Search Results (70)

This study examines the availability and outcomes of Advanced Placement (AP) courses in secondary schools in Georgia (USA) and South Carolina (USA), focusing on how school locale (rurality) and demographic composition influence AP availability and student achievement. The authors analyzed population-level school data from the 2021–22 academic year using a two-step quantitative approach. A zero-inflated negative binomial regression model (ZINB) was employed to assess AP course participation and AP exam performance while addressing overdispersion and excess zeros in the data. Key predictors included school locale (rural versus nonrural), state (Georgia versus South Carolina), and minoritized-majority status. This study finds that rural schools and those where minoritized students make up the majority (i.e., fewer than 50% White students) are significantly less likely to offer AP courses or have any students participate in AP exams. Moreover, these schools had a significantly lower success rate; for example, rural schools were 59% less likely to have students with scores above three. The findings indicate that gaps in access to advanced curriculum may exacerbate existing college and career readiness disparities. Moreover, this study confirms that previous research using sampled datasets underestimates the disparity of AP access. Full article

Recent years have seen a fluctuation in the awarding gap between white and non-white students across higher education in the UK, with the most recent numbers indicating a widening of the gap. Such statistics have ignited efforts across universities to identify possible explanations and solutions to the existing awarding gap. With research pointing to the important role of students’ sense of belonging in the positive university experiences of students from minority ethnicities, initiatives have focused on increasing this sense of belonging through curriculum design and delivery. Namely, institutions are moving towards decolonising, or liberating, existing curricula to facilitate an inclusive educational culture. Leaning on success stories from previous projects, this paper presents a case study of working with students to decolonise the curriculum of crime science at University College London. The paper presents the customisation of the UCL Inclusive Curriculum Health Check, a review of the curriculum of BSc Crime and Security Science, and a heatmap and descriptive results of the indicators of an inclusive curriculum. The outcome of the study illustrates the importance of working with students to dismantle colonial narratives in existing curriculum design, and the added value of customising existing frameworks to fit discipline needs. The results and outcome of the project are discussed in relation to the prior literature, and considerations of future directions and limitations of the study are offered. Full article

Stealthing, the nonconsensual removal of a condom during sexual intercourse, is a prevalent yet underreported form of sexual misconduct, particularly among college students. This white paper examines the legal landscape, gaps in responses, and the burden of stealthing on college students. It presents actionable strategies for college campuses to combat stealthing, including updating policies, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy, training staff, providing survivor-centered support services, integrating cultural competency, and ensuring transparent enforcement of processes. These strategies aim to empower college campuses to prevent and reduce stealthing, promote informed consent, and enhance survivor support. Full article

College students’ sense of belonging with their institution has been established as an important factor that improves their health and well-being. However, the extent to which students’ sense of belonging changes over their college experience—if at all—needs further examination. The current study employs a longitudinal design utilizing data repeatedly collected from the same students (N = 355; male 33.0% and female 67.0%; White 83.2%; baseline age range: 18–21 years) to examine changes in their sense of belonging over time. We also examined the extent to which different participant characteristics (i.e., sex, race/ethnicity, first-generation student status, and affiliation with Greek life organizations) are associated with change in belonging over time. College students’ belonging directly decreased over time, and race/ethnicity moderated this change such that being a student from a minoritized racial/ethnic group was associated with steeper drops in belonging. Educators and researchers are encouraged to further research this topic to determine how their classrooms, departments, and institutions can help foster students’ belonging and maintain that belonging over time. Full article

Railway travel is an eco-friendly means of transportation, and passengers are spending increasing amounts of time on trains while engaging in various activities. As a major factor affecting railway passengers’ comfort, we investigated the effects of lighting. Korean train cars are required to have two rows of light-emitting diode lights with a minimum illuminance of 500 lx, so we examined changes in cerebral blood flow under various illuminance conditions around this threshold value. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure prefrontal cortex activation in 29 college students under illuminance values of 300, 500, and 800 lx and color-temperature values of 2700 K (bulb color), 4000 K (white color), and 5500 K (blue color). Mean brain activity values were compared using analysis of variance. Of the 48 channels, significant interaction effects between color and illuminance on brain activation responses were observed for channel 38, as well as in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex among the different brain regions of the Brodmann area (p < 0.05). Oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations had consistently negative values for all the treatment combinations, and individual treatment analyses based on single-sample Student’s t-tests showed different degrees of brain activation among channels and Brodmann areas. Meanwhile, a comparison of absolute values indicated that an illuminance level of 500 lx was more comfortable than levels of 300 and 800 lx, and that white color was more comfortable than bulb color and blue color. These results provide a scientific basis for the design of train cars that improve passenger comfort and satisfaction, which is anticipated to enhance the quality of railway services. Full article

