ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Dilemma of Instructional Language in Education: The Case of Ghana
Author: Appiah, Samuel Opoku
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,African Languages,Multilingualism,Foreign Countries,Language of Instruction,Early Childhood Education,Language Planning,Foreign Policy,International Schools,English (Second Language),Educational Policy,African Culture,Language Usage,Language Attitudes,Elementary Secondary Education

According to Victor Hugo (1802-1885), &quot;He who opens a school door, closes a prison&quot;. This powerful statement demonstrates the importance of school in the development of a nation and the lives of individuals. It has been proven that the language used in early childhood education has an impact on the cognitive development and learning achievement of children in their educational arena. Most countries in Africa are still discussing the language to be used as a medium of instruction in their educational system. Ghana, which is known as a multilingual society with over 80 languages is not excluded from this controversy. The language policy of education in Ghana has had a complex history since the colonial era. The question of international schools in Ghana is critically examined; most of these schools do not teach any of the Ghanaian languages, but a foreign language. Ghana, however, has been a strong advocate of the so-called African personality and the use of English as the medium of instruction is in overt opposition to this ideology. The argument about which language to be used as a medium of instruction in Ghanaian Schools has been going on for a long time without coming to a specific conclusion.
The Locals and Their New University -- A Case Study of Social Innovation
Author: Forray, Katalin R.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Universities,Institutional Mission,Participatory Research,Story Telling,Personal Narratives,Community Development,College Role,Innovation,Social Change,School Community Relationship,Economic Climate,Educational Change,Foreign Countries

What happens, if a university moves to a town that never had a higher education institution previously? What is the impact of this development both on the community and the institution? The aim of this paper is to answer this question. The authors use the concept of 'social innovation' for understanding the developments. An institute may initiate, organise and coordinate all kinds of learning that takes place in a given community (Bradford, 2003). To do so, the institute may have to change its missions (not only its third, but also its first, second and third ones. These developments could be interpreted as a 'social innovation' during which the local economy and society was challenged and they looked for new responses. As suggested in the 'social innovation' literature the main research method was participatory research, combined with structured and semi-structured interviews, story-telling and narrative analyses. As a result, three interest groups could be described with various requirements different demands toward the university; while the university had to modify its structure, curriculum and communications. The main lesson to learn is that 'social innovation' as a frame of interpretation can be used to understand the developmental processes that occurred between the locals and a new university.
Scrutinizing Algerian ELF Students&apos; Challenges in Research Teaching and Writing
Author: Hamzaoui, Chahrazed
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),English for Academic Purposes,Student Attitudes,Barriers,Writing (Composition),Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Research Reports,Student Motivation,Student Interests,Undergraduate Students,Student Research,Teacher Student Relationship,Negative Attitudes,Learning Processes,Prior Learning,Library Materials,Research Skills,Access to Information,Internet

Writing to report research writing may be a daunting task since it requires motivation, interest, background knowledge and hard work from the part of students. This paper focused on the major obstacles faced by the English foreign language learners in research writing at Belhadj Bouchaib University, Algeria, in addition to the teachers' attitudes towards their students' work. The study relied on a triangulated approach which enclosed quantitative and qualitative methods and its importance lied in providing insights into the nature of flaws and challenges as regards students' academic writing practices. A questionnaire was used among 30 students followed by an interview with six teachers. The findings revealed that developing a research project and reporting the findings were among the most difficult challenges encountered by the learners. While the former requires them to identify the area of interest, choose a topic and formulate a researchable problem, the latter typically entails writing the methodology, results, and discussion sections. Between the two tasks, the students found academic writing the most challenging. The findings also revealed that teachers display negative attitudes towards their students' research because of these reasons: lack of motivation following traditional methods of learning, insufficient background knowledge about research, paucity of library resources, sketchy number of courses related to research, and the unavailability of the Internet inside the university context. Following these flaws, some recommendations were provided.
Therapeutic Outcome of Self-Control and Social Interaction Interventions on Negative Body Image among In-School Adolescents with Low Health Literacy in Southwest Nigeria
Author: Ofole, Ndidi Mercy
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Self Concept,Human Body,Body Composition,Adolescents,Secondary School Students,Interaction,Social Development,Gender Differences,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Self Control,Self Management,Health Behavior,Knowledge Level,Skill Development,Self Esteem,Catholic Schools

