scholarly journals READING DIFFICULTIES AMONG MALAYSIAN UNDERGRADUATE ESL LEARNERS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (43) ◽  
pp. 62-70
Author(s):  
Eugenia Ida Edward ◽  
Kamsilawati Kamlun ◽  
Wardatul Akmam Din ◽  
Chelster Sherralyn Jeoffrey Pudin
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Malaysian Students

Reading deficiency in reading English texts or materials among ESL undergraduate students has been one of the most significant problems in Malaysia. Educators in Malaysia are currently facing the problem as it reflects on their students’ academic performance. This study aims to investigate Malaysian ESL undergraduate students’ reading difficulties in reading English texts. 25 Malaysian students who are taking advanced English courses in a university, were selected to participate in this study. A quantitative method was employed for this study. The questionnaires were designed to fit the purpose of this study. Data analysis was done using SPSS to analyse the data collected. The result shows that students are weak in grasping the main idea when they are reading, having poor vocabulary, lack of reading habit and interest in reading English texts, and are pressured with the lack of time when reading. It can be concluded that reading deficiency affects their academic performance and their English proficiency. In overcoming their difficulties, students must equip themselves with some reading strategies to help them to comprehend the English texts that they are reading.

scholarly journals PLUS – An Academic Mentorship Guide for Undergraduate Studies: A Preliminary Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-130
Author(s):  
Ping Ping Tan
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Grade Point Average ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Digital Education ◽  
Cumulative Grade Point Average ◽  
Undergraduate Studies ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Constant Improvement

This paper introduces an approach to academic mentorship, named PLUS, that specifically assist students in their academic performance through personalised guidance. Through the guidance of a mentor, PLUS lets mentees evaluate their strength and weakness before setting their target to achieve for each subject. Based on this preliminary study with 23 computer science undergraduate students by measuring their academic performance using the cumulative grade point average (CGPA), students that are not introduced to PLUS tend to perform inconsistently throughout their undergraduate studies compared to those introduced to PLUS. Weaker students (CPGA <2.8) with face-to-face guidance with a mentor using the PLUS approach displayed constant improvement compared to those who did not have any mentor. Regardless of what stage of their undergraduate studies the students are introduced to PLUS, all the students that applied PLUS showed consistent improvement and agreed that the method is valid. PLUS, personalised guidance helps the mentor connect with the mentee better, a good complement to the digital education lacking in human connection. It warrants further investigation beyond this preliminary study.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions toward Social Media Usage and Academic Performance: A Study from Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (03) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi M Alamri
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Academic Activities ◽  
Education College ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Media Applications

Social Media applications are recently widespread and popular method of engagement among undergraduate students and instructors in Saudi Arabia. However, the extreme use of these sites has raised concern on their impact on the students’ academic performance and generally learning. This study investigated perceptions of undergraduate students, enrolled in Education College at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, toward social media usage. In addition, it examined the relationship of students’ usage purpose as well as usage period with their academic performance (cumulative GPA). This study also sought to establish the most popular applications that students preferred. For the purposes of data collection, questionnaires were distributed and 132 undergraduate students (56 Male & 76 female) enrolled in the current study. Data were analyzed and results indicated that there were general positive perceptions toward using social media for academic purposes. Additionally, results showed that there was a statistical significant relationship between the purpose of social media usage and students’ academic performance in favor of personal purposes while there were no relationship found regarding educational and occupational purposes. Findings also revealed that there were no statistically impact of students’ usage period of social media on academic performance. WhatsApp and Twitter were the most preferred social media options used among students whereas Wiki, Facebook and LinkedIn were the lowest options reported. The findings of this study can be used to recommend the effective ways of incorporating social media into learning activities without affecting students’ performance. It can also be used to propose ways of assisting students maintain a balance between social and academic activities. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.

Correlating entrance data and first year academic performance of students enrolled in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Porto

2021 ◽  
pp. 030641902110156
Author(s):  
TMGP Duarte ◽  
AM Lopes ◽  
LFM da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
First Year ◽  
Female Type ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Over Time

Understanding how the academic performance of first year undergraduate students is influenced by home, personal and institutional factors is fundamental to delineate policies able to mitigate failure. This paper investigates possible correlations between the academic performance of students at the end of high school with their achievements at the end of first year university. Data for students in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) program within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto are analysed for the period 2016/2017 to 2019/2020. The students’ performance is measured by two metrics and the students are structured as a whole and by groups, according to their gender (Male/Female), type of secondary school (Public/Private), living place (Away/Home) and the rank of MIEM in their application list of options (Option 1/Option 2–6). The information is organized statistically and possible correlations between the data are investigated. The analysis reveals limited correlation between the two metrics, meaning that all students may exhibit good or poor results at the end of first year in MIEM, independent of their status at entrance. An unanticipated pattern is exhibited for the group Option 2–6, since it shows that, despite entering into MIEM without top application marks, the students in this group can perform as well as the others. This behavior is consistent over time.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Investigation of Factors Influencing University Students’ Academic Performance in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alabdulkarem ◽  
Mohammad Alhojailan ◽  
Saad Alabdulkarim
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Education Outcomes ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Undergraduate Programs ◽  
Relationship Of

