Search results for: multidisciplinary perspectives
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 1709

Search results for: multidisciplinary perspectives

1559 Recovery of Metals from Electronic Waste by Physical and Chemical Recycling Processes

Authors: Muammer Kaya

Abstract:

The main purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of various physical and chemical processes for electronic waste (e-waste) recycling, their advantages and shortfalls towards achieving a cleaner process of waste utilization, with especial attention towards extraction of metallic values. Current status and future perspectives of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) recycling are described. E-waste characterization, dismantling/ disassembly methods, liberation and classification processes, composition determination techniques are covered. Manual selective dismantling and metal-nonmetal liberation at – 150 µm at two step crushing are found to be the best. After size reduction, mainly physical separation/concentration processes employing gravity, electrostatic, magnetic separators, froth floatation etc., which are commonly used in mineral processing, have been critically reviewed here for separation of metals and non-metals, along with useful utilizations of the non-metallic materials. The recovery of metals from e-waste material after physical separation through pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical or biohydrometallurgical routes is also discussed along with purification and refining and some suitable flowsheets are also given. It seems that hydrometallurgical route will be a key player in the base and precious metals recoveries from e-waste. E-waste recycling will be a very important sector in the near future from economic and environmental perspectives.

Keywords: e-waste, WEEE, recycling, metal recovery, hydrometallurgy, pirometallurgy, biometallurgy

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1558 Pleomorphic Dermal Sarcoma: A Management Challenge

Authors: Mona Nada, Fahmy Fahmy

Abstract:

Background: Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma is a rare form of skin cancer affecting cutaneous layer and, in some cases associated with recurrence and metastasis, very commonly to seen in elderly patient affecting the area of head and neck. Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma rises in ultraviolet light exposed areas. The symptoms and severity of this kind of skin cancer varies according to histological factors. The differentiation of Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma needs extensive immunohistochemistry, as the diagnosis depends mainly on exclusion to rule out other malignancy like poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, angiosarcoma and leiomyosarcoma. Objective: assessing the management of Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma in our unit and compared to the updated guidelines. Design: Retrospective study Collection of patient data from medical records at countess of Chester plastic surgery unit of the last 5 years, all histologically confirmed Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma (2017-2023). Data were collected confirmed to be Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma were included in the study. The data collected: clinical description of the lesions at first presentation, operation time, multidisciplinary team discussion, plan, referral as well as second operation and investigation done. With comparison of histological examination, immunohistochemistry staining, the excision and rate of recurrence. Results: data collected N19 from (2017-2023) showed the disease predominantly affecting males and the lesion mainly in head and neck, the diagnosis needed extensive immunohistochemistry to differentiate between other malignancy. recurrence present in numbers of the cases which managed after multidisciplinary team discussion either by excision or radiotherapy. Conclusion: Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma is a rare malignancy which needs more understanding and avoid missing as it is aggressive form of skin cancer, there is a chance of metastasis and recurrence which makes it very important to understand the process of development of the cancer and frequent review of the management guidelines.

Keywords: pleomorphic dermal sarcoma, recurrence, radiotherapy, surgical

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1557 Remembrance and Mourning: Taking the History of Poetry and on the Burning of the Old Summer Palace by the Anglo-French Forces as the Core of the Research

Authors: Wang Hsiao-Wen

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This paper is based on the burning of the Old Summer Palace by the Anglo-French forces. The Old Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, is an imperial garden located outside Beijing, but it was looted and burned down by the Anglo-French troops. Hundreds of guards died, and Emperor Xianfeng also fled from the back door to the Chengde Mountain Resort in a hurry. It is a very shameful piece of Chinese imperial history. At that time, it was well known that the capital was almost occupied. However, the detailed process of the whole incident and the subsequent accountability was regarded as a national shame, which was omitted in the historical records and rarely mentioned by scholars, especially under the rulings of Xianfeng and Tongzhi. Due to this, the researcher explored how the incident was documented in historical poetry and how the war was recalled and evaluated from different perspectives so that rich and diverse historical interpretations can be constructed. The issues explored and discussed in this paper are divided into two parts: (i) the historical writing of the Incident in Gengshen Year, which mainly focuses on the Historical Poetry on the Burning of the Old Summer Palace by the Anglo-French forces, and (ii) the different identities of poets and their perspectives of mourning, which leads to the homogeneity or heterogeneity of their interpretations.

Keywords: Anglo-French expedition to China, the Incident in Gengshen Year, burning of the Old Summer Palace, historical poetry

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1556 Parents' Attitude toward Compulsory Pre-School Education in Slovakia

Authors: Sona Lorencova, Beata Hornickova

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Compulsory pre-school education in Slovakia will be established by the Education Act for all five-year-old children from September 2021. The implementation of this law will change pre-school education in our country from optional to compulsory, and children will be able to complete this education either in institutional form school facilities or in the form of individual education at the request of the parent. The primary purpose of this change is that all children achieve pre-school education before entering primary school, thus eliminating differences between children before entering primary school. The benefits of introducing compulsory pre-school education are obvious to the professional public. However, as this fundamental change in children's education is perceived by parents who have a prime position in the upbringing and education of their children, research pays minimal attention. The aim of the study is to interpret the findings of quantitatively oriented research, which was focused on finding out the attitudes of parents to the planned introduction of compulsory preschool education in Slovakia. The data were obtained through questionnaires primarily intended for parents of preschool children. In the distributed questionnaire, the degree of agreement or disagreement with individual items could be expressed on a 5-point Likert scale. The results of the research present how perceived compulsory pre-school education is perceived by the parental public in Slovakia and what perspectives and limitations parents anticipate after its introduction.

