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The adversity of the 2020 to 2021 academic year highlighted the need for quality online courses. Challenges of teaching data analysis and helping students meet the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) competencies increase in an online environment. To address recent competency changes by the CEPH, a fully online asynchronous course was developed to address the MPH evidence-based approaches to public health competencies and prepare students for the Public Health Workforce. Both problem-based learning and experiential learning theory methodologies informed course design. In the Spring of 2020, with feedback from our Public Health partners, we re-designed a traditional biostatistics course with a holistic approach to data analysis. Students in the class were expected to work individually and as team scientists. They were exposed to data analysis elements from project initiation to dissemination while simultaneously learning methodologic concepts. This article outlines the structure and implementation of an online introductory data analysis course designed for MPH students as a model for re-designing the traditional MPH introductory biostatistics course. Both course development and design are discussed, and evaluations from both students and the instructor are provided.

Peer sexual violence is a significant social problem that affects adolescents and can lead to negative mental health and developmental consequences. Peers are a significant source of influence for adolescent behavior. For example, recent studies show training teens to be bystanders can be an effective prevention strategy to reduce peer violence and harassment. Peers can also promote risky behaviors including substance use and violence. The current study examined how sexual violence-specific risk and protective attitudes (e.g., denial of peer sexual violence and positive peer prevention norms) and behaviors (alcohol use and bystander actions to prevent peer sexual violence) clustered within peer networks cross-sectionally and over time. Participants were 1,499 7th−10th graders who took surveys during an academic year and who reported having opportunity to take action as bystanders to peer sexual violence. Participants took surveys 6 months apart online in schools. Questions included nomination of best friends to capture information about peer networks. Social network analyses indicated that there was weak but significant clustering of positive prevention attitudes such as bystander denial and marginal clustering on reactive bystander behaviors to address sexual assault. For comparison, alcohol use and academic grades were analyzed and found to also cluster in networks in these data. These findings suggest that for early adolescents, peer bystander training may be influential for some key bystander attitudes and reactive sexual violence prevention behaviors as individual behaviors are not independent of those of their friends.

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) was used to provide weekly social skills training to a group of 10 college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) between ages 18 and 26 attending an inclusive residential postsecondary college program. Additionally, Circles curriculum was used to supplement the PEERS curriculum for teaching social relationship boundaries. An average of 12 sessions per semester of PEERS® training sessions were conducted over each academic year. The present study examines the impact of the program on social skills, friendship qualities, and conversational skills. Results showed increased social skill knowledge, friendship quality, and conversational skills from pretest to posttest intervention. In this paper, we discuss the training program, results, implications for practice, limitations, and future research needs.

The global pandemic caused by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in spring 2020 resulted in schools moving to remote learning (RL) models for the remainder of the academic year. The purpose of this study was to examine the practices, experiences, and perspectives of elementary and secondary school band directors in relation to RL during this period. Directors ( N = 462) responded to survey questions related to several aspects of RL, including (a) technologies and materials, (b) activities and assessments, (c) student participation, (d) the challenges of teaching remotely, and (e) the extent to which experiences varied among participants in low-poverty versus high-poverty schools and at the elementary/middle school level versus high school level. I also examined (f) the conditions and practices of programs that experienced both high and consistent levels of student participation. Data indicated that the COVID-19 shutdown created many challenges for directors, particularly in schools with higher poverty levels and/or in rural locations. However, RL also created opportunities for instrumental teachers to incorporate into curricula (a) a wider range of technology; (b) more of a focus on individual musicianship; (c) lessons in music theory, history, and culture; and to a lesser extent, (d) student creativity through composition and arranging.

Drawing from data generated during the 2016-2017 academic year, this study centred on U.S. children’s design of two critical literacies compositions—a letter to Congress and a persuasive multimodal text. Situated within an integrated unit focused on (im)migrants, children asked legislators to act on the GOP Administration’s proposed border wall and the #MuslimBan. Simultaneously, their teacher took steps to engage students in critical literacies conversations about access in/to the United States. Using a case study design, I investigated the following: How might traditional perceptions of ‘expert’ shift as children engage in critical literacies using varied materials and technologies? Specifically, I highlight how, by engaging an expansive skill set of communicative practices, children designed texts and enacted identities related to civic agency. Through multimodal composing, one nine-year-old white boy exemplified how children highlight knowledge beyond what is captured in a written text. His multimodal response illuminated his deep understanding of the obstacles faced by (im)migrants as they traverse boundaries. To alleviate such challenges, he “invented” both a transportable water filter cup and a fishing tool and engaged in critical making. When provided with opportunities to compose multimodally, the child—a white boy marked as “behind” in literacy—demonstrated rich content knowledge not readily visible in his written responses. His compositions disrupted understandings of expert with regard to elementary writing and critical literacies.

