Search Results for
"learning"

This study explores the relationship between digital preparedness and digital integration in schools, investigating the mediating role of school climate. Recognizing the critical need for empowering teachers in this digital age, this study, guided by the sTAM model, investigates to what extent school climate mediates the relationship between digital preparedness and digital integration. Using partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), this study leverages a dataset of 35,108 subjects who participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 to analyze dynamics between digital preparedness, school climate, and digital integration. This methodological design allows for a detailed examination of direct and indirect effects, offering insights into the mechanisms driving digital integration in educational settings. Results indicate that digital preparedness has a significant positive direct effect on school climate (std.β = 0.075, p < 0.001) and digital integration (std.β = 0.201, p < 0.001), while school climate positively mediates the relationship between digital preparedness and digital integration (std.β = 0.013, p < 0.001). The study concludes that fostering a supportive school climate can substantially amplify digital integration efforts, emphasizing that school leaders should prioritize both digital infrastructure and climate improvements. © The Author(s) 2025.

Background: Academic motivation of nursing students is a broad and multidimensional concept that is a factor in achieving academic success, better quality of learning, creativity, academic satisfaction, reducing anxiety, continuing education and training competent nurses. The most important barrier to learning in nursing education environments is the lack of interest and motivation among students. This study aimed to explore ways to improve academic motivation in nursing students. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Ramsar City in 2023. A conventional qualitative content analysis was followed to collect data using 14 in-depth individual interviews over a period of 12 months with participants selected through purposive sampling. For data analysis, Lundman and Granheim’s method was adopted. Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of 143 codes, 14 subcategories, 3 categories, and one theme. Strategies to improve academic motivation in nursing students were found to be a subjective, dynamic and multi-dimensional concept divided into two categories: “Improving educational conditions and performance” and “Improving students’ welfare and recreational conditions”. Conclusion: Academic motivation is considered one of the essentials of learning and a tool to achieve educational and training goals. By using the strategies to increase academic motivation resulting from this study, an effective step can be taken in this field. Also Understanding these influential strategies can play a significant role in educational and career planning and decision-making, selecting appropriate educational and clinical measures and facilities in the university and students’ future work environment, developing educational and career regulations, effective interaction with learners, ultimately increasing the effectiveness of professors’ teaching and better teaching and learning activities. © The Author(s) 2025.

This study examines the long-term effects of two different integrative school measures in lower secondary education — reduced individual learning objectives and accommodations — on post-compulsory educational trajectories in Switzerland. Based on data from the Bernese Longitudinal Study on Integrative School Measures (BELIMA; N = 2297), this study examines how these measures influence students’ transitions to upper secondary education, focusing on the level of academic demands and educational discontinuities (delayed entry and apprenticeship contract terminations). Through propensity score matching, students with and without integrative measures were compared while controlling for various factors including school type, academic performance, intelligence, and social background. Results show that students with reduced learning objectives were significantly more likely to enrol in educational programs with lower academic demands compared to similar students without this measure. However, they did not experience more discontinuous pathways. No effects were found for students with accommodations, neither regarding the level of academic demands nor educational discontinuities. These findings suggest that reduced learning objectives may limit educational opportunities beyond compulsory education, potentially due to their stigmatizing effects. This raises important questions about how integrative measures can be implemented to support students effectively while avoiding unintended negative consequences for their educational trajectories. © The Author(s) 2025.

Academic success is the main goal of higher education systems because it is closely associated with later personal and professional success. This study sought to identify the current theoretical gaps in academic success between the foundational academic success theories: Tinto's institutional departure theory, Bean's students’ attrition model, Austin's involvement theory, and self-determination theory, and the emerging academic success frameworks focused on technological integration in higher education. We employed a systematic review methodology to synthesize the findings from 21 empirical studies on current practices to identify academic success theoretical gaps. We used keywords to search three databases: ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science, to identify relevant studies. The analysis found that the 21 empirical studies did not generally reference the foundational academic success theories, but employed theoretical frameworks tailored to their specific purposes to examine their dynamic interaction between variables such as technology, affective factors, facilities, and academic achievement. These recent studies identified the positive and negative effects of technology on academic success in higher education. Emerging digital tools, such as artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, were found to significantly improve learning performance. Overall, the findings imply that there is a ‘generation gap’ between the early academic success theories and the emerging technology-based frameworks in higher education. It is recommended that researchers, institutions, and practitioners seek to bridge these academic success theoretical gaps using appropriate theoretical design interventions that closely examine the impacts of integrating technology into higher education. © 2025 The Authors

Several studies have examined whether students transferring from junior colleges have a sufficient educational foundation to succeed at the university level. However, a controversy has arisen because prior studies offer conflicting results. Moreover, these studies have not looked at medical transfer students. This study examined the differences in learning outcomes and career intentions (CI) between transfer students and those who began at medical universities in China (native students), focusing on student engagement. The sample data, from the 2020 China Medical Student Survey, included fifth-year (graduate year) medical students from 39 universities (6,712 native and 1,582 transfer students). A conceptual framework was constructed using the input-environment-output model and student engagement theory. Engagement was categorized into behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions. The analysis encompassed t-tests, chi-square tests, multivariable linear and logistic regressions, Shapley value modeling, and path analysis. The results showed that a significantly higher proportion of transfer students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and had lower pre-entry abilities, although their self-reported engagement was higher. Thus, engagement contributed to their ability to catch up in terms of learning outcomes, with emotional engagement having significant direct and indirect positive associations with learning outcomes and CIs. Ultimately, there were no significant differences in learning outcomes and CIs between transfer and native students. The findings suggest that transfer students are more engaged despite their disadvantages and show no significant weakness in their learning outcomes or CI. This underscores the importance of preserving and enhancing access to undergraduate studies for Chinese medical students in junior colleges, thereby promoting educational equity. © The Author(s) 2025.

