Search Results (1,117)

Addressing global challenges such as climate change and inequality requires convergence competencies that enable learners to devise sustainable solutions. Such competencies have been emphasized in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) fields, but empirical research and assessment tools tailored to Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) remain scarce. This study aimed to develop and validate a self-assessment tool to measure convergence competencies among HASS learners. A three-round Delphi survey with domain experts was conducted to evaluate and refine an initial pool of items. Items with insufficient content validity were revised or deleted, and all retained items achieved a Content Validity Ratio (CVR) of ≥0.800, with most scoring 1.000. The validated instrument was administered to 455 undergraduates participating in a convergence education program. Exploratory factor analysis identified five key dimensions: Convergent Commitment, Future Problem Awareness, Future Efficacy, Convergent Learning, and Multidisciplinary Inclusiveness, explaining 69.72% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the model’s goodness-of-fit (χ² (160) = 378.786, RMSEA = 0.054, CFI = 0.952), and the instrument demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.919). The results confirm that the tool is both reliable and valid for diagnosing convergence competencies in HASS contexts, providing a practical framework for interdisciplinary learning and reflective engagement toward sustainable futures. Full article

In an increasingly complex global context, higher education faces the challenge of preparing professionals who are innovative, committed, and socially responsible. Entrepreneurial competence is particularly prominent among the key skills required to meet this goal, given its significant personal and social impact. This study examines how final-year undergraduate students at the University of Deusto (Spain) perceive the importance of entrepreneurial competence—defined as a set of transversal skills, knowledge, and attitudes enabling initiative and opportunity recognition across various contexts—rather than entrepreneurial competence strictly understood as business creation. The sample included 267 students from different faculties. Descriptive, comparative, and ordinal logistic regression analyses (SPSS) were used. The results show that, while entrepreneurial competence was given significant importance, it was ranked comparatively low relative to other competencies. Significant differences by gender were observed, with women rating entrepreneurial competence more highly than men. The faculty variable showed slight disparities, and there were no relevant differences between campuses. These findings highlight the need to reinforce the integration of entrepreneurial competence into educational curricula on a transversal basis, adapting the teaching of this competence to the sociocultural context of students, as well as the need to increase students’ awareness of the importance of entrepreneurial competence. It is proposed that further research should focus on the relationships between intrapreneurship, gender, and academic disciplines, in order to enrich entrepreneurial competence education and its impact on the employability and social commitment of students. Full article

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education offers new opportunities for academic support while also raising complex ethical concerns. This study explores how university students ethically evaluate the use of GenAI in three academic contexts: improving essay writing, preparing for exams, and generating complete essays without personal input. Drawing on the Multidimensional Ethics Scale (MES), the research assesses five philosophical frameworks—moral equity, relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and deontology—based on a survey conducted among undergraduate social sciences students in Spain. The findings reveal that students generally view GenAI use as ethically acceptable when used to improve or prepare content, but express stronger ethical concerns when authorship is replaced by automation. Gender and full-time employment status also influence ethical evaluations: women respond differently than men in utilitarian dimensions, while working students tend to adopt a more relativist stance and are more tolerant of full automation. These results highlight the importance of context, individual characteristics, and philosophical orientation in shaping ethical judgments about GenAI use in academia. Full article

