Perspectives Of Educators Research Articles

Implications of the Creative Curriculum from the Perspectives of Educators in Qatar University Early Childhood Center

To better understand the effectiveness of any implemented early childhood curriculum, it is vital to pay attention to the experiences of early childhood educators who practiced that curriculum. The purpose of this research is to investigate early childhood educators' experiences with the Creative Curriculum that has been implemented at the Early Childhood Center of Qatar University since 2015. In this phenomenological research, the methodology includes: (a) in-depth phenomenologically based interviews, (b) follow-up online interviews, and (c) a focus group meeting with the teachers. Eight early childhood educators with a wide range of experiences presented their own experiences with the Creative Curriculum. The findings revealed that by implementing the Creative Curriculum, teachers were encouraged to integrate all aspects of the Curriculum. Teachers were inspired to pay close attention to their children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development and to respond appropriately. This research provides insights and future implications about this specific curriculum in the early childhood field.

Using community-based participatory research to support the development of a co-located intergenerational program

This paper presents the findings of a ten-week research project exploring the intricacies of a co-located intergenerational program in Southeast Queensland. The research involved an early learning centre, North Early Learning, operated by a large not-for-profit organisation, Queensland Child Learning, and an aged care residence, Aged Care Living (pseudonyms). The research question underpinning this paper focused on identifying the views of educators, children, and families currently attending the early childhood education and care centre who will participate in the co-located intergenerational program. Employing a community-based participatory research approach, the study explores the perspectives of educators, children, and families participating in the program through visual children’s surveys, facilitated interviews, and online surveys. The findings highlight positive attitudes from educators and families toward intergenerational programs, leading to the development of an implementation timeline aligned with the needs of educators, children, and families that are reflective of the unique context of the centre.

“They come here for sanctuary”: educator perspectives on trauma engaged alternative education

Alaska’s alternative high schools use trauma-engaged practices in their education model. Thirteen focus groups with 100 alternative high school educators, staff and administrators were conducted. The study sought to describe the Alaska alternative high school staffs’ perspectives on effective practices and impact of alternative education on drug and alcohol use, suicide ideation, feelings of hopelessness, and community support of alternative high school students. Seven overarching themes related to trauma-engaged education and a focus on social-emotional learning were described by educators. The Alaska alternative education model addresses the root causes of youth engagement in health risk factors.

Unveiling the environmental education dilemma: Analyzing educators perspectives and practices in environmental citizenship for global sustainability

Unveiling the environmental education dilemma: Analyzing educators perspectives and practices in environmental citizenship for global sustainability

Beyond the surface: unraveling global health curriculum insights through interviews of learners and educators using the CIPP model.

Our study aimed to delve beyond a surface-level understanding and explore the various dimensions of the global health curriculum from the perspective of both learners and educators using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model. From 2020 to 2021, interviews were conducted with a total of 10 individuals, including five students who had taken at least one elective course and at least one elective research course, three teaching assistants (TA), and two faculty members who had taken more than four global health courses in multiple phases in the global health curriculum. Semi-structured interview questions based on the CIPP model were used and qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The study identified 12 sub-themes. Students held idealized views of global health careers and sought to bridge the gap through global health classes. They desired early exposure to global health courses, emphasizing both pre-medical and clinical phases. Challenges in adjusting course difficulty and recruiting faculty were identified, along with a preference for interactive teaching methods and offline discussions. The curriculum promoted reflection on medicine's essence, expanded career perspectives, and emphasized competencies like altruism, communication skills, and crisis management in the evolving global health landscape. This study showed that a comprehensive approach is possible from the perspective of learners and educators by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and the value of the curriculum's goals, plans, implementations, and results through the CIPP model. For optimal curriculum design, a sequential approach from basic to advanced courses is essential, promoting hands-on global health experiences for students.

Turning community stories into community art1

A broad range of community art projects and programmes have been documented around the world since I first reported on this project in 2012. However, it still remains that lack of time and/or funding means that most art teachers are unable to engage in community arts or generate resources and opportunities to teach community arts. This means that unless community art projects directly engage schools and teachers in their projects and time is put aside for students and teachers to go on excursions, visit sites and engage with these communities, there are few opportunities for students to engage in community arts-based learning. This article reports on an innovative community art project that engaged narrative, and sculptural form, as a way of learning about community, place and identity. The project is explained from the perspective of an art educator, researcher and artist who was employed in the project both as community artist and as facilitator. This ‘insider’s perspective’ aims to afford some context to relevant theories through which such projects can be understood as potentially beneficial to art education – particularly in the way people have used narrative to communicate issues of place and the ways in which artists have translated community narratives into sculptural form. The author’s insider perspective offers insight into this project to share how a community art project could be designed and facilitated for students to engage in their local region and therefore a way forward for teachers and students to engage in something similar, to learn about how community stories can be translated into contemporary art, and the important role of place and identity in this work.

