ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Teacher-Led Initiatives in Supporting Learner Empowerment among Malay Tertiary Learners
Author: Kaur, Naginder
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Student Empowerment,Independent Study,Teacher Student Relationship,Teacher Role,College Students,Business Administration Education,Qualitative Research,Vocabulary Development,Interviews,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Learning Experience,Word Lists,Cooperative Learning,Cultural Background,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction

Purpose: Learner empowerment or learner autonomy is regarded by some theorists as the self-propelled, sole effort of the learner. However, in creating self-directed learners who are empowered to learn, the role of significant others such as the instructor is imperative. This study shows how a committed lecturer can play an instrumental role in facilitating self-directed learning among learners. Methodology: Learner autonomy in vocabulary learning was successfully facilitated among a group of Malay tertiary learners pursuing a Business Studies course in Malaysia. This qualitative study explored the lecturer's proactive efforts and initiatives in raising learners' confidence in learning vocabulary. Data were collected through reflective in-depth interviews with the lecturer and learners at the end of every week for one month to obtain insights into their learning experiences. Findings: The lecturer's pedagogical approaches of providing sufficient learning opportunities in class, teaching vocabulary in context, using vocabulary lists and direct methods, and building lessons spirally to reinforce learning made complex tasks become manageable and achievable. These efforts were well-commended by the learners in this study. The lecturer's conscious decisions, namely, encouraging collaborative learning tasks and not forcing reluctant speakers were guided by her awareness of the learners' cultural background which impinged on their learning preferences, thus, creating a non-threatening learning environment. Significance: This study establishes the case that learner empowerment is not teacher-less learning but is fostered when the instructor is able to pitch the lesson at an appropriate level and create a conducive and positive learning environment to synchronise with the learners' cultural traits.
Reassessing the Accuracy and Use of Readability Formulae
Author: Janan, Dahlia
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Readability Formulas,Readability,Accuracy,Word Frequency,Web Sites,Statistical Analysis,Difficulty Level,Decision Making,Reading Material Selection,English,Native Speakers,Foreign Countries,Children

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to review readability formulae and offer a critique, based on a comparison of the grading of a variety of texts given by six well-known formulae. Methodology: A total of 64 texts in English were selected either by or for native English speaking children aged between six and 11 years. Each text was assessed using six commonly used readability formulae via the Words Count website (http://www.wordscount. info/) which provides automated readability indices using FOG, Spache, SMOG, Flesh-Kincaid and Dale-Chall. For the ATOS formula, the Renaissance Learning website was used (http://www. renlearn.com/ar/overview/atos/). Statistical tests were then carried out to check the consistency among the six formulae in terms of their predictions of levels of text difficulty. Findings: The analysis demonstrated significantly different readability indices for the same text using different formulae. It appeared that some of the formulae (but not all) were consistent in their ranking of texts in order of difficulty but were not consistent in their grading of each text. This finding suggests that readability formulae need to be used carefully to support teachers' judgements about text difficulty rather than as the sole mechanism for text assessment. Significance: Making decisions about matching texts to learners is something regularly required from teachers at all levels. Making such decisions about text suitability is described as measuring the &quot;readability&quot; of texts, and for a long time, this measurement has been treated as unproblematic and achieved using formulae which use such features as vocabulary difficulty and sentence length. This study suggests that the use of such readability formulae is more problematic than may at first appear. Although the study was carried out with native English speaking children using texts in English, it is argued that the lessons learnt apply equally to Malay speakers reading Malay language texts.
The Effectiveness of Finishing School Programmes from the Perspectives of Graduates and Employers
Author: Ali, Jamal
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Employment Potential,College Students,Graduate Surveys,Employer Attitudes,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Skill Analysis,Questionnaires,Focus Groups,Interviews,Participant Satisfaction,Skill Development,Achievement Gap,Expectation,Student Educational Objectives,Basic Skills,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research

Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of Finishing School programmes in enhancing the employability of graduates from institutions of higher learning. The perceptions of the graduates and employers towards the effectiveness of the programmes were analyzed. The effectiveness of Finishing School programmes evaluated through a graduate marketability outcome study and the expectations of employers with regard to the type of soft skills of graduates most needed by industries were also examined. Methodology: Data for this study were obtained through a survey questionnaire administered to graduates and focus group interviews with selected employers. The primary data involved a large sample (n = 1092) of graduates from public universities and also 31 selected employers from various industries. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and a multinomial logit model. Due to the unavailability of a population frame, the data were collected using a convenient sampling design. Findings: Graduates had a positive perception of the effectiveness of Finishing School programmes. However, in terms of the marketability outcome, Finishing school programmes currently being offered were seen as ineffective. Interviews with officers at the management level from various companies showed that the local graduates were lacking in certain types of soft skills, particularly in English communication skills, compared with their counterparts who graduated from higher education institutions overseas. Employers listed three skills as critical for graduates to have, namely, problem solving skills, information management (exposure to general knowledge, current issues and ICT) and English communication. Significance: Most of the soft skills which employers have identified as important in enhancing graduates' employability have long been emphasized by the local higher learning institutions through their Finishing School programmes. Hence, it was concluded that the existing Finishing School programmes are indeed moving in the right direction in achieving its desired objectives. However, there is still room for improvement. This is especially so in relation to its implementation as the empirical evidence seems to suggest that current Finishing School programmes are not effective in terms of graduate marketability outcome.
Sexuality Educators: Taking a Stand by Participating in Research
Author: Beyers, Christa
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Sex Education,Participatory Research,Sexuality,Teaching Methods,Life Style,Teacher Attitudes,Self Concept,Health Behavior,Workshops,Faculty Development,Secondary School Teachers,Group Discussion

Life Orientation teachers play a critical role in the teaching and learning of sexuality education in South African schools. Using an experiential participatory approach with 125 teachers in the Motheo district, Free State, I explored three questions: What messages did the teachers learn about sex and sexuality? How do these messages inform the teachers' values? How do the teachers teach sexuality education? Despite its own problems and limitations, the participatory approach exploits and reinforces the life-space model proposed by Kurt Lewin. I will argue that past and future events have an impact on teachers' present behaviour and how they teach. I conclude with a framework for the teaching of sexuality education using participatory methods, which can help support teachers interested in working with such an approach.
What Can a Teacher Do with a Cellphone? Using Participatory Visual Research to Speak Back in Addressing HIV &amp; AIDS
Author: Mitchell, Claudia
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS),Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Rural Schools,Films,Health Behavior,Sex Education,Social Change,Faculty Development,Workshops,Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The ubiquity of cellphones in South Africa, a country ravaged by HIV and AIDS, makes cellphones an easily accessible tool to use in participatory approaches to addressing HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)issues, particularly in school contexts. In this article we explore a participatory visual approach undertaken with a group of rural teachers, to uncover and address HIV and AIDS related issues. Drawing on our experience in using participatory video, we used cellphones to produce cellphilms about youth and risk in the context of HIV and AIDS. Noting that the teachers brought highly didactic and moralistic tones into the cellphilms, we devised a &quot;speaking back&quot; approach to encourage reflection and an adjustment to their approaches when addressing HIV and AIDS issues with learners. We draw on the example of condom use in one cellphilm to demonstrate how a &quot;speaking back&quot; pedagogy can encourage reflection and participatory analysis, and contribute to deepening an understanding of how teachers might work with youth and risk in the context of HIV and AIDS.
Teacher Autonomy Support: Does It Hinder Motivation among Thai Students?
Author: Kaur, Amrita
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Autonomy,Student Motivation,Quasiexperimental Design,Questionnaires,Intervention,Self Management,Grade 6,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Motivation Techniques,Multivariate Analysis,Correlation,Gender Differences,School Support,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis

Purpose: This article examined the relevance of teacher autonomy support [TAS] among Thai students. It is based on a study conducted to compare the effects of TAS on motivation among Thai students. The issue of motivation among Asian students has invited controversy as few cross-cultural relativists have claimed that Asian students get motivated when teachers use controlling strategies. Methodology: The study collected data through a quasi-experimental study with an appended ABA withdrawal design. The subjects were 105 Thai students who completed self-reported questionnaires that assessed perceived autonomy support, intrinsic motivation and self-regulation, before, after and on withdrawal of experiment intervention. Findings: MANOVA results revealed that students in the experimental group who were in the autonomy supportive teaching-learning environment reported greater interest, effort, relatedness and integrated regulation compared to the control group taught using a traditional approach. Furthermore, students in the experimental group experienced less pressure and reported less external regulation compared to the control group. Significance: The findings support the claim in Self-determination theory (SDT) that autonomy is not a culturally bound value, and is a pedagogical concept equally relevant to Thai students as it facilitates motivation. The findings will encourage Thai educators to adopt autonomy as a pedagogical concept that will help facilitate motivation among their students.
The Impact of Quantum Teaching Strategy on Student Academic Achievements and Self-Esteem in Inclusive Schools
Author: Gunarhadi
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Educational Strategies,Academic Achievement,Inclusion,Self Esteem,Quasiexperimental Design,Grade 6,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Questionnaires,Science Instruction,Science Tests,Instructional Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Indonesian,Comparative Analysis,Conventional Instruction,Elementary School Students,Native Language Instruction,Language Tests

