Foundational Skills Research Articles

Persistence and Emergence of Literacy Skills: Long-Term Impacts of an Effective Early Grade Reading Intervention in South Africa

Many countries strongly emphasize enhancing foundational reading skills, with the expectation that such improvements will catalyze the development of new cognitive abilities and lead to improved life outcomes. However, the relationship between early educational gains and later-life achievements remains theoretically complex and evidence is lacking, particularly from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper examines the long-term impacts of an early grade literacy intervention that was implemented in South Africa in Setswana language from 2015 to 2017. A unique feature of our study is the longitudinal tracking and assessment of the same group of students over a 7-year period, extending up to 4 years post-intervention. We found sustained improvements in Setswana oral reading fluency, indicating a lasting impact of the intervention. Moreover, treated students exhibited enhanced Setswana and English written comprehension skills, signifying the emergence of new skills. Grade progression also improved, potentially reducing dropout rates, and facilitating transitions to secondary education. This study contributes to the limited literature on the long-term causal impacts of early literacy investments in LMICs, suggesting potential for enduring educational benefits and improved later-life outcomes.

Triage ethics in mass casualty incident simulation: A phenomenological exploration.

Disaster scenarios challenge both novice and experienced nurses to navigate complex ethical dilemmas in resource-limited environments. Traditional nursing education often leaves new nurses unprepared for the ethical demands of disaster nursing. Utilitarianism must often guide triage ethics and decision-making. There is a critical need to equip nursing students with these ethical competencies. This study explores nursing students' lived experiences using introductory triage ethics in mass casualty incident simulation (MCIS). A qualitative, interpretive phenomenological approach was employed, analyzing reflective journal responses from senior nursing students following MCIS participation. Participants were senior-year nursing students from a private university in the U.S., engaging in MCIS as part of their curriculum, which simulated resource-limited disaster scenarios requiring real-time ethical decisions. The study received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and participants provided informed consent. Data were anonymized and did not affect academic evaluation. Two major themes emerged: 1. Living in Ethical Dilemmas (subthemes: We Could Have Saved Them If…, Looking Past Obvious Suffering, How Can We Be Prepared?, We Can't Abandon Them). 2. Development of Ethical Competency (subthemes: Knowing You've Done Enough, Finding New Perspectives, There Is No Right Answer). Students grew in moral reasoning and emotional resilience, transitioning from patient-centered care to utilitarian decision-making. Participation in the mass casualty incident simulation allowed nursing students to confront and navigate complex ethical challenges in real time, fostering significant growth in moral reasoning and emotional resilience. Through immersion in simulated ethical dilemmas, students grappled with the tension between patient-centered care and the realities of utilitarian decision-making. This experience catalyzed a deeper understanding of ethical ambiguity and the development of moral clarity, equipping them with foundational skills for ethically navigating crises. Nursing curricula should recognize and incorporate opportunities that facilitate this ethical growth through experiential learning.

It's not just about skills: Adopting a motivation‐informed approach to instruction with adolescents

AbstractAn issue devoted to foundational skills and adolescents might center the cognitive skills and practices most needed to accelerate learning. While an understanding of these—whether multisyllabic decoding, fostering comprehension through discussion, or argumentative writing—is important, in this article, we advocate for the importance of attending to principles of motivation. After defining motivation within the context of adolescent literacy instruction, we summarize representative research on the topic. We then present four guiding principles for teachers, each accompanied by practical examples for classroom application.

Digital Competence Among Older Adults: Is Self-Assessment Reliable?

Digital technology holds promise for addressing age-related challenges such as diminished physical and cognitive abilities, chronic conditions, and shifts in social connections. Individual proficiency in computer and internet skills influences technology adoption, correlated with advanced usage, positive attitudes, and self-efficacy. Despite extensive research on digital competence among younger demographics, there is a noticeable gap in inclusive design and research for older adults, with existing assessments often overlooking user ability diversity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of self-assessment as a method for measuring digital skills among older adults by comparing self-reported competence with objective assessments using the digital foundation skills framework. Abetween-subjects design was used to explore the reliability of self-assessment in evaluating digital skills among older adults, comparing self-assessed and objective assessments using the digital foundation skills framework. This framework encompasses six domains and provides statements and practical examples for self-assessment and objective evaluation of digital competence. Data were collected from 51 Romanian adults over the age of 60 using an online survey for the subjective assessment and laboratory testing for the objective assessment. Significant disparities were found between self-assessed and actual performance in three domains: digital foundation skills, communicating, and problem-solving. However, older adults accurately assessed their performance in handling information and content, transacting, and being safe and legal online. Given the lack of a consistent pattern of overestimation or underestimation, objective assessment is recommended for precise digital competence evaluation.

