Social Outcomes Research Articles

Museum visit intervention in K-12 education: a scoping review

This scoping review aims to provide an overview of empirical studies on worldwide museum visit intervention in K-12 education. The study employed Mendeley citation software to identify the articles in the database. A meta-analysis PRISMA statement is used for reporting the items. Out of 135 possibly rich articles, the present study reviewed 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to descriptive and content analyses published between 2017 and 2021. Most of the studies are experimental and from primary school contexts. It is revealed that science is the subject matter context majority of the studies, but philosophy, disaster management, language, and environmental science are also represented. The content analysis resulted in the following learning and social outcomes. It states that social outcome is explored chiefly, followed by learning outcome. The findings indicate that museum visit intervention positively impacts students learning and social outcome. The review also identifies the need for further research on museum visit intervention in the Asia Pacific region.

Prenatal Exposures, Diagnostic Outcomes, and Life Experiences of Children and Youths with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Children and youths diagnosed with FASD may experience a range of adverse health and social outcomes. This cross-sectional study investigated the characteristics and outcomes of children and youths diagnosed with FASD between 2015 and 2018 at the Sunny Hill Centre in British Columbia, Canada and examined the relationships between prenatal substance exposures, FASD diagnostic categories, and adverse health and social outcomes. Patient chart data were obtained for 1187 children and youths diagnosed with FASD and analyzed. The patients (mean age: 9.7 years; range: 2–19) had up to 6 physical and 11 mental health disorders. Prenatal exposure to other substances (in addition to alcohol) significantly increased the severity of FASD diagnosis (OR: 1.18): the odds of FASD with sentinel facial features (SFF) were 41% higher with prenatal cigarette/nicotine/tobacco exposure; 75% higher with exposure to cocaine/crack; and two times higher with exposure to opioids. Maternal mental health issues and poor nutrition also increase the severity of FASD diagnosis (60% and 6%, respectively). Prenatal exposure to other substances in addition to alcohol significantly predicts involvement in the child welfare system (OR: 1.52) and current substance use when adjusted for age (aOR: 1.51). Diagnosis of FASD with SFF is associated with an increased number of physical (R2 = 0.071, F (3,1183) = 30.51, p = 0.000) and mental health comorbidities (R2 = 0.023, F (3,1185) = 9.51, p = 0.000) as compared to FASD without SFF adjusted for age and the number of prenatal substances. Screening of pregnant women for alcohol and other substance use, mental health status, and nutrition is extremely important.

Reasonable adjustment for inclusive development: a cautionary case study of Australian VET teachers’ experience

PurposeVocational education and training (VET) in Australia has for some time been driven by an agenda of “reasonable adjustment”, in which practices are modified to ensure equitable access and participation by disadvantaged students. However, the growing marketization of VET has instead encouraged the use of more flexible approaches to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds. They have thus paralleled and confounded reasonable adjustment practices for inclusive development. This study sought to identify the moral dilemmas experienced by VET teachers arising from implementing reasonable adjustment practices.Design/methodology/approachThis phenomenological research project used in-depth conversational interviews with 19 experienced VET teachers from a diversity of teaching fields to identify moral dilemmas experienced as arising from changes in their workplace contexts.FindingsOne of the identified dilemmas was responding flexibly to heightened student diversity, to which study participants largely responded by prioritising the economic imperative over social inclusion. Well-intended actions thus led to unintentionally damaging outcomes, raising important ethical questions about the relative value of economic and social development outcomes and the role of reasonable adjustment in their attainment. The study also highlights the lack of appropriate VET teacher training in managing ethical conflicts to minimise risks to themselves and their employing organizations.Originality/valueAs a case study of inclusive development policies in practice, this research may be seen as a cautionary tale for inclusive development policies in other countries with similarly strong VET economic and socially inclusive development policies for sustainability. The paper thus opens a dialogue for critical reflection on the current problems in a reasonable development approach in the field of comparative and international education. Those two parallel agendas have presented VET teachers and trainers with ethically challenging situations in which the economic and social development imperatives are experienced as being conflict with each other.

