ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
University Students' Perceptions of an Activity-Based EFL Drama Course at a Korean University
Author: Reed, Jennifer
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Drama,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Journal Writing,Questionnaires,Communication Skills,Self Efficacy,Cultural Awareness,Communicative Competence (Languages),Thinking Skills,Mythology,Nursery Rhymes,Creative Activities,Role Playing,Course Descriptions,Student Journals

This paper aims to investigate university students' perceptions of drama activities in terms of providing suggestions for constructing an effective drama class. A total of ten students who participated in Interactive English, an elective English course during the second semester of 2013 at a Korean university, took part in this study. The students' perceptions of the activities as written in their journals and in response to questionnaires were analyzed. The results show that the subjects perceived that (1) all the 10 activities used in the drama course improved their communication skills (2) all the 10 activities improved their confidence; (3) activities that involved Group Homework, Mantle Expert, Role Play and Nursery Rhymes enhanced students' cultural awareness of the target language; (4) awareness, competence, and thinking ability were considered effective results of a drama class. Regarding these results, it is suggested that an activity based drama course gave students the speaking opportunity to increase their confidence, the practice necessary to become self-aware, and through stories, myths and nursery rhymes, a taste of other cultures.
On Iranian EFL Learners' Pragmatic Competence and Appropriate Use of &quot;Request&quot; in English Contexts
Author: Aliakbari, Mohammad
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Pragmatics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Material Development,Curriculum Design,Speech Acts,Language Tests,Vignettes,Advanced Students,Institutes (Training Programs),Correlation,Statistical Analysis,Interpersonal Competence,Questionnaires

This paper investigated the extent to which Iranian EFL students are aware of the appropriate use of request speech act in English speaking contexts in terms of formality, politeness and indirectness. A researcher made discourse completion test (DCT) including 16 scenarios was distributed among 130 advanced students in private English institutes in Ilam city. Results revealed that 90.5% of the participants adopted formal or highly formal requests, 88.5% requested politely and 67.2% performed indirect requests. In addition, the results of chi-square tests confirmed significant relationships between the three variables, meaning that those participants who were careful about using appropriate degrees of formality tended to act politely and preferably indirectly. The study, thus, led to certain implications for students, teachers, material developers and curriculum designers.
A National Survey of Revising Practices in the Primary Classroom
Author: Saddler, Bruce
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,Primary Education,Writing Instruction,Revision (Written Composition),Teaching Methods,Peer Teaching,Scoring Rubrics,Cooperative Learning,Elementary School Students,Conferences (Gatherings),Writing Strategies,Time Factors (Learning),Learning Disabilities,Racial Differences,Statistical Analysis

A random national sampling of primary grade teachers in the United States were surveyed to determine how they teach revising to writers in the elementary grades. Our findings suggest that in our sample of teachers, little time is dedicated in the school day to writing and especially revising. The teachers believed that more time spent revising did not necessarily lead to better revisions. Peer-support structures were widely employed and the use of rubrics during revision was widespread, but unevenly effective and less effective when utilized during peer-grouping structures. Teachers generally did not use strategies or commercial programs for writing or revising. Teachers reported that their students primarily made surface level revisions that generally did not improve their compositions. Finally, the presence of students with disabilities did not necessarily alter the type of writing and revising instruction delivered in classrooms
Attitudes towards Inclusion and Self-Efficacy of Principals and Teachers
Author: Urton, Karolina
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inclusion,Self Efficacy,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Experience,Disabilities,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Correlation,Mainstreaming,Elementary Schools,Influences,Remedial Instruction,Social Integration,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Elementary School Teachers,Statistical Analysis

