ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of English Textbook of Intermediate Class from Students&apos; Perspectives
Author: Lodhi, Muhammad Arfan
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbook Evaluation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Standards,Content Analysis,Educational Objectives,Grade 12,Secondary School Students,Student Attitudes

Textbooks play significant role in teaching and learning continuum. Due to this reason, Curriculum wings and Directorate of staff development (Punjab) have had continuous check and monitoring in devising goals and standards in textbooks from grade 1 to grade 10. But at intermediate level specially in12th grade, the same text book i.e. &quot;Good-bye Mr. Chips&quot; is being taught more than 20 years. It is assumed that there lies a huge literacy and learning gap between the secondary level English textbooks and intermediate level English textbooks. The present study keeping in view the issues and gaps in mind was an attempt to investigate the importance of English textbooks being taught at intermediate level (Grade 12) in different schools and colleges in Punjab. Prospective study occupies descriptive type of research framework. The textbook of English being taught at intermediate level is evaluated according to specified models and strategies mentioned in previous research studies based upon textbook evaluation. Sample was determined through applying cluster random sampling technique. Questionnaire was designed, validated and administered after conducting pilot phase. The findings of the study reveal that the textbook being taught at intermediate level is not be up to snuff to convene the common objectives of the target language and is irreconcilable with the requirements of promoting confidence and ornamental language skills. Moreover, it is recommended that textbooks must be revised from time to time to obtain definite language learning objectives. The book being evaluated lacks innovation, students' interest, relevant content and appropriate skills.
Rethinking the Cooling out Hypothesis for the 21st Century: The Impact of Financial Aid on Students&apos; Educational Goals
Author: Broton, Katharine M.
Date: 2019-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Community Colleges,Grants,Low Income,Decision Making,Academic Aspiration,Two Year College Students,Student Attitudes,Costs,Educational Attainment,College Choice,Models,Educational Objectives,Equal Education,Program Descriptions

Background: Most community college students from low-income families have ambitious educational degree goals, but only a small fraction attains them. For many decades, sociologists have primarily attributed this problem to a cooling out process in which college practitioners diminish students' educational ambitions using academic reorientation processes that encourage the least-promising students to lower their degree goals. The cooling out explanation focuses exclusively on the actions of institutional community college actors rather than other factors affecting student decisions and thus has been used to vilify community colleges as engines of inequality. Objective: This article addresses an alternative hypothesis, considering whether student financial aid, the ubiquitous and multifaceted system that community college actors mainly do not control, influences students' educational goals. Method and Results: Using data from an experimental study of need-based financial aid in Wisconsin, I find that a private grant program, which triggered a repackaging of students' financial aid awards, &quot;decreased&quot; the educational degree aspirations and expectations of 2-year college students, on average. Contributions and Implications: Although counterintuitive, this finding is consistent with the idea that the complex manner in which aid is delivered creates confusion and uncertainty about the actual costs of college. While these lowered degree goals persisted over time, they did not affect degree attainment rates, suggesting students' expectations may be more malleable and less consequential than prior research suggests. This article demonstrates that the observed cooling out phenomenon is not necessarily the result of a meritocratic sorting system and involves processes previously neglected by sociological theory. A more robust model of college choices is needed.
Teaching English Compound Noun Stress
Author: Ibara, Yvon-Pierre Ndongo
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Pronunciation Instruction,Nouns,Secondary School Students,Teaching Methods,Phonetics,Phonology,Learning Strategies,Reading Instruction

The aim of this research paper is to scrutinize the teaching of English pronunciation based on English compound noun stress at secondary school. In fact, the teaching of compound noun stress has not been highlighted by previous scholars. In addition, teaching strategies based on this item have not been taken into account by INRAP and E.N.S in the course of phonetics and phonology. As a result, no teacher is able to teach compound noun stress and no learner is able to practice this language item. Therefore, our practical suggestions are made of teaching and learning strategies, a set of exercises and a sample of a teaching card to encourage teachers to deal with compound noun stress. This study is an attempt to show the parallel between the techniques of teaching of reading and that of compound noun stress.
Pragmatic Failure in Interpretation and the Development of Students&apos; Pragmatic Competence in Interpreting
Author: Lu, Licheng
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Pragmatics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Translation,Classification,Teaching Methods,Intercultural Communication,Language Styles,Cultural Awareness,Textbooks,Business Communication,Foreign Countries,Native Language,Transfer of Training,Language Usage

