ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Program Evaluation Experts&apos; Competencies: A Delphi Study
Author: Sever, Demet
Date: 2021-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Program Evaluation,Specialists,Competence,Delphi Technique,Content Analysis,Likert Scales,Professionalism,Evaluators,Program Effectiveness,Decision Making,Teaching Methods,Curriculum Evaluation,Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Higher Education

Due to the diversity of steps to be followed in program evaluation and knowledge, skills, qualification and competency requirements, the evaluation should be a field of expertise similar to other disciplines. Thus, it is important to consider program evaluation as a field of expertise and to determine the required competencies. This study aimed to determine the competencies of program evaluation experts based on the views of curriculum and instruction experts. A Delphi study was carried out with 23 participants in the first round and each was selected via the purposive sampling method. In the first round of the Delphi study, the open-ended questions were sent to the participants and qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis. At the end of the first round, a 5-point Likert-type questionnaire with 82 items was developed. In the second round, participants were asked to answer questions and also the views of the participants on main and sub-themes and their comments on these concepts were analyzed. In the third round, participants were asked to reevaluate their responses. The study was finalized with an 82 itemed-questionnaire under four main themes: &quot;theoretical professional competencies of program evaluation experts&quot;, &quot;practical professional competencies of program evaluation experts&quot;, &quot;professional values that program evaluation experts should have&quot;, &quot;professional skills that program evaluation experts should have&quot;.
Investigating Language Learning Strategies in English Conversation Using Non-Hierarchical Cluster Analysis
Author: Wright, Jocelyn
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Strategies,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Multivariate Analysis,Foreign Countries,Measures (Individuals)

This paper on language learner strategies utilizes a little used quantitative, datamining technique called cluster analysis to investigate characteristics of groups of South Korean learners of English. After 71 students in three first-year university liberal arts English conversation courses completed the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), and the number of learning strategies was reduced from 50 to 26 based on standard deviation (SD) results, the non-hierarchical (K-means) 3-cluster procedure was applied to the self-reported data. Following statistical analysis, each of the three cluster groups could be profiled according to achievement scores. At this point, six items emerged as particularly meaningful with regard to the latter, including direct strategies (a memory one and a cognitive one) and indirect strategies (two affective and two metacognitive). These strategies and their significance with reference to the local context as well as results previously reported in the literature are discussed. Finally, limitations of the study and implications for future research using cluster analysis are reported.
The Effect of Argumentation-Based Organic Chemistry Teaching on Students&apos; Argument Construction Skills
Author: Tüzün, Ümmüye Nur
Date: 2021-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Science Instruction,Organic Chemistry,High School Students,Secondary School Science,Persuasive Discourse,Scientific Concepts,Concept Formation,Critical Thinking,Teaching Methods

Some students could not learn organic chemistry because of the difficulty of its submicroscopic nature. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of argumentation-based organic chemistry teaching on high school students' argument construction skills so on their meaningful concept learning. The study was conducted on 14 high school students at a vocational high school in Turkey on organic chemistry topics through 28 hours period based on the case study. The teaching guide's worksheets and students' observation notes were used as data collection tools. Through the application process, the students criticized each of the seven submicroscopic nature of organic chemistry concepts' paintings in big group discussions, then constructed their own arguments. Then the students evaluated the whole process. Content analysis was employed for the data analysis. Argumentation making students criticize the submicroscopic nature of organic chemistry resulted in a qualified student-constructed argument by making them understand the submicroscopic nature so become critical thinkers. Students' process evaluation also underlined that the process made students joyful, motivated, creative, criticizer, and meaningful learners with a differently constructed learning environment. For further studies, different argumentation-based organic chemistry teaching environments could be offered.
University Students&apos; Conceptions of Mathematical Symbols and Expressions
Author: Chin, Kin Eng
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Freshmen,College Mathematics,Mathematical Concepts,Concept Formation,Misconceptions,Symbols (Mathematics),Mathematical Formulas,Error Patterns,Prior Learning,Foreign Countries

