Deficiencies In Curriculum Research Articles

Synthesizing sociological dimensions into engineering programs: challenges for the sociology teachers in Bangladesh

This qualitative study examines the challenges and opportunities faced by sociology teachers in engineering universities in Bangladesh, focusing on the integration of sociology courses into engineering programs. Interviews with 13 faculty members reveal institutional constraints, including faculty shortages, awkward questioning from engineering department heads, perceived less social prestige alongside student-related barriers such as skepticism about sociology's relevance, perceptions of engineering disciplines' technical superiority, etc. These factors underscore the cultural and disciplinary divergences within the educational realm. While current teaching methods are acknowledged, they are deemed inadequate. The study proposes a proactive approach, leveraging principles from Social Construction of Technology, Actor-Network Theory, and Agential Realism to bridge the gap between engineering and social sciences. Recommendations include addressing curriculum deficiencies, raising awareness of sociology's importance, employing innovative teaching methods, and fostering interdisciplinary understanding. By adopting these measures, sociology educators can navigate barriers effectively, enriching educational experiences within Bangladeshi engineering universities and beyond.

Integrating Big Data and Blockchain for Evaluating the Impact of Curriculum Deficiency on Labour Market Preparedness

This research addresses the pressing issue of skills mismatch in Nigeria’s labor market, particularly affecting graduates in science and technology fields. With youth unemployment rates ranging from 11.7% to 36.5%, it is imperative to bridge the gap between educational curricula and industry demands. This study proposed an innovative tool to perform labor market demand analysis and curriculum gap assessments by utilizing blockchain, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. By collecting and analyzing data from diverse job portals, the tool aims to provide real-time insights into skills required by employers. Additionally, blockchain technology ensures secure and verifiable credentials for graduates. This research seeks to empower graduates and educational institutions, contributing to sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

Teachers' views on policy issues in the social studies curriculum

The education system, which is used by the ruling power to adopt its ideology while establishing The objectives of the education system, is intertwined with politics by its nature. With this aspect, it İs unlikely to consider education separately from politics. Social Studies education stands out as a Field where ideology is intensely given to individuals. Therefore, it is important to examine the social Studies curriculum and to reveal the current situation of the curriculum for the acquisition of political Skills. The views of teachers, who are the implementers of the curriculum, on the curriculum, the İmplementation of the curriculum or the elimination of the curriculum deficiencies, if any, and supporting the curriculum with new ideas are important. This study was considered important to reveal the current situation regarding the social studies curriculum and to determine the views of the curriculum implementers on its development if needed. The phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to determine the views of Social Studies Teachers on political literacy. 20 Social Studies teachers working in general schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the central district of Adıyaman province constituted the study group of this research. In the study, a standardized open-ended interview form was used to collect data from teachers. The data obtained at the end of the data collection process were analyzed by the “content analysis” method, which mainly involves the pattern determination, coding, and categorization processes. Within the scope of the results obtained, the majority of the Social Studies teachers participating in the study indicated that political literacy subjects were not appropriate for the student level. While providing justification for it, they stated that politics was not appropriate for the age level of students, the society was not ready for it, or the concepts related to politics included in the curriculum were abstract. It is necessary to indicate that teachers’ statements are actually the result of a social reflection. It can be said that political-based events that have occurred in previous periods in Turkey are the reason why politics is generally considered negative.

Curriculum Content Proposal for Integration of Technology in Education

This study focuses on the content of technology-related courses offered by teacher training institutions to determine the factors that will avoid technology integration in teacher education/training. Two methods are combined in the research. As a first step, the integration of technology in education/teaching models literature was analyzed, synthesized, and categories were created based on the critics. Next, technology-related courses in teacher training curricula were defined, the content of those courses was analyzed, and some content and suggestions were proposed for better technology-integrated courses. Even though literature indicates the most critical barriers to technology integration in education are hardware problems and the lack of technical infrastructure, one of the underlying factors is the teachers' inadequacy in ICT, the usage of technology in education, and technology integration literacy. These inadequacies are the result of the training curriculum deficiencies. There are three suggestions based on the findings and for further studies. The first one is to add courses and contents to the teacher-training curriculum as discussed in interpretation and discussion. Secondly, instructional technology courses should have specific content related to the content area. The syllabus should be developed with the cooperation of the content area teacher trainer for each subject area. Finally, as a part of curriculum development, these proposed courses and their content should be reevaluated for further studies.

