ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Factors Influencing Students' Academic Performance in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Rivers State-Nigeria
Author: Kalagbor, Levi Doe
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Public Schools,Private Schools,Academic Achievement,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales,Sample Size,Questionnaires,Correlation,Teacher Student Relationship,Teacher Administrator Relationship,Teacher Effectiveness

The study examined factors that positively influence students' academic performance in public and private secondary schools in Rivers State-Nigeria. One research question addressed the objectives and problem of the study. The instrument used for the collection of data was the &quot;Students' Academic Performance Questionnaire&quot; (SAPQ), structured on the 4-point Likert scale measurement. A sample size of 489 SS3 public secondary students and 213 SS3 private secondary students, representing 15 percent of the targeted population of 3,252 SS3 public secondary students and 1,420 SS3 Private secondary school students in 4 out of the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State were simple randomly selected. A table was constructed; frequency counts, percentage and mean compiled to provide answers to the research question. The results of the study revealed that students in private secondary schools with a mean agreement of 87 percent are more positively influenced in their academic performances by most of the factors examined in table 1 of this study than students in the public secondary schools with a mean agreement of 38 percent, although, pubic secondary students were better influenced by the quality of teaching manpower than their private secondary schools counterpart. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended among others, the need for the government to pay adequate priority attention to educational system, particularly, in the areas of making the public secondary schools satisfy the minimum education establishment standards and prosecuting proprietors of unapproved private schools to sustain minimum educational standards in Rivers State.
Student Data Privacy, Digital Learning, and Special Education: Challenges at the Intersection of Policy and Practice
Author: Stahl, William M.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Privacy,Electronic Learning,Special Education,Disabilities,Data,Information Utilization,Educational Legislation,Parent Rights,Student Records,Federal Legislation,State Legislation,Public Policy

The rapid adoption of digital content and delivery systems, each with its own capacity to track, store, and analyze student usage, interactions, and academic outcomes at both a highly detailed and granular level, has emerged as an area of widespread opportunity, but also of concern. The comingling of various student data sets (demographics, usage, and achievement) now possible as the result of data interoperability standards has raised the specter of dangerous and privacy-invading misuse, simultaneous with the potential for customizing education for every student. Most Internet-enabled digital learning environments can record timely information on students: where they are, what they are doing, how they got there, how long they stayed, and where they went, as well as formative and summative details of their academic achievement. Research utilizing data from digital learning environments has the potential to improve teaching and learning in unprecedented ways. For students with disabilities, this information can provide unique insights into the impact of curriculum and school reform efforts on the progress of these students. Digital learning systems and the data they collect offer a timeliness and specificity that can be otherwise impractical or impossible to acquire. Positive outcomes can only be achieved with clear and legally compliant data sharing procedures in place. The promising opportunities created by research involving digital student data are accompanied by the rise of serious questions regarding student privacy. Concerns abound with respect to whether data that are collected will have a subsequent negative impact on students' future life opportunities and whether hackers and commercial marketers will be able to penetrate the data system. For students with disabilities, the dangers posed are of serious consequence in light of the confidential and potentially sensitive nature of the information involved. In the present climate, the protective vigilance triggered by the perceived liabilities inherent in large scale data sharing is apparent, and the confusing legality of widespread data tracking threatens to limit opportunities for research. This article explores the relationship between student privacy and research on digital learning for all students, and students with disabilities in particular. Recommendations are presented for state, district, and school personnel, as well as policy makers, to help them move forward in support of research while at the same time protecting the privacy rights of all students, including those with disabilities.
Environmental Monitoring Curriculum System and Application-Oriented Training
Author: Wang, Jing-Ping
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Environmental Standards,Benchmarking,Undergraduate Study,Curriculum Development,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries

Through building the environmental monitoring curriculum system for application-oriented talents, the comprehensive design and practice were constructed from the syllabus, textbooks, web-based courses, top-quality courses, test paper bank, open laboratory and scientific research etc. The aims are to promote environmental science professional, strengthen the analysis ability, broaden the students' field of vision, optimize the environmental science major teaching, and improve multilevel integrated design and practical analysis, which ultimately cultivate the students capable of solid knowledge, theory and skills in environmental science.
Quality in Early Education Classrooms: Definitions, Gaps, and Systems
Author: Pianta, Robert
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Quality,Early Childhood Education,Definitions,Measurement,School Schedules,Teacher Qualifications,Classroom Environment,Playgrounds,Educational Equipment,Learning Activities,Achievement Rating,Teacher Student Relationship,Educational Improvement,Child Development,Student Needs,Educational Indicators,Faculty Development,Evaluation Methods

