Systematic Consultation Research Articles

SCHOOL LIFE ADVISOR’S PROFILE AND CHARACTERISTICS IN THE GREEK EDUCATION SYSTEM

The School Life Advisors (SLA) in education are primarily tasked with resolving situations and behaviors that affect students in the school environment. The purpose of this work is to present the personal characteristics that a (SLA) must possess to deal with various cases of counseling approaches in education. This paper first describes the environment that prevails in schools and the usefulness of the teacher and the (SLA), while then reference is made to systematic consultation and the interaction between (SLA) and student. Then follows the main text of the work in which the individual personal characteristics of the (SLA) are described.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0745/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Rozwijanie kompetencji zawodowych kadry pedagogicznej w kontekście pracy w środowisku zróżnicowanym kulturowo na przykładzie II Szkoły Edukacji Międzykulturowej

The aim of the article is to present the 2nd School of Intercultural Education (IISEM) “Strengthening the potential of children and youth with a migrant background” as an example of a cyclical training activity addressed to people involved in educational practice. The paper is a voice in the discussion on the professional competences of teachers, educationalists, psychologists, intercultural assistants, etc. who work in dynamically changing conditions of cultural diversity. Therefore, their competences should be systematically developed in the dialogical relationship between pedagogical theory and practice, in the process of lifelong education, taking into account the specificity of the environment in which the school operates and the challenges and needs existing in it. The article consists of three complementary parts. The first outlines the socio-cultural contexts of contemporary education. Against this background, the goals and specificity of IISEM are shown. The third part presents the methodological package “Towards the integration of Polish and Ukrainian students”, which contains scenarios of educational activities being the result of the work of IISEM participants in culturally diverse environments. The content presented in the text is the result of my own experience and observations resulting from five months of cooperation with the School participants as a mentor and the work of the editor of the substantive methodological package. These activities were accompanied by systematic consultations with IISEM participants, observation of classes conducted during the School (including the implementation of some of them), the evaluation of IISEM (using surveys and interviews with its participants) and analysis of the collected data. The content comprised in the text can be useful both to people interested in intercultural education, both in its theoretical aspects and in educational practice.

ПОДАТКОВЕ ПЛАНУВАННЯ У СИСТЕМІ ФІНАНСОВОГО МЕНЕДЖМЕНТУ

The article examines in detail the importance of tax planning at the micro level. The main focus is on the analysis of the concept of tax planning, as well as a comprehensive study of the tactics and tools used in tax planning. It has been established that the tax strategy of the enterprise in the modern paradigm should be determined not only by calculating tax liabilities, but also by carefully studying the possibilities of their optimization. It has been proven that the effective use of tax incentives and the ability to avoid excessive tax burdens make it possible to significantly improve the financial position of business entities. One of the most common methods of reducing the tax burden is strategically oriented tax planning. There are other methods of tax optimization, but not all of them are legally acceptable. In the context of domestic law-making, where tax laws are often contradictory and interpretations can vary, the line between legal and illegal methods of taxation can be blurred and ambiguous. Under such conditions, it is important to clearly distinguish between concepts such as tax evasion, tax avoidance and legitimate tax planning. The tax planning process involves close cooperation between the manager, the accounting (financial) service and the lawyer. These specialists work on the development of appropriate innovative approaches and strategies, which include a thorough study of legislation, specialized literature, and also study successful practices in the field of taxation of other enterprises and organizations. Effective tax planning, involving the involvement of qualified specialists in this field, careful compliance with current legislation, systematic consultations with fiscal authorities and maximum optimization of the tax burden, is a key factor in creating a highly profitable, legitimate and stable business. These measures not only increase the financial efficiency of the enterprise, but also ensure compliance of its activities with legal requirements, thereby strengthening its position on the market.

Impact of a dTcaP booster vaccine awareness campaign initiated by the French national health insurance for adults aged 25 years in 2021

