e‐Learning in universities: Supporting help‐seeking processes by instructional prompts

University students are more responsible than school students for their own learning. The role of self‐regulated learning increases in virtual e‐learning course environments. Academic help‐seeking is an important strategy of self‐regulated learning, but many students fail to use this strategy appropriately. A lack of information and a perceived threat of help‐seeking may cause this effect. Among others, giving prompts is an instructional means to support students to adequately apply academic help‐seeking . A study is presented in which the effect of giving prompts on the quantity and quality of academic help‐seeking was experimentally investigated in a blended university learning course of educational science. Compared with students who received no prompts, students with prompts about the relevance of active help‐seeking had better learning outcomes, participated more actively in online learning activities, more explicitly referred to learning contents in the forums and took more initiative in starting discussions. The perceived threat of help‐seeking could not be reduced, however.     

Help‐Seeking and Non‐Help‐Seeking Students' Perceptions of Own and Peers' Mental Health Functioning

Help‐seeking (HS) students and non‐help‐seeking (NHS) students were compared on their perceptions of (a) their own level of mental health functioning and (b) the average level of mental health functioning of their (NHS or HS) peers. Results showed that NHS students' perceptions of HS students' self‐ratings were similar to HS students' self‐ratings of functioning but that HS students underestimated the level of functioning of their NHS peers. Implications of the findings for campus outreach and future research are discussed.     

Self‐stigma and domains of well‐being in high school youth: Associations with self‐efficacy,self‐esteem,and self‐criticism

Self‐stigma is a phenomenon in which negative public stereotypes about mental illness are internalized and can undermine help‐seeking. Unfortunately, little is known about how self‐stigmatization relates to positive well‐being indicators among youth. A sample of 134 high school students completed established measures of self‐stigma, well‐being, self‐esteem, self‐efficacy, and self‐criticism. Analyses confirmed that self‐stigma was associated with overall well‐being and five well‐being subscales (autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations, and self‐acceptance); the strongest associations were with autonomy and positive relations with others. The majority of these associations still held when simultaneously controlling for self‐esteem, self‐efficacy, and self‐criticism. Taken together, findings point to the need for greater awareness of self‐stigma along with an explicit focus on the promotion of protective well‐being in prevention work and interventions designed to alleviate the tendency for young people to internalize stigma. Additionally, findings have theoretical implications for the “why try” model of self‐stigma.     

Suicidal Behavior and Help Seeking Among Diverse College Students

Suicidal and help‐seeking behaviors of students of color remain a significant problem on college campuses. Self‐reported suicidal experiences and help‐seeking behavior of diverse students are examined on the basis of results from a national survey of college student mental health. The results suggest significant differences in the expression of suicidal thoughts and behavior across racial and ethnic groups and different experiences in their referral for, and utilization of, professional help.     

Predictors of adaptive help seeking across ninth‐grade students enrolled in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses

This study explored how adaptive help seeking was related to academic self‐efficacy, perfectionism (maladaptive and adaptive), attitudes toward help seeking (perceived benefits and perceived threats), and teacher emotional support among 311 grade 9 students in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. Significant bivariate links emerged between adaptive help seeking and all six potential correlates. Regression analyses indicated that teacher emotional support, adaptive perfectionism (high personal standards), and perceived benefits were significant, positive predictors of adaptive help seeking. Gender also was a significant predictor, as boys had lower levels of adaptive help seeking compared with girls. Furthermore, gender moderated the association between perceived benefits and adaptive help‐seeking; perceived benefits were particularly highly associated with boys’ adaptive help seeking from classroom teachers. Strategies for explicating the benefits of adaptive help seeking, promoting adaptive perfectionism, and fostering teacher emotional support are provided, as well as limitations and future directions for research.     

FACTORS AFFECTING FEMALE TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD HELP‐SEEKING OR HELP‐AVOIDANCE IN COPING WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

Questionnaires were given to 392 elementary school teachers to examine help‐seeking or help‐avoidance in dealing with classroom behavioral problems. Scale validity was examined through a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Using a series of multivariate regression analyses and structural equation modeling, we identified predictors of motivational goals, predictors of attitudes toward help‐seeking or help‐avoidance, and a model of teachers’ attitudes toward help‐seeking or help‐avoidance. Results revealed four types of attitudes. Two reflected a positive approach to seeking help, but for different reasons: the first is intended to end the confrontation rapidly, and the second strives to develop new coping abilities. Also, two avoidant behaviors intended to avoid seeking help were revealed: one from fear of failure, and the other from a desire to deal with the problems independently. These four positions support a model of teacher help‐seeking, where seeking or avoiding help arises from a combination of implicit theories, efficacy beliefs, and motivational goals. Suggestions for further research into motivational factors of teachers when seeking help in coping with behavioral problems are suggested, as well as a call for a renewed consideration of the effectiveness of teacher support mechanisms.     

