An exploratory study of Palestinian science teachers' views of the nature of science

This mixed methods study investigates Palestinian science teachers' views of the nature of science (NOS), with an in-depth exploration of the nature, causes and context of these views, and the possible reasons why teachers hold such views. The research provides suggestions of possible ways to improve Palestinian science teachers' views of NOS, and the factors within the Palestinian context that might either facilitate or hamper efforts to promote teachers' understanding of NOS. Quantitative data were collected during the first phase of the study from a sample of 277 teachers working in three areas in Palestine. Twelve teachers were randomly selected for the second qualitative phase. In line with the regional and global literature, the results of the closed NOS survey, the open-ended questionnaire and the individual semi-structured interviews revealed that Palestinian science teachers hold relatively naive, traditional views of most of the main tenets of NOS. During the qualitative phase, a series of semi-structured interviews was also carried out with ten Palestinian academics to explore in depth their views and suggestions concerning the nature, causes and context of teachers' views of NOS. They identified possible factors responsible for this apparent naivete in teachers' views and suggested ways to improve their understanding of NOS. The analysis of academics' responses revealed eight main factors that might explain the naivete of teachers' views of NOS: Palestinian socio-cultural background, education policy, teachers' own personal values, teaching approaches at school and university levels, science textbooks, teacher training programmes, educational supervision and school resources. Possible ways to improve teachers' views of NOS could be grouped in six main areas: tertiary science teaching and teacher preparation programmes, teaching as a well-resourced profession, Palestinian science textbooks, education supervision and in-service teacher training, educational leadership and administration system, and public scientific literacy and critical awareness. Finally, there is a consideration of the possible implications of these findings for teaching and teacher education in Palestine, for policy making bodies in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, for methodology, and for future research in the area

An exploratory study of Palestinian science teachers' views of the nature of science

This mixed methods study investigates Palestinian science teachers' views of the nature of science (NOS), with an in-depth exploration of the nature, causes and context of these views, and the possible reasons why teachers hold such views. The research provides suggestions of possible ways to improve Palestinian science teachers' views of NOS, and the factors within the Palestinian context that might either facilitate or hamper efforts to promote teachers' understanding of NOS. Quantitative data were collected during the first phase of the study from a sample of 277 teachers working in three areas in Palestine. Twelve teachers were randomly selected for the second qualitative phase. In line with the regional and global literature, the results of the closed NOS survey, the open-ended questionnaire and the individual semi-structured interviews revealed that Palestinian science teachers hold relatively naive, traditional views of most of the main tenets of NOS. During the qualitative phase, a series of semi-structured interviews was also carried out with ten Palestinian academics to explore in depth their views and suggestions concerning the nature, causes and context of teachers' views of NOS. They identified possible factors responsible for this apparent naivete in teachers' views and suggested ways to improve their understanding of NOS. The analysis of academics' responses revealed eight main factors that might explain the naivete of teachers' views of NOS: Palestinian socio-cultural background, education policy, teachers' own personal values, teaching approaches at school and university levels, science textbooks, teacher training programmes, educational supervision and school resources. Possible ways to improve teachers' views of NOS could be grouped in six main areas: tertiary science teaching and teacher preparation programmes, teaching as a well-resourced profession, Palestinian science textbooks, education supervision and in-service teacher training, educational leadership and administration system, and public scientific literacy and critical awareness. Finally, there is a consideration of the possible implications of these findings for teaching and teacher education in Palestine, for policy making bodies in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, for methodology, and for future research in the area

Variations in Students’ Learning Habits and Behavior Patterns in Light of the Technological Innovations and Connectivist Theory of Learning

The “Tsunami of spread of knowledge and modern technological means led to the emergence of new mental skills and modes of learning among learners. Consequently, students’ learning was affected by the new knowledge networks. As such, this study aimed at investigating the change in the learning habits of learners in light of the technological development, and to study the impact of digital instruments and applications on the development/change of the learners’ study habits. The study utilized a qualitative approach with a descriptive analytical design, where semi-structured interviews were created and conducted with three age groups: three adult learners who studied before technological development, five secondary school students, and four tertiary university students. Research results revealed the persistence of some traditional learning habits among school students, the development of study habits linked to modern technological means, and the development of modern technical skills such as Internet search. Some factors affecting learning habits appeared; specifically, the nature of the study task, teaching strategies, and student specialization. Some digital skills have been diagnosed for each category, like online searching skills, staying connected to networks, communication skills, the skills of self-organization, and the control of smart devices. In light of its findings, the study ended up with a set of recommendations for future research, and other recommendations for practice. Keywords: Learning habits, connectivism, digital learners, learning skills, learning instruments

Cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) upregulation is associated with unfavorable prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and shapes tumor immune microenvironment: A bioinformatics analysis

Cell cycle regulatory proteins plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of many human malignancies. Identification of their biological functions as well as their prognostic utility presents an active field of research. As a continuation of the ongoing efforts to elucidate the molecular characteristics of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC); we present a comprehensive bioinformatics study targeting the prognostic and mechanistic role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) in ccRCC. The ccRCC cohort from the Cancer Genome Atlas Program was accessed through the UCSC Xena browser to obtain CDKN3 mRNA expression data and their corresponding clinicopathological variables. The independent prognostic signature of CDKN3 was evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis and co-expression gene functional annotations were used to discern CDKN3-related altered molecular pathways. The tumor immune microenvironment was evaluated using TIMER 2.0 and gene expression profiling interactive analysis. CDKN3 upregulation is associated with shortened overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.325, 95% confident interval [CI]: 1.703–3.173, P < .0001) in the Cancer Genome Atlas Program ccRCC cohort. Univariate (HR: 0.426, 95% CI: 0.316–0.576, P < .001) and multivariate (HR: 0.560, 95% CI: 0.409–0.766, P < .001) Cox logistic regression analyses indicate that CDKN3 is an independent prognostic variable of the overall survival. High CDKN3 expression is associated with enrichment within the following pathways including allograph rejection, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, mitotic spindle, inflammatory response, IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling, spermatogenesis, TNF-α signaling via NF-kB pathway, complement activation, KRAS signaling, and INF-γ signaling. CDKN3 is also associated with significant infiltration of a wide spectrum of immune cells and correlates remarkably with immune-related genes. CDKN3 is a poor prognostic biomarker in ccRCC that alters many molecular pathways and impacts the tumor immune microenvironment.Scopu

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

The New Palestinian Science and Math Curricula in Light of the 21st Century Skills: A Critical and Enlightening Study

The purpose of this study was to analyze the new Palestinian science and math curricula in light of the skills for the 21st Century to investigate the extent to which these curricula are able to prepare citizens who have a balanced degree of skills they need to live effectively in the 21st Century. The researchers developed a rubric and then used as a general framework for content analysis of the curricula. The rubric consisted of twelve main themes; creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, information literacy, media literacy, information and communications technology literacy, flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, and leadership and responsibility. Findings of content analysis indicated that the existing curricula represent the skills for the 21st century poorly with low focus and insufficient attention on most skills that had been analyzed. In a second section, the paper offers a general conceptual framework with relevant models for reshaping the curricula with relevant authentic tasks that emerge from the Palestinian socio-cultural context in order to enable students to accommodate the 21st century skills, and provide school teachers with tangible mechanisms to enhance students’ skills for the 21st century. The paper concludes with a set of policy recommendations, and suggestions for further research about the relevance and effectiveness of this conceptual framework, and the improvement models in the new Palestinian curricula

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

Background: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit