The purpose of this study was to investigate principals’ perceptions of the status of music education in secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. The guiding questions were (a) What are secondary school principals’ perceptions of music learning outcomes as they are currently being met and as they should be met under ideal conditions, (b) What are secondary school principals’ perceptions of broad educational goals as they are currently being met and as they should be met under ideal conditions, (c) Is there a difference between principals’ perceptions of current and ideal conditions for the learning outcomes and the educational goals, and (d) What are secondary school principals’ perceptions about the degree to which eleven selected variables impact music education? A descriptive research design was used in which secondary school principals (n = 93) were provided with the survey instrument. The survey is organized into four sections based on the questions that are derived from the research purpose and questions. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test for internal consistency of the survey items. Data, related to the first two guiding questions, was fielded via Likert-type scales where the responses represented the principals’ perceptions of the level of realization of the standards for the music learning outcomes and the broad educational goals. For the third guiding question, data analyses included repeated t-tests and Cohen d value measurements to describe differences between the current and ideal perceived conditions of the realization of the standards for the music learning outcomes and the broad educational goals. A Spearman correlation was used to describe the consistency between the current and ideal perceived conditions of the realization of the standards for the music learning outcomes and the broad educational goals. Chi-squared analyses, on the two open-ended questions presented to the principals, were used to examine the differences in how principals perceive certain factors affect their ability to support music programs. Results from the repeated t-tests showed that principals believe there is a difference between how the music learning outcomes and broad educational goals are currently being met and how they should be met, under ideal conditions. Chi-squared analyses revealed that there were moderately positive associations between the current and ideal conditions, with the music learning outcomes yielding rs = .71 and the broad educational goals yielding rs = .65.; however, results were statistically significant only for the broad educational goals. Chi-squared analyses revealed that there were no significant differences in the ways principals perceived how 11 variables (a) Medium-Term Policy Framework 2011-2014, (b) Students, (c) Parents, (d) Budget/Finances, (e) Scheduling, (f) Standardized tests, (g) School Board, (h) Governing Office/Ministry of Education, (i) Music Teacher, (j) Classroom Teacher, and (k) Educational and Scientific Research were impacting the music programs. Results showed that the principals were mostly inclined to remain neutral about the effects of most of the variables and that they did not consider any of the variables to either strongly positively or strongly negatively affect the music program. / Music Education

This study examines the incorporation of kinesthetic pedagogy in secondary choral rehearsals and its impact on student engagement and learning. Three experienced high school choral teachers and their students from Northern California participated in the study. Each teacher conducted four consecutive rehearsal sessions, recording themselves instructing on two pieces of music using teacher-modeled and student-imitated kinesthetic gestures. Students completed daily surveys assessing their enjoyment and engagement levels, and teachers provided a final reflection on their usual kinesthetic practices. Video footage of twelve rehearsals and teachers’ final reflections were analyzed to identify patterns in kinesthetic usage, revealing that these teachers’ kinesthetic instruction was primarily centered on 1) Rhythmic Pulse/Accuracy, 2) Vowel Shape, and 3) Technical Knowledge. Teachers used almost twice as many kinesthetic prompts when rehearsing with student-imitated kinesthetics compared to kinesthetics modeled only by the teacher. Data from student surveys were analyzed to categorize reasons for enjoyment and identify alignment between students' perceptions of learning and kinesthetic practices. The incorporation of kinesthetic pedagogy in secondary choral rehearsals enhanced student engagement, enjoyment, and learning outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to describe health definitions, strategies, attitudes, benefits, barriers, and suggested solutions to weight loss from· the perspective of overweight Iranian women. Of interest also was to get women's feedback on the value of focus group techniques in gathering information from this group. Participants were 18 Iranian women between the ages of 21-49 years old, who lived in the urban area of Tehran, having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater. Considerations of health for the participants included, physical appearance, feelings about life, and healthy habits. Health was related to specific experiences in life which were either due to external situations or internal forces. The results displayed the influence of the daily life activities which are culturally and religiously defined. In relation to weight control practices, diet and exercise were prevalent, showing an interest in short term weight loss strategies. The importance of family and friends as positive influences to weight loss were expressed. Improving physical appearance, seen as a benefit of attaining weight loss was a recurring theme that came up in different contexts. This seems to differ from what the society tries to promote when minimizing the value of physical appearance. Other religious beliefs were strongly voiced in women's emphasis on having a strong "will power" and self-discipline as requirements to lose weight. Women overall were positive about the use of focus group discussions. These insights into women's health perceptions and attitudes toward weight loss appear to be useful when nutritionists address health and weight related issues. / Master of Science

This study examines the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latino/a parents in their attempts to obtain school-based speech and language services for their children; the impact of these experiences on parents; and parent perspectives on how school-based speech-language pathologists can co-create collaborative relationships. Through a detailed analysis of a focus group and individual interviews of 31 Spanish-speaking parents of children in the REAAD! (Reaching Educational Achievement and Development) Literacy Enrichment Program at a university in Los Angeles, California, this study provided a space for parents to share their experiences and offer insights regarding what shaped their experiences. Through the theoretical lens of dis/ability critical race theory (DisCrit), Latino critical race theory (LatCrit), and Yosso’s community cultural wealth model, parents’ stories were collected, transcribed, and analyzed. Parents consistently expressed their hope for their children to have a better life than the one they had, one that was attainable through education. Unfortunately, in their quest for educational supports, parents were often met with systematic roadblocks that denied their children resources and supports. Parents in this study were keenly aware of the struggle to support their children in the face of deficit views of their family based on the intersection of their language, race, and ability levels. More often than not, parents utilized the assistance of sympathetic teachers and speech-language pathologists to obtain services for their children. For parents in the study, having a school professional who they believed demonstrated corazón (heart) made all the difference in their ability to advocate for their children.

