ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Phonological Awareness and Learning to Read in Afrikaans: The Role of Working Memory
Author: Scheepers, Marizel
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phonological Awareness,Indo European Languages,Short Term Memory,Private Schools,Reading Instruction,Language of Instruction,Correlation,Phonetics,Reading Fluency,Reading Comprehension,Reading Tests,Role,Foreign Countries,Grade 2,Elementary School Students,Native Language

Background: Phonological awareness (PA) skills and working memory (WM) are universally regarded as crucial precursors to skilled reading. The orthography of the language being read influences the ease with which a child learns to read. Research has been undertaken on reading in languages with an opaque orthography. Research on the role of PA and WM in Afrikaans with its transparent orthography is limited. Aim: The study investigated and described the role of WM in the acquisition of PA and ultimately reading in Afrikaans. Setting: The research study was conducted in private schools with Afrikaans as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in Grade 2. Method: A descriptive research design with correlational components was applied. Results: Phonetic decoding was employed more than eidetic decoding. Word reading skills developed rapidly and exceeded the expectations in the first two quarters of the year. Participants who read the comprehension test fluently scored higher on the questions than those who did not read fluently. The correlation between WM and reading comprehension was not statistically significant. The statistically significant correlation between WM and word reading seems to be present in both transparent and opaque orthographies. The statistically significant correlation between PA and word reading was not found in other transparent orthographies. The correlation between phonemic awareness (PhA) and word reading is the same in other orthographies. Conclusion: The statistically significant correlation between WM and word reading indicates that WM supports reading development as the ability to hold information in memory supports phoneme-grapheme associations.
The Effects of Combining Timed Reading, Repeated Oral Reading, and Extensive Reading
Author: Milliner, Brett
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Rate,Oral Reading,Intervention,Sustained Silent Reading,Reading Tests,Scores,English (Second Language),Language Tests,Second Language Learning,Reading Fluency,Undergraduate Students,Teaching Methods,Reading Instruction,Listening Comprehension Tests,Instructional Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries

This quasi-experimental study traces a 12-week reading fluency training program for elementary-level English as a foreign language (EFL) learners at a Japanese university (N = 56). More specifically, this study examined whether a teaching intervention combining (a) extensive reading and practicing, (b) timed reading, and (c) repeated oral reading during class time promoted reading fluency. At the end of the intervention, silent reading rates while maintaining a [greater than or equal to] 75 % comprehension threshold improved by 46 standard words per minute. Further, the learners who did more extensive reading (a) achieved greater reading rate gains and (b) significantly improved listening and reading scores in the TOEIC® test. This study's implications include the benefit of combining these measures for nurturing EFL learners' reading rates, the utility of oral re-reading in the classroom, and the overall contribution extensive reading has upon reading and listening skills.
Visuospatial Working Memory and the Hybrid Reading Fluency Measure
Author: Bazan, Bartolo
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Spatial Ability,Short Term Memory,Reading Fluency,Reading Rate,Reading Comprehension,Individual Differences,Test Construction,Test Validity,Reading Tests,Junior High School Students,High School Students,Adolescents,Foreign Countries,Difficulty Level

In this study, I sought to investigate whether visuospatial working memory (VWM) explains individual differences in reading fluency growth. One hundred and thirty Japanese junior and senior high school students were administered the Mr. Peanut and reversed Corsi tasks, respectively as measures of VWM, followed by three waves of reading fluency assessment. To assess reading fluency, a novel reading fluency measure was constructed by combining the participants' comprehension scores with their reading speeds into a single measure using many-facet Rasch measurement. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that VWM significantly predicted variation in the individual growth trajectories at the initial status but did not significantly predict rate of change. Results of Rasch analyses indicated that the novel reading comprehension-speed measure assessed a unidimensional construct, thus suggesting that the construction of this measure is both a practical and valid approach to estimating reading fluency as well as reading passage difficulty.
An Early Grade Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Dialogue Reading Programme: The Development of a Conceptual Framework
Author: Bezuidenhout, Hanrie S.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,STEM Education,Reading Programs,Curriculum Development,Foreign Countries,Picture Books,Technological Literacy,Content Area Reading,Vocabulary Development,Computation,Thinking Skills,Programming