An exploration of the efficacy of mental health and wellbeing education initiatives in secondary schools: triangulation of student and teacher perspectives

ABSTRACT Objectives Schools invest substantial time and money in support of mental health and wellbeing education for their students. Approaches vary, with minimal guidance available regarding most efficacious methods to engage and support students. Understanding the experience and perspectives of students and educators in this area can assist to clarify mental health needs of secondary school students and guide future development of effective methods to target them. Methods Interviews with 21 senior secondary school students from four Australian schools captured perspectives about the influences on their mental health and wellbeing over their secondary school journey. A further eight interviews with school staff with responsibility for wellbeing education were conducted to identify similarities and disparities between school aims and student experience. Results A reflexive thematic analysis of the data generated three main themes. Interviews conducted indicated consistency between staff and students’ perspectives that schools need to commit to staff training, cultivate interpersonal connections and make wellbeing education for adolescents more engaging. Conclusions Mental health and wellbeing approaches should be nuanced for the specific needs of each school’s context. Educating teachers to utilise a school-wide wellbeing framework to customise student learning can increase student engagement through personal reflection and small group discussion to reinforce key learnings.

Patient video cases in large-group medical student teaching: A qualitative study of learner and educator perspectives.

Patient video cases (PVCs) are short video recordings of real patients during clinical encounters or instructed activities. Although widely used in healthcare professionals' education, their use in large group teaching (LGT) remains relatively unexplored. This study aims to explore the perceptions of medical students and academic staff regarding the use of PVCs to support LGT. A purposive sample of medical students and academic staff from Leicester Medical School was obtained. Data were collected through focus groups (students) and semi-structured interviews (staff) in which two sensitising PVCs were used as a stimulus to discussion. Data analysis was undertaken using grounded theory through a process of open, axial, and selective coding, leading to core categories and themes. Sixteen medical students and four academic staff members participated. Four overarching themes were identified covering the benefits of using PVCs, ways in which they are used in LGT, the challenges faced by and how to optimise PVCs for LGT. This final theme covered design, choice of clip and how it is then used by the educator within the teaching session. Key considerations were the need to align the PVC with other content and to consider the student experience. Our findings support the use of well-chosen and well-designed PVCs within LGT and offer practical insights to use them effectively. PVCs are a potentially powerful tool within medical undergraduate LGT (a widely used instructional method) and further research into its use is needed.

Impact of lease versus buy decisions on government tax revenues: An in‐depth analysis

AbstractNumerous managerial and corporate finance perspectives suggest mutual tax advantages when depreciation is transferred from an asset's user to a lessor, creating a perceived loss of tax revenue for the government. This study delves deeper into the lease versus buy decision and its ramifications on government tax revenue. It goes beyond tax rate discrepancies, exploring how factors like lessor‐lessee borrowing rate differences, asset lifespan, depreciation, and lease payment schedules impact tax revenues, both analytically and numerically. The paper establishes a strong theoretical foundation, emphasizing positive‐sum games involving lessees, lessors, and governments in individual deals. Government benefits from leasing vary across asset classes, market structures, depreciation timelines, credit quality, tax credits, and business cycles. The proposal is that the aggregate impact at the federal level could be positive, negative, or neutral across all leasing deals. These insights surpass conventional knowledge, offering valuable perspectives for finance and accounting educators, students, practitioners, and policymakers.

