ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Counselling for Occupational Development
Author: Nwamuo, P. A.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary School Students,Questionnaires,Career Development,Student Attitudes,Career Counseling,Occupational Information,Career Guidance,Positive Attitudes,Gender Differences,Foreign Countries

The aim of the study was to ascertain the general attitude which senior secondary school students display towards counselling for occupational development while determining gender difference in students' attitude towards occupational information. It is also aimed at discovering whether these students seek vocational guidance in their choice of vocation. Three research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. One hundred and twenty (120) students comprising sixty (60) males and sixty (60) females were selected out of six hundred (600) students using a stratified random sampling technique. A twenty-four (24) item-questionnaire was used as the instrument to collect relevant data. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by experts in vocational guidance in the Department of Educational Psychology/Guidance and Counselling of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri. Copies of the questionnaire were then administered to the subjects of study and were retrieved on the spot. Simple percentages were used to analyse the three research questions. Findings of the study revealed that senior secondary school students had a positive attitude towards counselling for occupational development; gender had no significant influence on the attitude of students towards occupational information, and senior secondary school students do not seek vocational guidance in their choice of vocation. Among others, it was recommended that the school authority encourages counsellors who should emphasise the relationship between school subjects and future career of the students to enable them make appropriate choice while providing students with job analysis and occupational information in newspapers, magazines, and other publications.
The Paradox of Teaching Citizenship Education in Botswana Primary Schools
Author: Mhlauli, Mavis B.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Citizenship Education,Social Studies,Inquiry,Qualitative Research,Grounded Theory,Foreign Policy,Political Attitudes,Time Perspective,Knowledge Level,Elementary School Students,Elementary Schools,Elementary School Teachers,Political Issues,Democratic Values,History,History Instruction,Focus Groups,Observation,Civil Rights,Interviews,Participant Observation

The major purpose of this study was to explore the social studies teachers' perceptions and understandings of citizenship education in primary schools in Botswana. The study adopted a post colonial lens by using the notions of the pedagogy of imperialism and contrapuntal criticism to interrogate the teachers' perceptions of citizenship education. The study was qualitative in nature and employed the naturalistic inquiry paradigm. Qualitative methods were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using grounded theory through the constant comparative technique. The findings of the study revealed that social studies teachers perceived teaching about Botswana as citizenship education. The paradox lies in the teachers' view that knowledge about Botswana's cultures, histories and politics constitutes citizenship education. Therefore, the study recommends that citizenship education be re-imagined to take into account both the local and global trends on citizenship education. Furthermore, teachers have to be cognizant of the politics of mainstream academic knowledge and work towards knowledge construction devoid of imperialist ideologies.
Gender and Learner Characteristics
Author: Hindal, Huda
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Characteristics,Learning,Adolescents,Middle School Students,Gender Differences,Academic Achievement,Student Evaluation,Tests,Performance Factors,Visual Acuity,Spatial Ability,Short Term Memory,Memorization,Cognitive Processes,Cognitive Ability,Recall (Psychology),Grade 7,Visual Measures,Educational Experiments,Correlation

It is well established that girls and boys perform differently in traditional examinations in most countries. This study looks at a sample of 754 school students in Kuwait (aged about 13) and explores how boys and girls differ in the performance in a range of tests related to learner characteristics. The fundamental question is how boys and girls differ in these learner characteristics and do any of the differences relate to examination performance. If the development of such learner characteristic is open to experiences in the formal learning situations, then this opens the door to possible ways to encourage the development of such characteristics, with possible concomitant enhancement of academic performance. The importance of this cannot be underestimated for it gives curriculum planners, textbook writers teachers and examiners potential tools for enhanced learning. In terms of gender, it may well offer some ways forward to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in achieving high academic performance. It is found that girls outperform the boys in tests which measure extent of field dependency, extent of divergency and skills with the visual-spatial (all at p &lt; 0.001). Confirming previous studies, the girls markedly outperform the boys in all school subject examinations but there are no differences in their measured working memory capacities. In looking at the relationships between various combinations of the measurements made, it is found that boys are much more dependent on working memory than girls in performing in examinations, and the boys are also much more dependent on employing skills related to divergent thought in achieving success in examinations. These observations are interpreted in terms of the way boys and girls learn, with girls being more conscientious and willing to memorise than the boys who, in turn, have to rely on working things out for success: girls tend to memorise; boys tend to try to work it out. This may offer an explanation of the greater success of girls in typical examinations where the accurate recall of information is so often the key to success.
The Redirect Behavior Model and the Effects on Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy
Author: Lentfer, Victoria S.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Intervention,Student Behavior,Practicums,Self Efficacy,Models,Classroom Techniques,Novices,Guidelines,Undergraduate Students,Placement,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Education,Student Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Diaries,Surveys

