ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Descriptive-Comparative Analysis of Apology Strategies: The Case of Iranian EFL and Malaysian ESL University Students
Author: Farashaiyan, Atieh
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,English (Second Language),Language Usage,Questionnaires,Cross Cultural Studies,Cultural Differences,Interpersonal Communication,Responses,Responsibility,Cultural Influences

This paper reports on a study that was carried out to describe and compare the apology strategies utilized by Iranian EFL and Malaysian ESL learners in confronting identical apology situations. For this purpose, data were elicited from 15 Iranian and 15 Malaysian students through a &quot;Discourse completion tasks&quot; questionnaire. The participants were of the same language proficiency. Results of the study showed certain similarities and differences in terms of frequency and typology of strategies used by Iranian and Malaysian students. The findings of this study might be of pedagogical help and significance to teachers, students and those interested in pragmatics in general and apology speech act in particular.
The Religious Meaning in &quot;Waiting for Godot&quot;
Author: Wang, Jing
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Novels,Literary Criticism,Religious Factors,Christianity,Psychological Patterns,Theater Arts,Classics (Literature),Twentieth Century Literature

&quot;Waiting for Godot&quot; is one of the classic works of theater of the absurd. The play seems absurd but with a deep religious meaning. This text tries to explore the theme in four parts of God and man, breaking the agreement, repentance and imprecation and waiting for salvation.
The Use of Persian in the EFL Classroom--The Case of English Teaching and Learning at Pre-University Level in Iran
Author: Mahmoudi, Leila
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Indo European Languages,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,High School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Observation,Video Technology,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Language Usage,Interviews,Student Motivation,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries

Inspired by the rise of Communicative Language Teaching, some scholars have vehemently rejected any use of L1 in L2 learning classes (e.g., Atkinson, 1987) while others have advocated the use of L1 as an efficient tool to facilitate communication (e.g., Nation, 2003). However, caution has been raised against the excessive use of L1 (Nation, 2001). This study was conducted to observe classroom dynamics in terms of the quantity of use of L1 in two randomly-selected pre-university English classes in Ahvaz, Iran. The objective was to seek both students and teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards the use of L1 in L2 classes. The classes were observed and video-taped for 6 sessions and the teachers and four high-achieving/low-achieving students were interviewed. The findings showed that an excessive use of Persian could have a de-motivating effect on students. Hence, the interviewed students voiced dissatisfaction with the untimely use and domination of L1 in L2 classes.
Iranian Parents' Resistance to Incompatible Aspects of Western Culture: Implications for ELT Material Development
Author: Kasaian, Seyed Ahmad
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Instructional Materials,Parent Attitudes,Cultural Influences,Life Style,Foreign Countries,High School Students,Attitude Measures,Age Differences,Educational Attainment,Family Income,Gender Differences,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Coding,Hypothesis Testing

The British and US varieties of English have now come under suspicion of promoting American and British ways of life and marginalizing the local identities of their learners. Prompted by these suspicions, many scholars and policy makers have voiced doubts about the cultural adequacy of the native speaker-controlled ELT programs. In a recent survey conducted by the present authors (forthcoming), the attitude of the Iranian education officials towards the teaching of English in its western cultural context was surveyed. The findings indicated that they strongly disapproved of the teaching of English along with its western cultural values. To find out whether the above official resistance in Iran has the backing of the general public, a cultural resistance survey was conducted. 393 male and female Iranian parents from different walks of life participated in this survey. The results showed that the high school students' possible adoption of the western lifestyle and their exposure to the manifestations of incompatible western culture were resisted by their parents. Based on the findings of this research, the researchers made a number of recommendations for international, regional and local ELT material development.
Engage Them, Don't Enrage Them -- Student Voices and What It Takes to Participate
Author: Aboudan, Rima
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,Student Participation,Student Empowerment,Student Responsibility,Student Motivation,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Teacher Student Relationship,Rewards

Students who get involved reap several academic benefits (Furtwengler: 1991). This paper concerns features of pedagogy that involve students, get them to participate, and capture and sustain their interest. Analysis of data from feedback by 80 students and 40 faculty members in the United Arab Emirates University highlighted four core components in motivating student participation: the content connect-ability of subject-matter to students' everyday lives; the use of student active-involvement opportunities in lessons; the students' sharing of responsibility in the learning process; and the establishment of a rewarding system for effort and engagement.
The Predictive Evaluation of Language Learning Tasks
Author: Vasiljevic, Zorana
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Prediction,Task Analysis,Teaching Methods,Instructional Material Evaluation,Instructional Materials

