ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Needs Analysis of English Preparatory School Instructors towards Professional Skills in Higher Education
Author: Erdogan, Polat
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Needs Assessment,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,College Faculty,Job Skills,Faculty Development,College Preparation,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes

Many factors affect providing high-quality English education and rendering it sustainable. One of these factors is undoubtedly ensuring the professional development of the English language instructors. An important way to guarantee professional development is through needs analysis. Needs analysis is of utmost significance in determining the professional skills that English preparatory instructors require to develop and taking the necessary steps. In this regard, the aim of the study is to determine the professional skills that these instructors need to develop in higher education. Qualitative research method was used in the research to unearth the opinions, thoughts, views and feelings of instructors on professional skills to be improved. Since the research covered only one unit of a higher education institution, a holistic single case design was preferred. Participants included English preparatory school instructors, administrators, students, and senior members of the Faculty of Education. Convenience and criterion sampling techniques were used in the selection of the participants. In the study in which interview technique was used, an interview form was implemented in order to ascertain the professional skills. The data collection process was carried out over the course of eight weeks. Descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques were used in data analysis. While the opinions of the English preparatory school stakeholders were shared via verbatim quotation technique during the descriptive analysis process, the professional skills that English preparatory instructors require to improve were determined via the content analysis of the participants' relevant opinions. As a result of the research, professional skills that these instructors need to enhance were identified.
Evolution of a Qualifying Examination from a Timed Closed-Book Format to an Open-Book Collaborative Take-Home Format: A Case Study and Commentary
Author: Samsa, Gregory
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Testing,Cooperative Learning,Evaluation Methods,Test Format,Graduate Students,Licensing Examinations (Professions),Statistics

Objective: Our master's program in biostatistics requires a qualifying examination (QE). A curriculum review led us to question whether to replace a closed-book format with an open-book one. Our goal was to improve the QE. Methods: This is a case study and commentary, where we describe the evolution of the QE, both in its goals and its content. The result was a week-long, open-book, collaborative, take-home examination structured around the analysis of two types of studies commonly encountered in biostatistical practice. Our evaluation of the revised format includes its fairness, student performance, and student feedback. Results: The new format has a number of advantages: (1) it has a specific educational goal; (2) it provides sufficient time for students to produce their best work; (3) it encourages students to review elements of the first-year curriculum as needed; and (4) it can be administered remotely, even during a pandemic. Potential concerns pertaining to cheating and rigor can be adequately addressed. The results of our evaluation of the examination have been encouraging. The QE is intended to be a &quot;fair&quot; examination that covers important material which is beneficial to students, and does so in a way that is transparent and puts everyone in a position to perform their best work. Conclusions: An examination using this format has much to recommend it. When designing an examination, it is important to (a) match its format with clearly specified educational goals; and (b) distinguish between the distinct constructs of difficulty and rigor.
&quot;In Fact, We Can All Decide&quot;: An Action Research on the Participation Right of Young Children
Author: Akyola, Tugçe
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Childrens Rights,Student Participation,Action Research,Kindergarten,Young Children,Childrens Attitudes,Participative Decision Making,Theory Practice Relationship

In this research, it is aimed to plan concrete and new arrangements that will encourage participation right and evaluate how these arrangements contribute to children's participation. The participants of the study are comprised of 41 5-year-old children attending the kindergarten in a province in Turkey's inner Aegean region. In the research, triangulation was used, and Participation Right Scale in Preschool Classes (Koran, 2017; Salli Idare, 2018), interview form (Thayer and Schiff (1969), facial expressions form, observation form, and field notes were used as data collection tools. When the results from the scale, observations, and interviews were evaluated, it was determined that children began to express their views on the planning of programme activities and began taking an active role in decision making. Furthermore, it was concluded that children began to be active participants in the learning process and liked the arrangements and the materials they used in the classroom. This action research, focusing on the children's participation right, is thought to contribute to academic and social studies on how the participation right in school can be transferred from theory to practice. Comprehensive action plans can be developed by experts working on children and education policy makers in order to implement children's participation right in school.
Investigation of Effects of Cognitive Strategies and Metacognitive Functions on Mathematical Problem-Solving Performance of Students with or without Learning Disabilities
Author: Özkubat, Ufuk
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Metacognition,Learning Strategies,Mathematics Achievement,Low Achievement,Performance Factors,Problem Solving,Difficulty Level,Students with Disabilities,Learning Disabilities,Grade 6,Protocol Analysis,Self Management,Middle School Students,Foreign Countries