The ability for a novice teacher to confidently address inappropriate behavior has a substantial impact on student achievement, teacher attrition, and the reduction of bullying instances (Allen, 2010; Marzano, 2003). Classroom management plays a critical role in the success of the student as well as the teacher. The authors propose an intervention that potentially may have considerable impact on a novice teachers' confidence regarding classroom management. The idea of providing guidelines for novice teachers to implement while redirecting student behavior could perhaps impact self-efficacy with classroom management. This paper describes the implementation of the Redirect Behavior Model (RBM) with pre-service teachers during a five week practicum. The RBM is a proactive communication model that provides scripted guidelines for teachers to follow while they redirect inappropriate student behavior. The pre-service teachers were given extensive training on the RBM and was able to implement the model during an extensive field placement. Participants were 31 undergraduate pre-service teacher candidates, majoring in secondary education and enrolled in a junior-level classroom management course. The participants were trained in all three phases of the RBM prior to engaging in an extensive field practicum. Participants responded to an informal survey to explore students' self-efficacy about their knowledge and ability to manage student behavior. Paired samples t tests were used to evaluate possible differences between pre- and posttests for the two sets of items (knowledge and self-efficacy). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of training in the RBM on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in classroom management.
Examination of Self-Efficacy and Burnout Dynamics of Preschool Teachers in Turkey and the United States
Author: Orçan, Maide
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Efficacy,Teacher Burnout,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,Measures (Individuals),Teaching Experience,Educational Strategies,Classroom Techniques,Student Behavior,Likert Scales,Emotional Experience,Mental Health,Burnout

This study aimed to comparatively examine the self-efficacy and burnout levels of preschool teachers in Turkey and the United States. Of the general screening models, the study uses the relational screening model. A total of 90 teachers participated in the study. 32 of the participants were from the United States and 58 were from Turkey. The Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale and Burnout Scale were used in the study. The data were analyzed through the Whitney U-Test. According to the analyses regarding the self-efficacy levels of teachers, a significant difference in student participation sub-dimension as well as in total points in favor of the teachers in Turkey were found. However, no significant difference was found between the two countries with regards to teachers' burnout levels. Regarding the self-efficacy levels of teachers working in Turkey, a significant difference was found in favor of teachers with two to five years of experience in the student participation sub-dimension, while no significant difference was found in the other sub-dimensions and in total points. On the other hand, no significant difference was found between the self-efficacy levels and years of experience for the teachers in the United States. As for the sub-dimension and total points for emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion of the teachers working in Turkey, a significant difference was determined in favor of those who had a teaching experience of one year or less, while a significant difference was determined only in the mental exhaustion subdimension for the teachers in the United States. The difference in question was in favor of teachers with an experience of two to five years.
Cost Sharing in Zambia's Public Universities: Prospects and Challenges
Author: Masaiti, Gift
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Costs,State Universities,Governance,Democracy,Taxes,Educational Policy,Student Attitudes,Accountability,Cost Effectiveness,Shared Resources and Services,Questionnaires,Sampling,Statistical Analysis,Factor Analysis,Models,Organizational Effectiveness,Sustainability,Gender Differences

