Quantitative Dimensions Research Articles

Parents’ Attitudes and Opinions towards Their Children's Use of Technology

The aim of the study is to determine the level of parents’ attitudes towards their children's use of information and communication technologies and to obtain parental views on the use of technology. To this end, the study was carried out with parents whose children were studying at primary and secondary school levels. Data were collected from 417 guardians for the quantitative dimension of the study, which was designed with a mixed methodological approach in which qualitative and quantitative models were used together, and interviews were conducted with 10 parents in the same sample group for the qualitative dimension. For the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison tests and descriptive analysis technique was used. The results of the analysis of the data showed that the attitudes of the parents towards their children's use of technology were at a "good" level. In the study, no significant difference was found between the attitudes of parents towards their children's use of technology and the gender variables, while there was a significant difference between the variables of age, educational level, occupation, computer usage skills and computer usage time. The study also addressed which technological device their children use for which purpose, the technology-assisted applications used by their children for educational purposes, and the support given by parents to their children in terms of knowledge, skills, time management and safe use when using technology, and the positive and negative aspects of technology use, and various suggestions were made to parents for the correct and effective use of technology by parents.

Positioning higher education institutions as work-based ICT-integrated learning theatres for employee mid-career development; a strategy for HR capacity building

PurposeDespite the sporadic evolution of artificial intelligence, the most valuable asset of any organization in the modern world is human resources. This study aims to reveal that partnerships between higher education institutions (HEIs) and employers will ease the process of employee mid-career development in Uganda's corporate employment sector by promoting work-based postgraduate training, and this additionally promotes human resources (HR) capacity-building for organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe hypothesis is that contemporary employees seek out an academic mid-career development postgraduate programme that is blended to fit into the employees' work schedule. The study was a descriptive quantitative study, and a closed-ended questionnaire was sent out to groups of corporate employees online (N = 70) and 41 responded, giving a response rate of 58.5%.FindingsFindings indicate a need for a flexible program for mid-career development and transition, the low standard deviation of (Neutral = 0.95, Disagreed = 2.64 and Agreed = 3.3) implies an insignificant deviation from the mean of responses. Indeed, over 95% agree that pursue further studies is needed but in a more flexible way.Research limitations/implicationsThe study design was limited by the sample selection process and study design. In the future, the authors recommend a mixed study for both quantitative and qualitative dimensions of such studies.Practical implicationsIrrespective of gender, hierarchy and experience, employees want flexible study modes for their postgraduate. This implies that institutions of higher learning should work with the labour industry and position themselves as work-based information and communication technology (ICT)-Integrated learning theatres.Originality/valueThe move towards a collaborative strategy between academia and the employment industry is very evident in this study.

Hospitality Trends in a Post-Pandemic World: Adaptation and Recovery

This paper undertakes a comprehensive exploration of the profound shifts and innovative strategies that are shaping the evolution of the hospitality sector in the aftermath of the crisis. Through a meticulous integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this study delves into the intricate interplay of consumer preferences, technological advancements, sustainability imperatives, and operational paradigms that have come to define the industry's response to the new normal. The quantitative phase, encompassing a structured survey administered to a diverse sample of 1000 respondents, unveils a spectrum of evolving consumer behaviors, ranging from a heightened preference for outdoor and nature-centric activities to an increasing demand for eco-conscious accommodations and technology-driven contactless interactions. This is further complemented by the qualitative phase, involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with industry stakeholders, which provides nuanced narratives of innovation and resilience strategies adopted by businesses to adapt to the evolving landscape. Together, these insights reveal a mosaic of adaptation and recovery efforts, including the creative repurposing of spaces, local partnerships to foster authentic experiences, and the integration of technology for personalized services. As the hospitality industry charts its course forward, armed with the lessons from this research, it is poised to redefine its trajectory, embracing sustainability, technological integration, and guest-centric approaches as foundational pillars for a resilient and vibrant future. By synthesizing the quantitative and qualitative dimensions, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of the emerging trends and transformational trajectories that are shaping the post-pandemic hospitality realm, providing a roadmap for stakeholders to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this dynamic and reimagined era.

