ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Test Takers' Attitudes about the TOEFL iBT[TM]. TOEFL iBT Research Report. RR-10-2
Author: Stricker, Lawrence J.
Date: 2010-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Computer Attitudes,Questionnaires,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Anxiety,Second Language Learning,Computer Assisted Testing,Language Tests,Internet,Correlation,Surveys,Cross Cultural Studies,Scores,Admission Criteria,Writing Skills,Listening Skills,Oral Language,Student Attitudes

The principal aims of this study, a conceptual replication of an earlier investigation of the   TOEFL[R] computer-based test, or TOEFL CBT, in Buenos Aires, Cairo, and Frankfurt, were to assess test takers' reported acceptance of the TOEFL Internet-based test, or TOEFL iBT[TM], and its associations with possible determinants of this acceptance and with test performance; evaluate differences in the pattern of results for test takers from different countries; and compare the findings with those for the TOEFL CBT. A questionnaire concerning attitudes about the test and other relevant variables was administered by the Internet to TOEFL iBT examinees in 4 diverse countries with large testing volumes: China, Colombia, Egypt, and Germany. Overall attitudes about the TOEFL iBT were moderately positive in most countries, but neutral in Germany; attitudes about the Listening and Writing sections of the test were uniformly favorable in every country; but attitudes about the Speaking section were consistently less favorable in all countries and were unfavorable in Germany and Colombia. Attitudes about the test had similar patterns of relationships in the 4 countries: moderate correlations with attitudes about admissions tests in general, slight and inconsistent correlations with TOEFL performance and computer anxiety, and minimal correlations with other variables. All in all, these results were very similar to those in the earlier investigation, with 1 exception: the previous study found uniformly moderate positive attitudes about the TOEFL CBT in the 3 countries surveyed. (Contains 7 tables.)
2010-11 Research Portfolio: Research & Development Division
Author: Educational Testing Service
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Portfolios (Background Materials),Testing Programs,Educational Testing,Private Agencies,Research and Development,Educational Research,Psychometrics,English (Second Language),Student Evaluation,Evaluation Research,Scoring,Test Construction,Statistical Analysis,Test Validity,Data Analysis,Teacher Effectiveness,Action Research,Research Projects,Knowledge Management,Public Agencies,Higher Education,Elementary Secondary Education

This document describes the breadth of the research that the ETS (Educational Testing Service) Research & Development division is conducting in 2010. This portfolio will be updated in early 2011 to reflect changes to existing projects and new projects that were added after this document was completed. The research described in this portfolio falls into three large categories: (1) Research supported by the ETS Strategic Research Investment; (2) Research funded by testing programs at ETS; and (3) Research funded by external governmental and private agencies. Within each category, this portfolio provides information about active research projects, the focus and purpose of the research, and the R&D staff members responsible for it. There is also discussion of why the research is important--how it is aligned with ETS's mission and how it builds organizational knowledge and capability. (Contains 1 footnote.)
Quality Assurance in Postgraduate Education. ENQA Workshop Report 12
Author: Bitusikova, Alexandra
Date: 2010-05-28
Type: Collected Works - Proceedings
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Credentials,Graduate Study,Graduate Students,Quality Control,Evaluation Methods,Evaluation Criteria,Institutional Evaluation,Global Approach,Doctoral Programs,Masters Programs,Student Surveys,Student Research,Accreditation (Institutions),International Education,Educational Strategies,Equal Education,Educational Trends,Role of Education,Educational Development,International Organizations,Comparative Education,Standards,Educational Policy

The present report follows an ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) Workshop on Quality Assurance and Postgraduate Education, hosted by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS) in Brasov, Romania on 12-13 March 2009. The workshop was an excellent opportunity for ENQA members to exchange information, define concepts and examine best practice related to quality assurance of postgraduate education. Articles included in this report are: (1) Forces Shaping Postgraduate Education: Academic Credentials in a Global Context (Mary-Louise Kearney); (2) Master and Doctoral Education in Europe: Key Challenges for Quality Assurance (Alexandra Bitusikova); (3) Quality Assurance at Doctoral Level: the case of England, UK (Janet Bohrer); (4) Quality Assurance from the doctoral candidates' and junior researchers' perspective (Karoline Hollander); (5) The Postgraduate Students Mirror 2008, a survey in Sweden (Gunilla Jacobsson); (6) Research Master's Programmes in the Netherlands (Fred Mulder); (7) Quality Assurance of Doctoral Education in Germany--Experiences, Standards and Challenges (Manuel Pietzonka); (8) Accreditation of doctoral schools in Hungary (Judith Negyesi); (9) Quality assurance of doctoral study programmes in Croatia (Ivan Filip Jakopovic and Ivana Borosic); and (10) About the role of ECTS regarding Quality Assurance of Postgraduate Education with a glance at Turkey in the Bologna Process (Kerim Edinsel). A conclusion by Nathalie Costes is included. A programme of the workshop is annexed. Individual articles contain tables, appendices, references, and figures. (Contains 28 footnotes.)
Current Trends in European Quality Assurance. ENQA Workshop Report 8
Author: Bozo, Dhurata
Date: 2009-05-26
Type: Collected Works - Proceedings
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Educational Quality,Quality Control,Educational Trends,Graduate Study,Educational History,Organizational Development,Evaluation Methods,Evaluation Criteria,Institutional Evaluation,Accreditation (Institutions),International Education,Educational Strategies,Educational Development,International Organizations,Comparative Education,Standards,Church Related Colleges,Catholics,Educational Policy

