scholarly journals Lack of Congruence between Analyses and Conclusions Limits Usefulness of Study of Socio-cultural Influences on Student Choice of LIS

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Diana K. Wakimoto
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Educational Career ◽  
High Educational

A Review of: Moniarou-Papaconstantinou, V., Tsatsaroni, A., Katsis, A., & Koulaidis, V. (2010). LIS as a field of study: Socio-cultural influences on students’ decision making. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 62(3), 321-344. Objective — To determine how social and cultural factors influence students’ decision to study library and information science (LIS) as undergraduates. Design — Semi-structured interviews and quantitative analysis of questionnaire data. Setting — Three schools in Greece with LIS programs at the undergraduate level. Subjects — One hundred eighty-seven first-year students enrolled in Greece’s LIS schools’ undergraduate programs in the autumn semester of the 2005-2006 academic year. Methods — The authors piloted the questionnaire with 52 students at the LIS school in Athens and had three faculty members review the questionnaire. After modification, the two-part questionnaire was administered during the first week of classes to all first-year undergraduate students enrolled in Greece’s three LIS schools. The first section of the questionnaire collected data on student gender, age, area of residence, school from which they graduated, and parental occupation and level of education. The second part of the questionnaire covered students’ reasons for choosing LIS as a field of study, the degree to which students agreed with dominant public views (i.e., stereotypes) of librarianship, and practical issues that influenced students’ decision-making processes. The authors conducted two rounds of semi-structured interviews with students from the same 2005-2006 cohort. They interviewed 41 self-selected students and then interviewed a purposive sample of 15 students from the same cohort in the fifth semester of the students’ studies. Main Results — The questionnaire was completed by 187 LIS students, with 177 responses considered relevant and used in the analyses. Demographic information showed that 78% of the respondents were female, 85.8% were from urban areas, and 98.9% graduated from public schools. The authors constructed two indices to assist with further analyses: the Educational Career Index, which quantified students’ educational experience prior to study at the university, and the Divergence Index, which was created by comparing students’ university entrance exam scores and students’ ranking of LIS as a preferred field of study. The authors determined that 65% of the variance in the data was explained by two factors: students’ responses to library stereotypes and students’ self-reported reasons for choosing to study LIS. The self-reported reasons for studying LIS were combined into four variables (extrinsic reasons, intrinsic professional reasons, intrinsic academic reasons, and intrinsic social reasons) to be used in the multivariate analysis of variance tests (MANOVAs). Three distinct clusters of students were found using the indices and parental education level in cluster analysis: Cluster 1 (low parental education, low Educational Career, and low Divergence indices scores), Cluster 2 (intermediate parental education, high Educational Career, and low Divergence scores), and Cluster 3 (high parental education, high Educational Career, and low Divergence scores). For three of the factors for choosing the LIS field (intrinsic professional reasons, intrinsic academic reasons, and intrinsic social reasons), Cluster 1 showed statistically significant differences (p

scholarly journals The cultural and structural influences that ‘hide’ information from women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana: an ethnography

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Serwaa Agyemang ◽  
Claire Foster ◽  
Chris McLean ◽  
Deborah Fenlon ◽  
Richard Wagland
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Language Barriers ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Treatment Decision Making

Abstract Background Socio-cultural factors may influence the uptake of breast cancer treatments. This study aimed to explore these socio-cultural influences on treatment decision-making for women in Ghana. Method An ethnographic approach was adopted. Observation was conducted of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, nominated relatives, nurses and doctors at a breast clinic in Ghana. Semi-structured interviews followed participant observation. Thematic analysis was employed. Findings Over 16 weeks (July 2017–November 2017), 31 participants were observed and 29 took part in semi-structured interviews. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) unequal power relationships; (2) Language barriers and (3) structural constraints. Following a breast cancer diagnosis, essential information necessary for treatment decision making is ‘hidden’ from women due to an unequal patient-provider relationship. Patients acknowledged cultural behaviours of deference to experts. Doctors deliberately misrepresented treatment information to women to encourage them to undergo surgical treatment. Structural issues such as the lack of privacy during consultations hindered quality patient engagement with decision-making. High treatment costs and the lack of resources to assist women with fertility after treatment impeded open discussions around these issues. Language barriers included a lack of terms in the local Twi language to explain cancer and its treatment. There was also an absence of appropriate information materials. Conclusion Findings highlight the need for health professionals to be aware of the socio-cultural factors that limit access to quality information which is needed for informed treatment decision making. Policies that aim to provide adequate logistics; increase staffing levels; improve staff cultural awareness training and remove financial barriers are recommended.

scholarly journals The First Year in Teaching: Changes in Beginning Teachers’ Visions and Their Challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 276
Author(s):  
Onur Ergunay ◽  
Oktay Cem Adiguzel
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Beginning Teachers ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Learning Through Experience

The present study examines both the changes in beginning teachers’ visions and the challenges they face during their first year experience in teaching. A basic qualitative research methodology was used, and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire that included open-ended questions from eighteen beginning teachers who started teaching in public schools in Eskisehir, Turkey. A vision-oriented teacher education model provided the conceptual framework for identifying the changes in participants’ visions. The challenges were also emerged through inductive analysis of the data. The findings provide some evidence of considerable changes in beginning teachers’ visions and challenges in their first year teaching experience. They also present evidence for the significance of first year teaching experience in beginning teachers’ visions. The study also highlights the crucial role of learning through experience in the teaching profession. In the end, some further research trajectories on teacher education, particularly changes in visions and challenges are suggested.

