Search results for: curriculum improvement

Authors: Brooke Sweeney, David White, Felix Amparano, Nick A. Clark, Amy R. Beck, Mathew Lindquist, Lora Edwards, Julie Vandal, Jennifer Lisondra, Katie Cox, Renee Arensberg, Allen Cummins, Jazmine Cedeno, Jason D. Fraser, Kelsey Dean, Helena H. Laroche, Cristina Fernandez

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Background: National organizations call for standardized pre-surgical requirements and education to optimize postoperative outcomes. Since 2017 our surgery program has used defined protocols and educational curricula pre- and post-surgery. In response to patient outcomes, our educational content was refined to include quizzes to assess patient knowledge and surgical preparedness. We aim to optimize adolescent pre-bariatric surgery preparedness by improving overall aggregate pre-surgical assessment performance from 68% to 80% within 12 months. Methods: A multidisciplinary improvement team was developed within the weight management clinic (WMC) of our tertiary care, free-standing children’s hospital. A manual has been utilized since 2017, with limitations in consistent delivery and patient uptake of information. The curriculum has been improved to include quizzes administered during WMC visits prior to bariatric surgery. The initial outcome measure is the pre-surgical quiz score of adolescents preparing for bariatric surgery. Process measure was the number of questions answered correctly to test the questions. Baseline performance was determined by a patient assessment survey of pre-surgical preparedness at patient visits. Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles (PDSA) included: 1) creation and implementation of a refined curriculum, 2) development of 5 new quizzes based upon learning objectives, and 3) improving provider-lead teaching and quiz administration within clinic workflow. Run charts assessed impact over time. Results: A total of 346 quiz questions were administered to 34 adolescents. The outcome measure improved from a baseline mean of 68% to 86% following PDSA 2 cycles, and it was sustained. Conclusion/Implication: Patient/family comprehension of surgical preparedness improved with standardized education via team member-led teaching and assessment using quizzes during pre-surgical clinic visits. The next steps include launching redesigned teaching materials with modules correlated to quizzes and assessment of comprehension and outcomes post-surgically.

Keywords: bariatric surgery, adolescent, clinic, pre-bariatric training

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Authors: Rachel M. Lørum, Henrik Eriksson, Frida Smith

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Purpose: In recent years, the use of benchmarks for the improvement of healthcare has become increasingly common. There has been an increasing interest in why improvement initiatives so often fail to eliminate the problems they aspire to solve. Benchmarking comes with its fair share of challenges and problems, such as capturing the dynamics and complexities of the care environments, among others. In this study, we demonstrate how learning-oriented, voluntary benchmarks in the complex environment of public healthcare could be designed. Findings: Our four most important findings were the following: first, important organizational learning (OL) regarding the complexity of the service and implications on how to design a benchmark for learning and improvement occurred during the process. Second, participation by a wide range of professionals and stakeholders was crucial for capturing the complexity of people and organizations and increasing the quality of the template. Third, the continuous dialogue between all organizations involved was an important tool for ongoing organizational learning throughout the process. The last important finding was the impact of the facilitator’s role through supporting progress, coordination, and dialogue. Design: We chose participatory design as the research design. Data were derived from written materials such as e-mails, protocols, observational notes, and reflection notes collected during a period of 1.5 years. Originality: Our main contributions are the identification of important strategies, initiatives, and actors to involve when designing voluntary benchmarks for learning and improvement.

Keywords: organizational learning, quality improvement, learning-oriented benchmark, healthcare, patient safety

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Authors: Nuri Balta, Ali Eryilmaz

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High-quality teachers are the key to improve student learning. Without a professional development of the teachers, the improvement of student success is difficult and incomplete. This study offers an in-service training course model for professional development of teachers (PD) entitled "teachers teaching teachers" (TTT). The basic premise of the PD program, designed for this study, was primarily aimed to increase the subject matter knowledge of high school physics teachers. The TTT course (the three hour long workshops), organized for this study, lasted for seven weeks with seventeen teachers took part in the TTT program at different amounts. In this study, the effect of the TTT program on teachers’ knowledge improvement was searched through the modern physics unit (MPU). The participating teachers taught the unit to one of their grade ten classes earlier, and they taught another equivalent class two months later. They were observed in their classes both before and after TTT program. The teachers were divided into placebo and the treatment groups. The aim of Solomon four-group design is an attempt to eliminate the possible effect of pre-test. However, in this study the similar design was used to eliminate the effect of pre teaching. The placebo group teachers taught their both classes as regular and the treatment group teachers had TTT program between the two teachings. The class observation results showed that the TTT program increased teachers’ knowledge and skills in teaching MPU. Further, participating in the TTT program caused teachers to teach the MPU in accordance with the requirements of the curriculum. In order to see any change in participating teachers’ success, an achievement test was applied to them. A large effect size (dCohen=.93) was calculated for the effect of TTT program on treatment group teachers’ achievement. The results suggest that staff developers should consider including topics, attractive to teachers, in-service training programs (a) to help teachers’ practice teaching the new topics (b) to increase the participation rate. During the conduction of the TTT courses, it was observed that teachers could not end some discussions and explain some concepts. It is now clear that teachers need support, especially when discussing counterintuitive concepts such as modern physics concepts. For this reason it is recommended that content focused PD programs be conducted at the helm of a scholarly coach.

