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Inability to use knowledge is one of the major problems that university graduates face. Some instructional designers recommend situated learning for the solution. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of situated learning on students' school motivation and achievement. The two main hypotheses are: 1- Situated learning increases learning. 2- Situated learning increases school motivation. Thirty four psychology junior students at Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran participated in the study. Classes were randomly selected for situated learning curriculum and lecture-based curriculum. Lecture-based curriculum was performed in face to face classroom. Situated learning was carried out in blended learning approach. Data was collected by school achievement test and the short form of Mc Inerney and Sinclaier standard motivation questionnaire, before and after interventions. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software version 15. It was shown that situated learning increased academic achievement (p less than 0.001) and motivation (p less than 0.001) in comparison to lecture-based learning and can serve as a good method in instructional programs. (Contains 3 tables.)

The present study examines the weaknesses of teaching Islamic philosophy at the undergraduate level of universities. In this article, focusing on the book Nahayeh al-Hikma, topics of ontology, anthropology, epistemology and theology have been expressed. Repetition of the contents, failure to state the materials and results of the discussions, failure to address new philosophical and scientific issues and doubts, failure to follow the logical order of the discussions, and failure to understand the educational goals are among the problems and shortcomings of this course. For field evaluation, a questionnaire was prepared and after its standardization was verified, it was completed by students, graduates and professors of the field of Islamic philosophy of universities across the country and subjected to systematic analysis (SPSS and SWOT). According to the results, Islamic philosophy education is weak in the long-standing explanation of philosophical topics, the reasons and whys of discussions, avoiding logical fallacies, especially the sharing of words, confusion of concepts and examples, and the accessories and results of philosophical principles. The results of the questionnaire data show the weakness in the course content, teaching styles and teaching methods, and in the end, suggestions are made to improve the current situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Prime Time Sister Circles®, a randomized controlled trial (PTSC-RCT), assessed the impact of a community-based peer support program on hypertension management among African American women 40–75 years of age. While the PTSC-RCT was designed to evaluate changes in blood pressure control, subsequent sub-analyses revealed a high proportion of self-reported depressive symptoms in our sample. Accordingly, we conducted an ancillary investigation of the PTSC intervention on depression to ascertain its impact on reduced depressive symptoms in the study population. Method: Depressive symptoms were measured using an adapted version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised (CES-D-10). We used unadjusted and adjusted fixed effect models. Data for this study came from the PTSC-RCT. We collected data between 2017 and 2018 in Washington, DC. We used a balanced analytical sample of 172 African American, English-speaking women between 40 to 75 years old with uncontrolled hypertension. Intervention: The intervention group participated in a 2-h, peer-based support group once a week for 13 weeks. A trained PTSC facilitator facilitated sessions with experts who delivered content on various topics, including psychosocial wellness (e.g., stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety management, and self-esteem), physical health (e.g., hypertension, inflammation, and heart disease), physical activity, and healthy nutrition. Results: Results from the fixed-effects models indicated that participants in the PTSC program exhibited a greater reduction in CES-D-10 score at three months (Coeff: -1.99, 95% CI: -3.49, -0.49) and at 15 months (Coeff: -2.38, 95% CI: -3.94, -0.83), as compared to those in the control group. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that the Prime Time Sister Circles® intervention reduced depressive symptoms among African American women with low socioeconomic status and hypertension. Trial Registration: NCT04371614. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile delinquency is a pressing problem in the United States; the literature emphasizes the importance of early interventions and the role of the family in preventing juvenile delinquency. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, PudMed, and Scopus, we included 28 peer-reviewed articles in English between January 2012 and October 2022. We evaluated the existing literature regarding the risk factors, protective factors, and interventions related to juvenile delinquency. We searched articles that discussed reducing juvenile delinquency and recidivism in the U.S. and coded them into four overarching themes: 'family conflict and dysfunction', 'neglect and maltreatment', 'individual and family mitigating factors', and 'family- and community-based interventions. We found that family conflict and dysfunction and neglect and maltreatment were two primary predictors of juvenile delinquency. Notably, higher academic achievement and strong and positive parental relationships were factors that protected against delinquency amongst at-risk youth. Interventions that yielded optimal efficacy in curbing recidivism included family-based interventions, specifically family therapy, and community-based interventions. Considering multi-dimensional factors that affect delinquent behaviors, interventions should consider the influence of family, peers, neighborhood, schools, and the larger community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives One of the most common problems in old age is mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which, in addition to cognitive problems, reduces important aspects of social cognition ability such as facial emotion recognition (FER). One of the effective methods in this field is social cognition and interaction training (SCIT). The present study aims to investigate the effect of SCIT on FER in the elderly with MCI. Methods & Materials This is a quasi-experimental study with pretest/post-test/follow-up design. The study population includes all the elderly over 60 years with MCI living in nursing homes in Tehran, Iran in 2021. Of these, 40 were selected by purposive and convenience sampling methods and randomly assigned to intervention (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. The intervention group received group SCIT at 20 sessions of 60 minutes for two months. During this period, the control group had no training. The used test included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test and the Face Emotion Recognition Test. The data were analyzed by mixed analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test in SPSS software, version 23. Results The Results of mixed analysis of variance showed that the group and time factors explained 51% and 71% of variances in FER, respectively. The Results of Bonferroni test showed that FER score in the intervention group was increased immediately after and two months after training, indicating that SCIT had a significant effect on FER (P<0.001). However, FER score in the control group did not show a significant change. Conclusion The SCIT can be used as an effective method to increase FER in the elderly by using techniques such as examining the role of emotions in social environments and developing emotion recognition skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]