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You should not be that good in week three:’ what can Strictly Come Dancing tell us about feedback and performativity in UK education policy?
The past decades have seen a plethora of TV reality talent shows emerge. The viewing population likes nothing more than seeing a ‘class’ of bakers, sewers, potters or dancers develop their skills and face the scrutiny of judges before being whittled down to a winner. The popularity of these shows says something about the national psyche but, aside from the entertainment value, may also carry conceptions of teaching, learning, assessment and feedback. By applying a metalinguistic thematic analysis to judges’ feedback, this paper seeks to examine how one UK show in particular, ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’ presents feedback and, using a feedback framework, how this is understood. This feedback framework is notable for the links made to self-regulation, an area that continues to influence UK education policy. This paper will argue that when popular TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing are viewed through a pedagogical lens, they reveal models of feedback which are not necessarily valued. Furthermore, analysis reveals the spectacle of normalised and broader educational neoliberalism policy reflected back at us
Experiences of loneliness and connection for autistic young people: a systematic review
Evidence suggest that autistic young people are vulnerable to feeling lonely, with detrimental consequences for their wellbeing. This systematic review sought descriptions of loneliness and connection by autistic young people. The findings summarise how loneliness has been conceptualised, measured and reported for autistic young people and offer a list of strategies that are personally meaningful and promote connection and wellbeing. Three conclusions are reached: first, there is a paucity of research on how this group experience loneliness; second, descriptions of feeling connected are mostly limited to neuronormative descriptions of friendship, which can judge autistic behaviours as inadequate; third, loneliness must be reconceptualised, and appropriate assessment tools developed. These developments should be supported by research with participation of the autistic community
IDHwt glioblastomas can be stratified by their transcriptional response to standard treatment, with implications for targeted therapy
Background
Glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors lacking IDH1 mutations (IDHwt) have the worst prognosis of all brain neoplasms. Patients receive surgery and chemoradiotherapy but tumors almost always fatally recur.
Results
Using RNA sequencing data from 107 pairs of pre- and post-standard treatment locally recurrent IDHwt GBM tumors, we identify two responder subtypes based on longitudinal changes in gene expression. In two thirds of patients, a specific subset of genes is upregulated from primary to recurrence (Up responders), and in one third, the same genes are downregulated (Down responders), specifically in neoplastic cells. Characterization of the responder subtypes indicates subtype-specific adaptive treatment resistance mechanisms that are associated with distinct changes in the tumor microenvironment. In Up responders, recurrent tumors are enriched in quiescent proneural GBM stem cells and differentiated neoplastic cells, with increased interaction with the surrounding normal brain and neurotransmitter signaling, whereas Down responders commonly undergo mesenchymal transition. ChIP-sequencing data from longitudinal GBM tumors suggests that the observed transcriptional reprogramming could be driven by Polycomb-based chromatin remodeling rather than DNA methylation.
Conclusions
We show that the responder subtype is cancer-cell intrinsic, recapitulated in in vitro GBM cell models, and influenced by the presence of the tumor microenvironment. Stratifying GBM tumors by responder subtype may lead to more effective treatment
Supporting active engagement of adults with intellectual disabilities in lifestyle modification interventions: a realist evidence synthesis of what works, for whom, in what context and why
Background
Lifestyle modification interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities have had, to date, mixed effectiveness. This study aimed to understand how lifestyle modification interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities work, for whom they work, and in what circumstances.
Methods
A realist evidence synthesis was conducted that incorporated input from adults with intellectual disabilities and expert researchers. Following the development of an initial programme theory based on key literature and input from people with lived experience and academics working in this field, five major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ASSIA) and clinical trial repositories were systematically searched. Data from 79 studies were synthesised to develop context, mechanism, and outcome configurations (CMOCs).
Results
The contexts and mechanisms identified related to the ability of adults with intellectual disabilities to actively take part in the intervention, which in turn contributes to what works, for whom, and in what circumstances. The included CMOCs related to support involvement, negotiating the balance between autonomy and behaviour change, fostering social connectedness and fun, accessibility and suitability of intervention strategies and delivery, and broader behavioural pathways to lifestyle change. It is also essential to work with people with lived experiences when developing and evaluating interventions.
