WorldWideScience

Sample records for retention academic performance

  1. Undergraduate Academic Achievement as an Indicator of Fleet Performance and Retention

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gremillion, John

    1998-01-01

    ...) and retention in the Navy. Understanding the relationship between college academic performance and job performance is important because of the organizational and cultural emphasis placed on academic grades...

  2. The Prediction of College Student Academic Performance and Retention: Application of Expectancy and Goal Setting Theories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Barry A.; Mandel, Rhonda G.

    2010-01-01

    Student retention and performance in higher education are important issues for educators, students, and the nation facing critical professional labor shortages. Expectancy and goal setting theories were used to predict academic performance and college student retention. Students' academic expectancy motivation at the start of the college…

  3. Homesickness at College: Its Impact on Academic Performance and Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jie; Hagedorn, Linda Serra; Zhang, Yi

    2016-01-01

    For this study we identified factors exerting significant influence on homesickness and explored the impact of the homesick experience on students' academic performance and retention in the first year in college. The findings reveal 2 constructs underlying the homesickness scale: homesick separation and homesick distress. Demographic variables…

  4. Managing the academic talent void: Investigating factors in academic turnover and retention in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marguerite Theron

    2014-04-01

    Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence turnover and retention of academic and to validate the developed talent retention diagnostic tool for use in South African higher education institutions. Motivation for the study: Limited research currently exists on the retention factors of academic staff in the South African context. Research approach, design and method: Using an investigative quantitative research approach, the tool was administered to a convenience sample of academics (n = 153 in 13 higher education institutions. Main findings: The results showed an array of distinguishing turnover and retention factors and proved the tool to be a valid and reliable measure. Over half the respondents indicated slight to strong dissatisfaction with compensation and performance management practices. Significantly, 34% indicated that they considered exiting their academic institution, citing unhappiness about compensation, as the most likely reason, whilst 74.5% have previously looked for another job. Practical/managerial implications: The research highlights key areas (i.e. compensation, emotional recognition, a bonus structure that reflects employee contribution, performance management systems, mentorship and career development opportunities that higher education should attend to if they want to retain their key and talented academic staff. Contribution/value-add: The results contribute to new knowledge on the factors that contribute to turnover and retention of academic staff and present a valid and reliable measure to assess these retention factors.

  5. Validating Student Satisfaction Related to Persistence, Academic Performance, Retention and Career Advancement within ODL Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maximus Gorky Sembiring

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Student satisfaction associated with persistence, academic performance, retention, and its relations to career advancement were examined. It was aimed at measuring service quality (Servqual dimensions as a foundation of satisfaction and how, in what comportments, they were interrelated. The study was conducted under explanatory-design. Data was collected proportionally and purposively followed by congregating them through unified interviews. Population was 1,814 Universitas Terbuka students domiciled overseas; 350 questionnaires were dispersed, 169 completed. Satisfaction was assessed by examining Servqual dimensions. Importance-performance analysis (IPA and customer-satisfaction index (CSI were applied to measure satisfaction and the level of its importance. Structural equation model (SEM was then employed to examine influencing variables. Nine hypotheses developed were all validated by the analysis. Responsiveness, assurance, tangible, reliability, and empathy were in harmony to satisfaction. Career advancement, retention, academic performance, and persistence were influenced by satisfaction. Qualitative inquiry implemented afterwards was basically coherent with the quantitative findings.

  6. [Academic stress, desertion, and retention strategies for students in higher education].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez-Montes, Nancy; Díaz-Subieta, Luz B

    2015-04-01

    A systematic review was performed to specify the characteristics of academic stress that affect the mental health of the university population. To do this, recent publications regarding academic stress, student desertion, and retention strategies were examined. Throughout this text, we present the results of the review in terms of the definitions of academic stress, student desertion, and retention strategies. In the same way, we examine the interpretative models with regard to student desertion and approach retention strategies in higher education. We also review retention experiences of several other countries. In terms of Colombia, we present aspects related to student desertion and retention programs from the point of view of the National Ministry of Education and from the experience of some universities with consolidated programs.

  7. Validating Student Satisfaction Related to Persistence, Academic Performance, Retention and Career Advancement within ODL Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sembiring, Maximus Gorky

    2015-01-01

    Student satisfaction associated with persistence, academic performance, retention, and its relations to career advancement were examined. It was aimed at measuring service quality (Servqual) dimensions as a foundation of satisfaction and how, in what comportments, they were interrelated. The study was conducted under explanatory-design. Data was…

  8. Effects of Academic Mindsets on College Students' Achievement and Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Cheon-woo; Farruggia, Susan P.; Moss, Thomas P.

    2017-01-01

    Noncognitive factors, such as academic self-efficacy, motivation, and sense of belonging, predict college students' academic performance and retention. It is unclear if varying profiles of academic mindset are differentially associated with student success. We examined first-year college students' academic mindsets (perceived academic…

  9. Measuring faculty retention and success in academic medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ries, Andrew; Wingard, Deborah; Gamst, Anthony; Larsen, Catherine; Farrell, Elizabeth; Reznik, Vivian

    2012-08-01

    To develop and demonstrate the usefulness of quantitative methods for assessing retention and academic success of junior faculty in academic medicine. The authors created matched sets of participants and nonparticipants in a junior faculty development program based on hire date and academic series for newly hired assistant professors at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine between 1988 and 2005. They used Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival analyses to characterize the influence of covariates, including gender, ethnicity, and program participation, on retention. They also developed a new method for quantifying academic success based on several measures including (1) leadership and professional activities, (2) honors and awards, (3) research grants, (4) teaching and mentoring/advising activities, and (5) publications. The authors then used these measures to compare matched pairs of participating and nonparticipating faculty who were subsequently promoted and remained at UCSD. Compared with matched nonparticipants, the retention of junior faculty who participated in the faculty development program was significantly higher. Among those who were promoted and remained at UCSD, the academic success of faculty development participants was consistently greater than that of matched nonparticipants. This difference reached statistical significance for leadership and professional activities. Using better quantitative methods for evaluating retention and academic success will improve understanding and research in these areas. In this study, use of such methods indicated that organized junior faculty development programs have positive effects on faculty retention and may facilitate success in academic medicine.

  10. Retention of Mohs surgeons in academic dermatology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shali; Mina, Mary Alice; Brown, Marc D; Zwald, Fiona O

    2015-08-01

    Retention of academic Mohs surgeons is important for the growth of this specialty and teaching of residents and students. To examine factors that influence retention of Mohs surgeons in academics and to better understand reasons for their departure. A survey was electronically distributed to academic Mohs surgeons in the American College of Mohs Surgery, asking them to rate the importance of several variables on their decision to remain in academia. Private practice Mohs surgeons who had left academics were also surveyed. Two hundred thirty-six dermatologic surgeons completed the survey. Twenty-nine percent work full time in academics, and approximately 7% work part time. The top reasons for practicing in the academic setting are intellectual stimulation, teaching opportunities, and collaboration with other university physicians and researchers. Seventy-one percent of respondents reported they would stay in academics, 7% indicated they would not, and 22% were unsure. Unfair compensation, inadequate support staff, poor leadership, increased bureaucracy, and decreased autonomy were top reasons that may compel a Mohs surgeon to leave. Opportunities for intellectual stimulation, collaboration, and teaching remain the main draw for academic Mohs surgeons. A supportive environment, strong leadership, and establishing fair compensation are imperative in ensuring their stay.

  11. Self-Control and Academic Performance in Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honken, Nora; Ralston, Patricia A.; Tretter, Thomas R.

    2016-01-01

    Self-control has been related to positive student outcomes including academic performance of college students. Because of the critical nature of the first semester academic performance for engineering students in terms of retention and persistence in pursuing an engineering degree, this study investigated the relationship between freshmen…

  12. Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University of Botswana medical school. ... To document the medical school's staff recruitment and retention trends and challenges, and to propose ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  13. The Learning Community: A Program to Address Issues of Academic Achievement and Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hummel, Mary; Steele, Claude

    1996-01-01

    Describes the 21st Century Program at the University of Michigan, a program to address issues of academic achievement and student retention in higher education. The conceptual basis for this program comes from C. Steele's work that finds that there are disruptive pressures tied to racial stereotypes that in turn diminish academic performance. (SLD)

  14. Academic Libraries and High-Impact Practices for Student Retention: Library Deans' Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Adam

    2015-01-01

    Numerous studies on retention have highlighted the role of student engagement in influencing students' withdrawal decisions. This study seeks to address how academic libraries affect student retention by examining the perception of academic library deans or directors on the alignment between library services and resources with ten nationally…

  15. Challenges of student selection: Predicting academic performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Finding accurate predictors of tertiary academic performance, specifically for disadvantaged students, is essential because of budget constraints and the need of the labour market to address employment equity. Increased retention, throughput and decreased dropout rates are vital. When making admission decisions, the

  16. Stressors, academic performance, and learned resourcefulness in baccalaureate nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goff, Anne-Marie

    2011-01-01

    High stress levels in nursing students may affect memory, concentration, and problem-solving ability, and may lead to decreased learning, coping, academic performance, and retention. College students with higher levels of learned resourcefulness develop greater self-confidence, motivation, and academic persistence, and are less likely to become anxious, depressed, and frustrated, but no studies specifically involve nursing students. This explanatory correlational study used Gadzella's Student-life Stress Inventory (SSI) and Rosenbaum's Self Control Scale (SCS) to explore learned resourcefulness, stressors, and academic performance in 53 baccalaureate nursing students. High levels of personal and academic stressors were evident, but not significant predictors of academic performance (p = .90). Age was a significant predictor of academic performance (p = learned resourcefulness scores than females and Caucasians. Studies in larger, more diverse samples are necessary to validate these findings.

  17. Retention Matters: Academic Libraries Leading the Way

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Silas M.

    2018-01-01

    Academic libraries have always strived to be purposively involved in the university's mission attainment efforts. Today, the increase of retention levels is paramount, and, in many cases, it is at the center of higher education institution's strategic plans. For Andrews University, for example, the goal is to reach 80% in the next five years. In…

  18. the influence of instructional materials on academic performance

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    students' academic performance in senior secondary school Chemistry in Cross River State. ... the motivation on the teaching-learning process. ... Today advances in technology have ... retention. A truism often heard in teaching is that if you have not learnt, I have not taught. A .... resources have significant effect on students'.

  19. Academic Career Selection and Retention in Radiation Oncology: The Joint Center for Radiation Therapy Experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balboni, Tracy A.; Chen, M.-H.; Harris, Jay R.; Recht, Abram; Stevenson, Mary Ann; D'Amico, Anthony V.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The United States healthcare system has witnessed declining reimbursement and increasing documentation requirements for longer than 10 years. These have decreased the time available to academic faculty for teaching and mentorship. The impact of these changes on the career choices of residents is unknown. The purpose of this report was to determine whether changes have occurred during the past decade in the proportion of radiation oncology trainees from a single institution entering and staying in academic medicine. Methods and Materials: We performed a review of the resident employment experience of Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy residents graduating during 13 recent consecutive years (n = 48 residents). The outcomes analyzed were the initial selection of an academic vs. nonacademic career and career changes during the first 3 years after graduation. Results: Of the 48 residents, 65% pursued an academic career immediately after graduation, and 44% remained in academics at the last follow-up, after a median of 6 years. A later graduation year was associated with a decrease in the proportion of graduates immediately entering academic medicine (odds ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.94). However, the retention rate at 3 years of those who did immediately enter academics increased with a later graduation year (p = 0.03). Conclusion: During a period marked by notable changes in the academic healthcare environment, the proportion of graduating Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy residents pursuing academic careers has been declining; however, despite this decline, the retention rates in academia have increased

  20. Supporting Student Retention and Success: Including Family Areas in an Academic Library

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godfrey, Ian; Rutledge, Lorelei; Mowdood, Alfred; Reed, Jacob; Bigler, Scott; Soehner, Catherine

    2017-01-01

    Many universities and colleges focus on student retention and completion as a measure of their success. Publications such as the "Chronicle of Higher Education" carry an increasing number of articles dealing with student retention, success, and completion. Academic libraries support this goal through a wide variety of services, teaching,…

  1. The Impact of a Junior Faculty Fellowship Award on Academic Advancement and Retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connelly, Maureen T; Sullivan, Amy M; Chinchilla, Manuel; Dale, Margaret L; Emans, S Jean; Nadelson, Carol Cooperman; Notman, Malkah Tolpin; Tarbell, Nancy J; Zigler, Corwin M; Shore, Eleanor G

    2017-08-01

    Academic faculty experience barriers to career development and promotion. In 1996, Harvard Medical School (HMS) initiated an intramural junior faculty fellowship to address these obstacles. The authors sought to understand whether receiving a fellowship was associated with more rapid academic promotion and retention. Junior faculty fellowship recipients and all other instructor and assistant professors at HMS between 1996 and 2011 were identified. Using propensity score modeling, the authors created a matched comparison group for the fellowship recipients based on educational background, training, academic rank, department, hospital affiliation, and demographics. Time to promotion and time to leaving were assessed by Kaplan-Meier curves. A total of 622 junior faculty received fellowships. Faculty who received fellowships while instructors (n = 480) had shorter times to promotion to assistant professor (P Women instructors advanced more quickly than matched controls, while male instructors' rates of promotions did not differ. Fellowships to support junior faculty were associated with shorter times to promotion for instructors and more sustained faculty retention for both instructors and assistant professors. This suggests that relatively small amounts of funding early in faculty careers can play a critical role in supporting academic advancement and retention.

  2. Compensation packages: a strategic tool for employees’ performance and retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omotayo Adewale OSIBANJO

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The rate at which employees in private universities in Nigeria jump from one university to the other is becoming more disturbing and this could be as a result of compensation packages of different universities to attract competent employees. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of compensation packages on employees’ job performance and retention in a selected private University in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria. A model was developed and tested using one hundred and eleven valid questionnaires which were completed by academics and non-academic staff of the university. The collected data were carefully analyzed using simple percentage supported by structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses and relationships that may exist among the variables under consideration. The results showed strong relationship between compensation packages and employees’ performance and retention. The summary of the findings indicates that there is strong correlation between the tested dependent and independent variables (salary, bonus, incentives, allowances, and fringe benefits. However, management and decision makers should endeavour to review compensation packages at various levels in order to earn employees’ satisfaction and prevention of high labour turnover among the members of staff.

  3. Satisfaction, Motivation, and Retention in Academic Faculty Incentive Compensation Systems: A CERA Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willis, Deanna; Williams, Jane; Gebke, Kevin; Bergus, George

    2018-02-01

    The use of incentive compensation in academic family medicine has been a topic of interest for many years, yet little is known about the impact of these systems on individual faculty members. Better understanding is needed about the relationship of incentive compensation systems (ICSs) to ICS satisfaction, motivation, and retention among academic family medicine faculty. The Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance (CERA) conducted a nationwide survey of its members in 2013. This study reports the results of the incentive compensation question subset of the larger omnibus survey. The overall response rate was 53%. The majority (70% [360/511]) of academic faculty reported that they are eligible for some type of incentive compensation. The faculty reported moderate satisfaction, with only 38% being satisfied or highly satisfied with their ICS. Overall mean motivation and intent to remain in their current position were similar. The percentage of total income available as an incentive explained less than 10% of the variance of those outcomes. Faculty perceptions of appropriateness of the measures, understanding of the measurement and reward systems, and perception of due process are all related to satisfaction with the ICS, motivation, and retention. ICSs are common in academic family medicine, yet most faculty do not find them to motivate their choice of activities or promote staying in their current position. Design and implementation are both important in promoting faculty satisfaction with the ICS, motivation, and retention.

  4. Using YouTube Videos as a Primer to Affect Academic Content Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duverger, Philippe; Steffes, Erin M.

    2012-01-01

    College students today watch more content, academic or not, on the Internet than on any other media. Consequently, the authors argue that using any of these media, especially YouTube.com in particular, is an effective way to not only reach students, but also capture their attention and interest while increasing retention of academic content. Using…

  5. Factors affecting nurse retention at an academic Magnet® hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buffington, Annsley; Zwink, Jennifer; Fink, Regina; Devine, Deborah; Sanders, Carolyn

    2012-05-01

    : The aim of this study was to examine the factors affecting the retention of registered nurses (RNs) and validate the revised Casey-Fink Nurse Retention Survey (2009). : Creating an organizational culture of retention may reduce nurse turnover. Focusing on why nurses leave and identifying factors why nurses stay are essential. : A descriptive survey design gathered data from RNs with 1 or more years of experience providing direct patient care and employed in inpatient/ambulatory settings in an acute care, academic, Magnet hospital. : There were no statistically significant relationships between nurse respondents' perceptions of work environment/support/encouragement and age or years of experience. However, there were significant differences between inpatient and ambulatory nurse responses in several key areas including job satisfaction, mentorship, and educational support. Overall, nurses reported feeling a lack of support and recognition from managers. Results provide evidence to support improved strategies to foster nurse retention.

  6. 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…

  7. Gender Differences in Academic Medicine: Retention, Rank, and Leadership Comparisons From the National Faculty Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Phyllis L; Raj, Anita; Kaplan, Samantha E; Terrin, Norma; Breeze, Janis L; Freund, Karen M

    2018-01-30

    Prior studies have found that women in academic medicine do not advance or remain in their careers in parity with men. The authors examined a national cohort of faculty from the 1995 National Faculty Survey to identify predictors of advancement, retention, and leadership for women faculty. The authors followed 1,273 faculty at 24 medical schools in the continental United States for 17 years to identify predictors of advancement, retention, and leadership for women faculty. Schools were balanced for public or private status and the four Association of American Medical Colleges geographic regions. The authors used regression models to adjust for covariates: seniority, department, academic setting, and race/ethnicity. After adjusting for significant covariates women were less likely than men to achieve the rank of professor (OR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.43-0.78) or to remain in academic careers (OR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49-0.94). When number of refereed publications were added to the model, differences by gender in retention and attainment of senior rank were no longer significant. Male faculty were more likely to hold senior leadership positions after adjusting for publications (OR = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.35-0.69). Gender disparities in rank, retention, and leadership remain across the career trajectories of the faculty cohort in this study. Women were less likely to attain senior-level positions than men, even after adjusting for publication-related productivity. Institutions must examine the climate for women to ensure their academic capital is fully utilized and equal opportunity exists for leadership.

  8. Exploring the Effects of Hope on GPA and Retention among College Undergraduate Students on Academic Probation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holly Seirup

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzed the impact of hope on the academic achievement and retention of 235 students on academic probation at a private Northeastern university. Probationary students were enrolled in a mandatory online course designed to facilitate academic and nonacademic skills, to improve student GPAs and overall retention. The Hope Scale (Snyder et al. (1991 was administered to identify whether students with greater levels of hope would experience an increase in academic success upon completion of the course. Students were broken down into groups of high, medium, and low hope based on their scores on the instrument. Results showed students who completed the course were more likely to be retained than those who did not complete the course, had a slight increase in GPA by the end of the semester, and high-hope students showed the greatest overall gain in GPAs.

  9. A Temperament for Teaching? Associations Between Personality Traits and Beginning Teacher Performance and Retention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin C. Bastian

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The “greening” (i.e., inexperience of the U.S. teacher workforce puts a premium on districts and schools hiring effective and persistent beginning teachers. Given the limitations of characteristics currently available at the time of hiring (e.g., academic ability, preparation type, we built off previous research in economics and psychology to investigate associations between personality traits and first-year teachers’ performance and retention in North Carolina public schools. Using the 5-factor model of personality, we find that conscientiousness is significantly associated with higher value-added estimates, higher evaluation ratings, and higher retention rates. Additionally, general self-efficacy, a subdomain of conscientiousness, is significantly associated with teacher value added and evaluation ratings. These conscientiousness results are consistent with a rich body of evidence connecting conscientiousness-related measures to employee performance and retention across professions, and they suggest that districts and schools should consider using personality trait measures, along with other valid indicators, as a way to improve teacher hiring decisions.

  10. Performance samples on academic tasks : improving prediction of academic performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tanilon, Jenny

    2011-01-01

    This thesis is about the development and validation of a performance-based test, labeled as Performance Samples on academic tasks in Education and Child Studies (PSEd). PSEd is designed to identify students who are most able to perform the academic tasks involved in an Education and Child Studies

  11. The Impact of Early Grade Retention on the Academic Achievement and Self-Esteem of Seventh and Eighth Grade Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setencich, Jill

    Retention has been the answer to the problem of what to do with students who are unprepared for the academic and social demands of the next grade. Studies contend that children view retention as punishment and experience emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness when not promoted. Retention or nonpromotion can be defined as the practice of…

  12. Alcohol and tobacco use and cognitive-motivational variables in school settings: effects on academic performance in Spanish adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inglés, Cándido J; Torregrosa, María S; Rodríguez-Marín, Jesús; García del Castillo, José A; Gázquez, José J; García-Fernández, José M; Delgado, Beatriz

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to analyze: (a) the relationship between alcohol and tobacco use and academic performance, and (b) the predictive role of psycho-educational factors and alcohol and tobacco abuse on academic performance in a sample of 352 Spanish adolescents from grades 8 to 10 of Compulsory Secondary Education. The Self-Description Questionnaire-II, the Sydney Attribution Scale, and the Achievement Goal Tendencies Questionnaire were administered in order to analyze cognitive-motivational variables. Alcohol and tobacco abuse, sex, and grade retention were also measured using self-reported questions. Academic performance was measured by school records. Frequency analyses and logistic regression analyses were used. Frequency analyses revealed that students who abuse of tobacco and alcohol show a higher rate of poor academic performance. Logistic regression analyses showed that health behaviours, and educational and cognitive-motivational variables exert a different effect on academic performance depending on the academic area analyzed. These results point out that not only academic, but also health variables should be address to improve academic performance in adolescence.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  14. 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 ...

  15. Development of visual working memory and distractor resistance in relation to academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsubomi, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Katsumi

    2017-02-01

    Visual working memory (VWM) enables active maintenance of goal-relevant visual information in a readily accessible state. The storage capacity of VWM is severely limited, often as few as 3 simple items. Thus, it is crucial to restrict distractor information from consuming VWM capacity. The current study investigated how VWM storage and distractor resistance develop during childhood in relation to academic performance in the classroom. Elementary school children (7- to 12-year-olds) and adults (total N=140) completed a VWM task with and without visual/verbal distractors during the retention period. The results showed that VWM performance with and without distractors developed at similar rates until reaching adult levels at 10years of age. In addition, higher VWM performance without distractors was associated with higher academic scores in literacy (reading and writing), mathematics, and science for the younger children (7- to 9-year-olds), whereas these academic scores for the older children (10- to 12-year-olds) were associated with VWM performance with visual distractors. Taken together, these results suggest that VWM storage and distractor resistance develop at a similar rate, whereas their contributions to academic performance differ with age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. College Success: First Year Seminar's Effectiveness on Freshmen Academic and Social Integration, Impact on Academic Achievement and Retention at a Southern Institution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, Tarun

    2011-01-01

    Increasing student retention and improving graduation rates continues to remain a critical issue for undergraduate institutions. Previous research suggests that student attrition is predominantly voluntary, and is influenced by institutional characteristics. The importance of academic and social integration as a strategy to reduce attrition is…

  17. Academic performance in high school as factor associated to academic performance in college

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mileidy Salcedo Barragán

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available This study intends to find the relationship between academic performance in High School and College, focusing on Natural Sciences and Mathematics. It is a descriptive correlational study, and the variables were academic performance in High School, performance indicators and educational history. The correlations between variables were established with Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results suggest that there is a positive relationship between academic performance in High School and Educational History, and a very weak relationship between performance in Science and Mathematics in High School and performance in College.

  18. Effects of Digital Story on Academic Achievement, Learning Motivation and Retention among University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aktas, Elif; Yurt, Serap Uzuner

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the learning environment where digital stories are used as a learning material on the motivation, academic success, retention, and students' opinions. The study was carried out with mixed method which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approach. The study was implemented…

  19. Employee Retention Strategies And Organizational Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Implication of the results for practice is that any organization that fails to put in place adequate employee retention strategies is not likely to retain competent and motivated workforce in its employment and hence experience frequent labour turnover and poor organizational performance. Keywords: Employees, Retention ...

  20. Enhancing Academic Achievement and Retention in Senior Secondary School Chemistry through Discussion and Lecture Methods: A Case Study of Some Selected Secondary Schools in Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omwirhiren, Efe M.

    2015-01-01

    The present study was initiated to determine how academic achievement and retention in chemistry is enhanced using the two instructional methods among SSII students and ascertained the differential performance of male and female students in chemistry with a view of improving student performance in chemistry. The study adopted a non-equivalent…

  1. Emotional variables, dropout and academic performance in Spanish nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roso-Bas, Fátima; Pades Jiménez, Antonia; García-Buades, Esther

    2016-02-01

    The dropout of university studies is a main concern in many countries, also for Health Sciences degrees. The reviews on dropout in all university degrees as well as nursing generally show multidimensional causes with factors related both to institutional and students' characteristics. Regarding the personal variables of students, researchers have focused on financial, family and personality features. Far less attention has been devoted to emotional variables. This study aims to explore whether individual variables of the emotional domain such as perceived emotional intelligence, dispositional optimism/pessimism and depressive rumination are related and/or can predict students' intention to dropout and academic performance. Using a cross-correlational approach, data were obtained from a sample of 144 nursing students. Students with a pessimistic disposition revealed a greater tendency to drop out. The remaining variables correlated significantly with pessimism but had no predictive value on dropout. Our results suggest that students with low levels of emotional clarity and repair and high depressive rumination have pessimistic expectations, so they are more likely to leave studies. No significant results were found in relation to academic performance. We conclude with an identification of strategies to increase retention and academic success. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Academic Entitlement and Academic Performance in Graduating Pharmacy Students

    OpenAIRE

    Jeffres, Meghan N.; Barclay, Sean M.; Stolte, Scott K.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. To determine a measurable definition of academic entitlement, measure academic entitlement in graduating doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students, and compare the academic performance between students identified as more or less academically entitled.

  3. Self-Efficacy and Academic Performance in First-Semester Organic Chemistry: Testing a Model of Reciprocal Causation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villafañe, Sachel M.; Xu, Xiaoying; Raker, Jeffrey R.

    2016-01-01

    Self-efficacy is an affective learning outcome that has been associated with academic performance and retention in STEM. Self-efficacy has been defined as students' beliefs about their ability to complete a given task, and it can be affected by a student's positive or negative experience in a course. In this study, students' chemistry…

  4. Emotional intelligence, performance, and retention in clinical staff nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Codier, Estelle; Kamikawa, Cindy; Kooker, Barbara M; Shoultz, Jan

    2009-01-01

    Emotional intelligence has been correlated with performance, retention, and organizational commitment in professions other than nursing. A 2006 pilot study provided the first evidence of a correlation between emotional intelligence and performance in clinical staff nurses. A follow-up study was completed, the purpose of which was to explore emotional intelligence, performance level, organizational commitment, and retention. A convenience sample of 350 nurses in a large medical center in urban Hawaii participated in this study. This article reports the findings pertaining to the subset of 193 clinical staff nurses who responded. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test instrument was used to measure emotional intelligence abilities. Performance was defined as ranking on a clinical ladder. Commitment was scored on a Likert scale. The following variables measured retention: total years in nursing, years in current job, total years anticipated in current job, and total anticipated career length. Emotional intelligence scores in clinical staff nurses correlated positively with both performance level and retention variables. Clinical staff nurses with higher emotional intelligence scores demonstrated higher performance, had longer careers, and greater job retention.

  5. Effect of Learning Cycle Approach-Based Science Teaching on Academic Achievement, Attitude, Motivation and Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uyanik, Gökhan

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learning cycle approach-based teaching on academic achievement, attitude, motivation and retention at primary school 4th grade science lesson. It was conducted pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design in this study. The study was conducted on a total of 65 students studying in two different…

  6. Learning skills and academic performance in children and adolescents with absence epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talero-Gutiérrez, C; Sánchez-Torres, J M; Velez-van-Meerbeke, A

    2015-03-01

    Although cognitive and learning disorders have been described in patients with epilepsy, very few studies focus on specific disorders such as absence epilepsy. The aim of this study was to evaluate learning skills and academic performance in children and adolescents with absence epilepsy. Observational case-control study. Cases were chosen from the Central League against Epilepsy's clinic in Bogotá, Colombia. Controls were selected from a private school and matched with cases by age, school year, and sex. Medical history, seizure frequency, antiepileptic treatment, and academic performance were assessed. Academic abilities were tested with Batería de Aptitudes Diferenciales y Generales (BADyG) (a Spanish-language test of differential and general aptitudes). Data were analysed using Student t-test. The sample consisted of 19 cases and 19 controls aged between 7 and 16. In 15 patients, seizures were controlled; all patients had received antiepileptic medication at some point and 78.9% were actively being treated. Although cases had higher rates of academic failure, a greater incidence of grade retention, and more therapeutic interventions than controls, these differences were not significant. Similarly, there were no significant differences on the BADyG test, except for the immediate memory subcategory on which cases scored higher than controls (P=.0006). Children treated pharmacologically for absence epilepsy, whose seizures are controlled, have normal academic abilities and skills for their age. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  7. Nurse manager perceptions of role satisfaction and retention at an academic medical center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwink, Jennifer E; Dzialo, Maureen; Fink, Regina M; Oman, Kathleen S; Shiskowsky, Kaycee; Waite, Kathi; DeVine, Deborah; Sanders, Carolyn L; Le-Lazar, Jamie T T

    2013-03-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of inpatient acute care nurse managers (NM) employed at an academic Magnet® hospital about factors that influence NM retention, including current work environment, satisfaction, work-life balance, sucssful NM traits, and personal development and educational needs. Nurse managers are challenged with increased workloads impacting their ability to implement all role components. A qualitative descriptive study design used focus group methodology to explore perceptions of the NM role. Nurse managers identified staff recognition, support, peer relationships, collaboration, and ability to make positive change as factors influencing their decision to remain in the role. Burnout factors included workload issues, work-life imbalance, and difficulty sustaining positive relationships. Traits supporting success were communication, resiliency, integrity, and a visionary outlook. Suggestions for NM development and education were identified. Findings can be used to improve NM satisfaction, work-life balance, recruitment, retention, and succession planning.

  8. Retention performance of green roofs in three different climate regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, Andrew W.; Robinson, Clare E.; Smart, Charles C.; Voogt, James A.; Hay, Geoffrey J.; Lundholm, Jeremey T.; Powers, Brandon; O'Carroll, Denis M.

    2016-11-01

    Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular for moderating stormwater runoff in urban areas. This study investigated the impact different climates have on the retention performance of identical green roofs installed in London Ontario (humid continental), Calgary Alberta (semi-arid, continental), and Halifax Nova Scotia (humid, maritime). Drier climates were found to have greater percent cumulative stormwater retention with Calgary (67%) having significantly better percent retention than both London (48%) and Halifax (34%). However, over the same study period the green roof in London retained the greatest depth of stormwater (598 mm), followed by the green roof in Halifax (471 mm) and then Calgary (411 mm). The impact of climate was largest for medium sized storms where the antecedent moisture condition (AMC) at the beginning of a rainfall event governs retention performance. Importantly AMC was a very good predictor of stormwater retention, with similar retention at all three sites for a given AMC, emphasizing that AMC is a relevant indicator of retention performance in any climate. For large rainfall events (i.e., >45 mm) green roof average retention ranged between 16% and 29% in all cities. Overall, drier climates have superior retention due to lower AMC in the media. However, moderate and wet climates still provide substantial total volume reduction benefits.

  9. Diet Quality and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florence, Michelle D.; Asbridge, Mark; Veugelers, Paul J.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Although the effects of nutrition on health and school performance are often cited, few research studies have examined the effect of diet quality on the academic performance of children. This study examines the association between overall diet quality and academic performance. Methods: In 2003, 5200 grade 5 students in Nova Scotia,…

  10. The Effect of Academic Advising on Academic Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Although academic advising in Kenyan universities exists, no research has been done to find out how it impacts on students' educational and career goals. This research aimed at establishing the effect of academic advising on academic performance and the influence of year of study and gender on students' tendency to ...

  11. A Thematic-Based Meta Analytic Study Regarding the Effect of Creativity on Academic Success and Learning Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özdas, Faysal; Batdi, Veli

    2017-01-01

    This thematic-based meta-analytic study aims to examine the effect of creativity on the academic success and learning retention scores of students. In the context of this aim, 18 out of 225 studies regarding creativity that were carried out between 2001 and 2011 have been obtained from certain national and international databases. The studies…

  12. Entrepreneurship Education and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansen, Vegard

    2014-01-01

    The significant increase of entrepreneurship education (EE) is a trend in Europe. Entrepreneurship education is supposed to promote general and specific entrepreneurial abilities and improve academic performance. This paper evaluates whether EE influences academic performance, measured by Grade Point Average. The main indicator used for EE is the…

  13. The Effect of Teaching Activities Done by Using Activity Based Posters on the Students' Academic Achievements, Retention Levels in Their Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coskun, Ismail; Eker, Cevat

    2018-01-01

    The aim of the study is to investigate whether the activity based posters have an effect of on the ninth class students' academic achievements and the retention levels in their learning. The research was carried out with 60 students at one of the state schools in The Central Anatolia Region of Turkey in 2015-2016 academic year.…

  14. Effects of Creative Drama Method on Students' Attitude towards Social Studies, Academic Achievement and Retention in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaf, Ozlem; Yilmaz, Ozge Uygungul

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of creative drama as a teaching method on academic achievement and retention in social studies, students' attitude towards social studies of 4th grade. The research is designed according to quasiexperimental model. The research was conducted with 4th year students in a public school in Adana…

  15. The Apples of Academic Performance: Associations Between Dietary Patterns and Academic Performance in Australian Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearce, Karma; Golley, Rebecca; Lewis, Lucy; Cassidy, Leah; Olds, Timothy; Maher, Carol

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was an association between dietary patterns and children's academic performance. This cross-sectional study involved 315 children aged 9-11 years from 26 schools in Australia. Academic performance was measured in 4 domains (reading, writing, numeracy, and language-subdomains: spelling, grammarm and punctuation) using the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). A self-reported child questionnaire collected dietary intake data. "Core" (healthy) and "noncore" (unhealthy) dietary patterns were derived using principal components analysis. The noncore pattern was associated with lower NAPLAN scores across all academic domains (mean: -12.6, 95% CI: -18.7 to -6.4, r 2 = .073, p Academic performance was deleteriously associated with a nutrient-poor, energy-dense diet, yet not associated with a nutritious diet. © 2018, American School Health Association.

  16. Brain Structure Linking Delay Discounting and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Song; Kong, Feng; Zhou, Ming; Chen, Taolin; Yang, Xun; Chen, Guangxiang; Gong, Qiyong

    2017-08-01

    As a component of self-discipline, delay discounting refers to the ability to wait longer for preferred rewards and plays a pivotal role in shaping students' academic performance. However, the neural basis of the association between delay discounting and academic performance remains largely unknown. Here, we examined the neuroanatomical substrates underlying delay discounting and academic performance in 214 adolescents via voxel-based morphometry (VBM) by performing structural magnetic resonance imaging (S-MRI). Behaviorally, we confirmed the significant correlation between delay discounting and academic performance. Neurally, whole-brain regression analyses indicated that regional gray matter volume (rGMV) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was associated with both delay discounting and academic performance. Furthermore, delay discounting partly accounted for the association between academic performance and brain structure. Differences in the rGMV of the left DLPFC related to academic performance explained over one-third of the impact of delay discounting on academic performance. Overall, these results provide the first evidence for the common neural basis linking delay discounting and academic performance. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3917-3926, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Satisfaction with College: Re-Examining Its Structure and Its Relationships with the Intent to Remain in College and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strahan, Sarah; Credé, Marcus

    2015-01-01

    Satisfaction with college is an important component of various theories of college student retention and academic performance but empirical support for the relationship of satisfaction with college with these two criteria has been mixed. Using data from two large datasets (N = 34,047 and N = 35,503) from 300 institutions we examine whether…

  18. Academic Work and Performativity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenny, John

    2017-01-01

    Neoliberal reforms in higher education have resulted in corporate managerial practices in universities and a drive for efficiency and productivity in teaching and research. As a result, there has been an intensification of academic work, increased stress for academics and an emphasis on accountability and performativity in universities. This paper…

  19. On the relation between motivation and retention in educational contexts: The role of intentional and unintentional mind wandering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seli, Paul; Wammes, Jeffrey D; Risko, Evan F; Smilek, Daniel

    2016-08-01

    Highly motivated students often exhibit better academic performance than less motivated students. However, to date, the specific cognitive mechanisms through which motivation increases academic achievement are not well understood. Here we explored the possibility that mind wandering mediates the relation between motivation and academic performance, and additionally, we examined possible mediation by both intentional and unintentional forms of mind wandering. We found that participants reporting higher motivation to learn in a lecture-based setting tended to engage in less mind wandering, and that this decrease in mind wandering was in turn associated with greater retention of the lecture material. Critically, we also found that the influence of motivation on retention was mediated by both intentional and unintentional types of mind wandering. Not only do the present results advance our theoretical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relation between motivation and academic achievement, they also provide insights into possible methods of intervention that may be useful in improving student retention in educational settings.

  20. Effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Students' Academic Achievement and Retention in Chemistry at Secondary Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Ishtiaq; Suleman, Qaiser; ud Din, M. Naseer; Shafique, Farhan

    2017-01-01

    The current paper investigated the effects of information and communication technology on the students' academic achievement and retention in chemistry. Fifty students of 9th grade were selected randomly from Kohsar Public School and College Latamber Karak. The students were grouped into equivalent groups based on pretest score. In order to…

  1. Relationship of Perceived Stress, Perfectionism and Social Support with Students’ Academic Burnout and -Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pourseyyed SM

    2015-07-01

    Conclusion: Perceived stress has negative direct relationship with social support and positive direct relationship with academic burnout. Social support also has positive direct relationship with academic performance. Relationship of maladaptive perfectionism with academic burnout and also the relationship of adaptive perfectionism with academic performance is direct positive. Relationship of perceived stress with academic performance is indirect mediated by social support.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  3. Medical student psychological distress and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dendle, Claire; Baulch, Julie; Pellicano, Rebecca; Hay, Margaret; Lichtwark, Irene; Ayoub, Sally; Clarke, David M; Morand, Eric F; Kumar, Arunaz; Leech, Michelle; Horne, Kylie

    2018-01-21

    The impact of medical student psychological distress on academic performance has not been systematically examined. This study provided an opportunity to closely examine the potential impacts of workplace and study related stress factors on student's psychological distress and their academic performance during their first clinical year. This one-year prospective cohort study was performed at a tertiary hospital based medical school in Melbourne, Australia. Students completed a questionnaire at three time points during the year. The questionnaire included the validated Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), as well as items about sources of workplace stress. Academic outcome scores were aggregated and correlated with questionnaire results. One hundred and twenty six students participated; 126 (94.7%), 102 (76.7%), and 99 (74.4%) at time points one, two, and three, respectively. 33.1% reported psychological distress at time point one, increasing to 47.4% at time point three. There was no correlation between the K10 scores and academic performance. There was weak negative correlation between the GHQ-28 at time point three and academic performance. Keeping up to date with knowledge, need to do well and fear of negative feedback were the most common workplace stress factors. Poor correlation was noted between psychological distress and academic performance.

  4. Academic procrastination and academic performance: An initial basis for intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goroshit, Marina

    2018-01-01

    Academic procrastination is a prevalent phenomenon with a range of negative outcomes. Many studies focused on causes and correlates of academic procrastination; however, the study of interventions for academic procrastination is scarce. The present study is an initial effort to study the relationship between academic procrastination, online course participation, and achievement, as a basis for developing an intervention for academic procrastination. Findings indicated that studying procrastination was negatively associated with final exam grade as well as with the three online course participation measures. Final exam grade was positively associated with two of the online course participation measures, and they positively correlated with each other. In addition, results indicated that studying procrastination, in combination with online course participation measures, explained about 50% of variance in final exam's grade. Frequency of activities in course Web site had the strongest positive effect on final exam's grade. These findings strengthen the notion that studying procrastination is an impediment to students' academic performance and outcomes and clarifies the need to develop and study academic interventions for academic procrastination as a means to decrease its prevalence in academic settings.

  5. Mentoring perception and academic performance: an Academic Health Science Centre survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Athanasiou, Thanos; Patel, Vanash; Garas, George; Ashrafian, Hutan; Shetty, Kunal; Sevdalis, Nick; Panzarasa, Pietro; Darzi, Ara; Paroutis, Sotirios

    2016-10-01

    To determine the association between professors' self-perception of mentoring skills and their academic performance. Two hundred and fifteen professors from Imperial College London, the first Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) in the UK, were surveyed. The instrument adopted was the Mentorship Skills Self-Assessment Survey. Statement scores were aggregated to provide a score for each shared core, mentor-specific and mentee-specific skill. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate their relationship with quantitative measures of academic performance (publications, citations and h-index). There were 104 professors that responded (response rate 48%). There were no statistically significant negative correlations between any mentoring statement and any performance measure. In contrast, several mentoring survey items were positively correlated with academic performance. The total survey score for frequency of application of mentoring skills had a statistically significant positive association with number of publications (B=0.012, SE=0.004, p=0.006), as did the frequency of acquiring mentors with number of citations (B=1.572, SE=0.702, p=0.030). Building trust and managing risks had a statistically significant positive association with h-index (B=0.941, SE=0.460, p=0.047 and B=0.613, SE=0.287, p=0.038, respectively). This study supports the view that mentoring is associated with high academic performance. Importantly, it suggests that frequent use of mentoring skills and quality of mentoring have positive effects on academic performance. Formal mentoring programmes should be considered a fundamental part of all AHSCs' configuration. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  6. Gaming frequency and academic performance

    OpenAIRE

    Ip, Barry; Jacobs, Gabriel; Watkins, Alan

    2008-01-01

    There are numerous claims that playing computer and video games may be educationally beneficial, but there has been little formal investigation into whether or not the frequency of exposure to such games actually affects academic performance. This paper explores the issue by analysing the relationships between gaming frequency –measured as the amount of time undergraduate students spend playing games in their free time – and their academic performance as measured by their examination marks. U...

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  8. Emotional intelligence and clinical performance/retention of nursing students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marvos, Chelsea; Hale, Frankie B.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: This exploratory, quantitative, descriptive study was undertaken to explore the relationship between clinical performance and anticipated retention in nursing students. Methods: After approval by the university's Human Subjects Committee, a sample of 104 nursing students were recruited for this study, which involved testing with a valid and reliable emotional intelligence (EI) instrument and a self-report survey of clinical competencies. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that although the group average for total EI score and the 6 score subsets were in the average range, approximately 30% of the individual total EI scores and 30% of two branch scores, identifying emotions correctly and understanding emotions, fell in the less than average range. This data, as well as the analysis of correlation with clinical self-report scores, suggest recommendations applicable to educators of clinical nursing students. Conclusions: Registered nurses make-up the largest segment of the ever-growing healthcare workforce. Yet, retention of new graduates has historically been a challenge for the profession. Given the projected employment growth in nursing, it is important to identify factors which correlate with high levels of performance and job retention among nurses. There is preliminary evidence that EI a nontraditional intelligence measure relates positively not only with retention of clinical staff nurses, but with overall clinical performance as well. PMID:27981096

  9. Noncognitive Predictors of Student Athletes' Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simons, Herbert D.; Van Rheenen, Derek

    2000-01-01

    Examines the role of four noncognitive variables in predicting academic performance in 200 Division I athletes. Studies the noncognitive variables of athletic-academic commitment, feelings of being exploited, academic self-worth, self-handicapping excuses as well as several background and academic preparation variables. Finds all four noncognitive…

  10. Interlimb coordination and academic performance in elementary school children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva Pacheco, Sheila Cristina; Gabbard, Carl; Ries, Lilian Gerdi Kittel; Bobbio, Tatiana Godoy

    2016-10-01

    The specific mechanisms linking motor ability and cognitive performance, especially academic achievement, are still unclear. Whereas the literature provides an abundance of information on fine and visual-motor skill and cognitive attributes, much less has been reported on gross motor ability. This study examined interlimb coordination and its relationship to academic performance in children aged 8-11 years. Motor and academic skills were examined in 100 Brazilian children using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Academic Performance Test. Participants were grouped into low (75%) academic achievers. There was a significant difference between groups for Total Motor Composite (P academic performance and Body Coordination. Of the subtests of Body Coordination (Bilateral Coordination and Balance), Bilateral Coordination accounted for the highest impact on academic performance. Of interest here, that subtest consists primarily of gross motor tasks involving interlimb coordination. Overall, there was a positive relationship between motor behavior, in particular activities involving interlimb coordination, and academic performance. Application of these findings in the area of early assessment may be useful in the identification of later academic problems. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

  11. Academic Performance and the Use of Social Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jéssica Ribeiro Rangel

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate whether the use of social networks influences on the academic performance of students in the undergraduate program in accounting. Data were collected from 322 students of the course of a federal University of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The regression results show that the variables "gender", "motivation" and "classification in the University entrance examination" are significant in explaining students' academic performance measured by the Grade Point Average (GPA. The results show that the performance of male students is lower than that of female students at the level of 5%. Also was identified that the greater the student's motivation level, the greater your academic performance (at the level of 1 percent. Finally, it was observed that the best ranked students in the University entrance examination, the higher their academic performance. However, none of the variables relating to the use of social networks ("familiarity with technological resources", "hours", "Internet hours on social networks" and "use of social networks to study" presented relation with academic performance. In other words, these results show that the use of social networks does not have positive or negative impacts directly on academic performance. We can conclude for the sample analyzed, that use of social networks during the academic period does not influence significantly the performance of the students. However, you can verify that the motivation is directly related to the academic performance of the Accounting student with regard to perception of motivation, to familiarity with technological resources and the use of applications.

  12. A modelling study of long term green roof retention performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stovin, Virginia; Poë, Simon; Berretta, Christian

    2013-12-15

    This paper outlines the development of a conceptual hydrological flux model for the long term continuous simulation of runoff and drought risk for green roof systems. A green roof's retention capacity depends upon its physical configuration, but it is also strongly influenced by local climatic controls, including the rainfall characteristics and the restoration of retention capacity associated with evapotranspiration during dry weather periods. The model includes a function that links evapotranspiration rates to substrate moisture content, and is validated against observed runoff data. The model's application to typical extensive green roof configurations is demonstrated with reference to four UK locations characterised by contrasting climatic regimes, using 30-year rainfall time-series inputs at hourly simulation time steps. It is shown that retention performance is dependent upon local climatic conditions. Volumetric retention ranges from 0.19 (cool, wet climate) to 0.59 (warm, dry climate). Per event retention is also considered, and it is demonstrated that retention performance decreases significantly when high return period events are considered in isolation. For example, in Sheffield the median per-event retention is 1.00 (many small events), but the median retention for events exceeding a 1 in 1 yr return period threshold is only 0.10. The simulation tool also provides useful information about the likelihood of drought periods, for which irrigation may be required. A sensitivity study suggests that green roofs with reduced moisture-holding capacity and/or low evapotranspiration rates will tend to offer reduced levels of retention, whilst high moisture-holding capacity and low evapotranspiration rates offer the strongest drought resistance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The Role of Academic Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Variable between Perceived Academic Climate and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abd-Elmotaleb, Moustafa; Saha, Sudhir K.

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the mediating influence of academic self-efficacy on the link between perceived academic climate and academic performance among university students. The participants in the study consist of 272 undergraduate students at the University of Assiut, Assiut, Egypt. A scale to measure perceived academic climate, was developed. To…

  14. Poor academic performance among adolescents with epilepsy in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background. Adolescents with epilepsy experience significant academic difficulties. However, little is known about the effects of epilepsy on the academic performance of adolescents with the disorder in Northern Nigeria. Objective. To assess the academic performance of adolescents with epilepsy and factors associated ...

