ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Awarding College Credit for MOOCSs: The Role of the American Council on Education
Author: Stone, Jason
Date: 2016-03-28
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Credits,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Organizations (Groups),Role,Benchmarking,Access to Education,Paying for College,Credentials,Partnerships in Education,Nontraditional Education,Transfer Students,Distance Education,Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Educational Opportunities,Pilot Projects,Outcomes of Education,Educational Innovation,Internet,Web Based Instruction,Prior Learning,State Universities

Emerging alongside the open educational resources movement of the past decade, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been widely heralded as advancing cause of providing increased access to higher education. The article explores the implications of the recommendation by the American Council on Education (ACE) to offer college credit for a select group of MOOC offerings, with regard to benchmarks of access and affordability, in light of recent developments in credentialing. In particular, the article examines the innovative partnership between Arizona State University's Global Freshman Academy (GFA) and MOOC provider edX, with regard to its potential to both disrupt and transform higher education by contributing to the development of accessible, affordable, alternative credentialing pathways.
Breakers, Benders, and Obeyers: Inquiring into Teacher Educators' Mediation of edTPA
Author: Ratner, Andrew R.
Date: 2016-03-21
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Performance Based Assessment,Teacher Educators,Schools of Education,Program Implementation,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews,Preservice Teachers,Scores,Urban Education,Educational Assessment,Accountability,Summative Evaluation,Readiness,Beginning Teachers,Case Studies,Public Schools,Educational Policy,Student Teaching,Teacher Certification,Teaching Methods,Educational Practices

This article reflects a qualitative exploratory inquiry into the lived experiences of faculty members working within a system of urban schools of education as they supported diverse teacher candidates in completing the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) during its first semesters of high-stakes implementation. Drawing upon questionnaire responses and semi-structured interviews, our findings demonstrate the disparity and variation in the level and kind of support offered to teacher candidates. We discuss the ways that the policy, stance, and the ethical, pedagogical, and logistical dilemmas teacher educators faced as they supported candidates intersected to shape the supports provided. Implications focus on utilization of such test scores for evaluating teacher preparation institutions, faculty relations, and the diversification of the teacher workforce.
The Role of &quot;Open&quot; in Strategic Library Planning
Author: Petrides, Lisa
Date: 2016-03-28
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Libraries,Library Materials,Shared Resources and Services,Resource Units,Technology Uses in Education,Strategic Planning,Access to Information,Higher Education

Academic libraries are undergoing evolutionary change as emerging technologies and new philosophies about how information is created, distributed, and shared have disrupted traditional operations and services. Additionally, the population that the academic library serves is increasingly distributed due to distance learning opportunities and new models of teaching and learning. This article, the first in this special issue, suggests that in today's increasingly networked and distributed information environment, the strategic integration of open curation and collection development practices can serve as a useful means for organizing and providing structure to the diverse mass of available digital information, so that individual users of the library have access to coherent contexts for meaningful engagement with that information. Building on insights from extant research and practice, this article proposes that colleges and universities recognize a more inclusive open access environment, including the integration of resources outside of those owned or created by the institution, and a shift toward policies that consider open access research and open educational resources as part of the library's formal curatorial workflow and collection building. At the conclusion on this article, authors Lisa Petrides and Cynthia Jimes offer a commentary on the six remaining articles that comprise this special issue on Models of Open Education in Higher Education, discussing the significant role that &quot;open&quot; policy and practice play in shaping teaching, learning, and scholarship in the global context of higher education.
A Preliminary Analysis of California's New Local Control Funding Formula
Author: Wolf, Rebecca
Date: 2016-03-21
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Funding Formulas,Educational Finance,Educational Change,Elementary Secondary Education,School District Autonomy,Low Income,Disadvantaged Schools,Program Implementation,Budgeting,Parent School Relationship,Stakeholders,Semi Structured Interviews,Accountability,School Community Relationship,Community Involvement,Counties

