ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Interventions to Improve a Practicum Course for EFL Teachers in Saudi Arabia
Author: Alamoudi, Khadija A.
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Education Programs,Masters Programs,Student Teachers,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Graduate Students,Student Attitudes,Barriers,Practicums,Program Effectiveness,Peer Evaluation,Time Factors (Learning),Females,Experiential Learning

Although the Teaching Practicum (TP) course makes a significant contribution in preparing teachers, it remains lacking in many essential aspects. To fill in the gaps regarding literature, this research paper was designed to explore the views of three Master of Art (MA) TESOL student-teachers on the advantages they gained and challenges they faced during their TP course at a Saudi university. Participants were interviewed, observed, and the two reflective assignments of the course were analyzed to find answers to the research questions. The research questions focused on the instructional benefits of the TP course and the interventions needed to enhance the effectiveness of the course. The findings revealed that the practical teaching component was the most helpful part of the course and the peer-observation report was the most appropriate evaluation method. Moreover, the study found that the limitedness of the teaching timeframe poses a significant challenge, and hence increasing the teaching practice time was the most significant change the participants suggested. Finally, the study recommends interventions that will help improve the quality of the TP course.
The Comparison between the Process-Oriented Approach and the Product-Oriented Approach in Teaching Writing: The Case of Moroccan EFL Students in Preparatory Classes for the Grandes Ecoles
Author: Kadmiry, Mariam
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Instruction,Teaching Methods,Process Approach (Writing),Persuasive Discourse,Criticism,Pretests Posttests,Comparative Analysis,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,College Preparation,Writing Tests,Engineering Education,Writing Processes,Instructional Effectiveness

Writing is an important language skill, and learning to write is not an easy endeavour, especially for English as a foreign language (EFL) students. An effective EFL writing instruction, therefore, plays a significant role in helping EFL students deal with writing problems efficiently and approach writing tasks effectively. Based on this premise, the present study aims at investigating the effect of two alternative writing approaches, process and product, on Moroccan EFL students' writing performance to find out which of these approaches is more effective. It explores process writing instruction based on Hayes' (2012) recent model that responded to both critiques of the 1980-s original model of Flower and Hayes and to new ideas, which adds more layers to EFL writing research and instruction. To this end, the participants were divided into two groups, A and B, and they all took a writing pre-test before the treatment. For three months (two hours per week), group A students received academic argumentative writing instruction that was product-oriented, while group B students were taught academic argumentative writing based on Hayes' (2012) process writing model. After the treatment, all participants took a writing posttest. The analysis of the collected data revealed that group B participants showed a significant improvement in their compositions compared to their group A counterparts, which provides evidence that the process-oriented approach is more effective in enhancing EFL writing than the product-oriented approach. In the light of these findings, some pedagogical recommendations were suggested.
Structured Input vs. Structured Output Task&apos;s Effects on the Acquisition of the English Causative Forms: Discourse-Level. Structured Input vs. Structured Output Task&apos;s Effects on the Acquisition of the English Causative Forms: Discourse-Level
Author: Alabdullah, Najat
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Linguistic Input,Task Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Language Processing,Linguistic Theory,Semitic Languages,Native Language,Nouns,Teaching Methods,Intervention,Learning Processes,Instructional Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Grammar,Females,Public Schools,Pretests Posttests

This research paper presents a quasi-experimental empirical study investigating the effects of structured input and structured output tasks on the acquisition of English causative forms. This research is framed on VanPatten's (1996) input processing theory. The grammatical form chosen for this investigation is affected by a processing strategy called the First Noun Principle. There are three variables included that make this study significant. These variables are having participants that are young learners who speak Arabic as an L1 and using discourse-level instrumentation. These variables make this study significant because the studies that investigated the effectiveness of structured input practice with these variables are in the minority. The study's main questions are: (i) What are the short-term effects of structured input and structured output on the acquisition of English causative forms as measured with discourse-level interpretation tasks? (ii) What are the short-term effects of structured input and structured output on the learners' ability to acquire the English causative forms as measured with discourse-level production tasks? Participants were school-age learners (aged 12-13) from an Arabic background with Arabic as an L1 who studied English as a second language in Kuwait. A pre and post-test procedure was adopted in this study. Two instructional groups were created, which are: (i) structured input; (ii) structured output. Discourse-level tasks were used in the study to assess the effectiveness of the two instructional treatments. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. The main findings support the view that discourse-level structured input tasks are a useful pedagogical intervention in helping young L2 learners from an Arabic background with Arabic as an L1 to process, interpret and produce accurate English causative forms. The main findings have theoretical and pedagogical implications for language learning and teaching.
Is Foreign Language Teaching Possible without School? Distance Learning Experiences of Foreign Language Students at Ataturk University during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author: Bozavli, Ebubekir
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,COVID-19,Pandemics,School Closing,Distance Education,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Student Attitudes,Second Language Instruction,Technological Literacy,Student Motivation,College Students,Access to Computers,Internet,Program Effectiveness