  15. Health Behaviors and Academic Performance Among Korean Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    So, Eun Sun; Park, Byoung Mo

    2016-06-01

    This study aimed to examine the most prominent health-related behaviors impacting the academic performance of Korean adolescents. The 2012 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey data were analyzed using an ordinal regression analysis after adjusting for general and other health behaviors. Before adjustment, all health behaviors were significantly associated with academic performance. After adjustment for other health behaviors and confounding factors, only smoking [odds ratio (OR) = 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.98, 2.16), p academic performance, and engaging in a regular diet [OR = 0.65, 95% CI (0.65, 0.62), p academic performance. Regular diet, reducing smoking and alcohol drinking, and physical activity should be the target when designing health interventions for improving academic performance in Korean adolescents. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Impact of a Constructivist Career Course on Academic Performance and Graduation Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grier-Reed, Tabitha; Chahla, Rose

    2015-01-01

    Career planning courses are one of the most effective ways to improve career development, and the benefits to career decision-making are well documented. The research base regarding whether career courses contribute to academic outcomes is less well-developed. Although recent findings suggest that career courses may improve retention in the first-…

  17. Emotional intelligence and clinical performance/retention of nursing students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chelsea Marvos

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This exploratory, quantitative, descriptive study was undertaken to explore the relationship between clinical performance and anticipated retention in nursing students. Methods: After approval by the university′s Human Subjects Committee, a sample of 104 nursing students were recruited for this study, which involved testing with a valid and reliable emotional intelligence (EI instrument and a self-report survey of clinical competencies. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that although the group average for total EI score and the 6 score subsets were in the average range, approximately 30% of the individual total EI scores and 30% of two branch scores, identifying emotions correctly and understanding emotions, fell in the less than average range. This data, as well as the analysis of correlation with clinical self-report scores, suggest recommendations applicable to educators of clinical nursing students. Conclusions: Registered nurses make-up the largest segment of the ever-growing healthcare workforce. Yet, retention of new graduates has historically been a challenge for the profession. Given the projected employment growth in nursing, it is important to identify factors which correlate with high levels of performance and job retention among nurses. There is preliminary evidence that EI "a nontraditional intelligence measure" relates positively not only with retention of clinical staff nurses, but with overall clinical performance as well.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  19. Personality, academic majors and performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vedel, Anna; Thomsen, Dorthe Kirkegaard; Larsen, Lars

    2015-01-01

    Personality–performance research typically uses samples of psychology students without questioning their representativeness. The present article reports two studies challenging this practice. Study 1: group differences in the Big Five personality traits were explored between students (N = 1067......) in different academic majors (medicine, psychology, law, economics, political science, science, and arts/humanities), who were tested immediately after university enrolment. Study 2: six and a half years later the students’ academic records were obtained, and predictive validity of the Big Five personality...... traits and their subordinate facets was examined in the various academic majors in relation to Grade Point Average (GPA). Significant group differences in all Big Five personality traits were found between students in different academic majors. Also, variability in predictive validity of the Big Five...

  20. Cognitive Determinants of Academic Performance in Nigerian Pharmacy Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sansgiry, Sujit S.; Ukwe, Chinwe V.

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To evaluate cognitive factors that might influence academic performance of students in Nigerian pharmacy schools. Methods. A cross-sectional, multi-center survey of Nigerian pharmacy students from 7 schools of pharmacy was conducted using 2 validated questionnaires measuring cognitive constructs such as test anxiety, academic competence, test competence, time management, and strategic study habits. Results. Female students and older students scored significantly better on time management skills and study habits, respectively. Test anxiety was negatively associated with academic performance while test competence, academic competence, and time management were positively associated with academic performance. These 4 constructs significantly discriminated between the lower and higher performing students, with the first 2 contributing to the most differences. Conclusion. Test and academic competence, test anxiety, and time management were significant factors associated with low and high academic performance among Nigerian pharmacy students. The study also demonstrated the significant effects of age, gender, and marital status on these constructs. PMID:27168614

  1. Cognitive Determinants of Academic Performance in Nigerian Pharmacy Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ubaka, Chukwuemeka M; Sansgiry, Sujit S; Ukwe, Chinwe V

    2015-09-25

    Objective. To evaluate cognitive factors that might influence academic performance of students in Nigerian pharmacy schools. Methods. A cross-sectional, multi-center survey of Nigerian pharmacy students from 7 schools of pharmacy was conducted using 2 validated questionnaires measuring cognitive constructs such as test anxiety, academic competence, test competence, time management, and strategic study habits. Results. Female students and older students scored significantly better on time management skills and study habits, respectively. Test anxiety was negatively associated with academic performance while test competence, academic competence, and time management were positively associated with academic performance. These 4 constructs significantly discriminated between the lower and higher performing students, with the first 2 contributing to the most differences. Conclusion. Test and academic competence, test anxiety, and time management were significant factors associated with low and high academic performance among Nigerian pharmacy students. The study also demonstrated the significant effects of age, gender, and marital status on these constructs.

  2. STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE PREDICTION USING SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE

    OpenAIRE

    S.A. Oloruntoba1 ,J.L.Akinode2

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates the relationship between students' preadmission academic profile and final academic performance. Data Sample of students in one of the Federal Polytechnic in south West part of Nigeria was used. The preadmission academic profile used for this study is the 'O' level grades(terminal high school results).The academic performance is defined using student's Grade Point Average(GPA). This research focused on using data mining technique to develop a model for predicting stude...

  3. Corporal punishment, academic performance and self-esteem ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The results show no significant differences between corporal punishment and academic performance and self-esteem of the students. Whereas self-esteem and academic performance were found to be positively related, there was no significant variation in self-esteem across gender. The implications of the findings are ...

  4. Academic performance of school children with behavioural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction: Behavioural disorders can have a negative influence on the academic performance of school children. There are no similiar published is no known studies in Nigeria. Objective: To compare the academic performance of primary school children with behavioural disorders with that of their controls. Methods: A ...

  5. Relationship between Motivation and Academic Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated the influence of motivation on the academic performance of undergraduate distance learners of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The study was guided by two hypotheses; the relationship between intrinsic motivation and academic performance of Level 300 undergraduate students of College of ...

  6. Evaluating Nonclinical Performance of the Academic Pathologist

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Austin Blackburn Wiles MD

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Academic pathologists perform clinical duties, as well as valuable nonclinical activities. Nonclinical activities may consist of research, teaching, and administrative management among many other important tasks. While clinical duties have many clear metrics to measure productivity, like the relative value units of Medicare reimbursement, nonclinical performance is often difficult to measure. Despite the difficulty of evaluating nonclinical activities, nonclinical productivity is used to determine promotion, funding, and inform professional evaluations of performance. In order to better evaluate the important nonclinical performance of academic pathologists, we present an evaluation system for leadership use. This system uses a Microsoft Excel workbook to provide academic pathologist respondents and reviewing leadership a transparent, easy-to-complete system that is both flexible and scalable. This system provides real-time feedback to academic pathologist respondents and a clear executive summary that allows for focused guidance of the respondent. This system may be adapted to fit practices of varying size, measure performance differently based on years of experience, and can work with many different institutional values.

  7. [Sleep and academic performance in young elite athletes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poussel, M; Laure, P; Genest, J; Fronzaroli, E; Renaud, P; Favre, A; Chenuel, B

    2014-07-01

    In French law (Code du Sport), the status of elite athlete is allowed for young athletes beginning at the age of 12 years. For these young athletes, the aim is to reach the highest level of performance in their sport without compromising academic performance. Training time is therefore often substantial and sleep patterns appear to play a key role in performance recovery. The aim of this study was to assess sleep patterns and their effects on academic performance in young elite athletes. Sleep patterns were assessed using questionnaires completed during a specific information-based intervention on sports medicine topics. The academic performance of young elite athletes was assessed by collecting their grades (transmitted by their teachers). Sleep patterns were assessed for 137 young elite athletes (64 females, 73 males; mean age, 15.7 years) and academic performance for 109 of them. Daily sleep duration during school periods (8h22 ± 38 min) were shorter compared to holidays and week-ends (10h02 ± 1h16, Psleep quality as poor or just sufficient. Poor sleep quality was correlated with poor academic performance in this specific athlete population. Sleep is the most important period for recovery from daily activity, but little information is available regarding the specific population of young elite athletes. The results reported herein suggest insufficiency (quantitatively and qualitatively) of sleep patterns in some of the young athletes, possibly leading to detrimental effects on athletic performance. Moreover, disturbed sleep patterns may also impact academic performance in young elite athletes. Teachers, athletic trainers, physicians, and any other professionals working with young elite athletes should pay particular attention to this specific population regarding the possible negative repercussions of poor sleep patterns on academic and athletic performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Satisfaction of Students and Academic Performance in Benadir University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhaqane, Mahad Khalif; Afrah, Nor Abdulle

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the role of satisfaction on students' academic performance and investigates the relationship between satisfaction of students and academic performance and explores other factors that contribute academic performance. A correlation research was used. The study population was the third and the last year students of Benadir…

  9. phosphorus retention data and metadata

    Science.gov (United States)

    phosphorus retention in wetlands data and metadataThis dataset is associated with the following publication:Lane , C., and B. Autrey. Phosphorus retention of forested and emergent marsh depressional wetlands in differing land uses in Florida, USA. Wetlands Ecology and Management. Springer Science and Business Media B.V;Formerly Kluwer Academic Publishers B.V., GERMANY, 24(1): 45-60, (2016).

  10. Adding a Performance-Based Component to Surface Warfare Officer Bonuses: Will it Affect Retention?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Carman, Aron S; Mudd, Ryan M

    2008-01-01

    ... to Lieutenant Commander (0-4). Probit regressions showed that top performers exhibited higher retention rates than lower-performing peers, though pay had a stronger retention effect among low performers...

  11. School Discipline, School Uniforms and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Chris; Krskova, Hana

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of school discipline in achieving academic performance. The study aims to clarify the role of permissive "vis-à-vis" authoritative teaching styles with an overarching hypothesis that better discipline leads to better academic performance. The authors also probe whether uniformed…

  12. Predictors of Academic Performance among Indian Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganguly, Sohinee; Kulkarni, Mrinmoyi; Gupta, Meenakshi

    2017-01-01

    There are two dominant strains in the literature on academic performance, the attribution studies and the self-efficacy studies. The present study attempted to incorporate these two strains while examining the academic performance of engineering undergraduate students in India. Time management and perceived stress were included in the model to…

  13. Academic and Occupational Performance: A Quantitative Synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samson, Gordon E.; And Others

    1984-01-01

    A synthesis of results from 35 studies of the association between academic and occupational performance in various fields indicated that academic indicators such as grades and test scores account for only 2.4 percent of the variance in occupational performance criteria such as income, job satisfaction, and effectiveness ratings. (Author/BW)

  14. Social Networking and Academic Performance: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doleck, Tenzin; Lajoie, Susanne

    2018-01-01

    The ubiquitous use of social networking sites by students and the potential impacts of such use on academic performance are of both theoretical and practical importance. Hence, this paper addresses the question: how does the use of social networking sites influence academic performance? The present review synthesizes the empirical findings of the…

  15. Academic performance and behavioral patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kassarnig, Valentin; Mones, Enys; Bjerre-Nielsen, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    Identifying the factors that influence academic performance is an essential part of educational research. Previous studies have documented the importance of personality traits, class attendance, and social network structure. Because most of these analyses were based on a single behavioral aspect...... and/or small sample sizes, there is currently no quantification of the interplay of these factors. Here, we study the academic performance among a cohort of 538 undergraduate students forming a single, densely connected social network. Our work is based on data collected using smartphones, which...... the students used as their primary phones for two years. The availability of multi-channel data from a single population allows us to directly compare the explanatory power of individual and social characteristics. We find that the most informative indicators of performance are based on social ties...

  16. Role of Academic Managers in Workload and Performance Management of Academic Staff: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Andrew T.

    2016-01-01

    This small-scale case study focused on academic managers to explore the ways in which they control the workload of academic staff and the extent to which they use the workload model in performance management of academic staff. The links that exist between the workload and performance management were explored to confirm or refute the conceptual…

  17. Relationships among grit, academic performance, perceived academic failure, and stress in associate degree students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wincy Wing Sze

    2017-10-01

    The present study examined the relationships among grit, academic performance, perceived academic failure, and stress levels of Hong Kong associate degree students using path analysis. Three hundred and forty-five students from a community college in Hong Kong voluntarily participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire that measured their grit (operationalized as interest and perseverance) and stress levels. The students also provided their actual academic performance and evaluated their perception of their academic performance as a success or a failure. The results of the path analysis showed that interest and perseverance were negatively associated with stress, and only perceived academic failure was positively associated with stress. These findings suggest that psychological appraisal and resources are more important antecedents of stress than objective negative events. Therefore, fostering students' psychological resilience may alleviate the stress experienced by associate degree students or college students in general. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Academic climate, well-being and academic performance in a university degree course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rania, Nadia; Siri, Anna; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Aleo, Giuseppe; Sasso, Loredana

    2014-09-01

    The psychological climate within organisations affects not only the behaviour and the attitude of group members, but also the performance of the group itself. According to the ecological model, this research examines how learning in different classroom contexts of the same nursing degree programme can affect academic performance, well-being, self-esteem and perceived climate. Four scales were used to assess students' perceptions by collecting primary data while academic performance was measured by obtaining students' academic records. A questionnaire completed by 391 first-year nursing students was administered. Differences were observed in the perceptions of climate and academic performance in different classroom contexts with trends, which did not always overlap; however, strong correlations were observed among self-esteem, well-being and climate, and schoolmate relationships. Universities should not merely train competent professionals but also build learning communities that support the well-being of relationships and the development of well-being contexts. The findings support the need for an educational intervention for improving the quality of life and well-being of the community and individual students. This type of intervention requires a 'compliant' organisational environment that puts studetns, teachers and professionals in the condition to practice their professional skills. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Sleep Disordered Breathing and Academic Performance: A Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galland, Barbara; Spruyt, Karen; Dawes, Patrick; McDowall, Philippa S; Elder, Dawn; Schaughency, Elizabeth

    2015-10-01

    Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children is associated with daytime functioning decrements in cognitive performance and behavioral regulation. Studies addressing academic achievement are underrepresented. This study aimed to evaluate the strength of the relationships between SDB and achievement in core domains and general school performance. Data sources included PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Studies of school-aged children investigating the relationships between SDB and academic achievement were selected for inclusion in a systematic literature review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data extracted were converted into standardized mean differences; effect sizes (ES) and statistics were calculated by using random-effects models. Heterogeneity tests (I(2)) were conducted. Of 488 studies, 16 met eligibility criteria. SDB was significantly associated with poorer academic performance for core academic domains related to language arts (ES -0.31; P performance. Variable definitions of both academic performance and SDB likely contributed to the heterogeneity among published investigations. Clear links between SDB and poorer academic performance in school-age children are demonstrated. ES statistics were in the small to medium range, but nevertheless the findings serve to highlight to parents, teachers, and clinicians that SDB in children may contribute to academic difficulties some children face. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  20. Simulated astigmatism impairs academic-related performance in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanasamy, Sumithira; Vincent, Stephen J; Sampson, Geoff P; Wood, Joanne M

    2015-01-01

    Astigmatism is an important refractive condition in children. However, the functional impact of uncorrected astigmatism in this population is not well established, particularly with regard to academic performance. This study investigated the impact of simulated bilateral astigmatism on academic-related tasks before and after sustained near work in children. Twenty visually normal children (mean age: 10.8 ± 0.7 years; six males and 14 females) completed a range of standardised academic-related tests with and without 1.50 D of simulated bilateral astigmatism (with both academic-related tests and the visual condition administered in a randomised order). The simulated astigmatism was induced using a positive cylindrical lens while maintaining a plano spherical equivalent. Performance was assessed before and after 20 min of sustained near work, during two separate testing sessions. Academic-related measures included a standardised reading test (the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability), visual information processing tests (Coding and Symbol Search subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and a reading-related eye movement test (the Developmental Eye Movement test). Each participant was systematically assigned either with-the-rule (WTR, axis 180°) or against-the-rule (ATR, axis 90°) simulated astigmatism to evaluate the influence of axis orientation on any decrements in performance. Reading, visual information processing and reading-related eye movement performance were all significantly impaired by both simulated bilateral astigmatism (p  0.05). Simulated astigmatism led to a reduction of between 5% and 12% in performance across the academic-related outcome measures, but there was no significant effect of the axis (WTR or ATR) of astigmatism (p > 0.05). Simulated bilateral astigmatism impaired children's performance on a range of academic-related outcome measures irrespective of the orientation of the astigmatism. These findings have

  1. Retention of Underrepresented Minority Faculty: Strategic Initiatives for Institutional Value Proposition Based on Perspectives from a Range of Academic Institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittaker, Joseph A; Montgomery, Beronda L; Martinez Acosta, Veronica G

    2015-01-01

    The student and faculty make-up of academic institutions does not represent national demographics. Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately underrepresented nationally, and particularly at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Although significant efforts and funding have been committed to increasing points of access or recruitment of under-represented minority (URM) students and faculty at PWIs, these individuals have not been recruited and retained at rates that reflect their national proportions. Underrepresentation of URMs is particularly prevalent in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This reality represents a national crisis given a predicted shortage of workers in STEM disciplines based on current rates of training of all individuals, majority and URM, and the intersection of this limitation with persistent challenges in the recruitment, training, retention and advancement of URMs who will soon represent the largest pool of future trainees. An additional compounding factor is the increasingly disproportionate underrepresentation of minorities at higher professorial and administrative ranks, thus limiting the pool of potential mentors who are correlated with successful shepherding of URM students through STEM training and development. We address issues related to improving recruitment and retention of URM faculty that are applicable across a range of academic institutions. We describe challenges with recruitment and retention of URM faculty and their advancement through promotion in the faculty ranks and into leadership positions. We offer specific recommendations, including identifying environmental barriers to diversity and implementing strategies for their amelioration, promoting effective and innovative mentoring, and addressing leadership issues related to constructive change for promoting diversity.

  2. Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curcio, Giuseppe; Ferrara, Michele; De Gennaro, Luigi

    2006-10-01

    At a time when several studies have highlighted the relationship between sleep, learning and memory processes, an in-depth analysis of the effects of sleep deprivation on student learning ability and academic performance would appear to be essential. Most studies have been naturalistic correlative investigations, where sleep schedules were correlated with school and academic achievement. Nonetheless, some authors were able to actively manipulate sleep in order to observe neurocognitive and behavioral consequences, such as learning, memory capacity and school performance. The findings strongly suggest that: (a) students of different education levels (from school to university) are chronically sleep deprived or suffer from poor sleep quality and consequent daytime sleepiness; (b) sleep quality and quantity are closely related to student learning capacity and academic performance; (c) sleep loss is frequently associated with poor declarative and procedural learning in students; (d) studies in which sleep was actively restricted or optimized showed, respectively, a worsening and an improvement in neurocognitive and academic performance. These results may been related to the specific involvement of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in vulnerability to sleep loss. Most methodological limitations are discussed and some future research goals are suggested.

  3. Determinants of Academic Performance in Public Day Secondary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determinants of Academic Performance in Public Day Secondary Schools, Manga District, Kenya. ... Journal of Technology and Education in Nigeria ... student's discipline, student's entry mark, teacher's teaching experience and level of education among others have significant impact in academic performance of a child.

  4. Retention Initiatives are Employed in Academic Libraries, Although not Necessarily for this Purpose. A Review of: Strothmann, M., & Ohler, L. A. (2011. Retaining academic librarians: By chance or by design? Library Management, 32(3, 191-208. doi: 10.1108/01435121111112907

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Newton Miller

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective – To study methods that support retention of academic librarians.Design – Exploratory research using an online survey; non-random sample.Setting – Academic libraries, nearly all located within the U.S. (97.2%. Subjects – A total of 895 professional academic librarians.Methods – The researchers sent an online survey link to professional electronic mail lists and directly to heads of Association of Research Libraries (ARL member libraries. The 23-item survey was available from February 19, 2007, through March 9, 2007, and contained questions about the professional experience of respondents, their libraries, and their universities. Subjects were asked to identify retention activities that were currently offered at their workplaces (both library-specific and university-wide and to rate their satisfaction for each available initiative. The list contained fifteen initiatives based on the researchers’ literature review.Main Results – Almost half (46.3% of respondents were 50 or older and 7.5% under 30 years old, leaving 46.2% between the ages of 30-50 years old (although this percentage is not explicitly stated in the paper except in a table. Nearly half of the subjects were in the first ten years of their careers. 80.2% had held between one and four professional positions in their careers, and even when length of professional experience was factored out, age had no effect on the number of positions held. Most job turnover within the past three years (3 or fewer open positions was in public service, while other areas of the library (i.e., technical services, systems, and administration reported zero open positions. Only 11.3% of respondents noted that their libraries have deliberate, formal retention programs in place. Despite this, there are several library- and university-based initiatives that can be considered to help with retention. The most reported available library-based retention initiative was the provision of funding

  5. Retention of Mastoidectomy Skills After Virtual Reality Simulation Training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts; Konge, Lars; Cayé-Thomasen, Per

    2016-01-01

    IMPORTANCE: The ultimate goal of surgical training is consolidated skills with a consistently high performance. However, surgical skills are heterogeneously retained and depend on a variety of factors, including the task, cognitive demands, and organization of practice. Virtual reality (VR......) simulation is increasingly being used in surgical skills training, including temporal bone surgery, but there is a gap in knowledge on the retention of mastoidectomy skills after VR simulation training. OBJECTIVES: To determine the retention of mastoidectomy skills after VR simulation training...... with distributed and massed practice and to investigate participants' cognitive load during retention procedures. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective 3-month follow-up study of a VR simulation trial was conducted from February 6 to September 19, 2014, at an academic teaching hospital among 36 medical...

  6. Academic performance among adolescents with behaviorally induced insufficient sleep syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yu Jin; Park, Juhyun; Kim, Soohyun; Cho, Seong-Jin; Kim, Seog Ju

    2015-01-15

    The present study investigated academic performance among adolescents with behaviorally induced insufficient sleep syndrome (BISS) and attempted to identify independent predictors of academic performance among BISS-related factors. A total of 51 students with BISS and 50 without BISS were recruited from high schools in South Korea based on self-reported weekday sleep durations, weekend oversleep, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Participants reported their academic performance in the form of class quartile ranking. The Korean version of the Composite Scale (KtCS) for morningness/eveningness, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-II (BIS-II) for impulsivity were administered. Adolescents with BISS reported poorer academic performance than adolescents without BISS (p = 0.02). Adolescents with BISS also exhibited greater levels of eveningness (p academic performance among adolescents with BISS even after controlling for ESS, KtCS, BDI, and BIS-II (β = 0.42, p academic performance and that sleep debt, as represented by weekend oversleep, predicts poorer academic performance independent of depression, impulsiveness, weekday sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and morningness/eveningness among adolescents with BISS. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

  7. Fitness Change and Subsequent Academic Performance in Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li-Jung; Fox, Kenneth R.; Ku, Po-Wen; Taun, Chih-Yang

    2013-01-01

    Background: This study examined the association between fitness change and subsequent academic performance in Taiwanese schoolchildren from 7th grade to 9th grade. Methods: The 7th graders from 1 junior high school district participated in this study (N=669). Academic performance was

  8. Academic Performance of School Children With Epilepsy | Ibekwe ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disease encountered among school children in Nigeria. Studies in developed countries show conflicting reports on it\\'s effect on academic performance. There is also a dearth of information on the academic performance of Nigerian children with epilepsy.

  9. Comparison between the Academic Performance of the National ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Comparison between the Academic Performance of the National and Regional Intake Medical Students at the University of Kordofan, Western Sudan. ... The dropout rate was 5.9% among the regional students compared to 8.9% among the national students. Conclusions: The academic performance of the national intake ...

  10. Class attendance and academic performance of second year ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated the impact of classroom attendance on academic performance of university students in an Organic Chemistry course. It also looked into the moderating effect of gender on attendance and academic performance. Data was collected through expo-facto survey involving real time documentation of ...

  11. Sleep and Academic Performance in Hong Kong Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mak, Kwok-Kei; Lee, So-Lun; Ho, Sai-Yin; Lo, Wing-Sze; Lam, Tai-Hing

    2012-01-01

    Background: Sleep problems may have different influences on students' academic performance. We investigated the prevalence of sleep patterns, naps, and sleep disorders, and their associations with academic performance in Hong Kong adolescents. Methods: In 2007-2008, 22,678 students aged 12-18 (41.6% boys) completed a questionnaire on…

  12. Network DEA: an application to analysis of academic performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saniee Monfared, Mohammad Ali; Safi, Mahsa

    2013-05-01

    As governmental subsidies to universities are declining in recent years, sustaining excellence in academic performance and more efficient use of resources have become important issues for university stakeholders. To assess the academic performances and the utilization of the resources, two important issues need to be addressed, i.e., a capable methodology and a set of good performance indicators as we consider in this paper. In this paper, we propose a set of performance indicators to enable efficiency analysis of academic activities and apply a novel network DEA structure to account for subfunctional efficiencies such as teaching quality, research productivity, as well as the overall efficiency. We tested our approach on the efficiency analysis of academic colleges at Alzahra University in Iran.

  13. 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…

  14. Breakup Effects on University Students' Perceived Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field, Tiffany; Diego, Miguel; Pelaez, Martha; Deeds, Osvelia; Delgado, Jeannette

    2012-01-01

    The Problem: Problems that might be expected to affect perceived academic performance were studied in a sample of 283 university students. Results: Breakup Distress Scale scores, less time since the breakup and no new relationship contributed to 16% of the variance on perceived academic performance. Variables that were related to academic…

  15. Etnic background and academic performance in Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrés Sanchez-Jabba

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In Colombia, students from an ethnic group have a lower academic achievement with respect totheir non-ethnic peers in standardized test scores on math and language. This gap is persistentat a state level, especially in high ethnic density states. Using information from the state academictest (SABER 11, this study corroborates the existence of an academic gap between ethnicand non-ethnic students and, additionally, decomposes it in factors related to observable characteristics,such as family and school; and non-observable factors. The methodology proposed byBlinder and Oaxaca applied to quantile regression is used in order to determine the existence oftest score gaps throughout the distribution of academic performance. Results indicate that forstates where there is a statistically significant gap, a sizeable portion of it is attributed to nonobservablefactors. Nonetheless, at distinct levels of academic performance, the gap size and theextent to which it can be attributed non-observable factors vary according to the state

  16. The effect of subconscious performance goals on academic performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bipp, T.; Kleingeld, P.A.M.; van Mierlo, H.; Kunde, W.

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the impact of subconscious goals on academic performance in two field experiments. We show that unobtrusive priming of goals with regard to achievement motivation by means of a photograph improves performance in different educational contexts. High-school students who were exposed to

  17. Foreign-born Peers and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conger, Dylan

    2015-04-01

    The academic performance of foreign-born youth in the United States is well studied, yet little is known about whether and how foreign-born students influence their classmates. In this article, I develop a set of expectations regarding the potential consequences of immigrant integration across schools, with a distinction between the effects of sharing schools with immigrants who are designated as English language learners (ELL) and those who are not. I then use administrative data on multiple cohorts of Florida public high school students to estimate the effect of immigrant shares on immigrant and native-born students' academic performance. The identification strategy pays careful attention to the selection problem by estimating the effect of foreign-born peers from deviations in the share foreign-born across cohorts of students attending the same school in different years. The assumption underlying this approach is that students choose schools based on the composition of the entire school, not on the composition of each entering cohort. The results of the analysis, which hold under several robustness checks, indicate that foreign-born peers (both those who are ELL and those who are non-ELL) have no effect on their high school classmates' academic performance.

  18. The Association of Poor Academic Performance with Tic Disorders: A Longitudinal, Mainstream School-Based Population Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cubo, Esther; Gonzalez, Cristina; Ausin, Vanesa; Delgado, Vanesa; Saez, Sara; Calvo, Sara; Garcia Soto, Xose; Cordero, José; Kompoliti, Katie; Louis, Elan D; de la Fuente Anuncibay, Raquel

    2017-01-01

    Little is known about the academic performance of students with tic disorders (TD). Our aim was to investigate the association of TD and poor academic performance over time. Longitudinal, observational study of mainstream schoolchildren comparing grade retention (GR) and learning disorders (LD) in students with vs. without TD between 2010 and 2014. Students with vs. without TD based on DSM-IV-TR criteria, or with vs. without GR and LD were compared in terms of comorbidities, school, and environmental characteristics. The association of TD with GR was analyzed using hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs, and with LD using logistic regression analysis [Odds ratio (OR)]. Two hundred fifty-eight students were included (mean age 14.0 ± 1.71 years, 143 [55.4%] males). The incident rate for TD and GR was 2.6 and 3.3 per 100 persons-year, respectively. LD found in 21 (9.9%) students was associated with TD (OR 11.62, 95% CI 2.21-60.90, p = 0.004), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; OR 6.63, 95% CI 1.55-28.37, p = 0.01). Low psychological support (HRs 12.79, 95% CI 3.39-48.17) and low sport participation (HRs 6.41, 95% CI 1.54-26.78) were risk factors for GR. TD was associated with academic difficulties, namely, LD in conjunction with ADHD but not GR. The diagnosis of TD and comorbidities, and the initiation of proper treatment could have a favorable impact on school performance, and consequently on social development. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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

    OpenAIRE

    hamid Asayesh; Fatemeh Sharififard; Mojtaba Mosavi; Zahra Taheri Kharameh; Zahra Aliakbarzade Arani; Alireza Shouri Bidgoli

    2016-01-01

    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 ch...

  20. The Relationship of Academic Stress with Aggression, Depression and Academic Performance of College Students in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanehkeshi, Ali; Basavarajappa

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates the relationship of academic stress with aggression, depression and academic performance of college students. Using a random sampling technique, 60 students consist of boys and girls were selected as students having academic stress. The scale for assessing academic stress (Sinha, Sharma and Mahendra, 2001); the Buss-Perry…

  1. The associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maher, Carol; Lewis, Lucy; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Dumuid, Dot; Cassidy, Leah; Olds, Tim

    2016-12-01

    To examine the relationships between children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviours, and academic performance. This study investigated cross-sectional relationships between children's accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns, and academic performance using a standardised, nationally-administered academic assessment. A total of 285 Australian children aged 9-11 years from randomly selected schools undertook 7-day 24h accelerometry to objectively determine their MVPA and sedentary behaviour. In the same year, they completed nationally-administered standardised academic testing (National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy; NAPLAN). BMI was measured, and socio-demographic variables were collected in a parent-reported survey. Relationships between MVPA, sedentary behaviour and academic performance across five domains were examined using Generalised Linear Mixed Models, adjusted for a wide variety of socio-demographic variables. Higher academic performance was strongly and consistently related to higher sedentary time, with significant relationships seen across all five academic domains (range F=4.13, p=0.04 through to F=18.65, p=academic performance was only related to higher MVPA in two academic domains (writing F=5.28, p=0.02, and numeracy F=6.28, p=0.01) and was not related to language, reading and spelling performance. Findings highlight that sedentary behaviour can have positive relationships with non-physical outcomes. Positive relationships between MVPA and literacy and numeracy, as well as the well documented benefits for MVPA on physical and social health, suggest that it holds an important place in children's lives, both in and outside of school. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The Impact of Collegiality amongst Australian Accounting Academics on Work-Related Attitudes and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Sophia; Baird, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    This study provides an insight into the collegiality of Australian accounting academics and the association of collegiality with their work-related attitudes and academic performance. Data were collected by a survey questionnaire from a random sample of 267 accounting academics within Australian universities. The results suggest a moderate level…

  3. Association of sleep and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eliasson, Arne; Eliasson, Anders; King, Joseph; Gould, Ben; Eliasson, Arn

    2002-03-01

    Poor school performance by adolescent students has been attributed in part to insufficient sleep. It is recognized that a number of factors lead to diminished total sleep time and chief among these are early school start times and sleep phase delay in adolescence. Political initiatives are gaining momentum across the United States to require later school start times with the intent of increasing total sleep time and consequently improving school performance. Later school start times come with significant costs and impact other activities of families and communities. The decision to implement later school start times cannot be made lightly and deserves support of well-performed research on the impact of these changes. A study evaluating the association of academic performance and total sleep time was performed in middle school and high school students in a suburban Maryland school system. Preliminary results of this study show no correlation of total sleep time with academic performance. Before mandating costly changes in school schedules, it would be useful to perform further research to determine the effects of increasing sleep time on the behaviors of adolescent students.

  4. An exploratory study of factors influencing resuscitation skills retention and performance among health providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curran, Vernon; Fleet, Lisa; Greene, Melanie

    2012-01-01

    Resuscitation and life support skills training comprises a significant proportion of continuing education programming for health professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of certified resuscitation providers toward the retention of resuscitation skills, regular skills updating, and methods for enhancing retention. A mixed-methods, explanatory study design was undertaken utilizing focus groups and an online survey-questionnaire of rural and urban health care providers. Rural providers reported less experience with real codes and lower abilities across a variety of resuscitation areas. Mock codes, practice with an instructor and a team, self-practice with a mannequin, and e-learning were popular methods for skills updating. Aspects of team performance that were felt to influence resuscitation performance included: discrepancies in skill levels, lack of communication, and team leaders not up to date on their skills. Confidence in resuscitation abilities was greatest after one had recently practiced or participated in an update or an effective debriefing session. Lowest confidence was reported when team members did not work well together, there was no clear leader of the resuscitation code, or if team members did not communicate. The study findings highlight the importance of access to update methods for improving providers' confidence and abilities, and the need for emphasis on teamwork training in resuscitation. An eclectic approach combining methods may be the best strategy for addressing the needs of health professionals across various clinical departments and geographic locales. Copyright © 2012 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  5. Sleep disorder among medical students: relationship to their academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdulghani, Hamza M; Alrowais, Norah A; Bin-Saad, Norah S; Al-Subaie, Nourah M; Haji, Alhan M A; Alhaqwi, Ali I

    2012-01-01

    Medical students are exposed to a significant level of pressure due to academic demands. Their sleep pattern is characterized by insufficient sleep duration, delayed sleep onset, and occurrence of napping episodes during the day. To examine the prevalence of sleep disorder among medical students and investigate any relationship between sleep disorder and academic performance. This is a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire-based study. The participants were medical students of the first, second, and third academic years. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was also included to identify sleep disorder and grade point average was recorded for academic performance. There were 491 responses with a response rate of 55%. The ESS score demonstrated that 36.6% of participants were considered to have abnormal sleep habits, with a statistically significant increase in female students (p = 0.000). Sleeping between 6-10 h per day was associated with normal ESS scores (p = 0.019) as well as the academic grades ≥ 3.75. Abnormal ESS scores were associated with lower academic achievement (p = 0.002). A high prevalence of sleep disorder was found in this group of students, specifically female students. Analysis of the relationship between sleep disorder and academic performance indicates a significant relationship between abnormal ESS scores, total sleeping hours, and academic performance.

  6. Nutritional quality of diet and academic performance in Chilean students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa-Burrows, Paulina; Blanco, Estela; Reyes, Marcela; Gahagan, Sheila

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective To explore associations between the nutritional quality of diet at age 16 years and academic performance in students from Santiago, Chile. Methods We assessed the nutritional quality of diet, using a validated food frequency questionnaire, in 395 students aged 16.8 ± 0.5 years. Depending on the amount of saturated fat, fibre, sugar and salt in the foods, diet was categorized as unhealthy, fair or healthy. Academic performance was assessed using high school grade-point average (GPA) and tests for college admission in language and mathematics. Academic results on or above the 75th percentile in our sample were considered good academic performance. We tested associations between nutritional quality of diet and good academic performance using logistic regression models. We considered sociodemographic, educational and body-mass index (BMI) factors as potential confounders. Findings After controlling for potential confounding factors, an unhealthy diet at age 16 years was associated with reduced academic performance. Compared to participants with healthy diets, those with unhealthy diets were significantly less likely to perform well based on language tests (odds ratio, OR: 0.42; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.18–0.98) mathematics tests (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.15–0.82) or GPA (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.09–0.56). Conclusion In our sample, excessive consumption of energy-dense, low-fibre, high-fat foods at age 16 years was associated with reduced academic performance. PMID:26966329

  7. Nutritional quality of diet and academic performance in Chilean students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa-Burrows, Paulina; Burrows, Raquel; Blanco, Estela; Reyes, Marcela; Gahagan, Sheila

    2016-03-01

    To explore associations between the nutritional quality of diet at age 16 years and academic performance in students from Santiago, Chile. We assessed the nutritional quality of diet, using a validated food frequency questionnaire, in 395 students aged 16.8 ± 0.5 years. Depending on the amount of saturated fat, fibre, sugar and salt in the foods, diet was categorized as unhealthy, fair or healthy. Academic performance was assessed using high school grade-point average (GPA) and tests for college admission in language and mathematics. Academic results on or above the 75th percentile in our sample were considered good academic performance. We tested associations between nutritional quality of diet and good academic performance using logistic regression models. We considered sociodemographic, educational and body-mass index (BMI) factors as potential confounders. After controlling for potential confounding factors, an unhealthy diet at age 16 years was associated with reduced academic performance. Compared to participants with healthy diets, those with unhealthy diets were significantly less likely to perform well based on language tests (odds ratio, OR: 0.42; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.18-0.98) mathematics tests (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.15-0.82) or GPA (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.09-0.56). In our sample, excessive consumption of energy-dense, low-fibre, high-fat foods at age 16 years was associated with reduced academic performance.

  8. Effects of Locus of Control, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Tutoring on Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drago, Anthony; Rheinheimer, David C.; Detweiler, Thomas N.

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the connection between locus of control (LOC), academic self-efficacy (ASE), and academic performance, and whether these variables are affected by tutoring. Additional variables of interest, including gender, students' Pell Grant status, ethnicity, and class size, were also considered for the research models. The population…

  9. academic performance of less endowed high school students

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    girls) who obtained the basic requirements for courses that they ... Academic performance of students from less endowed senior high ... 106 ... only pay academic facility user fees. The second ..... certificate education, Pro is senior executive.

  10. The Effect of Subconscious Performance Goals on Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bipp, Tanja; Kleingeld, Ad; van Mierlo, Heleen; Kunde, Wilfried

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the impact of subconscious goals on academic performance in two field experiments. We show that unobtrusive priming of goals with regard to achievement motivation by means of a photograph improves performance in different educational contexts. High-school students who were exposed to an achievement-related photograph achieved…

  11. Academic performance and behavioral patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kassarnig, Valentin; Mones, Enys; Bjerre-Nielsen, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    Identifying the factors that influence academic performance is an essential part of educational research. Previous studies have documented the importance of personality traits, class attendance, and social network structure. Because most of these analyses were based on a single behavioral aspect...

  12. "To be or not to be Retained … That's the Question!" Retention, Self-esteem, Self-concept, Achievement Goals, and Grades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peixoto, Francisco; Monteiro, Vera; Mata, Lourdes; Sanches, Cristina; Pipa, Joana; Almeida, Leandro S

    2016-01-01

    Keeping students back in the same grade - retention - has always been a controversial issue in Education, with some defending it as a beneficial remedial practice and others arguing against its detrimental effects. This paper undertakes an analysis of this issue, focusing on the differences in student motivation and self-related variables according to their retention related status, and the interrelationship between retention and these variables. The participants were 695 students selected from two cohorts (5th and 7th graders) of a larger group of students followed over a 3-year project. The students were assigned to four groups according to their retention-related status over time: (1) students with past and recent retention; (2) students with past but no recent retention; (3) students with no past but recent retention; (4) students with no past or recent retention. Measures of achievement goal orientations, self-concept, self-esteem, importance given to school subjects and Grade Point Average (GPA) were collected for all students. Repeated measures MANCOVA analyses were carried out showing group differences in self-esteem, academic self-concept, importance attributed to academic competencies, task and avoidance orientation and academic achievement. To attain a deeper understanding of these results and to identify profiles across variables, a cluster analysis based on achievement goals was conducted and four clusters were identified. Students who were retained at the end of the school year are mainly represented in clusters with less adaptive motivational profiles and almost absent from clusters exhibiting more adaptive ones. Findings highlight that retention leaves a significant mark that remains even when students recover academic achievement and retention is in the distant past. This is reflected in the low academic self-concept as well as in the devaluation of academic competencies and in the avoidance orientation which, taken together, can undermine students

  13. ADOLESCENT WORK INTENSITY, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staff, Jeremy; Schulenberg, John E; Bachman, Jerald G

    2010-07-01

    Teenagers working over 20 hours per week perform worse in school than youth who work less. There are two competing explanations for this association: (1) that paid work takes time and effort away from activities that promote achievement, such as completing homework, preparing for examinations, getting help from parents and teachers, and participating in extracurricular activities; and (2) that the relationship between paid work and school performance is spurious, reflecting preexisting differences between students in academic ability, motivation, and school commitment. Using longitudinal data from the ongoing national Monitoring the Future project, this research examines the impact of teenage employment on school performance and academic engagement during the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. We address issues of spuriousness by using a two-level hierarchical model to estimate the relationships of within-individual changes in paid work to changes in school performance and other school-related measures. Unlike prior research, we also compare youth school performance and academic orientation when they are actually working in high-intensity jobs to when they are jobless and wish to work intensively. Results indicate that the mere wish for intensive work corresponds with academic difficulties in a manner similar to actual intensive work.

  14. Sexual victimization history predicts academic performance in college women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Majel R; Frazier, Patricia A; Greer, Christiaan; Paulsen, Jacob A; Howard, Kelli; Meredith, Liza N; Anders, Samantha L; Shallcross, Sandra L

    2016-11-01

    College women frequently report having experienced sexual victimization (SV) in their lifetime, including child sexual abuse and adolescent/adult sexual assault. Although the harmful mental health sequelae of SV have been extensively studied, recent research suggests that SV is also a risk factor for poorer college academic performance. The current studies examined whether exposure to SV uniquely predicted poorer college academic performance, even beyond contributions from three well-established predictors of academic performance: high school rank, composite standardized test scores (i.e., American College Testing [ACT]), and conscientiousness. Study 1 analyzed longitudinal data from a sample of female college students (N = 192) who were assessed at the beginning and end of one semester. SV predicted poorer cumulative end-of-semester grade point average (GPA) while controlling for well-established predictors of academic performance. Study 2 replicated these findings in a second longitudinal study of female college students (N = 390) and extended the analyses to include follow-up data on the freshmen and sophomore students (n = 206) 4 years later. SV predicted students' GPA in their final term at the university above the contributions of well-established academic predictors, and it was the only factor related to leaving college. These findings highlight the importance of expanding the scope of outcomes of SV to include academic performance, and they underscore the need to assess SV and other adverse experiences on college campuses to target students who may be at risk of poor performance or leaving college. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Student Advising and Retention Application in Cloud Computing Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurdeep S Hura

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available  This paper proposes a new user-friendly application enhancing and expanding the current advising services of Gradesfirst currently being used for advising and retention by the Athletic department of UMES with a view to implement new performance activities like mentoring, tutoring, scheduling, and study hall hours into existing tools. This application includes various measurements that can be used to monitor and improve the performance of the students in the Athletic Department of UMES by monitoring students’ weekly study hall hours, and tutoring schedules. It also supervises tutors’ login and logout activities in order to monitor their effectiveness, supervises tutor-tutee interaction, and stores and analyzes the overall academic progress of each student. A dedicated server for providing services will be developed at the local site. The paper has been implemented in three steps. The first step involves the creation of an independent cloud computing environment that provides resources such as database creation, query-based statistical data, performance measures activities, and automated support of performance measures such as advising, mentoring, monitoring and tutoring. The second step involves the creation of an application known as Student Advising and Retention (SAR application in a cloud computing environment. This application has been designed to be a comprehensive database management system which contains relevant data regarding student academic development that supports various strategic advising and monitoring of students. The third step involves the creation of a systematic advising chart and frameworks which help advisors. The paper shows ways of creating the most appropriate advising technique based on the student’s academic needs. The proposed application runs in a Windows-based system. As stated above, the proposed application is expected to enhance and expand the current advising service of Gradesfirst tool. A brief

  16. Family and academic performance: identifying high school student profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicia Aleli Chaparro Caso López

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to identify profiles of high school students, based on variables related to academic performance, socioeconomic status, cultural capital and family organization. A total of 21,724 high school students, from the five municipalities of the state of Baja California, took part. A K-means cluster analysis was performed to identify the profiles. The analyses identified two clearly-defined clusters: Cluster 1 grouped together students with high academic performance and who achieved higher scores for socioeconomic status, cultural capital and family involvement, whereas Cluster 2 brought together students with low academic achievement, and who also obtained lower scores for socioeconomic status and cultural capital, and had less family involvement. It is concluded that the family variables analyzed form student profiles that can be related to academic achievement.

  17. Academic performance and correspondences with indicators of physical and psychological health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Portoles Ariño

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Academic performance of the teenagers is influenced and determined by numerous factors. Life style and the conducts of health adopted in this period relate to the academic performance of direct form, in such a way that the teenagers with ways of life and more healthy conducts, can present a more adapted academic performance. Equally, to support correct indicators of psychological health relates to the academic adapted performance. The results obtained with a sample of 1210 teenagers of the Region of Murcia, with a normal age of 15.13 years it allows to value the importance of the indicators of health as determinants of the academic performance, for what they should develop programs directed to supporting positive levels of said

  18. Impact of unilateral conductive hearing loss due to aural atresia on academic performance in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesser, Bradley W; Krook, Kaelyn; Gray, Lincoln C

    2013-09-01

    This study evaluates the effect of unilateral conductive hearing loss secondary to aural atresia on elementary school children's academic performance. Case control survey and review of audiometric data. One hundred thirty-two surveys were mailed to families of children with aural atresia, and 48 surveys were sent to families of children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) to identify rates of grade retention, use of any resource, and behavioral problems. Audiometric data of the cohort were tabulated. Of the 40 atresia patients, none repeated a grade, but 65% needed some resources: 12.5% currently use a hearing aid, 32.5% use(d) a frequency-modulated system in school, 47.5% had an Individualized Education Plan, and 45% utilized speech therapy. Compared to the unilateral SNHL group and a cohort of children with unilateral SNHL in an earlier study, children with unilateral atresia were less likely to repeat a grade. Children in both unilateral atresia and SNHL groups were more likely to utilize some resource in the academic setting compared to the unilateral SNHL children in the prior study. Unilateral conductive hearing loss due to aural atresia has an impact on academic performance in children, although not as profound when compared to children with unilateral SNHL. The majority of these children with unilateral atresia utilize resources in the school setting. Parents, educators, and health care professionals should be aware of the impact of unilateral conductive hearing loss and offer appropriate habilitative services. Copyright © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  19. The relationship between study strategies and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yuanyuan; Graham, Lori; West, Courtney

    2016-10-07

    To investigate if and to what extent the Learning and Study Strategy Inventory (LASSI) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) yield academic performance predictors; To examine if LASSI findings are consistent with previous research. Medical school students completed the LASSI and SDLRS before their first and second years (n = 168). Correlational and regression analyses were used to determine the predictive value of the LASSI and the SDLRS. Paired t-tests were used to test if the two measurement points differed. Bivariate correlations and R 2 s were compared with five other relevant studies. The SDLRS was moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales in both measures (r (152) =.255, p=.001) to (r (152) =.592, p =.000). The first SDLRS, nor the first LASSI, were predictive of academic performance. The second LASSI measure was a significant predictor of academic performance (R 2 (138) = 0.188, p = .003). Six prior LASSI studies yielded a range of R 2 s from 10-49%. The SDLRS is moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales. However, the predictive value of the SDLRS and LASSI differ. The SDLRS does not appear to be directly related to academic performance, but LASSI subscales: Concentration, Motivation, Time Management, and Test Strategies tend to be correlated. The explained LASSI variance ranges from 10% to 49%, indicating a small to substantial effect. Utilizing the LASSI to provide medical school students with information about their strengths and weaknesses and implementing targeted support in specific study strategies may yield positive academic performance outcomes.

  20. Retention performance of green roofs in representative climates worldwide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viola, F.; Hellies, M.; Deidda, R.

