Large Proportion Of Students Research Articles

Shaping the future: perspectives on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in health profession education: a multi-country survey

BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) is transforming health profession education (HPE) through personalized learning technologies. HPE students must also learn about AI to understand its impact on healthcare delivery. We examined HPE students’ AI-related knowledge and attitudes, and perceived challenges in integrating AI in HPE.MethodsThis cross-sectional included medical, nursing, physiotherapy, and clinical nutrition students from four public universities in Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt. Data were collected between February and October 2023 via an online survey that covered five main domains: benefits of AI in healthcare, negative impact on patient trust, negative impact on the future of healthcare professionals, inclusion of AI in HPE curricula, and challenges hindering integration of AI in HPE.ResultsOf 642 participants, 66.4% reported low AI knowledge levels. The UAE had the largest proportion of students with low knowledge (72.7%). The majority (54.4%) of participants had learned about AI outside their curriculum, mainly through social media (66%). Overall, 51.2% expressed positive attitudes toward AI, with Egypt showing the largest proportion of positive attitudes (59.1%). Although most participants viewed AI in healthcare positively (91%), significant variations were observed in other domains. The majority (77.6%) supported integrating AI in HPE, especially in Egypt (82.3%). A perceived negative impact of AI on patient trust was expressed by 43.5% of participants, particularly in Egypt (54.7%). Only 18.1% of participants were concerned about the impact of AI on future healthcare professionals, with the largest proportion from Egypt (33.0%). Some participants (34.4%) perceived AI integration as challenging, notably in the UAE (47.6%). Common barriers included lack of expert training (53%), awareness (50%), and interest in AI (41%).ConclusionThis study clarified key considerations when integrating AI in HPE. Enhancing students’ awareness and fostering innovation in an AI-driven medical landscape are crucial for effectively incorporating AI in HPE curricula.

Changes in University Students’ Behaviour and Study Burnout Risk During ACT-based Online Course Intervention: A Mixed Methods Study

Previous research in higher education has shown that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -based interventions have beneficial effects on students’ well-being. However, not much is known about the range of behaviour changes behind these outcomes.In this mixed methods study, we explored the variety of the changes ACT-based course participating university students (N=101) describe in their reflective learning reports. We did so by applying the Extended Evolutionary Meta Model (EEMM) in abductive content analysis, and by applying network visualisation of the various study burnout risk change groups.The results showed that the largest proportion of students described changes in the EEMM dimension of overt behaviour (75%), especially time and effort management. Vitality, and decreased distress were the most described outcomes related to behaviour changes.Study burnout risk decreased significantly at the course level. When observing the interrelations of behaviour changes in the networks of burnout risk change groups, alongside time and effort management, attentional and affective dimensions representing present moment awareness and acceptance were central changes in the group that had the greatest reduction in burnout risk. These findings contribute to the need to map out the variety of beneficial mechanisms and serve further idiographic research about changes during study-integrated ACT-based interventions.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words: Perspectives of the Use of Images and Videos of Physical Findings in Virtual OSCE Teaching Sessions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in medical students' education being disrupted and a new direction of learning towards the online classroom, with students frequently learning to identify clinical signs via online conferencing platforms. Given this shift in student study techniques in the pandemic and post-pandemic era, we set out to analyse the confidence levels of students recognizing clinical signs in patients and the opinions and patterns of resources students would use to build up the knowledge and confidence for their future clinical practice. OSCEazy, a student-led medical education organisation, delivered an online teaching session and disseminated a questionnaire containing ten-point Likert scales, multiple-choice questions and free text options. The majority (over 75%) of respondents reported using digital resources to learn physical examinations. Most respondents were somewhat confident with recognising clinical signs during physical examinations (Median 7, IQR 6-8). Kruskal-Wallis H-test on students' impression of the quality of current OSCE materials showed a statistically significant difference between cohorts (X2(2) = 14.209, p = 0.014). A large proportion of students (98.41%) agreed that an online resources bank would be beneficial for their learning. Wilcoxon rank test showed a statistically significant preference for learning physical examinations using clinical images rather than videos (p = 0.014). A 29% of respondents mentioned the use of physical textbooks as a resource, while online platforms such as OSCE revision websites, YouTube and Google Images had become the mainstream platforms. The findings reported here suggest that there needs to be a greater emphasis on providing online image-based resources to support medical students in learning clinical signs. A resource containing these clinical signs would prove to be of benefit for students to access high-quality self-directed learning to identify and verify clinical signs.

