ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Tiered Classrooms at St. Olaf College: Faculty and Student Perceptions of Three Different Designs
Author: Walczak, Mary M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Classroom Design,College Faculty,College Students,School Space,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Furniture,College Instruction,Group Activities,Lecture Method,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Educational Technology,Classroom Environment,Large Group Instruction,Statistical Analysis

In designing St. Olaf College's Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, we attempted to create learning spaces to accommodate classes of 50-100 students and a variety of teaching pedagogies. In this study, we compared three different 72-seat classrooms furnished with half-round tables for four, straight tables, or a serpentine shaped table with crests that seat four students. We found that faculty preferred the learning environment of the half-round tables for all pedagogies. Students preferred the half-round tables for group work or a combination of group work and lecture, but preferred the straight tables for lecture classes.
Evaluating Design Enhancements to the Tablet Arm Chair in Language Instruction Classes at UNC Chapel Hill
Author: Henshaw, Robert Griffith
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Furniture,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,College Students,College Faculty,Design,College Second Language Programs,Second Language Instruction,Spanish

Higher education institutions are increasingly interested in cost-effective classroom furniture solutions that support diverse teaching methods by facilitating movement between lecture and interactive instructional methods such as small group work. Several furniture manufacturers are exploring designs based on the traditional tablet arm chair. A study at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill piloted one such product in a classroom being used by language instructors. Student and faculty attitudes about the chair were generally positive, although other constraints to adoption merit further exploration.
Chaos in the Classroom: Center Learning in a 1st Grade Setting
Author: Lanaux, Courtney F.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade 1,Elementary School Students,Student Teachers,Cooperating Teachers,Learning Centers (Classroom),Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Observation,Interviews,Photography,Video Technology,Planning,Student Attitudes,Interaction,Interpersonal Communication,Interpersonal Competence

How can centers be utilized in a classroom so students have full control of what they are learning and when? Can centers be used effectively post-kindergarten? During student teaching in a first grade classroom in southeast Louisiana, two student teachers, their classroom mentor teacher, and the 1st grade students experienced center learning that integrated all areas of the curriculum and was utilized for 45 minutes each day. Students were expected to determine which center they needed to attend each day, which activity to complete, who to complete it with, where to put completed work, and how to successfully tidy up the center. The classroom teacher used this independent exploratory learning time to pull students in small groups to target their reading and comprehension skills. The purpose of this research was to determine which factors played an integral part of the success of center learning in a first grade classroom. The student teachers observed the 16 centers, interviewed the students and the teacher, took photos, and videoed center time. After analyzing the research, centers appeared to be organized in an effective manner, student learning was the primary goal, which enhanced students' ability to enjoy learning in centers and also gain social skills through collaboration.
Shifting the Intellectual Authority in Science Classrooms from Teachers to Students: How Novice Teachers Use Tools to Analyze and Advance Practice
Author: Thompson, Jessica
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Beginning Teachers,Teaching Methods,Cognitive Processes,Problem Solving,Academic Standards,Preservice Teacher Education,Practicums,High School Students,Secondary School Science,Models,Science Activities,Urban Schools,Student Participation,Learner Engagement,Language Usage

To meet the immense challenges society faces in areas such as energy, health, and environmental protection, science teachers and teacher educators need to invest in the creation of classroom cultures that turn the intellectual heavy lifting over to the students while developing students' identities as competent learners. The vision is that classrooms are both intellectually rigorous--accountable to important ideas and practices in the discipline--and uncompromisingly responsive to students' developing scientific ideas. Problematically, this type of teaching is currently rare in science classrooms. Studies of novice teachers indicate that &quot;the use of analogies, the implementation of strategic approaches to questioning, and the elicitation of student understandings remained virtually absent from their dialogue in class&quot; (Hogan, Rabinowitz, &amp; Craven, 2003, p. 243). Creating rigorous and responsive science learning environments that are the norm rather than the exception in the American educational system is thus a grand-scale inquiry project that will require decades of collaboration and investigation to generate a shared vision of quality teaching and learning. The authors of this article were one of the first cohorts to complete a teacher education program that focused on learning and inquiring into a core set of ambitious science teaching practices--practices that focus students' intellectual work on complex problems rather than the typical emphases on activities and procedural talk; are adaptive to students' needs and thinking; and maintain rigorous standards of achievement for everyone, enabling learners of all backgrounds to succeed at high-quality work. This article presents how novice teachers use tools to analyze and advance practice.
Teacher Evaluation
Author: Sayavedra, Melinda
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Summative Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Standards,Faculty Development,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Peer Teaching,Mentors,Coaching (Performance),Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,Feedback (Response),Supervisors

