Academic self-efficacy is a critical psychological construct influencing learners’ motivation, persistence, and achievement in foreign language learning; however, empirical evidence in secondary-level EFL contexts remains limited. This study investigated the effects of gamification on the academic self-efficacy of Grade 12 students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in public secondary schools in Chonburi Province, Thailand. Employing a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, the study first adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test approach, followed by focus group interviews to gain in-depth insights into students’ learning experiences. A total of 83 students participated, with 42 assigned to an experimental group receiving instruction integrated with Duolingo for Schools and 41 assigned to a control group receiving traditional instruction. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired-sample and independent-sample t-tests. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in academic self-efficacy among students in the experimental group, with mean scores increasing from 2.85 (SD = 0.45) to 4.10 (SD = 0.35), while the control group obtained a lower post-test mean score of 3.40 (SD = 0.40) (p < .01). Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, indicating that the gamified learning environment promoted engagement, motivation, and autonomous learning through features such as immediate feedback, progress tracking, and game-based challenges. The findings suggest that gamification, when systematically integrated into formal EFL instruction, can significantly enhance students’ academic self-efficacy. This study provides empirical support for the pedagogical value of gamified learning environments and offers practical implications for educators and policymakers seeking to strengthen learner engagement and psychological readiness in secondary-level EFL classrooms.

The question of how to coherently link theoretical knowledge and practical application in undergraduate university teaching remains one of the central challenges in sport science education (e.g., Wendeborn, 2021). Although the relevance of experiential learning formats is widely acknowledged, the structural anchoring of such approaches within curricula and their implementation in large, heterogeneous student cohorts remain unresolved (Reinmann, 2016; Frey et al., 2020). This presentation addresses the question of how theoretical knowledge and practical application can be coherently linked in undergraduate sport science education with more than 150 students. It introduces the course “Perspektiven der Sportwissenschaft” (PSW), an innovative teaching format developed as part of the ongoing revision of the Bachelor’s programme in Sport Science at the University of Bern. The course aims to systematically integrate theory and practice from the very first year of study, replacing several previous foundation courses. Building on a problem-oriented approach, it combines weekly lectures, individual transfer assignments, and sport-practical as well as methodological sessions that are closely interconnected. Rooted in the framework of contextual teaching and learning (Johnson, 2002), PSW applies principles of challenge- and case-based learning (e.g., Reinmann, 2016) by using authentic, practice-related tasks to promote the understanding of abstract theoretical concepts—such as feedback mechanisms in motor learning or video-based performance analysis (Hossner & Künzell, 2022). The practical components are co-designed and delivered by Master’s students, who receive targeted pedagogical preparation in an accompanying course. The contribution reports on the course structure, its implementation, and the results of a multi-stage evaluation comprising standardised questionnaires, qualitative online surveys, and a focus group interview. The findings indicate high perceived value and motivational potential, while also revealing areas for improvement—particularly with regard to the provision of content-aligned feedback on weekly assignments. Based on these insights, several concrete revision measures are under consideration, including the introduction of peer-feedback formats, the enhanced involvement of Master’s students in the teaching process, and a more coherent curricular integration of the course components.

Purpose The decommissioning of flexible pipelines in the offshore oil and gas industry presents both environmental challenges and opportunities for resource recovery. This study proposes a Sustainable Pipeline Upcycling Framework that integrates circular economy principles and additive manufacturing (AM) techniques to transform decommissioned flexible pipes into valuable industrial components. Design/methodology/approach The research follows a multi-phase methodological approach, including Focus Group Interviews, Fuzzy Delphi, and Fuzzy DEMATEL, to systematically identify, prioritize, and map causal relationships among barriers and drivers influencing framework adoption. Findings Key barriers identified include limitations in AM scalability, challenges in material qualification, and high initial investment requirements. On the other hand, enabling drivers such as advancements in 3D printing, sustainability policies, and cost reductions through on-demand production were found to exert strong causal influence over these barriers. Originality/value The findings offer strategic insights for managers and policymakers seeking to implement sustainable decommissioning practices while enhancing operational efficiency and environmental performance in both emerging and developed economies.