Keywords: high school physics, in-service training course, modern physics unit, teacher professional development

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Authors: Siti Aisyah binti Jumpaan

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21ˢᵗ century skills (PAK-21) integration has made its way into Malaysian curriculum when Ministry of Education introduce its implementation since 2016. This study was conducted to explore pre-service teachers’ readiness in integrating 21st century skills in the classroom via the digital storytelling (DST) method and to find gaps between theory and practice that can be integral towards pre-service teachers’ professional growth. Qualitative research method was used in this research involving six respondents who were selected using a purposive sampling method. Their response from interviews and lesson plan analysis were analysed using narrative analysis. The findings showed that pre-service teachers showed a moderate level of readiness in integrating 21st century skills using DST. Pre-service teachers demonstrated high level of preparedness in writing their lesson plan, but their interview revealed that they faced struggles in implementation due to several factors, such as lack of technology and failure to obtain students’ participation. This study further strengthens the need for specialised curriculum for pre-service teachers in teaching 21st century skills via DST.

Keywords: digital storytelling, 21ˢᵗ century skills, preservice teachers, teacher training

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Authors: Mohammadjavad Yaghoubi, Arul Arulrajah, Mahdi M. Disfani, Suksun Horpibulsuk, Myint W. Bo, Stephen P. Darmawan

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Utilising waste materials, such as fly ash (FA) and slag (S) stockpiled in landfills, has drawn the attention of researchers and engineers in the recent years. There is a great potential for usage of these wastes in ground improvement projects, especially where deep deposits of soft compressible soils exist. This paper investigates the changes in the strength development of a high water content soft soil stabilised with alkaline activated FA and S, termed as geopolymer binder, to use in deep soil mixing technology. The strength improvement and the changes in the microstructure of the mixtures have been studied. The results show that using FA and S-based geopolymers can increases the strength significantly. Furthermore, utilising FA and S in ground improvement projects, where large amounts of binders are required, can be a solution to the disposal of these wastes.

Keywords: alkaline activation, fly ash, geopolymer, slag, strength development

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Authors: J. W. Mbogani, B. A. Bunyasi

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The special skills for five students in the vocational class in Kakamega program for Hearing impaired were identified within one term period of the Kenyan education system. Three students were identified as having a liking for tailoring. The remaining two students did not show any interest in any vocational subject. The three students were attached to two professionals in practicing general tailors within the school vicinity for scaffolding purposes. The students were allowed to attend general classes under the normal curriculum and were withdrawn after eleven in the morning for tailoring classes. The students were then monitored with the guideline of a checklist. The purpose of monitoring was to establish whether the behavior of the students reflected a motivated student. It was established that two of them improved in their school attendance in terms of regularity, punctuality and responsibility accomplishment. The third student ended up attending only tailoring classes. The socialization aspect of the two students improved a lot. They also tended to identify more with the teachers than their fellow students. We recommend that learners with special needs in education should be subjected to the normal curriculum. They may benefit more and attain a skill that could help them economically. Further study should also be done to in several institutions involving learners in other classes.

Keywords: general tailoring, scaffolding, term, vocational class

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Authors: Mona Kamel Hassan

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Teaching a class of diverse learners poses a great challenge not only for foreign and second language teachers, but also for teachers in different disciplines as well as for curriculum designers. Thus, to contribute to previous research tackling language diversity, the current paper shares the experience of teaching a reading, writing and vocabulary building course to diverse Arabic as a Foreign Language learners in their advanced language proficiency level. Diversity is represented in students’ motivation, their prior knowledge, their various needs and interests, their level of anxiety, and their different learning styles and skills. While teaching this course the researcher adopted the universal design for learning (UDL) framework, which is a means to meet the various needs of diverse learners. UDL stresses the importance of enabling the entire diverse students to gain skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to learn through the employment of teaching methods that respond to students' individual differences. Accordingly, the educational curriculum developed for this course and the teaching methods employed is modified. First, the researcher made the language curriculum vivid and attractive to inspire students' learning and to keep them engaged in their learning process. The researcher encouraged the entire students, from the first day, to suggest topics of their interest; political, social, cultural, etc. The authentic Arabic texts chosen are those that best meet students’ needs, interests, lives, and sociolinguistic issues, together with the linguistic and cultural components. In class and under the researcher’s guidance, students dig into these topics to find solutions for the tackled issues while working with their peers. Second, to gain equal opportunities to demonstrate learning, role-playing was encouraged to give students the opportunity to perform different linguistic tasks, to reflect and share their diverse interests and cultural backgrounds with their peers. Third, to bring the UDL into the classroom, students were encouraged to work on interactive, collaborative activities through technology to improve their reading and writing skills and reinforce their mastery of the accumulated vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and collocations. These interactive, collaborative activities help to facilitate student-student communication and student-teacher communication and to increase comfort in this class of diverse learners. Detailed samples of the educational curriculum and interactive, collaborative activities developed, accompanied by methods of teaching employed to teach these diverse learners, are presented for illustration. Results revealed that students are responsive to the educational materials which are developed for this course. Therefore, they engaged in the learning process and classroom activities and discussions effectively. They also appreciated their instructor’s willingness to differentiate the teaching methods to suit students of diverse background knowledge, learning styles, level of anxiety, etc. Finally, the researcher believes that sharing this experience in teaching diverse learners will help both language teachers and teachers in other disciplines to develop a better understanding to meet their students' diverse needs. Results will also pave the way for curriculum designers to develop educational material that meets the needs of diverse learners.

