An assessment of a 'training-of-trainers programme for clinic committees' in a South African district: a qualitative exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: In South Africa (SA), clinics and community health centres are the predominant primary level health care facilities in the public health sector. As part of legislated health governance requirements, clinic committees (referring to those for clinics and community health centres) were established to provide management oversight and bring to bear the perspectives and participation of communities at Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities. Clinic committees need training in order to better understand their roles. Facilitators in a district of SA were trained through a designated programme, called the 'PHC Facility Governance Structures Trainer-of-Facilitator (ToF) Learning Programme', in preparation for the training of clinic committees. This paper explores how the programme had evolved and was experienced by the trained facilitators, in a district in SA. METHODS: We employed a retrospective qualitative case study design, guided by the Illuminative Evaluation Framework, with the training programme in the selected district as the case. The study assessed whether the intended aims of the training programme were clearly conveyed by the trainers, and how participants understood and subsequently conveyed the training programme intentions to the clinic committees. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with trainers and managers, complemented by a review of relevant policy and legislative documents, and published literature. Study participants were purposively selected based on their involvement in the development, facilitation or training of the programme. Thirteen individuals participated in the study, and 23 (national, provincial and partner) documents were reviewed. RESULTS: Despite the different perceptions and understandings of the ToF Learning Programme, its overall aims were achieved. Trainers' capacity was strengthened and clinic committees were trained accordingly. The training programme holds promise for possible national scale-up. The high quality of the interactive posters can be considered equally valuable as a training tool as the training manuals. CONCLUSIONS: Trainers' capacity was strengthened and clinic committees were trained accordingly, despite deviations in implementation of the original training approach and plan.

Does Formal Training in Medical Education and Professional Development Lead to Better Career Outcomes for Clinician Educators?

OBJECTIVES: Medical school and residency training programs rely on skilled clinician-educators to provide high-quality educational experiences. In 2002, the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Clinical Research Education created a master's-level degree-granting program in medical education, which now has more than a decade of graduates. METHODS: All graduates between 2004 and 2014 were invited to complete an anonymous electronic survey regarding their experiences with the program and their perception of whether the master's program adequately prepared them in domains pertinent to medical educators. Participants also were asked to upload their current curricula vitae (CV) to assess objective measures of academic productivity among program graduates. RESULTS: More than 75% of surveys were completed (47/60) and 75% of CVs were submitted (45/60). Demographics of respondents showed that 66% were woman. The racial demographics of respondents revealed 13% Hispanic/Latino, 28% Asian, and 59% white, respectively. More than 90% of respondents agreed that because they completed the program, they were competent in multiple teaching and learning domains; 94% of respondents believed that they were more effective educators than peers who did not complete this degree. CV abstraction revealed that 98% of respondents currently held academic positions. Number of publications and number of years since program graduation were used to determine the rate of productivity of the graduates. Twenty-six graduates (58%) successfully published at least one peer-reviewed article per year since they graduated. This equated to approximately 3.77 publications per year for these 26 respondents and 2.27 publications per year for the entire cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Program graduates attributed their competence in several key domains that are crucial to excellence as a clinician-educator to their participation in the degree-granting program. The results of this study suggest that receipt of a graduate-level degree in medical education develops and enhances teaching skills and academic productivity among clinician-educators.

Where Are We in Terms of Sexual Health Education? An Ontario Perspective.

In the present study, sexual health educators in schools in the catchment area for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario were surveyed to determine whether sexual health education programs were available to youth, whether the structure and content of sexual health education programs followed the guidelines, the instructors' qualifications and level of comfort with the material, and the need for additional resources that could be offered by health care professionals. Survey results showed that only 85% of participating schools had a sexual health education program in place. Only one-third of educators stated they had formal training on the topic of sexual health. Some schools still taught mostly about abstinence or advocated condom use for contraception. The results showed that many of these schools did not follow established Canadian guidelines for sexual health education. Nonetheless, 80% of Canadian adolescents report school as their most valuable source of information on sexuality.

"KiDS and Diabetes in Schools" project: Experience with an international educational intervention among parents and school professionals.

