ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Iranian ESP Learners' Translation Ability and Resilience in Reading Comprehension
Author: Malekan, Fatemeh
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Translation,Reading Comprehension,Resilience (Psychology),Cognitive Processes,Metacognition,Student Attitudes,Predictor Variables,Hypothesis Testing,College Students,Females,Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Nursing Education,Statistical Significance,Reading Tests

The present study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between Iranian ESP Learners' translation ability and resilience in reading comprehension. More specifically, the study aimed to study the resilience cognitive and metacognitive effect on raising L2 reading comprehension through translation. Secondly, the study aimed at pursuing the views and attitudes to find out the extent to which resilience in reading comprehension can predict ESP learners' translation ability. In order to test the null hypotheses, three phases were taken into consideration. First, 120 female adult sophomores majoring at Iran University of Medical Sciences were chosen through a homogeneity test. Second, the participants' translation ability was measured through a translation task and also the validity of this instrument was confirmed by the three professors of the university, and the translation Toolkit Evaluation of UTAH University was used to evaluate the translated works. Next, the participants' reading comprehension ability was determined and finally, Connor and Davidson's (2003) resilience scale was used to find out the level of resilience in reading comprehension of ESP students. The results of data analyses firstly revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between Iranian ESP learners' translation ability and their resilience in reading comprehension. Secondly, it was revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between Iranian ESP learners' translation ability and their reading comprehension. The findings of the present study could have implications for EFL teachers and learners in the Iranian context.
A Review of the Contemporary International Literature on Student Retention in Higher Education
Author: Aljohani, Othman
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Literature Reviews,Academic Persistence,International Studies,Student Attrition,Context Effect,Trend Analysis,Comparative Education,Foreign Countries

One of the major issues that concerns tertiary institutions around the world is the student retention rate. In general, higher rates of completion give more positive image about the academic, administrative and financial statues of these institutions. However, improving the student completion and retention rates can be a challenging task. One way toward this goal is utilising strategies and techniques that are informed by the findings of theoretical models and empirical studies. Therefore, this paper reviews some of the contemporary studies in the student retention literature from different higher educational contexts around the world followed by a list of the variables that are commonly linked to the student retention phenomenon in higher education and a discussion of the factors that are most frequently associated with student attrition as reported by these studies. A summary of the factors associated with the student attrition phenomenon suggested that, the central factors were the quality of students' institutional experiences and their level of integration into the academic and social systems of their academic institutions. These factors relate to students' experiences with the administrative system of their academic institution, including the admission, registration and disciplinary rules and policies and the availability and quality of student services and facilities.
Applying Deweyan Principles to Global Citizenship Education in a Rural Context
Author: Waterson, Robert A.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Philosophy,Global Approach,Social Studies,Civil Rights,Sustainability,Rural Areas,Geographic Isolation,Learning Theories,Course Content,Curriculum Development,Teaching Methods,Family Environment,Community Education,Democracy

Global citizenship education (GCE) helps students conceptualize citizenship beyond national boundaries so they are capable of action in dealing with global issues like human rights and environmental sustainability. However, very little literature exists to assist rural teachers in implementing GCE as they face specific challenges due to the context of their schools. This paper identifies challenges rural educators encounter, such as conservative communities and geographic isolation, and details a Deweyan approach to GCE as a means to overcome these challenges. Specifically, we apply Dewey's democratic and learning theories to reconceptualize GCE around &quot;student,&quot; &quot;home,&quot; and &quot;community life&quot; to foster a more relevant curriculum that utilizes students' experiences. It emphasizes the utmost respect for local customs and culture by using them as sources of content for the curriculum while simultaneously extending citizenship thoughts and actions to the global arena.
Promoting Oral Language Skills in Preschool Children through Sociodramatic Play in the Classroom
Author: Rajapaksha, P. L. N. Randima
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Play,Teaching Methods,Preschool Education,Preschool Children,Intervention,Observation,Interviews,Preschool Teachers,Journal Writing,Communication Skills,Language Skills,Oral Language,Foreign Countries,Language Acquisition,Video Technology,Qualitative Research,Case Studies

