Mentoring to Become a Self-Directed Learner

2022 ◽  
pp. 135-162
Author(s):  
Dionne Clabaugh ◽  
Nora Dominguez
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
College Life ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Learning Growth ◽  
First Year Student

This chapter provides a mentoring roadmap for success in college life and when transitioning to the workplace. First-year students learn that a successful mentee is self-directed, knows what to look for in a mentor, uses skills to engage in effective mentoring, and recognizes there are various types of mentoring relationships. The authors describe what a first-year student should look for when seeking an effective mentor. Readers are shown the benefits for using a developmental mentoring network and for becoming self-directed learners and mentees. The chapter includes activities and exercises to develop critical skills in self-understanding, listening, help-seeking, problem solving, and goal setting to be applied in both academic and professional settings. When successful people receive an award or recognition, what they have in common is they did not make it alone – others guided and supported their learning, growth, and success.

A Longitudinal Investigation of First-Generation College Students’ Mentoring Relationships During Their Transition to Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110227
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Hagler ◽  
Kirsten M. Christensen ◽  
Jean E. Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
First Year ◽  
School Membership ◽  
Longitudinal Investigation ◽  
First Generation College

Non-parent mentoring relationships are important protective factors for first-generation college students. Previous research has focused on singular mentoring relationships measured at one time point, failing to capture the breadth and dynamic nature of social networks. The current study is a longitudinal investigation of first-generation students’ mentoring networks during their transition to college at a four-year, predominantly minority-serving commuter university. At the beginning and end of their first year, students (N = 176) responded to online surveys on their mentoring relationship(s), attitudes toward help-seeking, and college experiences. Cumulative support from pre-college mentoring relationships retained across the first year was positively associated with self-efficacy. Support from newly acquired mentoring relationships was positively associated with psychological sense of school membership. Network orientation was positively associated with self-efficacy and sense of school membership. These findings highlight the importance of diverse mentoring networks and demonstrate the utility of collecting longitudinal data on multiple mentoring relationships.

scholarly journals Emotional Intelligence and Stress Coping Strategies Among Students of Physical Education and Sport Study Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (115) ◽  
Author(s):  
Romualdas Malinauskas ◽  
Tomas Saulius ◽  
Giedrius Kaufmanas
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
First Year ◽  
Stress Coping ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Study Programs ◽  
Stress Coping Strategies

Background. Studies of various scholars confirm the relation between the application of stress coping strategies and emotional intelligence, but there is a lack of research about the relationship between individual coping strategies and emotional intelligence levels among the first- and the fourth-year students. The aim of the research was to reveal peculiarities of emotional intelligence and stress coping strategies of undergraduate students of physical education and sport study programs.Methods. The Shutte Self-Assessment Questionnaire was used to measure the level of emotional intelligence of the participants (Schutte & Malouff, 1999). The questionnaire composed by Grakauskas and Valickas (2006) was used to identify the stress coping strategies. It consists of four factors: social support factor, problem-solving factor, emotional discharge factor and avoidance factor. The research was based on the following ethical principles: confidentiality, anonymity, impartiality and privacy. The first- and the fourth-year students of the Lithuanian Sports University and Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, Physical Education and Sports Programs were surveyed. The research sample consisted of 123 participants. Male participants comprised 66.7% of the sample, and the female participants comprised 33.3%. of the sample. The first-year undergraduates made up 57.7% of the sample, and the fourth-year undergraduates made up 42.3% of the sample.Results. Analyzing the data on the stress coping strategies according to the participants studying experience, it was found that the fourth-year students used the social support strategy more frequently in comparison with the first-year students. In addition, the fourth-year students applied emotional discharge and avoidance strategies more often than the first-year students. Comparing stress coping strategies and emotional intelligence according to the gender of participants, no statistically significant differences were found. There was a statistically significant relationship between the stress coping strategy and the ability to evaluate and express one’s emotions.Conclusions. Comparing emotional intelligence of the first- and the fourth-year students of physical education and sports study programs, no statistically significant differences were found. Comparison of stress coping strategies applied by the first- and the fourth-year students of physical education and sports degree programs revealed that the fourth-year students tended to use social support, emotional discharge and avoidance strategies more frequently than the first-year students. Comparison of stress coping strategies and emotional intelligence according to gender did not show any statistically significant differences. However, there was a statistically significant relationship between stress coping strategies and emotional intelligence, though it was a weak, but significant difference between emotional intelligence components such as the ability to express and manage emotions and problem-solving focused stress coping strategy.Keywords: stress, stress management strategies, emotional intelligence.

