Mean Percentage Score Research Articles

SMARTPHONE OVERUSE AS HABIT OF PLEASURE SEEKING IN MOROCCAN ADULTS

The smartphone has become an indispensable device in modern life, consequential psychosocial problems such as smartphone ad- diction have gained worldwide attention. The aim of the present study is to assess the relation between smartphone overuse and see- king pleasure linked with reward system overstimulation and dopa- mine continuous release.A survey instrument using a web-based questionnaire distributed via social media was developed after a thorough literature review and was deployed to collect data from smartphone users. The study participants in total numbered 374 users from different age groups, with the average age being between 19 and 25 years old; with 227 females (60.9%) and 147 (39.1%) males. Responses to the Smart- phone Addiction Scale Short version (SAS-SV) test including 10- items were rated on a 6-point Likert scale, and their percentage mean score (PMS) was calculated. Factors associated with these outcomes were identified using descriptive and regression ana- lyses. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.Over 76% of smartphone users declared having pleasure feelings during repetitive utilization. The result obtained by the SAS-SV test showed that subjects with higher scores presented high levels of addiction. The majority of the participants in this study had a university degree n=344 (91.9%), while n=30 (8%) had diplomas of completing secondary and primary school. The PMS of addiction was 39.220.3, while the mean score (MS) of seeking pleasure was 7610.0. A significant positive correlation was present between smart- phone overuse and seeking pleasure (y=76+0.8;P<0.001). Signifi- cantly, higher smartphone addiction scores were associated with pleasure and enjoyment feelings, ( =0.203, adj. P=0.004). The ad - dic tion scores were higher in single status users when compared to married users (=2.03, adj. P=0.01 vs. (=0.194, adj. P< 0.001). Factors associated to higher addiction scores were gender, namely the affected being females and single status users when compared to males and married users as these had higher smartphone addiction scores.The positive correlation between smartphone addiction and see- king pleasure is alarming. Reasonable usage of smartphones is advised, especially among younger adults who could be at higher risk of control loss.

Assessment of concerns about vaccination among recovered COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia

Background: Vaccine hesitancy re-emerged as a critical public health issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: This study assessed the concerns of recovered COVID-19 patients about vaccination and the predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 319 adult patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. It was conducted during 1 May to 1 October 2020 at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh. Each participant was interviewed 6–12 months post-recovery using the vaccination attitude examination scale. Data were collected on COVID-19 illness severity, sociodemographic characteristics, history of chronic disease, and post-COVID-19 vaccination. Level of vaccination concern was assessed based on the percentage mean score (PMS). Results: Most (85.3%) of the patients who recovered from COVID-19 expressed moderate overall concern (PMS = 68.96%) about vaccination. Concern was highest for mistrust in vaccine benefits (PMS = 90.28%), followed by natural immunity preference (PMS = 81.33%) and worries about the vaccine side-effects (PMS = 60.29%). Concern over commercial profiteering was low (PMS = 43.92%). The overall PMS for concern about vaccination was significantly higher among patients aged 45+ years (t = 3.12, P = 0.002) and among those who had experienced severe COVID-19 illness (t = 1.96, P = 0.05). Conclusion: Overall concern about vaccination was high, and specific concerns were prevalent. Patient education on how the vaccine protects against reinfection should be targeted at COVID-19 patients before being discharged from hospital.

