This paper addresses the growing popularity of thematic analysis (TA) in education research and the lack of a comprehensive guide tailored specifically for this field. Despite the frequent citation of prominent psychologists like Braun and Clarke, there remains a gap in methodological guidance for education scholars. Through a systematic literature review of TA in education from 2014 to 2024 (n = 30 articles), this study synthesises and critiques the meaning, application and limitations of TA as discussed in relevant scholarship. The findings are used to develop a much-needed revised TA guide for researchers specifically in the field of education, highlighting the significance of this study for research practice.
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.
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.
Eghosa Osas UWAGBOE, Adejoke Adebusola ADELUSI, Francis Adetunji ADESIDA
A comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecosystem approach to control insect and disease pests to minimize the use of pesticides. Cross River State was purposively selected based on training done by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) through Sustainable Tree Crop Programme. The study explored the determinants of adoption behaviour. A systematic sampling technique was used to select a total of 108 IPM trained respondents. Structured questionnaire was used to gather information on farmers’socio-economic factors affecting IPM Adoption, determine the IPM adoption behaviour of farmers and ascertain the constraints experienced from IPM adoption. Male respondents were 81.5% while the females were 18.5%. Majority (65.1%), were between the age range of 41 and 60 years which is an indication that they were still in their prime age. Majority (94.4%), of the respondents were educated and majority (97.2%) of the farmers own small farms between 1 and 5 ha. Most of the respondents rated inaccessibility to market information as the highest constraint affecting IPM adoption with a Weighted Mean Score of 0.8. Majority (79.6%) had high level of intensity of IPM adoption while most of the respondents rated both pest monitoring and planting resistant varieties as the highest rate of adoption with a score of 2.9. A significant relationship exists between sex (X2 =42.815, p<0.05), age (X2 =65.148, p<0.05), education (X2 = 40.426, p<0.05), years of experience (X2 =110.333, p<0.05), and adoption behaviour. The contingency coefficient (CC) shows very strong relationship of sex 0.5328, age 0.6134, marital status 0.7758, education 0.5218 and years of experience 0.7108 with adoption behaviour. Farmers need to be encouraged in adopting IPM through marketing information that would reduce extortion of the farmers by local buying agents.
MreB is a prokaryotic actin homolog. It is essential for cell shape in the majority of rod-shaped cell-walled bacteria. Structural and functional characterization of MreB protein is important to understand the mechanism of ATP-dependent filament dynamics and membrane interaction. In vitro studies on MreBs have been limited due to the difficulty in purifying the homogenous monomeric protein. We have purified MreB from the cell-wall-less bacteria Spiroplasma citri, ScMreB5, using heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. This protocol provides a detailed description of purification condition optimization that led us to obtain high concentrations of stable ScMreB5. Additionally, we have provided a protocol for detecting the presence of monovalent ions in the ScMreB5 AMP-PNP-bound crystal structure. This protocol can be used to obtain a high yield of ScMreB5 for carrying out biochemical and reconstitution studies. The strategies used for ScMreB5 show how optimizing buffer components can enhance the yield and stability of purified protein.
Many researchers confirm that the time we live nowadays is witnessing conflicts and wars which made human being face psychological and biological stressors. Psychological literature suggested that such stressors could affect negatively our psychological and biological well-being. Therefore, so many studies were conducted investigating the negative impact of such stressors on personality and how our defense mechanisms could face such difficulties. The current study aims to identify the effectiveness of a counseling program in reducing anxiety disorders and strengthening the psychological immune system among students. To achieve the aims of the current study, the researchers adopted the experimental method and counseling program. The program was applied among a sample of (80) female students who got the highest scores on the Psychological Immune System Scale (PISS) and Taylor's Explicit Anxiety Scale which consists of 48 items. The group was divided into two groups (experimental and control group). Each group consisted of (40) students. After conducting the parity process in the variables of age, number of family members, birth order, economic and education level, the results showed that the counseling program was effective in increasing the effectiveness of psychological immunity and reducing the manifestations of anxiety among the experimental group. The recommendations and suggestions are discussed.
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities
It is rare to use “big data” in writing progression studies in the field of second language acquisition around the globe. The difficulty of recruiting participants for longitudinal studies often results in sample sizes that are too small for quantitative analysis. Due to the global pandemic, students began to face more academic and emotional challenges, and it became more important to track the progression of their writing across courses. This study utilizes big data in a study of over 4,500 students who took a basic English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course followed by an advanced one at a university in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that analytics studies can provide a range of insights into course design and strategic planning, including how students’ language use and citation skills improve. They can also allow researchers to study the progression of students based on the level of achievement and the time elapsed between the two EAP courses. Further, studies using mega-sized datasets will be more generalizable than previous studies with smaller sample sizes. These results indicate that data-driven analytics can be a helpful approach to writing progression studies, especially in the post-COVID era.
Introducción: El embarazo y la maternidad en la adolescencia son problemas de salud pública. Estos eventos están ligados a comportamientos afectivo-sexuales de riesgo por adolescentes que aún no han cumplido los 19 años. En los últimos años, se observa un aumento en relación con la precocidad del inicio de la actividad sexual, causando un aumento en la incidencia de embarazos en la adolescencia. Su prevalencia varía a nivel nacional y mundial. El embarazo en la adolescencia trae consecuencias negativas a varios niveles, sociales, económicos, biológicos y psicológicos.
Objetivos: Identificar los factores de riesgo y las consecuencias del embarazo en la adolescencia, con el fin de abordar estrategias para prevenir estas situaciones o mejorar la calidad de vida de estas jóvenes.