Screening for Resistant Bacteria, Antimicrobial Resistance Genes, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Schistosoma spp. in Tissue Samples from Predominantly Vaginally Delivered Placentae in Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Medical complications during pregnancy have been frequently reported from Western Africa with a particular importance of infectious complications. Placental tissue can either become the target of infectious agents itself, such as, e.g., in the case of urogenital schistosomiasis, or be subjected to contamination with colonizing or infection-associated microorganisms of the cervix or the vagina during vaginal delivery. In the retrospective cross-sectional assessment presented here, the quantitative dimension of infection or colonization with selected resistant or pathogenic bacteria and parasites was regionally assessed. To do so, 274 collected placental tissues from Ivory Coastal and Ghanaian women were subjected to selective growth of resistant bacteria, as well as to molecular screening for beta-lactamase genes, Schistosoma spp. and selected bacterial causative agents of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Panton-Valentine-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was grown from 1.8% of the tissue samples, comprising the spa types t008 and t688, as well as the newly detected ones, t12101 (n = 2) and t12102. While the culture-based recovery of resistant Enterobacterales and nonfermentative rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria failed, molecular assessments confirmed beta-lactamase genes in 31.0% of the samples with multiple detections of up to four resistance genes per sample and blaCTX-M, blaIMP, blaGES, blaVIM, blaOXA-58-like, blaNDM, blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-48-like and blaKPC occurring in descending order of frequency. The beta-lactamase genes blaOXA-40/24-like, blaNMC_A/IMI, blaBIC, blaSME, blaGIM and blaDIM were not detected. DNA of the urogenital schistosomiasis-associated Schistosoma haematobium complex was recorded in 18.6% of the samples, but only a single positive signal for S. mansoni with a high cycle-threshold value in real-time PCR was found. Of note, higher rates of schistosomiasis were observed in Ghana (54.9% vs. 10.3% in Ivory Coast) and Cesarean section was much more frequent in schistosomiasis patients (61.9% vs. 14.8% in women without Schistosoma spp. DNA in the placenta). Nucleic acid sequences of nonlymphogranuloma-venereum-associated Chlamydia trachomatis and of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were recorded in 1.1% and 1.9% of the samples, respectively, while molecular attempts to diagnose Treponema pallidum and Mycoplasma genitalium did not lead to positive results. Molecular detection of Schistosoma spp. or STI-associated pathogens was only exceptionally associated with multiple resistance gene detections in the same sample, suggesting epidemiological distinctness. In conclusion, the assessment confirmed considerable prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis and resistant bacterial colonization, as well as a regionally expected abundance of STI-associated pathogens. Continuous screening offers seem advisable to minimize the risks for the pregnant women and their newborns.

Development of Multilingual Preservice Classroom Teachers’ Turkish Language Skills: Mind and Intelligence Games

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of mind and intelligence games on the development of multilingual preservice classroom teachers’ Turkish language skills. In the study, an embedded mixed methods design, which is included in the scope of mixed research designs, was adopted. A single group pretest-posttest design within the scope of the pre-experimental designs was taken as the basis in the quantitative dimension of the research; while in the qualitative dimension, a design related to the effects of the program in the context of a special case study was taken as the basis. The study group of the research consisted of multilingual preservice classroom teachers (n=10). Videos, semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire, diaries, metaphor form, and the Foreign Language Learning Practices Scale (FLLPS) were used as data collection tools. According to the results obtained from the data collection tools, at the end of this game process, the participants’ Turkish language skills, cognitive skills (memory, attention, perception, etc.), and affective skills (socialising, feeling happy, having fun, etc.) improved. It was also observed that this development process took place on the basis of cultural interaction. In light of the findings, it was concluded that the mind and intelligence games had positive effects on the development of the multilingual preservice teachers’ language skills.