The present report is a product of two ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) seminars, held in 2007, on current trends in European Quality Assurance. The first seminar, hosted by the Bulgarian National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA), examined the situation in South-Eastern Europe. The second seminar focused on the situation in Southern Europe. It was hosted by the Holy See and organised in collaboration with the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Faculties (AVEPRO) and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The articles presented in this report, based on the two regional ENQA seminars, introduce the divergent but also converging national experiences and trends in quality assurance in Southern and South-Eastern Europe. Articles included in this report are: (1) Quality assurance in Austrian Higher Education--features and challenges (Alexander Kohler); (2) ESG and the current QA trends in Spain: more than just a change (Gemma Rauret Dalmau and Cecilia de la Rosa Gonzalez); (3) The Bologna Process in the Holy See: origins and implementation (Franco Imoda); (4) National experiences and future challenges: Albania (Dhurata Bozo); (5) Quality assurance in Romanian higher education (R.M. Damian); (6) The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) and quality assurance (QA) in the South-Eastern Europe (SEE) region--Opportunities and Challenges: the Situation in Bulgaria (Todor Shopov); and (7) Quality Assurance in Greek Higher Education Institutions: Introduction and Challenges (Vassilios J. Papazoglou). ENQA seminar hosted by NEAA and ENQA seminar are annexed. Individual articles contain references. (Contains 28 footnotes, 1 figure, and 1 chart.)
Quality Assurance in Transnational Higher Education. ENQA Workshop Report 11
Author: Bennett, Paul
Date: 2010-01-29
Type: Collected Works - Proceedings
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Seminars,Quality Control,Student Unions,Guidelines,Comparative Analysis,Educational Policy,College Students,Student Rights,Credentials,Educational Quality,Educational History,Organizational Development,Evaluation Methods,Evaluation Criteria,Institutional Evaluation,Global Approach,Accreditation (Institutions),International Education,Educational Strategies,Educational Trends,Role of Education,Educational Development,International Organizations,Comparative Education,Standards,Student Mobility,Student Participation

The present report is the product of an ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) Bologna Seminar &quot;Quality Assurance in Transnational Education: from words to action&quot; hosted by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA, UK) in London in December, 2008. The seminar discussed the current trends in Transnational landscapes, the influence of the UNESCO-OECD Guidelines for cross-border higher education and their compatibility with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. The outcomes of the seminar were later presented as recommendations to the Bologna Follow-up Group. Articles included in this report are: (1) Introduction; (2) The UNESCO/OECD Guidelines: a Governmental  Perspective (Sjur Bergan); (3) Quality Assurance in Transnational Education: a European  University Association Perspective (Andree Sursock); (4) Quality Assurance in Transnational Education: An Education International Perspective (Paul Bennett); (5) A Comparative Analysis of International Guidelines in Quality Assurance (Marlene Hamilton); (6) Quality Assurance in Transnational Education--from Declarative Intentions to Concrete Progress: a European Students Union Perspective (Daniela Cassar); and (7) Conclusions and Recommendations to the Bologna Follow-up Group (Peter Williams). A programme of the seminar is annexed. (Contains 19 footnotes.) [Support for this report was provided by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.]
ENQA: 10 Years (2000-2010): A Decade of European Co-Operation in Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Author: Crozier, Fiona, Ed.
Date: 2010-09-29
Type: Collected Works - General
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Pilot Projects,Educational Quality,Quality Control,Educational History,Organizational Development,Personal Narratives,Evaluation Methods,Evaluation Criteria,Institutional Evaluation,International Education,Educational Strategies,Educational Development,International Organizations,Comparative Education,Standards,Educational Policy

