ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Teacher Should Be Learning: In-Service Professional Development and Learning of Teachers Implementing Inclusive Education in Early Childhood Education Settings
Author: Ackah-Jnr, Francis R.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inservice Teacher Education,Faculty Development,Inclusion,Early Childhood Education,Teacher Motivation,Foreign Countries,Early Childhood Teachers,Principals,Administrator Attitudes,Readiness

Calls for teacher quality are a lively issue in education systems and schools. This paper explores in-service professional development and learning of teachers implementing inclusive education in early childhood settings. Teachers and headteachers of early childhood settings were interviewed in the context of their daily work and practice. Qualitative results from participants showed teachers engage in 'in-and out-of-school' formal and informal professional development activities to enhance their readiness, efficacy, competence, and preparedness for inclusive education. Professional development is seen as an important conduit to improving teachers' learning and motivation for practice, although its effectiveness is affected by the interplay of teacher, school, and system challenges. The study's recommendations include motivating teachers, revitalising formal professional development programs and their provision, and supporting teachers' informal learning activities so that both modes of learning can synergistically contribute to advancing teachers' knowledge, skills, and disposition for inclusive education.
Studying Mayan Culture in the Elementary Classroom: Integrating Mathematics, Visual Arts and Technology through an Authentic Multi-Leveled Curriculum
Author: Furner, Joseph
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Maya (People),Latin American Culture,Elementary School Students,Integrated Curriculum,Authentic Learning,Curriculum Development,Curriculum Implementation,Mathematics Instruction,Visual Arts,Technology Integration,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction

Across the United States, there are many elementary aged students whose parents or themselves are from Mexico, Guatemala, and Central America having Mayan heritage. In alignment with instructional concepts that build a positive classroom culture encouraging higher level learning for all students, the authors designed and implemented a curriculum that supported students who need multi-leveled and authentic instruction promoting collaboration and social interaction. Positive relationships were built between students who have varying abilities, including those with physical, cognitive, and language challenges, in order to scaffold learning through cultural awareness connected to mathematics concepts. In the 2015-2016 school year, this school's student population included 74% Hispanic students, most of whom identified with the Mayan culture. The study of ancient civilizations, such as the Maya, can employ historical contexts to introduce elementary level students to the evolution and logic of today's mathematics. As a practitioner focused article, the purpose is to describe an educational experience that was designed to connect students to their culture through interdisciplinary learning with mathematics, visual art, and technology. The goal of the featured lesson is to provide elementary educators with effective teaching strategies that support all students;' learning in mathematics and to engage students to demonstrate their understanding through multiple avenues of expression, including visual arts and through technology. The authors' impressions of how students responded to this interdisciplinary lesson are discussed along with future directions for integrating curriculum that assist teachers in designing culturally connected curriculum.
Arts Integration and 21st Century Skills: A Study of Learners and Teachers
Author: Corbisiero-Drakos, Loretta
Date: 2021-01-21
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Art Education,21st Century Skills,Skill Development,Creativity,Critical Thinking,Cooperative Learning,Communication Skills,Academic Achievement,Integrated Curriculum,Elementary School Students,Low Income Students,Grade 4,Grade 5,Faculty Development,Teacher Collaboration,Outcomes of Education

Arts integration and 21st century skills are increasingly relevant to addressing complex student needs in contemporary education. &quot;The Creative Classroom Collaboratives: Creativity, Confidence, &amp; Competence&quot; (C3[superscript 2] ) study found that comprehensive arts integration approaches and peer-to-peer professional collaborations between teachers, teaching artists, and cultural partners such as museums, theaters, and arts councils had a positive relationship to students' achievement and 21st century skill development. By reinforcing criteria that make up the core 21st century skills of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication, arts integration methods were associated with increases in student learning in a cluster randomized control trial of a study of fourth- and fifth-grade students in two school districts with low socioeconomic status on Long Island, New York. This study includes implications for arts integration in schools, peer professional development and teaching practices, and dynamic partnerships with arts and cultural partners.
A System of Indicators for the Quality Assessment of Didactic Materials in Online Education
Author: Marciniak, Renata
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Instructional Materials,Educational Quality,Electronic Learning,Evaluation Criteria,Instructional Material Evaluation,Validity,Foreign Countries,Reliability,College Instruction,Universities

