Ultrasound Scanning Competencies in Midwifery Education in Zambia: Findings from a Desk Review and Needs Assessment

Introduction: Ultrasound is an essential component of antenatal care. Midwives provide most of the antenatal care but they do not perform ultrasound as it has been beyond their scope of practice. This leaves many women in Low and Middle-Income Countries without access to ultrasound scanning. The aim of this study was to identify competencies in ultrasound scanning in midwifery education. Methods: A desk review and needs assessment were conducted between July and October 2023. Articles and curricula on the internet, Google scholar and PubMed were searched for content on ultrasound scanning competencies. A Google form consisting of 20 questions was administered via email and WhatsApp to 135 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Results: The desk review showed that it is feasible to train midwives in ultrasound scanning. The training programs for midwives in obstetric ultrasound were conducted for 1 week to 3 months with most of them running for 4 weeks. Content included introduction to general principles of ultrasound, physics, basic knowledge in embryology, obstetrics, anatomy, measuring foetal biometry, estimating amniotic fluid and gestational age. Experts like sonographers trained midwives. Theory and hands on were the teaching methods used. Written and practical assessments were conducted. Needs assessment revealed that majority of participants 71 (53%) knew about basic ultrasound training for midwives. All participants (100%) said it is necessary to train midwives in basic ultrasound scan in Zambia. Some content should include, anatomy, measuring foetal biometry, assessing amniotic fluid level, and gestational age determination. Most participants 91 (67%) suggested that the appropriate duration of training is 4 - 6 weeks. Conclusion: Empowering every midwife with ultrasound scanning skills will enable early detection of any abnormality among pregnant women and prompt intervention to save lives.

How Emotion Nurtures Mentality:The Influencing Mechanism of Social-Emotional Competency on the Mental Health of University Students

Social-Emotional Competency(SEC),regarded as a critical psychological resource for individuals to adapt to social environments,is an effective protective factor for students’mental health,impacting their future success and well-being.Analyzing the impact of SEC on university students’mental health can offer valuable insights for nurturing talents with healthy psychological and physical development.Based on data from two large-scale surveys of Chinese university students,this study designed two comprehensive Multiple Mediation Models involving SEC,stress,coping strategies,and stress reaction to explore the pathway of emotion nurturing mentality.Study 1 utilized a parallel mediation model to examine the relationships between SEC,academic stress,interpersonal stress,and stress reactions.The results indicated that SEC negatively predicted academic stress,interpersonal stress,and stress reactions.Additionally,academic and interpersonal stress mediated the relationships between SEC and stress reactions in parallel.Extending these findings,Study 2 further investigated the role of coping strategies.By constructing a multiple-chain mediation model,it examined the predictive relationships among SEC,academic stress,interpersonal stress,three types of coping strategies,and stress reactions.The findings indicated that SEC negatively predicted stress,problemavoiding strategy,and stress reactions,while positively predicting problem-solving and assistant-seeking strategies.Furthermore,the two stress types and three coping strategies significantly mediated the relationship between SEC and stress reactions.This indicated that higher SEC was associated with reduced stress and more adaptive coping strategies and subsequently contributed to more favorable stress reactions.This research explored the impact of university students’SEC on mental health and its relational mechanisms,aiming to provide theoretical reference and practical insights for future efforts in cultivating SEC among university students to adjust academic and interpersonal stress,to enhance problem-solving and stress resistance capabilities,and to maintain their mental health.

Enhancement of Innovation Competence of College Students Majoring in Mathematics Education through Curriculum Optimization

The innovation competence of K-12 education teachers undoubtedly plays a crucial role in fostering the innovation abilities of their students.K-12 mathematics education equips students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for their future studies in colleges and universities,helping them grasp complex techniques to address challenges in everyday life and their careers.Therefore,it is of great significance to study strategies for improving the innovation competence of college students majoring in Mathematics Education,as they will likely become K-12 education mathematics teachers directly after graduating from colleges or universities.In this paper,we study strategies for enhancing the innovation competence of college students majoring in Mathematics Education through curriculum optimization.We analyze and explain in detail the importance of innovation competence for college students majoring in Mathematics Education and the difficulties encountered in enhancing college students’innovation competence.With the help of the analysis of the importance and challenges of enhancing college students’innovation competence,we propose several strategies to improve the innovation competence of college students majoring in Mathematics Education based on curriculum optimization.The findings presented in this paper can be applied to develop strategies for college students majoring in Physics and Chemistry Education.

