ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Qualitative Epistemology: A Scientific Platform for the Study of Subjectivity from a Cultural-Historical Approach
Author: Patiño, José Fernando
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Epistemology,Bias,Heuristics,Qualitative Research,Scientific Methodology,Innovation,Experience,Reflection,Philosophy,Learning Theories,Case Studies,Mental Health Programs

This article contributes to the platform of thought proposed by González Rey in the development of qualitative epistemology and the theory of subjectivity. We discuss three core aspects: firstly, the general epistemological problems of modern science, with its non-critical, non-theoretical scientific ideals, and low reflexivity; secondly, we propose Qualitative Epistemology as an alternative for the study of subjective processes and their complexity, explaining its fundamental principles and its scientific legitimacy. Finally, we present a set of interpretive constructions based on several cases from a Brazilian mental health service to illustrate the logic in the production of knowledge in Qualitative Epistemology. In this theoretical-empirical type of production, we show the heuristic value of this theoretical-epistemological framework to study phenomena that can only be understood and intervened using an approach that is equal as complex. This epistemological perspective could be useful for research around childhood and adulthood education, health, as well as other cultural processes, such as organisational and political dynamics. The human character of research is emphasised, or in other words, its intrinsically subjective dimension.
Fostering EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension: Animation Film Technique
Author: Torabian, Asefeh
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Pretests Posttests,Animation,Films,Reading Instruction,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Experimental Groups,Reading Comprehension,Childrens Literature,Foreign Countries,Control Groups,Interviews,Adult Students,Student Attitudes,Statistical Analysis

The current study investigated the effect of implementing animation films on developing reading comprehension texts among EFL learners of a language institute in Kerman. For this purpose, two groups of pre-intermediate EFL learners were chosen (30 participants in each group). After three months of instruction, twice a week, 2story books named the &quot;Good Dinosaur&quot; and &quot;Little Prince&quot; including totally 20 chapters in both groups and animation films including 60 minutes divided into 6 to 7 minutes in each session in experimental group were presented. To estimate the primary knowledge of the subjects, a pretest was taken from both groups and after the experiment came to an end, a posttest was followed. The result revealed that a meaningful relationship could be identified between the procedures incorporated for both groups. However, the experimental group achieved higher degree of achievement using animation films presented to them by scoring higher in the total mean and also, interview participants were satisfied with the use of animation films in the reading class.
The Impact of Task-Based Language Teaching on the Development of Iranian EFL Learners' ESP Reading Comprehension Skills
Author: Setayesh, Mahnam
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Task Analysis,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Statistical Analysis,English (Second Language),Engineering Education,English for Special Purposes,Law Students,Sampling,Gender Differences,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Pretests Posttests,Comparative Analysis,Learning Processes,Majors (Students),College Students,Reading Comprehension,Reading Ability,Foreign Countries

The present study primarily aimed at investigating the effect of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) on development of the Iranian EFL learners' ESP Reading Comprehension Skills. Moreover, it was aimed at investigating the probable difference between the TBLT-instructed students of Law and Mechanical Engineering with respect to their ESP reading skills, on the one hand, and the probable difference between TBLT-instructed males and females, on the other. In so doing, four groups of 25 participants (including two experimental groups and two control ones) were selected through cluster random sampling from among ESP students majoring in Law and Mechanical Engineering. After a four-week instruction treatment, the post-test was conducted to the participants. The results of the data analysis revealed that the experimental groups significantly performed better than the control groups in the post-test with respect to their reading comprehension scores. Furthermore, the results of independent samples t-test indicated that TBLT has been more effective on the Mechanical Engineering students than the Law students. Finally, the findings of the study were indicative of the fact that TBLT was more effective on females' reading comprehension rather than on males'. Consequently, it can be concluded that TBLT can have a positive effect on students' ESP reading ability. The findings of this study can be employed in different areas of second/foreign language teaching and learning to facilitate and improve the process of language learning.
Use of Psychological Techniques in Classroom Management with Arab Context
Author: Hakim, Badia
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Classroom Techniques,Academic Achievement,Correlation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Arabs,Behavior Change,Womens Education,Aggression,Longitudinal Studies,Discipline,Behavior Problems,Language Teachers,Metacognition,Power Structure,Teacher Student Relationship

