Search Results (690)

Background/Objectives: Many elementary school-aged children (i.e., 5 to 12 years old) experience sleep difficulties that negatively impact their daytime functioning. Despite this high prevalence, sleep education is rarely included in school curricula and evidence-based interventions are limited. To better understand this gap, a needs assessment was conducted to inform the development of a sleep education program. Method: Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with 14 elementary school teachers in Nova Scotia, Canada. Participants were asked 20 questions about their students’ sleep and its impact, teachers’ needs and practices in sleep education, what a sleep education program would look like, and how it could be delivered. During the interview, participants watched the online ABCs of SLEEPING storybook as a potential foundation for developing a sleep education program, and interview themes were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Results: All teachers identified poor sleep as an issue impacting students’ behavior and learning, and reported that they had a lack of resources to teach sleep education. Teachers believed the storybook could be used with their students and integrated into the curriculum. Recommended modifications include making the storybook available for families, adding interactive activities and student discussions, providing teacher resources, and tailoring the content to be suitable for both lower and upper elementary school-aged students. Most teachers indicated that the storybook could be adapted for upper elementary students with more age-appropriate vocabulary and visuals. Conclusions: The findings from this needs assessment will inform the development of an elementary school sleep education program using the ABCs of SLEEPING storybook as the foundation of the program, while noting limitations such as sample diversity. Full article

Science teaching in early years contexts has been identified as deficient due to poor educator confidence, lack of content knowledge, or minimal opportunities being made available for science experiences. To identify strategies to counteract these factors, this study explored how these deficiencies are enacted in learning contexts by examining the beliefs and practices of educators across three early learning sites. The focus of this study was threefold: to gather the perception of educators in relation to early childhood science; explore the learning environments; and observe the interactions facilitated by the educators to develop scientific knowledge and skills for young children. During the four stages of the research project, a disconnect was identified between the perception held by educators about science, science’s role in the early years, and the educators’ practice. We found that educators did not appear to reflect on the disconnect between their understanding of theory and implementation in practice—their praxis. Full article

This study examines the profiles of secondary special education teachers regarding their readiness for inclusive teaching, with technology-enhanced practices operationalized through participation in STEAM-related professional development. A total of 323 teachers from vocational high schools and integration classes participated. Four indicators of professional preparation were assessed: years of teaching experience, formal STEAM training, exposure to students with special educational needs (SEN), and perceived success in inclusive teaching, operationalized as self-reported competence in adaptive instruction, classroom management, positive attitudes toward inclusion, and collaborative engagement. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct teacher profiles: less experienced teachers with moderate perceived success and limited exposure to students with SEN; well-prepared teachers with high levels across all indicators; and highly experienced teachers with lower STEAM training and perceived success. These findings underscore the need for targeted professional development that integrates inclusive and technology-enhanced pedagogy through STEAM and is tailored to teachers’ experience levels. By integrating inclusive readiness, STEAM-related preparation, and technology-enhanced pedagogy within a person-centered profiling approach, this study offers actionable teacher profiles to inform differentiated professional development in secondary special education. Full article

Preschool teaching is a highly demanding profession that requires constant socio-emotional attunement and the ability to engage in reflective reasoning. Despite the central role of these skills in effective early childhood education, little is known about whether preschool teachers’ socio-affective and cognitive capacities vary as a function of accumulated professional experience. To address this knowledge gap, we compared the performance of 30 professional preschool teachers with a matched control group of 30 non-teachers on tests measuring emotion recognition, active-empathic listening, interpersonal reactivity, and abstract reasoning. We found that preschool teachers were significantly better on all dimensions of active-empathic listening (sensing, processing, and responding) and better in emotional self-regulation than controls. Moreover, years of preschool teaching experience were positively correlated with emotion recognition, improved listening skills, and more deliberate abstract reasoning strategies. Notably, socio-affective competencies were correlated with abstract reasoning performance within the preschool teacher group. According to these results, long-term professional involvement in preschool teaching enhances socio-affective skills and integrates them with higher-order cognitive processes, both of which are essential for responsive teaching, efficient classroom management, and the development of children’s social and cognitive abilities. Full article

