Developing pedagogical content knowledge of science teachers through action research: A case study from Pakistan

The aim of this study is to analyze the action research undertaken by Khan as a teacher researcher in a private school as part of the degree requirement of his M.Ed. program in Teacher Education at the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development. The purpose of this analysis undertaken by the first author and supervisor of the study in collaboration with Khan was to understand the development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of the teacher researcher through action research in a science classroom in the context of Pakistan. Khan taught the concepts of heat and temperature using an inquiry based pedagogy to grade 9 physics class and also examined his own practice of this innovation using action research. Using Carlsen’s concept of PCK as the lens for analysis of the research report written by Khan the first author finds that transforming his understanding of the topic to teach with the indicated instructional strategy required him to transform his own understanding of science content. The findings also indicate that the requirement of cumulative testing wa

Is More Nutrition Education Needed in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum? : Perceptions of graduates from a medical university in the United Arab Emirates

Objectives: The rise in lifestyle diseases has resulted in primary physicians advising more patients on the benefits of nutritional modifications. However, nutrition education has remained more or less unchanged in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of medical graduates regarding nutrition education in their undergraduate curriculum. Methods: A total of 125 medical graduates from the Gulf Medical University in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey from May to October 2012. The validated pilot-tested questionnaire was designed to assess perceptions regarding nutrition education in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Results:A total of 65 medical graduates responded to the survey, of which 55% were female. Of the respondents, 32% were general physicians and 68% were specialists in various disciplines. Nutrition education was perceived to be very important by 80% of the respondents; however, 78.5% felt that they had not received adequate instruction in this field during their undergraduate medical curriculum. The major areas of deficit identified were in the categories of clinical nutrition, nutrition in primary care and evidence-based nutrition. Conclusion: In this study, Gulf Medical University graduates perceived a need for more nutrition-related instruction in their undergraduate medical curriculum. The areas of deficit identified in this study could help in future curricular improvements.Keywords:

The future physicians of United Arab Emirates: how do they self-medicate?

Background: Health professions have been a predictive factor for self-medication (SM). SM practices of medical students, the future practitioners will have a bearing on their impending professional practice. The aims were to identify prevalence and practice of SM among the medical students of Gulf Medical University (GMU), United Arab Emirates and to assess the associating factors.Methods: The study was planned as a cross-sectional descriptive survey among 247 medical students of GMU. Students from 1st to 5th year were included in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Associations were tested with Chi-square test.Results: SM with both over-the-counter medications and prescription-only medicines was practiced by 65% of students. The prevalence of SM was associated with the year of study and age. The most common sources of drugs were private pharmacies and stocks at home. The students mostly relied on themselves and parents for drug selection. The self-reliance significantly increased with year of study. Common indications for SM were headache and flu symptoms and correspondingly, analgesics and antipyretics were frequently used. A high prevalence of misuse of antibiotics was also reported. SM was 2.9 times higher (95% CI=1.502-5.620) among students belonging to families practicing SM.Conclusion: The study revealed a fairly high rate of prevalence of SM among the medical students of GMU, which was associated with age and year of study. There is a need to emphasize responsible SM practices among the medical students by accentuating rational drug use in the curricula

Diabetes Mellitus-Related Knowledge among University Students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

The aim of this study was to assess diabetes mellitus (DM)-related knowledge and practices among university students enrolled in non-health care related professional courses in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: A pre-tested questionnaire assessing the knowledge of DM was administered to the above-mentioned students. Data collected were transferred to PASW Statistics (Chicago, IL, USA, Version 18) and analysed. Results: Data on 168 university students (47 males and 121 females) were included in the analysis. Of the participants, 25% were overweight or obese and only 27% exercised regularly. Regarding their knowledge of DM, 70% knew that it is characterised by high blood sugar levels and identified family history as a major risk factor. Surprisingly, only just over half could link obesity and physical inactivity as risk factors for developing DM, or could identify an excessive feeling of thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss as symptoms. Knowledge of the complications of diabetes, including gangrene, loss of sensation in limbs, oral and dental complications, recurrent infections, and risk for cardiovascular disease got a moderate response. Knowledge of diabetes was found to be higher in females compared to males. No significant differences were observed in the health behaviour of participants with or without a family history of DM. Conclusion: Our study revealed that in spite of exposure to various sources of information, the participants’ level of DM-related knowledge was not adequate. We recommend the engagement of health professionals in educational settings in order to enhance health-related knowledge and inculcate healthy lifestyle practices in students.