Research on the Status Quo and Improvement Needs of Foreign Language Teachers’ Teaching Competence in Curriculum-Based Ideological Education in Xinjiang Colleges and Universities

This study investigated the status quo and further improvement needs of foreign language teachers’teaching competence in curriculum-based ideological education(CIE)in Xinjiang colleges and universities.The results show that the teachers’teaching competence in CIE is generally good,with the“cultivating quality”being the highest and the“scientific research quality”the lowest;there still exist several problems,such as teachers’lack of theoretical knowledge in CIE,lack of teaching resources,and insufficient abilities in teaching design and research.It is hoped that with the support and efforts from university administrations,teachers can improve their teaching competence in CIE through various approaches adopted and multiple measures taken,thus optimizing their teaching effectiveness,promoting the construction of CIE in Xinjiang colleges and universities in the new era,and contributing to Xinjiang’s high-quality development.

The Acquisition of Ethical Competence in Basic Education and the Present State of Ethics Education

The aim of this study was to reveal the level of ethical competence acquired through basic nursing education, to report on the present state of ethics education, and to consider future directions for ethics education. The medical databases ICHUSHI, MEDLINE, and CINAHL were searched using the search terms “nursing ethics,” “nursing practice,” “ethics education,” and “nursing students.” Of the total results, 25 research articles (original papers, research reports, practical reports, documents) were used for this study. Ethical competence covered in basic nursing education corresponded to points 1 - 11 of the Code of Ethics, and the competencies acquired included cognizance and judgement. Ethics education included methods such as case studies in Japan and blended learning in other countries. At present, ethical competence education does not comprehensively cover the Code of Ethics, and the judgement level of competence is not acquired during basic nursing education. It is thus necessary henceforth to progressively put an educational program in place to develop ethics education that persists from basic nursing education through to continuing nursing education.

Application of nursing core competency standard education in the training of nursing undergraduates

Purpose:To evaluate the effectiveness of nursing core competency standard education in undergraduate nursing training.Methods:Forty-two nursing undergraduates from the class of 2007 were recruited as the control group receiving conventional teaching methods,while 31 students from the class of 2008 were recruited as the experimental group receiving nursing core competency standard education.Teaching outcomes were evaluated using comprehensive theoretical knowledge examination and objective structured clinical examination.Results:The performance in the health information collection,physical assessment,scenario simulation and communication in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group(p<0.05).Conclusions:Nursing core competency standard education is helpful for the training of nursing students'core competencies.

The Role of Music in Multicultural Education:A Tool for Promoting Cultural Understanding and Inclusion

In this essay,it will be examined how music can be a powerful tool in multicultural education in promoting humanity and cultural sensitivity.As classroom diversity increases,the challenge lies with educators to ensure that an equal and appropriate learning environment for all students with cultural sensitivity is maintained.To address this problem,therefore,the study explores how music may be effectively incorporated into intercultural education approaches.This paper has evidence that music is a language that has transcended cultures and promotes tolerance,appreciation,and acceptance of diversity through a synthesis of literature and examples.Several implications posit that music can make people feel they belong,enhance the relations of people from diverse cultures,and provide a practical way of learning about other cultures.The potential of music as a tool to engage social justice issues and liberate oppressed groups is also discussed in this research.It exists,but with caution to cultural appropriation and stereotyping of students,thus requiring educators to be sensitive and socially-apperceived on the best practice ways on how to integrate music into classrooms.The end explains how music helps in nurturing a generation of embracing the world,more sensitive and more inclined to the happenings in society to create a society that will be more sensitive and tolerant with the growing society which is diversifying.Therefore,the current article recommends further exploration and development of music-facilitated/inclined pedagogy of ME in hopefully enhancing cultural consciousness/sensitivity and fostering more social integration.