This research paper explores the concept of &quot;cost sharing&quot; which became more prominent in Zambia education with the advent of democratic form of governance in 1991. As a way of responding to the ever diminishing tax revenues, government through the education policy of 1996, allowed higher education institutions including public universities to introduce cost sharing as way of improving financial vibrancy, accountability and cost effectiveness. This paper therefore, uses students' perceptions to examine the cost sharing policy which has now been existence for almost two decades. More specifically, it explores underlying factors which can make cost sharing more effective and sustainable. Recent studies show that the impact of the cost sharing has been modest, though still remains one viable and cost effective way of financing public universities. In exploring these prospects and challenges, a self administered questionnaire based on convenient sampling was used to collect data from 729 respondents in Zambia's three biggest public universities. Data was subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Exploratory Fac tor Analyses. The findings revealed that the current cost sharing policy was appropriate but lacked the government support in its implementation. The study further highlighted the need for re-engineering the current policy by providing details on the implementation process. The study highly recommends that a true cost-sharing model be implemented in an effort towards making public universities more effective and sustainable.
The Beneficial Effects of Non-Received Choice: A Study on Intrinsic Motivation in Biology Education
Author: Meyer, Annika
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Motivation,Biology,Science Instruction,Science Education,Student Interests,Control Groups,Decision Making,Voting,Teaching Methods,Educational Benefits,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Personal Autonomy,Self Determination,Foreign Countries,Multivariate Analysis

Previous research has found conflicting evidence in studies where students participate in the selection of their course topics in educational settings. Katz and Assor (2007), for example, have argued that the increase in student motivation is probably not due to the mere act of choosing, but to the value of the options with respect to personal interest. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of choice on aspects of motivation during biology lessons. Our sample consisted of five classes with 118 children of whom 63% were female. Their average age was 10.4 years (SD = 0.6). One group of students was asked to select one topic out of four in a majority vote during a biology class, while a control group was simply assigned the same topic. Results: Students who chose their topic reported a higher level of intrinsic motivation than students who were not given the option. A surprising result was that the students in the voting group who did not receive their preferred choice reported the same level of motivation as those who did.
How to Train Good Teachers in Finnish Universities? Student Teachers' Study Process and Teacher Educators' Role in It
Author: Uusiautti, Satu
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Study Habits,Learning Processes,Teacher Educators,Teacher Role,Performance Factors,Best Practices,Student Characteristics,Teacher Education Curriculum,Units of Study,Educational Environment,Educational Policy,Organizational Climate,Organizational Culture,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Influence,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Student Teachers

Due to Finnish pupils' achievements in international comparisons, also Finnish teacher training has been widely acknowledged. Today's educational policies aim at making teacher training more effective in Finland. However, in order to realize this in practice, not only reforms in educational policy or institutions are enough. More attention should be paid on student teachers' study processes as a whole. In this article, we introduce an illustration of the factors that comprise student teachers' study processes at universities. Based on the illustration, we will discuss what makes a good study process as the teacher's academic degree and how teacher educators can make students' progress on their study paths motivating and fruitful. We argue that teacher educators should be more thoughtful and willing to genuinely help and confront students as individuals: teacher educators should act as mentors who further students' engagement in studying.
Perceptions of and Attitudes towards Ageing in Zambia
Author: Mapoma, Christopher C.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Aging (Individuals),Social Attitudes,Negative Attitudes,Focus Groups,Community Attitudes,Knowledge Level,Social Services,Policy,Government Role,Aging Education

