ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Assessment in Thai ELT: What Do Teachers Do, Why, and How Can Practices Be Improved?
Author: Todd, Richard Watson
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,Testing Problems,Language Teachers,Language Tests,Student Evaluation,Teacher Attitudes,Student Motivation,Teaching Methods,Evaluation Methods,Scores,Educational Benefits,Evaluation Criteria

English language education in Thailand is rated poorly internationally and needs improvement. Research identifying the reasons for the l highlights assessment as a key concern since assessment has washback effects on learning. However, little is known about the assessment practices teachers use. This paper has three goals: to identify the assessment practices used, to identify the reasons underlying teachers' decisions about assessment, and to promote assessment practices likely to have positive washback. A survey of 329 teachers found that two-thirds of students' scores came from tests, but that all teachers used some form of continuous assessment. From interviews with 29 teachers, teachers used tests to reduce their workload and to prepare students for the national ONET exams, while using continuous assessment to motivate students and to prepare them for real-world uses of English. Based on evidence that continuous assessment is more likely to promote positive washback, 303 assessment activities designed by teachers were analyzed for potential benefits. Rating the activities on five criteria, 39 assessment activities with potential positive washback were identified, designed into attractive formats, and disseminated to teachers. Using these activities with positive washback is likely to have beneficial effects on English language education in Thailand.
STEM Attitudes of Students as Predictor of Secondary School Technology and Design Course Achievement
Author: Kirkiç, Kamil Arif
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary School Students,Student Attitudes,STEM Education,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Predictor Variables,Foreign Countries,Technology Education,Design,Grade 7,Grade 8

Achievement in a course mostly depends on the students' characteristics and how teachers make their courses effective for their students' learning. Although different characteristics of teachers and students can affect learning outcomes, new approaches like STEM may cause new characteristics which affect students' achievement as STEM attitudes. This study examines the correlation between secondary school students' STEM attitudes and their achievement in the Technology and Design Course (T&amp;DC). A correlational survey model was applied in the study. A total of 400 students studying in the seventh and eighth grades constitute the sample of the study. A personal data form and STEM attitude test were utilized to collect data. Pearson Correlation Analysis and Regression Analysis techniques were used in the data analysis process. As a result of the analysis, it was found a positive and significant correlation between students' Technology and Design Course achievement and STEM attitudes. Students' attitudes to STEM predict their achievement in the Technology and Design Course by 5.1%. Students developing positive STEM attitudes can further enhance achievement in the (T&amp;DC), which enables students to acquire the necessary design skills to produce technology in the future.
Textile Literacy of Ninth-Grade Students in the Context of Sustainable Development
Author: Zaman, Barbara
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textiles Instruction,Multiple Literacies,Grade 9,Secondary School Students,Gender Differences,Knowledge Level,Recycling,Sustainable Development,Consumer Economics,Merchandise Information,Interdisciplinary Approach,Foreign Countries,Grade 5,Elementary Secondary Education

Today's world is facing a problem with the growth of textile products and in particular, textile waste, which already represents a serious environmental problem. From the point of view of ensuring sustainable handling of textile products, it is thus very important that individuals have the appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills for sustainable handling of textile products or that they are properly 'textile literate'. After all, appropriate textile literacy enables individuals to act according to the concept of sustainable development. The purpose of this research, which included 80 students from three Slovenian schools, who had completed their lower secondary education in the 2018/2019 school year, was to find out what their basic textile knowledge was and how they transferred it into their daily lives. Ninth graders were found to be deficient in basic textile skills, with girls having statistically significant better knowledge than boys. The girls were also statistically significantly better at recognising the connection between the acquired knowledge and everyday life and achieved a better result in terms of sustainable handling of textile products. The research findings can help teachers to be aware of the critical points in textile teaching in the context of sustainable development. The results also suggest that the current placement of textile content in the fifth grade, without further upgrading of the content in higher grades is not optimal. Most of the surveyed students had high grades in the fifth grade, but knowledge that is vital from the point of view of the sustainable behaviour of an individual is low in the ninth grade. These results can provide useful information for school policy makers who want to follow modern concepts of sustainable development.
Asymmetry between Thai and English Passives in L1 Thai Learners
Author: Chantajinda, Vatcharit
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Thai,Grammar,Verbs,Undergraduate Students,Sentences,Nouns,Language Proficiency,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction

The present study investigated the production of English passive constructions among Thai learners as syntactic asymmetry of the construction in question in Thai and English can be attested. In this study, English verbs were categorized into two types: Verb Type 1 and Verb Type 2. The former refers to those that can naturally occur in Thai &quot;thùuk&quot; passives while the latter includes those that sound unnatural when used with the same marker. Forty undergraduate students, including 20 advanced and 20 intermediate learners, were asked to complete sentences, each of which consisted of at least three given words: one noun placed as the subject, one verb, and another noun. Results showed that it can be assumed that language transfer is a factor leading to high and low numbers of passivization with Verb Type 1 (positive transfer) and Verb Type 2 (negative transfer), respectively, regardless of their groups. Learners' proficiency levels play a vital role in the number of passive sentences produced in both verb types, showing statistical significance (p &lt; 0.05). The differences between the verb types, conversely, are not statistically significant across the two groups
Promoting Interaction in Emergency Remote Language Teaching and Learning: A Proposal of Seven Tasks to Negotiate Meaning
Author: Escobar-Mejía, Verónica Andrea
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interaction,Emergency Programs,Distance Education,Virtual Classrooms,Classroom Communication,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Decision Making,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Young Adults,COVID-19,Pandemics,Foreign Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic required that people make rapid changes in their lifestyles. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it was necessary for teachers and learners to adapt teaching and learning practices to a remote mode. Following this, our study seeks to contribute to the field of English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching and learning by suggesting tasks. These tasks which intend to assist EFL teachers in the promotion of interactions and particularly negotiation for meaning (NfM) in virtual classes. Seven tasks are included, six of which are adaptations of the tasks that were used in the previous studies that explored NfM. The seven tasks were modified since they were originally designed to be carried out in face-to-face interactions, but our objective is to encourage virtual NfM. To this end, we include a review of the literature that will serve as the rationale behind each task, and we also provide the details regarding their implementation in virtual classes.
Choices of Language Learning Strategies and English Proficiency of EFL University Learners
Author: Sukying, Apisak
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Strategies,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Undergraduate Students,Metacognition,Student Attitudes,Affective Behavior,Individual Differences,Context Effect,Teaching Methods

Language learning strategies (LLS) are conscious behaviours used by language learners to foster the acquisition, storage, and use of new information. This study investigated the LLS used by Thai EFL university students using a questionnaire based on Oxford's (1990) LLS taxonomy. It also identified the relationship and the difference in LLS use across clusters of academic study. The participants were 1,523 first-year students enrolled in a general English course at a university. The findings showed that university students reported a moderate use of LLS. Affective strategies were used the most frequently, followed by metacognitive, compensation, cognitive, social and memory strategies, respectively. The analysis revealed that LLS were interrelated and that LLS use differed across academic clusters. The present study also revealed the relationship between learning strategy employment and English proficiency. Overall, the results demonstrate that the use of learning strategies among Thai university learners varies, depending on individual differences and contextual factors. The findings also suggest that learners would benefit greatly from training in the use of learning strategies. Additional qualitative research is needed to understand the learners' selection of specific strategies within each category of strategies. Such research would provide further important pedagogical and theoretical implications.
Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology: Establishing an Early Intervention, Multi-Level, Continuous STEM Pathway Program
Author: Garcia, Jamie
Date: 2021-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Early Intervention,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Disproportionate Representation,Middle School Students,Minority Group Students,Student Leadership,Mentors,High School Students,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students,Program Content

Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology (BOOST) is an early intervention, multi-level, continuous STEM pathway program. Born out of a partnership between Duke University and Durham Public Schools, the BOOST program provides 6th through 8th grade students underrepresented in STEM fields with interactive, in-depth explorations of STEM education and STEM careers. BOOST uniquely provides program continuity through high school, undergraduate, and graduate leadership programming. The purpose of this article is to characterize the components of the BOOST program including program background, principles, structure, timeline, and leadership opportunities. BOOST highlights the benefits of integrating early intervention and continuity into the framework of STEM pathway programs. We hope that lessons learned from this program will inform existing programs and encourage the creation of future early intervention, multi-level, continuous STEM pathway programs.
EFL Teachers&apos; Perceptions of Characteristics of Efficacious EFL Learners: The Issues of Gender and Teaching Experience in Focus
Author: Alemi, Minoo
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Student Characteristics,Gender Differences,Teaching Experience,Self Efficacy,Foreign Countries

