Inductive Programming Research Articles

Conocimientos del personal de enfermería sobre el proceso de esterilización

The objective of this research was to characterize the level of knowledge of nursing staff about sterilization methods at the Especialidades Quirúrgicas DOS C.A clinic, located in Caracas, Venezuela. A descriptive study was carried out with a cross-sectional field design. The main results revealed that, on average, 63% of the health professionals studied had deficiencies in the application of the sterilization process. Both the knowledge and the procedures carried out by the professionals were at a regular level. In conclusion, the need to implement training programs was evident to address the deficiencies detected both in the theoretical aspects and in the procedures related to the sterilization process carried out by the nursing staff of the sample. It is necessary to develop a training program for personnel working in the sterilization unit, as well as an induction program for new workers.

Study on Effectiveness of Induction and Orientation Process on Employee Performance at Podaran Foods India Pvt Ltd., Vellakovil

Induction programme is an initial interaction with the newly joined employees. The initial interaction and relationship the organisation develops with the new employees decides on the future accomplishment and responsibility. The induction programme should be planned systematically, methodically and meticulously to make the new recruits to fit in the organisation. The importance of well-planned induction programme helps in moulding the new entrants to the policies of the organisation. The induction programme is an ideal occasion for the manager to influence the candidates positively and to get maximum productivity. This paper scrutinizes the effectiveness of induction programme in the selected hospital. A checklist was framed and data was collected from the induction feedback forms of that hospital in order to study the effectiveness on the induction programme. The expected outcome of this paper is the improvement in already existing programme and framing new techniques to increase the effectiveness. The findings are also expected to pave the way for future research work.

Understanding preservice teachers’ perspectives on challenges experienced during work integrated learning

The demands on educational institutions in the 21st century are constantly changing, necessitating adapted teaching, and learning techniques both within and outside of the classroom. Central to these evolutionary changes is the teacher who is expected to initiate innovative teaching strategies that often come with a variety of challenges. This requires preservice teachers to consequently complete extensive work-integrated learning (WIL) for a defined period as part of their initial teacher training. The article sought to ascertain the challenges, faced by preservice teachers during WIL using the situated learning theory, which emphasises the relevance of the integration of new ideas and human actions in dealing with ongoing environmental challenges. The methodology of the study is built on an interpretive paradigm, employing a qualitative case study design. Data was collected through interviews from Fourteen B.Ed. Honours preservice teachers were selected through a non-probability sampling method, known as purposive sampling. Data analysis was done thematically and with the use of Atlas ti 9. The study found some degree of complexities and inter-relationship between the preservice teachers challenges and their inability to deliver content. Exceptionally, however, some challenges like the delegation of responsibilities, pedagogy and especially transportation issues show high-level association with an implication to WIL for preservice teachers. The study however makes some crucial recommendations to policy and practice, which include an expansion and emergency modification in teaching pedagogy to incorporate technology, mandatory professional training and induction programmes for mentors and the need to enhance the environmental approach to teaching

Teachers’ Challenges and Coping Strategies in Conducting Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Activities

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, or MHPSS, are significant in our wellbeing. During pre-pandemic, some professionals and practitioners were trained to conduct MHPSS. However, teachers are now recognized as providers because of the wide call for the integration of MHPSS in education. Thus, the researcher aimed to explore teachers' experiences conducting MHPSS for students. The study participants are classroom teachers with one to three years of experience in the Department of Education under a teacher induction program and assigned to a school with mental health practitioners like guidance counselors and school nurses. The data is analyzed using the case study model of Meriam and Tisdell. The study revealed the circumstances where students' support, activities conducted, challenges encountered, coping strategies, and responses of the recipients. The study served as an evaluation of the support and intervention in the school setting. Practitioners may use the result of this study to identify the areas where teachers need help the most. Future researchers may examine teachers' experiences assigned to schools without mental health professionals and practitioners to identify more challenges and coping strategies.

Dynamics Reverting learners in Institutions of Higher Education in Kenya: Are Learners prepared for change?

