Teachers’ Perceptions on the Influence of Early Childhood Screenings: A Qualitative Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of teachers\u27 experiences with the Early Childhood Screening for students attending XYZ School in Eastern Saudi Arabia. The study was guided by the theory of social constructivism and the theory of self-regulation, as they explain how early experiences influence child and adult development. The central research question addressed the experiences of early childhood educators implementing mandatory screening assessments in Pre-K and Kindergarten. The central research question was “What are the experiences of early childhood educators that implement mandatory screening assessments in Pre-K and Kindergarten?” The study followed a qualitative case study research design. An in-depth explanation of why the case study research design was the best measure for the research is included. Data were collected using individual interviews, document analysis, and observations in four XYZ Schools in Eastern Saudi Arabia. The sample included 12 educators from the four XYZ schools. The research also addresses how thematic and qualitative analysis synthesized the collected data. These approaches provided information relevant to the research by identifying common themes in the responses provided by the participants. I also looked at the screening documents and educator observations to search for meanings and patterns that were later coded and grouped by theme

Good will in globalized world : Editor's introduction

The current issue of Artifacts provides a good example about how good wills are used for offering good academic services to the global community

Torsional Analysis of Core Structures in Tall Buildings

A folded plate analysis of the behaviour of core structures subjected to torsional loading is presented. In this method the core is assumed to consist of vertical plates rigidly connected together along their edges, and by using the engineering theory of bending in conjunction with the continuous connection technique for panels containing openings, the core behaviour has been represented by a third order linear differential equation The method has been shown to be applicable to any core which is totally open or partially closed with lintel beams. The general governing equation is expressed in terms of one unknown, the angle of rotation and a single non-dimensional stiffness parameter aH, the core relative stiffness. The influence of a stiffening element at the top and flexibility of the foundations have been included Solutions of the governing equation for three standard load cases, a point torque at the top, a uniformly distributed torque and a triangularly distributed torque are given. A parameter study has been carried out to show the interactive effects of the three fundamental parameters on the primary core actions when subjected to the standard load cases. Design charts have been produced for the rapid evaluation of the core rotations and internal forces. Consideration has been given to core structures with stiffness variations throughout the height, special emphasis being given to the effects of a reduction of thickness of the walls at some level

Editor's introduction

Culture encompasses people's beliefs, traditions, behaviors, values, styles of life and thinking, and the like. People behave culturally through language that passes along from one generation into another. So, it is not an easy task for people to live in an alien culture without understanding the language of the community

INFLUENCE OF GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD (GTM) ON LIBYAN STUDENTS’ ENGLISH PERFORMANCE IN COMMUNICATIVE SITUATIONS

In the past and present, the Libyan government has offered free schooling at all levels in public education. Till the early past, more specifically till 2014, the Libyan government used to send honored students at high school levels to pursue their university studies overseas, honored students at university levels to pursue their masters’ degrees overseas, and holders of masters’ degrees to pursue their doctorates’ degrees overseas, specifically the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries all over the world. English was taught as a foreign language at school from the 5th grade, but it is has been taught from 1st grade since 2016. Although all these efforts conducted by the Libyan government, the use of Libyan students’ English performance in communicative situations has been unsatisfactory. Many studies and research regarding Libyan contexts reveal that the main reason for this dissatisfaction is attributed to the method of teaching English used at Libyan schools. Thus, this study endeavored to find out the influence of this method on Libyan students’ English performance when communicating in English in reality. This study follows qualitative research method, basing on secondary recourses represented in reviewing of literature and primary recourses represented in interviewing ten Libyan teachers of English. The study has obtained several findings, the most important of which is that GTM does not help Libyan students use English communicatively in reality; rather, it helps them know about English as a class subject. The study presents some recommendations based on the findings obtained. The most important of which is that teachers of English should use other appropriate methods of teaching that help Libyan students use English in communicative situations, and grammar should be taught in context

Survey of the Use of Information Communication Technology Tools in CIMB Bank for Decision Making

Nowadays, most people use the internet and other forms of information and communication technology to do their business for the purpose of better services. Also people are looking for services that can be not only affordable but also accessible anywhere anytime. Many business organizations are using ICT in various purposes, mainly being performing their activities effectively. The main objective of the study is to investigate the use of ICT tools in business organizations for decision making. The study aims to perform a survey in order to determine the extent of the use of ICT as well as factors associated with the applications among private business offices operations within CIMB Bank, Kedah

The History and Perception of Music Education in Kuwait

The present study sought to provide a detailed examination of the history and development of music education in Kuwait. The history of the four teacher-training institutions and music education in schools are discussed. That includes the history of the Music General Supervision Department and its music activities. Additionally, the study examined the perception of music education in Kuwait historically, and surveyed parents and students\u27 perceptions of music and music education in Kuwait public schools. There were 244 students and 169 parents responses to 260 questionnaires. Parents were asked about their knowledge of the music education curriculum and students were asked if they like music and music education or not, and how would they feel if there is no music education in school. There were sixteen items compared between students and parents regarding interest in music, attitude toward music, and belief in music benefits. Results of the study indicate that parents know little of the music education curriculum and most of the students were positive in their answers toward music education. In the sixteen items compared between parents and students, there was a significant difference between them in fourteen items out of the sixteen. The study included comments and recommendations regarding parents and students perception