Associations between peer victimization and school climate: The impact of form and the moderating role of gender

The purpose of the present study is to examine whether physical and relational victimization negatively impacts indicators of school climate–students’ perceptions of school safety, their attachment to school, and their help‐seeking behavior–and whether gender moderates these associations. Using a sample of 361 third through fifth‐grade students recruited from six public elementary schools, results reveal that relational and physical victimization were both uniquely associated with lower levels of school safety and school attachment, with stronger associations between school attachment and relational victimization. However, only physical victimization was negatively associated with help‐seeking, suggesting that physical victimization is more influential on help seeking as compared with relational victimization. Gender moderated the relationships between victimization and school attachment and help‐seeking with differences by form noted. No gender differences were evident in associations between the forms of peer victimization and school safety. Implications for prevention and intervention in schools are discussed.     

The cultural impact on depression expression and attitudes toward seeking professional help: A comparative study of Americans and South Koreans

This study explored whether, and how, ethnicity and individualism-collectivism are related to depression symptomatology and attitudes toward seeking professional help using a comparison of university students in the United States and South Korea. Eighty eight American college students and 95 South Korean college students participated in the study. Canonical correlation analyses revealed that low ratings on vertical individualism in American culture are related to more positive attitudes toward seeking professional help. On the basis of these findings some tentative counseling implications are considered and directions for future research are proposed.     

Supporting International Students: Enhancing College Counselors’ Multicultural Counseling Competence

International students experience significant difficulties as they adjust to the dominant culture in the United States. However, there is a substantial gap between the reported academic and sociological distress these students experience and their help‐seeking behaviors. This article reviews international students’ distinctive challenges in seeking professional help and proposes guidelines to effectively support these students by enhancing college counselors’ multicultural counseling competence.     

Counseling and the Internet: Asian American and Asian International College Students' Attitudes Toward Seeking Online Professional Psychological Help

This study examined Asian American and Asian international college students' attitudes toward seeking online professional psychological help as well as traditional face‐to‐face professional psychological help. Results suggest that students had less favorable attitudes toward seeking help online than toward seeking help by traditional face‐to‐face means. Implications for counseling center services for Asian American and Asian international college students are discussed.     

Overall Life Satisfaction and Help‐Seeking Attitudes of Turkish College Students in the United States: Implications for College Counselors

This study examined the effects of acculturation, beliefs about mental illness, and selected demographic variables on the help‐seeking attitudes of 120 Turkish students who were attending college in the United States. The authors maintain that if mental health professionals increase their understanding of Turkish international students, they can then develop more effective services for this population.     

Measuring Students' Self‐Efficacy for Communication

Design students are asked to regularly communicate their ideas to a diverse audience. Students' abilities may be affected by their perceived self‐efficacy, the perception of abilities to perform a task. Because self‐efficacy is conceived of as context‐specific, it is vital to consider self‐efficacy as it specifically relates to design studios and the communication within that context, rather than to look at generalised self‐efficacy for communication. To that end, this article explains the development and validation of measures of students' perceived self‐efficacy for communicating in both formal (critique) and informal (studio working time) design circumstances. Using data from students at two institutions, the measures were found to be reliable; these results were further supported through their relationship to previously validated measures. The development of these measures and the results from pilot data provide insight into students' perceptions of their communication abilities that may be beneficial to educators seeking to help design students communicate competently.     

A classwide peer‐modeling intervention package to increase on‐task behavior

Evidence‐based classwide interventions have the potential to help a large number of students by preventing problem behaviors before they become a significant problem in the classroom. Results of a study examining the effectiveness of a classwide peer‐modeling intervention package to improve students' on‐task behavior in the classroom are presented. The classwide intervention took place in three mixed‐grade classrooms (third/fourth, fourth/fifth, and fifth/sixth) with 14–20 students each. Fifteen‐minute intervention sessions occurred approximately two times a week for a total of six to eight sessions. During each intervention session, students watched a 4‐minute videotape segment depicting a peer model demonstrating near 100% on‐task behavior, which was accompanied by verbal coaching and small tangible rewards. Results demonstrated large treatment effects across all three classrooms, which remained large in two of the classrooms at follow‐up 4–8 weeks later. Corresponding positive social validity by participating students and teachers was also documented. Results are discussed in terms of implications, limitations, and future research directions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

