ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Pragmatic Elements in EFL Course Books
Author: Ulum, Ömer Gökhan
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Textbook Evaluation,Pragmatics,Foreign Countries,Speech Acts,Introductory Courses,Teaching Methods,Instructional Design,High School Students,Statistical Analysis

Pragmatic development or competence has been great concern particularly for the recent decades. Regarding this issue, questioning the existence and delivery of speech acts in EFL course books may be sententious, as learners employ them for pragmatic input. Although much research has been conducted referring to speech acts, comparably little research has been managed to investigate speech acts in English course books. This study aims at analyzing &quot;Yes You Can&quot; EFL course books from the perspective of speech acts in pragmatics. For this purpose, four 9th class EFL course books, the levels of which are A1 (Beginner) and A2 (elementary) were selected and the pragmatic modes of Searle's (1976) speech acts were applied to examine the books in the study. The results displayed that the evaluated EFL course books approved by the Ministry of Turkish National Education should be developed in terms of having pragmatic compounds. Conclusively, some implications for instructors, material designers, and course book authors were proposed.
Increasing Impact of Technology in Higher Education
Author: Utah System of Higher Education (USHE)
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Higher Education,Influence of Technology,Delivery Systems,Distance Education,Educational Resources,Preferences,Intermode Differences,Trend Analysis,Statistical Distributions

For Fall 2016, of the 175,509 students enrolled in the Utah System of Higher Education at third week, 69,535 (39.6 %) are participating in some form of technology delivered instruction. Of that total, 54,269 (30.9%) enrolled in at least one online class. Despite availability of online courses and degrees, students prefer using online courses to augment a traditional campus schedule. 88% of all students who enrolled Fall 2016 took the majority of their courses on campus. Less than 3% of full-time students are enrolled solely in online courses. 52% of students who enrolled solely in online classes are part-time and over 25 years old. This report looks at technology-delivered Instruction and Learning in the Utah System of Higher Education.
The Use of Local Short Story in English Language Learning (A Literary Review on the Use of Local Sources as an Alternative Teaching Media in EFL)
Author: Alamsyah, Aam
Date: 2016-04-06
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Literary Devices,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Sociolinguistics,Prior Learning,Indigenous Knowledge,Instructional Innovation,Cultural Background,Cultural Awareness,Schemata (Cognition),Culture Conflict,Instructional Materials,Values,Learning Processes

The use of native English story in EFL, which has so far been a source for heated debate among the scholars due to the possible intercultural conflict experienced by the learners and can possibly lead to the learners' confusion during the class, is basically driven by the long gone communicative competence theory, the paradigm which views that incorporating cultural aspects (Sociolinguistic element) of the native English speakers is inseparable in acquiring communicative competence. Actually, the use of local short story for language learning, despite being absent in some aspects such as idioms, style, pragmatic, etc., can possibly incur a lot more motivating aspects, this is because the learners can usually understand the overall learning process in a more comprehensive manner. Based on schemata theory, the process of learning might greatly be affected by the learners' prior knowledge due to the schemata that the learners already had, thus the learning process involving the native English speakers' paradigm might significantly hamper the learners in understanding and enjoying the story smoothly especially when the story is relatively longer and the teacher is not really competent in explaining the material or the learners who are still in the lower proficiency level. This literary review aims at highlighting the issue on the use of local short stories which can probably provide more psychological advantages compared with the foreign learning sources, as long as the materials are supported with good layout, sufficient vocabulary and standardized grammar, this package will certainly enable the learners to learn the content and moral values, thus improving not only their linguistic aspects, e.g. vocabulary, grammar, etc., but also their self-confidence in leading their life which is certainly very suitable to the way of life of the learners.
What Are Doctoral Students&apos; Perceptions of the PhD Process in the Faculty of Education? A Pilot Study
Author: Soiferman, L. Karen
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Graduate Students,Student Attitudes,Educational Attitudes,Graduate Study,Schools of Education,Doctoral Programs,Foreign Countries,Mixed Methods Research,Student Experience,Student Surveys,Interviews,Social Support Groups,Socialization,Cooperative Learning,Student Characteristics,Personality Traits,Academic Achievement,Cohort Analysis,Teacher Student Relationship,Meetings,Deans,Student Motivation,Peer Relationship,Communities of Practice,Educational Quality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of doctoral students in a western Canadian university about the doctoral programs offered in the Faculty of Education. The research for the study was undertaken using a mixed-method explanatory design. Our initial research question was: &quot;what are some of the factors that doctoral students in Education perceive to be significant in their PhD experience?&quot; In answer to this question we gathered data from both online surveys and individual interviews. The survey sought to find out doctoral students perceptions of cohorts in terms of emotional and/or professional support; the amount of out of class socialization among cohorts; the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers; and, what they saw as the traits a PhD student in the faculty needed to possess to be successful. Six doctoral students were individually interviewed, three who were in a cohort, and three who were not in a cohort to gather further information about their personal experiences. The perceptions of doctoral students in the Faculty of Education, at the University of Manitoba, can be looked at in two contexts: the factors that students identified as working well in the program, and the factors that needed some attention. The factors that were working well, and thus were identified as being positive aspects of the doctoral program include: supportive faculty including, but not limited to, committee members; belonging to a cohort for both emotional and professional support; bi-monthly doctoral student meetings with the Associate Dean in charge of graduate students; and, the opportunity to become a participant in the scholarly community that was part of the Faculty of Education.
Quality in Preschool Education: The Views of Teachers and Assistant Teachers
Author: Karademir, Abdulhamit
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Education,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Aides,Attitude Measures,Surveys,Phenomenology,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Educational Quality,Child Development,School Buildings,Faculty Workload,Educational Environment,Classroom Environment,Role,Interpersonal Relationship

