Special Education Programs Research Articles

The effectiveness of using artificial intelligence in improving academic skills of school-aged students with mild intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia

What This Study AddsTeaching academic skills to students with intellectual disabilities can be a challenge for educators. This study explored the role of AI in the field of special education and provided a novel framework for educational integration of children with mild ID. Interestingly, it demonstrated that using AI-driven interventions could significantly improve academic skills and lead to better learning outcomes. This is crucial, as the holistic approach associated with the "whole child" model of education is prevalent due to the challenges students with ID face in social interactions typically involved in academic socialization. BackgroundIntellectual disabilities (ID) are neurodevelopmental disorders that hinder learning, communication, and daily functioning. It negatively impacts learning of academic skills such as match and reading skills. Artificial intelligence (AI) may offer opportunities for these students to improve their academic performance. AimsTo investigate the effectiveness of using AI in improving academic skills in a sample of seventy boys aged 9–12 with mild ID. They were enrolled into special education programs integrated into public schools in the Jeddah region of Saudi Arabia. MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group. The experimental group received ten 60-minute sessions twice weekly during five weeks, utilizing AI to personalize their academic skills activities. The control group received the educational program without the AI. All participants completed the Woodcock-Johnson IV-achievement test at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. ResultsThe experimental group demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in academic performance across all measured domains compared to the control group, with effect sizes ranging from moderate (η² = 0.685) to large (η² = 0.921), underscoring the efficacy of the intervention at post-intervention. Conclusions and ImplicationsThis study sheds light on the promise of applying AI tools in special education to respond to distinctive needs experienced by students with mild ID. Future studies should investigate the long-term effects of such interventions and their broader applications across diverse educational contexts for inclusive learning.

The practice, nature, and impact of nurse-led type 2 diabetic foot prevention services and educational programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to assess the scope of existing practice, nature, and impact of nurse-led type 2 diabetic foot prevention services and educational programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).IntroductionType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in SSA imposes a heavy burden on current healthcare services. Complications such as foot ulcers can have a significant impact on patient care and healthcare resources. It is imperative to identify patients at risk of developing diabetic foot complications and empower them with diabetes self-management education and support from specialised foot clinics is crucial. However, the availability of such programmes and services in SSA is limited.Inclusion criteriaStudies of nurse-led diabetic foot prevention services and/or educational programmes in low- or middle-income countries in SSA for adults with T2DM, written in English, between August 2013 and March 2024 were considered.MethodsFollowing the standard Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for conducting and reporting scoping reviews, searches were conducted on four electronic databases (CINAHL, ProQuest, MEDLINE, and Scopus) and Google Scholar. The titles and abstracts were scrutinised. All eligible papers were retrieved and screened for full text.ResultsThe review included ten studies (across 14 papers), all of which focused on nurse-led diabetes self-management education (DSME) programmes in SSA. There are no specific educational programmes or services led by nurses that focus exclusively on diabetic foot prevention. The analysis highlighted the components of successful nurse-led DSMEs that led to positive glycaemic control and self-care behaviors, including the focus on behavior change and the DSME should be co-produced with service users. The theoretical aspects of the DSME include evidence-based, structured, interactive, culturally and linguistically appropriate group-based activities. The DSME should be delivered over a period of several weeks, and sessions should last between 1.5 and 2 h. Barriers to delivery and participation include the rainy season, stockouts, time and resources needed, and a DSME that meets diverse levels of literacy and education.ConclusionThere is a heightened need for nurse-led, co-produced, culturally congruent, frugal, and sustainable education interventions or programmes. There is also a need for diabetic foot screening and foot ulcer prevention services that can operate sustainably alongside these educational interventions through task-shifted, simple, and frugal initiatives.

