ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Clusters and Factors Associated with Complementary Basic Education in Tanzania Mainland
Author: Edwin, Paul
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Community Programs,Access to Education,Multivariate Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Living Standards,Economic Factors,Social Indicators,Gender Differences,Geographic Regions,Dropout Rate,Enrollment Trends,Program Effectiveness,Basic Skills,Children,Adolescents

Complimentary Basic Education in Tanzania (COBET) is a community-based programme initiated in 1999 to provide formal education system opportunity to over aged children or children above school age. The COBET program was analyzed using secondary data collected from 21 regions from 2008 to 2012. Cluster analysis was applied to classify the 21 regions in terms of enrolments by cohort, dropouts, gender, and regional per capital Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The cluster analysis classified 21 regions into four (4) distinct clusters. The first cluster constituted nine regions; second cluster had four regions; the third had seven regions and fourth cluster had only one region. There are variations between those clusters with cluster four (Dar es Salaam region), with minimum dropout and cluster two (Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Arusha and Iringa regions) with minimum enrolment among all clusters. The study concluded that the number of enrolment by cohort, dropout, gender, regional per capital GDP, and time in years can be used to classify regions into four distinct clusters. However, among the factors associated with the number of enrolment and dropout in the COBET centre; time in years, cohort (age) and clusters were statistically significant at 0.05 level of significance. This study recommends that new plans should be initiated based on these classifications in order to make this programme sustainable and set the new tracking system for follow up of COBET students after completing their studies.
Identifying the Concept &quot;Fraction&quot; of Primary School Students: The Investigation in Vietnam
Author: Loc, Nguyen Phu
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Fractions,Mathematical Concepts,Mathematics Instruction,Grade 4,Grade 5,Problem Solving,Concept Formation,Misconceptions,Error Patterns

In Vietnam, primary school students explicitly learn the concept of fraction in Grade 4 and 5. Because this concept is introduced to them intuitionally, it is difficult for them to understand and apply it. Base on this point, we believe that the students will commit many errors when solving exercises related to this concept. The survey of 478 students showed that some remarkable errors were made by most students; when learning fractions, students still did not understand the nature of fractions as well as the equality of parts. Therefore, teachers should note the errors of students, and use the effective pedagogical measures to help them prevent, and correct the errors.
Evaluation of Sport Mental Toughness and Psychological Wellbeing in Undergraduate Student Athletes
Author: Micoogullari, Bulent Okan
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Athletes,College Athletics,Undergraduate Students,Well Being,Mental Health,Resilience (Psychology),Coping,Physical Education,Questionnaires,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Regression (Statistics),Foreign Countries,Psychological Patterns,Likert Scales

This study aims to evaluate the relationships between sport mental toughness (SMT) and psychological wellbeing (PWB) of undergraduate student athletes. Mental toughness represents the ability of a person to cope with the demands of training and competition, increased determination, focus, confidence, and maintain control under pressure. Mental toughness has been explained as the ability of an athlete to cope with the requests of practice and competition, improved determination, focus, self-confidence and keeping control under pressure. The concept of PWB has been introduced in eudaimonic part as the realization of potential through some form of struggle. The sample of the study constituted by 130 participants from two Turkish universities, included participants from a Physical Education and Sport Education program from four years of standard undergraduate study. To assess mental toughness, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) (Sheard et al., 2009) was administered; while to assess PWB, Ryff's PWB scale (1989a) were given to volunteer participants. To identify the internal consistency of the validated questionnaires, Cronbach's alpha score was used. The relationship between SMT and PWB was identified by conduction of Pearson Product Moment Correlations. To check for age, gender and level of the study, the hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses was used to examine the predictive capacity of mental toughness on PWB. Multiple linear regression analyses' findings revealed that sub-dimensions of SMT were moderate to strong predictors of PWB with between 40 and 66% of variance explained. Consequently, the demographic factors were not found to predict PWB. These results are consistent with the assumptions and continue to show the potential importance of SMT within the physical education and sports learning environments.
Developing a Scale for Strategies Used during the Practice and Learning of Instrumental Music
Author: Uygun, Mehtap Aydiner
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Construction,Test Validity,Test Reliability,Music Education,Musical Instruments,Learning Strategies,Drills (Practice),Student Attitudes,College Students,Foreign Countries,Attention,Comprehension,Factor Analysis

