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Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted nursing education in developing and developed countries. In response to pandemic-related challenges such as campus shut downs, nursing schools implemented open and distance learning programs (ODL) that allowed them to continue offering nursing education. This paper reports on an ODL patient safety course implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that was also used to facilitate an international, cross-cultural learning experience. Method: Forty undergraduate senior nursing students in the United States (U.S.) and the Dominican Republic (D.R.) enrolled in a synchronous and asynchronous ODL nursing patient safety course implemented by [Blinded] in conjunction with [Blinded]. Results: Thirty-seven students completed all of the program requirements. The majority of students rated their course experience highly; they agreed or strongly agreed with all course evaluation statements, including whether their overall course evaluation was positive (95%) and whether the curriculum was culturally appropriate (97%). Conclusions: Our experience in implementing a nursing patient safety ODL course can serve as a model for (1) how ODL can help nursing schools respond to restrictions imposed by an ongoing pandemic; (2) how ODL can be used to enhance cross-cultural nursing education; and (3) how nursing schools can collaborate effectively across borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Subspecialty survey aimed to identify key motivating factors associated with choosing geriatric psychiatry as a career, and to assess training satisfaction among geriatric psychiatry fellows/residents in Canada and the United States. American and Canadian geriatric psychiatry program directors were asked to distribute an online survey to their fellows. Descriptive statistics for quantitative items and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to assess for differences by country of training. Thirty-one geriatric psychiatry fellows completed the survey. The most important motivating factors for pursuing a career in geriatric psychiatry were found to be "working with patients and families", "working in an interdisciplinary environment", and "intellectual stimulation". Fellows' overall training satisfaction was high, with American fellows more satisfied than Canadian residents (p = .047) on average, especially with regard to biomedical aspects of training (p = .01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many transgender individuals face inequities, discrimination, and sometimes even a lack of transgender-specific knowledge in health care settings. Educational curricula can address such disparities and help future health professionals to become more knowledgeable, confident, and well-prepared for addressing the needs of transgender individuals. This systematic review aims to summarize current training interventions about care of transgender individuals for health and allied health students, and to analyse the effects of the respective intervention. A total of six databases (Pubmed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and SciSearch) were screened for original articles published between 2017 and June 2021. Search terms and eligibility criteria were pre-specified, and after a structured selection process 21 studies were included into further analysis. Extracted data contained information on general study properties, population, design, program format and outcomes of interest. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize detected results. Study quality was assessed for each individual study. A self-developed 18-item checklist combining criteria of two prior published tools was used to assess overall quality of quantitative studies. For qualitative studies a 10-item checklist by Kmet et al. [HTA Initiat, 2004] was applied. Eligible studies were designed for multiple health or allied health profession students, and varied widely regarding program format, duration, content, and assessed outcomes. Almost all (N = 19) interventions indicated improvements in knowledge, attitude, confidence and comfort levels or practical skills concerning care for transgender clients. Major limitations included the lack of long-term data, validated assessment tools, control groups and comparative studies. Training interventions contribute to prepare future health professionals to deliver competent and sensitive care and which may improve the prospective experienced health care reality of transgender individuals. However, currently there is no common consensus about best practice of education. Additionally, little is known about whether detected effects of training interventions translate into noticeable improvements for transgender clients. Further studies are warranted to assess the direct impact of specific interventions in the light of the respective target populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the physical activity levels and experiences of students enrolled in a service-learning dog walking class. Participants: College students (N = 10) from a rural university in the Eastern United States (age = 20.8 years ±1.2; 80% female; 90% White). Method: Students wore NL-1000 pedometers twice a week for 50 minutes for ten weeks. They also completed reflection papers at the end of the class. Pedometer data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and the papers were analyzed through inductive coding. Results: Students obtained approximately 40% of their recommended daily physical activity requirements during class time. Reflection papers revealed that student beliefs about shelter dogs were challenged and that their primary motivations for attending class involved the physical activity needs of the dogs. Conclusions: Incorporating a service component into a physical activity course whereby the physical activity needs of others are the focus can be beneficial for all involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the differential effects of a paper-based versus a web-based portfolio in terms of portfolio quality, user-friendliness and student motivation. Methods An experimental design was used to compare Year 1 medical students' reflective portfolios. The portfolios differed in presentation medium only (i.e. web-based versus paper-based). Content analysis, a student questionnaire and mentor interviews were used to evaluate portfolio quality, user-friendliness and student motivation. A total of 92 portfolios were scored independently by 2 raters using a portfolio quality-rating instrument. Results Portfolio structure, quality of reflection and quality of evidence showed no significant effects of presentation medium. Multi-level analysis showed a significant effect for student motivation: web-based portfolios scored 0.39 more than paper-based portfolios ( P < 0.05; effect size 0.76). The mentors reported no differences in portfolio quality, except that there were more visuals in web-based portfolios. Students spent significantly more time preparing the web-based than the paper-based portfolios (15.4 hours versus 12.2 hours; t = 2.1, P < 0.05; effect size 0.46). The 2 student groups did not differ significantly in terms of their satisfaction with the portfolio. The mentors perceived the web-based portfolios as more user-friendly. Conclusions The web-based portfolios were found to enhance students' motivation, were more user-friendly for mentors, and delivered the same content quality compared with paper-based portfolios. This suggests that web-based presentation may promote acceptance of portfolios by students and teachers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the usage of Swales's ‘Moves’ in research paper assignment by composition students in the U.S. Most first-year composition students do not define the research paper task the way college teachers would like them to. The students do not necessarily produce papers overwhelmingly superior to their previous essays and worthy of publication in a scholarly journal. They do learn to view themselves as original researchers. The author does not require that all students adopt the localized-field-research approach, let alone that they all use Swales's moves in their introductions.

