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Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 21431

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Africa Borges

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Guest Editor

Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, University of La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Interests: high ability; methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Leire Aperribai

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Guest Editor

Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methodology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
Interests: high ability; clinical psychology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasingly changing nature of the current era leads society to present new perspectives in the educational field. Educational systems must provide students with the opportunity to develop several skills, abilities, and competencies. However, questions arise in this context, such as those about what abilities or competencies are relevant, what variables affect students’ development, how teachers should perform, which educational policies favour students’ learning processes, and how equity can be warranted. Many variables, some of them forgotten by the research field, must be studied in order to provide a response adapted to current and future educational prospects. However, this is not the only issue. The variety of variables at stake compel us to apply sustainable research methods to study all these issues, and observational and survey techniques seem to be suitable for this purpose. This Special Issue compiles research on the development of student skills that is carried out using survey and observational methodologies, as well as studies that combine both methodologies. The development of student skills is a central theme that goes beyond the teaching and learning process since the fundamental interest is the development of students’ potential.

Dr. Africa Borges
Dr. Leire Aperribai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Students’ potential
Emerging social and educational changes
Emerging social and educational needs
Equity
Sustainability
Observational method
Survey method

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research Perceived Competency Scale: A New Psychometric Adaptation for University Students’ Research Learning

by César Merino-Soto, Manuel Fernández-Arata, Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama, Guillermo M. Chans and Filiberto Toledano-Toledano

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12036; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141912036 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2255

Abstract

This research aimed to adapt and validate a measuring scale of perceived research competencies among undergraduate students. Perceived research competencies of undergraduate learning can be measured with a new scale adapted from self-determination theory. We assessed the validity of this new measure applied to 307 participating undergraduates from Lima (Peru). The instrument’s survey items in the perceived competencies scale were first translated from English to Spanish and then adapted to focus on participation in research activities. We obtained evidence for (a) content validity (through item analysis), (b) internal structure with Mokken Scaling Analysis and structural equation modeling to examine the item–construct relationship, differential item functioning, and reliability, and (c) association with external variables. The items were found to function one-dimensionally, with strong item–construct relationships and no differential functioning (academic semester and general self-esteem groups). Theoretically consistent associations were found between study satisfaction and anxiety symptoms (controlling for gender, semester, and social support). We also discussed the theoretical implications and practices of this newly adapted measurement instrument. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

13 pages, 1716 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Students’ Academic Performance in Blended Learning

by Nawaf N. Hamadneh, Samer Atawneh, Waqar A. Khan, Khaled A. Almejalli and Adeeb Alhomoud

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11642; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811642 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7857

Abstract

University electronic learning (e-learning) has witnessed phenomenal growth, especially in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This type of education is significant because it ensures that all students receive the required learning. The statistical evaluations are limited in providing good predictions of the university’s e-learning quality. That is forcing many universities to go to online and blended learning environments. This paper presents an approach of statistical analysis to identify the most common factors that affect the students’ performance and then use artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict students’ performance within the blended learning environment of Saudi Electronic University (SEU). Accordingly, this dissertation generated a dataset from SEU’s Blackboard learning management system. The student’s performance can be tested using a set of factors: the studying (face-to-face or virtual), percentage of attending live lectures, midterm exam scores, and percentage of solved assessments. The results showed that the four factors are responsible for academic performance. After that, we proposed a new ANN model to predict the students’ performance depending on the four factors. Firefly Algorithm (FFA) was used for training the ANNs. The proposed model’s performance will be evaluated through different statistical tests, such as error functions, statistical hypothesis tests, and ANOVA tests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

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17 pages, 584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L): Psychometric and Measurement Invariance Evidence in Peruvian Undergraduate Students

by César Merino-Soto, Gina Chávez-Ventura, Verónica López-Fernández, Guillermo M. Chans and Filiberto Toledano-Toledano

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11239; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811239 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3651

Abstract

Given the theoretical and applied importance of self-regulation in learning, our study aimed to report the internal structure of the psychometric properties of the Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire. Five hundred and ninety-six Peruvian university students participated in their first to tenth semesters on campuses in Lima, Trujillo, and Cajamarca. Nonparametric scalability, dimensionality, reliability (score and item levels), and latent invariance were analyzed. The results showed that reducing the number of response options was necessary. Reducing the number of items also produced better scaling. Two slightly related dimensions were strong internal validity and acceptable item reliability; furthermore, reliability was adequate. Age and gender had trivial correlations in item variability. Finally, differences between the semesters were obtained in the means, variances, and latent correlations. In conclusion, we propose a better definition of the constructs of autonomy and control measured by the SRQ-L. This article also discusses the limitations and implications of the study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

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25 pages, 2879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Design Ability through a Quantitative Analysis of the Design Process

by Libby (Elizabeth) Osgood and Clifton R. Johnston

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10865; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141710865 - 31 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1234

