Parent Perspectives on Sending Their Children to College Early

Early entrance to college, a form of academic acceleration, is an educational alternative that opens pathways for advanced students to have challenging, stimulating, and relevant learning experiences. Children who choose this option enter the adult world several years earlier than most of their age peers. This involves extra growth, adaptation, and a nontypical route through adolescent developmental milestones. These changes may be a great challenge for children and their families. In this study, we report findings from semi-structured interviews with 36 parents whose children participated in one of two different early entrance to college programs at the University of Washington. We explored reasons and motivations behind families’ decisions for early entrance to college, their expectations, concerns, and overall experiences during the transition period and beyond.

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Tertiary English-majored Students’ Perceptions toward the Role of Pronunciation in English Language Learning and their Practicing Strategies

Tập chí Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn ◽

10.33100/jossh6.2.phangiathinh-tranquocthao ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 264-279

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Vital Role ◽

English Language Learning ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Efl Learners ◽

The University

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020

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Integration of Digital Preservation Knowledge, Skills and Competencies in the Teaching Curricula of Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana

Mousaion ◽

10.25159/2663-659x/6436 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thatayaone Segaetsho ◽

Julie Moloi

Keyword(s):

Digital Preservation ◽

Records Management ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

University Of Botswana ◽

Current Trends ◽

Teaching Content ◽

Library And Information Studies ◽

Information Studies ◽

The University

In the past few decades, digital technology has found a place in the acquisition, arrangement, description, preservation, and dissemination of information. However, heritage institutions are perturbed by the challenges of digital preservation strategies particularly for education. Despite continuous investment in digital preservation, there are limited skilled professionals to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to drive digital preservation in Botswana. Therefore, this paper investigated the knowledge, skills and competencies related to digital preservation in the teaching curricula of the Department of Library and Information Studies (DLIS) at the University of Botswana. Data collection was done through intensive structured interviews with specific educators who teach courses on digital preservation in the archives and records management stream. The study revealed that despite the fact that the educators in preservation courses are aware of current trends in digital preservation, most of them have not obtained formal degree certification specific to digital preservation. The findings further revealed that minimal digital preservation competencies are observed in the teaching curricula. A significant number of challenges observed illustrated mainly a lack of resources and limited skills in terms of practical demonstrations by educators. The curricula mostly lacked clarity on long-term and short-term digital preservation. The study recommends that DLIS and other institutions should conduct surveys or curriculum auditing on digital preservation in order to improve the teaching content. A significant number of shortcomings regarding digital preservation that could motivate further studies are also discussed under the conclusion and recommendations section of this study.

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WORK-BASED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGES OF LEARNERS, WORKPLACES AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

NORDSCI Conference proceedings, Book 1 Volume 3 ◽

10.32008/nordsci2020/b1/v3/15 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anne Roosipõld ◽

Krista Loogma ◽

Mare Kurvits ◽

Kristina Murtazin

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

University Education ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Constructivist Learning Theory ◽

Education Experience ◽

Restaurant Management ◽

The Social ◽

The University ◽

Social Constructivist Learning

In recent years, providing higher education in the form of work-based learning has become more important in the higher education (HE) policy and practice almost in all EU countries. Work-based learning (WBL) in HE should support the development of competences of self-guided learners and adjust the university education better to the needs of the workplace. The study is based on two pilot projects of WBL in HE in Estonia: Tourism and Restaurant Management professional HE programme and the master’s programme in Business Information Technology. The model of integrative pedagogy, based on the social-constructivist learning theory, is taken as a theoretical foundation for the study. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with the target groups. The data analysis used a horizontal analysis to find cross-cutting themes and identify patterns of actions and connections. It appears, that the challenge for HE is to create better cooperation among stakeholders; the challenge for workplaces is connected with better involvement of students; the challenge for students is to take more initiative and responsibility in communication with workplaces.

