Social Education Research Articles

Enhancing ESG learning outcomes through gamification: An experimental study.

This study investigates the effectiveness of gamification in enhancing learning outcomes in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) education. Employing a cluster randomized experiment, the research involved 22 classes from four universities, divided into gamified and traditional teaching groups. The gamified group engaged with ESG concepts through interactive, game-like elements, while the control group followed standard educational practices. The study aimed to determine whether gamification could improve ESG course effectiveness and enhance Psychological Ownership and Perceived Importance, thereby influencing learning outcomes. Data collected through post-experiment surveys were analyzed using multiple linear regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicated that students in the gamified group performed significantly better in ESG exams compared to the control group, demonstrating the effectiveness of gamification in enhancing academic achievement. The SEM analysis further revealed that gamification positively impacted Psychological Ownership and Perceived Importance, which in turn significantly improved academic performance. These findings suggest that incorporating gamification in ESG education can effectively engage students and deepen their understanding of complex sustainability issues. This study contributes to the field by highlighting the potential of gamification as a transformative tool in higher education, particularly in teaching abstract and multifaceted subjects like ESG.

“My thinking has changed but beliefs have not”: Motivated reasoning in learning to teach abortion

ABSTRACT In the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, social studies education has remained startlingly silent on the topic of abortion. In this design-based research study, we present a qualitative analysis of how preservice secondary social studies teachers made sense of evidence and how they learned about abortion in a mixed-reality teaching simulation built around pedagogies of practice on facilitating controversial issue discussions. Drawing on political psychology and motivated reasoning, we analyzed participants’ engagement with amicus briefs in Dobbs v. Jackson and their thinking about evidence and the issue itself. We found participants generally made sense of the documents in ways consistent with principles of motivated reasoning and the primacy of emotions in evidence evaluation. We analyze shifts in participants’ thinking and conceptual understanding about abortion as a result of their participation, including distinctions and connections drawn between thinking, believing, and learning. Our analysis suggests that even those with intransigent opinions can learn about abortion, that evidence and evidence evaluation are more complicated and nuanced than the literature often suggests, and that emotion plays an integral role in evaluation and argumentation. We conclude by arguing that abortion cannot remain in the proverbial shadows in social studies.

Social value accumulation through Australian aquatic facilities

ABSTRACT Research question Despite being a critical component of public infrastructure, academic research has rarely delved into aquatic facilities as key for acquiring social value. Therefore, this study analyzed how social value is accumulated through public aquatic facilities and commercial swim schools in Australia, specifically exploring the social capital created for local communities. Research methods Twenty-eight interviews with users and managers of aquatic facilities were conducted, representing over 110 facilities across 5 states or territories in Australia. Results and findings Guided by Putnam’s conceptualization of social capital, our data demonstrated the critical importance of aquatic facilities in communities across Australia. The analysis identified that aquatic facilities create a range of benefits to community members, including health and well-being, social connection, safety and education, and employment opportunities. Implications While arguably more difficult to operationalize and quantify, this research provides a foundation to understand the social value, as well as provides avenues to improve the social value achieved by aquatic facilities.

The Church Museums’ Evolution of the Idea and Methods of Missionary Work in China: A Study of Tsinanfu Institute

This study explores the role of church museums represented by the Tsinanfu Institute in the spread of Christianity in modern China. Established in 1887, Tsinanfu Institute, formerly Tsingchowfu Museum, stands as an early pioneer of church museums in China with the mission of spreading Christianity. It has taken exhibition and knowledge dissemination and social education as its core functions, indirect evangelization and expansion of religious influence as its fundamental purpose, and the Chinese way of localization and the promotion of harmonious relations with the community as its important working guidelines. It has established a new operational concept as a “public cultural museum”, realizing the transformation of the church museum from a missionary venue for the intellectuals to a new type of missionary venue for the general public. The development stages of the church museum operational concept represented by Tsinanfu Institute are mainly socialization, education, localization, and the popularization of higher education, which is a microcosm of the development trend of the Christian Endeavour Movement, Social Gospel, and vernacularization thought. Tsinanfu Institute shows significant research value in studying new missionary concepts and exploring the new way of missionary work in the church during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Pedagogy of discomfort to prevent and intervene against bias-based bullying