Kindergarten teachers’ challenges in teaching English as a foreign language to children

ABSTRACT Teaching English as a foreign language in early years has become prevalent in response to contemporary trends of English as a global language. However, early childhood teachers may face challenges that would prevent children from achieving success in learning English in different educational contexts. This study explored the challenges that kindergarten teachers face when teaching English as a foreign language at kindergarten schools in Kuwait. There is high demand for teaching English as a second language in most countries in the world at early stages, and stakeholders could take responsibility for overcoming these challenges that are related to many aspects of this field. The researchers interviewed 16 kindergarten teachers and then conducted classroom observations. Lack of teacher preparation and training, English curriculum deficiencies, and teachers’ English proficiency level emerged as key challenges faced by kindergarten teachers. Other localized challenges were also identified. This paper concludes by highlighting several implications for decision makers to further enhance teaching English as a foreign language in kindergarten schools.

Process for Faculty-Driven, Data-Informed Curriculum Continuity Review in Biomedical Engineering

Gaps, redundancies, and bottlenecks in undergraduate curricula can markedly affect faculty teaching courses and the successful preparation of students for the professional biomedical engineering workforce. Anecdotal observations from faculty of potential curriculum deficiencies, the rapidly changing landscape of biomedical engineering education, the changing workplaces of professional biomedical engineers, and accreditation agencies’ mandates to continuously improve provide the impetus to review curriculum continuity. A robust framework for curriculum review is required. This paper presents a seven-step Curriculum Continuity Checkup Process (C3P). The faculty-driven, data-informed process involved multiple stakeholders and qualitative and quantitative data over a 12-month period. During the C3P, course learning outcomes were clarified, a comprehensive set of curriculum outcomes developed, and a curriculum map developed to assess gaps, redundancies, and bottlenecks in a process-oriented fashion. Implications of results on curriculum revision and conclusions about the use of the C3P for the biomedical engineering education community are discussed.

Motivating Factors of and Perceived Barriers to Research at a Canadian Medical University with Regional Campuses: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Introduction
 Research training programs are an integral part of a well-rounded medical education. These programs help students contribute to medical knowledge, develop skills in critical evaluation and research dissemination, and they facilitate the training of our future medical researchers. Existing literature suggests barriers including lack of available time and access to projects may hinder a medical student’s research training. These barriers likely differ based on the medical school curriculum, and there exists limited data looking at these attitudes in Canadian students, students outside large academic centers or those in condensed programs. Given this, our study aims to further explore medical students' perceptions, perceived barriers of research in a three-year Canadian undergraduate medical school with regional campuses.
 
 Methods
 We conducted a cross-sectional survey of medical students (classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021) representing the main and regional campuses of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in Ontario, Canada to explore their attitudes towards research. Descriptive statistics were used to describe participant demographics, research background and attitudes towards research.
 
 Results
 Overall, 70.4% of students identified as being involved in a research project at some point during their medical school tenure. Motivating factors for research participation included the goal of obtaining a residency spot (63.0%), and interest in their research topic (74.7%). Barriers to research included perceived lack of available time (31.5%), and difficulty in finding a research project (44.5%). Perceived curriculum deficiencies included lack of education in research methodology and appraisal of scientific literature (93.2% and 89.0%, respectively). Lastly, regional campuses tended conduct their research outside of their home campus (43.6% vs 3.3%, p<0.0001).
 
 Conclusion
 The findings from our study highlighted the students’ attitudes towards research in a Canadian medical school that has multiple campuses and a shortened medical curriculum (3-year). It identifies potential areas of improvement from a student perspective, which can hopefully be utilized by medical educators to continue the improvement of medical trainee research training.

Gestão em saúde como competência médica: um relato de experiência

Objetivo: Compreender o processo formativo do estudante de medicina, a fim de capacitar o futuro médico para a atuação em gestão na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Relato de experiência: Trata-se de relato de experiência reflexivo, conduzido por 3 acadêmicas de medicina do quinto ano de uma universidade privada no interior de São Paulo. Confeccionado a partir das vivências no processo formativo e suas inserções na APS deste o primeiro ano da graduação, compreendendo a atuação das mesmas na implantação de um Conselho Gestor (CG) de uma UBS (Unidade Básica de Saúde). A fim de refletirem sobre os êxitos e insucessos desta experiência rumo à formação de um médico generalista, ético, empático e com habilidades em gestão de saúde, elegeram três categorias temáticas para a discussão. Dentre as dificuldades elencaram a baixa literacia em saúde da comunidade assistida, a marginalidade do tema nos discursos acadêmicos e, enquanto possibilidade a prática na reimplementação de um CG e entendimento decorrente da importância do controle social. Considerações finais: A reflexão demonstrou a necessidade do fortalecimento da temática nos currículos das graduações médicas para o sucesso do imprescindível o papel do médico como líder nas atividades políticas e de planejamento em saúde.

