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This study uses a mixed methods approach to examine a new type of curriculum configuration that supports students' transitions to college: career technical programs of study (POS). Interview and survey data were collected from a college and its feeder high schools in each of three well-established ("mature") sites in geographically varied communities in the United States to investigate how POS are structured, what the key the "ingredients" are, and what students experience as they move through the POS. Interview findings suggest that the key elements of POS include dedicated staff to create secondary-postsecondary connections, active multistakeholder advisory committees, and flexibility and compromise in developing dual-credit options for students. Survey data show that high school students feel positively about their experiences in POS; however, career guidance is lacking. Student records indicate that even when POS were in place to support their transition, less than one-fifth of students remained in the same POS in college that they began in high school. Results are discussed in relation to the 2006 Perkins IV legislation. (Contains 7 notes and 1 table.)

Web-based surveys have become more prevalent in areas such as evaluation, research, and marketing research to name a few. The proliferation of these online surveys raises the question, how do response rates compare with traditional surveys and at what cost? This research explored response rates and costs for Web-based surveys, paper surveys, and mixed-mode surveys. The participants included evaluators from the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Results included that mixed-mode, while more expensive, had higher response rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about how serious games based on MUVEs in formal education can foster collaboration. More specifically, it is about a large case-study with four different programs which took place from 2002 to 2009 and involved more than 9,000 students, aged between 12 and 18, from various nations (18 European countries, Israel and the USA). These programs proved highly effective into fostering a number of transversal skills, among which collaboration (both remote and in presence), stood out as prominent. The paper will introduce the four programs, the way they were designed to foster collaboration and the data on their impact.

Introduction: The healthcare sector accounts for 8.5% of United States (U.S.) greenhouse gas emissions, of which one-third comes from operating rooms (ORs). As a result, there is great interest in decarbonizing the OR and surgical care. However, surgical residents are not routinely educated on the negative environmental impact of surgery or how to reduce it. In this paper, we present a formal needs assessment for a sustainability curriculum geared towards surgical residents., Methods: Using Kern's Six-Step Framework for curriculum development, we conducted focus groups with surgical residents to perform a targeted needs assessment on 3 main topics: 1) the current state of surgical sustainability curricula; 2) resident knowledge regarding the environmental impact of surgery and barriers to sustainable practice; and 3) preferred educational methods and topics within sustainability education. We audio-recorded all focus groups and performed thematic analysis using anonymized transcripts., Results: Fourteen residents participated in 3 focus groups, from which a qualitative analysis revealed 4 themes. First, surgery residents receive limited formal teaching on the negative environmental impact of surgical care or how to reduce this impact. Second, surgery residents have variable levels of prior education about and interest in sustainability in surgery. Third, several barriers prevent the implementation of sustainable changes in surgical practice, including a lack of institutional initiative, cultural inertia, concerns about workflow efficiency, and limited formal education. Finally, residents prefer to learn about practical ways to reduce waste, specifically through interactive approaches such as quality improvement initiatives., Conclusions: Given the increasing importance of sustainability in surgery, there is an urgent need for formal resident education on this topic. This needs assessment provides a valuable foundation for future sustainability curriculum development., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

A common theme in the literature on care-giving is the issue of "hidden" carers, that is, people who undertake caring roles and responsibilities, yet do not identify themselves as carers. One reason people do not recognise themselves as carers relates to the nature of the caring relationship. When providing care for a family member, intra-familial bonds of love and reciprocity do not encourage parties to view the relationship as anything other than a "normal" familial relationship. The lack of self-identification amongst young carers is complicated further by societal norms surrounding care-giving. Whereas adults are expected to provide care to other adults and children, young people are not expected to be care-givers but rather care recipients. As a result, many young carers remain "hidden" and beyond the reach of services and supports designed to help them in their caring role. This paper draws on qualitative research with young carers and service providers to explore the issue of self-identification amongst young carers. The paper concludes with recommendations for identifying and supporting hidden young carers. (Contains 6 notes.)

