Asian School Research Articles

Implementation of Sexual and Reproductive Health Education Policy in Schools in Asia and Africa: A Scoping Review

Objectives: This review aimed to map and synthesize existing literature on sex and reproductive education policy implementation in primary and secondary schools in Asia and Africa. Methods: Database searches yielded 24 relevant articles, which underwent thematic analysis. Results: Most studies were conducted in Africa and looked at barriers to implementation. Studies assessing implementation showed it was incomprehensive. Barriers were: policy/curriculum issues, societal opinions, teaching discomfort, lack of educator training, and lack of sufficient economical support. Conclusions: Based on the limited evidence, a cultural shift to reduce stigma seems necessary, alongside teacher and student involvement in policy formulation and implementation monitoring.

Local Belief and the Negotiation of EFL Teachers’ Identity in an Asian Country

Aim. This study investigates the local belief and the negotiation of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' identity within the Asian context. Methods. Framed within the Martha Pennington (2014) model, this qualitative research examines the complex interplay between local beliefs and the participants’ identity formation through in-depth interviews. The data was collected from three (3) EFL teachers operating at local Asian schools. Results. The findings reveal the significance of local beliefs in shaping teachers' instructional practices, classroom interactions, and professional identities. This research sheds light on the dynamic nature of EFL pedagogy in culturally diverse settings as it underscores the dialectical process through which EFL teachers negotiate their identities within the local cultural and educational milieu. Conclusions. It can be concluded that this research contributes to the field of EFL education by highlighting the need for teacher training programmes that address the diverse cultural and contextual factors that influence the formation of EFL teachers' identities.

Demystifying the MRCP exams for IMGs: the impact of five Nigerian Specialist Registrars through a virtual medical academy

‘There is a loftier ambition than to stand tall in theworld, it is to stoop down and raise mankind higher’ – Henry Van Dyke. The MRCP PACES exam is the last hurdle to climb for internal medicine registrars before they become a prestigious Member of the Royal College of Physicians United Kingdom. However, most International Medical Graduates (IMGs) do shy away from the medical specialty because of the failure rate of these exams. According to the Paces Spring Performance Report 2023, the failure rate of IMG in Paces was alarming compared with British Medical Graduates; Around 60% of IMGs failed the exam-700 IMGs in comparison to approximately 30–200% UK graduates [1, 2]. These disparities invigorated five Nigerian IMG registrars to bridge this gap through a free weekly virtual PACES exam for the last 40 weeks. We also started monthly MRCP Courses and PACES-centred MRCP Masterclasses to support International Medical Graduates to ace their PACE exams. Furthermore, through the power of representation, we are inspiring and attracting IMG doctors to the physician specialty [3]. Five Nigerian IMG registrars – ST4 to ST5, trainees of HEE in Acute Medicine, Neurology, Cardiology, and Stroke Medicine across diverse regions in England facilitated weekly tutorials up to three times weekly since June 2023 through the Zoom Platform. The success of the free tutorials led to the development of the Virtual PACES and created a need to start a Virtual MRCP PACES Course. We have facilitated more than 10 PACES courses, 15 Paces Mocks, 4 Neurology Masterclasses, and 4 Communication Master Classes. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first group to conduct a Successful Virtual PACES Mock exam. We have more than 500 International Medical Graduates on our social media platform who participate actively in all our educational courses. The majority of them live in the United Kingdom and completed their medical school in Asia, Africa, or Europe. To rate the impacts of our weekly IMG Paces tutorials, we decided to conduct an anonymous online survey. More than 50 doctors responded. More than 96% of the respondents were IMGs. A third of the respondents were Internal Medicine Trainees (IMTs) in the UK. About a third were trainee registrars and a third were in a non-training role. A third of our respondents have attempted paces before. More than about half of the respondents had attended more than five weekly sessions. When asked to ‘rate their strength in the paces content before attending Free PACES teaching’; more than half of respondents rated themselves as either poor or fair across all pace components, especially in Neurology, Communication, and Consultation [4]. When asked to rate their improvement in the PACES content after attending our free PACES teaching. More than 90% rated improvement across all the paces and approximately 60% of respondents said they ‘improved a lot’ in Communication, Consultation, and Neurology. When asked ‘how do you feel seeing fellow IMG Registrars taking you through the Sessions? More than 90% of respondents feel more confident, more supported, inspired, and more included to pass paces. Almost all respondents now have a more positive perception of IMG registrars following the tutorials [5]. Finally, for people who attend our courses and mocks, we have a success rate of more than 50% in the MRCP exams which is higher than the national average for IMGs. This bold and altruistic step taken by five Nigerian Specialist Registrars has bridged the gap to improve the success rates of IMGs in completing the MRCP PACES exam. We hope to extend this innovative platform to other specialties who are willing to collaborate with us in our quest to empower IMGs. Beyond that, we believe we are changing narratives and shaping the perception of Nigerian doctors, Nigeria, and Africa as a whole. That to us, becomes an ‘icing on the cake’.