Behavioral health training for integrated behavioral health: A Delphi study

AbstractUsing a classical Delphi design, the authors used an interdisciplinary panel of behavioral health experts in integrated behavioral health (IBH) to identify foundational skills and knowledge counselor educators need to teach clinical mental health counselors for IBH practice. Eighty‐eight statements were identified. Implications are provided for counseling and other behavioral health educators.

“I still think that standard English is important”: Secondary ELA teachers' complex beliefs about foundational language for writing

AbstractFoundational skills are often viewed as necessary components for automaticity in reading and writing. In this study, we draw on teacher interviews to explore what secondary English/language arts teachers identify as necessary language for successful school writing. Findings suggest that teachers believe White mainstream English is a necessary component for academic success, although interviewees could not recall ever being explicitly taught this idea. Furthermore, teachers experience a tension between wanting to engage in culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy and their (often unexamined) underlying beliefs about White mainstream English being part of foundational language. We discuss how teachers' understanding of language skills includes their beliefs about what is deemed “correct” and “appropriate” for school and discuss the hidden ways foundational skills reinforce White mainstream English‐centric ways of knowing. We offer recommendations for teachers to examine their own biases in foundational language for writing.

Inadequate foundational decoding skills constrain global literacy goals for pupils in low- and middle-income countries.

Learning to read is the most important outcome of primary education. However, despite substantial improvements in primary school enrolment, most students in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) fail to learn to read by age 10. We report reading assessment data from over half a million pupils from 48 LMICs tested primarily in a language of instruction and show that these pupils are failing to acquire the most basic skills that contribute to reading comprehension. Pupils in LMICs across the first three instructional years are not acquiring the ability to decode printed words fluently and, in most cases, are failing to master the names and sounds associated with letters. Moreover, performance gaps against benchmarks widen with each instructional year. Literacy goals in LMICs will be reached only by ensuring focus on decoding skills in early-grade readers. Effective literacy instruction will require rigorous systematic phonics programmes and assessments suitable for LMIC contexts.

Revisiting the Schooling Inputs Debate: Experimental Evidence From an Early Grade Literacy Intervention in Lao PDR

ABSTRACTDespite the importance of interventions focused on schooling inputs, such as teacher training and provision of reading materials, there is mixed evidence on their impacts on the intensive margin of schooling. In this context, we provide evidence from a randomized controlled trial of a schooling intervention in Lao PDR, which focused on a combination of literacy activities, including teacher training, provision of reading materials, and community engagement in children's education. We show that the 2‐year effect of the literacy activities led to significant improvements in basic and foundational literacy skills for Grade 2 students in Lao PDR. We provide suggestive evidence that improvements in school environment (including more frequent engaging activities in the classroom by the teacher) and improvements in home literacy environment (such as encouraging children to read) play a key role in students' higher literacy outcomes.

Improving the Computational Thinking Abilities of Junior High School Students Through Problem-Based Learning

Computational Thinking is a crucial skill that students must master in the 21st century. Computational Thinking encompasses a systematic process that enables individuals to formulate problems, develop strategies, and find effective, efficient, and reusable solutions. This research aims to enhance students' Computational Thinking abilities through the application of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model, which is effective in facilitating active learning and problem-solving. The methodology used in this study is Classroom Action Research (CAR) with a spiral approach developed by Stephen Kemmis and Robin McTaggart. Data collection is conducted through post-tests administered at the end of each cycle phase. The obtained data are analyzed using a designed assessment rubric, wherein students are categorized based on their Computational Thinking abilities and foundational Computational Thinking skills. The results indicate that by the end of Cycle II, of students achieved a moderate to high level of Computational Thinking ability. These findings affirm that the implementation of the Problem-Based Learning learning model can significantly improve students' Computational Thinking skills.

