Search results for: health education intervention

Authors: Fathimath Warda, Mariyam Nihaadh

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Students with Special Education Needs (SEN) are increasing in the Maldives, like anywhere else in the world, due to the changes in lifestyle of the people and ease of being diagnosed with advancements in medical health. With the growth in the population of these students, the demand for professionals in various fields is unmet. Thus, with the introduction of the Inclusive Education Policy in 2013, all students are educated in the same classroom by the regular teacher. This poses problems as the teachers are not well trained and qualified to meet the varying needs of the students, given the limited time and the large number of students in the classroom. This is a major concern for all stakeholders in the education sector and research has been conducted by various local scholars in this area. However, studies on the role of parents of such students is an area that remains yet to be explored in the Maldives, which makes a study of this nature crucial. The main aim of this study is to determine the ways in which the education provided to Special Needs Students can be maximized for a better outcome. Therefore, the study intends to understand the involvement of parents in providing education to special needs students from the teachers' perspectives. The basis for this study is the Parent Development Theory developed by Mowder, which was initially known as Parent Role Development Theory. A qualitative research has thus been utilised for the purpose of the study as it requires to find the beliefs and attitudes of teachers, along with relevant justifications regarding the role of parents in educating students with special needs. Data was gathered using one-to-one interviews, as it is one of the most reliable ways of getting meaningful and in-depth data. The study employs a total of 8 participants who are teachers teaching in inclusive classes where students with special needs are included. Emphasis was paid to select teachers who have the experience of teaching students with different disorders commonly found in the Maldives, namely in the four areas, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and speech impairment. Hence, purposive sampling will be used to select the participants. Data analysis has been done using thematic coding. The findings revealed that teachers highlighted that parents' involvement was a key factor in ensuring success of education in children with special needs. Thus, the study concludes that the role of parents as a necessary input for the proper development of children and in educating children with special needs, suggesting that extra measures have to be taken develop a positive relationship between teachers and parents in order to strengthen this aspect.

Keywords: involvement, parents' role, special education needs, teachers' voice

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Authors: Kim Eunha

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This study examined a group-based intervention for alcohol use disorders based on the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in patients (N=22; 63.7% female; M = 38.2 years old; 100% South Korean) in a residential alcohol addiction treatment program. Patients were randomly assigned to either ACT group (receiving the ACT intervention) or control group (receiving treatment as usual). The ACT intervention consisted of four 2-hr group sessions scheduled during two weeks. The first session focused on the negative effects of suppression and avoidance, and a rationale for defusion and acceptance using several of the well-known ACT metaphors (e.g., Two Scales Metaphor, Man in the Hole). The second session taught defusion and acceptance skills through such exercises as mindfulness, cutting a sour fruit, naming one’s thoughts, and physicalizing. The third session included another mindfulness exercise and encouraged the participants to identify their values and set up life goals. The last session included more discussion on values and life goals, especially related to family and intimacy. The effects of the interventions were assessed using intent-to-treat analyses. The ACT interventions resulted in smaller immediate gains in motivation to stay sober and reductions in depression, anxiety, and experiential avoidance. In addition, at a 2-month follow up, those who attended the ACT group reported a lower average level of alcohol consumption and higher treatment attendance compared to the control group. These preliminary findings suggest that additional treatment and testing of ACT for alcohol use disorders will be crucial.

Keywords: acceptance and commitment therapy, alcohol use disorders, defusion, values

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Authors: Lihong Wu, Raymond Young

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The ability to learn is one of the most critical skills in the information age. However, many students do not have a clear understanding of what learning is, what they are learning, and why they are learning. Many students study simply to pass rather than to learn something useful for their career and their life. They have a misconception about learning and a wrong attitude towards learning. This research explores student attitudes to study in management education and explores how to intercede to lead students from shallow to deeper modes of learning.

Keywords: knowledge, surface learning, deep learning, education

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Authors: Eyob Seife

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Immunization is a life-saving intervention which prevents needless suffering through sickness, disability, and death. Emphasis on data quality and use will become even stronger with the development of the immunization agenda 2030 (IA2030). Quality of data is a key factor in generating reliable health information that enables monitoring progress, financial planning, vaccine forecasting capacities, and making decisions for continuous improvement of the national immunization program. However, ensuring data of sufficient quality and promoting an information-use culture at the point of the collection remains critical and challenging, especially in hard-to-reach and pastoralist areas where Degehabur district is selected based on a hypothesis of ‘there is no difference in reported and recounted immunization data consistency. Data quality is dependent on different factors where organizational, behavioral, technical, and contextual factors are the mentioned ones. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted on September 2022 in the Degehabur district. The study used the world health organization (WHO) recommended data quality self-assessment (DQS) tools. Immunization tally sheets, registers, and reporting documents were reviewed at 5 health facilities (2 health centers and 3 health posts) of primary health care units for one fiscal year (12 months) to determine the accuracy ratio. The data was collected by trained DQS assessors to explore the quality of monitoring systems at health posts, health centers, and the district health office. A quality index (QI) was assessed, and the accuracy ratio formulated were: the first and third doses of pentavalent vaccines, fully immunized (FI), and the first dose of measles-containing vaccines (MCV). In this study, facility-level results showed both over-reporting and under-reporting were observed at health posts when computing the accuracy ratio of the tally sheet to health post reports found at health centers for almost all antigens verified where pentavalent 1 was 88.3%, 60.4%, and 125.6% for Health posts A, B, and C respectively. For first-dose measles-containing vaccines (MCV), similarly, the accuracy ratio was found to be 126.6%, 42.6%, and 140.9% for Health posts A, B, and C, respectively. The accuracy ratio for fully immunized children also showed 0% for health posts A and B and 100% for health post-C. A relatively better accuracy ratio was seen at health centers where the first pentavalent dose was 97.4% and 103.3% for health centers A and B, while a first dose of measles-containing vaccines (MCV) was 89.2% and 100.9% for health centers A and B, respectively. A quality index (QI) of all facilities also showed results between the maximum of 33.33% and a minimum of 0%. Most of the verified immunization data accuracy ratios were found to be relatively better at the health center level. However, the quality of the monitoring system is poor at all levels, besides poor data accuracy at all health posts. So attention should be given to improving the capacity of staff and quality of monitoring system components, namely recording, reporting, archiving, data analysis, and using information for decision at all levels, especially in pastoralist areas where such kinds of study findings need to be improved beside to improving the data quality at root and health posts level.

