ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Improving the Achievement of Second Year Natural Resource Management Students of Madawalabu University through Cooperative Learning
Author: Abdulahi, Mohammed Mussa
Date: 2017-03-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Natural Resources,Cooperative Learning,Achievement Gains,Teaching Methods,Educational Improvement,Case Studies,Management Development,Focus Groups,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Sampling,Statistical Analysis,Student Motivation,Classroom Techniques,Biodiversity,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Qualitative Research,Observation

The purpose of this action research is to improve the achievement of students in general and, to examine the perception of students and teachers about cooperative learning, to identify major factors affecting the implementation of cooperative learning and to identify the possible strategies used to improve cooperative learning in Madawalabu University, School of Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management, particularly Department of Natural Resource Management. Descriptive case study design and both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed. Quantitative data were collected from 23 students through observation and focus group discussion. In the selection of the sample population, available sampling was employed, and data were analyzed by using percentage, mean grand mean and t-test. The findings of the study revealed that students' participation was low concerning cooperative learning, and the practice of cooperative learning was challenged by different problems like lack of awareness and motivation both from the side of teachers and students, dependence of lower achievers on higher achievers, unequal sharing of work among group members, inappropriate group organization, uncomfortable seating arrangement of students, insufficient support and follow up from teachers before the implementation of action plan. Nevertheless, by utilizing the proposed actions like creating awareness about the importance of cooperative learning, re-organizing group arrangement, providing different responsibilities for each member of the group and providing the required support for all the groups, there is the improvement on achievement of students. Therefore, cooperative learning can improve the achievement of students if it is conducted in a well-organized way by using different strategies that help learners to take responsibility by themselves.
Collaborative Network Management for Enhancing Quality Education of Primary Schools
Author: Chaikoed, Wisithsak
Date: 2017-03-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Schools,Educational Quality,Network Analysis,Interviews,Questionnaires,Factor Analysis,Social Networks,Educational Cooperation,Content Analysis,Specialists,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs

This research aims to study the network and collaborative factors that enhance quality education of primary schools. Different methods were used in this research work: (1) Related approaches, theories, and research literatures and (2) Scholars were interviewed on 871 issues in the form of questionnaire, and the collaborative network factors were verified by 10 experts. Confirmative factor analysis was used for the data analysis. Findings revealed that there were 8 major network factors: (1) reciprocal interaction; (2) common vision; (3) participation; (4) trustworthiness; (5) common awareness development; (6) commitment development; (7) common activity participation, and (8) common decision making. These will be used by educators for planning and collaborative network management in schools.
Analysis of Computer Self-Efficacy of Turkish Undergraduate Students in the Sport Management Departments
Author: Çoknaz, Dilsad
Date: 2017-04-10
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Gender Differences,Computer Literacy,Self Efficacy,Anxiety,Correlation,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Athletics,Management Development,Majors (Students),Student Surveys,Computer Science Education,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Analysis

In this study computer self-efficacy of Turkish undergraduate sport management students was investigated. There were a total of 295 sport management students from three universities. Data were collected by survey which was developed by Compeau and Higgins, 1995, translated to Turkish and adapted for students by Aktag, 2013. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation among students' computer self-efficacy, performance outcome, personal outcome, affective outcome and a significant negative correlation between computer self-efficacy and anxiety level. Although there is no difference between males and females in terms of computer self-efficacy in the study, the high level of anxiety of female students indicates that they should be supported in technology. Students who are taking computer course received the highest computer self-efficacy than others who were not.
Comparative Review of Selected Educational Policies of 1st and 2nd Cycle Institutions in Ghana and Burkina Faso, and That of United Kingdom and United States
Author: Kumi, Asamoah Moses
Date: 2017-04-10
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Policy,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Education,Developing Nations,Developed Nations,Educational Practices,Literature Reviews,Position Papers,Content Analysis,Academic Standards,Correlation,Foreign Countries

