University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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Resources that work here : the role of infrastructure in shaping science teachers’ documentational genesis
Get PDFAs science teachers gain increasing access to resources through an ever-expanding resource system, the study of how science teachers decide which resources to use and how to use them becomes increasingly important and complex. When science teachers exercise agency to select and adapt resources in alignment with their context, teaching and learning can improve. However, little is known about the ways in which school and district infrastructure mediate these processes. This study uses the documentational approach to didactics (DAD) and the structure-agency dialectic to explore how instructional guidance infrastructure (IGIs) influenced science teachers in one district to select, adapt, and use a set of instructional resources developed by other teachers in the district with the goal of creating collections of resources aligned with the district’s infrastructure. This two-phase, explanatory sequential mixed methods study featured the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data with the purpose of exploring how teachers used the collections’ resources, if at all, and how IGIs shaped these decisions. In the first phase, metadata from teachers’ access to the resource collections was used to create a set of initial conjectures about the nature of teachers’ work with the resources and to create a sampling frame for further analysis. In the second phase of the study, teacher interviews and teaching artifacts were used to construct case narratives illustrating how teachers used these resources, if at all, and how IGIs influenced these decisions. Results of this study indicated that teachers’ past experience with resources in their content area played an influential role in how teachers searched for, interpreted, evaluated, adapted, and implemented resources. Several IGIs influenced each stage of this work by enabling and / or constraining teachers’ agency for using these resources, often in inconspicuous ways. These findings provided insight into the ways in which science teachers selected and adapted resources to create coherence with their infrastructure, informing the future design of resources and the IGIs that support teachers’ work with resources
The influence of multisensory environments on college students' perceived anxiety and stress
Get PDFCollege students are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety. As a result, universities are seeing an increased need for ways to help students cope with pressures they face. One method could be through using multisensory environments (MSEs) as an opportunity for students to self-regulate. This research was intended to expand on well-documented theories that environments with nature-based elements (ART and Biophilia), which were user controlled (Ulrich’s Theory of Supportive Environments) and had artistic installations (Receptive Arts Engagement) could reduce stress and anxiety. Through collaboration with the Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation and the Stantec Innovation Partnership grant from the Interior Design Educators Concil, a permanent space for such an environment was identified and equipped with some of the popular sensory features being used. The room was designed using elements with researched beneficial properties and installed in the Ferguson Building at UNC-Greensboro. The grant went towards the design, furnishings, and finishing the space. A study was conducted with 19 students between the Summer and Fall semesters, and a digital questionnaire was administered, followed by a verbal interview. Students identified their current coping strategies, their favorite and least favorite elements in the room, and many stated they enjoyed the space and felt better afterwards during the qualitative interview. However, the quantitative data showed no statistically relevant correlation. This could be due to multiple factors such as the timing of the study, the lack of availability of participants, and the scales used. There was enough qualitative evidence provided by participants to justify further investigation
Opposites attract? Mixed-sex parents' and siblings' sport participation differentiates youth athletes' perceived parenting climates
Get PDFGuided by family systems and achievement goal theories, this study examined how the sex of athletes and their main sport parents, as well as sport participation patterns (same sport, different sports, and no sports) of parent–athlete and sibling sex compositions (same-sex and mixed-sex), differentiated athlete perceptions of parenting climates—task-involving (emphasizing individual improvements, effort, and mastery) and ego-involving (emphasizing winning and performance comparison). Participants were 353 U.S. high school athletes (Mage = 15.52 and SD = 1.18; 55% male) who completed a survey on perceived parenting climates, family compositions, and sport backgrounds of their parents and siblings. We conducted six moderated regression analyses, two of which used (1) athlete sex and main sport parents' sex, (2) sport participation patterns of parent–athlete sex compositions, or (3) sport participation patterns of sibling sex compositions as independent variables. Four of the analyses were statistically significant with small effect sizes, showing that (1) boys perceived greater ego-involving climates than girls; (2) athletes whose same-sex parents played sports (same or different sports) compared to no sports-perceived greater task-involving climates: (3) athletes whose mixed-sex parents played (same or different sports) compared to no sports-perceived greater task-involving climates and less ego-involving climates; and (4) athletes whose mixed-sex siblings played different sports than they did, compared no sports, and perceived greater task-involving climates. None of the interactions were significant. Findings provide theoretical and practical implications by incorporating motivational climates, addressing the potential relationships of parents' and mixed-sex siblings' sport participation to adaptive parenting climates