The quality of didactic materials is a source of concern for teachers, users, and educational institutions that offer online education. There is a lack of indicators to help assess the quality of three key types of didactic materials commonly used in online education: didactic units (i.e., materials that contain program contents), didactic guides (i.e., materials that provide information), and additional didactic materials (materials to deepen knowledge). The objective of this article is to present a system of indicators designed to assess the quality of these types of didactic materials and guide their creation process. The system was developed based on a critical analysis of existing models designed to assess the quality of digital didactic materials. The system was validated by 16 international experts in online education, and a trial application of the system assessed five didactic guides and didactic units used by online universities in three different countries. Results of the validation process were triangulated with relevant literature, allowing the authors to make decisions regarding changes to the system in terms of maintaining, reformulating, or removing indicators. The resulting system comprises 43 assessment indicators and serves as a guide for designers, teachers, and users in the creation and selection of didactic materials for use in online education and in the assessment of their quality.
Comparative Analysis of Operational Structures in Single- and Dual-Mode Distance Learning Institutions in Nigeria
Author: Olatunji, Taiwo Isaac
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Case Studies,Distance Education,Open Universities,Administrator Attitudes,Facilitators (Individuals),Student Attitudes,College Students,Gender Differences,Phenomenology,Blended Learning,Attendance,Part Time Faculty,Teaching Methods

This study examined the similarities and differences in the processes and facilities for distance education at National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), a single-mode distance learning institution, and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, a dual-mode distance learning institution. The study adopted a case study research design, with a population of administrators/facilitators and distance learning students at both NOUN and OAU. The sample for the study consisted of 38 key informants (30 administrators/facilitators and 8 students) selected using a purposive sampling technique. All the administrators/facilitators responded to a key informant questionnaire; 8 of the administrators/facilitators and all 8 students were also interviewed. The 16 interviewees were selected based on gender, institution, educational role, and mode of distance learning. The collected data were analysed using tabular juxtaposition and phenomenological analysis techniques. Results showed that similarities in the operational structures at NOUN and OAU included the use of blended learning approaches. Differences in operations included compulsory tutorial attendance at OAU and the deployment of part-time and quasi part-time facilitators at NOUN and OAU, respectively. The study recommended an increase in the use of information and communications technology (ICT).
Zoom in on the Get-in-Touch Project and Travel-Study to China
Author: Kan, Koon-Hwee
Date: 2021-01-13
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Study Abroad,Assignments,Studio Art,Travel,State Universities,Photography,Art Products,Outcomes of Education,Cultural Awareness,Artists,Higher Education,Comparative Education,Foreign Countries,Aesthetics,Creativity,Experiential Learning,Educational Trends,Case Studies,Program Descriptions,Art Education,Graduate Students,Undergraduate Students

This article features a creative fabrication project assigned to participants in a short-term education abroad program at a Midwestern state university in the US. The Get-in-Touch assignment merged intercultural research and studio work to enrich and transform participants' travel experience in China. Several aesthetic stances (mimetic, formalistic, and contextualist) were adopted to interpret the three-dimensional projects documented with photocollages and stories in this manuscript. Travel--study provided a dynamic platform that allowed the four participants to manifest intercultural learning outcomes: making the dissimilar similar, making the unfamiliar familiar, making the familiar unfamiliar and making the similar dissimilar. This article further illuminates the aesthetic stances noted above through the work of four contemporary Chinese artists and offers an indirect glimpse into the art school curricula found in higher education in both cultures. The discussion highlights learned lessons of cultural humility.
First-Generation Students in Distance Education Program: Family Resources and Academic Outcomes
Author: Brubacher, Michael R.
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: First Generation College Students,Distance Education,Social Capital,At Risk Students,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Family Role,Generational Differences,Predictor Variables,Student Adjustment,Resilience (Psychology),Foreign Countries,Academic Persistence,Family Influence,Family Attitudes

