ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Development of Objective Standard Setting Using Rasch Measurement Model in Malaysian Institution of Higher Learning
Author: Khatimin, Nuraini
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Standard Setting,Item Response Theory,Measurement Objectives,Measurement Techniques,Models,Standard Setting (Scoring),Cutting Scores,Achievement Rating,Test Content,Difficulty Level,Evaluation Criteria,Benchmarking,College Freshmen,Scores,Foreign Countries

Measurement and evaluation of students' achievement are an important aspect to make sure that students really understand the course content and monitor students' achievement level. Performance is not only reflected from the numbers of high achievers of the students, but also on quality of the grade obtained; does the grade &quot;A&quot; truly reflective of a high achiever student. As part of quality improvement, standard setting for students' examination scoring should be set up for courses offered in the institutions. Setting the cut scores of the performance standard is important in making sure the performance is of an expected standard. Commonly standard settings done through experts' judgement based on their knowledge and experience on the subject's matter and estimation made often too difficult and confusing for many. This paper discusses implementation of Objective Standard Setting (OSS) using Rasch measurement model in a Malaysian Institution of Higher Learning. This method gives an advantage for academic administrators to scientifically establish the standards or cut scores focusing on validity of the test being used and the Rasch measurement properties of the resultant scale.
The Effects of Techniques of Vocabulary Portfolio on L2 Vocabulary Learning
Author: Zarei, Abbas Ali
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,Vocabulary Development,Females,Teaching Methods,Language Tests,Statistical Analysis,Statistical Significance,Students,English (Second Language),Comparative Analysis,Comprehension

To investigate the effects of different techniques of vocabulary portfolio including word map, word wizard, concept wheel, visual thesaurus, and word rose on L2 vocabulary comprehension and production, a sample of 75 female EFL learners of Kish Day Language Institute in Karaj, Iran were selected. They were in five groups and each group received vocabulary portfolio in one of the aforementioned techniques. Multiple-choice and Fill-in-the-blanks vocabulary tests were used to measure the participants' comprehension and production of the target words. The obtained data were analyzed using two separate one-way ANOVA procedures. Results indicated that in vocabulary production, the differences among the groups were statistically insignificant, suggesting that despite the observed differences among the means, the performances of these groups were more or less similar. However, there was a significant difference between the means of visual thesaurus and the concept wheel groups in vocabulary comprehension.
Language Learning Strategy Use across Proficiency Levels
Author: Zarei, Abbas, Ali
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Learning Strategies,College Students,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Females,Language Proficiency,Statistical Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Metacognition,Affective Behavior,Social Influences,Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Memory

To investigate the use of language learning strategies (LLS) by Iranian EFL learners across proficiency levels, a total of 180 Iranian adult female EFL learners were selected and divided into three different proficiency level groups. To collect data, Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) was used. One-way ANOVA procedures were used to analyze the obtained data. The results showed significant differences between the elementary level and the advanced level participants in their use of cognitive strategies, but the differences between the intermediate level group and the other two groups (elementary and advanced) were not significant. The same results were found in the participants' overall use of LLSs. However, in the use of the other five categories of LLSs across proficiency levels, no significant differences were found. The findings also showed that among the six learning strategies of SILL, cognitive strategies were the most frequently used strategy type followed by metacognitive strategies, and affective strategies were found to be the least frequently used type of LLSs.
Past Cultural Restrictions in Anita Rau Badami's &quot;Can You Hear the Night Bird Call?&quot; and &quot;'Tamarind Mem&quot;
Author: Johny, S.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Immigrants,Social Influences,Cultural Influences,Authors,Literature,Females,Novels,Ethnic Groups,Family Relationship,Memory,Immigration,Acculturation,Foreign Countries,English,Religious Cultural Groups,Family Violence,Culture Conflict,Parent Child Relationship,Mothers,Daughters,Parents,Asian Culture

