Increasing Teacher Opportunities to Respond in a Head Start Program Using a Bug-In-Ear Coaching Model.

Early childhood teachers play a critical role in the kindergarten readiness of preschool age children. Yet, they often receive little and insufficient training in the use of evidence-based practices that can increase academic success and prevent undesired behaviors. As a result, preschool teachers tend to use more exclusionary practices when disciplining students. A promising strategy for developing the skills of preschool teachers is the use of bug-in-ear coaching, a coaching strategy where a trained individual provides in-the-moment support to a teacher from a location outside of the classroom. This study examined bug-in-ear coaching to support preschool teachers in using opportunities to respond during explicit math instruction. A multiple baseline design across teachers was used to assess the impact of the intervention on the teachers' rates of implementation of opportunities to respond. Bug-in-ear coaching was associated with an increased rate of opportunities to respond for all teachers during the intervention with a functional relation for two out of four teachers. All teachers' rates of opportunities to respond were below their intervention rates during maintenance. Further, teachers reported enjoying the intervention and the opportunity given to improve their practices. Teachers also expressed their desire to have this level of coaching in their centers.

Heading in the Right Direction? Examining the Relationship of Transfer Patterns and Income Status on College Student Outcomes.

Given the prevalence of transfer activity, education stakeholders must understand how transfer may be associated with student outcomes. Such knowledge is critical, as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn have impacted college enrollment and student transfer behavior. Relying on a sample of 6510 undergraduate students from BPS:12/17 data, we conducted analyses using multiple regression to examine the relationship between student transfer direction and two student outcomes: time to degree and cumulative loan debt. Further, we analyzed whether these relationships varied by income status, using adjusted gross income (AGI) as a proxy. We found that transferring from one postsecondary institution to another may extend time to degree by one academic semester and result in increased student loan debt, with these findings varying by income level.

Item response theory in high-stakes pharmacy assessments.

OUR SITUATION: Classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) are two measurement models used to evaluate results from examinations, questionnaires, and instruments. To illustrate the benefits of IRT, we compared how results from multiple-choice tests can be interpreted using CTT and IRT. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW: IRT encompasses a collection of statistical models that estimate the probability of providing a correct response for a test item. The models are non-linear and generate item characteristic curves that illustrate the relationship between the examinee's ability level and whether they answered the item correctly. Several models can be used to estimate parameters such as item difficulty, discrimination, and guessing. In addition, IRT can generate item and test information functions to illustrate the accuracy of ability estimates. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS: Researchers interested in IRT should gather the necessary resources early in the research process and collaborate with those experienced in quantitative and advanced statistical models. Researchers should confirm IRT is the optimal choice and select the model ideal for their needs. Once data are acquired, confirm model assumptions are met and model fit is appropriate. Lastly, researchers should consider disseminating the findings with accompanying visuals. POTENTIAL IMPACT: IRT can be a valuable approach in assessment design and evaluation. Potential opportunities include supporting the design of computer adaptive tests, creating equivalent test forms that evaluate a range of examinee abilities, and evaluating whether items perform differently for examinee sub-groups. Further, IRT can have noteworthy visuals such as test information and functions.

Development and implementation of a formative instructional coaching program using the Teaching Practices Inventory within a health professions program.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of literature describes teaching practices that are positively associated with student achievement. Observing, characterizing, and providing feedback on these teaching practices is a necessary, yet significant challenge to improving teaching quality. This study describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional coaching program created to provide formative feedback to instructors based on their use of evidence-based teaching practices. METHODS: The program was designed for formative purposes utilizing an instrument adapted from the Teaching Practices Inventory. All faculty were invited to participate in the program on a voluntary basis when the program launched in Fall 2019. Program coaches included any School personnel who completed required training. Two rounds of instrument development were conducted with multiple observers and assessed using Krippendorff's Alpha. The program was evaluated using an anonymous post-session survey. RESULTS: Interrater reliability of the form improved over two rounds of piloting and no differences were found in scoring between trainees and education professionals. Seventeen observations were completed by nine coaches. Instructors indicated that feedback was practical, timely, specific, and collegial, suggesting that including student perspectives (e.g., focus groups, student course evaluations) in the coaching program might be helpful. CONCLUSIONS: Creating programs that emphasize and foster the use of evidence-based teaching are critical for health professions education. Additional research is needed to further develop coaching programs that ensure teaching practices in the health professions are optimizing student learning.