In the increasingly competitive landscape of higher education, student satisfaction and loyalty are recognized as essential components for institutional sustainability and long-term success. This study aims to examine the interrelationships between service quality, technological innovation, student satisfaction, and student loyalty within higher education institutions in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Grounded in relationship marketing theory and the expectancy–disconfirmation paradigm, the research develops and tests a structural model that investigates the impact of perceived service quality on technological innovation, student satisfaction, and loyalty. The data were collected from 448 undergraduate students studying in the faculties of education at five leading private universities in TRNC, selected based on their international academic rankings. The analysis, conducted using structural equation modelling (SEM), reveals that service quality significantly and directly influences technological innovation, student satisfaction, and student loyalty. Additionally, technological innovation has a positive but comparatively weaker effect on student loyalty. Among the variables, student satisfaction emerges as the strongest determinant of loyalty, serving as a key mediator in the relationship between service quality and loyalty. This research contributes to the higher education literature by extending the traditional service quality–loyalty framework with the inclusion of technological innovation. The findings offer practical insights for university administrators, emphasizing the importance of delivering high-quality educational services combined with continuous digital innovation to enhance the student experience and foster long-term student commitment. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally disrupted assumptions about entrepreneurship, career planning, and professional development. This study explored how the pandemic influenced the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate business students in the United States. Using a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews with 31 students at a public Midwestern university, the research interpreted student narratives through the lenses of effectuation theory, resilience theory, and the theory of planned behavior. Findings revealed that many participants reframed entrepreneurship as a strategy for navigating economic uncertainty and enhancing personal agency. Students reported valuing adaptability, resourcefulness, and opportunity recognition, often experimenting with side hustles during the pandemic as a means of resilience. Their entrepreneurial thinking shifted from purely economic motivations toward aspirations for flexibility, self-fulfillment, and purposeful work. The study highlights the formative role of crisis contexts in shaping entrepreneurial identity among emerging professionals. It suggests that entrepreneurship education should move beyond traditional models, fostering skills for navigating complexity and building resilience. In doing so, the findings contribute to broader conversations about youth entrepreneurship, post-pandemic career development, and the evolving demands of the labor market in times of disruption. Full article

Mental health difficulties in university students are an increasing concern, especially after the COVID-19 global crisis. This study used a cross-sectional design to analyze the effect of psychological factors on students’ psychological well-being. Participants were 190 university students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs at a public university. Based on previous research and grounded theoretical models, a conceptual model was proposed to analyze the influence of affect states/experiences (emotion regulation difficulties, anxiety and depression, perceived stress, self-compassion, gratitude, and satisfaction with life) on psychological well-being, including the indirect effect of emotions (negative emotions, positive activation emotions, self-efficacy emotions, prosocial emotions, and serenity emotions), using a path analysis. Multigroup analyses were also performed to test the moderating effect of gender and education level. Findings indicated that self-efficacy emotions had an indirect effect on the relationship between anxiety and depression, self-compassion, and psychological well-being. Both prosocial and self-efficacy emotions indirectly impacted the relationship between gratitude, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being. Being a female and a bachelor student played a moderating role in the final model. The findings suggest that psychological interventions focused on self-efficacy and prosocial emotions are needed to increase psychological well-being in university students. Full article

This study investigates economic decision-making behaviors among welfare recipients in Miami, Florida, by leveraging well-established experimental protocols: the Guessing Game, the Prudence Measurement Task, the Risk Aversion Task, and the Stag Hunt Game. For this purpose, our study defines financial decisions as the underlying individual preferences that serve as validated proxies for savings behavior, debt management, job-search intensity, and participation in cooperative finance. A central objective is to compare the behavior of welfare recipients to that of undergraduate students, a cohort typically used in experimental economics research. The analysis reveals significant differences between the two groups in strategic thinking and coordination, particularly across ethnic and gender lines. Non-Hispanic/Latino participants in Miami displayed significantly higher average guesses in the Guessing Game compared to their counterparts in Tucson, indicating potential discrepancies in the depth of strategic reasoning. Additionally, female participants in Tucson exhibited higher levels of coordination in the Stag Hunt Game compared to females in Miami, suggesting variance in cooperative behavior between these groups. Despite these findings, regression models demonstrate that location, gender, and ethnicity collectively account for only a small fraction of the observed variance, as evidenced by low R² values and substantial mean squared errors across all games. These results suggest that individual heterogeneity, rather than broad demographic variables, may be more influential in shaping economic decisions. This study underscores the complexity of generalizing findings from traditional student samples to more diverse populations, highlighting the need for further investigation into the socioeconomic factors that drive financial decision-making. Full article