This study investigates the impact of intelligible background speech on reading disruption utilising neuromarketing methodologies, specifically an eye-tracking webcam (Tobii Sticky) and AI eye-tracking software (Predict, v.1.0.). A cohort of 144 participants from Oxford Business College underwent emotional impact testing, while an AI eye-tracking algorithm analysed attention patterns across 180,000 eye-tracking recordings. Two articles from OxConnect Magazine were presented in varying background formats. Python-based analysis revealed that the HND article consistently outperformed OxFoodbank in maintaining reader engagement and attention. The HND’s structured content yielded higher total attention (white: 49.43%, black: 48.19%) and end attention (white: 27.58%, black: 28.43%). Emotion analysis indicated that HND elicited a more neutral (white mean difference: 0.1514, black: 0.1008) and consistent emotional response, with reduced puzzlement (white mean difference: −0.3296, black: −0.0918). Furthermore, this demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating AI eye-tracking algorithms with webcam eye trackers for comprehensive reading behaviour analysis. These findings provide valuable insights for colleges developing e-magazines, offering evidence-based strategies to enhance student engagement and information retention. By implementing well-structured, visually appealing content, educational institutions can optimise their digital publications to maintain reader attention even in the presence of background distractions, ultimately improving the effectiveness of their e-magazines as educational tools. Full article

Background: Higher education institutions and public health agencies in the United States (US) have recognized that food insecurity is pervasive and interferes with student learning on multiple levels. However, less research has examined food insecurity among culturally diverse college students. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence and predictors of food insecurity for US-born White, US-born Multicultural, and International students aged 18–34 at a Midwest university. The secondary aims were to describe dietary and meal characteristics, and the use of food assistance programs, including the on-campus food pantry. Methods: In April 2022, 853 students completed the 10-item US Adult Food Security Module, and demographic, dietary fat intake, food attitude, food access barriers, and nutrition assistance program usage questions using a socio ecological model (SEM) framework. Results: Food security prevalence was 73.3% (54.7% high, 18.5% marginal) and food insecurity prevalence was 26.7% (14.4% low, 12.3% very low). Significantly more International (26.8%) and Multicultural (35.6%) students were classified as food-insecure compared to White students (19.9%; p < 0.001). Binomial and multinomial logistic regression models indicated that predictors of food insecurity were intrapersonal factors of race/ethnicity, poor self-reported health, being an undergraduate, and the community barriers of high food costs and limited transportation. Conclusions: Dietary characteristics differed more by nativity–ethnicity groups than they did by food security levels. Food cost emerged as a strong influence on food choice for the food-insecure students. International students utilized more nutrition assistance programs, including the on-campus food pantry, than other groups. Full article

This study documents the unique personal and professional experiences that Latina leaders bring to the role of community college president. Guided by a Chicana Feminist conceptual framework, we examined the tools, strategies, and assets that Latina presidents possess to persist as higher education leaders within a white patriarchal dominant culture. As a research collective, we conducted platicas as a Chicana Feminist methodology with five Latina community college presidents in California. Each platica lasted between 60 and 90 min. Findings exemplified four sources of cultural intuition that Latina community college presidents drew from to redefine higher education leadership and drive student equity on campus: (1) personal experiences with marginality in educational spaces, (2) accumulated professional knowledge, (3) scholarly training in graduate school, and (4) the process of leading itself. The study found that Latina presidents possessed important knowledge and distinct perspectives based on their experiences as Women of Color, children of immigrants, and former community college students to guide their leadership approaches in equity driven ways. Full article

Background/Objectives: Historically racialized status (HRS) and low socioeconomic position (SEP) are independent risk factors for food insecurity and poor academic achievement among college students. Despite increased enrollment of students from historically racialized groups and low SEP, little is known regarding the intersectional experience of these contemporary student characteristics with food security status or academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the intersections of racialized status and SEP with food insecurity and academic achievement among undergraduate students attending a public university system in California. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1170 undergraduates who utilized their campus food pantry between June and August 2019 at nine University of California campuses. Racialized status and SEP were used to construct four distinct intersectional positions: (1) White, not low SEP (i.e., traditional students; reference), and three contemporary student groups: (2) White, low SEP; (3) HRS, not low SEP; and (4) HRS, low SEP. Using regression analyses, these intersectional positions were examined with food insecurity and grade point average (GPA), while controlling for other student characteristics. Results: HRS, low SEP students had significantly higher odds of experiencing food insecurity (OR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.52–4.97) and lower GPA (B = −0.14, p = 0.05) than traditional students, after adjustment. Conclusions: Contemporary students are at increased risk of food insecurity and lower academic achievement compared to traditional students. Full article

This study investigated the effects of U.S. student loans on attainment via the GPA of non-white undergraduates. The data for the study were drawn from the 2012/2017 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 12/17), encompassing a nationally representative sample of 1500 African American, Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and other non-white students. The results, based on regression models and the bootstrapped confidence interval (BCI) method, indicated that student loans were associated with GPA, and both student loans and GPA were associated with attainment. Notably, the indirect effect of loan status on attainment was negative, whereas the indirect effect of high debt on attainment was positive. These findings highlight the indirect relationship between student loans and attainment and suggest that high debt has the potential to offset the negative effect of loan status on academic outcomes. The implications of these findings for higher education practice and policy debates are critical, particularly in the context of addressing non-white students’ financial needs and enhancing their academic outcomes. Full article

