Reflections on Teaching Qualitative Methods Using Team-Based Learning: An Exemplification by Photovoice

This research article as a part of larger study intends to explore the role of teaching qualitative methods is not easy and often represents a great challenge. In this work, we describe our experience of teaching a qualitative methods course for undergraduate psychology students. In this course, we used a Team-Based Learning (TBL) approach in which we had students cluster into small groups to enhance their education by having them become more active in their learning. To teach qualitative methods, we used TBL and in this paper, we present the exemplification of this method by choosing Photovoice. The Team-Based methods may be thought of as a new approach for teaching qualitative methods at the university because it allows the students to reach relevant life skills, like reflexivity, sensitivity, and critical thinking that are relevant not only for qualitative researchers but also for the psychologists and the social service professionals

Team-based learning and life skills: a qualitative study from psychological students point of view.

Purpose: This research employs a modified Team-Based Learning method to realise students perspective on how it can develop traits characteristics such individual growth and important life skills, like critical thinking. In fact the higher education has been criticized for not developing the competences specific for professional expertise, which are a necessary requirement in the training of psychologists in Europe today. The present work goes beyond the employment of TBL method mainly in courses regarding healthcare, enriching the small number of studies that used TBL in teaching Psychology. Methods: Taking part in these study 50 psychology students of a university of the northwester Italy. The study used the qualitative method of the diary. Participants were asked to write a diary about their TBL experience. The content of the diaries was analysed using the qualitative analysis software NVivo. Results: The topics strictly concerning the team and its functioning, emerged are: team, communication, comparisons with other teams, feelings, group atmosphere, TBL method\u2019s strengths, TBL method\u2019s weaknesses and evaluation. Participants identified TBL as a positive experience and one, which the university system should employ more in its courses. This experience allowed them, in their opinion, to develop important life skills, like critical thinking. From those findings is possible to affirm that modified TBL is a method much appreciated by students because improve their personal growth. They identified overall positive emotions arising from the TBL experience, especially in relation to their expectations about the result of the final exam. Generally, students appreciate TBL experience: teams are described with a positive impression of teammates, as a place where mutual listening and open and a collaborative atmosphere are experienced. Conclusion: This study improves the lacking literature about the employment of TBL in psychology classes by qualitative approach

A Qualitative Approach Using Diaries and Interviews

1. Nadia Rania[1][1][⇑][2] 2. Laura Migliorini[1][1] 3. Stefania Rebora[1][1] 4. Paola Cardinali[1][1] 1. 1DISFOR, Department of Education Science, University of Genoa, Italy 1. Nadia Rania, DISFOR, Department of Education Science, University of Genoa, C.so A. Podesta, 2, 16121 Genoa, Italy. Email: nadia.rania{at}unige.it This study compares Italian mothers' and Ecuadorian immigrant mothers' daily family routines. Thirty mothers took part in this investigation: 15 Italians ( M = 37.5 years, with ages ranging from 30 to 42 years) and 15 Ecuadorians ( M = 36.1 years, with ages ranging from 18 to 46 years and having lived in Italy for an average of 15 years), with children ranging in age from 4 to 8 years. The objective is to highlight the differences and similarities between the daily routines and family relations that characterize the lives of each of the two groups of participants. The instruments employed in service of these aims were in-depth interviews and diaries. The results showed similarities regarding the routines of Italian and Ecuadorian families. However, a relevant difference emerged regarding their perceptions of social support. Specifically, Italians receive more social support from their parents than do Ecuadorians, who are supported more by other relatives or by friends. [1]: #aff-1 [2]: #corresp-

Building RDF Content for Data-to-Text Generation

International audienceIn Natural Language Generation (NLG), one important limitation is the lack of common benchmarks on which to train, evaluate and compare data-to-text generators. In this paper, we make one step in that direction and introduce a method for automatically creating an arbitrary large repertoire of data units that could serve as input for generation. Using both automated metrics and a human evaluation, we show that the data units produced by our method are both diverse and coherent

Successful transition to elementary school and the implementation of facilitative practices specified in the Reggio-Emilia philosophy

Systematic, mandated facilitation of school transitions is an important but understudied aspect of the Reggio-Emilia approach to early childhood education admired internationally as best practice. We studied the links between Northern Italian transition practices and academic achievement, school liking, cooperativeness, and problem behaviors. We followed 288 students across a transition from preschool to elementary school. Schools varied in their implementation of transition practices. High implementation of Reggio-type transition practices was related to significantly more school liking and significantly fewer problem behaviors after the transition. At follow-up at the end of the post-transition year, high-implementation schools were still characterized by lower levels of problem behavior. These data indicate that the facilitation of school transitions in the Reggio-Emilia tradition is associated with successful post-transition adjustment

