Student Discomfort Research Articles

Teacher curricular sensemaking: Revealing salient moments of a science teacher's (un)certainty in relation to opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking

AbstractThis study explored a middle school science teacher's curricular sensemaking in interaction with their use of an educative storyline curriculum, aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, that was intentionally designed for more opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking. Using a phenomenological case study methodology, we examined how the focal teacher perceived and resolved (un)certainties in their understanding that emerged in their interaction with the curriculum (i.e., their curricular sensemaking), and how the teachers' curricular sensemaking impacted opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking. Findings served to expand our notions of how teachers engage in curricular sensemaking, when this sensemaking occurs, and what teachers make sense of as they experience a new, reform‐oriented curriculum for the first time. In particular, the focal teacher found two types of (un)certainty to be salient at various time points during his curriculum use: (un)certainty around students' scientific sensemaking through particular science practices and (un)certainty about how to navigate the storyline curriculum using students' ideas to drive learning forward. Cutting across these types of (un)certainty, our findings suggest the need to (1) support teachers in problematizing their own understandings about particular science practices and the extent to which their previous instruction aligns with reform‐oriented conceptualizations of those practices, (2) build teachers' capacity to differentiate between various causes of student discomfort and uncertainty so that students' needs and scientific sensemaking goals can be attended to simultaneously, and (3) provide teachers with opportunities to consider how they might use a variety of participation structures to move learning forward while preserving students' rights and responsibilities for the scientific sensemaking.

Communicating about diversity: challenges and strategies related to integrating race into the rural higher education classroom

ABSTRACT In a country where conversations about race, racism, power, and identity are becoming more commonplace and viewed as a necessity for creating an inclusive society, it is striking that many higher education faculty members struggle to incorporate these kinds of conversations into the classroom. While studies have pointed to a variety of reasons, including faculty members’ racial literacy and their White fragility, few studies to date have examined what faculty members from American rural contexts view as obstacles and opportunities in discussing race in the classroom. This study fills this gap by examining what barriers and strategies faculty members from a rural Predominantly White Sea and Land Grant institution engage with when discussing race-related topics in the classroom. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, this study’s findings revealed barriers consisting of instructor ambivalence and discomfort, student discomfort, lack of experience with and insight into discrimination, and institutional issues such as lack of support. This study also identified strategies that instructors indicated using to successfully incorporate race into the classroom, including strategies aimed at creating a productive classroom environment, exposing students to diversity, and creating an environment that allowed for critical reflexivity. The study concludes with recommendations on how higher education administrators and instructors in rural areas can work to render discussions about race more constructive and meaningful.

Shallow strategic thinking: findings from a multinational problem-based learning pilot study

PurposeResearchers piloted a problem-based learning (PBL) activity in a master’s degree-granting strategic studies program to explore how students apply knowledge and skills learned from the curriculum to their formulation of a strategy addressing a real-world global security scenario.Design/methodology/approachThis mixed-methods pilot study used ethnographic observation, participant feedback, document analysis and surveys to assess the learning and engagement of multinational postgraduate students in the context of a PBL environment.FindingsFindings revealed gaps in students’ causal logic and literacy, as well as student discomfort with ambiguity and reliance upon heuristic frameworks over willingness to conduct substantive, current and relevant research. Additionally, observed group dynamics represented a lack of inclusive collaboration in mixed gender and multinational teams. These findings suggest foundational issues with the curriculum, teaching methodologies and evaluation practices of the studied institution.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need to include explicit instruction in problem-solving and causal literacy (i.e. logical reasoning) in postgraduate programs for national and global security professionals, as well as authentic opportunities for those students to practice interpersonal communication.

