessed using cross-tabulations, chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Results: There were no significant relationships between grade point averages and signing bonuses, starting salaries or employment offers. Students with higher grade point averages were less likely to work in chain community pharmacies, and more likely to work in a hospital or other health-system setting. Conclusions: The relationships between academic and direct measures of labor market outcomes (salary and bonuses were not necessarily positive, as standard economic theory predicts. Rather, the relationship is indirect, as it appears that students with greater academic success obtained employment in more clinical settings, which carry a different mix of pecuniary and non-pecuniary benefits. Type: Original Research

Fostering Academic Self-Concept: Advisor Support and Sense of Belonging among International and Domestic Graduate Students

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Curtin, Nicola; Stewart, Abigail J.; Ostrove, Joan M.

2013-01-01

International doctoral students in the United States face challenges of acculturation in academia yet complete graduate school at higher rates and more quickly than their domestic counterparts. This study examined advisor support, sense of belonging, and academic self-concept among international and domestic doctoral students at a research…

Fully Integrating Academic Advising with Career Coaching to Increase Student Retention, Graduation Rates and Future Job Satisfaction: An Industry Approach

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Tudor, Thomas R.

2018-01-01

Higher education institutions in the United States are under increasing pressure to retain and graduate more students. Traditionally, the academic advisor helps students to meet degree graduation requirements and may also do some minor career advising. A new approach is proposed, in which career coaching with industry help becomes just as…

Expectations and Influencing Factors of IS Graduates and Education in Thailand: A Perspective of the Students, Academics and Business Community

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Teay Shawyun Ph.D.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available As academic we have always been entrusted with developing the knowledge, skills, and capability of our IS students. In the strive for excellence in education, there is always the question of what has been implemented is appropriate and finally achieves its ultimate goals of delivering quality, capable and intellectual students as workforce for the business. To this end, this exploratory research tries to discover what knowledge, skills and capability are expected of an IS graduate, the facilities expected to develop these qualities and what influencing factors make the students go for an IS education. The research will be based on the perspectives of the student, academic and business community. The major findings highlight the overall tendency of higher mean expectation of the business community in most of the fundamental expectations of the type of knowledge, skills and capability and the facilities essential to the development of these attributes. The academics are normally supportive of the business community’s perspectives except in the dimensions of skill expectation and attitudinal factors. Overall, it also appears that the students show a lower average means on most attributes as compared to the academics and business community. Based on this research, there appears to be distinctive expectations of an IS graduate. Based on the balanced technology approach of looking at the development of the IS graduate from degree of sophistication of the Technoware (T, Humaware (H, Inforware (I and Orgaware (O, it is hoped that the following can be achieved: 1. A newly revised and revamped IS curriculum, 2. A linkage of the THIO to develop the IS graduate and 3. A linkage of the academia-industry THIO linkage to develop the IS graduate.

Orientation Programming for Graduate Students: An Institutional Imperative.

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Vickio, Craig J.; Tack, Martha W.

1989-01-01

Orientation at the graduate level can serve many functions such as reducing anxiety, familiarizing students with new academic challenges, and orienting students' spouses. It can also improve student retention, satisfaction, and success. Guidelines for developing programs responsive to graduate students' diverse needs are offered. (Author/MSE)

The Academic Ethics of Graduate Business Students: A Survey.

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Brown, Bob S.

1995-01-01

Survey responses from 207 of 313 graduate business students revealed that 80% had engaged in at least 1 of 15 unethical practices. No relationship appeared between ethical behavior/attitudes and student characteristics. Despite their self-perception as more ethical than undergraduates, graduate students had similar frequency of unethical behavior…

Students' experiences of embedded academic literacy support in a graduate entry nursing program: A qualitative study.

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Ramjan, Lucie M; Maneze, Della; Everett, Bronwyn; Glew, Paul; Trajkovski, Suza; Lynch, Joan; Salamonson, Yenna

2018-01-01

Graduate entry nursing (GEN) programs were designed to address the predicted nursing shortfall. In Australia, although these programs attract students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, the workload is compounded by cultural differences and a new academic learning environment which presents additional challenges. This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of GEN students enrolled in the introductory unit of their nursing program with embedded academic literacy support in Sydney, Australia. Twenty-four commencing GEN students were interviewed in January 2016. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Three main themes emerged which illustrated that GEN students were 'diamonds in the rough'. They possessed a raw natural beauty that required some shaping and polishing to ensure academic needs were met. To ensure retention is high, institutions need to evaluate how best to support and harness the potential of these unique students. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of an Academic Dismissal Policy on Dropout, Graduation Rates and Student Satisfaction. Evidence from the Netherlands

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Sneyers, Eline; De Witte, Kristof

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effect of the introduction of an academic dismissal (AD) policy (i.e. an intervention, which can lead to compulsory student withdrawal) on student dropout, student graduation rates and satisfaction with the study program. Using a difference-in-differences type of estimator, we compare programs that introduced an AD policy…

Credibility and Accountability in Academic Discourse: Increasing the Awareness of Ghanaian Graduate Students

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Adika Gordon S. K.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Drawing from a social constructionist perspective to written scholarly communication, this paper argues that training in academic writing for students in higher education especially in second language contexts should go beyond emphasis on grammatical correctness and paragraphing strategies, and also focus on the rhetorical character of academic discourse together with the mastery of its communicative protocols. Using the University of Ghana as a reference point, the paper reviews a selection of Ghanaian graduate students’ awareness of the protocols that govern academic discourses in scholarly writing, and in consideration of their unique educational and socio-cultural circumstances, the paper proposes strategies, from the pedagogical and institutional standpoints, aimed at increasing students’ awareness of the relevant communicative practices that engender credibility and accountability.

Challenges in Academic Reading and Overcoming Strategies in Taught Master Programmes: A Case Study of International Graduate Students in Malaysia

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Singh, Manjet Kaur Mehar

2014-01-01

This article focuses on research into academic reading practices of international graduate students in taught Master programmes in a Malaysian university. The purpose of the study was to examine the challenges faced in the academic reading practices as well as the strategies employed to overcome the challenges in the academic reading practices.…

Social Class and Belonging: Implications for Graduate Students' Career Aspirations

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Ostrove, Joan M.; Stewart, Abigail J.; Curtin, Nicola L.

2011-01-01

We examined the role that social class background plays in graduate students' career goals. Class background was significantly related to the extent to which students struggled financially in graduate school, which related to their sense of belonging in graduate school. Sense of belonging related to academic self-concept, which predicted students'…

Experiences of Turkish University Students on Academic Mobility: Before and after Academic Mobility Factors

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Erden, Hale

2016-01-01

Student academic mobility is described as the movement of students from one country to another for studying undergraduate and/or graduate degrees. Students' academic mobility involves two factors: before academic mobility factors and after academic mobility factors. The current study aims at identifying the perceptions of Turkish university…

Major Differences: Variations in Undergraduate and Graduate Student Mental Health and Treatment Utilization across Academic Disciplines

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Lipson, Sarah Ketchen; Zhou, Sasha; Wagner, Blake, III; Beck, Katie; Eisenberg, Daniel

2016-01-01

This article explores variations in mental health and service utilization across academic disciplines using a random sample of undergraduate and graduate students (N = 64,519) at 81 colleges and universities. We report prevalence of depression, anxiety, suicidality, and self-injury, and rates of help-seeking across disciplines, including results…

Graduate Students' Poster Session Experiences: Do Levels of Academic Self-Efficacy and Individual Characteristics Play a Role?

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Filipova, Anna A.

2016-01-01

This cross-sectional study assesses the effectiveness of poster session presentations as an alternative to traditional presentations in the public administration classroom. It also determined if graduate students' college academic self-efficacy and background characteristics impacted poster performance outcomes. Data were collected over four…

International Graduate Students' Experience in Academic Listening Practices in a Malaysian Public University: Challenges and Overcoming Measures

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Singh, Manjet Kaur Mehar; Pandian, Ambigapathy; Singh, Sarjit Kaur Gurdial

2015-01-01

The number of international students choosing Malaysia as a destination to further their graduate studies is steadily growing. This phenomenon has urged researchers to look for ways to ensure that they go through a smooth academic journey. One significant area of research has focused on the challenges faced by these students in their academic…

Demographic attributes and knowledge acquisition among graduate-entry medical students.

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Finucane, Paul; Flannery, Denise; McGrath, Deirdre; Saunders, Jean

2013-01-01

Recent changes to undergraduate (basic) medical education in Ireland have linked an expansion of student numbers with wide-ranging reforms. Medical schools have broadened access by admitting more mature students from diverse backgrounds and have increased their international student numbers. This has resulted in major changes to the demographic profile of students at Irish medical schools. To determine whether the demographic characteristics of students impact on their academic performance and specifically on their rate of knowledge acquisition. As a formative assessment exercise, we administered a progress test to all students twice each year during a 4 year graduate-entry medical programme. We compared scores over time between students from different age cohorts, of different gender, of different nationalities and from different academic backgrounds. In the 1143 tests taken by 285 students to date, there were no significant differences in the rate of knowledge acquisition between the various groups. Early in the course, students from a non-biological science background performed less well than others but outperformed their peers by the time of graduation. Neither age, gender, nationality nor academic background impacts on the rate of knowledge acquisition among graduate-entry medical students.

Online Professional Skills Workshops: Perspectives from Distance Education Graduate Students

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Gauvreau, Sarah; Hurst, Deborah; Cleveland-Innes, Martha; Hawranik, Pamela

2016-01-01

While many online graduate students are gaining academic and scholarly knowledge, the opportunities for students to develop and hone professional skills essential for the workplace are lacking. Given the virtual environment of distance learning, graduate students are often expected to glean professional skills such as analytical thinking,…

[Academic misconduct of graduates and the credit education].

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Bi, Xiaoyan; Tang, Xiaoya; Fan, Xuegong

2011-10-01

Nowadays the phenomenon of academic misconduct (such as plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, etc.) is very frequent. The reasons for academic misconduct are involved in the problems in graduate education system, social environment and students themselves. Therefore, colleges and universities should place great emphasis on constructing a healthy school environment and academic atmosphere for failure tolerance with the help of high-tech modern means. It also needs to improve the academic supervision and evaluation system, strengthen the punishments for academic misconduct and enhance the mentor's exemplary role in education. The eventual goal for our education is to obtain innovative talents who are integrity, respect science and truth, and are good samples for academic performances.

Perspectives and Practices of Academics and Students of English Language Teaching Post-Graduate Programs within the Mediation Theory

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Asmali, Mehmet

2018-01-01

Due to unsatisfactory number of researches investigating ELT post-graduate programs, and perceptions of academics and students in these programs regarding mediation theory of Feuerstein, this study attempted to investigate the aspects of this theory in doctorate and master programs in ELT department of a state university. Methodologically, this…

erceptions of U.S. Academic Library Services of First-year Graduate Students from Taiwan—A Photo-elicitation Study

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Shao-Chen Lin

2005-12-01

Full Text Available In this study investigating international students’ perceptions of U.S. academic libraries, a qualitative method, photo-elicitation, is for the first time used to study how previous library experiences influence international students’ current perceptions of U.S. academic libraries. This study focuses on four dimensions of library service including access to information, affect of service, library as place, and personal control; these four dimensions are adapted from the LibQUAL+™, a web-based survey tool used among academic libraries for measuring users’ perceptions of library services.Five first-year graduate students from Taiwan were interviewed about how they perceived the library services of Center for Instructional Materials and Computing (CIMC, an academic library serving the students and faculty of School of Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The findings of this study confirm the findings of previous studies both on international students’ in U.S. academic libraries and on photo-elicitation studies, and add empirical examples and insights for the claims in the limited body of research on international students in U.S. academic libraries. [Article content in Chinese

The prevalence and effect of burnout on graduate healthcare students.

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Bullock, Garrett; Kraft, Lynnea; Amsden, Katherine; Gore, Whitney; Prengle, Bobby; Wimsatt, Jeffrey; Ledbetter, Leila; Covington, Kyle; Goode, Adam

2017-06-01

Burnout is a growing epidemic among professional healthcare students. Unaddressed burnout has been shown to have psychological and performance related detriments. The purpose of this scoping literature review was to investigate the prevalence of burnout and its effects on the psychological, professional, empathetic ability, and academic acuity of graduate healthcare students. Inclusion criteria included English language papers published within the last 10 years and subjects in graduate healthcare professional programs. This search encompassed 8,214 articles. After title and abstract screening, 127 articles remained and were sorted into five domains of interest: etiology, professionalism, mental health, empathy, and academic performance. After duplicates were removed, 27 articles remained for the scoping review. Graduate level healthcare students had higher levels of burnout than age matched peers and the general population. The high prevalence of burnout within graduate healthcare students can have an effect on their mental health, empathy, and professional conduct. Understanding the occurrence and effects of burnout within graduate healthcare programs allows faculty and administration to plan curriculum, and provide information to students to understand, recognize, and create opportunities to decrease burnout in order to create long lasting quality clinicians.

Towards Graduateness: Exploring Academic Intellectual Development in University Master's Students

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Steur, Jessica; Jansen, Ellen; Hofman, Adriaan

2016-01-01

Our research aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on graduateness by proposing a model that explicates the expected level performance of graduates. In this study, the model is elaborated for 3 graduateness domains: reflective thinking, scholarship, and moral citizenship. We used data on students' perceived abilities in these domains that…

Academic Achievement of GED Graduates of the Community College of Allegheny County.

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Clark, Renee Smith

The tests of General Education Development (GED) provide adults with opportunities to attend and graduate from postsecondary institutions. A study investigated the academic achievement of GED recipients compared to that of high school diploma (HSD) students graduating from the Community College of Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) between June 1985…

The Predictors of Graduation: Social Skills, Mental Health, Academic Characteristics

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Alessandra Salina Brandão

Full Text Available Abstract: Not completing the undergraduate course in the time expected in the curricula can put the universities and students at a disadvantage, with a delay to enter the labor market. The aim was to identify predictors of graduation, considering social skills, mental health, initial academic performance and socio-demographic and academic characteristics. In total, 287 students participated, of both genders and fromthe humanities, exact and biological areas, who answered the instruments: Social Skills, Behaviors and Context Assessment Questionnaire for University Students, Short version of the Social Phobia Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Predictors were: female, humanities area and average or above-average initial academic performance. The social skills and mental health differentiated the groups in the univariate analyses. This data suggests a need for attention to academic performance in the initial stages of the course, and preventive measures for male students of the exact and biological areas.

Student supports: developmental education and other academic programs.

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Bettinger, Eric P; Boatman, Angela; Long, Bridget Terry

2013-01-01

Low rates of college completion are a major problem in the United States. Less than 60 percent of students at four-year colleges graduate within six years, and at some colleges, the graduation rate is less than 10 percent. Additionally, many students enter higher education ill-prepared to comprehend college-level course material. Some estimates suggest that only one-third of high school graduates finish ready for college work; the proportion is even lower among older students. Colleges have responded to the poor preparation of incoming students by placing approximately 35 to 40 percent of entering freshmen into remedial or developmental courses, along with providing academic supports such as summer bridge programs, learning communities, academic counseling, and tutoring, as well as student supports such as financial aid and child care. Eric Bettinger, Angela Boatman, and Bridget Terry Long describe the role, costs, and impact of these college remediation and academic support programs. According to a growing body of research, the effects of remedial courses are considerably nuanced. The courses appear to help or hinder students differently by state, institution, background, and academic preparedness. The mixed findings from earlier research have raised questions ranging from whether remedial programs, on average, improve student academic outcomes to which types of programs are most effective. Administrators, practitioners, and policy makers are responding by redesigning developmental courses and searching for ways to implement effective remediation programs more broadly. In addition, recent research suggests that colleges may be placing too many students into remedial courses unnecessarily, suggesting the need for further examining the placement processes used to assign students to remedial courses. The authors expand the scope of remediation research by discussing other promising areas of academic support commonly offered by colleges, including advising, tutoring

Launching an Academic Career: On the Cutting Edge Resources for Geoscience Graduate Students, Post-doctoral Fellows, and Early Career Faculty

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Richardson, R. M.; Ormand, C. J.; MacDonald, H.; Dunbar, R. W.; Allen-King, R. M.; Manduca, C. A.

2010-12-01

Launching an academic career presents a number of challenges. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education depicts academia as an “ivory sweatshop,” citing rising standards for tenure. Most graduate programs provide minimal training for life beyond graduate school. The professional development program “On the Cutting Edge” fills this gap by providing workshops and web resources on academic careers for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty. These workshops and web resources address a wide range of topics related to teaching, research, and managing one’s career, tailored for each group. The Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences workshop to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows make the transition into an academic career has been offered annually since 2003. It provides a panel on academic careers in different institutional settings, sessions on research on learning, various teaching strategies, design of effective teaching activities, moving research forward to new settings, effective teaching and research statements, the job search process, negotiation, and presenting oneself to others. Complementary online resources (http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/index.html) focus on these topics. The workshops and web resources offer guidance for each step of the job search process, for developing and teaching one’s own courses, and for making the transition from being a research student to being in charge of a research program. Online resources also include case studies of successful dual career couples, documenting their job search strategies. A four-day workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career, offered annually since 1999, provides sessions on teaching strategies, course design, developing a strategic plan for research, supervising student researchers, navigating departmental and institutional politics, preparing for tenure, time and

Graduate students and Mental Health: what we know and what we can do

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Schwartz, Victor

There is scant but growing data about the mental health challenges and problems specific to graduate students. Nevertheless, the experience of graduate education can be extremely demanding and stressful and data suggest that graduate students are at higher risk for suicide than undergraduates and that when graduate students die by suicide it is more often related to academic stresses. This presentation will review what we know about the mental health of higher ed students in general and the growing body information about graduate student mental health. Finally, strategies that may be implemented to support the mental health of graduate students will be reviewed. none.

Medical student satisfaction, coping and burnout in direct-entry versus graduate-entry programmes.

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DeWitt, Dawn; Canny, Benedict J; Nitzberg, Michael; Choudri, Jennifer; Porter, Sarah

2016-06-01

There is ongoing debate regarding the optimal length of medical training, with concern about the cost of prolonged training. Two simultaneous tracks currently exist in Australia: direct entry from high school and graduate entry for students with a bachelor degree. Medical schools are switching to graduate entry based on maturity, academic preparedness and career-choice surety. We tested the assumption that graduate entry is better by exploring student preferences, coping, burnout, empathy and alcohol use. From a potential pool of 2188 participants, enrolled at five Australian medical schools, a convenience sample of 688 (31%) first and second year students completed a survey in the middle of the academic year. Participants answered questions about demographics, satisfaction and coping and completed three validated instruments. Over 90% of students preferred their own entry-type, though more graduate-entry students were satisfied with their programme (82.4% versus 65.3%, p students in self-reported coping or in the proportion of students meeting criteria for burnout (50.7% versus 51.2%). Direct-entry students rated significantly higher for empathy (concern, p = 0.022; personal distress, p = 0.031). Graduate-entry students reported significantly more alcohol use and hazardous drinking (30.0% versus 22.8%; p = 0.017). Our multi-institution data confirm that students are generally satisfied with their choice of entry pathway and do not confirm significant psychosocial benefits of graduate entry. Overall, our data suggest that direct-entry students cope with the workload and psychosocial challenges of medical school, in the first 2 years, as well as graduate-entry students. Burnout and alcohol use should be addressed in both pathways. Despite studies showing similar academic outcomes, and higher total costs, more programmes in Australia are becoming graduate entry. Further research on non-cognitive issues and outcomes is needed so that universities, government

Academic research training for a nonacademic workplace: a case study of graduate student alumni who work in conservation.

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Muir, Matthew J; Schwartz, Mark W

2009-12-01

Graduate education in conservation biology has been assailed as ineffective and inadequate to train the professionals needed to solve conservation problems. To identify how graduate education might better fit the needs of the conservation workplace, we surveyed practitioners and academics about the importance of particular skills on the job and the perceived importance of teaching those same skills in graduate school. All survey participants (n = 189) were alumni from the University of California Davis Graduate Group in Ecology and received thesis-based degrees from 1973 to 2008. Academic and practitioner respondents clearly differed in workplace skills, although there was considerably more agreement in training recommendations. On the basis of participant responses, skill sets particularly at risk of underemphasis in graduate programs are decision making and implementation of policy, whereas research skills may be overemphasized. Practitioners in different job positions, however, require a variety of skill sets, and we suggest that ever-increasing calls to broaden training to fit this multitude of jobs will lead to a trade-off in the teaching of other skills. Some skills, such as program management, may be best developed in on-the-job training or collaborative projects. We argue that the problem of graduate education in conservation will not be solved by restructuring academia alone. Conservation employers need to communicate their specific needs to educators, universities need to be more flexible with their opportunities, and students need to be better consumers of the skills offered by universities and other institutions.

The correlation between physical activity and grade point average for health science graduate students.

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Gonzalez, Eugenia C; Hernandez, Erika C; Coltrane, Ambrosia K; Mancera, Jayme M

2014-01-01

Researchers have reported positive associations between physical activity and academic achievement. However, a common belief is that improving academic performance comes at the cost of reducing time for and resources spent on extracurricular activities that encourage physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported physical activity and grade point average (GPA) for health science graduate students. Graduate students in health science programs completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and reported their academic progress. Most participants (76%) reported moderate to vigorous physical activity levels that met or exceeded the recommended levels for adults. However, there was no significant correlation between GPA and level of physical activity. Negative findings for this study may be associated with the limited range of GPA scores for graduate students. Future studies need to consider more sensitive measures of cognitive function, as well as the impact of physical activity on occupational balance and health for graduate students in the health fields. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Student Learning Outcomes and Attitudes When Biotechnology Lab Partners Are of Different Academic Levels

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Miller, Heather B.; Witherow, D. Scott; Carson, Susan

2012-01-01

The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program offers laboratory-intensive courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In “Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA,” students are separated into undergraduate and graduate sections for the laboratory, but not the lecture, component. Evidence has shown that students prefer pairing with someone of the same academic level. However, retention of main ideas in peer learning environments has been shown to be greater when partners have dissimilar abilities. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that there will be enhanced student learning when lab partners are of different academic levels. We found that learning outcomes were met by both levels of student, regardless of pairing. Average undergraduate grades on every assessment method increased when undergraduates were paired with graduate students. Many of the average graduate student grades also increased modestly when graduate students were paired with undergraduates. Attitudes toward working with partners dramatically shifted toward favoring working with students of different academic levels. This work suggests that offering dual-level courses in which different-level partnerships are created does not inhibit learning by students of different academic levels. This format is useful for institutions that wish to offer “boutique” courses in which student enrollment may be low, but specialized equipment and faculty expertise are needed. PMID:22949428

The Development and Validation of the "Academic Spoken English Strategies Survey (ASESS)" for Non-Native English Speaking Graduate Students

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Schroeder, Rui M.

2016-01-01

This study reports on the three-year development and validation of a new assessment tool--the Academic Spoken English Strategies Survey (ASESS). The questionnaire is the first of its kind to assess the listening and speaking strategy use of non-native English speaking (NNES) graduate students. A combination of sources was used to develop the…

Promoting active learning of graduate student by deep reading in biochemistry and microbiology pharmacy curriculum.

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Peng, Ren

2017-07-08

To promote graduate students' active learning, deep reading of high quality papers was done by graduate students enrolled in biochemistry and microbiology pharmacy curriculum offered by college of life science, Jiangxi Normal University from 2013 to 2015. The number of graduate students, who participated in the course in 2013, 2014, and 2015 were eleven, thirteen and fifteen, respectively. Through deep reading of papers, presentation, and group discussion in the lecture, these graduate students have improved their academic performances effectively, such as literature search, PPT document production, presentation management, specialty document reading, academic inquiry, and analytical and comprehensive ability. The graduate students also have increased their understanding level of frontier research, scientific research methods, and experimental methods. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(4):305-312, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Student mistreatment in medical school and planning a career in academic medicine.

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Haviland, Mark G; Yamagata, Hisashi; Werner, Leonard S; Zhang, Kehua; Dial, Thomas H; Sonne, Janet L

2011-01-01

Student mistreatment in medical school is a persistent problem with both known and unexplored consequences [corrected]. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a perception of having been mistreated in medical school had an association with planning a full-time career in academic medicine. Using Association of American Medical Colleges' 2000-2004 Medical School Graduation Questionnaire data, we evaluated the relationship between students' mistreatment experience and their career choice, academic versus nonacademic setting. Meta-analysis and regression were used to evaluate this relationship. At medical schools where relatively high percentages of graduating seniors were planning academic careers, students reporting mistreatment experiences were less likely at graduation to be planning careers in academic medicine. A perception of having been mistreated in medical school is related to students' career choices, a finding that may be useful to medical school administrators/faculty and students as mistreatment is addressed in program planning, counseling, and faculty recruitment.

Parental support, self-concept, motivational orientaions and teacher-student relationship, and academic competnece: an exploratory analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Tariq Bhatti

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study examined the relationship among academic competence, Grade Point Averages (GPAs and factors responsible for students’ academic competence. A four factored questionnaire administered to a nationally representative sample of 100 graduate and post-graduate students to find out the factors responsible for academic competence. In addition, The Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (ACES-College applied for calculating the academic competence. Significant and positive correlations are found between factors affecting academic competence, GPAs and academic competence. Students’ scores on the ACES and their GPAs provided significant evidence to support the idea that the factors such as parental support, clearer self-concept, positive teacher-student relationship and strong motivational orientations are correlated with their GPAs at low magnitude and; academic competence with high ratings. It is concluded that students with stronger presence of these factors have better academic competence than their peers at graduate and post-graduate level. An integrated framework that is related to students’ academic competence and that promotes other related factors is suggested.

A social and academic enrichment program promotes medical school matriculation and graduation for disadvantaged students.

Science.gov (United States)

Keith, L; Hollar, D

2012-07-01

This study assessed the impact of a pre-medical pipeline program on successful completion of medical school and the capacity of this program to address achievement gaps experienced by disadvantaged students. The University of North Carolina (USA) Medical Education Development (MED) program provides intensive academic and test skills preparation for admission to medical, dental, and other allied health professions schools. This retrospective study evaluated the academic progress of a longitudinal sample of 1738 disadvantaged college students who completed MED between 1974 and 2001. Data sources included MED participant data, medical school admissions data for the host school, aggregate data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and individual MED participant data from AAMC. Methods of analysis utilized Chi-square, independent samples t test, and logistic regression to examine associations between factors. Of the 935 students in MED from 1974 to 2001, who had indicated an interest in medical school, 887 (94.9%) successfully matriculated and 801 (85.7%) successfully earned the MD degree. Using logistic regression, factors that were significantly correlated with earning the medical degree included the student's race, college undergraduate total and science grade point averages, with Hispanic, African American, and Native American participants earning the medical degree at rates comparable to Caucasian participants. MED students successfully earned the MD degree despite having significantly lower Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores and undergraduate grade point averages compared to all United States medical school applicants: MCAT scores had little relationship with student's success. These findings suggest that an intensive, nine-week, pre-medical academic enrichment program that incorporates confidence-building and small-group tutoring and peer support activities can build a foundation on which disadvantaged students can successfully earn

Life Satisfaction and Perceived Meaningfulness of Learning Experience among First-Year Traditional Graduate Social Work Students

Science.gov (United States)

Fakunmoju, Sunday; Donahue, Gilpatrick R.; McCoy, Shandria; Mengel, Alison S.

2016-01-01

Knowledge about life satisfaction and learning experience among first-year graduate students is sparse, despite its relevance to instructional decisions, academic support, and success of students. Adequate knowledge is crucial, as it may help graduate students manage personal and professional life changes associated with graduate education. Using…

Incoming Graduate Students in the Social Sciences: How Much Do They Really Know about Library Research?

Science.gov (United States)

Monroe-Gulick, Amalia; Petr, Julie

2012-01-01

Academic librarians provide information literacy instruction and research services to graduate students. To develop evidence-based library instruction and research services for incoming graduate students, the authors interviewed fifteen incoming graduate students in the social sciences and analyzed the interviews using the Association of College &…

The impacts and "best practices" of undergraduate - graduate student mentoring relationships in undergraduate research experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Campanile, Megan Faurot

With the growth of undergraduate research in the U.S., over the past two decades, faculty are more often assigning graduate students to mentor undergraduate students than providing the one-on-one mentoring themselves. A critical gap that exists in the literature is how undergraduate -- graduate student mentoring relationships in undergraduate research influences both students' academic and career paths. The research questions that framed this study were: (1) What, if any, changes occur in the academic and career paths of undergraduate and graduate students who participate in undergraduate research experiences? and (2) Are there variables that constitute "best practices" in the mentoring relationships in undergraduate research experiences and, if so, what are they? The study context was the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Illinois Institute of Technology and the 113 undergraduate researchers and 31 graduate student mentors who participated from 2006 -- 2014. Surveys and interviews were administered to collect pre- and post-program data and follow-up data during the 2014 -- 2015 academic year. Descriptive statistics, content analysis method, and constant comparative method were used to analyze the data. Key findings on the undergraduate researchers were their actual earned graduate degree types (Ph.D. 20%, M.D. 20%, M.S. 48%, other 12%) and fields (STEM 57%, medical 35%, other 8%) and the careers they were pursuing or working in. All the graduate student mentors were pursuing or working in the STEM fields (academia 50%, industry 40%, government 10%). More than 75% of both the undergraduate and graduate students reported that their mentoring relationships had a somewhat to extremely influential impact on their academic and career paths. A set of "best practices" of mentoring were developed for both the undergraduate and graduate students and focused on the mentoring experiences related to learning and teaching about

Chinese engineering students' cross-cultural adaptation in graduate school

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Jiang, Xinquan

This study explores cross-cultural adaptation experience of Chinese engineering students in the U.S. I interact with 10 Chinese doctoral students in engineering from a public research university through in-depth interviews to describe (1) their perceptions of and responses to key challenges they encountered in graduate school, (2) their perspectives on the challenges that stem from cross-cultural differences, and (3) their conceptualization of cross-cultural adaptation in the context of graduate school. My findings reveal that the major challenges participants encounter during graduate school are academic issues related to cultural differences and difficulties of crossing cultural boundaries and integrating into the university community. These challenges include finding motivation for doctoral study, becoming an independent learner, building a close relationship with faculty, interacting and forming relationships with American people, and gaining social recognition and support. The engineering students in this study believe they are less successful in their social integration than they are in accomplishing academic goals, mainly because of their preoccupation with academics, language barriers and cultural differences. The presence of a large Chinese student community on campus has provided a sense of community and social support for these students, but it also contributes to diminishing their willingness and opportunities to interact with people of different cultural backgrounds. Depending on their needs and purposes, they have different insights into the meaning of cross-cultural adaptation and therefore, and choose different paths to establish themselves in a new environment. Overall, they agree that cross-cultural adaptation involves a process of re-establishing themselves in new academic, social, and cultural communities, and adaptation is necessary for their personal and professional advancement in the U.S. They also acknowledge that encountering and adjusting

Impact of problem-based, active learning on graduation rates for 10 generations of Dutch medical students.

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Schmidt, Henk G; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Arends, Lidia R

2009-03-01

We aimed to study the effects of active-learning curricula on graduation rates of students and on the length of time needed to graduate. Graduation rates for 10 generations of students enrolling in the eight Dutch medical schools between 1989 and 1998 were analysed. In addition, time needed to graduate was recorded. Three of the eight schools had curricula emphasising active learning, small-group instruction and limited numbers of lectures; the other five had conventional curricula to varying degrees. Overall, the active-learning curricula graduated on average 8% more students per year, and these students graduated on average 5 months earlier than their colleagues from conventional curricula. Four hypotheses potentially explaining the effect of active learning on graduation rate and study duration were considered: (i) active-learning curricula promote the social and academic integration of students; (ii) active-learning curricula attract brighter students; (iii) active-learning curricula retain more poor students, and (iv) the active engagement of students with their study required by active-learning curricula induces better academic performance and, hence, lower dropout rates. The first three hypotheses had to be rejected. It was concluded that the better-learning hypothesis provides the most parsimonious account for the data.

Putting Research into Practice: Pedagogy Development Workshops Change the Teaching Philosophy of Graduate Students

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White, Peter J. T.; Syncox, David; Heppleston, Audrey; Isaac, Siara; Alters, Brian

2012-01-01

Teaching competence is an important skill for graduate students to acquire and is often considered a precursor to an academic career. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a multi-day teaching workshop on graduate teaching philosophies by surveying 200 graduate students, 79 of whom had taken the workshops and 121 who had not. We found no…

An Exploratory Study of NNES Graduate Students' Reading Comprehension of English Journal Articles

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Chen, Kate Tzu-Ching

2017-01-01

The academic success of non-native English speaker (NNES) graduate students greatly relies on their ability to read and comprehend English journal articles (EJA). The purpose of this study was to identify NNES graduate students' comprehension difficulties and reading strategies when reading EJA. In addition, the study explored how the relationship…

The professional profile of UFBA nursing management graduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Paiva, Mirian Santos; Coelho, Edméia de Almeida Cardoso; Nascimento, Enilda Rosendo do; Melo, Cristina Maria Meira de; Fernandes, Josicelia Dumêt; Santos, Ninalva de Andrade

2011-12-01

The objective of the present study was to analyze the professional profile of the nursing graduate students of Federal University of Bahia, more specifically of the nursing management area. This descriptive, exploratory study was performed using documental research. The data was collected from the graduates' curriculum on the Lattes Platform and from the graduate program documents, using a form. The study population consisted of graduates enrolled under the line of research The Organization and Evaluation of Health Care Systems, who developed dissertations/theses addressing Nursing/Health Management. The data were stored using Microsoft Excel, and then transferred to the STATA 9.0 statistical software. Results showed that most graduates are women, originally from the State of Bahia, and had completed the course between 2000 and 2011; faculty of public institutions who continued involved in academic work after completing the course. These results point at the program as an academic environment committed to preparing researchers.

[Graduate Students in Medicine Course: Motivation, Socialization and Academic Recognition].

Science.gov (United States)

Magalhães-Alves, Cristina; Barbosa, Joselina; Ribeiro, Laura; Ferreira, Maria Amélia

2017-04-28

Students with a previous degree have personal and professional experiences that can contribute to a different academic path during the medical course. This study aims to: 1) analyze both satisfaction and impact of academic recognition; 2) investigate whether motivations and expectations at entrance are maintained along the course; 3) to evaluate socialization after regress to higher education. To accomplish the first objective a questionnaire was administered to 82 students who entered the medical school from 2011/2012 to 2013/2014. For the second and third goals a focus group was run (three groups with five students each, representing the three academic years). Students felt satisfied with the recognition, and 50% of them believe that accreditations replace knowledge acquired with the curricular units, and 47% preferred to obtain accreditation. Academic achievement was negatively associated with the satisfaction of recognition and positively with age, background and registration cycle. Socialization of these students is distinct from the younger ones, their motivations at entrance are intrinsic and, contrary to expectations, are maintained along the course. Students prefer recognition instead of attending the curricular units. The most satisfied with the recognition accomplish less credits and the younger ones, from health area and enrolled in the clinical cycle, accomplish more. Along the course, motivations become more solid, expectations change and socialization is carried out with greater responsibility.

