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The purpose of this research is twofold: 1) to study the application of the design thinking process in school administration under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, and 2) to explore the implementation of design thinking process in school administration of school administrators under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit. This is a qualitative research study conducted using a sample of 57 educational administrators and 7 qualified personnel as participants. The research tools utilized include document analysis, questionnaires, and interviews, with statistical analysis involving mean values and standard deviations. The research findings indicate that: 1) The application of the design thinking process in school administration of school administrators is at its highest level. When considering each aspect, it was found that the model prototypes had the highest average, while data synthesis had the lowest average. 2) In terms of guidelines for applying design thinking processes in school administration, it was observed that confidence, empathy in work, and awareness of problems with open-ended questioning encourage creativity. Motivating and encouraging the expression of different ideas by participating in the development of models for use in problem-solving and the collection of information of suggestions, for improvement and development were key factors.

The research aims to determine the factors affecting PISA 2018 reading skills using the Random Forest and MARS methods and to compare their prediction abilities. This study used the information from 5713 students, 2838 (49.7%) male and 2875 (50.3%) female, in the PISA 2018 Turkey. The analysis shows the MARS method performed better than the Random Forest method. In both methods, the most significant factor affecting reading skills in Turkey is "the number of books in the house." The variables the MARS method finds significant are "students' perception of difficulty, motivation for reading skills, father's educational status, reading pleasure, bullying experience of the student, mother's educational status, attitude towards school, classical artifacts at home, supplementary school books at home, competition at school, competitive power, cooperation perception at school, reading frequency, self-efficacy, poetry books at home, anxiety about reading skills, and teacher support." However, the other variables had no relationship to prediction. This study is expected to serve as a model for the use of data mining in educational research.

Dahlgren Memorial Library, the Graduate Health and Life Sciences Research Library at Georgetown University implemented the circulation of room keys in 2007. The rooms were outside of the library and managed by Georgetown University School of Medicine's Office of Financial Affairs who were integral in the implementation of the keys and the management of the rooms. This article will discuss the policies and procedures for circulating the room keys, downfalls and benefits, and future plans.

While mindfulness intervention research is prevalent, it is limited in (1) relation to college students' grade point average (GPA) and retention and (2) minimum dosage recommended for the intervention. This repeated-measures quasi-experimental nonequivalent control groups study investigated differences in mindfulness, stress, flourishing, GPA, and retention between students (n = 248) in first-year experience seminars who received a brief mindfulness intervention and the comparison group (n = 125) who did not receive the intervention. The intervention consisted of three- to five-minute mindfulness exercises at the beginning of class that met once a week. In contrast to results of previous studies, this study--when controlling for class sections and gender--showed no significant differences in any outcome variable between groups. These results provide important evidence that a mindfulness dosing limit might exist. A post hoc binary logistic regression supported previous findings that GPA predicts retention. Implications are discussed in regard to college administrators, faculty, and student affairs professionals.

Background: Word retrieval skills change across the lifespan. Permanent alterations in the form of decreased accuracy or increased response time can be a consequence of both normal ageing processes or the presence of acquired and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., aphasia and dementia). Despite the extensive literature exploring the neuroanatomical underpinnings of word retrieval, psycholinguistic, biolinguistic and theoretical explanations, and the vast amount of evidence from primary and secondary language disorders, the best approach to consistently capture these changes is yet to be discovered. Aims: The goal of this paper is to determine which method(s) stand(s) as the most suitable candidate(s) to provide an accurate picture of word retrieval in the oral production of different groups of adult speakers, including cases of healthy ageing, preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), aphasia and dementia. Methods & Procedures: Using an integrative review of recent peer-reviewed journal articles, we provide an overview of the different behavioural methods traditionally used to measure oral naming skills in research-oriented and clinical protocols and discuss their main advantages and limitations. Main Contribution: Most existing studies are based on the results of people with diagnosed language disorders. Despite the growing interest, the reliability of the majority of the tasks to detect subtle changes associated with healthy ageing, MCI and preclinical AD are yet to be demonstrated, and the delicate balance between informativeness and efficiency (especially in terms of administration time and variable control) in experimental protocols is yet to be achieved. In this article we propose the pursuit of an integrative overarching methodology to characterize all naming deficits (from anecdotal to permanent) and all adult populations (from healthy to pathological ageing). Conclusions & Implications: A combination of spontaneous speech data and results from structured tasks stands as the best approach to capture changes in word retrieval skills of adult speakers with and without observable deficits. This review can guide future reflections on the necessary prerequisites of purpose-oriented, sensitive and reliable protocols for the detection of incipient word retrieval problems, thus contributing to the early diagnosis and the design of personalized multicomponent treatments.