Parents, professionals, and policymakers agree that quality is crucial for early education. But precise, consistent, and valid definitions of quality have been elusive. In this article, Robert Pianta, Jason Downer, and Bridget Hamre tackle the questions of how to define quality, how to measure it, and how to ensure that more children experience it. Definitions of quality in early education, the authors write, generally include four aspects. The first is a program's structural elements, such as length of the school day or teachers' qualifications. The second encompasses general features of the classroom environment, ranging from playground equipment to activities involving staff, children, or parents. Third are the dimensions of teacher-student interactions that children experience directly. Finally, aggregate indices--such as &quot;quality rating and improvement systems&quot;--combine measurements across types of program elements. Pianta, Downer, and Hamre find very little evidence that programs' structural features influence children's development. Instead, they zero in on teacher-student interactions-- characterized by teachers' sensitivity to individual needs, support for positive behavior, and stimulation of language and cognitive development--as a key indicator of classroom quality that appears to benefit all children from prekindergarten through third grade. Teachers' interactions with children can be significantly and systematically improved through targeted and sustained professional development. Yet efforts to improve the quality of such interactions at scale and to ensure that quality remains consistent from prekindergarten through third grade have so far been ineffectual. If we accept the evidence that direct experiences within classrooms are the best indicators of program quality, the authors argue, then the next wave of science and policy must refine and advance the definition, measurement, production, and consistency of these experiences in early education.
Play and Cognitive Development: Formal Operational Perspective of Piaget's Theory
Author: Ahmad, Saghir
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Play,Cognitive Development,Piagetian Theory,Child Behavior,Child Development,Surveys,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis,Personality Traits,Memorization,Problem Solving,Time on Task,Academic Achievement,Logical Thinking

Cognitive development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving and decision making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Play contributes to cognitive development in a number of ways. It helps children to develop imaginary and memory which is essential for thinking about past, present and future. The main purpose of the study was to find out the role of play regarding cognitive development of children. This study was quantitative in nature. Survey method was used to collect data. A sample of three hundred students was selected from both public and private sector schools of Lahore city. A five point Likert scale was used to collect data. Mean, t-test, One Way ANOVA and percentages were applied to analyze the data. The major finding of the study indicated that students feel curiosity to explore new things, new ideas by play.
The Early Care and Education Workforce
Author: Phillips, Deborah
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Teachers,Early Childhood Education,Teacher Qualifications,Faculty Development,Teaching Conditions,Teacher Salaries,Educational Attainment,Labor Turnover,Questionnaires,Teacher Education,Educational Policy

In this article, Deborah Phillips, Lea Austin, and Marcy Whitebook examine educational preparation, compensation, and professional development among the early childhood workforce. Their central theme is that these features look very different for preschool teachers than they do for the elementary school teaching workforce. Most teachers of kindergarten through third grade can count on clear job requirements, professional development opportunities, workplace supports such as paid planning time, and a transparent and rational salary structure based on qualifications and experience. These teachers often earn a wage that approaches the median income in their communities. For most preschool teachers, Phillips, Austin, and Whitebook write, the situation is very different. Job requirements and qualifications vary wildly from program to program and from state to state. Professional development is both scarce and inconsistent. Compensation often fails to reward educational attainment or training; in fact, many preschool teachers are among the lowest-paid workers in the country. Poor compensation fuels turnover, which means that society loses investments in professional learning, and produces economic insecurity and stress among preschool teachers. The crux of quality in early childhood education lies squarely in the interactions that transpire between teachers and children, the authors write. Thus it's long past time, they argue, to recognize prekindergarten through third grade as a continuum that requires a seamless system of professional learning and compensation tied to qualifications, including education. To move beyond incremental improvements in the quality of early care and education, they conclude, empirical research, intervention, and policy alike should focus on the preparation, professional development, compensation, and wellbeing of early childhood teachers.
Supporting Young English Learners in the United States
Author: Barrow, Lisa
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English Language Learners,Teaching Methods,Bilingualism,Bilingual Education,Immersion Programs,Second Language Instruction,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Language Usage,Language Proficiency,Achievement Gap,Minority Group Students,English Only Movement,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Quality,Young Children

