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Effective spatial visualization and reasoning skills are often credited for students' success in science and engineering courses. However, students enrolled in these science courses are not always exposed to or trained properly on the best ways to utilize models to aid in their learning. Improving spatial visualization techniques with 3D models, such as molecular and DNA modeling kits, is often suggested to facilitate students' ability to conceptualize compounds in two and three dimensions. Here, we investigate what techniques students use to conceptualize 2D representations of various biomolecules with the use of 3D models by interviewing undergraduate students from various natural science and engineering disciplines in task-based, think-aloud sessions. After scoring and analyzing the participant data we explored some of the techniques used among successful scoring participants, including the use of informal models to transition between 2D and 3D. Additional techniques used by students who were able to successfully conceptualize 3D images included starting with smaller, granular details to inductively make conclusions when thinking between two and three dimensions. We find that (1) students who anchor their thinking in 3D models show a deeper level of understanding in initially solving science problems successfully, and (2) proper 3D model use and spatial visualization techniques may improve students' abilities to accurately visualize 2D and 3D representations of molecules in science courses. Our results demonstrate that implementing spatial visualization training to teach students how to effectively use 3D models may improve students' problem-solving techniques in science curricula.

This article provides an exploratory case study of place-based pedagogy developed in partnership with Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR) at Guilford College. ECAR is the first initiative of its kind to mobilize college and university campus resources to provide housing and other forms of assistance to refugees seeking resettlement in the institution's local area (within and beyond the institution's physical borders). ECAR is transforming refugee resettlement in the United States as it also transforms our understanding and teaching about the issues faced by these communities and the role of post-secondary educational institutions. Through ECAR's commitment to "compassionate hospitality and radical accountability" (Every Campus A Refuge, n.d.), campuses undergo transformations that blur the boundaries between campus and community and redefine the notion of "place" for students and community members. This article examines how place-based initiatives at resettlement campuses, such as ECAR in Greensboro, impact student experiences and learning. We present an analysis of survey data collected from students who participated in the ECAR minor and analyze their responses. This data indicates that the academic program's place-based pedagogy (1) provides students opportunities to learn about what forced displacement is and why it happens; (2) centralizes the voice, agency, and perspectives of the individuals who experience forced migration and resettlement; (3) emphasizes how we can collectively organize and advocate to address the problems of forced displacement and resettlement. In this way, the minor is helping students engage in the work of principled problem-solving in refugee resettlement through specialized course offerings and place-based pedagogy. The paper concludes with challenges and opportunities for campuses interested in adopting this place-based refugee resettlement program for their colleges/universities. It also discusses pathways for further research and pedagogical innovation.

COVID-19 has led to quarantines, isolations, and social separations worldwide. Universities use distance education and blended learning especially for practical courses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of blended learning via Edmodo on students' performance and attitude when learning some fundamental boxing skills. Thirty-two students from 124 enrolled in a boxing sport course were randomly selected. A quasi-experimental design was used by creating a control group and an experimental group. A flipped classroom strategy was used to teach basic boxing skills to the experimental group via Edmodo. The control group was taught via teacher command style. Results of the post-measurements of overall skill performance score indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group with a large effect size of ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.73). The Edmodo students also demonstrated positive attitudes. A blended learning program via Edmodo influences positively on learning boxing skills and motivates them to learn.

This study investigates the perceptions of a sample of Arab science teachers pertaining to the cultural factors affecting pupils learning processes in three Arab countries. A randomly sampled group of 169 science teachers from the three countries comprised the participants, Egypt (N=37), Yemen (N=53), and Saudi Arabia (N=79). A questionnaire consisting of 48 items measuring six cultural factors was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used to analyse data. Results indicated that teachers in the three countries have a consensus that science is not exclusively an aspect of Western culture. Saudi Teachers' awareness of the influences of the cultural factors on science education was clearer than that of the Egyptian and the Yemeni teachers. There were significant differences in the nature of science subscale, common everyday scientific knowledge subscale, and classroom science teaching and learning subscale, while there were no significant differences in science, culture and community subscale, science learning subscale, and science and real-life subscale. Scheffe post hoc test indicated that Saudi teachers scored higher than their Yemeni peers in their perceptions of nature of science subscale and common everyday scientific knowledge subscale while Egyptian teachers were more likely than Yemeni teachers to perceive cultural factors affecting classroom science teaching and learning. We concluded that cultural factors could facilitate or debilitate science education in schools. It is vital to increase science teachers' awareness of the role that cultural factors play in facilitating science instruction and learning.

In order for future-oriented thinking skills to examine both cognitive and language skills, there is a need to examine the skill levels of professionals across various fields of education. The present study investigated the degree to which intermediate schoolteachers possess future thinking skills in the light of Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test dimensions in mathematics and Arabic language. Using a descriptive survey method, a questionnaire was given to 98 mathematics and Arabic language teachers in AlKharj, Saudi Arabia. It covered five dimensions of future thinking skills including planning, predicting, imagination, problem-solving, and evaluating the future. Results showed statistically significant skill levels across all dimensions for both groups. Additionally, significant differences existed between subjects in planning, predicting, imagining, and solving future problems, attributable to disciplinary specialization. However, there was no difference in evaluating the future perspective. The study concludes that developing future thinking skills through PISA dimensions is vital for quality education meeting contemporary needs. Recommendations include building specialized university programs, holding teacher training courses, and conducting an integrated study of future thinking across mathematics, Arabic language, and science to enable comprehensive understanding. In summary, intermediate schoolteachers were found to significantly possess future thinking capacities, but differences between math and Arabic teachers highlight the need to standardize competencies.

