scholarly journals Promoting university students’ well-being and studying with an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based intervention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Katajavuori ◽  
Kimmo Vehkalahti ◽  
Henna Asikainen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
Learning Journals

AbstractStudents’ poor well-being is a serious problem in higher education. In part, this problem is related to the problems in studying as poorer study skills are related to poorer well-being. Both students’ study skills and their well-being should be enhanced in higher education, but effective ways to do this are needed. The aim of this study was to explore students’ experiences of an ACT-based online, 8-week course on university students’ well-being and studying. Data were collected in two ways: a) with qualitative data consisting of learning journals (n = 97) and with b) a pre- and post-questionnaire (n = 143) during the course. The students’ scores on well-being, psychological flexibility, and time and effort management skills improved, and stress levels decreased during the course. Qualitative analyses showed that the students benefited from the course in many ways, both in terms of studying and well-being; their studying and time management skills had improved and they had learnt stress management skills and how to cope with their negative thoughts. We argue that supporting students’ well-being, as well as their study skills with ACT-based course in higher education studies, can lead to more effective studying.

scholarly journals Understanding procrastination: A case of a study skills course

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Hailikari ◽  
N. Katajavuori ◽  
H. Asikainen
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Study Skills Course ◽  
Being There ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

AbstractProcrastination is consistently viewed as problematic to academic success and students’ general well-being. There are prevailing questions regarding the underlying and maintaining mechanisms of procrastination which are yet to be learnt. The aim of the present study was to combine different ways to explain procrastination and explore how students’ time and effort management skills, psychological flexibility and academic self-efficacy are connected to procrastination as they have been commonly addressed separately in previous studies. The data were collected from 135 students who participated in a voluntary time management and well-being course in autumn 2019. The results showed that students’ ability to organize their time and effort has the strongest association with procrastination out of the variables included in the study. Psychological flexibility also has a strong individual role in explaining procrastination along with time and effort management skills. Surprisingly, academic self-efficacy did not have a direct association with procrastination. Interestingly, our findings further suggest that time and effort management and psychological flexibility are closely related and appear to go hand in hand and, thus, both need to be considered when the aim is to reduce procrastination. The implications of the findings are further discussed.

scholarly journals Development of a Web-Based Intervention Course to Promote Students’ Well-Being and Studying in Universities: Protocol for an Experimental Study Design (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henna Asikainen ◽  
Nina Katajavuori
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The University ◽  
Support Students ◽  
Experimental Study Design

BACKGROUND The decline in the well-being among university students well as increasing dropouts has become a serious issue in universities around the world. Thus, effective ways to support students’ well-being and their ability to study are highly needed. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to build an intervention course for university students, which promotes both students’ well-being as well as their learning and study skills, and to describe the experimental study design that explores the effects of this intervention course. METHODS Research has shown that psychological flexibility has a great effect on the well-being as well as the study skills of students pursuing higher education. The basis of our intervention course was to promote psychological flexibility and students’ study skills with the help of peer support and reflection. RESULTS This course was offered as a voluntary course to all the students at the University of Helsinki twice during the academic year 2020-2021. The first course was from October to December and the second course was from January to March. This course was advertised in fall 2020 through social media and by different student organizations and program leaders at different faculties of the University of Helsinki. As of October 2020, we enrolled 566 students comprising 310 students for the course in fall 2020 and 256 students for the course in spring 2021. Of the 256 students who enrolled in the second course, 170 students voluntarily participated in this study and they answered the questionnaires, including all the measures, simultaneously with the participants in the first group and thus served as the control group. The effect of this course will be measured with multiple data, including questionnaire data, reflective journals, and physiological data of well-being with a longitudinal experimental design. This research very strictly follows the ethical guidelines drawn up by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity. We expect to publish the results of this study in fall 2021 at the latest. CONCLUSIONS We argue that a web-based, 8-week intervention course, which promotes both student well-being and their study skills, is a good way to support students pursuing higher education, and both aspects should be considered when supporting university students. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/23613

scholarly journals Developing an intervention course to promote students’ well-being and studying in university context

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henna Asikainen ◽  
Nina Katajavuori
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Support Students

Abstract BackgroundThe purpose of this paper was to build an intervention course for university students which promotes both students’ well-being as well as their learning and study skills. Research has shown that psychological flexibility has a great effect on well-being as well as studying in higher educationCase presentationThe basis of our intervention course is to promote psychological flexibility and students’ study skills with the help of peer support and reflection.ConclusionsWe argue that an online, 8-week intervention course, which promotes both student well-being and their study skills, is a good way to support students in higher education and both aspects should be taken into account when supporting university students.