The Study Skills of First Year Education Students and Their Academic Performance

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIA NANCY Q. CADOSALES
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
College Of Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
Note Taking ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
College Life ◽  
First Year College ◽  
First Year College Students

First year students take time to adjust to college life. A number of priorities are considered in order to survive in the tertiary level. One of which is complying with the academic requirements. The study described the study skills of the first year students in the College of Education, La Salle University, Ozamiz City, Philippines. The framework used in identifying the study skills of the first year students was adopted from Lucas and Corpuz (2007:4).These study skills were correlated to the students’ academic performance using Kendall’s Tau B, Chi-square, and Multiple Regression tests. There were 128 first year students who were taken as respondents of the study. The study reveals that the first year students have the skills in organizing and planning their work, preparing assignments or projects, and note-taking and reading. The students’ skills in organizing and planning one’s work; working with others and utilizing resources and feedback; note-taking and reading; and preparing an assignment/project correlate with their grades. The best predictor of students’ academic performance is note-taking and reading. First year college students need to develop the habit of studying their lessons, reading, and taking down notes to improve their academic performance.Keywords: Education, study skills, academic performance, descriptive design, Philippines

By Measure: Creativity in Design

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad Hokanson
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
First Year ◽  
Specific Training ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Design Students ◽  
Creative Problem

Specific training may be required to develop creativity in design students. At the very least, training is valuable in developing creativity in first-year students. Creativity is a skill that can be examined, used and taught - and it is one that is central to designing. This paper presents the results of empirical research from a class in creative problem solving for design students. The nature of creativity and the structure of the class are described, and this is followed by an outline of the research methodology and the use of the verbal Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. Creativity, as measured through the test, significantly increased.

scholarly journals IMPROVING STUDENTS’ PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH WRITING

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Linda Vitoria ◽  
Monawati Monawati
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Average Score ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Writing In Mathematics ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Mathematical Word Problems ◽  
Written Test

This article describes the implementation of writing in Mathematics as an effort to improve students’ problem solving skill. The research method was classroom action research which was conducted in three cycles. Research participants were 24 first-year students at PGSD FKIP Syiah Kuala University. Data was collected using a written test consisted of mathematical word problems presented to the students at the end of each cycle, and interview. Students’ problem solving skill was analyzed based on the four steps of problem solving proposed by Polya: 1. the ability to understand the problem, 2. the ability to plan a strategy to solve the problem, 3. the ability to execute the plan, and 4. the ability to re-check. Result shows that writing in Mathematics improve students’ problem solving skill. In cycle 1, the average score of students’ problem solving skill was 51.7. In cycle 2, the average score was 75.6, and finally in cycle 3, the average score was 83.4. During interview, the students confessed that writing helped them organize their thinking so that they can solve a problem satisfactorily.

scholarly journals The ‘Double Transition’ for First-Year Students: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on South Africa’s First-Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Annsilla Nyar
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Student Transition ◽  
Double Transition ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Cycle ◽  
Special Category ◽  
First Year Student

While all students are affected by the advent of the Covid‑19 pandemic, the first‑year student population remains a special category of vulnerability for higher education. This is on account of the way the Covid‑19 pandemic has disrupted their transition into university and complicated the nature of their entry into and through the formal academic cycle. This article uses the notion of a ‘double transition’ as a framework for positioning and locating the first‑year student transition within the context of the prevailing Covid‑19 pandemic. ‘Double transition’ refers to an additional transition coupled with that of the first‑year transition, with regard to the extraordinary situation of students navigating their entry into the unfamiliar terrain of academia while simultaneously navigating the Covid‑19 pandemic. The article provides a circumscribed summary of the effects of Covid‑19 on university students and looks to describe and explain the nature and shape of first‑year transitions in relation to the transition necessitated by the Covid‑19 pandemic. It concludes with four key strategies for supporting first‑year students as the pandemic continues.