Current research provides evidence of the positive influence of sense of (self-)efficacy and personal experience regarding attitudes towards inclusion for children with special educational needs (SEN). A multilevel study was designed to investigate the relationship between &quot;attitudes towards inclusion&quot; and sense of &quot;efficacy&quot; as well as &quot;mainstreaming experience&quot; at the individual, teaching staff, and principal level. In this context, 48 primary schools with inclusive classrooms were examined. Results indicated that teaching staff differ in regard to &quot;attitudes towards inclusion&quot; and &quot;individual&quot; and &quot;collective efficacy.&quot; Furthermore, there was a relationship regarding &quot;attitudes towards inclusion&quot; and &quot;mainstreaming experience&quot; between the school principal and the teaching staff. In regard to factors influencing &quot;attitudes towards inclusion,&quot; at the individual level, sense of &quot;self-efficacy&quot; and &quot;mainstreaming experience,&quot; and at the teaching staff level, &quot;collective efficacy,&quot; influenced &quot;attitudes towards remedial education.&quot; Teacher &quot;self-efficacy&quot; significantly influenced &quot;attitudes towards social integration.&quot; Results suggest that successful supervision of the process in inclusive school development depends on a consideration of the school's overall framework of circumstances--its principal, its teachers, and its staff.
The Social and Emotional Situation of First Graders with Classroom Behavior Problems and Classroom Learning Difficulties in Inclusive Classes
Author: Krull, Johanna
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Inclusion,Disabilities,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Classroom Environment,Social Influences,Emotional Response,Grade 1,Elementary School Students,Behavior Problems,Learning Problems,Social Isolation,Rejection (Psychology),Peer Relationship,Interviews,Questionnaires,Social Integration,Teacher Student Relationship,Self Concept,Teacher Surveys

The inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) in general education classrooms in Europe due to education policy and social developments is currently up for debate, especially in Germany. This paper addresses whether or not co-education of students with and without classroom problems and/or disabilities has negative consequences with respect to social and emotional situation within the classroom community. Although international research on inclusion shows an increased risk of social isolation for children with SEN, conclusions are not clear with German populations. In this study, 2,839 first graders were surveyed to determine if children with classroom behavior problems (CBP) and classroom learning difficulties (CLD) are more likely to be socially rejected than their peers. Sociometric interviews and a questionnaire were used to assess social integration, feeling of being accepted by the classroom teacher, academic self-concept, and classroom climate. Results reveal that first grade students with CBP and CLD experienced significantly higher levels of social rejection. An exploratory analysis based on the distribution of social and emotional differences between students with and without CBP and CLD supports these results at the classroom and school levels.
Revisiting an Old Methodology for Teaching Counting, Computation, and Place Value: The Effectiveness of the Finger Calculation Method for At-Risk Children
Author: Calder Stegemann, Kim
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Computation,Mathematical Concepts,Number Concepts,Instructional Effectiveness,At Risk Students,Problem Solving,Student Attitudes,Elementary School Students,Grade 2,Grade 5,Manipulative Materials,Intervention,Foreign Countries,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

Number sense is critical to the development of higher order mathematic abilities. However, some children have difficulty acquiring these fundamental skills and the knowledge base of effective interventions/remediation is relatively limited. Based on emerging neuro-scientific research which has identified the association between finger movement/representation and numerical cognition, this one-year study examined the effectiveness of a finger calculation program for at-risk and non-at-risk school children. Specifically, the study sought to determine the impact of learning Chisanbop (Korean finger calculation method) on the number sense, computational, quantitative concepts, and problem solving skills, as well as attitudes towards mathematics, of children at the grade 2 and grade 5 levels. The findings indicate a significant impact on attitudes for math for at-risk grade 2 students.
Citation Behaviors Observed in Japanese EFL Students' Argumentative Writing
Author: Kamimura, Taeko
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Citations (References),English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Japanese,Native Language,Writing (Composition),Essays,Persuasive Discourse,Academic Discourse,College Students,Credibility,Language Skills,Second Language Instruction,Writing Instruction,Student Attitudes,Books,Internet,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Guidelines,Foreign Countries,Writing Assignments

Effective use of outside source texts is one of the key components of successful academic writing. This study aims at clarifying Japanese university EFL students' citation behaviors in producing argumentative writing. Twenty-six Japanese university EFL students wrote an argumentative essay. Their essays were analyzed quantitatively by six measures: languages of sources, credibility of sources, kinds of sources, citation strategies, references in essays, and reference lists in essays. The results of the analysis revealed that the students tended to (1) rely on Japanese, rather than English, sources; (2) distinguish credible from non-credible sources; (3) favor books and online materials as sources; (4) use data as well as direct quotations and verbatim translations as citation strategies; (5) properly cite sources in their own essays; and (6) list sources in a reference section. A qualitative sample analysis was conducted to examine actual instances of both effective and ineffective citation practices manifested by a student writer. The study suggests that it is necessary to integrate four language skills into writing instruction, to understand each student's citation behavior from the developmental perspective, and to prepare more precise guidelines for the use of online materials.
A Comparative Study between Iranian and Japanese Students' Conceptions of &quot;Ideal English Lesson&quot;
Author: Jafari, Sakineh
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Preferences,Foreign Countries,Class Activities,Language Proficiency,Lesson Plans,Curriculum Development,Communicative Competence (Languages),Factor Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Cross Cultural Studies,Qualitative Research,Interviews

