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The study aimed to investigate the Effect of Academic Stress on Students' Academic Achievements and Its Implications for Their Future Lives. A correlational research design was employed through stratified random sampling (n[subscript i] = 270, where female = 80 and male =190) to collect pertinent data through a questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Firstly, academic stress highly affects students' academic achievement, with females being more stressed (65.20%) than males (59.60%), which leads to a high dropout rate and low graduation rate. Secondly, about 69% were accustomed to drinking alcohol, chewing Khat, absenteeism, and smoking whereas about 31% were regularly engaging in unsafe sex, physical fights, smoking shisha, and poor personal sanitation. Thirdly, there were significant positive relationships among sex, age, academic batch, and student's cumulative grade point average. To conclude, academic stress hinders good academic achievement, increases college dropout rates, low graduation rates, and lack of self-confidence. It leads to drinking alcohol, absenteeism, chewing khat, reduced academic morale of students, and failure in completing assignments on time. Therefore, university authorities should ensure a good academic environment for the students and minimize academic stress through appropriate course load, appropriate lecture hours, proper lecture schedules, and non-congested lecture halls.

Early identification of at-risk students for timely intervention is critical to prevent non-completion of study programs. This article proposes a flipped class framework to support the academic success of at-risk students in an undergraduate Calculus course. It comprises three main components of setting, conduct, and monitoring. A flipped support class was implemented as periodic sessions throughout the learning semester over six consecutive semesters for the selected total of 560 at-risk students. At-risk students who attended the flipped support class reported a higher passing percentage than those who did not, in each of the six semesters. A strong mathematics foundation contributed to the likelihood of passing the course; however, it can be further increased by attending more hours of the flipped support class.

The benefits of afterschool activity participation for youth development are well-documented. An interesting question dominating this field is whether there is a threshold at which point participating in too many activities (breadth) and spending too much time in those activities (intensity) is negatively associated with desirable outcomes. Using 9th grade student data (N=115,731) from three administrations of a state-wide school survey, we explore whether students' breadth and intensity of afterschool participation is associated with GPA and perceived family and community support. Findings corroborate prior research in demonstrating the association between breadth and intensity. Importantly, we extend the discussion, with three important observations. First, a linear model is insufficient for modeling these complex associations with outcomes. Second, there is a threshold at which too much participation has a negative impact in these outcomes. Third, variations in activities, time windows and indices have small or no influence in the association with outcomes.

Internationalization in higher education is essential, and although active learning methodologies are increasing and allow students to develop transversal skills, most still have a very local scope. In this context, the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) methodology is an interesting approach to benefit the students' development. It consists of an online program that involves creating multicultural teams to develop a specific learning project. Although this methodology is expanding, its use in physiology is still scarce. This paper aims to show an example of applying COIL methodology in physiology topics to enhance higher-education students' innovation and business skills. Our example project developed a sports-assessment service concept focused on physiology and biomechanics assessments. The program involved teams from Brazil, Germany, and Spain, comprising undergraduate and master students. Over 7 weeks, these teams, mentored by professors and researchers, engaged in workshops covering COIL methodology, business model design, executive summary planning, economic analyses, and communication techniques. Key outcomes included learning new concepts, developing soft skills, building confidence in innovative solution proposals, and experiencing diverse cultures. Challenges faced were language barriers, scheduling, task complexity, and logistical issues. This experience confirms the effectiveness of incorporating programs using COIL methodology into educational curriculums. Doing so exposes physiology students to innovation, entrepreneurship, and business creation while strengthening their professional connections and opening up postgraduation opportunities.