Korean Graduate Students' Perceptions of Guidance and Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kent; Lee, Hikyoung

2017-01-01

Past studies have indicated shortcomings in the training of graduate students in the US, especially for practical career skills, teaching skills, and non-academic careers. Students thus find professional development and guidance lacking for the demands of the modern marketplace. This study extends this research to the unique situation of current…

Perceptions of medical school graduates and students regarding their academic preparation to teach.

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Henry, B W; Haworth, J G; Hering, P

2006-09-01

How medical students learn and develop the characteristics associated with good teaching in medicine is not well known. Information about this process can improve the academic preparation of medical students for teaching responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to determine how different experiences contributed to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of medical school graduates and students regarding medical teaching. A questionnaire was developed, addressing reliability and validity considerations, and given to first year residents and third year medical students (taught by those residents). Completed questionnaires were collected from 76 residents and 110 students (81% of the sample group). Item responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Most residents (n = 54; 71%) positively viewed opportunities they had to practice teaching when they were seniors. Residents rated three activities for learning to teach highest: (1) observing teachers as they teach; (2) reviewing the material to be taught; and (3) directly teaching students; representing both individual and participatory ways of learning. Residents' self ratings of teaching behaviours improved over time and this self assessment by the residents was validated by the students' responses. Comparison between residents' self ratings and students' views of typical resident teaching behaviours showed agreement on levels of competence, confidence, and motivation. The students rated characteristics of enthusiasm, organisation, and fulfilment lower (pteaching responsibilities positively and showed agreement on characteristics of good teaching that may be helpful indicators in the process of developing medical teachers.

DOE/PSU Graduate Student Fellowship Program for Hydropower

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Cimbala, John M. [Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States)

2014-03-30

The primary objective of this project is to stimulate academic interest in the conventional hydropower field by supplying research support for at least eight individual Master of Science (MS) or Doctoral (PhD) level research projects, each consisting of a graduate student supervised by a faculty member. We have completed many of the individual student research projects: 2 PhD students have finished, and 4 are still working towards their PhD degree. 4 MS students have finished, and 2 are still working towards their MS degree, one of which is due to finish this April. In addition, 4 undergraduate student projects have been completed, and one is to be completed this April. These projects were supervised by 7 faculty members and an Advisory/Review Panel. Our students and faculty have presented their work at national or international conferences and have submitted several journal publications. Three of our graduate students (Keith Martin, Dan Leonard and Hosein Foroutan) have received HRF Fellowships during the course of this project. All of the remaining students are anticipated to be graduated by the end of Fall Semester 2014. All of the tasks for this project will have been completed once all the students have been graduated, although it will be another year or two until all the journal publications have been finalized based on the work performed as part of this DOE Hydropower project.

Academic Feedback in Veterinary Medicine: A comparison of School Leaver and Graduate Entry cohorts

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Hughes, Kirsty Jean; McCune, Velda; Rhind, Susan

2013-01-01

This study analysed the expectations and experiences of students on a five-year undergraduate ("n"?=?91) and four-year graduate entry ("n"?=?47) veterinary medicine degree programme relating to academic feedback. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used to explore new students' expectations and prior experiences of…

Graduate Experience in Science Education: the development of a science education course for biomedical science graduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Markowitz, Dina G; DuPré, Michael J

2007-01-01

The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with practical teaching and communication skills to help them better relate science content to, and increase their confidence in, their own teaching abilities. The 2-h weekly sessions include an introduction to cognitive hierarchies, learning styles, and multiple intelligences; modeling and coaching some practical aspects of science education pedagogy; lesson-planning skills; an introduction to instructional methods such as case studies and problem-based learning; and use of computer-based instructional technologies. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers. This article summarizes the GESE course and presents evidence on the effectiveness of this course in providing graduate students with information about teaching and learning that they will use throughout their careers.

An educational intervention to promote self-management and professional socialization in graduate nurse anesthesia students

Science.gov (United States)

Maloy, Debra A.

Traditionally, nurse anesthesia educators have utilized prior academic achievement to predict student success. However, research has indicated that prior academic achievement offers an inadequate assessment of student success in graduate healthcare programs with extensive clinical residencies. The educational literature has identified many non-cognitive factors, such as self-efficacy and locus of control, that may provide a more holistic prediction model of student success. An experimental study with pretest-posttest design and stratified random assignment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention to promote self-management, professional socialization, and academic achievement among first semester graduate nurse anesthesia students. Participants (N = 66) were demographically similar to the national graduate nurse anesthesia student body, though Hispanics and younger students were a little over-represented in the sample (56% female, 75.8% White, 15.2% Hispanic, 6% Other, 59% ≤ 30-years-old, 67% ≤ 3 years of ICU). The results showed that most graduate anesthesia students had strong self-management and professional socialization characteristics on admission. The results did not support the effectiveness of this educational intervention. Thus, ceiling effect may have accounted in part for statistically non-significant results regarding self-efficacy (p = .190, o2 = .03), locus of control (p = .137, o2 = .04), professional socialization (p = .819, o2 = .001), and academic achievement (p = .689, o2 = .003). Future researchers may need to expand the scope of the intervention, use a more powerful and sensitive instrument, and utilize a larger sample.

Preparing for an Academic Career Workshops: Resources for Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows

Science.gov (United States)

Dunbar, R. W.; MacDonald, R.

2004-12-01

The professional development program, "On the Cutting Edge", offers annual multi-day workshops for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in pursuing academic careers. Goals are to prepare participants to become more effective teachers, stronger candidates for academic positions, and more aware of the realities of academic jobs. Insights that participants especially hope to gain from these workshops include feedback on the application process, especially an understanding of how search committees work; the different realities of balancing teaching, research, and personal life in a range of academic institutions; and expectations for tenure. The ten-person leadership team represents, by design, a wide range of academic career paths and institutions, and provides approximately 1:6 leader: participant ratio. Specific sessions include research on learning, an introduction to course and lab design, effective teaching and assessment strategies, developing a teaching statement, time management and early career faculty success, and moving research forward into new settings. Optional workshop sessions and discussions include the following topics: dual-career couples; families and careers; teaching portfolios; effective negotiation strategies; tenure and promotion; effective field trips; getting started in undergraduate research; opportunities in K-12 education; career options beyond faculty positions. Highlights of the workshop are faculty panel discussions about career paths and the academic job search. By workshop end, participants complete a goal setting and action planning activity. Two years of evaluation data suggest our goals are being met. Participants particularly appreciate the practical ideas and the opportunity to interact with, and learn from, a diverse leadership team and other participants.

Joining a discourse community: How graduate students learn to speak like astronomers

Science.gov (United States)

Baleisis, Audra

Almost half of all graduate students leave their doctoral programs without finishing. Who leaves, taking which skills and strengths with them, is still poorly understood, however, because it is hard to measure exactly what graduate students learn in their doctoral programs. Since the expertise required of a PhD holder is highly dependent on discipline, the development of a better understanding of graduate education and attrition requires studying the process at the departmental level. This is a qualitative study of the cultural values and norms of academic astronomy, as transmitted through the socialization of graduate students in to giving talks, asking questions, and participating in departmental speaking events. This study also looks at the conflicts that arise when implicit cultural norms, which are practiced but remain unacknowledged, are inconsistent with the official, explicit values and norms for speaking in astronomy. Doctoral students and faculty members in a single astronomy department, at a large western university, filled out a short survey about the stakes involved in astronomy speaking events. A subset of these individuals was interviewed in- depth about the goals of, and their experiences with, five departmental speaking events: Coffee Hour, Journal Club, research talks, Thesis defense talks, and Colloquia. These interviewees were: (1) graduate students who had given a verbal presentation at one of these events, and (2) graduate students and faculty members who were in the audience at a graduate student's presentation. The desired outcomes which were expressed for these speaking events included: (1) lively, informal discussion among all participants, (2) increasing graduate student verbal participation in these events as they "learn to speak like astronomers," and (3) the utility of these events in helping graduate students learn and practice their speaking and reasoning skills related to astronomy research. In practice these goals were not achieved

Correlations between radiological technology graduates academic achievement and their obtainment of a license

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Myeong Hwan; Kwon, Deok Moon; Seo, Soo Kyo

2006-01-01

The study analyzed the correlations between variables like characteristics related to admission, academic achievement, obtainment of a radiological technology license. A majority of participants were from Daegu and academic high schools. Many participants were accepted by general admission selection, and their reason to apply to Daegu Health College was high graduate employment. Their selection for the academic program was made by their parents and themselves. Those who took the same course twice held 35.1%, and those who got an academic warning took 8.5%. The degree of participants' academic achievement showed somewhat low, and they had difficulty in taking their major courses. The average grade for admission was lower in a following selection order: college graduates, general, special, and rural areas. The admission selections and taking science courses in high school showed little significant correlations with obtainment of a radiological technology license. However, the obtainment of the license had significant correlations with retaking the same course, getting an academic warning, and the degree of academic achievement. The results also revealed that the obtainment of the license had little significant correlations with a part-time job experience, having a boy/girlfriend, and student club participation, but it had significant correlations with accommodations and study club participation. In conclusion, it is important to point out that radiological technology graduates' obtainment of a license is closely related with the degree of their academic achievement and their college life

Comparison of graduate-entry and direct school leaver student performance on an applied dental knowledge test.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, K; Zahra, D; Tredwin, C

2017-11-01

To compare the academic performance of graduate-entry and direct school leavers in an undergraduate dental programme. This study examined the results of students in applied dental knowledge (ADK) progress tests conducted during two academic years. A mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to compare the performance of graduate-entry and direct school leavers. ADK was treated as a repeated measures variable, and the outcome variable of interest was percentage score on the ADK. The results show statistically significant main effects for ADK [F (1,113) = 61.58, P < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.35], Cohort [F (1,113) = 88.57, P < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.44] and Entry [F (1,113) = 11.31, P = 0.001, η 2 p = 0.09]. That is, students do better on each subsequent test (main effect of ADK), students in later years of the programme perform better than those in earlier years (main effect of cohort), and graduate-entry students outperform direct school leavers. This is the first study to explore the differences in the academic performance of graduate-entry and direct school leavers in an undergraduate dental programme. The results show that the academic performance of graduate students was better than the direct school leavers in years 2 and 3. Further research is required to compare the performance of students longitudinally across the entire duration of undergraduate dental programmes and evaluate whether this difference persists throughout. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of a dual PharmD/MBA degree on graduates' academic performance, career opportunities, and earning potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Chumney, Elinor C G; Ragucci, Kelly R; Jones, Kathy J

2008-04-15

To evaluate the academic experience and satisfaction of students who completed a dual PharmD/MBA degree program and the program's long-term impact on the students' career choice and earning potential. GPAs, job placement, and starting job salaries were compared between graduates who completed the dual PharmD/MBA program and those who completed only the PharmD program. A satisfaction survey instrument was administered to 17 students who completed the dual PharmD/MBA degree program in May 2007. Data from a standardized job placement and starting salary survey instrument completed by all PharmD graduates were also obtained, as well as all students' final grade point averages (GPAs). GPAs, job placement, and starting job salaries were compared between graduates who had completed the dual PharmD/MBA program and those who had completed only the PharmD program. The graduating GPAs of dual-degree students were higher than those of both pharmacy (3.52 vs 3.41, p > 0.10) and business (3.82 vs. 3.68, p = 0.018) students not enrolled in the dual-degree program. Dual-degree students were slightly less likely to enter a residency (17% vs. 27%, p = 0.44) than other pharmacy graduates. Among those who elected not to pursue a residency, both mean starting salaries ($111,090 vs. $101,965) and mean total first-year compensation ($127,290 vs. $110,388) were significantly higher for dual-degree graduates compared to the PharmD graduates. Students enrolled in the dual-degree program did slightly better academically than students who completed only the MBA or PharmD programs and indicated a high level of satisfaction with the program. Dual-degree graduates reported increased career opportunities and were slated to earn significantly more during their first year in the workforce. These results affirm continuation of our program and make the case for support of similar programs across the nation.

Yoga as a Burnout Preventative for Psychology Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Marquez, Genevive

2011-01-01

Psychology graduate students experience unique stressors resulting from academic tasks and regular exposure to emotional distress (Stratton, Kellaway, & Rottini, 2007). Pervasive stress may eventually lead to burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach, 1986). Burnout impinges on academic…

Perceptions of the Home Environments of Graduate Students Raised in Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Jacqueline S.; Juntune, Joyce

2018-01-01

Current literature has identified a growing achievement gap experienced by students raised in poverty. However, some students from poverty can defeat the odds and succeed academically with advanced degrees. Nine graduate students self-identified as being raised in poverty participated in this study. The home-related experiences that led to their…

The Relationship between Dimensions of Personality and Library Anxiety in Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Vernon, Nicola A.; Evans, M. Max; Frissen, Ilja

2016-01-01

Previous studies indicate that library anxiety is a phenomenon experienced by many university-level students that impedes successful information retrieval, thereby negatively impacting academic performance. This study examines the relationship between library anxiety and personality in graduate students at the master's level. Students from various…

Empowering Graduate Students to Lead on Interdisciplinary Societal Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Grubert, E.

2015-12-01

Challenging societal problems that cannot be solved by one method or one discipline alone, like epidemic preparedness, mental health, and climate change, demand leadership and the ability to work across disciplines from those with specialized expertise. Teaching leadership at the graduate school level is a challenge that many schools are striving to meet, through mechanisms like project-based courses, leadership skill development workshops, and others. We argue that some of the most valuable but most difficult leadership skills to learn are those that require cultural norms that are fundamentally different from those traditionally encountered in graduate school. These include the ability to make informed decisions based on limited knowledge and resources, the need to make choices in the face of uncertainty, and the recognition that one ultimately bears responsibility for the outcomes. These skills are also among the most important for students planning on nonacademic careers. Acquiring such skills requires a focus on learning-by-doing and a culture of graduate student empowerment. This submission focuses on the experience of students in a student-centered, interdisciplinary, cross-campus leadership program called Emerging Leaders in Science and Society (ELISS), hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). ELISS establishes the expectation that students act as leaders, which in itself reframes leadership as an achievable goal. A major finding from two years of experience with ELISS is the critical importance of establishing cultures of trust and empowerment at the graduate level in order to foster development of transferable skills. ELISS graduate students specifically focus on interdisciplinary collaboration (the 13 2015 fellows come from 13 academic disciplines); stakeholder engagement, primarily focused on outreach to both traditional and nontraditional experts in our communities outside of academia; and solution-generating rather

Diagnostic imaging learning resources evaluated by students and recent graduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Kate; Bélisle, Marilou; Dallaire, Sébastien; Fernandez, Nicolas; Doucet, Michèle

2013-01-01

Many learning resources can help students develop the problem-solving abilities and clinical skills required for diagnostic imaging. This study explored veterinary students' perceptions of the usefulness of a variety of learning resources. Perceived resource usefulness was measured for different levels of students and for academic versus clinical preparation. Third-year (n=139) and final (fifth) year (n=105) students and recent graduates (n=56) completed questionnaires on perceived usefulness of each resource. Resources were grouped for comparison: abstract/low complexity (e.g., notes, multimedia presentations), abstract/high complexity (e.g., Web-based and film case repositories), concrete/low complexity (e.g., large-group "clicker" workshops), and concrete/high complexity (e.g., small-group interpretation workshops). Lower-level students considered abstract/low-complexity resources more useful for academic preparation and concrete resources more useful for clinical preparation. Higher-level students/recent graduates also considered abstract/low-complexity resources more useful for academic preparation. For all levels, lecture notes were considered highly useful. Multimedia slideshows were an interactive complement to notes. The usefulness of a Web-based case repository was limited by accessibility problems and difficulty. Traditional abstract/low-complexity resources were considered useful for more levels and contexts than expected. Concrete/high-complexity resources need to better represent clinical practice to be considered more useful for clinical preparation.

Issues of International Students' Academic Adaptation in the ESL Writing Class: A Mixed-Methods Study

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Eunjeong

2016-01-01

Despite the contribution to economic and social impact on the institutions in the United States, international students' academic adaptation has been always challenging. The study investigated international graduate students' academic adaptation scales via a survey questionnaire and explored how international students are academically adapted in…

Information Anxiety and African-American Students in a Graduate Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Katopol, Patricia Fields

2012-01-01

Library anxiety has been cited as one factor affecting academic performance, but library use is only part of obtaining information for academic needs. This paper expands the concept of library anxiety to "information anxiety" by an examination of the information behavior of black graduate students when using a variety of information resources,…

Crafting an Argument in Steps: A Writing Process Model for Graduate and Professional Students with LD

Science.gov (United States)

Kallestinova, Elena

2017-01-01

The paper discusses argument pedagogy for graduate and professional students with learning disabilities (LD) in the context of academic writing. To understand the nature and types of writing problems that graduate and professional students with LD experience, the author presents results of a university-wide survey with the students who did and did…

Getting Started in Academic Careers: On the Cutting Edge Resources for Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Early Career Faculty

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, R.; Ormand, C.; Manduca, C. A.; Wright-Dunbar, R.; Allen-King, R.

2007-12-01

The professional development program,'On the Cutting Edge', offers on-line resources and annual multi-day workshops for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in pursuing academic careers. Pre- workshop surveys reveal that early career faculty, post-docs, and graduate students have many questions about teaching (e.g., what are effective teaching strategies, how to design a course, how to prepare a syllabus, how to teach large courses), research (e.g., initiate and fund future research, set up and manage a lab, obtain equipment), and career management (e.g., understand tenure requirements, balance all it all). The graduate students and post-docs also have questions about jobs and the job search process. Their questions show a lack of familiarity with the nature of academic positions at different kinds of educational institutions (two-year colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, and research universities). In particular, they are uncertain about what educational setting will best fit their values and career goals and how teaching loads and research expectations vary by institution. Common questions related to the job search process include where to find job listings (the most common question in recent years), when to start the job search process, how to stand out as an applicant, and how to prepare for interviews. Both groups have questions about how to develop new skills: how to develop, plan and prepare a new course (without it taking all of their time), how to expand beyond their PhD (or postdoc) research projects, how to develop a research plan, and where to apply for funding. These are important topics for advisors to discuss with all of their students and postdocs who are planning on careers in academia. On the Cutting Edge offers workshops and web resources to help current and future faculty navigate these critical stages of their careers. The four-day workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your

Alcohol Use and American Indian/Alaska Native Student Academic Performance among Tribal Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Cometsevah, Cecelia L.

2013-01-01

Student academic performance, persistence, and graduation among American Indian/Alaska Native students in higher education are very low compared to other racial groups. Studies have shown that American Indian students enter higher education with a lack of academic preparedness, financial challenges, lack of social skills development, and lack of…

Graduate students' teaching experiences improve their methodological research skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Feldon, David F; Peugh, James; Timmerman, Briana E; Maher, Michelle A; Hurst, Melissa; Strickland, Denise; Gilmore, Joanna A; Stiegelmeyer, Cindy

2011-08-19

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate students are often encouraged to maximize their engagement with supervised research and minimize teaching obligations. However, the process of teaching students engaged in inquiry provides practice in the application of important research skills. Using a performance rubric, we compared the quality of methodological skills demonstrated in written research proposals for two groups of early career graduate students (those with both teaching and research responsibilities and those with only research responsibilities) at the beginning and end of an academic year. After statistically controlling for preexisting differences between groups, students who both taught and conducted research demonstrate significantly greater improvement in their abilities to generate testable hypotheses and design valid experiments. These results indicate that teaching experience can contribute substantially to the improvement of essential research skills.

Attitudes and values expected of public health nursing students at graduation: A delphi study.

Science.gov (United States)

Okura, Mika; Takizawa, Hiroko

2018-06-01

The skills and knowledge of the competencies expected of public health nursing (PHN) students at graduation have been clarified; however, the attitudes and values have not yet been studied in Japan. The objective of this study was to identify and reach a consensus among experts on the attitudes and values expected of PHN students at graduation. This survey was conducted as a two-stage Delphi study. We selected the following experts: 248 teachers in the faculty of public health nursing at a university as academic experts, and 250 public health nurses who were also experienced clinical instructors as clinical experts. The round 1 mailed survey was conducted using a questionnaire about the necessity and importance of attitudes and values, and 211 experts responded (42.4%, clinical; n = 124, academic; n = 87). In the Round 2 survey, the experts consisted of 60.2% of the round 1 participants (clinical; n = 73, academic; n = 54). Descriptive statistics were used for multiple imputation. We identified a total of 13 attitudes and values expected of PHN students, and reached ≥90% consensus for most items (except for one). Regarding the expected achievement level at graduation, there was no difference between clinical and academic experts except for one item. Consensus was clearly achieved for 13 attitudes and values expected of PHN students, as well as importance and expected achievement level at graduation. In the future, it is important to examine strategies that can effectively develop these attitudes and values through basic and continuous education. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing the College Choice Decisions of Graduate Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kallio, Ruth E.

1995-01-01

A study investigated the relative importance of 31 institutional characteristics in 1,068 graduate students' decisions to enroll or not enroll in the institution. Factors having the greatest influence included residency status, quality and other academic environment characteristics, work-related concerns, spouse considerations, financial aid, and…

Prior academic background and student performance in assessment in a graduate entry programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, P L; Gordon, J J; Clark, R M; Langendyk, V

2004-11-01

This study aims to identify whether non-science graduates perform as well as science graduates in Basic and Clinical Sciences (B & CS) assessments during Years 1-3 of a four-year graduate-entry programme at the University of Sydney (the 'USydMP'). Students were grouped into five categories: Health Professions (HP), Biomedical Sciences (BMS), Other Biology (BIOL), Physical Sciences (PHYS) or Non-Science (NONS). We examined the performance rank of students in each of the five groups for single best answer (SBA) and modified essay (MEQ) assessments separately, and also calculated the relative risk of failure in the summative assessments in Years 2 and 3. Students with science-based prior degrees performed better in the SBA assessments. The same occurred initially in the MEQs, but the effect diminished with time. The HP students performed consistently better but converged with other groups over time, particularly in the MEQs. Relative performance by the NONS students improved with time in both assessment formats. Overall, differences between the highest and lowest groups were small and very few students failed to meet the overall standard for the summative assessments. HP and BMS students had the lowest failure rate. NONS students were more likely to fail the assessments in Year 2 and 3, but their pass rates were still high. Female students performed significantly better overall at the end of Year 2 and in Year 3. There were only minor differences between Australian resident and International students. While there are small differences in performance in B & CS early in the programme, these lessen with time. The study results will inform decisions regarding timing of summative assessments, selection policy and for providing additional support to students who need it to minimize their risk of failure. Readers should note that this paper refers to student performance in only one of the four curriculum themes, where health professional and science graduates would be

Graduate Student Perceptions of Multi-Modal Tablet Use in Academic Environments

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Bryant, Ezzard C., Jr.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore graduate student perceptions of use and the ease of use of multi-modal tablets to access electronic course materials, and the perceived differences based on students' gender, age, college of enrollment, and previous experience. This study used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to…

The Relationship between Participation in Campus Recreation Programs and College Student Academic Success

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Kiss, Jessica E.

2017-01-01

The academic success of undergraduate students is necessary for degree attainment and fulfilling career goals. Universities recognize factors that affect academic achievement and promote strategies that support satisfactory grades, progression through degree programs, and graduation for students. It is essential to determine predictors of success…

‘AN INCREDIBLY STEEP HILL:’ HOW GENDER, RACE, AND CLASS SHAPE PERSPECTIVES ON ACADEMIC CAREERS AMONG BEGINNING BIOMEDICAL PHD STUDENTS

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Wood, Christine V.; Campbell, Patricia B.; McGee, Richard

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes perspectives on academic careers among 60 beginning PhD students in the biomedical sciences. It presents seven perspectives on academic careers articulated by the students in the sample and explains the way that race/ethnicity, gender, and students’ family education backgrounds are tied to those perspectives. The findings show that traditionally underrepresented students find the academic career path less navigable than students from well-represented groups. Among underrepresented students, even those from higher family education backgrounds, experiences related to race/ethnicity and gender often inform perceptions of the academic career even before they start their graduate research training. As the composition of the graduate population changes to include more women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minority men, it is important to note that not all graduate students enter with the same perspectives and views of the academic career and that there are meaningful differences in perspectives across demographic lines. Graduate programs can play a critical role in providing information and support for graduate students as they navigate their career choices, particularly at the earliest stages of training. By becoming sensitive to students’ perspectives on career options, and understanding how differences in perspectives arise, mentors and others can align advising strategies with the experiences and views of students. PMID:28239250

Texas Community College Graduation and Persistence Rates as a Function of Student Ethnicity

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Spangler, J. Mark; Slate, John R.

2015-01-01

In this investigation, the graduation and persistence rates of Texas community college students by ethnic membership (i.e., White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian) for the 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 academic years were examined. Statistically significant differences were present between the 2000 and the 2010 graduation and…

A course on professional development for astronomy graduate students

Science.gov (United States)

Friel, Eileen D.

2014-01-01

There is increasingly wide-spread recognition in astronomy that professional training must broaden beyond its traditional approaches to academic classes and research. Many recent community advisory reports, including the National Academy of Sciences Decadal survey, Astro2010, recommend that graduate education accommodate the variety of career paths taken by graduates, taking into account the wide range of activities scientists engage in and the skills necessary to succeed in career options both inside and outside academia and specific scientific disciplines. In response to this need, Indiana University has recently offered a new graduate seminar in astronomy to provide this broader perspective and to prepare students for a variety of career paths after graduate school. The course uses a mixture of class discussion on selected topics supplemented by short readings, activities that prepare students for seeking employment and practice some necessary skills, and discussions with astronomers who have followed a variety of career paths. An important part of the seminar is the practical preparation of complete applications for typical positions students are likely to pursue following graduation, and the revision of these applications to be appropriate for a non-traditional career path. The goal of the course is to make students aware of the many options for careers that will be available to them and the skills that will be important for their success, and to equip students with strategies for following a personally satisfying career path.

Testing an Academic Library Website for Usability with Faculty and Graduate Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Claassen‐Wilson

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives – This usability study was developed to observe faculty and graduate students’ reactions to a recent redesign of the University of Kansas (KU Libraries’ website. The redesign included new navigational features, introduction of a federated search tool, a quick search box on the front page, and research subject pages. The study also provided the opportunity to observe the practices of faculty and graduate students in locating and retrieving information on the Libraries’ website.Methods – Ten participants (five faculty and five graduate students representing diverse disciplines were solicited for the study. Participants were required to access the Libraries’ website to answer a series of questions regarding new and updated features of the website. Observational analysis using Morae™ software was conducted and interviews with each participant provided details of their opinions on how these new features would influence their research and teaching activities.Results – Most of the participants either did not notice or ignored the major website changes. Links to and locations of commonly used resources (e.g. catalogue; databases; e‐journals had been changed minimally, and the faculty and graduate student participants gravitated to those familiar features to complete tasks. Prior to the study, participants had not accessed the new discovery tools; however, once previewed, responses to the tools’ utility were generally favourable. After using the federated search tool on a familiar topic, several participants noted that, when directed to databases they had not previously considered, they were able to locate citations they had missed in the past. Observers noted pitfalls in navigating the site such as inconsistent underscoring of links, ambiguous terminology, and unclear icons meant to expand subject heading lists. Unexpected searching behaviours were observed, including inconsistent and lack of conceptual understanding in

Evaluation of selection criteria for graduate students in radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider-Kolsky, Michal; Wright, Caroline; Baird, Marilyn

2006-12-01

Selection of suitable students into graduate medical and specialist health professional courses can be difficult. Historically, selection of students was primarily based on prior academic performance. Recently, however, more emphasis has been placed on considering broader academic backgrounds and personal characteristics and attitudes of students, but no reliable measurement tool is available to predict student success and satisfaction with their choice of profession. The aim of this study was to survey practising radiation therapists in Australia to seek their opinions regarding suitable selection criteria for graduate entry radiation therapy (RT) students in order to optimize selection procedures for future applicants. Four hundred questionnaires were sent to nine RT centres in three states within Australia. All nine clinics participated in the survey and 189 questionnaires were returned. Results show that the majority of radiation therapists place a high level of importance upon a sound knowledge of physics and mathematics, as well as life experience, and agree that a visit to an RT clinic plus an interview comprise important components of the selection process. Humanities, psychology and a psychometric test were not viewed as essential entry requirements. Experienced radiation therapists placed less value on academic performance in the primary degree and were more likely to include an interview as a selection criterion than junior practitioners. Empathy for patients was identified as the most important personal attribute. It is thus recommended that not only cognitive but also personal skills be evaluated during the selection of prospective radiation therapists.

Perceptions of Plagiarism by STEM Graduate Students: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Michelle; Schwieder, David; Buhler, Amy; Bennett, Denise Beaubien; Royster, Melody

2015-12-01

Issues of academic integrity, specifically knowledge of, perceptions and attitudes toward plagiarism, are well documented in post-secondary settings using case studies for specific courses, recording discourse with focus groups, analyzing cross-cultural education philosophies, and reviewing the current literature. In this paper, the authors examine the perceptions of graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines at the University of Florida regarding misconduct and integrity issues. Results revealed students' perceptions of the definition and seriousness of potential academic misconduct, knowledge of institutional procedures, and views on faculty actions, all with a focus on divergences between U.S. and internationally-educated students. The open-ended questions provide anecdotal evidence to highlight personal experiences, positive and negative, aimed at the faculty, international students and undergraduates. Combined, these findings outline an important part of the campus academic integrity culture at a major American university. Recommendations for local actions also are discussed.

Predictors of Academic Success for Optometry Students

Science.gov (United States)

Buckingham, Robert S.

2012-01-01

Optometry school admissions are very competitive. With more applicants than available slots, admission committees must choose those students whom they feel will be successful graduates. Previous studies in the health profession schools have demonstrated that the predictors of academic achievement are preadmission science grade point average (GPA),…

Personality traits associated with intrinsic academic motivation in medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Masaaki; Mizuno, Kei; Fukuda, Sanae; Tajima, Seiki; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2009-04-01

Motivation is one of the most important psychological concepts in education and is related to academic outcomes in medical students. In this study, the relationships between personality traits and intrinsic academic motivation were examined in medical students. The study group consisted of 119 Year 2 medical students at Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine. They completed questionnaires dealing with intrinsic academic motivation (the Intrinsic Motivation Scale toward Learning) and personality (the Temperament and Character Inventory [TCI]). On simple regression analyses, the TCI dimensions of persistence, self-directedness, co-operativeness and self-transcendence were positively associated with intrinsic academic motivation. On multiple regression analysis adjusted for age and gender, the TCI dimensions of persistence, self-directedness and self-transcendence were positively associated with intrinsic academic motivation. The temperament dimension of persistence and the character dimensions of self-directedness and self-transcendence are associated with intrinsic academic motivation in medical students.

Scholarships for scientific initiation encourage post-graduation degree.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Gabriela S; Nascimento, Gustavo G; Mendes, Matheus S; Ogliari, Fabrício A; Demarco, Flávio F; Correa, Marcos B

2014-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the decision to attend an academic post-graduation program by dental students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012, last-year undergraduate students from Dental Schools of Southern Brazil. A closed questionnaire was applied including questions grouped in three different blocks: pre-graduate, undergraduate period and future perspectives. The outcome was the decision to pursuit an academic post-graduation degree. Associations were tested using chi-squared test and chi-squared test for linear trends when appropriate. Multivariate Poisson regression was also performed. The sample was composed by 671 students (response rate of 69.9%, n=467). In relation to future perspectives, 68% of the interviewed students intended to attend a post-graduation program, but only 17.5% would choose a program with academic and research post-graduation program (Master and PhD programs). In the final model, students from public universities (PR 2.08, 95%CI 1.41-3.08) and students that received scientific initiation scholarship (PR 1.93 95%CI 1.14-3.27) presented a twice greater prevalence to seek academic post-graduate programs. Students with higher family incomes showed a lower prevalence to seek these programs (PR 0.50, 95%IC 0.28-0.90). Scholarships seem to encourage undergraduate students to pursue stricto sensu post-graduation.

Personality and Graduate Academic Performance among Counselor Education and School Psychology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yi; Laux, John; Salyers, Kathleen; Kozelka, Susan

2017-01-01

General personality was assessed of 104 graduate students in school counseling, mental health counseling, and school psychology programs in the United States using the Big Five model of personality domains. The students in three programs reported similarities and differences in their preference and performance in domain knowledge, with more…

Face-to-Face vs On-Line: An Analysis of Profile, Learning, Performance and Satisfaction among Post Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Maldonado, Alberto; Llorens, Susana; Acosta, Hedy; Coo, Cristián

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore the differences between face-to-face and on-line students in a post graduate education program. The variables considered are Post Graduate Student's profile, competences and learning outcomes, academic performance and satisfaction. The sample was composed by 47 students (64% face-to-face). Analysis of variance…

Correlations between Academic Achievement and Anxiety and Depression in Medical Students Experiencing Integrated Curriculum Reform

OpenAIRE

Yi-Chun Yeh; Cheng-Fang Yen; Chung-Sheng Lai; Chun-Hsiung Huang; Keh-Min Liu; In-Ting Huang

2007-01-01

This study aimed to examine the correlations between academic achievement and levels of anxiety and depression in medical students who were experiencing curriculum reform. The differences in academic achievement and the directions of correlations between academic achievement and anxiety and depression among the medical students with different levels of anxiety and depression were also examined. Grade 1 students from graduate-entry program and grade 3 students from undergraduate-entry program ...

Global Cultural Capital and Global Positional Competition: International Graduate Students' Transnational Occupational Trajectories

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongyoung

2016-01-01

International graduate students' occupational trajectories have rarely been studied, although many studies exist on their learning experiences in foreign universities. Based on 80 qualitative interviews, this article aims to understand how, where, and why these students obtain jobs in academe and corporations. I focus particularly on Korean…

Multidimensional perfectionism and academic procrastination: relationships with depression in university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Saddler, C D; Sacks, L A

1993-12-01

Depression in university students is associated with numerous problematic outcomes. Unidimensional perfectionism and academic procrastination have each independently been related with depression and with one another in university students. Multidimensional perfectionism, consisting of self and social dimensions, and academic procrastination have not been simultaneously examined for their interrelationships with one another and with depression. Measures of multidimensional perfectionism, academic procrastination, and depression were administered to 150 undergraduate and graduate students. Analyses showed that only one dimension of perfectionism was correlated with procrastination, although both perfectionism and procrastination were important in accounting for depression in these students. Findings are discussed as they relate to the treatment of university students for the symptoms of depression.

