The authors report significant differences based on aptitude, gender, and personal academic choices between students who took four years to graduate and students who took longer.
The benefits of exercise for people with life-limiting conditions are widely recognised. Woodlands Hospice runs a weekly exercise group which is well attended. Feedback is positive and the environment provides more than simply physical benefits. It has become a safe place that instils positivity and humour where patients can share feelings and coping strategies, gain support and strength from their peers and staff, ask for help whether physical, emotional or spiritual and where they can just 'be'.
Aim
To further develop this group to enhance the experience for patients. Specifically: Music.To introduce music in the form of a personal group playlist where all patients are involved in sharing a song and a reason for its choice. This music is played during the group and made available to take home. Tai Chi. To teach simple chair based Tai Chi to be practised at the end of each session to promote a calm and contemplative atmosphere. Palliative Outcome Scale (POS). Using this recognised tool on a monthly basis helps patients to discuss any new concerns, allows staff to signpost patients appropriately and streamlines outcomes throughout the hospice.
Methods
Literature review on clinical benefits of Music therapy and Tai Chi Consultation with group members Practise Tai Chi sessions Multidisciplinary consultation regarding introduction of POS.
Results
MusicA feeling of ownership and camaraderie promoting discussion ranging from shared memories to the spiritual needs of the present Tai ChiThis new skill has facilitated relaxation, breathing control and aided sleep POSIts use has identified a gap in care when patients are not accessing other hospice services and ensured their needs are met.
Conclusion
The exercise group has proved to be a good leveller with patients feeling confident to share experiences whilst gaining physical and emotional strength.
Success in adult life is associated with end of school academic attainment, but educational inequality is a major issue in the UK. Contextual background factors and personal attributes associated with student academic attainment have been identified in cross-sectional research. However, there has not been a systematic synthesis of these factors from longitudinal studies particularly with a focus on factors from middle childhood. The aim of this systematic review was to identify factors from middle childhood (6–12 years) that are associated with academic attainment at 15–17 years. Ninety UK studies met the inclusion criteria. Factors identified related to the student, socioeconomic, academic attainment, and the school. The quality of studies was generally rated as poor, and evidence for most factors was sparse, suggesting caution in interpretation. The middle childhood factors with the strongest evidence of association with later attainment were: prior attainment at the student level, student mental health, and gender. Generally, the results supported UK Government guidance on narrowing the education inequality gap although there was a lack of high-quality studies. The findings could be potentially useful for policymakers and schools in making decisions on effective interventions, policy choices, and funding allocations, particularly in the context of a socioecological framework. However, further research is needed in this area. Systematic Review Registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=136747 , identifer: 136747.
The history of bullying research is summarised and the KiVa bullying prevention programme described. KiVa is a whole-school programme with universal and indicated actions for children aged 7 to 15 years in the Finnish comprehensive school system. It was developed at Turku University, Finland, by social psychologist Christina Salmivalli and colleagues. It has demonstrated significant benefits in a large-scale randomised controlled trial and a subsequent roll-out of the programme to 90 per cent of schools in the Finnish comprehensive system ( www.kivakoulu.fi/ ). KiVa is based on research showing the important role played by bystanders in the bullying process. The universal and indicated actions within the programme are described. The universal actions consist of class lessons, whole school actions and a parent website. Evidence from the Finnish trials is summarised. The paper describes the introduction of the programme to the UK in 2012 and the results from the first, psychologist led, UK pilot trial of the programme are reported. Seventeen schools participated in the trial of Unit 2, at the time the only material available in English (for children aged 9 to 11 years), and delivered KiVa lessons to year 5 and/or year 6 pupils. Children completed the online KiVa survey prior to programme commencement and at the end of the school year. Significant reductions were reported in bullying and victimisation. Teachers reported high levels of pupil acceptance and engagement with lessons. The paper concludes with reflections on the role that educational and other applied psychologists can play in further disseminating this programme.
The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons why students withdrew during a semester from a mid-sized, comprehensive university located in the Midwest. Six hundred forty-five students were asked to complete the ACT Withdrawing/Non-returning Student Survey during the 1992-93 academic year and summer semester. Three hundred sixty-five completed surveys were returned for a 57% response rate. Respondents indicated many different reasons for leaving which varied by year in school and whether or not the respondent was a graduate or undergraduate student. There was no typical withdrawing student and there were many reasons students withdrew over which the university has little or no control. The report concludes with a discussion of Vincent Tinto's (1993) ideas concerning institutional departure. The retention and persistence of students in higher education has been the focus of serious intellectual inquiry for many years. Various concepts of institutional departure, persistence and models for programmatic interventions to reduce departure have been developed. (For example, see Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Stage & Rushin, 1993; Steele, Kennedy, & Gordon, 1993; Tinto, 1993; Wolfe, 1993.) The purpose of this study was to focus on one aspect of student attrition, and. to investigate the reasons and general trends as . to why students withdrew during a semester from a midsized comprehensive university located in the Midwest. This information could then be used to guide institutional action~ . .METHOD . . .. .. · . The ACT 'Withdrawing/Non-returning. Student Survey {The American College Testing Program, 1993) was used as the data collection· instrument. It is divided into five sections: (a) background information,< (b) reasons for leaving this college, (c) satisfaction with 'college services and characteristics, (d) institution-specific optional Ross J. Rapaport is a prof~ssor at the Counseling Ce~ter at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, MI.· Sharon L: George is the director for the Office of Student Life, and Susan E. Clarkson is the associate dean in the Office of the Dean of Students at Central Michigan University. Gary A. Adams is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI. questions (none were used in this study), and (e) space for written comments and suggestions. The Office of Student Life distributed the survey to all students who withdrew during the 1992-93 academic year and the 1993 summer semester. According to university policy, students were required to contact the Office of Student Life to withdraw from the university. Students who visited the office to withdraw were asked to complete the survey there. Students who informed the office by phone of their intent to withdraw were mailed the survey and were asked to return it to the office. All students were told that completing the questionnaire was part of the usual withdrawal process. The sample of students surveyed did not include students who completed a semester and then did not return for the next semester. The students surveyed were those students who withdrew from the university during the semesters indicated. During the 1992-93 academic year, approximately 16,000 students were enrolled at the university. A total of 645 students contacted the Office of Student Life and withdrew from the university during the semesters studied. Two hundred eighty-nine students withdrew during fall semester, 239 students withdrew during spring semester, and 117 students withdrew during the summer semester. Of these, 365 completed surveys were returned for a 57% response rate. Although statistics were not recorded, staff observed that students who were mailed the survey were less likely to complete and return it than those students who were asked to complete the survey while they were at the office. RESULTS Respondents were 52% female and 48% male. Most respondents were enrolled full-time {77%}, white {85%), single {84%), and classified themselves as an in-state student (96%). Respondents were 19% freshman, 17% sophomores, 23% juniors, 22% seniors, 13% graduate students, and 7% were either special students, other, or chose not to respond to the question. Students lived in various locations while attending the university: 32% in a residence hall, 31% in a room or apartment, 17% in their own home, 12% in a parent's home, 4% in married housing, 3% in other accommodations, and 1% in a fraternity or sorority house.
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