The history of ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) arises in the late 1990s when the first formal procedures for quality assurance begun to stabilize on a national level. As a result of the European Pilot Projects in the field of external quality assurance during the nineties, participants felt the need for further exchange of information and experience in a relatively new field in order to provide an opportunity for mutual learning. From these first steps, ENQA has developed from a discussion forum of few quality assurance enthusiasts into a network of a slowly but steadily growing number of agencies in Europe, and from a network into an elaborated association with a wide membership across Bologna signatory countries in Europe with a firm political role. This publication presents addresses from four persons who engaged themselves during the past years, and thus made the most significant contribution to the development of ENQA. The addressed included in this report are: (1) From the first pilot projects to the founding of ENQA (1994-2000) (Dorte Kristoffersen); (2) ENQA 2000-2005: From the launch of a professional network to the success in Bologna of a new association (Christian Thune); (3) From Bergen to the Register: A long and winding road (Peter Williams); and (4) Toward the European quality assurance dimension: Fostering the participation of ENQA members (Bruno Curvale). Individual addresses contain footnotes.
First External Evaluations of Quality Assurance Agencies--Lessons Learned. ENQA Workshop Report 10
Author: Costes, Nathalie
Date: 2010-01-26
Type: Collected Works - Proceedings
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Seminars,Quality Control,Organizational Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Self Evaluation (Groups),Educational Quality,Organizational Development,Evaluation Methods,Evaluation Criteria,Institutional Evaluation,Accreditation (Institutions),International Education,Educational Strategies,Educational Development,International Organizations,Comparative Education,Standards,Agency Role,Expertise,Educational Policy

This report is a product of an ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) seminar on the first external evaluations of quality assurance agencies, held in Paris in July 2008. The seminar took stock of the achieved reviews of agencies to learn lessons from these first outcomes and, hence, provided a platform for continuous enhancement of this process in the future. It gives a background and overview of external reviews, and presents the perspectives and experiences of agencies and expert teams on the review process. Articles included in this report are: (1) Background and purposes of external reviews of Quality Assurance (QA) agencies: ENQA membership, national purposes (Tibor Szanto); (2) Self-assessment of agencies and self-assessment report: an agency perspective--the case of the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (ANECA) (Rafael Llavori); (3) External reviews of quality assurance agencies--Perspective of the expert team (Thierry Malan); and (4) Some reflections on practicalities and challenges of external reviews of QA agencies: the perspective of the expert team (Michael G. Kraft). A conclusion by Nathalie Costes and a bibliography are also included. A programme of the seminar is annexed. (Contains 24 footnotes and 1 figure.)
Increasing Charter School Accountability through Interventions and Closures: A Guide For State Policymakers
Author: Gustafson, Joey
Date: 2010-02-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Charter Schools,Intervention,Money Management,Laws,Accountability,Public Education,Educational Finance,Financial Support,School Closing,Public Officials,Educational Change,Institutional Autonomy,Curriculum Design,Educational Policy

A basic premise of charter school reform in public education is offering more autonomy in the use of funds and the design of curriculum in exchange for greater accountability in academic and financial outcomes. This premise poses a significant policy challenge for state policymakers to establish an appropriate level of regulation; charter schools must be sufficiently independent yet still conform to most state and federal education and financial management laws. This guide examines the laws, policies, and programs that states use to establish consequences for financial mismanagement in charter schools. It discusses how states define the financial conditions for intervention. It also describes the approaches to corrective actions for deficient charter schools and the procedures for closing charter schools. The guide reviews the prevalent policy options and provides examples from existing state laws and practices. It also raises issues that state policymakers may want to consider when adopting or amending approaches to establishing consequences for charter school financial mismanagement. Specifically, this guide will help state policymakers consider the various policy options for defining financial conditions for state intervention, determining appropriate corrective actions for deficient schools, and establishing procedures for closing schools. The guide concludes by stating that policymakers must create appropriate oversight procedures and processes for intervention and closure that are clear, fair, and effective. (Contains 4 footnotes and a list of resources.) [This publication was written with Nina Salomon and William Schmid and produced by the National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Governance, a collaborative effort of the Center on Educational Governance at the University of Southern California, The Finance Project, and WestEd.]
The Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers towards EFL Writing
Author: Aydin, Selami
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Measures (Individuals),English (Second Language),English,Predictor Variables,Preservice Teachers,Student Teacher Attitudes,Content Area Writing,Language Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Multiple Choice Tests,Second Language Programs,Correlation

