School Education Research Articles

Adapting to the fallout: the impact of the Sudan war since April 2023 on medical education and medical schools - challenges, evaluations, and emergency recovery plans.

Adapting to the fallout: the impact of the Sudan war since April 2023 on medical education and medical schools - challenges, evaluations, and emergency recovery plans.

Undergraduate occupational medicine education in European Medical Schools: better training to meet today’s challenges

BackgroundOccupational medicine (OM) faces considerable challenges today, one of them related to the university training of future physicians considered suboptimal at a global level as it has been pointed out in many studies. The aim of this study is to update the state of OM medical education in European universities.MethodsBetween March and August 2022, an e-mail survey regarding OM training to undergraduate medical students was conducted among OM professors at European universities in 28 countries (n = 347).ResultsOf the 347 universities, 53 medical schools from 19 countries responded (response rate = 15.3%). In 89% of cases, OM was taught. The average number of hours per academic year was 24.3, with significant variation within the same country. Lectures were the most popular teaching technique (98%), with a considerable use of modern approaches such as problem-based learning (61%), and e-learning (57%). While occupational diseases and principles of prevention were covered, other subjects such as the environmental impact or collaboration with an OM physician were poorly represented in the educational program.ConclusionAccording to data, several European medical schools may provide insufficient OM education and training to their students. The education of undergraduate occupational medicine students in European medical schools should be designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to meet today’s challenges. It is critical that undergraduate OM education in European medical schools be enhanced, harmonized, and standardized.

Teachers and Teaching Assistants – Teamwork as Prevention of School Failure of Pupils During Primary Education

This paper investigates the topic of teacher-teaching assistant collaboration in supporting pupils who are at risk of school failure. This topic was addressed, as one of the subtopics, by a longitudinal research study investigating the causes of school failure/success among primary school pupils in the Czech Republic. The aim of the present study is to describe the activities that teaching assistants pursue in relation to “at-risk” pupils or in relation to other pupils in the classroom. The descriptive part of the paper also reviews various forms of teacher-teaching assistant collaboration during the teaching process. This empirical study consists of two parts. In the theoretical introduction, we describe the system of support and advisory services used to implement inclusive education in Czech schools. We also describe the legislative definition of the teaching assistant position and present his/her job description. The empirical part of the paper presents the conclusions of our research survey, which captures how teaching assistance is currently practiced in Czech primary education.

Nationalism in the Judicialization and Culturalization of Religion: The Case of Religious Education in Greece

Religious education (RE) is frequently a topic of intense political debate and a focal point of party politics in the Greek context. This article presents the latest chapter in political contestation over the teaching of religion in Greek public schools, one which entails a new dimension—that of intense judicialization. Since 2015, the issue of religious education in Greek public schools has been the subject of multiple court cases addressed by the Greek high court, the Council of State, with one case addressed by and one case pending before the European Court of Human Rights. Beyond teasing out links between Greek Orthodoxy and nationalism underpinning each of these cases, this article also seeks to locate this example of judicialization of politics and religion in a broader theoretical context. It engages with another phenomenon at play in the Greek case as in many other cases globally, the culturalization of religion. Through the example of the Greek legal battles over religious education, we see how the judicialization of a particular political question on religion (policy on RE) rests on a culturalization of religion, which, in the legal domain, entails a rebranding of ‘religion’ as ‘culture’ so as to protect ‘religion’ from limitations placed on it by expectations of liberal state neutrality. The inherent difficulties in defining religion and culture, both individually and in relation to one another, are fundamental to both the theoretical and the practical, socio-legal challenges arising from such developments.

Comparative Analysis of Job Satisfaction Among Government and Private Primary School Teachers

This study investigates the comparative job satisfaction levels among primary school teachers in government and private sectors. Using a quantitative methodology, the research employs a standardized job satisfaction survey administered to a random sample of teachers from both types of institutions. The aim is to identify significant differences in job satisfaction levels and explore factors contributing to these differences. Preliminary findings suggest that there are notable disparities in job satisfaction influenced by factors such as work environment, professional development opportunities, and compensation. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for educational policy and school administration, offering recommendations for enhancing teacher satisfaction and, consequently, educational outcomes. The results underscore the need for targeted interventions that address the specific needs and challenges faced by teachers in different educational settings.

