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Textbooks socialise and legitimise cultural norms, and therefore, learners' social worlds should find expression in their textbooks. In the study reported on here we examined how Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks reflected learner diversity in South African schools as manifested in their racial, gender, occupational, ability and geographical profiling in the textbooks. Content analysis was used to systematically identify instances of diversity representation in Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks. Quantitative content analysis accounted for the ubiquity of human characters' reflection in textbooks on the diversity variables in question. Qualitative analysis focused on the depiction of characters' gender roles. Quantitative data suggest that learners' social worlds were generally represented in the selected textbooks. However, males enjoyed greater visibility than females, and the visibility of disabled people was low. The 2 life skills and 1 English textbook portrayed both urban and rural settings. The qualitative analysis uncovered some gender stereotyping, where, for example, women were depicted in lower positions compared to men's high-paying vocations like judges, scientists, or doctors. Boys were depicted receiving prizes for their Matric achievements. Implications for publishers and writers commissioned to write textbooks include the need to consider representation of learner diversity in textbooks. The Department of Education should develop guidelines that promote such representation.

Within scholarship and public discourse, the concepts sex work and sexual violence are often conflated. More specifically, sex work is specifically framed as sexual violence that relies on a prevalent oppression paradigm analytic with respect to erotic labor(ers). This necessarily impacts research and scholarship on sex workers, and it informs the experiences of college students engaged in sex work. Situated as an immersed reflexive inquiry, we analyze the bounds of sex work, sexual violence, and what, if any, nexus exists between them through our personal, professional, and academic experiences in tandem with an artifact (a reflexive letter) written by a college student sex work to her past self. We interrogate implications and offer a clear perspective on whether sex work is sexual violence and why it matters.

The progressive robotisation and the introduction of artificial intelligence imply economic and social changes. In this paper, we investigate their impact on the occupations of recent Spanish graduates and examine how graduates with different skills can expect their occupations to be transformed by the digital era. To this end --using a three-step approach--we first map occupations in terms of the level of the transformative and destructive effects of digitalization, and determine which groups are most threatened. Second, we characterize the technological occupational groups according to dimensions related to worker and job requirements, such as abilities, skills and tasks performed. Finally, we explore the influence of educational background on the probability of belonging to each group. The analysis relies on three data sources--the main one being microdata from the Survey on Labour Market Insertion of University Graduates (EILU-2019)--which provide exhaustive information about students' education and training during and after their degree. Results show that only about 15% of graduates hold jobs that have a high probability of being replaced by machines over the next 10--20 years, although a significant number will still face changes in their occupations that will affect skill requirements. Graduates working in these occupations will need a high level of flexibility if they are to adjust to rapid changes and not be displaced. Moreover, certain features of students' academic background --such as the field of study or more formal education-- play a key role and offer some tips to mitigate possible disruptions in graduate employability.

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between middle school students' attitudes towards robotic coding and their STEM career interests. For this purpose, data were collected from a total of 213 students studying in three different secondary schools in a province in the south of Turkey. The "STEM Career Interest" scale and the "Robotic Coding Attitude" scale were used as data collection tools. The analysis of the data indicated that there was a moderate, statistically significant relationship between the participants' attitudes towards robotic coding and their STEM career interests. When the data were analyzed in terms of sub-dimensions, a medium-level significant relationship was found between the participants' attitudes towards robotics and their science, mathematics, and engineering career interests, and a high-level significant relationship was found between their technology career interests. Additionally, sub-factors of robotic coding attitude (interest, motivation, desire to learn, self-efficacy, and anxiety) significantly predicted the participants' STEM career interests. Accordingly, it can be posited that as participants' attitudes towards robotic coding evolve, their interest in STEM careers also expands. Consequently, it is postulated that all activities that enhance attitudes and boost interest in robotic coding, whether conducted within or outside the school environment, will facilitate students' pursuit of a STEM-related career in the future.

Addiction is the state of being addicted to any activity, substance, object or behavior in a way that excludes other activities of one's life or causes physical, mental or social harm to oneself and others. In addition to many and various types of addiction, it seems that an important type of addiction is technology addiction. Today, the dizzying development of technological developments and their inclusion in every aspect of our lives has made it necessary for us to rethink the concepts of far and near. With the rapid development in mobile phone technology, the standard mobile phones used in the past to call someone or send a message to someone have been replaced by state-of-the-art smartphones that make our daily lives much easier. However, on the other hand, it is seen that addiction to smartphones, which have become an integral part of life, is on the rise, and this goes back to pre-school periods. In this context, the aim of the research was determined to examine whether the smartphone usage level of students studying in secondary and high schools affiliated to the National Education Directorate of Tunceli province Hozat district in the 2022-2023 academic year varies significantly according to some demographic characteristics of the students. Within the scope of quantitative research, the data of the research designed in the general survey model were collected by applying the "Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Form (ATBÖ-SF)", developed by Kwon et al. and adapted to Turkish by Noyan et al., face to face between May and June 2023. The scale, for which validity and reliability studies were conducted, was found to be suitable for the use of parametric tests, and in addition to test analyzes such as frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, T Test and One-Way Variance Analysis were used to determine the significance of the difference using statistical data analysis techniques. As a result of the analysis, the average smartphone addiction level being below 3 was interpreted as the students not having smartphone addiction, but the measurements being just below the average indicating a risk factor, while the difference between the dependent and independent variables was not significant (p<0.005). According to the research findings, the smartphone addiction level of students at the lower limit of addiction carries a risk factor, in this respect the findings are warning, and it is recommended that parents, society, and especially schools and relevant institutions and organizations take precautions against the apparent danger.

The relevance of science education and its individual, societal, and vocational dimensions is important issues for the modern learning and teaching process in many countries. These dimensions are considered based on the data obtained from 1541 Georgian students. The study was conducted within the frames of the international ROSES project. The structure analysis of the ROSES questionnaire was conducted to define scales and individual items, which then were processed accordingly and relevant conclusions were drawn. The study findings reveal that Georgian students from basic and secondary schools demonstrate motivation and interest in learning science, participate in extracurricular activities, use social media for study aims, are concerned about environmental problems, and consider science classes interesting. However, the levels of interest, motivation, and positive attitudes are not high and the correlations between them are weak. The study shows that the vocational and societal dimensions of the relevance of science education are relatively better represented in our sample, but the individual dimension lags behind. Both structural and content findings might serve educators from similar contexts.

The purpose of this study is to define the main problems and provide organizational-methodological recommendations for ensuring vocational guidance for students with special needs. This research describes the main provisions and results of the realization of project work directed at the development of a modern system of inclusive education in the context of globalization and according to the career guidance of students. The results of the research can help organize career guidance work for secondary school teachers and school administration.

Cybersecurity has become increasingly important not only in the technology sector but in criminal justice professions as well, and significant challenges have arisen as a result. However, these challenges are not well discussed in the literature. To address this gap, and to study the cybersecurity trends impacting criminal justice professionals and the skills, knowledge and abilities criminal justice students need to succeed upon graduation, this research focuses on the role cybersecurity plays in the jobs that compose the main components of the criminal justice system and adjacent areas: law enforcement, the judicial process, corrections, social work, and military. This research utilizes semi-structured interviews with current and recently retired practitioners. Findings from this study revealed eight broad themes, many of which are complementary including changing technologies, generational gaps, over reliance on information technology professionals, and best practices for education composed of experiential learning, soft skills, specialized curriculum and interdisciplinary approaches.

Previous research on employment outcomes of autistic adults mainly assessed if they work and under what terms, with mostly anecdotal descriptions of where they work. This study aimed to identify the employment sector distribution of autistic employees compared to the general workforce in the Netherlands and to explore possible background predictors. Participants were 1115 employed autistic adults (476 male; 627 female; 12 other; mean age: 40.75) who completed a cross-sectional survey assessing employment sector, gender, age, age at diagnosis, educational level, degree of autistic traits, and presence of focused interests. Dutch workforce data were retrieved from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Results indicated significant differences in sector distribution across the two populations. Autistic adults were over-represented in the sectors healthcare & welfare, information technology, and public-army-charity, which were the three most-common sectors for this group. In economics & finances, and industry & construction, higher proportions were found in the general workforce. Most autistic employees in the healthcare & welfare sector were females while having a higher educational degree and being male predicted placement in information technology. The broad distribution of autistic employees beyond the information technology sector was notable, supporting the need for an individual approach to employment integration.

