Educational Pathways Research Articles

Enhancing the dimensions and practical pathways of effective education through scientific theory: A case study of socialist market economy theory

The integration of theoretical knowledge in ideological and political courses is a significant theme in character education. The theory of the socialist market economy stands as a core yet challenging topic in high school ideological and political education. Teachers can utilize this theme to implement the "three teaching methods" to solidify the theoretical content's academic rigor and enhance the effectiveness of character education from multiple dimensions. First, by employing an inquiry-based teaching method, teachers can clarify theoretical logic, thereby enhancing students’ ideological and theoretical depth. Second, the comparative teaching method can elucidate historical logic, broadening students’ perspectives and vision. Third, through case-based teaching, the practical logic becomes evident, deepening students' practical engagement and aspirations. This approach not only fulfills the educators' responsibility in character education but also amplifies the soul-nurturing function of theory, heightening students' sense of gain.

The alternative education pathway to higher education in non-anglophone contexts: themes and implications from a systematic scoping review on IBDP

ABSTRACT As an exemplary alternative education pathway to higher education, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) has gained significant global traction, with an increasing number of graduates in non-Anglophone contexts. Employing a systematic review method to analyse studies in emerging contexts from the past 20 years, this research examined IBDP’s contributions to higher education, including university preparation, academic performance, and post-graduation trajectories. The findings highlight themes pertinent to other international education frameworks: (1) higher education outcomes are largely influenced by school environments and student demographics, (2) tensions exist between globalised curricula and localised educational systems, and (3) the dual examination requirements within national university admission processes pose obstacles to the programme’s successful implementation and scaling-up. This study recommends that future research and policy on international and alternative education programmes should focus on the following: less advantaged school populations, long-term impacts, and admission recognition processes within national higher education institutions and systems.

Sustainable Pathways in Education: a Journey Towards the Integration of Environmental Education Into Pedagogical Projects of the Instituto Federal de Sergipe (IFS)

Objective: To analyze how Environmental Education for sustainability is approached and integrated into the pedagogical projects of courses at the Federal Institute of Sergipe (IFS), identifying effective practices, challenges and opportunities to strengthen this integration. Theoretical Framework: It presents the main concepts that underpin the theme of sustainability and Environmental Education, as well as the legislation and official documents that support them. Discusses how Pedagogical Political Projects and Interdisciplinarity in Federal Institutes contribute to the insertion of values ​​into human experience, aiming for changes in relation to the environment by academic communities. Method: This is an applied, descriptive study with a qualitative approach. It covers bibliographic and documentary research, with the purpose of analyzing how Environmental Education for sustainability is approached and integrated into IFS Course Pedagogical Project (PPC). Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed that the analysis of the PPC, on themes related to environmental sustainability issues, found that there were metrics focusing on environmental practices. Research Implications: Future research has the potential to significantly enrich society by exploring teaching, extension and research for actions and effectiveness in the educational dimension for the process of environmental sustainability. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by presenting to the scientific community and society in general the importance of Pedagogical Projects being in unison in the interdisciplinary process for educational practices focused on environmental sustainability.

Perception of Education and Industry Leaders on Micro-Credentials and their Potential in Higher Education

Micro-credentials are certifications that evaluate knowledge and skills acquired through specific learning experiences. This research explores the perceptions of education and industry leaders in Mauritius regarding recognition, ease of application, and value of micro-credentials in higher education. Interviews were conducted with 10 education and four industry leaders. The findings indicated that while the respondents lacked a deep understanding of micro-credentials as an educational model, they recognised the need to formalise its adoption within frameworks such as the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and a National Credit System. Additionally, there is a pressing need for reliable, competency-based assessments and structured pathways to map micro-credentials to university credits, leading to recognised qualifications. These insights from Mauritius can provide valuable lessons for other developing nations seeking to integrate micro-credentials into their higher education systems, helping to address skills gaps, promote lifelong learning, and create flexible educational pathways that align with local and global workforce demands.

