Drawing on Internal Strengths and Creating Spaces for Growth: How Black Science Majors Navigate the Racial Climate at a Predominantly White Institution to Succeed

A participatory action research approach was used to identify the community cultural wealth Black science majors use to navigate the racial climate at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Black science students use their internal strengths to succeed in their majors, and they create spaces where they share support and resources to thrive at a PWI.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception on Bequeathing of Bodies for Medical Education and Research among Health Science Students of the University of Health and Allied Sciences.

Abstract Background: Cadaveric dissection is an established effective teaching method in anatomical science education. Cadaver acquisition for dissection is however based on voluntary body bequeathment. As a result of the increasing numbers of medical schools and students intake, the challenges of inadequate bodies for education became visible in most parts of the world as the main cadaver source remains anonymous corpses in the custody of the state. Cultural and religious beliefs or commercial purposes are among several factors that influence the decision about body donations. This study investigates the knowledge, attitude and perception of body bequeathing among health science students who benefitted or are potential beneficiary of cadaveric studies and identified factors influencing the bequest of bodies in Ghana for educational purposes among students in University of Health and Allied Sciences. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The study recruited 513 students in the bachelor programmes for medicine, physician assistantship, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy and allied sciences at various levels. Both closed-and open-ended questions contained in a designed Questionnaire were administered. Result: About Seventy-four percent (74.1%) of respondents had heard of body bequeathal. Majority (98.3%) agreed body bequeathal was important. However, only 39.6% knew the requirements and processes of body bequeathal. Most (>90%) had a negative attitude towards body bequeathal. Conclusion: The study concluded that there was a high awareness of the importance of body bequeathal for medical education and research but very low procedural knowledge on bequeathing a body among health science students. Also most were unwillingness to donate their body or even encouraging others to donate their body. It is therefore recommended that the medical schools should set up accessible body bequeathal programmes that provides opportunities for interested individuals to be readily assisted through the process of body bequeathal. Keywords: Body Bequeathal, Medical Science Education, Cadaveric Dissection, Anatomical education

Causal theory error in college students’ understanding of science studies

When reasoning about science studies, people often make causal theory errors by inferring or accepting a causal claim based on correlational evidence. While humans naturally think in terms of causal relationships, reasoning about science findings requires understanding how evidence supports—or fails to support—a causal claim. This study investigated college students’ thinking about causal claims presented in brief media reports describing behavioral science findings. How do science students reason about causal claims from correlational evidence? And can their reasoning be improved through instruction clarifying the nature of causal theory error? We examined these questions through a series of written reasoning exercises given to advanced college students over three weeks within a psychology methods course. In a pretest session, students critiqued study quality and support for a causal claim from a brief media report suggesting an association between two variables. Then, they created diagrams depicting possible alternative causal theories. At the beginning of the second session, an instructional intervention introduced students to an extended example of a causal theory error through guided questions about possible alternative causes. Then, they completed the same two tasks with new science reports immediately and again 1 week later. The results show students’ reasoning included fewer causal theory errors after the intervention, and this improvement was maintained a week later. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at addressing reasoning about causal claims in correlational studies are needed even for advanced science students, and that training on considering alternative causal theories may be successful in reducing casual theory error.

Nasal Carriage and Associated Factors of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Among Medicine and Health Science Students of Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia

Individuals with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonized nasal cavities were at greater risk of developing the infection and can serve as potential reservoirs of transmission. Aim of this study is to determine the extent of nasal carriage and associated factors linked to MRSA in medical and health science students of Arba Minch University (AMU), Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at AMU from 01st August through 30th November, 2020. A systematic sampling technique was used to recruit the participants. Socio-demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Nasal swabs were collected and S. aureus were identified following standard microbiological methods. Methicillin resistance was tested using cefoxitin disk and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion. Biofilm forming ability was phenotypically detected by micro-titer plate assay. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analysis were done by Statistical Package for Social Service (SPSS) version 25. Overall prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA were 27.1% (70/258) and 7.4% (19/258) respectively. Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus carriage was higher among medical interns, 16.9% (11/65); isolates were co-resistant to antibiotics, such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (63.2%) and tetracycline (48.4%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was observed among 52.6% (10/19) of the isolates. Besides, 31.4% (6/19) of MRSA were biofilm producers and all of them were MDR. Multivariable analysis showed that students having >2 years of mean exposure to hospital [p= 0.048, AOR: 4.99, 95% CI: 1.01-24.66] and those who share clothing and sports equipment [p=0.017, AOR: 5.43, 95% CI: 1.35-21.83] were statistically significant. The overall prevalence of nasal MRSA among students were comparatively lower than that observed in other studies done in Ethiopia itself. An alarming factor is that, 60% of MDR-MRSA were biofilm producers.

Teaching Mathematics to Non-Mathematics Majors through Problem Solving and New Technologies

The role of mathematics in several scientific disciplines is undisputed; work and everyday life take great advantage of its application. Nevertheless, students often tend to not particularly like it and to consider it of little interest. It is also believed that only people with a certain attitude are capable of mastering the subject. In consideration of this, we aimed to help science students develop mathematical competences by designing a course specifically oriented to applications and problem solving. We administered our course to students attending the first year of a program in biotechnology, asking them to work with technologies instilling curiosity and interest, thus achieving a better proficiency as a consequence. Two questionnaires, along with access and proficiency data, allowed us to collect information about students’ attitudes, beliefs, and activity, which we analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. The promotion of the interaction among learners made them active users of the contents, thus allowing for the adaptation of their learning paths according to their personal necessities, as well as the development of teamwork skills and flexibility. Finally, students recognized the usefulness of the problem-solving approach and the role played by software.

Kindness as a practice of Kittay’s ‘doulia’ in higher education: caring for student carers during COVID-19 and beyond

Recognising dependency as a fundamental aspect of existence and activating Kittay’s reciprocity principle, ‘doulia’, we investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on student carers at an Australian university, to what extent teaching staff care for student carers and which pedagogies and teaching practices aid student carers. Analysing the experiences of social science students shortly after the lockdown in 2020, we find that pedagogies of kindness and flexibility support student carers. We call on teaching staff to recognise students’ inevitable dependencies and commit to pedagogies of kindness.