5153 research outputs found
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Implementing Professional Development in Science Using Coaching: An Action Research Study
No full textThis action research utilized a mix method approach where qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The research study sought to explore if sustained professional development through coaching was done with teachers to enact problem-based learning would transform teachers’ praxis. In addition, the researcher examined what were the factors that contributed to teachers’ inability to transfer learning from a traditional workshop setting to implementing the knowledge gained to their classrooms. The action research consisted of two major stages, namely the needs assessment and the action research cycle. It was imperative that the researcher explore the local setting to ascertain the perceptions of teachers and look at data to determine the needs. From the needs assessment the researcher co-constructed and implemented an intervention to train teacher-participants about problem-based learning as well as conducted awareness sessions about peer coaching and what should be expected during the research study. The researcher collaborated with teacher-participants during the coaching model as they embraced co-planning, modeling, and guidance for enactment. Upon the completion of the intervention, the action research cycle began with teachers of science. Throughout the research study, a key feature was a critical reflection by the teachers as well as the researcher. Students doing the problem-based learning cycles were encouraged to do reflection, as this was a best practice for problem-based learning theory. The researcher was guided by the review of the data in Iteration 1 to make adjustments for Iteration 2; data were further analyzed in Iteration 2 after the science participants were completed, this informed changes that were made in Iteration 3. The research concluded with an ethnographic reflection of the transformation process that indicated the use of coaching as a professional development initiative for the enactment of a new instructional strategy. In addition, the overall effect that this had on the researcher’s praxis and research skills
Respiratory Decompensation in Preterm Infants Following Surgical Ligation or Device Closure of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus
No full textBackground: Temporal derangements in oxygenation and ventilation have been associated with surgical ligation and device closure of the ductus arteriosus. We sought to evaluate respiratory decompensation, defined as an increase of Respiratory Severity Score (RSS) >50% above pre-procedural value following surgical ligation (SL) or transcatheter PDA closure (TCPC). Methods: Premature infants 50% above baseline and HFV usage were measured at six intervals, from admission through 24-hours post-procedure. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to assess differences in continuous variables and the chi-square and Fisher exact tests were utilized for categorical variables. The Holm-Sidak procedure was used to correct for multiple comparisons. Results: 110 infants, (n = 88) SL and (n = 22) TCPC were included for analysis. Twelve-hours post-procedure RSS> 50% was observed in 40% of SL compared to 3% of TCPC (p = .021) and rescue HFV at 24-hours was (42% vs. 5%, p = .004) for SL and TCPC respectively. Rescue HFV was associated with SL (92% vs. 8%, p = .008), smaller gestational age (25 vs. 26 weeks, p = .003) and younger age at PDA closure (19 vs. 25 days, p = .003). Conclusion: In this study, we found that respiratory decompensation following closure of the PDA was associated with younger gestational age, younger age at PDA closure, surgical ligation, and elevated RSS values over the first 12 hours after closure. These results confirm prior data, but also suggest that an elevated RSS following PDA closure may be a useful non-invasive bedside tool to identify the respiratory phenotype of post ligation cardiac syndrome
Identifying the Optimal Therapeutic Strategy in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: Can Pharmacological Therapies Prevent Relapse in Opioid- and Alcohol-Addicted Patients?
No full textThe addiction to opioids and alcohol is one of the most significant public health concerns worldwide. One of the current approaches to the treatment of substance use disorders is the use of pharmacological therapy. In the United States, five pharmacological agents are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. The objective of the research carried out for the purpose of this dissertation is to determine the efficacy of these five pharmacological agents in the prevention of relapse in patients with opioid and/or alcohol dependence. A literature review of current evidence was conducted, and the results of several clinical studies are presented. The results of these studies support the efficacy of naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone in the treatment of opioid use disorder and relapse prevention; and naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram in the treatment of alcohol use disorder and relapse prevention when compared to placebo or usual treatment. The use of medication-assisted therapy, which involves both pharmacological therapy and behavioral therapy, is recommended as the optimal treatment for opioid- and alcohol-addicted patients. Future research on the effects of opioid misuse on alcohol use disorder treatment outcomes and alcohol use on opioid use disorder treatment outcomes, as well as potential therapeutic interventions for co occurring opioid and alcohol use disorders, is needed
Dexterity examinations as a preadmission criterion in dental hygiene programs: A phenomenological study
