bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experiences of student nurses on role modelling of a therapeutic approach by registered nurses: Recommendations for improvement
Authors: Mpangane Esther A. , Makhene Agnes , Ally Hafisa
Published: August 2021

Background: A therapeutic approach involves portraying the attributes of being polite towards fellow human beings and patients, respecting them irrespective of their circumstances and having sympathy and compassion for them. Knowledge of therapeutic approach is the initial step towards gaining patients’ trust and developing student nurses’ communication with patients; however, theoretical knowledge alone may not increase application in practice. Role modelling of a therapeutic approach increases patient care satisfaction and enables student nurses to therapeutically communicate with patients, colleagues and all other staff members. The most appropriate way for student nurses to learn what it means to portray therapeutic approach is seeing registered nurses’ role modelling it.Objectives: To make recommendations for the enhancement of role modelling of therapeutic approach by registered nurses for student nurses at a regional public hospital.Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, phenomenological and contextual design was used. Three focus group interviews were conducted. Data were analysed using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were applied throughout the research.Results: One central theme with three main themes and related sub-themes indicated that student nurses had negative experiences on role modelling of therapeutic approach owing to registered nurses’ non-therapeutic communication, lack of professionalism and ethical conduct as well as poor quality patient care. However, only the recommendations seeking to address the experiences of non-therapeutic communication which included negative attitudes of registered nurses towards patients, lack of provision of patient information, poor handling of patients’ complaints as well as racial discrimination re-handling of patients’ complaints will be highlighted.Conclusion: The majority of student nurses had negative experiences on role modelling of therapeutic approach by registered nurses. They needed registered nurses to improve their approach towards patients. It is expected that the implementation of the recommendations will enhance therapeutic approach to patients.
General medicine, first-line medicine in Morocco: How is it perceived by medical students and how to enhance their interest in this career?
Authors: Fourtassi Maryam , Naima Abda , Bentata Yassamine
Published: August 2021

In Morocco, family medicine does not exist, and it is general medicine that plays the role of family medicine and is also first line medicine and primary care. The current medical school curriculum is not fully in harmony with the real health needs of the population. We questioned 6th and 7th year students about the pertinence of two rotations in general medicine, that is, in a health centre and a private practice, via an anonymous questionnaire disseminated online in June 2020. A total of 266 responses were collected. Out of these, 41.5% of responses were enrolled in 6th year, versus 58.5% in 7th year. Then, 59.1% of students were females. In addition, 84.8% of them declared their intention to pursue a career in a medical specialty, whereas only 15.2% of them were interested in a career as a general practitioner. Notably, 67.4%, 26.5% and 6.1%, respectively, thought that general medicine was very undervalued, a little undervalued and not undervalued. It should be noted that 3.8%, 44.1% and 52.1%, respectively, were interested, somewhat interested and not at all interested in family medicine as a specialty if it was implemented. To that end, various actions need to be undertaken, including the introduction of quality teaching in the 6th and 7th years of medical studies, focused on the development of the knowledge and skills required, the strengthening of pre-existing practical training periods in public health and the introduction of a rotation in private practices of general medicine.
Angiosarcoma of the pulmonary artery mimicking pulmonary thromboembolism
Authors: Nirattisaikul Sitang , Dechaphunkul Arunee , Hongsakul Keerati
Published: August 2021

Primary pulmonary angiosarcomas (PPAs) are rare, and often, their diagnosis is delayed because of insidious clinical symptoms and imaging findings mimicking pulmonary thromboembolism (PE). A 33-year-old female patient presented with chest pain and progressive dyspnoea. Her initial diagnosis, based on clinical symptoms and CT pulmonary angiography (PA) findings, was PE. However, after treatment with anticoagulants, the patient failed to improve. A follow-up CTPA and further CT-guided biopsy results were compatible with angiosarcoma.
Adverse Effects of Perinatal Protein Restriction on Regulators of Lipid Metabolism and Hepatic Function in Offspring of Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Dimeji Igbayilola Yusuff , Olufemi Morakinyo Ayodele , Bolanle O. Iranloye
Published: August 2021

Background:

Adequate evidence suggests that a poor in utero environment produced by early-life dietary disturbance may predispose offspring to chronic diseases in later life. It remains to be defined which of the windows of early exposure due to perinatal protein restriction (PPR) (gestation, lactation, and/or both) is more detrimental to the regulators of lipid metabolism and hepatic functions of the offspring in later life. Hence, the current study investigated the role of PPR on regulators of lipid metabolism and hepatic functions in adult offspring.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty-four pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were used and fed either a control (CONT) diet containing 20% protein or protein-restricted (PR) diet with 8% protein. The dams were given PR diet up to parturition (in utero group, in utero protein restriction [IUPR]), or from birth to postnatal day (PND) 21 (lactation group, lactational protein restriction [LPR]) or for a period covering both (combined protein restriction [CPR]). On PND 126, triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (CHOL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were determined and Castelli indices I and II were calculated. Hepatic lipase (HL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and serum albumin were also assessed.