Understanding and promoting students’ well-being and performance in university studies – effects of a 7-week Acceptance and Commitment Therapy based course (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henna Asikainen ◽  
Nina Katajavuori ◽  
Kirsikka Kaipainen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
University Students ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Reflective Journal ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
And Performance

BACKGROUND Internationally there have been many studies showing that the number of university students suffering from mental illness is growing and this problem should be addressed OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine 41 pharmacy students’ experiences of a small Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -based intervention that was implemented as a 7-week course with weekly online modules. METHODS Students’ well-being, experiences of stress, organised studying and psychological flexibility were measured with questionnaires at the beginning and end of the course. Students’ experiences of the effectiveness of the course and were analysed from open-ended responses and a reflective journal. RESULTS The results show that students’ well-being and ability to manage time and effort increased during the course(p≤0.003). In their reflective journals, students described how their ability to manage stress in their studies, cope with their thoughts and feelings, focus on the things that are more important to them, and manage their time in studying and their well-being had improved. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that it is possible to foster students’ well-being in their studies. More research is needed to identify the long-lasting effects of these kind of interventions.

scholarly journals Behavioral and Psychological Correlates of Well-Being during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 003329412097816
Author(s):  
Nicole C. Ryerson
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact

The globe is currently experiencing the immense and devastating impact of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 disease. College students are being uniquely impacted by the pandemic as well as the lockdown procedures that are in place. The current study utilized survey methods to investigate the impact of the pandemic on college students with a focus on changes in alcohol consumption and correlates of psychological health. Results found that participants reported a significant increase in alcohol consumption as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, this increase in consumption related to a decline in psychological health. Exploratory analyses found that a decline in psychological health correlated with negative impacts in several life areas (financial, resource, social, and academic) and a decline in time management skills. However, spending time on leisure activities and spending time in-person with family and friends negatively correlated with psychological decline. Interestingly, news exposure to did not relate to psychological health.

scholarly journals Business Continuity Plan in the Higher Education Industry: University Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Academic Continuity Plans during Covid-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Ratneswary Rasiah ◽  
Harpaljit Kaur ◽  
Vinitha Guptan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Education Industry ◽  
Good Learning ◽  
Internet Connections ◽  
Higher Education Industry

The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the most disruptive, life-changing events that had brought the world to a perpetual standstill in 2020. Schools and institutions of higher education were impacted badly, resulting from the lockdowns and movement restrictions imposed by the governments of numerous countries. Students and faculty found themselves in virtual classrooms, with many caught unaware of what they needed to do, having to learn new things at lightning speed and feeling a sense of despair. While many online learners had frustrations and concerns regarding their online learning experience, there were those who had a good learning experience. The students’ observations and perceptions of the difficulties and opportunities they encountered in their online learning experience were assessed through grounded theory using textual thematic qualitative analysis of their reflective feedback. The findings reveal that most students had a good online learning experience and found that the academic continuity plans implemented by the universities were effective. The concerns that some students had with online learning were related to technological drawbacks such as poor internet connections, and personal concerns about academic ability and time management skills, among others. This study concludes by offering insights and recommendations to institutions, faculty, and students on how best to conduct online learning and teaching for all.

scholarly journals Introducing a Late Bank in Online Graduate Courses: The Response of Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meadow Schroeder ◽  
Erica Makarenko ◽  
Karly Warren
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Due Dates ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Bank System

In post-secondary education, students must demonstrate strong time-management skills while they navigate several courses in a semester. When students struggle to meet due dates, they can accrue late penalties, which exacerbates a stressful situation. In response, two graduate programs integrated a late bank system into their online courses. Students could submit one of two assignments up to five days after the due date without penalty. After each assignment was due, a survey was used to measure students’ levels of stress, the perception of the late bank, and reasons for using it. This study found the late bank was utilized by students, was positively regarded, and improved student attitudes toward their instructor. Reported levels of stress were similar for students who used the late bank compared to those did not. The results suggest that incorporating a late bank into the course design is an effective method of promoting student well-being.

scholarly journals Online University Students’ Perceptions on the Awareness of, Reasons for, and Solutions to Plagiarism in Higher Education: The Development of the AS&P Model to Combat Plagiarism

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 12055
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abid Malik ◽  
Ameema Mahroof ◽  
Muhammad Azeem Ashraf
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Prevention Model ◽  
Online University Students ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Academic Plagiarism

Academic plagiarism has remained a major concern for higher education institutions, as it hampers not only the quality of the teaching-learning process and research, but also the overall educational institution. This issue appears to be even more serious in online and distance education institutions. As a result, a qualitative study was conducted on an online university in Pakistan to investigate the determinants of academic plagiarism and to find ways to address this issue. The students were given an open-ended questionnaire to reflect their opinions on the awareness and understanding of plagiarism, its determinants, and ways to address it. The findings revealed that most of the 267 online university students had a poor awareness and understanding of plagiarism. Major reasons for students’ plagiarism turned out to be a lack of a proactive approach to create awareness, an omission of citation conventions from course content, untrained teachers, a lack of strict penalties and their proper implementation, poor time management, a fear of failure, a lack of confidence, laziness, and a culture of plagiarism. The study proposes the Awareness, Support, and Prevention model (AS&P model) to address this issue in higher education institutions.

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