6277 research outputs found
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Undergraduate students’ perceptions of generative artificial intelligence as a predictor of learning autonomy in Ghana
No full textThe rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education raises important questions about students’ preparedness to use these tools meaningfully, particularly in low-resource contexts where digital access and AI literacy remain limited. This study examined whether undergraduates’ perceptions of GenAI use predict learning autonomy in a Ghanaian higher education setting (N = 969). A cross-sectional survey revealed that more than half of the students reported no prior experience with AI tools, and nearly one out of three had low AI literacy levels. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the data analysis applied descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and linear regression. Findings demonstrated a strong positive relationship between GenAI perception and learning autonomy, with GenAI perception accounting for 75.8% of the variance in autonomy. While this effect size is unusually high and should be interpreted with caution, the study provides actionable insights for designing educational strategies that equip students with the skills to engage responsibly and effectively with AI tools, thereby fostering autonomy and preparing them for a digitally evolving academic environment
Implementing peer teaching in Maritime undergraduate education to improve inclusivity and student engagement in the classroom
No full textMaritime education in universities and colleges entails teaching various academic and practical courses, ranging from navigation and management modules to advanced courses such as firefighting and medical training. These modules are very compressed and must be completed within a set time frame, particularly for short courses. This study investigates thefeasibility and usefulness of implementing peer teaching for those modules and whether it can be done for just a few courses or all of them. For this project, experimental peer teaching in the classroom and a qualitative method will be employed, including an online survey of approximately a hundred students studying in various phases at Warsash Maritime Academy(Solent University). The author studies the effectiveness of peer teaching by pre-selecting volunteer students and notifying them that they will teach their peers a portion of a particular module in the classroom, with at least two weeks to prepare. Later in the session, a JISC- prepared survey was distributed in the classroom using a QR code. The study explores thechallenges, restrictions, benefits, and drawbacks of the peer teaching technique and its impact on ensuring appropriate training for deck cadets
Six institutional intervention areas to support ethical and effective student use of generative AI in higher education: a narrative review
No full textThe integration of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek, into higher education offers transformative opportunities for personalised learning and academic productivity. However, their unregulated use raises concerns about academic integrity, critical thinking, and educational equity. This systematic review synthesises insights from 96 peer-reviewed articles, identifying six key intervention themes, namely, curriculum integration, policy and governance, faculty development, student-centred strategies, assessment adaptation, and technological infrastructure. Together, these themes form a comprehensive intervention framework designed to guide students’ ethical and effective engagement with AI. This review highlights the need for institutions to move beyond fragmented policies, fostering systemic cultural and pedagogical change to align AI use with authentic learning outcomes. By bridging theoretical gaps and providing actionable strategies, this framework equips educators and policymakers to scaffold responsible AI integration across diverse higher education contexts
An international survey of image and performance enhancing drug coaches’ practices and services
No full textBackground: In the absence of governmental harm reduction support, the image and performance enhancing drug (IPED) community has developed its own strategies to mitigate drug-related risks, including the emergence of IPED coaches who provide guidance on drug use. Existing studies on IPED coaching are predominantly qualitative, with small, Western-based samples. Methods: This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey to explore the lived experiences of forty-one IPED coaches from diverse global contexts, to examine IPED consumption, related harms, and the scope of coaching services they offer. Results: Coaches reported use of a wide range of injectable and oral steroids, alongside ancillary substances. Coaching practices varied considerably, with client numbers ranging from 0 to over 70. Service provision included bloodwork advice, analysis, and in some cases, drug supply. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate substantial heterogeneity in IPED coaching practices, providing a foundation for the development of a typology that distinguishes informed, evidence-aligned guidance from misinformed or potentially harmful practices within the community
Equality, not equity: equestrian women coaches’ gendered experiences in high-performance coaching within a Gender-integrated Sport
No full textResearch into the coaching experiences of women in gender-segregated sports has identified structural gender hierarchies as the basis of inequality. The purpose of this research was to explore whether gendered expectations, stereotypes and discrimination exist for coaches in the unique environment of the gender-integrated sport of equestrianism. While equestrianism provides a unique insight as a sport where men and women compete as equals, there is limited research exploring coaching environments in this field, especially for women in coaching positions. Semi-structured interviews were used to examine the experiences of six high-performing women equestrian coaches. Results indicated that participants have not only been stereotyped but have experienced gender discrimination both in recruitment and in the course of their everyday work. We also show that women coaches are successfully navigating the dominant gender order by drawing upon a variety of strategies. This has allowed some women coaches to progress to high-performance positions; however, hierarchical structures remain and therefore legitimise the dominant gender order in sport. We therefore recommend that coach education discusses gendered practices and that the governing bodies associated with the sport support women through formalised and sustained frameworks
Context-Aware personalized news delivery through efficient text classification of Sinhalese news articles