Practitioners of adult education have a long history of teaching for social change. They may, however, be uncomfortable using quantitative methods to assess the impact of their learning activities, or they might lack access to statistical analysis software. Quantitative methods help the practitioner determine whether behavioral or attitudinal change among participants is more likely linked to their learning intervention than to chance. This is crucial information for practitioners to secure support or funding for their learning programs. We, therefore, created this guide to try and make quantitative methodologies for measuring social change accessible to practitioners through provision of instruction and resources and by using Microsoft Excel to conduct the analyses.

Producing written texts is a non-linear process: in contrast to speech, writers are free to change already written text at any place at any point in time. Linguistic considerations are likely to play an important role, but so far, no linguistic models of the writing process exist. We present an approach for the analysis of writing processes with a focus on linguistic structures based on the novel concepts of transforming sequences, text history, and sentence history. The processing of raw keystroke logging data and the application of natural language processing tools allows for the extraction and filtering of product and process data to be stored in a hierarchical data structure. This structure is used to re-create and visualize the genesis and history for a text and its individual sentences. Focusing on sentences as primary building blocks of written language and full texts, we aim to complement established writing process analyses and, ultimately, to interpret writing timecourse data with respect to linguistic structures. To enable researchers to explore this view, we provide a fully functional implementation of our approach as an open-source software tool and visualizations of the results. We report on a small scale exploratory study in German where we used our tool. The results indicate both the feasibility of the approach and that writers actually revise on a linguistic level. The latter confirms the need for modeling written text production from the perspective of linguistic structures beyond the word level.

This study describes students' experiences applying for and maintaining financial aid at a community college in Southern California. Through individual interviews and focus groups, we examined the interaction points between students, institutional actors, institutional policies, and state/federal policies. We theorize that interactions between students and their environment contribute to an ecosystem for community college students, of which penalty may be just one component. Data from the study revealed layers of interactions resulting in three consequences: prevention of aid qualification, delay of aid receipt, and loss of aid. Implications for this study indicate the need to relax further policies and procedures associated with the aid-seeking process at the institutional and policy level.

Introduction: "Note-taking" is a learning strategy that requires tremendous importance in the teaching/learning process. It therefore allows for better information processing and deeper encoding (long-term memory) of information. Its adoption and mastery can improve students' learning performance. Nevertheless, it has been poorly explored in the academic environment, particularly at the higher institutes of nursing professions and health techniques in Morocco. The present research aims to determine the effect of the Cornell method on the quality of note production and learning performance among second-semester students of the Higher Institute of Nursing and Technical Health Agadir-Annex of Guelmim. Methods: This is a research project consisting of two primary studies. The first is related to a descriptive cross-sectional study exploring the practice of note-taking among students based on a self-administered questionnaire. The second is a two-group quasi-experimental study divided into two parts. The first part is devoted to determining the effect of the Cornell method on grade production quality, and the second is related to the effect on learning performance. This is based on a grid for analyzing the quality of mark production and a QUIZ for assessing students' knowledge, respectively. The study was conducted with a sample of 128 students divided into an intervention group (n=62), which received note-taking using the Cornell method, and a control group (n=66), which did not receive this training. Results: Most of the students participating in the study reported the adoption of note-taking as a learning strategy. On the other hand, more than half of them do not master it. In addition, a quarter of the students revise notes taken in the raw during exams and use this learning strategy to feel secure. The Cornell training had a positive effect on the quality of note production as well as on the student's learning performance. Conclusions: The Cornell note-taking method is recommended to be integrated into the preparation cycle of studies for the benefit of students in the first semester of Higher Institute of Nursing and Technical Health Agadir-Annex of Guelmim.

The purpose of this paper is to examine evidence-based theories and strategies that can aid in comprehending and fostering the career transitioning of students with visual impairments. Understanding the various career transitioning theories will enable career professionals and visually impaired students to achieve a successful career counselling encounter. The suggested theoretical models highlight the importance of psychological and social variables in predicting a successful transition and the attainment of good and meaningful jobs by visually impaired students. The theories discussed in this paper include Schlossberg's transition theory; Bridges' transition framework; Psychological model for student retention; Psychology of working theory; Opportunity structure theory; Liquid modernity and life design; and Career construction theory. This article contributes to the literature on career counselling by arguing and elucidating the theoretical significance of these vocational counselling theories and strategies as they pertain to promoting career transition for visually impaired students. Theoretical knowledge could help to inform counselling methods and enable professionals, and various institutions to understand the contextual drivers of career transitioning, advocate for more inclusive workplaces, and explore solutions to reduce the number of unemployed visually impaired graduates. Career counsellors can adapt many techniques if they use an integrated theoretical approach to help visually impaired students transition from school to their potential employment.

