scholarly journals Gender differences in achievements among students of the Iraqi college of medicine

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-305
Author(s):  
Baghdad Science Journal

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the duration of time spent by the student inside the examination rooms answering the all kinds of written ex-amination questions has some kind of a positive effect on the final score he will get from that exam. And if there arc gender differences in this respect. Students and methods: Data on the final examinations of the autumn quarter was gathered on 892 examina-tions conducted at the end of this quarter , this included male participants of 566 and females of 326. Examinations were on twenty different subjects , including all of the first five years of the undergraduate students of Iraqi College of Medicine for the academic year 2002 — 2003 . The scheduled time of the examinations was 3 hours.A questionnaire for that purpose was constructed by the researchers and filled by the examination supervisors of the examination rooms . The scores we got from the offi-cial records of the examination committee of the college . Information gathered in-cluded year or stage of the student , subject of examination, gender, duration of time spent by every student inside the examination room and final score on that examina-tion. data were entered into a computer statistical program SPSS 7.5 and statistically analyzed. The results showed 1. The mean duration of stay of students in examination rooms was 125.01 SD=39.32 out of 180 minutes. 2. Females significantly spend more time in the examination rooms (p=0.008), but they do not achieve better marks for this. 3. No significant gender difference in mark acquisition although females regis-tered insignificantly better marks. 4. Mark is affected by the duration of time spent in examination rooms significant positive correlation (p=0.001). 5. However total duration of stay affected the final mark for males (p=0.01). but did not affect that of the females (p=0.27) 6. Females significantly spend more time in the examination rooms (p=0.008), but they do not achieve better marks for this. 7. Males benefit from time spent in getting significantly better results (p-0.01) 8. According to grades or year or stage of the student the longest time spent was significantly more in the first year (p=0.0001) but there was no correlation with the year . The highest marks were recorded by the first year students (p=0.0001)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-140
Author(s):  
Afaf Osman ◽  
Iman Osman Mukhtar Ahmed

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of religious orientation, academic stress, and the use religion as a means to cope with academic stress among first-year undergraduates. The sample consisted of 321 first year students from five faculties of a religiously oriented public university in Malaysia. The data were collected using three separated instruments: a Religious Coping Questionnaire, an Academic Stress Scale, and an Orientation Scale. Frequency analysis was used to examine the prevalence of stress, and religious orientation, while Pearson moment correlation was used to analyze the relationship among the three main constructs: religious coping, religious orientation and academic stress. The analysis ran an independent sample t-test to check for gender-differences in academic stress, religious coping and academic stress. The results showed high incidences of the religious orientation and religious coping among the sample of undergraduates, but no significant gender differences. The study substantiated that one of the means by which the first year students reduced their academic stress is through religious coping and religious orientation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg Raven

Objective: This study sought to better understand the research expectations of first-year students upon beginning university study, and how these expectations differed from those of their professors. Most academic librarians observe that the research expectations of these two groups differ considerably and being able to articulate where these differences are greatest may help us provided more focused instruction, and allow us to work more effectively with professors and student support services. Methods: 317 first-year undergraduate students and 75 professors at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS were surveyed to determine what they each expected of first-year student research. Students were surveyed on the first day of term so as to best understand their research expectations as they transitioned from high school to university. Results: The gulf between student and professor research expectations was found to be considerable, especially in areas such as time required for reading and research, and the resources necessary to do research. While students rated their preparedness for university as high, they also had high expectations related to their ability to use non-academic sources. Not unexpectedly, the majority of professors believed that students are not prepared to do university-level research, they do not take enough responsibility for their own learning, they should use more academic research sources, and read twice as much as students believe they should. Conclusions: By better understanding differing research expectations, students can be guided very early in their studies about appropriate academic research practices, and librarians and professors can provide students with improved research instruction. Strategies for working with students, professors and the university community are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Kimberly Miller