In adult education, understanding the dynamics of motivation among incarcerated individuals to attend English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes is crucial for effective educational programming, successful rehabilitation, and recidivism reduction efforts. The present study, focusing on Greek prisons, investigates two key aspects: a) the influence of sociodemographic factors (marital status, age, gender, and occupation previous to sentence) on inmates' motivation to attend EFL classes and b) the relative prevalence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors driving inmates to attend EFL classes. Grounded in theories of foreign language learning motivation, the study employed quantitative methods with a large sample of 400 adult inmates enrolled in English classes at Second Chance Schools across all Greek prisons. The findings reveal that marital status, age, gender, and previous occupation are factors that significantly impact inmates' motivation to attend EFL classes, with female inmates demonstrating higher motivation than their male counterparts. Notably, the study highlights the predominance of extrinsic motivation among inmates, with the desire to make their families proud being the most highly rated motivational driver.

The goal of this study was to predict the preservice physical education teachers' (PPETs) occupational socialization (OS) by their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and to investigate the relationship between them. The participants were 56 PPETs from a physical education teacher education (PETE) undergraduate program in the northeastern United States. This research work utilized the mixed-methods research design. An online survey with the PCK standard test, the teachers' occupational beliefs survey, and a semistructured interview were used to collect data. The PPETs' PCK significantly predicted their OS. More PCK would lead to more positive and professional OS development. Furthermore, the methods classes were the most important resource to learn PCK and develop the OS of the PPETs. There is a close and direct relationship between PPETs' PCK and OS, and early field experience (EFE) is a common carrier. It is possible to use PPETs' PCK to infer their OS development, and quantitative methods are effective for examining both factors. PETE programs should purposefully set up EFEs to improve PPETs' PCK and OS simultaneously.

Burnout, recognized as a psychological syndrome, stems from enduring reactions to emotional and interpersonal obstacles at work. It highlights the tension experienced by individuals within the broader framework of their interactions with their jobs. This phenomenon has attracted considerable attention across diverse professional sectors. With the Middle East's rapid expansion of tertiary education and reliance on both local and expatriate educators, a thorough understanding of burnout becomes essential. This study aims to investigate the burnout levels experienced by university instructors in Oman and to explore the relationship between their profiles and the three burnout components: Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP), and Personal Achievement (PA). Using the adapted Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire consisting of 22 items, a survey was conducted on a sample of 149 instructors with individual characteristics from public universities in Oman. Regarding burnout, the results showed a moderate level of DP (6.7) and PA (34.8), and a low level of EE (21.5) based on the overall scores. Through bootstrap multiple regression analysis, the results showed that instructors who have lower educational qualifications, lack training support, or are native to the region typically experience higher EE than their counterparts. Male instructors with lower educational qualifications, lower incomes, and local citizenship generally exhibit higher levels of DP compared to their counterparts. Female instructors tend to display higher levels of PA than their male counterparts. These findings highlight burnout in Omani university instructors, guiding future studies to pinpoint causes and tailor interventions in an evolving educational landscape.

Demand for engineering-interested and proficient high school graduates continues to grow across the nation. However, there remains a severe gap in college participation and employment in engineering fields for students with learning disabilities (SWLDs). One potential way to encourage SWLDs to consider engineering as a profession and promote the development of key science attitudes may be through engineering and technology career and technical education (E-CTE) coursework. In this study, we address the following research questions: Do SWLDs take E-CTE courses in the early years of high school at different rates compared to students without learning disabilities? What is the relationship between early E-CTE coursetaking and science attitudes (self-efficacy, utility, identity), and does this differ for students with and without learning disabilities? How do specific engineering career expectations change with respect to enrollment in early E-CTE coursework, and do these differ for students with and without learning disabilities? We utilize the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS) to respond to the research questions through moderation models and a student fixed effects methodology. Ultimately, we found no evidence of SWLD underrepresentation in E-CTE in high school. However, SWLDs were expected to benefit more than the general population from E-CTE participation with respect to higher levels of science self-efficacy and science identity. Implications from these findings include how to encourage persistence along the engineering pathway, the growth of career pathway policies at the state level, and how to incorporate E-CTE practices in academic courses.