This article attempts to interrogate the dynamics reverting young students in the institutions of higher Education in Kenya. It presents the dynamics reverting the young students and tries to bring forth the solutions to these dynamics. The tender age at which students join institutions of higher learning finds them unprepared for social economic conditions they encounter. Most students struggle to fit in, and with lack of proper guidance on time management they eventually find themselves engaging in destructive activities. The children join schools at their young age and learn from elementary, primary, secondary, and textually levels. The children are academically well prepared and pass well in Kenya National Examinations and qualify to join institutions of Higher Learning. These learners after graduating to join these institutions of higher learning lack proper orientation and induction before joining colleges and universities. The young learners lose their identity as they struggle to fit in without proper guidance and preparedness. The eventualities are tragic as some drop out of learning, commit suicide and others commit homicides. Other activities include peer pressure which leads to drug abuse and substance, students’ apathy, involvement in religious cults, early unwanted pregnancies and marriages. All these, is a clear indication of societal moral decay and disintegration. Therefore, it is for this reason that this article addresses key issues affecting young people in institutions of higher learning and offers some suggestions to the ministry of education, stakeholders and partners in education to collaborate in introducing orientation and induction programmes as an intervention approach to rescue young lives.

Mind the gap: Early-career teachers’ level of preparedness, professional development, working conditions, and feelings of distress

In the first years of a teaching career, teachers experience high levels of distress, and the attrition rate appears to be high. Early-career teachers do not always feel well prepared for their job and feel insufficient support during their first experiences as a teacher. Induction programs, professional development, and school support could equip early-career teachers with the additional teaching repertoire they need and improve their well-being. The current study aimed to contribute insights into the importance of the level of preparedness, professional development, and working conditions for early-career teachers’ well-being. Based on multi-level regression analysis of TALIS 2018 data of more than 77,000 teachers in 24 European countries, the impact of the level of preparedness, professional development, and working conditions have been examined on teachers’ feelings of distress during their first years of teaching. Early-career teachers have been divided into two groups: novice teachers (with no more than 2 years of teaching experience) and advanced beginners (with between 2 and 5 years of teaching experience). These two groups were compared with mid-and late-career teachers (with more than 5 years of teaching experience). Level of preparedness and professional development variables were only weakly related to teachers’ feelings of distress, whereas working conditions were strongly related to early-career teachers’ feelings of distress. In particular, high workload and classroom discipline issues were strongly and positively related to teachers’ feelings of distress. Differences between the two early-career teacher groups and the group of mid- and late-career teachers were marginal. Yet, additional research is needed into the quality and the variety of initial teacher education and induction programs to come to more rigorous conclusions about the potential effects of different programs.

New kindergarten teachers’ (NKTs) transition into teaching in their induction year: teachers’ and mentors’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Kindergarten teachers’ work is unique because they juggle the roles of caregiver to young children, tending to their physical, emotional and educational needs, and managing their kindergarten unit. The year of internship and transition into teaching is particularly intense. For new kindergarten teachers (NKTs) to fully integrate in the kindergarten and pursue a teaching career, they need varied support schemes. This study is part of an international project supported by the Erasmus+ program. A total of 230 and 80 kindergarten mentors answered survey questionnaires. Findings show that NKTs are satisfied with their induction program and report a high level of integration into the education system and in the workplace. This study identifies relationships between a high level of NKT integration in the workplace and varied support schemes. The significance of self-efficacy as a major resource for support and mentors’ contribution specific to the kindergarten setting are highlighted and discussed.

So Much New to Learn and So Much Unknown: Novice Teachers’ Experiences during COVID-19

To support novice teachers, we need to listen to and honor their experiences in the classroom. This is true during the best of times and especially true amid the tumultuous teaching and learning experiences brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we discuss emergent themes from interviews with student teachers and early career teachers in spring 2021 about their experiences with the transition to virtual or remote teaching in response to COVID-19. We explore how student teachers and early career teachers experienced the stress of pandemic teaching, what they found supportive, and how their experiences can inform care-full practices in teacher education programs and university-based induction programs.