Abstract

Current educational practices presume engineering students develop design skills through dedicated design courses and projects. There are many variations in how the courses and projects are implemented, causing disagreement between educators on the most effective methods. Few assessment tools exist to evaluate these claims, and no quantitative tools were found that provide students with an immediate formative evaluation of their design ability. We created an online, quantitative design ability assessment tool to compare the design approaches of students to experienced engineers. This article explores whether design ability can be assessed quantitatively through this tool. Significant findings include the following. Experienced engineers use fewer steps than students and estimate the project would require more time than both student groups. First-year students use extraneous steps, produce the wrong product, are least likely to iterate, and exceed the target number of hours. Second- through fourth-year students utilized the most time in developing alternative solutions and demonstrated design knowledge gained from previous experience. Because these findings align with the literature, we conclude that aspects of design ability can be assessed using a quantitative tool, which provides students with formative design development and educators with quantitative feedback on variations in their project or course. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

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17 pages, 861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparison of Chinese and European–American University Students’ Virtue and Mind Learning Beliefs and Academic Achievement in Global Cultural Exchange

by Yanchi Liu, Ruixiang Gao, Xixin Lan, Xinyu Zhou, Shiqi Huang, Danying Wu, Qiqi Li, Yujun Zhou, Ning Luo, Huang Zuo and Lei Mo

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 5788; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14105788 - 10 May 2022

Viewed by 1877

Abstract

The world’s two largest economies, the United States and China, have fundamentally different cultural beliefs about learning. Thus, when examining Chinese learners, Western researchers were confused by the contrasting phenomenon between seemingly poor learning approaches and high academic achievement, i.e., the Paradox of Chinese Learners. In addressing this paradox, Jin Li offered a theoretical framework of the Chinese virtue model versus the European–American mind model to comprehensively understand the differences in students’ learning beliefs and academic achievement between the two cultures. However, Li does not pay attention to global cultural exchange or directly link learning beliefs to academic achievement. Therefore, this paper presents two empirical studies addressing these research gaps. Study 1 adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the learning beliefs of Chinese and European–American university students, and revealed that deepening cultural exchange narrowed the gap between the two models (Study 1a), but the impact of the virtue model on European–American students was weaker than that of the mind model on Chinese students (Study 1b). Study 2 further revealed that both models were beneficial for Chinese students’ academic achievement, whereas only the virtue model benefited European–American students. These findings have important implications for addressing the Paradox of Chinese Learners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

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15 pages, 483 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Satisfaction, Assessment and Adaptation to a Virtual Environment of the University Mentoring Programme GuíaMe-AC-UMA for Gifted High School Students

by Serafina Castro-Zamudio, Enrique Viguera, Antonio Cortés-Ramos, María Teresa Castilla-Mesa, Daniel Valbuena-Díaz and Isabel Moreno-Madrid

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5465; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14095465 - 01 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1481

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse the satisfaction levels of participants (mentees, mentors, and technical-research team) of a university mentoring programme. The GuíaMe-AC-UMA is aimed at gifted high school students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IX edition was carried out in an online format. The results were compared to those of the in-person edition (VII edition) to assess whether there were differences between the editions. For this purpose, three versions (one for each participant type) of a Likert-type questionnaire were distributed among the participants of the 22 workshops offered by the GuíaMe-AC-UMA Programme. A total of 224 responses were received: 21 from the mentors, 181 from the mentees and 22 from the technical-research team. The results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the development of the workshops by all participants. While the mentees preferred the in-person edition, the rest of the participants showed no difference in satisfaction levels between editions. A similar result was observed when correcting for the subject area of the workshop. The in-person edition was valued higher than the online version by all. The overall level of satisfaction shown by all participants and the support for continuation of the programme suggest that this type of educational offer is beneficial and satisfactory for all involved, in accordance with previous research on mentoring programmes. These results indicate that programmes focused on young pre-university students with high abilities are valued; these results encourage us to continue the programme. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

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9 pages, 1052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Challenges for Teachers’ and Students’ Digital Abilities: A Mixed Methods Design Study

by Triana Aguirre, Leire Aperribai, Lorea Cortabarría, Emilio Verche and África Borges

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4729; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084729 - 14 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1783

Abstract

Digital education is a recently highlighted challenge for educational innovation. This study aimed to discover the educational conditions in which teachers and students may be involved during the pandemic, and how these may affect teachers’ workload and educational quality. A Mixed Methods Design was used, where quantitative and qualitative data were obtained and analyzed. An ad hoc questionnaire was created and sent to teachers of different levels of education (pre-university) and types of school (public and private). Predictive variables of working hours were analyzed by carrying out a multiple regression. Moreover, changes experienced by teachers were studied by analyzing qualitative data. The variables type of teaching, students’ access to electronic resources, and instant training in online teaching predicted teachers’ working hours. Furthermore, participants cited having changes in workload and being overwhelmed during this period, having less contact with students, and experiencing changes in working environment as the most important variables affecting the new working conditions. In conclusion, teachers’ training in online education and the provision of electronic resources for students should be a priority to make online learning possible, to avoid the problem of teachers needing to perform extra work in similar future conditions, and to foster educational innovation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Methods for the Study of Students' Abilities: Observational and Survey Techniques)

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