Attitude Scale Research Articles

Development of a distance education attitude scale for lifelong learning (DEAS-LLL): a validity and reliability study

ABSTRACT In recent times, the utilization of distance education (DE) has witnessed a notable surge across various sectors, particularly amidst the backdrop of pandemics. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive Distance Education Attitude Scale tailored for Lifelong Learning (LLL) contexts. Methodologically, the research enlisted the participation of 260 physicians, employing a five-point Likert scale design. The content validity index yielded an impressive score of 0.92. Following a rigorous 48-item pilot application among 30 physicians, a refined 37-item draft scale emerged. Through explanatory factor analysis, the scale revealed a robust 4-factor structure comprising 22 items. Model fit indices, gauged through confirmatory factor analysis, underscored the scale's coherence and alignment. In the test-retest phase, an analysis utilizing Pearson Correlation Coefficient yielded a robust correlation coefficient of r = 0.891, signifying high stability over time. Moreover, a paired-sample t-test revealed non-significant differences (t = −0.041, p:0.968), further affirming the scale's reliability. With a commendable Cronbach's alpha value of 0.946, the finalized “Distance Education Attitude Scale in Lifelong Learning” stands as a validated and highly reliable instrument, particularly among physicians. Its applicability extends to academic inquiries regarding distance education and holds promise for validation across diverse adult learning cohorts.

Determining the Attitudes and Opinions of Gifted Students on Grammar

Talented, different, and creative thinking individuals are needed for the sociological and economic development of societies. One of the groups with these characteristics is gifted children. In Türkiye, gifted students continue their formal education in education environments called Science and Art Center (SAC). While gifted students go to school with their peers, they continue their education by going to the SAC after school or on weekends. In this study, it is aimed to determine the attitudes and views of gifted students towards grammar. The study group of the research consists of 51 secondary school students from a SAC in Türkiye. The study was carried out on the axis of mixed method. The "Grammar Attitude Scale Towards Secondary School Students" developed by Er and Topçuoğlu Ünal (2016) was used as quantitative data collection tool. In the collection of qualitative data, the "Semi-Structured Interview Form" developed by the researchers was used. SPSS 25 program was used in the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data. The results show that, the attitudes of gifted students towards grammar do not differ significantly according to grade level, gender, school type and Science and Art Center program. In addition, it has been determined that the majority of gifted students think that learning grammar is not necessary or difficult, and that the majority of students do not find the grammar activities in Turkish textbooks sufficient. In the context of the results obtained in the study, some suggestions were offered.

A Study of Learning Progression in Science of Class IX Students of Balangir District, Odisha

A Study of Learning Progression in Science of Class IX Students of Balangir District, Odisha

The Canadian Birth Place Study: Development, Validation and Administration of a Questionnaire for Multi-disciplinary Maternity Care Providers

The debate between professional groups in Canada about the advisability of planned home birth continues. The Canadian Birth Place Study examines Canadian registered midwives', family physicians', and obstetricians' experiences with and attitudes towards planned home birth, as well as factors associated with in those attitudes. Evidence based strategies were applied to the development, validity testing, and implementation of a cross-sectional questionnaire to a multi-disciplinary sample of maternity care providers.The survey questions and attitude scale items were adapted from a previously validated questionnaire and reviewed by two discipline-specific expert panels. Experts provided qualitative comments and rated each socio-demographic and attitude item on three 4-point Likert-type scales to evaluate importance, clarity, and relevance. Aggregated scores (content validity indices) demonstrated strong content validity of items. The questionnaire construction and administration plan incorporated best practices for increasing response rates among healthcare providers, as well as participation from multiple perspectives on a controversial topic across study populations.