A Qualitative Analysis of Experienced Teachers’ Ongoing Need for Mentors

Teacher mentoring strategies provide new teachers (and experienced teachers, too) with crucial supports when they enter the real world of the classroom, attempt classroom management and instructional skills, improve their goals to remain in the classroom and the teaching profession, and help students to learn. The central research question, “Do experienced teachers still need mentors?” Data collection included an individual interview with a former study participant. Data analysis was thematic analysis by manual coding. Themes emanated were e-mentoring programs, high-quality mentorship programs, mentor roles and responsibilities, middle school teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities, administrators’ support for mentoring programs, and feedback for special education teachers. The findings were administrative support with a negative co-teaching experience and learning independently occur with and without a mentor. A limitation was a veteran teacher who was interviewed. The implication was that veteran teachers, especially special education teachers need mentors from the first-year of teaching and beyond. Social change was improving induction and mentoring programs to ensure that novice and veteran special education teachers continue teaching and remain in the teaching profession for a lifetime.

“I Hope You Know I’m Proud of You”: Reflections on the Postcard to My Graduating Self Project

Background Student transition to university can be a challenging time. Research suggests that providing space for student reflection and goal setting may facilitate this period of transition. Objective I describe the Postcard to my Graduating Self Project, in which psychology students were invited to write postcards to their future selves. In the postcards, students were encouraged to reflect upon their goals and plans for their psychology degree. Method I ran the Postcard Project as part of an induction program of a BSc Psychology undergraduate cohort. One hundred and sixty-six undergraduate psychology students completed postcards. Results In my reading of the postcards and experiences of running the session, students appeared to use the postcard project as (1) a motivational tool, which prompted thinking about future goals, (2) a reflective device, which encouraged reflecting upon previous experiences, (3) and a social experience, which brought students together in unique ways. Conclusion Facilitating students’ writing postcards to their future self may foster social connections and provide educators with richer insights into the student experience. Teaching Implications I provide tips for conducting this project in other institutions and encourage educators to consider using the Postcard to my Graduating Self Project.

Effective Components in New Principal Induction Program: A Systematic Review

Effective Components in New Principal Induction Program: A Systematic Review

Inductive Program Synthesis via Iterative Forward-Backward Abstract Interpretation

A key challenge in example-based program synthesis is the gigantic search space of programs. To address this challenge, various work proposed to use abstract interpretation to prune the search space. However, most of existing approaches have focused only on forward abstract interpretation, and thus cannot fully exploit the power of abstract interpretation. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to inductive program synthesis via iterative forward-backward abstract interpretation. The forward abstract interpretation computes possible outputs of a program given inputs, while the backward abstract interpretation computes possible inputs of a program given outputs. By iteratively performing the two abstract interpretations in an alternating fashion, we can effectively determine if any completion of each partial program as a candidate can satisfy the input-output examples. We apply our approach to a standard formulation, syntax-guided synthesis (SyGuS), thereby supporting a wide range of inductive synthesis tasks. We have implemented our approach and evaluated it on a set of benchmarks from the prior work. The experimental results show that our approach significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches thanks to the sophisticated abstract interpretation techniques.

DreamCoder: growing generalizable, interpretable knowledge with wake-sleep Bayesian program learning.

Expert problem-solving is driven by powerful languages for thinking about problems and their solutions. Acquiring expertise means learning these languages-systems of concepts, alongside the skills to use them. We present DreamCoder, a system that learns to solve problems by writing programs. It builds expertise by creating domain-specific programming languages for expressing domain concepts, together with neural networks to guide the search for programs within these languages. A 'wake-sleep' learning algorithm alternately extends the language with new symbolic abstractions and trains the neural network on imagined and replayed problems. DreamCoder solves both classic inductive programming tasks and creative tasks such as drawing pictures and building scenes. It rediscovers the basics of modern functional programming, vector algebra and classical physics, including Newton's and Coulomb's laws. Concepts are built compositionally from those learned earlier, yielding multilayered symbolic representations that are interpretable and transferrable to new tasks, while still growing scalably and flexibly with experience. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Cognitive artificial intelligence'.

