Community Engagement is optional until it isn’t: Rethinking postgraduate psychology placements

This study examines the relationship between cognitive processes and job performance in teachers at the Cruz del Norte Educational Unit, focusing on attention, planning, organization, anxiety, and job stress. A mixed-method design was applied, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques such as psychometric tests, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, Student’s t-test, the Delphi method, and the Ishikawa diagram. The results show that executive functions, particularly planning and organization, have a significant positive impact on job performance. Teachers with higher levels of these skills demonstrate better performance, with strong correlations (r = 0.72, p = 0.001; r = 0.65, p = 0.003). In contrast, anxiety and stress act as limiting factors. Multiple regression analysis indicates that anxiety (β = -0.4946, p < 0.0001) and stress (β = -0.3721, p < 0.001) negatively predict job performance. Additionally, job indiscipline—reflected in absenteeism and lateness—shows a strong negative correlation with performance (r = -0.74, p < 0.000). These findings highlight the importance of time management and organizational commitment, as well as the need to implement training and psychological support strategies to improve teacher performance and educational quality.

این مطالعه به بررسی رابطه بین فرایندهای شناختی و عملکرد شغلی در معلمان واحد آموزشی Cruz del Norte می‌پردازد و بر توجه، برنامه‌ریزی، سازمان‌دهی، اضطراب و استرس شغلی تمرکز دارد. از طرح پژوهشی ترکیبی استفاده شده است که تکنیک‌های کمی و کیفی مانند آزمون‌های روان‌سنجی، همبستگی پیرسون، تحلیل رگرسیون چندگانه، آزمون t استیودنت، روش دلفی و نمودار ایشیکاوا را ترکیب می‌کند. نتایج نشان می‌دهد که کارکردهای اجرایی، به‌ویژه برنامه‌ریزی و سازمان‌دهی، تأثیر مثبت معناداری بر عملکرد شغلی دارند. معلمانی که سطوح بالاتری از این مهارت‌ها را دارا هستند، عملکرد بهتری از خود نشان می‌دهند و همبستگی‌های قوی (r = ۰.۷۲, p = ۰.۰۰۱؛ r = ۰.۶۵, p = ۰.۰۰۳) مشاهده شده است. در مقابل، اضطراب و استرس به‌عنوان عوامل محدودکننده عمل می‌کنند. تحلیل رگرسیون چندگانه نشان می‌دهد که اضطراب (β = -۰.۴۹۴۶, p < ۰.۰۰۰۱) و استرس (β = -۰.۳۷۲۱, p < ۰.۰۰۱) پیش‌بینی‌کننده منفی عملکرد شغلی هستند. همچنین، بی‌انضباطی شغلی—که در غیبت و تأخیر منعکس می‌شود—همبستگی منفی قوی با عملکرد دارد (r = -۰.۷۴, p < ۰.۰۰۰). این یافته‌ها اهمیت مدیریت زمان و تعهد سازمانی و همچنین ضرورت اجرای راهبردهای آموزشی و حمایت روان‌شناختی برای بهبود عملکرد معلمان و کیفیت آموزشی را برجسته می‌کند.

This study examines the relationship between cognitive processes and job performance in teachers at the Cruz del Norte Educational Unit, focusing on attention, planning, organization, anxiety, and job stress. A mixed-method design was applied, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques such as psychometric tests, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, Student’s t-test, the Delphi method, and the Ishikawa diagram. The results show that executive functions, particularly planning and organization, have a significant positive impact on job performance. Teachers with higher levels of these skills demonstrate better performance, with strong correlations (r = 0.72, p = 0.001; r = 0.65, p = 0.003). In contrast, anxiety and stress act as limiting factors. Multiple regression analysis indicates that anxiety (β = -0.4946, p < 0.0001) and stress (β = -0.3721, p < 0.001) negatively predict job performance. Additionally, job indiscipline—reflected in absenteeism and lateness—shows a strong negative correlation with performance (r = -0.74, p < 0.000). These findings highlight the importance of time management and organizational commitment, as well as the need to implement training and psychological support strategies to improve teacher performance and educational quality.

