ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Mapping Geographical Education in Canada: Geography in the Elementary and Secondary Curriculum across Canada
Author: Segeren, Allison
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Geography Instruction,Elementary Secondary Education,Curriculum,Social Studies,Geographic Regions,Instructional Program Divisions,Units of Study,Courses,Barriers,Educational Change

This project builds upon previous surveys of geographical education across Canada completed by Baine (1991) and Mansfield (2005). The purpose of this study was to survey the geography curriculum in each of the ten provinces and three territories in Canada. Geography and social studies curriculum guidelines for grades 1 through 12 were collected in each regional jurisdiction across Canada. A summary of key information was recorded for each grade in each jurisdiction; included were course title, prominent themes, and units of instruction. The overall goal during data analysis was to draw a series of comparisons between the general trends discovered by Baine (1991) and Mansfield (2005) and the patterns that emerged from geography curriculum documents as of 2009. The data suggested that, with the exception of Ontario, all provinces and territories have de-emphasized or deleted specific courses or units in geographical education. In a social studies curriculum dominated by history and civics, there is often little stated emphasis on geographical content, concepts, or skills in grades 1 through 12. [This project was presented at the Annual Conference of the Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Education, Ottawa, Ontario, October 30, 2010.]
An Analysis of the Information Behaviour of Geography Teachers in a Developing African Country--Lesotho
Author: Bitso, Constance
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Geography Instruction,Geography,Developing Nations,Information Literacy,Technological Literacy,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Information Services,Information Needs,Preferences,Focus Groups,Information Seeking,Doctoral Programs,Information Sources,Performance Factors,Barriers,College Faculty,Teacher Surveys

Information behaviour studies have the potential to inform the design of effective information services that incorporate the information needs, information-seeking and preferences for information sources of target users; hence a doctoral study was conducted on the information behaviour of geography teachers in Lesotho with the aim of guiding the design and implementation of an information service model for these teachers. This paper focuses on the analysis of the information behaviour of geography teachers in Lesotho as a contribution of original knowledge on geography teachers' information behaviour. The analysis established the information behaviour of geography teachers using the information behaviour concept that encompasses information needs, information-seeking and information sources. Data were collected and analyzed through focus group discussions and conceptual content analysis respectively. The analysis reveals that these geography teachers need current and accurate information covering a variety of aspects in teaching and learning, such as content, pedagogy, classroom management and learners' assessment. Owing to the increasing number of orphans in schools as a result of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, most teachers expressed the need for information on social assistance for orphans and vulnerable children. Recommendations include information literacy training for teachers and access to the Internet in schools, including the use of open access journals on the Internet by the teachers.
Exploring the Classroom Practice of Productive Pedagogies of the Malaysian Secondary School Geography Teacher
Author: Ahmad@Shaari, Mohammad Zohir
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Geography Instruction,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Teachers,Qualitative Research,Video Technology,Observation,Check Lists,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Characteristics,Knowledge Level,Prior Learning,Classroom Environment,Cultural Awareness,Student Diversity

The productive pedagogies as a framework to enhance teaching and learning outcomes were developed by Lingard et al. (2001) consisted of four main dimensions--intellectual quality, connectedness, supportive classroom environment, and working with and valuing differences. This study is to investigate the productive pedagogical practices among geography teachers in the selected Malaysian secondary schools. The objective is to develop a framework of productive pedagogies that might enhance the quality of teaching in the classroom. A fundamental element of this study is its emphasis on classroom practices through the application of an observation technique that incorporate the standards of authentic. This exploratory study employed the qualitative approach and conducted a series of video recording on teaching and learning processes in the classroom of nine teachers. The observation checklist was used to collect the data for this study. The data was analyzed and the results of the analysis showed that the competency level is under par excellent from the established criteria of the productive pedagogies practices.
Barriers to Teaching Introductory Physical Geography Online
Author: Ritter, Michael E.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Barriers,Geography Instruction,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Introductory Courses,Higher Education,Laboratories,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Resources,Physical Geography,Distance Education,Surveys