In response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, most states in the United States enacted statewide school closures, ranging in duration from 1 month to the remainder of the academic year. The extended durations of these closures present unique challenges, as many families rely on the school as a source of physical activity, mental health services, psychosocial support, child care, and food security. While the school doors may be closed, the school nurse can still play a vital role in emergency management. This article discusses challenges and proposes solutions to maintaining student health and wellness during extended school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it is inevitable that until a vaccine for coronavirus is developed and readily available, many schools will continue to see future closures, though likely for shorter periods of time, as they respond to local outbreaks.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, 37 (17%) of 223 Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredited or applicant schools and programs of public health offered Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees with concentrations in general global health. Concentration-specific competencies build on the foundational competencies required for all MPH students enrolled in CEPH-accredited programs. The most popular global health competencies focus on agencies and organizations, ethics and human rights, program management, social and environmental determinants of health, the global burden of disease, collaboration and partnerships, and cultural competency. There is significant overlap between the current concentration competencies and the ones recommended by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health in 2018. The online program descriptions for MPH concentrations in global health feature four key themes: globalization, low-income countries, social justice and equity, and culture and diversity. (1) Most programs emphasize transnational health issues and the effects of globalization on health in countries of all income levels. (2) Some programs have a special focus on preparation for serving low-income countries and other disadvantaged populations, such as refugees. (3) Most programs emphasize the social justice and equity issues underlying local and global health disparities. (4) Most programs promote development of the cultural knowledge, awareness, and skills required for serving diverse populations effectively as rising leaders in the international, national, or local public health workforce. Global health MPH programs prepare students for public health practice in resource-limited settings in their home communities as well as internationally.

I first met Judi in the academic year 1971-1972. I had been hired a year earlier by Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and Judi’s husband, Jimmie Trent, was hired that year to chair my department. Judi found a position at the University of Dayton and commuted there from Oxford. Our friendship and our regular revision of our book kept Judi and me in constant contact as did many other projects and many mutual friends. Over the years we got to know each other very well. What began largely as a professional friendship grew into a personal one as well. While I have always considered Judi to be an excellent researcher and writer, I am most pleased to call Judi a good friend.

Student-teacher relationships that improve over time may help slow or prevent declines in student motivation. In a diverse sample of 1,274 middle and high school students from three schools, this mixed-methods study found that those who improved in developmental relationships with teachers reported greater academic motivation, and more positive perceptions of school climate and instructional quality. Improvements in teacher-student relationships had some positive effects on students’ grade point averages (GPAs) but they varied by school as well as by aspect of the relationship measured. No differences by poverty status were seen in any of these results. Student focus groups yielded additional understanding of the actions and mechanisms through which student-teacher relationships improve. Results of this study suggest that if individual educators and entire school communities focus on strengthening student-teacher relationships, significant improvements can be made in students’ motivation, engagement, and performance.

The ACGME work hour restrictions facilitated increased utilization of service-based advanced practice providers (APPs) to offset reduced general surgery resident work hours. Information regarding attending surgeon perceptions of APP impact is limited. The aim of this survey was to gauge these perceptions with respect to workload, length of stay (LOS), safety, best practice, level of function, and clinical judgment. Attending surgeons on surgical teams that employ service-based APPs at an urban tertiary referral center responded to a survey at the completion of academic year 2016. Perceptions regarding APP impact on workload, LOS, safety, best practice, level of function, and clinical judgment were examined. Twenty-two attending surgeons (40%) responded. Respondents agreed that APPs always/usually decrease their workload (77%), decrease LOS (64%), improve safety (68%), contribute to best practice (82%), and decrease near misses (71%). They also agreed that APPs decrease resident workload (87%), but fewer agreed that APPs contribute to resident education (68%). The majority perceived APPs function at the PGY1/2 (43%) or PGY3 (39%) level and always/usually trust their clinical judgment (72%), and felt there was variability in level of function among APPs (56%). This single-center study illustrates that attending surgeons perceive a positive impact on patient care by service-based APPs.

Using self-determination theory, this research explores the characteristics of the basic needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, one of the largest institutions for cooperative education in Germany. By comparing the results from two different academic majors and two academic years, the authors examined different cultures at the university. They collected data from 426 students in a cross-sectional study. Using an analysis of variance approach (repeated-measures designs), the results show differences between relatedness with the highest characteristic values and the two other basic needs. Multivariate analysis of variance shows the significant effect of academic majors (partial η 2 = 0.10) and academic years (partial η 2 = 0.05) on all basic needs. The results are discussed in the context of different academic cultural backgrounds. Recommendations are made for improving teaching and curricula in the field of cooperative higher education.

Special education professionals serve as facilitators of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team meetings. As special educators serve on many IEP teams during the course of an academic year, and as the member composition for each team varies, facilitators are confronted with a unique set of challenges to managing successful meetings. In this study, the authors investigate the specific types of problems and facilitator techniques occurring in IEP meetings. Findings suggest that facilitation issues and techniques are varied across special education professionals. In addition, facilitator training is needed to review and introduce facilitation techniques that may improve meeting member contributions.

