ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Web-Based Support for Data-Based Decision Making: Effect of Intervention Implementation on Infant-Toddler Communication
Author: Buzhardt, Jay
Date: 2018-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Infants,Toddlers,Early Intervention,Decision Making,At Risk Persons,Language Impairments,Home Visits,Teaching Methods,Progress Monitoring,Intervention,Language Skills,Program Effectiveness,Expressive Language,Data,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Counselor Client Relationship,Measures (Individuals)

Programs serving infants and toddlers are expected to use child data to inform decisions about intervention services; however, few tools exist to support these efforts. The Making Online Decisions (MOD) system is an adaptive intervention that guides early educators' data-based intervention decision making for infants and toddlers at risk for language delay. Using a cluster randomized design to test the effect of the MOD, home visitors (HVs) were assigned to either use the MOD or not across 13 Early Head Start programs. Both groups used the Early Communication Indicator (ECI) for progress monitoring and a parent-mediated language promotion intervention. Children from both groups demonstrated significant growth in expressive communication. However, children whose HVs fully implemented the MOD grew significantly more than the group that did not use the MOD, even after statistically controlling for parent and HV variables. Implications for designing effective and usable systems to promote the use of data-based decision-making practices by infant-toddler service providers are discussed, as well as limitations of the current study.
Rates of Common Classroom Behavior Management Strategies and Their Associations with Challenging Student Behavior in Elementary School
Author: Owens, Julie Sarno
Date: 2018-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Teacher Behavior,Student Behavior,Positive Reinforcement,Behavior Problems,Classroom Techniques,Preschool Teachers,Preschool Children,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Students,Observation,Responses,Instructional Program Divisions,Predictor Variables

In this study, we (a) describe patterns of challenging student behaviors (classwide and for a target student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) and teacher behaviors (i.e., praise, commands, and responses to challenging behavior) in kindergarten through Grade 5 classrooms, (b) examine the relations between these behaviors, and (c) describe a threshold of teacher behaviors most associated with low levels of challenging student behavior. Participants were 55 teachers observed using a modified version of the Student Behavior Teacher Response (SBTR) system. Across grades, there was variability in rates of classwide challenging behavior per hour (M = 35.81 to 102.62) and rates of praise per hour (M = 10.90 to 37.70). The percentage of challenging behaviors to which teachers responded appropriately was generally low (M = 27% to 47%) and stable across grades. For classwide challenging behavior, higher percentages of appropriate teacher response were significantly associated with lower rates of challenging behavior (b = -0.43; p &lt; 0.01), but effective commands and labeled praise were not. Classwide challenging behaviors dropped to 30 per hour once teachers reach a threshold of 51% appropriate response, with little incremental benefit at higher levels. Implications for professional development and future study of behavior management practices are discussed.
The Culture of the Sharp Pencil: Can a Literacy Intervention Lever School Change?
Author: Currin, Sally
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Programs,Elementary School Students,Poverty,African Languages,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Program Effectiveness,Intervention,Reading Achievement,School Effectiveness,Elementary Education,Workshops,Elementary School Teachers,Educational Resources,Parent Participation,Pretests Posttests,Reading Skills,Observation,School Libraries,Faculty Development

This article reports on a reading intervention project undertaken in a high poverty primary school in Gauteng where reading levels in both the home language, Northern Sotho, and in English were very low. Some of the factors associated with school effectiveness (SE) are first examined and thereafter the nature of the reading intervention programme is described. The project outcomes are presented and discussed against established SE factors and the high poverty ecological system within which the school operates. Although some of these outcomes are presented quantitatively, the article also considers some of the qualitative aspects of the intervention and its outcomes. Despite obstacles which lessen impact, it is concluded that a reading intervention in high poverty schools can simultaneously improve learner performance and the functioning of an ineffective school, but that such an intervention needs to adopt a multi-level ecological approach.
An Exploratory Study of Early Letter-Sound Knowledge in a Low Socio-Economic Context in South Africa
Author: O'Carroll, Shelley
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence,Emergent Literacy,Disadvantaged,Foreign Countries,Alphabets,Grade 1,Elementary School Students,Intervention,Instructional Effectiveness,Spelling,Correlation,Teacher Education Programs,Literacy Education,Teacher Aides,Elementary School Teachers

This paper explores one aspect of early literacy development in a low socio-economic context in South Africa. Assessments conducted with a sample of children from two disadvantaged communities in Cape Town indicated that in this context, almost half of the learners entering Grade One were unable to recognise any letters. A Grade R intervention conducted by volunteers showed that children from this context were able to learn letter-sounds in Grade R through a programme that focused on teaching letter-sounds in the context of building language skills, emergent writing and concepts about print. In order to strengthen the effectiveness of the intervention, the volunteer programme was supplemented by support for the Grade R teacher and teaching assistant. Follow-up assessments of one of the intervention groups at the end of Grade One revealed significant correlations between early Grade One letter knowledge and end of Grade One word reading and spelling skills. The findings of this exploratory study are in line with research that shows the importance of letter-sound knowledge in the earliest stages of learning to read. !is raises concerns about the historical lack of emphasis in the Grade R curriculum on this aspect of early literacy development. Although the study has a narrow focus and conclusions cannot be drawn about other aspects of early literacy learning in this context, the results suggest an urgent need for quality Grade R teacher training programmes with a specific focus on emergent literacy.
Making Sense of the PIRLS 2006 Results for South Africa
Author: Janks, Hilary
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Test Results,Achievement Tests,Grade 4,International Assessment,Reading Achievement,Reading Tests,Decoding (Reading),Reading Comprehension,Reading Difficulties,Reader Text Relationship,Reading Skills,Reading Strategies

Results on the PIRLS test in 2006 make it clear that South African educators need to examine the way in which they teach literacy in the Foundation phase. While the test gives a fair indication of what our children cannot do, it is less clear about what they can do. Mastery of decoding, for example, is assumed and children are tested on their ability to read lengthy texts and answer cognitively demanding questions. The test is therefore not a good indicator of whether learners can decode or not. By setting the kinds of skills demanded by PIRLS, against Freebody and Luke's roles of the reader, this article suggests that the problem with literacy learning in our schools is that too often students do not get much beyond decoding and basic comprehension. They are not taught to be text 'participants', text 'users' or text 'analysts.' Literacy interventions in schools need to prepare students to ask and answer middle and higher order questions on texts written in their home language if they are to move from learning to read to reading to learn.
Can Working Memory Strategies Enhance English Vocabulary Learning?
Author: Ibarra Santacruz, Diana
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Short Term Memory,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Undergraduate Students,Program Effectiveness,Retention (Psychology),Recall (Psychology),Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Teaching Methods

This study sought to determine how working memory training could contribute to retaining vocabulary studied in English lessons through the implementation of a set of strategies. Two intact groups of beginners: one experimental, with 28 students, and one control group, with 22 students, belonging to undergraduate English as a foreign language courses at a Colombian university were involved in the study. After being exposed to a series of memory strategies for a period of 10 weeks, it was evident that most learners in the experimental group benefited from the intervention and showed gradual progress in the retention and retrieval of the words studied in the lessons; thus, improving their overall competence in the foreign language.
Living the Teaching Practicum within Dichotomies: The Story from within When Implementing ICTs in the English Language Classroom
Author: Pinzón Capador, Sandra Viviana
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Interviews,Lesson Plans,Student Teachers,Practicums,Foreign Countries,Language Teachers,Second Language Instruction,Educational Innovation,Teaching Methods,Epistemology,Grade 11,Secondary Education

This article reports the results of an introspective research conducted by a student-teacher and her advisor. Both met regularly over a period of one year and a half as part of the student-teacher academic work for the Research I class. As a result of their conversation the student-teacher and her advisor decided to document the former's experience during her teaching practicum as she was trying to implement an innovation using m-learning in a public school in Bogotá. The analysis of data (narrative introspection, introspective interview, and lesson plans) shows that the student-teacher lived her teaching practicum within dichotomies in three dimensions we named &quot;negotiating between epistemologies,&quot; &quot;making up for logistic/technological flaws,&quot; and &quot;mending the self: between frustration and achievement.&quot;
Textbook Readability and ESL Learners
Author: Kasule, Daniel
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Readability,Textbooks,Textbook Content,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Computer Software,Difficulty Level,Grade 7,Elementary School Students,Preservice Teachers,Technology Uses in Education,Foreign Countries,Cloze Procedure,Readability Formulas

