Developing Resilience Online: Evaluation of Synchronous and Asynchronous Resilience Interventions for Filipino College Students

This study evaluated two forms of a resilience intervention amongst college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising a randomised controlled trial design; it examined the impact of a synchronous and asynchronous resilience interventions versus a control group that did a journaling intervention. Outcomes measured included coping behaviour; non-reactivity; wellbeing; stress; depression and anxiety. Participants consisted of Filipino college students randomly assigned to three groups: synchronous online resilience group (n = 135); asynchronous resilience group (n = 121) and control group (n = 127). Results revealed that students who went through the online synchronous resilience reported a significant reduction in depression at post-intervention compared to those who went through an asynchronous intervention. Post-intervention scores for nonreactivity were also higher in the synchronous group compared to both asynchronous and journaling groups. Effect sizes were small to moderate. This study suggests that online resilience interventions are viable means to address the mental health needs of students; especially in countries with limited mental health resources

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Pre-service Teachers Practice-based Training: PSTePT Framework

Frameworks serve as a compass to guide institutions and organizations towards attaining set goals. They establish an order by which principles and other relevant elements connect and interplay. It offers a set of standards and initial processes to ensure that all stakeholders have shared understanding of the system.With DepEd's adoption of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) as the framework for teacher quality, Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) are expected to respond by ensuring that the curriculum and training they offer is aligned with what the system needs. To support TEIs, the Pre-service Teachers Practice-based Training (PSTePT) framework is designed to serve as guide in training pre-service teachers to reach the qualifications of the Beginning Teacher career stage as defined in the PPST

Online Resilience Support Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Philippine Experience

The purpose of this paper is to examine the outcomes of an online resilience support group during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Specifically; it described the extent to which the program improved adaptive coping; non-reactivity; resilience and well-being and decreased stress; depression and anxiety symptoms of participants. This study used a pretest–posttest design with 53 participants. A majority of participants were female (74%) who participated in the program for 6–8 weeks. Scales measuring adaptive coping; non-reactivity; resilience; well-being; stress; depression and anxiety were administered before and after the completion of the modules. Results revealed significant improvements in adaptive coping particularly seeking emotional and instrumental support; active coping; and religious coping. The results also showed significant improvements in nonreactivity; psychological well-being and resilience and decrease in depression symptoms. Effect size estimates indicate medium effect sizes for well-being and nonreactivity with the other outcomes having small effect sizes. This paper examines the feasibility of an online structured peer support group that focuses on building resilience skills. It fills a gap in the literature on online peer support groups that may be most relevant for low-income countries with a dearth of mental health specialists

A Report on the Drafting and Validation of Classroom Observation Tool - RPMS

The Classroom Observation Tool - Results-based Performance Management System (COT-RPMS) is a subset of the full COT. It is part of the package developed by RCTQ through the assistance of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) for use of DepED teachers. All tools in the RPMS package are aligned with the Developmental National Compet ency-Based Teacher Standards/ Professional Standards for Teachers (D-NCBTS).The COT-RPMS captures the quality of classroom performance and practices of teachers captured through observation. In the proposed RPMS package, the results of classroom observations is a non-negotiable means of verification (MOV) for some objectives in the Key Result Areas (KRAs)

Development of the Results-based Performance Management System aligned with the Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders

This project explores the embedding of the Standards-the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST), Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), and the Philippine Professional Standards for Supervisors (PPSS) to the Results-based Performance Management System (RPMS) of the Department of Education (DepEd). In particular, this project explores how the RPMS tools, materials, and overall system of implementation can be linked to the Standards to allow for a more systematic and fair performance assessment.The development of PPST-based RPMS tools for teachers is on its third year in SY 2021-2022. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country beginning 2020, the RPMS tools for SY 2020-2021 have been reviewed and reconsidered. In the same year, the national adoption of the PPSSH and the PPSS were signed into policy. This development makes it imperative to align the RPMS of school heads and supervisors with the PPSSH and PPSS, respectively.This report covers the development and validation of three levels of RPMS: (1) RPMS-PPST tools and associated materials for SY 2020-2021 in the time of COVID-19 pandemic, (2) RPMS-PPST tools and associated materials for SY 2021-2022, and (3) RPMS-PPSSH tool for SY 2021-2022 and RPMS-PPSS tool for CY 2021

Outcome-based Pre-service Teacher Education Program: Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA) - Research report

This report details the execution of the Outcome-based Pre-service Teacher Education Program: Curriculum Quality Audit project by the Philippine National Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ), in partnership with the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST). It offers information on the Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA) process and how it has been implemented in partner institutions around the Philippines

Online Resilience Support Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Philippine Experience

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the outcomes of an online resilience support group during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Specifically, it described the extent to which the program improved adaptive coping, non-reactivity, resilience and well-being and decreased stress, depression and anxiety symptoms of participants. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a pretest–posttest design with 53 participants. A majority of participants were female (74%) who participated in the program for 6–8 weeks. Scales measuring adaptive coping, non-reactivity, resilience, well-being, stress, depression and anxiety were administered before and after the completion of the modules. Findings: Results revealed significant improvements in adaptive coping particularly seeking emotional and instrumental support, active coping, and religious coping. The results also showed significant improvements in nonreactivity, psychological well-being and resilience and decrease in depression symptoms. Effect size estimates indicate medium effect sizes for well-being and nonreactivity with the other outcomes having small effect sizes. Research limitations/implications: A limitation of this study is the lack of a randomized control trial design and the lack of control for extraneous variables. Future studies using rigorous and longitudinal designs are recommended. Future studies may also examine program implementation factors such as using homogenous groups. Practical implications: In most low-income countries, the provision of mental health and psychosocial support during the COVID-19 pandemic has been hampered by the lack of mental health professionals, issues of internet connectivity and a lack of resources and access. Online resilience support groups may provide a means to address these challenges by making mental health support more accessible and available. Social implications: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused isolation and a means to bridge this is through peer support groups. This may be especially important in collectivist cultures where social relationships serve as recovery capital. Originality/value: Although there has been a rise in the use of technology, most are in the form of individual or self-help interventions. This paper examines the feasibility of an online structured peer support group that focuses on building resilience skills. It fills a gap in the literature on online peer support groups that may be most relevant for low-income countries with a dearth of mental health specialists