ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Concepts and Subjects in Biology Perceived to Be Difficult to Learn and Teach by the Pre-Service Teachers Registered in the Pedagogical Formation Program
Author: Gungor, Sema Nur
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Genetics,Classification,Teaching Methods,Biology,Preservice Teachers,Science Teachers,Questionnaires,Cytology,Physiology,Biotechnology,Ecology,Evolution,Scientific Concepts,Difficulty Level,Teacher Education Programs,Botany,Undergraduate Students,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Teacher Attitudes

This study examines the subjects and concepts in biology perceived to be difficult to learn and teach by 759 pre-service biology teachers registered in the pedagogical formation program at Uludag University Faculty of Education in the academic year of 2005-2016, as well as the associations that word &quot;biology&quot; first calls to their mind. The study was designed as a survey model, and a questionnaire of three scaled questions was used as a data collection tool. The data were classified into 10 different categories based on different branches of biology: Anatomy-Morphology, Biotechnology, Ecology, Evolution, Physiology, Genetics, Histology, Cytology, Systematics and Reproduction and Development. Following the classification, the data were analyzed using frequency and percentages. The subjects and concepts perceived to be difficult to learn by the pre-service teachers are respectively as follows: photosynthesis and its stages, genetics, circulatory system, aerobic respiration, respiratory system, anaerobic respiration, protein synthesis, phanerogams, DNA structure and function, cryptogams, mitosis, plant systematics, endocrine system, meiosis, ETC, urinary system, plant physiology, taxonomy, evolution and digestive system. The subjects and concepts perceived to be difficult to teach by the pre-service teachers are respectively as follows: photosynthesis and its stages, protein synthesis, circulatory system, endocrine system, meiosis, plant systematics, evolution, mitosis, reproduction, genetic crossing over problems, Latinization of names, urinary system, genetics, ecology, aerobic respiration, DNA structure and function, plant tissues, glycolysis and anaerobic respiration. These findings confirm the need for developing undergraduate programs in biology and promoting the research culture at the secondary education level.
The Impact of Conversations on Fourth Grade Reading Performance--What NAEP Data Explorer Tells?
Author: Bond, Jeremy
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Competency Tests,Reading Achievement,Grade 4,Scores,Reading,Reading Tests,Interpersonal Communication,Friendship,Peer Relationship,Data Collection,Family Relationship,Family School Relationship,Statistical Analysis

This study presented a secondary analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset. The paper explored the differences between fourth grade reading scores by examining (1) how often the fourth graders discuss their school work at home with family and (2) how often the fourth graders discuss what they were reading with friends. The results by NAEP Data Explorer indicate that the average scale score (M = 214, SD = 36) of students who report &quot;never or hardly ever&quot; talking about studies at home was significantly (p &lt;0.001) lower than all other groups. The results of how often they talked to their friends about what they were reading were mixed: Students reporting talk with friends once or twice a month (M = 228, SD = 35) had significantly (p&lt;0.001) higher average scale scores than those in the never or hardly ever and almost every day groups and slightly lower than those talking once or twice a week.
Undergraduate Students&apos; Perceptions of the Mathematics Courses Included in the Primary School Teacher Education Program
Author: Serin, Mehmet Koray
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Preservice Teachers,Student Teacher Attitudes,Elementary School Teachers,Mathematics Education,Difficulty Level,Attitude Change,Mathematics Achievement,Student Interests,Prior Learning,Teacher Influence,Educational Benefits,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Content Analysis,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires

Mathematics educators have reported on many issues regarding students' mathematical education, particularly students who received mathematics education at different departments such as engineering, science or primary school, including their difficulties with mathematical concepts, their understanding of and preferences for mathematical concepts. This study aimed to investigate the opinions of primary-school teacher education students in terms of their perceptions of difficulty level of the mathematics courses, change in their achievement, if there is any, and interest in mathematics after completing these courses, and factors affecting their achievement and interest level in these courses. Being qualitative in nature, this study was a case study. The data were analyzed using the content analysis and descriptive methods. According to the results, most students stated that they faced mathematics course content with unexpected level of difficulty. After taking basic mathematics courses, the percentage of students with decreased level of interest and achievement in mathematics was found higher than the students who experienced an increase in their interest and achievement. Students underlined such significant factors for the change of their interest and achievement in mathematics as prior knowledge, lecturer(s), and content coverage. Finally, most of the students viewed mathematics courses as a beneficiary tool for their professional development.
Implementing Instructional Practices to Improve American Indian and Alaska Native Students&apos; Reading Outcomes: An Exploration of Patterns across Teacher, Classroom, and School Characteristics
Author: Vincent, Claudia
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: American Indian Education,American Indian Students,Alaska Natives,Culturally Relevant Education,Reading Instruction,Reading Improvement,Reading Achievement,Teacher Surveys,Educational Practices,Teacher Characteristics,Classroom Environment,Institutional Characteristics,Program Implementation,Native Language,Faculty Development,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Grade 4,Grade 8,Factor Analysis

