Readiness of Elementary Teachers in Minimum Competency Assessment: Teachers' Competence in Arranging Literature and Numeration Tests

Minimum competency assessment is a new challenge for classroom teachers in implementing and integrating it in learning to maximize its diagnostic and curative function on the quality of Indonesian education. This is the background of this research to analyze the readiness of teachers in arranging literacy and numeracy tests in elementary schools. This study used a content analysis design to reveal a test prepared by elementary school teachers for minimum competency assessment involving 30 elementary school teachers. Data analysis results are presented in the form of percentage accuracy of items with quantitative descriptive and examples of items that are described qualitatively. The results showed that the competence of school teachers in compiling literacy and numeracy assessment questions in elementary schools was still not optimal in terms of form, content, context, and cognitive level, especially for reflect and evaluate levels for literacy assessments and reasoning levels for required numeracy assessments. Especially for literary content on literacy, scientific context on literacy and numeracy, and third-level literacy and numeracy. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the competency of elementary school teachers in implementing a minimum competency assessment needs to be carried out to meet the standards and functions of the Indonesian national assessment. This study provides an overview of teacher readiness in carrying out minimum competency assessments in elementary schools related to their role as learning evaluators

Framework and Prototype Development of Mathsci Instruments for Measuring 21st Century Skills in Islamic Context

The development of competency assessments that measure 21st century competencies is critical for improving the quality of education. The purpose of this research is to describe a framework and prototype for assessing Math and Science or Math-Sci competency skills in the twenty-first century. The method of development research employed in this study is based on the Akker framework, which entails preliminary research, prototyping, design, and development in a paper and pencil test format. The equipment of the investigation included observation sheets, questionnaires, and tests. This study results in a conceptual framework for the instrument and a verified prototype of the Math-Sci competence evaluation. The Math-Sci competence evaluation is conceptualized around thematic, interdisciplinary questions that integrate three (three) subjects, namely Science (Biology-Physics) and Mathematics, in an Islamic context. Math-Sci, using the ladder analogy (monodisciplinary, interdisciplinary 1, and interdisciplinary 2) to rank students' competency, relates to the thought process of Bloom's taxonomy, the context, and the complexity of the topic. The instrument created was deemed valid and practicable based on the results of expert validation. The development of the Math-Sci competence assessment instrument was the first step toward strengthening assessment for learning and assisting in the improvement of learning through the presentation of integrated contextual problems. AbstrakPengembangan asesmen kompetensi yang membekalkan kecakapan abad 21 sangat urgent untuk memperbaiki proses pembelajaran di sekolah. Tulisan ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan framework dan prototype asesmen kompetensi Math-Sci untuk mengukur keterampilan abad 21. Metode penelitian pengembangan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini mengacu pada framework Akker yang meliputi penelitian pendahuluan, prototipe yang meliputi desain, dan pengembangan dalam format paper and pencil test. Instrumen penelitian berupa lembar observasi, angket, dan tes. Hasil penelitian diperoleh kerangka konseptual instrumen dan prototipe asesmen kompetensi Math-Sci yang telah divalidasi melalui expert judgment. Kerangka konseptual asesmen kompetensi Math-Sci berupa soal-soal tematik, interdisipliner yang memadukan 3 (tiga) disiplin ilmu yakni IPA (Biologi-Fisika) dan Matematika pada konteks keIslaman. Math-Sci dengan analogi titian anak tangga (monodisiplin, interdisiplin 1, dan interdisiplin 2) yang mengukur kompetensi peserta didik secara hierarki mengacu pada proses berpikir taksonomi Bloom, konteks dan kompleksitas masalah. Hasil validasi pakar diperoleh instrumen soal yang dikembangkan valid dan layak. Pengembangan instrumen asesmen kompetensi Math-Sci merupakan langkah awal upaya menguatkan asesmen for learning, membantu memperbaiki pembelajaran, bersifat inovatif dengan menghadirkan permasalahan kontekstual integratif. How to Cite: Zulfiani, Suwarna, I.P., Suwarna, Muin, A. (2021). Framework and Prototype Development of Mathsci Instruments for Measuring 21st Century Skills in Islamic Context. TARBIYA: Journal of Education in Muslim Society, 8(1), 96-107. doi:10.15408/tjems.v8i1.22120.

Constructing the “Competent” Pupil: Optimizing Human Futures Through Testing?