Post-Pandemic Evaluation: Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Medical Students’ Mental Health, Self-Esteem, Social Interactions, and Academic Progression in Malaysia

Covid-19 pandemic has brought drastic and unprecedented challenges to the medical education and medical students, affecting them physically, mentally and emotionally. While progressing through the post-pandemic recovery phase, it is crucial to comprehensively evaluate the pandemic’s consequences and tackle the underlying problems. To investigate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on medical students’ mental health, social well-being, and academic progression. A cross-sectional study was carried out with voluntary sampling of students from both government and private medical schools in Malaysia. A self-administered online survey form containing three validated psychological tools was distributed (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, NIH Toolbox Social Relationship Scales). There were also questions regarding the challenges faced by medical students and their academic performance during Covid-19 pandemic. Scores of each questionnaire were tabulated, analyzed and interpreted according to their specific cut-points. Two hundred and thirteen responses were received. 89.2% (n = 190) were domestic students while 10.8% (n = 23) were international students. Out of 32 medical universities in Malaysia, the participants were from 19 of them (9 public and 10 private universities). About half of the participants had contracted Covid-19 infection during the study period (n = 124, 58.2%). Majority had chosen “Lack of on-campus learning and training session causing incompetency” as the most relevant impact of Covid-19 on their academic progression (n = 85, 39.9%). Above 90% of participants passed their Final Academic Assessment in 2020 (91.5%) and 2021 (93.9%). About half of them (n = 86, 40.4%) were having symptoms considerable of anxiety while only 19.2% (n = 41) were having symptoms considerable of depression. Majority had normal self-esteem (n = 177, 83.1%). For social relationship, around two-third of them had great social support and companionship. However, more than half had social distress. The median for the period of time having absolute online classes, absolute physical classes and hybrid classes were 18, 4, and 9 months, respectively. Having absolute online classes of >18 months was associated significantly with higher perceived hostility (16.49vs. 14.47, p = .012). In addition, being infected with Covid-19 was associated significantly with higher self-esteem (26.88vs. 25.85, p = .009). Large proportion of students were affected by Covid-19 pandemic. Absolute online classes has huge impact on emotions of medical students especially from the aspect of perceived hostility. Hence, implementation of online medical education during Covid-19 era requires modifications and improvements.

The Influence of Social Support, Self-Esteem, and Optimism on Resilience of High School Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Resilience is an important thing that adolescents should have in dealing with changes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of social support, self-esteem, and optimism on high school student resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research design used is explanatory with voluntary sampling techniques and involves 193 high school students in the Kebumen regency, data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential analysis used SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The results showed that children get the highest social support from parents and the lowest from teachers. In addition, the largest proportion of students have moderate self-esteem and resilience. However, the largest proportion for optimism is in a low category. The results also showed a very significant positive relationship between social support, self-esteem, and optimism with high school students' resilience. The other result also shows that high school students' resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic was directly affected by self-esteem and optimism. Variables of social support, self-esteem, optimism, adolescent and family characteristics are important aspects in improving the resilience of high school students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Can vocational interests of students be used to recruit suitable candidates for teacher training programmes in technical vocational education and training in Germany?