The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale to identify the strategies students who study instrumental music use during the practice and learning of instrumental music based on their own responses. The study group comprised of 358 students studying music education in five universities in the academic year of 2015 to 2016. The scale developed within the scope of this study includes five dimensions: attention strategies, rehearsal strategies, elaboration strategies, articulation-organization strategies and comprehension monitoring strategies. The scale has 39 items. There are seven items in the attention strategies dimension, five in rehearsal strategies dimension, six in elaboration strategies dimension, seven in articulation-organization strategies dimension and 14 in comprehension monitoring strategies dimension. The factor loading values of the items in the scale ranged from 0.513 to 0.813. Reliability coefficients for the scale's sub-dimensions were found to be 0.89 for attention strategies dimension, 0.81 for rehearsal strategies dimension, 0.85 for elaboration strategies dimension, 0.87 for articulation-organization strategies dimension and 0.93 for comprehension strategies dimension. It is believed that the scale will be a powerful tool for researchers in explaining levels of strategies students use during the practice and learning of instrumental music.
Self-Efficacy as Predictor of Collective Self-Efficacy among Preschool Teachers in Turkey
Author: Arslan, Emel
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Efficacy,Predictor Variables,Preschool Teachers,Foreign Countries,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Attitudes,Regression (Statistics),Group Dynamics,Correlation

This study investigates the effect of preschool teachers' collective self-efficacy. A study group consists of 172 preschool teachers who are working in public preschools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in different cities of Turkey. In this study, teacher self-efficiency scale is employed to assess professional efficiency perception of teachers. Schwarzer et al have developed the scale, Sünbül and Arslan studied validity and validity of scale, and adopted it to Turkish. For identifying teachers' collective self-efficacy, the Collective Teachers' Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Arslan and Sünbül (2006) has been applied. In data analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation, and simple linear regression analysis method has been used. As a result of the study, it was found that there was a positive relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and collective self-efficacy. Besides, it was found that teachers' self-efficacy significantly explain collective self-efficacy.
Expectation Returns and Households' Decision in the Schooling of Their Children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
Author: Khan, Shahzad
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Scores,Educational Attainment,Probability,Models,Academic Achievement,Parent Aspiration,Academic Aspiration,Role of Education,Family Income,School Location,Place of Residence,Proximity,Literacy,Teacher Education,Illiteracy,Socioeconomic Status,Public Policy,Prediction,Educational Policy,Economic Factors,Political Influences,Dropouts,Disadvantaged Schools,Program Evaluation,Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Expectation

This study aims to study households' expectations for their children's academic performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Education has a significant role in increasing the productivity and income level of an individual in a society. Household education, income, distance from school, gender discrimination within household and cost of education can affect parents' expectations of their children. The present study aims to understand why households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan do not send their children to school, when free and compulsory public schools are available. A two stage Propensity Score Matching approach was applied in the study. Data were estimated through two stages Propensity Score Method. The first stage consists of probability model, used to estimate the propensity score of the characteristics of household. In the second stage, each household group was matched to predict households with similar propensity score values. Literacy rate had a negative effect on the completion of school for household members under 20 years. This means that most school graduates are unable to even read and understand. This is due to dynamic causes, like untrained teachers, lack of facilities, old syllabus, and poor quality education and socio-economic background of the household. But the main delinquency is the failure of educational policies attributed to inadequate economic structure and political instability since the existence of Pakistan. Pakistan government and policy makers need to take initiatives to improve the socio-economic condition of the individuals in the province, and also to give awareness about the importance of education in the region. Further investigation is needed to know the effect of other heterogeneous treatment.
Theme: The 21st Century Adult Learner
Author: Lopez Brown, P.
Date: 2017-04-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Learning,Foreign Countries,Problem Based Learning,Preservice Teacher Education,Mixed Methods Research,Preservice Teachers,Teaching Methods,Elementary Secondary Education,Active Learning,Critical Thinking,Cooperative Learning,Student Attitudes,Student Centered Learning

Problem-based learning is an innovative educational approach that is gaining prominence in higher education using &quot;real world&quot; problems or situations as a context for learning. The present study explored the use of problem-based learning with teacher trainees of the University of Belize. Using a concurrent mixed method design with 74 teachers in training from the Belmopan and the EU Sugar Belt Project in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts, teachers in training were immersed in the development and application of Problem-Based lessons, and learning centres. Identified in survey instruments is that, problem-based learning can be applied across all areas of study of Belize's Primary and Lower Secondary curricula by aligning concepts with authentic problems stimulates critical thinking, and provides the use of a pragmatic approach to teach real- life concepts. Responses from focus group interviews and application of Problem-based learning centres with primary and secondary students are that this inductive model of teaching stimulates higher order learning when compared to other traditional pedagogical practices.
The Fifty Minute Ethnography: Teaching Theory through Fieldwork
Author: Trnka, Susanna
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Ethnography,Teaching Methods,Writing (Composition),Research Methodology,Undergraduate Students,Correlation,Assignments,Anthropology,Foreign Countries