ПРОФЕСІЙНА ПІДГОТОВКА МАЙБУТНІХ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ В УМОВАХ СУЧАСНИХ ВИКЛИКІВ

The article examines transformation of social work under conditions of contemporary challenges in Ukraine and changes in training of social workers under these conditions. It was determined that difficult circumstances of wartime affect the course of education process, education format is changing, there is a transition to its distance forms, and there emerges a need to create a safe environment for the subjects of educational services provision. The purpose of the publication is to determine characteristic features of training of future social work specialists under conditions of martial law, to study transformation of social work caused by contemporary challenges. The research methodology is a combination of philosophical ideas about the course of social processes unders conditions of crises and challenges with theories of social work based on the socio-pedagogical paradigm of scientific knowledge. It has been proven that models of social work are flexibly transformed in accordance with contemporary legislation, unification of different regions of the country is being actualized, and the guidelines of social development in the post-war era, in which modern specialists should orient themselves, are gradually being updated. It was substantiated that additional attention must to be paid to changes in the content of social work to overcome stressful situations, develop resilience, form social cohesion of the population. A model of distance training of social workers in the educational online space was proposed, which includes a step-by-step algorithm of actions to ensure inteconnection of learning and extracurricular activities of students, which is an effective means and environment for implementation of educational activities in the process of theoretical and practical training of future social workers. The practical significance of the research lies in creation of a favorable distance educational environment, in which necessary competences of specialists are formed and their social creativity, which contributes to performance of professional activities, develops. Types and forms of educational work, which can be integrated into training and education process of higher education students, are being implemented with transformation according to requirements of specific educational programs and components for training of future social workers. Key words: social workers training, educational and professional program, transformations of social work in Ukraine, distance education, safe environment.

A participatory, qualitative analysis of the use of MagicSchool AI for course design

This participatory study recounts conversational practices occurring between three teachers, a head of school, and a researcher during a month-long curriculum design workshop mediated by the MagicSchool AI technology to create social studies, language arts, science, and mathematics lessons for a virtual special education program. A social paradigm of AI-mediated educational practices is presented, wherein teachers interact with AI tools by embodying co-agency and a spirit of inquiry. Collective practices are interpreted using Gordon Pask’s conversation theory framework, showcasing how to design systems of human-AI feedback loops devoted towards curriculum design. Meeting transcriptions, AI-prompt data, AI-mediated lesson plans, teacher feedback, and final products are shared using narrative inquiry to illustrate how collaborative co-agency culminated in lesson plans that co-observers felt confident in deploying.

Preparation of pre-service special education teachers on conducting functional behavioral assessments: A pilot study

Before implementing individualized interventions for students exhibiting challenging behaviors, special education teachers must be equipped to assess behavioral functions. However, many school personnel have been found to be unprepared to conduct evidence-based functional behavioral assessments (FBA). This situation highlights a potential gap in pre-service training. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the preparation of Illinois pre-service special education teachers for conducting FBAs. Public data were collected on 33 traditional special education licensure programs and their affiliated institutes of higher education. Nine of the 33 participated in the study, with innovation configurations used to analyze special education program course syllabi and questionnaires completed by program faculty. The authors found variability among the sample of programs regarding content delivery and faculty perceptions of pre-service teachers’ skills and knowledge. The study’s results leave many considerations for district leaders as they hire and mentor special education teachers.

Best Blends Forever

The University of Vermont’s (UVM) blended undergraduate early childhood education (ECE) and early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) program originated as a model to dually prepare and license future educators to teach young children with and without disabilities from birth through age 6. However, strains on the university’s budget, intersecting with the COVID-19 pandemic, led university administrators to recommend deactivating the program in 2020 and prompted program faculty to reconceptualize what the “blending” of the two fields of study could look like in the reality of contemporary contexts. The article begins by highlighting the evolving identity of UVM’s blended ECE/EI/ECSE program. Next, using a social foundations perspective, we explore several key influences that have shaped our current collaborative approach to preparing early childhood educators for inclusive environments and how our ECE and EI/ECSE programs can be officially parted, yet still be blended, in its goals to prepare all future teachers of young children for inclusive settings. It concludes with recommendations for ECE and EI/ECSE faculty who may find themselves in need of reimagining their conceptions of blended teacher preparation for inclusive early childhood settings.

Reimagining Preparation for Early Intervention Providers

Preparing highly qualified Part C early intervention providers to serve eligible infants and toddlers and their families is crucial. Currently, there is no licensure for early childhood special education in the state of New Mexico, leaving many Part C providers without the necessary preparation. Project RISE, Reimagining Intervention to Support Early Childhood, a grant funded through the Office of Special Education Programs, will create a Multicultural Early Intervention Concentration within the existing Early Childhood Education Birth-Four non-licensure program. The aim of this project is to reimagine the preparation of early intervention providers through the infusion of culturally sustaining practices, strengths-based practices, and Yosso's community cultural wealth model. This manuscript will describe Project RISE, including the relevant New Mexico context; the development of Project RISE competencies, courses, and practicum experiences; the development of and collaboration with our affiliated faculty team and advisory board; scholar recruitment; and lessons learned thus far.