The Native Community strongly recommends integrating Native language and culture (NLC) into reading instruction to improve outcomes for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. However, little is known about the extent to which recommended practices are used and what might facilitate their implementation. The National Indian Education Study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education surveys teachers of AI/AN students on their instructional practices. This descriptive study builds on previous analysis of survey data, which identified measurable dimensions of NLC in instruction. We now examine (a) the extent to which teachers implement these dimensions and (b) what teacher, classroom, and schoolwide characteristics facilitate implementation. Outcomes suggest that the recommended practices are rarely implemented, and that AI/AN teachers speaking Native language(s) and teaching in classrooms with high AI/AN enrollment located in schools employing AI/AN teachers and staff implement the recommended practices more often. We discuss implications for teacher education and support.
Enhancing Expectations of Cooperative Learning Use through Initial Teacher Training
Author: Duran Gisbert, David
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cooperative Learning,Elementary School Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Teaching Methods,Mixed Methods Research,Pretests Posttests,Questionnaires,Focus Groups,Student Attitudes,Success,Quasiexperimental Design,Foreign Countries,Expectation

Despite its relevance and evidence support, Cooperative Learning (CL) is a challenge for all educational systems due to the difficulties in its implementation. The objective of this study is to identify the effect of Primary Education initial teacher training in the prediction of future CL use. Two groups of 44 and 45 students were conceptually trained, with the latter also having the opportunity to experience CL in the university classroom. Opting for mixed methods research, this study tries to identify changes in a pre- and post-test Cooperative Learning Implementation Questionnaire and to explain possible changes through 4 focus groups. Quantitative results show differences in expectations of CL success and index of CL use for the group that had the CL experience. Qualitative data revealed that improvements can be explained by the increase in students' awareness of the learning opportunities that CL offered them, giving and receiving scaffolding help, preparing activities and enhancing motivation.
A New Context Affording for Regulation: The Case of Musical Play
Author: Zachariou, Antonia
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Music,Play,Statistical Analysis,Elementary School Students,Self Control,Metacognition,Coding,Task Analysis,Child Development,Foreign Countries,Computer Software,Observation

The present study set out to investigate theoretical speculations that regulation and musical play, an initial manifestation of musicality, are directly linked. This study aimed to explore the potential for regulation to occur during musical play and investigate the nature of the regulatory behaviours. Thirty-six children, aged 6 and 8, were observed during musical play sessions. These observations were analysed, using a coding framework, to identify and code regulatory behaviours as to the type of regulation, its social nature and the direction of activity. The data were subjected to quantitative analysis. The findings suggest that regulatory behaviours occurred during musical play. During musical play tasks, cognitive monitoring and emotional/motivational monitoring behaviours were the most prevalent, significantly more opportunities were provided for socially-shared regulation compared to self- or co-regulation, and the children more often directed their activity towards fundamental, rather than superficial aspects of tasks. The results can inform theory and practice.
Revisiting the Antecedents of Social Entrepreneurial Intentions in Hong Kong
Author: Ip, Ching Yin
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Empathy,Moral Values,Entrepreneurship,Self Efficacy,Social Support Groups,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Multiple Regression Analysis,Intention,Correlation,Factor Analysis,Interpersonal Competence,Statistical Analysis,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students

This study examined how empathy, moral obligation, social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, perceived social support, and prior experience with social problems are associated with social entrepreneurial intentions. Through a survey, a sample of 252 Hong Kong students was used for analyses. Factor analyses supported that the antecedents of social entrepreneurial intentions could be divided into dimensions of empathy, moral obligation, social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, perceived social support, and prior experience with social problems. Multiple regression analysis results indicated that perceived social support was the most prominent antecedent of social entrepreneurial intentions, followed by moral obligation, empathy, and prior experience with social problems. Notably, moral obligation was revealed to be negatively associated with social entrepreneurial intentions.
Young Children about School: Whose Voices Do We Hear?
Author: Tertoolen, Anja
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Young Children,Case Studies,Correlation,Student Participation,Cultural Influences,Family Influence,Educational Environment,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Attitude Measures,Teacher Role,School Activities,Student Attitudes,Coding,Parent Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries

School is one of the important educational practices, in which children are actively involved. When we want to contribute to the development of young children's voices, we need deeper insight into the way children act as they do. Therefore, we have to distinguish how young children's voices are composed, as we proclaim that all voices are essentially polyphonic. We found children's expressions which were not corresponding with their own teachers' and parents' expressions. Many of the presented examples of non-corresponding expressions by the children, refer to situations in which resistance, one of the identifiers of voice, is shown. This article is part of a larger study we conducted on young children's voices. In our research we want to explore the content of young children's voices and the meaning they attribute to the educational contexts they are involved in. We conducted five case studies with young children, aged 5-6, in school. We have analyzed their expressions and presented our findings earlier. In this phase of our research project we are looking for possible correspondences between the children's expressions and the expressions of their teachers and parents.
Thermodynamics in High Rhythms and Rhymes: Creative Ways of Knowing in Engineering
Author: Bairaktarova, Diana
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Creativity,Thermodynamics,Learner Engagement,Statistical Analysis,Engineering Education,Introductory Courses,College Students,Scores,Academic Achievement,Science Education,Student Surveys

Thermodynamics is a foundational course in nearly every engineering program. In a traditional classroom, instructors focus on the analysis of thermodynamic energy systems and their application to real world contexts. Because these complex systems can be difficult to understand, some instructors encourage students to tap into their creative side and translate thermodynamics into a language they can clearly understand. In this study, the instructor of a sophomore-level engineering thermodynamics class asked students to generate a creative interpretation of Thermodynamics. The presentations were a high-energy event in rhythms and rhymes, as students presented their creative work; evaluation shows the creative interpretation helped clarify course concepts and increased students' appreciation of thermodynamics and the engineering profession. This study further investigates the relationship between students' performance on problems and final exam scores [N = 147]. Results indicated that students' engagement in creative presentations contributed to their learning on the topic chosen by students in their creative entries.
Teaching Ethics as Design
Author: Kirkman, Robert
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Ethics,Teaching Methods,Design,Engineering Education,Course Descriptions,Problem Based Learning,Thinking Skills,Self Efficacy,Statistical Analysis,Computational Linguistics,Semantics,Moral Values,Imagination,Student Attitudes,Surveys,Likert Scales,Outcomes of Education,Undergraduate Students

This paper introduces an approach to teaching ethics as design in a new course entitled Design Ethics, team-taught by a philosopher and an engineer/designer. The course follows a problem-based learning model in which groups of students work through the phases of the design process on a project for a local client, considering the design values and the ethical values in play in each decision along the way. Their acquisition of ethical thinking skills and moral imagination are assessed with a novel approach, which uses Latent Semantic Analysis to computationally analyze their responses to short answer ethical design questions before and after the course. Students also completed an ethical thinking survey and self-efficacy assessment. Results show statistically significant differences for a number of metrics, and promise for further research into teaching ethics as design.
The Application of Video Clips with Small Group and Individual Activities to Improve Young Learners&apos; Speaking Performance
Author: Muslem, Asnawi
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Video Technology,Small Group Instruction,Independent Study,Speech Skills,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Pretests Posttests,Quasiexperimental Design,Interviews,Group Activities,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Foreign Countries,Grade 7,Junior High School Students,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis

This study investigated whether the application of video clips with small groups or with individual teaching-learning activities improved the speaking skills of young EFL learners the most; accordingly a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design was done. The instrument used in this study was a test in the form of an oral test or interview. The results showed that the mean score from the students in the Small Group Activities group at 67.27 was higher than the mean score from the Individual Activities group at 51.29 with a level of significance 0.00 &lt; 0.05. This meant that the application of video clips and teaching-learning Small Group Activities gave better results than teaching with Individual Activities. The results suggested that teaching-learning speaking ESL with video clips using Small Group Activity techniques could be one of the best alternatives to improve young learners' speaking performances.
Improving Formative Assessment in Language Classrooms Using &quot;GradeCam Go!&quot;
Author: Kiliçkaya, Ferit
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Teacher Attitudes,Multiple Choice Tests,Grading,Program Effectiveness,Feedback (Response),Formative Evaluation,Computer Assisted Testing,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Language Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Foreign Countries,Mixed Methods Research,Semi Structured Interviews