Ethnography is becoming an increasingly popular research methodology used across a number of disciplines. Typically, teaching students how to write an ethnography, much less how to undertake &quot;fieldwork&quot; (or the ethnographic research upon which ethnographies are based), is reserved for senior- or MA-level research methods courses. This article examines the pedagogical strategy of engaging first-year students in ethnographic field methods and the art of ethnographic writing and suggests how the use of a short ethnographic exercise (the fifty minute mini-ethnography) can enable students who are at the beginning of their undergraduate degrees to better understand the relationships between theory and empirical data.
Linking Developmental Themes to Theories in the Autobiographical Narratives of Life-Span Development Students
Author: Mayo, Joseph A.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Personal Narratives,Autobiographies,Lifelong Learning,Undergraduate Students,Introductory Courses,Memory,Qualitative Research,Grounded Theory

Prior research findings point to the efficacy of using autobiographical life-story narration as a learning tool in undergraduate classes. The current study seeks to add to the existing literature on this topic by performing a qualitative analysis across events recorded in students' autobiographical narratives. The purpose of this analysis is to assess student learning of preselected developmental theories (Piaget, Schaie &amp; Willis, and Erikson). Participants were undergraduates (N = 108) enrolled in introductory life-span development classes at a public state college in the southeastern United States. Participants composed three written assignments of a flowing narrative quality due at designated time intervals throughout the semester. The first assignment covered infancy through preschool (0-6 years); the second, the elementary school years through adolescence (7-19 years); and the third, early through late adulthood (20 years onward). In completing their assignments, participants conducted an introspective analysis of their own development (past, present, and realistic speculations about the future) in terms of applicable developmental principles. The data were analyzed for correct and incorrect links between dominant themes and corresponding developmental conceptions. Results are discussed in light of participants' content learning in the context of each preselected developmental theory. Implications for undergraduate teaching, learning, and assessment are also presented.
Soft Toys as Instructional Technology in Higher Education: The Case of Llewelyn the Lynx
Author: Raye, Lee
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Higher Education,Case Studies,First Year Seminars,Questionnaires,Online Surveys,Computer Mediated Communication,Computer Software Evaluation,Usability,Assistive Technology,Courseware,Likert Scales,Technology Uses in Education,Foreign Countries

Scholarship on instructive technologies in higher education has emphasized the use of high-tech facilitative technologies for long-term use, and low-tech props to illustrate single topics. This paper, on the contrary, discusses the use of a long-term, low-tech instructional technology: Llewelyn the Lynx was a soft animal used to assist with discussions in first year seminars. In-class questionnaires and anonymous online reviews on RateYourLecturer show Llewelyn was popular, facilitated equal contribution to discussion, and made seminars less intimidating and more enjoyable. Llewelyn may have functioned as a tactual or kinaesthetic stimulus, and an assistive technology for students with learning difficulties. His use does not seem to have infantilized most of the students although there was some disagreement here.
How Well Do Trait Measures of Achievement Predict Students' Perceptions of the Link between Personal Effort and Academic Performance?
Author: Gray, Jennifer P.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Academic Achievement,Intelligence Quotient,Personality Traits,Personality Measures,Correlation,Motivation,College Students,Predictive Measurement,Educational Psychology,College English,Resilience (Psychology),Persistence,Likert Scales

The concept of Grit has gained momentum in the last several years as a better predictor of achievement than traditional measures, such as IQ. Duckworth, et al. (2007) found grit to be positively correlated to the Big Five personality dimension of conscientiousness, but not to IQ, causing the authors to hypothesize that grit is a good noncognitive supplemental predictor of academic success. The current study is a continuing interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between college students' perceptions of the link between personal effort and academic performance, and the influence of trait measures such as grit and the Big Five personality dimensions on students' perceptions of the link between personal effort and academic performance (Mannahan &amp; Gray, 2015). Results indicated a significant positive correlation between grit and motivation and a significant positive correlation between conscientiousness and motivation, but conscientiousness did not relate to any other items on the Effort and Performance Inventory. Similar to the findings of Duckworth, et al. (2007), grit was correlated with conscientiousness, but conversely, grit was not related to most of our measures of perceptions of personal effort and academic performance.
Staging an Essay: Play and Playwriting for Redirecting Habits of Mind
Author: Ellis, David
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Freshmen,Writing (Composition),Writing Instruction,Playwriting,Critical Thinking,Essays,Academic Discourse,Thinking Skills,Teaching Methods

