Individual Journeys Research Articles

Achieving Academic Success Through Fostering Career Planning of Nepalese Higher Secondary Students

Background: High school students often view career planning as a task for college, but initiating this process during high school is crucial for continuous self-discovery. This approach aims to enable citizens to navigate the complexities of the ever-changing labor market effectively.Method: Descriptive and exploratory research methodologies, strategically chosen to identify problems and illuminate current marketing conditions and practices within the realm of higher secondary schools. The target population encompasses all higher secondary schools and their students in Kathmandu Valley, with a sample of 25 colleges selected using a convenience sampling method.Result: The findings of the study exhibited noteworthy consistencies in responses across different demographic groups, thus providing a basis for generalization among the target audience. The study highlighted that a career is a composite outcome of job-related experiences acquired throughout an individual's professional journey. Furthermore, the research underscored the dynamic nature of career planning, which continuously adapts to the rapid changes in the global economy. The evolving landscape of career planning places a strong emphasis on career building, with the overarching goal of assisting individuals in developing resilience and self-reliance.Conclusion: This study emphasized the importance of maintaining a harmonious balance between work and life roles, recognizing the significance of holistic career development in the contemporary socio-economic context.

Examples in the Development of Clementi’s Four-Hand Piano Sonata

"Muzio Clementi exploits the possibilities of duet texture more, individualizing the middle voices as a separate layer. However, it cannot compete with the refinement of the interweaving of voices in Mozart’s duets. The bass and middle voices often provide a supporting function for the melodic material concentrated in the primo part. Clementi’s four-hand sonatas are among the earliest significant works of four-hand piano in musical history. They reflect the composer’s individual and intense journey through the genre and the variety of his approaches. Keywords: Muzio Clementi, Sonata, piano four-hands, development"

Unveiling Psychological Perspectives on Aging Minds and Cancer: A Review

In geriatric oncology, the intersection of aging complexities and cancer care intricacies shapes the journey of elderly individuals facing cancer. This review explores emotional, cognitive, and social dynamics influencing their experiences and care. Following a cancer diagnosis, older adults navigate a spectrum of emotions—from shock to resilience—crucial in shaping coping strategies and treatment decisions. The toll of cancer treatments, compounded by age-related vulnerabilities, underscores the need for tailored care plans that account for social and familial dynamics. Cognitive functions undergo shifts influenced by aging and treatments, emphasizing the importance of understanding these changes in decision-making processes. Caregiver-patient relationships emerge as pivotal, impacting cognitive well-being and necessitating interventions supporting both parties. Psychological interventions, from counselling to mindfulness practices, offer avenues for comprehensive care. Integrating these interventions into multidisciplinary care fosters resilience and enriches survivorship experiences among elderly cancer patients. This review advocates a personalized approach in geriatric oncology, emphasizing tailored interventions and comprehensive care strategies that honour individual experiences. Future research directions focus on exploring emotional resilience, cognitive adaptability, and intervention outcomes to enhance care for elderly individuals navigating cancer’s challenges. In conclusion, geriatric oncology demands personalized, multidisciplinary care strategies that integrate psychological support and acknowledge the complexities of aging. This integration marks a transformative shift towards holistic care, paving the way for tailored and effective interventions supporting elderly patients throughout their cancer journey.

Exploring Opportunities and Successes: Navigating Self-Initiated Expatriates in the USA

The primary objective of this study is to enhance the comprehension of the obstacles and achievements faced by self-initiated expatriates residing in the United States. By employing in-depth interviews, this study examines the intricate experiences of individuals who have engaged in self-initiated expatriation, thereby providing insights into the challenges and opportunities encountered by organizations operating in this particular context. Through the utilization of a qualitative methodology, the study captures the multifaceted narratives and distinct viewpoints of the participants, thereby unraveling the intricate intricacies of their individual journeys. This provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between individuals and organizations in the context of self-initiated expatriation. This was achieved through the use of thematic analysis. The results of the study emphasize that self-initiated expatriates possess distinctive abilities and viewpoints, presenting a valuable asset for organizations seeking to improve innovation and adaptability. The research highlights examples in which organizations effectively leverage the capabilities of Social Impact Enterprises, attaining a synergistic equilibrium between centralized global oversight and individual independence.