Successful honors programs inspire and sustain a vibrant and committed faculty. This essay presents an established honors program which demonstrates, through varied faculty commitments over time, honors as a valuable asset in identifying, recruiting, supporting, and rewarding a strong, creative, loyal faculty that benefits the entire institution. Authors suggest multiple ways for establishing and nurturing the kinds of relationships that enhance both honors and its dedicated faculty. Leveraging honors for professional growth and pedagogical development, these include the design of interdisciplinary courses and special seminars, mentoring of student projects, engaging in study-travel ventures, winning distinguished awards, serving on important committees, earning academic grants, and presenting at conferences. As exemplified in its long and rich history, honors continues to be an incubating space for faculty development and student success.

Distance education during emergencies requires planning, design, and goal setting to create an effective learning environment. Virtual distance education involves more than just uploading educational content; it is rather an educational process that provides choice for learners, as well as flexibility and responsibility for learning and academic support. In this context, the aim of this research is to determine the quality criteria for designing virtual classrooms with their different styles (synchronous, asynchronous, and blended), and organizing them into categories and criteria to verify the availability of the criteria required for learning in the virtual environment. Also, the research aims to propose a method for evaluating and measuring the extent to which virtual classrooms during emergency learning meet its design quality criteria. The study used the descriptive method and analysis processes to determine the quality aspects of the virtual classrooms design, to draw out the design criteria and quality indicators, and to explore the opinions of the research population on the importance of these criteria and their measurement indicators. A purposive population of (17) specialists in the field of educational design and e-learning participated in the study, all of whom hold a PhD degree in the specialty in order to systematize the list of criteria for designing the virtual classroom and the indicators for measuring them in light of emergency learning. The importance of this current research lies in its aim to contribute to the improvement of training and learning environments through virtual classrooms during emergency learning, and to provide a list of design criteria that benefit teachers and instructional designers, in addition to reconsidering the use of learning management system tools and electronic content with virtual classrooms in order to achieve the maximum benefit for students in achievement outcomes of their learning, especially in the context of emergency learning.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder present with difficulties in social communication, restricted interests or behaviors and other co-morbidities. About 2 to 10% of cases of autism have a genetic cause, and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is reported in 0 to 6.5% of individuals with autism. However, the FXS and premutation prevalence among Filipino children has never been reported. The aim of the study was to establish the presence of FXS or premutation carriers among Filipino children with autism and to describe the phenotypic characteristic of cases identified. Blood was collected from 235 children aged 2-6 years old and diagnosed with autism. Samples were analyzed using PCR methods to amplify CGG repeats in the FMRI gene. The diagnosis of autism was confirmed through the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2. Additional characteristics were documented from a physical examination, Griffiths Scales of Child Development assessment and a parent-answered questionnaire using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. Fragile X testing through PCR methods in 235 children with diagnosed autism showed 220 (93.6%) were negative, no full mutations, 1 (0.436%) premutation carrier and 14 (5.95%) cases contained intermediate alleles. The FXS testing was limited to confirmed cases of autism, which is considered a high-risk group and does not provide prevalence for the general Filipino population. Subjects were self-referred or referred by clinicians, which may not represent the Filipino autism population with a bias towards those with means for clinical consultations and ability to travel to the place of testing. Samples were not measured for mosaicism, DNA methylation or AGG interspersion patterns. These may have effects on the CGG repeat expansion and overall presentation of FXS. Findings from a single premutation carrier cannot characterize features distinctly present in Filipinos with the mutation. Nevertheless, these results support the data that the prevalence of FXS in Asian populations may be lower than non-Asian populations. This can contribute to a better understanding of FXS and genetic causes of autism in the Philippines and other Asian populations.

Psychometricians have devoted much research and attention to categorical item responses, leading to the development and widespread use of item response theory for the estimation of model parameters and identification of items that do not perform in the same way for examinees from different population subgroups (e.g., differential item functioning [DIF]). With the increasing use of computer-based measurement, use of items with a continuous response modality is becoming more common. Models for use with these items have been developed and refined in recent years, but less attention has been devoted to investigating DIF for these continuous response models (CRMs). Therefore, the purpose of this simulation study was to compare the performance of three potential methods for assessing DIF for CRMs, including regression, the MIMIC model, and factor invariance testing. Study results revealed that the MIMIC model provided a combination of Type I error control and relatively high power for detecting DIF. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The part of responses that is absent in the nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design can be managed to a planned missing scenario. In the context of small sample sizes, we present a machine learning (ML)-based imputation technique called chaining random forests (CRF) to perform equating tasks within the NEAT design. Specifically, seven CRF-based imputation equating methods are proposed based on different data augmentation methods. The equating performance of the proposed methods is examined through a simulation study. Five factors are considered: (a) test length (20, 30, 40, 50), (b) sample size per test form (50 versus 100), (c) ratio of common/anchor items (0.2 versus 0.3), and (d) equivalent versus nonequivalent groups taking the two forms (no mean difference versus a mean difference of 0.5), and (e) three different types of anchors (random, easy, and hard), resulting in 96 conditions. In addition, five traditional equating methods, (1) Tucker method; (2) Levine observed score method; (3) equipercentile equating method; (4) circle-arc method; and (5) concurrent calibration based on Rasch model, were also considered, plus seven CRF-based imputation equating methods for a total of 12 methods in this study. The findings suggest that benefiting from the advantages of ML techniques, CRF-based methods that incorporate the equating result of the Tucker method, such as IMP_total_Tucker, IMP_pair_Tucker, and IMP_Tucker_cirlce methods, can yield more robust and trustable estimates for the "missingness" in an equating task and therefore result in more accurate equated scores than other counterparts in short-length tests with small samples.