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive strategies and metacognitive functions of students with learning disabilities (LD), students with low-achieving (LA), and students with average-achieving (AA) over their math problem-solving performance. The study sample consisted of 150 students with 50 students from each group. Study data were collected through Think-Aloud Protocols, Metacognitive Experiences Questionnaire, Math Problem Solving Assessment-Short Form, and 10 math problems. Study findings revealed that the significant predictors of math problem-solving performance were metacognitive strategies and experiences regarding students with LD, metacognitive strategies and knowledge considering students with LA, and metacognitive strategies in students with AA. A statistically significant relationship was found between problem-solving performance of students with LD and their metacognitive strategies and metacognitive experiences. Problem-solving performance and metacognitive strategies of students with LA were found to be close to a high level, and their metacognitive knowledge had a moderate relationship. It was also observed to be moderately related to problem-solving performance and metacognitive strategies in students with AA. The findings were discussed within the relevant literature scope, and suggestions were made for teachers in terms of implementation and researchers for further studies.
Investigation of Special Education Teachers&apos; Concern Levels Regarding Their Children
Author: Karabulut, Alpaslan
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mothers,Special Education Teachers,Parent Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Preservice Teacher Education,Disabilities,Pregnancy,Anxiety,Foreign Countries,Children,Child Health,Knowledge Level

This study aims to determine mothers' concerns regarding their children, before and after giving birth. The study sample consists of 13 mothers working as special education teachers having graduated from the Special Teaching Department. The study utilized a semi-structured interview technique, which is one of the qualitative research methods, and a content analysis was used to analyze the study data at hand. Study findings revealed that the mothers had some anxieties regarding their children or children they may have in the future due to their occupation, and special education courses they attended during their preservice education. As expectant mothers, the main source of their concerns was that their baby might be born with some health issue or disability. The study findings also revealed that the mothers' concerns began when they found out about their pregnancy, concern continued throughout their pregnancy.
Developing Student Worksheet Based on iMindMap in Animalia Topic to Train Creative Thinking Ability
Author: Ikalindhari, Angkin
Date: 2020-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Worksheets,Material Development,Concept Mapping,Courseware,Creative Thinking,Thinking Skills,Skill Development,Instructional Effectiveness,Science Instruction,Biology,Animals,Positive Attitudes,Readability Formulas,High School Students,Grade 10,Foreign Countries

Creative thinking ability can be trained to students during learning process using suitable learning materials. The purpose of this study was to produce a valid and practical student worksheet based on iMindMap in Animalia topic to train students' creative thinking ability. This R &amp; D referred to 4D model (define, design, develop, and disseminate) without disseminate phase. The validity of student worksheets was determined based on experts (material, education and media) assessment. Meanwhile, the practicality was evaluated based on teachers' and students' responses; and the readability of the worksheet decided based on Fry Graph. The data gained were analyzed descriptive-quantitatively. The research results revealed that the worksheet developed was declared as very valid (mode value: 4) and very practical based on practitioners' responses (mode value: 4) and students' responses (the positive responses reached 90.45%). In addition, the readability test result was at level 10, which means that the worksheet was suitable for Grade 10. Hence, it can be concluded that the student worksheet based on iMindMap in Animalia topic can be used to train students' creative thinking ability.
Developing and Assessing Computational Thinking in Secondary Education Using a TPACK Guided Scratch Visual Execution Environment
Author: Hijón Neira, Raquel
Date: 2021-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computation,Thinking Skills,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Technological Literacy,Secondary School Students,Student Evaluation,Programming,Foreign Countries

Effective and reliable assessment approaches to computational thinking in secondary education are in demand. This paper uses a guided technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, incorporating a visual execution environment (VEE) and Scratch project for secondary school students as a method to teach and assess computational thinking. The objective is to investigate if computational thinking and programming concepts can be improved upon following this method, and if the K-12 children are able to improve their computational thinking skills. The research study was conducted over 2 years in a school setting using the guided VEE and project developed following the dimensions of Computational Thinking process. The project participants came from two cohorts, an after-school programming camp and an in-school environment. Data was collected over two academic years and a quasi-experimental procedure with pre- and post-test was followed. The results demonstrate knowledge gain on computational and programming concepts and encourages us to convey how students translate (as opposed to transfer) their computational thinking experiences into reality. The results indicate the students achieved significant improvement in their computational thinking development.
A Systematic Review of Questionnaire-Based Quantitative Research on MOOCs
Author: Lu, Mingxiao
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Intention,Dropout Rate,Academic Achievement,Models,Graphs,Research Design

