ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
There&apos;s so Much There! Helping Kids Conquer the Internet and Save Democracy
Author: Miller, Angie
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Libraries,Librarians,Role,Internet,Media Literacy,Information Literacy,Search Strategies,Online Searching,Democracy

Librarianship is an ever-changing journey that follows the evolution of media literacy. Currently, students live in an Internet world where politicians scream &quot;Fake news!&quot; at reports they don't like; foreign governments create actual fake news; and journalism seamlessly blends the genres of reporting and commenting. Students must learn how to assess the information they access via the Internet for credibility, question an author's motive, and synthesize new knowledge from what they read. Librarians are no longer just providers and curators of information. They also must teach students skills for online searching. If students learn how to research laterally--meaning they do not just dig deeper, but they also move wider--they start using skills needed to validate information and challenge discrepancies. Instead of telling students how to successfully search the Web, librarians must show them what the process looks like and provide them with exemplary sources. Teaching students how to research using the Internet is not only a way to improve academics or to provide a life skill, it is also an act of citizenship and is essential to the country's democracy.
Experimentation Abilities in Kindergarten Children with Learning Problems
Author: van der Graaf, Joep
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Kindergarten,Science Education,Scientific Methodology,Learning Problems,Comparative Analysis,Cognitive Ability,Language Skills,Nonverbal Ability,Grammar,Developmental Delays,Teaching Methods,Individual Differences,Elementary School Students,Foreign Countries

In the present study we investigated experimentation abilities of children with learning problems in early childhood education, i.e. kindergarten (4-6 years old). An essential part of science education is learning via the scientific method, of which experimentation is the central component. We studied experimentation abilities in 28 kindergartners with mild learning problems and compared them to 45 grade-matched typically developing kindergartners. Moreover, it was examined to what extent linguistic and cognitive factors in experimentation could be identified. The results showed that the kindergartners with learning problems scored lower on experimentation, which was due to the difficulty they experienced when the number of variables increased. There was an overlap in performance of kindergartners with and without learning problems, which showed that some kindergartners with learning problems performed similar to typically developing kindergartners on the experimentation task. Similar cognitive and linguistic factors in experimentation were found as in their typically developing peers, namely nonverbal reasoning and grammar. The results suggest that kindergartners with learning problems show a developmental delay in experimentation. Instructional methods for children with learning problems should take these individual differences and developmental delay into account. An important conclusion is that kindergartners with learning problems can design multivariable experiments.
So How Do English Language Learners Use &quot;So&quot;?
Author: Lim, Jessica
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Language Usage,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Discourse Analysis,Native Language,Word Frequency,Audio Equipment,Japanese,Korean,Form Classes (Languages),Language Dominance,Adult Students,Foreign Countries

The present article compares the use of the discourse marker so between English-dominant speakers and English language learners through an analysis of 20 one-on-one audio-recorded sessions with 10 English-dominant speakers and 10 English language learners. While employment of the discourse marker by both speaker groups was found to be discrepant, one prominent difference was discovered in the English language learner data. Move &quot;so&quot;, one of &quot;so&quot;'s six discursive functions, was produced with a higher frequency by the English language learners. The findings of the study indicate that while the learner group demonstrated a limited range of functions, as did English language learners in prior studies, they also had an overall lower rate of frequency compared to the English-dominant speakers.
Teachers&apos; Roles in Preschool Children&apos;s Collective Mathematical Reasoning
Author: Sumpter, Lovisa
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Role,Preschool Children,Mathematical Logic,Foreign Countries,Preschool Teachers,Preschool Education,Epistemology,Young Children,Thinking Skills,Problem Solving,Creativity,Play

The aim of this paper is to study teachers' roles in preschool children's mathematical reasoning using analysis of epistemological moves. Three moves were identified: instructional moves, confirming move and a new move, concluding move. There were no generative moves encouraging the children to produce different arguments for choice of strategy or conclusion. Both the confirming move and the concluding move functioned as an end of the reasoning and thereby limited the opportunities for the children to learn creative mathematical reasoning. This although that several encounters were created by the preschool teachers, both as formal planned situations and unformal such as free play.
Using Children&apos;s Literature to Teach Mathematics: An Effective Vehicle in a STEM World
Author: Furner, Joseph M.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Anxiety,Childrens Literature,Teaching Methods,Bibliotherapy,Mathematics Activities,Elementary School Mathematics,Secondary School Mathematics

