ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Family Structure and Children&apos;s Academic Achievement in Japan: A Quantile Regression Approach
Author: Tobishima, Shuji
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Family Structure,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries,Regression (Statistics),One Parent Family,Achievement Gap,Differences,Family (Sociological Unit),Educational Attainment,Parent Background,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Secondary School Students,Grade 10,High School Students,Fathers,Mothers,Item Response Theory,Statistical Analysis

This paper examines the influence of single parenthood on children's academic achievement in Japan. While some studies have examined the academic achievement gap associated with family structure, a limitation of existing research is the focus on differences between the mean levels of academic achievement of children in single-parent and two-parent families. Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2012, this paper investigates the effects of single parenthood across the entire distribution of children's academic achievement by using quantile regression techniques. The results of quantile regression analyses indicated that the magnitude of the academic achievement gap between children in single-parent and two-parent families was not equal for each quantile of the conditional distribution of children's academic achievement. The negative effect of single motherhood on children's academic achievement was more profound at lower quantiles, whereas the negative effect of single fatherhood was more profound at the median level. Furthermore, the extent to which parents' education levels accounted for the negative effects of single parenthood was not equal for each quantile of the conditional distribution of children's academic achievement. The effects of single parenthood at lower quantiles were not well explained by parents' education levels, and this tendency was especially obvious in the academic achievement of children in single-father families. This result suggests that low academic achievement of children in single-mother families may be caused by the mothers' low education levels and accompanying low income, whereas poor academic achievement of children in single-father families is likely to be mainly due to the absence of mothers rather than the fathers' low education levels. Based on the empirical evidence obtained in this paper, policy implications regarding the significance and limitations of economic support for single-parent families in terms of reducing educational inequality are discussed.
In Favor of Japanese-Ness: Future Directions for Educational Research
Author: Rappleye, Jeremy
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Research,Asian Culture,Futures (of Society),Non Western Civilization,Theories,Cultural Differences

This piece argues that the aversion of academic researchers to utilizing 'Japanese-ness' has become a major obstacle, restricting the potential contribution of Japan's educational research community to global debates. It argues that until research on Japan recognizes, embraces, and elaborates Japanese-ness it will lack originality and vitality. As consequence, it will not only continue to be irrelevant globally but also lose ground in the domestic political context. Yet, to argue in favor of Japanese-ness is not to claim something essential about the Japanese nor to understand the Japanese through Western categories, but precisely to perform the double task of rejecting both of these unsatisfying possibilities. Rather than mere recognition of diversity, the appeal is for a greater push to articulate difference, a move that works against the accelerating move towards spaces of global equivalency that thins Otherness and the (re)inscribing of essential &quot;differences&quot; in domestic political discourses that run opposite to openness. The overarching aim of the piece is, however, less a definitive pronouncement on what Japanese-ness is or should be, more a self-consciously provocative attempt to catalyze deeper debate over the future direction of educational research on Japan.
English-Medium Instruction in the Internationalization of Higher Education in Japan: Rationales and Issues
Author: Shimauchi, Sae
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language of Instruction,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Global Approach,Universities,Japanese,Foreign Students,Second Language Learning,College Students

As internationalization has become part of the raison d'être of universities worldwide, English-medium instruction (EMI) has emerged as an irresistible force in the higher education systems of many non-English speaking countries. In a manifestation of its commitment to internationalization, Japan has seen a dramatic increase in the number of EMI programs now in place at universities throughout the country. This paper looks closely at EMI in Japan's system of higher education through an examination of the existing literature and an assessment of government policies and university practices designed to internationalize the system. The different rationales motivating the various stakeholders (nation, university, and individual) are identified, and the internal and external factors that have led to the introduction of EMI into Japanese universities are discussed. Insofar as EMI is more than a mere linguistic change, it will have a huge impact both on education and research. This paper then raises significant ideological and practical issues associated with English in education as a tool of &quot;academic imperialism&quot; in the unique Japanese context. It also addresses the different practices and adaptations of EMI at Japan's &quot;elite&quot; and &quot;mass&quot; universities. Finally, the double meanings of &quot;internationalization&quot; through EMI programs is conceptualized with using the terms of &quot;internationalization abroad&quot; and &quot;internationalization at home&quot; through examining the framework of nationalistic and cosmopolitan dimensions. For the further study and implications for university practices, the author asserts the importance of developing language education policy not to serve English imperialism but to facilitate focused research by students with a critical perspective.
Internationalization of Higher Education: Global Trends and Japan&apos;s Challenges
Author: Ota, Hiroshi
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Foreign Countries,Global Approach,Foreign Students,International Educational Exchange,Student Exchange Programs,Universities,Educational Change,Study Abroad,Language of Instruction,Japanese,Competition