Inclusive education aims to ensure equitable access to quality education for all students, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This research analyzes the attitudes and competences of non-university Spanish teachers regarding the inclusion of students with ASD, considering relevant variables in previous studies such as teacher training, prior experience, and educational context, among others. The study involved a sample of 2310 teachers in active service during the 2023–2024 school year. Data collection was conducted through two questionnaires: the INTEA-EDG questionnaire, designed to measure teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards the inclusion of students with ASD, and the CEFI-R questionnaire, which evaluates teachers’ competencies and skills for inclusive education. The results reflect a generally positive attitude towards the inclusion of students with ASD in mainstream schools, although significant variations were found depending on variables such as previous experience, teaching specialization, and specific training received. Based on these and other findings, the study highlights the need to strengthen initial and continuous training in inclusive education and attention to diversity of students with ASD, promote early positive contact with students with ASD, and foster collaborative work and the design of inclusive learning environments. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the transition of physiotherapy programmes from traditional face-to-face anatomy teaching to fully online delivery. Studies conducted during this period have documented students’ positive adaptation to online anatomy learning, highlighting benefits such as increased flexibility and reduced stress, while also noting challenges, including diminished practical exposure. Although much of the existing research centres on medical and dental education, there is a relative paucity of studies examining physiotherapy students’ perspectives. In this study, a purposive sample of 53 entry-level physiotherapy students (Years 1–3) completed a questionnaire evaluating their experiences with anatomy education during the pandemic. Responses were compared between groups (Years 1 and 2 versus Year 3) using the Mann–Whitney U test and effect-size calculations. Year 3 students who experienced both face-to-face and online learning preferred practical sessions with silent mentors in the anatomy hall, citing greater active engagement and deeper learning. Conversely, all year groups reported that online assessments, such as the online Objective Structured Practical Examination, were less stressful than traditional formats. Year 1 and 2 students, lacking prior face-to-face practical experience, expressed neutral views regarding online practical components. Overall, while online theory and assessment components were well received, hands-on practical experience remains highly valued for promoting student engagement. These findings support the development of blended anatomy pedagogy that leverages the strengths of both modalities to enhance resilience and adaptability in the face of future educational disruptions. Full article

This article examines the complex interplay between plurality and neutrality in Slovenian education in the context of increasing religious and cultural diversity associated with global migration. Drawing on a pilot study conducted with five primary school counsellors working in high-diversity school environments, it explores the tensions between the normative principles of plurality and neutrality and their practical implementation in everyday school life. The aim is to highlight the concrete challenges that schools and school staff encounter when addressing religious and cultural diversity. The pilot study shows that schools react differently to religious and cultural diversity, depending on the challenges faced by pupils, staff, school management and family-school co-operation. While the study included pupils from various religious backgrounds, only certain minority groups, particularly Muslim pupils, emerged as the minority group most clearly observed in the interviews. This visibility reflects the combination of cultural and religious differences from the majority and the more explicit demands these pupils and their families raised within the school context. In contrast, Orthodox Christian pupils were generally perceived as culturally and institutionally aligned with the majority population, and their practices (such as observing their New Year or other holidays) were accommodated by the existing school system without specific challenges. It also suggests that there are different understandings of how schools should teach neutrality and plurality beyond the official curriculum. The study identifies common challenges that schools face in relation to religious and cultural diversity, some of which are closely linked to the multicultural approach to education. The challenges identified are illustrated using Muslim pupils as an example of the minority group most prominently observed in the data, while acknowledging that other minority groups may experience different or less visible challenges. The findings are therefore limited to the context observed in this pilot study and cannot be generalised to all minority pupils in Slovenia. Full article

