Education for Democracy: Mixed Methods Case Studies of Teachers\u27 Critical Thinking Dispositions and Their Teaching Styles

Democracy does not automatically maintain itself by prescribed constitutions and procedural codes (Dewey, 1939), but rather its citizens must have certain dispositions to protect and strengthen it (Biesta, 2006). According to John Stuart Mill (1859/1991), people can tyrannize one another within the structures of a democracy, a concept he phrased “tyranny of the majority” (p. 7). To safeguard against such tyranny and to maintain a democratic way of life conducive to progress, I contend that our schools must be tasked with developing critical thinking dispositions in our future adults. The literature on education for democracy was reviewed and aligned with the critical thinking dispositions defined in the present study. Critical thinking dispositions are taught through interactions that promote them, not only limited to methods of direct instruction, such that they are infused throughout all academic subjects at all grade levels (Facione, 1990). Therefore, the present study explored the relationship between teachers’ critical thinking dispositions and their teaching styles. The main research question was: How do critical thinking dispositions differentiate between teaching styles? To best answer this question 10 mixed methods case studies were conducted of the teachers at one private pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school. The data were collected through a quantitative questionnaire, the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI), and through qualitative observations and interviews. Subsequently, each strand, qualitative and quantitative, was analyzed individually and sequentially. Finally, through cross-case analyses, 10 distinctions in teaching styles were found for teachers who scored high on the critical thinking dispositions: truth-seeking to teacher explorer, truth-seeking to student teaching, open-mindedness to student teaching, inquisitiveness to fallibility, analyticity to emotional adaptability, analyticity to fallibility, analyticity to observational listening, systematicity to nurturing, confidence in reasoning to curriculum expansion, and confidence in reasoning to self-actualization. Understanding these relationships is the start of possibly being able to use teachers’ CCTDI profiles to predict teaching styles and to guide teacher education. Implications for future research include more focused studies around the consistent relationships emerging from the present study and research about students’ development of critical thinking dispositions in relation to teaching styles

Knowledge Attitudes and Practices of evidence based medicine among residence doctors in Sudan

Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the awareness and attitude of hospital resident doctors towards evidence-based medicine (EBM) and their related educational needs.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on a randomly selected sample of 141 hospital resident doctors from teaching hospitals. Awareness and Attitude towards EBM, accessing to internet and Midlines and perceived barriers to practice EBM among participants were the main outcome measures.Results: 92.1% strongly welcomed introduction and promotion of EBM in daily management of patients. About one-third of respondents (32.7%) thought that the most appropriate way to move towards EBM was by seeking and applying EBM summaries. Most of the participants had access to internet (82%) and those who were never heard or had a course on EBM were (85%). Only 10% who used EBM in 50% to 100% of their clinical practice. The major barriers to practicing EBM were no time due to patient overload (85%), lack of libraries (65%) limited resource (62%) and lack of training (60%). Most of the participants (79%) agreed to be one of the requirements of full registration in Sudan Medical Council.Conclusions: Although there is a high support among doctors for the  promotion of EBM, there is a deficit in knowledge and lack of skills of EBM. Hence, the time is suitable for planning and implementing an effective EBM educational programme for both undergraduate and postgraduate doctors. Evidence-based medicine has limitations, and more efforts need to be directed toward improving doctors’ skills and access to evidence at the point of care.Keywords: educational, EBM

Residual breast cancer or post operative changes: Can Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging solve the case?

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the ability of Diffusion weighted MR imaging (DWI), as a non-invasive sequence to differentiate between accepted post operative sequel and residual malignancy in breast cancer patients following different surgical procedures.Patients and methodsDWI in addition to the routine post contrast MRI was performed for follow up of 170 post operative breasts (6–24months). DWI acquired using b values: 0, 850, 1000 and 1500. Analysis considered signal intensity (SI) at b 1000 and the ADC map and the mean ADC values.ResultsPost operative changes were: Edema (n=17, 10%), skin thickening (n=25, 15.9%), seroma (n=17, 10%), hematoma (n=5, 3%), fat necrosis (n=13, 7.6%), fibrosis (n=8, 4.7%), and combined (n=83, 48.8%). Residual malignancy found in 16.5% (n=28) of cases.No significant difference was noted between DWI SI at b 850 versus 1000 and b 1000 versus 1500 (P>0.05). Also no difference (P>0.05) was noted between the mean ADC values of residual malignant masses and post operative sequel of fibrosis and fat necrosis. ADC map showed low SI in 30% of cases. Statistical analysis yielded sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 92.8%, 75.6% and 78% for contrast MRI and 92.8%, 82.6% and 83.4% for DWI respectively.ConclusionDWI enhanced the diagnostic performance of MRI in differentiating residual malignancy from post operative changes

Effectiveness of First-Aid and Basic Life Support Intervention Program on School Health Advisors

Background: school environment is the best expected setting for emergency instances that deserves first aid measures. Aim: The aim of the present study is to assess the effect of an intervention program regarding first-aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) on the knowledge and practice of school health advisors. Methods: A quazi-experimental research design was conducted on 168 randomly selected female participants who were working in different governmental primary, preparatory and secondary schools in Unaizah city, Qassim Province, KSA. Knowledge and practice of the studied participants were tested before applying a program for FA and BLS using an interview questionnaire. Immediately after the program application, their knowledge and practice were retested using the same questionnaire and a gain after 6 months interval. Results: The findings revealed that 44.1% of the study sample had secondary education. Only 22% among the study group were previously attended training about FA and BLS. The study participants, generally, had poor knowledge and incorrect situational practice in the pretest. A statistically significant improvement was shown in the knowledge and practice at post and follow-up tests. Conclusion: First aid and basic life support intervention program showed a significant effect in the form of a remarkable increase in the participants’ level of knowledge and practice. Recommendation: Training programs about FA and BLS should be adopted as an element of the services offered to school health advisors and updated at regular intervals. Keywords: first aid, basic life support, school health advisor, an intervention program

Impact of Ascorbic Acid on Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Enzyme Activity of Salt-Stressed Fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds soaked in ascorbic acid had increased germination, seedling shoot length and total chlorophyll under salt stress as compared with seeds not treated with ascorbic acid. Root length, fresh weight, dry weight, proline, and catalase activity (CAT) increased in salt stressed seedling in which seeds were not treated with ascorbic acid. In seeds treated with ascorbic acid, the salt stress effect on CAT activity was decreased. Ascorbic acid pretreatment of seeds counteracted the decrease in ascorbate oxidase (AO) induced by salt stress, but appeared to act synergistically with salt stress to decrease proline dehydrogenase. The application of ascorbic acid to fenugreek seed apparently increased antioxidant activity, leading to an increase in resistance to salt stress. Salt stress and the ascorbic acid treatment of seeds led to metabolic changes in seedlings as evidenced by changes in peroxidase (Prx) and esterase (Est) isozymes associated with increases in salt and ascorbic acid concentrations. Such changes could account for increases in seedling vigor with ascorbic acid seed treatment and the ability of the seedling to grow in the presence of a salt stress