What makes learning enjoyable? Perspectives of today’s college students in the U.S. and Brazil

Corey Seemiller; Meghan Grace; Paula Dal Bo Campagnolo; Isa Mara Da Rosa Alves; Gustavo Severo De Borba

doi:10.33902/JPR.2020065267

Corey Seemiller ¹ ^* , Meghan Grace ², Paula Dal Bo Campagnolo ³, Isa Mara Da Rosa Alves ⁴, Gustavo Severo De Borba ⁵

More Detail

¹ Wright State University, Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations, USA
² Plaid, LLC, USA
³ Unisinos University, Academic Manager and Graduation Unit, Brasil
⁴ Unisinos University, Postgraduate Program in Applied Linguistics, Brasil
⁵ Unisinos University, Undergraduate Studies Academic Unit, Brasil
^* Corresponding Author

Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to uncover what makes learning enjoyable for Generation Z college students (born 1995-2010) in the United States (U.S.) and Brazil. Qualitative data from 1,282 participants in the U.S. and 775 participants in Brazil were analyzed independently and for comparison using content analysis and thematic coding. The results of this study show both similarities and differences between these two populations. Both groups enjoy learning that is interesting, inspiring, relevant, and engaging. U.S. students enjoy knowledge acquisition, learning for societal impact, and having instructors who are competent and relatable. Brazil students, on the other hand, enjoy peer learning. While these results align with previous research findings on preferences for learning and cultural nuances, it is important to note that studies on Generation Z college students and learning are sparse. Thus, understanding this generational cohort in higher education is paramount for both informing and supporting individual pedagogical practices and shaping training initiatives on teaching and learning in higher education. In addition, given the impact of globalization on technology, commerce, entertainment, and information, uncovering the similarities in how young people from different cultures perceive learning may have global implications on research, training, and individual instruction in a more macro and universal way.

Keywords

generation Z instruction learning enjoyment international comparative learning college students