Pendekatan, Strategi dan Teknik Bimbingan Konseling dalam Mengatasi Permasalahan Sosial Remaja

This article aims to find out what approaches, strategies and techniques for guidance and counseling are good and correct in dealing with adolescent social problems. This research was conducted using qualitative methods, where researchers distributed forms containing questions to respondents. In this research, there were two respondents who were the targets of the research, namely high school students and guidance and counseling teachers. The data collection method that the researcher took was the method of non-participant observation and literature review, where the observer was outside the subject being studied and did not participate in the activities they carried out. This research measures all the domains that exist in students in dealing with personal, social, learning and career problems, and their relationship with how a teacher knows the behavior of each individual in the learning process. So that a teacher can direct his students to be able to face every problem. The results of this research explain that a student initially has a high level of trust in providing counseling to a counseling teacher at their respective school, but not all of these teachers have a good impact on students who do counseling. There are still many guidance and counseling teachers who do not know how to respond and how to communicate well with the students who are counseling with them. And then this creates a feeling of discomfort for students so that they no longer have a sense of trust in the guidance and counseling teacher.

Development and Assessment of Learners’ Experiences with a Virtual Reality Learning Platform: Constructivist and Experiential Learning Pedagogies in Master of Physical Therapy Curriculum

Teaching competencies for psychomotor skill development for manual handling techniques in the cervical regions is necessary for safe practice in physiotherapy. However, grasping anatomy and palpation can be challenging for students, and practice in the lab can lead to discomfort for students. To facilitate teaching and learning of this complex skill, we worked in partnership with a virtual reality (VR) industry partner who developed a customized VR application focusing on transverse ligament stress testing for manual therapy skills for Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) students. In this scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project, eight MPT students participated in the evaluation of an innovative VR learning experience for manual therapy in the cervical spine. Students’ learning experiences with the custom virtual reality learning application were assessed using an observational study design with semi-structured interviews. Interview questions aligned with constructs that are recommended to assess learners’ attitudes toward VR environments. Student participants appreciated the usefulness of the application for studying and practicing the transverse ligament stress test and provided recommendations for enhancing the learning experience.

Gamifying the university classroom: a comparative analysis of game dimensions through educational Escape Room and a digital board game

IntroductionUniversity education is looking for innovative ways to enrich the teaching-learning process.MethodsThis study aims to describe and compare two gamified experiences: an educational Escape Room and a digital goose board game with Genially. The design of this research follows a quantitative correlational methodology. A total of 135 university students in the first year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education participated in the study.ResultsData were collected using the Gamified Game Experience Scale (GAMEX). The results of contrasting means for the game dimensions between both gamified experiences reveal a significant variability (p < 0.01) in favor of the Escape Room in fun, absorption, creative thinking, activation and mastery. On the other hand, the absence of negative affect was significant (p < 0.05) in favor of the digital board game.DiscussionIt could be said that the educational Escape Room manifests itself as a powerful resource for learning. However, it can induce a high level of stress, generating discomfort, hostility and frustration in students, so its implementation is not free of negative effects. These findings provide additional empirical evidence that could guide the design of gamified experiences in the Higher Education environment.

Comments on the teaching of thermodynamics in an environmental sciences post graduation discipline

The sciences related to mathematics and that have mathematics as a tool present the same kind of problem in the learning process, hence, also, in their teaching; for example, the teaching of biophysics that show problems because is an exact discipline and, also, teaching for biological areas where people, usually, don’t is familiarized with mathematics way. In this work some didactic approaches to associate the teaching of thermodynamics to Environmental Science subjects in a literature search were performed, using the concepts of new teaching methodologies, proposing an approach to improve the conditions of understanding about environmental problems. A bibliographic survey was carried out by searching for data on thermodynamics, teaching, environmental sciences within the CAPES periodicals platform, which allows finding texts in other databases such as Scielo, Scopus, Web of Science. Additional material was obtained by searching in Google Academic. The main works consulted dealt more specifically with “exact sciences education”, “environmental education”, “biophysics education”, “environmental” and others. In total, 42 texts were analyzed and separated by subject content 21 about exact sciences education, 8 about environment education, 5 about biophysics education, 5 about environment and 3 for other subjects used to justify some ideas. Final considerations: In conclusion, the deficits in the teaching of exact sciences with a focus on thermodynamics are real in teaching in Brazil, with practical evidence in the discipline on Environmental Sciences in a graduate course, but whose students' distress in learning mobilized a path of studies in the production of a work to alert and indicate ways, within the modern technologies of teaching, to assist the teaching of thermodynamics in education since elementary school. So, it is urgent that the teaching of environmental sciences is improved, that modern teaching technologies are made effective in teaching with an emphasis on the exact sciences, so that a more robust education allows important themes to be deepened in higher and post-graduate education with at least less discomfort for students and teachers.