    2017-10-01

    The ongoing process of global urbanization contributes to an increase in stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, threatening also water quality. Green roofs have been proved to be innovative stormwater management measures to partially restore natural states, enhancing interception, infiltration and evapotranspiration fluxes. The amount of water that is retained within green roofs depends not only on their depth, but also on the climate, which drives the stochastic soil moisture dynamic. In this context, a simple tool for assessing performance of green roofs worldwide in terms of retained water is still missing and highly desirable for practical assessments. The aim of this work is to explore retention performance of green roofs as a function of their depth and in different climate regimes. Two soil depths are investigated, one representing the intensive configuration and another representing the extensive one. The role of the climate in driving water retention has been represented by rainfall and potential evapotranspiration dynamics. A simple conceptual weather generator has been implemented and used for stochastic simulation of daily rainfall and potential evapotranspiration. Stochastic forcing is used as an input of a simple conceptual hydrological model for estimating long-term water partitioning between rainfall, runoff and actual evapotranspiration. Coupling the stochastic weather generator with the conceptual hydrological model, we assessed the amount of rainfall diverted into evapotranspiration for different combinations of annual rainfall and potential evapotranspiration in five representative climatic regimes. Results quantified the capabilities of green roofs in retaining rainfall and consequently in reducing discharges into sewer systems at an annual time scale. The role of substrate depth has been recognized to be crucial in determining green roofs retention performance, which in general increase from extensive to intensive settings. Looking at the

  1. A Review of the Contemporary International Literature on Student Retention in Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Othman Aljohani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the major issues that concerns tertiary institutions around the world is the student retention rate. In general, higher rates of completion give more positive image about the academic, administrative and financial statues of these institutions. However, improving the student completion and retention rates can be a challenging task. One way toward this goal is utilising strategies and techniques that are informed by the findings of theoretical models and empirical studies. Therefore, this paper reviews some of the contemporary studies in the student retention literature from different higher educational contexts around the world followed by a list of the variables that are commonly linked to the student retention phenomenon in higher education and a discussion of the factors that are most frequently associated with student attrition as reported by these studies. A summary of the factors associated with the student attrition phenomenon suggested that, the central factors were the quality of students’ institutional experiences and their level of integration into the academic and social systems of their academic institutions. These factors relate to students’ experiences with the administrative system of their academic institution, including the admission, registration and disciplinary rules and policies and the availability and quality of student services and facilities. Keywords: Higher education, student retention, attrition, persistence

  2. The Influence Of Parental Background On Academic Performance Of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    It was hypothesized that there is no significant difference between the academic performance of students from high socio-economic status background and those from low SES backgrounds, also there is no significant difference between the academic performance of students form intact homes and the broken homes.

  3. The Effect of Mothers' Education on Children's Academic Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Asta Breinholt; Holm, Anders

    Parental education and mothers education in particular are believed to play an important role for children’s academic outcomes. This paper analyzes the causal effect of mothers' education on children’s academic performance. Using Danish administrative data on mothers’ education careers, we apply...... a difference-in-differences design to control for the nonrandom selection into maternal education and find that mothers’ education has a positive effect on children’s academic performance. The effect diminishes, the higher the mothers’ initial educational attainment....

  4. Student Engagement and Academic Performance in the Colombian University Context.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pineda-Báez, Clelia

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Despite the increase in Latin America of Higher Education coverage, grave dropout problems persist that question the role of educational experiences to foster students’ academic engagement. This study was carried out in Colombia and sought to establish the relationship between the five benchmarks that compose academic engagement and the academic performance of a group of Colombian university students. The transversal and correlational study used the Spanish version of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE that measures students’ level of participation in five dimensions: Academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment and its relationship to academic performance. The findings of 1906 students from 7 universities indicate that there are statistically significant, but weak correlations between the items that compose the benchmarks and students’ academic performance, which lead to reflect upon key aspects to strengthen the education experiences offered to university students.

  5. [ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godoy Cumillaf, Andrés; Valdés Badilla, Pablo; Fariña Herrera, Custodio; Cárcamo Mora, Francisco; Medina Herrera, Bernice; Meneses Sandoval, Elías; Gedda Muñoz, Relmu; Durán Agüero, Samuel

    2015-10-01

    several studies demonstrated that regular physical exercise would impact positively on the academic performance of students. to determine the association between physical fitness, nutritional status and academic performance of students of Pedagogy in Physical Education from Temuco, Chile. the sample was selected on a non-probabilistic approach, which included 208 subjects (n = 153 women and n = 55 women). The variables studied were physical fitness (short Abs, long jump with feet together, forward trunk flexion, elbow flexion and extension and "course navette" test), nutritional status (BMI) and academic performance (classified as up and down the academic average). 87.5% of students have a satisfactory fitness and a BMI of 23.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2. The students with the best academic performance were those with the higher proportion of satisfactory physical condition (92.5 %). No association between academic performance and nutritional status was determined, but it was observed between low fitness and a great risk of low academic performance (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 8 1; p academic achievement and physical fitness among students is observed, but no for the nutritional status and the academic performance. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  6. Determinants of academic performance in children with sickle cell anaemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezenwosu, Osita U; Emodi, Ifeoma J; Ikefuna, Anthony N; Chukwu, Barth F; Osuorah, Chidiebere D

    2013-11-19

    Some factors are known to influence the academic performance of children with Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA). Information on their effects in these children is limited in Nigeria. The factors which influence academic performance of children with SCA in Enugu, Nigeria are determined in this study. Consecutive children with SCA aged 5-11 years were recruited at the weekly sickle cell clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Nigeria. Their age- and sex- matched normal classmates were recruited as controls. The total number of days of school absence for 2009/2010 academic session was obtained for each pair of pupils from the class attendance register. Academic performance was assessed using the average of the overall scores in the three term examinations of same session. Intelligence ability was determined with Draw-A-Person Quotient (DAPQ) using the Draw-A-Person Test while socio-economic status was determined using the occupational status and educational attainment of each parent. Academic performance of children with SCA showed statistically significant association with their socio-economic status (χ2 = 9.626, p = 0.047), and significant correlation with DAPQ (r = 0.394, p = 0.000) and age (r = -0.412, p = 0.000). However, no significant relationship existed between academic performance and school absence in children with SCA (r = -0.080, p = 0.453). Academic performance of children with SCA is influenced by their intelligence ability, age and socio-economic status but not negatively affected by their increased school absenteeism.

  7. Determinants of Perceived Students' Academic Performance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AFRREV IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities ... Performance in Vocational Education in Tertiary Institutions in Lagos State. GO Ojo ... title Home- School Factors and Students' Academic Performance in Vocational Education ...

  8. Examining Relationships among Work Ethic, Academic Motivation and Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meriac, John P.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, work ethic was examined as a predictor of academic motivation and performance. A total of 440 undergraduate students completed measures of work ethic and academic motivation, and reported their cumulative grade point average. Results indicated that several dimensions of work ethic were related to academic motivation and academic…

  9. Learning Environment And Pupils Academic Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Learning Environment And Pupils Academic Performance: Implications For Counselling. ... facilities as well as learning materials to make teaching and learning easy. In addition, teachers should provide conducive classroom environment to ...

  10. Sleep difficulties and academic performance in Norwegian higher education students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayley, Amie C; Sivertsen, Børge; Hysing, Mari; Vedaa, Øystein; Øverland, Simon

    2017-12-01

    Sleep difficulties are common among university students and may detrimentally affect academic outcomes. Despite this, remarkably little information is currently available during this critical developmental period of early adulthood, and thus, the direct effect on measurable domains of academic ability and proficiency is equivocal. To evaluate the associations between difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS) and subjective and objective academic performance in a large sample of university students. A total of 12,915 students who participated in large student survey in Norway from 24 February 2014 to 27 March 2014. DIMS was assessed by the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25), and academic outcomes included failed examinations, delayed study progress, and school-related self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale). Difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep was independently associated with increased odds for poor school performance for all academic outcomes. Reporting 'extreme' DIMS was associated with increased odds of reporting delayed study progress (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.25, 95% CI 1.01-1.57, p academic outcomes as well as poorer self-rated academic proficiency among higher education students. Amelioration of sleep difficulties may improve overall academic performance and health outcomes in affected students. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  11. Association between physical activity and academic performance in Korean adolescent students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    So, Wi-Young

    2012-04-02

    Recently, physical activity (PA) was found to improve cognitive and memory functions in the brain; however, no epidemiological studies have specifically investigated this phenomenon in the Korean adolescent student population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various types of PA undertaken at various frequencies, on the academic performance of Korean adolescent students. A total of 75,066 adolescent students (39,612 males and 35,454 females) from the 7th to the 12th grades took part in the 5th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS-V) project, conducted in 2009. Using data acquired by that survey, potential relations between PA and academic performance were explored in this current study through multivariate logistic regression analysis incorporating adjustment for covariate variables including age, body mass index, the parents' education level, and the income status of the family. Compared with boys who did not regularly participate in any vigorous PA, those who did so 2, 3, or 4 times a week had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Compared with boys who did not participate in any moderate PA, those who did so 1, 2, 3, 4, or ≥5 times a week also had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Interestingly, when compared with boys who did not participate in any strengthening exercises, those undertaking strengthening exercises ≥5 times a week had lesser odds of reporting a below-average academic performance. Compared with girls who did not regularly participate in any vigorous PA, those who did so ≥5 times a week had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Compared with girls who did not participate in any moderate PA, those that did so 2 or 3 times a week had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Interestingly, when compared with girls who did not regularly participate in any

  12. Pathogenetic Mechanism of Alcohol's Effect on Academic Performance

    OpenAIRE

    M. O. Welcome; E. V. Pereverzeva; V. A. Pereverzev

    2010-01-01

    The regulatory competence of blood glucose homeostasis might determine the degree of academic performance. The aim of this study was to produce a model of students' alcohol use based on glucose homeostasis control and cognitive functions that might define the pathogenetic mechanism of alcohol's effect on academic performance. The study took six hours and thirty minutes on fasting, involving thirteen male students. Disturbances in cognitive functions, precisely a decrease in the effectiveness ...

  13. Peer Mentors Can Improve Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asgari, Shaki; Carter, Frederick, Jr.

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined the relationship between peer mentoring and academic performance. Students from two introductory psychology classes either received (n = 37) or did not receive (n = 36) peer mentoring. The data indicated a consistent improvement in the performance (i.e., grades on scheduled exams) of the mentored group. A similar pattern…

  14. Science learning motivation as correlate of students’ academic performances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nhorvien Jay P. Libao

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study was designed to analyze the relationship  of students’ learning motivation and their academic performances in science. The study made use of 21 junior and senior Biological Science students to conclude on the formulated research problems. The respondents had a good to very good motivation in learning science. In general, the extent of their motivation do not vary across their sex, age, and curriculum year. Moreover, the respondents had good academic performances in science. Aptly, extrinsic motivation was found to be related with their academic performances among the indicators of motivations in learning science.

  15. Gaming Frequency and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ip, Barry; Jacobs, Gabriel; Watkins, Alan

    2008-01-01

    There are numerous claims that playing computer and video games may be educationally beneficial, but there has been little formal investigation into whether or not the frequency of exposure to such games actually affects academic performance. This paper explores the issue by analysing the relationships between gaming frequency--measured as the…

  16. [How medical students perform academically by admission types?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Se-Hoon; Lee, Keumho; Hur, Yera; Kim, Ji-Ha

    2013-09-01

    Despite the importance of selecting students whom are capable for medical education and to become a good doctor, not enough studies have been done in the category. This study focused on analysing the medical students' academic performance (grade point average, GPA) differences, flunk and dropout rates by admission types. From 2004 to 2010, we gathered 369 Konyang University College of Medicine's students admission data and analyzed the differences between admission method and academic achievement, differences in failure and dropout rates. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), ordinary least square, and logistic regression were used. The rolling students showed higher academic achievement from year 1 to 3 than regular students (p dropout rate by admission types, regular admission type students showed higher drop out rate than the rolling ones which demonstrates admission types gives significant effect on flunk or dropout rates in medical students (p students tend to show lower flunk rate and dropout rates and perform better academically. This implies selecting students primarily by Korean College Scholastic Ability Test does not guarantee their academic success in medical education. Thus we suggest a more in-depth comprehensive method of selecting students that are appropriate to individual medical school's educational goal.

  17. The Effects of Innovativeness on Academic Spin-offs Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Giones, Ferran; Billström, Anders; Rasmussen, Einar

    Academic Spin-Offs (ASOs) are born with the mission to bring to market science and technology innovations. Nevertheless, their relative weak financial performance has been a focus of discussion. Prior research has explored factors that explain part of the performance diversity, including aspects...... source of performance heterogeneity. Academic spin-offs transition from a research to a market context is complex. The technology novelty in ASOs generates a staged challenge for the academic entrepreneur. First, identifying a market and activating the first sale; second, generating a sustainable revenue...... stream that brings growth to the ASO. However, we have still a limited knowledge on the relationship between technology innovativeness and firm performance in the ASOs context. This study tests the relationship between innovativeness dimensions, across different industries, and the observed firm (ASOs...

  18. Self-Esteem, Study Habits and Academic Performance Among University Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel L. Chilca Alva

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This study was intended to establish whether self-esteem and study habits correlate with academic performance among university students. Research conducted was descriptive observational, multivariate or cross-sectional factorial in nature. The study population consisted of 196 students enrolled in a Basic Mathematics 1 class at the School of Engineering of Universidad Tecnológica del Perú (Technical University of Peru, UTP in the third term of 2016, and the sample size numbered 86 students. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, Luis Vicuña Peri’s Study Habits Inventory and the average grades obtained by students were used for research variable measurement. Results show that self-esteem does not significantly impact academic performance, but study habits do influence academic performance (p = .000 < α = .05. Hence students are expected to enhance academic performance as they refine study techniques.

  19. Academic Performance: An Approach From Data Mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David L. La Red Martinez

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The relatively low% of students promoted and regularized in Operating Systems Course of the LSI (Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems of FaCENA (Faculty of Sciences and Natural Surveying - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Naturales y Agrimensura of UNNE (academic success, prompted this work, whose objective is to determine the variables that affect the academic performance, whereas the final status of the student according to the Res. 185/03 CD (scheme for evaluation and promotion: promoted, regular or free1. The variables considered are: status of the student, educational level of parents, secondary education, socio-economic level, and others. Data warehouse (Data Warehouses: DW and data mining (Data Mining: DM techniques were used to search pro.les of students and determine success or failure academic potential situations. Classifications through techniques of clustering according to different criteria have become. Some criteria were the following: mining of classification according to academic program, according to final status of the student, according to importance given to the study, mining of demographic clustering and Kohonen clustering according to final status of the student. Were conducted statistics of partition, detail of partitions, details of clusters, detail of fields and frequency of fields, overall quality of each process and quality detailed (precision, classification, reliability, arrays of confusion, diagrams of gain / elevation, trees, distribution of nodes, of importance of fields, correspondence tables of fields and statistics of cluster. Once certain profiles of students with low academic performance, it may address actions aimed at avoiding potential academic failures. This work aims to provide a brief description of aspects related to the data warehouse built and some processes of data mining developed on the same.

  20. Association between physical activity and academic performance in Korean adolescent students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    So Wi-Young

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, physical activity (PA was found to improve cognitive and memory functions in the brain; however, no epidemiological studies have specifically investigated this phenomenon in the Korean adolescent student population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various types of PA undertaken at various frequencies, on the academic performance of Korean adolescent students. Methods A total of 75,066 adolescent students (39,612 males and 35,454 females from the 7th to the 12th grades took part in the 5th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS-V project, conducted in 2009. Using data acquired by that survey, potential relations between PA and academic performance were explored in this current study through multivariate logistic regression analysis incorporating adjustment for covariate variables including age, body mass index, the parents’ education level, and the income status of the family. Results Compared with boys who did not regularly participate in any vigorous PA, those who did so 2, 3, or 4 times a week had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Compared with boys who did not participate in any moderate PA, those who did so 1, 2, 3, 4, or ≥5 times a week also had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Interestingly, when compared with boys who did not participate in any strengthening exercises, those undertaking strengthening exercises ≥5 times a week had lesser odds of reporting a below-average academic performance. Compared with girls who did not regularly participate in any vigorous PA, those who did so ≥5 times a week had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Compared with girls who did not participate in any moderate PA, those that did so 2 or 3 times a week had greater odds of reporting an average or above-average academic performance. Interestingly, when

  1. The Effects of a Combined Academic and Personal Counselling Initiative for Post-Secondary Student Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilodeau, Cynthia; Meissner, John

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of a combined academic and personal counselling initiative on student performance and emotional well-being outcomes of 289 at-risk students at a Canadian University. Criterion for risk included academic struggles, mental health distress, or both. The program was developed to be tailored to individual…

  2. Peer Victimization and Academic Performance in Primary School Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundy, Lisa K; Canterford, Louise; Kosola, Silja; Degenhardt, Louisa; Allen, Nicholas B; Patton, George C

    Peer victimization is a common antecedent of poor social and emotional adjustment. Its relationship with objectively measured academic performance is unclear. In this study we aimed to quantify the cross-sectional associations between peer victimization and academic performance in a large population sample of children. Eight- to 9-year-old children were recruited from a stratified random sample of primary schools in Australia. Academic performance was measured on a national achievement test (1 year of learning equals 40 points). Physical and verbal victimization were measured according to child self-report. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analyses were conducted. For female children, verbal victimization was associated with poorer academic performance on writing (β = 17.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], -28.2 to -6.2) and grammar/punctuation (β = -20.8; 95% CI, -40.1 to -1.6). Physical victimization was associated with poorer performance on numeracy (male children: β = -29.0; 95% CI, -53.8 to -4.1; female children: β = -30.1; 95% CI, -56.6 to -3.5), and writing (female children: β = -21.5; 95% CI, -40.4 to -2.7). Verbal and physical victimization were associated with poorer performance on reading (male children: β = -31.5; 95% CI, -59.9 to -3.1; female children: β = -30.2; 95% CI, -58.6 to -1.8), writing (female children: β = -25.5; 95% CI, -42.8 to -8.2), spelling (female children: β = -32.3; 95% CI, -59.6 to -4.9), and grammar/punctuation (female children: β = -32.2; 95% CI, -62.4 to -2.0). Children who were physically victimized were 6 to 9 months behind their non-victimized peers on measures of academic performance. There are growing reasons for education systems to invest in the prevention of bullying and promotion of positive peer relationships from the earliest years of school. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Effect of yoga on academic performance in relation to stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kauts Amit

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Academic performance is concerned with the quantity and quality of learning attained in a subject or group of subjects after a long period of instruction. Excessive stress hampers students′ performance. Improvement in academic performance and alertness has been reported in several yogic studies. Aims and Objectives: The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of yoga on academic performance in relation to stress. Materials and Methods: The study started with 800 adolescent students; 159 high-stress students and 142 low-stress students were selected on the basis of scores obtained through Stress Battery. Experimental group and control group were given pre test in three subjects, i.e., Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. A yoga module consisting of yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation, and a value orientation program was administered on experimental group for 7 weeks. The experimental and control groups were post-tested for their performance on the three subjects mentioned above. Results: The results show that the students, who practiced yoga performed better in academics. The study further shows that low-stress students performed better than high-stress students, meaning thereby that stress affects the students′ performance.

  4. Bike Desks in the Classroom: Energy Expenditure, Physical Health, Cognitive Performance, Brain Functioning, and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torbeyns, Tine; de Geus, Bas; Bailey, Stephen; Decroix, Lieselot; Van Cutsem, Jeroen; De Pauw, Kevin; Meeusen, Romain

    2017-06-01

    Physical activity is positively associated with physical health, cognitive performance, brain functioning and academic performance. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of bike desks in the classroom on adolescents' energy expenditure, physical health, cognitive performance, brain functioning and academic performance. Forty-four adolescents were randomly assigned to control group (CG) or intervention group (IG). During 5 months, the IG used a bike desk for 4 class hours/week. Energy expenditure was measured during 6 consecutive days. Anthropometric parameters, aerobic fitness, academic performance, cognitive performance and brain functioning were assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention. Energy expenditure of the IG was significantly higher during the class hours in which they used the bike desks relative to normal class hours. The CG had a significantly higher BMI at T1 relative to T0 while this was not significantly different for the IG. Aerobic fitness was significantly better in the IG at T1 relative to T0. No significant effects on academic performance cognitive performance and brain functioning were observed. As the implementation of bike desks in the classroom did not interfere with adolescents' academic performance, this can be seen as an effective means of reducing in-class sedentary time and improving adolescents' physical health.

  5. Test anxiety, perfectionism, goal orientation, and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eum, KoUn; Rice, Kenneth G

    2011-03-01

    Dimensions of perfectionism and goal orientation have been reported to have differential relationships with test anxiety. However, the degree of inter-relationship between different dimensions of perfectionism, the 2 × 2 model of goal orientations proposed by Elliot and McGregor, cognitive test anxiety, and academic performance indicators is not known. Based on data from 134 university students, we conducted correlation and regression analyses to test associations between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, four types of goal orientations, cognitive test anxiety, and two indicators of academic performance: proximal cognitive performance on a word list recall test and distal academic performance in terms of grade point average. Cognitive test anxiety was inversely associated with both performance indicators, and positively associated with maladaptive perfectionism and avoidance goal orientations. Adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism accounted for significant variance in cognitive test anxiety after controlling for approach and avoidance goal orientations. Overall, nearly 50% of the variance in cognitive test anxiety could be attributed to gender, goal orientations, and perfectionism. Results suggested that students who are highly test anxious are likely to be women who endorse avoidance goal orientations and are maladaptively perfectionistic.

  6. The Effect of POGIL on Academic Performance and Academic Confidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Gale, S.; Boisselle, L. N.

    2015-01-01

    POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) is a collaborative learning technique that employs guided inquiry within a cyclic system of exploration, concept invention, and application. This action research explores students' academic performance on a unit of organic chemistry work taught using POGIL, in addition to the effect of POGIL on…

  7. Approaching the Challenge of Student Retention through the Lens of Quality Control: A Conceptual Model of University Business Student Retention Utilizing Six Sigma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenicke, Lawrence O.; Holmes, Monica C.; Pisani, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Student retention in higher education is a major issue as academic institutions compete for fewer students and face declining enrollments. A conceptual model of applying the quality improvement methodology of Six Sigma to the problem of undergraduate student retention in a college of business is presented. Improvement techniques such as cause and…

  8. Neurotological symptoms and academic performance of university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. Quantitative structure-retention relationships of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aschi, Massimiliano; D'Archivio, Angelo Antonio; Maggi, Maria Anna; Mazzeo, Pietro; Ruggieri, Fabrizio

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, a quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) method is employed to predict the retention behaviour of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A six-parameter nonlinear model is developed by means of a feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) with back-propagation learning rule. Accurate description of the retention factors of 26 compounds including commonly used insecticides, herbicides and fungicides and some metabolites is successfully achieved. In addition to the acetonitrile content, included to describe composition of the water-acetonitrile mobile phase, the octanol-water partition coefficient (from literature) and four quantum chemical descriptors are considered to account for the effect of solute structure on the retention. These are: the total dipole moment, the mean polarizability, the anisotropy of polarizability and a descriptor of hydrogen bonding ability based on the atomic charges on hydrogen bond donor and acceptor chemical functionalities. The proposed nonlinear QSRR model exhibits a high degree of correlation between observed and computed retention factors and a good predictive performance in wide range of mobile phase composition (40-65%, v/v acetonitrile) that supports its application for the prediction of the chromatographic behaviour of unknown pesticides. A multilinear regression model based on the same six descriptors shows a significantly worse predictive capability

  10. Quantitative structure-retention relationships of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aschi, Massimiliano [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy); D' Archivio, Angelo Antonio [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy)]. E-mail: darchivi@univaq.it; Maggi, Maria Anna [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy); Mazzeo, Pietro [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy); Ruggieri, Fabrizio [Dipartimento di Chimica, Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Universita degli Studi di L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L' Aquila (Italy)

    2007-01-23

    In this paper, a quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRR) method is employed to predict the retention behaviour of pesticides in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A six-parameter nonlinear model is developed by means of a feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) with back-propagation learning rule. Accurate description of the retention factors of 26 compounds including commonly used insecticides, herbicides and fungicides and some metabolites is successfully achieved. In addition to the acetonitrile content, included to describe composition of the water-acetonitrile mobile phase, the octanol-water partition coefficient (from literature) and four quantum chemical descriptors are considered to account for the effect of solute structure on the retention. These are: the total dipole moment, the mean polarizability, the anisotropy of polarizability and a descriptor of hydrogen bonding ability based on the atomic charges on hydrogen bond donor and acceptor chemical functionalities. The proposed nonlinear QSRR model exhibits a high degree of correlation between observed and computed retention factors and a good predictive performance in wide range of mobile phase composition (40-65%, v/v acetonitrile) that supports its application for the prediction of the chromatographic behaviour of unknown pesticides. A multilinear regression model based on the same six descriptors shows a significantly worse predictive capability.

  11. Generational Patterns in Mexican Americans' Academic Performance in an Unwelcoming Political Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moosmann, Danyel A. V.; Roosa, Mark W.; Knight, George P.

    2014-01-01

    Research has shown that immigrant students often do better academically than their U.S.-born peers from the same ethnic group but it is unclear whether this pattern holds for Mexican Americans. We examined the academic performance of four generations of Mexican American students from fifth to 10th grade looking for generation differences and explanations for them. Using data from 749 families, we tested a model with fifth grade variables that differed by generation as potential mediators linking student generation to 10th grade academic performance. Results showed that immigrants were academically behind at fifth grade but caught up by seventh. Only economic hardship mediated the long term relationship between student generation and 10th grade academic performance; maternal educational expectations and child language hassles, English usage, discrimination, and mainstream values helped explained the early academic deficit of immigrant children. The results identified potential targets for interventions to improve Mexican American students' academic performance. PMID:24578588

  12. Physical Education and Academic Performance in Urban African American Girls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Bo

    2017-01-01

    This study was designed to examine urban African American girls' participation in physical education and its association with academic performance. One hundred eighty four participants completed questionnaires assessing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and learning engagement in physical education while their academic performance was based…

  13. Blinded by Beauty: Attractiveness Bias and Accurate Perceptions of Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talamas, Sean N; Mavor, Kenneth I; Perrett, David I

    2016-01-01

    Despite the old adage not to 'judge a book by its cover', facial cues often guide first impressions and these first impressions guide our decisions. Literature suggests there are valid facial cues that assist us in assessing someone's health or intelligence, but such cues are overshadowed by an 'attractiveness halo' whereby desirable attributions are preferentially ascribed to attractive people. The impact of the attractiveness halo effect on perceptions of academic performance in the classroom is concerning as this has shown to influence students' future performance. We investigated the limiting effects of the attractiveness halo on perceptions of actual academic performance in faces of 100 university students. Given the ambiguity and various perspectives on the definition of intelligence and the growing consensus on the importance of conscientiousness over intelligence in predicting actual academic performance, we also investigated whether perceived conscientiousness was a more accurate predictor of academic performance than perceived intelligence. Perceived conscientiousness was found to be a better predictor of actual academic performance when compared to perceived intelligence and perceived academic performance, and accuracy was improved when controlling for the influence of attractiveness on judgments. These findings emphasize the misleading effect of attractiveness on the accuracy of first impressions of competence, which can have serious consequences in areas such as education and hiring. The findings also have implications for future research investigating impression accuracy based on facial stimuli.

  14. Association between Eating Behavior and Academic Performance in University Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valladares, Macarena; Durán, Elizabeth; Matheus, Alexis; Durán-Agüero, Samuel; Obregón, Ana María; Ramírez-Tagle, Rodrigo

    2016-01-01

    To determine the association between academic performance and eating behavior in university students in Chile. A total of 680 college students, 409 (60%) women and 271 (40%) men, were randomly recruited and the mean age of the entire sample was 26. The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), which evaluates 3 dimensions of eating behavior-cognitive restriction (limiting own intake), uncontrolled eating (inclination to eat), and emotional eating (control of food intake in the context of negative emotions)-was used. Academic performance was measured by the grade point average (GPA) and was associated with eating behavior. Women had significantly higher scores in the "emotional eating" dimension than men (p = 0.002). The eating behavior analysis showed that female students with higher GPAs (above 5.5) had statistically significantly lower uncontrolled eating scores (p = 0.03) and higher cognitive restriction scores (p = 0.05) than women with lower academic performance (below 5.5). There were no significant associations between eating behavior and academic performance in men. A positive association between eating behavior and academic performance was observed in female university students in Chile. Further studies are needed to explore the causes of this association and determine how to improve the nutritional habits of this population.

  15. Academic Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Performance in First-Year University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alegre, Alberto A.

    2014-01-01

    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…

  16. Life context of pharmacological academic performance enhancement among university students--a qualitative approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildt, Elisabeth; Lieb, Klaus; Franke, Andreas Günter

    2014-03-07

    Academic performance enhancement or cognitive enhancement (CE) via stimulant drug use has received increasing attention. The question remains, however, whether CE solely represents the use of drugs for achieving better academic or workplace results or whether CE also serves various other purposes. The aim of this study was to put the phenomenon of pharmacological academic performance enhancement via prescription and illicit (psycho-) stimulant use (Amphetamines, Methylphenidate) among university students into a broader context. Specifically, we wanted to further understand students' experiences, the effects of use on students and other factors, such as pressure to perform in their academic and private lives. A sample of 18 healthy university students reporting the non-medical use of prescription and illicit stimulants for academic performance enhancement was interviewed in a face-to-face setting. The leading questions were related to the situations and context in which the students considered the non-medical use of stimulants. Based on the resultant transcript, two independent raters identified six categories relating to the life context of stimulant use for academic performance enhancement: Context of stimulant use beyond academic performance enhancement, Subjective experience of enhancement, Timing of consumption, Objective academic results, Side effects, Pressure to perform. The answers reveal that academic performance enhancement through the use of stimulants is not an isolated phenomenon that solely aims at enhancing cognition to achieve better academic results but that the multifaceted life context in which it is embedded is of crucial relevance. The participants not only considered the stimulants advantageous for enhancing academic performance, but also for leading an active life with a suitable balance between studying and time off. The most common reasons given for stimulant use were to maximize time, to increase motivation and to cope with memorizing

  17. Strategies to Enhance Interpersonal Relations in Academic Advising

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughey, Judy K.

    2011-01-01

    The relationship between interpersonal skills is positively correlated with effective academic advising. Professional academic advisors feel significant pressure to meet a wide array of student needs, increase retention rates, help students in their efforts of academic achievement and career exploration, and support institutions to excel in…

  18. The relationship between sleep habits and academic performance in dental students in Croatia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valic, M; Pecotic, R; Lusic, L; Peros, K; Pribudic, Z; Dogas, Z

    2014-11-01

    It is well accepted that sleep and lifestyle habits affect academic success in students. However, sleep patterns and sleep problems amongst dental students have been insufficiently addressed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate sleep habits of dental students and the relationship between sleep habits and academic performance. A self-administered questionnaire on sleep habits, academic performance and lifestyle was administered. The participants were 447 dental students from Split University Dental Medicine School and Zagreb University Dental Medicine School from the six academic years. The subjects were classified into two groups based on academic success (high-performing vs. low-performing students) for comparison of sleep and lifestyle habits. Amongst the whole group of students, average bedtime and wake time during weekday was significantly earlier compared with weekend. Main findings indicate that students with high academic performance had earlier bedtimes during weekdays and weekends, earlier wake times during weekends and shorter sleep latency compared with low academic performing students. Self-reported academic performance of dental students in Croatia is associated with timing of sleep and wakefulness, rather than with total sleep time duration. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. “To be or not to be retained … That’s the question!”Retention,self - esteem,self - concept,achievement goalsand grades

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Peixoto

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Keeping students back in the same grade – retention – has always been a controversial issue in Education, with some defending it as a beneficial remedial practice and others arguing against its detrimental effects. This paper undertakes an analysis of this issue, focusing on the differences in student motivation and self-related variables according to their retention related status, and the interrelationship between retention and these variables. The participants were 695 students selected from two cohorts (5th and 7th graders of a larger group of students followed over a three-year project. The students were assigned to four groups according to their retention-related status over time: 1 students with past and recent retention; 2 students with past but no recent retention; 3 students with no past but recent retention; 4 students with no past or recent retention. Measures of achievement goal orientations, self-concept, self-esteem, importance given to school subjects and Grade Point Average (GPA were collected for all students.Repeated measures MANCOVA analyses were carried out showing group differences in self-esteem, academic self-concept, importance attributed to academic competencies, task and avoidance orientation and academic achievement. To attain a deeper understanding of these results and to identify profiles across variables, a cluster analysis based on achievement goals was conducted and four clusters were identified. Students who were retained at the end of the school year are mainly represented in clusters with less adaptive motivational profiles and almost absent from clusters exhibiting more adaptive ones.Findings highlight that retention leaves a significant mark that remains even when students recover academic achievement and retention is in the distant past. This is reflected in the low academic self-concept as well as in the devaluation of academic competencies and in the avoidance orientation which, taken together, can

  20. Impact of Previous Pharmacy Work Experience on Pharmacy School Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mar, Ellena; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R.; Knapp, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    Objectives To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). Methods The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. Results No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Conclusions Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses. PMID:20498735

  1. Impact of previous pharmacy work experience on pharmacy school academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mar, Ellena; Barnett, Mitchell J; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R; Knapp, Katherine

    2010-04-12

    To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses.

  2. Sleep and academic performance in undergraduates: a multi-measure, multi-predictor approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Ana Allen; Tavares, Jos; de Azevedo, Maria Helena P

    2011-11-01

    The present study examined the associations of sleep patterns with multiple measures of academic achievement of undergraduate university students and tested whether sleep variables emerged as significant predictors of subsequent academic performance when other potential predictors, such as class attendance, time devoted to study, and substance use are considered. A sample of 1654 (55% female) full-time undergraduates 17 to 25 yrs of age responded to a self-response questionnaire on sleep, academics, lifestyle, and well-being that was administered at the middle of the semester. In addition to self-reported measures of academic performance, a final grade for each student was collected at the end of the semester. Univariate analyses found that sleep phase, morningness/eveningness preference, sleep deprivation, sleep quality, and sleep irregularity were significantly associated with at least two academic performance measures. Among 15 potential predictors, stepwise multiple regression analysis identified 5 significant predictors of end-of-semester marks: previous academic achievement, class attendance, sufficient sleep, night outings, and sleep quality (R(2)=0.14 and adjusted R(2)=0.14, F(5, 1234)= 40.99, p academic achievement and the remaining sleep variables as well as the academic, well-being, and lifestyle variables lost significance in stepwise regression. Together with class attendance, night outings, and previous academic achievement, self-reported sleep quality and self-reported frequency of sufficient sleep were among the main predictors of academic performance, adding an independent and significant contribution, regardless of academic variables and lifestyles of the students.

  3. Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shephard Roy J

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this paper is to review relationships of academic performance and some of its determinants to participation in school-based physical activities, including physical education (PE, free school physical activity (PA and school sports. Methods Linkages between academic achievement and involvement in PE, school PA and sport programmes have been examined, based on a systematic review of currently available literature, including a comprehensive search of MEDLINE (1966 to 2007, PSYCHINFO (1974 to 2007, SCHOLAR.GOOGLE.COM, and ERIC databases. Results Quasi-experimental data indicate that allocating up to an additional hour per day of curricular time to PA programmes does not affect the academic performance of primary school students negatively, even though the time allocated to other subjects usually shows a corresponding reduction. An additional curricular emphasis on PE may result in small absolute gains in grade point average (GPA, and such findings strongly suggest a relative increase in performance per unit of academic teaching time. Further, the overwhelmingly majority of such programmes have demonstrated an improvement in some measures of physical fitness (PF. Cross-sectional observations show a positive association between academic performance and PA, but PF does not seem to show such an association. PA has positive influences on concentration, memory and classroom behaviour. Data from quasi-experimental studies find support in mechanistic experiments on cognitive function, pointing to a positive relationship between PA and intellectual performance. Conclusion Given competent providers, PA can be added to the school curriculum by taking time from other subjects without risk of hindering student academic achievement. On the other hand, adding time to "academic" or "curricular" subjects by taking time from physical education programmes does not enhance grades in these subjects and may be detrimental to health.

  4. Blinded by Beauty: Attractiveness Bias and Accurate Perceptions of Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talamas, Sean N.; Mavor, Kenneth I.; Perrett, David I.

    2016-01-01

    Despite the old adage not to ‘judge a book by its cover’, facial cues often guide first impressions and these first impressions guide our decisions. Literature suggests there are valid facial cues that assist us in assessing someone’s health or intelligence, but such cues are overshadowed by an ‘attractiveness halo’ whereby desirable attributions are preferentially ascribed to attractive people. The impact of the attractiveness halo effect on perceptions of academic performance in the classroom is concerning as this has shown to influence students’ future performance. We investigated the limiting effects of the attractiveness halo on perceptions of actual academic performance in faces of 100 university students. Given the ambiguity and various perspectives on the definition of intelligence and the growing consensus on the importance of conscientiousness over intelligence in predicting actual academic performance, we also investigated whether perceived conscientiousness was a more accurate predictor of academic performance than perceived intelligence. Perceived conscientiousness was found to be a better predictor of actual academic performance when compared to perceived intelligence and perceived academic performance, and accuracy was improved when controlling for the influence of attractiveness on judgments. These findings emphasize the misleading effect of attractiveness on the accuracy of first impressions of competence, which can have serious consequences in areas such as education and hiring. The findings also have implications for future research investigating impression accuracy based on facial stimuli. PMID:26885976

  5. Oral health status and academic performance among Ohio third-graders, 2009-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Detty, Amber M R; Oza-Frank, Reena

    2014-01-01

    Although recent literature indicated an association between dental caries and poor academic performance, previous work relied on self-reported measures. This analysis sought to determine the association between academic performance and untreated dental caries (tooth decay) using objective measures, controlling for school-level characteristics. School-level untreated caries prevalence was estimated from a 2009-2010 oral health survey of Ohio third-graders. Prevalence estimates were combined with school-level academic performance and other school characteristics obtained from the Ohio Department of Education. Linear regression models were developed as a result of bivariate testing, and final models were stratified based upon the presence of a school-based dental sealant program (SBSP). Preliminary bivariate analysis indicated a significant relationship between untreated caries and academic performance, which was more pronounced at schools with an SBSP. After controlling for other school characteristics, the prevalence of untreated caries was found to be a significant predictor of academic performance at schools without an SBSP (P=0.001) but not at schools with an SBSP (P=0.833). The results suggest the association between untreated caries and academic performance may be affected by the presence of a school-based oral health program. Further research focused on oral health and academic performance should consider the presence and/or availability of these programs. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  6. Accounting Student's Learning Approaches And Impact On Academic Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Ismail, Suhaiza

    2009-01-01

    The objective of the study is threefold. Firstly, the study explores the learning approaches adopted by students in completing their Business Finance. Secondly, it examines the impact that learning approaches has on the student's academic performance. Finally, the study considers gender differences in the learning approaches adopted by students and in the relationship between learning approaches and academic performance. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was used...

  7. Medical Students Circadian Sleep Rhythms and Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel Pérez-Olmos

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to evaluate, with a preliminarystudy, the distribution of circadian rhythms, sleepschedule patterns and their relationship withacademic performance on medical students.Methodology: in this descriptive study, a 10 itemoriginal questionnaire about sleep rhythms andacademic performance was applied to medicalstudents from different semesters. Week (classtime and weekend schedules, preferences,daytime somnolence and academic performancewere asked. Three chronotypes (morningness,intermediate and eveningness were definedamong waking-sleeping preference, difficulty tosleep early, exam preparation preference hour and real sleep schedule. The sleep hour deficit perweek night was also calculated. Results: Of the318 medical students that answered the questionnaire,62.6% corresponded to intermediatechronotypes, 8.8% to evening-type and 28.7%to morning-type. Significant difference wasfound among the two chronotype tails (p=0.000,Chi-square 31.13. No correlation was foundbetween academic performance and age, sex,chronotype, week sleep deficit and sleep hours inweek and weekends. A 71.1% of the students slept6 or fewer hours during class time and 78% hada sleep deficit (more frequent in the eveningchronotype. Conclusions: No relation was foundbetween sleep chronotype and academic performance.Students tend to morningness. Fewstudies have been made on equatorial zones orwithout seasons.

  8. Academic Performance, Sleep Disorders and Their Association in Middle School Students in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Reisi

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Although sleep disorders are common problems among families and they affect the learning, memory processes and academic performance of children, there is no evaluation of these disorders in Iran. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sleep disorders and its association with academic performance of school age children.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,100 middle school students of Isfahan city of Iran during 2012-2013. Multi-stage random cluster sampling method was performed and five girl’s schools and five boy’s schools were selected. The data gathered with a validated questionnaire to evaluate the academic performance and sleep disorders.Results: The mean duration of nocturnal sleep was 8.38±1.17 which was significantly higher in the group with excellent academic performance (8.86±1.18 hours, than the other two groups (8.14±1.17 hours for average academic performance and 7.90±1.15 hours for poor academic performance. Academic performance was significantly associated with age, gender, parental occupation, nocturnal sleep time, sleep latency and sleep disorders (P

  9. The Role of Culture, Competitiveness and Economic Performance in Explaining Academic Performance: A Global Market Analysis for International Student Segmentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Chris; Hamin

    2011-01-01

    A nation's culture, competitiveness and economic performance explain academic performance. Partial Least Squares (PLS) testing of 2252 students shows culture affects competitiveness and academic performance. Culture and economic performance each explain 32%; competitiveness 36%. The model predicts academic performance when culture, competitiveness…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. Academic Self-Perception and Its Relationship to Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stringer, Ronald W.; Heath, Nancy

    2008-01-01

    One hundred and fifty-five students (average age, 10 years 7 months) were initially tested on reading, arithmetic, and academic self-perception. One year later they were tested again. Initial academic scores accounted for a large proportion of the variance in later academic scores. The children's self-perceptions of academic competence accounted…

  13. Influence of sedentary lifestyle on academic performance in adolescence: a bibliographical review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Carlos Escámez Baños

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Adolescence proves to be a key age for acquiring and maintaining healthy habits. Nowadays, numerous research studies link physical activity practice with academic performance, as well as the physical fitness state and the body composition with academic achievement. Objective: Review the grade of influence of physical-sport activity on the variable academic performance and to know the influence of sedentary lifestyle on academic performance. Method: For this purpose, various databases were analyzed, including PubMed and Google Scholar, choosing a total of 75 articles in the first selection, using a total of 18 finally. Results and Conclusions: In terms of results and conclusions, we can see how physical activity practice has a positive influence on academic performance, being the recommended time 30-60 minutes daily.

  14. Facebook and Academic Performance: A Positive Outcome

    OpenAIRE

    González Ramírez, María Reyes; Gascó Gascó, José Luis; Llopis Taverner, Juan

    2016-01-01

    The objective sought with the present paper consists in analyzing the literature about Facebook in order to know the conclusions of the different works with regard to its influence on those results. The examination of 37 papers devoted to this thematic area allows us to know which journals publish more about the impacts that Facebook has on academic performance, which data collection methods are more often used, which topics emerge in parallel to the use of Facebook in the academic context, a...

  15. The language issue and academic performance at a South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Academic performance at universities in South Africa is a cause of concern. It is widely acknowledged that there are a variety of factors that contribute to poor academic performance, but language is regarded as one of the most important issues in this discussion. In this article, the relationship between language and ...

  16. Academic Performance, School Desertion and Emotional Paradigm in University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosa, Emma Rosa Cruz; Barrientos, Laura Gática; Castro, Patricia Eugenia García; García, Jesús Hernández

    2010-01-01

    The present work aims to describe academic performance, school desertion and the emotional paradigm of the university students of the accounting school of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (FCPBUAP). We have found that low academic performance is related to students' economic deficiency, which affects their concentration on their…

  17. Internet Usage and Academic Performance of Undergraduate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Internet Usage and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students in University of Ilorin, Nigeria. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH. AFRICAN JOURNALS ... This study adopted descriptive survey method. Six faculties ...

  18. Prenatal Exposure to Fever and Infections and Academic Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dreier, Julie Werenberg; Berg-Beckhoff, Gabriele; Kragh Andersen, Per

    2017-01-01

    of academic performance from the 2010–2013 Danish National Tests. Hierarchical multilevel linear regression of 216,350 assessments made in 71,850 children born to 67,528 mothers revealed no differences in academic performance among the children according to prenatal exposure to fever (odds ratio (OR) = 1......Prenatal exposure to fever and infections has been linked to various neurodevelopmental disorders, but it is not yet known whether more subtle effects on neurodevelopment may exist as well. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether these early-life exposures were associated with academic...... performance in childhood and early adolescence. Children and mothers who were enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort during 1996–2002 were included in this study. Information on fever and infections common in pregnancy was prospectively collected in 2 pregnancy interviews and linked with assessments...

  19. Relationships between College Students' Credit Card Debt, Undesirable Academic Behaviors and Cognitions, and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogan, Eileen A.; Bryant, Sarah K.; Overymyer-Day, Leslie E.

    2013-01-01

    The acquisition of credit card debt by college students has long been a topic of concern. This study explores relationships among debt, undesirable academic behaviors and cognitions, and academic performance, through surveys of 338 students in a public university, replicating two past measures of credit card debt and creating new measures of…

  20. Are Australasian academic physicians an endangered species?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, A

    2007-11-01

    It has been stated that academic medicine is in a worldwide crisis. Is this decline in hospital academic practice a predictable consequence of modern clinical practice with its emphasis on community and outpatient-based services as well as a corporate health-care ethos or does it relate to innate problems in the training process and career structure for academic clinicians? A better understanding of the barriers to involvement in academic practice, including the effect of gender, the role and effect of overseas training, expectation of further research degrees and issues pertaining to the Australian academic workplace will facilitate recruitment and retention of the next generation of academic clinicians. Physician-scientists remain highly relevant as medical practice and education evolves in the 21st century. Hospital-based academics carry out a critical role in the ongoing mentoring of trainees and junior colleagues, whose training is still largely hospital based in most specialty programmes. Academic clinicians are uniquely placed to translate the rapid advances in medical biology into the clinical sphere, by guiding and carrying out translational research as well as leading clinical studies. Academic physicians also play key leadership in relations with government and industry, in professional groups and medical colleges. Thus, there is a strong case to assess the problems facing recruitment and retention of physician-scientists in academic practice and to develop workable solutions.

  1. “To be or not to be Retained … That’s the Question!” Retention, Self-esteem, Self-concept, Achievement Goals, and Grades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peixoto, Francisco; Monteiro, Vera; Mata, Lourdes; Sanches, Cristina; Pipa, Joana; Almeida, Leandro S.

    2016-01-01

    Keeping students back in the same grade – retention – has always been a controversial issue in Education, with some defending it as a beneficial remedial practice and others arguing against its detrimental effects. This paper undertakes an analysis of this issue, focusing on the differences in student motivation and self-related variables according to their retention related status, and the interrelationship between retention and these variables. The participants were 695 students selected from two cohorts (5th and 7th graders) of a larger group of students followed over a 3-year project. The students were assigned to four groups according to their retention-related status over time: (1) students with past and recent retention; (2) students with past but no recent retention; (3) students with no past but recent retention; (4) students with no past or recent retention. Measures of achievement goal orientations, self-concept, self-esteem, importance given to school subjects and Grade Point Average (GPA) were collected for all students. Repeated measures MANCOVA analyses were carried out showing group differences in self-esteem, academic self-concept, importance attributed to academic competencies, task and avoidance orientation and academic achievement. To attain a deeper understanding of these results and to identify profiles across variables, a cluster analysis based on achievement goals was conducted and four clusters were identified. Students who were retained at the end of the school year are mainly represented in clusters with less adaptive motivational profiles and almost absent from clusters exhibiting more adaptive ones. Findings highlight that retention leaves a significant mark that remains even when students recover academic achievement and retention is in the distant past. This is reflected in the low academic self-concept as well as in the devaluation of academic competencies and in the avoidance orientation which, taken together, can undermine

  2. Student Bedtimes, Academic Performance, and Health in a Residential High School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wernette, Maliah J; Emory, Jan

    2017-08-01

    Inadequate sleep among adolescents is considered an epidemic in the United States. Late night bedtimes could be an important factor in academic performance and health with consequences continuing throughout adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between late night bedtimes, academic performance (grade point average [GPA]), and utilization of health care (school nurse visits) in a residential high school. The data were collected from archival records for one academic semester. The statistical analysis employed the nonparametric Pearson's correlation coefficient ( r) with the standard level of significance (α = .05). Positive and inverse linear relationships were found between bedtime and school nurse visits ( p < .00001) and bedtime and GPA ( p = .007). The findings suggest students' late night bedtimes may be related to increased school nurse visits and lower academic performance. Adolescent late night bedtimes may be an important consideration for academic success and maintaining health in residential high schools.

