ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Gender Factor Effect on Saudi Learners&apos; Perceptions of Using Social Media on Their Social Interaction
Author: AlGhamdi, Boushra Abdul-Aziz
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Gender Differences,Time Management,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Social Media,Computer Simulation,Student Attitudes,College Students,Friendship,Family Relationship

This study compares males and females perception of the effect of social media on their social interaction to understand the difference between both genders. The study follows a mixed-method methodology using a questionnaire with closed-ended items and open-ended questions. Responses to the questionnaire are collected form 207 male and female students from a public university in Saudi Arabia. In general, the results of the questionnaire are insignificant which indicate that there are no differences between both genders. However, the results of the open-ended questions show that females have a negative view of the effect of social media on human relations while males have a positive point of view. However, both genders have a positive point of view regarding balancing between friends and family in real life and virtual world through time management.
The Professional Identity of Adjunct Faculty: Exploratory Study at a Private University in the UAE
Author: Masri, Taghreed Ibrahim
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Identity,Adjunct Faculty,Private Colleges,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Professionalism,Reputation,Faculty Development,College Faculty,Peer Relationship,Teacher Student Relationship

Professional identity has recently made its way as a concept that has become a central theme in teachers' professionalism. However, adjunct faculty professional identity and development have not been given enough interest in literature despite their increasing contribution in higher education. The purpose of this study was to assess adjuncts' perceptions of their identity. It also aimed to examine what institutional professional development they receive and the effect of its presence or absence on their professional identity. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with four adjunct faculty in the Department of Writing Studies at a university in the UAE. Results showed that adjunct faculty have dilemma making sense of their professional selves due to being perceived differently by their students, colleagues, administrators and themselves. Results also showed that adjuncts are vulnerable, insecure, and embarrassed to declare their identity to their students. In addition, findings revealed that they do not get institutional professional development opportunities that they need and that ignoring their professional development threatens the quality of teaching and the reputation of the institution they work in.
Investigating Foreign Language Learning Anxiety among Yemeni University EFL Learners: A Theoretical Framework Development
Author: Yassin, Amr Abdullatif
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,Second Language Instruction,Anxiety,Speech Skills,Listening Skills,Reading Skills,Writing Skills,English (Second Language),Communication (Thought Transfer),Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Second Language Learning

This study aimed at investigating the level of foreign language anxiety experienced by Yemeni University EFL students. Although many scales have been developed to measure the level of anxiety, each scale investigates anxiety in one skill except Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) which investigates anxiety mainly in speaking and listening. The current study developed a new scale called Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (FLAS) which fused the three scales with modifications in order to investigate the level of anxiety in the four skills. This scale scored .807 in Cronbach's Alpha Validity test. The participants are 155 Yemeni University students and the results of the analysis revealed that 13% of the students experienced high level of anxiety, 69% experienced moderate level of anxiety, and 18% experienced low level of anxiety. The general level of anxiety among Yemeni university EFL students is moderate as they score 138 out of 240.
College English Reading Instruction in North China Electric Power University: The Production-Driven Approach
Author: Ren, Junhong
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Instruction,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,College Students,Teaching Methods,Instructional Materials,Learning Motivation,Class Activities,Cultural Awareness,Foreign Countries,Universities

Production-oriented approach may provide us with a brand new perspective to our current college English reading instruction. Under this approach, teaching reforms need to be initiated in respects of teaching objectives, teaching materials, teaching methods and assessment. Instructors are required to design appropriate output tasks to stimulate learners' motivation in reading. In addition, a wide variety of teaching activities need to be designed to fully involve students in classroom activities and ensure the completion of output tasks. The teaching materials should not only be aimed at improving students' language knowledge, but also is conducive to students' cross-cultural competence. Finally, immediate assessing and delayed assessing should be employed to guarantee the best possible learning results.
A Study of Chadian Learners/Speakers of English&apos;s Pronunciation
Author: Safotso, Gilbert Tagne
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Pronunciation,Interlanguage,Foreign Countries,Vowels,Phonemes,Suprasegmentals,Second Language Learning,Preservice Teachers,Language Teachers

