scholarly journals Mental Toughness Scale for Pakistani University Students: A Validation Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-706
Author(s):  
Sarah Anthony ◽  
Sadia Saleem ◽  
Sara Subhan ◽  
Zahid Mahmood

The current mental toughness is multidimensional construct that help the individual to show persistent strength and preservation during the high competitive situations. The university life is the most vulnerable and pressured time for the university students. The aim of the current study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Mental Toughness Scale (MTS) in university students. A total of 306 participants (151 men and 155 women) with the age range of 18-25 (M = 20.66; SD = 1.36) were administered the Mental Toughness Scale, the Resilience Scale and the Student Problem Checklist. The results of the Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a three factor solution Sense of Personal Competence, Problem Solving Skills and Social Competence. Further, the MTS was found high internal consistency, reliability, construct and discriminant validity. The results pave the way for application of the Mental Toughness of University students of Pakistan and are discussed in light of cultural implications.

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-34
Author(s):  
Aqsa Khaliq ◽  
Umaiza Bashir ◽  
Zahid Mahmood

Interpersonal relationships are a very important part of the university life of a person. To explore the relationship between interpersonal difficulties and personality traits, a sample of 300 students in the age range of 18-28 years (M=22.04) was taken from different government and private universities. To measure the Machiavellian Personality Tendencies among students an indigenous tool was developed rooted inthe Pakistani culture. Interpersonal Difficulties Scale (Saleem, Ihsan, & Mahmood, 2014) was used. It was revealed that students with high Machiavellian Personality Tendencies have more interpersonal difficulties and Machiavellian Personality Tendencies, gender, family system and birth order are significant predictors of interpersonal difficulties in university students. These results are discussed in the Pakistani cultural context and their implications are stated for future research and therapeutic work.


The paper provides an analysis of the 19th – early 20th centuries autobiographies by I. Snehyrov, N. Ustrialov, S. Soloviov, K. Bestuzhev-Riumyn, M. Maksymovych, N. Kostomarov, V. Antonovych, M. Drahomanov, V. Semevskyi, etc. Such concepts as «life events», «actors», «stories» act as key notions of the research. This research focuses on the «event» saturation at various stages and different spheres of the university life of memoirists, as well as the peculiarities of interpretation and presentation of the corresponding «events». Particular attention is paid to the analysis of «stories», which are a complete narration and give some «events» the status of «key» or «turning». In addition, the paper analyzes the circle of communication of memoirists (so-called «significant others»), which allows to talk about the relationships in the system «teacher – student», «client – patron», etc. Understanding autobiographical texts as cultural and intellectual constructs influenced by a lot of factors (cultural and historiographic tradition, life experience of a memoirist, etc.), makes it possible to understand more deeply not only the individual «life path» of the university historian, but also the phenomenon of the university as a whole. In particular, the appearance in the autobiographies of historians of the younger generation of reflections on their current system of education, attempts to understand the moral code of «university person», the emphasis on the recognition of their scientific achievements by their colleagues. This is what indicates the beginning of the formation process of a professional community and awareness of the university values.


2021 ◽  
pp. 185-195
Author(s):  
Ilaria Merciai ◽  
◽  
Ruth Kerr ◽  
Gaetana Melchionna ◽  
◽  
...  

This chapter presents an update of the MOOC orientation strategy implemented by Federica Web Learning, Centre for Innovation, Experimentation and Diffusion of Multimedia learning at the University of Naples, Federico II since January 2019 and already published in the same year. A solid orientation strategy is designed to support students in their university choice and prepare them for the intellectual demands of university life and study. According to OECD, graduate numbers in Italy increased in 2019 from 20% to 28%(25-34 age range), and Italy has high numbers of post-graduate degree holders. However, overall graduate numbers are still relatively low compared to other European member states and dropout rates continue to be high, as do the numbers of students changing degree course after one or two years of study. In line with the updated DEAP, Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027), and Italian Ministerial recommendations, the Federica MOOC-based orientation strategy explores ways of bridging the gap between school and university in a 3-pronged approach designed to address students’ choice of degree subject and university; preparation for university entrance exams and difficult modules; and last but not least, raising student self-awareness to help them adapt to change as they shape their future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 718-736
Author(s):  
Swagatika Sahoo ◽  
Rajeev Kumar Panda