Set in the vocational education and training sector in England, this article draws attention to how top-down, centre–periphery approaches to curriculum design and development in vocational education fail for at least three reasons. First, they misconstrue the nature of knowledge. Second, they lead to perfunctory and fragmented approaches to curriculum design, coupled with mechanistic measures of quality and achievement, which often require little more than “one-off” and superficially assessed demonstrations of performance. Finally, they underplay the role and importance of the teacher as researcher and artist in putting the cultural resources of society to work in creative curriculum design and pedagogy. Teacher artistry is pivotal in animating and heightening the vitality of vocational curricula. It is through this artistry that teachers make theories, ideas and concepts in vocational subjects and disciplines accessible and meaningful to all learners in coherent ways in the contexts of their learning and their lives. The consequences of the epistemic faux pas underpinning centre-to-periphery models of curriculum design and development are highlighted in this article in vocational tutors’ accounts of experiences of problems and issues in curriculum design, development and assessment encountered in their practice. Participants in the research teach in a variety of vocational education settings, including Apprenticeships and Higher-Level Technical Education; English Language at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level; Health and Social Care; Information and Communications Technology; Construction (Plumbing); Digital Production, Design and Development and High-Tech Precision Engineering. Data are analysed and reported through systematic, thematic analysis This article draws upon qualitative data derived from a study funded by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) in England over a two-year period from 2021 to 2023. The research population consists of a group of eight practitioner–researchers working in three colleges of Further Education (FE) and one Industry Training Centre (ITC) in England. All of the teachers of vocational education reported here volunteered to participate in the study. Research methods include semi-structured interviews, analysis of critical incidents and case studies produced by practitioner–researchers from across the FE and Skills sector in England. Full article

Background/Objectives: This review aimed to explore the pathways of nursing and midwifery education in Tanzania and compare them with global perspectives. The goal was to identify similarities, differences, and areas for potential improvement to align with international standards. Methods: A narrative literature review was carried out through databases with published studies in nursing and gray literature. The database search included Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, PsycINFO, clinical nursing, and gray literature from January 2014 up to December 2024. The search process was carried out by the authors with the following key words: admission, pathway to nursing profession, delivery mode, generative dynamic, and learning models. The search strategy included studies from selected countries in East Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia. The inclusion criteria were (1) published papers or reviews addressing the review topics; (2) studies published in the English language; (3) gray literature on the reviewed topics; (4) studies originating from Tanzania, East Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The selected countries served as a source for comparison of nursing and midwifery education in Tanzania with the globe. Results: A total of 758 articles were reviewed from the selected databases. Finally, 27 studies and 11 gray literature sources were included. In Tanzania, the overall duration of nursing education from primary education to a bachelor’s degree for diploma graduates is relatively long. Students complete approximately 14 years of schooling from primary education to the completion of a diploma, including three years at the diploma level. To enroll in a degree program, candidates are required to have two years of professional experience, followed by four years of academic training and a mandatory one-year internship. Globally, the duration of educational programs is generally decreasing due to generational shifts and advancements in technology. Conclusions: Whilst nursing and midwifery education is regulated in Tanzania, the current admission criteria and duration of the program do not align with the global standards. Future studies that provide the comparison of curriculums among universities in Tanzania with global standards would provide a deep understanding of the competencies, teaching models, learning environment, duration, and desired learning outcomes for nursing and midwifery education. Full article

