Course Of Preparation Research Articles

Are interns prepared? A summary of current transition to residency preparation courses content.

The transition from medical student to emergency medicine resident is a critical point in training. Medical students start residency with different levels of understanding and some are not meeting the emergency medicine (EM) Level 1 milestones. Residency preparation courses (RPCs) were created to fill this gap and prepare medical students for residency. The objective was to review content from current RPC curricula to determine the content that should be included in an EM-specific transition to residency preparation course. We collected curricula from RPC course directors at different institutions and reviewed and coded the topics into categories: (1) didactics, (2) procedures, and (3) unique topics (defined as nontraditional topics that did not fit squarely into didactics or procedures). We obtained content from 13 different RPC curricula. Length of the courses ranged from one to 8 weeks with the mean being three weeks. Most courses were taught within a larger medical school course and were not specific to EM (62%). The most frequently taught didactic topics were airway interventions (85%), critical care (69%), and chest pain/shortness of breath (62%). Most programs included a simulation component (92%) and the most common procedures included airway interventions (69%); lines-central, arterial, and Cordis (69%); lumbar puncture (62%); and ultrasound (62%). Many of the courses had unique or special features taught within the curriculum. The most frequently taught unique content were sessions on self-awareness and self-regulation (85%) and advanced communication (69%). After multiple RPC curricula content was reviewed, a set of basic curriculum has been determined and supported by the content analysis. By including a standardized curriculum within RPC's, this will help better prepare medical students and create a standard for medical students entering EM residency and may allow intern orientations to focus on higher level skills.

Originalarbeiten / Original Article. Chancen und Risiken genderstereotyper Ansprache von Männern im Kontext der Bildungs- und Beratungsarbeit am Beispiel der Geburtsvorbereitung für werdende Väter / Opportunities and Risks of Gender-Stereotypical Approach to Men in the Context of Education and Counselling Work Using the Example of Birth Preparation for Expectant Fathers

Opportunities and Risks of Gender-Stereotypical Approach to Men in the Context of Education and Counselling Work Using the Example of Birth Preparation for Expectant Fathers At first glance, it seems absurd that families or mothers and fathers become addressees of social work when they decide to have a child. But the legislator has also formulated it: "Mothers and fathers as well as pregnant women and expectant fathers should be offered advice and help in questions of partnership and the development of parental parenting and relationship skills" (§16 paragraph 3 SGB VIII). One can argue that this makes sense, especially in complex and challenging times. Fathers in particular are confronted with an increasing ambivalence between caring father and providing breadwinner. Against the background of crisis-ridden conditions, this ambivalence can be perceived as strenuous living conditions, so that the addressing of social work is justified. Gender-homogeneous psychosocial services for fathersto- be make counselling and educational processes in the sense of helping them to help themselves be used by the addressees. In this article, the gender-stereotypical addressing of men in the context of education and counselling services is presented and discussed using the example of gender-homogeneous birth preparation courses for expectant fathers, on the basis of empirical findings.

Developing a Situational Judgement Test to Assess Clinical Judgement in Fourth-Year Medical Students: A Pilot Study.

Introduction Assessing clinical judgement objectively and economically presents a challenge in academic medicine. The authors developed a situational judgement test (SJT) to measure fourth-year medical students' clinical judgement. Methods A knowledge-based, single-best-answer SJT was developed by a panel of subject matter experts (SMEs). The SJT included 30 scenarios, each with five response options ranked ordinally from most to least appropriate. A computer-based format was used, and the SJT was piloted by two cohorts of fourth-year medical students at California University of Science and Medicine in 2022 and 2023 upon completion of an internship preparation course. Subsequently, students completed an optional survey. Evaluated scoring methods included original ordinal ranking, dichotomous, dichotomous with negative correction, distance from SME best answer, and distance from SME best answer squared. Results The SJT was completed by 142 fourth-year medical students. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.39 to 0.85, depending on the scoring method used. The distance-from-SME-best-answer-squared method yielded the highest internal consistency, which was considered acceptable. Using this scoring method, the mean score was 72.89 (SD = 48.32, range = 26-417), and the standard error of measurement was 18.41. Item analysis found that seven (23%) scenarios were of average difficulty, 13 (43%) had a good or satisfactory discrimination index, and nine (30%) had a distractor efficiency of at least 66%. Most students preferred the SJT to a traditional multiple-choice exam (16; 62%) and felt it was an appropriate tool to assess clinical judgement (15; 58%). Conclusions The authors developed and piloted an SJT to assess clinical judgement among medical students. Although not achieving validation, subsequent development of the SJT will focus on expanding the SME concordance panel, improving difficulty and discrimination indices, and conducting parallel forms reliability and adverse impact analyses.

