An empirical study into gender differences in the relationships among academic,social and psychological adjustments of university support

There are three dimensions through which to measure university support for students’ transition to university life: academic adjustment, social adjustment and psychological adjustment. Previous research studies show that there are relationships among those adjustments. However, less is known about gender differences in these relationships. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceived gender differences in perception of the relationships among these adjustments during the first year undergraduate transition period. The study is based on a survey of 114 first year undergraduate students from a Hong Kong local university. The findings show that (1) female students perceive social adjustment to have more influence on academic adjustment than male students, (2) female students perceive psychological adjustment to have more influence on academic adjustment than male students, and (3) there is no significant difference in the relationship between social and academic adjustments for female and male students.     

Using a Self‐Advocacy Intervention on African American College Students’ Ability to Request Academic Accommodations

Due to an increase in enrollment of African American students with disabilities in postsecondary education, there is a need to identify strategies that may lead to improved transition and self‐advocacy skills for these students. These strategies include teaching students to request academic accommodations and to have an understanding of how their disability affects their academic learning. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an in‐depth explanation of a self‐advocacy strategy that was used to teach three African American male college students how to request their academic accommodations. Results indicated this strategy may be a promising intervention for African American college students with disabilities.     

After-school tutoring in the context of no Child Left Behind: Effectiveness of two programs in the Pittsburgh Public Schools

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation has created pressure for districts to improve their students’ proficiency levels on state tests. Districts that fail to meet their academic targets for 3 years must use their Title I funds to pay for supplemental education services (SES) that provide tutoring or other academic instruction. Many districts, including the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), have also adopted additional tutoring programs designed to help students reach proficiency goals. This paper examines student participation and achievement in two PPS tutoring programs—the NCLB-mandated SES program and a state-developed tutoring program. We examine the characteristics of students participating in each program, the effects of participation on student achievement, and the program features that are associated with improved achievement.     

Mediating effect of emotional/behavioral problems and academic competence between parental abuse/neglect and school adjustment

The current study examined the mediating effects of emotional/behavioral problems and academic competence between parental abuse/neglect and a child’s school adjustment by investigating 2070 student surveys from the Korean Child Youth Panel Study (KCYPS). A path analysis yielded the following key findings. Firstly, childhood abuse and neglect showed a significant negative and direct effect on school adjustment. It is particularly important to note that the effect of neglect was bigger than that of abuse in this study. Secondly, emotional/behavioral problems were found to partially mediate between abuse/neglect and school adjustment. Thirdly, academic competence partially mediated the effect of neglect on school adjustment, while it did not mediate the effect of abuse on school adjustment. The indirect effect of parental neglect via emotional/behavioral problems and academic competence was stronger than that of parental abuse. The influence of parental abuse and neglect on children’s school adjustments was discussed in terms of emotional/behavioral problems and academic competence considering unique Korean cultural context.     

Teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding academic support following concussion

Teachers play an important role in supporting students' return to school after concussion. This online cross sectional survey examined teachers' beliefs and practices regarding concussion and academic support strategies, or academic adjustments (AA). Most teachers (99.1%) agreed-to-strongly agreed concussions affect school performance, and many (71.6%) have worked with a student who received AA after concussion. Teachers who participated in concussion education and observed a decline in a student's academic performance after concussion were more familiar with and recommended AA more often. Professional development is recommended to provide teachers with practical and timely resources to enhance support for students after concussion.     

Success or Failure in a Core University Unit: What makes the difference?

Factors which have been identified as contributing to student academic success at the degree and program level in tertiary study include mode of study, student age, previous tertiary qualifications and past academic performance. Limited published Australian research is available, however, on student academic success in individual subjects. This study investigated identifiable patterns related to the academic success of three separate cohorts of students in an Early Childhood second-year Language, Literature and Literacy unit (N = 601). The data support previous research findings with regard to the effect of mode of study, previous university qualifications and past academic performance on academic success in this subject. In contrast with most previous studies, this study found a significant relationship between previous study at TAFE (college study at a Technical and Further Education institute) and failure in an academic unit, perhaps due to the timing of this unit in the students' overall program. Further implications for Early Childhood teacher education are discussed.     