Characterizing Research About Interprofessional Education Within Pharmacy.

Objective. To determine how interprofessional education (IPE) in pharmacy has been studied, namely which disciplines have engaged in IPE research initiatives, the research methodologies that have been used, and what journals have published in this area.Findings. In the 145 IPE studies included in the review, the authors represented 13 different disciplines (3.2±1.5 disciplines per study). Pharmacy authors most commonly published with co-authors from nursing, medicine, and health management and support and most frequently served as first author or last author. The IPE activities involved 4.0 student disciplines (SD = 1.9) and 211.8 students (SD = 280.1), and most commonly included nursing (n = 104, 71.7%), medicine (n = 102, 70.3%), and health management and support students (n = 50, 34.5%). Most studies did not include an author from each student discipline involved in the IPE (n = 88, 60.7%). Further, a majority of studies used nonrandomized groupings (n = 103, 71.0%) with quantitative data (n = 74, 51.0%) and most were published in an interprofessional journal (n = 65, 44.8%) or pharmacy-specific journal (n = 45, 31.0%).Summary. Pharmacists have increased their engagement in IPE research as demonstrated by the number of articles published and authorship order position. However, mismatches between student disciplines and author disciplines on published papers elucidate opportunities to foster collaborations that position students for success within a collaborative healthcare environment.

How to use the Delphi method to aid in decision making and build consensus in pharmacy education.

OUR SITUATION: As pharmacy educators, we often encounter situations such as designing new curricula or establishing shared values for an organization that may be ambiguous or controversial. To generate effective solutions, it is often necessary to build group consensus with key stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to describe and provide recommendations for using the Delphi method, a process for facilitating discussions and aiding in decision making. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW: An overview of the Delphi method, including its multiple variations, is presented. Steps necessary to complete a Delphi study (building a protocol, developing a research question, defining panelists and panel size, piloting the protocol, round one item creation and analysis, round two and beyond, consensus, increasing clarity, and reporting) is described. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATION(S): Practical recommendations are provided to support use the Delphi method to build consensus in research. These recommendations include: (1) clarify the purpose of the Delphi, (2) ensure the research questions are grounded in the literature and are relevant, (3) carefully consider panelist processes, (4) determine any definitions that should be given to or developed by panelists, (5) determine methods for enhancing clarity, and (6) employ methods to reduce attrition. POTENTIAL IMPACT: The Delphi method provides a systematic approach to generating consensus in pharmacy education for commonly encountered situations such as committee meetings, research studies, faculty retreats, classroom activities, and lab meetings.

The association between student socioeconomic status and student-teacher relationships on math achievement.

The importance of math achievement in the early grades has been well documented. Two variables that have independently been found to be strong predictors of math achievement are student-teacher relationships (STR) and socioeconomic status (SES). The present study investigates the interaction between STR and SES on student math achievement using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative data set. The participants included approximately 8,380 first-grade students, 2,930 teachers, and 860 schools, representing a weighted sample of approximately 3.15 million students or 90% of the population. Multilevel modeling, controlling for student-, teacher-, and school-level factors, found that both STR and SES had a strong relationship with student math achievement. There was also a statistically significant moderation effect between close STR and SES on math achievement, suggesting that close STR are beneficial for all students, but are especially beneficial for students from low SES backgrounds. Further, educational implications for research, policy, and practice are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A Mapping Review of Teamwork Training and Assessment in Pharmacy Education.