Learning styles are defined as the pedagogical customization that is required for students to engage and to improve their performance in the learning process. Traditionally, pedagogical strategies have emphasized learning styles, such as some students can learn better by listening, reading, verbalizing, or watching visual images; but one important component has been ignored, and this is responsibility (Blasco, 2009; Hunsaker, Pavett, & Hunsaker, 2011; Lincoln & Frontczak, 2008; Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, & Bjork, 2009). The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how important responsibility is for students, professors, and the competitiveness of the United States. The questions I will address are: First, how can we engage students attending two-year colleges in learning theoretical concepts? Second, how can we connect responsibility, learning outcomes, and research projects? The purpose of this paper is to share the methodology I follow for a writing intensive business organization and management class. On the first day of class with the active participation of the students, we review the syllabus. The specific tasks during the semester are as follows: to visit the Writing Center and the Library and to write one page about each of these experiences, to research five topics related to the student learning outcomes of the course, and to create questions to interview a manager. After interviewing the manager, students present a final research paper and deliver a PowerPoint presentation. It is important to mention all homework, research papers, and presentations must be submitted on the day they are due. Finally, for the evidence: for fall 2012 the expected average for the two classes was a score of 8.5 out of 10. The result for one section was 9.3, and for the other section it was 9.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of research in improving science education in the U.S. The understanding of the process of teaching, learning, and schooling has improved. Thus, rapid societal changes has an impact on the image of the process of schooling in general, and the process of teaching and learning science in particular. With this regard, teachers must engage in constructing a curriculum to enhance the development of all students. Lastly, research should guide and inform policy formation and decision making regarding science teaching, preschool through college.

As environmental crises continue to rise, the profession of social work in the US is being called to incorporate environmental justice content in the training and education of social workers to prepare them for addressing the effects of environmental injustices; however, students' awareness of the profession's environmental justice mission is uncertain. The current mixed-method study sought to explore this issue amongst a sample of social work students (N = 724) in the US. Overall, students mildly to moderately believe that environmental issues are part of practice, and regression results revealed that greater support was associated with the belief in climate change and completing a university course that included environmental injustice. Content analysis of an open-ended question that asked students to define 'environmental justice' revealed that students primarily defined this term within the context of general environmental harm (28%) and 15% linked this term to a disproportionate exposure to hazards among people who have been historically oppressed and marginalized. Together these results suggested that further educational efforts may be needed to expand students' knowledge of environmental (in)justice and how it is part of practice across the micro-macro continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Among research‐focused nursing doctoral (PhD) programs in the United States, the traditional dissertation format has recently given way to a series of publication‐ready manuscripts, often bookended by introduction and conclusion chapters. To help programs make decisions about the use of these formats, this study undertook a national survey of programs offering PhDs in nursing. The purpose of this study was to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the traditional format versus manuscript option for dissertations among nursing PhD programs in the United States. Design: Cross‐sectional census survey of U.S. nursing PhD programs. Methods: A web‐based survey was administered to all U.S. nursing PhD programs. Respondents indicated formats offered, factors contributing to decisions of which formats to offer, and lessons learned. Descriptive statistics and inductive content analyses were used for analysis. Findings: Of 121 eligible institutions, 79 provided eligible responses (66.7%). The majority (59%) offered both formats; 11% offered the manuscript option only, and 24% offered the traditional format only. Faculty support (or lack thereof) contributed to adoption (or not) of the manuscript option. Respondents' approaches to the manuscript option (e.g., number of papers) and advice are summarized. Conclusions: Manuscript option dissertations are commonly offered and provide benefits to students and faculty; however, thoughtful implementation is critical. Programs need to agree upon clear expectations and have graduate school support (e.g., formatting). Faculty need mentorship in advising manuscript option students who choose to use this format, and the time and support. Finally, students need additional writing skills that could be provided through coursework or via individual work with mentors. Clinical Relevance: As nursing education continues to expand further into doctoral research, programs must examine dissertation formats in order to both prepare future nurse scholars and disseminate nursing research that is critical to improving nursing education, patient care, and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored self-reported experiences of alternate admission track plan (AATP) students who completed a chiropractic training program at a US chiropractic college. Our institution conducted semistructured exit interviews with 16 graduating AATP students. Our consensus-drafted open-ended interview questions probed in-depth for these students' experience throughout the training program, with national board exams, their personal characteristics, their satisfaction with the training program generally, and with the