Keywords: compulsory pre-school education, education act, childs' learning and development, kindergarten, parents' perspectives

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1555 From Waste to Wealth: A Future Paradigm for Plastic Management Using Blockchain Technology

Authors: Jim Shi, Jasmine Chang, Nesreen El-Rayes

Abstract:

The world has been experiencing a steadily increasing trend in both the production and consumption of plastic. The global consumer revolution should not have been possible without plastic, thanks to its salient feature of inexpensiveness and durability. But, as a two-edged sword, its durable quality has returned to haunt and even jeopardized us. That exacerbating the plastic crisis has attracted various global initiatives and actions. Simultaneously, firms are eager to adopt new technology as they witness and perceive more potential and merit of Industry 4.0 technologies. For example, Blockchain technology (BCT) is drawing the attention of numerous stakeholders because of its wide range of outstanding features that promise to enhance supply chain operations. However, from a research perspective, most of the literature addresses the plastic crisis from either environmental or social perspectives. In contrast, analysis from the data science perspective and technology is relatively scarce. To this end, this study aims to fill this gap and cover the plastic crisis from a holistic view of environmental, social, technological, and business perspectives. In particular, we propose a mathematical model to examine the inclusion of BCT to enhance and improve the efficiency on the upstream and the downstream sides of the plastic value, where the whole value chain is coordinated systematically, and its interoperability can be optimized. Consequently, the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goal and Circular Economics (CE) sustainability can be maximized.

Keywords: blockchain technology, plastic, circular economy, sustainability

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1554 The Influence of Concept-Based Teaching on High School Students’ Research Skills

Authors: Nazym Alykpashova

Abstract:

This article is based on the results of the action research at Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. The participants of this research were high school students who study Global Perspectives and Project Work course. Intellectual schools are designed to become an experimental site that develops, monitors, studies, analyzes, approves, implements modern models of educational programs. Subjects in NIS aimed to develop skills that will be useful for students in their life. Students learn how to do projects, research credible information, solve different issues. Many subjects cover complex topics, and most teachers feel that they often have to deliver a lot of information within one hour. Many educators recognize Conceptual Teaching, as well as Conceptual Learning, has a lot of benefits for students in terms of developing their perception of the subject topics. This qualitative paper presents findings of two research questions which explored high school students’ perception of conceptual teaching and its impact on their academic performance. Individual semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted with Global Perspectives teachers and students. The results of this action research assist teachers reflect on their professional practice.

Keywords: concept-based teaching, students’ research skills, teacher’s professional development, kazakhstan

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1553 Factors Influencing Public Attitudes Towards Mental Illness in the Togolese Population

Authors: Myriam Roy

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The perspectives of the Togolese public towards mental illness were assessed, looking at religious affiliation, personal knowledge of someone with a mental illness, and education level as influencers. The goal was to observe which factors influenced most strongly the general public’s attitudes towards mental illness. The Togolese population was surveyed within the context of mental health awareness workshops and involved college and university students, rural community members, and company employees. Taylor and Dear’s Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) questionnaire was used to assess these influencers and includes four dimensions of community attitudes towards mental illness: authoritarianism, benevolence, social restrictiveness, and community mental health ideology (CMHI). Demographic questions were also included, tailored to the various realities of the Togolese population. These questions looked, among others, at religious, ethnical (region of origin within Togo), and educational background. It was found that religious affiliation and personal knowledge did not correlate significantly with changes in the four dimensions of the CAMI scale. It suggests that public perspectives towards mental illness might not be as associated with these variables as was previously thought. The dimensions, however, did correlate with themselves as was expected. Authoritarianism was associated positively with social restrictiveness, benevolence was associated negatively with social restrictiveness and positively with CMHI, and CMHI was associated negatively with social restrictiveness, indicating the CAMI did not suffer from reliability and validity issues when used with this population. Interestingly, level of education significantly impacted authoritarianism level, with higher education associated with a decrease in authoritarianism. This finding would support the notion that education is likely to provide access to a wide array of information as well as interaction with people from various backgrounds and situations. Providing increased awareness regarding mental health and illness in schools could be beneficial to favor the impact that education appears to have on public perspectives towards mental illness in Togo. Future studies could assess which mental health interventions in schools would be the most useful in Togo.

Keywords: CAMI questionnaire, cross-cultural psychology, stigma towards mental illness, West African psychology

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1552 Patient Perspectives on Telehealth During the Pandemic in the United States

Authors: Manal Sultan Alhussein, Xiang Michelle Liu

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Telehealth is an advanced technology using digital information and telecommunication facilities that provide access to health services from a distance. It slows the transmission factor of COVID-19, especially for elderly patients and patients with chronic diseases during the pandemic. Therefore, understanding patient perspectives on telehealth services and the factors impacting their option of telehealth service will shed light on the measures that healthcare providers can take to improve the quality of telehealth services. This study aimed to evaluate perceptions of telehealth services among different patient groups and explore various aspects of telehealth utilization in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey distributed via social media platforms was used to collect research data. In addition to the descriptive statistics, both correlation and regression analyses were conducted to test research hypotheses. The empirical results highlighted that the factors such as accessibility to telehealth services and the type of specialty clinics that the patients required play important roles in the effectiveness of telehealth services they received. However, the results found that patients’ waiting time to receive telehealth services and their annual income did not significantly influence their desire to select receiving healthcare services via telehealth. The limitations of the study and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: telehealth, patient satisfaction, pandemic, healthcare, survey

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1551 Human Rights Law: A Comparative Study of the Nigerian Legal Provisions and the Islamic Law Perspectives

Authors: Abdus-Samii Imam Arikewuyo

Abstract:

The human rights phenomenon increasingly gains universal prominence in the contemporary age. This embraces the clamour for a just treatment of individuals in society. The human rights agitation is a global pursuit which virtually gave birth to many national and international human rights organizations. In particular, Nigeria accedes to a number of human rights covenants. Invariably, there are some provisions which are recognized as inalienable rights of man in his society by which his intrinsic worth and dignity are protected by law. Nonetheless, the constituents of human rights differ in various societies. Conversely, Islam, as a complete code of life, guarantees the rights of a man vis-à-vis the rights of others in his environment regardless of place and time. Human rights pressure in Nigeria in recent times prompted proactive steps to address the issue through various legal instruments. Amazingly, the struggle appears to be a rhetorical noise because the human rights violation subsists. This provokes the present research on a comparative study of the Nigerian legal provisions and the Islamic law perspectives on human rights. It is discovered that the first is simply theoretical, while the other contains both the theoretical framework and the practical measures for its enforcement. The study adopts analytical and descriptive methods. It concludes with the assertion that the Islamic law provisions are all-embracing, universal and more efficacious. Hence, it recommends the adoption of the Islamic law approach to human rights issues.