  3. Sleep quality among dental students and its association with academic performance

    OpenAIRE

    Elagra, Marwa I.; Rayyan, Mohammad R.; Alnemer, Omaima A.; Alshehri, Maram S.; Alsaffar, Noor S.; Al-Habib, Rabab S.; Almosajen, Zainab A.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the sleep patterns of dental students from different academic levels and to determine the effect of sleep patterns on the academic performance of students. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was designed and distributed among 1160 students from clinical and non-clinical levels to measure the sleep-related variables and academic performance. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, sleep habits, sleep quality index (PSQI), and grade point averages (GP...

  4. Assessing the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and academic performance of medical students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajasingam, Uma; Suat-Cheng, Peh; Aung, Thidar; Dipolog-Ubanan, Genevieve; Wei, Wee Kok

    2014-12-01

    This study examines the association between emotional intelligence and its influence on academic performance on medical students to see if emotional intelligence emerges as a significant influencer of academic achievement. The instrument used is the Trait-Meta Mood Scale (TMMS), a 30-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure an individual's perceived emotional intelligence (PEI). Participants are required to rate the extent to which they agree with each item on a 5-point Likert scale. The TMMS consists of three subscales - Attention to Feelings (which measures the extent to which individuals notice and think about their feelings, Clarity (which measures the extent to which an individual is able to discriminate among different moods) and Mood Repair (related to an individual's ability to repair/terminate negative moods or maintain pleasant ones). Of special interest is whether high scores in the Clarity and Repair subscales correlate positively with academic performance, and whether high scores on the Attention subscale, without correspondingly high scores in the Clarity and Mood Repair subscales, correlates negatively with academic performance. Sample population includes all medical students (Years 1-5) of the MD program in UCSI University, Malaysia. Preliminary analysis indicates no significant relationship between overall TMMS scores and academic performance; however, the Attention subscale is significantly correlated to academic performance. Therefore even though PEI has to be ruled out as an influencer on academic performance for this particular sample, the fact that Attention has a significant relationship with academic performance may give some insight into the factors that possibly influence medical students' academic performance.

  5. Personality, Assessment Methods and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furnham, Adrian; Nuygards, Sarah; Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between personality and two different academic performance (AP) assessment methods, namely exams and coursework. It aimed to examine whether the relationship between traits and AP was consistent across self-reported versus documented exam results, two different assessment techniques and across different…

  6. Increased body weight affects academic performance in university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela S. Anderson

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available For K-12 students, obesity has been linked to student educational achievements. The study objective was to determine whether academic performance in university students is correlated with BMI. Students from two consecutive academic years (Jan–May 2013 and Jan–May 2014 were given an optional class survey in May, as extra credit. Of the 452 students that completed the survey, 204 females and 75 males (N = 279; 73% female and 27% male consented to participate in the study. The number of correct answers to problem-solving questions (PSQs and the overall final grade for the class were compared to the calculated BMI using linear regression with a Pearson's R correlation and unpaired t-tests. BMI was significantly negatively correlated with student's final grades (P = 0.001 Pearson's r = −0.190 and PSQs were positively correlated with final grades (P < 0.001; Pearson's r = 0.357. Our findings show a correlation between healthy body weight and improved academic performance. Further, the data suggest that future research in the area of body weight, diet, and exercise and any correlations of these with academic performance in college students are warranted.

  7. First-grade retention in the Flemish educational context: Effects on children's academic growth, psychosocial growth, and school career throughout primary education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goos, Mieke; Van Damme, Jan; Onghena, Patrick; Petry, Katja; de Bilde, Jerissa

    2013-06-01

    This study examined the effects of first-grade retention on children's academic growth, psychosocial growth, and future school career by following a cohort of first graders until the start of secondary school. The study took place in the Flemish educational context where primary school students are taught in uniform curricular year groups; the same curricular goals are set for all students, irrespective of ability; and grade retention is used as the main way to cater for students not reaching these goals. Propensity score stratification was used to deal with selection bias. Three-level curvilinear growth curve models, encompassing both grade and age comparisons, were used to model children's growth in math skills, reading fluency skills, and psychosocial skills. Two-level logistic regression models were used to model children's likelihood of repeating any grade between Grades 2 and 6, transitioning to a special education primary school, moving to another primary school, and transitioning to the A (versus B) track in secondary education. Overall, results showed that first-grade retention was less helpful for struggling students than generally thought by parents and educators. Limitations of the study and further research suggestions are provided, and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Associations between different components of fitness and fatness with academic performance in Chilean youths.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olivares, Pedro R; García-Rubio, Javier

    2016-01-01

    To analyze the associations between different components of fitness and fatness with academic performance, adjusting the analysis by sex, age, socio-economic status, region and school type in a Chilean sample. Data of fitness, fatness and academic performance was obtained from the Chilean System for the Assessment of Educational Quality test for eighth grade in 2011 and includes a sample of 18,746 subjects (49% females). Partial correlations adjusted by confounders were done to explore association between fitness and fatness components, and between the academic scores. Three unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were done in order to analyze the associations of variables. Fatness has a negative association with academic performance when Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist to Height Ratio (WHR) are assessed independently. When BMI and WHR are assessed jointly and adjusted by cofounders, WHR is more associated with academic performance than BMI, and only the association of WHR is positive. For fitness components, strength was the variable most associated with the academic performance. Cardiorespiratory capacity was not associated with academic performance if fatness and other fitness components are included in the model. Fitness and fatness are associated with academic performance. WHR and strength are more related with academic performance than BMI and cardiorespiratory capacity.

  9. Fitness, fatness, and academic performance in seventh-grade elementary school students

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background In addition to the benefits on physical and mental health, cardiorespiratory fitness has shown to have positive effects on cognition. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and body weight status on academic performance among seventh-grade students. Methods Participants included 1531 grade 7 students (787 male, 744 female), ranging in age from 12 to 14 years (Mage = 12.3 ± 0.60), from 3 different cohorts. Academic performance was measured using the marks students had, at the end of their academic year, in mathematics, language (Portuguese), foreign language (English), and sciences. To assess cardiorespiratory fitness the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, from Fitnessgram, was used as the test battery. The relationship between academic achievement and the independent and combined association of cardiorespiratory fitness/weight status was analysed, using multinomial logistic regression. Results Cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status were independently related with academic achievement. Fit students, compared with unfit students had significantly higher odds for having high academic achievement (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.48-3.55, p academic achievement (OR = 3.65, 95% CI: 1.82-7.34, p academic achievement in seventh-grade students independent of the different cohorts, providing further support that aerobically fit and normal weight students are more likely to have better performance at school regardless of the year that they were born. PMID:25001376

  10. Science learning motivation as correlate of students’ academic performances

    OpenAIRE

    Libao, Nhorvien Jay P.; Sagun, Jessie John B.; Tamangan, Elvira A.; Pattalitan, Agaton P.; Dupa, Maria Elena D.; Bautista, Romiro Gordo

    2016-01-01

    This study was designed to analyze the relationship of students’ learning motivation and their academic performances in science. The study made use of 21 junior and senior Biological Science students to conclude on the formulated research problems. The respondents had a good to very good motivation in learning science. In general, the extent of their motivation do not vary across their sex, age, and curriculum year. Moreover, the respondents had good academic performances in science. Aptly, e...

  11. Association between overweight/obesity and academic performance in South Korean adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong-Hyuck; So, Wi-Young

    2013-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic performance and obesity/overweight among South Korean adolescents. Our data set included 72,399 adolescents in grades 7-12 who had participated in the 5th Korea Youth Risk Behaviour Web-based Survey (KYRBWS-V) in 2009. We assessed the association between academic performance and body mass index (BMI), using multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting for covariates such as age, parents' education level, economic status, mental stress experienced, sleep duration, frequency of muscle-strengthening exercises, smoking and drinking behaviour, and vigorous and moderate physical activity (PA). For boys, being overweight (compared with being of normal weight) had a significantly greater odds of poor academic performance (OR=1.182, 95% Cl 1.052-1.329, p=0.005). Obese boys had 1.182 (1.048-1.332, p=0.006), 1.461 (1.294-1.648, pperformance, respectively. In the analysis for girls, overweight girls had 1.314 (1.124-1.536, pacademic performance, respectively. Finally, obese girls had 1.374 (1.098-1.718, p=0.005), 1.672 (1.339-2.089, pacademic performance, respectively. Thus, overweight/obesity was negatively associated with academic performance in both boys and girls. The results of this study indicate that adolescents would benefit from weight management to prevent obesity and, possibly, improve academic performance.

  12. Oral Clefts and Academic Performance in Adolescence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Nicola G; Pedersen, Dorthe A; Pedersen, Jacob K

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE:   Early life exposure to anesthesia and surgery is suspected to associate with cognitive impairment later in life. We compared academic achievement among adolescents with cleft lip only (CL), cleft palate only (CP), and cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) with a noncleft control group to ......:   Oral cleft type rather than number and timing of anesthesia and operations associate to poorer academic performance. Although a potential neurotoxic effect due to anesthetic agents is not reflected in the data, it cannot be completely excluded.......OBJECTIVE:   Early life exposure to anesthesia and surgery is suspected to associate with cognitive impairment later in life. We compared academic achievement among adolescents with cleft lip only (CL), cleft palate only (CP), and cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) with a noncleft control group...

  13. Social jetlag negatively correlates with academic performance in undergraduates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haraszti, Réka Ágnes; Ella, Krisztina; Gyöngyösi, Norbert; Roenneberg, Till; Káldi, Krisztina

    2014-06-01

    Discrepancies between sleep timing on workdays and weekends, also known as social jetlag (SJL), affect the majority of the population and have been found to be associated with increased health risk and health-impairing behaviors. In this study, we explored the relationship between SJL and academic performance in a sample of undergraduates of the Semmelweis University. We assessed SJL and other sleep-related parameters with the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) (n = 753). Academic performance was measured by the average grade based on weekly test results as well as scores acquired on the final test (n = 247). The average mid-sleep point on free days in the Hungarian sample fits well the regression line plotted for longitudes within the Central European Time Zone and chronotypes, confirming that sunlight has a major impact on chronotype. Multivariate analysis showed negative effect of SJL on the weekly average grade (p = 0.028, n = 247) during the lecture term with its highly regular teaching schedules, while this association disappeared in the exam period (p = 0.871, n = 247) when students had no scheduled obligations (lower SJL). We also analyzed the relationship between the time of the weekly tests and academic performance and found that students with later sleep times on free days achieved worse in the morning (p = 0.017, n = 129), while the inverse tendency was observed for the afternoon test-takers (p = 0.10, n = 118). We did not find significant association between academic performance and sleep duration or sleep debt on work days. Our data suggest that circadian misalignment can have a significant negative effect on academic performance. One possible reason for this misalignment is socially enforced sleep times.

  14. The Relative Age Effect and Its Influence on Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro, Juan-José; García-Rubio, Javier; Olivares, Pedro R

    2015-01-01

    The policy of school organisation for grouping students in the same academic year is based on date of birth. The differences in the experiences and maturation of older students involve a relatively better performance in academic settings, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE). This effect is more important the younger the student is. The goal of this study is to identify the connections of influence that RAE, socioeconomic status (SES), and type of institution have on academic performance in a school population of eighth graders. The study is based on a population-based, representative sample of 15,234 8th graders (50.4% female; average age = 13.61 years) in the 2011 National System of Quality Assessment in Education Survey (SIMCE) from Chile. The SIMCE for global academic performance consists of 4 tests: reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. All tests consist of multiple-choice and closed questions. In addition, in order to have the information of general academic performance, an extra variable expressing the average score of each student was created. Also, the SIMCE includes additional variables for the evaluation process such as SES or type of school. Students were assigned to one of five age groups in terms of date of birth (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5), in which students belonging to G1 are the oldest and students belonging to G5 are the youngest. The results achieved in the structural equation modelling indicate a good global fit. Individual relationships show significant effects of the three variables observed on academic performance, although SES received the highest values. The influence of RAE took place both in the full sample and sub-samples composed according to the SES and academic performance, showing higher values for students with lower scores. Although the influence of RAE decreases when SES is controlled, its effect is still significant and contributes to additionally explain the performance. The RAE remains, even with residual

  15. The Relative Age Effect and Its Influence on Academic Performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan-José Navarro

    Full Text Available The policy of school organisation for grouping students in the same academic year is based on date of birth. The differences in the experiences and maturation of older students involve a relatively better performance in academic settings, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE. This effect is more important the younger the student is. The goal of this study is to identify the connections of influence that RAE, socioeconomic status (SES, and type of institution have on academic performance in a school population of eighth graders.The study is based on a population-based, representative sample of 15,234 8th graders (50.4% female; average age = 13.61 years in the 2011 National System of Quality Assessment in Education Survey (SIMCE from Chile. The SIMCE for global academic performance consists of 4 tests: reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. All tests consist of multiple-choice and closed questions. In addition, in order to have the information of general academic performance, an extra variable expressing the average score of each student was created. Also, the SIMCE includes additional variables for the evaluation process such as SES or type of school. Students were assigned to one of five age groups in terms of date of birth (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, in which students belonging to G1 are the oldest and students belonging to G5 are the youngest.The results achieved in the structural equation modelling indicate a good global fit. Individual relationships show significant effects of the three variables observed on academic performance, although SES received the highest values. The influence of RAE took place both in the full sample and sub-samples composed according to the SES and academic performance, showing higher values for students with lower scores. Although the influence of RAE decreases when SES is controlled, its effect is still significant and contributes to additionally explain the performance.The RAE remains, even

  16. The Effect of Computer Assisted Mind Mapping on Students’ Academic Achievement, Attitudes and Retention in Science and Technology Course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Nuri GÖMLEKSİZ

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims at determining the effects of computer assisted mind mapping (CAMM technique on students’ academic achievement, attitudes and retention in Science and Technology course. Mixed-method research design which included both quantitative and qualitative methods was used in the study. Pretest-posttest control group experimental design, interview and observation techniques were used. The study included one experimental (N:36 one control group (N:32. The study was conducted on seventh grade students at an elementary school in 2011-2012 academic year. While experimental group used CAMM technique, control group used traditional method. The achievement test, administered as a pre-, post- and delayed post-test, included 34 questions. The mean difficulty of the test was calculated to be .54 and KR-20 reliability coefficient was measured to be .73. To determine students' attitudes towards Science and Technology course, a 20-item five-point Likert-style attitude scale (α: .89 developed by Akınoğlu (2001 was used. The results revealed that CAMM technique had a positive effect on students’ achievement and attitudes towards learning science and technology

  17. Study habit skills as correlate of academic performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Study habit is one of the major factors that could influence students' academic attainment. Thus, this study examined study habit skills as correlate of academic performance of undergraduates in Edo state, Nigeria. It employed a correlation research design, using multistage sampling technique. Two hundred and forty eight ...

  18. Academic Performance and Lifestyle Behaviors in Australian School Children: A Cluster Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumuid, Dorothea; Olds, Timothy; Martín-Fernández, Josep-Antoni; Lewis, Lucy K; Cassidy, Leah; Maher, Carol

    2017-12-01

    Poor academic performance has been linked with particular lifestyle behaviors, such as unhealthy diet, short sleep duration, high screen time, and low physical activity. However, little is known about how lifestyle behavior patterns (or combinations of behaviors) contribute to children's academic performance. We aimed to compare academic performance across clusters of children with common lifestyle behavior patterns. We clustered participants (Australian children aged 9-11 years, n = 284) into four mutually exclusive groups of distinct lifestyle behavior patterns, using the following lifestyle behaviors as cluster inputs: light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity; sedentary behavior and sleep, derived from 24-hour accelerometry; self-reported screen time and diet. Differences in academic performance (measured by a nationally administered standardized test) were detected across the clusters, with scores being lowest in the Junk Food Screenies cluster (unhealthy diet/high screen time) and highest in the Sitters cluster (high nonscreen sedentary behavior/low physical activity). These findings suggest that reduction in screen time and an improved diet may contribute positively to academic performance. While children with high nonscreen sedentary time performed better academically in this study, they also accumulated low levels of physical activity. This warrants further investigation, given the known physical and mental benefits of physical activity.

  19. Evaluation of Academic Performance, Academic Motivation, Hope for the Future and Life Satisfaction of Pharmacy Students of a Medical School

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armaghan Eslami

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: This study sought to investigate the evaluation of academic achievement, academic motivation and hope for the future and life satisfaction of Pharmacy Students of the Medical Sciences University of Ahvaz and their relationship with the school years passed.Methods: The samples in this study were all pharmacy students studying in the College of Pharmacy, the Medical University of Ahvaz in the year 93-94. Moreover, standard questionnaires were used by this study for collecting data. In order to collect data with regard to hope, life satisfaction, motivation and academic satisfaction, the questionnaire of Snyder hope Scale (1991, Satisfaction with Life Scale questionnaire (SWLS, lepper motivation scale (2005 and Bahrani and Jokar questionnaire (1378 were used respectively.Moreover, data on Academic performance were acquired using the score of the students and the number of students dropping out in each entry and the data were analysed by using SPSS 20.Results: The results did not indicate any significant different in an investigation of five class of students and from four variables of hope, Academic motivation, academic achievement, life satisfaction. But contrast test for combined group showed that academic motivation and academic performance in freshmen students are significantly higher than the other four inputs.Third-year students possess less Academic motivation than other students.Senior students' Academic performance was also significantly lower than of students from other school years.Conclusion: freshmen students face challenges of the new environment, and this affects their academic performance. Besides in the third year of pharmacy school curriculum, pharmacy students pass the basic exam and the main pharmaceutical courses start for them, this might be the reason that their intrinsic motivation increase.  

  20. Interrogating Reality in Terms of Retention and Student Success at a South Texas University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bain, Steve F.; Gandy, Rex F.; Golightly, Vivian H.

    2012-01-01

    Student retention has become the most significant issue facing American colleges and universities. For the student, retention has everything to do with academic success and the completion of the most lofty of educational goals--the acquiring of a degree. For the educational institution, college, or university, retention impacts federal funding,…

  1. CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND OBESITY IN SCHOOL-CHILDREN FROM ANAND DISTRIC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dipika P. Shah

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Growing childhood obesity epidemic is concerning the health of future generation in any country. Today’s competitive world is increasing the never ending pressure on children to excel in academic performance to ensure bright future. Hence, it is the need of the hour to understand the correlation between obesity and academic performance for implementation of the policies related to obesity prevention and treatment. Methods: 1034 school children were taken randomly according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and they were divided into two groups: a 5-11 years and b 12-18 years. BMI (BMI, Waist Circumference (WC, the Waist-Height ratio (WHtR and SSFT (Sum of Skinfold thickness were taken to measure obesity, and the class teacher evaluated academic performance. Results: The prevalence of obesity when assessed by WC revealed highest values as compared to Waist-Height ratio, IOTF-BMI and SSFT. Spearman correlation between obesity (WC and academic performance revealed that there was a significant negative moderate correlation in urban boys (r = -0.4, p0.05 correlation between obesity and academic performance in boys and girls of 12-18 years’ age-group. Conclusions: It is also concluded from the present study that obesity and academic performance of school children were negatively correlated in boys and girls of 5 -11 years of age but it was not found in 12-18 years of age. Influence of various confounding factors could not be isolated which could have also impacted the academic performance of the child.

  2. The Effect Of Stem Degrees On The Performance And Retention Of Junior Officers In The U.S. Navy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    satisfaction as well as increase their opportunities to pursue technical graduate education. This thesis compares job performance and retention outcomes...degrees. This thesis evaluates other factors that affect retention such as job fit. The high demand for STEM graduates in the civilian labor market is...examined to determine their effects on officer job performance and retention . Previous research has provided inconclusive results on the effects of

  3. Influence of Facebook in Academic Performance of Sri Lankan University Students

    OpenAIRE

    Thuseethan, S.; Kuhanesan, S.

    2015-01-01

    Facebook is only an electronic communication between human but unfortunately it has become an addiction for all. This paper examines the usage of Facebook among university students and its influence in their academic performance. The impact of Facebook can either be good or bad on university students and in their academic activities. Even though a closer look on the real impact of Facebook reveals that it leads to several problems in university students academic performances. Today Facebook i...

  4. The Role of Mentoring Program in Enhancing Mentees’ Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azman Ismail

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available According to institutions of higher learning literature, mentoring program has two important features: communication and support. The ability of mentors to appropriately implement comfortable communication and provide adequate support may ehance positive mentee outcomes, especially academic performance. Although the nature of this relationship is crucial, little is known about the role of mentoring program as an important predictor of mentees’ academic performance in the higher education mentoring research literature. Therefore, this study was conducted to measure the relationship between mentoring program and mentees’ academic performance using self-administered questionnaires gathered from undergraduate students in Malaysian institutions of higher learning in Sarawak. The results of SmartPLS path model showed two important outcomes: firstly, communication positively and significantly correlated with academic performance. Secondly, support positively and significantly correlated with academic performance. The result demonstrates that mentoring program does act as an important predictor of mentees’ academic performance in the organizational sample. Thus, discussion, implications and conclusion are elaborated.

  5. Sleep and academic performance of Portuguese teenagers

    OpenAIRE

    Pestana, Leonor; Duarte, João; Coutinho, Emília; Nelas, Paula; Chaves, Cláudia; Amaral, Odete

    2016-01-01

    Abstract: Sleep has numerous important functions in the body, such as consolidation of memory, concentration and learning. Changes in sleep cycles in adolescents lead to sleep deprivation with consequences to academic performance. Our research question was What are the sleep habits that influence school performance (study environment, study planning, study method, reading skills, motivation to study, overall school performance) in adolescents? We aimed to identify sleep habits predictors of t...

  6. Sleep health, messaging, headaches, and academic performance in high school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pecor, Keith; Kang, Lilia; Henderson, Matthew; Yin, Sunny; Radhakrishnan, Varsha; Ming, Xue

    2016-06-01

    We tested for associations of bedtime, sleep duration, instant messaging, and chronic headaches with hypersomnolence and academic performance in a sample of high school students in New Jersey, USA. Students were surveyed anonymously and asked to report their sleep and messaging habits, headache status, and overall grades. We found that greater hypersomnolence was associated with later bedtimes, shorter sleep durations, and the presence of chronic headaches, but not with messaging after lights out. Also, we found that academic performance was lower in students who messaged after lights out, but it was not affected by headache status, bedtime, or sleep duration. These results are consistent with other studies that have demonstrated associations between headaches and hypersomnolence and between instant messaging habits and academic performance. They also add to a growing literature on the relationships among use of electronic devices, sleep health, and academic performance by adolescents. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Predictors of self-reported academic performance among undergraduate medical students of Hawassa University, Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gedefaw, Abel; Tilahun, Birkneh; Asefa, Anteneh

    2015-01-01

    This study was conducted to identify predictors of self-reported academic performance in undergraduate medical students at Hawassa University. An analytical cross-sectional study involving 592 undergraduate medical students was conducted in November 2012. The academic performance of the study subjects was measured by self-reported cumulative grade point average (GPA) using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 software. Pearson's bivariate correlations, multiple linear regression, and multiple logistic regression were used to identify predictors of academic performance. The self-reported academic performance of students had been decreasing as the academic years progressed, with the highest and lowest performance being in the premedicine (mean GPA 3.47) and clinical I (mean GPA 2.71) years, respectively. One hundred and fifty-eight (26.7%) of the participants had ever been delayed, 37 (6.2%) had ever re-sat for examination, and two (0.3%) had ever been warned due to academic failure. The overall variation in self-reported academic performance of the students was 32.8%. Participant age alone explained 21.9% of the variation. On the other hand, university entrance examination results, substance use at university, and medicine as first choice by students were identified as predictors of variation in self-reported academic performance, accounting for 6.9%, 2.7%, and academic performance was explained by the studied variables. Hence, efficacious mechanisms should be designed to combat the intervenable determinants of self-reported academic performance, like substance use and a low medical school entrance examination result. Further studies should also be undertaken to gain a better understanding of other unstudied determinants, like personality, learning style, cognitive ability, and the system used for academic evaluation.

  8. The Entrepreneurship Education and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasrullah, Shazia; Khan, Muhammad Saqib; Khan, Irfanullah

    2016-01-01

    The current study will be conducted in relationship of entrepreneurship education and academic performance. The study will be conducted on the post graduate students in the Universities of Bahawalpur. In the current study those universities will be included that were offering and also not offering entrepreneurship as a subject of teaching. The…

  9. Effects of Sleep Hygiene Education on Subjective Sleep Quality and Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erkan Sahin

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Sleep problems are common in students with one third of university students reporting insufficient sleep. It is known that sleep quality and daytime sleepiness cause decrasing academic performans. For this reason we aimed to investigate the effects of a sleep hygiene education on sleep quality and academic performance of first year medical students. Material and Method: Self-reported sleep data and academic performance of 131 first grade medical students were collected. To all students enrolled Pittsburg Sleep Quality Scale in the assessment of sleep quality and Epworth Sleepiness Scale for assessment of daytime sleepiness in the evaluation.The students were divided into two subgroups and the intervention group received a 30 minute structured sleep hygiene education. Global academic performance was assessed by grade point average at the end of the year. Results: Mean Pittsburgh sleep quality index score of the students was 7.9±3.5 and 106 (82.8% of then had a score %u22655.After intervention, .the worse the initial sleep quality, the more improvement by the sleep hygiene education on sleep quality and academic performance. Discussion: An education on sleep hygiene might improve subjective sleep quality and academic performance of medical students.

  10. Differences in medical students' academic interest and performance across career choice motivations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyong-Jee; Hwang, Jee Y; Kwon, Bum S

    2016-02-15

    To investigate medical students' career choice motivation and its relationship with their academic interest and performance. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a sample (n=207) of medical students at a private medical school in Korea, stratified by year of medical course. Data about participant demographics, career choice motivation and academic interest were collected using a self-report questionnaire. The item on career choice motivation enquired about the respondents' main reason for applying for medical school among 8 possible response options, which comprised two components of career choice motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. The participants' levels of academic interest were measured in a Likert-type question. Participants' academic interest and Grade Point Averages (GPAs) were compared across the groups of different career motivations along with analyses of their admission scores for baseline comparisons. A total of 195 students completed the questionnaire (94%response rate). Seventy-four percent, (n=145; the intrinsic group) of the participants chose reasons related to intrinsic motivation, 22% (n=42; the extrinsic group) chose reasons pertaining to extrinsic motivation, and 4% (n = 8) chose other reasons for applying to medical school. The intrinsic group outperformed the extrinsic group in their GPAs, although their prior academic achievements did not differ significantly. The intrinsic group showed significantly higher levels of academic interest and also performed better in the admission interviews. Our study illustrates differences in medical students' academic interest and performance across career choice motivations. Further research is warranted to establish the predictive power of medical students' career choice motivation and academic interest on their academic performance.

  11. Student Bedtimes, Academic Performance, and Health in a Residential High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wernette, Maliah J.; Emory, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Inadequate sleep among adolescents is considered an epidemic in the United States. Late night bedtimes could be an important factor in academic performance and health with consequences continuing throughout adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between late night bedtimes, academic performance (grade point average…

  12. Relational Aggression and Academic Performance in Elementary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risser, Scott D.

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the relationship between relational aggression and school performance, this study examined the relative and combined associations among relational aggression, overt aggression, and victimization and children's academic performance. Additionally this study examined the relative associations among relational and overt aggression and…

  13. Poor academic performance: A perspective of final year diagnostic radiography students

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gqweta, Ntokozo

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: A study was conducted on final year diagnostic radiography students at a University of Technology in Durban. The aim of the study was to investigate the final year diagnostic radiography students' opinions and views on academic performance in order to inform teaching and learning methods. The objectives were: •To explore the students' opinions regarding poor performance. •To identify strategies to improve academic performance. Method: A qualitative, interpretive approach was used to explain and understand the students' lived experiences of their academic performances. A short open ended questionnaire was administered to a cohort of final diagnostic radiography students following feedback on a written assessment. Questionnaire responses were then manually captured and analyzed. Results: Five (5) themes were identified that could possibly be associated with poor academic performance. These themes were, poor preparation, lack of independent study, difficulty in understanding learning content and misinterpretation of assessment questions, inefficient studying techniques as well as perceived improvement strategies. Conclusion: Students identified their inadequate preparation and the lack of dedicated independent studying as the main reasons for poor performance. Students preferred to be taught in an assessment oriented manner. However their identified improvement strategies were aligned with the learner centred approach.

  14. Relative performance of academic departments using DEA with sensitivity analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyagi, Preeti; Yadav, Shiv Prasad; Singh, S P

    2009-05-01

    The process of liberalization and globalization of Indian economy has brought new opportunities and challenges in all areas of human endeavor including education. Educational institutions have to adopt new strategies to make best use of the opportunities and counter the challenges. One of these challenges is how to assess the performance of academic programs based on multiple criteria. Keeping this in view, this paper attempts to evaluate the performance efficiencies of 19 academic departments of IIT Roorkee (India) through data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique. The technique has been used to assess the performance of academic institutions in a number of countries like USA, UK, Australia, etc. But we are using it first time in Indian context to the best of our knowledge. Applying DEA models, we calculate technical, pure technical and scale efficiencies and identify the reference sets for inefficient departments. Input and output projections are also suggested for inefficient departments to reach the frontier. Overall performance, research performance and teaching performance are assessed separately using sensitivity analysis.

  15. Recommendations from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Taskforce on women in academic emergency medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhn, Gloria J; Abbuhl, Stephanie B; Clem, Kathleen J

    2008-08-01

    The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) convened a taskforce to study issues pertaining to women in academic emergency medicine (EM). The charge to the Taskforce was to "Create a document for the SAEM Board of Directors that defines and describes the unique recruitment, retention, and advancement needs for women in academic emergency medicine." To this end, the Taskforce and authors reviewed the literature to highlight key data points in understanding this issue and made recommendations for individuals at four levels of leadership and accountability: leadership of national EM organizations, medical school deans, department chairs, and individual women faculty members. The broad range of individuals targeted for recommendations reflects the interdependent and shared responsibility required to address changes in the culture of academic EM. The following method was used to determine the recommendations: 1) Taskforce members discussed career barriers and potential solutions that could improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in academic EM; 2) the authors reviewed recommendations in the literature by national consensus groups and experts in the field to validate the recommendations of Taskforce members and the authors; and 3) final recommendations were sent to all Taskforce members to obtain and incorporate additional comments and ensure a consensus. This article contains those recommendations and cites the relevant literature addressing this topic.

  16. The role of sleep in predicting college academic performance: is it a unique predictor?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Daniel J; Vatthauer, Karlyn E; Bramoweth, Adam D; Ruggero, Camilo; Roane, Brandy

    2013-01-01

    Few studies have looked at the predictability of academic performance (i.e., cumulative grade point average [GPA]) using sleep when common nonsleep predictors of academic performance are included. This project studied psychological, demographic, educational, and sleep risk factors of decreased academic performance in college undergraduates. Participants (N = 867) completed a questionnaire packet and sleep diary. It was hypothesized that low total sleep time (TST), increased sleep onset latency, later bedtimes, later wake times, and TST inconsistency would predict decreased academic performance. The most significant predictors of academic performance were high school GPA, standardized test scores (i.e., SAT/ACT), TST, time awake before arising (TWAK), TST inconsistency, and the quadratic terms of perceived stress (PSS) and TST.

  17. The effect of graphic organizers on students' attitudes and academic performance in undergraduate general biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cleveland, Lacy

    High attrition among undergraduate Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors has led national and business leaders in the United States to call for both research and educational reform within the collegiate STEM classrooms. Included among suggestions for reform are ideas to improve retention of first-year students and to improve critical thinking and depth of knowledge, instead of covering large quantities of materials. Past research on graphic organizers suggest these tools assist students in learning information and facilitate conceptual and critical thinking. Despite their widespread use in high school science departments, collegiate humanities departments, and even medical schools, their use is considerably less prevalent in the undergraduate biology classroom. In addition to their lack of use, little research has been conducted on their academic benefits in the collegiate classroom. Based on national calls for improving retention among undergraduate STEM majors and research suggesting that academic success during an individual first major's related course highly determine if that individual will continue on in their intended major, the researcher of this dissertation chose to conduct research on an introductory general biology class. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the research in this dissertation examines the effectiveness of graphic organizers in promoting academic success and also examines their influence on student attitudes. This research is grounded in the theories of constructivism and cognitive load theory. Constructivism suggests that individuals must build their knowledge from their personal experiences, while the cognitive load theory recognizes the limited nature of one's working memory and suggests that instructional practices minimize cognitive overload. The results of this dissertation suggest that the use of graphic organizers in an undergraduate general biology classroom can increase students' academic

  18. Academic performance in adolescents with delayed sleep phase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivertsen, Børge; Glozier, Nick; Harvey, Allison G; Hysing, Mari

    2015-09-01

    Delayed sleep phase (DSP) in adolescence has been linked to reduced academic performance, but there are few population-based studies examining this association using validated sleep measures and objective outcomes. The youth@hordaland-survey, a large population-based study from Norway conducted in 2012, surveyed 8347 high-school students aged 16-19 years (54% girls). DSP was assessed by self-report sleep measures, and it was operationalized according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders - Second Edition. School performance (grade point average, GPA) was obtained from official administrative registries, and it was linked individually to health data. DSP was associated with increased odds for poor school performance. After adjusting for age and gender, DSP was associated with a threefold increased odds of poor GPA (lowest quartile) [odds ratio (OR) = 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.03-4.30], and adjustment for sociodemographics and lifestyle factors did not, or only slightly, attenuate this association. Adjustment for nonattendance at school reduced the association substantially, and in the fully adjusted model, the effect of DSP on poor academic performance was reduced to a non-significant level. Mediation analyses confirmed both direct and significant indirect effects of DSP on school performance based on school absence, daytime sleepiness, and sleep duration. Poor academic performance may reflect an independent effect of underlying circadian disruption, which in part could be mediated by school attendance, as well as daytime sleepiness and short sleep duration. This suggests that careful assessment of sleep is warranted in addressing educational difficulties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. A modelling study of the event-based retention performance of green roof under the hot-humid tropical climate in Kuching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, C T; Putuhena, F J; Selaman, O S

    2017-12-01

    The influences of climate on the retention capability of green roof have been widely discussed in existing literature. However, knowledge on how the retention capability of green roof is affected by the tropical climate is limited. This paper highlights the retention performance of the green roof situated in Kuching under hot-humid tropical climatic conditions. Using the green roof water balance modelling approach, this study simulated the hourly runoff generated from a virtual green roof from November 2012 to October 2013 based on past meteorological data. The result showed that the overall retention performance was satisfactory with a mean retention rate of 72.5% from 380 analysed rainfall events but reduced to 12.0% only for the events that potentially trigger the occurrence of flash flood. By performing the Spearman rank's correlation analysis, it was found that the rainfall depth and mean rainfall intensity, individually, had a strong negative correlation with event retention rate, suggesting that the retention rate increases with decreased rainfall depth. The expected direct relationship between retention rate and antecedent dry weather period was found to be event size dependent.

  20. ACCOUNTING STUDENT’S LEARNING APPROACHES AND IMPACT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

    OpenAIRE

    Suhaiza Ismail

    2009-01-01

    The objective of the study is threefold. Firstly, the study explores the learning approaches adopted by students in completing their Business Finance. Secondly, it examines the impact that learning approaches has on the student’s academic performance. Finally, the study considers gender differences in the learning approaches adopted by students and in the relationship between learning approaches and academic performance. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was used...

  1. ASSESMENT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN

    OpenAIRE

    Himanshu Tripathi

    2017-01-01

    There is a need to find out the association between school-based physical activity, including physical education and academic performance among school-aged youth. To better understand these connections, this research paper first finds out the independent variables upon which academic performance depends. Study is from a range of physical activity contexts, including school-based physical education, recess, classroom-based physical activity and extracurricular physical activity. In his attempt...

  2. Test Anxiety and Academic Performance among Undergraduates: The Moderating Role of Achievement Motivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balogun, Anthony Gbenro; Balogun, Shyngle Kolawole; Onyencho, Chidi Victor

    2017-02-13

    This study investigated the moderating role of achievement motivation in the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. Three hundred and ninety three participants (192 males and 201 females) selected from a public university in Ondo State, Nigeria using a purposive sampling technique, participated in the study. They responded to measures of test anxiety and achievement motivation. Three hypotheses were tested using moderated hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results showed that test anxiety had a negative impact on academic performance (β = -.23; p motivation had a positive impact on academic performance (β = .38; p motivation significantly moderated the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance (β = .10; p students' achievement motivation.

  3. The Effect of Maternal Employment on Children's Academic Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Lisbeth Palmhøj; Hansen, Anne Toft

    of household control variables, instrumenting for employment with the gender- and education-specific local unemployment rate, and by including maternal fixed effects. We find that maternal employment has a positive effect on children’s academic performance in all specifications, particularly when women work...... part-time. This is in contrast with the larger literature on maternal employment, much of which takes place in other contexts, and which finds no or a small negative effect of maternal employment on children’s cognitive development and academic performance. (JEL J13, J22)...

  4. Pathways for retaining human capital in academic departments of a South African university

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luyanda Dube

    2013-07-01

    Objective: The study intends to profile knowledge assets in CHS, determine retention strategies and offer suggestions about regenerating knowledge retention initiatives. Research methodology: A quantitative approach, more specifically the informetrics technique of data mining, was adopted to profile academics in CHS at UNISA. Results: The results confirm the assertion that there is a discrepancy between senior academics who are probably due to leave the university in the next few years, and entrants who will replace them. The issue is worsened by the lack of an institutional framework to guide, standardise, strengthen or prioritise the process of knowledge retention. Conclusion: The study recommends the prioritisation, formalisation and institutionalisation of knowledge retention through the implementation of a broad range of knowledge retention strategies.

  5. Self-reported academic performance in relation to health behaviours among Bahria University students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehman, Rehana; Zafar, Amara; Mohib, Aleena; Hussain, Mehwish; Ali, Rabiya

    2018-02-01

    To find an association between self-reported academic performance with different socio-demographic factors, health behaviours and mental health amongst university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahria University, Karachi, from January 2012 to December 2013, and comprised university students of different disciplines. An anonymous, self-reported questionnaire was distributed among the subjects. Convenient sampling technique was used. Demographic information, including age, gender and field of study, were obtained. Depresion was evaluated via Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. SPSS 22 was used to analyse data. Of the 813 respondents, 334(41.1%) were males and 479(58.9%) females. The mean age was 19.9±1.8 years. Overall, 126(15.5%) subjects reported excellent, 242(29.8%) very good, 310(38.1%) good, 100(12.3%) satisfactory and 35(4.3%) not satisfactory academic performance. Residential status of students played a significant role on their academic performance (p=0.011). Breakfast eating behaviour depicted a significant association with the academic performance (p=0.04).The proportion of unsatisfactory academic performances among students having severe sleep disorder was the highest, followed by mild/moderate (p=0.01). The depression scale's item 'troubling in mind' was highly associated with academic performance (pacademic performance. .

  6. Metamorphological awareness and EFL students' memory, retention, and retrieval of English adjectival lexicons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lawrence Jun

    2002-12-01

    Research has shown that foreign or second language learners' metalinguistic awareness has important effects on their acquisition of the target language. Important among a multitude of the concerns are problems these learners encounter when they have to process the morphological features of individual words, particularly in the acquisition of literacy skills. Nevertheless, for students who learn English as a foreign or second language for academic purposes, one of the biggest challenges in their advanced study is how they can effectively remember, retain, and retrieve the colossal number of newly learnt English vocabulary, including adjectival lexicons, to enhance their academic success. Results from the present report on the effects of metamorphological awareness of 65 adult Chinese EFL learners' memory, retention, and retrieval of adjectival lexicons show that, although the subjects in the two groups did not differ significantly in their performance on a pretest designed to check their lexical knowledge and no sex difference was observed, statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in both conditions (immediate and delayed retrievals) on a posttest. The experimental group and women predominantly performed better in the memory-retention-retrieval tasks assigned to them. Implications for educational research and practices are also discussed.

  7. Is age of menarche among school girls related to academic performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Mathkoori, Radhia; Nur, Ula; Al-Taiar, Abdullah

    2017-06-17

    Background There is strong evidence that the mean age of menarche has declined over the last few decades in developed and developing countries. This is of a major concern because of its enormous public health implications. This study aimed to estimate the age of menarche in Kuwait and investigate the association between menarcheal age and academic performance among high school girls in Kuwait. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected female high school students from private and public high schools in all governorates in Kuwait. Data on the age of menarche were collected by self-administered questionnaire from the students, while data on academic performance were extracted from the students' academic records. Results Of the 907 students we selected, 800 (88.2%) responded. The mean age of menarche was 12.33 [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.18-12.49] years. There was no evidence for significant association between age of menarche and students' academic performance before or after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion The calculated age of menarche among contemporary girls in Kuwait is similar to that of the girls in industrialized countries. Early menarcheal age is unlikely to lead to adverse behavior that may affect academic performance in our setting.

  8. The Perceived Impact of Peer Leadership Experiences on College Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skipper, Tracy L.; Keup, Jennifer R.

    2017-01-01

    Open-ended data from the 2009 National Survey of Peer Leaders were analyzed to explore the impact of peer leadership on academic performance. While most participants suggested the experience had no effect on academics, perceptions varied by role. Peer leaders in academic and community service roles described increased skills and understanding of…

  9. ACCOUNTING STUDENT’S LEARNING APPROACHES AND IMPACT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhaiza Ismail

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the study is threefold. Firstly, the study explores the learning approaches adopted by students in completing their Business Finance. Secondly, it examines the impact that learning approaches has on the student’s academic performance. Finally, the study considers gender differences in the learning approaches adopted by students and in the relationship between learning approaches and academic performance. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST was used to assess the approaches to learning adopted by students whilst the students final examination result was considered in examining the performance of the students. The results indicate that majority of the accounting students, both male andfemale groups prefer to use the deep approach in studying Business Finance. The findings also reveal that there were significant relationships between learning approaches and academic performance with positive direction appears for deep and strategic approaches whilst negative relationship reveals for surface approach.

  10. Parent involvement and student academic performance: a multiple mediational analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topor, David R; Keane, Susan P; Shelton, Terri L; Calkins, Susan D

    2010-01-01

    Parent involvement in a child's education is consistently found to be positively associated with a child's academic performance. However, there has been little investigation of the mechanisms that explain this association. The present study examines two potential mechanisms of this association: the child's perception of cognitive competence and the quality of the student-teacher relationship. This study used a sample of 158 seven-year-old participants, their mothers, and their teachers. Results indicated a statistically significant association between parent involvement and a child's academic performance, over and above the impact of the child's intelligence. A multiple mediation model indicated that the child's perception of cognitive competence fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and the child's performance on a standardized achievement test. The quality of the student-teacher relationship fully mediated the relation between parent involvement and teacher ratings of the child's classroom academic performance. Limitations, future research directions, and implications for public policy initiatives are discussed.

  11. [Quality of sleep and academic performance in high school students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugueño, Maithe; Curihual, Carolina; Olivares, Paulina; Wallace, Josefa; López-AlegrÍa, Fanny; Rivera-López, Gonzalo; Oyanedel, Juan Carlos

    2017-09-01

    Sleeping and studying are the day-to-day activities of a teenager attending school. To determine the quality of sleep and its relationship to the academic performance among students attending morning and afternoon shifts in a public high school. Students of the first and second year of high school answered an interview about socio-demographic background, academic performance, student activities and subjective sleep quality; they were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The interview was answered by 322 first year students aged 15 ± 5 years attending the morning shift and 364 second year students, aged 16 ± 0.5 years, attending the afternoon shift. The components: sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, drug use and daytime dysfunction were similar and classified as good in both school shifts. The components subjective sleep quality and duration of sleep had higher scores among students of the morning shift. The mean grades during the first semester of the students attending morning and afternoon shifts were 5.9 and 5.8, respectively (of a scale from 1 to 7). Among students of both shifts, the PSQI scale was associated inversely and significantly with academic performance. A bad sleep quality influences academic performance in these students.

  12. Effect of motivation on academic fluency performance in survivors of pediatric medulloblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Alice Ann; Hughes, Carroll W; Harder, Lana; Silver, Cheryl; Bowers, Daniel C; Stavinoha, Peter L

    2016-01-01

    It has been proposed previously that extrinsic motivation may enable survivors of childhood medulloblastoma to significantly improve aspects of neurocognitive performance. In healthy populations, enhanced motivation has been shown to promote academic fluency, a domain likely more relevant to the educational outcomes of pediatric medulloblastoma survivors than academic skill development. The present study investigates the effect of enhanced extrinsic motivation on fluent (i.e., accurate and efficient) academic performance in pediatric medulloblastoma survivors. Participants were 36 children, ages 7-18, who had completed treatment for medulloblastoma. Participants completed a neuropsychological battery that included administration of equivalent tasks on Forms A and B of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Half were randomly assigned to an incentive condition prior to the administration of Form B. Provision of a performance-based incentive resulted in statistically significant improvement, but not normalization of function, in performance on measures of academic fluency. No demographic, treatment-related, academic, neuropsychological, or self-perception variables predicted response to incentive. Findings suggest that academic performance of survivors may significantly improve under highly motivating conditions. In addition to implications for educational services, this finding raises the novel possibility that decreased motivation represents an inherent neuropsychological deficit in this population and provides a rationale for further investigation of factors affecting individual differences in motivational processes. Further, by examining effort in a context where effort is not inherently suspect, present findings also significantly contribute to the debate regarding the effects of effort and motivation on neuropsychological performance.

  13. Academic performance of children born preterm: a meta-analysis and meta-regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twilhaar, E Sabrina; de Kieviet, Jorrit F; Aarnoudse-Moens, Cornelieke Sh; van Elburg, Ruurd M; Oosterlaan, Jaap

    2017-08-28

    Advances in neonatal healthcare have resulted in decreased mortality after preterm birth but have not led to parallel decreases in morbidity. Academic performance provides insight in the outcomes and specific difficulties and needs of preterm children. To study academic performance in preterm children born in the antenatal steroids and surfactant era and possible moderating effects of perinatal and demographic factors. PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed articles. Cohort studies with a full-term control group reporting standardised academic performance scores of preterm children (Academic test scores and special educational needs of preterm and full-term children were analysed using random effects meta-analysis. Random effects meta-regressions were performed to explore the predictive role of perinatal and demographic factors for between-study variance in effect sizes. The 17 eligible studies included 2390 preterm children and 1549 controls. Preterm children scored 0.71 SD below full-term peers on arithmetic (pacademic performance (p=0.006). Preterm children born in the antenatal steroids and surfactant era show considerable academic difficulties. Preterm children with bronchopulmonarydysplasia are at particular risk for poor academic outcome. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  14. Relationship between Academic Performance, Spatial Competence, Learning Styles and Attrition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marianela Noriega Biggio

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the results of research on factors affecting academic performance and attrition in a sample of 1,500 freshman students majoring in architecture, design and urbanism at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina [University of Buenos Aires, Argentina] who were enrolled in a drafting course. The hypotheses we tested concern the mediating role of learning styles on the relationship between spatial competence and academic performance, learning-style differences by gender and cohort, and the relationship between attrition, spatial competence level and learning style. Statistical analysis of the data was performed and spatial competence enhanced by motivational profile was found to predict final achievement. Educational implications are identified, highlighting the need to promote in students those academic behaviors that characterize a self-regulated learning style and encourage the use of specific intellectual abilities.

  15. Association between health-related physical fitness and academic performance in adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fábio Jorge Santos de Castro

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2016v18n4p441   This study aimed to verify the association between health-related physical fitness and academic performance in adolescents. Overall, 326 students aged 15-18 years of the Federal Institute of Sergipe (IFS participated in this cross-sectional study. Data relating to physical fitness were collected by applying the following tests: body mass index, sit and reach, abdominal in one minute and one mile running, which comprise the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance testing battery. Academic performance was measured by the grades of two-month period in the disciplines that comprise the following areas of knowledge: languages and codes, natural sciences and humanities, obtained from the IFS school record. Students with average grades ≥ 6.0 were considered on satisfactory academic performance. The prevalence of physical unfitness in the sample was 15.8% (girls 15.4%; boys 16.4% in body composition, 32.3% (girls 23.1%; boys 41.5% in flexibility, 93.0% (95.8% girls; 90.2% boys in muscular strength and 86.9% (85.3% girls; 88.5% boys in cardiorespiratory endurance. On academic performance, the prevalence of adolescents below the average grade was 8.8% (girls 5.6%; boys 12.0% in languages and codes, 24.5% (girls 19.5%; boys 29.5% in natural sciences and 12.8% (girls 11.9%; boys 13.7% in humanities. Adolescents with low cardiorespiratory endurance levels were more likely to have worse academic performance (OR=2.39; CI95%=1.05 to 5.44. It was concluded that low cardiorespiratory endurance levels were associated with worse academic performance.

