scholarly journals Using Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Academic Performance in Biochemistry

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather B. Miller ◽  
Melissa C. Srougi
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Persistence ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
College Level ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Academic Abilities ◽  
Student Academic Performance

AbstractGrowing evidence suggests that students’ self-beliefs about the ability to alter their academic abilities can directly influence long-term achievement. These self-beliefs or mindsets can either be fixed (unchangeable) or growth oriented. Students with growth mindsets believe their academic abilities can change, which leads to higher grades and academic persistence in contrast to students with fixed mindsets. However, less is known about how these attributes affect student learning, particularly in college level biochemistry courses. In this study, we utilized social-psychological interventions to promote growth mindset among third and fourth year undergraduate students enrolled in a one semester Biochemistry survey course. Using a mixed-methods study design we evaluated student mindset, attitudes towards learning, and academic performance over four semesters. Our results suggest that although students’ mindsets did not change as a result of metacognitive interventions, their positive perceptions about learning vs performance did increase. Furthermore, students receiving growth mindset interventions significantly outperformed students who did not receive interventions on the final cumulative exam that assessed critical thinking skills. These results suggest that metacognitive interventions can be an effective tool to improve student academic performance in a biochemistry course.

scholarly journals Active teaching model to promote critical thinking

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 293-298
Author(s):  
Fábio da Costa Carbogim ◽  
Larissa Bertacchini de Oliveira ◽  
Melina Mafra Toledo ◽  
Flávia Batista Barbosa de Sá Diaz ◽  
Greicy Kelly Gouveia Dias Bittencourt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Active Teaching ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Teaching Learning

ABSTRACT Objective: To present the experience of elaboration and implementation of the Active Teaching Model to Promote Critical Thinking (MEAPC), associated to Problem-Based Learning (PBL), for undergraduate students in Nursing. Method: Case report on the experience of the educational intervention (MEAPC + PBL) with undergraduate students in Nursing, in a 20-hour course on Basic Life Support (BLS). The MEAPC was validated by judges to guide the analysis of clinical cases. Critical Thinking (CT) skills were assessed using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Result: The educational intervention took place in two phases: elaboration and implementation, allowing not only the production of knowledge about BLS, but also the development of CT and exchange of experiences for teaching-learning. Conclusion: The association of the MEAPC to the PBL in the course of BLS organized the learning, gave opportunity to acquire knowledge and to stimulate the skills of the CT.

scholarly journals Students' Personal and Academic Attributions of University Withdrawal

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-77
Author(s):  
Genevieve M. Johnson ◽  
George H. Buck
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Student Academic Performance ◽  
Wide Range

A Commission of Inquiry on Canadian University Education recently reported that approximately 42% of full-time undergraduate students who entered Canadian universities in 1985 failed to obtain a degree within five years. While this statistic is startling, perhaps, of greater concern is the apparent lack of interest shown by most Canadian universities in the subject of undergraduate student attrition. As an initial step toward addressing the issue of Canadian university attrition, a conceptual model of undergraduate student withdrawal is proposed. The model is based on the assumption that students are characterized by a wide range of personal and academic variables. Such characteristics interact or co-exist with institutional variables such as campus integration. This interaction results in the quality of student academic performance and the nature of student psychological condition. Poor quality of student academic performance results in institution-initiated undergraduate withdrawal; a variety of psychological variables (e.g., satisfaction, stress) result in student-initiated undergraduate withdrawal. The bases of this model were findings obtained from questioning 498 undergraduate students who had withdrawn from a large Western Canadian university. Personal student characteristics, institutional factors and societal variables frequently emerged as students' attributions of university withdrawal. Student academic performance was validated as the causal factor for institutional-based undergraduate withdrawal and student psychological state appeared critically related to student-based undergraduate withdrawal. From these findings, preadmission counseling, academic and personal student support and an increased commitment to accommodating students are recommended.

scholarly journals CARD GAME TO IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Gressick ◽  
Joel B. Langston
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Reasoning ◽  
Classroom Implementation ◽  
Iterative Design

Fostering critical thinking skills is a ubiquitous goal across disciplines and social contexts. Productive solutions to educational, content-based and social problems can emerge through well-reasoned conversation. How best to support the development of these skills has been a topic of debate. In this study, we investigated the design and effectiveness of a card-based game focused on undergraduate student understanding of common fallacies in thinking. 13 Fallacies was designed with the intention of improving students’ reasoning. In our study, we completed an iterative design phase, play testing phase and have collected data on student learning outcomes from two semesters as a result of classroom implementation. Results indicate that 13 Fallacies improved student understanding of common fallacies in thinking and promoted social reasoning for at-risk undergraduate students.

scholarly journals Critical thinking skills: The academic ability, mastering concepts and analytical skill of undergraduate students

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tutut Indria Permana ◽  
Iin Hindun ◽  
Ndzani Latifatur Rofi'ah ◽  
Ardiani Samti Nur Azizah
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Academic Ability ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Correlated Factors ◽  
Analytical Skill