The influence of professional mission on the professional quality of college teachers: The intermediary role of job burnout and the regulating role of social support

Purpose: This study seeks to explore the influence of a professional mission on university teachers specifically examining the mediating role of job burnout and the moderating impact of social support.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: Data from university teachers were collected for this study using a questionnaire survey method and the results were carefully analysed using the relevant statistical techniques.
 Findings: The study finds a positive relationship between a strong professional mission and high professional quality in university teachers. Job burnout and social support serve as intermediaries and regulators. Increased burnout weakens the mission's influence while reduced burnout correlates with enhanced professional quality. A strong social network enhances a professional mission's beneficial effects. 
 Conclusion: This study explores the relationship between a professional mission and university professors highlighting the mediating effects of social support and job burnout. The findings offer valuable insights for improving educational quality and supporting teachers' personal growth. This research significantly contributes to understanding key factors in the career development of college teachers, providing enlightening perspectives for educators and policymakers.
 Limitations/Significance: This study ignores personal variables in favour of examining only the effects of professional missions on university teachers' professional development. Observations and interviews are two unique methodologies that are necessary for a thorough understanding relying solely on surveys may introduce subjectivity.
 Practical Significance: Findings guide institutions and policymakers to boost education quality by supporting teachers' professional development through training and social support and addressing burnout.
 Contributions to the Literature: The study fills gaps by confirming the beneficial influence of professional missions on the careers of teachers and guiding the improvement of education.

Early childhood educator and director experiences of speech pathology-led professional development: A qualitative study

Background: Quality early childhood interactions, especially quality adult–child interactions, are known to form the foundation of future skills associated with social, academic and communicative development. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) can engage with educators in professional development to improve communication environments for children. Understanding the perspectives of early childhood directors and educators in relation to the feasibility, sustainability and impact of professional development is needed. Aim(s): This study investigated the experiences of early childhood educators and directors who participated in a SLT-led professional development training program. Method: Participants were four directors and six early childhood educators. Directors participated in one focus group; educators participated in individual semi-structured interviews. All participants were female and had between 5 and 38 years of experience. They were interviewed following the completion of an eight-week training program. Verbatim transcripts of the director focus group and educator interviews were thematically analysed using NVivo12. Result(s): Three overarching themes were developed. These were the appropriateness and acceptability of the training, impact and professional engagement with eight subsequent themes also identified. Although participants reported positive experiences participating in the training, several practical and translational challenges were identified. Conclusion: The professional development training implemented by SLTs was influenced by a number of factors that assisted or hindered educator and director experience of the program. The appropriateness, acceptability and feasibility of a professional development (PD) program should carefully consider participants’ learning needs and workplace environments.

ASSESSING THE ATTITUDE OF TEACHER EDUCATORS TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS

The purpose of the present study is to assess the attitude of teacher educators in relation to gender, qualification and experience towards the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching learning process. The survey was conducted in 10 Government and Private Teacher Education Institutions of Kashmir Division (UT of J&K, India). Descriptive survey method was employed for the present investigation. Stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample of 100 teacher educators teaching in government and private institutions. Data collection technique employed in this present study was Attitude Scale towards Information Technology for Teachers (ASTITT-IN) by Nasrin and Islahi (2012). The data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics such as Mean, Standard Deviation, percentage and t-test. The study reveals that there was no significant difference in the attitudes between male and female teacher educators. However, a notable distinction emerged in the attitudes of teacher educators from government and private institutions was that the teacher educators from government institutions were found to possess higher level of favourable attitude towards ICT. The study also delved into the impact of professional experience on teacher educators' attitudes towards ICT integration and the findings indicate a noticeable difference based on the participants' experience levels. A small subset of educators exhibited a highly positive attitude towards ICT integration while the majority displayed a generally positive orientation. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the nuanced perspectives of teacher educators in both government and private institutions regarding ICT integration. The identified variations based on institutional affiliation and experience levels underscore the need for tailored strategies and interventions to foster a more widespread positive attitude towards the incorporation of ICT tools in the education sector and prepare teachers to teach effectively with technology.

The time for patient partnership in medical education has arrived: Critical reflection through autoethnography from a physician turned patient

Purpose This paper explores experiences of a physician who in one life-altering day awoke in intensive care and had to embark on a complex journey as full-time patient. It identifies the important literature, albeit limited, from a unique dual lens view of physician turned patient, and analyzes the potential for advancing medical education by recognizing the expertise that patients possess from lived experience. Methodology An autoethnography study was undertaken to unpack data obtained from lived patient experience during a two-and-a-half-year long hospitalization. Themes were captured in a series of eleven scenarios. Findings included critical reflection from the patient, medical educator, and research perspectives. Data was cross-referenced with relevant literature. Results Seven themes emerged upon critical analysis of the eleven scenarios that described real-life healthcare encounters of the physician turned patient. These often-neglected themes from medical education include experiential learning, reflection, what counts as medical care, vulnerability, patient-centred care, agency, and patient expertise. Conclusions This study highlights differences between intellectual–experiential knowledge, and challenges medical education to harness the expertise that patients possess. It contributes to scholarly discourses by demonstrating the utility of autoethnography in medical education, critiques traditional medical education models, expands the breadth of what constitutes knowledge, and invites medical educators to actively involve patients as equal stakeholders in curricula.