Children best learn language through playful learning experiences in the preschool classroom. The present study focused on developing oral language skills in preschool children through a sociodramatic play intervention. The study employed a case study design under qualitative approach. The researcher conducted a sociodramatic play intervention collaboratively with the class teacher for a group of 10 children selected utilizing purposive sampling method in a preschool classroom. The intervention was conducted in a preschool located in Colombo, Sri Lanka for 3 weeks. The observation, interview and reflective journal were the instrument used to collect data. The observation carried under two criteria namely, ability to initiate a conversation and ability to respond in a conversation revealed that the sociodramatic play intervention created many opportunities to develop oral language skills in the children than the regular classroom activities. The sociodramatic play activities enhanced children's oral language skills while creating a language rich playful learning experiences.
Translating Legal Collocations in Contract Agreements by Iraqi EFL Students-Translators
Author: Abdulwahid, Muntaha A.
Date: 2017-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Translation,Phrase Structure,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Multiple Choice Tests,Undergraduate Students,Vocabulary Development,Syntax,Pragmatics,Second Language Instruction,Contracts,Semitic Languages,Language Tests,Error Correction,Metalinguistics,Semantics,Vocabulary,Laws,Foreign Countries,Difficulty Level,Error Analysis (Language),Statistical Analysis

Legal translation of contract agreements is a challenge to translators as it involves combining the literary translation with the technical terminological precision. In translating legal contract agreements, a legal translator must utilize the lexical or syntactic precision and, more importantly, the pragmatic awareness of the context. This will guarantee an overall communicative process and avoid inconsistency in legal translation. However, the inability of the translator to meet these two functions in translating the contract item not only affects the contractors' comprehension of the contract item but also affects the parties' contractual obligations. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to find out how legal collocations used in contract agreements are translated from Arabic into English by student-translators in terms of (1) purely technical, (2) semi-technical, and (3) everyday vocabulary collocations. For the data collection, a multiple-choice collocation test was used to be answered by 35 EFL Iraqi undergraduate translator-students to decide on the aspects of weaknesses and strengths of their translation, thus decide on the aspects of correction. The findings showed that these students had serious problems in translating legal collocations as they lack the linguistic knowledge and pragmatic awareness needed to achieve the legal meaning and effect. They were also unable to make a difference among the three categories of legal collocations, purely technical, semi-technical, and everyday vocabulary collocations. These students should be exposed to more legal translation practices to obtain the required experience needed for their future career.
Literacy Education and Sustainable Development in Developing Societies
Author: Oghenekohwo, Jonathan E.
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literacy,Sustainable Development,Developing Nations,Qualitative Research,Knowledge Economy,Andragogy,Social Change,Sustainability

The development of a literate society is a pre-requisite for the emergence of a knowledge economy. The thesis advanced in this paper is that, without massive investment and promotion of literacy education, development that is targeted at the 17-point sustainable development goals (SDGs) will be bereft of citizen's empowerment, engagement, experiential values and evidential consequences in social change. Therefore, using a qualitative approach conceptual), this study explored the causal correlation that subsists between literacy education, emergence of knowledge economy and sustainable development. The study established that, literacy is basic in andragogical context for facilitating citizens' values re-orientation attitudinal change for the acquisition of vocational or functional skills and operational knowledge that is beneficial to individual as well as the collective drive for a literate society for the reduction of vulnerability and increase in sustainability in development respectively as expected in the SDGs. Consequently, the resultant outcomes will be a knowledge driven economy which is essential for the attainment of the sustainable development goals as envisaged by the United Nations declaration of 25th of September, 2015.
Association of Perceived Interest Major Fit and Objective Interest Major Fit with Academic Achievement
Author: Vahidi, Naghmeh
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Majors (Students),Undergraduate Students,Student Interests,Correlation,Hypothesis Testing,Personality Measures,Grade Point Average,Personality Traits,Student Educational Objectives,Foreign Countries