Teachers are often faced with difficulty in choosing appropriate teaching activities for use in their classroom. In selecting suitable materials for their learners, teachers need to be able to analyze any tasks (i.e., their objectives, procedures and intended outcomes) before they are applied in the classroom. This paper will attempt to outline a systematic procedure for predictive task evaluation. This model should help teachers to identify elements in the task design that are likely to affect the accuracy, fluency and complexity of the students' output &quot;before&quot; the task is implemented in the classroom and thus help them to make decisions regarding task selection and their sequencing.
Theme-Based Group Teaching of College Oral English: Endorsed by Students in Chinese EFL Context
Author: Gao, Fen
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,College Second Language Programs,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Interviews,Observation,Comparative Analysis,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Student Motivation,Grammar Translation Method,Oral Language,Language Proficiency,Predictor Variables,Scores,Language Tests,College Students,Pretests Posttests

In this study the author tries to assess the effects of Theme-based Oral Approach (TOA) on the oral English proficiency of non-English majors as well as students' leaning motives and interests resulted from the approach in EFL class of China. The study follows the quantitative and qualitative method in light of questionnaire, interview, class observation with the causal-comparative study between treatment group and control group. The result shows that a majority of students with TOA improved their oral English learning more than those with Traditional Teaching Method (TTM). It also finds that TOA is able to motivate the students to speak in class and a certain percentage of students can overcome their psychological problems in expressing ideas. The findings are that TOA affects students' achievement in a favorable way which provides some theoretical, methodological and practical implications.
Prospect for Cell Phones as Instructional Tools in the EFL Classroom: A Case Study of Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh
Author: Begum, Roksana
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Technology Uses in Education,Case Studies,Undergraduate Students,Questionnaires,Interviews,College Faculty,Tests,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes

The aim of this study was to investigate the potentiality of cell phone use in the EFL classroom of Bangladesh as an instructional tool. The researcher conducted a case study on Jahangirnagar University of Bangladesh. For the study, some SMS based class tests were conducted in the English Department of the university where one hundred undergraduate EFL students participated as subjects. Before the tests, Some EFL teachers sent mobile SMS to students as a means of instruction for teaching appropriate use of preposition for one week. After one week, the teachers took some class tests where the test questions were delivered via SMS and the students also answered the test questions by mobile SMS. The author collected data through students' questionnaires, and teachers' interview records and classroom observation reports. The research results demonstrated that cell phone has great potential as an instructional tool despite some challenges that can be resolved by the sincere attempts of the authority, teachers and by changing the ethical point of view that consider cell phones as merely a disturbing factor in the classroom.
Effectiveness of Teaching Approaches of In-Service Training Courses for EFL Teachers in Jordanian Schools
Author: Al-Wreikat, Yazan Abdel Aziz Semreen
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Inservice Teacher Education,Teaching Methods,Program Effectiveness,Mixed Methods Research,Interviews,Observation,Questionnaires,Teacher Attitudes,Faculty Development

This paper focuses on the impact of the organization of teaching approaches on the effectiveness of training for Jordanian EFL teachers. The sample for this study is drawn from all government schools in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The study uses a mixed-method approach whereby findings are triangulated throughout (in interviews, observations, and questionnaires). The study finds that most of the in-service training courses for EFL teachers are not properly organized. Moreover, taking into account different approaches, this study shows that a serious problem hinders the effectiveness of the in-service training courses.
Culture and Sustainability: Lessons from the Oyster and Other Metaphors
Author: Galloway, Vicki
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Figurative Language,Cultural Influences,Sustainability,Educational Methods,Cultural Pluralism,Sustainable Development,Holistic Approach,Social Influences,Study Abroad,Immersion Programs,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Economic Factors,College Students