Results:

There was a significant decrease (P < 0.01) in HDL with a significant increase (P < 0.01) in TG and LDL in IUPR and CPR offspring compared with CONT. The Castelli index I was significantly increased (P < 0.01) in all PR offspring with a significant increase (P < 0.01) in Castelli index II in LPR offspring compared with CONT. HL and LPL activities reduced significantly (P < 0.01) in all PR offspring. PPR produced a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in AST with a significant elevation in ALT in all PR, while ALT heightened significantly (P < 0.01) in CPR offspring. A significant decrease (P < 0.01) was observed in albumin level in CPR offspring compared with CONT.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it is evidenced that PPR at critical periods of early-life exposure blunted remarkably the actions of HL and LPL which consequently led to impairment of lipid metabolism and hepatic dysfunction.
Antioxidant and Malondialdehyde Status in Preeclampsia
Authors: Onovughakpo-Sakpa Ejuoghamran Oriseseyigbemi , Onyeneke Chukwu E. , Ayinbuomwan Ekiye , Atoe Kenneth
Published: August 2021

Context:

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder, although the cause is unknown, yet oxidative stress is a prominent feature; therefore, assessment of oxidative stress indices in preeclamptics would no doubt improve their clinical outcome.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant and malondialdehyde (MDA) status in preeclampsia.

Setting and Design:

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Subjects and Methods:

One hundred and ninety-six (196) respondents consisting of 124 preeclampsia (PE), 36 normotensive pregnant women (NPW), and 36 analbuminuric hypertensive pregnant women (AHPW) participated in this study. Blood samples were collected for estimation of plasma uric acid, serum MDA, nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GSSH) and catalase (CAT) activities, Vitamin C (Vit C), and Vitamin E (Vit E) using standard methods.

Statistical Analysis Used:

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 with level of significance set at P < 0.05 was used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Plasma uric acid level was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in PE than in AHPW and NPW. MDA levels, SOD, CAT, and GPX activities showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in PE and AHPW when compared to NPW, while GSSH, NO, Vit C, and Vit E levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in NPW than in PE and AHPW. Most oxidative stress indicators were higher in PE and AHPW than in NPW in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, while Vit C and E were lower. Plasma uric acid, MDA and NO levels, SOD, and GPX activities were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in severe than in mild PE.

Conclusion:

from our findings, it can be safely suggested that oxidative stress is related to the severity of preeclampsia.
Stability in Erythrocyte Fragility Responses of Hemoglobin Genotypes Exposed to Nanosilver
Authors: Uche Ogechukwu Kalu , Oshomome Asekhame Godfrey
Published: August 2021

Background and Objective:

Safety concerns have been expressed in the extensive applications of nanoparticles in nanomedicine and consumers' products. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of in vitro nanosilver (NS) exposure on erythrocytes membrane integrity during osmotic fragility (OF) reactivity in different hemoglobin genotypes (HbAA, HbAS, and HbSS).

Materials and Methods:

Blood sample was collected from 45 consenting male and female participants' age 20–30 years; comprising 15 (HbAA, HbAS, and HbSS). Red blood cells were separated, washed, and divided into three sets with each sample treated in triplicate with graded percentage concentrations of NaCl (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9). Two sets of the blood samples were preincubated with 1 ml and/or 2 ml of 10 ppm NS and 0.9 normal saline for 1 h, while the other set was exposed directly to access the capacity of erythrocyte hemoglobin genotypes to withstand osmotic stress. The absorbance from supernatants was recorded after 30 min incubation with standard spectrophotometer at 540 nm wavelength. The mean values of percentage hemolysis were plotted against the different NaCl concentrations.

Results:

The results showed that there was no significant difference (P < 0.05) in the OF response curves and mean OF (MOF) indices (concentration of the solution when 50% of the cells are hemolyzed) in the different genotypes. The MOF concentrations of the three genotypes were in the order: HbAA > HbAS > HbSS. The relative capacity of NS to stabilize erythrocyte membrane in the three genotypes was in the order HBSS > HBAS >HBAA.

