ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Pros and Cons of Using IICT in Teaching ESL Reading and Writing
Author: Yunus, Melor Md
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Reading Instruction,Writing Instruction,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Secondary School Teachers,Language Teachers,Foreign Countries,Geographic Location,Semi Structured Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Student Behavior,Vocabulary Development,Student Motivation

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play a major role in creating a new and improved model of teaching and learning. A great number of studies have been conducted to examine the advantages of integrating ICT in language education in general and English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching and learning in particular. However, there is a need for more studies on the disadvantages of using ICT in language education. This study aims to identify both advantages and disadvantages of using ICT in teaching ESL reading and writing. To achieve the aim of the study, a total of 23 secondary school English teachers were interviewed. The teachers were pragmatically and purposively selected from three different areas of Malaysia, 7 teachers from Alor Setar, 8 teachers from Tawau and 8 teachers from Johor Bahru, respectively. This study is a qualitative research in nature because a semi-structured interview was used to examine the teachers' perceptions of pros and cons of using ICT in teaching ESL reading and writing. The findings of the study revealed that attracting students' attention, facilitating students' learning process, helping to improve students' vocabulary knowledge and promoting meaningful learning were regarded as the most important advantages of using ICT in teaching ESL reading and writing. Moreover, disadvantages found included the difficulty in classroom control and students' distraction as well as their tendency to use short forms in writing tasks. The findings of the study are hoped to provide the teachers and policymakers with a better and more accurate picture of advantages and disadvantages of using ICT tools in ESL teaching and learning contexts.
Student Teachers' Reflective Practice on a Tutorial Teaching Approach
Author: Ting, Kuang-yun
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Teachers,Reflective Teaching,Tutoring,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Vocabulary,Pronunciation,Word Recognition,Junior High School Students,Instructional Effectiveness,Student Teaching,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research

The research explored the reflective practice of student teachers on efforts to improve how student teachers learn from their experiences of tutorial teaching in school. Tutoring means teachers working with individual students to support their learning. During this project, eight student teachers tried to help underachieving high school students improve their vocabulary confidence, learning skills and their memorising strategies so that the students could remember more vocabulary and use it more appropriately. Meanwhile, their self-confidence in English language learning could be developed. 16 junior high school students in Grade One were tutored once a week for 30 minutes, more than 10 successive weeks on the use of certain English lexical items. The tutorials took place from March to June in 2010 at a high school in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context. Eight student teachers were the tutors providing instruction, practice in pronunciation and vocabulary usage. The students who received the tuition made significant progress in word recognition. The results indeed showed that the young learners had benefitted from the eight student teachers' teaching methods. This project was intended to help junior high school students learn more vocabulary through the tuition of student teachers. Its success lies also in the fact that the eight student teachers were able to realise their ideas about effective vocabulary teaching and allowed them to appreciate the value of individual tuition.
Assessing and Supporting Argumentation with Online Rubrics
Author: Lu, Jingyan
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Persuasive Discourse,Scoring Rubrics,Peer Evaluation,High School Students,Online Systems,Comparative Analysis,Feedback (Response),Correlation,Predictor Variables,Tests,Multiple Regression Analysis

Writing and assessing arguments are important skills and there is evidence that using rubrics to assess the arguments of others can help students write better arguments. Thus, this study investigated whether students were able to write better arguments after using rubrics to assess the written arguments by peers. Students in 4 secondary 4 classes at a publicly funded Hong Kong high school used an online assessment system to assess the arguments of peers for one year. Students first used a rubric to assess arguments along four dimensions: claims, evidence, reasoning, and application of knowledge. Then they compared their assessments with assessments by their teachers using the same rubrics. Data included student-teacher agreements on rubric dimensions, students' evaluation comments, and their perceptions of the assessment activity. Results indicated that the quality of students' written arguments could be predicted based on the number of student-teacher agreements on the rubrics dimension of evidence and on the number of students comments identifying problems and reflecting on assessment. This study shows that providing students with rubrics for assessing the written arguments of peers can lead them to write better arguments.
Making the Most of the Middle: A Strategic Model for Middle School Afterschool Programs
Author: Morehouse, Holly
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,After School Programs,Early Adolescents,Student Participation,Models,Adolescent Development,Interpersonal Relationship,Relevance (Education),Reinforcement,Student Projects,Youth Programs,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Active Learning,Program Effectiveness