Based on Jenny Thomas's dichotomous classification of pragmatic failure, this study proposes a new perspective and classifies pragmatic failure in interpretation into three categories: pragma-linguistic failure, socio-pragmatic failure and malaprop-pragmatic failure. Specific examples are given to illustrate the causes and effects of each category of pragmatic failure in interpretation. Meanwhile, this study establishes the &quot;curriculum-textbook-teacher-teaching&quot; scheme to develop students' pragmatic competence in interpreting with which they are able to avoid pragmatic failure in interpretation.
Findings from a Case Study on Refugees Using MOOCs to (Re)Enter Higher Education
Author: Witthaus, Gabi
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Refugees,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Reentry Students,Higher Education,Electronic Learning,Learning Experience,Communities of Practice,Student Attitudes,Feedback (Response),Information Sources,Reading Material Selection,Goal Orientation,Planning,Disadvantaged,College Students,Interpersonal Relationship,Interpersonal Communication,Cooperative Learning,Computer Mediated Communication,Learner Engagement,Transfer of Training,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Progress Monitoring,Learning Strategies,Time Management

This paper presents a case study evaluating the online learning experience of ten refugees on MOOCs. Qualitative data were collected from the learners, generating a set of 43 statements depicting the learners' experience of learning, which were analysed using an augmented Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical framework. The key findings show that learners particularly desired teaching presence in terms of facilitation and feedback on their progress; they viewed online social presence as being important but generally not well managed in MOOCs; and they expressed cognitive presence mainly in terms of the selection and use of information sources. Learning presence (the additional element of the &quot;augmented&quot; CoI framework) was described primarily in terms of the importance of goal-setting and planning. The implications for organisations supporting refugees and other learners in disadvantaged circumstances on MOOCs are discussed.
A Qualitative Study on the Best Motivational Teaching Strategies in the Context of Oman: Perspectives of EFL Teachers
Author: Abdullah, Mohamad Yahya
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Language Teachers,Learning Motivation,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,College Students,Educational Games,Student Motivation,Learner Engagement,Foreign Countries

In the pedagogical process, lack of motivation becomes a controversial issue. In this qualitative study, the researcher intended to explore the best motivational teaching strategies from the perspectives of the EFL teachers at Buraimi University College (henceforth BUC) in Oman. Purposeful sampling was used in the selection of five EFL teachers in English language department at BUC. The protocol of interview (semi-structured interviews) was conducted for data collection. The obtained data provided by the participants was analysed using qualitative thematic analysis to answer the questions and accomplish the objective of the present study. The findings revealed that motivational strategies would not be applicable in any classroom without creating a helpful, interactive, engaging, and enjoyable environment. The participants of the current study believe in the vital role of playing games in stimulating the interest and enthusiasm of learners as well as giving fun and energetic environment. Besides, it is essential to inspire students with the feelings of a sense of accomplishment through helping them to set realistic goals according to their learning abilities and observe their progress once in a while. However, in any learning environment developing motivation is a difficult task for the teachers because students learn differently and every student is diverse in her way.
A Preliminary Study on Challenges and Solutions for College EFL Education in Ethnic Minority Regions of China
Author: Liu, Dianping
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Educational Technology,International Education,Universities,Ethnic Groups,Minority Group Students,Language Teachers,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Geographic Regions,Educational Finance,Teaching Methods,Barriers,Cultural Differences,Faculty Development,Technology Integration,Foreign Countries,Language of Instruction,Educational Policy

The internationalization of education brings different challenges to local education of different communities. Traditional EFL education in Chinese universities may also encounter such challenges. Against this background, this study investigates the challenges and solutions for college EFL education in ethnic minority regions of China. A narrative research method was conducted. Three college EFL teachers from three universities in China's ethnic minority regions were selected as participants. Interviews and document analysis were employed to collect data. Results by an inductive approach to qualitative content analysis showed that three aspects of challenge existed for EFL education in these regions, including financial, pedagogical and cultural. Solutions to these challenges suggested by the participating teachers included enhancing teaching methods, promoting teacher development and employing educational technology.
Quality of Explanation as an Indicator of Fraction Magnitude Understanding
Author: Foreman-Murray, Lindsay
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Grade 4,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Skills,At Risk Students,Learning Disabilities,Accuracy,Fractions,Correlation,Mathematics Tests,Criterion Referenced Tests,Abstract Reasoning,Predictor Variables,Achievement Tests,Children,Intelligence Tests,Scores