Pengambilan Keputusan Perspektif Transdisipliner Manajemen di MAN 1 Padangsidimpuan

The complexity of the educational problems experienced by our nation by our cannot be solved using one approach, but requires a transdisciplinary approach to solving problems. Transdiciplinarity is a collective approach that utilizes human knowledge and analytical skills to understand larger and more complex systems. The important meaning that marks transdiciplinarity is the process of integration of multidisciplines used to discuss issues or deal with problems. The implementation of transdisciplinary implies the existence of cooperative work or synergy between the people and the sectors involved in it. Transdisciplinary application is used to achieve something beyond the quantitative dimension. The existence of synergy in the transdisciplinary concept is intended to achieve a higher level of harmony than the integration of knowledge which is called a symphony. To find out how management transidisciplinary perspective decision making at MAN 1 Padangsidimpuan the author uses a qualitative descriptive research method. The instruments used in this study were observation. Interviews and documentation. The results of this study indicate that the head of madrasah, WKM, represents the teacher and the staff that the MAN 1 Padangsidimpuan has carried out decision-making, namely; 1. Decisions in a state of certainty, that is if all the information needed to make a decision is complete, then the decision is said to be in a state of certainty. In other words, when there is certainty, we can predict accurately the results of the action so that the decisions taken by the principal are right on target. 2. Decisions in the a state of risk, namely risk occors when the results of making a decision, even though it cannot be known with certainty, but the value of the possibility can be known. Asked for the views of the oldest, KTU and the Madrasah Head. 3. Decisions in a state of uncertainty is a situation where we cannot make a decision because it has never happened before (the first time), in this situation the head of MAN 1 Padangsidimpuan, if in making a decision on a problem that has never happened before, still conduct deliberation first with KTU and the madrasah head. 4. Decisions in a state of conflict sometimes decision making is not always smooth.

Adaptive Resolution Enhancement for Visual Attention Regions Based on Spatial Interpolation.

Resolution enhancement is crucial for human vision. However, it can be resource-consuming in the display pipeline. Therefore, there is a need to develop a lightweight resolution improvement algorithm specifically targeting visual attention regions. This paper presents a spatial-interpolation-based algorithm to improve the resolution of the visual attention area. The eye-tracking system consists of a near-infrared camera and an event camera is proposed to obtain the 3D gaze vector and eye moving trajectory. Secondly, the observation coordinates are obtained by gaze vectors, and the visual attention region is defined by the sensitive field-of-view angle. Then, interpolation-based adaptive spatial resolution enhancement and contrast enhancement adjustment are performed in the visual attention area. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method is tested on both qualitative and quantitative dimensions. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly improve the visual effects.

The Effect of Lesson Plans Based on IB Education Philosophy and UbD Model on Student Achievement

This study was made based on some discussions attempting to improve the quality of education by creating appropriate learning areas, differentiating education according to each student's interests, learning styles, and multiple intelligences. The aim of the study is the implementation and analysis of social studies lesson plans prepared in accordance with "UbD" and ‘’IB Planner’’ for 3rd grade students. The study was conducted using a nested-mixed design within the framework of mixed method research. In the quantitative dimension of the study, pretest-posttest control group experimental model data were used. In the qualitative dimension, the data based on the feedbacks of teachers who are the implementers of the lesson plans were used. The study group of the quantitative dimension consisted of 320 students in the 3rd grade of a public primary school who voluntarily participated in the study. The study group of the qualitative dimension consists of 36 primary school teachers who are the implementers of the prepared lesson plan. The findings of the study show that the social studies lesson plans prepared based on the IB Planner and the UbD model made a significant difference in favor of the experimental group on both student accomplishment (posttest) and student achievement(pretest-posttest). The qualitative findings obtained from the teachers' feedback on the prepared and implemented plans indicated that the plans included enriched activities and were comprehensively prepared to appeal to all students, including students with special needs and gifted students in the same class. In addition, it was observed that the differentiated content in IB and UbD lesson plans was not limited to methods and techniques, but also included assessment and evaluation techniques. Both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that the plans were designed in such a way that students could effectively acquire the prescribed behavior. Moreover, the implementation of the plans improved students' social skills, self-management skills, communication skills, research and thinking skills, increased their self-confidence and raised their achievement.