Cohort scheduling intentionally places students in the same sections of several classes (e.g., biology, algebra, and writing) with a consistent peer group and is typically done for small groups (<30 students) to enable better interaction among students. The goal of this study was to compare cohort scheduling to traditional scheduling methods among freshmen in a physiology-related program. Outcomes included retention to the university and major, semester grades, and institutional integration and perceived group cohesion. Incoming freshmen (n = 209) were randomized into control (n = 43; scheduled with traditional methods) and intervention (n = 166; coenrolled in first-year seminar course, biology, and medical terminology) groups. Outcomes were collected via surveys or requested from the university registrar. There was no significant difference in the likelihood of retention to the university or major and no differences between groups in pass/fail rates for the first-year seminar or biology courses. At the end of the semester, there were no differences between groups in Perceived Cohesion for Small Groups (P = 0.102) or the Institutional Integration Scale (P = 0.357). However, the intervention group scored higher on the Institutional Integration Scale's subscales related to social integration and faculty. Cohort scheduling did not impact retention to the university or major but improved secondary outcomes related to retention, specifically social integration and student perceptions of faculty.

The syllabus is a required document for all courses to provide students with course information, policies, and assignment deadlines. The goals of this study were to investigate students' perception of the role of the syllabus, preferred location of assignment deadlines, and preferred style of receiving deadline notifications. Faculty (n = 14) and students (n = 324) from community colleges through professional schools were invited to participate and complete a survey. We used a mixed-method design of survey questions, and the results demonstrated that students defined a syllabus as both a contract and a learning tool and that it should be flexible. Students ranked assignment deadlines as the most important part of the syllabus, yet a follow-up question indicated that most referred to four distinct locations in their learning management system (LMS) to find these deadlines. Although students preferred to receive deadline notifications on their smartphones, they also wanted to be reminded by faculty in class. This study helps faculty to obtain a glimpse of current student practices. We recommend that faculty communicate with students the role and expected use of the syllabus in their course while emphasizing its use to identify deadlines. This renewed practice will be time well spent to avoid student confusion and missed deadlines.

Public transport plays a fundamental role in providing access to urban opportunities. People with mobility restrictions face greater obstacles than other members of society. This article seeks to explore the obstacles faced by wheelchair users in Montevideo, Uruguay. To do so, we designed a set of trips to actual destinations for five types of activities to compare time costs between wheelchair users and people without mobility restrictions. We estimated time costs for sidewalk segments, waiting time, onboard bus travel time, and coupling time (i.e., idle time due to the lack of bus provision closer to the activity starting times) and found that, relative to people without mobility restrictions, each of these transit components poses high costs for wheelchair users. From a policymaking perspective, our findings point out the importance of expanding universal design in public transport. They also call attention to other factors that explain travel time such as sidewalks segments and the temporal organization of urban activities that may turn into schedule mismatches.

Reduced hours of instruction are reported within the gross anatomy education literature. Anatomy instruction continues to be challenged with motivating and inspiring learners to value the contribution of gross anatomy knowledge to their career development alongside increased organizational demands for efficiency and effectiveness. To address these demands, this retrospective study sought to understand how the relative timing and amount of gross anatomy instruction were related to examination performance. Undergraduate and graduate students between 2018 and 2022 were assigned to three cohorts determined by enrollment in prosection-based anatomy only (n = 334), concurrent enrollment in prosection- and dissection-based anatomy in the same semester (n = 67), or consecutive enrollment in the courses one year apart (n = 43). Concurrent students had higher prosection-based anatomy examination scores than prosection-only and consecutive students. Consecutively, enrolled students outperformed concurrently enrolled students on the first two dissection examinations but showed no performance differences on the third and fourth dissection examinations. While the results on the timing and presentation of anatomical instruction were inconclusive, the results do support increased instructional time using both prosection and dissection modalities concurrently to improve performance on identification-based gross anatomy examinations.

The convenience and flexibility of online doctoral programs make them popular with working adults. However, online degree programs may lack relationship-building features, making students feel disconnected and isolated. These feelings are more pronounced as students enter their program's dissertation portion as they become responsible for setting schedules and deadlines. This reflection discusses one way to combat student isolation-- establishing community through virtual meetings where doctoral candidates can share and offer support to encourage members as they work toward dissertation completion.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is based on a quantitative and accumulative understanding of time, which increasingly frames academic practices and notions of learning in higher education (HE). By example of a recent Danish policy reform, the article explores the connections between the ECTS, new institutional practices, and altered ideas of learning and academic achievement in HE. First, it shows how the ECTS is entangled with a notion of learning and academic achievement as a linear and well-ordered practice, which is determined by the clock. Second, it exemplifies how institutions in Denmark have used the ECTS as a framework for micro-governing students' time by prescribing activities that students should undertake on an hourly basis to meet the requirements of a 42-hour study week. Third, it calls for discussion of the functionalist image of learning and academic achievement as a clean and univocal process that is rational, foreseeable and finite, which the ECTS imposes on HE.