Background/Objectives: Reconstructive urology is critically underrepresented in global surgery initiatives, despite its essential role in managing congenital and acquired urogenital conditions. In response, a multinational Global Surgery Collaborative was launched in 2022 by a faculty from the University of Toronto, aiming to enhance reconstructive urology capacity in the Philippines, among other low- to low-middle-income countries through longitudinal mentorship and skills transfer. This report presents early experience from 2022 to 2024. Methods: This collaboration delivered annual in-person surgical missions from 2022 to 2024 at two major Philippine healthcare institutions. Training focused on pediatric and adult reconstructive urologic procedures. Local mentees participated in structured preoperative planning, intraoperative teaching, and postoperative debriefing. We conducted a prospective service evaluation comprising a prospective registry of consecutive cases and paired pre/post trainee surveys. Data were collected on patient demographics and surgical metrics. Primary clinical endpoints included operative time, length of stay, and complications (Clavien–Dindo), with standardized follow-up windows. Mentee educational outcomes were assessed through pre- and post-training trainee-reported (Likert) measures, evaluating comfort and technical understanding. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess changes. Results: Over three years, 33 surgical cases were performed with 45 surgical resident mentees (Post-graduate year (PGY)4–PGY6) engaged. The median patient age was 23 (inter-quartile range [IQR] 12.5–41.5) years, with 33.3% pediatric and 84.8% of cases classified as major. The complication rate was 15.1%, with only one major event (3%). Across 45 mentees, comfort increased from a median 4.0 (IQR 2.5–5.0) to 7.0 (5.5–8.0) and technique understanding from 5.0 (4.0–6.5) to 9.0 (8.0–10.0), with large Wilcoxon effects (r = 0.877 and r = 0.875; both p < 0.001). Year-by-year analyses showed the same pattern with large effects. Conclusions: In this early three-year experience (33 cases, 84.8% major), this multi-institutional collaboration longitudinal mentorship model was feasible and safe, and was associated with significant trainee-reported improvements in comfort and technical understanding. This demonstrates a replicable model for global surgery in reconstructive urology, successfully enhancing surgical skills and fostering sustainable capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) settings. Full article

Objective: This study aims to evaluate pharmacy students’ perceptions regarding the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into pharmacy curricula, providing evidence to inform future curriculum development. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at a single U.S. College of Pharmacy was conducted in April 2025. Students from all four professional years (P1–P4) were invited to participate. The 10-item survey assessed four domains: (1) General GenAI Use, (2) Knowledge and Experience with GenAI Tools, (3) Learning Preferences with GenAI, and (4) Perspectives on GenAI in the curriculum. Results: A total of 110 students responded (response rate = 12.4%). Most were P1 students (56/110, 50.9%). Many reported using GenAI tools for personal (65/110, 59.1%) and school-related purposes (64/110, 58.1%) sometimes, often, or frequently. ChatGPT was the most used tool. While 40% (40/99) agreed or strongly agreed that GenAI could enhance their learning, 62.6% (62/99) preferred traditional teaching methods. Open-ended responses (n = 25) reflected a mix of positive, neutral, and negative views on GenAI in education. Conclusions: Many pharmacy students in this cohort reported using GenAI tools and demonstrated a basic understanding of GenAI functions, yet students also reported that they preferred traditional learning methods and expressed mixed views on incorporating GenAI into teaching. These findings provide valuable insights for faculty and schools of pharmacy as they develop strategies to integrate GenAI into pharmacy education. Full article

Designing laboratory experiences that support both skill development and conceptual understanding is a persistent challenge in introductory chemistry education—especially within accelerated or compressed course formats. To address this need, we developed and implemented a systems-thinking-based laboratory module on error analysis for a large introductory chemistry course at Brown University, composed primarily of first-year students (approximately 150–200 students in the spring semesters). Unlike traditional labs that isolate single techniques or concepts, this module integrates calorimetry, precipitation reactions, vacuum filtration, and quantitative uncertainty analysis into a unified experiment. Students explore how procedural variables interact to affect experimental outcomes, promoting a holistic understanding of accuracy, precision, and uncertainty. The module is supported by multimedia pre-lab materials, including faculty-recorded lectures and interactive videos developed through Brown’s Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards (UTRA) program. These resources prepare students for hands-on work while reinforcing key theoretical concepts. A mixed-methods assessment across four semesters (n > 600) demonstrated significant learning gains, particularly in students’ ability to analyze uncertainty and distinguish between accuracy and precision. Although confidence in applying significant figures slightly declined post-lab, this may reflect increased awareness of complexity rather than decreased understanding. This study highlights the educational value of integrating systems thinking into early-semester laboratory instruction. The module is accessible, cost-effective, and adaptable for a variety of institutional settings. Its design advances chemistry education by aligning foundational skill development with interdisciplinary thinking and real-world application. Full article