Občanská gramotnost: Hledání základů didaktiky společenských věd a občanské výchovy

The study is devoted to the reflection of possible didactic bases for the formation of didactics of social sciences and civic education. First, it offers a comparison with a more developed model of history didactics and then brings into the debate some selected aspects from current international debates − the role of the competence model, active citizenship and the position of sciences in shaping school curricula. The study sets itself two general objectives: 1) On the basis of the current state of the didactics of history, to define the general features of a successful developed didactic theory and to outline the directions and challenges of possible paths for the didactics of civic education. 2) To delineate the space for the joint development of the didactics of civic education and history on the one hand, but also to highlight the specificities and singularities of civic education in schools on the other.

Партнерство классного руководителя и семьи по вопросам воспитания младших школьников

The article discusses the leading areas of implementation of the partnership between the class teacher and the family on the education of primary schoolchildren and the results of research on this problem. The partnership of the school and parents is the creation of conditions for the formation of personality, self-determination and socialization of the child. Today, the school and family, as social institutions, as equal subjects of upbringing of the younger generation, are tasked with fostering patriotism and citizenship; assignment of norms, values and traditions of Russian society. Partnerships are seen as unity the goals and values of family and school education. The interaction of the class teacher and parents allows you to jointly identify, realize and solve the problems of raising children, and also provides the necessary deep connections between adults in the context of the development of the child's personality.

Psychosocial determinants of parents’ intention to support reproductive health education in Ghana

ABSTRACT Promoting sex education is key to addressing the adverse sexual health outcomes among adolescents. The successful adoption and implementation of Reproductive Health Education (RHE) in schools depends on the support of curriculum owners and other stakeholders such as parents. The study explored socio-demographic and psychosocial factors influencing parents’ intentions to support the adoption and implementation of RHE in primary and high schools in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 387 (Mean age = 43.6 years) parents in the Upper East region of Ghana. Pearson’s correlation and regression analyses were used to examine socio-demographic and psychosocial factors influencing the stated intention to support the adoption and implementation of RHE in schools. Parent’s intention was best predicted by descriptive norms (β = .24, p < .001), and injunctive norms (β = .20, p < .001) towards supporting RHE. Other factors that predicted intention to support were beliefs about the outcomes of teaching both abstinence-only education and RHE. The findings point to the need to involve and gain support from religious leaders in the development and roll-out processes of RHE programmes. Moreover, they highlight the need for effective RHE programmes with the potential to yield positive sexual and reproductive health outcomes among adolescents and young people.

Online environments, social networks and pornography: the role of teachers and managers in the provision of sex and sexuality education in Chilean schools

ABSTRACT Over the last decade, various provisions have been enshrined in law to encourage the implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Comprehensive sexuality Education in Chilean schools. However, it is unknown whether appropriate steps have been taken to advance the right to sex and sexuality education, incorporating the use of ICTs as part of existing plans. The objective of this study was to identify the role that schools and schooling might play in relation to online environments, social networks and pornography as they affect children and adolescents’ sex and sexuality education in Chile. The research took the form of a qualitative study in which 30 education professionals were interviewed to identify needs, challenges and opportunities for incorporating the use of social networks and pornography in sex and sexuality education plans. We found that teachers and school managers rarely intervene in students’ sexualised digital media consumption. While being aware of and concerned about the effects it might have, they broadly delegate responsibility to families. There is a need to create educational communities with a greater knowledge of how to spearhead innovative and participatory internal policies and practices to ensure students’ access to good quality sex and sexuality education in online environments.

Effect of Distributed and Instructional Leadership of Chinese School Principals on the Job Satisfaction of Teachers: A Conceptual Paper

School principals’ leadership behaviours influence the job satisfaction of the teacher, which in turn, defines the effectiveness of the school climate. Therefore, it is crucial to know how the leaderships styles, specially the distributed and instructional leadership, affect the job satisfaction of the teachers in the Chinese school context. So, the aim of the study is to analyse the effect of distributed and instructional leadership of Chinese school principals on the job satisfaction of teachers along with the mediating roles of reward, motivation, and effectiveness. In order to achieve the aim, the study adopted a “review-style” research method and explored the relevant past literature. The researcher confined the time frame from 2019 to 2024 to include the most recent studies and the theses, books, and discussions were not utilized as they did not fit into the standard of research articles. In the context of educational policy and school management practices worldwide, the implications of this study are significant. Therefore, suitable leadership interventions would improve teachers’ work satisfaction and consequently, the students’ achievements.

The Challenges and Countermeasures of Shaping the Ideology and Moral Character of Middle School Students in the New Era

In the context of new era development, the shaping of middle school students' ideological and moral character is of great significance, playing a critical role in their physical and mental health, value formation, and future development. However, changes in the social environment, educational philosophy, and information technology have brought many challenges to the ideological and moral character shaping of middle school students, such as the impact of diversified social values, the negative influence of online information, the lack of family education, and inadequate school education.This article thoroughly analyzes these challenges and puts forward targeted countermeasures such as strengthening the education of socialist core values, enhancing network literacy education, optimizing family education, and improving school education to promote the healthy development of middle school students' ideological and moral character.

Teaching Mathematics To Students With Visual Impairment In Inclusive Education Schools In Jordan

The students with visual disabilities is considered part of Jordanian society, and the Jordanian Constitution guaranteed that they are provided with all rights, including education. The study aimed to investigate the teaching of mathematics to students with visual disabilities in inclusive schools in Jordan. The researcher used the qualitative approach by conducting an interview with a mathematics teacher with long experience in teaching mathematics in inclusive schools. The results of the interview showed that there are ways and methods for teaching the content of mathematics curricula to students. People with visual impairment, and there is a positive impact and benefits of integrating students with visual impairment into inclusive schools, although there are some challenges facing students and mathematics teachers.

Body dissatisfaction and associated factors in normal weight adolescents

BACKGROUND: Body dissatisfaction is widespread and is associated with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem. There is very little research on body dissatisfaction in normal weight adolescents, who make up the majority of all adolescents. AIM: to establish the prevalence, degree, direction and factors associated with body dissatisfaction among adolescents with normal body weight. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included tenth-graders of general education schools (n = 244, 64.3% girls), who underwent anthropometry and filled out questionnaires that included socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. Collins scales were used to assess body dissatisfaction, and the Russian version of the PedsQL 4.0 questionnaire (Lyon, France), was used to assess health-related quality of life. Self-esteem scores were obtained from the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. RESULTS: The desire to have silhouettes different from the actual ones was reported by 57% of adolescents. 39.8% of adolescents had mild body dissatisfaction, moderate and severe — 17.2%. The frequency and degree of body dissatisfaction was comparable in adolescents of both sexes. Boys were much more likely than girls to consider themselves too thin and wanted to gain weight (49.4%), while 51.6% of schoolgirls would like to lose weight. Body dissatisfaction, even mild, was associated with significantly lower self-esteem. Moreover moderate/severe body dissatisfaction has been associated with a decline in all aspects of quality of life. In addition, significant associations of body dissatisfaction and the length of time on the Internet / social networks and at TV screens were established. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study substantiate the approach to body dissatisfaction as a problem that requires active identification and directed impact, and determine possible areas of preventive work with adolescents.

A frugal CRISPR kit for equitable and accessible education in gene editing and synthetic biology

Equitable and accessible education in life sciences, bioengineering, and synthetic biology is crucial for training the next generation of scientists, fostering transparency in public decision-making, and ensuring biotechnology can benefit a wide-ranging population. As a groundbreaking technology for genome engineering, CRISPR has transformed research and therapeutics. However, hands-on exposure to this technology in educational settings remains limited due to the extensive resources required for CRISPR experiments. Here, we develop CRISPRkit, an affordable kit designed for gene editing and regulation in high school education. CRISPRkit eliminates the need for specialized equipment, prioritizes biosafety, and utilizes cost-effective reagents. By integrating CRISPRi gene regulation, colorful chromoproteins, cell-free transcription-translation systems, smartphone-based quantification, and an in-house automated algorithm (CRISPectra), our kit offers an inexpensive (~$2) and user-friendly approach to performing and analyzing CRISPR experiments, without the need for a traditional laboratory setup. Experiments conducted by high school students in classroom settings highlight the kit’s utility for reliable CRISPRkit experiments. Furthermore, CRISPRkit provides a modular and expandable platform for genome engineering, and we demonstrate its applications for controlling fluorescent proteins and metabolic pathways such as melanin production. We envision CRISPRkit will facilitate biotechnology education for communities of diverse socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.

