This study uses the ACS first-term general chemistry exam to determine if one curriculum approach is more effective in increasing student success than the other based on their performance on the ACS exam. Two chemistry curriculum approaches were evaluated in this study; the traditional curriculum (TC) and the Atoms First (AF) approach. The sample population was first-semester general chemistry students at Collin College in Frisco, TX. An independent sample t-test was used to determine if there were differences in overall performance between the two curriculum approaches on two different versions of the ACS exam. The results from this study show that AF approach may be a better alternative to the TC approach as they performed statistically significantly better on the 2005 exam version. Factor analysis was used to determine if there were differences between the two curriculum approaches by topic on the ACS exam. Eight different topics were chosen based on topics listed on the ACS Examinations Institute Website. The AF students performed better at a statistically significant level than the TC students on the topics of descriptive chemistry and periodicity, molecular structure, and stoichiometry. Item response theory was used to determine the chemistry content misconceptions held by the students taught under both curriculum approaches. It was determined that for both curriculum groups the same misconceptions as determined by the Zcrit values persisted.

The subject of this thesis is test anxiety in Czech secondary school students in perspective of the graduation exam and its influence over their overall academic performance in this exam. Results of a study conducted in the academic year 2017/2018 among 439 graduating secondary school students in six secondary schools in Prague is presented The aim of the study was to verify a test anxiety model based on Lazarus's transactional model of stress, Ellis's cognitive A-B-C model and other subsequent models of different authors (e.g. Hodapp and Rost). The model used in this study thus approaches test anxiety as a form of a stress reaction that consists of three successive steps: (A) activating event in the form of a test situation, (B) cognitive appraisal, and (C) emotional and behavioral consequences part of which is the academic performance. Both steps B and C further consist of a variety of unique components and outcomes. Quantitative data collected with the utilization of an extensive test battery of eight self- evaluating tests, an anamnestic questionnaire and exam results allowed for a further statistical elaboration. Multiple linear regression, Spearman correlation and factor analysis were utilized to reduce total number of variables of the original theoretical model so that it would better and...

Thesis advisor: Holly B. Fontenot / Sexual assault is a national public health problem, yet there is a dearth of information about how and why survivors disclose and obtain post sexual assault healthcare in the era of social media campaigns. This study examined the influence of #MeToo on sexual assault survivors’ decision-making post assault, including formal disclosures to health providers and formal health seeking behaviors. The research question is “what are the patterns of sexual assault survivors’ disclosure and health seeking behaviors in the era of #MeToo?” A qualitative, exploratory descriptive study was undertaken to understand the influence of #MeToo on a survivor’s decision to disclose sexual assault and obtain health care. With the use of online focus groups, 56 participants’ stories were shared, and four salient themes emerged. These results were the first to provide insight into how an online social media movement (#MeToo) influenced offline health behaviors. The knowledge gained from this study advanced nursing science focused on the care of sexual assault survivors. Additionally, findings informed intervention strategies such as developing targeted public health campaigns that capitalize on online social movements to impact offline behaviors. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Purpose: The purpose is to describe how the audit profession perceives that the re-regulated education requirement in order to become an authorized auditor will affect the number of authorized auditors. Further, the aim is to compare how smaller and larger audit firms perceive the re-regulation will affect how they educate employees for the auditor exam. The purpose is to answer the research questions below.  Methodology: The study has a qualitative research method with an abductive approach. Empirical material is collected through semi-structured interviews with representatives from the audit profession that were able to describe their view of the profession and the re-regulated requirements.  Conclusion: The profession is sceptical that the re-regulation would increase the number of authorized auditors, they perceive a single individual will be attracted. To increase the number of authorized auditors, the profession must market itself better and introduce bonuses to keep people in the profession. Smaller firms will probably become dependent on FAR or networking with larger firms. Larger firms do not perceive that they need to do any significant changes in their current education plans. Smaller and larger firms agreed the profession needs more IT experts, and thus, data analytics should include in the auditor exam.

