Contrasting 4 Year Outcomes Associated With Introduction to Management Courses

Management faculty members have had a longstanding interest in the design of the Introduction to Management Course as it presents an opportune point to provide students with the foundational skills for success in their Management Studies. Since many Management majors take these courses during their freshman year in the university, the courses are, intentionally or not, also settings for helping students transition to the university both academically and socially. This paper reports on a study of the 4-year outcomes associated with this potential of Introduction to Management courses to help with students’ transition into university-level studies. Specifically, it contrasts 4-year graduation outcomes among three different Introduction to Management courses taken by a freshman business student cohort of a large, public, university. The study results show a course that focused on life skill building was associated with better 4-year graduation outcomes than theory-driven and business overview classes. Contrary to expectations, the study indicated that there were no significant differences among students enrolled in the classes in terms of other important student characteristics known to impact graduation rates, including underrepresented minority (URM) and first-generation status, SAT or ACT scores, self-reported GPA, and exposure to university-level URM student success and achievement programs.

Physics For Medical Colleges: Proposing An Extended Syllabus

Background Physics has indeed revolutionized medical practice since the birth of medicine thousands of years ago. It provided us with a better understanding of our health problems through many diagnostic and treatment tools yet, many medical colleges do not fully implement physics as a core subject in their curricula. Physics is taught only as a freshman year subject, and many medical students feel obliged to take it without knowing its real benefits to their future careers. This is basically due to the lack of an appropriate course design, references, and the poor commissioning of physics in the medical field. The aim of this work is to propose a series of courses of physics in medicine that would fulfill the requirements of any medical college. Methods The presented courses will be divided into three phases: premedical, pre-clinical, and clinical years for medical students. To do so, a critical analysis of the topics needed at the different phases and the possibilities of implementing this syllabus and constraints that may face the process is conducted. Results the different topics are shown and means of implementing them as a single subject or in conjunction with other subjects is clarified Conclusion Once properly tailored, physics can provide a strong tool in medical education

Portuguese Medical Students’ Interest for Science and Research Declines after Freshman Year

The integration of scientific research into medical curricula remains insufficient despite its advantages for medical students’ professional development and the advancement of medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of first-year medical course attendance on medical students’ attitudes and perceptions towards scientific research and clinical practice, while also assessing the contribution of sociodemographic and academic factors. Two hundred and thirteen medical students self-administrated a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the first school year. Their responses were compared and two regression models were calculated to assess factors influencing students’ attitudes and perceptions. After freshman year, students displayed significantly lower positive attitudes towards science and research. Their motivation to perform research and to integrate it into the curriculum also decreased, while the importance attributed to research skills for clinical practice increased. Motivation to perform research and negative attitudes were positively and negatively associated with grade point average (GPA), respectively. Female students and those who attended public secondary schools attributed greater importance to communication skills. This study reinforces the need to early develop research skills and positive attitudes in medical students, motivating them to become physician-scientists. Additional follow-up studies may offer further contributions to the integration of research into medical curricula.

Phonological Analysis of Errors in the Consonant Cluster System Encountered by Saudi EFL Learners

This study investigates the pronunciation difficulty of selected English consonant clusters (CCs) encountered by Saudi EFL learners. The sample consisted of 134 female Saudi EFL students in their freshman year in the English Department at Najran University. Two instruments were used: a pronunciation test that assessed participants’ CC pronunciations in the onset and coda positions and a questionnaire that explored participants’ attitudes towards their CC pronunciations. This study provides detailed data on the participants’ pronunciation difficulties using Optimality Theory (OT). The results showed that the participants encountered CC pronunciation difficulties in both the onset and coda positions. However, most errors occurred in the coda position, especially for the four-consonant pattern (-CCCC). Participants used different strategies to simplify their CC pronunciations: epenthesis, deletion, substitution, or some combination thereof. Questionnaire data indicated that the participants attributed their pronunciation difficulties to inadequate knowledge of the pronunciation rules, insufficient language instruction, and native-language influence. The participants proffered some remedies to their difficulties, which included doing more pronunciation drills and offering a new course focused primarily on correct pronunciation. OT analysis revealed that onset clusters were mainly influenced by L1 ranking constraints whereas coda clusters were more influenced by universal Markedness constraints. OT indicated that the tendency to satisfy Markedness constraints over the Faithfulness constraints led the participants to use the above-mentioned simplification strategies.

A snapshot of the coaching practices in undergraduate nursing education: evaluation of stakeholders’ perceptions and program costs

Objectives Skills training is carried out with coaching in nursing education and all stakeholders are important. The aim of study was to evaluate the views of different stakeholders on coaching practice and the costs. Methods Data was collected between October 2015 and December 2016. The student dimension was evaluated using the Coaching Process Evaluation Scale with sophomore (n=237) and junior (n=219). Data was collected from the faculty member (n=18) using Critical Incidents Technique and from the educational managers (n=7) through in-depth interviews. The 2015–2016 educational program was analyzed for cost analysis. Results Student evaluations of the Coaching Process Evaluation Scale demonstrated mean scores of 66.68 ± 0.85 for the Observed Coaching Skills subscale. There were four headlines (use of coaching skills, benefiting from the Coaching Process, Emotions, and Reflection) which were also observed in the faculty members data which revealed a total of 60 codes from positive and negative incidents. The educational managers, on the other hand, stressed three categories and the emotions category, which emerged in the students and faculty was not found among the educational managers. The per student cost of practice education increase sixfold from the freshman year to the junior year. Conclusions The perception and views on coaching practices of educational managers, faculty members, and students are positive and support each other. This provides an important opportunity for the placement of coaching practices into education programs in nursing.

