Search

This study examined the social networks of 26 postsecondary students with mobility and sensory disabilities regarding their perceptions of career preparation and career choice confidence. Social networks have been shown to contribute to postsecondary students' academic success and establishing a successful career for those with and without disabilities. This study examined the social capital resulting from social networks consisting of parents, family, friends, acquaintances (e.g., teachers, counselors, advisors), and interest groups or hobbies. Participants rated their perceptions of career preparation and career choice confidence twice during the study: once in the early weeks of a summer employment internship and after a career-focused presentation and internship completion. Measures of career preparation included self-rated abilities in (a) finding a job, (b) interviewing successfully, (c) keeping a job, and (d) resolving career accommodation challenges. Results showed that social capital contributed significantly to perceptions of career preparation. Career choice confidence remained stable suggesting satisfaction with their choice. A path analysis examined both career variables in conjunction with demographic factors, finding that social capital increased with age. Analyses suggested a number of other relationships between social capital, career perceptions, and demographic variables indicating complexities that warrant additional research.

The dual-entry nature of occupational therapy has been a point of discussion for many years with explorations into the profession's support for the different degree programs and definitions of entry-level practice being the primary foci in the literature. There has been no comparison of the expectations of occupational therapy educators and practitioners of entry-level doctorate and master's students upon graduation despite differences in curricula and emphasis on advanced skills. This study utilized a descriptive quantitative survey to ask current educators and practitioners (n=124) to indicate their level of expectations of the two types of graduates for sixteen different clinical and professional skills and the level of expected mentorship upon graduation. Practitioners held the two groups of new graduates to the same expectations in all categories and anticipated they would need the same level of mentorship upon graduation. Despite equal expectations in all categories, there were six categories where at least 30% of participants indicated they held higher expectations of entry-level doctorate new graduates. These categories aligned with the doctoral capstone areas of foci. These results can set the foundation for further studies examining the congruence between expectations and new graduate readiness for the field and inform current curricula to prepare students to meet the professional expectations of their supervisors and colleagues.

The implementation of educating "Basic Life Support (BLS) competences" in German schools is particularly affected by the often reported "implementational gap" --limited transfer of empirical findings into practice. This Design-Based Research (DBR) study evaluates two different methodologies for BLS teaching, generating implications for transfer. Students (N = 136) of a secondary school (11-13 years) were assigned to different methodological approaches. A test group (TG) received intervention implemented into regular biology lessons (10 units; n = 48); the control group (CG) participated in a basic instruction (2 units; n = 68). Both large-scale methods -- subject-matter teaching (TG) and project activity (CG) -- were compared regarding current motivation, self-efficacy, constructivist instruction, cognitive load, and practical skills. Data from n = 125 students (TG=48; TG=68) could be included into analysis (Mage=11,16; SD=.45; 55.2% female). Probability of success and interest increased, anxiety perception decreased (no group-interaction effect), whereas challenge perception remained constantly. Self-efficacy overall improved from before to after intervention, with TG reporting higher social self-efficacy and less negative outcome expectancies. No differences were found for practical BLS performance. MANOVA (after intervention) showed higher values for anxiety in TG, and for self-efficacy, CG has higher values for negative outcome expectancies (post hoc analysis). For cognitive load and constructivist instruction, no differences between groups were found. In conclusion, both methodological approaches seem to have their own pedagogical justification. Schools' implementation processes may benefit from combining (subject-matter) curriculum content with BLS information or content to facilitate time and resource-saving realization.

This article delves into the formidable obstacles first-generation students (FGS) encounter within the South African private higher education sector which locates the study on which it is based in the literature around the overall experience of first-generation students. Extensive research has underscored the various challenges faced by FGS, posing hindrances to their academic success in higher education. FGS often grapple with a complex journey fraught with challenges around finances, social adjustment, and epistemological access, to name a few. This research adopts a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design. The study utilises a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire supplemented by open-ended questions to gather data from a sample of 1 208 students. The study reveals that close to one-third (30.5%) of the sample found the academic requirements challenging, just less than two-thirds (63.6%) found the coursework overwhelming, and more than half (57.7%) received support from faculty and academic advisors. In terms of financial challenges, less than a quarter (21%) indicated that they face financial challenges most of the time. The results of this study are reflective of similar research on the challenges experienced by South African FGS. The authors suggest that more research is needed to examine the unique challenges the FGS experience at private universities in South Africa. Moreover, the authors argue that an overall systemic and structural transformation is needed to enable institutional changes that would ease the challenges of all students.

Dropout rates in engineering degree programmes at universities are high, and skilled workers are needed. Universities try to prevent dropouts with different offers one of which is attending bridging courses. Research on the effects of these programmes is rare, especially in subject-specific programmes and study formats like cooperative education. Furthermore, the results are contradictory. We focus our research on Germany and use data from the project "Study Process -- Crossroads, Determinants of Success and Barriers While Studying at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University", which included 963 participants from the first academic year and matched data from a survey with university administration data on dropouts two years after enrolment. Different propensity score matching algorithms and entropy balancing show small, non-significant negative effects. Results are reflected and embedded in the current state of the research. New research questions are discussed and practical implications are considered.

