Mandatory Education Research Articles

Enacting a child safety education programme in special education contexts

BackgroundThe teaching of personal safety and abuse prevention skills in schools is a feature of robust child protection systems across the world. In Ireland, the Stay Safe programme is mandatory for all primary schools and aims to equip children with the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce their susceptibility to abuse. The mandatory nature of the programme presents a challenge to schools catering for children with special educational needs and disabilities, due to a lack of clarity for teachers over the extent to which it can be adapted. AimThe aim of this study was to probe how teachers in special schools balance the mandatory requirement to teach the designated safety programme, with the practical reality that many of their children may not be able to process the intended learning, in the way it is prescribed. In a broad sense, the study aimed to showcase how teachers increase the accessibility of the programme for children with various special educational needs and disabilities. Methods and ProceduresThe study adopted a mixed-methods approach to data-gathering. Phase 1 consisted of a questionnaire distributed via Qualtrics to every special school principal in Ireland (n = 133). Phase 2 consisted of a three-site embedded case study with three special schools. Data from both phases of research were merged, using a three-part iterative framework, to arrive at a nuanced understanding of how the designated safety programme was enacted in special schools. Outcomes and ResultsThe results indicated that teachers in special schools enact the designated safety programme with varying degrees of systematicity, despite its mandatory status. Aspects of the programme were frequently skipped, supplementary material was introduced and content was generally changed depending on child need. The greater the learning difficulty, the more modification engaged in by teachers in special schools. Conclusions and ImplicationsThis article concludes by proposing that greater flexibility be provided to teachers in special education contexts to modify mandatory child safety education programmes. To support this flexibility and boost teacher expertise in undertaking programme modifications effectively, the article highlights teacher professional learning as a key priority. Prioritising the ongoing development of teacher expertise goes some way towards reducing an over-reliance on past teaching experiences guiding provision, at the expense of expert, evidence-based approaches.

Digital transformation in adult education centres in Baden-Wuerttemberg

ABSTRACT The article discusses processes of digital transformation in adult education centres (AEC) in Baden-Wuerttemberg. It focuses on (a) environmental changes as perceived by specific actors, (b) topics and content related to the public education mandate, and (c) development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire. The data come from an explorative study in one German state, in which 34 managers were interviewed between November 2021 and May 2022 about key changes within their organisations. The results show that (a) different actors from the organisational environment are involved in shaping the digital transformation. A distinction can be made between enablers and inhibitors. In addition, (b) the AEC’s public education mission and thus the AEC’s efforts to promote digital inclusion are also changing. Finally, (c) digital transformation is also changing the organisation’s digital media repertoire. Ensuring basic infrastructure and new digital technologies for micro-didactic areas and exchange within and outside the AEC are seen as necessary. The results show that digital transformation is a multidimensional process with clear interrelations. These have hardly been explicitly considered in previous research. Pedagogical practice can gain suggestions from the results for improving cooperation with the organisational environment or for improving the organisational media repertoire.

Time Required for Education Up to College Level

This study explores the imperative of mandatory college education in Indonesia, amidst recent protests against rising tuition fees. Despite higher education's recognized socio-economic benefits, Indonesia has yet to mandate college attendance, lagging behind global trends. Drawing on comparative analysis with Malaysia, South Korea, and European nations, the research underscores the potential of mandatory college education to enhance workforce skills, promote innovation, and reduce social disparities. Findings advocate for government commitment, increased funding, and collaboration with the private sector to ensure equitable access and quality in higher education, ultimately driving economic growth and social development. Highlights : Global Trends Comparison: Benchmarks Indonesia against leading nations for educational policy insight. Equitable Access and Quality: Ensuring fairness and standards for a skilled, diverse workforce. Government-Private Sector Collaboration: Partnerships vital for sustainable funding and educational enhancement. Keywords: Mandatory Education, Indonesia, Socio-Economic Benefits, Collaboration, Funding

'No health without mental health': where are we now?

