scholarly journals The impact of maths support tutorials on mathematics confidence and academic performance in a cohort of HE Animal Science students

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nieky van Veggel ◽  
Jonathan Amory
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Mathematics Confidence ◽  
Management Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Students embarking on a bioscience degree course, such as Animal Science, often do not have sufficient experience in mathematics. However, mathematics form an essential and integral part of any bioscience degree and are essential to enhance employability. This paper presents the findings of a project looking at the effect of mathematics tutorials on a cohort of first year animal science and management students. The results of a questionnaire, focus group discussions and academic performance analysis indicate that small group tutorials enhance students’ confidence in maths and improve students’ academic performance. Furthermore, student feedback on the tutorial programme provides a deeper insight into student experiences and the value students assign to the tutorials.

scholarly journals The impact of maths support tutorials on mathematics confidence and academic performance in a cohort of HE Animal Science students

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nieky van Veggel ◽  
Jonathan Amory
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Mathematics Confidence ◽  
Management Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Students embarking on a bioscience degree course, such as Animal Science, often do not have sufficient experience in mathematics. However, mathematics form an essential and integral part of any bioscience degree and are essential to enhance employability. This paper presents the findings of a project looking at the effect of mathematics tutorials on a cohort of first year animal science and management students. The results of a questionnaire, focus group discussions and academic performance analysis indicate that small group tutorials enhance students’ confidence in maths and improve students’ academic performance. Furthermore, student feedback on the tutorial programme provides a deeper insight into student experiences and the value students assign to the tutorials.

The Impact of Social Networks on Science Students' Academic Performance in Ondo State Senior Secondary Schools, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
pp. 50-63
Author(s):  
Jethro Oludare OLOJO
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Science Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ondo State ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Senior Secondary Schools ◽  
Senior Secondary ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of social network usage on science students’ academic achievements in Ondo State’s senior secondary schools. The study was also to find the extent to which students under investigation used the social network platforms and the frequencies of their visits. In order to achieve this, a structured questionnaire was designed and administered to students from the three senatorial districts that made up the state. A multistage; which involved simple random and purposive sampling approaches was used to select the sample for the study. 150 copies of the questionnaire were distributed; out of which, 148 (98.78%) copies were returned. For the study, four research questions and two research hypotheses were developed. The hypotheses were assessed using the student's - t statistic at 0.05 significant level; using SPSS version 20 while the research questions formulated were evaluated using frequency counts and percentages. The study revealed that Ondo State senior secondary school science students can efficiently use the social network platforms for academic activities with male students being more proficient than their female counterparts. The study also revealed that the usage of social networks has assisted students to improve their academic performance; irrespective of their classes. Besides, the study showed that Facebook was the most popular of all the social network platforms. To this end, the researcher recommended that teachers, parents, and guidance should monitor the activities of their wards on the social network sites so that they can use the platforms to benefit their lots. Teachers should also use the advantage of students’ exposure to social networking to change their teaching methods from traditional one to online teaching.

scholarly journals Getting Past the Gateway: An Exploratory Case on Using Utilitarian Scientific Literacy to Support First-Year Students At-Risk of Leaving STEM

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
Chambers ◽  
Salter ◽  
Muldrow
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Stem Pipeline ◽  
Literacy Course ◽  
The Impact

First-year students who enter college pursuing a STEM degree still face challenges persisting through the STEM pipeline (Chen, 2013; Leu, 2017). In this case study, researchers examine the impact of a utilitarian scientific literacy based academic intervention on retention of first-year students in STEM using a mixed methods approach. A sample (n = 116) of first-year students identified as at-risk of not persisting in STEM were enrolled in a for credit utilitarian scientific literacy course. Participants of the semester long course were then compared with a control group of first-year students identified as at-risk of persisting in STEM. A two-proportion z test was performed to assess the mean differences between students and participants of the course were given a survey to gauge student experiences. Quantitative results (φ 0.34, p < 0.05) indicate that the utilitarian scientific literacy course had a statistically significant impact on retention among first-year students at-risk of persisting in STEM. Moreover, qualitative data obtained from participant responses describe internal and external growth as positive outcomes associated with the intervention.

A case for early semester utilization of business simulations

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Angolia ◽  
April Helene Reed
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Business Simulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Use ◽  
Management Students ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to encourage the use of simulations early in a semester, rather than as a course capstone activity, in an effort to utilize simulations as a foundational experience. The intent is to support teaching and learning, as opposed to using simulations as a capstone assignment or assessment tool.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive literature review synthesizing higher education business simulation effectivity and evaluation methods provides support for the analysis of 60 undergraduate supply chain management students and 96 surveys conducted over two years. The research question explores effectiveness based on the point of time during a semester a simulation was used.FindingsThe analysis of simulation effectiveness, based on the impact of course enjoyment and assistance with learning key course competencies, showed no significant differences for simulations used early in a semester or as an end-of-semester capstone event.Practical implicationsSimulations are effective tools regardless of when they are employed, but there may be significant benefits to using a simulation early in a semester by capitalizing on the tool’s inherent experiential learning functionality, active learning theory and the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle. Early use of simulations provides common student experiences and creates a foundation for educators to develop a deeper understanding of course concepts. Additional instructor effort is needed to develop external, course specific student work to supplement and enhance the simulation experience. Early use also creates post-simulation debriefing benefits that may be precluded by the end-of-semester simulation events.Originality/valueEvidence suggests that simulations are primarily utilized as course capstone events and/or serve as comprehensive tools to integrate/assess a semester’s worth of conceptual learning. This work fills a gap in the research concerning time frames within a semester when simulations are traditionally employed, presenting a paradigm shift toward early utilization.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Beliefs, Self-Efficacy and Academic Performance in First-year University Students: Cohort Comparison and Mediation Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Talsma ◽  
Kayleigh Robertson ◽  
Cleo Thomas ◽  
Kimberley Norris
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

Students’ learning contexts can influence their learning beliefs and academic performance outcomes; as such, students studying during the COVID-19 outbreak may be at risk of negative impacts on their academic self-efficacy and subject grades compared to other cohorts. They may also have specific beliefs about the impact of COVID-19-related changes on their capacity to perform, with potential consequences for self-efficacy and academic performance. Two weeks after the COVID-19-related transition to online-only learning, 89 first-year psychology students completed a measure of academic self-efficacy and indicated how they thought COVID-19-related changes would impact their capacity to perform in a psychology subject. At the end of the semester, subject grades were obtained from institutional records. Contrary to expectations, neither the self-efficacy beliefs nor the subject grades of the 2020 cohort were significantly different from those of a sample of 2019 first-year psychology students (n = 85). On average, 2020 students believed that COVID-19-related changes to their learning environment had a negative impact on their capacity to perform well. A mediation analysis indicated that students’ beliefs about the impact of COVID-19 on their capacity did not directly, or indirectly (via self-efficacy), predict grades. The only significant association in the model was between self-efficacy and grades. Although students reported believing that COVID-19-related changes would negatively impact their capacity to perform, there is little evidence that these beliefs influenced their academic self-efficacy or academic performance or that studying during the COVID-19 outbreak disadvantaged students in comparison with the previous years. A follow-up analysis indicated that self-efficacy was a stronger predictor of grades in the 2020 cohort than in the 2019 cohort. While there may be several unmeasured reasons for cohort differences, one potential interpretation is that, in the context of uncertainty associated with COVID-19, self-efficacy beliefs assumed relatively greater importance in terms of mobilising the resources required to perform well.

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