Keywords: teaching, language, diverse, learners

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Authors: Nawal Yacoub Halim Abdelmasih

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The intersection between development and human rights has been the factor of scholarly debate for a long term. therefore, some of standards, which enlarge from the proper to development to the human rights-based totally method to development, had been adopted to apprehend the dynamics among the two standards. no matter these attempts, the exact relationship among improvement and human rights has not been completely determined but. however, the inevitable interdependence between the two notions and the idea that improvement efforts ought to be undertaken with the aid of giving due regard to human rights ensures has won momentum in recent years. then again, the emergence of sustainable development as a extensively common technique in development dreams and policies makes this unsettled convergence even extra complicated. The vicinity of sustainable improvement in human rights regulation discourse and the function of the latter in making sure the sustainability of development applications name for a scientific observe. as a result, this newsletter seeks to discover the relationship among development and human rights, particularly focusing at the location given to sustainable development principles in international human proper regulation. it'll similarly quest whether or not there is a proper to sustainable improvement diagnosed therein. as a result, the item asserts that the ideas of sustainable improvement are immediately or circuitously diagnosed in diverse human rights contraptions, which affords an affirmative response to the question raised hereinabove. This paintings, therefore, will make expeditions via international and regional human rights devices in addition to case legal guidelines and interpretative hints of human rights bodies to show this speculation.

Keywords: sustainable development, human rights, the right to development, the human rights-based approach to development, environmental rights, economic development, social sustainability human rights protection, human rights violations, workers’ rights, justice, security

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Authors: Rhadinia Tayag-Relanes, Felina C. Young

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This study was conducted to analyze the noodle production process at Yan Hu Food Manufacturing for the basis of production improvement. The study utilized the PDCA approach and record review in the gathering of data for the calendar year 2019 from August to October data of the noodle products miki, canton, and misua. Causal-comparative research was used in this study; it attempts to establish cause-effect relationships among the variables such as descriptive statistics and correlation, both were used to compute the data gathered. The study found that miki, canton, and misua production has different cycle time sets for each production and has different production outputs in every set of its production process and a different number of wastages. The company has not yet established its allowable rejection rate/ wastage; instead, this paper used a 1% wastage limit. The researcher recommended the following: machines used for each process of the noodle product must be consistently maintained and monitored; an assessment of all the production operators by checking their performance statistically based on the output and the machine performance; a root cause analysis for finding the solution must be conducted; and an improvement on the recording system of the input and output of the production process of noodle product should be established to eliminate the poor recording of data.

Keywords: continuous improvement, process, operations, PDCA

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Authors: Ahmad Ardillah Rahman

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The decentralisation policy in education has been a trend in some countries in the last two decades. In Indonesia, the implementation of the policy has been introduced since 2003 with the occurrence of School-Based Management policy. The reform has affected the way principals and teachers should involve in school practices in which more autonomies and flexibilities are given to teachers in conducting their teaching practices. Almost 13 years since the policy was firstly introduced, the government and teachers in Indonesia still face some obstacles in maximising the potential benefits of the implementation of the decentralised education system. This study, thus, critically analyses the challenges of decentralised education policy for teachers in Indonesian education context. The purposes of this study are threefold. Firstly, it will explore the history of policy transformation from a centralised to a decentralised education policy. Secondly, it points out the advantages of the decentralised policy implementation. The last, it provides a comprehensive description of challenges faced by Indonesian teachers with the new roles in designing and implementing a curriculum. By using data from existing surveys and research, this study concludes that to successfully implement the transformation in the educational reform of Indonesia, continual and gradual teachers’ training, professional career pathway, and local monitoring for teachers should be developed and strengthened.

Keywords: curriculum design, decentralisation, school-based management, teachers’ autonomy

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Authors: Vriddhi Prasad

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The paper briefly outlines the nature of contemporary Architecture Education in India and its present challenges with theoretically feasible solutions. It explores in detail the arduous position of architecture education owing to, privatization of higher education institutes in India, every changing demand of the technology driven industry and discipline, along with regional and cultural resources that should be explored academically for the enrichment of graduates. With the government's education policy of supporting privatization, a comprehensive role for the regulating body of Architecture Education becomes imperative. The paper provides key insights through empirical research into the nature of these roles and the areas which need attention in light of the problems. With the aid of critically acclaimed education model like Design Build, contextual retrofits for Indian institutes can be stressed for inclusion in the curriculum. The pairing of a private institute and public industry/research body and vice versa can lead to pro-economic and pro-social research environment. These reforms if stressed by an autonomous nationwide regulating body rather than the state will lead to uniformity and flexibility of curriculum which promotes the creation of fresh graduates who are adaptable to the changing needs.

Keywords: architecture education, building information modelling, design build, pedagogy

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Authors: Muneerah Jeludin

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The vibrated column has been widely used over the last three decades to improve the performance of soft ground and engineered compacted fill. The main reason for adopting this technique is that it is economically viable and environmental friendly. The performance of granular column with regards to bearing capacity has been well documented; however, information regarding the settlement behavior of granular columns is still limited. This paper aims to address the findings from a laboratory model study in terms of its settlement improvement. A 300 mm diameter and 400 mm high kaolin clay model was used in this investigation. Columns of various heights were installed in the clay bed using replacement method. The results in relation to load sharing mechanism between the column and surrounding clay just under the footing indicated that in short column, the available shaft resistance was not significant and introduces a potential for end braing failure as opposed to bulging failure in long columns. The settlement improvement factor corroborates well with field observations.

