Positive Metaphors Research Articles

Metaphors of University-Industry Relations: Interpretations on Technology Development Zones Unveiled

The purpose of the study is to examine metaphors that are used to explain university-industry relations. Metaphors are a lucrative qualitative tool in organizational analysis because extracting and interpreting metaphors that are used by participants in an organization can not only allow researchers to access hidden perceptions or feelings of the participants but also helps them gain insights about a key organization of university-industry relations: Technology Development Zones (TDZ). In this multiple-case study, 20 participants were involved from two universities and an institute of high technology, and their embedded TDZs in Turkey. Participants are high-rank manager-academics, faculty affiliated with university-industry relations, high-rank managers from TDZs and those of firms inside these TDZs. In order to collect data, semi-structured interviews were used in the study. Results from a content analysis of within-case and cross-case data from the three cases in the study showed that participants use superordinate themes of positive and negative metaphors to explain university industry relations. The positive metaphors superordinate theme involves the metaphors of interface, machine, bars district, showcase, and plants, while the negative metaphors superordinate theme includes zombie, babies, and real-estate metaphors. Based on the participants’ descriptions of these metaphors and their justification for their use, some conclusions were made on the participants’ evaluations of the university-industry relations phenomenon, which is the focus of the study.

Can simidi mi kâbus mu? Ebeveynler acil uzaktan eğitim hakkında ne düşünüyor?

Bu araştırmanın amacı, ebeveynlerin Covid-19 pandemisi sürecinde gerçekleştirilen acil uzaktan eğitime yönelik algı ve görüşlerini belirlemektir. Bu doğrultuda ebeveynlerin metaforik algıları ile acil uzaktan eğitim hakkındaki olumlu ve olumsuz düşünceleri belirlenmiştir. Araştırma, nitel araştırma desenlerinden durum çalışması ve fenemenoloji desenleri temelinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma grubunu birçok farklı meslek, eğitim seviyesi ve şehirden 57 ebeveyn oluşturmuştur. Veriler metaforik algı formu ve yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu ile elde edilmiştir. Verilerin analizi sonucunda, velilerin acil uzaktan eğitime yönelik hem olumlu hem olumsuz algılarının var olduğu saptanmıştır. Bazı veliler acil uzaktan eğitimi can simidi, kurtarıcı gibi olumlu metaforlarla tanımlarken bazıları ise bu kavramı kâbus, işkence gibi olumsuz metaforlarla tanımlamıştır. Acil uzaktan eğitimin, duyuşsal, öğretimsel, teknik, sağlıkla ilgili, etkileşimsel, özel hayatla ilgili, çalışan ebeveynlerin zorlanması ile ilgili birçok olumsuz etkisi olduğu ifade edilmiştir. Olumlu etkiler ise öğretimsel, etkileşim, tasarruf, sağlık, esneklik, kişisel gelişim, duyuşsal etkiler ve diğer olumlu etkiler olmak üzere kategorilendirilmiştir.

Using co-design to develop a tool for shared goal-setting with parents in speech and language therapy.