Training in Basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Using Virtual Technologies

A hybrid method using virtual learning technologies allows you to simulate various clinical situations, create new realistic scenarios and implement them in the educational process. Classes in the simulation center are associated with psychological discomfort for students, since each person perceives information differently. The method allows you to use all types of perception: sight, hearing, touch (“I hear, see, feel”), which reduces discomfort and significantly increases the level of training of students.

Pengaruh Self-Efficacy dan Kecemasan Matematis Terhadap Kemampuan Komunikasi Matematis Siswa SMP Negeri 1 Umbunasi

This study was motivated by the lack of self-confidence, fear, worry, discomfort, and nervousness of students during the mathematics learning process and the low mathematical communication skills of students. This study aims to determine the effect of self-efficacy and mathematical anxiety on students' mathematical communication skills. This type of research is correlational research with quantitative methods. The research instrumental used are self-efficacy questionnaire, mathematical anxiety questionnaire and mathematical communication ability test. The population in this study amounted to 43 people with a sample size of 39 people taken using probability sampling with simple random sampling technique. The data analysis used is multiple linear regression. Based on the results of the study, obtained in the First hypothesis the value of tcount(3.9116) >ttabel (0.0631) with H0 rejected and Ha accepted which if students' self-efficacy is higher then students' mathematical communication skills are also higher and vice versa. In the second hypothesis, the value of tcount(0.2819)>ttabel (0.0631), with H0 rejected and Ha accepted which if students' math anxiety is high then their math communication skills are low and vice versa. Concluded that the two independent variables together have a significant influence on the dependent variable with a percentage of 32.45%.

Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning Approach to Teaching and Learning Research Philosophies and Paradigms

The paper cogitates on the critical advent of 4th IR focusing on the concept of machine learning (ML) underpinned by natural language processing (NLP) to demonstrate how research philosophies and paradigms can be better taught and learned for students' benefit. A systematic literature review was earmarked for its depth and textual inquiry from scholarly arguments. The main purpose of this paper is to aver a progressive technological approach towards better comprehensive research paradigms and philosophies, which are complex domains with diverse variety in higher education and a cause of discomfort for students at post-graduate levels. Using quantitative algorithm, the natural language processing and machine learning-inspired digital model poses questions that place students in a reflexive mode and draws their articulated responses as inputs that model their worldviews against a host of philosophies in the database. The paper revealed that, discordant with previous scholars who advocated for a single philosophical assumption for a field, subject or researcher, such as the existence of a pure positivist and/ or pure interpretivist, purist philosophical assumptions should be challenged to benefit students and academics. It means that the digital discovery of research philosophies and paradigms extends the work of previous theorists to the technologically inspired discovery of episteme, ontology and axiology. By its nature, the use of NLP becomes an advanced channel on how we know what we know and the nature of the reality and values being displayed. The paper contributes to the evocation of deep learning arising from new philosophies and methods. The inquiry-based teaching approach transforms learning from the generic push-teaching method that assumes universality to the fostering of a reflexive approach that helps resolve the deep ideological approaches that caused the polarisation. The manner in which NLP and ML are able to extract information relevant to knowledge or philosophical discovery paves the way for approaches that can lead to the depolarisation and decolonisation of research philosophies, which can ultimately boost the development of research students.