Keywords: accuracy ratio, Degehabur District, regular childhood immunization program, quality of monitoring system, Somali Region-Ethiopia

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Authors: Farhat Nigar

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Social stress is stress which arises from one's relationships with others and from the social environment. When a person finds that they are not capable of coping with a situation, stress arises. Sanitation workers faces a lot of discrimination from the society which leads to stress and have severe impact on their mental health. Sanitation workers face lot of work pressure which sometimes leads to mental health problems, but there is lack of proper data of sanitation workers dealing with mental health problems which is a big obstacle before evolving policies for the welfare of sewage and septic tank workers which needs attention. The objective of the study is to find out the effect of social stress on the mental health of sanitation workers and to explore the scope of social work in coping with mental health problems of workers. This descriptive and analytical study was conducted on 100 sanitation workers of Aligarh city through convenience sampling. Data were collected from respondents by schedule and interview method. Most of the respondents said that they don’t enjoy equal status in society and at the workplace as well which leads to stress. Many of them said that social stress leads to poor performance in the workplace. Some of the workers feel depressed when their work is not appreciated and recognized in society. Majority of respondents has stress in financial and employment-related difficulties. Thus it can be said that social stress has several impacts on mental health which leads to poor performance, lack of confidence, and motivation which sometimes leads to depression. Social work can play a very important and challenging role in overcoming these difficulties by providing education, motivation and guiding them and by making them aware of their rights and duties.

Keywords: discrimination, health, stress, sanitation workers

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Authors: Kurotimi M. Fems, Francis D. W. Poazi, Helen Opigo

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The concepts of entrepreneurship education together with graduate entrepreneurship have taken centre stage in many countries as a 21^st century strategy for economic growth and development. Entrepreneurship education has been viewed as a pre-requisite tool for a more effective and successful business operation. This paper seeks to verify if entrepreneurship education is pre-requisite to graduate entrepreneurship, and to ascertain if such other factors as the need for achievement, competence and experience etc. also play a foundational role in the choice of a graduate becoming an entrepreneur. The scope of the research study is entrepreneurs within Yenagoa metropolis in Bayelsa state, Nigeria. The sample target is graduates engaged in entrepreneurship activities (graduates who own and run businesses). Stratified sampling technique was used and 101 responses were obtained from a total of 300 questionnaires issued. Bar chart, tables and percentages were used to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed that personality traits, situational circumstance, need for achievement and experience/competence were the foundational factors stimulating graduate entrepreneurs to engage in entrepreneurial pursuits. Of all, personality trait showed the highest score with 73 (73%) out of 101 entrepreneurs agreeing. Experience/Competence and situational circumstances followed behind with 66 (65%) and 63 (62.4%), respectively. Entrepreneurship education revealed the least score with 33 (32.3%) out of 101 participating entrepreneurs. All hope, however, is not lost, as this shows that something can be done to increase the impact of entrepreneurship education on graduate entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Creative destruction, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship education, graduate entrepreneurship, pre-requisite

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Authors: Michael Nicolosi, Karola Dillenburger

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The University of California at Los Angeles-Young Autism Project (UCLA-YAP) provides one of the best-known and most researched comprehensive applied behavior analysis-based intervention models for young children on the autism spectrum. This paper reports a systematic literature review of replication studies over more than 30 years. The data show that the relatively high-intensity UCLA-YAP model can be greatly beneficial for children on the autism spectrum, particularly with regard to their cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior. This review concludes that, while more research is always welcome, the impact of the UCLA-YAP model on autism interventions is justified by more than 30 years of outcome evidence.