Keywords: human rights, Nigerian legal provisions, shariah law, comparative study, charter

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1550 Enjoyable Learning Experience, but also Difficult: Young, Unaccompanied Refugees' Perspectives on Participatory Research

Authors: Kristina Johansen

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Participation is a universal right that all children and young people are entitled to, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Social work and action research share participation as a core value. However, we have limited knowledge of how children and young people of refugee background experience taking part in participatory research. The point of departure of this presentation is a qualitative study involving young, unaccompanied refugees, addressing the issues of psychosocial health and participation. The research design included participatory methods and action research. The presentation highlights the perspectives of young, unaccompanied refugees on what made participating in the research process valuable, what created challenges for participation and what created challenges for the action part in the research process. Feedback from participants indicated that taking part in enjoyable experiences, being listened to, sharing experiences, and learning from each other contributed to making the participation valuable. At the same time, participants addressed challenges related to communication, sensitive topics, participation in decision-making and powerlessness. The presentation will end with implications for social work research and practice involving young refugees.

Keywords: participatory research, power, young unaccompanied refugeees, relationships, participation

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1549 Designing for Sustainable Public Housing from Property Management and Financial Feasibility Perspectives

Authors: Kung-Jen Tu

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Many public housing properties developed by local governments in Taiwan in the 1980s have deteriorated severely as these rental apartment buildings aged. The lack of building maintainability considerations during project design phase as well as insufficient maintenance funds have made it difficult and costly for local governments to maintain and keep public housing properties in good shape. In order to assist the local governments in achieving and delivering sustainable public housing, this paper intends to present a developed design evaluation method to be used to evaluate the presented design schemes from property management and financial feasibility perspectives during project design phase of public housing projects. The design evaluation results, i.e. the property management and financial implications of presented design schemes that could occur later during the building operation and maintenance phase, will be reported to the client (the government) and design schemes revised consequently. It is proposed that the design evaluation be performed from two main perspectives: (1) Operation and property management perspective: Three criteria such as spatial appropriateness, people and vehicle circulation and control, property management working spaces are used to evaluate the ‘operation and PM effectiveness’ of a design scheme. (2) Financial feasibility perspective: Four types of financial analyses are performed to assess the long term financial feasibility of a presented design scheme, such as operational and rental income analysis, management fund analysis, regular operational and property management service expense analysis, capital expense analysis. The ongoing Chung-Li Public Housing Project developed by the Taoyuan City Government will be used as a case to demonstrate how the presented design evaluation method is implemented. The results of property management assessment as well as the annual operational and capital expenses of a proposed design scheme are presented.

Keywords: design evaluation method, management fund, operational and capital expenses, rental apartment buildings

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1548 Textile Firms Response to the Restriction of Nonylphenol and Its Ethoxylates: Looking from the Perspectives of Attitude and the Perceptions of Technical and Organizational Adaptabilities, Risks, Benefits, and Barriers

Authors: Hien T. T. Ho, Tsunemi Watanabe

Abstract:

The regulatory and market pressures on the restriction of nonylphenol and its ethoxylates in textile articles have confronted the textile manufacturers, particularly those in developing countries. This study aimed to examine the tentative behavior of the textile manufacturers in Vietnam from the perspectives of attitude and the perceptions of technical and organizational adaptabilities, risks, benefits, and barriers. Personal interviews were conducted with five technical specialists from four textile firms and one chemical supplier. The environmental regulatory and market situations regarding the chemical use in Vietnam were also described. The findings revealed two main opposing trends of chemical substitution depending on the market orientation of firms that governed the patterns of risk and benefit perception. The indirect influence of perceived adaptabilities on firm tentative behavior through perceived risks was elucidated, which initiated a conceptual model of firm’s behavior combining the organizational-based and the rational-based relationships. The intermediary role of non-governmental textile and garment industrial/ trade associations is highlighted to strengthen private firm’s informative capacity.

Keywords: firm behavior, institutional analysis, organizational adaptation, technical adaptation

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1547 Perspectives of Healthcare Workers on Healthcare-Associated Infections and Infection Control in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Abha, Saudi Arabia