Physician Assistant (PA) students undergo a rigorous educational curriculum consisting of both clinical and didactic instruction to prepare them for their role as a general health care provider. In order to complete training as a general health care provider PA students must learn a wide array of general medical knowledge and clinical skills so that they are able to use their judgment and skills in any area of practice or specialty. More specifically, PAs are expected to identify and effectively treat pediatric disorders that are within the knowledge and skills obtained during their qualified education. In medicine, perhaps the most important diagnostic tool is the ability to properly perform an effective physical examination. Historically, within PA program curricula, methods to optimize performance of a pediatric physical examination have been poorly represented. The pediatric population is unique in that the approach to the patient, as well as the techniques used to gain cooperation from the patient, may change drastically through normal child development. Having a wide array of techniques and skills to comfort and engage the pediatric patient is critical in performing the physical exam. Formal training in this area will better prepare PA students for any setting in which a pediatric patient will be encountered and enable them to deliver effective pediatric care. The objective of this project is to develop a curriculum that will focus on a mastery of skills needed to successfully perform a pediatric physical exam. The proposed curriculum will educate PA students in an understanding of age-appropriate strategies to be used while examining pediatric patients from birth through to mid-childhood (8-years old) that will meet the expectations of current pediatric practices. A literature review provides the basis for the curriculum. The curriculum will be integrated at the end of the PA student’s didactic curriculum, prior to beginning their clinical rotations. Assessment will include a needs assessment for the curriculum, gauging the comfort of students performing the pediatric physical exam, and preparedness of the students for their pediatric clerkship. Student success will be evaluated through a pre and post-test comparison, clinical skills evaluation, as well as a questionnaire surveying student comfort level and knowledge of strategies with the standard curriculum in comparison to student comfort level and knowledge of strategies after specialized training with the newly developed curriculum. It is predicted that the new curriculum will better prepare PA students for their pediatric clerkship and practice.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress data to identify the relationship between calculator use and student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Mathematics Assessment. This general purpose includes several sub issues. In addition to being interested in the overall relationship between use and National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement (including the effort to control for spurious factors), this study examined the contextual factors that moderate the impact of calculator use. Similarly, it analyzed the relationship between calculator use and student performance on calculator-allowed and calculator-restricted items, as well as the ability of students to recognize whether the use of a calculator was appropriate when responding to a math problem. Findings indicate that significant differences in achievement exist between students who regularly use calculators and those who do not use calculators. Even when controlling for various contextual factors that moderated this relationship (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status, parents' level of education, students' National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement level), it was found that the more frequently students use a calculator the higher their scores tend to be. The results also show that when not allowed to use calculators, the more frequent calculator users continue to score higher than those who do not use calculators. Finally, using calculators does not automatically equate to calculator dependence, and, in fact, the more often students use a calculator the more adept they are at applying it properly and withholding it when inappropriate. Based on the findings of this study, the use of a calculator in mathematics classes should improve students' ability to learn mathematical concepts and apply calculator technology in an appropriate manner when solving mathematical problems.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a new approach in the analysis of teaching procedures, and show the importance of certain variates on the academic performance of college students. Objectives: The objectives of this study were threefold: To determine whether an ABA approach (definition on page 19) can be used effectively to identify relevant variables influencing college student's academic performance. To determine the influence of grading and exam frequency on achievement in college. To compare the effectiveness of a lectureless go-at-your-own-pace teaching procedure and lecture procedures on student performance as measured on a final exam and a six month retention test. Method Experiment One. Using an ABA reversal procedure in a Latin square design 253 students were rotated through testing conditions to determine the effects of grading and exam frequency on college students academic performance. The four testing conditions were: (a) weekly exams given which counted towards the student's grade, (b) weekly exams given which did not count toward their grade, (c) monthly exams which counted, and (d) monthly exams which did not count. An analysis of the results with respect to the students' grade point average was also carried out. Experiment Two. Three classes of introductory psychology were used in an interclass comparison. Each class was exposed to a different teaching procedure. Daily lectures with a monthly exam were used on the first class. Daily lectures with weekly exams were administered to the second class. The third class attended no lectures, took oral and written exams on each chapter when they felt read y for them, had to master one chapter before progressing to the next, and received immediate feedback on their test results. All three classes were also given a retention test six months later. Students performance on both the final exam and retention test were compared. Results Experiment One. Grading was found to significantly influence students academic performance (p .05). Though exam frequency had a consistent and systematic effect on performance, its effect was not found statistically significant. It was also noted that both variates influenced students of all grade point average ranges to the same degree rather than differentially helping only certain grade levels. Experiment Two. It was found that the students in the go-at-your-own-pace group outscored both lecture classes on the final exam and six month retention test. Conclusions The following conclusions are drawn from the results of research conducted for this report. The lack of differential effects in past comparative studies is due to the fact that the students' academic behavior was not differentially influenced. Intraclass analytic procedures can be employed which are more sensitive than the interclass comparisons employed in the past. Instructors can use grading to strongly influence college students of all grade point ranges to perform better. Two things future research in college teaching should include are: (a) more sensitive experimental procedures, and (b) a change in the variates analyzed. A stronger look should be taken at what behavioral contingencies the course includes rather than only what the teacher does in class. It is suggested that higher education should direct itself to more contingent systems of instruction rather than shifting to more self-controlled learning situations.

