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The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical importance of vaccination in controlling infectious diseases. While previous research has identified social cohesion as a potential facilitator of health behaviors, empirical studies exploring its direct impact on COVID-19 vaccination rates, especially across different age groups, remain limited. This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 2021 Korean Community Health Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted in South Korea. The analysis focused on adults aged 50 and older, categorizing them into two age groups (50–64 and ≥65). We investigated the association between perceived neighborhood social cohesion and COVID-19 vaccination status, controlling for socio-economic status, health behaviors, and concerns related to COVID-19. Statistical analysis was conducted using complex sample multiple logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders. The study included 135,352 participants, with an analysis showing that in the age group ≥65, higher levels of perceived neighborhood social cohesion were significantly associated with increased vaccination uptake (aOR for trust between neighbors: 1.200, 95% CI: 1.058–1.362; aOR for mutual assistance among neighbors: 1.491, 95% CI: 1.312–1.695). Interestingly, these associations were not significant in the 50–64 age group. Additionally, satisfaction with healthcare services was associated with higher vaccination uptake in both age groups (aOR: 1.106, 95% CI: 1.004–1.219 for 50–64; aOR: 1.306, 95% CI: 1.160–1.471 for ≥65). Our findings suggest that perceived neighborhood social cohesion plays a crucial role in influencing COVID-19 vaccination uptake among older adults, particularly those aged 65 and above. These results indicate that health policies aimed at enhancing social cohesion may effectively improve vaccination rates, especially among the elderly. Future research should explore the impact of social cohesion on other age groups and assess the causal relationships in longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversation-for-learning (Kasper and Kim 2015) is a pedagogical arrangement set up with a view to maximizing the potential benefit of interaction for language learning. As participants for conversation-for-learning are recruited for their relative expertise in the target languages, the talk is often characterized by asymmetries in knowledge and language expertise. Based on sequential analysis of how the knowledge asymmetries are brought to the fore of interaction and how they are subsequently dealt with, the current study illustrates how learning opportunities are generated in conversation-for-learning, that is, by collaborative achievement of definition sequences (Markee 1994). Interaction provides an observable space where interactional practices deployed by the participants to achieve and maintain intersubjectivity can be observed and appropriated. The study contributes to our understanding of language learning as a social practice as it shows that the methods and devices that underlie and enable human sociality constitute the cornerstones of what makes language learning happen in interaction.

A capstone experience, as an exit degree requirement, allows Master of Public Administration (MPA) students to build quasi-experimental practices by applying learned knowledge and skills throughout their curriculum in the United States. Accredited MPA programs have implemented their capstone courses differently to achieve required standards. Small programs have faced more challenges in organizational capacities than big programs. Although no consensus on standard capstone course components has been made, this study intends to discuss feasible capstone formats for small programs by reviewing the relatively small accredited MPA programs. The majority of the comparable programs have adopted the professional paper model with different course structures. In response to the program reviews and the pilot experience, three components are suggested to redesign a capstone course for small programs: faculty-directed; group-based; and project-focused. The capstone pilot experience has confirmed that ownership by the involvement of many faculty and external inputs in designing the course is critical to implement successful capstone experiences for small programs.

We present a micro-analysis of post observation conversations between classroom teachers and mentors. Using the approach of conversation analysis, we show how the sequential organization of an episode (i.e., who initiates the interaction, question format used by mentors) could potentially serve to provoke or hinder teacher reflection. Our analysis reveals the different stances adopted by mentor and teacher during potentially discomfiting episodes, the relationship between the structure of initial questions, and the impact of question types on elicited teacher responses/reflections. Implications for handling this type of interaction for more effective professional development collaborations are discussed.