Introducing Elementary Students to the World of Work

Career development promotes the development of key life skills, allows students to discover opportunities, connects school to work, encourages collaboration, and is instrumental in preparing students for postsecondary success. Despite this, many elementary educators struggle to seamlessly integrate career development activities into curricula. This paper will explore how to strengthen students’ foundational career skills, offer suggestions and resources on how to seamlessly integrate career development into elementary curricula, and how to celebrate and share student learning as elementary students discover their personal, career, and/or educational aspirations.

보편적 학습설계와 증거기반교수를 적용한 수학 수업이 초등학생의 곱셈·나눗셈 성취도와 수학적 학습 태도에 미치는 효과

Objectives The purposes of this study was to examine the effects of mathematics instruction, incorporate Universal Design for Learning(UDL) and evidence-based instruction, on the multiplication and division achievement and mathematical learning attitudes of 4th grade elementary school students with typical or low achievement in mathematics. Methods The study involved 46 subjects, comprising students from two 4th-grade classes in a public elementary school in Seoul. The subjects were divided into experimental and control groups, with each group further subdivided based on their level of mathematics achievement. The experimental design employed a pretest-posttest control group design along with a repeated measures design. Improvements in students’ multiplication and division achievements were analyzed using a hierarchical linear growth model, while differences in attitudes towards mathematical learning were assessed using paired samples t-tests and analysis of covariance(ANCOVA). Results First, the rate of change in multiplication and division achievement among students with typical math performance in the experimental group was statistically significantly higher than that in the control group. Second, the rate of change in multiplication and division achievement among students with low math performance in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Third, within the experimental group, students with low math performance demonstrated a significantly greater rate of improvement in achievement compared to students with typical math performance. Fourth, students in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in most areas of mathematical learning attitudes. Finally, there was no statistically significant difference in mathematical learning attitudes between the two subgroups of the experimental group, except for their level of confidence in multiplication and division. Conclusions First, mathematics instruction incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and evidencebased instruction was effective in improving multiplication and division achievement as well as mathematical learning attitudes among 4th grade elementary students. Finally, it can be inferred that this approach could be an effective method for ensuring foundational academic skills and bridging achievement gaps in general education settings with diverse student characteristics.

Action Research for Enhancing the English Learning Needs of College Students

This study explored English learning challenges faced by freshman students in a Hainan vocational university. Participants, who had completed vocational diplomas and professional internships, struggled with English, affecting their undergraduate coursework. Analysis of the data revealed several key issues, including lack of interest and motivation, disconnect from practical needs, overemphasis on vocabulary and grammar, dissatisfaction with learning outcomes, inappropriate assessment standards and content, lack of relevance to major, and exam-oriented learning. In response, a remediation plan is proposed, aiming to stimulate learning interest, strengthen foundational skills, enhance classroom engagement, leverage technology and resources, promote cultural awareness and communication skills, and implement regular feedback and assessment. A new round of action research will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this plan and make further improvements. The aim is to provide valuable insights and pave the way for tailored educational interventions to support the academic journey of these students.

Enhancing computational thinking in children through logical puzzles: A machine learning approach for early coding education

This recent growth in early education in coding evidences the rising need for the computing-thinking-skills development in children. Though most of the programming curricula are based upon syntax and other basic concepts of coding, computational thinking encompasses broader cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, abstraction, and logical reasoning. This research therefore intends to fill a gap in research and will investigate the ways pre-coding games employ logical puzzles as an enhancement in developing computational thinking skills in children aged 7-10 years and how these affect the acquisition of programming knowledge. In all, there will be two groups assigned: one will be exposed to logical-oriented puzzle training, Group A, and the other will be a control group, Group B, which receives only regular standard lessons in programming introduction. Pre- and post-measures of computational thinking and basic programming skills will be obtained from the participants. The machine learning algorithms, such as Random Forest for prediction in terms of improvement in subject performance in computational thinking and K-Means clustering to identify patterns in their development of skills, will be implemented in their pure or integrated forms to analyze data. Logistic Regression will be executed in order to model the odds of improved performance in programming given an intervention of exposure to puzzles. The research study will, therefore, apply these algorithms in comparing the performance of the two groups and reveal the aspects of computational thinking to which the greatest influence in a positive way through puzzle activities is exerted. It is expected that children exposed to logical puzzles may show significant improvements in both computational thinking and programming skills. These findings should be useful to educators in their effort to show how logical puzzles can be integrated into the curricula of early coding education to build foundational skills and thereby contribute to a refinement of best practices in STEM education.