PurposeIn Germany, various approaches have been taken to tackle the current teacher shortage in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). One attempt to remedy the shortage in Bavaria has been the introduction of an engineering education study programme at universities of applied sciences. Ideal candidates for this programme should have an interest in both engineering and social interaction. For effective recruitment, therefore, it is necessary to know applicants’ characteristics such as their vocational interests. In this study, the vocational interest profiles of students in TVET teacher training programmes were identified and their interest profiles and further characteristics were compared with those of other VET students at universities and universities of applied sciences.Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire based on Holland’s interest theory and adapted from the Allgemeiner-Interessen-Struktur-Test-3 (interest structure test) was administered to 85 students in TVET teacher training programmes at universities and universities of applied sciences in Bavaria. Items regarding reasons for choosing a particular study programme, university location and other personal details were added.FindingsThe vocational interest profiles of students at universities and universities of applied sciences can be described as similar but weakly differentiated. Insights are provided by the characteristics of students such as the majority being first-time academics in the family. The reasons for choosing the degree programme and university location highlight the fact that a large proportion of students in engineering education would not have chosen a teaching-related degree programme if it had not been offered at the respective university of applied sciences.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample in this study was small and, therefore, limiting, it represented a high proportion of TVET teacher training students in Bavaria and a substantial proportion of first-year students in TVET teacher training programmes at universities and universities of applied sciences in Bavaria (section 2.2 and 3.1). Thus, the findings provide valuable insights into commonalities in interest profiles between engineering education students at universities of applied sciences and other TVET students at universities. With respect to the domain of the chosen vocational specialisation, differentiated profiles emerged that, for example, showed a stronger artistic orientation among students in construction technology/wood. For further analysis, the previous variable-centred orientation of the analysis can be supplemented by person-centred analyses (e.g. cluster analysis and latent variable mixture modelling, LVMM) (cf. Leon et al., 2021).Practical implicationsThe findings in this study reveal the potential for attracting candidates to universities of applied sciences if they prefer to study in rather rural areas close to their hometowns. With the aim to educate prospective teachers for future work not only in metropolitan regions but in rural areas too, offering bachelor degree programmes in rural areas would seem promising. A regional option can boost the recruitment of new students and attract candidates that otherwise would be unable to pursue studies or a career as a teacher in vocational education. The results of this study and those of previous studies suggest that universities of applied sciences can cooperate with universities to help solve the teacher shortage problem.Social implicationsOverall, it is apparent that the students' interests reached comparatively high values in all interest orientations and thus are only weakly differentiated. If undifferentiated profiles indicate low levels of career readiness, this significantly affects the recruitment of young people for the teaching profession. Assessing career orientation and promoting vocational interests should be prioritised during secondary school education. Vocational orientation measures are essential and should provide insight into typical activities of daily work life in different professions and thus pique and foster interests.Originality/valueThis study provides insight into how to respond to the teacher shortage in VET by identifying important characteristics of engineering education students using vocational interest profiling.

Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Lifestyle Practices That May Lead to Breast Cancer Risk Reduction among Female University Students in Lebanon.

Research has identified both nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors for breast cancer (BC), with accumulating evidence showing that adopting adequate dietary practices could decrease the risk of this disease. This study aimed to assess nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and lifestyle practices (KAP) that may lead to BC risk reduction among female university students in Lebanon and examine the determinants of their practices. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sampling method, comprising 356 (response rate: 71.2%) female students at the American University of Beirut aged 18 to 25 years with no history of BC. Participants completed a pre-tested questionnaire addressing the objectives of the study. The modified Bloom's cut-off of 75% was used to categorize knowledge and practice scores as poor or good and attitudes as negative or positive. Large proportions of students had poor knowledge (68.3%), negative attitudes (65.4%), and poor practices (98.0%) scores. Pursuing a health-related major and having a higher GPA were associated with better knowledge and attitudes while being older and having a lower degree of stress were associated with positive attitudes only. Having a lower body mass index (BMI) was associated with better practice scores. Better knowledge significantly predicted higher intake of fruits and vegetables. Overall knowledge and attitudes were significantly correlated with each other, but neither was significantly correlated with overall practice. These findings underscore the importance of implementing public health programs geared towards improving nutrition KAP that may lead to BC risk reduction.

Pharmacy Students' Attitudes Toward Distance Learning After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia.

Electronic learning refers to the use of assistive tools in offline and distance learning environments. It allows students to access learning tools and materials anytime and anywhere. However, distance learning courses depend on several factors that affect the quality of learning, which consequently affect students' preferences in the settings and tools used to deliver educational materials. This study aimed to evaluate students' preferences for continuing distance learning after the pandemic and to assess the distance educational environment after the pandemic. It also aimed to identify the factors affecting distance learning and evaluate students' preferences regarding modes of communication with instructors. A web-based survey was used to conduct this cross-sectional study. The target participants of this study were students in the doctor of pharmacy program at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. All students enrolled from December 2022 to January 2023 received an invitation with a link to the web-based survey. The survey was completed by 141 students (58 female students and 83 male students). The research results showed that most students (102/141, 72.3%) did not wish to continue distance education for laboratory courses, and 60.3% (85/141) did not wish to continue taking distance team-based learning after the pandemic. Additionally, 83.7% (118/141) of the students indicated that distance courses were simple. More than half of the participants (79/141, 56%) stated that having a camera on during class negatively impacted their learning, and only 29.1% (41/141) of the students stated that nonvisual communication with their fellow students impacted their learning. A large proportion of students (83/141, 58.9%) reported impairment of social engagement on campus, 44% (62/141) in-person interactions during classes, and 73.7% (104/141) were relieved that their classes were not disrupted. Similar to all types of education, distance learning is characterized by advantages and disadvantages, as reported by students. Students felt that the course material was intelligible, and the distance course was uncomplicated. Moreover, they expressed relief that their studies were not disrupted. However, they also reported the loss of face-to-face contact during courses as the most significant drawback of distance learning versus face-to-face learning, followed by a lack of social connection on campus.