The said study focuses on the importance of effective use of psychological techniques in classroom management in Arab context. Pragmatic studies have established the effects of change in behavior on learning abilities of the students. This study scrutinizes the enhancement in investigation to confirm cognitive enhancement and stimulus among learners as it is significant so as to keep the discipline and boost the acquisition context in the class. The notion of the cognitive manner has dignity of uniqueness and inevitability in bringing about prime changes in the academic performance as well as behavior of the students. Psychological techniques have an impact on the course of academic performance of a student and determine the path of success in order to gain desired results. For this study several psychological techniques were focused that can effectively be applied in the class controlling. This research also focused on the mapping out of the relationship between learning and discipline. The researcher observed two classrooms at the English Language institute (women's main campus) having same instructors for two modules. This study describes the lethal effects of bitter behavior with the learners who produce a context where students' behavior turns aggressive and learning abilities get negatively affected. Though, this is imperative and of integral importance to evaluates the efficacy of cognitive procedures in class controlling and order. Further, the cognitive requirements of the learners should be observed so as to gauge the correct measures taken to enhance the learning process. Involving peer checking at this level to observe and get more reliable and valid result is also a great scenario.
Ways through Which Principals Acquire the Leadership Competencies Required for Effective Management of Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya
Author: Githiari, Florence W.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Principals,Leadership,Secondary Schools,School Administration,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Public Schools,Department Heads,Secondary School Teachers,Student Leadership,Secondary School Students,Trustees,Questionnaires,Focus Groups,Interviews,Administrator Education,Inservice Education,On the Job Training

The last two decades have seen principals in Kenya come under heavy criticism over some serious cases of mismanagement that resulted in some of the worst institutional accidents, disasters/tragedies, unrests and even social and economic crimes that Kenya has witnessed. This study sought to find out ways that principals acquire the leadership competencies required for effective management of secondary schools in Nairobi County. It adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods. The target population was all the principals/deputy principals, heads of departments, teachers, students' leaders and members of the Boards of Management of all public secondary schools in Nairobi County. A sample of 30 schools and their 30 principals/deputy principals, 60 heads of departments, 120 teachers, 180 student leaders and 20 members of the Boards of Management participated in the study. Stratified random technique was used to select the schools, the teachers and the heads of departments to participate in the study. All principals/deputy principals, senior student leaders and their student leaders and heads of Board of Management of the selected schools automatically participated in the study while the other student leaders and other members of Board of Management were selected through random sampling procedure. Data was collected using questionnaires, focus group discussion and interview guide. The quantitative data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5. The findings of the study established that, leadership competencies were acquired through pre-service, in-service and on-the-job training. In pre-service training, the principals who had a bachelor's degree had been exposed to a one unit course in education administration in the universities. The unit was also offered as an area of specialization at masters level in public and private universities for those principals who had masters degrees.
An Investigation of the Learning Strategies as Bias Factors in Second Language Cloze Tests
Author: Ajideh, Parviz
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Language Tests,Cloze Procedure,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Learning Strategies,Correlation,Metacognition,Language Proficiency,Multiple Regression Analysis,Private Schools,Second Language Instruction,Role,Measures (Individuals),Test Bias,Guidelines,Course Descriptions,Individual Differences

The present study investigated the contribution of the EFL students' learning strategies to the explanation of the variance in their results on language tests. More specifically, it examined the role of these strategies as bias factors in the results of English cloze tests. Based on this aim, first, 158 intermediate EFL learners were selected from among 324 language learners of a private language institute in Urmia (Iran) as the participants of the study based on their results on a proficiency test. Second, the selected participants respectively received Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and the cloze test of the study for the assessment of their learning strategies and English cloze test performance during two sessions in a one-week period. The standard multiple regression was employed for data analysis. The results of the study showed that, there were significant positive correlations between the learners' metacognitive strategies and cognitive strategies and their cloze test performance. Based on these results, it was argued that, the learners' learning strategies may be systematic test bias factors in second language cloze tests. The results of the present study may have useful practical implications for the EFL teachers and syllabus designers. Moreover, these results may provide certain theoretical guidelines for second language testing specialists.
Unsecure School Environment and School Phobic Behavior
Author: Tukur, Abubakar Hamman
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Environment,School Safety,Student Behavior,Secondary School Students,Student Surveys,Gender Differences,Foreign Countries