This paper discusses the meaning of the internationalization of higher education in Japan, based on a review of global trends in this area. Globalization has brought major changes to higher education, and in order to deal with them, the Japanese government has promoted internationalization as an important policy for higher education reform with a series of competitive funding programs. Universities in Japan, too, have made efforts to internationalize themselves. Despite the government's policy initiatives, the internationalization of Japanese higher education has not been understood as a high-priority issue at the institutional level, with many examples of superficial or partial add-ons of the international aspect, and has even been criticized as unable to contribute to transformative change at universities. Internationalization tends to be used as a means to prevail in the domestic competition between universities (inward-facing internationalization) and does not necessarily result in initiatives which lead to the improvement of learning in a globalized environment. All in all, the government's competitive funding projects for internationalization have indeed intensified domestic competition among universities. However, it is not certain that the funds have increased the international competitiveness and compatibility of Japanese higher education as a whole.
Towards a Theory of Disciplinary Relationships: A Proposal of an Analytical Framework of Disciplinary Learning Outcome Reference Points
Author: Fukahori, Satoko
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Objectives,Outcome Based Education,Cognitive Processes,Behavioral Objectives,Academic Standards,Intellectual Disciplines,Course Organization,Educational Theories,Comparative Analysis,Taxonomy,Benchmarking,Test Validity

The aim of this paper is to propose an analytical framework of disciplinary learning outcomes that will facilitate our understanding of the nature of disciplines and their relationships. Application of the draft analytical framework, Anderson and Krathwohl's &quot;Taxonomy of Educational Objectives&quot; to engineering learning outcome reference points revealed the necessity for revision, by replacing the &quot;meta-cognitive knowledge&quot; type with what was labeled in this study as &quot;societal/civic engagement.&quot; This new knowledge type refers to the responsibilities and contributions of engineers to society and to the wider interdisciplinary context of engineering, and reflects the contemporary attention to societal and interdisciplinary contributions of disciplines. The revised analytical framework of disciplinary learning outcomes captured well the characteristics of engineering, a highly structured discipline with specified sets of knowledge graduates are expected to understand, but also a discipline that has traditionally focused on the application of scientific knowledge to solve problems in the real world. The established engineering competences of &quot;basic and engineering sciences,&quot; &quot;engineering analysis,&quot; &quot;engineering design,&quot; &quot;engineering practice,&quot; and &quot;engineering generic skills&quot; revealed to occupy particular fields on the taxonomy table, illustrating the structure of engineering learning outcomes. The future direction of this study includes the application of the revised analytical framework to other disciplinary learning outcome reference points. By analyzing and comparing the characteristics of disciplinary learning outcomes based on a common analytical framework, we are able to capture disciplinary structures in a systematic way, and thus develop profiles of disciplines, which will provide the foundation for constructing a theory of disciplinary relationships in contemporary society. A bibliography is included.
Patterns of Variations in the &apos;Internationalising Education&apos; Discourse and Practice
Author: Okano, Kaori H.
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: International Education,Global Approach,Discourse Analysis,Educational Practices,Compulsory Education,Universities,Civil Rights,Educational Trends,Cultural Pluralism,Social Networks,Educational Cooperation,Foreign Countries,Elementary Secondary Education

This paper examines variations and shifts of emphasis in the 'internationalising education' discourse and practice, and attempts to identify patterns in these variations. By examining two sectors, compulsory education and universities, it identifies four main strands of discourse: (1) international (understanding) education (&quot;kokusai rikai kyôiku&quot;) in the form of engagement with other (often Western) countries; (2) domestic internationalisation (&quot;uchinaru kokusaika&quot;); (3) human rights education (&quot;jinken kyôiku&quot;) for &quot;zainichi&quot; Koreans; and (4) global human resources and competitiveness in the global arena. Each of the four strands has been taken up to differing degrees, in varying combinations over time, in discussing internationalisation. The paper shows how each of these strands has made a 'connection' to one of the other strands, depending on the sector, the level of educational administration and specific local circumstances; and in so doing over time how they have lead to varying discourses and practices. This advances our understanding of the discourse of 'internationalisation' in education as a historical product that is still a work in progress.
Risks and Benefits of Evidence in Educational Practice
Author: Uchida, Ryo
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Risk,Educational Benefits,Evidence,Educational Practices,School Safety,Foreign Countries,Bullying,Numeracy

