ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Availability of Instructional Media for Teaching Mentally Retarded Students in Nyanza Region, Kenya
Author: Odero, Orao Remi
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Intellectual Disability,Educational Resources,Instructional Materials,Teacher Attitudes,Principals,Administrator Attitudes,Questionnaires,Observation,Check Lists,Interviews,Statistical Analysis,Audiovisual Instruction,Special Schools,Visual Aids

Learners with mental retardation pose a unique problem to the education system, one not presented by any other exceptionality. In view of the challenges and limitations of these learners, modification of both social and educational environment is fundamental in-order to attain effective schooling for them. One of the best proven medium of teaching these special learners is the use of various instructional resources. The success or failure of learners with mental retardation is directly linked to the adequacy of these resources. This study thus aimed to establish the availability of instructional resources in special schools in the Nyanza region of Kenya. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample of 28 respondents (teachers and principals) for the study. Data was collected from the respondent using three instruments: the questionnaire for teachers, observation checklist and interview guide. The data collected were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively by the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. According to the results, 43.6% of the respondents indicated that the listed visual resources were not available. 26.9% of the respondents indicated weighing scales and communication board were inadequate while 73.1% expressed the opinion that they were not available. Charts and picture boards were indicated by 65.4% as inadequate while substitution table was highly unavailable according to 88.5% of the respondents. Only 17.3% of the respondents said that the graphic materials were adequate while 34.1% indicated that they were not available. 91.2% indicate that the Audio-visual materials were not available while 8.8% indicated they were available but inadequate. The findings thus demonstrate that almost all basic instructional resources were either inadequate or not available in the special schools. The author recommends that there should be collaborative effort between the government and the schools in helping provide funds for the purchase of sufficient and up-to-date instructional resources for these special schools.
Challenges of Material Resource Management among Social Studies Lecturers in Nigerian Universities
Author: Dania, P. O.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Social Studies,College Faculty,Questionnaires,Educational Resources,Administration,Role,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes

The study is focused on the challenges of material resource management among social studies lecturers in Nigerian Universities. The study population is one thousand eight hundred and fifty five (1855). The sample size comprises one hundred staff, one hundred and twenty students, and forty internal material resource managers were randomly selected from secondary schools in Delta and Bayelsa States. A 20 item questionnaire was drawn for the study. This was validated by experts and a test for reliability was conducted using the test-retest method. With the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, the reliability test was established at 0.89. The questionnaire was personally administered by the researcher with some research assistants. Two research questions and one hypothesis were formulated for the study. The mean (x) and z-test were used in analyzing the data. The findings show that the appointment of an internal material resource manager is appropriate and that material resource management in schools should not be the sole responsibility of the school administrator. The role of the school administrator differs considerably from the material resource manager. Plausible recommendations were made.
Women in Educational Leadership within the Tamale Metropolis
Author: Segkulu, L.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,Women Administrators,Questionnaires,Gender Differences,Employment Qualifications,Foreign Countries,Cultural Influences,Beliefs,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Instructional Leadership,Sex Role,African Culture,Workshops,Seminars,Conferences (Gatherings),Higher Education,Womens Education,Sex Stereotypes,Sex Fairness,Qualitative Research

Within the Tamale Metropolis, it is observed that only a few women occupy top level management positions within the Ghana Education Service (GES). A descriptive survey was therefore conducted in 2013/2014 academic year to assess the factors affecting the gender disparity in educational leadership within the Service. Specifically, the study sought to examine if factors such as low educational qualification, traditional beliefs and cultural practices were limiting to women leadership in educational institutions within the Metropolis. A sample size of 250, comprising 200 teachers and 50 administrators from selected Basic, Senior High Schools and Colleges of Education was involved in the study which used questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The study revealed that there were more males than females in the teaching profession in the Metropolis. The male teachers also had better professional and academic qualifications than their female counterparts. Thus, more males qualify for appointment into leadership positions than their female counterparts. The situation is compounded by the cultural and traditional milieu of the people that relegates women into subservient positions in society. The study therefore recommends vigorous educational campaign through workshops, seminars and symposia for teachers, educational administrators and the general public to emphasize the importance of higher education for women as well as the important roles women could play in national development. GES council could introduce intensive family life education and gender neutral curriculum as a means of minimizing gender stereotypes and promoting progress towards enhanced gender equity within the society.
The Nature, Causes and Practices of Academic Dishonesty/Cheating in Higher Education: The Case of Hawassa University
Author: Bachore, Mebratu Mulatu
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,College Students,College Faculty,Cheating,Ethics,Surveys,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Interviews,Statistical Analysis,Plagiarism,Influences,Tests,Assignments

