Academic literature on the topic 'Practice-led qualitative research'

The three main approaches in inquisitive research design are qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods [1]. However, recent developments in the research field have resulted in multiple other approaches, borrowing ideas from a broad range of fields. One such approach is the practice-led approach. This approach involves an efficient design process, novel qualitative interviewing methods, together with data mining procedures from quantitative data collection [2]. This paper assesses the practice-led approach used in user experience (UX) design, together with three approaches: co-design, service design, and reflective practice.

Researchers in the arts, media and design often struggle to find serviceable methodologies within the orthodox research paradigms of quantitative and qualitative research. In response to this and over the past decade, practice-led research has emerged as a potent strategy for those researchers who wish to initiate and then pursue their research through practice. This paper examines the dynamics and significance of practice-led research, and argues for it to be understood as a research strategy within an entirely new research paradigm: performative research. Taking its name from J.L. Austin's speech act theory, performative research stands as an alternative to the qualitative and quantitative paradigms by insisting on different approaches to designing, conducting and reporting research. The paper concludes by observing that, once understood and fully theorised, the performative research paradigm will have applications beyond the arts and across the creative and cultural industries generally.

Objective - Research studies in the literature that may be useful for solving professional practice questions are frequently based on findings from studies that use qualitative methods. Criteria used to appraise qualitative research are still evolving and often lack the readily understood precision of the numerical criteria used for quantitative research. Qualitative research studies can often be more valuable than quantitative studies for a given situation. This article offers a template to assess qualitative methods used in practitioner-led research for library and information science. Methods – This paper presents a narrative scenario of a library management problem. After conducting a literature search, the author identified an article with apparent relevance and potential to help resolve the problem. The author then evaluated the article using an assessment framework to illustrate how qualitative library research can be assessed. The paper examines the components of the framework, and explores the process. Results - The appraisal of the selected article demonstrates that qualitative methods used in library research can be critically evaluated for evidence to assist librarians in addressing their professional practice questions. Conclusions - Results obtained from qualitative research projects can be applied as evidence to support library practice. Qualitative methods are useful, and for many library practice issues, the assessment process illustrated here will help librarians evaluate the evidence and assess its appropriateness for practice.

The aim of this paper is to propose a matrix that could guide the approaches to entrepreneurship education at tertiary level bearing in mind binary constructs such as theory-led learning versus practice-led learning, as well as different contexts such as entrepreneurship in a formal programme versus entrepreneurship in a module only. A qualitative research approach was followed to compile the matrix, using data collected from 25 students who reflected on what an ideal programme or module could have entailed and what the most meaningful activities could be for such a programme or module. The matrix proposes some insightful approaches and activities that educators may consider when refining their module outcomes and assessments.

Background Clinical nurses have multiple challenges in conducting high-quality nursing research to inform practice. Theoretically, the development of a community of practice on nursing research centered on the concept of hope is an approach that may address some of the challenges. Purpose This article describes the delivery and evaluation of a hope research community of practice (HRCoP) approach to facilitate research expertise in a group of advanced practice nurses in one hospital. It addressed the question: Does the establishment of a HRCoP for master’s prepared nurses increase their confidence and competence in leading nursing research? Method Using interpretive descriptive qualitative research methodology, five participants were interviewed about their experiences within the HRCoP and facilitators engaged in participant observation. Results At 13 months, only four of the original seven participants remained in the HRCoP. While all participants discussed positive impacts of participation, they identified challenges of having protected time to complete their individual research projects, despite having administrative support to do so. Progress on individual research projects varied. Conclusion Nurse-led research remains a challenge for practicing nurses despite participating in an evidence-based HRCoP. Lessons learned from this project can be useful to other academic clinical partnerships.