California recently overhauled its K-12 public education finance system. Enacted in 2013, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) replaced California's 40-year-old funding formula. The LCFF increases district officials' fiscal flexibility; provides more resources to districts serving larger proportions of low-income, English learner (EL), and foster youth students; and requires district officials to engage community members in district decisions. This article expands on a study conducted by a team of 12 independent researchers that investigated the early implementation of the LCFF. The study sought to answer three research questions: (a) how are district officials using their newfound budget flexibility? (b) how are district officials engaging parents and other stakeholders? (c) what are the opportunities provided to districts under the LCFF and the challenges it creates for them? Data include 71 semi-structured interviews with district stakeholders across 10 diverse districts in California and 22 interviews with county office of education (COE) officials across the state. Findings include that respondents were cautiously optimistic about the LCFF. District officials appreciated increased budget flexibility and the focus on community engagement. Inevitably, however, district and COE officials experienced challenges in implementing the law during its first year.
Adolescents' and Emerging Adults' Implicit Attitudes about STEM Careers: &quot;Science Is Not Creative&quot;
Author: Valenti, S. S.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Student Attitudes,High School Students,Career Choice,Creativity,Gender Differences,Adolescents,Scientific Principles,Correlation,Scientific Concepts,College Students

Although interest in science and math is often high in the elementary grades, interest in choosing science and math careers drops off beginning in junior high school for both genders, but especially for girls. By high school, a shift towards increased rigor is often accompanied by a lack of creativity in the way that scientific disciplines are taught. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) was administered to male and female high school students to test their implicit associations of science with creativity. In a follow-up study, the IAT was administered to male and female college students in order to measure implicit associations of science with creativity, and associations of science with self. Results showed that the association of science with lack of creativity was present for young women in high school as well as college, but for young men the science-uncreative association was evident only among the college population. Only college-aged women showed a significant association of science with others (not self). Interest in science careers for women, but not for men, was predicted by a science-creative implicit association. These findings underscore the importance of implicit beliefs about the nature of scientific practice for understanding adolescents' and emerging adults' interest in science careers.
Literacy and Arts-Integrated Science Lessons Engage Urban Elementary Students in Exploring Environmental Issues
Author: Gray, P.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Writing Skills,Knowledge Level,Urban Schools,Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Thinking Skills,Environmental Education,Science Education,Interdisciplinary Approach,Literacy Education,Pretests Posttests,Essays,Art Activities,Observation,Case Studies

This descriptive case study examined student attitudes, writing skills and content knowledge of urban fourth and fifth graders (6 males, 9 female) during a six-week literacy, thinking skill, and art-integrated environmental science unit. Pre- and post-test questions were used to address knowledge of environmental problems and student environmental actions. Students expressed knowledge and suggestions for positive action of youth through four essays throughout the unit, the final essay being accompanied by a pop-up construction. Writings showed steady growth in number of words, sentences, suggested environmental actions for youth, and instances of discussing consequences and sequels of actions. Students were engaged, collaborative, and reported implementing positive environmental actions.
Locating Chicago's Charter Schools: A Socio-Spatial Analysis
Author: LaFleur, Jennifer C.
Date: 2016-03-14
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Charter Schools,Geographic Location,Access to Education,Poverty Areas,Socioeconomic Status,Geographic Information Systems,Census Figures,Urban Areas,Expenditure per Student,Evidence,Enrollment,Special Needs Students,Disadvantaged,At Risk Students,Statistical Analysis

This project contributes to the body of research examining the implications of the geographic location of charter schools for student access, especially in high-poverty communities. Using geographic information systems (GIS) software, this paper uses data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey to identify the socioeconomic characteristics of the census tracts in which Chicago's charter schools tend to locate. Echoing the findings of other researchers who have examined charter school locational patterns, the present analyses found evidence of a &quot;ceiling effect&quot; by which many charter schools appear to locate in Chicago's higher-needs census tracts, broadly cast, but avoid locating directly within those that are &quot;highest&quot;-need. The findings suggest that because Chicago's charter schools face per-pupil expenditures that are often up to 20% less than those of traditional public schools, they may strategically leverage location to help shape student enrollment. By frequently locating near, but not directly within highest-need communities, charter schools may find it easier to attract a quorum of &quot;relatively&quot; higher achieving students who are less expensive to educate, therefore increasing their chances of meeting academic benchmarks and retaining their charters. By extending the findings of other researchers to the context of Chicago--where charters represent an ever-increasing share of the public school market--the present analyses may inform future revisions to the policies governing the authorization of charter schools in Chicago, with the goal of increasing access for highest-need students. [Note: The issue number (n24) displayed on the PDF is incorrect. The correct citation is v24 n33.]
Devising an Instrument for Determining Students' Preparedness for an Education through Science Learning Approach within the Topic of Natural Hazards
Author: Cerulli, D.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 10,Grade 11,Cross Cultural Studies,Natural Disasters,Environmental Influences,Citizenship Education,Earth Science,Foreign Countries,Scientific Principles,Test Construction,Risk Management,Geography,Student Surveys,Emergency Programs,Vignettes

