Perception of spiritual health: A qualitative content analysis in Iranian older adults

The present study was performed with the aim to explain older people’s perceptions of spiritual health. It was conducted using the conventional content analysis method. Twelve individuals aged 60 years or older with normal cognition participated in the study using purposive sampling. Data were collected by in-depth interviews. Data analysis performed using standard method of thematic analysis.The average age of the study participants was 71.25 ± 9.48. The data analysis resulted in three main categories of spiritual insight, spiritual function, and spiritual affection. The spiritual insight included cognition of God and belief in Him, understanding of the divine religions and belief in them, self-cognition, cognition of the creation, and belief in the hereafter. This category included the two subcategories of spiritual cognition and spiritual belief. Spiritual function represented the interactions that the older people experienced in relations with God, themselves, and others. This category consisted of the subcategories of relationship with God, relationship with others, and self-cultivation. The spiritual affection included loving God and other humans and consisted of the three subcategories of spiritual affections to God, others, and oneself. This study presents in-depth data on the concept of spiritual health from older people’s viewpoints. These findings would help healthcare teams in designing appropriate interventions for older people’s health promotion. Also, by using the results of this research, health researchers design more appropriate tools for measuring spiritual health based on older people’s perception of the concept of spiritual health.     

A working memory model applied to mathematical word problem solving

The main objective of this study is (a) to explore the relationship among cognitive style (field dependence/independence), working memory, and mathematics anxiety and (b) to examine their effects on students’ mathematics problem solving. A sample of 161 school girls (13–14 years old) were tested on (1) the Witkin’s cognitive style (Group Embedded Figure Test) and (2) Digit Span Backwards Test, with two mathematics exams. Results obtained indicate that the effect of field dependency, working memory, and mathematics anxiety on students' mathematical word problem solving was significant. Moreover, the correlation among working memory capacity, cognitive style, and students’ mathematics anxiety was significant. Overall, these findings could help to provide some practical implications for adapting problem solving skills and effective teaching/learning.     

A systematic review of school-based physical activity interventions on children’s wellbeing

Purpose: The aim of this study was to review the effect of school-based physical activity interventions on children’s wellbeing.

Method: A systematic search of school-based physical activity studies was conducted using EBSCOhost PsycInfo, EBSCOhost Medline and Web of Science. Initially 995 studies were retrieved and, following the removal of duplicates, the titles and abstracts of 984 studies were screened. This screening identified 53 relevant studies from which 42 were excluded, resulting in 11 articles being reviewed.

Results: Three studies reported a positive increase in wellbeing; however, only one of those studies also significantly increased physical activity. It was apparent that the measurement of wellbeing and physical activity was inconsistent across studies, making conclusions difficult to draw. The wellbeing measures used neglected to account for the children’s perspectives of wellbeing.

Conclusions: The effect of a physical activity intervention on increasing wellbeing appears to be more complex than originally believed. The complexity may in part be due to methodological issues and the choice of wellbeing and physical activity measurement. We recommend that future physical activity interventions include a measure of wellbeing developed from the child’s perspective, and that future reviews narrow the search to only interventions that have had success at increasing physical activity before exploring effects on wellbeing.     

First Step to Success – a school/home intervention program for preventing problem behaviors in young children: examining the effectiveness and social validity in Turkey

This study examined the effectiveness of the First Step to Success (FSS) early intervention program for preventing antisocial behavior in Turkey. Participants included 24 students, their teachers and parents from four K–8 elementary schools. The experimental group included 12 targeted students (four kindergarten, four first-grade and four second-grade students) who received the intervention. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were carried out by using a pre-posttest experimental design. Results indicated that there were significant decreases in problem behaviors and significant increases in social skills and academic competence of targeted students. In addition, teachers and parents reported significant positive changes in problem behaviors and social skills of their children. Most teachers and parents were highly satisfied with the program. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed.     