No full textClinical aptitude is a vital component of dental hygiene education and practice due to the dexterity needed to manipulate dental instruments for patient treatment and care. Preadmission criteria are primarily based on academic standards with a select few using dexterity examinations (DEs) as a preadmission requirement. This phenomenological research study examined the perceptions of dental hygiene program department chairs surrounding DEs as a preadmission requirement. The primary purpose of this study was to identify how DEs are used as a criterion for preadmission into dental hygiene programs, to identify any challenges and obstacles associated with their use and determine if DEs are perceived as a valid and reliable tool to assess the fine motor skills of dental hygiene applicants. Using semi-structured interviews, rich data was collected from eight participants. After performing a thematic analysis, several themes emerged surrounding the use of DEs as a preadmission criterion: participants knowledge of DEs, obstacles with implementation, positive impacts of implementation, student applicants have a lower level of dexterous ability, and perceived validity and reliability as an evaluative tool to assess the fine motor skills of applicants. The results of the research study uncovered insights and perspectives of dental hygiene program department chairs as to the use, feasibility of implementation, validity, and reliability of DEs. Results revealed reasons precluding programs from using DEs as a preadmission requirement which included: admissions, a large number of applicants to screen, and historical reasons. Programs that do use DEs as a preadmission requirement were able to offer guidance for other programs communicating their methods of implementation and the positive impacts administering DEs has had on their department. Positive impacts included identifying the dexterous ability of applicants, ease of use to administer, and reducing program attrition rates. This study has brought new information and knowledge to the discipline of dental hygiene education and laid the foundation for future studies surrounding DEs and their ability to add additional methods of clinical assessment to current preadmission criteria
Families in Transition: The Lived Experience of Parenting a Transgender Child
No full textResearch exploring the parents’ experience of their child undergoing gender transition is almost nonexistent. However, as the number of individuals who identify as transgender increases, gender identity will continue to evolve; therefore, supporting families of these individuals is paramount. Parents of transgender children were interviewed and yielded five themes: (a) It Rocks Your World; (b) Dancing Around in a Way that Doesn’t Distance; (c) Your Child Is Still Your Child; (d) Worrying About the Future; and (e) Transformational: Finally an Answer. These themes begin to identify the complex nature and struggles parents face as they encounter the emotional and physical aspects of their child’s gender transition. The findings raise awareness of the parents’ perspective, provide a better understanding of the complex family issues that occur, and provide nursing suggestions on how to continue to work to facilitate “healthy families” and promote cultural sensitivity.https://doi-org.libproxy.bridgeport.edu/10.1177/107484072094534
Technology-Enabled Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Oncology Patients and Caregivers: Case Study of Healthcare and Not-for-profit Resources with Social Media Capabilities
No full textDue to the acute, life-threatening nature of a pediatric cancer diagnosis, medical attention is paramount. Primary clinical care is usually insufficient to support quality of life for the patient and family in the long term. Psychosocial care should be provided with rigor in parallel but is often a secondary consideration with wide and long-lasting consequences after the acute crisis is in control. This problem may be evident at many levels: medical protocol compliance, behavioral and emotional effects of treatment, family and social impact of continuing care, or financial and economic challenges. Technology-enabled psychosocial support can contribute to enhancing patient and caregiver quality of life through enabling tools and processes in the health care system. A qualitative study was conducted via literature review, survey, and website analysis. These sources enable presentation of a framework to evaluate cases of pediatric oncology psychosocial support and identification of success and risk factors to technology adoption. The study may be impactful with several applications which provide opportunity for future research including pediatric patient self-advocacy for adult survivorship and family mental health issues. Caregivers may find on-demand support from multiple sources inside and outside their own communities. Adult patients and caregivers might learn from pediatric oncology best practice, particularly people with geographically dispersed families who could use successful technology capabilities
Light-Weight Accountable Privacy Preserving Protocol in Cloud Computing Based on a Third-Party Auditor
No full textCloud computing is emerging as the next disruptive utility paradigm [1]. It provides extensive storage capabilities and an environment for application developers through virtual machines. It is also the home of software and databases that are accessible, on-demand. Cloud computing has drastically transformed the way organizations, and individual consumers access and interact with Information Technology. Despite significant advancements in this technology, concerns about security are holding back businesses from fully adopting this promising information technology trend. Third-party auditors (TPAs) are becoming more common in cloud computing implementations. Hence, involving auditors comes with its issues such as trust and processing overhead. To achieve productive auditing, we need to (1) accomplish efficient auditing without requesting the data location or introducing processing overhead to the cloud client; (2) avoid introducing new security vulnerabilities during the auditing process. There are various security models for safeguarding the CCs (Cloud Client) data in the cloud. The TPA systematically examines the evidence of compliance with established security criteria in the connection between the CC and the Cloud Service Provider (CSP). The CSP provides the clients with cloud storage, access to a database coupled with services. Many security models have been elaborated to make the TPA more reliable so that the clients can trust the third-party auditor with their data. Our study shows that involving a TPA might come with its shortcomings, such as trust concerns, extra overhead, security, and data manipulation breaches; as well as additional processing, which leads to the conclusion that a lightweight and secure protocol is paramount to the solution. As defined in [2] privacy-preserving is making sure that the three cloud stakeholders