Hasil untuk "Education (General)"

Tracy L Mitzner, Kenneth A Blocker, Wendy A Rogers

Background: Digital home assistants can support older adults with a range of daily activities and reduce their needs for support. These benefits are only possible if the older adults can successfully learn how to use them and maintain their use over time. Research is needed to explore older adults’ perspectives on learning to use digital home assistants to uncover the factors that influence their experience. Research aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of older adults regarding the factors that impacted their experience learning to use digital home assistants. Methods: Participants were 35 community-dwelling older adults between the ages of 60 and 81 who reported owning a digital home assistant. This mixed-method study included questionnaires (demographics, technology experience, mobile device proficiency, technology readiness, digital home assistant usage), and a semi-structured interview designed to explore participants’ attitudes, experiences, and preferences for learning to use their device based on components from the Personalized Instruction and Continued Support (PICS) Framework (i.e., user profile, environmental characteristics, and technology characteristics; Blocker, 2022). Results: Participants discussed facilitators and barriers related to their user profile (abilities, age, attitudes and motivations); environmental characteristics (stressors, learning environment, social support); and technology characteristics (complexity, novelty, usability). Perceived barriers included instructions not being designed for their age group, memory demands, stress and distraction, lack of social support, as well as technology novelty and complexity. Perceived facilitators included general technology proficiency; expectations from others; benefits of use; ease of use; learning efficiency and memorability; as well as satisfaction and enjoyment of use. Conclusions: The findings highlighted the need to increase the availability of education and training to support older adults’ use of smart home technologies. We have provided guidelines developed from the results to provide direction for the design of instructional protocols, including specifications for intelligent instructional software.

Ana-Maria Coatu, Felix-Angel Popescu, Laurențiu Petrila

This study explores how socio-economic factors affect the effectiveness of public accountability frameworks in EU member states, with Romania as a case study. Using data from the World Bank, Eurobarometer, and cross-country comparisons, it identifies five key determinants: income inequality, education, healthcare access, political participation, and economic stability. Grounded in institutional theory, the research shows that inclusive institutions and lower disparities lead to stronger accountability, while weaker frameworks often reinforce inequality and corruption. For Romania, the study recommends boosting transparency, enforcing anti-corruption measures, improving rural-urban equity, and enhancing civic education to strengthen the link between citizens and institutions.

Junaid Mushtaq Lone, Shinsuke Agehara, Amr Abd-Elrahman

Commercial strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) production in Florida relies heavily on bare-root transplants, which typically have 3–5 leaves with partially desiccated roots. Successful establishment requires sprinkler irrigation during daylight hours for the first 10–14 days, leading to substantial water consumption. To address this issue, we evaluated the efficacy of intermittent sprinkler irrigation as a water conservation strategy. We conducted field experiments over two growing seasons [Season 1 (2021–22) and Season 2 (2022–23)] in west-central Florida using three major strawberry cultivars, ‘Florida127’, ‘Florida Brilliance’, and ‘FL 16.30–128’. Plants were subjected to four different intermittent irrigation programs during establishment: 10/0 (continuous irrigation), 10/10, 10/15, and 10/20 min (on/off) from 0800 to 1800 HR for 12 days after transplanting. The impact of intermittent irrigation on marketable yield was cultivar- and season-dependent. 'Florida Brilliance' exhibited a 27 % yield increase in Season 1 but no significant difference in Season 2. By contrast, the other two cultivars exhibited no significant yield response in either season. In ‘Florida Brilliance’, marketable yield was strongly correlated with early canopy growth, suggesting that the yield increase was due partly to accelerated canopy establishment. This surprising result could be explained by the role of stress-induced leaf senescence in enhancing acclimation to adverse environmental conditions. It is speculated that increased heat stress from intermittent irrigation promotes senescence of initial leaves, facilitating nutrient translocation to the crown and subsequently accelerating the formation of new leaves and roots. Our results demonstrate that, without significant yield loss, intermittent sprinkler irrigation can reduce water use by 50–67 % during the establishment of strawberry bare-root transplants, accounting for 322–429 mm of water saving (3.2–4.3 million liters per hectare). Importantly, this water-conservation practice is easy to implement and does not negatively impact fruit quality.

