Poor Learning Environment Research Articles

Classroom Learning Environments As A Correlate Of Scientific Literacy

This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between science learning environments and scientific literacy level of learners. Descriptive research design of the survey type was employed. The population for the study was made up of both secondary school students and science teachers, stratified into types A, B, and C. Four hundred and forty-nine respondents offering sciences were randomly selected, while 81 respondents were drawn from among science teachers from types A, B, and C schools. Two self-constructed and validated research instruments - Science Teachers’ Questionnaire (STQ) and Literacy Level Rating Scale (LLRS) - were used to collect data for the study. Six research questions and two research hypotheses were raised to guide the study. Results indicated the following: 1) that teachers in the different school types rated their own school learning environments differently, 2) teachers’ knowledge about optimum, average and poor learning environments was influenced by the type of school in which they are domiciled, 3) the extent to which teachers made use of locally made materials varied with school type, 4) hindrance to the teaching of science subjects was most serious in type C schools, 5) there is a significant relationship between classroom leaning environments and the respondents’ scientific literacy level, and 6) there is a significant difference in the scientific literacy level of respondents based on school types. It is recommended that irrespective of the school type, science teachers ought to be able to develop science learning communities, teacher and student questions, seek information, and validate explanations in various thoughtful creative and cooperative ways. Teachers should shift from design of instruction to design of learning environments.

A Bronx Tale: Creating Common Ground for High School Success

IN A BEAT-UP part of the Bronx, the buildings are old and outdated. The storefronts are small, their cheap contents spilling out into sidewalk displays. A potpourri of languages fills the air when the streets are busy with daytime traffic. At night pedestrians are rare, though a rat may scurry through overturned garbage. The vibrant lights of midtown Manhattan seem a world away. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The high schools here are huge, scarred, factory-like spaces. Once-striking architectural details disappear under a century of grime. Armed security officers stand sentry, and students pass through metal detectors on their way into the buildings. The students are from poor and minority families. Some have just arrived from other countries and don't speak English. More than half will drop out before they finish high school. Others, many others, will fade into the anonymous crush of a thousand to two thousand or more students, with their needs for affirmation and academic success unmet. On any given day, a third or more of the students will play hooky. These are the children who do get left behind. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are two main cohorts of students who are at risk in the Bronx: underserved, low-performing minorities and new English-language learners. These students fare the worst in faceless, crowded high schools where expectations are low, support is missing, and teacher turnover rates are high. They are thirsty sponges for whatever their environment offers, but very few survive the poor learning environments and inadequate educations that they receive. Evander Childs High School and Morris High School are two of the largest and most challenged secondary schools in the Bronx. Despite decades of political hand-wringing, many attempts at school reform, an array of corporate and community partner programs, and efforts to recruit highly qualified faculties for the long term, many of the students in those buildings have failed to thrive. Until now. A bold initiative is putting a new face on some of these old urban high It is changing the nature of the school communities housed in them and improving the level of instruction offered, the commitment of the students and adults, the test results, and the attendance and graduation rates. At Evander and Morris, the schools have been divided into a number of autonomous schools with independent names, student populations, and identities. These are not merely small schools. They are schools with dynamic missions, extremely high expectations, and entrepreneurial faculties who share a vision and a common core of values and practices. And they are schools that help level the playing field for the children of immigrants and the children of poverty. TWO SCHOOLS, ONE MISSION A look at two of these autonomous schools--Bronx Lab School in Evander and Bronx International High School in Morris--is instructive. Bronx Lab School is in its third year and now has 300 ninth- to 11th-grade minority students, primarily from low-income families. Bronx International enrolls an overwhelmingly immigrant population. The school opened in September 2001 and now has more than 300 students who speak a total of 33 languages. Its first graduating cohort was the class of 2005. What both schools have in common, aside from their designation as schools, are a compelling vision and an unwavering commitment to graduate all of their students prepared for success in college and beyond. At the core of these schools is the belief that high expectations and caring, supportive communities will produce higher levels of student engagement and achievement. At both Bronx Lab and Bronx International, teachers keep close tabs on their students, paying attention to their interests, anxieties, and aspirations. They are determined that no student be allowed to fall through the cracks. …