Social Skills of Children with Autism During Independent Play Activities

The social skills of children with autism are important for their learning process. This study aims to observe and identify independent play through the communication, verbal and learning style components and learning facilitation towards improving the social skills of children with autism. The study sample was three children and three teachers in three special education primary schools in Kuala Lumpur integration. The design of this study uses a qualitative approach with structured observation and interviews. Data collection through questionnaires and observations using a four-point likert scale to obtain information on the teacher's teaching approach style (A1), student social skills (A2) and student social skills during free play (B). Overall, the findings of the study for the approach style (A1) of three teachers used teacher lesson plans and teaching aids 100 percent very often. The teacher's strategy showed that 66.66 percent of the respondents stated that they always and 33.33 percent of the respondents said that they were very often. While the teacher's teaching strategy states that frequency always exceeds very often. Student social skills (A2) which is an interview with three teachers and three children showed different results from the three children involved in terms of behavior, socializing and sharing goods. Next, for the social skills of the three children during free play (B) was conducted, showing that the three activities carried out, namely the bragging game, snake checkers and long pole can have a positive effect and attract the interest of the three children involved based on the total percentage and total mean score studied. Finally, this study provides implications for educational institutions in addition to raising awareness for teachers and parents about the importance of free play and learning styles and facilitation of social skills among children with autism.

COMMUNICATING ELSI ISSUES IN NEUROBIOBANKING AND STROKE GENOMIC RESEARCH IN AFRICA: PROJECT INTERVENTION TOOLS DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES

Background and aimsActivities about appropriate community engagement and communication of research outcomes with stakeholders have received the attention of scholars in different sub-fields of clinical research. However, given its novel nature, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, community engagement addressing the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of neurobiobanking and stroke genomic research has not received much scholarly attention. Therefore, this study was designed to report the procedures for developing and evaluating intervention tools for the community engagement component of the African Neurobiobank for Precision Stroke Medicine ELSI Project. MethodsA community-based participatory research design was adopted to develop three intervention tools. An adapted Doak and Doak's Suitability Assessment Measure (SAM), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), and semi-structured interview questions based on Willis’ Cognitive Interviewing Techniques were used to evaluate the suitability, actionability, understandability and cultural appropriateness of the tools. ResultsPEMAT mean percentage scores of 71.4% for actionability and 82.4% for understandability, and a SAM suitability score of 67.9% were reported for the videos. Identified weaknesses captured in seven thematic areas after analysis of assessment by experts and community members guided the final refinement of the tools. ConclusionThe overall reviewers’ reports and evaluation scores indicate that, generally, the intervention tools are suitable for community deployment in the sub-Saharan African setting. Clinical researchers must clearly define their policy objectives, partner with key stakeholders, define desired behaviour change, and develop appropriate strategies, tools of engagement and communication channels.

Organizational commitment and associated factors among health professionals working in public hospitals of southwestern Oromia, Ethiopia

IntroductionOrganizational commitment refers to the extent to which employees identify with and are involved with a given organization. It is an important variable for healthcare organizations to consider since it acts as a predictor of job satisfaction, organizational efficiency and effectiveness, health professionals’ absenteeism, and turnover. However, there is a knowledge gap in the health sector about workplace factors that are associated with healthcare provider commitment to their organization. Thus, this study aimed to assess organizational commitment and associated factors among health professionals working in public hospitals in the southwestern Oromia region, Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from March 30 to April 30, 2021. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 545 health professionals from public health facilities. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. simple and multiple linear regression analyses were employed to assess the association between organizational commitment and explanatory variables after checking the assumptions of factor analysis and linear regression. The statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05 and Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI).ResultsHealth professionals’ organizational commitment percentage mean score was 48.8% (95% CI: 47.39, 50.24). A higher level of organizational commitment was associated to satisfaction with recognition, work climate, supervisor support, and workload. Besides, good practice of transformational and transactional leadership styles and employee empowerment are significantly associated with high organizational commitment.ConclusionThe overall level of organizational commitment is a bit low. To improve the organizational commitment of health professionals, hospital managers, and healthcare policy-makers need to develop and institutionalize evidence-based satisfaction strategies, practice good leadership styles and empower healthcare providers on the job.

