ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Analysis of Students' Satisfaction with Teaching on STEM vs. Non-STEM Programmes
Author: Pawson, Chris
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Males,Student Surveys,STEM Education,Satisfaction,Scores,Females,Higher Education,Gender Differences,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students

Recent Higher Education Funding Council research echoes previous findings that student satisfaction scores differ between subject areas (HEFCE, 2011). However, there remains a paucity of research attempting to account for this, and these differences have only been reported for final-year student satisfaction. It is unclear at what stage during a study programme differences in satisfaction might emerge, and satisfaction of first-year students is of particular interest because of its association with student progression and retention (Tinto, 2007). Exploratory analyses of first-year students' responses to National Student Survey (NSS) questions (N=1180) revealed that there were significant differences in students' perception of teaching and available resources depending on whether they were enrolled on a STEM subject course or not. Perhaps unsurprisingly (given funding council bands) the STEM students were more likely to agree that they had access to adequate resources. However, the non-STEM students were more likely to agree that their teachers were good at explaining material and were enthusiastic about their topic. Furthermore, the differences in the perceptions of teaching experienced by STEM versus non-STEM students varied as a function of sex of the student. The implications of these findings are that although the experience of STEM students may be bolstered by access to resources, their experience of teaching and learning (and particularly that experienced by males on STEM courses) is less satisfactory than that of non-STEM students. This finding is of particular interest in light of the increasing use of student satisfaction data to inform league tables and students' degree choice. Furthermore, these data challenge stereotypes of the experiences of males and females in STEM disciplines and have implications for how STEM teaching practitioners approach the learning experience of their students. (Contains 3 figures.)
Stress, Positive Psychology and the National Student Survey
Author: Gibbons, Chris
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Student Motivation,Self Efficacy,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Psychology,Coping,Student Experience,Student Surveys,National Surveys,Stress Variables,Emotional Disturbances,Questionnaires,Personality,Correlation,Family Work Relationship,Teacher Student Relationship,College Freshmen,College Faculty

The aim was to explore the predictive ability of sources of stress and a range of dispositional and coping behaviours on student satisfaction and motivation. Most research exploring sources of stress and coping in students construes stress as psychological distress, with little attempt to consider positive experiences of stress. A questionnaire was administered to 120 first-year UK psychology students. Questions were asked which measured sources of stress when rated as likely to contribute to distress (a hassle) and likely to help one achieve (an uplift). The sources of stress were amended from the UK National Student Survey (NSS, 2011). Support, control, self-efficacy, personality and coping style were also measured, along with their potential affect on course satisfaction, motivation and feeling part of a learning community. The sources of stress likely to lead to distress were more often significant than sources of stress likely to lead to positive, eustress states. Ironically, factors one would consider would help students, such as the university support facilities, only did so when rated as a hassle, not as an uplift. Published university league tables draw heavily on student course satisfaction but this negatively correlated with intellectual motivation and feeling part of a learning community. This suggests course satisfaction alone reveals an incomplete picture of the student experience. Course educators need to consider how course experiences contribute not just to potential distress but to potential eustress. Teaching quality, effective support and work-life balance are key to student satisfaction and motivation. How educators interact with their students and the opportunities they create in and outside the class to promote peer support are likely to enhance satisfaction and motivation. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)
Reframing Perceptions of the Lecture from Challenges to Opportunities: Embedding Active Learning and Formative Assessment into the Teaching of Large Classes
Author: Winstone, Naomi
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Educational Opportunities,Active Learning,Feedback (Response),Lecture Method,Formative Evaluation,Student Attitudes,Educational Environment,Problem Based Learning,Psychology,Higher Education,Thinking Skills,Summative Evaluation,Student Evaluation

Teaching and assessing large classes can be reframed from focusing on overcoming difficulties with large classes, to seeking the unique educational opportunities provided by such learning environments. We discuss data and examples illustrating how active learning and formative assessment can be successfully embedded into the teaching of large groups. Students evaluated these approaches favourably, and recognised that their own learning was enhanced through being active participants in lectures and having opportunities to receive feedback on their understanding within lectures. Furthermore, the experiences of teaching staff using these techniques were found to be largely positive, demonstrating awareness of the benefits for students as well as benefits for their own engagement and development. These data suggest that if we find the unique opportunities for learning afforded by large groups, the lecture has the potential to become a powerful learning environment.
Helping Students Succeed through Using Reflective Practice to Enhance Metacognition and Create Realistic Predictions
Author: Mair, Carolyn
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Metacognition,Reflective Teaching,Prediction,Scores,Reflection,Satisfaction,Higher Education,Virtual Classrooms

