Drug education in bolivian schools: A feasibility study for cross-cultural application of a preventive curricular unit

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of adapting and implementing in La Paz, Bolivia a drug education course originally developed for use in the middle schools in the United States. On the basis of teacher and student evaluations, it was concluded that the unit is a viable, culturally relevant and effective method of drug education in the public and private schools in La Paz. Implications for the prevention of other health-related problems and for implementation of a demandreduction strategy to prevent drug abuse throughout the Americas are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Ziel dieser Studie war es herauszufinden, inwieweit die Anwendung eines Kurses zur Drogenerziehung in La Paz, Bolivien durchführbar ist. Dieser Kurs wurde ursprünglich für Mittelschulen in den Vereinigten Staaten entwickelt. Auf der Basis von Bewertungen durch Lehrer und Schüler fand man heraus, daß dieser Kurs eine lebensfähige, kulturell relevante und effektive Art der Drogenerziehung in öffentlichen und privaten Schulen in La Paz ist. Außerdem wird diskutiert, welche Auswirkungen auf die Verhütung anderer Gesundheitsprobleme erzielt werden, sowie auf die Durchführung einer Strategie zur Verringerung der Nachfrage, um den Drogenmißbrauch in ganz Amerika zu reduzieren.

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Resumen El objetivo de este estudio residía en comprobar la factibilidad de adaptar e implementar en La Paz, Bolivia, un curso de educación antidrogas que se ha desarrollado para aplicarlo en las escuelas de enseñanza media de los Estados Unidos. Sobre la base de evaluaciones hechas por docentes y estudiantes se ha llegado a la conclusión de que el curso es un método viable, de relevancia cultural y efectivo para realizar una educación antidrogas en los colegios públicos y privados de La Paz. Se discuten las implicaciones del estudio para la prevención de otros problemas relacionados con la salud y para implementar una estrategia de reducción de demanda, a efectos de prvenir el abuso de drogas en todo el continente.

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Résumé L'objectif de cette étude est de tester la faisabilité de l'adaptation et de la mise en oeuvre à La Paz, en Bolivie, d'un programme de prévention contre la drogue, développé à l'origine pour être utilisé dans les écoles primaires aux Etats-Unis. D'après les évaluations des enseignants et des apprenants, il s'est avéré que ce programme constitue une méthode de prévention contre la drogue valable, culturellement pertinente et efficace, pour les écoles publiques et privées de La Paz. La discussion porte sur les répercussions sur la prévention d'autres problèmes de santé et sur la mise en oeuvre d'une stratégie de réduction de la dépendance afin de s'opposer aux méfaits de la drogue sur le continent américain.

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This project was made possible by a grant from the North-South Center, University of Miami, Florida, USA.     

Characterisation of the Context-Dependence of the Gene Concept in Research Articles

The purpose of this study is to interpret and qualitatively characterise the content in some research articles and evaluate cases of possible difference in meanings of the gene concept used. Using a reformulation of Hirst’s criteria of forms of knowledge, articles from five different sub-disciplines in biology (transmission genetic, molecular biology, genomics, developmental biology and population genetics) were characterised according to knowledge project, methods used and conceptual contexts. Depending on knowledge project, the gene may be used as a location of recombination, a target of regulatory proteins, a carrier of regulatory sequences, a cause in organ formation or a basis for a genetic map. Methods used range from catching wild birds and dissecting beetle larvae to growing yeast cells in 94 small wells as well as mapping of recombinants, doing statistical calculations, immunoblotting analysis of protein levels, analysis of gene expression with PCR, immunostaining of embryos and automated constructions of multi-locus linkage maps. The succeeding conceptual contexts focused around concepts as meiosis and chromosome, DNA and regulation, cell fitness and production, development and organ formation, conservation and evolution. These contextual differences lead to certain content leaps in relation to different conceptual schemes. The analysis of the various uses of the gene concept shows how differences in methodologies and questions entail a concept that escapes single definitions and “drift around” in meanings. These findings make it important to ask how science might use concepts as tools of specific inquiries and to discuss possible consequences for biology education.     

Teaching Online: Applying Need Theory to the Work–Family Interface

Using Warner and Hausdorf’s (2009) framework, the authors empirically examined work–life balance and work outcomes among collegiate faculty teaching courses online. Quantitative and qualitative results from 138 online instructors demonstrated that basic psychological need satisfaction was related to higher levels of work–family enrichment, job satisfaction, performance, and intention to teach online courses again and lower levels of work–family conflict and stress. Work support was also related to job satisfaction, performance, and stress but was not related to work–family balance. These findings are important as universities are seeking ways to promote involvement with online education.     