As the importance attached to preschool education has increased in recent years, researchers have begun to discuss the quality of educational and care services. This study aims to show the views of assistant teachers working at preschool educational institutions concerning quality, investigate their influence on quality, and reveal the effect of quality on education. The study was conducted in Eskisehir, Turkey, in the 2014-2015 academic year. It was conducted with assistant teachers in classrooms in two different schools. Six teachers and six assistant teachers took part in the study. The survey model and the phenomenological design, which is a qualitative research method and design, were employed. The Teacher Interview Form and the Assistant Teacher Interview Form developed by the researchers were used for collecting data. Data were gathered through interviews which lasted almost 40 mins (each interview) on predetermined dates. The research data were analysed via QSR-Nvivo 8. Both teachers and assistant teachers stated that the quality of preschool education can be improved not only by upgrading the physical condition of schools but also by taking into consideration all of children's developmental areas. Based on the interviews with the teachers concerning the influence of assistant teachers on the quality of education, it was concluded that assistant teachers can contribute to improving the quality. As assistant teachers work both inside and outside of classrooms, teachers have less workload and more chances to deal with students.
Teacher Turnover, Teacher Quality, and Student Achievement in DCPS
Author: Adnot, Melinda
Date: 2017-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Labor Turnover,Teacher Persistence,Teacher Competencies,Academic Achievement,Public Schools,Urban Schools,Performance Based Assessment,Incentives,Quasiexperimental Design,Achievement Gains,Public School Teachers,Teacher Effectiveness,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Statistical Significance,Teacher Evaluation,Scores

In practice, teacher turnover appears to have negative effects on school quality as measured by student performance. However, some simulations suggest that turnover can instead have large positive effects under a policy regime in which low-performing teachers can be accurately identified and replaced with more effective teachers. This study examines this question by evaluating the effects of teacher turnover on student achievement under IMPACT, the unique performance-assessment and incentive system in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). Employing a quasi-experimental design based on data from the first years of IMPACT, we find that, on average, DCPS replaced teachers who left with teachers who increased student achievement by 0.08 standard deviation (SD) in math. When we isolate the effects of lower-performing teachers who were induced to leave DCPS for poor performance, we find that student achievement improves by larger and statistically significant amounts (i.e., 0.14 SD in reading and 0.21 SD in math). In contrast, the effect of exits by teachers not sanctioned under IMPACT is typically negative but not statistically significant. [This article was published in &quot;Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,&quot; (EJ1129163).]
Options to Change Interest Rates and Other Terms on Student Loans
Author: Congressional Budget Office
Date: 2013-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Federal Aid,Student Financial Aid,Student Loan Programs,Paying for College,Credit (Finance),Budgets,Federal Government,Federal Legislation,Budgeting,Costs,Eligibility,Grants