Authors: Esther Paul, Ibrahim A. M. Alzaydani, Al Hakami, Caryl Beynon

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Research Objectives and Goal: The main aim of the current study was to explore the perspectives of healthcare workers on Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and infection control measures in a tertiary care Hospital in Abha, Saudi Arabia. As per our knowledge, this is perhaps the first qualitative study on HAI to be done in Saudi Arabia. The goal of the study was to understand the perspectives of the healthcare workers on the current protocol and guidelines for HAI and infections control measures in the hospital, the effectiveness of the current protocol for HAI and infection control measures and ways of reducing the incidence of HAI and improve infection control measures. Methods used: A qualitative research design was used to collect the data from 25 healthcare workers consisting of doctors and nurses, recruited by Snowball strategy via semi-structured interviews which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim immediately. An interview guide consisting of open-ended questions about the existing HAI and infection control practices in the healthcare facility, the awareness of the healthcare workers about HAI and the need for safe infection control measures were used to collect the data. The transcribed data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Results: Using thematic analysis four themes were identified.1.Knowledge of HAI and infection control 2. Infection control measures in practice 3. The gap in infection control measures and HAI 4. Required Implementations. The first theme covered the participants' knowledge on HAI, its definition, the types of HAI and the infection control measures.Most of the participants were aware of HAI and had some idea of the definition of HAI, its significance and the dangers posed by HAI, but few residents had no idea of the types of HAI. The second theme was focussed on the infection control measures in practice. Most of the participants were aware of the importance of infection control measures like hand hygiene, catheter care, and waste disposal. The nurses were responsible for most of the disinfection and sterilization measures and practiced it effectively. However, some doctors and residents had no inkling about these measures. The third theme emphasized that although most of the participants were aware of HAI and infection control measures and were in practice. There were some lacunae regarding their knowledge of the different types of HAI, Personal Protective Equipment practices, communication among the healthcare personnel and the hospital administrations and the means of waste disposal. The fourth and the final theme identified that most of the participants felt the need for implementations of changes regarding existing protocols, workshops/seminars, methods of waste disposal and sterilization and disinfection practices. Conclusion: The current qualitative study concluded that there is a need for better educational programs and hands-on training for all the healthcare personnel including the paramedical staff as well. The residents should have adequate knowledge of infection control practices to guide the nurses and should share the responsibility with the nurses in the practice of effective infection control measures

Keywords: healthcare-associated infections, infection control measures, perspectives, qualitative

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1546 Fulani Herdsmen and the Threat to Grassroots Security in Rural Nigeria

Authors: Akachi Odoemene

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There is an ongoing grassroots war in Nigeria, particularly in its north central zone, as well as all through its southern parts, which have been most bloody. The war is between Fulani herdsmen and farming communities – an age-long problem which has escalated in the last decade and has assumed a very deadly dimension. In a typical scenario, Fulani herdsmen move into non-Fulani homelands with their cattle which graze on local farmlands, destroying farmers’ crops. This provokes their victims – the farmers – to acts of resistance, preventing the Fulani and their cattle from entering into farmlands. In some cases, there have been incidences of killing and/or stealing cattle, or poisoning of fields. In response, the herders wedge deadly attacks on farming communities, leading to the death of thousands of people. To be sure, this has been a major factor of instability in the rural areas of Nigeria. This paper aims at engaging the issues and cross-cutting issues of interest, as well as providing context and perspectives to the violent conflicts between Fulani herders and local communities in Nigeria. It particularly interrogates four central issues: (1) the nature and dynamics of the crisis, (2) the positions and stakes of the parties to the crisis, (3) the remedies available for containing/managing the conflicts and their desirability, and (4) perspectives on the positions of government(s) (and the African Union) on this conflict. Both primary and secondary sources were used for the purposes of this essay.

Keywords: Fulani Herdsmen, violent conflicts and insecurity, sustainable remedies, Nigeria

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1545 The Effect of Knowledge Management in Lean Organization

Authors: Mehrnoosh Askarizadeh

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In an ever changeable and globalized world with new economic and global competitors competing for the same customers and resources, is increasing the pressure on organizations' competitiveness. In addition, organizations faces additional challenges due to an ever-growing amount of data and the ever-bigger challenge of analyzing that data and keeping the data secure. Successful companies are characterized by exploiting their intellectual capital in an efficient manner. Thus, the most valuable asset an organization has today has become its employees' knowledge. To enable this, there is a tool that supports easier handling and optimizes the use of knowledge, which is knowledge management. Based on the theoretical framework and careful review as well as analysis of interviews and observations resulted in six essential areas: structure, management, compensation, communication, trust and motivation. The analysis showed that the scientific articles and literature have different perspectives, different definitions and are based on different theories but the essence is that they all finally seems to arrive at the same result and conclusion, although with different viewpoints and perspectives. This is regardless of whether the focus is on management style, rewards or communication they all focus on the individual. The conclusion is that organizational culture affects knowledge management and dissemination of information, because of its direct impact on the individual. The largest and most important underlying factor why we choose to participate in improvement work or share knowledge is our motivation. Motivation is the reason for and the reason behind our actions.

Keywords: lean, lean production, knowledge management, information management, motivation

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1544 Advancing Aviation: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Innovation, Management, and Technology Integration in the 21st Century

Authors: Fatih Frank Alparslan

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The aviation industry is at a crucial turning point due to modern technologies, environmental concerns, and changing ways of transporting people and goods globally. The paper examines these challenges and opportunities comprehensively. It emphasizes the role of innovative management and advanced technology in shaping the future of air travel. This study begins with an overview of the current state of the aviation industry, identifying key areas where innovation and technology could be highly beneficial. It explores the latest advancements in airplane design, propulsion, and materials. These technological advancements are shown to enhance aircraft performance and environmental sustainability. The paper also discusses the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in improving air traffic control, enhancing safety, and making flight operations more efficient. The management of these technologies is critically important. Therefore, the research delves into necessary changes in organization, culture, and operations to support innovation. It proposes a management approach that aligns with these modern technologies, underlining the importance of forward-thinking leaders who collaborate across disciplines and embrace innovative ideas. The paper addresses challenges in adopting these innovations, such as regulatory barriers, the need for industry-wide standards, and the impact of technological changes on jobs and society. It recommends that governments, aviation businesses, and educational institutions collaborate to address these challenges effectively, paving the way for a more innovative and eco-friendly aviation industry. In conclusion, the paper argues that the future of aviation relies on integrating new management practices with innovative technologies. It urges a collective effort to push beyond current capabilities, envisioning an aviation industry that is safer, more efficient, and environmentally responsible. By adopting a broad approach, this research contributes to the ongoing discussion about resolving the complex issues facing today's aviation sector, offering insights and guidance to prepare for future advancements.

