scholarly journals Development and assessment of an academic performance enrichment program for low-performing, first-year pharmacy students

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amie J. Dirks-Naylor ◽  
Corbin Cook ◽  
Pov Nhean
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Enrichment Program

Pharmacy school applications have steadily declined over the past several years. Thus pharmacy schools are not only searching for effective means to increase enrollment of qualified candidates, but are also focusing on the development of programs to improve academic performance and retention of enrolled students. To address the needs of struggling first-year pharmacy students enrolled in an Integrated Biological Sciences (BSI) course, an academic performance enrichment program (APEP) was developed. The program was designed to improve academic success by engaging low-performing students with the aims of improving their time management skills, study skills, metacognition, and understanding of BSI course material. The APEP consisted of structured tutoring sessions twice per week, which were required for all students with a course grade ≤73.5% at any point during the semester. To assess program effectiveness, performance improvement on BSI exams by the APEP students were compared with that of non-APEP students in the same class and to those in the previous 3 yr. Student perceptions of the program were also evaluated via an online survey. The APEP was deemed effective in that a greater percentage of students were able to improve their exam scores and to a greater extent by attending the APEP sessions compared with non-APEP students in the same class and with low-performing students in previous years when the APEP did not exist. Furthermore, APEP students believed the program was effective in meeting its aims. In conclusion, the APEP was effective in improving academic performance of low-performing students in BSI.

Noncognitive Factors and College Student Success

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan P. Farruggia ◽  
Cheon-woo Han ◽  
Lakeshia Watson ◽  
Thomas P. Moss ◽  
Bette L. Bottoms
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Academic Behaviors ◽  
Noncognitive Factors

Farrington and colleagues developed a model that contends that academic mindsets, academic perseverance, learning strategies, social skills, and academic behaviors affect academic success. This study tests a modified version of this model with first-year students ( n = 1,603) at a large, ethnically diverse, urban university. The hypothesized structural model had acceptable fit, with minor modifications. The direct effect on academic performance of academic mindset was strong, of academic perseverance was modest, and of time management was nonsignificant. Only participants’ academic performance had a strong positive effect on retention. Few differences by ethnicity were found. As mindsets are amenable to change, with intervention programs showing promising effects, students with low scores should be targeted to receive support early in their college careers so they may succeed in college.

scholarly journals The assessment of time management skills in Chinese and Croatian students

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-94
Author(s):  
Kristina Črnjar ◽  
Vedrana Čikeš ◽  
Kristina Ferenčak
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Effective Time ◽  
Business Market ◽  
Extra Curricular Activities

Time management is the ability of consciously deciding and controlling the amount of time spent on different activities in order to be more productive and effective. In order to achieve academic success, students should be able to manage a large number of activities, from going to lectures, studying, participating in extra-curricular activities, to making sure they are getting enough rest to stay healthy. The purpose of this research was to determine if there are any significant differences in the effective time management between Chinese and Croatian students. Even though the cultural differences between these two groups are substantial, both groups are becoming a part of the same education and business market. The research was conducted on the sample of 340 Chinese and Croatian students using an online survey. The results have shown that in several time management activities there are statistically significant differences between Chinese and Croatian students. The results also indicate that the Croatian respondents are better at setting goals, determining priorities and performing tasks by priority, while Chinese students delegate tasks and determine and eliminate time wasting activities more often than their Croatian counterparts do. On the other hand, Croatian students waste more time on activities such as conducting tasks of small importance and fun activities of no relevance (e.g. “surfing” the Internet, private telephone conversations, chatting, etc.), while Chinese students are in the forefront with regard to ineffective and supernumerary meetings and overly long and supernumerary phone conversations.

scholarly journals A preliminary inquiry on the association between pre-admission assessments and academic performance of first year dental technology students’ within a South African university of technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (04) ◽  
pp. 187-193
Author(s):  
Anisa Vahed ◽  
Subhadranalene Naidoo ◽  
Deepak Singh
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
South African ◽  
First Year ◽  
Technology Curriculum ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Technology Students ◽  
Admission Tests ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Dental Technology

