ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Study of Stressors That Impinge on Teachers in Secondary Schools in Swaziland
Author: Okeke, C. I. O.
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Stress Variables,Correlation,Secondary School Teachers,Questionnaires,Job Satisfaction,Work Environment,Job Performance,Stress Management,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Marital Status,Teacher Qualifications,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis

This study employed the descriptive-correlation research design to determine whether secondary school teachers experience work-related stress. Participants included 239 teachers selected from schools in the Hhohho region of Swaziland. A questionnaire was used as the instrument to determine the level of work-related stress experienced by these teachers. Findings showed that teachers were moderately stressed by their work. Contractual problems and the nature of their work were two aspects that were reported to be the main stressors for the sample, while the work environment and work relationships were only mildly stressful. There was a weak relationship between the level of work-related stress and the demographic variables of gender, marital status, and qualifications. Age had a moderate significant relationship with the level of work-related stress for the sample. The study recommends that stress management programmes for teachers are imperative to deal with the consequences of stress.
An APOS Analysis of Natural Science Students' Understanding of Derivatives
Author: Maharaj, Aneshkumar
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Student Attitudes,Schemata (Cognition),Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,Ethics,Statistical Analysis,Graphs,Mathematics Skills,Cognitive Structures

This article reports on a study which used the APOS (action-process-object-schema) theoretical framework to investigate university students' understanding of derivatives and their applications. Research was done at the Westville Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The relevant rules for finding derivatives and their applications were taught to undergraduate science students. This paper reports on the analysis of students' responses to six types of questions on derivatives and their applications. The findings of this study suggest that those students had difficulty in applying the rules for derivatives and this was possibly the result of many students not having appropriate mental structures at the process, object and schema levels.
An Investigation into the Opportunity to Learn That Is Available to Grade 12 Mathematics Learners
Author: Stols, Gerrit
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Opportunities,Grade 12,Mathematics Education,Secondary School Mathematics,Time on Task,Cognitive Processes,Difficulty Level,Mathematics Teachers,Active Learning,Workbooks,Correlation,Mathematics Achievement,Statistical Analysis,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries

This study investigated the opportunity to learn (OTL) that is available to Grade 12 mathematics learners. Learner workbooks were analysed in terms of time on task, curriculum coverage, curriculum coherence, and cognitive demand. Based on these elements, experienced mathematics teachers judged the opportunity that the learners have to achieve more than 60% for each topic. According to the workbooks, the average number of active learning days in this sample was 54.1 days per annum. This resulted in limited curriculum coverage in almost all sections in 16 of the 18 under-performing schools. In these schools, learners spent most of their time practising routine procedures. The high correlation of 0.95 (p &lt; 0.001) between the experts' prediction about the opportunity to learn in the different schools (based on the learner workbooks) and learners' actual performance in the Grade 12 exam shows that the number, the coverage, the cognitive level, and the coherence of activities play a major role in understanding learner performance.
Ecological Aspects Influencing the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Mainstream Primary Schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Author: Geldenhuys, J. L.
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Inclusion,Elementary Schools,Qualitative Research,Phenomenology,Observation,Semi Structured Interviews,Ecological Factors,Educational Environment

Despite efforts worldwide to ensure quality education for all learners through inclusive education, indications are that many learners, especially those that experience barriers to learning, are still excluded from full access to quality and equitable education opportunities in mainstream primary schools. This article uses a qualitative approach and phenomenological strategy to focus on the ecological aspects influencing the implementation of inclusive education in mainstream primary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 participants from seven schools to gather data, whilst a process of framework analysis was used for the analysis of the data. The investigation revealed that the implementation of inclusive education is not only hampered by aspects within the school environment, but also by aspects across the entire ecological system of education.
Boys' Boarding School Management: Understanding the Choice Criteria of Parents
Author: Vigar-Ellis, Debbie
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Selection Criteria,School Choice,Parent Aspiration,Boarding Schools,Males,Secondary School Students,School Administration,Competition,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Parent Surveys,Foreign Countries