As global average temperatures rise, there has been an increase in the frequency and magnitude of meteorological natural hazards. To survive in the world and thrive in the work place, students need to utilize educational skills (such as creative thinking, non-routine problem solving, collaboration and systems thinking) and become independent thinkers. Such learning can be encompassed under the heading of education through science. This study strives to develop a research instrument, which meaningfully determines student preparedness for dealing with natural hazards, based on their education through science learning, including student understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) and Nature of Technology (NOT). The instrument, piloted with students in grades 7th/8th and 10th/11th in North America and Europe, is designed to allow comparisons across cultures. Outcomes show that the devised instrument is suitable for determining student competences and understanding of NOS/NOT associated with values and attitudes for students from different cultural backgrounds, and determining awareness of natural hazards and the use of appropriate behavioural actions related to disaster risk reduction for students from different cultural backgrounds.
&quot;Community Aware&quot; Education Policy: Enhancing Individual and Community Vitality
Author: Casto, Hope
Date: 2016-04-25
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Policy,Community Development,Policy Analysis,Policy Formation,Well Being,Case Studies,Preschool Education,Social Support Groups,Foreign Countries,Primary Education,Rural Schools,Equal Education,Comparative Education,Educational Improvement,Sustainable Development,Educational History,Needs Assessment,Student Needs,Models

This paper advances the theoretical and applied connection between education policy and community development. We call this community-aware education policy, and it is based on Dean's (2012) conception of human need that is thick (i.e., accounts for a relational context), rather than relying solely on a thin conception (i.e., instrumental view with an individualistic focus). It is our contention that contemporary policy initiatives can be better designed and implemented so that individual and professional goals are attained while family and community well-being are enhanced. Using literature from the field of community development highlighting social support concepts, we &quot;thicken&quot; the concept of social policy to arrive at our theory of community-aware education policy. This theory is then applied to two cases in different national policy contexts: universal pre-kindergarten in New York State (US) and full-service schools in England (UK). Ultimately, we argue for a thick approach to need that results in the provision of a range of services and activities to serve children in schools better, and also the communities in which they reside.
&quot;Stay with Your Words&quot;: Indigenous Youth, Local Policy, and the Work of Language Fortification
Author: Huaman, Elizabeth Sumida
Date: 2016-05-02
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Indigenous Populations,Change Agents,Sociocultural Patterns,Cultural Maintenance,Language Maintenance,American Indians,American Indian Languages,Self Concept,At Risk Persons,Resilience (Psychology),Public Policy,Tribally Controlled Education,Language Skill Attrition,Program Descriptions,State Policy,Surveys,Partnerships in Education,High School Students,College Students,Student Attitudes,Cultural Activities,Student Participation,Native Language,Language Usage,Language Planning

This article focuses on the work of cultural and language maintenance and fortification with Indigenous youth populations. Here, the idea of work represents two strands of thought: first, research that is partnered with Indigenous youth-serving institutions and that prioritizes Indigenous youth perspectives; and second, the work of cultural and linguistic engagement that is often taken for granted as part of the sociocultural fabric of Indigenous communities where youth are active participants. By highlighting a study with Pueblo Indian youth in the southwestern United States, we aim to build on the counter-narrative frameworks of other educational scholars and community-based researchers in order to offer alternative approaches towards understanding how Indigenous youth can and do participate in representing themselves as cultural and language agents of change. Arriving at this realization requires several key steps, including deconstructing dominant assumptions, holding ourselves accountable for interrogating and revisiting our own biases, and ultimately committing to long-term research and support with Indigenous youth. As such, we offer empirical evidence that contradicts universal discourse of Indigenous peoples and youth as victims at risk. Instead, we focus on the ways in which Indigenous youth demonstrate both tentative and bold fortification of key elements in their Indigenous identities and illustrate promise in contribution to multiple levels of policy development to address their communities' most urgent needs and goals.
Why Theory Matters: An Examination of Contemporary Learning Time Reforms
Author: DiGiacomo, Daniela K.
Date: 2016-04-04
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Change,Time on Task,Educational Policy,Learning Theories,Equal Education,Case Studies,Theory Practice Relationship

This article explores the contemporary policy reform push to extend and expand learning time in schools. In light of the potential and continued prominence of learning time reforms in today's national educational landscape, this article makes visible the ways in which theory matters for the near- and long-term success of equity-focused educational reforms. Using the recent enactment of learning time reforms in Colorado as an illustration, and the zone of mediation framework as a conceptual lens, this article demonstrates how such reforms are likely to be weakened and undermined without strong theoretical grounding.
The Investigation of Preservice Science Teachers' Critical Thinking Dispositions in the Context of Personal and Social Factors
Author: Akgun, A.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Critical Thinking,Social Influences,Thinking Skills,Scientific Attitudes,Scientific Literacy,Science Education,Science Teachers,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

One of the most important attribute for being scientifically literate in the context of science education requires individuals do research, inquiry and develop scientific attitudes toward facts brought about around them. In addition, it is often stated in the literature that individuals who are scientifically literate can also think critically and possess certain skills of critical thinking. According to previous research, the frequency of using critical thinking skills is interconnected to tendency of using critical thinking dispositions. Critical thinking dispositions are developed and changed on the basis of social environments and the relationship between these environments. The purpose of this study is twofold. The first one is to determine the critical thinking dispositions of preservice science teachers and the second one is to examine the possible effects of some variables including personal and social factors. The study included 346 preservice science teachers from three universities located in the distinct parts of Turkey. The study was designed in accordance with descriptive survey method. Data were collected through California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). ANOVA, independent samples t-test and tukey test are used in the analysis of the data. The results of the study revealed that preservice science teachers' critical thinking dispositions is low. In addition, there is not a significant difference between preservice science teachers' critical thinking dispositions scores by gender, grade, school and authority at home variables whereas there is by other variables such as decision making independently and receiving academic guidance. [Paper presented at the Congress of Educational Sciences (22nd, Eskisehir, Turkey, September 5-7, 2013).]
Pre-Service Teachers' Mental Models of Basic Astronomy Concepts
Author: Arslan, A. Saglam
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Cognitive Structures,Models,Visualization,Astronomy,Scientific Concepts,Achievement Tests,Concept Formation

The aim of the present study is to determine pre-service teachers' mental models related to basic astronomy concepts. The study was conducted using a survey method with 293 pre-service teachers from 4 different departments; physics education, science education, primary teacher education and early childhood education. An achievement test with open-ended questions was developed for the study, and the data obtained with this tool were analysed in two stages. In the first stage, pre-service teachers' level of understanding of basic astronomy concepts was determined and in the second stage, their mental models were defined based on these levels of understanding. It was determined that the pre-service teachers had 9 different mental models; ideal, basic, conceptual, memorizing, selective, definitional, concrete, relational and inappropriate. The analysis of data revealed that none of the pre-service teachers had an ideal model for the astronomy concepts in question, and the most common model was the inappropriate model. In addition, the results of this study put forward that pre-service teachers from different branches had similar mental models.
Investigating Gifted Middle School Students' Images about Scientists: A Cultural Similarity Perspective
Author: Bayri, N.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Middle School Students,Scientists,Freehand Drawing,Cultural Differences,Popular Culture,Foreign Countries,Grade 6,Grade 7,Check Lists

The purpose of this study is to investigate gifted middle school students' images about scientists in terms of cultural similarity. Sample of the study is 64 gifted middle school students taking courses from a formal school for gifted students. The data were collected by using Draw-a-scientist (DAST) instrument and was analysed by two researchers using Draw-a-scientist C form. The data involved two different drawings for the scientist from similar culture and the popular scientists respectively, and explanations of the drawings. When looked at the findings from cultural similarity perspective, it was seen that the findings about the drawings changed for the scientists in terms of cultural similarity with the students. They wrote mostly Einstein and Edison for the popular scientists while they gave names of Cahit Arf, Avicenna and Ali Qushji for scientists from similar culture. Also they did draw lab coat and eyeglasses more frequently for the popular scientists than those for scientists from similar culture. As another finding, they drew more number of tools for research of common scientists than those for scientists from similar culture. Finally, they drew messy, noisy, non-sterile places for the scientists from similar culture while they imagined the scientists from similar culture as lazy, ignorant inattentive and clumsy. These findings show importance of cultural similarity perception of gifted students on the scientists when they think about the scientists, this situation asks new questions about culture-dependent scientist images of gifted students to gifted science education researchers using DAST.