Applications of Teaching Based on Virtual Reality in Agro-Pastoralism Areas

This article first put forward the educational application of immersive virtual laboratories for the problems of poor spatial thinking ability and weak hands-on operation ability. Second, aiming at the problems of a lack of excellent backbone teachers and insufficient educational information equipment, a Tibetan-Chinese bilingual immersion virtual basic teaching system suitable for students in pastoral areas has been developed to complement the teaching of teachers in remote areas. Third, the application of virtual gymnasiums is proposed to reduce the physical discomfort of students under harsh conditions. And then the application of virtual vocational technical training is proposed for poor employment situations in agro-pastoralism areas. Finally, the Tibetan-Chinese bilingual immersive virtual basic teaching system developed for pastoral students was put into use for a short period of time in the farming and pastoral schools and was well received by the pastoral students, and the teachers also gave feedback that the system has now improved at least the concentration of the student.

Death education for Palliative care: a european project for University students

BackgroundThe need to spread the culture of palliative care and to train health care professionals from undergraduate courses is recognised internationally. The article presents the outcomes of a project devoted to palliative care training in university courses in four countries.AimsThis article considered the outcomes of a course designed for university students who had the potential to work in a palliative care team. The main aim was to check the efficacy of the course and the motivation to work in palliative care settings, considering the impact of fear and representations of death.MethodsThe project presented the essential contents related to palliative care, using psychodramatic and photo-voice techniques. Longitudinal measurements were taken using a quantitative method design to detect changes among the students involved. The project involved 341 students at the first administration of the survey consisted of a protocol composed of standardized questionnaires in five countries (Austria, Israel, Italy, Poland and Romania), of whom 276 completed the pre- and post-surveys—165 of them in the experimental group and 111, in the control group.ResultsThe experience showed that it is possible to address death-related issues seriously and competently without necessarily causing discomfort and despondency in students. The results of the changes over time in the experimental and control groups highlight how the view of death as annihilation is correlated with the fear of death and the need for avoidance of thoughts concerning dying. The main result is that competence in palliative care facilitates familiarisation with issues of death and dying, as well as the ability to work in this area, thereby enhancing interpersonal skills.ConclusionThe project showed that it is possible to implement death education on palliative care topics in undergraduate courses to increase motivation to work in this field.

Visual Comfort and Discomfort in Public Boarding Secondary Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Indoor light quality is the intensity and amount of illumination of interior spaces. Technological developments have led to the utilisation of artificial natural light. Illumination is crucial in the visibility of tasks. Quality of light can influence the visual comfort and ocular health of the students. Although Kenya lacks lighting standards for schools, ISO and CIE provide international guidelines on optimal illumination for various facilities. This study was conducted on public boarding secondary schools in Nairobi City County to assess the visual comfort or discomfort of students in classrooms. The study utilised a cross-sectional descriptive study design. Four hundred twenty-three students were randomly sampled from 8 schools. Illumination levels were measured in 38 classrooms using a calibrated Benetech GM1010 light metre and compared to levels recommended by ISO and CIE. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on students’ visual comfort or discomfort. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive data were analysed using frequencies, while inferential data were analysed using chi-square. The study established that 15% of the respondents experience visual comfort during the day, 13.5% at night, and 12.7% both day and night. Fourteen classrooms achieved the recommended illumination level at 7:30, 20 at 13:00 hours, and 10 at 18:00 hours. Recorded levels ranged from 56.71 lux to 1289.93 lux. The study found a statistically significant association between visual comfort and factors such as existing eye problems, presence of blinds or curtains, number of windows, presence of whiteboards, classroom orientation and student sitting positions. The study recommends that public secondary schools need to ensure quality indoor illumination in their facilities to enhance the visual comfort of students in learning facilities.