Socio-Cultural and Professional Integration of Foreign-Born and Foreign-Educated Physicians in German Outpatient Care: an Interview-Based Study in Baden-Württemberg and Hessen

Introduction In recent years, it has become increasingly hard to fill outpatient physician vacancies in all parts of Germany. This development is particularly pronounced in general practice. At the same time, the number of doctors trained abroad is increasing, predominantly in the inpatient sector. In the next few years, foreign-born and -trained physicians will presumably be increasingly active also in the field of family medicine. The aim of this study was to explore experiences, support needs and possible improvements from the perspective of such physicians in the outpatient sector with a focus on primary care.Method In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with physicians not raised and trained in Germany and working in the outpatient setting in Germany. The evaluation was carried out by means of qualitative content analysis. Categories were derived in a deductive-inductive manner.Results Thirteen physicians (of which nine were primary care physicians) were interviewed. Next to the deductively derived main categories (departure, des-orientation, adaptation) four subcategories as overarching problems emerged in the interviews: Administrative tasks, communication and professional as well as social adaptation / integration in Germany. Proposed solutions were categorized in structuring measures (official, easily accessible guidelines for physician migration, paid qualification period), specific preparatory courses for the outpatient sector, and personal support such as mentoring and networking of outpatient physicians in training.Conclusions Some of the problem areas mentioned were similar to those known from the inpatient setting. To support sustainable recruitment in the outpatient sector, specific preparatory courses and the promotion of networking among physicians appeared to be additional measures that would benefit physicians applying for positions in the outpatient sector and also easy to implement.

Target switch costs in visual search arise during the preparatory activation of target templates.

Prior research on task switching has shown that the reconfiguration of stimulus-response mappings across trials is associated with behavioral switch costs. Here, we investigated the effects of switching representations of target-defining features in visual search (attentional templates). Participants searched for one of two color-defined target objects that changed predictably every two trials (Experiment 1) or every four trials (Experiment 2). Substantial costs were observed for search performance on target switch relative to target repeat trials. Preparatory target template activation processes were tracked by measuring N2pc components (indicative of attentional capture) to a rapid series of task-irrelevant color singleton probes that appeared during the interval between search displays, and either matched the currently relevant or the other target color. N2pcs to relevant target color probes emerged from 800 ms before search display onset on target repetition trials, reflecting the activation of a corresponding color template. Crucially, probe N2pcs only emerged immediately before target onset on target switch trials, indicating that preparatory template activation was strongly delayed. In contrast, irrelevant color singleton probes did not trigger N2pcs on either repeat or switch trials, suggesting the absence of any target template inertia across trials. These results show that switching the identity of search targets delays preparatory target template activation and impairs subsequent attentional guidance processes. They suggest that performance costs on switch versus repeat trials are associated with differences in the time course of task preparation.