An investigation into the cognitive flexibility of undergraduate dental hygiene students at two dental schools in Asia

Background/purposeCognitive flexibility is a personality trait, which can influence how effectively a healthcare professional can manage a challenging clinical situation. This study explored the cognitive flexibility of undergraduate dental hygiene students at two universities in Asia to gather baseline information in order to consider whether there was an educational need for pre-clinical students with regards to this personality factor. Materials and methodsParticipants were all undergraduate dental hygiene students in the 2022 academic year at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU; n = 79) and Taipei Medical University (TMU; n = 88). An anonymous questionnaire was distributed, which included questions on demographic information and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI). ResultsThe response rates were 97.5% (TMDU) and 89.8% (TMU). The CFI total scores were 91.77 for TMDU and 95.87 for TMU, and there was no significant difference between the two schools. The Alternatives scores were significantly higher in TMU than TMDU (P = 0.044), but there were no significant differences in the Control scores between the two schools. There were also no significant differences between school years of both universities. ConclusionThe dental hygiene students from both dental schools exhibit moderate cognitive flexibility. The educators in both dental schools may consider whether they should investigate and develop this personality factor further during the undergraduate training of their dental hygiene students.

Ислам и пережитки доисламских верований в Золотой Орде по материалам архитектуры погребальных сооружений

The purpose of the study: To consider how monumental architecture, in particular memorial buildings, reflected the changes in society associated with the adoption of Islam in the Golden Horde and ties with other Muslim states. Research materials: Mausoleums which are the most numerous objects of monumental architecture explored throughout the territory of the Golden Horde. The paper considers both archaeological sites and various images of mausoleums: drawings of the 18th–19th centuries, and photographs of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Results and scientific novelty: On the basis of building technology in the Golden Horde, two areas of architecture are distinguished – building from brick (fired and raw) and building from stone. An analysis of the planning, construction techniques, architectural details of the mausoleums, and construction equipment leads to the conclusion that several directions can be traced in the composition of the Golden Horde memorial architecture. The influence of the Central Asian school associated with the construction of fired and raw bricks was very significant. The architectural forms of brick mausoleums, distributed mainly in the steppe zone, find direct analogies among the monuments of Central Asia, primarily Khorezm. In the monuments made in the technique of stone construction, the influence of Asia Minor and Transcaucasia can be traced. It is expressed both in the architectonics of buildings and in the use of certain building techniques. The Golden Horde tower mausoleums, most likely, were exact copies of those in Asia Minor and Azerbaijan. Along with the forms of memorial buildings typical for the Muslim world, there were buildings of archaic appearance in the ulus of Jochi. Pyramidal mausoleums were built there, the shape of which the researchers deduce from the tomb structures in the form of barrows; these can be associated with the Turkic memorial buildings of the 9th–11th centuries.

