ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Statistics Anxiety among Postgraduate Students
Author: Koh, Denise
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Statistics,Mathematics Anxiety,Graduate Students,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Ethnicity,Learning Activities,Ethnic Groups,Educational Attainment,Gender Differences,Majors (Students),Self Esteem,Student Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Likert Scales,Masters Programs

Most postgraduate programmes, that have research components, require students to take at least one course of research statistics. Not all postgraduate programmes are science based, there are a significant number of postgraduate students who are from the social sciences that will be taking statistics courses, as they try to complete their postgraduate studies. As postgraduate students come from varied backgrounds, from those who have left school for more than a decade, to those who just completed their undergraduate studies, postgraduate statistics course may be one of the toughest to teach. These students come into the course with preconceived thoughts and attitude, which would either increase their anxiety towards statistics, or decrease their anxiety. Previous studies have shown that students reported high level of statistics anxiety during a statistics course. Unfortunately, there are limited studies on statistics anxiety in the Malaysian postgraduate population. Therefore, this study aims to determine the level of anxiety towards statistics among postgraduate student. This study also aims to explore factors that are associated with statistics anxiety among postgraduate students at the Faculty of Education, UKM. As a secondary outcome, this study explores the type of evaluation preferred by postgraduate students in relation to a statistics course. All postgraduate students who registered for the Research Statistics course at the Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia, during the study period were invited to participate in the study. A total of 141 students completed the questionnaire and was included in this paper. This study found that a significant (21.7%) of the students surveyed have anxiety in at least one of the statistics anxiety domain, either in anxiety towards class activities, attitude towards class, attitude towards Mathematics or self-perception of ability to perform in statistics. This study found that ethnicity was associated with higher anxiety towards class activities, with the Malays being more anxious compared to the non-Malays. Both ethnicity and bachelor's degree were associated with attitude towards class and attitude towards Mathematics. For these two domains, the male students and students from non-science based bachelor's degree, showed more anxiety compared to female students. Self-perception of ability to perform in statistics was not associated with any socio-demographic factors included in this study. Students in this study overwhelmingly preferred individual assignment as an evaluation method, followed by mid-semester examination, and the final semester examination. Least preferred were online participation and presentation.
The Effects of Problem Posing on Student Mathematical Learning: A Meta-Analysis
Author: Rosli, Roslinda
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Meta Analysis,Problem Solving,Teaching Methods,Effect Size,Instructional Effectiveness,Mathematics Achievement,Skill Development,Student Attitudes,Barriers,Coding,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries,Quasiexperimental Design,Pretests Posttests,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Knowledge Level,Literature Reviews

The purpose of the study was to meta-synthesize research findings on the effectiveness of problem posing and to investigate the factors that might affect the incorporation of problem posing in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The eligibility criteria for inclusion of literature in the meta-analysis was: published between 1989 and 2011, reported problem posing as an intervention, employed experimental research design, and provided data necessary to compute effect sizes. The large positive effect sizes (Hedges' g) showed that problem posing activities provide considerable benefits for: mathematics achievement, problem solving skills, levels of problems posed, and attitudes toward mathematics. Several noteworthy &quot;limitations&quot; of this &quot;study&quot; were discussed.
Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening the English Language Policy: An Education Reform
Author: Yamat, Hamidah
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Indonesian Languages,Language Maintenance,Language Planning,English,Educational Policy,Bilingual Education,Higher Education,Universities,Comparative Analysis,Program Implementation,Outcomes of Education,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,Interviews,Delphi Technique

Today's global economy and dependency on technology has led to educational reforms in Malaysia, which includes language policies; namely the Upholding the Malay Language, and Strengthening the English Language (&quot;MBMMBI&quot;) policy. This policy underpins the project presented and discussed in this paper; on the development of a bilingual education and assessment framework for higher education providers (HEP). This paper discusses the analysis of documents on the language planning and its implementation policies at three HEPs; namely Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universtiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) as well as the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. Findings of the comparative analysis indicate that each university interprets bilingual policy differently thus implement it differently which in return resulted in different language abilities among their graduates. This also implies the vital need for a clear framework on bilingual education as well as its assessment in order for the education reform to be successful in its aim to strengthen the English language competency and at the same time uphold the Malay language among its nation.
Technology Leadership and Its Relationship with School-Malaysia Standard of Education Quality (School-MSEQ)
Author: Hamzah, Mohd Izham Mohd
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Technology Integration,Educational Technology,Administrator Role,Leadership,Educational Quality,High Achievement,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Correlation,Academic Standards,Scores,Leadership Responsibility

