Impact of mobile-based mentoring,socio-economic background and religion on girls’ attitude and belief towards antisocial behaviour (ASB)

This study examined the impact of mobile-based mentoring, socio-economic background and religion on girl’s attitude and belief towards ASB in Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed method research design. The participants in the study comprised forty (40) students purposively selected from Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The platform ( www.gcmentoringinitiative.org ) was adopted for mobile-based mentoring. One research question was raised and three null hypotheses were tested in the study at .05 level of significance. Data were analysed using content analysis for Focus Group Discussion, Analysis of Covariance and Estimated Marginal Means. The results reveal a significant main effect of socio-economic background on girl’s attitude towards ASB. Also, there was no significant impact of mobile-based mentoring on girl’s attitude towards ASB. Based on the findings, using mobiles in mentoring girls could significantly reinforce or change their belief in engaging in antisocial activities. Also, the socio-economic background plays a significant role in determining the attitude and belief of girls in engaging in antisocial activities. Girls’ religion has little or no effect on their belief and attitude towards antisocial behaviours (ASB). Girls from low-income family are susceptible to engage in ASB, while those from wealthy homes are less likely to engage in ASB.     

Laser scanning and digital imaging for the investigation of an ancient building: Palazzo d’Accursio study case (Bologna,Italy)

This paper describes a scientific approach aimed at studying the ancient part of Palazzo d’Accursio (Bologna, Italy), a masonry building which is part of the Italian cultural heritage. Laser scanning and the inspection of digital images are used to detect traces of restoration works and other interesting features related to both architectural marks and natural or anthropic events. One of the main elements of the method is the analysis of residual maps, obtained by computing the differences between the point coordinates of the façade and reference fit planes. The obtained results, based on both radiometric and geometrical analysis, are used to provide a reasonable hypothesis as to the original configuration of the studied building, while taking into account the available historical information about the constructive phases of the building.     

‘I learned to be okay with talking about sex and safety’: assessing the efficacy of a theatre-based HIV prevention approach for adolescents in North Carolina

Adolescents are at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Southern states of the USA, where rates among youth are higher than in the rest of the nation. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study of an HIV prevention intervention that uses interactive theatre to educate young people about sexual health. The intervention was developed in Los Angeles and adapted for testing in the Southern USA, with its legacy of abstinence-based approaches to sexual health education. This study assessed intervention effects among a sample of young people in two public high schools in North Carolina. We used a pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental evaluation design to assess changes in 317 ninth-grade participants' knowledge and attitudes about HIV. At post-test, we found statistically significant increases in participants' HIV knowledge (t = 60.14; p = 0.001), as well as changes in attitudes (χ² = 8.23; p = 0.042) and awareness (χ² = 4.94; p = 0.026). Focus group data corroborated an increase in HIV knowledge and a reduction in HIV stigma as successful outcomes of intervention participation. The findings make an important contribution to the literature on theatre-based interventions for sexual health education. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering sociocultural and political context in implementing HIV prevention interventions in schools.     

Strengthening professional expertise: Mentoring in knowledge transfer,the cataloguers’ perspective

Abstract

University libraries provide support for institutions to achieve their objectives. To realise these objectives, universities allocate considerable funds for the library’s development and provision of needed resources that support teaching/research activities. This is for the simple reason that a university’s excellence is synonymous with the effectiveness of its library services. Hence, there is a need for continuous training and retraining for retention of librarians who manage the libraries to achieve the university’s objectives. Of the few on-the-job training models, mentoring as a Continuing Professional Development programme for librarians in a university library has often been overlooked. This study surveys the uses of mentoring in knowledge transfer for cataloguing, managerial, and research skills development for cataloguers in Nigerian academic libraries. The findings show that mentoring as a tool for knowledge transfer influences cataloguers and their skills development. The result indicates that mentoring in knowledge transfer has a moderate to strong correlation with skills development, and it improves catalouers’ proficiency and overall development.     

