教育学最新文献

Unlike standardized testing applications of validity, teachers need a simple and efficient way to reflect on the accuracy of the claims based on student performance, then consider whether the uses of those claims are appropriate. A two-phase reasoning process of validation, consisting of a proficiency claim /argument and a use/argument, is presented as a way for teachers to understand and apply the central tenets of validation to their classroom assessments. Since classroom assessment is contextualized with multiple purposes, each teacher is obligated to use validation for their situation. The accuracy of teachers’ conclusions about the proficiency claims, and uses, will depend on their skill in gathering supportive evidence and considering alternative explanations. Examples of the proposed classroom assessment validation process are presented.

Purpose: Workplace violence is prevalent in settings where health care practitioners are responsible for managing agitated patients and visitors. First-line management of agitation within health care is verbal deescalation. However, formal training in verbal deescalation is not standardized across health professions education (HPE), and consensus about best practices is lacking. This systematic review examines the characteristics of existing curricula within HPE that teach deescalation skills, assesses the research quality and strength of evidence of these studies, and outlines consequent best practices for teaching the skill of deescalation to health professionals.

Method: PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC (EBSCOhost), and Google Scholar were searched using terms related to HPE, aggression, and deescalation for work published from database inception to July 22, 2025. Studies on empirical outcomes from curricula designed to teach deescalation to health professionals were included. Included studies were assigned scores on the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and an adapted version of the Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) strength of evidence scale. A narrative synthesis approach was adopted.

Results: Of 4,312 unique records identified, 56 studies met the inclusion criteria. Twelve had BEME scores of 4 or 5, indicating strong evidence. MERSQI scores ranged from 5.5 to 16.0, with a mean (SD) of 10.4 (2.5). Learning interventions were targeted to nurses, physicians, students, and hospital staff. The interventions with strong evidence all incorporated both didactic education as well as role-play and/or simulation for active practice. The Ten Domains of De-escalation by the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry and the De-escalating Violence in Healthcare Settings curriculum by the International Committee of the Red Cross were referenced by multiple studies.

Conclusions: Available literature suggests that the most evidence-supported way to teach deescalation within HPE is through a combination of didactic lessons and active skills practice.

This Viewpoint explores a novel and striking analogy between mitochondrial cristae and lunar footprints, highlighting both visual and conceptual parallels. By integrating metaphor, and connecting cellular architecture with human exploration, it illustrates how enduring imprints mark milestones in evolution and discovery. The analogy offers a perspective for teaching physiology that links structure and function with imagination and interdisciplinary thinking. Students can better appreciate how microscopic cellular features reflect evolutionary milestones while recognizing that scientific inquiry, whether at the cellular or cosmic scale, is driven by the same human desire to know and to advance.

University students commonly experience high levels of stress, which negatively impacts on academic performance, engagement and well-being. Coping strategies can be employed to manage stress, but there have not been extensive examinations of student motivations for selecting coping strategies and how selection of strategies changes during a semester. This study explored sources of stress and coping strategies used by first-year undergraduate students across a semester. It examined reasons for strategy selection, and the relationships between coping strategies, academic engagement and performance. Participants were 203 consenting first-year undergraduate sport science students in Australia. Students responded to open-ended questions at the beginning and end of semester, and responses were subjected to thematic analysis. Frequencies of responses were correlated with measures of engagement and academic performance. The primary sources of stress were academic pressures, alongside social, financial, and personal challenges. At the beginning of semester, students predominantly intended to employ problem-focused coping strategies, such as time management and study techniques. However, by the semester's end, students more frequently reported using strategies such as exercise, balancing work and life, meditation and yoga. Students' reported reasons for strategy use indicated that coping mechanisms served dual functions, both alleviating emotional distress and supporting study effectiveness, regardless of whether traditionally classified as problem- or emotion-focused. Employing more coping strategies positively correlated with higher academic performance. These findings suggest that encouraging a diverse range of adaptive coping strategies, while considering students' motivations for strategy selection, can support students' academic success and well-being.

Introduction: Case-based learning (CBL) has been adopted internationally, although there is significant heterogeneity in implementation and delivery. It is unclear how this pedagogical approach is experienced across contexts, among different groups of students, and the important aspects of implementation. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanisms that enable CBL to facilitate learning in undergraduate health professions education, for whom and in what contexts.

Methods: A realist review was adopted to explore the literature on CBL. Initial programme theories were derived from the CBL literature and based on adult learning theory and inquiry-based learning. 5731 abstracts investigating CBL in undergraduate HPE courses were screened in duplicate. 436 full-text papers were screened and assessed for rigour and relevance, resulting in 25 papers suitable for inclusion in the final analysis.

Results: Seven programme theories were developed from our review. Institutional, implementation and student-level factors were found to impact outcomes such as exam performance, participation and clinical reasoning. A lack of institutional support and recognition of faculty contribution to CBL results in poorer learning outcomes. Clinical facilitators promote student engagement, and authentic multimodal cases afford students the opportunity to step into their future roles. When assessment focuses solely on behaviours and teamwork is not fostered, negative group dynamics may result.

Discussion: Our realist review provides insight for healthcare educators on how best to implement CBL to optimise academic, skill and behavioural outcomes for undergraduate students. Fostering student trust in learning through access to clinician facilitators and authentic cases leads to improved learning outcomes. Recognition of faculty and student efforts to contribute to CBL is essential for successful implementation. The facilitation of a safe and secure group learning environment is required for students to meaningfully engage with CBL.