L’Italia che non vota: dinamiche e propagazione spazio-temporale dell’astensionismo

The relevance that abstentionism is assuming in Italy, both from a political and social perspective, is evidenced not only by the number of voters who did not go to the polls but also by the territorial spread of the phenomenon. In this paper, starting from the quantitative dimension of abstentionism – already extensively analyzed in scientific literature and the media – an attempt has been made to account for where this behavior is most deeply rooted and how it has spread, through an analysis of spatial-temporal propagation forms (spatial spillovers). In addition to the overall analysis of the phenomenon, a section (paragraph 2) delves into the weight of certain components of involuntary abstentionism. These components, certainly less studied compared to voluntary abstentionism, are considered here due to their increasing potential as drivers of the phenomenon, in relation to demographic dynamics and the evolution of certain social behaviors.

Methods of Assessing Nailfold Capillaroscopy Compared to Video Capillaroscopy in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis—A Critical Review of the Literature

Introduction: Nailfolds of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) provide an opportunity to directly visualize microvascular remodeling in SSc. Nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) remains the gold standard for assessing nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC). However, access to NVC is limited by expense and expertise. This review aims to synthesize current research on other NFC devices compared to NVC. Methods: The literature search included the primary research of adult patients with SSc as defined by the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria. Methods of assessing NFC included stereomicroscopy/wide-field microscopy, ophthalmoscopy, dermatoscopy, smartphone devices, and digital USB microscopy. Primary outcomes included both qualitative (normal vs. abnormal nailfolds, overall pattern recognition, presence/absence of giant capillaries, hemorrhages, and abnormal morphology) and quantitative (capillary density and dimension) measures. Results: The search yielded 471 studies, of which 9 were included. Five studies compared NVC to dermatoscopy, two compared it to widefield/stereomicroscopy, one to smartphone attachments, and one to USB microscopy. In dermatoscopy studies, NVC had a higher percentage of images that were interpretable (63–77% vs. 100%), classifiable (70% vs. 84%), or gradable (70% vs. 79.3%) across three studies. Dermatoscopy had a lower sensitivity (60.2% vs. 81.6%) and higher specificity (92.5% vs. 84.6%) compared to NVC. One stereomicroscopy study found a significant difference between methods in capillary density in limited cutaneous SSc, while another found correlations in all parameters between stereomicroscopy and NVC. One smartphone lens had good agreement with NVC on abnormal capillary morphology and density. USB microscopy was able to differentiate between SSc and healthy controls using mean capillary width but not by capillary density. Discussion: A dermatoscope may serve as a more portable and affordable screening tool to identify a normal “scleroderma pattern”, and images that need further corroboration by NVC. NFC parameters reported are heterogenous and the standardization of these parameters is important, especially in non-gold-standard devices.

The Relationship between Students’ Social Media Attitudes and the Effects of Social Media on the Values

In today’s environment, where technological advancement affects individuals of all ages, it is an important research topic to determine how much the values of teenagers who are in the learning and personal development stage are affected by this change. This research aims to determine the effects of students’ social media attitudes and social media use on values. A social media attitude scale, social media’s impact on values scale, and a semi-structured interview form had been utilized in the research conducted with a mixed method. Four hundred fifty-seven secondary and high school students had participated in the quantitative dimension of the study conducted in all regions of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and 45 students and 33 teachers had participated in the qualitative measurement. According to the research, both the social media attitudes of the students and their perception of social media’s impacts on values are high. there is a strong correlation between the student’s perception of social media and their beliefs that it influences values. Solidarity, sharing, patriotism, togetherness, sensitivity, and love of nature had been expressed as values that increased with social media usage. It had been stated that the importance of sociability, empathy, love, respect, honesty, responsibility, and diligence decreases with the use of social media. Rich content can be prepared, and individual and institutional studies can be increased, especially for the values aimed to be gained in terms of honesty, transparency, and privacy.

