ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Arts-Based Educational Research in the Early Years
Author: Barton, Georgina
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Art Education,Educational Research,Research Methodology,Early Childhood Education,Child Development,Young Children,Qualitative Research,Learning Activities,Story Telling,Drama,Dance,Participant Observation

This paper will explore arts-based educational research (ABER) as an effective and appropriate research method in the early years. It has been noted that the arts play an increasingly important role in the development of the child (Boone, 2008; Twigg, 2011a, 2011b; Twigg &amp; Garvis, 2010; Wright, 2012). In fact McArdle and Wright (2014) call the arts children's first literacies. Research with young children can often be difficult given that they are often still developing their skills in communicating through language, whether oral or written. Other modes such as visual image through drawing, or audio through song, are innate skills that young children can use to communicate effectively. This paper will report on a number of projects that have used arts-based educational research methods with young children. It shows how much research, in the past, has often treated children as inferior participants, or in need of adult confirmation, whereas arts-based methods can be powerful platforms for research with children that gives children more of a voice in the research process.
The Impact of Familial Activities on the Verbal and Non-Verbal Skills of Children of Turkish Immigrants in Germany
Author: Becker, Birgit
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Family Environment,Verbal Ability,Nonverbal Ability,Child Development,Immigrants,Cognitive Ability,German,Second Language Learning,Language Usage,Language Skills,Activities,Hypothesis Testing,Interviews,Parents,Children,Intelligence Tests,Language Proficiency,Cultural Influences,Statistical Analysis

A vast array of studies has demonstrated that stimulating activities within the family (e.g., reading to child, singing together) positively affect children's development in various domains. However, this influence is less established for children of immigrants. This paper analyses the impact of familial activities on non-verbal cognitive skills and German-language skills of six-year-old children of Turkish immigrants in Germany. It is argued that not only the frequency of familial activities but also the language use during these activities needs to be considered in immigrant families which has rarely been done in the previous literature. Not taking into account the language use during these activities might be especially problematic in the domain of verbal skills. The empirical results show that the frequency of stimulating familial activities is positively associated with children's verbal and non-verbal skills. In contrast, the language use during these activities only affects children's language skills but not their non-verbal cognitive skills. It is concluded that the language use during familial activities needs to be taken into account in the case of verbal skills.
Preschool Teachers' Beliefs about the Teaching and Learning of Language and Literacy: Implications for Education and Practice
Author: Lynch, Jacqueline
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Beliefs,Language Acquisition,Emergent Literacy,Preschool Education,Preschool Children,Questionnaires,Best Practices,Teacher Characteristics,Teaching Experience,Educational Attainment,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Teaching Methods,Literacy Education

Given the limited research on preschool teachers' beliefs about teaching language and literacy in the preschool years, as well as on their conceptual understanding of children's language and literacy development, this study examined the beliefs of 79 preschool teachers who had at least a 2-year diploma in early childhood education. All were working with 3- or 4-year old children in an urban centre. The Preschool Teacher Literacy Beliefs Questionnaire (TBQ) (Hindman &amp; Wasik, 2008) was used to collect data on preschool teachers' beliefs. Findings demonstrated much uncertainty in best practice beliefs among the teachers as measured by descriptive statistics for four language and literacy areas. Of the four subscales, preschool teachers' beliefs about oral language were found to be slightly more in line with research-based best practice while their code-related beliefs were found to be least in line in comparison to the other subscales. Teaching experience related to preschool teachers' beliefs in that those with less teaching experience had beliefs more in line with research-based best practices. Specific recommendations are suggested for education preparation programs for preschool teachers and for professional development based on the findings.
Peer Scaffolding Behaviors Emerging in Revising a Written Task: A Microgenetic Analysis
Author: Ranjbar, Naser
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Peer Relationship,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Sociocultural Patterns,Collaborative Writing,Learning Theories,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Writing Processes,College Students,Revision (Written Composition),Feedback (Response),Teaching Methods,Translation,Majors (Students),Foreign Countries,Indo European Languages,Native Language