This paper offers a comparative reflection on how two nations, the U.S. and Lithuania, are implementing inquiry-based science in elementary classrooms. The qualitative study explored how fourth grade teachers in Southern California and in Lithuania employed effective inquiry-based strategies in their classrooms. A teacher's use of questioning strategies to guide critical thinking and the role of inquiry-based pedagogy plays in promoting student engagement were commonalities in both countries. "Exercise moments", resource conservation, and "voyeuristic investigations" were noted in Lithuanian inquiry practices while pacing guides and standards coverage were prevalent issues in US inquiry practices.

This paper presents a workshop report that summarises the potentially far-reaching deliberations and results of a conference of experts in doctoral education from around the world. The conference was organised jointly by the U.S. Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education (CIRGE) at the University of Washington, Seattle and the German International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER) at the University of Kassel. Participants discussed critical issues in the globalisation of doctoral education, including global inequalities, diversity in types of students and modes of study, and intellectual risk-taking, and they sought to develop proposals for policy. The focus of the conference was on the research doctorate. Held in Kassel, Germany, March 23-27, 2009, the workshop focused on the three broad themes of internationalisation and inequality, diversity and intellectual risk-taking. This essay reports on the activities, discussions, and conclusions of the workshop. (Contains 2 notes.)

Despite a growing concern about gangs in Britain, academic research that focuses on gangs remains scarce. Drawing on data from the ESRC-funded ethnographic research YOGEC (Youth Gangs in an English City) project, this paper explores the negotiation of space and place by young people living in inner-city areas affected by gangs. Using a combination of fieldwork observations and focus group and interview data, this paper charts the experiences of non-gang-involved young people living in known gang areas. These young people's restricted use of space, arising as a result of gang rivalries and the policing of inner-city areas, results in exclusion, marginalization and victimization. We illustrate how young people are identified as "high risk", and how they continually negotiate a range of risks bound up with the territory that they inhabit and subsequent spatial boundaries that are formed. In doing so, we provide an understanding of the lives of young people who reside in places and spaces inhabited by gangs. (Contains 10 notes.)

A growing body of research evaluates various aspects of entrepreneurship education (such as curriculum, delivery and assessment) and links it to outcomes in terms of both the number and quality of entrepreneurs entering an economy. There is, however, a marked paucity of empirically rigorous research appraising the impact of entrepreneurship education on graduates' intentions and perceived ability to set up Internet-based e-enterprises that can operate across temporal and geographical boundaries. This paper provides a comparative overview of entrepreneurship education in the UK, the USA and China with a focus on IT and non-IT students' e-entrepreneurship intentions, perceptions and outcomes. The research on which the paper is based was carried out in two distinct phases: first, focus groups were used to design, pilot and develop a comprehensive research questionnaire for use in a wider, multi-country survey; second, questionnaires were then distributed to students in IT and non-IT related disciplines in the UK, the USA and China. The preliminary results show that most respondents were slow to conceptualize and contextualize e-entrepreneurship in the prevailing socio-economic and political conditions of their countries of origin. There were no significant differences between students of IT and non-IT disciplines in their perceptions of the viability and practicality of engaging in e-entrepreneurship. Generic support initiatives appear to neglect the vast portfolio of skills needs for graduates engaging in Internet trading. The authors recommend that entrepreneurship education providers should engage with emergent models of e-entrepreneurship and that policy makers should provide innovative initiatives to cater for the specific needs of e-entrepreneurs. (Contains 5 tables.)

Given the receptivity of American colleges to international students, administrators and professors must recognize the diversity such registrants bring to campus in the form of achievement, age, gender, language, and national differences. The purpose of this study was to compare learning style preferences of international first year college students and to analyze the effects of accommodating learning-style preferences of first year international college students on achievement and anxiety levels over one semester. This paper focused on the identification of learning style profiles of first time visiting Japanese, Korean, and Chinese college student populations. It also assessed the anxiety and acculturation levels of these international students when they were first introduced to the American educational system which incorporated teacher facilitation and promoted student directed studies. Finally, student learning styles were assessed after a six-week summer session to see if learning styles remained the same after students were introduced to the American educational system. After the six-week summer session and two semesters, a focus group meeting with a sample population of students and a separate focus group meeting with instructors were held to confirm quantitative findings.

