Secondary Content Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Instructing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Students: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of secondary content teachers who instruct English Language Learner (ELL) students. ELLs are the fastest growing population of students in the United States. As this group continues to grow, so do the challenges of providing equitable education. Although most schools have adopted one or more models of instruction for ELLs, there is no universal model. High stakes testing and improved college readiness curriculum are designed to provide higher expectations for student achievement. However, ELL students continue to fall behind their native English-speaking peers in math and reading. Secondary content teachers should be knowledgeable of the unique needs of ELLs and feel supported when teaching these students. Understanding the lived experiences and perceptions of teachers who instruct ELL students at the secondary content level can lead to a positive and successful learning environment for the students and the teachers. Participants included 12 secondary content teachers from three high schools in a southern state. I utilized one-on-one interviews, focus group interviews, and participant journaling from all participants to gather data about what the participants experienced and how they experienced it. The theories guiding this study were Krashen’s 1982 theory of second language acquisition and Cummins’ 1980 theory of language development as both have been instrumental in developing models of instruction and strategies to instruct ELL students and continue to play an integral role in today’s instructional methods

HI 21cm absorbers at moderate redshifts

Galaxies are composed of four basic materials: stars, gas, dust, and dark-matter. The first three can be seen. The dark matter is required to explain the distribution and movement of the visible components, but has not been directly observed. Both the stars and the gas are composed mainly of Hydrogen, while the dust is mostly silicates, and nobody knows exactly what the dark matter is. Elliptical galaxies usually have little gas or dust, and appear to be mostly stars. Spiral galaxies, on the other hand, tend to have lots of gas, and may have quite a bit of dust, as well as the visible stars. The situation is less clear for the other types of galaxies. ... Zie: Summary

The z=0.0912 and z=0.2212 Damped Lyman Alpha Galaxies Along the Sight-Line Toward the Quasar OI 363

New optical and infrared observations along the sight-line toward the quasar OI 363 (0738+313) are presented and discussed. Excluding systems which lack confirming UV spectroscopic observations of the actual Lyman alpha line, this sight-line presently contains the two lowest-redshift classical damped Lyman alpha (DLA) quasar absorption line systems known (i.e. with N(HI) \ge 2 x 10^{20} atoms cm^{-2}), one at z(abs)=0.0912 and the other at z(abs)=0.2212. The z=0.09 DLA galaxy appears to be an extended low surface brightness galaxy which is easily visible only in infrared images and shows rich morphological structure. Subtraction of the quasar nuclear and host light yields L_K \approx 0.08L_K* at z=0.09. The impact parameter between the galaxy and quasar sight-line is very small, b<3.6 kpc (<2 arcsec), which makes measurements difficult. The z=0.22 DLA galaxy is an early-type dwarf with a K-band luminosity of L_K \approx 0.1L_K* at impact parameter b=20 kpc. In general, these results serve to support mounting evidence that DLA galaxies are drawn from a wide variety of gas-rich galaxy types. (Abridged)Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, 2 in color. Submitted to Ap

Supporting allied health professionals in their role as practice educators

Aim: To find out what continuing professional development (CPD) and support Allied Health Professions’ practice educators felt would be beneficial to their role to support good learning experiences for students during practice placements. Background: For the first time, representatives from the four universities that run AHP pre-registration education programmes in Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) collaborated to design and distribute a questionnaire to student practice educators across all sectors in Scotland. Method: An electronic questionnaire was designed and piloted. It consisted of closed questions using 5-point likert scales and open questions about different aspects of AHP Practice Educator preparation and ongoing CPD and support. The questionnaire was circulated by email three times through university, NES, and professional body networks. Respondents:1127 responses were received from 12 professions. 1082 responses were received from NHS Scotland educators (11% of the regulated AHP workforce), 45 were from AHPs providing practice placements in other sectors. The majority of responses were from experienced Practice Educators. Outcomes: The universities and NES now have a ranked list of CPD needs for practice educators. Key messages from the open questions have been identified about how educators prefer to access CPD and broader support issues both within the practice setting and from universities

The Effectiveness of Food Insecurity Screening in Pediatric Primary Care

Background: Food insecure children are at increased risk for medical and developmental problems. Effective screening and intervention are needed. Methods: Our purpose was to (1) evaluate the validity and stability of a single item food insecurity (FI) screen. (2) Assess whether use may lead to decreased FI. Part of a larger cluster randomized controlled trial, pediatric residents were assigned to SEEK or control groups. A single FI question (part of a larger questionnaire) was used on SEEK days. SEEK residents learned to screen, assess, and address FI. A subset of SEEK and control clinic parents was recruited for the evaluation. Parents completed the USDA Food Security Scale (“gold standard”), upon recruitment and 6-months later. Validity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) was calculated. The proportion of screened families with initial and subsequent FI was measured. Screening effectiveness was evaluated by comparing SEEK and control screening rates and receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between initial and 6-month assessments. Results: FI screen stability indicated substantial agreement (Cohen's kappa =0.69). Sensitivity and specificity was 59% and 87%, respectively. The PPV was 70%; NPV was 81%. SEEK families had a larger increase in screening rates than control families (24% vs. 4.1%, p&lt;0.01). SEEK families were more likely to maintain SNAP enrollment (97% vs. 81%, p=0.05). FI rates remained stable at approximately 30% for both groups. Conclusions: A single question screen can identify many families with FI, and may help maintain food program enrollment. Screening may not be adequate to alleviate FI

A systematic review of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) to promote physical activity.