Conclusion:

There was no undesirable NS effect on the erythrocyte OF responses in the different hemoglobin genotypes but a greater membrane stabilization effect in the HBSS.
Epidemiology of Acute Leukemia among Children with Down Syndrome in Korea
Authors: Choi Young Bae , Yoo Keon Hee
Published: August 2021

PurposeChildren with Down syndrome (DS) show a higher risk of acute leukemia than those without DS. In this study, we investigated the nationwide incidence of acute leukemia among children with DS and compared their epidemiologic characteristics with those of children with acute leukemia but without DS.Materials and MethodsUsing the National Health Insurance Service database, we selected patients with acute leukemia aged 0–19 years at diagnosis between 2007 and 2016.ResultsAmong the 4,697 children with acute leukemia, 54 (1.1%) had DS. The median incidence rate of leukemia with DS by year was 1.3% (range, 0.2%–2.0%). Sixteen patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; 29.6%) and 36 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 66.7%) had DS. The DS group showed younger age at diagnosis than the non-DS group, and diagnosis of AML was more frequent in the DS group than in the non-DS group (3 years vs. 9 years, p<0.001; 66.7% vs. 32.4%, P<0.001, respectively). The 5-year overall survival was comparable between the DS and non-DS groups (88.0% vs. 81.9%, p=0.375). Among all the Koreans born between 2007 and 2008, the incidences of acute leukemia, ALL, and AML were 49.25, 20.75, and 163.38 times higher, respectively, in the DS group than in the non-DS group.ConclusionOur findings support the fact that the incidence of acute leukemia is higher among patients with DS than among those without DS in Korea. However, the DS and non-DS groups in this study had a comparable overall survival rate.
Recovery of time-dependent coefficients from boundary data for hyperbolic equations
Authors: Feizmohammadi Ali , Ilmavirta Joonas , Kian Yavar , Oksanen Lauri
Published: August 2021

We study uniqueness of the recovery of a time-dependent magnetic vector valued potential and an electric scalar-valued potential on a Riemannian manifold from the knowledge of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map of a hyperbolic equation. The Cauchy data is observed on time-like parts of the space-time boundary and uniqueness is proved up to the natural gauge for the problem. The proof is based on Gaussian beams and inversion of the light ray transform on Lorentzian manifolds under the assumptions that the Lorentzian manifold is a product of a Riemannian manifold with a time interval and that the geodesic ray transform is invertible on the Riemannian manifold.
Simple Wearable Device to Reduce Stress When Delivering a Speech without Pre-training
Authors: Yamane Takahiro , Nakadoi Yuma , Takagi Mina , Morita Mizuki
Published: August 2021

