ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Validating the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at a Research-Intensive University
Author: Tendhar, Chosang
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Surveys,Learner Engagement,Test Validity,Benchmarking,Goodness of Fit,Factor Structure,College Seniors,Land Grant Universities,Research Universities,Student Surveys,Factor Analysis

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been used at universities across the U.S. and Canada to gather information about the quality of engagement of first-year students and graduating students. Institutions use NSSE's five benchmarks of effective educational practice to compare themselves with other schools and to focus in on ways to improve the educational experiences of their students. However, studies indicate that these benchmarks may not be a valid way to convey NSSE information. This study was conducted to investigate whether or not NSSE's five-factor model is the best fit for student engagement data collected at a large, public, research-intensive, land-grant university. The five-factor model did not fit the data for the 2008 sample of senior students at this university. Rather, a revised model using six factors instead of five and 21 of 42 items provided a more valid test blueprint. This new model was then tested and found to fit the 2011 sample of senior students at the same university. Discussion regarding use of a nationally collected data at an individual institution is provided.
Experiences of a Newbie Helper in a Free, Open, Online, Mathematics Help Forum Community
Author: van de Sande, Carla
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Homework,Help Seeking,Computer Mediated Communication,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Volunteers,Individual Characteristics,Web Sites,Student Behavior,Elementary School Mathematics,Secondary School Mathematics,College Mathematics,College Students,Teachers,Documentation,Content Analysis,Interviews,Journal Writing,Diaries,Interpersonal Communication,Communities of Practice,Extracurricular Activities,Program Effectiveness,Qualitative Research

Free, open, online help forums are open to the public and allow students to anonymously seek homework help from volunteers who have the time, willingness, and experience to respond. These forums offer affordable, accessible, and efficient help given as a social, public endeavor. Some forums exhibit a strong sense of virtual community, especially amongst well-established helpers who are core participants. To investigate how newcomers enter into such activity, five helpers were recruited to participate for eight consecutive weeks in an existing popular forum for mathematics homework help covering arithmetic through advanced mathematics. We explore characteristics of the activity of the newcomer helper who made the most progress in moving from peripheral to fuller participation in terms of membership, influence, and immersion.
Integrating International Students into Tertiary Education Using Intercultural Peer-to-Peer Training at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany
Author: Binder, Nadine
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Foreign Students,Student Adjustment,Peer Teaching,Peer Relationship,Cultural Awareness,Undergraduate Students,Student Motivation,Satisfaction,Training,Program Effectiveness,Student Experience,Social Integration,Semi Structured Interviews,Coding,Teaching Methods,Qualitative Research

Increasing internationalization of higher education raises the question of how well institutions prepare their students to integrate into and benefit from cultural diversity on any university campus. The aim of this study was to assess an intercultural peer-to-peer training at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany, that aims to facilitate the integration of incoming students into the multicultural environment of this international university. The individual experience of eight undergraduate students was explored using qualitative in-depth interviews. The results suggest that motivation to participate and satisfaction with the training were highest among students with some intercultural experience compared to students with extensive or little intercultural experience. All students supported the overall training format and the peer-trainer scheme. It seems that the training has adequately addressed the issues related to the general social life on the multicultural campus. However, it should focus more specifically on the learning model used and learning-related expectations at Jacobs University Bremen. In conclusion, the current study provides the first qualitative evaluation of an intercultural peer-to-peer training that could be utilized at other educational institutions in Germany and beyond as a method of linking culture-related issues to academic and social life of new students.
Computer Use by School Teachers in Teaching-Learning Process
Author: Bhalla, Jyoti
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Teaching Methods,Technology Integration,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Teacher Attitudes,Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Environment,Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Educational Methods,Developing Nations