Mental health literacy questionnaire-short version for adults (MHLq-SVa): validation study in China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, and the United States

Background: Mental Health Literacy (MHL) has become a focus of research in recent decades, as a prerequisite for early identification and intervention for mental health problems. Although several instruments have been developed for assessing MHL, there is a need for brief and psychometrically sound measures to capture important aspects of MHL in large and diverse adult samples. The present study aimed to: (1) provide a revised and shorter version of a previously validated questionnaire for assessing MHL; and (2) examine the psychometric properties of the MHLq-SVa in student samples from six different countries (China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, and United States). Methods:: The study involved 2180 senior school and undergraduate students, aged between 17 and 25 years old, from China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, and the United States. Participants responded to the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for young adults (MHLq-ya), in their native language, following its translation and adaptation for each culture. The MHLq-ya comprises 29 items, organized into four dimensions: Knowledge of mental health problems; Erroneous beliefs/stereotypes; First-aid skills and help-seeking behavior; Self-help strategies. Confirmatory factor analyses and internal consistency analyses were performed on the combined data. Results:: Data from the different countries supported a shorter version of the questionnaire (MHLq-SVa), composed of 16 items that fit with previously defined dimensions. Internal consistency and between-factor correlations further supported the adequacy of the instrument’s psychometric properties. Conclusion:: The study provided preliminary support for the construct validity and reliability of the MHLq-SVa as a measure for assessing MHL in young adults from six different countries and languages. Future studies are needed to further validate the measure and undertake multicultural comparisons of MHL in diverse samples from around the globe.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring well-being and satisfaction with physiotherapy efficacy: an Italian study of cancer patients

Several studies have shown that rehabilitation can alleviate post-treatment side effects, maintain quality of life, and improve survival. However, information on the experience of physiotherapy care among patients with cancer is scarce. This study aimed to explore well-being and satisfaction with and perceptions of efficacy of physiotherapy care among patients diagnosed with cancer. The participants were 100 subjects in rehabilitation therapy after surgery for cancer (mean age = 57.1 years, 87.1% women). The study collected quantitative data through a questionnaire on well-being and satisfaction with and efficacy of physiotherapy treatment. The results showed that participants had good levels of well-being, and compared to a control population, these participants showed significant differences in environmental mastery, personal growth and positive relationships with others. Participants in this study had higher levels of satisfaction with and perceptions of the efficacy of their physiotherapy care. Correlation analyses indicated that there is a moderate positive correlation between global satisfaction and the dimensions of treatment efficacy. The results are discussed in relation to the need to give attention to well-being and rehabilitation treatment in cancer patients

Corneal Structural Changes in Nonneoplastic and Neoplastic Monoclonal Gammopathies

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Structural, ultrastructural and morphometric study of the zebrafish cornea: a model for human corneal diseases?

The structural and ultrastructural organization of the ocular surface of Vertebrates is still partial and often controversial. A morphological and morphometric study of the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) cornea was performed to provide a comprehensive description of its layers and to compare its organization to the human cornea [1,2]. The eyes of adult zebrafish were processed for light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and a morphometric analysis was performed on several morphological parameters. The zebrafish cornea is thinner in its central part, while it is thicker in its periphery. Only four layers are present, as no Descemet membrane can be demonstrated. The epithelium is formed by 5-8 layers of polygonal cells, identified as superficial, intermediate and basal, and provided of an evident peripheral cytoskeleton. The Bowman layer is particularly thin (~ 250 nm) and is placed between the basal cells and the first stromal lamella. The stroma is formed by 26-40 lamellae of collagen fibers, among which only occasional keratocytes are present, generally in the posterior part. The endothelium is formed by a single layer of flat polygonal cells, 1-1.5 μm thick. The morphometric analysis showed mild differences between the central and the peripheral cornea; furthermore, the epithelium/stroma ratio is 0.89, while it is 0.09 in the human cornea. It can be concluded that, even if the general organization of the zebrafish cornea is similar to that of mammals, there are also several significant differences, such as the presence of a very thin Bowman layer, the reduced thickness of the stroma and the absence of the Descemet membrane. Therefore, caution is required when findings obtained from zebrafish as an experimental model are applied to normal or pathological corneas in other species, such as rodents or humans