ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Interdisciplinary Project-Based Model for Enhanced Instruction of Courses
Author: Johansen, Douglas
Date: 2009-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interdisciplinary Approach,Active Learning,Student Projects,Cooperative Learning,Group Dynamics,Interaction,Graphic Arts,Marketing,Class Activities,Creativity,Student Participation,Business Administration Education,College Students,Pretests Posttests,Factor Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes

This study examines ability of an interdisciplinary group project to develop student's abilities to work successfully in groups in a creative context. Group dynamics were investigated via interaction effects between students in a Graphic Design and Marketing class project. A repeated measures survey technique was used to assess student's perceptions of group projects and their attributes. As a result of the project, student perceptions concerning the importance of creative contributions, as well as group participation factors became more positive, demonstrating that interdisciplinary group projects with students in a creative discipline offer business students a unique &quot;outside the box&quot; learning opportunity.
Assessing Student Learning and Perceptions in an Upper-Level General Education Requirement Argumentation Course
Author: Olson, Kathryn M.
Date: 2009-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Evaluation,Student Attitudes,Persuasive Discourse,General Education,Majors (Students),Nonmajors,Comparative Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Reflection,Questionnaires,Learning Processes,Advanced Courses,College Students,Educational Strategies,College Instruction,Student Improvement

This project addressed the difficulties of teaching argument skills, a staple of liberal education, to a mixture of Communication majors and non-majors taking the course for General Education Requirement (GER) credit. The design uses independent instructor comparison of students' pre- and post-test performances, students' comparative self-evaluation of their pre- and post-test performances, as well as students' reflections on their learning in response to a separate questionnaire and independent instructor assessment of their performance in arguing those reflective claims, to analyze learning processes in an upper-level argumentation course. The results include specific content concepts and course and instructor strategies that both majors and non-majors credit for improvements in their argument skills, suggestions for assessing whether GER courses meet their learning outcome goals, and analysis of the importance of attending to students' own perceptions of and justifications for changes (or lack thereof) in their performances on tasks tied to liberal learning outcomes.
Operationalization of Innovative and Traditional Pedagogical Practices within Undergraduate Bioengineering Courses
Author: Cox, Monica F.
Date: 2009-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,Biological Sciences,Undergraduate Study,Courses,Instructional Innovation,Conventional Instruction,Educational Practices,Observation,College Instruction,Statistical Significance,Statistical Analysis

This study operationalizes pedagogical practices using classroom observation data collected in twenty-eight bioengineering courses at a southeastern research university over five semesters. Using an index that distinguishes pedagogy reflecting principles of the &quot;How People Learn&quot; framework and pedagogy representing traditional, lecture-based instruction, the author presents five &quot;How People Learn&quot; instructional practices (i.e., guidance by the instructor, comments, praise, monitoring, and question and response) and four statistically significant subcategories representing traditional instructional practices (i.e., instruction by media, lecture, praise, and no response) that were most likely to occur within observed How People Learn-oriented classes and traditional, lecture-based classes, respectively. Included are details about classroom activities that occurred to make up the code strings representing each of these statistically significant subcategories within both types of courses. The operationalization of the code strings confirms the alignment of the subcategories with pedagogical practices that are most likely to occur within innovative and traditional courses.
Using Modeling and Creating a Research Discourse Community to Teach a Doctoral Action Research Course
Author: Hendricks, Cher
Date: 2009-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Action Research,Doctoral Programs,Graduate Students,Communities of Practice,Teaching Methods,Modeling (Psychology),Reflection,Group Discussion,Student Projects,Journal Writing,Teacher Role,Interviews,Observation,Student Attitudes,Coding

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching action research through modeling. Participants were 11 doctoral students enrolled in a two-semester practitioner-based research course. In this study, I was both instructor and member of the research community. I modeled the steps of action research as I conducted a study of my practice, which focused on having students engage in reflective activities for the purpose of aligning their core educational values and the actions taken in their research studies. The students and I engaged in discussions of our research projects, and as part of the research community, I shared my dilemmas, frustrations, and successes. I also kept a reflective journal, which students were able to access online and respond to, and made my research paper available to students as I wrote each section. Further, I modeled for students the reflective activities I used as I navigated my own action research study. Analysis of course artifacts, interviews and conferences, and observations indicated that students' perceived modeling to be a powerful way to facilitate their learning and create a sense of community.
Achievement and Satisfaction in Blended Learning versus Traditional General Health Course Designs
Author: Melton, Bridget
Date: 2009-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Academic Achievement,Student Satisfaction,Blended Learning,Conventional Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Health Education,Student Surveys,Likert Scales,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Delivery Systems,Grades (Scholastic),Educational Quality