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of the contextual antecedents on the individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) of university graduates, which, in turn, affects their entrepreneurial intentions (EIs). Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected in the form of 510 valid responses from engineering students across two technical universities in India, through a structured questionnaire consisting of scales adapted from the extant literature, and the data were empirically validated in this study. The reliability and validity measures of the constructs were validated through the confirmatory factor analysis, and the proposed hypotheses were validated using structural equation modelling. Findings The results of this empirical analysis validate that the contextual antecedents have a significant positive impact on students’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO), which, in turn, has a significant positive influence on EIs. Research limitations/implications This analysis depicts the significance of EO as a perceptual driver at the individual level and substantiates that the availability of resources such as startup capital, access to business information, social networks and supportive university context significantly affects the decision-making process of an individual to venture into an otherwise uncertain occupation of entrepreneurship. Practical implications The study has the likely potential to help university administrators and policymakers to allocate resources, develop strategies and provide effective entrepreneurial learning in entrepreneurship-oriented courses aimed at honing entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence of the university students. This holistic model can be used as a tool for resource planning and prioritising in order to provide the desired contextual support essential for fostering the IEO of the university students towards adopting entrepreneurial career, thereby assisting them to achieve their career goals and the broader objective of nation-building. Originality/value This study adopts an innovative approach to empirically validate the EO construct at the individual level, which has been studied at the organisation (firm) level till today. This research explores the relevant contextual antecedents and analyses their impact on IEO as well as the explanatory capacity of IEO to explain students’ EIs in the contextual backdrop of universities in a fast transitioning economy like India.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1527-1531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Rosi ◽  
Daniela Martini ◽  
Giuseppe Grosso ◽  
Maria Laura Bonaccio ◽  
Francesca Scazzina ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a self-administered nutrition knowledge (NK) questionnaire for Italian university students.Design:The NK questionnaire included ninety questions on experts’ nutritional recommendations, nutritional content of food, health aspects of food and diets, relationship between diet and diseases, and proper food choices. It was administered to the same population under the same conditions on two different occasions with a time interval of 3 weeks between the two administrations.Setting:The survey was carried out at the University of Parma (Italy) during the 2018–2019 academic year.Participants:Data were collected for 132 bachelor and master degree students attending the University of Parma, either attending or not nutrition classes during their studies (19–30 years, 29·5 % males, 57·6 % with an academic nutrition background).Results:The questionnaire revealed high overall internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α > 0·8) and a good temporal stability with high correlation of the total score (r = 0·835, P < 0·001). Moreover, it showed a good ability to discriminate between subjects with potentially different NK.Conclusions:This NK questionnaire proved to be a reliable, valid and easy-to-use tool for assessing the NK of Italian university students, either with or without nutrition background.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (XV) ◽  
pp. 138-149
Author(s):  
Anna Armeini

Academic misconduct performed by the university students is an illegal practise and will give negative effects to the individual as well as the related institution. This research aims at discovering significant factors and psychological dynamics in the university students performing academic misconduct. The research based on the post positivistic paradigm with three students of State University of Jakarta as the objects of the study. Using interview technique in collecting data, the research conducted in the odd semester of 2009/2010 concludes that demographic factor, individual factor, and situational factor are the signifant factors. The academic misconduct performer has a psychological dynamic showing dissonance. The performer believes academic misconduct is inapprorate, but he/ she still keeps doing.


Author(s):  
Rocio Gómez- Molinero ◽  
Antonio Zayas ◽  
Paula Ruíz-González ◽  
Rocio Guil

University life is full of stressful stimuli that can contribute to psychological distress and lower performance levels. Despite academic demands, university students also face new stressors, such as different social networks, financial changes, and adaptation to new family and social roles that may have a negative impact on their mental health (Pidgeon & Pickett, 2017). In this sense, resilience literature has gained acceptance explaining how some students successfully adapt to university life while others find great challenges. Since resilience has been defined as the ability to successfully adapt in the face of stress and adversity, it is important to determine what psychological factors contribute enhancing this resilience levels. One of the factors related to life adaptation is optimism, understood as the general expectancy of obtaining positive outcomes in the future (Scheier & Carver, 1985). Hence, the aim of this study is to study the relationship between optimism and resilience among a sample of university students in Spain.The sample was comprised of 132 students from the University of Cádiz (Spain). Participants were selected by quota sampling from first to last year of studies. The majority of students (72.5%) were female and average age was 21.71 (range = 18–48, SD = 3.75). Participants completed the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (Spanish version adapted by Novella, 2002) and Life Orientation Test (LOT-R Spanish version adapted by Ferrando, Chico & Tous).We performed hierarchical multiple regression analysis and obtained that optimism explained 25% of resilience among university students (R2 = .25, â = .49). No gender and age differences were observed. Thus, identifying the factors that influence students’ adjustment to university life can improve the targeting of interventions to improve university academic performance. Moreover, this research could contribute helping students to successfully face this life transition, increasing their well-being and life satisfaction levels and decreasing university absenteeism.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1663-1670
Author(s):  
Kristina Kilova ◽  
Desislava Bakova ◽  
Nonka Mateva ◽  
Zhivko Peychev ◽  
Antoniya Yaneva

The creation of a University Press is a prerequisite for raising the reputation of the Medical University - Plovdiv. With its significant scientific output and the large number of students, it will represent the face of the University in front of the scientific communities and will be an important element of the national and international interuniversity communication. By documenting the individual qualities of the teachers, knowledge is preserved and its development is assisted, thus meeting the public demands. Without a developed publishing activity, it is difficult to evolve the creative potential of teachers and students. The University Press, on the one hand, is a real participant in the learning process, as it facilitates students' access to books as well as novelties in science. On the other hand, it is also a natural center of university life.


1995 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 907-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela F. L. Wong ◽  
Barry J. Fraser

This paper reports the cross-validation in Singapore of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory, which assesses students' perceptions of psychosocial aspects of their science laboratory classroom environments. The sample consisted of 1,592 final year secondary school, i.e., Grade 10, chemistry students from 56 intact classes from 28 randomly selected coeducational government secondary schools in Singapore. This instrument, which has separate forms measuring students' perceptions of the actual and ideal (preferred) learning environment, comprises five scales: Student Cohesiveness, Open-endedness, Integration, Rule Clarity, and Material Environment. The study provided cross-validation support for use in Singapore in either its actual or preferred form and with either the individual student or the class mean as the unit of analysis. Each scale exhibited satisfactory internal consistency reliability, discriminant validity, factorial validity, predictive validity, and ability to differentiate among classes.


Author(s):  
A. Rakhymbekov

The article considers the possibilities of building an optimal individual educational trajectory of university students in the areas of functioning of subject and inter-subject knowledge in solving typical and project tasks of a specialist's activity, as well as the development of constructive, algorithmic thinking, when the student is immersed in an environment that requires clear planning of any type of activity.


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