Background: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Early identification and management are crucial, especially in economically challenged regions with limited healthcare access. Aims: To develop nomograms for individualized risk estimation for metabolic syndrome in young people from low-income regions. Methods: We assessed 496 college students from two Brazilian cities with Gini indices ≤0.56. Of these, 69.9% were female, 65.1% were younger than 20 years, 71.8% were non-white, and 64.3% were enrolled in health-related courses. For external validity, we assessed metabolic syndrome in a subset of 375 students. Results: We found 10 variables associated with abdominal obesity by logistic regression: age, biological sex, physical education facilities, enrollment in sports competitions during elementary school, grade retention, physical education as the preferred subject, physical education classes per week, and enrollment in sports training in secondary school (score A); adherence to 24 h movement behaviors (B score); and body weight (score C). We designed three nomograms (for scores A, B, and C), all of which showed acceptable performance according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (≥0.70) and calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow test, p > 0.05). In the external validation, we observed higher predictive capability for the A and B scores, while the C score had lower but still acceptable predictive ability. Conclusions: User-friendly self-reported data accurately predict metabolic syndrome among youths from economically challenging areas. Full article

Objective: College students are at risk of disordered eating, particularly students with overweight/obesity and with higher stress, but little is known about how disordered eating may be related to diet. This study evaluated the associations between the Disordered Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS) and age, BMI, stress, and diet. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the baseline data in participants from the Snackability Trial. Participants completed a questionnaire on socio-demographics, DEAS, and snacking, self-reported their weight and height (to calculate BMI), and completed two 24 h non-consecutive dietary recalls (to calculate diet quality using HEI-2015 and snack quality score using an algorithm developed by our group). Associations between variables were assessed with Spearman correlations. Results: A total of 140 participants completed all assessments. The median age was 21.0 and the median BMI was 28.5 kg/m² (43.7% had overweight and 41.5% had obesity). A total of 86.4% were females, 41.4% were white, 51.4% were low-income, and 30.7% were Hispanic/Latino. The total DEAS and the subscale ‘Relationship with food’ were positively correlated with stress and BMI (p < 0.05) but inversely correlated with HEI-2015 (p < 0.05). The subscales ‘Restrictive and compensatory behaviors’ and ‘Concern about food and weight gain’ were also positively correlated with stress (p < 0.001). Conclusion: College students with higher disordered eating attitudes also had higher stress and BMI but poorer diet quality. Interventions may be needed for this group to manage stress and improve weight and diet quality, as well as promote awareness about disordered eating attitudes. Full article

Obesity interventions typically involve some form of dietary restraint (i.e., intentional limiting of food intake), yet the restraint model of binge eating proposes that engaging in dietary restraint is a causal factor for binge eating symptoms. Evidence for this model has been mixed and differs by measures, study design, and sample. Further, there also may be moderators of the association between dietary restraint and binge eating. The purpose of this systematic review was to compile the current evidence on moderators of the association between dietary restraint and binge eating. A literature search was conducted across electronic databases, resulting in the inclusion of 16 papers (with 15 different samples). The reviewed studies were primarily heterosexual White college student females and were primarily cross-sectional studies with self-report measures. There were no consistent moderators across the studies. However, there was some evidence for interactions between affective constructs and dietary restraint in relation to binge eating, as well as three-way interactions between affect, cognitive constructs, and dietary restraint. Although there were few studies, there was little current evidence for social, biological, and demographic factors as moderators. Overall, our systematic review shows a need for further research to clarify and validate the moderators, and to understand the complex interactions as well as the potential causal relationships between restraint and binge eating behaviors. Full article

Recent years have seen a growing momentum within UK Higher Education institutions to examine the colonial legacy entanglements of teaching materials and knowledge production, as institutions explore what it means to ‘decolonise the curriculum’. While the movement began in the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in response to a student call for the statue of Cecil Rhodes to be removed, elsewhere this has become a top-down imperative from institutions themselves. In 2014 University College London hosted a panel discussion ‘Why Isn’t My Professor Black’ building on the previous year’s video asking, ‘Why is my curriculum white’. By 2020 the #BlackLivesMatter movement once again illuminated the need to rebalance the power of who decides the ‘facts’ with a call for a transformation of knowledge production. Arts and Humanities curricula have been more easily adapted in response to this call, but the argument for decolonisation of STEM subjects in general and computing in particular have been more difficult to articulate. Moreover, the decolonisation shift has been largely confined to bricks and mortar universities, with little exploration of online and distance learning. This paper reports on an initiative in a British distance learning university to decolonise the computing curriculum, with a focus on students’ perspectives and what barriers might be encountered. A survey of just under 400 undergraduate computing students revealed multiple understandings about decolonisation, and reactions ranging from hostility and resistance to strong support and endorsement. Students identified several challenges to student engagement including structural and practical concerns which should inform the computing education community in taking forward this agenda. Full article