Vygotsky's writings on Sociocultural Theory (SCT) of mind, his concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and its related metaphor, scaffolding, serve as the theoretical basis for the study of peer collaboration. This paper aimed at examining the effects of peer-scaffolding on EFL writing ability and finding out how revising techniques are constructed and expanded when two learners are working in their ZPDs. Two intermediate EFL university students (a &quot;reader&quot; and a &quot;writer&quot;) collaboratively revised a cause and effect composition written by one of them. A microgenetic approach was applied for analyzing the interactions. Results showed that even though the role of the reader was more significant as mediator at first, both reader and writer actively took part in revising the text with assistance transferring mutually between them at the end of the session. Results also indicated that peer scaffolding could be reciprocal rather than unidirectional. As a concluding remark, it was noted that teachers can enhance the quality of collaborative writing processes by helping students to work together and take into account joint efforts in the writing tasks. Learners can also take more participation, learn evaluative feedback strategies, and benefit from their co-mediators.
Cross-Country Comparisons of Inattentive, Hyperactive and Impulsive Behaviour in School-Based Samples of Young Children
Author: Merrell, Christine
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Young Children,Teacher Attitudes,Cross Cultural Studies,Cultural Differences,Age Differences,Foreign Countries,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Behavior Problems,Elementary School Students,Progress Monitoring,Statistical Analysis,Gender Differences,Psychometrics,Behavior Rating Scales

This paper uses the Rasch measurement model to analyse data collected on children's attention, activity and impulsiveness at the end of their first year at school by teachers in England, Scotland and Australia. The analysis offers insights into differences in teachers' perceptions of children's behaviour between countries and changes with age. The analysis of large school-based samples from three countries (approximately 2,500 children per country) indicated that the Scottish teachers perceived the behaviour of their pupils as more problematic than teachers in Australia and England. The reasons for this are not clear but it raises issues for researchers wishing to compare behaviour characteristics internationally. Possible ways forward are discussed.
Syllabification of Final Consonant Clusters: A Salient Pronunciation Problem of Kurdish EFL Learners
Author: Keshavarz, Mohammad Hossein
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phonemes,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Pronunciation,Native Language,Language Tests,Difficulty Level,Minority Groups,Foreign Countries,Ethnic Groups,Oral Language,Audio Equipment,Error Patterns,Interlanguage,Teaching Methods,Graduate Students,Interrater Reliability,Vowels,Statistical Analysis

While there is a plethora of research on pronunciation problems of EFL learners with different L1 backgrounds, published empirical studies on syllabification errors of Iraqi Kurdish EFL learners are scarce. Therefore, to contribute to this line of research, the present study set out to investigate difficulties of this group of learners in the pronunciation of consonant clusters (CCs). The data for this study were collected through classroom observation and a pronunciation test. Initially, students' difficulties in pronouncing difficult English clusters were diagnosed in their oral performance in the author's graduate classes at a private university in Northern Cyprus. Subsequently, 18 Iraqi Kurdish students volunteered to read aloud a short paragraph, sentences containing the problematic consonant clusters, and a word list while being audio-recorded. Data analysis showed discrepancies in the participants' pronunciation of consonant clusters, i.e., while they did not exhibit any problem in the pronunciation of initial CCs, most of them employed vocalic epenthesis (insertion of an additional vowel), as a repair strategy, in word final position to facilitate the pronunciation of complex clusters of the TL (Target Language). This can be attributed to the influence of the mother tongue as Kurdish phonotactics does not allow certain CCs in word final position. However, other factors such as the role of modelling, and lack of sufficient exposure to the TL may have contributed to the participants' pronunciation problems. Moreover, since all of the participants were adult EFL learners, it is safe to assume that such errors might have become fossilized in their interlanguage. Therefore, in terms of pedagogy, it is suggested that pronunciation problems of EFL learners should be dealt with during early stages of second language acquisition in order to prevent fossilization.
Development and Validation of a Scale for Measuring Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy for Teachers in the Sultanate of Oman
Author: Alkharusi, Hussain
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Self Efficacy,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Teachers,Factor Structure,Construct Validity,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9,Grade 10,Academic Achievement,Validity,Multivariate Analysis,Measures (Individuals)