are not involved in any malicious activities coming from insiders at the CSP level, making sure to remediate to TPA vulnerabilities and that the CC is not deceitfully affecting other clients. In our survey phase, we have put into perspective the privacy-preserving solutions as they fit the lightweight requirements in terms of processing and communication costs, ending up by choosing the most prominent ones to compare with them our simulation results. In this dissertation, we introduce a novel method that can detect a dishonest TPA: The Light-weight Accountable Privacy-Preserving (LAPP) Protocol. The lightweight characteristic has been proven simulations as the minor impact of our protocol in terms of processing and communication costs. This protocol determines the malicious behavior of the TPA. To validate our proposed protocol’s effectiveness, we have conducted simulation experiments by using the GreenCloud simulator. Based on our simulation results, we confirm that our proposed model provides better outcomes as compared to the other known contending methods
Engaging Learners in Synchronous Online Training Using Facial Expression Analysis Technology
No full textThe rapid growth of digitalization and the rise in the number of remote work environments have amplified the importance of remote training using online learning platforms. The effectiveness of these online trainings heavily relies on various factors such as training content, methods and duration, trainer skills, and the technology platforms used in trainings. In addition to these internal, and generally, controllable factors, various uncontrollable factors also have a significant impact on the overall learning experience and outcomes. Consideration of cultural, generational, linguistic factors in addition to gender and race-related factors is essential in increasing the effectiveness of online training efforts. The purpose of this study is to investigate how facial recognition technology can aid in creating an engaging learning experience for diverse participants in online synchronous training. In particular, the study explores factors affecting the learning experience through an empirical analysis. Incorporating learners’ feedback, practical design methods are delineated to form a highly inclusive and engaging learning model using facial expressions analysis
Transforming Distributed Leadership: A Case Study of Theory in Action
No full textTransitioning to a distributed leadership model is a process that requires a clear and transparent rationale for the shift, empowering new stakeholders while supporting current leadership and working to create a shared vision of the organizational model. The purpose of this single-case study at a suburban northeastern high school is to investigate the perceived relationship between distributed leadership and increased teacher efficacy resulting in changes to instructional practices in schools. This case study examines the ten department chairs (DC) and their role as an instructional leader as a conduit towards expanding the instructional capacity of teachers, both departmentally and collectively. The study employs a qualitative, constructivist research design to explore their transformational journey to a distributed leadership model using a retrospective review of the emergence of the school’s distributed leadership model over the past five years. The collection of the data includes a detailed survey—comprising open ended questions—and a review of existing documents such as accreditation reports, minutes of leadership team meetings, commissioned coherence and capacity program reviews, and state-published data. Evidence suggests the evolution of this role in a distributed leadership model has allowed these teachers to evolve as leaders. However, many were still working on finding the best balance between teacher and teacher-leader. Common threads to the recommendations stemming from this study are: determining if the conditions in your organization (school or district) are favorable for a distributed leadership model; creating a collaborative team that shares in the development of a strategic and common vision; creating a trusting environment where leaders can take risks in a culture that values innovation and the building of capacity of the staff. The timespan and the continuing evolution of this model may be reflected in the responses given by the study participants
The Perception of Emotional Support of Young Adult Black Males in Predominantly White Jesuit High Schools and Their Transition to Post-Secondary Education
No full text“In the 21st century America, Black males’ perception of and experiences with the openness at PWI (predominantly White institutions) can have a significant impact on students’ learning experience” (Sinaan, 2012, p. 1). However, the true understanding of the kinds of experiences and support that Black males feel they receive directly from the institution is limited in its scope. The transition from high school to college presents the need for the kind of emotional support Black males receive in high school. Educational experiences are important for Black students to pave their educational journey. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of adult Black males regarding the emotional support experienced at a predominantly White Jesuit high school that facilitated the transition to an institution of higher learning. More precisely, through a qualitative methodology and utilizing House’s theory of social support, this study explored emotional support as it pertains to aid, affect, and affirmation. Major findings revealed teachers were seen as the most affirming source of emotional support by Black males. The study showed that connecting cultural competence with pedagogy is a way to connect with students. Similarly, the literature evidences the need for the administrators to be fully engaged in the life of Black males following a targeted approach (Davis, 2015). Black males felt that administrators should go beyond just providing resources and aim to establish a more personal connection. The limitation of this study was its small sample size, which means the findings are not transferable and limited solely to the research site. However, the need for White Jesuit high schools to create a more culturally competent environment through pedagogy and professional development to meet the needs of Black males is evident from the results