Background: The South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) aims to expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in the national curriculum through a &quot;Digital Skills for All Curriculum&quot; (DSfAC) for Grade R-9. The DSfAC intends to educate a STEM-literate future citizenry with refined computational thinking (CT), and coding and robotics skills. As with all learning, foundations are ideally laid when children are young and when they form habits of thinking that can ultimately serve as their first building blocks for successful learning. Current theoretical frameworks describe how teachers can include CT, coding and other STEM related constructs in their teaching. In the curriculum plan, a conceptual framework that underpins the design of teaching materials to support STEM literacy teaching, has, however, not yet been forwarded. Aim: Presenting a conceptual framework that has served as the design heuristic for a dialogue reading programme (DRP) for young children. The programme consists of three picture books, created to develop young children's digital skills and related vocabulary as outlined in the DSfAC through story texts and pictures. Method: I implemented an iterative participatory approach to develop the conceptual framework. Conclusion: The development of teaching materials, like a DRP, should have its genesis in a confluence of three interdisciplinary components to develop a conceptual framework: (1) scientific research and theories; (2) an iterative participatory approach which involves teachers, parents, children, and other role players in the development process; and (3) systematic utilisation of existing examples of relevant teaching materials.
Early Childhood Care and Education Educators&apos; Understanding of the Use of Music-Based Pedagogies to Teach Communication Skills
Author: Arasomwan, Deborah A.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preschool Education,Child Care,Young Children,Skill Development,Communication Skills,Music,Teaching Methods,Language Acquisition,Urban Areas,Child Care Centers,Preschool Teachers,Barriers,Teacher Education

Background: Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) learners have unique needs, and specific pedagogies, therefore, need to be employed to support the acquisition of their essential skills. A great deal of research has been conducted on the use of music-based pedagogies to teach mathematics, life skills, civics and literacy at various levels of education. In South Africa, where ECCE is a relatively new educational sector, very little structure has been put in place to facilitate using music-based pedagogies to teach communication skills to ECCE learners. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore ECCE educators use music-based pedagogies to positively impact children's communication skills and language development. Setting: The qualitative case study was conducted at two Urban ECCE centers in Durban, KwaZulu Natal Province, South African. Method: The study was informed by a social constructivist paradigm underpinned by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, focussing on ECCE learners' interaction with the more knowledgeable other (MKO). Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with six educators, and through document analysis. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The study confirmed that the ECCE educators have some levels of understanding of using music-based pedagogies as a strategy for teaching communication skills to children aged from three to four, but there are constraints. These limitations include insufficient training, a lack of musical resources and the non-inclusion of music-based pedagogies in both the pre-service teachers' curriculum and the ECCE curriculum. Conclusions: The study recommended a comprehensive review of the content and implementation of the ECCE curriculum in relation to music pedagogy.
Measuring Early Childhood Mathematical Cognition: Validating and Equating Two Forms of the Research-Based Early Mathematics Assessment
Author: Dong, Yixiao
Date: 2021-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Young Children,Numeracy,Test Construction,Test Validity,Mathematics Tests,Problem Solving,Mathematics Achievement,Mathematics Skills,Test Length,Equated Scores

Psychometric work with young children faces the particular challenge that children's attention spans are relatively short, and therefore, shorter assessments are required while retaining comprehensive coverage. This article reports on three empirical studies that encompass the development and validation of the research-based early mathematics assessment-short form (REMA-SF), an instrument that measures the early mathematical competency of children from 3 to 8 years of age. The developed measure captures both children's mathematical performance and the strategies children use to solve math problems. Results indicated that the REMA-SF can produce valid scores for measuring children's math skills in early childhood, and the validity of the measure can be well-generalized to an external (or independent) sample. Additionally, we also equated the REMA scores between the long and short forms of the assessment: anchor items common across the forms were selected and refined in the equating process.
An Investigation of Mathematics Teachers&apos; Emergency Remote Teaching Experiences
Author: Ata Baran, Ayla
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Teaching Experience,Expectation,Emergency Programs,Distance Education,Electronic Learning,COVID-19,Pandemics,Self Efficacy,Knowledge Level,Technology Integration,Educational Environment,Socioeconomic Influences,Foreign Countries