Keywords: aviation innovation, technology integration, environmental sustainability, management strategies, multidisciplinary approach

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1543 The Construction of Malaysian Airline Tragedies in Malaysian and British Online News: A Multidisciplinary Study

Authors: Theng Theng Ong

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This study adopts a multidisciplinary method by combining the corpus-based discourse analysis study and language attitude study to explore the construction of Malaysia airline tragedies: MH370, MH17 and QZ8501 in the selected Malaysian and United Kingdom (UK) online news. The study aims to determine the ways in which Malaysian Airline tragedies MH370, MH17 and QZ8501 are linguistically defined and constructed in terms of keyword and collocation. The study also seeks to identify the types of discourse that are presented in the new articles. The differences or similarities in terms of keywords, topics or issues covered by the selected Malaysian and UK news media will also be examined. Finally, the language attitude study will be carried out to examine the Malaysia and UK university students’ attitudes toward the keywords, topics or issues covered by the selected Malaysian and UK news media pertaining to Malaysian Airline tragedies MH370, MH17 and QZ8501. The analysis is divided into two parts with the first part focusing on corpus-based discourse analysis on the media text. The second part of the study is to investigate Malaysians and UK news readers’ attitudes towards the online news being reported by the Malaysian and UK news media pertaining to the Airline tragedies. The main findings of corpus-based discourse analysis are essential in designing the questions in the questionnaires and interview and therefore led to the identification of the attitudes among Malaysian and UK news. This study adopts a multidisciplinary method by combining the corpus-based discourse analysis study and language attitude study to explore the construction of Malaysia airline tragedies: MH370, MH17 and QZ8501 in the selected Malaysian and United Kingdom (UK) online news. The study aims to determine the ways in which Malaysian Airline tragedies MH370, MH17 and QZ8501 are linguistically defined and constructed in terms of keyword and collocation. The study also seeks to identify the types of discourse that are presented in the new articles. The differences or similarities in terms of keywords, topics or issues covered by the selected Malaysian and UK news media will also be examined. Finally, the language attitude study will be carried out to examine the Malaysia and UK university students’ attitudes toward the keywords, topics or issues covered by the selected Malaysian and UK news media pertaining to Malaysian Airline tragedies MH370, MH17 and QZ8501. The analysis is divided into two parts with the first part focusing on corpus-based discourse analysis on the media text. The second part of the study is to investigate Malaysians and UK news readers’ attitudes towards the online news being reported by the Malaysian and UK news media pertaining to the Airline tragedies. The main findings of corpus-based discourse analysis are essential in designing the questions in the questionnaires and interview and therefore led to the identification of the attitudes among Malaysian and UK news.

Keywords: corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis, news media, tragedies study

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1542 Enhancing Chinese Foreign Language Teachers’ Intercultural Competence: An Action Research Study

Authors: Wei Hing Rosenkvist

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In the past few decades, concerns and demands of promoting student intercultural communicative competence in foreign language education have been increasing along with the rapid growth of information technologies and globalization in the 21st century. In Sweden, related concepts such as internationalization, global citizenship, multiculturalism, and intercultural communication, are also keywords that would be found in the written learning objectives of foreign language education at all levels. Being one of the leading higher institutes in distance education in Europe, Dalarna University clearly states that after completion of the teacher education program, students shall understand the needs for integrating internationalization, intercultural and global perspective in teaching and learning in Swedish schools and implement their studies to promote education in an international and global context. Even though many teachers and educators agree with the institutes’ mission and vision about the importance of internationalization and the need to increase student understanding of intercultural and global perspectives, they might find this objective unattainable and restricted due to the nature of the subject and their knowledge of intercultural competence. When conducting a comprehensive Chinese language course for the students who are going to become Chinese foreign language teachers, the researcher found that all the learning objectives are linguistic oriented while grammatical components dominate the entire course. Apparently, there is a gap between the learning objectives of the course and the DU’s mission of fostering an international learner with intercultural and globalized perspectives. How to include this macro-learning objective in a foreign language course is a great challenge to the educator. Although scholars from different academic domains have provided different theoretical frameworks and approaches for developing student intercultural competence, research that focuses on the didactic perspectives of developing student intercultural competence in teaching Chinese as a foreign language education (CFL) is limited, and practical examples are rare. This challenge has motivated the researcher to conduct an action research study that aims at integrating DU’s macro-learning objective in a current CFL course through different didactic practices to develop the student's intercultural competence. This research study aims to, firstly, illustrate the cross-cultural knowledge integrated into the present Chinese language course for developing intercultural competence. Secondly, it investigates different didactic means that can be utilized to deliver cross-cultural knowledge to student teachers in the present course without generating dramatic disturbance of the syllabus. Thirdly, it examines the effectiveness of these didactic means in enhancing student-teacher intercultural competence regarding the need for integrating and implementing internationalization, intercultural and global perspectives in teaching and learning in Swedish schools. Last but not least, it intends to serve as a practical example for developing the student teachers’ intercultural competence in foreign language education in DU and fill in the research gap of this academic domain worldwide.

Keywords: action research, intercultural competence, Chinese as a foreign language education, teacher education

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1541 Social Perspectives on Population of People Living Postively; An Indian Scenario, Evidence from Tiruchirappalli

Authors: Uwonkunda Jeanne, J. Godwin Prem Singh, Anjaneyalu Subbiah

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HIV/AIDS is known to affect an individual not only physically but also mentally, socially, and financially. It is a syndrome that builds a vacuum in a person affecting his/her life as a whole.

Keywords: People living with HIV, social dysfunction, stigma, and Social support.