AATP program specifically. We employed a content analysis to identify themes and patterns of responses across the blinded deidentified interview transcripts. We used a combination of deductive coding based on our interview guides, and inductive coding to identify newly emerging subthemes. Perceived facilitators of student success were strong commitment to chiropractic, cooperative, and supportive environment (eg, student study groups and a highly committed faculty), work ethic, and time management skills. Although many recommended that AATP entrants without science backgrounds take prerequisite courses in biology and chemistry, they also observed that a capable student could dedicate the time and effort to obtain the needed information via available college resources. Graduating AATP students were positive about the AATP program overall, and their preparation for national board exams and for clinical practice. They greatly valued the opportunity to accelerate their entrance into chiropractic college. A major limitation of this study is that the perspectives of AATP students who did not complete the doctor of chiropractic program are not represented in these interviews of graduating students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do grade configurations affect student academic performance? To bring new evidence to this question, I use recent district-by-grade data for nearly the entire United States that contain measures of test score achievement and rates of school switching induced by grade configuration. Past research has found that student performance, is, on average, relatively low following switches due to grade configuration, but in fact students perform relatively better in the grades just prior to these switches. In the national data, I find that this so-called top dog/bottom dog pattern appears for all terminal grade choices among grades 3 through 8, is geographically widespread, and is robust to controlling for grade-specific effects of a rich set of covariates. Thus, I establish that the top dog/bottom dog pattern is a very pervasive phenomenon in American education. I explore potential mechanisms and discuss policy and research implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents discussions by economists on some papers that are published in the May 1, 1970 issue of the journal "American Economic Review." The author states that his comments are directed mainly to the paper by economist R. Radner and L.S. Miller. The author is particularly interested in the data Radner and Miller have assembled on variations in faculty-student ratios among groups of institutions and over time. However, before commenting on that aspect of their paper, the author wants to know how student aid is treated in their analysis. The author cannot tell from the paper itself how this variable has been handled and yet it is clearly of great importance in many cases. To return to the faculty-student ratios, the intriguing question is, of course, related to observed patterns. The difficulty that Radner and Miller have had to-date in finding systematic relationships between faculty-student ratios and other variables, or even in presenting much in the way of conjectures, attests to the complexity of the problem. It also serves as a challenge to economists to come up with some ideas of their own. In this spirit, the author suggests that variations in faculty-student ratios can be understood only in the context of more complete behavioral models for various groups of institutions.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine existing learning innovation systems and propose a systematic methodology of delivering educational innovations in the right amount, in the right place and at the right time. Design/methodology/approach – Higher education is not effectively incorporating new discoveries in cognitive science and human learning into effective teaching strategies. In this paper, the authors explore the various impediments to change. To partially overcome these barriers, Drexel University, in collaboration with Untra Academic Management Solutions, LLC, has embarked on the development of a knowledge management system to assist instructors in obtaining, implementing, evaluating and disseminating new educational innovations. The system as envisioned would be capable of adapting to various educational environments and evolving with changes in curricula, faculty expectations, learning outcomes and student characteristics. Findings – The SocraticNet as a learning environment is stimulated, based on Socratic inquiry among teachers and learners. It is an interactive social network system utilising Web 2.0-based emerging technologies fostering communication and sharing among faculty, students and others (e.g. librarians) engaged in a particular course or other educational experience. Students learn by sharing what they know, by asking questions, judging and evaluating the retrieved information, and using this information efficiently in completing their assignments or research papers. This approach results in multidimensional information flow – instructor to instructor, instructor to student, student to instructor, student to student – which adds a new richness to the interactions between faculty and students providing the framework for a true learning community. Research limitations/implications – The present work has been conducted at one institution. This can be extended to include more institutions and tried with different disciplines. There are implications for changes in relation to teaching and learning approached adopted in higher education and also for development of technology tailored to address issues emanating from the scenario. Practical implications – The research work presented has the potential to stimulate debate to further develop and refine thinking on the role and use of technology directed at improving teaching and learning in higher education. Originality/value – This paper examines learning and teaching styles in higher education taking cognizance of conditions and factors impeding new innovations in practice. Details discussions are presented and unique suggestions are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the time of African independence, the concept of higher education for development took hold in the programmes of the new African governments and in the aid projects of the former colonial powers, the United