Low health literacy is found to be consistently associated with negative body image. This study examined the effectiveness of Self-Control Therapy (SCT) and Social Interaction Skills Training (SIST) in managing negative body image among senior secondary school students with low health literacy in Southwest Nigeria. The design is pretest-post-test, control group quasi-experimental while the factorial matrix adopted was 3×2×3. Through multi-stage sampling, three Catholic Senior Secondary Schools in Southwest Nigeria were selected. Ninety (90) students, (Males=34, Females= 56) with age range of 14 years to 16 years were randomly selected and assigned to treatment conditions. The experimental groups were exposed to ten Sessions of treatments while the control group served as a comparison group. Body Self-Image Questionnaire-Short Form (BSIQ-SF) ([alpha] =0.83), Health Literacy Scale([alpha] =0.88), and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale ([alpha] =0.81) were used for data collection while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni test were used for data analysis. Results showed a significant main effect of the treatments on the negative body image of the adolescents (F[subscript (2, 90)] = 1602.50; partial n[superscript 2]=0.98). Participants in SCT had the least adjusted post-test mean score (34.07), followed by SIST (35.23) and control (66.13) groups. Sex of the participants had no significant interaction effect on the treatment outcome. Participants with high self-esteem had a better reduction in managing negative body image (44.27) than those with moderate self-esteem (44.51) and low self-esteem (47.30). A two-way interaction effect of treatments and self-esteem was found. This result provides support for the use of SCT and SIST to manage negative body image of senior secondary school students. These two therapies are therefore, recommended to stakeholders as viable therapies for the treatment of negative body image.
Online Higher Education: The Importance of Students&apos; Epistemological Beliefs, Well-Being, and Fun
Author: Sujarwanto
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Distance Education,Electronic Learning,Student Attitudes,Well Being,College Students,Foreign Countries,Student Experience,COVID-19,Pandemics,Student Motivation

The global pandemic has accelerated the 'move online' of higher education in Indonesia. This study aimed to examine the relationship between Indonesian students' experiences of studying online, their epistemological beliefs and their beliefs about fun in learning. A mixed method approach was used to examine this relationship in a sample of 774 students. A Principal component analysis (PCA) of questionnaire responses identified associations between social constructivist beliefs about learning and the centrality of fun in learning. The PCA was considered together with a thematic analysis of an open question 'Has the COVID-19 situation changed your feelings about online study?' This revealed the significance of the epistemic mismatch between many students' beliefs and the transmissive online pedagogy that they described. This mismatch is implicated as a factor in understanding the students largely negative experiences of online study and the impact on their well-being, albeit within the context of a pandemic. This is the first time that this link has been proposed. The research indicates that examining students' epistemological beliefs can offer insights that are helpful in understanding students' educational engagement and well-being when studying online.
Critical Perspective Analysis of Higher Education Studies in the Online Mode -- Emerging Challenges and Solutions
Author: Sathwara, Harshil
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: COVID-19,Pandemics,Online Courses,Higher Education,Student Attitudes,College Students,Barriers,School Closing,Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Foreign Countries,Program Effectiveness,Internet,Time Management,Stress Variables,Interpersonal Relationship,Technological Literacy

Many academic institutions that had previously hesitated to modify their old pedagogical method had to opt for completely online modules due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This paper provides insight into the perception of students of higher education concerning the online mode of learning. Data was collected from 310 students pursuing different courses. A questionnaire, divided into 7 sections was administered including: general information of students, time management, understanding of course content, view of students on assignments and submissions, ease and comfort of study, skill development and motivation, and course satisfaction. The data was analyzed quantitative analysis. Results showed that 72.4% of students do not prefer the online platform for learning and this view is contributed by parameters like net connectivity, time, overall development of the candidate and evaluation of the course outcomes. Various parameters such as internet connectivity, parallel data users, unwanted anxiety, extra time, comfort, understanding of the concepts, interaction, information absorption and retainment, course evaluation and assignments, expense comparison, skill development, lecture participation and extracurricular growth were mentioned. It is suggested that an alternative to classroom learning must be used to maintain one's academic progress.
Effects of Gamified Learning on Students of Different Player Traits in Malaysia
Author: Sanmugam, Mageswaran
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Game Based Learning,Student Characteristics,Technology Uses in Education,Computer Science Education,Peer Relationship,Social Influences,Educational Technology,Achievement,Cooperation,Teamwork,Role Playing,Skill Development,Competition,Boarding Schools