With the shift in language teaching towards a more learner-centered approach, there is now an emphasis on considering learners' views on what goes on in the classroom. Involving learners in selecting and evaluating classroom activities as well as listening to their voices and preferences can be helpful for teachers in planning lesson and designing materials. With this idea in mind, the present study focuses on the tertiary students' perceptions of &quot;ideal English lesson&quot; in Iran and Japan. 115 Iranian students completed a questionnaire designed by Littlewood (2010). The results were compared with the Littlewood's (2010) study with Japanese students as well as students from three Asian countries (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mainland China). The findings show that for Iranian students non-communicative activities were regarded as an &quot;ideal English lesson&quot;. Japanese students expressed generally more conservative preferences than their counterparts in Iran and the three other Asian countries. The results suggest that learners' beliefs about language learning, proficiency level, and future needs may affect their current preferred classroom activities. Implications for lesson planning and curriculum development are also discussed in this paper.
Japanese University Students' Willingness to Communicate in English: The Serendipitous Effect of Oral Presentations
Author: Matsuoka, Rieko
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Communicative Competence (Languages),Social Environment,Anxiety,Reading Instruction,Books,Oral Language,Assignments,Teaching Methods,Self Concept,Learning Motivation,Nursing Education,Majors (Students),Questionnaires

This study examines the ways in which college students in Japan overcame sensitivity to external evaluation and increased their willingness to communicate in English. It is not uncommon for university students in Japan, who are otherwise proficient speakers of English and motivated to learn, fail to exhibit English competency in real communication situations. In interviews with students and teachers we discovered that sociocultural factors impede spontaneous communication, resulting in a reduced level of willingness to communicate in the students' L2, English. The social norms of the language classroom at a Japanese university create a milieu where individual students are sensitized to the social appropriateness of their communication acts. Since these norms are related to both the speech community of college students as well as larger societal expectations, including the concept of &quot;seken&quot; (public eye), we suggest that language educators need to consider carefully the social context of the Japanese student language community when facilitating individuals' development of English language competence. Serendipitously we discovered that communication apprehension decreased when socially appropriate acts of communication were encouraged. The participants for this study read books (graded readers) of their own selection individually as a part of reading classes and gave in-class presentations, an idea self-initiated by the students themselves. Without any explicit attempt at boosting their levels of willingness to communicate, the participants of this study reported that they gained higher self-perceived communicative competence and felt more comfortable in speaking.
Loving and Hating High School: Divided Opinion among Adults in a Rural University Town
Author: Howley, Craig B.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adults,School Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Negative Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Rural Areas,Rural Schools,School Responsibility,Educational Objectives,Interviews,Institutional Evaluation,Predictor Variables,Regression (Statistics),Instructional Leadership

In this report, the authors characterize the differences between those interviewed who &quot;loved school&quot; and &quot;those who did not.&quot; For this comparison, they created two sets of comparison groups: (1) interviewees divided into upper and lower halves on one item, &quot;I loved school&quot;; and (2) the top and bottom quartiles on the same item, as detailed in the brief methods section. The discussions in the course raised a number of questions, all intended to evoke the spirit of skepticism. What does schooling accomplish and for whom? Can teachers really know better than others what is &quot;best for children?&quot; Who benefits most from schooling? Do schools have a responsibility to their local communities and not only to &quot;the children&quot;? Can people learn to think? Can people be taught not to think? Do people really like school? What good do adults think their high school experience did for them? Good questions all--and none with ready-made, easy answers. Although the implications of this study seem surprisingly momentous, the authors contend that they remain a matter of interpretation, and they caution both readers and themselves that this was a small-scale, exploratory study with a non-representative sample, and the issues themselves merit further attention. Recommendations are provided for consideration.
Racial Harmony &amp; Heroes: A Content Analysis of the Pearson Reading Program &quot;Good Habits, Great Readers&quot;
Author: Tosolt, Brandelyn
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Multicultural Education,Cultural Pluralism,Qualitative Research,Content Analysis,Reading Programs,Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Coding,Classification,Reading Habits,Minority Group Students,Reading Materials,School Culture,Social Justice,Culturally Relevant Education,Literacy Education,Critical Theory,Race,Racial Bias,Course Content