The objective of the thesis is to bring out the trauma of the immigrants who are stuck up by the nostalgic and glorious past in their alien world. The cultural and social restrictions faced by the characters who live in their separate but intertwined worlds are brought in a detailed manner. Anita Rau Badami, one of the newest writers in the field of diasporic literature even with her a few literary writings has been able to carve a niche for herself in the literary world. Badami has dealt with the complex problems faced by women. Tamarind Mem depicts the relationship between a mother and a daughter who are trying to make sense of their past with different perceptions. The novel unfolds how the past cultural restrictions shape the personal lives and aspirations of the characters. Can You Hear the NightBird Call? Badami narrates the lives of three women which are linked together through their experience of violence. In other words, the novel spans sixty years in the history of the Sikh community in Punjab and Canada. In &quot;Introduction&quot; the purpose and aim of the present study is stated. It details some of the major events in the life of the author and her achievements which are relevant for the understanding of her characters, vision of life and her development as artist. &quot;Estranged Relationship&quot; deals with the problems prevailing in the family of the two novels Tamarind Mem and Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? Familial relationship is a universal issue and it has attracted the attention of many writers. &quot;Shakiness of Memory&quot; deals with the nostalgic reminisences in the two selected novels for discussion which psychologically affect the characters. Memory is a thought of something that one remembers from the past. &quot;Conflicting Cultures&quot; deals with the problems of the immigrants in a foreign land. Immigration is the movement of people to another country or region to which they are not native in order to settle there. Finally &quot;Summation&quot; recounts all the findings made in the various areas of the current research and also includes a discussion of further research areas viable in respect of the writer.
Constructive Classroom: A Cognitive Instructional Strategy in ELT
Author: Suneetha, Y.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Constructivism (Learning),English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Learning Activities,Evaluation Methods,Conventional Instruction,Classroom Techniques,Cognitive Development

The purpose of this paper is to study, the extent of constructivist classroom characteristics that exist in ELT (English Language Teaching) Methodology. It is an attempt to explore the constructivist learning activities and evaluation strategies, whether they are useful to the students and the instructors. This paper elevates the contrast of traditional classrooms and constructivist classroom setup through the pedagogical approach. Multiple strategies for Constructivist Learning are elaborated to enhance student learning. Nevertheless, educators must meet the challenge mandated by reform efforts to produce highest quality of student learning. In order to be effective, educational reforms must be tied to the development of an enhanced curriculum that incorporates authentic assessment practices.
How Does Station Teaching Effect Language Learning?
Author: Suprabha, K.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Instruction,Teacher Collaboration,Team Teaching,Small Group Instruction,Learning Centers (Classroom),English (Second Language),Teacher Responsibility,Teacher Attitudes,Program Development,Program Effectiveness,Planning,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Special Education Teachers,General Education

All across the nation, general and special education teachers, English as a Second Language teachers, and other service providers, such as speech-language pathologists from all grade levels and all content areas, are taking the plunge into co-teaching. Station or rotation teaching is a co-teaching strategy that calls for the designing of at least three workstations or learning centers where students rotate in and out in small groups. In a station teaching approach, teachers divide the responsibility for planning and content instruction. Students are rotated between three or more stations, also known as centers, which are either managed by a teacher or assistant or are independent stations. Teachers can work together to determine how many stations are appropriate for a given activity. Independent student workstations should include explicit instructions accompanied by teacher monitoring to ensure that learning objectives are met.
Gendered Word (Or World): Sexism in Philippine Preschool English Language Textbooks
Author: Tarrayo, Veronico Nogales
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Textbooks,Textbook Content,Preschool Education,English (Second Language),Gender Bias,Females,Males,Sex Stereotypes,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Content Analysis,Textbook Evaluation,Cultural Influences,Individual Characteristics,Life Style,Occupations,Interests

Adhering to the notion that language learning is necessarily a culture-learning process, this paper explores the issue of sexism in six Philippine preschool English language textbooks. The study adopts the qualitative-quantitative approach in examining the following categories: gender visibility (illustrations), &quot;firstness&quot;, occupational-role representations, character attributes, and interests and lifestyles. Data reveal that the textbooks seem to feature both genders; still, the males appeared more frequently than females in the illustrations of the textbooks. In terms of &quot;firstness&quot;, males appear before females more often; this could imply that the textbooks seem to favor males, thus, appearing to be sexist. Also, females are far less visible than men in occupational roles. The occupational roles for females are less diverse and are restricted to stereotypical types of occupation/profession while male occupations show a wider range, thus, providing them with more options than females. Moreover, about the same number of character attributes that is allocated to both genders. Females are usually attributed with their &quot;good&quot; looks and passivity; by contrast, males show aggression, dominance, and activity. In the textbooks analyzed, the number of interests, and lifestyles of females is higher than those of males. However, the females are more particularly represented in indoor activities, i.e., household chores. This paper likewise discusses the implications of the findings on language teaching, and learning.
Mortal Imperfection: The Revenge of the Social Animal in &quot;Heart of Darkness&quot; and &quot;Moby Dick&quot;
Author: Sumbal, Maqsood
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Bias,Social Attitudes,Social Stratification,Power Structure,Authors,Novels,Psychological Patterns,Ethics,Violence,Racial Bias,World Problems