This article examines some selected Educational Policies of First and Second Cycle Institutions in Ghana and Burkina Faso, in comparison with that of the UK and US. The purpose of the study is to itemise the commonalities and differences in Educational Policies of both developed (UK and US) and developing countries (Ghana and Burkina Faso) in order to learn from the developed countries where necessary, and to improve upon the Educational Policies and Practices in Africa. Data collection for the study includes documents studies that involve integrated literature review. Content analysis is used as the method for data analysis. The results show that several Educational Policies of the countries under review conform to the UN Educational Policy standards and could be adopted in similar context in Africa.
The Effect of Literature on Personality Development of Individuals Using Some Variables
Author: Tatlilioglu, Kasim
Date: 2017-03-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Personality Development,Predictor Variables,Literature,Secondary School Students,Didacticism,Personality Measures,Interpersonal Relationship,Self Actualization,Emotional Development,Neuropsychology,Cognitive Development,Social Development,Foreign Countries

The aim of this work is to investigate whether literature has effect on the personality development of individuals or not. This works aims to provide answers to the following research questions: &quot;Does literature have effect on individuals' general harmony level, their social cohesion levels, personal harmony level, self-actualization level, emotional stability level, neurotic tendencies, psychotic symptoms, family relations, social relations, compliance level of social norms and antisocial tendencies? This research was carried out on the students studying in secondary schools located in Kirsehir City, Turkey during 2008 to 2009 academic years. Disproportionate cluster sampling was used to take the sample from 12 different schools. 14 students were randomly selected from each school; a total of 168 students participated in the survey. &quot;Hacettepe Personality Inventory&quot; published by Özgüven and &quot;Personal Information Form&quot; were used as measurement materials. According to the research findings, literature does not have a significant influence on the general, social and personal harmony of individuals, their self-actualization, emotional stability and harmony levels of social norms, neurotic and anti-social tendencies, psychotic symptoms and family relationships; however, literature has a significant influence on their social relations.
Return of the Pig: Standards for Learning Improvement
Author: Fulcher, Keston H.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Standards,Educational Improvement,Best Practices,Student Evaluation,Scoring Rubrics,Teacher Participation,Measurement Objectives,Measurement Techniques,Data Collection,Curriculum Evaluation,Relevance (Education),Intervention,Scheduling,Program Effectiveness,Improvement Programs,Higher Education,Student Improvement

Higher education has made impressive progress concerning student learning outcomes assessment practices. Yet--despite the assumption that better assessment would lead to better student learning--few examples of demonstrable student learning improvement exist at the academic degree or university levels. In 2014 Fulcher, Good, Coleman, and Smith addressed this concern in a NILOA Occasional Paper titled, &quot;A Simple Model for Learning Improvement: Weigh Pig, Feed Pig, Weigh Pig&quot;. The &quot;pig paper&quot; elucidated basic steps for improvement: collect baseline data, intervene effectively with curriculum and pedagogy, and then re-assess to examine if learning did indeed improve. The current paper builds upon these steps by offering standards for learning improvement. We articulate these standards via a rubric and a hypothetical learning improvement report. These tools are intended to elevate learning improvement conversations, and increase the number of learning improvement examples across higher education.
The Use of Surveys in Teacher Education Programs to Meet Accreditation Standards: Preservice Teachers' Culturally Responsive Beliefs and Practices
Author: Immekus, Jason C.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Teacher Education Programs,Teacher Surveys,Program Evaluation,Student Teacher Attitudes,Attitude Measures,Culturally Relevant Education,Accreditation (Institutions),Psychometrics,Scores,Educational Practices,Teacher Characteristics,Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) requires teacher preparation programs in the United States (US) to document their ability to produce teachers who can effectively promote the learning of a diverse P-12 student population (CAEP, 2013). To meet CAEP accreditation standards, leaders of teacher preparation programs are required to use multiple measures to document and report teacher candidates' learning attainments. Among others, CAEP reviewers accept surveys as an appropriate measure to evaluate program effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to examine considerations related to the use of surveys to effectively measure teacher candidate dispositions towards culturally responsive teaching practices. Study findings identify key factors associated with the use of survey data to guide programmatic and accreditation decisions.
Assessment Practices in Higher Education &amp; Results of the German Research Program Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education (KoKoHs)
Author: Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Olga
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Educational Practices,Minimum Competency Testing,Research Projects,College Outcomes Assessment,Research Methodology,Models,Program Validation,Global Approach,Measurement Techniques,Measurement Objectives