BackgroundVaccination schedules differ from country to country. In France, the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis (dTcaP) booster vaccine coverage for adults aged 25 has been lower than those recommended. We evaluated the impact of an awareness campaign undertaken by the French national health insurance system in 2021.MethodsA randomized, controlled study with adults residing in the Ardennes region was conducted to evaluate the effect on vaccine coverage of the booster vaccine reminder campaign carried out via letter and/or email and/or SMS. The randomization unit was the municipal administrative area (canton). Ten cantons were grouped into the intervention group (INT) and nine were the control group (CON). Outcomes were the booster vaccine delivery and the consultation of a general practitioner (GP) within 12 months (since the French national health insurance running the campaign suggested patients to consult their GP).ResultsA total of 1,975 adults were included (INT: 67.3% vs. CON: 32.7%). Of them, 331 received a booster vaccine (INT: 17.4% vs. CON: 15.5%; p = 0.29), and 1,442 consulted a GP (INT: 73.7% vs. CON: 76.8%; p = 0.14). Those who consulted a GP had more frequent vaccine delivery (INT: 19.1% vs. CON: 10.5%; p < 0.0001).ConclusionsThis study found that the awareness campaign run by the French national health insurance did not improve the uptake of the dTcaP booster and that there was a low rate of vaccinated adults aged 25 years. A GP consultation was associated with dTcaP booster vaccine delivery which may show that there is a need of involving GPs in vaccination follow-ups. Patients recognize GPs as providers of credible information and they may play a key role in individualized preventive healthcare actions. Systematic consultations with GPs for follow-up could be proposed to insured adults aged 25 years in the future.

Benzodiazepines and elderly : challenges of prescribing and deprescribing

The elderly represent a group at risk of receiving problematic benzodiazepine (BZD) prescriptions in terms of duration or dose. The objective of this article is to investigate the difficulties related to the initial prescription, renewal, and withdrawal of BZDs in two university hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland. Specifically, we studied the actual use and perceived usefulness of clinical guidelines, the assignment of responsibilities among prescribers, and the assessment of public health risks. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from different specialties. A lack of usable clinical recommendations was noted, attributable to the lack of scientific knowledge and the complexity of geriatric cases. The introduction and renewal of prescriptions should be the result of systematic consultations between hospitals and ambulatory care.

Diagnosing, Managing, and Supporting Return to Work of Adults With Rotator Cuff Disorders: Clinical Practice Guideline Methods.

OBJECTIVES: To present the methods used to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) with recommendations endorsed by key stakeholders for assessing, managing, and supporting return to work for adults with rotator cuff disorders. DESIGN: Clinical practice guideline development. METHODS: A steering committee composed of the research team of this project led the development of this CPG in 5 phases, which followed the standards of the NICE and AGREE II collaborations. During the preparation phase (I), a multidisciplinary working committee of experts in managing rotator cuff disorders (n = 20) determined the scope and objectives of the CPG. The recommendations development phase (II) included initial knowledge synthesis, development of preliminary recommendations, systematic consultations with a multidisciplinary panel of key stakeholders (n = 51) using a modified three-round Delphi approach and drafting of the original CPG. In the external evaluation phase (III), an external committee of experts evaluated the original CPG using the AGREE II tool. In the dissemination phase (IV), the strategy for disseminating the CPG was developed and implemented. During the update phase (V), the CPG was revised based on an update of the initial knowledge synthesis. RESULTS: Seventy-three preliminary recommendations were developed from the initial knowledge synthesis. During the Delphi consultation, all of these recommendations were endorsed, and one new recommendation was proposed by panelists. The original CPG received an overall AGREE II score of 83% from the external evaluators. In 2021, an update of the initial 2017 knowledge synthesis was conducted and 13 recommendations were revised. CONCLUSION: The 5-phase consensus methods approach guided the development of a high-quality CPG on assessing, managing, and supporting return to work for adults with rotator cuff disorders. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022;52(10):665-674. Epub: 27 July 2022. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.11307.

Subsidy Reform and the Transformation of Social Contracts: The Cases of Egypt, Iran and Morocco

After independence, subsidies have been a cornerstone of the social contracts in the Middle East and North Africa. Governments spent heavily to reduce poverty and strengthen their legitimacy. Yet, subsidies became financially unsustainable and donors pressed for reforms. This article assesses reform processes in Morocco, Egypt and Iran between 2010 and 2017, thus before sanctions against Iran were further tightened and before the COVID-19 pandemic. We show that even though the three countries had similar approaches to subsidisation, they have used distinct strategies to reduce subsidies and minimise social unrest—with the effect that their respective social contracts developed differently. Morocco tried to preserve its social contract as much as possible; it removed most subsidies, explained the need for reform, engaged in societal dialogue and implemented some compensatory measures, preserving most of its prevailing social contract. Egypt, in contrast, dismantled subsidy schemes more radically, without systematic information and consultation campaigns and offered limited compensation. By using repression and a narrative of collective security, the government transformed the social contract from a provision to a protection pact. Iran replaced subsidies with a more cost-efficient and egalitarian quasi-universal cash transfer scheme, paving the way to a more inclusive social contract. We conclude that the approach that governments used to reform subsidies transformed social contracts in fundamentally different ways and we hypothesize on the degree of intentionality of these differences.