Relationships between Minority Students Online Learning Experiences and Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Yeboah, Alex Kumi; Smith, Patriann

2016-01-01

The study investigated the relationship between minority students' use of technology, social media, the number of online courses, program of study, satisfaction, and academic performance. Participants in the study were a diverse student body regarding age, gender, and educational level, and functioned at both undergraduate and graduate levels.…

Perceptions of EFL Students toward Academic Reading

Science.gov (United States)

Akarsu, Oktay; Harputlu, Leyla

2014-01-01

In this study, data were collected using a modified version of Mokhtari and Sheorey's (2002) Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS). Results suggest that Turkish EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students at the graduate level, while engaged in academic reading, are aware of almost all effective reading strategies, though each one is not used…

The manufacturing docile bodies in the Brazilian post-graduation: scene in the academic productivism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anderson Luis da Paixão Café

2017-05-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1518-2924.2017v22n49p75 It deals with the banal productivism that took possession of minds and bodies in the Brazilian graduate. To address the issue, appealed to the theoretical concepts of Michel Foucault is one of the great French intellectuals who devoted himself to studies related to knowledge, power and ethics, questioning the roles played by different social institutions in bodies of disciplining those who they were placed in these places by imposing standards of conduct. The objective of this work is to show how each of disciplining techniques of bodies worked in Foucault's perspective, confirms to the emergence of distortions, including ethics, in the construction and dissemination of scientific knowledge process. To achieve this goal developed a bibliographical and exploratory research, associating the cloistered techniques quadriculamento, time control, normalizing sanction, exercise and take to the academic-scientific practices experienced by teachers and students in the Brazilian graduate. The results showed, among other things, that there is still a strong predominance of punitive evaluation at the expense of training when assessing the performance of the bodies in graduate programs. Finally, closes the article in the hope of contributing to broaden discussions about the current movement of manufacturing docile bodies in Brazilian graduate, helping to encourage academics to think new escape routes that make the most creative graduate, innovative and ethical, allowing bodies that it operates live life as a true work of art, that is, without the need to practice intellectual impostures as a form of academic survival.

Academic Fit of Student-Athletes: An Analysis of NCAA Division 1-A Graduation Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Ferris, Eric; Finster, Mark; McDonald, David

2004-01-01

Federal law mandates that universities reveal their graduation rates purportedly to inform policy makers and constituencies about efforts to support educational attainment for students and athletes. These rates are widely used to compare universities. Analysis of 10 years of graduation rates across all major athletic programs concludes that…

Academic Procrastination and the Performance of Graduate-Level Cooperative Groups in Research Methods Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Qun G.; DaRos-Voseles, Denise A.; Collins, Kathleen M. T.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2011-01-01

This study examined the extent to which academic procrastination predicted the performance of cooperative groups in graduate-level research methods courses. A total of 28 groups was examined (n = 83 students), ranging in size from 2 to 5 (M = 2.96, SD = 1.10). Multiple regression analyses revealed that neither within-group mean nor within-group…

Minority Student Perceptions of the Impact of Mentoring to Enhance Academic Performance in STEM Disciplines

Science.gov (United States)

Kendricks, Kimberly D.; Nedunuri, K. V.; Arment, Anthony R.

2013-01-01

The Benjamin Banneker Scholars Program (BBSP) was designed at an HBCU to increase the academic performance, retention, and graduation of minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). At the end of each academic year, students completed a BBSP Post-Program Satisfaction Survey. Each year Mentoring was consistently…

Divine Interventions: Needs Analysis for Post-Graduate Academic Literacy and Curriculum Development, in a South African School of Theology

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Fiona

2005-01-01

This paper provides a critical exploration of work in progress to develop a genre based academic support that promotes post-graduate academic literacies among new EIL and EAL Hons and Masters students in the School of Theology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. It traces the path of an action research project, using an eclectic needs analysis…

Theoretical and practice formation in oncological infirmary for pre graduate students in Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chalela, S; Orduz, G; Almenares C

1999-01-01

The cancer appears in Colombia like one of the first three causes of mortality, with growing projection from 1991. To know the reality on the teaching of the oncology in the levels of pre-graduate formation in infirmary, it is the fundamental objective of the present work, to determine the theoretical contained and the practices activities that it has more than enough the topic they become trained at the moment in the country and in a same way to establish basic limits of the duty to belong to the nurse in this area. The present study is of traverse descriptive type, and it was developed in two phases. The first of quantitative type, directed to all the academic units of Colombia with pre-graduate formation in infirmary that they had a graduated promotion at least. The total was of 21 universities, 18 of those, which the surveys responded, that included the identification of the academic unit and the hours assigned for each one of the oncology topics, in theoretical contents and activities practice. The second phase, of qualitative type, was developed using the consent Delphi methodology, with selection of a group of experts (for the study they were 11 nurses of the whole country) that had pos-grade in oncology infirmary or at least 5 years of professional experience in the oncology area. Each one qualified the importance of each oncology topic and it expressed their approach about hours in theoretical contents and in activities practice that they should become trained to the infirmary students in the pre-graduate; of the 18 analyzed academic units, 13 considered as insufficient the contents that it has more than enough oncology, this at the moment teaching to the pre-graduate students in Colombia. The work concludes with the description of the topics that at the moment they are teaching the academic units in Colombia and with the basic limits that it has more than enough oncology, the experts consider necessary for the formation in the infirmary pre-graduate in

Professional development for graduate students in the atmospheric sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Haacker, R.; Sloan, V.

2015-12-01

The field of atmospheric sciences is rapidly changing, and with it, the employment outlook for recent graduate students. Weather and climate applications for society and the private industry are in demand and have increased significantly over the last few years, creating new employment opportunities for atmospheric scientists. It is therefore more important than ever that our graduates are well prepared for the newly emerging careers. The Bureau's Occupational Outlook predicts that opportunities for atmospheric scientists will increase more rapidly in the private industry than in other sectors (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Employers in the private sector indicate that, while job applicants often bring the required scientific training, there is a gap between the technical and professional skills needed in those positions and those possessed by graduates. Job candidates were found to be most lacking in written and oral communication skills, adaptability, and project management (Chronicle for Higher Education, 2012). The geoscience community needs to come together to better prepare our graduate students. While some of this work can be done within academic institutions, partnerships with mentoring programs and the private industry are essential. In this paper we will present one approach taken by the Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) program to improve its students' skills in project management, collaborating, communication, problem solving, and essential leadership skills.

Strengthening Communication and Scientific Reasoning Skills of Graduate Students Through the INSPIRE Program

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Donna M.; McNeal, K. S.; Radencic, S. P.; Schmitz, D. W.; Cartwright, J.; Hare, D.; Bruce, L. M.

2012-10-01

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) is a five-year partnership between Mississippi State University and three nearby school districts. The primary goal of the program is to strengthen the communication and scientific reasoning skills of graduate students in geosciences, physics, chemistry, and engineering by placing them in area middle school and high school science and mathematics classrooms for ten hours a week for an entire academic year as they continue to conduct their thesis or dissertation research. Additional impacts include increased content knowledge for our partner teachers and improvement in the quality of classroom instruction using hands-on inquiry-based activities that incorporate ideas used in the research conducted by the graduate students. Current technologies, such as Google Earth, GIS, Celestia, benchtop SEM and GCMS, are incorporated into many of the lessons. Now in the third year of our program, we will present the results of our program to date, including an overview of documented graduate student, teacher, and secondary student achievements, the kinds of activities the graduate students and participating teachers have developed for classroom instruction, and the accomplishments resulting from our four international partnerships. INSPIRE is funded by the Graduate K-12 (GK-12) STEM Fellowship Program (Award No. DGE-0947419), which is part of the Division for Graduate Education of the National Science Foundation.

College Seniors' Plans for Graduate School: Do Deep Approaches Learning and Holland Academic Environments Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Rocconi, Louis M.; Ribera, Amy K.; Nelson Laird, Thomas F.

2015-01-01

This study examines the extent to which college seniors' plans for graduate school are related to their tendency to engage in deep approaches to learning (DAL) and their academic environments (majors) as classified by Holland type. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, we analyzed responses from over 116,000 seniors attending…

Undergraduate student nurses' expectations and their self-reported preparedness for the graduate year role.

Science.gov (United States)

Heslop, L; McIntyre, M; Ives, G

2001-12-01

The study identifies third-year nurses' expectations of the graduate nurse role and ascertains how prepared they feel to fulfil this role. The literature substantiates that the university-workplace transition is marked by differences between students' expectations of the graduate year and the realities of practice they encounter in the workforce setting. Nursing professionals and health service employers continue to debate the expectations required of the new nurse graduate. Yet there is little assessment of graduate nurses' expectations of the workplace. This study describes student nurses' expectations of the graduate year and the extent to which they regard themselves as well- or ill-prepared. Third-year student nurses (n=105) from a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing (BN) course at a large Metropolitan University in Australia were surveyed. A group of nursing academics and their senior colleagues in the clinical setting designed a questionnaire in light of common themes derived from literature on the graduate year role. Responses were examined and analysed using descriptive statistics. Responses revealed that student nurses tended to favour large public hospitals, and sought a good graduate programme with associated opportunities for guidance and support. Most expected to achieve good working relationships with both professional colleagues and patients. Final year students expressed some apprehension about meeting the performance expectations of the workplace, given their self-perceived lack of clinical experience. When asked about their initial expectations of the workplace, third year student nurses expressed little apprehension and reported high levels on scales of organizational commitment and professionalism. The research literature suggests that divisions exist between students' expectations of the graduate year and the actual work experience. The expectations of the graduate year described in this study offer a student-centred perspective that contributes to

Academic Performance and Perceived Stress among University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Talib, Nadeem; Zia-ur-Rehman, Muhammad

2012-01-01

This study aims to investigate the effect of factor such as perceived stress on the academic performance of the students. A sample of 199 university graduates and undergraduates in Rawalpindi and Islamabad was selected as a statistical frame. Instrumentation used for this study is previously validated construct in order to evaluate the effect of…

Factors affecting the academic performance of optometry students in Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Kajal; Naidoo, Kovin; Bilotto, Luigi; Loughman, James

2015-06-01

The Mozambique Eyecare Project is a higher education partnership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a model of optometry training at UniLúrio in Mozambique. There are many composite elements to the development of sustainable eye health structures, and appropriate education for eye health workers remains a key determinant of successful eye care development. However, from the first intake of 16 students, only 9 students graduated from the program, whereas only 6 graduated from the second intake of 24 students. This low graduation rate is attributable to a combination of substandard academic performance and student dropout. The aim of this article was to identify factors affecting the academic performance of optometry students in Mozambique. Nine lecturers (the entire faculty) and 15 students (9 from the first intake and 6 from the second) were recruited to the study. Clinical competency assessments were carried out on the students, semistructured individual interviews were conducted with the course lecturers, and a course evaluation questionnaire was completed by students. The results were combined to understand the complexities surrounding the optometry student training and performance. One student out of nine from the first intake and three students out of six from the second were graded as competent in all the elements of the refraction clinical competency examination. Analysis of data from the interviews and questionnaire yielded four dominant themes that were viewed as important determinants of student refraction competencies: student learning context, teaching context, clinic conditions and assessment, and the existing operating health care context. The evaluations have helped the university and course partners to better structure the teaching and adapt the learning environments by recommending a preparatory year and a review of the curriculum and clinic structure, implementing more transparent entry requirements, increasing awareness of

Experiences and perspectives of African American, Latina/o, Asian American, and European American psychology graduate students: A national study.

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Maton, Kenneth I; Wimms, Harriette E; Grant, Sheila K; Wittig, Michele A; Rogers, Margaret R; Vasquez, Melba J T

2011-01-01

A national, Web-based survey of 1,219 African American, Latina/o, Asian American, and European American psychology graduate students revealed both similarities and differences in experiences and perspectives. Mentoring was found to be the strongest predictor of satisfaction across groups. Academic supports and barriers, along with perceptions of diversity within the academic environment, were also important predictors of satisfaction. Students of color perceived less fairness of representation of their ethnic group within psychology than European American students, and a greater linkage between aspects of the graduate school experience and their ethnicity. Limitations of the study and implications for future research and action are discussed.

Neurotological symptoms and academic performance of university students.

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Marques, Marcia Mattos; Ganança, Mauricio Malavasi; Marques, Carolina Mattos; Ganança, Fernando Freitas; Caovilla, Heloisa Helena

2010-02-01

To compare the academic performance of university students with or without neurotological symptoms. 100 students enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate School - Medical Modality of UNIFESP-EPM in 2007 and answered a neurotological screening questionnaire. The symptoms presented once, sometimes, many times or always, in a decreasing order of prevalence, were headache (74.0%), difficulty with concentration (57.0%), lack of memory (45.0%), physical indisposition, nausea /dizziness when in moving vehicle (37.0%), fainting (27.0%), nausea (26.0%), sensation of fullness in the ear (26.0%), hypersensitivity to sounds (26.0%), tinnitus (22.0%), vertigo and other kinds of dizziness (21.0%), imbalance when walking (21.0%), difficulty in hearing (21.0%), imminent sensation of fainting (11.0%) and vomiting (8.0%), alone or in different associations; convulsion was not mentioned. The final academic performance score ranged from 5.1 to 10.0. University students with or without neurotological symptoms have manifested similar academic performance.

Perceptions of Geography as a Discipline among Students of Different Academic Levels in Pakistan

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Fatima, Munazza

2016-01-01

Geography is facing the problem of its identity and recognition as a useful academic discipline in Pakistan. This research paper examines the perception about geography as an academic discipline from the students of different academic levels i.e. intermediate, graduate, master and M.Phil. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and a…

Quality of Academic Advising at UNO: Results of Student and Faculty Surveys.

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ESS Reports, 1988

1988-01-01

This report presents the results of a student/faculty survey on the academic advising process at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and highlights issues in improving the advising process. The survey included 195 recent graduates, 269 existing students, and 207 faculty and professional advisors. The study found that 70.8% of students were…

An Analysis of the Language of Attribution in University Students' Academic Essays

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Jabulani, Sibanda

2014-01-01

The study reports on challenges related to the use of the language of attribution in academic essay writing by Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students at Rhodes University, as a microcosm of similar challenges faced by university students elsewhere. The study content-analysed 150 essays written by 50 PGCE students taking the course…

Career Preparation: An Often Omitted Element of the Advisor-Graduate Student Relationship

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McManus, D. A.

2001-05-01

Most graduate research advisors care about the education of their graduate students. However, they often define "graduate education" so narrowly that it consists only of solving a research problem. This narrow definition is consistent with their principal goal as geoscientists, to understand the Earth better, and with the reward system typical of research universities, with its emphasis on research. As a result, most advisors usually well prepare students to be researchers in research universities. Research, however, is only part of a faculty member's duties. Commonly omitted is mentoring in the teaching and service duties of a faculty member. Students interested in teaching, in positions in other academic institutions, or in careers outside of academia may be perceived as questioning the advisors' career values and may not be encouraged in these interests. Graduate students should take an active role in their education. In addition to seeking information on career preparation from the campus career center and teaching center and from books, newsmagazines, newspapers, and seminars, students should also seek mentors who have demonstrated an interest in what the student is interested in: teaching and service, as well as research, or in careers outside academia. These mentors may be the students' committee members, other faculty members, or other professional geoscientists. With a broad base of information and some personal decisions, students will have a rationale for exploring careers. The questions students ask can now be more specific: How do they gain the requisite breadth in knowledge and the beneficial skills, beyond the depth of the research experience, and how do they gain opportunities to practice these skills? In short, how can they experience, and preferably practice, what professional geoscientists do in particular careers? If necessary, graduate students can work together to answer these questions by inviting experts to offer workshops in the department

Improving Student Success by Understanding Reasons for, Types of, and Appropriate Responses to Stressors Affecting Asian Graduate Students in Canada

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Kim, Andrew

2015-01-01

An increasing number of university students in Canada are from East Asian countries and enrolled in graduate programs. For these students, unique factors may contribute to a stressful study environment, which in turn can impact academic performance. This article draws on literature to identify five such factors and appropriate coping strategies:…

Gestalt and Figure-Ground: Reframing Graduate Attribute Conversations between Educational Developers and Academics

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Knewstubb, Bernadette; Ruth, Alison

2015-01-01

Academics implementing graduate attributes, and the educational developers who support those academics, may experience graduate attributes and disciplinary knowledge and skills as unrelated dimensions of curriculum. Gestalt conceptions of curriculum, together with a figure-ground understanding of the relationship between disciplinary understanding…

Examining students' graduation issues using data mining techniques - The case of TEI of Athens

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Chalaris, Manolis; Gritzalis, Stefanos; Maragoudakis, Manolis; Sgouropoulou, Cleo; Lykeridou, Katerina

2015-02-01

One of the major issues that Greek Higher Education Institutes face is the delayed completion of studies of their students. For example, in the case of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens, in the academic year 2012-2013, the percentage of graduates with a length of studies of more than 6 years was 53%. This "problem" becomes harder if we consider that according to the new legislation, the Greek Higher Education Institutes (HEI) must cut off access to the students who "linger" too long. This means that many of these graduates wouldn't be able to complete their studies. While many institutes have systems to quantify and report the length of studies of all graduates, far less attention is typically paid to each student's reason(s) for delayed graduation. In this paper, we focus on examining the question of why students delay in the completion of their studies using several data mining techniques. Through the application of data mining techniques new knowledge will be provided to the administration of a HEI that could be used for solving this problem. The data used in our case study come from a questionnaire distributed to graduates of the institute but also from educational data stored in the Institute's student database.

Acculturative Stress and Disengagement: Learning from the Adjustment Challenges Faced by East Asian International Graduate Students

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Lyken-Segosebe, D. E.

2017-01-01

International graduate students meet TOEFL, GPA, and other admissions criteria to gain entry into US colleges and universities. During their stay in the USA, they provide educational and economic contributions for their host country. In contrast to their educational and economic potential, international students often demonstrate poor academic and…

Perception of Nursing Education Uses of Second Life by Graduate Nursing Students.

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Benham-Hutchins, Marge; Lall, Maureen P

2015-09-01

Although virtual reality platforms, such as Second Life, have been used in academic settings for more than a decade, little is known about how students perceive or adapt to this technology. This article presents the results of a research study that examined the experiences and perceptions of graduate nursing students as they explored the educational applications of Second Life. The students created avatars, interacted with one another in the virtual world, explored healthcare and educational uses, and maintained a reflective blog (online journal) of their experiences. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the reflective blogs, and four themes were identified: (1) mastering Second Life, (2) technological challenges, (3) social interaction, and (4) knowledge dissemination. The results support the use of virtual reality in education, as even novice graduate students were able to overcome initial challenges and learn to navigate within a virtual world.

Does private tutoring increase students' academic performance? Evidence from Turkey

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Berberoğlu, Giray; Tansel, Aysit

2014-10-01

This paper investigates the effectiveness of private tutoring in Turkey. The authors introduce their study by providing some background information on the two major national examinations and three different kinds of tutoring. They then describe how they aimed to analyse whether attending private tutoring centres (PTCs) enhances Turkish students' academic performance. By way of multiple linear regression analysis, their study sought to evaluate whether the impact of private tutoring varies in different subject areas, taking into account several student-related characteristics such as family and academic backgrounds as well as interest in and perception of academic success. In terms of subject areas, the results indicate that while private tutoring does have a positive impact on academic performance in mathematics and Turkish language, this is not the case in natural sciences. However, as evidenced by the effect sizes, these impacts are rather small compared to the impacts of other variables such as interest in and perception of academic success, high school graduation fields of study, high school cumulative grade point average (CGPA), parental education and students' sociocultural background. While the authors point out that more research on the impact of further important variables needs to be done, their view is that school seems to be an important factor for determining students' academic performance.

Voices of Chinese Post-­80s Students in English Academic Writing

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Que, Hua; Li, Xuemei

2015-01-01

This study looks into the changing voice of Chinese Post-80s' students in English academic writing. Data were collected qualitatively through interviews with four Chinese Post-80s overseas graduate students and through an examination of their English essays with a focus on discursive features. Findings indicate that Chinese Post-80s' voice is…

From students to researchers: The education of physics graduate students

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Lin, Yuhfen

This dissertation aims to make two research contributions: (1) In physics education research, this work aims to advance our understanding of physics student learning at the graduate level. This work attempts to better understand how physics researchers and teachers are produced, and what factors support or encourage the process of becoming a researcher and a teacher. (2) In cognitive science research in the domain of expert/novice differences, researchers are interested in defining and understanding what expertise is. This work aims to provide some insight into some of the components of expertise that go into becoming a competent expert researcher in the domain of physics. This in turn may contribute to our general understanding of expertise across multiple domains. Physics graduate students learn in their classes as students, teach as teaching assistants, and do research with research group as apprentices. They are expected to transition from students to independent researchers and teachers. The three activities of learning, teaching, and research appear to be very different and demand very different skill-sets. In reality, these activities are interrelated and have subtle effects on each other. Understanding how students transition from students to researchers and teachers is important both to PER and physics in general. In physics, an understanding of how physics students become researchers may help us to keep on training physicists who will further advance our understanding of physics. In PER, an understanding of how graduate students learn to teach will help us to train better physics teachers for the future. In this dissertation, I examine physics graduate students' approaches to teaching, learning, and research through semi-structured interviews. The collected data is interpreted and analyzed through a framework that focuses on students' epistemological beliefs and locus of authority. The data show how students' beliefs about knowledge interact with their

Development and evaluation of a peer-tutoring program for graduate students*.

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Copeland, H Liesel; Kinzy, Terri Goss

2005-03-01

Many interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs admit students of different educational backgrounds who receive a first year of a general curriculum education. However, student preparation for this curriculum varies, and methods are needed to provide academic support. Graduate student peer tutoring was piloted as an initiative funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Initiative for Minority Student Development award to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ-RWJMS) and is now offered to all students in the interdisciplinary Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. program between Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and UMDNJ-RWJMS. Tutoring occurs individually or in small groups and has grown over the past 5 years in the number of students tutored and hours of tutoring. The program was evaluated by surveying and interviewing both tutors and students concerning process variables (e.g. awareness, frequency) and impact variables (e.g. perceived benefits, motivators), as well as by assessing changes in exam scores for the four core courses of the first-year graduate curriculum. Copyright © 2005 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Graduate student's guide to necessary skills for nonacademic conservation careers.

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Blickley, Jessica L; Deiner, Kristy; Garbach, Kelly; Lacher, Iara; Meek, Mariah H; Porensky, Lauren M; Wilkerson, Marit L; Winford, Eric M; Schwartz, Mark W

2013-02-01

Graduate education programs in conservation science generally focus on disciplinary training and discipline-specific research skills. However, nonacademic conservation professionals often require an additional suite of skills. This discrepancy between academic training and professional needs can make it difficult for graduate students to identify the skills and experiences that will best prepare them for the conservation job market. We analyzed job advertisements for conservation-science positions and interviewed conservation professionals with experience hiring early-career conservation scientists to determine what skills employers of conservation professionals seek; whether the relative importance of skills varies by job sector (government, nonprofit, and private); and how graduate students interested in careers in conservation science might signal competency in key skills to potential employers. In job advertisements, disciplinary, interpersonal, and project-management skills were in the top 5 skills mentioned across all job sectors. Employers' needs for additional skills, like program leadership, conflict resolution and negotiation, and technical and information technology skills, varied across sectors. Our interview results demonstrated that some skills are best signaled to employers via experiences obtained outside thesis or dissertation work. Our findings suggest that graduate students who wish to be competitive in the conservation job market can benefit by gaining skills identified as important to the job sector in which they hope to work and should not necessarily expect to be competent in these skills simply by completing their chosen degree path. © 2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

African-American Academic Nurse Leader's Role in Persistence of African-American Baccalaureate Nursing Students

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Nelson, Kesha Marie

2017-01-01

African-American baccalaureate nursing students have a limited persistence to graduation. This constructivist grounded theory study was designed to generate a substantive theory, emerged from these data, that explained and provided insight the African-American academic nurse leader's role in the persistence to graduation of African-American…

Practical science communication strategies for graduate students.

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Kuehne, Lauren M; Twardochleb, Laura A; Fritschie, Keith J; Mims, Meryl C; Lawrence, David J; Gibson, Polly P; Stewart-Koster, Ben; Olden, Julian D

2014-10-01

Development of skills in science communication is a well-acknowledged gap in graduate training, but the constraints that accompany research (limited time, resources, and knowledge of opportunities) make it challenging to acquire these proficiencies. Furthermore, advisors and institutions may find it difficult to support graduate students adequately in these efforts. The result is fewer career and societal benefits because students have not learned to communicate research effectively beyond their scientific peers. To help overcome these hurdles, we developed a practical approach to incorporating broad science communication into any graduate-school time line. The approach consists of a portfolio approach that organizes outreach activities along a time line of planned graduate studies. To help design the portfolio, we mapped available science communication tools according to 5 core skills essential to most scientific careers: writing, public speaking, leadership, project management, and teaching. This helps graduate students consider the diversity of communication tools based on their desired skills, time constraints, barriers to entry, target audiences, and personal and societal communication goals. By designing a portfolio with an advisor's input, guidance, and approval, graduate students can gauge how much outreach is appropriate given their other commitments to teaching, research, and classes. The student benefits from the advisors' experience and mentorship, promotes the group's research, and establishes a track record of engagement. When graduate student participation in science communication is discussed, it is often recommended that institutions offer or require more training in communication, project management, and leadership. We suggest that graduate students can also adopt a do-it-yourself approach that includes determining students' own outreach objectives and time constraints and communicating these with their advisor. By doing so we hope students will

Screening applicants for risk of poor academic performance: a novel scoring system using preadmission grade point averages and graduate record examination scores.

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Luce, David

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an effective screening tool for identifying physician assistant (PA) program applicants at highest risk for poor academic performance. Prior to reviewing applications for the class of 2009, a retrospective analysis of preadmission data took place for the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008. A single composite score was calculated for each student who matriculated (number of subjects, N=228) incorporating the total undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), the science GPA (SGPA), and the three component Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores: verbal (GRE-V), quantitative (GRE-Q), analytical (GRE-A). Individual applicant scores for each of the five parameters were ranked in descending quintiles. Each applicant's five quintile scores were then added, yielding a total quintile score ranging from 25, which indicated an excellent performance, to 5, which indicated poorer performance. Thirteen of the 228 students had academic difficulty (dismissal, suspension, or one-quarter on academic warning or probation). Twelve of the 13 students having academic difficulty had a preadmission total quintile score 12 (range, 6-14). In response to this descriptive analysis, when selecting applicants for the class of 2009, the admissions committee used the total quintile score for screening applicants for interviews. Analysis of correlations in preadmission, graduate, and postgraduate performance data for the classes of 2009-2013 will continue and may help identify those applicants at risk for academic difficulty. Establishing a threshold total quintile score of applicant GPA and GRE scores may significantly decrease the number of entering PA students at risk for poor academic performance.

Students' Perceptions of Academic Writing as a Mode of Communication

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Majidi, Mojdeh

2005-01-01

Adopting the social theory of writing and new rhetorical genre studies (Bakhtin, 1986; Dias, Freedman, Medway, & Pare, 1999; Freedman & Medway, 1994; Miller, 1984/1994) as the theoretical framework in this study I made an attempt to explore graduate students' perceptions of academic writing as a mode of communication in academia. I interviewed…

Bridges and Barriers to Developing and Conducting Interdisciplinary Graduate-Student Team Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wayde Cameron. Morse

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding complex socio-environmental problems requires specialists from multiple disciplines to integrate research efforts. Programs such as the National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship facilitate integrated research efforts and change the way academic institutions train future leaders and scientists. The University of Idaho and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Costa Rica collaborate on a joint research program focusing on biodiversity conservation and sustainable production in fragmented landscapes. We first present a spectrum of integration ranging from disciplinary to transdisciplinary across seven aspects of the research process. We then describe our experiences and lessons learned conducting interdisciplinary graduate student team research. Using our program as a case study, we examine the individual, disciplinary, and programmatic bridges and barriers to conducting interdisciplinary research that emerged during our student team research projects. We conclude with a set of recommendations for exploiting the bridges and overcoming the barriers to conducting interdisciplinary research, especially as part of graduate education programs.

Challenges Facing Asian International Graduate Students in the US: Pedagogical Considerations in Higher Education

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Lin, Shu-Yuan; Scherz, Susan Day

2014-01-01

Non-Native English Speaking (NNES) international students attending colleges and universities in the United States often encounter difficulties in adjusting to their new cultural environment. In addition, they often struggle with academic language while learning the content and conceptual structures of various graduate level disciplines. This…

The experiences of African American graduate students: A cultural transition

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Joseph, Joretta

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) have long been an intellectual resource for the African American community. HBCUs have provided and continue to provide an educational pathway for many Black students, particularly women who seek graduate and advanced degrees. However, despite the overwhelmingly positive presence of HBCU in the African American community, the academic training of students who graduate from HBCUs may be perceived as insufficient by predominantly White graduate institutions (PWIs). As a result, African American students who are not well integrated into their respective departmental communities and cultures at PW/is are likely to leave graduate school. Thus the continuing loss of talented people, potential research, role models for society, and the next generation of African American students in the fields of math, engineering, and the sciences (STEM) create a segregated and limited university environment. Studies in the field that attempt to provide insight in to experiences of underrepresented students are ultimately beneficial. However, often such studies do not address the process of adapting to the culture of a predominantly white institution (PWI), particularly within white and male dominated fields such as mathematics and the sciences. Research has also indicated that the first two years at a predominantly white graduate institution is the crucial transitional period for students of color, and it is this transitional moment in time that is the focus of this study. I consider how students make the transition from HBCU to majority institutions, and what impact this transition has on their persistence and commitment to their discipline. The limited amount of research that does address the experiences of minority doctoral students in math and science is usually coupled with the experiences of women. However, race and gender are not linear or additive. It cannot be assumed that the same factors that effect the under representation

Adding Academics to the Work/Family Puzzle: Graduate Student Parents in Higher Education and Student Affairs

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Sallee, Margaret W.

2015-01-01

Based on interviews with 18 parents who were enrolled in higher education and student affairs master's programs and also employed on college and university campuses, this article explores the ways that student parents navigate their academic, familial, and professional responsibilities. Using role conflict theory as a theoretical guide, this study…

Why is everyone so anxious?: an exploration of stress and anxiety in genetic counseling graduate students.

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Jungbluth, Chelsy; Macfarlane, Ian M; Veach, Patricia McCarthy; Leroy, Bonnie S

2011-06-01

Stress is an inevitable part of daily life. Studies of graduate student stress exist, but none include genetic counseling students. The present mixed-methods study investigated 225 genetic counseling students' stress and anxiety levels using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberger et al. 1983), frequency and intensity of stressors associated with their graduate experience, positive and challenging aspects of their experience, and their stress management advice for prospective students. Principal axis factor analysis yielded five conceptual factors underlying the stressors: Professional Uncertainty, Personal Life Events, Interpersonal Demands, Academic Demands, and Isolating Circumstances. Exploratory model fitting using regression yielded four significant predictors accounting for 19% of the variance in state anxiety: (1) trait anxiety, (2) the Interpersonal Demands factor, (3) the Isolating Circumstances factor, and (4) the interaction between the Professional Uncertainty factor and advanced student status. Content analysis of open-ended responses identified several themes. For instance, most students enjoyed what they were learning, interactions with colleagues, and affirmation of their career choice, while certain academic and professional challenges were particularly stressful (e.g., workload, time constraints, clinical rotations). Additional findings, program implications, and research recommendations are provided.

Preparing students for graduate study: an eLearning approach.

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Pintz, Christine; Posey, Laurie

2013-07-01

This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of an eLearning program intended to provide incoming nursing students with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in graduate-level, online coursework. Using Mayer's principles (2008) for the effective design of multimedia instruction, an open-access, self-directed, online program was developed. The Graduate School Boot Camp includes five online modules focused on learning strategies and time management, academic writing, technology, research, and library skills. To motivate and engage learners, the program integrates a fun, graphical sports theme with audiovisual presentations, examples, demonstrations and practice exercises. Learners begin with a self-assessment based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire or MSLQ (Pintrich et al., 1993). To assess change in knowledge levels before and after completing the program, learners take a pre-test and post-test. Preliminary findings indicate that the students found the information relevant and useful. They enjoyed the self-paced, multimedia format, and liked the option to return to specific content later. This innovative program offers a way to prepare students proactively, and may prove useful in identifying students at risk and connecting them with the appropriate resources to facilitate successful program completion. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender and academic medicine: a good pipeline of women graduates is not advancing.

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Puljak, Livia; Kojundzic, Sanja Lovric; Sapunar, Damir

2008-01-01

Women are underrepresented in the higher levels of appointment in academic medicine, despite the so-called feminization of medicine. A 27-year (1979-2006) retrospective study was conducted regarding the success and advancement of women and men at the University of Split School of Medicine in Croatia. Data were collected from the school's archive, including number of women and men among applicants, enrollees, graduates, teachers, department chairs and the school management: high school grade averages and admission tests scores by applicant gender and gender-based graduation grade averages. The number and gender patterns of all employed and unemployed physicians in the Split-Dalmatia county were also collected. Men represent the minority among applicants, enrollees, and graduates, whereas women were in the minority among faculty, department chairs, and the school management across all 27 years. Graduation grades from high school and medical school showed that women were statistically better students, although the difference was slight. In the same geographic area, women are more often unemployed and less likely to specialize. More women are applying, enrolling and graduating from the University of Split School of Medicine. Women also perform statistically better on entrance exam and have better graduation grades, yet they remain a minority in faculty and leadership positions. A review of county-wise employment statistics revealed that women were more frequently unemployed and less likely to specialize in this study.

Student Hunger on Campus: Food Insecurity Among College Students and Implications for Academic Institutions.

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Payne-Sturges, Devon C; Tjaden, Allison; Caldeira, Kimberly M; Vincent, Kathryn B; Arria, Amelia M

2018-02-01

To estimate the prevalence of food insecurity among students at a large mid-Atlantic publicly funded university; examine the association between food insecurity, demographic characteristics, potential financial risk factors, and self-reported physical and mental health and academic performance; and identify possible risk factors for food insecurity. Cross-sectional survey. Large, public mid-Atlantic university. Two hundred thirty-seven undergraduate students. US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) and questions on demographics, student status, economic factors, housing stability, living arrangements, academic performance, and self-rated physical health and depression symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis. Among students surveyed, 15% were food insecure; an additional 16% were at risk of food insecurity. Students who were African American, other race/ethnicity, receiving multiple forms of financial aid, or experiencing housing problems were more likely to be food insecure or at the risk of food insecurity (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 4.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.83-8.71, P value health concern that might have implications for academic performance, retention, and graduation rates. Universities that measure food insecurity among their students will be better positioned to advocate for policy changes at state and federal levels regarding college affordability and student financial assistance.

Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students.

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Lumley, Sophie; Ward, Peter; Roberts, Lesley; Mann, Jake P

2015-09-19

To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students' work-life balance. A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest). Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study.