Mental health services are under unprecedented pressure with overwhelming referrals and a current waiting list of 1.2 million people of all ages. The cross-government White Paper 'No health without mental health' was launched 12 years ago detailing the importance of wellbeing services in the creation of mentally healthy communities through health promotion and illness prevention. While primary care, community services and psychiatry are pivotal in the treatment of mental Illness/disorder, mental health care per se is on a continuum, and a great deal of work can be undertaken in communities by wellbeing services to prevent avoidable referrals. This paper proposes a broad framework of education and training for wellbeing/positive mental health services, primary and community care, and nurses working in Community Mental Health Treatment Teams and Home Treatment Teams to ensure all those working with potentially vulnerable adults and children are regulated and meet national standards for mandatory mental health education and training.

Self-determination across the secondary-school years: how teachers and curriculum policy affect language learners’ motivation

ABSTRACT Motivation is argued to be a critical predictor of language learning success, but it is not clear whether motivation is equally relevant across compulsory and optional language education contexts. This study explored the motivation of adolescent Anglophone students of other languages across secondary school year groups with a particular interest in the impact of choice and curricular structure. Based on Self-Determination Theory, we developed a model that maintains that perceptions of autonomy support predict learners' sense of autonomy, in turn enhancings motivation. Through a survey of 1775 students aged 11-16, we tested whether this model holds for learners from different year groups, and in later years, across those in schools with and without mandatory language education. We found that all learners reported less autonomy frustration and were more likely to report a more autonomous form of language learning motivation if they perceived their language teacher as autonomy-supportive, but that as learners progressed through school perceptions of autonomy support declined. Further, we found that motivation was strongly associated with curriculum policies providing choice. These differences in motivational profiles across year group have implications for how teachers might support students' across different years and for programmatic adaptations that might facilitate students' learning.

Child Labor in English Literature

Child labor is an old social problem. It peaked during the Industrial Revolution which greatly influenced English society, such as rural exodus, lack of equal job opportunities, miserable living and working conditions, social classes, lack of mandatory education, poverty, and, most importantly, child labor. The paper investigates the crimes against children carried out under the cover of child labor and poses the question of whether authorities, governments, religious institutions, businesses, and even parents are complicit in these crimes or have chosen to overlook them in spite of the constant backlash against them. The main aim of this study is to show the positive role of some authors like Charles Dickens, William Blake, Frances Trollope, Charles Kingsley, Robert Southey, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Caroline Norton, and Elizabeth Barret Browning who refused to ignore such atrocities and their consequences. These writers showed their opposition to child labor through great literary works such as Oliver Twist, Hard Times, David Copperfield, The Chimney Sweeper, A Voice from the Factory, The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land- Baby, and The Cry of the Children. The study follows the close reading method and the sociology of literature approach. The study concludes that poverty and urbanization were some of the adverse outcomes of the Industrial Revolution. It reveals the official’s role in profiting from child labor and presents the authors’ role in changing The Poor Laws and Factory Acts to ban hiring minors. The study recommends national child labor regulations that should be enacted and enforced in order to prevent or at least control child work, as recommendations for further research.

Cancer awareness and its related factors among junior high and high school teachers in Japan: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe early detection and prevention of many cancers is possible. Therefore, public awareness about cancer risk factors and warning signs must be increased to ensure early diagnosis. Although Japan has implemented mandatory cancer education in junior high and high schools, few studies have evaluated teachers’ cancer awareness. This study aimed to determine Japanese junior high and high school teachers’ awareness of cancer and related factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study obtained data through an online questionnaire survey using questions from the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) developed by Cancer Research UK. Thirty items were selected from three CAM modules: cancer risk factors, cancer warning signs, and barriers to seeking help. Descriptive statistics were used for socio-demografic data and CAM module questions. The χ2 test was performed on the relationship between cancer awareness and socio-demographic data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing cancer awareness.ResultsRespondents included 316 junior high school and 463 high school teachers (541 men; 238 women; average age = 48.2 years; average teaching experience = 23.5 years). An average of 5.41 out of 11 cancer risk factors were recognized. More than 70% of teachers recognized smoking, exposure to another person’s cigarette smoke, and having a close relative with cancer as risk factors. On average, 4.52 out of 9 cancer warning signs were recognized. More than 50% of teachers recognized the warning signs of unexplained lump or swelling, unexplained weight loss, and unexplained bleeding. Barriers to seeking help had a low average score of 4.51 out of 20. However, the most commonly recognized “barriers to seeking help” were “too busy to make time,” “difficult to make an appointment,” “worried about what the doctor might find,” and “too scared.” Moreover, the common factors that affected awareness of cancer risk factors and cancer warning signs were gender and cancer experience of relatives. Factors that affected awareness of “barriers to seeking help” were “participation in cancer-related workshops,” age, gender, and cancer experience of relatives.ConclusionsCancer awareness education should consider interventions that can improve knowledge of the symptoms and signs related to cancer without increasing the awareness of barriers to seeking help.