Keywords: ground improvement, model test, reinforced soil, foundation

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Authors: Onosedeba Mary Ayayia

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Inclusive education has emerged as a critical global imperative, aiming to provide equitable educational opportunities for all, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. In Africa, the pursuit of inclusive education faces significant challenges, particularly concerning the development and implementation of inclusive curricula tailored to the diverse needs of students with disabilities. This study delves into the heart of this issue, seeking to address the pressing problem of exclusion and marginalization of students with disabilities in mainstream educational systems across the continent. The problem is complex, entailing issues of limited access to tailored curricula, shortages of qualified teachers in special needs education, stigmatization, limited research and data, policy gaps, inadequate resources, and limited community awareness. These challenges perpetuate a system where students with disabilities are systematically excluded from quality education, limiting their future opportunities and societal contributions. This research proposes a comprehensive examination of the current state of inclusive curriculum development and implementation in Africa. Through an innovative and explicit exploration of the problem, the study aims to identify effective strategies, guidelines, and best practices that can inform the development of inclusive curricula. These curricula will be designed to address the diverse learning needs of students with disabilities, promote teacher capacity building, combat stigmatization, generate essential data, enhance policy coherence, allocate adequate resources, and raise community awareness. The goal of this research is to contribute to the advancement of inclusive education in Africa by fostering an educational environment where every student, regardless of ability or disability, has equitable access to quality education. Through this endeavor, the study aligns with the broader global pursuit of social inclusion and educational equity, emphasizing the importance of inclusive curricula as a foundational step towards a more inclusive and just society.

Keywords: inclusive education, special education, curriculum development, Africa

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Authors: Ahmed Amin Mousa, M. Abd El-Salam

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This study discusses a simple solution for the problem of shortage in learning resources for kindergarten teachers. Occasionally, kindergarten teachers cannot access proper resources by usual search methods as libraries or search engines. Furthermore, these methods require a long time and efforts for preparing. The study is expected to facilitate accessing learning resources. Moreover, it suggests a potential direction for using QR code inside the classroom. The present work proposes that QR code can be used for digitizing kindergarten curriculums and accessing various learning resources. It investigates using QR code for saving information related to the concepts which kindergarten teachers use in the current educational situation. The researchers have established a guide for kindergarten teachers based on the Egyptian official curriculum. The guide provides different learning resources for each scientific and mathematical concept in the curriculum, and each learning resource is represented as a QR code image that contains its URL. Therefore, kindergarten teachers can use smartphone applications for reading QR codes and displaying the related learning resources for students immediately. The guide has been provided to a group of 108 teachers for using inside their classrooms. The results showed that the teachers approved the guide, and gave a good response.

Keywords: kindergarten, child, learning resources, QR code, smart phone, mobile

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Authors: Heikki Valmu, Eero Kupila, Raisa Vartia

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A major curricular reform was implemented in Metropolia UAS in 2014. The teaching was to be based on larger course entities and collaborative pedagogy. The most thorough reform was conducted in the department of electrical engineering and automation technology. It has been already shown that the reform has been extremely successful with respect to student progression and drop-out rate. The improvement of the results has been much more significant in this department compared to the other engineering departments making only minor pedagogical changes. In the beginning of the spring term of 2017, a thorough student feedback project was conducted in the department. The study consisted of thirty questions about the implementation of the curriculum, the student workload and other matters related to student satisfaction. The reply rate was more than 40%. The students were divided to four different categories: first year students [cat.1] and students of all the three different majors [categories 2-4]. These categories were found valid since all the students have the same course structure in the first two semesters after which they may freely select the major. All staff members are divided into four teams respectively. The curriculum consists of consecutive 15 credit (ECTS) courses each taught by a group of teachers (3-5). There are to be no end exams and continuous assessment is to be employed. In 2014 the different teacher groups were encouraged to employ innovatively different assessment methods within the given specs. One of these methods has been since used in categories 1 and 2. These students have to complete a number of compulsory tasks each week to pass the course and the actual grade is defined by a smaller number of tests throughout the course. The tasks vary from homework assignments, reports and laboratory exercises to larger projects and the actual smaller tests are usually organized during the regular lecture hours. The teachers of the other two majors have been pedagogically more conservative. The student progression has been better in categories 1 and 2 compared to categories 3 and 4. One of the main goals of this survey was to analyze the reasons for the difference and the assessment methods in detail besides the general student satisfaction. The results show that in the categories following more strictly the specified assessment model much more versatile assessment methods are used and the basic spirit of the new pedagogy is followed. Also, the student satisfaction is significantly better in categories 1 and 2. It may be clearly stated that continuous assessment and teacher cooperation improve the learning outcomes, student progression as well as student satisfaction. Too much academic freedom seems to lead to worse results [cat 3 and 4]. A standardized assessment model is launched for all students in autumn 2017. This model is different from the one used so far in categories 1 and 2 allowing more flexibility to teacher groups, but it will force all the teacher groups to follow the general rules in order to improve the results and the student satisfaction further.