Building on a previous study of Swedish middle-school students’ perspectives on historical significance (Sjölund Åhsberg, 2024b), where students expressed a strong moral engagement with the past, this article further explores and defines two tentative criteria: ethical and affective significance. Using thematic analysis of focus-group interviews and relating the findings to historical empathy (Karn, 2023), the study shows that ethical significance involves making moral judgments about history that students care about and wish to change, while affective significance reflects more intuitive emotional responses. The results indicate that students are highly interested in ethically significant history and its implications for the present and future, yet experience the history classroom as largely silent on these issues. Students also express feelings of guilt and responsibility in relation to ethically challenging histories and a desire to engage with these topics in greater depth. The findings point to didactical opportunities for a more inclusive and engaging history education and highlight guilt as an underexplored dimension of historical significance.

Background: Last Aid Courses (LACs) for the public aim to enhance the public discussion about dying, death and grief and to increase the awareness for palliative care throughout the whole society. Based on the wishes and needs of professionals from health and social care and results from previous studies on LACs, a longer Last Aid Course Professional (LACP) was developed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the experiences and views of course participants and instructors on the Last Aid Course Professional (LACP) with ten teaching hours including the foundations of palliative care based on the storyline method. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used including qualitative and quantitative data from a questionnaire for LACP participants and focus group interviews of LACP instructors. Results: A total of 394 of the 422 participants participated in the study by returning a questionnaire (response rate 93%). The age ranged from 21 to 81 years (median 45 years). In addition, 14 instructors participated in two focus group interviews. The results from the questionnaires showed that 84% of all participants assess the course as useful for all professionals working in health and social care. The qualitative data show that the LACP was well accepted by different organizations and participants from different professions. The participants welcome the opportunity for interprofessional exchange and the possibility for a change in perspective, as well as getting insight from different perspectives, reflecting on ethical challenges, and working on different options for action in palliative care. Lack of staff was the main barrier for participation in the LACP. Conclusions: The LACP is very well accepted by the participants and is a good option for palliative care education for professionals from health and social care.

Informed consent is a legal and ethical prerequisite for elective procedures such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, standard informed consent forms often lack evidence-based content and do not adequately support informed decision-making. The aim was to develop and pilot test an evidence-based informed consent form for TKA. We conducted a two-phase study. In Phase 1, we developed an extended, evidence-based informed consent form for TKA, as well as a corresponding form for anaesthesia, based on systematic evidence syntheses, expert reviews, and standards outlined in the Guideline Evidence-based Health Information. We also developed an e-learning program to train clinicians in the appropriate use of informed consent forms. In addition, we developed a multiple-choice test to assess patients' knowledge and risk perception. In Phase 2, we piloted the informed consent forms with potential patients through think-aloud interviews and focus groups, assessing their acceptability, usability and comprehensibility with iterative revisions. The multiple-choice test was also piloted and revised. Qualitative data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. We developed evidence-based informed consent forms for TKA and anaesthesia. Content and risk communication follow the Guideline Evidence-based Health Information and meet legal requirements under German law. Benefits and complications were presented using natural frequencies and visualised with bar charts. The forms were piloted in six think-aloud and three focus group interviews with 17 participants. Feedback from participants and experts highlighted the need for revisions in the presentation of numerical data, terminology, structure and layout, which were addressed iteratively. Overall, the forms were rated as understandable, relevant and helpful, though individual information needs varied. The 12-item multiple-choice knowledge test was revised to improve clarity and was perceived as comprehensible and applicable. The e-learning programme includes videos, texts and interactive elements, and is designed for flexible use over 90 to 180min. The informed consent forms are now available. Evidence-based informed consent forms are feasible and perceived by patients as helpful and understandable. The variety of patients' information needs underlines the need for personalised counselling and structural adjustments in clinical practice so that the potential of evidence-based informed consent forms can be exploited.

