Educational Topics Research Articles

Cultural conflicts in sexuality education and stakeholders’ responses to them: a systematic review

ABSTRACT A systematic literature review was undertaken to investigate the cultural conflicts that arise in secondary school-based sexuality education programmes and how stakeholders respond to and navigate these conflicts. This review is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a final selection of 23 documents from the literature was made for analysis. Thematic analysis of the documents revealed four key themes. The first theme examines the interplay between culture and conflict in sexuality education, highlighting how cultural contexts can trigger or oppose it. The second theme focuses on the roles of stakeholders in cultural conflicts, exposing power imbalances within their influence on youth sexuality education. The third theme explores diverse stakeholder responses to cultural conflicts, ranging from silence to negotiation and conflict-informed teaching approaches. Lastly, the fourth theme investigates how conflicts shape and drive transformative changes in sexuality education, including the adoption of innovative approaches and the recognition of it as a human right. In conclusion, this article outlines the implications of these identified themes for sexuality education.

Teacher development from the perspective of a training action in Brazil – literature review

The work presented here was guided by the revisionism of what the main authors have written about the educational theme in the teaching profession, emphasizing the issue of continuous education. Various theorists have researched how educational action takes place, its benefits, and its contexts – in Brazil and abroad. The paper has an introduction with contextualization, followed by the methodological proposal; a review of the literature with a qualitative-exploratory approach. The historical findings, from the end of the 20th century to the present day, reflect the educational update, focused on teacher-student issues, classroom dynamics, and virtual objects or resources to support pedagogical practice. A comparison of the authors' thoughts is then made, followed by the conclusion of the study.

A Sentiment Analysis of User’s Comments on Higher Education Topics on Social Media

In a digital era where social media platforms have grown to be significant forums for public discourse, it is crucial to comprehend and capitalize on the tone of remarks made about the various fields including education. This paper utilizes the sentiment analysis technique to delve deeper into the diverse opinions and feelings that people have expressed regarding higher education and its subtopics such as graduate employment, educational policies, institution qualities, and the general landscape, aiming to provide insightful recommendations to help educational institutions enhance their services. Based on the comments under 20 trending higher education-related tweets scraped and analyzed by Python on Sina Weibo, the study indicates a predominance of positive sentiments among the overall opinions toward higher education, alongside negative and neutral sentiments. Potential explanations for the varying sentiments towards the subtopics and the role of social media in shaping public opinions are also identified through detailed observations. This study demonstrates, for the first time, how sentiment analysis can be applied to higher education research, shedding light on the complex interplay between communication and education.

PRIORITIZING GERIATRIC EDUCATION FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Abstract Within the United States, there is a deficit of Geriatricians providing care for older adults, and this deficit will only grow as the population continues to age, meaning all health care providers will be responsible for the care of older adults. A learner needs assessment is a systematic approach to examining what individuals or groups need to learn in relation to health care practice. A learner needs assessment is a core element of designing effective, targeted geriatric educational interventions. In 2022, a brief six question online survey was distributed to all health care providers within the South Central Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care Network to determine the top geriatric education needs. Within the survey, provider demographics requested were primary discipline and primary work setting (inpatient/outpatient). Respondents were requested to choose at least 5 out of 50 topics provided that would be the most useful for future geriatric education. Responses were received from 143 health care providers with the majority of the responses being from social workers 59(41.3%) and nurses 45(31.5%). There were 103 health care providers from outpatient areas and 40 from inpatient areas. The top geriatric education topics requested were mental health (50.4%), Alzheimer’s disease/dementia (48.3%), legal issues (38.5%), chronic pain (35.0%), depression (32.2%), and management of chronic conditions (30.1%). Experts were recruited to provide geriatric education on the highest priority requested topics. Providing geriatric education improves care for older adults ensuring health care providers are prepared to care and advocate for this diverse and often vulnerable population.

ÜÇBUCAQLARIN HƏLLİNDƏ SFERİK TRİQONOMETRİYADAN İSTİFADƏ VASİTƏ KİMİ

The article deals with the topic of triangles, which is one of the main topics in mathematics education of secondary schools. A related study of the solutions of triangles using spherical trigonometry is shown on the basis of examples. It should be noted that in the "Geometry" content line, the study of spherical trigonometry or the application of well-known theorems is mastered again and again in solving problems related to the topic of triangles. The article will be useful for high school teachers, secondary school teachers, as well as researchers who give lectures and conduct seminars on elementary mathematics and mathematics teaching methodology.

