Factors that Influence the Enrolment of Students in Vocational STEM courses at MCAST

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-179
Author(s):  
Simone Caruana
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
School Guidance ◽  
Vocational Studies

International evidence shows that the demand for STEM workers is expected to grow significantly. Despite this, students’ interests and motivation towards STEM learning especially STEM Vocational Education and Training (VET) is not increasing. This Skills Gap phenomenon has driven many countries to adopt policies and take initiatives to help close it. The purpose of this research is to study what factors influence the enrolment of students in Vocational STEM courses. The participants were students following a STEM programme at the Institute of Applied Sciences, MCAST. A quantitative research methodology was adopted for this study. An online cross-sectional survey questionnaire, containing Likert scale responses, was used to collect data. The SPSS Statistics 24 program was used to analyse the data and test it for reliability and validity. Factor analysis was carried out to reduce the initial independent variables into a fewer number of dimensions.The study found that parental advice, students’ interest in STEM subjects, their previous work experience and their positive attitude towards VET education are most influential in students’ enrolment in vocational STEM courses. It also highlights the need for school guidance officers to acquire more knowledge about VET STEM careers and accurate labour market information so as to assist students to make well-informed career path decisions. The findings of this study will provide valuable insight as to the causes of low enrolment within MCAST STEM programmes and help stakeholders determine the measures and strategies needed to encourage participation in STEM vocational studies.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of Workplace Spirituality Scale in Pakistani Context School Teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aslam ◽  
Abid Hussain Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Workplace Spirituality ◽  
Public School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

Workplace Spirituality (WS) is recognized as inner state of individuals and an aspect of their working life. This study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of Workplace Spirituality Scale (WPS) developed by Petchsawang and Duchon (2009) in Pakistani context school teachers. The participants for this study were 400 public school teachers. The present study was a quantitative research and cross-sectional survey design was applied. The data were collected personally by researchers and necessary guidelines were shared with the respondents.  EFA and CFA were applied to evaluate the psychometric properties of Workplace Spirituality Scale (WPS) in Pakistani context. The results confirm the four factors model (transcendence, mindfulness, compassion and meaningful work) and generalizability of WPS. Furthermore, statistical analysis established adequate reliability and validity of WPS. The modifications in this scale are mentioned, and recommendations for further research are discussed.

scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

Are e-learning Webinars the future of medical education? An exploratory study of a disruptive innovation in the COVID-19 era

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Colin J. McMahon ◽  
Justin T. Tretter ◽  
Theresa Faulkner ◽  
R. Krishna Kumar ◽  
Andrew N. Redington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the impact of the Webinar on deep human learning of CHD. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional survey design study used an open and closed-ended questionnaire to assess the impact of the Webinar on deep learning of topical areas within the management of the post-operative tetralogy of Fallot patients. This was a quantitative research methodology using descriptive statistical analyses with a sequential explanatory design. Results: One thousand-three-hundred and seventy-four participants from 100 countries on 6 continents joined the Webinar, 557 (40%) of whom completed the questionnaire. Over 70% of participants reported that they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the Webinar format promoted deep learning for each of the topics compared to other standard learning methods (textbook and journal learning). Two-thirds expressed a preference for attending a Webinar rather than an international conference. Over 80% of participants highlighted significant barriers to attending conferences including cost (79%), distance to travel (49%), time commitment (51%), and family commitments (35%). Strengths of the Webinar included expertise, concise high-quality presentations often discussing contentious issues, and the platform quality. The main weakness was a limited time for questions. Just over 53% expressed a concern for the carbon footprint involved in attending conferences and preferred to attend a Webinar. Conclusion: E-learning Webinars represent a disruptive innovation, which promotes deep learning, greater multidisciplinary participation, and greater attendee satisfaction with fewer barriers to participation. Although Webinars will never fully replace conferences, a hybrid approach may reduce the need for conferencing, reduce carbon footprint. and promote a “sustainable academia”.

scholarly journals The Role of Family Influence and Academic Satisfaction on Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Happiness

