ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
What Can Jesus Teach Us about Student Engagement?
Author: James, Glenn
Date: 2015-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Christianity,Teaching Methods,Biblical Literature,Learner Engagement,Story Telling,Figurative Language,Learning Processes,Religious Education,Catholics,Church Related Colleges,College Students

This article examines Jesus's teaching methods as described in the four Gospels, highlighting the ways in which He led listeners to participate actively in their learning. We identify similarities between many of Jesus's techniques and current practices in the field of student engagement, with a focus on applications for instructors in higher education. Several of His approaches, most notably storytelling and the use of analogies, point to recommendations for improving teaching practice by increasing student engagement in the learning process.
The Bible of Confucianism
Author: Huang, Xin
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Confucianism,Chinese,Translation,Lexicology,Linguistic Borrowing,Cultural Context,Educational Theories,Literary Styles,Comparative Analysis,Educational Practices,Global Approach,National Norms,Cultural Background,Classics (Literature),Foreign Countries

The &quot;Analects&quot; is the most influential and enduring Chinese classics, which shows its splendor as early as 2,400 years ago between the spring and autumn and the warring states periods, covering a wide scope of subjects from politics, philosophy, literature and art to the education and moral cultivation. To the translator, the most important and most difficult problem is to understand the words and expressions of the archaic Chinese, and the culture background when translating literary classics. In this paper, we choose two versions to compare and analyze. One is from the Arthur Waley, whose version is considered to be the best and the complete one, another is from Ding Wangdao who is a Chinese professor. Compared to two versions, we will study the strategies of the book-domestication and foreignization from lexical level, syntactic level, stylistic level and cultural level.
Educating for Social Justice: Drawing from Catholic Social Teaching
Author: Valadez, James R.
Date: 2015-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Social Justice,Catholics,Moral Values,Ethics,Ethnography,Religious Education,Definitions,Institutional Mission,Catholic Schools,Educational Philosophy

This article uses a duoethnographic process to develop a model for socially just education based on social justice theory and Catholic social teaching. Three major issues are addressed, including: (a) the definition of socially just education, (b) explaining a vision for establishing socially just schools, and (c) providing a practical guide for educational leaders to promote social justice ideals. The authors propose a vision for socially just education that calls for schools to instill social justice virtues into young people, much as one would instill virtues such as morality, honesty, and fairness. As Pieper (2003) declared: &quot;the good [person] is above all the just [person]&quot; (p.64).
Sharing a Room with Emile: Challenging the Role of the Educator in Experiential Learning Theory
Author: Ozar, Ryan
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Role,Experiential Learning,Learning Theories,Reflective Teaching,Tutors,Facilitators (Individuals)

Contemporary practitioners of experiential learning look to John Dewey and other progressives for the foundation on which to interpret, design, and facilitate learning through experience. Although Dewey's theory of learning through experience was greatly influenced by other educational theorists and practitioners of the 18th and 19th centuries, by identifying parallels between Dewey's &quot;experiential continuum&quot; and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's model of educating/creating the ideal man in &quot;Emile,&quot; a fascinating and troubling challenge to the role of the experiential educator surfaces. The purpose of this paper is to not only highlight the contemporary inheritance of experiential learning theory from Rousseau and Dewey, but to also invite educators who identify themselves as experiential learning practitioners to reflect upon their own experiential pedagogy. Current practitioners and leading proponents of experiential learning, like the National Society for Experiential Education, espouse an &quot;intentional&quot; and natural or &quot;authentic&quot; learning arrangement, with the essential role of the educator as designer and director of the student learning experience. Even though Dewey warns against the dangers of teacher imposition at the expense of student curiosity and independence, contemporary practitioners employing a facilitator-centric model could find themselves on the slippery slope of overcalculation and engineering, à la Rousseau's omnipresent tutor sharing a room with Emile. Thus, with the invitation to practitioners to reflect on their own roles and intents in designing experiential learning for students is included the consideration of Roberts's critical layer. Neutrality, like Rousseau's assumed &quot;natural learning,&quot; is impossible to obtain, but recognition of and reflection on the structures which involve the learning arrangement itself could provide some element for the student to better understand his or her actions and the role of the educator facilitating the experience.
The Regression Level of Constructivist Learning Environment Characteristics on Classroom Environment Characteristics Supporting Critical Thinking
Author: Tunca, Nihal
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Constructivism (Learning),Critical Thinking,Classroom Environment,Skill Development,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Behavior,Measures (Individuals),Correlation,Multiple Regression Analysis,Teaching Methods,Statistical Analysis