Internationalising South African entrepreneurship: identifying Strategy drivers for competitive superiority

Small firms in South Africa have, so far, performed poorly in their attempt to internationalise, and the likelihood that they will ultimately succeed is often rated low. The reason for this pessimistic assessment appears quite convincing: global competition is increasingly intense, and the larger firms have established an international network of alliances to maintain their dominance in the market-place. On the other hand, the small firms operate from a poor knowledge and learning environment at home; and they are usually resource constrained. This paper, however, identifies a number of prime and complementary strategy drivers which the small firms may access as a means of developing strategies to acquire the competitive superiority critical for internationalising successfully.

Time for gun control?

Time for gun control?

Medical Students' Perspectives on and Responses to Abuse During the Internal Medicine Clerkship

Background: The abuse of medical students on clinical rotations is a recognized problem, but the effects on students and their responses warrant further study. Purpose: To determine the severity of student abuse and the effects of abuse on students during the internal medicine clerkship. Methods: Internal medicine clerks at 11 medical schools (N = 1,072) completed an exit survey. Students were asked whether they had been abused. If they had, they were asked about the severity of the abuse, whether they reported it, and its effects on them. Results: Of the responding students, 123 (11%) believed they had been abused. Only 31% of the students who felt abused reported the episodes to someone. The most common consequences of the events included poor learning environments, lack of confidence, and feelings of depression, anger, and humiliation. Conclusion: Students described a variety of personal and educational effects of abuse. They generally did not report abuse because of fear of retaliation and the belief that reporting is pointless.

Sources of stress for residents and recommendations for programs to assist them.

Bridging the gap between graduation from medical school and being board eligible in a medical specialty is a lengthy and arduous process. The fact that stress is typical during the residency training period is well-documented in the literature, as are its many situational, professional, and personal sources, which the author reviews: heavy work-load, sleep deprivation, difficult patients, poor learning environments, relocation issues, isolation and social problems, financial concerns, cultural and minority issues, information overload, and career planning issues. Stress can also stem from and exacerbate gender-related issues and problems for significant others, spouses, and family members. The author also describes less commonly documented sources of stress-often overlooked or postponed so long that stresses are inevitable for all concerned. These are associated with residents who perform marginally and in some cases should not have been passed on from medical school, or who are studying specialties not compatible with their skills and personalities, or who foster severe interpersonal problems on the job. Common effects of stress include anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive trends, hostility, and alcohol and substance abuse. To respond to the problems that these many stressors present to residents, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that all post-medical-school medical training programs make assistance services available for all residents. The author outlines essential elements of an assistance program, states how important such problems can be in saving both residents and their institutions needless difficulties and costs, and presents important issues for the consideration of all involved in residents' training.

Tackling the grassroots: appraisal of career choice and prospects of the students at a medical school in Tanzania

Tanzania has one of the world’s worst doctor-to-population ratio. Ironically, the number of medical graduates who do not practice medicine remains very high. Lack of interest and commitment of the young doctors may greatly contribute to the huge number of non-practicing doctors. We assessed medical students’ career views from interest and choice during childhood, their current learning motivations, future career expectations and interest to work in the academia. One hundred and ninetyfive students halfway their first year of medical school complete a self-administered questionnaire with a verbal consent sought from each respondent. Four in every ten students had made their decision to become a doctor before or during primary school. Over 5 out of 10 students made their choice during secondary school. Majority chose medicine due to altruistic and humanity reasons and would prefer work in clinical practice in the hospital. Very few would prefer a faculty job. Knowing about the human body, controlling and managing diseases are the main motivating factors. ‘Too much to learn’ and ‘tight schedules’ were the most aspect and deterrent factors during the medical school and the medical profession in general. Attaining a higher academic honour such as a professorship would not inspire students into the academia. Majority of students make their medical career choice early in life driven by altruistic reasons. Poor learning environments disenchant them from the passion for the career. More studies are needed to assess and improve the training in medicine.Keywords: Medical students, motivation, career prospects, Tanzania