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5919
Author(s):  
Orhan Koçak ◽  
Namık Ak ◽  
Sezer Seçkin Erdem ◽  
Mehmet Sinan ◽  
Mustafa Z. Younis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
Family Influence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Academic Satisfaction

Careers are a reality of life that need to be considered as multi-dimensional in today’s modern societies. Choosing a career is a complex process that coincides with high school and university ages, creating psycho-social stress. Considering the literature, the effects of different environmental factors have been revealed in separate studies. This study examines both individual and environmental factors together. By adopting a quantitative research method, we collected cross-sectional data through online questionnaires from 1130 university students. The association of family influence and academic satisfaction with happiness through career decision self-efficacy was meaningful using gender, age, income, and parents’ education as control variables. Family influence and academic satisfaction were positively correlated with career decision self-efficacy and happiness. In conclusion, we found that family influence and support, students’ work, and academic satisfaction are positively significant in terms of the career process and happiness. It was understood that the career reality should be considered with a holistic view that includes family, school, and work experience.

Organizational barriers to employee training and learning: evidence from the automotive sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 8-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Anlesinya
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Barriers ◽  
Cultural Systems ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Common Barriers

Purpose This study examines the factors that hinder employee training and learning in the automotive industry in Ghana, Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts quantitative research methodology and cross-sectional survey design. Eighty-nine usable questionnaires from employees of an automotive organization in Ghana are used. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-test are used for the analyses. Findings The results indicate that organizational culture, poor management commitment to training, inadequate promotion prospects, and lack of transparency and fairness in trainees’ selection are the most common barriers to employee training and learning. Practical implications Top management should provide opportunities to employees to apply new skills and knowledge they acquired. Fair and transparent procedures should be used to select training beneficiaries. Finally, organizations should develop cultural systems that encourage continuous learning motivation among their employees. Originality/value In this era of knowledge-driven economy, this research highlights factors that inhibit employees’ motivation to learn.

Entrepreneurial intentions of university students: a case-based study

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 393-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramo Palalić ◽  
Veland Ramadani ◽  
Arnela Ðilović ◽  
Alina Dizdarević ◽  
Vanessa Ratten
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Experience

Purpose This study aims to examine the entrepreneurial intentions of university students at the International University of Sarajevo. For this purpose, the entrepreneurial desires and entrepreneurial orientations of the students across several demographic variables were measured. These variables included prior entrepreneurial experience, student’s gender, faculty, year of study and attitude towards more courses on entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, the research also examined how business environment influences the entrepreneurial intentions of students by considering the same set of variables. Design/methodology/approach The objectives of this paper have been achieved by using a quantitative research instrument, where the cross-sectional survey method for collecting primary data is used. In total, 173 usable responses have been collected from the beginning of April to the end of May in the academic year 2015/2016. Findings The results indicate that the greater the demotivation with the current business surrounding, the smaller the entrepreneurial intentions of the students are when the prior entrepreneurial experience, gender, year of study and attitude towards more courses on entrepreneurship are considered. The study suggests that improving the overall business surrounding and entrepreneurial education might increase the entrepreneurial intentions of the students. Originality/value This is the first paper that treats entrepreneurial intentions of University students in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Youth Empowerment as a Pathway towards Attaining the Demographic Dividend in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudious Chikozho ◽  
Emmanuel Sekyere ◽  
Akanganngang Joseph Asitik
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Youth Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Dividend ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Sub Saharan

While empowerment of the youth in Ghana could enable them to make a more meaningful contribution to the economy, a myriad of challenges faces the youth during their transition from school into the employment sector and limits the realisation of their full potential. As a result, the recent and significant increase in the size of the youth population in Ghana cannot justifiably be romanticised as an obvious stepping stone towards the realisation of a demographic dividend. In this study, qualitative and quantitative research methods were deployed to carry out a cross-sectional survey that enabled a detailed exploration of the main challenges and opportunities facing the youth in Ghana. Some of the options for enabling greater youth empowerment in the country were also identified. The study established that unemployment, skills limitations, lack of access to finance, and poorly coordinated institutional structures for implementing youth empowerment policies and programmes are major barriers to youth empowerment in Ghana. We conclude that there is a need for more targeted interventions that address these challenges and leverage any evident opportunities available for increased youth empowerment before Ghana can confidently expect to reap a demographic dividend.

