ABSTRACT
A comprehensive cross-national understanding of the classroom learning environment (CLE) is critical to advancing CLE's development. This study compares the English and Chinese CLE literature to enhance a complete understanding of CLE. We conducted bibliometric analysis on 3,130 English literature from Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and 1,261 Chinese literature from the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI). The results show that both Chinese and English literature focus on the influence of CLE on students' cognitive and affective learning outcomes and the incorporation of information technology in CLE. The results also reveal the differences between Chinese and English literature from two perspectives: (1) Chinese CLE research mainly focuses on English education, and English CLE research mainly focuses on science education and (2) Chinese CLE research mainly analyzed the pedagogical aspect of CLE, while English CLE research focused on CLE's social and psychological aspects. We also discussed that future research should focus on (1) the balance of analyzing CLE from the perspective of students and other educational stakeholders such as teachers and school leaders, (2) student differences from the pedagogical level, (3) the physical level of CLE, (4) the use of statistical methods such as structural equation modeling that can analyze the mechanisms underlying the effects of CLE on student learning, and (5) the interdisciplinary research on CLE.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recent research indicates that current mHealth apps for bipolar disorders (BDs) show crucial shortcomings. They lack important functionality, are of inconsistent quality, and are insufficiently evidence-based. mHealth apps need to be better adapted to the needs of users. The perspectives of adult service users with BD regarding mHealth apps have not been well investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the needs and expectations of adults with BD regarding mHealth apps. METHODS: Two focus group sessions were organized in which patients' views on self-management and design and functionality of an mHealth app for BD were assessed. During session 1, four focus groups were organized to identify users' needs regarding support for self-management. Session 2 contained three cocreation focus groups. Through this method, the desired functionality and design were explored. RESULTS: Participants indicated that they were in need of support in various ways. Not only support in psychoeducation, including daily routine, sleep pattern, maintaining social contacts, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and avoidance of stimuli, was considered important for them but also gaining insight into their illness was found to be crucial. CONCLUSIONS: According to the participants, their illness-related information is a key factor in gaining insight into their mood pattern. Participants wanted a functional design that would increase daily use and prevent overstimulation. The results of this study should be taken into account when developing new mHealth apps.
ABSTRACT
This study describes the development and validation of the Elder Learning Barriers (ELB) scale, which seeks to identify the obstacles that affect the level of educational participation of older adults. The process of item pool design and scale development is presented, as well as the testing and scale refinement procedure. The data were collected from a sample of 579 older Chinese adults (aged over 55) in the Xi'an region of China. After randomly splitting the sample for cross-validation purposes, the construct validity of the ELB scale was confirmed containing five dimensions: dispositional, informational, physical, situational, and institutional barriers. Furthermore, developmental differences in factor structure have been examined among older age groups. The results indicated that the scale demonstrated good reliability and validity. We conclude in general that the ELB scale appears to be a valuable instrument for examining the learning barriers that older Chinese citizens experience for participating in organized educational activities.