Assessment of thermal comfort in the modern lecture theater: Kielce University of Technology, Poland - case study

This paper investigates student’s thermal comfort in the intelligent building called “Energis” of Kielce University of Technology located in Poland, which is equipped with advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) mechanical systems. One lecture theater is selected for thermal analysis. Analysis was focused on student’s assessment of thermal sensations in the autumn season to determine whether modern intelligent buildings can provide adequate comfort conditions during the European transitional period, which is between summer and winter seasons, when heating system is usually off. This study is based on survey data and experimental measurements of indoor parameters using a microclimate Testo 400 meter. The experimental data indicate that a relatively large proportion of students are not satisfied with indoor environmental air quality prevailing in the intelligent building. The results of this study indicate that only 10% of students reported weak productivity related to indoor environmental conditions in the building. In addition, 52% of students describe their thermal sensations as comfortable and 17% of students are not satisfied with environmental conditions in the lecture room. Therefore, improvements on existing mechanical systems for indoor air quality is recommended. Furthermore, it is recommended to conduct more experimental trials and surveys to confirm the results presented in this paper in different University buildings.

A Review of Research on Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety of Chinese College Students: Causes, Consequences and Strategies

As English has become a compulsory course for all of the students in China, that is to say, English is becoming more and more important in China. However, due to a lack of English environment, a large proportion of students have foreign language anxiety especially speaking anxiety. Therefore, this study focuses on foreign language speaking anxiety among college students to figure out the causes, and consequences of it and further explore some effective strategies to solve these problems. The data all come from literature from previous studies. After composing and analyzing those data, it can be concluded that there are three causes: fear of committing grammatical errors, low English proficiency and fear of receiving a negative evaluation, and three consequences: onset of physical symptoms, resistance to speaking English and less self-confidence among Chinese college students. Furthermore, some strategies can be applied to solve it from the perspective of instructors and students respectively.

Research on the synergistic nurturing mechanism of ideological work and student management in colleges and universities under the binary structure

Abstract This paper takes the synergy between ideological work and student management in colleges and universities as an entry point, analyzes the intrinsic mechanism between the two, and gives the synergistic effect of parenting after the integration of the two. The synergistic mechanism between student management and ideological work is explored by mining students’ daily behavioral data, and after analyzing students’ daily behavioral data based on density-optimized clustering algorithm, risk warning detection of students’ academic situation is carried out by combining the improved LSTM model. The GCN network model is utilized to detect students’ psychological disorders. In order to verify the effectiveness of the method given in this paper for exploring the synergistic cultivation of ideological work and student management, quantitative analysis was carried out through the data of college students’ one-card. The results show that the movement data of college students are divided into 4 classes, of which the largest proportion of students is class cluster 4 is 44.59%, the risk prediction accuracy of the improved LSTM academic warning model is 0.731, and the GCN network model has a model loss value of about 0.25% after about 50 iterations when the threshold value is 0. Colleges and universities under the binary structure can narrow the value differences between students through data mining technology, and can help students remove psychological barriers, prompting the generation of a collaborative parenting mechanism between ideological work and student management in colleges and universities.

Digital Banking Services – Students’ Perspective

Abstract The number of users of digital banking services has grown in recent decade, since digital banking services are being done easier, faster and at lower cost than banking services performed in a traditional face-to-face manner. Banks should work on enhancing their digital services according to their demand and conveniently improve customer experience especially for unbanked younger generations. The aim of this paper is to reveal student’s perception of digital banking services in Serbia. Research has been conducted via empirical survey in the form of an online questionnaire, with the descriptive statistics applied. The results showed diverse pattern of digital banking engagement with the largest proportion of students specifying that they use DBS at least once per week. When they did use banking services, most often they used them for money transfer and paying bills, emphasizing the vital role of digital platforms in facilitating financial transactions. Overall students’ satisfaction with DBS is on the high level, and students appreciate technologies development of banking offerings. The results of this research could be used by banks to reveal students’ perception on digital banking service, and to help them create adequate digital services and pivot their business models in that direction.