Simply put, children with poor English skills are less likely to succeed in school and beyond. What's the best way to teach English to young children who aren't native English speakers? In this article, Lisa Barrow and Lisa Markman-Pithers examine the state of English learner education in the United States and review the evidence behind different teaching methods. Models for teaching English learner children are often characterized as either English immersion (instruction only in English) or bilingual education (instruction occurs both in English and in the students' native language), although each type includes several broad categories. Which form of instruction is most effective is a challenging question to answer, even with the most rigorous research strategies. This uncertainty stems in part from the fact that, in a debate with political overtones, researchers and policymakers don't share a consensus on the ultimate goal of education for English learners. Is it to help English learner students become truly bilingual or to help them become proficient in the English language as quickly as possible? On the whole, Barrow and Markman-Pithers write, it's still hard to reach firm conclusions regarding the overall effectiveness of different forms of instruction for English learners. Although some evidence tilts toward bilingual education, recent experiments suggest that English learners achieve about the same English proficiency whether they're placed in bilingual or English immersion programs. But beyond learning English, bilingual programs may confer other advantages--for example, students in bilingual classes do better in their native languages. And because low-quality classroom instruction is associated with poorer outcomes no matter which method of instruction is used, the authors say that in many contexts, improving classroom quality may be the best way to help young English learners succeed.
Teachers' Perspective towards Their Involvement in Selection and Organization of Learning Experiences and Implementation of Secondary School Curriculum in Kenya
Author: Kobiah, Lydia Kanake
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Learning Experience,Secondary School Curriculum,Foreign Countries,Curriculum Development,Questionnaires,Curriculum Implementation,Teaching Methods,Research Design,Statistical Analysis,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Interviews,Likert Scales

Teacher empowerment has been the subject of considerable educational research in recent years, but the capacity of teachers in curriculum development especially in selection and organization of learning experiences has received limited empirical attention. The purpose of this study was to establish teachers' perspective towards their involvement in selection and organization of learning experiences and implementation of secondary school curriculum in Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey research design and was conducted in Meru and Nairobi Counties. The target population was 3146 teachers comprising of 1781 males and 1365 females. Stratified random sampling was used to draw the participating schools and teachers. A sample of 342 teachers participated in the study. Questionnaires for teachers and an interview guide for principals were employed in data collection. The collected data was analyzed by use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings established that there was a statically significant relationship between teachers' perspective towards their involvement in selection and organisation of learning experiences and implementation of secondary school curriculum in Kenya. However due to the top- down model of curriculum development followed by Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), curriculum development process is largely centrally-controlled and the experiences and talents of teachers are untapped and under-utilized during curriculum development process. The study recommends that teachers should be involved in the planning and development of the curriculum in all stages for effective implementation. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should widen the scope of its recruitments and lay better strategies to involve teachers in the curriculum development process. This can be done by redefining the curriculum development unit at KICD as an extension of the school system, thus providing more teachers to serve in it for a period of time. Also, curriculum development should be decentralized to local levels for easier participation from schools, sub-counties, counties and finally the national level taking into considerations all relevant contributions by various stake-holders. Studies on curriculum models followed by KICD should be conducted with a view to proposing alternative models that would enable more teachers and other stakeholders to participate fully in curriculum development process.
Determining the Accessibility of K-12 Digital Materials: Tools for Educators
Author: Smith, Sean J.
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Disabilities,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Accessibility (for Disabled),Blended Learning,Instructional Materials,Federal Legislation,Civil Rights Legislation,Standards,Compliance (Legal)