The purpose of this study was to explore the smoking experiences of female call center employees, focusing on the factors that facilitate smoking and the perceived barriers to smoking cessation within their specific occupational context. Qualitative focus group interviews and thematic analysis were used to examine the experiences of female employees at two call centers. The findings showed that the 25 female call center employees characterized smoking as a functional aspect of their job, suggesting that it is not simply a personal habit but an integral component of workplace dynamics. This perspective revealed the complex role of smoking as a coping mechanism for stress, a facilitator of social engagement, and a contributor to the cultural fabric of the workplace. The analysis delineated three primary themes: (1) "Smoking, a working drug: Indispensable elements at work," highlighting smoking's necessity for job performance; (2) "Smoking is normal in my life: Daily use of smoking," indicating its habitual nature; and (3) "Just holding off, not permanently quitting," describing challenges in achieving lasting cessation. Smoking among female call center employees stems from workplace culture and occupational stress rather than from personal choice.

ABSTRACT Phenomena related to social media self-withdrawal (SMSW) have attracted growing academic attention. However, literature remains underdeveloped in terms of conceptualisation and exploring of this concept. This study addresses the gaps by pursuing two research objectives: (i) achieving a systematic understanding of SMSW conceptualisation and (ii) conducting an empirical investigation integrating its antecedents and outcomes. A two-phase research methodology is employed. Phase 1 involves a literature review of withdrawal definitions, leading to a proposed definition of SMSW and a conceptual differentiation between SMSW and related concepts. Phase 2 develops and validates an Antecedents–Social Media Self-Withdrawal–Outcomes (ASMSWO) model using a mixed-methods design, comprising three studies. Studies 1 and 2 employed random sampling and structural equation modelling, drawing on data from WeChat users (n = 500; χ2(1156) = 3040.418, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.882; TLI = 0.874; RMSEA = 0.061) and TikTok users (n = 811; χ2(1456) = 2463.774, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.967; TLI = 0.966; RMSEA = 0.029), respectively. Study 3 adopted convenience sampling and conducted two rounds of focus group interviews (n1 = 5; n2 = 7) to further validate and interpret the quantitative findings. This research delineates the SMSW construct and introduces the ASMSWO model, thereby advancing scholarship on passive social media engagement and providing insights for users, platforms, policymakers, marketers, organisations and mental health professionals.

BackgroundPromoting personal agency may reduce perceived coercion and facilitate recovery in acute psychiatric care. However, no patient-reported tool currently exists to evaluate support for personal agency in this setting.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a patient-reported tool (the Personal Agency Support Questionnaire [PASQ]) to assess perceived support for personal agency and to evaluate its psychometric properties among inpatients in acute psychiatric wards.MethodsWe used a literature review and focus group interviews to generate a pool of items for the questionnaire, which was then refined using cognitive interviews and a pretest. We evaluated the construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the newly developed PASQ using a cross-sectional survey of inpatients in acute psychiatric wards. This study was conducted in collaboration with individuals who have lived experiences of mental illness.ResultsWe analyzed data from 109 respondents (response rate: 109/178, 61.2%; mean age: 52.9, SD 16.9 years; women participants: 59/109, 54.1%; diagnosed with schizophrenia: 61/109, 56%). The 10-item PASQ demonstrated excellent convergent validity and acceptable discriminant validity. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach α=0.92), and test-retest reliability was moderate (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.68).ConclusionsThis PASQ is a valuable tool for assessing personal agency support in acute psychiatric wards, demonstrating promise for both clinical use in acute psychiatric wards and clinical research.

African swine fever (ASF) has become a global pandemic, affecting nearly 2 million pigs since 2022 alone and causing significant disruption to food security and trade. The Dominican Republic (DR) has been affected by ASF since 2021. Veterinarians are key first responders in animal health emergencies and at risk for negative impacts from prolonged emergency response. We used mixed methods and network analysis to characterize the mental and social impacts of ASF on 29 DR swine veterinarians. All 29 veterinarians were involved with the ASF response through field-based or non-field-based roles. Responses were gathered via a questionnaire and analyzed using network analysis. Preliminary quantitative results were explored further through qualitative focus group interviews. Veterinarians experienced high levels of anger and hopelessness from the ASF epidemic, which were centrally located variables in the network. They were associated with a perceived lack of communication, trust, and transparency between government authorities, veterinarians, and farmers. The impact that animal diseases have on the mental health of veterinarians is often neglected. As animal, human, and zoonotic diseases, such as ASF and avian influenza, continue to emerge and expand, these results bring attention to the need for considering actions to prevent and mitigate their impact on the mental health of first responders and, ultimately, improve the effectiveness of the response.