Vision plays a key role in a child’s development. Early detection and treatment of vision abnormalities decreases future complications. Follow-up vision care is a common problem. Barriers to vision care include financial cost, lack of insurance knowledge to cover costs, and disbelief of vision results. The purpose of this evidence-based pilot project was to improve the rate of follow-up vision care obtained by school-aged children. The target population was school-aged children from kindergarten to fifth grade at an elementary school within Lake County, Ohio. The vision referral program included phone calls to families to identify and overcome barriers to obtaining vision care. Barriers identified with the target population include disbelief of vision results, lack of knowledge about vision health, and financial cost. Results indicated an increase of vision care rates during the 2017–2018 academic year by 60% above baseline rates from the previous academic year.

This study describes and provides qualitative analysis of an innovative, inter-professional (IP) geriatrics curriculum focused on team-based care with healthy older adults in a home-based community setting. The curriculum consisted of five, four-hour didactic and experiential sessions over one academic year. Dental, medical, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant students were placed into teams led by IP faculty from each health professional school. Teams met with a community-dwelling older adult three times. At the program’s conclusion, students responded to the reflective question “What is the most important learning experience you expect to take away from the geriatric inter-professional training? A qualitative analysis of student responses revealed four common themes from all five professions aligning with curricular goals: (1) health professional roles/scope of practice, (2) geriatric care and health outcomes, (3) team communication/collaboration, and (4) advocating for one’s own profession. As sites for institutional clinical training become scarcer for health professions’ trainees, this study offers both a novel, IP, geriatrics curriculum with didactic/experiential learning through community partnerships in a home-based setting and a reflective evaluation.

Operating Department Practitioner students as part of their education undertake placements that enable them alongside their academic studies to meet the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency; however, like all education providers there was an annual shortage of appropriate placements. As a result, the organisation involved in this review needed to explore an alternative approach to allocating clinical placements. In addition, the course team wanted to change how students gained their clinical skills and possibly increase their understanding of the Operating Department Practitioner role. Traditionally the institution involved (like other Operating Department Practitioner education providers) placed students in one organisation for all of their clinical placements unlike other professions such as nursing who placed students in different areas. The review resulted in students being placed in a different organisation in each year of their course. A qualitative methodology in the form of focus groups was employed to review students’ views of the change and their clinical experiences. This resulted in students highlighting areas such as readiness for being qualified and links to evidenced-based practice as benefits of the new system. The review has been successful in terms of placement numbers but also student experiences, although an ongoing review is being undertaken, the change has been successful.

Background: The term black cloud for a surgeon is generally used to describe someone who is unusually busy compared with his or her counterparts, and it is a superstition that tends to pervade the medical world. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether black clouds exist in hand surgery. Methods: We examined one academic year’s worth of hand surgery–specific call at a level I trauma center and tabulated the number of hand-related patient transfers and add-on cases per surgeon. Each surgeon was given a black cloud rating by the fellows who were in training that year. Correlations were made between the black cloud rating and the surgeons’ call volume. Results: There were 12 surgeons who shared 365 days of hand call, and 5 of them are hand surgery fellowship trained. Those 5 surgeons tended to be busier on their call days, with more cases added on overnight and the next day, and also had worse black cloud ratings than the 7 non–hand fellowship trained surgeons. Conclusions: In regard to hand surgery, while true emergencies occur and require emergent intervention, how busy hand surgeons may be during call may be influenced by a variety of factors not related to their patients’ problems but rather their daily schedules, their hospitals’ ability to facilitate add-on cases, and their rapport with their fellow surgeons to share case loads.

The foci of the present study are to estimate the extent of cyberstalking victimization, and develop, specify, and test a theoretically based model of cyberstalking victimization among college women. A pursuit- and fear-based measure of victimization was utilized, and three leading theories—self-control, opportunity, and control balance—were tested as explanations of cyberstalking victimization. Key concepts from each theoretical perspective were operationalized using primary survey data from a probability sample of college women ( N = 1,987) from two large universities. Results show that approximately 3.4% of female students were victims of cyberstalking during the academic year. Findings from a path model revealed significant direct effects for opportunity and having a control deficit on cyberstalking. The effects of self-control were indirect through these two measures, whereas having a control surplus was not related to victimization risk. Overall, findings support the application of these three theoretical approaches to predicting and explaining cyberstalking victimization.

Background Despite advances in online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on surgical simulation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the costs and resources required to maintain simulation training in the pandemic and to evaluate how it affected exposure of medical students to simulation during their surgical clerkship. Methods The number of learners, contact hours, staff hours, and costs were collected from a multi-departmental simulation center of a single academic institution in a retrospective fashion. Utilization and expenditure metrics were compared between the first quarter of academic years 2018-2020. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate potential differences between overall resource utilization before and during the pandemic, and subgroup analysis was performed for the resources required for the training of the third-year medical students. Results The overall number of learners and contact hours decreased during the first quarter of the academic year 2020 in comparison with 2019 and 2018. However, the staff hours increased. In addition, the costs for PPE increased for the same periods of time. In the subgroup analysis of the third-year medical students, there was an increase in the number of learners, as well as in the staff hours and in the space required to perform the simulation training. Discussion Despite an increase in costs and resources spent on surgical simulation during the pandemic, the utilization by academic entities has remained unaffected. Further studies are required to identify potential solutions to lower simulation resources without a negative impact on the quality of surgical simulation.