As yet, no study has investigated the use of a research magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner to support undergraduate medical radiation science (MRS) students in developing their MRI knowledge and practical skills (competences). The purpose of this study was to test an innovative program for a total of 10 s- and third-year students of a MRS course to enhance their MRI competences. The study involved an experimental, two-week MRI learning program which focused on practical MRI scanning of phantoms and healthy volunteers. Pre- and post-program questionnaires and tests were used to evaluate the competence development of these participants as well as the program’s educational quality. Descriptive statistics, along with Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired t-tests, were used for statistical analysis. The program improved the participants’ self-perceived and actual MRI competences significantly (from an average of 2.80 to 3.20 out of 5.00, p = 0.046; and from an average of 34.87% to 62.72%, Cohen’s d effect size: 2.53, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, they rated all aspects of the program’s educational quality highly (mean: 3.90–4.80 out of 5.00) and indicated that the program was extremely valuable, very effective, and practical. Nonetheless, further evaluation should be conducted in a broader setting with a larger sample size to validate the findings of this feasibility study, given the study’s small sample size and participant selection bias. Full article

This research aims to establish the prevalence of imposter syndrome among Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) undergraduate students while assessing its association with depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms. A cross-sectional design recruited 504 undergraduate students selected through stratified random sampling. Data collection employed the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Data analysis included Pearson’s correlation, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses. In total, 56% of participants had imposter syndrome. The CIPS scores showed a moderate relationship with depression (r = 0.486, p < 0.001) and anxiety (r = 0.472, p < 0.001). Students who experienced imposter syndrome showed a higher probability of developing depressive symptoms (χ² = 45.63, p < 0.001, OR = 3.49) and anxiety symptoms (χ² = 32.96, p < 0.001, OR = 2.86). The logistic regression analysis showed that depression (B = 0.096, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.075, p = 0.003) acted as significant predictors for imposter syndrome. This study reveals a strong link between imposterism, depression, and anxiety among students. This highlights the need for university counseling programs to address imposter feelings and the role of clinical psychology in managing this phenomenon in academic and clinical settings. Full article

This study investigates the complex relationship between levels of religiosity and attitudes toward secularization among individuals receiving higher religious education in Türkiye. Secularization is defined as the diminishing influence of religion in public life and the rise of critical attitudes toward religious norms, a process that accelerated particularly during the modernization period following the establishment of the Republic. The primary aim of the research is to analyze whether there is a significant relationship between secular attitudes and the perceived influence of Islam among theology faculty students. The study employs a quantitative, descriptive survey design and includes a sample of 380 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from the faculties of theology at Kocaeli, Sakarya, Marmara, and Istanbul universities. Data were collected using the “Perceived Influence of Religion Scale” and the “Secular Attitude Scale,” both of which demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.70). Demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, parental education level, type of education (formal or distance), and economic status were also incorporated into the analysis. The findings revealed statistically significant differences based on marital status, parental education level, type of education program, and previous educational background. For instance, single students reported perceiving a higher influence of religion compared to their married counterparts, while students with fathers who held university degrees perceived a lower influence of religion. These results offer valuable insights into how modern social transformations influence religious attitudes and practices. Full article

Campus climate research has long been a focus of higher education scholarship; however, studies show that inequalities and a pervasive sense of not belonging continue to negatively affect students. This paper presents the results of a campus-wide survey conducted at a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), with a sample of 820 undergraduate, master’s, Ph.D., and non-degree students. The authors explore students’ experiences on campus in relation to their identities as well as students’ perceptions of campus climate. Specifically, the paper examines students’ intergroup relations and how these influence their sense of belonging. The survey instrument developed in the frame of this project also included questions designed to assess opportunities students have to develop key values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding related to intercultural and democratic competences necessary for life and work in multicultural societies. This study identifies the areas students perceive as important for development, highlighting which values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding they have had the opportunity to cultivate during their time at the university and those they would like to develop further. The authors hope these findings will inform efforts to strengthen institutional support for more inclusive practices on culturally diverse university campuses and provide evidence-based guidance for designing effective pedagogical interventions. Full article