Distance education students have less access to classmates as a social resource and may, therefore, rely more on family members for support. However, first-generation students, or students who are the first in their family to attend university, may lack the academic resources that family members can provide. Overall, first-generation students in distance education programs may be at particular risk of lacking the necessary social capital to thrive in university. This study investigated whether two family resource variables--providing guidance about university and expressing supportive attitudes toward university--varied across generation status among distance education students. The study also investigated whether these family resource variables predicted students' academic adjustment and academic persistence. A sample of 224 undergraduate, distance education students in South Africa completed an online survey. First-generation students (n = 60) reported receiving less university guidance from family members compared to continuing-generation students. In addition, receiving university guidance predicted students' academic adjustment. The results suggest that university guidance from family members may serve as a protective factor against potential challenges that can impact students' academic adjustment, a protective factor that first-generation students are less likely to have.
Learners&apos; Perception of the Transition to Instructor-Led Online Learning Environments: Facilitators and Barriers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author: Kamble, Aakash
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,COVID-19,Pandemics,School Closing,Online Courses,Distance Education,Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Barriers,College Students,Student Attitudes,Internet,Instructional Effectiveness,Course Content,Teacher Student Relationship,Access to Computers

Online learning environments (OLE) continue to expand due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition of a majority of educational institutions and universities worldwide from traditional classroom settings to online learning methods. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of learners at a university in India toward the sudden transition from traditional face-to-face learning to an instructor-led OLE due to the pandemic-induced lockdown enforced across India in March 2020. Using a qualitative case study approach, structured interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams with 35 learners from Savitribai Phule Pune University, a large public university in India. Interviews comprised eight open-ended questions, which were validated by experts. Results indicate that learners accepted the transition toward the OLE. Five key themes arose from the interview data: accessibility and comfort, Internet connectivity, OLE effectiveness, course content, and interactions between students and instructors. The study provides insights to the researchers with the emergent themes from the research. Also, it carries practical implications concerning implications regarding infrastructure readiness for remote learners, acceptance, and adoption of OLEs by faculty instructors, organizational support, and facilitating conditions.
School Counselor Perceptions of a Comprehensive School Counseling Model and Implications for Practice
Author: Brewington, Marva
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Counselors,Counselor Attitudes,School Counseling,Models,Counseling Services,Academic Achievement,Middle School Students,Program Effectiveness

The study examined school counselor perceptions of the American School Counseling Association's Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) on academic outcomes (better-reported grades and better-standardized scores) of middle school students with a focus on recommendations for the tasks and responsibilities of school counselors. The study was qualitative and used a phenomenological approach through semi-structured face-to-face interviews to provide inquiry into school counselors' perceptions of an effective school counseling program.
The Unpaid Internship: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Legal Issues
Author: Rothschild, Philip C.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Internship Programs,Compensation (Remuneration),Literature Reviews,Educational Benefits,Employer Attitudes,Employment Potential,Undergraduate Students,Socioeconomic Status,Legal Problems

This article hopes to clear up some of the confusion surrounding unpaid internships by discussing who participates in such internships, the merits and drawbacks relative to paid internships, and the relevant legal issues. This summary of existing research provides several key insights, which are of interest to potential interns as well as educators. For students, the literature suggests that unpaid internships are different from their paid counterparts in a variety of ways and pose certain risks that paid internships do not. On an institutional level, this paper documents the unique legal environment surrounding the unpaid internship and notes the unique liabilities program administrators may face if they fail to act with caution.
Virtual Reality in Education: The Promise, Progress, and Challenge
Author: Lege, Ryan
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Simulation,Teaching Methods,Classification,Distance Education,Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Benefits,Spatial Ability,Memory,Empathy,Barriers,Cognitive Ability,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction

Virtual Reality (VR) has made significant inroads into both the consumer and professional sectors. As VR has matured as a technology, its overall practicality for use in education has also increased. However, due to the rapid evolution of the technology, the educational field struggles to stay informed of the latest advancements, changing affordances, and pedagogical applications. Even the authors' own 2018 work that categorized VR technology for different educational applications, is no longer completely applicable to the current educational landscape. Though education struggles to keep up with technological developments, both researchers and practitioners have been contributing to a growing body of knowledge and experience. Accordingly, this article explores the progress of VR in educational research and classroom practice through three key questions: (1) What benefits does VR offer for education?, (2) What are the challenges to applying VR in an educational context?, and (3) Has VR matured to a point where it is useful for a wide range of educational purposes? Through a review of literature published from 2017-2020, the authors explore these questions to provide a snapshot of how VR is being used in classrooms and educational research. The authors conclude with predictions for the future and suggestions for future research.
Micro:Bit Robotics Course: Infusing Logical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Ability in Fifth Grade Students through an Online Group Study System
Author: Cheng, Po-Jen
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Robotics,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Teaching Methods,Pretests Posttests,Rural Areas,Thinking Skills,Problem Solving,Gender Differences,Correlation,Logical Thinking,Online Courses,Foreign Countries,Tests,Computer Science Education