Multicultural education is a term with a variety of definitions growing from a number of different disciplines. These authors conducted a content analysis of the Pearson reading program &quot;Good Habits, Great Readers&quot; for grades four and five. The qualitative approach of content analysis allowed researchers to examine text &quot;through the systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns.&quot; Through content analysis they were able to extract themes and patterns embedded within &quot;Good Habits, Great Readers&quot; to describe the phenomena within the text. As all curriculum can be understood as racial text, gendered text, political text, autobiographical text, and so on, the authors were able to look at the messages the &quot;Good Habits, Great Readers&quot; series gives to its readers. Thus, content analysis provided the framework to examine the Pearson text as a living document that shapes its readers. The authors were able to conclude that through literacy, issues impacting students of color can be addressed while empowering students to make decisions that will influence their own school and local communities. Textbooks and reading series like &quot;Good Habits, Good Readers&quot; can be a start to multicultural integration, but they cannot be the end.
Self-Assessment of Topic Development in Written Production among High School Students
Author: Oi, Yoko Suganuma
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing (Composition),Writing Assignments,Hypothesis Testing,Evaluation Methods,Student Participation,High School Students,Self Evaluation (Individuals),English (Second Language),Japanese,Foreign Countries,Student Evaluation,Organization,Rhetoric,Questionnaires

The present study mainly focuses on the topic development in student written production through the consistency between student self-assessment and teacher assessment. In the present study, topic development means &quot;cohesion&quot;, &quot;overall organization&quot;, and &quot;coherence&quot;. It proposes the next hypotheses: (i) Students could assess cohesive devices such as discourse markers as well as teachers do. (ii) Students could assess the overall organization pattern of their written production as well as teachers do. (iii) Students could assess the coherence of their written production as well as teachers do. 169 Japanese high school students whose ages ranged from 16 to 18 years old were asked to write an essay with about 150 words in 30 minutes. One American English teacher and one Japanese English teacher also participated in the study. Teachers and students used the same self-assessment sheet written in both English and Japanese. And then 82 students' written production was chosen as the subject based on the number of the words. They were divided into three groups referring to teachers' assessment. The results show that the writing patterns in terms of topic development are divided into eight patterns. The self-assessment of the students is not different from teacher assessment in the aspect of overall organization. However, the consistency between teacher assessment and student self-assessment was not found in the assessment of other cohesive devices and overall coherence.
Critical Thinking and EFL Learners' Performance on Different Writing Modes
Author: Golpour, Farhad
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Critical Thinking,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,College Students,Measures (Individuals),Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Writing Evaluation,Persuasive Discourse,Descriptive Writing,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Significance,Language Tests,Statistical Distributions

The essential function of critical thinking in education is obvious by many studies done in this field. The main purpose of this article is to find the relationship between critical thinking levels of Iranian EFL learners and their performance on different modes of writing. The sample of the study selected among those who studying English at the advanced level at Kish Institute of Science and Technology, Rasht, Iran. The instruments used in this study included the Longman paper and pencil test (2004) for ensuring the homogeneity of the learners, a critical thinking questionnaire (Honey, 2004) with 30 items into the 5-point Likert scale type that used to divide learners into high and low critical thinkers and an analytic scale of Weir (1990) for assessing participants' argumentative and descriptive writings. The study followed an ex-post facto design. The results of inferential statistics revealed a statistically significant difference between the writing performance of high and low critical thinkers in both the descriptive and argumentative modes. It was found that the high critical thinkers' writing was better in both modes of writing compared to the low critical thinkers. The result of this research helps teachers to consider the effect of critical thinking on the learning process. Moreover, the syllabus designers and course-book writers should think about critical thinking as an influential element in their program.