Impact of virtual and hands-on laboratory experimentation on the acquisition of conceptual science knowledge: a meta-analysis

Background: Awareness of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (YFSRHS) is an important starting point for enabling young people to identify and seek appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and care. However, awareness of these services may vary across settings, including higher education institutions. Objective: To determine the level of awareness of YFSRHS among undergraduate students at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Malimbe Campus. Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at SAUT Malimbe Campus. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Of 109 questionnaires distributed, 108 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students’ awareness and reported sources of information. Results: Of the 108 respondents, 96 (88.9%) reported having heard of YFSRHS, while 12 (11.1%) had not. Social media was the most frequently reported source of information (44.0%), followed by friends or peers (41.0%) and health facilities (36.0%). University programmes and posters or advertisements were reported less frequently. Conclusion: Most respondents had heard of YFSRHS, with social media and peer networks serving as prominent information channels. Strengthening accurate information through these channels, alongside university-based communication, may help address the awareness gap among students who remain unreached.

Religious education is often expected to promote tolerance, but respect for religious difference does not necessarily ensure accurate understanding of religious others. This study examines how religious education policies in Indonesia and England emphasize different forms of cognitive tolerance. Using qualitative document analysis and comparative policy analysis, the study analyzes selected legal, curricular, and pedagogical documents through four components: Knowledge of Religious Others, Recognition of Internal Diversity, Critical Reflection, and Understanding Commonalities and Differences. Indonesian policy gives greater relative emphasis to understanding commonalities and differences within religion-specific formation, social harmony, and responsible citizenship. English policy gives greater emphasis to critical reflection and knowledge of religious and non-religious worldviews through shared enquiry. Recognition of Internal Diversity appears in similar proportions in both datasets, but it serves different curricular functions. The findings show differently configured pathways toward cognitive tolerance, combining the same cognitive components with different relative emphases and curricular purposes.

Although physical activity enjoyment is associated with athletes’ psychological outcomes, the mechanisms underlying its relationship with mental well-being remain unclear. This study examined the mediating role of loneliness among athletes. A correlational survey design was employed. The participants consisted of 350 athletes selected through criterion sampling, including 178 females (Mage= 20.58 ± 1.99) and 172 males (Mage= 21.91 ± 4.88). Data were collected using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale–Short Form, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Pearson correlation analysis and PROCESS Macro Model 4 mediation analysis were conducted, and indirect effects were tested using 5,000 bootstrap samples. Physical activity enjoyment was positively associated with mental well-being (r= .586, p< .01) and negatively associated with loneliness (a= −.196, p< .01). Loneliness was negatively associated with mental well-being (b= −.447, p< .01). The mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of physical activity enjoyment on mental well-being through loneliness (indirect effect= .088, 95% CI [.026, .147]). These findings indicate that enjoyment of physical activity contributes to athletes’ mental well-being and that loneliness partially explains this relationship. The results emphasize the importance of considering social connectedness and psychological experiences in understanding athletes’ well-being.

The article substantiates a four-stage theoretical model for developing critical thinking competence in pre-service English teachers. Each stage is linked to problem-based, project-based, collaborative learning and reflective writing; indicators and a three-level scale are proposed.

این مقاله یک مدل نظری چهارمرحله‌ای برای توسعه شایستگی تفکر انتقادی در معلمان آینده زبان انگلیسی را توجیه می‌کند. هر مرحله به یادگیری مبتنی بر مسئله، یادگیری مبتنی بر پروژه، یادگیری مشارکتی و نوشتن تأملی مرتبط است؛ شاخص‌ها و یک مقیاس سه‌سطحی پیشنهاد شده‌اند.

In this paper, we present findings from an interactive workshop at the 2024 International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) conference that aimed to develop a global roadmap to advance the awareness and appreciation of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). While some institutions have successfully embedded SoTL into their cultural fabric, challenges persist in many academic contexts where SoTL remains misunderstood as a cross-discipline field of scholarship and research as well as undervalued as a change-making enterprise. Through collaborative activities, workshop participants explored systemic barriers, misunderstandings, and effective strategies from diverse institutional perspectives. The findings highlight actionable steps for institutions, administrators, and faculty to align their efforts, bridge knowledge gaps, and further elevate SoTL as a recognized scholarly pursuit. We also propose practical suggestions to support SoTL initiatives, enhance institutional commitment, and foster cross-institutional collaborations.

در این مقاله، یافته‌های حاصل از کارگاه تعاملی در کنفرانس بین‌المللی انجمن دانش‌پژوهی تدریس و یادگیری (ISSOTL) سال ۲۰۲۴ را ارائه می‌دهیم که با هدف تدوین یک نقشه راه جهانی برای ارتقای آگاهی و قدردانی از دانش‌پژوهی تدریس و یادگیری (SoTL) برگزار شد. اگرچه برخی نهادهای آموزشی موفق به نهادینه‌سازی SoTL در بافت فرهنگی خود شده‌اند، چالش‌هایی در بسیاری از زمینه‌های آکادمیک همچنان پابرجاست که در آن‌ها SoTL به‌عنوان یک حوزه دانش‌پژوهی و پژوهش میان‌رشته‌ای درک نادرستی شده و به‌عنوان یک کوشش تغییرآفرین نیز دست‌کم گرفته می‌شود. شرکت‌کنندگان کارگاه از طریق فعالیت‌های مشارکتی، موانع سیستمی، برداشت‌های نادرست و راهبردهای مؤثر را از دیدگاه‌های نهادی متنوع بررسی کردند. یافته‌ها گام‌های عملیاتی را برای نهادهای آموزشی، مدیران و اعضای هیئت علمی جهت همسوسازی تلاش‌ها، پر کردن شکاف‌های دانشی و ارتقای بیشتر جایگاه SoTL به‌عنوان یک پیگیری علمی شناخته‌شده برجسته می‌سازند. ما همچنین پیشنهادهای کاربردی را برای حمایت از ابتکارات SoTL، تقویت تعهد نهادی و ترویج همکاری‌های میان‌نهادی ارائه می‌دهیم.