  16. Approaches for University Students and their Relationship to Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyn Fernández-Castillo

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The way students perceive learning is influenced by multiple factors. The present study aimed at establishing relationships between the learning approaches, academic performance, and the academic year in a sample of students from different courses of Universidad Central  “Marta Abreu”, Las Villas. For this ex post facto study, a probabilistic sample was used based on a simple random sampling of 524 university students who participated in the Study Process Questionnaire.  The analysis of variance (MANOVA and ANOVA and the analysis of clusters reported associations between a deep approach to learning and a better academic performance.  These analyses showed differences in the learning approach in the different courses, predominantly a soft approach.

  17. The interplay between academic performance and quality of life among preclinical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shareef, Mohammad Abrar; AlAmodi, Abdulhadi A; Al-Khateeb, Abdulrahman A; Abudan, Zainab; Alkhani, Mohammed A; Zebian, Sanderlla I; Qannita, Ahmed S; Tabrizi, Mariam J

    2015-10-31

    The high academic performance of medical students greatly influences their professional competence in long term career. Meanwhile, medical students greatly demand procuring a good quality of life that can help them sustain their medical career. This study examines validity and reliability of the tool among preclinical students and testifies the influence of their scholastic performance along with gender and academic year on their quality of life. A cross sectional study was conducted by distributing World Health Organization Quality of Life, WHOQOL-BREF, survey among medical students of year one to three at Alfaisal University. For validity, item discriminate validity(IDV) and confirmatory factor analysis were measured and for reliability, Cronbach's α test and internal item consistency(IIC) were examined. The association of GPA, gender and academic year with all major domains was drawn using Pearson's correlation, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA, respectively. A total of 335 preclinical students have responded to this questionnaire. The construct has demonstrated an adequate validity and good reliability. The high academic performance of students positively correlated with physical (r = 0.23, p student scored higher than female peers in physical and psychological health. This study has identified a direct relationship between the academic performance of preclinical students and their quality of life. The WHOQOL-BREF is a valid and reliable tool among preclinical students and the positive direction of high academic performance with greater QOL suggests that academic achievers procure higher satisfaction and poor achievers need a special attention for the improvement of their quality of life.

  18. EMOTION REGULATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIPS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Laura Andrés

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available It has been proposed that emotion regulation (ER is a factor with a predictive capacity for academic performance. However, empirical studies are scarce and relatively little is still known about the specific relationship of RE strategies and abilities with different indicators of academic performance. The aim of this study was to identify the state of the art regarding the relationship of emotional regulation with academic performance. A systematic search of empirical articles was conducted in the databases Google Scholar, ERIC and PsyArticles combining the terms emotion regulation or emotion self-regulation with: (academic abilities, competency, achievement, success, performance, learning, school, literacy, classroom, education, reading, math. There were selected 17 items. The analysis allowed two groups to be formed. In the first group, articles evaluating ER strategies were considered. Among these studies, experimental designs and behavioral indicators predominated as ER measures. In the second group, studies evaluating ER skills were considered. In this group, studies with cross-sectional designs and measures of self-report or other reports to evaluate ER were predominant. It concludes with recommendations for future work.

  19. The Relationship between Religiosity and Academic Performance amongst Accounting Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubairu, Umaru Mustapha; Sakariyau, Olalekan Busra

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, the association between religiosity and academic performance among accounting students enrolled at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is explored, as recent research demonstrates a positive association between religiosity and academic success. Students' religiosity was measured using proxies from an Islamic…

  20. Facebook use, personality characteristics and academic performance: A correlational study

    OpenAIRE

    Sapsani, Georgia; Tselios, Nikolaos

    2017-01-01

    The present paper examines the relationship between the students personality, use of social media and their academic performance and engagement. In specific, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship of students facebook (fb) use and personality characteristics using the Big Five Personality Test with (a) student engagement, (b) time spent preparing for class, (c) time spent in co-curricular activities and (d) academic performance. Results illustrate that fb time was significantly ...

  1. Prediction of the retention of s-triazines in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography under linear gradient-elution conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Archivio, Angelo Antonio; Maggi, Maria Anna; Ruggieri, Fabrizio

    2014-08-01

    In this paper, a multilayer artificial neural network is used to model simultaneously the effect of solute structure and eluent concentration profile on the retention of s-triazines in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography under linear gradient elution. The retention data of 24 triazines, including common herbicides and their metabolites, are collected under 13 different elution modes, covering the following experimental domain: starting acetonitrile volume fraction ranging between 40 and 60% and gradient slope ranging between 0 and 1% acetonitrile/min. The gradient parameters together with five selected molecular descriptors, identified by quantitative structure-retention relationship modelling applied to individual separation conditions, are the network inputs. Predictive performance of this model is evaluated on six external triazines and four unseen separation conditions. For comparison, retention of triazines is modelled by both quantitative structure-retention relationships and response surface methodology, which describe separately the effect of molecular structure and gradient parameters on the retention. Although applied to a wider variable domain, the network provides a performance comparable to that of the above "local" models and retention times of triazines are modelled with accuracy generally better than 7%. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Among Medical College Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ameer Kadhim Al-Humairi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background:Sleep plays a very important role in a human health. Poor sleep quality remains as a frequent feature of student life. Quantity and quality of sleep in addition to average sleep time are strongly linked with students’ learning abilities and academic performance. Subjects and method:The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted to assess sleep quality among medical college students – University of Babylon using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI. This study was done during April 2016. Results:Mean age of students was (20.63 ± 0.65. Majority was female. According to PSQI(60.4% of students were poor sleeper. Significant association between quality of sleep and academic performance was found in our study, (72.9% of those fail in one or more subjects have poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality was regarded as an important problem among medical college students. Majority of students (60.4% was poor sleepers. Our study shows significant relation between sleep quality and academic performance among students of Babylon University –College of Medicine.

  3. Comparing Performance Standards on the Retention of Words Read Correctly per Minute

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubina, Richard M., Jr.; Amato, Janelle; Schwilk, Christopher L.; Therrien, William J.

    2008-01-01

    To measure retention of oral reading fluency, three students attending a learning support classroom used a repeating reading strategy with two passages. Each student read one passage to a high performance standard and the other passage to a lower performance standard. Results show it took the students more practice to reach the higher performance…

  4. Exploring Academic Performance: Looking beyond Numerical Grades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin Sanz, Noemy; Rodrigo, Inés G.; Izquierdo García, Cristina; Ajenjo Pastrana, Patricia

    2017-01-01

    Academic performance has always been associated to the evaluation tests results, which are those corresponding to student's IQ, and leaving aside other personal characteristics. Among such characteristics, the importance of emotional intelligence is worth highlighting (management, facilitation, understanding and perception), dimensions associated…

  5. Time preferences, study effort, and academic performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Non, J.A.; Tempelaar, D.T.

    2014-01-01

    We analyze the relation between time preferences, study effort, and academic performance among first-year Business and Economics students. Time preferences are measured by stated preferences for an immediate payment over larger delayed payments. Data on study efforts are derived from an electronic

  6. Effects of nutritional status on academic performance of Malaysian primary school children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaini, M Z Anuar; Lim, C T; Low, W Y; Harun, F

    2005-01-01

    Numerous factors are known to affect the academic performance of students. These include prenatal conditions, birth conditions, postnatal events, nutritional, socio-economic factors and environmental factors. This paper examines the nutritional status and its relationship with academic performance of 9-10 years old primary school children recruited randomly in Selangor, Malaysia. A standard self-administered questionnaire was utilized to obtain pertinent information and a face-to-face interview was also conducted with the parents. Results of the academic performances were extracted from the students' report cards. The intellectual performance was assessed using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices. Physical examination was also conducted on these students by doctors. Overall 1,405 students and 1,317 parents responded to the survey. Of these 83.6% were Malays, 11.6% Indians, and 4.2% Chinese. The majority of them (82.9%) were from urban areas. The female: male ratio was 51:49; mean age was 9.71 years. The mean height and weight were 32.3 kg and 135.2 cm respectively. Their mean BMI was 17.42 kg/cm2, with 0.9% underweight, 76.3% normal BMI, 16.3% overweight, and 6.3% obese. Academic performance was significantly correlated with breast feeding, income and educational level of their parents, BMI, and whether they have been taking breakfast. There was a weak correlation between presence of anaemia and intellectual performance. Improving the socio-economic status of the parents will lend a helping hand in the academic performance of the students. Since breast feeding is associated with better academic and intellectual performance it must be emphasized, particularly to expectant mothers in the antenatal clinics.

  7. Individual differences in chronotypes associated with academic performance among Chilean University students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valladares, Macarena; Ramírez-Tagle, Rodrigo; Muñoz, Miss Alexandra; Obregón, Ana María

    2018-04-01

    A chronotype is an individual trait that determines circadian rhythm (dark/light cycle) characteristics, associated with bedtime, waking, and other daily activities. A chronotype is classified as morning, intermediate, and evening. The objective is to associate chronotypes with academic performance in university students. A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the chronotype of university students (n = 703) by Horne-Ostberg questionnaire and associated with academic performance. The group with higher GPAs had higher chronotype scores (p = 0.002). Morning and intermediate chronotypes exhibited better academic performance; however, more studies are necessary to determine the underlying causes, which could influence cognitive aspects.

  8. Attributions of Academic Performance among Third Year and Fourth Year Biology Major Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nick John B. Solar

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This is a descriptive study aimed to determine the attributions of academic performance of third year and fourth year biology major students in the College of Education, West Visayas State University, School Year 2013-2014. The academic performance were categorized or measured in terms of test, projects, workbooks, and laboratory experiments, class participation, and attendance. The Attributions in academic performance were evaluated using the closed-form questionnairechecklist,categorized intoin termsof ability, effort, luck, or task difficulty. Mean frequency, mean percentage, Mann-Whitney U-test, two-sampled test set at 0.05 level of significance were used to determine if there were significant difference in the attribution when the students were taken according to their year level. The result of the study revealed that the Third Year biology majors attributed their academic performance to effort which is shown to have the highest percentage attribution in overall rank. There was no significant difference in the attributions of academic performance for third year and fourth year biology major students in termsof test, whilethe result forprojects, workbooks, and laboratory experiment and class participation and attendance categories,was found out to havea significant difference in the attributionfor the third and fourth years biology Major students’ academic performances.

  9. Academic writing performance measured for research and instruction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Firssova, Olga

    2012-01-01

    Firssova, O. (2012, 19 January). Academic writing performance measured for research and instruction. Presentation given at the ICO Masterclass, Theme Domain-Specific Instruction, January 19-February 10, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

  10. Relation between intelligence, emotional intelligence, and academic performance among medical interns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subhashish Nath

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: There is a dearth of research on the correlation between emotional quotient (EQ and intelligence quotient (IQ, and specifically among medical students and interns. So, we in our study aim to find out the correlation between these two variants of intelligence, and their relation to academic performance among medical interns as well as the gender differences between EQ, IQ, and academic performance. Methodology: EQ Test Questionnaire developed by Chadha and Singh was used for testing the EQ of the participants (n=50; males=34, females=16; mean age=24.1 years. IQ was tested by an experienced clinical psychologist using Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Test. The academic achievement was determined from the percentage of marks secured in tenth standard, 12th standard, and Final MBBS. GraphPad InStat version 3.05 was used for data entry and analysis. Results: A statistically high significant negative correlation was found between EQ and IQ of our total study sample as well as among the male participants. The mean EQ was higher among females and mean IQ among males. The females were academically better than the males and this difference was statistically highly significant. No significant correlation of EQ and IQ to academic performance was found in the total sample group. Conclusion: EQ and IQ are negatively correlated to each other, and there is no significant correlation of EQ and IQ to academic performance. Based on the current findings, further studies need to be built in larger samples. Limitation of the study is a small sample population.

  11. Nutritional quality of diet and academic performance in Chilean students

    OpenAIRE

    Correa-Burrows, Paulina; Burrows, Raquel; Blanco, Estela; Reyes, Marcela; Gahagan, Sheila

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective To explore associations between the nutritional quality of diet at age 16?years and academic performance in students from Santiago, Chile. Methods We assessed the nutritional quality of diet, using a validated food frequency questionnaire, in 395 students aged 16.8???0.5?years. Depending on the amount of saturated fat, fibre, sugar and salt in the foods, diet was categorized as unhealthy, fair or healthy. Academic performance was assessed using high school grade-point avera...

  12. BREAKFAST HABIT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SUBURBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Putu Ayu Widyanti

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Academic performance is affected by a numbers of factors. Age, gender, nutritional status, and breakfast habits are some factors that have relation with academic performance. Nutritional statues among school children still to be concerned. Breakfast habit is important thing to do before school to maintain enough calories to study and work well. The aim of this study was to determine the association of breakfast habits and academic performance especially in suburban elementary school children. An analytic cross sectional study conducted in children aged 6-12 years who studied at SD 1 Taro, Gianyar regency, Bali. There were 178 students participated in this study. We found 3 factors associated with academic performance i.e. breakfast, gender, and age with OR=2.56 (95% CI 1.16 to 5.66, P=0.02; OR=0.32 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.70, P=0.04; OR=6.52 (95% CI 2.73 to 15.53, P<0.0001, respectively. We conclude there was an association between breakfast habits and academic performance. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

  13. How motivation affects academic performance: a structural equation modelling analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusurkar, R A; Ten Cate, Th J; Vos, C M P; Westers, P; Croiset, G

    2013-03-01

    Few studies in medical education have studied effect of quality of motivation on performance. Self-Determination Theory based on quality of motivation differentiates between Autonomous Motivation (AM) that originates within an individual and Controlled Motivation (CM) that originates from external sources. To determine whether Relative Autonomous Motivation (RAM, a measure of the balance between AM and CM) affects academic performance through good study strategy and higher study effort and compare this model between subgroups: males and females; students selected via two different systems namely qualitative and weighted lottery selection. Data on motivation, study strategy and effort was collected from 383 medical students of VU University Medical Center Amsterdam and their academic performance results were obtained from the student administration. Structural Equation Modelling analysis technique was used to test a hypothesized model in which high RAM would positively affect Good Study Strategy (GSS) and study effort, which in turn would positively affect academic performance in the form of grade point averages. This model fit well with the data, Chi square = 1.095, df = 3, p = 0.778, RMSEA model fit = 0.000. This model also fitted well for all tested subgroups of students. Differences were found in the strength of relationships between the variables for the different subgroups as expected. In conclusion, RAM positively correlated with academic performance through deep strategy towards study and higher study effort. This model seems valid in medical education in subgroups such as males, females, students selected by qualitative and weighted lottery selection.

  14. Childhood Obesity and Academic Performance: The Role of Working Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Nan; Chen, Yulu; Yang, Jinhua; Li, Fei

    2017-01-01

    The present study examined the role of working memory in the association between childhood obesity and academic performance, and further determined whether memory deficits in obese children are domain-specific to certain tasks or domain-general. A total of 227 primary school students aged 10-13 years were analyzed for weight and height, of which 159 children (44 "obese," 23 "overweight," and 92 "normal weight") filled out questionnaires on school performance and socioeconomic status. And then, all subjects finished three kinds of working memory tasks based on the digit memory task in 30 trials, which were image-generated with a series of numbers recall trial sets. After each trial set, subjects were given 5 s to recall and write down the numbers which hand appeared in the trial, in the inverse order in which they had appeared. The results showed there were significant academic performance differences among the three groups, with normal-weight children scoring higher than overweight and obese children after Bonferroni correction. A mediation model revealed a partial indirect effect of working memory in the relationship between obesity and academic performance. Although the performance of obese children in basic working memory tests was poorer than that of normal-weight children, they recalled more items than normal-weight children in working memory tasks involving with food/drink. Working memory deficits partially explain the poor academic performance of obese children. Those results indicated the obese children show domain-specific working memory deficits, whereas they recall more items than normal-weight children in working memory tasks associated with food/drink.

  15. Effects of Sleep Hygiene Education on Subjective Sleep Quality and Academic Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Erkan Sahin

    2014-01-01

    Aim: Sleep problems are common in students with one third of university students reporting insufficient sleep. It is known that sleep quality and daytime sleepiness cause decrasing academic performans. For this reason we aimed to investigate the effects of a sleep hygiene education on sleep quality and academic performance of first year medical students. Material and Method: Self-reported sleep data and academic performance of 131 first grade medical students were collected. To all students e...

  16. The association between obesity and academic performance in youth: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santana, C C A; Hill, J O; Azevedo, L B; Gunnarsdottir, T; Prado, W L

    2017-10-01

    Previous studies have found that obesity could influence academic performance. The aim of this study was to systematically review the scientific evidence on the association between obesity and academic performance in school children. A systematic review of English articles was undertaken by using databases PubMed/Medline, ERIC, LILACS, SciELO and Web of Science. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies examining the association between obesity and academic performance in children and adolescents, published between January 1990 and December 2016, were included. Risk of bias was assessed by using Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. Thirty-four studies (23 cross-sectional and 11 longitudinal) matched all inclusion criteria and were included. Seven studies were classified as low risk of bias, 23 as medium risk and four as high risk. After controlling for covariates such as socio-economic status, parental education and physical activity, the association between obesity and academic performance becomes uncertain for most of the studies (55.9%). Therefore, at present, there is insufficient evidence to support a direct link between obesity and poor academic performance in school age children. In order to clarify this issue, we need more longitudinal studies with adequate sample sizes and that control for potential confounders. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

  17. Predicting students' intention to use stimulants for academic performance enhancement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponnet, Koen; Wouters, Edwin; Walrave, Michel; Heirman, Wannes; Van Hal, Guido

    2015-02-01

    The non-medical use of stimulants for academic performance enhancement is becoming a more common practice among college and university students. The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of students' intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of enhancing their academic performance. Based on an extended model of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, we examined the predictive value of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, psychological distress, procrastination, substance use, and alcohol use on students' intention to use stimulants to improve their academic performance. The sample consisted of 3,589 Flemish university and college students (mean age: 21.59, SD: 4.09), who participated anonymously in an online survey conducted in March and April 2013. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the relationships among the study variables. Our results indicate that subjective norm is the strongest predictor of students' intention to use stimulant medication, followed by attitude and perceived behavioral control. To a lesser extent, procrastinating tendencies, psychological distress, and substance abuse contribute to students' intention. Conclusions/ Importance: Based on these findings, we provide several recommendations on how to curtail students' intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of improving their academic performance. In addition, we urge researchers to identify other psychological variables that might be related to students' intention.

  18. Academic Dishonesty: Behaviors, Sanctions, and Retention of Adjudicated College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olafson, Lori; Schraw, Gregory; Kehrwald, Nicholas

    2014-01-01

    Academic dishonesty, also known as academic misconduct, includes a variety of actions such as plagiarism, cheating on tests using text messaging or concealed notes, exchanging work with other students, buying essays from students or on the Internet, and having other students write examinations (Diekhoff, LaBeff, Shinohara, & Yasukawa, 1999;…

  19. Good quality sleep is associated with better academic performance among university students in Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemma, Seblewengel; Berhane, Yemane; Worku, Alemayehu; Gelaye, Bizu; Williams, Michelle A

    2014-05-01

    This study assessed the association of sleep quality with academic performance among university students in Ethiopia. This cross-sectional study of 2,173 college students (471 female and 1,672 male) was conducted in two universities in Ethiopia. Students were selected into the study using a multistage sampling procedure, and data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and academic performance was based on self-reported cumulative grade point average. The Student's "t" test, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression were used to evaluate associations. We found that students with better sleep quality score achieved better on their academic performance (P value = 0.001), while sleep duration was not associated with academic performance in the final model. Our study underscores the importance of sleep quality on better academic performance. Future studies need to identify the possible factors which influence sleep quality other than the academic environment repeatedly reported by other literature. It is imperative to design and implement appropriate interventions to improve sleep quality in light of the current body of evidence to enhance academic success in the study setting.

  20. ORIGINAL ARTICLE Internet Usage and Academic Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Fola

    and counselors should provide proper guidance to students on appropriate ways of using the internet to positively ... Ilorin. Key words: Internet, Academic performance, Undergraduate Student ..... students did not differ in their perception.

  1. Environmental Variables and Pupils' Academic Performance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This causal-comparative study was carried out to investigate the influence of environmental variables on pupils' academic performance in primary science in Cross River State, Nigeria. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Two instruments were used to collect data for the study namely: environmental ...

  2. Instructional Television Programmes and Academic Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated instructional Television (ITV) programmes and Academic performance of Senior Secondary School students in Anambra state-Nigeria. The need for the study arose from the problem of the declining nature of West African school certificate examination results of senior secondary school students in ...

  3. Psychosocial Correlates of Academic Performance among Primary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This was a correlational design study that explored the relationship between pupils' psychosocial variables such as self-esteem, hearing status, attitude towards teachers and school; and between these and academic performance. A total of 194 pupils, 110 hearing normally and 84 hearing impaired were compared in ...

  4. Encoding vs. retention: differential effects of cue manipulation on working memory performance in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javitt, Daniel C; Rabinowicz, Esther; Silipo, Gail; Dias, Elisa C

    2007-03-01

    Deficits in working memory performance are among the most widely replicated findings in schizophrenia. Roles of encoding vs. memory retention in working memory remain unresolved. The present study evaluated working memory performance in schizophrenia using an AX-type continuous performance test (AX-CPT) paradigm. Participants included 48 subjects with schizophrenia and 27 comparison subjects. Behavior was obtained in 3 versions of the task, which differed based upon ease of cue interoperability. In a simple cue version of the task, cue letters were replaced with red or green circles. In the complex cue version, letter/color conjunctions served as cues. In the base version of the task, patients showed increased rates of false alarms to invalidly cued targets, similar to prior reports. However, when the cue stimuli were replaced with green or red circles to ease interpretation, patients showed similar false alarm rates to controls. When feature conjunction cues were used, patients were also disproportionately affected relative to controls. No significant group by interstimulus interval interaction effects were observed in either the simple or complex cue conditions, suggesting normal retention of information even in the presence of overall performance decrements. These findings suggest first, that cue manipulation disproportionately affects AX-CPT performance in schizophrenia and, second, that substantial behavioral deficits may be observed on working memory tasks even in the absence of disturbances in mnemonic retention.

  5. The relationship between school absence, academic performance, and asthma status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moonie, Sheniz; Sterling, David A; Figgs, Larry W; Castro, Mario

    2008-03-01

    Children with asthma experience more absenteeism from school compared with their nonasthma peers. Excessive absenteeism is related to lower student grades, psychological, social, and educational adjustment. Less is known about the relationship between the presence of asthma and the academic achievement in school-aged children. Since students with asthma miss more days from school, this may negatively impact their academic achievement. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationships between absenteeism, presence of asthma, and asthma severity level with standardized test level performance in a predominantly African American urban school district. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 3812 students (aged 8-17 years) who took the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) standardized test during the 2002-2003 academic year. After adjustment for covariates, a significant inverse relationship was found between absenteeism and test level performance on the MAP standardized test in all children (F = 203.9, p achievement between those with and without asthma (p = .12). Though not statistically different, those with persistent asthma showed a modestly increased likelihood of scoring below Nearing Proficient compared with those with mild intermittent asthma (adjusted odds ratio = 1.93, 95% confidence intervals = 0.93-4.01, p = .08). A negative impact of absenteeism on standardized test level achievement was demonstrated in children from an urban African American school district. Children with asthma perform the same academically as their nonasthma peers. However, those with persistent asthma show a trend of performing worse on MAP standardized test scores and have more absence days compared with other students. More research is warranted on the effects of persistent asthma on academic achievement.

  6. Academic Performance and Lifestyle Behaviors in Australian School Children: A Cluster Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumuid, Dorothea; Olds, Timothy; Martín-Fernández, Josep-Antoni; Lewis, Lucy K.; Cassidy, Leah; Maher, Carol

    2017-01-01

    Poor academic performance has been linked with particular lifestyle behaviors, such as unhealthy diet, short sleep duration, high screen time, and low physical activity. However, little is known about how lifestyle behavior patterns (or combinations of behaviors) contribute to children's academic performance. We aimed to compare academic…

  7. Academic outcomes and cognitive performance in problematic Internet users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marín Vila, María; Carballo Crespo, José Luis; Coloma Carmona, Ainhoa

    2018-04-15

    Only few studies have examined the relationship between problematic Internet use (PIU) and cognitive and academic performance in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in academic and cognitive performance (perception, attention, memory, verbal fluency and abstract reasoning) between adolescents with and without PIU. A total of 575 students from different high schools of the region of Alicante participated. Students were divided into two groups: adolescents with and without PIU (PIU and NPIU, respectively). Several questionnaires were administered to assess problematic Internet use, as well as students' academic performance. Substance use (alcohol / cannabis) was also assessed as exclusion criteria. A battery of neuropsychological tests was used to assess cognitive abilities. On the one hand, PIU users group obtained poorer academic results than NPIU, in terms of lower marks and more failed subjects. On the other hand, PIU group had a better hit ratio in the perception test than NPIU group. However, PIU adolescents got higher error rates for the abstract reasoning test. This greater number of errors, plus a similar number of hits compared to the NPIU group, could indicated a higher response rate for the PIU group, which may might be associated with greater impulsivity. As occurs in other addictive and non-substance-related problems studies, these results could mean difficulties in impulse control and regulation of response inhibition circuits in PIU users group. Future research is needed to analyze in depth the results presented in this paper.

  8. Alcohol consumption, sleep, and academic performance among college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singleton, Royce A; Wolfson, Amy R

    2009-05-01

    Three independent lines of inquiry have found associations between alcohol use and academic performance, sleep and academic performance, and alcohol use and sleep. The present study bridges this research by examining the links among alcohol use, sleep, and academic performance in college students. Personal interview surveys were conducted with a random sample of 236 students (124 women) at a liberal arts college. The interviews measured alcohol consumption, gender, academic class, weekday and weekend bedtimes and rise times, and daytime sleepiness; 95% of the sample granted permission to obtain grade-point average (GPA) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores from official college records. Ordinary least squares regressions showed that alcohol consumption was a significant predictor of four sleep patterns: the duration of sleep, the timing of sleep, the difference between weekday and weekend nighttime sleep hours (oversleep), and the difference between weekday and weekend bedtimes (bedtime delay). Women and students with late sleep schedules were more apt to report daytime sleepiness. SAT score was the strongest predictor of GPA. However, gender, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness also were significant predictors when other variables were controlled. In addition to alcohol's direct relationship with GPA, mediational analysis indicated that alcohol had indirect effects on sleepiness and GPA, primarily through its effect on sleep schedule. The findings show how alcohol use among college students is related to sleep-wake patterns and further support the connection between alcohol use and grades.

  9. Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Academic Performance: Cross-Lagged Associations from Adolescence to Young Adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaltonen, Sari; Latvala, Antti; Rose, Richard J; Kujala, Urho M; Kaprio, Jaakko; Silventoinen, Karri

    2016-12-15

    Physical activity and academic performance are positively associated, but the direction of the association is poorly understood. This longitudinal study examined the direction and magnitude of the associations between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance throughout adolescence and young adulthood. The participants were Finnish twins (from 2,859 to 4,190 individuals/study wave) and their families. In a cross-lagged path model, higher academic performance at ages 12, 14 and 17 predicted higher leisure-time physical activity at subsequent time-points (standardized path coefficient at age 14: 0.07 (p academic performance. A cross-lagged model of co-twin differences suggested that academic performance and subsequent physical activity were not associated due to the environmental factors shared by co-twins. Our findings suggest that better academic performance in adolescence modestly predicts more frequent leisure-time physical activity in late adolescence and young adulthood.

  10. Effects of daily energy expenditure on academic performance of elementary students in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Peng-Sheng; Huang, Yi-Ching; Wu, Shu-Fang Vivienne; Wang, Kuo-Ming

    2014-01-01

    The objective of the study was to investigate the potential effects of daily energy expenditure on the academic performance (AP) of elementary schoolchildren, the results of which will be used as the basis of planning physical activity (PA) for children in the future. Participants were collected from 4th to 6th grade children at an elementary school in southern Taiwan. The effective sample data size was 1065 (79.8%; 528 boys and 537 girls). Daily mean energy expenditure was obtained using the 3 Day Physical Activity Recall (3-DPAR), and the intensive activities degrees of physical activity were categorized into lowest PA, middle PA, and highest PA group, and academic performance assessed with weighted academic score. The significant effect on the academic performance of schoolchildren was only in energy expenditure but not for sexes and tutorials attended. All students in the middle PA group performed better academically than those in the highest PA group. After controlling sexes, male students in the middle PA group performed better than other groups; female students in the lowest PA group performed better than other groups. These results may be consulted by schools, academic faculties, and parents in setting up exercise plans for children. © 2012 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2012 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

  11. The association between cognition and academic performance in Ugandan children surviving malaria with neurological involvement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Bangirana

    Full Text Available The contribution of different cognitive abilities to academic performance in children surviving cerebral insult can guide the choice of interventions to improve cognitive and academic outcomes. This study's objective was to identify which cognitive abilities are associated with academic performance in children after malaria with neurological involvement.62 Ugandan children with a history of malaria with neurological involvement were assessed for cognitive ability (working memory, reasoning, learning, visual spatial skills, attention and academic performance (reading, spelling, arithmetic three months after the illness. Linear regressions were fit for each academic score with the five cognitive outcomes entered as predictors. Adjusters in the analysis were age, sex, education, nutrition, and home environment. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA and structural equation models (SEM were used to determine the nature of the association between cognition and academic performance. Predictive residual sum of squares was used to determine which combination of cognitive scores was needed to predict academic performance.In regressions of a single academic score on all five cognitive outcomes and adjusters, only Working Memory was associated with Reading (coefficient estimate = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.10 to 0.63, p<0.01 and Spelling (0.46, 0.13 to 0.78, p<0.01, Visual Spatial Skills was associated with Arithmetic (0.15, 0.03 to 0.26, p<0.05, and Learning was associated with Reading (0.06, 0.00 to 0.11, p<0.05. One latent cognitive factor was identified using EFA. The SEM found a strong association between this latent cognitive ability and each academic performance measure (P<0.0001. Working memory, visual spatial ability and learning were the best predictors of academic performance.Academic performance is strongly associated with the latent variable labelled "cognitive ability" which captures most of the variation in the individual specific

  12. class attendance and academic performance of second year

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Temechegn

    Data was collected through expo-facto survey involving real time ... still a major concern for educators and educational researchers all over the world ..... attendance on students' academic performance using association rule mining technique.

  13. [Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Poor Quality Sleep, and Low Academic Performance in Medical Students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado-Duque, Manuel Enrique; Echeverri Chabur, Jorge Enrique; Machado-Alba, Jorge Enrique

    2015-01-01

    Quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) affect cognitive ability and performance of medical students. This study attempts to determine the prevalence of EDS, sleep quality, and assess their association with poor academic performance in this population. A descriptive, observational study was conducted on a random sample of 217 medical students from the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, who completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sociodemographic, clinic and academic variables were also measured. Multivariate analyses for poor academic performance were performed. The included students had a mean age of 21.7±3.3 years, of whom 59.4% were men. Almost half (49.8%) had EDS criteria, and 79.3% were poor sleepers (PSQI ≥ 5), while 43.3% had poor academic performance during the last semester. The bivariate analysis showed that having used tobacco or alcohol until intoxicated, fairly bad subjective sleep quality, sleep efficiency < 65%, and being a poor sleeper were associated with increased risk of low performance. Sleep efficiency < 65% was statistically associated with poor academic performance (P=.024; OR = 4.23; 95% CI, 1.12-15.42) in the multivariate analysis. A poor sleep quality determined by low efficiency was related to poor academic achievement at the end of semester in medical students. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  14. Teachers' Competence and Students' Academic Performance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated the influence of teacher's competence on students; academic performance in senior secondary chemistry. A random sampling technique was used to select 6 secondary schools out of 10 secondary schools in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. 200 students, 20 teachers and 6 principals ...

  15. Perception of Overweight Is Associated with Poor Academic Performance in US Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florin, Todd A.; Shults, Justine; Stettler, Nicolas

    2011-01-01

    Background: To improve understanding of the mechanisms affecting the relationship between adolescent obesity and poor academic performance, we examined the association of overweight or perceived weight status with academic achievement. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 14-17-year-olds (N = 11,012) from the nationally representative…

  16. Is Cognitive Test-Taking Anxiety Associated With Academic Performance Among Nursing Students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duty, Susan M; Christian, Ladonna; Loftus, Jocelyn; Zappi, Victoria

    2016-01-01

    The cognitive component of test anxiety was correlated with academic performance among nursing students. Modest but statistically significant lower examination grade T scores were observed for students with high compared with low levels of cognitive test anxiety (CTA). High levels of CTA were associated with reduced academic performance.

  17. Poor academic performance among adolescents with epilepsy in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    epilepsy is associated with impairment in academic performance,3-7 which may limit .... investigated children and adolescents with mental retardation and so could have ... direct brain damage with resultant cognitive deficits. In addition, an.

  18. Academic performance of male in comparison with female undergraduate medical students in Pharmacology examinations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faisal, Rizwan; Shinwari, Laiyla; Hussain, Shahzadi Saima

    2017-02-01

    To compare the academic performance of male and female medical students in Pharmacology examinations. The comparative study was conducted at Rehman Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan, from March to August 2015. For evaluating the students' academic performance, male and female students of academic sessions 2013-14 and 2014-15 were divided into 4 groups. Group 1: 80% marks. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. Of the 200 medical students enrolled, 102(51%) were male and 98(41%) were female. There was no significant difference in the academic performance in terms of gender in multiple choice questions (p=0.811) and short essay questions (p=0.515). The effect of attendance was also insignificant (p=0.130). Significant difference was found between the academic records of urban male and female students compared to rural students (p=0.038). Boarder students' results were insignificantly different from those of day scholars (p=0.887). There was no significant difference between the academic performance of male and female students.

  19. Longitudinal Links Between Gambling Participation and Academic Performance in Youth: A Test of Four Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara; Girard, Alain; Dionne, Ginette; Boivin, Michel

    2018-01-11

    Gambling participation and low academic performance are related during adolescence, but the causal mechanisms underlying this link are unclear. It is possible that gambling participation impairs academic performance. Alternatively, the link between gambling participation and low academic performance could be explained by common underlying risk factors such as impulsivity and socio-family adversity. It could also be explained by other current correlated problem behaviors such as substance use. The goal of the present study was to examine whether concurrent and longitudinal links between gambling participation and low academic performance exist from age 14 to age 17 years, net of common antecedent factors and current substance use. A convenience sample of 766 adolescents (50.6% males) from a longitudinal twin sample participated in the study. Analyses revealed significant, albeit modest, concurrent links at both ages between gambling participation and academic performance. There was also a longitudinal link between gambling participation at age 14 and academic performance at age 17, which persisted after controlling for age 12 impulsivity and socio-family adversity as well as current substance use. Gambling participation predicts a decrease in academic performance during adolescence, net of concurrent and antecedent personal and familial risk factors.

  20. Unraveling the Impact of the Big Five Personality Traits on Academic Performance: The Moderating and Mediating Effects of Self-Efficacy and Academic Motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Feyter, Tim; Caers, Ralf; Vigna, Claudia; Berings, Dries

    2012-01-01

    The main purpose of this study is to unravel the impact of the Big Five personality factors on academic performance. We propose a theoretical model with conditional indirect effects of the Big Five personality factors on academic performance through their impact upon academic motivation. To clarify the mixed results of previous studies concerning…

  1. The bidirectional pathways between internalizing and externalizing problems and academic performance from 6 to 18 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van der Ende, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C; Tiemeier, Henning

    2016-08-01

    Internalizing and externalizing problems are associated with poor academic performance, both concurrently and longitudinally. Important questions are whether problems precede academic performance or vice versa, whether both internalizing and externalizing are associated with academic problems when simultaneously tested, and whether associations and their direction depend on the informant providing information. These questions were addressed in a sample of 816 children who were assessed four times. The children were 6-10 years at baseline and 14-18 years at the last assessment. Parent-reported internalizing and externalizing problems and teacher-reported academic performance were tested in cross-lagged models to examine bidirectional paths between these constructs. These models were compared with cross-lagged models testing paths between teacher-reported internalizing and externalizing problems and parent-reported academic performance. Both final models revealed similar pathways from mostly externalizing problems to academic performance. No paths emerged from internalizing problems to academic performance. Moreover, paths from academic performance to internalizing and externalizing problems were only found when teachers reported on children's problems and not for parent-reported problems. Additional model tests revealed that paths were observed in both childhood and adolescence. Externalizing problems place children at increased risk of poor academic performance and should therefore be the target for interventions.

  2. Association of Health Sciences Reasoning Test scores with academic and experiential performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Wendy C; McLaughlin, Jacqueline E

    2014-05-15

    To assess the association of scores on the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) with academic and experiential performance in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. The HSRT was administered to 329 first-year (P1) PharmD students. Performance on the HSRT and its subscales was compared with academic performance in 29 courses throughout the curriculum and with performance in advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Significant positive correlations were found between course grades in 8 courses and HSRT overall scores. All significant correlations were accounted for by pharmaceutical care laboratory courses, therapeutics courses, and a law and ethics course. There was a lack of moderate to strong correlation between HSRT scores and academic and experiential performance. The usefulness of the HSRT as a tool for predicting student success may be limited.

  3. Association of tic disorders with poor academic performance in central Spain: a population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cubo, Esther; Trejo, José; Ausín, Vanesa; Sáez, Sara; Delgado, Vanesa; Macarrón, Jesus; Cordero, José; Louis, Elan D; Kompoliti, Katie; Benito-León, Julián

    2013-07-01

    To analyze the association between tic disorders and poor academic performance in school-aged children. This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a randomly selected sample of mainstream school-aged children (aged 6-16 years). The sampling frame included different types of schools and educational levels. Children with poor academic performance (eg, repeating a grade, special needs), and tic disorders (defined based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision criteria) were identified. Children with and without tics and children with and without poor academic performance were compared in terms of clinical features (ie, medical history and neurologic and psychiatric comorbidities), school, and environmental characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed using school performance (dependent variable) and tic disorders (independent variable), after adjusting for confounding variables. The study cohort comprised 1867 children (mean age, 10.9 + 2.9 years; 1007 males [53.9%]). Tics were present in 162 children (8.6%), and poor academic performance was noted in 223 (11.9%). Overall poor academic performance was associated with age (OR, 1.71; P family history of school dysfunction (OR, 2.43; P = .02) and was negatively associated with higher IQ score (OR, 0.90; P academic performance in our cohort. Early academic support and modification of environmental characteristics are needed for children at higher risk for school dysfunction, to enhance academic performance. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The Effect of Maternal Employment on Children’s Academic Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dunifon, Rachel; Toft Hansen, Anne; Nicholson, Sean

    of household control variables, instrumenting for employment with the gender- and education-specific local unemployment rate, and by including maternal fixed effects. We find that maternal employment has a positive effect on children’s academic performance in all specifications, particularly when women work...... part-time. This is in contrast with the larger literature on maternal employment, much of which takes place in other contexts, and which finds no or a small negative effect of maternal employment on children’s cognitive development and academic performance....

  5. Factors associated with academic performance in psychology students of UNMSM

    OpenAIRE

    García Ampudia, Lupe; Orellana Manrique, Oswaldo; Canales Quevedo, Isaac

    2014-01-01

    In the present job is studied the factors related to the academic performance in to university group of students of the Faculty of Psychology of the UN MSM, among the factors has been considered the motivation, the strategies of learning and the self-esteem and in it pertaining to the academic performance the average of notices there is been considered obtained by the students in the three first cycles of study. The sample studied was constituted by the ingresantes in the year 1,999 to the Fa...

  6. Child Migration and Academic Performance: The Case of Basic Education in Ghana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamanja, Emmanuel Makabu J.

    2016-01-01

    The nexus between migration and academic performance is complex and difficult to extricate. Not only are there several factors affecting academic performance, but also many of these factors are confounding, making it difficult to identify and isolate in order to address. Furthermore, the discourse appears silent on the nexus between child…

  7. Mental Health and Academic Performance of First-Year College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyatt, Tammy Jordan; Oswalt, Sara B.; Ochoa, Yesenia

    2017-01-01

    The prevalence and severity of mental health issues are increasing among college students, and such issues pose a threat to health and academic performance. Purpose: The primary purpose of the study is to examine differences in mental health diagnoses and their related academic impact with a special focus on classification year in college.…

  8. Predictors of self-reported academic performance among undergraduate medical students of Hawassa University, Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gedefaw A

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Abel Gedefaw,1 Birkneh Tilahun,2 Anteneh Asefa3 1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, 3School of Public and Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia Background: This study was conducted to identify predictors of self-reported academic performance in undergraduate medical students at Hawassa University. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study involving 592 undergraduate medical students was conducted in November 2012. The academic performance of the study subjects was measured by self-reported cumulative grade point average (GPA using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 software. Pearson's bivariate correlations, multiple linear regression, and multiple logistic regression were used to identify predictors of academic performance. Results: The self-reported academic performance of students had been decreasing as the academic years progressed, with the highest and lowest performance being in the premedicine (mean GPA 3.47 and clinical I (mean GPA 2.71 years, respectively. One hundred and fifty-eight (26.7% of the participants had ever been delayed, 37 (6.2% had ever re-sat for examination, and two (0.3% had ever been warned due to academic failure. The overall variation in self-reported academic performance of the students was 32.8%. Participant age alone explained 21.9% of the variation. On the other hand, university entrance examination results, substance use at university, and medicine as first choice by students were identified as predictors of variation in self-reported academic performance, accounting for 6.9%, 2.7%, and <1% of the variation, respectively. Students who had never used tobacco, alcohol, or khat after starting university were twice as likely to score a self-reported cumulative GPA above 3.0 (adjusted odds ratio 1.95, 95

  9. Study Skills Course Impact on Academic Self-Efficacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wernersbach, Brenna M.; Crowley, Susan L.; Bates, Scott C.; Rosenthal, Carol

    2014-01-01

    Although study skills courses improve student retention, the impact of study skills courses on students' academic self-efficacy has not been investigated. The present study examined pre- and posttest levels of academic self-efficacy in college students enrolled in a study skills course (n = 126) compared to students enrolled in a general education…

  10. Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance During Preparation for College Entrance Exam in Chinese Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guanghai; Ren, Fen; Liu, Zhijun; Xu, Guangxing; Jiang, Fan; Skora, Elizabeth; Lewin, Daniel S

    2016-04-01

    Deficient sleep is linked to detrimental outcomes in health and school performance for adolescents. This study characterized sleep patterns in Chinese adolescents preparing for the College Entrance Exam (CEE) and evaluated the association between sleep patterns, self-rated academic performance, and the CEE scores. A sample of 481 Chinese adolescents in 12th grade (ages 16-19 years) completed questionnaires about sleep patterns, academic performance, academic stress, and sociodemographic factors 4-6 weeks before the CEE in June 2013. The CEE scores for each student also were obtained. A total of 21% of the students had bedtimes after 12:00 am, 78.3% had sleep latency longer than 30 minutes, 14.6% had wake time earlier than 6:00 am, and the vast majority (94.4%) had sleep duration less than 8 hours. After adjusting for selected confounders such as academic stress, prolonged sleep latency was associated with poorer self-reported academic performance, and late bedtime was associated with higher CEE score. Our findings highlight the complex association between sleep and academic performance. Assessing and monitoring sleep patterns in adolescents during periods of high academic demand and stress may yield important recommendations for their health and safety as well as establishing optimal sleep and study habits. © 2016, American School Health Association.

  11. Self-Esteem & Academic Performance among University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arshad, Muhammad; Zaidi, Syed Muhammad Imran Haider; Mahmood, Khalid

    2015-01-01

    The current study was conducted to assess the self-esteem and academic performance among university students after arising of several behavioral and educational problems. A total number of 80 students, 40 male students and 40 female students were selected through purposive sampling from G. C. University Faisalabad. The participants were…

  12. Effects of Onchocerciasis Manifestations on Academic Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... in order to reduce the parasite reservoir in man, and also breaking the man-fly contact either by use of repellents or through proper covering of the body during outdoor activities. Key Words: Onchocerciasis, manifestation, academic performance, weighted average, visual impairment. Bio-Research Vol.1(2) 2003: 77-85 ...

  13. Early to bed, early to rise! Sleep habits and academic performance in college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eliasson, Arne H; Lettieri, Christopher J; Eliasson, Arn H

    2010-02-01

    Prior studies have placed emphasis on the need for adequate total sleep time for student performance. We sought to investigate the relative importance of total sleep time compared to the timing of sleep and wakefulness for academic performance. We performed a questionnaire-based survey of college students in October 2007. The questionnaire gathered detailed information on sleep habits including naps, reasons for missing sleep, academic performance, study habits, time spent working outside of school, and stimulant use. Compared to those with the lowest academic performance, students with the highest performance had significantly earlier bedtimes (p = 0.05) and wake times (p = 0.008). Napping tended to be more common among high performers (p = 0.07). Of importance, there were no significant differences in total sleep time with or without naps, weekend sleep habits, study time, gender, race, reasons for staying up at night, nor in use of caffeinated beverages, over-the-counter stimulant pills, or use of prescription stimulants. Timing of sleep and wakefulness correlated more closely with academic performance than total sleep time and other relevant factors. These findings have important implications for programs intended to improve academic performance by targeting sleep habits of students.

  14. Academic writing performance measured for research and instruction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Firssova, Olga

    2012-01-01

    Firssova, O. (2011, January 19). Academic writing performance measured for research and instruction. Presentation at the ICO Course Domain specific research on learning and instruction: theories, methodology and curricular innovations, Utrecht, The Netherlands: Interuniversitair Centrum voor

  15. The Role of Resilience, Delayed Gratification and Stress in Predicting Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Vivienne; Catling, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    Transition to university is an important and potentially stressful life event for students. Previous studies have shown that resilience, delay of gratification and stress can affect the academic performance of students. However, none have shown the effect of these factors in predicting academic performance, hence the current study aimed to look at…

  16. Relationship between academic performance and affective changes during the first year at medical school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del-Ben, Cristina Marta; Machado, Vanessa Foresto; Madisson, Mariani Mendes; Resende, Tamara Lovatto; Valério, Fernando Passador; Troncon, Luiz Ernesto De Almeida

    2013-05-01

    Entering medical school may be associated with changes in the students' life, which can affect academic motivation and impair academic performance. This work aimed at measuring longitudinally academic motivation, anxiety, depression and social adjustment in first-year medical students and determining the relationships between these variables and academic performance, as measured mainly by grades on regular exams. Eighty-five first-year medical students (age: 17-25 years) were included after giving informed consent. Beck's Anxiety (BAI) and Beck's Depression (BDI) Inventories, the self-reported Social Adjustment Scale (SAS-SR) and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) were applied two months after admission and at the end of the academic year. BAI scores increased throughout the year (7.3 ± 6.6 versus 28.8 ± 6.7; p 0.10). SAS-SR subscales scores remained stable, except for a decreasing pattern for leisure/social life (1.8 ± 0.4 versus 2.1 ± 0.4; p motivation to know (22.2 ± 4.5 versus 19.7 ± 5.5; p academic performance and the global scores for any of the scales except for the SAS-SR subscale for academic life (r = -0.48, p academic year, first-year medical students showed increased anxiety, decreased academic motivation and a maladjusted leisure/social life, which however does not seem to affect academic achievement.

  17. Good sleep quality is associated with better academic performance among Sudanese medical students

    OpenAIRE

    Mirghani, Hyder Osman; Mohammed, Osama Salih; Almurtadha, Yahia Mohamed; Ahmed, Moneir Siddig

    2015-01-01

    Background There is increasing awareness about the association of sleep quality and academic achievement among university students. However, the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance has not been examined in Sudan; this study assessed the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance among Sudanese medical students. Methods A case?control study was conducted among 165 male and female medical students at two Sudanese universities. Excellent (A) and pass (C) ...