A Tóth József témavezetésével PhD-fokozatot szerzett tanítványok – a földrajz talentumai, avagy a talentumok földrajza

József Tóth was an outstanding figure in Hungarian geography. This article aims to present his scientific talent management at the University of Pécs through the data of his PhD students (n=63). During the analysis we used university publications and electronic databases, as well as Spearman’s correlation calculation, independent T-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Chi-squared test to explore the relationships. The largest proportion of students were born and worked in the Southern Great Plain, North Hungary and Transdanubia, however the winner of the regional talent migration is Transdanubia. The professional openness of the professor is reflected in the topic selection of the dissertations completed under his supervision. His students, carrying on his intellectual heritage, are still active in scientific publishing. The charismatic personality, world view and professional knowledge of the head of doctoral school are manifested in the diversity and academic performance of his former students.

Interactive Groups: Fostering Collaborative Interactions in an Additional Language in a Multilingual Context

Research has shown that participating in collaborative interactions is essential both for language learning and for effective access to school content, which is even more important in multilingual contexts where a large proportion of students are in schools where the language of instruction is different from the language of the home context. However, research still needs to analyse further educational actions that succeed in generating collaborative interactions under these circumstances. This exploratory study analyses an educational action called Interactive Groups in a multilingual context in which Basque is the language of instruction and is the L2 for most pupils. Using the Communicative Methodology, twenty-one Interactive Groups were video recorded and analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Two interviews were conducted with teachers, one with a volunteer, seven with students, and two focus groups with students. The results show that collaborative interactions in the target language prevail in these Interactive Groups, which is achieved because both the adult and the students generate a collective scaffolding that (a) encourages focusing on the academic task, (b) neutralises disruptive behaviours and (c) activates solidarity among students to overcome learning difficulties. The educational implications of the results are discussed.

Prevalence of color vision deficiency among Chinese college students and their quality of life.

To investigate the prevalence of color vision deficiency (CVD) among college students and their quality of life (QoL) in a Chinese college. This cross-sectional study was performed in Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. The questionnaire containing participants' demographic data, as well as CVD related QoL was distributed to students who were screened as CVD [by Color Vision Examination Plates (Version 6)] in 2022 freshman entrance examination. Color blindness QoL (CBQoL) and utility analysis were used to evaluate the QoL of CVD students. There were 381 of 17 303 (2.20%) students screened as CVD, including 368 (4.11%) males and 13 (0.16%) females. A total of 317 students completed the questionnaire, the response rate was 83.20%. Only 166 participants (52.3%) knew they have CVD before the physical examination for college entrance examination, while a total of 145 participants (45.74%) hoped to be diagnosed earlier. The medians of CBQoL score and utility were 5.85 (range 2.2-6) and 1 (range 0-1), respectively. The proportions of students whose QoL is affected by CVD were 67.63% (211/312) and 42.27% (134/317) measured by CBQoL and utility analysis respectively. The prevalence of CVD in males is much higher than that in females. The time when CVD students first became aware of their CVD is relatively late. The QoL of the study population is quite high, while a large proportion of students' QoL are affected by CVD. It is suggested that as a congenital defect, CVD screening in China should be earlier, and appropriate guidance and support are needed for CVD patients to help them better adapt to life, study, and work.

Perceived Source of Stress and Associated Stressors among Medical and Dental Students of in a Medical College of Chitwan

Introduction: Medical and dental students are subjected to high level of stress whether academic, social or health related. Stress in manifested as fatigue, tension, dizziness, inability to fall asleep, irritation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts thereby degrading their quality of life. Therefore, this study was conducted with an objective of assessing perceived stress, stressors and the severity of the stressors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 272 medical and dental students of College of Medical Sciences. Perceived Stress Score (PSS) scale with 10 items questions was used for identifying perceived stress. 32 potential stressors whose severity was rated using Likert scale using score 1 for never/rarely, score 2 for sometimes and score 3 for often/always was used. Ethical clearance was obtained from College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital - Institutional Review Committee.Results: Using mean of PSS score, it was found that 74.26% of the students were stressed. Statistically significant difference was found between gender and stress score. The most frequently occurring academic stressors was reported to be performance in examination (37.9%). Similarly, the most commonly occurring psycho-social stressors was found to be relation with opposite sex (44.5%) which covered the greatest percentage among all stressors.Conclusions: A large proportion of students in both dental and medical studies are experiencing stress especially on academic and psycho-social aspects. All the stressors must be addressed and students should be taught stress management techniques.