COVID-19 pandemic forced Turkey, like other countries, to give up face to face teaching in all educational institutions and to move toward distance education. This research aims to determine the learning experiences of foreign language students participating in distance education during the pandemic and their beliefs about whether it is possible to learn a foreign language without school. There were two problems that attempted to be answered; first, is it possible to learn a foreign language during and after the pandemic without being physically at school and second, what kinds of experiences do students gain in distance learning of foreign languages. The sample of the study consists of the students of department of foreign languages at Atatürk University, in Turkey. The study was carried out with a sample population composed of two hundred forty-two male and female students from German, French, and English Language Education Departments. A questionnaire consisting of thirteen close-ended questions created with a 5-Likert type developed by the researcher was applied. Participants answered the questionnaire online via Atatürk University Course Information System. The data were analyzed through the SPSS program to determine their frequency and descriptive analysis, and interpreted with content analysis and descriptive analysis. The results demonstrated that students believe that they can't learn a foreign language without going to school. Additionally, the findings indicated that their digital literacy skills are insufficient in distance teaching, and students show low motivation in learning.
Learning to Present in English: Exploring the Voices of Preparatory-Year Female Undergraduates in Saudi Arabia
Author: Alghamdi, Noura Ali
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Public Speaking,Females,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Anxiety,Language Usage,Foreign Countries,Speech Communication,Semitic Languages

This study examines how a group of students enrolled in preparatory year program at a Saudi university describe their experiences while engaging with a specific literacy event, i.e. oral presentations in an English as a Foreign Language classroom. It adopts a case study methodology that relies on qualitative data-collection techniques, including reflections written by female undergraduates, informal conversations with these undergraduates, observational fieldnotes of classroom activities and a research journal. Relying on a social understanding of literacy, collected data are thematically analysed to examine how students view their experiences in this academic literacy event. Three major themes are highlighted in this study in relation to students' experiences with this event: topic choice, fear and anxiety and the gains and losses associated with learning to prepare and make short presentations in English. Discussion sheds light on the impact of these experiences on the identity positions that learners develop and negotiate to participate in this event. It also highlights some of the challenges that mediate students' experiences in this event and how they recognize and address these challenges. The study draws attention to the need for more indepth, qualitative research to examine academic literacy events in tertiary education in which learners' voices are brought to light to explore the situated nature of learning and its impact on learners.
Factors Inhibiting Teachers&apos; Embracing eLearning in Secondary Education: A Literature Review
Author: Naidu, Sanjay
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Electronic Learning,Secondary School Teachers,Literature Reviews,Technology Integration,Meta Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Resistance (Psychology),Technology Uses in Education,Teacher Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics

Twenty-first century has witnessed the rise of eLearning and in this second decade it is more frequently used as a replacement term for all forms of learning. Numerous studies have been done and continue to be undertaken to study the factors influencing eLearning in education. This study adopted a mixed-method approach and employed a critical meta-analysis design to explore the factors inhibiting teachers embracing of eLearning in education. A total of 17 studies from across the globe with focus on inhibiting factors were analysed. The key inhibiting factors reviewed were categorised into teacher-level, school-level and system-level inhibitors. Furthermore, the impact of the inhibiting factors on eLearning implementation is explored and some relevant strategies for promotion of eLearning are discussed. The review recommends that teacher-level inhibiting factors feature prominently and there is a need for further research on these factors to find out the greater impact on student achievement and engagement.
The Effects of Digital Game-Based STEM Activities on Students&apos; Interests in STEM Fields and Scientific Creativity: Minecraft Case
Author: Sariçam, Ugur
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Instructional Effectiveness,STEM Education,Game Based Learning,Video Games,Educational Games,Computer Simulation,Student Interests,Science Careers,Creativity,Teamwork,Participative Decision Making,Perspective Taking,21st Century Skills,Skill Development,Grade 6,Foreign Countries