Harlem Health Advocacy Partners: A Local Health Department's Place-Based Community Health Worker Program.

In January 2015, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launched Harlem Health Advocacy Partners (HHAP), a place-based initiative to demonstrate the capacity of a CHW workforce to improve the health of residents of public housing. The long-term goal of HHAP is to improve the population health of residents of public housing in East and Central Harlem and to close racial gaps in health and social outcomes. A variety of evaluation approaches have been used to assess the initiative. This paper describes the HHAP model and methods for evaluating the program.

University-industry knowledge collaborations in emerging countries: the outcomes and effectiveness in Vietnam

ABSTRACT University-industry knowledge collaborations (UICs) significantly influence countries’ innovation capabilities and future workforce development. For a developing country like Vietnam, the goal of developing a knowledge-based emerging economy puts even higher expectations on UICs. However, UICs in Vietnam have not kept up well with the country’s ambition to survive and thrive in the new context. This study investigates the current status of the outcomes and effectiveness of knowledge exchange mechanisms as perceived by different stakeholders, including faculty members, students, and industries. Results show that UICs’ social and institutional outcomes are dominant in Vietnam. From the university side, the areas of training, university locations, and university types could affect UICs’ outcomes and effectiveness. However, there are discrepancies between faculty members and students in the perception of UICs’ effectiveness. Firms’ ownership types and locations also affect UICs’ effectiveness.

Children’s Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes in Military Families: A Rapid Review

AbstractIn light of ongoing global military conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, it is imperative to study the effects of parental military service and deployment on the health and well-being of children within military families. Emerging evidence suggests that children with a parent in service appear to face unique developmental challenges associated with the military lifestyle, which differ from those experienced by civilian children. However, there is currently limited systematic research that compares the developmental outcomes of children with serving parents to their civilian peers. Therefore, the aim of this review is to synthesize existing literature on the behavioral, social, emotional, and educational functioning of children with currently serving parents in defense forces, in comparison to their civilian counterparts. This rapid systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology framework, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and Cochrane Rapid Review methodological recommendations The following databases were searched: Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Relevant online databases were searched from February 2012 to 2022 to examine the contemporary literature. Fourteen identified published quantitative studies were identified. No qualitative studies were found, and no study reported on academic outcomes. Despite considerable sample heterogeneity across studies, military children of all ages appear to be a particularly vulnerable population. Findings suggest that children in military families experience substantially higher risk for negative psychological, social, and behavioral health outcomes than their civilian counterparts, with parental deployment increasing risk across all developmental stages (i.e., early, middle, and late childhood). Among these age groups, adolescents of currently serving members showed highest risk, particularly concerning suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors. Implications are discussed in terms of early detection, preventative interventions, and support services for families and children with a serving parent. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022313999.

Cooperative Learning Promoting Cultural Diversity and Individual Accountability: A Systematic Review

Cooperative learning in physical education not only promotes the overall development of students, but also lays the foundation for lifelong learning and sustainable development from the perspectives of cultural integration and social responsibility. This study examined students’ physical, social, emotional, and cognitive outcomes on the one hand. On the other hand, it focuses on the potential of cooperative learning to promote cultural diversity and personal responsibility. A systematic literature review of 50 articles selected according to the PRISMA guidelines revealed that the focus of CL applications varied according to the age of the students and multicultural contexts. At the micro level, physical and social domains were emphasized, while cognitive domains received less attention. CL was found to benefit motor skills (coordination, flexibility, strength) in students of different ages, to reduce negative emotions while promoting social skills and teamwork, and to improve cognitive skills and memory in junior students. At the macro level, CL can help students to improve self-reflection, reduce negative behaviors, and increase personal responsibility and cultural integration. The focus of researchers from different countries reflects educational philosophies and cultural differences, increasing the flexibility and universality of CL.