Objectives: There are many occasions in modern life when people must deliver presentations in front of audiences. Most people feel nervous before and while giving a speech. If there were a simple way to ease their stress, speakers would be able to perform better and their quality of life would improve. Consequently, this study aimed to alleviate the stress of speakers giving speeches by regulating breathing using a simple device.Methods: To achieve this goal, a popular device, the Apple Watch, was chosen. Twenty-eight participants were divided into two groups: the Breathe app group and the non-Breathe app group. The Breathe app group regulated their breathing using the Breathe app installed on an Apple Watch before speech preparation. The non-Breathe app group listened to an explanation of the experiment so that they could not undertake their own stress-easing strategies. Participants prepared speeches about themselves and delivered them in front of the researcher.Results: The Breathe app exercise eased stress during the exercise itself and the preparation phase of the speech task based on participants’ cardiac activity. However, stress was not alleviated during speech delivery.Conclusions: Based on the experimental setting and results of this study, together with the findings of previous studies, introducing pre-training sessions and performing stress-easing tasks before and/or during a speech, such as sending vibrations to participants’ wearable devices, might be an effective way to reduce stress when delivering speeches immediately after the breath-regulating task.
Validation of an Automatic Tagging System for Identifying Respiratory and Hemodynamic Deterioration Events in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Jeddah Danielle , Chen Ofer , Lipsky Ari M. , Forgacs Andrea , Celniker Gershon , Lilly Craig M. , Pessach Itai M.
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Predictive models for critical events in the intensive care unit (ICU) might help providers anticipate patient deterioration. At the heart of predictive model development lies the ability to accurately label significant events, thereby facilitating the use of machine learning and similar strategies. We conducted this study to establish the validity of an automated system for tagging respiratory and hemodynamic deterioration by comparing automatic tags to tagging by expert reviewers.Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 72,650 unique patient stays collected from Electronic Medical Records of the University of Massachusetts’ eICU. An enriched subgroup of stays was manually tagged by expert reviewers. The tags generated by the reviewers were compared to those generated by an automated system.Results: The automated system was able to rapidly and efficiently tag the complete database utilizing available clinical data. The overall agreement rate between the automated system and the clinicians for respiratory and hemodynamic deterioration tags was 89.4% and 87.1%, respectively. The automatic system did not add substantial variability beyond that seen among the reviewers.Conclusions: We demonstrated that a simple rule-based tagging system could provide a rapid and accurate tool for mass tagging of a compound database. These types of tagging systems may replace human reviewers and save considerable resources when trying to create a validated, labeled database used to train artificial intelligence algorithms. The ability to harness the power of artificial intelligence depends on efficient clinical validation of targeted conditions; hence, these systems and the methodology used to validate them are crucial.
Heart Rate Variability as an Early Objective Indicator of Subjective Feeling of Depression in Daily Life
Authors: Jo Han-Gue , Shin Nara
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Changes in the autonomic nervous system have been observed in patients with depressive disorders by measuring their heart rate variability (HRV). However, whether HRV associates with depressive events in healthy people remains unknown.Methods: Four healthy people participated in the present study. Their HRVs were measured routinely for 6 to 13 months. During this time, two participants reported experiencing two and three bouts of depression, respectively. This approach allowed us to examine changes in the participants’ HRVs by comparing their HRVs from before and after the unexpected depressive events. Changes in HRV were compared against those of two participants who did not report any depressive event.Results: Participants’ low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratios of HRV were lower after the event of depression than before. Their LF/HF ratios increased after recovery from the depressive events. In contrast, two participants who did not report any depressive event showed relatively smaller changes in their LF/HF ratios across measurements.Conclusions: These results suggest that the LF/HF ratio may provide an objective measure of subjective experiences of depression and help identify potential cases of clinical depression.
Evaluation of Official Healthcare Informatics Applications in Saudi Arabia and their Role in Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Alassaf Nouf , Bah Sulaiman , Almulhim Fatima , AlDossary Norah , Alqahtani Munirah
Published: August 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine official healthcare informatics applications in Saudi Arabia in the context of their role in addressing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods: This is a case study of official healthcare informatics programs and applications (apps) developed in Saudi Arabia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative content analysis (QCA) method was used. Data collection consisted of two components: a desktop review of documents and actual testing of the programs. According to the QCA method, we developed a matrix for abstracting information on different apps and programs in order to categorize the data. The compilation of information and discussion were based on information summarized in the matrix.Results: Six apps in total were developed before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, three of the apps, SEHA, Mawid, and Sehaty were modified to address different aspects of the pandemic. Both SEHA and Mawid included information about COVID-19 awareness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, three official apps were developed: Tawakkalna, Tetamman, and Tabaud. The Tawakkalna app is mandatory for all citizens and residents to activate when visiting stores and institutions. It has a wide range of COVID-19 and other health-related functions. The Tetamman app provides COVID-19 test results and allows one to check his or her daily symptoms. It also has an educational content library and provides alerts. The Tabaud app notifies individuals if they have been exposed to COVID-19. The features, advantages, and disadvantages of all of the apps were examined.Conclusions: Overall, there were more strengths than shortcomings in the role played by healthcare informatics in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.
PERSONNEL SELECTION IN THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY BY USING ENTROPY-BASED EDAS AND CODAS METHODS
Authors: ERSOY Yusuf
Published: August 2021

In the global competitive environment, products and services produced in the software industry play a very important role in making businesses more efficient. This situation causes the demand for software industry products and services to increase rapidly. The software industry's ability to serve all businesses regardless of the sector has increased its product range. Especially as the software industry has become open-source code, programming languages have rapidly diversified. This variation has revealed the need for personnel with different qualifications for the software industry. The personnel selection is a complex decision-making process in which multiple criteria and alternatives must be considered simultaneously. This study, it was aimed to select the most suitable software personnel required for a company in the software and consultancy sector using entropy-based EDAS and CODAS methods. In the study, 6 alternative personnel candidates were evaluated according to 6 criteria. The Entropy method was used to determine the weights of the criteria. Criteria weights obtained by the Entropy method were used in EDAS and CODAS methods. The best alternative was identified by comparing the results of EDAS and CODAS methods.
Decision problems for linear recurrences involving arbitrary real numbers
Authors: Neumann Eike
Published: August 2021

We study the decidability of the Skolem Problem, the Positivity Problem, and
the Ultimate Positivity Problem for linear recurrences with real number initial
values and real number coefficients in the bit-model of real computation. We
show that for each problem there exists a correct partial algorithm which halts
for all problem instances for which the answer is locally constant, thus
establishing that all three problems are as close to decidable as one can
expect them to be in this setting. We further show that the algorithms for the
Positivity Problem and the Ultimate Positivity Problem halt on almost every
instance with respect to the usual Lebesgue measure on Euclidean space. In
comparison, the analogous problems for exact rational or real algebraic
coefficients are known to be decidable only for linear recurrences of fairly
low order.
Educação, Interfaces, Saberes Tradicionais e Populares – Apresentação
Authors: Horacio Heiberle Hirsgberg , Piovezana Leonel , Amorim Mônica M. Teixeira
Published: August 2021