Politeness in the EFL Classroom Interaction: Strategies in Avoiding Face Threatening Act (FTA)

The purpose of this study is to look into how lecturers from Methodist University's Letters Faculty express politeness in their words and actions during the learning process in classroom interaction. Observing lecturers and students of various ethnicities, religions, and cultures, one must be understanding and well-managed in order to avoid the face threatening act and retain the diversity among them. The study was conducted at the Letters Faculty's classes at The Methodist University of Indonesia. The researchers took a qualitative approach to the study, monitoring lecturers’ activities with students in classroom interaction and recording their communication during the process of learning. The lecturers used the three types of politeness strategies to respond to the context of avoiding conflict and maintaining harmony, as evidenced by the results. Bald On-record politeness strategy, positive politeness strategy, and negative politeness strategy are the three types of the strategies. The bald on record strategy is the most commonly employed of the three types of politeness strategies used by the lecturers. It's because the lecturers are having more power in the class. Lecturers have right to ask students without asking the students first. Surprisingly, lecturers are not shy to say sorry and thank you even they have more power in the class. In short, lecturers try to avoid the face threatening acts by this way of communication. Unluckly, the result of the study also presents the act of some lecturers who were sitting in student’s table during the learning process. Thus, it creates discomfort for students.

Through an AsianCrit mirror: autoethnographic examination of the practice of comforting the discomfort of white students

The following autoethnographic narrative uses the tenets of AsianCrit to examine and theorize the limitations of teaching from an empathy model particularly for women of color who contend with a model minority identity in a predominantly white institution. Although there is nothing unique or new about addressing white fragility in a teacher education program, several scholars have written with great depth on dismantling white supremacy structures in the field of education, this narrative seeks to expand on the notion of comforting discomfort when discussing race in the classroom. Autoethnography is called on to examine intersectionality to disrupt gender in the model minority myth, suggesting a healing that emerges from intentional self-reflection, intergenerational perspective in storytelling, and a reclaiming of teacher identity.

Gambaran Tingkat Pengetahuan dan Tingkat Kecemasan Mahasiswa Tingkat Tiga Prodi DIII Kebidanan Poltekkes Karya Husada dalam Menghadapi Ujian Kompetensi Exit Exam sesuai Permendikbud No 2 Tahun 2020

Anxiety is an emotional state with the onset of discomfort in third-grade students of midwifery, and is a vague experience accompanied by feelings of helplessness and uncertainty caused by something that is not yet clear, because students will face the exit exam competency test for the first time. The purpose of the study in general is to find out the level of knowledge and anxiety levels of students facing the exit exam competency test. This type of research is descriptive analytics with a cross sectional approach, the population is a third-level student midwifery program, numbering 21 respondents, using primary data. Research time from June to December 2021. The results showed that the majority of students aged 21 years as many as 47.6% or 10 students. The majority of knowledge about the exit exam competency test has knowledge of either 80.95% or 17 students, and who have sufficient knowledge as much as 19.05% or 4 students, the majority of student anxiety levels are not anxious 80.95% or 17 students, mild anxiety levels 4.76% or 1 student, and severe anxiety levels 9.52% or 2 students, and very severe anxiety levels 4.76% or 1 student. Anxiety should be handled properly immediately otherwise it will have an impact on the student that is unable to concentrate properly so that it will not get maximum grades.

Pandemia da Covid-19: um evento traumático para estudantes de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde?

Abstract: Introduction: Health Sciences university students were especially affected by the Sars-CoV-2 virus pandemic. The anxieties intrinsically related to Covid-19 were added to the impacts related to the changes that have taken place in academic institutions, particularly the change to online teaching, a methodology that can generate discomfort for students, in addition to several obstacles related to teaching and learning, which can have important traumatic effects on the mental health of this population. Objective: To assess the mental health burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a traumatic event capable of triggering psychiatric disorders, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), in university students. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study, of analytical-descriptive nature, carried out by filling out an anonymous digital form, initiated after prior approval by the Research Ethics Committee. The subjects were students of Biological and Health Sciences at a State University located in the southeastern region of Brazil. The sample consisted of 618 students. Results: 618 forms were answered by students attending the courses of Physical Education (28.8%), Medicine (25.4%), Dentistry (18.1%), Biological Sciences (15.2%) and Nursing (12.5%). The presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms assessed by the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) obtained a prevalence of 32.7% (n = 202) among university students from Biological and Health Sciences courses. Conclusions: There was a significant impact on the mental health of university students, with the presence of depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress above those found in the scientific literature and, consequently, a high prevalence of PTSD.