Addressing the challenges of conducting community-engaged research during COVID-19: Rapid development and evaluation of a COVID-19 Research Patient and Community Advisory Board (PCAB).

We created a COVID-19 Research Patient and Community Advisory Board (PCAB) to provide patient and community input into clinical and translational research studies. The purpose of this article is to describe the PCAB creation, implementation, and evaluation. We identified PCAB members who had participated in previous stakeholder engaged activities at our institution and invited their participation. We created a systematic consultation process where researchers could submit plain language research summaries and questions for the PCAB. A facilitated 1-hour virtual consultation was then held where PCAB members provided feedback. We assessed satisfaction of PCAB members and researchers who received consultations using surveys. We also reviewed video recordings of PCAB consultations and reflections from team meetings to identify key lessons learned. Twenty-seven PCAB members took part in 23 consultation sessions. Twenty-two completed an evaluation survey (81% response rate). Most members agreed or strongly agreed their opinions were valued (86%), it was a productive use of time (86%) and were satisfied (86%). Nineteen researchers completed an evaluation survey (83% response rate). Researchers reported positive experiences of working with the PCAB. Additional insights include limited funding in COVID-19 research for equitable community engagement, deficiencies in researcher communication skills, and a lack of cultural humility incorporated into study activities. PCAB members provided recommendations that maximized the patient-centeredness and health equity focus of COVID-19 research. The detailed description of the process of developing, implementing, and evaluating our PCAB can be used as a template for others wishing to replicate this engagement model.

Using patient feedback to adapt intervention materials based on acceptance and commitment therapy for people receiving renal dialysis

BackgroundTheory-based intervention materials must be carefully adapted to meet the needs of users with specific physical conditions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been adapted successfully for cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and a range of other conditions, but not so far for people receiving renal haemodialysis. This paper presents findings from a study to adapt ACT-based intervention materials specifically for renal dialysis.MethodsDraft written materials consisting of four stories depicting fictitious individuals who used ACT-related techniques to help overcome different challenges and difficulties related to dialysis were adapted using a systematic patient consultation process. The participants were 18 people aged 19–80 years, with chronic kidney disease and receiving renal dialysis. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit participants’ views about how the content of the draft materials should be adapted to make them more realistic and relevant for people receiving renal dialysis and about how the materials should be presented and delivered to people receiving renal dialysis. The interview transcripts were analysed using a qualitative adaptation of the Delphi method in which themes are used as a framework for translating feedback into proposals for modifications.ResultsThe analysis of patient feedback supported the use of patient stories but suggested they should be presented by video and narrated by real dialysis patients. They also indicated specific adaptations to make the stories more credible and realistic. Participant feedback was translated into proposals for change that were considered along with clinical, ethical and theoretical factors. The outcome was a design for a video-based intervention that separated the stories about individuals from the explanations of the specific ACT techniques and provided greater structure, with material organised into smaller chunks. This intervention is adapted specifically for people receiving renal dialysis while retaining the distinctive theoretical principles of ACT.ConclusionsThe study shows the value of consulting patients in the development of intervention materials and illustrates a process for integrating patient feedback with theoretical, clinical and practical considerations in intervention design.

The evolution of youth justice conferencing in Queensland, 1990–2021

ABSTRACT This paper provides a summary history and critique of the development and implementation of restorative justice in the Queensland youth justice system through an analysis of official data and documentary sources. The paper focuses on policy changes, including government responses to program reviews, issues regarding the availability of conferencing, connections between conferencing and prevention and program transparency and accountability. The study provides several important lessons applicable across jurisdictions. The main finding was that conferencing in Queensland remains substantially underutilised. This was associated in large part with the discretionary gatekeeping role of police, the absence of a systematic and comprehensive consultation process with victims and accused persons and governments ignoring the science of restorative justice. In terms of prevention, the study identifies the need for a more integrated approach involving conferencing, risk assessments and the post-conference supervision and welfare needs of offenders.

Technique of intragastric laparoscopic resection for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (with video).