Accredited universities normally include a standard that addresses faculty evaluation. It may contain references to performance criteria and procedures and usually emphasizes the need for faculty evaluations to be systematic, regular, fair, objective and relevant to achieving the goals of the institution. Accredited language programs usually have a similar standard that addresses instructor evaluation. However, quite often performance criteria are never spelled out and teacher effectiveness is measured only by student appraisals of the course and the instructor. Public K-12 programs normally have agreed upon standards, but schools all too often measure teacher effectiveness solely by student test scores. The research is very clear that neither of these constitutes a fair and relevant evaluation. Teaching large groups of individuals with varied skills and backgrounds in diverse settings is not easy and neither is measuring its effectiveness. An effective evaluation system, according to the author, needs to entail more than student test scores and appraisals. It needs to include professional standards with performance criteria and indicators spelled out and endorsed by the language teachers, tools and procedures for self-assessment, peer mentoring, mentor coaching and supervisor evaluation as well as procedures and suggestions for other types of reports and evidence of teacher performance. The aim is to create an evaluation system that promotes teacher growth and gathers evidence for making high-stakes decisions. In this article, the author describes different types of evaluation public K-12 programs can employ when assessing their effectiveness.
Integrating Pragmatics Instruction in a Content-Based Classroom
Author: Krulatz, Anna
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Pragmatics,Teaching Methods,Course Content,Language of Instruction,Speech Acts,Interlanguage,Language Research,Native Speakers,Intercultural Communication,Interpersonal Competence,Sociolinguistics,Teacher Education Programs,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries

The issue of teaching pragmatics in foreign and second language classrooms has received a lot of attention in the recent years. Its origins can be dated back to the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSRAP) led by Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper (1989) and the research on interlanguage speech acts that followed (for a comprehensive review, see Kasper &amp; Rose, 2002). Findings from second language acquisition (SLA) research, including a range of languages and second language learner backgrounds, suggest discrepancies between native and non-native language use in the areas of speech acts (e.g. requests and apologies), discourse organization, formal and intimate forms of address, turn-taking, and conversational implicature. In other words, non-native sociolinguistic competence, defined by Celce-Murcia, Dornyei and Thurrell (1995) as &quot;the speaker's knowledge of how to express messages appropriately within the overall social and cultural context of communication, in accordance with pragmatic factors related to variation in language use&quot; (p. 23), seems to vary from native-like sociolinguistic competence in significant ways. In this article, the author discusses how pragmatics can be integrated into language instruction and also presents her experience teaching a college level Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Methods class using the Content Based Instruction (CBI) principles.
Health Education in Practice: Employee Conflict Resolution Knowledge and Conflict Handling Strategies
Author: Hackett, Alexis
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Health Education,Conflict Resolution,Workshops,Employees,Pretests Posttests,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Knowledge Level,Problem Solving,Program Effectiveness

The purpose of this project was to determine if a brief workplace conflict resolution workshop improved employee conflict resolution knowledge and to examine which conflict handling strategies (Yielding, Compromising, Forcing, Problem-Solving, Avoiding) were most used by employees when dealing with workplace conflict. A pre-test/post-test control group design was used. The brief educational workshop yielded higher post-test knowledge scores among participants as compared to control group (p&lt;0.05), and most employees in the sample used Problem-Solving followed by Compromise as strategies to handle workplace conflicts. Conflict disrupts the workplace, but many employers have limited time and staff to address it. Implementing an effective, pro-active prevention strategy such as this workshop takes little time and staffing. A brief educational workshop can have a positive effect on conflict resolution knowledge, and employer awareness of how employees prefer to deal with those conflicts may help resolve conflicts before they escalate.
Barriers and Motivators to Physical Activity among African American Women
Author: James, Delores C. S.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Barriers,African Americans,Females,Physical Activity Level,Physical Activities,Community Surveys,Motivation,Achievement Need,Statistical Analysis,Body Composition

