"I Like and Prefer to Work Alone": Social Anxiety, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Students' Perceptions of Active Learning

Peer mentorship and academic supports build sense of community and improve outcomes for transfer students

The experience of transferring to a 4-year college, especially in STEM programs, can be particularly challenging for students. While much of the onus for preparing students for transfer has been placed on community colleges, the 4-year institutions to which students transfer have critical roles to play. With this in mind, we established the Pre-transfer Interventions, Mentoring, and Experience in Research (PRIMER) program to support students transferring into the biology department at our university. The design of this program is based around the key elements of Schlossberg's Transition Theory, focusing on the support and strategies elements of the theory. Through a weekly academic skill course, peer mentoring, and informal academic and social supports, our goals were for students to increase their involvement in the campus community and to increase their use of academic support resources. We used qualitative and quantitative assessments to compare sense of community and use of campus resources between students who participated in our program and others. We found that students in our program strongly increased their sense of community during the semester compared to other students and used campus resources at a higher rate. Our insights from the PRIMER program can help others in developing programs to support transfer students in biology departments.

A bibliometric analysis on adolescent social anxiety and psychoeducational variables in Web of Science 2002-2021

The aim of this bibliometric analysis was to analyze the scientific output on adolescent social anxiety and its relationship with 15 psychoeducational variables in peer-reviewed journals during the period 2002-2021. The goal was to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art on adolescent social anxiety and academic/school achievement, performance, self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-attributions, goals, attachment, adjustment, engagement, refusal, absenteeism, anxiety, learning strategies, and self-regulated learning. A search of scientific literature was conducted using Web of Science, and 157 empirical studies were identified. Analyses were conducted using bibliometrix 3.1 to avoid the risk of bias. The results suggested progressive growth in the scientific output on this research topic mainly in the USA, China, Spain, and Canada, and revealed trending issues and scientific interest regarding the relationship between adolescent social anxiety and academic/school achievement and performance. Other variables, such as academic/school attachment and self-regulated learning did not emerge. The results provide implications for practitioners (i.e., educators, clinical and educational psychologists, and psychiatrists), supporting emerging lines of research. Limitations include a lack of a review protocol and a lack of comparison with other international databases, such as PsychInfo, Scopus, PubMed, or ERIC.

Assessing Community College Biology Student Perceptions of Being Called on in Class

Random call has been proposed as an inclusive and equitable practice that engages students in learning. However, this inclusion may come with a cost. In some contexts, students experience anxiety and distress when being called on. Recently, focus has shifted to critical components of random call that may mitigate this cost. We examined how community college (CC) students perceive being called on by addressing 1) benefits that help their learning and 2) characterizing the anxiety students experience through this practice. To do this, we surveyed students in six biology courses taught by six faculty members over six academic quarters. We analyzed survey responses from 383 unique students (520 total responses) using mixed methods. Qualitative responses were coded and consensus codes revealed that students saw benefits to being called on, including paying attention and coming prepared. Qualitative codes also revealed different types of anxiety, both distress and eustress. Analysis of Likert scale survey data revealed perceptions of increased student interaction with their peers in warm random call classes. Furthermore, warm random call may increase participation in class discussions, and it is not correlated with increased extreme anxiety. These data suggest warm random call used in smaller, community college classes, may contribute to students' positive perceptions of being called on.

Transfer-bound community college students' biology identity and perception of teaching

Community colleges are frequently an affordable, accessible entrance to a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and career, but the transition from a 2-year program to a 4-year institution can be tumultuous. In this mixed-methods study, we explore the experiences of transfer and prospective transfer students. Through surveys and interviews, we identify the challenges faced by and the supports desired by biology transfer students. We describe how community college students perceive their introductory biology courses, and we compare the biology identity and self-efficacy of these students to peers at a 4-year institution. Students expressed uncertainty about what to expect from the transfer experience, and they benefitted from interventions that made the university experience more concrete or clarified their expectations. We found that community college students are just as interested in biology as peers at a 4-year university, but they are significantly less likely to believe that others recognize them as "biology people" and report less self-efficacy regarding biology courses. Students felt particularly well-prepared for transfer after community college biology courses they described as "rigorous" and "demanding," especially because students expressed that the community college environment helped support them through the challenges of higher education.

A Digital Single-Session Intervention (Project Engage) to Address Fear of Negative Evaluation Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Increasingly, college science courses are transitioning from a traditional lecture format to active learning because students learn more and fail less frequently when they engage in their learning through activities and discussions in class. Fear of negative evaluation (FNE), defined as a student's sense of dread associated with being unfavorably evaluated while participating in a social situation, discourages undergraduates from participating in small group discussions, whole class discussions, and conversing one-on-one with instructors.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the acceptability of a novel digital single-session intervention and to assess the feasibility of implementing it in a large enrollment college science course taught in an active learning way.