To conduct a survey of current practice in the management of obstetrical anal sphincter injuries (OASI) and to compare short, medium and long-term practices according to the specialty of the surgeon.A 50-item questionnaire was addressed by mail to various specialists via the national learned societies. The questionnaire was addressed only to practitioners who currently managed OASI in their practice.Of the 135 healthcare professionals who responded, 57 were sub-specialists in ano-rectal surgery (42.2%) and 78 were obstetrical or gynecological specialists (OB-GYN) (57.8%). Management in the acute period after OASI was similar among the specialties and 50% of the practitioners did not perform suture repair of the internal sphincter. Furthermore, few gynecological specialists recommended systematic consultation with an ano-rectal specialist during acute management. In the medium term, ano-rectal specialists were more likely to explore gastro-intestinal symptoms, either clinically or through para-clinical studies. However, these studies did not systematically lead to interventional management in the absence of consensus, particularly for medium-term sphincter repair. In addition, 25% of practitioners recommended that patients undergo systematic delivery by caesarean section for further pregnancies after OASI. In the long term (> 12 months), there were substantial differences in management of OASI not only between specialties but also within the same specialty.The various specialists should coordinate to propose multidisciplinary recommendations on the management of OASI.

Open Stoppa technique for the management of a bilateral inguinoscrotal hernia (with video).

To conduct a survey of current practice in the management of obstetrical anal sphincter injuries (OASI) and to compare short, medium and long-term practices according to the specialty of the surgeon.A 50-item questionnaire was addressed by mail to various specialists via the national learned societies. The questionnaire was addressed only to practitioners who currently managed OASI in their practice.Of the 135 healthcare professionals who responded, 57 were sub-specialists in ano-rectal surgery (42.2%) and 78 were obstetrical or gynecological specialists (OB-GYN) (57.8%). Management in the acute period after OASI was similar among the specialties and 50% of the practitioners did not perform suture repair of the internal sphincter. Furthermore, few gynecological specialists recommended systematic consultation with an ano-rectal specialist during acute management. In the medium term, ano-rectal specialists were more likely to explore gastro-intestinal symptoms, either clinically or through para-clinical studies. However, these studies did not systematically lead to interventional management in the absence of consensus, particularly for medium-term sphincter repair. In addition, 25% of practitioners recommended that patients undergo systematic delivery by caesarean section for further pregnancies after OASI. In the long term (> 12 months), there were substantial differences in management of OASI not only between specialties but also within the same specialty.The various specialists should coordinate to propose multidisciplinary recommendations on the management of OASI.

Better outcomes for everybody evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a pharmacist-led intervention, delivered by community pharmacists in collaboration with physicians, in improving disease control, compared with usual care, in asthma and COPD patients during and after COVID-19

Abstract Introduction: In 2025, more than 400 million people will have asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the third leading cause of death by 2030. This trial, called better outcomes for everybody, will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a pharmacist-led intervention delivered by community pharmacists in collaboration with physicians to asthma and COPD patients to improve disease control compared with usual care. Methods: A pragmatic parallel 2-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted in one Italian region (Sicily). A 2:1 randomization and sample size of 900 adult patients (450 with asthma, 450 with COPD) will be sufficient to detect a difference of 15% between the intervention and control groups using a dichotomized score (controlled versus non-controlled) of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Clinical Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Questionnaire (CCQ) with a two-tails, 99% power and 5% significance level. A hundred pharmacists will recruit 9 consecutive patients each and administer either ACT or CCQ according to the patients’ disease. Patients will be followed up for 12 months, and the pharmacists will meet their patients every three months. The control group will receive usual care, the intervention a bespoke, structured, and systematic consultation immediately after baseline and 6 months later. The primary outcomes are asthma and COPD control at baseline and 12 months. Secondary outcomes: risk of uncontrolled asthma and COPD, number of active ingredients, pharmaceutical care issues, adherence to medications, minimal clinically important differences in asthma and COPD, and a full health economic evaluation. The analysis will follow an intention-to-treat principle. Generalized estimating equations will be used to test the primary outcomes. Ethics approval was obtained. Discussion: This is the first study conducted in Italy to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a pharmacist-led intervention in asthma and COPD patients at the same time. This research could introduce a new model of care that can be adapted to other chronic conditions in primary care settings. The results will be disseminated to service users and their families via media, healthcare professionals via professional training and meetings, and researchers via conferences and publications. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ID: 38734433 Registered on June 15, 2021