More than a checkpoint: the pedagogic potential of a dialogic approach to doctoral progression assessment

In the UK, all doctoral programmes are expected to include some form of periodic progression assessment, with individual institutions having autonomy to design and implement their own structures. Yet, despite the potential significance of this assessment to individual doctoral journeys, the design of progression assessment processes has previously received very limited attention. This paper reports on a study which investigated doctoral students’ experiences of progression assessment at one UK university, where the process involved both written and oral components. Utilising the concept of assessment for learning to support the analysis of narrative interviews with six doctoral students studying in the social sciences and humanities, the paper considers the pedagogic potential of doctoral progression assessment. The findings of the study indicated that the students perceived the dialogic aspects of the assessment to have the most significant potential for supporting learning and understanding, particularly where invitational, reflective, coaching format questions were utilised. The potential of assessment dialogue to present opportunities for reframing and disrupting thinking is explored, as well as the significance of this assessment in supporting autonomy, permission and motivation. The paper advocates careful consideration of both assessment design and practice in relation to these aspects.

“Ever since I knew I was trans I knew I wanted hormone therapy”: a qualitative exploration into the journey of Australian trans individuals accessing feminizing gender-affirming hormone therapy

Background:For many trans folks, gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is a desired affirming procedure that has been linked with positive health outcomes, however literature has had little focus on the journeys of trans people as they access GAHT.Aim:To understand trans people’s journey of accessing GAHT to delineate supports necessary to better engage trans individuals into gender-affirming care.Method:This study conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 Australian trans adults who participated in a larger study investigating the effects of a cyproterone acetate titration protocol.Findings:A four-factor thematic structure was created from the data. Theme one describes early cognizance of being trans and the pivotal moments in their trans realization. The second theme explores the rapid engagement with community to begin accessing information and affirming healthcare, including GAHT. The third theme explores barriers to engaging in GAHT and theme four reflects on advice participants have for other trans people who are considering GAHT.Conclusion:Findings from this study emphasize the importance of providing support to young trans people to help reconcile their gender identity and assist them to engage into care as early as possible. It also highlights the key role that community plays in providing links to affirming information and providers of GAHT – but also emphasizes the importance of considering how to engage with community who may be missed. The experience of accessing GAHT is personal and contextual, but signaling of affirming safe spaces and access to salient information may be key strategies to better support trans people choosing to access GAHT.

Financial Feasibility Study of Perum Damri Serang Branch Business Study on Transport Trajects of Tanjung Lesung and Sawarna National Tourism Strategic Areas

Transportation refers to the act of relocating or transferring an object from one location to another, with the intention of enhancing its utility or enabling its application for specific purposes in the new destination. Public transportation refers to a form of mass transportation that provides passenger services through a collective travel system. This method of transportation is accessible to the general public, operates on predetermined routes, and requires payment for each individual journey. Public transportation operates on a rental or payment system. The primary function of public transportation is to cater to the mobility needs and interests of the community. Survey research encompasses the examination of both extensive and limited populations through the collection of data from representative samples. Its primary objective is to ascertain the relative prevalence, distribution, and interrelationship of variables. In summary, it may be concluded that both routes did not demonstrate financial feasibility within the initial two-year period, considering a discount rate of 12.5%. While the internal rate of return (IRR) study suggests the possibility of long-term profitability, it is crucial to thoroughly evaluate the short-term risks and losses that are brought to light by the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) and net present value (NPV) calculations. When making decisions on the operation of this route, it is necessary to carefully analyze several elements, such as market conditions, competition, and prevailing economic circumstances. Prior to proceeding with or ceasing route operations, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive study and engage in strategic planning that aligns with DAMRI's commercial objectives.

