Resilience and grit predict fewer academic and career concerns among first-year undergraduate students during COVID-19.

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted higher education in the United States (U.S.). During the first wave of infection and hospitalization, many universities and colleges transitioned classroom instruction to online or a hybrid format. In September 2021, classes largely returned to in-person after the COVID-19 vaccine was widely available and, in some cases, mandated on university and college campuses across the U.S. In the current research, first-year undergraduate students answered a series of questions about their resilience, grit, and perceived academic and career impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Spring (February/March - May) 2021 and 2022. Findings from a series of regression analyses showed that grit and resilience seemed to protect students and help them stay on track, even in the face of the global pandemic. Undergraduate students who reported higher levels of grit and resilience were less likely to worry about job opportunities shrinking as well as less likely to report changing their academic goals, career goals, and proposed major. Future directions and implications are discussed.

Resilience and grit predict fewer academic and career concerns among first-year undergraduate students during COVID-19

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted higher education in the United States (U.S.). During the first wave of infection and hospitalization, many universities and colleges transitioned classroom instruction to online or a hybrid format. In September 2021, classes largely returned to in-person after the COVID-19 vaccine was widely available and, in some cases, mandated on university and college campuses across the U.S. In the current research, first-year undergraduate students answered a series of questions about their resilience, grit, and perceived academic and career impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Spring (February/March - May) 2021 and 2022. Findings from a series of regression analyses showed that grit and resilience seemed to protect students and help them stay on track, even in the face of the global pandemic. Undergraduate students who reported higher levels of grit and resilience were less likely to worry about job opportunities shrinking as well as less likely to report changing their academic goals, career goals, and proposed major. Future directions and implications are discussed.

Pre-registration nursing students' anxiety and academic concerns after the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic and its related social restrictions have led to many uncertainties in nurse education, including the fear of infection in clinical learning settings and the challenge of remote learning. The modification of clinical and academic environments generated anxiety and academic concerns among nursing students. OBJECTIVES: To explore the main determinants of anxiety related to the clinical and classroom environments in nurse education after the second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. DESIGN: Multicentre cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Ten universities offering nursing bachelor programs in central and southern Italy. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 842 nursing students. METHODS: From April to July 2021, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Altered Student Study Environment Tool were administered to assess, respectively, students' anxiety and their concerns about the study environment. A regression model was tested. RESULTS: Most of the nursing students were female (76.6 %), living with family (70.9 %), and full-time students (85.7 %); 44.6 % were third-year of Bachelor in Nursing students. The majority of the participants (88.5 %) showed a level of anxiety. The statistically significant predictors of anxiety levels were concerns about grade attainment (ß=0.42, p < 0.001) in the total sample, and, among the first-year students, the completion of clinical placement (ß=0.14, p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest a need for the redesign of teaching activities and clinical learning experiences to ensure academic outcomes and to preserve students' psychological well-being. Models of learning environments' dynamic adaptation and ongoing psychological support should be implemented to develop tailored interventions.

Learning Stress, Involvement, Academic Concerns, and Mental Health among University Students during a Pandemic: Influence of Fear and Moderation of Self-Efficacy.

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of students. An effective method that can enable students to cope with difficult times is to help them realize their inner potential. Following the stimulus-organism-response model, this study developed a theoretical framework that deepens our understanding of an environmental stimulus (fear of COVID-19) that is experienced by students; struggle within the organism (learning stress, learning involvement, and academic concerns); and the psychological response (psychological well-being). The findings clarified how the fear of COVID-19 affects the psychological well-being of university students and revealed the moderate role of academic self-efficacy in this process. Some systematic practical advice was provided to higher education institutions to develop effective interventions to protect the mental health of college students and establish strategies to promote their inner potential.

Students academic and social concerns during COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Higher Education Institutions (HEI) replaced regular face-to-face teaching with online teaching and learning. However, the shift caused several academic and social concerns for students, such as lack of academic support, lack of adequate resources to support online teaching, lack of socialization, stress, anxiety, and lack of motivation in attending classes. This research evaluates the impact of HEIs support, faculty support, and resources available on the academic and social concerns of students in HEIs during the pandemic. 11,114 students across the HEIs in Sultanate of Oman participated in an online national survey. Regression and factor analysis were used to verify the research model developed based on the literature review. Results showed that HEI support and faculty support significantly affect university students' academic and social concerns. Furthermore, resource availability was found to affect the academic concerns of students but not their social concerns. This research recommends strategies for HEIs and faculty to promote faculty-student interaction using both synchronous and asynchronous modes to reduce student concerns and motivate them to engage in online classes.

COVID-19: Knowledge, anxiety, academic concerns and preventative behaviours among Australian and Indian undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To compare knowledge, anxiety, academic concerns and preventative behaviours between undergraduate nursing students in Australia and India during the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: Based on the World Health Organization's direction for containment of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), countries implemented varying levels of restrictions including closure of university campuses and providing on line undergraduate education. METHODS: Students in NSW, Australia and Kerala, India completed an online survey assessing their (a) knowledge and source of information about COVID-19; (b) anxiety; and coping strategies; (c) academic concerns; and (d) preventative behaviours. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarise the data. RESULTS: Data from 99 Australian and 113 Indian undergraduate nurses were analysed. Greater number of Indian students indicated having sufficient knowledge of COVID-19 (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.08, 0.63), getting information about COVID-19 from social media (OR 0.03; 95% CI 0.01, 0.07) and being concerned about 'attending clinical placement' (MD-1.08; 95% CI -1.94, -0.23). Australian students reported significantly higher levels of anxiety (MD 1.99 95% CI 1.21, 2.78), difficulty sleeping (OR 18.00; 95% CI 6.76, 47.96), concentrating (OR 33.22; 95% CI 13.85, 79.67) and eating (OR 14.05; 95% CI 3.19, 61.84). Greater number of Australian students indicated that they would go to the University if they needed to meet with other students (OR 9.21; 95% CI 3.08, 27.55), had to access the library (OR 7.20; 95% CI 3.26, 15.90) or had a group assignment (OR 2.93; 95% CI 1.26, 6.77). CONCLUSIONS: Wide variations were present in knowledge, anxiety, academic concerns and preventative behaviours among undergraduate nursing students in two countries. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Undergraduate students may benefit from additional support from the University and staff in the clinical setting with online learning and resources in order to adjust to the 'new normal' and enable them to achieve academic success.