During the last decades, increasing attention has been devoted to the notion of self-efficacy and its impact on education. The present study sought to examine Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers' perceptions of the characteristics of efficacious learners. The data were collected from 323 EFL teachers through a first-time self-prepared, validated, and piloted survey (with 100 EFL teachers similar to the main participants, with a Cronbach's Alpha of .08). Overall, the results of the study revealed the multi-dimensional nature of EFL teachers' perceptions with regard to EFL learners' efficacy. First and foremost, in the preliminary step of developing the survey, the results from the exploratory factor analysis led to the emergence of five different factors concerning efficacious EFL learners, namely (1) learning self-regulation, (2) ambiguity tolerance and adaptability, (3) linguistic processing and production, (4) self-assessment and memory strategies, and (5) risk-taking and communication management. Moreover, the findings from the two-group MANOVA showed that teaching experience and gender did not have any statistically significant effect on the five constructs of teachers' perception of efficacious learners. We would argue that in order for EFL teachers to be more successful, they need to increase their knowledge and understanding of their learners' specific needs and requirements. Teachers need to be aware of the factors affecting the learners' self-efficacy to be able to enhance it. It should be noted that our results provide valuable information for EFL teachers, materials developers, and syllabus designers.
Biosocial &quot;Science Talk&quot;: Using Informal Interactive Programs to Help Children Explore the Human Body&apos;s Relationship with the World around It
Author: Kinsey, Dirk
Date: 2021-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Human Body,Teaching Methods,Biology,Informal Education,Science Education,Health Education,Museums,Exhibits,Genetics,Discourse Analysis,Social Sciences,Social Structure,Correlation,Health,COVID-19,Pandemics,Stress Variables,Program Development,Race,Social Influences,Inquiry,Active Learning

This paper describes the application of a &quot;biosocial&quot; approach to informal health and science education. As an engagement between biological and critical social sciences, biosocial theory has sought to re-articulate human bodies as fundamentally the product of interrelationships between the biological and social dimensions of human life. Applying this approach to health and science education, we conducted approximately 200 public demonstrations at a science museum with school-aged participants over a two-year period. These demonstrations were designed to describe cutting edge research into &quot;biosocial mechanisms&quot; such as allostatic load and epigenetics. We examined survey responses and informal conversation with participants in order to characterize key themes that emerged within these interactions. Our analysis identifies a distinct biosocial &quot;science talk&quot; characterized, at varying degrees of complexity, by an emphasis on complex inter-relationships between environments and biology, the mutability of bodies, and the role of social structures and personal experiences in shaping health outcomes. We argue that these forms of science talk reflect the highly individualized and relational functioning of the biosocial mechanisms. We contend that this approach is not only accessible and easily adaptable to informal science education, but of increasing relevance given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An Analysis of the Effect of Long-Term Professional Development on Teacher Engineering Self-Efficacy and Its Impact on Classroom Instruction
Author: Crawford, Christina
Date: 2021-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Development,Program Length,Program Effectiveness,Inservice Teacher Education,Elementary Secondary Education,STEM Education,Science Teachers,Engineering Education,Graduate Study,Water,Technology,Sustainable Development,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Self Efficacy,Learner Engagement,Active Learning,Student Projects,Authentic Learning

Pre-college engineering education has gained traction in U.S. schools over the past twenty years. This growth is evident with engineering emerging as a crosscutting discipline in the Next Generation Science Standards. However, the scarcity of professional development (PD) for K-12 teachers who want to teach engineering and the few PD opportunities with the characteristics shown to improve teacher learning, i.e., contact time, long-term support, and follow-up, suggest a need for new and innovative PD offerings for K-12 teachers. We developed a 45-hour graduate course specifically for K-12 teachers to incorporate engineering into their classrooms and evaluated the effect of this long-term PD on K-12 teaching engineering self-efficacy. Additionally, this study looked at how the participants translated the course into their teaching practices. Forty-one in-service teachers participated either in a 2018 or 2019 semester-long course that combined nanotechnology content and Project-Based Learning pedagogy. Pre-post measures using Teaching Engineering Self-Efficacy Scale revealed significant gains in both cohort teachers' self-efficacy. Teachers found the course effective in building their technical skills and providing beneficial PD. This study's significant positive outcomes indicate that the course analyzed serves as a pre-college engineering education PD model.
Exploring the Role of Identity Construction, Teaching Skills, and Professional Discourse &amp; Awareness: A Study from a Language Methodology Course for EFL Preservice Teachers
Author: Chinokul, Sumalee
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Self Concept,Professional Identity,Language Teachers,Teacher Education Programs,Teaching Skills,Case Studies,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Communities of Practice,Language Usage,Classroom Communication,Teaching Methods,Teacher Competencies,Lesson Plans,Doctoral Students,Instructional Materials,Teacher Educators,Thinking Skills

