SOCIAL SUPPORT, STRESS AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS IN TRA VINH UNIVERSITY

The objective of the study is to analyze the relationship between social support, stress and life satisfaction of first-year university students at Tra Vinh University. Research is conducted through two phases, preliminary qualitative research and formal quantitative research. With the convenient sampling method, 599 validsurvey forms were collected. Cronbach’s Alpha scale reliability testing method, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmation factor analysis (CFA) and linear structural model analysis (SEM) were used. The results showed that (1) all components of social support influence on the stress; (2) teacher and family support positively effect on first-year university students’ life satisfaction; (3) stress negatively effects on firstyear university students’ life satisfaction. Based on the results, policy implications are proposed to Tra Vinh University and related parties for providing timely support to students, contributing to reducing stress and improving life satisfaction of students.

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Proactive behaviour towards strength use and deficit improvement, hope and efficacy as predictors of life satisfaction amongst first-year university students

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology ◽

10.4102/sajip.v41i1.1248 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Frederick W. Stander ◽

Elsabe Diedericks ◽

Karina Mostert ◽

Leon T. De Beer

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

University Students ◽

Structural Model ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Proactive Behaviour ◽

Organisational Behaviour ◽

Positive Organisational Behaviour ◽

First Year University ◽

The Relationship

Orientation: The orientation of this study is towards proactive behaviour towards strength use (PBSU) and proactive behaviour towards deficit improvement (PBDI) and their relationship with hope, efficacy and life satisfaction of first-year university students. Research purpose: To (1) determine whether PBSU and PBDI predict life satisfaction, (2) determine whether PBSU and PBDI predict hope and efficacy and (3) investigate a structural model where hope and efficacy mediate the relationship between PBSU and PBDI and life satisfaction. Motivation for the study: To validate the use of PBSU and PBDI as resources that will assist first-year university student to attain life satisfaction and to delineate the need for universities to incorporate interventions that promote PBSU and PBDI amongst these students. This supports the case for positive organisational behaviour. Research design, approach and method: A convenience sample of 566 first-year students from a university in Gauteng was used with a cross-sectional research design. Structural equation modelling was used to establish the validity of the measurement model, fit for the structural model and to test the mediating effects.Main findings: The results indicated that PBSU was a significant predictor of hope, efficacy and life satisfaction and that PBDI was a significant predictor of hope and efficacy. Hope mediated the relationship between PBSU, PBDI and life satisfaction. Efficacy mediated the relationship between PBSU and life satisfaction. Practical/managerial implications: Evidence suggests that PBSU was a predictor of life satisfaction. This was not the case with PBDI, which in fact negatively correlated with life satisfaction. Both PBSU and PBDI, however, predicted hope and efficacy. On a practical level this reveals that universities should, in line with positive organisational behaviour, introduce interventions that develop PBSU and PBDI amongst first-year students. It further suggests that, as is postulated by positive psychology, universities should focus more particularly on developing the ability of strength use amongst students, as opposed to deficit improvement. Contributions/value-add: This research proposes a strong case for the introduction of interventions that promote first-year university students’ ability for strength use, in particular, but also for deficit improvement, in line with positive organisational behaviour. Further, it validates for strength use as a stronger value proposition in achieving life satisfaction, supporting the philosophy of positive psychology.

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Validating strengths use and deficit correction behaviour scales for South African first-year students

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology ◽

10.4102/sajip.v43i0.1395 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karina Mostert ◽

Bianca Theron ◽

Leon T. De Beer

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

University Students ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

South African ◽

Factor Structure ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Strengths Use ◽

Proactive Behaviour ◽

First Year University

Orientation: It is well known that the first year at university can be very challenging and stressful for students. While some students mainly depend on the university to assist them through this time, other students want to proactively manage this stressful period themselves by focusing on their strengths and developing in their areas of weakness. Two new scales measuring proactive strengths use and deficit correction behaviour have recently been developed for employees. However, the psychometric properties of these new scales have not yet been tested on first-year students in the South African context.Research purpose: To examine the validity, measurement invariance and reliability of the proactive strengths use and deficit correction scales for South African first-year university students.Motivation for the study: In order to cope in the demanding university environment, first-year university students need to develop and apply proactive strategies, including using their strengths and developing in their areas of weaknesses. Several studies have indicated that proactive behaviour, specifically strengths use and deficit correction behaviour, lead to favourable outcomes such as higher engagement, lower burnout and more life satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to validate scales that measure these constructs for first-year students.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional research approach was used. A sample of South African first-year university students aged between 18 and 23 years (N = 776) was collected. The two scales were tested for their factor structure, measurement invariance, reliability, and convergent and criterion validity.Main findings: A two-factor structure was found for the strengths use and deficit correction behaviour scales. Measurement invariance testing showed that the two scales were interpreted similarly by participants from different campuses and language groups. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (α ≥ 0.70) indicated that both scales were reliable. In addition, the scales demonstrated convergent validity (comparing them with a general strengths use and proactive behaviour scale). Strengths use and deficit correction behaviour both predicted student burnout, student engagement and life satisfaction, with varying strengths of the relationships for strengths use and deficit correction behaviour.Practical implications: Strengths use and deficit correction behaviour could enable students to manage study demands and enhance well-being. Students will experience favourable outcomes from proactively using strengths and developing their weaknesses, including reduced burnout and enhanced engagement and life satisfaction. Universities and lecturers can be informed, which allows them to develop support structures and provide students with opportunities to apply their strengths and develop thier deficits.Contribution/value-add: The present study adds to the limited research available on initiating proactive behaviour to use strengths and improve deficits for university students by validating two new scales. This could help in facilitating positive outcomes for first-year university students within the South African context.