Effectiveness of Home Tutoring in Mathematics 6 Under Modular Distance Learning in a Public Elementary School in the Philippines

Various issues and concerns raised by parents, students, and teachers about the implementation of Modular Distance Learning were addressed during the Online Kamustahan at a public elementary school where the study was conducted. Parents were particularly concerned about how their children would learn the skills required in their subjects without proper instruction from teachers. The development and implementation of an intervention is one method for addressing students' learning gaps and overcoming learning barriers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of home tutoring as an intervention in teaching Mathematics 6 to modular students in a public elementary school in the Philippines. Experimental research design was used in this study. A set of teacher-made tests were given to fifteen (15) Grade 6 modular students enrolled for the Academic Year 2020-2021. The pre-test and post-test scores were interpreted using mean, mean percent score, summation of x, summation of square x, absolute range, standard deviation, and coefficient of relative variation. Results showed that home tutoring focusing on the students' least mastered skills is an effective intervention in teaching Mathematics 6, with a mastery increase of +44.67%. It is recommended that the school allocate funds for promotional materials, marketing expenses, signage, and incentives for program implementation. and that the school will develop another intervention program to address the students' deficiencies, with a committee in charge of developing, implementing, and evaluating the program.

Flipped Classroom in Post-Pandemic: Evaluating Gender Divide and Impact on the Student’s Achievement in Mathematics

Flipped classroom in mathematics is gaining momentum even in post-pandemic. This innovative pedagogy is beneficial in delivering mathematics content even when the number of learning sessions is reduced due to the restrictions of holding in-person classes. This study explores the effect of flipping mathematics classroom on the achievement of high school students and if a gender divide exists. One-Group Pre-test and Post-test Design was employed. Fifty-seven (57) Grade 10 students were the respondents of this study of which there were twenty-five (25) male and thirty-two (32) female students. Findings revealed that students improved their scores in the given mathematics assessment after being exposed to the flipped classroom. Consequently, the Mean Percentage Scores increased significantly from Low Mastery to Average Near Mastery. However, no gender divide was found in a flipped classroom. Overall, the flipped classroom can potentially increase students’ achievement in mathematics.

EFFECT OF ACUMETRIC TEST ON STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN K-12 MATHEMATICS 6

The study employed quasi – experimental research to investigate the effect of Acumetric Approach on students’ performance on Integers in Mathematics 6. The participants were two sections of Grade 6 students at Mabunao Elementary School, Barangay Mabunao, Panabo City, Phillipines. One section was assigned as control group, which was exposed to conventional approach with usual motivation and varied activities given in typical classroom teaching, while the other was the experimental group, which was exposed to Acumetric Approach, giving a game-based design repeated activities on non-digital mode, wherein the games were printed and instructions were provided. Pre-test and Post-test were administered prior and after experimentation. The pre-test results reflected that both groups had a low level of performance and no significant difference. After the post-test, both groups had increased their level of performance of which the control group developed from low to average level while the experimental group moved from low to mastery level. The post-test results had shown that there was a significant difference on their mean percentage score. Moreover, by controlling the Pre-test as covariate, the result significantly improved the performance level of the experimental group with a p-value of &lt;0.05. Hence, the experimental group performed better than the control group. Thus, Acumetric Approach can improve the achievement of students in Mathematics. KEYWORD: Approach, game-based learning, performance, integers, mathematics

Relationship between Mathematics Teachers’ Teaching Styles and Students’ Achievement in Mathematics

This study investigated the relationship between teaching styles of 30 grade 9 mathematics teachers and the achievement of their 1489 students. The Grasha Model of learning styles was adapted in the study. Results of the analysis indicated a significant relation between teaching style and student achievement based on students' highest mean percentage score. Approximately 39% of the total variance in students’ achievement is attributable to the difference between the teaching styles. Post hoc comparisons showed that students whose teachers exhibit the Expert style, as well as those whose teachers use a combination of teaching styles have significantly higher achievement scores than students whose teachers employ the Formal Authority style of teaching. Since favorable teaching styles were identified from this study among grade 9 teachers and students, a wider research on the association of teaching styles and student achievement in mathematics focusing on other grade levels is being put forward. This may also help determine at which grade level student achievement starts to decline and further identify effective teaching styles appropriate for each grade level. Pre-service teacher training and in-service teacher retooling may likewise be conducted to leverage academic learning by allowing teachers to discover their teaching styles and improve on them. Keywords: teaching style, students’ achievement, mathematics