Tracking adolescent students’ educational pathways to university through school engagement, parental expectations, and student aspirations

Although improvements have been made in terms of enhancing the number of students that enrol in higher education, the long-term educational pathways of adolescents to university studies are understudied. This calls for further research into the mechanisms that underpin the long-term educational pathways of adolescents who study at university versus those who do not. The present study examines an innovative model that tracks adolescents’ educational pathways to university in England through the developmental dynamics of emotional school engagement, parental educational expectations, and adolescent aspirations. The data came from 9173 adolescents (51.63% female) from six waves of the Next Steps cohort study in England. The data were analysed using longitudinal structural equation modelling and cross-lagged panel modelling. The results of random-intercept cross-lagged panel modelling revealed positive within-person reciprocal relations between emotional engagement, parental educational expectations, and adolescent university aspirations only between specific ages. Latent regression analysis showed that greater levels of sustained parental expectations, emotional school engagement, and adolescent university aspirations were linked to greater likelihood of pursuing university-entrance exams (A-Levels, age 17). Sustained engagement had only an indirect effect on university attendance via university-entrance exams and educational persistence (age 18). Sustained high parental educational expectations were the most direct and robust predictor of adolescents’ university attendance. The findings underscore a synergistic effect between sustained parental expectations, emotional school engagement, and adolescent university aspirations as the mechanisms that lead adolescents to university studies.

A Quantitative Analysis of University Admission Results for Hungarian Ethnic Minority Students in the Carpathian Basin

This study analyses the higher education admission results of Hungarian ethnic minority students in Hungary originating from Central and Eastern European countries (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania) by secondary education background (national system vs. foreign system) and school-leaving qualification background (advanced and intermediate levels in Hungary and their native country). Students (n = 759) take (or have taken) part in undivided (5-year) and bachelor (3-year) programs at universities in Hungary and, for historical reasons, live as ethnic minorities in their home countries in the Carpathian Basin. There are significant differences in the number of students according to their secondary education background. Of the admitted students, 83.7% graduated from a national system secondary school and 16.3% from a foreign system secondary school before entering higher education. Using a Mann–Whitney U-test, we confirmed that the admission scores of students from the national secondary education system are significantly different from the scores of students who graduated from a foreign secondary education system (p < 0.001). The results of the Jonckheere–Terpstra test demonstrated that students with advanced-level exam results performed significantly better than those who entered higher education with intermediate-level or native country examination results (p < 0.001). However, there is no detectable difference (p > 0.05) between students who graduate at the intermediate level and students who graduate with a native country certificate. A regression model, based on the median admission scores, exhibited a trend of improving results for foreign students. The R2 quadratic determination coefficient is 0.705. This study provides insights into the educational pathways and decisions of Hungarian students residing abroad, underlining the influence of the national context and public education systems on their educational trajectories.

The Active and Critical Participation: A Study on Belonging and Believing Among Young Catholics in Rome

This article deals with the relationship between young Catholics, their faith, and the Church. Several studies show a progressive distancing of the new generations from traditional religions, especially in European societies. This research focuses on young Catholics and observes their way of believing and belonging. Data collection was conducted in the religious and cultural context of the Diocese of Rome through semi-structured interviews with young key informants chosen for their educational engagement with their faith community. The results, analyzed through a reflective and positional approach conducted with N-vivo, highlight the emerging sensitivities of young people interested in the experience of faith and involvement in their community, despite a critical and not submissive sense of belonging towards the ecclesial institution and the proposed educational pathways for young people who are adapting to this new condition.

Review of "Educating the Top 100 Percent: Policy Pathways for Public Higher Education," by S. G. Katsinas et al.

Review of "Educating the Top 100 Percent: Policy Pathways for Public Higher Education," by S. G. Katsinas et al.

Beyond subjects and skills or crossing the divide? From additionality to complementarity in college enrichment

ABSTRACT This paper reports a longitudinal study, organized around national surveys and institution-based case studies, of ‘enrichment’ in post-16 colleges across England and Wales. These institutions transect general and vocational education pathways, whose curricula are organized respectively around subject disciplines and employment skills. Drawing on social justice perspectives and understandings of curriculum theory and cultural reproduction, the study initially analysed enrichment practices positioned as additional to subject-based curricula. However, extending thematic analysis through cross-case comparison, the study uncovered an additional, complementary role of enrichment: in some specialist/general education settings, teacher-led, practice-based extensions of subject curricula, complemented by agentic networking opportunities, facilitated middle-class higher education transitions; vocational enrichment, responding instead to ‘learner support’ imperatives and socializing young people into employment routines, sustained the normative transitions to work that characterize vocational pathways. These distinctive complementary logics mirror the inequalities of epistemic access identified by curriculum theory, suggesting that these extend beyond formal curricula. On the other hand, some marginal practices, including broader, more critical preparation for adulthood and work, suggest possibilities to advance social justice, transgressing the academic/vocational divide. Whilst unequal societies persistently sustain this divide, activities outside formal curricula may support more agentic and socially just transitions to adulthood and working life.

Abstract 4125940: Hypertensive Disorders During Pregnancy: Patient Perspectives on Care, Barriers, and a Path Forward

Background: The future risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after a diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) is well established. Blood pressure (BP) assessment and management after delivery is one essential part of downstream risk mitigation of future CVD. This requires intentional follow-up by clinicians and understanding by patients. We sought the perspectives of patients regarding solutions to barriers for health care interventions and self-care support after a HDP diagnosis. Methods: Phone interviews were conducted three to six months following a delivery from a random sample of women diagnosed with HDP, determined by ICD-10 codes. Interview questions were designed by a multidisciplinary team that included those who specialize in women’s CVD health and pregnancy. Interviews were conducted by a senior qualitative researcher. Questions aimed to discover health care and self-care steps taken following HDP diagnosis, reasons why these were not started or used consistently, education recalled, and areas for improvement. Results: A total of 20 women were interviewed from ages 21-42 (20-29, n=10; 30-39, n=8; and 40-42, n= 2) among 9 different hospitals (1 quaternary, 3 tertiary care hospitals, and 5 small-medium-rural community hospitals). Of the respondents, 50% were diagnosed during their third trimester, 25% in their second trimester, 20% in their first trimester, and 5% within a week after delivery. A total of 8 (40%) of the women were induced early given HDP concerns. Table 1 describes health care and self-care steps taken for HDP during and after pregnancy. If health care and/or self-care for HDP did not start or did not continue beyond the fourth trimester (>12-weeks post-delivery), reasons included BP stabilized or returned to normal, the clinician ‘wasn’t concerned’, and/or they didn’t have a history of a hypertension diagnosis. Table 2 lists suggested areas from those interviewed for improving support to women with HDP. Conclusion: This study suggests a high prevalence of unclear education with low patient recall and incomplete follow-up after delivery among women with HDP, with health care support and self-care diminishing after the fourth trimester. Understanding the perspectives of women with HDP and its associated risk factors can help in developing effective clinician and patient education and clinical pathways to reduce barriers for long-term care and CVD risk mitigation.

Advanced practice nursing in surgery: A scoping review of roles, responsibilities, and educational programs.

The increasing complexity of the healthcare sector requires an evolution in nursing education to effectively manage care in complex and interdisciplinary contexts. This review aims to analyze the role of advanced practice nurse (APN) in the surgical context within hospital settings, detailing their functions and responsibilities. It also provides an overview of the main degrees and postgraduate training programs for specialization in perioperative management in major Western countries. This scoping review followed the Arksey-O'Malley framework and Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used to ensure rigorous and transparent reporting. Among the 3663 records analyzed, 20 were included in this review. The role of the APN spans across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases, encompassing follow-up care as leaders, mentors, and contributors to research. APNs play a pivotal role by offering direct and indirect patient care at each stage of the surgical journey. Acting as liaisons between the healthcare team and patients, APNs enhance healthcare delivery through personalized, coordinated care, while also fostering ongoing education and research in the field. APNs enhance surgical care by providing in-depth clinical assessments, education, and support throughout the treatment process. However, the lack of standardized regulatory frameworks in some countries limits the autonomy of APNs within the healthcare system, compromising their ability to address unmet health needs and engage in international collaboration. The findings underscore the need for standardized educational pathways, roles, responsibilities, and autonomy for APNs, facilitating better international collaboration and contributing to scientific research.