Social Support and Job Insecurity in Outsourced Employees

Industry in Indonesia is increasing, so companies are required to continue to focus on production. To obtain efficiency and company profits using outsourced employees from labor supply companies. Outsourced employees work for a company through a company providing labor. With the existence of a fixed-time work system, outsourced employees have concerns about their future. Several factors influence the emergence of job insecurity, including social support. Therefore, this study aims to determine the relationship between social support and job insecurity among outsourced employees. This study uses a quantitative correlational design. The sampling technique used is saturated sampling, with a total sample of 83 outsourced employees. The instruments used were a social support scale comprising 26 items, a quantitative dimension of the job insecurity scale of 3 items, and a qualitative dimension of 4 items. The social support scale has a reliability value of 0.886, a quantitative dimension of the job insecurity scale of 0.604, and a qualitative dimension of job insecurity of 0.786. The analysis technique uses the Pearson correlation with the help of data processing software. The research results showed that the correlation value of social support with job insecurity in the quantitative dimension was r = 0.338 with p = 0.002 <0.05. Furthermore, the qualitative dimension's correlation value of social support with job insecurity was r = -0. 228 with p = 0.008 < 0.05. These results show that the hypothesis proposed by the author is declared accepted even though the direction of the relationship is different.

#5146 KINETIC ESTIMATION OF GFR AND URINARY CREATININE EXCRETION RATE AS PREDICTORS OF DELAYED GRAFT FUNCTION IN RENAL TRANSPLANTS FROM DECEASED DONORS

Abstract Background and Aims Delayed graft function (DGF) is a common complication after renal transplant. Definitions of DGF are based on analysis of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) underlying the plasma creatinine fluctuations after renal transplant. We tried to validate an early parameter of DGF in a renal transplant population based on the kinetic estimation of glomerular filtration rate, since this formula adds a quantitative dimension to the assessment of kidney function, and consequently predicting DGF could get a better post-transplant management. Method This is a longitudinal study of 886 renal transplant recipients from our center during the first post-transplant month. As we are searching for functional biochemical markers in renal transplant from decesased donors, we excluded patients with primary gtaft disfunction.The final simple was composed of 574 adult kidney transplant recipients, 348 renal transplant from donors after circulatory death (DCD) and 226 from donors after brain death (DBD). The following are analyzed 5creatinine concentrations, serum Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and urinary creatinine excretion rate (CER). Results In DCD there was a significant correlation between DGF duration and all KeGFR and CER determinations during the first post-transplant week. The parameters that achieved the best correlation to predict DGF were KeGFR (r = 0.515; p<0.001) and CER on the fourth day (r = 0.584; p<0.001) (Figure 1). In the DBD, a weak correlation was observed between DGF duration and KeGFR determinations in the first days, being KeGFR at the fourth day the one that presented the highest correlation (r = 0.59 p<0.001). We observed that serum LDH on the first day in the DBD group is associated with worse renal graft function at first, third month and one year after transplantation (p<.045, p<.05 and p<.067 respectively). Conclusion The determination of KeGFR and CER could predict the duration of DGF, especially in DCD recipients. DCD recipients with DGF have significantly better graft survival at one year than DBD recipients with DGF. (p<.001).

P30: Remote and In-Clinic Teletracking and Analysis for Enhanced Rheumatologic Examination

Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis and related arthritides associated with chronic joint inflammation of the hands significantly affects range of motion and daily living functionality due to stiffness, pain, and swelling. It is vital to closely monitor changes in joint flexibility across the progression of this disease state to assess treatment efficacy and provide informed quantitative analysis. Our group previously developed and reported on a video-based motion analysis system with a wide range of utility. Using this system, we evaluated the range of motion of radiocarpal and phalangeal joints in arthritic versus normal subjects. We hypothesized that use of this system in clinic and at home would provide accurate and quantitative data on joint flexibility and also allow assessment of progression of flexibility of affected joints in patients experiencing joint inflammation across their treatment timelines. Methods: Healthy volunteers and those experiencing self-reported, clinically-diagnosed arthritis were instructed via a telehealth remote platform to place small brightly-colored visual markers (1cm2) on their hands. Using our video motion analysis system, video recordings were captured as subjects performed: 1) wrist flexion and extension, 2) finger flexion and extension, and 3) finger adduction and abduction. The digital recordings were imaged as a motion signature and the data was analyzed to obtain the angle (degrees) of rotation about the joints by correcting full extension/adduction to a “zero degrees” baseline and calculating the degrees of flexion/abduction at the peak point. This protocol allowed for versatility of analysis based on the treatment course providing novel access to patient monitoring outside of the clinic setting. Results: Range of motion of the radiocarpal and phalangeal joints measured in degrees was successfully recorded on both healthy (n=14, 9F 5M) and arthritic subjects (n=8, 4M 4F) in a virtual setting via the video motion analysis system. In all cases the system offered the resolution required to determine overall joint flexibility. A clear quantitative distinction was detected between arthritic patients versus health subjects. Conclusion: A video motion analysis system utilizing small markers can characterize, track, and compare joint flexibility in at-home settings for rheumatoid arthritis and related joint diseases. With face-to-face clinic time being an increasingly limited commodity, this system offers a valuable, digital tool to not only assess patients remotely but it adds a quantitative dimension previously absent in the Rheumatologic exam. As this project continues, arthritis subjects will be monitored over time to assess functionality of disease-state tracking across a treatment time course. Digital assessment of joint flexibility is a useful addition to the diagnostic armamentarium of the Rheumatologist, Orthopedist and related Health Care providers enhancing the precision of diagnosis and therapy.

Constructing counter-hegemony on Twitter: Discourse of Ibero-American political women of “change” in the digital environment

Women are occupying more and more space in the public sphere, not only through pressure on the streets, but increasingly in digital spaces. It is at this intersection that different ways of engaging in politics coalesce with the presence of women who demand their own voice and visibility beyond the mechanisms of traditional politics. Those requiring a transformation of the current political reality are the political women “of change.” One of their main attributes is that they generate and spread counter-hegemonic narratives as a form of empowerment and a way to question the dominant political discourse through digital media. Our objective herein is to analyze, in a comparative way, the use of this communicative strategy to understand its articulation and mechanisms. To do this, we study the discourse of ten Ibero-American political women on Twitter who are linked to social change. The methodology is based on the application of the content analysis technique that combines a quantitative dimension with another of a qualitative nature focused on critical discourse analysis. The results show that criticism and denunciation, to give voice to the voiceless and make social problems visible, are the main components of these political actors’ counter-hegemonic discourse on Twitter. Likewise, they display a practical and constructive counter-hegemony oriented in applied and positive terms. Finally, the institutional position in the government–opposition axis sharpens or minimizes the use of these types of communication strategies.

Evaluation of an interprofessional primary healthcare team as a new model of primary care in Quebec: a protocol for a type 2 effectiveness-implementation hybrid study

IntroductionOne family medicine group (FMG) in Quebec has commenced a 5-year pilot project, which is herein referred to as the Archimède model, to implement a patient-centred model based on interprofessional...

Distance Education Experiences of Formal Child Development Undergraduate Students in the COVID-19 Pandemic Process

The purpose of the current study is to examine the distance education experiences of students who are receiving formal undergraduate education in the field of child development at public and private universities in Türkiye during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The convergent parallel design, one of the mixed method designs, was used in the study. In March-April 2021, when the data were collected, 788 students who continued their formal child development undergraduate education through distance education due to the pandemic were included in the quantitative dimension and 11 students were included in the qualitative dimension of the study. Due to the measures taken during the pandemic, quantitative data were collected through online form and qualitative data were collected through online interviews. It was determined that the students benefited from distance education the most in terms of theoretical knowledge and the least in terms of professional practice skills, that the students’ general satisfaction level with distance education was 4.55±2.75 on a numerical rating scale during the pandemic and that the vast majority of the students demanded that all courses be face-to-face, while 5.1% demanded that all courses be through distance education after the pandemic. The reported distance education experiences are part of the temporary adaptation process in an extraordinary situation such as a pandemic. After the pandemic, efforts should be continued to make distance education more qualified by determining the needs for applied fields with such studies.