Early adolescence is a time of transition, change, and growth. At no other time after gestation and early infancy are the human body and mind undergoing such rapid developmental changes. The bodies of young adolescents are physically and sexually maturing. Cognitive changes expand thinking abilities; social and emotional changes move adolescents towards greater independence. During early adolescence, youths' very existence is about transition; their skills and abilities, like their bodies and minds, are under development. However, what can be seen as an exciting period of growth and change can create frustration for both students and adults unless afterschool programs serving middle school youth are designed with the specific, unique characteristics of young adolescents in mind. In an effort to improve afterschool programming for middle school youth in Vermont, the Vermont Department of Education partnered with the Nellie Mae Education Foundation to identify best practices for middle school afterschool. The goals of this project were to increase regular attendance in Vermont's middle school afterschool programs and to build stronger student outcomes for participating youth. Drawing from both the literature on adolescent development and the studies of best practices in afterschool programming, the project resulted in the development of a new framework for middle school afterschool programs based on five components, which the authors call the five Rs of program design: relationships, relevance, reinforcement, real-life projects, and rigor. The five Rs, which are described in this article, offer a strategic model for after-school programs, a model that acknowledges and embraces the stages of transition and growth in early adolescence while building on the common strategies, characteristics, and practices of successful middle school afterschool programs in Vermont. Afterschool leaders can use these five components, each of which plays a role in increasing youth participation rates and supporting positive youth development outcomes, to inform the development and design of their middle school afterschool programs.
When the Divide Isn't Just Digital: How Technology-Enriched Afterschool Programs Help Immigrant Youth Find a Voice, a Place, and a Future
Author: London, Rebecca A.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Access to Computers,At Risk Persons,Information Technology,Community Programs,Computer Centers,Youth Programs,Immigrants,Case Studies,Interviews,Observation,Minority Groups,Self Expression,Adolescents,Cultural Maintenance,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Academic Achievement,Citizenship Education,Leadership Training

The so-called &quot;digital divide&quot;--unequal access to information technology--is one of many social inequalities faced by individuals who are low-income, ethnic minorities, or immigrants. Surprisingly, the digital divide is even larger for young people than it is for adults, with African-American and Latino young people, as well as immigrants of almost any non-Asian ethnicity, having considerably less access to computers and the Internet in the home than do their white, Asian, or native counterparts (Fairlie, 2006). Because information technology (IT) is increasingly necessary to participate in critical aspects of society, such as education, the labor market, and government, limited access to IT can further disadvantage those who are already on the margin. Therefore, public places such as schools, libraries, and community centers have become important links to the cyberworld for disadvantaged young people. Community technology centers (CTCs) and other community centers not only offer computer and Internet access but also can provide a supportive environment in which young people can learn about different kinds of technology. This article describes how the authors studied six CTCs that work predominantly with immigrant populations serve immigrant youth in California. They focused on immigrant youth because they are increasing in number in California as well as throughout the entire U.S., because they are among the most disadvantaged youth in terms of financial resources and parents' levels of formal education, and because they have the lowest levels of access to IT in the home and, therefore, the longest journey toward digital inclusion. They also focused on immigrant youth because the successful incorporation of such youth is one of the major challenges American institutions face in coming years. Therefore, institutions such as CTCs, which can provide support and mentoring in a holistic youth development framework, may be critical to the nation's future.
The Interpretive Strategies Utilized by Elementary Students with and without Learning Disabilities in Comprehending Poems
Author: Lee, Georgette G.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Poetry,Learning Disabilities,Comprehension,Learning Strategies,Grade 5,Grade 6,Literature Appreciation,Demography,Measures (Individuals),Discourse Analysis

Poetry is a genre that supports all aspects of literacy, and it is the first to which most children are exposed through motherly lullabies. Yet, while many studies have been conducted on prose comprehension, there is little empirical research on poetry comprehension, and none published on the specific strategies elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) utilize in understanding poems. The purpose of this study is to examine the interpretive strategies used by students in comprehending poetry. Participants were 16 fifth and sixth grade students with LD and 16 of their typical peers, who individually listened to poems and answered questions about them. Students with LD effectively used as many interpretive operations as their peers, adopted an aesthetic stance to reading, and performed more like experts than novices. Furthermore, the difficulty of the poems did not appear to have affected the students' enjoyment of them.
Evaluating a Concept Mapping Training Programme by 10 and 13 Year-Old Students
Author: Habók, Anita
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Concept Mapping,Science Instruction,Definitions,Grammar,Hungarian,Academic Achievement,Achievement Tests,Grade 4,Grade 7,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Measures (Individuals),Elementary School Students,Reliability,Pretests Posttests