Despite the compelling case for engaging parents in speech and language therapy, research indicates that speech and language therapists (SLTs) currently have a leading role in the goal-setting process of therapy for children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Therefore, we set out to develop a tool that aims to support the dialogue between SLTs and parents and enhance shared decision-making about children's communicative participation goals. We used co-design techniques with SLT-practitioners to include their perspectives throughout the design process. Although co-design has been used for some years in healthcare research, it is still a relatively new research methodology in the field of speech and language therapy. To provide a detailed description of the co-design process that led to the development of a physical artefact that can support SLTs to engage parents of children with DLD in collaborative goal-setting. The Design Council's Double Diamond model was used to develop a tool in co-design, together with eight SLTs, who participated in all stages of the development process. Usability was tested in actual goal-setting conversations between four SLTs and 11 parents of a child with DLD resulting in stepwise improvements. In addition, usability of the first and final prototypes was tested with five usability criteria that were rated on a 10-point scale by 64 SLTs. The co-design process resulted in the development of a physical prototype of the tool called 'ENGAGE', consisting of a metal 'tree trunk' on which parents can stick magnetic 'leaves' containing potential participation goals for their child. The 'tree' shape represents a child's development and opportunities for growth. This first prototype received marks between 7.0 and 8.0 out of 10 on attractiveness, user-friendliness, safety, functionality and affordability. After several iterations, there were significantly higher marks for attractiveness, user-friendliness and safety in favour for the final prototype. Marks for functionality and affordability did not change significantly. As researchers we usually develop pen-and-paper tools, interview protocols, apps or questionnaires to support clinical practice. Including the SLTs' perspectives in the design process resulted in a tree-shaped physical artefact that, according to the SLTs, helps to order information and encourages and guides their dialogue with parents. We strongly advocate the inclusion of end-users in developing innovative user-centred tools for speech and language therapy and we hope that this will become widespread practice. What is already known on the subject Collaborative goal-setting is at the heart of family-centred speech and language therapy. However, research indicates that goal-setting processes for children with DLD are currently predominantly therapist-led, instead of family-centred. Reasons for the lack of parental engagement are that effective communication with parents throughout the goal-setting process appears to be complex, and parents are not always invited and supported to engage in this. We used co-design to develop a tool that aims to support SLTs in their dialogue about therapy goals with parents. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This paper provides an example of applying a co-design approach for the development of a shared goal-setting tool for SLTs and parents of young children with DLD. The co-design approach enabled us to incorporate needs, experiences and ideas of SLTs in the design process. We report the four stages in the co-design process from (1) discovering the needs, wants and desires of the people involved, (2) defining the problem that SLTs experience, (3) developing several solutions and selecting the best solution, and (4) developing and testing the prototype. The detailed description of this process can add to an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of a design process that includes the perspective of end-users. The result is a physical artefact representing a tree, which aims to support the conversation between SLTs and parents about a child's communicative participation. Items describing facets of communicative participation are printed on 'leaves' that can be hung on a tree trunk by parents. The tree shape is a positive metaphor for the growth and development of a child. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study describes how SLTs can be meaningfully involved as partners in a co-design research approach. Incorporating experience from clinical practice was highly relevant since our study aimed to create a solution that would support goal-setting and service delivery by SLTs. We want to show that it is inspiring and beneficial for SLTs to partner with researchers in innovation of their own clinical practice and provide examples of co-design activities that illustrate the involvement and influence of end-users in a design process. Including the perspective of SLTs in the development of a new tool to facilitate the dialogue between SLTs and parents of children with DLD regarding therapy goal-setting is expected to add value and enhance its implementation in clinical practice.

: “Akademik Türkçe… Gibidir”: Uluslararası Öğrencilerin Akademik Türkçe Kavramına İlişkin Agıları

The aim of this study is to reveal international students' perceptions of academic Turkish through metaphors. The participants of the study consist of international students who study academic Turkish at Erciyes University Continuing Education Center. The data of the research were obtained by filling the gaps in the expression given as "Academic Turkish, in my opinion, is like… Because… ” " by international students. This research was carried out by using a phenomenological research design and the data obtained were analyzed by content analysis. The findings of the study show that there are more positive and valid metaphors formed by international students towards the concept of academic Turkish. Positive metaphors reveal that international students perceive academic Turkish as a need and that academic Turkish prepares a substructure. Besides academic Turkish guides, and improves. Negative metaphors reflect that Academic Turkish is seen as a waste of time.