Keywords: continuous assessment, course integration, curricular reform, student feedback

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Authors: A. K. O’Loughlin

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Identity doesn’t exist in discrete categories as it is defined. Kevin Kumashiro reveals the phrase 'an impossibility of identity' in Troubling Education (2000), an investigation of the intersections of culture and gender and the impact of erasure for queer POC identity. This underscores the essentiality of an insider or an outsider identity and the appearance of 'contradiction' or impossibility of these identities. The contradictions between us as subject in our own stories and in the stories of others are often silenced. This silencing of complex, 'contradicting' identity has unmissable implications in the classroom; the developing student in question is done a serious disservice, from which they may never recover. There is no more important point of contact than the teacher, for willingness to encounter a developing person as they are, not as we already think they are, or 'know' them to be, or think they should be. To decide how to regard them based on our own unilateral identity and its associated exhortations and injunctions is, as Hannah Arendt writes in The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951), to sell off our ability to rise, human-like, to the challenge of investigating things as they are. A re-reading of Kumashiro’s impossibility of identity becomes possible through the investigation of pluralism. Identities become possible and un-paradoxical by the notion that contradictions are not problems that an individual is not unilateral, but plural. In this paper, we investigate how philosophies of pluralism can inform our understanding of impossibility of identity in classroom curriculum and pedagogy.

Keywords: identity, gender, culture, pluralism, education, philosophy of education, queer theory, philosophy of mind, adolescent development

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Authors: Aida Nurul Safitri, Rosita Sari

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Physics is science, which in its learning there are some product such as theory, fact, concept, law and formula. So that to understand physics lesson students not only need a theory or concept but also mathematical calculation to solve physics problem through formula or equation. This is can be taken from mathematics lesson which obtained by students. This research is to know the influence of mathematics learning outcomes towards physics ability in Senior High School through authentic assessment system. Based on the researches have been discussed, is obtained that mathematic lesson have an important role in physics learning but it according to one aspect only, namely cognitive aspect. In Indonesia, curriculum of 2013 reinforces displacement in the assessment, from assessment through test (measuring the competence of knowledge based on the result) toward authentic assessment (measuring the competence of attitudes, skills, and knowledge based on the process and results). In other researches are mentioned that authentic assessment system give positive responses for students to improve their motivation and increase the physics learning in the school.

Keywords: authentic assessment, curriculum of 2013, mathematic, physics

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Authors: Evgeny N. Zakharin, Bartosz Majewski

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Foaming polyurethane is a ground improvement technology that is increasingly used for foundation stabilization with differential settlement and controlled foundation structure lifting. This technology differs from conventional mineral grout due to its injection composition, which provides high-pressure expansion quickly due to a chemical reaction. The technology has proven efficient in the typical geological conditions of the United Arab Emirates. An in-situ trial foundation load test has been proposed to objectively assess the deformative and load-bearing characteristics of the soil after injection. The article provides a detailed description of the experiment carried out in field conditions. Based on the practical experiment's results and its finite element modeling, the deformation modulus of the soil after treatment was determined, which was more than five times higher than the initial value.

Keywords: chemical grout, expanding polyurethane resin, foundation remediation, ground improvement

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Authors: Suparna Bagchi

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Education as a discipline will probably be shaped by the importance it places on a conceptual, curricular, and pedagogical need to shift the emphasis toward transformative classrooms working for positive change through cultural diversity. Awareness of cultural diversity and race equality has heightened following George Floyd’s killing in the USA in 2020. This increasing awareness is particularly relevant in areas of historically low ethnic diversity which have lately experienced a rise in ethnic minority populations and where inclusive growth is a challenge. This research study aims to explore the perspectives of practitioners, students, and parents towards multiculturalism in four South West England primary schools. A qualitative case study methodology has been adopted framed by sociocultural theory. Data were collected through virtually conducted semi-structured interviews with school practitioners and parents, observation of students’ classroom activities, and documentary analysis of classroom displays. Although one-third of the school population includes ethnically diverse children, BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) characters featured in children's books published in Britain in 2019 were almost invisible, let alone a BAME main character. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) are vocal about extending the Curriculum beyond the academic and technical arenas for pupils’ broader development and creation of an understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, race equality and community cohesion which could help in the students’ broader development are not Ofsted’s school inspection criteria. The absence of culturally diverse content in the school curriculum highlighted by the 1985 Swann Report and 2007 Ajegbo Report makes England’s National Curriculum look like a Brexit policy three decades before Brexit. A revised National Curriculum may be the starting point with the teachers as curriculum framers playing a significant part. The task design is crucial where teachers can place equal importance on the interwoven elements of “how”, “what” and “why” the task is taught. Teachers need to build confidence in encouraging difficult conversations around racism, fear, indifference, and ignorance breaking the stereotypical barriers, thus helping to create students’ conception of a multicultural Britain. Research showed that trainee teachers in predominantly White areas often exhibit confined perspectives while educating children. Irrespective of the geographical location, school teachers can be equipped with culturally responsive initial and continuous professional development necessary to impart multicultural education. This may aid in the reduction of employees’ unconscious bias. This becomes distinctly pertinent to avoid horrific cases in the future like the recent one in Hackney where a Black teenager was strip-searched during period wrongly suspected of cannabis possession. Early research findings show participants’ eagerness for more ethnic diversity content incorporated in teaching and learning. However, schools are considerably dependent on the knowledge-focused Primary National Curriculum in England. Moreover, they handle issues around the intersectionality of disability, poverty, and gender. Teachers were trained in times when foregrounding ethnicity matters was not happening. Therefore, preoccupied with Curriculum requirements, intersectionality issues, and teacher preparations, schools exhibit an incapacity due to which keeping momentum on ethnic diversity is somewhat endangered.

