Search Results (21)

Socioeconomic inequalities in educational achievement are pervasive across societies. To inform a European Commission-funded project on educational inequalities in children, adolescents, and young adults, we used a scoping review methodology to synthesise the methods, topics, and coverage of reviews of empirical studies published in the past five years (2019–2024). Our systematic search of the Web of Science database identified 498 unique records, which were screened for eligibility. Of these records, 57 progressed to full-text screening, with 29 included in the metareview. We extracted data on the reviews’ methodologies, overarching conceptual perspectives, conceptualisations of socioeconomic inequalities and educational achievement, and educational stages covered. Our analysis found gaps, including a lack of qualitative reviews, a lack of focus on primary education and on tertiary education outside of university (e.g., further education college), scarce coverage of the impact of broader contextual indicators of socioeconomic inequality (e.g., school and neighbourhood contexts) on educational outcomes, and a narrow focus on academic achievement. To conclude our metareview, we synthesise and expand the review topics into an interdisciplinary conceptual diagram that illustrates the breadth and depth of research needed in this field. Full article

Several studies conducted worldwide have reported on the effectiveness of consistent condom use with lubricants in preventing HIV transmission and acquisition; however, men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ghana continue to be disproportionately affected by the HIV burden. They are stigmatized, discriminated against, and criminalized, leading to social isolation, reduced access to health care, and inadequate targeted interventions. The dissemination of HIV prevention tools such as condoms and lubricants is also mainly focused on the general population, and this approach overlooks the specific needs and vulnerabilities of MSM. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of consistent condom use with lubricants among MSM in Ghana. We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Ghana Men’s Study II dataset involving 4095 MSM aged 18 years and above. De-identified data were imported into STATA (College Station, TX, USA, software version 17) for data analysis. Descriptive analysis was performed to describe relevant characteristics of the study population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for significant variables in bivariate analysis to determine the associated factors of consistent condom use with lubricants. All the statistical analyses were performed at a 95% confidence interval, with significant differences at p < 0.05. The prevalence of consistent condom use with lubricants during penetrative anal sex was highest with male partners (44.9%), followed by female partners (40.0%), and all sexual partners (38.9%), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, having a senior high school education (AOR: 1.76; 95% CI: 0.88–3.12, p = 0.039), tertiary education or higher (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 0.86–3.23, p = 0.041), being an insertive sex partner (AOR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.02–1.56, p = 0.029), being a sex worker (AOR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.00–1.98, p = 0.048), buying sex from other males (AOR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.03–1.70, p = 0.027), being a light drinker (AOR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.42–0.68, p < 0.001), being a moderate drinker (AOR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.30–0.78, p = 0.003), and possessing good HIV knowledge (AOR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.46–2.20, p < 0.001) had higher odds of consistent condom use with lubricants. Being Islamic (AOR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49–0.87, p = 0.004), having a low income (AOR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.42–0.77, p < 0.001), and easy access (AOR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.37–0.72, p < 0.001) to condoms were positively associated with consistent condom use. This study found a low prevalence of consistent condom use with lubricants among the MSM population in Ghana. The study also found a range of socio-demographic, behavioral, and structural factors associated with consistent condom use with lubricants. This calls for very specific and unique public health interventions, such as developing a predictive model to identify and mitigate barriers to consistent condom use with lubricants. Full article

Statistics modules are included in most university degrees, independent of the degree area, and this means that many students face these modules underprepared and struggle because of a lack of statistics knowledge. The Maths Support Centre (MSC) in the University College Dublin (UCD) provides support for various mathematics-related subjects, with statistics students being the second-largest cohort of visitors. The overall goal of this paper is to identify the common statistical issues students face during the transition from secondary education to tertiary education. The main data set for this study is the data from UCD students who have accessed the UCD MSC since 2015/16 for statistics support; the categorization of statistical concepts has been made with the statistics module description for each statistics subject at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC). First, we conducted a categorization of statistical concepts taught in university (based on URJC’s catergorization); after that, UCD MSC tutor comments were categorized and validated, and subsequently descriptive analyses and text mining were used on the UCD MSC comments to achieve a deeper understanding of the statistical issues. The statistical issues presented were categorized as descriptive statistics (22.8%), probability (44%), statistical inference (29.2%), and statistical software (4%). Students struggled with material that was introduced at university level rather than material seen at secondary level. Our findings on students’ main statistical issues contribute to the development of a suite of evidence-based educational applications and games to support undergraduate students internationally in first- and second-year statistical modules. Full article