The main objective of the study was to assess the perception of teachers and learners on the nature of practice, the type and the causes of academic cheating (dishonesty) in Hawassa University. The study was basically a survey which employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches to gather data. The subjects were 20 instructors and 60 students who were selected randomly from four colleges/institutes namely Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities and Business and Economics Colleges and the Institute of Technology. Moreover, four program coordinators were selected to gather the qualitative data. The data gathering instruments were questionnaire and interview. The findings of the study disclosed that academic dishonest/cheating, specifically test/exam related cheatings and plagiarisms on written assignment and papers are prevalent. The practices were caused by the difficulty of the tests/exams, time scarcity, irrelevance of course material, pressure to gate good grades and losing clarity on the policy and the need of having extra points to raise their grades from high commonly confirmed reasons to low commonly confirmed ones. In addition, the study proved that submitting an assignment that was written by someone else, copying material from a published source without giving credit and copying from someone else during a test are the top three unethical behaviors which are prevalent. Therefore, as the acts hamper the quality of education in the level, various stakeholders suggested strategies to curb the challenges as recommendations. These include assisting learners to develop self confidence through delivering question based practical lesson, applying the rules and regulations strictly, developing and revising the existing rules and regulation in line with the sophistication of recent cheating strategies, designing technology based mechanisms, and improving the quality of teachers in the university.
A Prototype Public Speaking Skills Assessment: An Evaluation of Human-Scoring Quality. Research Report. ETS RR-15-36
Author: Joe, Jilliam
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Public Speaking,Communication Skills,Scoring,Scoring Rubrics,Expertise,Evaluators,Interrater Reliability,Performance Based Assessment,Persuasive Discourse,Visual Aids,Speech Communication

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the evaluation of human-scoring quality for an assessment of public speaking skills. Videotaped performances given by 17 speakers on 4 tasks were scored by expert and nonexpert raters who had extensive experience scoring performance-based and constructed-response assessments. The Public Speaking Competence Rubric was used to score the speeches. Across all of the dimensions of presentation competence, interrater reliability between expert and nonexpert raters ranged between 0.23 and 0.71. The dimensions of public speaking competence associated with the lowest interrater reliability were effectual persuasion and word choice (0.41 and 0.23, respectively). Even expert raters, individuals with a background in teaching and evaluating oral communication, had difficulty agreeing with one another on those dimensions. Low-inference dimensions such as visual aids and vocal expression were associated with much higher levels of interrater reliability, 0.65 and 0.75, respectively. The holistic score was associated with an interrater reliability of 0.63. These results point to the need for a significant investment in task, rubric, and training development for the public speaking competence assessment before it can be used for large-scale assessment purposes.
The Aim of Philosophy of Religious Education in a Pluralist Society (Nigeria as an Example)
Author: Nwanaju, Isidore U.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Cultural Pluralism,Religion,Religious Education,Philosophy,Moral Values,Values Education,Ethics,Cheating,Social Problems,Crime,Drug Abuse

The major aim and leitmotif of this paper is to highlight the Nigerian society and its diverse, multi-cultural and pluralist composition--a society which has experienced in the last fifty years, and is still experiencing fantastic and tremendous signs of growth in democracy, but which is also almost unsure of the right path and the correct decision to make to attain the expected height in all facets of national development, especially education as it relates to religious awareness. Apart from the observable and undeniable general educational backwardness, there is a huge lacuna in the area of dialogical encounter between the various ethnic, cultural, and religious groups constituting the country as a nation. Even the academia and the law enforcement agencies seem not actually well-prepared for the task of enlightening and guiding the populace on how to live together in a pluralist society like Nigeria. Pluralism should not be understood to mean godlessness or irreligiosity. On the contrary, this is because Nigerians are deeply religious. Rather, in the language of Martin Buber, there is a complete failure of the fundamental principle of the dialogical encounter based on the &quot;I-Thou&quot; relationship of considering each other as human persons. There is a failure of this principle, not only in relation to adults and communities, but especially in its relationship to the education of the child and the youth who constitute the future leaders of the society. This paper will consider the possible causes of this great lack in the proper education of the child and the youth in Nigeria, as well as proffering possible suggestions and solution as a way forward. The paper seeks a philosophical basis for the development of education in Nigeria because of the perennial adage which states that philosophy is the teacher of life (Philosophia vitae magistra est).
Cognitively Based Assessment of Research and Inquiry Skills: Defining a Key Practice in the English Language Arts. Research Report. ETS RR-15-35
Author: Sparks, Jesse R.
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Skills,Cognitive Tests,English,Language Arts,Literacy,Models,Inquiry,Information Literacy,Scientific Literacy,Internet,Questioning Techniques,Reading Comprehension,Information Sources,Writing (Composition),Citations (References),Writing Difficulties,Metacognition,Self Management,Active Learning,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Cognitive Processes,Elementary Secondary Education,Literature Reviews

