ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Graduate Students' Understanding of Educational Research in a Master of Education Program
Author: Moulding, Louise R.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Teacher Education Programs,Educational Research,Research Methodology,Misconceptions,Teaching Methods,Questionnaires,Masters Theses,Masters Programs,Educational Researchers,Postsecondary Education as a Field of Study,Student Teacher Attitudes

Background: Graduate teacher education programs focus on developing professional teachers' pedagogical skills and professional knowledge, however they may also require a thesis. Completion of the thesis necessitates that graduate students have an understanding of educational research; this is often not well understood by teachers nor is it an inherent part of a teacher's work. Many graduate programs employ a step-by-step approach in developing an understanding of research beginning with reading and evaluating scholarly research, progressing to writing synopses of related research, then evaluating and understanding research methods employed, before finally producing original research. Aims: The study describes the differences between professional teachers in a graduate education program at various points in the journey to becoming researching teachers. The intent was to examine differences in student understanding of educational research across courses. Sample: Eighty-one adults with ages ranging from 21 to 57, enrolled in a master of education program in the western United States were surveyed at the beginning of three research-oriented courses. Method: A questionnaire focused on the meaning of conducting educational research was completed by the students enrolled in the graduate program. In addition to frequency of response, open responses were coded and grouped according to themes and levels of understanding about educational research. Results: Graduate student participants recognized the various sources of educational research and the need for research to be used for policy decisions. However, they retained misconceptions about the meaning of educational research and how it applied to their classroom practice. No significant correlations between age, educational assignment, and time in program were found. Conclusion: The responses to the questionnaire illustrate the difficulty of changing long-held understandings of research by students in graduate education programs. The current strategies used are not addressing these misconceptions consistently and changes are necessary. (Contains 3 tables.)
An Exploratory Case-Study Research Report Incorporating Service Learning
Author: Mcloughlin, Caven S.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intervention,Service Learning,Heterogeneous Grouping,Case Studies,Research Reports,Adolescent Attitudes,Youth Programs,Self Disclosure (Individuals),Pretests Posttests,Cohort Analysis,Peer Mediation,School Community Programs,Antisocial Behavior,Functional Behavioral Assessment,Student Surveys

Background: Traditional approaches to reducing adolescents' socially inappropriate behaviour typically target individuals rather than groups. This case study investigates whether positive outcomes might accrue in social behaviours among a group of extraordinarily behaviourally-challenging youth resulting from a peer-mediated service-learning project. Aims: Service-learning interventions are implemented with the goal of increasing students' bonding to their school community, increasing personal responsibility, developing an ability to manage conflict responsibly, identifying with positive peers and increasing prosocial skill repertoires. Sample: Subjects are 26 adolescent students attending an Alternative High School in the USA due to their school failure in regular settings. Method: Group members worked together in small, heterogeneous groups on service-learning projects that contributed to improving their school or solving a problem that they themselves recognized within their school. Results: Self-report measures taken pre- and post intervention suggest improvements in behavioural accountability, bonding to school, anger management, and the establishment of a psychological sense of school membership-all primary goals for this intervention. Conclusion: These data support the contention that service-learning projects can increase affiliation with the life of the school and create enhanced valuing of self within a cohort of behaviourally challenging youth. This approach is easily implemented in schools and might prove useful to schools serving difficult-to-manage youth. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)
Technology Use in Elementary Education in Turkey: A Case Study
Author: Kurt, Serhat
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Attitude Measures,Elementary Schools,Foreign Countries,Educational Technology,Teaching Methods,Computer Uses in Education,Technology Integration,Interviews,Teachers,Administrators,Observation,Technology Uses in Education