A Systematic Review of Rehearsal Use in Literacy Methods Courses

ABSTRACT This systematic review provides an examination of the current literature on rehearsals in literacy-based methods courses for teacher preparation. We conceptualized a rehearsal as a teacher candidate teaching to a peer or group of peers, a teacher educator or mentor, live actors, or through a technology-based teaching simulation. Studies in this review met the following inclusion criteria: (1) included participants in K-12 teacher preparation programs, (2) focused on literacy instruction, (3) incorporated rehearsal opportunities for teacher candidates, and (4) were published in English. Fifteen total studies were identified for inclusion after conducting a search across multiple databases. We coded each study for general, participant, context, and rehearsal characteristics, and summarized overall study findings. Results indicated the majority of studies were qualitative (73%), conducted with pre-service teachers (60%), and occurred in undergraduate and/or graduate-level preparation programs (33% undergraduate, 33% graduate, 27% both). Rehearsals in the included studies were focused on the elementary grade levels (60%) and were primarily role play-based (80%) as opposed to simulation-based rehearsal types. Results provide insight on how rehearsals are currently being used in a variety of teacher preparation contexts. From these results, avenues of possible future research are presented.

The Study of the English Preparation Course to Enhance Students’ English Proficiency for the Standardized Test “Your Score is High; my Score is Low. How to Make it Higher?”

“Your score is high; my score is low. How can I make it higher?” The author heard this in students’ conversations after they received their pre-test scores in the TOEIC training course. This is the major reason the author decided to conduct this study. Using the TOEIC score as part of the graduation requirements, the university designed and provided an English preparation course, namely EG1001: English for Proficiency Preparation, for students before taking the test. This small-scale research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the test preparation course in enhancing students’ English language proficiency and to explore which specific skills non-English major students need to improve for the TOEIC test. The study used pre-and post-tests to collect the language proficiency outputs of 57 higher education students in this course. Additionally, the study used their mini-test scores from each unit of the learning material to track their progress. The findings revealed that the post-test mean score (48.96) was higher than the pre-test mean score (40.58), indicating that after participating in this course, the participants improved their English proficiency. The results also suggested that students needed to practice more on the listening part of the TOEIC test.

Validation of the Greek version of Mother's Autonomy in Decision Making (MADM) scale.

Ensuring expectant mothers have the capacity to make well-informed decisions regarding their prenatal care, encompassing medical interventions, and birthing preferences are crucial for fostering favorable health outcomes for both mother and newborn. The Mother's Autonomy in Decision Making (MADM) scale serves as a commonly utilized tool for evaluating the autonomy of pregnant women in the decision-making processes related to prenatal care and childbirth. The aim of this study is to validate the MADM scale in women who had at least one home childbirth experience in Greece. A retrospective online survey collected data from Greek women with home childbirth experience (January 2010 - December 2023). We utilized a self-administered questionnaire and the Greek version of the MADM scale. The study included 162 women, predominantly of Greek nationality (94.4%) and residing in Attica (54%). The MADM scale showed a median score of 38. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable fit and reliability (comparative fit index, CFI=0.92; Tucker-Lewis index, TLI=0.91; root mean square error of approximation, RMSEA=0.07; Cronbach's α=0.92). Age correlated weakly negatively with the MADM scale score (Spearman's rho= -0.166, p=0.035). Additionally, women attending antenatal preparation courses with a midwife before their first home birth had higher MADM scores (median 39 vs 35, p=0.037). The study underscores the importance of the MADM scale, demonstrating its reliability and validity for women living in Greece. Younger age and attending antenatal preparation courses with a midwife were associated with higher MADM scores, highlighting education's role in maternal autonomy.

Equitable Grading Practices in Physical Therapist Education: A Case Report.