Is the medical curriculum failing patients with obesity? - A public health concern

Abstract Introduction Despite the global surge in obesity, it often receives insufficient attention in medical curricula, potentially impacting its management. This study aims to assess the preparedness of medical students in managing obesity. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted by disseminating a mixed-methods anonymous questionnaire to medical students studying at the University in Malta. A sample size of 117 participants was determined a-priori. Descriptive statistics and chi square testing were conducted. and coupled with thematic two-stage coding analysis of qualitative data. Results 189 participants were recruited. The majority expressed dissatisfaction with the teaching of obesity and its management during the MD course (pre-clinical = 90%; clinical = 74.4%, p = 0.006). Clinical students expressed dissatisfaction regarding the adequacy of their pre-clinical education (82.65%) and clinical attachments (70.40%), in equipping them with the theoretical knowledge and foundational skills necessary for managing patients with obesity. No significant difference between clinical and pre-clinical students’ knowledge was noted except concerning diagnostic criteria (preclinical: 63.33% versus clinical: 89.90 %; p < 0.001). Thematic analysis highlighted the importance of curricular obesity teaching, need for a holistic approach towards obesity, and hesitancy in treating patients with obesity. Conclusions The gap between medical students’ perceived readiness and the growing obesity epidemic is a public health concern. Without proper training, future doctors may struggle to manage obesity, posing risks to health outcomes and healthcare systems. Urgent curricular reforms are necessary to prioritize obesity education and ensure physicians are equipped to address obesity, to meet national needs. This requires collaboration among stakeholders, especially post-COVID-19, to align medical education with public health needs while addressing the severity of the obesity epidemic in Europe. Key messages • A gap between students’ attitudes and their understanding of obesity education was identified in this study, indicating a need for curriculum reform. • This presents a critical public health issue, as it leaves the new generation of doctors ill-equipped to address the growing obesity epidemic across European countries.

Essentials of genomics in nursing undergraduate education: A discussion paper

AimTo map the 2021 American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials to the American Nurses Association Essentials of Genomic Nursing for all nurses and provide resources for nursing faculty to support the seamless integration of genomics into existing undergraduate curricula. BackgroundSince the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, rapid advancements in genomic science leading to practical applications of genomics have revolutionized all areas of healthcare. Nursing is built on foundational life sciences, including genomics. As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, who spend the most time with patients and families, nurses play a critical role in healthcare teams integrating genomic knowledge into patient care to improve health and well-being. Consequently, nurses must be equipped with foundational genomic knowledge and skills during their undergraduate education. However, there is wide variability in whether and how nursing programs have incorporated genomics into their curricula. Additionally, nursing faculty may have limited knowledge of foundational genomic concepts and lack confidence in teaching genomics. DesignDiscussion paper MethodsWe aligned domains from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials and American Nurses Association Essentials of Genomic Nursing. ResultsA map illustrating alignment in multiple areas, which provide examples of ways to integrate genomics into existing nursing curricula. ConclusionAlthough based on domains developed in the United States, the map, curricular resources, example learning outcomes, and clinical vignettes can be used by nursing faculty globally to prepare future nurses who are competent in providing genomics-informed nursing care on entry-to-practice.

Effectiveness of Mother Tongue Instruction on Literacy Rates in Primary Education in Kenya, Examining the Transition from Indigenous Languages to English in Urban and Rural Settings

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of mother tongue instruction on literacy rates in primary education in Kenya, examining the transition from indigenous languages to English in urban and rural settings Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Studies on the effectiveness of mother tongue instruction in Kenya's primary education reveal that using indigenous languages in early education significantly improves literacy rates, particularly in rural areas. In these settings, children who learn in their native languages during the early grades develop stronger foundational literacy skills compared to those taught in English from the start. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Sociocultural theory, cummins’ linguistic interdependence theory & transitional bilingual education theory may be used to anchor future studies on the effectiveness of mother tongue instruction on literacy rates in primary education in Kenya, examining the transition from indigenous languages to English in urban and rural settings. Schools, particularly in rural areas, need more resources like textbooks and teaching aids in indigenous languages to support early literacy development. Policymakers should implement flexible language policies that consider the different linguistic needs of urban and rural populations.