Today it is critical to excite young people about mathematics in our high-tech STEM world we live in. Math teachers today need to embolden students to be confident in their ability to solve problems, to think and use their imaginations, to understand mathematical concepts, to be creative, and to see math as a human endeavor. The author feels that as students feel less anxious about, and more confident in their abilities to do math their performance will improve. The author has provided an in-depth literature review and offers background information on using children's literature to teach mathematics; sharing the methods and materials possible to incorporate such literature into such math instruction in a wide range of mathematics strands. The results of using such literature in the teaching of mathematics may help to lower math anxiety and pique students interest and confidence in math and the STEM fields. Teachers need to address this alarming problem and work toward developing mathematically confident young people for a world where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields dominate the globe, using literature to teach mathematics can support and cultivate students' math confidence for a STEM world.
STEM Media in the Family Context: The Effect of STEM Career and Media Use on Preschoolers&apos; Science and Math Skills
Author: Sheehan, Kelly Jean
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Preschool Children,Mathematics Skills,Science Process Skills,Parents,Family Environment,Parent Attitudes,Mass Media Use,Science Careers,Scientific Attitudes,Computer Games,Computer Oriented Programs

Children's learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is important for their achievement in related fields. Before formal schooling, families can expose children to STEM by sharing knowledge and influencing children's use of learning tools, including media. We investigated whether parent attitudes towards STEM media and having a family member with a STEM career is related to children's science and math media use, and whether these factors predict children's science and math skills. We surveyed 296 American parents of children 3- to 5.5-years old on their attitudes toward STEM and their children's use of STEM television, computer games, and apps. Regression analyses showed that positive attitudes toward science and math media positively predicted children's science and math media use. Having a STEM-career family member was a negative predictor. Children's science and math media use was negatively related to their reported science and math skills. However, there was an interaction: children from non-STEM career families who consumed the most science and math media reportedly had worse science and math skills. Our findings have implications for how families can support science and math learning. These results can direct research on the role of media in early STEM education.
Examining Student and Teacher Talk within Engineering Design in Kindergarten
Author: Tank, Kristina M.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Student Relationship,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Engineering Education,Design,Kindergarten,STEM Education,Early Childhood Education,Interdisciplinary Approach,Developmentally Appropriate Practices,Learner Engagement,Preschool Teachers

Quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiences during the early years provide young learners with a critical foundation for future learning and development. Engineering design is a context that can be used to facilitate connections and learning across STEM, however there is limited research examining the use of engineering design-based STEM integration within the early childhood classroom. This study examines how an engineering design-based STEM integration unit was enacted across three kindergarten classrooms. Classroom observation and video data were collected and a coding scheme was used to document the ways that engineering and engineering design were enacted as well as the role of the teacher and students within the lessons. Results suggest that kindergarten students were able to meaningfully engage in and with multiple stages of an engineering design process while also building understanding of scientists and engineers related to teacher and student interactions, there were multiple instances of student-initiated talk, student to student response, the use of explicit engineering language and of students making connections to prior learning. This suggests that the enactment of engineering design in early childhood should incorporate multiple aspects of engineering and engineering design, include interdisciplinary content and provide a context for STEM integration.
Fostering Inquiry and Creativity in Early Years STEM Education: Policy Recommendations from the &quot;Creative Little Scientists Project&quot;
Author: Stylianidou, Fani
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inquiry,Creativity,STEM Education,Scientists,Educational Policy,Outcomes of Education,Science Education,Mathematics Education,Teacher Education,Foreign Countries,Young Children,Preschool Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes

&quot;Creative Little Scientists&quot; was a 30-month (2011-2014) EU/FP7-funded research project focusing on the synergies between early years science and mathematics education and the development of children's creativity, in response to increasing interest in these areas in European educational policy. Using a variety of methods, including desk research, a teacher survey and classroom-based fieldwork, the research provided insights into whether and how children's creativity is fostered and appropriate learning outcomes, including children's interest, emerge. Based on these and ongoing collaboration and dialogue with participants and other stakeholders the project proposed recommendations for policy and teacher education. This paper presents these recommendations and the research on which they were based. Throughout the study, mixed methods were employed, combining quantitative approaches used in surveys of policy and teachers' views based on a list of factors, alongside qualitative approaches employed in case studies of classroom practice. A strong conceptual framework developed at the start of the project guided data collection and analysis, as well as the presentation of findings and the development of policy recommendations, thus ensuring the latter's strong and consistent relationship with the relevant theoretical knowledge, the comparative research, analysis of classroom practices and the production of guidelines for teacher education.
Implementing STEAM in the Early Childhood Classroom
Author: DeJarnette, Nancy K.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Implementation,STEM Education,Art Education,Preschool Children,Teacher Attitudes,Scientific Attitudes,Self Efficacy,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Teachers,Faculty Development,Inservice Teacher Education

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education has received growing attention over the past decade, primarily within the middle and high school levels. This article focuses on the need for STEAM education at the early childhood level. Preschool children have a natural disposition toward science with their sense of curiosity and creativity. This ethnographic research involved professional development for 50 in-service preschool teachers in an urban high-needs area of the northeastern United States. The researcher explored how providing hands-on professional development, consistent support, and rich resources for STEAM lesson implementation into the early childhood curriculum would impact the dispositions, self-efficacy, and rate of implementation for teachers. The study also involved observation of the reception of STEAM instruction by preschool children. Data was collected through pre and post surveys, teacher interviews, and field observations. Findings revealed an increase in positive dispositions and self-efficacy of preschool teachers, however, the rate of implementation of STEAM lessons by the teachers was initially limited. The reception of the STEAM lessons by these high-needs preschool children was phenomenal with high levels of engagement and cooperation. More research needs to be done in the area of STEAM implementation in the PK-12 classrooms to incorporate engineering education.
Coding and Computational Thinking in Early Childhood: The Impact of ScratchJr in Europe
Author: Bers, Marina Umaschi
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Thinking Skills,Early Childhood Education,Programming,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Computer Software,Computer Science Education,Data Analysis,Trend Analysis,Educational Trends,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods

In recent years, there has been an increased effort to introduce coding and computational thinking in early childhood education. In accordance with the international trend, programming has become an increasingly growing focus in European education. With over 9.5 million iPhone Operating System (iOS) downloads, ScratchJr is the most popular freely available introductory programming language for young children (ages 5-7). This paper provides an overview of ScratchJr, and the powerful ideas from computer science it is designed to teach. In addition, data analytics are presented to show trends of usage in Europe and and how it compares to the rest of the world. Data reveals that countries with robust computer science initiatives such as the UK and the Nordic countries have high usage of ScratchJr.
An Iterative Participatory Approach to Developing an Early Childhood Problem-Based STEM Curriculum
Author: John, Melissa-Sue
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Problem Based Learning,STEM Education,Curriculum Development,Curriculum Design,Preschool Children,Engineering,Preschool Teachers,Self Efficacy,Teacher Empowerment,Participative Decision Making,Teacher Persistence,Outcomes of Education

This paper describes an iterative participatory curriculum design approach to developing a problem-based STEM curriculum for preschool children. The curriculum aims to teach young children problem-solving using an adapted version of the engineering design process (EDP). Despite evidence showing that a rigorous, integrated STEM curriculum promotes cognitive development and curiosity, very little STEM or engineering instruction occurs in classrooms for three- to five-year-old children, and few studies include teachers in the curriculum design process. Research has shown that, when children experience an engineering curriculum, they show an increase in engagement, in the number of engineering behaviors displayed, and in persistence in completing activities. As well, when teachers are involved in designing curriculum, they are more likely to feel empowered and sustain implementation. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 preschool teachers after the development process showed that teachers who participated in the process perceived increased knowledge and self-efficacy in teaching STEM in their classrooms. These reflections support using a participatory curriculum design approach for empowering teachers and enhancing self-efficacy in teaching STEM to young children. High teacher self-efficacy has been associated with positive classroom outcomes and teacher retention in the profession.
Engineering Design Challenges in Early Childhood Education: Effects on Student Cognition and Interest
Author: Malone, Kathy L.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,Drama,Dance,Visual Arts,Physical Education,STEM Education,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Units of Study,Student Interests,Teaching Methods,Elementary School Students,Preschool Education,Age Differences,Interdisciplinary Approach,Pretests Posttests,Outcomes of Education,Faculty Development

