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

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.

Effects of an incremental theory of the personality intervention on psychophysiological responses to social stress during the transition to college

This randomized controlled trial (NCT04786496) examined the effects of a preventive intervention based on Incremental Theory of the Personality (ITP) on psychophysiological responses to social stress and evaluated whether levels of depression moderate the intervention effects. The participants, 107 first-year university students, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: ITP intervention, ITP + a self-affirmation intervention (SA), and a control condition (CC). Indicators of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal axis, autonomic nervous system, and subjective mood were assessed with the Trier Social Stress Task. Participants in the ITP condition displayed a lower decline in respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) compared to those in the CC during the first phases of the task [Slopes: -0.08 (0.09) vs -0.21 (0.09), z = 2.86, p = .004] and a higher decrease in cortisol at recovery [β = -0.18 (0.08), z = -2.37, p = .018]. Depressive symptoms moderated the effect of ITP [β = -0.10 (0.05), z = -2.15, p =.032] and ITP+SA [β = -0.09 (0.04), z = -2.06, p =.039] in the decline during stress and recovery in RSA. In participants with low/medium levels of depressive symptoms, both interventions predicted a lower decline during stress [Slopes: -0.06 (0.09) for ITP, -0.17 (.09) for ITP+SA, and -0.26 (0.09) for CC] and higher recovery in RSA [Slopes: 0.18 (0.01) for ITP, 0.24 (0.01) for ITP+SA, and 0.30 (0.01) for CC]. The findings suggest that the ITP intervention has the potential to be an effective preventive intervention to reduce the stress response.

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

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.

Questionnaire-Derived Sleep Habits and Academic Achievement in First Year University Students

This study aimed to determine the effect of sleep quantity and quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on students’ academic achievement in their first year of university study. In this cross-sectional study, 193 students (102 female, 91 male, mean ± SD; age = 19.3 ± 2.9 y) from an undergraduate Health degree in New Zealand completed the PSQI four weeks prior to the end of the semester in their first year of university study. Results from three core subjects in the first semester were averaged and correlations between the PSQI and academic success were evaluated using Spearman’s rho (ρ). The group were also trichotomized using a PSQI global score of ≤5 as the threshold for “good” sleepers (n = 62, 32%), a score of 5–8 for “moderate” sleepers (n = 63, 33%) and a score ≥8 to characterize “poor” sleepers (n = 68, 35%). Overall, students averaged 7 h 37 min of self-reported sleep duration with an average bedtime of 22:55 p.m. and wake time of 8:01 a.m. There was a significant, small inverse relationship between academic performance and bedtime (p = 0.03, ρ = −0.14), with those going to bed earlier having superior academic success. The trichotomized data demonstrated no significant differences in academic performance between students with poor, moderate and good sleep quality (p = 0.92). Later bedtimes were associated with lower academic performance in a group of first year university students. However, there were no other relationships observed between academic success and self-reported sleep quality or quantity as determined by the PSQI. Enhancing awareness of the impact of sleep timing on academic success should be prioritized and strategies to improve sleep hygiene should be promoted to university students.

Community, Connections and Innovation in Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning

The emergence of the Covid-19 virus had an enormous impact on all of our lives and significantly affected the lives of first-year university students in Japan who began their tertiary education during the initial lockdown. This chapter examines the impact the move online had on these students by analysing videos created by them as part of their academic English as a Foreign Language (EFL) coursework. The videos were analysed, and 12 themes emerged which were used as a foundation for new practices focusing on the development of community and connections in online courses, particularly the use of e-mentors.

No syllabus, no problem

The intimate relation people have with food provides unique opportunities for teaching. In this field report, I will describe and reflect upon the method of student-centred learning I use in a first-year university course entitled Food, Agriculture & Society. The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of how food and agriculture have shaped society and can contribute to a more sustainable future. Consistent with food pedagogy, a premise of the course design is that the intimate relation students have with the food they eat reflects their personal values and responsibility for their choices. An innovative element of my approach is that I co-create the syllabus. The course starts by writing the word “Food” on the blackboard. I then facilitate a multi-step process with students to co-create the syllabus. For most of the course, students lead the preparation and delivery of lectures on their selected topics. In this report, after describing the course design, I reflect upon my approach in relation to the tenets of food pedagogy, as well as discuss student feedback and my experience of teaching the course.

