Are Users Good Assessors of Social Dominance in Domestic Horses?

Horse users and caretakers must be aware of the risks of mixing social groups. The current study investigated whether eight equine practitioners can assess the social dominance rank of 20 horses. The horses' feeding time and agonistic/aggressive and submissive behaviours were observed during the feed confrontation test, and the dominance index (DI) was calculated. Kendal's W, Spearman correlations and factor analysis were applied to test the raters' agreement, the relationship between dominance ranks and the behavioural variables, and to determine the clustered behaviours. The agreement between all raters in the classification of dominance order ranged from moderate to perfect. The ranking by every rater was strongly and negatively correlated with the time of eating in feed confrontation tests and with the DI, evidencing shorter feeding times for more submissive horses. The withdrawal of the horse when threatened was the behavioural variable that was most often correlated with raters' ranking. The current study confirmed the abilities of practitioners to categorise the horses under their care according to their social interactions. Additionally, rolling when denied access to feed was proposed as frustration-releasing (redirected) behaviour.

The mediating effect of job involvement in the relationship between tennis Instructors' perceived organizational justice and turnover intentions: a multi-group analysis across generations.

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the role of job involvement as a mediator in the relationship between tennis coaches' perceived organizational justice and their intention to leave, considering the unique professional context and demands of tennis coaching. Additionally, it sought to identify any generational differences in this model. The research categorizes perceived organizational justice into procedural and distributive justice, and job involvement into job attachment and job commitment. Methods: The study incorporated data from 201 coaches working at commercial tennis facilities nationwide. Perceived organizational justice and job involvement were measured using validated scales. The mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), and a multi-group analysis was conducted to identify generational differences. Results: Results indicated that job involvement partially mediated the relationship between perceived organizational justice and turnover intentions, with distributive justice having a stronger total effect. The multi-group analysis revealed generational variances: distributive justice influenced turnover intentions more among the MZ generation, while procedural justice had a greater impact on the older generation. Discussion: These findings offer valuable insights for commercial tennis facilities aiming to reduce turnover and manage generational conflicts. Understanding the differential impacts of procedural and distributive justice on various generations can help tailor strategies to enhance organizational operation and employee retention. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of perceived organizational justice and job involvement in influencing tennis coaches' turnover intentions. The generational differences observed suggest that targeted interventions based on generational characteristics can be effective in reducing turnover and improving organizational stability. Future research should explore other potential mediators and extend the model to different sports and organizational contexts.

Utilizing communication strategies to enhance reflective learning in Ethiopian EFL classrooms.

Various studies have extensively examined classroom communication patterns in active language learning classrooms at higher education levels. However, research in the Ethiopian context is limited. While these studies contribute significantly to the field, they neglect to explore classroom communication patterns in reflective classroom practices. This study aimed to evaluate the communication patterns used by English as foreign language instructors in facilitating reflective learning within the Communicative English Language Skill Course at Hawassa University. Guided by constructivist theory, the research adopted a descriptive qualitative case study design within the interpretative paradigm. Ten certified Higher Diploma Program instructors teaching the course were purposefully selected for data collection through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews. Both datasets were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. The findings revealed three communication patterns: instructorto-student, student-to-student, and student-to-instructor. The instructor-to-student pattern was the most commonly observed across all classes, characterized by instructors posing questions and students engaging in individual and collective reflection. However, the student-to-student pattern was rarely observed, particularly during group activities, and students often struggled to express their views due to time constraints. Additionally, there was limited communication between students and instructors, even when students had the opportunity to ask questions or give feedback. Despite instructors' efforts to establish rapport with students, reflective learning was not adequately facilitated through student-to-student and student-to-instructor communications. In conclusion, communication patterns in fostering reflective learning faced limitations, primarily due to insufficient opportunities for student reflection and inadequate time allocation for the reflection process, impacting its effectiveness.

'[M]y own pace and space, without the pressures': Online learning experiences of audiology students.

