Post Interviews Research Articles

Nephrology providers' perspective and use of mortality prognostic tools in dialysis patients.

Mortality prognostic tools exist to aid in shared decision making with kidney failure patients but are underutilized. This study aimed to elucidate nephrology providers' practice patterns and understand barriers to prognostic tool use. Nephrology providers (8 physicians and 2 nurse practitioners) at an academic medical center underwent semi-structured interviews regarding their experience and perspective on the utility of mortality prognostic tools. Common themes were identified independently by 2 reviewers using grounded theory. Three six-month mortality prognostic tools were applied to the 279 prevalent dialysis patients that the interviewed providers care for. The C statistic was calculated for each tool via logistic regression and subsequent ROC analysis. Nephrology providers reviewed the performance of the prognostication tools in their own patient population. A post interview reassessed perspectives and any change in attitudes regarding the tools. Nephrology providers did not use these mortality prognostic tools in their practice. Key barriers identified were provider concern that the tools were not generalizable to their patients, providers' trust in their own clinical judgement over that of a prognostic tool, time constraints, and lack of knowledge about the data behind these tools. When re-interviewed with the results of the three prognostic tools in their patients, providers thought the tools performed as expected, but still did not intend to use the tools in their practice. They reported that these tools are good for populations, but not individual patients. The providers preferred to use clinical gestalt for prognostication. Although several well validated prognostic tools are available for predicting mortality, the nephrology providers studied do not use them in routine practice, even after an educational intervention. Other approaches should be explored to help incorporate prognostication in shared-decision-making for patients receiving dialysis.

Second Look Opportunity for Radiation Oncology Medical Residency During Virtual Interview Season

PurposeDespite easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions and social distancing, medical radiation oncology (RO) residency interviews for the 2023 Match remained exclusively virtual. Virtual interviews can be limited in providing program atmosphere, resident camaraderie, and city culture. Our institution offered a voluntary in-person second look (SL) to address these concerns and supplement the virtual interview. Methods and MaterialA voluntary in-person SL across 3 dates was offered to all applicants who successfully interviewed with the RO department for the 2023 Match (n=54). Attendees of the SLs (n=38) were invited to complete a voluntary 10-question anonymous survey after Match Day regarding their perspectives on this opportunity including motivations for attending, financial burden, and perceived benefits of SLs. Results38 individuals (70%) attended one of the departmental SLs with 19 participants (50%) completing the survey. 16 out of 19 (84%) participants traveled >200 miles to attend. All surveyed applicants were grateful for the in-person SL opportunity and agreed such opportunities should continually be offered with exclusively virtual residency interviews. All participants reported that their decision to attend the SL was affected by departmental financial support. Two applicants felt pressured to attend the SL to remain competitive to the program. Majority of applicants agreed that they achieved a better “feel” for the program culture and the larger institution, resident camaraderie, and the surrounding city from this in-person SL encounter, compared to virtual interview alone (18, 94%). ConclusionThese in-person second look opportunities were well-attended, well-received, and offered insights and experiences to RO resident applicants in the setting of exclusively virtual interviews. The cost of attendance may be a limiting factor when applicants are deciding to attend in-person SLs. Caution is needed to ensure applicants do not feel obligated to attend and SLs are not used as a platform for inappropriate post interview communication.

Say Something, Do Something: Evaluating a Forum Theater Production to Activate Youth Violence Prevention Strategies in Schools.