Health and well-being of university students before and during COVID-19 pandemic: A gender comparison

Objective COVID-19 has affected people’s health in various ways. University students are a particularly sensitive group for mental and physical health issues. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the mental and physical health of male and female first-year university students during and before COVID-19. Method Total of 115 first-year university students (54% male) answered questions about mental and physical health. The students were asked to estimate their physical activity, sedentary behavior, loneliness, stress, and sleep quality during COVID-19 opposed to before the pandemic. Result Males had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and their self-esteem was higher than females (p<0.05). Over 50% of both genders estimated their mental health to be worse than before COVID-19. Larger proportion of males (69%) compared to females (38%) estimated that their physical health had worsened than before the pandemic. Larger proportion of females (38%) than males (14%) experience increased loneliness and stress (68% vs. 48%). Over 70% of both genders estimated increased sedentary behavior than before the pandemic, and larger proportion of males (76%), compared to females (56%), estimated that they were less physically active than before COVID-19. About 50% of participants estimated their sleep quality was worse than before COVID-19. Conclusion University students estimated their mental and physical health to have deteriorated during the pandemic. Therefore, it is important that the school and healthcare systems assist students in unwinding these negative health and lifestyle changes that have accompanied the pandemic.

Exploring Students’ Learning of Integral Calculus using Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

<p>Integral calculus is one of the topics involved in mathematical courses both at secondary and tertiary level with several applications in different disciplines. It is part of gateway mathematical courses at universities for many majors and important for the development of the science. Several studies had been undertaken for exploring students’ learning of integral calculus, both at the secondary and tertiary level, using a variety of frameworks (e.g., Action-Process-Object-Schema (APOS) theory (Dubinsky, 1991). However, students’ learning of integral calculus has not been explored in terms of metacognitive experiences and skills, and the number of studies which have explored metacognitive strategies in relation to the students’ learning of integral calculus is limited. Therefore, this study used Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT) (Anderson et al., 2001), Efklides’s metacognition framework (Efklides, 2008), and an adaptation of VisA (Visualization and Accuracy) instrument (Jacobse & Harskamp, 2012) for exploring students’ learning of integral calculus. A multiple case study approach was used to explore students’ learning of the integral-area relationships and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus in relation to the RBT’s factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge, and the facets of metacognition including metacognitive knowledge, experiences, and skills. The study sample comprised of nine first year university and eight Year 13 students who participated in individual semi-structured interviews answering nine integral calculus questions and 24 questions related to the RBT’s metacognitive knowledge. Integral calculus questions were designed to address different aspects of RBT’s knowledge dimension and activate RBT-related cognitive processes. A think aloud protocol and VisA instrument were also used during answering integral calculus questions for gathering information about students’ metacognitive experiences and skills. Ten undergraduate mathematics lecturers and five Year 13 mathematics teachers were also interviewed in relation to the teaching and learning of integral calculus to explore students’ difficulties in the topic. The entire teaching of integral calculus in a first year university course and a Year 13 classroom were video recorded and observed to obtain a better understanding of the teaching and learning of integral calculus in the context of the study. The study findings in terms of the RBT’s factual knowledge show several students had difficulty with notational aspects of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) (e.g., Thompson, 1994) whereas this issue was not dominant for the definite integral. In relation to the RBT’s conceptual and procedural knowledge for both topics, conceptual knowledge was less developed in students’ minds in comparison to procedural knowledge (e.g., students had not developed a geometric interpretation of the FTC, whereas they were able to solve integral questions using the FTC). The obtained results were consistent with previous studies for these three types of knowledge. The study contributes to the current literature by sharing students’ metacognitive knowledge, experiences and skills in relation to integral calculus. The findings highlight some student learning, monitoring, and problem-solving strategies in these topics. A comparison between University and Year 13 students’ results showed students across this transition had different factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge in these topics. For instance, University students in the sample use online resources more often than Year 13 students, are more interested in justifications behind the formulas, and have more accurate pre and post-judgments of their ability to solve integral questions. The information obtained using questions based on RBT and the metacognition framework indicates that these two together may be very useful for exploring students’ mathematical learning in different topics.</p>