Many first-year students struggle with the transition from high school writing to college writing as higher-order demands are made and new discipline-specific genres are added. Previous writing training can provide a &quot;mental set effect,&quot; old habits of mind, which inhibits growth. Additionally, students receive writing training in courses other than the composition class that may further interfere with development and the acquisition of the critical thinking needed for college writing. In this article, we argue that playwriting exercises, informed by Vygotsky's theory of play, offer a mode to foster critical thinking common to writing practice across the academy and actuate Burke's &quot;parlor&quot; of academic discourse. Writing-About-Writing (WAW) after playwriting exercises strengthens writer identity and facilitates the transfer of knowledge to other genres.
A Full-Time Dilemma: Examining the Experiences of Part-Time Faculty
Author: Kimmel, Krista M.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Part Time Faculty,Teacher Effectiveness,Nontenured Faculty,College Faculty,Adjunct Faculty,Grade Inflation,Qualitative Research,Student Centered Learning,Technology Uses in Education,Interviews

Part-time faculty now account for more than half of all faculty in American colleges and universities. Existing scholarship primarily has focused on the teaching effectiveness of part-time faculty. In this exploratory study, the authors employ a qualitative approach to examine the perspectives of part-time faculty members at a public, regional institution. We identify several significant themes related to the experiences of part-time faculty members, including teaching evaluation; student-centered instruction; instructors' use of technology in the classroom; and disconnection from the university. We also offer pragmatic recommendations for administrators and other faculty designed to improve the overall experience of part-time faculty.
Managing Student Behavior in an Elementary School Music Classroom: A Study of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams
Author: Caldarella, Paul
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Classroom Techniques,Student Behavior,Elementary School Students,Music Education,Intervention,Teamwork,Positive Behavior Supports,Grade 6,Teacher Role,Program Effectiveness,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,At Risk Students,Behavior Modification,Observation,Questionnaires

Classroom management is a common concern for teachers. Music teachers in particular experience unique behavior challenges because of large class sizes, uncommon pacing requirements, and performance-based outcomes. Positive behavior support is an evidence-based framework for preventing or eliminating challenging behaviors by teaching and reinforcing appropriate social skills. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT), a specific positive behavior support intervention involving social skills instruction, positive reinforcement, and group contingencies, has proven effective in elementary schools but has not been evaluated specifically in music classrooms. The present study sought to investigate the effectiveness of CW-FIT in increasing on-task behavior and teacher praise-to-reprimand ratios in a sixth-grade music classroom. A single-subject reversal (ABAB) design was used. Results indicated that student on-task behavior increased when CW-FIT was implemented. Teacher praise-to-reprimand ratios also improved. Results suggest the teacher and the students found CW-FIT valuable and enjoyable. Study limitations and implications are addressed.
Teachers&apos; Use of High- and Low-Support Scaffolding Strategies to Differentiate Language Instruction in High-Risk/Economically Disadvantaged Settings
Author: Pentimonti, Jill M.
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Individualized Instruction,Preschool Teachers,Preschool Children,Language Skills,Language Tests,Native Language Instruction,Preschool Education,Economically Disadvantaged,Lesson Plans,Observation,Regression (Statistics),Statistical Analysis,Hierarchical Linear Modeling

The focus of the present work was to examine teachers' use of dynamic processes when implementing static language lesson plans that explicitly required teachers to employ scaffolding strategies so as to differentiate instruction. Participants were 37 preschool teachers and 177 children in their classrooms. Videotaped classroom observations were carried out and coded for the frequency of teachers' use for six types of scaffolds. Children were assessed on measures of language skills. Study findings indicated that teachers utilized scaffolding strategies at relatively low rates and that they utilized low-support scaffolding strategies more frequently than high-support strategies. Furthermore, results suggested that the use of certain types of scaffolding strategies may be beneficial for children's development of language skills. Findings from this work suggest that teachers may benefit from professional development opportunities focusing on the use of dynamic features of language interventions, such as scaffolding strategies, in the preschool classroom.