No full textPersonalized news delivery systems are critically underdeveloped for low-resource languages, with Sinhalese facing significant challenges due to its complex linguistic structure and the scarcity of comprehensive public datasets. This study aims to overcome these limitations by developing a context-aware personalized news delivery system for Sinhalese news articles, enhancing accessibility and relevance for readers. The methodology involved compiling a new, comprehensive dataset of 7254 articles across 14 distinct categories, sourced from public repositories and web scraping. This data underwent rigorous preprocessing, including tokenization, stop word removal, and stemming, before being used to train and evaluate several text classification models. A fine-tuned SinBERT-small model demonstrated the most effective performance, achieving a weighted F1-score of 87.63%. The developed system integrates this high-performance classifier with context-aware recommendation techniques to provide personalized content. A primary contribution of this research is the successful development of a functional and publicly accessible news categorizer API, representing a significant advancement in practical NLP tools for the Sinhalese language. By offering both a practical solution and a new, large-scale categorized dataset, this work bridges a crucial gap in NLP for low-resource languages and provides a foundation for future research
Security risks to commercial ships in the Arctic Ocean due to high tension among states
No full textNavigation of ships in the Arctic Ocean is beneficial for world trade. However, ship security threats may appear due to maritime disputes. This paper aims to identify navigation security risks at different escalation levels among arctic states. In this paper, a conflict escalation game theory for three Arctic states is carried out. At each escalation scenario, an aggressor state has the option to practice certain tactics. Tactics were selected by examining similar maritime dispute conflicts, such as military exercises, rescue operations, and broadcasting safety messages to claim territorial rights in dispute sea zones. Then, escalation scenarios are examined, showing the navigation threats for commercial ships. Results show that a middle-level escalation by an aggressive state could be beneficial to achieving its territorial claims. On the other hand, several navigation risks could cause maritime casualties in a sensitive area. Several studies have covered the issue of safety navigation in the Arctic Ocean and the need for cooperation among states. The originality of this paper lies in examining how each escalation phase could cause risk to commercial ships, urging the need to establish safe navigation zones in the area
Fostering belonging and reflection: supporting continuation and degree success among Foundation and Year 0 students
No full textThis case study examines the impact of targeted pedagogic interventions on student progression and continuation within a Foundation (Year 0) programme at a UK university. Over four academic years, a series of community-focused strategies were implemented, including a reflective Personal Development Planning (PDP) module, structured collaborative group work, adaptive interdisciplinary curriculum design, and initiatives to foster a sense of belonging. Analysis of student outcomes indicates improvements in Foundation pass rates, progression to degree study, and continuation within higher education compared to earlier cohorts. The findings suggest that reflective practice supports student resilience and self-awareness, while collaborative and interdisciplinary learning strengthens peer networks and social integration. Access to degree-level spaces and responsive curriculum adjustments further enhanced engagement and motivation. Overall, the study provides evidence that holistic, relational approaches can positively influence both academic outcomes and student experience, offering practical strategies for supporting diverse cohorts and strengthening transitions into higher education
Contributing factors to nonuptake of contraception among sexually active men in Asokore Mampong Municipality of Ghana: A cross-sectional study
No full textBackground: The non-uptake of contraception by sexually active men is a significant health concern. However, there is a paucity of data concerning contraception use among sexually active men in Ghana. This study examined contributing factors to nonuptake of contraception among sexually active men in Asokore Mampong Municipality, Ghana. Methodology: 327 sexually active men were recruited for the study using a simple random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct a face-to-face interview and gather study data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using IBM SPSS v27. At a 95% confidence level and a p-value of less than 0.05, an association was indicated between the dependent and independent variables, suggesting a significant relationship. Results:Participants’ non-uptake of contraception was 44.6%. Predictors such as employment (p=<.011), nuclear family system (p=0.002), Desire to have children (p=<.001), Multiple sexual partners (p=<0.03), Contraception side effects (p=0.012), Difficulty accessing contraception (p=0.021) and poor knowledge on contraception (p=0.036) predicted contraception non-uptake.Conclusion: Sexually active men in the municipality do not take contraceptives. This was influenced by employment status, nuclear family, desire to have children, multiple sexual partners, side effects of contraception, difficulty accessing contraception and lack of knowledge about contraception. Intensifying education on male contraception would increase contraception uptake. Increasing education about contraception among men would increase contraception uptake
Excavating the past and (re)finding myself: exploring veterans’ and providers’ experiences of wellbeing archaeology
No full textParticipation in heritage and archaeology is increasingly offered in the community to support mental health and wellbeing, particularly to groups experiencing mental health challenges. One such group are military veterans, who experience higher rates of mental health challenges but less help-seeking than the general population. Since 2011 archaeological projects have been offered to veterans to support transition, mental health, and wellbeing. Consequently, provision has become increasingly framed as an intervention, with evaluation focused on mental health and wellbeing outcomes. However, there is little understanding of why archaeology impacts positively. Adopting an interpretative qualitative approach, this study explored veterans’ and providers’ perceptions of how and why archaeology supports mental health and wellbeing. Interviews with five UK veterans and four providers of UK projects were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were developed, each with three subthemes. Connection and belonging captured feelings of projects being a safe space, experiences of comradeship and peer support, and outcomes related to building social networks. Authenticity and purpose concerned the importance of participating authentically and contributing purposefully, and how participation was a catalyst for change. Meaning-making through the past explored how veterans make meaning through acts of remembrance, the important supporting role of professionals, and subsequent changes in wellbeing and mental health. On balance, findings support the assumption that archaeology isa powerful non-clinical intervention for veterans, but suggests that while wellbeing may improve, mental health may not. Furthermore, potential mechanisms are suggested that must be explored further to improve practice in this area
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