Certification Program Research Articles

Policy Implementation Analysis: Examining the Effectiveness of Jambi's Teacher Certification Program

Teacher quality is crucial for improving education outcomes. Indonesia introduced the Teacher Certification Program (Sertifikasi Guru) in 2005 to enhance teacher professionalism. This study investigates the program's effectiveness in Jambi Province by analyzing its impact on teacher competencies, teaching practices, and student learning outcomes. This mixed-methods study involved 300 certified and 300 non-certified teachers in Jambi Province. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and student achievement records, analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression analysis. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews with 30 teachers, 10 school principals, and 5 education officials, and analyzed thematically. Certified teachers exhibited significantly higher pedagogical knowledge, subject matter knowledge, and classroom management skills than non-certified teachers. They were also more likely to employ active learning and student-centered approaches. However, the impact on student learning outcomes was modest. In conclusion, Jambi's Teacher Certification Program successfully improved teacher competencies and teaching practices. However, further efforts are needed to enhance its impact on student learning outcomes. Recommendations include strengthening the program's focus on practical application, providing ongoing professional development, and increasing school-level support for effective teaching.

Enhancing Athletes Anti-doping Education Through Mobile Applications: A Review of Current Strategies and Emerging Technologies

Anti-doping education is crucial for ensuring fairness and integrity in sports. The WADA implemented the ADeL certification program to provide comprehensive antidoping education for athletes. Mobile applications offer a user-friendly and accessible medium for delivering anti-doping education. ADOs employ various strategies to educate athletes, including developing educational materials, conducting workshops, partnering with schools and sports organizations, using technology, targeting high-risk groups, promoting a clean sports culture, and providing support services. Research has shown that anti-doping education is effective in increasing athletes’ knowledge and awareness of doping, and in decreasing doping intentions among adolescent athletes. ADOs are exploring new approaches to anti-doping education such as the use of virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Mobile applications are powerful tools for anti-doping education because they can reach a wider audience, provide personalized learning experiences, and foster clean sports culture. Keywords: anti-doping education, athletes, mobile applications, anti-doping education and learning (ADeL) certification program, WADA, clean sports

Move out of the land: certification and migration in China

Abstract Motivated by the emphasis on securing property rights as an important tool for the efficient allocation of resources, including land and labour, we use three rounds of China Rural Household Panel Survey data to assess the impact of a land certification programme (LCP) on the labour and land allocation in rural China. We find that the LCP results in increased rural–urban migration, more active land rental markets, as well as higher household income and consumption in rural China. These effects vary with age and are larger for younger individuals and households with heads aged 50 years or younger. Improving property rights could be a central task for the Chinese government to tackle issues related to labour and land misallocation.

The barriers and enablers to completing the RPS core advanced pharmacist credentialing programme via the CPPE/RPS pilot programme

Abstract Introduction The RPS and CPPE launched a pilot programme in March 2023 to support 300 pharmacists to evidence their advanced practice via an e-portfolio aligned to the RPS Core Advanced curriculum1 in a 12-week period. Successful pharmacists are credentialed as Advanced Pharmacists. The pilot involved CPPE education supervisors (ESs) support, an online learning platform and small group learning and support. Aim To ascertain barriers and enablers to completing an advanced e-portfolio and to identify how to improve the on-going programme. Methods The invitation to complete the anonymous survey in May 2024 was administered via www.onlinesurveys.ac.uk and developed linking to key performance indicators around education supervision support, to understand why candidates were deferring cohorts and to ascertain additional support accessed by candidates. Ethical approval was not required as study is service evaluation. Candidates who responded included those who successfully submitted their e-portfolio ‘submitted candidates’ n=10, candidates who are resubmitting their portfolio after not passing ‘resubmission candidates’ n=8, pharmacists currently completing their portfolio ‘current candidates’ n=44 and those who started but left without submitting ‘attrition candidates’ n=13. Results All submitted candidates scored ES support as very good/excellent; 60% agreed strongly they would not have submitted their portfolio without this support. Each cohort had two small-group tutorials where candidates accessed peer support and joined WhatsApp groups. Only 38% of resubmission candidates, compared to 80% of portfolio submitted candidates attended both group tutorials. Resubmission candidates were less likely to access additional peer support (38% for resubmission candidates vs 60% for submitted candidates) or to join the cohort WhatsApp group (75% for resubmission candidates vs 90% for submitted candidates). Resubmission candidates rated the remedial SMART action planning support highly. Submitted candidates would have found it easier to complete their portfolio with more comprehensive (60%) and timely responses (70%) from their collaborators. This compares to 55% and 59% of current candidates recognising the same issues. Submitted candidates wanted more allocated time during working hours to support completion of the portfolio (60% rising to 80% for current candidates). There is a notable increase for current candidates wanting a longer period to complete their portfolio (75% compared to 40% of submitted candidates). Half of submitted candidates (50%) reported spending more than 5 hours (average) each week on their portfolio compared to 18% of current candidates. Top reasons for attrition include too busy with work, family responsibilities, personal health challenges and no support from the workplace. Candidates across all groups suggested programme improvement ideas including more evidence examples, making the RPS platform less difficult to navigate and use, and more education supervisor support. Motivating factors for completion include recognition of advanced level working and preparation for the consultant portfolio. Conclusion Enablers include education supervision, CPPE resources/facilitated support events, peer support, WhatsApp groups, recognition and career progression. Key barriers include needing more time and lack of dedicated time at work to complete e-portfolio, lack of timely and comprehensive support from collaborators and finding the RPS e-portfolio platform difficult to navigate. Limitations – low numbers and response rate. Data collection is on-going. Reference 1. Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum, 2022 https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/Credentialing/RPS%20-%20Core%20Advanced%20curriculumFINAL.pdf?ver=8gc3s2aE9t1nZN37CSU7Lw%3d%3d (Accessed 28 May 2024)

