A case study on project led education in engineering: students' and teachers' perceptions

This paper explores the extent to which students and teachers are able to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of a shift in the approach to teaching and learning from a traditional, teacher-centred perspective towards project- and learner-centred education. It reports on a case study aimed at exploring students' and teachers' perceptions of a project-led education course carried out at an engineering course at a Portuguese university. Data were collected through questionnaires, letters and interviews. Findings suggest, in spite of some negative experiences and final results for some of the students, a clear recognition of the benefits of a project-based approach to both the teaching staff as well as the students. Both are able to identify interdisciplinarity, high student motivation and the acquisition of soft skills as key features of project-led education.     

Student and faculty perceptions of plagiarism in health sciences education

Academic misconduct is a problem encountered by many academic programmes, including programmes in the health sciences. The primary purpose of the present study was to assess doctoral student and graduate faculty perceptions of academic misconduct, specifically plagiarism. We used a cross-sectional survey design, and separate surveys were developed for students and faculty. The student survey measured student perceptions of the prevalence of plagiarism among students in general and assessed the occurrence of each student’s plagiaristic behaviours. The faculty survey measured faculty perceptions of the prevalence of plagiarism among students in general and among students in their courses specifically. Two hundred and thirty-eight students and 92 faculty completed the surveys. Students were doctoral health sciences students enrolled in a campus-based, online or hybrid programme. Compared with the self-reported behaviour of students, faculty believed more students were involved with plagiarism. Self-rated knowledge about plagiarism was significantly higher among online students and faculty than among campus-based students and faculty (p<0.001). Both students and faculty believed the most common plagiaristic activity was citing and referencing a full-text source when only the abstract was read, but only a few students reported personally doing this. Additionally, more campus-based students than online students reported working closely with another classmate on an assignment when they were not authorised to do so (p<0.001). In the present study, surveyed students and faculty believed plagiarism was prevalent among the general student population; however, few students self-reported this behaviour.     

Botswana secondary students' perceptions of the education/employment nexus

This paper arises from a study of final-year Botswanan junior and senior secondary school students' perceptions of the education/employment nexus through the generation of peer reference groups and the soliciting of career aspirations and income expectations. It was found that students generally had accurate perceptions of post-school prospects. There was an overwhelming desire at both levels to pursue tertiary education and training and enter secure professions which it is argued relates to the awareness of the generally unattractive economic consequences of direct entry into the work force, particularly for girls and junior secondary school leavers. The study is discussed in the context of current ‘world of work’-oriented educational reforms and gender differences are highlighted.     

Priorities and program effectiveness in teacher education: A study of the perceptions of teachers in training and their tutors

The study solicited opinions of teachers and faculty on University of the West Indies teacher education courses about importance of teaching skills and program effectiveness. Interpersonal, curriculum and evaluative skills were found to be the most important. The high importance of interpersonal skills applied only to interactions with students. Interactions with other teachers and parents was consistently lowest in importance. Other low priorities were managerial and methodological skills. Few significant teacher faculty differences were found. In general program effectiveness showed strong positive correlation with order of importance of skills, contrasting with the tendency to negative correlations in the literature reviewed. High involvement of faculty in classroom activity is considered a possible factor influencing these results.     

A study of Indonesian students' perceptions of classroom psychosocial environment

Extensive research conducted in developed countries has established classroom learning environment as a thriving field of study. The present investigation makes a contribution to classroom environment research in that it involved the translation into Indonesian of scales previously available only in English, and the subsequent validation and use of these translated scales among Indonesian students. The new Indonesian instrument consists of nine seven-item scales based upon the Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire and the Classroom Environment Scale. Analyses of data collected from a sample of 373 Indonesian students from nine schools supported the new instrument's internal consistency, discriminant validity, ability to differentiate between classrooms, and predictive validity (i.e. ability to predict student outcomes). Potential applications of the new instruments in Indonesian classrooms are suggested.

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Zusammenfassung Die in entwickelten Ländern durchgeführte umfassende Untersuchung beweist, daß die Klassenumwelt ein emporkommendes Untersuchungsfeld ist. Die jetztige Nachforschung trägt zur Klassenumweltsuntersuchung bei, insofern als Tabellen bis jetzt nur auf Englisch erhältlich waren und sie durch ihre Übersetzung ins Indonesische auf ihre nachfolgende Gültigkeit und Anwendung bei indonesischen Schülern untersucht wurden. Das neue indonesische Instrument besteht aus neun sieben-Punkte-Tabellen, die sich auf den Fragebogen bezüglich individualisierter Klassenumwelt (Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire) und auf die Klassenumweltstabelle (Classroom Environment Scale) stützen. Analysen von gesammelten Daten einer repräsentativen Auswahl von 373 indonesischen Schülern aus neun Schulen bestätigen die inhärente Folgerichtigkeit des neuen Instruments, seine Unterscheidungsgültigkeit, seine Fähigkeit zwischen Klassen zu differenzieren und seine Genauigkeit in der Vorhersage (d.h. die Fähigkeit, die Resultate der Schüler vorherzusagen). Die Untersuchung schlägt potentielle Anwendungen der neuen Instrumente in indonesischen Klassen vor.