Trauma surgical simulation: discussing the replacement of live animals used as human patient simulators

BackgroundDespite advances in simulator technology, live anaesthetised animals continue to be used as human patient simulators for medical professionals to practice techniques in the management of surgical trauma. This article describes the process of convening a working group of individuals with a professional interest in simulation to discuss the use of live animals and consider if and how they can be replaced in the future.Main bodyA working group was formed of voluntary attendees to a workshop held at the SESAM 2023 conference. Iterative discussions reflecting on the topic were used to produce statements summarising the working group’s opinions. The working group determined that live animals are used as human patient simulators due to the presence of accurate and responsive physiology in the presence of bleeding, realistic tissue tactility and an emotional response experienced by the learner due to interaction with the animal. They were unable to reach a consensus on replacement, determining that there is currently no single model which is able to provide all the learning aspects which a live animal model can provide. Several suggestions were made regarding development of technologies and pedagogical change.ConclusionReplacement of live animals in surgical simulation is not straightforward but should be an aspiration, if possible. For the ongoing development of trauma surgical simulation models, it is important to combine the knowledge, skills and perspectives of medical stakeholders and educators, academic researchers and industry experts in producing alternative options to the use of live animal simulators.

I think they just logged on and fell asleep: Challenges to facilitating creativity online in higher engineering education

Creativity is a crucial skill for future engineers. Hence, it is becoming increasingly important for higher education (HE) engineering educators to foster and enhance engineering students' creative abilities. Simultaneously, online learning has found a place in engineering education. Nevertheless, we find that HE engineering educators in all domains continue to express a sense of inadequacy when it comes to fostering creativity in hybrid and online learning environments. This sentiment persists despite the existence of scholarly work that suggests strategies for addressing these challenges. In this paper, we assume that the rationale behind this is that the proposed pedagogical approaches are primarily established through conceptual reflections, whereas the perspective of the HE engineering educators on the perceived barriers has thus far been largely neglected. Therefore, we present a study that uses data from experience interviews and focus group techniques involving 71 HE engineering educators from Ireland, Germany, Denmark and Turkey to identify the common challenges that HE engineering educators perceive when facilitating creativity in online and hybrid classroom environments. These are used to extend theory by developing a four‐field conceptual model organizing the eight overarching challenges encountered. This model can be used as a basis for defining measures to support HE engineering educators in facilitating creativity online and serves as a guide for future research studies.

Exploring workplace mental health: educator perspectives and factors in the medical education system – a mixed method study

IntroductionThe present study aimed to assess the status of workplace mental health from the viewpoints of educators, and explore their experiences concerning influential factors on occupational mental health at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences.MethodsThe study was a sequential mixed-method study that was conducted in quantitative and qualitative phases. In the quantitative phase, the perception of educators (n = 205) was assessed by a Workplace Mental Health Questionnaire, including 37 items in 9 categories (including an opportunity to control, an opportunity to use skills, external goals created, environmental diversity, environmental clarity, access to money, physical security, opportunity to contact others, and valuable social status and position). In the qualitative phase, data were collected using semi-structured interviews (n = 21) and were analyzed based on the conventional content analysis approach.ResultsThe results showed that the status of workplace mental health of educators was at a moderate level (mean (± SD) = 115.87 (±3.21). The highest and lowest scores of the median were reported in the domains of “opportunity for control” (median = 4) and “opportunity to contact others” (median = 2.75), respectively. The theme of “contrast between preferences and disappointments in the development path” with two categories including “induced demotivation of system elements” and “tendencies of promotion” was explored from the educators’ perspective.ConclusionThe results indicated the moderate level of mental health of educators was influenced by the contrast between preferences and disappointments in the development path. The tendency of educators for promotion was explored as a positive factor in the mental health of educators in the academic environment. A growing desire for creative advancement among educators as a personal factor and a demand to stay updated with all developments as a system factor explained the positive experiences of educators in the university. The results showed the gap between the current situation and the desired state of occupational mental health may result from cultural challenges, lack of adherence to professionalism at the personal level (non-compliance with the principles of well-being and excellence), and interpersonal level (non-compliance with respect, justice, etc.). Moreover, factors disrupting occupational mental health at the system level explored in job stress, a resilient culture, lack of managerial support, ingratitude, lack of reward-effort matching mechanism, and lack of resources.