심장재활의 개요 및 국내 현실

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an integral component of the continuum of care for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Today, the efficacy and safety of CR are well established and it is practiced in 111 countries, but the participation rate of CR is low. The actual rate of CR practice for acute myocardial infarction patients in Korea is very low only 1.5%. CR restores a patient’s exercise capacity and decreases recurrence, re-hospitalization, and re-intervention, as well as mortality. The core components of CR are patient evaluation, dietary treatment, weight management, blood pressure management, blood lipid management, diabetes management, smoking cessation, psycho-social management, physical activity counseling, and exercise training. In order for exercise training to be safely conducted, the risk stratification for exercise-related CV complication needs to be evaluated and high-risk patients should be exercised under the supervision including ECG monitoring. Currently CR programs have been practiced in 47 hospitals (28%) out of 164 CV specialty hospitals which practice percutaneous coronary intervention, but there were not many hospitals with active CR practice. In order for CR to be actively practiced in Korea, CR programs need to be developed in as many CV specialty hospitals as possible, and to increase participation rate, education to clinical staff and patients, more systematic consultation systems, less financial burden to patients, and more flexible CR environment including utilization of home-based CR and non-contact tele-CR technique are needed. These efforts by medical professionals should be accompanied by governmental support in policy making and budget execution.

THE PECULIARITIES OF ACADEMIC MOTIVATION OF FOREIGN STUDENTS STUDYING AT UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES

THE PECULIARITIES OF ACADEMIC MOTIVATION OF FOREIGN STUDENTS STUDYING AT UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES

Management of obstetrical injuries to the anal sphincter: A survey of French current practice and perceptions according to the specialties.

To conduct a survey of current practice in the management of obstetrical anal sphincter injuries (OASI) and to compare short, medium and long-term practices according to the specialty of the surgeon. A 50-item questionnaire was addressed by mail to various specialists via the national learned societies. The questionnaire was addressed only to practitioners who currently managed OASI in their practice. Of the 135 healthcare professionals who responded, 57 were sub-specialists in ano-rectal surgery (42.2%) and 78 were obstetrical or gynecological specialists (OB-GYN) (57.8%). Management in the acute period after OASI was similar among the specialties and 50% of the practitioners did not perform suture repair of the internal sphincter. Furthermore, few gynecological specialists recommended systematic consultation with an ano-rectal specialist during acute management. In the medium term, ano-rectal specialists were more likely to explore gastro-intestinal symptoms, either clinically or through para-clinical studies. However, these studies did not systematically lead to interventional management in the absence of consensus, particularly for medium-term sphincter repair. In addition, 25% of practitioners recommended that patients undergo systematic delivery by caesarean section for further pregnancies after OASI. In the long term (>12 months), there were substantial differences in management of OASI not only between specialties but also within the same specialty. The various specialists should coordinate to propose multidisciplinary recommendations on the management of OASI.

Protocol for the development and validation of a risk prediction model for stillbirths from 35 weeks gestation in Australia

BackgroundDespite advances in the care of women and their babies in the past century, an estimated 1.7 million babies are born still each year throughout the world. A robust method to estimate a pregnant woman’s individualized risk of late-pregnancy stillbirth is needed to inform decision-making around the timing of birth to reduce the risk of stillbirth from 35 weeks of gestation in Australia, a high-resource setting.MethodsThis is a protocol for a cross-sectional study of all late-pregnancy births in Australia (2005–2015) from 35 weeks of gestation including 5188 stillbirths among 3.1 million births at an estimated rate of 1.7 stillbirths per 1000 births. A multivariable logistic regression model will be developed in line with current TransparentReporting of a multivariable prediction model forIndividualPrognosis orDiagnosis (TRIPOD) guidelines to estimate the gestation-specific probability of stillbirth with prediction intervals. Candidate predictors were identified from systematic reviews and clinical consultation and will be described through univariable regression analysis. To generate a final model, elimination by backward stepwise multivariable logistic regression will be performed. The model will be internally validated using bootstrapping with 1000 repetitions and externally validated using a temporally unique dataset. Overall model performance will be assessed with R2, calibration, and discrimination. Calibration will be reported using a calibration plot with 95% confidence intervals (α = 0.05). Discrimination will be measured by the C-statistic and area underneath the receiver-operator curves. Clinical usefulness will be reported as positive and negative predictive values, and a decision curve analysis will be considered.DiscussionA robust method to predict a pregnant woman’s individualized risk of late-pregnancy stillbirth is needed to inform timely, appropriate care to reduce stillbirth. Among existing prediction models designed for obstetric use, few have been subject to internal and external validation and many fail to meet recommended reporting standards. In developing a risk prediction model for late-gestation stillbirth with both providers and pregnant women in mind, we endeavor to develop a validated model for clinical use in Australia that meets current reporting standards.