In this article, we will present bias-based bullying episodes shared by Norwegian teachers and preservice teachers when talking about the concept of “discomfort”. We also investigate how “discomfort” and “pedagogy of discomfort” as a tool are reflected in teachers’ and preservice teachers’ prevention and intervention of bias-based bullying episodes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among seven preservice teachers in their last year of teacher education and seven teachers, with 7–24 years of experience, working in Norwegian schools. Our main findings indicate that the pedagogy of discomfort might be a useful tool to prevent and intervene against bias-based bullying by using the feeling of discomfort that bias-based bullying creates in a constructive way. However, while the preservice teachers are inspired by theories of discomfort and social justice education and are motivated to try those theories out in practice, the teachers are not so familiar with these theories and tend to manage discomfort by avoiding them. By getting more familiar with the pedagogy of discomfort, teachers may improve the classroom atmosphere and make it easier to explore difficult topics in a way that creates room for differences and inclusion, strengthens students’ and teachers’ ability to engage in critical thinking, and thus lowers the risk of bias-based bullying.

Adapting to the Digital Age: An Evaluation of Online Learning Strategies in Public Health and Social Care Education

Introduction. The global shift towards digital education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the landscape of higher education. Public health and social care programmes have adapted to this transformation, embracing online learning strategies to engage students. This study focuses on the assessment of online learning experiences in public health and social care education, particularly during the post-COVID-19 period. Materials and Methods. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 49 university students in England. These phases, conducted both in person and via video, were audio and video recorded and transcribed verbatim. A purposive sampling technique was employed to gather data, and framework analysis facilitated data management and interpretation. Results. The presentation highlights three main themes and 12 accompanying sub-themes that capture the clear preferences of students for both in-person and online learning methods. The findings elucidate the merits and demerits of online learning strategies in contrast to traditional face-to-face classes. Online classes offer distinct advantages in terms of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, time efficiency, and technological proficiency. However, they also bring to the fore concerns related to social isolation, mental health challenges, technical challenges, and distractions within the home environment. Conclusion. Considering the global transition to digital education, this study contributes to the dynamic discourse surrounding online learning in the post-COVID-19 era. The diverse preferences expressed by students highlight the importance of personalised and flexible teaching methods in online education, underlining the need for adaptability and inclusivity to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners.

Social and Healthcare Educators’ Competence in Well-Being at Work – A Cross-Sectional Study

Social and Healthcare Educators’ Competence in Well-Being at Work – A Cross-Sectional Study

Evidence-based healthcare competence of social- and healthcare educators: A cross-sectional study.