scholarly journals Health Literacy is Associated with Health Behaviors in Students from Vocational Education and Training Schools: A Danish Population-Based Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Demant Klinker ◽  
Anna Aaby ◽  
Lene Winther Ringgaard ◽  
Anneke Vang Hjort ◽  
Melanie Hawkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Vocational Education ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
And Training

Health literacy has been identified as an important and changeable intermediary determinant of health equity. Vocational education and training (VET) schools are a relevant setting for health behavior interventions seeking to diminish health inequities because many VET students come from low socio-economic status backgrounds. This study examines VET students’ health literacy and its association with health behavior based on a cross-sectional survey among 6119 students from 58 VET schools in Denmark in 2019. Two scales from the Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to assess domains of health literacy. Data were analyzed using Anova and logistic regression. The study population consisted of 43.4% female, and mean age was 24.2 years (range 15.8–64.0). The health literacy domain ‘Actively managing my health’ mean was 2.51, SD 0.66, and ‘Appraisal of health information’ mean was 2.37, SD 0.65. For both domains, being female, older age, attending the VET educational program Care-health-pedagogy, and higher self-rated health were associated with higher scale scores. In the adjusted analyses, lower scale scores were associated with less frequent breakfast, daily smoking, high-risk alcohol behavior and moderate-to-low physical activity. Our results show that low health literacy is associated with unhealthy behaviors in this population. Our results support and inform health literacy research and practice in educational institutions and services.

Perceptions of product advantage, NPD and organisational performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Healy ◽  
Ann Ledwith ◽  
Michele O'Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
New Product ◽  
Product Performance ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Organisational Performance ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Product Performance

Purpose – This paper aims to extend previous studies on new product development (NPD) performance by identifying the product advantage, new product performance and organisational performance indicators that are considered by small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) to be most relevant to their performance. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a cross-sectional survey of a sample of 137 firms representing the industry sectors active within the Irish economy. The research instrument was based on existing recognised research measures. Findings – The results suggest that: large firms consider that their products derive advantage through product quality and cost, while SMEs are more concerned with satisfying customer needs; larger firms concentrate on market measures in measuring new product performance, while SMEs focus on customer acceptance measures; and in measuring organisational performance larger firms focus on market share and profitability, while SMEs concentrate on profitability and sales growth. Research limitations/implications – This study identifies the aspects of product advantage, new product performance and organisational performance on which firms concentrate, thereby increasing our ability to redirect their focus from what they consider to be important, to what will have an impact on their firm's performance. Originality/value – This study identifies the aspects of product advantage, new product performance and organisational performance on which firms concentrate, thereby increasing our ability to redirect their focus from what they consider to be important, to what will have an impact on their firm's performance.

scholarly journals Scale Development and Validation for Psychological Reactance to Health Promotion Messages

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyo Jung Kim ◽  
Hyunmin Lee ◽  
Hyehyun Hong
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Item Analysis ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Psychological Reactance ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

According to the psychological reactance theory, psychological reactance is strongly associated with many adverse outcomes of health promotion messages. This is particularly pertinent when health messages are targeting young adults, as they resist freedom-threatening messages compared to other age groups. However, previous reactance measures either relied on the open-ended thought-listing procedure, or incorporated both antecedents as well as consequences of reactance and state reactance. This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive scale to measure the state of psychological reactance specifically toward health promotion messages. To this end, this study was situated in the context of an anti-binge drinking intervention targeting college students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 203 Singaporean undergraduate students. The dataset was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and item analysis. The final 27 items were loaded on eight factors (anger, exaggeration, design derogation, authoritative tone, ineffectiveness, know-it-all attitude, jadedness, and source motive) that accounted for 78.53% of the variance. Each factor showed satisfactory reliability and validity (discriminant, convergent, and predictive). This study specified cognitive reactions by multiple dimensions and examined how they are intertwined with the affective dimension, which is represented by anger. The scale proposed herein will help researchers and practitioners develop sustainable health interventions.

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