A Review of: Hulseberg, A., & Twait, M. (2016). Sophomores speaking: An exploratory study of student research practices. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 23(2), 130-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10691316.2014.981907 Abstract Objective – To understand sophomore undergraduate students’ research practices. Design – Mixed methods online survey and participant interviews. Setting – A small liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States of America. Subjects – The sample consisted of 660 second-year students; 139 students responded to the survey (21% response rate). In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 of the 139 survey respondents. Methods – A 13-item survey was emailed to sophomore students during October 2012. To analyze the results, the authors and a library student intern developed a coding scheme to apply to open-ended survey questions. Survey respondents could also volunteer for in-depth interviews. A total of 50 survey respondents volunteered, and 14 were invited for in-depth interviews between December 2012 and January 2013. The interview protocol included open-ended questions about students’ research experiences. Students were also asked to identify and discuss one recent research project. Interviews were audio and video recorded; data from one interview was lost due to technology failure, resulting in data analysis of 13 interviews. Interview transcripts were coded by an anthropology doctoral student, the study authors, and a library student assistant. Main Results – The survey found that students completed fewer research projects and used fewer library resources as sophomores than they did as first-year students. For example, only 4.9% (n=7) of students reported completing zero research assignments in their first year, compared with 34.5% (n=48) in their second year. When asked if there were library resources or skills they wanted to know about sooner in their academic career, students’ top reply was “Nothing” (34.5%, n=48), followed by “Navigating the physical space” (15.8%, n=22), “Librarians/staff & reference desk” (11.5%, n=16), and “Effective searching & evaluating sources” (10.8%, n=15). Male and female students’ responses differed, with male students less likely overall to express interest in library resources. While 42.4% (n=59) of students replied that they would consult with a librarian for help with their research projects, this option ranked third after professors (83.5%, n=116) and peers (70.5%, n=98). Again, responses varied by gender, with female students (49.5%, n=49) more likely than male students (26.3%, n=10) to contact a librarian about a research project. Most interview participants replied that searching online, including library resources, was their research starting point. Students most often selected research topics, based on their interest, from a professor-approved list. Students identified “relevant content, familiarity . . . , and credibility” (p. 138) as important source evaluation characteristics. The majority of students also used library information sources in their research, including databases, research guides, and the catalogue. Students most often mentioned struggling with “finding sources/identifying keywords” (n=6) and “finding known items” (n=6). Unlike survey respondents, interview participants unanimously reported consulting with a librarian. Most students (n=11) received library instruction as first-year students, and some suggested that this instruction helped them feel comfortable asking for help. Finally, most students felt that their research habits improved from their first year to their second year, specifically with regards to “their research technique, improved confidence . . . and an expanded source horizon” (p. 143). Conclusion – The authors recommend continuing strong information literacy support to first-year students, as well as working with faculty members and other campus partners to promote reference services to sophomores. When compared to previous research, the current study reports a higher percentage of students seeking librarian assistance; however, because some students also reported confusion about when and how to ask for help, further analysis could explore how reference librarians capitalize on peer and faculty “referral networks” (p. 145). Finding that students face significant challenges early in the research process was consistent with previous research, and future study might reveal more about this specific phenomenon in sophomores. Interviews should also be extended to include students who are non-library users. Finally, the authors suggest that the findings provide no evidence of a “sophomore information literacy slump” (p. 146).


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.


Author(s):  
Jasbir Karneil Singh ◽  
Ben K. Daniel

Expressing an authoritative voice is an essential part of academic writing at university. However, the performance of the authorial self in writing is complex yet fundamental to academic success as a large part of academic assessment involves writing to the academy. More specifically, the performance of the authorial self can be complex for English as a Second Language (ESL) student-writers. This research investigated the extent to which ESL first-year students at the Fiji National University perform their authorial voice using interactional metadiscourse in their academic writing. The study employed a quantitative analysis of corpus produced by 16 Fijian ESL undergraduate students enrolled in an EAP course. The research found that the ESL authorial voice was predominantly expressed through boosters and attitude markers, with relatively little usage of other interactional metadiscoursal elements such as hedges, engagement markers and self-mentions. Further, the research showed that this particular cohort expressed their authorial voice and identity through boosted arguments and avoiding language that directly mentions the authorial self. The study concludes that the ESL authorial self for this cohort manifests itself in a selected range of selected interactional metadiscoursal elements, requiring the need to raise the awareness of self-reflective expressions for ESL students. The study also encourages further exploration of ESL authorial identity construction in academic writing at undergraduate level and beyond.