Advocates for playful nature-based learning espouse the benefits of children’s self-directed play; however, past research has questioned whether this form of activity is beneficial to children of all ages, particularly the very young. In Australia, there are rapidly growing numbers of nature playgroups and bush kindergartens in which young children’s self-directed play-based learning is promoted. Bush kinders, as they are known in Australia, are a local adaptation of the European forest kindergarten approach, where three- and four-year-old children spend one day a week in outdoor contexts away from the kindergarten premises to learn and play. One further example of Australian nature-based approaches to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is the nature playgroup where forests, parklands, and beaches are used by parents to regularly meet so their children can socialise and play. Science learning is often prevalent in these nature playgroups where children observe the sky, ground, plants, and animals across changing seasons. The children can mix earth and water and move their bodies as they run, dance, and roll on the grass. Despite the popularity of nature-based ECEC approaches globally, Australian nature playgroups led by facilitators other than parents, aimed towards young children aged from birth to four, have only gained popularity in the past decade. This paper draws upon fieldwork informed by ethnographic methods and undertaken in 2024 at one nature playgroup. The observations of facilitators, parents, and children and the interactions between the researchers and the playgroup participants are described using vignettes to understand the experience of science learning during facilitated nature playgroup sessions. Through analysing research in ECEC nature-based science teaching and learning, we propose that facilitated playgroups are valuable for young children to interact with nature as an avenue to build science knowledge. Full article

This review examines how demographic knowledge is framed and reimagined within a Scottish widening access higher education programme. Drawing on my positionality as a former international student and widening access graduate, alongside over 15 years of community-based work with disadvantaged Roma populations, I reflect on how notions of population “need” are often shaped by national policy priorities and narrow imaginaries of populations—typically white, Scottish, and urban. While these narratives reflect lived realities, they risk overlooking multilingual, racialised, and globally mobile populations increasingly present in both the student body and the communities that graduates will serve. Based on my work since 2021 in placement coordination and teaching, I outline how applied changes to placement partnerships, thematic content, and assessment practice can challenge and reframe these dominant narratives. Drawing on Foucault’s concepts of population, discipline, and control, and Esposito’s theorisation of community, immunity, and exclusion, and coupled with anti-oppressive pedagogies, I argue for a reorientation of demographic literacy toward more plural, critically engaged, and globally attuned understandings of population. In reframing demographic literacy as a site of justice, I move it beyond a technical skill of interpreting population data toward a critical practice of interrogating how populations are constructed, which groups are rendered visible or invisible, and how imaginaries of “need” shape inclusion and exclusion in higher education. Such a shift positions international students not only as beneficiaries of widening access but as active population actors whose experiences and knowledges expand the terms of justice and belonging in higher education. Full article

Background/Objectives: The study aims to experiment with a teaching methodology based on the application of some principles of Nonlinear Pedagogy (NLP) in order to understand its effectiveness not only on motor development but also on attention and processing speed. Methods: A between-subjects quasi-experimental design involved 165 children (mean age = 7.21 ± 0.93 years), assigned to an experimental (n = 98; 45% Male and 55% Female) and control group (n = 67; 42% Male and 58% Female) over 16 weeks (32 sessions). The experimental group followed Physical Education (PE) lessons grounded on NLP principles, while control group followed traditional PE lessons. Divided attention and visual processing speed were assessed using the Witty SEM test with 2 difficulty levels, and the motor skills were assessed through Test of Gross Motor Development-3 and used as covariate. Results: Significant interactions emerged for Divided Attention (p = 0.014, d = 58 for level 1; p = 0.014, d = 42 for level 2). The visual processing speed also showed significant interaction (p < 0.001, d = 0.88 for level 1; p < 0.001, d = 1.11 for level 2). Conclusions: Findings from this preliminary study indicate a significant relationship between NLP-based teaching and improvements in attention and visual processing speed. The NLP intervention group outperformed the control group in both domains, supporting the effectiveness of this pedagogical approach within primary school PE settings. These promising results encourage further investigation with larger samples and over longer intervention periods. Full article