Youth violence that takes place within school settings exposes youth to serious social, mental and physical consequences that affect education performance, and life opportunities. Previous work shows positive youth development frameworks can promote social-emotional learning by enhancing empathy and building problem-solving and conflict management skills. Theater-based interventions have been shown to enhance social emotional development by privileging youth voices, and building youth capacities and strengths. The current manuscript presents the evaluation of an arts-based and public health framework conducted to assess the development, implementation and impact of a forum theater production, Say Something, Do Something (SSDS) in St. Louis, Missouri. An iterative mixed methods approach was used, starting with observations of productions. Using convenience sampling, we then conducted post interviews of the theater team (n = 8) and school personnel (n = 10). Respondents highlighted that as a result of engagement of school personnel in program development, the language and scenarios presented were relevant to students. Data indicated that SSDS increased student knowledge and changed attitudes, developed student conflict management and problem-solving skills, and improved interpersonal behavior. SSDS also raised awareness of the importance of, and created the foundation for, additional system and policy changes in the schools. Forum theater is an approach that can enhance socio-emotional learning and conflict management among youth. Collaborative initiatives between public health and the arts are poised to uniquely engage community partners, animate interventions, and impact critical public health issues including youth violence prevention.

An Investigation of Teachers’ Knowledge of Read Alouds

The purpose of this investigation was to explore how teachers’ knowledge of read alouds might be shaped by opportunities to explore the crafting of picturebooks and the nature of collaborative meaning-making. Participants were enrolled in a graduate children’s literature course across one academic semester. Data included pre and post interviews as well as a reflective essay and a mini-research project. The authors found that although nearly all participants gained new knowledge about the crafting of picturebooks, only those with opportunities to apply what they were learning with children in classroom settings experienced a change in their thinking about the purpose and procedures for engaging students in read alouds.

What are the experiences of team members involved in root cause analysis? A qualitative study

BackgroundConducting root cause analysis (RCA) is complex and challenging. The aim of this study was to better understand the experiences of RCA team members and how they value their involvement in the RCA to inform future recruitment, conduct and implementation of RCA findings into clinical practice.MethodsThe study was set in a health network in Adelaide, South Australia. A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach was undertaken to provide an in-depth understanding of team member’s experience in participating in an RCA. Eight of 27 RCA team members who conducted RCAs in the preceding 3-year period were included in one of three semi-structured focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to synthesise the transcribed data into themes.ResultsWe derived four major themes: Experiences and perceptions of the RCA team, Limitations of RCA recommendations, Facilitators and barriers to conducting an RCA, and Supporting colleagues involved in the adverse event. Participants’ mixed experience of RCAs ranged from enjoyment and the perception of worth and value to concerns about workload and lack of impact. Legislative privilege protecting RCAs from disclosure was both a facilitator and a barrier. Concern and a desire to better support their colleagues was widely reported.ConclusionsClinicians perceived value in reviewing significant adverse events. Improvements can be made in sharing learnings to make effective improvements in health care. We have proposed a process to better support interviewees and strengthen post interview follow up.

A practical look at the concept of freedom with a philosophy approach for children in early childhood

Both social studies and preschool programs mention freedom as a value. However, in typical social studies curricula, the philosophical perspective is not included and no discussion takes place. In the preschool curriculum, freedom is an abstract concept, and the belief that children cannot understand abstract concepts prevails, while value studies are still limited to determining the frequency of values rather than interrogating them. As such, this study aims to explore young children's views on the concept of freedom, how these views changed after their participation in a philosophically oriented activity, and how, consequently, the concept of freedom might be addressed in social studies on a philosophical level. The researchers used an applied qualitative study design, in which 19 children (14 boys, 5 girls) aged 5-6 years were interviewed before and after the presentation of the well-known folk tale “Rapunzel,” along with the question, “… am I free?” An exercise taken from the Philosophy for Children curriculum, "Freedom is similar to…, because…” was used in both pre and post interviews. The study used semi-structured interviews and document analysis as data collection instruments. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and content analysis. As a result of the study, it was found that before the activity, children tended to discuss the meaning of freedom in the context of its limits (e.g. permission, prohibition, rules), and, following the activity, in the context of positive freedoms (e.g. growth, being independent).