Ethical guidelines for antiracism work in medicine: lessons from the antiracist healing collaborative

An explosion of antiracism in medicine efforts have transpired since 2020. However, no ethical guidelines exist to guide them. This oversight is concerning because the racism and white supremacy rife...

The Effects of English File Coursebook on Enhancing Listening Comprehension Skills in the IELTS Proficiency Test

This research investigates the intricate realm of language learning, with a specific focus on the challenging domain of listening skills for Kurdish EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. Listening, an essential component of language learning alongside speaking, reading, and writing, poses a significant cognitive challenge for individuals acquiring a second language, particularly English. Using a pre-experimental one-group study design, this study aims to uncover the impact of English course books on the enhancement of listening skills among Kurdish EFL learners. In pursuit of this objective, a group of 24 first-year university students, comprising 14 females and 10 males, engaged in both pre-tests and post-tests to evaluate their listening proficiency, and conducting the survey questionnaire. Employing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for data analysis, the research utilized various statistical tests to explore the effects of supplementary materials and the perspectives of learners on the English File course book. Furthermore, a Paired Samples T-Test was employed to measure the degree of change between the pre-test and post-test scores. Remarkably, the findings from this analysis suggest that the use of English File course books led to improved listening skills among Kurdish EFL learners. These improvements are vital, emphasizing the significance of considering individual learning journey. Notably, gender-based differences in perceptions were explored, and the results revealed a surprising consistency in the perceptions of male and female EFL learners within the Kurdish context. These insights contribute to our understanding of language acquisition and underscore the importance of tailored instructional interventions in enhancing listening skills.

Patient-reported symptoms and diagnostic journey in Multiple Myeloma.

Late presentation of multiple myeloma (MM) heightens the risk of complication risks, including end-organ damage. This study aimed to: 1) detail the diagnostic journey of MM patients, encompassing symptoms, initial diagnoses, and healthcare professionals met; 2) establish the median duration from symptom onset to MM diagnosis; and 3) examine factors linked to timely MM diagnosis within 12 weeks. A total of 300 adults self-reporting MM were analysed from the Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases cohort Study (RUDY). The RUDY study is a web-based platform, where participants provide dynamic consent and self-report their MM diagnosis and information about their diagnostic journey. This includes the estimated date of initial potential first symptoms, descriptions of these symptoms, the healthcare professionals they consulted, and other diagnoses received before the MM diagnosis. Descriptive statistics, combinatorial analyses and logistic regression analyses were used to describe and examine the diagnostic journey of individuals with MM. Overall, 52% of the participants reported other diagnoses before MM diagnosis, with musculoskeletal disorders (47.8%), such as osteoporosis, costochondritis, or muscle strains, being the most common. The most prevalent initial reported symptom was back pain/vertebral fractures (47%), followed by chest/shoulder pain, including rib pain and fractures (20%), and fatigue/tiredness (19.7%). 40% of participants were diagnosed by direct referral from primary care to haematology without seeing other healthcare professionals whilst 60% consulted additional specialists before diagnosis. The median time from symptom onset to MM diagnosis was 4 months (IQR 2-10 months, range 0-172). Seeing an Allied Healthcare Professional such as a physiotherapist, chiropractor or an osteopath (OR = 0.25, 95% CI [0.12, 0.47], p <0.001), experiencing infection symptoms (OR = 0.32, 95% CI [0.13, 0.76], p = 0.013), and having chest or shoulder pain (OR = 0.45, 95% CI [0.23, 0.86], p = 0.020) were associated with a lower likelihood of being diagnosed with MM within 12 weeks. Older age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.02, 1.07], p = 0.001) was associated with a higher likelihood of diagnosis within 12 weeks. Developing resources for allied health professionals may improve early recognition of MM.

A new temporal framework for the passionate engagement journey of ultra-endurance athletes: A qualitative investigation.