In this paper, we present findings from a three-year research project funded by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services that examined how advanced broadband measurement capabilities can support the infrastructure and services needed to respond to the digital demands of public library users across the US. Previous studies have identified the ongoing broadband challenges of public libraries while also highlighting the increasing digital expectations of their patrons. However, few large-scale research efforts have collected automated, longitudinal measurement data on library broadband speeds and quality of service at a local, granular level inside public libraries over time, including when buildings are closed. This research seeks to address this gap in the literature through the following research question: How can public libraries utilize broadband measurement tools to develop a better understanding of the broadband speeds and quality of service that public libraries receive? In response, quantitative measurement data were gathered from an open-source broadband measurement system that was both developed for the research and deployed at 30 public libraries across the US. Findings from our analysis of the data revealed that Ookla measurements over time can confirm when the library's internet connection matches expected service levels and when they do not. When measurements are not consistent with expected service levels, libraries can observe the differences and correlate this with additional local information about the causes. Ongoing measurements conducted by the library enable local control and monitoring of this vital service and support critique and interrogation of the differences between internet measurement platforms. In addition, we learned that speed tests are useful for examining these trends but are only a small part of assessing an internet connection and how well it can be used for specific purposes. These findings have implications for state library agencies and federal policymakers interested in having access to data on observed versus advertised speeds and quality of service of public library broadband connections nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although small, the African immigrant population is one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States. Emerging research indicates a high prevalence of noncommunicable preventable chronic conditions in this population. Like other African Americans, African immigrants are mistrustful of the health care system, hampering efforts for prevention and intervention research., Purpose: To describe our experiences conducting 2 studies in an African immigrant community, discuss the lessons learned, and provide advice to researchers interested in conducting research in similar populations., Design: The 2 published studies for which we derive lessons learned for this paper were a cross-sectional study and a qualitative study using focus group interviews. Participants included Zimbabwean immigrants in the Eastern United States recruited at religious festivals and community events. The 2 studies enrolled a total of 135 participants., Results: Of our recruitment goal of 120 in the first study, we enrolled only 98 despite numerous efforts. However, after strategically partnering with a community advisory board (CAB), in the second study, we met our recruitment goal within 4 months. With the CAB, we recruited a larger proportion of men (38% versus 24%). Without the CAB, 350 individuals agreed to participate, but only 98 (28%) returned the questionnaire, whereas with the CAB, 40 agreed to participate, and 37 (93%) successfully completed the study., Conclusion: Conducting health-related research in immigrants requires strategic partnerships with the community to build strong relationships between the research team and the target community. By nurturing these relationships, research teams can effectively access this hard-to-reach population and achieve high participation., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Aim: To identify attitudes towards HIV/STI screening guidelines and explore the acceptability of assessing sexual positioning practices among Black sexual minority men (SMM). Background: Risks for HIV/STIs vary by sexual positioning practices. However, clinicians and Black SMM do not always discuss sexuality with each other. Therefore, HIV/STI screening and testing remain suboptimal. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups. Methods: Data were obtained from 12 focus groups and one in‐depth interview conducted in Baltimore, MD among HIV‐negative Black SMM between October 2019 and May 2020 (N = 39). Groups were stratified into three age categories: 18–24, 25–34 and 35+. Participants were given the "5 P's" from the CDC's 2015 Sexual History Screening Guidelines and asked to discuss attitudes towards existing questions regarding sexual positioning practices. Themes were identified using an electronic pile sorting approach. Results: Most identified as homosexual/gay/same gender‐loving (68%), were employed (69%) and single (66%). Additionally, 34% had ever been diagnosed with an STI, of whom 38% had a history of repeated STI acquisition in their lifetime. Participants across age groups said clinicians should use the words "top" and "bottom" to demonstrate cultural familiarity and build trust. Some said that screening for sexual positioning was unnecessary and intrusive; others said that questions should be justified. Younger men wanted clinicians to ask questions in ways that make them feel cared for. Discussion: Guidelines should include language for clinicians to use culturally specific language and better ways to prepare Black SMM patients for screening. Impact to Nursing Practice: Some Black SMM will not discuss sexual positioning practices without clinicians' demonstration of cultural understanding and respect. Screening should incorporate culturally responsive language, justification and convey care. Reporting Method: Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). No Patient or Public Contribution: There was no patient or public involvement in the design or drafting of this discursive paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Building on entrepreneurial learning research, the purpose of this paper is to argue that the students participating in foreign entrepreneurial education programmes can have realistic entrepreneurial learning experiences. This research addresses two specific questions: how situated ambiguity induced by a foreign culture may contribute to contextual entrepreneurial learning in education, and whether ambiguity induced by cross-cultural situated experience can stimulate critical reflection and important learning outcomes in entrepreneurship and increase entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopted a phenomenological perspective in the research, and used focus group interviews and the critical incident technique to investigate Norwegian master's students' experiences of entrepreneurial learning in a long-term practice in an American startup. Findings: The empirical findings reveal that the students perceived the foreign cultural learning setting as imbued with ambiguity and uncertainty. However, as the students enhanced their understanding of the culture and entrepreneurial milieu through observations and co-participating, they managed to adapt and develop new strategies and methods to cope with the new environment. Eventually, the students became more entrepreneurial and developed their ESE. Practical implications: The research demonstrates how educators can design educational programmes that approach real entrepreneurial learning contexts. Nevertheless, the research also displays several ethical dilemmas that educators need to address. Originality/value: The study delineates a new concept for educational designs called situated ambiguity, which reinforces the essence of situated entrepreneurial learning with cross-cultural learning. This concept offers a promising avenue for educators to approach real entrepreneurial learning in both theory and practice.