Speech norms shaping adult-child discourse in Ghana: A critical pedagogy perspective

This study investigates the speech norms shaping adult-child discourse in Ghana, focusing on three tribes: Asante, Dagbani, and Akuapem Kyerepon. The study uncovers pervasive cultural conservatism, where challenging established norms is deemed unacceptable, especially in the context of child-elderly interactions. The study reveals a profound acquiescence effect, wherein children are compelled to accept statements from adults, even if they are aware of inaccuracies. Ageism also plays a significant role, as the culture discriminates against children, restricting their ability to contest and/or oppose the knowledge and opinions of the elderly. The implications of these speech norms on critical pedagogy in schools are explored. It was found that the rare practice of critical pedagogy significantly hindered the development of students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students found it quite challenging in question the validity of knowledge, expressing disagreement with teachers views, and initiating discussions due to deeply ingrained speech norms of the Ghanaian society. These findings underscore the need for a paradigm shift in Ghanaian education to foster critical thinking. This calls for the need for sensitization of teachers and educational policy essential for integrating critical pedagogy effectively.

Introducing comprehensive sexuality education in Italian schools: from the co-construction to the evaluation of a pilot intervention

IntroductionSchool-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a powerful tool that provides young people with information on all aspects of sexuality and is aimed at protecting their sexual and reproductive health and well-being throughout their lives. Currently, CSE is not integrated within the schools’ curriculum in Italy. This study describes the co-construction, implementation, and evaluation of a CSE project piloted among students attending lower secondary schools, in four regions of Italy. Evidence-based evaluation will be helpful in promote the inclusion of CSE programs in the Italian schools’ curriculum.MethodsThe pilot scheme was co-constructed by a multidisciplinary curriculum development group through a Delphi process, including educators who conducted the activities. The evaluation followed three directions: the program (based on a literature review of CSE principles and recommended characteristics), implementation (assessing the execution of the program through the analysis of the reflection tools used by the educators), and short-term outcomes (assessing critical thinking and conscious behavioural choices through pre-post and satisfaction surveys).ResultsThe main goal, learning modules and content were defined and structured in five interventions with the students, and two with families and teachers. A total of 638 students were involved in the activity, across 11 schools. Data analysis of pre/post surveys reported a significant increase in knowledge in 12 of the 15 items investigated (p < 0.05), and a high level of satisfaction with the topics addressed. Qualitative analysis added information on the pivotal role of educators in CSE.ConclusionsThe national piloting of this educational activity provided positive insights regarding the co-construction, implementation and short-outcome evaluation, suggesting potential for scalability and future inclusion of CSE in the curricula of Italian schools.

Challenges and solutions in developing an objective and structured clinical examination for complementary and integrative medicine: A mixed-method approach.

This study explores the challenges encountered by developers when creating objective and structured clinical examination (OSCE) modules specifically for Korean medicine (KM). The complexity of developing pattern identification (PI) items, due to the lack of standardized materials and ambiguity in KM, was a primary focus. A mixed-method approach was utilized, including a survey, importance-performance analysis, and focus group interviews. Seven developers participated, creating a total of 21 OSCE modules. The main difficulties identified were in developing PI items, selecting appropriate cases, crafting realistic examination situations, determining scoring criteria, setting up checklists, and writing scenarios. Challenges were categorized into "case," "examination situation," "postexamination notes," "checklist," "scenario," "format," and "PI." The importance-performance analysis revealed improvements in module development capabilities with each iteration. For the future development of efficient OSCE modules, standardization of KM diagnostic methods and PI is essential. The study highlights the need for social and academic efforts, as well as support from the KM education community and schools, to address these challenges and enhance the development process.