고교학점제와 고등학교 ‘중국어’ IB 교육과정의 접근 가능성 모색

Objectives According to the implementation of the high school credit system, we pay attention to the lack of dis-cussion on the opening of Chinese subjects in relation to the introduction of the IB diploma program, which has recently become a big issue in the education world. And We searched for the possibility of opening a IB Chinese subjects when operating an IB doploma program in a public high school in Korea.
 Methods For this study, through literature analysis, we introduce cases of schools that operate the IB curriculum among domestic high schools and compare and analyze them with cases of foreign IB World Schools to reveal the justification for opening IB Chinese courses and the necessary requirements for opening IB Chinese courses. Policy support was proposed.
 Results As a result of the study, there are many IB World Schools in Asia that open IB Chinese subjects, and con-sidering China's global status is gradually increasing, it is justified to open an IB Chinese subjects. However, there is no case of opening a Chinese subject in public high schools that currently operate an IB diploma grogram in Korea. It revealed that this was caused by the decision of English as a second foreign language based on the regu-lations governing DLDP in Korea.
 Conclusions In order to solve this problem, various programs such as fostering English-speaking Chinese teach-ers, producing IB Chinese textbooks, guaranteeing students' right to choose subjects through opening various foreign language subjects, opening courses tailored to the IB subject system, and providing social policy support in connection with universities and companies, etc. It was suggested that a level of political support is needed.

Management of Education Utilizing Technology for Schools in Southeast Asia

This research will examine and comprehend the function and impact of technology usage in the context of education management in Southeast Asian schools. In the rapidly evolving digital and information technology era, education in the region faces many obstacles and opportunities. This research employs a qualitative literature review methodology to comprehend how schools in Southeast Asia use and manage technology in educational contexts. Data collection requires searching for, selecting, and analyzing relevant literature based on topic accuracy, relevance, reliability, and quality standards. Data analysis entails identifying central themes, methods utilized in the literature, and pertinent findings. The findings indicate that education resource management is essential for enhancing the quality of education in Southeast Asia. Faced with obstacles such as unequal access to education, varying quality of education, and policy shifts, the efficient management and application of technology have emerged as a viable solution. The equitable distribution of educational resources such as facilities, teachers, and learning materials among schools in different regions ensures that every student has access to a quality education.

The History of Person-Centred Medicine: A South Asian Perspective

In this communication, we explore the person-centred features of traditional South Asian schools of medicine and lifestyle. The Quadruple of Atreya, as mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic text, Charaka Samhita, may be the first mention of a team-based approach to health and medicine. This is reinforced in the Tamil classic Thirukkural as the Quadruple of Thiruvalluvar. Yoga is a structured means of ensuring mind–body harmony and of optimising both physical and spiritual health. South Asian philosophy and practice aim to provide person-centred delivery of health in a community-oriented andcommunity-based manner. The target is to ensure benefits for all (sarvodaya) and benefits for the last in the queue (antyodaya). Responsible person-centred care is a South Asian construct in which the health care team takes on theresponsibility of sharing relevant information with persons to facilitate a shared decision-making process, keeping the biopsychosocial context in mind. South Asia’s rich tradition of person-centred medicine can be used to improvesatisfaction with modern medical services.

Accuracy of a Web-Based Time-Use Diary (MEDAL) in Assessing Children's Meal Intakes With Food Photography by Parents as Reference: Instrument Validation Study.

My E-Diary for Activities and Lifestyle (MEDAL) is a web-based time-use diary developed to assess the diet and movement behaviors of Asian school children. This study aims to determine the accuracy of MEDAL in assessing the dietary intake of Malaysian school children, using photographs of the children's meals taken by their parents as an objective reference. A convenience sample of 46 children aged 10 to 11 years recorded their daily meals in MEDAL for 4 days (2 weekdays and 2 weekend days). Their parents took photographs of the meals and snacks of their children before and after consumption during the 4-day period and sent them along with a brief description of food and drinks consumed via an instant SMS text messaging app. The accuracy of the children's reports of the food they had consumed was determined by comparing their MEDAL reports to the photographs of the food sent by their parents. Overall, the match, omission, and intrusion rates were 62% (IQR 46%-86%), 39% (IQR 16%-55%), and 20% (IQR 6%-44%), respectively. Carbohydrate-based items from the food categories "rice and porridge"; "breads, spreads, and cereals"; and "noodles, pasta, and potatoes" were reported most accurately (total match rates: 68%-76%). "Snack and dessert" items were omitted most often (omission rate: 54%). Furthermore, side dishes from "vegetables and mushrooms," "eggs and tofu," "meat and fish," and "curry" food groups were often omitted (omission rates: 42%-46%). Items from "milk, cheese, and yogurt"; "snacks and desserts"; and "drinks" food groups intruded most often (intrusion rates: 37%-46%). Compared to the items reported by the boys, those reported by the girls had higher match rates (69% vs 53%) and lesser omission rates (31% vs 49%; P=.03, respectively). In conclusion, children aged 10 to 11 years can self-report all their meals in MEDAL, although some items are omitted or intruded. Therefore, MEDAL is a tool that can be used to assess the dietary intake of Malaysian school children.