The Relational Selves of Female Graduate Students during Academic Mentoring: From Dialogue to Transformation

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Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka; Hayes, Sharon

2006-01-01

This study, framed by social constructionism, retrospectively examines how faculty mentoring influenced the transformations of 10 female graduate students' relational selves and their professional identities as qualitative researchers and scholars. Participants reported that effective mentorships often resulted in collaboration on research…

Training graduate students to be teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de-Macedo D.V.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Pedagogic education of graduate students, when and where it exists, is restricted to theoretical courses or to the participation of the students as teachers' assistants. This model is essentially reproductive and offers few opportunities for any significant curriculum innovation. To open an opportunity for novelty we have introduced a new approach in "Biochemistry Teaching", a course included in the Biochemistry Graduate Program of the Biochemistry Department (Universidade Estadual de Campinas and Universidade de São Paulo. The content of the course consists of a choosing the theme, b selecting and organizing the topics, c preparing written material, d establishing the methodological strategies, e planning the evaluation tools and, finally, f as teachers, conducting the course as an optional summer course for undergraduate students. During the first semester the graduate students establish general and specific educational objectives, select and organize contents, decide on the instructional strategies and plan evaluation tools. The contents are explored using a wide range of strategies, which include computer-aided instruction, laboratory classes, small group teaching, a few lectures and round table discussions. The graduate students also organize printed class notes to be used by the undergraduate students. Finally, as a group, they teach the summer course. In the three versions already developed, the themes chosen were Biochemistry of Exercise (UNICAMP, Biochemistry of Nutrition (UNICAMP and Molecular Biology of Plants (USP. In all cases the number of registrations greatly exceeded the number of places and a selection had to be made. The evaluation of the experience by both graduate and undergraduate students was very positive. Graduate students considered this experience to be unique and recommended it to their schoolmates; the undergraduate students benefited from a more flexible curriculum (more options and gave very high scores to both

Teaching Graduate Students The Art of Science

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Snieder, Roel; Larner, Ken; Boyd, Tom

2012-08-01

Graduate students traditionally learn the trade of research by working under the supervision of an advisor, much as in the medieval practice of apprenticeship. In practice, however, this model generally falls short in teaching students the broad professional skills needed to be a well-rounded researcher. While a large majority of graduate students considers professional training to be of great relevance, most graduate programs focus exclusively on disciplinary training as opposed to skills such as written and oral communication, conflict resolution, leadership, performing literature searches, teamwork, ethics, and client-interaction. Over the past decade, we have developed and taught the graduate course "The Art of Science", which addresses such topics; we summarize the topics covered in the course here. In order to coordinate development of professional training, the Center for Professional Education has been founded at the Colorado School of Mines. After giving an overview of the Center's program, we sketch the challenges and opportunities in offering professional education to graduate students. Offering professional education helps create better-prepared graduates. We owe it to our students to provide them with such preparation.

Preparing the health workforce in Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional study of competence of anesthesia graduating students.

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Kibwana, Sharon; Woldemariam, Damtew; Misganaw, Awoke; Teshome, Mihereteab; Akalu, Leulayehu; Kols, Adrienne; Kim, Young Mi; Mengistu, Samuel; van Roosmalen, Jos; Stekelenburg, Jelle

2016-01-01

Efforts to address shortages of health workers in low-resource settings have focused on rapidly increasing the number of higher education programs for health workers. This study examines selected competencies achieved by graduating Bachelor of Science and nurse anesthetist students in Ethiopia, a country facing a critical shortage of anesthesia professionals. The study, conducted in June and July 2013, assessed skills and knowledge of 122 students graduating from anesthetist training programs at six public universities and colleges in Ethiopia; these students comprise 80% of graduates from these institutions in the 2013 academic year. Data was collected from direct observations of student performance, using an objective structured clinical examination approach, and from structured interviews regarding the adequacy of the learning environment. Student performance varied, with mean percentage scores highest for spinal anesthesia (80%), neonatal resuscitation (74%), endotracheal intubation (73%), and laryngeal mask airway insertion check (71%). Average scores were lowest for routine anesthesia machine check (37%) and preoperative screening assessment (48%). Male graduates outscored female graduates (63.2% versus 56.9%, P = 0.014), and university graduates outscored regional health science college graduates (64.5% versus 55.5%, P = 0.023). Multivariate linear regression found that competence was associated with being male and attending a university training program. Less than 10% of the students believed that skills labs had adequate staff and resources, and only 57.4% had performed at least 200 endotracheal intubations at clinical practicum sites, as required by national standards. Ethiopia has successfully expanded higher education for anesthetists, but a focus on quality of training and assessment of learners is required to ensure that graduates have mastered basic skills and are able to offer safe services.

Medical student selection criteria as predictors of intended rural practice following graduation.

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Puddey, Ian B; Mercer, Annette; Playford, Denese E; Pougnault, Sue; Riley, Geoffrey J

2014-10-14

Recruiting medical students from a rural background, together with offering them opportunities for prolonged immersion in rural clinical training environments, both lead to increased participation in the rural workforce after graduation. We have now assessed the extent to which medical students' intentions to practice rurally may also be predicted by either medical school selection criteria and/or student socio-demographic profiles. The study cohort included 538 secondary school-leaver entrants to The University of Western Australia Medical School from 2006 to 2011. On entry they completed a questionnaire indicating intention for either urban or rural practice following graduation. Selection factors (standardised interview score, percentile score from the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) and prior academic performance (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank), together with socio-demographic factors (age, gender, decile for the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) and an index of rurality) were examined in relation to intended rural or urban destination of practice. In multivariate logistic regression, students from a rural background had a nearly 8-fold increase in the odds of intention to practice rurally after graduation compared to those from urban backgrounds (OR 7.84, 95% CI 4.10, 14.99, P practice rurally (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.69, 11.22, P medical school entry may have the unintended consequence of selecting fewer graduates interested in a rural practice destination. Increased efforts to recruit students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may be beneficial in terms of an ultimate intended rural practice destination.

College Access and Success among High School Graduates Taking the SAT®: Asian American Students. Research Note 2013-8

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McKillip, Mary E. M.; Mackey, Philip E.

2013-01-01

This report shows college enrollment and graduation trends among Asian American SAT® takers who finished high school in 2004 and 2010 by student characteristics, including aspirations, self-perceived ability, and academic achievements. In every case, students in the top categories (high aspirations, high-perceived ability, high-assessed ability)…

The Quantitative Preparation of Future Geoscience Graduate Students

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Manduca, C. A.; Hancock, G. S.

2006-12-01

Modern geoscience is a highly quantitative science. In February, a small group of faculty and graduate students from across the country met to discuss the quantitative preparation of geoscience majors for graduate school. The group included ten faculty supervising graduate students in quantitative areas spanning the earth, atmosphere, and ocean sciences; five current graduate students in these areas; and five faculty teaching undergraduate students in the spectrum of institutions preparing students for graduate work. Discussion focused in four key ares: Are incoming graduate students adequately prepared for the quantitative aspects of graduate geoscience programs? What are the essential quantitative skills are that are required for success in graduate school? What are perceived as the important courses to prepare students for the quantitative aspects of graduate school? What programs/resources would be valuable in helping faculty/departments improve the quantitative preparation of students? The participants concluded that strengthening the quantitative preparation of undergraduate geoscience majors would increase their opportunities in graduate school. While specifics differed amongst disciplines, a special importance was placed on developing the ability to use quantitative skills to solve geoscience problems. This requires the ability to pose problems so they can be addressed quantitatively, understand the relationship between quantitative concepts and physical representations, visualize mathematics, test the reasonableness of quantitative results, creatively move forward from existing models/techniques/approaches, and move between quantitative and verbal descriptions. A list of important quantitative competencies desirable in incoming graduate students includes mechanical skills in basic mathematics, functions, multi-variate analysis, statistics and calculus, as well as skills in logical analysis and the ability to learn independently in quantitative ways

Preventing a Leak: Two Perspectives on Creating Supportive Environment for Graduate Student Colleagues

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Wohl, Ellen; Lininger, Katherine

2017-04-01

Debate continues about whether there exists a leaky pipeline for women in STEM fields within academia, as well as the causes of leaks - points in an individual's career where women are more likely than men to choose a non-academic pathway. Statistics on MS and PhD degrees awarded in STEM fields indicate that one of these leaks occurs during and immediately following graduate school. Here, we present two perspectives, that of a full professor and a graduate student, on how to create an environment in which geosciences graduate students can thrive psychologically and professionally. We recognize the challenges faced by many underrepresented groups, but here we focus specifically on gender diversity from the perspective of white women. From the perspective of a faculty advisor overseeing a research group, the goal is to treat each member of the group as an individual and to develop a mentoring relationship that most effectively fosters that individual's development as a scientist, while maintaining a cohesive, collegial group dynamic. Among the recommended ways to achieve this are: maintaining flexibility in the work schedule, with success evaluated by outcomes; consideration of work-life balance; respect for diverse approaches to problem solving; recognition that individuals can be most productive, satisfied, and engaged when their individual contributions are acknowledged and valued; and respect for different choices for a career path and for changes in those choices during graduate studies. From the perspective of a graduate student, it is important that an advisor demonstrates a clear commitment to treating each member of a research group as a valued individual with differing needs. In addition to the recommendations above for achieving a positive and supportive research group, as a graduate student it is useful to have multiple mentors and role models who have had different career tracks and can provide diverse perspectives and advice. Graduate students can also

[Sociodemographic and academic profile of nursing students from four Brazilian institutions].

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Bublitz, Susan; de Azevedo Guido, Laura; Kirchhof, Raquel Soares; Neves, Eliane Tatsch; Lopes, Luis Felipe Dias

2015-03-01

This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and academic characteristics of nursing students from four Brazilian Educational Institutions. It is a prospective cross-sectional study. The data were collected between April 2011 and March 2012, through a survey form with questions about sociodemographic and academic characteristics of the students. The participants were graduate students enrolled in the nursing course, aged 18 years or older. 705 students participated, and these were mostly women, single, childless, who lived with their families, did not take part in sport activities and performed leisure activities. Also, most students do not participate in research groups, were not granted scholarships, are not employed, are satisfied with the course and do not intend to leave it. This study may become an important tool for the development of strategies that address the needs of students and also improve the quality of the teaching and learning process, reducing dropout rates.

Relationship between Admission Selection Criteria and Academic Progression for Student Nurse Anesthetists

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Burns, Sharon M.

2009-01-01

Today's admission selection criteria require refinement with the intention of fostering academic progression for students entering nurse anesthesia programs (Reese, 2002).With the escalating cost of graduate education coupled with the current economic crisis, efforts by educational leaders to minimize attrition remains pivotal (Andrews, Johansson,…

Developing the Intercultural Competence of Graduate Students

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Dimitrov, Nanda; Dawson, Debra L.; Olsen, Karyn C.; Meadows, Ken N.

2014-01-01

This study explores how teaching development programs may facilitate the development of intercultural competence in graduate students and prepare them for communicating effectively in the global workplace after graduation. First, we describe the concept of intercultural teaching competence and examine the skills that graduate students may need to…

A STUDY ON LEARNING APPROACHES USED AMONG POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS IN RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

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Roziana Shaari

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to determine the method of learningapproaches adopted by post-graduate students in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM and to identifywhether these approaches are associated with demographic factors (age, gender,main streams, mode of study and working experience. Participants included 354post-graduate students from different faculties inUTM whereas questionnaireswere distributed via email and throughdesignated contact person. The One-WayAnalysis of Variance (ANOVA revealed that there were significant differenceson the usage of the three post-graduates’ learningapproaches across age, mainstreams and years of working experience. Significance was not seen betweenlearning approaches on gender and mode of study. Deep approach was found to bepreferred approaches to their learning methods. Ourinvestigation suggests thatapproach to learning should be included in their academics, however thesuggestion is tailored according on the tasks givento the students. Hence, weconcluded that further investigation could be carried out the effect of learningenvironment towards students dynamic in learning.

Student Perceptions of the Impact of Participation in Community College Mental Health Counseling on Retention, Graduation, and Transfer

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Quin, Matt Jordan

2017-01-01

This dissertation examined community college transfer students' perceptions of how mental health concerns interfere with academics, the ability to stay in school, graduate, and transfer to a 4-year university. The study also examined if community college transfer students perceive that mental health counseling improves their ability to stay in…

Emotional intelligence as a predictor of academic performance in first-year accelerated graduate entry nursing students.

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Fernandez, Ritin; Salamonson, Yenna; Griffiths, Rhonda

2012-12-01

To examine the association between trait emotional intelligence and learning strategies and their influence on academic performance among first-year accelerated nursing students. The study used a prospective survey design. A sample size of 81 students (100% response rate) who undertook the accelerated nursing course at a large university in Sydney participated in the study. Emotional intelligence was measured using the adapted version of the 144-item Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Four subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire were used to measure extrinsic goal motivation, peer learning, help seeking and critical thinking among the students. The grade point average score obtained at the end of six months was used to measure academic achievement. The results demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between emotional intelligence scores and critical thinking (r = 0.41; p peer learning (r = 0.32; p academic achievement (β = 0.25; p = 0.023). In addition to their learning styles, higher levels of awareness and understanding of their own emotions have a positive impact on students' academic achievement. Higher emotional intelligence may lead students to pursue their interests more vigorously and think more expansively about subjects of interest, which could be an explanatory factor for higher academic performance in this group of nursing students. The concepts of emotional intelligence are central to clinical practice as nurses need to know how to deal with their own emotions as well as provide emotional support to patients and their families. It is therefore essential that these skills are developed among student nurses to enhance the quality of their clinical practice. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Exam Success at Undergraduate and Graduate-Entry Medical Schools: Is Learning Style or Learning Approach More Important? A Critical Review Exploring Links Between Academic Success, Learning Styles, and Learning Approaches Among School-Leaver Entry ("Traditional") and Graduate-Entry ("Nontraditional") Medical Students.

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Feeley, Anne-Marie; Biggerstaff, Deborah L

2015-01-01

PHENOMENON: The literature on learning styles over many years has been replete with debate and disagreement. Researchers have yet to elucidate exactly which underlying constructs are measured by the many learning styles questionnaires available. Some academics question whether learning styles exist at all. When it comes to establishing the value of learning styles for medical students, a further issue emerges. The demographics of medical students in the United Kingdom have changed in recent years, so past studies may not be applicable to students today. We wanted to answer a very simple, practical question: what can the literature on learning styles tell us that we can use to help today's medical students succeed academically at medical school? We conducted a literature review to synthesise the available evidence on how two different aspects of learning-the way in which students like to receive information in a learning environment (termed learning "styles") and the motivations that drive their learning (termed learning "approaches")-can impact on medical students' academic achievement. Our review confirms that although learning "styles" do not correlate with exam performance, learning "approaches" do: those with "strategic" and "deep" approaches to learning (i.e., motivated to do well and motivated to learn deeply respectively) perform consistently better in medical school examinations. Changes in medical school entrant demographics in the past decade have not altered these correlations. Optimistically, our review reveals that students' learning approaches can change and more adaptive approaches may be learned. Insights: For educators wishing to help medical students succeed academically, current evidence demonstrates that helping students develop their own positive learning approach using "growth mind-set" is a more effective (and more feasible) than attempting to alter students' learning styles. This conclusion holds true for both "traditional" and graduate

Socialization in the Neoliberal Academy of STEM Scholars: A Case Study of Negotiating Dispositions in an International Graduate Student in Entomology

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Shakil Rabbi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This article examines how neoliberal orders of discourse shape the dispositions to academic literacies of an international graduate student in entomology. As this ideology of market logic consolidates its hegemony in universities of excellence and US culture at large, academic socialization and disciplinary activities increasingly aim to create scholarly dispositions and subjectivities that align with it. Such processes are further complicated by the backgrounds of international graduate students—an ever-larger proportion of graduate students in STEM who often hail from educational cultures significantly different from the U.S. Our analysis of an international graduate student’s literacy practices in terms of motivations and outcomes shows that his literacies echo the dispositions pushed by neoliberal ideologies, but are not over-determined by them. Rather, as our case study illustrates, his socialization is a layered process, with ambiguous implications and strategic calculations making up literacies and disciplinary outcomes. We believe closely mapping such tensions in literacies and socialization processes increases humanities scholars’ awareness both of the potential contradictions of educating international graduate students into the neoliberal model and of how the university can still be used to develop the dispositions needed to renegotiate the neoliberal order of discourse for more ethical and empowering purposes.

A Graduate Academic Program in Medical Information Science.

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Blois, Marsden S., Jr.; Wasserman, Anthony I.

A graduate academic program in medical information science has been established at the University of California, San Francisco, for the education of scientists capable of performing research and development in information technology in the health care setting. This interdisciplinary program, leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree, consists of an…

Factors affecting residency rank-listing: A Maxdiff survey of graduating Canadian medical students

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Forgie Melissa

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Canada, graduating medical students consider many factors, including geographic, social, and academic, when ranking residency programs through the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS. The relative significance of these factors is poorly studied in Canada. It is also unknown how students differentiate between their top program choices. This survey study addresses the influence of various factors on applicant decision making. Methods Graduating medical students from all six Ontario medical schools were invited to participate in an online survey available for three weeks prior to the CaRMS match day in 2010. Max-Diff discrete choice scaling, multiple choice, and drop-list style questions were employed. The Max-Diff data was analyzed using a scaled simple count method. Data for how students distinguish between top programs was analyzed as percentages. Comparisons were made between male and female applicants as well as between family medicine and specialist applicants; statistical significance was determined by the Mann-Whitney test. Results In total, 339 of 819 (41.4% eligible students responded. The variety of clinical experiences and resident morale were weighed heavily in choosing a residency program; whereas financial incentives and parental leave attitudes had low influence. Major reasons that applicants selected their first choice program over their second choice included the distance to relatives and desirability of the city. Both genders had similar priorities when selecting programs. Family medicine applicants rated the variety of clinical experiences more importantly; whereas specialty applicants emphasized academic factors more. Conclusions Graduating medical students consider program characteristics such as the variety of clinical experiences and resident morale heavily in terms of overall priority. However, differentiation between their top two choice programs is often dependent on social/geographic factors

Strategy Precedes Operational Effectiveness: Aligning High Graduation Rankings with Competitive Graduation Grade Point Averages

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Apprey, Maurice; Bassett, Kimberley C.; Preston-Grimes, Patrice; Lewis, Dion W.; Wood, Beverly

2014-01-01

Two pivotal and interconnected claims are addressed in this article. First, strategy precedes program effectiveness. Second, graduation rates and rankings are insufficient in any account of academic progress for African American students. In this article, graduation is regarded as the floor and not the ceiling, as it were. The ideal situation in…

Students' perceptions of academic dishonesty in a chemistry classroom laboratory

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Del Carlo, Dawn Irene

Academic dishonesty has been an important issue in the classroom for as long as the classroom has been in use. Most reports pertain to exams, homework, and plagiarism of term papers but, one area that has not been studied extensively is that of the classroom laboratory. My work focuses on three guiding questions: (1) What are students' perceptions toward academic dishonesty in a laboratory based class? (2) What distinction if any do students make between this type of academic dishonesty compared to dishonesty that may occur in a research laboratory? (3) How if at all do these perceptions change with age and/or research experience? Four major assertions come from this work. The first is that students do not think that what they do in the classroom laboratory is science and consequently do not treat the classroom laboratory differently than any other academic class. Additionally, they make a clear distinction between what happens in a class lab and what happens in a research or industrial lab. Consequently, students perceive there to be a significant difference in dishonesty between those two settings. Finally, this distinction is not as pronounced in graduate students and is seen as an element of maturity. In the process of determining the above assertions, students perceptions on the nature of science were revealed and are also discussed. These beliefs have direct relevance to students' perceptions of dishonesty in both lab atmospheres.

E-BOOK USAGE OF GRADUATE STUDENTS STUDYING EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES IN TURKIYE

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Adnan BAKI

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Today, we can say that almost everything is having “electronic” prefix and the way to access to information has changed substantially because of the many factors like fast advancements in computer technology and internet which is getting more and more widespread everyday. Although some people stick to printed resources, the fact that electronic resources offer innovation and irresistible options in terms of cost and time is obvious. The aim of this survey study is to detect some data that can be generalized about the graduate students’ state of using printed and electronic resources. A questionnaire, developed by Ebrary, one of the largest e-book suppliers of the world, was used as the data gathering tool. After the studies for improving the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, a questionnaire form with 16 items was obtained. 634 questionnaires were sent to graduate students via e-mail, 130 of them were sent back and 125 questionnaires were evaluated for the study. Concerning all the data, it was concluded that majority of the graduate students are aware of the comfort of the e-resources and prefer to use these resources academically.

Credentialism among Graduate Students.

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Stodt, Martha McGinty; Thielens, Wagner, Jr.

1985-01-01

An exploratory study of students entering four elite fields found that most sought both credentials and competence. Stiff competition within chosen occupations led the majority of students to seek every advantage that graduate education could provide. (Author/MLW)

Sociodemographic and academic profile of nursing students from four brazilian institutions

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Susan Bublitz

Full Text Available This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and academic characteristics of nursing students from four Brazilian Educational Institutions. It is a prospective cross-sectional study. The data were collected between April 2011 and March 2012, through a survey form with questions about sociodemographic and academic characteristics of the students. The participants were graduate students enrolled in the nursing course, aged 18 years or older. 705 students participated, and these were mostly women, single, childless, who lived with their families, did not take part in sport activities and performed leisure activities. Also, most students do not participate in research groups, were not granted scholarships, are not employed, are satisfied with the course and do not intend to leave it. This study may become an important tool for the development of strategies that address the needs of students and also improve the quality of the teaching and learning process, reducing dropout rates.

The Fulfilment Level of Turkic Republics Higher Education Students' Academic and Social Expectations in Turkey

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Mirgül ENTERİEVA

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to determine the fulfilment level of students who come from Turkic Republics to study in Turkey, regarding their academic and social expectations. The qualita-tive research technique and phenomenological design were used in the study. Data of this research was collected via a semistructured interview form consisting 11 openended questions and probes, which were developed by the researchers. A total of 39 undergraduate and postgraduate students from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the present study. This study indicated that, while expecting satisfactory accommodation the students also anticipated having quality education enabling them for better employment opportunities upon graduation. Some of the students thought that graduate studies in Turkey would be a bridge to Europe. However, it has been found out that students have several academical, social and educational support service problems. According to findings it can be recommended to improve internationalization in higher education, student-centered environment and current educational and training content, organization of orientation programs, submission of international student office and guidance and consultancy services and enhancing the education support services and dormitory facilities.

Intrinsic Motivating Factors for Academic Success of Young At-Risk Students

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Rowan, Tanyia Perry

2012-01-01

Motivation as a factor in academic success is well documented in the literature and an important construct in educational planning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore motivating factors for at-risk students who successfully graduated from high school. The framework for this study was based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs…

1980-81 Graduate Student Survey. AIP Report.

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Ellis, Susanne D.

Results of the 1980-81 Graduate Student Survey of physics and astronomy students are presented. Information is presented on the following: employment offers for new physics masters and doctorate recipients, 1976-81; characteristics of the graduate physics student population, 1980-81, including sex, citizenship, professional society membership,…

Academic Stress and Self-Regulation among University Students in Malaysia: Mediator Role of Mindfulness.

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Hj Ramli, Nur Hamizah; Alavi, Masoumeh; Mehrinezhad, Seyed Abolghasem; Ahmadi, Atefeh

2018-01-15

Academic stress is the most common emotional or mental state that students experience during their studies. Stress is a result of a wide range of issues, including test and exam burden, a demanding course, a different educational system, and thinking about future plans upon graduation. A sizeable body of literature in stress management research has found that self-regulation and being mindful will help students to cope up with the stress and dodge long-term negative consequences, such as substance abuse. The present study aims to investigate the influence of academic stress, self-regulation, and mindfulness among undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and to identify mindfulness as the mediator between academic stress and self-regulation. For this study, a total of 384 undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia were recruited. Using Correlational analysis, results revealed that there was a significant relationship between academic stress, self-regulation, and mindfulness. However, using SPSS mediational analysis, mindfulness did not prove the mediator role in the study.

Evaluating the Effects of Basic Skills Mathematics Placement on Academic Outcomes of Community College Students

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Melguizo, Tatiana; Bo, Hans; Prather, George; Kim, Bo

2011-01-01

The main objective of the authors' proposed study is to evaluate the effectiveness of math placement policies for entering community college students on these students' academic success in math, and their transfer and graduation rates. The main research question that guides the proposed study is: What are the effects of various basic skills…

Graduate Students' Perceptions of Contrapower Sexual Harassment

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Mohipp, Charmaine; Senn, Charlene Y.

2008-01-01

This study compared the perceptions of 172 graduate students to traditional versus contrapower sexual harassment. Graduate students are a unique sample due to their dual role as a student and a teacher. After controlling for attitudes toward feminism and sexual harassment, participants viewed contrapower sexual harassment as less indicative of…

The trend of governmental support from post-graduated Iranian students in medical fields to study abroad.

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Haghdoost, Aa; Ghazi, M; Rafiee, Z; Afshari, M

2013-01-01

To explore the trend and composition of post-graduate Iranian students who received governmental scholarship during the last two decades. Detailed information about the awarded scholarships and also about the number of post graduate students in clinical and basic sciences in domestic universities were collected from the related offices within the ministry of health and medical education and their trends were triangulated. A sharp drop was observed in the number of awarded scholarships, from 263 in 1992 to 46 in 2009. In the beginning, almost all of scholarships fully supported students for a whole academic course; while in recent years most of scholarships supported students for a short fellowship or complementary course (more than 80%). Students studied in a wide range of colleges within 30 countries; more than 50% in Europe. Although one third of students studied in UK in the first years, only 4% of students selected this country in recent years. conversely, the number of scholarships to Germany and sweden have increased more than 10 and 3 times during this period. In parallel, the capacity of domestic universities for training of post-graduate students has been expanded dramatically. Although expanding post-graduate education has been one of the main strategic objectives of the ministry of health and medical education in last two decades, it was obtained using different approaches. By time, more attention was to expanding the capacities of Iranian universities, and choosing less but more targeted students to continue their studies abroad.

An Investigation of Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar-Baller Division I Football Student-Athletes' Academic, Athletic, Intrinsic Motivation and Athletic Identity

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Rasmussen, Janet M.

2009-01-01

As less than 3% of student-athletes go on to play sport professionally, it is important that they are prepared for careers outside of athletics (Susanj & Stewart, 2005). Many football student-athletes have low grade point averages and graduation rates. Universities incorporate academic motivational programs to help combat low academic performance.…

Inequalities in Educational Access in Mexico: A Study with Graduates Students of a High Performance Technical High School

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Fernando Pérez-Santiago

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Access to the higher education system in Mexico has been characterized by educational inequalities explained by social and reproductionist currents. The phenomenon occurs in graduate students with a high school diploma and coming from different contexts (social, cultural, economic, institutional and academic ones that create a process of transition far away from equal opportunities. Therefore, the differences due to cultural diversity do not generate equitable access to higher education institutions. The aim of this study was to identify the social, cultural and academic factors affecting the access to or the abandonment of the academic education of students with expectations of entering the higher education system. The research was based on the results obtained from forty technicians who studied at a vocational high school with high academic performance in Mexico, and were supposed to enter the higher level. It was an exploratory descriptive investigation with qualitative approach, using two multiple-choice item questionnaires whose results were analyzed interpretively. The sampling was non-probability, with the technique of “snowball” and “convenience”. The results showed that the level of parents’ schooling, social relations, and academic career of graduates were decisive to enter the higher education; so it can be concluded that the students’ origin generate inequality in educational achievement.

Factors Associated with Student Stress in the U.S. Army - Baylor University Graduate Program in Health Care Administration

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1986-07-01

highly-competitive military system. Academic probation is imposed on any now student who did not have an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of...DF), and depersonalization intensity (DI). This suggests that students with higher GRE scores exhibited a lower degree of feelings related to these...characteristics, and the levels of stress during the US Army - Baylor University Graduate Program in Health Care Administration. The students were administered

Minority Student Academic Performance under the Uniform Admission Law: Evidence from the University of Texas at Austin

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Niu, Sunny X.; Tienda, Marta

2010-01-01

The University of Texas at Austin administrative data between 1990 and 2003 are used to evaluate claims that students granted automatic admission based on top 10% class rank underperform academically relative to lower ranked students who graduate from highly competitive high schools. Compared with White students ranked at or below the third…

Increasing the graduation rates of minority medical students.

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Payne, J L; Nowacki, C M; Girotti, J A; Townsel, J; Plagge, J C; Beckham, T W

1986-05-01

The University of Illinois College of Medicine has operated a program since 1969 to recruit minority students into the college and to increase the graduation rates of these students once they enroll. Known as the Medical Opportunities Program (MOP) until 1978, the program was expanded in 1978 and renamed the Urban Health Program (UHP). The authors of the present paper discuss the results of these programs, particularly the effect of granting minority students delays in completing graduation requirements. The MOP (1969 through 1978) increased graduation rates for minority students from 55 percent for those who graduated on time to 81 percent for both on-time and delayed graduates. Under the first seven years of the UHP (1979 through 1985), more minority students have been offered places, and more have enrolled than in the 10 years of the MOP. The retention rate under the UHP, if it holds, will be higher than that under the MOP. For the combined MOP-UHP period, the retention rate for minority students was 88 percent; 69.8 percent of the graduates were on time, and 30.2 were delayed.

The Resilience of Recently Graduated and Unemployed Dutch Academics in Coping with the Economic Crisis

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Dekker, Jeroen J. H.; Amsing, Hilda T. A.; Hahurij, Lisa; Wichgers, Inge

2014-01-01

Some years after the world-wide crisis starting in 2008, also many recently graduated Dutch academics were confronted with the problem of how to cope with getting a job. This article focuses on the coping strategies they use when searching after a job, spending the day, and coping with limited financial means. 91 graduated academics completed a…

A Convergent Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Effects of Community-Engaged Coursework on Graduate Student Learning.

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Dinour, Lauren M; Szaro, Jacalyn; Blumberg, Renata; Bose, Mousumi

2018-03-06

To examine the impact of a community-engaged assignment on graduate student learning in the nutritional sciences. Convergent mixed-methods design with parallel data collection and terminal merging of data. Data were composed of grant proposals, reflection papers, and informal course evaluations from 2 semesters of the same course. Fall students wrote proposals on behalf of a community partner whereas spring students wrote fictitious grants to improve nutrition on their campus. A large public university in northeastern US. Students enrolled in the fall (n = 19) or spring (n = 14) semester of the same graduate nutrition course. Grant quality, student engagement, and collaboration with peers. Quantitative rubric-based rating of grant proposals, emergent and thematic qualitative coding of open-ended responses, and independent-samples t test of Likert-scale questions. Data were compared between semesters and reported in a contiguous narrative approach. Students across semesters experienced academic and personal gains from the assignment. Comparatively, fall students expressed enhanced engagement, improved group dynamics, more frequent application of the assignment to their lives, and a better aggregate grant score. Both experiential and community-engaged coursework can enhance learning outcomes at the graduate level and prepare students for careers in nutrition. Copyright © 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A survey of college-bound high school graduates regarding circadian preference, caffeine use, and academic performance.

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Cole, James S

2015-03-01

This study examines the relationships between circadian preference and caffeine use with academic performance and hours spent studying for recent high school graduates entering their first year of college. Entering first-year college students enrolled at 90 baccalaureate-level institutions across the USA were invited to complete the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) and the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) as well as answer questions regarding caffeine consumption. Surveys were administered on each campus during the summer months of 2013. Only those that graduated from a US high school in the spring of 2013 were included in this study. The final sample for this study included 25,200 students that completed the BCSSE, CSM, and questions regarding caffeine consumption. Evening types (E-types) were significantly less likely to report earning A/A-'s in high school and less likely to study 16 or more hours per week compared to intermediate or morning types (M-types) (p students reported an average of 1.1 servings of caffeine per day, with 39 % reporting no caffeine consumption. M-types were more likely to consume no caffeine (54 %) compared to E-types that also indicated no daily caffeine (31 %) (p amount (7 %) (p high school. However, the apparent advantage that morning types had over evening types regarding high school grades was completely ameliorated once three or more servings of caffeine were consumed per day. This study provides additional information to educators and health professionals to create programs and provide resource to help adolescents better understand the impact of their sleep behaviors and use of caffeine on their academic performance.

Experiences and Perspectives of African-American, Latina/o, Asian-American and European-American Psychology Graduate Students: A National Study

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Maton, Kenneth I.; Wimms, Harriette E.; Grant, Sheila K.; Wittig, Michele A.; Rogers, Margaret R.; Vasquez, Melba J. T.

2013-01-01

A national, web-based survey of 1,222 African-American, Latina/o, Asian-American and European-American psychology graduate students revealed both similarities and differences in experiences and perspectives. Mentoring was found to be the strongest predictor of satisfaction across groups. Academic supports and barriers, along with perceptions of diversity were also important predictors of satisfaction. Students of color differed from European-American students in perceptions of fairness of representation of their ethnic group within psychology, and in aspects of the graduate school experience perceived as linked to ethnicity. Limitations of the study and implications for future research and action are discussed. PMID:21341899

Comparing standardized measures of diligence and achievement with dental student academic performance.

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Jedrychowski, Joseph; Lindemann, Robert

2005-04-01

Utilizing a reliable and valid instrument to measure a student's application of energy and effort towards a goal (diligence) or the ability to reach goals (achievement) would enable dental educators to anticipate academic performance. This knowledge could be used to better distribute faculty and educational resources, as additional tutors could be provided for students who score low on diligence and achievement instruments. In this study, fourth-year dental students completed the Diligence Inventory and the NachNaff Scale (which measures desire to achieve) immediately prior to graduation. The scores from both inventories were correlated with nine measures of academic performance. For males, the NachNaff Scale positively correlated (pDiligence mean positively correlated with EPR and National Board Parts I and II scores. For females, the Total Diligence mean positively correlated with EPR and a predental biology-chemistry-physics grade composite. Given the simplicity of the Diligence Inventory and its significant correlations with academic performance demonstrated in this study, it appears to be a useful tool to gain insight into students' diligence in striving to obtain goals.

International Student Perspectives on Graduate Advising Relationships

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Rice, Kenneth G.; Choi, Chun-Chung; Zhang, Yanmei; Ye, Huan Jacqueline; Nesic, Aleksandra; Bigler, Monica; Anderson, Debra; Villegas, Jorge

2009-01-01

International graduate students experience a number of unique challenges as they transition through their training programs. Surprisingly, relatively little research has been conducted on perhaps one of the most crucial predictors of international students' retention and success within their graduate programs: the advising relationship. Using a…

Counseling Graduate Students.

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Caple, Richard B.

1995-01-01

Explores how the understanding of graduate students' special needs and circumstances enhances counseling of this population. Looks at stress factors, educational preparation, delayed gratification, achieving autonomy, intellectual development, and the counseling process. Emphasizes the importance of establishing trust in the therapeutic dialog so…

Using self-determination theory to describe the academic motivation of allied health professional-level college students.

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Ballmann, Jodi M; Mueller, Jill J

2008-01-01

This study investigated the various reasons that allied health students believe they are currently attending college. The Academic Motivation Scale was administered to a convenience sample of 222 upperclassmen and graduate-level students (162 women, 46 men). The Academic Motivation Scale proposes various reasons for continued engagement in academic pursuits that may be characteristic of personal and current reasons for persistence in a subject's particular academic program. The results showed that students portrayed themselves as currently attending college for both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated reasons. The most frequently endorsed motivational styles were identified (autonomous) extrinsic motivation and externally regulated (nonautonomous) extrinsic motivation. This study showed that this sample of professional-level college students was not completely self-determined in their end-stage academic pursuits. One conclusion that may be drawn from this study is that allied health programs that provide students with an educational context that supports self-determination may encourage future allied health professionals to develop the ability to support the self-determination of their future clients.

