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Augmented reality (AR) is currently becoming educational trend by offering visualization of learning and making abstract concepts more concrete. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effect of AR technology based on mobile application on self-competence of electronics engineering students. It also considered the role of self-regulated learning, intrinsic learning motivation, and perceived usefulness as moderating factors. A cross-sectional survey with quantitative method was conducted on 848 electronics engineering education students at Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia. The data were obtained through questionnaires, and Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 3. Furthermore, a fuzzy C-means clustering analysis was carried out using JASP software. The results showed that perceived usefulness had a significant positive effect on students' self-competence and moderated the significant positive relationship between self-regulated learning and self-competence. These empirical results showed that an improved level of self-regulated learning and beneficial application of technology could increase self-competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naomi Goldenberg's model of religion as a "vestigial state" is an excellent interrogation of how religion interacts with the state. To Goldenberg, religions traditionally functioned in the same manner as nation-states before being conquered and delineated as semi-autonomous institutions under the larger secular apparatus. However, I argue in this paper that Goldenberg's "vestigial state" fails to account for the dynamism that religions have in their relationships to the state. I propose seeing religions as "alternative authorities", which can be subordinate, cooperative, or hostile to the secular state. These perspectives as an alternative authority are seen best in the evolution of American fundamentalism and Christian nationalism, whose adherents have historically distinguished themselves from the state while simultaneously engaging in the effort to reshape it. In looking at how these movements develop, we understand that religions are constantly evolving in how to achieve and maintain power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we offer an exhaustive analysis of academic work on psychological flexibility using bibliometric techniques. We identify emerging trends in a dataset of 3535 scholarly articles from the Web of Science database. We highlight key publications, map out the field's intellectual framework, and anticipate future research avenues through co-citation and co-word analytics. The co-citation assessment revealed five distinct clusters, while the co-word analysis showed three. Although research regarding psychological flexibility has gained recent popularity, there remains a need for more scholarly initiatives to achieve a nuanced understanding of this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Direct Method in language teaching, which emphasizes teaching language through immersion and avoiding the use of the learner's native language, has been widely used in educational settings for over a century. Its focus on oral communication, everyday vocabulary, and inductive grammar teaching has made it a popular approach. However, debates about its effectiveness compared to more modern teaching methods have persisted, particularly in terms of long-term language acquisition and proficiency. This literature review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Direct Method by analyzing studies conducted across various educational contexts. The review examines how this method impacts learners' speaking, listening, and overall communicative competence. By synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative research, the study provides a comprehensive view of the strengths and limitations of the Direct Method. The findings indicate that while the Direct Method improves oral proficiency and listening skills in the short term, it may not be as effective for developing reading and writing skills. Studies show that the method fosters greater student engagement and motivation but may not adequately address the complexities of advanced grammar and academic language. Furthermore, the method's effectiveness depends heavily on the teacher's skill in creating immersive language environments. In conclusion, the Direct Method offers valuable benefits for beginner and intermediate learners, especially in communicative aspects of language. However, it requires supplementation with other approaches to develop comprehensive language proficiency. Future research should explore ways to integrate the Direct Method with more advanced instructional techniques for a balanced approach to language teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Effective cancer care coordination (CCC) is an integral component of health care delivery and critical to achieving optimal oncologic outcomes. Neoadjuvant therapy (NT), the delivery of multimodality therapy prior to surgery, is inherently complex and multidisciplinary, but CCC during NT is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize patient perceptions of CCC during NT using a mixed methods approach. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of patients with gastrointestinal cancers receiving NT who participated in a prospective longitudinal cohort study evaluating their real-time experience using a customized smartphone application. Patients completed the Cancer Care Coordination Questionnaire for Patients (CCCQ-P), a 20-item validated measure of care coordination quality, six weeks after initiating NT. Items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and subsections on communication (13 questions) and navigation (7 questions) were calculated with higher scores signifying better CCC. Univariate linear regression was used to calculate the impact of fragmented care and other factors on perceived CCC. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among a convenience sample of patients (n = 5); transcribed interviews were then coded using an inductive approach. Results: Among 82 participants, mean age was 61 years old, 68% were male, and mean number of comorbidities was 1.68. Overall (mean 76.6 out of 100), communication subsection (48.6 out of 65), and navigation subsection (28.0 out of 35) CCCQ-P scores suggested overall positive perceptions of care coordination. Qualitative analysis of patient interviews highlighted the need for coordination among physicians before communicating the plan to patients as well as the importance of providers communicating plans in verbal and written form. Conclusions: Successful completion of NT requires significant care coordination between patients and healthcare professionals. Yet, in this cross-sectional analysis of patients on a prospective cohort study, patient perceptions of CCC during NT were overall positive. Future research should focus on optimizing other aspects of care delivery in order to improve outcomes of NT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-efficacy, or the beliefs people hold about their ability to succeed in certain pursuits, is a long-established construct. Self-efficacy for science communication distinguishes scientists who engage with the public and relates to scientists' attitudes about the public. As such, self-efficacy for public engagement has the potential to serve as a key indicator in the evaluation of scientist training and public outreach programs. To date, most evaluation scales have been designed for public audiences, rather than scientists. This study used think-aloud methods and Item Response Theory to develop a scale to measure scientists' Self-Efficacy for Public Engagement with Science. The results from this study support the use of a 13-item self-efficacy scale, and provide initial validation evidence to support its use with scientists who engage with the public. The findings are presented in relation to the continued study of public engagement through both research and evaluation.

African Americans (AAs) are 20% more likely to develop serious psychological distress compared to Whites but are less likely to use mental health services. The study objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment strategies to engage AA fathers in a mental health intervention. Using the community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, a community-academic partnership (CAP) developed and implemented direct and indirect referral strategies to engage AA fathers in a mental health intervention. Direct referral strategies focused on community partner identification of potentially eligible participants, providing information about the study (i.e., study flyer), and referring potential participants to the study. Indirect referrals included posting flyers in local businesses frequented by AA men, radio advertisements, and social media posts from community organizations. From January to October 2019, 50 direct and 1388 indirect referrals were documented, yielding 24 participants screened and 15 enrolled. Of all participants screened, 58% were referred through indirect referral, 38% were referred directly by community partners, and 4% of the participants were referred through both direct and indirect referrals. Twenty percent of those exposed to the direct referral methods and 1% of those exposed to the indirect referral methods were enrolled. The indirect referrals accounted for 60% of enrollment, whereas the direct referrals accounted for 33.3% of enrollment. Collaborating with the community partners to engage hard-to-reach populations in mental health studies allowed for broad dissemination of recruitment methods, but still resulted in low participant accrual. Additional focus on increasing direct referral methods appears to be a fruitful area of CBPR.