Ting Yang, Li-Jung Yu

The subjective well-being of Chinese higher vocational college students remains an underexplored topic, despite its importance for shaping effective educational policies and practices. This research aims to identify and analyze key variables influencing subjective well-being in this population, addressing the lack of a comprehensive theoretical framework that integrates the unique elements of the Chinese context and the educational experiences of vocational students. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative surveys distributed to students from multiple institutions with qualitative interviews conducted with a selected subset of participants. Key variables examined include academic stress, social support, career aspirations, financial stability, and institutional environment. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is utilized to assess the relationships between these factors. Findings indicate that social support and career aspirations positively influence subjective well-being, whereas academic stress and financial instability exert negative effects. Additionally, institutional factors, such as infrastructure quality and student services, significantly impact well-being. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the quality of life and satisfaction levels among vocational students, offering insights that can inform future interventions. Policymakers and educators can leverage these results to develop frameworks and initiatives aimed at improving student welfare within higher vocational education institutions.

George Almeida Lima, Luiz Gustavo Bonatto Rufino

Este estudo teve objetivou analisar a produção acadêmica brasileira sobre a utilização das teorias de Norbert Elias no campo da formação docente, buscando compreender seus impactos e reverberações. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura nas bases: SciELO, Lilacs e Periódico Capes. Destaca-se que as produções que compuseram o estado da arte analisado são recentes, iniciando-se no ano de 2018 e incipientes, sendo encontrados oito estudos. Embora Norbert Elias não tenha analisado diretamente a formação docente, suas teorias imbricam-se às discussões educacionais, possibilitando reflexões sobre relações de interdependência entre futuros professores e docentes estabelecidos, compreendendo os tensionamentos inerentes ao campo da formação. Caso essa interdependência seja coercitiva, os futuros professores podem ter seu processo formativo impactado negativamente, como a inibição de sua autonomia e criatividade. Os mecanismos operacionais do campo educacional devem dirimir desequilíbrios coercitivos de poder, possibilitando ao futuro docente a vivência de diversas situações pedagógicas.

Juan Rafael Muñoz Muñoz, Javier González-Martín

El canto es una de las principales actividades que se realizan en el ámbito de la educación musical en los centros educativos, fomentándose las relaciones sociales y se favorece la integración. La canción es la principal protagonista en esta actividad y su utilización como medio para potenciar la educación en valores y la interculturalidad es cada vez más habitual. Su temática y los contextos que evocan facilitan el tratamiento de la educación para la paz, la aceptación y el respeto, la coeducación y la diversidad cultural. En la educación infantil y primaria, podemos encontrar que algunas de estas canciones están basadas en cuentos y obras literarias, lo que multiplica sus posibilidades de trabajo en el aula. En este artículo, se trata de exponer diferentes orientaciones para la utilización de estas canciones en clase, tomando como ejemplo algunas de ellas.

Wei Wang, Yuhan Feng, Ruotong Wu et al.

With the development of agriculture and industry, the increase in nitrogen (N) deposition has caused widespread concern among scientists. Although emission reduction policies have slowed N releases in Europe and North America, the threat to biodiversity cannot be ignored. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of plant communities in forest ecosystems, and both their distribution and diversity have vital ecological functions. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of long-term N addition on AM fungi and understory herbaceous plants in a Korean pine plantation in northern China. The soil properties, community structure, and diversity of AM fungi and understory herbaceous plants were detected at different concentrations of NH4NO3 (0, 20, 40, 80 kg N ha−1 year−1) after 7 years. The results showed that long-term N deposition decreased soil pH, increased soil ammonium content, and caused significant fluctuations in P elements. N deposition improved the stability of soil aggregates by increasing the content of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and changed the AM fungal community composition. The Glomus genus was more adaptable to the acidic soil treated with the highest N concentration. The species of AM fungi, understory herbaceous plants, and the biomass of fine roots were decreased under long-term N deposition. The fine root biomass was reduced by 78.6% in the highest N concentration treatment. In summary, we concluded that long-term N deposition could alter soil pH, the distribution of N, P elements, and the soil aggregate fractions, and reduce AM fungal and understory herb diversity. The importance of AM fungi in maintaining forest ecosystem diversity was verified under long-term N deposition.

CHEN Guowei, HUANG Yanlin, WANG Han et al.