Integrating a Career Planning and Development Program into the Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum. Part II. Outcomes for New Graduate Nurses 12 Months Post-Graduation.

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Waddell, Janice; Spalding, Karen; Navarro, Justine; Jancar, Sonya; Canizares, Genevieve

2015-11-28

New graduate nurses' (NGNs) transition into the nursing workforce is characterized as stressful and challenging. Consequently, a high percentage of them leave their first place of employment or the profession entirely within one year of graduation. Nursing literature describes this complicated shift from student to registered nurse, however, limited attention has focused on strategies that could be implemented during students' academic programs to prepare them for this difficult transition period. Therefore, a longitudinal intervention study was conducted to examine the influence of a career planning and development (CPD) program on the development of career resilience in baccalaureate nursing students and at 12 months post-graduation (NGN). The findings support including structured and progressive curriculum-based CPD opportunities in academic programs, not only for the positive outcomes that accrue to students, but also because of the benefits they extend to NGNs as they make the transition to their first professional nursing role.

Teaching ethical aptitude to graduate student researchers.

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Weyrich, Laura S; Harvill, Eric T

2013-01-01

Limited time dedicated to each training areas, irrelevant case-studies, and ethics "checklists" have resulted in bare-bones Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training for present biomedical graduate student researchers. Here, we argue that science graduate students be taught classical ethical theory, such as virtue ethics, consequentialist theory, and deontological theory, to provide a basic framework to guide researchers through ethically complex situations and examine the applicability, implications, and societal ramifications of their research. Using a relevant biomedical research example to illustrate this point, we argue that proper ethics training for graduate student researchers not only will enhance current RCR training, but train more creative, responsible scientists.

Towards a Good Practice Model for an Entrepreneurial HEI: Perspectives of Academics, Enterprise Enablers and Graduate Entrepreneurs

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Williams, Perri; Fenton, Mary

2013-01-01

This paper reports on an examination of the perspectives of academics, enterprise enablers and graduate entrepreneurs of an entrepreneurial higher education institution (HEI). The research was conducted in Ireland among 30 graduate entrepreneurs and 15 academics and enterprise enablers (enterprise development agency personnel) to provide a…

Short-term, informal, and low-stakes scientific laboratory and field experiences improve STEM student retention and academic success

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Hintz, C.; Pride, C. J.; Cox, T.

2017-12-01

Formal internship experiences strongly improve student success in the STEM fields. Classical programs like NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates are highly successful for traditional and non-traditional students. Moreover when early undergraduate and at-risk (e.g., low income, academically-challenged) students engage in these experiences, their career paths are re-enforced or changed, academic progress and retention improves, and they are encouraged to continue into graduate school. Students build connections to their course-based learning and experience the life of a working scientist. However, NSF formal experiences are relatively expensive to provide (>5000 per student per experience) and are available to fewer than 5% of geoscience majors each year. Although other funded formal internship opportunities exist, they are likely available to no more than 10% of total enrolled geoscience students. These high-quality programs cannot impact enough early undergraduate students to encourage their remaining in science and improve the current overall retention and graduation rates in the US. Savannah State University faculty successfully completed multiple grants funding low-stakes undergraduate field-science experiences. These short-term (semester to year), part-time (5-10h/week) experiences provide similar classroom-to-real-world science connections, offer students direct laboratory and field experiences, build skill sets, and provide a small source of revenue assisting financially-challenged students to stay on campus rather than seeking off-campus employment. For a much lower investment in time and grant resources (500-1500 per student per experience), participant graduation rates exceeded 80%, well above the university 27-34% graduation rate during the same time period. Relatively small infusions of research dollars targeting undergraduate experiences in the field and laboratory could significantly impact long-term student outcomes in STEM disciplines. These

Business Professional Doctoral Programs: Student Motivations, Educational Process, and Graduate Career Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louis J. Grabowski

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The emerging body of research on business professional doctoral programs has focused primarily on the programs’ composition and management, offering limited insight into students’ motivations and the impact the degree has on graduates and their careers. However, understanding these student motivations and career impacts is valuable for several reasons. In addition to helping future candidates assess various programs and the business professional doctoral degree itself, it can help enrolled students maximize their academic experience and help administrators improve these programs so that they better meet students’ personal and professional expectations. To bridge this research gap, this study pursued a mixed-methods approach to glean insights into why people pursue professional doctorates in business, the ultimate personal and professional outcomes of students, and the educational process producing those outcomes. The study revealed that most students entered these programs with a desire for personal or professional transformation, including the possibility of entering academia or a new industry. Moreover, the vast majority of program graduates believed they had experienced such a transformation, often in both professional and personal ways. Further, while important to personal growth, alumni perceived that certain program elements—such as the student networks they created and non-research related coursework—had little to no effect upon their career and viewed their research and the research process as far more important to their professional development. Based upon these findings, the researchers propose a comprehensive process model to explain the personal and professional factors and outcomes for graduates of business professional doctoral programs. They also suggest practical steps that students and administrators can take to improve the business professional doctoral educational experience.

The continuous education as a process of academic studies for graduate students at high educational levels in Sonora (Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josefina Andrade Paco

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The continuous education, that the productive sector demands, is not only the accumulation of new knowledge, supported inthe education-learning process, but also a focus on the new tendencies that the labor field demands, where the universities havethe opportunity to extend their involvement, through graduations or specializations, that contribute the strength of the acquiredskills in the classroom. The objective is to know the kind of graduation interests that motivate the graduates, as a process ofcontinuous education. The study is based on the application of a questionnaire to 50 students of different degrees from publicuniversities in Sonora, whose excellent results are: 51% of those surveyed, indicate that at the end of their degree they do notobtain the tools to compete in their labor field. 92% of the students mention that universities should offer within the educativeprogram some area of financial or specialization, related to other disciplines. Another important data is that the financial areasthat graduates prefer are related to the social administrative and financial areas and in smaller proportion they prefer the engineeringdisciplines. 70% of those surveyed, indicate that universities have infrastructure, learning spaces and the skilled humanresources to offer this type of courses. The conclusion of this work, is that public universities follow training programs related tocertain areas and disciplines, centered on the student and learning, like part of their formation, but they do not have the educativeflexibility and the graduates will need to know other disciplines to complement their professional education.

Assessment of graduate public health education in Nepal and perceived needs of faculty and students

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Despite the large body of evidence suggesting that effective public health infrastructure is vital to improving the health status of populations, many universities in developing countries offer minimal opportunities for graduate training in public health. In Nepal, for example, only two institutions currently offer a graduate public health degree. Both institutions confer only a general Masters in Public Health (MPH), and together produce 30 graduates per year. The objective of this assessment was to identify challenges in graduate public health education in Nepal, and explore ways to address these challenges. Methods The assessment included in-person school visits and data collection through semi-structured in-depth interviews with primary stakeholders of Nepal’s public health academic sector. The 72 participants included faculty, students, alumni, and leaders of institutions that offered MPH programs, and the leadership of one government-funded institution that is currently developing an MPH program. Data were analyzed through content analysis to identify major themes. Results Six themes characterizing the challenges of expanding and improving graduate public health training were identified: 1) a shortage of trained public health faculty, with consequent reliance on the internet to compensate for inadequate teaching resources; 2) teaching/learning cultures and bureaucratic traditions that are not optimal for graduate education; 3) within-institution dominance of clinical medicine over public health; 4) a desire for practice–oriented, contextually relevant training opportunities; 5) a demand for degree options in public health specialties (for example, epidemiology); and 6) a strong interest in international academic collaboration. Conclusion Despite an enormous need for trained public health professionals, Nepal’s educational institutions face barriers to developing effective graduate programs. Overcoming these barriers will require: 1

Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Disciplines: A Cross Institutional Analysis of their Experiences

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Figueroa, Tanya

Considering the importance of a diverse science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) research workforce for our country's future, it is troubling that many underrepresented racial minority (URM) students start graduate STEM programs, but do not finish. However, some institutional contexts better position students for degree completion than others. The purpose of this study was to uncover the academic and social experiences, power dynamics, and programmatic/institutional structures URM students face within their graduate STEM programs that hinder or support degree progression. Using a critical socialization framework applied in a cross-comparative qualitative study, I focused on how issues of race, ethnicity, and underrepresentation within the educational contexts shape students' experiences. Data was collected from focus group interviews involving 53 URM graduate students pursuing STEM disciplines across three institution types -- a Predominately White Institution, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and a Historically Black University. Results demonstrate that when students' relationships with faculty advisors were characterized by benign neglect, students felt lost, wasted time and energy making avoidable mistakes, had less positive views of their experiences, and had more difficulty progressing through classes or research, which could cause them to delay time to degree completion or to leave with a master's degree. Conversely, faculty empowered students when they helped them navigate difficult processes/milestones with regular check-ins, but also allowed students room to make decisions and solve problems independently. Further, faculty set the tone for the overall interactional culture and helping behavior in the classroom and lab contexts; where faculty modeled collaboration and concern for students, peers were likely to do the same. International peers sometimes excluded domestic students both socially and academically, which had a negative affect on

A Leadership Elective Course Developed and Taught by Graduate Students

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Garza, Oscar W.; Witry, Matthew J.; Chang, Elizabeth H.; Letendre, Donald E.; Trewet, CoraLynn B.

2013-01-01

Objective. To develop and implement a flexible-credit elective course to empower student pharmacists to develop lifelong leadership skills and provide teaching practice opportunities for graduate students. Design. An elective course focusing on leadership development for second- and third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students was designed and taught by 4 graduate students under the mentorship of 2 faculty members. Student pharmacists could enroll in a 1-, 2-, or 3-credit-hour version of the course. Assessment. Attainment of course objectives was measured using student pharmacist reflection papers and continuing professional development portfolios. Additionally, self-assessments of graduate students and faculty members delivering the course were conducted. In their responses on course evaluations, student pharmacists indicated they found the course a valuable learning experience. Graduate students found course development to be challenging but useful in developing faculty skills. Conclusion. This flexible-credit elective course taught by graduate students was an innovative way to offer formal leadership instruction using limited college resources. PMID:24371347

Graduate Student Needs in Relation to Library Research Skills

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Young, Shawna; Jacobs, Warren

2013-01-01

Traditionally, graduate study includes a research component, requiring library skills to locate relevant literature. Upon matriculation into graduate programs, many students are underprepared in library research skills, making library instruction a priority for the success of graduate students. This qualitative study, utilizing emergent design,…

Characteristics of Social and Administrative Sciences graduate programs and strategies for student recruitment and future faculty development in the United States.

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Westrick, Salisa C; Kamal, Khalid M; Moczygemba, Leticia R; Breland, Michelle L; Heaton, Pamela C

2013-01-01

The rising demand of faculty in Social and Administrative Sciences (SAS) in pharmacy in the United States heightens the need to increase the number of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates in SAS who choose to pursue an academic career. To describe the characteristics of SAS graduate programs and graduate students and identify strategies for student recruitment and future faculty development. An Internet survey (phase I) with key informants (graduate program officers/department chairs) and semistructured telephone interviews (phase II) with phase I respondents were used. Items solicited data on recruitment strategies, number of students, stipends, support, and other relevant issues pertaining to graduate program administration. Descriptive statistics were tabulated. Of the 40 SAS graduate programs identified and contacted, 24 completed the Internet survey (response rate [RR]=60.0%) and, of these, 16 completed the telephone interview (RR=66.7%). At the time of the survey, the median number of graduate students with a U.S.-based PharmD degree was 3. An average annual stipend for graduate assistants was $20,825. The average time to PhD degree completion was 4.57 years, and approximately 31% of PhD graduates entered academia. Various strategies for recruitment and future faculty development were identified and documented. Findings allow SAS graduate programs to benchmark against other institutions with respect to their own achievement/strategies to remain competitive in student recruitment and development. Additional research is needed to determine the success of various recruitment strategies and identify potential new ones. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Teaching concept analysis to graduate nursing students.

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Schiller, Catharine J

2018-04-01

To provide guidance to educators who use the Wilson (1963) concept analysis method, as modified by Walker and Avant (2011), in their graduate nursing curriculum BACKGROUND: While graduate nursing curricula often include a concept analysis assignment, there is a paucity of literature to assist educators in guiding students through this challenging process. This article details one way for educators to assist graduate nursing students in learning how to undertake each step of the Wilson (1963) concept analysis method, as modified by Walker and Avant (2011). Wilson (1963) concept analysis method, as modified by Walker and Avant (2011). Using examples, this article walks the reader through the Walker and Avant (2011) concept analysis process and addresses those issues commonly encountered by educators during this process. This article presented one way of walking students through a Walker and Avant (2011) concept analysis. Having clear information about the steps involved in developing a concept analysis will make it easier for educators to incorporate it into their graduate nursing curriculum and to effectively guide students on their journey through this process. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Academic Use of Internet among Undergraduate Students: A Preliminary Case Study in a Malaysian University

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Balakrishnan Muniandy

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The year 1995 was considered the beginning of the Internet age in Malaysia. The growth in the number of Internet hosts in Malaysia began around 1996. Since then, the use of Internet has grown tremendously and, the use of Internet by students at universities now is common in Malaysia. Students use the Internet for social, entertainment, and educational purposes. This paper presents the findings from a preliminary study on how undergraduate students at a local university in Malaysia use the Internet for academic purposes. The research questions answered in this paper are: (i what is the level of Internet usage skill? (ii How is the Internet used for academic purposes? (iii To what extent are Internet facilities used for academic purposes? (iv What are the pathways and search engines used to find information? and (v What is the perception of students toward the quality of learning by using the Internet for academic purposes? The answers to these questions are obtained through the use of a questionnaire completed by 92 undergraduate students at a local university. The data collected were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The results obtained provide some information about the extent of Internet use for academic purposes by graduate students.

In Pursuit of Success: Latino Male College Students Exercising Academic Determination and Community Cultural Wealth

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Pérez, David, II

2017-01-01

Discourse about Latino male college students centers on their low enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Two asset-based theoretical frameworks were used to understand how 21 Latino males' academic determination was nurtured and sustained by cultural wealth at selective institutions. Although most participants entered college with unclear…

Predictive analysis and data mining among the employment of fresh graduate students in HEI

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Rahman, Nor Azziaty Abdul; Tan, Kian Lam; Lim, Chen Kim

2017-10-01

Management of higher education have a problem in producing 100% of graduates who can meet the needs of industry while industry is also facing the problem of finding skilled graduates who suit their needs partly due to the lack of an effective method in assessing problem solving skills as well as weaknesses in the assessment of problem-solving skills. The purpose of this paper is to propose a suitable classification model that can be used in making prediction and assessment of the attributes of the student's dataset to meet the selection criteria of work demanded by the industry of the graduates in the academic field. Supervised and unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithms were used in this research where; K-Nearest Neighbor, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, Neural Network, Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machine. The proposed model will help the university management to make a better long-term plans for producing graduates who are skilled, knowledgeable and fulfill the industry needs as well.

Computer Anxiety, Academic Stress, and Academic Procrastination on College Students

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Wahyu Rahardjo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Academic procrastination is fairly and commonly found among college students. The lack of understanding in making the best use of computer technology may lead to anxiety in terms of operating computer hence cause postponement in completing course assignments related to computer operation. On the other hand, failure in achieving certain academic targets as expected by parents and/or the students themselves also makes students less focused and leads to tendency of postponing many completions of course assignments. The aim of this research is to investigate contribution of anxiety in operating computer and academic stress toward procrastination on students. As much as 65 students majoring in psychology became participants in this study. The results showed that anxiety in operating computer and academic stress play significant role in influencing academic procrastination among social sciences students. In terms of academic procrastination tendencies, anxiety in operating computer and academic stress, male students have higher percentage than female students.

Faculty-Graduate Student Mentoring Relationships: Mentors' Perceived Roles and Responsibilities

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Lechuga, Vicente M.

2011-01-01

Scholars have demonstrated that one of the most important factors that graduate students use to ascertain the quality of their educational experience is their relationship with faculty. Research on faculty-graduate student mentoring relationships has provided valuable insights about effective practices that foster the success of graduate students.…

Impact of disability and other physical health issues on academic outcomes among American Indian and Alaskan Native college students: an exploratory analysis.

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Patterson Silver Wolf Adelv Unegv Waya, David A; Vanzile-Tamsen, Carol; Black, Jessica; Billiot, Shanondora M; Tovar, Molly

2015-01-01

This study investigated whether self-identified disabilities among American Indian and Alaskan Native college students impact academic performance and persistence to graduation and explored the differences in health and academic grades between American Indian and Alaskan Native students and students of other racial and ethnic identities using the National College Health Assessment. Findings indicate that American Indian or Alaskan Native students have significantly lower grades than White and Asian students, and American Indian and Alaskan Native women report the highest incidence of health problems of any demographic group. Exploratory results point to future research to determine the full impact of disabilities and poor health on academic success.

Where do Foreign Student STEM graduates work after they graduate?

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Ruiz, Neil

2017-01-01

Foreign students and entrepreneurs add path-breaking innovative ideas and billions of dollars to the United States economy. This presentation takes a look at where foreign students originate, what degrees and subjects they are pursuing in the U.S., and where they work after they graduate from U.S. universities. With a special focus on STEM degrees and physics, Dr. Ruiz will show how foreign students open up markets in their hometown cities which facilitates trade, foreign direct investment and knowledge transfer. In addition, they infuse revenue into local communities, and they help fill demand for jobs requiring specific skills in local U.S. labor markets. He argues that America's business, educational, and community leaders need to develop better strategies that retain their talents after they graduate. Invited speaker number 44869.

The Effect of Keyboard-Based Word Processing on Students With Different Working Memory Capacity During the Process of Academic Writing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Steen, Steffie; Samuelson, Dianne; Thomson, Jennifer M.

This study addresses the current debate about the beneficial effects of text processing software on students with different working memory (WM) during the process of academic writing, especially with regard to the ability to display higher-level conceptual thinking. A total of 54 graduate students

Aligning library instruction with the needs of basic sciences graduate students: a case study.

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O'Malley, Donna; Delwiche, Frances A

2012-10-01

How can an existing library instruction program be reconfigured to reach basic sciences graduate students and other patrons missed by curriculum-based instruction? The setting is an academic health sciences library that serves both the university and its affiliated teaching hospital. The existing program was redesigned to incorporate a series of seven workshops that encompassed the range of information literacy skills that graduate students in the basic sciences need. In developing the new model, the teaching librarians made changes in pedagogy, technology, marketing, and assessment strategies. Total attendance at the sessions increased substantially in the first 2 years of the new model, increasing from an average of 20 per semester to an average of 124. Survey results provided insight about what patrons wanted to learn and how best to teach it. Modifying the program's content and structure resulted in a program that appealed to the target audience.

Recruitment and retention of Native American graduate students in school psychology.

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Goforth, Anisa N; Brown, Jacqueline A; Machek, Greg R; Swaney, Gyda

2016-09-01

There is a clear underrepresentation of Native Americans in the field of school psychology. There are a number of factors that have led to this underrepresentation, including cultural and historical variables, barriers to accessing higher educational opportunities, and lack of financial support. Given the importance of having diverse perspectives in the field, as well as the need for mental health services and academic supports for Native American children and their families, school psychology trainers should consider actively recruiting and retaining Native American graduate students to doctoral and specialist programs. This article provides specific research-based recommendations for recruiting Native American students and strategies for supporting their success and matriculation in the program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the predictors of academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine via two equity pathways: a retrospective observational study at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

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Curtis, Elana; Wikaire, Erena; Jiang, Yannan; McMillan, Louise; Loto, Robert; Poole, Phillippa; Barrow, Mark; Bagg, Warwick; Reid, Papaarangi

2017-01-01

Objective To determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioning, bridging programme attendance and prior academic preparation on academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine under access pathways designed to widen participation. Findings were compared with students admitted via the general (usual) admission pathway. Design Retrospective observational study using secondary data. Setting  6-year medical programme (MBChB), University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Students are selected and admitted into Year 2 following a first year (undergraduate) or prior degree (graduate). Participants 1676 domestic students admitted into Year 2 between 2002 and 2012 via three pathways: GENERAL admission (1167), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme—MAPAS (317) or Rural Origin Medical Preferential Entry—ROMPE (192). Of these, 1082 students completed the programme in the study period. Main outcome measures Graduated from medical programme (yes/no), academic scores in Years 2–3 (Grade Point Average (GPA), scored 0–9). Results 735/778 (95%) of GENERAL, 111/121 (92%) of ROMPE and 146/183 (80%) of MAPAS students graduated from intended programme. The graduation rate was significantly lower in the MAPAS students (p<0.0001). The average Year 2–3 GPA was 6.35 (SD 1.52) for GENERAL, which was higher than 5.82 (SD 1.65, p=0.0013) for ROMPE and 4.33 (SD 1.56, p<0.0001) for MAPAS. Multiple regression analyses identified three key predictors of better academic outcomes: bridging programme attendance, admission as an undergraduate and admission GPA/Grade Point Equivalent (GPE). Attending local urban schools and higher school deciles were also associated with a greater likelihood of graduation. All regression models have controlled for predefined baseline confounders (gender, age and year of admission). Conclusions There were varied associations between admission variables and academic outcomes

Admissions Criteria and Academic Performance in the AFIT Graduate Cost Analysis Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Garwood, Kenneth

2002-01-01

.... Using the cumulative graduate grade point average earned at AFIT as the measure of academic performance, comparisons were made between the predictive capability of the current criteria and other potential factors...

Perspectives and Plans for Graduate Studies. 14. Physics and Astronomy 1974.

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Ontario Council on Graduate Studies, Toronto. Advisory Committee on Academic Planning.

On the instruction of the Council of Ontario Universities, the Advisory Committee on Academic Planning has conducted a planning assessment for graduate studies in physics and astronomy. Contents of the report encompass future enrollment projections in physics graduate studies, the distribution of physics graduate students among the universities,…

Academic Procrastination on Worker Students

OpenAIRE

Muzaqi, Sugito; Arumsari, Andini Dwi

2017-01-01

Academic procrastination is to delay the work in the academic field. Academic procrastination occurs because students who work less able to divide his time well, between work and college. Students who work doing academic procrastination because it is less able to regulate themselves. Self-regulation is the ability to control their own behavior and one of the prime movers of the human personality. In the process of self-regulation, academic procrastination students who need to understand the i...

Statistical panorama of female physics graduate students for 2000-2010 in Peru

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Cerón Loayza, María Luisa; Bravo Cabrejos, Jorge Aurelio

2013-03-01

We report the results of a statistical study on the number of women entering the undergraduate and master's programs of physics at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru. From 2006 through 2010, 13 female students entered the master's degree program but no females graduated with the degree. Considering that Peru is a developing country, a career in physics is not considered an attractive professional choice even for male students because it is thought that there are no work centers to practice this profession. We recommend that the causes preventing female physics students from completing their studies and research work be analyzed, and that strategies be planned to help women complete their academic work. We are considering getting help from the Peruvian Physics Society (SOPERFI) in order to draw more attention for our plan.

Stories Are Like Water: An Academic Writing Workshop for Nurses.

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Walker, Madeline; Tschanz, Coby

2018-04-01

Traditionally, there is very little formal instruction in academic writing for nurses in graduate programs. We, the writing scholar and a nurse educator and PhD student at a major Canadian university, describe how we collaborated on developing and delivering a 1-day academic writing workshop for incoming master of nursing students. By sharing this description, we hope to motivate nursing faculty to offer similar workshops to address the dearth of writing instruction for graduate students in nursing and to improve scholarship outcomes.

Developing Research-Ready Skills: Preparing Early Academic Students for Participation in Research Experiences

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Charlevoix, D. J.; Morris, A. R.

2015-12-01

Engaging lower-division undergraduates in research experiences is a key but challenging aspect of guiding talented students into the geoscience research pipeline. UNAVCO conducted a summer internship program to prepare first and second year college students for participation in authentic, scientific research. Many students in their first two years of academic studies do not have the science content knowledge or sufficient math skills to conduct independent research. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the geosciences may face additional challenges in that they often have a less robust support structure to help them navigate the university environment and may be less aware of professional opportunities in the geosciences.UNAVCO, manager of NSF's geodetic facility, hosted four students during summer 2015 internship experience aimed to help them develop skills that will prepare them for research internships and skills that will help them advance professionally. Students spent eight weeks working with UNAVCO technical staff learning how to use equipment, prepare instrumentation for field campaigns, among other technical skills. Interns also participated in a suite of professional development activities including communications workshops, skills seminars, career circles, geology-focused field trips, and informal interactions with research interns and graduate student interns at UNAVCO. This presentation will outline the successes and challenges of engaging students early in their academic careers and outline the unique role such experiences can have in students' academic careers.

Challenges and Opportunities for International Students in Graduate Education

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xinya

2015-01-01

International students pursuing graduate education in U.S. institutes have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Students from all over the world remarkably contribute to the advancement of U.S. economy and technology. This article addresses the challenges and opportunities international students face during and after graduate education. The…

Effort Allocation in Tournaments: The Effect of Gender on Academic Performance in Italian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Castagnetti, Carolina; Rosti, Luisa

2009-01-01

We consider the academic performance of Italian university graduates and their labor market position 3 years after graduation. Our data confirm the common finding that female students outperform male students in academia but are overcome in the labor market. Assuming that academic competition is fair and that individual talent is equally…

Teaching graduate students The Art of Being a Scientist

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Snieder, Roel

2011-03-01

Graduate education in the classroom traditionally focuses on disciplinary topics, with non-disciplinary skills only marginally discussed, if at all, between graduate student and adviser. Given the wide range of advisers with different types and quality of communication skill (or lack thereof), the professional coaching delivered to students often is restricted to just the technical aspects of research. Yet graduate students have a great need to receive professional training aimed at, among other things, helping their graduate career be more efficient, less frustrating and less needlessly time-consuming. We have addressed this gap in graduate education by developing the one-credit course ``The Art of Being a Scientist.'' This course covers a diverse range of topics of importance to being an effective and creative researcher. Topics covered include the following: What is science? Choosing a research topic, department, and adviser. The adviser and thesis committee. Making a work plan. Setting goals. Ethics of research. Using the scientific literature. Perfecting oral and written communication. Publishing papers and writing proposals. Managing time effectively. Planning a scientific career. Applying for jobs in academia or industry. In evaluations of the course, students invariably comment that they could have avoided significant problems in their graduate study and saved valuable time if they would have taken the course earlier on. This is an indication that the course not only useful for students, but also that it is best taken early in a their graduate career. The material covered in the course is captured in the book ``The Art of Being a Scientist: A Guide for Graduate Students and Their Mentors,'' published by Cambridge University Press; more information can be found at: www.mines.edu/~rsnieder/Art_of_Science.html From this website one can download a description of the curriculum used in the class, including homework exercises. Currently we are expanding of

Online Collaborative Learning Activities: The Perceptions of Culturally Diverse Graduate Students

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Kumi-Yeboah, Alex; Yuan, Guangji; Dogbey, James

2017-01-01

This exploratory study examined the perceptions of minority graduate students toward online collaborative learning activities. The participants were 20 minority graduate students from diverse cultural backgrounds (10 African Americans, 5 Hispanics, and 5 international students from Africa) enrolled in online graduate instructional technology and…

Stories of Success: Understanding Academic Achievement of Hispanic Students in Science

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Amanda

A review of the literature shows that there is much evidence to suggest the challenges facing Hispanic students in American public schools. Hispanic enrollment in K--12 public schools has increased from 6 to 19% in the last thirty years, yet schools have not made adequate adjustments to accommodate this changing population. Issues such as remedial tracking and cultural differences have led to low high school graduate rates for Hispanic students and inequities in schooling experiences (Gay, 2000). Particularly in the area of science, Hispanic students struggle with academic success (Cole & Espinoza, 2008). Despite these obstacles, some Hispanic students are academically successful (Rochin & Mello, 2007; Merisotis & Kee, 2006). This dissertation tells the stories of these Hispanic students who have been successful in science in secondary public schools. This study followed a grounded theory methodology and utilized individual interviews to collect data about Hispanics who have demonstrated achievement in the area of science. Through the analysis of these interviews, factors were identified which may have contributed to the success of these Hispanics in the field of science. Implications for future practice in public schools are also discussed.

INTRODUCTION: GRADUATE STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

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Laverne Jacobs

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice is proud to publish issue 32 (1. This issue features a special section highlighting the scholarship of graduate students. While it is always a pleasure to read promising work by newer scholars in the fields of law and social justice, we are certain that this collection of articles represents some of the finest and thought-provoking scholarship stemming from current graduate students in law. The articles stem from a graduate student essay contest that WYAJ held in 2013 and for which we received many submissions. The collection of selected papers offers a view of legal and interdisciplinary research examining issues that are topically diverse but which are all of deep, long-term importance to the world of access to justice. A reader of the special section on Graduate Student Scholarship will find explorations of access to justice from the perspectives of equality rights, discretion, adjudication and methods of legal service delivery, to name a few. A prize was offered to two papers judged to be of exceptional quality. I am very pleased to announce that the winners of those two prizes are Andrew Pilliar, for his article “Exploring a Law Firm Business Model to Improve Access to Justice” and Blair A. Major, for his contribution, “Religion and Law in R v NS: Finding Space to Re-think the Balancing Analysis”. The Editorial Board thanks all those who submitted papers to the contest and to this final special issue of the Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice. Another notable feature of this issue is the introduction of a section called Research Notes. The Yearbook will periodically publish peer-reviewed research notes that present the findings of empirical (quantitative, qualitative or mixed method research studies. This section aims to contribute to the growing and important body of empirical scholarship within the realm of access to justice socio-legal research. We hope that you enjoy

Schooling Background and Academic Academic Achievement of Agricultural Students

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N. Jayakumar

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In our society academic achievement is considered as a key criterion to judge one’s total potentiality and capability. Academic achievement is seen as a students’ grade point averages in many academic settings. Academic achievement has become an index of students’ future in this highly competitive world and Agricultural education is no exception.  Hence it becomes necessary to find out the factors that determine better academic performance. In this context the present study had been carried out to find out the possible relationship between schooling background and academic achievement of agriculture students. The students admitted in Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai, Vellore between 1999 and 2009 formed the subjects of the study. Findings of the study revealed that determinants like gender, type of school and stream of education had a significant role in the academic achievement of the students. Medium of instruction in HSC did influence the academic achievement but not significantly. It was also found that students who performed well in their HSC did perform well in their undergraduate programme also. This confirms that previous educational outcomes are the most important indicators of student’s future achievement and schooling background has a significant role in academic achievement of students.

Close to Home: Employment Outcomes for Recent Radiation Oncology Graduates

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Ahmed, Awad A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System, Miami, Florida (United States); Holliday, Emma B. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Ileto, Jan [New York University, New York, New York (United States); Yoo, Stella K. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (United States); Green, Michael [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Orman, Amber [Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida (United States); Deville, Curtiland [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Jagsi, Reshma [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Haffty, Bruce G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey (United States); Wilson, Lynn D., E-mail: Lynn.wilson@yale.edu [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut (United States)

2016-07-01

Purpose: To characterize the practice type and location of radiation oncology (RO) residents graduating in 2013. Methods and Materials: Graduates completing RO residency in 2013 were identified, and for each, postgraduate practice setting (academic vs private practice) and location were identified. Characteristics of the graduates, including details regarding their institutions of medical school and residency education, were collected and analyzed. Results: Data were obtained from 146 of the 154 RO graduates from the class of 2013. Employment data were available for 142 graduates. Approximately one-third of graduates were employed in the same state as residency (36.6%), approximately two-thirds (62.0%) in the same region as residency, and nearly three-fourths (73.9%) in the same region as medical school or residency completion. Of the 66 graduates (46.5%) working in academics, 40.9% were at the same institution where they completed residency. Most trainees (82.4%) attended medical schools with RO residency programs. Conclusions: Although personal factors may attract students to train in a particular area, the location of medical school and residency experiences may influence RO graduate practice location choice. Trends in the geographic distribution of graduating radiation oncologists can help identify and better understand disparities in access to RO care. Steps to improve access to RO care may include interventions at the medical student or resident level, such as targeting students at medical schools without associated residency programs and greater resident exposure to underserved areas.

Close to Home: Employment Outcomes for Recent Radiation Oncology Graduates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Awad A.; Holliday, Emma B.; Ileto, Jan; Yoo, Stella K.; Green, Michael; Orman, Amber; Deville, Curtiland; Jagsi, Reshma; Haffty, Bruce G.; Wilson, Lynn D.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To characterize the practice type and location of radiation oncology (RO) residents graduating in 2013. Methods and Materials: Graduates completing RO residency in 2013 were identified, and for each, postgraduate practice setting (academic vs private practice) and location were identified. Characteristics of the graduates, including details regarding their institutions of medical school and residency education, were collected and analyzed. Results: Data were obtained from 146 of the 154 RO graduates from the class of 2013. Employment data were available for 142 graduates. Approximately one-third of graduates were employed in the same state as residency (36.6%), approximately two-thirds (62.0%) in the same region as residency, and nearly three-fourths (73.9%) in the same region as medical school or residency completion. Of the 66 graduates (46.5%) working in academics, 40.9% were at the same institution where they completed residency. Most trainees (82.4%) attended medical schools with RO residency programs. Conclusions: Although personal factors may attract students to train in a particular area, the location of medical school and residency experiences may influence RO graduate practice location choice. Trends in the geographic distribution of graduating radiation oncologists can help identify and better understand disparities in access to RO care. Steps to improve access to RO care may include interventions at the medical student or resident level, such as targeting students at medical schools without associated residency programs and greater resident exposure to underserved areas.

Close to Home: Employment Outcomes for Recent Radiation Oncology Graduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Awad A; Holliday, Emma B; Ileto, Jan; Yoo, Stella K; Green, Michael; Orman, Amber; Deville, Curtiland; Jagsi, Reshma; Haffty, Bruce G; Wilson, Lynn D

2016-07-01

To characterize the practice type and location of radiation oncology (RO) residents graduating in 2013. Graduates completing RO residency in 2013 were identified, and for each, postgraduate practice setting (academic vs private practice) and location were identified. Characteristics of the graduates, including details regarding their institutions of medical school and residency education, were collected and analyzed. Data were obtained from 146 of the 154 RO graduates from the class of 2013. Employment data were available for 142 graduates. Approximately one-third of graduates were employed in the same state as residency (36.6%), approximately two-thirds (62.0%) in the same region as residency, and nearly three-fourths (73.9%) in the same region as medical school or residency completion. Of the 66 graduates (46.5%) working in academics, 40.9% were at the same institution where they completed residency. Most trainees (82.4%) attended medical schools with RO residency programs. Although personal factors may attract students to train in a particular area, the location of medical school and residency experiences may influence RO graduate practice location choice. Trends in the geographic distribution of graduating radiation oncologists can help identify and better understand disparities in access to RO care. Steps to improve access to RO care may include interventions at the medical student or resident level, such as targeting students at medical schools without associated residency programs and greater resident exposure to underserved areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Credentialism and Academic Standards: The Evolution of High School Graduation Requirements.