The family resemblance approach to nature of science is receiving increasing attention by science educators since its inception about a decade ago. Many scholars of science education have contributed and continue to contribute to it not only theoretically but also by applying it empirically to a wide range of areas such as curriculum and textbook analyses, pre-service teacher training, undergraduate teaching and, STEM education. This article aims to develop the family resemblance approach further. We do this in several ways. First, we clarify its foundations in a way to reveal that it provides not only a domain-specific, but at the same time a domain-general conceptualization of nature of science. Second, we expand the structure of science as a social institution by adding a new category to it, i.e., the reward system, and justify it. Third, we show that two of the most common elements of the category "practices," namely, observation and experimentation, display the character of family resemblance. Then, we explore this for methods and values in science. Finally, we discuss the possibility of a rapprochement between the family resemblance approach and the consensus view.

Early dropout of students is one of the bigger problems that universities face currently. Several machine learning techniques have been used for detecting students at risk of dropout. By using sociodemographic data and qualifications of the previous level, the accuracy of these predictive models is good enough for implementing retention programs. In addition, by using grades of the first semesters, the accuracy of these models increases. Nevertheless, the classification errors produced by these models cause undetected students to be discarded from the retention programs, whereas students with no actual risk consume additional resources. In order to provide more accurate models, we propose the use of a stacking ensemble technique to obtain an improved combined dropout model, while using relatively few variables. The model results show values on the expected ranges for an early dropout model, but with considerably fewer features and historical information, and we show that deploying the models would be cost-efficient for the institution if applied towards an intervention program.

Non-digital games are a tool that can help children to build and improve problem solving skills in early mathematics learning. Teachers need to design a learning activity using non-digital games taken account problem solving skills in the learning activities. However, the application of problemsolving skills in early mathematics learning activities is challenging, as there is no specific reference that can be used as a guide in implementing effective learning activities. The nominal group technique (NGT) approach is used to design the main components and elements of ProSkiND non-digital games framework based on the expert validation. A total of 12 experts were selected to validate the proposed main components and elements of the ProSkiND non-digital game using NGT online workshop. There were five main components with 41 elements were proposed: activity objective, teacher's preparation, teacher's role, children's role, and activity evaluation. In this study, experts are asked to evaluate the ProSkiND non-digital games main components and elements based on the percentage value of agreement. The value of percentage of agreement that exceeds 70% (=70%) is acceptable. The findings in this phase are used to develop main components and elements of the ProSkiND non-digital game framework based on problem solving skills for preschool early mathematics using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach.

School dropout is a structural problem which permanently penalizes students and society in areas such as low qualification jobs, higher poverty levels and lower life expectancy, lower pensions, and higher economic burden for governments. Given these high consequences and the surge of the problem due to COVID-19 pandemic, in this paper we propose a methodology to design, develop, and evaluate a machine learning model for predicting dropout in school systems. In this methodology, we introduce necessary steps to develop a robust model to estimate the individual risk of each student to drop out of school. As advancement from previous research, this proposal focuses on analyzing individual trajectories of students, incorporating the student situation at school, family, among other levels, changes, and accumulation of events to predict dropout. Following the methodology, we create a model for the Chilean case based on data available mostly through administrative data from the educational system, and according to known factors associated with school dropout. Our results are better than those from previous research with a relevant sample size, with a predictive capability 20% higher for the actual dropout cases. Also, in contrast to previous work, the including non-individual dimensions results in a substantive contribution to the prediction of leaving school. We also illustrate applications of the model for Chilean case to support public policy decision making such as profiling schools for qualitative studies of pedagogic practices, profiling students' dropout trajectories and simulating scenarios.

A considerable body of literature has documented the significance of fair treatment in terms of generating trust towards decision-makers across different institutional contexts. It has also been demonstrated that even young children are sensitive to procedural justice, and that experiences of both fairness and unfairness help shape young people's wider attitudes towards authority. In this paper, we seek to extend these findings into the academic context. We use data from two separate studies of university students in Poland. In study 1 (N = 315), using a survey to capture students' actual experiences, we find that fair treatment was a stronger predictor of perceived legitimacy of university authorities than were fair outcomes. In study 2 (N = 751), also using a survey of a nationally representative sample of university students, we demonstrate that this procedural effect is mediated by students' identification with their university, and that trust in academic authorities translates into higher levels of engagement and lower levels of burnout. Academic identification fully mediated the relationship between both procedural and distributive fairness and engagement and partly mediated the relationship between the two dimensions of fairness and burnout. We conclude that the experience of procedural fairness leads students to more strongly identify with their university and thereby enhances their trust in university authorities.