The CDIO approach had been implemented in the CNC lathe retrofit manufacturing process to support learning in vocational schools, such as SMK and polytechnics. This research aims to evaluate the improvement of technology-based student competencies that are relevant to the needs of industry 4.0. The stages in this method are divided into three, namely the initial identification of the problem or project, designing the model and electrical sub-components and analyzing the improvement of process evaluation results. The implementation actively involves the collaboration of 4–6 students from various cross majors by appointing one student as a leader who is supervised by a lecturer as a project manager and an instructor as a project facilitator. Validation of the project takes place upon completion of the project activities, with student groups submitting a report detailing the project implementation design, logbook, and final deliverables. This documentation is comprehensively reviewed by the project manager, faculty team, and an interdisciplinary expert committee to assess the validation results of the activity, which will be integrated into the relevant course assessment. This evaluation and validation review relates to a 13-point institutionally developed instrument that is linear to the discipline-specific graduate outcomes. The results of the analysis show that the majority of respondents from students and lecturers agree that the CDIO approach strengthens the understanding of technical concepts and practical skills through structured learning stages, from designing to operating prototype products. In addition, it can also integrate through aspects of collaboration, problem solving, and innovation that support the needs of modern industry. • The implementation of CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) is essential in vocational faculty, vocational high schools (SMK), and polytechnics, particularly for CNC-based universal turn drill retrofit manufacturing projects, as this methodology promotes practice-oriented learning, industry relevance, and aligns with a 12-standard framework • Through a Likert scale-based data collection method, this study measured the level of understanding, technical skills, and user satisfaction with the concept of CNC retrofitting. • The success of this method is measured through several parameters, including increased student competence, active involvement in the project, and the final product produced with an average approval percentage score above 70 %. © 2025 The Author(s)

Background: Internship programs are essential for bridging the gap between theoretical education and practical application. They equip students with the practical skills, relevant knowledge, and professional networks necessary for career success. This study explores the experiences of Health Information Management (HIM) stakeholders, including faculty, interns, and hospital supervisors in Ghana. Methods: The study was conducted across ten hospitals in six of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions between 18th July and 30th August 2024. A concurrent mixed methods design incorporating qualitative (In-depth interviews) and quantitative (survey) was used. Kolb's Experiential learning Theory provided the conceptual framework to interpret how interns learn through real-world engagement. Results: Seventy-nine HIM students participated in the quantitative survey. Of the interns surveyed, 96.2 % (n = 76) reported that site supervisors could readily address their questions and provide guidance. A similar percentage reported gaining new knowledge, with most interns noting significant improvement in teamwork skills. Unadjusted regression analysis identified key factors influencing overall satisfaction, highlighting opportunities to demonstrate initiatives beyond basic requirements, perceptions of enhanced employment prospects, and contributing to meaningful outcomes. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews revealed challenges like non-adherence to logbook modules and inadequate supervision. Despite these issues, the presence of interns was perceived as a benefit to the facilities, as they were seen to enhance staff capacity. Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role internships play in professional development, while also drawing attention to key challenges such as non-adherence to logbook requirements, limited financial support, and program durations. Recommendations for improving the internship experience include ensuring consistent and effective supervision, extending the program durations, adhering to logbook modules, and providing financial assistance to support interns. © 2025 The Authors

This study addresses the need for context-specific Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy research in West Africa, confronting challenges such as interrelation of AI literacy dimensions, ethical concerns, and a scarcity of localized studies. It investigates AI literacy among university students in Ghana and Nigeria through a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 427 participants (n = 206 Ghana, n = 221 Nigeria). The investigation focuses on four interconnected dimensions from the ABCE framework: Affective (motivation, self-efficacy), representing emotional engagement with AI; Behavioral (collaboration, intentional use), reflecting active participation in AI-related tasks; Cognitive (knowledge, critical thinking), encompassing understanding and application of AI concepts; and Ethical, pertaining to awareness and commitment to AI's societal implications. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), findings confirm that affective factors positively influence cognitive outcomes, mediated by behavioral engagement and ethical understanding. Notably, country differences do not significantly affect these relationships, thereby justifying the analysis of the combined dataset and highlighting shared patterns in AI literacy development across the two contexts. This consistency validates a common underlying mechanism for AI literacy development in these West African contexts. The study shows the importance of integrating technical AI skills with ethical principles, collaborative learning, and culturally appropriate strategies. Specifically, it offers actionable strategies for strengthening affective learning, designing collaborative behavioral interventions, embedding ethical reasoning into curricula, and contextualizing pedagogies for regional realities, thereby informing stakeholders on effective AI education in West Africa. © The Author(s) 2025.