Transformation impossible: policy,evidence and change in South African higher education

Higher Education - A quarter of a century after South Africa’s transition to democracy, the rhetoric of ‘transformation’ remains firmly ingrained in its higher education policy...     

Tackling the anxiety of learning statistics: The mystery of the red envelope

Most graduate programs in management require students to carry out a substantive research project. However, few management students have a comfortable command of the statistical techniques needed to realize such quantitative projects. This can lead to student anxiety and stress, which challenges instructors to devise ways to build students’ self-efficacy with statistical analysis. Drawing on game-based learning principles, we developed an exercise to help students in a graduate-level research methods course practice these statistical techniques. Designed around a series of four gamified challenges, students perform basic statistical analyses (correlations, t-tests, and simple linear regression) to solve puzzles and unlock a reward hidden in a mysterious red envelope. We used the exercise on seven occasions (five times in the methods course and twice in a graduate program preparatory course). After launching it in fall 2021, we observed that students were engaged and enthusiastic about the exercise. To ascertain its effectiveness more systematically, we collected data in five subsequent sections using a pretest/posttest design (N = 84) which showed that perceptions of statistics self-efficacy increased following the exercise. We conclude by suggesting that our exercise can be tailored to other learning contexts such as management and statistics-centered courses.     

Documenting Collections: Cornerstones for More History of Science in Museums

Historians of science have recently become increasingly involved with collections and scientific instruments. This creates opportunities for a more significant role of history in museums of science, as well as more meaningful and contextualized exhibitions and educational programmes. However, complementing the mainstream focus on universal scientific principles with history requires structural and cultural changes in museums’ approaches and practices. In this paper we draw from recent collaborative work with historians of science at the University of Lisbon to reflect on the challenges museums face as they prepare for a more meaningful historical approach to science. We argue that documentation is crucial both before objects enter the museum and as regular collections practice. We propose a conceptual and methodological framework comprising two operational levels: documenting individual objects and documenting collections.     

L’éducation sexuelle,entre médecine,morale et pédagogie: débats transnationaux et réalisations locales (Suisse romande 1890–1930)

Autour de 1900, la question de l’éducation sexuelle de la jeunesse émerge dans plusieurs pays d’Europe occidentale. Tous sont confrontés au processus de déclin de la fécondité maritale, qui suscite de nouvelles préoccupations relatives à la dépopulation et à la dégénérescence. Avec la prise de conscience médicale de la gravité et de la contagiosité des maladies vénériennes, ces inquiétudes prennent la dimension d’un péril national. La nécessité de contrer ces dangers autorise un discours respectable sur la sexualité, qui devient l’objet d’un savoir à diffuser, voire à enseigner dans les écoles. Bien plus qu’une information, l’éducation sexuelle est davantage comprise comme l’imposition de normes, en particulier l’abstinence prémaritale, très largement prônée. Un tel consensus pourrait favoriser la mise en place de projets; or, malgré la profusion de discours, les réalisations concrètes restent rares et controversées, surtout dans le cadre scolaire. Comment expliquer ces difficultés? Cet article analyse les dynamiques entre le niveau transnational (conférences, congrès) et le niveau local, en comparant les discours et mobilisations autour de l’éducation sexuelle dans deux cantons suisses francophones (Vaud et Genève). Nous attachons une attention particulière à la manière dont ces projets sont légitimés scientifiquement et sur quelles disciplines leurs défenseurs s’appuient; nous examinons aussi le rôle du genre dans ces mobilisations, étant donné que les femmes et les féministes s’invitent dans ces débats.     

Childhood trauma and suicide risk in a sample of young individuals aged 14–35 years in southern Brazil