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Résumé La recherche approfondie qui a été menée dans les pays développés sur le milieu d'apprentissage qu'est la classe en a fait un champ d'étude florissant. La présente enquête apporte une contribution à la recherche sur le milieu scolaire en ce qu'elle introduit la traduction en indonésien d'échelles d'évaluation qui n'existaient jusqu'alors qu'en anglais, et qu'elle examine la validation ultérieure et l'application de ces échelles, une fois traduites, par les étudiants indonésiens. Le nouvel instrument indonésien consiste en neuf échelles de sept items basées sur le Questionnaire portant sur le milieu scolaire tel qu'il est vécu par chaque individu et sur l'Echelle du Milieu Scolaire. Les analyses des données recueillies auprès d'un échantillon représentatif de 373 étudiants indonésiens appartenant à neuf écoles différentes ont confirmé la valeur intrinsèque du nouvel instrument d'évaluation, sa justesse de discernement, sa capacité à différencier entre les classes, et l'exactitude de ses pronostics (c'est-à-dire la capacité à prédire les résultats des étudiants). Cette étude suggère différentes applications potentielles de ces nouveaux moyens d'évaluation dans les classes indonésiennes.

     

Supporting the teaching of the visual literacies in the earth and life sciences in higher education

Internationally, there has been increasing emphasis on the teaching of the academic literacies, particularly reading and writing, in higher education institutions. However, recent research is highlighting the need for more explicit teaching of multimodal forms of communication, such as the visual literacies, in undergraduate courses in a wide range of disciplines such as the sciences, engineering and architecture. The research recognises that this is an area of academic literacy teaching that has often been neglected. This article draws on the findings of a research project which set out to understand both the multimodal literacy requirements and current practices in the teaching of these literacies in the earth and life sciences at a South African university. Three key themes are discussed: learning to see like a scientist, the importance of learning by switching between and integrating different modes of representation and teaching the conventions of representation in the sciences. The conclusion proposes ways for academic developers to work with staff to develop more explicit ways of teaching the visual literacies.     

The other voices of international higher education: an empirical study of students' perceptions of British university education in China

Against a backdrop of globalised higher education (HE) – one in which a number of British universities are setting up campuses overseas – China represents a vast and lucrative market. This paper presents data on the perceptions and experiences of 20 Chinese students who are currently studying at a British university's campus located in China. Drawing upon theoretical and empirical linkages between the expansion of British HE into overseas markets and neo-colonial (or imperialist) activities, this paper discovers that sociocultural perceptions and ideological constructs such as ‘creativity’ and ‘value’ form a vital basis for the exchange of knowledge in transnational HE.     

Using Q-methodology to determine students' perceptions of interprofessional anatomy education

Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares healthcare students for collaboration in their future careers. The purpose of this study was to determine which aspects of the IPE Program in Anatomy at McMaster University contributed to the development of healthcare student's interprofessional skills. Q-methodology was used to identify the students' common viewpoints of the IPE experience. A total of 26/28 (93%) of students in the course from the medical, nursing, midwifery, physician assistant, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy programs participated in this study. Students were asked to sort a Q-sample of 43 statements about the IPE dissection course derived from previous qualitative studies of the program. Using the centroid factor extraction and varimax rotation, three salient factors (groups) emerged, namely: (1) Anatomy IPE Enthusiasts, (2) Practical IPE Advocates, and (3) Skeptical IPE Anatomists. The Anatomy IPE Enthusiasts believed that students from different disciplines brought unique anatomical knowledge and each group member guided others through difficult material. The Practical IPE Advocates expressed that they would be stronger advocates for interprofessional teams in the future because of the course. The Skeptical IPE Anatomists strongly disagreed that learning with students from different disciplines helped them gain an understanding of their roles in the context of other healthcare professionals and felt that there was little benefit from the IPE program compared to other non-interprofessional programs. These findings about student attitudes are critical to drive an evidence-based evolution of the IPE dissection course, since students' perceptions can have a profound influence on interprofessional collaboration in the workplace.     

