Exploring the factors affecting the motivation for learning from the perspective of public health students: A qualitative study

Objective. Despite the significant role of motivation in achieving success among public health students, students often do not demonstrate adequate motivation for learning and education. This study was performed to determine factors affecting the motivation for learning from the perspective of public health students via content analysis approach. Methods. This qualitative study was conducted at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in Sanandaj, Iran in 2017. 15 students were included in the study by using purposive sampling. Data were collected through personal interviews, group discussions, and field notes, and they were analyzed through conventional content analysis. Several parameters were taken into account to support the accuracy and the strength of the data: acceptability, confirmability, and transferability. Results. Five categories were derived from the data analysis, including “University Policy”, “Health Status”, “Teacher’s Role”, “Student-Related Factors” and “University Facilities”. Attention to the health status and its priority in the opinion of people, authorities, and educational system were the most important factors involved in the students’ motivation for learning. Conclusions. To increase motivation for learning, students have diverse needs that should be met. Attention to the components of motivation for learning not only enhances academic achievement but also promotes the formation of health behaviors in the society

Learning to Play and Playing to Learn: Organized Sports and Educational Outcomes

Based on a literature review and interviews, explores how participation in organized sports affects children's academic achievement. Examines its benefits, including motivation, life skills, and peer networks, as well as challenges and recommendations

Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

The Relationship Between Prisoners’ Academic Self-efficacy and Participation in Education, Previous Convictions, Sentence Length, and Portion of Sentence Served

Prison education is an important aspect of adult education. The study investigated current participation in prison education, as well as previous convictions, sentence length, and the portion of sentence served as predictors of academic self-efficacy. Survey data derived from prisoners in all Norwegian prisons provided the empirical evidences for the analyses. A principal component analysis of a 40-item academic self-efficacy questionnaire revealed self-efficacy components in literacy, mathematics, ICT, and self-regulated learning. Educational participation had a positive influence on self-efficacy in both mathematics and self-regulated learning. Participants who reported no previous conviction scored higher than others did on self-efficacy in mathematics, self-regulated learning, and ICT. Furthermore, the results showed that perceived efficacy in ICT decreased with longer sentence length. Portion of sentence served was not significantly related to any of the four self-efficacy components. The findings are discussed with reference to a need for mastery experiences in prison and implications for policy and practic

Understanding the Role of Behavior and Cognitions in a Group Exercise Setting

The first purpose of the present study examined whether individuals with different exercise behaviors (classified by attendance) experienced different or similar cognitive patterns. It was hypothesized that different behavior would lead to different cognitive appraisals. It was predicted that there would be a difference between the three behavioral frequency groups with regard to self-efficacy measures and goal measures. The second purpose of the study was to describe, evaluate and observe whether social factors were associated with participating in exercise in groups. It was hypothesized that those who engage in exercise classes would elicit a social focus. Participants for the study included 39 females who registered in-group fitness classes at a mid-sized university. Attendance over the 10-week course was assessed and participants completed a self-report questionnaire during week seven. The attendance data were used to create 3 exercise frequency groups (regular attenders, sporadic attenders, and dropouts) based on ACSM’s exercise guidelines. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), means and frequencies were used to describe the data. There were no significant differences on measures of self-efficacy. Continued research is necessary to investigate the benefit of social suport in a group exercise setting, as well as to better understand how self-regulation through self-efficacy and goal factors influences and is influenced by actual behavior

The effects of single-sex schooling on student achievement and attitudes in Nigeria

This study of Form Three (ninth grade) students in Nigeria indicates that single sex schools improve girls'achievement in mathematics and engender less stereotypic ideas about mathematics. But Nigerian males experience lower achievement and hold a more stereotypic view of mathematics under single sex schooling. Why are there different responses? In part, differences between the types of students attending single-sex and coeducational schools may be responsible. Girls'schools also differed from boys schools in several important ways. While these and other differences beween students and schools were found to contribute to differences in student achievement, a statistically significant residual effect for single-sex schools remained after adjustments were made, suggesting that other organizational or student background factors may account for the observed differences in effects.Adolescent Health,Primary Education,Gender and Education,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Teaching and Learning

Research on the Motivation and Attitude of College students' Physical Education in Taiwan

College students' physical education plays an important role in physical activity and cultivates the concept of independent health management. At present, what kind of learning attitude do Taiwan college students face in physical education? What motivation does the student influence the attitude of the physical education? What is the relevance? All of the above are the purpose of this study. The research method adopts the questionnaire survey method, and the survey data adopts descriptive statistical analysis, independent sample t test, single factor variance analysis, LSD post hoc comparison method, and typical correlation analysis. Research results: 1. The different background variables of Taiwanese college students are that the main motivation factor of physical education is to obtain good health fitness for "physical health". 2. Taiwanese college students have different background variables. They all think that the "cognitive learning" of physical education is the main factor of attitude, that is, the knowledge about health care and sports skills. 3. There is a positive correlation between learning motivation and learning attitude (ρ=.90). Learning motivation is one of the important factors affecting learning attitude. Research conclusions: 1. The factors of Taiwanese male and female college students' motivation for learning in physical education are mainly based on "physical health". 2. Freshmen have higher motivations and learning attitudes in physical education than second-grade to fourth-grade. 3. Taiwan female college students average 1 or 2 times per week, male college students have the most athletes 2 to 3 times per week, more than 90% of college students like sports. 4. There is a positive correlation between learning motivation and learning attitude, indicating that the stronger the attribute of learning motivation "physical health", the higher the student's learning attitude. 5. Satisfying students' motivation for learning helps students to learn positively. 6. Another important task of the college physical education class is to prepare students for future lifelong sports