Case study of a pilot mentoring program in transdisciplinary sciences

We conducted a case study on the implementation of an adult mentoring program designed to connect land-grant university graduate students who participated in a transdisciplinary and multi-institutional research project withindustry professionals for the purpose of exposing students to industry practices. Seven mentees and six mentors participated in the study. We employed the theory of planned behavior to inform findings regarding participants' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs surrounding professional performance and goal attainment. Program outcomes were positive for student career development, for example expanding graduate students' professional networks and sharing research findings with industry professionals. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered the mentoring program's success by adding stress and travel restrictions that prevented full engagement in the program by all parties. Recommendations for improving the program's success include providing participants with better support mechanisms for initiatingmentoring relationships and encouraging mentees to develop coping mechanisms when faced with cognitive overload and communication apprehension. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

EFL teachers' coping strategies amidst the Covid-19 virtual education and their association with work engagement and teacher apprehension

Teaching can be considered as an extremely demanding and stressful occupation and being a language educator brings about its own distinctive challenges. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, teachers worldwide experienced fundamental changes in their profession and their lives as a whole. Coping with such an unprecedented situation and responses to it have created new and extra stressful factors for teachers to cope with, including the difficulties created by quick transition from direct teaching to virtual and remote teaching. This study examined EFL teachers' coping strategies during the Covid-19 virtual education and their association with work engagement and teacher apprehension. A total of 296 language instructors contributed to this study by participating in a survey in January 2021. To determine what coping strategies teachers use in virtual teaching during Covid-19, the researchers adapted the Brief-COPE scale designed and validated by Carver (Int J Behav Med 4:92–100, 1997) to make it appropriate for virtual education. The survey measured 11 coping strategies divided into two broad types, approach and avoidant. For measuring work engagement, the Work and Well-being Survey (UWES) scale designed and validated by Schaufeli and Bakker (Test manual for the Utrecht work engagement scale, vol 3. Utrecht University, The Netherlands, pp. 44–52, 2003. http://www.schaufeli.com) was utilized. To assess teachers' apprehension, the research employed the Sources of Teachers' Apprehension Scale (STAS) developed by Ghanizadeh et al. (Asia-Pac Educ Res 1–14, 2020). The result demonstrated that the adapted coping strategies scale enjoys acceptable reliability and validity indices. The results estimated via structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that EFL teachers' approach coping strategies positively and significantly predicted work engagement (β = 0.72, t = 10.56). Work engagement was negatively predicted by avoidant coping strategies (β = − 0.29, t = − 3.36). Teacher apprehension was negatively influenced by approach coping strategies (β = − 0.44, t = − 5.57) and positively by avoidant coping strategies (β = 0.43, t = 5.29). The study proposes some practical recommendations for overcoming the Covid-19 related challenges which could further deliver valuable guidance for supporting future training of teachers. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Parental apprehension, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection in children: A cross-sectional study

Background: With the anticipation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) third wave, there were reports of increased rates of infection among children. So naturally, there will be apprehension among parents regarding this. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) play an important role in effectively controlling the infection. Aims and Objectives: The study is an attempt to understand parental apprehension and their KAP regarding COVID-19 infection in children. Materials and Methods: A total of 367 parents participated. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using R language. Results: Higher scores of knowledge were reported among higher age (P=0.003), higher education (P<0.001), professionals (P<0.001), urban area (P<0.001), and two or more children (P=0.022). Good practices were noted among unemployed (P<0.001), Hindu religion (P=0.045), and single child (P=0.002). Higher educated and employed had good knowledge, but practices were better among unemployed and illiterate. Knowledge was positively correlated with attitude (r+0.54, P<0.001, 95% CI [0.47, 0.61]) and practices (r+0.26, P<0.001, 95% CI [0.17, 0.36]);and attitudes with practices (r+0.32, P<0.001, 95% CI [0.22, 0.41]). Conclusion: The study finds that generally, parents have good KAP toward COVID-19. However, they have limited knowledge regarding COVID-19 infection in children contributing to parental apprehension. It is time we spread awareness on KAPs regarding COVID-19 infection in children. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Attitudes wards Online Learning ring COVID-19: A Cluster and Sentiment Analyses

This paper investigated the attitudes of 702 college students toward the implementation of fully online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Toward this goal, responses of the students were collected and analyzed through hierarchical cluster and sentiment analyses using the R software. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed hopeful and apprehensive attitudes toward online learning. Advantages of online learning emerged as positive sentiments while challenges and their impact on mental health emerged as negative sentiments. It is concluded that online learning is a promising platform of learning provided that its shortcomings are addressed. Implications to teaching are offered. © 2022 The authors and IOS Press.