Factors associated with self-medication among expatriate high school students: a cross-sectional survey in United Arab Emirates

The study aimed to assess factors associated with self-medication (SM) among expatriate high school students of United Arab Emirates using a validated questionnaire. Most common reasons for self-medication in 324 participating students were: presence of mild illness and previous experiences. High risk practices like altering the dose, discontinuation of medication and self-medication without adult guidance were observed. The likelihood of SM was 4.9 times (95%C.I.: 2.0-12.2) in students not utilizing private healthcare services than those who were utilizing these services. Increased efforts are needed to prevent the risks of self-medication in adolescents through healthcare education for both parents and adolescents

A cost-effective o-toulidine-based Schiff base as an efficient sorbent for metal ion uptake from aqueous and soil samples: Synthesis, antimicrobial, and acute toxicity analyses

Heavy metals create serious health problems, so the practical implementation and development of low-cost sorbent materials to remove heavy metals from the ecosystem is a worldwide issue. The purpose of this study is to find a low-cost ligand that has the potential to adsorb heavy metals from aqueous and soil samples and also has biological potential. For this, a Schiff base, dimeric o-toluidine (SBL), has been synthesized through condensation, characterized by spectroscopic analysis, and had its biological activities measured. We also studied its adsorption efficiency through a batch technique to remove Zn(II), Co(II), and Cu(II) from aqueous and soil samples under different conditions such as metal ion concentration, pH, contact time, and SBL concentration. The adsorption potential of SBL was analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The values of correlation coefficients revealed that the Freundlich isotherm elucidated results that were more appropriable than the Langmuir model. Adsorption equilibrium was established in 90 min for aqueous samples and in 1,440 min for soil samples. For the maximum adsorption of all metals, the optimum pH was 8, and it showed a capacity to remove 77 to 95 percent of metals from the samples. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of SBL were 75.75, 62.50, and 9.17 mg g-1 in the case of Cu(II), Zn(II), and Co(II) ions, respectively, from aqueous samples and 10.95, 64.10, and 88.49 mg g-1 in the case of Zn(II), Cu (II), and Co(II), respectively, from soil samples. The effectiveness of SBL in the sorption of the selected metals was found to be Cu+2 > Zn+2 > Co+2 for aqueous samples and Co+2 > Cu+2 > Zn+2 for soil samples. The antimicrobial activity of SBL was also investigated. The results revealed that SBL showed moderate inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus dysentria, C. albican, and Aspergillus niger, whereas it exhibited weak activity against S. aureus, P. aureginosa, K. pneumoniae, P. vulgaris, and E.coli when compared to Fluconazole and Ciprofloxacin as the standard. Acute toxicity of the synthesized compound was measured through its daily oral administration with various doses ranging from 0.1 to 1,000 mg/kg of the mice’s body weights. Even at the dose of 1,000 mg/kg, the SBL showed no mortality or any type of general behavioral change in the treated mice. Based on preparation cost, metal removal capacity, toxicity, and antimicrobial activities, SBL is an excellent sorbent and should be studied at pilot scale levels

Impoverished Rural Districts of Pakistan: An Independent Evaluation of Impact on Educational and Cognitive Outcomes in Sindh Province, Pakistan

This article presents findings of cognitive and performance assessment among recipient and non?recipient school girls in the catchment schools of the Tawana Pakistan Project using standardised matrices. This is the first such evaluation of the relationship of a school feeding programme with developmental outcomes in rural Pakistan. There was evidence of benefits of the school feeding programme on a range of outcomes with significant improvement in the literacy and numeracy scores. The paired analysis showed a significant improvement (p<0.001) in Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices and Draw?a?Person test while no association was established in grade performance assessment (GPA). The correlation analyses in terms of the effects of intervention on child cognitive development confirmed the positive correlation in all aspects. DID estimates also revealed an improvement in cognitive outcomes due to the programme. Findings support such potential programmes for improving educational and cognitive outcomes of primary school girls in impoverished districts of Pakistan

The future physicians of United Arab Emirates: how do they self-medicate?