Keywords: ABA, applied behavior analysis, autism, California at Los Angeles Young Autism project, intervention, Lovaas, UCLA-YAP

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Authors: Abdelkader Guendouz, Fatima Zohra Adel

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Even if both the economic and the human development are an axial pillar in its global policy, Algerian government seems to be more and more engaged in the international context aiming to reach of the so called millennium development goals, and this since its beginning. By looking closely at the Algerian economic policy, it is easy to mention the existence of several programs in which both economic and social realisations including among others, poverty reduction, enhancement of education level and conditions, woman statute and gender equity amelioration targets. The efforts of Algerian government in the field of these targets had been acheminated through three main plans, which are: -PSRE (Plan de Soutien à la Relance Economique), for the period of 2001 to 2004, initiated with about 7 billion US dollar, had been focused on three objectives, namely, poverty reduction, job creation and regional equilibrium with rural areas revitalization. -PCSC (le Programme complémentaire de soutien à la croissance économique), for the period of 2005 to 2009, with a starting funding of 114 billion US dollar. This program aims to develop public services and supporting public investments, especially in which concerns social infrastructures. Now, and at the end of the maturity of the MDGs agenda, an important question is to be asked: what are the main realizations regarding these MDGs? In order to answer this question, the present paper tries to examine the Algerian economic policy (but also the social one) by considering the MDGs challenges, for the period from 2000 to 2010, but also until 2015. This examination is focused on three main targets, namely poverty, education, and health. Firstly, statistical assessment for the Algerian economic and social situation shows that almost all MDGs had been reached during the period of 2000 to 2009 and it continues to maintain and improve them. This observation can be endorsed by invoking some achievements. Starting by the reduction of poverty, the proportion of population living with less than 1 US dollar per a day passed from 8.0 % in 2000 to 0.5 % in 2009, and 0.3 % in 2015. For education sphere, the enrolment ratio of six-year child, which is the most significant index for school attendance, is about 98 % for 2009 against 93 % in 1999, and only 43 % in 1966. Concluding with health care and relevant services; the Algerian government has accomplished big steps in providing easy access to this sector for the population. Moreover, the percentage of assisted accouchement had been raised from 91.2 % in 2000 to 97.2 % in 2009.

Keywords: Algerian economic policy, MDGs, poverty, education, health

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Authors: Ibrahim Alhassan Libata

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This study was carried out to assess attitude of secondary school students towards science and technical education in Yauri metropolis, Kebbi State, Nigeria. The population of the study was 200. Proportionate random sampling method was used in selecting 132 as sample size. Science and technical education is the most powerful forces for change in the world today, and students who hope to have a hand in shaping a better future must participate for their advancements. Four Null hypotheses were generated to guide the conduct of the study, questionnaire was the only instrument used in the study; the instrument was subjected to test-retest reliability. The reliability index of the instrument was 0.69. Overall scores of the Students were analyzed and a mean score was determined, the mean score of students was 85. There were no significant differences between the attitudes of male and female students towards science and technical education. The results also revealed that there was significant difference between the attitude of boding and day school students towards science and technical education, personality constraints of students is one factor militating against the participation of students in science and technical education, socio-economic status of the parents over the years have been the dominant factor of student’s inadequate representation in the field of science and technical education. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommended that teachers should motivate students, which they can do through their teaching styles and by showing them the relevance of the learning topics to their everyday lives. Government and the school management should create the learning environment that helps motivate students not only to come to classes but also want to learn and enjoy learning science and technical education, establishment of more Science and Technical Colleges education, more Public enlightenment campaigns to motivate parents and the entire community to support their children in studying science and technical education.

Keywords: attitude, students, science, Yauri

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Authors: Tiwi Kamidin

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After years of effort trying to integrate environmental education, studies keep revealing that Malaysian still not reached the certain level of desired commitment toward the environment. Some researchers mentioned that our planet healthy is depending on our mentally health especially our psychological and spiritual is split from the natural. Therefore, this study discussed on ecopcyhological approach in order to enhance space consciousness toward the environment. Space consciousness represents not only freedom from ego but also from dependency on the things of this world, from materialism and materiality. It is the spiritual dimension which alone can give transcendent and true meaning to this world. If pupils can balance this internal awareness will put an individual to respect the environment as part of yourself and your family against only as contributors to the continuance of human’s life. Qualitative findings showed that the informants considered their consciousness toward environment has been changed.

Keywords: ecopsychological approach, space consciousness, environmental education, environment

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Authors: Magdalena Hasplova, Katerina Ivanova

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Perinatal palliative care is a relatively young and developing field that includes the care of a fetus or newborn with a life-threatening or limiting defect and his family. However, the training of midwives in perinatal palliative care is insufficient and midwives do not feel prepared for this aspect of their work. This fact can affect the barriers to communication with the mother or family of the endangered child. The main aim was to analyze the awareness of midwifery students on the issue of perinatal palliative care in the Czech Republic. Based on the analysis, draw attention to possible communication barriers that may be caused by insufficient information. The research was carried out using a qualitative method, the method of data collection was a semi-structured interview. Eleven female students took part in the research, and the respondents were selected using the Snowballing method. Some methods of grounded theory (open coding and category creation) were used to analyze the data. Based on the results of the research, questions were set in a questionnaire focused on communication barriers between mothers (family) and health care professionals in the care of newborns with life-threatening or limiting disabilities. Based on the analysis of data, categories 1 were determined. Knowledge of perinatal palliative care 2. Education 3. Practical experience 4. Readiness and concerns in the provision of perinatal palliative care 6. Supervision. The questions in the questionnaire were then derived taking into account the data obtained, and the operationalization of health literacy in the field of perinatal palliative care was performed. The analysis of the interviews revealed that the education of midwives in the Czech Republic in the issue of perinatal palliative care is not uniform. The research confirmed the insufficient knowledge and skills of midwifery students preparing to provide perinatal palliative care. Respondents reported feelings of unpreparedness in the areas of communication with a woman after perinatal loss, psychological support for a woman and her family, the care of a stillborn or dying child, or self-coping with death. The questions in the questionnaire then develop these areas. We assumed that by analyzing and interpreting the data obtained from our research, we will help to better understand the concerns and motivations of students in providing holistic perinatal palliative care. We came to the conclusion that it would be appropriate to set up a unified and comprehensive education on this issue in the Czech Republic. Healthcare professionals are in a unique position that can positively or negatively affect the intensity of perinatal loss. Already properly set up education of health professionals leads to overcoming barriers in communication between health professionals and the family, experiencing perinatal loss.