The use of selection, diagnostic, proficiency, placement, admission, manual dexterity and aptitude tests can reportedly predict students’ academic success. Predictive admission procedures help to reduce dropout rates, improve academic performance, increase success rates, and selectively exclude applicants who are unlikely to be successful in the course. There is an absence of research, however, in this area of work in Dental Technology. To examine the association between pre-admission assessments and Dental Technology students’ academic performance in a South African University of Technology. A quantitative and cross-sectional study design was used. The target populations were the 2018 and 2019 first-year Dental Technology students. Retrospective data extracted from academic records and programme files were statistically analysed to measure the correlations against students’academic performance. Despite there being no significant differences between pre-admission tests and students’ academic performance, there were significant positive correlations between first year university subjects. There are indications of horizontal coherence between the discipline-specific subjects in the first-year Dental Technology curriculum. Examining the association between pre-admission tests and students’ academic results through to graduation, together with the horizontal and vertical alignments of all subjects in the undergraduate Dental Technology curriculum, can facilitate the learning pathways for students to succeed academically at universities.

scholarly journals Interprofessional Pharmacokinetics Simulation: Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Perceptions

Pharmacy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Cropp ◽  
Jennifer Beall ◽  
Ellen Buckner ◽  
Frankie Wallis ◽  
Amanda Barron
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Survey Responses

Interprofessional practice between pharmacists and nurses can involve pharmacokinetic dosing of medications in a hospital setting. This study describes student perceptions of an interprofessional collaboration pharmacokinetics simulation on the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) 2016 Core Competencies. The investigators developed a simulation activity for senior undergraduate nursing and second-year pharmacy students. Nursing and pharmacy students (n = 54, 91 respectively) participated in the simulation using medium-fidelity manikins. Each case represented a pharmacokinetic dosing consult (vancomycin, tobramycin, phenytoin, theophylline, or lidocaine). Nursing students completed head-to-toe assessment and pharmacy students gathered necessary information and calculated empiric and adjusted doses. Students communicated using SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation). Students participated in debrief sessions and completed an IRB-approved online survey. Themes from survey responses revealed meaningful perceptions in all IPEC competencies as well as themes of safety, advocacy, appreciation, and areas for improvement. Students reported learning effectively from the simulation experience. Few studies relate to this type of interprofessional education experience and this study begins to explore student perceptions of interprofessional education (IPE) in a health sciences clinical context through simulation. This real-world application of nursing and pharmacy interprofessional collaboration can positively affect patient-centered outcomes and safety.

scholarly journals Exploring Biology: A Vision and Change Disciplinary First-Year Seminar Improves Academic Performance in Introductory Biology

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. ar22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline J. Wienhold ◽  
Janet Branchaw
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Research University ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic Skill ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Core Concepts ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
First Year Seminar

The transition to college is challenging for most students, especially those who aspire to major in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines, in which introductory courses can be large and instruction less than optimal. This paper describes a novel, disciplinary first-year seminar (FYS) course, Exploring Biology, designed to address many of the challenges facing aspiring biology students beginning their academic careers at a large public research university. The course addresses typical FYS goals, such as community building, introduction to resources, and academic skill development, and introduces students to the core concepts of biology defined in the 2011 Vision and Change report. Relative to a matched comparison group of students, Exploring Biology alumni were retained at higher rates and had higher levels of academic performance in a subsequent introductory biology course, suggesting Exploring Biology has a positive impact on future academic performance in the discipline. Results from course evaluations and an alumni survey show that, overall, students valued both the FYS components and biology components of the course. These results provide evidence that the Exploring Biology disciplinary FYS model is an intervention that may increase academic success and retention in biology.

Cognition, Study Habits, Test Anxiety, and Academic Performance

1994 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 1219-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim Chr. Kleijn ◽  
Henk M. van der Ploeg ◽  
Robert M. Topman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Study Management ◽  
First Year Medical Students ◽  
Successful Students

The Study Management and Academic Results Test (SMART) was developed to measure study- and examination-related cognitions, time management, and study strategies. This questionnaire was used in three prospective studies, together with measures for optimism and test anxiety. In the first two studies, done among 253 first-year students enrolled in four different faculties, the highest significant correlations with academic performance were found for the SMART scales. In a replication study among first-year medical students ( n = 156) at a different university, the same pattern of results was observed. A stepwise multiple regression analysis, with academic performance as a dependent variable, showed significant correlations only for the SMART Test Competence and Time Management (Multiple R = .61). Results give specific indications about the profile of successful students.