BACKGROUND: Although it is known that school care is a major challenge in diabetes treatment, there is still no published international initiative. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to introduce an international educational intervention tool, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) KiDS and Diabetes in Schools project (KiDS project), and to describe its impact on diabetes knowledge and behavior of caregivers and school professionals. METHODS: The KiDS project was developed with the support of IDF and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and provides online free material in 10 languages, directed to caregivers and school personnel. A pilot evaluation of the KiDS intervention was performed in Brazil. An educational intervention was conducted in 5 primary schools, with 42 parents and school staff, followed by 2 individual interviews after 1 and 3 months. The results were evaluated in a qualitative study with a descriptive design based on content analysis. RESULTS: School staff acquired new knowledge on diabetes and its treatment. They felt more confident when helping students with diabetes and said the educational intervention promoted a positive impact on the teacher-student relationship, on the caring for health, and on school infrastructure. Family members of children with diabetes stated that the educational intervention gave them an opportunity to strengthen and update information on treatment and improve their knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: The KiDS project is the first international tool directed to foster a safe and supportive environment and a better understanding of diabetes in schools. In this pilot evaluation, it achieved the goal of informing and changing the behavior of parents and school staff, thus improving the care provided to children with diabetes in schools.

Associations between teacher training and measures of physical literacy among Canadian 8- to 12-year-old students.

BACKGROUND: Quality physical education (PE) contributes to the development of physical literacy among children, yet little is known about how teacher training relates to this development. We assessed the association between teacher training, and the likelihood that children met recommended achievement levels for components of physical literacy as defined by the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL). METHODS: Canadian children (n = 4189; M = 10.72 years, SD = 1.19) from six provinces completed the CAPL. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between teacher training (generalist/PE specialist), adjusting for children's age and gender, and physical competence protocols (sit and reach, handgrip, plank, Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run [PACER], body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment [CAMSA]), the four CAPL domain scores, and the total CAPL score. RESULTS: Teacher training, in addition to children's age and gender, explained only a very small proportion of variance in each model (all R2 < 0.03). Children taught by a generalist were less likely to reach recommended levels of motivation and confidence (OR = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.72-0.95) or CAMSA scores (OR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.67-0.90), even when accounting for a significant increase in CAMSA score with age (OR = 1.18, 95% CI, 1.12-1.26). All other associations between measures of components of physical literacy and teacher training were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: While teacher training is hypothesized to contribute to the development of physical literacy among elementary school students, the observed effects in this study were either small or null. Children taught by PE specialists were more likely than those taught by generalists to demonstrate recommended levels of motivation and confidence, and to have better movement skills, which are hypothesized to be critical prerequisites for the development of a healthy lifestyle. Further research with more robust designs is merited to understand the impact of teachers' training on the various components of physical literacy development.

A qualitative study to identify barriers to deployment and student training in the use of automated external defibrillators in schools.

BACKGROUND: Student training in use of automated external defibrillators and deployment of such defibrillators in schools is recommended to increase survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Low implementation rates have been observed, and even at schools with a defibrillator, challenges such as delayed access have been reported. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to the implementation of defibrillator training of students and deployment of defibrillators in schools. METHODS: A qualitative study based on semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups with a total of 25 participants, nine school leaders, and 16 teachers at eight different secondary schools in Denmark (2012-2013). Thematic analysis was used to identify regular patterns of meaning using the technology acceptance model and focusing on the concepts of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. RESULTS: School leaders and teachers are concerned that automated external defibrillators are potentially dangerous, overly technical, and difficult to use, which was related to their limited familiarity with them. They were ambiguous about whether or not students are the right target group or which grade is suitable for defibrillator training. They were also ambiguous about deployment of defibrillators at schools. Those only accounting for the risk of students, considering their schools to be small, and that time for professional help was limited, found the relevance to be low. Due to safety concerns, some recommended that defibrillators at schools should be inaccessible to students. They lacked knowledge about how they work and are operated, and about the defibrillators already placed at their campuses (e.g., how to access them). Prior training and even a little knowledge about defibrillators were crucial to their perception of student training but not for their considerations on the relevance of their placement at schools. CONCLUSIONS: It is crucial for implementation of automated external defibrillators in schools to inform staff about how they work and are operated and that students are an appropriate target group for defibrillator training. Furthermore, it is important to provide schools with a basis for decision making about when to install defibrillators, and to ensure that school staff and students are informed about their placement.