Cognitive reappraisal inventiveness in emotion regulation

<p id=C9>Emotion regulation is an essential ability to maintain individual mental health and life happiness. Cognitive reappraisal is one of the most effective emotion regulation strategies. Cognitive reappraisal inventiveness is a central component of the generation process in the context of cognitive reappraisal. It is the ability to create multiple and different reappraisals for negative situations. The total number and diversity of cognitive reappraisal strategies produced by individuals in cognitive reappraisal (i.e., the fluency and flexibility of cognitive reappraisal strategies) are taken as indicators of cognitive reappraisal inventiveness. A high creative cognitive reappraisal is an effective premise for ensuring individual emotional regulation. <p id=C10>Here, we review recent studies on cognitive reappraisal inventiveness. A large body of research demonstrates that inventiveness in cognitive reappraisal is positively correlated with divergent thinking and openness, but not with neuroticism and trait anger. Creative cognitive reappraisal strategies, or high-level cognitive reconstruction using metaphor and analogy, are more conducive to the regulation of negative emotions, and the superior regulatory effect of creative cognitive reappraisal can be mediated by amygdala-based salient emotional arousal, hippocampus-based new association formation, and striatum-based mental rewarding to produce to a novel and positive experience that can be kept in long-term memory. These results are consistent with the creative reconstruction theory of cognitive reappraisal. The theory holds that an individual’s response to negative situations comes not from the event itself, but from their view of the event. Emotional situations are viewed as problems that can be solved by a variety of reappraisal styles. To regulate negative emotions, it is necessary to produce a novel and effective psychological representation of the emotional situation or event, modifying the initial maladaptive representation. Creative individuals may be more likely to find effective reappraisals. However, other studies claim that there is no correlation between cognitive reappraisal inventiveness and reappraisal effectiveness. Thus, no consistent conclusion about the relationship between cognitive reappraisal inventiveness and reappraisal effectiveness has yet been reached. <p id=C11>By comparing the neural mechanisms of cognitive reappraisal inventiveness (using the Reappraisal Inventiveness Test, RIT) and traditional creativity (using the Alternative Use Test, AUT), it was found that both, the RIT and AUT, exhibited a comparatively strong increase in alpha power at prefrontal sites, indicating that they have similar brain activation patterns; however, the activation degree of cognitive reappraisal inventiveness is higher in the middle region of the prefrontal cortex, whereas the activation degree of traditional creativity is higher in the ventral prefrontal apex region. The regions of brain activation of the two forms of creativity overlap primarily in the right cerebellum, central anterior gyrus, central posterior gyrus, and anterior cingulate cortex, especially in the left prefrontal network. Cognitive reappraisal inventiveness activates the right superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and left and right angular gyrus. Traditional creativity tasks primarily activate the left superior frontal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, and left inferior frontal gyrus. This shows that traditional creativity and cognitive reappraisal inventiveness have common cognitive processing needs, including inhibiting strong responses, switching between different perspectives, and controlling memory retrieval; however, the process of cognitive reappraisal inventiveness requires the specific executive function of emotional representation. <p id=C12>Future research may expand the group of participants by selecting participants with emotional disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety disorders), improve the measurement methods of cognitive reappraisal inventiveness, explore the situational and internal factors that affect cognitive reappraisal inventiveness (e.g., positive metaphor, trait anxiety, self-efficacy, and humorous personality), and further reveal how the neural mechanisms of the special process, or reaction mechanism of cognitive reappraisal inventiveness, differ from traditional creativity.

Determining middle school students' perceptions of the concept of artificial intelligence: A metaphor analysis

Apart from the fact that human-like robots are still one of the most interesting topics in science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop rapidly as a popular phenomenon for all sectors. Although the idea that this rapid rise of AI means the rise of humanity has been voiced by many, the point of how AI will affect humanity continues to raise doubts in certain parts of the society. In this study, it is aimed to determine the perceptions of middle school students, which are a part of the future of humanity, towards the concept of AI, on which many discussions have been made, through metaphors. The sample consisted of 339 seventh and eighth grade students of four secondary schools in the central districts of Afyonkarahisar and Izmir in the 2019-2020 academic year. This study used a qualitative approach utilizing metaphor analysis as a research tool to investigate phenomena. Participants were asked the complete the sentence “Artificial intelligence is like.................., because ..................” Data were analyzed using content analysis. Participants’ metaphors for AI were grouped under 11 categories: smart, brain, nature, security, humanistic, the dilemma of good and evil, service, object, technology, life, and time. The data obtained showed that the participants generally used positive metaphors to describe AI, that is, they had positive perceptions about AI. However, in this study, which focused on the AI perceptions of middle school students, all of the metaphors collected under 11 conceptual categories containing positive and negative perceptions were examined and interpreted separately. It is thought that educational computer systems can be designed to shape students' perceptions of AI. Teachers can consider students' perceptions of AI by using AI-assisted teaching and designing content to enhance students' learning skills.

