A retrospective observational study of the effectiveness of paliperidone palmitate on acute inpatient hospitalization rates

This retrospective mirror-image observational study aimed to establish the effects of the long-acting antipsychotic injection paliperidone palmitate (PP) on acute inpatient hospitalization rates. We utilized routinely collected clinicaldata to compare the number and length of acute patient admissions 1 year before and 1 year after initiation of PP. A single cohort of 66 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and who had received monthly injections of PP for at least 1 year were included in the analysis. The mean number of acute inpatient admissions fell from 0.86 in the year before PP initiation to 0.23 in the following year(P = 0.001), and there was a numerical but non significant decrease in the number of bed days from 32.48 to 31.22 over the study duration. The median number of bed days in the year before PP initiation was 20, and in the year after initiation it was 0. The median number of admissions also fell from 1 to 0 during the same period. The results of the study should be treated cautiously because of the limitations of the study design but suggest that patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who continue treatment with PP over 12 months experience a significant reduction in hospital admissions compared with the previous yea

Museum activities in dementia care: Using visual analog scales to measure subjective wellbeing

Abstract Introduction Previous research has shown that people with dementia and caregivers derive wellbeing-related benefits from viewing art in a group, and that facilitated museum object handling is effective in increasing subjective wellbeing for people with a range of health conditions. The present study quantitatively compared the impact of two museum-based activities and a social activity on the subjective wellbeing of people with dementia and their caregivers. Methods A quasi-experimental crossover design was used. People with early to middle stage dementia and caregivers (N = 66) participated in museum object handling, a refreshment break, and art viewing in small groups. Visual analog scales were used to rate subjective wellbeing pre and post each activity. Results Mixed-design analysis of variances indicated wellbeing significantly increased during the session, irrespective of the order in which the activities were presented. Wellbeing significantly increased from object handling and art viewing for those with dementia and caregivers across pooled orders, but did not in the social activity of a refreshment break. An end-of-intervention questionnaire indicated that experiences of the session were positive. Conclusion Results provide a rationale for considering museum activities as part of a broader psychosocial, relational approach to dementia care and support the use of easy to administer visual analog scales as a quantitative outcome measure. Further partnership working is also supported between museums and healthcare professionals in the development of nonclinical, community-based programs for this population

Measuring the Effectiveness of Virtuous Pedagogy: A Quantitative Study of the What If Learning Approach in Church of England Schools

What If Learning is a pedagogical approach that allows teachers to deliver traditional content, as prescribed by national curricula, while at the same time promoting character virtues fundamental to Christian ethos. It encourages teachers to present topics from a different perspective, which shapes understanding through the lenses of cooperation, coaching or hospitality. What If Learning reframes ‘how’ to teach rather than changing ‘what’ to teach. This study tested the effects of a three-months-long What If Learning intervention which reshaped the delivery of lessons to reflect values of hospitality and welcome in twenty schools across five dioceses in the United Kingdom. Four hundred and seventy-four pupils and 198 of their teachers filled in online surveys presenting implicit and explicit measures of intergroup attitudes adapted from the existing literature to reflect our operationalisation of tolerance as the Christian virtue of hospitality or welcome. Data were collected from all participants at three time points: before and after the intervention and then again three months later. Analyses of variance revealed a pattern of answers largely supportive of the positive effect of the proposed pedagogical approach, although not always consistent with the hypotheses. Teachers report overwhelming positive effects of the intervention on several aspects of pupils’ behaviour and flourishing potentials. The discussion focuses on the widespread implications of these findings while acknowledging the need for additional research to strengthen our conclusions and promote the approach even further

Prioritising a Sense of Belonging Within the Rural Nexus: An Empirical Study of Five Rural Church Primary Schools

The rural church primary school exists in a nexus of connections between school, home, and the institutional Church (parochial, diocesan, and national). This article applies Walker’s model of belonging to God through church to the sense of belonging expressed by families whose children attend a rural Church of England primary school. The data drawn from the Faith in the Nexus project undertaken at Canterbury Christ Church University, consists of 24 semi-structured focus group interviews, and 8 individual interviews with school and church leaders from parents, school staff, clergy, and governors across five rural Church of England primary schools. The findings highlight how rural church school families develop and sustain a sense of belonging through events, people, place, and activities. The discussion considers the value of Walker’s model of belonging, the fragility of the rural nexus and a need to acknowledge the relational nature of belonginess expressed by parents and pupils

Risk of atrial fibrillation in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed on selected studies to investigate the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) among athletes compared with non-athlete controls. Meta-analysis with heterogeneity analysis and subsequent meta-regression to model covariates were performed. The mode of exercise (endurance and mixed sports) and age were the a priori determined covariates. PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct, SPORTDiscus and the Cochrane library were searched. Research articles published after 1990 and before 2 December 2020 were included if they reported the number of AF cases in athletes with non-athlete (physically active or inactive) control groups, were case-control or cohort studies and if data allowed calculation of OR. The risk of developing AF was significantly higher in athletes than in non-athlete controls (OR: 2.46; 95% CI 1.73 to 3.51; p<0.001, Z=4.97). Mode of exercise and risk of AF were moderately correlated (B=0.1259, p=0.0193), with mixed sport conferring a greater risk of AF than endurance sport (B=-0.5476, p=0.0204). Younger (<55 years) athletes were significantly more likely to develop AF compared with older (≥55 years) athletes (B=-0.02293, p<0.001). Athletes have a significantly greater likelihood of developing AF compared with non-athlete controls, with those participating in mixed sport and younger athletes at the greatest risk. Future studies of AF prevalence in athletes according to specific exercise dose parameters, including training and competition history, may aid further in delineating those at risk. [Abstract copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Pupil-centred spiritual leadership: an empirical study of thirteen church primary school headteachers in England