The pursuit of welfare efficiency: when institutional structures turn ‘less’ into ‘more’

AbstractAddressing current socio-economic crises strains public budgets and may threaten fiscal sustainability. Particularly in the welfare sector, where high expenditures meet poor controllability, efficient resource usage is essential to ensure future governments’ capability to act while alleviating current problems. Consequently, this paper asks: why are some countries more efficient in translating social expenditure into welfare outcomes? To answer this question, it is argued that efficiency is a matter of institutional structures and their vertical policy-process integration (VPI): efficiency depends on institutional structures’ capability to (1) ensure policymakers’ responsibility and to (2) provide coordinated feedback, thus pushing for considerate and informed resource use. Analysing the effect of VPI on the relationship between welfare efforts and social outcomes in 21 OECD countries over three decades, the results show that VPI can not only turn ‘less’ into ‘more’, but it also compensates for performance losses in the face of spending cuts.

Coping with work-nonwork stressors over time: A person-centered, multistudy integration of coping breadth and depth.

Coping is a dynamic response to stressors that employees encounter in their work and nonwork roles. Scholars have argued that it is not just whether employees cope with work-nonwork stressors-but how they cope-that matters. Indeed, prior research assumes that adaptive coping strategies-planning, prioritizing, positive reframing, seeking emotional and instrumental support-are universally beneficial, suggesting that sustaining high levels of these strategies is ideal. By returning to the roots of coping theory, we adopt a person-centered, dynamic approach using latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis across three multiwave studies (N = 1,370) to consider whether employees combine coping strategies and how remaining in or shifting between such combinations also matters. In a pilot study (N = 361), we explored profiles and their transitions during a time frame punctuated with macrolevel transitions that amplified employees' work-nonwork stressors (i.e., COVID-19), which revealed three profiles at Time 1 (comprehensive copers, emotion-focused copers, and individualistic copers) and a fourth profile at Time 2 (surviving copers). In Study 1 (N = 648), across all three time points, we replicated three profiles and found evidence for constrained copers instead of emotion-focused copers. In Study 2 (N = 361), across both time points, we replicated all four profiles from Study 1 and tested hypotheses regarding the profiles, their transition patterns, and implications of such patterns for work, well-being, and social functioning outcomes. Altogether, our work suggests that maintaining high-coping depth or increasing depth is generally beneficial, whereas maintaining or increasing coping breadth is generally harmful. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Equity principles: Using social theory for more effective social transformation in agricultural research for development

CONTEXTAgricultural innovations and their applications are increasingly recognized as crucial mechanisms for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Actors in agricultural research for development (AR4D) frequently use Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) frameworks to comprehend the ecosystems within which innovations are developed and scaled. Given the SDGs' emphasis on social outcomes, a reflection on social diversity, power, and the integration of social theory into AIS and AR4D tools is crucial for addressing the nuances of social objectives. OBJECTIVEThis research critically evaluates AIS frameworks and AR4D tools through applying social theory to enhance social outcomes. We offer practical application through the development of “Equity Principles for Social Transformation (EPs).” These EPs are designed to guide AR4D organizations in innovation and scaling efforts that effectively achieve meaningful social outcomes. Through this approach, we aim to enrich the conceptual understanding of equity within AIS and provide practical strategies for implementing these insights, thus empowering AR4D actors to be more effective. METHODSWe start by selecting key social theories to analyze global power imbalances and local social exclusion within AIS frameworks and AR4D tools. Using these theories, we examine three case studies to uncover gaps in their approach to social dimensions. We categorize these gaps through thematic analysis and formulate EPs informed by social theories and a practical understanding of AR4D tools. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSEquity analysis of each case study reveals gaps in understanding social implications within upstream and downstream research efforts. These gaps include insufficient addressing of power dynamics and agency recognition, lack of comprehensive guidance on critical social components, oversight of cultural and institutional norms, exacerbation of social inequities, and the case studies' limitations in flexibility for addressing social inclusion effectively. Additionally, there is a notable lack of clear operational guidelines for applying the frameworks in diverse contexts, including the challenge of translating conceptual levels into local action. Seven EPs were developed: recognize AR4D power dynamics; define goals, anti-goals, and for whom; build global “horizontal” partnerships; acknowledge social differences among innovation users and non-users; innovate and curate innovation appropriately; assess impact and reflect; and develop systems capacity. SIGNIFICANCEThe EPs connect innovation systems with positive social change. They help AR4D professionals consider and evaluate the impact of innovation. The EPs provide an additional framework that enables AR4D practitioners to prioritize user needs from the beginning, challenge biases, and more effectively achieve the social objectives outlined in the SDGs.