Moderating Effects of Self-Esteem on the Relationship between Communication Anxiety and Academic Performance among Female Health College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Unprecedented quarantine due to COVID-19 exposes individuals to withdraw from face-to-face interactions, which may influence communication and self-esteem (SE). Therefore, the overarching aims of this study are to examine the communication apprehension levels among female college students, and thus to investigate the moderating role of self-esteem on the relationship between communication apprehension and academic achievement. In this cross-sectional study, 287 female college students completed the survey, which was circulated through email. The survey included the following questionnaires: General Health Characteristics, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Scale. The results showed that 28.2% of participants were categorized as having a high level of communication apprehension, and only 9.8% had a low level of communication apprehension. The SE reported an overall score of 24.3 ± 2.14, indicating a high self-esteem level among students. The students' grade point average (GPA) was positively correlated with SE. However, self-esteem as a moderator variable had no significant effect on the relationships between all predictors and GPA. The finding of the study highlights the need to implement different strategies to enhance students' group discussions, meetings, and interpersonal communication to ensure the best learning outcomes. Future studies are required to investigate gender-based disparities in the relationship between communication apprehension and SE.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on orthodontic patient’s inflow in daily orthodontic practice: A cross-sectional study

Aim: To evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on orthodontic patients’ apprehension and inflow and to investigate the treatment-related problems encountered during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Saudi Arabia, and patients with active orthodontic treatment were reached via an online questionnaire. A total of 260 orthodontic patients agreed to participate in the study. The sample size calculation was performed using the Raosoft sample size calculator based on the estimation of 75% of the population need orthodontic treatment. The questionnaire included three sections: demographic data, patient fear, and troubles encountered during the lockdown. A link was sent to the participants via different social media platforms and applications. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test was used to assess differences between the variables. Pearson correlation, binomial logistic regression, and multiple logistic regression tests were used to assess the extent of the relationship between patient apprehension and safety measures of COVID-19, as well as between patient orthodontic-related problems. Results: About half of the participants (52.3%) were not afraid of COVID-19 or panicked;however, 54% of them felt depressed during the lockdown. More than 80% were not afraid of visiting the orthodontists or thinking of changing their orthodontists for safety measures and did not want to postpone their treatment. The participants felt that excellent disinfection was the most important measure of infection control followed by wearing masks, face shields, and protective clothing. Conclusion: COVID-19 and the lockdown have a noticeable impact on the patients’ apprehension and dejection. A very high percentage of patients in this study showed no hesitation to visit their orthodontists, and they did not want to stop their treatment during the pandemic. The most common treatment-related problem reported was cheek injury, followed by bracket breakage.

Hesitancy towards the Third Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine among the Younger Generation in Japan.

The younger generation's hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine in Japan received significant attention during the early stages of vaccination. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive study in Japan that analyzes the apprehension towards the third dose of vaccine, commonly known as the booster dose, and its underlying causes. Using data from an online panel survey conducted by the Hiroshima Institute of Health Economics Research at Hiroshima University, we examined the severity of booster dose aversion among youths of different ages. Our findings indicate that a sizeable proportion of the Japanese population, particularly younger men, are hesitant to receive the booster dose. Furthermore, an inter-age group difference in booster dose aversion exists only among men. According to the probit regression results, subjective health status and future anxiety are associated with the booster vaccine hesitancy of men and women of various age groups. Moreover, few socioeconomic and behavioral factors like marital status, having children, household income and assets, and having a myopic view of the future, are also associated with the booster dose aversion among youths of certain ages. Given the diverse attitude of the younger generation, our findings suggest that public health authorities should develop effective communication strategies to reduce vaccine apprehension in the society.

COVID-19 and stress: An evaluation using Beck's depression and anxiety inventory among college students and faculty members of Jouf University.