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Meeting the Needs of Gifted Learners Who Just Don’t ‘Fit’: Parent Perspectives

Australasian Journal of Gifted Education ◽

10.21505/ajge.2019.0012 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 6-16

Author(s):

Nadine Ballam ◽

Anne Sturgess

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Gifted Education ◽

Support Staff ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Full Time ◽

Parent Perspectives ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Gifted Learners ◽

Initial Cohort ◽

Data Informed

In February 2018, a full-time provider of gifted education opened in New Zealand with its initial cohort of children. This provider catered for learners from ages 1-15 years who did not ‘fit’ in mainstream education settings. This paper reports on a research project that focused on the effectiveness of the learning approach at this school in its inaugural year. Two sources of data informed this research, including semi-structured interviews with parents and learning and support staff, and an analysis of documents related to the philosophy, curriculum, and learning approach. This paper reports on benefits and limitations of the learning approach identified by the parent participants in the study.

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Mobilizing foreign language students for multilingual crisis translation in Shanghai

Multilingua ◽

10.1515/multi-2020-0095 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (5) ◽

pp. 587-595 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yongyan Zheng

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Language Proficiency ◽

Local Community ◽

University Student ◽

Technical Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Close Collaboration ◽

Team Members ◽

Student Volunteers ◽

The University

AbstractThis paper examines the multilingual translation efforts of a group of university student volunteers during the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of the volunteer team leader, team members, and a local community health worker. Findings identified time constraints, limited language proficiency, and limited technical knowledge as the major challenges confronting the university volunteers. In order to overcome the challenges, they worked in close collaboration and used translingual and network strategies to facilitate prompt and high-quality crisis translation. Findings suggest that foreign language university students in local universities may serve as readily available multilingual resources and can be mobilized in prompt response to the grassroots multilingual needs of the local community in times of crisis. The paper ends with implications for measures and strategies to enhance effective emergency language service and crisis communication for global multilingual cities.

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Internally Incentivized Interdisciplinarity: Organizational Restructuring of Research and Emerging Tensions

Minerva ◽

10.1007/s11024-020-09431-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mikko Salmela ◽

Miles MacLeod ◽

Johan Munck af Rosenschöld

Keyword(s):

Interdisciplinary Research ◽

Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽

Scientific Output ◽

Green Technology ◽

Academic Careers ◽

Organizational Restructuring ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Using Data ◽

The University ◽

Internal Funding

AbstractInterdisciplinarity is widely considered necessary to solving many contemporary problems, and new funding structures and instruments have been created to encourage interdisciplinary research at universities. In this article, we study a small technical university specializing in green technology which implemented a strategy aimed at promoting and developing interdisciplinary collaboration. It did so by reallocating its internal research funds for at least five years to “research platforms” that required researchers from at least two of the three schools within the university to participate. Using data from semi-structured interviews from researchers in three of these platforms, we identify specific tensions that the strategy has generated in this case: (1) in the allocation of platform resources, (2) in the division of labor and disciplinary relations, (3) in choices over scientific output and academic careers. We further show how the particular platform format exacerbates the identified tensions in our case. We suggest that certain features of the current platform policy incentivize shallow interdisciplinary interactions, highlighting potential limits on the value of attempting to push for interdisciplinarity through internal funding.

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University students’ understanding and perceptions of schizophrenia in the UK: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025813 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e025813

Author(s):

Charlotte Cadge ◽

Charlotte Connor ◽

Sheila Greenfield

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

University Students ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Health Campaigns ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

African Caribbean ◽

Lay Understanding ◽

The Uk ◽

The University

ObjectiveTo explore lay understanding and perceptions of schizophrenia in university students.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis.SettingThe University of Birmingham, West Midlands.Participants20 UK home students of white British (n=5), Indian (n=5), Pakistani (n=5), African Caribbean (n=4) and dual white British and African Caribbean ethnicity (n=1).ResultsFindings revealed a lack of knowledge about schizophrenia, particularly the negative symptoms that were not mentioned. There were mixed ideas on the causes and sources of available help for schizophrenia; however, positively many said they would consult their general practitioner. While there was a general misconception among the students that schizophrenia caused multiple personalities and was a dangerous illness, there were some differences in perceptions and understanding between ethnic groups, with more Indian students perceiving upbringing as a causal factor in the development of the illness and more Pakistani students perceiving possession by a spirit as a cause.ConclusionsThe university students interviewed lacked knowledge about schizophrenia and stigma was widespread, both of which may delay help-seeking. Public health campaigns educating young people about schizophrenia are required to improve early identification and intervention and improve outcomes. Further research exploring ways to effectively tackle stigma is also required.