Understanding how students can better manage their expectations has been a topic of interest in pedagogy for some time, yet solutions remain elusive. This paper describes a recent study which aimed to help students make more realistic predictions by increasing their metacognition. At the outset, participants completed a metacognitive awareness inventory and were asked to predict the grade for their next assessment. They were instructed on how to use a structured reflection spreadsheet and asked to reflect weekly for the study period. At the end of the study, the inventory was re-administered and participants predicted the submission time and grade for the next assessment. Although results showed a significant increase in scores in metacognition, they did not show improved prediction accuracy. Possible reasons for the outcomes and further work are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)
The Benefits of Volunteering for Psychology Students
Author: Bromnick, Rachel
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Psychology,Employment Potential,Volunteers,Employment,Higher Education,Undergraduate Students,Personal Narratives,Foreign Countries

Within the current economic climate students are seen as needing more than a degree to succeed in securing graduate employment. One way that students chose to enhance their employability is through engaging in voluntary work. In this empirical study, undergraduate psychology students' reasons for volunteering are explored within the context of enhanced employability. Thirty-nine students provided written narrative accounts of their reasons for undertaking voluntary work. Responses were analysed together to identify key themes and subthemes. The main finding from this analysis was the large degree of cluster overlap within individual participants' responses between self and other focused motives, allowing for a model of strongly interdependent motives to emerge. Students clearly benefitted from both volunteering and the opportunity to reflect on their experiences. The findings are discussed in terms of their value for promoting volunteering for psychology students, in and beyond the context of employability.
The Assessment of Critical Evaluation, Leadership and Reflection Skills through Participation in Online Discussions
Author: Taylor, Jacqui
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Discourse,Leadership,Criticism,Content Analysis,Web Sites,Electronic Publishing,Reflective Teaching,Reflection,Participation,Teamwork,Virtual Classrooms,Outcomes of Education,Case Studies,Computer Software,Computer Mediated Communication,Group Discussion

Increasingly, educators from all disciplines are using blogs, social networking sites, VLEs and wikis to encourage academic discourse between students. However, a common problem experienced by educators is how these important learning experiences can be assessed and because of this difficulty many are not assessed. For some time now, I have been using online discussions via the University VLE as a way to encourage student debate around key lecture topics (e.g. Taylor, 2002). The key learning outcomes which this assessed activity addresses, in addition to learning more about the topic, are to develop skills in reflective practice, critical evaluation and leadership. This article will review the ways that face-to-face and online academic discourse between students have been assessed, highlighting some of the differences to consider when setting up online discussion activities, compared to face-to-face discussion. I will then provide a case study of the way I set up online discussions and the method I currently use to assess contributions. The final part of the paper will consider the potential for using quantitative content analysis (QCA) and automated methods to assess online participation. (Contains 7 online resources.)
The Value of Peers and Support from Scaffolding: Applying Constructivist Principles to the Teaching of Psychology
Author: Winstone, Naomi
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Psychology,Constructivism (Learning),Essays,Writing Instruction,Writing Skills,Peer Relationship,Higher Education,Student Centered Curriculum,Colleges,Feedback (Response),Tutors,Tutorial Programs,Thinking Skills,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)

The legacy and sustainability of a university education requires student independence and ownership of learning. Adopting a student-centred constructivist approach to teaching and learning allows students to develop a web of self-constructed, interconnected understanding, and supports their development into lifelong learners. The efficacy of this approach is illustrated with a case study relating to a series of academic skills tutorials for first-year psychology students. The tutorial materials, activities and teaching techniques were rated as more useful by students when delivered using constructivist principles. The use of constructivist techniques also enabled students to make larger gains in their essay grades over the course of the academic year. The implications of using such teaching methods in higher education are discussed. (Contains 2 figures.)
Peer-Assisted Learning in Research Methods and Statistics
Author: Stone, Anna
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Leadership,Student Development,Feedback (Response),Research Methodology,Statistics,Work Experience,Employment Potential,Peer Teaching,Psychology,Tutoring,Tutors