Medical education continually adapts to the needs of future health care professionals, with student motivation in research being a pivotal aspect. This study at Alfaisal University aimed to explore the motivations, benefits, and challenges faced by medical students in extracurricular research activities. Using a mixed-method approach, we combined quantitative surveys with qualitative group interviews. Findings revealed that both extrinsic (e.g., enhancing postgraduate training prospects) and intrinsic (e.g., personal interest and skill refinement) factors significantly motivate students to be involved in research activities. Participants unanimously acknowledged skill enhancement, particularly in literature comprehension, creative ideation, and networking. However, challenges such as conflicts with course scheduling, lack of hands-on experiences, and mentorship issues were identified as potential barriers to research participation. Addressing these barriers and understanding motivations can inform the design of research programs, enhancing the overall student research experience. This study underscores the importance of research in medical education, emphasizing the need for institutions to prioritize addressing challenges and leveraging benefits to prepare medical students for a research-integrated clinical future.

The present study evaluated the use of computerized equivalence-based instruction (EBI) to teach classes representing schedules of reinforcement to staff members. Four, 5-member classes representing fixed ratio, fixed interval, variable ratio, and variable interval schedules of reinforcement were taught. The participants were 16 staff members between the ages of 22 and 30 years of age that were employed at a private school for individuals with autism. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. A pretest-training-posttest-maintenance design was used to evaluate the effects of EBI on participants' performance during both a computer-based test and a written multiple-choice test. Participants in the control group were only exposed to pretest and posttests. All participants in the experimental group acquired the baseline trained relations during match-to-sample instruction. Test scores improved from pretest to posttest and derived (untrained) relations emerged across all participants in the experimental group following training but did not change for the participants in the control group. In addition, participants maintained the learned relations one week after EBI was completed. The present study demonstrated that EBI is an effective teaching procedure to teach schedules of reinforcement to staff members in the field of applied behavior analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the rapid adoption of remote teaching modalities including "hyflex" where students attend some class sessions in person and some online. Managing the hyflex course requires faculty to quickly generate several reports and to update these reports rapidly when the authorities adjust the rules, students add/drop, or the number of course sessions is changed. The creation of these reports is tedious and error-prone, so they need to be automated. However, the nature of the task precludes traditional Excel programming approaches. We use Excel's new "dynamic array" capabilities (which are available only in Excel 365) to automate the creation and updating of the reports needed to manage the hyflex course. We show how to program the reports, and we discuss the importance of taking an iterative approach to creating effective, error-free cell formulas. To help the reader acquire genuine access to the dynamic array functions, we provide a practical tutorial on the principles and new concepts of dynamic arrays, explain how they relate to legacy array functions, and present selected dynamic array functions including SEQUENCE, FILTER, and XLOOKUP.

The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers non-traditional students experience in their attempt to complete their degree program. Semi-structured interviews revealed four key themes: family; support; generational-gaps, and community. These themes highlight areas in which non-traditional students feel they have experienced obstacles in reaching their educational goals. Results of this study may be used as a tool for institutes of higher education to recognize the unique challenges that non-traditional students face and use this knowledge to provide better resources and other forms of encouragement to help these students complete their degree program.