This article presents the Pilgrimage Model as a template for educators wishing to lead students on site-specific studies of engaged learning. During the 2015–2016 academic year, a group of Georgetown University students, faculty, and staff pursued the Pilgrimage Project, a year-long pedagogical experiment in interdisciplinary education and speculative design. Students researched Georgetown’s historic Old North building from a variety of disciplinary angles and presented the results of their collective research in an on-site multimedia exhibit. The article analyzes the Pilgrimage Project from a practical perspective, as an effective means of delivering robust educational experiences, and from a theoretical perspective, as an example of speculative method in education research. As a model of interdisciplinary education, the Pilgrimage Model effectively merges disciplinary-specific course goals, in-depth student-led research, and student skill development in digital design and multimedia production.

Gender discrimination and sexual harassment persist on college campuses across the United States. This seems especially obvious at the beginning of the academic year when many freshman women and their parents are welcomed to campus with sexually explicit signs displayed on all-male residences. But, sometimes, sexual harassment and gender discrimination takes a subtler form, creating unique challenges for administrators. This article presents the true case of a professional fraternity party gone awry, testing the leadership skills of several college administrators. The case provides a platform for educational leadership students to apply the theories they are learning in their preparation programs to real-life situations. This case is important and timely as educational leaders across the p-20 pipeline struggle to navigate the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights’ 2011 directives concerning defining and responding to allegations of sexual assault and harassment.

The main purpose of this study was to identify what factors restrict campus recreation departments from performing diversity/multicultural training. This study addressed the lack of research on diversity/multicultural training programs within campus recreation departments and examined the relationship between type of institution, department size, and the number and types of diversity/multicultural training programs offered in an academic year. Of the 210 campus recreation departments surveyed, 52% indicated they did not have enough time to give the necessary attention to diversity/multicultural training and any related strategies and initiatives. Of the 108 institutions that offer diversity/multicultural training, limited staff (47%), limited expertise/knowledge (46%), and other constraints (41%) hindered their ability to carry out effective diversity/multicultural training. By identifying diversity/multicultural training as a priority, campus recreation administrators could focus on what they are capable of providing given their department's staff, resources, budget, and knowledge of diversity/multicultural training programs.

The underrepresentation of women in secondary school headship in England and elsewhere is an early and longstanding theme in the women and gender in educational leadership literature. The purpose of this article is to report findings from a statistical survey of secondary school head teachers across England. Data available in the public domain on school websites have been collated during a single academic year to present a new picture of where women lead secondary schools in England. Mapping the distribution of women by local authority continues to show considerable unevenness across the country. This article argues that a geographical perspective still has value. It might influence the mobilization of resources to targeted areas and ultimately result in women’s proportionate representation in school leadership. Alongside this is a need for schools and academy trusts to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

This study examines concurrent and short-term longitudinal (i.e., academic year) relations between peer network racial/ethnic diversity and indicators of social and academic competence in a sample of African American, Latino, Native American, and White sixth-grade students attending rural schools ( N = 481; 50% female). Results from two-level hierarchical linear models indicated that in the fall of sixth grade, peer network diversity was positively related to teacher-rated interpersonal competence for Native American youth and to peer protection from bullying for White youth. Students in more diverse peer groups had higher teacher-reported social and academic competence in the spring of sixth grade; these associations were moderated by racial/ethnic group, emerging most consistently for students of color. Results suggest benefits of peer network diversity in early adolescence and also highlight a need to understand mechanisms through which these benefits are incurred.

Underrepresented college students are more likely than majority students to underperform and drop out of college. Perceptions of status relative to other students may play a key role in this process. The current study uses subjective social status (SSS) to predict underrepresented students’ grade point average via their sense of academic competence at the end of their first year at an elite predominantly White institution. A total of 329 underrepresented college students (i.e., students from historically underrepresented racial or ethnic minority groups, first generation college students, or students from economically disadvantaged family backgrounds) participated in data collection during their first academic year attending a predominantly White institution. On average, students reported a drop in SSS from their home community to the university. After accounting for gender, race or ethnicity, family income, standardized test scores, and depressive symptoms, a larger drop in SSS was related to lower spring grade point average via reduced perceived academic competence.

Each year Newcastle Law School presents the Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture to celebrate the establishment of the School’s Bachelor of Laws degree program. Sir Ninian Stephen delivered the first lecture in 1993 and an eminent lawyer is invited to speak each academic year. Justice Virginia Bell of the High Court of Australia delivered the 24th Annual Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture on 29 April 2016. This is an edited version of Justice Bell’s lecture.

The purpose of the study was to examine the association between parents’ attitudes towards diversity and their young adult children’s intergroup experiences and attitudes. We surveyed a sample of non-Latino White, first-year university students ( n = 154) and one of their parents ( n = 154) at the start of the academic year; a subsample of these students ( n = 87) and one of their parents ( n = 87) was also surveyed again at the end of their first year. We found that, among parents who expressed greater openness to diversity, young adult children were more likely to appreciate diversity and less likely to endorse racial colorblindness. We found similar effects regarding parents’ openness to diversity on students’ likelihood to engage in campus diversity experiences, which subsequently increased students’ diversity appreciation and decreased students’ endorsement of racial colorblindness. Implications and future directions are discussed.