Keywords: case study, curriculum decolonisation, inclusive education, multiculturalism, qualitative research in Covid19 times

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Authors: Genute Gedviliene, Vidmantas Tutlys

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The aim of this paper is to reveal the deployment and development of the social competence in the higher education programmes of adult education and in the continuing training and competence development of the andragogues. There will be compared how the issues of cooperation and communication in the learning and teaching processes are treated in the study programmes and in the courses of continuing training of andragogues. Theoretical and empirical research methods were combined for research analysis. For the analysis the following methods were applied: 1) Literature and document analysis helped to highlight the communication and cooperation as fundamental phenomena of the social competence, it’s important for the adult education in the context of digitalization and globalization. There were also analyzed the research studies on the development of social competence in the field of andragogy, as well as on the place and weight of the social competence in the overall competence profile of the andragogue. 2) The empirical study is based on questionnaire survey method. The population of survey consists of 240 students of bachelor and master degree studies of andragogy in Lithuania and of 320 representatives of the different bodies and institutions involved in the continuing training and professional development of the adult educators in Lithuania. The themes of survey questionnaire were defined on the basis of findings of the literature review and included the following: 1) opinions of the respondents on the role and place of a social competence in the work of andragogue; 2) opinions of the respondents on the role and place of the development of social competence in the curricula of higher education studies and continuing training courses; 3) judgements on the implications of the higher education studies and courses of continuing training for the development of social competence and it’s deployment in the work of andragogue. Data analysis disclosed a wide range of ways and modalities of the deployment and development of social competence in the preparation and continuing training of the adult educators. Social competence is important for the students and adult education providers not only as the auxiliary capability for the communication and transfer of information, but also as the outcome of collective learning leading to the development of new capabilities applied by the learners in the learning process, their professional field of adult education and their social life. Equally so, social competence is necessary for the effective adult education activities not only as an auxiliary capacity applied in the teaching process, but also as a potential for improvement, development and sustainability of the didactic competence and know-how in this field. The students of the higher education programmes in the field of adult education treat social competence as important generic capacity important for the work of adult educator, whereas adult education providers discern the concrete issues of application of social competence in the different processes of adult education, starting from curriculum design and ending with assessment of learning outcomes.

Keywords: adult education, andragogues, social competence, curriculum

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Authors: Adel Belal, Sameh Aboelsoud, Mohy Elmashad, Mohammed Abdelmonem

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The two main criteria that control the design and performance of footings are bearing capacity and settlement of soil. In soft soils, the construction of buildings, storage tanks, warehouse, etc. on weak soils usually involves excessive settlement problems. To solve bearing capacity or reduce settlement problems, soil improvement may be considered by using different techniques, including encased cement dust–lime columns. The proposed research studies the effect of adding floating encased cement dust and lime mix columns to soft clay on the clay-bearing capacity. Four experimental tests were carried out. Columns diameters of 3.0 cm, 4.0 cm, and 5.0 cm and columns length of 60% of the clay layer thickness were used. Numerical model was constructed and verified using commercial finite element package (PLAXIS 2D, V8.5). The verified model was used to study the effect of distributing columns around the footing at different distances. The study showed that the floating cement dust lime columns enhanced the clay-bearing capacity with 262%. The numerical model showed that the columns around the footing have a limit effect on the clay improvement.

Keywords: bearing capacity, cement dust – lime columns, ground improvement, soft clay

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Authors: Margareth S. Zanchetta, Kateryna Metersky, Valerie Tan, Charissa Cordon, Stephanie Lucchese, Yana Siganevich, Prasha Sivasundaram, Truong Binh Nguyen, Imran Qureshi

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Due to a new area of practice, Canadian nurses possess knowledge gaps regarding the use of cannabis-based therapies by clients/patients. Education related to medical cannabis (MC) and recreational cannabis (RC) is required to promote nurses’ competency and confidence in supporting clients/patients using MC/RC toward the improvement of health outcomes. A team composed of nursing researchers and undergraduate/graduate students implemented a national survey to explore this theme with the population of undergraduate, graduate (MN and NP), and Post-Diploma (RN Bridging) nursing students enrolled in Canadian Universities Nursing Programs. Upon Research Ethics Board approval, survey recruitment was supported by major nursing stakeholders. The research questions were : (a) Which are the most preferred sources of information on MC/RC for nursing students? (b) Which are the factors and preferred learning modalities that could increase interest in learning about MC/RC, and (c) What are the future career plans among nursing students, and how would they consider the prospective use of cannabis in their practice? The survey was available from Sept. 2022 to Feb. 2023, hosted by a remote platform. An original questionnaire (English-French) was composed of 18 multiple choice questions and 2 open-ended questions. Sociodemographic information and closed-ended responses were compiled as descriptive statistics, while narrative accounts will be analysed through thematic analysis. Respondents (n=153) were from 7 Canadian provinces, national (99%) and international students (1%); the majority of respondents (61%) were in the age range of 21-30 years old. Results indicated that respondents perceive a gap in the undergraduate curriculum on the topics of MC/RC (91%) and that their learning needs include regulations (90%), data on effectiveness (88%), dosing best practices (86%), contraindications (83%), and clinical and medical indications (76%). Respondents reported motivation to learn more about MC/RC through online lectures/videos (65%), e-learning modules or online interactive training (61%), workshops (51%), webinars (36%), and social media (35%). Their primary career-related motivations regarding MC/RC knowledge include enhancing nursing practice (76%), learning about this growing scope of practice (61%), keeping up-to-date responding to scientific curiosity (59%), learning about evidence-based practice (59%), and utilizing alternative forms of medical treatment (37%). Respondents indicated that the integration of topics on cannabis in any course in the undergraduate and/or graduate curriculum would increase their desire to learn about MC/RC as equally as exposure within a clinical setting (75%). The emerging trend in the set of narrative responses (n=130) suggests that respondents believe educational MC/RC content should be integrated into core nursing courses. Respondents also urged educators to be well-informed about evidence-based practice related to MC/RC and to reflect upon stigma and biases surrounding its use. Future knowledge dissemination and translation activities include scholarly products and presentations to stimulate discussion amongst nursing faculty and students, as well as nurses in clinical settings. The goal is to mobilise talents and build collaboration for the development of a socially responsive curriculum on MC/RC competency to address the education-related expectations of all these social actors.