To optimize learning in physical therapist education, learners need opportunities to grow from their unique starting points. Traditional grading practices like A to F grades, zero grades, and grading on timeliness and professionalism hinder content mastery and accurate competency assessment. Grading should focus on mastery of skill and content, using summative assessments for final grades, a no-zero policy, and actionable feedback. Equitable grading supports learners from all backgrounds and identities and promotes academic success. This case study provides guidance and recommendations for implementing equitable grading practices in academic physical therapist programs. Over a 2-year period, a doctor of physical therapy program began implementing 5 strategies to create more equitable grading practices: (1) eliminating zero grades, (2) allowing late assignment submissions without penalty, (3) using low-stakes formative assessments throughout the semester, (4) weighing end-of-course assessments more heavily than initial ones, and (5) offering a no-stakes anatomy prep course before matriculation. Outcomes from implementing equitable grading practices varied. Some learners felt increased stress from fewer points opportunities, while others appreciated the reduced anxiety from low-stakes assessments. Some saw multiple attempts for peers as unfair. Faculty faced higher workloads due to detailed feedback and remediation but believed it benefited learners. Median final grades improved in some courses, remained stable in others, and slightly decreased in one. Overall, the changes had minimal impact on most learners' grades but significantly improved outcomes and retention for struggling learners. This case report documents the implementation of equitable grading practices in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program, offering valuable insights and recommendations for other institutions aiming to adopt similar practices. Inequity in assessment widens the gap between learners entering professional programs. Equitable assessment practices level the playing field, enabling learners from diverse backgrounds and identities to succeed. Increased diversity benefits everyone, especially patients, by reducing health disparities for historically marginalized groups.

L2 Learners’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Authentic Material Use in Preparation for Academic IELTS Reading Comprehension Tests

Teaching materials hold a vital position in English language learning and teaching, and have gained a great deal of attention from many EFL teachers and material designers. It has been recognised that authentic materials (AMs) can be used as a potential source of material for language learning and teaching. However, there has been ongoing controversy when it comes to choosing them for reading comprehension. This study aims at investigating L2 learners’ perceptions of the benefits of AM use for reading comprehension in IELTS preparation courses at a Ho Chi Minh City-based language centre in Vietnam. Data were collected from 150 learners who completed a questionnaire. Ten of them participated in semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that L2 learners believed that the use of AMs was beneficial as it could enhance their English language, cultural awareness, learning motivation, and reading strategies. The finding-based implications are presented to teachers, learners, and material designers in an attempt to enhance the quality of English language teaching in general and the use of AMs specifically.

INDEPENDENT WORK AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE FORMATION OF A PROFESSIONALLY COMPETENT SPECIALIST

The article is devoted to various issues of methods, types and tasks of independent work/self-work/ in the teaching of foreign language to foreign students. The article notes the need to differentiate the level of basic education of foreign students (preparatory courses and the first course), to pay attention on their adaptation according to their individual general "background", knowledge and emotional mood. This presented work analyzes the features of the organization of independent work/self-work; purpose of the article is to research on the role of independent work of foreign students in the process of professional training. The program for increasing the productivity of independent work should include formation of students' self-awareness, self-esteem, positive attitude to educational activities; and other points. Such work with students develops memory, thinking and logic, helps to create an English-speaking/Ukrainian-speaking environment, there by overcoming the psychological language barrier among students. The task for the author is to find effective forms of education and ways of optimization, to identify mechanisms for optimizing the educational process in accordance with this program. The authors come to the conclusion that according to the new educational paradigm, regardless of specialization and nature of work, any novice specialist must possess fundamental knowledge, professional abilities and skills of his profile, experience in creative and research activities to solve new problems, social evaluation activities; emphasizes the importance of increasing the productivity of independent work at all stages of the educational process in higher education (even working “online”).

Civil society and education in Turkey: the relations between the Society for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Imam Hatip Schools (1951-1976)

Imam Hatip schools are among the educational institutions that have had a major impact on the social transformations in Turkey’s recent history. These institutions have played a major role in integrating the rural population to urban life and culture by providing access to education and integrating them into modern urban society. The critical role these ‘religious’ Imam Hatip schools have played could only have been realized with the social and financial support of civil society organizations. Organizations such as İlim Yayma Cemiyeti (Society for the Dissemination of Knowledge) (IYC) have contributed greatly to these schools’ ability to reach out to large masses and the continuation of education among lower income students. This article aims to reveal the relationship between Imam Hatip schools and civil society through the example of the Istanbul Imam Hatip School opened in 1951 and to discuss the impact of civil organizations on schooling in Turkish society. Furthermore, the study examines the role of IYC has had in the mental, physical, and outward transformation of the modern urban citizen. This article therefore argues Imam Hatip schools and the IYC to have played vital roles in modernizing Turkish society since the second half of the twentieth century. According to the research findings, the IYC’s contributions range from housing and providing clothing to educational materials, medical and hospital expenses, university preparation courses, and undergraduate scholarships. The IYC Archive’s decision records will be used for the first time in a study and constitute the main source upon which this research is based.