[Acceptance of the Implementation of Standardised Patient Education Programmes by the Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Team Using the Example of a Back School - A Qualitative Study]. / Akzeptanz der Einführung standardisierter Patientenschulungen durch das multidisziplinäre Reha-Team am Beispiel einer Rückenschule - Eine qualitative Studie.

AIM: The transfer of standardised patient education programmes into practice is a complex process with a multitude of influencing factors. Determinants relate among others to the organisation and individuals (e. g., practitioner, patient). Knowledge about individual factors regarding the trainers of patient education programmes in the German rehabilitation system is scarce. The aim of this study is to explore the acceptance of trainers concerning the implementation of a standardised back school and to derive facilitators and barriers to the implementation of patient education programmes. METHODS: Semi-structured guideline-based interviews were conducted in 10 rehabilitation clinics. The sample consisted of 46 trainers (25 women): 11 physicians, 11 psychologists, 21 physio-/exercise therapists and 3 occupational therapists with a mean age of 41. The opinions of the trainers regarding the central components of back schools in general, their opinions about the new curriculum, their expectations on its implementation, anticipated difficulties with implementation and requests to the project team were explored as indicators for acceptance. The data were analysed with a multi-step qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: 6 main categories comprising 136 subcategories were created and 729 quotations coded. Regarding the central components that should be covered by back schools, back-friendly behaviour was addressed most often. Opinions regarding the new curriculum were mostly positive. Trainers' approval of content and methods was highlighted and the similarity with existing offers in the clinics as well as the structure of the programme were rated positively. The trainers expected an increased patient orientation and personal development as well as a common, coherent language and interdisciplinarity. Difficulties were anticipated regarding time and personnel as well as therapy and appointment planning and also regarding the motivation/acceptance of patients. A wish for communication, education of trainers and feedback was directed at the project team. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates high acceptance of programme implementation and central components of modern patient education programmes among trainers. The basis of individual facilitators and barriers has been investigated and might contribute to further development of implementation interventions. Communication and education considering those factors play a central role.

Does the tutors' academic background influence the learning objectives in problem-based learning?

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an essential element of the curriculum of the Medical University of Vienna (MUV) and is performed in an eight steps model with: clarifying, defining, analysing, shifting & sorting, identifying learning objectives, going to learn and coming back to talk and feedback. With an annual intake of up to 740 students the MUV has to recruit PBL tutors from various academic backgrounds including undergraduate near-peer students. Therefore, we were interested to see whether a tutor's academic background had an influence on the resulting PBL sessions as reflected by the percentage of learning objectives (LOs) which were actually achieved in relation to the intended LOs. Methods: For each PBL session "intended learning objectives" (ILOs) were defined. ILOs were communicated to all tutors by means of PBL session guides in order to provide homogenous learning opportunities to all students. However, it was not mandatory to reach all ILOs. The PBL coordination regarded a range of two thirds to three quarters of ILOs as a desirable goal. For analysis we retrieved data concerning ILOs, characteristics of tutors and PBL groups from the institution's PBL quality assurance system. Results: From 2012-2014, 216 PBL groups were facilitated by 106 tutors with different academic backgrounds. On average, 70.8% (95% CI: 69.2-72.5%) of the ILOs were achieved; MUV clinicians reached 74.3% (70.8-77.8%), MUV non-clinicians 74.2% (71.7-76.6%), external faculty (clinicians and non-clinicians) 68.6% (64.4-72.8%), and near-peer students 64.7% (61.8-67.7%). Statistically significant differences were found between near-peer students and MUV clinicians (p<.001) as well as MUV non-clinicians (p<.001). Conclusions: ILOs were reached within a satisfactory range. However, groups taught by near-peer students reached significantly fewer ILOs than groups taught by MUV faculty tutors. This finding raises the question whether tutor training for near-peer students should be intensified. Also, further research is needed to explore the group dynamics of student-led PBL groups.