Problem Statement: One of the main aims of constructivism is to improve critical thinking skills/tendencies via experiences. In this sense, it is believed that the more the constructivist-learning environment is improved, the more the appropriateness of supporting critical thinking is improved. However, no study has yet statistically tested this belief. Purpose of the Study: The aim of this study is to determine the regression level of constructivist learning environment characteristics on classroom environment characteristics supporting critical thinking according to the teachers participating in the study. Method: The study is a regression study at relational screening model. The sample of the study consists of 351 teachers working at primary and secondary schools in Kutahya city center and surrounding villages. The Constructivist Learning Environments Questionnaire and Critical Thinking Supportive Teachers' Behaviors Inventory were used as data collection tools. During the data analysis, the Pearson correlation test was conducted to determine the relation between the two variables. To determine the regression level of constructivist learning environment characteristics on classroom environment characteristics supporting critical thinking, multiple regression analysis was conducted. Findings and Results: The results of the regression analysis revealed that constructivist learning environment characteristics explain the 44% of the total variance of classroom environment characteristics supporting Open Mindedness; 50% of the total variance of classroom environment characteristics supporting High-Level Questioning; 40% of the total variance of classroom environment characteristics supporting Questioning of the Accuracy and Reliability of Information; 47% of the total variance of classroom environment characteristics supporting Seeking Causes and Evidence; 48% of the total variance of classroom environment characteristics supporting Openness. Conclusion and Recommendations: In general, a medium-level, positive and significant relation was found between the sub-dimensions of the Constructivist Learning Environments Questionnaire and the sub-dimensions of the Critical Thinking Supportive Teachers' Behaviors Inventory. Furthermore, it was found that the constructivist learning environment characteristics could explain nearly half of the total variance in classroom environment characteristics supporting critical thinking. These results show that the belief expressed in the existing literature that aligning the classroom environment with constructivist learning environment characteristics is also effective in supporting critical thinking is true to a great extent.
Practices and Prospects of Learner Autonomy: Teachers' Perceptions
Author: Al Asmari, AbdulRahman
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teacher Attitudes,Personal Autonomy,Questionnaires,Learning Experience,Interviews,Group Discussion,Learning Processes,Learning Strategies,Learning Motivation,Teacher Role,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Educational Practices,Arabs,Foreign Countries,College Faculty,College Students

Language learning process works through the learners' own reflection on how they learn and it makes learners active in the sense that they learn to analyze their learning strategies. So they start making decisions, e.g., whether to improve them or not, and in which way. Generally, this trait is missing in traditional language teaching process and students are not expected to reflect upon their own learning, analyzing and evaluating their learning experience. Retrospective tasks, such as interviews, group discussion and structured questionnaires encourage learners to reflect upon learning and these retrospective activities may help learners to take responsibility for their language learning processes as autonomous learners and thus making a motivated learner. The role of the teacher is central to the development of learner autonomy (Hurd, Beaven, &amp; Ortega, 2001; Benson, 2009). A teacher is required to create a classroom learning environment that is supportive of learner autonomy. This may involve the teacher first addressing learners' past learning experiences, then slowly raising their awareness to the benefits of increased independence in their learning. Dickinson (1993) adds that learner training should aim to help learners develop the ability to take more responsibility for their own learning. To do this, a survey was conducted at Taif University English Language Centre (KSA) to collect the opinion of teachers regarding the practices and prospects of learner autonomy in their classrooms. The sample consisted of 60 teachers from different countries teaching English to Arab students at University level. The study focused on the teachers' notion of learner autonomy, its practices and prospects in Saudi Arabian context. Findings stress that it is important to provide learner training together with the studies and make it an integral part of the teaching process so as to help learners become autonomous.
Perceived Views of Language Teachers on the Use of Needs Analysis in ESP Materials Writing
Author: Ali, Holi Ibrahim Holi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Teachers,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),English for Special Purposes,Material Development,Needs Assessment,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Student Needs,English for Academic Purposes