With the confirmation of the coronavirus epidemic as a global pandemic, and with the suspension of face-to-face teaching and learning activities for all educational institutions, the concept of emergency remote teaching has come into prominence. As a process that affects a large number of students, the effective management of emergency remote teaching process has important effects on ensuring the sustainability of learning and students' well-being. It becomes an important issue to examine teachers' evaluations about their emergency remote teaching experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine the evaluations of mathematics teachers' emergency remote teaching experiences. The case study method was used and the participants consisted of 10 middle school mathematics teachers. The data were collected by semi-structured interviews. In the data analysis process content analysis method was used. As a result, it was seen that participating teachers' current understanding of the concept of distance education has influenced the way they conduct their online lessons. It was revealed that participating teachers carried out emergency remote teaching period in ways that they could transfer the face-to-face learning environment to online environment. Again, it was seen that mathematics teachers pointed to their lack of knowledge and skill about online learning.
Barriers to Online Learning: Adjusting to the &apos;New Normal&apos; in the Time of COVID-19
Author: Alshwiah, Abeer Aidh
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,COVID-19,Pandemics,School Closing,Barriers,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Secondary School Students,Parent Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Curriculum,Instruction,Educational Environment,Social Influences,Public Schools,Private Schools,Gender Differences,Access to Computers,Internet,Distance Education

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have transferred learning online, in the first experience of online learning for most students in Saudi Arabia. This study specifically examines the barriers facing Secondary school students, providing suggestions for overcoming these barriers, as gathered from educational technology specialists. A mixed methodology was adopted, with interviews first being carried out with four parents and four students to discover details of the barriers that they face. This helped develop an online survey involving 518 respondents to identify the most frequently cited barriers. Curriculum barriers had the most impact in terms of hindering the learning process, followed by teaching, the learning environment, and social barriers. These four barriers were significantly greater in public-sector schools, compared to private schools. There were also statistically significant differences between male and female students. Moreover, students with access to digital devices and the Internet experienced more teaching barriers, learning environment barriers, and social barriers than those who did not. The survey results were presented to educational technology experts to suggest solutions to the problems of technology adoption. The above experts agreed on the need for a virtual learning environment (VLE) that would help develop students' self-learning, research, and critical thinking skills.
Early Intervention for Struggling Online Graduate Students: Persistence Outcomes over Time
Author: Lewis, Jacqueline F.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Student Participation,Graduate Students,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Academic Support Services,Coaching (Performance),Academic Failure,Academic Persistence,Student Attrition,At Risk Students

This study examined long-term persistence differences between three samples of first-year online graduate students to understand the impact an early intervention had on students who failed the first assignment in their first course. A Fisher's exact test showed no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of remaining enrolled at the institution approximately two years later after the initial intervention point across the three samples, X[superscript 2(2)] = 1.477, p = 0.48. The results showed that nearly 50% of students first identified as eligible for the intervention were still active two years later. Therefore, interventions involving academic support may help online graduate students build connections within the university that at-risk students who did not have access to intervention.
Learning on the Job: Instructor Policy Literacy in the Basic Writing Course
Author: Bruno, Gregory
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Basic Writing,Writing Teachers,College Faculty,Community Colleges,Administrative Policy,Student Financial Aid,Outreach Programs,Writing Instruction,Student Experience,Two Year College Students,Low Income Students

As the cost of college tuition continues to soar, community colleges and state and local governments offer a wide range of access and opportunity programs to best serve low-income and academically underprepared students. In this article, I present a case study of two instructors, both of whom regularly teach Basic Writing courses at the community college, and examine how administrative and financial aid policies, as well as outreach and opportunity program protocol, affect classroom pedagogy and student experience. Ultimately, I argue that these two educators, one part-time and one full-time, successfully navigate the bureaucracy of a complex policy network only through repeated concrete interactions with students and over extended periods of time. Many instructors with lower levels of policy literacy, and especially those novice, part-time, and contingent instructors tasked with teaching in a web of policies, may struggle to best serve Basic Writing students at the community college in ways yet unaccounted for by the field.
Effects of SI Administration Staffing and Support on SI Program Outcomes
Author: Skoglund, Kirk A.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Supplementary Education,Program Administration,Higher Education,Academic Support Services,Attendance Patterns,Grades (Scholastic),Academic Failure,Withdrawal (Education),Educational Finance,Outcomes of Education,Outcome Measures