With the development of English as the world's lingua franca, there is a serious rush for the language by many countries, which have no past history with Britain, the US or any other country of the Inner Circle (Kachru 1988). Chad, which was colonized by France is one of those countries (Anderson 2008). In those countries, where English is generally learnt as a foreign language by an elitist group, the language progressively develops and has local stable features among it speakers. With the increasing number of Chadian learners of English in Nigerian, Sudanese and Cameroonian universities, as well as in other English-speaking countries, it is interesting to look at the way they pronounce English words. From the interlanguage framework, this study analyses some speech produced by postgraduate Chadian learners of English (N=20). The focus is on some difficult consonants, consonant clusters, vowels and word stress
Recurring Topics in English Language Teachers&apos; Written Teaching Philosophy Statements
Author: Payant, Caroline
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Educational Philosophy,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty,Second Language Instruction,Success,Form Classes (Languages),Beliefs,Teacher Role,Teaching Methods

The present study analyzed in-service English as an additional language (EAL) teachers' written teaching philosophy (TP) statements in order to identify the dominant topics that comprise this supporting genre, as well as the use of personal pronouns and possessive adjectives. The sample included 27 in-service EAL teachers' TPs who were currently teaching, primarily, in the context of higher education and intensive English programs in North American settings. Each sentence was coded for a dominant topic, leading to the creation of 24 categories. To capture the unique characteristics of this genre, we created three success groups (i.e., Most successful, Successful, and Least successful) and compared their contents. Moreover, the first and last five topics for each TP for the three groups were compared, thus, establishing a pattern of opening and closing topics. Finally, we drew on corpus tools to uncover the manipulation of specific lexical features of this genre: the use of personal pronouns and possessive adjectives. The most prominent topics across the three groups included Teaching beliefs, Learning beliefs, Beliefs about learners, and Teacher growth. Differences were identified between the three groups in terms of both topics and organization.
The Effect of a Social-Emotional School-Based Intervention upon Social and Personal Skills in Children and Adolescents
Author: Gaspar, Tania
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Development,Emotional Development,Intervention,Coping,Risk,Health Behavior,Interpersonal Competence,Foreign Countries,Interpersonal Relationship,Child Development,Adolescent Development,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Evidence Based Practice,Self Concept,Decision Making,Communication Skills,Gender Differences

In the middle of the 20th century, there was a shift from a skills deficit approach to a positive approach, focused on promoting assets and individual strengths. The role of social-emotional competences became salient. School is a privileged arena for universal and selective prevention interventions that can help pupils in raising their competence to cope with life challenges in a relaxed, non-violent and effective way. Personal and social-emotional skills play a key role in children and adolescents' development, as well as their behavior towards risk factors and there is a need to evidence-based interventions. The scale &quot;For me it's Easy&quot; is an evaluation tool for personal and socio-emotional skills and was used to assess the effect of a Social and Emotional Skills Promotion Program. Personal and social skills play a key role in children and adolescents' development, as well as their behavior towards risk factors. The study includes an intervention group with 960 Portuguese children and adolescents with a mean age of 12.5 years (SD = 1.61) and included were 56.8% boys of different educational levels. The waiting-list group included 171 children and adolescents; 46.2% were boys. The mean age was 14.7 years and the SD was 3.3. The results reveal significant differences in the intervention group related to the competences before and after the intervention, namely in the interpersonal relationships and definition of goal related skills, while in the waiting list group there were no significant differences in the moment before and after the intervention, and the scale &quot;For me it's Easy&quot; can be considered an instrument which contributes to the research and evaluation of intervention in children and adolescents, especially in the prevention and promotion of personal and social skills and healthy development.
The Effect of ICT Acceptance on Kindergarten Parents&apos; Empowerment: Deliberative Belief as the Mediator
Author: Lin, Chun-wen
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Kindergarten,Parent Attitudes,Empowerment,Beliefs,Foreign Countries,Elementary Schools,Computer Attitudes