Background: Health professions have been a predictive factor for self-medication (SM). SM practices of medical students, the future practitioners will have a bearing on their impending professional practice. The aims were to identify prevalence and practice of SM among the medical students of Gulf Medical University (GMU), United Arab Emirates and to assess the associating factors.Methods: The study was planned as a cross-sectional descriptive survey among 247 medical students of GMU. Students from 1st to 5th year were included in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Associations were tested with Chi-square test.Results: SM with both over-the-counter medications and prescription-only medicines was practiced by 65% of students. The prevalence of SM was associated with the year of study and age. The most common sources of drugs were private pharmacies and stocks at home. The students mostly relied on themselves and parents for drug selection. The self-reliance significantly increased with year of study. Common indications for SM were headache and flu symptoms and correspondingly, analgesics and antipyretics were frequently used. A high prevalence of misuse of antibiotics was also reported. SM was 2.9 times higher (95% CI=1.502-5.620) among students belonging to families practicing SM.Conclusion: The study revealed a fairly high rate of prevalence of SM among the medical students of GMU, which was associated with age and year of study. There is a need to emphasize responsible SM practices among the medical students by accentuating rational drug use in the curricula

BREAST SELF EXAMINATION; SIGNIFICANT TOOL IN EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER

ABSTRACT This evidence based study is to provide the awareness of breast self examination; its outcomes and significance. There is a never matching increase noted in the incidences of breast cancer worldwide. Pakistani women are on top of the list in the region to develop this disease and it has also been observed that they diagnose to have higher grade disease in early age. Early detection followed by timely treatment is the best prognosis for long term survival. This a retrospective study in which the data was gathered through questionnaire for the selected variables. Out of 100 patients 49 were doing BSE while 51 were unaware of breast self-examination. Out of these 49% , 42% were doing BSE randomly,2% were doing monthly,3% were doing weekly while 2% were doing on daily bases, and 24 (49%) patients were found to have microscopically confirmed carcinoma and 12 (24%) were found to have negative microscopic exams remaining 13 (27%) patients who were doing BSE were not gone through microscopic exam. Breast self-examination is the simplest tool that can play an important role in the detection of breast cancer. There is need to encourage BSE practices among the women along with the development of awareness program to make it successful

Self-medication and related health complaints among expatriate high school students in the United Arab Emirates

Background: Self-medication, often without adult guidance, has been reported to be a common practice during adolescence. Similar to other preventable health-risk behaviors initiated in early adolescence, it has become a cause for concern universally.Objectives: This study examines the prevalence of self-medication with both prescribed and non-prescribed (OTC) medications, related health complaints, sources of drugs, and sources of drug recommendation, and gender differences related to self-medication among expatriate high school students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 324 expatriate students through a validated, self-administered questionnaire and data was analyzed using SPSS 19 version. Means and proportions were calculated and Pearson Chi-square test of significance was used to analyze association among variables.Results: Majority of the participating students, almost equally distributed by gender, was aged 16 to 17 years. The period prevalence rate of self-medication with prescribed and OTC medications were 89.2%, which did not vary with age, gender, ethnicity or parents’ educational level. The most common sources of drug and drug recommendation were community pharmacies and parents respectively. Headache and fever were the common self-medicated conditions and consequently, analgesics and antipyretics were most commonly used both in the previous two weeks and the previous year prior to the survey. A high prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics (53%) and sedative/hypnotics (27%) was also observed. A female excess emerged for certain health complaints and use of medicines except for the use of anti-allergic and herbal/homeopathic drugs.Conclusion: This is the first study to explore self-medication practices among high school students in UAE and provides baseline data critical in creating awareness about the risks and benefits of self-medication. Health care providers, educators and parents should be actively involved in health education strategies for inculcating responsible self-medication practices in the adolescent population of UAE