O dossiê Educação, Interfaces, Saberes Tradicionais e Populares é uma iniciativa do GDECO-ETNOPO (Grupo de Pesquisa para uma Educação Decolonial PluriEtnoPopular), coordenado pelo professor do PPGE Heiberle Horácio e pela professora do Depto de Artes Nelcira Durães, composto por mestrandes do PPGE, professoras(es) de grupos “irmãos”, como o GEIPI-ABA[1], e de diferentes departamentos; além de ter como integrante a professora do PPGE Mônica Amorim, uma das organizadoras deste dossiê. O dossiê conta, também, como organizador convidado, com o professor Leonel Piovezana que, além de ser professor do Mestrado em Educação da Unochapecó, é líder do Grupo de Pesquisa SULEAR (Educação Intercultural e Pedagogias Decoloniais na América Latina – Unochapecó), grupo parceiro do GDECO-ETNOPO.
“Éramos assim, feridos por dentro, mas duros por fora”: As pequenas memórias, de José Saramago
Authors: Oliveira Ana Maria Abrahão dos Santos
Published: August 2021

O artigo tenciona fazer uma releitura do livro As pequenas memórias (2006), de José Saramago (1922-2010), relato autobiográfico que, por meio das sendas da memória, revela ao público leitor uma fase relevante da vida do único escritor de Língua Portuguesa agraciado com o Prêmio Nobel de Literatura (1998). Como embasamento teórico e crítico, utilizamos as pesquisas referentes à memória, ao esquecimento, à autobiografia e à experiência, com destaque nos textos de Halbwachs (2006), Bergson (2006), Ricouer (2007), Rousseau (2007), Freud (2010), Assmann (2012), Oliveira (2014), dentre outros.
As raízes epistemológicas do Método Paulo Freire de Alfabetização
Authors: Maciel Jandrei José , Cecchetti Elcio , Dickmann Ivo
Published: August 2021

O presente artigo é resultado de uma pesquisa de mestrado em educação desenvolvida no âmbito do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó (Unochapecó), cujo objetivo principal foi investigar as raízes epistemológicas que influenciaram Paulo Freire na elaboração de seu método de alfabetização. A partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, o estudo baseia-se em uma pesquisa bibliográfica dos próprios escritos de Freire e de estudiosos de seu pensamento. Os resultados indicam que o método de alfabetização de Freire incorporou influências históricas, políticas e sociais vividas por ele no contexto do Nordeste brasileiro, onde existiam altas taxas de analfabetismo, desigualdade e pobreza. Atestam que seu método não se resume apenas codificar e decodificar letras e fonemas, mas em educar pessoas a se perceberem enquanto sujeitos conscientes de sua história e como agentes de transformação social.
EVALUATION OF CLASS TEACHERS’ OPINIONS ON THE REMEDIAL PROGRAM IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS (RPPS)
Authors: Balkan Sevgi , Küçüktepe Coşkun
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the remedial program first implemented in primary schools in the 2018-2019 school year on the basis of teacher opinions. To this end, it is attempted to perform a holistic analysis of the opinions of the class teachers implementing the training program in their classes, its implementation stages, the grade levels covered by the program, the content of the book used in the implementation and its applicability, the place and time of the implementation and to provide some insights for future research. In the current study designed as a qualitative study, the purposive sampling method was used and thus, a total of 8 tenured teachers implementing this program in their classes were selected. A semi-structured interview form was prepared to collect data and the data collected through this semi-structured interview form were analysed by using the descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques. The findings obtained from the analysis of the data revealed that the teachers evaluated the general objectives of RPPS as positive, partially positive and negative. Although they did not receive any in-service training while implementing the program, they did not encounter a general problem, and implemented the program in line with the information given to them. The teachers expressed different opinions about the objectives of the program and generally stated that the program should be started from the second grade onwards. The teachers made different comments on the content of the source book prepared for the program according to different modules and gave positive and negative opinions about its applicability. The teachers arranged the implementation steps according to their own knowledge and experience; they found the school suitable for the place of implementation, but they put forward different opinions about the time of implementation. In addition, the teachers presented various ideas on the basis of their experiences during the implementation.

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MATHEMATICAL ACTIVITY DESIGNS CONDUCTED WITH E-PORTFOLIO BY SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF REALISTIC MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Authors: Bahadır Elif , Güner Eda Nur
Published: August 2021

Design thinking skill is perhaps the most directly related thinking skill of mathematical thinking skill, because design thinking contains a strong problem-solving process in itself. In this study, it was aimed to provide students to avoid thinking about mathematics only procedurally or instrumentally and to introduce them to mathematical studying methods and mental habits. Therefore, tasks were chosen that would encourage students to think and design using real-life mathematical elements and thus encourage effective mathematical thinking. According to Freudenthal, the theorist of the Realistic Mathematics Education, mathematics should be related to the social life of students, close to their experiences, relevant to the society they live in, and compatible with human values. The research is designed as “action research” which is one of the qualitative research methods. Participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. Edmodo software was used as an electronic portfolio. Activities were prepared within the framework of RME approach. The responses are given by the students to those activities distributed when examined under 5 main headings: designing products, expressing the mathematical opinions clearly, using the mathematical knowledge, the research skills and the originality. These criteria generated after taking an expert opinion, subjected to qualitative analysis and interpreted. Consequently, it can be concluded that the educational process which is carried out with design-based activities provides learning, and is relevant to daily life, is interesting and is motivating. The integration of face-to-face teaching with technology and online approaches also help teachers manage design-based activities in a more effective way.

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ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEDAGOGY AND NATURE IN ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS / EDUCAZIONE AMBIENTALE E SOSTENIBILITÀ: UN'ANALISI DELLA RELAZONE TRA PEDAGOGIA E NATURA NEI DOCUMENTI ITALIANI ED INTERNAZIONALI
Authors: Natalini Alessandra
Published: August 2021

In a general sense, environmental education can be understood as a process that leads to a better understanding of the relationship between man and the natural environment, and sustainability as the possibility for those who come after us to be able to do the same things we can do today. Environmental education and sustainability as such imply collaboration between all social actors in the prevention and resolution of environmental problems. Direct contact with nature in education implies the assumption of a holistic approach, which sees in the relationship between economics, politics, society and ecology a useful tool for educating the new generations, as already widely noted by prominent early 20th century pedagogues such as Giuseppina Pizzigoni. Environmental education is therefore a type of holistic and lifelong education, including education "about, for and through" the environment, the importance of which has grown over time, partly as result of increasingly frequent environmental disasters. These have been followed by various measures, such as the Tbilisi Declaration, the Declaration of the Rights of Nature, the Brundtland Report, the Kyoto Protocol, the Aahrrus Convention, Agenda 2021, Agenda 2030 and so on, in which environmental education and sustainability have been strongly linked to educational processes, so much so that, in Italy, they have been treated in an interdisciplinary key and borrowed in the National Indications (MIUR, 2012) and the National Indications and New Scenarios (MIUR, 2018), as well as in the 2014 Environmental Education Guidelines for Sustainable Development. The contribution, starting from data considerations, focuses on the construction of attitudes, behaviours and conducts in school contexts related to care and protection, as well as environmental awareness, which are combined with those of protection and teaching capable of reading and preserving the environment from the perspective of sustainability.

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A STUDY ON THE DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS OF ENGLISH-MAJORED SOPHOMORES AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM
Authors: Dang Thi Hanh , Chau Thanh Hai , Tra To Quyen
Published: August 2021

The research entitled “A study on the difficulties in writing argumentative essays of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” was conducted with the purpose of pointing out some common difficulties of sophomores in writing argumentative essays. The participants of this study were 90 English-majored sophomores of course 13, and two teachers who teach English language at Tay Do University. In this study process, questionnaire and interview were used as two instruments to collect the data. The results of the research would show that English majored sophomores met difficulties in term of linguistic competence (vocabulary, grammar and coherence), organization and development of an argumentative essay, and the lack of critical thinking.

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HOW LIKELY IS IT TO TEACH CULTURE IN EFL COURSES? - THE CASE OF PRIVATE AND STATE SCHOOL TEACHERS IN TURKEY
Authors: Civelek Mustafa , Toplu Işılay
Published: August 2021

With the recognition of English as a Lingua Franca, intercultural communication has gained great importance. As a result, culture teaching has become an indispensable component of EFL classrooms. Even though there has been extensive research on the attitudes of EFL teachers towards culture teaching, few studies were found bringing attention to the differences between private and state school teachers to this end. The purpose of this research is therefore to shed light on private and state school EFL teachers’ attitudes towards culture teaching, their classroom practices, and the obstacles they come across upon this. The participants are 72 EFL teachers (32 state, 32 private) working at different institutions in Turkey. The data were collected employing a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that both private and state school teachers have positive attitudes towards culture incorporation in their lessons. However, private school EFL teachers were proven to have more positive opinions about culture teaching. The findings also indicated that both private and state school EFL teachers integrate culture into their lessons to some extent. However, both groups reported some obstacles that they come across while teaching culture. The details are further discussed and the implications are made in the article.