This article is a personal reflection on the current state of Patristics in Australia, focusing on its debatable effectiveness in both Church and society. It discusses the manner in which the subject of Patristics functions as a specialized subset of knowledge within theological colleges and in a very limited number of universities, meaning that its accessibility is almost exclusively via formal educational providers. The more specialized the mode of delivery becomes, however, the more the role and relevance of Patristics appears to be diminishing over time. While that is not an Australian characteristic alone, the author argues that the purely tertiary nature of Patristic learning today is a feature of the local landscape that ought to be surveyed. As it currently stands, the subject is disconnected from preceding levels of education and indeed from other possible means of popularizing the subject for a broader audience who, otherwise, are not likely to encounter the Church Fathers in any meaningful way. This implies a fundamental question about how such a situation arose in the first place and became part of the status quo. The discussion is broadened through a presentation of certain key features of Patristics in the Eastern tradition. Full article

Robots are intelligent machines that are capable of autonomously performing intricate sequences of actions, with their functionality being primarily driven by computer programs and machine learning models. Educational robots are specifically designed and used for teaching and learning purposes and attain the interest of learners in gaining knowledge about science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Educational robots are widely applied in different fields of primary and secondary education, but their usage in teaching higher education subjects is limited. Even when educational robots are used in tertiary education, the use is sporadic, targets specific courses or subjects, and employs robots with narrow applicability. In this work, we propose a holistic approach to the use of educational robots in tertiary education. We demonstrate how an open source educational robot can be used by colleges, and universities in teaching multiple courses of a computer science curriculum, fostering computational and creative thinking in practice. We rely on an open-source and open design educational robot, called FOSSBot, which contains various IoT technologies for measuring data, processing it, and interacting with the physical world. Grace to its open nature, FOSSBot can be used in preparing the content and supporting learning activities for different subjects such as electronics, computer networks, artificial intelligence, computer vision, etc. To support our claim, we describe a computer science curriculum containing a wide range of computer science courses and explain how each course can be supported by providing indicative activities. The proposed one-year curriculum can be delivered at the postgraduate level, allowing computer science graduates to delve deep into Computer Science subjects. After examining related works that propose the use of robots in academic curricula we detect the gap that still exists for a curriculum that is linked to an educational robot and we present in detail each proposed course, the software libraries that can be employed for each course and the possible extensions to the open robot that will allow to further extend the curriculum with more topics or enhance it with activities. With our work, we show that by incorporating educational robots in higher education we can address this gap and provide a new ledger for boosting tertiary education. Full article

Over the past few decades, the education sector has achieved impressive advancements by incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the educational environment. Nevertheless, specific educational processes, particularly educational counseling, still depend on traditional procedures. The current method of conducting group sessions between counselors and students does not offer personalized assistance or individual attention, which can cause stress to students and make it difficult for them to make informed decisions about their coursework and career path. This paper proposes a counseling solution designed to aid high school seniors in selecting appropriate academic paths at the tertiary level. The system utilizes a predictive model that considers academic history and student preferences to determine students’ likelihood of admission to their chosen university and recommends similar alternative universities to provide more opportunities. We developed the model based on data from 500 graduates from 12 public high schools in Morocco, as well as eligibility criteria from 31 institutions and colleges. The counseling system comprises two modules: a recommendation module that uses popularity-based and content-based recommendations and a prediction module that calculates the likelihood of admission using the Huber Regressor model. This model outperformed 13 other machine learning modules, with a low MSE of 0.0017, RMSE of 0.0422, and the highest R-squared value of 0.9306. Finally, the system is accessible through a user-friendly web interface. Full article

(1) Background: Cigarette smoking, risky alcohol consumption, and marijuana smoking are the most common behaviors related to legal and illicit drug use worldwide, including among university students. To plan effective evidence-based programs to prevent the risky consumption of these substances among university students, the present study aimed to identify potential sociodemographic and study-related risk groups and predictors of consumption. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional online health survey with approximately 270 health-related items was conducted among students at the University of Mainz, Germany. Cigarette smoking, risky alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C score: female ≥ 4, male ≥ 5), and marijuana smoking were chosen as dependent variables. Of the 270 health-related items, 56 were chosen as independent variables and collated into five groups (sociodemographic, psychological, study-related psychosocial, general psychosocial and health behavior). The prevalence of cigarette smoking, risky alcohol consumption, and marijuana smoking was assessed using established and validated instruments. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to analyze the differences in prevalence between the sociodemographic and study-related groups, and binary logistic regression was used for analyses with stepwise inclusion of the five variable groups. (3) Results: Of the 3991 university students who entered the analyses, 14.9% reported smoking cigarettes, 38.6% reported risky alcohol consumption, and 10.9% reported smoking marijuana. The prevalence of these differed between genders, fields of study, and aspired degree level, among other factors. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed nine significant predictors (p ≤ 0.05) of cigarette smoking (Nagelkerke R² = 0.314), 18 significant predictors of risky alcohol consumption (Nagelkerke R² = 0.270), and 16 significant predictors of marijuana smoking (Nagelkerke R² = 0.239). (4) Conclusions: This study showed cigarette smoking, risky alcohol consumption, and marijuana smoking among university students in Germany to be associated with multiple factors, especially health behaviors. Furthermore, each of the substances was highly associated with each of the two other substances we examined. Other variable groups, such as psychological or psychosocial variables, seemed to play a rather minor role. Therefore, our recommendation for future prevention programs is that substance use among university students should be addressed as a whole, not just in terms of specific substances. Full article