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Serow, Robert C.

1986-01-01

The credentialist thesis is applied to high school graduation requirements by tracing their transformation according to societal demand. Because of demands for further education and academic excellence, secondary education presently occupies a modest position in American status aspirations and has encumbered its curricula with unrestricted…

Attitude towards statistics and performance among post-graduate students

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Rosli, Mira Khalisa; Maat, Siti Mistima

2017-05-01

For student to master Statistics is a necessity, especially for those post-graduates that are involved in the research field. The purpose of this research was to identify the attitude towards Statistics among the post-graduates and to determine the relationship between the attitude towards Statistics and post-graduates' of Faculty of Education, UKM, Bangi performance. 173 post-graduate students were chosen randomly to participate in the study. These students registered in Research Methodology II course that was introduced by faculty. A survey of attitude toward Statistics using 5-points Likert scale was used for data collection purposes. The instrument consists of four components such as affective, cognitive competency, value and difficulty. The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 22 in producing the descriptive and inferential Statistics output. The result of this research showed that there is a medium and positive relation between attitude towards statistics and students' performance. As a conclusion, educators need to access students' attitude towards the course to accomplish the learning outcomes.

Student Attitudes toward Information Systems Graduate Program Design and Delivery

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Thouin, Mark F.; Hefley, William E.; Raghunathan, Srinivasan

2018-01-01

This study examines student preferences regarding graduate management information systems (MIS) education. One hundred and eighty four graduate students responded to a survey exploring student attitudes towards degree program content, delivery format, and peer group interaction. Study results indicate that students prefer a program with an even…

Academic Motivations and Academic Self-Efficacy of Nursing Students

OpenAIRE

Gamze Sarikoc

2017-01-01

Aim: Academic motivation and academic self-efficacy play important roles in the learning process. They increase academic achievement and the attainment of educational goals, thus providing opportunities in the training of qualified nurses. This study was conducted to determine nursing students%u2019 academic motivation and academic self-efficacy levels. Material and Method: This is a descriptive study. A total of 346 students who are attending a nursing school as either a first, second, third...

Speaking in Tongues: Can International Graduate Students Read International Graduate Admissions Materials?

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Taylor, Zachary W.

2017-01-01

A recent Educational Testing Services report (2016) found that international graduate students with a TOEFL score of 80--the minimum average TOEFL score for graduate admission in the United States--usually possess reading subscores of 20, equating to a 12th-grade reading comprehension level. However, one public flagship university's international…

Retaining Aspiring Scholars (retention, Students of Color)

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Walters, Nancy Bannister

Tinto's retention model provided the theoretical framework for this research study of the academic and social integration of academically talented students of color into the graduate and professional science degree pipeline. The site for this study was the Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program of the University of Minnesota. This program recruits academically talented undergraduates from throughout the nation for participation in two months of research, academic study and orientation to science graduate and professional programs. The quantitative data source consisted of survey responses by 108 alumni of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program to the Institutional Integration Scale developed by Ernest Pascarella and Patrick Terenzini. The scale measures academic integration, social integration and institutional and goal commitment of students. The qualitative data source consisted of one-on-one interviews of 14 summer program alumni of Caucasian, Latino and African American background. The quantitative results were not significant, while the qualitative results demonstrated the importance to alumni interviewed of the challenging academic research work, personally confirming peer group socialization, and supportive student faculty interactions. The study showed the importance of programs like these for helping students of color plan upper level college study and graduate/professional school enrollment. Program characteristics that influenced decision making regarding school and career choices by study participants and specifically by students of color were involvement of faculty in recruiting and mentoring students; socialization to the graduate student role through peer group relations and student maturation and empowerment through participation in a high level academic program. Study findings indicated that supportive and empowering faculty contact was considered most important by students of color who continued on to graduate and professional

Factors affecting graduation and student dropout rates at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

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Mike Murray

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to introduce into the literature a competing risks methodology that can be used to help identify some student-specific and/or institutional factors which may be influencing the type of outcome experienced by a student when they leave the university system. Focusing on the length of time that it takes students to graduate or drop out from their studies, this new methodology was applied to a database comprising all students enrolled for a degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal between the years 2004 and 2012. Financial aid and residence-based accommodation were found to help students who will eventually graduate to do so quicker in terms of the number of credit points that they have to repeat. These same factors, however, also cause someone who will eventually be excluded on academic grounds to linger longer in the system. By focusing on the number of extra credit points that it takes to reach a particular exit point, this paper introduces into the literature a new measure whose use will help to overcome some of the more obvious problems that can occur when one uses calendar time to measure the length of time that it takes to reach a particular exit point.

High energy physicists and graduate students. 1985 Census

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-10-01

An alphabetical listing is given of high energy physicists and graduate students, providing the person's name, rank, and institution. Another listing gives the faculty (or permanent staff) and graduate students for each institution, listing for each person the date of birth, year and institution of highest degree, the rank and institutional affiliation with starting dates, up to three items selected from a list of research specialties, and their sources of federal support. For the graduate students, there is also indicated an estimated date for their degree. Where appropriate, a person may be listed at more than one institution. Except as noted, the information is intended to indicate the situation as of January 1, 1985

A Seventeen-Year Study of Graduate Student Authorship in Advertising Journals

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Wang, Ye; Rodgers, Shelly; Wang, Zongyuan; Thorson, Esther

2016-01-01

An examination of five leading advertising journals over seventeen years revealed that the number of graduate student "authors" increased over time. However, there was no increase in the total number of "articles" with graduate student authors. More than 70 percent of graduate students who authored or co-authored the published…

The mental health of graduate students at the Federal University of São Paulo: a preliminary report

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L.A. Nogueira-Martins

2004-10-01

Full Text Available We present data regarding the care provided to graduate level health professionals at the mental health center of the Federal University of São Paulo. From September 1996 to September 2003, 146 graduate students (99 in the Master's degree program and 47 in the Doctoral program were attended. This population was predominantly female (68.5%, with a mean (± SD age of 28.6 ± 4.42 years, not married (71.9%. Most of the subjects were professionals who had not graduated from the Federal University (78.1%. The students who sought help for psychological and/or psychiatric problems were classified into two categories: situational-adaptive crises and psychopathological crises. The main diagnoses were depression and anxiety disorders (44% causing 4.5% of the subjects to be temporarily suspended from their graduate studies; 19.2% reported that they had used psychotropic drugs within the previous month, and 47.9% referred to sleep disturbances. Suicidal tendencies were mentioned by 18% of those interviewed. Students with emotional disturbances and academic dysfunctions should be recognized at an early stage, and it is fundamental for them to have access to mental health programs that provide formal, structured and confidential care. Thus, it is important that professors and advisors in graduate programs build a warm and affective learning environment. If we consider the expressive growth in Brazilian scientific production resulting from the implementation of an extensive national system of graduate education, it is important to focus efforts on enhancing and upgrading the mental health care system.

Not in Love, or Not in the Know? Graduate Student and Faculty Use (and Non-Use) of E-Books

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Cassidy, Erin Dorris; Martinez, Michelle; Shen, Lisa

2012-01-01

This study focuses on usage of electronic books (e-books) among advanced researchers, including graduate students and faculty, at a four-year academic institution. The researchers aimed to highlight differences in behavior, perception, and attitude between users and non-users of e-books. The survey findings suggest that, while a majority of these…

The Influence of Cultural Social Identity on Graduate Student Career Choice

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Haley, Karen J.; Jaeger, Audrey J.; Levin, John S.

2014-01-01

This study examines and enriches understanding of the career choice process for graduate students of color. Social identity theory (SIT) is used as a framework to expand our understanding of how and why graduate students choose (or do not choose) faculty careers. Graduate students' cultural social identities influenced their career choice…

The strategic impact of a changing curriculum and learning environment on medical students' academic performance.

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Williams, Pamela C; Epps, Anna Cherrie; McCammon, Sametria

2011-01-01

In recent years, the administration of Meharry Medical College, School of Medicine (SOM), Nashville, Tennessee, recognized the need to modify the curriculum to help improve student academic performance especially on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps 1 and 2. Thus, a number of changes occurred with respect to the traditional curriculum in the SOM, resulting in an integrated organ system-based curriculum design. The change in the learning environment was studied to determine the impact on performance after the introduction of the integrated organ system-based curriculum as compared to that of the traditional curriculum. With the utilization of a cadre of variables, it was believed that the strategic impact anticipated would provide a predictive validity profile to assist in the identification of students "at risk" of failure so that proactive intervention methodology could be made available to facilitate the students' successful progression during matriculation in the SOM. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether students trained with the integrated organ systems curriculum perform better than students trained with the traditional medical school curriculum on the medical education preclinical subject board examinations, and the NBME USMLE steps 1 and 2 examinations. From the 584 students studied in the control group (graduation classes for years 2005, 2006, and 2007) and the intervention group (graduation classes for years 2008, 2009, and 2010), significant improvement in performance on the NBME USMLE steps 1 and 2 examinations was noted following the introduction of the integrated organ system-based curriculum particularly among "at-risk" students. Data access availability from the School of Medicine of Meharry Medical College automatically gave reason for a preferential comparative relationship and study of the resulting strategic impact on cohorts graduating in years 2005-2010. Thus, this

Listen Up! Be Responsible! What Graduate Students Hear about University Teaching, Graduate Education and Employment

Science.gov (United States)

Aspenlieder, Erin; Kloet, Marie Vander

2014-01-01

What we hear at universities and in public conversations is that there is a crisis in graduate student education and employment. We are interested here in the (re)circulation of the discourses of crisis and responsibility. What do graduate students hear about their education, their career prospects, and their responsibilities? How does work in…

Exploiting Academic Records for Predicting Student Drop Out: a case study in Brazilian higher education

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Sales, Allan; Balby, Leandro; Cajueiro, Adalberto

2017-01-01

Students’ dropout is a major concern of the Brazilian higher education institutions as it may cause waste of resources and decrease graduation rates. The early detection of students with high probability of dropping out, as well as understanding the underlying causes, are crucial for defining more effective actions toward preventing this problem. In this paper, we cast the dropout detection problem as a classification problem. We use a large sample of academic records of students across 76 co...

Using Social Media to Measure Student Wellbeing: A Large-Scale Study of Emotional Response in Academic Discourse

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Volkova, Svitlana; Han, Kyungsik; Corley, Courtney D.

2016-11-15

Student resilience and emotional well-being are essential for both academic and social development. Earlier studies on tracking students' happiness in academia showed that many of them struggle with mental health issues. For example, a 2015 study at the University of California Berkeley found that 47% of graduate students suffer from depression, following a 2005 study that showed 10% had considered suicide. This is the first large-scale study that uses signals from social media to evaluate students' emotional well-being in academia. This work presents fine-grained emotion and opinion analysis of 79,329 tweets produced by students from 44 universities. The goal of this study is to qualitatively evaluate and compare emotions and sentiments emanating from students' communications across different academic discourse types and across universities in the U.S. We first build novel predictive models to categorize academic discourse types generated by students into personal, social, and general categories. We then apply emotion and sentiment classification models to annotate each tweet with six Ekman's emotions -- joy, fear, sadness, disgust, anger, and surprise and three opinion types -- positive, negative, and neutral. We found that emotions and opinions expressed by students vary across discourse types and universities, and correlate with survey-based data on student satisfaction, happiness and stress. Moreover, our results provide novel insights on how students use social media to share academic information, emotions, and opinions that would pertain to students academic performance and emotional well-being.

Correlations between academic achievement and anxiety and depression in medical students experiencing integrated curriculum reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Yi-Chun; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Lai, Chung-Sheng; Huang, Chun-Hsiung; Liu, Keh-Min; Huang, In-Ting

2007-08-01

This study aimed to examine the correlations between academic achievement and levels of anxiety and depression in medical students who were experiencing curriculum reform. The differences in academic achievement and the directions of correlations between academic achievement and anxiety and depression among the medical students with different levels of anxiety and depression were also examined. Grade 1 students from graduate-entry program and grade 3 students from undergraduate-entry program in their first semester of the new curriculum were recruited to complete the Zung's Anxiety and Depression Scale twice to examine their levels of anxiety and depression. Their academic achievement ratings in the four blocks of the first semester of the new curriculum were collected. The results indicated that no significant correlation was found between academic achievement and global anxiety and depression. However, by dividing the medical students into low, moderate and high level anxiety or depression groups, those who had poorer academic achievement in the first learning block were more likely to have higher levels of depression in the first psychologic assessment. Among the medical students who were in the high anxiety level group in the first psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had poorer academic achievement in the fourth learning block. Among the medical students who were in the low anxiety level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had better academic achievement in the fourth learning block. Among the medical students who were in the moderate anxiety level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had poorer academic achievement in the second learning block. Among the medical students who were in the high depression level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe depression had poorer academic achievement in the fourth learning block. The

Correlations between Academic Achievement and Anxiety and Depression in Medical Students Experiencing Integrated Curriculum Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Chun Yeh

2007-08-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to examine the correlations between academic achievement and levels of anxiety and depression in medical students who were experiencing curriculum reform. The differences in academic achievement and the directions of correlations between academic achievement and anxiety and depression among the medical students with different levels of anxiety and depression were also examined. Grade 1 students from graduate-entry program and grade 3 students from undergraduate-entry program in their first semester of the new curriculum were recruited to complete the Zung's Anxiety and Depression Scale twice to examine their levels of anxiety and depression. Their academic achievement ratings in the four blocks of the first semester of the new curriculum were collected. The results indicated that no significant correlation was found between academic achievement and global anxiety and depression. However, by dividing the medical students into low, moderate and high level anxiety or depression groups, those who had poorer academic achievement in the first learning block were more likely to have higher levels of depression in the first psychologic assessment. Among the medical students who were in the high anxiety level group in the first psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had poorer academic achievement in the fourth learning block. Among the medical students who were in the low anxiety level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had better academic achievement in the fourth learning block. Among the medical students who were in the moderate anxiety level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe anxiety had poorer academic achievement in the second learning block. Among the medical students who were in the high depression level group in the second psychologic assessment, those who had more severe depression had poorer academic achievement in the fourth

Integrating Academic Journal Review Assignments into a Graduate Business Leadership Course

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Jennifer L.; Agrimonti, Lisa M.; Higbee, Jeanne L.

2016-01-01

Graduate course assignments that are pragmatic, challenging, scaffold prior learning, and support academic career aspirations can be difficult to create and even more problematic to assess for even the most experienced faculty. This paper presents a class assignment that incorporated a real-world journal reviewing assignment into an elective…

Students' Academic Performance: Academic Effort Is an Intervening ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... Students' Academic Performance: Academic Effort Is an Intervening Variable ... This study was designed to seek explanations for differences in academic performance among junior ...

Ranking Workplace Competencies: Student and Graduate Perceptions.

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Rainsbury, Elizabeth; Hodges, Dave; Burchell, Noel; Lay, Mark

2002-01-01

New Zealand business students and graduates made similar rankings of the five most important workplace competencies: computer literacy, customer service orientation, teamwork and cooperation, self-confidence, and willingness to learn. Graduates placed greater importance on most of the 24 competencies, resulting in a statistically significant…

Examining the predictors of academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine via two equity pathways: a retrospective observational study at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Elana; Wikaire, Erena; Jiang, Yannan; McMillan, Louise; Loto, Robert; Poole, Phillippa; Barrow, Mark; Bagg, Warwick; Reid, Papaarangi

2017-08-27

To determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioning, bridging programme attendance and prior academic preparation on academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine under access pathways designed to widen participation. Findings were compared with students admitted via the general (usual) admission pathway. Retrospective observational study using secondary data.  6-year medical programme (MBChB), University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Students are selected and admitted into Year 2 following a first year (undergraduate) or prior degree (graduate). 1676 domestic students admitted into Year 2 between 2002 and 2012 via three pathways: GENERAL admission (1167), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme-MAPAS (317) or Rural Origin Medical Preferential Entry-ROMPE (192). Of these, 1082 students completed the programme in the study period. Graduated from medical programme (yes/no), academic scores in Years 2-3 (Grade Point Average (GPA), scored 0-9). 735/778 (95%) of GENERAL, 111/121 (92%) of ROMPE and 146/183 (80%) of MAPAS students graduated from intended programme. The graduation rate was significantly lower in the MAPAS students (p<0.0001). The average Year 2-3 GPA was 6.35 (SD 1.52) for GENERAL, which was higher than 5.82 (SD 1.65, p=0.0013) for ROMPE and 4.33 (SD 1.56, p<0.0001) for MAPAS. Multiple regression analyses identified three key predictors of better academic outcomes: bridging programme attendance, admission as an undergraduate and admission GPA/Grade Point Equivalent (GPE). Attending local urban schools and higher school deciles were also associated with a greater likelihood of graduation. All regression models have controlled for predefined baseline confounders (gender, age and year of admission). There were varied associations between admission variables and academic outcomes across the three admission pathways. Equity-targeted admission programmes inclusive of

Mental health and suicidal behavior among graduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Williams, Amanda G; Moffitt, Lauren; Kaslow, Nadine J

2014-10-01

The objective of this paper is to describe the mental health and service utilization of graduate students at a large southeastern university and identify psychological factors associated with their student suicidal behavior. E-mail invitations to complete the Interactive Screening Program, an online anonymous mental health questionnaire, were sent to graduate students. The questionnaire included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as well as items assessing suicide behavior, anxiety, negative emotion, substance use, eating behavior, and service utilization. A total of 301 graduate students responded to the questionnaires between 14 July 2010 and 24 January 2012. With regards to suicide, 7.3 % of the sample reported thoughts of suicide, 2.3 % reported having plans for suicide, and 1.7 % had hurt themselves in the past 2 weeks; while 9.9 % had ever made a suicide attempt in their lifetime. Graduate students had PHQ-9 scores indicating mild depression, and more than half endorsed feeling nervous, irritable, stressed, anxious, lonely, or having fights/arguments. In terms of service utilization, 22.2 % of the sample was currently taking some type of medication, and 18.5 % currently in counseling/therapy are females and those with higher PHQ-9 scores more likely to be using services. Those endorsing suicidal behavior in the past 2 weeks had significantly higher depression scores than those without such behavior and were characterized by more anxiety, negative emotions (such as loneliness, anger, hopelessness, desperation, and being out of control), substance use, and eating problems. Graduate students experience significant amounts of stress and anxiety, and their suicidal behavior is strongly characterized by depression, hopelessness, desperation, lack of control, and eating problems. Future work with this population should focus on the development and evaluation of mental health and wellness interventions and on ways to promote help-seeking, especially among male

Career Aspirations of Graduate and Postbaccalaureate PharmD Students as Factors Affecting the Supply of Pharmacy Faculty--A National Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, Marvin D.; And Others

1983-01-01

A survey of students in 57 schools of pharmacy investigated career aspirations, reasons for or against choosing an academic career, and the extent to which PharmD enrollments have affected other pharmacy graduate program enrollments. Results suggest pharmacology and pharmacy administration were most likely affected by the advent of PharmD…

Patterns of privilege: A total cohort analysis of admission and academic outcomes for Māori, Pacific and non-Māori non-Pacific health professional students.

Science.gov (United States)

Wikaire, Erena; Curtis, Elana; Cormack, Donna; Jiang, Yannan; McMillan, Louise; Loto, Rob; Reid, Papaarangi

2016-10-07

Tertiary institutions are struggling to ensure equitable academic outcomes for indigenous and ethnic minority students in health professional study. This demonstrates disadvantaging of ethnic minority student groups (whereby Indigenous and ethnic minority students consistently achieve academic outcomes at a lower level when compared to non-ethnic minority students) whilst privileging non-ethnic minority students and has important implications for health workforce and health equity priorities. Understanding the reasons for academic inequities is important to improve institutional performance. This study explores factors that impact on academic success for health professional students by ethnic group. Kaupapa Māori methodology was used to analyse data for 2686 health professional students at the University of Auckland in 2002-2012. Data were summarised for admission variables: school decile, Rank Score, subject credits, Auckland school, type of admission, and bridging programme; and academic outcomes: first-year grade point average (GPA), first-year passed all courses, year 2 - 4 programme GPA, graduated, graduated in the minimum time, and composite completion for Māori, Pacific, and non-Māori non-Pacific (nMnP) students. Statistical tests were used to identify significant differences between the three ethnic groupings. Māori and Pacific students were more likely to attend low decile schools (27 % Māori, 33 % Pacific vs. 5 % nMnP, p workforce and health equity goals, tertiary institution staff should understand the realities and challenges faced by Māori and Pacific students and ensure programme delivery meets the unique needs of these students. Ethnic disparities in academic outcomes show patterns of privilege and should be alarming to tertiary institutions. If institutions are serious about achieving equitable outcomes for Māori and Pacific students, major institutional changes are necessary that ensure the unique needs of Māori and Pacific students

[Effects of Mental Disorders on the Academic Outcomes of University Students--A Retrospective Study Using Medical Records from a Health Services Center].

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Terumi; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Hori, Takafumi; Ishikawa, Masanori; Hatanaka, Kimitaka; Aiba, Miyuki; Asada, Takashi

2015-01-01

Falling behind in class is a serious problem for university students as it can lead to social problems and increase the risk of suicide. Although it is common for students suffering from mental disorders to fall behind academically, there have been few studies investigating the difficulties these students face in order to graduate from university. Therefore, we investigated factors associated with dropping out of school with the purpose of creating a strategy to improve the academic outcomes of students who regularly seek psychiatric consultation. We investigated undergraduate students who received consultation at Tsukuba University's Health Services Center Psychiatry Department and whose academic outcomes between the 2004 and 2013 academic years were known. Academic outcomes were obtained from Tsukuba University's grade management system by permission of the authority. The students were divided into either a graduate or dropout group depending on their academic outcomes. The medical records for both groups were retrospectively investigated, and factors that were predicted to affect academic outcomes were assessed using statistical methods. The dropout group was younger in grade and had a greater severity of illness at initial consultation. Moreover, this group had a greater number of consultation visits, showed less cooperation with the instructor in charge, had a significantly longer duration of social with drawal and temporary leave of absence from school, and had a significantly greater number of students with grade retention. When a time factor was incorporated in the analysis, the presence of grade retention/temporary leave of absence from school and social withdrawal was significantly correlated with dropping out of school. It was revealed that not only the mental disorder itself, but also psychosocial severity and the maladjusted state that occur secondary to such mental disorder influence academic outcomes. These results indicated that in order to improve

The Effect of Keyboard-Based Word Processing on Students with Different Working Memory Capacity during the Process of Academic Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Van Der Steen, Steffie; Samuelson, Dianne; Thomson, Jennifer M.

2017-01-01

This study addresses the current debate about the beneficial effects of text processing software on students with different working memory (WM) during the process of academic writing, especially with regard to the ability to display higher-level conceptual thinking. A total of 54 graduate students (15 male, 39 female) wrote one essay by hand and…

Dialogic Exchanges and the Negotiation of Differences: Female Graduate Students' Experiences of Obstacles Related to Academic Mentoring

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Sharon; Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka

2011-01-01

This study, framed by social constructionism, investigated the dialogic exchanges and co-construction of knowledge among female graduate students, who met to discuss the ways in which the differences between mentors and mentees might be negotiated in order to develop and maintain mentoring relationships that benefit both partners. Ten female…

Grassroots Engagement and the University of Washington: Evaluating Science Communication Training Created by Graduate Students for Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Rohde, J. A.; Clarkson, M.; Houghton, J.; Chen, W.

2016-12-01

Science graduate students increasingly seek science communication training, yet many do not have easy access to training programs. Students often rely on a "do it yourself" approach to gaining communication skills, and student created science communication programs are increasingly found at universities and institutions across the U.S. In 2010, graduate students at the University of Washington led a grassroots effort to improve their own communication and outreach by creating "The Engage Program." With a focus on storytelling and public speaking, this graduate level course not only trains students in science communication but also gives them real world experience practicing that training at a public speaker series at Town Hall Seattle. The Engage Program was fortunate in that it was able to find institutional champions at University of Washington and secure funding to sustain the program over the long-term. However, many grassroots communication programs find it difficult to gain institutional support if there is a perceived lack of alignment with university priorities or lack of return on investment. In order to justify and incentivize institutional support for instruction in science communication, student leaders within the program initiated, designed and carried out an evaluation of their own program focused on assessing the impact of student communication, evaluating the effectiveness of the program in teaching communication skills, and quantifying the benefits of communication training to both the students and their institution. Project leaders created the opportunity for this evaluation by initiating a crowdfunding campaign, which has helped to further engage public support of science communication and incentivized student participation in the program, and may also inspire future program leaders to pursue similar program optimizations.

Graduate Student Library Research Skills: Is Online Instruction Effective?

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Barbara A.

2011-01-01

Graduate students are a significant segment in online instruction programs, yet little is known about how well they learn the necessary library research skills in this increasingly popular mode of distance learning. This pre- and posttest study and citation analysis examined learning and confidence among students in graduate education programs,…

Articulating attrition: Graduate school experiences of female doctoral students in the sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Osburn, Kathryn Ann

2005-07-01

Despite decades of research and reform efforts designed to bolster female retention in scientific disciplines, the conundrum of women's departure from doctoral programs in the sciences remains. This qualitative case study investigated the aspects of the graduate school experience that female doctoral students described as facilitating or impeding their successful degree completion in chemistry. I analyzed the graduate school narratives of twelve female participants who represented both successful and unsuccessful doctoral recipients from four advisors at one university. Participants identified four types of experiences that facilitated their retention in the doctoral program: feeling successful and confident in meeting the program requirements, having positive research experiences, receiving support from social networks, and being dedicated to career goals. Participants cited four kinds of experiences that impeded their continued participation in the doctoral program: having negative research experiences, feeling a lack of success and confidence in meeting the program requirements, changing career goals, and receiving no support from social networks. The graduate school experiences of participants who did and did not successfully attain their degree objectives differed in terms of four dimensions: pre-program experiences, academic experiences, advisory experiences, and social experiences. Based on these findings, I have proposed a model of attrition and retention that emphasizes the role that these unique program experiences play in shaping participants' sense of professional fit within the community of doctoral chemists, consequently contributing to their differential program outcomes. This study not only offers a new perspective on the phenomenon of female doctoral attrition in the sciences but also informs the development of more gender-inclusive graduate science practices and policies that will support the retention of female doctoral students.

Project-based fieldwork: perspectives of graduate entry students and project sponsors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortune, Tracy; McKinstry, Carol

2012-08-01

This article builds on an earlier viewpoint regarding the need for project-focussed fieldwork. It presents the findings of an evaluative study into the value of project placements undertaken by final year graduate entry master's students as part of a capstone subject. The authors argue that provision of project placements enable impending graduates to develop and implement macro level strategies to develop prevention, resource and service development skills often required of contemporary occupational therapy practitioners. A qualitative approach is adopted. Student cohorts from 2005 and 2006 completed open-ended, written questionnaires, and agency project sponsors were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the project placement experience. Despite some concern that project placements might be undertaken at the expense of 'clinical' placements these findings reveal that projects managed by students were perceived by services to add great value enabling them to advance important priorities. Students and sponsors highlighted a range of positive learning outcomes, including the ability to work collaboratively with supervisors and develop advanced communication skills and political acumen. The success of such placements depends on supportive supervision from academic staff. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The findings promote project placements as a highly authentic aspect of work integrated learning enabling learners to draw together a range of attributes that support the ability to manage complex issues that have occupational relevance at a macro level. In addition, such experiences help learners to develop agency and political acumen both increasingly important capabilities for the contemporary workplace. © 2012 The Authors Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2012 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Culture and Climate: Factors That Influence the Academic Success of African American Students in Prelicensure Nursing Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Teri A

2015-12-01

Despite numerous calls to diversify the nursing workforce, little progress has been made in increasing the numbers of African American graduates from prelicensure nursing programs, thus widening the diversity gap in the number of African Americans who enter the RN workforce. An integrative literature review was conducted to determine whether, from the students' perspective, the institutional climate and culture influenced their academic success. Themes of Alienation and Isolation, Persistent Determination, and Difficulty Seeking Help emerged as having an influence on students' academic success. On the basis of this review, professional development programs on topics such as implicit bias, microaggressions, and other unintentional and unconscious behaviors are recommended. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

High energy physicists and graduate students. 1978 census

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1978-11-01

This listing of physicists and students associated with the U.S. high-energy physics program was obtained by asking the research groups, laboratories, and other agencies involved to update previous information. The first part of this volume is an alphabetical listing and includes only the name, rank, and institution of high-energy physicists and graduate students. The second part of the volume is arranged by institution. Within each institution, the faculty (or permanent staff) and the graduate students are presented in separate alphabetical lists. For each person the entry indicates the year and institution of highest degree, rank and institutional affiliation with starting dates, up to three items selected from a list of research specialties, and sources of federal support. For the graduate students, there is also indicated an estimated date for their degree. Where appropriate, a person is listed at more than one institution. Except as noted in the headings, the information is intended to indicate the situation as of January 1, 1978. (RWR)

High energy physicists and graduate students. 1978 census

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-11-01

This listing of physicists and students associated with the U.S. high-energy physics program was obtained by asking the research groups, laboratories, and other agencies involved to update previous information. The first part of this volume is an alphabetical listing and includes only the name, rank, and institution of high-energy physicists and graduate students. The second part of the volume is arranged by institution. Within each institution, the faculty (or permanent staff) and the graduate students are presented in separate alphabetical lists. For each person the entry indicates birthdate, the year and institution of highest degree, rank and institutional affiliation with starting dates, up to three items selected from a list of research specialties, and sources of federal support. For the graduate students, there is also indicated an estimated date for their degree. Where appropriate, a person is listed at more than one institution. Except as noted in the headings, the information is intended to indicate the situation as of January 1, 1978

Graduate Student Project: Employer Operations Management Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Fish, Lynn A.

2008-01-01

Part-time graduate students at an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited college complete a unique project by applying operations management concepts to their current employer. More than 92% of 368 graduates indicated that this experiential project was a positive learning experience, and results show a positive impact on…

Personality, Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Locus of Control and Academic Procrastination Among University Students

OpenAIRE

Yazıcı, Hikmet; Albayrak, Elif; Reisoğlu, Serpil

2016-01-01

There are several variables to determine academic procrastination behavior among university students. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships among big five personality, academic self-efficacy, academic locus of control and academic procrastination. Research group consisted of 885 university students (Female=496, Male=389) in 2012/2013 academic year in Karadeniz Technical University. Results from study indicated that responsibility and amenability subscales of b...

Determinant of Academic Performance of Under Graduate Students: In the Cause of Arba Minch University Chamo Campus

Science.gov (United States)

Yigermal, Moges Endalamaw

2017-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the determinant factors affecting academic performance of regular undergraduate students of Arba Minch University (AMU) Chamo Campus students. The study employed the use of correlation design to establish the nature of the relationships. Data were collected from 100 respondents selected from all the 12…

Optimism, self-efficiency and self-concept: Why some students expect greater academic success than others?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina Bele

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of our research was to examine the relation between academic success and constructs: optimism, self-efficiency, and self-concept. We also wanted to examine how this relation reflects in previous and future marks of fourth-grade highschool students. We predicted that students with higher academic success in specific fields will also have higher specific self-concept, which reflects characteristic competence. We also predicted that more optimistic, more self-efficient students and students with higher self-concept will set up higher future goals, because they see desired goals as attainable and are persistent in reaching their goals. One-hundred students filled in the Self-Description Questionnire III (SDQIII, the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE, and stated marks of their previous grade, present marks (Slovenian language, mathematics, and foreign language and anticipated marks at graduation. The results confirmed our expectations: Students with higher marks on different subjects in previous grade also had higher specific self-concept, and more optimistic and self-efficient students with higher self-concept set up higher future goals.

[The relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic burnout in medical students].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Su Hyun; Jeon, Woo Taek

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between academic burnout and academic self-efficacy in medical students. The study group comprised 446 students in years 1 to 4 of medical school. They were asked to rate their academic burnout and academic self-efficacy on a scale. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance and regression analysis. Academic self-efficacy was correlated negatively with academic burnout explaining 37% of academic burnout. Academic self-efficacy (especially self-confidence) had the greatest effect on academic burnout. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of an evaluation and support system for students.

Effects of comprehensive educational reforms on academic success in a diverse student body.

Science.gov (United States)

Lieberman, Steven A; Ainsworth, Michael A; Asimakis, Gregory K; Thomas, Lauree; Cain, Lisa D; Mancuso, Melodee G; Rabek, Jeffrey P; Zhang, Ni; Frye, Ann W

2010-12-01

Calls for medical curriculum reform and increased student diversity in the USA have seen mixed success: performance outcomes following curriculum revisions have been inconsistent and national matriculation of under-represented minority (URM) students has not met aspirations. Published innovations in curricula, academic support and pipeline programmes usually describe isolated interventions that fail to affect curriculum-level outcomes. United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 performance and graduation rates were analysed for three classes of medical students before (matriculated 1995-1997, n=517) and after (matriculated 2003-2005, n=597) implementing broad-based reforms in our education system. The changes in pipeline recruitment and preparation programmes, instructional methods, assessment systems, academic support and board preparation were based on sound educational principles and best practices. Post-reform classes were diverse with respect to ethnicity (25.8% URM students), gender (51.8% female), and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score (range 20-40; 24.1% scored ≤ 25). Mean±standard deviation MCAT scores were minimally changed (from 27.2±4.7 to 27.8±3.6). The Step 1 failure rate decreased by 69.3% and mean score increased by 14.0 points (effect size: d=0.67) overall. Improvements were greater among women (failure rate decreased by 78.9%, mean score increased by 15.6 points; d=0.76) and URM students (failure rate decreased by 76.5%, mean score increased by 14.6 points; d=0.74), especially African-American students (failure rate decreased by 93.6%, mean score increased by 20.8 points; d=1.12). Step 1 scores increased across the entire MCAT range. Four- and 5-year graduation rates increased by 7.1% and 5.8%, respectively. The effect sizes in these performance improvements surpassed those previously reported for isolated interventions in curriculum and student support. This success is likely to have resulted from the broad

Growing Isolation Frustrates Iranian Academics

Science.gov (United States)

Labi, Aisha

2008-01-01

Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranian graduate students and academics frequently studied or worked in the United States. That year, for example, the 51,300 Iranian students in the United States were the single largest group of foreign students in the country. Many, if not most, Iranian professors received their doctorates from American…

Academic Satisfaction Level and Academic Achievement among Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences: Academic Year 2015-2016

OpenAIRE

Khadijeh Jamshidi; Babak Mohammadi; Zahra Mohammadi; Mohammad Karimi Parviz; Roghayeh Poursaberi; Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi

2017-01-01

Background: Academic satisfaction is considered one of the most important factors affecting academic achievement among students. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between academic satisfaction and academic achievement among students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted with 346 student participants using stratified random sampling. The research instrument included the Student Academic Sa...