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PRESCHOOL TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ROLE IN RELATION TO THEIR STUDENTS
Authors: Kokkosi Angeliki , Poulou Maria , Koustourakis Gerasimos , Chaniotakis Nikolaos
Published: August 2021

This article examines the perceptions of preschool teachers in reference to their role regarding their students. According to literature, the social contexts present in the school unit (Ahonen, Pyhältö, Pietarinen, & Soini, 2014; Avgitidou, & Gourgiotou, 2016; Matsagouras, & Poulou, 2009), with which teachers interact, influence the formation of their perceptions of their role (Ahonen et al., 2014; Broeder, & Stokmans, 2012; Burke, 1997; Konstantinou, 2015; Samuel, & Stephens, 2000). The qualitative method was followed for the design of the research tool and its analysis. The study involved 47 preschool teachers serving in public kindergartens in Western Greece. Preschool teachers' perceptions of their role in relation to children were derived using an open-ended questionnaire, in which they were asked to report some metaphors or metaphorical images descriptive of their role. The NVivo-8 qualitative analysis software was utilized for data analysis. The results of the study revealed six main categories regarding the perceptions of preschool teachers about their role in relation to students.

 

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PREDICTORS OF SCHOOL CHOICE: THE CASE OF PARENTS IN CAPE COAST, GHANA
Authors: Saani Abdul-Jaleel , Amonoo James
Published: August 2021

We identified the pertinent factors affecting parents’ choice of a particular senior high school (SHS) in Ghana, focusing on parents with at least one child in a SHS in Ghana and are residents of Cape Coast. The approach and design used were quantitative and descriptive survey design respectively. A sample of 637 of the parents, made up of 349 women and 288 men, was used. The parents were selected using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. A questionnaire, with a reliability coefficient ranging from 0.735 – 0.829, was the instrument used to collect the data. Out of the 637 parents sampled, we were able to retrieve 588 completed questionnaires, representing 92.3 percent response rate. The data were analysed using cross tabulation and linear multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that parents preferred public boarding SHS which is single-sex education. Also, parents preferred schools with excellent academic record, quality instruction, and positive school values. Similarly, family/parental related factors such as family moral and religious values, and parents’ income and education levels, and also social related factors such as school popularity and brand, peer influence, and social network predict significantly and positively parents’ choice of a particular SHS. We conclude that school, family and social related factors are able to influence parents’ school choice. It is recommended to heads of SHSs to be attentive to the various institutional factors and create schools that address the needs of the parents in their communities in order to attract and retain students.

 

 

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EFFECTS OF SPORTS TRAINING ON SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC SKILLS IN AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS
Authors: Parlak Özge , Şahin Mehmet , Şeker Faruk Salih
Published: August 2021

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an important public health problem. It refers to a developmental disability and can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. According to the previous studies there is no precisely treatment for individuals with ASD. However, they can be improved and can be taught important skills such as expressing their feelings, overcoming their fears, developing their physical abilities and working and bonding with their peers by especially sport education. Sport education or training was implemented with 10 participants with ASD aged 5,5–29 years. One parent from each family who accompanied ten individuals with ASD during sporting events participated in this study. A standardized open-ended interview method was applied to the parents. Social Skill Interview Questions and Academic Skill Interview Questions were applied to the interviewees. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed. The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of sports training on social and academic skills in individuals with ASD. Sport helped individual with ASD make progress in social skills such as communication, participation in the game, social relations, behavioral problems and waiting in line, body awareness and balance control, interests, following rules and instructions. On the other hand, it did not yield to the ability to transition from activity to activity and it did not contribute to a few individuals with ASD, while it contributed positively to many individuals with ASD, although some had rather slow success. In the academic skills of sports, perception studies supported skills such as preparation for first literacy, sound words and sentences, listening, relations between objects, and rhythmic counting. While it was recognized that sports contributed considerable improvement to some of the individuals in skills such as writing their own names, grammar, natural numbers, operations, and measures, unfortunately it did not help some of them in progress. It was observed that the majority of those who did not progress were younger. Sport training or education did not support to the ability to perform operations using division and calculator. Evidence suggests that sport education has ultimately a positive effect on the social and academic skills of individuals with ASD. 