The use of diagrams to stimulate dialogue in research interviews, a technique known as graphic elicitation, has burgeoned since the year 2000. Reviews of the graphic elicitation literature have relied on the inconsistent terminology currently used to index visual methods, and have so far drawn only a partial picture of their use. Individual diagrams are seen as stand-alone tools, often linked to particular disciplines, rather than as images created from a toolbox of common elements which can be customized to suit a research study. There is a need to examine participant-led diagramming with a view to matching the common elements of diagrams with the objectives of a research project. This article aims to provide an overview of diagramming techniques used in qualitative data collection with individual participants, to relate the features of diagrams to the aspects of the social world they represent, and to suggest how to choose a technique to suit a research question.

The challenge of combining research and practice in HRD has led to continuing debate on who are scholar-practitioners and how they integrate research and practice in the workplace. This qualitative collective case study provides insights from seven scholar-practitioners to help HRD professionals and researchers understand implementation concerns of scholar-practitioners. The findings reveal scholar-practitioners’ perceptions of their roles, the link between research and practice, and actions they took to overcome barriers and challenges related to integrating research and practice. This pilot study can serve as a benchmark for future studies regarding successful integration of research and practice in HRD.

National policy goals have made doctoral research a priority for academics in South African higher education. For many, the study of their own educational practice has strong appeal, and has led them to "cross over" and become novice educational researchers at doctoral level, pursuing qualitative research that could present ontological and epistemological challenges for those whose home disciplines (and training) are steeped in positivist quantitative methodologies. Concurrently, the need to be responsive to broader national imperatives for the decolonising of universities has underlined the importance of seeking inclusive participatory research methodologies that have potential to elevate participant voice. Interactive qualitative analysis (IQA) is a variant of participatory research that, we argue, offers advantages in view of these transformative shifts in South African higher education. IQA may appeal to cross-over researchers because it provides a structured and rigorous path through qualitative research. Moreover, IQA disrupts power relations that cast the researcher as "expert"; it grants participants control over data generation and preliminary analysis, and foregrounds their voices. We introduce IQA, and outline its key steps and protocols. Drawing on our application of IQA in a study at a South African university, we reflect critically on its affordances, limitations, and possible modifications.

Critical analysis of research has become a necessary task for nurses who intend to improve the quality of the care they provide by applying robust research evidence to clinical practice. The aims of the present paper are a) to discuss the various stage of critiquing research and b) to illustrate a case example of research critique by discussing a qualitative research paper. A systematic critique of a grounded theory research article, entitled “How Greek nurses perceive and overcome the barriers in implementing treatment for pressure ulcers: ‘Against the odds’”, was performed, using a framework that involves all stages needed in critiquing qualitative research. This framework was chosen because it provides specific guidelines and involves a detailed analysis of how each stage of the research must be accomplished. This critique process led to the development of an educational guide for students and novice researchers, illustrating the methodological approach and the skills needed for conducting a critical analysis of a published qualitative research study. This paper provides the necessary knowledge to nurse students about how to critique a published research paper and appraise research evidence that guides clinical practice and decision-making for the nursing care delivered.

This special issue explores how post-approaches to education and the arts emphasize learning, teaching, and knowledge-production in the arts as performative processes of becoming in-between humans and other materialities in a more-than-human world. Moreover, the articles included in the special issue reveal that such an endeavor calls for new ways of doing research through post-qualitative and practice-led research methodologies.

The evaluation of creative participatory community projects remains a controversial issue in politics, policy and the arts, its focus sharpened by the reality or rhetoric of austerity. Despite the recent plethora of policy documents and reviews there is little consensus about how projects should be evaluated or what constitutes good evidence about the impact on individual and collective wellbeing of ‘being creative’. This research set out to develop and trial feasible and effective evaluations for small to medium sized projects in the West Midlands of the UK based on field research into how impact is produced. Through mainly qualitative research in diverse contexts it was able to identify a range of conditions in projects reflecting the interrelationship of creativity and participation in which positive impact could be maximised. The research sought to theorise the impact of these conditions using elements of Actor Network Theory and Freire’s concept of praxis, concluding that impact is likely to be incremental, partial and non-linear. Central to this theorisation was the synthesis of evidence about the impact of creativity and embodied making on thinking, affect and a sense of agency, with ideas about how people change, producing a new evidence-based theory of change. In a practice-led approach, new creative methods were trialled in which data produced by participants had aesthetic as well as communicative value and the evaluation process itself contributed to positive impact. While it was possible to evaluate aspects of this impact through episodic interventions, field trials showed that it was more effective to develop a systemic evaluation strategy. Such a strategy needed to be participatory and integrated into project planning, in order to respond to the stochastic systems creativity inevitably provokes. This proved to offer two advantages: the potential to engage many stakeholders, not just as respondents but also as agents actively defining and measuring evaluation outcomes; and the potential for reflection about impact as process rather than outcome. These findings were then implemented in a number of projects, including trials of the Arts Council UK’s developmental Children and Young People’s Quality Principles. The method has been identified as ‘improving the conversation’ amongst partners, stakeholders and artists who can re-position themselves as active agents of evaluation rather than mere respondents, using the tropes, practices and materials of their own professional practices.

