Perceived advantages and disadvantages of taking a psychology professional placement year

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-467
Author(s):  
Helen St Clair-Thompson ◽  
Carla Chivers
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Voluntary Basis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose It is well established that there are several benefits of taking a placement year, for example, higher academic attainment, the acquisition of transferable skills and enhanced employability. It is therefore important to understand why students choose to take or not to take a placement. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach In the current study, 159 first year students studying psychology were asked about their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of taking a psychology professional placement year. Their responses were analysed using thematic analysis, and the number of participants who provided information relating to each main theme was also tabulated. Findings Students perceived the main benefits of placements as relating to career certainty, future prospects, experience, knowledge and skills. In contrast, they perceived the main disadvantages as practical disadvantages, social/emotional disadvantages, difficulty, and there being no guaranteed benefit of a placement. Practical implications The results are discussed in terms of their potential to inform practices for developing and enhancing psychology placements within higher education. For example, providing further empirical evidence of the benefits of placements may help staff in higher education to further promote placement years. Originality/value The study contributes to the knowledge of perceived advantages and disadvantages of taking a placement in psychology. Placements in psychology are likely to be very beneficial for employability, but are often only available on a voluntary basis.

Overconfidence of vocational education students when entering higher education

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Bowden ◽  
Subhash Abhayawansa ◽  
John Bahtsevanoglou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – There is evidence that students who attend Technical and Further Education (TAFE) prior to entering higher education underperform in their first year of study. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of self-efficacy in understanding the performance of students who completed TAFE in the previous year in a first year subject of microeconomics in a dual sector university in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises data collected by surveys of 151 students. Findings – A student’s self-efficacy is positively associated with their marks in a first year subject of microeconomics. However, the relationship between final marks and self-efficacy is negative for those students who attended TAFE in the previous year suggesting that they suffer from the problem of overconfidence. When holding self-efficacy constant, using econometric techniques, TAFE attendance is found to be positively related to final marks. Research limitations/implications – The findings are exploratory (based on a small sample) and lead to a need to conduct cross institutional studies. Practical implications – The research points to the need for early interventions so that TAFE students perform well in their first year of higher education. It also points to potential issues in the development of Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) programs. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the inter-related impact of attendance at TAFE in the previous year and self-efficacy on the subsequent academic performance of TAFE students.

Academic staff perspectives on first-year students’ academic competencies

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 630-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana-Kristin Mah ◽  
Dirk Ifenthaler
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
First Year ◽  
Technology Proficiency ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Competencies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the expectations, perceptions and role understanding of academic staff using a model of academic competencies (i.e. time management, learning skills, technology proficiency, self-monitoring and research skills). Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten members of academic staff at a German university. Participants’ responses to the open-ended questions were coded inductively, while responses concerning the proposed model of academic competencies were coded deductively using a priori categories. Findings Participating academic staff expected first-year students to be most competent in time management and in learning skills; they perceived students’ technology proficiency to be rather high but their research skills as low. Interviews indicated a mismatch between academic staff expectations and perceptions. Practical implications These findings may enable universities to provide support services for first-year students to help them to adjust to the demands of higher education. They may also serve as a platform to discuss how academic staff can support students to develop the required academic competencies, as well as a broader conversation about higher education pedagogy and competency assessment. Originality/value Little research has investigated the perspectives of academic staff concerning the academic competencies they expect of first-year students. Understanding their perspectives is crucial for improving the quality of institutions; their input into the design of effective support services is essential, as is a constructive dialogue to identify strategies to enhance student retention.

On their own terms

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-192
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kocevar-Weidinger ◽  
Emily Cox ◽  
Mark Lenker ◽  
Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol ◽  
Virginia Kinman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Literacy Curriculum ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Instruction

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how first-year students conduct everyday life research and how, if possible, their everyday research skills can inform information literacy instruction in higher education. Very few studies in information literacy emphasize existing knowledge that students bring with them to college; instead, the emphasis tends to fall on deficits in students’ academic research skills. Strengths-based approaches or asset-based approaches as found in the literature of psychology and education provide a basis for exploring this direction in information literacy education. Design/methodology/approach The research used a phenomenographic methodology, interviewing 40 first-year students from two large universities, a medium-sized university and a community college. Findings The qualitative study suggests that first-year students are capable of using information purposefully to learn or research interests that have sparked their curiosities. They are also capable of reflecting on the ways that their investigations fulfilled their purposes, resulted in unexpected outcomes or made them consider their issue in a new light. These existing capacities provide promising starting points for strengths-based approaches to information literacy instruction. Practical implications Dialogue with students about prior research experiences enables teaching librarians to plan engaging, authentic information literacy curriculum that acknowledges existing strengths. Originality/value This study provides a valuable contribution to empirical evidence of student research skills prior to entering higher education and suggests connections between those skills and the ACRL Information Literacy Framework. In addition, the study provides a case for strengths-based education, activating students’ prior knowledge to learn and create new knowledge. Authors have presented at Library Instruction West, July 2018.

scholarly journals FACTORS INFLUENCING THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS’ ADAPTATION TO NATURAL SCIENCE STUDIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Birzina ◽  
Dagnija Cedere ◽  
Liva Petersone
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Science Studies ◽  
First Year ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Academic Factors ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Study Process ◽  
And Mathematics

The mass-approach in higher education promotes the broadening of students’ number and diversity therefore the question about the young people’s readiness to adapt to studies becomes more and more topical. Students who enrol in the natural science faculties of the University of Latvia (UL) are motivated and have high assessment in biology and chemistry as school subjects. However, the studies already during the 1st term prove that students encounter problems to get adjusted to the study process. In order to find out the key factors that determine the adaptation of the first-year students to studies, an e-questionnaire was developed and 79 students from the Faculty of Chemistry and Faculty of Biology were surveyed. Institutional and personal factors that are focused on the application of transferable skills are mainly those that affect the students’ adaptation in the first term of studies. At the same time such issues of the academic factor as students’ prior knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics and their skill to learn independently are intrinsic for students’ successful studies. Key words: adaptation to studies, first year natural science students, institutional, personal and academic factors, transferable skills.