The purpose of the study was to describe social and healthcare educators' evidence-based healthcare competence and explore the associated factors. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out. The research spanned 5 universities, 19 universities of applied sciences, and 10 vocational colleges in Finland from September to December 2022. Social and healthcare educators (n = 256), of which 21 worked at universities, 176 worked at universities of applied sciences, and 49 worked at vocational colleges. Data collection employed a self-assessed instrument that was designed to measure evidence-based healthcare competence based on the JBI Model of Evidence-based Healthcare. Competence profiles were formed using K-cluster grouping analysis. The educators' self-evaluations of their level of evidence-based healthcare competence were generally at a satisfactory level, with subsequent analyses identifying four distinct profiles of evidence-based healthcare competence. The profiles demonstrated statistically significant differences in terms of evidence synthesis and evidence transfer competencies. The factors associated with evidence-based healthcare competence included level of education, the year in which a professional had obtained their highest degree, current organization of employment, and participation in continuing education. Educators require various types of support for developing high levels of evidence-based healthcare competence. The identification of distinct competence profiles can be pivotal to providing educators with training that is tailored to their exact needs to provide an individualized learning path. WHAT PROBLEM DID THE STUDY ADDRESS?: Educators value the role of evidence in teaching, which reinforces the need to integrate aspects of the JBI Model of evidence-based healthcare into educators' competencies. Aspects of the JBI Model of evidence-based healthcare have not been holistically measured, with only certain components of the model considered separately. Educators need to better understand the global healthcare environment so they can identify research gaps and subsequently develop healthcare systems through their educational role. Higher academic education, work experience, organizational support, and continuous education play essential roles in the development of educators' evidence-based healthcare competence. WHAT WERE THE MAIN FINDINGS?: Educators generally have high levels of competence in evidence-based healthcare. Educators have mastered the different components of the JBI model of evidence-based healthcare but need to improve in areas such as the transfer and implementation of evidence. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: Determining evidence-based healthcare competence profiles for educators can be used to provide individualized learning paths for the development of evidence-based healthcare competence. Educators need to further develop their competence in evidence-based healthcare to ensure successful implementation and high-quality education in the future. No patient or public contribution.

Social and Structural Determinants of Health Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Older Adults in the United States

State-level COVID-19 vaccination rates among older adults have been uneven in the United States. Due to the immunocompromised nature of older adults, vaccine hesitancy increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. This study aims to determine the association between the social determinants of health, the structural determinants of health, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among older adults in the United States. Secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) dataset were used. A descriptive analysis and multinomial multivariable logistic regression were performed to examine the association of the independent variables—gender, age, race, immigration status, marital status, broadband internet access, social security income, Medicare coverage, education, and frequency of religious service—with the dependent variable, vaccine hesitancy. Compared to the respondents with no vaccine hesitancy and without the specific predictor, the respondents who reported religious attendance at least once/week were more likely to be “somewhat hesitant”, divorced respondents had higher odds of being “somewhat hesitant”, and older adults aged 65–74 years were more likely to be “very hesitant” or “somewhat hesitant” about the COVID-19 vaccine. Compared to the respondents with no vaccine hesitancy and without the specific predictor, females had higher odds of being “very hesitant”, “somewhat hesitant”, or a “little hesitant”, and African Americans were more likely to be “very hesitant”, “somewhat hesitant”, or a “little hesitant” about the COVID-19 vaccine. Addressing these factors may limit the barriers to vaccine uptake reported among older adults and improve herd immunity among the immunocompromised population.

An ethical foundation of global competence and its educational implications

ABSTRACT This paper proposes an ethical foundation of global competence and highlights its educational implications by critiquing the conception promoted by the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is contended that OECD’s formulation of global competence presupposes neo-liberal ideas and pays insufficient attention to ethical concerns, especially those originating from the Global South. Drawing upon Confucian thought, it is argued that Confucius predicates global competence upon an ethical way of being that revolves around who we are and how we are connected to others in the world. The normative basis of global competence are ren (humanity) and shu (empathy) that advance the collective good of all human beings. As for educational implications, Confucian perspectives foreground the dispositional and moral aspects of global competence, as well as the importance of social justice education. Such a construct guides and motivates globally competent individuals to balance critical thinking and empathic concern.

The sociopolitical turn in mathematics education and decolonial theory

This literature review examines how the theoretical perspectives aligned to the sociopolitical turn in mathematics inform social justice mathematics education. While existing literature has established the importance of social justice frameworks informed by critical theory, there has been limited exploration of critical race theory, poststructuralism and feminist theory, perspectives that offer a broader and more complex understanding of the social and political. After examining how these perspectives contribute to social justice mathematics, we explore the potential contributions of decolonial theory, particularly the way it unsettles accepted notions of social justice. By drawing and building on the sociopolitical turn in mathematics education, this article argues that decolonial thought can also assist in reimagining social justice mathematics education theoretically, methodologically and pedagogically. Ultimately, the article argues that there is no social justice without cognitive/epistemic and ontological justice, meaning that social justice loses ethical and political weight when modernity’s violent epistemic and ontological foundations are not questioned by social justice mathematics education research.

