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Despite the necessary focus on clinical skills and knowledge during the tertiary education of healthcare professionals, the literature highlights the importance of developing psycho-social competencies. Empathy, a cognitive-behavioral attribute linked to various benefits for patients and healthcare professionals, is one such competency. Pedagogical approaches to successfully develop empathy in tertiary healthcare students are available. However, these approaches are often integrated piecemeal throughout the tertiary education journey. Research on a more empathy-focused curriculum is scarce. This manuscript describes the design of a study that aims to examine the effects of a more empathy-focused curriculum on empathy in tertiary healthcare profession students in Singapore. Freshmen dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy students enrolled in a novel curriculum with a strong empathy focus will be recruited for the study and followed for the program’s extent. Mixed-methods data collection at various time points will be conducted. Quantitative data will be collected on cognitive-behavioral empathy, intentions to provide empathic care, and engagement in courses of the curriculum. Qualitative data on perceptions of patient care and empathy in relation to relevant courses of the curriculum will be collected to provide context for quantitative findings. Ethics approval was granted by the Departmental Ethics Review Committee of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (Ethics ID: SSHSPH-214).

This case study focuses on an interdisciplinary educational experience in which university Pharmacy and Humanities early and late Spanish-English bilinguals were paired to translate questions related to sociobehavioral aspects of medication use. This work describes the personal and professional benefits reported by the translators and the prevailing themes from verbal negotiations. The participants were an undergraduate in Spanish, seven pharmacy professional doctorate students, and five Hispanic studies graduate students. After completing individual translations, students were paired and met virtually to create a final, collaborative version of their translation. Participants were subsequently invited to answer open-ended questions about their experience. Translators’ transcribed interactions and questionnaire responses became the basis for this article. Results show that the main reported perceived benefit was the participants’ improved language skills. The findings also suggest that length, quality, and richness of interactions depended on whether the members of the pairings exhibited mutual respect, curiosity, and empathy.

Despite the necessary focus on clinical skills and knowledge during the tertiary education of healthcare professionals, the literature highlights the importance of developing psycho-social competencies. Empathy, a cognitive-behavioral attribute linked to various benefits for patients and healthcare professionals, is one such competency. Pedagogical approaches to successfully develop empathy in tertiary healthcare students are available. However, these approaches are often integrated piecemeal throughout the tertiary education journey. Research on a more empathy-focused curriculum is scarce. This manuscript describes the design of a study that aims to examine the effects of a more empathy-focused curriculum on empathy in tertiary healthcare profession students in Singapore. Freshmen dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy students enrolled in a novel curriculum with a strong empathy focus will be recruited for the study and followed for the program's extent. Mixed-methods data collection at various time points will be conducted. Quantitative data will be collected on cognitive-behavioral empathy, intentions to provide empathic care, and engagement in courses of the curriculum. Qualitative data on perceptions of patient care and empathy in relation to relevant courses of the curriculum will be collected to provide context for quantitative findings. Ethics approval was granted by the Departmental Ethics Review Committee of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (Ethics ID: SSHSPH-214)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Müller, Ngiam, Dunn, Samarasekera, Goh, Goh, Toh, Lee, Yau, Lau and Gallagher.)

This article focuses on the important instructional technique of integrated or interdisciplinary instruction with reference to the teaching of science but with implications for all school subjects. Readers are provided with a definition of the concept of the discipline and the importance of communicating the basic nature of a discipline to students in school settings. This leads to the concept of the levels of intradisciplinarity and later to the true "border crossing" that occurs when students must draw upon knowledge and practices from multiple disciplinary traditions when engaged in problem solving. The article concludes with a discussion of a recent trend in science instruction and consider the challenges of some forms of STEM curriculum designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Teaching Practice & Pedagogical Innovation is the property of National Taipei University of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background As the number of computer science (CS) jobs become increasingly available in this country and computing skills become essential tools for managing all aspects of our personal lives, CS is quickly becoming an essential element of K-12 education and recently, there has been increased attention to bringing computer science to the elementary grades. However, with a schedule that emphasizes literacy and mathematics, and other subjects competing for instructional time, creating opportunities for CS in the elementary school day is challenging. This study aimed to address this problem by investigating the use of problem-based transdisciplinary modules (i.e., “Time4CS” modules) that combined English language arts (ELA), science, and social studies lessons with the Code.org “Fundamentals” CS education program. Results Results indicated that teachers who taught Time4CS modules completed more CS lessons than teachers who did not teach the modules. Further, across all classrooms, completing a higher percentage of non-grade level assigned Code.org Fundamentals lessons (i.e., Code.org lessons above or below grade level that were available to teachers, but not required for their particular grade level) was positively associated with students’ achievement outcomes on state ELA and mathematics tests. Additionally, higher amounts of interdisciplinary teaching practices were associated with higher student achievement, specifically students’ state assessment ELA scores. Conclusions This study demonstrated that transdisciplinary problem-based modules that integrate the teaching of CS with other subject areas are a feasible way to bring more CS opportunities to younger learners. Moreover, it showed that implementing such modules is linked to more positive student academic achievement outcomes. With attentive revision, the modules featured in this study may be useful tools for elementary schools. These findings have implications for researchers, school district administrators, and those individuals who are in-charge of public policy initiatives seeking ways to bring CS to all elementary school students. Specifically, they highlight that it is possible to make time in the elementary school day for CS, and that there are no negative consequences for core subjects (e.g., ELA and mathematics).