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Motor skills as a predictor of academic performance | La aptitud motriz como predictor del rendimiento académico

ESPIRAL CUADERNOS DEL PROFESORADO ◽

10.25115/ecp.v14i28.4013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (28) ◽

pp. 57-64

Author(s):

José Eduardo Molina Arriola ◽

Victor Osiris Rodriguez Cervantes ◽

Julio Cesar Lozano Flores ◽

Luis Quintana Rivera ◽

José Moncada Jimenez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Physical Education ◽

University Students ◽

Motor Skills ◽

Weighted Average ◽

First Year ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

First Year Students ◽

First Year University ◽

Estudiantes Universitarios

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la asociación entre la aptitud motriz de estudiantes universitarios de primer ingreso y su desempeño académico en los dos periodos lectivos de inicio de la carrera de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación. Participaron 83 voluntarios (Hombres = 60, Mujeres = 23) de la Universidad Veracruzana, México. La aptitud motriz se evaluó con ocho pruebas y el rendimiento académico se midió con el promedio ponderado de dos periodos consecutivos. Los análisis de regresión múltiple mostraron que el salto sin carrera (modelo 1), y gimnasia y encestes de baloncesto (modelo 2) predicen el rendimiento académico. En conclusión, la aptitud motriz predice parcialmente el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de primer ingreso.AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the association between the motor skills of first-year university students and their academic performance in the two initial academic terms of the Physical Education, Sports and Recreation degree. Eighty-three volunteers participated (Men = 60, Women = 23) from the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. Motor skills were evaluated with eight tests and academic performance was measured with the weighted average of two consecutive terms. Multiple regression analyses showed that standing jumping (model 1), and gymnastics and effective basketball throws (model 2) predicted academic performance. In conclusion, motor skills partially predict academic performance in first-year students

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The moderating effect of social support on the relationship between burnout, intention to drop out, and satisfaction with studies of first-year university students

Journal of Psychology in Africa ◽

10.1080/14330237.2020.1767928 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 197-202

Author(s):

Karina Mostert ◽

Jaco Pienaar

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

University Students ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Drop Out ◽

First Year ◽

First Year University ◽

The Relationship

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The ‘Double Transition’ for First-Year Students: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on South Africa’s First-Year University Students

Journal of Student Affairs in Africa ◽

10.24085/jsaa.v9i1.1429 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 77-92

Author(s):

Annsilla Nyar

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Student Transition ◽

Double Transition ◽

First Year University ◽

The Impact ◽

Academic Cycle ◽

Special Category ◽

First Year Student

While all students are affected by the advent of the Covid‑19 pandemic, the first‑year student population remains a special category of vulnerability for higher education. This is on account of the way the Covid‑19 pandemic has disrupted their transition into university and complicated the nature of their entry into and through the formal academic cycle. This article uses the notion of a ‘double transition’ as a framework for positioning and locating the first‑year student transition within the context of the prevailing Covid‑19 pandemic. ‘Double transition’ refers to an additional transition coupled with that of the first‑year transition, with regard to the extraordinary situation of students navigating their entry into the unfamiliar terrain of academia while simultaneously navigating the Covid‑19 pandemic. The article provides a circumscribed summary of the effects of Covid‑19 on university students and looks to describe and explain the nature and shape of first‑year transitions in relation to the transition necessitated by the Covid‑19 pandemic. It concludes with four key strategies for supporting first‑year students as the pandemic continues.