Undergraduate mathematics instructors often report that students make careless errors or have not previously learned key mathematical ideas and strategies. The purpose of this study is to explore evidence of an alternative explanation that at least some of these &quot;errors&quot; may result from students' application of conceptions developed in the narrower contexts of their earlier learning. Analysis of formal printed lecture notes, student work and questionnaire responses is performed. Data collected from two Australia Universities' first year mathematics students are reported in this paper that explores respondents' conceptions related to symbolic mathematical expressions in different contexts by using the survey research design. The data were analysed through two lenses in order to both identify likely supportive and problematic conceptions and also distill the aspects of symbolic expressions contributing to this classification. The findings show that students' errors patterns are associated to problematic conceptions that might arise from contexts previously encountered by students. More than 50% of the recorded errors related to &quot;sin&quot;[superscript -1](x) by University 1 students are linked to problematic conceptions. This study is significant because it shows that it is important to explicitly address such potentially problematic conceptions in order to help students bridge the transition between contexts and this may be done through lecture notes.
Self-Directed Learning and English Proficiency by Korean Learners
Author: Ko, HyunSook
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Independent Study,Language Proficiency,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,College Students,Reading Achievement,Oral Reading,Learning Activities,Notetaking,Learning Strategies

The study investigates to what extent a commitment to and a self-evaluation of a specific self-directed learning activity explain Korean college students' EFL proficiency (using TOEIC reading scores). Of the Korean college students who participated, 52 completed log writing of self-directed learning activities, and 44 completed a self-evaluating survey and submitting a TOEIC reading score. Through statistical analyses, including correlations and regressions, the study finds that the number of minutes spent on reading aloud explained 10% of the variances of participants' TOEIC reading scores. Another finding of the study is that perceived effectiveness of note-taking for grammar learning on listening and perceived manageability of reading aloud explained 21% of the variances in TOEIC reading scores. On the basis of these results, the study proposes that commitment to reading aloud and learner-perceived effectiveness of note-taking for grammar learning on listening can function as significant predictors for EFL reading proficiency. Several practical suggestions are provided for EFL instructors and researchers for the more effective use of self-directed learning activities and self-evaluation results.
Locating the Position of Environmental Education in the South African School Curriculum: The Case of Grade R
Author: Hebe, Headman
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Alignment (Education),National Curriculum,Preschool Curriculum,Preschool Children,Curriculum Implementation,Curriculum Guides,Child Development,Skill Development,Foreign Countries,Barriers

The South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) advocates for the integration of Environmental Education (EE) in all grades and subjects. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of CAPS documents that guide pedagogy in all three subjects offered in Grade R, namely; English (Home Language), Life Skills and Mathematics. This was done to determine whether an alignment exists between the South African school curriculum aims and the curriculum content to enable the implementation of EE as espoused in CAPS. Informed by literature, the researcher singles out the &quot;failure&quot; of the CAPS documents to pinpoint the topics that could be used to facilitate the implementation of EE to focus his investigation. He uses an interpretivist qualitative approach to direct this inquiry. Through the application of content analysis and the deductive, inductive and abductive modes of inference, he examines the CAPS documents used to guide pedagogy in Grade R to identify the topics that could be used to facilitate the implementation of EE. The findings suggest that the CAPS documents contain various topics that could enable the implementation of EE. These findings hold positive implications for the teaching of EE both in South Africa and elsewhere, globally.
Fairness Principle in Accreditation of Health Specialists: The Differential Item Functioning Method
Author: Sizova, Zhanna M.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Accreditation (Institutions),Medical Schools,Universities,College Graduates,Health Personnel,Specialists,Test Items,Item Response Theory,Error of Measurement,Test Bias,Item Banks,Foreign Countries

The main purpose of this article is to present a Differential Item Functioning method of item analysis. It is designed to minimize the discriminatory effect of individual items in the accreditation of graduates of medical universities with different training programs. The one-parameter Item Response Theory model is used to align graduates' rights in accreditation. The measure of the difference in the location of the item characteristic curves constructed for different graduates' samples is presented using the difficulty estimates. For the development of the methodology, a number of research questions are posed, the solution of which made it possible to analyze the items bias for the &quot;Polyclinic&quot; discipline and the range of item difficulties from 1.5 to 2, 5 logits. The item bank was cleaned and an interpretation of decisions on items release and correction for the cases of different arrangement of their characteristic curves was presented.
Knowledge of Evidence-Based Practices and Frequency of Selection among School-Based Professionals of Students with Autism
Author: Morin, Kristi L.
Date: 2021-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Intervention,Online Courses,Learning Modules,Information Dissemination,Evidence Based Practice,Knowledge Level,Occupations,Teachers,Administrators,School Personnel,Allied Health Personnel,Family (Sociological Unit),Students with Disabilities

Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM) are a set of self-paced, online learning modules designed to disseminate information about the 27 evidence-based practices identified through a large-scale review of focused intervention practices for individuals with autism. In this study, we used descriptive statistics and an analysis of variance to analyze more than 67,000 pre-tests completed by over 22,000 school-based AFIRM users to determine whether there are differences by occupation in the (a) selection of evidence-based practices, (b) knowledge of evidence-based practices, and (c) average number of evidence-based practices selected. Results reveal statistically significant differences between groups and have implications for providers and administrators responsible for designing and delivering professional development for school-based professionals working with students with autism. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED609034.]
Exploring the Switching Intention of Learners on Social Network-Based Learning Platforms: A Perspective of the Push-Pull-Mooring Model
Author: Liao, Yi-Wen
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Networks,Social Media,Online Courses,Models,Computer Software,Teaching Methods,Cooperative Learning,Behavior Patterns,Student Behavior,Decision Making,Content Validity,Measurement Techniques,Programming,Computer Science Education,Likert Scales,Undergraduate Students,Computer Mediated Communication,Student Attitudes

Social media or social networking sites have been used to support online learning with good interactive features. If an existing system can retain current users and attract new users, it can provide greater benefits and influence in the field of online learning. However, most previous studies focus on learner participation intention, and rarely note their switching intention. Therefore, this study attempts to analyze and discuss the learner switching intention from the perspective of Push-Pull-Mooring Model. A research framework was proposed for examining the switching intention of learners in social network-based learning platforms. A total of 371 valid samples were used to examine the research framework using the partial least squares approach. The results show that switching intention is significantly affected by the push effects (social interaction and service quality), mooring effects (switching costs and prior switching experience) and pull effects (attractiveness of new services and social effect). To retain and attract users, platform providers can raise switching costs through improving service quality and system capabilities and educators can develop appropriate approaches to enhance social interaction and social effects.
Paraprofessionals&apos; Perceptions of Behavior Problems in Elementary School Classrooms
Author: Bronstein, Briana
Date: 2021-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Paraprofessional School Personnel,Student Behavior,Attitudes,Behavior Problems,Elementary School Students,Coaching (Performance),Staff Development,Training,At Risk Students,Intervention,Student Needs,Time on Task,Interaction,Aggression,Compliance (Psychology),Classification

Paraprofessionals are increasingly being hired to support students with special needs in schools and are key implementers of behavior interventions for students. However, research is limited on how paraprofessionals perceive the management of student behavior. Using a mixed-methods design approach, the current investigation assesses paraprofessionals' perceptions of common student behavior problems in elementary school classrooms. Results indicate coached paraprofessionals had a greater likelihood of reporting operationally defined behavior concerns than those in a control group. A qualitative constant comparative method of analysis of paraprofessionals' behavior reports revealed themes of disruptive academic behaviors (off task, peer/verbal interactions, physical interference), aggressive behaviors (physical aggression toward people/objects, verbal aggression), noncompliance (physical/verbal refusal), and &quot;other&quot; behaviors (unclear/opposite or positive actions). Implications for practice and future research are discussed. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED608171.]
The Effects of Task Complexity and Working Memory on Korean Adult Learners&apos; English Speaking Performance
Author: Hyun, Joo-Eun
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Short Term Memory,Attention Control,Task Analysis,Correlation,Accuracy,Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Prediction,Individual Differences,Advanced Students,Pictorial Stimuli,Difficulty Level,Native Language,Language Fluency,Schemata (Cognition),English (Second Language),Graduate Students,Adult Students,Speech Communication,Reading Processes

This study investigated whether task complexity may affect L2 speaking performance as predicted by the Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson, 2011), and whether the effect of task complexity may interact with individual differences in working memory capacity. A total of twenty Korean advanced-level EFL learners performed two separate picture description tasks, which were different in task complexity along [+/- here and now] dimension. Their working memory was measured by an L1 version of a reading span task. The results showed that there was no significant difference between Here-and-Now task (i.e., a simple task) and There-and-Then task (i.e., a complex task) in terms of complexity, accuracy, and fluency of English speaking performance, rejecting the prediction of the Cognition Hypothesis. Yet, it found that working memory correlated with accuracy in L2 performance on the complex task, but not on the simple task. This indicates that the effect of individual learners' working memory capacity is observable only when a task demands a high control of attentional resources. Conversely, when a task is simple, individual differences in working memory capacity do not result in significant differences in L2 speaking performance.
The Role of Reading Span in L2 Reading Comprehension and Eye Movements
Author: Park, Hyangsook
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Eye Movements,Reading Comprehension,Reading Skills,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Reading Processes,Comparative Analysis,Undergraduate Students,Scores,Foreign Countries,Correlation,Reading Tests,Short Term Memory,Korean,Native Language,Language Tests