Revised contraindications for the use of non-medical WB-electromyostimulation. Evidence-based German consensus recommendations.

Whole-body electromyostimulation has proven to be a highly effective alternative to conventional resistance-type exercise training. However, due to adverse effects in the past, very extensive contraindications have been put in place for the commercial, non-medical WB-EMS market. Considering recent positive innovations e.g., federal regulation, mandatory trainer education, revised guidelines, and new scientific studies on WB-EMS application, we believe that a careful revision of the very restrictive contraindications on WB-EMS is needed. This applies all the more because many cohorts with limited options for conventional exercise have so far been excluded. During a first meeting of an evidence-based consensus process, stakeholders from various backgrounds (e.g., research, education, application) set the priorities for revising the contraindications. We decided to focus on four categories of absolute contraindications: "Arteriosclerosis, arterial circulation disorders", "Diabetes mellitus" (DM), "Tumor and cancer" (TC), "Neurologic diseases, neuronal disorders, epilepsy". Based on scientific studies, quality criteria, safety aspects and benefit/risk assessment of the category, DM and TC were moved to the relative contraindication catalogue, while arteriosclerosis/arterial circulation disorders and neurologic diseases/neuronal disorders/epilepsy were still considered as absolute contraindications. While missing evidence suggests maintaining the status of neurologic diseases/neuronal disorders as an absolute contraindication, the risk/benefit-ratio does not support the application of WB-EMS in people with arteriosclerosis/arterial circulation diseases. Despite these very cautious modifications, countries with less restrictive structures for non-medical WB-EMS should consider our approach critically before implementing the present revisions. Considering further the largely increased amount of WB-EMS trials we advice regular updates of the present contraindication list.

Analysis of University Students' Perspectives on Physical Activity and Mandatory Physical Education

The decline in physical activity levels during the transition from high school to college is evident, despite the known impact of youth and adolescent physical activity on later life. Observable trends reveal a decline in enthusiasm for sports activities and a notable decrease in motivation for engaging in physical activity. The college environment plays a pivotal role in shaping students' engagement with physical activity, presenting an opportunity to significantly enhance their quality of life. This study's primary objective is to analyse university students' attitudes toward physical activity and assess their satisfaction with compulsory physical education at Masaryk University, comparing results spanning nearly two decades. In adherence to contemporary research methodologies, a questionnaire survey combining standard quantitative and qualitative analysis procedures was conducted. The survey questions focused on examining various facets of physical activity, including volume, intensity, sports preferences, and attitudes toward mandatory physical education at Masaryk University in Brno. A total of 1,293 respondents (422 men and 871 women) with an average age of 20.7 years participated in the study. The findings underscore a notable inclination among almost 73% of students to welcome an extension of compulsory physical education to 2 or more semesters (currently set at 2 semesters at MU). Moreover, over 75% of students express contentment with the spectrum of mandatory sports activities offered in physical education. The study reveals a growing interest among students in individual physical activities and a burgeoning enthusiasm for unorganized sports. These outcomes furnish valuable insights into students' perceptions regarding the organization of physical and sports education activities within university settings.