The place of Church school headteachers as spiritual leaders of the school community is rarely highlighted. This article investigates how 13 Church primary school headteachers (Catholic Church of England, and Methodist) interpret this role. It draws on the Faith in the Nexus research which investigated how church primary schools nurtured pupils’ spiritual development and facilitated faith activity in the home. The head teacher interviews revealed several recurring themes, such as empowering children, collective worship, relationships with church and parents, and the visibility of faith in school. This research brings together a comparison of leadership approaches from Catholic and Anglican headteachers. Evidence of differences emerged; Catholic headteachers tended to use ‘overtly religious’ language while many Anglican headteachers employed a more ‘secular’ language to express their vision of spiritual leadership. A comparison with Shaw’s (Citation2015, 2017) model of ‘ethotic leadership’, highlighted much in common. The headteachers’ ethos was pupil-centric and shaped by a focus on the spiritual development of the child. An adaptation of Shaw’s model is offered which places the child at the centre

What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group universities and colleges?

Volume 2: The Case Studie

Multimodal classroom interaction analysis using video-based methods of the pedagogical tactic of (un)grouping

Grouping of people and/or things in school can involve challenging pedagogical problems and is a recurrent issue in research literature. Grouping of pupils sometimes aids learning, but detailed video-based analysis of how teachers (and pupils) group or ungroup (termed ‘(un)grouping’) in classrooms is rare. This multimodal classroom interaction analysis study builds on previous work by exploring how the Pedagogy Analysis Framework can help untangle complicated classroom interactions involving (un)grouping and identifies sixteen types of (un)grouping. The sample size is one class of thirty pupils (10-year-olds), their class teacher, and teaching assistant. Four research methods were used (lesson video analysis, teacher verbal protocols, pupil group verbal protocols, and individual teacher interviews). Six hours of data were video recorded (managed using NVivo). Data were analysed by two educational researchers, the class teacher, and two groups of pupils (three girls and three boys). The methodology is Straussian Grounded Theory. Data were recorded in 2019. We present how often participants (un)grouped during a lesson. We propose and use a grounded theory for (un)grouping which we call the ‘Exclusion, Segregation, Integration, and Inclusion (ESII) model’. Additionally, we discuss how misinformation and disinformation can complicate analysis of (un)grouping and examine different perspectives on (un)grouping

Using Video and Multimodal Classroom Interaction Analysis to Investigate How Information, Misinformation, and Disinformation Influence Pedagogy

Misinformation is accidentally wrong and disinformation is deliberately incorrect (i.e., deception). This article uses the Pedagogy Analysis Framework (paf) to investigate how information, misinformation, and disinformation influence classroom pedagogy. 95 people participated (i.e., one lesson with 7-year-olds, another with 10-year-olds, and three with a class of 13-year-olds). The authors used four video-based methods (lesson video analysis, teacher verbal protocols, pupil group verbal protocols, and teacher interviews). 35 hours of video data (recorded 2013–2020) were analysed using Grounded Theory Methods by the researchers, the class teachers, and groups of pupils (three girls and three boys). The methodology was Straussian Grounded Theory. The authors present how often participants used information, misinformation, and disinformation. They illustrate how the paf helps understand and explain information, misinformation, and disinformation in the classroom by analysing video data transcripts. In addition, the authors discuss participant perceptions of the status of information; overlapping information, misinformation, and disinformation; and information communication difficulties

Science and RE teachers' perspectives on the purpose of RE on the secondary school curriculum in England

Renewed interest in curriculum in English schooling over the past decade has emanated from a particular focus on the place and role of knowledge in the class-room. Significant changes in policy and examination specifications have led to changes in religious educa-tion (RE). However, little is known about teachers' perspectives on the purpose of RE. We asked teach-ers of science and RE what they understood as the purpose of RE on the school curriculum. Data from 10 focus groups and a survey with 276 secondary teachers demonstrated that many secondary teach-ers of science have a different understanding to RE teachers of the purpose of RE on the school curricu-lum. Findings also show a lack of consensus from RE teachers on the purpose of RE, suggesting the impact of the knowledge turn in RE is not as strong as the Ofsted Research Review implies. Findings are signif-icant as little is known about how knowledge works across disciplinary boundaries in schools. If students are to come to a full understanding of how knowledge works, teachers need to have some understanding of how knowledge is being constructed and utilised in other curriculum subjects. Knowledge of the intended purpose of RE is important for respectful co-existence of subjects on the curriculum and essential when RE is declining as a subject in secondary schools