Consider the oyster. Like all good metaphors, it has done some morphing since the days of Shakespeare's &quot;Merry Wives of Windsor.&quot; Newer bands of shell material have repainted the mollusk metaphor, transforming it from ostracism, opportunism, and exploitation to openness, opportunity and exploration, and thus an apt symbol for the intercultural experience. Indeed, Robinson's (1988) definition of culture as &quot;a system of symbols and meanings&quot; seems to evoke the very image of the oyster's constant production of shell layers: &quot;past experience influences meaning, which in turn affects future experience, which in turn affects subsequent meaning, and so on&quot; (p. 11). Metaphors are powerful in the economy of their complex bundling of experience. Lakoff (1993) contends that as mappings across conceptual domains metaphors help us grasp abstract concepts [such as culture] in more concrete terms. Using the metaphor &quot;The world is your oyster,&quot; Vicki Galloway guides readers back through time as they consider how education has mapped culture, and perceived culture teaching in order to look ahead to the construction of new cultural metaphors from the intercultural construct of Sustainable Development. She supports the idea that imagining and experimenting with new ways to address the challenges of sustainable development through intercultural growth is part of the excitement and energy of language teaching in our era as educators guide our future global citizens to think in links, think in context, think in time, think in people, think in consequences and think in responsibility. Galloway concludes the article by disagreeing with Walker's (2012) tragic interpretation of the oyster metaphor. She writes that educators are not at all &quot;trapped inside a shell, unable to break out, forced to live with it's finite and declining resources powerless to make the best use of the treasures that lie within.&quot; Galloway proposes a call to action as educators make the world their own oyster, and make it one that creates the intercultured pearl.
Towards Transformation: The Power of Phonetic Symbols Embedded in the Multimedia Learning Management System
Author: Por, Fei Ping
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phonetics,Multimedia Instruction,Pronunciation,Pronunciation Instruction,Management Systems,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence,Instructional Innovation,Teaching Methods,Second Language Instruction,Alphabets,Foreign Countries

The conventional way of using letter-to-sound approach to acquire English pronunciation competence is limited to simple and regular English words in elementary level. This limitation signifies the potentialities of phonetic symbols that are applicable to the pronunciation of all the words of human languages. The researchers are exploring the innovative use of phonetic symbols within the multimedia based English Pronunciation Learning Management System. The dynamic interactive learning system bears practical value to help novice users of the system become active and independent English pronunciation learners. The learners will be expected to benefit from this innovative approach to substantially improve their pronunciation competence. The proposed Multimedia Pronunciation Learning Management System (MPLMS) marks a radical transformation of pronunciation learning.
Human Resource Management Strategies and Teacher's Efficiency within Schools: A Co-Relational Study
Author: Hashmi, Kiran
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Human Resources,Personnel Management,Change Strategies,Efficiency,Correlation,Catholic Schools,Labor Force Development,Faculty Development,Teacher Surveys,Questionnaires,Attitude Measures,Teacher Improvement,Hypothesis Testing,Regression (Statistics),Likert Scales

The aim of the paper is to study Human Resource Management and Development (HRMD) strategies and their effect on teachers' efficiency within the Catholic Board of Education (CBE) schools of Pakistan whose teachers are graduates in educational leadership courses from a private teacher education institutes in Karachi. The study endeavored to build a simple theoretical and conceptual framework where the effectiveness of HRMD strategies in educational leadership were studied to explore their impact on enhancing teachers' efficiency. Leadership education is a relatively a new field of study in the Pakistani education and the concept of Human Resource Management (HRM) is regarded as novel and its effective usage is rarely seen. HRM strategies if effectively utilized may become a source of developing a transparent performance management system, a collaborative and cooperative environment in the schools and of promoting teachers' efficiency in the areas of knowledge, values, skills and development as professionals as well as enhancing a school's productivity and improving its overall performance. A survey methodology was adopted for the current research with purposive sampling to select 50 research participants and a questionnaire was used for data collection using an attitudinal scale. The results of the study revealed firstly that no relationship exists between the organization of the school and the newly acquired knowledge and skills of HRM. The school leaders are unaware of the various functions and strategies which are necessary to promote teachers' efficiency. Secondly, the study showed that some of the educational leaders are striving to meet the educational requirements of the times and to face challenges while using the learnt strategies of HRM to promote teachers' efficiency for the improvement of their particular schools.
Exploring Major Predictors of Student Satisfaction: An Input towards a Learning-Friendly School Environment
Author: Balmeo, Marilyn L.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Satisfaction,Educational Environment,College Environment,Higher Education,Standards,Correlation,Predictor Variables,College Students,Questionnaires,Regression (Statistics),Weighted Scores,Interviews