scholarly journals ‘Wasting time inside my mind’: Exploring student pharmacists’ perspectives on engaging in mindfulness oriented meditation using concepts from education research

2020 ◽  
pp. 204-214
Author(s):  
Logan T Murry ◽  
Matthew J Witry
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
General Interest ◽  
First Year ◽  
Managing Stress ◽  
Pharmacy Curriculum

Background: Pharmacy students are subject to high levels of stress. An emerging way student pharmacists and pharmacists have reported managing stress and developing professional resilience is through mindfulness. Objectives: To 1) describe how student pharmacists appraise the threat of stress; and 2) identify student perceptions of mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) as a stress management strategy and how MOM may fit in the pharmacy curriculum. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research study was conducted using focus groups comprised of first-year, second-year, and third- year pharmacy students at a college of pharmacy within the United States. A facilitation guide based on the study objectives was designed to guide focus group discussion and a basic interpretivist paradigm was used to underpin a phenomenological approach to interpreting the data. Representative quotes were identified by the authors to illustrate the main concepts from the focus groups. Results: In total, fourteen students participated across the three class-year focus groups. Students expressed a general interest in mindfulness, but their interest conflicted with feelings of business and time-constraints. Offering a certificate or other tangible reward made engaging in mindfulness and MOM more appealing. Conclusions: The concepts of the student’s academic perspective and learning motivation appear to influence mindfulness interest and reasons for participation. Colleges may need to change their criteria for judgment for wellness initiatives like MOM to be more widely adopted.

scholarly journals Factors of academic stress: Do they impact English academic performance?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1446
Author(s):  
Erlinda D. Tibus ◽  
Sybill Krizzia G. Ledesma
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Academic Stress ◽  
Moderate Level ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Personal Stress ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

<span>This study investigated the college students’ level of academic performance and determined the impact of academic stress on their English academic performance. This employed a descriptive-exploratory research design with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and correlation analysis (Pearson r) as main analyses using statistical software. The result suggested that the students (N=250) have a moderate level of stress. Likewise, seven factors were generated through EFA but were reduced to four factors using parallel analysis, the factors are perceived personal stress, classroom stress, performance stress, and time management stress. In the correlation analysis, it was found out that perceived personal stress, classroom stress, and performance stress are significantly correlated except for time management stress. Moreover, these factors were found to have no significant relationship with the English grades of the students. With this result, it is concluded that despite having a moderate level of academic stress, students were able to manage them by using a plethora of coping mechanisms available. The institutions should offer prevention and intervention services that directly address the academic stress of the students to ensure academic success.</span>

Predicting Academic Success for Business and Computing Students

2018 ◽  
pp. 1098-1109
Author(s):  
Kawtar Tani ◽  
Andrew Gilbey
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Additional Support

Various means to predict the success rate of students have been introduced by a number of educational institutions worldwide. The aim of this research was to identify predictors of success for tertiary education students. Participants were 353 students enrolled on Business and Computing programmes between 2009 and 2014, at a tertiary education provider in New Zealand. Enrolment data were used to determine the relationships between completion of the programme and prior academic achievement, age, ethnicity, gender, type of enrolment, and programme of study. These variables, as well as the overall GPA of the programme, were used to examine their relationship with the first year GPA. Results showed that pre- and post-enrolment data can be used for prediction of academic performance in ICT programmes. Based on the significance of some variables, tertiary education institutions can identify students who are likely to fail, these students can therefore be considered for additional support in the early stages of their study, in order to increase their chances of succeeding academically.

scholarly journals Impact of mother tongue on construction of notes and first-year academic performance

2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 112 (Number 11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Dukhan ◽  
Ann Cameron ◽  
Elisabeth Brenner ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
First Year ◽  
Language Students ◽  
The University

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify whether there are any differences in the quality of the notes constructed in English between students for whom English is a first language and those for whom it is a second language. Subsequently we assessed whether this difference, if any, affected their grades. Unsurprisingly, the first-language students produced better structured and more detailed notes; they also performed better academically than their second-language peers. However, when students were provided with training that focused on using writing as a means to promote critical thinking, there was an improvement in the personalisation of their notes. The improvement in grades was significant for second-language students. Thus the university has a pivotal role to play in preparing students for academic success by providing them with supportive measures to aid their transition into first year.

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