States, the USSR, and international organisations. All agreed on the need to place higher education at the service of Africa's development and, to that end, to train the elites capable of carrying out the continent's modernisation. It was for this purpose that the African Scholarship Program of American Universities (ASPAU) was created, which enabled nearly 1,600 Africans to study in the United States between 1961 and 1971. The objective of this article is to show, through the example of ASPAU, that beyond the almost unanimous support for the developmentalist project at the time of decolonisation, its conceptualisation and implementation have actually been shaped by differing expectations and relationships of domination. Governments, university officials, philanthropic foundations, and African students were all acting according to particular agendas that they tried to impose through different strategies. The training of African elites thus proved to be a much more tortuous process than was theoretically expected, fashioned as much by ideological concepts as by political interests, personal strategies and transnational flows of people and knowledge. In this sense, the history of ASPAU also highlights the deeply experimental dimension of decolonisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of for-profit educational organizations in the predominantly public and not-for-profit K-12 US schooling system is being fiercely debated across our nation. Little empirical research is available to help policy-makers develop informed decisions regarding the educational value that for-profit schools provide to our students. This paper fills in part, for the first time in detail, this void. This paper uses a four-year panel of charter schools from the state of Michigan to estimate a school-level education production function and employ a random effects model that controls for student and district characteristics. The results find no evidence of a change in efficiency when a charter school is run by a for-profit company (versus a not-for-profit company). The analysis developed in this paper takes the debate one step further as well, and examines the role that the size of for-profit firms plays in the associated outcomes. There is some evidence that small for-profit companies are either less efficient or enroll a different type of cohort of students than not-for-profit schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education is challenged to usher in new approaches to preparing its students for their professional careers. Many blue-ribbon committees call for systematic modifications in research universities to clear the path for cross-disciplinary learning communities. In this context, the paper investigates the effect of student ratings as a measure of teaching effectiveness. One survey found that engineering sophomores perceive active student-centered teaching methods as greatly ineffective, while a second survey highlighted that lecture-based teaching underpins student rating forms used at U.S. research universities. With the goal of aligning teaching objectives, learning outcomes, and the criteria for evaluating teaching, a student rating form is presented. The scales of the multidimensional construct are based on the most up-to-date understanding of effective pedagogy, the new American Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria, and a view of the future of our profession. The importance of this paper lies in its science-based proposal underlying a call for the establishment of a coalition to validate a constructive approach to further teaching performance in the field of construction engineering and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of HLM analysis in determining the implementation effects of two science curriculum units on student learning. It also compares HLM results with prior results from ANCOVA analyses. HLM analyses were considered as an alternative to ANCOVA because student data were nested within classrooms. The data for this study are from the Scaling-up Curriculum for Achievement, Learning and Equity Project (SCALE-uP). The sample consists of Grade 6 and Grade 7 students from five matched pairs of middle schools in a large, diverse, metropolitan school district in the US. The HLM null model indicates that approximately 15% of the total variance in student gain scores was found between classrooms. Curriculum treated as a classroom factor was significant for both units tested, as was also the case when treated at the individual level in ANCOVA. However, there were large differences in the effect sizes reported by the two analysis techniques. A major implication is that when the students are nested in classrooms and schools, researchers should consider multi-level analysis and account for classroom/school contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a survey of context‐based chemistry education in the United States. It begins with a very brief overview of twentieth‐century chemistry texts and teaching methods, followed by a short description of a pioneering secondary school text. The major emphasis is on post‐secondary instruction and the central case study is provided by Chemistry in Context , a university text intended for students who are not specializing in science. The paper is more concerned with strategies for curriculum reform than with educational research, and the emphasis is more pragmatic than theoretical. A chronological sequence is used to trace the creation of Chemistry in Context . This developmental account is overlaid with the curricular representations of Goodlad and Van den Akker. The Ideal Curriculum was the goal, but the Formal Curriculum was created and revised as a consequence of iteration involving perceptions of the users, the implementation of the curriculum, the experience of students and teachers, and formal and informal assessment of what was attained. The paper also includes descriptions of other, more recent, context‐based college chemistry curricula. It concludes with a list of problems and unanswered questions relating to this pedagogical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2001 U.S. Supreme Court Case of Falvo v. Owasso School System (Owasso Independent School District No I-011 v. Falvo) has focused national attention on the common classroom practice of peer-grading. In a unanimous decision the court reaffirmed the popular view that students