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Pediatric Surgery: The Long Road to Recognition

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.92.4.618 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 92 (4) ◽

pp. 618-621

Author(s):

C. Everett Koop

Keyword(s):

General Surgery ◽

Pediatric Surgery ◽

Internship And Residency ◽

The United States ◽

University Of Pennsylvania ◽

Surgery Training ◽

Difficult Time ◽

Adult World ◽

The University ◽

General Surgery Training

Before 1946, when I completed my training in general surgery, I knew very little about the field that eventually became known as pediatric surgery. I knew that children did not get a fair shake in surgery; that was amply proved during my internship and residency. Surgical patients came from the adult world, and children had a difficult time competing with them. Surgeons in general were frightened of children, and they distrusted the ability of anesthetists to wake children up after putting them to sleep, a position not far from that of many anesthetists. The younger and smaller the patient, the more significant the hazard. I knew, also, that in the United States and in Europe, where some surgery of children was more successfully carried out, it fell usually into one of the specialties, especially orthopedics. In those days there was a need for such specialization in the treatment of diseases that are no longer problems: tuberculosis of the bone, osteomyelitis, and polio. I wish I could say that my knowledge of the sad state of child surgery as I saw it in Philadelphia made me determined to bring about changes for the better. Actually, during the last year of my general surgery training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, I was invited to become surgeon in chief of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Pediatric surgery was thrust upon me. Nevertheless, I was excited about the chance to make surgery safer for children, and I entered my career with that goal.

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Teaching Literature among Pre-Service Teachers: Challenges and Solutions

LSP International Journal ◽

10.11113/lspi.v8.17182 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 95-103

Author(s):

Ain Suraya Harun ◽

Norhanim Abdul Samat

Keyword(s):

Time Management ◽

Public University ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Teaching Techniques ◽

Literature Teaching ◽

Teaching Literature ◽

Teacher Trainees ◽

The Subject ◽

The University

Teacher trainees should be prepared to teach and exposed to the approaches, models, and techniques of literature teaching. Being ready can also boost their confidence to teach literature so that the lessons can be delivered smoothly. These teachers are so new to teaching that they might face difficulties when teaching English, specifically literature. There are teaching techniques, strategies and approaches that those pre-service teachers can investigate to understand better how to apply in their teaching. Additionally, their lack of exposure towards literature teaching can also affect the performance of teaching. This paper seeks to investigate pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach literature in schools and the challenges faced by them while teaching literature. It also attempts to offer suggestions to improve better literature teaching. This mixed method research study used questionnaires distributed to 22 TESL pre-service teachers from a public university in Johor. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with two lecturers who have vast experiences in supervising pre-service teachers at schools. Results show that a majority of fourth year TESL students are ready to teach literature with the training and courses provided by the university. Also, among the challenges that they faced are time management and their students’ feelings on the subject. This study hopes to provide insights to training teachers on literature teaching.

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Experiences of newly qualified midwives working in clinical practice during their transition period

British Journal of Midwifery ◽

10.12968/bjom.2021.29.9.524 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 29 (9) ◽

pp. 524-530

Author(s):

Heather Watson ◽

Donna Brown

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Professional Growth ◽

Transition Period ◽

Learning Opportunities ◽

Qualitative Approach ◽

Clinical Environment ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Clinical Area ◽

Care Environment ◽

The Impact

Background With greater numbers of midwives being trained to counteract the predicted shortages, it seems that it is now more vital than ever to explore how newly qualified midwives (NQMs) describe their experiences in the clinical environment, the support they have received, and identify barriers to their development during the transition period. Aim The aim of this study was to explore NQMs experiences of working clinically during the transition from student to qualified midwife. Method Using a qualitative approach, eight NQMs participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings The findings revealed four key themes that sum up the NQMs experiences: expectations and realities of the role; creating conditions for professional growth; the impact of the care environment; and limitations to creating a healthful culture. Conclusions The clearly articulated journey that has been described by the NQMs demonstrated that there is both a need and desire to change, improve and develop the transition period for all new midwives working in clinical practice. Consideration needs to be given to more robust guidance, with some ideas for development, such as support forums for NQMs to meet up on a regular basis; advanced planned rotation with flexibility; a named preceptor/‘buddy’ in each clinical area; and a shared online forum to allow the NQMs to discuss and share experiences, and to signpost to any useful information or learning opportunities available.

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