Analisa Kebutuhan Sebagai Konsep Dasar dalam Pengembangan Kurikulum Bahasa Arab di MAN Curup

Needs analysis in curriculum development is necessary to assess and identify the needs of Arabic and community teachers in curriculum development, as curriculum development is essentially oriented to the needs of Arabic language teachers and the needs of the community, including the needs of the subject. Needs analysis is also used to identify the incompatibility between the performance of the desired Arabic teacher and the performance of the real Arabic teacher. In the school system Needs analysis is needed to find curriculum deficiencies that involve school community collaboration and understanding of school programs for improvement. The purpose of the curriculum needs analysis is to find the right solution to solve the curriculum problem. One of the basic assumptions of curriculum development in education should be based on student needs analysis. The procedure used to collect information about student needs is known as needs analysis. The method of needs analysis in curriculum development is made to be able to measure the level of gap that occurs in student learning from what is expected and what has been obtained. The conclusions obtained in the analysis are: the needs of the curriculum is a formal process to determine the distance or gap between what exists and how should be from a curriculum, the priority of the main problem and then solved the problem. Needs analysis is a constructive and positive tool for making changes based on rational logic, functional changes that can meet the needs of citizens, groups and individuals.

School Related Factors as Predictors of Internal Efficiency of Public University Students in South-West, Nigeria

This study examined school related factors as predictors of internal efficiency of public universities Students in South-West, Nigeria. The study specifically investigates the school organizational climate, curriculum deficiency and students’/teacher ratio on internal efficiency of public university students in South-West, Nigeria. The Random sampling procedure was adopted for the study. About four public universities were selected using simple random sampling technique. The population for the study consisted of two hundred (200) students in four (4) public universities in South-West, Nigeria. Fifty students consisting of thirty males and twenty female students were selected from each public university using simple random sampling technique. A self-constructed questionnaire tagged ‘School Related Factors and Internal Efficiency Questionnaire’ (SRFIEQ) was used, validated and the reliability coefficient was 0.81. The data collected were analyzed using inferential statistics such as Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression. The finding revealed that there was a significant relationship between School Organizational Climate and internal efficiency (r= 0.632). The finding also revealed the joint effect of school related factors (students/teacher, curriculum deficiency and school organizational climate) and internal efficiency (promotion rate, drop rate and repetition rate) of public universities students was significant F (3, 197) = 6.244, P< 0.05. The study recommended that educational planners and managers need to strengthen school monitoring and evaluation mechanism so as to improve access, participation and retention of students in the Universities. Key Words : School related factors, Internal Efficiency, Public University student, South-West, Nigeria

El rol del medialab en la Educación Artística Superior pública ecuatoriana: primeras experiencias en arte, ciencia y tecnología

La educación artística universitaria pública en el Ecuador adolece de materias ligadas al estudio del espacio convergente actual entre arte, ciencia y tecnología y sus respectivas prácticas creativas. Ante esta situación, que denota cierto anquilosamiento bajo técnicas y perfiles tradicionales, son los nuevos medialabs creados en los últimos años en el contexto de las Facultades de Arte de la Universidad de Cuenca y de la Universidad Central del Ecuador (Quito), los que vienen implementando las primeras prácticas en este sentido, cubriendo así las carencias curriculares de dichas carreras en lo que a cultura digital, arte y nuevos medios se refiere. Este estudio analiza las características de estos centros y la metodología seguida para introducir el arte y las nuevas tecnologías de forma pionera en el país.

Education as an Indispensable Tool for Youth Development

It is observed that after about 55 years post independence and secondary education (having been reformed to be goals oriented), majority of Nigerian youths are idle while some are involved in various vices due to unemployment. A good number of students who have completed their secondary education but failed to secure admission into institutions of higher learning are in dilemma because they are not equipped with requisite skills for self or paid employment. However, if a nation fails to develop (or educate) its citizenry and make them efficient in carrying out some of the activities of life effectively, then that nation is doomed to weakness, destruction and obscurity. Education, therefore, is important to the growth and development of the society because of its power to fashion an individual to be integrated into his society, and to become a promoter of his societal culture, and development. Eight main sources of vices in the lives of youth identified were: peer pressure, lack of proper parenting/home training, curriculum deficiency, unemployment, economic instability, law enforcement/judicial inconsistency, undue emphasis on certificate and corruption. At the moment a good percentage of the youths is either not in school or trained but not employable; either under employed or have become school drop outs owing to high cost of education. The training of the youths especially at the secondary school level must be a top priority if the nation must get to the top also. We must begin to explore ways of harnessing the skills and talents of young people. The more we frown at extra-curricular activities, the more we give away the youth to these vices.

