ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Higher Education Capacity Diagnostics for Guiding Policy and Practice: A Case Study from Panama
Author: Svenson, Nanette
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Capacity Building,Labor Market,Planning,Research,Supply and Demand,Social Sciences,Social Science Research,Educational Research,Public Sector,Private Sector,Policy Formation,Decision Making

Over the past twenty years, many sectors have used capacity diagnostics for mapping and analyzing the skills needed for national development at individual, organizational and institutional levels. These diagnostics, also sometimes referred to as &quot;needs assessments&quot; or &quot;gap analyses,&quot; are systematic investigations carried out prior to or during an ongoing program, project or productive activity as a means to gaining insight on discrepancies between current and desired conditions with a view to improving performance, designing new processes, and/or correcting deficiencies. This article presents a model for adapting capacity diagnostics to assess higher education for (1) documentation of existing resources in specific institutions or disciplines, and (2) quantification of labor market perceptions of current assets and gaps, with a view to facilitating planning for and development of required curricular, research and personnel capacities. The model is illustrated with a case study from the Republic of Panama where the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) conducted a study with Tulane University to assess the country's higher education and research in the social sciences. This article further explores the potential for this higher education diagnostic to serve as a tool for academia supply-labor market demand gap analysis elsewhere, which has far-reaching implications for countries and states in terms of competitiveness at national and global levels--particularly for developing regions.
Language as Currency: Perpetuating and Contesting Notions of English as Power in Globalized Korean Contexts
Author: Beard, Megan
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Self Concept,Language Usage,Social Structure,Higher Education,Mobility,Family Relationship,Foreign Countries,Study Abroad,Student Attitudes,College Students,Global Approach,International Education,Ethnicity,Power Structure,Korean,Native Language,Educational Policy,Organizational Climate,Language of Instruction,Educational Experience

This paper describes how students use language as a currency with which to navigate institutional structures and negotiate &quot;fitting in&quot; to social structures of higher education, paying particular attention to South Korea (hereafter Korea) and the English-speaking West. This paper emerged from a qualitative research study examining identity construction in students from internationally mobile Korean families; participants had lived abroad with their families for at least three years before university and subsequently attended universities in Korea, the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong.
Viewing Basic Math through the Lens of History: Undergraduates&apos; Reflective Learning in a History-Augmented Mathematics Classroom
Author: Abah, Joshua Abah
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Action Research,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,College Freshmen,Teaching Methods,Universities,Reflection,Learning Processes,Mathematical Concepts,Aesthetics,Recall (Psychology),Student Interests,Attention Control,History

This study is aimed at determining first-year university students' reflections when Fibonacci tiling, the ancient Chinese fang cheng procedures, and the ancient Indian meru prastara recursions were introduced as historical snippets in an adventure pedagogy for basic mathematics. Seventy-eight first-year students enrolled in a course in basic mathematics at a University in North Central Nigeria provided composite self-reports in an action research paradigm, describing their reflective learning after exposure to the historical snippets. Qualitative data reduction strategies were used to explore the students' reflections and progress in the course. The results of the study revealed that the introduction of the historical snippets aids in concretizing of concepts, spurring of behavioural engagement in learners, adding of aesthetic value to mathematics, sustaining of students attention, computational ease and effective recall of mathematical procedures. The activities of the cultural and historical augmentation were reported by participants as plays that accomplish real mathematical tasks. The outcome of this study has strengthened the belief that the history-as-a-tool style of mathematics instruction stimulates curiosity and sustains interest in students while establishing meaningful relationships between abstract ideas and practical applications in the context of the real world.
&quot;It&apos;s a Case of Access.&quot; The Problematics of Accessing Research Participants
Author: Amundsen, Diana
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research,Sampling,Organizational Culture,Power Structure,Interpersonal Relationship,Researchers,Ethics,Research Methodology,Facilitators (Individuals),Barriers,Foreign Countries,Correctional Education,College Students,Institutionalized Persons,Correctional Institutions,Colleges,Pacific Islanders