This research is determined to investigate the effects of STEM activities practiced by using digital games in 6th-grade science classes on students' level of interest in STEM fields and their scientific creativity. As a digital game, Minecraft Education Edition was applied. As a data collecting tool for this survey, the STEM Career Interest Survey and Scientific Creativity Scale were used in the quantitative part and semi-structured interview forms were used in the qualitative part of the study. As a result of the research, it was seen that there is a statistically significant difference between the scientific creativity and STEM interest levels of students in favor of the posttest. In order to investigate the results obtained from the quantitative data more deeply, the students' remarks on STEM education were scrutinized. Students have stated that they were constantly in communication with each other as they had been working as teams throughout the application process inside the Minecraft world, shared decision making processes and that this situation enabled them to learn to respect different ideas; they were fully active during the application of the lessons and thus the information was more consistent; and that the education process was both instructing and informative.
The Causal Theory of Names: Between Theory and Practice
Author: Al-Sayyed, Sa'ida Walid
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Attribution Theory,Naming,Social Media,Social Networks,Surveys,Correlation,Decision Making,Ethics,Aesthetics,Family Relationship,Cultural Influences,Social Influences,Rhyme,Religious Factors,Evidence,Occupations,Achievement,Semitic Languages,Death,Parent Child Relationship,Arabs,Participant Characteristics,Foreign Countries,Theory Practice Relationship

This study explores to what extent a personal name has a causal relationship with its usage. Data were collected by means of a survey in which demographic data were elicited from the participants. Furthermore, the participants, whose ages were above 18 years, were asked to write their first names and reasons behind being given such names. The sample comprised 400 subjects who participated in the online survey distributed through social media network groups. The results revealed that names and naming practices are not haphazard ones. By and large, there is a relationship between the name and its usage, as stated by the causal theory of names. Whenever people choose a name, they are under the influence of; naming after people who are admired for their virtues, the aesthetic taste of the name, parents' and relatives' religious beliefs, maintaining rhyming names, circumstantial names, and respecting social and cultural traditions. Another striking finding is that nature and the environment are no longer rich resources for choosing names. Moreover, the analysis found evidence for the complete absence of names related to occupational and achievement names, death prevention and survival names, horrific names, and proverbial names. It is envisaged that the findings might be beneficial for sociolinguists, onomasticians, learners of Arabic as a foreign language, i.e. non-native speakers of Arabic. It might also help people working on language and culture and how culture affects naming traditions in the Arabic context.
School-Based Social Skills Programming to Increase Employment for Individuals with ASD
Author: Lauderdale Littin, Stacy
Date: 2021-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Interpersonal Competence,Employment Qualifications,Skill Development,Soft Skills,School Role,Students with Disabilities,Job Skills,Social Development

There is an increased number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are reaching the age where they should be entering the workforce, however, 50-70% are unemployed and these percentages are higher than any other disability group. Although school-based programming attempts to prepare students to transition into the workplace, current literature suggests there are additional social skills that need to be addressed for successful employment and job retention. The purpose of this analysis and interpretation of the literature was to identify soft skills needed for successful employment and ways in which school-based programming can address these skills. Suggestions related to the types of social skills to address, and how social skills for vocational settings should be taught, are provided.
The Effects of Game and Student Characteristics on Persistence in Educational Games: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Approach
Author: Rahimi, Seyedahmad
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Games,Computer Games,Game Based Learning,Problem Solving,Persistence,Difficulty Level,Scientific Concepts,Physics,Student Characteristics,Grade 8,Grade 9,Predictor Variables,Evaluation Methods