The ever-increasing internationalization of study programs and global mobility of students call for greater transparency of and valid information on the knowledge and skills students acquire over the course of their studies. Several theoretical and methodological challenges arise from the immense diversity of degree courses, study programs, and institutions. A recent review of the literature has revealed a substantial lack of research on assessment practices in higher education, especially on domain-specific and generic competency models, as well as on measurement methods and valid instruments for competency assessment. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research initiated the national research program Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education (KoKoHs) to address these challenges. This article describes the assessment practices, aims, and conceptual and methodological framework of KoKoHs and presents the main results of the first funding phase of the program.
Global Dimensions of Gifted and Talented Education: The Influence of National Perceptions on Policies and Practices
Author: Heuser, Brian L.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Education,Gifted,Special Education,Educational Policy,Public Policy,Definitions,Academic Ability,Academic Aptitude,Academic Achievement,Nature Nurture Controversy,Foreign Countries

We examine recent research across countries and cultures in regard to the issues related to the formation of gifted and talented education perspectives, policies, and practices. Many modern cultures and subcultures have developed formal and informal definitions of what it means to be gifted and talented, and when we compare the perceptions, policies, and practices across nations, we discover very different constructs of intelligence and ability. These understandings of giftedness and gifted and talented education can be grouped into four binary dimensions, scholarly versus co-curricular capabilities, aptitude versus achievement, nature versus nurture, and individualistic versus collective, that have significant implications for policy and practice. These constructs can serve as a foundation for countries that are looking to formalize or expand their gifted and talented education models or can be used to challenge the norms of established systems. We put forward recommendations to address some of the challenges in advancing gifted education cross-nationally, an area that is often assumed to introduce risks of enlarging social inequity. We also provide a cross-national matrix that captures known elements of gifted education policies and programs from over 20 subnational jurisdictions, countries, and world regions.
Equity and Excellence: Political Forces in the Education of Gifted Students In The United States and Abroad
Author: Brown, Elissa F.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Equal Education,Excellence in Education,Gifted,Political Influences,Advantaged,Talent,Social Values,Resource Allocation,Educational Resources,Special Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Change,Politics of Education,Foreign Countries,Comparative Education,Cross Cultural Studies,Educational Policy,Qualitative Research

Divisive rhetoric and heated political discourse surround the identification and education of gifted students and lead to opposing philosophical issues of egalitarianism versus elitism. Researchers have long chronicled the ambivalence in the United States over the concepts of giftedness and intellectual talent (Benbow &amp; Stanley, 1996; see also Gallagher &amp; Weiss, 1979). Gallagher (2005) suggested that the two predominant social values reflected in American education are equity and excellence: &quot;The dual and desirable educational goals of student 'equity' and student 'excellence' have often been in a serious struggle for scarce resources. Student equity ensures all students a fair short a good education. Student excellence promises every student the right to achieve as far and as high as he or she is capable. Because the problems of equity have greater immediacy than does the long-term enhancement of excellence, this struggle has often been won by equity.&quot; (Gallagher, 2005, p. 32). The ebbs and flows of public perceptions of equity and excellence and political and historical events have significantly impacted the evolution of the field of gifted education in the United States and abroad. In order to understand these influences on the respective &quot;outlier&quot; student, it's important to consider the context of the country, significant events, overall educational reform efforts and the implications on the education of gifted students. This article provides a backdrop of the United States' ambivalence towards gifted education as well as provides an overview of a sample of countries as frames of reference. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Wandering in the Shadow of Egalitarianism and Equity: A Social and Cultural Explanation to the Underdeveloped Gifted Education in China
Author: Fu, Tian
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Equal Education,Gifted,Correlation,Foreign Countries,Educational Policy,Talent,Educational History,Social Influences,Cultural Influences,Political Attitudes,Social Systems,Educational Development,Educational Change,Futures (of Society),Collectivism,Individualism,Elementary Secondary Education

