ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Complexities of Writing Skill at the Secondary Level in Bangladesh Education System: A Quantitative Case Study Analysis
Author: Suvin, Sujana
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Skills,Writing Improvement,Writing Strategies,High School Students,High School Teachers,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Difficulty Level,Barriers,Grammar,Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries

The goal of this study is to examine difficulties in and outside the classrooms which are the real obstacles to the writability of teaching and learning in the secondary level Bangladesh system. The secondary level tests writing skills by summary, paragraph, letter, application, story, conversation, composition, report, e-mail etc. Students who study at the high school level face serious writing complexities. The major problems in the examination are the vocabulary and grammar complexities. In this study, the reasons for the complexities of writing skills were examined. This study was conducted at Jahangirnagar School &amp; College, Savar, Dhaka to find out the strategies for writing skills. Important questions of research have been developed to identify writing skill complexities. Data were taken from teachers, students and parents based on questionnaire survey. Teachers and students were encouraged to participate actively in the survey. Following collection of data, the practical advice for students and teachers was analyzed. While skills at secondary schools have been evaluated, most teachers are not taking any action to evaluate the abilities of students. Students are also less interested in writing skill in practice. The aim of the study is therefore to show a new image to the writing skill at the secondary level Bangladesh education system.
Construction of Modular-Based Curriculum Framework for Medical English Teaching in China
Author: Wang, Changyou
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Intercultural Communication,English for Special Purposes,Teaching Methods,Classification,Medicine,Humanities,English for Academic Purposes,Foreign Students,International Cooperation,Medical Students,Medical Education,Foreign Countries,Advanced Courses,Educational Theories

Current research on the medical English curriculum system is in an unsystematic state. According to the modular teaching theory and ESP classification, especially Hutchinson &amp; Waters's (1986) and Jordan's (1997) categories, three modules of medical English curriculum system are put forward for non-English speaking countries to cultivate their international medical students and strengthen their international cooperation. These modules are Medical Humanities English, Medical Occupational English and Medical Academic English. Each of the above modules is independent but related to the others in a sequential relationship. Offering modular medical courses not only provides a language platform for medical students to catch up with the pace of internationalization, but also accelerates the process to study the advanced medical technology through international communications.
Equivalence in Bilingual Dictionaries
Author: Yu, Xiaomei
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Dictionaries,Bilingualism,Translation,Classification,Cultural Differences,Language Usage,Semantics,Second Languages

The task of the bilingual dictionary is to provide lexical units in the source language with equivalents in the target language. Therefore, translation equivalence is of great importance in compiling a bilingual dictionary. This study is an introduction to categories of equivalence in bilingual dictionaries and the causes of non-equivalence. Some methods for translating non-equivalence are also recommended.
Sustainable Development in the Brazilian Amazon: Meanings and Concepts
Author: de Andrade, Francisca Marli Rodrigues
Date: 2020-12-21
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sustainable Development,Ethnography,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Environmental Education,Educational Policy,Political Influences,Social Influences,Economic Factors,Public Policy,Laws,Epistemology,Barriers,Climate,Teacher Characteristics,Conservation (Environment)

Social, political and economic relationships in the Amazon are mediated by nature and government policies, programs, and regulations, including environmental education policies, which have disseminated the concept of sustainable development in over recent years. Based on these elements, this study explores the social representations that give meaning to the concept of sustainable development among elementary teachers in the Amazon region. Adopting an ethnographic approach and drawing on the theory of social representations, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study with 121 teachers with a degree in pedagogy using questionnaires, group discussions and participant observation. The findings show that nature, environmental problems and Amazon culture exert a strong influence on representations of the concept of sustainable development.
Journey to Natural History Museum in Perspective of Children
Author: Yapicioglu, Aysegül Evren
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Museums,Science Education,Informal Education,Field Trips,Emotional Experience,Expectation,Student Attitudes,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Foreign Countries,Paleontology,History,Exhibits,Elementary School Students

