Higher education and women’s empowerment in Pakistan

This paper summarises the findings of a 2005 doctoral study by Malik which explored to what extent participation in higher education offers empowerment to women in Pakistan. A survey instrument was used to question female faculty members and female students from 10 public universities in Pakistan; 1290 students and 290 faculty members responded. Subsequently, semi‐structured interviews were held with 10 faculty members and 10 students. Respondents highlighted economic independence and an increased standing within family and society as the main benefits of higher education participation. A major finding is that participation in higher education enables women to impact on a number of discriminatory practices simultaneously and thereby effect change for the better. The main recommendation is that future educational strategies be developed with the aim of further promoting gender equality in all areas of education in Pakistan, but particularly with the aim of increasing female students’ participation in higher education.     

Educational implications following idiopathic encephalopathy and prolonged coma: a longitudinal case study

This paper explores standard considerations of accommodations for paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) survivors as illustrated through an intensive case study. Specifically, we explore methods by which school systems can enhance a middle school student's learning environment after losing 30 points in his intellectual functioning (IQ) following a rare coma recovery. For the purpose of this paper, coma is defined as a period following neurological injury or illness during which an individual does not open his/her eyes and does not have sleep–wake cycles. This case emphasises the use of current behavioural evidence‐based treatments in young ABI patients. Multiple comparisons are especially beneficial in delineating the strength of intervention modalities and specific challenges unique to this population. Current data are of particular interest because measures of both pre‐ and post‐morbid functioning are available, because of earlier school testing for a pre‐existing learning disability. Finally, implications for prognosis and treatment of young ABI patients are discussed.     

The Invisible Link: Using State Space Representations to Investigate the Connection Between Variables and Their Referents

The ability to represent numerical quantities in symbolic form is a necessary foundation for mathematical competence. Variables are particularly important symbolic representations for learning algebra and succeeding in higher mathematics, but the mechanisms of how students link a variable to what it represents are not well understood. Research using cognitive neuroscience methods may be able to shed light on this process by building on related work involving number symbols. Utilizing state space representations, this article presents a first effort to consider what might constitute educationally relevant stimuli for future research on student understanding of the concept of variable. Might algebra problems elicit a symbolization process that can be captured using cognitive neuroscience methods? Results suggest it depends on the role of the variable in a given problem and the structure of that problem. Suggestions for potential research avenues are also discussed.     

Childhood abuse and neglect in body dysmorphic disorder

OBJECTIVE: No published studies have examined childhood abuse and neglect in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). This study examined the prevalence and clinical correlates of abuse and neglect in individuals with this disorder. METHODS: Seventy-five subjects (69.3% female, mean age=35.4+/-12.0) with DSM-IV BDD completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and were interviewed with other reliable and valid measures. RESULTS: Of these subjects, 78.7% reported a history of childhood maltreatment: emotional neglect (68.0%), emotional abuse (56.0%), physical abuse (34.7%), physical neglect (33.3%), and sexual abuse (28.0%). Forty percent of subjects reported severe maltreatment. Among females (n=52), severity of reported abuse and neglect were .32-.57 standard deviation units higher than norms for a health maintenance organization (HMO) sample of women. Severity of sexual abuse was the only type of maltreatment significantly associated with current BDD severity (r=.23, p=.047). However, severity of sexual abuse did not predict current BDD severity in a simultaneous multiple regression analysis with age and current treatment status. There were other significant associations with childhood maltreatment: history of attempted suicide was related to emotional (p=.004), physical (p=.014), and sexual abuse (p=.038). Childhood emotional abuse was associated with a lifetime substance use disorder (r=.26, p=.02), and physical abuse was negatively associated with a lifetime mood disorder (r=-.37, p=.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of individuals with BDD reported childhood abuse and neglect. Certain types of abuse and neglect appear modestly associated with BDD symptom severity and with gender, suicidality, and certain disorders.     

Determining COVID-19's impact on an academic medical library's literature search service

Objective:At many institutions, literature search services are an important aspect of health science librarianship. This exploratory study analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the use of an academic hospital medical library''s literature search service.Methods:To evaluate the pandemic''s impact on literature searching at The University of Tennessee Medical Center''s Preston Medical Library, data were analyzed for changes from the year before the pandemic (March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020) to the first year during the pandemic (March 1st, 2020 to February 28, 2021). This was accomplished using LibWizard, a library feedback and assessment application, to review literature search data during the two periods. Variables of interest included total searches, purpose of searches, affiliation of the searcher, and searches with a pandemic-related research question.Results:A 36.6% drop in literature search service usage was reported from the pre-pandemic year to the during-pandemic year. There was a 55.3% decrease in searches intended for research, as well as significant decreases in the number of searches requested by all patron affiliations. After March 2020, 10% of all searches concerned a COVID-related topic.Conclusion:The overall decrease in literature search requests, decrease in research searches, decrease in searches among all patron affiliations, and increase in searches on a COVID-related topic suggest that healthcare worker and institutional priorities changed during the pandemic. The results revealed research interests during the first year of the pandemic, as well as an overall change in library service functionality.     

Establishing Cross-Cultural Measurement Equivalence of Scales Associated with Face-Negotiation Theory: A Critical Issue in Cross-Cultural Comparisons

To extend face-negotiation theory (FNT) to romantic relationship contexts, we examined the patterns of responses to six survey instruments among five countries. We intend this initial paper to serve as a tutorial of testing measurement invariance—specifically by elaborating on: (a) how to establish measurement equivalence and (b) how to test measurement invariance using multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results highlight the importance of establishing equivalency and routinely testing invariance in cross- and intercultural research. This is especially important given the often-extreme equivalency challenges faced when collecting data in non-Western cultures using scales developed in Western countries.     

Collective Success: A Phenomenological Case Study of Ohio Public Libraries

This study examines the collective success and Best in the Nation status of Ohio public libraries as indicated by the Hennen American Public Library ratings (HAPLR), the “Star” libraries statistical rankings, and expert suppositions in the trade literature. This study is a phenomenological case study design that utilizes in-depth, semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of former and current Ohio public librarians. The analysis indicates that equitable state-based funding and organized library autonomy are the overarching drivers in setting the Best in the Nation phenomenon for Ohio public libraries. This phenomenon is abetted by supportive public and professional communities within a hospitable geographic region. Altogether these qualities are the basis of a dynamic ecosystem of success for Ohio public libraries. The sharp funding reduction of 2009, however, has called the sustainability of the Best in the Nation library ecosystem into question. Additionally, the research revealed the specific nature of the phenomenon, which was not initially perceptible.     

A comparative analysis of service learning in social work and criminal justice education

The current study sought input from a national sample of social work (SW) and criminal justice (CJ) educators (N = 276) to explore characteristics of those who use service learning in the two disciplines, differences in the conceptions of and beliefs about service learning, and distinctions in how it is used and implemented. This study offers the first explicitly cross-disciplinary comparison of service learning within two related, but distinct disciplines. The results indicated that SW educators, compared to their CJ peers, used service learning more frequently and perceived fewer barriers to using it. Additionally, a higher percentage of SW faculty members reported using service learning at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, suggesting that SW educators may be more likely to see the value of service learning across education levels. Among those who reported that they have used service learning, few differences were found between the two disciplines.