Purpose: This research was aimed at showing the impact of a teaching strategy called the Quantum Teaching Strategy on students' academic achievements in two school subjects, namely in Bahasa Indonesia and Science, in comparison to that experienced through classes using a conventional teaching strategy. This research also examined the role of self-esteem on the students' academic achievements in both the subjects in inclusive schools in Indonesia. Methodology: This research was a quasi-experimental study on two intact groups of sixth graders of two different inclusive schools. The sample was assigned through multi-staged cluster sampling from 78 elementary schools in 15 sub-district areas. The data on student academic achievements was collected by means of tests, while the data on self-esteem were obtained through a questionnaire. T-test was used to analyze the different impacts of the Quantum Teaching Strategy and conventional teaching strategy on the academic achievements of students, while ANCOVA was applied to determine whether the students' self-esteem influenced their academic achievements in Bahasa Indonesia and Science. Findings: The t-test showed that the Quantum Teaching Strategy had a better impact on both Bahasa Indonesia and Science achievements as compared to the conventional teaching strategy. Significance: Findings of this study can be used as a guide for planning and using Quantum Teaching Strategy in teaching and learning Bahasa Indonesia and Science in inclusive schools.
Train-the-Trainers: Implementing Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning in Malaysian Higher Education
Author: Biggs, John
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Outcome Based Education,Higher Education,Program Implementation,Trainers,Learning Activities,Teaching Methods,Curriculum Design,Task Analysis,Test Construction,Grading,Evaluation Criteria,Behavioral Objectives,Educational Quality,Instructional Improvement,Barriers

The decision by the Minister of Higher Education, that Malaysian post-secondary institutions should move to outcomes-based teaching and learning (OBTL), involves a change in teaching in over 1,000 institutions. This massive changeover would be accomplished using the &quot;Train-the-Trainers&quot; model in a series of workshops. We are proud to play a role in the first of these Train-the-Trainers programmes. In this article we explain how OBTL was conceptualised in the constructive alignment model, and how this first programme was structured. The major outcome was that each trainer would devise their own training programme to suit the conditions of their institution. The results were impressive but there were some difficulties; mainly to do with limiting the number of intended learning outcomes to a workable number, that would need to be addressed in order to achieve optimal outcomes.
Using Participatory Action Research to Develop an HIV and AIDS School Plan
Author: Ferreira, Ronél
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Participatory Research,Action Research,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS),Special Needs Students,Teacher Attitudes,Information Dissemination,Knowledge Level,School Policy,Public Policy,Communicable Diseases,Principals,Elementary School Teachers,Interviews,Focus Groups,Cooperative Planning,Student Needs,Child Health

In this article we report on the manner in which participatory action research (PAR) was utilised by teachers in developing a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) school plan, in collaboration with university researchers. The need for a structured HIV and Aids school plan emerged during the course of a broader research project (of which this study formed part) during which a school principal and teachers expressed a need to support infected and affected children more effectively. The study involved three phases, used interpretivism as meta-theoretical lens, and relied on PAR principles. Following the first phase of data generation, findings indicated that teachers were keen to transfer their knowledge and skills to neighbouring schools in support of the community; they were of the view that the transfer of knowledge and skills was needed to support infected and affected children more effectively in the classroom; and they experienced the need to document knowledge and skills in the form of an HIV and Aids school plan. In addition to determining expectations regarding an HIV and Aids school plan, fundamental principles and implementation of such a plan were identified in collaboration with the participating teachers. In this manner, the content of an HIV and Aids school plan was identified, resulting in a documented plan.
Application of Problem Based Learning ((PBL) in a Course on Financial Accounting Principles
Author: Manaf, Nor Aziah Abdul
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Problem Based Learning,Money Management,Accounting,Educational Principles,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Student Attitudes,Student Satisfaction,Program Development,Course Content,Learning Activities,Classroom Techniques,Academic Achievement,Student Surveys,Educational Practices,College Students,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