Challenges of Rendering Effective Library Services to Users in Select University Libraries in South-South, Nigeria

This study investigates the challenges of rendering effective library services to users in selected university libraries in South-South, Nigeria. A descriptive survey method was adopted for the study in line with the objectives of the study as the instrument used in collecting data. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study consists of 116 librarians in all the federal universities libraries in South- South Nigeria. A total of 116 copies of the questionnaire were distributed and 94 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved using descriptive statistics mean and percentage mean score of 2.5 and above and percentage score of 50% were considered as acceptable. The study revealed that the benefits of rendering effective library services to library users are academic advancement, research, reading and promotion. The study also shows challenges for rendering of library services to library users to be obsolete materials, poor budgetary allocation, lack of infrastructural facilities and poor recruitment process. Strategies to render effective library services to library users are acquisition of current materials, adequate budget to the library, provision of infrastructures and sound recruitment of staff. The study recommends that acquisition of current materials is critical to good library service delivery, robust budget to the library, provision of state of the art infrastructure facilities and recruitment of competent personnel. The findings of this study will help library management whose libraries are lagging behind to provide all the basic materials/infrastructures needed for effective library services. Also, transforming academic libraries will enhance the capability of libraries to contribute positively to the reality of knowledge in the society in contemporary Nigerian society.

A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program on Knowledge and Practice Regarding Nebulization in Children (0–5 year) among Student Nurses

Aims: The aim of the study was to access the knowledge and practice of student nurses toward nebulization therapy. Introduction: Nebulization is an important tool in the treatment of respiratory conditions. Nurses are primary health-care providers for using the nebulizers in a hospital setting. The examination of nurse’s knowledge and performance regarding the nebulizer therapy is of almost importance for proper nebulization. Methodology: The pre-experimental research design was conducted in this study. The total sample was 60 in this study. Purposive sample technique was used. The target population is student nurses. The area of setting is Government Medical College Hospital of Ambikapur (c.g.). Result: The data show that analysis of the knowledge score pre-test mean score was 9.75, mean percentage score was 1.66% and SD was 2.71, analysis of post-test knowledge mean score was 14.51, mean percentage 2% and SD was 1.76, and standard error was 0.412, paired “t” value was 6.85 that was found to significant at 0.05 level. Practice score and pre-test mean score was 13.08, mean percentage score was 54.5%, and SD was 2.37, analysis of post-test knowledge mean score was 17.08, mean percentage 71.16 and SD was1.42, and standard error was 0.35, paired “t” value was 11.42 that was found to significant at 0.05 level. Conclusion: After the detailed analysis, this study leads to following conclusion that is more effective in improving knowledge and practice on regarding nebulization therapy

Effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding lamaze technique among antenatal mothers in selected maternity hospitals Bangalore