The Federal Direct Student Loan Program offers loans to students and their parents to help pay for postsecondary education. Under current law, about $1.4 trillion in new direct loans will be made to students between 2013 and 2023, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects. Analysts and policymakers have raised concerns about various features of the program, including a jump in the interest rate on what are known as subsidized loans--which account for about one-quarter of all new student loans--that is scheduled to occur on July 1, 2013. This report provides information about the direct student loan program and its effects on the federal budget under current law. It also presents an analysis of the expected budgetary effects of options for changing the terms on new subsidized student loans and of options for changing the overall approach to setting interest rates on all new direct student loans.
The Federal Pell Grant Program: Recent Growth and Policy Options
Author: Congressional Budget Office
Date: 2013-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Federal Aid,Grants,Access to Education,Low Income Groups,Postsecondary Education,Student Financial Aid,Costs,Economic Factors,Educational Policy,Paying for College,Eligibility,Budgeting,Poverty,Student Loan Programs,Loan Repayment

The Federal Pell Grant Program was created to improve the access of low-income students to postsecondary education. Grant recipients enroll at a variety of educational institutions, including four-year colleges and universities, for-profit schools, two-year community colleges, and institutions that specialize in occupational training. Grants are awarded on the basis of financial need and academic course load, and the maximum grant a student can receive for the 2013-2014 award year is $5,645. During the most recent award year for which data are available (July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012), the program provided $33.6 billion in grants to some 9.4 million students at U.S. educational institutions. The cost of the program has risen dramatically in recent years. From 2006-2007 to 2010-2011, real (inflation-adjusted) spending on Pell grants increased by 158 percent. That change resulted from an 80 percent rise in the number of recipients and a 43 percent real increase in the amount of the average grant during those four years. Spending for the program declined in 2011-2012 because of a reduction in the amount of the average grant. This report discusses growth and policy options.
Can Technology Help Promote Equality of Educational Opportunities?
Author: Jacob, Brian
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Equal Education,Educational Opportunities,Technological Advancement,Intelligent Tutoring Systems,Blended Learning,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Web Based Instruction,Distance Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Data Analysis,Educational Policy,Access to Education,Outcomes of Education,Socioeconomic Status,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Predictor Variables,Enrollment Trends,Computer Assisted Instruction

This chapter assesses the potential for several prominent technological innovations to promote equality of educational opportunities. We review the history of technological innovations in education and describe several prominent innovations, including intelligent tutoring, blended learning, and virtual schooling.
Teachers&apos; Views on &apos;&apos;Yes You Can&apos;&apos;, the Ninth Grade English Coursebook for Public Schools
Author: Ulum, Ömer Gökhan
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Teachers,High Schools,Grade 9,Teacher Attitudes,English Teachers,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Textbooks,Public Schools,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

Teaching English does not automatically mean teaching from a course book, though employing a course book is possibly the most accepted way of teaching a foreign language today. It is good to specify what the role of course books is or should be in the learning and teaching process. However, it is important to grasp that a course book is just sustenance, not a holy material. Course books must be at the service of teachers and students; they must not rule the teachers and the students. That's to say, ELT course books have a big importance in language classrooms, though there are contradictory disputes about the actual role of these course books. This study evaluated ''Yes You Can'', the ninth grade English course book for public schools, which was implemented in 2014 by the Ministry of Education, Turkey. The point of the study derives from the fact that it can affirm the strengths and weaknesses of the course book, and conclude whether it is applicable, or needs supplementation or modification for optimal learning. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the views of EFL teachers pertaining to the English course book for the 9th grade. A questionnaire for teachers was administered in high schools selected randomly from the Seyhan district of Adana. The data obtained were analyzed through SPSS, a Statistical Programme for Social Sciences. The analysis of the data shed significant light on the evaluation of the present course book through teachers' views. In the first place, the responses by a total of seven out of thirty-eight criteria concerning the course book were disapproved while the rest of the items by a number of thirty-one were approved by teachers. That's to say, teachers have designated an approval regarding the overall appreciation for ''Yes You Can'', the ninth grade English course book.
Epistemological Models of the Teacher-Students Interaction in Academic Learning
Author: Yavoruk, Oleg
Date: 2017-04-28
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Classroom Communication,Epistemology,Teacher Student Relationship,Teaching Models,College Faculty,Physics,Science Teachers,Interaction,Cognitive Processes,Foreign Countries