Interest against the science, to increase permanence of learned theoretical knowledge can be provided via visual, auditory and tactile science and technology lessons in schools. Museums are seen as the key learning areas that aim to reinforce the learning and to show concrete face of science. Easy and comfortable transportation to museums in major cities is a big advantage comparing to the students who live in provincial cities and does not have same chance. In order to give a chance to those students, the elementary schools students in the five district of Eastern Anatolia Region experienced their first journey to a natural history museum in TURKEY. This educational journey to Prof. Dr. Ali Demirsoy Natural History Museum was supported by TUBITAK. The study was carried out to help student observe and experience the natural museum from children's perspectives. Children perspectives' about Prof. Dr. Ali Demirsoy Natural History Museum comprises of three categories, which are expectations and estimates, experiences (Subcategories are observation and emotional experiences) and reflections of attitude.
Review of Research on Portfolios in ESL/EFL Context
Author: Wang, Lijuan
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Portfolios (Background Materials),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Portfolio Assessment,Teaching Methods,Learning Processes,Personal Autonomy,Educational Benefits,Writing Evaluation,Educational Technology,Independent Study

The portfolio is considered a useful tool both for instruction and assessment. Properly designed and implemented, it provides authentic language material for assessment, increases learners' involvement in learning process and promotes self-reflection. This article mainly reviews the empirical research on portfolios in ESL/EFL context and offers suggestions for future research. The article starts by providing a brief introduction to portfolio and the framework for systematically designing and implementing portfolio assessment in the classroom. Then it reviews the empirical studies of portfolios in ESL/EFL context from three perspectives, i.e. portfolio assessment on writing, portfolios as a means to promote autonomy and e-portfolios. The article concludes by emphasizing the benefits of portfolios in language learning, indicating challenges in carrying out portfolio assessment, and providing suggestions for future research.
The Influence of a Science Methods Course on Prospective Elementary Teachers&apos; Visions of Science Teaching
Author: Canipe, Martha M.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Methodology,Methods Courses,Science Education,Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Science Instruction,Student Attitudes,Attitude Change,Professional Identity,Student Experience

Prospective elementary teachers may enter their teacher education program having experienced science more as a collection of definitions and facts than in ways that support rich engagement with scientific phenomena. As a result, their visions of themselves as science teachers may not align with the most recent understandings about how to teach science to support student learning. Science methods courses are settings that have the potential to shift prospective teachers' visions of science teaching. We used an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach with collection of survey data followed by interviews with selected participants. We analyzed how prospective elementary teachers' visions of science teaching shifted over the course of a one-semester science methods course and what experiences they felt most influenced their visions of teaching science. We found that the visions of science teaching shifted towards or maintained alignment with the principles of science teaching introduced in the science methods course. Additionally, the prospective teachers identified model science activities and explicit connections between these activities and how students learn science as having influenced them in terms of how they thought about teaching science.
WhatsApp Activities for Enhancing TEFL Pedagogical Knowledge and Classroom Practices: Suggested Types and Student-Teachers&apos; Reflection
Author: Shaaban, Sumer Salman Abou
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Software,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Student Teachers,Language Teachers,Problem Solving,Teacher Education Programs,Student Teacher Attitudes,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Language Tests,Information Security,Teaching Methods,Communication Problems,Foreign Countries

This research was conducted to suggest a set of WhatsApp activities to enhance pedagogical knowledge and classroom practices that can be used in TEFL courses and to explore student-teachers' reflection towards the use of WhatsApp and the suggested activities. By reviewing related literature of using social networks and WhatsApp and though interviewing (9) TEFL instructors and (17) TEFL student-teachers, the researcher was able to suggest several activities that were used effectively in TEFL courses. These activities are: (1) reading materials (2) prediction ideas to get interest for the next lecture (3) videos (4) questions for flip classes or reviewing questions or proposing a problem to solve (5) open discussion topics or reflection on the lecture. A set of bases for using WhatsApp activities such as: posting clear content and having clear instructions for doing the activity, meeting FL student-teachers' language level or little higher language level, and not overloading TEFL student-teachers was presented. A group of (104) TEFL student-teachers from the faculty of education at Al-Azhar University-Gaza completed the following three reflection questions: what are the benefits of using WhatsApp and the suggested activities? What are the disadvantages of using WhatsApp and the suggested activities? What are the recommendations for improving the usage of WhatsApp applications and the suggested activities? Their responses were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The most common benefits were classified under (a.) pedagogical knowledge (b.) classroom practices (c.) review and evaluation (quizzes or tests) (d.) course requirements. On the other hand, the mentioned disadvantages were classified as (a.) technical and security problems (b.) communication problems.
Antecedents and Consequences of Using Social Media for Personal Finance
Author: Cao, Yingxia
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Risk,Money Management,Social Media,Literacy,Computer Mediated Communication,Information Sources,Information Seeking,Well Being,Finance Occupations,Users (Information),Correlation,User Satisfaction (Information)

