The objective of this study was to analyse the inclusive culture in the Faculty of Engineering of a private university in Lima. The research focused on teaching staff and student perceptions regarding the value of student diversity and the barriers that hinder academic performance. The approach was qualitative with a phenomenological design and included a sample of 10 university teachers and six students. The instruments used were a semi-structured interview guide for university teachers and a focus group guide for students. The data analysis procedure was conducted using ATLAS.ti (version 23). The results demonstrate a gap between the valuation of diversity and inclusive practice, whereby Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is not incorporated into session planning. Likewise, a lack of learning supports is recognised as a result of institutional deficiencies.
Early identification of students experiencing academic difficulty is critical to supporting student success and retention in their first year of university. This study examines an interpretable learning analytics framework designed to support timely intervention in a first-year introductory statistics unit. Data from 566 students across three cohorts were used to develop and evaluate predictive models using assessment results collected during the teaching period and enrolment characteristics. The selected model demonstrated strong predictive performance and was validated on a subsequent cohort. To support practical implementation, predictions were translated into a colour-coded risk report that enables educators to quickly identify and prioritise students requiring academic support. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)-based explanations were incorporated to provide transparency and assist educators in understanding the factors contributing to individual risk classifications. Findings indicate that formative assessments are the strongest indicators of academic success, highlighting opportunities for proactive and targeted intervention. The framework demonstrates how interpretable learning analytics can support evidence-informed decision-making and student success in large first-year units.
This study examined how caregiving and employment affected academic engagement among Ghanaian university students. Drawing on Role Congruity Theory and the Conservation of Resources framework, it employed a cross-sectional survey of 316 undergraduates at Bolgatanga Technical University. Logistic regression was used to analyse how caregiving and work contribute to academic disruption, defined as missed classes, reduced study time and compromised performance. Results showed that caregiving and employment were strong predictors of disruption: caregivers were over 34 times, and employed or dual-role students over 75 times, more likely to miss classes than peers without such roles. Although gender–role interactions were not statistically significant, predicted probabilities revealed that female students faced greater disruption (88%) than males (69%). Marital status also heightened the risk of disruption, underscoring the compounding effect of family obligations. The study concluded that caregiving and employment are central determinants of academic success and calls for gender-responsive institutional policies to reduce inequities.
Student happiness plays an important role in promoting academic engagement, well-being, and meaningful learning experiences in higher education. This study examined the level of learning happiness among students at the Ganesha University of Education (Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha), Bali, Indonesia, within the cultural context of the Balinese philosophies of Tri Hita Karana and Tri Kaya Parisudha. A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted with 150 undergraduate students using a 27-item questionnaire measuring five dimensions of learning happiness. The five dimensions were derived from established theoretical perspectives and contextualised through the integration of the principles of Tri Hita Karana and Tri Kaya Parisudha to reflect the cultural context of students’ learning experiences. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that students reported a high level of learning happiness overall (M = 83.64, SD = 10.30). Among the five dimensions, social relationships in the lecture environment recorded the highest mean score, whereas academic workload received the lowest mean score, although it remained within the high category. High levels of learning happiness were also observed across all semester levels and both gender groups. These findings suggest that students generally experience positive and meaningful learning, despite academic demands, within an educational environment informed by the values of Tri Hita Karana and Tri Kaya Parisudha. As the study was conducted at a single university and employed a descriptive design, future research should examine learning happiness across multiple universities and investigate its relationship with important educational outcomes, such as academic engagement, student persistence, and academic achievement.
Financial precarity has become an increasingly prominent feature of the contemporary higher education experience, with growing evidence linking financial hardship to adverse psychological outcomes for students. This study explored how undergraduate students at a post-1992 United Kingdom university experience and make sense of financial precarity and its relationship with psychological wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine undergraduates and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes were generated: financial shock and structural unpreparedness, financial precarity as a cognitive burden, embodied stress and psychological strain, social restriction and altered student experience, and stigma and barriers to help-seeking. Financial precarity emerged as pervasive and multidimensional, shaping cognitive functioning, wellbeing, and academic and social engagement. Findings indicate that institutions should strengthen pre-enrolment financial guidance, integrate financial and wellbeing support services, actively reduce the stigma of financial hardship, and build awareness among academic staff of the structural barriers facing widening participation students.