BACKGROUND:  Online learning has been used to improve students' learning experiences and to allow students to engage with their own learning in various spaces. However, there is a dearth of literature on students' experiences with online learning in the field of audiology. OBJECTIVES:  This study aimed to describe the conditions of online learning, explore the challenges and benefits of online learning and determine strategies that students employ while engaging with online learning. METHOD:  An exploratory qualitative research design was employed. Audiology students from the second to the fourth year participated in the study. Qualitative data were collected online via MS Teams using a semi-structured interview schedule with the participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the participants' interviews. RESULTS:  Most of our participants were females in their fourth year of study. The students accessed the online learning platforms procured by the university from their homes, with reported benefits such as the flexibility and independence of learning, and time and cost-effectiveness. However, challenges such as limited internet connectivity, issues with time management and inconsistent power supply restricted positive experiences with online learning. CONCLUSION:  The online learning benefits that were reported by the students and the compensatory strategies they employed facilitated self-regulated learning. The study's findings highlighted the need for continuous checking-in with students regarding their experiences with the learning approaches intended to improve engagement with their courses. These results could be used as a guide for curriculum planning that is student-focused.Contribution: Students' experiences explored in our study provided a guide for online learning approaches that were suitable for audiology students. Student-centred and self-regulated learning practices were highlighted and future studies may further explore these frameworks and theories.

Occupational Health-Related Problems among Portuguese Fitness Instructors.

BACKGROUND: The fitness sector has experienced significant expansion, with fitness instructors (FIs) playing a pivotal role. Given the demands of their profession, understanding their health profile is crucial. This study's purpose is to explore the prevalence of fitness instructors' occupational health-related problems. METHODS: A questionnaire covering sociodemographic, occupational, and health-related items was administered. Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests, Spearman's rho correlations, and logistic regressions, were conducted. RESULTS: Fifty-nine FIs reported occupational health-related problems, with the majority occurring during instruction (66.1%), being muscular (32.2%), and knee (15.3%), the most common type and localization. Significant statistical differences were observed between injured and non-injured FIs, including sex (p = 0.012), years as an FI (p = 0.001), weekly days worked (p = 0.039), and daily hours worked (p = 0.013). Weak negative (-0.284 - -0.362) statistically significant correlations were found between health problems; weight; height; main activity; and FIs in the workplace. Logistic regressions identified significant models showing that having a sport/physical exercise background and practicing it regularly were less likely to report bursitis (OR 0.018; p = 0.020) and hip injuries (OR 0.026; p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-third of FIs reported occupational-related health problems, predominantly musculoskeletal injuries. Sociodemographic, personal, and occupational factors appear to influence the prevalence of these health problems.

Challenges of Clinical Education: From the Perspective of Clinical Instructors and Clinical Staffs at Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the challenges of clinical education from the perspective of clinical instructors and clinical staff at Dire Dawa University College of Health Science. METHODS: An institutional-based phenomenological qualitative study was conducted. Clinical instructors and staff provided data through in-depth interviews and key informant discussions, which were facilitated by a semistructured tool and a voice recorder. A total of 17 participants, including 11 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with clinical instructors (including two key informants) and six IDIs with clinical staff were included in this study. A purposive sampling method was used to select study participants, and the data were analyzed thematically using the computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti7. The thematic analysis with an inductive approach involves six steps: familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing. RESULTS: Clinical instructors and clinical staff noted a number of challenges in clinical education, including insufficient medical equipment, low incentives, clinical site repetition, unfavorable clinical practice sites, lack of communication from instructors, skill attrition, lack of orientation for instructors and students, client/patient unwelcomingness, uncooperative healthcare workers, and poor university cooperation. CONCLUSION: The aforementioned issues contributed to the quality of clinical education and its desired impact, as outlined in this research. A multidisciplinary and collaborative effort is needed to address these challenges.

A cross-sectional study on personal values of medical students: the differences from their instructors, their associations with mental wellbeing, and the influences of gender.