Keywords: Canada, medical cannabis, nursing education, nursing graduate student, nursing undergraduate student, online survey, recreational cannabis

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Authors: Pei Xin Ker

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The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of teachers’ self-efficacy (TSE) on teachers’ perceptions of the levels of implementation of the NPSC. A total of 187 respondents were selected by using purposive homogeneous sampling to represent preschool teachers in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. This study involved a cross-sectional survey in which quantitative data were collected and analysed using descriptive statistics. The survey was containing 74 questionnaire items created using Google Form and distributed through online platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger. The results indicated a high level of overall self-efficacy among the preschool teachers and the overall teachers' perceived level of NPSC. The findings also showed a significant and positive relationship at a high level between TSE and teachers' perceptions of the level of implementation of NPSC. Student involvement was one of the TSE factors that had the greatest influence in shaping teachers' perceptions of the level of implementation of NPSC. The findings of the predictors to teachers' perceptions of the implementation of NPSC within this study can be used as an indication to the researchers to reassure the validity of this study by repeating with similar research settings. Further studies to include other factors are also encouraged to explore the possible factors that may influence the teachers' perceptions of the implementation of NPSC.

Keywords: teachers’ self-efficacy, national preschool standard curriculum, preschool teachers, preschool education

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Authors: Deborah Asibu Abu

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Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is one of the most important ingredients in teaching and learning yet it does not come by chance; it involves necessary strategies appropriate to achieve a common goal. In learning, the psychological attention of the student is very important. This helps them to imagine whatever is being taught for a simple understanding, nonetheless, many students will be able to imagine how the environment is in social studies or how the bones or plant is, in integrated Science but will find it difficult to imagine what subject-verb agreement or phrases and clauses actually looks like until they are motivated or with the use of TLM’s to stir their interest to learn and forever remember. For students to be able to receive the motivation they need, there must be an effective relationship between the teacher and the student as well as the use of strategies for effectual execution of achievable goals. Every teacher must understand the importance of motivation by applying various kinds of teaching methodology, especially in the English Language as a subject. Hence this paper suggests some important factors necessary for student’s motivation in teaching and learning English Language, it handles what teaching method is, types of motivation, educational curriculum structure of many, what suitable teaching methods can achieve, appropriate teachers’ disposition, learning environment as tool for motivation and some other domestic factors that can also influence student motivation.

Keywords: english language, teacher-student relationship, curriculum structure, learning environment

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Authors: Pooya Lotfabadi

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As the global community struggles with pressing environmental challenges, the field of architecture finds itself at the forefront of sustainability issues. This study evaluates the effectiveness of "ecological conscious building design" courses in architecture education, promoting ecological awareness among future architects. Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a framework, the study assesses the course’s influence on students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward sustainable practices. Through analyzing student feedback, performance assessments, and course outcomes, the research highlights the advantages and limitations of integrating ecological building design into the curriculum. Furthermore, the alignment between the course content and the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certification criteria is explored, evaluating its adequacy in preparing students for environmentally responsible architectural practices. This research offers critical insights for academia and the industry, offering guidance for refining pedagogical approaches, improving curriculum design, and fostering young architects committed to environmentally conscious practices. Ultimately, this study seeks to propel the field of architecture toward a more sustainable and ecologically responsible future.

Keywords: AHP, architectural education, ecological design, sustainability

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Authors: Huang Ying

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The present study was to investigate factors affecting children's improvement through the first two years of elementary school on a population-based sample of children with autism in Taiwan. All the children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by clinical psychologists according to DSM-IV. Children's development was assessed by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Chinese version (VABS-C) on the first and the third grade. Children's improvement was measured by the difference between the standardized total score of the third and the first year. In Taiwan, school-age children with special-education needs will be arranged into different classes, including normal classes (NC), resource classes (RC), and special classes (SC) by the government. Therefore, type of class was one of the independent variables. Moreover, as early intervention is considered to be crucial, the earliest age when intervention begins was collected from parents. Attention was also included in the analysis. Teachers were asked to evaluate children's attention with a 3-item Likert Scale. The frequency of paying attention to the class or the task was recorded and scores were summed up. Additionally, standardized scores of the VABS-C in the first grade were used as pretest scores representing children's developmental level at the beginning of elementary school. Multiple regression was conducted with improvement as the dependent variable. Results showed that children in special classes had smaller improvement compared to those in normal or resource classes. Attention positively predicted improvement yet the effect of earliest intervention age was not significant. Furthermore, scores in the first grade negatively predicted improvement, which indicated that children with higher developmental levels would make less progress in the following years. Results were to some degree consistent with previous findings through meta-analysis that the effectiveness of conventional intervention methods lacked sufficient evidence to support.