The explosion of popularity of ultra-endurance (UE) sports in the last 20 years has attracted a lot of interest amongst sport psychologists who studied many aspects of their participants. However, a temporal perspective on the development of the UE engagement was missing. With this research we aimed to explore the long-term individual journeys of UE athletes and how their passion developed over time from the moment of inception to full adoption of UE as an identity and a lifestyle. For this purpose, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 UE athletes (12 male and 4 female, mean age 43.4, SD 10) in cycling, trail running and triathlon. Five key themes (with 13 sub-themes) of their UE engagement journey emerged as the result of the interpretative phenomenological analysis of the interviews: 1) The making of the UE athlete, 2) Finding the tribe, 3) Peak experiences, 4) UE lifestyle and 5) UE passion and outcomes. Rich descriptions were generated demonstrating that the development journey of UE athletes is a multi-year, sometimes life-long endeavour, which is full of unique experiences, emotional rollercoasters, passion, overcoming and surrender stories and also of spiritual growth. And while each journey we heard was unique, we could observe similarities in its key milestones. We summarized them in a wholistic UE journey framework which we developed based on this research. The new "Temporal framework for progressive UE engagement and passion development" is presented here for discussion and further validation.

Role of corporate culture in suppressing discriminating practices against women's careers

A career is an individual's journey to achieve a better goal. Corporate culture is an important thing that a company must have. Discrimination is common in heterogeneous communities. This study aims to understand corporate culture's role in efforts to suppress discriminatory practices against women's careers. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach. This study used three informants who worked at PT. KE Farmasi in North Jakarta. In addition to secondary data, this study also used primary data from interviews with informants. The results of this study show that there are still discriminatory practices against women's careers in companies. Prejudice and stereotypes are one of the reasons why discriminatory practices still occur against women's careers. Performance-based corporate culture is one way to avoid discriminatory practices against women's careers. This research is expected to contribute to the importance of performance-based corporate culture.

Sick leave before, during, and after short-term outpatient psychotherapy: a cohort study on sick leave days and health care costs between behavioral and psychodynamic psychotherapies on anonymized claims data.

Sick leave due to mental disorders poses a relevant societal and economic burden. Research on sick leave over a patient journey of individuals who received one of two treatment approaches - either behavioral (BT) or psychodynamic (PDT) psychotherapy - is scarce. We conducted a cohort study on anonymized German claims data for propensity-score matched patients who received short-term outpatient BT or PDT. We analyzed sick leave days and direct health care costs one year before, during, and one year after psychotherapy. We analyzed data of patients who received BT and PDT, with N = 14 530 patients per group after matching. Patients showed sick leave days per person year of 33.66 and 35.05 days before, 35.99 and 39.74 days during, and 20.03 and 20.95 days after BT and PDT, respectively. Sick leave rates were overall higher in patients who received PDT. Both patient groups showed reductions of roughly 14 sick leave days per year, or 40%, from before to after therapy without a difference between BT and PDT (difference-in-difference [DiD] = -0.48, 95%-confidence interval [CI] -1.61 to 0.68). Same applies to direct health care costs which reduced in both groups by roughly 1800 EUR (DiD = 0, 95%-CI -158 to 157). Results suggest similar reductions in sick leave days and direct health care costs from before to after BT and PDT. As sick leave is discussed to serve as an indicator of overall health and functioning in mental disorders, both treatments may have a similar positive impact on mental health.