College students across the United States are engaging in protests, sit-ins, and walk-outs, but when do these political acts result in tangible institutional policy changes? This paper draws on qualitative data from interviews and focus groups with 502 participants across the United States to examine when and why college student political behaviors influence institutional changes on college campuses. Findings from this study suggest that higher education institutions present different political opportunity structures for students to engage in activism. These political opportunity structures provide policy windows at the institutional level to affect campus wide change. To the extent that these changes promote diversity, equity, and inclusion though also depends on these varying structures. In this paper, a typology of these structures is presented to explain when student activism shapes institutional change and for whom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on data collected in South Korea, Jordan and the USA, this paper examines the degree to which security concerns impact the schooling of North Korean refugees in South Korea and Iraqi refugees in Jordan. Operating from a framework examining the intersection of migration and securitisation, the authors find that accounts of negative images of and identity concealment among North Korean students present the most compelling linkages to a larger phenomenon of societal securitisation. At the same time, South Korean perceptions of North Koreans' level of preparedness for working in a capitalist society present the most compelling linkages to economic securitisation. With respect to Christian Iraqi refugees in Jordan, plausible connections can be drawn between societal security and an Iraqi identity generally. With respect to economic concerns in Jordan, measures taken to restrict Iraqi integration into the labour force can be seen as security actions.

Inadequate sleep is an on-going risk to the health and mission readiness of U.S. Armed Forces, with estimates of sleep problems high above U.S. civilian populations. Intervening early in the career of active duty Air Force personnel (or "Airmen") with education and the establishment of healthy behaviors may prevent short and long term-detriments of sleep problems. This paper describes the results of a qualitative study seeking to understand the facilitators and barriers to achieving good sleep in a technical training school during the first year of entry into the United States Air Force. Using the social ecological framework and content analysis, three focus groups with Airmen were conducted to explore themes at the individual, social, environmental, and organizational/policy level. Overall, results indicated a cohort motivated to achieve good sleep, and also struggling with a number of barriers across each level. This paper highlights opportunities for population health interventions during technical training aimed at supporting Airmen in developing healthy sleep behaviors early in the course of their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from six field courses about student's perceptions of iPads as mobile learning devices for fieldwork. Data were collected through surveys and focus groups. The key findings suggest that the multi-tool nature of the iPads and their portability were the main strengths. Students had some concerns over the safety of the iPads in adverse weather and rugged environments, though most of these concerns were eliminated after using the devices with protective cases. Reduced connectivity was found to be one of the main challenges for mobile learning. Finally, students and practitioners views of why they used the mobile devices for fieldwork did not align.