Historical evolution of ethical and legal aspects in aromatherapy in Brazilian Nursing

Introduction: Aromatherapy is an ancient practice performed by nurses, initially practiced by Florence Nightingale to calm wounded soldiers in the war and later consolidated by Marguerite Maury, considered an icon of modern Aromatherapy. This practice has sparked interest today due to its inclusion in Integrative and Complementary Health Practices and its congruence with the holistic vision present in nursing education and practice, which aims for care that reaches biopsychosocial and spiritual aspects. Objective: To describe the historical trajectory of ethical and legal aspects of nurse practice in Aromatherapy in Brazil. Material and Methods: This is a narrative review, in which publications from the Ministry of Health, the Federal Nursing Council, and Regional Nursing Councils were fully read, tracing a historical line of the legal developments of nurse practice in Aromatherapy. Searches used the keywords: aromatherapy, integrative practices in health, nursing, combined by the boolean indicator "and". These were organized in a chart that allows analyzing the evolution of these legislations over time. Results: Nursing, through its ethical and legal aspects, is a profession supported for the use of Aromatherapy in the nursing process in various health/disease situations. Nurses are allowed to prescribe essential oils, provided they have the training to do so that considers patient safety, and the development of institutional protocols is recommended. Nursing work in Aromatherapy has been recently regulated, with a minimum course load of 120 hours/lesson, in the form of free courses. Discussion and Conclusion: The ethical and legal aspects of Nursing in Aromatherapy have advanced, with solid ethical and legal bases. However, the lack of mandatory specialized education in the standards of the Ministry of Education, with courses subjected to evaluation and with a course load of over 360 hours/lesson, could mean a step back in the pursuit of in-depth knowledge, scientific research, and innovation. It is concluded that the regulation of Nursing in Aromatherapy is an important pathway opener for entrepreneurship, as well as consolidates its action as an integral member of the Integrative and Complementary Practices in Health.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Adverse Drug Reactions Reporting among Pharmacists in Aden

Introduction: Once a medicine is registered and marketed, healthcare systems rely heavily on spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to monitor the safety of drugs. ADRs reporting is considered a cornerstone of pharmacovigilance (PV) system. Underreporting has been a major obstacle and poses a great challenge to PV activities that negatively influence public health. Therefore, this study aimed to assess pharmacists' knowledge, attitude and practice toward ADRs reporting in Aden City - Yemen. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted during November and December 2022 in Aden city. A self-administered, pretested questionnaire- comprised of sections on pharmacists’ characteristics, knowledge of PV concepts and ADR reporting process, attitudes towards ADR reporting and practice of ADR reporting- was administered to selected community and hospital pharmacists. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and the Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to examine the differences between both groups of pharmacists. Results: Four hundred pharmacists participated in the study. Three quarters of them were males. About half of them correctly identified PV definition and purposes as well as ADR definition, but 38.5% and 37.8% were heard about national ADR scheme/guideline and aware of the existence of an ADR system in Yemen respectively. Only 29.3% and 10.8% showed adequate knowledge of PV concepts and ADRs reporting process respectively. The majority showed positive attitude towards PV and ADR reporting, 97.8% agreed that reporting process can benefit the public health, 94.3% contributes to drug safety and 87.3% agreed that PV should be taught in detail to health care professionals. However, in practice, 48.3% and 41.5% of pharmacists had ever diagnosed an ADR and encountered one or more ADRs in their daily practice respectively and only 12.3% of them had ever reported an ADR. The differences between community and hospital pharmacists by their overall knowledge, attitude scores and in ADR reporting practice were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The majority of community and hospital pharmacists had inadequate knowledge and poor practice, with a positive attitude towards ADRs reporting. Therefore, strategies to improve knowledge and practices regarding ADR reporting should be implemented. Regular mandatory education and continuous in job training should be provided to all pharmacists and others health care professionals.

International support for abortion education in medical schools: results of a global online survey to explore abortion willingness, intentions, and attitudes among medical students in 85 countries.