grading each others' tests is valuable, saving teachers' time and augmenting student learning. Our study puts these presumed benefits to the test in 4 middle school science classrooms. We compared teacher-assigned grades to those awarded either by students to themselves or by their peers. By training students to grade with the help of a scoring rubric, a very high correlation was obtained between students and their teacher on test questions (r = 0.91 to 0.94). We found patterns of bias when students assigned grades. When grading others, students awarded lower grades to the best performing students than their teacher did. When grading themselves, lower performing students tended to inflate their own low scores. Performance on an unannounced, 2nd administration of the same test 1 week later measured the degree to which student-grading resulted in any increased understanding. Students who graded their peers' tests did not gain significantly more than a control group of students who did not correct any papers but simply took the same test again. Those students who corrected their own tests improved dramatically. Self-grading and peer-grading appear to be reasonable aids to saving teachers' time. Self-grading appears to result in increased student learning; peer-grading does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a model of public exchange whereby voters and education policy makers exchange with one another within school districts. Because school district consolidation lowers alternatives to voters-parents, consolidation is hypothesized to raise public education spending because weakened intergovernmental competition allows policy makers to promote their own utility, rather than that of constituents. Models of public education spending and academic performance are estimated over 1988-1990. While evidence indicates little support for the traditional treatment of the Leviathan hypothesis that greater competition lowers public spending, this paper argues that education spending by itself does not fully provide a valid test of the Leviathan hypothesis since spending, by itself, does not necessarily indicate the quality of public education programmes. Empirical evidence indicates that greater numbers of schools and school districts promote higher student achievement as evidenced by higher math and verbal SAT scores, math proficiency of 8th graders, and lower high school drop-out rates. Evidence therefore suggests that, while greater numbers of school districts and schools are, to some degree, associated with higher public education spending, higher student achievement appears to follow as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In reaction to claims that educational systems in the USA are not responding well to the needs of learners, school districts have responded with a highly diverse set of ‘reform activities’ ranging from increased focus on incremental improvements in programs to a variety of structural changes. A few educators began to ‘think systemically’, that is, they began to take systems principles into account as change efforts were designed and planned. Such educators have been able to obtain both guidance and encouragement from system philosophers, designers, and practitioners who are spearheading the emergence of a new technology concerned with the design of social systems. But, the challenge of rethinking how systems that redesign themselves might be evaluated has received too little attention. Like the mismatch believed to exist between current educational practice and the needs of learners, there is also a mismatch between traditional evaluation theory and practice and the need for new theory, models, and methodology for evaluating new system designs. This paper addresses this issue by proposing a framework for evaluating educational system designs. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty-five percent of the students with visual impairments in the United States receiving special education services have low vision, Of these, 65% have one or more additional disabilities'. This paper discusses the broad range of functional vision needs of students with low vision that can be addressed through appropriate assessment and intervention techniques to maximize educational outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES To identify and describe geriatric scholarly concentration programs (GSCPs) among U.S. medical schools. DESIGN Survey and interview. SETTING Allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in the United States. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS We used a systematic internet search, forum postings, and word of mouth to identify all U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools with existing GSCPs. GSCP directors completed an online survey. We conducted interviews with key faculty of two representative programs. MEASUREMENTS GSCP size, goals, duration of activity, requirements, funding sources, and student outcomes. RESULTS: Nine GSCPs were identified, and eight responded to the survey. The number of current medical student participants ranged from 0 to 28, with a mean cohort size of 23. All programs included the following components: formal mentoring, clinical experiences in geriatric medicine beyond the standard medical school curriculum, and research. Half required students to complete an independent research project. GSCPs reported challenges, including low student interest, lack of availability of faculty mentors, and budget constraints; however, student satisfaction was high. Among three programs that reported on the residency matches of their graduates, half matched into a residency with a geriatric subspecialty training option. CONCLUSIONS: Among U.S. medical schools, there are few GSCPs. The GSCP model may help compensate for limited exposure to geriatric competencies in the standard medical school curriculum for a subset of interested students and may increase interest in geriatrics subspecialty training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for professional training, mentorship, and research in the field of aging is expected to increase remarkably. Recent statistics indicate that less than 8% of social work students nationwide specialize in gerontology; however, a significant amount of social work graduates, regardless of their specialization at school, serve older adults in various health care settings. In addition, the