Learning geography online is becoming an option for more students but not without controversy. Issues of faculty resources, logistics, professional recognition, and pedagogical concerns are cited as barriers to teaching online. Offering introductory physical geography online presents special challenges. As a general education course, an introductory physical geography course has a diverse population of students with disparate educational needs and goals that impacts its ability to be delivered online. Online learning is further complicated when lab courses require specialized laboratory equipment and fieldwork. A survey of geography departments in the United States was conducted to determine barriers to the deployment of introductory physical geography lab courses. Lack of faculty interest, faculty resources, and pedagogical concerns were found to be the most important barriers to deploying online physical geography lab courses. Knowing the challenges faced by geography departments offering online courses provides insight into where valuable support services and resources can best be used to address them. Recent advances in blogging, podcasting, lecture capture, web conferencing, and augmented reality are offered as solutions to the concerns expressed by survey respondents.
Integrating Opportunities: Applied Interdisciplinary Research in Undergraduate Geography and Geology Education
Author: Viertel, David C.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interdisciplinary Approach,Geography,Geography Instruction,Integrated Activities,Learning Activities,Case Studies,Undergraduate Students,College Faculty,Community Involvement,Faculty Development,Geology

Unique integrative learning approaches represent a fundamental opportunity for undergraduate students and faculty alike to combine interdisciplinary methods with applied spatial research. Geography and geoscience-related disciplines are particularly well-suited to adapt multiple methods within a holistic and reflective mentored research paradigm. The case study presented is successful geography-geology collaboration at a regional comprehensive university. Faculty participation allowed them to broaden the scope of their research and expand cooperative relationships within the academy, while students benefited from a wider context for disciplinary training, improved community engagement, and professional development opportunities.
Attitudes of Stakeholders towards Physical Punishment on Pupils of International and National Schools in Kampala District, Uganda
Author: Mulinga, Damien Mbikyo
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Punishment,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Interviews,Questionnaires,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,International Schools,Surveys,Discipline Policy,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Foreign Countries

This paper describes an applied research study conducted to find solutions for the problem of the use of physical punishment in schools in the Kampala District of Uganda. In this study stakeholders were requested to state their actions and feelings towards the use of physical punishment in schools. The objective of the study was to investigate attitudes of stakeholders towards physical punishment in schools, find out circumstances which commonly lead to physical punishment, and explore perceptions of stakeholders on alternative forms of punishment. To achieve these objectives the researcher used survey methods in his research methodology. The sample was composed of 360 respondents/subjects (school administrators, parents, teachers and pupils). These respondents were subjected to interviews and questionnaires. In these aspects the research was carried out under the requirements of both qualitative and quantitative research. Attitudes towards physical punishment as a dependent variable depended on the use of physical punishment as an independent variable; therefore attitudes of stakeholders are influenced by physical punishment. To analyze the data, the researcher coded similar issues and therefore calculated percentages in order to estimate the average of respondents who appreciate or do not appreciate any issue concerning the use of physical punishment in schools. The study revealed that in both international and national schools, pupils acknowledged that physical punishment is helpful; pupils did not agree that a teacher who beats children should be dismissed. Referring to these findings it seems that pupils are driven by external pressures about the matter of the use of physical punishment.
Towards a Paradigm Shift in the Production of Vocational Education Teachers in Nigeria
Author: Abraham, Nath M.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Vocational Education,Vocational Education Teachers,Teacher Education Programs,Educational Objectives,Relevance (Education),Educational Attitudes,Educational Change,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Teaching Skills,Instructional Innovation

Modern education the world over now envisions achievement of science and technological advancement for economic growth and poverty reduction. The imperative is for teachers to deliver instruction in vocational skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge related to occupations in various sectors of the Nigerian economic and social life. If we believe that the quality of an educational system is a correlate of teacher quality then, logically, the teacher should be the first to acquire this vocational identity and orientation to be able to transmit the same to students. Today, schools have &quot;talk-and-chalk&quot; teachers teaching vocation education students with traditional skills--dictate long notes, memorize books, drill and indoctrinate skills rather than skills that reduce classroom experiences to real world situations. This means teaching without teachers and represents a fundamental missing link. A paradigm shift is required. Therefore, it is recommended that teacher training (production) programmes (in terms of curricula, content, pedagogy and funding) be reformed to produce sharp and appropriate teacher response to this new concept of education.
Color Visions from the Past in Science Teaching within a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) Context
Author: Kolokouri, Eleni
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Color,Foreign Countries,Science History,Natural Sciences,Models,Science Activities,Scientific Concepts,Scientific Principles,Action Research,Social Theories,Cultural Context,Preservice Teachers,Inservice Teacher Education,Preschool Education,Teaching Methods,Preservice Teacher Education,Observation,Semi Structured Interviews