Research represents an essential component of the response to infectious disease outbreaks and to other public health emergencies, whether they are localised, of international concern, or global. Research conducted in such contexts also comes with particular ethics challenges, the awareness of which has significantly grown following the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the Zika outbreak in Latin America and the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include the need for implementing meaningful community engagement with the researched communities, not just to build unidirectional trust towards the research team, but to achieve a genuine and mutually respectful partnership before, during and after the research. Here, we describe the real-life experience of 10 well-established research clinics in Nairobi, where a successful experience of community engagement linking prevention and care to research was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We contrast this experience with the concept and processes of community engagement as described in selected scientific manuscripts and guidelines, to formulate some conclusions and recommendations. We contend that more action is needed, from research ethics committees and other key-research stakeholders, to align policies and practices with ethics guidance and with evidence-based recommendations from the academic literature, to achieve meaningful community engagement during emergency research, irrespective of the scale and location of an outbreak or public health crisis. Failure to do so, will aggravate the (postcolonial) asymmetries of power in global health and local systems.

This study aims to investigate the effect of gifted students' art education on their professional preferences. The survey model, one of the quantitative research models, was used. A total of 320 students from the Çukurova Science and Art Center art field and general talent field, which were determined by the convenience sampling method, constitute the research sample group. The occupational preference inventory prepared by Atli and Kendal (2017) was used in the research. The inventory comprises six sub-dimensions: investigative, entrepreneurial, artistic, social, realistic, and traditional. Independent Sample t-Test and Anova Test were applied for the analyses, and Cohen's d and Eta Square tests were applied to calculate the effect level in meaningful data. As a result of the research on general talent and art students, it has been determined that there are significant differences in gender, school type, school level, and age.

The network scale-up method (NSUM) is a survey-based method for estimating the number of individuals in a hidden or hard-to-reach subgroup of a general population. In NSUM surveys, sampled individuals report how many others they know in the subpopulation of interest (e.g. "How many sex workers do you know?") and how many others they know in subpopulations of the general population (e.g. "How many bus drivers do you know?"). NSUM is widely used to estimate the size of important sociological and epidemiological risk groups, including men who have sex with men, sex workers, HIV+ individuals, and drug users. Unlike several other methods for population size estimation, NSUM requires only a single random sample and the estimator has a conveniently simple form. Despite its popularity, there are no published guidelines for the minimum sample size calculation to achieve a desired statistical precision. Here, we provide a sample size formula that can be employed in any NSUM survey. We show analytically and by simulation that the sample size controls error at the nominal rate and is robust to some forms of network model mis-specification. We apply this methodology to study the minimum sample size and relative error properties of several published NSUM surveys.

In social stratification research, the most frequently used social class schema are based on employment relations (EGP and ESEC). These schemes have been propelled to paradigms for research on social mobility and educational inequalities and applied in cross-national research for both genders. Using the European Working Conditions Survey, we examine their criterion and construct validity across 31 countries and for both genders. We investigate whether classes are welldelineated by the theoretically assumed dimensions of employment relations and we assess how several measures of occupational advantage differ across classes. We find broad similarity in the criterion validity of EGP and ESEC across genders and countries as well as satisfactory levels of construct validity. However, the salariat classes are too heterogeneous and their boundaries with the intermediate classes are blurred. To improve the measurement of social class, we propose to differentiate managerial and professional occupations within the lower and higher salariat respectively. We show that implementing these distinctions in ESEC and EGP improves their criterion validity and allows to better identify privileged positions.

Loneliness represents a serious health risk. However, studies investigating social inequalities in loneliness are rare. Thus, the current study investigates which socioeconomic groups are the most affected by loneliness. Data from the population-based German Aging Survey were used (N = 3,784), with participants being 40+ years old. Education, income, and occupational prestige were used as socioeconomic indicators. It was found that loneliness scores were descriptively higher in groups with lower educational attainment, lower income and lower occupational prestige. In a linear regression analysis, significant socioeconomic differences in loneliness emerged only for income and occupational prestige. Thus, individuals with a low occupational position and those with low income are systematically more affected by loneliness than higher status groups. Material and occupational resources are likely to constitute major socio-structural explanatory variables for loneliness and should be further investigated as such by future studies.