The effects of immersive virtual reality field trips upon student academic achievement, cognitive load, and multimodal presence in a social studies educational context

AbstractThere is increasing educational interest in immersive virtual reality (IVR) applications which aid student learning and performance. However, few empirical studies have investigated the potential for implementing the technology in middle-school social studies classrooms. This study employed a quasi-experimental approach to address this issue, using pre- and post-test evaluations to measure academic achievement, and questionnaires to examine cognitive load and sense-of-presence. 48 seventh-grade students participated, split evenly between experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a systematic set of IVR-based social studies lessons via Head-Mounted Displays, while the control group covered identical content conventionally. Experimental group participants attained higher academic achievement with lower cognitive loading than control group students. The experimental group also experienced high levels of multimodal presence (physical, social, and self). This study yielded empirical evidence demonstrating the potential benefits which IVR offers social studies education. Furthermore, it provides an example for how effective, IVR-based social studies lessons can be developed.

Understanding College Students’ Satisfaction With ChatGPT: An Exploratory And Predictive Machine Learning Approach Using Feature Engineering

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are continually improving and becoming more pervasive in many facets of our lives. ChatGPT is one such cutting-edge artificial intelligence application, and it has received a lot of worldwide media attention, specifically from educationists, technologists, and learners. It is imperative to understand and evaluate the impact of ChatGPT on computer science students as it directly and holistically influences them. A quantitative instrumental case study explores ChatGPT’s impact on early adopters in education. A survey of undergraduate computer science students at a state university of Delhi was conducted to get insight into their opinion on adopting this revolutionising technology for their education, career, and overall satisfaction. An end-to-end data science approach is applied to encompass exploratory and predictive modelling with feature engineering solutions. Results reveal the most influential features contributing to students’ satisfaction in adopting ChatGPT for their day-to-day chores concerning their social life, education, and career. The Linear Support Vector classifier, a machine learning algorithm for predicting the satisfaction or dissatisfaction in students’ shows an accuracy score of 72.73% and 97.72%, respectively. The AUC for this multiclass prediction model is convincing and is 0.74, 0.71, and 0.96 for satisfied, neutral, and dissatisfied classes, respectively.

FORMATION OF SOCIAL COMPETENCE OF CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE "INTEGRATED SOCIAL AND ARTISTIC COURSE «MY WORLD» WITHIN THE NATIONAL EDWEY PLATFORM

The article is devoted to the formation of social competence of children with complex developmental disorders (ASD, ADHD, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, childhood schizophrenia) and raising the level of professional, inclusive competence of specialists, social educators of rehabilitation centres and other special institutions working with this category of wards. The article highlights a number of legislative documents on professional development of pedagogical staff, identifies free Ukrainian learning platforms for representatives of the educational community (EdWey, EdEra, Prometheus, WiseCow, Ukrainian Google Team, EduHub, Coursera, PostNauka). Based on the analysis of educational content from these educational platforms, the main directions and topics of the curricula of in-service training courses covering aspects of inclusive practice, features of inclusive education, practice-oriented approaches to working with children with developmental disabilities, including in wartime, are presented. The article highlights training courses for parents and representatives of children with developmental disabilities that contribute to the development of inclusive competence, open up opportunities for expanding the correctional knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for correct and effective work with children with developmental disabilities. The deficit of advanced training courses for social workers and specialists working with children with complex developmental disorders is outlined. The content of the author's "Integrated social and artistic course "My world" for children with complex developmental disorders" as an opportunity for advanced training of pedagogical and social workers within the National Edwey Platform is revealed, the results of students' training / check for the period of study are highlighted.

