Academic Motivation and Academic Achievement of Karen Refugee Students

Because there is so little research on individual factors in refugee education, the current study investigated the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement of Karen refugee students from Burma studying at two post-secondary schools on the Thailand-Burma border. This study used the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) to assess refugee students' motivation in relation to their grade point average (GPA), which was obtained from the schools' registrars. The sample size for this study was 192 participants (57.8% female). Pearson product-moment correlations and regression analysis were used to assess the relationship between extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, amotivation and academic performance. The findings from this study indicated that: 1) in the current sample, there was no significant correlation between intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation as measured by the AMS and academic achievement as represented by GPA; and 2) there was a statistically significant negative correlation between academic amotivation and academic achievement. The results are discussed in light of previous findings. In particular, the current finding builds on the possibility that models emphasizing the role of autonomy in motivation may have less validity in marginalized populations. Further research on factors influencing academic achievement in refugee education is urgently required

Auditory assessment of patients with acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria treated with three-day mefloquine-artesunate on the north-western border of Thailand

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of artemisinin derivatives has increased exponentially with the deployment of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in all malarious areas. They are highly effective and are considered safe, but in animal studies artemisinin derivatives produce neurotoxicity targeting mainly the auditory and vestibular pathways. The debate remains as to whether artemisinin derivatives induce similar toxicity in humans.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This prospective study assessed the effects on auditory function of a standard 3-day oral dose of artesunate (4 mg/kg/day) combined with mefloquine (25 mg/kg) in patients with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria treated at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, on the Thai-Burmese border. A complete auditory evaluation with tympanometry, audiometry and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) was performed before the first dose and seven days after initiation of the antimalarial treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Complete auditory tests at day 0 (D0) and day 7 (D7) were obtained for 93 patients. Hearing loss (threshold > 25 dB) on admission was common (57%) and associated with age only. No patient had a threshold change exceeding 10 dB between D0 and D7 at any tested frequency. No patient showed a shift in Wave III peak latency of more than 0.30 msec between baseline and D7.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Neither audiometric or the ABR tests showed clinical evidence of auditory toxicity seven days after receiving oral artesunate and mefloquine.</p