Work Ability Among Long-term Breast Cancer Survivors – Exploring the Role of Social Support in a Nation-wide Study

work ability (WA) is scarce. We aimed to identify factors, including social support, associated with excellent WA in a nation-wide population of long-term BCS. MethodsAll long-term BCSs (20-65 years) diagnosed with early-stage BC in 2011 or 2012 were identified by the Norwegian Cancer Registry in 2019 and invited to participate in a survey (n=2803). WA was assessed using the Work Ability Index. Factors associated with excellent WA were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusted for sociodemographic-, health- and cancer related variables. ResultsThe final sample consisted of 926 BCSs with a mean age of 56 years at survey. WA was reduced from 8.9 (SD 2.3) at diagnosis to 6.3 (SD 3.1) eight years later. One in three BCSs reported poor WA, and seven out of ten reported that their physical WA was reduced due to cancer. Survivors with excellent WA reported high social support from supervisors and colleagues compared to BCSs with low WA. Additionally, cognitive impairment and fatigue were negatively associated with WA. ConclusionWA remains a significant challenge in long-term BC survivorship, with a substantial proportion of BCSs reporting poor WA eight years after diagnosis. Collegial support appears to be a protective factor for sustained WA, whilst survivors struggling with fatigue and cognitive impairments may represent a particularly vulnerable group for discontinued employment. Increased attention to WA in follow-up care is warranted.

Building community using experiential education with elementary preservice teachers in a social studies methodology course

There is urgency for teacher educators to instruct preservice teachers in the tenants of social justice education. This urgency is based upon the American demographic landscape and the responsibility of educators to teach for social justice. Preservice teachers report feeling inadequately prepared to educate for social justice when entering the classroom setting (citations from below). Feelings of incompetence in social justice teaching expressed among preservice teachers coupled with minimal examination in the literature of the effects of teacher education practices that aid in the readiness to teach for social justice provided the foundation for this study. This study examined experiential methodologies that can prepare preservice teachers to teach for social justice, particularly within a social studies context. The study focused on two research questions: (a) How do preservice elementary teachers in a social studies methods course conceptualize teaching for social justice within an experiential framework? (b) In what ways did preservice teachers operationalize teaching for social justice in the practicum classroom? Also examined was how the development of community in a social studies methodology course fostered the understanding of teaching for social justice. The findings highlight how preservice teachers were able to conceptualize building communities with experiential methods to teach for social justice and how doing so created an effective learning community. Although the preservice teachers valued the implementation of experiential methods to foster the teaching of social justice, difficulties were expressed in their incorporation of experiential methods in the practicum environment due to a lack of confidence, teaching competence, or collegial support.

Risk factors for digital stress in German public administrations

Objective As the digitization of the working world progresses, the demands on employees change. Not least, this is true for the setting of public administrations in Germany, which is currently affected by the transformation to E-Government. This study aims to identify and describe a risk cluster of digitally stressed employees in public administrations. Methods An online sample of 710 employees from three public administrations in North Rhine-Westphalia were surveyed about digital stress (7 items) and several potential risk factors (19 items) derived from the current research. In the first step, a hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis is used to detect the risk cluster. This is followed by a comparison to the group of the remaining employees regarding their risk profiles. Results The analysis states that the digitally stressed cluster accounts for approximately ten percent of the public administration’s employees of the total sample. Employees in the risk cluster are less satisfied with on-site work overall, experience less collegial support on-site, experience less collegial support in the home office, resign more often, are more likely to feel overwhelmed, are less educated, are older in age and more often have relatives in need of care. Conclusion This work was able to identify and describe a group of digitally stressed rather than left-behind employees in public administrations to bring awareness to potentially destructive factors in the digital transformation process but eventually to social inequalities. The findings offer the basis for interventions to arise and evoke potential for further research.

Formative assessment and feedback in the primary classroom: An interplay between teachers' beliefs and practices