Are the Kids Alright? Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce Using Narrative Therapy

While there are negative stereotypes against children who have been through divorce, research indicates that there are a wide range of potential outcomes children can experience after their parents’ divorce. Research indicates that there are at least four protective factors that lead to positive mental health and social outcomes for children of divorce: (a) external social support, (b) self-reliance and grit, (c) positive relationships with parents, and (d) resilience and self-compassion. These protective factors are then illustrated through a narrative therapy framework, which focuses on multiple possible realities, meaning making, perception of the client as the expert of their own experience, and the role of dominant discourses in the client's life and clinical intervention. A clinical vignette is then presented, depicting a teenage girl whose parents have divorced after an especially turbulent marriage. Narrative therapy's strength is that it helps the client develop cognitive distance between their sense of self and the problems they are experiencing. However, some limitations to this presentation are that it is highly theoretical and requires further quantitative research to explore the effects of narrative therapy on clients whose parents are divorced. Further research is required to explore the wide spectrum of outcomes children can experience after divorce and how clinicians can help children reach more positive outcomes.

What We Can Learn When Impacts Fail to Replicate: Lessons From an Empowerment Programme for Young Women in Tanzania

We evaluate the Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents programme that combines life and livelihood skills trainings with a safe space where young women can network and learn. The same multifaceted intervention was highly effective in raising adolescent girls’ economic and social empowerment when implemented in Uganda. In contrast, this randomised evaluation, using panel data on more than 3100 adolescents, finds no programme impact on any economic, health, or social outcomes in Tanzania. We propose implementation quality as one plausible explanation of why the programme’s effectiveness could not be successfully replicated in Tanzania.

Examining teacher candidates’ self-determined motivation to develop self-regulated learning promoting practices

The development of self-regulated learning leads to positive academic, social, and emotional outcomes for learners. For many educators, teaching towards self-regulated learning is challenging. This study investigated contextual and motivational features within teacher education programs that support or hinder teacher candidates' motivation to development self-regulated learning practices. Zimmerman's model of self-regulated learning (2008), along with Perry, Hutchinson, and Thauberger’s (2008) descriptions of self-regulated learning practices and Ryan and Deci's (2017) self-determination theory informed this process. Codes and categories drawn from interviews, documents, and in-class observations and reported upon in previously published work was analyzed to identify themes that are supportive or constraining of teacher candidates' motivation to develop practices that foster self-regulated learning in the classroom. Results reveal five themes: (a) opportunities for teacher candidates to see their school mentors' formation of classroom participation structures, (b) the provision of freedom for teacher candidates to experiment with practices along with in-situ scaffold support, (c) adequate support for teacher candidates to integrate self-regulated learning content into their practice, (d) teacher candidates' perceptions of alignment across their learning experiences, and (e) adequate time and support for teacher candidates to establish relationships in their practicum settings.

The Importance of Being Consistent: Attribution of Mental States in Strategic Human-Robot Interactions.

This article investigates the attribution of mental state (AMS) to an anthropomorphic robot by humans in a strategic interaction. We conducted an experiment in which human subjects are paired with either a human or an anthropomorphic robot to play an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game, and we tested whether AMS is dependent on the robot "consistency," that is, the correspondence between the robot's verbal reaction and its behavior after a nonoptimal social outcome of the game is obtained. We find that human partners are attributed a higher mental state level than robotic partners, regardless of the partner's consistency between words and actions. Conversely, the level of AMS assigned to the robot is significantly higher when the robot is consistent in its words and actions. This finding is robust to the inclusion of psychological factors such as risk attitude and trust, and it holds regardless of subjects' initial beliefs about the adaptability of the robot. Finally, we find that when the robot apologizes for its behavior and defects in the following stage, the epistemic component of the AMS significantly increases.

