scholarly journals Students’ self-perceptions of creativity: the case of Emirati students in a first-year English program

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
Tanju Deveci

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the opinions of first-year Emirati students in a writing-intensive English program regarding the extent to which they found themselves creative and the ways in which they expressed creativity in general. The other aim was to identify the ways in which they tended to make their writing creative. The study also sought to see if there were differences between male and female students’ responses. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 54 first-year Emirati students using a survey with closed and open-ended questions. Findings Results revealed that only three quarters of the students considered themselves creative. The most common ways in which they perceived themselves creative were through originality, problem-solving and design. With regards to creativity in writing, amongst several factors, they believed that the incorporation of experience, skillful use of lexis and grammar and understanding of their audience in particular make their writing creative. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students’ responses. Originality/value People’s cultural backgrounds play a significant role in their perception of creativity and beliefs in their own creative writing powers. Creative writing skills are, therefore, often among key learning outcomes, and many universities offer their students writing-focused courses. For these courses to be successful, students’ perceptions of creativity skills ought to be taken into consideration. The current study achieved this.

Author(s):  
Е.А. Волгуснова ◽  
Е.А. Шерешкова

В статье рассмотрена проблема нервно-психических перегрузок и способов совладания с ними у студентов первых курсов педагогического вуза в период их первой сессии. Актуальность ее решения связана с необходимостью повышения нервно-психической устойчивости студентов для успешного освоения ими выбранной профессии и снижения трудностей в учебно-воспитательном процессе вуза. Цель исследования заключалась в изучении корреляций копинг-стратегий и нервно-психической устойчивости у студентов-бакалавров Шадринского государственного педагогического университета с учетом полового диморфизма. В исследовании применялись стандартизированные опросники: «Решение трудных жизненных ситуаций» (Я. Боукал, модификация О. Ю. Михайловой), «Способы совладающего поведения» (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, стандартизированный под руководством Л. И. Вассермана), многоуровневый личностный опросник «Адаптивность» (А. Г. Маклакова, С. В. Чермянина). Выдвинута гипотеза о том, что между показателями копинг-стратегий и нервно-психической устойчивостью студентов разного пола существуют прямые и обратные связи. В статье представлены обнаруженные авторами гендерные различия в копинг-стратегиях и уровнях нервно-психической устойчивости, а также прямые и обратные связи между ними. Эмпирически доказано предположение о том, что у юношей связи копинг-стратегий в нервно-психической устойчивости более вариативны, чем у девушек. Полученные в исследовании и описанные в статье эмпирические данные, сделанные на их основе выводы могут быть использованы при определении траектории психолого-педагогического сопровождения студентов-первокурсников в сессионный период при их психологической подготовке к другим стрессовым ситуациям. The article treats the issue of mental and psychological overstrain experienced by first year students of pedagogical universities during their first examination session and strategies that can be used to deal with it. The relevance of the research is accounted for by the necessity to improve students’ mental and psychological stability to ensure their academic success and to reduce challenges they face during the learning process. The aim of the research is to investigate the correlation between coping strategies and mental and psychological stability in students of Shadrin State Pedagogical University taking into consideration students’ gender differences. The research employed standardized questionnaires: “Overcoming Difficult Life Situations” (J. Boukal, O. Yu. Mikhaylova’s modification), “Coping Strategies” (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, standardized under the supervision of L. I. Wassermann), multilevel personality questionnaire “Adaptability” (A. G. Maklakova, S. V. Chermyanina). The authors put forward a hypothesis that there is a direct and response-based correlation between the indices of coping strategies and mental and psychological stability of male and female students. The article presents some gender-related differences of coping strategies and mental and psychological stability discovered by the authors of the article and some direct and response-based correlation between them. It has been empirically proved that trying to achieve mental and psychological stability, boys employ more variable coping strategies than girls. The empirical data acquired in the research are described in the present article. The conclusion made on their basis can be used to define some trajectories of psychological and pedagogical support for first-year students during their first examination session, provided they are psychologically ready to cope with other stressful situations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Vorontsova

Due to the growing interest in the phenomenon of self-efficacy, the psychological science examines the directions of studying self-efficacy in domestic and foreign exploratory development. The attention is focused on studies that reveal the interrelation of the self-efficacy phenomenon with other psychological phenomena, such as motivation to succeed and avoidance of failure, as well as studies devoted to the features of self-efficacy ideas in male and female students. There are publications on the data of the empiric investigation of interrelation of self-efficacy and success motivation in young people at various university training stages with presentations of analysis of differences in correlation features in male and female students. A conclusion is made that there are differences existing between the investigated indicators of self-efficacy in substantive work, self-efficacy in interpersonal communication and success motivation in the first-year and the second-year students, as well as the differences existing in the outlined indicators in the young people taking university psychological and legal courses.


Author(s):  
Almur M. Al-Hashimi

This study aimed to find out the motives of Omani students to join Sultan Qaboos University and other universities outside the Sultanate. Ranking of importance of reasons as well as differences in motives of enrollment based on gender, college and residential area were explored. The researcher developed two questionnaires with 27 items. They were applied to a sample that consisted of 662 male and female students from Sultan Qaboos University and students studying in universities outside the sultanate. The results indicated that the motivesfor student enrolling in the first year at Sultan Qaboos University were: access to good financial support, availability of their specialization, securing jobs quickly, quick promotions, and good salaries. The results also indicated that the motives to join universities outside the Sultanate were: their GPA did not qualify participants for enrollment at Sultan Qaboos University, the unavailability of specialization at Sultan Qaboos University, the desire of their parents, receiving good monthly financial support, and negative perception of Sultan Qaboos University.


Author(s):  
Benjamin J. White ◽  
Sumeeta Patnaik

The purpose of this chapter is to share an assessment model built specifically upon teacher collaboration and, more broadly, to encourage readers to consider the power of collaboration within an intensive English program (IEP). After examining traditional assessment challenges faced by IEPs, the chapter presents a collaborative assessment model, the basic premise of which is that teachers of the same students across three core courses within the same IEP level work together to create a common midterm and final exam. The model is examined in light of the five assessment principles of validity, reliability, practicality, authenticity, and washback. Finally, benefits and challenges of teacher collaboration are considered from the perspective of program administrators.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 54-67
Author(s):  
Kaukab Abid Azhar ◽  
Nayab Iqbal

The study aims at studying gender differences in the ways male and female students take turns and participate in a mixed-gender classroom. Two groups of first-year English compulsory classes held at two different departments (Geography and Economics) at the University of Karachi took part in the study. The results revealed that in the Geography Department, where there was a female teacher, male students were more dominating as compared to the female students who hardly participated in the class. They took more turns and participated better in the classroom discussion. In addition, they also interrupted the teacher and the female counterparts when they tried to contribute to the discussion. On the other hand, at the Department of Economics, female students had more number of turns. They dominated the classroom as compared to the male students. Besides, the study revealed that the gender of the teacher played an important part in shaping the discourse taking place in the classroom.


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