How can school education impact earthquake risk reduction in Lebanon?

Purpose – The purposes of this article are to outline the existing seismic risk in Lebanon and to identify the crucial role of Lebanese school education in advancing both a culture of safety and the resilience of Lebanese communities to destructive earthquakes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper sets out to illustrate the exposure of Lebanon to seismic hazards and to investigate the current status of Lebanese public schools in terms of their preparedness for earthquake events. Interviews were conducted with principals from 17 different schools. From these interviews emerged the following four themes: curriculum deficiency, the structural vulnerability of school buildings, a lack of preparedness for natural hazards and the need for community engagement in this regard. Findings – School principals in Lebanon confirmed the need for schools to engage in earthquake disaster preparedness and mitigation, as well as to show an enthusiastic attitude for earthquake hazard reduction in terms of hazard education, greater preparedness and community engagement. Originality/value – As this article highlights the important role of school education in promoting earthquake disaster risk reduction, it has beneficial implications for educators, policymakers, administrators and government officials.

Analysis of Statistics Curriculum at Higher Secondary Level in the Province of Sindh

The study was designed to analyze statistics curriculum at higher secondary level in the province of Sindh. The scope of the study was limited to subject of statistics curriculum. The population of the study was all male and female college teachers of Sindh. The sample size consisted of 60 statistics teachers. Stratified random sampling was used. Questionnaire was used for collection of data. The data analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. Four hypotheses were formulated for the study. The hypotheses were related to the control, sex, age, experience, academic and professional qualification. All of them are held. All the teachers contented with the effectiveness of the present curricula. In item wise analysis teachers were shown concern about training programs, examination system and quality of the textbook. It was recommended that training programs were conducted and quality of textbook were improved. To meet the challenges in the new era, there was definite need to revise our statistics curriculum. Without effective curriculum the students could not get advantage, and their concepts remained unclear. Statistics is a branch of science. The statistics course which was taught in the entire province of Sindh was not fulfilling the needs of teachers and learners. Teachers and learners were facing problems in explaining and understanding the topic. It showed the weaknesses of the content. Therefore, they required well planed and organized program of statistics. The rationale behind the research on this problem was to analyses the curriculum of statistics at intermediate level in order to find out the deficiencies of curriculum. To elaborate the background, the researcher interviewed some statistics teachers and intermediate students. They were asked about the current curriculum of statistics, most of them replied that the on hand curriculum of statistics has not been modified since long. The students were of the opinion that the content of the course was not updated and do not fulfill the present need. No comprehensive research study had been taken on this subject in the province of Sindh. It was hoped that the research study would meet the required needs. The overall purpose of the study was to analyze statistics curriculum at higher secondary level in the province of Sindh as viewed by male and female statistics teachers posted in different government colleges of Sindh. For addressing this purpose study tested the hypothesis there will be no significant difference in the opinion of male and female teachers about the effectiveness of existing statistics curriculum at higher secondary level. The study would help to enhance the statistics curriculum at higher secondary level. The finding of the study will develop the understanding and concepts among all teachers and students of statistics at government colleges of Sindh. The study was limited to all male and female statistics teachers at government colleges of Sindh. The study was based on the assumptions that Most of the teachers are untrained. Proper teaching skills are not being functioned effectively in Karachi.

Pharmacy Education in India

Pharmacy education in India traditionally has been industry and product oriented. In contrast to the situation in developed nations, graduate pharmacists prefer placements in the pharmaceutical industry. To practice as a pharmacist in India, one needs at least a diploma in pharmacy, which is awarded after only 2 years and 3 months of pharmacy studies. These diploma-trained pharmacists are the mainstay of pharmacy practice. The pharmacy practice curriculum has not received much attention. In India, there has been a surge in the number of institutions offering pharmacy degrees at various levels and a practice-based doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program was started in some private institutions in 2008. However, relatively little information has been published describing the current status of complex pharmacy education of India. In this paper we describe pharmacy education in India and highlight major issues in pharmacy practice including deficiencies in curriculum. The changing face of the profession is discussed, including the establishment of the PharmD program. The information presented in this paper may stimulate discussion and critical analysis and planning, and will be of value in further adaptation of the pharmacy education to desired educational outcomes.