This study uses history of science in teaching natural sciences from the early grades. The theoretical framework used is Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which is a theory with expanding applications in different fields of science. The didactical scenario, in which history of science is used in a CHAT context, refers to Newton's presentation of color theory to the scientific society. The question addressed in this study is to connect the history of science with science teaching from the early grades and propose the socio-cultural aspect of teaching natural sciences as a means to reform natural sciences education. The study is divided in two parts. The first part concerns a series of natural science activities and the proper didactic strategies to teach colour theory concepts practiced in the university laboratory by prospective teachers. The second part is an application of the previous activities in Ioannina pre-primary school classrooms. Research data are collected before, during and after the classroom implementation by observations, video recordings, interviews and analyses. The initial results of incorporating history of science material in natural sciences within the CHAT context seem promising. Using elements from the history of science proved a useful tool in order to design science education activities. During the practical application of the activities, pupils realized that construction of scientific concepts is a collective procedure within the evolution of human culture. They found out that the alternative ideas they have about natural concepts and phenomena were also expressed by famous scientists. By using basic principles of CHAT in classroom situations we contribute to the establishment of science education as participation in the community, as well as a new ontology and epistemology in teaching scientific concepts.
The Effects of Planned Focus on Form on Iranian EFL Learners&apos; Oral Accuracy
Author: Farrokhi, Farahman
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Oral Language,Accuracy,Language Proficiency,Teaching Methods,Feedback (Response),Error Correction,Quasiexperimental Design,Randomized Controlled Trials,Story Telling,Recall (Psychology),Grammar,Metalinguistics,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Adolescents,Young Adults

One of the limitations of the meaning focused instruction in an EFL situation such as Iran is that a communicative approach helps Iranian learners to become fluent, but is insufficient to ensure comparable levels of oral accuracy. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether planned focus on form, and also what type of corrective feedback, would be useful for Iranian EFL learners' oral accuracy. To this end, the study employed a quasi experimental design. Three intact classes were randomly selected as the control group (n = 17), recast group (n = 19) as experimental group 1, and delayed explicit and metalinguistic group (n = 21) as the experimental group 2 respectively. All groups participated in six sessions of the task of story retelling. For all groups, learners were asked to read and summarize their own assigned story in a time limit of four minutes and retell it to the class. For the recast group, students were provided with recasts on their simple past tense errors; for the delayed explicit and metalinguistic group, the researcher corrected the learners' errors after they finished the retelling; and for the control group, there were no feedback on learners' errors. Learners' improvement was measured by their oral accuracy during the six sessions of story retelling. One-way ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons indicated that all CF groups significantly outperformed the control group in the session six of story retelling and that the two feedback types were equally effective in promoting learners' oral accuracy. These findings suggest that the planned focus on form can be an effective tool for the development of oral accuracy in the EFL situations. It can also be concluded that intensive recasts which are repeatedly focused on a particular structure are not different from explicit types of feedback in terms of their effectiveness.
Self-Awareness and Social Change in Higher Education
Author: New, Kuwi Hoi
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Social Change,Metacognition,Social Influences,Teacher Student Relationship,Peer Relationship,Personal Autonomy,Student Adjustment,Interviews,Family Characteristics,Cultural Influences,Religious Factors,Economic Status,Work Experience,Metalinguistics,Foreign Countries,College Students

This research examines the development of self-awareness in students as they strive to adapt themselves to their current environment. The significant social factors that immerge include; culture, religion, language; economic status, family integration and work experience. Also considered are the relationships of students with teachers and classmates in a more restricted academic context, a third concern is the theme of autonomy and how students adjust themselves to their field of study. Overall, these findings reinforce the important role of self-awareness as it helps students develop in an educational setting.
Towards Sustainable National Development through Well Managed Early Childhood Education
Author: Abraham, Nath M.
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Sustainable Development,Global Approach,Educational Development,Equal Education,Social Development,Inclusion,Ecology,Cooperation,Educational Facilities,Instructional Materials,Preschool Curriculum,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Education,Agency Cooperation,Alignment (Education),Educational Finance,Foreign Countries