Developing countries have a responsibility not merely to provide computers for schools, but also to foster a habit of infusing a variety of ways in which computers can be integrated in teaching-learning amongst the end users of these tools. Earlier researches lacked a systematic study of the manner and the extent of computer-use by teachers. The current study examined a comprehensive investigation of 300 Central School teachers' use of computers in India. Towards this end, a questionnaire was constructed that listed essential dimensions for teachers' use of computers: Computer Aided Learning (CAL), Computer Managed Instruction (CMI), and Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The findings revealed that teachers often used computers to update subject knowledge and teaching skills, develop lesson plans, prepare additional instructional material, notify relevant information via internet, prepare question banks. They sometimes used computers for showing something in the class, showcasing students' work on school-website, preparing test papers, simulations, games, students' assignments. They had either rarely or never used computers for presenting entire lesson, students' classroom presentations, tutorials, sharing information with parents, publishing homework, giving tests to students--either offline or online, maintaining students' records, and individualized instructions. The analysis indicated that amongst the three categories of computer use, CAL was the most popular category of computer use whereas CAI was the least popular among teachers. The results help to demystify seeming inconsistency and variation with regard to computer use among teachers. The identification of comprehensive ways of computer use empowers stakeholders with vital information and may assist implementation of appropriate measures to fully infuse computers in teaching-learning process
Exploring the Utility of the Simple View of Reading in Irish Children Attending Schools in Areas Designated as Socially Disadvantaged
Author: Lyons, Rena
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,At Risk Students,Reading Difficulties,Disadvantaged Youth,Economically Disadvantaged,Socioeconomic Status,Predictor Variables,Reading Skills,Accuracy,Spelling,Reading Comprehension,Age Differences,Children,Reading Ability,Standardized Tests,Phonemic Awareness,Phonics,Vocabulary,Knowledge Level,Multiple Regression Analysis

Evidence suggests that children living in areas designated as socially disadvantaged may be at risk for literacy difficulties. The Simple View of Reading (Gough &amp; Tunmer, 1986; Hoover &amp;Gough, 1986) is a theoretical model that sets out to describe the processes that children need to develop to become proficient readers, that is word recognition or decoding processes and language comprehension processes. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the utility of the Simple View of Reading in a cohort of Irish children attending schools designated as socially disadvantaged. The objectives were twofold. The first objective was to investigate predictors of reading accuracy, spelling and reading comprehension skills in this sample. The second objective was to investigate whether or not these predictors varied with age. The sample comprised fifty-nine children attending two schools. Inclusion criteria were: children between the ages of 5-8 years; a sample of children within three ranges of reading abilities as rated by their teachers (teachers were asked to rate the children's reading ability as above average, average or below average); and a minimum score of 80 on the British Picture Vocabulary Scales (BPVS) (Dunn et al., 1997) to be included. Reading accuracy (single word reading and passage reading), reading comprehension, and spelling were measured using three standardised tests i.e., Weschler Individual Attainment Test 11[superscriptUK], Teachers Version (WIAT, 11[superscriptUK]-T) (Weschler, 2006), the York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC) (Snowling et al., 2009), and the Single Word Spelling Test (SWST), (Sacre &amp; Masterson, 2000). Potential predictors of literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness and phonic knowledge skills, were measured using criterion-referenced tests. Vocabulary was also a potential predictor and was measured using the BPVS. There was mixed evidence for the Simple View of Reading. While phonic knowledge, phonemic knowledge and non-word reading were predictors of reading, other factors such as vocabulary were also predictors. Although vocabulary was a predictor of reading comprehension for the total sample, the picture was less clear when the effect of age was explored. To conclude, there was mixed evidence to support the Simple View of Reading. Nonetheless, the findings were encouraging in that children were acquiring literacy skills.
A Framework for Analysis of Case Studies of Reading Lessons
Author: Carlisle, Joanne F.
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Instruction,Faculty Development,Case Method (Teaching Technique),Evaluation Methods,Experienced Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Expertise,Rating Scales,Models,Web Based Instruction,Teacher Surveys,Factor Structure,Inservice Teacher Education

This paper focuses on the development and study of a framework to provide direction and guidance for practicing teachers in using a web-based case studies program for professional development in early reading; the program is called Case Studies Reading Lessons (CSRL). The framework directs and guides teachers' analysis of reading instruction by focusing their attention to three critical dimensions of the process of teaching; in theory, analysis of a wide variety of reading lessons, using this framework, should contribute to teachers' expertise. We report on a study of the Thinking Questions, which scaffold teachers' analysis of the reading lessons, to determine the extent to which their responses meet theoretical expectations. Results suggest that teachers' ratings of lessons tap their overall expertise in analysis of reading instruction, such that the three dimensions and features that represent these do not constitute separate factors. However, performance on the Thinking Questions differentiated more and less experienced teachers. As expected, less experienced teachers wrote longer and more specific comments about the instruction than more experienced teachers, who tended to highlight effective principles. The results suggest that an analytic framework of the kind used in CSRL holds promise as an effective component of a case-based professional development program. However, they also point to the need for further study of the framework and its influence on teachers' own teaching practices.
&quot;I Want to Be a Nurse!&quot;: A Qualitative Descriptive Study on the Impact of an &quot;Introduction to Nursing&quot; Course
Author: Edmonds, Michelle
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Nursing,Nursing Education,Introductory Courses,School Holding Power,College Freshmen,First Year Seminars,Academic Persistence,Intervention,School Orientation,Familiarity,Educational Practices,Semi Structured Interviews