In the rush to implement STEM programmes in economically disadvantaged school districts, there is a pressing need to develop a stronger sense of what might be considered effective and appropriate STEM practices for diverse students. The aim of this study was to characterise the experience of implementing an integrated STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) programme in an Australian secondary school located within a diverse, socio-economically disadvantaged community. To identify enablers and constraints in delivering STEM PBL in this context, the study utilised qualitative data from interviews with school teachers and leaders, school planning documents and an extended series of classroom observations. Key findings point towards the importance of building a school culture that supports innovative pedagogy; the need to purposefully scaffold the capabilities of teachers and students to engage with active learning; and the potential value of multi-dimensional assessment allowing students to demonstrate STEM proficiency through novel forms of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the number of computer science (CS) jobs become increasingly available in this country and computing skills become essential tools for managing all aspects of our personal lives, CS is quickly becoming an essential element of K-12 education and recently, there has been increased attention to bringing computer science to the elementary grades. However, with a schedule that emphasizes literacy and mathematics, and other subjects competing for instructional time, creating opportunities for CS in the elementary school day is challenging. This study aimed to address this problem by investigating the use of problem-based transdisciplinary modules (i.e., "Time4CS" modules) that combined English language arts (ELA), science, and social studies lessons with the Code.org "Fundamentals" CS education program. Results: Results indicated that teachers who taught Time4CS modules completed more CS lessons than teachers who did not teach the modules. Further, across all classrooms, completing a higher percentage of non-grade level assigned Code.org Fundamentals lessons (i.e., Code.org lessons above or below grade level that were available to teachers, but not required for their particular grade level) was positively associated with students' achievement outcomes on state ELA and mathematics tests. Additionally, higher amounts of interdisciplinary teaching practices were associated with higher student achievement, specifically students' state assessment ELA scores. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that transdisciplinary problem-based modules that integrate the teaching of CS with other subject areas are a feasible way to bring more CS opportunities to younger learners. Moreover, it showed that implementing such modules is linked to more positive student academic achievement outcomes. With attentive revision, the modules featured in this study may be useful tools for elementary schools. These findings have implications for researchers, school district administrators, and those individuals who are in-charge of public policy initiatives seeking ways to bring CS to all elementary school students. Specifically, they highlight that it is possible to make time in the elementary school day for CS, and that there are no negative consequences for core subjects (e.g., ELA and mathematics). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated STEM education leverages interconnections between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in order to reflect upon how each discipline operates within real world contexts. Students benefit from the integrated STEM approach because it values the real-life experiences of students along with the hands-on applications that mirror professional STEM work. Nevertheless, integrated STEM instruction remains ill-defined with many gaps evident in the existing research of how implementation explicitly works. The school setting central to this case study was a suburban public middle school that had sustained an integrated STEM program for a period of over 5 years. Through the use of phenomenological qualitative inquiry, we focused on both teachers' and students' experiences of participation in one integrated STEM model. Three major themes emerged as part of this inquiry. First, teachers engaged in continual reflection that along with district supports contributed to the durability of the model. Second, teachers and student engaged in dynamic learning transactions based on the particular task and concept covered. Third, science projects anchored learning opportunities deemed most successful by participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making and makerspaces are currently an exciting topic in education. The constructionist nature of learning through making, however, creates an inherent tension for teachers – one where the need to meet specific standards must be balanced with the open-ended, creative problem-solving that making supports. Unlike the traditional teacher-centered approach to English Language Arts instruction, the Writer's Workshop is a process-oriented approach to writing nationally recognized as a student-centered environment that balances that tension. This paper draws on the research around the existing framework of Writer's Workshop to create a new framework for supporting the learning that takes place in a makerspace environment. The framework, called Maker's Workshop, offers a process for upholding constructionist approaches to learning while meeting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. To demonstrate the framework in action, we present the case of STEM Read at Northern Illinois University (NIU). The paper provides scholars and practitioners a guide for teaching and learning while also suggesting