Introduction: Depression can be a serious problem in young adult students. There is a need to implement and monitor prevention interventions for these students. Emotion-regulating improvisational music therapy (EIMT) was developed to prevent depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of EIMT for use in practice for young adult students with depressive symptoms in a university context. Method: A process evaluation was conducted embedded in a larger research project. Eleven students, three music therapists and five referrers were interviewed. The music therapists also completed evaluation forms. Data were collected concerning client attendance, treatment integrity, musical components used to synchronise, and experiences with EIMT and referral. Results: Client attendance (90%) and treatment integrity were evaluated to be sufficient (therapist adherence 83%; competence 84%). The music therapists used mostly rhythm to synchronise (38 of 99 times). The students and music therapists reported that EIMT and its elements evoked changes in all emotion regulation components. The students reported that synchronisation elicited meaningful experiences of expressing joy, feeling heard, feeling joy and bodily responses of relaxation. The music therapists found the manual useful for applying EIMT. The student counsellors experienced EIMT as an appropriate way to support students due to its preventive character. Discussion: EIMT appears to be a feasible means of evoking changes in emotion regulation components in young adult students with depressive symptoms in a university context. More studies are needed to create a more nuanced and evidence-based understanding of the feasibility of EIMT, processes of change and treatment integrity.
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This work draws on the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey. Last year a first review was conducted on the PIAAC Numeracy Framework (Tout. et al., 2017). In 2018 and 2019 the framework for the second cycle of PIAAC will be developed. This second cycle of the PIAAC survey aims to update the data about the numeracy skills of adults in different countries around the World (Hoogland, Díez-Palomar, Maguire, 2019). The objective of this paper is to highlight some relevant findings from literature on the concept numeracy in order to discuss a potential enrichment of the PIAAC Numeracy Assessment Framework (NAF).
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This paper is a summary paper of the Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Adult Mathematics Education (AME). The theme AME made its first appearance on CERME11 and in this paper we provide an overview of the growing and blossoming field of AME and the results of the working group. The main themes associated with AME are: the definition, scope, and assessment of numeracy, the role of language and dialogue, the role of affect, including motivation, and the role of societal power structures, including subthemes like equity, inclusion, vulnerable learners, agency and self-efficacy. We conclude with the opportunities and challenges for this theme from both scientific and societal perspective.
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Young adult caregivers experience reduced wellbeing when the combination of family care and an educational program becomes too demanding. We aim to clarify the role views, competences, and needs of lecturers regarding the identification and support of these students to prevent negative mental health consequences. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was used. We collected quantitative data using a survey of lecturers teaching in bachelor education programs in the Netherlands ( n = 208) and then conducted in-depth interviews ( n = 13). Descriptive statistics and deductive thematic analyses were performed. Most participants (70.2%) thought that supporting young adult caregivers was the responsibility of the educational institution, and 49% agreed that it was a responsibility of the lecturer, but only 66.8% indicated that they feel competent to do so. However, 45.2% indicated that they needed more training and expertise to identify and support these students. All interviewees felt responsible for their students' wellbeing but highlighted a lack of clarity regarding their role fulfillment. In practice, their ability to identify and support these students depended on their available time and level of expertise. The lecturers required agreements on responsibility and procedures for further referral, as well as information on support and referral opportunities, communication skills courses, and peer-to-peer coaching.
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Communicative participation is the most important outcome of speech and language therapy, but there are no measurement instruments for children, adolescents, and young adults. This paper describes the development of MyCommunication-Youth: an item bank to measure self-reported communicative participation in children, adolescents and young adults with various communication disorders.
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One of the core elements of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a survey of adult skills. The survey measures adults’ proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Furthermore, the survey gathers data on how adults use their skills at home, at work and in the wider community. The second cycle of PIAAC will take place in 2021 and 2022. Preparations have started by the Numeracy Expert Group in reviewing the numeracy framework used in the first cycle and designing items which will be used to measure the numerate capabilities and numerate behavior of adults.
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Currently, the Netherlands is still experiencing high levels of food waste, especially among young adults. Despite growing awareness on this topic, one specific group remains largely unexplored: Dutch vocational education (MBO) students. Therefore, this project explores the perceptions and current behaviour of this group regarding food waste and investigated the underlying determinants of food waste behaviour. Ultimately, the main purpose of this project is to provide insights and tailored interventions to reduce food waste behaviour among Dutch vocational education students. In this project, the Behaviour Change Wheel (COM-B model) serves as a theoretical foundation to understand and ultimately influence the food waste behaviour among students. To investigate the underlying food waste determinants and provide tailored interventions and recommendations, we conducted three main activities: literature review and desk research, the conduction of a quantitative survey, and qualitative interviews.Keywords: Food waste, COM-B, vocational students/MBO studenten, interventions.
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Een actieonderzoek naar de ontwikkeling van een leerlingversterkend onderwijsprogramma met het doel leerlingen met een visuele beperking beter voor te bereiden op hun transitie naar volwassenheid en waar mogelijk een betaalde baan. Belangrijke thema's: inclusie en exclusie, empowerment, stem van de leerling, transitie naar volwassenheid en het burgerschapsmodel tegenover het medische model.
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Obtaining credits, studying for exams, attending classes, engaging with fellow students and lecturers, living alone or with others, and taking part in extra-curricular activities: there is a fair amount for students in higher education to take in. There are also numerous external factors — such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing labour and housing market — that affect students. However, students experience these situations differently and deal with them in different ways. How can we ensure that, notwithstanding these stress factors and differences, as many students as possible become and remain engaged and energised? Happier students tend to be more engaged and generally achieve better study results.1 That is why student well-being is also a widely researched and important topic. The search is on for measures to promote student well-being and success. Having a clear idea of how things are going for a student and what they need is a starting point. This booklet helps readers to identify different student profiles and understand what is needed to improve student success. We zoom in on two key aspects of student success: engagement and emotional exhaustion.
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Recently, there has been an increased interest in the well-being of students in higher education. Despite the widespread consensus on the importance of student well-being, a clear definition continues to be lacking. This study qualitatively examined the student perspective on the topic through semi-structured interviews at a university of applied sciences in the Netherlands (n = 27). A major recurring theme was well-being as a balance in the interplay between efforts directed towards studies and life beyond studies. This method of perceiving well- being deviates from theoretical definitions. Students mentioned various factors that influence their well-being. Responses ranged from personal and university related factors to external factors beyond their educational institution. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the well-being of students in higher education and provides suggestions for educational institutions, such as incorporating a holistic perspective on students and learning; and focus points for the development of policies and practices.
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