Current Status of Key Competencies among Medical Students: A Latent Profile Analysis

The purpose of this study was to understand the overall level of key competencies of medical students and explore the potential profile of key competencies, promoting quality education, and improving the quality talent cultivation in medical colleges. A stratified random sampling method selected 734 medical students from four medical colleges in Chongqing Province of China. A general information questionnaire and a key competencies survey questionnaire were used to conduct the survey. The overall score and scores of each dimension of key competencies were analyzed. Latent profile analysis was conducted to classify the key competencies of medical students and compare the distribution differences of demographic variables among different categories. The results showed that 26% of medical students have never heard of the concept of key competencies, and 59% of them are not familiar with the content related to key competencies. The score of key competencies is 3.66 ± 0.60, with the highest score in the dimension of responsibility and the lowest score in the dimension of humanistic accomplishment. The latent profile analysis classified them into three categories: “low key competencies group (14.71%)”, “medium key competencies group (36.79%)”, and “high key competencies group (48.50%)”. The R3STEP regression analysis results showed statistically significant differences in educational level and whether they served as student cadres among different key competencies categories of medical students. This paper discusses three different potential key competencies categories among medical students, and the overall level of key competencies is relatively good. However, medical students lack a comprehensive and systematic understanding of key competencies. Humanistic accomplishment, healthy living, and practical innovation are the three dimensions with lower scores and should be given more attention. Medical colleges should integrate the concept of key competencies into teaching and implement it in medical practice to cultivate more high-quality medical talents for society.

Education of Hospitalized Diabetic Patients: Analysis of Training Needs among Nurses in a Lebanese Hospital - A Secondary Publication

The design of diabetes inpatient educational preparation should be based on the needs of the nurses involved in terms of skills in this area. The objective of this qualitative study is to identify the preparatory needs of nurses working in the medical and surgical units of a Lebanese hospital in terms of Survival Skills Education for Hospitalized Diabetic Patients (SSEHDP). Method: The focus group method is used for data collection using a semi-structured interview guide. The needs expressed by the thirty-two participating nurses were classified into categories of the competency framework for providing self-management education to diabetic patients proposed by the American Diabetes Association. Results: By focusing on the themes of an SSEHDP, a list of preparatory needs was drawn up. The needs identified and analyzed are then translated into general and specific learning objectives for educational preparation. Conclusion: The needs analysis is only the first step in a work that will ideally continue into the implementation and eventual evaluation of an educational program developed to help nurses acquire skills in the education of diabetic patients.

Competency and constraints of higher education and research institutions for rural transformation in the <i>Amhara</i>region, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is an agrarian country and agriculture is the backbone of its economy. Consequently, the government of Ethiopia has devised Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI) as the country’s overall economic development policy. For the last 15 years, public investment towards the expansion of higher education, research and extension in agriculture has been so enormous. In reality, however, these higher education and research institutions were not sufficiently responsive to rural transformation. Thus, to evaluate the role of higher education and research institutions in stimulating rural transformation and to identify main training constraints accountable for their poor performances in institutional learning and rural transformation is of paramount importance. To this effect focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted. Stratified and purposive sampling technique was dominantly employed during the survey studies. The result of the study has shown that higher education and research institutions were less responsive to address the actual problems of small-scale farmers and they were limited by a number of constraints/challenges to address the actual problems of farmers. The major constraints were, to list some, limited involvement in research and extension works by the university staff, students limited practical attachments of the training programmes with farming communities, limited infrastructures and facilities and limited availability of contextualized learning resources. In addressing the aforesaid constraints/challenges, the university staff should proportionally allocate time in the research and extension activities on top of practical teaching supported by local research results and experience;involving students on practical attachments both in their academic and vacation time;giving emphasis on basic training preparation like fulfilling libraries, laboratories, demonstration fields and transportation facilities;and lastly to revise the existing curriculum in to the direction of solving the real problems of the Amhara region then the country Ethiopia.