Access to safe abortion has been recognized as a fundamental human right and important public health priority. Medical schools provide a rare opportunity to expose medical students to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics and normalize abortion care early in a physician's career. This cross-sectional descriptive study used an online survey to explore abortion content in medical curricula and medical student intentions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding abortion provision among 1,699 medical students from 85 countries. Results demonstrate positive attitudes towards abortion provision, with 83% reporting that "access to safe abortion is every woman's right". Students also reported a relatively high willingness to provide abortion professionally despite few opportunities to learn about this care. Only one-third of students surveyed reported having taken a gynecology course (n = 487; 33%); among these, one-third said they had no content on abortion care in their programs thus far (n = 155; 32%), including instruction on postabortion care. Among the two-thirds of students who had some content on abortion care (n = 335), either on induced abortion, postabortion care (PAC), or both, 55% said content was limited to one lecture and only 19% reported having an opportunity to participate in any practical training on abortion provision. Despite most students having no or very limited didactic and practical training on abortion, 42% intended to provide this care after graduation. Three-quarters of student respondents were in favor of mandatory abortion education in medical curricula. The findings of this study offer new evidence about abortion care education in medical curricula around the globe, indicating that there is no lack of demand or interest in increasing medical knowledge on comprehensive abortion care, merely a lack of institutional will to expand course offerings and content.

Mindanao State University-General Santos City Graduates as Employees: Perspective of Employers

Employers’ responses about graduate performance are indispensable for analyzing the institution’s performance against the standards set in the context of its legal and educational mandates. The study aimed to describe the performance of MSU graduates based on the perspectives of the employers. The study used descriptive research design involving 129 employers from various industries across the private and public sectors in SOCCSCKARGEN region inclusive of General Santos, Sarangani, and South Cotabato which have provided job opportunities to MSU-GSC graduates. The findings suggested that the graduate attributes of the employed MSU graduates are highly satisfactory, useful, and matched with the needs in the workplace as assessed by the employers. The employers expressed that personal attributes of graduates are more advantageous and necessary than their practical competence. However, they observed that MSU graduates as employees lack relevant skills, training, and work experience and need to upgrade their qualifications for employment. In general, the findings of the employer satisfaction survey present a positive image for MSU-GSC graduates. The study recommends that continuous enhancement of the curriculum of MSU-GSC and improvement of the quality of instruction must be done to ensure they fit the graduate attributes to the needs of the labor market.

Binary Numeration: From Ancient Egypt to a 19th Century French Mathematical Recreation

This article focuses on the use of base 2 in two historical contexts: ancient Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and 19th-century France. In ancient Egypt, base 2 was central to the “duplation” algorithm to multiply two numbers. In 19th-century France, it featured in mathematical recreations by Charles-Ange Laisant and Édouard Lucas. Duplation in ancient Egypt involved doubling a number successively, leveraging the binary nature of the numbering system for rapid calculations. In France, Laisant and Lucas contributed to mathematical recreations rooted in base 2, popularizing mathematics and engaging the public. The article aims to present these historical resources, highlighting their educational potential. It suggests integrating these examples into mandatory education from age 9 onwards, offering students a practical understanding of mathematics and its history. However, specific teaching methods are left to the reader’s discretion.

Development and validity evidence for the resident-led large group teaching assessment instrument in the United States: a methodological study.

Despite educational mandates to assess resident teaching competence, limited instruments with validity evidence exist for this purpose. Existing instruments do not allow faculty to assess resident-led teaching in a large group format or whether teaching was interactive. This study gathers validity evidence on the use of the Resident-led Large Group Teaching Assessment Instrument (Relate), an instrument used by faculty to assess resident teaching competency. Relate comprises 23 behaviors divided into six elements: learning environment, goals and objectives, content of talk, promotion of understanding and retention, session management, and closure. Messick's unified validity framework was used for this study. Investigators used video recordings of resident-led teaching from three pediatric residency programs to develop Relate and a rater guidebook. Faculty were trained on instrument use through frame-of-reference training. Resident teaching at all sites was video-recorded during 2018-2019. Two trained faculty raters assessed each video. Descriptive statistics on performance were obtained. Validity evidence sources include: rater training effect (response process), reliability and variability (internal structure), and impact on Milestones assessment (relations to other variables). Forty-eight videos, from 16 residents, were analyzed. Rater training improved inter-rater reliability from 0.04 to 0.64. The Φ-coefficient reliability was 0.50. There was a significant correlation between overall Relate performance and the pediatric teaching Milestone, r = 0.34, P = .019. Relate provides validity evidence with sufficient reliability to measure resident-led large-group teaching competence.