Cooperation program for volunteer medical students for training in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation and accident prevention in Honduras.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze a training program in accident prevention and care and Pediatric Basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation taught by medical students. RESULTS: Medical students were trained as instructors. Four courses of were launched in Honduras, and the results were analyzed through a theoretical and practical evaluation and an anonymous survey. The volunteer experience for the students and the benefits to the population were positively valued. 37 students received the training. The score in the initial theoretical evaluation was 5.9 of 17 and in the final 10.5, p < 0.001. 89.1% and 91.9% of the students achieved adequate practical learning in basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for children and infants respectively. The course was rated excellently by the students. We conclude that a training program in accident prevention and care and Pediatric Basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation taught by medical students could be useful in a cooperation health program.

Contributions of Service-Learning on PETE Students' Effective Personality: A Mixed Methods Research.

Service-learning (SL) is a pedagogical model focused on achieving curricular goals while providing a community service. Previous research suggests that SL might promote qualities such as self-esteem, motivation, problem-focused coping, decision-making, empathy, and communication, which are associated with a psychological construct known as students' Effective Personality (EP). These studies, however, did not specifically analyse the direct effects of SL on this construct. The aim of this study is to explicitly analyse the effect of SL on Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students' EP using a mixed methods approach. The quantitative part of the approach followed a quasi-experimental design using the validated "Effective Personality Questionnaire for University Students", which includes four dimensions: "Academic self-efficacy", "Social self-realisation", "Self-esteem", and "Resolutive self-efficacy". A non-probabilistic sampling on a total of 181 PETE students was then carried out, with 98 participating in the experimental group (42 male, 56 female), and 83 in the control group (34 male, 49 female). The comparisons revealed significant improvements in the experimental group, especially in the social self-realisation and resolutive self-efficacy dimensions. These findings were complemented by a qualitative analysis of 12 students' semi-structured interviews. In conclusion, the study reported a positive influence of SL on the PETE students' EP, providing valuable design patterns for future SL implementations.

Assessment of HEADS UP online training as an educational intervention for sports officials/athletic trainers.

BACKGROUND: Sports- and recreation-related concussions are a common injury among children. Sports officials (SOs) and athletic trainers (ATs) are integral to setting the stage for safe play and managing concussions when they occur, and significant numbers of both groups have completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HEADS UP online concussion training course. However, the utility of the course for these audiences has not been assessed. We hypothesized that sports officials' and athletic trainers' concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions will improve from pre- and post-test after completing CDC's HEADS UP online concussion training course. METHOD: Respondents' concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions were assessed both before and after taking the training course. Differences between pre- and post-test scores were calculated based on the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test Z-score or McNemar's test. Effect sizes were interpreted. RESULTS: The SOs and ATs who participated in the HEADS UP online training had a high level of concussion knowledge before taking the course: 90% or more of respondents could identify the correct response for at least seven of the 13 knowledge questions in the pre-test. Still, the course was effective at improving the respondents' knowledge about return-to-play protocols and concussion reporting. Further, SOs and ATs demonstrated improvement in their concussion-related attitudes and behavioral intentions between the pre- and post-test. CONCLUSION: SOs' and ATs' concussion knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions improved immediately following completion of the CDC HEADS UP online training. Future research could also focus on the long-term retention of this type of training. Practical Applications: This study provides insight into how to better focus concussion-related educational programs to fit SOs' and ATs' needs.

Aspects of Technology That Influence Athletic Trainers' Current Patient Care Documentation Strategies in the Secondary School.

CONTEXT: Previous research on athletic trainers' (ATs) documentation practices in the secondary school setting has focused on users of 1 electronic medical record (EMR) platform. These studies have identified that ATs use multiple platforms for documentation, including paper, even when an EMR is available. OBJECTIVE: To examine the documentation practices of ATs who use various forms of patient care documentation, including paper, EMRs, or both. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Individual telephone interviews. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Twenty ATs participated in this study: 12 women and 8 men who averaged 38 ± 14 years of age, 15 ± 13 years of clinical experience, and 11 ± 11 years of employment at their current secondary school. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted to gain insight into ATs' documentation practices. Three researchers and 2 auditors inductively coded the transcripts using a consensual qualitative research process that consisted of 4 rounds of consensus coding and determination of data saturation. Trustworthiness was addressed with member checking, multiple-analyst triangulation, and peer review. RESULTS: The ATs' documentation practices were largely influenced by technology, organized in 3 themes. Participants' current documentation strategies included the use of both paper and EMRs, as they found different benefits to using each platform. Oftentimes documentation practices were shaped by technological challenges, including unreliable networks, software design problems, and the lack of a streamlined approach. Lastly, participants identified future strategies for improving documentation, including the need for better EMR options and streamlining their individual documentation behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Many ATs wanted to incorporate EMRs in their clinical practice but faced challenges when attempting to do so. In turn, clinicians often duplicated documentation or used 2 platforms. Athletic trainers should communicate with administrators to select an EMR that fits their documentation needs and seek resources, such as network access and educational opportunities, to learn how to use EMRs.