Feedback from students on a Level 1 Research Methods and Statistics module, studied as a core part of a BSc Psychology programme, highlighted demand for additional tutorials to help them to understand basic concepts. Students in their final year of study commonly request work experience to enhance their employability. All students on the Level 1 Research Methods and Statistics module were invited to sign up for PAL (Peer-Assisted Learning) sessions which offered interactive learning under the guidance of a PAL Student-Facilitator. Five students at undergraduate Level 3 and Masters level were recruited and provided with training to facilitate small group sessions. Session provision also included materials for interactive exercises. A wrap-up session considered how Facilitators could draw on this experience to enhance their employability. Analysis of feedback from the Level 1 students showed their experience was uniformly good with sessions found to be useful in aiding understanding. Any student-learner dissatisfaction resulted from a continuing inability to feel confident with the basic concepts taught on the module, although students said their understanding had improved overall. Facilitators found the sessions to be rewarding and felt they had developed their interpersonal skills, their leadership skills, and their understanding of the subject matter, and enhanced their employability, particularly in terms of skills transference. Attendance from student-learners was poor compared to the number who signed up, but the small size of many groups enabled individual support which was expressly appreciated. The greatest student-learner demand was for sessions on topics directly related to coursework. Future PAL sessions will be directly related to these topics and arranged for the middle section of the semester, that is, when the Level 1 students have had time to identify their difficulties and the session can still be of maximum benefit for general learning and assessment completion. Considerations for student development and employability are also discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)
Encouraging Good Writing Practice in First-Year Psychology Students: An Intervention Using Turnitin
Author: Betts, Lucy R.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cheating,Intervention,Teaching Methods,Writing (Composition),Psychology,Plagiarism,Higher Education,College Students,Undergraduate Students,Student Writing Models,Computer Software,Student Evaluation,Academic Discourse

There is growing concern among many regarding plagiarism within student writing. This has promoted investigation into both the factors that predict plagiarism and potential methods of reducing plagiarism. Consequently, we developed and evaluated an intervention to enhance good practice within academic writing through the use of the plagiarism detection software Turnitin. One-hundred-and-sixteen first-year psychology students submitted work to Turnitin and 71 of these students evaluated their learning experiences. For the next assignment the students completed, there was a reduction in academic misconduct cases compared to the previous year and students evaluated the session positively. The findings have implications for teaching good practice in academic writing. (Contains 1 table.)
Developing a Psychology Undergraduate Research Community in a New University
Author: Roberts, Patricia
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Thinking Skills,Active Learning,Teaching Methods,Questionnaires,Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Neuropsychology,Undergraduate Students,Communities of Practice,Research Skills,Student Research,Skill Development,Critical Thinking,Problem Solving,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty

Psychology is a science-based discipline in which research is inextricably embedded in teaching and learning activities. Educators use different methods to help students in their learning of the nature of research and the practical skills required to conduct research, with students playing either a passive or more active role in the learning process. This paper details the steps taken at a post-1992 university in the UK to involve final-year psychology undergraduate students as researchers in a staff-led neuropsychology project. The theoretical frameworks underpinning this study were the teaching-research nexus and learning communities. The aims of the project were to engage students in active learning and to foster the development of higher order skills--evaluation, synthesis and reflection--through the development of a learning community. A thematic analysis of student questionnaires identified three overarching themes: Bringing theory alive, critical thinking and problem solving skills, and working in research communities. Staff reflections of working on the project are discussed together with future directions. (Contains 2 figures.)
Evaluating Psychology Students' Library Skills and Experiences
Author: Jones, Steve
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Psychology,Focus Groups,Library Skills,Student Experience,Undergraduate Students,Search Strategies,Information Literacy,Educational Resources,Student Evaluation,Learning Experience,Foreign Countries,Case Studies,Articulation (Education),Library Instruction,Journal Articles,Electronic Libraries,Library Materials,Misconceptions,Information Sources

Extensive engagement with current academic sources is expected of all psychology undergraduates. Thirty-eight undergraduate psychology students took part in a series of focus group discussions of their information-searching experiences and skills. The majority of students had not been required to engage with any form of information searching while studying at pre-degree level and were daunted by the sheer scale and complexity of the resources available in higher education. Following consideration of the issues raised by students in the discussions, a series of recommendations is presented to facilitate the transition into higher education and to enhance the library skills of psychology students.
Do Students Who Get Low Grades Only in Research Methods Need the Same Help as Students Who Get Low Grades in All Topics in Psychology?
Author: Barry, John A.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grades (Scholastic),Low Achievement,Cognitive Style,Research Methodology,Visual Aids,Psychology,Surveys,Internet,Learning Disabilities,Statistics,Learning,Foreign Countries