  18. Emotional Intelligence, Self-Concept and Academic performance od ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    soncept and academic performance of secondary school students in Sokoto metropolis. A sample of 351 students was drawn from the population of secondary school students in Sokoto smetropolis. Three instruments were used in obtaining the data ...

  19. The Role of Sleep in Predicting College Academic Performance: Is It A Unique Predictor?

    OpenAIRE

    Taylor, Daniel J.; Vatthauer, Karlyn E.; Bramoweth, Adam D.; Ruggero, Camilo; Roane, Brandy

    2013-01-01

    Few studies have looked at the predictability of academic performance (i.e., cumulative grade point average [GPA]) using sleep when common nonsleep predictors of academic performance are included. The present project studied psychological, demographic, educational, and sleep risk factors of decreased academic performance in college undergraduates. Subjects (N = 867) completed a questionnaire packet and sleep diary. It was hypothesized that low total sleep time (TST), increased sleep onset lat...

  20. Formation of homophily in academic performance: Students change their friends rather than performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Smirnov

    Full Text Available Homophily, the tendency of individuals to associate with others who share similar traits, has been identified as a major driving force in the formation and evolution of social ties. In many cases, it is not clear if homophily is the result of a socialization process, where individuals change their traits according to the dominance of that trait in their local social networks, or if it results from a selection process, in which individuals reshape their social networks so that their traits match those in the new environment. Here we demonstrate the detailed temporal formation of strong homophily in academic achievements of high school and university students. We analyze a unique dataset that contains information about the detailed time evolution of a friendship network of 6,000 students across 42 months. Combining the evolving social network data with the time series of the academic performance (GPA of individual students, we show that academic homophily is a result of selection: students prefer to gradually reorganize their social networks according to their performance levels, rather than adapting their performance to the level of their local group. We find no signs for a pull effect, where a social environment of good performers motivates bad students to improve their performance. We are able to understand the underlying dynamics of grades and networks with a simple model. The lack of a social pull effect in classical educational settings could have important implications for the understanding of the observed persistence of segregation, inequality and social immobility in societies.

  1. Self-regulated learning and academic performance in medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucieer, Susanna M; Jonker, Laura; Visscher, Chris; Rikers, Remy M J P; Themmen, Axel P N

    2016-06-01

    Medical schools aim to graduate medical doctors who are able to self-regulate their learning. It is therefore important to investigate whether medical students' self-regulated learning skills change during medical school. In addition, since these skills are expected to be helpful to learn more effectively, it is of interest to investigate whether these skills are related to academic performance. In a cross-sectional design, the Self-Regulation of Learning Self-Report Scale (SRL-SRS) was used to investigate the change in students' self-regulated learning skills. First and third-year students (N = 949, 81.7%) SRL-SRS scores were compared with ANOVA. The relation with academic performance was investigated with multinomial regression analysis. Only one of the six skills, reflection, significantly, but positively, changed during medical school. In addition, a small, but positive relation of monitoring, reflection, and effort with first-year GPA was found, while only effort was related to third-year GPA. The change in self-regulated learning skills is minor as only the level of reflection differs between the first and third year. In addition, the relation between self-regulated learning skills and academic performance is limited. Medical schools are therefore encouraged to re-examine the curriculum and methods they use to enhance their students' self-regulated learning skills. Future research is required to understand the limited impact on performance.

  2. Roles and methods of performance evaluation of hospital academic leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ying; Yuan, Huikang; Li, Yang; Zhao, Xia; Yi, Lihua

    2016-01-01

    The rapidly advancing implementation of public hospital reform urgently requires the identification and classification of a pool of exceptional medical specialists, corresponding with incentives to attract and retain them, providing a nucleus of distinguished expertise to ensure public hospital preeminence. This paper examines the significance of academic leadership, from a strategic management perspective, including various tools, methods and mechanisms used in the theory and practice of performance evaluation, and employed in the selection, training and appointment of academic leaders. Objective methods of assessing leadership performance are also provided for reference.

  3. CT colonography: interpretative performance in a non-academic environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burling, D.; Halligan, S.; Atchley, J.; Dhingsar, R.; Guest, P.; Hayward, S.; Higginson, A.; Jobling, C.; Kay, C.; Lilford, R.; Maskell, G.; McCafferty, I.; McGregor, J.; Morton, D.; Kumar Neelala, M.; Noakes, M.; Philips, A.; Riley, P.; Taylor, A.; Bassett, P.; Wardle, J.; Atkin, W.; Taylor, S.A.

    2007-01-01

    Aim: To investigate interpretative accuracy and reporting time for radiologists performing computed tomography (CT) colonography in day-to-day non-academic clinical practice. Materials and methods: Thirteen radiologists from seven centres, who were reporting CT colonography in non-academic daily clinical practice, interpreted a dataset of 15 colonoscopically validated cases in a controlled environment. Ten cases had either a cancer or polyp >10 mm; one case had a medium polyp and four were normal. Correct case categorization and interpretation times were compared using analysis of variance to aggregated results obtained from both experienced observers and observers recently trained using 50 cases, working in an academic environment. The effect of experience was determined using Spearman's rank correlation. Results: Individual accuracy was highly variable, range 53% (95% CI 27-79%) to 93% (95% CI 68-100%). Mean accuracy overall was significantly inferior to experienced radiologists (mean 75 versus 88%, p = 0.04) but not significantly different from recently trained radiologists (p = 0.48). Interpretation time was not significantly different to experienced readers (mean 12.4 min versus 11.7, p = 0.74), but shorter than recently trained radiologists (p = 0.05). There was a significant, positive, linear correlation between prior experience and accuracy (p < 0.001) with no plateau. Conclusion: Accuracy for sub-specialist radiologists working in a non-academic environment is, on average, equivalent to radiologists trained using 50 cases. However, there is wide variability in individual performance, which generally falls short of the average performance suggested by meta-analysis of published data. Experience improves accuracy, but alone is insufficient to determine competence

  4. An Institutional Model for Improving Student Retention and Success at the University of Pretoria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nthabiseng Audrey Ogude

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available A concerted institutional approach to improving student outcomes resulted in a faculty-based, student-focussed model for student success at the University of Pretoria (UP. The student academic development and excellence model (SADEM, developed by a Steering Committee for student success, employs developmental research and systems theory and targets all years of undergraduate study while prioritising the first year. Underpinned by a systemic metric framework and continuous improvement, interventions comprise institutional and faculty-based projects that target high impact modules and diverse students to improve retention, pass, and throughput rates. Though context specific, it offers solutions to international concerns - lack of a systemic approach; initiatives located in  peripheral units; initiatives located outside academic disciplines and lack of participation by academic staff and a focus on retention of limited student subgroups instead of retention, pass, graduation and throughput rates of all students. The circumstances that led to its development, its key features and application at the UP, ways it can be adapted to other contexts, as well as its limitations and possible future directions are presented.

  5. Self-Efficacy and Academic Performance in English

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meera, K. P.; Jumana, M. K.

    2015-01-01

    This study reviews the relevant self-efficacy related literature, a central point of social cognitive theory, in the area of language learning. Role of self-efficacy in academic performance of learners is also considered. In the global world, English language has become the fundamental means of international affairs and communication. As a…

  6. Can Near-Peer Teaching Improve Academic Performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Brett; Fowler, James

    2014-01-01

    Near peer teaching is becoming increasingly popular within healthcare education. The experiences and effects of near-peer teaching upon the near-peer teachers' academic performance are poorly understood. In order to address this, the objective of this study was to examine whether a near-peer teaching program improved the overall clinical unit…

  7. Co-occurrences Between Adolescent Substance Use and Academic Performance: School Context Inuences a Multilevel-Longitudinal Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Fernando H.

    2014-01-01

    A growing body of literature has linked substance use and academic performance exploring substance use as a predictor of academic performance or vice versa. This study uses a different approach conceptualizing substance use and academic performance as parallel outcomes and exploring two topics: its multilevel-longitudinal association and school contextual effects on both outcomes. Using multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis and multilevel-longitudinal analyses, the empirical estimates relied on 7843 students nested in 114 schools (Add Health study). The main finding suggests that the correlation between substance use and academic performance was positive at the school level in contraposition to the negative relationship at the individual level. Additional findings suggest a positive effect of a school risk factor on substance use and a positive effect of academic pressure on academic performance. These findings represent a contribution to our understanding of how schools could affect the relationship between academic performance and substance use. PMID:25057764

  8. SLEEP PATTERN AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS OF A GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE IN KERALA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deepa Rajendran

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Relationship between sleep pattern and academic performance of students is well accepted. The studies relating the sleep pattern of medical students and academic performance is limited. This study was conducted to identify sleep pattern of medical students and find out any relationship between sleep pattern and academic performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS A questionnaire-based study was carried out to assess sociodemographic parameters, sleep/wake timing, sleep duration, daytime sleepiness and academic performance. Academic performance was measured on the basis of the aggregate marks scored for the previous year university exam. RESULTS The study population included 349 students with a mean age of 21.4±1.1years. The student’s average weekday bedtime, rise time and total sleep time was 12:02a.m., 07:03a.m. and 7.23hrs., respectively. The corresponding values for weekends were 12:25a.m., 08:17a.m. and 08:18hrs. Mean sleep duration of night prior to exam was 5.16±1.50.Students with earlier bed/rise time and longer hours of sleep night prior to exam had better academic performance. CONCLUSION Academic performance of medical students showed significant negative correlation with sleep/wake timings and positive correlation with duration of sleepnight before examination.

  9. Does Taking One Step Back Get You Two Steps Forward? Grade Retention and School Performance in Poor Areas in Rural China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xinxin; Liu, Chengfang; Zhang, Linxiu; Shi, Yaojiang; Rozelle, Scott

    2010-01-01

    Despite the rise in grade retention in poor areas in rural China recently, little work has been done to understand the impact of grade retention on the educational performance of students in these areas in rural China. This paper seeks to redress this shortcoming and examines the effect of grade retention on educational performance on 1649…

  10. ICT Adoption Impact on Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence from Saudi Universities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wael Sh. Basri

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates and explores the adoption of information communication technology by the universities and the impact it makes on the university students’ academic performance. The study also examines the moderators’ effect of gender, GPA, and student majors on the relationship between ICT and academic achievement. By using a quantitative research approach and a sample size of 1000 students, data were collected about the ICT adoption in universities and the relative performance of students belonging to four Saudi universities. Structure equation modelling was chosen to determine the validity of the research model. The Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS, specially used for structural equation modelling and path analysis, was used as the research tool. The findings reveal that there exists a relationship between ICT adoption and academic performance in a conservative environment. An additional finding also stated that ICT adoption resulted in the improvement of the performance of female students more than the male. However, students’ IT major was found to be making no impact on students’ academic achievement. A discussion of findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research has been provided in the study. Finally, it also provides implications of the current study to the existing knowledge.

  11. Reducing Anxiety and Improving Academic Performance Through a Biofeedback Relaxation Training Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aritzeta, Aitor; Soroa, Goretti; Balluerka, Nekane; Muela, Alexander; Gorostiaga, Arantxa; Aliri, Jone

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of a biofeedback relaxation training program on anxiety and academic performance. The program consisted of five biofeedback sessions coupled with three training activities focused on deep breathing, guided imagery, and muscle relaxation. The participants were second-year psychology undergraduates from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU, northern Spain). The experimental group comprised 152 students (M age  = 19.6, SD = 0.74; 74% women) and the control group 81 students (M age   = 19.4, SD = 0.92; 71% women). Results showed that after participating in the program, students in the experimental group had lower levels of anxiety and increased academic performance. Furthermore, they scored lower on anxiety and higher on academic performance in comparison with the control subjects. This suggests that the inclusion of biofeedback training programs in educational contexts could be a way of reducing anxiety and improving academic performance. It may also deepen our understanding of the dynamic interplay between psychophysiological, cognitive, and emotional processes.

  12. Anxiety and Academic Reading Performance among Malay ESL Learners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohd. Zin, Zuhana; Rafik-Galea, Shameem

    2010-01-01

    Research into the factors that contribute to reading performance decrement in L2 reading among ESL university students is still being extensively researched in the context of ELT. This is because successful academic performance is highly dependent on good reading ability. While it is widely accepted that poor reading performance is due to lack of…

  13. Inflammatory biomarkers and academic performance in youth. The UP & DOWN Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Martinez-Gomez, David; Gómez-Martínez, Sonia; Del Campo-Vecino, Juan; Fernández-Santos, Jorge; Castro-Piñero, Jose; Marcos, Ascensión; Veiga, Oscar L

    2016-05-01

    Inflammation influences cognitive development in infants and older adults, however, how inflammation may affect academic development during childhood and adolescence remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to examine the association between inflammatory biomarkers and academic performance in children and adolescents. A total of 494 youth (238 girls) aged 10.6 ± 3.4 years participated in the study. Four inflammatory biomarkers were selected: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and white blood cell (WBC) count. An inflammatory index was created using the above mentioned biomarkers. Academic performance was assessed through schools records. Results showed that three of the four inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6 and WBC) and the inflammatory index were negatively associated with all academic indicators (β values ranging from -0.094 to -0.217, all Pacademic indicators compared with youth in the middle tertile (scores ranging from -0.578 to -0.344) and in the lowest tertile (scores ranging from -0.678 to -0.381). In conclusion, inflammation may impair academic performance independently of body fat levels in youth. Our results are of importance because the consequences of childhood and adolescence inflammation tend to continue into adulthood. Lifestyle interventions in youth may be promising in reducing levels of inflammation beyond the reduction in body fat in order to achieve cognitive benefits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Academic Performance in Human Anatomy and Physiology Classes: A 2-Yr Study of Academic Motivation and Grade Expectation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturges, Diana; Maurer, Trent W.; Allen, Deborah; Gatch, Delena Bell; Shankar, Padmini

    2016-01-01

    This project used a nonexperimental design with a convenience sample and studied the relationship between academic motivation, grade expectation, and academic performance in 1,210 students enrolled in undergraduate human anatomy and physiology (HAP) classes over a 2-yr period. A 42-item survey that included 28 items of the adapted academic…

  15. Reimagining the Retention Problem: Moving Our Thinking from End-Product to By-Product

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    Over the past several decades, college-student retention has arguably been the most intensely studied issue in academe. Though the body of retention literature grows ever larger, no one model adequately explains the process by which college students make a decision to leave an institution or to persist to graduation. And while no magic bullet…

  16. Video-games do not negatively impact adolescent academic performance in science, mathematics or reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drummond, Aaron; Sauer, James D

    2014-01-01

    Video-gaming is a common pastime among adolescents, particularly adolescent males in industrialized nations. Despite widespread suggestions that video-gaming negatively affects academic achievement, the evidence is inconclusive. We reanalyzed data from over 192,000 students in 22 countries involved in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to estimate the true effect size of frequency of videogame use on adolescent academic achievement in science, mathematics and reading. Contrary to claims that increased video-gaming can impair academic performance, differences in academic performance were negligible across the relative frequencies of videogame use. Videogame use had little impact on adolescent academic achievement.

  17. Students' Perceptions toward Academic Competencies: The Case of German First-Year Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mah, Dana-Kristin; Ifenthaler, Dirk

    2018-01-01

    Students often enter higher education academically unprepared and with unrealistic perceptions and expectations regarding academic competencies for their studies. However, preparedness and realistic perceptions are important factors for student retention. With regard to a proposed model of five academic competencies (time management, learning…

  18. Relationships between academic performance of medical students and their workplace performance as junior doctors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Sandra E; Celenza, Antonio; Puddey, Ian B; Lake, Fiona

    2014-07-30

    Little recent published evidence explores the relationship between academic performance in medical school and performance as a junior doctor. Although many forms of assessment are used to demonstrate a medical student's knowledge or competence, these measures may not reliably predict performance in clinical practice following graduation. This descriptive cohort study explores the relationship between academic performance of medical students and workplace performance as junior doctors, including the influence of age, gender, ethnicity, clinical attachment, assessment type and summary score measures (grade point average) on performance in the workplace as measured by the Junior Doctor Assessment Tool. There were two hundred participants. There were significant correlations between performance as a Junior Doctor (combined overall score) and the grade point average (r = 0.229, P = 0.002), the score from the Year 6 Emergency Medicine attachment (r = 0.361, P gender or ethnicity on the overall combined score of performance of the junior doctor. Performance on integrated assessments from medical school is correlated to performance as a practicing physician as measured by the Junior Doctor Assessment Tool. These findings support the value of combining undergraduate assessment scores to assess competence and predict future performance.

  19. Class start times, sleep, and academic performance in college: a path analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onyper, Serge V; Thacher, Pamela V; Gilbert, Jack W; Gradess, Samuel G

    2012-04-01

    Path analysis was used to examine the relationship between class start times, sleep, circadian preference, and academic performance in college-aged adults. Consistent with observations in middle and high school students, college students with later class start times slept longer, experienced less daytime sleepiness, and were less likely to miss class. Chronotype was an important moderator of sleep schedules and daytime functioning; those with morning preference went to bed and woke up earlier and functioned better throughout the day. The benefits of taking later classes did not extend to academic performance, however; grades were somewhat lower in students with predominantly late class schedules. Furthermore, students taking later classes were at greater risk for increased alcohol consumption, and among all the factors affecting academic performance, alcohol misuse exerted the strongest effect. Thus, these results indicate that later class start times in college, while allowing for more sleep, also increase the likelihood of alcohol misuse, ultimately impeding academic success.

  20. The Impact of Comprehensive School Nursing Services on Students' Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kocoglu, Deniz; Emiroglu, Oya Nuran

    2017-03-01

    Introduction: School nursing services should be evaluated through health and academic outcomes of students; however, it is observed that the number of studies in this field is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of comprehensive school nursing services provided to 4th grade primary school students on academic performance of students. Methods: The quasi-experimental study was conducted with 31 students attending a randomly selected school in economic disadvantaged area in Turky. Correlation analysis, repeated measures analyses of variance, multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data with SPSS software. Results: At the end of school nursing practices, an increase was occurred in students' academic achievement grades whereas a decrease was occurred in absenteeism and academic procrastination behaviors. Whilst it was determined that nursing interventions including treatment/ procedure and surveillance was associated to the decrease of absenteeism, it also was discovered that the change in the health status of the student after nursing interventions was related to the increase of the academic achievement grade and the decrease of the academic procrastination behavior score. Conclusion: In this study, the conclusion that comprehensive school nursing services contributed positively to the academic performance of students has been reached. In addition, it can be suggested that effective school nursing services should include services such as acute-chronic disease treatment, first aid, health screening, health improvement-protection, health education, guidance and counseling and case management.

  1. The Impact of Comprehensive School Nursing Services on Students' Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deniz Kocoglu

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: School nursing services should be evaluated through health and academic outcomes of students; however, it is observed that the number of studies in this field is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of comprehensive school nursing services provided to 4th grade primary school students on academic performance of students. Methods: The quasi-experimental study was conducted with 31 students attending a randomly selected school in economic disadvantaged area in Turky. Correlation analysis, repeated measures analyses of variance, multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data with SPSS software. Results: At the end of school nursing practices, an increase was occurred in students’ academic achievement grades whereas a decrease was occurred in absenteeism and academic procrastination behaviors. Whilst it was determined that nursing interventions including treatment/ procedure and surveillance was associated to the decrease of absenteeism, it also was discovered that the change in the health status of the student after nursing interventions was related to the increase of the academic achievement grade and the decrease of the academic procrastination behavior score. Conclusion: In this study, the conclusion that comprehensive school nursing services contributed positively to the academic performance of students has been reached. In addition, it can be suggested that effective school nursing services should include services such as acute-chronic disease treatment, first aid, health screening, health improvement-protection, health education, guidance and counseling and case management.

  2. Impact of E-Learning Strategy on Students' Academic Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined the impact of e-learning strategies on students' academic performance at Strathmore University. The purpose of the study was to investigate the methodology, ideologies, output and ecology of ICT strategies and their impact on students' performance. This was done through comparing students' mean ...

  3. Academic performance in human anatomy and physiology classes: a 2-yr study of academic motivation and grade expectation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturges, Diana; Maurer, Trent W; Allen, Deborah; Gatch, Delena Bell; Shankar, Padmini

    2016-03-01

    This project used a nonexperimental design with a convenience sample and studied the relationship between academic motivation, grade expectation, and academic performance in 1,210 students enrolled in undergraduate human anatomy and physiology (HAP) classes over a 2-yr period. A 42-item survey that included 28 items of the adapted academic motivation scale for HAP based on self-determination theory was administered in class during the first 3 wk of each semester. Students with higher grade point averages, who studied for longer hours and reported to be more motivated to succeed, did better academically in these classes. There was a significant relationship between students' scores on the adapted academic motivation scale and performance. Students were more extrinsically motivated to succeed in HAP courses than intrinsically motivated to succeed, and the analyses revealed that the most significant predictor of final grade was within the extrinsic scale (introjected and external types). Students' motivations remained stable throughout the course sequence. The data showed a significant relationship between HAP students' expected grade and their final grade in class. Finally, 65.5% of students overestimated their final grade, with 29% of students overestimating by two to four letter grades. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

  4. Sleep quality among dental students and its association with academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elagra, Marwa I; Rayyan, Mohammad R; Alnemer, Omaima A; Alshehri, Maram S; Alsaffar, Noor S; Al-Habib, Rabab S; Almosajen, Zainab A

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the sleep patterns of dental students from different academic levels and to determine the effect of sleep patterns on the academic performance of students. A self-reported questionnaire was designed and distributed among 1160 students from clinical and non-clinical levels to measure the sleep-related variables and academic performance. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, sleep habits, sleep quality index (PSQI), and grade point averages (GPAs). Data were analyzed with standard statistical software (SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 22, Chicago, IL, USA). The response rate was 62%. Sixty five percent of the students described their sleep as good or very good, whereas 35% described their sleep as bad or very bad. The mean number of hours of sleep per night for all students was 5.85 ± 1.853 hours. The GPA had a significant negative correlation with PSQI scores. The clinical group showed a stronger negative correlation (P = -0.351) than the nonclinical group (P = -0.134). It can be concluded that dental students tend to have poor sleep quality, which is unknown to them. Poor sleep quality was associated with lower academic performance, especially in clinical years.

  5. Pattern of alcoholic beverage consumption and academic performance among college students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Silva de Aguiar Nemer

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Alcoholic beverages are widely available in the university environment, particularly at the parties. There are few studies addressing the relationship between alcohol consumption and academic performance among college students. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the behavior of college students regarding the profile of alcohol consumption and its academic consequences. METHODS: The volunteers (343 students answered a questionnaire about their pattern of alcohol consumption and possible related behaviors, especially academic performance. Participants were classified as "non-drinkers" (ND, "non-binge drinkers" (nBD, "binge drinkers" (BD and "heavy drinkers" (HD. RESULTS: 88.1% of the students reported ingesting alcoholic beverages, 44% as BD. Most of the drinker students (75.5% - nBD, BD or HD stated getting intoxicated at least once a month. Binge drinking was the predominant pattern (66.2% of those who drank. HD students presented a risk 9.2 times higher of not being in the ideal period of the course. DISCUSSION: The college students evaluated presented high rates of alcohol abuse. Binge drinking might have interfered in their academic performance. Organic, social and behavioral consequences were also reported.

  6. Self-control and academic performance: Two field studies on university citizenship behavior and counterproductive academic behavior

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zettler, Ingo

    2011-01-01

    Self-control affects, among other things, individuals' performance and criminal or deviant behavior. Herein, the construct of self-control is linked to rather specific criteria in an academic context, as derived from findings in the area of organizational psychology. Specifically, it is assumed...... that students' self-control impacts university citizenship behavior positively and counterproductive academic behavior negatively. Two correlative field studies, at which one is predictive, using different questionnaires to assess self-control support both hypotheses....

  7. Social jetlag, academic achievement and cognitive performance: Understanding gender/sex differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Morales, Juan F; Escribano, Cristina

    2015-01-01

    Adolescents in high school suffer from circadian misalignment, undersleeping on weekdays and oversleeping on weekends. Since high schools usually impose early schedules, adolescents suffer from permanent social jetlag (SJL) and thus are a suitable population to study the effects of SJL on both academic and cognitive performance. In this study, 796 adolescents aged 12-16 years reported information about their sleep habits, morningness-eveningness (M-E), cognitive abilities and grade point average (GPA). Time in bed on both weekdays and weekends was not related to cognitive abilities, and only time in bed on weekdays was related to academic achievement. SJL was negatively related to academic achievement, cognitive abilities (except for vocabulary and verbal fluency abilities) and general cognitive ability (g), whereas M-E was slightly positively related to academic achievement and marginally negatively related to inductive reasoning. Results separated by sex/gender indicated that SJL may be more detrimental to girls' performance, as it was negatively related to a greater number of cognitive abilities and GPA.

  8. Personality and academic performance of three cohorts of veterinary students in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Walt, H S; Pickworth, Glynis

    2007-01-01

    To aid in selecting students for admission to undergraduate veterinary training, admissions procedures often take into account students' previous academic performance as well as the results of an interview. The study reported here investigated the relationship between personality and academic success. Students from three entry cohorts to the second year of study of a six-year BVSc program at the University of Pretoria completed the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire. A meta-analytic approach was used to estimate the relationship between academic performance in two major final-year subjects and academic performance on entry, an interview score, and the personality factors. The study confirmed the value of previous academic performance and the interview in selecting students for the veterinary degree program. The findings also indicate that the inclusion of a measure of intellectual ability could be of value. The value of various personality characteristics in predicting good study habits and examination performance is highlighted by the study results: students were more successful if they were conscientious, emotionally stable, socially adept, self-disciplined, practical rather than imaginative, and relaxed rather than anxious. It appears worthwhile to consider including an appropriate personality questionnaire in the selection process to improve the accuracy of predictions of students' success. A sound personality make-up will not only increase the likelihood of academic success but should also be beneficial in the successful management of a veterinary practice and in enjoying veterinary science as a career.

  9. Predictors of academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper: a retrospective qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khareedi, R

    2018-05-01

    The cohort of students enrolled in the discipline-specific bioscience paper reflects a structural diversity in that it includes students of multiple ethnicities, varied age groups, differing scholastic and life experiences. These divergent identities of students are known to influence academic performance. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to determine the ability of a set of variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, level of prior education, the place from which prior education was obtained, work experience and prior academic achievement to predict academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper. The sample for this study was a purposive sample of all oral health students who had enrolled in the paper at the Auckland University of Technology from 2011 to 2014. The desensitised empirical data of 116 students from the University's database were subject to multivariable regression analysis. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. Prior academic achievement was a statistically significant predictor variable (P academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper and was also positively correlated (r = 0.641, P academic achievement was the only variable that was demonstrated to be correlated to and predictive of the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. The Influence of Financial Performance on Higher Education Academic Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanaro, Marilee Kaye Fannon

    2013-01-01

    A variety of academic and financial performance metrics are used to assess higher education institution performance. However, there is no consensus on the best performance measures. Signaling theory and agency theory are used to frame the challenges of assessing post-secondary institution performance related to information asymmetry between the…

  11. Gender difference in academic performance of nursing students in a Malaysian university college.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan Chik, W Z; Salamonson, Y; Everett, B; Ramjan, L M; Attwood, N; Weaver, R; Saad, Z; Davidson, P M

    2012-09-01

    To examine differences in academic performance between male and female nursing students, and to identify whether professional identity and language usage were explanatory factors of academic performance. Although the numbers of men entering the nursing profession are increasing, societal stereotypes and the lack of male role models in nursing may have a negative impact on motivation, and hence, academic performance. A total of 147 students who were enrolled in an undergraduate nursing programme in Peninsula Malaysia were surveyed in January 2011. In addition to demographic and academic data, three instruments were administered to measure language acculturation and professional identity. The mean age of participants was 20.0 (SD: 1.5) years with 81% being female. Almost all students spoke the Malay language at home. Although there were no differences between male and female nursing students in relation to professional identity (P=0.496), male nursing students reported a lower mean English language usage score (9.9 vs. 10.9, P=0.011) and a higher mean Malay language usage score (20.4 vs. 18.8, P=0.017). Males were also found to have lower academic performance than female students, as measured by grade point average (GPA) (2.7 vs. 3.2, Pgender was the only significant predictor of academic performance (β=-0.44, P<0.001). Males represent less than 10% of the nursing workforce in developed countries, with some developing countries experiencing even lower participation rates. Promoting academic support of male nursing students may assist in increasing the number of male registered nurses in the nursing workforce. © 2012 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2012 International Council of Nurses.

  12. The Value of Academic Libraries: Library Services as a Predictor of Student Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Adam; Ireland, Ashley; Hackathorn, Jana

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the predictive relationship between library use by individual students and their retention status in university settings. The methodology builds on a small number of previous studies to examine library use at the individual level to determine if use of specific library services is predictive of retention for freshmen and…

  13. CLIL in Galicia: Repercussions on Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    González Gándara, David

    2015-01-01

    There is a concern in Galicia (Spain) about possible negative effects on academic performance caused by the introduction of CLIL (content and language integrated learning) in schools. It has been said that when three languages coexist in the same context as vehicles of education, it is too much for the students, especially in primary education. In…

  14. Development of the Academic Performance Perception Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gur, Recep

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: While numerous studies about academic performance that focused on only one factor, studies aiming to measure academicians' perceptions across many factors have not been observed in the literature. The current study aims to fill this gap and become a resource for upcoming studies. The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable…

  15. Perceptions of pre-clerkship medical students and academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance: a cross-sectional perspective from Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    AlFakhri, Lama; Sarraj, Jumana; Kherallah, Shouq; Kuhail, Khulood; Obeidat, Akef; Abu-Zaid, Ahmed

    2015-12-01

    The medical student population is believed to be at an increased risk for sleep deprivation. Little is known about students' perceptions towards sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance. The aim of study is to explore the perceptions of medical students and their academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance. The study took place at Alfaisal University, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online, anonymous, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered to first-, third-year students and their academic advisors. Two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses between students according to gender, academic year and cumulative grade point average (cGPA). A total of 259 students and 21 academic advisors participated in the survey (response rates: 70.6 and 84%, respectively). The vast majority of students agreed that sleep deprivation negatively affects academic performance (78.8%) and mood (78.4%). Around 62.2 and 73.7% of students agreed that the demanding medical curriculum and stress of final exams lead to sleep deprivation, respectively. While 36.7% of students voiced the need for incorporation of curricular separate courses about healthy sleep patterns into medical curriculum, a much greater proportion of students (45.9%) expressed interest in extracurricular activities about healthy sleep patterns. Interestingly, only 13.5% of students affirmed that they were counselled about sleep patterns and academic performance by their academic advisors. There were several statistically significant differences of means of students' perceptions according to gender, academic year and cGPA. Despite almost all academic advisors (95.5%) asserted the importance of sleep patterns to academic performance, none (0%) inquired about sleep patterns when counselling students. Nineteen academic advisors (90.5%) recommended incorporation of sleep patterns related

  16. The association of self-reported sleep, weight status, and academic performance in fifth-grade students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stroebele, Nanette; McNally, Janise; Plog, Amy; Siegfried, Scott; Hill, James O

    2013-02-01

    To improve support and justification for health promotion efforts in schools, it is helpful to understand how students' health behaviors affect academic performance. Fifth-grade students completed an online school-administered health survey with questions regarding their eating behavior, physical activity, academic performance, and sleep patterns. Differences in health behaviors were examined by sex, self-reported weight status, and sufficient (≥9 hours) versus insufficient sleep. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between academic performance and the health behaviors. One third of the sample did not get the recommended amount of physical activity and more than half of the students watched television ≥ 2 hours/day. Self-reported overweight status was related to lower self-reported academic performance, fewer lunch and breakfast occasions, less physical activity, not meeting the recommendations for vegetable and soda consumption as well as hours of television watching. Sufficient sleep (≥9 hours/night) was associated with better grades, meeting the recommended hours of daily television watching and video game playing, being more physically active and increased breakfast and lunch frequency. Percentage of serving free/reduced lunch, soda consumption, breakfast frequency, amount of physical activity, and television watching were associated with academic performance. More positive health behaviors generally were associated with better academic performance. Promoting healthy behaviors in schools might improve not only students' health academic performance as well. © 2013, American School Health Association.

  17. Co-occurrences between adolescent substance use and academic performance: school context influences a multilevel-longitudinal perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Fernando H

    2014-08-01

    A growing body of literature has linked substance use and academic performance exploring substance use as a predictor of academic performance or vice versa. This study uses a different approach conceptualizing substance use and academic performance as parallel outcomes and exploring two topics: its multilevel-longitudinal association and school contextual effects on both outcomes. Using multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis and multilevel-longitudinal analyses, the empirical estimates relied on 7843 students nested in 114 schools (Add Health study). The main finding suggests that the correlation between substance use and academic performance was positive at the school level in contraposition to the negative relationship at the individual level. Additional findings suggest a positive effect of a school risk factor on substance use and a positive effect of academic pressure on academic performance. These findings represent a contribution to our understanding of how schools could affect the relationship between academic performance and substance use. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Relationships between Learning Styles and Academic Achievement and Brain Hemispheric Dominance and Academic Performance in Business and Accounting Courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carthey, Joseph H.

    A study determined if relationships exist between learning styles and academic achievement and brain hemispheric dominance and academic performance in the courses of principles of management, business law, intermediate accounting, and principles of economics. All second-year accounting students (64 students) at Northeast Iowa Community College…

  19. Investigating the relationship between information literacy and academic performance among students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soleymani, Mohammad Reza

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays, no student can ever pursue the ends of his studies unless he makes use of his information literacy skills. To become lifelong learners, they do need these skills. Information literacy is a set of information needed for searching, retrieval, evaluating, and making best use of information. This study uncovers the relationship between information literacy and academic performance among students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. This is a practical study using a survey method. All MA students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences make the statistical population for this study, according to the sample size determined by using Cochran formula 265 samples that were selected by stratified random sampling. Data collection was through information literacy questionnaires designed by Davarpanah and Siamak, verified by Library and Information Sciences experts; and finally, gave a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. To determine academic performance, the average scores of the students in previous semesters were considered. The information literacy of all other students was significantly higher than medium except for students at Nursing and Nutrition faculties. The students of Management and Information Sciences faculty had the highest level of information literacy and students of nutrition faculty were attributed with the least level. There was no significant difference between male and female students' information literacy. We also found out that there was a significant positive relationship between information literacy and students' academic performance in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Information literacy is one of the most important factors that leads to educational success. As there is a significant positive relationship between information literacy and students' academic performance, we should necessarily provide them with relative skills dealing with information literacy to improve their academic performance.

  20. Video-games do not negatively impact adolescent academic performance in science, mathematics or reading.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron Drummond

    Full Text Available Video-gaming is a common pastime among adolescents, particularly adolescent males in industrialized nations. Despite widespread suggestions that video-gaming negatively affects academic achievement, the evidence is inconclusive. We reanalyzed data from over 192,000 students in 22 countries involved in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA to estimate the true effect size of frequency of videogame use on adolescent academic achievement in science, mathematics and reading. Contrary to claims that increased video-gaming can impair academic performance, differences in academic performance were negligible across the relative frequencies of videogame use. Videogame use had little impact on adolescent academic achievement.

  1. Video-Games Do Not Negatively Impact Adolescent Academic Performance in Science, Mathematics or Reading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drummond, Aaron; Sauer, James D.

    2014-01-01

    Video-gaming is a common pastime among adolescents, particularly adolescent males in industrialized nations. Despite widespread suggestions that video-gaming negatively affects academic achievement, the evidence is inconclusive. We reanalyzed data from over 192,000 students in 22 countries involved in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to estimate the true effect size of frequency of videogame use on adolescent academic achievement in science, mathematics and reading. Contrary to claims that increased video-gaming can impair academic performance, differences in academic performance were negligible across the relative frequencies of videogame use. Videogame use had little impact on adolescent academic achievement. PMID:24699536

  2. Premenstrual syndrome: messes with my academic performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashim, R.; Ayyub, A.; Hameed, S.; Qamar, K.; Raza, G.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: This study aims to determine the educational impact of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) on various academic activities of undergraduate female medical students. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Army Medical College, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan from June 2013 to November 2013 Material and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Army Medical College, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad. Data were collected from 224 undergraduate female medical students of all professional years. PMS was diagnosed according to WHO's ICD-10 criteria. Impact of premenstrual syndrome on academic activities of female medical students was assessed using a 22-itemed, structured questionnaire. Results: Two hundred and twenty four female undergraduate medical students gave their written consent to participate in this study. PMS was present among 207 (92.4%) female students. Major PMS symptoms experienced by the female students were backache (87.5%), fatigue (80.2%), depressed mood (78.2%), anxiety (76.8%), hypersomnia (71%) and poor emotional control (64.3%). The frequency of various PMS symptoms interfered with their academic activities (76.3%), with large group discussion sessions (79.2%), with small group discussion sessions (72.9%), written assessment (66.6%) and oral assessment (70.0%). Conclusion: The study findings affirm the fact that premenstrual syndrome profoundly affects the academic activities of young female medical students. In the light of these pertinent findings we recommend that health education and counselling services are essential to be provided at medical college campuses for female undergraduates. This will not only help them alleviate the negative effects of PMS but also develop an understanding about their problems, enhancing their academic output and performance in early medical carrier. (author)

  3. Interdependence of depressive symptoms, school involvement, and academic performance between adolescent friends: A dyadic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, Chong Man; Tan, Cin Cin; Buhrmester, Duane

    2015-09-01

    Friendships play an important role in the development of school involvement and academic performance during adolescence. This study examined the interdependence of depressive symptoms, school involvement, and academic performance between adolescent same-sex friends. Using cross-sectional data, we examined whether the link between depressive symptoms and academic performance would be mediated by school involvement at the intrapersonal (actor) and interpersonal (partner) levels. Data came from 155 pairs of same-sex adolescent friends (80 boys; M(age) = 16.17, SD = 0.44). The actor-partner interdependence model was used to examine the dyadic data and mediation hypotheses. Mediated actor effects showed that adolescents who had more depressive symptoms reported lower academic performance, and such an association was mediated by their own and their friend's lower school involvement. Mediated partner effects showed that adolescents who had more depressive symptoms also had a friend with lower academic performance, and such an association was mediated by both individuals' lower school involvement. This study provided evidence to support the broader interpersonal framework for understanding school involvement and academic performance. The current findings also have potential practical implications, especially for programmes targeted at addressing adolescents' school problems. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  4. The interaction between sleep quality and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahrberg, K; Dresler, M; Niedermaier, S; Steiger, A; Genzel, L

    2012-12-01

    Sleep quality has significant effects on cognitive performance and is influenced by multiple factors such as stress. Contrary to the ideal, medical students and residents suffer from sleep deprivation and stress at times when they should achieve the greatest amount of learning. In order to examine the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance, 144 medical students undertaking the pre-clinical board exam answered a survey regarding their subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh sleep quality index, PSQI), grades and subjective stress for three different time points: semester, pre- and post-exam. Academic performance correlated with stress and sleep quality pre-exam (r = 0.276, p quality and high stress), however not with the stress or sleep quality during the semester and post-exam. 59% of all participants exhibited clinically relevant sleep disturbances (PSQI > 5) during exam preparation compared to 29% during the semester and 8% post-exam. This study shows that in medical students it is not the generally poor sleepers, who perform worse in the medical board exams. Instead students who will perform worse on their exams seem to be more stressed and suffer from poor sleep quality. However, poor sleep quality may negatively impact test performance as well, creating a vicious circle. Furthermore, the rate of sleep disturbances in medical students should be cause for intervention. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A Novel Feed-Forward Modeling System Leads to Sustained Improvements in Attention and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDermott, Ashley F; Rose, Maya; Norris, Troy; Gordon, Eric

    2016-01-28

    This study tested a novel feed-forward modeling (FFM) system as a nonpharmacological intervention for the treatment of ADHD children and the training of cognitive skills that improve academic performance. This study implemented a randomized, controlled, parallel design comparing this FFM with a nonpharmacological community care intervention. Improvements were measured on parent- and clinician-rated scales of ADHD symptomatology and on academic performance tests completed by the participant. Participants were followed for 3 months after training. Participants in the FFM training group showed significant improvements in ADHD symptomatology and academic performance, while the control group did not. Improvements from FFM were sustained 3 months later. The FFM appeared to be an effective intervention for the treatment of ADHD and improving academic performance. This FFM training intervention shows promise as a first-line treatment for ADHD while improving academic performance. © The Author(s) 2016.

  6. Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Business Students’ Academic Performance: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shamsul Arefin

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The development of telecom technology has a profound impact on the lives and activities of the people of the world. Smartphone usage became popular to young generation because of its educational and entertaining options by using the numerous apps. Among the young people, students are increasingly using Smartphone. But excessive Smartphone usage usually makes the students addicted to that subconsciously impacts on user’s academic performance, daily activities, physical and mental health and withdrawal tendency, and social relationships. This study aims at identifying the factors that affect the level of Smartphone addiction of the students and its impact on their academic performance. A structured questionnaire has been developed to gather data from the students. A total of 247 questionnaires were collected from the business students of a university of Bangladesh. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM the data were analyzed. Results revealed five Smartphone addiction factors such as, positive anticipation, impatience and tolerance, withdrawal, daily-life disturbance, and cyber friendship. Tolerance and daily-life disturbance have significant impact on students’ academic performance. This study suggests that the students should minimize the usage of Smartphone for achieving good academic performance.

  7. Sleep and academic performance in Indigenous Australian children from a remote community: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Patrick; Kohler, Mark; Blunden, Sarah

    2012-02-01

    Disruptions to sleep in childhood are associated with poor behaviour and deficits in academic performance and executive function. Although academic performance of indigenous children from remote communities in Australia is documented as well below that of non-indigenous children, the extent of sleep disruption and its contribution to academic performance among this population has not been assessed. This pilot study aimed to objectively assess the sleep of remote indigenous children and the association between sleep disruption and both academic performance and executive function. Twenty-one children from a remote Australian indigenous community aged 6-13 years wore actigraphy for two consecutive nights, reported subjective sleepiness, and were objectively assessed for academic performance (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 2nd Edition) and executive function (NEuroloPSYcological Assessment-II). Results show marked reduction in sleep time, sleep fragmentation, academic performance and auditory attention compared with non-indigenous norms. Sleep duration was not associated with performance, possibly because of reduced sleep and performance observed across the entire group. Sleep fragmentation was associated with reduced reading and numerical skills (P sleep of indigenous children in remote communities is an important area of future inquiry, and our initial findings of poor sleep and an association between sleep disruption and academic performance may have important implications for intervention strategies aimed at 'closing the gap'. Further studies should assess a broader range of demographic, social and economic factors to better understand the associations reported here and guide future intervention. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2012 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  8. Relationship between academic self-esteem and performance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was conducted to determine the relationship between pupils' academic self-esteem and performance in English language and Mathematics. The sample consisted of 365 pupils selected from 82 primary schools in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State. Krejcie and Morgan's table for determining sampling ...

  9. SLEEP PATTERN AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS OF A GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE IN KERALA

    OpenAIRE

    Deepa Rajendran; Karthika M; Prathibha M. T; Vinod P. B

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Relationship between sleep pattern and academic performance of students is well accepted. The studies relating the sleep pattern of medical students and academic performance is limited. This study was conducted to identify sleep pattern of medical students and find out any relationship between sleep pattern and academic performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS A questionnaire-based study was carried out to assess sociodemographic parameters, sleep/wake timing, sle...

  10. Associations Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Overweight With Academic Performance in 12-Year-Old Brazilian Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Almeida Santana, Carla Caroliny; Farah, Breno Quintella; de Azevedo, Liane Beretta; Hill, James O; Gunnarsdottir, Thrudur; Botero, João Paulo; do Prado, Edna Cristina; do Prado, Wagner Luiz

    2017-05-01

    Obesity has been associated with poor academic achievement, while cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been linked to academic success. To investigate whether CRF is associated with academic performance in Brazilian students, independently of body mass index (BMI), fatness and socioeconomic status (SES). 392 5th and 6th grade students (193 girls) (12.11 ± 0.75 years old) were evaluated in 2012. Skinfold thickness measures were performed, and students were classified according to BMI-percentile. CRF was estimated by a 20-meter shuttle run test, and academic achievement by standardized math and Portuguese tests. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between academic performance and CRF, adjusted for SES, skinfold thickness or BMI-percentile. Among girls CRF was associated with higher academic achievement in math (β = 0.146;p = .003) and Portuguese (β = 0.129;p = .004) in crude and adjusted analyses. No significant association was found among boys. BMI was not associated with overall academic performance. There was a weak negative association between skinfold thickness and performance in mathematics in boys (β =- 0.030;p = .04), but not in girls. The results highlight the importance of maintaining high fitness levels in girls throughout adolescence a period commonly associated with reductions in physical activity levels and CRF.

  11. Alcohol Consumption and Academic Retention in First-Year College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liguori, Gary; Lonbaken, Barb

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: This study attempted to identify relationships between alcohol consumption and first-to-second-year student retention among college students. Methods: 820 students in general education courses completed an online wellness assessment at four separate time points, including questions related to alcohol consumption. Data were analyzed…

  12. The effect of sleep quality on academic performance is mediated by Internet use time: DADOS study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adelantado-Renau, Mireia; Diez-Fernandez, Ana; Beltran-Valls, Maria Reyes; Soriano-Maldonado, Alberto; Moliner-Urdiales, Diego

    2018-05-19

    The aims of the present study were to analyze the association of sleep patterns with academic and cognitive performance in adolescents, and to test the potential mediating effect of different activities of screen media usage on this association. A sample of 269 adolescents (140 boys) aged 14 years from the baseline data of the Deporte, ADOlescencia y Salud study completed questionnaires about sleep quality, cognitive performance, and leisure-time sedentary behaviors. Sleep duration was objectively computed using a wrist-worn GENEActiv accelerometer and academic performance was analyzed through school records. Sleep quality (but not sleep duration) was associated with all the academic performance indicators (all p<0.05). Analysis of covariance revealed higher grades among adolescents with better sleep quality (PSQI≤5; all p<0.05). These analyses showed no differences regarding cognitive performance. Internet use time was revealed as a mediator of the association between sleep quality and academic performance, being significant for all academic performance indicators (P M ranging from 15.5% to 16.0%). The association between sleep quality and academic performance in adolescents is mediated by time of Internet use. Overall, reducing Internet use in adolescents could be an achievable intervention for improving sleep quality, with potentially positive effects on academic performance. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  13. The role of cultural diversity climate in recruitment, promotion, and retention of faculty in academic medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Eboni G; Gozu, Aysegul; Kern, David E; Powe, Neil R; Wand, Gary S; Golden, Sherita; Cooper, Lisa A

    2005-07-01

    Ethnic diversity among physicians may be linked to improved access and quality of care for minorities. Academic medical institutions are challenged to increase representation of ethnic minorities among health professionals. To explore the perceptions of physician faculty regarding the following: (1) the institution's cultural diversity climate and (2) facilitators and barriers to success and professional satisfaction in academic medicine within this context. Qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Nontenured physicians in the tenure track at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Focus groups and interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and reviewed for thematic content in a 3-stage independent review/adjudication process. Study participants included 29 faculty representing 9 clinical departments, 4 career tracks, and 4 ethnic groups. In defining cultural diversity, faculty noted visible (race/ethnicity, foreign-born status, gender) and invisible (religion, sexual orientation) dimensions. They believe visible dimensions provoke bias and cumulative advantages or disadvantages in the workplace. Minority and foreign-born faculty report ethnicity-based disparities in recruitment and subtle manifestations of bias in the promotion process. Minority and majority faculty agree that ethnic differences in prior educational opportunities lead to disparities in exposure to career options, and qualifications for and subsequent recruitment to training programs and faculty positions. Minority faculty also describe structural barriers (poor retention efforts, lack of mentorship) that hinder their success and professional satisfaction after recruitment. To effectively manage the diversity climate, our faculty recommended 4 strategies for improving the psychological climate and structural diversity of the institution. Soliciting input from faculty provides tangible ideas regarding interventions to improve an institution's diversity

  14. Survival Analysis of Faculty Retention and Promotion in the Social Sciences by Gender.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet M Box-Steffensmeier

    Full Text Available Recruitment and retention of talent is central to the research performance of universities. Existing research shows that, while men are more likely than women to be promoted at the different stages of the academic career, no such difference is found when it comes to faculty retention rates. Current research on faculty retention, however, focuses on careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM. We extend this line of inquiry to the social sciences.We follow 2,218 tenure-track assistant professors hired since 1990 in seven social science disciplines at nineteen U.S. universities from time of hire to time of departure. We also track their time to promotion to associate and full professor. Using survival analysis, we examine gender differences in time to departure and time to promotion. Our methods account for censoring and unobserved heterogeneity, as well as effect heterogeneity across disciplines and cohorts.We find no statistically significant differences between genders in faculty retention. However, we do find that men are more likely to be granted tenure than women. When it comes to promotion to full professor, the results are less conclusive, as the effect of gender is sensitive to model specification.The results corroborate previous findings about gender patterns in faculty retention and promotion. They suggest that advances have been made when it comes to gender equality in retention and promotion, but important differences still persist.