Improving Persuasive Writing Outcomes With Technology for Students in an Alternative Special Education Program

A study using a multiple-baseline across participants design was conducted in an alternative education setting to examine the functional relation between students’ use of a technology-based graphic organizer (TBGO) with embedded self-regulated learning strategies on the quantity and quality of their persuasive essay writing. Three third- to fifth-grade students with writing difficulties and complex behavioral needs receiving services in an alternative special education program participated in the study. The dependent variables included the number of words, number of transition words, and writing quality scores across (a) baseline (writing on the computer without the TBGO), (b) TBGO-use phase (writing on a computer with the TBGO), and (c) maintenance (writing on the computer without the TBGO). The visual and statistical analyses of data indicated all participants improved the quality of their writing, and two students also increased the quantity of their writing across phases. Students’ self-efficacy for self-regulated learning in writing ratings were also monitored throughout the study. Results indicated an overall increase in their perceived self-efficacy for writing.

STAGES OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE OF STATE ACCREDITATION IN THE FIELD OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The article is devoted to the consideration of the features of the procedural activity carried out within the framework of state accreditation in the field of higher education. The purpose of the article is to identify problematic issues and develop proposals for improving the regulatory acts governing the relevant administrative procedure. The author’s definition of accreditation expertise is formulated as a special procedure for studying educational activities for a specific educational program, conducted by competent experts with special knowledge in the field of education, within the framework of which accreditation indicators and educational activities of the organisation are compared, which allows determining its quality. The need to exclude from the subject of accreditation expertise such indicators as the average score of the unified state examination of students accepted based on its results for training in higher education programmes, as well as the average score of entrance examinations, is substantiated, since these indicators cannot be attributed to the indicators of the quality of educational activities for a specific educational programme of higher school. The integration of the electronic educational environment of educational institutions with the Federal State Information System “the unified identification and authentication system” is proposed. The necessity of specifying individual deadlines within the stage of accreditation expertise is substantiated, which will help to ensure the right of an educational organisation to timely receive the result of the state service for accreditation of educational activities.

The critical intersection of mental health and oral health in severe mental disorders.

To highlight the critical need for integrated healthcare approaches for individuals with severe mental disorders and poor oral health. Review and discussion of factors contributing to elevated DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth) indices in individuals with severe mental disorders. Higher DMFT indices are reported in individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder due to medication side effects, cognitive impairments, and socio-economic challenges. Emphasis on the necessity of combining mental and dental health services through regular dental check-ups, specialized education programs, and professional collaboration. Integrated healthcare strategies are essential to improve overall patient care and well-being for those with severe mental disorders.

A prospective mixed‐methods pilot study of a novel group structured education programme for adults with cystic fibrosis diabetes

AbstractBackground: Cystic fibrosis diabetes (CFD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). In addition, poor glycaemic control can result in microvascular complications. Group educational programmes for people with type 1 and 2 diabetes have been shown to improve diabetes outcomes. The national guidelines recommend that people with CFD should receive education regarding diabetes; however, specific CFD group education programmes have not been evaluated.Aims: This study aimed to test whether this novel diabetes contents and intervention for CFD based on the Beta Cell Education Resources for Training in Insulin and Eating (BERTIE) type 1 diabetes education programme was beneficial for adults with CFD. The adapted course, Improved Diabetes Education in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis (IDEA‐CF ), incorporated CFD‐specific topics and was delivered virtually via videoconference group sessions to facilitate peer learning and support without the risk of cross‐infection. A pilot study was conducted utilising this novel IDEA‐CF virtual structured program to ensure that the intervention met the patients’ educational needs.Methods: This randomised controlled multimethods pilot study recruited adults with CFD taking insulin therapy and cared for by a large regional CF centre. After providing written informed consent, the participants completed all the study forms and questionnaires before randomisation. Randomisation was performed using a computerised randomisation system that allocated adults with CFD into the intervention group (IDEA‐CF) or routine care group for the 12‐week study period. Participants who were randomised into the routine group continued to receive one‐on‐one education as before. Using the CF quality‐of‐life (QoL) questionnaire (revised Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire [CFQ‐R]), outcomes were measured at baseline and 12‐week visits in both groups. The participants in the intervention group were asked to take part in a semistructured qualitative interview after the completion of the intervention, which was performed by a CF psychologist.Results: A total of 20 participants were recruited, with 18 completing the intervention and study follow‐up visits. In the CFQ‐R domains, physical functioning, emotional functioning, eating, role functioning and respiratory symptoms were significantly improved in the intervention group compared with the routine care group. The IDEA‐CF Knowledge Assessing Questionnaire (IDEA‐CF KAQ) scores in the intervention group improved compared with the IDEA‐CF KAQ scores in the control group, suggesting that education improves knowledge and understanding. The IDEA‐CF structured virtual group education group was well received, with participants valuing the educational content and the ability to interact with each other and to learn from their peers’ experiences constructively.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the IDEA‐CF education programme improved health‐related QoL and diabetes knowledge, as evidenced by the results of the IDEA‐CF KAQ. The participants valued the educational contents of the programme and reported a positive experience interacting with their peers.