Child maltreatment among school children in the Kurdistan Province, Iran

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the determinants of three types of child maltreatment: physical maltreatment, mental maltreatment, and child neglect among school children in the Kurdistan Province of Iran. The analysis examines the impact of socioeconomic, familial, demographic, and household dynamic factors on the three child maltreatment outcomes, and compares the differential impact of these factors across the three types of child maltreatment. A greater understanding of the factors associated with child maltreatment has the potential to inform public health interventions aimed at reducing specific forms of maltreatment and at identifying at risk populations. METHODS: Data were collected from 1,370 school students, age 11-18. Separate logistic models are fitted for six binary outcomes examining self-reported experiences of physical maltreatment in the home or school, mental maltreatment in the home or school, and child neglect in the home or school. RESULTS: Male children were more likely to report experiencing any kind of child maltreatment than girls. Residency in a rural area, poor parental relationships and the use of addictive substances by household members were associated with increased odds of reporting child maltreatment. Poor school performance was associated with the reporting of experiencing maltreatment at school. CONCLUSION: Each of the forms of child maltreatment is highly correlated with socioeconomic, demographic, and living condition factors. The results point to the strong influence that familial factors have in shaping a child's likelihood of reporting maltreatment. Characteristics of the mother were associated with maltreatment, but not characteristics of the father. The results highlight a number of mechanisms through which public health interventions may seek to reduce the prevalence of child maltreatment in Kurdistan; different approaches are needed to reduce child maltreatment in the home and school environments.     

Violence and schools in the USA: implications for counseling

This article focuses on school violence in the UnitedStates, kindergarten (k) through 12^th grade, andit addresses the following topics: (a) a briefbackground of school violence in the USA, (b) etiologyand consequences of school violence, (c) preventionprograms and efforts, (d) preventive counseling andconsultation, (e) counseling the violence prone andviolence victim, (f) international and cross-culturalimplications, and (g) discussion.     

Testing the mediating role of teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in the relationship between sources of efficacy information and students achievement

The purpose of this study is to test the mediating role of teachers?? self-efficacy beliefs in the relationship between sources of efficacy information and students achievement. For achieving this aim, this study suggests two alternative models, tested by Structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. In the first model, sources of efficacy information and teachers?? sense of self-efficacy independently influenced student achievement. In second model, we examined a dependent 2-factor model, consisting of: (a) antecedent variable: sources of efficacy information, (b) mediator variable: teachers?? sense of self-efficacy, and (c) criterion variable: student??s achievement. Among 284 teachers who participated in this study, Sources of the Self-Efficacy Inventory (SOSI) and Teachers?? Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) were distributed. Findings of this study indicated that between two suggested models, the dependent model showed the best overall fit to the data. In this model, teachers?? self-efficacy had mediational role between sources of teachers?? self-efficacy and student??s achievement.     

Application of automated image analysis to the identification and extraction of recyclable plastic bottles

An experimental machine vision apparatus was used to identify and extract recyclable plastic bottles out of a conveyor belt. Color images were taken with a commercially available Webcam, and the recognition was performed by our homemade software, based on the shape and dimensions of object images. The software was able to manage multiple bottles in a single image and was additionally extended to cases involving touching bottles. The identification was fulfilled by comparing the set of measured features with an existing database and meanwhile integrating various recognition techniques such as minimum distance in the feature space, self-organized maps, and neural networks. The recognition system was tested on a set of 50 different bottles and provided so far an accuracy of about 97% on bottle identification. The extraction of the bottles was performed by means of a pneumatic arm, which was activated according to the plastic type; polyethylene-terephthalate （PET） bottles were left on the conveyor belt, while non-PET bottles were extracted. The software was designed to provide the best compromise between reliability and speed for real-time applications in view of the commercialization of the system at existing recycling plants.     

Learning theories and assessment methodologies – an engineering educational perspective

This paper attempts to critically review theories of learning from the perspective of engineering education in order to align relevant assessment methods with each respective learning theory, considering theoretical aspects and practical observations and reflections. The role of formative assessment, taxonomies, peer learning and educational policy as regards promoting the learning of engineering is discussed. It is suggested that an integrated learning method in which cognitive levels, social factors and teamwork and behaviouristic elements are integrated will optimise the learning process on an engineering course. Moreover, assessment of learning should not be isolated from views of teaching and the learning methods employed by the university teacher.