Recently, despite the high budget allocating for education in Malaysia, the educational performance among students is low (Blueprint, 2013). Pascarella and Terenzini (2005; 1991) have identified four theories and models that affect students' learning: (a) psychosocial, (b) cognitive-structural, (c) typological, and (d) person-environment interaction. This study focuses on person-environment interaction. The interactionist approach emphasizes that neither personal characteristics nor situational factors alone are unable to identify the attitudes or responses of people, but the interaction of them can be highly influential (Schneider, 1982; Terborg, 1981). Person-environment fit arguments were raised by interactionists who discussed that particulars attitudes, behaviours and cognitions are the results of the interaction between situational factors and individuals (Chatman, 1989; Muchinsky &amp; Monahan, 1987; Ostroff &amp; Schulte, 2007). The present study used academic achievement that is one of the outcomes of person-environment (P-E) fit. This research employed different types of P-E fit such as objective and perceived interest major fit. The main aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between the P-E fit and academic achievement. The present study is carried out in The Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The participants of the study were 2503 undergraduate students of 12 faculties at UPM. Findings of the relationship between the P-E fit and academic achievement have shown a highly positive relationship between the perceived interest major fit and the academic achievement, but there is no significant relationship between the objective interest major fit and the academic achievement.
Effect of Insecurity of School Environment on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Imo State
Author: Ojukwu, M. O.
Date: 2017-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Environment,School Safety,Academic Achievement,Secondary School Students,Questionnaires,Antisocial Behavior,Student Behavior,Performance Factors,Statistical Significance,Rural Urban Differences,Gender Differences,Likert Scales,Student Attitudes

The major aim of this study was to investigate the effect of insecurity of school environment on the academic performance of secondary school students in Imo state, Nigeria. A total of 1000 made up of 500 each of male and female students responded to a self-structured validated questionnaire designed for the study. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Means and standard deviations were calculated to answer the research questions and independent samples t-tests were used for testing the hypotheses. Major findings revealed that insecurity of school environment significantly affects the academic performance of secondary school students while students' gangsterism, smoking of Indian hemp, abusing other hard drugs, cult and related violent activities were some of the factors that constituted insecurity of the school environment which eventually cause boys to leave school and join trading while leading girls to drop out and settle for marriage. Based on the findings, it was recommended that owners of schools and other stakeholders in education should take bold steps to fence and protect school environments from intruders to ensure safety of the students.
English Language Teachers' Ideology of ELT Assessment Literacy
Author: Hakim, Badia
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English Teachers,Ideology,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Knowledge Level,Student Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Females,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

Deep understanding, clear perception and accurate use of assessment methodology play an integral role in the success of a language program. Use of various assessment techniques to evaluate and improve the performance of learners has been the focal point of interest in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT). Equally researchers are interested in evaluating teachers' awareness and improved performance in relation to the learners' performance. The current study was designed to investigate the teachers' awareness level and way of practicing the assessment tools for the better learning of the students in the English Language Institute (ELI), King Abdulaziz University. The research was based on the perceptions and feedback of 30 female language instructors from 5 different nationalities with varying qualifications and ELT experience working at ELI. Quantitative method was followed. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher was administered to the instructors. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that all the participants had a clear knowledge about the use of assessment tools. It was also found that the teachers' perceptions about assessment tools are least affected by their span of teaching experience. Another noteworthy finding was the poor practicing techniques of the instructors who were well aware of the assessment techniques.
The Shaky Legal Foundations of the Global Human Rights Education Project
Author: Vlaardingerbroek, Barend
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Civil Rights,Civil Rights Legislation,Law Related Education,Marriage,Advocacy,Homosexuality,Activism,International Law

School students should be taught about the law and this includes rights education. The global human rights education (HRE) project focuses on universal human rights and has a strongly utopian orientation, drawing as it does on international declarations and principles of human rights law. International human rights law is, however, at best a fragile edifice, characterised by legally non-binding declarations, treaties that are subject to the vagaries of &quot;jus voluntarium,&quot; and mostly impotent international tribunals. HRE appears to rely more on its own interpretations of international human rights law, which may include reading (and writing) into texts what is simply not there. Far from being a form of law education, HRE is a form of social-transformative activism. Same-sex marriage advocacy is used as an example of the excesses to which HRE is prone. School-based rights education should be within the context of a comprehensive curricular package of law education using students' domestic legal frameworks as the principal point of reference.
Stakeholders' Construction on the Quality of Pre-Primary Education in Tanzania
Author: Tandika, Pambas
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Stakeholders,Educational Quality,Preschool Education,Educational Policy,Discourse Analysis,Parent Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Expertise,Semi Structured Interviews,Expectation,Educational Practices,Educational Indicators,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Characteristics,Educational Environment,Class Size,Nutrition,Parent Teacher Cooperation