What do first-year students need? Digital badges for academic support to enhance student retention

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana-Kristin Mah ◽  
Dirk Ifenthaler
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Academic Support ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
First Year ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Academic Support Services ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse data on first-year students’ needs regarding academic support services and reasons for their intention to leave the institution prior to degree completion. On the basis of the findings, a digital badge outline is proposed which could contribute to improved communication of academic requirements in order to help students to better adapt to higher education demands. Digital badges might also serve as an indicator for students’ needing additional academic support services. Design/methodology/approach An online-questionnaire was conducted with 730 first-year students at a German university. Participants’ responses to open-ended questions were coded and categorised. On the basis on these findings, an outline for a digital badge programme is proposed. Findings Participants seek the most institutional support regarding research skills and organisational aspects. Main reasons for participants’ intention to withdraw from the institution include difficulties with their programme choice. Practical implications These findings may enable higher education institutions to provide targeted support services that meet first-year students’ needs. On the basis of the findings, higher education institutions can create digital badge programmes, which may improve communication of academic requirements and may also serve as a platform for a staff-student conversation about expectations and demands for a successful first-year experience. Besides, further research and discussion may address using digital badges for learning analytics algorithms to even better identify students’ strengths and needs for targeted academic support services and enhanced student success in higher education. Originality/value Little is known about first-year students’ needs for institutional support and reasons for thinking about dropout in Germany. Understanding the student perspective is crucial for enhancing student retention. Digital badges are an emerging educational technology in higher education and they have the potential to target academic requirements, which may guide first-year students and help them to better adjust to universities’ demands.

Embedding employability within higher education for the profession of policing

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-328
Author(s):  
Ian Pepper ◽  
Ruth McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Provision ◽  
Professional Body ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of an employability module, the College of Policing Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP), on students’ career aspirations, their confidence and wish to join the police along with the appropriateness of the module. This will inform the implementation of employability as part of the College of Policing-managed Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). Design/methodology/approach A three-year longitudinal research study used mixed methods across four points in time to evaluate the impact on students studying the employability module. Findings The research suggests that the employability-focussed CKP was useful as an introduction to policing, it developed interest in the police and enhanced the confidence of learners applying to join. Lessons learnt from the CKP should be considered during the implementation of the PEQF. Research limitations/implications The ability to generalise findings across different groups is limited as other influences may impact on a learner’s confidence and employability. However, the implications for the PEQF curriculum are worthy of consideration. Practical implications As the police service moves towards standardised higher educational provision and evolution of policing as a profession, lessons can be learnt from the CKP with regards to the future employability of graduates. Originality/value Enhancing the employability evidence base, focussing on policing, the research identified aspects which may impact on graduates completing a degree mapped to the PEQF. The research is therefore of value to higher education and the professional body for policing.

Serious games: leverage for knowledge management

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Bayart ◽  
Sandra Bertezene ◽  
David Vallat ◽  
Jacques Martin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exploratory Investigation ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Research Show ◽  
Significant Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the use of “serious games” with students can improve their knowledge acquisition and their academic performance. Design/methodology/approach – The research is an exploratory investigation resorting to the use of a serious game to evaluate the evolution of the students’ competencies in project management, through questionnaires processed using a structural “learning model.” Findings – This research shows indeed that the use of “serious games” improves the knowledge acquisition and management competencies of the students with the evidencing of significant factors contributing to this improvement. Practical implications – The findings of this research show that serious games can be an effective tool to be used in teaching students particularly as traditional methods are less and less accepted by today's students. Originality/value – Although the use of games is not something new in education, it is still limited in teaching practices in higher education. This experiment can help lecturers and trainers to resort to them in their pedagogy and to conceive them according to variables that can enhance their effectiveness.

Think about it – can portrayals of homosexuality in advertising prime consumer-perceived social connectedness and empathy?

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Åkestam ◽  
Sara Rosengren ◽  
Micael Dahlen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Attitudes Toward Homosexuality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Thought Listing ◽  
Societal Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether portrayals of homosexuality in advertising can generate social effects in terms of consumer-perceived social connectedness and empathy. Design/methodology/approach In three experimental studies, the effects of advertising portrayals of homosexuality were compared to advertising portrayals of heterosexuality. Study 1 uses a thought-listing exercise to explore whether portrayals of homosexuality (vs heterosexuality) can evoke more other-related thoughts and whether such portrayals affect consumer-perceived social connectedness and empathy. Study 2 replicates the findings while introducing attitudes toward homosexuality as a boundary condition and measuring traditional advertising effects. Study 3 replicates the findings while controlling for gender, perceived similarity and targetedness. Findings The results show that portrayals of homosexuality in advertising can prime consumers to think about other people, thereby affecting them socially. In line with previous studies of portrayals of homosexuality in advertising, these effects are moderated by attitudes toward homosexuality. Research limitations/implications This paper adds to a growing body of literature on the potentially positive extended effects of advertising. They also challenge some of the previous findings regarding homosexuality in advertising. Practical implications The finding that portrayals of homosexuality in advertising can (at least, temporarily) affect consumers socially in terms of social connectedness and empathy should encourage marketers to explore the possibilities of creating advertising that benefits consumers and brands alike. Originality/value The paper challenges the idea that the extended effects of advertising have to be negative. By showing how portrayals of homosexuality can increase social connectedness and empathy, it adds to the discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of advertising on a societal level.

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