BACKGROUND: Personal values of Thai medical students have been observed to be diverging from those of their seniors, but the differences remain uncharacterized. Despite its potential association with mental wellbeing, the issue remain unexplored in the population. This study aimed to explore (1) the difference in personal values between medical students and instructors and (2) the association between student's value adherence to mental well-being and the interaction by gender. METHODS: An online survey was performed in 2022. Participants rated their adherence to five groups of values, namely, Self-Direction, Hedonism, Achievement & Power, Universalism & Benevolence, and Tradition. Participants also rated their mental wellbeing. Comparisons were made between the personal values of students and instructors. The association between the personal values of students and their mental wellbeing and the interaction between values and gender were analyzed in linear regression. RESULTS: Compared to instructors, students rated higher on Universalism & Benevolence, marginally higher on Hedonism, and lower on Tradition. Students' ratings on Self-Direction, Universalism & Benevolence, and Tradition predicted better mental wellbeing. Their rating on Hedonism predicted poorer mental wellbeing, the effect of which was marginally stronger in males. Ratings on Achievement & Power marginally predicted poorer mental wellbeing in females. CONCLUSION: Difference in personal values between medical students and instructors have been observed. Some of these values hold potentials over student's mental wellbeing. Curricular and medical school environmental accommodation for the changes in the characters of learners may be necessary to mitigate the adverse effects on their mental wellbeing and foster development of desirable professional characteristics.

Caring for nursing students is caring for patients: A multicentre cross-sectional study on the relationship between nursing students' caring and the perception of instructors' caring.

BACKGROUND: Caring in nursing is a fundamental aspect, yet teaching and fostering caring behaviours in nursing students remain challenging. Clinical instructors play a crucial role in this process. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were a) to describe nursing students' caring behaviours and perceptions of instructor caring, b) to assess sex-related and year of course differences in students' caring behaviours and perceptions of nursing caring, and c) to investigate the association between nursing students' caring and their perception of instructors' caring. DESIGN: A multi-centre, cross-sectional observational study was conducted. SETTING: The study involved undergraduate nursing students from four teaching hospitals of a university in Northern Italy. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 316 nursing undergraduate students participated in the study (83.9 % female, 16.1 % male, 23.1 % 1st year, 48.1 % 2nd year, 28.8 % 3rd year). METHODS: Participants completed online self-reported surveys assessing caring behaviours, empathy, burnout, and perceptions of instructor caring. Caring behaviours, expressive and instrumental caring, were measured using the Caring Behaviour Inventory (CBI), and perceptions of instructor caring were assessed using the Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring (NSPIC) questionnaire. RESULTS: Students' caring behaviours were positively associated with their perceptions of instructor caring, particularly in relation to a supportive learning climate and instructor flexibility. Female students displayed higher scores in expressive caring, while students in their second and third years demonstrated increased instrumental caring behaviours. Responding to Individual Needs was significantly lower in third-years students, compared to first- and second-year ones. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the crucial role of clinical instructors in shaping nursing students' caring attributes. However, the influence of sex on caring behaviours remains unclear, necessitating further investigation. These findings underscore the significance of nurturing caring behaviours in nursing education and offer insights for selecting, training, and supporting clinical instructors, to foster more compassionate and competent nurses.

If you are learner-centered and you know it, raise your hand: Perspectives on and implementation of pedagogical changes by science instructors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) faced significant hardships while trying to learn through emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research aims to investigate if science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructors thought about and enacted more learner-centered teaching practices to alleviate some of this stress encountered by their students. Using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, we utilized inductive and deductive qualitative research methods to examine two questions: (1) To what extent were STEM instructor's perceived pedagogical changes learner-centered during ERT?; and (2) To what extent were STEM instructor's teaching behaviors and discourse practices learner-centered during ERT? Our findings revealed that during ERT, STEM instructors described using a variety of pedagogical changes that we identified as learner-centered under the Weimer framework, including ideas such as enacting flexible late policies and increased usage of formative assessment. Interestingly, we found that many of these learned-centered changes were happening outside of the classroom. Classroom observations assessing instructor behaviors and discourse demonstrated that STEM instructors enacted practices that aligned with Weimer's five constructs of learner-centered teaching. Our research highlights implications of learner-centered teaching practices for STEM instructors as well as researchers.