‘Transnational’ and ‘transcultural’: their divergence and convergence in international higher education*

ABSTRACT Grounded in international higher education, this paper explores the divergence and convergence of the transnational and the transcultural, two widely applied approaches to dynamic processes and phenomena across countries and cultures. As their theoretical foundations, analytical frameworks and discourses are not always fully established in studies of international higher education, the transnational and transcultural approaches are sometimes used interchangeably or in conjunction, without sufficient clarification of their meanings and associations. The inadequate application of these two approaches puts studies that attempt to transcend countries and cultures at risk of reinforcing binary opposites. To address these issues and beyond, this paper begins by reviewing the genealogies of these two ‘trans’ approaches, before focusing on each of their key concepts – transnationality and transculturality. It then explores the convergence of transnationality and transculturality across three major topics in international higher education: mobility, agency and identity, which are discussed in one of the border-crossing contexts, namely the life and experiences of international students. Following this, the paper extends the discussion to a broader scope and provides an alternative analytical framework that embodies the convergence of transnationality and transculturality in the interrelated topics of mobility, agency and identity. This paper concludes by summarising the differences and connections between these two ‘trans’ approaches and their implications for studies of international higher education.

ВИХОВНИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ МИСТЕЦТВА В ОСВІТНІЙ ПРОЦЕС

The article demonstrates the possibilities of using the integration of the arts in the educational process for the development of sustainable development thinking skills in students. The peculiarities of the "Creative Partnerships" program, which has become widely used in various countries, are analyzed. The integration of art into other disciplines stimulates creative and critical thinking, enriches the understanding of educational material and makes the educational process more interesting and diverse. This helps students to see the problems of the world around them, understand the connections between different fields of knowledge, and feel their responsibility for building a better future. It was concluded that the involvement of art to increase environmental awareness helps to emotionally interest students, encourages reflection and concrete actions for sustainable development and preservation of the environment. The authors identified STEAM projects as the most effective art integration technology, in which, in addition to scientific knowledge and the use of production and information and communication technologies, a significant share is devoted to the artistic component. Such integrated projects develop the creative abilities of students and contribute to a deeper understanding of educational topics and problems of the modern world. Holding art workshops on recycling secondary materials, creating art objects from natural materials, or organizing ecological exhibitions with the participation of young people contributes to the education of conscious citizens who understand the importance of sustainable development. Therefore, the authors indicate the need to prepare future teachers for this kind of integrated activity and give examples of the integration of arts in the educational activities of students in classes from various educational disciplines.

Discussion on the Integrated Teaching of Senior High School Students Career Education

With the gradual implementation of the new college entrance examination system, career education has been paid more and more attention in the high school education in China. However, due to the limitation of traditional teaching methods, using integrated teaching methods to carry out career education can achieve better results. The application of integrated teaching design to career education has been relatively mature in the west, which can promote the cultivation of students career consciousness and the development of subjects. It is necessary to carry out integrated career education in high school, which can promote the cultivation of students career awareness and accomplishment, promote the further development of teaching of different subjects, and promote the development of students comprehensive quality and various abilities. At the same time, the theoretical research on integrated career education in China is not mature enough, and it needs more practical exploration. The possibility of integrated career education lies in the potential career education content in life situations. Through various disciplines, we can understand relevant occupations, learning from examples is helpful to set up learning goals and find the value of subject learning, and teaching material resources also provide rich career education materials. To carry out integrated career education in high school, it is necessary to choose appropriate career education topics, select relevant teaching subjects and units, develop new career education teaching goals, select career education content into the original teaching materials, design and implement career education integrated teaching activities, evaluate the teaching effectiveness and make corrections.thisIn addition, teachers should strengthen the cultivation of their own education ability, unite all educational forces, coordinate and unify career education and quality cultivation of high school students, and jointly promote the effectiveness of high school career education.

Pursuing Social Goods and Responding to Buffered & Disenchanted Learners: The Role of Community-Based Approaches in Christian Higher Education

We discuss why Christian higher education is marginalized by way of Charles Taylor’s claims that a modern secular conception of selfhood presumes a buffered (isolated, atomized) mind disengaged and disidentified from broader community and experientially transcendent sources of meaning. We show how community-engaged education combined with community-based research in the context of Christian education reorients students and enables them to encounter the Other, which challenges buffered and disengaged selfhood. The paper then presents the links between this approach to Christian education and historic theological themes that help Christian education realize a Christian social imaginary that contributes to the social good.