Needs analysis is generally believed to be important in ESP/EAP context because it enables practitioners and materials writers to find out about their real learners' needs. Therefore, this study is set out to investigate EFL teachers' beliefs and views about need analysis use and practices, specifically in the ESP/EAP tertiary context of the Sultanate of Oman. A group of (55) EFL teachers in 4 colleges participated in the study by responding to a questionnaire designed for the study's purpose. The questionnaire was analyzed and percentages and frequencies were taken. The study concluded that needs analysis has to be encouraged and leaners' needs are of utmost importance ESP/EAP materials writing. The findings of this study showed that the vast majority of EFL teachers are in favour of using needs analysis as a basis for ESP/EAP materials writing and they believe that it is a significant factor in successful ESP materials development.
Language Anxiety among Gifted Learners in Malaysia
Author: Kamarulzaman, Mohd Hasrul
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Gifted,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Anxiety,Communication (Thought Transfer),Correlation,Surveys,Student Attitudes,Gender Differences,Secondary School Students,Statistical Analysis,Likert Scales

Language anxiety has significantly sparked great concern in the second and foreign language learning world. Researches have found negative correlation between language anxiety and academic achievement of English language learners; and, most of the studies focus on average school students and tertiary level students. This paper, however, explores gifted learners' English language anxiety in ESL setting, by surveying 119 gifted learners of PERMATApintar National Gifted Center (PpNGC), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. The result shows that gifted learners have certain level of language anxiety in English language setting; that language anxiety negatively correlates with gifted learners' English language performance; and that female gifted learners indicate higher language anxiety than males. Finally, this paper provides some insights towards minimizing gifted learners' language anxiety in English language environment.
Reconsidering the Moral Work of Teaching Framework: Weighing the Moral Hazards of Accountability
Author: Fraser-Burgess, Sheron
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Moral Values,Accountability,Educational Philosophy,Teaching Methods,Political Influences,Educational History,Politics of Education,Social Influences,Economic Factors,Conflict,Ethics,Political Attitudes,Guidelines,Small Schools,Educational Policy

If a teacher instructs with greater attention to improving students' performance in order to protect her employment rather than solely to advance knowledge or character, is she acting immorally? This question has historical roots in Socrates's famed animosity toward the sophists. Socrates maintained that sophistic teaching was immoral because the teacher's self-interest was at the center of the relationship rather than fostering &quot;arete&quot;. Socrates differentiated his work from teaching per se. Nevertheless, both Socrates and the sophists are examples of the historically precarious position of educators. In the classic Greek story, these pedagogues were at the mercy of sociopolitical forces outside of their control and the societal view of their work was subject to the vicissitudes of Athenian state interests, ideology, and politics. Those charged with fostering children's cultural, social, and intellectual literacy, as Socrates and the sophists were, often find themselves in the middle of conflicting social and economic factors. In the question of what it means for educators to act morally in this milieu, classical liberalism and ethics premised on impartial, objective, and decontextualized ideal theory have been the primary lens. As a consequence, it is an open question whether these frameworks can take into account the multifarious directions in which society pulls educators today. This paper addresses one prevailing rendering of the moral basis of teaching. In the Moral Work of Teaching (MWT) framework, Osguthorpe and Sanger draw upon the liberal democratic ethic, virtue ethics, and psychological theories to argue for the inherent morality of teaching in K-12 settings. On their view, such an inquiry can fall into the dichotomous categories of &quot;teaching morally&quot; and &quot;teaching morality&quot;. While the two domains are related, it is the former that proposes grounds for viewing teaching as a moral act. Based on one co-author's experiences, this paper discusses an iteration of the New York City small schools movement reform over the last decade as a clear example of the constraints that accountability policies exert on &quot;teaching morally&quot;; indeed these limiting factors are so pervasive as to warrant rethinking what it means to be a moral teacher.
Build Optional Digital Textbooks for Distance Learners
Author: Ruo, Du
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Distance Education,Textbooks,Electronic Publishing,Electronic Learning,Educational Resources,Educational Development,Material Development,Textbook Preparation,Textbook Standards,Technology Uses in Education,College Programs,Usability,Foreign Countries