This study focuses on undergraduate student paraprofessionals who facilitated peer study groups for academically challenging college courses. A grounded qualitative research study of these student facilitators at an institution identified their professional identity development in unexpected ways that went against written policies for teacher attitudes and behaviors. Rather than perceiving themselves as peer study group facilitators following a narrow job description, many of them referred to themselves as teachers and acted accordingly, breaking the boundaries of behavior established by the study group program administrator. This article unmasks this professional identity emergence, postulates the mechanism for this choice, presents a model to explain it, and makes recommendations for talking openly about this identity and the subsequent behaviors that occurred as a result by the facilitators and the implications for the PAL program. Full article

This study aims to comprehensively explore the core competencies required of physical education teachers in universities, within the context of modernizing higher education. The goal is to build an index system that conforms to the development of the core literacy of college PE teachers. With the vigorous development of higher education, increasingly higher requirements are placed for college teachers. Starting from the perspective of higher education modernization, this study comprehensively explores the corresponding core qualities of physical education teachers in colleges and universities, which has certain research value. The research utilizes qualitative analysis, the Delphi method, and the analytic hierarchy process to construct a comprehensive indicator system that includes four primary indicators: moral character, educational ability, teaching competence, and research expertise. These primary indicators are further divided into 15 secondary indicators, such as political morality, information literacy integration, research concept literacy, and educational and teaching philosophy, and 53 tertiary indicators, such as the integration of ideological and political education into the curriculum, information ethics and morality, research values, and pre-class teaching decision-making data. The analytic hierarchy process is employed to determine the weight coefficients of each level of indicators, as well as the comprehensive weight coefficients of the secondary and tertiary indicators. The primary indicators of the system are representative and used to determine the appropriate weight of the indicator system for different types of physical education teachers. The study found: 1. That moral character and educational ability occupy the first and second proportions, respectively, in the weight coefficients of the core competencies of different types of physical education teachers. 2. Teaching and research-oriented teachers have a considerable proportion of teaching and research expertise, respectively. 3. Research-oriented physical education teachers have a much higher proportion of research expertise than teaching expertise. 4. Teaching-oriented physical education teachers have a higher proportion of teaching expertise than research expertise. Discuss: The constructed indicator system is scientifically sound and structurally reasonable, providing theoretical reference and guidance for the evaluation and cultivation of core competencies of physical education teachers in universities, and effectively helps the sustainable development of college physical education teachers. Full article

This paper argues that the neoliberal consensus about education finance has broken down due to growing economic inequality. First, I use a comparative historical analysis of political alliances to examine patterns of world trade and nations’ policies for economic and educational development since World War II. The United States emphasized STEM-collegiate preparation for all students, while most countries continued the dual emphasis on technical-tertiary and higher education. Educational policy in the US and Pacific region also shifted towards a reliance on markets and student loans resulting in worsening economic inequality in access. Nations with dual technical and academic pathways in secondary and postsecondary education systems expand college enrollment rates more rapidly than the US. They also experience class conflict between the working–middle class and the new technological elite. Next, I examine how education policy shifted from national planning aligned with public funding to market-based incentives for institutional development, further exposing gaps in opportunity within nations. Finally, recognizing the variations in systemic causes of inequality, I argue that governments, education agencies, and civic activists can best promote equity by organizing to address barriers to opportunity for groups left behind in the wake of withering neoliberal education policy. Full article

International student mobility has become an effective global strategy for tertiary institutions’ economic growth, revenue, and diversity. This study aimed to provide service quality indicators that can be used to improve international student mobility services in Malaysian public universities. The sample comprised international students in Malaysia, with 1273 students from 76 countries participating. The SERVQUAL model and instrument were used, and the indicators were determined using the measurement model (MM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The findings of MM and AHP ranked courtesy and communication as the highest indicators, and AHP found that soft skills were required to improve service quality at Malaysian higher education institutions. These findings contribute to understanding what is needed to improve the university quality service system in Malaysian public universities. The results also apply to other universities, especially Southeast Asian countries involved in internationalisation practices. Practical implications were provided to improve internationalisation service quality at colleges and universities, with suggestions for future study. Full article