A scale for measuring self-efficacy for teaching mathematics in grades 5 to 10 was developed in this study for teachers in Oman. The participants were 328 mathematics teachers randomly selected from five educational governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. Factorial structure of the scale revealed three subscales: self-efficacy for understanding the mathematics content, self-efficacy for teaching the mathematics content, and general teaching self-efficacy. The three subscales showed strong internal consistency and sufficient evidence of construct validity and concurrent validity. The scale has potential uses for both educational and research purposes.
&quot;Listen, Do, Repeat, Understand and Remember&quot;: Teaching English to Very Young Children in Aceh
Author: Yusuf, Qismullah
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Bilingual Education,Toddlers,Interviews,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Classroom Environment,Vocabulary Development,Communicative Competence (Languages),Preschool Education,Theories,Check Lists,Participant Observation

This qualitative study investigated the methods used in teaching English vocabulary to very young children (i.e. toddlers) at a bilingual school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Not much research has been published on teaching English to toddlers in the EFL context; therefore, this research is important as the results can become additional input to L2 teachers who teach very young children because by understanding their conditions of learners, teachers can help them reach their full potential as language learners. An observation sheet and a set of interview questions were used to collect data from an English teacher. There was only one teacher who became the participant because the school under study is thus far the only school that provides an English learning environment for children as young as toddlers in the city of Banda Aceh. The class was observed for three class meetings. The results showed that of the four teaching methods observed, the most commonly employed method was Total Physical Response (TPR), followed by Natural Approach (NA), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Suggestopedia (SG) as the least. Furthermore, based on the interview with the teacher, it was indicated that TPR and NA were more appropriate for teaching the toddlers English vocabulary. Through TPR, the very young children demonstrated their understanding of commands by responding with simple answers or gestures. In NA, they were situated in a natural environment and not prompted to speak until they felt ready to do so. Additionally, the teacher used no specific textbooks because music, pictures, and authentic materials procured an immense role in supporting the activities in the classroom.
Source-Based Tasks in Writing Independent and Integrated Essays
Author: Gholami, Javad
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Writing (Composition),Essays,Quasiexperimental Design,Writing Improvement,Writing Tests,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Females,Writing Instruction,Institutes (Training Programs),Statistical Analysis

Integrated writing tasks have gained considerable attention in ESL and EFL writing assessment and are frequently needed and used in academic settings and daily life. However, they are very rarely practiced and promoted in writing classes. This paper explored the effects of source-based writing practice on EFL learners' composing abilities and investigated the probable differences between those tasks and independent writing ones in improving Iranian EFL learners' essay writing abilities. To this end, a quasi-experimental design was implemented to gauge EFL learners' writing improvements using a pretest-posttest layout. Twenty female learners taking a TOEFL iBT preparation course were randomly divided into an only-writing group with just independent writing instruction and essay practice, and a hybrid-writing-approach group receiving instruction and practice on independent writing plus source-based essay writing for ten sessions. Based on the findings, the participants with hybrid writing practice outperformed their counterparts in integrated essay tests. Their superior performance was not observed in the case of traditional independent writing tasks. The present study calls for incorporating more source-based writing tasks in writing courses.
Thematicity in Applied Linguistics Textbooks: A Comparative Study of Foreword, Introduction and Preface
Author: Jalilifar, Alireza
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Applied Linguistics,Textbooks,Content Analysis,Language Usage,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Academic Discourse,Classification,Comparative Analysis

While identifying the generic structure of academic introductions has been the focus of extensive research over the last few decades, investigating some, if not all, of the available linguistic resources that realize the identified generic structures seems to have been largely under-focused. In order to shed light on the way that the communicative purposes performed by academic introductions depict themselves in the linguistic choices exploited by language producers, the present study aimed to investigate the thematic organizations that characterize three main variations within the introductory sections of 60 academic textbooks (20 forewords, 20 introductions, 20 prefaces). Two analytical models, namely Halliday's (1994) categorization of theme and McCabe's (1999) specification of thematic progression patterns were incorporated. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the results indicated that the differences between the three introductory variations in thematic configurations could be attributed to the nature and purposes fulfilled by the genre under investigation. Thus, in order to achieve their intended goals, academic writers need to consider the role played by different theme types as one of the available linguistic resources that help communicate their purposes.
Students' Satisfaction with the Group Work Method and Its Performance Evaluation: A Survey in an Italian University
Author: Zedda, Massimo
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Group Activities,Cooperative Learning,Foreign Countries,Student Satisfaction,Graduate Students,College Instruction,Correlation,Student Evaluation,Peer Evaluation,Student Attitudes,Statistical Analysis