Métodos: Revisión integrativa de la literatura, en el motor de búsqueda EBSCOhost, en las bases de datos CINAHL (Plus with Full Text), SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library), Cochrane (Plus Collection). Los criterios de inclusión fueron: artículos publicados entre 2003 y 2019, con texto completo. No se definieron restricciones en cuanto al tipo de estudio. De los 42 artículos encontrados, fueron elegidos 9.
Resultados: Son varios los factores de riesgo y las repercusiones del embarazo en la adolescencia. Situaciones de estrés, alteraciones de la identidad de la joven embarazada, con comportamientos emocionalmente inadecuados que afectan su desarrollo y la relación con su futuro bebé, son algunas de las situaciones que requieren el apoyo de los profesionales de la salud.
Conclusion: Se espera ampliar el conocimiento sobre el embarazo en madres adolescentes, de forma que contribuya a futuros estudios y se aplique en la práctica clínica y académica. Es necesario crear diferentes tipos de programas de educación sexual, con un objetivo común: Ayudar a enfrentar y lidiar con el problema de estas jóvenes.
Special aspects of education, Public aspects of medicine
Mercedes Cubero, Miguel Jesús Bascón, Rosario Cubero-Pérez
In the construction of teachers’ professional knowledge, reflective practices are a fundamental tool that responds to the need to connect theoretical principles with practical resources and to the improvement of teaching by means of critical analysis. The Practicum, as a dialogic structure for the explanation and interpretation of teaching practices, provides teachers in training an opportunity to build their own understanding based on dialogue and reflection. Invocation is one of the resources used to legitimize scientific or disciplinary knowledge in joint reflection. Qualified voices are called and made present in classroom discourse to validate descriptions or explanations. We are interested in defining the profile of the invocations introduced in dialogic reflection, as sources of legitimation of knowledge, and identify the patterns in the sequence of the invocations' appearance. This work consists of an exploratory study of multiple cases, in which each case is a classroom unit composed of a tutor and her student teachers. Two cases from the Practicum in a Primary Education Teacher Degree were selected. A category system was developed for the analysis of invocations and organized into four dimensions: academic or professional knowledge, experiential knowledge, invocation of truth, and invocation of ideology or values. Results allow us to highlight some relevant conclusions. Invocations are a widespread resource in a process of dialogic reflection to legitimize the interpretation of educational practices. The participation of student teachers in dialogic reflection is possible and abundant thanks to the experience of the Practicum, which provides a validity criterion for their arguments, supported by the invocation to the authority of teaching experiences. In this study, tutors’ efforts to connect pedagogical principles with personal experiences in the Practicum have not clearly translated into student reflections in the same direction. The paper finishes paying attention to the competencies and training that Practicum tutors need.
Objective. To compare dietary supplement use between student pharmacists and the general population, and assess knowledge, attitudes toward use, and dietary supplement effectiveness; and to explore how student pharmacists view their education on dietary supplements. Methods. Paper questionnaires administered to student pharmacists collected data about their use, knowledge, and attitudes of dietary supplements. Use was compared to the 2007 National Health Interview survey findings. Results. Of 179 students who responded, 52% had used at least one dietary supplement in their lifetime versus 25% in the general population. Students perceived supplement label information as unhelpful, research into supplements inadequate, and supplements non-essential to health. Students thought supplement knowledge was important but their education was inadequate. Conclusion. Dietary supplement use was higher in this sample of student pharmacists than the general population. Student pharmacists had limited knowledge and need more education on dietary supplements.
O presente trabalho visa relatar uma aula prática desenvolvida com os alunos do 9° ano de uma escola localizada no interior do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, em que foi utilizado o software tabela periódica interativa com uso do computador e lousa digital. O objetivo da aula foi explanar as características químicas e físicas dos elementos apresentados na tabela periódica no decorrer da aula de ciências. A partir disto, verificouse que a utilização de métodos diferenciados de ensino promove um maior interesse por parte dos alunos pelo conteúdo desenvolvido, já que os estudantes se sentem mais confiantes em propor seus entendimentos e dúvidas quando em sala de aula são utilizadas ferramentas desfrutadas por eles próprios em seu no dia-a-dia. Sendo assim, para a abordagem destas metodologias é necessário que o educador esteja em um constante processo de formação continuada, ou seja, o professor precisa sempre adquirir novos conhecimentos e refletir sobre sua própria prática docente.
José Joaquín López Marcos, Vittoria Perrotti, Flavia Iaculli
et al.
This in vitro study aimed at evaluating the physical and mechanical properties of newly developed scaffolds of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and biphasic ceramic (Hydroxyapatite HA + beta-tricalciumphosphate β-TCP) with or without collagen impregnation to be used for bone regeneration in the oral and maxillofacial district. Solvent casting and particle leaching techniques were used to produce the scaffolds, which were then divided into six groups according to PLGA/HA + β-TCP ratio and impregnation with collagen: G1 (50/50) + collagen; G2 (60/40) + collagen; G3 (40/60) + collagen; G4 (50/50); G5 (60/40); G6 (40/60). As control group, inorganic xenogenous bone was used. Structure and porosity were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, and a chemical analysis was performed through an energy-dispersive spectrometer. Moreover, to evaluate the hydrophilicity of the samples, a wettability test was conceived, and finally, mechanical properties were examined by a compression test. High porosity and interconnectivity, resulting in a large surface area and great fluid retention capacity, were presented by the PLGA/HA + β-TCP scaffolds. In the composite groups, collagen increased the wettability and the mechanical resistance, although the latter was not statistically affected by the percentage of HA + β-TCP added. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed for a deeper understanding of the influence of collagen on the biological behavior of the developed composite materials and their potential, namely biocompatibility and bioactivity, for bone tissue regeneration.