References

Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518-529.
Baid, H., & Lambert, N. (2010). Enjoyable learning: The role of humour, games, and fun activities in nursing and midwifery education. Nursing Education Today, 30(6), 548-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2009.11.007
BBC. (2018). Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil’s firebrand leader dubbed the Trump of the tropics. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45746013
Braxton, J.M., Doyle, W.R., Hartley III, H.V., Hirschy, A.S., Jones, W.A., & McLendon, M.K. (2014). Rethinking college student retention. Jossey-Bass.
Brazil Ministry of Education. (2017). National Institute of Educacional Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (NIESR). Higher education census: Statistic notes. Education Ministry.
Central Intelligence Agency. (2017). The world factbook: Country comparison: GDP (Purchasing power parity). https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988593
Daniels, L. M., Stupnisky, R. H., Pekrun, R., Haynes, T. L., Perry, R. P., & Newall, N. E. (2009). A longitudinal analysis of achievement goals: From affective antecedents to emotional effects and achievement outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 948-963. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0016096
Delaney, J. G., Johnson, A. N., Johnson, T. D., & Treslan, D. L. (2010). Students’ perceptions of effective teaching in higher education. Distance Education and Learning Technologies.
Delbanco, A. (2012). College: What it was, is, and should be. Princeton University Press.
Deloitte. (2017). Global mobile consumer trends, 2^nd edition. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/us-global-mobile-consumer-survey-second-edition.pdf
Demuth, C. (2013). Ensuring rigor in qualitative research within the field of cross-cultural psychology. In Y. Kashima, E. S. Kashima, and R. Beatson (Eds.), Steering the Cultural Dynamics (pp. 34-40). International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.
Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 109-132. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153
Esser, F. & Vliegenthart, R. (2017). Comparative research methods. In J. Matthes, C. S. Davis, and R. F. Potter (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods (pp. 1-22). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Feldens, M. D. G. F., & Duncan, J. (1986). Improving university teaching: What Brazilian students say about their teachers. Higher Education, 15(6), 641-649.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597-606. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol8/iss4/6
Goldman, Z. W., Cranmer, G. A., Sollitto, M., Labelle, S., & Lancaster, A. L. (2016). What do college students want? A prioritization of instructional behaviors and characteristics. Communication Education, 66(3), 280–298. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2016.1265135
Government of Brazil. (2017). By 2014, 58.5% of 18- and 24-year-olds were in college. Retrieved from http://www.brasil.gov.br/noticias/educacao-e-ciencia/2015/12/numero-de-estudantes-universitarios-cresce-25-em-10-anos
Griffin, S. (2005). Teaching for enjoyment: David Manson and his ‘play school’ of Belfast. Irish Educational Studies, 24(2), 133-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323310500435398?journalCode=ries20
Hernik, J., & Jaworska, E. (2018, March 5-7). The effect of enjoyment on learning [Conference proceedings]. International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, Spain. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2018.1087
Hidi, S., & Renninger, K. A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41, 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep4102_4
Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). Compare countries. Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/
Hsiu-Fang, H., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Human Rights Watch. (2017). Brazil: Events of 2017. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/brazil
INEP. (2018). Mulheres são maioria na Educação Superior brasileira. http://portal.inep.gov.br/artigo/-/asset_publisher/B4AQV9zFY7Bv/content/mulheres-sao-maioria-na-educacao-superior-brasileira/21206
Institute of National Education Studies and Research. (2017). Statistical synopsis higher education statistics-undergraduate. http://portal.inep.gov.br/web/guest/sinopses-estatisticas-da-educacao-superior
Johnson, R. B. (1997). Examining the validity structure of qualitative research. Education, 118(2), 282-292.
Kane, R., Sandretto, S., & Heath, C. (2004). An investigation into excellent tertiary teaching: Emphasising reflecting practice. Higher Education, 47, 283-310. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HIGH.0000016442.55338.24
Kashdan, T. B., Rose, P., & Fincham, F. D. (2004). Curiosity and exploration: Facilitating positive subjective experiences and personal growth opportunities. Journal of Personality Assessment, 82(3), 291-305. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa8203_05
Khaleel, F. L., Ashaari, N. S., Wook, T. S. M. T., & Ismail, A. (2015. April 21-23). User-enjoyable learning environment based on gamification elements [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Computer, Communication, and Control Technology, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. https://doi.org/10.1109/I4CT.2015.7219570
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
König, L. (2018). Podcasts in higher education: teacher enthusiasm increases students’ excitement, interest, enjoyment, and learning motivation. Educational Studies, 87, 192-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2019.1706040
Litman, J. A., & Jimerson, T. L. (2004). The measurement of curiosity as a feeling of deprivation. Journal of Personality Assessment, 82(2), 147-157. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa8202_3
Lumby J. (2011). Enjoyment and learning: Policy and secondary school learners' experience in England. British Educational Research Journal, 37(2), 247-264. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920903540680
Marcus, J. (2015). Brazil: Where free universities largely serve the wealthy. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/04/brazil-where-free-universities-largely-serve-the-wealthy/389997/
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Enjoy. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enjoy
Millis, B. J. (2012). Active learning strategies in face-to-face classes. IDEA paper #53.” The IDEA Center. https://www.ideaedu.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/IDEA%20Papers/IDEA%20Papers/PaperIDEA_53.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2018a). 2015-2016 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS: 16): Student financial aid estimates for 2015-16. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018466.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2018b). The condition of education: Characteristics of postsecondary faculty. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_csc.asp