School social workers’ attitudes to inclusion in regular classrooms in the United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to investigate school social workers’ attitudes to educational inclusion in regular classrooms regarding different variables. Using an attitude scale, we investigated 232 social workers from the UAE regarding age, gender, nationality, type of school, years of experience, and area of residence. Educational placement variables for different disabilities, and school accessibility, were also investigated. Gender, age, school type, and experience did not impact attitudes to inclusion, but nationality, residence, and educational placement did. Social workers reported that UAE schools are inaccessible to students with disabilities. Inclusive education provides better quality education for all and helps change discriminatory attitudes. Schools enable the development of social ties and interactions through a framework for first interactions outside the home. When students with different skills and experiences play and learn together, respect and understanding increase. School social workers can be the key to facilitating this.

The role of evidence-based practice and empathy in shared decision-making attitudes among newly graduated nurses: A cross-sectional study.

Examine the levels of variables and explore drivers associated with shared decision-making attitudes among newly graduated nurses. This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. From August 2022 to October 2022, a cross-section of 216 newly graduated nurses from four comprehensive A-level hospitals in northern China was recruited using convenience sampling. Newly graduated nurses are generally defined as nurses with a service period of six months to one year. Data were collected using an online questionnaire support platform, including the Nursing Shared Decision-Making Attitude scale, Jefferson scale of Empathy-Health profession students and the Health Sciences Evidence-Based Practice questionnaire. All data were analysed descriptively, and correlational analysis and hierarchical regression were used to make identical connections between variables. Newly graduated nurses supported shared decision-making. Perceptions of shared decision-making were correlated with the experiences of empathy and evidence-based practice. Additionally, perspective-taking of empathy and beliefs, and the ability to search for and apply existing scientific findings of evidence-based practice had a significant impact on more positive attitudes. The survey showed that acceptance of shared decision-making was positive among newly graduated nurses. Clinical nursing managers and teachers should pay attention to cultivating the evidence-based practice and empathy of newly graduated nurses to adopt an optimistic attitude towards shared decision-making in the long term. The survey addresses attitudes of shared decision-making among newly graduatednurses and determines whether empathy and evidence-based practice has an impact on it. The main finding is that newly graduated nurses have an optimistic outlook on the implementation of shared decision-making. This survey showed that empathy and evidence-based practice competencies are associated with shared decision-making attitudes among newly graduated nurses. The results of this survey have an impact on educational institutions and hospitals in the form of recommendations. Several training programmes on empathy and evidence-based practice can help adopt the shared decision-making attitudes of newly graduated nurses. No patient or public contribution.

PERCEPTIONS OF DEATH AND ATTITUDES RELATED TO DEATH WITH DIGNITY OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CAREGIVERS

Purpose: This descriptive research was conducted to determine the death perceptions and attitudes of healthcare professionals and caregivers. Method: The research was conducted with 56 health professionals and 65 caregivers working in the palliative care unit. As a data collection tool; descriptive characteristics form, "Attitudes Towards Death Scale", "Attitudes Evaluation Scale Towards Respectable Death Principles" were used. Results: The average score of health professionals on the Attitudes Towards Death Scale is 4.3849±1.29288, and the average score of caregivers is 4.4856±0.77818. The average score of health professionals on the Attitude Scale towards Dignified Death Principles is 3.9330±1.0221, and the average score of caregivers is 3.4936±1.4554. Perceptions of health professionals' Attitudes Towards Death and Principles of Dignified Death; It was found that it was affected by having children, education, and the previous loss of a relative, and caregivers were affected by the frequency of thinking about death and their level of education. It was determined that there was a positive, moderate relationship between the Escape Acceptance dimension, which is one of the sub-dimensions of the Health Professionals' Attitudes Towards Death Scale, and the Attitude Towards Respectable Death Principles (p

The influence of water safety knowledge on adolescents' drowning risk behaviors: a framework of risk-protect integrated and KAP theory.