422 Utilizing Situational Judgment Test in Neurosurgery Residency Online Interviews

INTRODUCTION: Neurosurgery residency selection is heavily reliant on pre-residency factors and unstructured interviews. These metrics, however, have not been shown to reliably predict residency performance, and have potential to introduce bias and discrimination. Outside of medicine, the science of selection is much better developed, and methods such as structured interviews, situational judgment tests (SJT), and personality assessments are routinely used with robust evidence for efficacy and reliability at predicting job performance. METHODS: We designed a set of 4 SJT questions mimicking common situations a neurosurgery resident would encounter during residency. Each question had individualized grading rubrics scored on a scale of 1 to 4. For the 2021 residency application cycle, our program incorporated these SJT questions as part of the online interview process. Four volunteer faculty interview pairs delivered one question each for every candidate, and recorded the scores. Other traditional evaluation metrics from the candidate’s application and interview were also collected post interview. RESULTS: All 44 interview candidates applying to our program during the 2021 cycle were assessed. Due to time constraints, the number of questions each candidate responded to varied from 2 to 3. The average score was 3.6 (SD 0.44, range 2-4). The SJT score was not associated with USMLE Step 1 score (p = 0.31), number of publications (p = 0.42), or letter of recommendation score (p = 0.21). The SJT scores had a moderate positive correlation with personality on interview (r = 0.42, p < 0.01), and overall interview score (r = 0.30, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to incorporate SJT questions into the neurosurgery resident online interview process. They may provide objective metrics independent of academic and research abilities. Further investigations with long term follow up is needed to see if SJT can be validated and correlated with residency performance.

FREEDOM IN PRISON: THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF PSIT (PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL INTEGRATIVE THERAPY) ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE

The department of counseling services at Kerobokan Prison, Bali, Indonesia reported to the researcher of this study that some of their inmates experienced psychological complaints which were impacting their physical health. The researcher conducted this study with the aim of providing a means of relief for the inmates, as well as to examine the impact of a Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy (PSIT) as an intervention. A qualitative research method was used with a multiple case study approach with a thematic analysis to determine the influence of the intervention on the participants’ sense of life aspiration and psychological well-being. Fifteen male prisoners, who were serving 10 or more years for drug related offenses, completed the PSIT and participated in a post interview. The researcher found 5 main themes related to the participants’ experiences over the course of the intervention, which were regret, forgiveness, acceptance, belief, and affirmation. The participant reports indicate the beginning of a transformative change in perspective which may be beneficial for creating a new life for themselves upon their release from prison. Further research is necessary to assess long-term changes in the participants’ perspectives, and how they have integrated their awareness for their return to society. The findings of this research may be included into a residential health services module for the counseling services department at Kerobokan Prison, as well they may be influential in further public health research

Attention and target shooting practice: Longitudinal results in a controlled mixed method study on adolescents in Norway

Impaired attention is a burden for many students in educational settings. This study examined effects of target shooting practice in weekly sessions for 7 months in 12 students with attention problems. The design included objective tests giving quantitative pre- and post-data, as well as qualitative data from individual post interviews. Intervention students increased their ability to: register and immediately recall information; screen out distracting stimuli; and maintain attention on tasks. Qualitative findings supported the test results. Mixed factorial ANOVA tests showed no statistically significant improvements in 10 control students. Discussions are guided by the Mirsky model of attention and highlight neurofeedback and individual support. The findings suggest that the sequential order in target shooting may fit students with poor attention.

Finally in the spotlight: How contemporary learning theory is saving education online during COVID

