scholarly journals Students’ Conceptions of Academic Success: Themes, Guiding Lines and Contradictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-101
Author(s):  
S.V. Yaroshevskaya ◽  
T.A. Sysoeva

Academic success is a popular topic of psychological and pedagogical studies, but such studies usually emphasize factors that affect academic success or variables associated with it.What constitutes academic success remains an open question if at all posited.Researchers tend to use simplified operationalizations, mainly the academic performance, and ignore the students’ point of view.The purpose of this study is to clarify students’ perceptions of academic success.A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews about learning experience was conducted.The study involved 20 students from various Moscow universities who completed their first academic year (aged 17—42).The technique of reflective thematic analysis was applied.Main themes are the following: “Performance” (learning is considered successful if grades are high and there are no academic troubles), “Knowledge” (learning is successful if the curriculum is being assimilated, or professional knowledge increasing, of one’s horizons are expanding), “Sense of self” (learning is considered successful if there is interest in studying, enthusiasm, as well as internal comfort and/or self-development).Themes are arranged in a sequence, moving from external criteria to internal ones.A number of contradictions are found in the informants’ perceptions of success.In the continuum of themes, different understandings of success are attributed to different instances (university, profession, life activities, Self) and allow us to see the diversity and inconsistency of higher education meanings that explain the observed paradoxes.

Author(s):  
B S S Karthik ◽  
Brig Bhuvanagiri Chandrasekhar ◽  
Dr Rajasekhar David ◽  
Dr A Kranthi Kumar

The objective of the study is to identify various instructional design strategies used by the instructional designers for effective the E-learning experience. Thematic analysis is used to generate the factors accountable for the successful implementation of E-learning process. To fulfill the purpose of the study, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the instructional designers, students, and corporate employees, who are associated with E-learning apps. Interviews conducted are broadly classified into three sections. The first section dealt with the personal profiles of the respondents; second part dealt with the discussion on successful instructional strategies adopted by the designers, and the third part dealt with the ease and comfort experienced by the learners while undergoing the E-learning course. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts generated six themes, namely Technical assistance; Problem based learning, Aesthetics, Gaming, Storytelling, and Social support. This study will help the instructional designers to understand, what kind of expectations the learners have while taking up an E-learning course and how best these expectations can be addressed through design strategies by the instructional designers.


Author(s):  
Ronel Sanet Davids ◽  
Mariana De Jager

An estimated 90 per cent of children with a hearing loss are born to hearing parents. Most parents are unprepared for the diagnosis, leaving them shocked, confused, sad and bewildered. This article reports on a study aimed at exploring and describing the experiences of hearing parents regarding their child’s hearing loss. The study was conducted in Cape Town, South Africa. The study applied a qualitative methodology with a phenomenological design. Purposive sampling was implemented and data were collected by means of unstructured in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical considerations were adhered to. The main findings of the study indicated that hearing parents experience a myriad of emotions when their child is diagnosed with a hearing loss. This study advocates for various stakeholders in the helping profession to collaborate in the best interest of hearing parents and a child with hearing loss. Furthermore, these findings serve as guidelines for professionals working with these families.


Journalism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146488492199628
Author(s):  
Anja Salzmann ◽  
Frode Guribye ◽  
Astrid Gynnild

Due to the visual turn in journalism and the emergence of mobile journalism, many newspaper journalists have had to change the way they work and learn to use new tools. To face these changes, traditional news organizations apply different strategies to increase staff competencies in using new production tools and creating innovative content in new formats. In this paper, we investigate how a specific training arrangement was experienced by a group of 40 print editors and journalists in a German regional publishing house. The journalists were introduced to audio-visual storytelling and reporting with smartphones in a 2-week training course. The training arrangements were studied using participant observation and in-depth interviews, followed by a thematic analysis of the data. The study indicates that for print journalists and editors, the transition from the print to the mojo mindset depends on three dimensions: (i) mastering mojo skills, (ii) adopting visual thinking and (iii) integrating ethical and legal awareness.


2021 ◽  
pp. 205715852199445
Author(s):  
Kristina Sundt Eriksen ◽  
Sissel Iren Eikeland Husebø ◽  
Hartwig Kørner ◽  
Kirsten Lode

Colorectal cancer affects a large number of people aged ≥80 years. Little is known about how they manage after discharge from hospital. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of individuals aged ≥80 years recovering from surgery for colorectal cancer, and the challenges they may encounter after discharge from hospital. Data were collected between January and March 2016 through in-depth interviews with ten participants approximately one month after surgery. Inductive thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. The COREQ checklist was used in reporting this study. Two themes were identified: Managing the recovery from CRC surgery, and Insufficient follow-up from the healthcare services after CRC surgery. The findings indicate that older people treated for colorectal cancer manage surprisingly well after discharge despite challenges in their recovery; however, there are seemingly areas of improvement in their follow-up healthcare.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2103
Author(s):  
Laura Nicklin ◽  
Stuart Gordon Spicer ◽  
James Close Close ◽  
Jonathan Parke ◽  
Oliver Smith ◽  
...  