Students' explanations of their mathematical thinking and conclusions have become a greater part of the assessment landscape in recent years. With a sample of 71 fourth-grade students at risk for mathematics learning disabilities, we investigated the relation between student accuracy in comparing the magnitude of fractions and the quality of students' explanations of those comparisons, as well as the relation between those measures and scores on a criterion test: released fraction items from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. We also considered the extent to which reasoning and language contribute to the prediction. Results indicated a significant moderate correlation between accuracy and explanation quality. Commonality analyses indicated that explanation quality accounts for little variance in National Assessment of Educational Progress scores beyond what is accounted for by traditional measures of magnitude understanding. Implications for instruction and assessment are discussed. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED581313.]
Career and Technical Education, Inclusion, and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students with Learning Disabilities
Author: Theobald, Roddy J.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocational Education,Inclusion,Learning Disabilities,Enrollment,Outcomes of Education,Grade 10,Grade 11,Grade 12,College Bound Students,College Attendance,Academic Persistence,High School Graduates,Longitudinal Studies,Correlation,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Employment Potential,Special Education

We used longitudinal data from Washington State to investigate the relationships among career and technical education (CTE) enrollment, inclusion in general education, and high school and postsecondary outcomes for students with learning disabilities. We replicated earlier findings that students with learning disabilities who were enrolled in a &quot;concentration&quot; of CTE courses had higher rates of employment after graduation than observably similar students with learning disabilities who were enrolled in fewer CTE courses. We also found that students with learning disabilities who spent more time in general education classrooms in high school had higher rates of on-time graduation, college attendance, and employment than observably similar students with learning disabilities who spent less time in general education classrooms in these grades.
Scoping the Nascent: An Analysis of K-12 OER Research 2012-2017
Author: Blomgren, Constance
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Research,Educational Resources,Shared Resources and Services,Research Methodology,Journal Articles,Intellectual Disciplines

Awareness and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) has grown at all levels of education. Higher education researchers actively study OER but K-12 OER research indicates limited published results. To address this gap, this study examined articles meeting defined criteria and analyzed the results. Findings include cohesion of author-supplied keywords and ten primary categories of focus. From 38 articles studied, a variety of research methods were represented. Analysis showed Professional and Applied Sciences were overwhelmingly represented with the majority of articles within the discipline of Education and its fields with Humanities a distant second category of publication. The equal distribution between open and closed access journals may reflect changes to past scholarly publication practices. Citation analysis revealed divergences and reinforces the nascent quality of this topic. Future K-12 OER research that studies the complex change from resource scarcity to resource flexibility and digital abundance is needed.
Class Percentage of Students with Reading Difficulties on Content Knowledge and Comprehension
Author: Vaughn, Sharon
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Comprehension,Reading Difficulties,Grade 8,Social Studies,Teaching Methods,Cooperative Learning,Knowledge Level,Vocabulary Development,Instructional Effectiveness,Middle School Students,Intervention

We examined the efficacy of a content acquisition and reading comprehension intervention implemented in eighth-grade social studies classrooms. Using a within-teacher randomized control design, 18 eighth-grade teachers' social studies classes were randomly assigned to a treatment or comparison condition. Teachers taught all their classes (treatment and comparison) using the same content; however, in the treatment classes, teachers used instructional practices that included comprehension canopy, essential words, knowledge acquisition, and team-based learning. Students with reading comprehension difficulties in the treatment classes (n = 359) outperformed students with reading comprehension difficulties in the comparison classes (n = 331) on measures of content knowledge acquisition and content reading comprehension but not general reading comprehension. In addition, the proportion of students with reading comprehension difficulties in classes moderated outcomes for content knowledge acquisition and content reading comprehension.
Examining the Impact of Group Size on the Treatment Intensity of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention within a Systematic Framework of Replication
Author: Doabler, Christian T.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Mathematics Instruction,Learning Problems,Kindergarten,Peer Teaching,Small Group Instruction,At Risk Students,Independent Study,Teaching Methods