Today it is accepted that the development of gifted and talented children is important to enable a nation to compete successfully. In China, though the estimated number of gifted children reaches 20 million (Chu, 2012), gifted education has seldom received sufficient support. The objections to gifted education always suppress suggestions that support programs for gifted students when educational policy is drafted. Starting with a historical review of the gifted education programs and policies in China since 1978, this paper discusses the main reasons for lack of support for gifted education in China from social and cultural perspectives. I conclude that the long-lasting ideology of egalitarianism, the overwhelming pursuit of educational equity and the dominant ideology of socialism have significantly hindered the development of gifted education. Driven by such beliefs and ideologies, the concept of giftedness and gifted education, the relationship between egalitarianism and elitism, and between equity and equality, are often severely misunderstood, which not only harms existing gifted education programs, but suppresses the potential for open discussion about the implementation of gifted education. Finally, I propose how gifted education should be framed in the future educational reform scheme in China and other countries with similar cultural and social environments.
Ignorance or Indifference? Seeking Excellence and Equity for Under-Represented Students of Color in Gifted Education
Author: Wright, Brian L.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Minority Group Students,Disproportionate Representation,Excellence in Education,Equal Education,Gifted,Civil Rights,Access to Education,Educational Experience,Accountability,Ethics,Special Education,Statistical Data,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Elementary Secondary Education

Lack of access to gifted education is prevalent, yet preventable for Black and Hispanic students. Years of data from the Office for Civil Rights and national reports reveal that deficit thinking, prejudice, and discrimination must be at work, thus compromising the educational experiences of gifted students of color. In this article, the authors share data on under-representation in the U.S., along with contributing factors and recommendations. They rail against both ignorance and indifference explanations, calling instead for accountability and deliberate efforts to desegregate gifted education with both excellence and equity as the driving force. We define equity as being fair, responsive, and impartial, especially for those who have the fewest resources and least advocacy, and who have experienced structural inequality due to historical exclusion. We hope readers will learn from the U.S. context and use that which is relevant for their nation's context.
Responding to the Challenges of Gifted Education in Rural Communities
Author: Azano, Amy Price
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Rural Schools,Talent Identification,Place Based Education,Evidence Based Practice,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Poverty,Access to Education,Reading Instruction,Writing Instruction,Barriers,Cognitive Tests,Rating Scales,Scores,Curriculum Development,Stereotypes,Underachievement

There are both achievement and opportunity gaps for low-income students when compared to their economically advantaged peers; and, for rural students, these gaps may be even more pronounced. In this manuscript we draw from our ongoing work in a five-year federally-funded, Jacob K. Javits grant focusing on promoting gifted education in rural schools. To address issues of under-identification of gifted students in these settings, and to investigate ways to maximize achievement, we established an alternative process for identifying gifted students in rural schools; and we created units integrating place-based pedagogy within an evidence-based curriculum model as an intervention. Finally, we discuss preliminary findings from the pilot year and first half of the second year of the study documenting success in augmenting the pool of identified students and engaging teachers in implementing the curriculum. Perhaps more importantly, we document lessons learned and more global takeaways for the field. Specifically, we discuss the influence of deficit thinking with regard to rural schooling (and subsequent recognition of gifts and talents), the risk of generalizing rural to all rural places, and the nuances of rural poverty not captured in commonly used metrics, such as Free and Reduced Lunch.
Differentiating Instruction Using a Virtual Environment: A Study of Mathematical Problem Posing among Gifted and Talented Learners
Author: Manuel, Dominic
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Individualized Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Simulated Environment,Mathematics Instruction,Problem Solving,Academically Gifted,Middle School Teachers,Middle School Students,Foreign Countries,College School Cooperation,Advanced Students,Student Attitudes,Creativity,Workshops,Web Sites,Semi Structured Interviews

Meeting the needs of mathematically gifted and talented students is a challenge for educators. To support teachers of mathematically gifted and talented students to find appropriate solutions, several innovative projects were conducted in schools using funds provided by the New Brunswick, Canada, Department of Education. This article presents one such initiative: a collaborative project we developed with two middle school teachers to enrich the mathematical experience of their most advanced students. We worked with 40 students from both schools, involving them in creating mathematics problems using multimedia tools for the CAMI (Communauté d'apprentissages multidisciplinaires interactifs) website. We analyzed the richness of the problems created by the participants (Manuel, 2010), as well as students' perceptions of their experiences, collected through semi-structured interviews. Students appreciated the experience, and recommended that the project be continued in following years. Most of the problems created by students were moderately rich, and included multiple steps, but were similar to those used in classrooms. Some students stated that they were more comfortable solving problems than creating new ones, which suggested that they found the task challenging. Our results showed that specific programs for students interested in mathematics could provide positive experiences and challenges. Our research also suggested that problem posing in mathematics classrooms needs to be investigated in more depth.