This research explores the potential for the qualitative practice of ethno-drama to examine social issues in schools, such as social labelling, from a student perspective. I argue that the writing of ‘real fiction’ theatre, which involves observing and recording voices from the authors’ experience of others, can work in the lives of students to understand and express their social situation (Welsh, 2014). Nine students and three teachers from a state government secondary school participated in the research. The thesis utilises an issue-based theatre-making theory to approach social issues in education. Labelling, explored throughout, is characterised as a naming language and this definition is built upon and expanded through the application of practice-led playwriting research methodology. The outcome of the research includes interview data with student and teacher participants exploring the social phenomenon of labelling, both in terms of students being labelled by teachers and peer to peer labelling in the school context. Raw data were collected and presented in the form of original student writings created in a classroom engagement and a dramatic play including conflated versions of student participants’ monologues. This practice-led research impacts arts practice through its pedagogical engagement and education through its creative approach. In the data collection phase of the research, student participants had the opportunity to express themselves through monologue writing and this practice in turn provided vital data about how they view and behave in their social world. Student participants commented, through the practice of monologue writing, that the labels that matter to them are the ones used in their social world, in the schoolyard as opposed to the classroom. By conducting research through the use of a specific, practice-led methodology, based on the writing of theatre applied to a drama classroom, this work makes an original contribution to the field of practice-based and/or practice-led research in education.

Diversity in children’s picture books is a topic that has received tremendous momentum in recent years. Movements like We Need Diverse Books show a rising social consciousness regarding the importance of diversity in children’s literature. However, the discussion of family diversity – both academically and creatively – remains an area that is often not considered. Picture books play a significant role in the lives of children, and the benefits of representation cannot be overstated (Mokrzycki 2019). Yet, overwhelmingly, picture book families remain ‘intact’ – the official term used by the Australian government for the two- parent family model. Thus, children from all other family types, like step and blended families, foster families, single parent and grandparent-led families, remain largely unrepresented. Furthermore, families diverse in culture, sexuality, identity, body and mind diversity are equally limited. This PhD by Creative Project responds to this problem by means of a creative work and accompanying exegesis. My creative work takes the form of an original illustrated picture book titled The rainbow cake, which centres on a diverse Polish- Australian family. The exegesis challenges preconceived notions of what makes a family ‘intact’, and examines the benefits family-diverse representation provides. It includes the analysis of 300 picture books (180 Australian and 120 International) to examine trends, patterns and gaps in family representation.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen new ways of doing things emerge. Various aspects of everyday life have been digitalized. What was once face-to-face, in context, is now done at a distance. For better or worse, healthcare and health research also had repercussions. On the one hand, there were aspects that improved, while others left something to be desired. I will not list them, because they have already been widely debated and it is now important to discuss what brought us to this page. In the particular field of qualitative research in health, also evident in this edition of NTQR, new trends can be observed in the way of researching, collecting data and producing results. We can even say that the successive confinements and constraints in data collection in the field have led us to a more reflexive process, to look more at what others have produced. We have seen, in the different scientific areas, an increase in literature reviews and other ways of collecting data, such as those latent on the internet. But this is not necessarily harmful, on the contrary, it has created opportunities to map and systematise knowledge. Not reinventing the wheel, but noting the "wheels" that exist, what is done, what needs to be done, innovating and finding ways to improve healthcare in its different perspectives. Perhaps due to better accessibility to data and easier logistics, scoping reviews, for example, sprang up, which, based on the qualitative approach, are one of the best ways to establish the state of the art of what we want to know. We have also observed a growth in thinking outside the box, using visual methods to gather information, such as images and even videographic analysis. We live overwhelmed with communications, content created and exchanges of information, by ordinary citizens, service users, professionals, scientists and many other people. A vast amount of unexplored data that has now emerged, perhaps because the imposed brake of our routines has led us to look more reflectively and give it a chance. All this to say that the more sedentary research has not only changed the vision of doing scientifically valid research but has also reinvented processes for obtaining data that are visible, but that were rarely used. Systematizing dispersed knowledge, shortens the time and resources spent and accelerates the acquisition of skills and, as is often said, the practice based on evidence. The evidence exists, perhaps it is not within everyone's reach, so it is no disrespect to gather, systematize, facilitate the interpretation and publish knowledge produced by others. To research from the office in a protocoled and structured way, is to produce knowledge, which should be poured and drunk by those without access and without availability to start investigations from scratch. Sometimes the best knowledge has already been produced, let us guide its discovery!

