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IntroductionDogs are increasingly being employed for conservation purposes worldwide. In Africa, they work in challenging environments with unique health risks which have not been investigated until now.MethodsTo understand the health challenges faced by the dogs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from 14 organisations that used working dogs in their conservation programmes. The data was qualitatively analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsFive themes were generated. Three affective themes influenced how participants responded to the challenges associated with having a successful conservation dog programme. A strong handler-dog attachment, proficient handler training, and the acknowledgement of the challenging environment were pivotal to maintaining dog health. Two themes related to the difficulties in managing these programmes and how veterinary support interacts with the management choices being made.DiscussionTo have healthy conservation dogs, current and future programmes should focus on fostering the handler-dog relationship and provide continuous handler training. The management of conservation dogs’ health should adopt an evidence-based approach. Future research should focus on areas where the evidence base is lacking, particularly in the areas of prevention and treatment of African canine trypanosomiasis. Programmes should develop a good working relationship with a veterinarian that has access to evidence-based veterinary medical information.

This multiple methods study examined the impact of brief, intentional instruction in the areas of mindfulness and social and emotional learning (SEL) on teacher self-efficacy, teacher mindfulness, and the use of mindfulness practices. The SEL content and strategies were taught to pre-service educators during their student teaching seminars. Teacher efficacy includes the beliefs that a teacher holds about their ability to lead learning and includes beliefs about classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement. Social and emotional learning, as defined by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), includes five components: self-awareness, self-management, other awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These components encompass skills essential to effective teaching. Mindfulness has been defined as present moment awareness without judgment and is linked to well-being. We hypothesized that teacher efficacy and mindfulness would be improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention. Eighteen of 35 potential participants completed quantitative measures of efficacy (Teacher Self Efficacy Scale) and mindfulness (Teacher Mindfulness Scale). Thirty-four participants completed qualitative session reflections. Seven participants completed journal responses. Increases in mindfulness and teacher efficacy were found; however, within the quantitative measures, only increases in teacher efficacy were significant. Within the qualitative findings from the Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies scale, self-awareness was identified as participants' greatest strength while self-management of emotions was identified as their greatest opportunity for improvement. In addition, most participants noted current or future plans to use mindfulness or SEL strategies. Findings are consistent with previous work indicating that short-term training in mindfulness and SEL should be included in educator preparation programs as a mechanism to support teacher wellbeing and potentially reduce teacher burnout.

We employed a mixed methods research design using survey data to examine gifted students' perceptions of implicit theories of intelligence, giftedness, need for cognition, and goal orientations. Eighty-one gifted middle-school students completed the Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) plus open-ended questions concerning giftedness, expectations, challenges, and personal goals. Results indicated that giftedness and intelligence were viewed as somewhat related (r = 0.19, r = 0.31), but gifted students also perceived giftedness as less malleable than intelligence (g = -0.39) on some MAP items. Many perceived both intelligence and giftedness as malleable constructs that could develop through effort and opportunity. The majority expressed preference for making a good grade rather than being challenged, though many also reported a need for cognition, supported by participation in gifted programming. Participants not only provided positive connotations of giftedness, understanding its connection to challenging curricular opportunities, but also conveyed limited descriptors of giftedness such as "being smart," providing a need to communicate domain-specific giftedness from a talent development perspective.

This multiple methods study examined the impact of brief, intentional instruction in the areas of mindfulness and social and emotional learning (SEL) on teacher self-efficacy, teacher mindfulness, and the use of mindfulness practices. The SEL content and strategies were taught to pre-service educators during their student teaching seminars. Teacher efficacy includes the beliefs that a teacher holds about their ability to lead learning and includes beliefs about classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement. Social and emotional learning, as defined by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), includes five components: self-awareness, self-management, other awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These components encompass skills essential to effective teaching. Mindfulness has been defined as present moment awareness without judgment and is linked to well-being. We hypothesized that teacher efficacy and mindfulness would be improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention. Eighteen of 35 potential participants completed quantitative measures of efficacy (Teacher Self Efficacy Scale) and mindfulness (Teacher Mindfulness Scale). Thirty-four participants completed qualitative session reflections. Seven participants completed journal responses. Increases in mindfulness and teacher efficacy were found; however, within the quantitative measures, only increases in teacher efficacy were significant. Within the qualitative findings from the Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies scale, self-awareness was identified as participants' greatest strength while self-management of emotions was identified as their greatest opportunity for improvement. In addition, most participants noted current or future plans to use mindfulness or SEL strategies. Findings are consistent with previous work indicating that short-term training in mindfulness and SEL should be included in educator preparation programs as a mechanism to support teacher wellbeing and potentially reduce teacher burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]