The goals of the study were to identify the barriers and motivators for physical activity (PA) and to assess whether these factors vary by weight status. A self-administered survey was completed by 413 African American women. Each woman provided verbal informed consent and was weighed and measured by a research team member. The participants' mean BMI was 29.60 ± 7.57. Women reported low levels of moderate vigorous PA in the past week--with zero days (46%), one to two days (28%), three to four days (18%), and five to seven days (8%). Women selected &quot;all that apply&quot; from nine potential barriers and five potential motivators to PA. Women with higher BMI were significantly more likely to report expensive gym membership (P&lt;0.001) and no one to exercise with (P&lt;0.001) as barriers. Women with lower BMI were significantly more likely to report that exercise was not a priority (P&lt;0.001). Women with higher BMI were significantly more likely to report a desire to lose weight as a motivator (P&lt;0.001). There were no other significant variables. The findings suggest that a public health challenge persists to engage African American women of all weight status in regular PA.
Eta Sigma Gamma Members&apos; Participation in Advocacy Activities and Opinions on Advocacy Priorities for the Organization
Author: Cox, Carol
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Advocacy,Health Promotion,Health Education,Public Health,Program Effectiveness,Surveys,Organizations (Groups),Allied Health Personnel,Barriers,Public Policy,Statistical Analysis,Participation,Legislation,Policy Formation,Smoking,Nutrition

Advocacy for health policies and programs can impact large segments of the population with the goal of promoting and protecting the nation's health. Historically, advocacy has not been viewed as seriously as other components of health education, and involvement in public policy work has been moderate by health education practitioners and health education faculty. The purpose of this study was to determine in which types of advocacy activities members of Eta Sigma Gamma currently participate, their rating of their personal advocacy skills and capacity, as well as their opinions on advocacy priorities for Eta Sigma Gamma. During fall 2013, a convenience sample of current members of Eta Sigma Gamma (N = 2661) was invited to participate in a survey (based on the Health Belief Model) that contained five sections assessing their health advocacy activities, perceptions, and priorities. Although only 10.75% (n = 286) of the sample returned the survey, voting was participated in by at least half (50%) of the respondents, and the majority (60%) reported barriers to advocacy engagement. Tobacco (30%) and nutrition polices (16%) were leading concerns for advocacy efforts. Members' input into advocacy activities and priorities allows for influence as well as accountability
Self-Insurance: A Solution for Faculty and Staff Health Promotion? Pilot Study Findings
Author: Giebert, Megan C. H.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Health Promotion,School Districts,Incidence,Questionnaires,Human Resources,Employees,Health Insurance,Comparative Analysis,Physical Activity Level,Community Resources,Statistical Analysis,Fringe Benefits

Faculty and staff health promotion is a cost-saving component of coordinated school health, but little is known about the comprehensiveness of these programs. Self-insured school districts require employees to contribute directly to the district's health insurance pool. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the prevalence of self-insurance within Texas school districts and compare districts' health promotion efforts to agency-insured counterparts. Using an electronic questionnaire, human resource personnel described the characteristics of their district's insurance status, health insurance coverage, health promotion program components, and considerations when planning health-promoting activities or services for school faculty and staff. Thirteen percent of respondents reported their school districts as self-insured. No significant differences between self-insured and agency-insured districts were discovered regarding health insurance coverage, district-offered health promotion, physical activity promotion, planning considerations, or utilization of community resources. Regardless of insurance type, findings indicated an overall lack in comprehensiveness of district-offered health promotion services. This study supports the need to further investigate this school health component so that district employees can financially and physically benefit from health promotion activities or services.
The Role of High Schools in Addressing Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities: A Mixed-Methods Assessment
Author: Payton, Erica
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High Schools,School Role,Public Health,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Mixed Methods Research,Journal Articles,Content Analysis,Health Education,School Nurses,Interviews,Administrator Attitudes,Educational Practices