ObjectiveTo investigate the status quo and influencing factors of return⁃to⁃work readiness in patients with peritoneal dialysis （PD）.MethodsFrom July 2020 to February 2021，a total of 223 PD patients who were treated in the PD clinic of a tertiary grade⁃A hospital in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were conveniently selected as the research objects.The General Information Scale，Readiness for Return⁃To⁃Work Scale（RRTWS），Social Support Rating Scale（SSRS），and Social Impact Scale（SIS）were used to survey the patients.ResultsA total of 33.2% of PD patients returned to work；51.7% of non⁃returned patients were in the intentional stage，18.1% in the action⁃readiness and self⁃assessment stage，16.8% in the pre⁃intentional stage，and 13.4% of the patients in the stage of action readiness and behavior；among the PD patients who have returned to work，59.5% in the active maintenance stage，and 40.5% in the uncertain maintenance stage.Age，education level，comorbidities，dialysis age，social support level，and the degree of stigma were the main indicators influencing return⁃to⁃work readiness of PD patients.ConclusionsThe return⁃to⁃work readiness of PD patients should be improved.Medical staff should actively pay attention to the return⁃to⁃work readiness of patients and the influencing factors and carry out targeted interventions to help patients return to work and return to society better and faster.

George-Florin BĂIȚAN

  The physical training of the military must be extremely hard, as it is a support for military training programs. Moreover, it must prepare the military to deal with any situation they may encounter on the battlefield: from climbing a 3-meter-high wall under enemy fire to running on the varied ground, with a 30 kg backpack and individual weapons in his hands. In addition, maintaining or improving the physical performance of professional military personnel in various military settings is crucial to general military training. When we start a military-specific training program, we are confident that we are on the fastest track to serious results. The military will become stronger, with great physical strength, having a robust and harmonious physical constitution. In this article, we will briefly present two of the physical training methods specific to military training (plyometrics and calisthenics), which military physical education specialists should use on a permanent basis, so that fighters reach a higher level of physical training.  

P. Williamson, David Hoppey, J. McLeskey et al.

The least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate suggests a preference for educating students with disabilities in general education settings provided their needs can be met there. This study examined national trends in the educational placements of students with disabilities ages 6 to 17 in the 50 states and the District of Columbia from 1990 through 2015. Data were retrieved electronically from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau websites. Cumulative placement rates were then calculated. Findings indicate that from 1990 through 2015, (a) general education placements increased while more restrictive placements decreased, (b) students in secondary schools continued to be placed in more restrictive settings, and (c) the impact of disability categories on national LRE trends varied. Future research is needed to investigate the effect of increased identification rates in specific disability categories on national placement trends and explore how placement practices vary across schools, districts, and states.

J. Berlin

David J. Savage

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic has been transformative for healthcare and medical education. Physician trainees and the education system that serves them adapted quickly so that trainees could finish the academic year on time and advance to the next phase of training without compromising clinical competency or public safety. Systemic changes have had the most significant impact on telemedicine training, virtual learning, secure testing, and the interview process for residency and fellowship training positions. Trainees are now getting regular, supervised practice experience with telemedicine. Some secure testing is being done remotely, without jeopardizing examination test items or trainee assessment. Attending physicians are experimenting with novel ways to engage learners with video for virtual rounds to keep the rounding team safe. Finally, the interview process for medical school, residency, and fellowship programs, which has traditionally been an expensive and travel‐laden process, has been made completely virtual for the first time ever. These changes have disadvantages, including a lack of social connection, potential distraction when learning remotely, and limited contact with a potential training program when interviewing by video. This perspective paper, written by a senior internal medicine resident, details his firsthand experience with these changes during the pandemic. It also looks forward to how the current changes will likely change medical education permanently and for the better.

Kanya Anindya, Tiara Marthias, Sukumar Vellakkal et al.