How Principals Decide Which Students With Disability Sit Standardised Tests and the Implications for School Accountability*

Whether students with disability should be included in standardised testing is a contentious issue. In this study, we provide the first empirical evidence on what happens when principals are given discretion over exempting students with disability. Using population administrative data of children with teacher‐identified low‐moderate disability, we find evidence of widespread exempting in their first national test (at 8–9 years old). Those who receive special education funding, a visible flag of disability, are 30 percentage points less likely to sit, controlling for teacher‐assessed student capabilities. We find no evidence that that the rate of indiscriminate exempting is linked to school competition, but find instead that it is linked to the presence of learning impediments. While not impacting overall school accountability, such behaviour potentially compromises accountability for special education programs and sends a bad signal to students with learning impairments.

Managements for perioperative anxiety in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are the most common malignancies, while surgical intervention remains the sole therapeutic approach offering the possibility of a definite cure for cancer. Perioperative anxiety negatively impacts the recovery of GI cancers. Recently, mounting studies have demonstrated that proper nursing interventions may alleviative perioperative anxious illnesses in patients with GI cancers. We conducted a first comprehensive review to summarize all the current evidence on this topic. After a systematically search in the six common databases, eighteen relevant studies were included for further analysis. The present review highlighted that there is a high prevalence of perioperative anxiety in patients with GI cancers (e.g., colorectal cancer, gastric/stomach cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gallbladder cancer, and esophageal cancer), while specific nursing interventions are the reliable methods to reduce postoperative anxiety. These nursing strategies include, but are not limited to, therapeutic listening intervention, implementing perioperative music, predictive nursing, progressive relaxation exercises, psychological interventions in the nursing care, comprehensive nursing, continuous nursing care, video-based nursing education, multidisciplinary cooperative continuous care, accelerated rehabilitation nursing, TCM nursing, evidence-based early warning nursing, target nursing care, and high-quality nursing. Since several limitations existed in the eligible studies as well as in this review, a well-designed multicenter RCT with large sample size is still warranted for the confirmation of nursing intervention for managing perioperative anxiety in patients with GI cancers. Also, future studies should focus on the long-term effects of relevant interventions, specific patient populations, multidisciplinary approaches, technological innovations, and educational programs.

Visual Status in Children with Dyslexia at the Integrated Special Education Program in Selangor, Malaysia

Objective: Dyslexia is a learning disorder, characterized by difficulties in recognizing, decoding, and spelling words. Studies on visual status of individuals with dyslexia have yielded mixed findings. This study aimed to assess visual acuity and refractive errors in dyslexic children in Selangor, Malaysia.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the integrated special education program (PPKI) for secondary schools across three randomly selected districts in Selangor. Children with dyslexia from 15 schools were enrolled. Distance and near visual acuity were measured, and non-cycloplegic refraction was performed to identify refractive errors. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the distribution of visual acuity and refractive errors. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test was used to compare habitual and corrected visual acuity (VA).Results: 137 dyslexic children, aged 13 to 19 years, participated in the study. 60% of the participants had good habitual distance VA. Meanwhile, the percentage of good habitual near VA were higher than distance VA. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test showed that corrected VA was significantly better than habitual VA. The most common ametropias observed were myopia and astigmatism.Conclusion: Dyslexic children in the PPKI program generally have good visual acuity and are emmetropic. However, uncorrected refractive error and suboptimal optical refraction were the primary causes of unsatisfactory habitual vision in some children. Findings highlight the need to screen for refractive errors and provide appropriate optical correction to this population to prevent further hindrance to their reading ability.