This paper reports activities (as part of a university course in language teacher education on teaching reading) in which primary school student teachers (all ESL in-service teacher trainees) explored their own skills of determining textbook readability using an online software tool and a cloze test completed by two hundred and seventy-eight Grade Seven primary school pupils. Findings from the online tool were that the text was difficult. The cloze test confirmed this when it showed that only eighteen pupils could read the text unassisted while the rest were frustrated by it. The paper uses these findings to describe the challenges pupils face and how readability research is beneficial to the reading development of ESL learners if reading of academic texts is approached from the principles of the interactive view of reading; of cognitive learning theory; and of second language acquisition theory. It is concluded that teachers' awareness of readability issues is helpful for effective reading instruction during the critical formative years of school.
Making Space for Expressive and Creative Writing in African Primary Schools: A Two-Site Action Research Study in Kenya and South Africa
Author: Gains, Paula
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Comparative Education,Expressive Language,Creative Writing,Elementary School Students,Action Research,Writing Instruction,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Education,Writing Workshops,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Intervention,Native Language,African Languages,Writing Attitudes

Similar concerns about the development of children's creative writing abilities in Kenya and South Africa prompted two Mother Tongue (MT) education practitioners in Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy of Linguistics (MILL) to undertake parallel intervention studies to increase teachers' competence in writing pedagogy and improve the quantity and quality of learners' writing. Most early literacy teachers have had no experience themselves of expressive writing, so it is not surprising that this activity rarely, if ever, features in public school early literacy classrooms. The hypothesis which formed the basis for this action research study was that educators, exposed to extensive and expressive writing themselves, will be more skilled in the generation of such activities with learners. This paper reports on the workshop processes in the two sites, identifying similarities and differences in the experience. Whilst the hypothesis, though tested, remains unproven, this paper presents findings that are of relevance to further study in the area of writing pedagogy research and also to teachers and teacher educators involved in writing in the primary school.
Exploring Two EFL Teachers&apos; Narrative Events Regarding Vocabulary Teaching and Learning
Author: Ubaque, Diego F.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Language Teachers,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Vocabulary Development,Narration,Reflective Teaching,Adult Education,Teacher Collaboration,Cooperative Planning,Lesson Plans

This paper summarizes the results of a collaborative narrative inquiry study conducted by two teachers in an English as a foreign language classroom in Bogota, Colombia. The study places emphasis on teacher learning as a reflective practice to contribute to students' vocabulary learning. However, the analysis presented in this paper is grounded on teachers' narrative events to understand their experiences teaching vocabulary over communicative classroom activities. Findings revealed that teachers could claim ownership of their own teaching practice when there is negotiation and collaboration of teaching practices over vocabulary activities; furthermore, data made evident that when collaboration emerges as a driving force, teachers' learning can become relevant to increase students' learning since reflection is used to adapt teaching to get learning outcomes.
Impact of a Professional Development Program on EFL Teachers&apos; Performance
Author: Novozhenina, Alexandra
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Teaching Methods,Reflective Teaching,Program Improvement,Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Program Descriptions

This article gives an account of a project aimed at improving the teaching practice and self-reflection of English as a foreign language teachers in Manizales (Colombia) by means of a professional development program. At the initial stage, surveys, class observations, and documentary analysis allowed the researchers to identify teachers' professional needs, as well as the areas that needed improvement. During the action stage, class observations, informal chats, and a survey were used in order to reveal the impact of the professional development program. Findings demonstrated that although the program initiated some slight changes in teachers' performance and reflection, it still left space for more training and improvement.
Needs Analysis in English for Academic Purposes: The Case of Teaching Assistants at the University of Khartoum
Author: Elsaid Mohammed, Abuelgasim Sabah
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Needs Assessment,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,English for Academic Purposes,Foreign Countries,Language Proficiency,Social Life,Writing Skills,Speech Communication,Required Courses,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Language Attitudes,Teaching Assistants