Academic success in undergraduate programs is indicative of potential achievements for graduates in their professional careers. The reasons for an outstanding performance are complex and influenced by several principles and factors. An example of this complexity is that success factors might change depending on the culture of students. The relationship of 32 factors with the reported academic performance (RAP) was investigated by using a survey distributed over four key universities in Saudi Arabia. A total of 3565 Saudi undergraduate students completed the survey. The examined factors included those related to upbringing, K-12 education, and structured and unstructured activities. Statistical results validate that many factors had a significant relationship with the RAP. Among those factors, paternal’s education level and work field, type of intermediate and high schools, and the attendance of prayers in mosques were significantly associated with the reported performance. This study provides important insights into the potential root causes of success so that they can be targeted by educators and policy makers in the effort to enhance education outcomes.

Study Behaviors and Their Relationships to Test Anxiety and Academic Performance

1972 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J. Allen ◽  
Wayne M. Lerner ◽  
James J. Hinrichsen
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Academic Aptitude ◽  
Relevant Variables ◽  
Study Behaviors ◽  
High School Rank

Multivariate regression analysis of academic aptitude, test anxiety, and self-report study data from 122 undergraduates indicated high school rank to be the best predictor of grade point average. The number of days Ss reported studying and one test anxiety scale also added significantly to the prediction. Analysis of the study-relevant variables across the semester indicated differential patterns of study existed for students with good, average, and poor grades. The relative independence of test anxiety and study behaviors suggested that the latter class of variables might profitably be used to increase prediction of academic performance.

scholarly journals Early Detection of At-Risk Undergraduate Students through Academic Performance Predictors

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Vikash Rowtho
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
At Risk Students ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Student Dropout ◽  
Performance Predictors ◽  
A New Technique

Undergraduate student dropout is gradually becoming a global problem and the 39 Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) are no exception to this trend. The purpose of this research was to develop a method that can be used for early detection of students who are at-risk of performing poorly in their undergraduate studies. A sample of 279 students participated in the study conducted in a Mauritian private tertiary academic institution. Results of regression analyses identified the variables having a significant influence on academic performance. These variables were used in a linear discriminant analysis where 74 percent of the students could be correctly classified into three categories: at-risk, pass or fail. In conclusion, this study has proposed a new technique that can be used by institutions to determine significant academic performance predictors and then identify at-risk students upon whom interventions can be implemented prior to exams to address the problem of dropouts.

Developing undergraduate social and emotional competencies: a UK/Malaysian comparison

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Carter ◽  
Amy Chu-May Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Emotional Competencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Comparative Results ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Malaysian Students ◽  
Social And Emotional Competencies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate similarities and differences between the UK and Malaysian undergraduates in terms of perceived social and emotional competencies (SEC), their effect on academic performance and to make recommendations on curriculum development or teaching and learning interventions to make students more SEC equipped for the “real” world. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a positivist approach via a survey instrument to measure the perceived SEC. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including standard multiple regression analyses, were used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The analysis highlighted specifically, individual competencies (e.g. conscientiousness) rather than competency domains. Striking differences were observed between the two data sets, e.g. the regression analysis revealed that among the UK students, “Self-Awareness” domain and “Service Orientation” competency contributed uniquely to academic performance. However, no significant results were found for the Malaysian students. Research limitations/implications – Using GPA scores for performance measurement is complex which might have the potential to affect the accuracy of the comparative results. Practical implications – The findings serve as a practical guide for education providers and employers which they could use to train young and inexperienced undergraduates and provides suggestions for education providers to “build in” specific intra- and interpersonal SEC in their assessment criteria and curriculum activities and modules. Originality/value – The transnational comparison helps to add a new dimension to support the paucity of the SEC effect on academic performance and suggests which specific individual competencies and which competency cluster to emphasise in two different institutions and countries.

scholarly journals Emotional intelligence and academic performance in undergraduate students

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Luz Páez Cala ◽  
José Jaime Castaño Castrillón
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students

Tendency to Conform: A New Measure and its Relationship to Psychological Reactance

2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 591-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald E. Goldsmith ◽  
Ronald A. Clark ◽  
Barbara A. Lafferty
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Psychological Reactance ◽  
Self Report ◽  
The Relationship

This study assessed the relationship between two important constructs in social psychology, conformity and psychological reactance, which are suggested to be negatively related, i.e., a person higher in the tendency to conform will score lower on psychological reactance and vice versa. The two constructs were measured by multi-item self-report scales, the Therapeutic Reactance Scale of Dowd, et al. and a new tendency to conform scale constructed for this study. Data from a survey of 423 undergraduate students were used to test the hypothesis that scores on the scales were negatively correlated. The hypothesized relationship was positively supported by a significant but only moderately sized correlation ( r = -.32, p < .001).

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