Action research provides valuable opportunities for preservice teachers to improve their practice, their understanding of their practice, and the situation in which their practice takes place. Moreover, action research empowers preservice teachers to critically examine an experience that demonstrates their potential to be influential researchers within their educational situations. In this study we utilize the construct of teacher uncertainty to characterize different dilemmas that preservice science and mathematics teachers encounter as they embark upon their first action research experience. Our study is guided by the following questions: what types of uncertainty do preservice teachers encounter; and in what ways can teacher action research facilitate how preservice teachers confront and embrace their uncertainties with becoming teachers as well as teacher researchers? This study represents a collaboration between a science teacher educator from the United States and a mathematics teacher educator from Ireland. We merge our research methodologies including data from qualitative sources (i.e. semi-structured interviews, reflections, and final action research papers) to isolate trends among the teachers' uncertainties. Results indicated that preservice teachers harbour a range of uncertainties not only with learning how to teach science and mathematics but also with learning to engage in action research. A case can be made that doubts about one's efficacy as a science or mathematics teacher are sometimes difficult; however, through action research, this sense of uncertainty can be recognized, accepted, and addressed in a positive and productive manner.

This paper explores the pedagogical and conceptual issues that accompany the integration of intercultural communication skills into the secondary curriculum by analyzing the interactions of 102 adolescents in Spain and the USA during a 15-week, classroom-based, international online exchange. Focusing on the skills of discovery and interaction within a model of intercultural communicative competence, I examined the ways in which adolescent students displayed these skills through their online comments as well as the extent to which participants themselves perceived that their partnerships were successful. The findings from this study demonstrate that the adolescents displayed a range of interactional features that have been previously documented as interculturally strategic in research with post-secondary students engaged in similar online exchange projects. Such skills form part of a larger construct of intercultural communicative competence that, in turn, folds into the types of new literacy skills needed to write, read, communicate, produce, consume, and critique in a digital age. This kind of critical engagement with literacy fosters contexts in which students can grapple with authentic intercultural interactions and better understand how the words and symbols they send and receive position them as their own representatives and as representatives of their immediate communities and larger cultural groups.

Social justice education is undertheorized in science education. Given the wide range of goals and purposes proposed within both social justice education and social justice science education scholarship, these fields require reconciliation. In this paper, I suggest a student empowerment framework for conceptualizing teaching and learning social justice science education in classroom settings. I utilize this framework to analyze the case study of a high school environmental science classroom in the United States where the teacher and students created environmental action projects that were relevant to their community. I examine how social, political, and academic empowerment were or were not enacted within the classroom and argue for educators to give heed to all three simultaneously to mediate student empowerment while working toward social justice science education. (Contains 1 table and 8 footnotes.)

One of the primary challenges in developing effective accountability systems is determining how best to include students with disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to report on the initial implementation of one option for including students with disabilities into the accountability system in the United States. In 2007, federal guidance allowed states to develop an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) for a small group of students with disabilities. An evaluation of the development and implementation of this assessment within one state, Pennsylvania, is presented. Lessons learned and recommendations are offered for educational leaders considering developing an alternate assessment as a method to include additional students with disabilities into accountability systems. (Contains 2 figures.)

Despite a nascent economic recovery, education advocates, policymakers and other leaders continue to sound concerns over U.S. higher education's long-term viability and productivity. Foremost among current worries is the financial stability of colleges and universities, particularly now that federal stimulus support has dried up. Even while President Obama talks about boosting U.S. college completion rates to increase the nation's global competitiveness, private and public institutions continue to struggle economically. On March 18, "Diverse: Issues In Higher Education" convened an expert panel to answer the question "How Can Higher Education Solve its Financial Problems?" "Diverse" co-founder Frank Matthews and "Diverse" editor Toni Coleman moderated a nearly two-hour roundtable discussion among seven panelists held at the headquarters of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in downtown Washington, D.C. While its theme centered on higher education's financial health, the wide-ranging conversation touched upon issues as varied as the institution accountability movement, federal involvement in higher education and the future of minority-serving institutions. Participants were Lezli Baskerville, president and CEO, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; Kevin Carey, policy director, Education Sector; Dr. Lorenzo Esters, vice president, Office for Access and the Advancement of Public Black Universities, APLU; Steve Graubart, managing director of finance, University of the District of Columbia; Dr. Marshall Grigsby, president, Grigsby and Associates, LLC; Cheryl Hitchcock, vice president of institutional advancement, Morgan State University; and Jane Wellman, executive director, Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability. This article presents the highlights from the discussion.