The primary aim of this study was two-fold: 1) to identify information communication technology (ICT) acceptance of kindergarten parents that influence parents' deliberative belief and empowerment by applying the socio-technical systems theory as theoretical framework; and 2) to examine the mediated effect of deliberative belief between ICT acceptance and empowerment. A total of 949 elementary school and kindergarten parents in Taiwan were asked to complete questionnaire about their ICT acceptance, deliberative belief, and empowerment. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to evaluate the validity of structural/ latent model. The results revealed that deliberative belief, mediate the relationship between the ICT acceptance and empowerment among parents. ICT acceptance had effect on deliberative belief, and deliberative belief had the effects on empowerment. According to this information, it is recommended that school administrators should encourage parents and teachers together to improve and enhance their deliberative belief, ICT acceptance that may lead to more positive parents' empowerment in school governance.
Predictability of Visual Processes on Performance in Geometry
Author: Weckbacher, Lisa Marie
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Ability,Mathematics Skills,Cognitive Style,Spatial Ability,High School Students,Geometry,Correlation,Predictor Variables,Mathematics Achievement,Visualization,Problem Solving,Cognitive Tests,Visual Perception

There is a consensus that certain cognitive abilities and mathematics performance are related. This link also extends to geometry. Surprisingly, however, little research has examined specific aspects of cognition that may contribute to successful performance in geometry, particularly at the secondary level. In this study, we explored in what ways, if any, three types of cognitive abilities (spatial visualization, mental rotation, and imagery ability) and one's preferred cognitive style (a visualizer or verbalizer style) might be related to geometry. High school students who have already taken at least two quarters of geometry participated in the study (N = 114). The results showed that the two spatial measures, not cognitive style, were significantly correlated to geometry performance. Of the two spatial measures, paper folding, not mental rotation, emerged as a significant predictor of geometry performance. The interpretations of the current findings as well as educational implications are discussed.
Kids&apos; Empathic Development Scale: Turkish Language Validity and Reliability
Author: Leana-Tascilar, Marilena Z.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Empathy,Turkish,Translation,Bilingualism,Psychometrics,English,Correlation,Scores,Validity,Gender Differences,Elementary School Students,Foreign Countries

Empathy is one of the skills that we need in order to understand the emotions of other people. Although many empathy scales exist, few are designed for children. The Kids' Empathic Development Scale (KEDS) can be applied onward of age 6 and provide information about empathy's affective, cognitive and behavioural components. The aim of this study is to present the Turkish validity study of KEDS and to provide a new tool that has satisfactory psychometric properties. Nine language experts made the translation and back translation form English to Turkish and vice versa. After that, the experts asked to rate the translation validity. According to experts' opinions, the appropriate level of the items in the scale varied between 4.60 and 5.00 (X-bar= 4.80, SD = 0.44). The results indicated that the Turkish scale closely approximated with the original. The scale's language validity, analyses were performed on 30 (21 girls, 9 boys, average age = 9.5, SD = 1.17), bilingual students. Analysis, which was performed between the English and Turkish forms, showed that only the item I7_1 was found out to be problematic. Afterward, the scale's language validity was ensured and easily accessible sampling method was adopted, and then it was applied to 293 (144 girls, 149 boys) students who were attending in seven different schools (four public, three private). Correlation analysis, which was performed to test concurrent validity, showed that there is a positive correlation (p &lt; 0.01) between the total scores of Children's Empathy Scale and Kids' Empathic Development Scale. The results of variance analysis, which were performed in order to test if the empathy scores vary according to age, were significant as follows: total empathy score F[subscript (4,248)] = 3.10, p &lt; 0.05, affective F[subscript (4,251)] = 4.70, p &lt; 0.01, cognitive F[subscript (4,250)] = 2.6, p &lt; 0.05 and behavioural F[subscript (4,248)] = 4.09, p &lt; 0.01. Taking into consideration the gender variable not significant results were obtained. The results of the study showed that the Turkish version of KEDS is a valid and reliable, and has acceptable psychometric properties.
Mandatory Community Service Program: A Case Study of Young Nepalese Canadians Experiences
Author: Maharjan, Nabin
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Service Learning,Case Studies,Immigrants,Foreign Countries,Young Adults,High School Graduates,Public Policy,Minority Groups,High School Students,Educational Experience,Graduation Requirements,Educational Attitudes