The problematics of accessing res participants have been largely under-stated in the education research literature. This article discusses two case studies which illustrate the complexity of the process of access. This is complexity beyond ethical consent; it is the complexity of gaining access to research sites and participants and of ongoing negotiation concerning aspects of access, especially when the stakes are high for participants. In this article we first set out what is already known in the literature about challenges and strategies of access. Next, we evaluate our own experiences of access with others. Our analysis reveals key findings: a) the relevance of insider/outsider status; b) the need to engage in repeated negotiations to obtain the agreement and consent of gatekeepers; c) the value of identifying kaiarahi (guides) and building relationships; d) the importance of understanding organisational culture, power dynamics of relationships and of knowledge production; and e) the significance of operating in a transparent manner around researcher identity and the nature of the specific study. A research plan may be approved as ethical but may not prove to be practical when the researcher tries to enact it, thus necessitating modification. The challenge becomes finding a practice that is ethical for a particular group and context. Lastly, we propose that education researchers who have negotiated the power dynamics to build relationships among kaiarahi, gatekeepers and participants need to communicate their knowledge and experiences of accessing research participants with other researchers.
Undergraduate Study Behaviours and Academic Performance: A Qualitative Analysis of Students&apos; Retrospective Comments
Author: Ishii, David N.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Study Habits,College Freshmen,Grades (Scholastic),Time Management,Student Motivation,Academic Achievement,Resilience (Psychology),Correlation,Student Behavior,Student Experience,Attendance

Previous studies using large-scale correlational data have suggested that study behaviours play a significant role in influencing academic outcomes. This study adopts an alternative approach using a qualitative analysis of students' retrospective comments to establish links between students' reported study behaviours and their grades. Using survey responses and grades from 175 students enrolled in their first-year courses at a New Zealand university, a content analysis revealed both similarities and differences between the higher (grades above 75), middle (grades between 60 and 74), and lower (grades lower than 60) groups of students. All students, irrespective of their grades, identified the difficulty of adapting study behaviours to resolve time and information management issues. Academically successful students appear to possess a higher degree of achievement motivation, thus indirectly suggesting that conscientiousness and resilience may have been an underlying factor in their academic outcomes. The impact of attendance as a variable influencing academic performance will also be discussed.
A Complex Act--Teacher Educators Share Their Perspectives of Practicum Assessment
Author: Aspden, Karyn Michelle
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Practicums,Teacher Educators,Teacher Role,Decision Making,Student Teaching,Early Childhood Education,Preservice Teachers,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Student Evaluation,Teaching Methods,Evaluation Methods,Foreign Countries

Practicum visiting and the assessment of students' practicum form a significant component of the teacher educator role. Teacher educators are tasked with making judgements regarding the quality of students' teaching practice, as well as their attributes, dispositions, skills and knowledge, and ultimately their readiness to enter the teaching profession. This paper reports the findings of a doctoral study that examined the assessment of practicum in early childhood initial teacher education and, in particular, the way in which practicum assessment was enacted and experienced by early childhood student teachers, associate teachers, and teacher educators within institutional contexts. The study provides insights into how teacher educators define their role, what they look for and hope for in the assessment process, as well as the challenges faced in making authentic, appropriate and informed assessment decisions. The critical importance of professional judgment within the context of a relational pedagogy is highlighted in response to the complex variables involved in practicum assessment. Implications for future directions in policy and practice related to practicum assessment are proposed.
Motivation and the Reciprocal Nature of Professional Learning between New Zealand Teachers Working with Untrained Indian Teachers
Author: Daly, Nicola
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Participation,Volunteers,Barriers,Language Usage,Costs,Family Influence,Cultural Awareness,Teacher Competencies,Peer Teaching,Faculty Development,Inservice Teacher Education,Teacher Motivation

In this article eight volunteer participants in a programme for untrained teachers in India are interviewed concerning their motivation to participate in the work, and also the challenges faced and the rewards gained. Findings show similar factors are at play in the motivation for the participants, but new knowledge concerning motivation to return to the same work is revealed. With regard to challenges faced, the language barrier, finances and arranging time off work were evident, and, in addition, family considerations were mentioned, an area not identified in previous work. The rewards of the volunteer work linked mainly to relationships, but the notions of intercultural awareness and of ako were also revealed. Participants went to India to share their teaching experience, but came home with new awareness of their own teaching practice in New Zealand.
Embedding Problem-Solving in a Primary Mathematics Programme
Author: Bailey, Judy
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Problem Solving,Mathematics Instruction,Teaching Methods,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Experience,Learning Processes,Foreign Countries,Creative Teaching,Elementary School Students,Resilience (Psychology),Collegiality,Mathematics Curriculum,Educational History