Science and technology development in the 21st-century has been demanding educators to provide learning activities which stimulate students’ critical thinking skills. This study aimed to find out the correlated factors of the students’ critical thinking skills as well as of which was the strongest determinant in leveling the skills. The subject of this correlational research was 112 undergraduate students in the Department of Biology Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang who took Botany course. There were four variables measured in this study, namely academic ability, mastering concepts, analytical skill, and critical thinking skills. The data of academic ability was obtained from students' cumulative index in the previous semester while the three other variables were measured using final exam test. All of the variables then analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that the three predictor variables (mastering concepts, academic ability, and analytical skill) gave effective contributions toward students’ critical thinking skills, with the percentages of 3.84%, 32.25%, and 54.26% respectively. Therefore, the results of this study could be a basic reference in designing learning process which empower the students’ critical thinking skills.

Persistent anchoring to default rates when electing 401(k) contributions

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-104
Author(s):  
Bryan Foltice ◽  
Priscilla A. Arling ◽  
Jill E. Kirby ◽  
Kegan Saajasto
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Financial Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
College Level ◽  
Contribution Rate ◽  
Enrollment Rate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Default Rates ◽  
Default Rate

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the 401(k) auto-enrollment rate influences the size of elected contribution rates in defined contribution plans for new, young enrollees. Design/methodology/approach The authors survey 324 undergraduate students at a mid-sized Midwestern university, and compare the elected contribution rates for two groups who were randomly given two default rates: 3 and 15 percent. Findings The results indicate widespread evidence of the anchoring and adjusting heuristic in regards to the provided auto-enrollment rate, as the 3 percent default rate group selects a contribution rate of approximately 2 percent less than the group that was provided with the 15 percent default rate. The results also provide support to the benefits of financial education: those who were taking or had already taken a college-level finance course provide higher contribution rates by about 1.7 percent overall. Additionally, individuals with the lowest critical thinking skills elect approximately 2 percent less in annual contributions overall than those who demonstrate higher critical thinking skills. Originality/value Interestingly, all groups seem to be susceptible to the anchoring and adjustment heuristic, as the default rate plays a significant role in the elected contribution rate, regardless of an individual’s financial sophistication or critical thinking skill level. The authors hope that these findings prompt benefit plan administrators and policy-makers to reconsider default rates in their retirement plans that would allow for maximum savings and participation rates. The findings also speak in favor of developing programs that would assist enrollees with financial education and critical thinking skills that would yield better retirement savings decisions when asked to make their employee benefit selections.

scholarly journals Growing a growth mindset: characterizing how and why undergraduate students’ mindsets change

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa B. Limeri ◽  
Nathan T. Carter ◽  
Jun Choe ◽  
Hannah G. Harper ◽  
Hannah R. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Survey Responses

Abstract Background The extent to which students view their intelligence as improvable (i.e., their “mindset”) influences students’ thoughts, behaviors, and ultimately their academic success. Thus, understanding the development of students’ mindsets is of great interest to education scholars working to understand and promote student success. Recent evidence suggests that students’ mindsets continue to develop and change during their first year of college. We built on this work by characterizing how mindsets change and identifying the factors that may be influencing this change among upper-level STEM students. We surveyed 875 students in an organic chemistry course at four points throughout the semester and interviewed a subset of students about their mindsets and academic experiences. Results Latent growth modeling revealed that students tended to shift towards viewing intelligence as a stable trait (i.e., shifted towards a stronger fixed mindset and a weaker growth mindset). This trend was particularly strong for students who persistently struggled in the course. From qualitative analysis of students’ written survey responses and interview transcripts, we determined that students attribute their beliefs about intelligence to five factors: academic experiences, observing peers, deducing logically, taking societal cues, and formal learning. Conclusions Extensive prior research has focused on the influence of mindset on academic performance. Our results corroborate this relationship and further suggest that academic performance influences students’ mindsets. Thus, our results imply that mindset and academic performance constitute a positive feedback loop. Additionally, we identified factors that influence undergraduates’ mindset beliefs, which could be leveraged by researchers and practitioners to design more persuasive and effective mindset interventions to promote student success.

Understanding the educational value of the film Please Vote for Me: The case for a pedagogical course in citizenship education

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-276
Author(s):  
Mei-Yee Wong
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Moral Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Documentary Film ◽  
Chinese Literature ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Small Scale

Abstract Studies have demonstrated the importance of citizenship education for preservice teachers; however, studies on citizenship education pedagogies in university programmes have been rare. This small-scale study furthers the discussions in western and Chinese literature regarding the documentary film Please Vote for Me. By using the film in a citizenship and moral education curriculum course, this study explored undergraduate students' perceptions of using the documentary film Please Vote for Me and their actual learning experiences and outcomes. Data were collected through student interviews, reflective journals and worksheets. The study revealed that, overall, the students appreciated learning by using documentary films; they learned reflection and critical thinking skills and about the concept of democracy. They also discussed the educational topics in the film and reflected on the expected teacher and parent roles of citizenship education. The study provides empirical evidence to supplement the literature on citizenship teaching and learning in teacher education by using a documentary film as a resource.

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