Positive referential meaning and color metaphor bring beauty: Evidence on aesthetic appraisal of ancient Chinese character from Han, Bai, and Yi ethnic groups

Positive referential meaning and color metaphor bring beauty: Evidence on aesthetic appraisal of ancient Chinese character from Han, Bai, and Yi ethnic groups

Valenced Metaphors in Strategic Communication: The Case of the Greek Economic Crisis

ABSTRACT This study examined the valence of political metaphors in the context of the Greek economic crisis in ten speeches delivered by the Greek Prime Minister (PM). Five of the speeches were proclamations addressing the Greek people in the first year of the crisis, while the other five speeches were addresses to the Members of the Parliament (MPs). These two types of speeches were compared in terms of metaphor frequencies, metaphor valence, and types of metaphors. The results revealed that in the proclamations addressed to the Greek people the PM used significantly more metaphors than in the speeches addressing the MPs. In terms of valence, the analysis showed that the PM used significantly more positive metaphors than negative when addressing the Greek people; this, however, was not confirmed in the speeches addressing the MPs. In terms of metaphor type, overall the travel frame was the most frequently used one in the speeches addressing the Greek people, while this was not the case in the addresses to the MPs. In terms of strategic communication and crisis management, positive metaphoric language was the primary means to fulfil the organization’s (i.e. the government’s) mission, which was no other than to manage the crisis in relation to the Greek people.

Lebenskraft (Vital Force)

Although it gained currency in scientific debates about generation and processes of life (vitality) at the end of the eighteenth century, the lexeme Lebenskraft (vital force) played only a marginal role in Goethe’s scientific writings. By accounting for the distinctiveness of the living (or organic, animate), it manifests the conceptual bifurcation within the scientific discourse of the period between the living and non-living. Goethe’s understanding of the concept, which is fluid, reflects a critical approach to these debates. While at times he understood Lebenskraft as an organizing principle to explain processes of generation, he was generally skeptical toward the concept, which in his view compromised scientific argumentation and limited knowledge production. In Goethe’s literary works, by contrast, Lebenskraft, became a positive metaphor for metaphysical and artistic acts of creation.

Opinions of Teacher Candidates on Inclusive Education: A Parallel Mixed Method Study

In this study, teacher candidates’ attitudes, self-efficacy perceptions towards inclusive education, and their situation towards in-class practices were determined. A total of a hundred thirty three pre-service teachers participated in the research voluntarily. The study was designed according to the parallel mixed methods research in which both quantitative and qualitative data (QUAN + QUAL) were used together. As data collection tools, “Attitude Scale towards Inclusive Education”, “Self-Efficacy Scale for Inclusive Education” and “In-class Practice Scale for Inclusive Education” were used. In addition, during the collection of qualitative data, teacher candidates were asked to complete the statement, “In my opinion, inclusive education is like…. because….” To determine their metaphorical perceptions. When the results of the study were examined, teacher candidates, it was determined that the perceptions of self-efficacy towards inclusive education and the concern for personal equipment differ in terms of various variables. In addition, the participants chose the positive metaphors that they produced for inclusive education. Among these metaphors, respect for differences, acceptance of diversity is expressed as coexistence due to the structure of inclusive education that unites society.

Ortaokul Düzeyindeki Öğrencilerin Pandemi Sürecindeki Uzaktan Eğitim ile İlgili Algılarının Metaforlar Yoluyla Belirlenmesi

This study aims to determine the perceptions of secondary school students for the concept of distance education in the pandemic process through metaphors. The case study design has been applied in this qualitative study. The study group was formed by the 322 students attending five different schools’ 5th-8th graders in Hatay in the 2020-2021 academic year. The study group of the research was selected using the purposive sampling method. The data was collected using a metaphorical perception sentence prepared for the gap-filling method. Each student was asked to produce a metaphor and to complete the statement “Distance Education is like . . . because . . .” to draw an analogy. The data was analyzed using the content analysis technique. According to data analysis, it was found that 300 valid metaphors were developed. Metaphors were classified into 3 groups such as “positive”, “negative”, “neutral”. Of the students in the study, 49.00% produced negative, 44.33% positive, and 6.67% neutral metaphors. The most dominant metaphors were given respectively “Stranger” (f=14), “School” (f=13), “Best friend” (f=9), “Parents’ meeting” (f=7). According to negative metaphors, distance education is not effective and does not provide permanent learning. According to positive metaphors, distance education is a new teaching system that meets our needs using technology during the pandemic period. According to neutral metaphors, distance education is a mandatory stage of education in the pandemic process. The Ministry of National Education should invest in developing a flexible education system that supports electronic and distance learning for the future of the education system. Consequently, improvements can be made in distance education practices by considering students' perceptions. It is believed that this study will shed light on distance education studies in the future.

