title: Language challenges and strategies for English Language Learners in statistics education: An overview of research in this field

authors: Sharma, Sashi

subjects: English Language Learners

abstract: Despite the rapidly growing population of English Language Learners in schools, very little research has focused on understanding the challenges of English Language Learners in statistics education. This paper reviews research by statistics and mathematics educators to highlight some of the broad challenges faced by English Language Learners in statistics learning and teaching. The linguistic challenges include the vocabulary in academic statistics and linguistic features that may make statistical texts hard to understand and communicate. Next, the review outlines pedagogical strategies to help learners in statistics classrooms. The final section considers some issues arising out of the review and offers suggestions for practice and research.

text: Language challenges and strategies for English Language Learners in statistics education: An overview of research in this field Despite the rapidly growing population of English Language Learners in schools, very little research has focused on understanding the challenges of English Language Learners in statistics education. This paper reviews research by statistics and mathematics educators to highlight some of the broad challenges faced by English Language Learners in statistics learning and teaching. The linguistic challenges include the vocabulary in academic statistics and linguistic features that may make statistical texts hard to understand and communicate. Next, the review outlines pedagogical strategies to help learners in statistics classrooms. The final section considers some issues arising out of the review and offers suggestions for practice and research.

year: 2019

title: An exploration of year 10 students’ motivation, attitude and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry

authors: Misitomu, Andrew Ita

subjects: Motivation

abstract: How you see the world is largely a function of where you view it from, what you look at, what lens you use to help you see, what tools you use to clarify your image, what you reflect on and how you report your world to others. (Anderson, 2000, p. 3)

Chemistry education is a broad term that refers to the study of the teaching and learning of chemistry in all schools, colleges and universities. The need to understand student motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry, how best to teach and improve learning outcomes in chemistry are paramount. These needs could be met by changing teaching methods and appropriate training of chemistry instructors, within several modes, including classroom teaching, demonstrations, and laboratory activities. There is a constant need to update the skills of chemistry teachers, and in acquiring a better understanding of students’ motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry; chemistry education speaks to this need.

This study explores students’ motivation, attitude and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry. It uses Year 10 chemistry students in four secondary schools in Honiara, Solomon Islands as its study participants. Its primary objective is to examine student perceptions, and to investigate associations between chemistry students' motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy. The research adopts an interpretive approach to research, and employs a mixed methodological approach using questionnaire and semi-structured interview for data collection. It uses cross tabulation, thematic and statistical analysis for data presentation, analysis and theory formation.

The significant results of the study substantiate suggestions made by other research studies that student motivation, attitude and self-efficacy shape the behaviour of students toward learning chemistry. The nature of influence depends on the degree of success in prior student learning experiences.

This study finds that, student motivation as a personal construct is intrinsically driven. Thus motivated students have a positive attitude toward learning chemistry and do learn effectively while unmotivated students place less effort into the learning process. This study suggests students’ attitude toward learning chemistry is shaped by past teaching and learning experiences, and the influence of parents and peers on students’ normative beliefs. In addition, intrinsically motivated students acquire a sense of self-worth and confidence, setting achievable goals and working toward achieving them.

Such findings call for a contextualised chemical education for young people, driven by past changes in chemistry education in schools and the needs and interests of our young people, our future citizens. The need to develop learning and instructional materials that are holistically interwoven with the learners’ socio-cultural context with prior and intended chemistry knowledge is a worthy call. This is important for worthwhile and lifelong learning. The country's socio-cultural context could therefore be embedded into the curriculum materials (syllabus, students’ books, teachers’ guides and learning resources). The socio-cultural application of chemical knowledge, skills and principles could, therefore, be the central focus in instructional and learning materials design. This could help increase student motivation; creates positive attitude change, and help boost student self-efficacy toward learning chemistry.

text: An exploration of year 10 students’ motivation, attitude and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry How you see the world is largely a function of where you view it from, what you look at, what lens you use to help you see, what tools you use to clarify your image, what you reflect on and how you report your world to others. (Anderson, 2000, p. 3)

Chemistry education is a broad term that refers to the study of the teaching and learning of chemistry in all schools, colleges and universities. The need to understand student motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry, how best to teach and improve learning outcomes in chemistry are paramount. These needs could be met by changing teaching methods and appropriate training of chemistry instructors, within several modes, including classroom teaching, demonstrations, and laboratory activities. There is a constant need to update the skills of chemistry teachers, and in acquiring a better understanding of students’ motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry; chemistry education speaks to this need.