Realist research is increasingly used to evaluate complex interventions. However, it can be challenging to codify and implement, with few examples to guide the process. This article describes how a team of social care leaders, practitioners and researchers developed initial program theories for the Trauma Consultancy Service (TraCS) in early learning settings, as the first phase of a realist evaluation. It explores conceptualisation of realist terminology, design and facilitation of realist interviews, and data coding and analysis using retroductive reasoning. Qualitative interviews with the TraCS team focused on understanding contextual factors, resources provided by TraCS consultants, changes in educators' reasoning and how components interacted to generate educator and child outcomes. Eight program theories capture how TraCS supports educators to develop a trauma-informed lens and practice. This research contributes to understanding of the benefits of welfare sector-driven consultancy in early childhood.

The study described a mentoring program of a state-funded research and its effects on research and reflective practices to graduate students. Participatory Action Research (PAR), designed as a methodical and program framework, engaged nine mentors (researchers of a state-funded research) and 29 graduate students (purposively invited) to training-based mentoring (workshops and field work), small group mentoring (within research cells), and peer mentoring (field work and software-aided coding analysis). Observations, mentors' narrations, and reflection journals extracted the experiences of the participants on the mentoring program. These reflections revealed that mentors and mentees learned many skills in the mentoring program. They had transformed challenges and difficulties (time management, field work) into learning episodes leading to reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. They realized the importance of the theory-practice-reflection paradigm in all research endeavors. Hence, PAR-influenced mentoring helped develop their research skills. However, low engagement of the others may be due to time aspect, which may be looked into in a replicated study.

The positive psychology movement (Seligman, 1998) has contributed to the proclamation of a positive turn in second language acquisition (SLA) (MacIntyre et al., 2016). Within the context of individual differences, "self-efficacy" (Bandura, 1997), an individual's judgment of their capability to achieve goals, has gained particular interest in language learning (e.g., Lake, 2013). The present study meta-analyzes a body of research that has investigated the relationship between second language (L2) self-efficacy and L2 achievement by exploring 1) reporting practices in this domain, 2) the strength and direction of the relationship, and 3) the effects of moderator variables on the self-efficacy-achievement link. A comprehensive literature search uncovered 37 studies, which contributed to a total of 40 independent samples (N = 23,050). The average observed effect in the sample was r = 0.46. A moderator analysis showed systematic variations in the effect size for learners' first language, target language, proficiency level, and both self-efficacy and achievement type. We discuss our findings with respect to theoretical constructs and methodological practices and suggest implications for L2 pedagogy and future research into self-efficacy in SLA.

This is a descriptive study to investigate one of the most critical issues faced by teachers in evaluating their students' performance at the university level during COVID-19. It aimed to specify the exams' problems faced by the Jordanian universities' teaching staff members, and the strategies they used to face cheating by their students in online exams. The researchers built a questionnaire of 33 items under (3) main headings, and sent by email to a random sample of 120 out of 995 teaching staff members in two Jordanian universities, University of Jordan and Arab Open University/ Jordan, in the academic year 2020/2021. The study revealed that most of the staff members faced a number of problems, especially with the effort needed for the preparation of online exams, and the advanced ways of cheating being used by their students. It also showed that they used several strategies to face those problems such as open-ended questions to assess knowledge achievement, and project application to assess students' skills, as well as using cameras to control exams monitoring.

Rapid reviews using abbreviated systematic review methods are of increasing importance for evidence-informed decision-making in education, although there is little guidance about the most suitable approach. Three recently completed rapid review reports are compared to inform discussions on the utility of this type of review in education and to highlight appropriate methods for producing evidence syntheses in a limited time frame. Rapid review methods need to be chosen to fit the needs of the review, which involves: thinking broadly about different kinds of team experience and expertise; estimating the size and nature of the literature to be reviewed; considering the review purpose and nature of the topic; choosing an appropriate synthesis method for the review purpose, evidence base and reviewers' expertise; fully describing the review approach, and discussing the potential limitations of chosen methods; and understanding the anticipated audiences and tailoring outputs accordingly. Rapid reviews to address urgent and high-priority questions provide the benefits of timeliness and reduced resource requirements. However, it is crucial to understand caveats and limitations to the rapid conduct of evidence syntheses for decision-making purposes. This article offers guidance to support researchers, postgraduate students and commissioners who wish to conduct rapid reviews in a transparent and systematic way, addressing complex questions of relevance to evidence-informed decision-making in education.