aging populations that social work graduates serve are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. In order to address this issue, it is critical to support students and emerging scholars to not only become more competent in gerontological social work, but also engage in culturally competent research and practices. In this commentary, I described my experiences as a former fellow of the AGESW (Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work) Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program that fosters doctoral students in the field of gerontological social work. The program helps its fellows comprehend basic principles of doctoral education, develop strong professional networks with other colleagues and mentors across the country, and respect diversity in the population we serve as well as those within our own fellow group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing faculty interested in aging may help social work meet the needs of our growing aging population. However, doctoral students need a variety of supports to complete PhDs and become gerontological social work faculty. This study explored one program's role in supporting the development of social work doctoral students to faculty in gerontology. An e-mail invitation was sent to all former participants (2010–2016 cohorts) of the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program (PDFP). The 38-question online survey consisted of Likert-type scales, multiple answers, and one open-ended question per section about the program's impacts on their academic career development in teaching, research, mentoring, and support. Forty-five respondents, representing all six cohorts, completed the survey. More than half reported that the PDFP contributed to their ability to publish their research (64.4%, n = 29), grow their professional network (86.7%, n = 39, and teach (55.5%, n = 25). Doctoral programs provided different experiences than the PDFP, including mentoring, methodological training, professional development, networking, and peer support. Results suggest the PDFP provides content recipients value that supplements instruction received in their institutions. The program's ability to connect students to each other and to national leaders enhances their career development and socialization into academic roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses topics within the issue including advances in the research area of self-belief in educational settings; relationships between American adolescents' self-efficacy in mathematics and science; and analysis of school-level differences.

The article discusses teaching about HIV infection and AIDS in a hostile environment. Despite differing views on many aspects of AIDS crisis, there is, with few exceptions, general agreement that education, particularly safe sex education, plays the paramount role in controlling and combating the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus. According to the author, school age populations in particular have been delineated as being in critical need of AIDS education. The major focus has been on elementary and secondary populations, but there is evidence of a critical need for education at the college level since students are not only at risk, but also naive as to susceptibility and the necessity for safer sex practices. The author in this paper describes southwest Louisiana, an area where norms, values and beliefs constitute an even greater barrier to educational efforts than previously encountered and suggests ways in which sociologists are uniquely suited to provide AIDS education within the framework of existing courses.

New forms of assessment are sweeping the country. This article reports findings from one of the first projects to develop and field-test performance-based assessments for teachers, Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project. The authors analyze the responses of two high school history teachers on three performance assessments of teaching: (a) Evaluation of Student Papers, in which teachers read and responded to a set of student essays; Co) Use of Documentary Materials, in which teachers planned a clam activity using primary sources; and (c) Textbook Analysis, in which teachers evaluated a selection from a widely used U.S. history textbook. Differences emerged in the teachers' conceptions of their roles and responsibilities, their images of student ability and motivation, their views on student learning, and their subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge. The authors discuss what performance assessments can tell us about pedagogical knowledge and reasoning, and explore the implications of this work for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the significance of studies based on the learning approach in education in the U.S. The purpose of this paper is to draw out the educational implications from a number of studies and to compare the fruitfulness of two general methods of research called the personality approach and learning approach. An experiment was conducted on the effect of a number of controlled variables on Einstellung behavior. Einstellung is defined as the blinding effect presumably due to strong habits which stand in the way of elicitation of more successful modes of response. The finding that a mental set for speed in problem solving was followed by perseveration suggests that the whole tempo of teaching should be studied in relation to rigid tendencies. Another study on the effect of effort on Einstellung behavior in a maze-tracing situation is discussed.

The article discusses the significance of studies based on the personality approach in education in the U.S. The purpose of this paper is to examine a number of studies conducted in the personality approach framework and to show the kinds of educational implications involved. A study is said to have educational implications if the data suggest testable statements about educational concerns and the study itself is reasonably sound. This study suggests that it would be worthwhile to rate school children in terms of overt manifestation of submissiveness and rigidity to check the feasibility of diagnosing rigid tendencies through the extent submissiveness is shown. On the other hand, the personality approach is characterized by an emphasis upon identifying traits that are said to be the basic components of behavior structure.