Keywords: midwife, perinatal loss, perinatal palliative care, communication, barriers, mothers, family

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Authors: Salvador Antelmo Casanova Valencia

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This study documents the use of the Minecraft Education Edition application to explore immersive game-based learning environments. We analyze the contributions of fourth-year university students who are pursuing a degree in Administrative Computing at the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo. In this study, descriptive data and statistical inference are detailed using a quasi-experimental design using the Wilcoxon test. The instruments will provide data validation. Game-based learning in immersive environments necessarily implies greater student participation and commitment, resulting in the study, motivation, and significant improvements, promoting cooperation and autonomous learning.

Keywords: game-based learning, gamification, higher education, Minecraft

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Authors: Kaycee Bills

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Action research is a method of inquiry useful in solving social problems in social work. This study seeks to address a significant problem: higher education’s use of traditional instructional methods in social work education. Ineffective techniques, such as lecturing, fail to account for students’ variable learning needs. In contrast to traditional pedagogy, universal design for learning (UDL) is a robust framework that '[improves] and [optimizes] teaching and learning for all people' (CAST, 2018), including students with disabilities. For this project, the research team interviewed the UDL and Accessibility Specialist at their institution for two reasons: (1) to learn how to implement UDL practices in their classrooms, and in turn, (2) to motivate other faculty members at their institution to consider enacting UDL principles. A thematic analysis of the interview’s transcript reveals themes relevant to practicing UDL. Implications for future practice, as well as the researcher’s reflections on the research process, are shared in the discussion section.

Keywords: disabilities, higher education, inclusive education, universal design for learning

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Authors: Peggy M. Randon, Lisa Randon

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Introduction: The post-COVID-19 era has presented unique challenges for addressing complex mental health issues, particularly due to exacerbated stress, increased social isolation, and disrupted continuity of care. This article outlines relevant health disparities and policy implications within the context of the United States while maintaining international relevance. Methods: A comprehensive literature review (including studies, reports, and policy documents) was conducted to examine concerns related to childhood-onset schizophrenia and the impact on patients and their families. Qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized to provide insights into the complex etiology of schizophrenia, the effects of the pandemic, and the challenges faced by socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Case studies were employed to illustrate real-world examples and areas requiring policy reform. Results: Early intervention in childhood is crucial for preventing or mitigating the long-term impact of complex psychotic disorders, particularly schizophrenia. A comprehensive understanding of the genetic, environmental, and physiological factors contributing to the development of schizophrenia is essential. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened symptoms and disrupted treatment for many adolescent patients with schizophrenia, emphasizing the need for adaptive interventions and the utilization of virtual platforms. Health disparities, including stigma, financial constraints, and language or cultural barriers, further limit access to care, especially for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Policy implications: Current US health policies inadequately support patients with schizophrenia. The limited availability of longitudinal care, insufficient resources for families, and stigmatization represent ongoing policy challenges. Addressing these issues necessitates increased research funding, improved access to affordable treatment plans, and cultural competency training for healthcare providers. Public awareness campaigns are crucial to promote knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of mental health disorders. Conclusion: The unique challenges faced by children and families in the US affected by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders have yet to be adequately addressed on institutional and systemic levels. The relevance of findings to an international audience is emphasized by examining the complex factors contributing to the onset of psychotic disorders and their global policy implications. The broad impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health underscores the need for adaptive interventions and global responses. Addressing policy challenges, improving access to care, and reducing the stigma associated with mental health disorders are crucial steps toward enhancing the lives of adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia and their family members. The implementation of virtual platforms can help overcome barriers and ensure equitable access to support and resources for all patients, enabling them to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Keywords: childhood, schizophrenia, policy, United, States, health, disparities

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Authors: Pauli P.Y. Lai

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Students with Special Education Needs (SEN) face many challenges in learning. Various challenges include difficulty in handwriting, slow understanding and assimilation, difficulty in paying attention during class, and lack of communication skills. To engage students with Special Education Needs in class with general students, Blackboard Collaborate is used as a teaching and learning tool to deliver a lecture with interactive activities. Blackboard Collaborate provides a good platform to create and enhance active, collaborative and interactive learning experience whereby the SEN students can easily interact with their general peers and the instructor by using the features of drawing on a virtual whiteboard, file sharing, classroom chatter, breakout room, hand-raising feature, polling, etc. By integrating a blended learning approach with Blackboard Collaborate, the students with Special Education Needs could engage in interactive activities with ease in class. Our research aims at exploring and discovering the use of Blackboard Collaborate for inclusive education based on a qualitative design with in-depth interviews. Being served in a general education environment, three university students with different kinds of learning disabilities have participated in our study. All participants agreed that functions provided by Blackboard Collaborate have enhanced their learning experiences and helped them learn better. Their academic performances also showed that SEN students could perform well with the help of technology. This research studies different aspects of using Blackboard Collaborate to create an inclusive learning environment for SEN students.