Gender stereotypes are often an unconscious notion, which can unjustly confine individuals' pathways to that of those deemed acceptable in society. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to explore whether such ideals are shown by primary school students' and their teachers. Results showed that gender stereotypes were present, with both students and teachers expressing this. Students indicated that all six professions explored had large stereotypes. Teachers were largely in agreement, noting that although they felt able to challenge such ideals, many of them had no formal training throughout their teaching program. The results offer a rationale for more initial teacher training programs to explore the effects of gender stereotypes, preparing teachers to challenge these early on while children are developing their long-term beliefs, to avoid unjust bias.

Situated and Activity theories have exercised a significant influence in the field of vocational learning for some considerable time, both sharing a focus on bounded forms of work and forms of learning that facilitate learning in, or to changes to, bounded forms of work. Yet much learning occurs in unbounded contexts often referred to as projectification, where collaborations occur only for the life of a project thereby creating new contingent contexts for learning. Given the existence of this form of working and learning, what type of unit of analysis (UoA) is required to analyse that vocational working and learning in the context of projectification? To address this question, the paper advances the following inter-theoretical argument. Firstly, it is timely to develop a new unit of analysis (UoA) to capture the fractional (intermittent, discontinuous and concurrent) working and learning dynamics associated with the forms of projectification, where funding has to be procured in order to commence. Secondly, that unit of analysis is constituted by the concept of project assemblage, which is based on ideas from Actor Network Theory, Cultural-historical Activity Theory and Cultural Sociology. Thirdly, this new UoA enables researchers to identify the way in which project teams, where members are coming in-and-out, learn to use their different forms of specialist activity to enact objects, why team members will have different backgrounds and understandings of their work, why objects may not cohere, even though team members may treat them as unified and coherent, and how team members learn to incorporate one another's insights and suggestions, and establish a finalized object.

This study aimed to examine the literature on the skill sets of autistic individuals and determine how these skills align with current and projected future labour market needs. Based on a literature review, researchers identified the following skill categories common to autistic individuals: visual skills, attention to detail and systemizing composite skills. Researchers then gathered aggregated data on occupations and industries from over 90 state and federal sources in the United States. Next, they collected data on the most in-demand jobs, their industries and relevant skills by analysing hundreds of millions of online job postings. The results indicate the most viable occupations aligned with each skill category. There is minimal available research using labour market data to generate special education goals and transition plans for autistic students. By providing educators and practitioners with critical information regarding viable employment pathways, all stakeholders can more effectively and equitably prepare autistic individuals for the 21st-century workforce.

Educational science has consistently examined what drives adolescents to aspire to occupations in math-related fields -- and which factors, such as gender stereotypes, may drive them away. In this study, we utilized a large longitudinal data set (N = 1,092) to test whether past grades, gender, and the math level of mothers' and fathers' occupations predicted the math-relatedness of German adolescents' occupational aspirations 1 year later in 10th grade controlling for mathematical competence, intelligence, and socioeconomic status, among other factors. First, we examined whether motivational beliefs -- math intrinsic value and math ability self-concept -- mediated these relationships. Second, we used a latent interaction approach to test whether intrinsic value and ability self-concept interacted to predict the math-relatedness of aspirations, an important yet understudied prediction of expectancy-value theories. The intrinsic value of math, but not ability self-concept fully mediated the effect of math grade on aspirations. Gender differences could partly be explained via intrinsic value, but a substantial effect remained. The math level of mothers', but not fathers' occupations was positively associated with the math-relatedness of their children's aspirations, but this effect was not mediated by motivational beliefs. Exploratory analyses examined these relations separately for boys and girls. Regarding our second aim, there was a significant interaction showing that intrinsic value only predicted the math-relatedness of aspirations among students with a high-ability self-concept. This latter finding points to the importance of continuing to investigate not only main effects but also interaction effects within the framework of the situated expectancy-value theory.