The effect of exercise-induced pain on endurance performance, and strategies to mitigate its impact

Exercise-induced pain (EIP) is a natural consequence of exercising intensely, and results due to an accumulation of endogenous algesic substances, an increase in muscular pressure and muscular distortion or tissue damage. However, the presence of EIP may have negative consequences for exercise and endurance performance, brought about by the physiological and/or psychological effect of pain. EIP has not been widely addressed in sport and exercise science research, and much of the contemporary literature has ignored its potential role in endurance exercise performance, despite the wide acknowledgement it gains in interviews with athletes, coaches, exercise scientists and health and fitness practitioners. Therefore, more empirical research needs to be completed that explores the role of EIP in endurance performance, and the physiological and/or psychological contribution it may make to fatigue and work rate regulation. Therefore, the main purpose of this thesis was to examine the effect of EIP on endurance exercise performance, and identify strategies to mitigate its impact in various endurance exercise tasks. Consequently, this thesis consists of 5 experimental studies, as outlined below. The 1st experimental study (Chapter 3) assessed the relationship between traditional experimental measures of pain (the cold pressor test (CPT) and algometry), EIP tolerance and participants' performance of a 10 mile (16.1 km) cycling time trial. The primary finding was that no correlation was found between experimental pain measures and TT performance (mean pain in CPT; R = 0.222; time lasted in the CPT; R = -0.292; PPT; R = -0.016). However, there was a significant correlation between EIP tolerance and TT performance (R = -0.83, P 0.05). The ANOVA also revealed a significant main effect of condition for exercise-induced pain during the TTE test (P = 0.035). No significant changes in rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were found between the three conditions (P > 0.05). A 3 x 8 (condition x iso-time) ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect for exercise-induced pain over time between conditions during the TTE test with lower pain intensity in the TENS and IFC conditions (F (3.4, 58.4) = 3.671, P = 0.013). No interaction and main effects for RPE were found between the three conditions (P > 0.05). For the MVC, paired-sample t-tests demonstrated that MVC was significantly reduced following the TTE in the Sham (t (17) = 9.069, P 0.05). No significant differences in mean RPE were found between conditions during the TT (P > 0.05). Interestingly, this study also showed that TENS elicits an analgesic effect on EIP and improves the TT performance, whereas IFC technique does not elicit any reduction of EIP and consequently has no effect on whole-body endurance performance. This experiment demonstrated the first time that TENS intervention significantly improved completion time of the cycling TT, and that this was attained by the cyclists sustaining a greater power output (PO), heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (B[La]). Regardless of the increased physiological stress and metabolic rate induced by the higher PO, participants perceived EIP in the TENS strategy alongside in the absence of a difference in RPE between conditions. The improvement in dynamic endurance was probably the result of reduction in EIP for a given load. This is the first experiment showing that a TENS intervention can be used to elicit this analgesia to EIP, and suggests that there may be scope for TENS to be used during exercise in those where EIP negatively effects their engagement in physical activity. The final experiment in this thesis (Chapter 7) examined the effect of mood and emotional state on EIP and endurance performance. The use of painful images prior to endurance cycling performance was used to negatively affect mood, which was hypothesised to increase EIP. The primary finding was that the ANOVA revealed a significant difference in completion time between conditions (F (2, 40) = 8.480, P = 0.001). Pairwise comparisons revealed that participants performed a significantly faster TT (P = 0.003) in the pleasant condition (29 min 38 s ± 4 min 35 s) and the neutral condition (29 min 39 s ± 3 min 34 s) compared to the painful condition (30 min 19 s ± 5 min 7 s). There were no significant differences between the neutral condition and the pleasant (P = 1.000). The ANOVA also revealed a significant difference in PO (F (2, 40) = 6.318, P = 0.004), mean HR ((F (2, 40) = 4.502, P = 0.017) and mean B[La] (F (2, 40) = 5.724, P = 0.007) between conditions during ?the TT cycling performance, but no significant effect of condition for mean RPE or EIP (P > 0.05). In the FP, a ?significant main effect of condition for EIP (F (2, 40) = 4.363, P = 0.019), but no difference for RPE, HR or B[La]. This experiment demonstrated the first time that painful images negatively affect mood and elicit a compassionate hyperalgesia response to exercise. The results demonstrate that an increased pain sensation during exercise (induced via compassional hyperalgesia) can decrease TT performance, and highlights there is an emotional element to the processing of EIP that can be influenced by compassional hyperalgesia. This is probably the consequence of 'top-down' processing increasing the pain sensation elicited by a given 'bottom-up' stimulus. These results highlight the importance of maintaining a positive mood and emotional state prior to and during exercise. The experimental studies performed as part of this thesis provides unique empirical evidence to advance scientific knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of EIP. This thesis provides further new insights into how different interventions both alleviate and exacerbate EIP, which subsequently influences endurance exercise performance. Furthermore, considering the lack of knowledge regarding the testing and role of EIP in exercise, this thesis contributes to and enhances scientific understanding for how to test for and control these variables