Education Research: Neurology residency training in the new millennium

To survey adult neurology program directors (ANPD) to identify their most pressing needs at a time of dramatic change in neurology resident education. All US ANPD were surveyed in 2007 using an instrument adjusted from a 1999 survey instrument. The goal was to characterize current program content, the institution and evaluation of the core competencies, program director characteristics, program director support, the institution of work duty hour requirements, resident support, and the curriculum needs of program directors and programs. A response rate of 82.9% was obtained. There is a significant disconnect between administration time spent by ANPD and departmental/institutional support of this, with ANPD spending approximately 35% of a 50-hour week on administration with only 16.7% salary support. Rearrangement of rotations or services has been the most common mode for ANPD to deal with work duty hour requirements, with few programs employing mid level providers. Most ANPD do not feel work duty hour reform has improved resident education. More residents are entering fellowships following graduation than documented in the past. Curriculum deficiencies still exist for ANPD to meet all Neurology Program Requirements, especially for nontraditional neurology topics outside the conventional bounds of clinical neurology (e.g., practice management). Nearly one quarter of neurology residency programs do not have a meeting or book fund for every resident in the program. Adult neurology program directors (ANPDs) face multiple important financial and organizational hurdles. At a time of increasing complexity in medical education, ANPDs need more institutional support.

A Quality Assessment of Education and for Kenya's Tour-operating Sector

This study examines the provision of tourism education and training in Kenya in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa and developing countries. Specifically the paper examines the human resource skills needed by Kenya's tour-operating sector and the extent to which current training provision is adequate. The approach used in the present study is a modified version of WTO's Tourism Education and Quality (TEDQUAL) methodology. The results indicate considerable convergence between the perceptions of industry operators and education providers concerning quality gaps in the development of skills. A number of systemic training shortcomings are identified including curriculum deficiencies and the inadequate development and enhancement of workplace skills. In view of the resource constraints facing most developing countries, it is argued that tourism training and education should consciously address the needs of the locally-based industry and that such an approach should result in a more effective education and training system.

Want Ads, Job Skills, and Curriculum: A Survey of 1998 Chemistry Help-Wanted Ads

Employer surveys are useful checks on how well we are preparing students for the working world. Employer surveys are also useful because they put curriculum deficiencies into terms that are readily understood; they can thus be a catalyst for curriculum reform. This study classified 2035 chemistry jobs advertized in newspapers across the USA in the fall of 1998 according to job type, employment sector, industry, type of chemistry principally involved, and academic background and experience desired. Job ads were also searched for keywords denoting a broad range of instrumentation and techniques, personality traits, and general work skills and experience. The total of 7872 keywords, an average of 3.9 per job, indicates that employers are looking for more than just a B.S. in chemistry.

General Management Skills: Do Practitioners and Academic Faculty Agree on Their Importance?

Abstract Recently, trends in business have caused academic leaders to contemplate restructuring both the content and teaching methods in undergraduate curricula. Although curriculum deficiencies have been well documented, the issue of how business school graduates ought to be prepared for careers has not been adequately resolved. Differences exist between what practitioners need and instructional strategies employed. This 1995 research study assessed the perceptions of academic faculty and business practitioners regarding the importance of various general management skills. Results show significant differences between practitioners and professors, particularly regarding oral and written communication abilities, problem analysis abilities, and teamwork.

Preparing human service professionals for work in the fields of gender‐related violence: a study in Australia

A recent Australian project surveyed the coverage of domestic and sexual violence in first degree courses in social work and welfare, psychology, nursing and medicine, and then, on the basis of the findings, designed a range of educational packages that meet curriculum deficiencies in ways consistent with the expressed preferences of the academics surveyed. The initial survey revealed that psychology schools generally had a good coverage of relevant psychological theories, but not so the relevant sociological perspectives, gender and power issues. Nursing schools gave only sparse coverage to gender‐related violence, with the greatest attention being paid to appropriate practical responses to disclosures of child sexual assault. The medical schools emphasized recognition of behavioral and physical indicators of violence and appropriate legal and medical procedures. Gender and power issues were neglected, a shortcoming less evident in the social work and welfare courses. The latter generally had a good coverage of relevant psychological and sociological perspectives, the recognition of domestic and sexual violence and appropriate practical responses to disclosure of its occurrence. The project has produced four educational packages covering domestic violence, child sexual assault and possible effects in adult life, adult sexual assault, and post‐traumatic stress disorder. The design and content of the packages are described in the article.