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1540 Promoting Resilience in Adolescents: Integrating Adolescent Medicine and Child Psychology Perspectives

Authors: Xu Qian

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This abstract examines the concept of resilience in adolescents from both adolescent medicine and child psychology perspectives. It discusses the role of healthcare providers in fostering resilience among adolescents, encompassing physical, psychological, and social aspects. The paper highlights evidence-based interventions and practical strategies for promoting resilience in this population. Introduction: Resilience plays a crucial role in the healthy development of adolescents, enabling them to navigate through the challenges of this transitional period. This abstract explores the concept of resilience from the perspectives of adolescent medicine and child psychology, shedding light on the collective efforts of healthcare providers in fostering resilience. By integrating the principles and practices of these two disciplines, this abstract emphasizes the multidimensional nature of resilience and its significance in the overall well-being of adolescents. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, encompassing research articles, empirical studies, and expert opinions from both adolescent medicine and child psychology fields. The search included databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, focusing on publications from the past decade. The review aimed to identify evidence-based interventions and practical strategies employed by healthcare providers to promote resilience among adolescents. Results: The review revealed several key findings regarding the promotion of resilience in adolescents. Firstly, resilience is a dynamic process influenced by individual characteristics, environmental factors, and the interaction between the two. Secondly, healthcare providers play a critical role in fostering resilience by addressing the physical, psychological, and social needs of adolescents. This entails comprehensive healthcare services that integrate medical care, mental health support, and social interventions. Thirdly, evidence-based interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, social skills training, and positive youth development programs have shown promising outcomes in enhancing resilience. Discussion: The integration of adolescent medicine and child psychology perspectives provides a comprehensive framework for promoting resilience in adolescents. By acknowledging the interplay between physical health, psychological well-being, and social functioning, healthcare providers can tailor interventions to address the specific needs and challenges faced by adolescents. Collaborative efforts between medical professionals, psychologists, educators, and families are vital in creating a supportive environment that fosters resilience. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of early identification and intervention, emphasizing the need for routine screening and assessment to identify adolescents at risk and provide timely support. Conclusion: Promoting resilience in adolescents requires a holistic approach that integrates adolescent medicine and child psychology perspectives. By recognizing the multifaceted nature of resilience, healthcare providers can implement evidence-based interventions and practical strategies to enhance the well-being of adolescents. The collaboration between healthcare professionals from different disciplines, alongside the involvement of families and communities, is crucial for creating a resilient support system. By investing in the promotion of resilience during adolescence, we can empower young individuals to overcome adversity and thrive in their journey toward adulthood.

Keywords: psychology, clinical psychology, child psychology, adolescent psychology, adolescent

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1539 Teaching Gender and Language in the EFL Classroom in the Arab World: Algerian Students’ Awareness of Their Gender Identities from New Perspectives

Authors: Amina Babou

Abstract:

Gender and language is a moot and miscellaneous arena in the sphere of sociolinguistics, which has been proliferated so widely and rapidly in recent years. The dawn of research on gender and foreign language education was against the feminist researchers who allowed space for the bustling concourse of voices and perspectives in the arena of gender and language differences, in the early to the mid-1970. The objective of this scrutiny is to explore to what extent teaching gender and language in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom plays a pivotal role in learning language information and skills. And the gist of this paper is to investigate how EFL students in Algeria conflate their gender identities with the linguistic practices and scholastic expertise. To grapple with the full range of issues about the EFL students’ awareness about the negotiation of meanings in the classroom, we opt for observing, interviewing, and questioning later to check using ‘how-do-you do’ procedure. The analysis of the EFL classroom discourse, from five Algerian universities, reveals that speaking strategies such as the manners students make an abrupt topic shifts, respond spontaneously to the teacher, ask more questions, interrupt others to seize control of conversations and monopolize the speaking floor through denying what others have said, do not sit very lightly on 80.4% of female students’ shoulders. The data indicate that female students display the assertive style as a strategy of learning to subvert the norms of femininity, especially in the speaking module.

Keywords: gender identities, EFL students, classroom discourse, linguistics

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1538 Concept Mapping to Reach Consensus on an Antibiotic Smart Use Strategy Model to Promote and Support Appropriate Antibiotic Prescribing in a Hospital, Thailand

Authors: Phenphak Horadee, Rodchares Hanrinth, Saithip Suttiruksa

Abstract:

Inappropriate use of antibiotics has happened in several hospitals, Thailand. Drug use evaluation (DUE) is one strategy to overcome this difficulty. However, most community hospitals still encounter incomplete evaluation resulting overuse of antibiotics with high cost. Consequently, drug-resistant bacteria have been rising due to inappropriate antibiotic use. The aim of this study was to involve stakeholders in conceptualizing, developing, and prioritizing a feasible intervention strategy to promote and support appropriate antibiotic prescribing in a community hospital, Thailand. Study antibiotics included four antibiotics such as Meropenem, Piperacillin/tazobactam, Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and Vancomycin. The study was conducted for the 1-year period between March 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019, in a community hospital in the northeastern part of Thailand. Concept mapping was used in a purposive sample, including doctors (one was an administrator), pharmacists, and nurses who involving drug use evaluation of antibiotics. In-depth interviews for each participant and survey research were conducted to seek the problems for inappropriate use of antibiotics based on drug use evaluation system. Seventy-seven percent of DUE reported appropriate antibiotic prescribing, which still did not reach the goal of 80 percent appropriateness. Meropenem led other antibiotics for inappropriate prescribing. The causes of the unsuccessful DUE program were classified into three themes such as personnel, lack of public relation and communication, and unsupported policy and impractical regulations. During the first meeting, stakeholders (n = 21) expressed the generation of interventions. During the second meeting, participants who were almost the same group of people in the first meeting (n = 21) were requested to independently rate the feasibility and importance of each idea and to categorize them into relevant clusters to facilitate multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The outputs of analysis included the idealist, cluster list, point map, point rating map, cluster map, and cluster rating map. All of these were distributed to participants (n = 21) during the third meeting to reach consensus on an intervention model. The final proposed intervention strategy included 29 feasible and crucial interventions in seven clusters: development of information technology system, establishing policy and taking it into the action plan, proactive public relations of the policy, action plan and workflow, in cooperation of multidisciplinary teams in drug use evaluation, work review and evaluation with performance reporting, promoting and developing professional and clinical skill for staff with training programs, and developing practical drug use evaluation guideline for antibiotics. These interventions are relevant and fit to several intervention strategies for antibiotic stewardship program in many international organizations such as participation of the multidisciplinary team, developing information technology to support antibiotic smart use, and communication. These interventions were prioritized for implementation over a 1-year period. Once the possibility of each activity or plan is set up, the proposed program could be applied and integrated into hospital policy after evaluating plans. Effectiveness of each intervention could be promoted to other community hospitals to promote and support antibiotic smart use.