The South African secondary boarding school sector has become more competitive as schools attempt to attract and retain pupils. Management of such schools must not only address the educational and boarding needs of pupils, but also apply appropriate management and marketing principles to compete effectively with boarding schools throughout the country and beyond. Customers base their choices of products and services on their perceptions of various offerings available, evaluated according to selection criteria they deem to be important. Marketing theory uses the term &quot;positioning&quot; to describe the process of constructing the place that a product occupies in the customer's mind relative to competing products. For schools in this sector to position themselves appropriately, they first need to determine the criteria parents use to evaluate one school against another. This study set out to determine these criteria. A sample of 169 parents and old boys, chosen using the database of a particular boys' boarding school in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, were sent questionnaires. Quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the most important criteria. The top two criteria were found to be a safe environment and competent staff.
Educational Reform in Nigeria: The Case of Multicultural Education for Peace, Love, and Tolerance
Author: Aydin, Hasan
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Multicultural Education,Peace,Intimacy,Qualitative Research,International Schools,Observation,Interviews,Focus Groups,Parent Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Cultural Pluralism,Humanization,Affective Objectives,Educational Philosophy,Ideology

The cohesion of our multicultural societies depends on mutual understanding, engaging proactively in co-operation between different communities and respecting one another. This paper deals with the educational philosophy of a well-known Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen and its application to schools in Nigeria. Gülen-inspired schools in Nigeria are peace islands in the ocean of violence, and promote love, greater empathy, tolerance and peace in a society deeply divided along ethnic, religious, tribal and geographical lines. Following Gülen's example, the schools promote respect for other cultures and the trains of thought of various well-known scholars. Students, throughout their education, learn to appreciate other faiths, ethnicities and cultures, as well as their own. This article reports on a 2010 qualitative field study conducted at the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges (NTICs) in Abuja, Nigeria. In this qualitative inquiry, the researchers used observations, in- depth individual interviews and focus groups to elicit the lived experience of four identified groups of stakeholders (administrators, teachers, students and parents). Participants in this study comprised 22 adults, of which 9 were females and 13 males, aged 16 to 61 (M = 28.9). The findings indicate that the Gülenian style of education, as it is implemented in Nigeria, and according to the reflections of those participants involved with NTICs, exposes students to people from different parts of Nigeria, as well as people who often are from different ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. The organisation of the school and the school activities allow students to experience those differences in a safe setting, resulting in their learning to appreciate one another.
The Nature, Causes and Effects of School Violence in South African High Schools
Author: Ncontsa, Vusumzi Nelson
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Etiology,Cognitive Mapping,School Safety,Violence,High Schools,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,Interviews,Administrator Attitudes,Principals,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Disadvantaged Environment,Discipline Problems,Influences,Academic Achievement,Instructional Effectiveness

We sought to investigate the nature, causes and effects of school violence in four South African high schools. A purposive sample of five principals, 80 learners and 20 educators was selected from the four schools used in the study. A sequential mixed method approach was used in this study; both questionnaires and interviews were used. The design is divided into two phases, beginning with the collection and analysis of quantitative data, followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative data. The overall purpose of this design is that the qualitative data help explain or build upon initial quantitative results from the first phase of the study. The advantage of the design is that its two-phased nature makes it uncomplicated to implement and to report on. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods provides a better understanding of the research problem than either approach alone. A pilot study of the questionnaire was conducted in a school outside the province in which the study was done. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.72. This was a high positive coefficient and implied that the questionnaire used was reliable. The study found that bullying, vandalism, gangsterism, indiscipline, intolerance, and corporal punishment were prevalent in schools. Furthermore, the study found that school violence had the following effects on learners: loss of concentration; poor academic performance; bunking of classes; and depression. The implications of these findings are discussed in detail.
Assessing the Validity of Multiple-Choice Questions in Measuring Fourth Graders' Ability to Interpret Graphs about Motion and Temperature
Author: Dulger, Mehmet
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Validity,Multiple Choice Tests,Elementary School Students,Grade 4,Graphs,Physical Sciences,Scientific Concepts,Motion,Climate,Heat,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Knowledge Level,Protocol Analysis,Student Evaluation,Grading,Charter Schools,Data Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to assess the validity of multiple-choice questions in measuring fourth grade students' ability to interpret graphs related to physical science topics such as motion and temperature. We administered a test including 6 multiple-choice questions to 28 fourth grade students. Students were asked to explain their thinking in writing for each question. In addition, we interviewed all 28 students and asked them to justify their answer for each question by thinking out loud. We found that a significant number of students were not able to provide appropriate explanations for their correct answers. Interestingly, however, a significant number of students were able to provide appropriate explanations even though they initially selected an incorrect response. As a result of this study, we suggest caution in using multiple-choice questions as a single data source to assign grades or to make other important decisions about student achievement.
An Investigation of the Effectiveness of the Modular General English Language Teaching Preparatory Program at a Turkish University
Author: Coskun, Abdullah
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),College Second Language Programs,Second Language Instruction,Intensive Language Courses,College Students,College Faculty,English Teachers,Questionnaires,Interviews,Program Effectiveness,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Instructional Materials,Teaching Methods,Student Evaluation,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes

Evaluating existing foreign language programs on a regular basis is essential because program evaluation leads to more effective programs. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the modular intensive general English language teaching program applied at a university in Turkey by investigating students' and English instructors' perceptions of different program dimensions, such as the materials, teaching process, and assessment. The data were collected via questionnaires filled out by students and interviews with the English instructors at the preparatory program. The findings of the study show that the modular system should be discontinued as it has certain drawbacks and should be replaced by a more manageable and feasible system considering specific contextual constraints, such as the number of instructors, classrooms and teaching resources. Also, it was found that there are certain aspects of the curriculum that need to be improved in order to develop a more effective program. It is hoped that this study will lead to more evaluative studies in foreign language teaching programs.
Using Real-Worldness and Cultural Difference to Enhance Student Learning in a Foundation Phase Life Skills Module
Author: Koen, Mariette
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Relevance (Education),Cultural Differences,Daily Living Skills,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Case Studies,Qualitative Research,Focus Groups,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews,Experiential Learning,Foreign Countries

Our aim was to explore how real-world experience, inclusive of engagement with cultural differences, influences the quality of students' learning in a Life Skills module in pre-service Foundation Phase teacher education. The study was conducted with 147 students in their final year of the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase specialisation), at the University of the Free State. A case study design was employed to collect qualitative data by means of focus group discussions, open-ended questionnaires, and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study suggest that the use of the real world, as a context for authentic learning, enables meaning making, where students gain first-hand experience that allows them to engage with the complexities of preparing to teach in the Foundation Phase.
Lexical Inferencing: Perceptions and Actual Behaviours of Turkish English as a Foreign Language Learners' Handling of Unknown Vocabulary
Author: Akpinar, Kadriye Dilek
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inferences,Vocabulary Development,Foreign Countries,Correlation,Student Attitudes,Preservice Teachers,Teacher Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Mixed Methods Research,Language Tests,Behavior Patterns,Reading Materials,Surveys,Context Effect,Reading Strategies

The purpose of this study was to examine Turkish English as a Foreign Language Learners' (EFL) handling of unknown words while reading English texts. The study also examines the relationship between these learners' perceptions and actual practices in the employment of knowledge sources while trying to guess the meaning of unknown words. The participants involved in this study were 40 pre-service teacher education students between the ages of 18-22 years old. Data were collected through mixed (qualitative and quantitative) methods, namely, by a twofold vocabulary strategy survey and a lexical inference test. Pearson correlation coefficients were conducted to determine what relationships exist among the perceived behaviours and actual practices of learners for unknown words. The results of the correlation analyses identified an insignificant correlation between the actual practices and perceptions of students for the contextual and intralingual knowledge sources.
Does Family Structure Matter? Comparing the Life Goals and Aspirations of Learners in Secondary Schools
Author: Davids, Eugene Lee
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Family Structure,Secondary School Students,Student Educational Objectives,Academic Aspiration,Statistical Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Grade 11,One Parent Family,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Family Influence,Foreign Countries,Multivariate Analysis,Likert Scales

The aim of this study was to compare the goals and aspirations of learners from single- and two-parent families. The study used a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional comparative group design. The sample consisted of 853 Grade 11 learners from secondary schools in the Northern, Southern and Metro Central education districts in the Western Cape. The data were collected using the Aspirations Index and a short biographical questionnaire. The results suggest that there was a significant main effect of family structure on certain goals and aspirations of learners in secondary schools. These goals and aspirations included wealth, image, personal growth, relationships, and health. Furthermore, learners in single-parent families placed more emphasis on intrinsic goals.
Understanding How Preservice Teachers' Fear, Perceived Danger and Disgust Affects the Incorporation of Arachnid Information into the Elementary Science Classroom
Author: Wagler, Ron
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Animals,Science Instruction,Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Emotional Response,Beliefs,Fear,Workshops,Attitude Change,Program Effectiveness,Elementary School Science,Pretests Posttests,Randomized Controlled Trials,Statistical Analysis,Least Squares Statistics