Keywords: blackboard collaborate, enhanced learning experience, inclusive education, special education needs

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Authors: Luma Vaz, Marcio Port-Carvalho

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The main objective of this research was to study the basics aspects of the ecology of a group of capuchin monkeys (Cebus spp.), evaluating the risks that habit and food that is given by the visitors may cause to the people's health and animals welfare, also how to make proposals for mitigation and management guidelines. In order to do that, some aspects of the animal's ecology (such as diet, habitat range and habitat use) and activity patterns were studied. It was also measured the frequency of contact with visitors at the park using protocols for data collection. The behavioral categories of displacement and resting represent more than 80% of total activities, followed by feeding (13%) and others (6%). When compared to the studies in natural environment, the Cebus group studied has a small living area (1.7ha) occupying mostly the PEAL public area. The diversity of items offered by the visitors and the high frequency of contact closer than one meter suggests that using information and education campaigns must be a priority in the public program in PEAL in order to avoid future accidents and diseases transmissions.

Keywords: capuchin monkeys, Cebus, environmental education, public health, wildlife management

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Authors: Dwarika P. Shrestha, Dipendra Gurung, Rushma Shrestha, Inger Rosdahl

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Introduction: Skin diseases are one of the most common health problems in Nepal. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of skin diseases and impact on quality of life in rural areas in Nepal. Materials and methods: A house-to-house survey was conducted, to obtain socio-demographic data and identify individuals with skin diseases, followed by health camps, where the villagers were examined. A pilot study was conducted in one village, which was then extended to 10 villages in 4 districts. To assess the impact on quality of life, the villagers were interviewed with Skin Disease Disability Index. This is a questionnaire developed and validated by the authors for use in Nepal. Results: In the pilot study, the overall prevalence of skin diseases was 20.1% (645/3207). In the additional 10 villages with 7348 (3651/3787 m/f) inhabitants, 1862 (721/1141 m/f, mean age 31.4 years) had one or more skin diseases. The overall prevalence of skin diseases was 25%. The most common skin disease categories were eczemas (13.7%, percentage among all inhabitants) pigment disorders (6.8%), fungal infections (4.9%), nevi (3.7%) and urticaria (2.9%). These five most common skin disease categories comprise 71% of all skin diseases seen in the study. The mean skin disease disability index score was 13.7, indicating very large impact on the quality of life. Conclusions: This population-based study shows that skin diseases are very common in the rural areas of Nepal and have significant impact on quality of life. Targeted intervention at the primary health care level should help to reduce the health burden due to skin diseases.

Keywords: prevalence and pattern of skin diseases, impact on quality of life, rural Nepal, interventions

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Authors: V. Moser-Siegmeth, M. C. Gambal, M. Jelovcak, B. Prytek, I. Swietalsky, D. Würzl, C. Fida, V. Mühlegger

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Adaptability is the capacity to adjust without great difficulty to changing circumstances. Within our project, we aimed to detect whether older people living within a long-term care hospital lose the ability to adapt. Theoretical concepts are contradictory in their statements. There is also lack of evidence in the literature how the adaptability of older people changes over the time. Following research questions were generated: Are older residents of a long-term care facility able to adapt to changes within their daily routine? How long does it take for older people to adapt? The study was designed as a convergent parallel mixed method intervention study, carried out within a four-month period and took place within seven wards of a long-term care hospital. As a planned intervention, a change of meal-times was established. The inhabitants were surveyed with qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires and diaries before, during and after the intervention. In addition, a survey of the nursing staff was carried out in order to detect changes of the people they care for and how long it took them to adapt. Quantitative data was analysed with SPSS, qualitative data with a summarizing content analysis. The average age of the involved residents was 82 years, the average length of stay 45 months. The adaptation to new situations does not cause problems for older residents. 47% of the residents state that their everyday life has not changed by changing the meal times. 24% indicate ‘neither nor’ and only 18% respond that their daily life has changed considerably due to the changeover. The diaries of the residents, which were conducted over the entire period of investigation showed no changes with regard to increased or reduced activity. With regard to sleep quality, assessed with the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, there is little change in sleep behaviour compared to the two survey periods (pre-phase to follow-up phase) in the cross-table. The subjective sleep quality of the residents is not affected. The nursing staff points out that, with good information in advance, changes are not a problem. The ability to adapt to changes does not deteriorate with age or by moving into a long-term care facility. It only takes a few days to get used to new situations. This can be confirmed by the nursing staff. Although there are different determinants like the health status that might make an adjustment to new situations more difficult. In connection with the limitations, the small sample size of the quantitative data collection must be emphasized. Furthermore, the extent to which the quantitative and qualitative sample represents the total population, since only residents without cognitive impairments of selected units participated. The majority of the residents has cognitive impairments. It is important to discuss whether and how well the diary method is suitable for older people to examine their daily structure.

Keywords: adaptability, intervention study, mixed methods, nursing home residents

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Authors: Ali Arabkheradmand, Enayat A. Shabani, Shabnam Ranjbar Nikkhoo

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Historical and ancestral bonds of the countries in the Middle East have led to similarities in culture and context of their societies. In addition, economic resources, such as the oil industry, have generally been an integrative point in the region. Higher education of a country is influenced by different national and international factors and regarding the mentioned bonds, it is inviting to study the development of the countries of the Middle East in higher education and draw some practical implications which can be used in the educational policy-making of the region. This review includes a data analysis on the population of international students in the countries of the Middle East. As its second objective, a review study on the successful countries, that is those which host the highest number of international students and the strategies they have developed to reach this state among the countries of the region has been conducted. Suggestions are made as to the strategies in higher education systems of these countries which could prove useful and practical in the development of internationalization of higher education in the region, specifically with regard to the recruitment of international students.