This article discusses the role of identity construction, teaching skills, and professional discourse and awareness in language teacher education. The aim is to explore and conceptualize the underlying principles, and explain how these three essential elements help EFL preservice teachers learn how to teach. Evidence gained from the four case studies is employed to highlight these three elements in support of the argument of the main inquiry: What sources of knowledge and skills should be prepared for EFL preservice teachers in a language methodology course? Self-evaluation and constant questioning of the 'self as teacher' may help preservice teachers in strengthening their identity construction. Preservice teachers benefit from participating in a community of practice, which fosters improvement of their teaching skills and strategies, as well as their co-construction of professional knowledge. They become aware of, and increase their ability to communicate effectively, based on the norms and standards required by their professional discourse community. These opportunities help increase their confidence and facilitate the use of the target language in the classroom, while learning to be teacher.
Lexical Collocational Use by Thai EFL Learners in Writing
Author: Siengsanoh, Boonyakorn
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phrase Structure,Language Fluency,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Nouns,Verbs,Correlation,Language Usage,Writing (Composition),Undergraduate Students,Teaching Methods,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,Writing Evaluation,Essays,Thai,Native Language,State Universities,Classification,Form Classes (Languages)

To achieve a high level of language fluency, learners need to possess sufficient collocational competence. However, collocation is considered a problematic area for many EFL learners, partly because of its arbitrariness. To gain more insight into the problems involving learners' productive collocational skills, the current study examines lexical collocational use by Thai EFL learners in their writing. The writing of 90 university students were analyzed to show the proportion of six types of lexical collocations. Some observations regarding the differences in the use of lexical collocations by three groups of learners categorized according to language proficiency levels were made. The results suggested that verb-noun, adjective-noun, and noun-verb collocations were most frequently produced by all the three groups of learners. Interestingly, the higher level of language proficiency, the higher number of lexical collocations produced. Regarding the differences in their collocational use, the results point to the likelihood that the high-proficiency group used a wider variety of lexical collocations when compared to the other two groups, and that low-proficiency group used more generic and unclear vocabulary and produced several mistakes in terms of word choice. Based on the study results, some suggestions regarding how collocations could be taught more efficiently are presented.
Move Analysis of Chemical Biology Research Article Introductions
Author: La-o-vorakiat, Aimon
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Biochemistry,Research Reports,Writing (Composition),Faculty Publishing,Academic Language,Discourse Analysis,Periodicals,Reputation,Text Structure,Novices,Scientists,Writing Processes,English for Academic Purposes,Language Teachers,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Writing for Publication,Scientific Research,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries

Writing research articles is an important and demanding task for members of academia, and the introduction is generally considered the most difficult portion to write (Swales, 1990). Move analysis has proven useful in studying the communicative functions of introductions and other sections of research articles, and is thus beneficial in training novice academic authors. Few studies have included a move analysis on the introduction of research articles in the emerging field of chemical biology. In this study, we conducted a move analysis on 10 research article introductions from a prestigious chemical biology journal to identify their rhetorical structure. The results reveal that all introductions analysed consist of three conventional moves -- Move 1: Introducing the research area; Move 2: Pointing out the need(s); and Move 3: Presenting the current research, arranged in two common patterns -- Pattern A: (Move 1&gt;Move 2)[subscript n]&gt;Move 3; and Pattern B: (Move 1&gt;Move 2)[subscript n]&gt;Move 1&gt;Move 3, where n = a counting number. Insights on the general move patterns as well as variations in submoves frequency from research article introductions from the neighbouring disciplines are helpful to novice chemical biologists in writing successful introductions as well as ESP teachers, especially those who teach these scientists writing for publication.