The overall aim was to examine the equated values when using different linkage plans and different observed-score equipercentile equating methods with the equivalent groups (EG) design and the nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design. Both real data from a college admissions test and simulated data were used with frequency estimation, chained equating, and kernel equating methods. The overall results were that different linkage plans gave different equated values and standard errors (SEs) both in the EG design and in the NEAT design, and there were some differences between the equating methods. The simulation study confirmed the empirical results and suggested that the kernel equating methods gave lower SEs in the examined conditions and had fewer differences that mattered compared with traditional equating methods when different linking plans were used. Finally, when one of the test forms was easier or if the ability of the test groups differed, the choice of linkage plan had more of an impact than when the test forms or test groups were more similar.

This study focuses on the use of systematic social observations (SSO) to measure crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) and disorder. To improve knowledge about measurement issues in small area research, SSO is conducted by means of three different methods: in-situ, photographs, and Google Street View (GSV) imagery. By evaluating the methodological quality of the observation methods, the results of our study suggest that virtual SSO approaches have considerable promise for the reliable assessment of physical properties of small areas. We discuss challenges and provide avenues for future research to encourage the evolution of a more reliable approach to measure the physical environment.

Linking score scales across different tests is considered speculative and fraught, even at the aggregate level. We introduce and illustrate validation methods for aggregate linkages, using the challenge of linking U.S. school district average test scores across states as a motivating example. We show that aggregate linkages can be validated both directly and indirectly under certain conditions such as when the scores for at least some target units (districts) are available on a common test (e.g., the National Assessment of Educational Progress). We introduce precision-adjusted random effects models to estimate linking error, for populations and for subpopulations, for averages and for progress over time. These models allow us to distinguish linking error from sampling variability and illustrate how linking error plays a larger role in aggregates with smaller sample sizes. Assuming that target districts generalize to the full population of districts, we can show that standard errors for district means are generally less than 0.2 standard deviation units, leading to reliabilities above 0.7 for roughly 90% of districts. We also show how sources of imprecision and linking error contribute to both within- and between-state district comparisons within versus between states. This approach is applicable whenever the essential counterfactual question--"what would means/variance/progress for the aggregate units be, had students taken the other test?"--can be answered directly for at least some of the units.

Although multiple organizational-level databases are frequently combined into one data set, there is no overview of the matching methods (MMs) that are utilized because the vast majority of studies does not report how this was done. Furthermore, it is unclear what the differences are between the utilized methods, and it is unclear whether research findings might be influenced by the utilized method. This article describes four commonly used methods for matching databases and potential issues. An empirical comparison of those methods used to combine regularly used organizational-level databases reveals large differences in the number of observations obtained. Furthermore, empirical analyses of these different methods reveal that several of them produce both systematic and random errors. These errors can result in erroneous estimations of regression coefficients in terms of direction and/or size as well as an issue where truly significant relationships might be found to be insignificant. This shows that research findings can be influenced by the MM used, which would argue in favor of the establishment of a preferred method as well as more transparency on the utilized method in future studies. This article provides insight into the matching process and methods, suggests a preferred method, and should aid researchers, reviewers, and editors with both combining multiple databases and describing and assessing them.

Background: Speech-language pathologists often multitask in order to be efficient with their commonly large caseloads. In stuttering assessment, multitasking often involves collecting multiple measures simultaneously. Aims: The present study sought to determine reliability when collecting multiple measures simultaneously versus individually. Methods & Procedures: Over two time periods, 50 graduate students viewed videos of four persons who stutter (PWS) and counted the number of stuttered syllables and total number of syllables uttered, and rated speech naturalness. Students were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the simultaneous group, in which all measures were gathered during one viewing; and the individual group, in which one measure was gathered per viewing. Relative and absolute intra- and inter-rater reliability values were calculated for each measure. Outcomes & Results: The following results were notable--better intra-rater relative reliability for the number of stuttered syllables for the individual group (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.839) compared with the simultaneous group (ICC = 0.350), smaller intra-rater standard error of measurement (SEM) (i.e., better absolute reliability) for the number of stuttered syllables for the individual group (7.40) versus the simultaneous group (15.67), and better inter-rater absolute reliability for the total number of syllables for the individual group (88.29) compared with the simultaneous group (125.05). Absolute reliability was unacceptable for all measures across both groups. Conclusions & Implications: These findings show that judges are likely to be more reliable when identifying stuttered syllables in isolation than when simultaneously collecting them with total syllables spoken and naturalness data. Results are discussed in terms of narrowing the reliability gap between data collection methods for stuttered syllables, improving overall reliability of stuttering measurements, and a procedural change when implementing widely used stuttering assessment protocols.