Keywords: internationalization of higher education, international student recruitment, Middle East countries, educational policy making

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Authors: Jose Rodrigo Zubiri, Sofia Carmen Tomacruz

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Amidst an increasingly digitalized society, information and communication technologies have been seamlessly integrated into the economic, social, and political life of individuals. Information has been regarded as a primary good, essential to the wellbeing and self-respect of individuals in society. The digital engagements of an individual play a key role in a variety of life outcomes ranging from academic performance to entrepreneurial success to health service uptake. As a result of varying degrees of access to the Internet and ICTs across populations and individuals, a digital divide emerges. Education, a sector pivotal to directing individual life trajectories, has been radically transformed with regards to the learning process and access to information and thus faces the implications of the digital divide, as new waves of inequalities are introduced in the classroom. As the period of basic education is critical to transitioning into civic life or higher education, digital inequalities are capable of aggravating pre-existing social inequalities. Through survey-questionnaires, conducted on 152 high school students from a Philippine public school, the study reveals the correlation of academic performance and aspirations (for their highest academic qualification) to access to digital technologies and the Internet, according to Van Dijk’s four measurements of digital poverty, namely: motivational access, material access, skills access, and usage access. The findings reveal a positive correlation for academic performance whereas no correlation was found between aspirations and digital access. In the study, significant correlational differences were also found between genders, specifically, in terms of skills access and academic performance.

Keywords: digital divide, ICTs, inequality, education, life trajectories

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Authors: Julie A. Carberry, Victor Maddalena

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Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) have existed in various forms for centuries. In the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in popularity. AAIs are now part of the lives of persons of all ages in many types of institutions. Anecdotal evidence of the benefits of AAIs have led to widespread adoption, yet there remains a lack of solid research base for support. The research question was, what are the lived experiences of AAI volunteer handlers are? An interpretive phenomenological methodology was used for this qualitative study. Data were collected from 1 - 2 hour-long semi-structured interviews and 1 observational field visit. All interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded for themes by the principal investigator. Participants must have been an active St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program volunteer for a least one year. In total, 14 volunteer handlers, along with some of their dogs, were included. The St. John Ambulance is a not for profit organization that provides training and community services to Canadians. The Therapy Dog Program is 1 of the 4 nationally recognized core community service programs. The program incorporates dogs in the otherwise traditional therapeutic intervention of friendly visitation with clients. The lack of formal objectives and goals, and a trained therapist defines the program as an Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA), which is a type of AAI. Since the animals incorporated are dogs, the program is specifically a Canine-Assisted Activity (CAA), which is a type of Canine-Assisted Intervention (CAI). Six themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (a) a win-win-win situation for all parties involved – volunteer handlers, clients, and the dogs, (b) being on the other end of the leash: functions of the role of volunteer handler, (c) the importance of socialization: from spreading smiles to creating meaningful connections, (d) the role of the dog: initiating interaction and providing comfort, (e) an opportunity to feel good and destress, and (f) altruism versus personal rewards. Other insights were found regarding the program, clients, and staff. Possible implications from this research include increased organizational recruitment and retention of volunteer handlers and as well as increased support for CAAs and other CAIs that incorporate teams of volunteer handlers and their dogs. This support could, in turn, add overall support for the acceptance and broad implementation of AAIs as an alternative and or complementary non-pharmaceutical therapeutic intervention.

Keywords: animal-assisted activity, animal-assisted intervention, canine-assisted activity, canine-assisted intervention, perspective, qualitative, volunteer handler

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Authors: Michael J. Cutler

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This paper presents what musical boundary play can look like when beginning music learners work with professional musicians with an emphasis on composition. Music education can be re-imagined through the lenses of boundary objects and boundary play by engaging non-professional musicians in collaborative sound creation, improvisation and composition along with professional musicians. To the author’s best knowledge, no similar study exists on boundary objects and boundary play in music education. The literature reviewed for this paper explores the epistemological perspectives connected to music education and situates musical boundary play as an alternative approach to the more prevalent paradigms of music education in K-12 settings. A qualitative multiple-case study design was chosen to seek an in-depth understanding of the role of boundary objects and musical boundary play. The constant comparative method was utilized in analyzing and interpreting the data resulting in the development of effective, transferable theory. The study gathered relevant data using audio and video recordings of musical boundary play, artifacts, interviews, and observations. Findings from this study offer insight into the development of a more inclusive music education and yield a pedagogical framework for music education based on musical boundary play. Through the facilitation of musical boundary play, it is possible for music learners to experience musical sound creation, improvisation and composition in the same way an instrumentalist or vocalist would without the acquisition of complex component operations required to play a traditional instrument or sing in a proficient manner.