Virtual induction for new doctors in a district general hospital

Background: Staff induction is an opportunity and an obligation for organisations to welcome their new trainees and familiarise them with their new workplace. It is well known that UK trainees rotate regularly between hospitals during their career; we, therefore, believed that an online platform for virtual induction of trainees would aid traditional face-to-face induction. This novel virtual tour induction allows trainees to complete part of their induction at a time convenient for them, and familiarise themselves with their new workplace. Swerdlow and colleagues1 highlighted the advantages of screen-based simulation as ‘cost, availability, simplicity, repeatability and scorability’. Methods: For our virtual induction programme, we took 360 degree pictures and videos of our theatre complex. These videos included a complete tour of the theatre complex, the locations of key equipment such as the difficult airway trolley and familiarisation with anaesthetic equipment and the electronic medical record system used in our trust. We then created a website https://wsheducation.co.uk and uploaded these photos and videos on to our website. This link would be shared with all new trainees as part of their induction pack. Results: We sent out a survey of our virtual induction programme to 10 new trainees, seven of whom responded. All seven of them felt that the online virtual induction platform was user friendly, easy to access, and aided induction and familiarisation with the department. In addition, all seven trainees felt more confident with the use of equipment available in our hospital after watching these videos. Conclusion: We received very positive feedback for this novel method of induction and have shown that this high-fidelity induction programme could be used to help with familiarisation of the working environment for new trainees. The platform provides an easy and convenient form of induction and aids continuous reinforced learning through video-based material which could be used alongside face-to-face induction. 1)Swerdlow B, Soelberg J, Osborne-Smith L. Adv Med Educ Pract 2020; 11: 563–7

Cornet: Learning Table Formatting Rules By Example

Spreadsheets are widely used for table manipulation and presentation. Stylistic formatting of these tables is an important property for presentation and analysis. As a result, popular spreadsheet software, such as Excel, supports automatically formatting tables based on rules. Unfortunately, writing such formatting rules can be challenging for users as it requires knowledge of the underlying rule language and data logic. We present Cornet, a system that tackles the novel problem of automatically learning such formatting rules from user-provided formatted cells. Cornet takes inspiration from advances in inductive programming and combines symbolic rule enumeration with a neural ranker to learn conditional formatting rules. To motivate and evaluate our approach, we extracted tables with over 450K unique formatting rules from a corpus of over 1.8M real worksheets. Since we are the first to introduce the task of automatically learning conditional formatting rules, we compare Cornet to a wide range of symbolic and neural baselines adapted from related domains. Our results show that Cornet accurately learns rules across varying setups. Additionally, we show that in some cases Cornet can find rules that are shorter than those written by users and can also discover rules in spreadsheets that users have manually formatted. Furthermore, we present two case studies investigating the generality of our approach by extending Cornet to related data tasks (e.g., filtering) and generalizing to conditional formatting over multiple columns.

Trainee doctors' preparedness for clinical work in geriatric psychiatry: A survey on 18 preliminary entrustable professional activities.

Research concerning transitions from one rotation to another during medical specialist training is scarce. This study examined trainee doctors' perceived preparedness for core clinical activities, trainee doctors' preparedness levels, and general perceptions of medical specialist training in geriatric psychiatry. Swiss trainee doctors in geriatric psychiatry were surveyed about their perceived preparedness for 18 preliminary entrustable professional activities (EPAs), curricular support, and general perceptions of their medical specialist training. Closed questions were analysed using descriptive statistics, while open questions were subjected to content analysis. The participants comprised 48 trainee doctors (30.4% response rate) who differed in their educational experience (years of residency and specialism) and clinical subspecialisation goals. Trainee doctors felt adequately prepared for most EPAs but less prepared for some, including electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, and treating older adults in the home environment or residential facilities. Despite the trainee doctors' diversity, they did not differ significantly in perceived preparedness for most EPAs. The most often offered suggestions for improving geriatric psychiatry training were intensified clinical supervision and a structured induction programme. Trainee doctors reported that they felt sufficiently prepared for most EPAs, regardless of their backgrounds and professional goals. However, several professional activities in geriatric psychiatry warrant further training. Our findings indicate the need for a higher intensity of clinical supervision (e.g. more direct observation and specific feedback), the introduction of structured induction programmes (e.g. orientation week), and specific teachings (e.g. on neurocognitive assessment).