Distributed leadership, self-awareness, democracy, and sustainable development: towards an integrative model of school effectiveness

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the effects of school principals' distributed leadership behaviors and teachers’ self-awareness on school effectiveness through the mediating role of democratic practices and attitudes towards sustainable development in schools. Accordingly, an integrative model was created. The study data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping tests. The analysis results confirmed that organizational democracy played a prominent mediating role between school principals’ distributed leadership practices and teachers’ perceptions of school effectiveness. We also found evidence for the effects of school principals’ distributed leadership behaviors and teachers’ self-awareness on school effectiveness through the mediating role of teachers’ attitudes towards sustainable development. We concluded that school principals’ distributed leadership practices could enhance school effectiveness through teachers’ perceptions of organizational democracy and attitudes towards sustainable development in schools. Besides, a high-quality educational environment and school effectiveness could be promoted by increasing teachers’ self-awareness and attitudes towards sustainable development.

Program Evaluation of Pharmacist-Performed Medication Adherence Assessments in Candidates for Living Donor Kidney Transplant.

Introduction: Medication education and adherence assessments are integral to kidney transplant success. This program evaluation aimed to describe candidate-reported findings using a standardized medication adherence assessment in candidates undergoing living-donor kidney transplantation. Design: This was a single-center retrospective description of medication adherence on adult HIV-negative living-donor candidates from July 1, 2018 to December 1, 2018 who had ≥6 months post-operative follow-up. Medication adherence assessments were performed by a pharmacist at the pre-operative visit within 2 weeks prior to transplant. Candidates were considered to (a) have adherence concerns if they reported missed/late medications within 2 weeks of assessment or ever stopped a medication without medical advice and (b) considered using adherence strategies if they reported active use of pill box, method to keep track of refills/auto-refill use, medication list, or medication reminder(s). Missed medication data were collected at 3- and 6-months posttransplant. Results: Among 181 candidates included, 81 (45%) had adherence concerns and 169 (93%) reported using adherence strategies. There were no significant differences with adherence concerns by age ≤ 29 years, sex, race, prior transplant/dialysis, or less than a high school education. More candidates with greater than a high school education used adherence strategies (96% vs 86%, P = .002). Too few candidates had documentation on missing medications at 3 and 6 months. Conclusions: Over 40% of candidates reported characteristics concerning medication nonadherence despite over 90% reporting adherence strategies used. Medication adherence assessments can assist with identification of medication nonadherence and education individualization.

Moral courage level of nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundMoral distress occurs in daily nursing work and plagues nurses. Improving the level of moral courage is one of the main strategies to reduce moral distress, and low levels of moral courage may lead to nurse burnout, increased turnover, and reduced quality of care.MethodsNine electronic databases in Chinese and English were searched for the level of moral courage among nurses, including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, CNKI, Wan fang, Wei pu, CBM and Cochrane Library, for the period from the date of database creation to April 5, 2023. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies, followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Meta-analysis and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies guidelines, and data from the included studies were meta-analyzed in STATA version 15 using a fixed-effects model.ResultsSeventeen cross-sectional studies of moderate or high quality met the eligibility criteria and involved 7718 nurses, and the Nurses’ Moral Courage Scale (NMCS) was used to measure the self-assessed moral courage level of nurses. Eleven of these studies reported total scores for nurses’ moral courage, and the meta-analysis results showed a pooled mean score of 78.94 (95% CI: 72.17, 85.72); Fourteen studies reported mean entry scores for nurses’ moral courage, and the meta-analysis results showed a pooled mean score of 3.93 (95% CI: 3.64, 4.23).ConclusionThe results of the meta-analysis showed that nurses’ moral courage levels were in the medium to high range, among the nurses who seemed to be male, non-nursing managers, high school education, had not experienced ethical issues, and considering resignation had lower levels of moral courage. The results of the meta-analysis may provide some reference for nursing managers and even hospital administrators to develop strategies to optimize nursing quality.