This paper details lessons learned from the implementation of a new approach to first year Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) undergraduate laboratory teaching at the University of Sheffield (UoS), UK. Having moved from traditional small group laboratory teaching to much larger group teaching, a number of issues have been identified. With the construction of a new faculty-wide engineering building came a new undergraduate practical teaching paradigm1. This paper discusses the author’s experience of implementing the model within the EEE laboratory. Details of the laboratory teaching materials and exercises are also given. An analysis is presented of the experience gained during the first academic year’s delivery. Finally, suggested improvements are discussed.

Background: We conducted a randomized trial of a simulation-based multisession workshop to improve palliative care communication skills (Codetalk). Standardized patient assessments demonstrated improved communication skills for trainees receiving the intervention; however, patient and family assessments failed to demonstrate improvement. This article reports findings from trainees’ self-assessments. Aim: To examine whether Codetalk resulted in improved self-assessed communication competence by trainees. Design: Trainees were recruited from the University of Washington and the Medical University of South Carolina. Internal medicine residents, medicine subspecialty fellows, nurse practitioner students, or community-based advanced practice nurses were randomized to Codetalk, a simulation-based workshop, or usual education. The outcome measure was self-assessed competence discussing palliative care needs with patients and was assessed at the start and end of the academic year. We used robust linear regression models to predict self-assessed competency, both as a latent construct and as individual indicators, including randomization status and baseline self-assessed competency. Results: We randomized 472 trainees to the intervention (n = 232) or usual education (n = 240). The intervention was associated with an improvement in trainee’s overall self-assessment of competence in communication skills ( P < .001). The intervention was also associated with an improvement in trainee self-assessments of 3 of the 4 skill-specific indicators—expressing empathy, discussing spiritual issues, and eliciting goals of care. Conclusion: Simulation-based communication training was associated with improved self-assessed competency in overall and specific communication skills in this randomized trial. Further research is needed to fully understand the importance and limitations of self-assessed competence in relation to other outcomes of improved communication skill.

A new academic year began in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to allow for in-person learning, a fundamental part of medical education, some medical schools grappled with how to safely move students into shared on-campus housing. The authors describe a behavior-based strategy to safely move students from all parts of the United States to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. This strategy included a school-organized phased move-in that included 14-day quarantines for students coming from states with high COVID prevalence; requiring students to sign a COVID-agreement; the use of a phone-based daily COVID risk assessment; and facilitation of safe in-person social activities with peer monitoring of adherence to behavior guidelines. This strategy resulted in no known transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in student housing between July and October of the 2020 to 2021 academic year. The authors share this strategy in the hope that colleagues at other medical schools will find it useful in utilizing similar behavior-based strategies to keep students safe in shared housing.

This paper describes an innovative engineering design of a first-year engineering course. The course is offered in the second semester of the academic year to students of different engineering disciplines such as mechanical, mechatronic, electrical, electronics, civil, environmental and manufacturing. The course incorporates a mix of techniques to help students better engage with the subject matter and with one another. A major part of the new course is the practical assessment component requiring students to apply physical, mathematical, mechanical and electrical concepts to real life engineering design problems. Three different engineering design modules were developed. Each module consists of an authentic engineering design problem which has been specially constructed in order to provide students with the opportunity to apply the basic engineering, maths and physics concepts they acquired during the first semester. Depending on the students intended engineering major, they choose one of the three engineering design modules. In order to best prepare students for the design project, they firstly do two small group assignment tasks on a particular engineering problem. This serves as the preparatory work for the engineering design module. The assignments are done in class time so as to promote full collaboration between students and instructors and to encourage the exchange of knowledge and ideas. The course aims to better equip students with workforce skills in problem solving and effective oral and written communication.

The present study examined the longitudinal associations among familism respect and obligations values, ethnic centrality and private regard, and ethnic self-identification. Data were drawn from a socioeconomically diverse sample of Latino students attending a predominantly White university. The selection of a White label was associated with less positive private regard, less ethnic centrality, and less strong endorsement of familism respect and obligation values at the start of the academic year compared to those students who selected a national origin label. There was a complex relationship between ethnic identity and familism values over time. Ethnic centrality supported the growth in familism respect values across time, but familism respect values also predicted later growth in ethnic private regard. Our results highlight the fact that ethnic identity processes and familial cultural values can mutually influence each other in emerging adulthood for Latinos.