How intrinsically motivating are swimming instructors/lessons in the Netherlands? An observational study through the lens of self-determination theory.

Background: It is desirable that (more) children continue swimming after having completed their swimming lessons to preserve their swimming skills and water safety, and as part of an active, healthy lifestyle. This may be encouraged by stirring children's intrinsic motivation for swimming during swimming lessons. However, it is currently unknown how intrinsically motivating swimming lessons are in Western countries. Purpose: This study examined to what extent swimming instructors in the Netherlands cater to the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which, according to Self-Determination Theory (SDT), promote intrinsic motivation. Additionally, it examined whether an SDT-based teaching program prompts instructors to better meet these needs, and to what extent the teaching program, the education and experience of the instructor, and the group size predict the employment of SDT in swimming lessons. Methods: A total of 128 swimming lessons given by equally many instructors were observed in the Netherlands and rated on a modified version of the SDT teaching style scale to assess autonomy, competence, and relatedness support. The swimming lessons referred to four teaching programs, one of which was explicitly based on SDT. Results: Instructors exhibited autonomy-thwarting, weakly competence-supportive, and relatedness-supportive behaviors. The SDT-based teaching program scored higher on the provision of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in lessons. This finding was significant for autonomy. Teaching program was the only significant predictor of SDT employment by instructors. Conclusion: Further improvement is desirable in catering to the basic needs, particularly autonomy, which can be achieved by deliberately implementing the principles of SDT into teaching programs for swimming.

College instructors' experiences with undergraduate students who have mental health symptoms: systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: to synthesize peer-reviewed research exploring postsecondary instructors' experiences with undergraduate students with mental health (MH) symptoms. METHODS: English-language, peer-reviewed primary research articles published between 2010 and 2021 were included. Themes and subthemes were analyzed. RESULTS: Ten articles met criteria. Three themes emerged: Instructor Actions in the Moment, with subthemes Talking with Students, Making Referrals, and Doing Nothing; Processing the Complex Emotional Impact, with subthemes Caring and Confidence, Powerlessness and Apprehension, Struggle with Boundaries, and Worry about Safety; and Needs Unmet by the Institution, with subthemes Wanted Disclosure, Wanted MH Training, Wanted Clear Policies, Wanted Institutional Support, and Wanted Robust Campus Counseling Services. Lack of resources was the major reported impediment. CONCLUSIONS: Several implications for institutions emerge. MH education should be provided for instructors. Institutions should ensure MH policies are clear and easily accessible. Institutions should acknowledge instructors' efforts with students. Finally, training on applicable laws surrounding student MH should be available.

A Preliminary Study of Gut Microbiota in Airline Pilots: Comparison With Construction Workers and Fitness Instructors.

INTRODUCTION: The term "WORKbiota" has been used to describe the impact of occupational exposure and work types on human microbiota composition. Airline pilots, construction workers, and fitness instructors encompass three diverse professional groups, each with distinct work environments and lifestyle factors that may significantly influence their intestinal "WORKbiota." OBJECTIVES: The current preliminary investigation was aimed to compare the relative abundance of specific gut microbes among airline pilots, construction workers, and fitness instructors to shed light on any significant differences. By scrutinizing these diverse professional groups, our objective was to enhance our understanding of how occupational factors influence gut microbiota while identifying possible implications for occupational medicine. METHODS: A convenience sample consisting of 60 men representing three different professional domains - airline pilots, construction workers, and fitness instructors (with 20 individuals in each group) - was selected during regular outpatient occupational health consultations. The abundance of selected gut microbiota constituents, including Escherichia coli, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Bacteroides spp., was quantified using quantitative SYBR Green quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in stool samples. RESULTS: There were no significant variations among the groups concerning Escherichia coli, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Bifidobacterium spp., and Bacteroides spp. However, Lactobacillus spp. and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were significantly more abundant in the microbiota of fitness instructors compared to both airline pilots and construction workers, with no significant differences observed between the latter two groups. Notably, the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila demonstrated a progressive decline from fitness instructors to construction workers and ultimately to airline pilots, who exhibited the lowest levels. CONCLUSION: Airline pilots' gut microbiota was characterized by a lower abundance of health-promoting bacterial species, including Lactobacillus spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Akkermansia muciniphila. Future research is essential to determine whether targeted interventions, such as probiotic and prebiotic supplementation, could potentially enhance gut microbiota composition and overall health in particular occupational groups.