Although previous research has examined the risk factors for drowning behavior among adolescents, it is unclear whether this association is influenced by water safety knowledge. This study aimed to examine whether water safety knowledge is associated with adolescents' drowning risk behaviors and whether drowning risk perceptions and attitudes could have a chain mediating role in the association between water safety knowledge and adolescents' drowning risk behaviors. This study included 7,485 adolescents from five Chinese provinces and cities. We used the Drowning Risk Behaviors Scales (DRBS) to evaluate the risk of drowning behaviors. The Water Safety Knowledge Scale (WSKS) was used to evaluate the competence level of water safety knowledge. The Drowning Risk Perceptions Scale (DRPS) was used to evaluate the risk level of perceptions, and the Drowning Risk Attitudes Scale (DRAS) was used to evaluate the risk level of attitudes. The results of the mediating effect test showed that water safety knowledge (WSK) affected drowning risk behaviors (DRB) through three indirect paths. Drowning risk perceptions (DRP) and attitudes (DRA) have significantly mediated the association between WSK and DRB. In conclusion, DRP and DRA can act as mediators between WSK and DRB, not only individually, but also as chain mediators, where the direct effect is-0.301, the total indirect effect is-0.214, and the total mediated indirect effect is 41.5%. Water safety knowledge negatively predicts adolescents' drowning risk behaviors; water safety knowledge has an inhibitory effect on drowning risk perceptions. Water safety knowledge can directly influence adolescents' drowning risk perceptions and indirectly affect drowning risk behaviors through the mediation of drowning risk perceptions and attitudes comprising three paths: (1) the drowning risk perceptions mediation path, (2) the drowning risk attitudes mediation path, and (3) the drowning risk perceptions and attitudes mediation paths.

Cultural adaptation of the Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale (MICA-4) for Brazilian context

Cultural adaptation of the Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale (MICA-4) for Brazilian context

Effect of needle-free injection on psychological insulin resistance and insulin dosage in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Psychological insulin resistance (PIR), which refers to the reluctance of diabetic patients to use insulin, is a frequently encountered clinical issue. Needle-free injection (NFI) offers advantages in terms of expediting insulin absorption and mitigating adverse reactions related to injection. To evaluate the effects of subcutaneous injection of insulin aspart 30 with NFI on PIR and insulin dosage in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sixty-four patients with T2DM participated in this randomized, prospective, open, crossover study. Insulin aspart 30 was administered subcutaneously to each subject via QS-P NFI and Novo Pen 5 (NP) successively. The effects of NFI on PIR were analyzed. Differences in insulin dosage, glycemic variability, and injection safety were compared at similar levels of glycemic control. After the administration of NFI, the insulin treatment attitude scale score decreased (53.7 ± 7.3 vs. 58.9 ± 10.7, p<0.001), the insulin treatment adherence questionnaire score increased (46.3 ± 4.9 vs. 43.8 ± 7.1, p<0.001), and the insulin treatment satisfaction questionnaire score increased (66.6 ± 10.5 vs. 62.4 ± 16.5, p<0.001). At the same blood glucose level, NFI required a smaller dosage of insulin aspart 30 compared with that of NP (30.42 ± 8.70 vs. 33.66 ± 9.13 U/d, p<0.001). There were no differences in glycemic variability indices (standard deviation, mean amplitude of glycemic excursion or coefficient of variation) between the two injection methods. Compared with NP, NFI did not increase the incidence of hypoglycemia (17.2% vs. 14.1%, p=0.774), and it decreased the incidence of induration (4.7% vs. 23.4%, p=0.002) and leakage (6.3% vs. 20.3%, p=0.022) while decreasing the pain visual analog scale score (2.30 ± 1.58 vs. 3.11 ± 1.40, p<0.001). NFI can improve PIR in patients with T2DM and be used with a smaller dose of insulin aspart 30 while maintaining the same hypoglycemic effect. https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2400083658.

Analysis Of The Attitude Of Secondary School Teachers Towards The Use Of Bichronous Online Learning

Bichronous online learning is a recently coined terminology that refers to a blended form of synchronous (real-time online meeting) and asynchronous (anywhere, anytime learning) online learning. The present study aims to analyse the attitude of secondary school teachers towards bichronous online learning based on gender, locality, age, and type of institution. The sample consists of 100 secondary school teachers from 20 schools (10 each from government and private) in the Samba district. The investigator adopted the descriptive survey method and used a self-developed attitude scale for collecting data. The reliability and validity of the scale were also established by the investigator. For the analysis of data, Mean (M), Standard Deviation (SD), and Critical Ratio (CR) were used. The findings of the study reveal that there is a significant difference between the attitude of secondary school teachers based on gender (male and female), locality (urban and rural), age (below 40 and above 40), and type of institution (government and private). The results of the present investigation will help the stakeholders to take necessary steps to develop willingness among the teachers to use bichronous online learning in the teaching-learning process and make it more interesting and innovative.