Current educational standards call for students to engage in the skills of research and inquiry, with a focus on gathering evidence from multiple information sources, evaluating the credibility of those sources, and writing an integrated synthesis that cites evidence from those sources. Opportunities to build strong research skills are critical, yet empirical research demonstrates that students from Grades K-16 struggle with inquiry tasks, particularly in online environments. There is a need to create models that will support teachers in developing students' research skills and can be used to develop reliable and valid assessments of such skills while aligning with standards. Under the &quot;CBAL&quot;™ research initiative, we have developed a model of conducting research and inquiry as a key literacy practice in the English language arts (ELA). In this paper, we draw on literature from the cognitive and learning sciences--including work in discourse processing, science education, educational technology, and information literacy--to provide the theoretical background for this key practice. We identify a set of activities and skills that are critical for participating in research; each skill is accompanied by a set of provisional learning progressions, which outlines tentative predictions about the qualitative changes in a skill that develop over time with appropriate instruction. These learning progressions and their relation to the key practice can be leveraged in the design of cognitively based assessments of research and inquiry that are sensitive to students' developmental level. We conclude, with an example design for such an assessment to illustrate how key practices and learning progressions can be integrated to support measurement of research and inquiry skills.
Exploring Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Mental Models of the Environment
Author: Taskin-Ekici, Fatma
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Student Teacher Attitudes,Environmental Education,Knowledge Level,Student Surveys,Questionnaires,Cognitive Tests,Freehand Drawing,Projective Measures,Personality Measures,Scoring Rubrics,Knowledge Representation,Schemata (Cognition),Scores,Gender Differences,Prior Learning,Educational Background,Parent Background,Family Income,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries

This study aims to explore pre-service elementary teachers' understandings of the environment. A survey method was carried out in this study. A close-ended questionnaire and Draw-An-Environment Test (DAET) are administered to pre-service teachers (N = 255) after instruction of an Environmental Education course. A rubric (DAET-R) is used for assessing the mental models or images of the environment held by preservice teachers. Results of this study suggest that the participants' mental models of the environment are incomplete. Majority of participants' drawings reflect biotic and abiotic environment. Few drawings include human beings as a part of the environment. The results shows that mean scores do not differ regarding to gender, environmental education background, high school type, parental education level, parental occupation, and monthly family income.
Assessing Written Communication in Higher Education: Review and Recommendations for Next-Generation Assessment. Research Report. ETS RR-14-37
Author: Sparks, Jesse R.
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Writing Processes,Language Usage,Writing Skills,Writing Evaluation,Labor Force,Writing Tests,Test Construction,Psychometrics,Definitions,Guidelines,Literary Genres,Audience Awareness,Citations (References),Writing Instruction,Common Core State Standards,High School Students,College Entrance Examinations,Test Items,Test Reliability

Written communication is considered one of the most critical competencies for academic and career success, as evident in surveys of stakeholders from higher education and the workforce. Emphasis on writing skills suggests the need for next-generation assessments of writing proficiency to inform curricular and instructional improvement. This article presents a comprehensive review of definitions of writing proficiency from key higher education and workforce frameworks; the strengths and weaknesses of existing assessments; and challenges related to designing, implementing, and interpreting such assessments. Consistent with extant frameworks, we propose an operational definition including 4 strands of skills: (a) social and rhetorical knowledge, (b) domain knowledge and conceptual strategies, (c) language use and conventions, and (d) the writing process. Measuring these aspects of writing requires multiple assessment formats (including selected-response [SR] and constructed-response [CR] tasks) to balance construct coverage and test reliability. Next generation assessments should balance authenticity (e.g., realistic writing tasks) and psychometric quality (e.g., desirable measurement properties), while providing institutions and faculty with actionable data. The review and operational definition presented here should serve as an important resource for institutions that seek to either adopt or design an assessment of students' writing proficiency.
Assessing Civic Competency and Engagement in Higher Education: Research Background, Frameworks, and Directions for Next-Generation Assessment. Research Report. ETS RR-15-34
Author: Torney-Purta, Judith
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Citizenship Education,Higher Education,Evaluation Methods,College Students,Barriers,Literature Reviews,Competence,Citizen Participation,Knowledge Level,Skill Development,Thinking Skills,Motivation,Social Attitudes,Self Efficacy,Democratic Values,Curriculum,Measurement Techniques