  15. Psychological Determinants of University Students' Academic Performance: An Empirical Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gebka, Bartosz

    2014-01-01

    This study utilises an integrated conceptual model of academic performance which captures a series of psychological factors: cognitive style; self-theories such as self-esteem and self-efficacy; achievement goals such as mastery, performance, performance avoidance and work avoidance; study-processing strategies such as deep and surface learning;…

  16. Influence of motivation on academic library employees' performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Influence of motivation on academic library employees' performance and productivity in ... Information Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management ... motivated from time to time to boost their morale for efficiency and higher productivity. ... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL ...

  17. Job Satification And Performance Of Academic Librarians In ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A survey of the examination of the factors that affect job satisfaction and performance of academic librarians was conducted on selected eight universities comprising both state and federal universities, in southwest Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was use to select 130 respondents across the institution of study.

  18. Physician performance feedback in a Canadian academic center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garvin, Dennis; Worthington, James; McGuire, Shaun; Burgetz, Stephanie; Forster, Alan J; Patey, Andrea; Gerin-Lajoie, Caroline; Turnbull, Jeffrey; Roth, Virginia

    2017-10-02

    Purpose This paper aims at the implementation and early evaluation of a comprehensive, formative annual physician performance feedback process in a large academic health-care organization. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods approach was used to introduce a formative feedback process to provide physicians with comprehensive feedback on performance and to support professional development. This initiative responded to organization-wide engagement surveys through which physicians identified effective performance feedback as a priority. In 2013, physicians primarily affiliated with the organization participated in a performance feedback process, and physician satisfaction and participant perceptions were explored through participant survey responses and physician leader focus groups. Training was required for physician leaders prior to conducting performance feedback discussions. Findings This process was completed by 98 per cent of eligible physicians, and 30 per cent completed an evaluation survey. While physicians endorsed the concept of a formative feedback process, process improvement opportunities were identified. Qualitative analysis revealed the following process improvement themes: simplify the tool, ensure leaders follow process, eliminate redundancies in data collection (through academic or licensing requirements) and provide objective quality metrics. Following physician leader training on performance feedback, 98 per cent of leaders who completed an evaluation questionnaire agreed or strongly agreed that the performance feedback process was useful and that training objectives were met. Originality/value This paper introduces a physician performance feedback model, leadership training approach and first-year implementation outcomes. The results of this study will be useful to health administrators and physician leaders interested in implementing physician performance feedback or improving physician engagement.

  19. Parental involvement and academic performance: Less control and more communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Alonso, Rubén; Álvarez-Díaz, Marcos; Woitschach, Pamela; Suárez-Álvarez, Javier; Cuesta, Marcelino

    2017-11-01

    Parental involvement in the educational process is desirable, although more involvement does not guarantee better results. The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between styles of parental involvement at home and academic performance. A random sample of 26,543 Spanish students was used, with a mean age of 14.4 (SD = 0.75). Two thirds (66.2%) attended a publicly funded school; 49.7% were girls; 87.8% had Spanish nationality; and 73.5% were in the school year corresponding to their age. Different three-level hierarchical-linear models were fitted: student, school, and region (autonomous community). Students whose parents exhibited a more distal or indirect profile of family involvement tended to demonstrate better results than those from homes with a more controlling style. Parental involvement styles have an effect on achievement at an individual and school level, even after accounting for the effect of context or background variables. Given the importance of parental involvement in academic performance, schools should consider it in their family information and training policies. Schools which have more communicative family profiles tend to demonstrate lower levels of intra-school differences in students’ academic performance.

  20. Perception of difficulty and glucose control: Effects on academic performance in youth with type I diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potts, Tiffany M; Nguyen, Jacqueline L; Ghai, Kanika; Li, Kathy; Perlmuter, Lawrence

    2015-04-15

    To investigate whether perceptions of task difficulty on neuropsychological tests predicted academic achievement after controlling for glucose levels and depression. Participants were type 1 diabetic adolescents, with a mean age = 12.5 years (23 females and 16 males), seen at a northwest suburban Chicago hospital. The sample population was free of co-morbid clinical health conditions. Subjects completed a three-part neuropsychological battery including the Digit Symbol Task, Trail Making Test, and Controlled Oral Word Association test. Following each task, individuals rated task difficulty and then completed a depression inventory. Performance on these three tests is reflective of neuropsychological status in relation to glucose control. Blood glucose levels were measured immediately prior to and after completing the neuropsychological battery using a glucose meter. HbA1c levels were obtained from medical records. Academic performance was based on self-reported grades in Math, Science, and English. Data was analyzed using multiple regression models to evaluate the associations between academic performance, perception of task difficulty, and glucose control. Perceptions of difficulty on a neuropsychological battery significantly predicted academic performance after accounting for glucose control and depression. Perceptions of difficulty on the neuropsychological tests were inversely correlated with academic performance (r = -0.48), while acute (blood glucose) and long-term glucose levels increased along with perceptions of task difficulty (r = 0.47). Additionally, higher depression scores were associated with poorer academic performance (r = -0.43). With the first regression analysis, perception of difficulty on the neuropsychological tasks contributed to 8% of the variance in academic performance after controlling for peripheral blood glucose and depression. In the second regression analysis, perception of difficulty accounted for 11% of the variance after

  1. Retention of Mastoidectomy Skills After Virtual Reality Simulation Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts; Konge, Lars; Cayé-Thomasen, Per; Sørensen, Mads Sølvsten

    2016-07-01

    The ultimate goal of surgical training is consolidated skills with a consistently high performance. However, surgical skills are heterogeneously retained and depend on a variety of factors, including the task, cognitive demands, and organization of practice. Virtual reality (VR) simulation is increasingly being used in surgical skills training, including temporal bone surgery, but there is a gap in knowledge on the retention of mastoidectomy skills after VR simulation training. To determine the retention of mastoidectomy skills after VR simulation training with distributed and massed practice and to investigate participants' cognitive load during retention procedures. A prospective 3-month follow-up study of a VR simulation trial was conducted from February 6 to September 19, 2014, at an academic teaching hospital among 36 medical students: 19 from a cohort trained with distributed practice and 17 from a cohort trained with massed practice. Participants performed 2 virtual mastoidectomies in a VR simulator a mean of 3.2 months (range, 2.4-5.0 months) after completing initial training with 12 repeated procedures. Practice blocks were spaced apart in time (distributed), or all procedures were performed in 1 day (massed). Performance of the virtual mastoidectomy as assessed by 2 masked senior otologists using a modified Welling scale, as well as cognitive load as estimated by reaction time to perform a secondary task. Among 36 participants, mastoidectomy final-product skills were largely retained at 3 months (mean change in score, 0.1 points; P = .89) regardless of practice schedule, but the group trained with massed practice took more time to complete the task. The performance of the massed practice group increased significantly from the first to the second retention procedure (mean change, 1.8 points; P = .001), reflecting that skills were less consolidated. For both groups, increases in reaction times in the secondary task (distributed practice group: mean

  2. A Structural Model of Self-Concept, Autonomous Motivation and Academic Performance in Cross-Cultural Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Wondimu; Bruinsma, Marjon

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to propose and test a motivational model of performance by integrating constructs from self-concept and self-determination theories and to explore cultural group differences in the model. To this end, self-report measures of global self-esteem, academic self-concept, academic motivation and academic performance were…

  3. Symptoms of sleep disorders and objective academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Carvalho, Luciane Bizari Coin; do Prado, Lucila Bizari Fernandes; Ferrreira, Vanessa Ruotolo; da Rocha Figueiredo, Mariana Bezerra; Jung, Aline; de Morais, José Fausto; do Prado, Gilmar Fernandes

    2013-09-01

    We aimed to compare the academic performance of children with and without symptoms of sleep disorders (SSD). We distributed 5400 questionnaires (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children [SDSC], Brazilian version) to 7- to 10-year-old children at public elementary schools in São Paulo, Brazil. We analyzed the academic grades of Portuguese (Port) and Mathematics (Math) in 2384 children (1224 girls; 51%). Grades were assigned on a scale of 0-10 and five was considered a passing grade. Children with symptoms of sleep disorders (SSD) and symptoms of sleep-breathing disorders (SSBD) were compared to children with no symptoms of SSD (no-SSD). Mean Port (6.6±2.2) and Math (6.3±2.2) grades were lower in children with SSD or sleep-breathing disorders (SBD) than those among children with no-SSD (Port, 7.1±2.1 and Math, 7.1±2.1; Pacademic performance in Math and Port. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A Longitudinal Study in Learning Preferences and Academic Performance in First Year Medical School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yenya; Gao, Hong; Wofford, Marcia M; Violato, Claudio

    2017-12-18

    This is a longitudinal study of first year medical students that investigates the relationship between the pattern change of the learning preferences and academic performance. Using the visual, auditory, reading-writing, and kinesthetic inventory at the beginning of the first and second year for the same class, it was found that within the first year, 36% of the class remained unimodal (single) modality learners (SS), 14% changed from unimodal to multimodality learners (SM), 27% changed from multimodality to unimodal modality learners (MS) and 21% remained as multimodality learners (MM). Among the academic performance through subsequent didactic blocks from Clinical Anatomy, Cell and Subcellular Processes to Medical Neuroscience during first year, the SM group made more significant improvement compared to the SS group. Semi-structured interview results from the SM group showed that students made this transition between the Clinical Anatomy course and the middle of the Medical Neuroscience course, in an effort to improve their performance. This study suggests that the transition from unimodal to multimodality learning among academically struggling students improved their academic performance in the first year of medical school. Therefore, this may be considered as part of academic advising tools for struggling students to improve their academic performances. Anat Sci Educ. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

  5. Gender Differences in the Relationship between Academic Procrastination, Satisfaction with Academic Life and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balkis, Murat; Duru, Erdinç

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Procrastination has become one of the most researched topics due its adverse effects on the both general and student population in social sciences. The general tendency toward delaying academic tasks has been conceptualized as academic procrastination in academic setting. It is a prevalent issue among students and a numerous students…

  6. Visible School Security Measures and Student Academic Performance, Attendance, and Postsecondary Aspirations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanner-Smith, Emily E; Fisher, Benjamin W

    2016-01-01

    Many U.S. schools use visible security measures (security cameras, metal detectors, security personnel) in an effort to keep schools safe and promote adolescents' academic success. This study examined how different patterns of visible security utilization were associated with U.S. middle and high school students' academic performance, attendance, and postsecondary educational aspirations. The data for this study came from two large national surveys--the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (N = 38,707 students; 51% male, 77% White, MAge = 14.72) and the School Survey on Crime and Safety (N = 10,340 schools; average student composition of 50% male, 57% White). The results provided no evidence that visible security measures had consistent beneficial effects on adolescents' academic outcomes; some security utilization patterns had modest detrimental effects on adolescents' academic outcomes, particularly the heavy surveillance patterns observed in a small subset of high schools serving predominantly low socioeconomic students. The findings of this study provide no evidence that visible security measures have any sizeable effects on academic performance, attendance, or postsecondary aspirations among U.S. middle and high school students.

  7. Examining gray matter structure associated with academic performance in a large sample of Chinese high school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Song; Zhou, Ming; Chen, Taolin; Yang, Xun; Chen, Guangxiang; Wang, Meiyun; Gong, Qiyong

    2017-04-18

    Achievement in school is crucial for students to be able to pursue successful careers and lead happy lives in the future. Although many psychological attributes have been found to be associated with academic performance, the neural substrates of academic performance remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the relationship between brain structure and academic performance in a large sample of high school students via structural magnetic resonance imaging (S-MRI) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach. The whole-brain regression analyses showed that higher academic performance was related to greater regional gray matter density (rGMD) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which is considered a neural center at the intersection of cognitive and non-cognitive functions. Furthermore, mediation analyses suggested that general intelligence partially mediated the impact of the left DLPFC density on academic performance. These results persisted even after adjusting for the effect of family socioeconomic status (SES). In short, our findings reveal a potential neuroanatomical marker for academic performance and highlight the role of general intelligence in explaining the relationship between brain structure and academic performance.

  8. Predicting Academic Performance Based on Students' Blog and Microblog Posts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dascalu, Mihai; Popescu, Elvira; Becheru, Alexandru; Crossley, Scott; Trausan-Matu, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the degree to which textual complexity indices applied on students’ online contributions, corroborated with a longitudinal analysis performed on their weekly posts, predict academic performance. The source of student writing consists of blog and microblog posts, created in

  9. Test anxiety and academic performance in chiropractic students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Niu; Henderson, Charles N R

    2014-01-01

    Objective : We assessed the level of students' test anxiety, and the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. Methods : We recruited 166 third-quarter students. The Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) was administered to all participants. Total scores from written examinations and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) were used as response variables. Results : Multiple regression analysis shows that there was a modest, but statistically significant negative correlation between TAI scores and written exam scores, but not OSCE scores. Worry and emotionality were the best predictive models for written exam scores. Mean total anxiety and emotionality scores for females were significantly higher than those for males, but not worry scores. Conclusion : Moderate-to-high test anxiety was observed in 85% of the chiropractic students examined. However, total test anxiety, as measured by the TAI score, was a very weak predictive model for written exam performance. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that replacing total anxiety (TAI) with worry and emotionality (TAI subscales) produces a much more effective predictive model of written exam performance. Sex, age, highest current academic degree, and ethnicity contributed little additional predictive power in either regression model. Moreover, TAI scores were not found to be statistically significant predictors of physical exam skill performance, as measured by OSCEs.

  10. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and academic performance in youth: the UP&DOWN study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Izquierdo-Gomez, Rocio; Gómez-Martínez, Sonia; Padilla-Moledo, Carmen; Castro-Piñero, Jose; Marcos, Ascensión; Veiga, Oscar L

    2016-04-01

    To examine the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and academic performance in children and adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 1371 youth aged 12.04 ± 2.50 years (685 girls) in Spain during 2011-2012. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the KIDMED index (Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents), which includes 16 questions on specific dietary patterns. Levels of adherence were classified into three groups: poor adherence (0-3), average adherence (4-7), and good adherence (8-12). Academic performance was assessed through school records using four indicators: math, language, an average of math and language, and grade point average score. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was related to academic performance (β ranging from 0.107 to 0.148; all P Mediterranean diet had significantly higher scores in all of the academic indicators compared with the poor group (ranging from +0.429 to 0.464; all P ≤ 0.001); as well as the group of average adherence to the Mediterranean diet had significantly higher scores in all of the academic indicators compared with the poor group (ranging from +0.292 to 0.344; all P ≤ 0.06). There were no differences between the groups of good and average adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may have a beneficial influence on academic performance in youth. Importantly, the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on academic performance may be stronger as youth adhered to the optimal Mediterranean diet levels.

  11. Adjustment to University and Academic Performance: Brief Report of a Follow-Up Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Il-haam; Louw, Johann; Dumont, Kitty; Malope, Nomxolisi

    2010-01-01

    This study presents data that extend an earlier analysis of predictors of academic performance from one to three years. None of the adjustment and other psychosocial variables (help-seeking, academic motivation, self-esteem, perceived stress and perceived academic overload) could predict success at university at the end of three years of study.…

  12. Exposure to retrieval cues improves retention performance and induces changes in ACTH and corticosterone release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisquet-Verrier, Pascale; Botreau, Fanny; Venero, Cesar; Sandi, Carmen

    2004-05-01

    Memory retrieval can be facilitated by pretest exposure to cues associated with the original training. The present series of experiments was aimed at investigating whether the effectiveness of the retrieval cues might be due to their emotional value and thus be associated to a particular pattern of activation of stress systems. Therefore, the effects of exposing rats to different cueing conditions were investigated both on retention performance and on the level of different stress hormones (ACTH, corticosterone and glucose; the latter as an indirect index of adrenergic/sympathetic nervous system activation). Rats trained in a brightness avoidance discrimination task exhibited an enhancement of the retention performance following exposure to the light discriminative stimulus when delivered 1-day after training and not after 21 days, while exposure to contextual cues led to opposite effects on the retention performance, confirming our previous results. Analyses of the level of stress hormones at the time of testing indicated that when the retrieval cues were effective at the behavioral level, cued rats exhibited higher ACTH plasmatic levels than controls, but did not differ in their glucose or corticosterone levels. Further experiments showed that one day after training, both ACTH and corticosterone levels were elevated in light-cued rats if hormone samples were taken 15 min after cueing. These results show that exposure to an effective retrieval cue is accompanied by the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The possible involvement of the Corticotropin Releasing Factor at the level of the hypothalamus and amygdala (particularly the central nucleus) on the facilitating effect on retention performance following exposure to aversive training-associated cues is discussed. The present results strengthen the notion that emotion can interact with retrieval processes.

  13. Perfectionism, Depression, Anxiety, and Academic Performance in Premedical Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melina Sevlever

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available This study examined differences in perfectionism, depression, anxiety, and academic performance between premedical (N = 104 and non-premedical (N = 76 undergraduate students. Results indicated that premedical students did not differ significantly from non-premedical students in perfectionistic self-criticism, personal standards perfectionism, depression, or anxiety. Perfectionistic high standards were not correlated with depression or anxiety for either group. Self-critical perfectionism was positively correlated with depression and anxiety, with comparable effect sizes, for both groups of students. Premedical students and non-premedical students drastically differed in their reported academic performance (GPA. For premedical students, PS perfectionism was related to higher GPA, however PS perfectionism in non-premedical students had a negligible effect in increasing GPA. The implications of these results for interventions and future research are discussed.

  14. Assessment of academic/non-academic factors and extracurricular activities influencing performance of medical students of faculty of medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Mainul Haque; Nor Azlina A Rahman; Md. Anwarul Azim Majumder; Nor Iza A Rahman; Seraj Zohurul Haque; Zainal Zulkifli; Halyna Lugova; Rabiu Muazu Musa; Ahmed Ghazi Alattraqchi

    2018-01-01

    Background: Physical and mental comfort is known to have a crucial influence on health and performance amongst medical students. Very often, medical students suffer from poor quality of life (QOL) related to the work-life balance due to the lack of sleep, nutritional and dietary disorders and low physical activity, resulting in a negative impact on their academic performance. This study aims to determine the potential academic/non-academic factors and extra-curricular activities influencing t...

  15. Race/Ethnicity and Success in Academic Medicine: Findings From a Longitudinal Multi-Institutional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Samantha E; Raj, Anita; Carr, Phyllis L; Terrin, Norma; Breeze, Janis L; Freund, Karen M

    2017-10-24

    To understand differences in productivity, advancement, retention, satisfaction, and compensation comparing underrepresented medical (URM) faculty with other faculty at multiple institutions. A 17-year follow-up was conducted of the National Faculty Survey, a random sample from 24 U.S. medical schools, oversampled for URM faculty. The authors examined academic productivity, advancement, retention, satisfaction, and compensation, comparing white, URM, and non-URM faculty. Retention, productivity, and advancement data were obtained from public sources for nonrespondents. Covariates included gender, specialty, time distribution, and years in academia. Negative binomial regression was used for count data, logistic regression for binary outcomes, and linear regression for continuous outcomes. In productivity analyses, advancement, and retention, 1,270 participants were included; 604 participants responded to the compensation and satisfaction survey. Response rates were lower for African American (26%) and Hispanic faculty (39%) than white faculty (52%, P career satisfaction, or compensation between URM and white faculty. URM and white faculty had similar career satisfaction, grant support, leadership, and compensation; URM faculty had fewer publications and were less likely to be promoted and retained in academic careers. Successful retention of URM faculty requires comprehensive institutional commitment to changing the academic climate and deliberative programming to support productivity and advancement.

  16. Contextualizing Performances: Comparing Performances during TOEFL iBT™ and Real-Life Academic Speaking Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Lindsay; Swain, Merrill

    2014-01-01

    In this study we compare test takers' performance on the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT™and their performances during their real-life academic studies. Thirty international graduate students from mixed language backgrounds in two different disciplines (Sciences and Social Sciences) responded to two independent and four integrated speaking tasks…

  17. Pre-Schooling and Academic Performance of Lower Primary School ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre- ... for increased public investment in Early Child Development (ECD) as a strategic ..... students' academic performance: A case study of Islamia University sub-.

  18. Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Academic Performance : Cross-Lagged Associations from Adolescence to Young Adulthood

    OpenAIRE

    Aaltonen, Sari; Latvala, Antti; Rose, Richard J.; Kujala, Urho; Kaprio, Jaakko; Silventoinen, Karri

    2016-01-01

    Physical activity and academic performance are positively associated, but the direction of the association is poorly understood. This longitudinal study examined the direction and magnitude of the associations between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance throughout adolescence and young adulthood. The participants were Finnish twins (from 2,859 to 4,190 individuals/study wave) and their families. In a cross-lagged path model, higher academic performance at ages 12, 14 and 1...

  19. A Cross-cultural Qualitative Examination of Social-networking Sites and Academic Performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ozer, Ipek; Karpinski, Aryn; Kirschner, Paul A.

    2018-01-01

    Social-networking site (SNS) use, specifically Facebook®, has remained a controversial subject for many educators and media. Recent studies discuss the negative and positive impacts of SNSs on students’ academic performance. This qualitative study examines the impact of SNSs on students’ academic

  20. The Role of Vision in Academic School Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dirani, Mohamed; Zhang, Xiaoe; Goh, Liang Ke; Young, Terri L.; Lee, Paul; Saw, Seang Mei

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To determine whether presenting distance visual acuity is related to subsequent academic school performance in Singaporean children between 9 to 10 years of age. Methods Singapore children (n = 1143 children) were examined during their visits at ages 9 to 10 years (grades 3 to 4) as part of the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCORM) longitudinal study. Each child underwent an annual comprehensive eye examination, including the assessment of presenting logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) distance visual acuity (VA). The individual marks of a nation-wide standard examination in grade 4 were used as the outcome measure for academic school performance. Children with any known eye disease, (such as media opacities) were excluded from the analysis. Results The mean presenting distance VA of the better eye was 0.10 and 0.08 when the children were in grades 3 and 4, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference for mean presenting VA with 9 and 10 year old boys scoring better (0.08 and 0.07) compared to girls (0.12 and 0.09) for the same ages, (p = 0.001 and p = 0.007), respectively. After adjusting for gender, ethnicity, school, reading, intelligence quotient and father’s education, no significant relationships were found between average examination marks at the end of grade 4 and presenting VA obtained (better eye and worst eye) in grade 3 (p = 0.38 and p = 0.98) and 4 (p = 0.27 and p = 0.16). Conclusion In our sample of Singaporean children without ocular disease, distance VA did not play a significant role in predicting academic school performance. PMID:20100096

  1. Academic performance of Korean children is associated with dietary behaviours and physical status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hye-Young P; Frongillo, Edward A; Han, Sung-Sook; Oh, Se-Young; Kim, Woo-Kyung; Jang, Young-Ai; Won, Hye-Sook; Lee, Hyun-Sook; Kim, Sook-He

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to obtain a fuller understanding of the association of dietary behaviours, physical status and socio-economic status with academic performance in Korean teenagers. The subjects in this study were 6,463 boys and girls, in grade 5, 8, and 11 in Korea. A self-administered questionnaire and the food-frequency form were used. Grade point average (GPA), height, weight, and physical fitness score for the year were recorded from the school record. The academic performance of students was strongly associated with dietary behaviours, especially with regularity of three meals even after control for parent's education level. Regular breakfast and lunch were more important in grades 5 and 8, while regular dinner was more related with academic performance in grade 11. Small, positive associations of height and physical fitness to academic performance were also found. The relative importance of regularity of meals was greater than that of socio-economic status and physical status in older teenagers. The results of this study suggest that accommodation of better dietary environment and nutrition education for three regular meals is recommended.

  2. Academic Commitment and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Academic Achievement in Additional Materials Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, F. Ruric; Human-Vogel, Salomé

    2016-01-01

    A great deal of research within science and engineering education revolves around academic success and retention of science and engineering students. It is well known that South Africa is experiencing, for various reasons, an acute shortage of engineers. Therefore, we think it is important to understand the factors that contribute to attrition…

  3. A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Innovativeness on Academic Spin-offs Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Giones, Ferran; Billström, Anders; Rasmussen, Einar

    , between 2000 and 2012, of 125 academic spin-offs of Norway provides valuable insights on how the origin of the technology impact differences in market performance. The results show how specific elements related to the ASOs’ product innovativeness contribute to its market performance. The findings provide......Academic Spin-Offs are given the mission to bring to society science and technology innovations. Nevertheless, the relative weak financial performance of these firms has recently been a focus of discussion. Prior research has explored factors that might explain the performance diversity, including...... aspects related to the academic entrepreneur (e.g. human capital), organizational (e.g. team characteristics, board composition, network of partners) and institutional factors (e.g. university context, support mechanisms). An under studied potential source of heterogeneity is the diversity of technologies...

  4. Parental divorce, sibship size, family resources, and children's academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yongmin; Li, Yuanzhang

    2009-09-01

    Using data from 19,839 adolescents from the National Education Longitudinal Study, this study investigates whether the effects of parental divorce on adolescents' academic test performance vary by sibship size. Analyses show that the negative effect of divorce on adolescent performance attenuates as sibship size increases. On the other side of the interaction, the inverse relationship between sibship size and test performance is weaker in disrupted than in two-biological-parent families. Trends of such interactions are evident when sibship size is examined either as a continuous or a categorical measure. Finally, the observed interactions on adolescents' academic performance are completely explained by variations in parental financial, human, cultural, and social resources. In sum, this study underlines the importance of treating the effect of parental divorce as a variable and calls for more research to identify child and family features that may change the magnitude of such an effect.

  5. A longitudinal study of childhood obesity, weight status change, and subsequent academic performance in Taiwanese children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li-Jung; Fox, Kenneth R; Ku, Po-Wen; Wang, Ching-Hui

    2012-09-01

    This study examined the association among childhood obesity, weight status change, and subsequent academic performance at 6-year follow-up. First-grade students from one elementary school district in Taichung City, Taiwan were followed for 6 years (N = 409). Academic performance was extracted from the school records at the end of each grade. Weight and height were measured at the beginning of each grade. A weight change variable was created based on each child's weight status difference at grades 1 and 6. A multivariate linear regression model for predicting academic performance at grade 6 was developed with adjustment for individual characteristics and family factors. A latent growth curve (LGC) showed the association between changes in body mass index (BMI) and in academic performance across a 6-year period. BMI in children increased significantly across 6 years. The rate of increase in BMI over 6 years was higher for children with higher baseline BMIs than it was for children with lower baseline BMIs. However, BMI changes were not significantly associated with changes of academic performance. There was no significant relationship between initial obesity or change in weight status and subsequent academic performance. It appears that either being or becoming overweight/obese did not impact academic achievement for these Taiwanese children. © 2012, American School Health Association.

  6. A review of trends in attrition rates for surgical faculty: a case for a sustainable retention strategy to cope with demographic and economic realities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satiani, Bhagwan; Williams, Thomas E; Brod, Heather; Way, David P; Ellison, E Christopher

    2013-05-01

    Our aim was to compare trends in retention of academic surgeons by reviewing surgical faculty attrition rates (leaving academic surgery for any reason) of 3 cohorts at 5-year intervals between 1996 and 2011. The Association of American Medical Colleges' Faculty Administrative Management On-Line User System database was queried for a retention report of all tenure/clinical track full-time MD faculty within our academic medical center on July 1, 1996 (group 1), July 1, 2001 (group 2), and July 1, 2006 (group 3). Retention was tracked for 5 years post snapshot. The individual 5-year cohort attrition rates (observed frequencies) were compared with combined attrition rates for all 3 groups (expected frequencies). Overall, attrition trends for groups 2 (lower) and 3 (higher) were significantly different than the trends for all groups combined. Minorities and professors at the full or associate rank in group 3 contributed to this difference. Faculty in group 3 leaving our academic medical center were significantly more likely to transition into nonacademic practice compared with the other 2 groups. Greater attrition in the last 5-year cohort, despite the increase in faculty positions, is worrisome. A continuous retention life cycle is critical if academic medical centers hope to compete for talent. Retention planning should include on-boarding programs for enculturation, monitoring of professional satisfaction, formalized mentoring of younger surgeons, retaining academic couples and a part-time workforce, leadership and talent management, exit interviews, and competitive financial packages. Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Task-focused behavior mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and students' academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiuru, Noona; Pakarinen, Eija; Vasalampi, Kati; Silinskas, Gintautas; Aunola, Kaisa; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Metsäpelto, Riitta-Leena; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

    2014-04-01

    In the longitudinal study presented here, we tested the theoretical assumption that children's task-focused behavior in learning situations mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and academic performance. The sample consisted of 2,137 Finnish-speaking children. Data on supportive interpersonal environments (characterized by authoritative parenting, positive teacher affect toward the child, and peer acceptance) were gathered in Grade 1. The children's task-focused behavior was measured in Grades 2 and 3, and academic performance was measured in Grades 1 and 4. The results supported our assumption by showing that all three supportive environments were positively associated with children's subsequent academic performance via increased task-focused behavior in learning situations. These findings suggest that students' academic performance can be promoted by increasing the support they receive from peers, parents, and teachers because such increased support leads to better task focus in learning tasks.

  8. A Mediation Analysis on the Relationship of Physical Fitness Components, Obesity, and Academic Performance in Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muntaner-Mas, Adrià; Pere, Palou; Vidal-Conti, Josep; Esteban-Cornejo, Irene

    2018-04-20

    To examine the relationship between a battery of obesity indicators and physical fitness components with academic performance in children and to explore the combined and mediation role of the physical fitness components in the relationship between obesity and academic performance in children. A cross-sectional study including data from 250 Spanish schoolchildren (Balearic Islands) between 10 and 12 years of age (mean age, 10.98 ± 0.76 years) was conducted. Obesity measures (body mass index, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-to-height ratio), physical fitness components (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and speed-agility), and academic performance (Spanish language, Catalan language, English language, natural sciences, social sciences, arts, physical education, religion, and grade point average [GPA]) were collected. All obesity measures were negatively related to at least 3 of the 10 academic indicators, including GPA (β range, -0.135 to -0.229; all P fitness and speed-agility were positively related to all academic indicators (β range, 0.182 to 0.350; all P fitness with 3 academic indicators (β range, 0.143 to 0.253; all P fit had better academic performance than their unfit peers (score +0.75; P = .001). The association between body mass index and GPA was mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility. This investigation contributes to the current knowledge by adding evidence about the crucial role of physical fitness in terms of academic performance rather than obesity status, suggesting that physical fitness may ameliorate the negative influence of obesity on academic performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Cognitive performance and academic achievement: How do family and school converge?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Filipa Alves

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Children enter the school system with different educational experiences, leaving also with different levels of learning and school results. In this study, we intend to understand the impact of family and school on children's cognitive performance and academic achievement during elementary education. The sample consists of 406 Portuguese children, from preschool and the 1st cycle of Basic Education, aged from 4 to 10 years old. Through full structural equation model, it was observed that the latent variable family (parents’ schooling and socioeconomic level and the latent variable school (community and type of school have a significant impact on academic achievement. However, only family presents a significant impact on cognitive performance. These data suggest that the impact of school on intelligence quotient is not expressive in early academic years, where family present higher explanation of the variance.

  10. Ties That Bind: Academic Advisors as Agents of Student Relationship Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vianden, Jörg

    2016-01-01

    To affect college retention, academic advisors should act as agents of student relationship management by strengthening the connection between students and their institutions. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction with academic advising as perceived by 29 college students at 3 midwestern comprehensive institutions are described. Discussion is framed in…

  11. 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…

  12. Pharmacy student absenteeism and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidayat, Levita; Vansal, Sandeep; Kim, Esther; Sullivan, Maureen; Salbu, Rebecca

    2012-02-10

    To assess the association of pharmacy students' personal characteristics with absenteeism and academic performance. A survey instrument was distributed to first- (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students to gather characteristics including employment status, travel time to school, and primary source of educational funding. In addition, absences from specific courses and reasons for not attending classes were assessed. Participants were divided into "high" and "low" performers based on grade point average. One hundred sixty survey instruments were completed and 135 (84.3%) were included in the study analysis. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to have missed more than 8 hours in therapeutics courses. Low performers were significantly more likely than high performers to miss class when the class was held before or after an examination and low performers were significantly more likely to believe that participating in class did not benefit them. There was a negative association between the number of hours students' missed and their performance in specific courses. These findings provide further insight into the reasons for students' absenteeism in a college or school of pharmacy setting.

  13. Using E-Learning for Skills Transfer, Motivation and Retention of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    sponsored Chainama College of Health Sciences, Kabwe. Campus premises and ... facility can accommodate 36 students and is earmarked to ... production, recruitment, deployment and retention, an innovation ... human resource support can increase the staff to .... Learning in Medical Education Academic Medicine: 2006 ...

  14. Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Furthermore, we relied on first-hand knowledge about the school events and ... As there was a multilevel change in university management in 2011, the periods and events before and after April 2011 .... not ascertain academics' motivation for.

  15. The relationship between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance in British adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    Adolphus, K; Lawton, CL; Dye, L

    2015-01-01

    Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adole...

  16. Effectiveness of Tutoring to Improve Academic Performance in Nursing Students at the University of Seville

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Dolores Guerra-Martín

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In response to the increase of Higher Education support provided to tutoring programs, this paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a tutoring program to improve the academic performance of at-risk students enrolled in the last year of a nursing degree characterized by academic failure (failed courses. A controlled experimental study was carried out to evaluate a tutoring program that included a minimum of nine meetings performed by an expert professor as tutor. A questionnaire for assessing the academic needs was designed and interventions were performed when responses were: nothing, a little or something. Medium to large effects were found in the progress of failed course to passed course (p =.000, rφ = .30, improving the information about courses (p < .001, d = 2.01, the information comprehension (p < .001, d = 0.85 and the strategies to improve academic performance (p < .001, d = 1.37. The intervention group students’ response highlighted program satisfaction and effectiveness. The significance of the study lies in reinforcing the formal tutoring as a tool to improve academic performance in at-risk students.

  17. Variable School Start Times and Middle School Student's Sleep Health and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewin, Daniel S; Wang, Guanghai; Chen, Yao I; Skora, Elizabeth; Hoehn, Jessica; Baylor, Allison; Wang, Jichuan

    2017-08-01

    Improving sleep health among adolescents is a national health priority and implementing healthy school start times (SSTs) is an important strategy to achieve these goals. This study leveraged the differences in middle school SST in a large district to evaluate associations between SST, sleep health, and academic performance. This cross-sectional study draws data from a county-wide surveillance survey. Participants were three cohorts of eighth graders (n = 26,440). The school district is unique because SST ranged from 7:20 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Path analysis and probit regression were used to analyze associations between SST and self-report measures of weekday sleep duration, grades, and homework controlling for demographic variables (sex, race, and socioeconomic status). The independent contributions of SST and sleep duration to academic performance were also analyzed. Earlier SST was associated with decreased sleep duration (χ 2  = 173, p academic performance, and academic effort. Path analysis models demonstrated the independent contributions of sleep duration, SST, and variable effects for demographic variables. This is the first study to evaluate the independent contributions of SST and sleep to academic performance in a large sample of middle school students. Deficient sleep was prevalent, and the earliest SST was associated with decrements in sleep and academics. These findings support the prioritization of policy initiatives to implement healthy SST for younger adolescents and highlight the importance of sleep health education disparities among race and gender groups. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. The relationship between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance in British adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie eAdolphus

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11-13 years (n=292; males: 53.8% completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0-2 days, occasional (3-4 days or frequent (5-7 days. Participants’ CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS for verbal, nonverbal, quantitative reasoning and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted. However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance.

  19. The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adolphus, Katie; Lawton, Clare L; Dye, Louise

    2015-01-01

    Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11-13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0-2 days), occasional (3-4 days), or frequent (5-7 days). Participants' CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance.

  20. The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adolphus, Katie; Lawton, Clare L.; Dye, Louise

    2015-01-01

    Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11–13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0–2 days), occasional (3–4 days), or frequent (5–7 days). Participants’ CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance. PMID:26000270

  1. Cyberstalking Victimization, Depression, and Academic Performance: The Role of Perceived Social Support from Parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Michelle F

    2018-02-01

    Little attention has been given to adolescents' experience of cyberstalking and how such experiences relate to their depression and academic performance. It is less clear how other variables, such as perceived social support, might impact these associations. Addressing these gaps in the literature, this study investigated the potential moderating effect of perceived social support from parents on the association between cyberstalking victimization and depression and academic performance, each assessed 1 year later, from 11th to 12th grade. Participants were 413 adolescents (ages 17-19 years old; 54 percent female; M = 17.39 years, SD = 0.53) in the 12th grade from a Midwestern city in the United States. They completed questionnaires on their self-reported face-to-face and cyberstalking victimization, depression, and perceived social support from parents. Adolescents' academic performance was also assessed using their school records. During the 12th grade, depression and academic performance were examined again. The findings indicated that the association between cyberstalking victimization and Time 2 depression was much more positive at lower levels of perceived social support, while such an association was more negative at higher levels of perceived social support. Opposite patterns were found for Time 2 academic performance. The results indicate the need for additional research focused on cyberstalking about adolescents.

  2. Family conflict and academic performance of first-year Asian American undergraduates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahrassa, Nazneen F; Syed, Moin; Su, Jenny; Lee, Richard M

    2011-10-01

    This three-study investigation examined risk and protective factors for poor academic performance among Asian American first-year undergraduates. Students were surveyed prior to starting college and their GPA was collected after their first semester in college. Family conflict as a significant risk factor for poor academic performance was examined in all three studies. The results indicate that higher family conflict prior to college was related to lower first-semester college GPA, after controlling for standardized test scores and high school rank (Studies 1-3). Even though psychological distress was related to both family conflict and GPA, it did not mediate the relationship between family conflict and GPA (Studies 2 and 3). In terms of protective factors, the results indicate that life satisfaction buffered the negative effects of family conflict on first-semester college GPA (Study 3). Together, these findings support the need to take into account family variables and psychological well-being in the academic performance of Asian American students as they transition from high school to college.

  3. Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinman, R E; Hall, S; Green, H; Korzec-Ramirez, D; Patton, K; Pagano, M E; Murphy, J M

    2002-01-01

    To determine whether nutrient intake and academic and psychosocial functioning improve after the start of a universal-free school breakfast program (USBP). Information was gathered from 97 inner city students prior to the start of a USBP and again after the program had been in place for 6 months. Students who had total energy intakes of breakfast at school than children who were not at nutritional risk. Six months after the start of the free school breakfast programs, students who decreased their nutritional risk showed significantly greater: improvements in attendance and school breakfast participation, decreases in hunger, and improvements in math grades and behavior than children who did not decrease their nutritional risk. Participation in a school breakfast program enhanced daily nutrient intake and improvements in nutrient intake were associated with significant improvements in student academic performance and psychosocial functioning and decreases in hunger. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  4. Determinants of Students Academic Performance in Senior High ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A binary logit model is used to investigate the determinants of students' performance in the final high school examination. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 1,129 final year students (614 boys and 515 girls) in ten senior high schools (SHSs) during the 2008/2009 academic year. Respondents were requested ...

  5. Evaluation of the Academic Performance of Private Admission ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The pass rate in all phases of medical study as well as the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) was lower among private admission students. This difference is proportionate to the difference in grades obtained at SSCE and number of re-sits. Conclusion: The academic performance of medical students in Sudan is ...

  6. Green roofs'retention performances in different climates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viola, Francesco; Hellies, Matteo; Deidda, Roberto

    2017-04-01

    The ongoing process of global urbanization contributes to increasing stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, threatening also water quality. Green roofs have been proved to be an innovative stormwater management tool to partially restore natural state, enhancing interception, infiltration and evapotranspiration fluxes. The amount of water that is retained within green roofs depends mainly on both soil properties and climate. The evaluation of the retained water is not trivial since it depends on the stochastic soil moisture dynamics. The aim of this work is to explore performances of green roofs, in terms of water retention, as a function of their depth considering different climate regimes. The role of climate in driving water retention has been mainly represented by rainfall and potential evapotranspiration dynamics, which are simulated by a simple conceptual weather generator at daily time scale. The model is able to describe seasonal (in-phase and counter-phase) and stationary behaviors of climatic forcings. Model parameters have been estimated on more than 20,000 historical time series retrieved worldwide. Exemplifying cases are discussed for five different climate scenarios, changing the amplitude and/or the phase of daily mean rainfall and evapotranspiration forcings. The first scenario represents stationary climates, in two other cases the daily mean rainfall or the potential evapotranspiration evolve sinusoidally. In the latter two cases, we simulated the in-phase or in counter-phase conditions. Stochastic forcings have been then used as an input to a simple conceptual hydrological model which simulate soil moisture dynamics, evapotranspiration fluxes, runoff and leakage from soil pack at daily time scale. For several combinations of annual rainfall and potential evapotranspiration, the analysis allowed assessing green roofs' retaining capabilities, at annual time scale. Provided abacus allows a first approximation of possible hydrological benefits

  7. Morningness-eveningness is not associated with academic performance in the afternoon school shift: Preliminary findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrona-Palacios, Arturo; Díaz-Morales, Juan F

    2017-11-01

    The effect of morningness-eveningness, sleep habits, and intelligence on academic performance has been studied in a fixed morning school shift. However, no studies have analysed these variables in an afternoon school shift and tested whether morningness-eveningness is related to academic performance beyond sleep habits and intelligence effects. The psychometric properties of the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) were analysed. Additionally, academic performance, sex, intelligence, sleep habits, and morningness-eveningness relationship in a morning and afternoon school shift were compared. The sample consisted of 400 students at a secondary public school in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, in north-eastern Mexico (195 boys and 205 girls; mean ± SD: 13.85 ± 0.70 years old) attending a double-shift school system: 200 from the morning shift (99 boys and 101 girls) and 200 from the afternoon shift (96 boys and 104 girls). The students completed the MESC as a measure of morningness-eveningness, a sleep habits survey, a test of academic performance, and the inductive reasoning subtest (R) of the Primary Mental Abilities battery. Adolescents in the two school shifts did not differ in academic performance and intelligence. In the afternoon shift, adolescents slept longer, reported less sleep deficit and social jet lag, and were more oriented to eveningness than adolescents in the morning shift. Sex (girls), sleep length, inductive reasoning, and morningness were associated with academic performance in the morning shift but only sex and intelligence in the afternoon shift. The role of morningness-eveningness in academic performance in the afternoon shift is examined. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  8. Academic performance study in young athletes from Playas de Castellón Athletics Club

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Capdevila Seder

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The study analyzed the possible relationship between academic performance of young athletes and some of the variables most used in this field. The sample consisted of 40 athletes Athletics Club Playas de Castellón, between 14 and 16 years, 22 boys and 18 girls. The main variables analyzed were academic performance, study habits, gender, sleep, sedentary leisure, socioeconomic status and dedication to sport. The instruments used were questionnaires CHTE (habits and study skills, PFYTL (physical practice and use of leisure time and the Questionnaire for parents. The results showed that academic performance was positively correlated with the dedication to sport and negatively with sleep. In addition, the female gender had a higher performance than male.

  9. Academic performance study in young athletes from Playas de Castellón Athletics Club

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Capdevila Seder

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The study analyzed the possible relationship between academic performance of young athletes and some of the variables most used in this field. The sample consisted of 40 athletes Athletics Club Playas de Castellón, between 14 and 16 years, 22 boys and 18 girls. The main variables analyzed were academic performance, study habits, gender, sleep, sedentary leisure, socioeconomic status and dedication to sport. The instruments used were questionnaires CHTE (habits and study skills, PFYTL (physical practice and use of leisure time and the Questionnaire for parents. The results showed that academic performance was positively correlated with the dedication to sport and negatively with sleep. In addition, the female gender had a higher performance than male.

  10. Serum leptin and cortisol, related to acutely perceived academic examination stress and performance in female university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haleem, Darakhshan J; Inam, Qurrat-Ul-Aen; Haider, Saida; Perveen, Tahira; Haleem, Muhammad Abdul

    2015-12-01

    Leptin, identified as an antiobesity hormone, also has important role in responses to stress and processing of memory. This study was designed to determine effects of academic examination stress-induced changes in serum leptin and its impact on academic performance. Eighty five healthy female students (age 19-21 years; BMI 21.9 ± 1.6) were recruited for the study. Serum leptin and cortisol were monitored at base line (beginning of academic session) and on the day of examination; using a standardized ELISA kit. Acute perception of academic examination stress was determined with the help of a questionnaire derived from Hamilton Anxiety Scale and self report of stress perception. Academic performance was evaluated by the percentage of marks obtained in the examination. Serum cortisol levels were positively correlated (p academic performance. There was an inverted U-shape relationship between level of stress and academic performance. Leptin increased in all stress groups and correlated (p academic performance. There was an inverted U-shape relationship between level of stress and circulating leptin. The findings suggest the peptide hormone, leptin, is a biomarker of stress perception and a mediator of facilitating effects of stress on cognition.