Diversified learning is the path to supplement students' needs in the contemporary generation. These students' lives have revolved around technology since birth; as such, the role of technology cannot be ignored. Furthermore, this was prevalent during the lockdown imposed by the global pandemic which compelled the incorporation of educational technology into student's lives. As gamification harnesses the power of game elements, identifying how gamified learning affects a student's game player traits will be vital in identifying whether specific learning methods can invoke, change and cultivate better learning outcomes. This quasi-experimental study involving two groups of students learning computer science in Malaysia was carried out over eight weeks. Findings revealed that most prevalent player traits changes were evident in the primary construct of social player traits, followed by subconstructs of customization, relationship, socializing, and mechanics. These changes are attributed to the need to reach out, communicate, and collaborate with their peers and look into how the system works for them individually, within the context of the learning and explorative needs of students. As such, gamified learning has not only managed to offer a new paradigm into the learning ecosystem but has also shown that positive changes can be cultivated based on these conditions.
No Campus Life for Us: Personal Reflections of First-Year Students at a Malaysian University
Author: Ibnu, Ireena Nasiha
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reflection,College Freshmen,Foreign Countries,Student Experience,COVID-19,Pandemics,Student Attitudes,Student Adjustment,Distance Education,Electronic Learning,Barriers,Gender Differences

The purpose of this qualitative study was to look into the online learning experiences of first-year communication and media students. The study was conducted by gathering 45 written reflection papers from first-year undergraduate students covering their opinions, challenges, and feelings about online learning. NVivo 12 was used to analyse the contents of these reflection papers. The findings of this reflective narrative study offer valuable insights into how first-year communication and media students perceive online learning classes in higher education, the challenges of working with new virtual classmates, the adjustment and role as student and daughters at home, as well as their mental health and emotional feelings towards online learning. Students learned vital lessons about time management, environmental awareness and independence as a result of these experiences. Students experienced anxiety and were demotivated as a result of the lack of face-to-face interaction and effective self-introduction with new peers. Most importantly, they were dissatisfied because they had lost out on the experiences of living on campus during their first year of study. Furthermore, this research looked into another component of the qualitative technique, which is a reflective method to study the first-year students' experiences with online learning in a Malaysian public university, an insight that can be useful for both lecturers and students.
Perceived Discrimination and Students&apos; Behavioural Changes: The Role of Cultural Background and Societal Influence
Author: M., Somasundar
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Behavior Change,Cultural Background,Social Influences,Student Behavior,Foreign Countries,Social Discrimination,Social Bias,Teacher Student Relationship

Discrimination among students in educational institutes is one of the key reasons for their behavioural changes. Research has increasingly recognized the discriminating behaviour of teachers, but the impact of perceived discrimination by teachers on students' behavioural changes has not been investigated enough. Applying a theoretical model based on Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), the present study aimed to investigate the manner in which students' behavioural changes were determined by their teachers' perceived discrimination, after knowing family background and how this relationship was moderated by societal influence and cultural background. A sample survey of 215 class 8 to class 10 students studying in rural and urban schools located in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu, India was administered through questionnaires and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to evaluate the gathered data. Overall, perceived teacher discrimination of students based on their caste, creed, and financial background significantly influenced students behaviour. The association between students' behavioural changes and perceived discrimination was significantly influenced by cultural background. However, societal influence did not significantly change the effect of perceived students' discrimination on their behavioural changes.
Improving the Effectiveness of Physics Homework: A Minds-On Simulation-Based Approach
Author: Mešic, Vanes
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Instructional Effectiveness,Physics,Homework,Active Learning,Simulation,High School Students,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Scientific Concepts,Knowledge Level

