scholarly journals Validation of the Academic Self-Concept Scale in the Spanish University Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 653
Author(s):  
Antonio Granero-Gallegos ◽  
Antonio Baena-Extremera ◽  
Juan Carlos Escaravajal ◽  
Raúl Baños

The aims of this study were: (i) to provide evidence of reliability and validity regarding the dimensionality of the Spanish version of two correlated subscales measuring Academic Self-Concept (ASC); (ii) to analyze factorial invariance according to sex and the educational level; (iii) to analyze a higher-order model from the two ASC subscales; and (iv) to study the predictive relationship of the ASC to academic engagement. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was designed in which 681 undergraduate university students (Mage = 24.55; SDage = 5.35) (58% girls) and students of the Master’s in Teacher Education participated. The scale’s psychometric properties were analyzed using different exploratory and confirmatory analyses demonstrating that this instrument with two correlated factors (academic confidence and academic effort) is valid, reliable, and invariant in terms of gender and academic level. Higher-order factors from the two correlated factors showed an excellent goodness-of-fit. A regression model with latent variables was conducted showing a higher and positive prediction of academic self-concept for the two factors of academic engagement (willingness to study and satisfaction with studies). The ASC has shown itself to be a valid and reliable instrument for use with Spanish university students and may be of special interest, both to teachers and to the students themselves, as it allows us to reflect on the importance of developing confidence and effort during the students’ academic lives.

2018 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 246-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Alfonso D. Datu ◽  
Weipeng Yang ◽  
Jana Patricia M. Valdez ◽  
Samuel Kai Wah Chu

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félix Zurita-Ortega ◽  
Silvia San Román-Mata ◽  
Ramón Chacón-Cuberos ◽  
Manuel Castro-Sánchez ◽  
José Muros

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and to examine the relationship between MD adherence, physical activity, self-concept, and other sociodemographic factors; (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study (N = 597; 18.99 ± 0.64 years) was conducted in a sample of university students from Ceuta, Melilla, and Granada (Spain). Religious beliefs and place of residence were directly reported, while physical activity and adherence to the MD were self-reported using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) respectively. Self-concept was evaluated using the Five-Factor Self-Concept Scale; (3) Results: Of those students reporting high levels of habitual physical activity, 82.3% also reported high adherence to the MD, with 17.7% reporting a medium adherence. Of students reporting no physical activity, 25.7% also reported medium adherence to the MD. No significant associations were found between the MD and religious beliefs. It was observed that the university campus was associated with the level of adherence to the MD (p = 0.030), with adherence being lowest in Ceuta and Melilla. Finally, the MD was associated with academic (p = 0.001) and physical self-concept (p = 0.005); 4) Conclusions: The MD should be promoted to university students, particularly those studying at Ceuta and Melilla, given the present findings of lower MD adherence. In addition, as higher MD adherence was also highlighted with more positive self-concept, its promotion would be beneficial in wider educational contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Gálvez-Nieto ◽  
Francisco Paredes ◽  
Italo Trizano-Hermosilla ◽  
Karina Polanco-Levican ◽  
Julio Tereucán-Angulo

Authoritative school climate is a relevant and novel construct that improves the academic performance and social-emotional development of students. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of reliability and validity of the Authoritative School Climate Survey (ASCS) in a sample of Chilean adolescents. A cross-sectional study was carried out, in which 808 students from 12 schools in Chile participated (55.1% men and 44.9% women), with a mean age of 15.94 (SD = 1.32). The results obtained through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes ratified the hypothesized structure of two correlated factors. As expected, evidence of criterion validity showed significant relationships between the measures of authoritative school climate and attitude toward institutional authority. This study provides evidence regarding the psychometric quality of the scale to assess authoritative school climate, allowing its use in the Chilean context.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibtissam M Sabbah ◽  
Hala Sabbah ◽  
Rania Khamis ◽  
Reve Berbari ◽  
Sanaa Sabbah ◽  
...  

Nowadays, emotional intelligence (EI) is an emerging topic for psychological, educational, and management researchers and consultants. EI is the ability to manage emotions and interact effectively with others. The purpose of our study is to assess the level of EI of young university students and its associated factors; and   to develop a valid and reliable instrument of EI in Lebanon. During 2018, a cross-sectional study, which enrolled 705 university students chosen randomly in seven faculties was conducted. The survey included questions on socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviors, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS).  The attitudes related to media and technology usage assessed by using the last four sub-factors of the Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale. The translation and cultural adaptation of the WLEIS followed a standardized protocol. After that, the psychometric properties of the scale (i.e., feasibility, reliability, and validity) were evaluated. A total of 705 undergraduates filled out the questionnaire, of whom 74% were females, aged   from 17 to 35 (mean=20.42±2.41) years.  The rotated principal axis factor analysis produced four-factors, explaining 64.60% of the variance, corresponding to the hypothesized Self-Emotions Appraisal (SEA), Others-Emotions Appraisal (OEA), Use of Emotion (UOE), and Regulation of Emotion (ROE) scales of WLEIS. The internal consistency of the WLEIS scale was high for all subscales (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.70).  The mean OEA score was significantly higher in females as compared to males (p=0.03). The students who study in public university and have physical activities had higher scores of the ROE (p<0.001); whereas the drinkers of alcohol (p=0.04) and smokers had lower scores (p=0.001). The relationship between SEA, OEA, UOE scores and academic performance was significant (p<0.001). The UOE and ROE were negatively and significantly correlated with the Dependence on Technology (r=-0.15; p<0.001). This study supports the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the WLEIS Arabic version as a screening tool of EI among young university students. The individuals working with students in the context of improving academic skills may want to routinely assess EI of their students in order to improve education, student development, personal well-being, and mental ability.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-198
Author(s):  
Heiko Haase ◽  
Arndt Lautenschläger