This study examined the level of technology leadership practice among administrators in High Performing Schools (HPS) and its relationship with School-Malaysia Standard of Education Quality (School-MSEQ). A set of questionnaires was administered to 96 administrators in 12 HPS of secondary schools category. The data were analysed and interpreted using SPSS version 16.0. The statistics used were descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Analysis of t-test, one way ANOVA and Pearson Correlation were used to test the hypotheses. This study found that the level of technology leadership practice was moderate with mean value at 3.934 and the practice of School-MSEQ among administrators was high with mean value at 4.729. There was no significant difference from the aspects of administration experiences and status pose of HPS administrators in term of the practice of technology leadership. This study revealed a relationship between technology leadership and School-MSEQ (r = 0.649, p&lt;0.05) towards the practice of technology leadership among HPS administrators. The findings suggest that school administrators should play key roles in promoting technology in schools. It is hoped that the findings will improve the practice of school administrators and more studies should be conducted in the near future towards the improvement of technology leadership in schools.
Students' Progress throughout Examination Process as a Markov Chain
Author: Hlavatý, Robert
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Markov Processes,Mathematical Models,Progress Monitoring,Teaching Methods,Research Methodology,Biological Sciences,College Students,Economics Education,Sequential Learning,Academic Achievement,Probability,Case Studies,Success

The paper is focused on students of Mathematical methods in economics at the Czech university of life sciences (CULS) in Prague. The idea is to create a model of students' progress throughout the whole course using the Markov chain approach. Each student has to go through various stages of the course requirements where his success depends on the completion of the previous duties. It makes the whole process ideal for usage of Markov chain theory in practice. We show how students' achievements during the semester affect the final result of the exam in terms of the final grade. The final grade can be understood as an absorbing state of a Markov chain that is terminal and cannot be transitioned from. With the help of Markov chains, the probability of success at the end of the course is shown regarding the students' behaviour and diligence during the course. This helps to identify weak or critical stages of the entire course and also supplies the planning of time capacity that will be needed to examine all students in the end. The mathematical model is constructed and consequently used in the case study at the second half of the paper.
Assessing the Level of Performance of Sign Language Interpreters from Impaired Hearing Students' Perspectives at Public and Private Jordanian Universities
Author: Shanikat, Feryal Abdel-Hadi
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Sign Language,Deaf Interpreting,Hearing Impairments,College Students,Public Colleges,Private Colleges,Gender Differences,Statistical Significance,Student Attitudes,Qualifications,Rating Scales,Statistical Analysis

This study aimed at assessing the level of performance of sign language interpreters in both public and private Jordanian universities, as well as to recognize the effect of the study variables specifically gender and qualifications for acoustically disabled and interpreter, and the experience of the interpreter on the level of the performance assessment of sign language interpreters and the hearing disabled students in the capital (Amman) and Balqa' Governorates' public and private universities. The sample of the study consisted of (100) students. In order to collect the data, the researcher has built a study instrument which consists of three dimensions: a personal dimension (15), cognitive dimension (13), and professional dimension (13). Validity and reliability of the instrument were calculated, and then the instrument was applied on the study sample. The results of the study showed that the level of assessment by the hearing disabled students for sign language interpreters who accompany them in public and private universities and institutes was high. The personal dimension came first, followed by the cognitive dimension, and finally the professional dimension. The results showed a lack of statistically significant differences on all dimensions attributed to the gender variable of the acoustically disabled. The study showed the existence of statistically significant differences in favor of females on the personal dimension attributed to the interpreter gender variable. Results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences attributed to the impact of the acoustically disabled qualifications on all dimensions except the professional one in favor of diploma, and there were no statistically significant differences attributed to the impact of the interpreter's qualifications on all dimensions except the professional one in favor of diploma, and no statistically significant differences attributed to the experience variable of the interpreter.
Factors Affecting Teachers' Competence in the Field of Information Technology
Author: Tambunan, Hamonangan
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Competencies,Information Technology,Vocational High Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Questionnaires,Observation,Interpersonal Communication,Educational Technology,Use Studies,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Improvement,Educational Benefits