Students spend much time in doing their physics homework. Whether this effort results in deep learning depends on the quality of the mere homework. Therefore, we designed a minds-on simulation-based approach to physics homework and conducted a pretest-posttest quasi-experiment to compare its effectiveness to the effectiveness of traditional homework. Our student sample consisted of 39 first year high-school students from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In two school hours, all students received the same lectures about gas laws. Next, the experimental group students solved simulation-based homework in which their planning of actions, execution of actions and self-reflection was supported by a carefully prepared worksheet and survey. The traditional group's homework consisted of three textbook problems and covered the same content, which is gas laws. Through analysis of covariance it was shown that the minds-on simulation-based homework was significantly more effective in developing students' understanding of gas laws than traditional homework. The experimental group students perceived the simulation-based homework as interesting, challenging and useful.
Sustaining Language Learning through Social Interaction at a Japanese National University
Author: Tanabe, Julia
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Online Courses,Independent Study,Thinking Skills,Sustainability,Universities,Educational Change,Teaching Methods,Flipped Classroom,Videoconferencing,Computer Software,Objectives,Public Agencies,Communities of Practice,Computer Mediated Communication,English (Second Language),Futures (of Society)

The careful use of online learning can achieve a variety of goals in sustainable education, such as providing access for students, particularly in times of crisis, as well as providing them with opportunities to study interdependently. Also, it gives them the opportunity to develop thinking skills and awareness to become active in working towards sustainable societies, ones where the actions of the current society do not damage the abilities of future generations to address their own needs. In this small-scale study at a Japanese national university, the switch from classroom-based teaching to online study in language education is considered in relation to flipped learning. This involved videoconferencing software and the organization of &quot;study buddy&quot; groups, supported by materials on a learning management system. The effect of the change has been investigated using a mixed-methods approach with survey data from students and data from two classroom observations by external observers. The data has been analyzed and framed in relation to sustainable education goals, produced by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), such as cooperation, interdependence, sense of responsibility, and international awareness. The author of this study found that the flipped learning approach was successful in building an online community and social interaction that provided the framework for achieving education for sustainability. In conclusion, the author considers how hybrid courses involving both classrooms and online technology may be the future for English language courses in Japanese universities.
Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief and Attitude of Pre-Service Teachers and Academic Achievement
Author: Segarra, Jaime
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Teachers,Self Efficacy,Preservice Teachers,Mathematics Achievement,Mathematics Instruction,Foreign Countries,Elementary Education,Student Attitudes,Correlation

Given the importance of the beliefs and attitudes of the pre-service teachers, this research aims at studying the relation between mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers, their attitude towards mathematics and their mathematics academic achievement. Specifically, this work considers both factors together and studies their correlation with mathematics academic achievement. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) is used to measure the teachers' efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers. Besides, the Attitude towards Mathematics Scale (AMS) is used to rate students' attitude towards mathematics. Participants are 57 pre-service teachers of the third year of the primary education degree. Students of third years of the bachelor's degree were invited to answer the MTEBI and AMS. Obtained results reaffirm that both teachers' efficacy beliefs and attitude towards mathematics are key factors for pre-service teacher's mathematics academic achievement. Moreover, the two factors correlate moderately with one another. Furthermore, results manifest that Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy (PMTE) is the most determining subscale for academic achievement. It is evidenced the importance of strengthening both the pre-service teachers' efficacy beliefs and the attitude towards mathematics.
Teacher&apos;s Working Condition and Hybrid Teaching Environment -- A Narrative Case Study
Author: Anand, Neha
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Conditions,Blended Learning,Educational Environment,COVID-19,Pandemics,Teaching Experience,Experienced Teachers,Electronic Learning,Personal Narratives

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire system of education around the world is living each day under rapid experimentation to grapple with unforeseen challenges. The event of the COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted a student's track of learning but also disrupted the everyday functioning of schools. In the case of the United States, since the beginning of March 2020, when schools were pushed into remote learning options, most teachers had minimal training and resources to teach online. Teachers faced technological challenges and suffered a severe lack of pedagogical knowledge to engage students in an online platform. The overnight switch of face-to-face to remote teaching has added to existing teacher workloads, including accommodating student learning and engagement on the virtual platform. The narrative study considers the experiences of Ally, a veteran teacher, who experienced doubts about her sense of confidence as a teacher with the overnight change of instructional formats. Qualitative analysis was conducted from two interviews, 12 written reflections, and observation notes. Following a review of relevant literature, we report the narrative account of this teacher's lived experiences. Next, we present suggestions and implications for research and practice while addressing the following research question: What were the lived experiences of a veteran teacher while pursuing a hybrid teaching instruction format, in both the traditional and online delivery format?