大学生职前常见心理问题与行为异常的分析及应对

大学生职前出现的各种心理问题和行为异常,严重影响了他们的身心发展,干扰了学校正常的教育教学活动,这不仅不利于就业,对整个社会的和谐与稳定也会产生消极负面的影响。大学生在职前出现的心理和行为问题有着多种表现,其产生的背景和原因也是多方面的。针对当前的形势,我们应该采取相应的措施,帮助广大大学生能够有一个积极健康的心态和正常的行为模式去应对正在进行或即将进行的求职活动。     

Predictors of Help‐Seeking Attitudes in College Student Service Members and Veterans

We explored predictors of attitudes toward psychological help seeking among 103 student service members and veterans (SSM/V). Results showed that self‐stigma, public stigma, and gender significantly predicted attitudes toward psychological help seeking. A test of mediation revealed that self‐stigma fully mediated the relationship between public stigma and attitudes toward psychological help seeking. Implications for college counseling professionals who serve SSM/V are discussed.     

A Critical Study in the Objective Measurement of Character

ABSTRACT

With a sample of 373 middle school students, the present longitudinal study examined the role of the classroom peer climate in mediating the relation between perceptions of classroom goal structures and academic help seeking among peers. Classroom goal structures were measured in the fall and classroom peer climate and help seeking among peers were assessed in the spring. Structural equation modeling indicated classroom mastery goal structure directly predicted desirable help-seeking behavior among peers (i.e., high adaptive help seeking and low expedient and avoidance of help seeking). A positive classroom peer climate mediated the effects of classroom mastery goal structure on expedient and avoidance of help seeking. A negative classroom peer climate mediated the effects of classroom performance goal structure on avoidance of help seeking. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Reasons for Utilizing Mental Health Services as Predictors of College Students’ Alcohol Risk

The authors examined college student drinkers’ (n = 153) reasons for seeking counseling services and risk for alcohol problems. Students seeking help for impulse‐ or anger‐related issues and depression were at heightened risk for alcohol problems. Only 10% of students sought alcohol‐related help despite high rates of hazardous alcohol use (80%) and dependence (39%). Targeted screening and intervention in college counseling centers may enable providers to effectively identify and treat students in need of alcohol treatment.     

EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROFILE ASSESSMENT USING THE BASC‐2 WITH KOREAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Korean middle school students are experiencing high rates of behavioral and emotional problems, suggesting a need for comprehensive screening instruments with strong psychometric properties in school settings. The present study investigated the utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children‐2 Self‐Report of Personality, Adolescent Form (BASC‐2 SRP‐A) to assess clinical problems and adaptive strengths among Korean middle school students. For this revalidation study of the BASC‐2, we first translated the BASC‐2 SRP‐A into Korean (K‐BASC‐2 SRP‐A). Then, using a total of 458 Korean middle school students aged 12 to 15 years, we examined the factor structure and reliability of the clinical, adaptive, and composite scale scores of the K‐BASC‐2 SRP‐A. We also used a separate sample of 45 middle school students to examine the convergent validity of a subset of the K‐BASC‐2 SRP‐A scales targeting the common problem areas of anxiety, depression, and inattention. Based on the current results, we found strong psychometric properties of the K‐BASC‐2 SRP‐A for use among adolescents in Korea, including a well‐fitting factor structure consistent with the originally proposed model, adequate reliability estimates, and validity coefficients falling in the acceptable range. The K‐BASC‐2 SRP‐A can offer the Korean school mental health field a useful and much‐needed multidimensional screening measure for middle school youths.     

The impacts of network centrality and self‐regulation on an e‐learning environment with the support of social network awareness

An e‐learning environment that supports social network awareness (SNA) is a highly effective means of increasing peer interaction and assisting student learning by raising awareness of social and learning contexts of peers. Network centrality profoundly impacts student learning in an SNA‐related e‐learning environment. Additionally, self‐regulation behavior significantly influences online learning of students. However, exactly how network centrality and self‐regulation influence learning behavior and effectiveness in an e‐learning environment remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigates how both variables (ie, network centrality and self‐regulation) impact student learning in an SNA‐related e‐learning environment. Analytical results indicate that the student group with high‐level centrality and low‐level self‐regulation more significantly progresses in learning achievement than the other groups. The second finding shows the group also has the highest number of students asking for help, revealing they have the highest system utilization rate.     

Assessing Cultural Orientation,Cultural Fit,and Help‐Seeking Attitudes of Latina Undergraduates

This study assessed the influence of cultural orientation and cultural fit of 121 Latina undergraduates' help‐seeking attitudes. Mexican and Anglo orientation, cultural congruity, and perceptions of the university environment did not predict help‐seeking attitudes; however, differences emerged by class standing and self‐reported previous counseling experience. Implications for university counselors are provided.