Beyond the rubicon: a continuum approach to investigating the impact of ADHD like characteristics on everyday executive function in children with Tourette Syndrome

ABSTRACT Across a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to be associated with executive function impairment. However, the DSM-V emphasis upon viewing psychological characteristics as existing on a continuous distributed quantitative dimension has enabled the opportunity to consider the influence of sub-diagnostic or sub-referral levels of these psychological characteristics upon cognitive function. This study adopted a continuum approach to the consideration of this ADHD influence and examined the extent to which the difference in parental reported executive functions between children with Tourette syndrome (TS) or typically developing children could be mediated by a concurrent group difference in the possession of sub-referral levels of ADHD-like characteristics. A total of 146 children, 58 with reported TS diagnosis, participated. Parental report measures of ecological executive functioning, the Child Executive Functioning Inventory, and the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale were employed. The analyses with a full sample and a sub-referral sample revealed significant group differences in most of the key measures. In addition, these measures were highly correlated even when controlling for age and gender. A series of mediation analyses indicated that in all models, the ADHD-like measures significantly mediated the group difference in executive function. These results suggest that sub-referrals levels of ADHD-like characteristics continue to contribute to executive challenges in TS. Future intervention research targeting these executive functions should consider the presence of ADHD-like characteristics at sub-referral levels of possession.

Seeing Sounds: The Effect of Computer-Based Visual Feedback on Intonation in Violin Education

The fact that the violin is a fretless instrument brings along intonation problems both in its performance and in its education. The introduction of technology into educational environments day by day, has led to the need to try different methods besides the traditional methods for solving intonation problems. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of computer-based visual feedback on the student’s intonation on the violin. For this purpose, an 8-week experimental process was carried out with 8 violin students studying in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of the music teaching undergraduate program in the 2021-2022 academic year. In the quantitative dimension of the research, which was designed with mixed method design, a pretest – post-test single-group experimental design was used. The quantitative data were collected with the intonation evaluation form and the qualitative data were collected with diaries and a semi-structured interview form. The dependent samples t-test was used in the analysis of the quantitative data, and descriptive analysis technique was used in the analysis of the qualitative data. In the implementation process of the study, students were given visual feedback only with Cubase VariAudio software. At the end of the study, it was seen that computer-based visual feedback contributed positively to the intonation skills of the students. The students stated that the study made an abstract situation concrete, offered an opportunity to make self-evaluation, contributed positively to the motivation and limited class hours, and that they wanted to use it while practicing on their own.

Effects of Using Virtual Tour Applications in Social Studies on Academic Achievement, Motivation, and Attitude

This study investigated the effects of using virtual tour activities on students' motivation, attitude, and academic achievement in social studies. An exploratory sequential mixed -method design was employed for the study. Data were collected using the Journey in Turkish History Unit Achievement Test, which included learning objectives and was developed by the author, the Social Studies Motivation Scale, the Social Studies Attitude Scale, and the Semi-Structured Focus Group Interview Form for gathering students’ opinions. The collected data were analyzed using statistical programs. Content analysis was performed on the qualitative data, while parametric tests were administered to the quantitative data with normal distribution. In the quantitative dimension of the study, no remarkable difference was detected between the control and experimental groups’ attitudes, motivation, and academic achievement in the context of social studies before the process. However, at the end of the study, there was a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group. In the qualitative dimension, difficulties such as the program’s structure, equipment, software, hardware, technological aspects, and teacher competence were addressed regarding the adaptation and use of virtual tour activities in social studies.