Assessment of computer-related health problems among post-graduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Shaheen Akhtar; Sharma, Veena

2013-01-01

The study was conducted to assess computer-related health problems among post-graduate nursing students and to develop a Self Instructional Module for prevention of computer-related health problems in a selected university situated in Delhi. A descriptive survey with co-relational design was adopted. A total of 97 samples were selected from different faculties of Jamia Hamdard by multi stage sampling with systematic random sampling technique. Among post-graduate students, majority of sample subjects had average compliance with computer-related ergonomics principles. As regards computer related health problems, majority of post graduate students had moderate computer-related health problems, Self Instructional Module developed for prevention of computer-related health problems was found to be acceptable by the post-graduate students.

Learning from Success: How Original Research on Academic Resilience Informs What College Faculty Can Do to Increase the Retention of Low Socioeconomic Status Students

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Erik E.

2014-01-01

Utilizing resilience theory and original research conducted on fifty academically resilient low socioeconomic status students of color, this article presents specific objectives and values institutions of higher learning can adopt and emphasize to increase the retention and graduation of their most statistically at-risk students. Major findings…

Transformative Learning Experiences of International Graduate Students from Asian Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Kumi-Yeboah, Alex; James, Waynne

2014-01-01

This article investigates the transformative learning experiences of international graduate students from Asian countries. Data collection consisted of quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants included international graduate students from Asia, in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. Overall, 82.3% of the participants…

Integrating Professional Development into STEM Graduate Programs: Student-Centered Programs for Career Preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Lautz, L.; McCay, D.; Driscoll, C. T.; Glas, R. L.; Gutchess, K. M.; Johnson, A.; Millard, G.

2017-12-01

Recognizing that over half of STEM Ph.D. graduates are finding work outside of academia, a new, NSF-funded program at Syracuse University, EMPOWER (or Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research) is encouraging its graduate students to take ownership of their graduate program and design it to meet their anticipated needs. Launched in 2016, EMPOWER's goal is to prepare graduate students for careers in the water-energy field by offering targeted workshops, professional training coursework, a career capstone experience, a professional development mini-grant program, and an interdisciplinary "foundations" seminar. Through regular student feedback and program evaluation, EMPOWER has learned some important lessons this first year: career options and graduate students' interests are diverse, requiring individualized programs designed to meet the needs of prospective employers and employees; students need exposure to the range of careers in their field to provide a roadmap for designing their own graduate school experience; effective programs nurture a culture that values professional development thereby giving students permission to pursue career paths and professional development opportunities that meet their own needs and interests; and existing university resources support the effective and efficient integration of professional development activities into graduate programs. Many of the positive outcomes experienced by EMPOWER students may be achieved in departmental graduate programs with small changes to their graduate curricula.

Academic performance and personal experience of local, international, and collaborative exchange students enrolled in an Australian pharmacy program.

Science.gov (United States)

Davey, Andrew K; Grant, Gary D; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2013-09-12

To assess the academic performance and experiences of local, international, and collaborative exchange students enrolled in a 4-year Australian bachelor of pharmacy degree program. Survey instruments exploring the demographics, background, and academic and cultural experiences of students during the program were administered in 2005 to students in all 4 years. Additionally, grades from each semester of the program for students (406 local, 70 international, 155 exchange) who graduated between 2002 and 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. The main differences found in the survey responses among the 3 groups were in students' motivations for choosing the degree program and school, with international and collaborative exchange students having put more thought into these decisions than local students. The average grades over the duration of the program were similar in all 3 demographic groups. However, local students slightly outperformed international students, particularly at the start of the year, whereas collaborative exchange students' grades mirrored those of local students during the 2 years prior to leaving their home country of Malaysia but more closely mirrored those of international students in the final 2 years after arriving on campus in Australia. Despite differences in academic backgrounds and culture, international and exchange students can perform well compared to local students in a bachelor of pharmacy program and were actually more satisfied than local students with the overall experience. Studying in a foreign country can negatively influence academic grades to a small extent and this is probably related to adjusting to the new environment.

Study of academic achievements using spatial analysis tools

Science.gov (United States)

González, C.; Velilla, C.; Sánchez-Girón, V.

2012-04-01

In the 2010/12 academic year the College of Agricultural Engineering of the Technical University of Madrid implemented three new degrees all of them adapted to the European Space for Higher Education. These degrees are namely: Graduate in Agricultural Engineering and Science, Graduate in Food Engineering and Graduate in Agro-Environmental Engineering. A total of 382 new incoming students were finally registered and a survey study was carried out with these students about their academic achievement with the aim of finding the level of dependence among the following variables: the final mark in their secondary studies, the option followed in the secondary studies (Art, Science and Technology, and Humanities and Social Sciences), the mark obtained in the entering examination to the university and in which of the two opportunities per year this examination takes place the latter mark was obtained. Similarly, another group of 77 students were evaluated independently to the former group. These students were those entering the College in the previous academic year (2009/10) and decided to change their curricula to the new ones. Subsequently, using the tools of spatial analysis of geographic information systems, we analyzed the possible relationship between the success or failure at school and the socioeconomic profile of new students in a grade. For this purpose every student was referenced assigning UTM coordinates to their postal addresses. Furthermore, all students' secondary schools were geographically coded considering their typology (public, private, and private subsidized) and fares. Each student was represented by its average geometric point in order to be correlated to their respective record. Following this procedure a map of the performance of each student could be drawn. This map can be used as a reference system, as it includes variables as the distance from the student home to the College, that can be used as a tool to calculate the probability of success or

Strategies to Increase Enrollment, Retention, and Graduation Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Talbert, Patricia Y.

2012-01-01

Student retention in postsecondary institutions continues to be a vexing problem, as graduation rates have continued to decline over the last decade. To be a competitive force in the global economy, it is crucial to keep students in school. This research uses a conceptual data model to introduce academic leaders' (N = 104) perspectives to increase…

correlates of course anxiety and academic procrastination in higher

African Journals Online (AJOL)

LUCY

Statistics anxiety and academic procrastination of teacher-participants were measured using the. Statistical Anxiety .... for graduate students in the social sciences. (Onwuegbuzie ... College students report problems with procrastination on ...

EERE Resources for Graduate Students

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-04-01

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a number of resources available for graduate students, including research positions, internships, and career-planning information to help you navigate the education-to-employment pathway in energy.

The Stress and Coping Responses of Certified Graduate Athletic Training Students

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Sarah

2004-01-01

Objective: To assess the sources of stress and coping responses of certified graduate athletic training students. Design and Setting: We interviewed certified graduate athletic training students 3 times over a 9-month period. We transcribed the interviews verbatim and used grounded theory analytic procedures to inductively analyze the participants' sources of stress and coping responses. Subjects: Three male and 3 female certified graduate athletic training students from a postcertification graduate athletic training program volunteered to participate in this investigation. The participants were full-time graduate students, with a mean age of 23 years, who had worked an average of 1.5 years as certified athletic trainers at the time of the first interview. Measurements: We used grounded theory analytic procedures to inductively analyze the participants' sources of stress and coping responses. Results: A total of 6 general sources of stress and 11 coping dimensions were revealed. The stress dimensions were labeled athletic training duties, comparing job duties, responsibilities as student, time management, social evaluation, and future concerns. The coping responses were planning, instrumental social support, adjusting to job responsibilities, positive evaluations, emotional social support, humor, wishful thinking, religion, mental or behavioral disengagement, activities outside the profession, and other outcomes. Conclusions: Certified graduate athletic training students should be encouraged to use problem-focused (eg, seeking advice, planning) and emotion-focused (eg, positive evaluations, humor) forms of coping with stress. PMID:15173872

Educational trajectories of graduate students in physics education research

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dusen, Ben; Barthelemy, Ramón S.; Henderson, Charles

2014-12-01

Physics education research (PER) is a rapidly growing area of PhD specialization. In this article we examine the trajectories that led respondents into a PER graduate program as well as their expected future trajectories. Data were collected in the form of an online survey sent to graduate students in PER. Our findings show a lack of visibility of PER as a field of study, a dominance of work at the undergraduate level, and a mismatch of future desires and expectations. We suggest that greater exposure is needed so PER is known as a field of inquiry for graduates, that more emphasis should be placed on research beyond the undergraduate level, and that there needs to be stronger communication to graduate students about potential careers.

Teaching Graduate Students How To Do Informal Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, S. A.; Crone, W.; Dunwoody, S. L.; Zenner, G.

2011-12-01

One of the most important skills a student needs to develop during their graduate days is the skill of communicating their scientific work with a wide array of audiences. That facility will serve them across audiences, from scientific peers to students to neighbors and the general public. Increasingly, graduate students express a need for training in skills needed to manage diverse communicative environments. In response to that need we have created a course for graduate students in STEM-related fields which provides a structured framework and experiential learning about informal science education. This course seeks to familiarize students with concepts and processes important to communicating science successfully to a variety of audiences. A semester-long course, "Informal Science Education for Scientists: A Practicum," has been co-taught by a scientist/engineer and a social scientist/humanist over several years through the Delta Program in Research, Teaching, & Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The course is project based and understanding audience is stressed throughout the class. Through development and exhibition of the group project, students experience front end, formative and summative evaluation methods. The disciplines of the participating students is broad, but includes students in the geosciences each year. After a brief description of the course and its evolution, we will present assessment and evaluation results from seven different iterations of the course showing significant gains in how informed students felt about evaluation as a tool to determine the effectiveness of their science outreach activities. Significant gains were found in the graduate students' perceptions that they were better qualified to explain a research topic to a lay audience, and in the students' confidence in using and understanding evaluation techniques to determine the effectiveness of communication strategies. There were also increases in the students

Higher Education Support Services and Graduation Rates of Structured Education Program Students

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Hepner, Seth

2017-01-01

The 1st-year retention rate of the Structured Education Program (SEP) is 90%, yet the 6-year graduation rate of SEP students is 29%. The gap between SEP 1st-year retention and graduation rates is the problem that this study addressed. The low graduation rate of SEP students is an important issue because graduation rates are used to measure the…

Measuring the Success of an Academic Development Programme: A Statistical Analysis

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Smith, L. C.

2009-01-01

This study uses statistical analysis to estimate the impact of first-year academic development courses in microeconomics, statistics, accountancy, and information systems, offered by the University of Cape Town's Commerce Academic Development Programme, on students' graduation performance relative to that achieved by mainstream students. The data…

The Relationship of the Supportiveness of the Academic Environment to the Self-Confidence and Assertiveness in Academic Work for Men and Women Graduate Students in Science and Engineering.

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Stansbury, Kendyll

Situational influences on self-confidence and assertiveness in female and male graduate students in science and engineering were studied, based on responses from 328 Stanford University students (155 males and 173 females). Two dependent variables were used: an index of items measuring an individual's self-confidence in the ability to perform…

Nontraditional Student Graduation Rate Benchmarks

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Miller, Nathan B.

2014-01-01

The prominence of discourse on postsecondary degree completion, student persistence, and retention has increased in the national dialogue. Heightened attention to college completion rates by the federal government and pressure to tie state funding to performance metrics associated with graduation rates are catalysts for the discussion.…

Predicting higher education graduation rates from institutional characteristics and resource allocation

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Florence A. Hamrick

2004-05-01

Full Text Available This study incorporated institutional characteristics (e.g., Carnegie type, selectivity and resource allocations (e.g., instructional expenditures, student affairs expenditures into a statistical model to predict undergraduate graduation rates. Instructional expenditures, library expenditures, and a number of institutional classification variables were significant predictors of graduation rates. Based on these results, recommendations as well as warranted cautions are included about allocating academic financial resources to optimize graduation rates

Students' Motivation to Access Academic Advising Services

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Henning, Marcus A.

2009-01-01

The interrelationships between motivation for choosing a program of study, intention to access academic advisors, academic difficulty, and actual appointments with academic advisors were based on student self-reports of motivation and intentions. In addition, academic achievement measures and data on student access to academic advisors were…

Predictors of Graduation among College Students with Disabilities

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Pingry O'Neill, Laura N.; Markward, Martha J.; French, Joshua P.

2012-01-01

This exploratory study determined which set of student characteristics and disability-related services explained graduation success among college students with disabilities. The archived records of 1,289 unidentified students with disabilities in three public universities were examined ex-post-facto to collect demographic data on the students, the…

Perception of BDS students and fresh graduates about significance of professional ethics in dentistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zain, S.A.A.; Sadhan, S.A.R.A.; Ahmedani, M.S.

2014-01-01

Objective: To assess the awareness level of undergraduate dentistry students as well as fresh graduates about the significance of professional ethics. Methods: The cross sectional study was conducted among the 3rd, 4th and final year male and female BDS students as well as fresh graduate Interns from the College of Dentistry, King Saud University from January to June 2011. The students were asked to give their opinion about need for applications of professional ethics in dental practice on a five point Likert Scale varying from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Minitab statistical software was used for data analysis. Results: Students at all levels considered professional ethics a very important prerequisite for dental practice with overall mean value of 4.42+-0.36. However, the responses from the senior academic levels were significantly on the higher side compared to those from the junior grades. Generally the religious teachings and spirituality was considered as one of the top most motives for practicing professional ethics in dentistry followed by reputation, financial benefits, fear of punishment and self projection, with overall mean values of 3.93+-0.58, 3.81+-0.49, 3.25+-0.94, 3.21+-1.07 and 3.16+-1.04, respectively. Conclusion: The present findings revealed that Professional Ethics is appreciated by the students as a highly significant factor for their success in dental practice as well as acquiring a good name and position in the society. (author)

[Factors associated with academic success of medical students at Buenos Aires University].

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Borracci, Raúl A; Pittaluga, Roberto D; Álvarez Rodríguez, Juan E; Arribalzaga, Eduardo B; Poveda Camargo, Ricardo L; Couto, Juan L; Provenzano, Sergio L

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify common factors relating to the academic success of medical students who were distinguished with honors at the Buenos Aires University. In 2011, 142 graduates were surveyed; the questionnaire included 59 questions on their sociodemographic environment, living conditions and social integration, motivation to study, learning capacity and health quality during their career. Compared to other students, these distinguished students more often lived in the city, far from their families; had been educated at private or universitary high schools, their economic needs were financed by their parents, who were on the whole professionals. Most of them were single and childless. The possibility of future employment oportunities (work) did not influence their choice of a medical career, academic success was important to them and they believed that success depended largely on personal effort; they knew how to handle anxiety, were sociable but independent and preferred solid experience to abstract conceptuality in order to obtain information. Our conclusion, within the current system of candidate selection, these results serve to calculate the covert self-selection mechanisms during the career, or in a more restrictive regime, to select those likely to reach academic success due to their privileged ambience. The analysis of demographic factors indicates some degree of inequality for socially disadvantaged students. Perhaps, a selection system based only on intellectual abilities would help identify and support the best candidates regardless of their social context.

Comparative Analysis of Rote Learning on High and Low Achievers in Graduate and Undergraduate Programs

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Ambreen Ahmed

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A survey was conducted to study the preferred learning strategies; that is, surface learning or deep learning of undergraduate and graduate male and female students and the impact of the preferred strategy on their academic performance. Both learning strategies help university students to get good scores in their examinations to meet the demands of industry in workforce. Quantitative research method was used to determine the impact of learning strategy on academic achievements. The R-SPQ2F questionnaire was sent to 103 students through Google forms and hard copies through snowball sampling technique. The results show that rote learning and academic performance are inversely related to each other. In high achievers, deep learning is significant as compared to low achievers. Furthermore, comparative analysis of learning styles on males and females showed that both preferred deep learning strategy equally. Learning strategy is not related to education level of students because there is no difference among preferred learning strategies of graduate and undergraduate students.

Virtually Stress Free: Keeping Online Graduate Management Students Healthy from Afar

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Martinak, M. Linda

2012-01-01

This article examines stress experienced by graduate management students in an online learning environment. I use qualitative methodology to examine data collected from 32 students in 2 sections of a graduate online course. Findings identify 6 categories of stressors experienced by the students as well as 6 categories of stress relief agents.…

Student self-esteem and academic achievement

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Milošević Nikoleta M.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available There is a growing belief that academic achievement is the product of a complex network of teacher-student relations, where the identity of successful and unsuccessful student is developing with high, moderate or low self-esteem level. Self-esteem is most often defined as a conscious cognitive-affective expression of self-evaluation which is one of the most immediate indicators of self-concept integration degree. A number of authors view high self-esteem level as an important prerequisite for high academic achievement. In contrast, academic achievement and other experiences related to teaching and learning are considered to exert significant influence on self-esteem and a student should be successful at school first so as to develop a positive self-image and his academic abilities. The debate on what comes first - self-esteem or academic achievement - is in its character more academic than practical. This claim is supported by an increasing number of studies indicating the dynamism and reciprocity of correlation between academic achievement and self-esteem. The paper gives recommendations for educational practice to promote self-esteem and development of personal and social responsibility, which contributes to better student academic achievement. It is pointed out that teacher education in the field is necessary and that self-esteem and responsibility must become essential segments of curricula. Teacher is expected to become sensitive to the needs of students who are at risk to be unsuccessful and to largely apply cooperative learning methods. Findings demonstrate that cooperative learning either sustain or increase student self-esteem, whereas traditional teaching methods, in general, lead to its decline. Cooperative relations improve student self-image in respect of academic abilities and social interactions. Positive feedback, peer support, more frequent experience of learning achievement leads mainly to general increase in self-esteem and

Evaluating a Psychology Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program

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Fleck, Christina; Mullins, Morell E.

2012-01-01

Research on mentoring outcomes and characteristics of various types of mentoring programs in different settings is limited. The present study sampled 39 graduate students at a small Midwestern university to evaluate peer mentoring in a graduate school setting. Mentoring function and outcome relationships as well as program characteristics were…

Explaining the Relationship between the Identification of Academics with Self-Leadership: A Study of MBA Graduates

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Baxter, Matthew Jack

2016-01-01

How master of business administration (MBA) graduates influence themselves to achieve their objectives in their careers can be linked to how well they identified with academics throughout their education. It is important that scholars understand this relationship between academic and career performance. The ability to self-regulate, self-motivate,…

Academic Students' Attitudes toward Students with Learning Disabilities

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Gonen, Ayala; Grinberg, Keren

2016-01-01

Background: Learning disabilities (LD) are lifelong disabilities that affect all facets of a person's life. Aim: Identifying the relationship between academic students' attitudes toward learning disability, self-image, and selected factors. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 213 students from an academic center in Israel. Two different…

The Determinants of Academic Performance of under Graduate Students: In the Case of Arba Minch University Chamo Campus

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Yigermal, Moges Endalamaw

2017-01-01

The main objective of the paper is to investigate the determinant factors affecting the academic performance of regular undergraduate students of Arba Minch university (AMU) chamo campus students. To meet the objective, the Pearson product moment correlation statistical tool and econometrics data analysis (OLS regression) method were used with the…

STEm Minority Graduate Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nicholas, Kaen E

2012-09-20

ABSTRACT The state of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the United States has seen some unfavorable assessments over the past decade. In early February, 2010 the House of Representatives heard testimony on undergraduate and graduate education. The message from the panel, which included experts from academia, STEM-based industries, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) was dire and required an urgent response. The experts along with the committee's chairperson, U. S. Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) cited that the complexity of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics applications and coursework and the methodology utilized to teach these subjects are forcing students out of these disciplines. As the National Academies described in its 2007 report Rising Above the Gathering Storm, successful STEM education is not just an academic pursuit it's a necessity for competing in the knowledge-based economy that the United States had a key role in creating. The potential for action is being made available again as the America COMPETES Act of 2007 is up for reauthorization. Its initial focus was on STEM education at the K-12 levels, but efforts at the undergraduate and graduate levels are needed to retain students to fill the jobs left vacant as baby boomers retire. The Educational Advancement Alliance, Inc. (EAA) has for two decades created programs that have not only addressed the issues of ensuring that students are aptly prepared for college but have focused its efforts over the past decade on increasing the number of students who pursue degrees in STEM disciplines. For the EAA, the introduction of the wonders of science begins at the elementary and middle school level via the Learning Lab, a state-of-the-art mobile science laboratory that visits students in grades 4-6 at the various schools throughout Philadelphia and The Math/Tech Academy which meets on Saturdays for students in grades 5-7. For the past two years

Authorship Policies for the Conduct of Graduate Research in Puerto Rico

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Mulero-Portela, Ana L.; Colon-Santaella, Carmen L.; Bonet-Rivera, Ivette

2011-01-01

Authorship credit is one of the areas addressed by research integrity. Policies established by graduate academic programs and academic institutions in Puerto Rico are analyzed by describing authorship principles included. Twenty-six percent of the policies specify that students are authors of their research work. Four percent of the policies…

A comparative study on undergraduate students' academic motivation and academic self-concept.

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Isiksal, Mine

2010-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate Turkish and American undergraduate students' academic motivation and academic self-concept scores regarding the years that they spent in university. The analysis was based on 566 (284 Turkish, 282 American) undergraduate students where, Academic Motivation Scale and Academic Self-Concept Scale were used as measuring instruments. The results showed that there was a statistical significant effect of nationality and number of years spent in university on undergraduate students' intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and self-concept scores. Turkish students had higher intrinsic scores whereas American students had higher extrinsic scores and more positive academic-self concept compared to Turkish partners. Regarding grade level, senior students from both cultures had higher intrinsic motivation and academic self-concept scores compared to other grade levels. In terms of extrinsic motivation, there is steady decline in American students' scores as grade level increases. On the other hand, Turkish undergraduates' extrinsic scores decrease in the second year but increase in the third and fourth year of university education. Results were discussed by taking into consideration the social and cultural differences between two nations.

Persistence to Graduation for Students with Disabilities: Implications for Performance-Based Outcomes

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Knight, William; Wessel, Roger D.; Markle, Larry

2018-01-01

The study sought to determine whether students with disabilities are disadvantaged because of state and institutional performance-based policies providing incentives for 4-year graduation. In a longitudinal study of 32,187 students at a Midwestern Research University, the retention and graduation rates, and mean years to graduation, of students…

Student and recent graduate employment opportunities

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,

2016-08-30

As an unbiased, multidisciplinary science organization, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is dedicated to the timely, relevant, and impartial study of the health of our ecosystems and environment, our natural resources, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the natural hazards that affect our lives. Opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, to participate in USGS science are available in the selected programs described in this publication. Please note: U.S. citizenship is required for all government positions.

High energy physicists and graduate students: 1981 census

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-02-01

This listing of physicists and students associated with the US high energy physics program has been compiled in the Division of High Energy Physics of the Office of Energy Research of the US Department of Energy. This listing has been obtained by asking the research groups, laboratories, and other agencies involved to update previous information. This volume is in two parts. The first part is an alphabetical listing and includes only the name, rank, and institution of high energy physicists and graduate students. The second part of the volume is arranged by institution. Within each institution, the faculty (or permanent staff) and the graduate students are presented in separate alphabetical lists. For each person the entry indicates their birthdate, the year and institution of their highest degree, their rank and institutional affiliation with starting dates, up to three items selected from a list of research specialties, and their sources of federal support. For the graduate students, there is also indicated an estimated date for their degree. Where appropriate, a person is listed at more than one institution. Except as noted in the headings, the information is intended to indicate the situation as of January 1, 1981

Psychological Comparisons of Undergraduate and Graduate College of Education Students

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Illovsky, Michael E.

2010-01-01

This is a study of 57 graduate students and 229 undergraduate students in classes preparing them to be teachers. The survey extended over a period of five years, involving 14 classes in a college of education. Using the Personality Research Form scales to compare the psychological aspects of undergraduate and graduate college of education…

Navigating graduate school and beyond: A career guide for graduate students and a must read for every advisor

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Schultz, Colin

2012-05-01

Beginning his scientific career as an engineering student at PSG College of Technology, in Coimbatore, India, Sundar A. Christopher has negotiated and navigated the higher-education system to become the chairman of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Drawing on his own experiences and on insights gleaned from the students who have passed through his graduate-level professional development course, Christopher takes a lighthearted look at peer review, proposal writing, managing budgets, and making the most of conferences in the AGU bookNavigating Graduate School and Beyond: A Career Guide for Graduate Students and a Must Read for Every Advisor. In this interview, Eos speaks to Christopher about overcoming the bureaucratic, logistical, and personal hurdles that too often lead students to disillusionment and conflict.

Concerns of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Graduate Students.

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Smith, Jan

1995-01-01

Examines the special needs fomented by sexual orientation when considering graduate education and access to the academic job market. Offers information on terms and definitions regarding sexual orientation, cultural influences, the relationship between one's personal and professional life, institutional policy, coming out, faculty-student…

An Examination of the Influence of Self Efficacy, Locus of Control, and Perceptions of Parent Involvement on Academic Achievement of Urban High School Students

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Myree, Claudia

2011-01-01

Current research indicates that there is an on-going concern for the graduation rate of African American students in urban settings. This particular study sought to investigate the impact of students' self-efficacy, locus of control, and parental involvement on academic achievement via a targeted sample of urban African American high school…

Academics' perceptions of the use and relevance of software in quantitative and financial disciplines

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Kyng, Timothy; Tickle, Leonie; Wood, Leigh

2013-03-01

Software may be used in university teaching both to enhance student learning of discipline-content knowledge and skills, and to equip students with capabilities that will be useful in their future careers. Although research has indicated that software may be used as an effective way of engaging students and enhancing learning in certain scenarios, relatively little is known about academic practices with regard to the use of software more generally or about the extent to which this software is subsequently used by graduates in the workplace. This article reports on the results of a survey of academics in quantitative and financial disciplines, which is part of a broader study also encompassing recent graduates and employers. Results indicate that a variety of software packages are in widespread use in university programmes in quantitative and financial disciplines. Most surveyed academics believe that the use of software enhances learning and enables students to solve otherwise intractable problems. A majority also rate spreadsheet skills in particular as very important for the employability of graduates. A better understanding of the use of software in university teaching points the way to how curricula can be revised to enhance learning and prepare graduates for professional work.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PRACTICE OF TOLERANCE, SOLIDARITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF STUDENTS FROM NORMAL RURAL SCHOOL "RICARDO FLORES MAGON"

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Cintya Arely Hernández-López

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The Rural School “Ricardo Flores Magon” is concerned about providing an education that contributes to the integral formation of its students, with the intention that they will graduate with the skills needed to enter the labor and social world, for it is required to acquire values that contribute of the significantly way to consolidate the graduate profile. The quantitative method was used in this research; It focuses on the type of non-experimental design; the sample was probabilistic, 90 students of the Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Among the results it highlighted that students who practice more often the values of responsibility, solidarity and tolerance obtain higher academic achievement than those of their classmates.

Too Many PhD Graduates or Too Few Academic Job Openings: The Basic Reproductive Number R0 in Academia.

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Larson, Richard C; Ghaffarzadegan, Navid; Xue, Yi

2014-01-01

The academic job market has become increasingly competitive for PhD graduates. In this note, we ask the basic question of 'Are we producing more PhDs than needed?' We take a systems approach and offer a 'birth rate' perspective: professors graduate PhDs who later become professors themselves, an analogue to how a population grows. We show that the reproduction rate in academia is very high. For example, in engineering, a professor in the US graduates 7.8 new PhDs during his/her whole career on average, and only one of these graduates can replace the professor's position. This implies that in a steady state, only 12.8% of PhD graduates can attain academic positions in the USA. The key insight is that the system in many places is saturated, far beyond capacity to absorb new PhDs in academia at the rates that they are being produced. Based on the analysis, we discuss policy implications.

Culturing Reality: How Organic Chemistry Graduate Students Develop into Practitioners

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Bhattacharyya, Gautam; Bodner, George M.

2014-01-01

Although one of the presumed aims of graduate training programs is to help students develop into practitioners of their chosen fields, very little is known about how this transition occurs. In the course of studying how graduate students learn to solve organic synthesis problems, we were able to identify some of the key factors in the epistemic…

The bench vs. the blackboard: learning to teach during graduate school.

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Ciaccia, Laura

2011-09-01

Many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate students travel through the academic career pipeline without ever learning how to teach effectively, an oversight that negatively affects the quality of undergraduate science education and cheats trainees of valuable professional development. This article argues that all STEM graduate students and postdoctoral fellows should undergo training in teaching to strengthen their resumes, polish their oral presentation skills, and improve STEM teaching at the undergraduate level. Though this may seem like a large undertaking, the author outlines a three-step process that allows busy scientists to fit pedagogical training into their research schedules in order to make a significant investment both in their academic career and in the continuing improvement of science education. Copyright © 2011.

It is not known the impact or implications of a study skills class and its effect on high school students in relation to performance on math and science Georgia High School Graduation Test

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Mary E.

The Georgia State Board of Education has put in place requirements that high school students must meet in order to advance to a higher grade level and to achieve credits for graduation. Georgia requires all ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders to take an end-of-course test after completing class time for academic core subjects. The student's final grade in the end-of-course test course will be calculated using the course grade as 85% and the end-of-course test score as 15%. The student must have a final course grade of 70 or above to pass the course and to earn credit toward graduation. Students in Georgia are required to take the Georgia High School Graduation Test. The tests consist of five parts, writing, math, science, social studies and language arts. Students must make a minimum score of 500 which indicates the student was proficient in mastering the objectives for that particular section of the test. Not all students finish high school in four years due to obstacles that occur. Tutorial sessions are provided for those that wish to participate. High schools may offer study skills classes for students that need extra help in focusing their attention on academic courses. Study skill courses provide the student with techniques that he or she may find useful in organizing thoughts and procedures that direct the student towards success.

Effective Instructor Feedback: Perceptions of Online Graduate Students

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Beverley Getzlaf

2009-07-01

Full Text Available This descriptive study explored online graduate students' perceptions of effective instructor feedback. The objectives of the study were to determine the students’ perceptions of the content of effective instructor feedback (“what should be included in effective feedback?” and the process of effective instructor feedback (“how should effective feedback be provided?”. The participants were students completing health-related graduate courses offered exclusively online. Data were collected via a survey that included open ended questions inviting participants to share their perspectives regarding effective online instructor feedback. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes: student involvement/individualization, gentle guidance, being positively constructive, timeliness and future orientation. We conclude that effective instructor feedback has positive outcomes for the students. Future studies are warranted to investigate strategies to make feedback a mutual process between instructor and student that supports an effective feedback cycle.

The graduate entry generation: a qualitative study exploring the factors influencing the career expectations and aspirations of a graduating cohort of graduate entry dental students in one London institution.

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Newton, Paul; Cabot, Lyndon; Wilson, Nairn H F; Gallagher, Jennifer E

2011-09-24

Dentistry in the UK has a number of new graduate-entry programmes. The aim of the study was to explore the motivation, career expectations and experiences of final year students who chose to pursue a dental career through the graduate entry programme route in one institution; and to explore if, and how, their intended career expectations and aspirations were informed by this choice. In-depth interviews of 14 graduate entry students in their final year of study. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. There were three categories of factors influencing students' choice to study dentistry through graduate entry: 'push', 'pull' and 'mediating'. Mediating factors related to students' personal concerns and circumstances, whereas push and pull factors related to features of their previous and future careers and wider social factors. Routes to Graduate Entry study comprised: 'early career changers', 'established career changers' and those pursuing 'routes to specialisation'. These routes also influenced the students' practice of dentistry, as students integrated skills in their dental studies, and encountered new challenges.Factors which students believed would influence their future careers included: vocational training; opportunities for specialisation or developing special interests and policy-related issues, together with wider professional and social concerns.The graduate entry programme was considered 'hard work' but a quick route to a professional career which had much to offer. Students' felt more could have been made of their pre-dental studies and/or experience during the programme. Factors perceived as influencing students' future contribution to dentistry included personal and social influences. Overall there was strong support for the values of the NHS and 'giving back' to the system in their future career. Graduate entry students appear to be motivated to enter dentistry by a range of factors which suit their preferences and

The graduate entry generation: a qualitative study exploring the factors influencing the career expectations and aspirations of a graduating cohort of graduate entry dental students in one London institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson Nairn HF

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dentistry in the UK has a number of new graduate-entry programmes. The aim of the study was to explore the motivation, career expectations and experiences of final year students who chose to pursue a dental career through the graduate entry programme route in one institution; and to explore if, and how, their intended career expectations and aspirations were informed by this choice. Method In-depth interviews of 14 graduate entry students in their final year of study. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. Results There were three categories of factors influencing students' choice to study dentistry through graduate entry: 'push', 'pull' and 'mediating'. Mediating factors related to students' personal concerns and circumstances, whereas push and pull factors related to features of their previous and future careers and wider social factors. Routes to Graduate Entry study comprised: 'early career changers', 'established career changers' and those pursuing 'routes to specialisation'. These routes also influenced the students' practice of dentistry, as students integrated skills in their dental studies, and encountered new challenges. Factors which students believed would influence their future careers included: vocational training; opportunities for specialisation or developing special interests and policy-related issues, together with wider professional and social concerns. The graduate entry programme was considered 'hard work' but a quick route to a professional career which had much to offer. Students' felt more could have been made of their pre-dental studies and/or experience during the programme. Factors perceived as influencing students' future contribution to dentistry included personal and social influences. Overall there was strong support for the values of the NHS and 'giving back' to the system in their future career. Conclusion Graduate entry students appear to be motivated to enter

The graduate entry generation: a qualitative study exploring the factors influencing the career expectations and aspirations of a graduating cohort of graduate entry dental students in one London institution

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Dentistry in the UK has a number of new graduate-entry programmes. The aim of the study was to explore the motivation, career expectations and experiences of final year students who chose to pursue a dental career through the graduate entry programme route in one institution; and to explore if, and how, their intended career expectations and aspirations were informed by this choice. Method In-depth interviews of 14 graduate entry students in their final year of study. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. Results There were three categories of factors influencing students' choice to study dentistry through graduate entry: 'push', 'pull' and 'mediating'. Mediating factors related to students' personal concerns and circumstances, whereas push and pull factors related to features of their previous and future careers and wider social factors. Routes to Graduate Entry study comprised: 'early career changers', 'established career changers' and those pursuing 'routes to specialisation'. These routes also influenced the students' practice of dentistry, as students integrated skills in their dental studies, and encountered new challenges. Factors which students believed would influence their future careers included: vocational training; opportunities for specialisation or developing special interests and policy-related issues, together with wider professional and social concerns. The graduate entry programme was considered 'hard work' but a quick route to a professional career which had much to offer. Students' felt more could have been made of their pre-dental studies and/or experience during the programme. Factors perceived as influencing students' future contribution to dentistry included personal and social influences. Overall there was strong support for the values of the NHS and 'giving back' to the system in their future career. Conclusion Graduate entry students appear to be motivated to enter dentistry by a range of

Student Scientific Conference 2000. Abstracts of papers of students and post-graduate students

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilias, M.