Influences of Outdoor Experiences During Childhood on Time Spent in Nature as an Adult

IntroductionTime spent in nature provides myriad physical and mental health benefits for both adults and children. Despite these benefits, most people spend too little time in nature to realize the maximal effect. Different types of childhood experiences may have differential influence on adult time in nature. This study assessed the influences of different kinds of childhood outdoor experiences on time spent in nature as an adult. The first aim was to utilize 20 childhood nature experience items to construct summative scales. The second aim was to examine the influence of each scale and other factors on adult time in nature. MethodsA 2-factor scale measuring “wild” and “domesticated” childhood nature experiences was developed using principal and confirmatory factor analyses. An on-line study of 2,109 American adults was conducted. Multiple linear regression examined the influences of the two childhood nature experiences scales, attitude and self-efficacy scales, and sex and age covariates, on adult time spent in nature. ResultsSignificant predictors of adult time in nature were wild childhood nature experiences (β = 0.279, < 0.001), positive attitudes about nature (β = 0.12, p < 0.05), negative attitudes about nature (β = -0.23, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = 0.71, p < 0.001). ConclusionsWild childhood nature experiences (e.g., camping, hiking, and fishing) that include skill-building, that are immersive and engaging, and that involve opportunity for social interaction may translate better into adult nature activities. Programs that introduce and support wild experiences may increase lifelong time spent in nature.

How good is teleworking? Development and validation of the tele attitude scale

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a measure called the Tele Attitude Scale (TAS). This measure aims to evaluate relevant aspects of the teleworking experience related to its perceived effects regarding, for instance: job characteristics, perceived productivity, quality of work-related interactions, work-non-work balance, and well-being. Four studies were conducted between 2021 and 2022. First, a qualitative study was conducted to develop the scale (N = 80). Afterward, a second study to explore the scale’s factorial structure (N = 602) was developed. A third study served to analyze its internal validity and reliability (N = 232). A fourth study analyzed the criterion validity of the scale by exploring its correlations with measures of health, affect, and performance (N = 837 teleworkers). The findings revealed that the 10-item scale accounted for a unique factor and that it was a reliable measure. Moreover, the results also showed that the scale was significantly related to measures of health, affect, and performance, thus supporting its convergent and criterion validity. This research advances the knowledge about telework by proposing a user-friendly scale to measure teleworking, specifically how workers perceive their experience of it and how it may impact them at several levels. Thus, the TAS can not only fill a gap in the research but also help organizations evaluate and support teleworkers’ needs and subsequent satisfaction while teleworking.

The relationship between attitude toward physical activity and weight gain in children and young adolescence.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between attitudes toward physical activity and weight gain among children and young adolescents with an additional focus on the impact of gender on these attitudes. Employing a descriptive survey method, data were systematically gathered via purposive sampling from 11 specific cities in Türkiye, ensuring representation from all seven regions. A total of 3,138 students, aged between 9 and 14 years, participated in this study, with a distribution of 46% girls and 54% boys. To assess the attitudes of children and young adolescents toward physical activity, the Youth Physical Activity Attitude Scale was utilized. Height and body weight measurements were taken to determine the body mass index of participants. SPSS 26.0 software facilitated the statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation analysis to explore relationships between variables. Multivariate Analysis of Variance was employed to evaluate the impact of age, BMI, and gender on attitudes toward physical activity. Participants classified as normal weight exhibited a more positive attitude towards physical activity compared to their obese and overweight counterparts. Moreover, a significant gender difference emerged, with boys demonstrating significantly higher positive attitudes toward physical activity than girls. However, no significant difference was observed in negative attitudes based on gender. The study also revealed that an escalation in negative attitudes towards physical activity correlated with students being categorized as underweight, overweight, or obese, as opposed to having a normal weight status. Additionally, a statistically significant divergence in both positive and negative attitudes towards physical activity was found based on age. Specifically, the results indicated that students aged 9 and 14 exhibited lower levels of positive attitude when contrasted with their counterparts of different age groups. Conversely, in the domain of negative attitudes, students at the age of 9 scored higher than their peers in other age categories. Attitudes towards physical activity can serve as a convenient indicator and guide for assessing the effectiveness of various practices or interventions aimed at promoting physical activity, with recognition of the significant gender difference in positive attitudes among children and young adolescents.