The retention of engineering students is important because more than half of the students who begin engineering programs in the United States will not earn an engineering degree. A literature review showed the importance of academic advising in retaining students in engineering programs. Therefore, the goal of this study is to identify the level of satisfaction students have with the information provided by advisors on a variety of matters. A questionnaire was developed to assess a set of factors related to the satisfaction of students towards the services provided by advisors. The questionnaire was administered among pre-engineering students enrolled in an engineering class at a Southeastern university. It was supplemented by a focus group interview. The study demonstrated that the students were most satisfied with core issues such as course-specific information. The students were less satisfied with immediate information provided on questions such as insight into teaching styles of specific instructors, getting paired with mentors, and recommendations of alternative majors. They were reasonably satisfied with longer-term issues such as career opportunities and the provision of tutorial services. Based on these findings, the paper provides suggestions regarding how both academic advisors and faculty can collaborate and better meet the needs of undergraduate engineering students. (Contains 1 table.)

As part of the continuing program to study the impact of its international assessments, the University of Cambridge International Examinations ("Cambridge") has undertaken a series of studies investigating the impact on a range of US stakeholders. This paper reports on research designed to respond to a series of washback and impact questions seeking data on: the profiles of the candidates taking Cambridge assessments and teachers preparing students for the assessments; the washback of Cambridge assessments on courses preparing students; and the impact of Cambridge assessments on the students who have taken them. Data were collected on an opportunity sample of five case study high schools and two universities. The main findings of the study are presented according to the type of data collected: questionnaires, interviews and discussions, and classroom observations. (Contains 4 tables.)

This article reviews the role of faith- and community-based organizations in providing comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents in the United States. To gather information about these organizations, a broad approach was used that included a formal literature review, systematic searches through organizational Web sites, and the convening of a panel of experts who support comprehensive sexuality education in faith- and community-based organizations. This paper provides an overview of the context in which community- and faith-based organizations provide comprehensive sexuality education, the various approaches taken, and the challenges, needs, and recommendations for these programs. (Contains 1 note and 2 tables.)

Over the past few decades, those who take tests in the United States have exhibited increasing diversity with respect to native language. Standard psychometric procedures for ensuring item and test fairness that have existed for some time were developed when test-taking groups were predominantly native English speakers. A better understanding of the potential influence that insufficient language proficiency may have on the efficacy of these procedures is needed. This paper represents a first step in arriving at this better understanding. We begin by addressing some of the issues that arise in a context in which assessments in a language such as English are taken increasingly by groups that may not possess the language proficiency needed to take the test. For illustrative purposes, we use the first-language status of a test taker as a surrogate for language proficiency and describe an approach to examining how the results of fairness procedures are affected by inclusion or exclusion of those who report that English is not their first language in the fairness analyses. Furthermore, we explore the sensitivity of the results of these procedures, differential item functioning (DIF) and score equating, to potential shifts in population composition. We employ data from a large-volume testing program for this illustrative purpose. The equating results were not affected by either inclusion or exclusion of such test takers in the analysis sample, or by shifts in population composition. The effect on DIF results, however, varied across focal groups.

This paper examines the organisation of the production of knowledge about international issues in US higher education, drawing on six case studies of Middle East studies. We review three key findings. First, we suggest that the American model for studying "the international" is rooted in a default, and outmoded, way of thinking about international issues, which we call "thinking nationally". Second, we find that teaching and research about the Middle East are centred in the humanities rather than in the social sciences. Third, we suggest that professional schools, rather than the arts and science core, are emerging as drivers of innovation in teaching and research about the Middle East on US campuses. (Contains 1 table and 11 notes.)