2000-04-01

The aim of the Student Scientific Conference was review of works of students and post-graduate students from universities of the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic. The proceedings of the conference contain 43 abstracts of Biological Section, 69 abstracts of Chemical Section, 18 abstracts of Environmental Section, 15 abstracts of Geography and Cartography Section, and 31 abstracts of Geology Section

Graduate Physics Education Adding Industrial Culture and Methods to a Traditional Graduate Physics Department

Science.gov (United States)

Vickers, Ken

2005-03-01

The education and training of the workforce needed to assure global competitiveness of American industry in high technology areas, along with the proper role of various disciplines in that educational process, is currently being re-examined. Several academic areas in science and engineering have reported results from such studies that revealed several broad themes of educational need that span and cross the boundaries of science and engineering. They included greater attention to and the development of team-building skills, personal or interactive skills, creative ability, and a business or entrepreneurial where-with-all. We will report in this paper the results of a fall 2000 Department of Education FIPSE grant to implement changes in its graduate physics program to address these issues. The proposal goal was to produce next-generation physics graduate students that are trained to evaluate and overcome complex technical problems by their participation in courses emphasizing the commercialization of technology research. To produce next-generation physics graduates who have learned to work with their student colleagues for their mutual success in an industrial-like group setting. And finally, to produce graduates who can lead interdisciplinary groups in solving complex problems in their career field.

Motivation and academic achievement in medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefy, Alireza; Ghassemi, Gholamreza; Firouznia, Samaneh

2012-01-01

Despite their ascribed intellectual ability and achieved academic pursuits, medical students' academic achievement is influenced by motivation. This study is an endeavor to examine the role of motivation in the academic achievement of medical students. In this cross-sectional correlational study, out of the total 422 medical students, from 4th to final year during the academic year 2007-2008, at School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 344 participated in completion of the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM), comprising 43 items and measuring eight aspects of motivation. The gold standard for academic achievement was their average academic marks at pre-clinical and clinical levels. Data were computer analyzed by running a couple of descriptive and analytical tests including Pearson Correlation and Student's t-student. Higher motivation scores in areas of competition, effort, social concern, and task were accompanied by higher average marks at pre-clinical as well as clinical levels. However, the latter ones showed greater motivation for social power as compared to the former group. Task and competition motivation for boys was higher than for girls. In view of our observations, students' academic achievement requires coordination and interaction between different aspects of motivation.

Promoting Academic Physicists, Their Students, and Their Research through Library Partnerships

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Rozum, B.; Wesolek, A.

2012-12-01

At many institutions, attracting and mentoring quality students is of key importance. Through their developing careers, typically under the tutelage of one primary faculty member, students build portfolios, prepare for graduate school, and apply to post-doc programs or faculty positions. Often though, the corpus of that primary faculty member's work is not available in a single location. This is a disadvantage both for current students, who wish to highlight the importance of their work within the context of a research group and for the department, which can miss opportunities to attract high-quality future students. Utah State University Libraries hosts a thriving institutional repository, DigitalCommons@USU, which provides open access to scholarly works, research, reports, publications, and journals produced by Utah State University faculty, staff, and students. The Library and the Physics Department developed a partnership to transcend traditional library repository architecture and emphasize faculty research groups within the department. Previously, only student theses and dissertations were collected, and they were not associated with the department in any way. Now student presentations, papers, and posters appear with other faculty works all in the same research work space. This poster session highlights the features of the University's repository and describes what is required to establish a similar structure at other academic institutions. We anticipate several long-term benefits of this new structure. Students are pleased with the increased visibility of their research and with having an online presence through their "Selected Works" personal author site. Faculty are pleased with the opportunity to highlight their research and the potential to attract new students to their research groups. This new repository model also allows the library to amplify the existing scientific outreach initiatives of the physics department. One example of this is a recent

Evaluation of a High-Engagement Teaching Program for STEM Graduate Students: Outcomes of the Future Academic Scholars in Teaching (FAST) Fellowship Program

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Prevost, Luanna B.; Vergara, Claudia E.; Urban-Lurain, Mark; Campa, Henry, III.

2018-01-01

Higher education institutions prepare future faculty members for multiple roles, including teaching. However, teaching professional development programs for graduate students vary widely. We present evaluation data from a high engagement program for STEM doctoral students. We analyzed the impact on three cohorts of participants over three academic…

Measuring the success of an academic development programme: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study uses statistical analysis to estimate the impact of first-year academic development courses in microeconomics, statistics, accountancy, and information systems, offered by the University of Cape Town's Commerce Academic Development Programme, on students' graduation performance relative to that achieved ...

The Impact of Prematriculation Admission Characteristics on Graduation Rates in an Accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

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Steinberg, Michael; Morin, Anna K

2015-10-25

Objective. To evaluate the impact of admission characteristics on graduation in an accelerated doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program. Methods. Selected prematriculation characteristics of students entering the graduation class years of 2009-2012 on the Worcester and Manchester campuses of MCPHS University were analyzed and compared for on-time graduation. Results. Eighty-two percent of evaluated students (699 of 852) graduated on time. Students who were most likely to graduate on-time attended a 4-year school, previously earned a bachelor's degree, had an overall prematriculation grade point average (GPA) greater than or equal to 3.6, and graduated in the spring just prior to matriculating to the university. Factors that reduced the likelihood of graduating on time were also identified. Work experience had a marginal impact on graduating on time. Conclusion. Although there is no certainty in college admission decisions, prematriculation characteristics can help predict the likelihood for academic success of students in an accelerated PharmD program.

Could Learning Outcomes of the First Course in Accounting Predict Overall Academic Performance?

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Alanzi, Khalid A.; Alfraih, Mishari M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to question whether learning outcomes of the first course in accounting could predict the overall academic performance of accounting students as measured by their graduating grade point average (GPA). Design/methodology/approach The sample of the present study was drawn from accounting students who were graduated during…

The Oregon Applied Academics Project: Final Report

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Pearson, Donna; Richardson, George B.; Sawyer, Jennifer M.

2013-01-01

This report contains the findings of the Oregon Applied Academics research and development project which spanned three academic years from 2010 through 2013. The overall purpose of the project was to develop and implement a technical math course that would meet graduation requirements and improve student performance. The State of Oregon has been…

Effectiveness of the Sexual Attitude Restructuring Curriculum amongst Taiwanese Graduate Students

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Lin, Yi-Li; Lin, Yen-Chin

2018-01-01

This article discusses the effectiveness of the Sexual Attitude Restructuring (SAR) curriculum in developing positive sexual attitudes amongst Taiwanese graduate students in human sexuality. Through purposive sampling, 32 graduate students in human sexuality were selected to participate in the study. Before and after providing participants with a…

Intuitive expertise in ICT graduate supervision

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Jill Jameson

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Intuitive expertise in the application of advanced interdisciplinary facilitation is the subject of this personal reflection on the graduate supervisory style of Professor David Squires in computers in education. This single-case reflective study examines the characteristics of effective supervision observed during masters and doctoral supervision at King's College in the years 1990-9. Interdisciplinarity in ICT graduate studies particularly requires a fluency of supervisory expertise in enabling supervisees to combine multiple complex perspectives from a number of fields of knowledge. Intuitive combinatory aspects of supervision are highlighted in this reflection on the role carried out by an academic expert in facilitating student success. This is examined from a perspective incorporating affective as well as intellectual elements, informed by characteristics identified in professional sports and performing arts coaching/mentoring. Key characteristics comprising a model of intuitive expertise in ICT graduate supervision were outlined. The resultant portrait aims to complement existing literature on graduate supervision, with reference to the field of ICTI computers in education relating to student hypermedia composition.

Factors contributing to academic achievement: a Bayesian structure equation modelling study

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Payandeh Najafabadi, Amir T.; Omidi Najafabadi, Maryam; Farid-Rohani, Mohammad Reza

2013-06-01

In Iran, high school graduates enter university after taking a very difficult entrance exam called the Konkoor. Therefore, only the top-performing students are admitted by universities to continue their bachelor's education in statistics. Surprisingly, statistically, most of such students fall into the following categories: (1) do not succeed in their education despite their excellent performance on the Konkoor and in high school; (2) graduate with a grade point average (GPA) that is considerably lower than their high school GPA; (3) continue their master's education in majors other than statistics and (4) try to find jobs unrelated to statistics. This article employs the well-known and powerful statistical technique, the Bayesian structural equation modelling (SEM), to study the academic success of recent graduates who have studied statistics at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. This research: (i) considered academic success as a latent variable, which was measured by GPA and other academic success (see below) of students in the target population; (ii) employed the Bayesian SEM, which works properly for small sample sizes and ordinal variables; (iii), which is taken from the literature, developed five main factors that affected academic success and (iv) considered several standard psychological tests and measured characteristics such as 'self-esteem' and 'anxiety'. We then study the impact of such factors on the academic success of the target population. Six factors that positively impact student academic success were identified in the following order of relative impact (from greatest to least): 'Teaching-Evaluation', 'Learner', 'Environment', 'Family', 'Curriculum' and 'Teaching Knowledge'. Particularly, influential variables within each factor have also been noted.

Student Dropout at the Hellenic Open University: Evaluation of the Graduate Program, "Studies in Education"

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Dimitris Vergidis

2002-10-01

Full Text Available This study traces the root causes of dropout rates in one post-graduate course “Studies in Education,” offered by the Hellenic Open University (HOU. From our research findings, it was found that the main cause of dropping out stem from a combination of adult learners’ obligations, specifically balancing their academic workload with their employment commitments and family obligations (mainly for female students. The second reason for dropout rates among adult distance education learners include students’ miscalculation of the available time for studying and their underestimation of the extra effort required for effective learning. These reasons can be compared to the educational material, which, in general, was not considered overly difficult and did not appear to compel students to abandon their studies.

Correlation among academic stress, academic burnout, and academic performance in nursing and paramedic students of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Iran

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hamid Asayesh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Learning is a stressful experience of human life; reduced adaption to stressors causes academic burnout which is a reason for academic failure among students. This study investigated the correlation among academic stress, academic burnout, and academic performance in nursing and paramedic students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 264 nursing and paramedic students were randomly selected. Demographic characteristics checklist, academic burnout questionnaire, and academic stress scale were used to gather data, and grade point average was considered to be the indicator of academic performance. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The level of significance was considered to be p<0.05. Results: The mean score for students' academic burnout was 28.52±15.84. Univariate regression analysis showed that the students' employment, years of education, academic performance, and all academic stress subscales had a significant correlation with academic burnout. According to multivariate regression analysis, having a field of study-related occupation was a protective factor and academic stress a risk factor for academic burnout. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that a large proportion of students experienced academic burnout, and students with higher levels of stress experienced more severe academic burnout and had poorer performance. Therefore, training ways to cope with stress can cause reduction in academic burnout and improvement of performance.

Student Mentors' benefits in the Higher European Education: Academic Orientation

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Medina-Rojas, S.; Gónzlez-Tirados, R. M.; Sánchez, M. E.; Paz-Ferreiro, J.; Saa-Requejo, A.; Gascó, G.; Moratiel, R.; Fabregat, J.; Antón, J. M.; Andina, D.; Tarquis, A. M.

2012-04-01

For several years the Spanish University has been experiencing changes that affect not only the educational area but also innovation and investigation in the classroom. In this sense, we carried out a first step in a senior student mentor project in order to facilitate adaptation of the new students, providing information, advice and guidance on different academic and social aspects. Here, we understand mentoring (including e-mentoring) as a relationship between a more senior student (mentor) and a few junior lesser experienced students (mentees). Mentoring is intended to develop and grow the skills, knowledge, confidence, and cultural understanding of the mentees aiming to help them succeed. Consequently, this work arises from our concern about studentś need. A test has been designed to assess studentś interest in the three fundamental aspects of mentoring: academic, social and administrative orientation. The test involved 16 questions related to these three different aspects on mentoring, evaluating each question from 1 (none) to 4 (totally). Surveys have been conducted on this topic at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) with students on different levels and modules of degrees in Agricultural Engineering. The same activity has been applied to the new degrees that have started last course (2010-11) in the Bologna Plan's requirements and will replace the precedents progressively. We have analyzed the answers considering sex, age, course and attitude to participate in the mentoring project. Several discussions are presented based on these results. Acknowledgements Funding provided by CEIGRAM (Research Centre for the Management of Agricultural and Environmental Risks) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) through Educational Innovation Project is greatly appreciated. Educational Innovation Project: "Training of senior students as mentors in different subjects of undergraduate and graduate degrees at ETSI Agrónomos"

Successful Graduate Students: The Roles of Personality Traits and Emotional Intelligence

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Grehan, Patrick M.; Flanagan, Rosemary; Malgady, Robert G.

2011-01-01

Given the complex role of school psychologists, it is in the interest of stakeholders to identify characteristics related to student success in graduate training, which is suggestive of their effectiveness as practitioners. This study explores the relationship of personality traits and Emotional Intelligence (EI) to graduate students' performance…

APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. The 2016 recipient of the APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology was selected by the 2015 Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the 2015 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee. Members of the 2015 BPA were Patricia Arredondo, EdD; Helen L. Coons, PhD, ABPP; Vickie Mays, PhD, MSPH; Linda A. Reddy, PhD; Lois O. Condi, PhD; Antonette M. Zeiss, PhD; Timothy A. Cavell, PhD; Robert T. Kinscherff, PhD, JD; and Jared L. Skillings, PhD, ABPP. Members of the 2015 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee were Emily Voelkel, PhD; Blaire Schembari; and Yolanda Perkins-Volk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Guiding role of typical cases in clinical training for ophthalmology professional degree graduate students

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Zhe Wang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available With the change of the concept of graduate enrollment, the recruiting proportion of clinical medicine professional degree graduate students is more and more, and the training of professional degree graduate students is increasingly focusing on practical. In our experience in clinical training for ophthalmology professional degree graduate students, increasing the ward clinical practice time is important. For particular emphasis on the guiding role of the typical cases, each professional group combined their professional characteristics of the typical cases to instruct the graduate students, training their clinical diagnosis and treatment ability, training their microsurgical techniques. From clinical medical writing, record summary, literature review, professional degree graduate students could expand their knowledge structure, practice their thesis writing ability. Based on the typical cases, expansion of knowledge coverage, they could improve the ability of diagnosis and treatment for special disease cases. In this rigorous training system, professional degree graduate students can learn by analogy, and focus on typical cases to get the most intuitive panoramic understanding of the diseases, with a minimum of time to master the most clinical knowledge, to enrich clinical experience, and to lay the foundation for future work in the assessment.

Reaching Graduate Students at Risk for Suicidal Behavior through the Interactive Screening Program

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Moffitt, Lauren B.; Garcia-Williams, Amanda; Berg, John P.; Calderon, Michelle E.; Haas, Ann P.; Kaslow, Nadine J.

2014-01-01

Suicidal behavior is a significant concern among graduate students. Because many suicidal graduate students do not access mental health services, programs to connect them to resources are essential. This article describes the Interactive Screening Program (ISP), an anonymous, Web-based tool for screening and engaging at-risk graduate school…

Bridging and bonding interactions in higher education: social capital and students' academic and professional identity formation.

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Jensen, Dorthe H; Jetten, Jolanda

2015-01-01

It is increasingly recognized that graduates' achievements depend in important ways on their opportunities to develop an academic and a professional identity during their studies. Previous research has shown that students' socio-economic status (SES) and social capital prior to entering university affects their ability to obtain these identities in higher education. However, what is less well understood is whether social capital that is built during university studies shapes identity development, and if so, whether the social capital gained during university years impacts on academic and professional identity differently. In a qualitative study, we interviewed 26 Danish and 11 Australian university students about their social interaction experiences, their opportunities to develop bonding capital as well as bridging capital, and their academic and professional identity. Findings show that while bonding social capital with co-students facilitated academic identity formation, such social capital does not lead to professional identity development. We also found that the development of bridging social capital with educators facilitated students' professional identity formation. However, bonding social capital among students stood in the way of participating in bridging interaction with educators, thereby further hindering professional identity formation. Finally, while students' parental background did not affect the perceived difficulty of forming professional identity, there was a tendency for students from lower SES backgrounds to be more likely to make internal attributions while those from higher SES backgrounds were more likely to make external attributions for the failure to develop professional identity. Results point to the importance of creating opportunities for social interaction with educators at university because this facilitates the generation of bridging social capital, which, in turn, is essential for students' professional identity development.

The Flip Side of the Attrition Coin: Faculty Perceptions of Factors Supporting Graduate Student Success

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Joanna A Gilmore

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Doctoral attrition consistently hovers around 50% with relevant literature identifying several mediating factors, including departmental culture, student demographics, and funding. To advance this literature, we interviewed 38 graduate faculty advisors in science, engineering, or mathematics disciplines at a research-extensive university to capture their perceptions of factors supporting graduate student success. Using a constant-comparison method, we found that faculty perceptions aligned within three major categories, termed: motivated student behaviors, formative student learning experiences, and essential student knowledge and skills. Student motivation was most prominently represented in findings. This aligns with prior studies showing that faculty tend to identify the cause of graduate student failure as lying within the students themselves and rarely discuss their role or the department’s contribution to attrition. Thus findings offer an opportunity to reflect and improve upon practice. The study also highlights actions graduate students can take to increase success, such as developing collegial relationships and early involvement in research and scholarly writing. We encourage graduate faculty advisors and others to identify ways to help graduate students overcome common obstacles to enduring and succeeding within graduate programs. Faculty perceptions are also examined by discipline and faculty rank, and directions for future research are offered.

Computer Anxiety, Academic Stress, and Academic Procrastination on College Students

OpenAIRE

Wahyu Rahardjo; Juneman Juneman; Yeni Setiani

2013-01-01

Academic procrastination is fairly and commonly found among college students. The lack of understanding in making the best use of computer technology may lead to anxiety in terms of operating computer hence cause postponement in completing course assignments related to computer operation. On the other hand, failure in achieving certain academic targets as expected by parents and/or the students themselves also makes students less focused and leads to tendency of postponing many completions of...

Mathematics Anxiety in College Students in Costa Rica and their Relatonship with Academic Achievement and Socio-Demographic Variables

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Islande C. Delgado Monge

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The study tried to determine the relationship between mathematics anxiety and the variables of gender, academic achievement, number of times students have taken the course and type of school in students taking the course MAT-001 General Mathematics of the National University of Costa Rica. To that end, a purposive sample of 472 students of such course was collected and the instrument of Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare and Hunt was adjusted to it (2003. Data collected were analyzed with the statistical program SPSS applying the corresponding hypothesis tests. According with the results, students showed a medium level of math anxiety and women showed a math anxiety significantly higher than men, while student graduated from private schools showed a significantly lower level of math anxiety than those from public schools or from the modality “General Equivalency Diploma”. Besides, the higher the math anxiety of the student is, the lower their academic achievement will be. Finally, there were no statistically significant differences between math anxiety and the number of times students have taken the course.

Implementing a Paid Leave Policy for Graduate Students at UW - Madison: The Student Perspective

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Gosnell, Natalie M.

2013-01-01

In 2010 the University of Wisconsin - Madison Astronomy Department developed and implemented a departmental paid leave policy for our graduate students, even though the university lacks a campus-wide policy and cannot provide institutional funding for such programs. This policy includes 12 weeks of paid leave in event of a medical emergency or chronic medical condition, as well as paid parental leave for both male and female graduate research assistants. (The policy in its entirety can be found at http://www.astro.wisc.edu/grad-students/policies-procedures/medical-and-family-leave-policy.) This is the first of two presentations describing our policy implementation using a "bottom-up" approach, beginning with the graduate students. I will present the perspective of the graduate students who led the effort and will discuss the steps we took to put our policy in place, from the conception of the plan to the full implementation. These steps included identifying faculty allies, becoming knowledgeable about university policies and resources, involving department staff, and anticipating procedural and bureaucratic hurdles in order to come up with creative solutions in advance. Although each individual institution and department's path to implementing a similar plan will be unique, we hope the methods used to implement our policy at UW - Madison may serve as an example.

Academic Self-Perceptions of Ability and Course Planning among Academically Advanced Students

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Rudasill, Kathleen Moritz; Callahan, Carolyn M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of gender to the academic self-perceptions of ability and related coursework plans for high school and college across academically advanced students. Participants were academically advanced students (N = 447) from grades 5 to 12. Findings revealed that (a) girls' self-perceptions of ability…

From student to graduate: longitudinal changes in the qualities of nurses.

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Cowin, Leanne S; Johnson, Maree

2015-12-01

To examine the development of perceived qualities of nursing from student to graduate nurse over time. Researchers continue to explore student nurse and new graduate nurse attrition, particularly in the light of a looming crisis in nursing recruitment and retention. Qualities of nurses represent the job fit of nursing from student to graduate years. A prospective longitudinal design with a convenience sample was used for this study. Data were collected annually from 2009-2012 through the completion of a short on-line survey. The sample size of undergraduate nurses in year 1 was 676, with 527 in year 2, 339 in year 3 and 190 in year 4. Only 136 participants completed the survey each year forming the complete data set for analysis. Most qualities of nursing differed significantly across time with the qualities of Caring, Empathetic, Knowledge and Respectful demonstrating strong changes. Most declines in scores occurred on graduation. Caring, the central tenet of nursing increased during the student years and declined slightly on graduation. This unique longitudinal study of Australian nurses suggests that the clinical experience and theoretical grounding provided in our University programs, has resulted in an increasing cumulative effect in the third year supporting most qualities of nurses/nursing understood in year 1, that is, the career fit to perceptions, has been achieved. The decline in the 1(st) year of graduation, where the concept of workplace misfit is occurring, is where further nurse graduate support is urgently required. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Minority STEM students' perceptions of academic advisement and the impact of academic advisement on satisfaction and academic success of minority STEM students at an HBCU in southeastern Louisiana

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Martin, Brittany

The purpose of this study was to examine how academic advising impacts minority STEM students' academic success and their level of satisfaction. The study also explored minority STEM students' perceptions of academic advising based on their experience. The sample included 188 sophomore and junior STEM students attending an HBCU in southeastern Louisiana. Participants in the study completed the Academic Advising Inventory (AAI). Some students also participated in a focus group or virtual interview. An independent t-test found no difference between the GPAs of STEM students who received developmental advising as opposed to prescriptive advising. A one-way ANOVA found no significant difference between STEM students' GPAs based on the frequency and duration of their advising sessions. A Mann-Whitney U test determined that STEM students who were prescriptively advised were significantly more satisfied with advising than STEM students who were developmentally advised. A Mann-Whitney U also determined that STEM students who were satisfied with their education were significantly more dissatisfied with academic advising than STEM students who were dissatisfied with their education. A Kruskal-Wallis H test determined there was no significant difference between STEM students' satisfaction with advising and the frequency of their advising sessions. A Kruskal-Wallis H also determined that STEM students who spent less than 15 minutes or more than 1 hour were the most satisfied with advisement. The majority of STEM students perceived academic advising had little impact on their GPA. However, STEM students perceived academic advising as having an impact on their satisfaction with the university. The majority of STEM students perceived academic advising as useful.

Predicting the "graduate on time (GOT)" of PhD students using binary logistics regression model

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Shariff, S. Sarifah Radiah; Rodzi, Nur Atiqah Mohd; Rahman, Kahartini Abdul; Zahari, Siti Meriam; Deni, Sayang Mohd

2016-10-01

Malaysian government has recently set a new goal to produce 60,000 Malaysian PhD holders by the year 2023. As a Malaysia's largest institution of higher learning in terms of size and population which offers more than 500 academic programmes in a conducive and vibrant environment, UiTM has taken several initiatives to fill up the gap. Strategies to increase the numbers of graduates with PhD are a process that is challenging. In many occasions, many have already identified that the struggle to get into the target set is even more daunting, and that implementation is far too ideal. This has further being progressing slowly as the attrition rate increases. This study aims to apply the proposed models that incorporates several factors in predicting the number PhD students that will complete their PhD studies on time. Binary Logistic Regression model is proposed and used on the set of data to determine the number. The results show that only 6.8% of the 2014 PhD students are predicted to graduate on time and the results are compared wih the actual number for validation purpose.

Nursing Student Loan Debt: A Secondary Analysis of the National Student Nurses' Association Annual Survey of New Graduates.

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Feeg, Veronica D; Mancino, Diane J

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe nursing student loan debt and financial choices from a secondary analysis of the National Student Nurses Association Annual New Graduate Survey. The findings in the secondary analysis show loan debt incurred by nursing students comparable to loan debt reported recently for all new college graduates in general. However, comparing types of programs and types of schools yielded clear variations. More than one-third of new graduates who reported having loans to repay were unemployed; more than one-quarter of those who worked part-time and one-quarter of those who worked full-time to finance their education were unemployed; and almost one-third of students whose parents had paid for their education were unemployed. New graduates from for-profit schools were more likely to report they had accumulated high debt to pay for school than all new graduates combined. Nursing students enter the job market with substantial financial debt that may impact their future. Educators and policymakers need to address these growing concerns to sustain a healthy supply of nurses.

Student Diligence and Student Diligence Support: Predictors of Academic Success.

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Arthur, Christon G.

The purpose of this study was to examine ways in which students can become academically engaged and satisfied with their academic experience. A correlational study, using the survey method, was used to describe in quantitative terms, the degree of the relationships between student diligence, student support systems, other related factors, and…

The graduate as a tool of institutional assessment: an analysis of academic knowledge and employability with FEARP/USP graduates

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Claudio de Souza Miranda

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The assessment process in education has been the target of many studies, including higher education. The assessment process can occur during several levels; this study is done with the graduates. The focus of this study was the Faculty of Economics, Business and Accouting of Ribeirão Preto – USP, in order to answer the following research question: How is the integration of graduate students in the market? The faculty had 17 graduate groups that was composed of 1,520 graduates in its three courses. The researchers were able to connect 1,185, and they obtained 725 answers. Most of the graduates are in the Southeast, especially in São Paulo (84.7%. In terms of post-graduation courses, 32.1% were at MBA courses and 28.1% were at Mastering courses. Regarding employability was observed 91.8% are employed, 5.0% are looking for jobs and only 3.2% are inactive. Among the employed, 80.9% acts at their graduation area. These employees are at public and private sector, and they have an average income of R$ 9,6313. About the graduation course they scored 8.2 out of 10, despite some criticism of undergraduate learning and the market.

The transition into veterinary practice: Opinions of recent graduates and final year students

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Hudson Neil PH

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The transition from veterinary student to member of the veterinary profession is known to be challenging. This study aimed to determine and compare the opinions of final year veterinary students and recent graduates on graduate attributes that ease this transition. Methods The study was carried out across 3 veterinary schools in the United Kingdom. Paper based or electronic surveys were used. Final year students in the 3 schools were surveyed either electronically (school A or on paper (schools B and C. Student cohort sizes were 112, 227 and 102 respectively. Recent graduates were contacted either at a reunion event (school A or electronically from database records (school B and school C. Cohort sizes of contacted graduates were 80, 175 and 91 respectively. Respondents were asked to rate 42 individual attributes on a 5 point Likert scale. Focus groups with final year students and recent graduates and telephone interviews with recent graduates were carried out. Data were analysed by two researchers through a combination of manual coding and thematic analysis. Data were grouped into broad themes then sorted into narrower themes. Data were then searched for counter examples. Results Response rates for final year students were 34% (school A, 36% (school B and 40% (school C. Response rates for recent graduates were 56% (school A, 20% (school B and 11% (school C. There was a high level of agreement between the cohorts with respect to communication skills, problem solving and decision making skills, recognition of own limitations and the ability to cope with pressure all rated unanimously important or very important. Business acumen, knowledge of veterinary practice management and research skills were the 3 attributes ranked at the bottom of the list. Nine attributes were identified with a significantly different (p Conclusions Recent graduates and final year students rate highly the attributes which help foster the client

Academic self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and academic performance in first-year university students

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Alberto A. Alegre

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between academic self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and academic performance of first-year university students in the Metropolitan Lima area. An assessment was made of 284 students (138 male and 146 female students admitted to a private university of Lima for the 2013-2 term by using a non-probability and incidental procedure and the General Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, the University Academic Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire; and for the academic performance of every student, their registered weighted GPA was taken into account. Formulated hypothesis was accepted as correlation coefficients resulting from academic selfefficacy; self-regulated learning and academic performance were both positive and significant, but low. In addition, the correlation between academic selfefficacy and self-regulated learning were positive, significant and moderate.

Student prosocial behavior and academic achievement

OpenAIRE

Spasenović Vera Z.

2004-01-01

The paper considers correlation between student prosocial behavior and academic achievement. Attention first focuses on the issue of prosocial behavior defining, making it operational and measuring it. Next consideration is given to the ways that prosocial behavior contributes to academic achievement. It is thought that prosocial behavior can produce indirect effects on student prosocial behavior because it is bound to certain academically relevant forms of behavior leading to successful lear...

Academic goals, student homework engagement, and academic achievement in Primary Education

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Antonio eValle

2016-03-01

Full Text Available There seems to be a general consensus in the literature that doing homework is beneficial for students. Thus, the current challenge is to examine the process of doing homework to find which variables may help students to complete the homework assigned. To address this goal, a path analysis model was fit. The model hypothesized that the way students engage in homework is explained by the type of academic goals set, and it explains the amount of time spend on homework, the homework time management, and the amount of homework done. Lastly, the amount of homework done is positively related to academic achievement. The model was fit using a sample of 535 Spanish students from the last three courses of elementary school (aged 9 to 13. Findings show that: (a academic achievement was positively associated with the amount of homework completed, (b the amount of homework completed was related to the homework time management, (c homework time management was associated with the approach to homework; (d and the approach to homework, like the rest of the variables of the model (except for the time spent on homework, was related to the student's academic motivation (i.e., academic goals.

Assessing Cultural Competence in Graduating Students

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Kohli, Hermeet K.; Kohli, Amarpreet S.; Huber, Ruth; Faul, Anna C.

2010-01-01

Twofold purpose of this study was to develop a framework to understand cultural competence in graduating social work students, and test that framework for appropriateness and predictability using multivariate statistics. Scale and predictor variables were collected using an online instrument from a nationwide convenience sample of graduating…

Student Academic Optimism: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

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Tschannen-Moran, Megan; Bankole, Regina A.; Mitchell, Roxanne M.; Moore, Dennis M., Jr.

2013-01-01

Purpose: This research aims to add to the literature on Academic Optimism, a composite measure composed of teacher perceptions of trust in students, academic press, and collective efficacy by exploring a similar set of constructs from the student perceptive. The relationships between student trust in teachers, student perceptions of academic…

The Relation between Time Management Skills and Academic Achievement of Potential Teachers

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Cemaloglu, Necati; Filiz, Sevil

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the time management skills and academic achievement of students who are potential teachers studying in faculties of education. The research was conducted in the 2007-08 academic term among 849 graduate students in the Faculty of Education at Gazi University. The "Time Management…

Holding Your Hand From a Distance: Online Mentoring and the Graduate Library and Information Science Student

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Elizabeth A. Buchanan, Ph.D.,

2005-07-01

Full Text Available The emergence of online education in colleges and universities brings with it a variety of issues and concerns for the remote student. One such issue is online mentoring. This paper presents a study that examines perceptions of the impact and role of online mentoring by online graduate students in a Master of Library and Information Science program. The guiding research question asked “what impact does online mentoring have on the online student experience?” A survey using open and closed-ended response questions was administered. Findings indicate that the participants see the need for online mentors in at least two forms—peer mentors to assist with the “institutional maze” surrounding distance education programs, and secondly, professional mentors to assist with career planning and development. Institutions should thus consider a two-tiered mentor network to meet the needs of students at various points in their academic lives.

The effect of disability disclosure on the graduation rates of college students with disabilities

OpenAIRE

Hudson, Robyn Lynn

2013-01-01

Previous studies on postsecondary graduation rates indicated that college students with disabilities have lower graduation rates than students without disabilities. As many college students do not disclose their disability to their institution upon enrollment, the effect of the timing of disability disclosure on graduation rates warranted examination. This study was a quantitative study of 14,401 undergraduate students at one large research university in the years 2002, 2003, and 2004, of w...

Student Academic Support as a Predictor of Life Satisfaction in University Students

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Akin, Ahmet; Arslan, Serhat; Çelik, Eyüp; Kaya, Çinar; Arslan, Nihan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Academic Support and Life Satisfaction. Participants were 458 university students who voluntarily filled out a package of self-report instruments. Student Academic Support Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as measures. The relationships between student academic support…

APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.

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2017-12-01

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. The 2017 recipient of the APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology was selected by the 2016 Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the 2016 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee. Members of the 2016 BPA were Antonette M. Zeiss, PhD (Chair); Linda A. Reddy, PhD; Lois O. Condie, PhD; Timothy A. Cavell, PhD; Robert T. Kinscherff, PhD, JD; Jared L. Skillings, PhD, ABPP; Cynthia A. Gómez, PhD; Lisa K. Kearney, PhD, ABPP; and Dinelia Rosa, PhD. Members of the 2016 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee were Jerrold Yeo, MA; Jacklynn Fitzgerald, MA; and Roseann Fish Getchell, MA, Med. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementing an Industrial Approach into Physics Graduate Education

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Vickers, Ken

2006-04-01

Physics graduate education has attracted a student population with a both high independence and interest in individual professional work. These personality tendencies have been validated in the students' eyes by both the observed professional behaviors of the majority of their faculty, and by the public acceptance of the persona of ``eccentric but brilliant'' physics students. This has resulted in a self-perpetuating cycle of professionals entering the academic workplace whose interest in whole-organization optimization, as well as the skills needed to optimize organizations, are low to non-existent. But at the same time the needs of the country's technical work force, as defined by national gatherings of prominent leaders from academic, industrial, and governmental communities, continue to list human interaction ``soft skills'' as one of the most important professional traits needed by professionals in their careers. This gap between the physics graduate education and requirements needed by next generation physicists provided an opportunity for experimental approaches to graduate physics education. The University of Arkansas' Physics Department lead the formation of a new experimental approach to interdisciplinary education in the broad field of microelectronics and photonics (microEP) in 1998, resulting in the formation of a stand-alone MS/PhD microEP program. This program implemented an industrial work group approach to graduate education, and won several educational grants including a NSF IGERT and a Department of Education FIPSE. The FIPSE grant in 2001 supported the modification of the industrial work group approach for implementation by the UA physics graduate program to address the gap between national need and current education. This talk will address the key goals of this implementation, the tactics that were put in place to address the goals, and the results of this educational approach since its implementation with the Fall 2001 entering class.

Perceptions of Engineering students, lecturers and academic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceptions of Engineering students, lecturers and academic development practitioners about academic development classes at a university of technology. ... development, engineering education, scaffolding, self-regulated learning, students ...

Student prosocial behavior and academic achievement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spasenović Vera Z.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers correlation between student prosocial behavior and academic achievement. Attention first focuses on the issue of prosocial behavior defining, making it operational and measuring it. Next consideration is given to the ways that prosocial behavior contributes to academic achievement. It is thought that prosocial behavior can produce indirect effects on student prosocial behavior because it is bound to certain academically relevant forms of behavior leading to successful learning and work. Also, correlation is interpreted by means of teacher’s preferences of prosocial students, which is reflected in teacher expectations and behavior towards students but in evaluating their work too. In addition, prosocial behavior may produce direct effects, for it is through peer prosocial interactions that positive intellectual exchange is performed, which contributes to more successful mastering of teaching content. The paper provides a survey of investigations whose results indicate that there exists correlation between student prosocial behavior and academic achievement. Also, consideration is given to possible methods and treatments for encouraging prosocial behavior in school context, especially the role of teacher in the process and the importance of the program for promoting student prosocial skills.