Keywords: antibiotic, concept mapping, drug use evaluation, multidisciplinary teams

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1537 Rethinking Peace Journalism in Pakistan: A Critical Analysis of News Discourse on the Afghan Refugee Repatriation Conflict

Authors: Ayesha Hasan

Abstract:

This study offers unique perspectives and analyses of peace and conflict journalism through interpretative repertoire, media frames, and critical discourse analyses. Two major English publications in Pakistan, representing both long and short-form journalism, are investigated to uncover how the Afghan refugee repatriation from Pakistan in 2016-17 has been framed in Pakistani English media. Peace journalism focuses on concepts such as peace initiatives and peace building, finding common ground, and preventing further conflict. This study applies Jake Lynch’s Coding Criteria to guide the critical discourse analysis and Lee and Maslog’s Peace Journalism Quotient to examine the extent of peace journalism in each text. This study finds that peace journalism is missing in Pakistani English press, but represented, to an extent, in long-form print and online coverage. Two new alternative frames are also proposed. This study gives an in-depth understanding of if and how journalists in Pakistan are covering conflicts and framing stories that can be identified as peace journalism. This study represents significant contributions to the remarkably limited scholarship on peace and conflict journalism in Pakistan and extends Shabbir Hussain’s work on critical pragmatic perspectives on peace journalism in Pakistan.

Keywords: Afghan refugee repatriation, Critical discourse analysis, Media framing , Peace and conflict journalism

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1536 Beyond the Dust: Workers' Perspectives on Enhancing Silica Exposure Control in Tunnel Construction

Authors: Frederick Anlimah, Vinod Gopaldasani, Catherine MacPhail, Brian Davies

Abstract:

The construction industry, particularly tunnel construction, exposes workers to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can cause incurable illnesses such as silicosis and lung cancer. Despite various control measures, exposures remain inadequately controlled. This research aimed to examine what workers on a tunnelling project in Australia think should be done to reduce exposure to dust to protect them from RCS exposure. A qualitative research approach consisting of interviews and focus group discussions was employed for this research. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals a diverse array of solutions proposed to address the different sociotechnical factors that present challenges for effectively reducing dust exposure. Solutions are proposed to address challenges such as cost, time pressure, low-risk perception, inadequate awareness, inadequate enforcement and compliance with personal protective equipment. The findings highlight the need to make dust control a level playing field for all contractors during the bidding process, with more collaboration and enforcement after the signing of contracts. The research highlights that although improvements have been made in the past years regarding dust controls, many opportunities exist to reduce worker exposure to RCS.

Keywords: tunnel, respirable crystalline silica, RCS, dust exposure, personal protective equipment, worker perspectives

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1535 Ranking Priorities for Digital Health in Portugal: Aligning Health Managers’ Perceptions with Official Policy Perspectives

Authors: Pedro G. Rodrigues, Maria J. Bárrios, Sara A. Ambrósio

Abstract:

The digitalisation of health is a profoundly transformative economic, political, and social process. As is often the case, such processes need to be carefully managed if misunderstandings, policy misalignments, or outright conflicts between the government and a wide gamut of stakeholders with competing interests are to be avoided. Thus, ensuring open lines of communication where all parties know what each other’s concerns are is key to good governance, as well as efficient and effective policymaking. This project aims to make a small but still significant contribution in this regard in that we seek to determine the extent to which health managers’ perceptions of what is a priority for digital health in Portugal are aligned with official policy perspectives. By applying state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology first to the indexed literature on digital health and then to a set of official policy documents on the same topic, followed by a survey directed at health managers working in public and private hospitals in Portugal, we obtain two priority rankings that, when compared, will allow us to produce a synthesis and toolkit on digital health policy in Portugal, with a view to identifying areas of policy convergence and divergence. This project is also particularly peculiar in the sense that sophisticated digital methods related to text analytics are employed to study good governance aspects of digitalisation applied to health care.

Keywords: digital health, health informatics, text analytics, governance, natural language understanding

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1534 Canadian High School Students' Attitudes and Perspectives Towards People with Disabilities, Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Authors: Khodi Morgan, Kasey Crowe, Amanda Morgan

Abstract:

Canadian High School Students' Attitudes & Objective: To survey Canadian high school students regarding their attitudes and perspectives towards people with disabilities and explore how age, gender, and personal experience with a disability may impact these views. Methods: A survey was developed using the standardized Attitude Toward Persons With Disability Scale as its base, with the addition of questions specifically about Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The survey also gathered information about the participant’s age and gender and whether or not they, or a close family member, had any disabilities. Participants were recruited at a public Canadian high school by fellow student researchers. Results: A total of 219 (N=219) students ranging from 13 - 19 years old participated in the study (m= 15.9 years of age). Gender was equally split, with 44% male, 42% female and 14% undeclared. Experience with a disability was common amongst participants, with 25% self-identifying as having a personal disability and 48% claiming to have a close family member with a disability. Exploratory trends indicated that females, people with self-identified disabilities, and people with close family members with disabilities trended towards having more positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

Keywords: disability, autism, ADHD, high school, adolescence, community research, acceptance

