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The ultimate goals of education and training are the development of learners' learning outcomes. The prospect of achieving high academic results should function as a driving force for students to be engaged in learning. Recognition of the factors affecting their learning satisfaction should facilitate their learning process, especially in online learning environments such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions among students' characteristics, their perceived values of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies, satisfaction and academic performances. A mixed-methods design was employed to investigate the issue under exploration. The 227 surveyed responses were collected from English majors who had experience in MOOCs and were studying at a private university in Can Tho city in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Data from the survey was analysed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25 for the correlations between their characteristics and the quantitative variables, while Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed to examine the perceived effects of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies on their satisfaction and academic outcomes. Qualitative data was collected through open-ended survey questions and analysed based on thematic analysis guidelines. The results revealed that SRL strategies such as strategic planning, time management, environment structuring, and help-seeking positively influenced both student satisfaction and academic performance. Notably, the study identified flexible learning time, self-paced learning, and the ability to choose study locations as significant factors enhancing student satisfaction. Conversely, limited social interaction, poor internet connectivity, and low motivation were found to be demotivating factors. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of gender and prior online learning experience in shaping students' satisfaction and performance in MOOCs. While gender showed no significant correlation with SRL strategies, satisfaction, or academic performance, prior experience in online learning environments, such as the number of completed MOOC courses, was significantly correlated with better academic outcomes. However, a weak negative correlation between students' academic years and their satisfaction was observed, suggesting that more advanced students might face increased academic pressure and higher expectations, leading to lower satisfaction levels. The research underscores the critical role of SRL strategies in facilitating effective learning in MOOCs, especially in the context of English major students who often lack direct interaction with instructors and peers. Training students in SRL strategies can help them better manage their learning processes, overcome challenges, and achieve their academic goals. This study contributes to the understanding of how student characteristics and SRL strategies affect learning in online environments and suggests practical implications for enhancing MOOC experiences. Future research should investigate additional SRL strategies and include a larger, more diverse sample to provide a more comprehensive understanding of their impact on student satisfaction and academic performance in MOOCs. Furthermore, exploring the specific challenges faced by different academic disciplines in MOOCs could offer more tailored solutions to improve online learning experiences.

In the 1980s of the twentieth century, universities in developed countries began to realize the growing gap between the capabilities of new graduate engineers and the actual requirements of engineering branches. The strong progress of technology requires engineers to have the intellectual abilities and necessary job-specific skills to master that progress. This paper focuses on Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) approach-based teaching for students majoring in electrical and electronic engineering technology at engineering universities in Vietnam to demonstrate the feasibility of the teaching model. The experimental method of synthesizing qualitative and quantitative results for 90 students in control and experimental classes was used. The experimental and control classes both had 45 students. SPSS software version 22 was used to gather data and evaluate the learning results of the two experimental and control groups. According to the findings of the T-test analysis of the independent variables for the two groups, the experimental class performed better in academics and had students in the experimental group who were more satisfied with their post-test scores. This result contributes to confirm that the use of the CDIO-based teaching model in Vietnam is effective for students majoring in electrical and electronic engineering technology.

Background: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed across the United States. Given the impact of virtual learning and lost access to school resources, schools eventually reopened with COVID-19 mitigation protocols in place. This qualitative study sought to understand parental perceptions of school-based COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Methods: Using a phenomenology approach, nine focus groups were completed with 40 parents of children in grades K-8 representing eight Maryland counties. Based on acceptance of masking policies (as indicated on a survey), parents were sorted into 2 groups--lower and higher masking acceptance. A thematic analysis was conducted for each group and themes were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The main themes were related to parents' general sentiments regarding COVID-19, compliance, pandemic-related changes over time, changes in personal opinions, and in-person learning. Both groups described challenges related to inconsistent COVID-19 mitigation policies and practices, the challenges of rapid and frequent changes in guidelines during the pandemic, and the benefits of in-person learning. Conclusions: Parents of elementary and middle school children, regardless of general acceptance of masking policies, shared concerns about implementation and guidance regarding school-based mitigation strategies.

This study aims to examine the relationship among motivation for joining an educational leadership training programme (MOT), perceived skills (PS), and perceived changes in transformational leadership (PCTFL) in educational leadership training. The study drew on survey data from 761 participants who were associated with a leadership development programme under an EU-China cooperation project. The conceptual model was tested by structural equation modelling (SEM) by the Mplus programme. MOT and PCTFL were measured, respectively, by second-order factor structure assessments due to their multi-dimensional nature. The findings of the study suggest that motivation positively influences perceived changes in transformational leadership, and this relationship is positively mediated by perceived skills as learning gains in educational leadership training. The study provides novel empirical evidence on motivation that leads to transformational leadership changes in leadership training programmes. Policymakers and other key stakeholders can use these findings to gain a deeper understanding of the success of projects and encourage academic members to participate in leadership training programmes to improve transformational leadership.

For centuries, the collaboration between higher education and industry (or academic engagement) has become an exciting topic for all related stakeholders, such as researchers, policymakers, or entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, there has yet to be any comprehensive understanding of the extant literature on this topic. Motivated by this gap, this study applies the bibliometric method to review all related documents of academic engagement indexed in the Scopus database between 1978 and 2021. The results showed that the period from 2018 to 2021 identified itself as a golden era with the palpable attention of scholars who contributed to approximately 80% of the related topic. The countries ranked in the top five with dominant publications include the US, the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany. The co-word analysis also recognized technology transfer, research and development, and entrepreneurial university and university-industry relations as the key topics focused on academic engagement works of literature.

Abstract Introduction: Thyroid tumours are a common condition and open surgery is a conventional method for treating benign thyroid tumours when surgery is indicated. In this study, we evaluate the outcomes of benign thyroid tumour treatment using transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy via vestibular approach (TOETVA) and compare the results with those of conventional open thyroidectomy (COT). Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study between 100 patients who underwent TOETVA and 100 who underwent COT surgery for benign diseases from June 2018 to December 2021 in our hospital. Outcomes between the two groups, including post-operative complications, operative time and length of stay, were compared. Results: The surgical time in the TOETVA group was significantly longer than in the COT group. The operative time of lobectomy in the TOETVA and COT groups was 77.5 ± 13.3 and 51.5 ± 4.2 min, respectively, with a P < 0.001. The operative time of total thyroidectomy in the TOETVA and COT groups was 108.1 ± 7.0 and 65.0 ± 4.1 min, respectively, with a P < 0.001. There was no difference in post-operative length of stay between the two groups. In TOETVA group, there were no patients who converted to open surgery. Amongst all 200 patients in the study, there were no cases of post-operative bleeding. The transient hypoparathyroidism rate after surgery in the TOETVA and COT groups was 3 and 2, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.651). Similarly, the transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury rate showed no difference between the two groups, with rates of 5 and 4 in the TOETVA and COT groups, respectively (P = 0.733). There were no cases of post-operative infection in either group in our study. At 3 months postoperatively, the cosmetic satisfaction were significantly higher in the endoscopic groups than in the conventional group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: TOETVA is a safe and effective method, with a low complication rate and optimal aesthetic results compared to traditional surgery to treat benign thyroid tumours. Keywords: Benign thyroid tumour, transoral approach, transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy, transoral thyroidectomy, TOETVA, Author(s): Quy Xuan Ngo [1]; Duy Quoc Ngo (corresponding author) [1,2]; Duong The Le [1]; Duc Dinh Nguyen [1]; Toan Duc Tran [1]; Quang Van Le [1,2] INTRODUCTION Thyroid tumours [...]