This study determines the level of student's school phobic behavior as a result of insecurity of school environment. The study was guided by one research question and one null hypothesis. The population of the study was all the secondary schools in Maiduguri, Borno state numbering about the same of the study was senior secondary students in Maiduguri metropolis. Data was collected by the use of school refusal scale developed by Kneary and Sliverman (1993). The data collected were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistic of determine the level of students school phobic behavior as well as ascertain the difference of students school phobic behavior across gender. The result indicated that the SRS students' scores were normally distributed and that there was no significant difference between male and female school phobic behavior. Some research commendations were suggested.
Documenting Preservice Teacher Growth through Critical Assessment of Online Lesson Plans
Author: Cude, Michelle D.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Lesson Plans,Online Courses,Achievement Gains,Social Studies,Methods Courses,Skill Development,Pretests Posttests,Performance Based Assessment,Course Evaluation,Likert Scales,Thinking Skills,Self Efficacy,Training Methods

This research explores the question of how students in a social studies methods course improve skills in analyzing and critiquing pre-existing lesson plans. It utilizes a pre-post authentic assessment tool to measure student growth in key skills of lesson plan critique over the course of one semester's methods instruction. The results support the finding that training preservice teachers in becoming critical consumers of online lesson plans and prepared materials is worthy of focus in methods courses.
Building Critical Community in Middle School Learning Environments
Author: Dowdy, Josh
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Teachers,Educational Environment,Sense of Community,Public Education,Individual Development,Instructional Innovation,Educational Change,Educational Resources,Stakeholders,Barriers,Group Dynamics,Interviews

Research pertaining to institutions of public education reveals that curricular structures often function to produce and reproduce systemic inequalities. The following personal statement outlines a middle school teacher's attempt to address social reproduction in public education. By situating issues of inequity within a local context of socio-cultural reproduction, the author demonstrates parallels between written works of seminal, critical theorists demonstrating how socially reproductive structures persist under current standardized &quot;high-stakes&quot; educational reform agendas. The review highlights the transformative power of intersectionality, critical discourse, and personal narrative, along with the use of 21st century online platforms to connect students from privileged and disadvantaged communities as curricular structures with the power to interrogate dominant culture norms within public learning environments. Ultimately, the statement concludes with a call for the implementation of such curriculum to create and develop opportunities for new socio-cultural awarenesses in K-12 settings.
Developing Mentorship Skills in Clinical Faculty: A Best Practices Approach to Supporting Beginning Teachers
Author: Hall, Dara M.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mentors,Skill Development,Cooperating Teachers,Best Practices,Beginning Teachers,Curriculum Implementation,Training,Program Design,Program Development,Workshops,Outcomes of Education,Self Efficacy,Surveys,Needs Assessment,Program Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Goal Orientation,Feedback (Response)

Effective mentoring programs help to recruit new teachers and improve teacher retention rates (e.g. Ingersoll &amp; Strong, 2011, Rideout &amp; Windle, 2010). Many school districts require mentoring programs for new teachers; however, they do not always have the resources to prepare their teachers to mentor beginning teachers. Clinical faculty (CF), who are teachers trained to mentor student teachers, are a resource with existing expertise in mentorship. A curriculum for CF was designed, piloted, and implemented using a best practice utilization-focused approach (Patton, 2008). Its focus is on meeting school division needs to equip CF to better mentor beginning teachers, particularly in identified critical shortage areas. The curriculum deepens and expands CF capabilities to more effectively model, observe, and explore data collaboratively with first-year teachers, moving them from mentoring pre-service to in-service teachers. This paper describes the design of and findings from the implementation of a mentor training curriculum for supporting beginning teachers.
Preparing Teacher Candidates to Integrate Reading and Writing Instruction: A Conceptual Piece
Author: Nicholas, Erika L.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,English Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Reading Instruction,Writing Instruction,Writing Strategies,Methods Courses,Standardized Tests,Field Instruction,Writing Workshops,Integrated Curriculum,Writing Assignments,Prompting,Theory Practice Relationship