СПЕЦИАЛЬНЫЕ ХИМИЧЕСКИЕ СПОСОБНОСТИ И АДАПТАЦИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ МЛАДШИХ КУРСОВ К УЧЕБНОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ В УСЛОВИЯХ МЕДИЦИНСКОГО ВУЗА

The article analyzes the relationship between special chemical abilities and actual academic performance. The problem of students’ adaptation to studying at the medical university is considered. Subjective self-evaluative components of adaptation associated with the general emotional discomfort of students during their undergraduate studies are well investigated in modern scientific literature. At the same time, objective criteria of student success in the learning process, special abilities, rarely act as a subject of research in this context. It is special abilities that act as prerequisites for a student's success in mastering the material and high academic performance. The given research presents the data of an empirical study of the level of development of special chemical abilities in 2nd year students of the medical faculty of the Ryazan State Medical University and their relationship with actual academic performance and self-assessment components of adaptation – satisfaction with one’s success and interest in the learning process. It has been established that developed chemical abilities have a statistically pronounced relationship with a high level of student satisfaction with their academic success, as well as with high academic performance. The conclusion is made about the high importance of the development of chemical abilities in the medical students’ adaptation to studying at a university.

ANALISIS MANAJEMEN KELAS RENDAH DITINJAU DARI STANDAR SARANA DAN PRASARANA DI SDIT AR RISALAH TABALONG

Classroom management is a very urgent activity for education. The class management function says that the function of facilities and infrastructure is to develop and seek the potential of students, both from intellectual, physical, and spiritual aspects. However, problems arise in the discomfort of students in the classroom. This is because the facilities and infrastructure, especially the facilities and infrastructure in the classroom, have not met the standards. Based on these problems, researchers try to provide advice to schools to streamline and use existing facilities as optimally as possible based on the function of facilities and infrastructure. This study aims to determine classroom management in terms of facilities and infrastructure as well as the management of curriculum and learning activities contained in SDIT AR RISALAH Tabalong. This research uses qualitative descriptive method. Based on the results of data analysis obtained from observations, interviews and documentation, results were obtained for standards of facilities and infrastructure that did not meet building floor standards and the results of curriculum management and learning activities were met

Sources of psychological and emotional discomfort of students and methodological ways to overcome it

The paper analyzes the results of a survey of first-year students of the Siberian State Automobile and Highway University, conducted to identify the problem areas and factors provoking psycho-emotional discomfort among students at the initial stage of education. The prospect of the study is the further development and implementation of effective methods for leveling factors that are sources of psycho-emotional discomfort during the educational process, and creating a comfortable educational environment that provides cognitive and emotional-reflexive inclusion of students in the educational process. The study was carried out in several stages. The results of the first survey made it possible to assess the degree of psycho-emotional comfort of students in 26 different disciplines. At the second stage, the presence of psychological comfort among students in the classroom was analyzed, depending on the nature of the discipline. The third stage of the study was aimed at identifying sources of discomfort. The identified sources were divided into external, associated with the personality of the teacher, and internal, associated with the student himself. Then a further survey was conducted to reveal factors that cause psycho-emotional discomfort. As external factors, the respondents indicated the language personality of the teacher, the manner of presenting the material and the nature of the requirements. Internal factors are the level of respondents own knowledge, self-doubt and uncertainty about the prospects. At the last stage of the study, the respondents had to suggest ways to overcome discomfort in the classroom. An analysis of the answers showed that the majority of respondents are ready to independently solve the problems of psycho-emotional discomfort by improving knowledge, more thorough preparation for classes, raising self-confidence, as well as by timely solving emerging issues and constructive dialogue with the teacher. In the final part, based on the identified sources and factors, methodological recommendations are formulated on how to eliminate the psycho-emotional discomfort of students in the classroom.