Reflections of Community Engagement Activity on Sex Education, Sexual Consent and Awareness among High School Learners in the Mpumalanga Province

Consent related topics in sexual education seem to be avoided or considered taboo among learners in rural communities. The study explores the perceptions of sexual awareness, consent and sexual knowledge among high school learners in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Two theories of social constructionism and person in the environment were used as lenses to understand sex education in relation to issues of consent. A focused ethnography approach was employed to reconnoitre the perceptions of learners on sexual awareness and sexual consent, and a purposive sample was implored to select learners involved in the study. The study used two focus groups of twenty boys and eleven girls from Grades 11 and 12. The study emanates from the reflective essays penned by ten participants from the University of South Africa, who played a role in facilitating discussions among Grades 11 and 12 learners as part of their community engagement. The study revealed that although sex education is taught at school, issues of sexual consent are lacking, and learners have no knowledge of what consent entails. Furthermore, the results revealed that the effects of sex education in the curriculum are minimal, and there should be more learning activities to promote sex education in schools.

An overview of education at middle and high schools in Iraq: A summary on the case of mathematics

This brief investigation dives into the landscape of general education and mathematics instruction in Iraq's middle and high schools to provide insight into many facets of the educational system. The talk covers essential educational themes by giving an overview of general education and mathematics teaching and learning, emphasizing the issues faced and untapped potential within the Iraqi school system. This review aims to delve into the complexities of the current condition of general and mathematics teaching in these institutions, offering significant insights that go beyond surface-level examination. This investigation aims to identify existing barriers and prospective areas for reform and progress. This results in a better knowledge of the dynamic elements impacting general education and mathematics instruction in Iraq's middle and high schools.

Student Medical Education Masterclasses: Diversifying the Academic Pipeline.

There remains a lack of diversity among those pursuing clinical academic careers. Structural inequalities, discrimination and a paucity of relatable role models can disadvantage minoritised students, hindering their educational experiences and career opportunities. Innovative and effective approaches are needed at an undergraduate level to address this problem, ensuring the pipeline is representative, diverse and inclusive. To help address this challenge, in 2021, we developed a free online 'medical education masterclass series' for 250 UK medical students, with students from minoritised backgrounds particularly encouraged to apply. The masterclasses explored topical themes in medical education through seminars and workshops featuring diverse guest speakers. To evaluate the programme, students were invited to submit an anonymised reflection and complete a semi-structured interview exploring how their perceptions of medical education may have changed following attendance of the masterclasses. A total of 18% responded, and data were thematically analysed. Students reflected on how the sessions broadened their understanding of medical education beyond their own curriculum experiences. Students described acquiring skills and building networks to further develop their interest in medical education. The desire to make medical education more inclusive was identified as a key priority for students, and students felt empowered to advocate for positive change within their own institutions. Providing students with opportunities to explore medical education through such masterclasses has the potential to raise awareness and address some of the barriers experienced by minoritised students. We would advocate for similar initiatives to be developed in other clinical academic areas to increase diversity.

Ranking of Health Problems and Prioritization of Cancer Education Topics by African American Communities in South Carolina.

Despite landmark breakthroughs in cancer research, African American adults (AA) bear the highest cancer burden compared to other racial groups in the United States (US). AA adults have twice the likelihood of dying from prostate and uterine cancers compared to White adults, suggesting that there are fundamental issues yet to be addressed when developing and implementing cancer-preventative programs for AA communities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) empowers community members to identify and prioritize their health problems and preferred strategies to tackle these issues. In alignment with the CBPR approach, the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE) undertook a study to inform cancer research priorities and interventions. A survey designed by the SC CADRE team to assess perceptions about health problems (cancer risk factors), prioritization of cancer education topics, and attitudes related to cancer prevention was completed by predominantly AA community members in South Carolina (N = 179). Participants had a mean age of 51.59 ± 16.53years; the majority were AA (72.49%), females (76.44%), had bachelor's/graduate degrees (66.29%), and were from the Lowcountry coastal region of the state (85.26%). Obesity emerged as the greatest health concern, followed by poor diet and low physical activity. The top three priorities for cancer education were to learn about causes of cancer, strategies for healthy eating, and how to access healthcare. These findings could inform cancer education and intervention programs to address the top priority health needs identified by AA communities in South Carolina. They may also be relevant in other states, especially in rural southern parts of the USA.