A surge of literature documenting myriad challenges being faced online during the COVID pandemic strongly suggests that e-learning scholarship has fallen short of conveying an understanding of how to build highly effective e-learning spaces. Recent stories from practitioners abound with reports of absenteeism, cameras and microphones turned off, inaction in forums and a general reticence on the part of learners to engage online. Where have we missed the mark in our efforts to have contemporary e-learning theory affect online practice? Scholarship is indicating that the root of the disconnect often lies in the conventional instructional designs being used in these spaces and the teaching, learning and assessment practices they support. In response to such issues, we conducted a qualitative action research initiative to apply an instructional design (ID) model, based on contemporary learning theories and goals, in a teacher education program in Chile. The study took place in 2020 over 2 academic semesters. In this study, we focussed on the impact of these changes on a small group of first-year Pre-service Teachers (PSTs, n=17), experiencing online learning for the first time. Pre and post interviews, an open-ended questionnaire, field notes from self-assessment portfolios and observations of the digital environment were used to collect data. We also draw on two other data sources in the same context: 1) an earlier report of this initiative that focussed on the Teacher Educators (TEs) in the same program (n=4), and 2) survey data collected in a preparatory stage of the action research on the experiences of the greater university student body (n=1,054). Evidence revealed that initially learners’ epistemological views were heavily influenced by the teacher-centric and content-driven pedagogies of earlier schooling. Yet, results also showed that the contemporary learning design framework had positive implications for many students’ social, cognitive, and metacognitive competencies. Clear signs of more active investment in social interactive learning online on the part of the PSTs and of flexible, self-directed behaviours were evidenced. The results of this study provide an empirically based practical solution for connecting current learning theory to practice in online contexts, solutions that could endure even once the challenges of the pandemic crisis are behind us.

Matematik Öğretmeni Adaylarının Matematiksel Modelleme Döngüsü Üzerindeki Davranışlarının İncelenmesi

The aim of the study is to determine the behavior on individual modeling cycle of pre-service teachers who participate in mathematical modeling learning environment and who do not. An action research method was employed in the study. The research participants consisted of 32 pre-service mathematics teachers, 17 of whom attended the learning environment while the rest did not. Two mathematical modeling tasks were used in the pre and post interview. In pre interviews, pre-service teachers were interviewed individually, and the modelling routes of the pre-service teachers were closely monitored. At the end of the 11-week action plan, the post interview was made individually with the pre-service teachers. The recorded dialogues were analyzed during modeling cycles. It was determined that all pre-service teachers had a nonlinear cycle in the pre and post interviews. Pre-service teachers experienced in modeling repeated many steps back and forth. It was determined that they tried to revise the model when they reached a conclusion, so they had more complex modeling cycles. In addition, they mostly act in the world of mathematics. Pre-service teachers who are not experienced in modeling made a direct transition to real results without creating a mathematical model. It has been found that their areas of action are generally in the real world and they move less in the modeling cycle.

Project based Engineering Graphics Instruction in a Content and Language Integrated Flipped Classroom

Objectives: To enhance the first-year engineering students’ conceptual understanding of Basic Engineering Graphics. Methods: The mixed research was observational and unpaired; it was done during January 2020, as an interdisciplinary collaborative project between the departments of English and Mechanical Engineering. It involved two English language teachers, two mechanical engineering teachers, and seventy-first year B.Tech students of Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute, Chennai. A pilot survey helped teachers understand students’ difficulties in learning Engineering Graphics; so different approaches like the bilingual, content and language integrated learning and the project-based content instruction with videos and Flipped learning through mobile assistance were introduced. Students watched videos on isometric projections and drawings in their mobile phones. They checked their understanding of them with the text book reading in peer company. The classrooms were utilised for peer discussions and teachers’ clarifications. Findings: The project as a group activity offered scope for peer interaction that the students were cognitively stimulated for better understanding of isometric projections. A post evaluation of the drawings, presentation by the students and a post interview found the bilingual and Content and Language Integrated Learning approach has stimulated the cognition of the net-generation learners while exploiting their interest in the mobile phones through flipped classroom. The process of learning exemplified the principle of cooperative learning among students and the cooperative work of teachers of different disciplines (i.e.) subject and language teachers. Novelty/Applications: Teaching engineering graphics with the assistance of language teachers and in a flipped classroom was a novel approach. Keywords: Engineering graphics; isometric projections; content and language integrated learning; Flipped learning

The Feasibility of Taekwondo for Addressing Social Interaction and Social Participation in Children