Impact of different job types on serum cytokine levels in apparently healthy individuals: A comparative study among airline pilots, construction workers, and fitness instructors.

BACKGROUND: The impact of occupational factors on serum cytokine concentrations has not been extensively explored. In this preliminary investigation, we measured the amounts of 12 cytokines in the serum of healthy individuals, comparing three diverse professional categories (aviation pilots, building laborers, and exercise trainers) with distinct work settings and lifestyle factors. METHODS: The study sample comprised 60 men from three distinct professional fields - airline pilots, construction laborers, and fitness trainers (20 participants per category) - who were enlisted during regular outpatient occupational health appointments. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-α, and IFN-γ were measured on a Luminex® platform using a specific kit. Cytokine levels were compared among the three professional groups to determine any significant differences. RESULTS: Among the three occupational groups, fitness instructors demonstrated elevated IL-4 concentrations in comparison to both airline pilots and construction laborers, with no significant difference between the latter two professions. Additionally, a stepwise increase in IL-6 levels was identified, commencing with fitness instructors presenting the lowest quantities, succeeded by construction workers, and culminating with airline pilots, who displayed the most elevated concentrations. CONCLUSION: Serum cytokine levels in healthy individuals can exhibit variations based on their occupation. Given the unfavorable cytokine profile detected in airline pilots, it is crucial for the aviation sector to tackle potential health concerns within their employees.

Instructors' self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and challenges in transitioning to online learning.

Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study investigated instructors' online teaching self-efficacy during the sudden, COVID-19-induced transition to online teaching. The pandemic has forced instructors to shift to online teaching, arming them with valuable hands-on experience in this alternative teaching mode. This study examined instructors' online teaching self-efficacy, perceived benefits, intention to implement online teaching strategies in their future teaching, and the challenges encountered during this transition. A total of 344 instructors completed the developed and validated questionnaire. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression modeling, using the stepwise estimation technique. The findings demonstrate that affiliated universities, the quality of online learning, and previous use of learning management systems (LMS) are significant predictors of instructors' online teaching self-efficacy. Online teaching self-efficacy, along with gender, quality of online learning, and professional training are significant predictors of the perceived benefits of online learning during emergencies. Meanwhile, the quality of online learning and professional training are significant predictors of instructors' intention to implement online teaching strategies and learning technology tools. Instructors ranked remote assessment as the most challenging factor in online teaching during emergencies, and internet access or internet speed as the first and most complicated hindrance for students in this transition. This study helps in understanding instructors' online teaching self-efficacy during the sudden transition and the positive consequences of shifting to the online mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the higher education field. Recommendations and implications are discussed.

An Evaluation of Virtual Training for Teaching Dance Instructors to Implement a Behavioral Coaching Package.

Few dance instructors receive formal training on how to teach dance skills using behavioral coaching methods and may employ an authoritarian teaching style that utilizes coercive feedback, which can adversely affect dancers' experiences. A behavior analytic approach to dance education may provide dance instructors with strategies that increase the accuracy of dance movements and positively affect dancers' satisfaction with their dance classes. Using a concurrent multiple-baseline design across five dance instructors, we evaluated the outcomes of a virtual training informed by the behavioral skills training framework on dance instructors' implementation of an introductory behavior analytic coaching package consisting of four strategies: task analyzing, emphasizing correct performance with focus points, assessing performance through data collection, and using behavior-specific feedback. We selected these strategies to provide dance instructors with a solid foundation to behavioral coaching methods. It is promising that all dance instructors who participated in virtual training met mastery criteria and maintained their performance at a 1-month follow-up. Future research may consider exploring virtual adaptations that promote more efficient training methods for teaching dance instructors to implement behavioral coaching methods.