Educational Innovations in the Fundamentals of Marxism in the Context of the New Era

In the historical context of the new era, socialist education with Chinese characteristics faces many opportunities and challenges. With the further deepening of globalisation and informatisation, traditional economic, cultural and technological boundaries are becoming blurred, while bringing about social challenges such as intensified global competition and the polarisation of the rich and the poor. As the world's second largest economy, China is striving to find a development path suitable for itself in the wave of globalisation. In the age of information technology, cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data are reshaping the economy and society, while the Internet and mobile communication technologies have made the flow of information more rapid, which not only facilitates the dissemination of knowledge, but also has a significant impact on the mode of education and the way of work. By promoting the "Internet Plus" action plan and the development of the digital economy, the Chinese government aims to improve governance capacity and efficiency, and draw up a blueprint for a digital China and a smart society. In the new era of ideological pluralism, China faces the challenges and opportunities of both socialist core values and traditional cultural heritage. China is trying to find a balance between inheritance and innovation, and to strengthen citizens' moral construction and cultural confidence. Such an endeavour not only enhances the country's cultural soft power, but is also a positive response to the changes of the times. At the same time, socialist education with Chinese characteristics is also placing greater emphasis on people's livelihoods and fairness and justice in the new era, and the public's pursuit of a high quality of life has become more intense. The rising demand for education, health, housing and the environment requires the government to pay more attention to livelihood improvement and social equity while promoting economic development. The concept of environmental protection and green development has become a social consensus, pointing to the goal of sustainable development. China's economic system is transforming into a more globally competitive modernisation and is seeking a broader space for development under the new pattern of globalisation. The changes brought about by this new era to Chinese education are not only challenges, but also opportunities. China not only needs to play an important role in the international arena, but also needs to deepen its internal reforms in order to raise the level of national education and contribute to the grand blueprint of high-quality economic development and national rejuvenation. Marxist education, as a guiding ideology, will continue to play an important role in this process, aiming to cultivate the talents needed by the times, promote the internalisation and practice of socialist core values, and ultimately realise socialist modernisation and the overall revitalization of the country.

“It's a form of psychological warfare against educators”: Protective factors for sustaining social justice education in contentious times

The recent onslaught of divisive concepts legislation in the U.S. threatens the psychological safety of social justice educators in the workplace and the preparation of K-12 students for participation in a diverse democratic society and global community. This study identifies supports that sustain social justice educators' commitment to teaching for justice and how these supports function as protective factors against external opposition. From interviews of 17 justice-oriented teachers and administrators, ethnographic field notes and documents, findings indicate five types of support that function as protective factors in contentious political times: community-oriented, educational/instructional, structural, legal, and declarative.

Exploring the Innovative Model of Social Practice Education for College Students based on Course Ideological and Political Education

College students participate in social practice to cultivate their ideals and beliefs. This is not only an effective way to educate college students on socialist core values, but also a good supplement. On this basis, a teaching philosophy of "people-oriented" and "morality based" was proposed, through research on the "Three Represents" and "Five Represents". Based on the demand for talents in the new era and the actual situation of social practice teaching, this paper proposes an optimization approach for the social practice teaching mode of college students based on ideological and political theory courses in universities.

The social and organisational factors shaping acceptability of a self-management education and exercise intervention for people with hip or knee osteoarthritis in Greenland

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of people with osteoarthritis attending the “Osteoarthritis School” (OA School) in Nuuk, Greenland to generate insights and lessons that can inform the development of self-management education and exercise interventions for people with other lifestyle conditions in a Greenland context. We conducted a qualitative interpretive description (ID) study based on ten semi-structured interviews with people with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Using ID, we identified three themes: 1) perceptions and experiences of how the OA School intervention was organised (time and place); 2) perspectives and experiences of the education and exercise components (social factors, motivation, and education); and 3) significant change stories (physical and mental improvements and increased knowledge of OA). Social and organisational factors, such as working out with peers and the time and place of the intervention, influenced the participants’ acceptance of the OA School intervention. Knowledge from this study will help us gain insight into what to address when developing future self-management education and exercise interventions in the Greenlandic healthcare system.