Building bridges - Fostering collaborative education in training dental informaticians.

Dental informatics is an emerging discipline. Although the accreditation agency governing dental education programs asserts the importance of informatics as foundational knowledge, no well-defined dental informatics courses currently exist within the standard predoctoral dental curriculum. There is a nationwide lack of dental informatics academic programs. This training gap is due to a lack of qualified dental informaticians to impart knowledge on dental informatics. This paper aims to introduce a novel conceptual framework for an interdisciplinary dental informatics program in preparing students to become dental informaticians. In 2023, we developed a standalone graduate certificate program in dental informatics at Indiana University (IU) School of Dentistry in collaboration with IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and IU Fairbanks School of Public Health. Feedback was collected through online surveys to assess course quality from students who took Introduction to Health Information in Dentistry. Feedback was analyzed qualitatively, utilizing a thematic analysis approach. Common responses relevant to dental informatics education were grouped into themes. Five major themes emerged during our analysis of the students' feedback: foundational knowledge and skills; experiential learning: learning by doing; access to resources and working on clinical information systems; health promotion through team-based learning; and retention of knowledge assessment and application. A conceptual framework was formulated through these themes as a guideline for future program improvement. This interdisciplinary educational program framework showed how students and faculty from various disciplines could collaborate, learn from each other, and bring in expertise from different domains. The collaboration happens in clinical, laboratory, and virtual settings to acquire hands on learning through practice and research projects. The developed conceptual framework aligned with the interdisciplinary nature of dental informatics. It can potentially be adopted by other interdisciplinary informatics programs in health and non-health care disciplines.

Mother tongue-based education in a diverse society and the acquisition of foundational skills: Evidence from the Philippines

The Philippines is an ethnolinguistically diverse country with 180 languages spoken. In 2012, the government massively expanded the language of instruction (LoI) options, a shift from a bilingual Filipino-English education to mother tongue-based education using 19 languages targeting students in kindergarten to grade 3. The policy intended to create a closer link between the school instructional language and students’ mother tongue in the early stage of formal schooling, which would improve foundational skills and increase the students’ ability to acquire proficiency in additional languages. We use nationally representative data to evaluate the policy's impact on foundational reading and mathematics skills, exploiting a variation between student cohorts and the variation in the instructional languages before and after the policy. We find that the policy reduced the mean linguistic distance between children's mother tongue and school LoI by between 43 % to 76 %. However, we find a statistically significant and negative effect on foundational reading skills when tested in Filipino or English. The magnitude is not negligible given the Philippines’ flat learning profiles. We find the policy also negatively impacted the foundational mathematics skills of the first cohort fully exposed to the policy. Our findings imply that governments need to reconsider the mother tongue-based education policy as a tool to improve foundational skills in a diverse society.

Read STOP Write: Teaching foundational skills in a multicomponent informational reading and writing intervention

Read <scp>STOP</scp> Write: Teaching foundational skills in a multicomponent informational reading and writing intervention

Exploring Perspectives on Data Science Competency: Insights from Students, Professionals, and Employers

Graduate-level data science programs at iSchools have increased in recent years in response to growing needs in the field and demand for professionals with data-related skills due to technology advancements and the ubiquity of information and data. However, a perception gap still exists regarding skills taught in classrooms and those needed in the workplace. Hence, we systematically analyzed graduate-level data science programs and courses and conducted a survey of relevant stakeholders (current students, data professionals, and employers) on their perceptions of the skills and knowledge necessary for an effective data science professional or data librarian. In the questionnaire, 116 participants rated the importance of data science competencies and topics using a seven-point Likert scale. The survey participants rated most data competency areas as important, very important, or extremely important, indicating a strong consensus among respondents regarding the significance of technical skills like data analysis, foundational skills like problem-solving, and soft skills like communication. Overall, students rated the importance of most technical skills higher than employers and professionals did. However, employers rated the importance of soft skills, such as communication, higher than students. A Kruskal-Wallis H test confirmed significant differences in the rating of multiple data competency importance among the three groups. When asked about the importance of data topics, participants rated topics like data ethics, privacy, and access as important. These findings could inform and assist administrators and faculty at LIS and iSchools with curricula design for graduate programs while working to prepare students for careers in the information professions.