«Hybrid War» in the XXI century: social and political aspects

This article investigates the tactics and countermeasures used by the opposing sides in the course of preparation and hybrid war, and describes their essence and content. It is determined that these tactics and countermeasures must take into account the non-linear structure of strategic forces and capabilities. In addition, recommendations on countering hybrid threats and organizing countermeasures in case of hybrid war in the current context have been proposed.

Issues and Challenges of Primary Education Toward Implementing Technical and Vocational Education Training to Meet the Fourth Industrial Revolution Demand: A Systematic Literature Review

The present wave of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technology and trends is drastically affecting nearly every economic sector and preparing for profound changes in people’s lives. The benefits of the technology include higher safety, better decision-making, increased productivity, efficiency, and quality in processes, as well as increased competitiveness. Thus, every effort towards raising awareness of the 4IR should begin early in primary education. This study critically evaluated the literature on the issues and challenges of implementing Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) preliminary courses in primary education in Malaysia towards raising awareness of the future 4IR. Using two databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science, the review was conducted in accordance with the ROSES (Reporting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses) publishing standard. The findings showed that the role of primary education in facilitating skills development for socio-economic and technological development for the students was significant. Based on the thematic analysis, two primary themes emerged: a lack of 21st-century skills and support, supplemented by six sub-themes. In addition, the issues and challenges of other countries’ primary education in meeting the 4IR demand are also discussed. The paper offered solutions for the issues that arose to fulfil the objective of TVET preparatory courses: to increase pupil awareness of the present 4IR in elementary education in Malaysia.

Classrooms vs screens: Learning outcomes from a business school

This paper examines the impact of substituting regular classroom programmes with online classes on students’ academic performance. We compared the change in the delivery mechanism of preparatory courses for two consecutive Master of Business Administration (MBA) batches in one of the top business schools in India. While the first batch studied in a face-to-face classroom setting, the second batch was taught two subjects in an online format, while the third subject continued to be offered in the face-to-face classroom setting. Using a difference-in-difference estimation, we found that the students' performance declined in both the subjects offered online, with the average performance declining by 4.95% and 8.4% in Economics and Accounting, respectively. However, no decline in performance was noted in the third subject of Quantitative Methods, offered in a face-to-face classroom setting. Further, we found a larger drop in scores for students with the lowest academic ability. Our results indicate that a shift to online courses should be accompanied by well-designed pedagogical and curriculum changes to ensure substantive learning, especially for academically weaker students.

The marketization of a selective school transition in Switzerland

This article seeks to contribute to ongoing debates on geographies of marketization, which are used in social and geographical research on education to account for the performativity and inherent inconsistencies of markets. This case study draws on students’ transition to the state-funded academically focused school track of Gymnasium in Zurich, Switzerland, which merges intellectual and social selectivity in a central entrance examination. This situation has fostered both a flourishing market of costly private preparation courses offered by educational entrepreneurs and free school courses. We elaborate a detailed picture of this educational market by showcasing the entanglement of public education, private supplementary education and parents obliged to advance their children’s educational careers and well-being. For this purpose, we draw linkages between these groups of actors and three key elements of geographies of marketization: problematization, commodification and calculative agents. Our findings show how this complex set of actors interacts in a constant reproduction and contestation of this market. The issues of social inequalities and subtle forms of resistance appear recurrently in our findings, and we argue that a geographies of marketization approach enables a fuller picture to be drawn of this educational transition market. In our conclusion, we suggest that this approach might also be helpful in critically questioning the borders between state-funded education and private supplementary education to improve the chances of transition to Gymnasium for all aspiring children regardless of their social or migration background.