System differential learning for detecting learning styles in science education for students with learning disabilities

The research aims to develop a Differential System Learning (SIDILAN) effective for students to learn Disabilities (LD) in science learning. SIDILAN is designed to detect students' learning styles that suit their unique needs, especially those with difficulty understanding science concepts. The research method used is the ADDIE Model, an abbreviation for the five stages of the development process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The implementation stage of ADDIE SIDILAN was implemented on 68 prospective teacher students in Indonesia aged 20-22 years, and they were then given a questionnaire to respond. The study results showed that the development of the SIDILAN online URL https://s.id/SIDILAN can be used to detect students' learning styles in science learning. Based on the student response questionnaire to SIDILAN for Learning Disability (LD), information was obtained that LD A for the Indicator of Understanding and Engagement was 84.31%, LD B for the Indicator of Effectiveness 87.25%, LD C for the Indicator of Skills and Self -Development of 92.65% and LD D for Indicator of Satisfaction and Recommendation of 95.59%. The findings indicate that SIDILAN effectively improves the quality of learning by offering personalized learning styles according to their needs, creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for students with learning disabilities. The study suggests that SIDILAN should be integrated into special education programs as an innovative solution to support the science learning process for students with special needs.

Spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of youth soccer specialty schools in China

Youth soccer specialty schools are the primary project to strengthen the foundation of soccer talents, improve the level of soccer development, and achieve the dream of Chinese soccer. Taking 32,775 soccer specialty schools in China as the research sample, ArcGIS spatial analysis technology is used to explore the spatial distribution characteristics of soccer specialty schools and their influencing factors. The analysis shows that the overall distribution of the country forms five quantity concentration area and eight high-density core areas, with a high degree of spatial concentration and significant differences between the East and West. The factors influencing soccer specialty schools include nine factors in four dimensions: historical development, geographical environment, socio-economic, and educational resources. It was found that geographic environment and socio-economy provide the foundation and background for developing educational resources. However, the direct role of educational resources is more significant in a specific educational program, such as soccer specialty schools, followed by socio-economy and geographic environment. This study comprehensively analyzes and interprets soccer specialty schools’ spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors. These results enrich the research on the spatial layout of sports, providing necessary theoretical support and practical references for the layout and high-quality development of related industries in China and other countries or regions.

Trends in South Korean Medical Device Development for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Narrative Review.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are among the most prevalent mental disorders among school-aged youth in South Korea and may play a role in the increasing pressures on teachers and school-based special education programming. A lack of support for special education; tensions between teachers, students, and parents; and limited backup for teacher absences are common complaints among Korean educators. New innovations in technology to screen and treat ADHD and ASD may offer relief to students, parents, and teachers through earlier and efficient diagnosis; access to treatment options; and ultimately, better-managed care and expectations. This narrative literature review provides an account of medical device use and development in South Korea for the diagnosis and management of ADHD and ASD and highlights research gaps. A narrative review was conducted across 4 databases (PubMed, Korean National Assembly Library, Scopus, and PsycINFO). Journal articles, dissertations, and government research and development reports were included if they discussed medical devices for ADHD and ASD. Only Korean or English papers were included. Resources were excluded if they did not correspond to the research objective or did not discuss at least 1 topic about medical devices for ADHD and ASD. Journal articles were excluded if they were not peer reviewed. Resources were limited to publications between 2013 and July 22, 2024. A total of 1794 records about trends in Korean medical device development were categorized into 2 major groups: digital therapeutics and traditional therapy. Digital therapeutics resulted in 5 subgroups: virtual reality and artificial intelligence, machine learning and robot, gaming and visual contents, eye-feedback and movement intervention, and electroencephalography and neurofeedback. Traditional therapy resulted in 3 subgroups: cognitive behavioral therapy and working memory; diagnosis and rating scale; and musical, literary therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Digital therapeutics using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and electroencephalography technologies account for the biggest portions of development in South Korea, rather than traditional therapies. Most resources, 94.15% (1689/1794), were from the Korean National Assembly Library. Limitations include small sizes of populations to conclude findings in many articles, a lower number of articles discussing medical devices for ASD, and a majority of articles being dissertations. Emerging digital medical devices and those integrated with traditional therapies are important solutions to reducing the prevalence rates of ADHD and ASD in South Korea by promoting early diagnosis and intervention. Furthermore, their application will relieve pressures on teachers and school-based special education programming by providing direct supporting resources to students with ADHD or ASD. Future development of medical devices for ADHD and ASD is predicted to heavily rely on digital technologies, such as those that sense people's behaviors, eye movement, and brainwaves.