E-books seem to be a trend and an excellent solution for mobile learning lately, but what kinds of e-books are good fit for distance learners' needs? For the purpose of offering open, more appropriate, better in quality, more convenient and flexible learning materials for distance learners. From 2011, through an experimental study on the basis of research on mobile learning ubiquitous learning and any-media, a research group at the Open University of China started to explore a new type of e-books, named &quot;digital textbooks,&quot; sampling three experimental courses for trial; mainly getting results in four areas: definition, tools, technology and functions. The experiment is still in progress, the learning pattern centering on digital textbooks is still being explored. In conclusion, how we support different learners successfully in a digital age depends on significant ways on how well we use those new media and new technology when building smarter learning materials and learning environment.
Philosophy Rather than Finance: Redirecting the Discourse Concerning Inequitable School Funding in Illinois
Author: Fitzgerald, Robert
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Philosophy,Taxes,Educational Finance,Public Education,Educational Equity (Finance),Courts,Discourse Analysis,Financial Support,Advantaged,Disadvantaged,School Districts,State Legislation,Educational Research,Educational Opportunities,Educational History,Educational Policy,Social Justice

The funding of public education in many states, especially Illinois, is characterized by inequity. The reality is that students across the state are subject to a disparity in fiscal resources between those attending schools in the wealthiest and poorest districts. The cause of this dilemma is threefold. First, Illinois has a school finance scheme that places the primary responsibility of educational funding on local communities in relation to their property values and tax rates. Second, support for this system has come in the form of general legislative inactivity and a position of judicial deference on the part of the Illinois Supreme Court. Lastly, and most pertinent to my position in this paper, the recent discourse concerning the funding dilemma fails to consider the issue from a higher vantage point where analysis might venture beyond the positivist paradigm and into the realm of philosophical inquiry. The conjoined impact of these three factors is the ever-increasing inequity that defines public school funding in the state. This paper does not reject the importance of research that takes a finance-oriented approach to examining the issue of funding disparity between schools. Rather, it suggests an alternative avenue for considering this dilemma, one that is less rooted in fiscal analysis and more philosophical in nature. In an overarching sense, it specifically aims to reconnect the issue of inequity to the concept of justice, an approach that was at the heart of the movement concerning equality of educational opportunity that took hold in the 1960s. As the evidence presented through financial analyses has unfortunately done little to convince jurists, policy makers, and the general public of the need to enact meaningful reforms in the area of public school funding, an alternative method of consideration is warranted. In no way does this paper aim to deter future scholarship of the previous sort. It rather hopes to be a welcome addition to an important conversation for the future of education in Illinois and those students attending its public schools. Using John Rawls and Peter Gabel, the author argues that philosophical analysis rather than finance will better advance social justice in school resource distribution. From what might be termed the liberal tradition, the author promotes Rawls's Theory of Justice as a text worthy of consideration. As the funding of public education in Illinois continues to be cut and the disparity in resources between the state's wealthiest and poorest schools increases, reconsideration is required now more than ever.
Development of an Instructional Model for Online Task-Based Interactive Listening for EFL Learners
Author: Tian, Xingbin
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Majors (Students),Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Instructional Design,Information Technology,Electronic Learning,Task Analysis,Scores,Pretests Posttests,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Listening Skills,Statistical Analysis,Undergraduate Students,Educational Objectives,Specialists,Instructional Effectiveness

College English in China has shifted from cultivating reading ability to comprehensive communicative abilities with an emphasis on listening and speaking. For this reason, new teaching models should be built on modern information technology. However, little research on developing models for the online teaching of listening skills has been conducted. Thus, the present study aims at developing an instructional model for online task-based interactive listening (OTIL Model) for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and investigating the effects of using OTIL. First, researcher constructed the OTIL Model by analyzing and synthesizing four effective and manageable instructional design models. Subsequently, three experts in the field of instructional systems design and English language teaching evaluated the OTIL Model. Next, two non-English major intact classes at Tongren University, China (TU), were employed in the experiment by using OTIL designed based on the developed OTIL Model. Additionally, the results of the two classes were compared by pre- and post-tests, revealing a significant difference in the post-test score between the experimental and control classes (P = 0.000, P =0.05). The results seem to suggest that the OTIL Model can be served to promote students' listening ability.