This mixed methods study is one of the first to evaluate the effects of the incorporation of dramatic inquiry, dance, visual arts and physical education into preK-3 science, technology, engineering and mathematics units on student conceptual understanding of technology and engineering. The study used data collected from over 200 student surveys and focus group interviews with 14 teachers. The use of integrated STEAM units supported significant improvement in 4 to 8 year old students' understanding of engineering and technology. We report an average 55% increase in student understanding of what engineers do, and a 36% increase in their understanding of technology. The effect sizes for both assessments showed mostly large effects for all grade levels. The pre test scores across all grade levels were not significantly different. By implementing these integrated units with our younger students, we aimed to nurture their interest and understanding of engineering and technology across grade levels. This study results imply that students may not learn about these important topics outside of school hours; thus, it is important they become acquainted with these topics during school hours. Our work suggests that engineering units with dramatic inquiry should be introduced beginning in kindergarten.
An Investigation on the Forgotten Aspects of Cultures and Influence of Western Education among Communities in Niger State, Nigeria
Author: Ali, Hannatu K.
Date: 2018-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Marriage,Cultural Differences,Cultural Traits,Ethnic Groups,African Culture,Cultural Maintenance,Western Civilization,Older Adults,Social Change,Educational History,Educational Philosophy,Teaching Methods

In Niger State, there are more than fifteen different ethnic groups, each having its peculiar cultural affiliations, but the major ethnic groups in the State are; Nupe, Gbagyi, Fulani/Hausa. This paper tends to reflect on certain aspects of cultures which seem to have been forgotten among the three major ethnic groups, with focus on marriage most of whose aspects have been tempered by the influence of Western education. A qualitative method was used with the aim of extracting vital information from the participants regarding the forgotten aspects of cultures. Four aged people who are versed on culture were purposively selected. An in-depth interview, non-participatory observation and document analysis were used as means for data collection. All the participants were interviewed in English and each session of the interview lasted for about an hour to two hours. The interview was recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed manually. Findings from the study discovered that; most of the beautiful and less expensive cultural practices in marriage have been forgotten, abandoned and changed with expensive and luxurious practices. The paper reviews the traditional marriage practices in the past among the Nupe, Gbagyi and the Fulani, and the influence of Western education on the forgotten aspects. The paper concludes by pointing out effects of the forgotten aspects on our contemporary society, particularly with the increase in population among the youths.
Analysis of Classroom Teaching Candidates&apos; Speaking Self-Efficacy in Terms of Different Variables
Author: Kuru, Oguzhan
Date: 2018-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Speech Skills,Communication Skills,Self Efficacy,Foreign Countries,Interpersonal Communication,Gender Differences

Human beings are social creatures by nature and one of their most important characteristics is the multifaceted communication they establish with their environment. There are numerous ways of establishing communication. However, the most preferred manner has always been speech. For the speaking skill to be used effectively, the individual should have self-confidence. Educational institutions are the places where the foundations of self-confidence are laid. In educational institutions where self-confidence is taught, it is fundamental that the educators have self-confidence themselves. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the selfefficacy levels of classroom teacher candidates, who will be teaching in primary schools where the basic characteristics of the speaking skill are taught, display any differences in terms of different variables. The study group of the study consists of students receiving education at the Department of Primary School Teaching, Faculty of Education in a state university in the 2016-2017 academic year. The study group consists of 225 students who were selected through the typical case sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling types. With the purpose of collecting data, the 'Speaking Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES)' developed by Aydin (2013) consisting of four sub-dimensions with a Cronbach Alpha value of 0.95 was used. SPSS software program (Version 22) was used in the analysis of numeric data. The data was analyzed with the Independent Sample t-test, One Way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. According to the results of the study, a significant difference has been determined in the speaking process and listener factor sub-dimensions of the students in favor of the male students. Regarding the grade levels, it was concluded that the upper grade levels regarded themselves as more self-sufficient in the skill of speaking in all of the sub-dimensions.