Theatre production: a positive metaphor for dementia care-giving

AbstractLanguage can shape and reinforce attitudes and stereotypes about living with dementia. This can happen through use of metaphors. However, common metaphors may not capture the complexity of experience of dementia from the perspective of the individual person or a family carer. This paper presents an alternative metaphor – that of a theatre production – based on the strategies used by carers to support people with dementia to live well in the community. We conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 12 family members caring for someone with dementia in the community in Queensland, Australia. Our aim was to explore the strategies these carers used to provide support. Interview recordings were fully transcribed and thematically analysed. We identified positive care-giving strategies that described multiple roles that carers fulfilled as they felt increasingly responsible for day-to-day decision making. Family carers explained how they supported the person with dementia to remain a central character in their life and continued to support the person to be themselves. To achieve this, family carers embodied roles that we identified as similar to roles in a theatre production: director, stage manager, supporting cast, scriptwriter, and costume designer and wardrobe manager. Our metaphor of a theatre production offers a fresh perspective to explore the experience of informal care-giving in the context of dementia.

Relationship between the Metaphor Perception and School Climate on the Profession of Nursing Students

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the school climate on nursing seniorstudents on the perception of metaphor for nursing.&#x0D; Method: Sample of the study was formedwith volunteer students (n = 130) to participate in the study on the date of the data collection.In the evaluation of quantitative data, frequency, percentage, mean, independent sample t-test,and in the evaluation of qualitative data content analysis methods were used. The categories inwhich including the positive and negative metaphors in the study are constructed in five differentways (vital, object, struggle, abstraction, productivity). The primary metaphors are being beenthe mother, the angel, the medicine and the robot.When the metaphors were examined, a vitalexpression of vast majority has been seen as the nursing perception.&#x0D; Result: When the students’metaphor perceptions were compared with school climate scores, it was found that there was asignificant relationship between them (t=2.259, p=.026). Metaphors have provided an indicationof the produced individual perception on the nursing profession.&#x0D; Conclusion:Metaphors can beused as a powerful research tool to reveal to what extent students’ school climate influencesthese metaphors.&#x0D; Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(1) 2021 p.107-114

Chinese saviour? Narrative images of foreign countries in selected speeches of Czech politicians during the first wave of the coronavirus crisis

This paper deals with the foreign policy narratives of selected actors of Czech foreign policy. It focuses on narratives about all foreign countries mentioned by the examined actors during the initial phase of the problems related to COVID-19 in the Czech Republic (March 2020). The politicians (members of the government and the President) indicated their foreign policy ideas in specific narratives. The aim of the paper is to corroborate the thesis that in a crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, selected politicians used foreign policy narratives to communicate their foreign policy ideas. It seeks to contribute to the understanding of the role played by narratives in the formation of foreign policy ties, of the actual content of those narratives, and of the ways their meaning is constructed. Narrative analysis of metaphors is the paper’s research method. The paper finds that the politicians’ narratives focused on the People’s Republic of China in particular. Using a narrative set in the “backdrop” of a global pandemic, they highlighted positive metaphors about China’s role and character while setting back any criticism. Other countries of the world were not in the narrative focus, they were only metaphorically framed to a lesser extent and in various meanings. The politicians, therefore, used the crisis to articulate a foreign policy leaning towards China. The given narrative was, in a sense, a part of the foreign policy of the Czech Republic because it contributed to its discursive dimension.