Protocol for leading health services innovation: a hybrid type 2 mixed method implementation trial for developing and assessing a codesigned graduate certificate program in health innovation

BackgroundA significant issue with innovative problem-solving in healthcare is an existing deficiency in continuing education for many healthcare professionals, which hinders the successful implementation of inventive solutions and progress in the field. Educators play a crucial role in guiding students to cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary to confront these challenges, including problem solving, collaboration, and the use of rapidly advancing technologies. It is vital to design educational programs that empower and motivate students to develop the proficiency and knowledge they need to be effective problem solvers, collaborators, and cultivators of innovative solutions. This project aims to assess the implementation and effectiveness of a codesigned postgraduate university program for a multidisciplinary health workforce.MethodsThe Leading Health Services Innovation Project is a hybrid type 2 mixed method implementation trial of a codesigned Graduate Certificate in Health Services Innovation. In collaboration with a large tertiary and quaternary health service, we developed a codesign process to guide the project, with time quarantined to create space for two-way learning between health sector partners and healthcare academics. Qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys for primary users will evaluate the implementation strategies. The reach, effectiveness, adoption implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework will guide the evaluation and maintenance of the program.ResultsIntegrating a codesign strategy complemented by a well-structured implementation and evaluation protocol that is a combination of implementation science theoretical frameworks (Knowledge to Action, Evidence-Based Co-design, RE-AIM) may lead to translational competence as a potential outcome.Anticipated outcomesThe application, resourcing and commitment to codesigned tertiary-level learning and qualification will demonstrate the achievement of a contemporary and comprehensive postgraduate university degree program in health innovation management.

Teacher Leadership Development: The Role of Professional Certification Programs

The past few decades have seen a growing interest in teacher leadership development worldwide. However, there is a need for more empirical research to understand how professional certification programs make teachers leaders, what roles teacher leaders play and what challenges they encounter. This study addresses these questions by examining the perceptions of eight professionally certified teachers working at a Government College in Bangladesh. As a qualitative study, participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, and a self-developed semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect the data. Data were then analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that professional certification programs significantly contribute to making teachers as leaders, enhancing their pedagogical, professional, research, and collaborative skills compared to their prior positions. In addition, these professionally certified teacher leaders motivate students for better careers and organize seminars, symposiums, and workshops to improve their achievement, inspire colleagues to pursue higher degrees, exchange innovative teaching approaches with them for their professional development, and work on academic committees and research cells, provide valuable insights for overall college improvement. However, the study found that professionally certified teachers face challenges such as a top-down leadership approach, a lack of collaborative college culture, external political pressure, limited financial incentives for pursuing degrees, and a lack of desirable postings to complete the professional certification programs. In contrast to previous literature, the study did not find a lack of time among the professionally certified teachers to perform leadership roles. This study sheds new light on developing teacher leadership through professional certification programs and providing insights for principals and policymakers on how certified teachers contribute to overall college improvement. Future research should focus on the impact of teacher professional certifications on student achievement, colleagues’ professional development, and overall college improvement from students’, colleagues’ and principals’ perspectives.