opportunities for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences is the property of Ankara University, Faculty of Educational Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research demonstrates a need for an expansion of mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health support in K-12 schools, drawing attention to the role of educators in these initiatives. Through a theoretical lens grounded in role theory, this case study describes the experiences of three middle school English Language Arts teachers as they navigate the planning and implementation of a novel MHL unit of study. Insights are offered into the ways in which teachers navigate this collaborative work and integrate certain tensions as a precursor to increasing role clarity. • There is a need to enhance mental health literacy of adolescents. • The role of the teacher is shifting to encompass an emphasis on mental health instruction. • Teachers experience tensions in teaching mental health in content area classrooms. • Teachers require time, training and knowledge on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career chemists, or any Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) professional, should have a good understanding of how their industry operates. By collaborating on a "career focused" approach to information literacy, business and science librarians are uniquely situated to address this challenge. Business information resources can provide perspectives on industry trends and growth and provide tools for decision-making at many phases of a chemist's career. Using examples from the field of chemistry, this article highlights a few basic business information resources and competencies that can be included in an interdisciplinary approach to teaching information competency skills - without turning the chemists into MBA candidates. Business and science librarians are encouraged to adapt this approach for developing chemistry class modules, online tutorials, or professional continuing education seminars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student engagement is important for teachers and researchers because it is associated with student achievement. Guided by self-determination theory, this year-long case study used observations and interviews to examine six students’ behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement in integrated literacy and social studies tasks. Task differences were rated according to the degree to which tasks were authentic, collaborative, challenging, student directed, and sustained. Results demonstrated that, overall, students were more engaged in tasks that include a higher degree of these elements. In particular, students reported that they were engaged in tasks that included collaboration, new learning, and teacher support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many forensics coaches also serve as professors or instructors in their home departments. As a result, they often carry competitive debate practices with them into the classes that they teach. Although this overlap is widely beneficial, it is not without risks. Not all competitive procedures are well suited for classroom environments. Instructors may sometimes incorporate competitive techniques by habit without carefully considering the pedagogical consequences. In this article, we review instructional materials and syllabi from collegiate argumentation and debate classes and identify several methods that are commonly carried over from competitive settings. We then assess the pedagogical and educational implications of implementing these practices in undergraduate classes. We find that several tools and procedures that are appropriate for competition are problematic or even detrimental when adopted in introductory courses. In particular, instructors should think carefully before choosing to emulate competitive formats, incorporate competitive theories, or train students to use competitive techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Journal of language and literature education / Dil ve Edebiyat Eğitimi Dergisi is the property of Dil ve Edebiyat Egitimi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Classroom and arts educators frequently collaborate in the pursuit of common educational goals. Examples of sophisticated interdisciplinary teaching can be found in nearly every classroom, as when teachers use music to provide context for social movements, dancers to demonstrate various types of movement, or paintings to illustrate proportion. Tangible benefits produced by collaborative teaching with the arts have recently come to light, demonstrated through research and pilot programs. While there are many examples of collaborative educational models, integrated arts programs differ from other contemporary instructional models in that they receive explicit endorsement from the federal government. The May 2011 President's Council on the Arts and Humanities report recommended that the field of integrated arts be expanded, more fully funded, and more deeply incorporated into curricula, research, and professional development. This article summarizes some recent research, offers examples of implementation, presents a review of the federal government's role in promoting integrated arts, and provides suggestions incorporating integrated arts techniques in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the effects of School Garden Program (SGP) as one of the free activities courses on the attainment of mathematics objectives such as forming figures, tables, and graphs. The study examines if there be any difference between pre-test and post-test results of the students exposed to SGP and those under conventional methodology. It also involves a comparative analysis of the achievement scores in terms of gender, socio-economic level and intelligence areas.