 

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THE FUNCTIONS OF CODE-SWITCHING IN LOWER LEVEL SPANISH LANGUAGE CLASSES / LAS FUNCIONES DE CONMUTACIÓN DE CÓDIGOS EN CLASES DE LENGUA ESPAÑOLA DE NIVEL INFERIOR
Authors: Reynolds-Case Stacy Anne
Published: August 2021

Code switching (CS) between Spanish and English is a prevailing and growing phenomenon. There has been a rise over the past two decades in the interest of Spanish-English CS, as it relates to the formation of the Hispanic identity and unity in the U.S. However, there has been little research comparing how CS between bilingual English/Spanish speakers in a natural environment differs or is similar to CS used by Spanish language teachers in the classroom. The researcher for the current study collected speech samples from Spanish teachers’ pedagogical language in lower level courses, which were later analyzed in order to determine if there were similarities in the reasons instructors initiate CS in their pedagogical language and the reasons previous studies have shown speakers to use CS outside the classroom. The data reveals that while the speech environment and dynamics between listener and speaker are different, Spanish language teachers and speakers outside the language classroom implement CS for similar reasons.

La alternancia de códigos (AI) entre el español y el inglés es un fenómeno prevaleciente que está creciendo en los ambientes de contacto entre las dos lenguas. En las últimas dos décadas, ha habido un aumento en el interés en la AI entre el español y el inglés, al igual que en esta relación con una identidad hispana en los EEUU. Poca investigación se ha hecho, sin embargo, que compara cómo difiere o se asemeja la AI entre hablantes bilingües del español e inglés a la AI que implementan los instructores de español en sus aulas. La autora de este estudio recopiló muestras de habla del lenguaje pedagógico de clases de niveles bajos y las analiza para determinar si las razones por las que los instructores inician la AI en su lenguaje pedagógico son similares al uso de la AI fuera del aula. Los datos muestran que mientras los ambientes de habla y la dinámica entre oyente y hablante son diferentes, los instructores de español y los hablantes fuera del aula utilizan AI por razones similares.

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A CORPUS-BASED STUDY ON THE EDUCATION-RELATED TED TALKS BETWEEN NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS
Authors: Do Hieu Manh
Published: August 2021

This study aims to find out the frequency word lists in the TED talks in the education field as well as the comparison of the language used by native speakers (NS) and non-native speakers (NNS). The researcher collected four transcripts (two from NS and the others two from NNS) from the TED talks. AntConc is the main software that would be used to investigate the frequency word lists. Data collection includes two steps: (1) collecting the four transcripts of TED talks and (2) listing top 10, 20, and 100 frequency word lists of TED talks corpus of NS and NNS, separately. The findings found that both speakers usually use functional words more than content words. However, content words play a pivotal role in making a full meaning sentence.

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AN INVESTIGATION OF PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED THROUGH ONLINE EDUCATION AND MEASURING DIGITAL LITERACY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF TURKISH MASTERS’ DEGREE AND PHD STUDENTS
Authors: Altun Lokman
Published: August 2021

Coronavirus has changed the habits of all over the world deeply. This transformation has profoundly affected the way of the education system. Closing schools and universities carried education to online platforms. My university has also been using a new online education platform. Naturally, my students have been facing some problems during my lessons. I targeted to explore what kinds of problems have been experienced. My second aim of this exploratory research is to measure my students’ digital literacy levels. The findings of my research showed that the learners were mostly facing problems such as internet connection, losing concentration, and social interaction. Furthermore, their digital literacy sub-scales were found as very good and good, but they have a problem with one side of digital literacy.

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THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROGRAMS ON JOB PERFORMANCE AND JOB SATISFACTION IN THE TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES IN MALAYSIA
Authors: Kanapathipillai Kumaran , Azam S. M. Ferdous
Published: August 2021

Currently, many organizations are facing trials when competing in the turbulent business environment; this is coupled with the current Covid-19 pandemic, which has worsened the strength of the organizations. The telecommunication companies in Malaysia was also not spared in this situation. Therefore, a crucial strategy for the telecommunication companies to gain competitive advantage is by conducting training to its employees at all levels to overcome this current drawback. This research aims to discover if training impacts job performance and job satisfaction which are two crucial variables that leads to the telecommunication company’s survival and growth. Therefore, in order to achieve the objective of this research, the survey procedure is used to develop a thorough profile, which is gathered from 316 out of 500 formal standardized questionnaires sent to employees at three major telecommunication companies in Malaysia. This research utilized the quantitative methods to produce empirical outcomes and substantiations that answer the research questions. The literature examined the areas of training, job performance, and job satisfaction to fill the gap and to determine the significance of training programs conducted on job performance and job satisfaction. The analysis shows that training is statistically significant and has a strong relationship with job performance and job satisfaction. The hypothesis depicted that training programs conducted in the telecommunication companies have a significant relationship with job performance and job satisfaction of the employees. Thus, the findings of this study could aid as an example to other companies in Malaysia to not take granted of the impact of training on job performance and job satisfaction. By undertaking continuous training, companies could rise against the current economic problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and continue to survive and flourish as well as maintain its competitive strength.

 

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