Background: As countries continue to invest in technology and place educational technology in schools, teachers are expected to make use of technology in their teaching. At this point in time, we can say that technology will stay in schools. Many countries have already included the integration of technology into education in their agenda for educational development. The success of this integration depends mostly on the teachers. Teachers need to use technology effectively in classrooms. Technology in education offers many potential benefits. However the adoption of technology is a major challenge to teachers in many countries. Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine teachers' use of available technology using a case study approach. More specifically, this study will try to answer this question: In what ways is available technology being used? Sample: This study was conducted in a very typical elementary school in Ankara, Turkey. This school houses around 1900 students and 60 teachers. 29 of the teachers completed the survey. Also, ten teachers and three principals were interviewed. Method: The research design employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The data sources included structured and open-ended interviews, a survey, classroom observations and an examination of relevant documents. Results: The results show that teachers are mainly using technology and computers for the following purposes (a) instruction in the use of technology (b) administrative purposes (c) instructional purposes and (d) non-educational tasks. Conclusion: This study further reveals that teachers tend to use simpler technologies (e.g., TV) more than computers, if they are available. Classroom teachers use computers mainly for administrative purposes, and computer labs are mainly utilized for instruction in the use of computers. (Contains 2 tables.)
Teacher and Classroom Characteristics and Their Relations to Mathematics Achievement of the Students in the TIMSS
Author: Akyuz, Gozde
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Achievement,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Teacher Characteristics,Classroom Environment,Predictor Variables,Models,Cross Cultural Studies,Comparative Education,Comparative Testing,Data Interpretation,Schematic Studies,Classroom Techniques,Educational Practices

Background: Teacher-related factors such as gender, experience, conceptions related to mathematics, instructional practices have effects with various magnitudes on students' mathematics achievement. Classroom related factors such as class size, class climate and limitations to teaching and their relation to mathematics achievement have also been studied. The TIMSS data provides opportunities to researchers for dealing with these variables simultaneously, thus, makes comparisons in cross-cultural settings. Aim: To develop a multi-level model that investigate the relation of mathematics teacher and classroom characteristics to students' mathematics achievement in the TIMSS-R data across Turkey and European Union (EU) countries. Sample: The target population for TIMSS-R was 13-year-old students at the time of testing. Two-stage stratified cluster sample design was used in TIMSS-R. In this study, the data from 10 countries, namely Turkey, Belgium (Flemish), Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Cyprus were analyzed. Method: Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) techniques were employed. Results: Except the home educational resources, no other variable is significant in all the countries. The variables have different impacts with different magnitudes and directions across the countries except reteaching and clarification, class size, class climate and limitations to teaching. Even though the overall findings obtained in the analyses indicated no consistency in line with significant variables in different countries. Conclusion: Findings indicated no overall consistency across the countries. Limitations to teaching, class size and class climate are moderately related to mathematics achievement. Re-teaching and clarification and pair work do not contribute to learning in any country. There is no best teaching method in the classroom, when lecture style, guided practice, independent practice are considered. Emphasize on problem solving in the classroom clearly fosters learning in the European Union countries whereas textbook based teaching is effective in Turkey. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)
Serving PE Teachers' Professional Learning Experiences in Social Circus
Author: Li, Chung
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Education,Asian Culture,Teacher Improvement,Foreign Countries,Cultural Background,Teaching Methods,Questionnaires,Interviews,Physical Education Teachers,Teacher Workshops,Participant Satisfaction,Learning Experience,Professional Development,Cultural Relevance

Background: Social circus has long been the folklore in the Chinese culture. Recently, initiatives have been undergoing to introduce it in the school physical education curriculum in Hong Kong. Aims: This article reports a study on 38 PE teachers' professional learning experiences while attending two 2-day workshops respectively concerning learning how to teach social circus in school. Method: Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through post workshop evaluation questionnaire and interviews of 16 randomly selected participants. The interpretive inquiry was adopted as theoretical framework for generating meanings. Results: The findings indicated that all participants perceived their professional learning experiences positively. Factors facilitating their professional learning were the participants' high professional expectation of the workshop, rich content of the program that could satisfy their novel experience and enhance their teaching, and the instructors' good performance. They believed that social circus could be developed for cultivating students' motor skills, physical fitness, Chinese cultural heritage, personal qualities, creativity and satisfaction as well as serving as inclusive activities. However, lacking of teaching materials, incompetence in professional skills, inadequate supply of equipment, anticipated managerial and safety concerns and the support from other PE colleagues were found to be the major difficulties for its implementation. On the other hand, high professional expectation, satisfying and novel experience, learning something, helpful with teaching, rich content and good instructors' performance were enhancing factors for their professional learning. The findings generate understanding and insights on how serving PE teachers' learn to improve their curricular practices for maximizing students' learning. (Contains 5 tables.)
Effects of Note-Taking Instruction and Note-Taking Languages on College EFL Students' Listening Comprehension
Author: Tsai-Fu, Tsai
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Control Groups,Listening Comprehension,Notetaking,Language of Instruction,Language Enrollment,English (Second Language),Non English Speaking,Foreign Countries,Objective Tests,Achievement Tests,Intermode Differences,Instructional Effectiveness,Comparative Testing