Background: Reducing socioeconomic inequalities in access to good quality health care is key for countries to achieve Universal Health Coverage. This study aims to assess socioeconomic inequalities in effective coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: Using the most recent national health surveys from 39 LMICs (between 2014 and 2018), we calculated coverage indicators using effective coverage care cascade that consists of service contact, crude coverage, quality-adjusted coverage, and user-adherence-adjusted coverage. We quantified wealth-related and education-related inequality using the relative index of inequality, slope index of inequality, and concentration index. Findings: The quality-adjusted coverage of RMNCH services in 39 countries was substantially lower than service contact, in particular for postnatal care (64 percentage points [pp], p-value<0·0001), family planning (48·7 pp, p<0·0001), and antenatal care (43·6 pp, p<0·0001) outcomes. Upper-middle-income countries had higher effective coverage levels compared with low- and lower-middle-income countries in family planning, antenatal care, delivery care, and postnatal care. Socioeconomic inequalities tend to be wider when using effective coverage measurement compared with crude and service contact measurements. Our findings show that upper-middle-income countries had a lower magnitude of inequality compared with low- and lower-middle-income countries. Interpretation: Reliance on the average contact coverage tends to underestimate the levels of socioeconomic inequalities for RMNCH service use in LMICs. Hence, the effective coverage measurement using a care cascade approach should be applied. While RMNCH coverages vary considerably across countries, equitable improvement in quality of care is particularly needed for lower-middle-income and low-income countries. Funding: None.

L. C. Attinasi

J. McLeskey, Eric Landers, P. Williamson et al.

Klaus F. Zimmermann, Costanza Biavaschi, W. Eichhorst et al.

This paper focuses on the determinants of the labor market situation of young people in developed countries and the developing world, with a special emphasis on the role of vocational training and education policies. We highlight the role of demographic factors, economic growth and labor market institutions in explaining young people's transition into work. We then assess differences in the setup and functioning of the vocational education and training policies in major world regions, as an important driver of differential labor market situation of youth. Based on our analysis we argue in favor of vocational education and training systems combining work experience and general education and give some policy recommendations regarding the implementation of education and training systems adapted to a country's economic and institutional context.

Kátia Augusta Curado Pinheiro Cordeiro Silva

O estudo analisa o trabalho docente dos professores com formação stricto sensu na educação básica. Utilizamos o materialismo histórico dialético investindo em quatro estratégias metodológicas: a) revisão bibliográfica; b) questionários; c) entrevistas; d) análise de documentos. O trabalho aponta que os professores com formação stricto sensu vivem um processo de proletarização no trabalho e que desejam realizar pesquisas, mas não tem condições estruturais para desenvolvê-las demandado a necessidade de se investir na pesquisa e na carreira docente como uma política de profissionalização e valorização.

Aleksandra Šindić

Melinda S. Harrison, D. Dunbar, Lisa Ratmansky et al.

Our study, focused on classroom-based research at the introductory level and using the Phage Genomics course as the model, shows evidence that first-year students doing research learn the process of science as well as how scientists practice science. A preliminary but notable outcome of our work, which is based on a small sample, is the change in student interest in considering different career choices such as graduate education and science in general. This is particularly notable, as previous research has described research internships as clarifying or confirming rather than changing undergraduates’ decisions to pursue graduate education. We hypothesize that our results differ from previous studies of the impact of engaging in research because the students in our study are still in the early stages of their undergraduate careers. Our work builds upon the classroom-based research movement and should be viewed as encouraging to the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement advocated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and other undergraduate education stakeholders.

Andressa Macena Maia, Leila Maria Lehnen

Esse ensaio analisa a obra De mim já nem se lembra, de Luiz Ruffato (2016), através de um mapeamento do sujeito social e de que forma sua narrativa atravessa os lugares por onde passa. Através da troca de cartas com a mãe, que permanece em Cataguazes, José Célio constrói um espaço único de pertencimento e afetividade através do relato de sua trajetória individual e solitária em São Paulo, cartografada por lugares diferentes e marcada pela ausência. Por isso, esse romance epistolar pode ser visto como uma estratégia de resistência do sujeito ao apagamento do espaço da memória, do afeto e das relações significativas, como consequência do processo modernizador autoritário imposto pela ditadura militar no Brasil à época. Palavras-chave: Migração. Afeto. Modernização. Ditadura militar. ABSTRACT This essay analyzes De mim já nem se lembra from Luiz Ruffato (2016), through a cartography of José Célio, and how his narrative traverses the places he goes through. Through the exchange of letters with his mother, who remains in Cataguases, José Célio´s home town, he aims to build a unique space of belonging and affectivity through the account of his individual and solitary trajectory in São Paulo, mapped by different places and marked mainly by absence. For this reason, this epistolary novel can be considered as a strategy of resistance of the agent to the erasure of the space of memory, affection and significant relationships, as a consequence of the authoritarian modernizing process established by the dictatorship in Brazil. Keywords: Migration. Affection. Modernization. Dictatorship.