scholarly journals THE EFFECTS OF INDEXING PROMPTS ON PROBLEM-SOLVING IN CASE LIBRARY LEARNING

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-409
Author(s):  
Jongchan Park ◽  
Jinju Lee ◽  
Dongsik Kim
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Case Based Reasoning ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Case Library ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Scaffolding Strategies ◽  
Development Course ◽  
Effective Case

Researchers have suggested that case library learning is an effective instructional method that promotes argumentation skills for ill-structured problem-solving. However, little research has examined scaffolding strategies to implement effective case library learning. The aim of this research was to examine the effects of indexing prompts as scaffolds on argumentation skills during problem-solving in case library learning. A quasi-experimental design was employed for the research. A total of 111 first-year students in a university across three sections in a career development course participated in the experiment. Participants were provided with three different indexing prompts: explanation-based indexing prompts (focused on self-explaining anomalies of individual cases), difference-based indexing prompts (focused on self-explaining similarities and differences between cases), and no prompts (allowing spontaneous self-explanations when studying cases). Learners’ argumentation essays comprising initial arguments, counterarguments, and rebuttals were collected. The results found that learners who were prompted to generate mental indices outperformed the learners in the control group when constructing argumentation. More specifically, explanation-based indices were beneficial in making counterarguments and rebuttals, and difference-based indices were helpful when making rebuttals. These findings suggest that indexing cases based on both exploration of the anomalies of each case and comparisons between cases improves argumentation by facilitating case retention, retrieval, and reuse. Keywords: argumentation skills, case library learning, case-based reasoning, indexing prompts.

scholarly journals New Physics Curriculum

2016 ◽  
pp. 17-21
Author(s):  
Lynn Moran
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
New Physics ◽  
Undergraduate Teaching ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
Physics Curriculum

Developing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of students as rapidly as possible is a key requirement in improving learning outcomes at every stage of their degree. The Department of Physics at the University of Liverpool has entirely redeveloped years 1 and 2 of the undergraduate degree with a focus on students becoming independent learners as early as possible. The aims are to better integrate the undergraduate teaching provision and to complete the Institute of Physics core curriculum in years 1 and 2, in order to focus on research led teaching and independent projects in years 3 and 4. This new programme, entitled New Physics, starts in Welcome Week with the Undergraduate Physics Olympics and continues through the Year 1 Project (Mission to Mars) in the first week of semester one. The aim is to set the standard for collaborative achievement and introduce students to the way that physicists think. Innovative problem solving classes incorporating active learning such as peerassessment,group learning and exemplars designed to improve these skills andenhance the quality of learning among its first-year students have been introduced.

scholarly journals A Laboratory-Centered Approach to Introducing Engineering Students to Electric Circuit and Electric Systems Concepts

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyrus Shafai ◽  
Behzad Kordi
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Electric Circuit ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
First Year ◽  
Computer Engineering ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Electrical Systems ◽  
Different Types

The teaching of electric circuit analysis traditionally involves problem solving to ensure understanding of analysis theorems, complemented by laboratory experience. When taught to first year Engineering students, this approach lacks a motivational component and presents difficulties due to the weaker mathematics and problem solving skills of first year students. This paper presents a laboratory-centered approach to introduce engineering students to electric devices and systems. Using open-ended design projects, students explore and construct different types of electrical systems. Laboratories are selected so as to develop student intuition in electrical concepts, scientific fundamentals, provide a historical background, and demonstrate systems-level design issues. Over the past three years in our Department, using this approach, increased student motivation and engagement has been observed, supported by a significant increase in Electrical and Computer Engineering enrollment.

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