We prefer students to be creative and developing things themselves—narratives of student engagement when learning becomes playful

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to the expanding body of research on Playful Learning (PL) within Higher Education (HE), offering an in-depth examination of narratives concerning student participation and engagement in PL emerging as educators reflect on their experiences with PL in Danish teacher education and social education. In attempt to nuance and widen understandings of what PL practices promote as educationally desirable, narratives of students engaged and participating in PL, as well as narratives about students being hesitant towards participating, are critically analysed. The analysis teases out normative understandings of proper student behaviour, forming and shaping student participation as well as understandings of what PL is good for. The study points to the need for educators to discuss what “new” demands PL poses in relation to student engagement and behaviour, and which educational questions that arise from the integration of PL within HE.

Abstract PO2-25-08: Role of social isolation and support on all-cause and breast cancer specific mortality among women with breast cancer: The Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study

Abstract Background: Studies of associations of social support with mortality among women diagnosed with breast cancer have been inconclusive. Further, there have been little study of related factors such as marital status, housing, and income, nor of differential impact by treatment received (chemotherapy, radiation, or hormonal therapy). Methods: Women with incident, pathologically confirmed invasive breast cancer, stage I-IV, answered a social support questionnaire data (n=1015) in a population-based study, the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study. Patients were queried regarding the number of their close friends, the number of people with whom they lived with, their income, education, and marital status. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality were estimated with Cox proportional hazards models. Associations were also examined within strata of treatment type received. Results: Median follow up time was 18.5 yrs, 449 died of which 279 deaths were from breast cancer. Out of 1015 patients, 98 patients reported 0-1 friends while 917 reported 2 or more friends. The crude association of social isolation, defined as reporting no or one close friend, was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality with HR 1.57 (95% CI 1.19-2.07) (p=0.0014). Older age (62 yrs vs. 57 yrs), fewer years of education (12.5 yrs vs. 13.5 yrs), longer smoking history (17 pack years vs. 10.7 pack years), higher percentage of non-white population (15.3% vs. 7.52%), lower income (20.7% vs. 7.2%), living alone (45.9% vs. 21.9%), post-menopausal status (83.7% vs. 70.7%), lower receipt of chemotherapy (32.3% vs. 44.8%), higher receipt of hormone replacement therapy (43.9% vs. 37.0%), high blood pressure (53.6% vs. 33.8%), high blood cholesterol (45.8% vs. 34.1%), more likelihood of being divorced/separated, widowed, never married (20.8% v. 12.8%, 19.8% vs. 15.2%, 13.5% vs. 7.8%) were significantly associated with social isolation. After controlling for these variables, there was no association between social isolation and all-cause mortality, HR 1.14 (95% CI, 0.78-1.66). Being widowed (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.19-1.95), divorced/separated (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.14-1.99), having lower income (HR 3.58, 95% CI, 1.89-6.77) and lower education (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.12) were associated with higher all-cause mortality. In multivariable analyses, only lower income was associated with higher all-cause mortality (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.16-5.14). There was no association of social isolation, marital status, income, education, or housing with breast cancer specific mortality. There were also no significant associations of marital status, income, social support, or housing with mortality within strata of treatment received. Conclusions: In this population-based study of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, social support, measured as the number of friends the breast cancer patient could call on for assistance, was not associated with either all cause or breast cancer mortality. Higher income was associated with lower mortality. Our study focused on social networks; future studies should also analyze emotional domain of social support, that is, perceived social support: feeling encouraged, shared problem-solving etc., which have higher clinical relevance than structural support. Citation Format: Shipra Gandhi, Jing Nie, Archit Patel, Maurizio Trevisan, Kristopher Attwood, Jo L. Freudenheeim. Role of social isolation and support on all-cause and breast cancer specific mortality among women with breast cancer: The Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-25-08.