Recent literature has identified modern “parenting” as an expert-led practice—one which begins with pre-pregnancy decisions, entails distinct types of intimate relationships, places intense burdens on mothers and increasingly on fathers too. Exploring within diverse historical and global contexts how men and women make—and break—relations between generations when becoming parents, this volume brings together innovative qualitative research by anthropologists, historians, and sociologists. The chapters focus tightly on inter-generational transmission and demonstrate its importance for understanding how people become parents and rear children.

AbstractThis chapter presents the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the action research, which was used by collaborating research teams from Poland, Lithuania, Finland and Austria for the study “Improving Inclusive Education Through Universal Design for Learning”. The chapter discusses different sociocultural contexts in the participating countries and what led to the research question, which asks “How does the implementation of universal design for learning enrich the practice of inclusive education in different educational contexts”. This question was looked at in terms of its relevance to the four above-mentioned countries. It can be argued that the action research is favourable for the development of theory and that inclusive education can be changed and reflected by it. The types of action research chosen by the research teams are discussed, those being collaborative, and critical participatory. The cycles of action research and their goals are also presented. Seeking to substantiate the choices of research teams regarding the process and methods of action research, this chapter elaborates on the aspects of action research organisation that are interpreted differently by the researchers: Can the action research be conducted only by the researcher–teachers or can it be carried out by teachers in cooperation with researchers? Is it possible to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research? The problem with quality and validity of action research is discussed.

AbstractDrawing upon an extensive case study of a sports-based, life skills job training program for at-risk youth in Honduras and Guatemala, this chapter examines how program participants described the process of building skills, and how, if at all, this skill-building led to greater well-being. Second, it asks, to what extent are these experiences of program participants aligned with theories of education within the capability approach? These questions are addressed through a qualitative case study that was embedded within an experimental design (a randomized control trial) that took place over 5 years in urban areas of Honduras and Guatemala. The analysis suggests that the combination of exposure to new ideas and information in the three phases of the A Ganar program, coupled with concrete opportunities to test out such ideas, enabled youth to experience changes in their attitudes and behaviors around work, around themselves, and to develop new relationships and friendships. Based on these empirical results, the chapter identifies several elements that might better inform life skills education research and practice in s in the future. These include: (1) conceptualizing life skills as preconditions of capabilities (some of which might be better classified as values); (2) conceptualizing life skills as both ends and means of interventions, and (3) giving more consideration to the conversion factors, meaning the ability to convert resources into functionings, that limit the robustness of capabilities that life skills programs develop.