Objectives of the study1)To assess the existing knowledge regarding Lamaze technique among antenatal mothers in selected maternity hospitals at Bangalore. 2)To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching program on knowledge regarding Lamaze technique among antenatal mothers in selected maternity hospitals at Bangalore. 3)To find an association between post-test knowledge scores regarding Lamaze technique and selected socio-demographic variables among antenatal mothers in selected hospitals at Bangalore. Method: Evaluative approach is adopted for this study as its aim is to test the hypothesis that establishes a relationship between Lamaze technique and reduction in labour pain. A pilot study was conducted with six samples in the selected hospital to refine the methodology and to find the feasibility of the study. The setting of the study is selected tertiary care hospital, Bangalore. The main study samples were about 60 in number. Non probability convenient sampling technique was used to select the samples. Research design adopted for this study was pre-experimental, one group pre-test post-test design. Lamaze technique which includes Lamaze breathing techniques, partner massage, imagery and visualization, pushing techniques, focal point imagery, movements and relaxation techniques was given to the antenatal mothers. An opinionative on Lamaze technique was administered after the delivery process among antenatal mothers.Result: The overall mean percentage knowledge score in the pre-test and post-test were 27.5% and 87.60%, respectively. Enhancements in mean percentage score were found to be 60.1%. The statistical paired‘t’ test indicates that enhancement in the mean percentage knowledge score was found to be significant at 0.05 level for all the aspects under study. The association found to be partly significant between post-test knowledge scores and selected socio-demographic variables at 0.05 level (p<0.05).Intrepretation and Conclusion: The data was analyzed by applying Descriptive and Inferential statistics. The study findings suggested that structured teaching programme is an effective instructional method in improving the knowledge regarding Lamaze technique among antenatal mothers.HypothesesH1: The mean post-test-knowledge score among antenatal mothers regarding importance of Lamaze technique will be significantly higher than their pre-test knowledge score.H2: There will be significant association between post-test knowledge score and selected socio-demographic variables among antenatal mothers regarding importance of Lamaze technique.

Impact of an education program on knowledge, metered-dose inhaler technique among asthma patients in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Inhalers are most often prescribed to asthma patients and patients need to inhale correctly and coordinate breathing and actuation to ensure effective drug delivery. Important reasons for uncontrolled asthma include poor adherence, poor asthma knowledge by patients, and poor skills in inhaler technique. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives were to evaluate the impact of education program on knowledge and metered-dose inhaler (MDI) technique among asthma patients. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted among asthma patients using a pre- and post-education intervention on inpatients getting admitted under the Department of Pulmonary Medicine attached to Victoria Hospital, BMCRI. The pre- and post-test involved the administration of a questionnaire on asthma knowledge, demonstration of steps of the inhaler technique using a standard checklist. Results: The total mean percentage score of asthma knowledge was 45.45% pre-intervention which increased significantly to 88.63% after education intervention (P &lt; 0.0001). The pMDI (pressurized MDI) demonstration improved from 25% (pre-intervention) to 62% post-intervention (P &lt; 0.0001). Conclusion: Educating about the disease and regular periodic assessment of inhaler technique to asthma medications will improve asthma outcome.

Factors Associated with the Gaps in the Knowledge of Diabetic Patients Attending Primary Health Care Center in Aseer Region, KSA

Objectives: To know the factors associated with the gaps in knowledge of diabetic patients about their disease attending a primary health-care center. Methodology: At the primary health-care center, this cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 type 2 diabetic patients, selected by simple random sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was employed for the data collection. Results: Mean percent score of knowledge was found to be 30.4% among diabetic patients. About 52.5% of participants were 40–60 years of age, 53% were male, 76.3% were married, 16.5%, 24.5%, 21.5%, and 17.5% had illiteracy, primary, secondary, and university education, respectively. Almost half of the participants had a government job, while 37.1% were homemakers. Monthly income was 11,000–15,000 SR for 41.5% of participants. The duration of diabetes was &lt;5 years among 30% of participants. About 53.8% were using oral hypoglycemic, while 48.3% were using insulin. Regarding comorbids, 37.3%, 32.3%, and 4% were hypertensive, dyslipidemic, and had ischemic heart disease, respectively. Regarding the factors, participants' mean knowledge percent scores significantly differed according to their age, education and monthly income (P &lt; 0.001, P &lt; 0.001 and P &lt; 0.036 respectively). According to gender, social status, and occupation, knowledge percent scores were not statistically significant. Conclusion and Recommendations: Patients with type 2 diabetes had poor knowledge which differs significantly according to age, education, and monthly income. It is recommended to implement interventional programs that would enforce health education, keeping in mind the factors associated with gaps in the knowledge of diabetic patients.