In the past couple of decades, the geoscience education community has made great strides toward investigating how to provide effective student learning experiences in the college setting. While experiences such as student-centered teaching strategies and course design elements are useful for the instructor, they may not make important elements of the learning process itself explicit to the student. As a result, students may navigate a course without timely and necessary feedback related to their learning progress. To help remedy this issue, we designed and developed the Confidence-based Learning Accuracy Support System (CLASS) to provide students explicit feedback related to their mastery of geology content and the accuracy of their perceptions of their abilities. CLASS leverages robust evidence from education psychology regarding student metacognition and self-regulated learning (SRL). We investigated the relationship between students' judgments of their performance and their actual performance during summative exams in an introductory physical geology course. This study collected student confidence data for every question of students' midterm exams and compared this confidence to performance via multiple empirically-derived measures of the disparity between students' perceptions of their performance and their actual performance. In addition to exam-based data, we developed and provided CLASS quizzes (with varying requirements) to provide students with feedback regarding their learning and accuracy during the target courses. Results indicated that students utilizing CLASS performed better than their predecessors for the first two exams and were generally more accurate in their approximations. Overall, results provide support for CLASS's potential to serve as a tool for increasing student metacognitive awareness, self-regulation and performance in undergraduate geoscience courses.

The authors' aim was to present a practical decision-making framework for decision makers (DMs) to use in evaluating interdisciplinary strategic approaches to degree program development. A framework based on ordinal game theory was applied using a recent decision to create an interdisciplinary business analytics program at a small, public university. The optimal Nash, in which each decision maker receives the most desirable outcome, was determined. The proposed methodological framework can be used for the design, evaluation, and postcommitment support of any interdisciplinary degree program.

Objective: Media framing of health issues reflects public opinion and impacts readers' perceptions and behavior. This study examines how meditation -- a recommended stress coping strategy for college students -- is framed in campus newspapers from 1997-2018. Participants: A total of 494 articles were analyzed. Methods: Semantic network analysis was used to automatically detect frames and the longitudinal trend. Results: Five major frames emerged: (1) building a meditation community within a campus community; (2) meditation benefits; (3) yoga for enhancing mind and body awareness; (4) meditation techniques; and (5) secularizing meditation on campus. There is a shift in coverage from interest in religion to secular views of health benefits throughout the years. Discussions of adverse effects that have emerged from the literature were entirely absent. Conclusions: The trend of secularizing meditation practices on college campuses is evident. Emphasizing the techniques and benefits could encourage participation and build a learning community.

Sociologists increasingly face choices among competing algorithms that represent reasonable approaches to the same task, with little guidance in choosing among them. We develop a strategy that uses simulated data to identify the conditions under which different methods perform well and applies what is learned from the simulations to predict which method will perform best on never-before-seen empirical data sets. We apply this strategy to a class of methods that group respondents to attitude surveys according to whether they share construals of a given domain. This allows us to identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of the methods we consider, including relational class analysis, correlational class analysis, and eight other such variants. Results support the "no free lunch" view that researchers should abandon the quest for one best algorithm in favor of matching algorithms to kinds of data for which each is most appropriate and provide direction on how to do so.

Inefficient targeting of students at risk of dropping out might explain why dropout-reducing efforts often have no or mixed effects. In this study, we present a new method which uses a series of machine learning algorithms to efficiently identify students at risk and makes the sensitivity/precision trade-off inherent in targeting students for dropout prevention explicit. Data of a Dutch vocational education institute is used to show how out-of-sample machine learning predictions can be used to formulate invitation rules in a way that targets students at risk more effectively, thereby facilitating early detection for effective dropout prevention.

In this study we investigated pre-service early childhood teachers' (referred to as student teachers) beliefs that might influence their intention to use inquiry-based learning methods that have been taught on an inquiry-based science course. During this course, the student teachers (N = 17) participated in a number of classroom experiments concerning phenomena that are part of the curriculum of early childhood education, focusing on pupil's conceptual representations using the inquiry-based approach. Moreover, the student teachers were explicitly taught the reasoning of Control of Variables Strategy (CVS) as an aspect of inquiry. A four-item open-type questionnaire on the classroom experiments that were approached through the CVS method, was used to investigate student teachers' understanding of this method. Moreover, an eight-item open-type questionnaire and a four-item Likert scale questionnaire were used to investigate student teachers' intention to use the CVS method in their teaching practice, focusing on attitude, normative and control socio-psychological factors. The results show the categories of student teachers' beliefs, leading to teaching implications, and indicate a tentative relationship with an indeterminate direction. Specifically, those student teachers who understood the CVS method were influenced by control factors for its implementation, whereas the other student teachers were influenced by attitude and/or normative factors.