Protocol of an adaptive mobile health intervention for the management of gestational weight gain: The LEAP cluster randomized controlled trial.

More than half of pregnant patients with overweight or obesity exceed national gestational weight gain (GWG) guidelines, increasing their risk of adverse outcomes. There is an urgent need to develop effective and scalable interventions to improve GWG. To describe the protocol of Lifestyle, Eating, and Activity in Pregnancy (LEAP), a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating a mobile health (mHealth) intervention promoting appropriate GWG in an integrated healthcare system. LEAP is a cluster randomized trial with randomization at the clinician level. Patient eligibility includes a pre-pregnancy BMI of 25.0-40.0 kg/m2 and singleton pregnancy. Consented patients receive standard care or standard care plus mHealth intervention per their clinician's randomization. The patient adaptive intervention provides personalized, automated feedback on GWG and physical activity using 1) a smartphone application, 2) a Wi-Fi scale and activity tracker; 3) weekly educational topics; and 4) step-wise support (added when GWG is >75th percentile of the GWG guidelines). Intervention clinicians receive newsletters with motivational interviewing tips to facilitate discussing GWG. Primary outcomes are total GWG (last measured weight - pre-pregnancy weight) and weekly rate of GWG (total GWG/gestational weeks at delivery) as continuous variables and categorized per the IOM GWG guidelines. Secondary outcomes include trimester-specific rate of GWG, GWG trajectory, diet and physical activity, postpartum weight retention, birthweight, infant size for gestational age, and infant growth to 12 months. LEAP addresses gaps in the implementation of GWG interventions in healthcare settings. The adaptive and mHealth nature of the intervention may enhance scalability. ClinicalTrials.govNCT03880461.

Escaping the ordinary: a review of escape rooms in medical and veterinary education

BackgroundEscape rooms (ERs), immersive role-playing games that require participants to solve a series of puzzles within a set time to achieve a specific goal, have gained popularity as innovative educational tools.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus, for articles published between inception of journals to April 2024, focusing on the integration, outcomes, and participants’ perceptions of ERs in medical and veterinary education.ResultsA total of 619 articles were retrieved, of which 12 articles met the inclusion criteria for final analysis. These studies focused on medical students and included medical education topics such as nephrology, human physiology, and dermatology. Notably, no ERs focused on the veterinary sector or directly addressed the One Health approach. ERs demonstrated a significant impact on students’ self-reported knowledge, motivation, and collaboration skills gains. Participants reported improved confidence in clinical situations and a greater appreciation for interdisciplinary team dynamics. Most studies yield moderate MERSQI scores and impacts at Kirkpatrick Levels 1 and 2.ConclusionERs increased immediate educational engagement and showed potential in improving an understanding of complex, interrelated health issues. This gap suggests a need for curricula that incorporates ERs to bridge human, animal, and environmental health sectors. The integration of ERs could be instrumental in equipping future prescribers with the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills needed to tackle complex health crises.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.

Development and evaluation of a shared decision-making system for choosing the type of bariatric surgery

IntroductionObesity is a multifactorial disease resulting from various environmental, genetic, and metabolic factors, affecting a large portion of the population. One of the most effective treatments for severe obesity is bariatric surgery. This research aims to develop a shared decision-making system that facilitates the selection of the appropriate type of bariatric surgery.MethodIn this research, we designed and developed a prototype of a shared decision-making system to aid in choosing the type of bariatric surgery through three steps: a) identifying data requirements from a literature review, b) designing interfaces and prototyping, and c) conducting a usability evaluation.ResultsThrough a literature review of articles, books, and interviews with ten selected patients, the necessary clinical data and educational topics were identified and confirmed by nine surgeons. A prototype was developed using the web application "Figma." We also analyzed the prototype using heuristic evaluation; "helping users understand and recover from errors" and "confidentiality" had the highest degrees of problem severity, with scores of 3.3 and 3.5, respectively.ConclusionThe developed prototype demonstrated an acceptable level of usability. This system can facilitate shared decision-making and help structure education for patients seeking bariatric surgery.