BACKGROUND: Individuals might suffer emotional, psychological, and even bodily challenges as a result of any pandemic. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Saudi Arabian University students and faculty members has received little attention. OBJECTIVE: To assess stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among university college students and faculty members of Jouf University, KSA and evaluate the impact of socio- demographic factors on anxiety and depression levels. METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen participants from Jouf University completed an anonymous web-based survey that includes questionnaires about anxiety and depression symptoms. Beck's anxiety inventory (BAI) was used to assess the anxiety levels, and Beck's depression inventory (BDI) was used to determine the depression levels due to COVID 19 pandemic. The research was carried out between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020. An ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to explain the odds of observing anxiety and depression. RESULTS: For "moderate anxiety" (22-35), the most frequently observed category of age, nationality, gender, duration spent in lockdown and profession was 20-30 years (n = 15, 65%), Saudis (n = 14, 61%), female (n = 15, 65%),>3 months (n = 17, 74%), and students (n = 15, 65%) respectively. For "moderate depression" (21-30), the most frequently observed category of age, nationality, gender, duration spent in lockdown and profession was 20-30 years (n = 10, 50%), Saudi (n = 15, 65%), female (n = 26, 65%).>3 months (n = 13, 65%), and both students and faculty members, each with an observed frequency of 10 (50%) respectively. Ordinal logistic regression analysis suggested that the observed effects of nationality, gender, and duration spent in lockdown period influenced the anxiety levels among participants. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of the lockdown duration was more significant in students than in faculty members and females than in males. Authors recommend the critical need for intervention and prevention strategies to address college students' mental health.

The Sense of Justice in a Time of Pandemic: A Perspective from John Rawls' Political Liberalism

The article investigated how the political liberalism of John Rawls can offer reasonable arguments to address the political, economic and social dilemmas caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Rawls' theory applies specifically to well-ordered societies, in & sect;& sect;10 and 11 of Conference VIII of Political Liberalism, the philosopher discusses how to govern in times of emergency that affect stability institutions of the rule of law. From the differentiation between the types of institutional instability (crisis and apprehension), it is indicated that the situation generated by COVID-19 is similar to the context of tension. Using John Rawls' political liberalism in this context of tension, it is possible to affirm the reasonableness of the argument in favor of restricting the freedom to go and the entrepreneur, in favor of not exposing people to excessive risks of death.

Filipinos' health information-seeking behaviors and their implications for COVID-19 vaccination.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined Filipinos' health information-seeking behaviors, specifically their information engagement and apprehension of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, the reasons for vaccination, and how these factors influenced their decision to get vaccinated. DESIGN: Quantitative, cross-sectional, and predictive approaches. SAMPLE: This study conducted a national online survey using convenience sampling (n = 2709). MEASUREMENT: The Health Information Orientation Scale (HIOS) and Statista.com's "reasons for not getting a COVID-19 vaccination" were used to collect data. Demographic characteristics that predict information engagement and apprehension were identified using multivariate linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Responses to information engagement and apprehension revealed "often true" and "sometimes true," respectively. The majority of participants intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. "Concerned about the vaccine's safety" is the most common reason for not getting vaccinated. Female gender, college graduate, employed, and using social media to obtain COVID-19 vaccine information were all significant predictors of information engagement and apprehension. Information engagement and apprehension were predicted by age and religion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers should consider how people seek information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and why some people refuse to get vaccinated. Additionally, public health nurses should educate the public about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

Communication Apprehension and Psychological Well-Being of Students in Online Learning.

The current pandemic has modified how education, learning, and technology interact with one another inside universities. The usage of technology for instructional purposes raises the question of whether learning that happens in an online environment is as effective as traditional classroom models. Within this context, this study explores the psychological well-being of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an online cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from 246 university students currently studying at a private university in India. Hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used to study the mediating effects between communication apprehension, perceived learning, and psychological well-being under the moderating effects of intention to use social media and psychological stress. Results show that higher intentions to use social media alleviated the negative effects of communication apprehension on perceived learning. Interestingly, it was also found that perceived learning had a significant positive relationship with psychological well-being when students experienced higher levels of psychological stress (eustress). Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the transactional theory of stress and coping, we attempt to integrate the findings related to these theories, which can be considered distinct to previous studies. Implications, limitations, and future directions for research and practice have also been discussed.