Introduction. Our nation suffers from a shortage in surgeons. This deficiency must be addressed at the medical student level. Increasing faculty and resident interaction with junior students augments surgical interest. Our surgical interest group has recently redefined its role to address these concerns. Methods. A multifocal approach has been implemented to increase interest in the surgical specialties. Each academic year, senior students recruit first and second year students to our group to establish early exposure. Members receive didactic presentations from surgical faculty, addressing various topics, on a biweekly basis. In addition, scrubbing, knot-tying, and suturing workshops address technical skills throughout the semester. Membership and match data were collated and analyzed. Results. Over the past 5 years, the enrollment in the student interest group increased significantly from 112 to 150. Accordingly, we have observed a parallel increase in the number of students who have successfully matched into surgical residencies. A record number of students (37) from the class of 2013 matched into surgical specialties, representing an 85% increase over the last decade. After creating bylaws and electing societal officers, the group has been recognized by the school’s Student Council and given financial support. At present, the group is fiscally solvent with support from the institution, surgery department, and faculty. Conclusion. As the demand for surgeons increases so too does the need to increase student interest in surgery. Our school has been successful because of our surgical interest group, and we encourage other schools to adopt a similar approach.

The e-book reader revolution is already here. The questions we asked ourselves were: What are the reading preferences of Information Science students at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century? How do different variables, such as relative advantage, comprehension, and learning strategies affect students’ reading preferences? The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2015 academic year and encompassed 177 Library and Information Science students in an Information Science Department in Israel. Three questionnaires were used: personal details, relative advantage, and learning strategies, and two further questions that focused on reading habits. The study showed students’ preferences for printed materials. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of two personal variables that may affect students’ will to read electronic materials: relative advantage and comprehension.

Summary The article attempts to characterize social work students in higher education institutes in Israel, regarding professional socialization and the development of commitment to the profession during their BA (undergraduate) studies, lasting three years. This longitudinal study included a sample of 450 students in four social work schools. Data was gathered throughout four time periods: during the first two weeks of the academic year and at the end of each academic year. Findings Students, during the first academic year, harbor certain misconceptions about the profession, leading to a sharp decrease in their commitment to the profession. However, it seems that supervisors, teachers and decisionmakers in social work schools somehow manage to bring the fantasies entertained by students at the beginning of their studies into line with reality, leading to both higher and stronger commitment to the profession by the time they complete their BA degree. Applications The article discusses the findings and their implications on the social work profession, in general, and on social work training, in particular, regarding the development of commitment to the profession over the years.

In the present study, school belongingness was explored in the context of a mathematics classroom over the course of one academic year. In-depth interviews with eight African American middle school students and their three White teachers were conducted at two time periods. This phenomenological qualitative investigation of African American middle school girls revealed two primary themes of personal connection with their teachers and authentic pedagogy. As practitioners and researchers continue to examine the factors related to African American student achievement, empirical research should highlight the importance of teacher warmth and instructional relevance in the experiences of students of color in middle grades and secondary mathematics classes.

Background: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is well known in medical practice. Although health promotion (HP) is promoted worldwide, there is still some debate as to whether EBM is needed or useful in the teaching of health promotion. Objective: To assess the perceived usefulness of EBM in the teaching of HP among medical students and faculty members. Methods: A comparative study was conducted between two groups of fourth-year medical students in the academic year 2012 during the five-week Health Promotion Teaching Block at Prince of Songkla University, southern Thailand. A one-week EBM course was conducted with half the students in the first week of the block and the other half of the students in the last week of the block. All activities in the HP block were similar except for the different periods of the one-week of EBM teaching. The effect on knowledge, ability and perceived application of EBM in future practice was assessed by student self-evaluations before versus after taking the EBM course, and by faculty member evaluation of the students’ end-of-block presentations. All evaluation items were rated from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Data were analyzed using a t-test or Wilcoxon test, as appropriate. Results: The students’ self-evaluations of knowledge and ability on EBM between the two groups were similar. The perception that teaching EBM is beneficial in health promotion and future practice increased significantly ( pConclusions: Medical students and faculty members perceived that EBM is useful in the HP context. Future studies to evaluate the effect of using evidence-based teaching for health promotion are needed.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a combined academic and personal counselling initiative on student performance and emotional well-being outcomes of 289 at-risk students at a Canadian University. Criterion for risk included academic struggles, mental health distress, or both. The program was developed to be tailored to individual needs, and students participated in weekly counselling sessions over the course of 1 academic year. Results showed significant overall increases in student grade point average (GPA), academic functioning, and mental health well-being, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in addressing the differential needs of students. Implications of the results are discussed.

Five academic programs in futures studies and strategic foresight collaborated over the 2012–2013 academic year for the purpose of investigating what they were teaching, and particularly what was common among the programs. Each of the five programs presented its curriculum to the other programs and answered their questions. Peter Bishop from the Houston program and Jim Dator from the Hawaii program synthesized the results with a special focus on a comparison of their two programs. Bishop presented the results at the biannual meeting of the World Futures Studies Federation in Bucharest, Romania, in July 2013.

Although descriptions of enrichment programs are valuable for practitioners, practices, and services for gifted students, they must be backed by evidence, derived through a synthesis of research. This study examined research on enrichment programs serving gifted students and synthesized the current studies between 1985 and 2014 on the effects of enrichment programs. A total of 26 studies were included in this meta-analysis, and the findings show that enrichment programs had a positive impact on both gifted students’ academic achievement ( g = 0.96, 95% CI [0.64, 1.30], under a random-effects model) and socioemotional development ( g = 0.55, 95% CI [0.32, 0.79], under a random-effects model). Regarding moderators of the effects, types of programs, and grade levels influenced both effect sizes of academic achievement and socioemotional development. The largest effect size was observed for summer residential programs in terms of academic achievement and for a combination of summer and academic year program in terms of socioemotional development.