This study was intended to find out whether social media could be a solution to improve personal financial literacy and ability. The authors examined the antecedents and consequences of using social media for personal finance with survey data from 359 individuals who used social media tools to view, learn, post, or ask for financial information or advice. They found that usefulness and compatibility were two reasons why people use social media for personal finance, while ease of use and concerns/risks were not. The study also revealed that social media use for personal finance were associated with positive financial outcomes and user satisfaction, which in turn prompted users' intentions to continue using social media for personal finance in the future. These findings suggested that social media could be a legitimate and fruitful source for individuals and financial industry to improve personal financial well-being.
Who Uses Mobile Payments: Fintech Potential in Users and Non-Users
Author: Li, Bin
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Money Management,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Age Groups,Scores,Literacy,Risk,Age Differences,Marketing,Gender Differences,Minority Groups,Family Income,Educational Attainment

This study used data from the 2015 National Financial Capability Study to analyze the adoption of mobile payments by U.S. households. While 24% of respondents used mobile payments, the mean rate for those under age 25 was 11 times the rate for those 65 and older. State rates ranged from about 9% in Montana to 34% in Washington, DC. Based on a logistic regression, age and an objective financial knowledge score were negatively while risk tolerance and a subjective financial knowledge score were positively related to mobile payment use. The results have implications for marketing of Fintech applications for personal finance, especially in terms of the extremely low mobile payment use by older consumers.
Towards a Model to Improve English Language Standards in Schools: Impact of Socio-Economic Factors of Stakeholders
Author: De Silva, Viruli A.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Standards,Employment Potential,Developing Nations,Socioeconomic Influences,Educational Quality,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,School Administration,Models,Foreign Countries,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Characteristics,Administrator Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Educational Improvement,Parent Role

There is a dire need to enhance the English language standards in schools of developing countries using English as a second or Foreign language, due to its importance in employability and high-earning ability in the job market. Enhancing English language standards in schools is vital to improving the English language competence of school leavers and undergraduates to achieve an English language quality level as a nation, to produce diversified graduates of global quality, to address the unemployability problem in developing countries. Sri Lanka, with a rich history of a colonial era, is no exception. Studies on the influence of Socio-Economic factors of stakeholders on improving the English language standards in schools had received poor attention from past researchers, especially in the Sri Lankan education context. Hence, the overall purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical model, to explore the impact of socio-economic factors of stakeholders on English Language Standards in Sri Lankan schools. The study reviewed reliable secondary data published in scholarly extant literature, government Policy Documents, Research Reports of reputed institutions, etc., relevant to the above primary relationship and key concepts of the study. Six main stakeholders in the socio-economic context of the school English Language education were identified: (i) Education Policy Makers, (ii) School Management, (iii) School Principals, (iv) English Language Teachers, (v) Students, and (vi) Parents. An integrated, seven-construct conceptual model, labeled 'ELS Model' (English Language Standard Model), was developed, to examine the impact of socio-economic factors of the six stakeholders on improving English Language Standards in schools. This ELS Model presents original insights and future directions to scholars/researchers and significant implications for policymakers.
Global Literacy Skills in Picture Story Book Reading Activities Implemented to 48-66 Month-Old Children
Author: Bal, Mazhar
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Teachers,Preschool Education,Picture Books,Childrens Literature,Literacy Education,Emergent Literacy,Teaching Methods,Learning Activities,Language Acquisition,Teacher Education,Teacher Competencies,Listening Skills,Foreign Countries,Cultural Influences,Citizenship Education,Cultural Awareness,Preschool Children