This research was aimed at: 1) enhancing practice of microteaching for Thai-teaching major students to assure their readiness in organizing instruction during the spread of COVID-19 virus situation, and, 2) providing guideline for carrying out microteaching for students majoring Thai teaching to assure their readiness in organizing instruction in the midst of the spread of COVID-19 virus situation. This research had utilized qualitative research methodology for the study. The sample subject used were selectively selected from Thai-teaching major 4th year undergraduate students (61 code number) who had registered in the course 100488 MICRO TEACHING PRACTICE, in 2nd semester, 2021 academic year, totaling 8 subjects. The research instruments included 1) plans and schedule for instructional organization on microteaching, 2) worksheet for organizing microteaching learning plans, 3) form for recording the instructional preparation for each skill, 4) self-assessment form, 5) student's feedback form, 6) teaching observation form, 7) post-instruction reflection form, 8) group discussion, 9) individual student interview, and, 10) reflection form to be responded by students at the end of the course. The qualitative data were analyzed via content analysis on the findings obtained from observation, interviews, focus group discussion, student's instructional practice and their performance outcomes. Outcomes of the research are as follows. Firstly, actions to help enable students could come in form of: 1) enhancing new knowledge and learning experience, 2) comparing what occurring to the students between pre-instruction and post-instruction to see if and how students changed, improved, developed, themselves, 3) promoting microteaching practicum to enable students to train themselves on communication skills, skill in constructing instructional media, teaching skills, and thinking skills, and, 4) As the results of utilizing microteaching practicum, students had gained knowledge and readiness in carrying out online instruction. Secondly, the researcher had proposed the guideline called "9 pinciples for facilitating microteaching practice for Thai-teaching major students to gain readiness in organizing instruction in the spread of COVID-19 virus situation."

The main purpose of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyse the single-case studies on the use of activity schedules with individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The other purposes were to describe the characteristics of activity schedule studies, assess the design standards of activity schedule studies, estimate the treatment effect of activity schedules, and determine whether activity schedule is an evidence-based practice for children with autism spectrum disorders in improving appropriate behaviours. The non-overlap of all pairs was used to analyse the treatment effect measure. According to the results, seven of 32 activity schedule studies met the design standards with and without reservation. Twenty-four children with autism spectrum disorders whose ages ranged between 3 and 17 years participated in the studies. The target behaviours were on task, independent transition, appropriate peer-play, and following schedule. The photographs and texts were used in both traditional and innovative activity schedules. The overall non-overlap of all pairs score shows that the activity schedule strongly affects those participants with autism spectrum disorders. Finally, this study indicates that the activity schedules can be recommended as an evidence-based practice to improve the appropriate behaviours of children with autism spectrum disorders.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become hugely popular recently. MOOCs can offer high-quality education for anyone interested and equalize the whole education field. Still, there are different methodologies for running MOOCs. Coming up with the most suitable methodology benefits both students and teachers. In this study, we have limited the methodological focus to observing scheduled and unscheduled instances of similar MOOC courses. While unscheduled MOOC courses can provide flexibility, they also require self-regulated learning strategies for students to succeed. To observe this, we compare the effectiveness of scheduled and unscheduled programming MOOC courses to find the most effective methodology. For this, we compare the pass rates and grade averages of five instances (two unscheduled and three scheduled) of Python and Java programming MOOCs. The results show that while the attendance numbers are higher in the unscheduled versions, in the scheduled instances the pass rate is significantly better, and students' progression is much swifter. It also seems that the higher proportion of university students enrolled in a MOOC course positively affects the retention rate. Moreover, the students in the recent unscheduled Python version seem to score significantly higher grades than in its scheduled counterpart. Based on our experiments, the scheduled and unscheduled versions complement each other. Hence, we suggest that, whenever feasible, the maximal benefits would be gained if both types of MOOCs are run simultaneously.

The pandemic of 2020 frequently necessitated that offshore school teachers continue their instruction of Chinese children in the online format rather than face-to-face back in China; a so-called emergency remote teaching response. A required change in pedagogy accompanied a range of challenges in an effort to offer quality education to English as a Second Language (ESL) students. During the fall 2020-2021 academic year, a sample of 25 teachers and 3 principals provided feedback on those inherent challenges in a mixed method study consisting of surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Factors that impacted the delivery were identified in broad categories of teacher lifestyle, hindrances with technology, teaching practice, and pedagogical support. The findings were unique in that 1) they were nested in a response to a difficult context as opposed to a carefully planned online instruction and 2) second language students constituted a different learning cohort. This work further adds to the literature by suggesting that cognitive load, self-regulation, and attentional literacy deserve careful consideration when contexts of ESL learning with technology are implicated. This work further adds to the literature by suggesting that cognitive load, self-regulation and attentional literacy deserve careful consideration when contexts of ESL learning with technology are implicated.