Implementation and outcomes of a dementia-friendly training program in five hospitals

Background: Hospitalized patients living with dementia (PLWD) age 65+ generally experience poor outcomes. This study's purpose was to implement dementia-friendly training with staff, track patient outcomes, and implement sustainable system changes.Methods: We conducted a prospective study in five hospitals. The hospitals adopted HealthCare Interactive's CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals Online Training and Certification Program . After on-line modules completion, a didactic session was offered, and a retrospective pre/post survey was completed. Patient falls, length of stay, and readmission rates were collected.Results: 1,836 (41 %) staff completed the training. Positive changes in staff ratings from pre- to post- intervention were observed. Number of falls and readmissions did not change. The average number of stays per patient decreased by .24 (p=0.01). Hospitals made system changes including innovative identification for PLWD.Conclusions: Dementia-friendly hospital training is effective in improving staff recognition of the symptoms and needs of PLWD, and responding appropriately.

Efficacy of the CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals™ Online Training and Certification Program for hospital staff

The main objective of the current study was to ascertain the efficacy of a newly developed online, video-based dementia training and certification program for hospital staff, the CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals™ Online Training and Certification Program. A parallel randomized waitlist control design was utilized. Participants (N = 272) completed online pre-evaluation measures. Forty-five days after completion of CARES® (treatment) or pre-evaluation measures (control), participants completed a post-evaluation online assessment. Analyses of variance found that participants in the treatment condition indicated greater and statistically significant (p < .001) increases in sense of competence, approaches to dementia, and patient care. The results implied that the CARES® Dementia 5-Step Method for Hospitals™ program could serve as a dynamic resource for hospitals nationwide to update training and share experiences, perspectives, and resources. The inherent scalability of the program regarding its acceptability, feasibility, and potential to incorporate seamlessly into routine workflows and staff training suggests high implementation potential.

Pengaruh Program Sertifikasi Halal terhadap Penjualan Produk Umkm Bidang Pangan di Kabupaten Gresik

This study aims to determine the effect of the halal certification program on the sales of MSMEs in the food sector in Gresik Regency. The halal certification program itself is a form of government effort to protect its citizens who are predominantly Muslim from food and drinks that are forbidden by God for consumption by Muslims. The halal certification program is mandatory for MSME actors, especially in the food sector, including in Gresik Regency. The research method uses a quantitative approach. The population in this study were MSME actors in the food sector who had been halal certified in Gresik Regency. While the sample in this study was determined by the slovin method from the population. The problems that are sought to be answered through this study are: a) How is the halal certification program for MSME products in the food sector in Gresik Regency? b) How are the sales of MSME products in the food sector in Gresik Regency? and c) Is there an effect of the halal certification program on the sales of MSME products in the food sector in Gresik Regency? Data were collected through distributing questionnaires using the non-probability sampling technique, purposive technique. The results of the study showed that the halal certification program had an effect on product sales.

The Influence of Graph Theory Approach in Preventing Cheating at Higher Learning Institution: A case of Institute of Accountancy Arusha

Academic dishonesty has been more common in recent years, both through self-reported and detected cases, which has brought significant attention to the issue of cheating in educational settings. Students often cheat for a variety of reasons, including lack of study time, unclear learning objectives, fear of failing, peer pressure, and parental pressure for academic success. Students who rely on plagiarizing answers miss the opportunity to build their skills and may face challenges in job requirements. The problem of cheating / copying the neighbor's works during the examination is particularly well known. With graph theory especially graph coloring, it is proposed to develop the students' sitting arrangement that can be the solution of cheating. An experimental case study focuses on three master's programs, three bachelor's degree programs, three diploma programs, and three certificate programs at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha. This is done when one room or a venue is assigned to two or more programs with different backgrounds depending on the size of the room. The result shows that using graph coloring has reduced the tendency of students to copy or ask questions from their neighbors in the examination room. Based on the assessment of graph theory's effectiveness in preventing cheating at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha, several recommendations can be made. First, the institution should invest in developing a comprehensive data collection system that captures relevant information such as seating arrangements, student interactions, and exam performance patterns. Collaboration with other institutions in implementing similar technologies could also create a shared knowledge base and lead to best practices in academic integrity. Finally, continuous monitoring and evaluation of this system should be conducted to refine its processes and adapt to new cheating technique.