SoTL in Human Movement Sciences: Moving Forward in South Africa

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is an emerging focus within South Africa (SA). In Human Movement Sciences (HMS) in SA, research is primarily discipline-specific, and many researchers are unfamiliar with SoTL. To explore how we (as HMS lecturers) could integrate SoTL into our research, we formed a community of practice (CoP). The SoTL unicycle depiction of Swart et al. (2016) suited our visual analogy since the focus of HMS is on the human body that is in motion. For us, the unicycle represented HMS SoTL in motion. Swart et al. (2016) viewed the SoTL movement as an academic’s individual journey, whereas we saw SoTL from a CoP perspective. Therefore, we adapted the unicycle into a tandem bicycle, representing our collaborative engagements. Participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) formed our theoretical framework. Through our dialogue, each tandem wheel’s focus emerged. The back wheel was about deciding to SoTL (or not). This became a linchpin of our critical dialogue during the relationship-building phase of our CoP. Once we committed, we needed to learn how to keep our CoP moving forward. This became the middle wheel of our tandem bicycle. Next, the front wheel and handlebar became our guide into what the future of SoTL would be for us. The tandem bicycle, therefore, represents our collective cycles of learning as we became SoTL researchers. We believe our learning can support others transitioning from discipline-specific research to engaging in SoTL. *Please note that this poster is best viewed in Adobe on a computer/laptop for interactivity. Click here to read the corresponding ISSOTL blog post.

Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Communication: Adoption Challenges and Opportunities Through a Lens of Cognitive Dissonance

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent, humans and organizations must make decisions regarding its adoption and use. However, the adoption of AI can be a complex process that challenges existing beliefs and practices. Cognitive dissonance, the discomfort that arises when individuals are faced with conflicting beliefs or behaviors, can exist within both the individual and organizational AI adoption journey. This article explores the concept of cognitive dissonance in relation to the adoption and use of AI, particularly when users may not even be aware that they are interacting with AI. By understanding the role of cognitive dissonance in the adoption process, individuals and organizations can make informed decisions that promote its successful integration and potentially lead to greater acceptance of its capabilities.

Using journey maps as a holistic, reflective approach to capture student engineering identity experiences

ABSTRACT Engineering identity has been repeatedly linked to the retention and success of engineering students, however, the current methods for understanding identity may not capture the holistic engineering identity journey. This study reviewed the method of utilising journey maps as a new approach to capture student engineering identity experiences. Interviews were conducted with 30 engineering students and early career engineers in which the participants responded to semi-structured, open-ended questions through the creation of their individual journey map. These maps were then thematically analysed to identify the key influences of engineering identity and the stage of their university journey when these influences occur. We determined that participants who strongly identify as engineers more often discussed and valued social identity experiences in the mid-year and final years of their degree, in contrast to participants who did not feel like engineers. We found that utilising journey maps as a tool for understanding identity allowed for a retrospective correlation between experience and impact, provided the participants space for authentic reflection and honoured the individuality of identity development. This method of journey mapping could be used to inform engineering education research in the further exploration and understanding of student identity development, reflective experiences and narrative storytelling.

A Spiritual Journey through Cancer and Beyond: Prayer, Pilgrimage, and Faith in Lisa Ray’s Close to the Bone

This paper examines the efficacy of incorporating spiritual practices, such as prayer and pilgrimages, into patient-centered care to enhance the healing journey of individuals experiencing illness. Using Lisa Ray’s cancer memoir, Close to the Bone (2019), we seek to investigate the impact of spirituality, sacred spaces, and faith on maintaining an individual’s religiosity during times of ailment. Our analysis of the potential salubrious effects of incorporating practices like prayer and pilgrimages, as well as the ameliorative influence of storytelling and community, aims to shed light on the utility of these practices in healthcare. Furthermore, we aim to situate prayer as a healing modality and examine the pertinence of Hindu pilgrimage sites in India to the case study. By evaluating the spiritual practices and sacred spaces that facilitated Lisa’s healing journey, we hope to contribute to the understanding of the importance of including spiritual practices and beliefs in patient care within the interdisciplinary framework of medical humanities, which encompasses a wide array of disciplines concerned with the human pursuit of health and well-being.