This article explores the manner in which teachers and district leaders can further determine whether or not the digital materials they are considering are accessible for all learners--particularly those with disabilities--and appropriate to the accommodations and modifications provided in the brick-and-mortar school environment. The article introduces the issues of how to consider accessibility, discusses tools that have been created to assist in the evaluation of accessible digital materials, and reviews ways in which district leaders and individual classroom teachers can further determine whether digital materials used for blended and fully online learning experiences are appropriate for the learning demands of students, particularly those with disabilities.
Research on the Foreign Students Education of Shandong Province under the Internationalization Background
Author: Wang, Xianghua
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Students,Asians,International Education,Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Reputation,Universities,Sustainable Development,Statistical Analysis,Engineering Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,College Faculty,Educational Administration,Curriculum,Geographic Regions

The foreign students' education has a great influence on the internationalization of higher education and the reputation of university. Since the 21st century, the foreign students' education has developed rapidly and has been extending continuously in Shandong Province. However, a series of problems still exist, such as the imperfect of the specialty structure and curriculum, which have impeded the sustainable development of the foreign students' education. This article would carry on the discussion about the current situation and existing problems of the foreign students education in Shandong Province from the following aspects: the scale, the construction of specialized curriculum system and the management, etc. And based on that, we put forward feasible countermeasures, in order to offer certain reference to the development of foreign students' education.
Internet as an Effective Tool for Modern Educational and Business Administration
Author: Eze, Samuel Godwin
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Internet,Business Administration,Educational Administration,Influence of Technology,Mass Media Role,Mass Media Effects,Qualitative Research,Observation,Questionnaires,Interviews,Web Sites,Organizational Objectives,Computer System Design,Usability,Employer Attitudes,Foreign Countries

This paper presents the effectiveness of Internet in the promotion of academic institutions and local business in Enugu through website development and its services. The three organizations chosen for the study were Doma internet services Ltd. Abakpa, Annunciation Specialist Hospital, Emene, Enugu and Information and Communication Technology unit of the department of Urban and Regional Planning, Enugu State university of Science and Technology, Agbani, Enugu. In the qualitative study carried out in these three organizations, data collections were made by direct observations, filling of structured questionnaires and interviews. 20 chosen respondents were interviewed in each of the organizations to examine the objectives that organisations achieve with websites, what drives the development of websites of organizations and the effectiveness of the website development. 3 respondents out of the 20 chosen respondents were the members of the management of the selected unit and the research questions in Table 5.7, Table 5.8 and Table 5.9 were directed strictly to the members of the management. The work revealed the effectiveness of web site in advertisement, effective communication, administration, business transaction and the creation of awareness on the existence of an organization locally and internationally.
Supporting Young Children with Disabilities
Author: Hebbeler, Kathleen
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Disabilities,Disability Identification,Eligibility,Preschool Education,Young Children,Mainstreaming,Inclusion,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Equal Education,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Symptoms (Individual Disorders),Classification,Environmental Influences,Delivery Systems,Public Policy,Intervention,Behavior Modification,Language Skills,Interpersonal Competence,Preschool Curriculum,Teaching Methods,Models,Positive Behavior Supports

What do we know about young children with delays and disabilities, and how can we help them succeed in prekindergarten through third grade? To begin with, Kathleen Hebbeler and Donna Spiker write, identifying children with delays and disabilities to receive specialized services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act poses several challenges. First, even though eligibility is based on 14 disability categories listed in the law, each state determines its own criteria for those conditions. Second, young children--especially those with disabilities--are hard to assess. Third, deciding where to draw the line for eligibility along a continuum of functioning is a matter of policy rather than science. In recent decades, the authors note, the concept of disability has been moving away from a medical model that sees disability as an impairment that resides in the child and toward a framework that emphasizes children's functioning and interaction with their environments. The authors review effective ways to support development and learning among young children with disabilities, including language and social skills interventions, preschool curricula, instructional and other practices, and multi-tiered systems of support. Then they examine a critical policy issue: the inclusion of young children with disabilities in regular education classrooms. One critical finding is that high-quality instruction in general education classrooms is a major factor in good educational outcomes for children with disabilities, and for their successful inclusion from preschool to third grade. Moreover, improving the quality of general education benefits all children, not just those with disabilities. Hebbeler and Spiker also examine what we know about the transitions young children with disabilities make from one setting to another--for example, from prekindergarten to kindergarten. Here they conclude that we need far more research if we're to understand what makes such transitions successful.