Some psychology students achieve high grades in all classes except for research methods (RM). Previous research has usually treated low levels of achievement in RM as a unitary phenomenon, without reference to the grades the student is achieving in other subjects. The present internet survey explored preferences for learning RM in 140 psychology students. Students were categorised as: those who achieved higher grades for RM than other subjects in psychology; those whose grades for RM were equal to their grades for other subjects; and those who had lower grades for RM than other subjects. An interesting finding was that whereas wanting to see more humour in RM teaching was significantly associated with lower RM grades, wanting more visual aids in teaching RM was significantly associated with low grades only for RM. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to explaining low achievement specific to RM. (Contains 4 tables.)
An Innovative Approach to Encouraging Spiral Learning for Third-Year Undergraduates
Author: Emerson, Anne
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Peer Evaluation,Undergraduate Students,College Students,Spiral Curriculum,Tutors,Tutorial Programs,Learner Engagement,Psychology,Higher Education,Independent Study,Foreign Countries,Outcomes of Education

A series of tutorials was re-designed to further engage students in spiral learning and highlight development of transferable skills. The tutorials focused on self-directed and enquiry-based learning, both of which provided particular challenges to students and staff. The students were randomly allocated a media article related to psychology as a focus to their studies and the module was assessed by presentation and report. Students were encouraged to work together to develop ideas and provide peer feedback on drafts of their work. Feedback from students was overall more positive about the module than in previous years, particularly in respect to the extent to which they were helped to develop transferable skills. (Contains 1 table.)
Learning Strategy Preference and Personality Type: Are They Related?
Author: Conti, Gary J.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Personality Traits,Learning Strategies,Personality,Preferences,Cognitive Style,Schematic Studies,Personality Measures,Adult Basic Education,Ethnicity,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Educational Attainment,Interest Inventories

This study investigated the relationship of learning strategy preference to personality type. Learning strategy preference was identified with the &quot;A&quot;ssessing &quot;T&quot;he &quot;L&quot;earning Strategies of &quot;A&quot;dult&quot;S&quot; (ATLAS), and personality type was measured with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The findings indicate that while overall personality type is not related to learning strategy preference, three of the four indicators of personality type show a relationship to learning strategy preference. Consequently, while stereotypes cannot be made to link approaches to learning with overall personality types, certain personality traits can be indicators of how one might be approaching learning tasks.
The Effect of Specific Feedback on Critical Reflection of Physical Therapy Students during Internships
Author: Dye, Deanna
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Physical Therapy,Feedback (Response),Journal Writing,Reflection,Internship Programs,Graduate Students,Quasiexperimental Design

An essential component of expert professional practice is a practitioner's ability to critically reflect on one's performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of specific electronic feedback provided by the coordinator of clinical education on students' critical reflection ability displayed in weekly journal writings during two consecutive, full-time clinical internships. In a quasi-experimental cross-over cohort design, 15 physical therapy (PT) students were stratified-randomly into two groups. Independent raters scored students' weekly journal submissions on a 5-point scale. Group one received specific feedback during the first internship; Group two received specific feedback during the second internship. While there was no statistical difference in performance between the two groups, it is undetermined whether specific electronic feedback alters critical reflection ability as reflected in journal writing. It appears that timing and continuing feedback once provided may influence effectiveness. Continued research is warranted. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Investing in Teachers to Invest in Themselves
Author: Cummings, Greg
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Learning,Adult Students,Professional Development,Independent Study,Mentors,Program Design,Interviews,Program Descriptions,Human Capital,Capacity Building,Teacher Education Programs

This article examines the characteristics of self-directed learning as they apply to the Award in Mentoring (AIM), a school-based professional development program with teachers as adult learners. A short introduction to self-directed learning is presented followed by a look at the design of AIM and how AIM addresses some self-directed learning pitfalls. A practitioner profile of an AIM recipient is presented to exemplify how AIM is a self-directed learning program, and positive outcomes are noted. The article concludes by considering how AIM, a teacher professional development program, addresses the "spirit" of self-directed learning.