Impact of COVID-19 on women living with HIV who are survivors of intimate partner violence

BackgroundWomen living with HIV (WLWH) experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to women without HIV, but there has been minimal research to date on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lived experiences of WLWH who are IPV survivors.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of COVID-19 impact using baseline data from an ongoing, prospective, micro-longitudinal cohort study of HIV care engagement among WLWH who have experienced lifetime IPV. We measured the impact of COVID-19 along key domains (i.e., physical health, day-to-day life, sexual/relationship behavior, substance use, HIV care, mental health, financial status, and having conflict with partners). Using independent t-tests or Fisher’s exact tests, and Pearson’s chi-squared tests, we compared women with and without ongoing IPV across sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric disorders, substance use, and COVID-19 impact domains. We then built separate multivariate linear regression models for each of the different COVID-19 impact domains; ongoing IPV exposure was the primary explanatory variable of interest.ResultsEnrolled participants (n = 84) comprised a group of women (mean age 53.6y; SD = 9.9) who were living with HIV for a mean 23.3 years (SD = 10), all of whom had experienced lifetime IPV. Among 49 women who were currently partnered, 79.6% (n = 39) reported ongoing IPV. There were no statistically significant differences between those experiencing ongoing IPV and those who were not (or not partnered) in terms of demographic characteristics, substance use, or mental health. In multivariate models, ongoing IPV exposure was not associated with any COVID-19 impact domain. Anxiety and depression, however, were associated with COVID-19-related physical health, HIV care, and relationship conflict. Hispanic ethnicity was significantly associated with COVID-19-related physical health. More severe cocaine and opioid use were also significantly associated with COVID-19-related impact on day-to-day life.ConclusionsAmong this sample of WLWH who are all lifetime IPV-survivors, nearly half had ongoing IPV exposure. The COVID-19 public health emergency period affected WLWH in varied ways, but impacts were most profound for women experiencing concurrent mental health and substance use problems. Findings have important implications for future interventions to improve women’s health and social outcomes.

Socio-Economic and Environmental Outcomes of Street Food Vending and its Sustainability in Selected Urban Areas of Kenya

Street food (SF) vending is a common livelihood activity in many urban areas globally. It is driven by a lack of employment opportunities in the formal sector and by the demand for cheap ready-to-eat food by urban residents. However, the trade is perceived to have adverse impacts on the urban environment and hence authorities seek to eliminate it from urban spaces. The purpose of this study was to assess the sustainability of SF vending in Bungoma, Kakamega and Busia urban areas in Western Kenya by examining its social, economic and environmental outcomes. The research design used was a cross-sectional descriptive survey. Proportionate sampling and simple random sampling were used to select respondents in each urban area. The sample consisted of two hundred and twenty-four respondents. Data was collected through questionnaires, observation checklists and photography. The findings show that SF vending met the food security needs of residents and also provided employment opportunities. However, the earnings were too low to meet the needs of vendors and their employees. Despite the low income, the trade also provided revenue for the county governments through the payment of various levies. Although personal hygiene was relatively good, workplaces were strewn with litter and waste disposal was poorly done. In order for SF vending to be sustainable in the long run, SF vendors need to be empowered through stakeholder engagement to increase their earnings to a level where it can meet their needs. They also need to adopt environmentally friendly waste disposal methods.