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1533 Emergency Multidisciplinary Continuing Care Case Management

Authors: Mekroud Amel

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Emergency departments are known for the workload, the variety of pathologies and the difficulties in their management with the continuous influx of patients The role of our service in the management of patients with two or three mild to moderate organ failures, involving several disciplines at the same time, as well as the effect of this management on the skills and efficiency of our team has been demonstrated Borderline cases between two or three or even more disciplines, with instability of a vital function, which have been successfully managed in the emergency room, the therapeutic procedures adopted, the consequences on the quality and level of care delivered by our team, as well as that the logistical consequences, and the pedagogical consequences are demonstrated. The consequences found are Positive on the emergency teams, in rare situations are negative Regarding clinical situations, it is the entanglement of hemodynamic distress with right, left or global participation, tamponade, low flow with acute pulmonary edema, and/or state of shock With respiratory distress with more or less profound hypoxemia, with haematosis disorder related to a bacterial or viral lung infection, pleurisy, pneumothorax, bronchoconstrictive crisis. With neurological disorders such as recent stroke, comatose state, or others With metabolic disorders such as hyperkalaemia renal insufficiency severe ionic disorders with accidents with anti vitamin K With or without septate effusion of one or more serous membranes with or without tamponade It’s a Retrospective, monocentric, descriptive study Period 05.01.2022 to 10.31.2022 the purpose of our work: Search for a statistically significant link between the type of moderate to severe pathology managed in the emergency room whose problems are multivisceral on the efficiency of the healthcare team and its level of care and optional care offered for patients Statistical Test used: Chi2 test to prove the significant link between the resolution of serious multidisciplinary cases in the emergency room and the effectiveness of the team in the management of complicated cases Search for a statistically significant link : The management of the most difficult clinical cases for organ specialties has given general practitioner emergency teams a great perspective and has been able to improve their efficiency in the face of emergencies received

Keywords: emergency care teams, management of patients with dysfunction of more than one organ, learning curve, quality of care

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1532 Designing Effective Serious Games for Learning and Conceptualization Their Structure

Authors: Zahara Abdulhussan Al-Awadai

Abstract:

Currently, serious games play a significant role in education, sparking an increasing interest in using games for purposes beyond mere entertainment. In this research, we investigate the main requirements and aspects of designing and developing effective serious games for learning and developing a conceptual model to describe the structure of serious games with a focus on both aspects of serious games. The main contributions of this approach are to facilitate the design and development of serious games in a flexible and easy-to-use way and also to support the cooperative work between the multidisciplinary developer team.

Keywords: game development, game design, requirements, serious games, serious game model.

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1531 Educational Sport and Quality of Life for Children and Teenagers from Brazilian Northeast

Authors: Ricardo Hugo Gonzalez, Amanda Figueiredo Vasconcelos, Francisco Loureiro Neto Monteiro, Yara Luiza Freitas Silva, Ana Cristina Lindsay, Márcia Maria Tavares Machado

Abstract:

The use of sport as an integration mean is a very important tool regarding the social involvement of children and teenagers in a vulnerability situation. This study aims to report the experiences of a multidisciplinary program that intends to improve the quality of life of children and teenagers in Fortaleza, in the Northeast of Brazil. More than 400 children and teenagers aging 11 and 16 years participated in this study. Poor communities experience many particular difficulties in the urban centers such as violence, poor housing conditions, unemployment, lack in health care and deficient physical education in school. Physical education, physiotherapy, odontology, medicine and pharmacy students are responsible for the activities in the project supervised by a general coordinator and a counselor teacher of each academic unit. There are classes about team sports like basketball and soccer. Lectures about sexual behavior and sexually transmitted diseases are ministered beside the ones about oral health education, basic life support education, first aids, use and care with pharmaceuticals and orientations about healthy nutrition. In order to get the children’s family closer, monthly informative lectures are ministered. There is also the concern about reflecting the actions and producing academic paperwork such as graduation final projects and books. The number of participants has oscillated lately, and one of the causes is the lack of practicing physical activities and sports regularly. However, 250 teenagers have participated regularly for at least two years. These teenagers have shown a healthier lifestyle and a better physical fitness profile. The resources for maintaining the project come from the Pro-Reitoria of Extension, Federal University of Ceara, as well as from the PROEXT/MEC, Federal Government. Actions of this nature need to be done thinking for long periods so the effects results can become effective. Public and private investments are needed due to low socioeconomic families who are most vulnerable and have fewer opportunities to enhance to health prevention services.

Keywords: children and teenagers, health, multidisciplinary program, quality of life

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1530 Components of Effective Learning Environments: Global Perspectives on Student Perceptions

Authors: Victoria Appatova

Abstract:

internal and external, that are largely shaped by the student’s perceptions. Since 2006, the ELE concept has been studied by an international group of scholars through the creation of an ELE survey which was administered in nine countries and translated into five languages. The survey compares students’ perceptions of their learning environments and self-efficacy across A student’s effective learning environment (ELE) is comprised of multiple factors, both cultures as well as distinguishes similarities and differences in the students’ needs related to their learning. The main objectives of this international project include the following: Determine a system of components constituting ELE from the perspective of students and other academic populations Analyze students’ expectations, and their chances to succeed in college based on their expectations Conceptualize a comprehensive approach for assessing the effectiveness of a learning environment Compare the actualization of the ELE concept in American schools versus other national educational systems Compare student perceptions of ELE with those of faculty, administrators, and professional staff Four major factors influencing student learning across cultures and various national educational systems were determined: students’ initiative in using support services; learning skills; external comfort; and curriculum. Recent changes in the students’ perceptions, resulting from technology advances and a rapid shift to online learning, are being explored. The findings call for administrative and pedagogical actions which would cultivate more equitable education systems.

Keywords: learning environment, student perception, global perspectives, self-efficacy

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