The development of learning technology today, have a direct impact on improving teachers' information technology competence. This paper is presented the results of research related to teachers' information technology competence. The study was conducted with a survey of some 245 vocational high school teachers. There are two types of instrument used in taking the data, namely questionnaires and observation sheets. Questionnaire was used to obtain data on teacher interpersonal communication, use of information technology tools, teachers' perceptions toward information technology, and self-improvement of teachers. Observation sheet used to obtain data on teacher competence in the field of information technology Data was analyzed using path analysis through SPSS 12 and LISREL 8:30. The analysis showed teachers' competence in the field of information technology is influenced by the teacher interpersonal communication, use of information technology tools, teachers' perceptions toward information technology and self-improvement of teachers either directly or indirectly.
The Effect of Using XO Computers on Students' Mathematics and Reading Abilities: Evidences from Learning Achievement Tests Conducted in Primary Education Schools in Mongolia
Author: Yamaguchi, Shinobu
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Computer Uses in Education,Laptop Computers,Program Effectiveness,Elementary School Students,Questionnaires,Comparative Analysis,Student Attitudes,Computer Attitudes,Grade 5,National Surveys,Mathematics Skills,Reading Skills,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Quasiexperimental Design,Scores

In 2008, Mongolia took part in One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project. Since that time, over 10,000 students in grades 2-5 in 43 primary education schools are using XO computers. This paper presents the findings of a study conducted in 2012 to evaluate the impact of the OLPC initiatives on students' literacy and math skills. This study covered 14 primary schools, of which 7 received XO computers and other 7 did not receive XOs. The schools were located in four provinces and two districts of Ulaanbaatar city of Mongolia. Over 2,000 5th grade students in these 14 schools were tested on Math and Reading skills, based on items from the 2008 National Primary Education Assessment. In addition to these tests, students were asked to respond to a questionnaire, which consisted of demographic and ICT-related questions and computer attitude measure for young student instrument. The findings of the study indicate that the use of XO may have enhanced students reading skills controlling for students' gender, math scores, and hours spent for watching TV, doing homework and earning money.
The Understanding of Curriculum Philosophy among Trainee Teachers in Regards to Soft Skills Embedment
Author: Hassan, Aminuddin
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Student Teacher Attitudes,Educational Attitudes,Educational Philosophy,Trainees,Case Studies,Bachelors Degrees,Undergraduate Students,Skill Development,Teacher Competencies,Constructivism (Learning),Core Curriculum,Active Learning,Learning Strategies,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Foreign Countries

Curriculum philosophy may assist in learning practices that coincide with the philosophy of educational institution and community. This study was aimed to understand how the teacher trainees who pursued Bachelor of Teaching (PISMP) understand the embedment of soft skills into learning activities for core courses in Malaysian Institutes of Teacher Education (IPGMs). This is necessary because embedding soft skills is sometimes considered to be out of interest among the teacher trainees that may lead to neglect the aspects of soft skills development among them. The study was conducted using a case study methodology through the qualitative approach. The respondents comprised of nine teacher trainees from the final year of study. The results yielded the teacher trainees' beliefs and identified the ways soft skills were embedded among them as they pursued their course. The results of this study allowed those involved in the development of teacher trainees' soft skills to generate ideas to develop a model to embed soft skills, in line with the interpretation of soft skills, for the teacher trainees in the IPGM.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Developmental Criteria for Young Children: A Preliminary Psychometric Study
Author: Yunus, Faridah
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preschool Children,Child Development,Psychometrics,Criterion Referenced Tests,Measures (Individuals),Cross Cultural Studies,Performance Based Assessment,Translation,Observation,Interrater Reliability,Content Validity