BACKGROUND: Progress in mobile health (mHealth) technology has enabled the design of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs). We define JITAIs as having three features: behavioural support that directly corresponds to a need in real-time; content or timing of support is adapted or tailored according to input collected by the system since support was initiated; support is system-triggered. We conducted a systematic review of JITAIs for physical activity to identify their features, feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness. METHODS: We searched Scopus, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, DBLP, ACM Digital Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov and the ISRCTN register using terms related to physical activity, mHealth interventions and JITAIs. We included primary studies of any design reporting data about JITAIs, irrespective of population, age and setting. Outcomes included physical activity, engagement, uptake, feasibility and acceptability. Paper screening and data extraction were independently validated. Synthesis was narrative. We used the mHealth Evidence Reporting and Assessment checklist to assess quality of intervention descriptions. RESULTS: We screened 2200 titles, 840 abstracts, 169 full-text papers, and included 19 papers reporting 14 unique JITAIs, including six randomised studies. Five JITAIs targeted both physical activity and sedentary behaviour, five sedentary behaviour only, and four physical activity only. JITAIs prompted breaks following sedentary periods and/or suggested physical activities during opportunistic moments, typically over three to four weeks. Feasibility challenges related to the technology, sensor reliability and timeliness of just-in-time messages. Overall, participants found JITAIs acceptable. We found mixed evidence for intervention effects on behaviour, but no study was sufficiently powered to detect any effects. Common behaviour change techniques were goal setting (behaviour), prompts/cues, feedback on behaviour and action planning. Five studies reported a theory-base. We found lack of evidence about cost-effectiveness, uptake, reach, impact on health inequalities, and sustained engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Research into JITAIs to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour is in its early stages. Consistent use and a shared definition of the term 'JITAI' will aid evidence synthesis. We recommend robust evaluation of theory and evidence-based JITAIs in representative populations. Decision makers and health professionals need to be cautious in signposting patients to JITAIs until such evidence is available, although they are unlikely to cause health-related harm. REFERENCE: PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017070849.The work was undertaken by the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (MR/K023187/), is gratefully acknowledged

Systematic Screening for Behavior in K–12 Settings as Regular School Practice: Practical Considerations and Recommendations

There is a priority for schools to address students’ social and emotional needs as we do academic learning. Tiered models of prevention provide a framework for teaching social skills and behavioral expectations, as well as academics, with positive, proactive, evidence-based practices. Central to responding to students’ needs is accurate measurement of their performance. Systematic screening for behavior addresses this need. Practical considerations and recommendations are offered for school leadership teams as they plan for using systematic behavior screening as a regular school practice. The paper was framed within tiered models of prevention, however, screening practices may be used outside of tiered models provided structures are in place for responding to student needs when detected. Content is offered to guide school leadership teams as they undertake systematic behavior screening efforts. Key words: systematic behavior screening, K-12, tiered prevention modelsOffice of Special Education Programs U.S. Department of Education (H326S980003)Institute of Education Sciences Partnership Grant (R305H150018

The importance of contextualization when developing pressure intervention: An illustration among age-group professional soccer players

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Psychreg. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://zenodo.org/record/3871272#.XueTxUVKg2wThe need for interventions that help adolescents cope with pressure is widely recognised (Yeager et al., 2018). However, a recent systematic review indicates that contextualising the pressure intervention is often overlooked (Kent et al., 2018) which likely detracts from intervention effectiveness. The focus of contextualisation is to identify from the perspective of intended intervention recipients, pressureinducing incentives, and factors factor facilitative and debilitative of performance under pressure. The present case study illustrates a process of contextualisation among age-group professional soccer players. Thirty-two male academy soccer players (11–12 years, n = 8; 13–14 years, n = 8; 15–16 years, n = 8; 17–18 years, n = 8) participated in one of eight focus groups. Informed by Baumeister and Shower’s (1986) definition of pressure five situational and two personal incentives were deductively identified. Fletcher and Sarkar’s (2012) model of psychological resilience was used to identify perceived protective and debilitative factors of performance under pressure. Supporting contextualisation, recommendation for integrating the identified incentives and protective factors into a pressure training intervention are presented. The resultant understandings are also of value to those working with adolescents