Recruitment of nursing students is not the issue. Each year, nursing programs across the country turn away highly qualified applicants due to faculty shortage and limited clinical space. Therefore, it is imperative to retain those who secure one of these valuable spots as a nursing student. An &quot;Introduction to Nursing&quot; course was offered to pre-nursing freshman at one university for the purposes of increasing nursing student retention, rather than recruitment. This study examined the impact of an &quot;Introduction to Nursing&quot; course from a qualitative descriptive perspective. Participants reported three themes: orienting, connecting, and validating that occurred as a result of taking this course. Results indicate that both the student and the nursing program benefit as a result of offering this course. Students are provided with a realistic perspective of the nursing program and profession while the nursing program admits more informed students with less potential for voluntary attrition.
Effects of Shuttlecock-Playing on Physical Fitness in College Students
Author: Zhang, Tingran
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Physical Fitness,Racquet Sports,Exercise,Physical Activities,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Program Effectiveness,Metabolism,Body Composition,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the exercise intensity and the physical fitness effect of shuttlecock playing. 18 normal body weight college students voluntarily participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to shuttlecock playing (SCP) and control groups. The SCP underwent a 15-week shuttlecock-playing program, but the control group did not receive any special exercise activities. The program was arranged as follows: SCP underwent 4 sessions/week, 3 sets/session, 10 min/set, and rest 5 min between set. The results indicated that systolic pressure, abdominal skinfold, continuing work time, and hip joint flexibility of SCP were significantly improved after 12-week training. It has been concluded that a 15-week shuttlecock-playing program could remarkably promote the physical fitness for college students in body characteristics, body flexibility, and aerobic fitness but not muscular strength in lower limbs.
Literacy and Children's Literature: Evidence from Actual Classroom Practice
Author: Al Darwish, Salwa
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literacy Education,Reading Programs,Childrens Literature,English (Second Language),Elementary Education,Majors (Students),Language Teachers,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,Reading Motivation,Public Schools,Observation,Preservice Teachers,Grade 5,Reading Materials,Teacher Education Programs,Questioning Techniques,Reading Comprehension,Interviews,Parent Attitudes,Diaries,Lesson Plans,Qualitative Research

This qualitative study aims at detecting areas that requires to be developed in the EFL reading program in elementary stages in Kuwaiti public schools by using children's literature. It also examines the reading program in the public elementary curriculum. The participants were six English language major students from the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. Those six students were in their senior year and have just recently finished with the micro- teaching course followed by their practicum and then as independent EFL teachers. The findings revealed that young learners should be encouraged to use books at an early stages which will later bring pleasure to these students. Furthermore, environment plays an important role in reading pleasure.
Evaluating Youth Sexual Health Peer Education Programs: &quot;Challenges and Suggestions for Effective Evaluation Practices&quot;
Author: Jaworsky, Denise
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sexuality,Sex Education,Peer Teaching,Health Promotion,Program Effectiveness,Attitude Measures,Semi Structured Interviews,Qualitative Research,Adolescents,Young Adults,Goal Orientation,Evaluation Methods,Barriers,Foreign Countries

Although peer sexual health education is a common form of sexual health promotion for youth, systematic reviews of these programs are relatively rare. In this study we interviewed youth peer educators to inquire about their experience of program evaluation and their perception of what is needed to develop effective evaluation practices. Data were collected from eighteen participants in semi-structured qualitative interviews of youth (aged 16-28 years) sexual health peer educators in Ontario, Canada. Community-based research principles were employed throughout the project with youth involved in all stages of the research. Analysis of the data revealed four key themes relating to youth sexual health peer education evaluation: i) varied program goals; ii) benefits to peer educators; iii) diverse evaluation methods; and iv) challenges in conducting evaluation. We discuss the relevance of our findings for evaluation practices of peer sexual health education programs.
School-Based Learning for Individual Diversity in Education: The SLIDE Project
Author: Harrington, Ingrid
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Skill Development,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Knowledge Level,School Personnel,Professional Development,Individual Differences,Elementary Schools,Training,Foreign Countries,Needs Assessment,Interviews,Action Research,Self Esteem,Communication Skills,Collegiality,School Policy,Role,Classroom Techniques,Behavior Modification,Planning