OKUL ÖNCESİ ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ SORUNA İLİŞKİN ALGILARI VE YÖNELİMLERİ

Bu araştırmanın amacı, okul öncesi öğretmen adaylarının soruna (probleme) yönelik algılarının ve yönelimlerinin incelenmesidir. Araştırmaya okul öncesi öğretmenliği bölümünde farklı sınıflarda okuyan 224 öğretmen adayı katılmıştır. Araştırmada karma yöntem kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın deseni yakınsayan paralel desendir. Veri toplama araçları, nitel veriler için yazılı dokümanlardan ve nicel veriler için Sorun Yönelimi ölçeğinden oluşmaktadır. Yazılı dokümanlarda “Günlük yaşamda problemler…….gibidir. Çünkü……………..” ifadesini öğretmen adaylarından tamamlamaları istenmiştir. Araştırmada nitel veriler içerik analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Nitel veriler “Sosyal Problem Çözme Modeli” çerçevesinde pozitif ve negatif yönelime dayalı temalarla oluşturulmuştur. Bu temaların frekansları alınmıştır. Nicel verilerin analizinde pozitif ve negatif yönelime dayalı metaforlar üreten öğretmen adaylarının sorun yönelimi ölçeğinden aldıkları puanların ortalamaları alınmış ve puanlar arasında istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı bir farklılık olup olmadığı değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına bakıldığında, pozitif yönelime dayalı metaforların sayısı negatif yönelime dayalı olanlardan daha fazladır. Pozitif yönelimine dayalı metafor üreten öğretmen adaylarının sorun yönelimi puanları negatif yönelime dayalı metafor üreten öğretmen adaylarından daha yüksektir. Pozitif yönelime dayalı metaforlar üreten öğretmen adaylarının puanları negatif yönelime yönelik metaforlar üreten öğretmen adaylarından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede farklıdır.

Metaphor Analysis as a Window into How Japanese Entry-level Medical Students Conceptualize Their Future Profession as Physicians

Metaphor analysis is a useful tool for uncovering tacit assumptions and beliefs. In education, metaphor analysis of students' attitudes and motivations can provide useful insights for educational discourse and curriculum development. The current metaphor analysis of Japanese entry-level medical students' conceptualizations of their future profession of physician was conducted to determine what insights might be derived therefrom for medical educational discourse and curriculum development. For the analysis, the students filled in the blanks of a metaphorical statement, A physician is like _____ because _____, and the metaphors thus collected were coded using content analysis procedures. Ninety-one metaphorical statements were included for analysis. Two generic-level conceptual metaphors were identified: the physician as deeply caring figure (49/91, 53.8%), in which metaphors relating to family members were predominant (25/49, 51.0%), and the physician as specially able and skillful figure, in which just over half of the metaphors related to a super being (22/42, 52.3%). The predominantly positive metaphors elicited by this study reflect high levels of idealism in this group of students about to embark on their medical studies. However, the high number of metaphors relating the physician to a super being emphasizes the need for space in the medical curriculum devoted to discussion of the realities of uncertainty and fallibility in medical care. Extrapolating more broadly, metaphor analysis may be used in other areas of the medical profession, such as for exploring values and beliefs about medical practice and for comparing cross-cultural perspectives in medical teams composed of members from different countries.

Exploring the meaning of night shift placement in nursing education: A European multicentre qualitative study

BackgroundAn appropriate clinical learning environment has been identified as pivotal in nursing undergraduate education and should be planned responsibly. Specifically, night shifts placements have been documented as an important opportunity for developing a full understanding of the nursing profession and the whole process of nursing care. However, night shifts during placement have been reported to be stressful and anxiety-provoking, so their usefulness for nursing students is still debated. ObjectivesTo elicit nursing students’ perceptions of night shift placement through metaphors, with the aim of discussing the pedagogical and ethical implications. DesignA descriptive qualitative study was performed based on metaphors collected in an international cross-sectional study in 2016. SettingsA network comprising five Bachelor of Nursing Science degrees located in the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia was established. MethodsA total of 907 out of 1347 eligible nursing students from the five European countries described their learning experience on night shifts using a metaphor. ResultsOverall, 288/907 (31.7%) metaphors emerged as being negative-oriented and 137/907 (15.1%) as positive, while the remaining students (482; 53.2%) did not report any metaphors. In all five countries, negative metaphors prevailed: ‘Wasting time’ (37/288), ‘Useless’ (32/288) and ‘Handyman’ (22/288) were the most negative reported metaphors on working a night shift. However, doing a night shift is also perceived as a ‘Learning opportunity’ (22/137), a ‘New experience’ (20/137) and an ‘Opportunity to socialize with the profession’ (14/137) as underlined by the positive metaphors. ConclusionsStudents perceive night shift placements mainly as a negative experience, which has little to do with education. While planning night shift placements, nursing educators should responsibly consider the whole process of education, analysing not only the learning outcomes that should be achieved but also the position of students and their experience as a person. Clinical mentoring can be a key resource in supporting students in transforming their night shift placements’ experiences into a more meaningful or worthwhile experience. Moreover, night shifts should be offered to more experienced students, independent in their self-learning processes and capable of managing the limited possibility of interacting with other team members and patients.