Perceived Competence and Skill Development in Physical Education： The Effect of Teacher Feedback

This study examined the effects of feedback on perceived competence and student performance in physical education. The sample （N = 113） consisted of fifth-grade physical education students, recruited from two elementary schools and randomly assigned into small groups. Participants within each group were randomly assigned to receive positive general, corrective informational, or no feedback and completed pre- and post-task questionnaires. Groups were given a lacrosse shot task presentation and then completed a lacrosse shot pre-test, practice session, and post-test, including a pre- and post-test. During the lacrosse task, teachers administered feedback treatments to participants at the rate of every other attempt for a total of six feedback statements, excluding the control group. Lacrosse experience was found to be 2.45 on a 9-point Likert-type scale, demonstrating that the sample was unfamiliar with the lacrosse skill. Three separate split plot 2× 3 analysis of variance （ANOVA） tests with repeated measures were conducted to determine whether feedback treatment type influenced participants＇ perceived competence, product performance skill, and process performance skill when considering pre- and post-task measures. The findings demonstrated that feedback appears to have a limited effect on perceived competence and performance during unfamiliar tasks in elementary school physical education.

Exploringthe Cultivation of Intercultural Competence in Foreign Language Education

The pace of globalization leads to an unremitting attention on the cultivation of intercultural competence as well as intercultural citizenship education.This article argues that cultural intelligence functions as an effective pathway to assess and develop one's ability of adaptation in a culturally diverse context.The further analysis provides an evidence for the feasibility of integrating cultural intelligence development with foreign language education programs.

Exploring Cross-Cultural Components in International Teacher Education Programs to Build Competenc(ies)for Indonesia

This article reviews preservice teacher arts education university course work with the goal of informing cross-cultural competencies for Indonesian teacher education.The authors are mid-career education faculty,who visited six universities in three countries to observe cross-cultural contents in teacher preparation courses.Cross-cultural competence relies on theories of globalization,intercultural and multicultural education.Using a case study method,the authors gathered data through relevant literature,course descriptions,met with stakeholders,wrote and coded reflective and reflexive field notes,and identified trends.These trends included the infusion of Eastern content into Western course work,and the role of Western arts forms in Eastern settings.These findings support the development of“cross-cultural communication through the arts”or“komunikasi silang budaya melalui seni”as a way of approaching cross-cultural teaching in Indonesia.

Association between Teacher Candidates'Competency and First-Year Employment in Physical Education:A Comparison Study

Physical education teacher education(PETE)programs prepare teacher candidates to be competent and employed in P-12 school settings.This study examined the relationship between competency and first-year job obtainment in physical education(PE).Participants included 111 teacher candidates from two schools.Participants'competency in content knowledge in Kinesiology and sub-disciplines(CKKH),content knowledge in sport and skill proficiency(CKSP),pedagogical content knowledge(PCK),and first-year job obtainment in PE were collected.Descriptive statistics,independent-samples t tests,and multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the data.The overall sample showed participants were most competent in PCK,followed by CKSP and CKKH.Female participants were more competent in PCK than their male counterparts,and those at School A performed better in CKSP and PCK than their peers at School B.As a sample,more than half of the participants(55.9%)obtained PE jobs.There was a significance between the overall sample and female participants'competency in CKKH and their first-year employment in PE.This study was limited by sample size,variances in courses between the two schools,and by the defined timeline to clarify first-year PE employment.Implications regarding the importance of CKKH and first-year employment were discussed.