Background: Values are ideals and beliefs that individuals and groups uphold and lie at the core of the diverse world of human behaviour and are expressed in every human decision and action, both consciously and unconsciously. They represent basic beliefs of what is right, good or desirable and motivate both personal and professional behaviour. In the context of nursing profession, values are essential in order to maintain high standards of the nursing care. Objectives: This study was planned to examine changes in nursing students’ personal and professional values between entering and graduating from an undergraduate nursing programme. Ethical considerations: Measures to protect participants included obtaining Deaconship of Nursing Faculty approval, obtaining signed informed consent and maintaining confidentiality. Methods: This study was designed as longitudinal quality. The research population included 143 students registered at a first grade of a nursing faculty for the 2009–2010 academic year. Data were collected with a Questionnaire Form, the Value Preferences Scale, the Professional Values Precedence Scale and the Nursing Professional Values Scale. Findings: According to the results, social values have statistical differences in 4-year nursing education. Nursing students in second class have higher score in terms of social values than those in third class. Also, majority of students ranked human dignity as first and justice as second and third from first to fourth classes, and they have very high scores on Nursing Professional Values Scale and its subscales and stated that all items of Nursing Professional Values Scale are very important. Conclusion: As a result, nursing education has vital role in acquiring and maintaining professional values.

States and school districts across the United States are increasingly using value-added models (VAMs) to evaluate teachers. In practice, VAMs typically rely on lagged test scores from the previous academic year, which necessarily conflate summer learning with school-year gains. These “cross-year” VAMs yield biased estimates of teacher effectiveness when students with different propensities for summer learning are non-randomly assigned to classrooms. We investigate the practical implications of this problem by comparing estimates from “cross-year” VAMs to those from arguably more valid “within-year” VAMs using fall and spring test scores from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K). “Cross-year” and “within-year” VAMs frequently yield significant differences that remain even after conditioning on children’s summer activities.

Background: The opinions of students regarding the attributes of a good nurse can make a major contribution to the planning and the conducting of professional education. There are few studies which aim at identifying the qualifications of a good nurse from the perspectives of nursing students. Objectives: To determine the opinions of first- and fourth-year nursing students concerning the ‘attributes of a good nurse’, and whether and how their views change depending on their year of study. Research design: Descriptive research. Participants and research context: This study was conducted in the nursing department of a vocational school of health in the 2010/2011 academic year. The study participants consisted of first-year and intern students. A survey form was used to identify characteristics of participants, and students were asked the following open-ended question about their opinions related to the attributes of a good nurse. Ethical considerations: The permission was taken from the school administration. Informed consent was obtained, and anonymity was ensured for participating students. Findings: A total of 120 students participated in this study. Most frequently expressed attributes were ‘professional competence’ in first-year and ‘responsibility’ in fourth-year students. While first-year students placed a greater emphasis on the attributes of ‘geniality’, ‘patience’, ‘calmness’, ‘love of nursing’, ‘loyalty to nursing’ and ‘not attaching importance to material values’, fourth-year students emphasized the attributes of ‘empathy’, ‘honesty’, ‘responsibility’ and ‘scientific curiosity’ significantly more. Discussion and conclusion: Fourth-year students placed a greater emphasis on the attributes which the students are expected to acquire through a nursing program and clinical experience. However, they mentioned the attributes related to a good nurse–patient relationship and communication significantly less. Appropriate ethical training methods and good role models can help students acquire attributes that are important for the nursing profession and combine them with the attributes they already have.

There has been considerable interest in the socialisation of (student) physical education (PE) teachers, the beliefs and values developed as a result of this socialisation and the impact of these on teachers’ learning, behaviours and practices and the curriculum. Many studies looking at the beliefs and values of PE teachers have used the values orientation instrument (VOI). However, as far as we know, in England there has only been one study using the VOI to study the value orientations of PE teachers and none which has studied the value orientations of student PE teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to look at the value orientations of secondary student PE teachers learning to teach in England. Two hundred and seventy two student PE teachers studying on both one year postgraduate certificate of education and four year undergraduate PE initial teacher education (ITE) courses at four universities in England completed the revised VOI (VOI-2) once during the academic year. Means and standard deviations were used to calculate the score for each value orientation across the whole sample, Pearson product–moment correlation coefficients were computed to determine the relationships between value orientations and one way analysis of variance tests were used to test for any differences between the groups according to gender and course/year on course for undergraduate student PE teachers. Results showed some variability in the value orientations given highest and lowest priority by different groups of student PE teachers in this study. However, with a few exceptions, learning process, ecological integration and self-actualisation were consistently given highest priority, whilst social responsibility and disciplinary mastery were consistently given lowest priority. There were some relationships between value orientations, but the only difference between groups was between male and female student PE teachers on learning process. Results are compared to the results of a similar study in England, and discussed in relation to possible reasons for the results, practical implications for meeting the aims and outcomes of the PE curriculum and for student PE teachers’ development on ITE courses and into their induction year.