Effects of an education program on knowledge and self-perception of school personnel in preparing to care for type 1 diabetes students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the academic and professional background of school personnel; to assess the impact of the Diabetes + Support given by School Personnel to Children with Type 1 Diabetes Program on the school personnel's knowledge and confidence to support students with type 1 diabetes; to compare their level of knowledge with the academic and professional variables of the school personnel. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study design without a Control Group. Study with a sample of 129 (before intervention - T0) and 113 (after intervention - T1) pre-school to secondary school personnel from participating schools, with at least one student with type 1 diabetes. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Portuguese Ministry of Education. RESULTS: Most school personnel included in the study were teachers (51.2%). After training, they were more confident than before to support children with type 1 diabetes (p<0.05). Regarding knowledge levels, the differences between T0 (10.8±2.8; P 50 =11) and T1 (13.7±2.1; P 50 =11) were statistically significant (p<0.001). Of the 113 school personnel who participated in the final assessment, 89 (78.85%) increased their level of knowledge. CONCLUSION: The program was effective to enhance knowledge and boost confidence to support students with diabetes.

The global variation of medical student engagement in teaching: Implications for medical electives.

INTRODUCTION: International medical electives, whereby undergraduates visit an institution in a country other than their own, are a common part of medical training. Visiting students are often asked to provide local teaching, which may be acceptable where the visitor is acting within the bounds of their own competency and the normal practices of both their home and host institutions. However, the extent to which teaching is an accepted student activity globally has not previously been described. This study aims to address this using an international survey approach. METHODS: A voluntary electronic survey, created using the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) framework, was distributed across established international medical student networks. This assessed the involvement of medical students in teaching and the educator training they receive, with the intention of comparing experiences between high-income countries (HICs) and low/middle-income countries (LMICs) to gauge the engagement of both "host" and "visiting" students. RESULTS: 443 students from 61 countries completed the survey, with an equal proportion of respondents from LMICs (49.4%, 219/443) and HICs (50.6%, 224/443). Around two thirds of students reported providing teaching whilst at medical school, with most reporting teaching numerous times a year, mainly to more junior medical students. There was with no significant difference between LMICs and HICs. Around 30 per cent of all medical students reported having received no teacher training, including 40 per cent of those already providing teaching. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that students are engaged in teaching globally, with no difference between HIC and LMIC contexts. However, students are underprepared to act as educators in both settings. Providing teaching as part of an elective experience may be ethically acceptable to both host and home institutions, but needs to be supported by formal training in delivering teaching.

Improving the mental health of abandoned children: Experiences from a global online intervention.

In today's world of global migration and urbanization, millions of children are separated from parents. Their mental health and future competences as citizens depend on the quality of care from foster parents and group home staff in nonparental care settings. Caregivers are challenged by poor work conditions, too many children, and a lack of knowledge about care for traumatized children. How can our profession match this challenge by upscaling interventions? Digital designs for applications of psychology are growing, recently accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. From 2008, the author developed a blended learning intervention. In partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and government agencies, care recommendations from an international network of researchers are transformed into start-up seminars for staff, followed by a 6-month online classroom education. Students learn and practice how to train local caregiver groups in attachment-based care, using training sessions developed in local languages, adjusted to culture. At present, the author's Fairstart Foundation educated 500 staff from partners in 26 countries, who have trained the caregivers of some 40,000 children. The theoretical, logistic and technical steps from research to daily caregiver-child practices are described, to inspire discussions of how online designs and international partnerships may benefit underserved populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Analysis of a sustained educational intervention to teach cardiopulmonaryresuscitation to schoolchildren. / Análisis de una experiencia perdurable de un proyecto educativo de reanimación cardiopulmonar en un centro escolar.