Background: The effect of note-taking has been well-recognized by EFL educators. However, little empirical research has been done to investigate combined effects of note-taking instruction and note-taking language (whether in L1 or L2) in an acquisition-poor environment, where English is used as an instructional language yet the audience is composed of mainly non-native English speakers. Also, few studies paid attention to the effect of note-taking on different types of texts. Aims: This study is to investigate the effects of (a) note-taking instruction (using the Cornell note-taking method) and (b) note-taking language (English vs. Chinese) on Taiwanese college students' English listening comprehension for two types of texts, specifically, short conversations and long lectures. Sample: Taught by the same instructor, 54 students in control group and 54 in treatment group participated in this study. Method: Detailed and explicit note-taking instruction was given to the treatment group. The language in which students took notes was decided by seat number. At the end of the study, participants were given a content-based, objective listening comprehension test. ANOVA and MANOVA analyses were performed to analyze test scores. Results: Instruction had a significant impact on the listening comprehension of both types of texts, regardless of which language used for taking notes. Participants who took notes in English outperformed their peers, and those who received the combined effects of both instruction and taking note in English scored substantially higher than any other conditions. Conclusion: This study reveals the value and importance of explicit, sustained note-taking instruction. It also suggests ESL students' native language (Chinese) becomes less competitive to capture information delivered in English. To help EFL learners better comprehend both short conversation and long lectures, teachers should teach how to take notes in an organized manner and encourage the use of English. (Contains 3 tables.)
Teachers' Knowledge: Review from Comparative Perspective
Author: Liu, Siping
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Characteristics,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Intellectual Development,Teaching Methods,Educational Strategies,Comparative Testing,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Comparative Education,Teacher Effectiveness,Values,Academic Achievement,Teacher Education

Background: The international science competitions show that students from different countries perform differently in subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry. In the literature comparative empirical studies tried to address the reasons for cross-national students' differences in performance from different perspectives such as teaching strategies, learning environments, curriculum and policies. However, one important area that shapes students' intellectual development is ignored in comparative study: teachers' knowledge, which eventually decides how effectively teachers teach and how well students learn. Focus of discussion: This study intends to focus on the differences between Chinese and American contexts and development of their teachers' knowledge with a greater emphasis on China. Without considering the different types of professional knowledge the teachers in these two countries possess, simple comparison of students' performance on the tests makes little sense and without considering how the teachers develop their professional knowledge, we cannot determine the primary reasons that contribute to the differences in students' performance. Suggestions: The development of teachers' knowledge is context-sensitive and a deep analysis of the context will offer a clearer picture of what teacher knowledge really is. Thus comparative studies need to look at the difference in students' performance from the perspective of educational philosophy, contexts and policies. Conclusion: If we attribute Chinese students' higher performance on tests to teacher knowledge, we first need to define the validity of the Chinese teachers' knowledge. The fact that Chinese students are excellent performers on tests does not mean they will eventually turn out to be real scientists. So far no scientists from mainland China have ever won the Nobel Prize for science. Because teachers' knowledge is either positively or negatively correlated with students' performance, to explore how teachers' knowledge has developed and under what context will reveal more meaning regarding what kind of knowledge their students have learned and a study of this kind has more practical significance for policy makers and educators. (Contains 2 notes.)
A Social Reminder: What the Public Want from the Education Reform in Hong Kong
Author: Wong, Kai Shung
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Lifelong Learning,Educational Change,Foreign Countries,Change Strategies,Strategic Planning,Educational Policy,Position Papers,Public Opinion,Educational Philosophy,Creativity,Communication Skills,Goal Orientation,Learner Engagement,Educational Needs,Educational Assessment