Building educator capacity for inclusive educational practices for students with hearing loss
Get PDFFor decades students with hearing loss have been removed from their non-disabled, same age peers to be educated in separate settings. Segregated service delivery is fueled by several erroneous assumptions that can result in lowered expectations and quality of teaching. This Disquisition (a dissertation in practice model) details an improvement initiative that addressed the inequitable practice of providing specially designed instruction in more restrictive environments in one school district. A team of educators sought to increase teacher capacity and efficacy to include students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) in general education classrooms through evidence-supported professional learning. The design team created professional learning modules that highlighted supportive scholarship including (a) the benefits of serving students in inclusive settings, (b) differing types/severities of hearing loss, (c) optimal hearing environments within the school environment, (d) effective modifications, and (e) effective collaboration with specialized teachers (e.g., special education teachers or D/HH teachers) and service providers. The improvement initiative is grounded in disabilities studies and support for a neurodiverse approach to education service delivery. Quantitative and qualitative measures were employed to determine if educator capacity increased for the implementation of inclusive practices following the professional learning activities. Findings show that professional learning efforts increased capacity for inclusion of D/HH students and cultivated positive educator perceptions toward inclusive practice for D/HH students. Implications and recommendations for schools and districts are included
Implementing Screening For Diabetes Distress In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
Get PDFBackground: Diabetes distress refers to the emotional burden of living with diabetes. It affects 30% of adolescents with type 1 diabetes and diminishes their ability to care for themselves. Diabetes distress is associated with above-target glycemic control, less frequent self-care behaviors, and high levels of psychological distress. Routine screening for diabetes distress in pediatric endocrinology clinics is needed to foster improved diabetes outcomes. Unfortunately, many pediatric endocrinology clinics do not meet the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to screen for diabetes distress routinely. Purpose: To implement screening for diabetes distress for adolescents with type 1 diabetes in a pediatric endocrinology clinic. Methods: The setting was a pediatric endocrinology clinic in the southeastern US. Upon arrival, adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes scanned a QR code using their cell phone or tablet. The code linked to a REDCap screening with the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) screening tool for diabetes distress. Results: Fifty-six patients were identified for screening over the 10-week cycle. Of these, 53 (90%) completed the screening. Low diabetes distress (scores between 20-29) was 15%. Moderate diabetes distress (scores between 30-39) was 5.6%. Severe diabetes distress (scores of > 40) was 22.6%. Scores < 20 were not considered reflective of diabetes distress; 56.8% of scores were less than 20. Questions relating to anxiety about diabetes, fear of diabetes complications, and feeling overwhelmed with diabetes care were the most severely ranked symptoms. The screening proved to be both efficient in implementing and identifying diabetes distress in the selected patient population. Recommendations: Diabetes distress screening tools are feasible to implement in pediatric endocrinology clinics for adolescents with type 1 diabetes. These findings confirm that diabetes distress is a prevalent problem affecting diabetic adolescents in the practice. The next steps include referring patients with moderate to severe diabetes distress scores to behavioral health counseling to help reduce the burden of diabetes distress
Increasing Utilization of the Apfel Scoring System in High-Risk Patients
Get PDFBackground: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a side effect following an anesthetic event that impacts 30-80% of patients undergoing general anesthesia (Flood et al., 2021). Patients who are female, have a history of PONV or motion sickness, are non-smokers, and are predicted to require postoperative opioids have increased incidences of PONV. Postoperative nausea and vomiting can lead to aspiration, wound dehiscence, and dehydration. Purpose: This project aimed to reduce the incidence of PONV in female patients undergoing gynecological surgery. Methods: This quality improvement project was completed following the Plan-Do-Study-Act model. An educational intervention on the Apfel scoring system was provided to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Pre-and post-intervention chart reviews were conducted to compare PONV risk factors, Apfel Scores, prophylactic antiemetic use, and postoperative antiemetic use. A post-intervention survey was used to evaluate CRNA knowledge and confidence. Results: The number of patients who received the appropriate number of prophylactic antiemetics based on their calculated Apfel score decreased from 56% to 50% (z = -0.713, p = .11). The frequency of patients requiring a postoperative antiemetic due to PONV decreased from 37% to 34% (z = -0.746, p = .08). Neither change was statistically significant. Recommendations and Conclusion: In conclusion, there was no statistical change in the number of patients who received the appropriate number of antiemetics based on their calculated Apfel score or the administration of postoperative antiemetics in the PACU. Adoption of the Apfel scoring system will not be recommended to the site. Future projects should explore barriers to clinical application of the Apfel scoring system among CRNAs