METHODS

To equip undergraduates with skills to cope with FNE and bolster their confidence, clinical psychologists and biology education researchers developed Project Engage, a digital, self-guided single-session intervention for college students. It teaches students strategies for coping with FNE to bolster their confidence. Project Engage provides biologically informed psychoeducation, uses interactive elements for engagement, and helps generate a personalized action plan. We conducted a 2-armed randomized controlled trial to evaluate the acceptability and the preliminary effectiveness of Project Engage compared with an active control condition that provides information on available resources on the college campus.

RESULTS

In a study of 282 upper-level physiology students, participants randomized to complete Project Engage reported a greater increase in overall confidence in engaging in small group discussions (P=.01) and whole class discussions (P<.001), but not in one-on-one interactions with instructors (P=.05), from baseline to immediately after intervention outcomes, compared with participants in an active control condition. Project Engage received a good acceptability rating (1.22 on a scale of -2 to +2) and had a high completion rate (>97%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a foundation for a freely available, easily accessible intervention to bolster student confidence for contributing in class.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registries osf.io/4ca68 http://osf.io/4ca68.

The Disproportionate Impact of Fear of Negative Evaluation on First-Generation College Students, LGBTQ+ Students, and Students with Disabilities in College Science Courses

Fear of negative evaluation (FNE), defined as a sense of dread associated with being negatively judged in a social situation, has been identified as the primary factor underlying undergraduate anxiety in active-learning science courses. However, no quantitative studies have examined the extent to which science undergraduates experience FNE and how they are impacted by FNE in college science courses. To address this gap, we surveyed 566 undergraduates from one university in the U.S. Southwest who were enrolled in life sciences courses where they had opportunities to speak in front of the whole class. Participants were asked a suite of questions regarding their experiences with FNE in large-enrollment college science courses. We found that first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities reported disproportionately high levels of FNE compared with their counterparts. Additionally, students reported that FNE can cause them to overthink their responses and participate less in class. Participants rated being cold called and presenting alone as forms of whole-class participation that elicit the highest levels of FNE. This research highlights the impact of FNE on undergraduates and provides student-generated recommendations to reduce FNE in active-learning science courses.

The Aspects of Active-Learning Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Depression in Undergraduates

College science courses continue to transition from traditional lecture to active learning, which has been shown to have both alleviating and exacerbating effects on undergraduate mental health. Notably, existing studies have primarily examined the relationship between active learning and anxiety, and no studies have specifically assessed the relationship between active learning and depression. To address this gap, we conducted hourlong exploratory interviews with 29 undergraduates from six institutions who identify as having depression and who had been enrolled in at least one active-learning college science course. We probed how undergraduates' depression affects their experiences in active learning, and in turn, what aspects of active-learning practices exacerbate or alleviate students' depressive symptoms. Students described that their depression negatively impacted their cognitive domains, which could make learning and social interactions challenging. Additionally, we found that the underlying aspects of active-learning practices that impact students' depression fall into four overarching categories: opportunities to compare oneself with others, socializing with others while learning, frequent formative evaluation, and engagement in learning. Each of these aspects of active learning could alleviate and/or exacerbate depressive symptoms. This work supports recommendations to create more inclusive active-learning courses for students with depression.

Research Anxiety Predicts Undergraduates' Intentions to Pursue Scientific Research Careers

Undergraduate research is lauded as a high-impact practice owing to the array of benefits that students can reap from participating. One unexplored construct that may affect student intent to persist in research is research anxiety, defined as the sense of worry or apprehension associated with conducting research. In this study, we surveyed 1272 undergraduate researchers across research-intensive, master's-granting, and primarily undergraduate institutions to assess the relationship among student demographics, research anxiety, and intent to pursue a research career. Using structural equation modeling, we identified that women and students with higher grade point averages (GPAs) were more likely to report higher levels of research anxiety compared with men and students with lower GPAs, respectively. Additionally, research anxiety was significantly and negatively related to student intent to pursue a research-related career. We coded students' open-ended responses about what alleviates and exacerbates their anxiety and found that experiencing failure in the context of research and feeling underprepared increased their research anxiety, while a positive lab environment and mentor-mentee relationships decreased their anxiety. This is the first study to examine undergraduate anxiety in the context of research at scale and to establish a relationship between research anxiety and students' intent to persist in scientific research careers.