The subject of electromagnetic compatibility is a compulsory one, taught to students from electrical engineering and applied electronics study programmes. We present a comparative study between the current teaching method of shielding calculation and a new simulation-based teaching approach. In the academic year 2013–2014, the effectiveness of the new method was evaluated by analyzing the answers provided by the students to the items in a questionnaire along with their final lab test scores.

Background: The advances in science and technology increasingly lead to the appearance of ethical issues and to the complexity of care. Therefore, it is important to define the ethics position of students studying in health departments so that high quality patient care can be achieved. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the ethics position of the students at Shool of Health of an University in western Turkey. Methods: The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional. The study population included 540 first, second, third, and fourth year students from the Departments of Nursing, Midwifery, and Rescue and Disaster Management in the 2013–2014 academic year. Data were collected with a Personal Identification Form and The Ethics Position Questionnaire. Obtained data were analyzed with Chi-square test, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Nested Analysis of Variance. Ethical considerations: Before conducting the research, approval was obtained from Ege University Clinical Research Ethics Committee in İzmir and written informed consent was taken from all the participants. Findings: There was no significant difference in the mean scores for the Ethics Position Questionnaire between the students in terms of years and fields of study. Although the mean scores for the subscale idealism did not differ between fields of study, the mean scores significantly differed between years of study. However, the mean scores for the subscale relativism did not differ in terms of years and fields of study. Discussion: Whether students are idealistic or relativistic in terms of ethical judgment will be effective in ethical decision-making skills during patient care. Therefore, we need to define the factors that influence students’ ethics position in the future. Conclusion: It is suggested that the courses and practices that teach students to be aware of their ethics position to create an ethical outlook can be placed in the curriculum in health schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine how preservice teachers, from a funds of knowledge perspective, in a community-based early childhood teacher preparation programme learned about the language and (bi)literacy development of young English emergent bilinguals. Through a series of in-depth home observations their early childhood education (ECE) coursework preservice teachers reflected on young children's literacy learning and family literacy practices. We followed case studies of six participating preservice teachers who were placed with families with children enrolled in preschool programmes as part of their field experience. A research team composed of two university professors and two graduate students gathered a variety of data during one academic year. Data sources include field notes, video and audio recordings and children's emergent literacy samples from six family home interactions by the preservice teachers with their assigned case study families. During these family home visits, preservice teachers conducted observations and documented their respective case study child's language development and the family's literacy practices. The focus of the analysis entailed an ongoing examination of how preservice teachers' reflections and the home family literacy interactions helped deepen their understanding of funds of knowledge and cultural practices. We found that their extensive and consistent experiences, interacting with the families for one academic year, allowed them to reflect on how their views of those interactions had evolved. In all cases, the preservice teachers we interviewed commented on how they appreciated having the opportunity to interact with the children, their parents and family in various nonschool-related contexts. For these preservice teachers, there was gradual, uneven and continuous learning about funds of knowledge that challenged the ways and possibilities of embracing this perspective as part of their professional experience.

Schools experience barriers when implementing wellness policies, and there is a dearth of research detailing how district wellness policies are implemented at the school level. Wellness councils were established in 7 elementary schools in Harlem and Washington Heights, New York City (NYC), to help these schools implement the NYC district wellness policy. Data on 4 wellness council process indicators and wellness council self-evaluation scores were correlated with obesity prevention process outcomes using Kendall tau correlations. An average of 8.9 (standard deviation = 0.7) wellness council meetings were held per school throughout the 10-month academic year. The average attendance at each meeting ranged from 7.1 to 15.2 members. There was a positive relationship between wellness council attendance and the number of participant encounters at staff physical activity events ( r = .71, P = .02). Higher self-evaluation scores on staff wellness initiatives were associated with more student nutrition encounters ( r = .69, P = .04) and in-class student physical activity minutes ( r = .69, P = .04). The wellness councils served as a forum for regular interaction between health professionals and school staff and allowed for evidence-based interventions to be adapted to local school needs and culture. School staff engagement is important for successful obesity prevention initiatives and should be a goal of school-based wellness programs.

The number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pursuing postsecondary education is increasing. A mentorship program was developed to help students with ASD navigate the social and academic framework of postsecondary campus life. The present study (a) provides information about a sample of university students with ASD and (b) evaluates satisfaction with the support provided. This is the first study in Canada to report on the experience of students with ASD and to evaluate this novel approach. Students ( N = 23) provided demographic information in the fall and completed surveys evaluating their satisfaction at the end of each academic year. Since beginning the program, the number of students has increased by 200%. High levels of satisfaction were reported. The majority of students reported success in achieving personal goals in part due to their participation in the program. Results better inform the development of supports for students with ASD.

This study focuses on the lived experiences of five novice teachers during their first academic year of teaching. This article analyzes the experiences of new teachers based on long-term data collection throughout a school year as one means of bridging the gap between teacher preparation and actual teaching practice. The findings indicate that teaching for novices is a demanding task because it centers on complex, interrelated sets of thoughts, actions, and dynamics.