Exploring Students’ Learning of Integral Calculus using Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

<p>Integral calculus is one of the topics involved in mathematical courses both at secondary and tertiary level with several applications in different disciplines. It is part of gateway mathematical courses at universities for many majors and important for the development of the science. Several studies had been undertaken for exploring students’ learning of integral calculus, both at the secondary and tertiary level, using a variety of frameworks (e.g., Action-Process-Object-Schema (APOS) theory (Dubinsky, 1991). However, students’ learning of integral calculus has not been explored in terms of metacognitive experiences and skills, and the number of studies which have explored metacognitive strategies in relation to the students’ learning of integral calculus is limited. Therefore, this study used Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT) (Anderson et al., 2001), Efklides’s metacognition framework (Efklides, 2008), and an adaptation of VisA (Visualization and Accuracy) instrument (Jacobse & Harskamp, 2012) for exploring students’ learning of integral calculus. A multiple case study approach was used to explore students’ learning of the integral-area relationships and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus in relation to the RBT’s factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge, and the facets of metacognition including metacognitive knowledge, experiences, and skills. The study sample comprised of nine first year university and eight Year 13 students who participated in individual semi-structured interviews answering nine integral calculus questions and 24 questions related to the RBT’s metacognitive knowledge. Integral calculus questions were designed to address different aspects of RBT’s knowledge dimension and activate RBT-related cognitive processes. A think aloud protocol and VisA instrument were also used during answering integral calculus questions for gathering information about students’ metacognitive experiences and skills. Ten undergraduate mathematics lecturers and five Year 13 mathematics teachers were also interviewed in relation to the teaching and learning of integral calculus to explore students’ difficulties in the topic. The entire teaching of integral calculus in a first year university course and a Year 13 classroom were video recorded and observed to obtain a better understanding of the teaching and learning of integral calculus in the context of the study. The study findings in terms of the RBT’s factual knowledge show several students had difficulty with notational aspects of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) (e.g., Thompson, 1994) whereas this issue was not dominant for the definite integral. In relation to the RBT’s conceptual and procedural knowledge for both topics, conceptual knowledge was less developed in students’ minds in comparison to procedural knowledge (e.g., students had not developed a geometric interpretation of the FTC, whereas they were able to solve integral questions using the FTC). The obtained results were consistent with previous studies for these three types of knowledge. The study contributes to the current literature by sharing students’ metacognitive knowledge, experiences and skills in relation to integral calculus. The findings highlight some student learning, monitoring, and problem-solving strategies in these topics. A comparison between University and Year 13 students’ results showed students across this transition had different factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge in these topics. For instance, University students in the sample use online resources more often than Year 13 students, are more interested in justifications behind the formulas, and have more accurate pre and post-judgments of their ability to solve integral questions. The information obtained using questions based on RBT and the metacognition framework indicates that these two together may be very useful for exploring students’ mathematical learning in different topics.</p>

Motives for Studying and Student Wellbeing: Validation of the Motivational Mindset Model

Research on the joint effect of multiple motives for studying was recently given a push in a new direction with the introduction of the motivational mindset model (MMM). This model contributes to a better understanding of study success and student wellbeing in higher education. The aim of the present study is to validate the newly developed model and the associated mindset classification tool (MCT). To this end, 662 first-year university students were classified in one of the four types of motivational mindset using the classification tool and three exploratory validation procedures were conducted through sense of purpose, study engagement, and students’ background characteristics in terms of gender and ethnicity. Both purpose and study engagement are central dimensions of student wellbeing and predictors of study success. The results show that (1) sense of purpose and study engagement differ across the four types of mindset, (2) students in the low-impact mindset show the least optimal pattern of study engagement and sense of purpose, (3) sense of purpose and study engagement are positively related and this relationship is consistent across mindsets, and (4) overall differences in purpose and study engagement between gender and ethnic subgroups stem from one specific type of motivational mindset. The results provide support for the validity of the MMM and the usefulness of the MCT. The implications of the findings are discussed as well as promising avenues for future research.