Three new species of Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) from Mindanao Island, Philippines
Get PDFThree new species of Vaccinium endemic to the island of Mindanao, Philippines are here described and illustrated. Vaccinium fallax most closely resembles V. myrtoides, but differs by having smaller leaves, caducous bracts, shorter pedicels, a broadly obconical hypanthium, broadly triangular calyx lobes, and a deep pink and broadly urceolate corolla. It grows on exposed areas and among sulfur vents at and near the summit of Mt. Apo. Vaccinium gamay most closely resembles V. gitingense, but differs in having shorter inflorescences, early caducous inflorescence bracts, shorter pedicels, presence of clavate glands on the hypanthium, and an absence of anther spurs. It grows on exposed areas in the ultramafic forest of Mt. Hamiguitan. It is one of only two Philippine Vaccinium species possessing distinctly callose-thickened calyx lobes, the other being V. gitingense. Vaccinium vomicum most closely resembles V. carmesinum, but differs by having smaller leaves, presence of glands on the extreme end of the leaf blade base, presence of clavate glands on the hypanthium, shorter stamens, and presence of stalked glands on the dentate apex of the tubules. It grows in the mossy rainforest of Mt. Kitanglad, and it is the only Philippine species of Vaccinium with glands on the extreme end of its leaf blade base. Following IUCN guidelines, we propose a conservation status of Critically Endangered for V. fallax, Endangered for V. gamay, and Data Deficient for V. vomicum. With these discoveries, the number of Vaccinium species in Mindanao Islands increases to 22 and in the Philippines to 44. Furthermore, the Mindanao Islands can now be considered the center of Vaccinium diversity in the Philippines
Falling forward: A memoir
Get PDFThis piece of writing will incorporate elements of a memoir as it is a written history frommy life. Still, it will also make room for mystical realism, and experimental prose as I investigate my ambitions, fears, and dreams – both in the day and in the night, memory – whether correct or flawed, past, or present, as well as projections and aspirations for the future. The Thesis will explore the darkness of depression, ideas of failure, and a growing relationship with the Christianfaith
Trait mindfulness and negative mood regulation expectancies as predictors of posttraumatic growth among individuals who have experience sexual coercion
Get PDFTrait mindfulness, or the tendency to pay attention in the present moment, nonjudgmentally, is associated with emotion regulation (Prakash et al., 2017), posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms (Boelen & Lenferink, 2018), and perpetration (rather than victimization) of interpersonal and sexual violence (Hesse et al., 2021; Ngo et al., 2018). However, there exist gaps in the literature which require addressing. First, several studies examine mindfulness-based interventions for survivors of sexual trauma, but few explore the role that trait mindfulness may play within this population. Second, there exists a lack of empirical literature investigating whether negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE) and trait mindfulness uniquely predict posttraumatic growth (PTG). Third, few researchers have examined whether these factors predict PTG among those who have experienced sexual coercion (i.e., victimization), specifically. Investigating these associations may foster better understanding of trait mindfulness, NMRE and their roles in promoting PTG, and provide clinical implications for working with and bolstering PTG for survivors of sexual coercion. This study aims to address this gap by investigating whether trait mindfulness and NMRE predict PTG among survivors of sexual coercion
Low human interest for the most at-risk reef fishes worldwide
Get PDFHuman interest in biodiversity is essential for effective conservation action but remains poorly quantified at large scales. Here, we investigated human interest for 2408 marine reef fishes using data obtained from online public databases and social media, summarized in two synthetic dimensions, research effort and public attention. Both dimensions are mainly related to geographic range size. Research effort is also linked to fishery importance, while public attention is more related to fish aesthetic value and aquarium trade importance. We also found a strong phylogenetic bias, with certain fish families receiving disproportional research effort and public attention. Most concerningly, species at the highest risk of extinction and those most vulnerable to future climate change tend to receive less research effort and public attention. Our results provide a lens through which examining the societal attention that species garner, with the ultimate goals to improve conservation strategies, research programs, and communication plans