In the Hexaflex model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychological flexibility refers to the ability to openly embrace difficult thoughts and emotions while acting in alignment with personal values. In contrast, psychological inflexibility involves rigid avoidance and control strategies that hinder adaptive functioning. Although previously studied, more culturally relevant evidence is needed to inform interventions that promote well-being and mental health among Latin American students. This study explored manifestations of psychological flexibility and inflexibility in 15 undergraduate students from the University of Magdalena in Colombia (mean age = 20.13 years; 53.33% female) through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews (~45 min each). Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), focusing on how participants described and made sense of their experiences. A total of 25 emergent themes were identified and grouped into 12 subordinate themes, mapped onto the 6 core ACT processes. The participants reported efforts to control or avoid distressing internal experiences, often resulting in difficulty acting in accordance with their values. The findings highlight a recurring ambivalence between avoidance and acceptance, and barriers to committed action, underscoring the dynamic interplay between flexibility and inflexibility. These results support the relevance of ACT-based interventions, such as structured group sessions that foster acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based behavior. Integrating this training into counseling and academic support services could enhance students’ well-being and performance. Future research should examine these dynamics longitudinally and across diverse contexts. Full article

This narrative inquiry explores a vibrant classroom knowledge community in a Chinese normal university. By examining the teacher’s interactions, we analyze the community’s development through three perspectives: (1) the author’s narrative of the course outline, (2) the teacher’s narrative of classroom culture, and (3) students’ narratives of their growth. The author presents a student-centered model and seven steps for enacting the course, outlining the environment for cultivating the knowledge community. The teacher’s narrative reveals clues to his success, emphasizing his use of storytelling to foster the community and share educational ideas. Students’ narratives reflect their growth, validating the classroom as a safe space for development and language learning. The significance of this research is that the classroom knowledge community consisted of the teacher, his undergraduate students, and his post-graduates. The three layers existed because of this unrestrained character, devoid of conflicts of interest, created a safe place for students’ development. This research study adds to the literature on how knowledge communities form in school contexts. It focuses on a particular space and time and involves multiple layers of participants, which is prerequisite to the conceptualization of classroom knowledge community. This research has important implications for college language education. Full article

Background/Objectives: Psychological safety is essential for effective learning in high-fidelity simulation (HFS); however, no validated Japanese instrument currently exists to measure psychological safety among nursing students. This study aimed to translate the Psychological Safety in High-Fidelity Simulation (PS-HFS) scale into Japanese (PS-HFS-J) and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: Following COSMIN guidelines, the PS-HFS was translated through forward and back translation, reviewed by an expert panel, and tested for face validity via pilot testing. The scale’s reliability and validity were subsequently examined in 263 undergraduate nursing students using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s alpha, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results: CFA confirmed a good fit of the original four-factor model (CFI = 0.990, TLI = 0.988, RMSEA = 0.026). The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.906 overall) and strong test-retest reliability (ICC range: 0.859–0.914). Content validity indices were also high (I-CVI = 0.80–1.00, S-CVI/Ave = 0.94). Conclusions: The PS-HFS-J is a reliable, valid, and culturally adapted instrument for assessing psychological safety in Japanese nursing education. It can support educational research, curriculum development, and faculty training, contributing to safer and more effective simulation-based education. Future studies should examine its applicability across diverse educational levels and clinical contexts. Full article

Background/Objectives: In Australia, attrition rates in undergraduate nursing degrees have been increasing nationally. The aim of this study was to explore if and how clinical laboratory-based peer-assisted learning (PAL) improved the first-year nursing student learning experience and retention at a regional university. A further aim was to explore any perceived benefits for third-year student participants. Methods: This is a descriptive study design. The study recruited eight third-year nursing students (named ‘LabPALs’) offering support to 42 first-year nursing students during their self-directed laboratory practice sessions. The first-year students included a high percentage of mature aged and ‘first in family’ students. Over an eight-week period, LabPALs provided peer support for up to four students per one-hour practice session. Unit grade outcomes were compared with students not exposed to the PAL sessions. Both the LabPAL mentors and first-year participants were asked to evaluate their experience. Results: It was found that PAL project participation was associated with higher completion rates when compared with non-participation. When combined with exposure to their experienced peers’ perspectives and support, participation was associated with academic success. Thematic analysis found that first-year nursing students reported developing both ‘confidence’ and ‘competence’ in their laboratory learning spaces. The third-year LabPAL students reported skills gained in facilitating peer learning and perceived their experience as very rewarding. Conclusions: This research suggests that PAL enhances clinical laboratory learning among undergraduate nursing students. Full article