Educational goals, assessment preferences and approaches to learning of MBA and MPA students in Singapore

 https://journals.sfu.ca/jalt/index.php/jalt/article/download/91/79/335

This study seeks to examine the educational goals, learning approach, and assessment preferences among part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) students in Singapore. The quantitative study uses a questionnaire that employs a revised two-factor study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to identify students’ approach to learning, and the adapted Assessment Preference Inventory (API) to examine students’ preferences to different assessment types and tasks. The sample comprises 101 students (55 MBA and 46 MPA students) from various age groups, of which 57 are male students. The results of this study showed that educational goals relating to career advancement/enhancement and improved knowledge and skills were the key motivational factors that lead students to pursue postgraduate studies. When it comes to approaches to learning, students generally reported adopting a deep learning approach. This approach to learning was also evident in the assessment preference where they preferred assessments that required problem solving and application of materials learnt during the course. Among the five assessment types, respondents have a strong preference for individual assignments and showed least preference for exams. However, there was no significant difference in the preference for any of the assessment items/format among gender and age groups. The findings in this study can inform curriculum redesign for both programmes to suit the needs of existing students and also to increase their appeal to prospective students. The respondents’ views on their learning approach and assessment preferences allow instructors and module leaders to rethink the teaching pedagogy and current assessment structure that favour assignments in order to improve students’ learning

Millennial in the Workplace: Relationship between Intrapersonal Skills and Leadership Performance

 

Millennial in the Workplace: Relationship between Intrapersonal Skills and Leadership Performance

• Catherine Marbun
• Psychology
• 2021

Intrapersonal skills are integral to human lives. As applied in a management setting, intrapersonal skills are fundamental to leaders. Assessment on relationship between intrapersonal skills and leadership performance as well as relation to leaders’ profile can help management to prepare their millennial leader on develop their soft skills to be better leaders in the future. Based on big five theory on Intrapersonal Skills of Leaders, the five elements (conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness and extraversion) were required to a very large extent in millennial leadership. The five elements were significantly related to gender, and only some elements having significant relation to age, educational attainment, and length of service of millennial leaders. Management together with human resource department should constantly review the soft skills of millennial leaders by evaluating their teams’ performance.

http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0221/ijsrp-p11084.pdf

The Relationship between Erciyes, Selçuk, and Akdeniz Medical School Third-Year Students’ Learning Approaches and Their Non-attendance Attitude and Tendencies

The Relationship between Erciyes, Selçuk, and Akdeniz Medical School Third-Year Students’ Learning Approaches and Their Non-attendance Attitude and Tendencies

https://brieflands.com/articles/jme-105575.pdf

Abstract

Background: Non-attendance is an undesirable student behavior. Although some studies about the factors for non-attendance behavior have been carried out at medical schools, the learning approach of a student has not been studied and it can also be a factor for non-attendance. We aimed to assess the relationship between learning approaches and non-attendance attitude and tendency.Methods: This is a correlational study. 644 students registered in three medical schools were enrolled. Data were collected during May 2015. “The Revised Two Factor Learning Approach Scale”, “Non-attendanceAttitude Scale” and “Non-attendance Tendency Scale” were used as data collection tools.Results: Out of 478 studied students, 10.3% mentioned that they never missed theoretical classes and 71.3% mentioned that they never missed practical classes. Sleeplessness was the most common reason fornon-attendance. 45.6% of all students thought that non-attendance affected student success. The students’ mean score for deep learning was 29.5±6.1 and for superficial learning was 30.5±5.6. The mean scorefor non-attendance attitude scale was 54.4±12.8 and from non-attendance tendency scale was 90.5±19.6. Conclusion: Learning approach is an effective factor for attendance. As deep learning approach is adopted, tendency for non-attendance decreases and the attitude becomes positive.

Exploring Critical Issues of Technical Support in Contact Centers of the Philippines: Toward a Grounded Theory

 Exploring Critical Issues of Technical Support in Contact Centers of the Philippines: Toward a Grounded Theory

This is the abstract

ABSTRACT

The contact center industry in the Philippines, named by Deloitte as one of the two top contact center destinations in Asia, has been expanding rapidly in terms of technology, workforce size, and economic scope. This study aims to explore, using the Glaserian grounded theory method (GTM), the main concern of contact center agents, particularly inbound technical support representatives, in Northern Mindanao in the Philippines, and how they resolve their main concern, especially using information technology. GTM goes beyond the descriptive approach of most qualitative methods by generating from the data, a theory of the substantive area. The rationale for GTM reflects the source of the developed theory grounded in the behavior, words, and actions of those under study. The theory can inform the development of systems, processes, structures, and policies that will support the actors in the substantive area. Preliminary results suggest that staying at the organization or else seeking other employment opportunities is the main concern of the technical support representatives, who resolve this main concern using a cyclical process, each cycle of which has four stages: training, struggling, coping, and motivating. The application of technologies in contact center operations can play a key role in sustaining the technical support representatives' decision to stay longer in the industry.