Keywords: attention, early intervention, elementary school, special education in Taiwan

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Authors: Elisavet Anastasiadou

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Global citizenship refers to an economic, social, political, and cultural interconnectedness, and it is inextricably intertwined with social justice, respect for human rights, peace, and a sense of responsibility to act on a local and global level. It aims to be transformative, enhance critical thinking and participation with pedagogical approaches based on social justice and democracy. The purpose of this study is to explore how Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is presented and implemented in two educational contexts, specifically in the curricula and pedagogical practices of primary education in Finland and Scotland. The impact of GCE is recognized as means for further development by institution such as and Finnish and Scottish curricula acknowledge the significance of GCE, emphasizing the student's ability to act and succeed in diverse and global communities. This comparative study should provide a good basis for further developing teaching practices based on informed understanding of how GCE is constrained or enabled from two different perspectives, extend the methodological applications of Practice Architectures and provide critical insights into GCE as a theoretical notion adopted by national and international educational policy. The study is directly connected with global citizenship aiming at future and societal change. The empirical work employs a multiple case study approach, including interviews and analysis of existing documents (textbook, curriculum). The data consists of the Finnish and Scottish curriculum. A systematic analysis of the curriculum in relation to GCE will offer insights into how the aims of GCE are presented and framed within the two contexts. This will be achieved using the theory of Practice Architectures. Curricula are official policy documentations (texts) that frame and envisage pedagogical practices. Practices, according to the theory of practice architectures, consist of sayings, doings, and relatings. Hence, even if the text analysis includes the semantic space (sayings) that are prefigured by the cultural-discursive arrangements and the relating prefigured by the socio-political arrangements, they will inevitably reveal information on the (doings) prefigured by the material-economic arrangements, as they hang together in practices. The results will assist educators in making changes to their teaching and enhance their self-conscious understanding of the history-making significance of their practices. It will also have a potential reform and focus on educationally relevant to such issues. Thus, the study will be able to open the ground for interventions and further research while it will consider the societal demands of a world in change.

Keywords: citizenhsip, curriculum, democracy, practices

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Authors: Gaoussou Doukoure Abdel Kader, Mnkandla Ernest

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This research aims to investigate the usage of a personal software process oriented information system in order to facilitate the promotion of software quality and its improvement in organizations. In this light, at the term of a literature review on software quality and related concepts, the personal software process is discussed, more particularly in terms of software quality. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a team of software engineers on the first hand to establish a baseline on their understanding of what quality entails for them. The PSP methodology will then be presented to the engineers in its most basic aspects. The research will then proceed to practical case study where a PSP oriented information system is submitted to engineers for usage throughout their development process. Reports from the PSP information system as well as feedback from the engineers will be used in conjunction with the theoretical foundation to establish a PSP inspired framework for software quality promotion and improvement.

Keywords: information communication technology, personal software process, software quality, process quality, software engineering

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Authors: Sergio Mauricio Pérez López, Luis Rodrigo Valencia Pérez, Juan Manuel Peña Aguilar, Adelina Morita Alexander

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The culture of continuous improvement in organizations is very important as it represents a source of competitive advantage. This article discusses the transfer of knowledge between companies which formed cross-functional teams and used a dynamic model for knowledge creation as a framework. In addition, the article discusses the structure of cognitive assets in companies and the concept of "stickiness" (which is defined as an obstacle to the transfer of knowledge). The purpose of this analysis is to show that an improvement in the attitude of individual members of an organization creates opportunities, and that an exchange of information and knowledge leads to generating continuous improvements in the company as a whole. This article also discusses the importance of creating the proper conditions for sharing tacit knowledge. By narrowing gaps between people, mutual trust can be created and thus contribute to an increase in sharing. The concept of adapting knowledge to new environments will be highlighted, as it is essential for companies to translate and modify information so that such information can fit the context of receiving organizations. Adaptation will ensure that the transfer process is carried out smoothly by preventing "stickiness". When developing the transfer process on cross-functional teams (as opposed to working groups), the team acquires the flexibility and responsiveness necessary to meet objectives. These types of cross-functional teams also generate synergy due to the array of different work backgrounds of their individuals. When synergy is established, a culture of continuous improvement is created.

Keywords: knowledge transfer, continuous improvement, teamwork, cognitive assets

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Authors: M. Danial Ismail, Turkan Sultan Yasar Ismail, Mehmet Cetin

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Eco-design issues are seldom addressed as a major importance in most projects in Turkey. Cities undergo a rapid urban expansion with less awareness and focus on green spaces. The aim of this paper is firstly to analyse the graduating landscape architecture students of Kastamonu University’s perception on the new course content that discusses the relationship of art, space and nature in the context of landscape architectural design using the perception analysis methodology. Secondly, this paper also addresses how these elements synthesize together in an artistic perception in concept and form. In this study, a new coursework subject was introduced as a part of the curriculum for the 4th year students of the undergraduate program and project proposals dealing with the concept of art, space and nature were discussed and graded. Simulations of contemporary art installations in gallery spaces are built upon the concept of critical awareness to ecological problems. These concepts and simulations are important as they will influence future developments and projects. This paper will give an insight to scholars and professionals regarding new concepts of multidisciplinary education strategies and its positive effects on critical and creative design thinking within the scope of ecological design.

Keywords: art, ecological design, landscape architecture curriculum, space and nature

Procedia PDF Downloads 347