<p>This study explores the interplay between teachers’ beliefs and practices in understanding and implementing formative assessment and feedback to enhance student learning. Particularly, it explores teachers’ conceptions of effective formative feedback strategies, and the role they should play in their classroom practice. The context for this investigation was writing lessons in three primary classrooms, and included examination of three cases of primary teachers in the greater Wellington Region, New Zealand. Sadler’s (1989) theory of effective formative assessment and feedback provided the theoretical framework informing both data collection method and the analysis of data. Analysis of classroom observations, teaching documents and field notes revealed that teachers have adopted many strategies associated with good feedback practice. It was revealed, however, that the influence of teachers’ beliefs in the implementation and enactment of formative feedback and the interplay of their beliefs and practices affected their practices. These teachers’ conception and beliefs on how formative feedback should be practiced varied, as did their assumptions about their students’ abilities. These inconsistencies were further influenced by a range of contextual factors, including the diversity of students’ needs, differing collegial support, the structure of school writing programmes, teachers’ limited professional development and/or learning about formative assessment and feedback, and teachers’ learning having been undertaken in an era that favoured behaviourist practices. This research revealed the need for the provision of ongoing professional learning and development in writing instructions and formative assessment and feedback strategies. This would address the apparent inconsistencies between teachers’ conceptions and beliefs regarding effective formative assessment and feedback and their practices. As a result, this would help to promote Sadler’s (1989) formative assessment and feedback strategies to achieve more effective classroom teaching and learning practice. Implications for teachers, schools and professional learning and development are outlined and suggestions for further research included.</p>

Formative assessment and feedback in the primary classroom: An interplay between teachers' beliefs and practices

<p>This study explores the interplay between teachers’ beliefs and practices in understanding and implementing formative assessment and feedback to enhance student learning. Particularly, it explores teachers’ conceptions of effective formative feedback strategies, and the role they should play in their classroom practice. The context for this investigation was writing lessons in three primary classrooms, and included examination of three cases of primary teachers in the greater Wellington Region, New Zealand. Sadler’s (1989) theory of effective formative assessment and feedback provided the theoretical framework informing both data collection method and the analysis of data. Analysis of classroom observations, teaching documents and field notes revealed that teachers have adopted many strategies associated with good feedback practice. It was revealed, however, that the influence of teachers’ beliefs in the implementation and enactment of formative feedback and the interplay of their beliefs and practices affected their practices. These teachers’ conception and beliefs on how formative feedback should be practiced varied, as did their assumptions about their students’ abilities. These inconsistencies were further influenced by a range of contextual factors, including the diversity of students’ needs, differing collegial support, the structure of school writing programmes, teachers’ limited professional development and/or learning about formative assessment and feedback, and teachers’ learning having been undertaken in an era that favoured behaviourist practices. This research revealed the need for the provision of ongoing professional learning and development in writing instructions and formative assessment and feedback strategies. This would address the apparent inconsistencies between teachers’ conceptions and beliefs regarding effective formative assessment and feedback and their practices. As a result, this would help to promote Sadler’s (1989) formative assessment and feedback strategies to achieve more effective classroom teaching and learning practice. Implications for teachers, schools and professional learning and development are outlined and suggestions for further research included.</p>

How Teachers Perceive the Ongoing Influence of a Portfolio on Reflection: A Case Study

<p>This case study investigated the long-term influences of compiling a portfolio on resource teachers’ (RTLB) reflection on practice. The findings provide a detailed analysis of the reflection that is stimulated by the portfolio process and the extent to which this has been ongoing in the RTLBs’ practice. Compiling the portfolio stimulated the RTLBs’ reflection on practice in a number of aspects, from selecting cases and evidence to writing, reading, collegial support, and professional supervision. It also promoted a more critical understanding of what it means to be a reflective practitioner. Among these, the writing involved in the portfolio process appears to be one of the most important factors in promoting reflection. However, reflective writing has not been maintained in the participants’ current practice, whereas other aspects of reflection have, to some extent, continued. The overall quality of reflection has thus become more technical, albeit less deep, as it grows to cater for participants’ professional needs. Much emphasis is put on formal/professional supervision and collegial support as important vehicles in maintaining the post-portfolio reflection. The former is deemed highly valuable because of the professional guidance and the sense of direction that a professional supervisor can offer as he/she triggers the RTLB’s reflection, while the latter provides them with opportunities to share with their colleagues the things that they find useful, discuss the issues that they have in common, have their practice challenged and critiqued, and look at better practice. The establishment of communities of practice particularly stands out as an effective vehicle for sustaining reflection. The study includes recommendations for maintaining reflection in the post-portfolio phase, as well as for sustained portfolio use. Suggestions are also made for the application of portfolio assessment in the Vietnamese higher education system. Further research is recommended to expand the scope and scale of this study, as is collecting empirical evidence that would validate the findings in a Vietnamese context. A more thorough investigation into the Vietnamese higher education system and its cultural, social and political features is also recommended in order to generate a more detailed proposal for the application of portfolio assessment in Vietnam.</p>

How Teachers Perceive the Ongoing Influence of a Portfolio on Reflection: A Case Study