Capacity Building of Teachers on Chemistry Hands-on Small-scale Experiments in High School in Asia: Nepal

Capacity Building of Teachers on Chemistry Hands-on Small-scale Experiments in High School in Asia: Nepal

The Digital Library Management System for Law Schools in Asia

The Digital Library Management System for Law Schools in Asia is a specialized technological solution aimed at streamlining information access and research processes within legal academia. Tailored to the unique needs of law students and educators across Asia, this article provides a background study of digital library systems. We have identified the existing problems in the digital library. We explained the overview of digital library systems in this article moreover we have presented the importance of digital libraries in law schools. Finally, we have identified the findings and recommendations for the digital library management system in law schools in Asia.

Ayurveda and Endocrinology: Common Ground, Common Goals

In this editorial, we explore Ayurvedic concepts of health, and analyze how they relate to modern endocrinology. We expand our discussions to inclusion of other South Asian schools of medicine, as well as philosophical and metaphysical models of South Asian thought. A detailed assessment suggests that Ayurveda is based upon sound endocrine and metabolic foundation, which can serve as a framework for person-centered, integrative management of modern pandemics such as diabetes, obesity and other endocrine disorders. We call for awareness and understanding of the common ground, as well as common goals of Ayurveda and modern endocrinology.

EMI and CLIL in Asian schools: A scoping review of empirical research between 2015 and 2022

As the role of English as a global language grows, many governments in the Asian region have been promoting the use of English as medium of instruction (EMI) in universities and schools. In recent years, the use of EMI has been promoted in the form of Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in many pre-primary, primary and secondary school systems in Asia. Because this focus on the school sector is relatively new, there seems to be relatively limited empirical research on the implementation of EMI and CLIL in primary and secondary schools in Asia. Using scoping review methodology, this paper aims to ‘map the terrain’ by providing an overview of the contexts and focus areas of empirical research conducted in the last seven years (2015–2022). The findings highlight gaps in the existing body of literature, including a lack of research in primary school and early childhood contexts, limited research in some countries in the Asian region, and a relatively narrow range of research focus areas, stakeholder perspectives and methodological approaches. These findings highlight areas that future researchers may consider as they investigate EMI and CLIL in school contexts in Asia.

NUUN (TeacherStudent, StudentTeacher) role reversal. An original educational, pedagogical and therapeutic method based on building self-esteem and self-awareness among students in physical, mental and non-material spheres

The aim of this article is to present an original educational, pedagogical and therapeutic method NUUN (TeacherStudent, StudentTeacher). The method is addressed to students with whom one may experience difficulties in communication due to language barrier or cultural differences. The contents of the article are a result of the authors search for a new educational model in the face of modern changes, including information technology revolution entailing mental crisis. There has been presented an aspect of the awareness of both students and teachers as a value that should dominate in new education and lead to discovering the surrounding world, including a non-material one, as a human being composed of body, mind and spirit. The article includes the main methods assumption based on repositioning of the roles both of students and teachers by putting an equal sign between them in a process of teaching and discovering the world. There is an emphasis on the importance of self-awareness of teachers and building self-awareness and self-esteem among children as well as discovering their talents. The presented method is a result of many years of observation of human behavior in different cultures and the authors experience of working in extremely difficult educational conditions in schools in Asia and Ghana in an institution for street children.