A psychometric assessment of a novel scale for evaluating vaccination attitudes amidst a major public health crisis

Despite abundant scientific evidence supporting immunization benefits, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant global health concern, particularly during public health crises. Exploring public attitudes towards vaccination is crucial. This study aimed to develop and validate a tailored Public Vaccination Attitudes Scale specifically under the unique circumstances of a public health crisis. A psychometric evaluation was conducted using a cross-sectional study during the peak of a major public health crisis. The scale was developed and its psychometric properties validated using three approaches: (1) generating the item pool through literature research and focus group discussions; (2) assessing the items through expert consultation; and (3) evaluating construct validity, content validity, and internal consistency reliability through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Data from a total of 3921 respondents were randomly divided into two subsets, one for EFA (n = 1935) and the other for CFA (n = 1986). A 22-item draft scale with five factors was created after literature research and focus group discussion. The content validity of this scale ranged between 0.88 and 1.00. EFA showed a 17-item scale with four factors (Cronbach’s α > 0.7) accounting for 68.044% of the total variance. CFA showed that the values of the fit indices, including convergent validity and discriminant validity, were excellent or acceptable. The overall Cronbach’s α was 0.874, and each factor ranged from 0.726 to 0.885. This study introduces a valuable tool for assessing vaccination attitudes during public health crises, aiding researchers, policymakers, and nurses in combating vaccine hesitancy. Emphasizing the importance of fostering vaccine acceptance, it enhances disease control during emergencies, contributing to the knowledge needed for more effective public health strategies and crisis responses

The Effects of Digital Educational Games on Secondary School Students’ Attitudes Towards Elective English Class and on Increasing Their English Listening Skills and Vocabulary

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of digital educational games on secondary school students' attitudes towards elective English lessons, as well as the influence of digital educational games on the development of EFL listening skills and vocabulary learning. The study group included 40 students in two classes of 6th grade elective English course from a secondary school in Samsun province of Türkiye during the academic year 2022-2023. A quasi-experimental model with a pretest-posttest control group was used in the study. A total of six weeks, namely two hours of instruction each week, made up the trial period. Digital instructional games meeting certain criteria set by the study were used to teach the experimental group. In the control group, no digital educational games were employed, and the same teaching strategies as before the experiment were used. An academic achievement exam covering vocabulary and listening and the "Middle School English Course attitude scale" were utilized as data gathering tools. The study revealed that digital educational games had a favourable impact on secondary school students' views about the elective English class. Additionally, it was noted that the pupils in the experimental group improved their vocabulary and listening skills more than those in the control group. In conclusion, considering the positive outcomes of using digital educational games in both foreign languages and other disciplines, we can say that their integration into education will have positive effects on academic achievement and may positively affect students' attitudes towards that course by providing them with a fun learning environment. This makes the case for the potential use of digital educational games as a tool for learning-reinforcing activities in elective English and other elective classes.