Keywords: boundary play, boundary objects, music education, music pedagogy, musical boundary play

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Authors: Nadeem Hassan, Farooq Ahmad

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The quality of education has a direct impact on individual, family, society, economy in general and the mankind as a whole. Because of that thousands of research papers and articles are written on the quality of education, billions of dollars are spent and continuously being spent on research and enhancing the quality of education. Academic programs accredited agencies define the various criterion of quality of education; academic institutions obtain accreditation from these agencies to ensure degree programs offered at their institution are of international standards. This R&D aims to build a web based analytical tool (OptiBaha) that finds the gaps in AlBaha University education system by taking input from stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff and management. The input/online-data collected by this tool will be analyzed on core areas of education as proposed by accredited agencies, CAC of ABET and NCAAA of KSA, including student background, language, culture, motivation, curriculum, teaching methodology, assessment and evaluation, performance and progress, facilities, availability of teaching materials, faculty qualification, monitoring, policies and procedures, and more. Based on different analytical reports, gaps will be highlighted, and remedial actions will be proposed. If the tool is implemented and made available through a continuous process the quality of education at AlBaha University can be enhanced, it will also help in fulfilling criterion of accreditation agencies. The tool will be generic in nature and ultimately can be used by any academic institution.

Keywords: academic quality, accreditation agencies, higher education, policies and procedures

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Authors: Aysegul Salikutluk, Zehra Altinay, Gokmen Dagli, Fahriye Altinay

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The aim of the study is to reveal the performance of special education schools as regards the service quality and management within the school culture. The project management and school climate are the fundamental elements for the quality in organisations. Having strategic plans, activities and funded projects improve service quality and satisfaction for the families who have children with disabilities. The research has qualitative nature, self-reports were used to examine the perceptions of teachers upon project management and school climate for service quality. The results show that special education schools' teachers are aware of essence of school climate and flow of communication for service quality and project management.

Keywords: disability, education, service quality, project management

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Authors: Teris Cheung, Joyce Yuen Ting Lam, Kwan Hin Fong, Calvin Pak-Wing Cheng, Julie Sittlington, Yu-Tao Xiang, Tim Man Ho Li

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Insomnia is one of the most common health problems in the general population. Insomnia can be acute, intermittent, and become chronic, often due to comorbidity with other physical and mental health conditions. Although there are conventional pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic treatments to treat symptoms of insomnia, however; there is no robust and novel randomized controlled trial (RCT) using transdermal neurostimulation on individuals with insomnia symptoms. This gives us the impetus to execute the first nationwide RCT. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on individuals with insomnia in Hong Kong. Design: This study was a two-armed, double blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Sampling: 60 community-dwelling adults aged 18 and 60 years with moderate insomnia symptoms or above (Insomnia Severity Index > 14) were recruited. All subjects were computerized randomized into either the active VeNS group or the sham VeNS group on a 1:1 ratio. Intervention: All participants received a home-use VeNS device and used 30-min VeNS sessions during five consecutive days across a 4-week period (total treatment hours: 10). Baseline measurements and post-VeNS evaluation of the psychological outcomes, including 1) insomnia severity, 2) sleep quality, and 3) quality of life were investigated. The short-and long-term sustainability of the VeNS intervention was assessed immediately after poststim and at a 1-month and 3-month follow-up period. Data analysis: A mixed GEE model was used to analyze the repeated measures data. Missing data were managed by multiple imputations. The level of significance was set to p < 0.05. Significance of the study: This is the first trial to examine the efficacy and safety of VeNS among adults with insomnia symptoms in Hong Kong. Findings that emerged were used to determine whether this VeNS device can be considered a self-help technological device to reduce the severity of insomnia in the community setting and to reduce the global disease burden. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04452981.

Keywords: adults, insomnia, neuromodulation, rct, vestibular stimulation

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Authors: Pantelis Sklias, Panagiota Chatzimichailidou

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This study intents to clarify the nexus of adult education and economic development within the methodological framework of political economy within EU. The main logic behind this study is that economies with a higher level of adult education have higher levels of economic development. Despite the assumption that policy making in adult education will clearly be facilitated by any ‘proofs’ of efficiency, mainly monetary, this study acknowledges the limitations following the use of the narrow economic approaches embedded in the neoclassical framework and proposes that the methodological framework of political economy is the most relevant to explore the correlation between adult education and economic development. Focusing only on neoclassical economics to explore the financial impact of adult education, it will marginalize the consideration of its history, producing a short of historical amnesia, besides the social harm, namely the devaluation of its socio-cultural influences. On the other side the political economy perspective offers a wider perception of adult education’s profits from a quantitative and a qualitative perspective too. The understanding of adult education engages questions of political economy because it is identified mainly as means of transformation, either personal or societal, serving humanistic values, besides its accepted monetary attributes. The political economy elevates questions regarding how the three institutional arrangements -the state, the market, and the civil society, are engaged in promoting adult education and therefore how adult education could reinforce economic development. Here the economic substance is still considered but it is placed into a wider social spectrum, where politics, economy, and history interact with one another. This study restricts itself in EU and explores the role of the three institutional arrangements both in the formulation of policy planning, and in the mental transformational process of the individual learners, which opens the path to a deeper understanding of the interaction between the individual and the social action, and therefore between adult education and economic development. This study also elevates the idea that economic development can have a positive impact on the unification of Europe, which encompasses economic, political, and cultural components.