What I Wish My Instructor Knew: How Active Learning Influences the Classroom Experiences and Self-Advocacy of STEM Majors with ADHD and Specific Learning Disabilities

Our understanding of how active learning affects different groups of students is still developing. One group often overlooked in higher education research is students with disabilities. Two of the most commonly occurring disabilities on college campuses are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorders (SLD). We investigated how the incorporation of active-learning practices influences the learning and self-advocacy experiences of students with ADHD and/or SLD (ADHD/SLD) in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 STEM majors with ADHD/SLD registered with a campus disability resource center at a single university, and data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Participants described how they perceived active learning in their STEM courses to support or hinder their learning and how active learning affected their self-advocacy. Many of the active-learning barriers could be attributed to issues related to fidelity of implementation of a particular active-learning strategy and limited awareness of universal design for learning. Active learning was also reported to influence self-advocacy for some participants, and examples of self-advocacy in active-learning STEM courses were identified. Defining the supports and barriers perceived by students with ADHD/SLD is a crucial first step in developing more-inclusive active-learning STEM courses. Suggestions for research and teaching are provided.

Fear of negative evaluation: A cross-sectional study among undergraduate nursing students

OBJECTIVE

To understand the current fear of negative evaluation among undergraduate nursing students and analyse the factors influencing it.

METHODS

A general information questionnaire, the scale of fear of negative evaluation, and the fear of positive evaluation scale were used to survey 546 undergraduate nursing students at Guizhou Medical University, China.

RESULTS

Undergraduate nursing students scored a total of (15.90 ± 7.18) negative evaluation fears, which is at an intermediate level. Gender, left-behind experience, whether in a romantic relationship, personality, and fear of positive evaluation entered the multiple regression equation and explained 29.1 % of the total variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The fear of negative evaluation among undergraduate nursing students was moderate. Nursing students' gender, left-behind experience, whether in a romantic relationship, personality, and fear of positive evaluation were important factors influencing their level of fear of negative evaluation. Nursing educators and administrators should be aware of nursing students' evaluation fears and select targeted evaluation strategies to promote the development of high-quality nursing talent.

All Groups Are Not Created Equal: Class-Based Learning Communities Enhance Exam Performance and Reduce Gaps

Having students work in small groups has been shown to promote better student outcomes, even in large lecture classes. On an institutional scale, the creation of learning communities that span multiple classes has also been proven to improve student outcomes. Research has shown that both interventions can help narrow the performance gaps that are often observed for students from certain demographic backgrounds. However, both have their drawbacks. When used solely for discussions in class, students in small groups rarely continue working together outside lecture in an intentional manner. Grading based on group performance leads to the perception of unfairness due to "weak" or "poor" members or disproportionate workloads. Learning communities, on the other hand, require a fair amount of administrative support to implement. Here, we describe a novel course and incentive structure that allows individual instructors to create sustainable learning communities in their classes. This course structure is relatively easy to implement, requiring very few changes to existing courses, and is adaptable to a variety of contexts, including remote teaching. Finally, we show that such learning communities provide additional learning gains for students and demonstrate that these class-based learning communities help narrow performance gaps for minoritized students.

Rethinking the Multidimensionality of Growth Mindset Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Framework Proposal

Students, staff, and faculty in higher education are facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data revealed that a good number of academic activities and opportunities were disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants. While much uncertainty remains for the next academic year, how higher education institutions and their students might improve responses to the rapidly changing situation matters. This systematic review and framework proposal aim to update previous empirical work and examine the current evidence for the effectiveness of growth mindset interventions in young adults. To this end, a systematic search identified 20 empirical studies involving 5, 805 young adults. These studies examined growth mindset within ecologically valid educational contexts and various content areas. Generally, these findings showed that brief messages of growth mindset can improve underrepresented students' academic performance and facilitate other relevant psychological constructs. In addition, we argue, although growth mindset has been identified as a unitary concept, it is comprised of multiple interdependent skills, such as self-control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Understanding the nature of growth mindset may contribute to successful mindset implementation. Therefore, this article presents a practical framework to help educators in higher education rethink the multidimensionality of growth mindset and to provide their students with alternative routes to achieve their goals. Finally, additional articles were discussed to help evaluate growth mindset interventions in higher education.

Self-efficacy and negative silence in the classroom: The mediating role of fear of negative evaluation

BACKGROUND

Negative silence in the classroom is a usual passive behavior, which means students tend to keep silent and are unwilling to participate in the teaching interaction. It hinders the classroom teaching quality severely. Previous studies have shown both self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation are related to silent behavior. However, little research has explained whether self-efficacy affects negative silence in the classroom through fear of negative evaluation.

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationships between self-efficacy, fear of negative evaluation and negative silence in the classroom.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted to collect data from 568 undergraduate nursing students from a higher medical institution in Guizhou Province, west of China, from October to November 2021. the T-Test or analysis of variance was used as a univariate analysis and the Bootstrap test was applied to verify the mediating effect.

FINDINGS

Nursing students' self-efficacy was negatively related to both fear of negative evaluation and negative silence in the classroom（r = -0. 188, P＜0. 05; r = -0. 298, P＜0. 05, respectively; fear of negative evaluation was positively related to negative classroom silence（r = 0. 392, P＜0. 05; mediation analysis showed the mediating effect of fear of negative evaluation accounted for 23. 53% of the total [Effect Value= -0. 08, 95%CI（- 0. 12，- 0. 03].