Metabolic syndrome prevalence in military personnel and correlation with anthropometric values in Ecuador

Introduction: Fat excess in the organism can behave as a multifactorial problem and predisposes to the presence of non-transmissible chronic diseases, in which cardiovascular diseases can be mentioned. Objective: To establish the optimal cut-off for anthropometric indices to predict Metabolic Syndrome in army personnel, attended at the primary health care. Method: An analytical, non-experimental study that was carried out in army personnel at the University of the Armed Forces, during the year 2020. The sample was represented by 203 participants, the collection methods were the medical and anthropometric records, taking into consideration variables such as height and weight, hip and waist circumference, body mass index, laboratory tests, among others. All the data was analyzed using international classification criteria. Results: The prevalence of MetSyn was obtained, according to the different criteria: MetSyn ALAD: 4.08% (SD: 0.52), MetSyn ATP III: 7.65% (SD: 0.52), MetSyn HARM: 5.4% (SD: 0.52) and finally, MetSyn OMS: 7.65% (SD: 0.52). Likewise, the predictive anthropometric indices according to the highest AUC are the WC and WHtR in all the criteria studied, in addition, according to MetSyn ATP III, the optimal WC cut-off is 91 cm and the WHtR is 0.53. Conclusions: The optimal cut-off for anthropometric indices that predict Metabolic syndrome in army personnel are WC and WHtR, with an optimal cut off lower than the criteria established by ALAD to the diagnosis of MetSyn.

Introducción: El exceso de grasa en el organismo puede ser un problema multifactorial y predispone a la presencia de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles, entre las que se encuentran las cardiovasculares. Objetivo: Establecer el corte óptimo de los índices antropométricos para predecir el síndrome metabólico en personal militar que se atiende en la atención primaria de salud. Métodos: Estudio analítico, no experimental, llevado a cabo en personal militar de la Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas, durante el año 2020. La muestra está representada por 203 participantes, los métodos de colección fueron los registros médicos y antropométricos, tomando en consideración variables como talla y peso, circunferencia de cintura y cadera, índice de masa corporal, pruebas de laboratorio, entre otros. Todos los datos fueron analizados usando criterios de clasificación internacional. Resultado: La prevalencia de síndrome metabólico (MetSyn), según los diferentes criterios es: MetSyn ALAD: 4,08 % (SD: 0,52), MetSyn ATP III: 7,65 % (SD: 0,52), MetSyn HARM: 5,4 % (SD: 0,52) y finalmente, MetSyn OMS: 7,65 % (SD: 0,52). Además, los índices antropométricos predictivos son el WC y WHtR en todos los criterios estudiados, y según MetSyn ATP III, el corte óptimo del WC es de 91 cm y del WHtR es de 0,53. Conclusiones: Los puntos de corte óptimos para los índices antropométricos que predicen el síndrome metabólico en el personal militar son WC y WHtR, con un punto de corte óptimo inferior a los criterios establecidos por ALAD para el diagnóstico de MetSyn.

Job Involvement as a Mediating Factor Between Empowerment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Among Clinical Instructors at Nursing Technical Institutes.