This study deals with the most popular forms of the classroom communication related to the scientific cognitive models. The teachers tend to use simple intuitive models to describe the teaching issues: &quot;Bucket theory&quot;; &quot;Knowledge floodlight&quot;; &quot;Interaction&quot;; &quot;Rationalism&quot;; &quot;Criticism&quot;; &quot;Anamnesis&quot;; &quot;Cognition cycle&quot;; &quot;Anything goes&quot;. Nevertheless, we can find all these models in university courses of history, philosophy, psychology, pedagogy and didactics. However, the opinion of a physics teacher, who thinks that he has invented a radically new pedagogical instrument, is quite interesting. Many teachers use these models unconsciously and in a peculiar interpretation. And their experience is remarkably useful.
Transparency in State Debt Disclosure. Working Papers. No. 17-10
Author: Zhao, Bo
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Accountability,State Government,Debt (Financial),Disclosure,Accounting,Census Figures,Annual Reports,Standards,Regression (Statistics),Financial Exigency,Education,Costs

We develop a new measure of relative debt transparency by comparing the amount of state debt reported in the annual Census survey and the amount reported in the statistical section of the state Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). GASB 44 requires states to start reporting their total debt in the CAFR statistical section in FY 2006. However, states are allowed to use accounting choices to exclude some dependent agencies' debt, which contributes to a gap between the two data sources. The regression results suggest that the gap tends to increase when states face greater fiscal stress or less political competition. Such patterns are not found in the pre-GASB 44 period.
Growth in Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low-Income Households
Author: Carrington, William
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Federal Government,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Tax Credits,Low Income Groups,Health Services,Welfare Services,Welfare Recipients,Lunch Programs,Housing,Education,Breakfast Programs,Grants,Expenditures,Trend Analysis,Eligibility

The federal government devotes roughly one-sixth of its spending to 10 major means-tested programs and tax credits, which provide cash payments or assistance in obtaining health care, food, housing, or education to people with relatively low income or few assets. Those programs and credits consist of the following: (1) Medicaid; (2) the low-income subsidy (LIS) for Part D of Medicare (the part of Medicare that provides prescription drug benefits); (3) the refundable portion of the earned income tax credit (EITC); (4) the refundable portion of the child tax credit (CTC); (5) Supplemental Security Income (SSI); (6) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); (7) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp program); (8) Child nutrition programs; (9) Housing assistance programs; and (10) the Federal Pell Grant Program. In 2012, federal spending on those programs and tax credits totaled $588 billion. Total federal spending on those 10 programs rose more than tenfold--or by an average of about 6 percent a year--in the four decades since 1972 (when only half of the programs existed). Medicaid accounted for more than 40 percent of the federal spending on those programs in 2012, followed in size by SNAP. A decade from now, Medicaid will account for an even larger share of spending on those programs, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects. A new means-tested program--federal subsidies to help low- and moderate-income people buy health insurance through insurance exchanges, which will begin in 2014--will be the second-largest means-tested program in 2023, CBO estimates.
Nuestros Hijos van a la Universidad [Our Sons and Daughters Are Going to College]: Latina Parents&apos; Perceptions and Experiences Related to Building College Readiness, College Knowledge, and College Access for Their Children--A Qualitative Analysis
Author: Chlup, Dominique T.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Focus Groups,Hispanic Americans,Parent Attitudes,Mothers,Qualitative Research,Access to Information,College Attendance,College Readiness,College Bound Students,Knowledge Level,Access to Education,First Generation College Students,Social Capital,Mixed Methods Research,High School Students,Postsecondary Education,Family School Relationship,Cultural Influences,Family Influence,Community

Data from a focus group of nine Latina parents, specifically mothers from a South Texas border region known as the Rio Grande Valley, were analyzed using a qualitative methodology. Grounded in the theory of social capital, the purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of Latina parents related to accessing information and resources to aid their students in enrolling in postsecondary institutions. The study was an exploratory, descriptive, and qualitative one that used a naturalistic paradigm. Findings showed that Latina parents perceived gaining information and resources related to increasing their understanding of college readiness, college knowledge, and college access as challenging. In addition, findings indicate that despite challenges, the mothers did receive support along the way. As parents, they want to get their students not only to the college door but through the college door, declaring that their children will go to college. They recognize there are keys to helping guarantee access to college, and it is these keys that these mothers seek. Such findings are important because the national portrait of college enrollment and attainment of college degrees shows continuing inequalities based on class, race/ethnicity, and income, especially for Latina/o first-generation students. Yet, few studies have considered the perceptions and experiences of Latina/o parents related to accessing information and resources to support their students when preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in postsecondary institutions. [This paper was published in &quot;Journal of Hispanic Higher Education&quot; 2016.]