Deleterious effects of obesity on physical fitness in pre-pubertal children

The prevalence of obesity in children has increased dramatically during the past decades in Europe and understanding physical fitness and its components in children is critical to design and implement effective interventions. The objective of the present study was to analyse the association between physical fitness (aerobic, speed, agility, power, flexibility and balance) and body mass index (BMI) in pre-pubertal children. A total of 2411 healthy schoolchildren (7–11 years) participated in this study. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition were assessed by skinfold thickness. Physical fitness was measured by nine physical fitness tests: endurance running, 20 m running speed, agility, handgrip strength, standing long jump and squat jump, sit and reach, medicine ball forward throw and static balance. No relevant differences were observed between boys and girls regarding anthropometric characteristics, body composition and physical fitness. However, overweight and obese children showed significantly lower physical fitness levels in endurance running, speed and agility (mean: +18.8, +5.5 and +14.5% of time to complete tasks, respectively), lower limb power normalised to body mass (?23.3%) and balance tests (number of falls: +165.5%) than their normal weight counterparts. On the other hand, obesity did not affect handgrip, throwing and flexibility. In conclusion, increased BMI was associated with lower performance capabilities limiting proper motor skill development, which directly affects the ability of children to take on sports skills. Actions undertaken to promote children's wellness and fitness should be prioritised and introduced early in life with the aim of enhancing physical fitness as well as preventing overweight and obesity.     

Sexual Health Transformation Among College Student Educators in an Arts-Based HIV Prevention Intervention: A Qualitative Cross-Site Analysis

We examined the sexual health change process experienced by 26 college student sexual health educators from three geographic regions of the United States who participated in a multisite arts-based sexual health prevention program. We conducted eight focus groups and used a phenomenological approach to analyze data. We drew from social cognitive theory (SCT) to examine how sexual health knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and communication shifted across the duration of participation. Findings suggest that the college student sexual health educators (a) developed enhanced sexual health awareness and critical consciousness, (b) questioned their own sexual health education and challenged previous beliefs, and (c) demonstrated self-efficacy related to intended behavior change and their perceived role as social justice advocates. We present both similarities and differences regarding the sexual health change process among the college student sexual health educators across the three sites.     

From Supporting to Co-Parenting: The New Roles of Fathers

SYNOPSIS

To develop a secure attachment, the quality of the mother’s relationship is fundamental, but now there is evidence that fathers equally play early and integrated roles in the development of the child, particularly in social and communicative skills. Hiraoka and colleagues emphasize father support in regulating maternal distress while listening to the infant’s cry. We also emphasize the father’s role in supporting the mother and in improving social and communicative competences in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.     

The Public Good. Historical and Political Roots of Municipal Preschools in Emilia Romagna

According to the findings of a recent European study on competence requirement for the early childhood education and care workforce, competent systems that succeed in achieving high levels of professionalism are embedded in coherent public policies that build on consultation with key stakeholders, particularly at local level. In order to flourish, the professional competence of early childhood practitioners needs to be cultivated not only within the institutions they are working for, but also within a constant democratic dialogue that involves children, parents and local communities. A vision of ECEC as a public good therefore becomes an essential precondition for sustaining the development of high quality services for young children and their families. Given the wide range of interconnected socio-economic, educational and rights-based rationales that currently underpin the investment in the expansion of early childhood provision in many European countries, a further elaboration of these findings may offer interesting insights on the purposes of early childhood education and the nature of political commitment serving such purposes. In this article, these issues are discussed by drawing on the analysis of the origin and development of municipal preschool education in the Emilia Romagna region (Italy). Starting from the investigation of the historical and socio-cultural conditions that gave birth to early childhood municipal institutions, the trends characterising ECEC policy-making developments over time are analysed with reference to the experiences of grassroot politics elaborated at regional and local level. Through a careful contextualisation of social and political processes and an in-depth analysis of relevant documentary sources, the conceptual categories underpinning the construction of early childhood education as a public good are outlined and described.