Incoming PK12 general education teachers beginning their careers are not wanting to have individuals with intellectual disabilities in their classroom due to a lack of special education experience and knowledge. This practice-based qualitative narrative dissertation study explored student teacher individual perceptions and experiences on special education classroom behavior and inclusion for elementary public-school general education student teachers. The practice-based problem was the negative views pre-service K12 educators held for classroom inclusion and personal perceptions of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The study sample included 10 student teacher college students enrolled in one Texas early childhood program. Schlossberg's Transition Model was used as the practice-based conceptual framework and data were gathered from interviews and analyzed using Clandinin and Connelly's procedures for narrative analysis. The findings determined pre-service general education teachers are not always provided adequate inclusion training.

The chapter examines the role of practice-related research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It will extend existing debates regarding the academic rigour of such methodologies as arts-based research and consider their impact on future research culture, using Zen arts as an example of a subject of study within such a methodological framing. It also discusses complimentary methods used by Zen arts researchers such as ethnography to examine why qualitative techniques are not only useful but imperative in the study of such fields. While practice is the key to Zen arts research, neither of the practice-related method types, practice-led or practice-based, currently defined describes how such practice or the writing function in PhD investigations, where together such components are the subject of investigation as well as the method of research and presentation. The chapter thus suggests an additional category of PRR, “practice-reflexive,” when describing such research whose focus is on the distinction of (or the lack thereof) the written exegesis and the notional artefact.

In designing teaching toolkits for teachers the effectiveness of such a resource depends on mutual enactment and engagement by the designer, the teacher and the learners. It is a recursive process and illuminates the tensions between the intended outcomes envisaged by the designer and the realised outcomes in the classroom. In the qualitative research tradition, the exploratory investigation captured in this paper employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. With this orientation, and along the theoretical trajectory led by Todres (2005:107), this study sought to collect detailed descriptive accounts of personal experience. Data were gathered by collecting samples of learners’ work, teacher interviews and classroom observations. This paper draws attention to the practical disjuncture between assessing and activating prior knowledge. Insights acquired may contribute both to the design approach and to teaching practice.

This study evaluated records management practices at a local authority in Zimbabwe, with reference to Zvishavane Town Council in the South Midlands province of Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to establish the records management practice to expose the bedevil and recommend the best practice. To achieve the purpose of the study, qualitative research methodology was used through a case study design. Data was collected using interviews, document analysis, and direct observations. The findings of the study revealed that Zvishavane Town Council was practicing records management without a standard written down policy of records management. This led to an ad hoc system of practice in terms of good governance, accountability, and transparency in managing council records. The study recommends that records management at this council be done using a well-documented records management policy.

This chapter explores promising teaching practices for teaching linguistically and culturally diverse international students by identifying the teaching practices that have high levels of international student satisfaction and student perceptions of learning for science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM international students. Research was conducted by an international, student-learning community, with guidance from a faculty-led research team. Data was collected through a qualitative research design that included focus groups and individual interviews conducted at a mid-sized Canadian comprehensive university. A total of 28 students participated (14 STEM students and 14 non-STEM students). Researchers examined differences between STEM and non-STEM students on 22 promising teaching practices regarding student satisfaction and students' perceptions of learning. Recommendations for professional practice are discussed, along with potential areas for further research.

Institutional mutawalli is the institution responsible for maintaining and managing the waqf property. The success of the administration and management of the institution mutawalli is the key to professional and sound governance, which has certainly led to the sustainability and continuity of the institution. Good and proper governance promotes the optimal use and benefit of each entrusted waqf property to others. Previous studies have found that most institutional mutawalli face challenges in their governance practices, which is why these waqf properties are not used to archive their full impact on other beneficiaries. The aim of this study is therefore to understand the current utilization of waqf property in Malaysia and to explore governance practices based on the experience of higher education institutions as an institutional mutawalli (IM). A qualitative method is employed in this study using case studies with purposive sampling, where formal and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the selective representative of the IM. The participants are those in leadership positions, such as the CEO and the top management of the institution mutawalli from the higher education institution. The findings of this study discussed in detail the practice and experience of waqf institutions utilization and governance of their waqf properties. This study identifies the key characteristics of the waqf property that must be possessed by the utilization and management of the waqf property. The findings could also benefit similar and different institutional mutawallis and policy makers from identifying the essential interdependent characteristics to help them achieve growth performance.

The Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Ireland, is a Higher Education (HE) provider of Initial Teacher Education (ITE).Graduates on its BSc (Hons) in Education (Design, Graphics and Construction) degree programme are qualified to teach technical subjects at second level. A defining element of delivery is the promotion of creativity and innovation in the classroom, by means of active, student-centred and design-led teaching and learning (T&L) strategies. This paper outlines a GMIT qualitative student-perspective pilot study, involving a total of 42 GMIT student teacher participants (n=42). The study aims to analyse the effectiveness of two selected platforms in the ITE programme: 1) presentation contributions by 14 student teachers at the GMIT ‘Creativity and Innovation in Teaching’ Conference (2016) (n=14), and 2) a textual analysis of student online forum critical reflection submissions (2016-2017) (n=28). The research confirms the effectiveness of both strategies in promoting a practice of innovation and creativity in the classroom, including evidence of the innovative educational technology classroom tools and increased student-centred, active learning and design-led strategies in T&L. Keywords: Creativity, Innovation, Educational Technology, Technical Education, Initial Teacher Education, Active teaching Strategies.

As teaching moved on-line we had to rethink and readjust what approaches to use in order to reach the outcomes. Adjustments had to be made to the designed activities especially when groups had to meet in breakout rooms. We will present the various aspects that came under scrutiny, as for example, peripheral participation, the development of mini-communities of practice, cooperation, collaboration and mediation. We analyzed instructor’s journal notes and students’ products. There were 53 students in the classes concerned. The main research question is what was effective in making participants improve learning and how did the implementation increase their understanding of working together virtually. The method used is qualitative (Creswell, & Poth, 2018). The instructor took observational notes of processes and actions during planned activities. These notes were analyzed to uncover insights. In addition, student ‘products’ of group work were analyzed for the triangulation of results. Results show that the effort put into creating more engagement in the module brought about a number of interesting results that increased student understanding. Overall, findings show that participants reiterate expectations and summarize them, the repetition allowed a better grasp and this could also be due to the fact that during the reconversion, participants had to make sure they really understood the contents, i.e. ensuring that the meanings were clear which, in turn led to a better intake of specific features. As regards working together, several issues were identified, yet overall, all students were highly successful, due mostly to a supportive approach as regards feedback or a ‘feed-through’ approach. The theoretical underpinnings came from research on learning and pointed to the requirement of additional insights on the part of instructors especially when teaching has to take into account equity, diversity, inclusion and indigenization (EDII). Instruction had to be more connected to students’ lives. Bransford et al (2000) assert that “to develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application” (p. 16).

The main goal of vocational secondary schools is to pass on to students both theoretical information and information needed for current and future practice. The Europe 2020 strategy confirms this goal as it puts emphasis on the environment, innovations and education, primarily regarding schools specializing in agriculture. The aim of this paper is to assess what position vocational agriculture schools have within the system of secondary schools in the Czech Republic, and whether they can contribute to becoming so-called community centres in the given municipality, or whether they possibly already implement certain activities leading to the community function. The survey included primary and secondary research; in primary research qualitative approach was used in the form of in-depth individual interviews with members of the management of selected vocational agriculture schools. In secondary research, selected strategic documents on transnational and national level and expert articles focused on community education were analysed. It is evident that vocational agriculture schools strive to use all potential ways to increase their attractiveness and want to participate in local life. However, they are burdened with paperwork and problems that hinder the implementation of other attractive activities undertaken by schools.