The aim of the present paper is to examine the risks and benefits of employing evidence in school safety education in Japan. In the past, evidence was typically not utilized in school safety (absence of evidence). Even when evidence is utilized, there are cases where measures are promoted based on misinterpreted numerical values (risks of evidence). It is important that evidence be adopted cautiously based on scientific procedures, and that is how substantial safety is attained (benefits of evidence). [This article was originally published, in Japanese, in &quot;The Japanese Journal of Educational Research&quot; Vol. 82, No.2, 2015. Translated by Ai Ohmori.]
The Internationalization of Japanese Education: &quot;International&quot; without the &quot;Multicultural&quot;
Author: Tsuneyoshi, Ryoko
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,International Education,Global Education,Multicultural Education,Second Language Instruction,Minority Group Students,Access to Education,Non English Speaking,Civil Rights,Foreign Nationals,Educational Practices,Discourse Analysis,Global Approach

This paper focuses on the rhetoric surrounding &quot;internationalization&quot; in Japanese education. Internationalization is now used both in scholarly circles and in the media. Since discussions of internationalization are accompanied by calls for hiring more foreign faculty in higher education, increasing diversity, etc., one may be led to believe that the internationalization agenda also includes a multicultural one. However, a closer examination of (1) &quot;foreign language activities,&quot; routinely used interchangeably with &quot;English activities&quot; and (2) the rhetoric of so-called &quot;foreigners,&quot; shows that &quot;internationalization&quot; as used in these contexts lacks a multicultural perspective. The paper goes on to show that such views of &quot;internationalization&quot; without a multicultural perspective exclude those very populations which have the most to contribute to the development of a multicultural perspective in the Japanese context.
Citizenship Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: History and Current Instructional Approaches
Author: Alharbi, Badr Abdullah
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Citizenship Education,Nationalism,Islamic Culture,Identification (Psychology),Citizenship Responsibility,Social Justice,Social Values,Cultural Influences,Teaching Methods,Barriers

This review article attempts to review current studies related to Citizenship Education (CE) in order to shed light on the provisions of citizenship education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The review examines the significance of CE in the KSA. It also explores the history of CE in the KSA followed by its national identity, as this too, affects the nature of the CE offered in the country. Then the article identifies and explores the implementation of CE in the KSA. In addition, the article discusses the approaches of introducing Citizenship Education in the KSA, its content and implementation. It can be argued that Islam has played a crucial role in shaping Saudi citizens' private and national identities and their national values. The study also found that CE in Saudi Arabia faces multiple challenges. It emphasizes citizens' responsibilities, duties, identity formation, and obedience towards the system and how one can achieve them. It also appears that promoting freedom, equality, fairness, freedom of expression and participation in the decision making process is poorly addressed. Moreover, lack of teaching aids and lack of specialist teachers and training are some major challenges to implement CE in the KSA. The article ends by drawing some conclusions.
Grammar Errors in the Writing of Iraqi English Language Learners
Author: Al-Shujairi, Yasir Bdaiwi Jasim
Date: 2017-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Grammar,Writing Skills,Writing (Composition),High School Students,Mixed Methods Research,Interviews,Error Patterns

