ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of the Influence of Head Teachers Management Styles on Pupils Performance in KCPE in Public and Private Primary Schools in Nakuru Municipality, Kenya
Author: Shibo, Margaret Nekesa
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Interviews,Qualitative Research,Foreign Countries,Academic Achievement,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Students,Leadership Styles,Public Schools,Private Schools,Municipalities,Surveys,Administrator Attitudes,Computer Software,Standards,Resource Allocation,Leadership Effectiveness,School Administration,Correlation

The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of management styles of head teacher's on pupils' performance in private and public primary schools in Nakuru municipality at Kenya Certificate of Primary Education level. The population comprised of teachers and head teachers in public primary schools. The study adopted the ex post facto survey research design and used a sample size of 70 primary schools in which 70 Head teachers and 70 teachers were interviewed. The respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data for the study was collected by use of questionnaires and interview schedules. The study collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Data collected was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17. The results were presented by descriptive statistics. The study findings revealed that most public primary schools were using democratic and participatory leadership styles as opposed to private primary schools, which were mainly using autocratic leadership style; private primary schools were performing better than Public primary schools in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in Nakuru municipality; most teachers in both private and public primary schools were not comfortable with the prevailing/current leadership styles and administration standards, and negatively related this with student performance. The findings further revealed a positive Spearman rank correlation between school mean mark and team working spirit r(62) = 0.078) p&gt;0.05; and a positive Spearman rank correlation between school mean mark and adequate reading materials r(62) = 0.094) p&gt;0.05. Although the two correlations were not significant. Following these findings, the study recommends that the Ministry of Education, school governing bodies, and concerned stakeholders should consider mobilizing and allocating resources geared towards mitigating the impediments to the effectiveness of primary school leadership styles.
E-Learning: Students Input for Using Mobile Devices in Science Instructional Settings
Author: Yilmaz, Ozkan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Handheld Devices,Technology Uses in Education,Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,Online Courses,Distance Education,Undergraduate Students,Higher Education,Science Education,Questionnaires,Data Collection,Questioning Techniques,Content Analysis,Asynchronous Communication,Synchronous Communication,Telecommunications,Science Curriculum,Physics,Foreign Countries,College Students,Data Analysis,Computer Software,Computers

A variety of e-learning theories, models, and strategy have been developed to support educational settings. There are many factors for designing good instructional settings. This study set out to determine functionality of mobile devices, students who already have, and the student needs and views in relation to e-learning settings. The study participants are undergraduate students who are enrolled department of science education in faculty of education and electrical and electronics engineering department in faculty of engineering. Prepared questionnaire form is used to collect data. This form consists of three parts. First part of questionnaire related to mobile devices, second part related to user preferences and third part contains open ended question to get students ideas about usage of self-phones in science educational settings. Countable data are analyzed with descriptive techniques. And content analysis technique is used for written data. Findings show that mobile phones should be selected as required equipment for usage of mobile devices in e-learning setting. Other important findings that students suggest that mobile phone can be used face to face educational setting in classroom and outside of classroom without and face to face interaction to teacher or students.
Media Credibility and Cognitive Authority. The Case of Seeking Orienting Information
Author: Savolainen, Reijo
Date: 2007-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Information Seeking,Activism,Conservation (Environment),Semi Structured Interviews,Foreign Countries,Content Analysis,Credibility,Political Issues,Information Sources,Power Structure,Social Influences,Mass Media,Newspapers,Internet,Radio,Television,Media Literacy

Introduction: This article results from a qualitative case study focusing on the information seeking practices of environmental activists. The main attention was devoted to their perceptions of media credibility and cognitive authority in the context of seeking orienting information about environmental issues in particular. Method: The empirical data were gathered in 2005 by semistructured interviews with twenty environmental activists in Finland. Analysis: The interview data were examined by means of qualitative content analysis by constantly comparing the articulations of media credibility and cognitive authority. Results: The perceptions of media credibility and cognitive authority tend to be dependent on the topic at hand. No specific cognitive authorities were recognized. Sources providing focused information issued by environmental associations were perceived as most credible. Newspapers were perceived as less credible because of their political bias and the general level of news reporting. The significance of one's own critical reflection was emphasized in the judgement of the credibility of information sources of various types. Conclusion: Perceived media credibility and cognitive authority significantly, though often implicitly, orient the selection of information sources. There is a need also to explore their role in the context of seeking problem-specific information, both job-related and non-work.
Information Technology Adoption for Service Innovation Practices and Competitive Advantage: The Case of Financial Firms
Author: Chen, J. S.
Date: 2007-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Technology,Business,Finance Occupations,Foreign Countries,Technology Integration,Competition,Innovation,Delivery Systems,Hypothesis Testing,Surveys,Questionnaires,Least Squares Statistics