Healthy lifestyle is the major indicator of individual and public health especially in target populations (e.g., during emerging adulthood). Evidence indicates that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are strongly associated with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. The dual approach of sustainable health (i.e., physical exercise tied to a healthy diet) is an effective lifestyle strategy to control and manage health-related disorders, including overweight/obesity. Based on the evidence on plant-based diets regarding health and considering the growing prevalence of vegans and vegetarians worldwide, limited data exist on the health-related behaviors of those who follow plant-based vs. mixed diets in young adulthood. This multidisciplinary study is the first to examine the association between diet type (mixed, vegetarian, and vegan diets) and various health-related behaviors (primarily physical activity, sport, & exercise) among college/university students and lecturers/academic staff in Austria nationwide. Following a cross-sectional study design and using online questionnaires, 4510 tertiary students and 1043 lecturers/academic staff provided data on sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns, physical exercise habits, and other lifestyle behaviors (sleep, alcohol intake, smoking, etc.) along with information on health status and quality of life. While the data will be analyzed based on differentiated sociodemographic and health-related categories, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle behaviors will also be evaluated. As a study protocol, this article represents comprehensive details of the design, purposes, and associated analytical measures of the present study within the tertiary educational context. Full article

3D virtual management is a topic of growing interest. The AEC industry is undergoing a real revolution because of the technological changes that are taking place. Synchronized 3D visualization is one of the tools being deployed at an accelerated pace. This, together with collaborative work, contributes to optimal management for all stakeholders. The integration of geographic information systems and building information modeling and heritage BIM is one of the most innovative concepts; it enables the generation of collaborative, fluid systems. The objective of this research is to identify the most significant technological developments and potential applications of the aforementioned integration. For this purpose, after a bibliographic consultation (26,245 sources), two analyses are carried out (from the screening of 179 sources), one quantitative (bibliometric) and the other qualitative (focused on five key concepts). The results show that regarding the integration of GIS with BIM and HBIM, the highest concentration of contributions is in engineering with 30.66%, followed by computer science with 21.01%. The country with the highest number of citations is China with 717, followed by Australia and the USA with 549 and 513, respectively, but relativizing the number of citations based on various indices (human development index, gross national income per capita, and population-tertiary education level), Hong Kong (18.04), Australia (10.64), and Egypt (10.16) would take the top positions, respectively. Regarding universities, the entity that has generated the most references is Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) with 15 papers, followed by University College London (UK) with 13. Finally, the results show that GIS and BIM and HBIM provide virtual 3D models with multiple applications for buildings and infrastructures. Full article

Analyzing the evolution law of carbon emissions is particularly important for the designation of policies on energy conservation and emission reduction. Based on the regional division of China, this paper uses a spatial panel model to find the causes of the differences in carbon emission, and the non-parametric model, logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) model and the extended STIRPAT model to analyze the relevant influencing factors in detail. From the studies in this paper, there come the following conclusions: (1) The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in the eastern region resembles the national EKC, demonstrating the same “N” pattern. However, the “upside-down U” pattern in the middle and western regions not only confirms the assumption of EKC in some Chinese regions but also demonstrates the effective restraint in high energy consumption and high emission levels when narrowing down the gaps between the central and western regions and the eastern regions. (2) In addition, good education can effectively suppress the increase in carbon emission, and every 1% increase in the proportion of educated people (college and above) results in emission reduction, respectively, by 0.22%, 0.51% and 0.44% in the eastern, central and western regions of China. (3) Significantly, the effect of tertiary industry structure on carbon emissions is positive, reflecting the trend of “deterioration” of China’s industrial structure over long time scales. This study functions positively in understanding the evolutionary pattern of regional carbon emissions and proposing differentiated policies on emission reduction. Full article

Sustainability in education is essential in raising awareness among pupils regarding the interconnected global challenges that we are facing and, at the same time, cultivating and transforming their mindsets to embrace and adopt sustainable lifestyles. In particular, college students who might briefly encounter sustainability issues during their courses of study would bring their values and attitudes regarding sustainability into their future workplace and beyond. In this article, we focus on sustainability in engineering education at the tertiary level, particularly in chemical engineering, and reveal how these potential engineers could seek genuine vocations when choosing their careers without compromising sustainability. The article begins with a description of what constitutes chemical engineering and its branches in plain language. It then outlines what to expect when one enrolls in a chemical engineering program as an undergraduate or graduate student. This includes the core subjects to obtain, skill sets to master, and other essential expertise that could be useful in the workplace. Since chemical engineering is one of the disciplines where the paradox of improving and impairing is conspicuous, it is also essential to delve deeper into the sustainability facet of the field, specifically in higher education. The discussion continues with career options for enthusiastic chemical engineers and how these young and early-career graduates could discover their reason for well-being and life purpose as aspiring chemical engineers, while at the same time maintaining and enhancing the sustainability in their vocations. Full article