Introduction: Empowerment is an important motivator for clinical instructors to develop organizational citizenship behaviors. Job engagement may serve as a moderator, amplifying the impact of empowerment on organizational citizenship behavior. Objective: This study examines the effect of job participation as a mediator between empowerment and organizational citizenship behavior among clinical teachers at nursing technical institutes. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on a convenience sample of 161 clinical instructors from six technical nursing institutes connected with five Egyptian Universities. For data collection, a self-administered questionnaire, including measures for assessing job engagement, empowerment, and citizenship behavior, was employed. This ran till November 2019, starting in June. Results: Most clinical instructors had a high level of job involvement (82%), 72.0% had high empowerment score, and 55.3% had high citizenship behavior. Empowerment, job involvement, and citizenship scores were positively correlated. The female gender predicted empowerment positively. The workplace was also a powerful predictor of job engagement and empowerment ratings. Importantly mediated the link between empowerment and citizenship behavior was occupational engagement. Conclusions: Employment participation was a crucial moderator of the link between autonomy and citizenship behavior. The nursing institutes' administration needs to empower clinical instructors with more autonomy and participation in decision making through psychological support and fair salaries. It is proposed that an additional study be conducted to assess the efficacy of empowerment initiatives as a pathway to job engagement, resulting in higher civic behavior among clinical instructors.

Reflective teaching and academic optimism as correlates of work engagement among university instructors.

As teaching is a complex and demanding activity especially in university and higher education contexts, exploring the correlates of work engagement in university contexts seems to be a promising research area. As an attempt to further clarify this research area, this study sought to examine the significance of reflective teaching and academic optimism as correlates of work engagement among university instructors in Iran. Having been selected via convenience sampling, a sample of 289 Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) university instructors participated in this survey. The electronic versions of the scales of teacher academic optimism, reflective teaching, and work engagement were administered to the participants. Initially, the construct validity of the scales was verified for the university contexts via performing confirmatory factor analysis. Then the hypothesized structural relationships among the constructs were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results demonstrated that both reflective teaching and academic optimism significantly predicted work engagement among English university instructors. Some notable implications are finally discussed based on these findings.

Experiences of Forest Healing Instructors Who Met Cancer Patients in Forest Healing Programs: FGI Research.

BACKGROUND: Demand for urban forest programs for the healing of cancer survivors is increasing. To develop a forest healing program for the integrated care of cancer patients, it is necessary to analyze the experiences of forest healing instructors who have conducted programs for cancer patients. METHODS: This qualitative study applied focus group interviews (FGIs; four interviews with sixteen participants) to describe and understand the experiences of forest healing instructors who run forest healing programs for cancer patients. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: "prepared encounters and unexpected encounters," "yearning for healing," "people who need special care," and "things to prepare for cancer patient programs." CONCLUSION: Forest healing instructors had difficulty facilitating programs for cancer patients owing to prejudice and a lack of knowledge about the characteristics of cancer patients. Moreover, differentiated programs and places that align with the specific needs of cancer patients are needed. It is necessary to develop an integrated care forest healing program for cancer patients and educate forest healing instructors about the needs of cancer patients.

The importance of in-country African instructors in International experiential training programs; a qualitative case study from the university of Minnesota.

BACKGROUND: For effective delivery of international experiential training programs, many universities in the global north, have created partnerships with universities in the global south especially in Africa to enhance their capacity and diversity of learning for their students. However, there is hardly any literature that exhibits the importance of African instructors in international experiential learning programs. This study aimed at establishing the importance of African instructors in international experiential learning programs. METHODS: This was a qualitative case study that examined the importance of instructors and experts from Africa in influencing student learning processes and outcomes in the GCC 3003/5003 - Seeking Solutions to Global Health Issues. Semi-structured interviews with (2) students, (2) University of Minnesota lead faculty for the course, and (3) in-country instructors/experts from countries in East Africa and the Horn of Africa were conducted. Data was analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: (1) Filling gaps in knowledge, (2) Orchestrating partnerships for practical exposure, (3) Improving the quality of training, and (4) orchestrating professional personal growth for students. The African in-country course instructors/experts contributed to student learning by providing a true picture reflection of happenings on the ground. CONCLUSION: The importance of in-country African instructors' can be viewed as that aimed at validating students' ideas to apply to the local settings, streamlining students' focus, providing a platform for multi-stakeholder engagement to a particular topic, coupled with bringing an in-country context experience in the classroom.