Background: While gun owners are frequently surveyed, we are not aware of any study that has examined principles held by gun owners that underlie their gun policy opinions, or their opinions about specific provisions of each policy. To find the common ground between gun owners and non-gun owners, this paper aims to answer the following: (1) What underlying principles affects gun owner support for gun policies; (2) how do gun owners' attitudes change depending on the specific provisions within these policies? Methods: In May 2022, a survey was administered by NORC at the University of Chicago and completed by adult gun owners (n = 1078) online or by phone. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA. The survey used a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate gun owners' principles and attitudes toward firearm regulation, such as red flag laws, and possible provisions to these policies. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 96 adult gun owners and non-gun owners to further clarify points in the survey for the former and to ascertain support for the same policies and their potential provisions for the latter. Results: The principle that gun owners identified with the most concerned keeping guns out of the hands of those with an increased risk for violence. There was significant overlap among gun owners and non-gun owners on policy support, especially with this central theme that those with a history of violence should be prevented from accessing a firearm. The degree of support for policies was different depending on what provisions were said to be included in the policy. For example, the degree of support for universal background checks ranged from 19.9 to 78.4% depending on the details of the legislation. Conclusion: This research demonstrates common ground between gun owners and non-gun owners: It informs the gun safety policy community about gun owners' views and principles on gun safety policy and which policy provisions impact their support for a given law. This paper suggests that an effective, mutually agreed upon gun safety policy is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a family finds out their child has a disability, they enter the world of special education which has its own terminology, rules, settings and personnel. In addition to grappling with the meaning of their child's special needs, families are also thrown into the role of principle advocate for their child. The research study reported here presents the findings from focus groups conducted in the United States of America with 27 diverse families on their efforts to obtain the best educational outcomes for their children. In this article, Robyn Hess, Amy Molina and Elizabeth Kozleski bring their collective past experiences, as a school psychologist, bilingual counsellor and special education teacher respectively, to bear on this topic and frame the issue from a systemic perspective. They argue that engaging in conversation with families around their needs, as well as assisting them in their efforts to advocate for their child, is the first step in creating more equal partnerships between parents of children with special needs and educational professionals.

Australia, like the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), continues to experience a mismatch between the cultural backgrounds and socio-economic class of teachers and those of the students they work with. This article reports on a study that explored how a group of Australian teacher-education students understand their own ethnic and socio-economic class identities and how they work with students of ethnic and class backgrounds different from their own. Analysis of data from interviews and focus groups with the student-teachers is presented to highlight how they make sense of difference and how they take up the challenges of teaching for diversity. The paper raises issues and concerns regarding how diversity and difference might be addressed in teacher education.

This paper presents findings from an investigation of nature-based practices, from the perspectives of 10 academics/educators from six nations. Participants engaged in a focus group exploring the prevalence and inclusion of nature in social work practice and education. While the study focused on individual members' experiences and perspectives, the findings highlight important context-specific factors for including nature within social work to reconnect humans with nature for health, well-being, healing, and justice. An Integrative Environmental Model for social work is proposed to assist future practice and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital informed consent may better inform individuals about health research and increase participation. In the United States and elsewhere, minorities and rural populations are underrepresented in health research and may benefit from well-designed electronic informed consent (eIC). Seven focus groups were conducted with 50 Caucasian, African American, and rural patients in the United States. Participants were asked their preferences for a paper versus electronic informed consent document. Participants found the e-version easier to use, more interesting, and better for understanding. Minority participants emphasized limited access, computer literacy, and trust barriers to eIC. Rural participants were concerned about accessibility, connectivity, privacy, and confidentiality. People see value in electronic consenting. Researchers should consider barriers to eIC among underrepresented populations before recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medical capability surveys provide information about how U.S. forces can coordinate with partner nations to leverage partners' capabilities to deliver care to sick or injured U.S. service members. Rotating forces routinely conduct these surveys. Currently, medical capability surveys are conducted based on individual unit requirements and personnel expertise and stored locally on component-specific sites or individual computers. The lack of a systematic approach and a centralized survey depot may undermine the ability to access previous surveys, leading to redundant surveys and conflicting information, and may have critical implications for force health protection. Partner nation facilities could have capabilities that may be leveraged to care for U.S. service members when U.S. medical care is unavailable. A lack of understanding of medical capabilities at partner nation facilities may undermine the ability to plan missions that mitigate risks., Materials and Methods: This paper presents the results of 12 semi-structured focus groups with representatives from the U.S. Africa Command Surgeon's office, the U.S. Transportation Command Patient Movement Requirements Center-East, and 9 U.S. Africa Command service components, sub-unified commands, and force providers. The focus group discussions considered questions on the following four topics: (1) methods for conducting surveys, (2) guidance about how to conduct surveys, (3) nodes of care and ancillary services included in surveys, and (4) how medical capability surveys are used to inform medical planning. The team conducted thematic analysis to identify emergent themes and subthemes., Results: The team identified five primary, overarching themes: (1) guidance for conducting medical capability surveys, (2) methods and tools for conducting surveys, (3) content and focus of medical capability surveys, (4) archiving and sharing surveys, and (5) uses of medical capability surveys., Conclusions: Implementing guidance and standardized templates for conducting medical capability surveys could improve the accuracy and completeness of surveys. Templates would likely increase the likelihood that surveyors collect relevant information on key medical capabilities. Training, along with guidance and templates, would provide a common understanding of how to conduct surveys. The lack of a DoD Global Health Engagement collaborative depot for storing and sharing surveys may undermine the ability to access previous surveys to inform future surveys and, thereby, results in inefficiencies in how surveys are conducted. The DoD should consider establishing a collaborative depot for medical capability surveys along with guidance or requirements for uploading surveys. Guidance, templates, training, and a collaborative depot could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of medical planning and thereby increase mission readiness., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