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University students’ social interaction type specifics in the learning process

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/20196900093 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 69 ◽

pp. 00093

Author(s):

Olga Rodina ◽

Liubov Gladkova ◽

Olga Selivanova

Keyword(s):

Social Interaction ◽

University Students ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

First Year ◽

Interaction Type ◽

First Year Students ◽

Theoretical Approaches ◽

Conflict Situations ◽

Definition Of ◽

First Year University

The author highlights the importance of human social interaction in training university students.The paper presents an overview of the conceptual aspects of social interaction in scientific research.Based on theoretical approaches to the definition of social interaction, the paper defines “social interaction” in the context of the classroom activities.The aim of the paper is to investigate and define the first-year university students’ interaction specifics in the learning process.The experiment involved 118 students from the Institute of Geology and Oil and Gas Production.On the basis of K.Thomas-Kilmann’s test questionnaire focused on determining a leading interaction type in conflict situations, social interaction type specifics of the first-year students of technical specialties were determined and described.

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First-Year Students' Self-Perceived Effects of Music on Two Tasks

10.4018/978-1-7998-7661-8.ch007 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 119-134

Author(s):

Rachel Hall Buck ◽

Erica Payne

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Online Courses ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Assessment Tasks ◽

Perceived Effects ◽

First Year University ◽

Study Halls

This chapter presents results from a study with first-year university students completing online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the study is to further understand how the same genre of music might impact the completion of two very different assessment tasks. Students in the study participated in two different virtual “study halls” in order to study for their semester final assessments. While further research is needed, results do highlight the need for students to be aware of which type of music to listen to while studying and specifically what kind of cognitive task they are completing.

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University Students' Adjustment Problems

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1998.82.3c.1135 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 82 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1135-1138 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Varghese Iepen Cherian ◽

Lily Cherian

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Representative Sample ◽

Developed Countries ◽

First Year ◽

Adjustment Problems ◽

First Year Students ◽

The North ◽

The University ◽

First Year University ◽

University Of The North

Considerable information is available on the adjustment problems of first-year university students in developed countries, but comparatively little is known about such problems in Asia and Africa. This study of a representative sample of 1257 first-year students conducted at the University of the North showed that 33 to 85% of the first-year students experienced various adjustment problems.

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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF ADAPTATION IN FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Психология. Психофизиология ◽

10.14529/jpps200105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 44-53

Author(s):

Aleksandr Viktorovich Antonovskii ◽

Elena Vladimirovna Balakshina ◽

Svetlana Igorevna Filippchenkova

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Social Relations ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Well Being ◽

First Year ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

First Year Students ◽

University Environment ◽

First Year University ◽

Psychological Features

Background. The article deals with the psychological features of adaptation in first-year university students. The main criteria indicating successful or failed adaptation are highlighted. The study was based on the concept describing human adaptation to changing environmental conditions as a dynamic process, as well as on psychological approaches that reveal the specific aspects of adaptation within the system of complex social relations of a new type. Aim. The article aims to study the features of adaptation in first-year university students through psychodiagnostics for the possibility of compensating negative trends in adaptation to new living conditions. Material and methods. The specificity of the response to educational conditions and students’ adaptation was determined by means of psychodiagnostics of subjective well-being, communicative tolerance, motivation for studying at University, moral normativity of behavior and neuropsychic stability. The sample consisted of students of technical and humanitarian specialties (n =284) aged from 17 to 21 years. Results. A number of important regularities have been established, the main of which are high communicative tolerance, orientation to compliance with the rules, intermediate type of motivation for studying, as well as differences in the severity of the studied characteristics in students, males and females. Conclusion. Adaptation to the components of university environment by first-year students is possible with the activation of all adaptation mechanisms. The nature of adaptation can be assessed through observation of students’ behavior in the team, as well as through the diagnosis of emotional experience, nervous tension, subjective well-being and communicative characteristics, which creates the basis for psychological and pedagogical support of young professionals.

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Lingering effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of first-year university students in Japan

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0262550 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. e0262550

Author(s):

Ryo Horita ◽

Akihiro Nishio ◽

Mayumi Yamamoto

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

High Risk ◽

University Students ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Japanese Version ◽

Subscale Score ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

First Year University

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is continuing unabated in Japan, as of October 2021. We aimed to compare first-year university students’ psychological distress before the pandemic in 2019, during the pandemic in 2020, and one year after the onset of the pandemic, in 2021. Methods The study conducted online surveys over three years from April to May each year. Participants were 400 first-year students in 2019, 766 in 2020, and 738 in 2021. We examined differences in scores on the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms—Japanese version (CCAPS-Japanese) between the three years using a one-way analysis of variance, and differences in the CCAPS-Japanese critical items using chi-squared test and residual analysis. Results The average scores on the Depression and Generalized Anxiety subscale in 2021 were significantly higher than those in 2020, but remained the same as in 2019. The Academic Distress subscale score in 2020 was the worst compared to 2019 and 2021. Meanwhile, the number of students who experienced severe suicidal ideation increased year by year from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion The mean mental health of first-year university students worsened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovered to the pre-pandemic level over the next two years. However, the number of high-risk students with suicidal ideation continued to increase. A system is required for early detection and support for students at high risk of mental health issues.

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