This paper reflects part of the wider outlook on ageing in general in Zambia and was intended to investigate perceptions of and attitudes towards the aged and ageing in Zambia by members of the community who, by definition and chronologically are not classified as aged i.e. not yet 60 years and over. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were used to collect the necessary information. At least one FGD was conducted in each of the selected districts and they comprised almost an equal number of males and females. Findings indicate that people rarely discuss ageing and where such discussions are made, they usually reflect pessimistic views, attitudes and perceptions towards the aged. Further, discussants indicated that while older people face serious challenges, there seems to be no commitment in terms of policies and programs on how to address the question of ageing. Based on suggestions provided by discussants, the paper provides avenues through which ageing and the challenges thereof could best be addressed.
Influence of Gender and Knowledge on Secondary School Students' Scientific Creativity Skills in Nakuru District, Kenya
Author: Okere, Mark I. O.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Gender Differences,Secondary School Students,Science Instruction,Creative Thinking,Statistical Analysis,Biology,Case Studies,Surveys,Sampling,Science Tests,Science Achievement,Definitions,Creativity,Achievement Tests,Correlation,Recognition (Psychology),Thinking Skills,Cognitive Processes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of gender and knowledge on scientific creativity among form three biology students (third year in secondary school cycle) in Nakuru district in Kenya. The cross- sectional survey research was employed. A sample of eight schools with a total of 363 students was selected from the population using stratified sampling technique. Two instruments, namely, Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Biology Scientific Creativity Test (BSCT) were used to collect data. The psychological definitions of creativity tested are sensitivity, recognition, flexibility and planning. The mapping of these psychological definitions of creativity onto scientific meanings is explained using the model that guided construction of items in BSCT. Data analysis was done using quantitative methods. The findings of this study indicate that the form three biology students who participated in the study had a low level of scientific creativity. Secondly, the level of scientific creativity is knowledge and gender dependent. The findings may help teachers and other stake holders in education in inculcating creativity skills amongst science students.
Undergraduate Research Supervision in Social Studies and Religious Education: The Case of Primary Colleges of Education in Botswana
Author: Boikhutso, Keene
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Student Research,Supervision,Religious Education,Social Studies,Educational Research,Student Teachers,Focus Groups,Interviews,Content Analysis,Foreign Countries,Case Studies,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Student Teacher Attitudes,Research Skills,Supervisor Supervisee Relationship,Student Attitudes,Qualitative Research

This paper explored the myriad problems associated with undergraduate research supervision in social studies and religious education using one of the primary Colleges of Education near Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana as a case study. The study applied qualitative research involving interviews and focus group interviews to solicit information from eight college lecturers and ten final year students doing research in Religious Education and Social Studies. The respondents were purposively selected on the basis that they would provide rich data on the supervision of research projects. Additional information was generated through document and content analysis. The findings revealed that supervisors and student teachers at undergraduate level experience a large array of problems related to research capacity. The students, for example lacked presentation skills which has resulted in failure to present original work. There is also evidence of a relatively inadequate supervisory skills by college lecturers in terms of executing their supervision duties. The study concludes by calling for both supervisors and their supervisees to consider undergraduate research as a two-way process which requires expertise and adequate skills.
Improving Science, Technology and Mathematics Students' Achievement: Imperatives for Teacher Preparation in the Caribbean Colleges and Universities
Author: Ogunkola, Babalola J.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,STEM Education,Science Achievement,Educational Improvement,Preservice Teacher Education,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Barriers,Technology Integration,Student Research,Faculty Development,Change Strategies

The concerns of this article are the unacceptable status of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Education in the Caribbean and how to improve the students' achievement in the subjects involved through the instrumentality of better preparation of teachers by the Colleges and University faculties training teachers in the region. The index for measuring development among nations of the world is the level of scientific and technological advancement because the factors that influence development are based on human ability to explore, invest and utilize the natural endowments available in the nation. In other words, no nation can attain any reasonable level of development without meeting the vital demands of development particularly in the areas of science, technology and mathematics. Therefore, the article begins with the presentation of the importance and the status of STM education using the mirror of science students' achievement at global level. Moreover, it is established that the Caribbean education also has some challenges to deal with in the areas of science, technology and mathematics education. The tertiary institutions, particularly the colleges training teachers and the universities are then challenged with suggestions of what they can or should do in teacher preparation that may have direct impact on improving the science students' achievement in the Caribbean.
The Effects of Analogy on Students' Understanding of Direct Current Circuits and Attitudes towards Physics Lessons
Author: Ugur, Gokhan
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physics,Misconceptions,Student Attitudes,Science Instruction,Experimental Groups,Grade 11,High School Students,Teaching Methods,Control Groups,Figurative Language,Introductory Courses,Energy,Scientific Concepts,Prior Learning,Attitude Measures,Pretests Posttests,Foreign Countries

This study investigated the effects of analogy on the elimination of students' misconceptions about direct current circuits, students' achievement and the attitudes towards physics lessons. The sample of this study consisted of 51 11th grade students from two different classes. While one of the classes was the experimental group where analogy was used in the lessons, the other class was the control group where the traditional methods are employed in lessons and this selection was made randomly. When the obtained results were examined, it was seen that teaching with analogy has a significantly positive effect on the elimination of misconception and achievement although it has almost no effect on the attitudes of towards physics.