Analysis onto Competence-oriented Engineering Education System:A Perspective into the Differences between Chinese and German Engineering Education

Through engineering education, a set of didactical programs and activities are planned to bring the essential knowledge, expertise and training to the students from the corresponding discipline and make them gain the competence of coping with various professional problems independently. Although holding the same views on the importance of developing competence, China and Germany construct the respective education systems in consideration of the different circumstances. In this paper, we propose the analysis onto the engineering education systems in the two countries and characterize the systems as competence-oriented. Through reflecting the differences, we mainly propose three suggestions as the theoretical contribution for deriving advantages from the German engineering education system.

Competency-based curriculum education in mental health nursing

Introduction: The essential problems in providing quality and safety services to patients, rapid changes in health care settings as well as information technology require educational revision. Competency-based curriculum focuses on set of skills that students should achieve. This study reviewed characteristics of competency-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing. Methods: A literature review about a competency-based curriculum in psychiatric mental health nursing was carried out by searching databases including Iran Medex, Iran Doc, and Pub Med with key words such as competency-based education, competency-based curriculum, and competency-based curriculum in psychiatric mental health nursing. No time limitation was considered. Results: Results revealed that over 30 literatures have been done about nursing curriculum, but just several studies were done regarding competency-based curriculum and just a few about competency-based curriculum in psychiatric mental health nursing. Conclusion: Competency-based curriculum development is one of the essential steps to facilitate teaching-learning process. The revision of curriculum may decrease theory-practice gap and pave the way for graduates to have essential competences for their roles.

The Exploration of Intercultural Education in College

Intercultural education was paid more and more attention in college English teaching.However,the college English teaching is still stay in "language ability stage".So,more and more people realize that"student need a kind of intercultural communication competence,so that,they can benefit from the education of language and culture".(Byram&Morgan,1994:62).We must integrate language and culture in the foreign language classroom and optimize the atmosphere of English cultural cognition to improve the intercultural communication competence of students in college.

Literature Review of Nursing Education Promoting Professional Socialization among Nursing Students

The aim of this review was to clarify the elements that promote socialization of nursing professionals from the findings of previous studies, with keywords related to socialization among undergraduate nursing students, and obtain indicators for promoting professional socialization in nursing students in the current nursing education. The literature review was conducted using a qualitative analysis of the promotion of professional socialization among nursing students. The results were reported according to the reporting checklist of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. The authors conducted a literature search using electronic databases in July 2021, such as CINAHL (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (EBSCOhost) for English articles, and Ichushi for Japanese articles. Included studies were from 1985 to 2021. Previous studies were integrated to current studies. A total of 23 articles in English and 34 articles in Japanese were analyzed. The methods for promoting professional socialization in nursing students include self-learning, online media, extracurricular elements, and clinical practice. Socialization process differed for each school year;the first-year students tend to have ideological answers, while the fourth-year students tend to have practical answers as a result of education. The process needs supports from instructors and mentors. Nursing education promoting professional socialization in nursing students has developed diverse modeling, positive effects for improving social skills, and impact of self-efficacy and self-esteem and has fostered professional commitment and professional identity. However, loss of idealism of professional identity after graduation should be considered with supports from instructors and mentors. To establish nursing professional identity smoothly, nursing instructors supporting skills should be developed by understanding students’ stage of professional socialization.

Continuing professional development:progress beyond continuing medical education

Continuing medical education(CME)is rapidly evolving into competency-based continuing professional development(CPD)and this is driving change in self-directed CPD programs undertaken by individual practitioners as well as CPD programs or frameworks offered by CPD educators.This progression is being led by many factors including the rapid change in medical knowledge and medical practitioners along with changes in patients and society,healthcare systems,regulators and the political environment.We describe our experiences primarily concerning low-resource environments,in creating the International Council of Ophthalmology(ICO)Guide to Effective CPD/CME and in developing a CPD program for the Cambodian Ophthalmological Society(COS)twinned with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists(RANZCO).At the conclusion of the project,47(100%)Cambodian practicing ophthalmologists were registered in the CPD program and 21(45%)were actively participating in the online COS-CPD program recording.We discuss challenges in CPD,propose solutions to overcome them and recommend developing research in CPD as needed to effectively enhance educational activities with impact in public health.