Prevalence of Digital Eye Strain Among University Students and Its Association with Virtual Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The prolonged use of digital devices is a major risk factor for digital eye strain (DES) syndrome. To estimate the prevalence of DES symptoms among students at Imam Abdulrahman University who use digital devices for virtual learning and leisure activities. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted by asking medical students of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University to complete a self-administered online questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to determine the effect of the hours spent on digital devices and other factors, such as screen distance and not using artificial tears, on the development of DES. The severity (moderate or severe) and frequency (occasionally, always, or never) of 16 eye strain-related symptoms, including eye pain, headache, and itching, were evaluated by using the Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire. The overall prevalence of DES in the sample was found to be 68.53%. The largest proportion of students were found to have mild DES (43.20%), and only 11% had severe DES. The most common symptoms reported in our sample were headache, dryness, and burning. Female gender, using smartphones for online classes, and not using eye lubricants were significantly associated with increased severity of DES. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual learning has become an integral part of education, leading to increased use of digital technology. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of virtual learning on eye strain and to determine the prevalence and effects of DES. A questionnaire was administered to participants, and the findings revealed a DES prevalence of 68.53%. The use of eye drops for lubrication and smartphones for classes was significantly associated with DES. Furthermore, females were found to be more susceptible to severe DES symptoms than males. The development of a tool such as the Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire to predict DES prevalence could reduce clinic time and resources by minimizing unnecessary follow-up and ophthalmology referrals.

The Complex Nature of Student Retention at America’s Community Colleges

Objectives: Responding to Tinto’s call for studies of retention that center on “the students’ view of their experience” (p. 11), this research project reports findings from telephone interviews of 131 students who stopped out at our home institution, a large open admissions community college in the northeast. Our objective was to find out why these students stopped out and what our institution might have done to keep them enrolled. Method: Adopting a phenomenological approach, we analyzed our data set following the principles of thematic analysis. Results: We found that a large percentage of the students we contacted—previously identified as stopping out—had, in fact, either continued their education at another institution or met their educational goals. Furthermore, a large proportion of students we interviewed did not return for reasons that were beyond the control of the institution. The majority of these were related to personal and family matters or work responsibilities. Contributions: Our findings suggest that retention at community colleges is a highly complex, individualized process, with a host of variables that can affect individual students in different ways. Our findings also suggest that retention at community colleges may be more complex than traditional protocols currently in place can accurately measure.

A comparison of elementary teachers' verbal supports for students in inclusive and general classroom contexts during an NGSS‐aligned science, engineering, and computer science unit

AbstractElementary teachers are tasked with the challenge of implementing Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned projects that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM + CS) in a variety of classroom contexts. This study investigates how teachers verbally support students in two classrooms, one general education class and one inclusive class with a larger proportion of students with individualized educational plans, to engage in a Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned, STEM + CS unit. Teachers' verbal support for students to understand how (pragmatic) and when and why (epistemic) to use practices was examined during whole‐class discussions for a 4‐week unit in science, engineering, and computer science‐focused lessons. Bi‐weekly teacher surveys and weekly teacher interviews provided insight into the teachers' perceptions of students and project activities in each class section. Teachers reported instructional decisions to modify their enactment of the interdisciplinary curricular materials for the Inclusive Class and discussed their rationales for these modifications. Results suggest that instructional decisions that teachers made in how to verbally support students may depend upon their own knowledge of the different disciplines being integrated, their prior beliefs of students in different classroom contexts, and their in‐the‐moment perceptions of student needs. These factors may have led to different learning experiences for the students in each class section. Findings underscore the need for more research to better understand what kinds of support students and teachers need to be able to integrate engineering, science, and computer science content and practices within their elementary classrooms and provide equitable learning opportunities for all students.

The Global Mobility of Palestinian Arab Students: Current Trends and Flows

The article describes the flow of Palestinian students from Israel, identifying the reasons that a large proportion of students from the Palestinian Arab Minority in Israel (PAMI) (21%) currently study abroad. The article traces the development of PAMI students' studies outside Israel and the characteristics of this movement including the disciplines that the students choose to study and current trends and streams. Data are drawn from official statistics and documents, and research representing PAMI education abroad conducted mainly by the two authors. Conceptually, the authors indicate pull and push factors for this phenomenon of temporary migration to acquire higher education and receive an academic degree that will be recognized in Israel.