试论如何提高大学生廉政教育成效

廉政教育是大学生思想政治教育中的重要组成部分,其教育成效的高低与否直接关系到大学生思想政治教育成效,也是影响大学生在未来的就业、工作、发展的重要因素。随着时代的不断发展变化,要求高效在培养人才的措施上不仅仅是对学生技能和应用的培养,更要重视每个学生的思想认识和廉政教育。本文笔者就当前高校廉政教学现状,结合自身的工作想法,谈谈如何有效的提高大学生廉政教育成效。     

Learning and study strategies correlate with medical students' performance in anatomical sciences

Much of the content delivered during medical students' preclinical years is assessed nationally by such testing as the United States Medical Licensing Examination^® (USMLE^®) Step 1 and Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination^® (COMPLEX‐USA^®) Step 1. Improvement of student study/learning strategies skills is associated with academic success in internal and external (USMLE Step 1) examinations. This research explores the strength of association between the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) scores and student performance in the anatomical sciences and USMLE Step 1 examinations. The LASSI inventory assesses learning and study strategies based on ten subscale measures. These subscales include three components of strategic learning: skill (Information processing, Selecting main ideas, and Test strategies), will (Anxiety, Attitude, and Motivation) and self‐regulation (Concentration, Time management, Self‐testing, and Study aid). During second year (M2) orientation, 180 students (Classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018) were administered the LASSI survey instrument. Pearson Product‐Moment correlation analyses identified significant associations between five of the ten LASSI subscales (Anxiety, Information processing, Motivation, Selecting main idea, and Test strategies) and students' performance in the anatomical sciences and USMLE Step 1 examinations. Identification of students lacking these skills within the anatomical sciences curriculum allows targeted interventions, which not only maximize academic achievement in an aspect of an institution's internal examinations, but in the external measure of success represented by USMLE Step 1 scores. Anat Sci Educ 11: 236–242. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

A comparative study of students' and their teacher's perceptions of laboratory work in secondary schools

This article reports on a study of student and teacher perceptions of the purpose and effectiveness of laboratory work in science at the Year 10 level of secondary school. The main focus of the study was a comparison between the perceptions of one class of students and their teacher at each of six different schools with regard to the aims, regularity, conduct and assessment of laboratory work. The study identified a number of areas of mismatch between students and their teachers. The findings of the study will be of use to teachers in developing and improving their science curriculum, particularly with regard to laboratory work.     

谈音乐教育对培养学生心理健康的实效性

音乐是培养学生综合素质和重要内容的途径之一。音乐教育是对学生实施情感教育的教学活动,作为培养高职院校学生综合素质的重要内容和途径,如何通过音乐教育来提高学生的心理健康水平,推进社会主义精神文明建设必然成为音乐教育研究的主要趋势。本文分析了音乐教育对提升学生心理健康的方法,深入研究通过音乐教育提升学生心理健康的重要效果。     

Examining school inspectors and education directors within the organisation of school inspection policy: perceptions and views

State school inspection creates expectations in the interface between transnational ideas and national policy contexts. This article investigates how inspectors and education directors understand and reformulate their regulatory roles in relation to the new framework for school inspection policy in Norway. Using data from the LEX-EL project, interviews with 3 educational directors and 6 school inspectors in 3 County Governors' Offices were analyzed. The article draws on organizational theory, within the concept of institutionalization. Findings suggest inspectors function as change agents, channeled through inter- and intra-institutional cooperation. Additionally directors are more tightly coupled to their counterparts in other counties. Moreover, the role of school inspectors is moving from a compliancy-based focus to increased emphasis on self-evaluation and quality assessment.     

大学生思想政治教育整体性协同性研究

本文从界定大学生思想政治教育整体协同关系的两个变量入手,通过分析大学生思想政治教育整体协同内在的关系机制来进一步提出建立大学生思想政治教育整体协同长效机制的现实路径。     

论高校图书馆与大学生信息素质教育

文章针对高校大学生信息素质的现状,以及高校图书馆开展信息素质教育的可行性,阐述了高校图书馆在大学生信息素质教育中的作用和对大学生进行信息素质教育的应对措施。     

基于就业能力的大学生就业指导效果的实证研究

大学生的就业能力与实际就业关系密切,是影响就业指导工作成效的重要指标。通过对“大学生就业能力问卷”调查结果的因素分析,发现大学生就业能力包括四个因素:应聘能力、团队能力、创新能力和个性特征;用四维结构的就业能力衡量就业指导课程培训效果时发现,参训学生的应聘能力和团队能力方面得到显著改善,而创新能力和个性特征则没有发现明显改善。通过对“上海交通大学2006届毕业生调查问卷”所得数据的回归分析,发现就业能力中三个维度———团队能力、创新能力和个性特征对就业满意度有显著的贡献。最后对研究结论的意义进行了讨论。     

Values education and student satisfaction: German business students' perceptions of universities' value influences

As a result of the past decade's financial crises, the focus on students' values as an output of higher management education has increased. Simultaneously, marketing theory has become prevalent in the management of higher education institutions, such that student satisfaction represents a key output variable for their service provision. This study integrates both perspectives to investigate how values-oriented education relates to student satisfaction. A sample of 191 respondents from a German university reveals that business students expect more value influence than they believe their institution actually delivers. Furthermore, students' perceptions of the value influence delivered by their university increase their satisfaction with the institution. Finally, the value influence students expect is more closely associated with universalism values (connected to sustainability and CSR) than with power values. These results imply that universities can increase student satisfaction if they coordinate opportunities to discuss and shape values, particularly with regard to universalism ideals.