Transformative learning in business economics education: The development of a measurement instrument to detect student perspectives

Previous studies of business economics education have highlighted differences regarding the role of businesses towards sustainability, as articulated by teachers, students and in textbooks. The roles differ from externally motivated (following law and customers) to internally driven (creating new routes) to address sustainability in the business context. Changes by students in their perspectives on the role of a business in relation to sustainability can be seen as examples of a transformative learning experience in the context of business economics education. This paper presents a measurement instrument of 12 items on a five-point Likert scale to measure the views of students regarding the role of a responsible businessperson. A mixed-methods approach was used to develop, test and validate the instrument. Data were gathered by business economics students at Hasselt University. The added value of the instrument is that it can be used in educational practice and in further research to indicate whether transformative learning is happening in the context of business education and to gain insight into students' views on the role of a responsible businessperson. The instrument goes beyond existing attitude, knowledge and competence scales and contributes to assessing transformative learning for sustainable development.

Provider attitudes toward evidence-based practice in autism: a mini-review

There are many established evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autistic youth which facilitate wellbeing and skill development across a range of domains. However, individuals on the autism spectrum are consistently underserved in mental health settings, limiting their access to these EBPs. Positive provider attitudes toward EBPs may increase their uptake or use. The current mini-review seeks to synthesize the literature regarding attitudes toward EBPs among providers working with autistic youth across a variety of settings (i.e., school, early intervention, and general mental health). Fifteen quantitative studies were included. The majority of studies (n = 13, 87%) utilized the Evidence Based Practice Attitudes Scale (EBPAS) or a variation of this scale. Attitudes toward EBPs were primarily used as a correlate or covariate, although some studies reported descriptive statistics of provider attitudes. When available, the reported results suggest that attitudes toward EBPs are moderately positive at baseline, although they vary between provider types. Two studies (13%) examined change in attitudes toward EBPs and suggested that they may be responsive to intervention. However, findings were mixed as to whether attitudes toward EBPs are predictive of EBP use/uptake. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Association between loneliness and cigarette smoking attitudes among university students in Iran: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesDuring the last two decades, cigarette smoking witnessed a global increase in use, especially among youth. Loneliness is one of the possible psychosocial determinants of smoking. This study examined the...

Implementation and Evaluation of a Bystander Naloxone Training Course.

Bystander provision of naloxone is a key modality to reduce opioid overdose-related death. Naloxone training courses are available, but no standardized program exists. As part of a bystander empowerment course, we created and evaluated a brief naloxone training module. This was a retrospective evaluation of a naloxone training course, which was paired with Stop the Bleed training for hemorrhage control and was offered to administrative staff in an office building. Participants worked in an organization related to healthcare, but none were clinicians. The curriculum included the following topics: 1)background about the opioid epidemic; 2)how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose; 3)actions not to take when encountering an overdose victim; 4)the correct steps to take when encountering an overdose victim; 5)an overview of naloxone products; and 6)Good Samaritan protection laws. The 20-minute didactic section was followed by a hands-on session with nasal naloxone kits and a simulation mannequin. The course was evaluated with the Opioid Overdose Knowledge (OOKS) and Opioid Overdose Attitudes (OOAS) scales for take-home naloxone training evaluation. We used the paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare scores pre- and post-course. Twenty-eight participants completed the course. The OOKS, measuring objective knowledge about opioid overdose and naloxone, had improved scores from a median of 73.2% (interquartile range [IQR] 68.3%-79.9%) to 91.5% (IQR 85.4%-95.1%), P < 0.001. The three domains on the OOAS score also showed statistically significant results. Competency to manage an overdose improved on a five-point scale from a median of 2.5 (IQR 2.4-2.9) to a median of 3.7 (IQR 3.5-4.1), P < 0.001. Concerns about managing an overdose decreased (improved) from a median of 2.3 (IQR 1.9-2.6) to median 1.8 (IQR 1.5-2.1), P < 0.001. Readiness to intervene in an opioid overdose improved from a median of 4 (IQR 3.8-4.2) to a median of 4.2 (IQR 4-4.2), P < 0.001. A brief course designed to teach bystanders about opioid overdose and naloxone was feasible and effective. We encourage hospitals and other organizations to use and promulgate this model. Furthermore, we suggest the convening of a national consortium to achieve consensus on program content and delivery.