Civic learning is increasingly recognized as important by the higher education and workforce communities. The development of high-quality assessments that can be used to evaluate students' civic learning during the college years has become a priority. This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing frameworks, definitions, and assessments of civic-related constructs from approximately 30 projects relevant to higher education, and includes a discussion of the challenges related to assessment design and implementation. Synthesizing information from the review, we propose an assessment framework to guide the design of a next-generation assessment of individuals' civic learning that takes advantage of recent advances in assessment methods. The definition identifies 2 key domains within civic learning: civic competency and civic engagement. Civic competency encompasses 3 areas (civic knowledge; analytic skills; and participatory and involvement skills), and civic engagement also captures 3 areas (motivations, attitudes, and efficacy; democratic norms and values; and participation and activities). We discuss item formats and task types that would ensure fair and reliable scoring for the assessment. The review of definitions of civic learning and its components developed by organizations, the proposed assessment framework, and assessment considerations presented here have potential benefits for a range of higher education institutions. This includes institutions that currently have students engaged in relevant curricular or cocurricular activities and also institutions that would find assessments of civic competency and engagement helpful in program development or in evaluating students' accomplishments.
A Comparison of Achievement Gaps and Test-Taker Characteristics on Computer-Delivered and Paper-Delivered &quot;Praxis I&quot;® Tests. Research Report. ETS RR-14-35
Author: Steinberg, Jonathan
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Achievement Gap,Academic Achievement,Test Format,Computer Assisted Testing,Scores,Correlation,Student Attitudes,Test Reliability,Undergraduate Students,Grade Point Average,Teacher Education Programs,Enrollment Trends,Race,Ethnicity,Educational Attainment,Parent Background,Majors (Students),Regression (Statistics),Preservice Teachers,Preferences

Test providers are increasingly moving toward exclusively administering assessments by computer. Computerized testing is becoming more desirable for test takers because of increased opportunities to test, faster turnaround of individual scores, or perhaps other factors, offering potential benefits for those who may be struggling to pass licensure examinations. This report extends previous research examining 4 years of paper-based &quot;Praxis I&quot;® test data to its corresponding computerized environment with these goals: (a) determine the extent to which achievement gaps exist on computer-based (CB) Praxis I tests, (b) examine which test-taker characteristics are most associated with mode, and (c) elicit opinions from previous Praxis I test takers to understand reasons why a particular testing mode was chosen. The results contribute to the literature about &quot;Praxis&quot;® examinations and reinforce the need to understand their dynamics in the context of evaluating performance and participation gaps by demographic characteristics.
Building a Framework for a Next-Generation English Language Proficiency Assessment System. Research Report. ETS RR-14-34
Author: Wolf, Mikyung Kim
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English Language Learners,Language Proficiency,Student Evaluation,Elementary Secondary Education,Academic Standards,Alignment (Education),Educational Assessment,Educational Objectives,Instructional Design

Currently, states are moving forward with developing or adopting new English language proficiency (ELP) assessments aligned with the new academic standards in order to meet accountability requirements. In this transition, it is essential to identify areas of improvement for current ELP assessment practices and discuss ways to implement effective ELP assessments in order to better serve the needs of English language learner (ELL) students. This article offers a conceptual framework and guiding principles to consider in designing and developing next-generation ELP assessment systems for K-12 ELL students. In particular, the article calls for a need to create an ELP assessment system where the standards, a set of coherent assessments, and instruction are all systematically linked to maximize assessment results and thus aid in ELL students' academic success. The importance of defining an overarching construct to govern various assessments and the use of evidence-centered-design principles for the development of an assessment system are also discussed.