The PISA 2000 study found large differences between countries in terms of quality of learning. In some countries, students prefer rote learning to meaningful learning. However, such memorisation of the material does not lead to recallable and usable knowledge in the long run. Ausubel's (1968) well-known theory serves as a basis for several techniques of meaningful learning, including concept mapping, which emphasises the visual organization of comprehended information. The present study reports the results of an experiment using concept mapping for deepening students' understanding of teaching materials. It focuses on definitions frequently used in science and Hungarian grammar lessons. Results indicate that concept mapping training programmes can improve participants' achievement. Experiences show that the technique of concept mapping is frequently unfamiliar to students. More time would be needed for practising and using it in different learning situations.
Effects of Puppetry on Elementary Students' Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Individuals with Disabilities
Author: Dunst, Carl J.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Puppetry,Elementary School Students,Knowledge Level,Attitude Change,Program Effectiveness,Attitudes toward Disabilities,Student Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Comparative Analysis,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Grade 2,Grade 3,Grade 4,Attitude Measures,Statistical Analysis

Findings from two studies investigating the effects of Kids on the Block (KOB) puppet shows on elementary school students' knowledge of and attitude toward individuals with disabilities are described. KOB is a troupe of life-size hand-and-rod puppets used to improve knowledge and change attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Results from both studies indicated that KOB performances had positive effects on both the knowledge and attitudes of second, third, and fourth grade students. Study 1 showed that the puppet show participants had more positive attitudes and more accurate factual knowledge of individuals with disabilities compared to the control group participants who did not experience the KOB puppets. Findings from Study 2 showed pretest-post test gain scores for the KOB group were larger than those for the control group. The results taken together provided evidence that a rather simple intervention was effective in terms of changing the knowledge of and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities.
Tablet vs. Paper: The Effect on Learners' Reading Performance
Author: Dundar, Hakan
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Grade 5,Handheld Devices,Printed Materials,Reading Achievement,Reading Rate,Reading Comprehension,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Statistical Significance,Student Attitudes,Man Machine Systems,Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this study is to compare primary school 5th-class students' electronic text reading performance, reading speed and reading comprehension with tablet PCs and printed books. This study examined a sample of 20 students. The students were randomly divided into two groups, a control group and a treatment group. The control group students read ordinary printed books, and the students in the treatment group read the same text on an electronic tablet PC display. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools were used for the study. Qualitative data were collected on the reading speed and reading comprehension skills for both groups of students. Statistically, there was no significant difference between the groups in reading speed or the level of reading comprehension. Students' opinions on tablet PCs and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.
Socioemotional Competence, Self-Perceptions, and Receptive Vocabulary in Shy Canadian Children
Author: Bosacki, Sandra
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Shyness,Interpersonal Competence,Social Development,Emotional Development,Foreign Countries,Stereotypes,Competence,Student Behavior,Teacher Attitudes,Rating Scales,Self Concept,Comparative Analysis,Aggression,Gender Differences,Vocabulary,Sex Role,Sex Stereotypes,Language Skills,Family Characteristics,Social Behavior,Questionnaires,Multivariate Analysis

Given existing gendered stereotypic assumptions regarding shyness and children's school competencies, this study explored relations among socioemotional competencies, self-perceptions, and receptive vocabulary in shy children. Ninety-one Canadian children (52 girls, 39 boys; 5-8 years) were classified as shy (n = 26) based on teachers' behavioural ratings (n = 8), and completed selfperception and vocabulary measures. Compared to their non-shy peers, shy children reported lower levels of self-worth, and were rated by their teachers as more aggressive. Shy girls scored the lowest on the vocabulary task, and received the highest teacher emotional competence ratings. Shy boys scored the highest on the vocabulary task, and received the lowest emotionally competence ratings. Gender-role stereotypes and shyness and their educational implications are discussed.
It's All Happening at the Zoo: Children's Environmental Learning after School
Author: Douglas, Jason A.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Recreational Facilities,Animals,Conservation (Environment),Consciousness Raising,Preadolescents,Student Attitudes,Environmental Education,Computer Mediated Communication,Learning Activities,Grade 5,Grade 6,Low Income Groups,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Focus Groups,After School Programs,Well Being,Participant Observation,Surveys