Background: The Education Commission (EC) of Hong Kong, the advisory body set up by the government on the overall development of education in Hong Kong, began developing a policy of education reform in 1998 and published its blueprint in 2000. In 2006, the EC published its fourth official report on the progress of the reform--&quot;Progress Report on the Education Reform (4)&quot;. Discussion Focus: The policy document developed in 2000 contains a paragraph that summarises the 14,000 public submissions received by the EC at that time. The EC has adopted this summary as its reform priority. It contains four socio-psychological elements--&quot;joy in learning, effectiveness of communication, creativity, and sense of commitment&quot;--and points out that education for lifelong learning should emphasise more on the &quot;inner qualities&quot; of a person than personal skills. The policy also recognises for the first time that human knowledge is constructed. This paper analyses the texts of the 2006 progress report and the 2000 policy document and discovered that the progress reported has essentially neglected the priority stated in the policy. In parallel with the textual analysis, the paper explores the meanings of the four socio-psychological elements from the perspective of personal inner qualities. Suggestions: The paper is a reminder that the priority stated in the policy is what the public want and what the EC has promised to act on. It would be undemocratic and negligent for the EC to bypass it quietly. The paper suggests that the deep meanings of the four socio-psychological elements should be explored, to be followed by modification of the strategies of the reform so as to fulfil what the public want. The paper also suggests supplementary empirical studies involving educational professionals to validate the results. (Contains 10 footnotes.)
Gifted Education: Thinking (with Help from Aristotle) about Critical Thinking
Author: White, David A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Critical Thinking,Internet,Higher Education,Undergraduate Students,Educational Research,Computer Uses in Education,Creativity,Public Schools,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9

The author has been aware for some time that undergraduates typically turn to the Internet first to seek information and sources for any assignment that requires research. A few swift keystrokes and worlds of data appear on screen, ready for instant viewing. For youthful gifted students of today, accessing information on the Internet is as natural as breathing or texting. But do these two diverse avenues of investigation, one fading away as archaic and the other becoming omnipresent, differ all that much from one another? Following the same line of thought, will the practice of critical thinking by gifted students vary depending on the medium within which it is applied? This question presupposes at least a working definition, and account of, critical thinking itself. Thus, would a Google search require processes of thought like critical thinking that could apply to any type of intellectual inquiry? In this article, the author offers thoughts on the characteristics which he believes belong to critical thinking broadly understood. (Contains 2 figures.)
The Relationship of Perfectionism to Affective Variables in Gifted and Highly Able Children
Author: Christopher, Mary M.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Gifted,Figurative Language,Social Isolation,Depression (Psychology),Anxiety,Educational Research,Individual Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Correlation,Summer Programs,Children,Adolescents

Does the presence of perfectionist tendencies lead to more serious emotional issues or does it support enhanced achievement? Parents, educators, and gifted learners themselves often consider these issues as they deal with the ramifications of such perfectionist tendencies. Research presents conflicting views of social-emotional characteristics of gifted learners. &quot;Some studies suggest that these children are highly motivated, well-adjusted, socially mature, open to new experiences, independent, and possess high self-concepts and a high tolerance for ambiguity.&quot; In contrast, other studies support the idea that giftedness accompanies a tendency to develop social-emotional difficulties, such as social isolation and loneliness, which may lead to depression, anxiety, phobias, and interpersonal problems. Since the studies of Hollingworth (1926, 1942), researchers have discussed social-emotional characteristics along with the resulting issues and problems of gifted children. However, little research has been done on the aspects of perfectionism and its relationship to affective variables in gifted and highly able children. This study focused on exploring the relationship between the perfectionism orientation of gifted and highly able children with the affective areas of depression, anxiety, and perfectionism. (Contains 2 tables.)
Underrepresentation of Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education: Reflections about Current Problems and Recommendations for the Future
Author: Ford, Donna Y.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Gifted,Disproportionate Representation,African Americans,Hispanic Americans,Public Schools,Whites,Males,Teacher Educators,Influences,Elementary Secondary Education

For almost two decades, the author has devoted her professional life to the field of gifted education, as have others. More than any time in her career, she finds herself reflecting even more so on the persistent or stubborn problem of underrepresentation among Black and Hispanic students in gifted education. Is this more frequent self-reflection because she is getting &quot;old&quot; with the age of 50 knocking at her door? Is it because, in rereading some of her work of almost two decades, she sees the same problems and issues of underrepresentation being discussed ad nauseum with too little progress being evident? Or, is it because she knows that they can do better at decreasing underrepresentation but are fearful that the moral will seems to be missing in action? In this article, the author shares her view on some of the key problems or barriers to increasing the representation of African American and Hispanic students in gifted education, and offers suggestions for moving forward to meaningful change and progress. She grounds this article in the fundamental belief that underrepresentation negatively affects the lives and future of Black and Hispanic students, as well as the school district, the community, the state, and the nation. (Contains 1 figure.)