Yes / Background: The School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, is keen to evaluate the potential benefits of digital tools to enhance the teaching and learning of all M.Pharm. students. Students are increasingly using digital technology for both educational and social purposes (Cheston et al., 2013). This project explored the views of pharmacy students about digital technology, including social media, for teaching in the M.Pharm. programme. Method: Convenience sampling was employed to recruit M.Pharm. students for focus groups. Each focus group, facilitated by student researchers with topic guide, was audio-recorded and analysed for themes. Ethics approval was obtained from the University. Results: Year 2 and 3 students from two focus groups (n1=8 (6 male), n2=10 (8 male)) identified three main digital teaching tools used in the current programme: Blackboard, response clickers, and iSTAN. Blackboard, a virtual learning environment, was seen as a hub for holding all required learning materials. However, its use depended on internet access and some felt they would benefit from offline use and improved compatibility with different devices. Audience response systems and a human patient stimulator were well received by students. However, participants strongly felt that they were underutilised. The main benefit of using social media for learning was instant feedback and the encouragement of informal discussions. Participants were not always comfortable posting within the current digital tools used in the programme (e.g. Blackboard) as they felt ‘monitored’. However, participants acknowledged that information obtained through social media might not be as reliable as information from digital tools moderated by academics. Interestingly, participants reported a lack of engagement with programme specific social media pages (e.g. Facebook page). They felt that the information provided was aimed at qualified pharmacists, rather than current students. Conclusion: Participants valued accessibility, flexibility and availability of instant feedback when using digital tools to support their learning. They felt positive about the digital tools used within the programme but emphasised the need of greater integration. References Cheston, C.C., Flickinger, T.E. & Chisom, M.S. (2013). Social media use in medical education: a systematic review. Academic Medicine, 88(6), 893-901

Yes / Background: Technological developments have facilitated the storage of patient records, enabled electronic prescribing, dispensing and the administration of medicines (Goundrey-Smith, 2014). These innovations are increasingly being used, requiring pharmacists to further develop digital capability. The School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, is keen to explore ways to better equip M.Pharm. graduates with the necessary skills to confidently practise in the modern digital environment. This project explored student and staff perspectives of current digital teaching tools in relation to preparedness for the first day of practice.

The purpose of the study was to highlight how and why teachers choose to plan and implement theirmathematics teaching using manipulatives for grades Pre-school class to grade 3. To obtain datacontaining thoughts and descriptions of a phenomenon, we used the semi-structured interview method.Ten teachers from grades F-3 distributed across seven schools in central Sweden answered our interviewguide which contained seventeen questions. The answers were analyzed using a phenomenographicanalysis to bring out data with similarities and differences. The results showed that there weredifferences in how teachers described the use of manipulatives and this affected the degree to which theychose to plan and carry out their teaching using informal learning. The respondents clearly expressedthat manipulatives were important to use, but that there were several reasons why they were not used.The result also showed that manipulatives methods were associated with the manipulatives just as wehave seen in previous research that has focused on manipulatives and not the working method. Thismeans that our study can contribute new knowledge about possibilities and challenges when it comes tothe use of laborative methods by teachers when they plan and carry out mathematics teaching. / Syftet med vår studie var att belysa hur och varför lärare väljer att planera och genomföra sinmatematikundervisning med hjälp av laborativa arbetssätt för årskurs F-3. För att få fram den data somvisade lärarens perspektiv kring användandet av laborativa arbetssätt i matematikundervisningenanvände vi oss av metoden semistrukturerad intervju. Tio lärare från årskurserna F-3 fördelat på sjuskolor i mellersta Sverige besvarade vår intervjuguide som innehöll 17 frågor. Svaren analyserades medhjälp av en fenomenografisk analys för att få fram data med likheter och skillnader. Resultatet visade attdet fanns skillnader i hur lärare beskrev användandet av laborativa arbetssätt. Detta påverkade i vilkengrad de valde att planera och genomföra sin undervisning med hjälp av laborativa arbetssätt. Trots attrespondenterna tydligt uttryckte att laborativa arbetssätt var något viktigt att använda sig av fanns detflera orsaker till att de inte användes. Resultatet visade också att laborativa arbetssätt förknippades meddet konkreta materialet precis som vi sett i tidigare forskning som riktat in sig på laborativt material ochinte arbetssättet. Detta gör att vår studie kan bidra med nya kunskaper kring möjligheter och utmaningarmed laborativa arbetssätt hos lärare när de planerar och genomför matematikundervisningen.