This paper has two principal aims: (1) to analyze and measure how the demographic variables-mortality, fertility, and immigration- affect the cost of education; (2) to evaluate what possibilities developing countries, such as those of Latin America, have for a rapid educational improvement. The paper relates demographic and educational variables of three different populations: Sweden, 1840-1965; the United States, 1850-1960; and Latin America, 1930-2000. Three educational variables are also cone sidered: (a) school attendance rates by sex and age; (b) distribution of students of same age by grade; and (c) cost of student by grade. Demographic changes in countries such as Sweden and the United States were favorable for the development of education. For the future, unless an increase of fertility occurs, mortality and fertility changes will not have a significant effect on the cost of education in these countries. In current less developed countries the demographic changes during the past were less favorable to educational development. A future reduction of fertility will significantly help them to achieve a higher educational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical data which may be useful to students of economic change are presented in this paper. It interprets long-run statistical series on the growth of educational employment in the United States, Great Britain, and Germany, and provides information on the changes in the relative importance of employment in public schools to total governmental employment and to total employment over the long run. Finally, an analysis of the statistical record indicates that some potentially interesting interrelationships exist between the different proportions of school-age population attending public school, teacher-student ratios, and different ratios of school-age populations to total employment in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six online postings and six one-minute papers were added to an introductory first-year class, forming 5 percent of the final grade, but represented significant intervention in class functioning and amount of active learning. Active learning produced results in student performance beyond the percentage of the final grade it constituted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students complete courses or entire programs in instructional design (ID) and enter the professional arena confident they are prepared to wrestle with the complexities and demands of ID. What many of those fresh to the profession discover is that in addition to applying what they learned in school, they are called upon to carry out a number of additional tasks, often in areas where they have no training or previous experience. This paper reports on the results of an investigation carried out with 22 instructional designers practicing in post-secondary institutions in Canada and the United States. The purpose was to reveal the aspects of professional practice that instructional designers felt were important, but that were outside the traditional boundaries and training of instructional design. Through focus groups and e-mail discussions, we identified several roles that instructional designers described as important, but were peripheral to the traditional standards of practice and competencies in instructional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching national history in school generates significant public anxiety and political debate—as the various 'history wars' around the world reveal. For many school students, however, studying their nation's past is dull and repetitive. Such lack of interest has been confirmed by surveys and research reports that reveal alarmingly low levels of national historical knowledge among young people, and there is growing popular concern that their ignorance of the past endangers the nation's future. Yet preoccupation with students' apparent national illiteracy tends to overlook how they connect with history in the first place. This paper draws on findings from a comparative Australian and Canadian research project that interviewed students and teachers about the ways they learned and taught history. It argues that any return to 'the facts' at the expense of critical historical engagement in class could turn students away from the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers suggestions on teaching the students about science in the U.S. It is recommended to teach students about science as early as the elementary grades to provide a foundation for the development of sophisticated ideas related to the history and nature of science. It explores the importance of Draw-A-Scientist Test (E-DAST) to help teachers identify a wider range of what the students know about science. It highlights the significance of exposing children to the different fields of science and refer to the scientists of each specialty and inviting a scientist to class in order for them to value science.

Inquiry is seen as an integral part of science education in the USA; however, few American science programs explicitly focus on the higher order thinking skills that are the precursors to inquiry. In this paper, Australian researchers report the result of using a version of the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) program in a school district in Oregon (USA) to address teacher-identified concerns about student competence in scientific inquiry. The substantial effect of CASE on British children’s cognitive development and scholastic achievement has been demonstrated convincingly since its inception in the United Kingdom in 1981. The Oregon CASE project was not a mere replication of the original British CASE research: different instruments were employed, and both the measures of cognitive level and student achievement were Rasch-calibrated. The Oregon CASE teachers received comparatively less professional development than did their British counterparts. Neither did they deliver the entire intervention. The results of the study suggest that many of the benefits of CASE still apply when the intervention is conducted in a sub-optimal setting. Cognitive growth was apparent in participating students and high correlations were found between cognitive level and results in some state-mandated tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a small-scale study that examined the ways four elementary teachers in the United States scaffolded the literacy of students differently through interruptions. One thousand four hundred and ninety-eight interruptions were identified and coded in the study. Findings show that teachers' interruption patterns frequently conflicted with or undermined their planned and voiced approaches to literacy instruction. The interruption patterns in this study indicated that some teachers' interactions with the ethnic minority students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, while somewhat individualised, had unrecognised patterns which focused these children on phonics and accuracy as opposed to comprehension and meaning. These patterns supported a more passive approach to literacy that replicates and reproduces class and race structures of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