Suicide is among the main causes of death of people aged between 15 and 44 years old. Childhood trauma is an important risk factor for suicide. Hence, the objective of this study was to verify the relationship between childhood trauma and current suicide risk (suicidal behavior and ideation) in individuals aged 14–35 years, in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, population-based study. Sample selection was performed by clusters. Suicide risk was evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and Childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Moreover, the participants responded to a questionnaire concerning socioeconomic status, work, and substance use. The sample was composed of 1,380 individuals. The prevalence of suicide risk was 11.5%. The prevalence figures of childhood trauma were 15.2% (emotional neglect), 13.5% (physical neglect), 7.6% (sexual abuse), 10.1% (physical abuse), and 13.8% (emotional abuse). Suicide risk was associated (p < .001) with gender, work, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and all types of childhood trauma. The odds of suicide risk were higher in women (OR = 1.8), people who were not currently working (OR = 2.3), individuals who presented alcohol abuse (OR = 2.6), and among tobacco smokers (OR = 3.4). Moreover, suicide risk was increased in all types of trauma: emotional neglect (OR = 3.7), physical neglect (OR = 2.8), sexual abuse (OR = 3.4), physical abuse (OR = 3.1), and emotional abuse (OR = 6.6). Thus, preventing early trauma may reduce suicide risk in young individuals.     

Psychological well-being and motivation in a Turkish physical education context

Using Self Determination as a framework, the purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between basic psychological needs, motivational regulations, self-esteem, subjective vitality, and social physique anxiety in physical education. One thousand and eighty two high school students aged between 14 and 19 [mean (M) = 15.89 ± 0.95 years] from six public high schools participated to the study. Students’ basic psychological needs: motivational regulations, subjective vitality and self-esteem served as positive indicators, while social physique anxiety was a negative indicator of psychological well-being. Structural equation modelling results revealed that students’ motivational regulations mediated the relationship between basic psychological needs and psychological well-being. Intrinsic motivation negatively predicted social physique anxiety and positively predicted subjective vitality. Amotivation positively predicted social physique anxiety and negatively predicted subjective vitality. Identified regulation and external regulation positively predicted subjective vitality. Results supported the tenets of Self Determination Theory (SDT) and suggested that satisfying adolescents’ basic psychological needs in physical education will promote their psychological well-being.     

Multidimensional analyzing of the microteaching applications in teacher education via videograph

Microteaching is a practice – based teaching method that can be applied at various stages in teacher training programs and it gives the opportunity to engage in self-evaluation and to eliminate or correct inadequacies of both pre-service and in-service teachers. It is believed that this study is important in determining the inadequacies of prospective teachers through microteaching applications, and in determining the steps to be taken to eliminate the inadequacies. Therefore, this study aims to exhibit prospective teachers’ individual, methodological and social performances through two microteaching applications. It is found from this research that prospective teachers’ discipline over the classroom developed, and students’ motivation and their interest in the lesson increased with reinforcement and effective communication in the second microteaching application. This showed that feedback given at the end of the first microteaching application was effective.     

Using body donor demographics to assist the implementation of donation programs in Brazil

The use of human material in anatomy education depends upon the generosity of body donors. However, little is known regarding the demographics of body donors in Brazil, where voluntary body donation is a relatively rare phenomenon. Hence, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the demographic profile of applicants to the Body Donation Program (BDP) at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre in Brazil, as well as to assess whether the observed characteristics of body donors are unique to that sample, or if they merely reflect the characteristics of the regional population. Information derived from the specific forms filled out by donors between January 2008 and June 2016 at the time of registration were collected. Data from 416 forms were analyzed. Based on this study, the typical applicant in Brazil is typically a white female (67.4%), over 60 years of age (60.3%), unmarried or single (70.6%), affiliated with a religious group (89.1%), of middle class background (40.4%), who has completed high school and/or holds a university degree (93.8%). The motivation of donors was, in most cases, an altruistic gesture, represented by the desire to help society and science. Elucidating these demographic characteristics of potential donors may help identify the target public to which information regarding body donation campaigns could be directed. Anat Sci Educ 10: 475–486. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Effects of Toy Crane Design-Based Learning on Simple Machines

The aim of this 2-group study was to investigate the following question: Are there significant differences between scaffolded design-based learning controlled using 7 forms and teacher-directed instruction methods for the toy crane project on grade 7 students’ posttest scores on the simple machines achievement test, attitude toward simple machines, and attitude toward creativity in simple machines after adjusting for their respective pretest scores and the prior semester science grades? The study group (N = 65) consisted of grade 7 students in public middle schools in Burdur, Turkey. There were significant treatment effects favoring the first method with large effect sizes on both achievement and creative attitude scores. Teaching topics about simple machines with the design-based method increased students’ achievement and creative attitude without disadvantaging their attitude toward the topic as they constructed new knowledge through each step of the precise process.