Exploring Mixed Reality Board Games as an Innovative Educational Tool for Teaching History in Primary Schools

This study investigates the challenges of teaching history to primary school students and the endeavour to develop a board game, supported by educational apps and augmented reality, to enhance the learning experience. The initiative is in response to the New Zealand Ministry of Education's mandate that New Zealand's history must be taught in all Kura and schools' local curriculum from 2023. (Ministry of Education, 2023). The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase explored teachers' attitudes towards using technology as a teaching aid and the availability of digital devices for interactive teaching and learning. The results showed that many teachers are supportive of using board games and technology in their teaching. In the second phase, a board game was developed and trialled with a group of teachers and students as expert representatives for the target group. The results showed that the mixed reality board game has great potential and is well worth continued development. The study also suggests that emerging disruptive technologies such as mixed reality can create effective and engaging learning and teaching environments.

Where grief education goes to die? A response to making learning about grief, death, and loss mandatory in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence

This rapid response raises challenges to Dawson et al’s (2023) recent proposals for mandatory grief education in schools; in particular, it considers curriculum crowding, the limitations of legal mandates and initial-teacher education. It proposes collaborative working between specialist groups as a way forward.

“You never played the game so what do you know?”: An exploration of the lived experiences of British South Asians in management and governance positions in English football

ABSTRACT Rationale This paper aims to critically explore the lived experiences of British South Asian people working in managerial and governance positions in English football; critique cultures of Whiteness in football; consider ways to resist/challenge racism in football; and offer data-informed recommendations to help increase British South Asian representation in leadership positions across football. Methodology This research draws on the testimonies of 21 British South Asian leaders working in English football (5 women and 16 men). Findings Participants used racialised performances to “fit in”; commonly encountered racist “banter”, microaggressions and microinsults; and routinely experienced examples of implicit and explicit “othering”. Practical Implications Stakeholders and policy makers must commit to the (1) development of inclusive and diverse recruitment strategies; (2) supporting minoritised ethnic staff members through programmes such as mentoring schemes; (3) implementation of mandatory race equity education for the workforce. Research Contribution While British South Asian experiences as players, and to some extent coaches, have been captured, the experiences of British South Asians in managerial and governance positions have been overlooked. This article treads new ground by highlighting experiences in off-field roles, thus adding to the wider body of work. Originality This work has used new and original data to cultivate a series of measures designed to boost the recruitment, retention and progression of British South Asian people working in English football.

칸트 선험성에 기초한 학교안전정책 체계성 연구

The purpose of this paper is to infer the experientiality and complementarity of the concept of school safety based on Kant's concepts of inevitability and universality, which are signs of a priori, and to critically review school safety policies based on this. Kant's philosophy is based on a priori, and the a priori that makes experience possible is a sign of inevitability that does not allow coincidences and universality that does not allow exceptions. The concept of school safety subjectively has experiential characteristics based on coincidences and exception, and objectively has a complementary nature of individual studies related to curriculum and educational administration. The institutionalization of school safety instructor qualifications or the current mandatory school safety education hours and result reporting that do not meet these empirical and supplementary characteristics of school safety have limitations that make it difficult to achieve policy results. It is necessary to implement practical school safety by establishing and implementing policies that are consistent with the empirical and supplementary nature of school safety.

Sex Ed in the City: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Students’ Experience

Since January 2012, New York City public schools have been mandated to provide sexual health education in middle and high school as part of comprehensive health education. Nonetheless, anecdotal reports from students suggest that their sex education was inadequate. Twenty-seven students in a large community college in New York City participated in individual structured interviews about their experience of sex education in the city’s public schools. Various students recalled the degree of comfort that many of their teachers had in teaching sexuality education, and several students found the course helpful. But some students found that while their courses covered the required material, it was often superficial and ineffective, and did not support their developing healthy, loving relationships. Confirming findings from previous research, many students felt their instruction was ‘too little, too late.’ Among the 24 high schools represented by study participants, it is clear that there is great variability in course content and delivery, and instructors may need more training, supervision, and support to effectively comply with the mandate for comprehensive sexuality education.