Teacher education as stakeholder: teacher educator perspectives on the integration of computational thinking into mathematics and science courses

ABSTRACT Owing to its recognition as a 21st-century skill, computational thinking (CT) is currently being introduced into school curricula around the world. However, in-service teachers are largely unprepared for this implementation, which, in turn, makes teacher educators (TEds) important stakeholders in preparing prospective teachers to integrate CT into their classroom practices. In this regard, TEds are charged with a twofold responsibility: they must develop not only their own CT skills and digital competence but also a way of teaching these to the next generation of teachers who will facilitate future pupils’ learning. In this paper, we report on 17 TEds’ experience regarding the challenges and opportunities of integrating CT into Norway’s primary teacher education mathematics and science courses two years after CT’s introduction into Norwegian primary schools. A data-driven thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews was conducted. Our analysis suggests that it is challenging to integrate CT into existing courses. Such challenges, as well as opportunities, seem to apply at four levels: the systemic, teacher educator, student teacher, and subject levels. The results provide valuable insights for key stakeholders into the challenges and opportunities of integrating CT into teacher education, thus contributing to the body of research on professional digital competence.

Student challenges during third-year perioperative clerkships through the lens of faculty and residents: A qualitative study.

Studies of medical students suggest they often find the transition from the pre-clinical curriculum to clinical rotations particularly challenging during perioperative clerkships. Educators could add a new perspective into students' clerkship experiences and potential interventions to improve them. The purpose of this study was to examine the educator perspective on students' experiences in perioperative clerkships. The findings could inform potential curricular interventions to facilitate student transition from a didactic environment into perioperative clerkships. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 faculty and residents in the departments of anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology (OBGYN), and general surgery across multiple clinical teaching sites at one institution. Interview questions explored their perceptions of the challenges students face during their transition into perioperative clerkships and probed thoughts on curriculum interventions they believed would be the most beneficial. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Three themes were identified. Faculty and residents perceive that student experiences on perioperative clerkships are shaped by (1) students' ability to adapt to the specialty and operating room norms on these clerkships, (2) students' understanding of how they can meaningfully contribute to the clinical team, and (3) dedicated teaching time constraints. Interventions were suggested to address educator expectations and student gaps, such as implementing a pre-clerkship orientation across anaesthesia, general surgery and OBGYN. To facilitate the medical student transition to perioperative clerkships, interventions should aid students in adapting to clerkship norms for these specialties and clarifying their role and expectations within the care team.

Educator Perspectives on Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Schools

Many students experience school failure due to academic and/or behavioral challenges that are deemed problematic by school personnel. School districts provide alternative school options for those students based on an assumption that their success hinges on supports beyond those that are provided by traditional schools. Because educators who work in alternative schools are key implementers of programming in them, the purpose of this qualitative interview study was to investigate their perspectives of the advantages and disadvantages of alternative schools. We collected qualitative data from interviews with 17 educators from 11 alternative schools. The findings from our analyses showed both the advantages and disadvantages, with the advantages grouped into four main categories: (a) instructional practices, (b) relationships, (c) policy, and (d) planning for postsecondary. The disadvantages were grouped into six thematic categories: (a) limited options, (b) barriers to instruction, (c) exclusion and stigma, (d) weak social networks, (e) poor management, and (f) sustainability.

A guide to creating an educator's portfolio for the 21st century.

An educator's portfolio is (EP) a collection of materials for demonstrating and assessing a clinician educator's performance and perspective. Although not all academic institutions require faculty to maintain an EP, it can serve as a valuable tool for both personal reflection and professional advancement. With newer advancements in technology and social media, there are also opportunities to enhance the EP for the digital era. This educator's blueprint highlights eight strategies for creating an EP for the 21st century clinician educator: use your educator's philosophy to introduce and anchor your EP, apply broad definitions of scholarship, include pertinent metrics for all scholarly products, describe mentorship activities, incorporate self-assessment and the assessments from others, report comprehensive accounting of presentations, highlight leadership activities, and utilize technology to facilitate dissemination and sharing of your EP.