Researchers, organizations, companies, non-profits, practitioners, and to some extent, the public, are clamoring for massive reform in developmental coursework in higher education (American Association of Community Colleges, 2018; Edgecombe et al., 2014; Complete College America, 2012). One such reform is the push for integrated reading and writing (IRW) courses. The pressure for redesign of developmental reading and writing programs is intense, but other transformations in higher education are also shaping the future of developmental education. For example, as a result of joining Achieving the Dream's core program in 2019, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) made a commitment to shift the majority of courses to a compressed 7-week format by fall term of 2021. After 18 months of implementation, CSM's new IRW curriculum in compressed terms appears to serve students about as well as the former multi-course, multi-level program. Even though the former program was robust, vigorous, and thorough, IRW in compressed terms appears to be equally effective in preparing students for success in credit-level courses, while saving them 15-30 weeks of time and up to 9 credits of cost, depending on where they were placed in the old system.

Students organize and manage their own learning time, choosing when, what, and how to study due to the flexibility of online learning. Each person has unique learning habits that define their behaviours and distinguish them from others. To investigate the temporal behaviour of students in online learning environments, we seek to identify suitable time-windows that could be used to investigate their temporal behaviour. First, we present a novel perspective for identifying different types of sessions based on individual needs. The majority of previous works address this issue by establishing an arbitrary session timeout threshold. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for determining the optimal threshold for a given session. Second, we use data-driven methods to support investigators in determining time-windows based on the identified sessions. To this end, we developed a visual tool that assists data scientists and researchers to determine the optimal settings for session identification and locating suitable time-windows.

The current study aimed to investigate the problems of English language teaching in Turkey from the perspectives of pre-service English language teachers. For this aim, qualitative data were collected from fifteen 4th year preservice language teachers. Reflection papers and semi structured interviews were used in the data collection process. Based on the content analysis technique, themes and codes were formed. According to the participants, there are problems with teacher education program, teachers, learners, assessment, curriculum, and context in English language teaching in Turkey. Excessive number of education faculties and teacher candidates, no standardization among ELT departments, divergence between theory and practice, insufficient teaching practicum, absence of assessing communicative skills in YKS, unvaried assessment tools, washback effect, test anxiety, course hours, inflexible curriculum, lack of extracurricular activities, inappropriate course books, non-communicative activities, high amount of L1 use, lack of teacher autonomy, demotivation, unwillingness, fear of making mistakes and anxiety, lack of interaction, lack of self-confidence, discipline issues, crowded classes, inadequate physical and technological resources, and audit gap were stated by the preservice teachers as some of the problems of English language teaching in Turkey. The findings were discussed in line with the previous findings and educational implications were offered.

This study describes what higher education professionals perceived as positive workplace adaptations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two surveys were administered to groups of professionals in the field of higher education to obtain information about their perception of positive changes experienced in their work during COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this investigation describe positive changes including work from home options, schedule flexibility, and increased sustainability. While not ignoring the negative aspects of COVID-19, it was concluded that many professionals were able to create positive change within their institution for themselves and their students.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) involves numerous conceptual and methodological problems. This paper focuses on a specific methodological dilemma: whether to conduct SET surveys before or after the final examination. This decision is a critical administrative and practical issue that can affect the level and quality of SET results. To address this problem, a systematic literature search was initially performed. However, it found only 17 studies and inconclusive results. In the empirical component, a replication survey (n = 5,077) was conducted. It posed seven course-related questions to the same students before and after their final examination. A slightly higher but statistically significant (p < 0.001) average score was obtained in the after-examination survey (a 0.06 difference on a 1-5 scale). This increase was partly attributed to a positive examination experience. The overall test-retest correlation (r = 0.61) indicated relatively low reliability, suggesting that the before-examination survey better reflected students' attitudes. The data quality was also higher in the before-examination survey, although the before-examination survey could not properly assess the examination-related aspects of the course. From a methodological perspective, the most comprehensive insight seems to be derived from conducting SET surveys before the examination and following up with a brief after-examination survey.