Learning Design isn’t a profession (yet)

This symposium aims to identify key barriers and opportunities in developing learning design as a recognized profession through three provocative discussions. The first provocation challenges the distinctions among learning designers, instructional designers, educational technologists, and similar roles. The goal is to explore the potential for a unified professional identity. The second provocation addresses the lack of official recognition for learning designers, examining sociological theories of professionalization, the implications of formalizing the field, and possible next steps. The third provocation asks what could and should be included in a formal education pathway. As a starting point this provocation will include the comparison of curricula from Monash University, Queensland University of Technology, and University of Technology Sydney. Attendees will engage in lively discussions and contribute insights to advance the recognition and development of learning design as a profession.

Decline of student engagement in online studies

This research in progress examines student engagement in online synchronous learning sessions, focusing on trends from extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic to the present day within a higher education pathways subject. While our longitudinal data provides insights into declining student engagement trends, the reliance on chat messages within online synchronous sessions as the primary measure of engagement may only partially capture the multifaceted nature of student engagement. By re-examining the student engagement model by Kahu, we identified a possible direct link with student structural factors as influences on student engagement. As a result, we propose a model representation that further emphasises the interrelated influences of multiple dimensions of student engagement. The next phase of this study is to develop a broader range of engagement metrics, including direct feedback from students, which is expected to provide a better understanding of student engagement trends.

Examining the clinical role and educational preparation of heart failure nurses across Europe. A survey of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (ACNAP) of the ESC.

To describe the clinical practice and educational preparation of heart failure (HF) nurses across Europe and determine the key differences between countries. A survey tool was developed, in English, by the Heart Failure Association Patient Care committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). It was translated into eight languages, before electronically disseminated by nurse ambassadors, presidents of HF national societies and through social media. A total of 837 nurses involved in the daily care of patients with HF from 15 countries completed the survey. Most nurses, 78% (n = 395) worked within a hospital outpatient setting, and 51% (n = 431) had access to a specialized HF multidisciplinary team. Nurses performed a range of activities including patient education to promote self-care, virtual and in-person symptom monitoring. A third had more than 5-year experience in cardiac care and 22% (n = 182) prescribed HF medications. There was a significant correlation between HF nurses that prescribed HF medications and access to a specialist multidisciplinary team (p = 0.04). A small number of nurses, mainly from Belgium, supported invasive monitoring (n = 68, 8%) with 14% (n = 120) of mostly Danish nurses supporting exercise programmes. The majority of nurses surveyed were committed to further academic professional development, with 41% (n = 343) having completed a HF course. The role of the HF nurse varies across Europe, however involvement in patient education, symptom monitoring and follow-up remain core to their practice. In specific activities including the prescribing of HF medications and involvement in invasive monitoring, practice has advanced with collaboration in the multidisciplinary team. Consequently, harmonization of education, training and career pathways are required to standardize HF care aligned with expert guidelines across Europe.

A Study on the Practical Pathways of Aesthetic Education in Colleges and Universities from the Perspective of Aesthetic Education Infiltration

In recent years, practical approaches to aesthetic education have been continuously explored by various colleges and universities. The goal and pathway of infiltration have gradually integrated aesthetic education into all aspects of teaching activities. In this study, the practical exploration of college aesthetic education infiltration actions is taken as its starting point. By combining the actual situation of colleges, the concept of aesthetic education work is clarified, and detailed elaboration on advancing aesthetic education practices is conducted from three aspects: the improvement of the curriculum system construction, the deepening of the innovative practices of aesthetic education, and the expansion of the spaces for aesthetic education infiltration. Practical pathways for aesthetic education have also been proposed. Guided by theory, this research is significant for guiding the practical work of aesthetic education infiltration in colleges and universities in the new era.