Objective. To explore how teamwork is taught (ie, skills and format), measured, and assessed within pharmacy education.Methods. A mapping review was conducted to provide a selection of articles to specifically capture how teamwork is taught, measured, and assessed within pharmacy education.Results. Of the 114 references retrieved, 18 studies from 17 schools or colleges of pharmacy met the inclusion criteria for review and data abstraction. Ten of the studies (56%) described how teamwork training was integrated into courses while the other eight studies described workshops, clinical rotations, modules, interprofessional simulations, long-term projects, and retreats on teamwork. Learning activities involving patient cases were the most common teaching method described (n=12, 67%). For the teamwork principles taught, all articles included leadership training or evaluating leadership skills in their program. To assess teamwork, 17 (94%) of the programs used students' self-reported measures of skills and behaviors, attitudes, and/or knowledge. Fourteen studies (78%) demonstrated improvements in students' attitude-related outcomes, 13 (72%) studies demonstrated improvements in skills-related outcomes, and six studies (33%) described improvements in knowledge related outcomes.Conclusion. Teamwork is regarded as an integral component of being an effective health care professional. While teamwork is common in pharmacy curricula, few studies describe strategies for teaching effective teamwork strategies to pharmacy students. The articles reviewed revealed a wide range of approaches to teaching, measuring, and assessing teamwork skills within pharmacy education. This review highlights an opportunity to further explore and identify the teamwork skills that are requisite for success in pharmacy practice, which could then be supported by standardized teamwork training programs and assessments.

Qualitative Evaluation of a Junior Faculty Team Mentoring Program.

Objective. To investigate the strengths and challenges of a structured junior faculty mentoring program at a public four-year school of pharmacy, identify areas of opportunity to improve the program, and describe the mentoring needs of mid-career faculty.Methods. Focus groups and interviews were conducted to elicit participants' experiences, perceptions, and suggestions for opportunity to improve the program. Stakeholder groups included junior faculty enrolled in the mentoring program, mid-career faculty who had graduated from the program, mid-career faculty who had not participated in the program, internal mentors, external mentors, and division chairs. Thematic coding was used to identify semantic themes, and summaries of participant perceptions were generated. The program was mapped to the PAIRS checklist from the 2014 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Joint Council Task Force on Mentoring.Results. Participants described the structure of the program and mentee-mentor relationships as strengths of the program. Challenges included finding time to meet and ensuring mentee-mentor fit. Several areas of opportunity were identified, such as adjusting the topics for large mentee seminars, providing mentors with training, and providing mentoring for mid-career faculty. The mentoring needs of mid-career faculty were described as unique and requiring potentially different strategies than those used for mentoring junior faculty.Conclusion. Mentoring is critical to the professional development of faculty, supporting faculty retention and job satisfaction, and reducing faculty burnout. Scholarly endeavors that explore faculty mentoring, specifically those using qualitative methods, can help the Academy better understand and meet the needs of faculty.

Emerging Innovations and Professional Skills Needed Within Pharmacy Curricula.

To ensure students are prepared for the rapidly evolving world of health care, curricula must be aligned with emerging innovations, as well as professional skills likely to influence students' abilities to be successful. At the 2019 annual meeting of PharmAlliance institutions, we asked experts to identify innovations and professional skills necessary for the future of pharmacy practice. Experts identified a wide range of topics, including personalized and precision medicine, digital health, interprofessional collaboration, clinical decision making, and overcoming complexity and ambiguity. While these findings are useful for informing curriculum content, we must also commit to ensuring our pharmacy curricula are emerging, forward thinking, and effective at preparing students for the challenges in health care.

Using multiple linear regression in pharmacy education scholarship.