Authentic assessment approach applies naturalistic observation method to gather and analyse data about children's development that are socio-culturally appropriate to plan for individual teaching and learning needs. This article discusses the process of adapting an authentic developmental instrument for children of 3-6 years old. The instrument consists of 217 criteria of development for children between the ages of 36-72 months; grouped under six domains, which are fine motor, gross motor, adaptive, cognitive, socio-communication, and social. It is a criterion measurement tool, which was developed for the American context. This instrument needed to be adapted into the Malay socio-cultural context before it could be applied in local setting. The adaptation process involved directly translating the items; investigating the items/criteria's score format; examining the items by a panel of experts; observing the real setting to investigate the score patterns and calculating observer agreement index. 103 children from the Malay ethnic group aged between 36-72 months, six field experts, and twelve observers were involved as participants. The researcher and an editor translated all the criteria for development; novice observers carried out a pilot study to test the suitability of score format; six children's specialists examined the translated criteria; and lastly, the researcher observed activities in the preschool setting to score the criteria in naturalistic manner. The translated criteria, checklists; and developmental scores were analysed through visual and descriptive statistics. Content analyses showed that most of the developmental criteria were suitable to be applied in the research context. However, there are a few criteria considered as not appropriate and scores between observers indicated low agreement on how they interpreted the criteria.
Increasing Student Engagement in Math: The Use of Khan Academy in Chilean Classrooms
Author: Light, Daniel
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Mathematics Instruction,Learner Engagement,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Electronic Learning,Video Technology,Foreign Countries,Blended Learning,Interviews,Elementary Secondary Education,At Risk Students,Observation,Focus Groups,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Online Courses,Web Sites,Learning Activities,Student Evaluation,Spanish,Feedback (Response),Student Motivation,Learner Controlled Instruction,Student Attitudes

Khan Academy, an online platform offering educational videos and exercises in different content areas, has awakened intense interest among foundations, multilateral organizations, policy makers, and educators about how this tool can help meet the educational challenges facing countries around the world. With support from Intel, Education Development Center (EDC) researchers sought to understand how this technology fits into the complex realities of schools in a developing country. In August of 2013, researchers traveled to Santiago, Chile to conduct research in five schools where teachers are using Khan Academy. We found that the way Khan Academy functions as a digital learning environment changes the ways and the degree to which students engage with and are engaged by the math content; it also changes the way teachers and students interact with each other. Even though the use of Khan Academy may plant the seeds of deeper pedagogical changes such as mastery learning or differentiated instruction, teachers did not need to change their entire teaching model to start using it. Khan Academy's straightforward approach of providing an endless bank of practice exercises makes it an inviting and universally adaptable tool across different types of teachers, classrooms, and countries.
ICT and Instructional Innovation: The Case of Crescent Girls' School in Singapore
Author: Shear, Linda
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Information Technology,Instructional Innovation,Females,Womens Education,Single Sex Schools,Teacher Education,Professional Development,Competence,Instructional Design,Program Implementation,Case Studies,Lesson Plans,Language Arts,Place Based Education,Leadership Effectiveness,Action Research,Secondary School Students

This paper describes a global professional development program called 21st Century Learning Design (21CLD), which helps teachers design academic lessons that integrate opportunities for students to develop 21st Century competencies in a variety of dimensions such as collaboration, knowledge construction, and the powerful use of ICT for learning. The framework and tools of 21CLD are grounded in learning science research, promoting aspects of these dimensions that have been shown to tie to deeper learning. The paper highlights the example of Crescent Girls' School in Singapore, which is implementing this program school-wide as a next step on its longstanding journey to leverage ICT for instructional innovation. Critical aspects of the school's supportive ecosystem include a clear and consistent vision for teaching and learning, strong teacher ownership and a common language of discourse, distributed leadership, and the use of ICT to support teacher professional development and lesson design. The paper describes results for teaching and learning through a Communicative Arts lesson that leverages place-based ICT tools for student knowledge construction. Although Crescent Girls' School is unusually well resourced and has a strong history of ICT use for learning, this case offers lessons that apply equally well for earlier-stage explorations into ICT.