One in four women report experiencing intimate partner violence. Yet, nearly 45% of Black women report experiencing this same crime. In addition, while Black women compose 14% of the U.S. population, they represent 31% of domestic violence fatalities and are three times more likely than White women to be killed by an intimate partner. This points to the continued need to better understand how the Black community perceives domestic violence and how their perception influences their help-seeking strategies. This paper reports on a project examining how Black communities perceive domestic violence, high-risk domestic violence, and how these perceptions impact their help-seeking strategies. The study was conducted between April 2020 and October 2020 with 128 participants that participated in focus groups in six geographically diverse U.S. cities including rural, urban, and suburban communities. The findings reaffirmed and presented new information about the perceptions of domestic violence, the impact of inadequate and negative systems' responses, the lack of cultural responsiveness and poor police interactions, and the calculated decision-making that survivors in the Black community use to determine who to tell, how to tell, and where to go in use of adapted help-seeking strategies. Implications are provided as to how to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights findings from the first phase of an ongoing qualitative Youth Participatory Acton Research (YPAR) study with a group of students with foster care experience at a large public university in the Northeastern United States. The first phase of data collection consisted of a focus group designed and carried out by co-researchers, amongst themselves. Data was analyzed in two ways, by a faculty member and doctoral student, using thematic content analysis, and through a collaborative analytic process with student co-researchers using an adapted version of Carol Gilligan's, "Listening Guide" in which co-researchers created, analyzed and performed "I Poems" from the focus group transcript. Findings from each data analytic process were compared and contrasted; discrepancies amongst themes from each analytic process led to the merging and creation of new modified themes. Findings illuminate the barriers and facilitators to completion of high school, and applying to college for this cohort of students, as well as barriers and facilitators to retention once in college. Additionally, recommendations are made for university professionals to become more affirming of scholars connected to foster care systems. This study is unique in that it is the first known study to engage with college students with foster care experience in a participatory research process that centers their voices, concerns and priorities in both research design and data. Student organizing and action emanating from the PAR approach are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the development and feasibility of a digitally-based educational intervention, titled Recognize & Resist (R&R), for writers of One Direction (1D) fanfiction on Wattpad.com. The goal of R&R is to reduce the prevalence of social norms that are supportive of sexual violence within 1D fanfiction. 1D fanfictions, or fictional romance stories written by fans of this British boy band, have hundreds of millions of views on Wattpad.com. Formative research has found that social norms supportive of sexual violence are prevalent in 1D fanfictions and that some authors have internalized these norms. R&R aims to motivate 1D fanfiction writers to highlight sexual consent and egalitarian gender roles in their writing. To evaluate the intervention’s feasibility, 15 1D fanfiction authors completed a survey and participated in an interview or focus group. Results demonstrate R&R’s feasibility, with high ratings of its acceptability and demand. Insights from the interviews and focus groups provide suggestions for revising R&R before rigorously evaluating its efficacy. Additionally, results demonstrate the utility of using popular culture as a vehicle for attitude-change regarding sensitive health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]