In the last decade, the German transition system has witnessed the large‐scale introduction of so‐called “analysis of potentials” (<em>Potenzialanalysen</em>) in secondary compulsory schooling. In most German Länder, 8th graders must participate in a two‐day assessment center which combines psychometric testing with observations of their social and professional competencies in pre‐specified tasks. The programmatic aim of these assessments is to “introduce pupils early to choosing a job” (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [BMBF], 2017, p. 2) as well as to enhance the propensity of pupils to “take responsibility for their own future” (BMBF, 2017, p. 9). In the context of the German school‐to‐work system, the introduction of these new forms of diagnostics bear witness to a new preventive political rationality that aims at reducing the entry age into upper secondary education, reduce the recourse to so‐called “transition measures” and optimizing transitions into an apprenticeship market that is characterized by structural inequalities and “mismatch” between pupils’ job aspirations and the offers in apprenticeship places. However, little is known on the role of competency testing devices for the construction of further trajectories and aspirations and their role in the reproduction of inequalities in transitions from school to work. Based on an in‐depth analysis of policy documents and competency profiles (the documents handed out to the pupils after undergoing testing), the article reconstructs the political rationale for the introduction of the so‐called <em>Potenzialanalysen</em>. Based on a Foucauldian framework, we show how pupils are constructed as “competent” subjects. We show that competency assessments are part and parcel of a political rationality that aims at the promotion of a specific (future‐oriented, optimized, self‐regulated) relation to one’s own biographical future on the side of the pupils. Our results demonstrate that competency profiles construct the process of choosing a job as an individualized project of the self and that they invisibilize structural barriers and power relations. In doing so, competency assessments potentially contribute to the reproduction of inequalities in post‐secondary education through delegating “cooling out” processes from institutional gatekeepers to the interiority of persons.

Education and training as key drivers for improving the quality of fluid balance charts: findings from a quality improvement project

Reviewing fluid balance charts is a simple and effective method of assessing and monitoring the hydration status of patients. Several articles report that these charts are often either inaccurately or incompletely filled thereby limiting their usefulness in clinical practice. We had a similar experience in our practice at Kettering General Hospital and conducted a quality improvement project with a goal to increase the number of charts that were completely and accurately filled by a minimum of 50% in a 1-month period and to reassess the sustainability of this improvement after 6 months. Data from baseline measurements showed that only 25% of the charts in the ward had accurate measurements, 20% had correct daily totals and 14% had complete records of all intakes and losses. We collected feedback from nursing staff in the ward on what challenges they faced in using these charts and how best to support them. Corroborated by evidence from the literature, we discovered that inadequate training was a major factor responsible for the poor quality of documentation in these charts. Using simultaneous plan–do–study–act cycles, we designed and delivered personalised teaching on fluid balance chart documentation to the nursing staff. Subsequent data showed remarkable improvements in all the parameters we assessed. For instance, the proportion of charts with accurate measurements increased by 55% and those with complete entries by 122%. Unfortunately, we were unable to demonstrate sustainability of these improvements as our second set of data collection coincided with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. In this project, we were able to demonstrate that simple and cost-efficient measures such as adequate training of nursing staff could remarkably improve the quality of fluid balance charts used in our hospitals. We suggest that this training should be included as part of the regular competency assessments for nurses and other healthcare staff.

P–167 Assuring quality in embryology decision making: blastocyst grading agreement assessed via a smartphone application

Study question Given the subjectivity of blastocyst grading and the challenge of performing routine competency assessments, how consistently do embryologists grade blastocysts when using an easily accessible phone application? Summary answer Grading agreement was fair to moderate for inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE), evidence that a mobile application can be used for quality assurance. What is known already Embryologists routinely perform external quality assessments (EQA), though the utility of EQA for quality improvement is limited, and more active, user-friendly tools are needed to improve quality assurance in embryology. Blastocyst grading is one of the most important and subjective tasks in clinical embryology, important for both blastocyst ranking and decision to freeze. Inter-user agreement is only fair for ICM (kappa 0.349) and TE grade (kappa 0.397; Storr et al., 2017). Fair agreement has also been reported for decision to freeze for a cohort of blastocysts that exhibited borderline morphology (kappa 0.301; Hammond et al., 2020). Study design, size, duration A prospective study of blastocyst grading consistency using ARTCompass, a mobile phone application designed to assess clinical decision making of laboratory staff for andrology and embryology competency. Two assessments, each with 100 images of expanded blastocysts in three planes, were performed by 42 embryologists from 9 clinics in 2 countries between April to July 2020. Survey 1 assessed ICM grading and survey 2 assessed TE grading using the same set of images for consistency. Participants/materials, setting, methods Blastocysts were of proportionally mixed grades (ranging from grade A to X) using a modified Gardner system that included “X” for non-viable ICM/TE. Embryologists were advised to complete the tests individually in one sitting. The Fleiss kappa coefficient (k) measured inter-rater agreement among embryologists when assigning blastocyst grade. Kappa value interpretation is as follows &lt;0.20: poor; 0.21–0.40: fair; 0.41–0.60: moderate; 0.61–0.80: good and 0.81–1.00: very good. Main results and the role of chance Overall, agreement for ICM and TE grades was moderate among embryologists (kappa 0.47, 0.52, respectively). ICM grade B and C had the lowest agreement (0.37, 0.39), while ICM grade X (no, or degenerate ICM), and TE grade A showed the highest agreement (0.68, 0.62). These results illustrate that embryologists had difficultly classifying ICM grade when it was of moderate to poor quality (grade b or c), likely due to subjectivity in grading size and compaction level, but were good at classifying ICM grade when there was no apparent ICM (grade x). For TE grade, embryologists consistently identified a top-quality TE (grade a), which is reassuring as TE grade is the primary morphological feature used for blastocyst ranking. In general, this QA platform offers ease of use and shows agreement values for ICM and TE that are similar to other studies, suggesting that blastocyst grading with a mobile phone application is a viable option for quality assurance. Limitations, reasons for caution Only blastocyst grading was assessed, therefore additional competency assessments using a mobile device should be assessed for accuracy. Further studies are needed to determine if mobile applications can improve competency. Wider implications of the findings: Ease of use by 42 embryologists indicates mobile applications may provide a user-friendly and accessible platform for QA. Since effective and efficient assessment of competency and KPIs is an ongoing challenge for laboratories, a mobile application is a novel and effective tool to monitor QA parameters in the IVF laboratory Trial registration number Not applicable