AIED in English Preparatory Courses: A Comparative Study of UK and North American Universities and Its Impact on Chinese International Student Mobility

With the development of AI and other computer technologies, AIED has begun to cause new reforms in the international education. At present, most Higher education institutions in European and American countries adopt AIED to varying degrees to assist and improve the teaching environment and teaching experience of international students. This article will mainly compare the application of AIED in universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, interview Chinese students and faculty at each university through questionnaires, and analyze the interviewers attitudes towards AIED. This article will also collect reviews from international students and international education practitioners on some commonly used learning assistance platforms based on AI technology, such as MOOCS and Grammarly. This article decoded the collected interview comments and coded and integrated similar information as well. The final conclusion of this article is that the vast majority of educational professionals and international students believe that the benefits of AIEDs application outweigh the disadvantages, but ethical consideration could be drastically significant.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS IN LEARNING ENGLISH FOR YOUTH ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS IN ENGLAND

The emigration of Albanians to England has increased significantly in recent years, making the role of using and learning the English language decisive, especially for the Albanian youths who attend school. The purpose of studying the English language encompasses various aspects such as education, economics, social integration, and more. This study explores the language barriers young immigrant Albanians face in England when learning English, as well as the unique factors that influence their experiences in school. The study involved the observation of 75 Albanian youths, 30 males and 45 females. The problems caused by mastering the mother tongue are related to grammar, vocabulary, and articulation. Given the connections between culture, language, and individuality, cultural concerns emphasise how crucial it is to include different cultures in the classroom. The study suggests educational approaches, such as bilingual classes, to address language barriers and promote fluency in Albanian and English. Adding Albanian social aspects to culturally sensitive curriculum and teaching is recommended to improve student interaction and foster a sense of belonging. The study recommends teacher preparation courses that emphasise barriers to linguistic and cultural sensitivity, to improve the capacity of teachers to deal with particular issues. The research suggests a comprehensive, collaborative strategy that combines educators, communities, and legislators to create a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere for successful language learning in English through the skills and social inclusion of Albanian youth immigrants.

Examining What and How Secondary Science Preservice Teachers Learn from Using a Suite of Online Simulations

ABSTRACT Preservice teachers (PSTs) need to be able to use ambitious teaching practices to help support their students’ productive engagement in scientific practices such as analyzing and interpreting data or using evidence-based reasoning to support their claims. Approximations of practice are one way in which teacher educators can support their PSTs to develop their skills in enacting ambitious teaching practices. In this study, we report on the use of a suite of three online, simulated approximations of practice where secondary PSTs practiced facilitating discussions focused on engaging students in argumentation. Using information from both PSTs’ and teacher educators’ perspectives, we examined their main takeaways from each simulation experience, how learning from one simulation was used to prepare for the next simulation, PSTs’ perception of the simulations’ authenticity, and their views about whether they would recommend using this online suite of simulations in future teacher preparation courses. Findings suggested that teacher educators and PSTs alike noted a variety of main takeaways, including understanding the importance of planning and asking good questions. Furthermore, they recommended the suite for use in future teacher education courses. Implications of the work for productively integrating online simulations into teacher education settings are discussed.

Pre-service English teachers’ beliefs and practices in the use of digital technology: the case of a technology-enhanced teacher preparation course in South Korea

ABSTRACT Even though many teacher education programs have evolved to include technology courses to meet the growing demand for technology integration in education, many of them tend to treat technology as an add-on entity and teach technology skills in isolation. Focusing on the case of 29 pre-service English teachers in South Korea, this study aims to qualitatively examine how a semester-long teacher preparation course designed to provide pre-service teachers with adequate training and design-based experiences for implementing technology in their content areas influences pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices in the integration of digital technology. The findings of the paper show that pre-service teachers’ perceptions and self-efficacy beliefs about technology integration in teaching are strongly influenced by their experiences of exploring different technology options and engaging in hands-on experiences related to technology integration. Based on the findings, the paper argues that a technology-integrated teacher preparation course that involves various hands-on experiences helps pre-service teachers enhance their self-efficacy beliefs in technology integration; in turn, this enables them to use digital technologies in more innovative and creative ways.