Racial/ethnic health disparities start early in life and become exacerbated throughout the life cycle. Schools have the opportunity to reduce the severity of disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine whether journals in school health cover racial/ethnic health disparities and to identify what leading authorities in school health thought were the roles of high schools in addressing health disparities. The &quot;Journal of School Health&quot; and &quot;Journal of School Nursing&quot; (years 2000- 2013) were reviewed for articles addressing racial/ethnic health disparities. Criteria were established to identify authorities to interview in school health education (n = 6) and school nursing (n = 6). Of the 1137 articles in the &quot;Journal of School Health&quot; 56 (5%) covered racial/ethnic issues as did 17 of 480 (3.5%) articles in the &quot;Journal of School Nursing.&quot; Health educators and school nurses perceived high schools had a role to play in addressing disparities, but lack of time was the main barrier.
Psychometric Examination of the Modified Clinical Teaching Preference Questionnaire (CTPQ)
Author: Williams, Brett
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Peer Teaching,Questionnaires,Test Construction,Psychometrics,Test Validity,Test Reliability,College Freshmen,Factor Analysis,Supervision,Student Role,Teacher Role,Foreign Countries,Allied Health Personnel

While peer-assisted learning (PAL) continues to gain momentum internationally among educators and curricula, its use within the paramedic profession is still novel and untested. Therefore having instruments with strong measurement properties to use in paramedic PAL is important. This study is an investigation into the dimensionality and reliability of the 10-item Clinical Teaching Preference Questionnaire (CTPQ) at a large Australian university in 2011 and 2012. Data from the CTPQ completed by first year undergraduate paramedics (N = 218) were analysed using a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation. The majority of the participants were female 68% (n = 150) and aged less than 26 years of age 85% (n = 187). Results from the PCA indicated a three-factor solution, accounting for 61.3% of the total variance. All item loading coefficients were well above 0.40. Findings from the PCA provide preliminary results that the CTPQ is multidimensional producing a three-factor solution: Peer Learning Management, Peer-Led Supervision, and Instructor-Led Supervision. Other results demonstrated poor internal consistency and a large number of nonredundant residuals indicating further psychometric examination of the CTPQ is required.
Shifts in Student Motivation during Usage of a Multi-User Virtual Environment for Ecosystem Science
Author: Metcalf, Shari
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Motivation,Virtual Classrooms,Computer Uses in Education,Computer Simulation,Active Learning,Inquiry,Learner Engagement,Ecology,Middle School Students,Science Education,Video Games,Grade 6,Middle School Teachers,Computer Games,Technology Uses in Education,Simulated Environment,Student Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research

In incorporating technology in science education, some have expressed concern that the value added by technology is primarily due to the novelty or excitement about using the devices, resulting in no lasting effect on student motivation or learning in science. This research addresses this concern through evaluation of student motivation during a two-week, multi-user virtual environment (MUVE)-based curriculum for middle school ecosystems science. Analysis of multiple surveys at the beginning, middle, and end of the curriculum found that students continued to find the activity engaging from beginning to end, while student value of its utility in helping them learn science increased significantly. Furthermore, while initial student engagement resided primarily at the technology interface level, with time and experience students became increasingly engaged in the student-led, collaborative inquiry experiences afforded by the embedded scientific investigation.
Evaluating the Impact of Research Produced by a Mission-Directed Emergent University
Author: Ivey, Paul W.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Research,Productivity,Fidelity,Research Administration,Institutional Research,Institutional Mission,Stakeholders,Technology Transfer,Research and Development,Community Benefits,Vocational Schools,Research Universities,Foreign Countries

The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) is quite young, having been granted university status in 1995, a mere 19 years ago. Nevertheless, UTech is acutely aware that it is research that sets a university apart from other post-secondary institutions. Driven by this awareness, it has developed, articulated, and implemented a coherent research agenda and established a supporting research management ecosystem. In this paper we argue that the two main traditional metrics--peer-reviewed publications and citations--which are used in evaluating research productivity and impact, respectively, of a university, while useful, are not sufficient. UTech's mission, like that of many other similar institutions, includes &quot;service to our communities&quot; and its research focus is on &quot;interdisciplinary and applied research relevant to (national) economic and societal problems.&quot; By adopting a reflective inquiry method, we cite two examples of how research by UTech staff members has, in one case, had positive impacts on the university's proximate stakeholders, and in another case has the potential to generate significant impact on a particular sub-sector of the economy. We use the sense-making gleaned from these examples to propose an expanded schema of metrics for evaluating research impact. The schema we are proposing is one that includes &quot;Fidelity-to-Mission (FTM).&quot; The inclusion of FTM is based on the premise that an emergent university's first obligation, especially in resource-deficient contexts, must be to address through its research the needs of those it purports to serve, as expressed in its mission statement. Therefore, the extent to which it does so in objectively verifiable ways is a legitimate metric worthy of recognition.