Keywords: adult education, economic development, EU, political economy, unification of Europe

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Authors: Kaavya Chandrasekar

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Healthy eating is essential to maintain good health and stable mental status regardless of age. WHO describes that a healthy diet consists of incorporating more fruits and vegetables and reducing the consumption of sugary and salty foods into a regularly scheduled healthy diet. Although this attitude is rather uncommon among all age groups, it is notably uncommon among the teens being a very vulnerable state in a man’s life. Faulty dietary habits, in the long run, interfere with health, leading to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and mental instability. This study collates a discussion on the barriers prevailing among adolescents, to inculcate healthy eating practices by means of the socioecological model. The studies consisted of teens aged 13 to 19 years from schools and colleges of both sexes. The socio-ecological model emphasizes the interplay and interconnectedness of elements at all levels of health behavior, acknowledging that the majority of public health issues are just too complicated to be solved from a single-level perspective. As a result, it necessitates that people are not considered in isolation from bigger social groups. According to the studies retrieved from ten articles studies conducted globally, more than five articles suggest that socioeconomic class, lack of adult supervision and easy access to fast food stores and schools affect their decision of healthy eating. Awareness via personalized intervention has been tried and found successful. Future research is still needed to address various dimensions of the issue.

Keywords: socio ecological model, healthy eating, adolescents, fast food consumption, interventions.

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Authors: Kiran Bala

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Health, education and employment opportunities available for a common citizen reflect the development status of a country. Health of an individual affects the growth of a country in every aspect. According to a study by WHO, India is estimated to lose more than $237 billion of its GDP over the period 2006-15 on account of premature death and morbidity from Non-communicable diseases alone. Each year 37 million people fall below poverty line due to high expenditure on health services they have to incur. Falling sick puts a double burden on them in terms of loss of income and expenditure on health care which pushes them further into debt and poverty. Adding to the gravity of situation, public spending on health in India has itself declined after liberalization from 1.3% of GDP in 1990 to 0.9% in 1999. The Approach Paper of the Government of India to the Twelfth Five Year Plan indicated that health expenditure alone as a per cent of GDP was about 1.4 per cent (B.E.) in 2011-12. It also mentioned that if one included expenditure on rural water supply and sanitation, the figure would be about 1.8 per cent. Given the abysmally low level of priority accorded to health in Indian economic policy, it becomes rather important to study the representation of health in the Indian public sphere. To this end, this study examines the prioritization of health in the public policy agenda of the national/regional political parties as evidenced in their election manifestos at a time when the nation is poised to go for the General Elections. The paper also focuses attention on the prioritization of health in the public perception as evidenced in their reasons for their preferences for a particular party or individual contestant. To arrive at the reasons for the priority level accorded by the political actors and the citizens, the study uses Focus groups of health policy makers, media persons, medical practitioners and voters. Collected data will be analysed in the theoretical framework of spiral of silence and agenda setting theory.

Keywords: health, election manifestos, public perception, policies

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Authors: Saeideh Lotfi Nikoo, Azadeh Ghaheri, Reza Omani Samani

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Context: In most cultures around the globe, infertility is recognized as a crisis and exposed infertile couples are under psychosocial pressure. Indeed, the quality of life (QoL) for infertile women is lower in comparison with fertile control. Objective, The purpose of this study, was to investigate the impact of social support and hope on QoL in women undergoing infertility treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional study. Patient(s): In this cross-sectional study, 350 infertile women were recruited who were referred to an infertility clinic for the first time and had no history of Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) failure. Intervention(s): Questionnaires on the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL), Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (family and friends), and Snyder Hope Scale (pathway and agency) were used to collect data. Data analysis was done by univariate and multivariate analysis. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result(s): Multivariate analysis indicated that infertile women with a higher score of social support (by family & friends) (b= 0.59 (CI 95%: 0.03, 1.15) (P = 0.040), b= 0.61 (CI 95%: 0.17, 1.04) (P = 0.006)) and hope (pathway & agency) (b= 0.94 (CI 95%: 0.29, 1.59) (P = 0.005), b= 1.13 (CI 95%: 0.45, 1.82) (P = 0.001) respectively) have significantly better Core FertiQoL. The result revealed that social support and hope are significantly and positively associated with other subscales of FertiQoL as well. Conclusions: According to the results, lifestyle interventions such as receiving social support, building a sound family with effective communication, and providing appropriate health education are of crucial importance to address psychological distress and improve the fertility QoL of women experiencing fertility problems.

Keywords: inertility, social support, infertile women, hope

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Authors: Hatice Canan Gungor, Ahmet Akdemir

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The fields of engineering and technological sciences are increasing in quality and quantity day by day all over the world. Countries have to follow, implement and adapt these developments in order to economical empowerments. In our era, it's possible to follow the rapidly developing technology and to produce new technologies by inquisitive, curious, numerical thinking individuals who can show several approaches to problem solving. In this case, countries should develop te result oriented and need-focused curriculums in university education. As in the whole world, there are more space studies in our country as well. Universities should undertake the task of supply the need for staff of this technological race. In this context, questions about the purpose, content and learning outcomes of the space sciences and space engineering departments in our country will be researched answers to reveal the characteristic of this section. In this study, it was determined in which universities the space engineering and the departments of basic sciences educate with formal education and the contents of this education, and the universities were compared with each other as of 2017. In our country three universities provide Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, two universities provide Space Sciences and Technologies, two universities provide Aerospace Engineering, two universities provide Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering education. In all universities, specialized courses are taught after basic engineering education. But the question that needs to be answered is, do the lessons benefit in practice? The answer of this question will reveal the quality of the education. This paper suggests that surveys be conducted to search for the answer to this question. It's thought to be the base for the next works.

Keywords: education, space engineering, space science, quality of systems

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