Aim/Purpose: This study examined the distance teaching practices that early childhood pre-service teachers chose for working with kindergarten students during the COVID-19 lockdown. Background: The spread of the coronavirus resulted in a state of emergency, lockdowns, isolations, and social distancing in Israel. As a result of the lockdown, kindergartens were closed, and learning continued distance teaching. Methodology: In this study, we examine the perception of the role of the coaching kindergarten teacher in the process of integrating and coaching students at the be-ginning of their practicum in kindergarten, during the COVID period, from the perspective of the students. The study involved 32 female preservice teachers studying at teacher training institutions in Israel. The study used the qualitative research method. Contribution: Imparting knowledge, tools, and skills for working in this environment could have led to more significant teaching during the COVID-19 lockdown period by some of the participants in the study. Findings: The data analysis revealed that preservice teachers could be divided into three categories: (a) those who adopted distance teaching (12.5%), (b) those who sent asynchronous messages (21.8%), and (c) those who initiated distance learning activities (65.6%). Participants raised three issues: (a) communication and interactions, (b) characteristics of the preservice teachers, and (c) attitudes, tools, and technological skills of the preservice teachers. The findings revealed differences in the resilience and efficacy of the preservice teachers, including creativity, endurance, independence, flexibility, and the degree of e-readiness for teaching in a digital environment. These differences affected the choice of distance teaching practices. Recommendations for Practitioners: Knowledge strengthens the sense of mental resilience; therefore, it is necessary to enhance the digital readiness of students in early education teaching programs. The process of training preservice teachers must include teaching practices in a digital environment, thereby expanding the students’ “toolbox” and increasing their e-readiness for effective integration of the digital environment. Recommendations for Researchers: The findings of the study can be applied in periods when it is not possible to meet face-to-face, with remote populations in the periphery, and in joint learning of kindergarten teachers, parents, and children within the framework of homeschooling in geographically distant areas, carried out remotely and not face to face. All the preservice teachers who participated in the study and all the parents of the children in the kindergartens had full access to the Internet and application's; therefore, the findings of the present study can be applied only to populations that have access to the Internet. For populations that have partial access, the data may be applied only partially. Impact on Society: It is important that kindergarten teachers initiate distance learning with the children and parents on an ongoing basis, not only during emergencies and crises, on various topics, for example, the online activities program focusing on the seasons of the year. Parents can write texts with their children and all kindergarten children can see them; they can document trees in various situations—the falling of leaves and blossoming—and share with all the kindergarten children and their parents in a dedicated forum; watch a show online with the all the children and their parents; send videos and allow responses on the common forum to the kindergarten staff, children, and parents. In addition, in the process of preservice teacher training, students must acquire social-emotional skills and cultivate a sense of resilience, empathy, self-efficacy, growth mindset patterns, decision-making ability, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, interaction management, and responsibility. Future Research: The sample included 32 preservice teachers in early education, in the final year of their training, and examined the practices chosen by the preservice teachers during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Further studies, following subsequent closures, may show a better adaptation to distance teaching because of the experience gained in the meantime. Future studies should examine the distance teaching practices that teachers have used in practice during the closure periods, and what factors advanced and hindered distance learning.