Digital Flexible Ureteroscope: Evaluating Factors Responsible for Damage and Implementing a Mandatory Certification Program for Usage.

Objective: Digital flexible ureteroscopes (DFUs) play a crucial role in endourological procedures, and scope breakages are often avoidable with proper measures in place. We aimed to evaluate the effect of mandatory training on DFU durability and to assess the influence of various factors on instrument damage. Materials and Methods: Mandatory training involving instructional videos on DFU care was introduced for all processing and operating room staff handling DFUs. Only certified personnel were allowed to handle DFUs, with meticulous usage documentation. The average annual usage of each DFU was compared pre and post program implementation. We examined factors such as patient demographics, procedure details, and operator experience impacting scope life using negative binomial regression. Results: The average usage of DFU increased by 21%, from 6.38 to 7.74 cases. We found that post-graduate year stood out as a significant predictive factor (estimate = 3.28, p = 0.04). Moreover, the streamlined model revealed that previous ureteral-stent use (estimate = 0.94, p < 0.001), struvite stones (estimate = 3.08, p = 0.01), and a higher number of stones (estimate = 0.11, p = 0.04) were associated with an increased number of procedures before DFU breakage, whreas in situ lithotripsy in the lower calyx was associated with a reduced number of procedures before DFU breakage (estimate = -1.11, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Implementing a mandatory training program showed an increase in DFU durability by 21%, suggesting a potential reduction in annual repair and replacement costs by the same percentage. Furthermore, outcomes were more favorable when experienced practitioners conducted treatments, especially in cases involving struvite stones.

Empowering Early Career Researchers: The Jackson Heart Study Smith Scholars Program.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center Graduate Training and Education Center houses the Robert E. Smith, MD, Scholars Program, a two-year certificate program that equips predoctoral trainees from five Mississippi universities with advanced research skills in cardiovascular epidemiology. Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the program focuses on addressing health disparities, minority health, and health inequities in underserved communities. Trainees receive mentorship, career coaching, and a $7,500 annual stipend, building a foundation for postdoctoral opportunities and expanding professional networks. The Smith Scholars Program emphasizes population health and provides interdisciplinary training in areas such as biostatistics, scientific communication, and cardiovascular health. It is uniquely positioned to address systemic challenges, particularly in Mississippi, a state with high cardiovascular disease prevalence and limited research funding. The program's regional advantage and its partnership with the Jackson Heart Study offer scholars exposure to health disparities in Black/African American communities, preparing them to contribute to innovative, community-based research. Additionally, it fosters collaborative science, enabling participants to overcome academic barriers and engage with large-scale health equity research efforts. The Smith Scholars Program has been instrumental in shaping the career trajectories of its participants, facilitating their transition to postdoctoral positions and independent research roles.

PO0328: Gynaecological Brachytherapy Credentialing Program: A Proficiency and Ongoing Maintenance-Based Training

PO0328: Gynaecological Brachytherapy Credentialing Program: A Proficiency and Ongoing Maintenance-Based Training

Web-based training and certification of clinical staff during the randomised clinical trial SafeBoosC-III

BackgroundSafeBoosC-III is a pragmatic, multinational clinical trial evaluating cerebral oximetry-guided treatment for extremely preterm infants. In total, 1601 infants were randomised across 70 sites in Asia, Europe, and USA. To enhance data quality and patient care, a web-based training program was implemented for staff. We now report on the processes.MethodsAll training modules consisted of initial learning material followed by a case-based quiz, with elaborate responses to correct as well as to wrong answers. Modules covered trial introduction, cerebral oximetry monitoring, treatment guidelines, cerebral ultrasound, and Good Clinical Practice. The introduction module was accessible in eight languages on an online platform, while language versions varied for other modules, due to different needs. Certification was earned upon module completion, relevant to the staff category. The training was not mandatory, but for motivational purposes, principal investigators continuously received local certification rate reports.ResultsA total of 926 out of 2347 staff (39%) obtained certification. Amongst 295 staff who completed the evaluation, 83% rated the program as overall good and 94% found it relevant to clinical practice. Sites exhibited varying certification rates, with 10 at 0%, 43 between 0.1 and 79.9%, and 17 exceeding 80%. There was no correlation between the rate of certification in individual sites and how often the clinical management was changed due to cerebral hypoxia nor a correlation to site-specific estimates of the intervention effect.ConclusionDespite language barriers and a low budget, our web-based training and certification program proved feasible. Only a minority of sites reached 80% certification of staff and an impact on the trial could not be detected.Trial registrationThe SafeBoosC-III trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03770741. The first participant was randomised in June 2019 and recruitment was completed in December 2021.