EN: This project analyzed the feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of an educational project to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This project has been carried out in a publicly subsidized school in a town in Asturias, Spain (population, over 80 000 inhabitants). The enrollment included students in preschool and both primary and secondary education classes. The project had 3 phases: 1) health care experts trained the teachers in CPR and they designed the educational project together; 2) health care experts taught CPR to schoolchildren, and 3) teachers taught CPR to the children. All the children enrolled in preschool and primary school (aged 3 to 12 years) initially participated in the study. Training followed the 2005 guidelines of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) in effect at the time of the study. In the first phase (2006), 19 teachers (79.2% of the faculty) were trained in basic CPR and collaborated with the health care professionals in designing the course, including setting its objectives and developing materials. In the second phase (2006-2011), the health care professionals trained 646 preschool and primary school children and accredited 13 teachers (54.2% of the faculty) in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and to serve as CPR instructional monitors. In the third phase (2012-2014), 7 teachers trained 703 preschool and primary and secondary school students, and 17 teachers (70.8% of the faculty) received training to become CPR monitors and/or to update their knowledge of AED use. A total of 1349 students between the ages of 3 and 15 years received instruction in CPR. The school has had an AED on its premises since 2011. The teachers have made further improvements in the courses, incorporating new teaching materials, updating the objectives, and extending instruction to secondary school students. The implementation of an educational program to teach CPR in a school that enrolls preschool through secondary school students was feasible and sustainable. Teachers have improved the program, extended it to secondary school students, and made the project known in the local media and on the school's web site, thus contributing to the creation of a CPR culture that reached out to the community.

ES: Se analiza la experiencia de un proyecto educativo de reanimación cardiopulmonar básica (RCPB) en un centro escolar valorando si es viable, efectivo y perdurable en el tiempo. Se trata de un proyecto desarrollado en un centro de enseñanza concertada de educación infantil (EI), primaria (EP) y secundaria (ESO), ubicado en un concejo muy poblado de Asturias, de más de 80.000 habitantes, en tres fases: 1) formación de maestros por personal sanitario y diseño conjunto del proyecto; 2) formación de escolares por personal sanitario, y 3) formación de niños por sus profesores. Se incluyeron todos los alumnos matriculados en el colegio en EI y EP (3 a 12 años). La formación impartida siguió las recomendaciones ILCOR (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation) 2005, vigentes en aquel momento. En la fase 1 (año 2006) 19 profesores (79,2% de la plantilla) recibieron formación en RCPB y diseñaron con el personal sanitario los objetivos y material a emplear para cada curso. En la fase 2 (2006-2011) el personal sanitario formó a 646 escolares de EI y EP, y acreditó a 13 maestros (54,2% de la plantilla) para utilizar un DEA y como monitores de RCPB. En la fase 3 (2012-2014) 7 maestros formaron a 703 alumnos de EI, EP y ESO; 17 profesores (70,8% de la plantilla) recibieron cursos de monitor de RCPB y reciclajes DEA. En total recibieron formación en RCPB 1.349 niños entre 3 y 15 años. Desde el año 2011, el colegio cuenta con un DEA. Los profesores han mejorado el proyecto incorporando nuevos materiales, adelantado objetivos y extendiéndolo a los alumnos de ESO. La implantación de un proyecto educativo en RCPB en un colegio de enseñanza concertada de EI, EP y ESO de Asturias fue viable y ha perdurado. El profesorado ha mejorado el proyecto y lo ha extendido a los alumnos de secundaria, difundiendo la RCPB en medios de comunicación locales y en su página web, creando una cultura de la RCPB y acercándola a toda la comunidad.

Secondary school teachers and mental health competence: Italy-United Kingdom comparison.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between teachers' knowledge about early psychosis among three different Italian cities and a UK sample. METHODS: The sample consisted of 556 secondary school teachers from three different cities in Italy (Milan, Rome and Lamezia Terme) and London (UK). The research was based on the Knowledge and Experience of Social Emotional Difficulties Among Young People Questionnaire. The Italian version of the questionnaire was used in Italy. RESULTS: Overall, 67.6% of English teachers, 58.5% of Milan's teachers, 41.8% of Rome's teachers and 33.3% of Lamezia Terme's teachers were able to recognize psychotic symptoms from a case vignette. Logistic regression analysis showed that 'city' was the only independent variable significantly related to the correct/wrong answer about diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: We found statistically significant differences between the three Italian samples and the UK sample regarding teachers' knowledge about first signs of psychosis. English teachers showed a better knowledge than Italian teachers in general. Teachers from Milan, where a specific early detection program was established in 2000, seemed to be more familiar with early signs of psychosis than teachers in the other two Italian towns.