Group size and treatment intensity are understudied topics in mathematics intervention research. This study examined whether the treatment intensity and overall intervention effects of an empirically validated Tier 2 mathematics intervention varied between intervention groups with 2:1 and 5:1 student-teacher ratios. Student practice opportunities and the quality of explicit instruction served as treatment intensity metrics. A total of 465 kindergarten students with mathematics difficulties from 136 intervention groups participated. Results suggested comparable performances between the 2:1 and 5:1 intervention groups on six outcome measures. Observation data indicated that student practice differed by group size. Students in the 5:1 groups received more opportunities to practice with their peers, while students in the 2:1 groups participated in more frequent and higher quality individualized practice opportunities. Implications in terms of delivering Tier 2 interventions in small-group formats and engaging at-risk learners in meaningful practice opportunities are discussed.
Thai University Students&apos; Use of Yes/No Tokens in Spoken Interaction
Author: Tantiwich, Kornsak
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Interpersonal Communication,Language Proficiency,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Role Playing,Native Speakers,Discourse Analysis,Grammar,Language Usage

Adopting the interactional linguistic framework, the study aimed at exploring the range and frequency of interactional functions of yes/no tokens used by Thai university students of A2 proficiency in their English conversation, and contrasting their use with that of English native speakers (ENSs). The data was derived from 83, two-three party role-play conversations of approximately three--five minutes long obtained from conversation classes that were transcribed and analyzed. The findings revealed the students' use of yes tokens in the following order of functional frequency: acceptance, confirmative response, positive alignment, acknowledgment, topic shift and self-confirmation. By contrast, no tokens were employed most often to disconfirm/disagree, followed by doing disappointment, restatement and negative alignment. Additionally, the students appeared to overuse yes tokens to fulfill certain functions for which ENSs usually deployed other expressions, and had difficulty giving grammatical short answers with the tokens. Furthermore, unlike ENSs, they often used these tokens alone, repeatedly or redundantly with other expressions of the same functions. It was suggested that students be made aware of grammatical expressions that can co-occur with yes/no tokens in giving short answers, and especially of a wider range of expressions commonly used in a specific context and various contexts in which an expression can be appropriately used.
If a Student Thinks, &quot;I&apos;m Not a Math Person&quot;, Do Preservice Teachers Notice?
Author: Rieche, Helene
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Preservice Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Mathematics Skills,Preservice Teacher Education,Beliefs,Teaching Methods

Students' beliefs that mathematical abilities are fixed can cause long-standing problems with motivation and learning. Hence, teachers should notice such problematic beliefs about identity among their students and handle them adequately. We used written descriptions of classroom situations to determine whether preservice mathematics teachers (n = 80) noticed fixed beliefs about mathematical abilities and whether they had strategies for dealing with them. The qualitative data were coded and transformed into a score for noticing. We found that most of the preservice teachers did not notice problematic beliefs. Thereby, preservice teachers who believed that mathematical abilities are malleable were more likely to notice fixed beliefs among students. When describing beliefs, few participants referred to theoretical concepts. Hardly any preservice teachers suggested strategies for handling students' beliefs. However, the strategies that were suggested mostly corresponded with findings from educational research. Our study provides first evidence that preservice teachers' abilities to notice and handle belief-related problems may be insufficient. We discuss implications for teacher education as well as directions for future research.
Evaluating the Effectiveness and Functionality of Professional Learning Communities in Adult ESL Programs
Author: Abbot, Marilyn L.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Faculty Development,Research Utilization,Teaching Methods,Communities of Practice,Teacher Attitudes,Guidelines,Social Capital

In this article, we describe and evaluate a research utilization initiative designed to bridge the teaching English as a second language (TESL) research-practice gap by fostering the formation of and supporting professional learning communities (PLCs) in adult ESL instructional contexts. We review literature on teachers' professional reading, learning, and development. We use Guskey's (2014) professional learning evaluation framework and Hord's (2009) six critical dimensions of PLCs to assess the effectiveness and functionality of PLCs in nine adult ESL programs. Five years of data collection included focus group interviews, professional learning community discussions, monthly online surveys, and a final follow-up survey. Data were analyzed in relation to (a) the five levels in Guskey's framework: participants' reactions, participants' learning, organization support and change, participants' use of new knowledge and skills, and student learning outcomes; and (b) the functionality of the PLCs. Results indicate that researcher supported PLCs can be effective in assisting teachers to address their professional development needs and goals. However, the interest and enjoyment experienced by participating in the PLCs, and ultimately the sustainability of the PLCs, also depend on the groups' social and professional capital. We provide suggestions for future research and for the creation and maintenance of PLCs in TESL.