OUR SITUATION: There has been an increased interest in regression techniques within pharmacy education to allow researchers to determine variables that may predict a specific outcome (e.g., predicting student scores on the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment). This article has been tailored for individuals who are interested in learning more about multiple linear regression as a data analysis tool and its potential utility in pharmacy education research. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW: Within this section, the basic steps of regression are outlined, starting with correlational analysis before progressing to simple linear regression and multiple regression. Key terms needed to understand and interpret regressions are also discussed. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS: Nine practical recommendations are provided to help researchers better understand and implement regression analyses in their studies. POTENTIAL IMPACT: Regression analyses could be helpful in advancing pharmacy educational scholarship by enabling scholars to better understand variables that may predict specific outcomes such as student achievement or program retention.

Exploring the Future of Graduate Education in Pharmaceutical Fields.

To ensure graduate students remain at the forefront of healthcare, curricula must be aligned with current and emerging innovations likely to influence students' ability to be successful. In this study, a modified Delphi technique was utilized to determine and prioritize the innovations and professional skills needed. For innovations, the top three areas experts identified were (1) personalized medicine, (2) big data, and (3) cell and gene therapy. For professional skills, the top three areas were (1) creative problem solving, (2) communication, and (3) data literacy. These results can be used to inform graduate curriculum development within various pharmaceutical fields.

Strategies to effectively implement self-assessment techniques using multiple methods.

BACKGROUND: This commentary accompanies a companion article that used post-test predictions or postdictions as a self-assessment strategy to help third-year pharmacy students evaluate and understand their test performance. IMPACT: In addition to providing constructive critiques to the companion article, two educational studies using different self-assessment techniques are highlighted. TEACHABLE MOMENT: To help improve the design and implementation of self-assessment strategies in the future, the goal of this teachable moments matter is to unpack the relationship between self-assessment and metacognition. Specifically, this commentary will address the consequences of using singular self-assessments as well as provide strategies on how to appropriately utilize self-assessments through the triangulation of multiple methods.

Thromboprophylaxis practice patterns in hip fracture surgery patients: experience in Perth, Western Australia.

BACKGROUND: International guidelines recommend that all patients undergoing hip fracture surgery receive specific thromboprophylaxis. The purpose of the present study was to examine current thromboprophylaxis practice patterns in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery at Royal Perth Hospital. METHODS: A total of 129 consecutive patients admitted to Royal Perth Hospital between 4 February and 21 July 2002 for surgical repair of a fractured neck of femur, was studied. The primary outcome was the frequency, type, and duration of thromboprophylaxis use during hospitalization. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 79.4 +/- 13.4 years and 69.8% (90/129) were female. Seventy-four patients (57.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 48.8-66.8%) received specific thromboprophylaxis during hospitalization, including 50 patients (39.1%; 95%CI: 30.6-48.1%) who received pharmacological prophylaxis only, three (2.3%; 95%CI: 0.5-6.7%) who received mechanical prophylaxis only, and 21 (16.4%; 95%CI: 10.5-24.0%) who received both mechanical and pharmacological prophylaxis. Of those receiving pharmacological prophylaxis, 35 (49.3%; 95%CI: 37.2-61.4%) received low-molecular-weight heparin, 26 (36.6%; 95%CI: 25.5-48.9%) received low-dose unfractionated heparin, eight (11.3%; 95%CI: 5.0-21.0%) received warfarin, 35 (49.3%; 95%CI: 37.2-61.8%) received aspirin or clopidogrel, and 27 (38.0%; 95% CI: 26.8-50.3%) received combined anticoagulant and antiplatelet prophylaxis. The median duration of mechanical prophylaxis was 8 days (range: 6-12 days) and that of pharmacological prophylaxis was 12 days (range: 6-26 days). When the 32 patients already taking aspirin or warfarin at the time of admission were excluded, only 45 (46.9%; 95%CI: 36.6-57.3%) of the remaining 96 patients received specific thromboprophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Specific thromboprophylaxis remains under-utilized in patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture at Royal Perth Hospital. These data should prompt the implementation of effective strategies to improve thromboprophylaxis practice patterns in high-risk orthopaedic patients.