This study aimed at investigating the English language needs of teaching assistants at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. The study focused on identifying the teaching assistants' purposes for learning English, and discovering the most important skills, language areas, and academic sub-skills they needed. The study also attempted to determine the teaching assistants' proficiency in the English language. To this end a quantitative approach was adopted. Data were collected through a questionnaire and a test. The results revealed that the teaching assistants needed English for their social life and academic purposes: to communicate with the outside world and to teach their students. The skills regarded as most important were writing and speaking. Finally, the level of proficiency of the participants in the English language was below the average in all the skills.
Using an Audiovisual Materials-Based Teaching Strategy to Improve EFL Young Learners&apos; Understanding of Instructions
Author: Ulloa Salazar, Gemalli
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Action Research,Audiovisual Instruction,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Educational Benefits,Kindergarten,Likert Scales,Spanish,Instructional Effectiveness

Conducted in a semi-public school in Chile, this action research study aims at determining the change in 18 English as a foreign language young learners' performance regarding their understanding of instructions after being exposed to an audiovisual materials-based teaching strategy. With the use of a lesson observation report for assessing the way they follow instructions and a Likert scale to analyze their attitudes towards the strategy, findings show there was a positive change in their performances and that these learners regard this strategy as beneficial, which supports the belief that the inclusion of audiovisual aids benefits young learners when learning English.
Reflective Teaching: An Approach to Enrich the English Teaching Professional Practice
Author: Olaya Mesa, Marian Lissett
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Reflective Teaching,Language Teachers,Faculty Development,Content Analysis,Language Tests,Teacher Effectiveness,Foreign Countries

This study provides an overview and exploration of 23 national and international reflective teaching research reports. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent that reflective teaching can become a strategy for language teaching professional development. Based on content analysis four main topics emerged: (a) reflective teaching as an approach to enhance the language profession; (b) impact on teachers' performance; (c) support, time, and effort; and (d) in-service professional development. Conclusions indicated that reflective teaching is an alternative to raise awareness about English language teaching, and as a means to encourage teachers to open their minds, update their teaching methodologies, and make adjustments to their lessons.
Yes They Can! Demystifying the Effects of Foreign Language Learning for Students with Special Needs
Author: Regalla, Michele
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Special Needs Students,French,FLES,Native Language,Inclusion,Preschool Education,Preschool Children,Charter Schools,Cerebral Palsy,Program Descriptions,English,Pretests Posttests,Numbers,Human Body,Language Tests,Individualized Education Programs

This paper addresses the issue of integrating students with special needs into foreign language programs in the early childhood years. A partnership between a university and a charter school in central Florida began as a result of parent and teacher interest in providing a foreign language program for its prekindergarten students. Since 2014, prekindergarten students have been receiving French instruction twice per week in a typical foreign language exploratory (FLEX) program designed to introduce the French language and culture; however, this program is atypical because of the population of the charter school, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). At UCP, approximately 50% of the students have special needs ranging from mild delays to significant physical and cognitive disabilities. Since the beginning of the French program, questions have been raised by various stakeholders (including some parents and other educational professionals) about students with special needs experiencing confusion in foreign language programs. The educators who started the French program designed a study to address questions raised about the suitability of foreign language programs for students with special needs. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a French language program on the first language skills of an inclusive prekindergarten population. This article presents the preliminary results from the ongoing research study.
The Potential of High-Leverage Teaching Practices for Pre-Service Language Teacher Development within Community-Based Children&apos;s Language Programs
Author: Lorenzen, Charla
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Spanish,Lesson Plans,Language Teachers,Methods Courses,Action Research,Heritage Education,Native Language Instruction,Educational Change,Preservice Teacher Education,Theory Practice Relationship,Curriculum Design,Material Development,Majors (Students),Service Learning,Preservice Teachers,Teaching Experience

This action research study examined the experiences of a heritage speaker of Spanish who was training to become a Spanish teacher within a Spanish Education program that was in the process of transforming the traditional, front-loaded and theoretical methods course into a practice-based approach to teacher education. The goal of this transformation was to unite theory and practice in a relevant but realistic way. The pre-service teacher engaged in lesson planning, curriculum and material design, supervised teaching, and guided reflection within an innovative modern language teacher education program employing high-leverage teaching practices (HLTPs) as a framework for professional preparation. This qualitative study occurred within an established community-based learning (CBL) program in which Spanish Education majors teach Spanish to local children as part of their Language Teaching Methods course.