Navigating the complexity of disability support in tertiary education: perspectives of students and disability service staff

Access to education is a right for all students. This right is typically realised through the provision of disability support and reasonable adjustments to enable tertiary students with disabilities to participate on an equal footing with their peers. This paper presents perspectives of disability service staff and students about implementing and using reasonable adjustments. Data were collected at 2 tertiary institutions in Australia through interviews with 25 students with disabilities and 7 disability service staff. Data were thematically analysed. The complexity of and variability in the processes of negotiating and implementing disability support were identified as an overarching theme in the data. These processes involved engaging multiple parties. The task of negotiating reasonable adjustments is used to illustrate some of the complexities inherent in supporting students with disabilities. These findings challenge existing assumptions that support is easily accessible and simply provided. They highlight the complexity of using reasonable adjustments, and the tendency for this to be seen as a student responsibility. Finally, the findings imply that disability services need to reorient from a focus on care and concern towards a rights orientation and foster students’ skills in self-advocacy to better enable them to negotiate without disadvantage.     

Public education: The next generation

Abstract

Keith Stanovich (1986) uses a biblical allusion the “Matthew Effect”; when discussing the acquisition of reading Stanovich (1986) claimed that in the acquisition of reading, as with the acquisition of what are deemed to be many of life's prizes, the mote one has, the more one gets This is often expressed as the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer In essence, when a student has demonstrated high skills within an area, they are encouraged to increase this ability with extra practice, resulting in even higher standards. The characteristics of the Gifted and Learning Disabled (GLD) student generally mean that the student will display subject‐specific weaknesses, subject‐specific strengths and often have poor organisational skills. Some GLD students may display academic weakness across the curriculum and demonstrate their ability with higher order thinking skills purely orally! Gifted students without a specific learning disability do not display such extremes in their academic endeavors. Thus, the “Matthew Effect”; when applied (in reverse) to the GLD student means that where a student has an underlying academic weakness, enjoyment of that subject is decreased, practice is limited, and standards are not raised to a level commensurate with intellectual potential. That is in the case of many GLD students, the poor get poorer (obviously, this would depend upon the level of specific learning disability, as some students are barely affected at all). Inevitably, success in school subjects links directly to motivation, perceptions of self‐ efficacy and self‐image. It should be no surprise that successful students are motivated, have high expectations of self‐efficacy, and good self image. Successful students would have positive affective characteristics, and thus, unsuccessful students would have the reverse.

It is important to define what is meant by assistive technology, as it could be argued that a rubber pencil grip or even a ruler might be considered assistive technology (Bryant &; Bryant: 1998, Bryant, Erin, Lock, Allan &; Resta: 1998; Lewis: 1998). Raskind and Higgins (1998:27) supply the following definition of assistive technology as “any technology that enables an individual with LD to compensate for specific deficits.”; Lewis (1998: 16) says that it is “any technology with the potential to enhance the performance of persons with disabilities”;. Lewis (1998) continues by saying that the purpose of assistive technology is firstly, to build on one's strengths, counterbalancing any weaknesses, and secondly, to provide alternative ways of performing a task. Indeed, Lewis (1998 17) likens assistive technology to a “cognitive prosthesis”;. The focus of this article will be on electronic assistive technology, with an emphasis on software programs suitable for use by middle and upper secondary gifted and learning disabled students. Thus, access and accommodation are key words. The ability of a student to access required programs and differentiation by accommodation are vital issues at the heart of electronic assistive technology. A definition of Gifted and Learning Disabled would (loosely) be, any gifted student who also has a specific learning disability. Students such as these will display elements of giftedness and elements of a specific learning disability Emphasis will be on the development of academic strengths, not on remediation of academic weaknesses. It is not the intention of this article to review interactive software programs which supply remedial work for phonics awareness, language, mathematical or reading difficulties. Reviews of such programs are available through subject‐interest journals or software suppliers.     