The problem of educational choice in senior secondary education: the ACT as a case study

AbstractHow students select subjects and pathways in senior secondary education and beyond has long been regarded as a significant social justice issue as a result of contention regarding the value of more or less academic and vocational options. This paper examines these issues through a discussion of the notion of educational choice and the history of senior secondary reform in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), an educational system established in the 1970s with the express purpose of enhancing educational equity through supporting student choice and flexibility through school-based curriculum and assessment. The paper highlights the complexity of questions subsumed under the umbrella of educational choice, which encompass not only the reproduction of inequality but also student agency and self-making and intersect with debates about equity and curriculum form. It shows how the intent of the ACT system to ensure equally valued subject choices in schooling has since its inception existed in constant tension with a parallel emphasis on university pathways and that the system has over time evolved from one dedicated to the idea of curriculum diversity and responding to individual and community needs to one in which centralisation and standardisation are beginning to take precedence. This history raises important questions about the equity implications of centralising and decentralising curriculum forms and what they enable and constrain in shaping young people’s futures.

How to … navigate specialised programmes for early-career doctors in medical education.

Investing in early-career medical education programmes for aspiring clinician-educators, scholars and leaders offers a strategic approach to shaping the future of health professions education internationally. This paper explores the design and impact of a nationally funded Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) within the United Kingdom. Drawing on existing literature and insights from local trainees, we provide practical guidance for early-career doctors navigating entry into the field of health professions education. Additionally, we discuss the programme's potential to enhance professional development through structured mentorship, formal qualifications and active participation in scholarly activities, while also addressing the challenges inherent in navigating clinical and academic identities. This paper will be valuable to doctors embarking on early-career medical education pathways, programme leaders and international stakeholders seeking to establish similar initiatives to support the next generation of health care educators and scholars.

Interprofessional learning to integrate care: organic strategic and systemic responses for change

ABSTRACT In the first of three articles, we scanned global and national sources to help understand the concept and scope of integrated care. New policy directives seek closer working relationships between health and social care systems and practitioners to tackle modern challenges relating to the ageing population, poverty, disadvantage, and mental health. We identified that the practitioner workforce has not been fully considered or prepared for large shifts in working practices, often bringing new practitioners’ roles to address local needs in newly managed interprofessional working systems for integrated care. In this second article, we consider the major themes identified by our review of integrated care policy to explore their implications for interprofessional learning, drawing on developmental pathways for interprofessional education from organic to strategic and systemic responses, to ask in what ways we will need to prepare our learners for these new ways of delivering integrated care.

Expert panel opinion on the optimal educational pathway for diabetes educators for training people with type 1 diabetes on the MiniMed™ 780G system: a Delphi consensus.

The MiniMed™ 780G system is an advanced insulin pump system incorporating an AHCL (Advanced Hybrid Close Loop) algorithm that automatically adjusts insulin delivery based on glucose levels. All guidelines recommend the use of Automated Insulin Delivery therapy for people with type 1 diabetes (PWT1D) and they highlight that a specifically trained and expert team should provide training on HCL systems for PWT1D, but none of the publications detail the curriculum profile that diabetes educators should have. This paper aims to establish a consensus on the optimal educational pathway for diabetes educators on the MiniMed™ 780G system. An Expert Panel (EP) of 11 key opinion educators in diabetes technology in the EMEA area was assembled. Using the Delphi method, a consensus questionnaire based on the literature research was created, discussed and validated by the EP members. An agreement level of ≥ 75% was considered a strong consensus. EP members had on average 16.3 years of clinical experience and followed at least 50 PWT1D using the MiniMed™ 780G system. All EP members agreed that a structured educational pathway to train diabetes educators in the use of the MiniMed™ 780G system is needed. 100% of the EP members agreed that the pathway should include a mentorship programme and in-field training; 90% agreed on using face-to-face training with the support of e-learning modules. The EP members believed that minimum competency standards for diabetes educators around the principles of diabetes care and education are needed. The educational pathway created by the EP showed that skills are needed at an advanced level and that mentorship in developing these skills is critical. This pathway is vital for supporting the implementation of diabetes technology into everyday life and can remove barriers and increase access to PWT1D.

Educational Pathways in Italy: Emanuel’s Perspective—Reflective Essay for the Special Issue: “Community Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways: Global Movements for Resettling Refugees Driven by Local Actors”

Educational Pathways in Italy: Emanuel’s Perspective—Reflective Essay for the Special Issue: “Community Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways: Global Movements for Resettling Refugees Driven by Local Actors”