The increasing ubiquity of gamification in everyday life normalizes it as a motivational tool. While much scholarship supports gamification, labor sociologists have long problematized the phenomenon. In this mixed-methods action research study, we explore the results of gamifying a lesson on gamification in a sociology of work course. We designed two gamified activities with varying degrees of consent that followed a lesson on gamification and consent. Students rated how problematic a series of gamified work scenarios were before and after the intervention. Our quantitative data did not show a significant increase in students' ability to identify consent after the intervention, but we did discover that students took either an employee or employer's perspective in their rating justifications. Furthermore, these findings were gendered. This article highlights the need for a more critical take on gamification in the classroom. We conclude by suggesting ways practitioners can teach about gamification in other contexts.

The rise in opioid misuse coincides with increased sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV incidence. Transactional sex is an under-researched phenomenon among Black Americans who misuse opioids, and may increase their risk of STI or HIV transmission. Given the disproportionate impact of the opioid epidemic on Black Americans and the risks associated with opioid misuse, the current study aims to investigate sociostructural factors, history of violence, and sexual risk factors associated with transactional sex among Black men and women. A sample of n = 375 Black adult Kentuckians reporting opioid misuse completed a survey including transactional sex, sociostructural, violence history, and sexual risk measures. Results of chi-squares and independent samples t-tests revealed that compared to men who did not report engaging in transactional sex, men who engaged in transactional sex were less educated, reported being sexually assaulted or having an unwanted sexual experience in their lifetime, and were more likely to use opioids or cocaine before or during sex in the last year. Women who engaged in transactional sex had a history of violence, more structural barriers, higher psychological distress, and engaged in more sexual risk behaviors compared to women who did not engage in transactional sex. Implications for future research and interventions with this population are discussed.

Adults with Down syndrome (DS) experience high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there is variability in the timing of transition from a cognitively stable state to prodromal AD and dementia. The present study examined the association between a modifiable lifestyle factor, employment complexity, and cognitive decline across two time points in adults with DS. Employment complexity, defined as the degree of problem-solving or critical thinking required for employment activities, was operationalized using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, a system which classifies occupations based on three categories: "Data, People, and Things." Eighty-seven adults with DS (M = 36.28 years, SD = 6.90 years) were included in analyses. Partial correlations revealed that lower employment complexity involving People and Things were associated with increased dementia symptoms. Lower employment complexity involving Things was also associated with memory decline. These findings have implications for vocational programs focused on job training and placement for adults with DS.

The number of Black suburbs has expanded since the 1960s, however, research on gender and how Black women contribute to their formation is understudied. Grounded in an intersectional framework, this article places women at the center of the analysis of Black suburban life. Using a multisite ethnography conducted during the Great Recession, I make a case for a Black diasporic suburb model and analyze the labor and household practices Black women use to sustain their families' suburban lives. This article generates new insights into the heterogeneity of and Black suburbs in general, and the dynamic culture and economies of Black suburban women, in particular. Thus it contributes to new thought in Black feminist geography and the sociology of suburbs.

The aim of the study is to determine the level of parents' attitudes towards their children's use of information and communication technologies and to obtain parental views on the use of technology. To this end, the study was carried out with parents whose children were studying at primary and secondary school levels. Data were collected from 417 guardians for the quantitative dimension of the study, which was designed with a mixed methodological approach in which qualitative and quantitative models were used together, and interviews were conducted with 10 parents in the same sample group for the qualitative dimension. For the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison tests and descriptive analysis technique was used. The results of the analysis of the data showed that the attitudes of the parents towards their children's use of technology were at a "good" level. In the study, no significant difference was found between the attitudes of parents towards their children's use of technology and the gender variables, while there was a significant difference between the variables of age, educational level, occupation, computer usage skills and computer usage time. The study also addressed which technological device their children use for which purpose, the technology-assisted applications used by their children for educational purposes, and the support given by parents to their children in terms of knowledge, skills, time management and safe use when using technology, and the positive and negative aspects of technology use, and various suggestions were made to parents for the correct and effective use of technology by parents.