Several studies have been conducted to investigate the grammatical errors of Iraqi postgraduates and undergraduates in their academic writing. However, few studies have focused on the writing challenges that Iraqi pre-university students face. This research aims at examining the written discourse of Iraqi high school students and the common grammatical errors they make in their writing. The study had a mixed methods design. Through convenience sampling method, 112 compositions were collected from Iraqi pre-university students. For purpose of triangulation, an interview was conducted. The data was analyzed using Corder's (1967) error analysis model and James' (1998) framework of grammatical errors. Furthermore, Brown's (2000) taxonomy was adopted to classify the types of errors. The result showed that Iraqi high school students have serious problems with the usage of verb tenses, articles, and prepositions. Moreover, the most frequent types of errors were Omission and Addition. Furthermore, it was found that intralanguage was the dominant source of errors. These findings may enlighten Iraqi students on the importance of correct grammar use for writing efficacy.
Effect of Oral Communication Strategies Training on the Development of Malaysian English as a Second Language Learners&apos; Strategic Competence
Author: Kuen, Gan Lai
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Oral Language,Communication Skills,English (Second Language),Training,Speech Communication,Learning Strategies,Second Language Instruction,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Language Tests,Interviews,Pretests Posttests,Mixed Methods Research

This study investigates the use of oral communication strategy instruction on English as a Second Language (ESL) learners' oral communicative performance and their strategic competence. The treatment involved 12 weeks of training using oral communication strategies such as circumlocution, appeal for help, clarification request, fillers, comprehension check, confirmation checks, self-repair and topic avoidance. Strategies were integrated into the learners' Communicative English 2 Course syllabus with Mechanical Engineering content. The study involved two intact control (n = 34) and experimental groups (n = 54). The control group only received the normal Communicative English course with no explicit focus on communication strategies (CS) while the experimental group received CS training designed with metacognitive strategies. Pre and posttest procedures were used to assess the effectiveness of the training and learners' strategic competence. Five instruments were used to collect the data (oral proficiency test, oral communication test, transcripts of oral communication test, unstructured interview and self-report). The findings revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group after the training and the learners' self-reports also revealed positive results. The results also revealed that the learners frequently used literal translation from their first language in their communication.
An Empirical Examination of Effective Practices for Teaching Board Game Play to Young Children
Author: Barton, Erin E.
Date: 2018-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Peer Teaching,Modeling (Psychology),Reinforcement,Games,Social Development,Young Children,Disabilities,Interpersonal Competence,At Risk Persons,Program Effectiveness,Preschool Children,Prompting,Contingency Management,Video Technology,Child Behavior,Interpersonal Communication

We examined an intervention package using peer modeling, systematic prompting, and contingent reinforcement to increase the frequency and complexity of board game play and social behaviors in young children with disabilities. Four children with or at risk for disabilities participated with their typically developing peers. Results indicated a strong functional relation given the magnitude of change across conditions and participants and robust study rigor. Minor individual adaptations were used for two of the four participants. Overall, the study extends the research on board game play interventions with young children by demonstrating the effectiveness of an intervention that was successful for a diverse sample of preschool children with or at risk for disabilities and their peers.
Integrated Model towards Computer Assisted Language Learning Acceptance: Empirical Case Study of Saudi Universities
Author: Soomro, Abdul Fattah
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Teacher Attitudes,Language Teachers,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Social Influences,Administrator Role,Questionnaires,College Faculty,Teacher Surveys,Structural Equation Models,Hypothesis Testing,Value Judgment,Intention,Statistical Analysis

Maximum utilization of technology in all fields of life including language education by a country has become inevitable to survive in the competitive world. Saudi government has already invested a lot of efforts and public finance to adopt modern teaching practices using Information Communication Technology (ICT) to supplement English Language Teaching (ELT) in Saudi Arabia. The present study applies Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical model to explore the effects of different factors on the attitudes of teachers towards using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in the language learning contexts of Saudi Arabia. The current study investigates the effect of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on the attitude and intended usage behavior of Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers towards using CALL. In addition to these two factors borrowed from TAM, three other variables: social influence, facilitating conditions and management support are added into the model. To test the hypothesized model, this study applied a quantitative questionnaire survey approach with participants chosen randomly from 10 different universities in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 421 valid responses received through online questionnaire from the teachers were used for the analysis to achieve research objectives and hypotheses testing. Structural Equation Modeling Analysis was employed to analyze the data. The findings of this study are found very encouraging and provide sufficient support to the proposed model of the study, which was consisting of TAM as the foundation theory. According to TAM, postulation perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use both are two significant elements that determine attitude and intended usage behavior. These hypotheses were found significant, thus provided external validity to the TAM postulations. In addition, the findings suggested that social influence, management support, and facilitating conditions are important factors that influence individuals' intended behavior towards CALL usage.