  11. Screen media usage, sleep time and academic performance in adolescents: clustering a self-organizing maps analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peiró-Velert, Carmen; Valencia-Peris, Alexandra; González, Luis M; García-Massó, Xavier; Serra-Añó, Pilar; Devís-Devís, José

    2014-01-01

    Screen media usage, sleep time and socio-demographic features are related to adolescents' academic performance, but interrelations are little explored. This paper describes these interrelations and behavioral profiles clustered in low and high academic performance. A nationally representative sample of 3,095 Spanish adolescents, aged 12 to 18, was surveyed on 15 variables linked to the purpose of the study. A Self-Organizing Maps analysis established non-linear interrelationships among these variables and identified behavior patterns in subsequent cluster analyses. Topological interrelationships established from the 15 emerging maps indicated that boys used more passive videogames and computers for playing than girls, who tended to use mobile phones to communicate with others. Adolescents with the highest academic performance were the youngest. They slept more and spent less time using sedentary screen media when compared to those with the lowest performance, and they also showed topological relationships with higher socioeconomic status adolescents. Cluster 1 grouped boys who spent more than 5.5 hours daily using sedentary screen media. Their academic performance was low and they slept an average of 8 hours daily. Cluster 2 gathered girls with an excellent academic performance, who slept nearly 9 hours per day, and devoted less time daily to sedentary screen media. Academic performance was directly related to sleep time and socioeconomic status, but inversely related to overall sedentary screen media usage. Profiles from the two clusters were strongly differentiated by gender, age, sedentary screen media usage, sleep time and academic achievement. Girls with the highest academic results had a medium socioeconomic status in Cluster 2. Findings may contribute to establishing recommendations about the timing and duration of screen media usage in adolescents and appropriate sleep time needed to successfully meet the demands of school academics and to improve

  12. Screen media usage, sleep time and academic performance in adolescents: clustering a self-organizing maps analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Peiró-Velert

    Full Text Available Screen media usage, sleep time and socio-demographic features are related to adolescents' academic performance, but interrelations are little explored. This paper describes these interrelations and behavioral profiles clustered in low and high academic performance. A nationally representative sample of 3,095 Spanish adolescents, aged 12 to 18, was surveyed on 15 variables linked to the purpose of the study. A Self-Organizing Maps analysis established non-linear interrelationships among these variables and identified behavior patterns in subsequent cluster analyses. Topological interrelationships established from the 15 emerging maps indicated that boys used more passive videogames and computers for playing than girls, who tended to use mobile phones to communicate with others. Adolescents with the highest academic performance were the youngest. They slept more and spent less time using sedentary screen media when compared to those with the lowest performance, and they also showed topological relationships with higher socioeconomic status adolescents. Cluster 1 grouped boys who spent more than 5.5 hours daily using sedentary screen media. Their academic performance was low and they slept an average of 8 hours daily. Cluster 2 gathered girls with an excellent academic performance, who slept nearly 9 hours per day, and devoted less time daily to sedentary screen media. Academic performance was directly related to sleep time and socioeconomic status, but inversely related to overall sedentary screen media usage. Profiles from the two clusters were strongly differentiated by gender, age, sedentary screen media usage, sleep time and academic achievement. Girls with the highest academic results had a medium socioeconomic status in Cluster 2. Findings may contribute to establishing recommendations about the timing and duration of screen media usage in adolescents and appropriate sleep time needed to successfully meet the demands of school academics and

  13. The Effect of Birth Weight on Academic Performance: Instrumental Variable Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shi Lin; Leung, Gabriel Matthew; Schooling, C Mary

    2017-05-01

    Observationally, lower birth weight is usually associated with poorer academic performance; whether this association is causal or the result of confounding is unknown. To investigate this question, we obtained an effect estimate, which can have a causal interpretation under specific assumptions, of birth weight on educational attainment using instrumental variable analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms determining birth weight combined with results from the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium study of 126,559 Caucasians. We similarly obtained an estimate of the effect of birth weight on academic performance in 4,067 adolescents from Hong Kong's (Chinese) Children of 1997 birth cohort (1997-2016), using twin status as an instrumental variable. Birth weight was not associated with years of schooling (per 100-g increase in birth weight, -0.006 years, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.02, 0.01) or college completion (odds ratio = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.03). Birth weight was also unrelated to academic performance in adolescents (per 100-g increase in birth weight, -0.004 grade, 95% CI: -0.04, 0.04) using instrumental variable analysis, although conventional regression gave a small positive association (0.02 higher grade, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03). Observed associations of birth weight with academic performance may not be causal, suggesting that interventions should focus on the contextual factors generating this correlation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Processing efficiency theory in children: working memory as a mediator between trait anxiety and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Matthew; Stevenson, Jim; Norgate, Roger; Hadwin, Julie A

    2008-10-01

    Working memory skills are positively associated with academic performance. In contrast, high levels of trait anxiety are linked with educational underachievement. Based on Eysenck and Calvo's (1992) processing efficiency theory (PET), the present study investigated whether associations between anxiety and educational achievement were mediated via poor working memory performance. Fifty children aged 11-12 years completed verbal (backwards digit span; tapping the phonological store/central executive) and spatial (Corsi blocks; tapping the visuospatial sketchpad/central executive) working memory tasks. Trait anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. Academic performance was assessed using school administered tests of reasoning (Cognitive Abilities Test) and attainment (Standard Assessment Tests). The results showed that the association between trait anxiety and academic performance was significantly mediated by verbal working memory for three of the six academic performance measures (math, quantitative and non-verbal reasoning). Spatial working memory did not significantly mediate the relationship between trait anxiety and academic performance. On average verbal working memory accounted for 51% of the association between trait anxiety and academic performance, while spatial working memory only accounted for 9%. The findings indicate that PET is a useful framework to assess the impact of children's anxiety on educational achievement.

  15. Adding a Performance-Based Component to Surface Warfare Officer Bonuses: Will it Affect Retention?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Carman, Aron S; Mudd, Ryan M

    2008-01-01

    ... Authorization and the current officer inventory beginning at 9 years of commissioned service. The objective of this study was to analyze the 13-year retention effect of adding a performance-based component to the SWO Critical Skills Bonus (CSB...

  16. Does Sedentary Behavior Predict Academic Performance in Adolescents or the Other Way Round? A Longitudinal Path Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lizandra, Jorge; Devís-Devís, José; Pérez-Gimeno, Esther; Valencia-Peris, Alexandra; Peiró-Velert, Carmen

    2016-01-01

    This study examined whether adolescents' time spent on sedentary behaviors (academic, technological-based and social-based activities) was a better predictor of academic performance than the reverse. A cohort of 755 adolescents participated in a three-year period study. Structural Equation Modeling techniques were used to test plausible causal hypotheses. Four competing models were analyzed to determine which model best fitted the data. The Best Model was separately tested by gender. The Best Model showed that academic performance was a better predictor of sedentary behaviors than the other way round. It also indicated that students who obtained excellent academic results were more likely to succeed academically three years later. Moreover, adolescents who spent more time in the three different types of sedentary behaviors were more likely to engage longer in those sedentary behaviors after the three-year period. The better the adolescents performed academically, the less time they devoted to social-based activities and more to academic activities. An inverse relationship emerged between time dedicated to technological-based activities and academic sedentary activities. A moderating auto-regressive effect by gender indicated that boys were more likely to spend more time on technological-based activities three years later than girls. To conclude, previous academic performance predicts better sedentary behaviors three years later than the reverse. The positive longitudinal auto-regressive effects on the four variables under study reinforce the 'success breeds success' hypothesis, with academic performance and social-based activities emerging as the strongest ones. Technological-based activities showed a moderating effect by gender and a negative longitudinal association with academic activities that supports a displacement hypothesis. Other longitudinal and covariate effects reflect the complex relationships among sedentary behaviors and academic performance and the

  17. Association between Self-Reported Academic Performance and Risky Sexual Behavior among Ugandan University Students- A Cross Sectional Study

    OpenAIRE

    Mehra, Devika; Kyagaba, Emmanuel; ?stergren, Per-Olof; Agardh, Anette

    2014-01-01

    Little is known about the association between self-reported academic performance and risky sexual behaviors and if this differs by gender, among university students. Academic performance can create psychological pressure in young students. Poor academic performance might thus potentially contribute to risky sexual behavior among university students. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-reported academic performance and risky sexual behaviors, and whether gende...

  18. The Relationship between Self-Concept and Academic Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined the relationship between self-concept and academic performance of Nigerian students. The study made use of 1000 participants (500 males and 500 females) whose ages ranged from 15-18 with a mean of 16.7 and a standard deviation of 1.12. The study used an indigenous self concept scale ...

  19. 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…

  20. Emotional Intelligence and its Relationship with Gender, Academic Performance and Intellectual Abilities of Undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valadez Sierra, Maria de los Dolores; Borges del Rosal, Maria Africa; Ruvalcaba Romero, Norma; Villegas, Karina; Lorenzo, Maryurena

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Emotional intelligence has been linked to several variables, such as gender, and academic performance. In the area of high intellectual abilities, the literature shows controversy, without a unanimous result on the relationship between both variables. In the present study we analyzed the modulatory effect has academic performance in…

  1. The Role of Peer Rejection in the Link between Reactive Aggression and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fite, Paula J.; Hendrickson, Michelle; Rubens, Sonia L.; Gabrielli, Joy; Evans, Spencer

    2013-01-01

    Background: There is substantial evidence to suggest that aggressive behavior is associated with poor academic performance in school-aged children. However, less is known about how different subtypes of aggression are related to academic performance and what variables may account for this association. Objective: The current study examined unique…

  2. Intelligence and Scientific-Creative Thinking: Their Convergence in the Explanation of Students' Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Maria Jose; Bermejo, Rosario; Ferrando, Mercedes; Prieto, Maria Dolores; Sainz, Marta

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Academic performance is usually generally explained by student's intelligence, although other factors such as personality and motivation also account for it. Factors associated with a more complex thought process in adolescence are also beginning to gain importance in the prediction of academic performance. Among these forms of…

  3. Trait procrastination among dental students in India and its influence on academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhan, Balasubramanian; Kumar, Cholleti Sudheer; Naik, Eslavath Seena; Panda, Sujit; Gayathri, Haritheertham; Barik, Ashish Kumar

    2012-10-01

    Trait procrastination is believed to be highly prevalent among college students and detrimental to their educational performance. As the scenario among dental students is virtually unknown, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of trait procrastination among dental students and to analyze its influence on their academic performance. A total of 174 fourth-year dental students from three dental colleges in India voluntarily completed the Lay's Procrastination Scale-student version (LPS). The mean percentage marks scored in the subsequent final university examinations were used as a measure of academic performance. The descriptive statistics were computed to evaluate the prevalence of significant procrastination (LPS score ≥60). Mann-Whitney U test and multiple linear regressions were used to assess the influence of age and gender on procrastination severity, and the latter was again used to analyze the association between procrastination severity and academic performance. The results indicated that 27 percent (n=47) of the students exhibited a significant extent of trait procrastination; neither age nor gender affected its severity (pProcrastination had a significant and negative impact on the academic performance of the student (beta=-0.150, p=0.039). These findings highlight the need for active measures to reduce the causes and consequences of procrastination in dental education.

  4. School Competence and Fluent Academic Performance: Informing Assessment of Educational Outcomes in Survivors of Pediatric Medulloblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Alice Ann; Hughes, Carroll W; Stavinoha, Peter L

    2015-01-01

    Academic difficulties are widely acknowledged but not adequately studied in survivors of pediatric medulloblastoma. Although most survivors require special education services and are significantly less likely than healthy peers to finish high school, measured academic skills are typically average. This study sought to identify potential factors associated with academic difficulties in this population and focused on school competence and fluent academic performance. Thirty-six patients (ages 7-18 years old) were recruited through the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology at Children's Medical Center Dallas and Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, TX. Participants completed a neuropsychological screening battery including selected Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement subtests. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. School competence was significantly correlated with measured academic skills and fluency. Basic academic skill development was broadly average, in contrast to significantly worse fluent academic performance. School competence may have utility as a measure estimating levels of educational success in this population. Additionally, academic difficulties experienced by childhood medulloblastoma survivors may be better captured by measuring deficits in fluent academic performance rather than skills. Identification of these potential factors associated with educational outcomes of pediatric medulloblastoma survivors has significant implications for research, clinical assessment, and academic services/interventions.

  5. Student retention in athletic training education programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodge, Thomas M; Mitchell, Murray F; Mensch, James M

    2009-01-01

    The success of any academic program, including athletic training, depends upon attracting and keeping quality students. The nature of persistent students versus students who prematurely leave the athletic training major is not known. Understanding the profiles of athletic training students who persist or leave is important. To (1) explore the relationships among the following variables: anticipatory factors, academic integration, clinical integration, social integration, and motivation; (2) determine which of the aforementioned variables discriminate between senior athletic training students and major changers; and (3) identify which variable is the strongest predictor of persistence in athletic training education programs. Descriptive study using a qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approach. Thirteen athletic training education programs located in District 3 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Ninety-four senior-level athletic training students and 31 college students who changed majors from athletic training to another degree option. Data were collected with the Athletic Training Education Program Student Retention Questionnaire (ATEPSRQ). Data from the ATEPSRQ were analyzed via Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis of variance, and a stepwise discriminant analysis. Open-ended questions were transcribed and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. Member checks and peer debriefing techniques ensured trustworthiness of the study. Pearson correlations identified moderate relationships among motivation and clinical integration (r = 0.515, P accounting for 37.2% of the variance between groups. The theoretic model accurately classified 95.7% of the seniors and 53.8% of the major changers. A common theme emerging from the qualitative data was the presence of a strong peer-support group that surrounded many of the senior-level students. Understanding student retention in athletic training is

  6. Personality traits measured at baseline can predict academic performance in upper secondary school three years late.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosander, Pia; Bäckström, Martin

    2014-12-01

    The aim of the present study was to explore the ability of personality to predict academic performance in a longitudinal study of a Swedish upper secondary school sample. Academic performance was assessed throughout a three-year period via final grades from the compulsory school and upper secondary school. The Big Five personality factors (Costa & McCrae, ) - particularly Conscientiousness and Neuroticism - were found to predict overall academic performance, after controlling for general intelligence. Results suggest that Conscientiousness, as measured at the age of 16, can explain change in academic performance at the age of 19. The effect of Neuroticism on Conscientiousness indicates that, as regarding getting good grades, it is better to be a bit neurotic than to be stable. The study extends previous work by assessing the relationship between the Big Five and academic performance over a three-year period. The results offer educators avenues for improving educational achievement. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Performances of helium, neon and argon glow discharges for reduction of fuel hydrogen retention in tungsten, stainless steel and graphite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hino, T.; Yamauchi, Y.; Kimura, Y.; Matsumoto, A.; Nishimura, K.; Ueda, Y.

    2012-11-01

    It is quite important to investigate the performance of glow discharge conditionings for controls of in-vessel tritium (T) inventory and hydrogen recycling. For this purpose, first, the deuterium (D) retentions in tungsten (W), graphite (C) and stainless steel (SS) were measured. The retention in W was not small as expected, several times larger than that of SS, although the retention in SS was one order smaller than that of C. Such the large retention in W is owing to the growth of rough surface structure produced by plasma irradiations. For reduction of deuterium retention in W, SS and C, second, inert gas (He, Ne, Ar) glow discharges were conducted under the same condition, and these performances were compared. The removal ratio of deuterium retention was highest in He discharge, and lowest in Ar discharge. These values are well explained by the numerical analyses using SRIM code. The removal ratios for SS and C were significantly large, but quite small for W. This reason is again owing to the rough surface structure in W. For W, thirdly, the hydrogen isotope exchange and the wall baking experiments were conducted. It is found that the wall backing with a temperature higher than 700 K can well reduce the retention, and the hydrogen isotope exchange using deuterium glow discharge is also useful to reduce the tritium retention in the wall. The present results significantly contribute to control the fuel hydrogen retention and to reduce the in-vessel tritium inventory in fusion reactors. (author)

  8. Undergraduate medical academic performance is improved by scientific training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Chong; Liu, Zhongming; Cai, Yunfei; Cao, Xingguo; He, Yushan; Liu, Guoxiang; Miao, Hongming

    2017-09-01

    The effect of scientific training on course learning in undergraduates is still controversial. In this study, we investigated the academic performance of undergraduate students with and without scientific training. The results show that scientific training improves students' test scores in general medical courses, such as biochemistry and molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, and even English. We classified scientific training into four levels. We found that literature reading could significantly improve students' test scores in general courses. Students who received scientific training carried out experiments more effectively and published articles performed better than their untrained counterparts in biochemistry and molecular biology examinations. The questionnaire survey demonstrated that the trained students were more confident of their course learning, and displayed more interest, motivation and capability in course learning. In summary, undergraduate academic performance is improved by scientific training. Our findings shed light on the novel strategies in the management of undergraduate education in the medical school. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(5):379-384, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  9. Impact of vocational interests, previous academic experience, gender and age on Situational Judgement Test performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schripsema, Nienke R; van Trigt, Anke M; Borleffs, Jan C C; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

    2017-05-01

    Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) are increasingly implemented in medical school admissions. In this paper, we investigate the effects of vocational interests, previous academic experience, gender and age on SJT performance. The SJT was part of the selection process for the Bachelor's degree programme in Medicine at University of Groningen, the Netherlands. All applicants for the academic year 2015-2016 were included and had to choose between learning communities Global Health (n = 126), Sustainable Care (n = 149), Intramural Care (n = 225), or Molecular Medicine (n = 116). This choice was used as a proxy for vocational interest. In addition, all graduate-entry applicants for academic year 2015-2016 (n = 213) were included to examine the effect of previous academic experience on performance. We used MANCOVA analyses with Bonferroni post hoc multiple comparisons tests for applicant performance on a six-scenario SJT. The MANCOVA analyses showed that for all scenarios, the independent variables were significantly related to performance (Pillai's Trace: 0.02-0.47, p performance on three scenarios (p performance on two scenarios (p performance, as was previous academic experience. Gender and age were related to performance on SJT scenarios in different settings. Especially the first effect might be helpful in selecting appropriate candidates for areas of health care in which more professionals are needed.

  10. Sleep-disordered breathing, behavior, and academic performance in Taiwan schoolchildren.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ting, Hua; Wong, Ruey-Hong; Yang, Hao-Jan; Lee, Shu-Ping; Lee, Shin-Da; Wang, Lee

    2011-01-01

    The behaviors of children may be affected by sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). This study adopts a cross-sectional approach to investigate the relationship between the sleep apneas-hypopneas index during sleep and the behavioral and academic performance of schoolchildren in Taiwan. A total of 138 children (85 boys and 53 girls), ages 6-11, were recruited from two elementary schools to participate in this study. Overnight polysomnographic examinations in hospital were performed to assess sleep quality, including total sleep time, arousal index, apneas-hypopneas index, desaturation index, and lowest oxygen saturation, as well as the percentage of total sleep time spent in rapid eye movement, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4. The children's parents and teachers were required to complete a Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher's Report Form to assess child behavior and academic achievement. Compared with children without SDB (apneas-hypopneas index ≤1), those with severe SDB (apneas-hypopneas index >15) exhibited more irregular behavioral performance in somatic complaints (odds ratio (OR) = 9.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-85.71) and attention (OR = 9.95; 95% CI = 1.02-97.00). However, different severities of SDB groups did not show significant associations in academic performance. Our study suggests that children with severe SDB may predispose to somatic complaints and attention problems so that sleep examination or medical intervention might be provided at an early age in these children.

  11. Child Abuse and Academic Performance of Secondary School ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The need to provide research information about the prevalence of street hawking, its effects and educational factors was the focus of this research. The focus of this study is on street hawking as an aspect of child labour, abuse and neglect. The goal of the research on child abuse and academic performance of children who ...

  12. Relations of academic procrastination, rationalizations, and performance in a web course with deadlines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuckman, Bruce W

    2005-06-01

    This study compared students' academic procrastination tendency with the (1) frequency and nature of rationalizations used to justify procrastination, (2) self-regulation, and (3) performance in a web-based study strategies course with frequent performance deadlines. 106 college students completed the 16-item Tuckman Procrastination Scale, a measure of tendency to procrastinate, the Frequency of Use Self-survey of Rationalizations for Procrastination, and a 9-item self-regulation scale. Students' subsequent course performance was measured by total points earned. A linear regression with Academic Procrastination as the criterion variable and Rationalization score and Course Points as the predictor variables suggested academic procrastinators support procrastinating by rationalizing, not self-regulating, and thus put themselves at a disadvantage, with respect to evaluation in highly structured courses with frequent enforced deadlines.

  13. Investigating First Year College Student Locus of Control in Relation to Retention: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estes, Aaron

    2017-01-01

    Institutions of higher education place a high priority on retaining students. With orientation programming, tutoring, learning communities, peer mentoring, and other efforts, institutions dedicate the resources necessary to increase the academic success of their students because academic success has a positive relationship with retention. Through…

  14. Academic performance of opposite-sex and same-sex twins in adolescence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juel Ahrenfeldt, Linda; Petersen, Inge; Johnson, Wendy

    2015-01-01

    confirm a masculinizing effect of a male co-twin regarding for instance perception and cognition it remains unclear whether intra-uterine hormone transfer exists in humans. Our aim was to test the potential influences of testosterone on academic performance in OS twins. We compared ninth-grade test scores...... not provide evidence for a masculinization of female twins with male co-twins with regard to academic performance in adolescence....... and teacher ratings of OS (n=1812) and SS (n=4054) twins as well as of twins and singletons (n=13,900) in mathematics, physics/chemistry, Danish, and English. We found that males had significantly higher test scores in mathematics than females (.06-.15 SD), whereas females performed better in Danish (.33...

  15. Morphometry of the corpus callosum in Chinese children: relationship with gender and academic performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ng, Wing Hung Alex; Chan, Yu.Lung; Au, Kit Sum Agnes; Yeung, Ka Wai David; Kwan, Ting Fai; To, Cho Yee

    2005-01-01

    The corpus callosum has been widely studied, but no study has demonstrated whether its size and shape have any relationship with language and calculation performance. To examine the morphometry of the corpus callosum of normal Chinese children and its relationship with gender and academic performance. One hundred primary school children (63 boys, 37 girls; age 6.5-10 years) were randomly selected and the standardized academic performance for each was ascertained. On the mid-sagittal section of a brain MRI, the length, height and total area of the corpus callosum and its thickness at different sites were measured. These were correlated with sex and academic performance. Apart from the normal average dimension of the different parts of the corpus callosum, thickness at the body-splenium junction in the average-to-good performance group was significantly greater than the below-average performance group in Chinese language (P=0.005), English language (P=0.02) and mathematics (P=0.01). The remainder of the callosal thickness showed no significant relationship with academic performance. There was no significant sex difference in the thickness of any part of the corpus callosum. These findings raise the suggestion that language and mathematics proficiency may be related to the morphometry of the fibre connections in the posterior parietal lobes. (orig.)

  16. Morphometry of the corpus callosum in Chinese children: relationship with gender and academic performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ng, Wing Hung Alex; Chan, Yu.Lung [Prince of Wales Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, Shatin, Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Au, Kit Sum Agnes [James Cook University, Department of Psychology, Townsville, Queensland (Australia); Yeung, Ka Wai David; Kwan, Ting Fai; To, Cho Yee

    2005-06-01

    The corpus callosum has been widely studied, but no study has demonstrated whether its size and shape have any relationship with language and calculation performance. To examine the morphometry of the corpus callosum of normal Chinese children and its relationship with gender and academic performance. One hundred primary school children (63 boys, 37 girls; age 6.5-10 years) were randomly selected and the standardized academic performance for each was ascertained. On the mid-sagittal section of a brain MRI, the length, height and total area of the corpus callosum and its thickness at different sites were measured. These were correlated with sex and academic performance. Apart from the normal average dimension of the different parts of the corpus callosum, thickness at the body-splenium junction in the average-to-good performance group was significantly greater than the below-average performance group in Chinese language (P=0.005), English language (P=0.02) and mathematics (P=0.01). The remainder of the callosal thickness showed no significant relationship with academic performance. There was no significant sex difference in the thickness of any part of the corpus callosum. These findings raise the suggestion that language and mathematics proficiency may be related to the morphometry of the fibre connections in the posterior parietal lobes. (orig.)

  17. The Effect of Primary School Mergers on Academic Performance of Students in Rural China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chengfang; Zhang, Linxiu; Luo, Renfu; Rozelle, Scott; Loyalka, Prashant

    2010-01-01

    We examine the impact of primary school mergers on academic performance of students using a dataset that we collected using a survey designed specifically to examine changes in the academic performance of students before and after their schools were merged. We use difference-in-differences and propensity score matching approaches and demonstrate…

  18. The Relation between Binge Drinking and Academic Performance: Considering the Mediating Effects of Academic Involvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Brian P.; Loes, Chad N.; Trolian, Teniell L.

    2017-01-01

    Using longitudinal data from multiple institutions, we focused on the relation between binge drinking and academic performance. Binge drinking exerts a negative influence on grade point average, even after accounting for a host of precollege confounding variables. Furthermore, the number of times a student binge drinks in college is less…

  19. Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Emma; Devine, Amy; Hill, Francesca; Szűcs, Dénes

    2017-01-01

    Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8-9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11-13). We conducted latent profile analysis of students' anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance. Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety. There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one's anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.

  20. Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma Carey

    Full Text Available Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance.We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8-9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11-13. We conducted latent profile analysis of students' anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance.Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety. Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety.There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one's anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.

  1. Influence of parenting style on the academic performance of middle school students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María José Domínguez

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Students who don't succeed in school are a persistent problem in our educational system. This fact shows that all the efforts to reduce this problem are not succeeding. One third of our students are left behind by the educational system; their results are discouraging. The measures to fight the academic failure are not working and that we have to put into practice new ways of analysis and treatment of this problem. This research explores the relationship between the way children perceive the parenting style of their parents and his o her own academic performance. In the intersection of both phenomena we find our hypothesis: the way parents socialise their children influences significantly on their academic performance. This research is orientated to decision taking process: the aim is to define the level of influence of the parenting style on academic outcomes. The main result is that parents acceptation/implication appears to be significantly linked to the school performance (this evidence shows a big area for new researches: the family. Our research confirms and frames the correlation between these two variables and underlies the family as a new scenario of pedagogical concern to explain and treat school failure.

  2. Perception of educational environment: Does it impact academic performance of medical students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarwar, Shahid; Tarique, Shandana

    2016-10-01

    To compare environmental perception as measured by the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure of students with high and low academic performance. This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out at the Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala, Pakistan, and comprised medical students. Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure questionnaire with 50 items was used to determine students' perception of the institutional environment. Academic performance was based on mean percentage of marks obtained in all professional examinations. High achievers with 70% or more marks were compared with low achievers with academic self-perceptions', 27.76±6.03 for perceptions of atmosphere and 15.97±3.0 for social self-perceptions. The mean dream score was 108.51±17.54 among boys and 118.39±17.90 among girls. The mean score for perception of having successful learning strategies was 1.66±0.9and 2.18±0.9 among low and high achievers (p>0.05) and 1.71±0.98 and 2.18±1.1 for ability to memorise all that was needed (p>0.05). Environmental perception of the institution was more positive than negative and better performance in examinations was associated with better academic self-perception and social self-perception in students.

  3. Academically Buoyant Students Are Less Anxious about and Perform Better in High-Stakes Examinations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putwain, David W.; Daly, Anthony L.; Chamberlain, Suzanne; Sadreddini, Shireen

    2015-01-01

    Background: Prior research has shown that test anxiety is negatively related to academic buoyancy, but it is not known whether test anxiety is an antecedent or outcome of academic buoyancy. Furthermore, it is not known whether academic buoyancy is related to performance on high-stakes examinations. Aims: To test a model specifying reciprocal…

  4. Gifted students' academic performance in medical school: a study of Olympiad winners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyong-Jee; Kee, Changwon

    2012-01-01

    The present study examines the performance of academically talented students (i.e., those who received awards in Olympiads, the international competitions for gifted students in science or mathematics) in medical school. The goal is to investigate whether students exceptionally talented in science and mathematics excel in medical school. A retrospective analysis of 13 cohorts of medical students (N = 475) was conducted to compare learning outcomes of academically talented students (ATS) with their peers in terms of their grade point averages (GPAs) and national licensing exam (KMLE) scores. ATS outperformed their peers in total GPAs (p success in medical school, even among those with exceptional talent. Better understanding of nonacademic factors associated with medical school performance is warranted to improve our selection processes and to better help academically talented students succeed in medical school.

  5. 314 A Study of Secondary School Students' Academic Performance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    Students' Academic Performance in English Language and Mathematics ... passed at credit level by secondary schools students in public examinations. A credit level ..... ls O n lin e: www.a jo l.in fo. T ab le 1. : P ercen tage of p asses and failu.

  6. Statistics Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, Learning Behavior, and Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macher, Daniel; Paechter, Manuela; Papousek, Ilona; Ruggeri, Kai

    2012-01-01

    The present study investigated the relationship between statistics anxiety, individual characteristics (e.g., trait anxiety and learning strategies), and academic performance. Students enrolled in a statistics course in psychology (N = 147) filled in a questionnaire on statistics anxiety, trait anxiety, interest in statistics, mathematical…

  7. A Study of Secondary School Students' Academic Performance at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study assessed and investigated the academic performance of secondary school students in two principal subjects (English Language and. Mathematics) at the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) in ten secondary schools typical of urban and rural locations in five randomised. Local Government Areas of ...

  8. Class attendance, peer similarity, and academic performance in a large field study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kassarnig, Valentin; Bjerre-Nielsen, Andreas; Mones, Enys

    2017-01-01

    Identifying the factors that determine academic performance is an essential part of educational research. Existing research indicates that class attendance is a useful predictor of subsequent course achievements. The majority of the literature is, however, based on surveys and self-reports, methods....... Based on measured attendance data of nearly 1,000 undergraduate students, we demonstrate that early and consistent class attendance strongly correlates with academic performance. In addition, our novel dataset allows us to determine that attendance among social peers was substantially correlated (>0...

  9. Perceptions of pre-clerkship medical students and academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance: a cross-sectional perspective from Saudi Arabia

    OpenAIRE

    AlFakhri, Lama; Sarraj, Jumana; Kherallah, Shouq; Kuhail, Khulood; Obeidat, Akef; Abu-Zaid, Ahmed

    2015-01-01

    Background The medical student population is believed to be at an increased risk for sleep deprivation. Little is known about students? perceptions towards sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance. The aim of study is to explore the perceptions of medical students and their academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance. Methods The study took place at Alfaisal University, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online, anony...

  10. Determinants of Malaysian and Singaporean Economics Undergraduates' Academic Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Chang Da Wan; Roland K. Cheo

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the determinants of economics undergraduates' academic performance in the top national universities of Singapore and Malaysia: the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Malaya (UM). Using three basic components of economics as the dependent variable, i.e. basic microeconomics, basic macroeconomics and statistics/econometrics, it was found that students' pre-university grade is the most important determinant in undergraduates' performance. However, un...

  11. Relationship between procrastination and academic performance among a group of undergraduate dental students in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakshminarayan, Nagesh; Potdar, Shrudha; Reddy, Siddana Goud

    2013-04-01

    Procrastination, generally defined as a voluntary, irrational delay of behavior, is a prevalent phenomenon among college students throughout the world and occurs at alarmingly high rates. For this study, a survey was conducted of 209 second-, third-, and fourth-year undergraduate dental students of Bapuji Dental College and Hospital, Davangere, India, to identify the relationship between their level of procrastination and academic performance. A sixteen-item questionnaire was used to assess the level of procrastination among these students. Data related to their academic performance were also collected. Spearman's correlation coefficient test was used to assess the relationship between procrastination and academic performance. It showed a negative correlation of -0.63 with a significance level of pprocrastination scores performed below average in their academics. In addition, analysis with the Mann-Whitney U test found a significant difference in procrastination scores between the two gender groups (pprocrastination and vice versa.

  12. Improved Fuzzy Modelling to Predict the Academic Performance of Distance Education Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osman Yildiz

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available It is essential to predict distance education students’ year-end academic performance early during the course of the semester and to take precautions using such prediction-based information. This will, in particular, help enhance their academic performance and, therefore, improve the overall educational quality. The present study was on the development of a mathematical model intended to predict distance education students’ year-end academic performance using the first eight-week data on the learning management system. First, two fuzzy models were constructed, namely the classical fuzzy model and the expert fuzzy model, the latter being based on expert opinion. Afterwards, a gene-fuzzy model was developed optimizing membership functions through genetic algorithm. The data on distance education were collected through Moodle, an open source learning management system. The data were on a total of 218 students who enrolled in Basic Computer Sciences in 2012. The input data consisted of the following variables: When a student logged on to the system for the last time after the content of a lesson was uploaded, how often he/she logged on to the system, how long he/she stayed online in the last login, what score he/she got in the quiz taken in Week 4, and what score he/she got in the midterm exam taken in Week 8. A comparison was made among the predictions of the three models concerning the students’ year-end academic performance.

  13. Academic performance and student engagement in level 1 physics undergraduates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casey, M M; McVitie, S

    2009-01-01

    At the beginning of academic year 2007-08, staff in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow started to implement a number of substantial changes to the administration of the level 1 physics undergraduate class. The main aims were to improve the academic performance and progression statistics. With this in mind, a comprehensive system of learning support was introduced, the main remit being the provision of an improved personal contact and academic monitoring and support strategy for all students at level 1. The effects of low engagement with compulsory continuous assessment components had already been observed to have a significant effect on students sitting in the middle of the grade curve. Analysis of data from the 2007-08 class showed that even some nominally high-achieving students achieved lowered grades due to the effects of low engagement. Nonetheless, academic and other support measures put in place during 2007-08 played a part in raising the passrate for the level 1 physics class by approximately 8% as well as raising the progression rate by approximately 10%.

  14. Academic performance and student engagement in level 1 physics undergraduates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casey, M M; McVitie, S [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: m.casey@physics.gla.ac.uk

    2009-09-15

    At the beginning of academic year 2007-08, staff in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow started to implement a number of substantial changes to the administration of the level 1 physics undergraduate class. The main aims were to improve the academic performance and progression statistics. With this in mind, a comprehensive system of learning support was introduced, the main remit being the provision of an improved personal contact and academic monitoring and support strategy for all students at level 1. The effects of low engagement with compulsory continuous assessment components had already been observed to have a significant effect on students sitting in the middle of the grade curve. Analysis of data from the 2007-08 class showed that even some nominally high-achieving students achieved lowered grades due to the effects of low engagement. Nonetheless, academic and other support measures put in place during 2007-08 played a part in raising the passrate for the level 1 physics class by approximately 8% as well as raising the progression rate by approximately 10%.

  15. Objectively measured and self-reported leisure-time sedentary behavior and academic performance in youth: The UP&DOWN Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Martinez-Gomez, David; Sallis, James F; Cabanas-Sánchez, Verónica; Fernández-Santos, Jorge; Castro-Piñero, Jose; Veiga, Oscar L

    2015-08-01

    To examine the associations of (i) objectively measured and self-reported sedentary behavior during leisure time with academic performance and (ii) patterns of sedentary behavior with academic performance. This study was conducted with 1146 youth aged 12.5±2.5years in Spain during 2011-2012. Leisure-time sedentary behavior during out-of-school hours was assessed by accelerometry and self-report. Academic performance was assessed through school grades. Objectively measured sedentary leisure-time was not significantly associated with academic performance. Time spent in Internet surfing, listening to music, and sitting without doing anything were negatively associated with all academic performance indicators (β ranging from -0.066 to -0.144; all pacademic indicators (β ranging from -0.085 to -0.148; all pacademic indicators (β ranging from 0.063 to 0.105; all pleisure-time, but not objectively measured sedentary leisure time, may influence academic performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Academic Performance in Introductory Accounting: Do Learning Styles Matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Lin Mei; Laswad, Fawzi

    2015-01-01

    This study examines the impact of learning styles on academic performance using major assessment methods (examinations and assignments including multiple-choice and constructed response questions (CRQs)) in an introductory accounting course. Students' learning styles were assessed using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory Version 3.1. The results…

  17. Academic Performance of Less Endowed High School Students in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper investigates the academic performance of students from less endowed senior high schools in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Questionnaires were administered to 152 (123 males and 29 females) fourth year students who enrolled for various programmes at KNUST in 2007 ...

  18. Analysis of academic performance of Bachelor of Science in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING AJOL · RESOURCES ... Journal Home > Vol 10, No 3S (2018) > ... The present study was designed to analyze the academic performance of ... Management and Human Resource Development and Management are the participants of the study.

  19. The Influence of Instructional Materials on Academic Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This research work investigated the influence of instructional materials (teaching aids) on students' academic performance in senior secondary school Chemistry in Cross River State. A two group pre-test post test quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. One research question and one hypothesis were ...

  20. Causal Variables and Academic Performance of Students in Cross ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated the causal variables (Child, Family, School, Society and Government) and academic performance of secondary school students in Cross River State: A basis for counselling and programme planning. The study adopted the descriptive survey method. It made use of two research questions and ...

  1. Stress level and academic performance of university students in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined the relationship between level of stress and students' academic performance in Universities in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Proportional stratified random sampling was used to select 300 students for the study. A “Students' Stress Level Questionnaire ...

  2. Undergraduate Medical Academic Performance is Improved by Scientific Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Chong; Liu, Zhongming; Cai, Yunfei; Cao, Xingguo; He, Yushan; Liu, Guoxiang; Miao, Hongming

    2017-01-01

    The effect of scientific training on course learning in undergraduates is still controversial. In this study, we investigated the academic performance of undergraduate students with and without scientific training. The results show that scientific training improves students' test scores in general medical courses, such as biochemistry and…

  3. Knowledge, attitude and performance of academic members regarding effective communication skills in education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharifirad, Gholam R; Rezaeian, Mohsen; Jazini, Akram; Etemadi, Zinat S

    2012-01-01

    Communication is the most important part of any educational process, the aim of which is to transfer or exchange ideas and thoughts. It would be provided appropriately if academic members had the communication skills. Considering the important role of academic members in the educational process, in this study, the knowledge, attitude and performance of academic members of School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, were investigated with regard to effective communication skills. In this descriptive-analytic study, all academic members of the School of Public Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, were studied during the second academic semester of 2006-2007. The data were collected by a valid and reliable three-part questionnaire including knowledge (8 questions and maximum score of 8), attitude (31 questions and maximum score of 155) and observational communication skills checklist (20 questions and maximum score of 20). The obtained data were analyzed by calculating central indices using SPSS software. The mean knowledge score of studied people in terms of communicational skills, attitude and performance were 4.1 out of 8, 114.4 out of 155 and 16.3 out of 20, respectively. Although the information of the participants of this study in terms of communication skills was not sufficient, they seemed to have a positive attitude and relatively acceptable performance in communication skills.

  4. Physical Fitness and Academic Performance in Primary School Children with and without a Social Disadvantage

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Greeff, J. W.; Hartman, E.; Mullender-Wijnsma, M. J.; Bosker, R. J.; Doolaard, S.; Visscher, C.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the differences between children with a low socioeconomic status [socially disadvantaged children (SDC)] and children without this disadvantage (non-SDC) on physical fitness and academic performance. In addition, this study determined the association between physical fitness and academic performance, and investigated the…

  5. Using technology-enhanced, cooperative, group-project learning for student comprehension and academic performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tlhoaele, Malefyane; Suhre, Cor; Hofman, Adriaan

    2016-05-01

    Cooperative learning may improve students' motivation, understanding of course concepts, and academic performance. This study therefore enhanced a cooperative, group-project learning technique with technology resources to determine whether doing so improved students' deep learning and performance. A sample of 118 engineering students, randomly divided into two groups, participated in this study and provided data through questionnaires issued before and after the experiment. The results, obtained through analyses of variance and structural equation modelling, reveal that technology-enhanced, cooperative, group-project learning improves students' comprehension and academic performance.

  6. Objectively measured physical activity has a negative but weak association with academic performance in children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Tejero-González, Carlos M; Martinez-Gomez, David; Cabanas-Sánchez, Verónica; Fernández-Santos, Jorge R; Conde-Caveda, Julio; Sallis, James F; Veiga, Oscar L

    2014-11-01

    There is an emerging body of evidence on the potential effects of regular physical activity on academic performance. The aim of this study was to add to the debate, by examining the association between objectively measured physical activity and academic performance in a relatively large sample of children and adolescents. The Spanish UP & DOWN study is a 3-year longitudinal study designed to assess the impact, overtime, of physical activity and sedentary behaviours on health indicators. This present analysis was conducted with 1778 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. Physical activity was objectively measured by accelerometry. Academic performance was assessed using school grades. Physical activity was inversely associated with all academic performance indicators after adjustment for potential confounders, including neonatal variables, fatness and fitness (all p academic performance between the lowest and the second quartile of physical activity, compared to the highest quartile, with very small effect size (d academic performance during both childhood and adolescence, but this association was negative and very weak. Longitudinal and intervention studies are necessary to further our understanding. ©2014 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Association between Frequency of Breakfast Consumption and Academic Performance in Healthy Korean Adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    SO, Wi-YOUNG

    2013-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to examine whether the frequency of breakfast consumption was related to academic performance in healthy Korean adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the seventh Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey conducted in 2011, in which 75,643 adolescents from school grades 7?12 participated. We assessed the association between the frequency of breakfast consumption (per week) and academic performance using multivariate logistic regression analysis a...

  8. Physical fitness and academic performance in primary school children with and without a social disadvantage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Greeff, J W; Hartman, E; Mullender-Wijnsma, M J; Bosker, R J; Doolaard, S; Visscher, C

    2014-10-01

    This study examined the differences between children with a low socioeconomic status [socially disadvantaged children (SDC)] and children without this disadvantage (non-SDC) on physical fitness and academic performance. In addition, this study determined the association between physical fitness and academic performance, and investigated the possible moderator effect of SDC. Data on 544 children were collected and analysed (130 SDC, 414 non-SDC, mean age = 8.0 ± 0.7). Physical fitness was measured with tests for cardiovascular and muscular fitness. Academic performance was evaluated using scores on mathematics, spelling and reading. SDC did not differ on physical fitness, compared with non-SDC, but scored significantly lower on academic performance. In the total group, multilevel analysis showed positive associations between cardiovascular fitness and mathematics (β = 0.23), and between cardiovascular fitness and spelling (β = 0.16), but not with reading. No associations were found between muscular fitness and academic performance. A significant interaction effect between SDC and cardiovascular fitness was found for spelling. To conclude, results showed a specific link between cardiovascular fitness and mathematics, regardless of socioeconomic status. SDC did moderate the relationship between cardiovascular fitness and spelling. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Association Between Undergraduate Performance Predictors and Academic and Clinical Performance of Osteopathic Medical Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agahi, Farshad; Speicher, Mark R; Cisek, Grace

    2018-02-01

    Medical schools use a variety of preadmission indices to select potential students. These indices generally include undergraduate grade point average (GPA), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, and preadmission interviews. To investigate whether the admission indices used by Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine are associated with the academic and clinical performance of their students. Associations between the prematriculation variables of undergraduate science GPA, undergraduate total GPA, MCAT component scores, and interview scores and the academic and clinical variables of the first- and second-year medical school GPA, Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) Level 1 and Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation (CE) total and discipline scores, scores in clinical rotations for osteopathic competencies, COMLEX-USA Level 2-Performance Evaluation passage, and match status were evaluated. Two-tailed Pearson product-moment correlations with a Bonferroni adjustment were used to examine these relationships. The traditional predictors of science and total undergraduate GPA as well as total and component MCAT scores had small to moderate associations with first- and second-year GPA, as well as COMLEX-USA Level 1 and Level 2-CE total scores. Of all predictors, only the MCAT biological sciences score had a statistically significant correlation with failure of the COMLEX-USA Level 2-Performance Evaluation examination (P=.009). Average interview scores were associated only with the osteopathic competency of medical knowledge (r=0.233; n=209; P=.001), as assessed by clerkship preceptors. No predictors were associated with scores in objective structured clinical encounters or with failing to match to a residency position. The data indicate that traditional predictors of academic performance (undergraduate GPA, undergraduate science GPA, and MCAT scores) have small to moderate association with medical school grades and

  10. the negative effect of child labour on academic performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PROF EKWUEME

    This could be done through the use of mass media, schools and social ... KEYWORDS: Child labour, Abuse, Academic performance and Effect. ... have overtime given the researcher a cause for ... Child labour is not significantly dependent.

  11. Self-Concept and Social Anxiety as Predictor Variables of Academic Performance of Spanish Adolescents with Divorced Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orgiles, Mireia; Johnson, Blair T.; Huedo-Medina, Tania B.; Espada, Jose P.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: According to previous studies, when parents divorce it may increase the vulnerability of children to develop personal problems, such as lowering academic performance. This research examines the academic performance of Spanish children with divorced parents and its relation to academic self-concept and social anxiety. Method: The…

  12. Fission-product retention in HTGR fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Homan, F.J.; Kania, M.J.; Tiegs, T.N.

    1982-01-01

    Retention data for gaseous and metallic fission products are presented for both Triso-coated and Biso-coated HTGR fuel particles. Performance trends are established that relate fission product retention to operating parameters, such as temperature, burnup, and neutron exposure. It is concluded that Biso-coated particles are not adequately retentive of fission gas or metallic cesium, and Triso-coated particles which retain cesium still lose silver. Design implications related to these performance trends are identified and discussed

  13. The Role of Family Functioning, Peer Attachment and Academic Performance in predicting of Happiness in Adolescent Girls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Salehzadeh

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to determine the role of family functioning (FF, academic performance (EP and peer attachment (PA in predicting of happiness adolescent girls. Therefore, 344 high school female students in Yazd were selected through multi-stage random sampling and were asked to complete the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, Family Assessment Device (FAD, and Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment. Students' grade point average was considered as the measure of academic performance.  The results of analysis of regression showed that all the subscales of family functioning and peers attachment and also academic performance have significant correlation with happiness yet only "the roles and relationships" of family performance and peers attachment could predict happiness. Attachment to peers was the strongest factor. However, academic performance did not have a significant role in prediction of student's happiness. In accordance with the findings of developmental psychology, peers and family are the two most important psychological constructs that have the most significant roles in predicting the happiness of adolescent girls. But academic performance did not have a significant role in predicting student's happiness, thereby it can challenge the social common belief in educational systems regarding the strong association between academic performance and well-being and happiness.

  14. Influence of Family Background on the Academic Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study was conducted to investigate the influence of family background on the academic performance of secondary school students in Nigeria. The study was carried out in the three senatorial districts of Kwara State. Three hundred respondents participated in this research. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the ...

  15. Academic performance and pass rates: Comparison of three first ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    First year students' academic performance in three Life Science courses (Botany, Zoology and Bioscience) was compared. Pass rates, as well as the means and distributions of final marks were analysed. Of the three components (coursework, practical and theory examinations) contributing to the final mark of each course, ...

  16. Interdependence of Depressive Symptoms, School Involvement, and Academic Performance between Adolescent Friends: A Dyadic Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, Chong Man; Tan, Cin Cin; Buhrmester, Duane

    2015-01-01

    Background: Friendships play an important role in the development of school involvement and academic performance during adolescence. This study examined the interdependence of depressive symptoms, school involvement, and academic performance between adolescent same-sex friends. Aims: Using cross-sectional data, we examined whether the link between…

  17. The Association of Self-Reported Sleep, Weight Status, and Academic Performance in Fifth-Grade Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stroebele, Nanette; McNally, Janise; Plog, Amy; Siegfried, Scott; Hill, James O.

    2013-01-01

    Background: To improve support and justi?cation for health promotion efforts in schools, it is helpful to understand how students' health behaviors affect academic performance. Methods: Fifth-grade students completed an online school-administered health survey with questions regarding their eating behavior, physical activity, academic performance,…

  18. Personality Factors in Elementary School Children: Contributions to Academic Performance over and above Executive Functions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuenschwander, Regula; Cimeli, Patrizia; Rothlisberger, Marianne; Roebers, Claudia M.

    2013-01-01

    Unique contributions of Big Five personality factors to academic performance in young elementary school children were explored. Extraversion and Openness (labeled "Culture" in our study) uniquely contributed to academic performance, over and above the contribution of executive functions in first and second grade children (N = 446). Well…

  19. The impact of a College of Nursing Retention Program on the graduation rates of nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatem, E; Payne, J L

    2000-01-01

    This study was designed to measure the impact of a College of Nursing's (CON) Retention Program on students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree nursing program. Within the last ten years, undergraduate nurses increasingly have utilized the CON retention program. These students traditionally face a number of barriers to their academic endeavors. This study was designed to assess the effect of the CON program on the barriers to academic success of students who entered the CON in the Fall classes of 1991, 1992 and 1993. The sample size was 320 students. The control group consisted of 137 students who received no intervention and the experimental group was comprised of 183 students who attended intervention sessions with the Retention Coordinator in the CON. It was hypothesized that the most successful students during this period (1991-1993) were the most frequent attendees of the CON retention program intervention sessions. The alternative hypothesis was that those persons who did not attend the sessions, but were still highly persistent and successful, were enrollees who had entered with high entrance credentials as demonstrated by the transfer grade point averages (GPA). The results of this study indicated the need, use and value of this systematic approach to retention.

  20. Cardiorespiratory fitness and academic performance association is mediated by weight status in adolescents: DADOS study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beltran-Valls, María Reyes; Adelantado-Renau, Mireia; Castro-Piñero, Jose; Sánchez-López, Mairena; Moliner-Urdiales, Diego

    2018-04-28

    The aim of our study was to examine the mediation effect of weight status on the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and academic performance (AP). Two hundred sixty-nine adolescents (140 boys) aged 13.9 ± 0.3 years old from the DADOS study were included in this cross-sectional analysis. CRF was assessed by the 20-m shuttle run test and estimated maximum oxygen uptake was used in the analysis. AP was assessed through the final academic grades and the Science Research Associates Test of Educational Abilities for assessing reasoning, verbal, and numeric abilities. Weight status was assessed by body mass index (kg/m 2 ). Boot-strapped mediation procedures were performed and indirect effects (IE) with confidence intervals (CI) not including zero were considered statistically significant. Mediation analysis revealed that weight status acted as a mediator of the relationship of CRF with reasoning ability (IE = 0.039; CI = 0.001; 0.091) and the final grades in Math (IE = 0.011; CI = 0.002; 0.025), Language (IE = 0.013; CI = 0.004; 0.027), and GPA (IE = 0.011; CI = 0.003; 0.023). Our data show that the influence of CRF on academic performance is mediated by weight status in adolescents. We suggest that our data could be considered by educators, families, and policy makers, so that active lifestyles might be promoted when designing programs aimed to improve AP among adolescents. What is Known: • Academic performance is associated with both, cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status. • The role of weight status in the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic performance is poorly understood. What is New: • We support the scarce research investigating the mediating role of weight status as mechanism in the association between fitness and academic performance in youth. • Previous knowledge is expanded by suggesting that cardiorespiratory fitness is related to weight status which in turn may