"May 2007" A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Occupational Therapy. Typescript Project Advisor : Max A. Ito Occupational therapy candidates face a challenging task on the path to becoming registered occupational therapists. Uncertainty surrounds the professional community as to why certain candidates, who otherwise perform soundly both academically and clinically, struggle to be successful on the certification exam. Literature suggests that factors such as stress and anxiety may be the root cause. There is a plethora of literature discussing the importance of clinical reasoning skills in occupational therapy practitioners and students. However, no literary sources to date have investigated the importance of clinical reasoning in certification exam performance. This research study investigated the correlation between clinical reasoning skills and performance on the NBCOT certification examination. Thirty-five candidates from across the U.S. completed the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), which tests critical thinking skills in five key areas. Supporting demographic information was collected for further comparisons. The participants then sat for the NBCOT exam within 90 days of taking the HSRT. Pearson product-moment correlation and Spearman's rho analyses indicated significant relationships between certification exam performance and three sub-skills of reasoning: inductive reasoning (p = .032/rs = .011), deductive reasoning (p = .007/rs = .004), and analytical reasoning (p = .001/rs = .002). Total HSRT score was also a significant factor in exam performance (p = .001/rs = .003). In ANOVA analysis investigating the relationship between highest educational level and certification exam performance, students who earned only master's degrees in occupational therapy performed significantly better than those earning combined bachelor's/master's degrees (p = .000), scoring an average of 29.15 points higher on the certification exam. In additional analysis, multiple regression analysis indicated that only analytical reasoning was a predictor of certification exam score. Race, age, grade point average (GPA), geographic location, and fieldwork settings were not significant factors in certification exam performance. Application of these results to larger populations should be exercised with caution due to the limited sample size of this study. Results of this study can initiate a dialogue among occupational therapy practitioners and educators who hold a role in assisting students in developing clinical reasoning skills and preparation for the certification exam. Results are also beneficial for students who can incorporate clinical reasoning skills as part of a certification exam study regimen.

Graduating competent healthcare providers to meet increasing demands of the United States leads to interest in graduate health science student success. In this study, I explored the relationship between self-regulated learning strategies and licensing exam readiness among Doctor of Chiropractic students. Two research questions asked (1) how self-regulated learning strategies vary by gender and year of study, and (2) how self-regulated learning strategies relate to licensing exam readiness. One hundred thirty-three students from five chiropractic institutions were surveyed with questions from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and exam readiness items. A series of t-tests, one-way analyses of variance, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression addressed the research questions. Results indicated (1) self-regulated learning strategies do vary by gender and year of study, and (2) self-regulation is related to licensing exam readiness, particularly in Parts I and II of the exam. Chiropractic institutions and policymakers should focus efforts on introducing and reinforcing self-regulated learning strategies throughout the curriculum and explore licensing exam implications. Future research should continue expanding the literature on chiropractic education by considering actual licensing exam performance and determining appropriateness of the MSLQ for chiropractic students.

This dissertation follows a three-article format presentation. The topic addresses improving student success in a large enrollment introductory accounting course. The first article is a literature review of pre-class activities within a flipped classroom setting in higher education. The review of 34 articles identified as relevant to the literature review explored what the literature tells us about pre-class learning activities and synthesized what instructors can do to design pre-class activities that encourage students' preparation for class. The review showed the importance of pre-class learning in a flipped classroom and that more research is needed to better understand students' behaviors and interactions with assigned pre-class content. The second article explores the effectiveness of post-exam feedback in an online environment. While empirical studies have shown that in-person post-exam reviews can significantly and positively impact student performance, little is known about post-exam feedback in a remote learning environment. In a remote environment, instructors may choose not to hold post-exam reviews due to the risk of exposing the contents of an exam. This study explores the effectiveness of an intervention that provides remote students post-exam feedback and support without compromising the integrity of the exam. Data comparing student achievement in two remote consecutive semesters of a large-enrollment introductory accounting course shows that the revised post-exam review had a positive effect on test scores and the overall average GPA. The final article presents the results from a quasi-experimental study examining the benefits of allowing second chance exams. The control group for this study was not offered the opportunity to retake exams. The treatment group was allowed to retake exams with a maximum score of 80% on a retake. This study demonstrates that a second-chance exam policy (SCEP) seemed to reduce students' perceived stress levels in a high-stakes environment by providing an opportunity for students to learn from their mistakes, improve mastery of the topic, and increase exam scores. Additionally, there was a gender interaction: females experienced an increase in course percentage points and GPA in the semester with the SCEP compared to males, thus reducing an existing gender gap.