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience physical, social, and emotional barriers that impact participation in extracurricular activities, such as taekwondo. Engaging in taekwondo may provide opportunities for advancing social abilities as well as developing health-promoting behaviors and routines. Therefore, the purpose of this feasibility study was to explore the effectiveness of using a form of martial arts, taekwondo, as an intervention to promote social participation in everyday life. Method: A mixed-methods design was used. Three children between 7 and 8 years of age who met the ASD criteria participated in a 7-week taekwondo program. The children engaged in interviews before and after the program. The parents completed the Autism Social Skills Profile-2 (ASSP-2) and completed pre and post interviews. Results: Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: social interactions, physical abilities, community barriers and supports, and intervention feasibility. Overall, the qualitative data highlighted the children’s increased confidence with social interaction, interests in exploring activities, and program satisfaction. Although not statistically significant, the ASSP-2 scores increased for each child after participation in the program. Conclusion: This study suggests that taekwondo may promote self-confidence in social and physical abilities, leisure exploration, and participation in children with social interaction skills deficits.

Listening and Speaking for Real-World Communication: What Teachers Do and What Students Learn From Classroom Assessments

Even though standardized international communication tests have been frequently studied, very little research has explored how teachers planned listening and speaking classroom assessments or which classroom-based tests were more beneficial for teaching real-world English communication. A qualitative inquiry was undertaken to investigate these assessment issues among five English as foreign language teachers and 24 of their students through the collection and analysis of classroom observation and post assessment interview data. While teachers tended to draw on textbook listening and speaking activities to assess those skills, how they graded students focused heavily on the students’ communicative competence as listeners and speakers of English rather than on their ability to answer comprehension questions correctly in the classroom assessments. Students identified a mismatch between classroom instruction and assessments and also a mismatch between the English used in assessments and the English used in real-world communication.

Developing Engagement Competence for Public Child Welfare: Results of an Inter-University Simulation Project

Strong clinical competence is required for the successful engagement of clients in public child welfare. Successful engagement is associated with increasing positive outcomes for families. Three universities partnered to implement a simulation based learning (SBL) project to better prepare Title IV-E students in engagement competence when working with clients in public child welfare. Over three years, 70 students participated in a two scenario Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) interviewing an adolescent and her mother regarding an allegation of abuse with post interview reflection and feedback. The project was assessed using standardized rating tools and post interview reflection responses. Students consistently performed better with the adolescent than with the mother who presented with more resistance. Performance improved when completing the OSCE twice during an academic year and when specific learning modules were added. Student management of emotional regulation, interviewing challenges, and inconsistent awareness of diversity emerged as themes from student responses. Findings suggest transfer of learning from classroom to practice situations continues to be challenging. SBL can provide an important bridge by creating practice scenarios that challenge student emotional regulation, interviewing skills, and application of culturally responsive practice in a safe and controlled environment while providing rich opportunities for student learning and development. Increased collaboration between the academy and field internship sites are needed to maximize the potential of the SBL experience.

Enhancing student resilience by targeting staff resilience, attitudes and practices

ABSTRACT Resilience is a much-needed capability for both university staff and students in this volatile time. However, conceptualisations of resilience vary widely, with many viewing this as a fixed attribute each individual either has or doesn’t have, and the impact of context on resilience is often neglected. This research explores the outcomes of a staff leadership program focused on participants’ conceptualisation of resilience and how they can influence student resilience through curricula and/or co-curricula innovation. The program, informed by social cognition and political leadership theory, was delivered to 58 staff from a range of disciplines across three Australian universities. Several program attendees participated in a pre (N = 13) and/or post (N = 10) interview that examined their understanding of resilience and self-identified changes in their teaching practice in relation to resilience. The importance of the social cognition process of sensemaking (establishing a shared, contemporary view of resilience as a dynamic process through an ecological lens) appeared critical. The program’s political leadership strategies promoted changes to participants’ teaching practices.