Planning for the redevelopment after a fire event

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew MacKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Influences

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of planners and designers in supporting residents to negotiate the challenges of rebuilding after wildfire on the urban fringe. The research seeks to understand how planning and design professionals, in providing professional services, comprehend the changing expectations of residents transitioning from emergency to the slow process of achieving a post fire normal state through the project of redesigning their homes. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses semi-structured interviews to examine the role of planners and designers employed to facilitate and assess, or provide design services for residents who rebuilt houses after the 2003 bushfires in Canberra, Australia’s Capital City. Narrative analysis was used to identify emerging themes based on their professional experiences during the redevelopment of the suburb. Findings Case analysis shows that external influences were significant contributing factors in determining the design of houses rebuilt after the fires. The goal for both the designers and residents was to design a more sustainable built form; however, this was not achieved as external social and cultural influences came into the decision-making process. Practical implications The paper provides a different perspective on the competing goals planners and designers face in supporting residents to rebuild after disasters such as wild fires. It highlights the changing nature of the relationship between professionals and community. In particular, the research suggests planners can play an important role as observers and facilitators of long-term change occurring in the years after wildfire. The research provides insights into how planners and building designers may better serve the community by gaining a better understanding of the changing nature of redevelopment over time. Originality/value The research provides a novel approach to understanding the challenges facing planners and building designers working with residents to rebuild houses after wildfire. The paper makes the case for a better understanding of the temporal dynamics and external influences affecting decision making in post disaster redevelopment of homes.

scholarly journals The Paradox of Ghanaian High School Mathematics Teachers’ Perspectives on ICT Use

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-194
Author(s):  
Farouq Sessah Mensah ◽  
Douglas Darko Agyei
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ict Use ◽  
High School Mathematics Teachers

The paper sought to investigate the perceived use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) of high school mathematics teachers in Ghana. A hundred high school mathematics teachers from 20 public schools,10 each located in the rural and urban areas respectively in the Central region of Ghana, were stratified and used in the study. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The result of the study indicated low levels of perceived knowledge/skills of ICT use by high school mathematics teachers, contrary to their reported high usage levels of ICTs. The findings of the study also indicated that the high school mathematics teachers’ ICT use in a professional related context (instructional delivery, assessment, and professional learning network) was minimal compared to use for social networking, although they seemed to be fully aware of the relevance of using ICT in a professional related manner. Similarly, their reported technical knowledge/skills of ICT were low. Thus, the results of the study suggest that, though the teachers reported high ICT usage, actual usage seems to be at the peripheries. Among other things,  this study has implications for curriculum development and training in Ghana and countries of similar context. It may be necessary for the  Curriculum Research Development Division (CRDD) of the Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the related agencies to explicitly define parameters such as what ICT tools must be used, when they must be used, and how they should be used when reviewing and revising their mathematics teaching curriculum.  

LIS as a field of study: socio‐cultural influences on students' decision making

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentini Moniarou‐Papaconstantinou ◽  
Anna Tsatsaroni ◽  
Athanassios Katsis ◽  
Vasilis Koulaidis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Field Of Study

Why Neurology (or Not)? A Longitudinal Qualitative Study of Career Decision-Making of First-Year Medical Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000001071
Author(s):  
Rachel Gottlieb-Smith ◽  
Douglas J. Gelb ◽  
Benjamin Becker ◽  
Braydon Dymm ◽  
Olivia Gutgsell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Specialty Choice ◽  
First Year ◽  
Clinical Neurology ◽  
Personal Interest ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Time Allotment ◽  
First Year Medical Students

AbstractObjective:The growing shortage of neurologists is in part due to suboptimal recruitment. Little is known about students’ decision-making regarding a career in neurology, particularly early in training. Using a longitudinal qualitative approach, we aimed to understand factors that influence first-year medical students’ decisions about neurology.Methods:We conducted 1-on-1 semi-structured interviews with 15 first-year medical students at 1 institution before and after the pre-clinical neurology course (2018-2019). In the first interview, we asked about career intentions, factors likely to influence specialty choice, and perceptions of neurology. In the second interview, we asked about changes in students’ views over the year. Using thematic analysis we generated codes and clustered coded data into themes.Results:The two most prominent factors influencing career choice in general were lifestyle and personal interest. No students expressed concerns about lifestyle in neurology. Most students were neutral about neurology or had a positive personal interest, which typically increased after the neurology course. Students frequently worried about content difficulty and the curative potential of neurology.Conclusion:Interventions should include early education about the factors important to students in determining specialty choice, including lifestyle, and address potentially negative perceptions of neurology. Increasing time allotment to the pre-clinical neurology course may combat perception of the content as difficult.