The results of the previous studies indicate that no consensus exists on either the attitudes towards EFL writing or the factors that affect these attitudes. In addition, the studies mainly focused on the attitudes of language learners, rather than teachers. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards writing in English as a foreign language and the relationship between their attitudes and certain variables. A background questionnaire and a scale intending to measure the attitudes were administered to a sample group of 162 pre-service teachers of English. The collected data were used to provide a descriptive and correlational analysis. The results of the study indicated that pre-service teachers mainly have positive attitudes towards writing in English as a foreign language. Furthermore, it was found that age, gender, educational background and language proficiency significantly correlate with some statements in the scale. (Contains 5 tables.)
Caveat Emptor: Is There a Relationship between Part-Time Faculty Utilization and Student Learning Outcomes and Retention? Professional File. Number 91, Spring 2004
Author: Schibik, Timothy
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Introductory Courses,Academic Achievement,School Holding Power,Part Time Faculty,Teaching Load,Outcomes of Education,Teacher Influence,College Faculty,Academic Persistence,College Freshmen

One important factor neglected in the literature involves an investigation into whether the increased utilization of part-time faculty impacts student retention. Are part-time faculty, who are employed primarily to teach introductory courses, having an adverse affect on student retention? Are universities recognizing and studying the potential issues that might arise when a substantial portion of incoming freshmen receive the majority of their instruction from part-time faculty? This paper presents the results of an ongoing study of the relationship between faculty status and student retention at a comprehensive Midwestern university. Of particular interest is the degree to which first-time full-time freshmen are exposed to part-time faculty and whether there are ways to determine if faculty status, defined here as part-time versus full-time, has a discernable and direct impact on student retention. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)
Cross-Validation of Persistence Models for Incoming Freshmen. Professional File. Number 93, Fall 2004
Author: Harmston, Matt T.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Persistence,College Freshmen,Prediction,Models,Validity,Student Characteristics,Predictor Variables,Regression (Statistics),College Admission

This study was intended to serve as an example of cross-validating results from student persistence prediction models that employed commonly available pre-college student characteristics. The study investigated whether the accuracy of predicting student persistence would vary because of the use of present-year vs. previous-year parameters on present-year data, and whether the same set of predictors would change in terms of predictive efficiency between years. Institutions with selective, liberal, and open admissions policies had consistent persistence prediction odds ratios across time regardless of the data on which model parameters were generated. As expected, all institutions demonstrated lower accuracy rates at higher persistence criteria, and accuracy rates differed between different sets of model parameters. The ACT Composite scores emerged as consistently stable, significant predictors of persistence. The paper concludes with a discussion of procedural issues to consider when using logistic regression to predict persistence. (Contains 6 tables.)
Tracking Community College Transfers Using National Student Clearinghouse Data. Professional File. Number 94, Winter 2005
Author: Romano, Richard M.
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Community Colleges,Transfer Rates (College),Clearinghouses,College Transfer Students,College Outcomes Assessment,Databases,School Statistics,Statistical Analysis,Data Analysis,Transfer Programs,Measurement Techniques,Evaluation Methods

Accurate measures of transfer are important to the assessment of community college outcomes. This article uses a relatively new database from the National Student Clearinghouse to assess transfer rates at the State University of New York community colleges. Past studies only tracked students within the public sector of a given state. Once transfers to out-of-state and private college are considered, the results of this study indicate that people may be underestimating the transfer rate by as much as 25%. While the data has its own limitations, it is an improvement from existing methods for tracking transfers from two-year to four-year colleges in the U.S. When it is linked to state and institutional data, it can provide a powerful tool for understanding the nature of the transfer process. (Contains 5 tables.)
Factors Related to Persistence of Freshmen, Freshman Transfers, and Nonfreshman Transfer Students. Professional File. Number 99, Spring 2006
Author: Perkhounkova, Yelena
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Persistence,Predictor Variables,Performance Factors,College Freshmen,College Transfer Students,Academic Achievement,Predictive Validity,Item Analysis,Comparative Testing,Portfolio Assessment,Measures (Individuals),Institutional Research

This study examined second-term and second-year retention of freshmen (n=6,054) and nonfreshman transfer students (n=2,733) from DePaul University, a large, urban, private institution. The predictor variables included both achievement and noncognitive measures collected at DePaul and on the ACT Assessment. Two questions formed the basis for this research: Do variables that predict retention for freshmen (transfer and first time) maintain their validity for predicting retention for nonfreshman transfer students? Do the noncognitive data collected on the ACT Assessment enhance the institution's ability to predict retention? To identify variables that predict second-term and second-year retention, logistic regression models were developed separately for freshmen and nonfreshman transfer students. The results supported the use of both institutional and ACT Assessment achievement and noncognitive measures to predict retention. Moreover, variables that predicted retention for freshmen generally predicted retention for transfer students. An appendix is included. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)