Collective intelligence for advancing ocean literacy

Ocean literacy is an understanding of the ocean’s influence on us and our influence on the ocean. A lack of ocean literacy presents a significant obstacle for citizens to engage in environmentally sustainable behaviour, and thus is acknowledged as a ‘complex problem’ that requires deliberative participation and joint-action by stakeholders across domains. The aim of the article is both to demonstrate the value of Collective Intelligence (CI) as a methodological tool to advance and enhance the promotion of environmental literacy, and to share outcomes from using the CI approach. The participatory context behind CI illustrates that working ‘with’ a range of stakeholders across marine education, outreach, regulation and policy, to debate how to better promote ocean literacy among young people, improves ocean literacy and broadens society’s awareness of sustainable marine environments. Findings reveal a hierarchical barrier structure localised to each country, a valuable order of echelon toward environmental change.     

Learning how to teach unfamiliar subjects: developing training on writing for publication and presentation of research for health libraries

Academic librarians with teaching responsibility have traditionally delivered training in discovering and organising information. However, in recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on supporting researchers through all stages of the research lifecycle. While librarians are ideally placed to provide training in writing for publication and presentation of research, very few in the United Kingdom appear to be doing so. However, there are clear benefits to teaching these subjects. Based on feedback from faculty on user needs, the University of Cambridge Medical Library’s training programme was expanded to include training and support in the publication and presentation of research outputs. This article recounts the process by which the new courses were developed, and the techniques used by the library’s teaching staff to gain understanding of conventions and requirements of forms of written communication with which they were unfamiliar. It also evaluates the impact of the new courses, discusses next steps and provides advice for other librarians wishing to develop similar courses. D.I.     

Finding the right problem

In an educational setting, a solution that has worked for one problem may not work for the same problem that occurs at a different time in a different work conditions. However, administrators and teachers resort to quick solutions to the perceived problem, consequently affecting not only the curriculum but also the students ’ learning. This paper shows how administrators and teachers can find problems prior to problem solution by taking three steps: (1) Examining the interconnectivity of things; (2) Exploring possible and alternative problems and (3) Asking the right question. The paper demonstrates not only how these steps operate in specific situations encountered by administrators and teachers but also how finding the problem can be an effective tool in performing their respective roles.     

Evaluating Approaches to Physical Literacy Through the Lens of Positive Youth Development

The potential of physical activity and sport programs to promote positive youth development (PYD) is well-recognized among youth sport researchers and practitioners. More recently, physical literacy has gained traction among sport organizations as an important component of long-term athlete development. With conceptual roots in academic writing, two approaches to physical literacy emerged: a holistic approach, encompassing cohesive developmental processes and outcomes; and a performance-driven approach, focused largely on physical competencies and performance. This article will evaluate the dual approaches to physical literacy through the lens of PYD. By pairing the theoretical foundation of the holistic approach with the attention to measurement in the performance-driven approach, we subsequently propose an integrated approach to physical literacy grounded firmly in sport and physical activity PYD research. Guided by this approach, we offer key insights and practical recommendations for the implementation of programs that seek to foster both physical literacy and PYD.     

Multicultural Education Within the Era of Internalization and Globalization

In this article, the author presents the results of a multistate study examining how teachers, and specifically secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers, conceptualize and implement teaching for social justice in standards-based contexts. Additional analysis underscores how this practice both reflects and extends earlier equity-oriented reform movements.     

Social correlates of sedentary behavior in young people:The UP&DOWN study

Purpose:The aim of the present study was to analyze the associations of youths' sedentary behavior(SB) with parents' and siblings' SB and physical activity(PA),as well as the associations of youths' coparticipation with parents,siblings,and friends in PA and SB with youths' SB.Methods:The sample consisted of 1543 youths(12.02±2.51 years;788 boys) enrolled in the baseline cohort of the UP&DOWN study.SB was assessed by accelerometry and questionnaire.Participants reported the time spent by their parents and siblings watching television,playing videogames,surfing the Internet,sitting/resting,and doing PA.Further,participants reported coparticipation with parents,siblings,and friends in these activities.Linear mixed models,including school and city as random effects,were performed.Results:Parents' television time was positively associated with youths' screen-based SB.Coparticipation with friends in playing videogames(in boys) and in surfing the Internet(in girls) showed a positive association with screen-based SB and a negative association with educational-based SB.Moreover,coparticipation with siblings and friends in PA was inversely associated with accelerometer-based SB in boys and girls.Conclusion:Our results emphasize the important role of social modeling in the development of sedentary lifestyles in youths.Interventions aimed at reducing health risk behaviors in youths could be more effective if they are oriented from a social perspective that involves their families and networks of their closest friends.     

Stress and teachers of the learning disabled,behavior disordered,and educable mentally retarded

This study investigated which factors related to the professional roles of teachers of the learning disabled (LD), behavior disordered (BD), and educable mentally retarded (EMR) are most stressful, and which activities, both personal and professional, are beneficial in guarding against stress. The Special Teacher Response to Environmental Stressors (STRESS) was used to elicit responses from the 135 teachers who participated in the study. The participants rated as highly stressful legal concerns, lack of administrative and peer support, and lack of support services. In particular, teachers of the BD revealed that they were fearful of verbal and physical attacks from their students. The participants rated highly exercise and outdoor programs, confiding in significant others (i.e., wife or husband), and peer support as helpful in guarding against stress.