Persistence is an important part of student success--both in and out of school. To enhance persistence, we first need to assess it accurately. Digital games can be used as vehicles for measuring and enhancing persistence. The purpose of this study is to test the effects of (a) game-level characteristics (i.e., game mechanics and conceptual difficulty), and (b) student-related characteristics (e.g., students' incoming knowledge and gender) on persistence in a game called &quot;Physics Playground.&quot; The participants in this study were 137, eighth and ninth-grade students from a K-12 school in Florida. We used a Hierarchical Linear Modeling Approach (HLM) to analyze the data. The major findings are (1) the degree of difficulty relating to both the physics concepts and game mechanics of each game problem are significant predictors of persistence, with the former being more effective than the latter in predicting students' persistence, and (2) the number of gold and silver trophies students attained in the game were the only significant student-level predictors of persistence. We conclude by discussing the findings, the implications, limitations, and future research related to this study. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED612081.]
Social Emotional Learning in Virtual Settings: Intervention Strategies
Author: Kamei, Ai
Date: 2021-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Emotional Learning,Virtual Classrooms,Intervention,COVID-19,Pandemics,Distance Education,Teaching Methods,Learning Activities,Self Control,Emotional Response,Interpersonal Competence

In mid-March of 2020, schools in the United States shut down in-person learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to this unprecedented situation, school education has since shifted to a heavy reliance on various forms of remote learning, and teachers and students have been forced to practice completely new ways of teaching and learning. Virtual learning requires students to draw from a different skill set than what is used in face-to-face settings, such as self-regulation for navigating online learning, or balancing learning and life at home. These new and challenging experiences coincide with limited opportunities for social engagement and an increased potential for isolation. These factors are continuing to contribute to children experiencing high levels of stress as the sense of normalcy is lost from their lives and they are bombarded with new expectations and responsibilities. Children need social and emotional support now more than ever. In this paper, we discuss how integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in daily lessons can benefit children now working in virtual settings, with sample activities organized around cognitive regulation, emotional regulation, and social skills. We address both explicit SEL instruction methodologies and ongoing teaching practices designed to promote SEL.
English Language Pronunciation Barriers Encountered by the Expatriate Students at King Saud University, Riyadh
Author: Elumalai, Kesavan Vadakalur
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Pronunciation,Foreign Students,Undergraduate Students,Young Adults,Error Patterns,Vowels,Suprasegmentals,Written Language,Interference (Language),Foreign Countries

The English language pronunciation is a sub-skill of speaking modules during the learning process of a second language. Accurate pronunciation is not followed enough by Bangladesh students in speaking English It was found that the participants face barriers while pronouncing English. However, it is ignored and even provided the least attention by them. In order to explore the pronunciation barriers of vowels and consonants of Bangladesh expatriate learners and to identify remedial measures, this study stresses about four aspects of pronunciation: &quot;vowel confusion and insertion,&quot; &quot;missing stress sounds,&quot; &quot;sounds' errors cause of written form,&quot; and &quot;absence of fricatives.&quot; The study emphasizes on the value and status of pronunciation and overcame the approach of it among Bangladesh expatriate students. A pronunciation test was conducted with 8 Bangladesh expatriate learners with an age range of 20-25 years and the participants were asked to pronounce 7-8 words in every aspect, recorded their voice and documented for analysis along with observation of the Bangladesh expatriate learners at King Saud University. The study reveals that Bangladeshi students have many errors on the way to the correct vocalization of English sounds, which are mainly the influence of their mother tongue. Bangladeshi Learners could not make the distinction between long and short vowels. To overcome this problem, learners need to participate pronunciation practice in the formal assessment process in addition to language lessons and also focus their attention on conversation through multimedia.
Developing Social Skills and Social Competence in Children with Autism
Author: Silveira-Zaldivar, Tracey
Date: 2021-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interpersonal Competence,Skill Development,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Social Development,Children,Child Development,Child Behavior,Cooperation,Responsibility,Empathy,Self Control,Participation,Evidence Based Practice,Training,Group Instruction,Positive Reinforcement,Video Technology,Peer Teaching

Social development is one of the most critical developmental areas for human beings. Deficits in social skills may negatively impact several essential domains including academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, behavior, mental health, and adult life outcome. Individuals with autism present with core deficits in social skills. Without supports and effective interventions to enhance social skills, children with autism often struggle to obtain social competence, and may experience challenges in the school, home, and community settings. With effective interventions, children with autism can learn essential social skills that can help to mitigate deficits and strengthen social competence. After a brief review of various theories of social development, this article seeks to present the constructs of social competence, social skills, and adaptive skills in relatable and clear language for educators. Finally, the article will review several evidence-based interventions designed to enhance social skills.