The present study attempts to make a link between eye movement measures and reading comprehension (RC) to further examine how reading span (RS) differences contribute to differences in L2 reading performance. The variability of text processing was measured by duration and frequency of fixations using an eye tracker. Thus, it investigates the effects of RS in terms of processing as well as RC performance. To this end, forty-five Korean undergraduate students at an intermediate level participated in the experiment. Four types of eye movements were tracked: first-fixation time (FFT), total-fixation time (TFT), second-fixation time (SFT), and fixation count (FC). The results showed that the high-RS group received higher scores than the low-RS group on the RC test, suggesting a significant role of RS in RC performance. In addition, significant differences between the RS groups were found in TFT and SFT. RC performance is negatively correlated with the TFT and SFT. Due to their limited RS, the low-RS group needed more time for comprehension and left few resources available for integration of meaning in the text. The findings suggest that fast and efficient EMs are closely associated with a better RC performance. The present study shed light on how RS affects the students' text processing and that, in turn, leads them to different outcomes from the L2 reading comprehension tests.
Computer-Assisted Assessment in Open-Ended Activities through the Analysis of Traces: A Proof of Concept in Statistics with R Commander
Author: Calvo, Miquel
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Assisted Testing,STEM Education,Programming Languages,Undergraduate Students,Statistics Education,Introductory Courses,Comparative Analysis,Time Management,Correlation,Grading,Problem Solving,Learning Analytics,Research Universities,Learning Activities,Foreign Countries

Open-ended tasks are common in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. However, as far as we know, no tools have been developed to assist in the assessment of the solution process of open-ended questions. In this paper, we propose the use of analysis of traces as a tool to address this need. To illustrate this approach, we developed a modified version of R Commander that collects traces of students' actions and described a way to analyze them by using regular expressions. We used this tool in an undergraduate introductory statistics course. The traces were analyzed by comparing them to predefined problem-solving steps, arranged by the instructor. The analyses provide information about the time students spent on the activity, their work intensity and the choices they made when solving open-ended questions. This automated assessment tool provides grades highly correlated to those obtained by a traditional test and traditional grading scheme.
Exploring Factors of Home Resources and Attitudes towards Mathematics in Mathematics Achievement in South Korea, Turkey, and the United States
Author: Geesa, Rachel Louise
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Achievement,Family Environment,Books,Internet,Handheld Devices,Access to Computers,Ownership,Student Attitudes,Elementary School Students,Grade 4,Comparative Education,STEM Education,Cultural Differences,Predictor Variables,Achievement Tests,Foreign Countries,International Assessment,Mathematics Tests,Resources

Educational opportunities and resources for students differ around the world. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) highlights students' achievement, home resources, and attitudes towards mathematics and science. In this study, we sought to identify home resources and attitudes towards mathematics factors that significantly predict fourth graders' mathematics achievement in South Korea, Turkey, and the United States using TIMSS 2015 data. Results indicated that home resources and attitudes towards mathematics both positively and significantly predicted students' mathematics achievement. Moreover, an interesting pattern emerged as Turkish students' attitudes towards mathematics were higher and mathematics achievement scores were lower than students from South Korea, and the United States. Future research may include longitudinal studies of mathematics achievement among the three countries.
Korean Culinary College Students&apos; Desired Careers and English Proficiency Needs
Author: Kim, Kitaek
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Food Service,Service Occupations,Cooking Instruction,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),English for Special Purposes,Foreign Countries,Language Skills,Language Proficiency,Graduate Study,Career Choice,Student Surveys,Correlation,Work Environment,Dining Facilities,Hospitality Occupations

This paper explores the English needs of culinary college students in Korea, asking whether their English needs differ by their desired careers. To this end, we administered a survey to 123 culinary college students and divided them into six groups based on their desired careers. The results show that the type of desired career of the participants is highly correlated with their perceived need for learning English, the kind of English skills that they want to learn, and the level of English proficiency that they hope to achieve. For example, students planning to work for a restaurant or hotel abroad had the highest English proficiency needs whereas those planning to study in graduate school in Korea and those planning to work for a restaurant or hotel in Korea had relatively lower needs. The results suggest that college English programs need to provide diverse college English courses to prepare students for their diverse future careers.