3543 research outputs found
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The Well Being of Physician Assistant Students: A Preliminary Look at Quality of Life
No full textMedical students are adversely affected by the rigorous curriculum and high demands of medical school causing them to experience symptoms like burnout.1 Burnout is defined as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of low personal accomplishment that leads to decreased effectiveness at work.2
What about Physician Assistants (PAs)? There has been minimal research on students going through PA programs. PAs are required to learn a vast amount of knowledge in a compressed 2 year program. Hernandez and his team (2010) examined the different levels of stress, depression and medical symptoms between nursing students, medical students and physician assistant students. Hernandez and his team found that the physician assistant students reported the highest levels of depression and medical symptoms.
Further research on the wellness of PA students is necessary to produce the best possible learning environment because PA students are at risk for serious physical, emotional and mental problems
Black Grooves
No full textStaying abreast of new music releases, especially those outside of the mainstream pop world, can be challenging. Here’s one solution: Black Grooves, a monthly online magazine that reviews the latest music releases and reissues
Effects of Classroom Management on Teacher Job Satisfaction
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative, single embedded multiple case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of classroom management training and its impact on self-efficacy and job satisfaction. This study was conducted at a large central Florida high school with a teaching staff of approximately 80; a sample consisting of 10 teachers was used to represent the population. For each participant, a pre-interview questionnaire and then semi-structured interviews provided data. The participants stated that they either did not receive any pre-service training in classroom management, cannot remember any training, or the training was not beneficial for preparing them for managing a classroom. This study found that negative student behavior has a significant impact on teacher job satisfaction and there is little support in place by administration to help teachers with this issue
A Case Study of the Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities and Teacher Efficacy
No full textTraditionally, professional development opportunities to improve teaching and learning have been practiced through isolated events that do not allow learning to happen within the context of the school. Research showed schools are beginning to implement professional learning communities. This descriptive single case study addressed the questions: (a) What are teachers’ perceptions regarding the relationship between a professional learning community and teacher efficacy? and (b) From teachers’ perspectives, in what ways, if any, do professional learning communities impact teacher efficacy? The case study examined the relationship between professional learning communities and teacher efficacy as well as the impact of professional learning communities on teacher efficacy from the teachers’ perspectives. Data from the Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised (PCLA-R), the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), and participant interviews and reflections were collected, analyzed, and discussed. The design of this study focused on studying a particular phenomenon within international schools offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in which the teacher population is diverse. Teachers discussed how their participation in a PLC helped to build their capacity as teachers, build confidence, impacted student achievement, relieved feelings of isolation, and supported their professional learning
Freshman Student Perception of Institutional Engagement Strategies
No full textTechnology, socio-economic disparities, and an increasingly diverse population base have changed the nature of American communities and thus the educational and occupational landscape. Access to higher education is functionally the gatekeeper for technical and professional careers. The gap between the number of students starting a four-year degree and the number completing a degree is discouraging. As a student transitions to college, many factors influence personal resiliency. Familial support, pre-college preparation, peer-to-peer relationships, and institutional connection all influence a student’s resiliency. However, higher education’s traditional engagement and transitional programming does not always engender connection nor promote academic success. This qualitative case study explored student perceptions of institutional engagement, to understand how students perceive institutional engagement and why institution-to-student connection is an important influence to student resiliency. Stratified purposive sampling ensured that the study included diverse voices from the freshman class to include, UREP, White, first generation, and academically struggling students. 11 open interviews provided data for investigating the freshman perception of the transitional experience. Results revealed in depth understanding of institution-to-student connection and potential sources of divisiveness, as revealed in freshman perceptions. Recommendations are provided for potential high leverage practices that may serve to recruit, connect, and retain students across racial/ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, and gender divides
African-American Males, Part-Time Work, and Persistence