National Center for Education Statistics. (2018c). The condition of education: Undergraduate enrollment. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cha.asp
National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Digest of education Statistics, 2018 (NCES 2020-009), Table 330.10. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76
National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. (2018). 2015-2016 national postsecondary student aid study (NPSAS: 16): Student financial aid estimates for 2015-16. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018466.pdf
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2018). Term enrollment estimates: Fall 2018. Retrieved from https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/CurrentTermEnrollmentReport-Fall-2018-3.pdf
OECD. (2011). OECD better life index. http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/income/
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Witcher, A. E., Collins, K. M. T., Filer, J. D., Wiedmaier, C. D., & Moore, C. W. (2007). Students’ perceptions of characteristics of effective college teachers: A validity study of a teaching evaluation form using a mixed-methods analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 44(1), 113-160. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831206298169
Pearson. (2019). The global learner survey. Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/global-store/global/resources/Pearson_Global_Learner_Survey_2019.pdf
Pew Research Center. (2015). The whys and hows of generations research. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/09/03/the-whys-and-hows-of-generations-research/
Powell, J. P., & Andresen, L. W. (1985). Humour and teaching in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 10(1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075078512331378726
Priniski, S. J., Hecht, C. A., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2018). Making learning personally meaningful: A new framework for relevance research. The Journal of Experimental Education, 86(1), 11-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2017.1380589
Revell, A., & Wainwright, E. (2009). What makes lectures ‘unmissable’? Insights into teaching excellence and active learning. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 33(2), 209-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098260802276771
Saldaña, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2^nd ed.). SAGE.
Schiefele, U. (1991). Interest, learning, and motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(3 & 4), 299-323. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1991.9653136
Schloss, P. J., & Cragg, K. M. (2013). Organization and administration in higher education. Routledge.
Authors. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. Routledge.
Sheldon, K. M., Ryan, R., & Reis, H. T. (1996). What makes for a good day? Competence and autonomy in the day and in the person. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22(12), 1270-1279. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672962212007
Silva, E. D., Macedo, M., Teixeira, C., Lanzer, E., & Graziani, Á.P. (2017). Game-based learning: Analysis of students’ motivation, performance, and drop out in a production engineering course. In J. Kantola, T. Barath, S. Nazir, & T. Andre (Eds.), Advances in Human Factors, Business Management, Training and Education. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 498, 933-945. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42070-7_86
Silva, A.B.D., Bispo, A.C.K.d.A., Rodriguez, D.G., & Vasquez, F.I.F. (2018). Problem-based learning: A proposal for structuring PBL and its implications for learning among students in an undergraduate management degree program. Revista de Gestão, 25(2), 160-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/REGE-03-2018-030
Sparks & Honey. (2014). Meet Gen Z: Forget everything you learned about Millennials. www.slideshare.net/sparksandhoney/generation-z-final-june-17
Stake, R. E. (1990). Situational context as influence on evaluation design and use. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 16, 231-246. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-49X(05)80027-6
Statista. (2017). Number of higher education institutions in the United States from 1980-2017. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/240833/higher-education-institutions-in-the-us-by-type/
Subhash, S., & Cudney, E. A. (2018). Gamified learning in higher education: A systematic review of the literature. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 192-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.028
Tang, F., Chou, S., & Chiang, H. (2005). Students’ perceptions of effective and ineffective clinical instructors. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(4), 187-192. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20050401-09
The College Board. (2019). Education pays: The benefits of higher education for individuals and society. https://research.collegeboard.org/pdf/education-pays-2019-full-report.pdf
The World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS
Thorne, S. (2000). Data analysis in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing, 3, 68-70. https://doi.org/10.1136/ebn.3.3.68
Torok, S. E., McMorris, R. F., & Lin, W. (2004). Is humor an appreciated teaching tool? College Teaching, 52(1), 14-20. https://doi.org/10.3200?CTCH.52.1.14-20
Varkey Foundation. (2017). Generation Z: Global citizenship survey. https://www.varkeyfoundation.org/media/4487/global-young-people-report-single-pages-new.pdf
Watson, D. & Tellegen, A. (1985). Toward a consensual structure of mood. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 219-235. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.219
WENR. (2019). Education in Brazil. https://wenr.wes.org/2019/11/education-in-brazil
World Population Review. (2019). Total population by country 2019. http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/
Yeager, D. S., & Bundick, M. J. (2009). The role of purposeful work goals in promoting meaning in life and in schoolwork during adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24, 423-452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558409336749
Young, S. (2006). Student views of effective online teaching in higher education. Journal of Distance Education, 20(2), 65-77. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15389286ajde2002_2

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Info

Article Type: Research Article

https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.2020065267

Journal of Pedagogical Research, 2021 - Volume 5 Issue 1, pp. 1-17

Published Online: 19 Dec 2020

Views: 3622 | Downloads: 1739

Open Access

How to cite this article