Advancing collaborative social outcomes through place-based solutions—aligning policy and funding systems

Abstract More collaborative and human-centered approaches to tackle social problems of entrenched disadvantage have been introduced in many countries, including Australia, but with mixed results. Traditional programs that reinforce existing political and bureaucratic processes have been seen as blockers to collaborative modes of policymaking, governance, and delivery. Drawing on collaborative governance perspectives, this paper reports new research undertaken in conjunction with a not-for-profit organization (Collaboration for Impact) involved in supporting place-based collaborative community change efforts. Research findings, based on stakeholder perspectives, highlight not only the potential benefits of a more collaborative model (i.e., placed-based and community driven) but also the significant unresolved challenges for “backbone” coordination bodies, which have recently been established to achieve more “joined-up” policy, funding, and service delivery arrangements. The paper concludes by proposing a practice-driven focus on policy and funding systems, together with implications for policy learning and program design.

Sustainable strategies, employee competencies and social outcomes: are they aligned?

PurposeThe present paper contributes to the development of sustainable strategies by focusing on the social perspective and the role played by HRM. Specifically, we identified and compared the employee competencies that supported the compliance strategy as well as the innovative/proactive sustainability strategies – and their impacts on social outcomes.Design/methodology/approachAfter formulating hypotheses, we tested them on a sample of 179 companies from the chemical and metallurgical industries using the bootstrap method.FindingsThe results revealed that both sustainability strategies were present in the sample. The compliance sustainable strategy showed to be negatively associated with employee competencies, whilst proactive sustainable strategy firms presented a positive relationship with employee competencies. We also found that compliance strategies failed to have any impact on social outcomes, but proactive strategies had a positive effect on social outcomes. Indeed, normative and foresighted thinking competencies acted as mediating variables in such a relationship.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in three aspects hitherto unaddressed in the literature: first, the conceptualisation and assessment of sustainable strategies focused on a social dimension; second, the identification of individual competencies required developing sustainable strategies; and third, the demonstration that it is only the firms that adopt proactive sustainable strategies that obtain positive social outcomes.

Voices of the unhoused from Santa Fe, New Mexico: A mixed methods study of health status, substance use, and community harm reduction program perspectives

No published studies have examined the community service priorities and harm reduction perspectives of unhoused people in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We conducted a mixed methods pilot study of 56 unhoused people at community locations in Santa Fe to: (1) assess the current prevalence of chronic medical conditions and substance use; (2) highlight community service priorities; and (3) explore views of innovative community harm reduction programs. Our first hypothesis was there would be high prevalence of chronic medical conditions, for which we found high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, substance use disorders, chronic pain, and hypertension. Our second hypothesis was that we would find top community service priorities of housing, food, and health care. We found long- and short-term housing and food, but not healthcare, top priorities. Our third hypothesis was that we would find mixed support for community harm reduction initiatives like managed alcohol programs and overdose prevention centers. We found positive, not mixed, support for these community harm reduction programs among Santa Fe’s unhoused. Unhoused study participants ranged in age 27–77 years, with lifetime years unhoused from less than one year to 63 years. Study limitations included small sample size, convenience sampling, and descriptive results. Policies and program initiatives supporting additional Housing First options, managed alcohol programs, and overdose prevention centers in the Santa Fe community are clearly indicated to increase engagement with this vulnerable population. Future research should focus on inclusion of the perspectives of the unhoused in the design, conduct, evaluation, and dissemination of community programs to meet the needs of the unhoused, with re-defined outcomes to include changes in quality of life, program engagement, demarginalization, and future goals and plans, beyond currently utilized health and social service program outcome measures.

Federally Qualified Health Centers' Screening for social risk factors and Health Outcomes.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are ideally positioned to identify and address health-related social needs, but little is understood about the relationship between social risk factor (SRF) screening and health outcomes. We studied 1352 FQHCs from the 2019 Uniform Data System. Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate the relationship between SRF screening and the percentage of patients with adequately controlled diabetes and hypertension. Results show 71% of the FQHCs in the sample collected SRFs. FQHCs' screened for SRFs had higher percentages of patients with adequately controlled diabetes (69.5% vs 67.0%, P <.001) and hypertension (63.8% vs 59.4%, P <.001) relative to FQHCs not collecting SRFs.