Göçmen çocuklar ve okul kültürleri: Bir bütünleştirme çalışması

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halis Sakız
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Culture ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
School Cultures ◽  
Inclusive School

Bu makale, Türkiye’de yoğun göç almakta olan Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’ndeki okullarda, göçmen çocukların okullara dâhil edilmesine yönelik olarak idarecilerin düşünce, inanç ve tutumlarını inceleyen nitel bir araştırmanın sonuçlarını bildirmektedir. Araştırma özelde, okul yöneticilerinin göçmen çocukların kendi okullarında eğitilmesine yönelik tutumlarını, bu eğitimin önünde duran ve okul ikliminden kaynaklanan engelleri ve göçmen çocukların kendini ait hissettikleri bütünleştirici okul iklimleri inşa edilebilmesi için eğitim sistemindeki mevcut fırsatları ortaya koymayı amaçlamıştır. Araştırmada, 18 okul yöneticisinden nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olan yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmeler kullanılarak veri toplanmış ve bu veriler tematik analiz yöntemiyle çözümlenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda (i) okul yöneticilerinin göçmen çocuklara ayrıştırılmış ortamlarda eğitim verilmesini desteklediği ve kendi okullarında eğitim görmelerine dair olumsuz tutumlar beslediği, (ii) yapısal yetersizliklerin ve düşük toplumsal kabul düzeyinin göçmen çocukların eğitimine yönelik olumsuz tutumları önemli ölçüde etkilediği ve (iii) bütünleşik okul kültürlerinin oluşması için paydaşların psiko-sosyal ve yapısal anlamda desteklenmesi gerektiği ortaya çıkmıştır. ENGLISH ABSTRACTMigrant children and school cultures: A suggestion for inclusionThis article reports on the findings of an empirical research investigating the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes towards the inclusion of migrant children in the South-eastern region of Turkey which is currently exposed to intensive migration waves. Specifically, the article explores the attitudes of school administrators towards the education of migrant children in their schools, the barriers to this education stemming from the school culture and the opportunities in the education system to build inclusive school cultures in which migrant children can feel belonging to. The research employed 18 school administrators, utilized semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data and analyzed them through thematic analysis. Findings showed that (a) school administrators supported education of migrant children in segregated environments and possessed negative attitudes towards their education in public schools; (b) structural limitations and low social acceptance levels affected the negative attitudes towards the education of migrant children and (c) stakeholders needed to be provided with psycho-social and structural support in order to establish inclusive school cultures.  Keywords: Migrant children; inclusive school culture; qualitative research; Turkey 

Assessment of knowledge about oral cancer: study with students of public education

RSBO ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Rabaldo Bottan ◽  
Iara Fiorentin Comunello ◽  
Constanza Marín ◽  
Eduardo Mazzetti Subtil
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Oral Cancer ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
First Year ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Introduction and Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge about oral cancer of students attending public school in one city of Santa Catarina (Brasil). Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, using primary data collection. Students of last year of elementary school and first year of high school, enrolled in public schools in the city of Itajaí (SC), in 2012, were the target population. The non-probability sample was obtained by convenience. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire structured with 13 questions divided into three fields. The level of knowledge was made based on pre-established scores. Results: 1149 instruments were analyzed (80.8% of the target population). The average age of the group was 15.5 years and 54.5% were female. The majority (78%) never had received information about oral cancer. Only 27.9% had cognizance about self-examination of the oral cavity. With regard to knowledge, 87.5% classified as unsatisfactory. For most issues the cognitive field did not identify a significant correlation between knowledge and the variables gender and education. When asked if they would like to participate in educational and preventive activitiesabout oral cancer and other issues related to health, 72.6% expressed interest. Conclusion: The group did not have adequate knowledge on the subject of oral cancer. Facing this reality, and the positive attitude of respondents, the researchers designed and offered an educational program to the research subjects.

scholarly journals Smart Cities in Turkey: Approaches, Advances and Applications with Greater Consideration for Future Urban Transport Development

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Bıyık
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Future Vision

The smart city transport concept is viewed as a future vision aiming to undertake investigations on the urban planning process and to construct policy-pathways for achieving future targets. Therefore, this paper sets out three visions for the year 2035 which bring about a radical change in the level of green transport systems (often called walking, cycling, and public transport) in Turkish urban areas. A participatory visioning technique was structured according to a three-stage technique: (i) Extensive online comprehensive survey, in which potential transport measures were researched for their relevance in promoting smart transport systems in future Turkish urban areas; (ii) semi-structured interviews, where transport strategy suggestions were developed in the context of the possible imaginary urban areas and their associated contextual description of the imaginary urban areas for each vision; (iii) participatory workshops, where an innovative method was developed to explore various creative future choices and alternatives. Overall, this paper indicates that the content of the future smart transport visions was reasonable, but such visions need a considerable degree of consensus and radical approaches for tackling them. The findings offer invaluable insights to researchers inquiring about the smart transport field, and policy-makers considering applying those into practice in their local urban areas.

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