The role of the argumentation-based laboratory on the development of pre-service chemistry teachers’ argumentation skills

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of pre-service chemistry teachers’ (PCTs’) argumentation skills in a laboratory course throughout a semester. A case study design was utilised. A total of six PCTs participated in the study. To investigate the development of PCTs’ argumentation skills, the laboratory reports that were in the form of science writing heuristic and pre and post semi-structured interviews were employed. Results showed that PCTs’ argumentation skills developed over time as they started to generate more powerful arguments which also included deeper conceptual knowledge during the argumentation-based laboratory. The other result of the study revealed that PCTs become successful in explaining chemistry concepts at the sub-microscopic level throughout the course.

Beyond the Interview Guide: Experiences of Practically and Mindfully Implementing Interview Guidelines When Conducting Research With Children and Adolescents With Chronic Conditions and Their Siblings

Children and adolescents who live with chronic conditions are rarely participants in research specifically focused on meeting their needs, nor in intervention planning research. There are, however, special considerations required when conducting research with children and adolescents. This article offers Interview Guidelines designed to ensure children and adolescents’ control of and comfort with interviewing and to maximize the caliber of ethically co-constructed data. We developed, tested, and revised these guidelines with 80 children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years: 27 with complex Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) (5–17 years) and 13 with Early Onset Scoliosis (5–12 years) and 28 siblings (7–17 years). The guidelines were further tested with 12 adolescents with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (10–16 years) and 10 children and adolescents with CCHD (8–12 years). The children and adolescents recounted stories about their everyday life and activities through digitally recorded face-to-face interviews that were transcribed. Detailed field notes were recorded before and after the interview. Our Interview Guidelines address ethics, informed assent and consent, pre-interview planning, establishing trust, and engaging children and adolescents in research. Special attention is given to involving parents in pre-interview planning and disclosing sensitive information post interview. Involving children and adolescents as research participants to gain information from them, not only about them, will assist those in planning appropriate intervention research to meet the needs of children and adolescents living with chronic conditions and their siblings.

Co-constructing Writing Rubrics to Enhance Students’ Autonomy and Collaboration

Many L2 learners show low motivation when it comes to writing. The intervention of this study focuses on the idea of engaging L2 students and their teacher in co-constructing writing rubrics to help them develop a better understanding and awareness of the writing criteria in order to enhance autonomy and collaboration and gain ownership and responsibility for developing their writing skills. This study aimed to investigate the impact of co-constructed rubrics on L2 learners’ writing skills and their perceptions towards writing; it also examined to what extent co-constructed rubrics can be used as a learning and assessment tool to help teachers generate feedback conducive to learning and competency development in writing.This mixed methods study integrates both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and analysis, including pre and post writing assessments for intervention and comparison groups, classroom observations, pre and post interviews with the teacher and L2 students, and a pre and post questionnaire. Results revealed that the intervention class’s mean average increased significantly in the post writing assessment, while the comparison class’s mean average decreased but with no statistical significance. Moreover, the survey showed that co-constructing the rubrics with the intervention students enhanced their attitudes towards writing. Class observations noted positive changes in the class dynamics and an improvement in the levels of students’ interaction and engagement. Co-constructing rubrics has emphasized the fact that writing is a skill that can be taught effectively and can be a solution for those who claim that ‘writing is a universal problem’.

Feasibility of the Let’s Go Mobility Program for Community Dwelling Adults with Mental Disorders

This pre posttest study explored feasibility of a mobility program for nine community dwelling adults living with mental disorders. Using mixed methodology, outcome measures included phenomenological pre and post semi-structured interviews, surveys and subscales of Impact of Autonomy and Participation Questionnaire (IPAQ). The IPAQ confidence factor showed statistical significance (p = .034). The majority of participants either maintained or increased trip frequency, participation, knowledge of health problems and transportation, and either maintained or decreased isolation. Qualitative post program themes included increased comfort and self-esteem, as well as confidence and awareness. Results indicate feasibility of the program to be used for this population.