Excessive engagement with (increasingly prevalent) loot boxes within games has consistently been linked with disordered gambling and/or gaming. The importance of recognising and managing potential risks associated with loot box involvement means understanding contributing factors is a pressing research priority. Given that motivations for gaming and gambling have been informative in understanding risky engagement with those behaviours, this qualitative study investigated motivations for buying loot boxes, through in-depth interviews with 28 gamers from across the UK. A reflexive thematic analysis categorised reasons for buying into seven “themes”; opening experience; value of box contents; game-related elements; social influences; emotive/impulsive influences; fear of missing out; triggers/facilitators. These themes are described in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature and motivation theories. This study contributes to understanding ways in which digital items within loot boxes can be highly valued by purchasers, informing the debate around parallels with gambling. Findings that certain motivations were disproportionately endorsed by participants with symptoms of problematic gambling has potential implications for policy and warrants further study.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095001702097730
Author(s):  
Netta Avnoon

Drawing on theories from the sociology of work and the sociology of culture, this article argues that members of nascent technical occupations construct their professional identity and claim status through an omnivorous approach to skills acquisition. Based on a discursive analysis of 56 semi-structured in-depth interviews with data scientists, data science professors and managers in Israel, it was found that data scientists mobilise the following five resources to construct their identity: (1) ability to bridge the gap between scientist’s and engineer’s identities; (2) multiplicity of theories; (3) intensive self-learning; (4) bridging technical and social skills; and (5) acquiring domain knowledge easily. These resources diverge from former generalist-specialist identity tensions described in the literature as they attribute a higher status to the generalist-omnivore and a lower one to the specialist-snob.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Gilman ◽  
Shauna C. Henley ◽  
Jennifer Quinlan

PurposeFoodborne illness from poultry may be associated with improper handling that results in cross contamination. Washing of raw poultry is one practice that can lead to cross contamination. Some consumers continue to wash raw poultry after learning that not washing raw poultry is the safe behavior. There is a need to better understand why some consumers continue this practice and identify barriers to them adopting the correct behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilized qualitative, in-depth interviews to understand some consumer's barriers to adopting the behavior of not washing raw poultry. The interview questioning route was iteratively developed and designed to allow both structure and flexibility. Questions were anchored in the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change. Interviews (N = 23) were conducted over Zoom. Thematic analysis identified themes around consumers' resistance to adopting the correct behavior for handling raw poultry.FindingsResults from the thematic analysis indicate that chicken preparation methods were primarily influenced by family. A desire to control the process of preparing food, lack of trust in chicken processing, and the habitual nature of the behavior all contributed to the continuation of washing raw poultry. Over half of the participants (61%) expressed interest in changing behaviors in the future. Needing supporting scientific evidence, and an alternative behavior to replace washing were two key factors to support the development of future public health messaging.Originality/valueThis study investigates the barriers to safe raw poultry handling utilizing in-depth interviews and contributes to the development of more effective public health messaging.


Author(s):  
Fransiska Nova Nanur ◽  
N.P Widarini ◽  
Mangku Karmaya

Background and purpose: Partnership between traditional birth attandence (TBA) and midwives is one of the strategies to increase the coverage of childbirth assistance by the health personnel. This partnership seems to be ineffective as still there were TBA performed childbirth assistance. The study aims to find out about the overview and obstacles in the implementation of the partnership between TBA and midwives in the East Manggarai Regency.Methods: The qualitative research with in-depth interviews using open interview guide was conducted on 15 participants who were selected purposively, consisted of two village midwives, five TBAs who partnered with midwives, three TBAs who are not partnered with a midwife, and two participants of community leaders, the religious leaders, the two puerperal women and one policy maker. Data were analyzed by using thematic analysis approach.Results: The results showed that the facilities and supporting infrastructure of partnership were inadequate, funds provided were not enough to finance the implementation of the partnership, there were no regular meetings between the midwives and the traditional healers, coordination was done merely incidental. The division of roles in the treatment of childbirth was clear, but many obstacles were found, namely transportation barriers, economic problems and there were traditional healers who did not want to partner.Conclusion: The overview of partnership between the traditional healers and midwives in childbirth assistance has not gone well and there were still many obstacles found both internally and externally. To optimize this program, sufficient funds should be allocated, transportation should be improved and counseling should be provided to the community to raise awareness of the importance of childbirth assistance by the health personnel.


Libri ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murtaza Ashiq ◽  
Shafiq Ur Rehman ◽  
Syeda Hina Batool

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of academic library leaders of Pakistan about library leadership. Qualitative research design was used with phenomenology approach as the present study aims to investigate what library leaders commonly perceive to be challenges, fundamental difficulties and needed skills to be successful. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from 15 senior academic library leaders. Major challenges found were identity crises followed by communication issues, financial constraints, CPD and administrative issues. The most challenging aspects of being an academic library leader were identified as trying to create awareness, lack of self-development culture and technological issues. The required leadership skills were communication, vision, social interaction, team building, organisational understanding and knowledge sharing. The findings of the study are helpful for current, young and future chief librarians to understand the challenges they may face and to develop the leadership skills needed to cope with these challenges. The study will also be helpful to academic institutions during their recruitment processes; professional associations for training purposes; and library schools for arranging and offering leadership courses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1405-1415
Author(s):  
Omar Jabak

The present study aimed to explore the role of English songs in Saudi students’ self-learning of English as a foreign language. The study employed one data collection tool which was an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 38 Saudi students at the Community College of King Saud University in the second semester of the academic year 2020. The examination and analysis of the data showed that listening to English songs motivated the Saudi students to learn English in a self-study mode, augmented their English vocabulary, improved their speaking skill and developed their spelling or writing skill to a considerable extent. It is, therefore, recommended that more large-scale quantitative or qualitative studies on the role of English songs in Saudi students’ self-learning of English as a foreign language be conducted to confirm the findings of the present study, challenge them or yield new ones.


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