This article reports on teacher trainees' ability in doing a critical analysis of an extract of English teaching materials from a gender perspective. The critical ability was prompted using a textbook extract that generated two gender issues, namely woman-man relationship and the position of women in occupational discourse. The participants were 38 trainees enrolled in textbook analysis subject in the English Department of a college in regional Indonesia. The research data were the trainees' results of the mid-term test, designed with explicit instruction to ascertain the afore-mentioned critical elements, and their results of the final exam with implied instruction to discern the same critical elements. The data were analysed qualitatively by interpreting the participants' responses based on their degree of criticality. The mid-term test results show that more than half of them were critical about woman-man relationship, while only 18% were critical about women position at work. The trainees' results in the final test demonstrate a significant downturn of their critical thinking performances. Only 15% criticized woman-man relationship and 13% problematized women position at work. These findings raise concerns about the trainees' level of criticality and so systematic efforts to sharpen trainees' critical analytical ability should be further attempted.

According to the Institute for Women's Policy, women in the United States working in the state of Louisiana earn sixty-nine cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. This is a substantial discrepancy and has been used as a call for action. However, what is really behind this variance in pay between women and men? For a large part, it is the types of careers that men and women choose to enter. A more valid comparison between men's and women's pay is to look at pay differences within the same chosen career path. This study looks at faculty pay at a regional university to ascertain whether there is evidence of a difference in pay between women and men in academia. This paper's results show that once the area of specialty, rank, and years of experience are considered, male faculty actually, on average, earn less than their female counterparts.

This study investigated the influence of mothers' occupation on children's upbringing in the Udenu Local Government Area in Enugu State. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the feeding, clothing, academic, and health practices adopted by mothers in Enugu State. The study utilized a survey research design, focusing on the Udenu Local Government Area. A sample of three hundred respondents was used, and data was collected through questionnaires. The instrument was face validated by experts from the Department of Home Economics and Hospitality Management Education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. To ensure reliability, a trial testing was conducted, resulting in a Cronbach alpha reliability estimate of 0.87. Data analysis involved frequency count and percentages. The findings revealed limited mother care in terms of children's feeding, clothing, health, and academic upbringing, which was attributed to the negative influence of the mothers' occupation. Recommendations were made to enhance children's upbringing, including an increase in maternity leave to allow mothers to spend quality time with their children.

The social studies course can be described as an ongoing process that attempts to prepare individuals for life through the transfer of culture and ensures their socialization. It is thought that students' beliefs and attitudes toward this course are essential for achieving the course objectives. The objective of this research is to determine the attitudes and belief levels of fourth-grade students toward the social studies course with respect to various variables and to review the relationship between attitudes and belief levels toward the social studies course. During the research, descriptive survey and relational survey models, both quantitative research methods, were used in combination. The study population consists of primary school students throughout Turkey in their fourth grade during the 2022-2023 academic year. 1326 primary school students in the fourth grade constituted the sample group of the study. The research data were collected using the "Social Studies Course Attitude Scale" and the "Social Studies Course Belief Scale". Because of the study, it was determined that there was a positive and moderate relationship between the students' attitudes and beliefs toward the social studies course, and it was noted that students' attitudes and beliefs toward social studies course were significantly high. Teachers and educators, while conducting efforts to enhance students' attitudes toward the social studies course, can also contribute to students' success by focusing on their positive beliefs about this course.

There is limited information concerning the experiences and career decision-making processes of male sex workers in South Korea. The aim of this study was to understand the motivations, career decisions, and decision-making processes of a group of male university students and graduates who decided to join the sex work profession in South Korea as part of their career development. Qualitative research design and snowball strategies were employed in 2021 with nine male sex workers. Interview sessions, online focus group activity, remarkable items sharing, and member-checking interview sessions were undertaken to collect rich stories and promote understanding of male sex workers who are completing or have completed their bachelor's degrees in South Korea. Based on the social cognitive career and motivation theory, three main themes were highlighted: (1) financial consideration, (2) personal interest in sexual activities, and (3) limited career opportunities for the younger generation. The findings illustrate the motivations of a group of educated male sex workers and the social issues for sex workers in South Korea. Government bodies, policymakers, and non-profit organizations may use this study as a reference for policy development and human resources schemes.