Background: The importance of information technology to current business practices has long drawn the attention of practitioners and academicians. Aim: This paper aims to broaden understanding about service innovation as a critical organizational capability through which information technology adoption influences the competitive advantage of a firm. In the context of financial firms, this study examines how information technology is adopted and managed to enhance service innovation practices and whether and how service innovation practices may influence the competitive advantage of firms. Method: A research framework and the associated hypotheses are proposed. An empirical survey was conducted and questionnaires were mailed to 558 financial firms in Taiwan. Analysis: A total of 124 valid observations was collected and analysed using the partial least squares technique. Conclusions: The results suggest that adopting information technology has positive effects on service innovation practices, which increase the competitive advantage of firms.
Activity Theory in Information Systems Research and Practice: Theoretical Underpinnings for an Information Systems Development Model
Author: Mursu, Anja
Date: 2007-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Systems,Models,Guidelines,Information Technology,Hospitals,Neonates,Patients,Records (Forms),Theories,Communication (Thought Transfer),Networks,Work Environment,Holistic Approach,Medical Evaluation,Medical Services,Nurses

Introduction: The purpose of information systems is to facilitate work activities: here we consider how Activity Theory can be applied in information systems development. Method. The requirements for an analytical model for emancipatory, work-oriented information systems research and practice are specified. Previous research work in Activity Theory is then elaborated to satisfy these requirements in parallel with practical applications. Elaboration: Activity Analysis and Development (ActAD) which sees work activity as a systemic entity, its constituent elements and networks of activities, is introduced and the information systems viewpoint is applied throughout the elaboration. Information systems development is modelled as an activity, applying the ActAD framework. Results: Our contribution is a participatory development model called the Activity Driven ISD Model, aimed at developing work and information systems in parallel, in three phases: understanding the present state of an activity; describing the goal state of the activity; and planning for the transformation to the goal state. Conclusion: The ActAD framework and the Activity Driven ISD Model meet six of the seven criteria set. The seventh requirement will be satisfied after the finalisation of the model. The experiences in our pilot studies concerning its applicability to the practitioners have been encouraging.
Building a Foundation to Study Distributed Information Behaviour
Author: von Thaden, Terry L.
Date: 2007-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Seeking,Cognitive Style,Safety,Operations Research,Accidents,Risk Management,Aviation Education,Air Transportation,Models,Search Strategies,Information Literacy,Information Management,Information Needs,Information Utilization

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to assess information behaviour as it pertains to operational teams in dynamic safety critical operations. Method: In this paper, I describe some of the problems faced by crews on modern flight decks and suggest a framework modelled on Information Science, Human Factors, and Activity Theory research to assess the distribution of information actions, namely information identification, gathering and use, by teams of users in a dynamic, safety critical environment. Analysis: By analysing the information behaviour of crews who have accidents and those who do not, researchers may be able to ascertain how they make use of (or fail to make use of) essential, safety critical information in their information environment. The ultimate goal of this research is to differentiate the information behaviour associated with the distinct outcomes. Results: This research affords the possibility to discern differences in distributed information behaviour illustrating that crews who err to the point of an accident appear to practice different distributed information behaviour than those who do not. This foundation serves to operationalise team sense-making through illustrating the social practice of information structuring within the activity of the work environment. Conclusions: The distributed information behaviour framework provides a useful structure to study the patterning and organization of information distributed over space and time, to reach a common goal. This framework may allow researchers and investigators alike to identify critical information activity in the negotiation of meaning in high reliability safety critical work, eventually informing safer practice. This framework is applicable to other domains.
The Role of the Research Phase in Information Seeking Behaviour of Jewish Studies Scholars: A Modification of Ellis's Behavioural Characteristics
Author: Bronstein, J.
Date: 2007-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Seeking,Jews,Scholarship,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Grounded Theory,Research Projects,Research Methodology,Search Strategies,Inquiry,Educational Researchers,College Faculty,Models,Information Literacy,Cognitive Style,Foreign Countries