This paper seeks to explore and peek into the psychological hell of the so-called superior beings who, in their megalomaniacal intentions make the world a difficult place to live for some groups based on ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and other differences. It looks into the duplicity and double standards of people and the way they exploit a privileged birthright to target and demean other groups exalting themselves as the preferred &quot;self&quot; over the marginalized &quot;others&quot;. The sham of superficial, social lifestyles is exposed as the web of morality and a politicized sense of right and wrong is questioned. Power structures that uphold society are based on flimsy differentiations that utilize the principle of &quot;might is right&quot; as a power hierarchy is established to subjugate and exploit the less-privileged and weaker groups on Earth. This research challenges the subject-object duality and the veneer of civilization that is rampant in the modern world and that views the world in a sharply divided vision of black and white, ignoring the grey shades where the question of individuality, identity and personality arises-the potency of the beliefs of all beings cannot be neglected by imposing labels of &quot;savages&quot; and &quot;barbarians&quot;. The act of imposition by the civilized world over primitive groups itself is an act of savagery and this paper would be questioning why man is unwilling to come to terms with his &quot;other&quot;, the part that completes him and defines him, and is an essential part of his evolving personality. The core of evil and primitivity is ineradicable in every being and it is individuality that will control the behavior, not forcefully imposed social constructs. There is a very thin line between what the civilized world calls &quot;normal&quot; and what it labels as &quot;savage&quot; as man was essentially born as natural as the wilderness around him, his soul as unfettered as the soaring eagle. This untamed wilderness is man's reality and when he tries to harness it, he transgresses upon values that are inevitably connected with his history, his evolution, his concept of civilization and his superstructure of formal education. Is it really a civilizing, enlightening mission of transforming brutes into human beings or making others as hypocritical and pretentious as the colonizing powers are, at the expense of personal integrity?
Listening to Hear: Critical Allies in Indigenous Studies
Author: McGloin, Colleen
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Study,Indigenous Populations,Ethnic Studies,Theory Practice Relationship,Personal Narratives,Listening,Church Related Colleges,Racial Attitudes,Racial Bias,Interpersonal Relationship

This paper reflects on a particular class in an undergraduate seminar in Australian Indigenous Studies where anecdote played a crucial role and where both the teacher and learners were challenged to consider their implication as racialised subjects in the teaching and learning process. The paper argues that student anecdote can be a vital bridge between theory and practice in adult learning. It suggests that all learners in Indigenous Studies, and also in studies of race and difference more generally, need to undertake effective listening and hearing practices in order to consider, imagine and engage with experiences and worldviews other than their own. Drawing from work dealing with critical alliances, discomfort in pedagogical contexts, and effective listening practices, this paper provides a conceptual analysis of the seminar in question extrapolating from this to engage critically with broader issues concerning Indigenous Studies and non- Indigenous critical allies.
Use of Formative Assessment, Self- and Peer-Assessment in the Classrooms: Some Insights from Recent Language Testing and Assessment (LTA) Research
Author: Afitska, Oksana
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Formative Evaluation,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Peer Evaluation,Language Tests,Teacher Evaluation,Feedback (Response),Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Elementary School Teachers

A considerable number of studies on formative teacher assessment and feedback, learner self- and peer-assessment have been carried out in the field of Language Testing and Assessment (LTA) research over the last two decades. These studies investigated the above mentioned concepts from different perspectives (impact of assessment on learning, attitudes towards assessment, comparison between teacher and learner assessment practices, types and quality of formative teacher feedback), in a number of different contexts (English as second language classrooms, mainstream classrooms, immersion classrooms, i.e. for mainstream classrooms, teaching and learning is done through the medium of a second or additional language) and in a number of different ways (experimental studies, observational studies, surveys, research review studies). This paper systematically reviews most the recent research on formative teacher assessment and feedback, learner self- and peer-assessment, and reveals the gaps which have not yet been addressed by the research.
Bilingualism--A Sanguine Step in ELT
Author: Anil, Beena
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Bilingualism,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Bilingual Education,Native Language,Facilitators (Individuals),Translation,Grammar Translation Method,Self Esteem,Accuracy,Learning Processes,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews,Observation,College Students,Economics Education