America's student population is rapidly growing at all academic levels. The student population is multi-cultured from the pre-schools to the college campuses. We can clearly see the demographical diversity among the student body, yet a multi-racial and multi-ethnic faculty is not primarily teaching our students. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of hiring minority teachers in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to examine social work students' perceptions of the role of the government in addressing social issues among social work students from the United States and Mexico. Data were drawn from a sample of 893 social work students from universities in the United States and Mexico, in the fall of 2010. Multivariate ordinary least squares regressions indicated that compared with social work students in the United States, students in Mexico reported significantly higher beliefs that government should do more to lessen social gaps, and ensure housing, employment, health insurance, basic necessities, an adequate standard of living, and equal opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of environmental justice into social work education, research, and practice has grown substantially in the past decade. However, social workers still report feeling unprepared to address these challenges with their clients and communities. To understand the disconnect between education about and application of environmental justice principles, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with graduate social work students (n = 14). Findings suggest this disconnect is catalyzed, in part, by the environment's meta nature and a lack of facilitated education on the dynamic feedbacks between the physical environment and social justice issues. Implications for social work educators are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This educational intervention uses the generalized empirical method (GEM) of Bernard Lonergan for nursing students to gain an understanding of the Orthodox Jewish family during childbirth. Setting and Population: this activity occurred at a baccalaureate, nursing program in the Northeast United States. It consisted of two semesters of 32 undergraduate junior nursing students enrolled in a maternal‐newborn nursing course. Findings: Five themes emerged from students' reflective journaling related to the Orthodox Jewish Laws and traditions included: Laws of Modesty, Laws of Niddah, Laws of Sabbath and Holidays, Laws of Kosher, and Laws of Naming the child and circumcision. Conclusions: The GEM facilitated students' understanding and knowledge of cultural traditions of the Orthodox Jewish childbirth experience. Lonergan's GEM provided insights and reflection so students could become culturally competent in providing nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The combination of biomedicine and traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is often referred to as integrative medicine. However, the degree to which the medical disciplines are integrated varies between medical settings, and it is believed by some to be impossible due to epistemological and paradigmatic differences. Clinicians' perspectives are important determinants of how different medical disciplines are used together. This study explores the perspectives of experienced Chinese medicine practitioners when asked about the most ethical model (opposition, integration, or pluralism) for the relationship between biomedicine and T&CM. Design: Thirty-one Chinese medicine practitioners, undertaking a doctoral upgrade program at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, participated in this study. Participants were asked to read a publication discussing three models (opposition, integration, and pluralism) for the relationship between biomedicine and T&CM and then discuss, via an online forum within Moodle learning management system, the most ethical model. An inductive content analysis of the forum posts was undertaken to identify common themes, followed by member checking. Results: The data were found to contain six major and six minor themes. There was a clear preference for pluralism. The Chinese medicine practitioners expressed reservations about the integrative model, and, above all, cared about the quality of patient care. Much dialogue occurred around issues related to a power imbalance within health care, and possible cooptation issues. Paradigmatic differences and a lack of compatibility between biomedical research models and the practice of Chinese medicine were seen as problematic to the validity of research findings. Interprofessional education was viewed as critical for the development of respect, shared patient care, and referrals between clinicians from different disciplines. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the issues associated with combining biomedicine and T&CM that are perceived by Chinese medicine practitioners. Such insights are important for the development and management of clinical settings that provide complementary and integrative health care, especially as the provision of insurance coverage for T&CM increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses how the Library and Office of Institutional Research at a public college measured the relationship of an online information literacy module in the learning management system with student success metrics in a first-year experience course. Specifically, the authors examine the relationships of an online instruction module, online module completion status, library use sessions, and student success metrics, such as semester grade point average (GPA), one-year retention, and academic standing. The results suggest that students who participated in the online information literacy module had better student outcomes than those that did not participate in the module. Research assignment grade and library use sessions are found as significant predictors of student semester GPA and one-year retention, controlling for high school GPA, student characteristics, and utilization of student support services. Practice implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is global acceptance of the need for prelicensure nursing students to complete practice experience hours during their program of education. Yet questions remain about these practice experiences, including those related to duration. Method: This article reports findings of a scoping exercise that compared the number of practice experience hours mandated for students undertaking courses that lead to RN licensure in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results: Substantial differences were evident between the four countries regarding the number of mandated practice experience hours. There is no clearly linked research evidence to justify the decision made in relation to the mandated number of hours. Conclusion: Internationally, there is a need to reexamine the rationale for mandating a minimum number of practice experience hours for students in programs of education that lead to licensing as an RN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions are key sites of oppression. Institutional oppression is defined as the mistreatment of people of a particular group that is enforced by society and its institutions. It is a system of invisible barriers that emerge from institutional laws, customs and practices, thus producing inequities for particular groups across race, gender and class. Woven together, the web of institutional oppression is vast, cumulative and multi-faceted, including both overt and covert discriminatory practices and behaviors. Based in a critical review of the literature, the authors of this article introduce and describe four characteristics of institutional oppression that specifically impact the lives of Black Americans. Furthermore, we provide a case vignette that illustrates these characteristics of oppression. The article concludes with recommendations on dismantling institutional oppression and highlights the roles that social workers can play in collaboration with educators and other professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]