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have attracted much interest from educational researchers and practitioners around the world. There has been an increase in empirical studies about MOOCs in recent years, most of which used questionnaire surveys and quantitative methods to collect and analyze data. This study explored the research topics and paradigms of questionnaire-based quantitative research on MOOCs by reviewing 126 articles available in the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) databases from January 2015 to August 2020. This comprehensive overview showed that: (a) the top three MOOC research topics were the factors influencing learners' performance, dropout rates and continuance intention to use MOOCs, and assessing MOOCs; (b) for these three topics, many studies designed questionnaires by adding new factors or adjustments to extant theoretical models or survey instruments; and (c) most researchers used descriptive statistics to analyze data, followed by the structural equation model, and reliability and validity analysis. This study elaborated on the relationship of research topics and key factors in the research models by building factors-goals (F-G) graphs. Finally, we proposed some directions and recommendations for future research on MOOCs.
Design Matters: Development and Validation of the Online Course Design Elements (OCDE) Instrument
Author: Martin, Florence
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Instructional Design,Online Courses,Likert Scales,Test Construction,Construct Validity,Test Reliability,Factor Structure,Factor Analysis,Scores,Higher Education,Goodness of Fit

Course design is critical to online student engagement and retention. This study focused on the development and validation of an online course design elements (OCDE) instrument with 38 Likert-type scale items in five subscales: (a) overview, (b) content presentation, (c) interaction and communication, (d) assessment and evaluation, and (e) learner support. The validation process included implementation with 222 online instructors and instructional designers in higher education. Three models were evaluated which included a one-factor model, five-factor model, and higher-order model. The five-factor and higher-order models aligned with the development of the OCDE. The frequency of use of OCDE items was rated above the mean 4.0 except for two items on collaboration and self-assessment. The overall OCDE score was related to self-reported levels of expertise but not with years of experience. The findings have implications for the use of this instrument with online instructors and instructional designers in the design of online courses.
Engaging Children and Families in Active, Environmental Science Learning through Digital Media
Author: Paulsen, Christine Andrews
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Young Children,Childrens Attitudes,Family Attitudes,Parent Child Relationship,Environmental Education,Science Education,Hands on Science,Educational Media,Multimedia Materials,Recreational Activities,Outdoor Education,Physical Activity Level,Knowledge Level,Program Effectiveness,Motivation,Discovery Learning,Ecology,Home Study

An independent evaluation of an environmental science program that combined digital media with hands-on activities (called &quot;Plum Landing&quot;) was conducted in 2020. The study included 32 families with six- to eight-year-old children. The evaluation assessed the extent to which the program was successful at promoting connectedness to nature, specifically through teaching environmental science content and encouraging active nature exploration among participating families. The evaluation found that families spent more time outdoors exploring nature and more time being physically active as a result of using Plum Landing. In addition, children's environmental science content knowledge increased, and parents reported an increase in children's nature-related habits of mind (i.e., questions you need to ask when investigating an ecosystem) after using Plum Landing. Children's interest and attitudes towards outdoor activities were moderate to high at pre-test and did not change over time. Overall, families were very positive about their Plum Landing experience and reported they would continue to use the program and recommend it to other families. This study provided evidence that digital media accompanied by hands-on activities has the potential to support families in learning about and becoming more connected to nature while together at home.
Environmental Education for Toddlers and Their Caretakers as a Context for Language Development: Opportunities and Challenges
Author: Arreguín, María Guadalupe
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Parent Education,Bilingual Education Programs,Spanish Speaking,Child Caregivers,Toddlers,Adults,Language Acquisition,Vocabulary Development,Parks,Plants (Botany),Entomology,Attention,Affordances,Observational Learning,Physical Activities

In this qualitative study, the author investigated nature as a context for language development. Participants included 15 toddlers and their caretakers who enrolled in a series of environmental education workshops on the topics of grass, butterflies, spiders, and leaves. Using field notes and photographs, the study sought to investigate elements in nature that prompted children and adults to initiate episodes of joint attention as well as challenges and opportunities for language development within the context. Findings indicate that children gravitated towards insects while adults were more inclined to discuss plants. It was also found that certain arachnids and insects such as butterflies offered limited opportunities to generate labels/vocabulary and did not afford a close relationship or connection with toddlers.
Gearing Up for Sustainability Education in Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Exploring Practices and Pedagogies by Means of Collegial Reflection and Discussion
Author: Furu, Ann-Christin
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Early Childhood Education,Sustainability,Foreign Countries,Evaluation Methods,Teamwork,Environmental Education,Equal Education,Teacher Collaboration,Preschool Teachers,Faculty Development,Collegiality,Organizational Culture,Educational Opportunities