This study investigated English first language (L1) speakers' motivation for learning Chinese as a second language (L2) in Australia and the links of underlying motivational components to learner sociobiographical (e.g. gender and reasons for learning) and language learning variables (i.e. experience abroad, hours of self-study, and speaking with Chinese L1 speakers). A total of 164 Australian university students participated in the study. The findings show that instrumentality (e.g. employment and travel) tops their orientations to learn L2 Chinese, followed by integrative orientations (e.g. interest in the Chinese language and culture and desire to communicate with the Chinese people), with mandatory requirements as the least agreed reason. Statistical analyses reveal that the underlying structure of their motivation consists of six components: intrinsic motivation, orientation, anxiety, integrativeness, instrumentality, and sociality. Some of them are linked to certain learner background variables. Females demonstrated stronger instrumental orientation than their male counterparts. Visiting China and self-study hours have positive connections with intrinsic motivation. The findings shed light on the complexities and multifaceted characteristics of motivation and their links with learner sociobiographical and learning variables by providing evidence for global language speakers' motivation to learn other languages.

Responding to a recent call for interdisciplinary research into 'night studies', the present study attempts to put the nighttime at the centre of the sociolinguistic enquiry, seeking to explore how the nocturnal linguistic landscape (LL) differs from the diurnal LL by drawing on Singapore's Chinatown as the research site. A total of 1091 LL items constitute the database. Altogether 808 LL items were collected during the daytime and 283 of these LL items were found to be illuminated during nighttime site visits. The quantitative analysis reveals that the nocturnal LL differs from the diurnal LL in several ways: at the top-down level, the nocturnal LL shows a strong monolingual English tendency, while the diurnal LL has a tendency towards multilingualism; at the bottom-up level, fewer languages are used in the nocturnal signs than in the diurnal signs and Chinese is used as the prominent language in nocturnal signs, whereas English has a leading position in the diurnal signs. Our findings complicate previous scholarly understanding of bilingual and multilingual configurations in Singapore, suggesting that the LL has its own unique representation at night. The potential for integrating nighttime as a new dimension to examine LL is discussed .

In times of decreasing response rates and survey participation, many 'best-practices' have been developed for increasing survey recruitment. However, most of these have never been adequately and experimentally scrutinized for their efficacy. Therefore, in this research note, we draw on probability-based data of an online panel and experimentally examine whether it is possible to increase survey participation behavior by communicating a deadline extension. Overall, our results show that it is possible to influence participation behavior by deadline communication. While overall response speed was significantly faster when a deadline extension was communicated, the overall response rate was slightly lower, compared to scenarios in which no deadline extension was communicated. Thus, we refrain from recommending a deadline extension unless there are specific reasons to do so.

In this study, we introduce a critical assessment of methodological assumptions made by researchers when using correspondence tests to measure ethnic discrimination. We aim to investigate whether (1) the order in which the applications are sent out, between the test and control person, (2) the conducted matched triad tests, in comparison to matched duo tests, and (3) the timing of application within the week, have an effect on discrimination rates. For this purpose, we made use of 2.984 matched correspondence tests across Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. Our findings suggest that the correspondence tests are rather robust for the variability in methodology. While these different methodological choices do affect the general invitation rates, they do not affect discrimination rates.

The evidence-based parenting program Video-Feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) may have potential to also support teachers in primary schools in their interaction with children with behavior problems. We therefore adapted the intervention for use with primary school teachers (VIPP-School). Here we examined the feasibility of VIPP-School, using qualitative analyses of the perceptions of teachers and VIPP-interveners on their experiences with VIPP-School. Three teacher-child dyads from kindergarten and 2nd grade participated in six sessions of VIPP-School. Perceptions of the participants were collected using semi-structured interviews, logbooks, observations and a questionnaire. The data were qualitatively analysed. Thematic analysis showed five main themes: 1) scheduling of appointments, 2) experiences with intervention elements, 3) working alliance, 4) changes in the teacher-child interaction, 5) defining the target group. Teachers mentioned notable time investment, but appreciated the video feedback as a great way to become more aware of subtle signals of the child and their own behaviors. This study shows that with some adaptations VIPP-School is an acceptable and deliverable intervention for teachers in primary education. It has potential for supporting teachers in the interaction with children with behavioral problems. Further research on the effectiveness of VIPP-School is recommended.

