Factors affecting bioscience students’ academic achievement

The examination of academic progression has become an essential tool for measuring the effectiveness of educational systems. Research concerning the relationship between student learning and how they progress in their studies, however remains scarce. The aim of this study is two-fold: Firstly, the study aims to analyse first-year bioscience students’ perceptions of their teaching–learning environment and their approaches to learning as well as the relationship of these to academic achievement as measured by students’ progression in studies and how they succeed. Secondly, the present study explores factors students feel either enhance or impede their studying as well as the relationship of those factors with their approaches to learning and academic achievement. The data consist of responses from 188 first-year students who began their studies in the fall 2007 and 2008. The data were collected in a Finnish context with a modified and shortened version of the Experiences in Teaching and Learning Questionnaire (ETLQ). The analyses were carried out using factor analysis, one-way ANOVA and structural equation modeling. According to the results, organised studying was related to both academic progression and study success. In addition, academic progression was positively related to peer support. Furthermore, most of the students found that problems in time management impeded their studies and that pre-set schedules enhanced them. Results indicate that social support and self-regulation skills are important for academic achievement.     

The ICEM International Media Week

Abstract

Each year ICEM holds an International Media Week, and this report gives details of the 1996 event.     

Exploration of individual study paths of successful first-year students: an interview study

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The aim of the present study was to explore the individual profiles of successful, rapidly progressing first-year university students. The participants...     

Digital competence – an emergent boundary concept for policy and educational research

Digital competence is an evolving concept related to the development of digital technology and the political aims and expectations of citizenship in a knowledge society. It is regarded as a core competence in policy papers; in educational research it is not yet a standardized concept. We suggest that it is a useful boundary concept, which can be used in various contexts. For this study, we analysed 76 educational research articles in which digital competence, described by different terms, was investigated. As a result, we found that digital competence consists of a variety of skills and competences, and its scope is wide, as is its background: from media studies and computer science to library and literacy studies. In the article review, we found a total of 34 terms that had used to describe the digital technology related skills and competences; the most often used terms were digital literacy, new literacies, multiliteracy and media literacy, each with somewhat different focus. We suggest that digital competence is defined as consisting of (1) technical competence, (2) the ability to use digital technologies in a meaningful way for working, studying and in everyday life, (3) the ability to evaluate digital technologies critically, and (4) motivation to participate and commit in the digital culture.     

Experienced academics' emotions related to assessment

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the emotions higher education teachers associate with assessment and the factors in their teaching environment that triggered these emotions. As a starting point, Frenzel’s model of teacher emotions and Pekrun’s control-value theory of achievement emotions were used. The sample consisted of 16 experienced and pedagogically advanced teachers who participated in semi-structured interviews. After abductive content analyses, both positive and negative emotions were detected corresponding to Frenzel’s and Pekrun’s models. The main sources of emotions were validity of assessment, assessment methods, pedagogical development and assessment culture. This preliminary study indicates that assessment evokes both positive and negative emotions, and that validity of assessment is a prominent issue in evoking these emotions. Pedagogical training should deal with emotions and their regulation in assessment to help teachers in higher education to cope with negative emotions.     

Children’s physical activity in day care and preschool

The purpose of the study was to investigate the dynamics of physical activity (PA) in day care and preschool. The participants were 823 Finnish 1–7-year-old children from 50 day care centres and preschools. The research methods were systematic observation, evaluation of children’s skills and interviews with children. Altogether 18,366 observations were collected. Vygotsky’s concept of the ‘zone of proximal development’ is redefined in relation to PA. The results of the study show that environmental factors, and specifically peers, do indeed play a significant role in enhancing PA among children. There are cogent reasons for paying more attention to the dynamics of children’s PA. Furthermore, there is reason to ponder extensively how to provide opportunities for PA and, more precisely, the development of motor competence in the day care and preschool context.     

Dopamine Receptor D2 Polymorphism Moderates the Effect of Parental Education on Adolescents' School Performance

ABSTRACT— High parental socioeconomic status is known to have a positive effect on students' academic achievement. We examined whether variation in the dopamine receptor gene (DRD2 polymorphism, rs 1800497) modifies the association between parental educational level and school performance in adolescence. The participants were a randomly selected subsample of individuals participating in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study (921 girls and 742 boys) aged 12–15 years at the time school performance was assessed. The genotyping was performed using TaqMan 5'-nuclease assay. A significant interaction was found between childhood parental educational level and students' DRD2 polymorphism on academic achievement after adjustment for age, gender, household income, parental occupation, maternal nurturance, hyperactivity, and sociability. Parental educational level was significantly positively associated with school achievement in the A2/A2 ( n  = 1,061) and the A1/A2 ( n  = 529) genotype groups, but was negative and statistically insignificant in participants carrying the A1/A1 ( n  = 73) genotype. It is concluded that the extent to which parental education status affects an individual's academic achievement may be dependent on the individual's genetic constitution. The findings may increase an acceptance of genetic influence in education, and, consequently, may increase accurateness of educational interventions.     

The effect of short online pedagogical training on university teachers’ interpretations of teaching–learning situations

The aim of the study was to explore whether short online pedagogy courses can have an effect on university teachers’ interpretations of teaching–learning situations. Before and after participating in a short online pedagogical training programme, a total of 66 participants wrote their interpretations of two short video clips, which depicted a content-focused teacher and a learning-focused teacher, respectively. The training was successful in changing participants’ interpretations from a knowledge-transmission view to a learning-facilitation view of teaching. This result indicates that even short online training programmes have the potential to affect participants’ interpretations of teaching–learning situations, especially when participants are not very experienced in teaching. Therefore, pedagogical training should be offered already at the early stages of teaching careers.

     

CAREER PATTERNS OF FINNISH ACADEMICS AND INTELLECTUALS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE 1965 STUDENT GENERATION

This article is concerned with the career patterns of Finnish intellectuals and professionals. It aims to illuminate the trajectories of individuals who studied in universities in the 1960's and later found various types of positions in Finnish society. It illustrates certain aspects of this career differentiation and the role of the university in this process. The group being studied represents the professional and managerial core of society. Many of the individuals concerned hold visible positions in the public life of the nation. They do not, however, form any unitary class. The educated population is divided into various sections and levels which display quite different models of career trajectories and different forms of social influence. This diversity makes both the study of the impact of university education and the system of careers an extremely complex research theme.     

Case studies of learning objects used in school settings

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and characteristics of virtual learning objects in selected classroom cases. Four Finnish cases represented such pedagogical approaches as student‐centeredness, process orientation and collaborative inquiry. The case study approach enabled the investigation of concrete practices in using learning objects in ordinary classroom settings. The goal of the study was to examine the interrelatedness of the teachers’ pedagogical practices with characteristics and affordances of the learning objects, in order to understand how learning objects can support the development of advanced pedagogical practices in schools. The data used were qualitative, consisting of the participating teachers’ agendas, and observations and video recordings during classroom sessions. The results indicate that the learning objects were mostly used as exploration tools, information sources, assessment models and objects of discussion. An expert‐like use of knowledge was characteristic in the pedagogical settings, especially when the teacher was experienced in using ICT in teaching. However, not all the learning objects supported such practices, thus preventing a teacher from reaching intended pedagogical aims.