Key indicators for appraising adolescent sexual and reproductive health in South Asia: international expert consensus exercise using the Delphi technique

ABSTRACT Background There is a need for an accurate assessment of the patterns and determinants of sexual and reproductive health in South Asia owing to high fertility rates and high incidence of unplanned pregnancy among adolescents. Health indicator sets, with a wide range of health dimensions, also support in formulating evidence-based policies. For attaining this, indicators should be developed and prioritized based on consensus and relevance. Objective This study aimed to develop a comprehensive list of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) key indicators for South Asia through systematic participatory expert consultation exercise using the Delphi technique. Methods Experts were invited to two rounds of an indicator rating exercise and a third round to discuss the results in a broader regional perspective. A list of nine indicator categories, including 41 adolescent health indicators, was rated by the expert panel. Prioritization was based on mean Likert scores while consensus was established using Kendall’s W. Results 24, 16 and six experts participated in the first, second and third round, respectively. Out of the nine indicator categories, demographics, reproductive health, violence, and nutrition were ranked high in relevance by the expert panel. Experts had a strong consensus on the relevance of parental control and connection, and behavioral indicators while there was moderate consensus on the relevance of nutrition, infectious disease, and mortality indicators. Conclusion As far as we know, this is the first study that employs the Delphi technique for prioritizing ASRH indicators for South Asia. Engaging a diverse group of experts, using an online platform, we developed a comprehensive list of key indicators for appraising ASRH relevant to South Asia based on expert panel consensus and recommendations. Our results also highlight that there is a need for developing a region-specific prioritized list of indicators which might assist in identifying regional health needs.

A methodology for evaluating housing quality in settlements of the displaced in Jordan

ABSTRACT This study aims at developing an assessment tool for housing quality in settlements of the displaced, represented by urban refugee camps, in Jordan. The study adopted the Baqa`a refugee camp as a case study. The work involves understanding living conditions and determining applicable measures by which housing can be evaluated. The research employed a consensus-based approach involving various empirical investigations. Three systematic consultation rounds were conducted, appointing 40 panel experts. The first round sought to gather information about housing and living conditions to develop the initial set of measures based upon open-ended solicitation. The second round narrowed down viewpoints from the first round aiming at quantifying the most important aspects affecting housing quality. The last step involved building up a valid weighting system applying the AHP technique. This resulted in formulating a hierarchical model for housing quality comprising three dimensions; residents, context and residential unit, each encompassing certain measures ranked according to level of significance. The study offers a glimpse of the extended future of the settlements of the displaced and provides a base on which improvements can be undertaken.

Fortalezas y áreas de mejora de la formación inicial docente en lectoescritura en la República Dominicana

Este artículo enfoca la formación en lectoescritura inicial (LEI) de estudiantes de la licenciatura en Educación Primaria Primer Ciclo de una institución de educación superior de la República Dominicana, privilegiando el análisis curricular. La investigación, de corte cualitativo, buscó analizar: 1) la alineación del currículo de formación con la evidencia investigativa; 2) las fortalezas y las brechas del plan de estudios; y 3) las diferencias entre el currículo prescrito y el aplicado en las aulas. Los datos se recolectaron mediante el mapeo de 25 cursos, entrevistas con seis docentes formadoras y doce docentes en formación en las tres sedes de la carrera, y nueve observaciones de aula. Los hallazgos indican que el plan de estudios está alineado con la literatura científica sobre la enseñanza de la LEI, aunque algunos ámbitos analizados no se abordan en profundidad (vocabulario, conciencia fonológica, decodificación y fluidez lectora). Se detectaron fortalezas: prescripción clara del enfoque teórico para la enseñanza (constructivista) y para la LEI (procesual cognitivo y comunicativo); prácticas en contextos reales para el cuerpo de docentes en formación, y brechas: diferencias entre las sedes sobre la formación en LEI de algunos profesores; escaso dominio del estudiantado sobre la evaluación del aprendizaje y ausencia de consulta sistemática de la bibliografía. Se constataron diferencias entre el currículo prescrito y el aplicado respecto al peso de la teoría y la práctica, al modelado, al enfoque de la enseñanza de la LEI y a la selección, elaboración y utilización de materiales para su instrucción.