Introduction: This study reports the application of Ellis's behavioural model to the information seeking behaviour of Jewish studies scholars. Method: A qualitative study in which twenty-five scholars from four universities in Israel were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide in which participants were encouraged to talk about different aspects of their information seeking behaviour. Analysis: Data were analysed using the grounded theory approach. This method consists of identifying incidents, events and activities and coding them into their respective categories by constantly comparing them to the properties of the emerging category to develop and saturate the category. Results: Findings point to a strong relationship between the information activities used and the stage of the research or purpose of the search. Conclusion: The proposed innovation positions of each of Ellis's information activities within a time frame or relating them to a specific type of scholarly activity. The proposed revision gives a comprehensive view of the active stages of the information seeking process through the information activities used at each research phase.
Everyday Inclusive Web Design: An Activity Perspective
Author: Kane, Shaun K.
Date: 2007-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Web Sites,Computer System Design,Accessibility (for Disabled),Design Requirements,Web 2.0 Technologies,Computer Software,Inclusion,Systems Development,Barriers,Change Strategies,Educational Practices,Assistive Technology

Introduction: Website accessibility is a problem that affects millions of people with disabilities. While most current accessibility initiatives target government or commercial sites, a growing segment of online content is being created by non-professionals. This content is often inaccessible to users with disabilities. Everyday inclusive Web design is a design perspective that promotes the creation of accessible content by everyday end-users. Method: The design activities of end-users and system designers are modeled using activity theory. Activity models and scenarios are used to describe and analyze design activity. Analysis: Professional system designers and end-users each engage in design activities within social software systems. These activities are not independent, but rather interact with one another to produce the final site content. Results: The activities of both system designers and end-users are mediated by historical practices and by the affordances of the available tools. Accessibility of user-created content may be limited by the ambiguous role of end-user designers, by the invisible impact of inaccessible designs and by the lack of appropriate tools to support end-user accessible design practices. Conclusions: Accessibility of social software systems depends on the cooperative work of system designers and end-users. The underlying structure of social software systems may be altered to increase users' awareness of accessibility issues and to encourage accessible design practices.
The Determination of Cognitive Structure of Candidate Teachers about Energy Centrals
Author: Karatekin, Kadir
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Structures,Energy,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries,Energy Education,Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Teacher Education Programs,Fuels,Power Technology

Energy is the vital essence of every biotic and abiotic process. Energy is also in central position in human civilization. The famous energy centrals are the major way for production of energy with many diverse effects on environment. Therefore, the mitigation of these effects is extremely important and one of its way is education in this controversial issue. The aim of this study is to investigate the cognitive structure of these candidate teachers with various branches towards energy centrals or power plants in the road of the solution of the environmental problem. They were asked to fill the word association test containing four major concepts, nuclear, hydroelectric, thermal and wind centrals. In sum, the nuclear central and wind central are found to be the most and the least dangerous ones sequentially in cognitive structure.
Envisioning the Future--A Question of Distances
Author: Villanen, Heli
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Children,Sustainable Development,Intergenerational Programs,Phenomenology,Foreign Countries,Objectives,Goal Orientation,Grade 6,Elementary School Students,Environmental Education,Models,Technology Uses in Education,Technological Advancement,Freehand Drawing

In this paper we will examine how children view their future. Intergenerational relations are at the core of sustainable development. These concern a human's moral responsibility to the coming generations. But, can we take for granted that future generations will have the same requirements and preferences as we do? Discussions of the future often take off from an adult perspective, but what would the visions of the future be, if children were asked? Theoretically the study is based on the life-world phenomenology. Our study was conducted in northern Sweden in 2011. Altogether, 22 children aged 11 to 12 years participated. They were asked to make a drawing to answer a question &quot;what does the future look like when you are grown up?&quot; During the analysis, four themes emerged: &quot;technology&quot;, &quot;career&quot;, &quot;apocalypse&quot; and &quot;sameness&quot;. According to our results, we consider that there is an aspect of distance imbedded within the visions.
Bringing the Tools of Big Science to Bear on Local Environmental Challenges
Author: Bronson, Scott
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Environmental Education,Science Projects,Science Careers,Research Projects,Partnerships in Education,Cooperative Learning,Distance Education,Standards,Secondary School Science,Science Education,High School Students,Science Experiments,Common Core State Standards,Foreign Countries