This paper examines the Confucian concept of learning, or xue ([character omitted]), from the perspective of ecological humanism. Through a comparative interpretation, this paper attempts to disclose the significance of Confucian xue conceived as a practice of aesthetic appreciation and creativity, emphasizing in particular its function within an eco-centric worldview. The author reviews the relevant concepts of ecological humanism as expressed in the ideas of John Dewey and Thomas Alexander, then applies these as a theoretical framework for interpreting xue and its related concepts and practices as they appear in the Confucian text the Lunyu ([characters omitted] ). It is argued that xue is a process of developing and expressing virtuosity and artistry in the "arts of life," and that its practice was understood as a direct participation in the creative development of nature. The significance of such a concept of learning for contemporary educational philosophy is discussed in conclusion.

Educational research often refers to the subjective values assigned to aspects of education. Theoretical frameworks from the related disciplines of psychology and sociology applied to the context of education aim to better describe why some students are more motivated in school than others to understand differences in academic outcomes. In the current study, we followed an interdisciplinary approach that aimed to integrate psychological views regarding domain-specific value beliefs (i.e., intrinsic, attainment, utility, cost) and sociological views regarding domain-general values of education (i.e., stimulation, comfort, status, behavioral confirmation) and to investigate how they relate to academic success in upper secondary education. In a sample of 3,775 upper secondary school students in Germany, we found evidence that combining the two perspectives had incremental effects when predicting domain-specific achievement and GPA. We discuss how integrating interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives could foster communication between scientific disciplines and benefit future research in the field of motivation.

COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Climate Change, have disrupted work education, rendering sustainability of careers and livelihoods a concern. This paper outlines a collaborative response to that challenge, offering opportunities for sustainable livelihoods in a work education cloud collaboration, Project SLiC (Sustainable Livelihoods Collaboration). We have joined forces across nation states in the Global South/North to share cloud resources, focused on teaching a postgraduate course, Sustainable Livelihoods. Online modules are stored in a secure cloud site, from which local courses draw-down, autochthonously, whichever resources fit workforce development in context. We outline modules, and an evaluative process, in a proof-of-concept trial. Finally, we envisage how this initial collaboration may morph into a whole degree, including research supervision. We close with a call to career development professionals to share their unique expertise and experiences at the work education frontline, on how to develop this sustainable careers project, for the greater good.

Music has been shown to improve social interaction and attention to verbal stimuli in autism. We report a feasibility randomised controlled trial of an online intervention using music-assisted programmes, compared with best-practice treatment (Social Communication Intervention for Pre-schoolers-Intensive) for language learning in preschool autistic children with minimal verbal language. Minimisation randomisation ensured comparability of groups before intervention. Ninety-one people expressed interest in taking part; 27 met eligibility criteria and were randomised to receive either music-assisted programmes or Social Communication Intervention for Pre-schoolers--Intensive. Children and their parent received two 45-min sessions weekly, over 18 weeks, coached online by a speech and language therapist. A smartphone app was developed to support home-based practice between sessions. Over the study period, 20% of participants completed the intervention and assessments of outcome measures. At 3 months post-intervention follow-up, social responsiveness, understanding of words and phrases and number of words spoken and parent-child interaction improved more in the music-assisted programmes than the Social Communication Intervention for Pre-schoolers-Intensive group. The results demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting this population into a randomised controlled trial and the music-assisted programmes had high perceived acceptability highlighted by parent interviews. A full clinical trial to establish music-assisted programmes' effectiveness in improving early vocabulary learning in autistic children is warranted.

In 2012, Florida adopted the Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) statute establishing minimum requirements for local education agencies to provide access to accelerated learning options for eligible K-12 public school students. This study examined Florida public school district acceleration policies for elementary students one decade after the enactment of the statute. We analyzed Student Progression Plans, school board policies, and district websites to explore the status of acceleration policy in the state, compare the accessibility of acceleration information across districts, and identify policy elements that support equity and those that create potential barriers for elementary students with advanced learning needs who could benefit from acceleration. The findings of this study indicated several areas for improvement, including the accessibility of acceleration information, the service options available to K-5 students, the protocols districts use, criteria for decision-making, and the implementation of acceleration. In addition, we discuss implications for school districts developing or revising acceleration policies and several avenues for future research. The preregistration and open-access materials for this study are available at https://osf.io/yc3xd/.