TRANSFORMATIVE ELEMENTS AND SELF-ACCULTURATION FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF FRESHMAN YEAR AT MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AS THE MEDIUM OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

The academic aspect plays a vital role as a transformative element in bringing change into the life of each individual. One of the main goals for students to continue their studies abroad is to obtain a high-quality education. The freshman experience is considered an important phase involving self-assimilation, emotional change, cultural shock, and social values that can influence the academic achievement of international students. The discussion of this paper detailing the factors that contribute to a more meaningful freshman year experience is differentiated by comparing the process of self-assimilation and academic achievement of international students. The qualitative approach using the purposive sampling technique has involved in-depth interviews of 40 international students from four Malaysian Public Universities. The findings of the study generate a self-reflective understanding of the nature of international students which is translated through selective narratives of emotional outpouring, describing excitement, desire, and hope. The new findings for this study relate to the elements of transformation and self-assimilation of students who have an interrelationship with (i) The reputation of Malaysian Public Universities as a prestigious study destination, (ii) The quality of the higher education system which is more comprehensive and versatile, (iii) Flexibility and the dynamics of the academic programmes offered, (iv) Contemporary and market-driven study programmes, and (v) The added value of English proficiency as a method of learning and teaching. The sharing of empirical data of this study is expected to be useful information to the human resource management of the university which has a high dependence on the enrolment of international students. This effort is in line with the National Strategic Plan for Higher Education (PSPTN) which was formulated with the vision of transforming Malaysia into a hub of excellence in higher education on the international stage.

DUKUNGAN SOSIAL ORANG TUA, KONSEP DIRI DAN MOTIVASI BERPRESTASI MAHASISWA DI MASA PANDEMI COVID 19

Motivation achievement is a crucial thing for students during the process of online learning in the pandemic COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) as an ability to encourage an individual to achieve self- actualization and optimal learning outcomes. Motivation achievement is influenced by parental social support as an external factor and self –concepts as an internal factor. Therefore, this research aims to examine the influence of parental social- support and self- concept toward students' motivation achievement in the pandemic COVID-19. This research used a quantitative method. The data were collected using parental social support scale, the self-concept scale and motivation achievement scale. The population in this research consists of 121 freshman year 2020 of Christian Early Childhood Education department in Institute of Christian State Kupang. The sample technique used in this research is accidental sampling with multiple regression analysis. The result proved that parental social support and self-concept have a positive influence and significant toward achievement motivation with 71.8%. Parental social support contributed 23.4% and self-concept contributed 48.4% toward achievement motivation. The higher the role of parents' social support and self-concept, the higher the achievement motivation of students during the pandemic COVID 19. Motivasi berprestasi bagi mahasiswa sangat penting dalam proses pembelajaran daring di masa pandemi COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) sebagai kemampuan yang mendorong individu mencapai aktualisasi diri dan hasil belajar yang optimal. Motivasi berprestasi dipengaruhi oleh dukungan sosial orang tua sebagai faktor eksternal dan faktor internal yaitu konsep diri. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh dukungan sosial orang tua dan konsep diri terhadap motivasi berprestasi mahasiswa di masa pandemi COVID-19. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif. Alat pengumpulan data menggunakan skala dukungan sosial orang tua, skala konsep diri dan skala motivasi berprestasi. Partisipan dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 121 mahasiswa pada program studi Pendidikan Kristen Anak Usia Dini di Institut Agama Kristen Negeri Kupang tahun 2020. Teknik analisis data menggunakan analisis regresi berganda. Hasil penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa dukungan sosial orang tua dan konsep diri berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap motivasi berprestasi sebesar 71,8%. Dukungan sosial orang tua berkontribusi 23,4% dan konsep diri berkontribusi 48,4% terhadap motivasi berprestasi. Semakin tinggi peran dukungan sosial orang tua dan konsep diri maka dapat meningkatkan motivasi berprestasi mahasiswa di masa pandemi COVID-19.

Do Students With Different Majors Have Different Personality Traits? Evidence From Two Chinese Agricultural Universities

This paper explores whether a Student’s choice of major leads to certain personality traits and the reasons for this phenomenon. Specifically, we look at evidence from two Chinese universities, both of which specialize in agricultural studies. Using the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) questionnaire and the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) questionnaire, we collected data from two groups of students: those who study agriculture-related majors (ARM), and those who study non-agriculture-related majors (NARM). The surveys all showed no significant change in personality traits during Students’ freshman year. However, after 3 years of university study, significant personality trait changes were noted between seniors in the ARM and NARM groups. Whereas ARM seniors tended to be socially shy and lower in communicative competence, NARM seniors were better at expressing themselves and communicating with others. Although a Student’s choice of profession has an influence on their personality traits, it is not the only factor. The differences between ARM and NARM training models and curricula are also undoubtedly significant. Moreover, the bias against ARM in Chinese society further magnifies the differences in personality traits among students with different majors.

Why Do They Enroll in This Course? Undergraduates’ Course Choice From a Motivational Perspective

Why do students pick various courses? Interdisciplinary research has highlighted the role of structural constraints, normative expectations, and individual motivation as the joint influences of agency and structure in the service of life goals. Here, we examined undergraduates’ reasons for course choices for their most difficult and most important courses. We compared the reasons for non-major vs. major courses, for freshman vs. juniors, and across different disciplines. College students selected courses that fulfilled their major or breadth requirements, particularly in their freshman year. STEM courses were taken more for career development reasons than other disciplines, particularly humanities courses; social sciences courses were taken more for interest than STEM courses; and humanities courses were taken more for intellectual broadening than STEM courses.