Providing Psychological and Emotional Support After Perinatal Loss: Protocol for a Virtual Reality-Based Intervention.

The loss of an infant during the perinatal period has been recognized as a complex and potentially traumatic life event and can have a significant impact on women’s mental health. However, often times, psychological aftercare is typically not offered, and manualized interventions are rarely used in clinical care practice and have seldom been evaluated. In recent years, a growing number of studies have demonstrated the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) interventions to facilitate the expression and coping with emotions linked to a traumatic event. The objective of the proposed paper is to present the protocol of a randomized control trial aimed to assess a novel VR-based intervention for mothers who experienced a perinatal loss. We hypothesize that the VR-based intervention group will show significantly reduced symptoms related to grief, postnatal depression and general psychopathology after treatment relative to a treatment-as-usual (TAU) group. Participants would be randomly assigned to the TAU + VR or to the VR + TAU condition. The TAU condition as well as the VR-based intervention will last 3 weeks, after which women will complete a post-assessment. The proposed VR-based intervention will consist in three weekly sessions focused, respectively on: (1) collect information about the loss and psychoeducation about perinatal grief, and introduction to the virtual environment; (2) through the use of the virtual environment, women will be assisted in the elaboration and acceptation of loss; (3) recreate, using the specific features of the virtual environment a positive metaphor representing woman’s future life. VR has proved to be a valid intervention tool in clinical psychology, and in the last years VR technologies have become more affordable to be used in clinical practice. With the present study we propose to answer to the unquestionable need for interventions addressed to ameliorate the emotional effects in women who experienced perinatal loss, by exploiting also the therapeutic opportunities offered by a new technology as VR.

Prospective Teachers’ Metaphors as a Lens to Understand How They Perceive ‘Web 2.0’

Abstract Technology should be used in teaching and learning in universities. It is seen that studies on the use of Web 2.0 tools in education faculties are limited. Teachers who will integrate information and communication technologies into education at schools must first of all have prerequisite knowledge and skills on this subject. However, the effective use of technological tools in learning environments also depends on teachers’ perspectives on technology. This study aimed to determine the perceptions of pre-service teachers towards Web 2.0 applications through metaphors. The authors of the study effectively used web 2.0 tools during the semester in Educational Sociology, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity, and Integration in Special Education courses. In the study, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research approaches, was used, and semi-structured interview form was used to collect the data. Participants of the study consisted of 123 pre-service teachers who took this course. In light of the findings, it was observed that the majority of the participants (98%) used positive metaphors about Web 2.0 applications, and 2% used negative metaphors. Metaphors were then classified into 7 categories and tables were created. Categories ‘Web 2.0 as a source and producer of information,’ ‘Web 2.0 as a measurement and evaluation tool,’ ‘Web 2.0 as an Innovation and Development Platform,’ ‘Web 2.0 as a social / fun environment,’ ‘Web as a helpful and supportive platform 2.0, ‘Web 2.0’ and ‘other’ as a stimulating and relaxing platform. The abstract is to be in fully-justified text. Use the word ‘Abstract’ as the title, in 11-point Times, bold, initially capitalized. The abstract is to be in 10-point, single-spaced type, and up to 200 words in length.

The Effect of a Textbook Preparation Process Supported by Instructional Technology Tools on the TPACK Self-Confidence levels of Prospective Social Studies Teachers

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of a textbook preparation process supported by instructional technology tools on the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) self-confidence level of prospective Social Studies teachers'. The research was carried out using a sequential descriptive design with a mixed method design. Quantitative data were collected before and after the implementation process and the qualitative data were collected after the implementation process. Quantitative data were collected by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Self-Confidence Scale; and qualitative data were collected by a metaphor form and a BLOB tree evaluation form. Quantitative data were analyzed by a Paired Samples t-test and qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. A total of 53 prospective Social Studies teachers, from a public university in Turkey, participated in the research. The results of the analyses showed there were statistically significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores in the levels of TPACK self confidence amongst prospective Social Studies teachers. The self-confidence scores were in favor of the post-test. Furthermore, while prospective teachers have created negative metaphors about their TPACK self-confidence before the implementation process, they created more positive metaphors after the implementation process. According to the results of the BLOB tree self-assessment, it was revealed that the TPACK self-confidence levels increased amongst the prospective Social Studies teacher participant group.