This study explored the relationship between the Supplemental Instruction (SI) administrative hours at various colleges and universities and program outcomes (attendance rate, the difference in the average final grades, and the difference in the rate of Ds, Fs, and withdraws). All regression models were insignificant, but training-related hours per SI leader were statistically significant in one model and positively influenced the attendance percentage. This study also explored the relationship between funding and the beforementioned outcomes but netted no significant relationships. Small sample size limited these findings, so future studies should explore separate administrative constructors and collect larger samples.
&quot;My ACT Score Did Not Let Me Take AP English as Dual Credit&quot;: A Survey on High School Experiences of Basic Writers
Author: Hall, Kailyn Shartel
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Scores,Barriers,Advanced Placement,English Instruction,Dual Enrollment,High School Students,Basic Writing,Student Placement,Required Courses,Prerequisites,Curriculum Development,Student Needs,Freshman Composition,State Universities,Eligibility

At a four-year public comprehensive university in 2017, a mandated attempt to implement a corequisite model for Basic Writing education challenged assumptions about the types of students enrolled in the existing program. Students, who by institutional placement measures (ACT scores) would be placed in First-Year Writing, were voluntarily enrolling in Basic Writing courses despite administrative assumptions that they did not need the course. Additionally, I found that students who took AP English and Dual-Credit in high school were also enrolled in Basic Writing. Findings from three years of survey data from students (enrolled in both prerequisite courses and corequisite courses) and institutional data indicate programs need to revise curriculum and placement practices to meet the needs of the students enrolled, rather than the needs of the hypothetical deficient writers institutions presume enroll.
Basic Writing Reform as an Opportunity to Rethink First-Year Composition: New Evidence from an Accelerated Learning Program
Author: Ihara, Rachel
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Basic Writing,Freshman Composition,Acceleration (Education),Educational Change,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Student Evaluation,Student Placement,Writing Evaluation,Portfolio Assessment,Program Implementation,Outcomes of Education

This article argues that the national trend to replace developmental writing programs with mainstreaming and corequisite courses presents an important opportunity to reconsider writing goals and assessment practices for all students. This insight emerges in part from data collected over several semesters at one community college, which showed that mainstreamed students in an accelerated learning program often outperform non-developmental students when assessed by the same measure. These results raise questions about placement but also about prior assessment practices that had required developmental students to undergo more rigorous writing assessments than students deemed &quot;prepared&quot; for college-level writing. By offering a history of shifting assessment practices at one institution, this article aims to show how blurring the line between &quot;developmental&quot; and &quot;regular&quot; writers, as a result of recent mainstreaming efforts, can lead to a productive reevaluation of writing assessment for all students.
Examining Communities of Practice: Transdisciplinarity, Resilience, and Professional Identity
Author: Suh, Emily
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communities of Practice,Interdisciplinary Approach,Resilience (Psychology),Professional Identity,Developmental Studies Programs,Basic Writing,Educational Change,Two Year Colleges,College Faculty

This article examines transdisciplinarity in developmental education and Basic Writing in the context of externally-driven developmental education reforms. We report on a pilot study survey of 143 developmental educators regarding their professional identity, engagement, and resilience. Respondents identified professional roles and interactions with colleagues as central to conceptualizations of their practice and community. Respondents reported maintaining professional resilience through connections with students, colleagues, and their sense of agency. Despite the importance respondents placed upon connections with practitioners and their recognition of the transdisciplinary nature of their work as professionals, findings indicate limited awareness of the transdisciplinary nature of the community of developmental educators. Implications are discussed for widening developmental educators' community of practice to connect practitioners from diverse fields, professions, and institutional contexts. Future directions are discussed for developing teacher-scholars' types and levels of resilience for the purpose of exercising a voice in national debates about developmental education reform.