Bilingualism can be used as a teaching aid in teaching and learning English language in an Indian classroom and to improve the language accuracy, fluency, and clarity of learners. Bilingualism can aid the teaching and learning process productively in the classroom. In India, most of the students consider English as a subject rather than a tool of communication. The fear towards English language can be diminished when native and source languages are used comparatively in the classroom. The interest and exposure are the key words for learning a language. Teachers should instill confidence among learners by making the learning process easy and simple. This paper aims at observing and analyzing students' use of bilingualism in various linguistic situations and the process of learning English through bilingualism. The study demonstrates that all learners need a support of the vernacular language in learning English as a second language
Assessing the Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign: A Developmental Evaluation
Author: Romm, Norma R. A.
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Focus Groups,Civil Rights,Program Evaluation,Social Justice,Validity,Volunteers,Adult Literacy,Interviews,School Visitation

In this article we explicate our way of assessing the South African Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign, and in particular its impact in the Eastern Cape. We provide an account primarily of focus group sessions conducted in 2013 and again in 2014 with volunteer educators and past learners in the campaign. We concentrate on the way in which relationships with these participants and with coordinators in the province were established towards the creation of findings. We outline how our evaluative purpose could be seen as incorporating a social justice agenda (as in developmental evaluation) in that it was aimed at strengthening literacy initiatives as a human right. We conclude with some considerations around catalytic validity as a criterion for judging research practices. We reflect upon how this notion of validity can justify our research as being directed towards potentially activating further options for literacy initiatives to contribute to personal and community development.
Developing and Using Green Skills for the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy
Author: Brown, Mike
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Climate,Conservation (Environment),Interviews,Attitude Measures,Adult Learning,Barriers,Skill Development,Vignettes,Supply and Demand,Organizations (Groups),Well Being,Costs,Sustainable Development,Ecology,Labor Market,Stakeholders,Foreign Countries,Semi Structured Interviews,Industry,Training,Workplace Learning,Employees,Environmental Education,Energy Conservation

One of the strategies being advocated in response to climate change is the need to transition to a low carbon economy. Current projections show that within this transition, new jobs will be created, some eliminated and most others subjected to change. This article reports findings from interviews with a selection of twenty participants who are involved in the formation and/or deployment of green skills. The participants were asked about their perceptions of (1) how jobs are changing in the transition to a green economy (2) how are adult learners developing and using green skills, and (3) what are some of the main drivers and blockers to the development and use of green skills. The data are presented as vignettes from various positions of supply and demand within the emerging green economy. The findings of this study report that the organisations and the training providers are motivated to develop and/or deploy green jobs and green skills for a range of different reasons. These include the making of a favourable business case, environmental beliefs about conserving the finite resources of the planet and, for health and wellbeing reasons. Some blockers that have been identified are the initial capital outlay for any changes, and the need to address some inconsistencies that arise over time in the financial arrangements when trying to work out the business case. This has led the designers and contractors working in renewable energy to call for a level playing field with those who provide and utilise finite resources and non-renewable energy. Overall transition to a low carbon and green economy is shown to be supported and occurring with some limited success. However there is a need for further larger scale research into this area of skill formation and deployment.
The Meaning of Learning on the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage
Author: Im, Kyung-Mi
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Learning,Travel,Experience,Hermeneutics,Phenomenology,Learning Experience,Asians,Foreign Countries,Interviews,Participant Observation

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of travellers on the Camino de Santiago in order to find out the pattern of their travel lived experience and the meaning of learning experience. For this purpose, eight Korean travellers were selected for the study; the study was performed using the hermeneutic phenomenological method. The findings are as follows: First, the pattern of lived experience--&quot;the four Existentials, lived time, space, body and human relation&quot;--on the Camino de Santiago was summarized into &quot;slow and composure&quot;, &quot;meditation and spirituality&quot;, &quot;companionship&quot;, and &quot;the dance of self-mortification through physical pain&quot; in the four existential aspects of time, space, relationship, and body. Second, the lived experience of participants had profound meaning as a learning experience in terms of biographical learning, the theory of autopoiesis, and spiritual learning.