<p dir="ltr">Nursing, deeply rooted in social justice principles, faces the contemporary imperative of achieving health equity. However, the perception of social justice among nurses, particularly newly graduated registered nurses (NGRNs), remains unclear, posing a significant challenge amid high turnover rates in this population, threatening the realization of health equity goals.</p><p dir="ltr">Through this study, I sought to enhance nursing knowledge by delving into the understanding, cocreation, processing, and response to social justice among NGRNs. Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory methodology, I explore NGRNs’ narratives and perceptions concerning social justice, addressing the research question: How do NGRNs understand, cocreate, process, and respond to social justice in their nursing practice?</p><p dir="ltr">Findings from the grounded theory study reveal seven categories with subsequent subcategories, culminating in the development of a proposed theoretical framework. This framework elucidates four overarching global themes: “Best Care for all, No Matter What,” “Novice Emancipators,” “Making the Human Connection,” and “Supportive Organizational Culture.” I used theoretical modeling to delineate a middle-range theory titled “NGRN Evolving Process of Social Justice Transition.”</p><p dir="ltr">The study’s conclusions have significant implications for nursing education, practice, research, and policy. They highlight the importance of shaping future nursing landscapes through a focus on NGRNs’ social justice transition. Emphasizing the pivotal role of social justice identity in NGRNs’ progression to expert nurses, the study underscores the critical need to foster this identity during NGRNs’ transition period. Implications extend to curriculum structure, onboarding programs, leadership, and policy, aiming to promote person-centered care and health equity. This study marks the inception of a journey towards continual support for NGRNs as advocates for social justice, potentially catalyzing substantial societal change with nursing at the forefront of the pursuit of equity.</p>

Fragments of the Moon is a novel set mostly in South Korea, examining relationships between people, interpersonal spaces, architectural spaces and landscape through a cross-cultural context. Matt, a graduate architect from Perth, Australia, finds himself increasingly vulnerable to cultural confusion as he adjusts to life away from his home and friends. Having initially assumed that Seoul's western facade echoes its social dynamic, Matt increasingly discovers that the Confucianism which underpins much of contemporary Korean society makes all relationships far more complex than his assumptions had allowed. Together with a Canadian student who is seeking to find the essence of a different Korea through her investigation of Buddhism, and through meeting diverse Korean characters, readers will discover several of the many facets of contemporary Korean culture. Readers will be encouraged to test the slippery surfaces on which familiar and unfamiliar attitudes to bodies, landscape and created spaces rest. 'Body, Space, Ideas of Home: Cross-cultural Perspectives' (thesis) The thesis examines the interaction of body space, architectural space, landscape, and emotional states in contemporary literary fiction from several cultural perspectives. Bodies, landscapes, and architectural spaces are shown to be devices through which contemporary authors with different cultural backgrounds have expressed character and explored ideas, especially thematic concerns related to cultural or cross-cultural confusion or understanding. Notions of 'feeling at home' and 'being alien' are investigated through the work of authors who either have a cross-cultural heritage (e.g. Jhumpa Lahiri a Bengali/American), or who write about a culture which is not their own (e.g. Dianne Highbridge, an Australian writing about Japan). Several chosen authors explore the relationships between the spiritual and the physical, the metaphysical and the corporeal. These elements are particularly highlighted when examining the narratives of Tim Winton (The Riders, 1994) and Simone Lazaroo (The World Waiting To Be Made, 1994); and two of Japan's most popular writers, Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood, 2000) and Banana Yoshimoto (Lizard, 1995). For some writers, this exploration of spaces forms the focal point of their work; for others, it is an important facet of their narrative world, which helps to ground their writing for contemporary readers whose own backgrounds must also influence their understandings.

This two phase study explored perspectives of play according to children and parents of Somali heritage and primary school practitioners, in a city in South West England. In an addition to the considerable research base concerning play, this study investigated the frequently overlooked cultural dimension of play and how this affects the education of Somali heritage children in England. The broader contentious concern of play’s role in Early Years and Primary education was also explored. A mixed methods pragmatic approach was employed in this study. In Phase One, a photograph sorting activity based on the Activity Apperception Story Procedure by Howard (2002), was used to enable the participation of young children and participants for whom English is not their first language. Established via this activity were definitions of play and work according to children and parents of Somali heritage and primary school practitioners. Exploratory Data Analysis was applied to examine this data. In Phase Two, a focus group design was used, with discussions drawing on cross-cultural conceptions of play (Gaskins, Haight & Lancy, 2007; Göncü, Tuermer, Jain & Johnson, 1999). This enabled the exploration of how parents of Somali heritage and primary school practitioners perceive play’s relationship to children’s development and learning, with consideration for their own experiences of childhood. Focus group data was analysed using thematic analysis, supported by the Cultural Historical Activity Theory framework. The findings of this study highlight shared and individual definitions of play, competing benefits of play and the cross-cultural importance of play being intrinsically motivated. Implications for practice centre on the need to recognise play as part of unique cultural milieus at a practitioner, school, educational psychology service and policy level.