Knowledge About Intake and Output Documentation among the Nursing Staffs of Dhulikhel Hospital

Introduction: Documentation of intake and output is written or electronically generated information about client’s all the fluid that goes into and is eliminated from the patient’s body. Fluid balance monitoring and documentation is a challenging area in nursing practice, since patients’ management plan for surgery, renal, cardiac, and acute gastrointestinal disease depends on the nurse’s documentation, it is hence of medical and ethical importance. Thus, we intend to assess the knowledge about intake and output documentation among the nursing staff of Dhulikhel Hospital.Materials and Methods: A simple descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the 100 nursing staff using the stratified random technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used. T-test was used for comparison. Respondents’ knowledge was analyzed by using the software SPSS 16.0. Results: This study showed the mean knowledge percentage score of nursing staff working in Dhulikhel Hospital was 59.25%. There was a significant difference in mean knowledge score between respondents with a Certificate Level in Nursing and Bachelor level (p= 0.008), between respondents of Surgical Units and Non-Surgical Units (p= 0.001). Other variables like personal experience and previous in-service or education on intake and output documentation did not have any significant difference in mean knowledge score.Conclusion: The findings of the study suggested that the knowledge regarding intake and output documentation among nursing staff was average.

Jeraldine Approach on Braille Reading Skills of Visually Imparied Pupils

Inclusive education, more than mainstreaming the learners with special needs, is also concerned with identifying and overcoming all barriers for effective, continuous and quality participation of all in education (Ramchand and Dummugudem, 2014). This research was conducted to test the effect of using Jeraldine Approach in reading braille alphabet in increasing the reading performance of pupils with visual impairment. Specifically, the study determined the mean score of the respondents before and after the implementation of Jeraldine Approach as intervention and how it helped them in a convenient way. The study was conducted to two purposively selected learners with visual impairment. It used the Explanatory Sequential Research Design which showed that all of them had poor understanding in language development particularly in braille reading before the intervention, however, the respondents showed a satisfactory result after the intervention. Utilizing the weighted mean and standard deviation in getting the mean score revealed that their mean percentage score has increased. This implies that the participants have improved their reading performance after the implementation of the Jeraldine Approach. Moreover, the pretest and posttest mean scores of the participants indicated of a very high significant difference, therefore the intervention has contributed large effect on the reading performance of the learners. The result, likewise, indicated the themes easy to understand, easy to use and easy to manipulate.

Understanding context in the implementation of emergency obstetric and neonatal care in health facilities in Osun State, Nigeria- a mixed-methods study

BackgroundSuccessful implementation of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) is likely to improve pregnancy outcomes and is essential for quality maternity care. Context in implementation is described as factors that enabled or disabled implementation of interventions. While the context of implementation is important for the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions, the context of EmONC implementation has not been widely studied in Nigeria.MethodsThe research design was cross-sectional descriptive. A mixed-methods approach was used to assess and explore the context of implementing EmONC in referral centres in Osun state. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the three tertiary health facilities in Osun State and six secondary health facilities from the six administrative zones in the State. A total of 186 healthcare providers in these referral centres participated in the quantitative part of the study, and eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted for its qualitative aspect. An adapted questionnaire from Context Assessment Index and an interview guide were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 significance level, while qualitative data were analysed using the thematic approach.ResultsThe percentage mean score of context strength in EmONC implementation was 63% ± 10.46 in secondary and 68% ± 10.47 in tertiary health facilities. There was a significant difference in the leadership (F (1, 184) = 8.35, p < 0.01), evaluation (F (1, 184) = 5.35, p = 0.02) and overall context (F (1, 184) = 6.46, p = 0.01) of EmONC implementation in secondary and tertiary health facilities. Emerging themes in EmONC context were: Resources for EmONC implementation; Demand for EmONC; Efficiency of funding; Institutional leadership; and Performance evaluation.ConclusionsThe context of EmONC implementation in the referral health facilities was generally weak. The secondary health facilities’ weaknesses were worse compared to the tertiary health facilities. The five key contextual factors could inform strategies for improving EmONC implementation in health facilities to ensure improved access to care that will reduce deaths from obstetric complications in Nigeria.