The authors take an interdisciplinary approach to frame current conceptions of citizenship and practices of citizenship education. Using the popular young adult novel The Hunger Games (Collins 2008) as a basis for learning, they discuss theories of teaching and learning about citizenship through multiliteracies and art to explore the challenges associated with teaching citizenship as a complex, multidimensioned construct. They also describe the benefits of drawing on literature, visual art, and dramatic art to prompt learning about difficult social concepts. Finally, they provide a hypothetical example of a social studies miniunit involving popular literature (The Hunger Games), visual art, and dramatic art. Elements of the unit have been employed in their work with preservice teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Arts integration has been a popular topic for many years. Music educators often find arts integration to be challenging, because it requires a great deal of time, necessitates collaboration with other teachers, and can unfortunately promote bias of one subject over another. However, integrating music with other subjects can offer many benefits to both students and teachers. Music educators can overcome some of the challenges of arts integration and effectively integrate other subjects by engaging in integration activities in smaller stages, seeking opportunities to integrate other subjects to enhance learning in the music classroom, involving colleagues in the music curriculum, and channeling their creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure on music educators to accommodate reading initiatives in their schools continues to challenge genuine music-learning experiences. Children are taken out of music classrooms for additional reading time, although mounting research informs us of the value of music as a formidable avenue for developing crucial auditory skills needed for successful reading. For this article, we gather research from four areas—neuroimaging, auditory brainstem response technology, music classrooms, and general education—and cite findings that, through these disparate domains, all point to the significance of aural skills development in children. Because music learning is based in aural skill development, we offer several instructional examples that strengthen phonological and phonemic awareness while honoring musical development in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The opportunity for individualized instruction in the college studio allows the studio teacher to be a strong influence on the development of music students. The private studio can be an arena for standards implementation, bringing all aspects of a comprehensive music education to fruition. The college studio teacher is often the only teacher who has individual, one-on-one experience with students throughout their undergraduate careers, and the convictions and teaching style of this studio professor could influence a novice music educator. College music studios, therefore, offer a look at the extent to which and how students are given opportunities to make these connections and to develop thinking about the importance of a comprehensive approach to their own musical development. If the goal of studio teaching is to develop musicianship and to foster lifelong pursuit of musical knowledge and understanding, then instructors might benefit from a standards-based teaching philosophy. Such a philosophy has the potential to revolutionize how future students view a complete music education. In this article, the author examines options for integrating each of the National Standards for Music Education into the private lesson studio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the components of a framework for affective education implementation based on a positive psychology approach. A fifth grade class of 31 students in a public rural elementary school in Taiwan participated in a 13-week long affective education course that consisted of six units: Self-discovery, Love and Gratitude, Empathy, Emotions, Optimism, and Hope. Storytelling and interdisciplinary instruction were utilized as two primary teaching strategies. Constructivist grounded theory case study was used as a qualitative methodological approach and four data sources including participant observations, field notes, artifacts, and self-assessment were collected. A framework for affective education implementation that emerged from the data consisted of three levels: the classroom in/out level, the school/family level, and the society/culture level. Findings on the components of a framework for affective education implementation are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to limited resources and the need to grow its graduate program, a team-taught, multi-disciplinary, graduate course, "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Plagues" was taught by four instructors from the disciplines of biology, history, communication arts, and literature at a small campus. On a campus where a graduate culture is not firmly established, faculty focused on mentoring students and engaging in an interdisciplinary enterprise. This format raised the standards within the graduate program while using a reasonable commitment of time and effort by the instructors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot implementation of an experimental interdisciplinary course on climate solutions was undertaken at San José State University in the fall semester of 2008. The course, co-taught by seven faculty members from six colleges, was approved for a general education requirement and was open to upperclass students campus-wide. A course with such a breadth of topics and range of student backgrounds was the first of its kind here. The lessons learned from the pilot effort were assessed from student, faculty, and administrative perspectives. The educational benefits to students from the interdisciplinary format were found to be substantial, in addition to faculty development. However, challenges associated with team-teaching were also encountered and must be overcome for the long-term viability of the course. The experimental course was approved as a permanent course starting in the fall semester of 2009 based on the pilot effort, and plays a role in the College of Engineering's recent initiatives in sustainability in addition to campus-wide general education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Art for Life model of authentic visual arts instruction is receiving continued attention from higher educators working in preservice preparation programs, it has yet to be determined how such a program may work in public school classrooms. This article details the collaboration between a fifth grade teacher and a professor of art education as they create and co-teach an Art for Life inspired instructional unit with specific emphasis placed on the interdisciplinary possibilities provided by the approach. The resulting thematic unit concentrates on the impact of environmental forces on our lives, and integrates the subject areas of visual art, science, and language arts within its curricular framework. The article concludes with a discussion of the successes and failures of the instructional unit and offers suggestions to those who may be interested in exploring an integrated approach to the Art for Life model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers in this volume examine various aspects of the emerging markets for ecosystem services (watershed services, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity protection) in the Panama Canal Watershed. This introductory chapter provides context by: outlining the questions addressed; describing the structure and underlying framework of this volume and the nature of the course that produced it; and briefly discussing how the limitations of science affect attempts to market ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in a campus-wide strategic planning effort and funded through a campus-wide lottery-based grant, the library at a small state-supported institution began a year long initiative with the primary objective of familiarizing faculty with the concept of information literacy. All librarians facilitated a series of hands-on, discipline-based work- shops offered to faculty. The workshops served as the groundwork for the initial steps toward embedding information literacy concepts into the general education curriculum with the majority of classroom faculty participating in one of the workshops by the end of the academic year. This paper outlines the history and steps taken in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]