This study explores students’ motivation, attitude and self-efficacy toward learning chemistry. It uses Year 10 chemistry students in four secondary schools in Honiara, Solomon Islands as its study participants. Its primary objective is to examine student perceptions, and to investigate associations between chemistry students' motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy. The research adopts an interpretive approach to research, and employs a mixed methodological approach using questionnaire and semi-structured interview for data collection. It uses cross tabulation, thematic and statistical analysis for data presentation, analysis and theory formation.

The significant results of the study substantiate suggestions made by other research studies that student motivation, attitude and self-efficacy shape the behaviour of students toward learning chemistry. The nature of influence depends on the degree of success in prior student learning experiences.

This study finds that, student motivation as a personal construct is intrinsically driven. Thus motivated students have a positive attitude toward learning chemistry and do learn effectively while unmotivated students place less effort into the learning process. This study suggests students’ attitude toward learning chemistry is shaped by past teaching and learning experiences, and the influence of parents and peers on students’ normative beliefs. In addition, intrinsically motivated students acquire a sense of self-worth and confidence, setting achievable goals and working toward achieving them.

Such findings call for a contextualised chemical education for young people, driven by past changes in chemistry education in schools and the needs and interests of our young people, our future citizens. The need to develop learning and instructional materials that are holistically interwoven with the learners’ socio-cultural context with prior and intended chemistry knowledge is a worthy call. This is important for worthwhile and lifelong learning. The country's socio-cultural context could therefore be embedded into the curriculum materials (syllabus, students’ books, teachers’ guides and learning resources). The socio-cultural application of chemical knowledge, skills and principles could, therefore, be the central focus in instructional and learning materials design. This could help increase student motivation; creates positive attitude change, and help boost student self-efficacy toward learning chemistry.

year: 2012

title: Collectivism, cultural identity and employee mental health: A study of New Zealand Māori

authors: Brougham, David M.

subjects: Anxiety

abstract: Māori are a collectivistic people living within a largely individualistic country. The present study tested whether Māori who practice higher levels of workplace collectivism feel greater alignment with their overall cultural beliefs, and report better mental health results because of their lower levels of anxiety and depression. Three hundred and thirty-six Māori employees were surveyed, and a regression analysis showed significant direct effects, with collectivism accounting for a sizable 20 % of the variance in both anxiety and depression. Two moderators relating to cultural knowledge and cultural language were also tested. Significant two-way interactions were found: high collectivism and high cultural knowledge led to low depression, and high cultural knowledge and high cultural language skills led to low depression and anxiety. A three-way interaction was found between anxiety, collectivism and cultural knowledge and/or language: low anxiety was reported by respondents with high collectivism and either high cultural knowledge or cultural language. Overall, the study highlights the importance of collectivism and cultural identity for Māori employees' mental health

text: Collectivism, cultural identity and employee mental health: A study of New Zealand Māori Māori are a collectivistic people living within a largely individualistic country. The present study tested whether Māori who practice higher levels of workplace collectivism feel greater alignment with their overall cultural beliefs, and report better mental health results because of their lower levels of anxiety and depression. Three hundred and thirty-six Māori employees were surveyed, and a regression analysis showed significant direct effects, with collectivism accounting for a sizable 20 % of the variance in both anxiety and depression. Two moderators relating to cultural knowledge and cultural language were also tested. Significant two-way interactions were found: high collectivism and high cultural knowledge led to low depression, and high cultural knowledge and high cultural language skills led to low depression and anxiety. A three-way interaction was found between anxiety, collectivism and cultural knowledge and/or language: low anxiety was reported by respondents with high collectivism and either high cultural knowledge or cultural language. Overall, the study highlights the importance of collectivism and cultural identity for Māori employees' mental health

year: 2012