No full textThe central research question for this study asked how do African-American males perceive working part-time, while enrolled full-time, to have an impact on their persistence? A secondary question asked, what factors influenced African-American male students to persist through graduation? The participants comprised of 35 African-American male college students who graduated Spring 2016. This study was focused on part-time employment and its support of persistence for African-American men. Hence, persistence theory was the most pertinent lens through which to view the literature and the data collected in this study. This study employed a case study research, as it is an empirical inquiry about a contemporary phenomenon set within its real-world context. The case study method allows for better comprehension of the context of the phenomenon being studied. In analysis of the data, four themes that contributed to persistence began to emerge. The themes are job satisfaction, relationships with parents, support systems, and a sense of motivation. These four themes represent the thoughts and perceptions of the graduated participants as they responded to the interview questions and produced the findings for this research study. The discoveries holistically indicated that persistence included more than one factor. The findings from this study suggest faculty, administrators, and staff can support persistence among African-American men at predominantly White institutions. Also, an institutional practice or formal program should be established using faculty and staff to frequently engage with African-American men in formal or informal academic and social programs or through other campus activities
Perceptions of Effective Teaching Strategies and Assessments of Critical Thinking in Radiographic Clinical Practice
No full textThe following dissertation represents research concerning radiologic science clinical coordinators and program director’s perception of student critical thinking skills, teaching strategies and assessment. The survey used in the study was based on Gosnell’s (2010) model that evaluated critical thinking skills in radiography program director perceptions. Results from the research offers a contribution to the field of radiography in general and specifically in clinical practice. The survey was sent electronically through Qualtrics to 523 clinical coordinators employed at JRCERT accredited institutions. A solid 31.74% response rate was reached with a slightly skewed delineation of facility representation (hospital 18.9%, community college 38.41% and university 39.02%). Quantitative data was gathered over a six-week period and analyzed by descriptive statistical analyses, and ANOVA. Data showed that clinical coordinators generally agreed that critical thinking must be included in programmatic curricula and that it is an essential skill for radiographers. There was also agreement among clinical coordinators on effective and non-effective teaching strategies and assessment tools. Hands-on and situational judgements ranked highest in effective teaching methods while hands-on learning and higher cognitive questioning ranked highest in methods actually used while portfolios ranked lowest in both categories. Image critique, clinical competency and situational judgements ranked highest in assessment tools used. Standardized testing ranked lowest as a preferred method of assessment. Qualitative data was gathered through the use of interviews of program directors within the United States. Analyses showed little significance in attributes of graduates dependent on the terminal degree of the program or the education level of the instructor. Interview responses added to establishing characteristics of critical thinking within radiography and the overall perception of teaching and assessing critical thinking. Further research that evaluates specific critical thinking teaching and assessment highlighted within this study would greatly benefit the field of radiography
A Study of Undergraduate Personal Finance Courses at Public Universities in the Pacific Northwest Using an Action Research Approach
No full textThe purpose of this action research study was to examine undergraduate personal finance course instruction with a specific focus on student loan debt instruction at public universities in Oregon. This study focused on the central research question: What is the scope, sequence, and emphasis on the curriculum in undergraduate financial education courses and how could it be improved? Four personal finance professors from four public universities in Oregon participated in the study; with one of the universities serving as the focus. The first stage after the proposed study was to audit the personal finance course at the focus university. The second stage solicited participation from three additional personal finance professors to complete a questionnaire to align their personal finance instruction to standards. The third stage was a focused conversation between the researcher and course coordinator at the focus university, which analyzed the questionnaire results and determined a plan for modifying the personal finance course instruction at the focus university. The researcher outlined a research methodology that can be duplicated by personal finance professors for personal course improvement and by researchers seeking to define a personal finance course in future studies
An Investigation of Leadership Factors and Traits That Led to and Supported the Formation of a Multi-University Partnership
No full textThe purpose of this research study was to discover what leadership traits and factors led to the formation and support of a multi-university partnership between three faith-based, higher education institutions. Data was collected using interviews, documents analysis, and leadership surveys. Fifteen leaders, five from each institution, were invited to participate in this study. They included three presidents, three provosts, and nine vice-presidents from various departments who played a role at some point during the process of forming the partnership. Ten leaders from the 15 invited, accepted to participate in this study. They included all three presidents, three provosts, and four vice-presidents. After the researcher collected data, he analyzed the. Data analysis revealed leadership traits and factors that led to the formation and support of the multi-university partnership. Leadership traits that emerged included the ability of leaders to lead, to empower others, to care for others, to build relationships, to communicate effectively, and to collaborate across departments and institutions. Leadership factors that emerged fell into two major categories; mission, and the impact of changes that were taking place in the environment within which these institutions operate. Mission focused on a history of shared faith and values, because of a common beginning shared by all three institutions, as a result of being founded by the same larger institution. Furthermore, mission included a desire to continue advancing a “Christ-centered” education. Changes in the current operating environment centered on challenges; both economic and technological, that have had a great impact in terms of how education is delivered, and have forever altered how higher education institutions operate