The study sought to determine the perceived level of importance and perceived level of satisfaction of college students on 16 areas of student service commonly provided in a tertiary education setting within any university as prescribed and observed by local and international standards of tertiary education. Each area was tested to determine the existence of a significant relationship between the measured response by respondents on their perceived level of importance and perceived level of satisfaction. The existence of a significant relationship between the two variables indicates that the given area of the learning environment is a major predictor towards student satisfaction. Item analysis was also performed on each area of the learning environment to determine specific indicators of student satisfaction. The results of this research serves as a benchmark to any university [with similar status as the locale of the study] in identifying particular areas of the learning environment that are crucial in determining student satisfaction and must be focus of university maintenance and development so as to achieve a learner-friendly school environment. The research was conducted with 399 students enrolled in Saint Louis University distributed in proportion to the population distribution of students in the different colleges within the said University.
Value Innovation in Learner-Centered Design. How to Develop Valuable Learning Tools
Author: Breuer, Henning
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Controlled Instruction,Instructional Innovation,Ethnography,Values,Student Needs,Barriers,Educational Strategies,Instructional Design,Needs Assessment,Student Interests,Learning Activities,Educational Trends,Influence of Technology,Social Influences,Cultural Influences

This paper shows how to address technological, cultural and social transformations with empirically grounded innovation. Areas in transition such as higher education and learning techniques today bring about new needs and opportunities for innovative tools and services. But how do we find these tools? The paper argues for using a strategy of (user) value innovation that creatively combines ethnographic methods with strategic industry analysis. By focusing on unmet and emerging needs ethnographic research identifies learner values, needs and challenges but does not determine solutions. Blue-ocean strategy tools can identify new opportunities that alter existing offerings but give weak guidance on what will be most relevant to users. The triangulation of both is illustrated through an innovation project in higher education.
Mikhail Geraskov (1874-1957): Methodological Concepts of Learning Physics
Author: Ilieva, Mariyana
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Profiles,Physics,Scientific Concepts,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,High Schools,Teaching Methods,Science Curriculum,Goal Orientation,Age Differences,Adolescents,Academic Ability,Foreign Countries

Mikhail Geraskov is a distinguished Bulgarian educator from the first half of the twentieth century, who developed the scientific foundations of didactics and methodology of training. His work contributed a lot to the development of the Bulgarian pedagogy. The subject of scientific research is didactical conceptions and methodological conceptions of learning. The aim of the research paper is to presents his ideas about particular methods of teaching Physics for high school. Geraskov assumes direct correlation between didactics and methodology. This paper focuses on his ideas about design, technology and methodological requirements for lessons of Physics. He believes that the appropriate methods are determined by the curriculum, set of educational goals and age characteristics, and capabilities of adolescents. In his methodical recommendations he focuses on teaching methods and forms that provoke students' activity. Comparative analysis with publications on the issues set for development of the Bulgarian pedagogic science and the actuality in the modern education system.
To What Degree Are Undergraduate Students Using Their Personal Computers to Support Their Daily Study Practices?
Author: Sim, KwongNui
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Computer Uses in Education,Study Habits,Questionnaires,Computer Literacy,Video Technology,Student Behavior,Internet,Diaries,Electronic Learning,Grounded Theory,Use Studies,Self Disclosure (Individuals)

This scoping study examines the degree to which twenty two undergraduate students used their personal computers to support their academic study. The students were selected based on their responses to a questionnaire aimed at gauging their degree of computer skill. Computer activity data was harvested from the personal computers of eighteen students and video footage of the students personal study sessions was gathered from a further four students. Three core themes emerged: (1) Academic Use vs. Non-academic Use; (2) Computer Orientated vs. Paper Orientated; and (3) Self-reports of Practice vs. Actual Practice. Overall results suggested three fundamental behaviors relating to technology use: 1] they were more likely to engage in nonacademic work than academic work on their personal computer; 2] they were more inclined to use paper-based approaches compared to digital ones despite the high rate of personal computer ownership and internet access; 3] there was a disparity between students' self-reports of the degree to which they used their personal computers for academic purposes (high) and nonacademic purposes (low) to what we found from computer logs which showed academic use as low and non-academic use as high. From these results we conclude that for this group of students computers played an important role in their day to day lives, but the degree to which they were used in their academic study was lower than we had expected.