Building bridges - Fostering collaborative education in training dental informaticians.

Dental informatics is an emerging discipline. Although the accreditation agency governing dental education programs asserts the importance of informatics as foundational knowledge, no well-defined dental informatics courses currently exist within the standard predoctoral dental curriculum. There is a nationwide lack of dental informatics academic programs. This training gap is due to a lack of qualified dental informaticians to impart knowledge on dental informatics. This paper aims to introduce a novel conceptual framework for an interdisciplinary dental informatics program in preparing students to become dental informaticians. In 2023, we developed a standalone graduate certificate program in dental informatics at Indiana University (IU) School of Dentistry in collaboration with IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and IU Fairbanks School of Public Health. Feedback was collected through online surveys to assess course quality from students who took Introduction to Health Information in Dentistry. Feedback was analyzed qualitatively, utilizing a thematic analysis approach. Common responses relevant to dental informatics education were grouped into themes. Five major themes emerged during our analysis of the students' feedback: foundational knowledge and skills; experiential learning: learning by doing; access to resources and working on clinical information systems; health promotion through team-based learning; and retention of knowledge assessment and application. A conceptual framework was formulated through these themes as a guideline for future program improvement. This interdisciplinary educational program framework showed how students and faculty from various disciplines could collaborate, learn from each other, and bring in expertise from different domains. The collaboration happens in clinical, laboratory, and virtual settings to acquire hands on learning through practice and research projects. The developed conceptual framework aligned with the interdisciplinary nature of dental informatics. It can potentially be adopted by other interdisciplinary informatics programs in health and non-health care disciplines.

Detection and Characterization of Potato Virus Y (PVY) Strains and Mixed Infections in San Luis Valley, Colorado

Potato virus Y (PVY) is a major economic threat to potato production worldwide. Understanding the prevalent PVY strains and their dynamics is crucial for effective management. This study investigated PVY trends and diversity in the San Luis Valley (SLV), CO, U.S.A. We leveraged the Colorado Seed Potato Certification Program data (2017 to 2022), revealing a persistent problem with PVY incidence in certified seed lots that fluctuated between 2.6% (2017) and 6.5% (2022). PVYN-Wi was the dominant strain, with others such as PVYO also detected. A complementary field study (2021 to 2022) investigated PVY prevalence and diversity in 600 samples collected from 30 fields. PVYN-Wi was identified as the main strain, followed by PVYO and PVYNTN. Notably, the incidences of dual and triple infections, along with inconclusive samples, increased in both postharvest and field study samples. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of the inconclusive samples identified from the field study samples determined PVYN-Wi as the predominant strain and identified polymorphisms that may hinder accurate identification by traditional strain typing methods. Beyond PVY, potato virus S (PVS) was the only other major potato-infecting virus detected. HTS revealed diverse nonplant-infecting viruses as well. This study provides valuable insights into the evolving PVY landscape and the complex potato virome in SLV. It highlights the importance of continued surveillance and improved diagnostics to mitigate the impact of viruses on potato production. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Program Evaluation of Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project Using the CSE-UCLA Model

The research aims to evaluate the program of the Pancasila student profile strengthening project in elementary schools in Semarang Regency, Indonesia. This research method used the CSE-UCLA evaluation model with a qualitative approach that included the aspects of program assessment, program planning, program implementation, program improvement, and program certification. The data sources came from the school principal/curriculum teachers, classroom teachers, students, and the parents of students at Pangudi Luhur Ambarawa Elementary School and Tlompakan 1 Tuntang Elementary School in Semarang Regency. Data collection was through interviews, document studies, and observations. The data analysis technique used qualitative descriptive methods. The research results showed that in the Assessment program, P5 was implemented in accordance with the vision, mission, and objectives. The theme and project options were chosen based on environmental issues and the needs of the students, and the project was also supported by the parents; Program planning, both schools had goals to be achieved in P5 so that the project ran with a clear direction and purpose; Program implementation, teachers have good strategies in carrying out P5 but improvements were needed in the socialization of the P5 program; Program improvement, there needs to be enhancements in the documentation of monitoring and supervision results; Certification program, the goals of the P5 program were achieved and all parties were satisfied with the existence of the P5 program, which had a positive impact on the students. The P5 program was running well, and all stakeholders were satisfied. However, there was a need for improvement in documentation and communication with students' parents. In addition, it is necessary to broaden project options, support teachers, and encourage them to prioritize character development over tangible results.