Anopheles stephensi, an Asian malaria vector, continues to expand across Africa. The vector is now firmly established in urban settings in the Horn of Africa. Its presence in areas where malaria resurged suggested a possible role in causing malaria outbreaks. Here, using a prospective case-control design, we investigated the role of An. stephensi in transmission following a malaria outbreak in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia in April-July 2022. Screening contacts of patients with malaria and febrile controls revealed spatial clustering of Plasmodium falciparum infections around patients with malaria in strong association with the presence of An. stephensi in the household vicinity. Plasmodium sporozoites were detected in these mosquitoes. This outbreak involved clonal propagation of parasites with molecular signatures of artemisinin and diagnostic resistance. To our knowledge, this study provides the strongest evidence so far for a role of An. stephensi in driving an urban malaria outbreak in Africa, highlighting the major public health threat posed by this fast-spreading mosquito.

The current study aimed to examine the effect of empowerment on English language teachers' commitment to schools and attitudes towards curriculum reform and the mediation effect of teachers' attitudes towards curriculum reform on the relationship between the teacher's empowerment and commitment to schools. A questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 332 middle school English teachers in Algeria. The questionnaire included teachers' empowerment questionnaire model of Yin et al. (2013. "The Effect of Trust on Teacher Empowerment: The Mediation of Teacher Efficacy." "Educational Studies" 39 (1): 13-28), the Organisational Commitment scale of Meyer & Allen (1997) and the Attitude toward Change Instrument of Dunham et al. (1989). The results advocated a significant and positive correlation between the teachers' empowerment, attitudes towards curriculum reform, and commitment to schools. The findings also revealed that teachers' attitudes towards curriculum reform had a significant mediation effect on the relationship between empowerment and school commitment. The extent to which teachers believe they are empowered and have a role and contribution in shaping the curriculum of their school has a direct bearing on their dedication to their jobs. The study suggested that the ministry of national education should consider the role of TATCR, TE, and TCTS together as important.

Purpose: This study aims to improve the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by examining technological anxiety and other influential factors on international students' adoption of mobile learning (m-learning) during COVID-19 emergency remote teaching (ERT). Design/methodology/approach: This study utilized the modified UTAUT framework to test hypotheses through a cross-sectional survey method. Participants were university students studying Chinese as a foreign language who were selected using a convenience sampling approach. An online questionnaire was then administered. The data collected from the surveys were analyzed using the partial least squares method with SmartPLS 4 software. Findings: The study examined 16 hypotheses and found support for six of them. The results confirmed that performance expectancy (PE) is a significant predictor of behavioral intention (BI), and anxiety influences both PE and effort expectancy. The negative effect of social influence on anxiety was found to be significant, while facilitating conditions had a negative impact on learners' self-efficacy. The model fit indices indicated a good overall fit for the model. Research limitations/implications: This study presents a valuable contribution to the literature on m-learning in emergency education by incorporating technological anxiety into the enhanced UTAUT model. Examining the relationships between the key factors of the model provides a better understanding of learners' intentions and can inspire researchers to establish new theoretical foundations to evaluate the roles of these factors in diverse educational settings. Practical implications: The study found that performance expectations are linked to learners' intentions, and anxiety indirectly affects BIs to use mobile learning platforms. Thus, these platforms should be designed to meet learners' expectations with minimum effort and eliminate anxiety triggers to facilitate ease of use. Language curriculum developers and policymakers should incorporate mobile learning applications to support diverse language skills, address students' needs and encourage their use through professional development opportunities for instructors. Social implications: Social factors have been found to significantly influence anxiety levels among learners. Therefore, it is crucial for teachers and family members to play an essential role in mitigating anxiety's adverse effects. Discussing related issues can enhance the quality of mobile learning and stimulate social initiative by providers, ultimately improving the learning experience for all learners, regardless of their location or circumstances. This can also contribute to the growth and development of society. Originality/value: This study contributes to the originality of m-learning development by proposing an enhanced UTAUT model that considers anxiety and emphasizes the critical role of foreign learners' BIs. It provides fundamental guidelines for designing and evaluating m-learning in ERT contexts.

BackgroundBetter tools for post-chemotherapy amenorrhea risk assessment are needed for fertility preservation decision-making. Our aim was to determine the predictors of amenorrhea risk at 12 and 18 months post-chemotherapy in women with breast cancer.Methods142 women with breast cancer were longitudinally followed for their menstrual changes at 6, 12, and 18 months after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy with an Anthracycline-Cyclophosphamide-based (AC-based) or Cyclophosphamide-Methotrexate +5-Fluorouracil regimen. Pre- and/or post-chemo AMH levels, age, BMI, tamoxifen use, regimen type, and germline BRCA pathogenic variant (gBRCApv) status were evaluated for the prediction of amenorrhea at 6-18 months.ResultsIn multivariable-adjusted logistic regression, age (p = 0.03) and AMH (p = 0.03) at 12 months, and gBRCApv status (p = 0.03) at 18 months were significant predictors of amenorrhea (areas under the ROC curve of 0.77 and 0.76, for 12 and 18 months, respectively) among 102 evaluable subjects. An undetectable AMH immediately post-chemotherapy was predictive of amenorrhea with 2.0 ng/mL group showed attenuated time-trend risk of amenorrhea versus AMH ≤2.0 group (ratio of ORs = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86-0.97, p = 0.002), while the gBRCApv + showed a steeper time trend, versus the controls (ratio of ORs = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.04-1.20, p = 0.003).ConclusionsIn addition to the pre- and post-treatment AMH levels, gBRCApv status is a novel potential predictor of amenorrhea at 12 and 18 months after chemotherapy. The higher likelihood of amenorrhea in women gBRCApv suggests that they are more prone to losing their fertility post-chemotherapy.