New Zealand curriculum documents have long referred to mathematics as a problem-solving endeavour. Although this has been an intended focus for more than 25 years, problem-solving has often been an aspect of mathematics teaching that has been overlooked (Holton, 2009). This research explores the experiences of one teacher who is committed to enhancing children's learning by embedding a problem-solving approach within her mathematics programme. The teacher reports that while students respond positively to mathematics as problem-solving, a number of constraints have been encountered. The teacher's ongoing efforts responding to these are shared.
An Investigation of Teachers&apos; Professional Development Practices in a Rural Fijian Secondary School
Author: Mohan, Parmeshwar Prasad
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Faculty Development,Rural Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Educational Methods,Educational Needs,Collegiality,Workplace Learning,Program Effectiveness,Participative Decision Making,Time,Educational Resources

This research investigates teachers' professional development (PD) practices in a rural Fijian secondary school. Using a qualitative research design, data was gathered by means of document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 15 teachers of the case study school. The findings revealed that the teachers in the school were mostly engaged in traditional PD which involved a teacher-centred PD, top-down approach and PD being short-term and unconnected, which basically failed to meet teachers' professional needs. In contrast job-embedded collegial learning, even though not widely practiced, was found to be more beneficial. By providing information on teachers' PD, this study could be of interest to schools and the Ministry of Education.
Researching out of Cultural Depth: Positioning within the Insider-Outsider Continuum
Author: llavarasi, Halimah
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Foreign Students,Student Research,Pacific Islanders,Cultural Differences,Cultural Influences,Young Children,Empathy,Animals,Barriers,Eating Habits,Graduate Students

In this article I discuss my experiences as an international PhD student conducting research in New Zealand. This reflexive paper will discuss the challenges and difficulties I faced as a novice researcher and as an 'outsider' who needed to understand and embrace the uniquely Kiwi-Maori culture that permeates New Zealand society. In particular, this article will focus on my experiences during the data collection phase of my doctoral research, which examines young children's empathy towards animals in Aotearoa New Zealand. As an international student from Singapore based in New Zealand and as a vegan of seven years, I will shed light on the two challenges that I face as a researcher: firstly, my struggles as an outsider making sense of the Kiwi culture while conducting this research, and secondly, as a vegan researcher whose personal philosophy of veganism runs counter to the overarching socio-cultural beliefs and practices towards animals in New Zealand.
The Bilingual Researcher&apos;s Dilemmas: Reflective Approaches to Translation Issues
Author: Lee, Sherrie
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Bilingualism,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Ethnicity,Intercultural Communication,Doctoral Programs,Student Research,Multilingualism,Translation,Decision Making,Foreign Students,Informal Education,Asians,Chinese,Barriers,Language Processing,Cultural Differences,Social Differences,Interviews,Cross Cultural Studies,Self Concept,Cultural Background,Doctoral Students,Biographies

Research conducted by English-speaking researchers about other language speaking subjects is essentially cross-cultural and often multilingual, particularly with qualitative research that involves participants communicating in languages other than English. In research using non-English data, scholars have noted that the translation process can be problematic, and is often glossed over. Thus, they call for greater transparency in accounting for translation decisions. This article is a reflexive account of the author's doctoral research about international EAL (English as an Additional Language) students' informal academic learning practices. Nine of the ten research participants were of Chinese ethnicity and, consequently, a substantial portion of the data collected was in Chinese. I am a Chinese Singaporean who is bilingual in English and Chinese. I discuss the dilemmas faced when interpreting and translating data from the Chinese participants, each of whom had his or her own particular social and cultural backgrounds. The dilemmas I faced were related to i) immediate understanding of interview responses, ii) interview transcription for member checking, and iii) translation of data. I argue that these dilemmas can be resolved by member checking during data collection and analysis, and the use of professional translators. However, I also caution against an idealised notion of objective meaning in translation. I conclude that cross-cultural research should take into account the researcher's cultural and language identity in understanding how data from research participants is represented.
Unfurling the PhD Process: A Reflexive Account of Key Stages and Strategies
Author: Boodhoo, Chandan
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Doctoral Programs,Graduate Students,Student Research,Student Experience,Research Methodology,Data Collection,Secondary Schools,Foreign Countries,Observation,Teaching Methods,Formative Evaluation,Feedback (Response),Design,Technology Education,Curriculum Implementation