Arachnids are predatory arthropods that are beneficial to humans in many ways, with common examples including spiders and scorpions. Despite the importance of arachnids to global ecosystems, the fear of spiders in specific human groups is well documented. Arachnids are a very diverse class (i.e., Arachnida) encompassing eleven extant orders with over 100,000 described species but little is known about other emotions and beliefs humans have towards most other arachnid orders. Because of the importance of arachnids to global ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity, elementary children should learn about arachnids. However, prior research shows that preservice elementary teachers do not plan to include information about arachnids in their classrooms. The current study analyzed the effect a living arachnid workshop had on United States (US) kindergarten through sixth grade (K-6) preservice elementary teachers' emotions and beliefs towards living arachnids and sought to see if the arachnid workshop could reduce the participants fear, perceived danger and disgust towards arachnids and increase their likelihood of incorporating information about arachnids into their science classroom. Five living arachnids from five of the eleven extant arachnid orders were used in the study, which is the most biodiverse group of arachnids used in a study to assess the emotions and beliefs humans have toward arachnids. This study employs a longitudinal design (i.e., pretest, posttest 1 and posttest 2) with randomly assigned treatment and control groups thereby giving the researchers the ability to make casual claims and assess the effect of the intervention over a longer period of time. The treatment group exhibited a steady and maintained decrease in the levels of fear, perceived danger and disgust across the time points, while the control group exhibited little change in these responses. A positive change in the likelihood of incorporation for each of the animals across time for the treatment group was found, while the control group showed little or no change in these responses across time. Implications of the study and future research are presented that are applicable to preservice elementary teachers, university science education instructors and teacher training programs.
Learners' and Teachers' Perceptions of Principals' Leadership in Soweto Secondary Schools: A Social Justice Analysis
Author: Mafora, Patrick
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Secondary School Teachers,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries,Principals,Social Justice,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Semi Structured Interviews,Focus Groups,Barriers,Democratic Values,Civil Rights,Educational Change,Administrator Role,Equal Education,Student Diversity,Educational Administration,Administrator Effectiveness

The legislative framework for education in South Africa enforces the democratisation and transformation of education consistent with the values of human dignity, equity, human rights, and freedom. As &quot;ex officio&quot; members of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and professional managers of schools, principals should play a pivotal role in providing transformative leadership for social justice in these schools. The purpose of this study was to examine, through a social justice framework, how teachers and learners who are SGB members perceive and experience the principals' leadership in Soweto secondary schools. Five schools were purposefully sampled for this qualitative case study. Data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews and follow-up individual interviews. Findings suggest that learners and teachers experience sampled schools as democratically untransformed with a climate fraught with unfairness, inequity, disregard for human rights, and intolerance of diversity. The leadership behaviour of principals is perceived as a barrier to democratic transformation and social justice and this engenders resistance and threatens management effectiveness.
Dismantling the White Supremacy Embedded in Our Classrooms: White Faculty in Pursuit of More Equitable Educational Outcomes for Racially Minoritized Students
Author: Haynes, Chayla
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Faculty,Whites,Racial Attitudes,Racial Bias,Equal Education,Critical Theory,Race,Models,Cognitive Structures,Constructivism (Learning),Grounded Theory,Teacher Behavior,Social Justice,Teacher Effectiveness,Social Change,Educational Research,Data Analysis,Coding

An investigation of the literature revealed that racial consciousness and the behaviors of White faculty in the classroom appeared linked. A conceptual framework, Racial Consciousness and Its Influence on the Behaviors of White Faculty in the Classroom, was subsequently developed and tested in this constructivist grounded theory study. Findings indicate that White faculty with higher levels of racial consciousness employ behaviors in their classroom reflective of an expansive view of equality in their pursuit of social justice, which they consider synonymous with excellence in teaching. Moreover, these findings illustrate what perceptions White faculty hold about higher education's responsibility in the facilitation of social change. This research bears great significance to higher education research and practice, as it is the first of its kind, in the education literature, to utilize critical legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw's (1988) restrictive and expansive views of equality framework to empirically measure and describe excellence in college teaching.