This study aimed to determine EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers' perceptions and experience regarding their use of &quot;GradeCam Go!&quot; to grade multiple choice tests. The results of the study indicated that the participants overwhelmingly valued &quot;GradeCam Go!&quot; due to its features such as grading printed forms for multiple-choice questions as well as the immediate feedback provided to both teachers and their students. The results of the study also indicate that &quot;GradeCam Go!&quot; might be a very useful tool for teachers working in schools with large classrooms where technological resources are rare. &quot;GradeCam Go!&quot; seems to pave the way for an easy and efficient tool for teachers to use regular assessment through frequent quizzes, give immediate feedback, and monitor student progress.
Survey Tools for Faculty to Quickly Assess Multidisciplinary Team Dynamics in Capstone Courses
Author: Solnosky, Ryan
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum,Surveys,Engineering,Engineering Education,Case Studies,Feedback (Response),Teamwork,Group Dynamics,Pilot Projects,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research,Interdisciplinary Approach,Integrated Activities,Comparative Analysis,College Faculty,College Students

Many engineering faculty have limited skills and/or assessment tools to evaluate team dynamics in multidisciplinary team-based capstone courses. Rapidly deployable tools are needed here to provide proactive feedback to teams to facilitate deeper learning. Two surveys were developed based on industrial and organizational psychology theories around desired high performance industry characteristics. A case study experiment was conducted in an architectural engineering capstone. Here, these surveys were deployed in conjunction with traditional qualitative verbal feedback and technical assessments. Results presented here suggest that capstone teams exhibit high-functioning attributes of effective teams based on the course formulation. Team dynamics evolved as the course progressed naturally and with the help of faculty based on the survey results. Discussions in this paper detail survey development, implementation, and sampled trends to represent how to use and interpret the survey output. Furthermore, best practices for implementing these ideas in other courses is touched on. Evidence is presented to support the surveys as a tool and to show correlations between the results and other technical assignments.
The Use of Electronic Dictionaries for Pronunciation Practice by University EFL Students
Author: Metruk, Rastislav
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Dictionaries,Electronic Publishing,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Pronunciation,Questionnaires,Use Studies,Student Attitudes,Undergraduate Students

This paper attempts to explore how Slovak learners of English use electronic dictionaries with regard to pronunciation practice and improvement. A total of 24 Slovak university students (subjects) completed a questionnaire which contained pronunciation-related questions in connection with the use of electronic dictionaries. The questions primarily concerned electronic editions of monolingual learner's dictionaries, dictionaries intended for native speakers, and specialized (special-purpose) pronunciation dictionaries. The main objective of this small-scale study was to identify the frequency, manner, and types of electronic dictionaries used by the subjects in order to practice and improve their pronunciation. The findings indicate that the subjects of the study use electronic dictionaries for pronunciation practice relatively often, learner's dictionaries being the most preferred choice. The study also recommends that EFL learners exploit the pronunciation conveniences of electronic dictionaries extensively.
Building up Thai EFL Students&apos; Positive Attitudes toward Their Non-Native English Accented Speech with the Use of Phonetics Website
Author: Tananuraksakul, Noparat
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Pronunciation,Student Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Hypothesis Testing,Undergraduate Students,Web Sites,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Phonetics,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Language Usage,Interpersonal Communication,Statistical Analysis

This paper examined the hypothesis that Thai EFL students' positive attitudes toward their non-native English accented speech could be promoted by the use of University of Iowa's &quot;Sounds of American English&quot; website, known as the &quot;number 1 phonetics website&quot;. Fifty-two undergraduate students in the field of sciences participated in the investigation, which took place at two different stages. The findings of both stages mirrored non-native-like identity they perceptually obtained and native-like identity they socially aspired to possess. The findings of the second stage confirmed the hypothesis to some extent because of their synchronous feelings of slightly decreased embarrassment and increased pride and offer two insightful directions for EFL teachers. Firstly, irrespective of students' actual English accented speech, there is a need to promote their positive attitudes toward their own accent at an early age. Secondly, helping them understand that speaking intelligibly is more important than sounding like a native speaker.