Понятие и признаки стадий административной процедуры государственной аккредитации в сфере высшего образования

The article is devoted to defining the structure of state accreditation of educational activities in the field of higher education as an independent administrative procedure. A theoretical definition of its stage formulated as a relatively independent set of procedural actions performed within the timeframe and in the sequence determined by regulatory acts in order to assess the compliance of the implementation of a specific educational program by an educational organization of higher education with the established accreditation indicators. Based on the consideration of theoretical views and provisions of regulatory legal acts, the author outlines the structure of the administrative procedure of state accreditation of educational activities in the field of higher education. It is proposed to understand it as a set of mandatory stages — initiation of an accreditation case, consideration of an accreditation case and decision-making on it, provision of the result of a state service for state accreditation of educational activities, accreditation monitoring, as well as an optional stage, which is the correction of typos and (or) errors in the information contained in the register.

Repositioning Vulnerable Youth Through Educational Esports Programmes

A growing number of young Danes experience a drop in well-being as well as there is an increase in diagnoses such as ADHD and autism. These challenges are often linked with school refusal and an increasing need for special education programmes. Since 2007, selected vulnerable youth (age 16-25) have been offered an alternative to regular youth education called Specially Planned Youth Education (Særligt Tilrettelagt Ungdomsuddannelse or STU). More than 30% of students attending STUs are diagnosed with autism or ADHD. The purpose of this paper is to explore the learning potentials of esports educational programmes with this specific target group. The study presents data from an ongoing research project entitled “Esports as learning space and gateway for vulnerable youth at STU”, which is supported by the Velux Foundation and currently in its second year while looking to finalise in 2026. More specifically, we analyse data from ten interviews conducted with vulnerable youth at three STUs, who participate in educational esports activities with commercial multiplayer games, primarily League of Legends, Counter-Strike or Valorant. The interviews concern the students’ gaming interests, their experiences with attending the esports programmes, and their perceived learning outcomes. All interview data have been coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Patterns and recurring themes in the data have been sought after based on questions of how students perceive themselves, what activities they engage in during esports education, and what the potential learning outcomes of the education are. Drawing on Dialogical Self Theory, we analyse and discuss the students’ different I-positions and identify possible transformations made possible through the STU activities, which aim to support students in obtaining an autonomous and meaningful adult life. Our preliminary findings show that students generally have more positive experiences at the STU’s than at their previous education. This includes adopting different I-positions that are more committed to a community than what they experience in their leisure gaming.

Knowledge and attitudes regarding sexually transmitted infections among healthcare workers.

Healthcare workers have a fundamental role in providing care and education on sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, their knowledge is often worryingly limited. This study aimed to assess the real knowledge and attitude regarding STIs among healthcare workers of the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. The recruited subjects were asked to complete a 31-item questionnaire, divided into 3 sections: socio-demographic context, knowledge about STIs, and personal sexual behavior. We enrolled 140 subjects, employed as nurses (52.9%), physicians (12.9%), laboratory technicians (7.1%), or other workers (27.1%). Despite the generalized erroneous belief of having a good level of knowledge on the matter, only one-third of the subjects could correctly identify STIs among a list of diseases, and less than one-third correctly recognize all possible ways of transmission. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was the most frequently recognized STI (97%), but only 39.2% of healthcare workers were correctly informed about the body fluids that can transmit the virus. Most participants (93.5%) correctly identified condoms as effective in preventing STIs but did not indicate complete abstinence as the only way to guarantee protection against STIs. Most participants were informed on the oncogenic potential of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections (82%), the usefulness of the Pap test (85.7%), and the existence of vaccines against some STIs (63.5%). Overall, healthcare workers have limited knowledge about STIs. Creating specific educational programs aimed at healthcare providers should become a priority.