A postgraduate student researcher coming from a context where there is an absence of an active research culture is likely to face several challenges when undertaking doctoral study at a university with a deep-rooted culture of research. They may experience academic writing, researching and thesis structuring struggles, and may specifically encounter difficulties during data collection, especially in communities which are not conversant with research practices. The literature and guides for students seldom give advice on dealing with such challenges as those faced in a research study. I wish to address this gap by providing recounts of my PhD experiences for structuring the literature review, selecting appropriate methodology and adapting data gathering methods; and do so in a reflexive way. My PhD study explores the 'assessment for learning' (AfL) practices of Design and Technology (D&amp;T) teachers in the state secondary schools of Mauritius. The main research question was 'How are the AfL practices of Mauritius D&amp;T teachers framed?' In light of this question, an interpretative naturalistic theoretical perspective (Crotty, 1998; Gray, 2014) was used as the participants were observed in their natural settings. Data were gathered in three stages using a multi-method approach incorporating a survey, interviews and observations along with secondary documents and field notes. In this article I progressively discuss four key stages of the PhD process and elaborate on strategies that were adopted to generate the literature review, refine the research questions as a bridge to methodology, make decisions of design and methods, and respond to the research context. In doing so, I hope to be able to inspire and guide doctoral students in these areas, particularly researchers willing to investigate teachers' practices in their natural settings.
Japanese Higher Education Reform Trends in Response to Globalization and STEM Demand
Author: Yamada, Aki
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Educational Trends,Global Approach,Educational Demand,STEM Education,Innovation,Competition,Educational Policy,Knowledge Economy,21st Century Skills,Competency Based Education,Labor Needs

Globalization has had a substantial impact in the educational field as new ranks of students increasingly have opportunities and the capability to enter higher education and study abroad. Mass access to higher education has become a worldwide phenomenon, as evidenced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 2016) statistics that global enrollments in higher education have increased 56 percent from 2004, with most recently available 2014 reporting indicating 207 million enrollments world-wide. Amidst these changes is a rising demand for students to enter into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, which offer high quality jobs that stimulate economic development and fulfill increasing human capital needs in their respective industries. STEM fields comprise majors ranging from chemistry, physics, software engineering, statistics, and beyond. Given the importance of globalization and STEM development in ongoing global higher education reform, this article examines those trends and how Japanese higher education seeks to drive innovation and global competitiveness through STEM reform.
Challenging Dominance in the Education Sector: Why Is It Important and How Can I Do It?
Author: Cooper, Kathleen
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,Women Faculty,Social Attitudes,Early Childhood Teachers,Early Childhood Education,Barriers,Foreign Countries,Teacher Role,Coping,LGBTQ People,Social Bias,Homosexuality

Dominance in any sector prevents minority voices from being heard. Challenging dominance can be vulnerable, especially if the challenger identifies as part of a minority group. Marginalisation and silencing of issues pertaining to the gay community have long been the accepted norm in the education sector (Lee &amp; Duncan, 2008; Robinson 2002). Furthermore, being an openly gay person in a teaching environment has proven challenging, mainly due to the dominance and acceptance of the heterosexual construct (DeJean, 2010a; Jarvis &amp; Sandretto, 2010; McKenzie-Bassant, 2007; Sumara, 2008). The experiences of four lesbian teachers located in urban Aotearoa New Zealand and how they challenged heteronormativity in their early childhood education (ECE) settings was the focus for this research. Heteronormativity was one barrier which prevented teachers speaking about lesbian and gay topics. As a result of this barrier, acceptance of lesbian and gay issues is still a contentious issue within Aotearoa New Zealand ECE settings. A feminist poststructuralist and queer theory paradigm was used to frame the analytical approach. Data was gathered using individual interviews and a focus group. Strategies that participants used to challenge heteronormative dominance were examined. Although the participants did disrupt and challenge the dominance of heteronormativity, this was not without challenges or discomfort. The findings indicate that a collective approach from all teachers to challenge heteronormativity would benefit both peers and children. This collective approach would enable lesbian and gay teachers to be better able to be authentically engaged teachers.