This piece focuses on increasing writing instruction for secondary English teacher candidates in the form of integrating reading and writing. Often, teacher candidates are not sufficiently prepared in university coursework to teach writing and are left to rely on formulaic writing that merely prepares their students for the end-of-year tests. Using existing research and personal experience, this paper will focus on the importance of blending reading and writing instruction and providing more writing instruction strategies in methods courses. This paper provides a conceptual framework for increasing the integration of reading and writing instruction in secondary English classrooms and provides a template for integrating reading and writing instruction in practice for teacher candidates and practicing teachers.
Using the News to Enhance Critical Thinking and Engagement in Middle and High School Students
Author: Walters, Jessica
Date: 2017-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Secondary School Students,Current Events,Literacy,Language Arts,World Views,Critical Literacy,Catholic Schools,Teaching Methods,Religion Studies,Classroom Observation Techniques,Thinking Skills

This article describes the author's adaptation of Gallagher's (2009) Article of the Week approach to teaching students literacy skills using current events. The use of this unique instructional routine within the context of a Catholic middle school language arts classroom has proven successful for supporting students in developing critical literacy and an understanding of moral leadership by examining world events from a Catholic worldview.
Preparing Priests to Work with Catholic Schools: A Content Analysis of Seminary Curricula
Author: Boyle, Michael J.
Date: 2017-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Clergy,Catholic Schools,Theological Education,Course Descriptions,Role,Content Analysis,Statistical Analysis,School Administration,Religious Education

This documentary study of academic programs at Catholic Seminaries and Theology Schools through the United States sought to answer the question: &quot;What types of preparation does the seminary curriculum provide to new pastors about their role in the parish's Catholic School?&quot; Results of program syllabi review show a dearth of preparation given to this aspect of this parochial ministry. Recommendations for further investigation are offered.
The Case for a Socio-Cultural Approach to Literacy and Student Support Services
Author: Palomino-Bach, Marina
Date: 2017-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Catholic Schools,Urban Schools,High Schools,Academic Support Services,Holistic Approach,Academic Ability,Literacy,Urban Education,African American Students,High School Students,Grade 10,Sociocultural Patterns,Mentors

Many urban Catholic high schools pride themselves as developing our students in a holistic way. In these schools, educators are able to develop and support their students in both a moral and an academic sense. This belief in educating the whole child is appealing to many families, especially those in our most underserved urban contexts. Families in these urban contexts look toward Catholic high schools as offering the necessary holistic support and guidance needed to achieve academic, collegiate, and moral success and stability. As co-developers of a newly launched Academic Resource Center within one urban Catholic high school setting, however, we recognize that while our education may appear holistic in nature and philosophy, oftentimes our understandings of student ability and literacy behaviors may be radically underdeveloped.
Behaviors of Teachers and Their Students in Schools with and without an Achievement Gap: An Observational Study
Author: Ratcliff, Nancy J.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Longitudinal Studies,Observation,Teacher Behavior,Student Behavior,Grade 4,Grade 7,Achievement Gap,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Teaching Methods,Questioning Techniques,Interaction,Power Structure,Time on Task,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,Student Characteristics,Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Socioeconomic Status,Disabilities

This research shares findings from a year-long observational study to determine if there were significant differences in the identified behaviors of teachers and students in fourth and seventh grade classrooms in schools with an achievement gap versus those with no achievement gap. Specific research questions addressed types of instructional grouping patterns, instructional strategies employed, number and types of questions asked by teachers, and specific interactions observed during instructional and management episodes. The researchers found that instances of teacher normative control, student rebellion, and student off-task behavior were more prevalent in learning environments &quot;with an achievement gap&quot;. Perhaps, more importantly, the research revealed that teachers across all classrooms relied predominantly on the use of low level questioning in whole group, teacher-directed settings.