Healthcare Management and the Humanities: An Invitation to Dialogue

Throughout the fields of medicine and organization studies, there are growing indications of the value of the humanities for enriching scholarship, education, and practice. However, the field of healthcare management has yet to consider the promise of the humanities for illuminating its particular domain. This perspective paper explores how the humanities might begin to play a role in healthcare management by focusing on three broad areas: (1) understanding the lived experiences of management, (2) offsetting the “tyranny of metrics”, and (3) confronting rather than avoiding anxiety. While preliminary in presentation, these areas are intended to facilitate wider consideration of the humanities in healthcare management and to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue. The paper also identifies actionable approaches that might be derived from such a dialogue, including substantiating critical healthcare management scholarship, collaborating with humanities educators to design novel curricula, proposing alternatives to unduly circumscribed performance targets and competency assessments, creating case studies of formative experiences of practicing healthcare managers, and advancing guidelines for better managing anxiety and its concomitant stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue in healthcare organizations. The paper concludes by discussing the potential risks of incorporating the humanities into healthcare management, while also offering a prospective synthesis from an interdisciplinary approach.

Improving laboratory quality and capacity through leadership and management training: Lessons from Zambia 2016–2018

Background: Competent leadership and management are imperative for delivering quality laboratory services; however, few laboratory managers receive job-specific training in organisational management and leadership.Objective: To develop and evaluate participants’ competencies in organisational leadership and management as measured through learner and laboratory quality improvement assessments.Methods: This professional development programme employed a mentored, blended learning approach, utilising in-person didactic and online training, with the practical application of a capstone project in the laboratories. Programme impact was evaluated through a series of pre- and post-laboartory assessments using the Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation checklist, as well as learner-competency assessments through online quizzes and discussions.Results: From 2016 to 2018, 31 managers and quality officers from 16 individual laboratories graduated from the programme having completed capstone projects addressing areas in the entire laboratory testing process. Laboratories increased their compliance with the International Organization for Standardization 15189 standard and all but two laboratories significantly increased their accreditation scores. Two laboratories gained three stars, two laboratories gained two stars, and five laboratories gained one star. Five laboratories subsequently achieved International Organization for Standardization 15189 accreditation in 2019.Conclusion: This programme taught leadership theory to laboratory managers and allowed them to implement leadership and management practices in the laboratory setting. Programmes such as this complement existing laboratory quality management training programmes such as Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation.

Scottish rheumatology sonography course: five-year experience of delivering a mentorship-model rheumatology ultrasound training programme accredited by the consortium for the accreditation of sonographic education

Background and aims Ultrasound training for rheumatology practice in the UK is variable. Currently, there is no agreed minimum standard for training in ultrasound applied to rheumatology patient management. We present our experiences of implementing a competency driven ultrasound training, focused on hands and feet. Methods and results The Rheumatology Sonography Course (RSC) was developed by the Scottish Rheumatology Ultrasound Group in collaboration with Glasgow Caledonian University. The RSC is delivered via a blended learning approach and includes training workshops, mentorship and clinical competency assessments. Mentors are supported and developed within their role. 31 trainees have enrolled on the course between 2014 and 2019. To date, 22 (71%) have completed. Change of job role was the main factor leading to non-completion. Thirteen mentors have supported the training and assessment of RSC trainees. All trainees reported positively that ultrasound training via the RSC model fulfilled their learning needs. Conclusion The RSC is a feasible ultrasound training model for rheumatology practitioners. Whilst it provides a robust training framework, mentorship fees and university overheads increase the cost. The RSC provides motivation to mentors to train external trainees and supports the development of new ultrasound-based rheumatology services.

Children's palliative care: examination of a nursing rotation programme

Background: An 8-month rotation programme was implemented for five nurses employed in two kinds of children's palliative care environments: hospital wards and hospices. This study reports the views of the nurses completing the rotation. The research drew on appreciative inquiry and involved a pre- and post-rotation interview and questionnaire. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed seven themes: adjusting to the rotation programme; support mechanisms; being safe; new knowledge and skills; knowledge exchange; misconceptions; future plans. These were supported by the questionnaire findings. Although the nurses identified some frustration at having to undertake competency assessments relating to previously acquired skills, as well as being out of their ‘comfort zone’, all the participants highly recommended the programme. They commented very positively on the support they received and the overall learning experience as well as the new insight into different aspects of care. In addition, they were able to share their newfound knowledge and expertise with others.