Longitudinal tracking of academic progress during teacher preparation.

BACKGROUND: Given that the ultimate academic goal of many education systems in the developed world is for students to graduate from college, grades have a considerable bearing on how effective colleges are in meeting their primary objective. Prior academic performance informs predominantly the selection and retention of teacher candidates. However, there remains a dearth of evidence linking academic performance with outcomes in teacher preparation or the workplace. AIM: This study examined pre-service teachers' trajectories of academic growth during teacher preparation. SAMPLE: The sample comprised 398 pre-service teachers - 282 (70.8%) males and 116 (29.1%) females. METHOD: Academic growth was measured across eight time points over the course of 4 years. Pre-service teachers' academic growth was analysed using linear and nonlinear latent growth models. RESULTS: Results indicate that academic growth was quadratic and, over time, decelerated, with no evidence of the Matthew effect or the compensatory effect. There was evidence of a connection between prior academic attainment and current grades. CONCLUSION: Greater attention to academic growth during the college years, and particularly among pre-service teachers, may enable greater achievement support for students.

Effect of didactically qualified student tutors on their tutees' academic performance and tutor evaluation in the gross anatomy course.

INTRODUCTION: Peer teaching is widely applied in medical education, anatomists having a notably long tradition in cooperating with student tutors in the dissection course. At Ulm University we established an intensified concomitant didactic training program for student tutors and investigated possible effects on their tutees' academic performance and tutor evaluation. METHODS: In winter semester 2012/13 all student tutors of the dissection course were invited to participate in the "Train-the-Tutor" educational program.1 Test results and failure rates of 149 tutees who had been supervised by program participants (n=14) and 136 tutees of not participating tutors (n=13) were analyzed, as well as data on tutor evaluation and learning behavior of 235 (82%) of these tutees. RESULTS: Overall, both groups of tutees showed equal learning behavior and evaluated their tutors' performances similarly. However, tutees of program participants consistently obtained better examination results (median: 1.9 versus 2.2 in overall scores) and lower ultimate failure rates (13.4 versus 17.6% of students failed, respectively). DISCUSSION: An intensified didactic training program for student tutors may help their tutees to pass the gross anatomy course. Additional studies are necessary to objectify and further investigate this effect in order to optimize the concept regarding time expenditure and costs.

The influence of tutor training for peer tutors in the dissection course on the learning behavior of students.

INTRODUCTION: Student tutors in the dissection course are expected to meet high demands in their job, to fulfill these expectations they receive training. Combined tutor training is well accepted by tutors and tutees, however, it is not known how tutor training influences student learning. Deduced from the learning goals of the tutor training, a randomized, controlled, single-blinded study was set up with a quantitative cross-sectional analysis to compare student learning behavior. METHODS: A total of 197 medical students, coached either by ten trained or ten untrained tutors, were enlisted in the study. To assess the students' learning behavior we employed the LIST questionnaire. A common factor analysis was calculated to extract dimensions. Factor scores of the extracted dimensions were calculated for both groups to estimate differences in learning behavior. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the LIST questionnaire revealed eight factors explaining 47.57% of the overall variance. The eight factors comprise: deep learning, attention, learning organization, cooperative learning, time management, learning effort, superficial learning and learning environment. Comparing the factor scores of the extracted dimensions, students coached by trained tutors learned significantly more with their fellow students (factor score in cooperative learning 0.194 vs. -0.205, p<0.05), than students trained by untrained tutors. Students coached by trained tutors also tend to be better organized in their learning (factor score in learning organization 0.115 vs. -0.122, p=0.16). CONCLUSION: The learning behavior of students coached by trained tutors differs from the learning behavior of students coached by untrained tutors. Students coached by trained tutors learn significantly more often in teams than their colleagues and are better organized.