Overview Skin cancer prevention is a component of the new Cancer Plan 2022–27, which guides the work of the Cancer Institute NSW. To lessen the impact of skin cancer on the community, the Cancer Institute NSW works closely with the NSW Skin Cancer Prevention Advisory Committee, comprising governmental and non-governmental organisation representatives, to develop and implement the NSW Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy. Primary Health Networks and primary care providers are seen as important stakeholders in this work. To guide improvements in skin cancer prevention and inform the development of the next NSW Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy, an up-to-date review of the evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of skin cancer prevention activities in primary care is required. A research team led by the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, was contracted to undertake an Evidence Check review to address the questions below. Evidence Check questions This Evidence Check aimed to address the following questions: Question 1: What skin cancer primary prevention activities can be effectively administered in primary care settings? As part of this, identify the key components of such messages, strategies, programs or initiatives that have been effectively implemented and their feasibility in the NSW/Australian context. Question 2: What are the main barriers and enablers for primary care providers in delivering skin cancer primary prevention activities within their setting? Summary of methods The research team conducted a detailed analysis of the published and grey literature, based on a comprehensive search. We developed the search strategy in consultation with a medical librarian at the University of Sydney and the Cancer Institute NSW team, and implemented it across the databases Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus, Cochrane Central and CINAHL. Results were exported and uploaded to Covidence for screening and further selection. The search strategy was designed according to the SPIDER tool for Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Evidence Synthesis, which is a systematic strategy for searching qualitative and mixed-methods research studies. The SPIDER tool facilitates rigour in research by defining key elements of non-quantitative research questions. We included peer-reviewed and grey literature that included skin cancer primary prevention strategies/ interventions/ techniques/ programs within primary care settings, e.g. involving general practitioners and primary care nurses. The literature was limited to publications since 2014, and for studies or programs conducted in Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Western Europe and Scandinavia. We also included relevant systematic reviews and evidence syntheses based on a range of international evidence where also relevant to the Australian context. To address Question 1, about the effectiveness of skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings, we summarised findings from the Evidence Check according to different skin cancer prevention activities. To address Question 2, about the barriers and enablers of skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings, we summarised findings according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The CFIR is a framework for identifying important implementation considerations for novel interventions in healthcare settings and provides a practical guide for systematically assessing potential barriers and facilitators in preparation for implementing a new activity or program. We assessed study quality using the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) levels of evidence. Key findings We identified 25 peer-reviewed journal articles that met the eligibility criteria and we included these in the Evidence Check. Eight of the studies were conducted in Australia, six in the UK, and the others elsewhere (mainly other European countries). In addition, the grey literature search identified four relevant guidelines, 12 education/training resources, two Cancer Care pathways, two position statements, three reports and five other resources that we included in the Evidence Check. Question 1 (related to effectiveness) We categorised the studies into different types of skin cancer prevention activities: behavioural counselling (n=3); risk assessment and delivering risk-tailored information (n=10); new technologies for early detection and accompanying prevention advice (n=4); and education and training programs for general practitioners (GPs) and primary care nurses regarding skin cancer prevention (n=3). There was good evidence that behavioural counselling interventions can result in a small improvement in sun protection behaviours among adults with fair skin types (defined as ivory or pale skin, light hair and eye colour, freckles, or those who sunburn easily), which would include the majority of Australians. It was found that clinicians play an important role in counselling patients about sun-protective behaviours, and recommended tailoring messages to the age and demographics of target groups (e.g. high-risk groups) to have maximal influence on behaviours. Several web-based melanoma risk prediction tools are now available in Australia, mainly designed for health professionals to identify patients’ risk of a new or subsequent primary melanoma and guide discussions with patients about primary prevention and early detection. Intervention studies have demonstrated that use of these melanoma risk prediction tools is feasible and acceptable to participants in primary care settings, and there is some evidence, including from Australian studies, that using these risk prediction tools to tailor primary prevention and early detection messages can improve sun-related behaviours. Some studies examined novel technologies, such as apps, to support early detection through skin examinations, including a very limited focus on the provision of preventive advice. These novel technologies are still largely in the research domain rather than recommended for routine use but provide a potential future opportunity to incorporate more primary prevention tailored advice. There are a number of online short courses available for primary healthcare professionals specifically focusing on skin cancer prevention. Most education and training programs for GPs and primary care nurses in the field of skin cancer focus on treatment and early detection, though some programs have specifically incorporated primary prevention education and training. A notable example is the Dermoscopy for Victorian General Practice Program, in which 93% of participating GPs reported that they had increased preventive information provided to high-risk patients and during skin examinations. Question 2 (related to barriers and enablers) Key enablers of performing skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings included: • Easy access and availability of guidelines and point-of-care tools and resources • A fit with existing workflows and systems, so there is minimal disruption to flow of care • Easy-to-understand patient information • Using the waiting room for collection of risk assessment information on an electronic device such as an iPad/tablet where possible • Pairing with early detection activities • Sharing of successful programs across jurisdictions. Key barriers to performing skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings included: • Unclear requirements and lack of confidence (self-efficacy) about prevention counselling • Limited availability of GP services especially in regional and remote areas • Competing demands, low priority, lack of time • Lack of incentives.