Finnish legislation and policy on early childhood education and care (ECEC) express sustainability as a basic value. The national core curricula state that, during their years in ECEC, all children have the right to develop necessary values, knowledge and skills for living a sustainable life. Furthermore, early years education should be permeated by the principles of sustainability. However, research suggests that there is unclarity concerning how sustainability can be implemented in practice and pedagogy (Repo et al., 2018; 2019; Furu, forthcoming). Hence, the aim of this study was to explore how sustainability is currently done in ECEC settings in Finland. Further, we wanted to look into how the use of the recently developed &quot;Assessment Tool for Promotion of Sustainability in ECEC&quot; (PROSUS) by Furu and Valkonen (2020) might enhance sustainability work among teams (n=15) in ECEC settings in Finland. Based upon the findings, sustainability education is understood and implemented variably by the teams. This indicates that children are provided unequal opportunities for developing the basic capacities needed for leading a sustainable life. The study also makes visible how the PROSUS might enhance collegial learning regarding sustainability work and underlines the importance of collaborative practices in developing sustainability education in the early years' context.
Sustainability Education in Progress: Practices and Pedagogies in Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care Teaching Practice Settings
Author: Furu, Ann-Christin
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Child Care,Sociocultural Patterns,Foreign Countries,Sustainability,Educational Policy,Educational Legislation,Municipalities,Metropolitan Areas,Evaluation Methods,Faculty Development,Teacher Education,Curriculum Development,Teaching Methods,Educational Practices

The purpose of this article is to report on a study exploring the sustainability work (i.e., practices and pedagogies related to sustainability education) of Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) teaching practice settings. Recently, the early years and ECEC have gained increasing attention in sustainability education matters. Educational policy for ECEC has been developed through legislation and renewed curricula for the early years. Research on how sustainability is implemented in ECEC settings as well as in Finnish teacher education is still sparse, but indicates there is a policy-practice gap. The study was conducted in collaboration with municipal ECEC teams (n=34) in teaching practice settings (n=11) in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Data was collected using the &quot;Assessment Tool for Promoting Sustainability in ECEC&quot; (PROSUS) by Furu &amp; Valkonen (2020). The results show that there is great variability in terms of extent and depth in how sustainability work is carried out by the settings. In general, social-cultural issues are addressed at greater depth than ecological and economic issues. The study implies that there is a need to intensify professional development activities that support the capacities for sustainability work in ECEC teaching practice settings in order for teacher education to be effective in the realm of sustainability.
Theater Arts as a Beneficial and Educational Venue in Identifying and Providing Therapeutic Coping Skills for Early Childhood Adversities: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Author: Schnyder, Stephanie Solis
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Theater Arts,Art Therapy,Dramatic Play,Self Expression,Identification,Early Experience,Young Children,Trauma,Stress Variables,Coping,Social Development,Emotional Development,Educational Research,Early Childhood Education,Early Intervention,Program Effectiveness

This literature review highlights the utility of identifying early childhood adversities through dramatic play and theater arts. Understanding the impact of early childhood education, our focus included beneficial, qualitative observations of the positive therapeutic outcomes when participating in theater arts activities. We chose to search these individually: (1) to understand how to identify adversities in early childhood; and (2) to learn about the therapeutic effects that theater arts and dramatic play have on children. The findings amongst our articles show similar beliefs that theater arts can have a positive effect on a child's social and emotional development. Theater arts can be utilized as a venue for children to express themselves. We strongly believe that future studies should be conducted to further explore how theater arts and dramatic play can provide a means for identifying and treating children who have experienced early childhood adversities. Ending our literature review, we feel compelled to further investigate similar studies and/or design a study focused on identifying early childhood adversities using dramatic play and incorporating expressive arts as a therapeutic intervention. Particularly now, as the world determines how to navigate the multiple adversities of the COVID-19 pandemic, research informing educators, community leaders, and families of ways to protect children against the toxicity of pervasive stressors is vital.