This study aimed to evaluate an eight-week Understanding by Design-based climate change program implemented in 153 elementary schools across Türkiye (65 cities) with a total of 1350 teachers and 35000 students. 402 teachers from 77 schools in 35 cities filled out the teacher opinion form to evaluate the program. Additionally, three focus group interviews with a total number of 26 teachers were conducted in the three biggest cities in Türkiye. In focus group interviews and teacher opinion forms, teachers were asked to evaluate the curriculum in terms of context, input, process, and product. The transcriptions obtained from the focus group interviews and teacher opinion forms were analyzed with content analysis. According to the findings of the study, the curriculum effectively addressed the teachers' needs for climate change education, and the activities helped students to understand and transfer knowledge to their daily lives. However, due to physical limitations and a lack of time, sometimes the activities could not be completed as desired. As a result, this research found that climate change education developed using Understanding by Design is effective for students to comprehend and apply knowledge in their daily lives, which are the ultimate goals of climate change education.

This paper revolves around a qualitative case study on Danish leisure pedagogy. The research question focuses on the balance between freedom and demands and children’s experiences of well-being, and the methodology is primarily based on focus-group interviews with children and professionals in nine leisure settings at three schools. The analysis illustrates that leisure pedagogy is ambiguous. It is profoundly reliant on freedom, voluntariness, and the construction of children as subjects, but also expectations, rules and regulations, and the positioning of children as objects of what other people want from them.

Understanding how organizational socialization shapes organizational commitment: A qualitative study in the aviation industry.

The development of family resilience in intensive care unit settings: A grounded theory study integrating perspectives of healthcare professionals and families.

Important and feasible patient- and family-centered intensive care interventions: A Delphi study with stakeholders.

How Chinese as a foreign language learners use generative AI for oral script-writing: A qualitative perspective on cognitive scaffolding in project-based learning.

Refining the program theory of the nurse-led Rapid Response Team in acute care hospitals: A realist evaluation.

Integrating a family support intervention in intensive care units: A mixed-methods summative evaluation with health professionals.

This quasi-experimental mixed-methods study investigates the effects of translanguaging pedagogy on vocabulary knowledge, short-term retention, and learner perceptions among tenth-grade Turkish EFL students. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that received bilingual instruction (Turkish-English) or a control group that received English-only instruction. Quantitative findings from pre- and post-tests revealed significantly higher vocabulary gains in the treatment group (Cohen’s d = 1.31), confirming the pedagogical advantage of integrating students’ L1. Qualitative data from focus group interviews highlighted students’ positive attitudes toward translanguaging, emphasising reduced anxiety, enhanced comprehension, and increased motivation. The study concludes that translanguaging not only supports lexical development but also promotes socio-affective engagement in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. These findings underscore the importance of leveraging students’ full linguistic repertoires to create inclusive, cognitively supportive, and empowering learning environments. The research contributes to the growing body of evidence advocating for L1-inclusive instructional strategies in monolingual English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, such as Türkiye.

Abstract The globality of mobbing points to huge influence of economic issues over social and societal aspects in the life dynamics of work. COVID-19 presents a new kind of crisis that transforms these factors and establishes new norms in working life simultaneously. Mobbing is to be defined, in this perspective, as the modifications of situation of work and expectations of workers retraining the boundaries and manifestation of mobbing. This study examines the impact of dislocating mobbing, which is a kind of violence that deteriorates the quality of life for employees as well as workplace productivity, in terms of the new dynamics of mobbing and existing dimensions of mobbing-the COVID-19 perspective. Mixed methods research was carried out through macro-level collection and analysis of tweet data alongside micro-level focus group interviews. While macro findings identified general mobbing dimensions, micro findings revealed more indirect, implicit and specific means of power imbalance. The findings of the research identify emerging gaps in organisational practice regarding diversity and inclusion via the lens of increasing and latent specific power imbalances. In both data analyses, a new dimension of mobbing was identified: the perception of injustice. The emergence of injustice as a new dimension provides a more comprehensive perspective on current practices. The findings of this research are expected to provide valid approaches towards reiteration of existing organisational practices and human resources training.