Pairing dynamic out-of-school-time (OST) programs with zoos can encourage young people's relationships with and sense of responsibility for animals and the environment. The project presented in this article, Animal Rescuers, gave the authors the opportunity to examine how such a pairing can work. OST programs enable learning in settings that are generally unavailable during school time (Honig &amp; McDonald, 2005). They provide space for collaboration among students, teachers, and others such as program visitors or outside educators. Taking advantage of the flexibility, location, and educational playfulness of an OST setting, the authors worked intensively with a small number of 10-12-year-old children to discover how they thought and felt about animals and to develop creative ways for them to share their knowledge and experiences with others. The children participated in zoo visits, environmental education activities, and an online space for expressing their feelings and working through their emerging ideas. Examining these activities and their effect on the children gives a better understanding of the educational role of zoos and of the kinds of OST activities that can influence children's understanding of animals, extend their knowledge of conservation issues, and foster an ethic of care for the natural environment. While the primary focus of the project was to understand children's environmental learning through a series of OST activities, the authors also looked at how zoos encourage their visitors to understand and care for animals at all scales, from the individual through the global. Despite extensive research on human-wildlife interactions, there is very little work that explores the connection of these interactions with questions of environmental and animal justice--and even less concerning their role in children's development (see Hart &amp; Chawla, 1981; Kellert, 2002; Watts, 2000; Wolch, 2002, for some notable exceptions). Their project addressed these questions with particular attention to the ways OST programs might foster children's engagement with and attention to the natural environment.
Student Academic Performance Outcomes of a Classroom Physical Activity Intervention: A Pilot Study
Author: Erwin, Heather
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Activities,Intervention,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Reading Skills,Reading Fluency,Mathematics Skills,Grades (Scholastic),Standardized Tests,Scores,Program Effectiveness,Statistical Analysis,Curriculum Based Assessment,Grade 3,Elementary School Students,Measurement Equipment,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis

Physical activity is beneficial to children's health, yet academic pressures limit opportunities for students throughout the school day. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a classroom PA intervention on student academic performance outcomes. Intervention participants (n = 15) received daily PA breaks. Reading and mathematics fluency, PA, grades, and standardized test scores were collected. Effects of the intervention were examined using mixed-design ANOVAs. Intervention students had significantly higher reading fluency and mathematics scores post-intervention and higher means for standardized reading and mathematics scores as well as grades. Short bouts of PA are important for improving CBM math and reading fluency scores. Classroom teachers should be encouraged to devote time during academic learning to incorporate PA.
Students' Performance Calibration in a Basketball Dibbling Task in Elementary Physical Education
Author: Kolovelonis, Athanasios
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Physical Education,Team Sports,Grade 5,Grade 6,Performance Based Assessment,Physical Activity Level,Accuracy,Bias,Feedback (Response),Goal Orientation,Computation,Cohort Analysis,Gender Differences,Drills (Practice),Pretests Posttests,Prediction,Predictive Measurement,Predictive Validity,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Foreign Countries

The aim of this study was to examine students' performance calibration in physical education. One hundred fifth and sixth grade students provided estimations regarding their performance in a dribbling test after practicing dribbling for 16 minutes under different self-regulatory conditions (i.e., receiving feedback, setting goals, self-recording). Two calibration indices, calibration bias and calibration accuracy, were calculated. The results showed that students who practiced dribbling under different self-regulatory conditions (i.e., receiving feedback, setting goals) did not differ in calibration bias and accuracy. Regardless of the group, students were overconfident. Moreover, sixth grade students were more accurate compared to fifth grade students. These results were discussed with reference to the development of performance calibration and self-regulated learning in physical education.
Increasing Elementary School Teachers' Awareness of Gender Inequity in Student Computer Usage
Author: Luongo, Nicole
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Gender Bias,Computer Uses in Education,Technology Uses in Education,Equal Education,Professional Education,Teaching Methods,Intervention,Teacher Student Relationship,Gender Differences,Helping Relationship,Suburban Schools,School Districts,Statistical Analysis,Observation,Semi Structured Interviews

This study was designed to increase gender equity awareness in elementary school teachers with respect to student computer and technology usage. Using professional development methods with a group of teachers, the writer attempted to help them become more aware of gender bias in technology instruction. An analysis of the data revealed that teachers who were exposed to gender equity professional development training sessions were more likely to exhibit gender equitable teaching behaviors than they did prior to the sessions. The data also indicated that teachers provided more equitable assistance to their classroom students after being presented with gender equity interventions.