Exploring Sports Films and SDG4 from a Cross-Cultural Perspective: A Comparative Study of Leap (2020) and Dangal (2016)

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the educational values in sports films Leap (2020) and Dangal (2016) and their contributions to audience identity formation, with a particular focus on promoting SDG 4. Theoretical Framework: This research is grounded in cultural dimension theory and social identity theory, examining how educational narratives in these films contribute to equality in education, gender equality, and social inclusion, which are key aspects of SDG 4. Method: A mixed-methods approach combining content analysis, sentiment analysis, and cross-cultural comparison was employed. Audience reviews from platforms such as Douban were analyzed to capture emotional responses and cultural identification with the educational themes in both films. Results and Discussion: The discussion and findings indicate that Leap and Dangal highlight the intersection of cultural values and SDG4, illustrating how breaking gender biases and promoting equal opportunities contribute to social transformation across diverse cultural contexts, while resonating with global audiences through universally relatable narratives. Research Implications: This study contributes to the understanding of how sports films can serve as educational tools in shaping audience perceptions about equality in education, gender equality, and social responsibility, aligning with SDG 4. Originality/Value: This research provides a novel cross-cultural perspective on the educational impact of sports films from China and India, offering valuable insights for future research on the global role of cinema in promoting quality education and social change.

The Annual Canadian Sociological Association Conference 2023. Research Cluster: Sociology of Housing

From May 29 to June 2, 2023, the Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association was held at York University in Toronto, where various academic, research, educational, and administrative topics were discussed. The conference was part of the Congress of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and attracted speakers and attendees from Canada and other countries. Notably, for the first time since 2003, a research cluster focusing on the sociology of housing was presented, which had been initiated within the association at the end of 2021. Participants included scientific and pedagogical professionals, students, practitioners, and independent researchers, who engaged in two sections dedicated to sociological studies of housing and homelessness. Discussions covered a range of topics including chronic homelessness among women, mobile homelessness, the risk of homelessness among youth, attitudes towards the homeless, housing conditions of different social groups, and housing precarity. Special attention was given to state housing policy and the federal 'Housing First' strategy, the outcomes of which are subject to debate. The reports presented by the Sociology of Housing Research Cluster are of great interest to researchers focusing on housing issues in liberal democratic countries, including Canada, and to sociologists interested in developing housing sociology in Russia based on international experiences.

Education and Training Needs of Health Care Professionals in the Philippines Encountering Patients with Lung Oligometastatic Cancers.

This study aimed to examine the education and training needs of health care practitioners (HCPs) in the Philippines who encounter lung oligometastatic cancer patients. Lung oligometastatic disease is among the most common sites for cancer spread and has the most established practices for treating oligometastases. A modified version of the Hennessy-Hicks Training Needs Assessment Questionnaire was administered online to HCPs working in private and public centers in the Philippines. HCPs were recruited via purposive sampling. Twenty-seven HCPs completed the questionnaire (47% response rate). Respondents were mostly female (59%) and between the ages of 30 and 39 years (70%). Three-quarters (74%) were consultants, and most respondents were radiation oncologists (44%) or medical oncologists (30%). Medical oncologists rated Management/Supervisory Tasks (mean = 1.42) as their highest area of training need while radiation oncologists rated Clinical Tasks (mean = 1.30) as their highest training need. Pulmonologists (mean = 0.60) and other specialists (mean = 1.00) rated Administration tasks as their top area of training need. The clinical task-related category was rated the highest need among the continuing medical education topics. This study provides valuable insights for the implementation and advancement of a comprehensive curriculum in clinical oncology, specifically designed to enhance the administrative, clinical, and research capacities of oncologists who encounter oligometastatic lung disease in the Philippines.

Riverine writing: Ecopedagogical explorations with Australian river ecologies

This article traverses the confluence of ecopedagogies and river ecologies, employing a unique methodological approach that intertwines canoeing with academic inquiry to explore riverscape learning and its potential for becoming ecoliterate with the river. Drawing on wild pedagogies and outdoor education expertise alongside feminist new materialist eco-thinking, the text explores themes of environmental education, critical pedagogy, ecofeminism and place-based learning by playing with river-writing as an ecopedagogical methodological experiment. River-writing as ecopedagogy is responsive to the complexities of ecological systems and the challenges posed by the climate crisis. By engaging with the material and metaphorical currents of rivers, the text underscores the importance of experiential learning and the potential of natural landscapes as educational spaces that can inspire critical reflection, environmental stewardship and a deeper connection with the more-than-human world. The integration of theoretical perspectives from environmental philosophy and the practical insights gained from canoeing provide a rich narrative that contributes to the evolving discourse on ecopedagogies, offering insights for educators, environmentalists, researchers and policy-makers interested in advancing sustainable and inclusive educational practices.