Ahmad Zamri Khairani

The study aims to develop a profile of AQ among polytechnic students based on their demographic status, using the Rasch logit setting. Proportionate stratified multistage cluster sampling was used to select 1,845 students. The results showed that the group of females, first-year students, Department of Marine Engineering program, and Western Zone Polytechnic Zone reported the highest AQ. This study advances the Rasch logit model as a robust technique for measuring AQ for profiling purposes, compared to the mean score. Future research should extend the Rasch logit model to broader educational contexts and to guide evidence-based educational interventions.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of happiness on the balance between positive and negative emotions among Indonesian university students. A total of 619 university students participated in this research, and data were collected using the Indonesian version of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ-I) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to evaluate the measurement and structural models. The measurement model demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, indicating that the instruments yielded reliable and valid measurements in this study. The findings showed that happiness positively predicted positive affect (? = .714, p < .001) and negatively predicted negative affect (? = –.494, p < .001). The model explained a substantial amount of variance in both constructs (R² = .51 and .22, respectively). These results suggest that higher levels of happiness are associated with a more favourable affective balance among students. While this study contributes to our understanding of emotional well-being in higher education, its interpretation should consider several limitations. These include gender imbalance in the sample, reliance on purposive sampling from only two faculties, and exclusive use of self-report measures. Future research could address these limitations by using more diverse samples and longitudinal designs to clarify the dynamics of happiness and affective balance in different cultural and academic contexts.

Successful homework completion necessitates engagement in self-regulated learning activities. The key challenge lies in fostering self-confidence among students to enable them to complete homework independently. Applying the importance-performance theory, the study uses a unique statistical tool to assess homework completion for practical recommendations. The objective is to offer practical recommendations benefiting students, parents, teachers, schools, and the Ministry of Education, aimed at enhancing homework completion due to its established benefits. Surveys encompassed 970 high school students in Penang’s northern state. Data underwent analysis via SmartPLS software, utilizing its importance performance functionality. Outcomes highlight the significance and performance of expectancy, value, homework management, homework effort constructs, and their indicator variables. These aspects were assessed within the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA). The homework effort construct notably exhibited the most pronounced influence on homework completion. Encouragingly, students are advised against copying mathematics homework and instead encouraged to complete it autonomously. Both homework effort and value constructs received a “keep up” endorsement, while homework management and expectancy constructs garnered an “education” recommendation. This approach yields a user-friendly visual tool to evaluate homework aspects. It effectively steers stakeholders in pinpointing pivotal areas for augmenting homework completion.

This study explores the impact of problematic social media use (PSMU) on the subjective well-being (SWB) of higher vocational college students, emphasizing the mediating roles of psychological distress (PD), and sleep disturbance (SD). A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 706 students from 4 higher vocational colleges in Jiangsu Province, China. Validated instruments were employed to measure PSMU, PD, SD, and SWB. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the direct and indirect relationships among these variables, with particular attention to the mediating, and serial mediating effects of PD and SD. The analysis revealed 3 critical findings: (1) PSMU significantly and negatively influences the SWB of higher vocational college students; (2) PD and SD partially mediate the negative relationship between PSMU and SWB; and (3) PD and SD function as serial mediators, further amplifying the negative impact of PSMU on SWB. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on digital behavior and mental health by elucidating the mechanisms through which PSMU undermines well-being. The study offers practical insights for educators and policymakers aiming to develop interventions that mitigate PSMU’s negative effects and promote the overall well-being of higher vocational college students.

Parental and peer support has been documented as an important factor in physical activities among high school students. Likewise, coach support has an important impact on physical activity among high school students. Meanwhile, many studies show that basic psychological needs have an essential effect on perceived autonomy and physical activity. As such, this study, using self-determination theory, aimed to explore the mediating role of basic psychological needs on physical activity among high school students in China. The Sport Climate Questionnaire, Psychological Need Satisfaction in Exercise Scale—Physical Activity, and the three-item Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 were employed to gauge responses from 736 high school students (15–18 years old). A structural equation model was employed to test the mediating effect. The researchers found a significant positive effect of perceived coach support on basic psychological need satisfaction. Basic psychological need satisfaction was also found to be a significant predictor of physical activity. Surprisingly, the results showed that perceived coach support negatively influences physical activity. As such, an indirect mediating effect is established. Basic psychological needs had an indirect mediating effect and could reduce the negative effect of coach support on physical activity engagement.

Background: Assessing the impact of interventions on college students’ physical activity (PA) requires the use of reliable and valid measurement tools. However, the tools employed in existing studies and their respective reliability and validity are not well-documented. This review aims to systematically evaluate the PA measurement tools utilized in interventions targeting college students and to assess the quality of their measurement properties. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo) to identify studies on PA interventions among college students, using specific inclusion criteria. The screening of literature and data extraction were independently performed by two authors, focusing on the types of PA measurements used and their measurement properties. Results: A total of 52 studies, involving 63 different PA measurement tools, were included. Of these, 28 studies used self-report tools, 14 employed objective tools (with one study using two different objective tools), and 10 combined both methods. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) emerged as the most frequently used self-report tool, while pedometers and accelerometers were the primary objective tools. Despite frequent references to reliability and validity, few studies provided specific evidence regarding measurement properties such as internal consistency and criterion validity, particularly those tailored to the studied population. Conclusion: The majority of PA measurement tools for college students rely on self-reported data, with limited verification of their reliability and validity. For a more accurate assessment of PA intervention effects, it is recommended to adapt the widely recognized IPAQ to specific contexts and incorporate objective tools like accelerometers, which offer practical and precise measurement within college settings.