Factors Influencing Learners' Participation in Physical Education in The New Normal: An Input to Curriculum Development Program

The Philippines' current disaster mitigation and adaptation landscape this school year has brought a significant challenge to the education system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adversity and the resilience of people to hazards were experienced while combating this pandemic. Crisis and risk management systems are required to help prevent disease outbreaks and pandemics from affecting education communities. This point of view guides teachers, institutional heads, and authorities on how to deal with the crisis. The previous year saw many people face unexpected stress and adversity as a result of the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As the number of challenges in providing basic education to students grows, school leaders and teachers must develop resilience in surviving and overcoming adversity. This study pursued to determine the relationship between school heads' managerial competencies to teachers' positive resilience in the new normal. A descriptive-correlational research design determined the relationship between the level of school heads' managerial competencies, and the level of teachers' positive resilience in the new normal within the four City Schools Divisions in Laguna for the school year 2021-2022. The study included 503 public school elementary teachers in the positions of teachers I-III and master teachers I-II as respondents. Using the Competency Framework for Southeast Asian School Heads (2014), and The Resilience Scale for Adults (2015), data gathering via an online platform was utilized. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson product-moment of correlation, and hierarchical linear regression were the statistical tools utilized to analyze and interpret the data gathered. Findings revealed that the school heads were practicing well in each construct of managerial competencies and each construct of positive resilience. The level of teachers' positive resilience in the new normal resulted in a very high level in terms of establishing friendly relationships easily. The researcher, therefore, concluded that when school heads demonstrated a high level of managerial competencies in terms of strategic thinking and innovation, instructional leadership, personal excellence, stakeholders' engagement, and managerial competencies, a better positive resilience may be expected to all the teachers in the new normal.

Unmasking racial avoidance: Experimental evidence on parental school choice and public health policies during the Covid-19 pandemic

BackgroundCOVID-19 drastically changed the school choice landscape as families considered schools with varying public health protocols as well as academic and demographic characteristics. Our understanding of families’ preferences during the pandemic is limited, however, because it primarily derives from surveys asking parents about a single school characteristic. ObjectiveWe aimed to understand how families' preferences for schools’ racial composition and public health policies may interdepend. MethodsWe conducted an original school choice survey experiment with U.S. White parents in August 2021. Parents indicated their willingness to enroll their student in hypothetical schools with experimentally randomized school quality ratings, racial and socioeconomic demographics, and COVID mitigation strategies (i.e. instructional modalities, mask and vaccination mandates). ResultsWe find novel causal evidence that White parents' preferences for schools’ racial demographics and public health policies are interdependent. Among otherwise similar schools, parents expressed stronger preferences to avoid Black, Latinx, and Asian schools when there were fewer COVID mitigation policies. Relatedly, parents required more stringent COVID protocols for their children to attend predominantly Black, Latinx, and Asian schools while showing no preferences for COVID policies among predominantly White schools. The interdependence of preferred racial demographics and public health polices was amplified among White parents who held stigmatizing beliefs about Asian populations carrying the COVID virus and pro-White sentiments. Although Democrats expressed stronger preferences for schools with more COVID mitigation strategies than Republicans, for White parents across the political spectrum school racial composition and COVID mitigation preferences interdepended. ConclusionsThis study suggests families may leverage flexible student assignment policies and schools of choice to enroll in or avoid schools based on both preferred public health policies and racial demographics. Districts should consider how adopting strong public health policies during infectious disease outbreaks may help mitigate hardened racial avoidance and school racial segregation.

Prevalence and associated factors of myopia in children and adolescents in Russia: the Ural Children Eye Study

BackgroundTo assess the prevalence of myopia and the distribution of ocular axial length as surrogate for myopic refractive error in school children in a population in Russia.MethodsThe Ural Children Eye...