This study aimed to identify how preschool teachers included the concepts of global literacy in picture story book reading activities they frequently perform in the flow of daily education programs. For this purpose, the relationship between global literacy and the achievements included in the Preschool Education Program (2013), picture story book reading processes and the listening and speaking processes in the preschool period was investigated. The research was designed as a case study, one of the qualitative research methods. One preschool teacher selected with the criterion sampling technique participated in the study. Semi-structured interview form, semi-structured observation form and documents were used as data collection techniques. Research data were analyzed by descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques. Based on the findings, it was concluded that very few of the picture story books selected by the teacher presented global literacy skills. In addition, the participating teacher was found to be inadequate in implementing picture story books activities during pre-reading and post-reading process and in associating global literacy skills with the language development process. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers are provided with professional training to increase their competence in relation to program and content adaptation, teaching process and global literacy skills.
Placing Blame or a Call to Action? An Analysis of Uwezo in the Kenyan Press
Author: Monk, Jeremy
Date: 2020-12-14
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outcomes of Education,Educational Policy,Accountability,Educational Improvement,Educational Quality,Social Responsibility,Citizen Participation,Discourse Analysis,Newspapers,Community Involvement,Access to Education,Foreign Countries,Information Dissemination,Evaluation Methods,Academic Achievement,Achievement Tests,Educational Philosophy,African Culture,Elementary Secondary Education,Numeracy,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,African Languages,Web Sites,News Reporting

Citizen-led assessments were developed in the mid-2000s to gather evidence on children's learning outcomes following the rapid increase in primary student enrolment in the developing world. Integral to their philosophy is social accountability and community engagement. While most large-scale assessments focus on test-based accountability to promote policy shifts, citizen-led assessments, utilizing the information-accountability causal chain, theorize that information of low learning outcomes, disseminated widely, will engage stakeholders in activities and debates, ultimately leading to improvements in education quality and service delivery. This paper examines Uwezo, the oldest citizen-led assessment in East Africa, and its portrayal in the Kenyan print media. I explore whether discourse concerning Uwezo exposes education quality issues while promoting citizen engagement and how Uwezo's social accountability philosophy is used in public discourse through the lens of political evolutionary mechanisms. I find that Uwezo's findings were prominently discussed beginning in 2013, but that shock value of low learning levels has since decreased. Moreover, public discourse has highlighted cross-national and provincial/county comparisons in achievement levels while focusing on blaming teachers and the education system's culture. Although Uwezo has succeeded in disseminating its findings widely in Kenya, there is minimal engagement in public discourse with its social accountability and community engagement philosophy and discourse does not promote citizen action on a national level. As Uwezo has become a respected education policy player in East Africa, and globally, it must find ways to engage communities to act upon its findings to directly improve education quality.
Measurement Invariance Testing with Alignment Method: Many Groups Comparison
Author: Sirganci, Gozde
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Secondary School Students,Comparative Analysis,Factor Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Goodness of Fit

It is necessary to examine the measurement invariance (MI) among groups in studies where different groups are compared by using a measurement instrument. Most of the studies, measurement invariance is tested with multiple group confirmatory factor analysis. This model applies many model adjustments based on the modification indexes. Therefore, it is not practical due to too many large modification indexes while testing MI over many groups. Besides scalar model is a poor model fit when comparing many groups and so does not hold MI. In this study, the aim is to explain the basic concepts and processes of the alignment method which is offered as a new method for testing MI and illustrate an application on the real data set. In this study, measurement invariance among 56 countries including Turkey is tested with alignment method in order to set an example for researchers. For this purpose, the Instrumental Motivation Scale data, which is one of the psychological measurement instruments used in PISA 2015, was used. As a result of MG-CFA, it was found that configural invariance was ensured. The fit indexes of CFI and TLI were calculated as 0.982 and 0.946 respectively in this stage. After that, metric invariance was tested by considering the difference of fit indices obtained for the two stages. It was found that the metric invariance could not be provided. Alignment results show which countries hold MI and which do not. Besides it provides information which items have the most invariants for groups that hold MI.
Spatial Models for Identifying Factors in Student Academic Achievement
Author: Akbas-Yesilyurt, Filiz
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Models,Foreign Countries,Proximity,High School Seniors,Economics

In the literature, estimation results of the determinants of academic achievement are controversial. There may be several reasons for these controversial results, including sample or cultural differences. Conversely, these results may arise from ignoring certain important facts, such as an interaction effect. Some studies do not consider interactions among students, and some studies may not use effective models. Surprisingly, very few studies have focused on student academic achievement using spatial models, which may be one of the most suitable models for testing interaction effects. In this study, we estimated student achievement using spatial models and a data sets from Turkey. We observed an interaction between students who live in the same neighbourhood and found evidence of an interaction among students in terms of their achievement based on a spatial error model.