AbstractThe paper aims at exploring determinants of the university students' intentions to stay within their university region. At this, we presume that students' career choice motivations are related to their professional intentions, which again, along with demographic characteristics, affect their migration decision. Our analysis is based on a cross-sectional study of 2,353 students from three different higher education institutions, two of them located in Germany and one in Namibia. Results indicate that in Germany migration matters because a considerable proportion of students intend to leave the university region after graduation. At this, we found that the students' geographical provenance exerts the most significant effect on the intention to stay. Moreover, certain professional intentions were directly and some career choice motivations were indirectly linked with the intention to remain at the university location. We present several conclusions and implications.


Author(s):  
Irina Brumboiu ◽  
Alessandro Porrovecchio ◽  
Thierry Peze ◽  
Remy Hurdiel ◽  
Irina Cazacu ◽  
...  

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the use of neuroenhancers, the motivations and factors associated with their use in French and Romanian university students. Students from two universities in France (Rouen and Opal Coast University) and one in Romania (Cluj-Napoca) were asked to complete a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, either online or on paper, about the use of three different categories of substance: Prescription drugs (methylphenidate, modafinil, and beta-blockers), drugs of abuse (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines), and soft enhancers (coffee, vitamins, caffeine tablets, and energy drinks). In total, 1110 students were included: The users were 2.2% for prescription drugs, 4.3% for drugs of abuse, and 55.0% for soft enhancers. Students used neuroenhancement to stay awake for study (69.3%), to improve concentration (55.5%), to decrease stress (40.9%), and to improve memory (39.6%). Neuroenhancement was considered to meet expectations by 74.4% of users. The factors associated with the use of drugs of abuse were frequent binge drinking (Adjusted Odds Ratio—AOR: 6.49 [95% CI: 2.53–16.6]), smoking (AOR: 5.50 [95% CI: 2.98–10.14]), having a student job (AOR: 2.42 [95% CI 1.13–5.17]), and being male (AOR: 2.23 [95% CI:1.21–4.11]). No significant associations with eating disorders were detected for any of the three categories of substances. University students reported neuroenhancement with prescription drugs, drugs of abuse, and mainly soft enhancers. These substances were used mainly to increase the waking hours. Educational programs in universities seem to be required in order to increase student awareness of the problems caused by neuroenhancements, and to decrease the associated risks by changing students’ attitudes and beliefs.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 866
Author(s):  
Iltaf Hussain ◽  
Nisa Yousaf ◽  
Sana Haider ◽  
Pervisha Jalil ◽  
Muhammad Usman Saleem ◽  
...  

The irrational use of antimicrobials has enormously contributed to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally and especially in the developing world. To assess the knowledge and perception regarding AMR and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in university students enrolled in pharmacy, veterinary, and biology programs by using an online self-administered questionnaire. The Chi-square and Fisher exact tests (where applicable) were performed to assess the association of the demographics with the students’ knowledge and perception regarding AMR and AMS. A total of 496 students completed the questionnaire, among which, 85.7% of the participants were familiar with the term AMR and 79.4% of the participants correctly identified a poorly designed dosing regimen as a contributing factor towards AMR. The majority of participants (57.9%) were familiar with the term AMS and 86.5% were aware of the aim of AMS. The participants showed good knowledge regarding AMR and AMS, but to further improve student knowledge and perception of AMS and AMR, it is suggested that dedicated modules on antibiotic use and AMS should be incorporated into the curricula of these undergraduate and postgraduate programs.


Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Kotera ◽  
Jaroslava Dosedlova ◽  
Denise Andrzejewski ◽  
Greta Kaluzeviciute ◽  
Makoto Sakai

AbstractPsychological stress has become a major concern, potentially leading to diverse health problems including psychopathology such as depression and anxiety. Transactional Model of Stress and Coping is an established model, conceptualizing stressful experiences via person–environment relationship. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the pathway from stress to depression/anxiety, with a focus on self-criticism (inadequate-self and hated-self) and self-reassurance (reassured-self) in Czech students who suffered from high prevalence of mental health problems. Convenience sample of 119 undergraduates completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and the Forms of the Self-Criticizing/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale. Correlation and path analyses were conducted. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines were used to aid an accurate and complete report of the study. Depression, anxiety, and stress were positively associated with inadequate-self and hated-self while negatively associated with reassured-self. Both inadequate-self and hated-self partially mediated the stress–depression and stress–anxiety relationships, whereas reassured-self only partially mediated the stress–depression relationship. Inadequate-self had greater impact on the stress–depression/anxiety pathways than hated-self and reassured-self. Findings indicate that clinical treatment may benefit from targeting the feelings of inadequacy to prevent stress progressing to psychopathology. This is particularly relevant as stress levels are rising globally. Our findings offer developments to the Transactional Model, and help practitioners and educators identify solutions to protect mental health of Czech university students.


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