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If the concepts used in curriculum, textbooks, classroom teaching, and assessment are not consistent, students may have difficulty in understanding the concepts of science correctly and this may lead to the formation of misconceptions. The purpose of this study is to measure the alignment of science concepts by analyzing the semantic networks of curriculum, textbooks, classroom teaching, and student assessment with respect to the contents on meiosis as covered in Life Science I. The semantic network method using the NetMiner 4.0 program was applied. 11 concepts were extracted from the curriculum commentary. The textbook presented 36 concepts; classroom teaching presented 54 concepts; a total of 23 concepts were presented from assessment. With respect to alignment of relevant concepts, 6 (gamete, chromosome, meiosis, gene, daughter cell and cell division) were linked to all 4 sources (curriculum, textbooks, classroom teaching, and assessment). These concepts are mainly used to explain the process of meiosis. It is concluded that the key concepts of meiosis exhibited alignment in curriculums, textbooks, classroom teaching and assessment. However, there are many concepts used only in textbooks and classroom teaching. The greater number of concepts in textbooks and teaching can become one of the causes of a deficit in learning.

Teachers are highly reliant on textbooks for teaching. In the Republic of Korea, science textbooks help students to understand scientific terms through inquiry activities. However, there is a lack of analysis on whether the inquiry activities suggested in these textbooks appropriately cover the terms included in the main text. Therefore, this study assesses the life science units included in widely used lower secondary school science textbooks in the Republic of Korea by analysing the connection between the terms presented in the inquiry activities and the main text using the NetMiner 4.0 programme. The results reveal that the life science units included in the lower secondary school science textbooks are well structured for learning life science terms through the inquiry activities, as the terms presented in the inquiry activities and the main text are well connected. However, the number of terms included in each unit greatly differs and needs to be supplemented with the optimization of the number of terms per unit. The results provide basic data for the future development of lower secondary school science textbooks. Future research should analyse how the terms used in inquiry activities and the main text are connected in real science classes.

Dramatic shifts brought about by globalization, technological innovation, and data-driven decision-making practices are immensely reflected in the landscape of 21st century higher education. Learning Analytics or LA is an emerging multidisciplinary, technological practice with the ultimate goal of producing effective learning to improve students' achievement in the tertiary level. Applications of LA have not yet been fully managed to redeem its promises especially since it is still at the stage of infancy in Malaysia. Since optimizing the use of LA necessitates weighing its value embeddedness, this paper aims to explore practices in strategic direction and leadership, which are critical to ensure the sustainable success of LA programs. This study utilized a qualitative research design and an interpretive paradigm. Using purposive sampling, seven respondents were selected for this single case study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group, and document analysis from a higher education institution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The findings from the thematic analysis show the interlocking significance of policies, procedures, and practice; leadership practice; and recommended strategies contributing to its sustainability. Key issues lie in how to integrate strategies, policies, practices, and procedures that should be executed under the right leadership and recommended corporate strategies. Above all, this study can be used to guide successful LA initiatives and implementation in HEIs in Malaysia.

This study examined a network of concepts used in the curriculum, textbooks, instruction, and assessment in relation to somatic cell division and investigated the alignment of science concepts used in them. Textbooks and teachers' instruction and evaluation questions were collected to analyse the alignment between the concepts and the conceptual network used in the curriculum, textbooks, instruction, and assessment on the basis of the national science curriculum in the Republic of Korea. The findings of this study suggest that the concept of a cell was used as a linkage, and a lack of conceptual linkage prevailed between the curriculum, textbooks, instruction, and assessment in the somatic cell division unit. In comparison with the curriculum, a rapid increase in the number of concepts presented in classes led to a complicated conceptual network. As the conceptual network was complex and ambiguous, the concepts that students can learn are more likely to be ambiguous. Therefore, the conceptual network could be instrumental for facilitating students' conceptual understanding of somatic cell division. The alignment of concepts and conceptual linkage in the teaching of somatic cell division could contribute to improving conceptual associations between the curriculum, textbooks, instruction, and assessment.

To explore the effects of semaglutide versus placebo on body weight (BW) by subgroups of baseline characteristics. In STEP 6, Japanese and Korean adults with overweight or obesity were randomized to subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg, semaglutide 1.7 mg, or placebo for 68 weeks. A subset of Japanese participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) was also included. In this post-hoc analysis, change from baseline in BW (%) was assessed by subgroups of baseline characteristics including baseline BW, body mass index, age, sex, glycemic status, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Of 401 participants (148 female and 253 male) included, the estimated mean change in BW was clinically relevant across all subgroups for semaglutide 2.4 mg, ranging from –9.40 % to –16.42 %. Estimated treatment differences also favored both semaglutide doses versus placebo. Significant treatment-by-subgroup interactions were observed for sex with semaglutide 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg versus placebo at week 68 (p = 0.0008 and p = 0.0005, respectively). Significant treatment-by-subgroup interactions were also observed for presence of T2D and dyslipidemia at baseline, for semaglutide 2.4 mg versus placebo only (p = 0.0381 and p = 0.0181, respectively). Semaglutide reduces BW in a wide demographic of people with a range of weight-related comorbidities in an East Asian population. • Weight loss was greater with semaglutide vs placebo across all subgroups in this secondary analysis. • Significant treatment-by-subgroup interactions were observed for sex and T2D. • Data may help guide healthcare providers in choosing an optimal dose of semaglutide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]