DISCUSSION

Fear of negative evaluation partially mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and negative silence in the classroom. Therefore, reducing nursing students' negative evaluation fear can be used as a target for interventions to address nursing students' negative classroom silence issue, promoting the quality of classroom teaching and learning.

The Association between University Students’ Achievement Goal Orientation and Academic Engagement: Examining the Mediating Role of Perceived School Climate and Academic Self-Efficacy

Enhancing academic engagement in university students can help enrich students’ educational experience. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources Model and the Job Demand-Resources Model, this study aims to explore the links between undergraduates’ achievement goal orientation and academic engagement (AE), by examining the mediating functions of perceived school climate (PSC) and academic self-efficacy (ASE). Using whole-group sampling, 571 Chinese undergraduates were selected using a self-reporting method to explore the impacts of mastery-approach goals (MAGs) and performance-avoidance goals (PAGs) on AE, as well as the chain mediating effects of PSC and ASE. The findings show that both MAGs and PAGs have a positive, direct, predictive effect on university students’ AE. Additionally, both goal orientations indirectly predict AE through PSC and ASE, separately. The results showed there was also a significant chain mediating effect of PSC and ASE, where for both goal orientations, AE was positively predicted. This study highlights the role of environmental as well as personal factors in facilitating self-regulated learning among university students, and it discusses implications for future research.

Verbalized Studying and Elaborative Interrogation in the Virtual Classroom: Students with Social Anxiety Prefer Working Alone, but Working with a Peer Does Not Hurt Their Learning

Due to public health measures enacted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, educators and students alike have been suddenly thrust into the realm of online learning. To better understand how active and collaborative learning methods can apply to students studying in isolation, we compared the effects of two teach-and-question assignments: one that utilizes the active learning method of reciprocal peer tutoring and a solo version that requires individual verbalized studying and elaborative interrogation. We used a quasi-experimental design, with student participants enrolled in an online introductory human anatomy course. The first treatment group completed regular teach-and-question study assignments virtually with a peer, and the second treatment group completed the same assignment independently. We found no differences in exam scores between treatments, even for students with high social anxiety; however, student attitudes about the social versus individual assignment did differ for specific types of students. Students who reported experiencing high social anxiety preferred completing the active learning exercise by themselves, and students with low scientific reasoning ability preferred the partnered assignment. This research has potential implications for online classrooms. For instance, our results indicate that students who study independently, or in isolation, may have learning outcomes similar to those of students who study with a peer as long as they study actively. Because we found no negative impact on examination results, it also could be that virtually partnered or independent teach-and-question assignments could be helpful for instructors teaching large online classes to ensure all students are getting individualized feedback and attention.

Aspects of Large-Enrollment Online College Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Student Anxiety

Anxiety is the top mental health concern for undergraduates. While researchers have identified ways that in-person science courses can affect anxiety, little is known about how online science courses affect anxiety. In this study, 2111 undergraduates at a large research-intensive institution completed survey questions about their anxiety in large-enrollment online science courses. Specifically, we assessed students' anxiety in the context of online science courses and asked what aspects of online science courses increase and decrease their anxiety. Students also identified what instructors can do to lessen anxiety in online classrooms. We used open coding and logistic regression to analyze student responses. More than 50% of students reported at least moderate anxiety in the context of online college science courses. Students commonly reported that the potential for personal technology issues (69.8%) and proctored exams (68.0%) increased their anxiety, while being able to access content at a later time (79.0%) and attending class from where they want (74.2%) decreased their anxiety. The most common ways that students suggested that instructors could decrease student anxiety is to increase test-taking flexibility (25.0%) and be understanding (23.1%). This study provides insight into how instructors can create more inclusive online learning environments for students with anxiety.

Virology in the Classroom: Current Approaches and Challenges to Undergraduate- and Graduate-Level Virology Education

The pervasive effects of the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are but one reason for educators to refocus their efforts on virology teaching. Additionally, it is critical to understand how viruses function and to elucidate the relationship between virus and host. An understanding of current virology education may improve pedagogical approaches for educating our students and trainees. Faculty who teach undergraduate microbiology indicate that approximately 10% of the course content features viruses; stand-alone virology courses are infrequently offered to undergraduates. Fortunately, virology taught to undergraduates includes foundational material; several approaches for delivery of lecture- and lab-based content exist. At the graduate education level, there is growing appreciation that an emphasis on logic, reasoning, inference, and statistics must be reintroduced into the curriculum to create a generation of scientists who have a greater capacity for creativity and innovation. Educators also need to remove barriers to student success, at all levels of education. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Virology, Volume 8 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.