Coaching is increasingly being used as a mechanism to improve the quality of early childhood education. Yet, for coaching outside of researcher-controlled interventions, limited information details coaches' reports of their practices' professional learning needs. We addressed this gap via an exploratory study utilizing online questionnaires of 91 coaches working with educators in a Midwestern US state across 12 coaching initiatives. Most participants had less than 5 years of experience working as an early childhood coach. Almost a third coached for multiple initiatives. Coaching occurred via multiple formats and often addressed behavior management and social emotional development regardless of the coaching initiative. Coaches identified challenges regarding scheduling and working with difficult learners and reported that peer support and being coached themselves were the most beneficial learning experiences. Findings suggest that the perspective of the coach is important in informing training and professional learning for both coaches and educators.

Not enough attention is paid to the instructional design decisions that define students' experiences. Lisa Dover Kingsley and Jennifer Perry Cheatham contend that while quality teaching is crucial, the structural decisions supporting meaningful engagement often go unexamined. Using innovations in North Kansas City, Missouri, as a throughline, they review key themes present in research on four elements of instructional design. They urge leaders to reconsider outdated and unexamined design practices with an equitable approach, centering the voices of students typically left out of such decisions. They offer practical shifts and entry points for leaders to consider as they build a more inclusive and effective instructional design.

Immersive scheduling engages students in one or two subjects at a time over short teaching periods. While there is incipient evidence that immersive delivery can heighten academic outcomes in undergraduate education, much less is known about its effectiveness in pathways or access programs. This exploratory mixed-methods study investigated how a 6-week immersive model influenced academic performance and success in an Australian pathways program. Analysis of final grades (N = 6,613) over two years revealed a highly statistically significant improvement in success rates in the immersive model. Particularly strong gains were observed for students studying online and students aged 40 and over. Focus group participants indicated three elements of the immersive model that supported their learning and success: a manageable study load; a converged, media-rich and aligned curriculum; and opportunities for respectful and dialogic interactions. These attributes were linked with enhanced focus, confidence, independence and critical thinking.

This case study explores the transformation of study room reservations at the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Libraries. Initially reliant on manual methods, the library transitioned to vendor-supported software and would later develop a custom, open source user interface (UI) to streamline booking efficiency. These improvements help demonstrate the effectiveness of tailored solutions in meeting user needs and improving system functionality for all stakeholders.

The aim of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to examine the beliefs of Early Childhood Education teachers regarding the enculturation process of children. Eleven 2-year-old classroom teachers (M[subscript age]= 40.64; DT = 7.43; 81.81% female) participated in the qualitative phase, and 256 teachers (M[subscript age] = 42.25; DT = 9.78; 90.3% female) participated in the quantitative one. Based on interviews, four main themes were identified: Routines and habits, Values, Models of behavior, and Knowledge. Based on the qualitative results, an instrument was created to measure the teachers' beliefs regarding enculturation in Early Childhood Education and Care. High convergence was obtained between the qualitative and quantitative results, supporting the idea that teachers are active agents of enculturation and social role models for children. We conclude that enculturation should be a curricular objective and that it deserves a greater presence in professional development programs for Early Childhood Education teachers.

This paper presents new estimates of the effects of the City University of New York's (CUNY's) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) model, evaluated using a randomized controlled trial first in New York and later through a replication in Ohio. It presents longer-term effects of CUNY ASAP in New York, showing that the program's effect on associate's degree receipt persisted through 8 years and likely represents a permanent increase in degree receipt. It also presents an analysis from the pooled study samples in New York and Ohio. The findings indicate that the program had consistent effects on degree receipt across the two states but also for somewhat different levels of service contrast, such as the number of additional advising visits. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED616420. For the report published by MDRC, see ED611732.]