Assessment of child protection policy awareness in secondary schools

This study was designed to assess the awareness of child protection policy in secondary schools. This is due to the widespread violence against children in many places, including schools. This study adopts a quantitative research design to explore the convenience sampling technique, used to sample 139 teachers in public and private schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. The collected data were analysed with a chi-square independent test at .05 significance level. The study found a relatively moderate awareness of child protection policy among the teachers. There was also a significant positive relationship between educational qualification, school ownership type, and teachers’ awareness of the policy. However, gender and years of teaching experience have no significant relationship with teachers’ awareness of the policy. The study’s finding implies that all educational stakeholders, especially policy planners and implementers, should go back to the drawing board and brainstorm ways to cover the loopholes in policy awareness strategies. Recommendations were made that the school management should set up a standing committee to create awareness of all policies emanating within and outside the school to bridge the communication and awareness gap among school community members, and as part of the induction programme for new teachers, training should be organised for teachers on child protection. This study is unique because it traces the root cause of policy failure and the problem of violence against children in society.

Induction Programs’ Effectiveness in Boosting New Teachers’ Instruction and Student Achievement: A Critical Review

Induction programs are a set of systematic structures aimed at for supporting and guiding novice teachers and in helping them to learn responsibilities and to improve practices related to the effective teaching process and its impact on students’ achievement. The purpose of this critical review was to examine ten empirical studies conducted between 2000 and 202, in order1 to determine the impact of induction programs on teachers' self-efficacy and teaching practices as well as students’ learning and achievement. These studies were selected based on their direct relevance to the induction programs for novice teachers; and they are distinguished by the clarity of the methods used, the results, and the presence of experimental evidence. In addition, the quality of these studies must be high. Most of the studies empirically support the claim that induction programs for new teachers positively impact both the instructional practices and the students’ achievement. However, some of the studies showed no significant relationship between them. Therefore, this review attempts to reconcile the results of these studies that were showed by each study, and highlight the elements that contribute to variations in the results, including potential flaws in research design or other shortcomings, if any. The most prominent results of this review were that eight studies, which demonstrated that induction programs have a positive effect on teachers' classroom practices and students’ achievement; while two studies indicated that there was no relationship between teachers’ induction and students’ achievement. Finally, the relevant questions not addressed in the literature are suggested for promoting additional research that would demystify some of the ambiguities among the existing studies.

Preparedness to assume professional roles: experiences of recently qualified radiographers: A qualitative study.

Recently qualified health workers including radiographers struggle with workplace integration. Similarly, in our local context, undocumented complaints were received from the various heads of departments and radiologists regarding recently qualified radiographers' ability to fully assume their professional roles. In light of the complaints, this study sought to explore and describe the lived experiences of recently qualified radiographers from one local University on their readiness to assume their professional roles. A qualitative, descriptive research design with a phenomenological approach was used to conduct the study. Ten (10) diagnostic radiographers who graduated between 2018 and 2020 from the local university were sampled using the snowball sampling technique. Telephonic interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analysed using Tesch's open coding method. The findings of this study have shown a combination of positive and negative experiences by recently qualified radiographers. The positive experiences (satisfactory work engagement) emanate from increased confidence and creativity, responsibility consciousness and teamwork. Negative experiences (reality shock and professional role conflict) emanated from excessive workload, patient care impediments, the burden of student supervision and lack of professional trust. Though the recently qualified radiographers from our local University experienced some contextual challenges upon assuming their professional roles, they appeared well-prepared for their clinical roles. Standardised induction and mentorship programmes should be implemented to facilitate the transition process from student to qualified radiographer.

Confronting, investigating, and learning from professional identity tensions

ABSTRACT Professional identity tensions are a common part of teachers’ experience and have been shown to present opportunities for professional growth when approached as a learning opportunity. This study investigated the use of a questionnaire as a tool within an at-tension pedagogical approach. Authors collected data from six teacher candidates enrolled in a 13-month post-baccalaureate teacher preparation programme, including written responses to a questionnaire, participant reflection notes, and instructor journals. Analysis focused on identifying the sources of participants’ most frequent tensions, their affective and behavioural responses, and their perspectives on the process of reflecting on tensions as a structured part of their preparation programme. We found that early, supportive clinical experiences coupled with strategies for supporting productive responses to tensions can promote teacher learning. This study contributes to a better understanding of how teacher preparation and induction programmes can best support beginning teachers in negotiating professional identity tensions.