This paper discusses issues relating to sustainable development and effective management of early childhood education. The child is the &quot;owner&quot; of the future. The problems that confront the current generation are complex and serious that cannot be addressed in the same way they were created. But they can be addressed. The concept of sustainable development is an attempt to shape thought in global systemic perspective as well as secure a future. The future is the children heritage who must also understand the demands of this challenge. Early childhood education is the key to unlock the understanding required to inherit this future and requires effective management. The paper therefore recommends the school building, provision of appropriate instructional and infrastructural facilities; curricula reforms in line with future (economic, political, natural, social, etc) demands as well as increased funding to enhance early childhood education.
Utilization of Adult and Non-Formal Education Programs in Combating Rural Poverty in Nigeria
Author: Ihejirika, John Chinedu
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Education,Nonformal Education,Rural Areas,Poverty,Poverty Areas,Foreign Countries,Rural Population,Economically Disadvantaged

The purpose of this paper was to examine the concept of poverty and its causes in Nigeria and to analyze how adult and non-formal education programs can be utilized to reduce rural poverty in Nigeria. In spite of Nigeria's affluence in human and material resources, it is classified among countries with high level of poverty. Incidentally, the incidence of poverty in Nigeria assumes wider dimensions in rural areas where larger proportion of the population (about 70%) reside mainly as subsistence farmers, fishermen and women, retail traders, herdsmen, palm wine tappers, the aged and hunters whose cultural and occupational affiliations do not encourage them to migrate. The incidence of rural poverty in Nigeria is attributed to lack of adequate education/illiteracy, subsistence farming, protracted illness due to inadequate medical care services, lack of employment opportunities, and failure of government to provide basic social amenities. To ameliorate the extent and dimensions of rural poverty in particular, successive governments, over the years, have introduced various economic recovery programs, most of which failed due to official corruption, lack of proper mobilization and top-down nature of such programs/schemes. This paper advocates a revert to the use of adult and non-formal education programs to educate and train the rural poor outside the formal education system on how and what to do to come out of the stronghold of poverty. In this regard, the use of adult basic education and functional literacy, agricultural extension education, women education, health extension education and vocational skills acquisition programs are seriously indicated. It is strongly recommended that for poverty alleviation programs of government to succeed, community members particularly, the poor for whom the programs are meant, should be well mobilized as to make inputs in the planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of such programs and schemes that concern them.
Roles of Community Education in the Management and Sustainability of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria
Author: Oyebamiji, M. A.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Education,Foreign Countries,Sustainability,Program Implementation,Community Involvement,Elementary Secondary Education,Stakeholders,Elementary Schools,Junior High Schools,Access to Education

Education is seen as the bedrock of a nation's development and for any sustainable programme to take place, human factor, especially the community where the programme is taking place has to be considered. The inputs of the school are from the community and the products of the school service or engineer the community. It is in this context that, this paper assesses the significant roles played by community education in the management and sustainability of UBE programme in Nigeria. Concept of community education and Universal Basic Education are extensively examined. The paper reveals that, through knowledge, exposure and experience, what the community gains from education would enable them to see the reasons why they need to manage and sustain the UBE scheme. The study therefore, recommended that, government and other educational stakeholders should support, fund and embrace community education in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination with a view to making the laudable objectives realized and sustained.
The Effect of Home Related Science Activities on Students&apos; Performance in Basic Science
Author: Obomanu, B. J.
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Activities,Science Instruction,Academic Achievement,Pretests Posttests,Control Groups,Quasiexperimental Design,Science Teachers,Statistical Analysis,Scientific Concepts,Foreign Countries,Junior High School Students,Secondary School Science,Science Process Skills,Junior High Schools,Experimental Groups

Our study investigated the effect of utilizing home related science activities on student's performance in some basic science concepts. The concepts considered were heart energy, ecology and mixtures. The sample consisted of two hundred and forty (240) basic junior secondary two (BJSS11) students drawn from a population of five thousand and seventy six (5,076) students in two Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. A quasi-experimental with a pretest posttest control group design was adopted. The data was analyzed using means, standard deviations, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that home related science activities enhanced students' performance in basic science concepts better than utilizing only school science or classroom activities. It was also revealed that gender and the interaction between gender and approach were not significant. It was recommended among others that teachers while teaching science should domesticate their teaching of science by citing relevant examples from the home background of the students to enhance performance.