We describe an interactive collaborative environmental education project that makes advanced laboratory facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory accessible for one-year or multi-year science projects for the high school level. Cyber-enabled Environmental Science (CEES) utilizes web conferencing software to bring multi-disciplinary, inquiry-based research opportunities to Districts who wish to participate. CEES serves as a model to show how students involved in distance learning and experimentation can engage in exciting, state-of-the-art research that enhances their skills for future Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers. High school research opportunities through CEES support all seven New York State Standards for mathematics, science and technology (MST), Common Core and 12 of the National Geography Standards.
Understanding Instructor Nonverbal Immediacy, Verbal Immediacy, and Student Motivation at a Small Liberal Arts University
Author: Furlich, Stephen A.
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nonverbal Communication,Verbal Communication,Student Motivation,Small Colleges,Higher Education,Liberal Arts,Regression (Statistics),Universities,Colleges,Undergraduate Students,Introductory Courses,Communications,Correlation,Reliability,Data Analysis,Research Universities,Class Size

Instructor communication behaviors and student motivation to learn relationships were studied at a small liberal arts university. Specifically, relationships between instructor nonverbal immediacy, verbal immediacy behaviors and student motivation to learn were measured. Only instructor verbal immediacy behaviors had a significant linear regression relationship result with student motivation to learn. These results from a small liberal arts university are discussed in reference to previous research that measured these variables primarily at research universities. The results and implications are addressed for instructors and administrators.
An Assessment of Turkish Elementary Teachers in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development
Author: Sagdic, Ali
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Evaluation,Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,Sustainable Development,Teaching Methods,Teaching Styles,Beliefs,Data Collection,Standards,Class Size,Barriers,Curriculum Development,Research Methodology,Sampling,Online Surveys,Likert Scales,Scores,Foreign Countries,Factor Analysis,Measures (Individuals),Teacher Effectiveness,Program Implementation

The purpose of the current study is to describe beliefs, perceived barriers and teaching strategy preference of elementary teachers with respect to education for sustainable development. The sample of research survey consisted of 211 elementary teachers who are also participant of projects on environmental education entitled Green Pack and Eco-schools. The data were collected by three different scale entitled &quot;beliefs on education for sustainable development scale,&quot; &quot;barriers towards education for sustainable development scale&quot; and &quot;techniques in education for sustainable development scale.&quot; Items of the scales were examined taking into account mean scores, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages. Results revealed that teachers perceive some of the condition such as curriculum, class size, and lack of instructional materials as barriers for education for sustainable development. Despite these barriers, teachers have favorable beliefs regarding education for sustainable development. These beliefs were in line with the standards portrayed by international reports. In addition, it was argued that teachers' beliefs may be shaped by the educational projects they participated in.
Cross-Cultural Pedagogy: Practical Strategies for a Successful Interprofessional Study Abroad Course
Author: Bai, Jieru
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Study Abroad,Cross Cultural Training,Educational Strategies,Educational Practices,Teaching Methods,Interprofessional Relationship,Interpersonal Competence,Self Efficacy,Focus Groups,Health Education,Social Work,Program Design,Program Implementation,Faculty Development,Foreign Countries,College Students

This article discusses some practical strategies for designing and implementing a cross-cultural interprofessional study abroad course, including pre-departure preparation, facilitating small groups with local students, establishing a weekly theme, utilizing role-play and reflective assignments, and implementing meaningful evaluation strategies. These strategies were based on three years of experience and were found to effectively increase students' cultural competence and self-confidence, as evidenced by student evaluations and results from a focus group conducted one year after the course. Short term study abroad courses with appropriate pedagogical design are significant strategies for health profession programs in the face of growing diversity and globalization.