Canadian schools introduced community service program in 1999 to engage youth in diverse communities of Canada. Many studies have identified the gap in understanding immigrant youths' experience on mandatory community service but has yet to study immigrant youth's experience. Therefore, this paper explores the experiences of young Nepalese Canadians aged 18-24 who participated in mandatory community involvement for graduating from high schools in Ontario, Canada. The findings are based on qualitative data gathered from ten interviews with young Nepalese Canadians who went to Canadian high schools, and are currently living in the Greater Toronto area (GTA). The study provides a nuanced understanding of visible minority immigrant youth's experiences of mandatory community service in high school. The findings suggest that participants experience the program as merely an obligatory requirement to graduate from high school rather than a platform for learning civic skills and engaging in diverse Canadian communities. In addition, this case study of Nepalese Canadian youth depicts how young Nepalese Canadians depend on informal sources, mainly peer-to-peer sharing, for engaging in community, and illustrates how they conceptualize what community involvement means to them. Finally, based on this study, we argue that amendment to this mandatory program is an urgent call for engaging visible minority immigrant youth civically and meaningfully in Canadian communities.
The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Achievement and Student Views: The Case of AutoCAD Programming Course
Author: Çelik, Halil Coskun
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Projects,Active Learning,Academic Achievement,Programming,Student Attitudes,College Freshmen,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of project-based learning on academic achievements of vocational school of higher education students and to investigate their views on the topic. In the study, a mixed descriptive design where qualitative and quantitative data were both collected and analyzed. The quantitative part was conducted with relational screening method and the qualitative part was conducted with descriptive analysis method. The study group included 13 freshmen students attending the vocational school of higher education, building inspection program in a university located in Eastern Anatolia region in Turkey during the 2016-2017 academic year spring semester and selected with convenience sampling method. The study was conducted during the 14 weeks long period where the related programming course was instructed. In the study, quantitative data were collected with an achievement test that measured the academic achievements of the students in AutoCAD programming course. The qualitative data were collected with a structured interview form designed to collect the student views on the related course. Quantitative data were analyzed with the t-test and the descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data. In conclusion, it was determined that project-based learning had a positive impact on academic achievement. Furthermore, students expressed that they achieved meaningful learning as a result of the project-based learning application and the method was adequate for the instruction process, improved their interest in the course and related the content with daily life.
Grade Inflation: Causes, Consequences and Cure
Author: Chowdhury, Faieza
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade Inflation,Student Evaluation,Teacher Behavior,Teacher Attitudes,Enrollment,Teacher Evaluation,Faculty Development,Grading,Accountability,Students,Knowledge Level,Elementary Secondary Education,Higher Education

Academic institutions worldwide, from primary schools to universities, use grades or marks as a fundamental sorting and signaling mechanism for students. The grades awarded to students should be indicative of learning outcomes. However, do the grades awarded today accurately reflect student achievement in the classroom? Grade inflation has become a widespread phenomenon within the education system in the past thirty years, garnering massive condemnation among educators, researchers and the public. Some people even view grade inflation as a scandal, an injustice and a violation of student trust. Nevertheless, there are some academic institutions that find it convenient to ignore this problem and, in some cases, encourage the practice. In this paper, we examine the various factors that can contribute to grade inflation. Additionally, we assess how grade inflation can create problems for students, faculty, and society as a whole. Finally, we provide some suggestions and recommendations to solve the problems of grade inflation.
Age-Related Effects of Speed and Power on Agility Performance of Young Soccer Players
Author: Ates, Bahar
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Team Sports,Age Differences,Physical Activities,Measurement,Body Composition,Comparative Analysis,Physical Fitness,Correlation,Performance,Adolescents,Athletes,Young Adults

The purpose of this study is to determine the age-related effects of power and running speed on agility ability of young soccer players. A total of eighty-one soccer players, who do not have professional contracts with any professional club but play for various local and school teams on a regular basis, have participated (mean age: 17.7±1.16, range 16-19) in this study. Tests consist of anthropometric variables, power and speed measurements, and the agility test (T-Agility). At the completion of the warm-up protocol, players completed assessments of countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), speed (10-, and 30-m sprints, respectively), and the agility test (Agility T-Test). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis was used to compare the parameters between each group and Pearson correlation analyses were applied to determine the relationships between agility test, speed, and power. When evaluated by age, only U16 players displayed moderate correlation between Agility T-Test and S10m and S30m (P&lt;0.05). The only significantly weak correlation was found between the Agility T-Test and S30m for U19 players (P&lt;0.05). Similarly, the only significantly weak correlation was found between the Agility T-Test and CMJ and SJ for U19 players (P&lt;0.05). In conclusion, the results showed that speed and lower extremity power should not be considered as important predictors of agility performance in young athletes.