Whole-School Professional Development (PD) days held regularly in schools are designed to promote and up-skill school staff on relevant areas of educational policy and practice. An aim of PD days is to empower participants with new knowledges and skills, and to confirm that current practices and interpretations of education policy and procedure are correct. In determining the nature of the professional development content, school executives make decisions based on their perceived needs of the staffing group, available speakers, current departmental policy and practice requirements. Deciding the topics for the professional development day for school staff has tended to adopt a &quot;one size fits all&quot; general approach that is rationalised as being broad in nature and of benefit to all. In adopting such an approach to a diverse teaching cohort, one may question just how valuable and meaningful this training day is in meeting the individual needs of all participating teachers. This paper reports on the benefits a more individualised approach to a whole-school PD training day had for one government primary school in Australia. Foundational to the detailed design of the PD days, the &quot;School-based Learning for Individual Diversity in Education&quot; (SLIDE) project proceeded by identifying the individual needs of each staff member in the school community through an interview prior to the delivery of the two-day training. Embedded in an action research model, the SLIDE project reported evidence of improved teacher self-confidence, improved communication between all levels, and a boost to the level of whole-school staff cohesion and morale.
An Implementation Strategy to Improve the Guideline Adherence of Insurance Physicians: A Process Evaluation Alongside an Experiment in a Controlled Setting
Author: Zwerver, Feico
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Program Implementation,Guidelines,Health Insurance,Depression (Psychology),Graduate Study,Physicians,Recruitment,Program Effectiveness,Satisfaction,Expectation,Barriers,Disability Identification,Employees,Mental Disorders,Questionnaires,Foreign Countries,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Check Lists

Background: We developed an implementation strategy for the insurance medicine guidelines for depression, which we implemented via a post-graduate course for insurance physicians (IPs). In this study we evaluate the physicians' experiences of the implementation strategy by measuring the following aspects: recruitment and reach, dose delivered and dose received, satisfaction and expectations, and perceived barriers. Methods: Insurance physicians conducting client disability assessments for the Dutch Institute for Employee Benefits Schemes were invited to attend a post-graduate course in implementation of the guidelines for depression in which a controlled experiment was embedded. Data were collected from the participating insurance physicians using questionnaires applied directly after the intervention and at three-month follow-up. Results: Of the 797 insurance physicians invited, 42 participated. Reach was 4.7%. The response to the questionnaires was 100%. The participants appraised the implementation strategy with a total score of 7.7 out of 10, and 81% expected to see improvement in their assessments of clients with depression. Physicians were still satisfied with the implementation strategy after three months. Changes in work routines and the time needed to apply the guidelines were perceived as barriers to use of the implementation strategy. Conclusions: The reach of the newly developed implementation strategy for the guidelines for depression was poor: only 42 IPs out of 900 invited actually attended the post-graduate course. However, the results show that the implementation strategy worked well in a controlled setting for all participants. They were satisfied with the course and with the tools provided, both immediately after the training program and after three months.
Examination of a Failed Professional Learning Community
Author: Sims, Rachel L.
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communities of Practice,Academic Achievement,Objectives,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Interviews,Observation,Coding,Attitude Measures,Cooperation,Teacher Attitudes,High Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Grade 9,Grade 10,Grade 11,Meetings,Teacher Collaboration,Failure,Lesson Plans,Planning,Time,Teamwork

Schools are using various forms of professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to increase student achievement and improve educational practices through enhanced communication and collaboration among teachers. This study examined a PLC that had too narrow a focus and failed therefore to affect student achievement. A critical shortcoming of the PLC groups examined in the current study had to do with their narrow mission and definition as &quot;Data Teams&quot; and consequentially a constricted focus on narrow metrics. A qualitative case study design was used to gather data through 6 interviews with PLC members and 3 observations of the PLC meetings. Interview data were coded and thematically analyzed based on the research questions posed in the study. The observational data were analyzed using pre-determined categories. The results indicated that the participants perceived the PLC, in its current state, as too focused on a single set of metrics and lacking the time, collaboration, and support needed to be effective.