E-biking within a transitioning transport system: the quest for flexible mobility

Over the last few years, electrically assisted cycling, e-biking, has increased substantially worldwide. Replacing car driving for individual journeys, especially commuting, is highlighted as important to mitigate climate change, improve public health, and reduce congestion and other unwanted consequences connected to the car. Car driving, however, is still the overwhelmingly dominant mode of personal transport globally and the ‘system of automobility’ permeates the whole of society. Flexibility and autonomy are considered the main reasons for the car’s dominance (Urry 2004). By analysing interviews and diaries kept by e-bikers, collected in semi-urban and urban settings in Sweden, this article aims to contribute to knowledge about emerging micromobility practices such as e-biking in relation to a transport system where flexibility is the norm. The results show that e-biking encompasses elements that give the practice potential to both recruit and retain practitioners. By successfully combining elements of conventional cycling and car driving, it offers reliability, convenience, and flexibility. E-biking facilitates transforming a dull commute into leisure as the rider can enjoy the sensuous and reflective aspects of the journey. At the same time, through that squeezing of time, it does not challenge prevailing structures but rather maintains the time-space of automobility.

When Will We Arrive? A Novel Multi-Task Spatio-Temporal Attention Network Based on Individual Preference for Estimating Travel Time

Predicting how long a trip will take may allow travelers plan ahead, save money, and avoid traffic congestion. The journey time estimation model should take into account three crucial factors: (1) individual travel preference, (2) dynamic spatio-temporal correlations, and (3) the association between long-term speed forecast and travel time estimate. In order to overcome these challenges, this study proposes a unique parallel architecture called the multi-task spatio-temporal attention network (MT-STAN) to estimate journey times. To extract the dynamic spatio-temporal correlations of the road network, we first develop a traffic speed prediction model based on spatio-temporal block and bridge transformer networks, combining the road, timestamp, and traffic speed information into hidden states. Second, we offer a personalized model for estimating journey times that makes use of cross-network, holistic attention, and semantic transformer. In this approach, travel preferences extraction through cross-network, holistic attention permits correlations between the dynamic road network’s hidden states and individual journey characteristics, which are subsequently transformed into global semantics by the semantic transformer; preferences and semantics are integrated during the estimate phase. Finally, a multi-task learning component is included, which combines both traffic speed prediction and individual journey time estimate, via the sharing of underlying network parameters and the improvement of the contextual semantic knowledge of the latter job. Evaluation experiments are carried out using a highway dataset collected in Yinchuan City, Ningxia Province, China. The proposed prediction model outperforms state-of-the-art baseline approaches in experiments.

What do young people think about the extension of compulsory education?

ABSTRACT Background Questions about the optimum age for young people to complete their compulsory education, and how this relates to issues of equity, are familiar topics of debate in many jurisdictions. The aim of educational equity has been fundamental in Finnish education, upheld through decades of reforms. A recent reform has extended compulsory education in Finland to the age of 18. As part of gaining insight into its implications, more needs to be understood about how it is perceived by young people in education settings. Purpose This study sought to explore young people’s perceptions of extended compulsory education in the context of the recent reform in Finland. Methods A total of 19 focus group interviews were carried out with 56 15-to-16-year-olds who were among the first cohort of young people experiencing the extension to compulsory education. Data were analysed qualitatively, using a discourse-analytical approach. Findings Three main discourses emerged, which helped illuminate the young people’s views: (i) grade discourse, (ii) potential equity discourse and (iii) part-of-the-system discourse. Goals and pressure to succeed were emphasised through grade discourse; the extension was also discussed in terms of equity around provision of accessible information and access to education. While most participants deemed completing secondary education self-evident, doubts arose about the system’s flexibility and whether it might hinder choice. Different discourses slightly influenced agency; grade discourse reinforced young people’s goal-oriented stance. Conclusion This study highlights how certain ‘ideal’ positions may be favoured among young people considering various educational and career paths. While effective for those with clear goals, it could discourage deviation from peers’ choices. The findings draw attention more broadly to the need for quality study guidance and wellbeing prioritisation for all young people as they negotiate transitional points in their individual learning journeys.