This study explored the stakeholders' construction of quality of Pre-primary Education (PPE) based on the various dimensions of PPE in Tanzania with special attention being paid to policy as discourse. The study involved a total of 129 informants sampled differently. The study sampled parents through convenience sampling technique, while teachers and experts were sampled through maximum variation technique. The study used descriptive cross-sectional design underpinned by interpretive paradigm. It generated data through semi-structured interviews employed to primary school inspectors, public PPE teachers, curriculum developer and policymakers. Meanwhile, FGDs were conducted to parents on the quality of PPE. Furthermore, documentary analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which stakeholders' construction on the quality of PPE was reflected in the TETP of 1995 as well as other related curricular documents. The findings indicate that stakeholders viewed the quality of PPE in three perspectives: i) quality as expectations; ii) quality as process or practice; and iii) quality as programme structure. Overall, stakeholders viewed PPE as an important early childhood provision for the future school life and participation in all walks of life. Although PPE seemed to be important, the study findings suggest that, the quality of public PPE in Tanzania is poor. Specifically, stakeholders identified important indicators constituting the quality of PPE as: i) furnished and safe learning environment; ii) well-qualified, committed and loving teachers; iii) smaller class-size; iv) provision of nutrition services; and v) good relationship among teachers, the teacher and parents, and with the head teacher. The study concluded that physical visits by primary school supervisors and making PPE independent are essential for quick and close monitoring for solving problems hindering provision of quality services in PPE in Tanzania.
Interview with Brian Tomlinson on Humanising Education
Author: Nimehchisalem, Vahid
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Humanization,Individualized Instruction,Educational Practices,Educational Change,Teaching Methods,Student Development,Influence of Technology

Brian Tomlinson is a Visiting Professor at The University of Liverpool and a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Professor at Anaheim University. He has worked as a teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum developer, university academic and soccer coach in Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Vanuatu, UK and Zambia and has given presentations in over 60 countries. He is the Founder and President of MATSDA and has published many articles and books including Developing Materials for Language Teaching, Openings etc. The interview presented in this article was recorded after his plenary talk at the 11th Malaysia International Conference on English Language Teaching (MICELT 2016) in Swiss-Garden Beach Resort, Damai Laut, Perak, Malaysia. (A list of suggested readings is included.)
Response to &quot;The Shaky Legal Foundations of the Global Human Rights Education Project&quot;
Author: Tibbitts, Felisa
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Civil Rights,Educational Practices,Teaching Methods,Activism,Laws,Marriage,Homosexuality,Standards,Foreign Countries

This article is a response to &quot;The Shaky Legal Foundations of the Global Human Rights Education Project,&quot; an article written by Barend Vlaardingerbroek, in which Vlaardingerbroek characterizes current practices of human rights education (HRE) as having an overriding agenda of activism, one that can draw on an ideologically-driven misinterpretation of international human rights standards. Vlaardingerbroek's argument is based primarily on an example of an HRE program being carried out by the United Kingdom section of Amnesty International, which apparently presents same-sex marriage as directly supported in international human rights law (which it is not). Felisa Tibbitts responds that HRE is a quite diverse field of practice, differing not only according to audiences and educational settings but also national contexts. While Tibbitts agrees that students ought to learn about the international legal framework of human rights as well as national protection systems that link up the international standards with the local context of the learner, she sees two challenges to this proposal: (1) This seems to make HRE even less realistic for schools, as so few teachers are themselves familiar with the basics of the human rights system, let alone the legal framework; and (2) The reduction of HRE to teaching legal standards would undercut its potential to fulfill its ultimate goal, which is to reduce human rights violations. [For &quot;The Shaky Legal Foundations of the Global Human Rights Education Project,&quot; see EJ1149295.]
Crossing the Bridge to Swaziland: Results of a Transformative Field Experience
Author: Pierson, Susan Jacques
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preservice Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Study Abroad,Transformative Learning,Field Experience Programs,Immersion Programs,Teaching Experience,Field Instruction,Cultural Awareness,Reflective Teaching,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language)

Crossing the Bridge to Swaziland presents the story of five pre-service teachers and their faculty mentors who traveled to St. Philip's Mission, Swaziland in January 2014. There they worked collaboratively with Swazi teachers and staff running a week long camp with a business basics and motivational theme, for teenaged orphans and vulnerable children. The cultural immersion and teaching experience in Swaziland had a profound effect on students' confidence and competence working with English Language Learners, their faith in the power of cross-cultural relationships and their conviction that they can make a difference in the lives of their students.