Group Work Learning Method is a cooperative learning technique that has positive effects in learning: students' active participation can increase both cognitive and social skills. Our work involved three cohorts of students of different years attending the same course at the University of Torino, Department of Psychology. The contents of the course were the same in all years, students were asked to form self-selected groups to find creative solutions to two cases regarding violent behavior in workplace. Satisfaction concerning this activity and the method to evaluate the performance of the activity were investigated. Findings confirm overall students' satisfaction related to group work learning method. This satisfaction improves the scores in course and teacher skills satisfaction. About the evaluation, findings shown that students agreed teacher's and peers' evaluation of the performance.
How Do Newly-Qualified Early Childhood Teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand Critically Reflect within Constraints and Possibilities of Dominant Discourses of Early Childhood Teaching?
Author: Warren, Alison
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Beginning Teachers,Reflection,Masters Theses,Professionalism,Focus Groups,Transcripts (Written Records),Critical Theory,Teacher Characteristics,Educational Practices,Teaching Methods,Discourse Analysis,Qualitative Research,Case Studies

Early childhood practitioners' professionalism is a contested concept, with interpretations that include professionalisms based on qualifications, on accountability, on relational skills and on critical advocacy. Understandings of professionalism as situated in ecological frameworks rather than within individuals have led to the concept of a critical ecology, within which teachers critically reflect on and question professionalism at all levels of their professional ecosystem. Carmen Dalli has called for re-emergence of a critical ecology of the early childhood profession in Aotearoa New Zealand in challenging political contexts. This article explores two newly-qualified early childhood teachers' critical reflections about their subjectivities in a Master's thesis research study set in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the poststructural paradigm of this research, subjectivities comprise individuals' multiple, complex and dynamic self-understandings shaped by power relations within discourses. This article will draw on Michel Foucault's discourse theories to consider how these newly-qualified early childhood teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand critically reflect within constraints and possibilities of dominant discourses of early childhood teaching.
Andragogical Methods to Sustain Quality Adult Education in Ethiopia
Author: Seyoum, Yilfashewa
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Andragogy,Educational Quality,Adult Education,Active Learning,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews,Statistical Analysis,Program Implementation,Role Playing,Student Projects,Cooperative Learning

This study aims to analyse the extent andragogy serves as a means to secure quality in adult education programs. It attempts to scrutinize how active learning methods are implemented effectively in adult education program in the Eastern part of Ethiopia. A survey research design was adapted as a method of the study. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select respondents (515 male and 285 female adult learners and 30 facilitators).Questionnaire and interview was used to gather pertinent information about the adult education program. Descriptive statistics and one way ANOVA were used as a means for data analysis. The findings show that active learning methods employed by facilitators were not satisfactorily implemented. The least rated active learning methods employed by facilitators were role play and project methods. And, the most highly used and rated active learning method was collaborative learning. There was a significance mean difference between first and second year adult education followers (in favour of second year learners) in experiencing active learning.
The Effects of Utilising the Concept Maps in Teaching History
Author: Nair, Subadrah Madhawa
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Concept Mapping,History Instruction,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Teachers,Secondary School Students,Quasiexperimental Design,Pretests Posttests,Experimental Groups,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires

Teaching History is a tough and challenging task for teachers because most students consider History as a boring subject. Many studies indicate that students are not interested in learning History. This paper is based on a quasi-experimental study conducted to investigate the effects of utilizing the concept map method in the teaching of History in secondary schools. The researchers investigated whether the use of concept maps in the teaching of History helped the subjects from the experimental group to answer history questions better than the control group. The researchers also investigated whether this method helped to enhance students' interest in the learning of History. The findings of this research indicated that the utilisation of the concept map method significantly improved students' achievement and interest in History. Findings of this study support the theory of meaningful learning and utilization of concept maps. Moreover, the findings have strong pedagogical implications on teaching of History. As such, the practical implications are that the Ministry of Education should train History teacher how to utilize concept maps in teaching of History.