این مطالعه به بررسی رابطه بین فرایندهای شناختی و عملکرد شغلی در معلمان واحد آموزشی Cruz del Norte می‌پردازد و بر توجه، برنامه‌ریزی، سازمان‌دهی، اضطراب و استرس شغلی تمرکز دارد. از طرح پژوهشی ترکیبی استفاده شده است که تکنیک‌های کمی و کیفی مانند آزمون‌های روان‌سنجی، همبستگی پیرسون، تحلیل رگرسیون چندگانه، آزمون t استیودنت، روش دلفی و نمودار ایشیکاوا را ترکیب می‌کند. نتایج نشان می‌دهد که کارکردهای اجرایی، به‌ویژه برنامه‌ریزی و سازمان‌دهی، تأثیر مثبت معناداری بر عملکرد شغلی دارند. معلمانی که سطوح بالاتری از این مهارت‌ها را دارا هستند، عملکرد بهتری از خود نشان می‌دهند و همبستگی‌های قوی (r = ۰.۷۲, p = ۰.۰۰۱؛ r = ۰.۶۵, p = ۰.۰۰۳) مشاهده شده است. در مقابل، اضطراب و استرس به‌عنوان عوامل محدودکننده عمل می‌کنند. تحلیل رگرسیون چندگانه نشان می‌دهد که اضطراب (β = -۰.۴۹۴۶, p < ۰.۰۰۰۱) و استرس (β = -۰.۳۷۲۱, p < ۰.۰۰۱) پیش‌بینی‌کننده منفی عملکرد شغلی هستند. همچنین، بی‌انضباطی شغلی—که در غیبت و تأخیر منعکس می‌شود—همبستگی منفی قوی با عملکرد دارد (r = -۰.۷۴, p < ۰.۰۰۰). این یافته‌ها اهمیت مدیریت زمان و تعهد سازمانی و همچنین ضرورت اجرای راهبردهای آموزشی و حمایت روان‌شناختی برای بهبود عملکرد معلمان و کیفیت آموزشی را برجسته می‌کند.

Quality higher education plays a vital role in sustainable development by equipping graduates with knowledge, competencies, and skills required for economic and societal development. This study examined the relationship between instructional strategies and the employability skills of undergraduate students in the School of Art and Industrial Design at Kyambogo University, Uganda. Specifically, it investigated the relationships between cooperative teaching, collaborative teaching, inquiry/discovery learning, independent study, experiential (authentic) learning, project-based learning, and students’ employability skills. The study adopted a quantitative approach using a correlational research design. Data were collected from 378 third-year undergraduate students using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Pearson’s product-moment correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the direction and statistical associations between instructional strategies and employability skills. Findings showed that cooperative teaching, inquiry/discovery learning, and experiential teaching had positive statistically significant associations with employability skills, whereas collaborative teaching had a negative statistical association. Independent study and project-based teaching had no statistically significant unique associations with employability skills. Inquiry/discovery teaching demonstrated the strongest statistical association with employability skills among the strategies examined. The study concluded that instructional strategies had different statistical associations with employability skills and that learner-centred approaches are most beneficial when they actively engage students in cooperative, inquiry-oriented, and authentic learning experiences aligned with intended graduate outcomes. The study recommended strengthening cooperative, inquiry, and experiential teaching through structured group tasks, inquiry-based activities, and authentic practical experiences. It further recommended improving the design and implementation of collaborative, independent, and project-based learning to enhance their contribution to graduate employability skills.

Over the last decade, there has been a visible surge of students participating in and leading different forms of activism. Following the cultural reckoning of 2020, the United States saw a rise in awareness and engagement in activism among young individuals. Continuing this trend, higher education institutions have seen an increase in on-campus demonstrations in recent years. Given the recent increase in activism, political engagement, and the globalization of social issues, this study examined how attitudes, beliefs, individual factors, and prior behaviors relate to undergraduate students’ willingness to engage in different forms of activism (i.e., conventional and high-risk). Across both forms of activism, institutional advocacy (i.e., the behavioral targeting of institutional racism) was the most consistent unique predictor of a student's willingness to engage in activism. Need for cognition and individual advocacy were significantly and positively related to conventional activism, whereas political orientation was negatively related to it. Social justice orientation was significantly and negatively related to high-risk activism.

This study addresses the critical deficiency in speaking skills among university students, a challenge primarily attributed to the reliance on traditional teaching methods and the limited time allocated for authentic verbal practice within the classroom. The research aims to construct a comprehensive theoretical framework for the Flipped Classroom strategy and identify the pedagogical and linguistic justifications for its implementation in developing speaking skills, while providing practical procedural recommendations for its integration into higher education. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach through a critical review of educational literature, the findings reveal that the flipped model significantly enhances students' fluency, linguistic accuracy, and capacity for spontaneous expression. Furthermore, the model fosters increased motivation and active participation by granting learners the autonomy to progress at their own pace, as pre-class preparation helps mitigate "language anxiety" and bolsters confidence during real-time communicative interactions. Despite these advantages, the research identifies several implementation challenges, most notably the digital divide, potential cognitive overload, and the necessity for intensive faculty training in digital instructional design. Ultimately, the study concludes that the Flipped Classroom represents a fundamental philosophical shift that redefines educational roles, transforming class time from passive instruction into a dynamic "living linguistic laboratory" focused on intensive communicative practice.