Science and Mathematics Teachers’ Integration of TPACK in STEM Subjects in Qatar: A Structural Equation Modeling Study

This study aimed to explore how secondary school science and mathematics teachers in Qatar integrate Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) into their teaching practices. The study examined the relationships between the subcomponents of TPACK using structural equation modeling (SEM), complemented by an analysis of additional categorical variables. A total of 245 science and mathematics teachers from Qatar participated in the research. The model’s findings showed that the internal components—technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge—had a significant and positive direct effect on the external factors: technological pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. However, these internal components did not directly impact TPACK itself. Together, these variables accounted for 77% of the variance in TPACK. Among the findings, Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) emerged as one of the most influential variables affecting TPACK, emphasizing its importance in teachers’ TPACK integration. On the other hand, it was found that Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) did not have a direct and significant effect on TPACK. Categorical variables like certificates and postgraduate education significantly impact TPACK and its subcomponents, while gender, field of study, and teaching experience do not. This finding underscores the importance of structured training and postgraduate education in enhancing TPACK skills for science and mathematics teachers. Participation in technology-based certification programs and postgraduate studies in STEM is crucial for their TPACK development in teaching STEM subjects. Future studies could explore the long-term impact of structured, technology-based training programs on enhancing STEM teachers’ TPACK development and assess how this improvement influences student learning outcomes in science and mathematics classrooms. This would provide deeper insights into the effectiveness of such programs and their potential to transform teaching practices and student achievement in STEM education.

Examining the effect of forest certification on timber harvest best management practice implementation

ABSTRACT Forest certification programs are voluntary initiatives emphasizing sustainable forestry and harvest practices. Compliance with certification standards is enforced through third-party audits. One requirement of most forest certification systems is the use of best management practices during harvesting activities. These practices are designed to mitigate potential negative outcomes of forest management and timber harvesting activities. Best management practice implementation has been found to have a variety of positive outcomes on water quality and other resources. However, information relating forest certification to implementation of best management practices and environmental outcomes on certified versus noncertified lands is scant. Here, we examine the role of third-party certification as it contributes to enhanced forest stewardship via implementation of voluntary best management practices. Our study adds to the limited body of research comparing sustainability practices and outcomes on certified vs. noncertified lands. In alignment with previous research on the topic, our study suggests that adherence to best management practices is better on certified versus noncertified forests. Our findings also suggest that for large public agency ownerships, organizationally driven factors beyond forest certification (e.g. institutional policy and trained staff) influence the use of best management practices during timber harvests.

Discovering Hidden Patterns: Applying Topic Modeling in Qualitative Research

In qualitative studies, researchers must devote a significant amount of time and effort to extracting meaningful themes from huge sets of texts and examining the links between themes, which are frequently done manually. The availability of natural language models has enabled the application of a wide range of techniques for automatically detecting hierarchy, linkages, and latent themes in texts. This paper aims to investigate the coherence of the topics acquired from the analysis with the predefined themes, the hierarchy between the topics, the similarity between the topics and the proximity-distance between the topics by means of the topic model based on BERTopic using unstructured qualitative data. The qualitative data for this study was gathered from 106 students engaged in a university-run pedagogical formation certificate program. In BERTopic procedure, paraphrase-multilingual-MiniLM-L12-v2 model was used as sentence transformer model, UMAP was used as dimension reduction method and HDBSCAN algorithm was used as clustering method. It is found that BERTopic successfully identified six topics corresponding to the six predicted themes in unstructured texts. Moreover 74% of the texts containing some themes could be classified accurately. The algorithm was also able to successfully identify which topics were similar and which topics differed significantly from the others. It was concluded that BERTopic is a procedure that can identify themes that researchers do not notice depending on the density of the data in qualitative data analysis and has the potential to enable qualitative research to reach more detailed findings.