With rising societal interest in the subject areas of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM), a micro:bit robotics course with an online group study (OGS) system was designed to foster student learning anytime and anywhere. OGS enables the development of a learning environment that combines real-world and digital-world resources, and can enhance the effectiveness of learning among students from a remote area. In this pre- and post-test experiment design, we studied 22 (8 males and 14 females) 5th grade students from a remote area of Taiwan. A t test performed before and after the robotics course showed a positive increase in students' proportional reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, and ability to analyze a problem. Results also revealed a gender difference in the association between students' logical reasoning and problem-solving ability.
Leading a School Library as My Authentic Self: How My Identity Transformed the School Library Culture
Author: Almeida, Adrienne
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Libraries,Library Administration,Urban Schools,Private Schools,African Americans,Library Services,Library Materials,School Culture,COVID-19,Pandemics,Racial Identification,Librarians

After earning her second Master's degree, the author decided to leave her twenty-plus-year tenured English as a new language teaching career in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to become the director of middle school and upper school library services at a K-12 independent school in New York City. It was the first year she would serve as a full-time school librarian and it was the first time that she would have a majority white student body. In this article, the author shares her experience and details her student-centered approach to reinvigorating the school library through small policy changes and collection development decisions.
The Impact of Demographic Characteristics on Academic Performance: Face-to-Face Learning versus Distance Learning Implemented to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
Author: El Refae, Ghaleb A.
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Student Characteristics,Undergraduate Students,Synchronous Communication,Distance Education,Electronic Learning,COVID-19,Pandemics,Grade Point Average,Gender Differences,Language of Instruction,Performance Factors,Foreign Countries

The spread of COVID-19 presents an opportunity for many educational institutions to implement distance learning and ensure the provision of educational resources and services, secure income and revenues, and contribute to the control and prevention of the coronavirus. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of demographic characteristics on academic performance. Students' grades and grade point averages (GPA) were collected from the Admission and Registration Unit, Al Ain University in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. The data were used to measure academic performance in face-to-face (F2F) learning and distance learning (DL) implemented by the university to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Statistical analysis including the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's rho test, and a regression test were used to answer research questions and verify hypotheses. Students demonstrated better academic performance in DL than F2F learning. It was found that the number of weak students in F2F learning dropped sharply by more than 11% in DL. Demographic characteristics demonstrated a significant impact on students' academic performance and predicted at least 7.4% variation in F2F learning and DL. Findings of the study support the model developed by Tinto (1975) which proposed the impact of student's attributes, experiences, and family backgrounds on academic performance. The findings suggest non-DL institutions should continue offering DL side-by-side with F2F learning programs.
Bringing Type 2 Diabetes to Theatre: Examining Appalachian Audience Reflections on &quot;The Sugar Plays&quot;
Author: Wright, Kallia O.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Family Programs,Health Education,Intervention,Diabetes,Audience Response,Program Effectiveness,Drama,Health Behavior,Story Telling,Personal Narratives,Self Management,Health Promotion,Barriers,Family Influence,Cultural Influences,Economic Factors,Eating Habits,Dietetics

The Sugar Plays are a family-focused health intervention. The goal of the play is to explore the experience of living with a Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) diagnosis in Appalachia. This present study examined audience reactions using three data-collection methods: (1) open-ended questionnaires, (2) participatory sketches and (3) semi-structured personal interviews. This qualitative analysis of 30 audience members who participated in all three methods found that they articulated lessons learned from the plays, evaluated the characters' behaviors, and engaged in reciprocal storytelling. The audience's reactions demonstrated that narrative telling is relational and that audiences were critically engaged in the process. The plays also helped health practitioners foster conversations about diabetes, the impact of intergenerational dietary habits, and the role of intergenerational buffers.