An Autoethnography on Women’s Migration and Trauma

Research Article| April 01 2023 An Autoethnography on Women’s Migration and Trauma Sneha Samaddar Sneha Samaddar Sneha Samaddar is an assistant professor in the School of Cinema, Asian School of Media Studies, AAFT University. Sneha has a Doctorate in film studies: “Cinematic Representation of Partition: Trauma and Gender.” She specializes in film studies, gender studies, Partition literature, cinema and society, adaptation of films to text, film semiotics, and feminist research and theories. email: samaddarsneha1990@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar email: samaddarsneha1990@gmail.com Journal of Autoethnography (2023) 4 (2): 287–291. https://doi.org/10.1525/joae.2023.4.2.287 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Sneha Samaddar; An Autoethnography on Women’s Migration and Trauma. Journal of Autoethnography 1 April 2023; 4 (2): 287–291. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/joae.2023.4.2.287 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentJournal of Autoethnography Search Loss of home and family exposes women, making them vulnerable and more accessible than men, to men. Reading about the Partition of India in August 1947, I realized how forced migrations led to panic and oppression. As a twenty-first-century, modern, independent woman, I find, unfortunately, that even after seventy years some aspects of this vulnerability continue to prevail in our society. Even after having the agency to decide and willingly migrate, the trauma of loss of home and family, vulnerability of the unknown, and distress associated with being the “other,” more specific to gender, runs parallel in the journeys of the modern researcher (me) and one of the women who endured the Partition—my grandmother. I have been a researcher for six years. To talk about my experiences and legacies, add my voice to literature, and to expand sociological understanding, I have chosen to employ autoethnography.1 I migrated as a... You do not currently have access to this content.

Inclusive Education for Children with Albinism: Unleashing the Prime Enabler

Early childhood education is critical in building civil, enlightened and developed society. It is therefore important to pay attention to issues that appears as impediment to realization of early inclusive childhood education. Studies have revealed several violence, discrimination and shocking social exclusion inside and outside of school for children with albinism. In fact, social workers, student counsellors, caregivers, teachers and educators have raised issues about schools in Africa, especially in Nigeria; is ill-equipped phase to accommodate children with albinism in classroom engagement when compare with schools in Asia and western settings. This article explored comparison of research and identified relevant prime enablers to promote all-inclusive approach that will aid learning for children with albinism in schools and homes aimed to encourage government and relevant stakeholders to take full advantage of various options at their disposal. This article identified seven potential prime enablers relevant to the subject matter: need for teacher of visually impaired, provision of functional visual assessment, engagement of optometrist, conducive classroom setting, training of parents and guardians, need for physical and health education, and political will or social support. This article concludes by addressing tasks to complement quality inclusive education and school experience to fulfil the needs of children with albinism. Further, it serves as a knowledge data bank to enable concerned social workers, caregivers, parents, teachers, agencies, stakeholders and researchers to use as inputs in providing a meaningful inclusive education experience for children with albinism.

Interest-Driven Creator Theory: case study of embodiment in an experimental school in Taiwan


 
 
 Cognisant that the examination-driven culture in most Asian schools will hinder future educational innovation, a group of concerned Asian researchers started collaboration in 2014 to develop a theory to serve as a guide to design interest- driven learning activities. This endeavour then spawned the development of the Interest-Driven Creator (IDC) Theory. The theory postulates that when their learning is driven by interest, students can be engaged in knowledge creation. The continued practice of this creation process in their daily learning routines can lead students to excel in learning performance, develop 21st century competences and eventually form creation habits to be lifelong learners. This paper, therefore, adds on to the current articulation of IDC Theory by highlighting the implementation of an IDC experimental school in Taiwan and by presenting the story of how it embodies the spirit of IDC. The school curriculum prepares students to be lifelong readers and reflective writers with broad knowledge in the fields of Math, English Language, Science, and Interdisciplinary Social Studies. It emphasises not only students’ academic growth but also their physical wellness and character building. The endeavour intends to be a comprehensive example of practice-driven research, demonstrating how theory and practice can be bridged, and how a virtuous cycle of research improving practice and practice informing research can be developed. This paper also provides a glimpse of how IDC Theory can inspire the planning and integration of IDC-based education approaches in academic curricula beyond Taiwan. The paper ends with the call for a more concerted effort to create a sustainable alliance to share professional insights into IDC Theory through a non- governmental organisation.