Author(s):  
Didem Koban Koç

The present study investigated gender differences in the use of linguistic features as well as the social meanings attached to those differences. Academic essays, written by 44 (22 male, 22 female) first-year undergraduate students enrolled in the English Language Teaching program at a government university were analyzed with respect to the use of linguistic features (adjectives, empty adjectives, intensifiers, linking adverbials) as well as the number of words and sentences used by the students. The results showed that, in comparison to males, females used more adjectives, intensifiers, and words. Males, on the other hand, used more empty adjectives and linking adverbials than females. Based on the results, pedagogical implications are discussed, and recommendations are provided in order to increase teachers' awareness of gender differences and improve students' writing skills.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolás Veiga ◽  
Florencia Luzardo ◽  
Kenneth Irving ◽  
María N. Rodríguez-Ayán ◽  
Julia Torres

As a fundamental part of their chemical education, first-year undergraduate students are substantially involved in laboratory activities. Despite the specific teaching staff choices on the main laboratory aims, students normally receive a vast amount of information during these activities. Apart from understanding theoretical content, fundamental skills such as manipulation, data collection and interpretation should be developed. In this context, learners could feel overwhelmed since they can only process a few pieces of information at a time. Indeed, our experience at theUniversidad de la República(Uruguayan public university) shows that many first-year students are in fact not able to cope with all the information they receive during laboratory activities. As a result, many of them only follow the experimental protocol automatically, without gaining significant knowledge or developing the necessary skills. In this work, we assessed the use of new online interactive pre-laboratory activities implemented for 252 first-year university students enrolled in a 12-module General Chemistry laboratory course. The student choice of interactiveversusmore traditional material was evaluated together with observed preferences regarding the different interactive tools offered. Besides, an online pre-laboratory discussion forum was also implemented and assessed. Both the interactive material and the discussion forum were chosen freely by the majority of students (61% and 79%, respectively). Interestingly, the choice was to some extent modulated by student previous performance. Interactive pre-laboratory material was more frequently chosen by low previous performance students, whereas pre-laboratory forum was preferentially used by high previous performance students. Finally, the influence of these new materials on student laboratory performance was statistically analyzed. Other personal and academic variables were also taken into account. Interactive material access was positively correlated with the final laboratory marks for medium previous performance learners. On the other hand, for lower previous performance students, the academic discussion between teachers and partners promoted by the online forum was positively correlated with their academic performance.


Author(s):  
T.V METLYAEVA ◽  
◽  
E.I VASILEVA ◽  

The article is devoted to the analysis of the use of gaming technologies in the process of training undergraduate students in the “Service” direction at the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service (VSUES). The features of understanding the game activity in the scientific literature, the role and place of the game in the educational process are considered. Authors focus on this type of interaction with students, such as game training in their practical activities. This type of work in the learning process allows you to simulate a real situation in which students can form and develop the necessary professional skills and gain experience working with people, as well as understand the specifics of a future profession. Due to its capabilities, game trainings attract the attention of various specialists to work with students. Based on the results of a sociological study among first-year students and graduates of this direction, the authors of the article made conclusions about the effective use of gaming technologies in the learning process. In addition, the authors note that gaming techniques in the process of training image-maker students allow developing important and necessary professional qualities, such as creativity, the ability to relax, the ability to understand other people and adapt to different communication situations.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
J. A. Taylor ◽  

For most students assessment guides their study and learning practice. Yet in the literature associated with the first year of study at university, few have mobilised the power of assessment to develop and engage first year undergraduate students. This paper presents a model of assessment for first year students which separates the semester into three overlapping assessment phases: assessment for transition, assessment for development and assessment for achievement. The implementation and usefulness of the model is supported by examples from mathematics, engineering, computing, communication and nursing studies at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). Particular attention is paid to assessments for transition which occur early in the semester and are linked more closely with processes than specific content. Evidence is collated on the success of assessments in improving the participation of students, especially distance education students.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 243
Author(s):  
Thirunaukarasu Subramaniam ◽  
Mohammad Raduan Mohd Ariff ◽  
Hanizah Idris

This paper aims to identify factors that are considered by the first year undergraduate students from Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), University of Malaya  in course selection process in two different stages namely pre-entry and post-entry. Findings from this study reveals that in  pre-entry selection criteria, ‘teacher’  and ‘family’ factors appears to be more important. ‘Labour market consideration’ only appears to be the third important factor in this stage. These three factors collectively explains  approximately 54 percent of the variation in pre-entry selection criteria.  In post-entry  selection criteria, ‘peers influence’ , ‘orientation week’ and ‘limited choices’ factors emerged as important dimensions. These three factors in turn collectively explains approximately 49  percent of the variation in post-entry selection criteria.  ‘Labour market consideration’  emerges only  as the second last important  factor  in  post-entry  selection criteria.   Keywords: Pre-Entry; Post-Entry; Selection Criteria; Labour Market Consideration; Malaysia


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