<p>This case study investigated the long-term influences of compiling a portfolio on resource teachers’ (RTLB) reflection on practice. The findings provide a detailed analysis of the reflection that is stimulated by the portfolio process and the extent to which this has been ongoing in the RTLBs’ practice. Compiling the portfolio stimulated the RTLBs’ reflection on practice in a number of aspects, from selecting cases and evidence to writing, reading, collegial support, and professional supervision. It also promoted a more critical understanding of what it means to be a reflective practitioner. Among these, the writing involved in the portfolio process appears to be one of the most important factors in promoting reflection. However, reflective writing has not been maintained in the participants’ current practice, whereas other aspects of reflection have, to some extent, continued. The overall quality of reflection has thus become more technical, albeit less deep, as it grows to cater for participants’ professional needs. Much emphasis is put on formal/professional supervision and collegial support as important vehicles in maintaining the post-portfolio reflection. The former is deemed highly valuable because of the professional guidance and the sense of direction that a professional supervisor can offer as he/she triggers the RTLB’s reflection, while the latter provides them with opportunities to share with their colleagues the things that they find useful, discuss the issues that they have in common, have their practice challenged and critiqued, and look at better practice. The establishment of communities of practice particularly stands out as an effective vehicle for sustaining reflection. The study includes recommendations for maintaining reflection in the post-portfolio phase, as well as for sustained portfolio use. Suggestions are also made for the application of portfolio assessment in the Vietnamese higher education system. Further research is recommended to expand the scope and scale of this study, as is collecting empirical evidence that would validate the findings in a Vietnamese context. A more thorough investigation into the Vietnamese higher education system and its cultural, social and political features is also recommended in order to generate a more detailed proposal for the application of portfolio assessment in Vietnam.</p>

Professional Development in a Rural Cluster of Schools

<p>This study investigated a model of professional development that has been developed by the principals of a cluster of six New Zealand rural schools. It explored the reasons why the principals chose this model of self initiated professional development, how professional development was achieved and the factors that sustained it. Data were gathered using a variety of tools, including interviews with the principals and an external professional development provider, observations, a survey and a limited historical documentation search. Results indicated that the need for regular social and professional interaction with other principals who work in similar communities was highly valued by all participants. They believed that they were unique and capable of providing professional leadership and collegial support for their cluster. The change from meeting for organizing sporting events to providing relevant professional development was strongly influenced by a mentoring contract offered by the Ministry of Education. Implications for the provision of professional development specifically for rural schools and their learning communities are discussed and suggest that the principals of rural schools have specific needs. Their professional development should include opportunities for social and professional interaction with cooperative decisions and activities initiated by them.</p>

Professional Development in a Rural Cluster of Schools

<p>This study investigated a model of professional development that has been developed by the principals of a cluster of six New Zealand rural schools. It explored the reasons why the principals chose this model of self initiated professional development, how professional development was achieved and the factors that sustained it. Data were gathered using a variety of tools, including interviews with the principals and an external professional development provider, observations, a survey and a limited historical documentation search. Results indicated that the need for regular social and professional interaction with other principals who work in similar communities was highly valued by all participants. They believed that they were unique and capable of providing professional leadership and collegial support for their cluster. The change from meeting for organizing sporting events to providing relevant professional development was strongly influenced by a mentoring contract offered by the Ministry of Education. Implications for the provision of professional development specifically for rural schools and their learning communities are discussed and suggest that the principals of rural schools have specific needs. Their professional development should include opportunities for social and professional interaction with cooperative decisions and activities initiated by them.</p>

Strategies to Prevent Leaner-on-Educator Violence in South African Schools

School violence is singled out by many researchers as an area of salient concern, both nationally and internationally. Moreover, learner-on-educator violence has become a phenomenon of great concern in schools worldwide; and no school is ruled out of this challenge. Various studies in the field of school violence focus on the safety of learners at schools, with inadequate attention paid to violence perpetrated against educators in school environments. Although some local studies on school-related violence do focus on educator-on-learner violence and the causes thereof, little or no studies have been conducted on coping strategies to deal with this concern. This literature study focused on learner-on-educator violence in South African schools and the coping strategies that educators use or can use to manage and restrict violence perpetrated against them. Located in the constructivist research paradigm, this study emanated from an empirical study by the authors on how educators, as victims of school violence, experience and understand learner-on-educator violence in the school environment. The findings of the current study revealed that South African educators use different coping strategies such as departmental directives; collegial support; in-school training programmes; monitoring of classroom access; collaboration with the school environment and participation of parents. It is concluded that these strategies are pertinent in stimulating the reduction of learner-on-educator violence in South African schools.