The relationship between toxic leadership and nurses' followership effectiveness

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between toxic leadership and nurse followership effectiveness. Design: A quantitative cross-sectional study. Methods: This study was carried out in all medical and surgical inpatient care units at Alexandria Main University Hospital. In total, 343 nurses completed the toxic leadership scale and followership styles questionnaires. Frequencies and percentages were used to present demographic characteristics; means and standard deviations were used to present continuous variables. An independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analysis were conducted to test the nature of the relationship between study variables. Results: The results indicated a slightly moderate mean percentage score for toxic leadership and a slightly high mean percentage score for nurse followership effectiveness. In addition, there was a significant negative weak correlation between toxic leadership and nurse followership effectiveness. Conclusion: Training programs should be designed for leaders and followers to develop self-insight / awareness, maintain self-control and accountability, and advance followership skills. Controlling systems should be developed for the immediate identification of ongoing toxic leadership behavior in the organization, and a whistleblower protection system should be established.

Mathematics Performance, Academic well-being, and Educational Aspirations of Junior High School Students

Academic well-being is one of several elements that influence students' math learning and performance. This study looked at students' academic well-being in terms of math self-concept, schoolwork engagement, and burnout in relation to their educational aspirations in mathematics. It looked at the connections between the learners' mathematical performance and educational goals, as well as the connections between the learners' academic well-being and those variables. It used a descriptive-correlational study design. The population of grade 10 students from Lawa Integrated School served as the source of the statistics 161 students were gathered using the standard random sampling method (males: 86, females: 75). A survey questionnaire was used to assess the student's academic well-being in terms of math self-concept, schoolwork engagement, and school burnout, educational aspirations, and mathematics achievement to gather data. The mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, mean percentage scores, Pearson product-moment, and Spearman rank order correlations were used to examine the collected data. The results showed a robust and statistically significant association between the student's academic success and their arithmetic proficiency. The findings showed a small but statistically significant correlation between the learners' academic well-being and educational aspirations. On the other hand, there was a modest and statistically significant correlation between the learners' academic achievement in mathematics and their aspirations for further education.

Student Performance on Graded Versus Ungraded Readiness Assurance Tests in a Team-Based Learning Elective

Objective. Team-based learning is widely used in pharmacy education. In this context, students need to be incentivized to do preclass preparation, thus ensuring they are ready for team-based learning, via graded readiness assurance tests (RATs). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of graded versus ungraded RATs on examination performance in an ambulatory care elective course for third-year student pharmacists.Methods. For the course offered in spring 2020 and 2021, a standard team-based learning framework was employed. In 2020 the RATs were graded and contributed to the overall course grade (graded RAT cohort), but in 2021 RAT grades did not contribute to the course grade (ungraded RAT cohort). For the ungraded RAT cohort, at the end of the course students completed an online anonymous survey regarding class preparation and perceived team accountability.Results. No significant difference was found between the graded RAT (n=47) and ungraded RAT cohorts (n=36) in the overall mean percentage score on individual RATs (76% vs 74%) and individual examinations (82% vs 80%). Most students (69%-91%) in the ungraded RAT cohort reported completing preclass preparation assignments. In the postcourse survey, 94% of students agreed or strongly agreed that RATs contributed to team members' learning, and 86% agreed or strongly agreed that they were proud of their ability to assist in the team's learning.Conclusion. Ungraded RATs did not significantly impact students' examination performance in an elective course. Removing the grading of this test, whereby grading promotes the performance approach to learning, may have shifted the students' motivation to the mastery approach in the context of preclass preparation. This challenges a widely held belief that grades are necessary incentives for preclass preparation within team-based learning.