Contribution: This is one of the first studies that evaluated the combination of an Agile framework (i.e., Scrum) along with the Service-Learning methodologies applied to education settlement. Another tool that would help improve educational delivery quality is the Service-Learning methodology that enables students to experience hands-on learning by working with real-life cases and firms. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant challenge in many areas, and education has not been an exception. Most educational institutions have moved from traditional brick-and-mortar to online or hybrid modern settings. However, teachers and students were not prepared for that significant movement, uncertain about how to deliver and receive it, respectively. Educational institutions faced issues developing competencies with teachers into students effectively. Research Questions: The research question is whether the application of the Agile and Service-Learning methodologies in a software engineering-related course of the "Ingeniería en Información y Control de Gestión" major at the Universidad Catolica del Norte in Chile would make a positive impact in both students and partners. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to understand and evaluate the underlying situation and outcomes. Findings: Our findings show that this setup of Service-Learning and agile framework increased teamwork, time management, and overall work satisfaction through a case study conducted in the course. Students positively evaluated the setting of goal expectations with community partners (i.e., an SME) and other critical learning aspects. Also, the community partners were more satisfied with the product delivery.

COVID-19-related school closures have caused educational disadvantages for school children around the world. Against this background, many countries have introduced catch-up programmes to counteract the growing educational inequality. The Austrian summer school was offered as such a supportive measure and primarily targeted learners with learning gaps, lower language skills, and German as an additional or second language (L2). In addition, pre-service teachers (PSTs) were, and still are, mainly involved in teaching during summer school. This study examines the extent to which PSTs believe they have the requisite knowledge and skills concerning linguistically and culturally responsive approaches to teach in multilingual classrooms to support students in catching up with potential learning losses. For this purpose, an online survey study was conducted during the nationwide implementation of the Austrian summer school 2021. Altogether, 109 PSTs in Western and Northeastern Austria were surveyed before and after participating in the summer school. The results show that despite their lack of knowledge and skills around linguistically responsive teaching approaches, PSTs experienced the summer school as a positive learning opportunity that improved their understanding of multilingualism and, according to their own assessments, supported their teaching skills in linguistically and culturally diverse contexts.

Background: Teachers' perspectives provide crucial insights into classroom practice in early childhood education settings. Although many kindergarten programmes emphasise play "and" assessment to support children's learning and development, recent research suggests that there are some disparities between teachers' articulated role of play and what they report assessing during periods of play. As a range of research designs can be used in efforts to probe the complex relationships between perspectives and practice, it is important to consider which methodological approach, or combination of approaches, may prove optimal in early years contexts. Purpose: The study sought to explore the relative merits of using: (1) semi-structured interview; and (2) video-elicitation interview approaches to gain deeper understanding of the connections between teachers' perspectives and practices within kindergarten education. Methods: An in-depth, qualitative enquiry was undertaken. This included classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and video-elicitation interviews from 20 kindergarten classrooms in Ontario, Canada. Interview data were thematically analysed. Findings: The analysis indicated that video-elicitation interviewing influenced the structure and content of participants' responses when compared with semi-structured interviews, providing additional and valuable insights into the ever-present negotiation between perspectives and practice. Conclusion: The study highlights how semi-structured and video-elicitation interview approaches each offer particular strengths and limitations, and can be used independently or in combination to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between teachers' perspectives and their classroom practices. The selection of one approach, or combination of approaches, needs to be carefully aligned with the overarching research goals of a study.

In this article, we think-with nots, knots, and (k)nots in the interstices of theory, methodology, pedagogy, and art. We define the (k)not as a bringing together of nots--openings toward creativity, mapping, and disruption--and knots--openings toward connection, entanglement, and speculative futures. Playing (k)nots within our own relations, we-three-and-more are entangled in a complex (k)not of teachers "and" students, mentors "and" mentees, friends "and" collaborators, artists "and" scholars, who all share lived experiences in/with qualitative inquiry. Thinking with and creating the (k)not as a type of visual string figuring, we pass art back and forth with one another in this artful and pedagogical experiment. Inspired by Donna Haraway, we are pedagogical kin, string figurers who ask together, "what do these (k)nots produce in pedagogy as well as in methodology? What sort of living-thinking-being are we worlding together?"

An alternative method for obtaining analytical solutions of the time-independent Schrödinger equation (TISE) is developed and applied to 1-dimensional model quantum systems of interest in atomic and molecular physics. The method is based on proposing a wave function that is a product of two functions, one of them an integrating factor. The differential equation resulting from operating the TISE on the product wave function is compared with a differential equation with a known solution. This comparison produces a system of differential equations for the integrating factor. This system of equations is easily solved for model quantum systems such as the harmonic oscillator, the hydrogen atom and the Morse oscillator. The method presented simplifies some approaches shown in textbooks, based on asymptotic analyses of the TISE, and power series methods with recurrence relations. In addition, the method presented here facilitates the understanding of the relationship between the ordinary differential equations of the mathematical physics and the TISE of physical models as the harmonic oscillator, the Hydrogen atom, and the Morse oscillator.