Involvement and growth of students in three academic programs

The purpose of this study was to provide further evidence on potential determinants of college student involvement in curricular and cocurricular campus activities, particularly on the importance of student enrollment in three academic programs. The study focused on how students in two special academic programs—an honors program and a transition program to assist academically disadvantaged students adjust to college—as well as students in the regular curriculum become engaged in a variety of experiences and how their quality of effort (involvement) in the activities is related to student growth and development. The relationship between level of student activity and achievement supports the claims of previous research that involvement contributes to students' development and gains in intellectual and interpersonal areas. However, the strength of relationship between student effort and gain varied for the three groups. Overall, the honors and transition students appeared to get more for their effort than did the regular students.     

The development and validation of an instrument assessing student-institution fit

While past research has focused on how student background characteristics and university experiences predict student retention and achievement, very few studies have examined the role that student-institution ‘fit’ might play in this process. In this study, we developed and validated a student-institution fit instrument that assesses the correspondence between student and institutional characteristics. We then examined the extent to which student-institution fit and friendship groups predict indicators of student success (e.g. academic adjustment and disengagement), which in turn predict future intentions. Using independent samples of undergraduate students from two Australian universities, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide evidence for a unidimensional model of student-institution fit. Moreover, structural equation modelling analyses indicate that student-institution fit predicts greater academic adjustment and less disengagement, which in turn predict intentions regarding retention, transferring to another university, and changing major or career choice.     

Results of a Pilot Study to Investigate Community College Student Perceptions of the Value of an Online Health-Risk Reduction Program

Health is associated with academic success. Universal, web-based interventions to reduce risks associated with alcohol and other drug use have been found to be effective at changing four-year college students’ health behaviors. An online health program may also be well-suited to a community college population, as it can reach students off campus and can be accessed at times that are convenient for students. The purpose of the current paper is to report the results of a community college student evaluation of a fully-developed, online health risk reduction program. One hundred and thirty four students evaluated the program. Students perceived the program to be successful at addressing college health and wellness issues, and they considered it a tool that could help students make a healthy adjustment to college. A universal, online, health-risk reduction program may have the potential to be a useful component of a community college's overall prevention strategy.     

澳大利亚全国读写计算能力考评计划述评

全国读写计算能力考评计划是澳大利亚学业成就评价改革的重要举措。其旨在促进澳大利亚课程标准的统一,提高学生学业成绩跨州跨地区的可比性,提升澳大利亚教育体质的透明度。其启示在于:作为全国性的学业成就考试必须公正、透明;学业成就评价的信息来源应该是多渠道的,不应将考评结果作为惟一的参考依据;全国性的学业成就评价的考评报告内容应翔实,应充分反映学生具体的学业水平;学业成就考评报告应立足多元化。     

Academic Achievement Performance of University Students with Disability: Exploring the Influence of Non-academic Factors

This study examined whether: (1) the non-academic constructs of psychological well-being, motivation to learn and quality of life (QOL) explained the variance in the academic achievement of students with disability; and (2) students with a mental health disability (MHD) differed from students with other disability on academic achievement and on the aforementioned non-academic constructs. Eighty-three students with disability were administered the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, the World Health Organisation QOL questionnaire, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Grade-point average was used as the measure of academic achievement. The results showed that measures of social relationships and self-efficacy were significant explanatory variables that could clarify the variance in academic achievement. Secondly, students with MHD differed from students with other disabilities on measures of psychological health, physical health, and social relationships. The findings have consequences for learning services provided to students with disability. It highlights the importance of examining the influence of disability type on student’s cognitive and behavioural dimensions such as their motivation to learn, engagement, persistence and academic attainment.     

Reducing Aggressive Behavior and Increasing Motivation in School: The Evolution of an Intervention to Strengthen School Adjustment

The pervasive links between problem behaviors and school adjustment suggest that effective intervention programs to enhance school adjustment must focus both on decreasing the motivation to aggress and increasing the motivation to achieve. We describe a program of intervention research to improve social behavior and academic motivation in elementary school students organized around principles of attribution theory. Our intervention curriculum initially focused on reducing children's aggression and was then expanded to include enhancing personal responsibility. A series of efficacy and effectiveness studies have demonstrated that children's attributions in both the social and academic domains can be changed with cost-effective, educational strategies. These changes in children's cognitions have reliably produced positive changes in behavior. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our work for the design of effective interventions.     

Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Seeking Academic Assistance

Abstract

The instructional needs of a student who sought assistance for his continuing academic difficulties within his high school setting were examined. The authors evaluated how his perception of his academic and motivational performances compared with the perceptions of his parents, school officials, and those professionals who conducted 3 psy-choeducational evaluations for a learning disability during his middle and high school years. None of the 3 evaluations considered the quality of the student's classroom instruction, school grading practices, or study strategies, all of which increased his vulnerability to risk. Discussion focuses on the question of whether the student's negative learning and motivational profiles might have improved if his school's attempts to provide academic assistance had adopted a broader and more comprehensive focus.     

Rewarding the resident teacher

Residents routinely make significant contributions to the education of medical students. However, little attention has been paid to rewarding these individuals for their involvement in these academic activities. This report describes a program that rewards resident teachers with an academic appointment as a Clinical Instructor. The residents participate in the laboratory portion of the anatomy program at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. They prepare weekly cadaver dissections and present these dissections to the first year medical students. Guidelines developed by the anatomy faculty and approved by the appropriate committees at both the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University establish requirements that a resident must meet to qualify for an academic appointment. Evaluation of this program indicates that it has been very successful based on medical student feedback, resident interest in gaining teaching experience, and residency directors appreciation of the opportunity for residents to gain valuable teaching experience in an academic setting.     

初中生学校适应及其与一般生活满意度的关系

运用《学生在校生活状况问卷-在校行为子量表》和《多维学生生活满意度量表》对431名初中生的学校适应和一般生活满意度进行测量。结果表明:(1)女生在课业、常规和同学关系三方面的适应状况均好于男生;(2)初一学生的课业、常规、师生关系、同学关系四方面的适应状况在初一至初三的三个年级中均最差;(3)学习成绩为下等学生的课业适应最差,初中生的师生关系适应随学习成绩的提高而提高;(4)学习成绩为上等学生的自我接纳程度最高;(5)在三种人缘状况的学生中,人缘差的学生的课业适应和常规适应最差,人缘很好学生的师生关系和同学关系适应最好;(6)初中生的五种学校适应均与其一般生活满意度存在显著正相关,五个学校适应维度对一般生活满意度的预测率为41％。     

Student-centredness: the link between transforming students and transforming ourselves

It is widely accepted in the higher education literature that a student-centred approach is pedagogically superior to a teacher-centred approach. In this paper, we explore the notion of student-centredness as a threshold concept and the implications this might have for academic staff development. We argue that the term student-centred in the Rogerian sense implies a focus on the person of the student and is deeply resonant with Barnett's assertion that the emergent being of the student is as important as the development of skills and knowledge. To facilitate transformative learning in higher education an academic must know how to value the person of the student in the learning process. Academic staff development initiatives need to work with the person of the academic and take into account the level of personal development required for each academic to be able to facilitate this kind of learning.     

First-year university students’ academic success: the importance of academic adjustment

Considering the pivotal role of academic adjustment for student success, it is important to gain insight into how several motivational and behavioural factors affect academic adjustment and the extent to which academic adjustment influences student success. This empirical study investigated how intrinsic motivation, academic self-efficacy, self-regulated study behaviour and satisfaction with the chosen degree programme influenced academic adjustment in university and how these variables and adjustment affected three important indicators of student success: grade point average (GPA), attained number of credits (ECTS) and intention to persist. The sample consisted of 243 first-year university students in the Netherlands. Structural equation modelling showed that academic adjustment was influenced by intrinsic motivation, self-regulated study behaviour and degree programme satisfaction, which together explained 72% of the variance in adjustment. Motivational and behavioural variables did not influence GPA and credits directly but through academic adjustment. Furthermore, only satisfaction with the degree programme predicted intention to persist. These results point to the importance of academic adjustment in predicting university GPA and credits and the pivotal role of satisfaction with the degree programme in predicting intention to persist. Universities could integrate the development of self-regulated study skills—the biggest contributor to academic adjustment—in the first-year programme. Moreover, looking at the importance of students’ satisfaction with the programme, communication and collaboration between secondary schools and universities should be enhanced in order to help students to choose a university degree programme that matches their abilities, interests and values.