Conclusions
Future lifestyle interventions research should be participatory in nature and accessible data collection methods should also be explored as a way of including people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities in research. More emphasis should be given to the broader benefits of lifestyle change, such as opportunities for social interaction and connectedness
Motivations of internal workplace coaches: what attracts them to the role? A mixed methods study
Purpose
Internal workplace coaches are employees who, in addition to their main job, volunteer to provide coaching to work colleagues who are not their direct reports. The purpose of this paper is to explore what motivates these individuals to volunteer to be an internal workplace coach and to continue carrying out the role.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore the experiences of internal coaches, a questionnaire was devised and issued; it attracted 484 responses – the largest survey response to date from this population. Following analysis of the questionnaire data, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 internal coaches from private, public and not-for-profit UK organisations. The responses were analysed in relation to motivation theory, principally self-determination theory.
Findings
Individuals were motivated to volunteer for the role, and to continue to practise as coaches, in the most part to satisfy intrinsic needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy. The research presents rich information about how coaches perceived these needs were satisfied by coaching. In general, there were only moderate or poor levels of support and recognition for individual coaches within their organisation, indicating limited extrinsic motivation.
Practical implications
The practical implications are that organisations can draw on the findings from this study to motivate individuals to volunteer to be internal coaches and to continue to act in that role.
Originality/value
Many organisations use internal coaches, but there is very little research into what motivates these volunteers
Who intended to leave? Patterns and impacts of Hong Kong's recent wave of migration
AbstractDuring Hong Kong's 2019 political turmoil and the subsequent impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, a rapid rise in turnover rates in certain occupations, such as teachers, medical workers and civil servants, was observed. Some attributed this trend to the increasing rate of emigration. Previous studies have suggested that younger and better‐educated individuals are more likely to emigrate, and that the emigration of a specific group of the population has various impacts on the society of origin. Therefore, we explored the demographic characteristics of potential emigrants in Hong Kong and contrasted such findings with a previous wave of migration to examine the potential impact of the current wave. Based on a territory‐wide telephone survey, we found that (1) the associations of age and level of education with the intention to emigrate internationally (i.e., to destinations other than mainland China) corresponded to the typical young, well‐educated emigrant described in the literature; (2) a higher level of income was associated with a lower intention of international migration; (3) people in occupations such as professionals and managers, clerical and service workers and students reported a greater intention to emigrate than other groups; and (4) individuals born in Hong Kong were more likely to emigrate and less likely to move to mainland China than those born in mainland China. The implications of these intended migration patterns for ageing and fertility, short‐ and long‐term workforce shortages in tertiary sectors and the city's overall competitiveness are discussed
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Delivery: Prospects and Pitfalls
This review provides a comprehensive examination of the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into healthcare, focusing on its transformative implications and challenges. Utilising a systematic search strategy across electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Sciencedirect, relevant peer-reviewed articles published in English between January 2010 till date were identified. Findings reveal AI's significant impact on healthcare delivery, including its role in enhancing diagnostic precision, enabling treatment personalisation, facilitating predictive analytics, automating tasks, and driving robotics. AI algorithms demonstrate high accuracy in analysing medical images for disease diagnosis and enable the creation of tailored treatment plans based on patient data analysis. Predictive analytics identify high-risk patients for proactive interventions, while AI-powered tools streamline workflows, improving efficiency and patient experience. Additionally, AI-driven robotics automate tasks and enhance care delivery, particularly in rehabilitation and surgery. However, challenges such as data quality, interpretability, bias, and regulatory frameworks must be addressed for responsible AI implementation. Recommendations emphasise the need for robust ethical and legal frameworks, human-AI collaboration, safety validation, education, and comprehensive regulation to ensure the ethical and effective integration of AI in healthcare. This review provides valuable insights into AI's transformative potential in healthcare while advocating for responsible implementation to ensure patient safety and efficacy
Bridging double empathy gaps in the higher education classroom
In this chapter, we consider the implications of double empathy theory for educational practice, specifically in the context of higher education. We begin by briefly reviewing recent empirical evidence that challenges the former orthodoxy in psychological science as to the nature of ‘empathy’ across neurotypes. Next, we consider how the double empathy problem (DEP; Milton, 2012) may play out in classroom interactions between student and educator. We then present case studies of two third-year modules within a Psychology BSc programme that sought to reduce double empathy barriers in the classroom through the use of universal design for learning (UDL) techniques, interest- and strength-based approaches, and the removal of forced participation. We conclude by recommending adjustments to teaching practice that can help to make higher education more accessible for neurodivergent learners