There has been a long-standing societal push to diversify the student body of colleges and universities by improving access to higher education. Along those lines, increasing access to a greater range of students and practitioners through the diversification of their membership bases is also an expressed goal of the experiential learning professional societies. Overlaying this charge with the Society for Experiential Education's (SEE) initiative to revisit the defining features of experiential learning (EL) creates an opportunity to consider how definition interacts with access to the field (i.e., whether definitional clarity promotes opportunities to the uninitiated). To address this challenge, we employed a scholar-practitioner research methodology exploring the question, how does the definition of experiential learning affect access? This process involved each author addressing three related questions individually before we compared responses and analyzed our data. We found differences in perspective (e.g., administrative, educational, and learner) and differences in needs (e.g., immediate need for funding to pay for additional EL-related expenses and need for data to show that EL works). Given these findings, we recommend pragmatic approaches and a systems approach to understanding definitions. Clarifying these differences may help bridge discrepancies in espoused theory and theory in use, thereby increasing opportunities to access EL through definition.

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) collaborates with the Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) community and allied partners to create resources (such as publications like Young Exceptional Children [YEC] and The Journal of Early Intervention [JEI] and products like The DEC Recommended Practices and Learning Decks) that reflect collective expertise. These resources address field needs and support DEC's mission of guiding early intervention and special education services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with or at-risk for disabilities and their families. To advance equity, DEC members are committed to studying, discussing, and applying DEC's Racial Equity Point of View (RE POV; Division for Early Childhood [DEC], 2023) to all its resources and the system that produces them. To create transformative change within DEC's resources, this article includes reflections on how DEC's RE POV can inspire new associated practices and policies to foster a more equitable and inclusive resource system. Also included are reflective questions for readers, DEC members, and non-members alike, to build their critical consciousness related to the need to disrupt structural racism and ableism and (re)build DEC's resource system into one that prioritizes equity.

Stress levels are high among college students in the United States. Growth mindset and stress-is-enhancing mindset interventions offer ways to reduce stress, but minimal research has examined them. This study's aim was to examine the effect of mindset interventions on mindsets, stress, academic motivation, and responses to hypothetical academic scenarios. Participants included 210 college students who were randomized to one of four groups: growth mindset (intelligence is malleable), stress mindset (stress is beneficial), synergistic (intelligence is malleable, and stress is beneficial), or control (brain functions). The growth mindset and the synergistic mindset group increased in growth mindset, and the growth mindset group had higher growth mindset than the stress mindset and control group post-intervention. The stress mindset and the synergistic group increased in stress-is-enhancing mindset, and both groups had higher stress-is-enhancing mindsets than the growth mindset and control group post-intervention. All groups decreased in stress and increased in academic motivation. The synergistic group was the only group to improve on all the main outcomes, and students in this group were less likely to want to withdraw from a course in both negative hypothetical academic scenarios (if they failed an assignment or were faced with a professor with a fixed mindset). Our findings suggest that students would benefit from increased access to mindset interventions.

This study aims to understand how gender diversity and gender attitudes are linked to the sexual well-being of young adolescents. Data was collected among 561 adolescents in secondary schools in Flanders and binary logistic regressions were performed. Gender diversity was conceptualized as gender identity, gender expression, sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation and personal gender attitudes. Whereas "like to become a wo/man" and body image were used as measures for sexual well-being. Age and migration were added as covariates. The data illustrates that gender diversity is present among young adolescents and that it can be linked to young adolescent's body image and liking to become a wo/man. In addition, it shows how diverse sets of gender attitudes are differently associated with sexual well-being outcomes. The findings also suggest the internalization of patriarchal and heterosexual societal norms by the respondents. The results indicate an association between on the one hand gender diversity and gender attitudes and on the other hand adolescent sexual well-being. Furthermore, it suggests that gender transformative research and programs that aim to improve adolescent sexual health and well-being should carefully choose their gender focus and invest in improving gender equity beyond the individual level. Additional research is needed to investigate the association between gender diversity and adolescent sexual wellbeing among diverse sexual well-being conceptualizations and specific groups (gender, ethnic, and others) of young adolescents.

This article examines the implementation, participation rates, and potential determinants of participation in the digital addiction prevention program "ready4life." A two-arm cluster-randomized trial recruited German vocational students via class-based strategies. Intervention group received 16 weeks of in-app coaching; the control group received health behavior information, with coaching offered after 12 months. Potential determinants of participation were analyzed based on class and individual characteristics. Out of 525 contacted schools, 35 participated, enrolling 376 classes. Implementation during the pandemic required flexible adjustments, with 49.7% of introductions conducted in person, 43.1% digitally via online streaming, and 7.2% received a video link via email. Despite challenges, 72.3% of the vocational students downloaded the app, and 46.7% gave informed consent. Participation rates were highest among (associate) professionals, vocational grammar school classes, classes introduced by females, younger individuals, members of the project team, and classes introduced face-to-face. Female gender, lower social competencies, lifetime cannabis use, higher problematic internet use, and higher perceived stress were associated with higher individual participation. The study highlights the importance of proactive outreach and personalized interventions for addiction prevention programs in vocational schools. While reached students aligned with the aims of the app, tailored recruitment strategies could enhance engagement among under-represented groups.