Purpose: This paper aims to share experiences in teaching a Financial Accounting Principles course using a hybrid problem based learning (PBL) method. The three specific objectives of this paper are to document how the PBL project for this course was developed and managed in class, to compare the academic performance of PBL students with non-PBL students, and to investigate the students' perceptions of how PBL had benefitted them. Method: Based on our experience of the processes in developing and managing the PBL project, we described that process in this paper. Then, from the overall results of 1,148 students taking the Financial Accounting Principles course, we compared the academic performance between PBL and non-PBL students. In addition, we used a questionnaire to find out from the 267 students who had attended the PBL and the traditional non-PBL methods, how the various activities in the Financial Accounting Principles class had benefited them. Findings: The results showed evidence of the superiority of the PBL method. The PBL students out-performed those without the benefit of a PBL experience. The survey results also indicated that a PBL approach provided significant benefits to the students in their presentation skills, teamwork, leadership and ability to use IT. In addition, student responses to the open-ended questions revealed that PBL was an acceptable way of learning accounting. PBL was a challenging way of learning, but it offered great benefits; PBL helped our students in the experimental group to improve teamwork, communication and other soft skills. However, we found PBL to be suitable only for students with some basic accounting knowledge. Significance: PBL is an innovative teaching method because it uses problems in stimulating students to learn. This study has shown that PBL is a promising approach in teaching accounting. The major challenge for educators using this approach is to be able to provide well-developed problems in order to achieve the desired learning outcomes of the course.
Test-Taking Skills of Secondary Students: The Relationship with Motivation, Attitudes, Anxiety and Attitudes towards Tests
Author: Dodeen, Hamzeh M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Wiseness,Secondary School Students,Student Motivation,Student Attitudes,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Anxiety,Foreign Countries,Rating Scales,Questionnaires,Surveys,Correlation,Grade 10,Grade 11,Grade 12,Statistical Analysis,Learning Strategies

Test-taking skills are cognitive skills that enable students to undergo any test-taking situation in an appropriate manner. This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between students' test-taking skills and each of the following variables: motivation to learn mathematics; mathematics anxiety; attitudes towards mathematics; and attitudes towards tests. The study was conducted on a random sample of 626 (372 males and 254 females) secondary school students. The following instruments were used in the data collection: the Test-taking Skills Scale (TSS); the Mathematics Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MMSLQ); the Mathematics Anxiety Scale-Revised (MAS-R); the Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI); and the Attitude towards Tests Scale (ATS). A positive and significant relationship was reported between students' test-taking skills and each student's motivation to learn mathematics, attitudes towards mathematics, and attitudes towards tests; while mathematics anxiety was shown to have a significant negative relationship with test-taking skills. Test-taking skills account for more than 30% of the variation in motivation to learn mathematics, 25% in attitudes towards mathematics, 17% in mathematics anxiety, and more than 40% in attitude toward tests. The study concluded the improvement of secondary students' testing skills to be significantly correlated with variables that play a substantial role in a student's level of achievement in mathematics.
Developing Sport Psychology in a Girls' Sport Academy Curriculum
Author: Lewis, Andrew
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Sport Psychology,Females,Institutes (Training Programs),Athletes,Secondary School Students,Adolescents,Skill Development,Daily Living Skills,Health Promotion,Social Development,Individual Development,Physical Development,Career Choice,Decision Making Skills,Well Being,Citizenship Education,Recreation,Physical Activities,Quality of Life,Qualitative Research

This article explores the initial steps in developing and presenting Sport Psychology in a leadership and sport curriculum at Stellenbosch University's (SU) Centre for Human Performance Sciences' (CHPS) Academy for Girls' Leadership and Sport Development. Sport Psychology does not feature within the South African school curriculum specifically, yet the CHPS recognises the importance of exposing girls to the principles and skills of Sport Psychology and has a leadership curriculum for girls participating in sport to this end. This paper reports on a qualitative and exploratory reflective inquiry by the author who presented this theme. What was gained during this process, as well as the associated challenges encountered, suggest possible areas for research as well as changes and adjustments which could be made in similar Sport Psychology curricula.