Blended learning is a hybrid of classroom and on-line learning that includes some of the conveniences of online courses without the complete loss of face-to-face tact. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate student achievement and satisfaction with blended learning course delivery compared to a traditional face-to-face class format in a general health course. Method: Surveys were distributed to randomly selected classes during the fall 2007 semester: three blended and one traditional sections participated (n=251). Results: Total satisfaction scores between blended (54.986) and traditional (49.788) classes were significantly different (p&lt; 0.01). Achievement by students of blended and traditional sections brought mixed findings, yet blended students' overall grades were significantly higher (p=0.048). Conclusion: Results indicated that a blended course delivery is preferred over a traditional lecture format, and promising data emerged to challenge teachers' traditional approach to teaching general health courses at the university level.
An Examination of University-School Partnerships in South Africa
Author: Mutemeri, Judith
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College School Cooperation,Partnerships in Education,Teacher Education Programs,Qualitative Research,Attitude Measures,Preservice Teachers,Student Attitudes,Teacher Educators,Focus Groups,Mentors,Skill Development,Student Teaching,Interviews,Student Teacher Supervisors

The purpose of the study was to examine university-school partnerships in the process of teacher education. The research question that guided the study was how teacher educators partner with schools in teacher training. A qualitative study was preferred because the aim was to gather information and opinions on how teacher educators trained student teachers as well as to provide a forum for pre-service student teachers to air their views about how they were trained. Twenty- six lecturers and nine student focus groups, purposively sampled, participated in the study. An interview was used for data collection and Holliday's thematic approach was used to analyse the data. The research revealed that there was a weak partnership between teacher education and schools. The study recommends the creation of third spaces in teacher education which involve an &quot;equal and more dialectical relationship between academic and practitioner knowledge&quot; in support of student teachers' learning.
Service-Learning: A Venue for Enhancing Pre-Service Educators' Knowledge Base for Teaching
Author: Meaney, Karen
Date: 2009-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Service Learning,Preservice Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Undergraduate Students,Physical Education,Majors (Students),Psychomotor Skills,Case Studies,Social Cognition,Content Analysis,Journal Writing,Semi Structured Interviews,Observation

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research examining the impact of service-learning on student's personal qualities has shown positive results. Findings indicate that students participating in high quality service-learning programs show increases in their perceptions of self-efficacy, civic responsibility, social justice, and diversity awareness. Less information regarding the effect of participation in service-learning on student's intellectual and knowledge outcomes is known. This case study examined the influence of participation in a service-learning program on pre-service educators' knowledge base for teaching. Participants included 31 undergraduate physical education majors enrolled in a &quot;Motor Skill Development for Children&quot; course at a large state university in the southwestern United States. Findings from multiple data sources (i.e., journals, interviews, and observations of instruction) revealed that pre-service educators participating in a service-learning program enhanced their pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher education programs should enhanced their pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher education programs should enhanced their pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher education programs should consider implementing service-learning programs within the curriculum to benefit pre-service educators' knowledge base for teaching.
Semantic Processing Skills of Grade 1 English Language Learners in Two Educational Contexts
Author: Jordaan, Heila
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English Language Learners,Grade 1,Semantics,Longitudinal Studies,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Vocabulary Development,Language Processing,Language Acquisition,Statistical Analysis,Case Studies,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires

This paper reports on part of the first phase of a longitudinal project investigating the development of academic language in English as the Language of Teaching and Learning (LoLT) by Foundation phase learners in two different educational contexts. In the first context, the learners were all English additional language (EAL) learners taught by EAL teachers. In the second context EAL and English first language (L1) learners were taught by L1 teachers in integrated classes. The three groups of Grade 1 learners were assessed on the semantic subtests of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation Criterion, Referenced Edition, which evaluate the psycholinguistic processing skills underlying lexical acquisition and organization. Vocabulary learning is central to the development of academic language and literacy. There were statistically significant differences between the three groups on all measures. The EAL learners in the first context had significantly lower scores than the EAL and L1 learners in the second context, and the EAL learners in the second context had significantly lower scores than their L1 peers. Pre-school exposure to English and gender did not have significant effects, except on the subtest assessing fast mapping of novel verbs. The results provide information on what can reasonably be expected from EAL learners in Grade 1, suggest language skills that can be addressed to support the learners, and have implications for language in education practices with EAL learners in different educational contexts.
Short Message Service (SMS) Language and Written Language Skills: Educators' Perspectives
Author: Geertsema, Salomé
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Handheld Devices,Written Language,Telecommunications,Computer Mediated Communication,English,Native Language,Native Language Instruction,Writing Skills,Writing Instruction,Teacher Attitudes,Influences,Questionnaires,Secondary School Teachers,Grade 8,Grade 9,Language Skills,Spelling,Punctuation,Sentences,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

SMS language is English language slang, used as a means of mobile phone text messaging. This practice may impact on the written language skills of learners at school. The main aim of this study was to determine the perspectives of Grade 8 and 9 English (as Home Language) educators in Gauteng regarding the possible influence of SMS language on certain aspects of learners' written language skills. If an influence was perceived by the educators, their perceptions regarding the degree and nature of the influence were also explored. A quantitative research design, utilising a questionnaire, was employed. The sample of participants comprised 22 educators employed at independent secondary schools within Gauteng, South Africa. The results indicated that the majority of educators viewed SMS language as having a negative influence on the written language skills of Grade 8 and 9 learners. The influence was perceived as occurring in the learners' spelling, punctuation, and sentence length. A further finding was that the majority of educators address the negative influences of SMS language when encountered in written tasks.
The Development and Application of the Explanatory Model of School Dysfunctions
Author: Bergman, Manfred Max
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Principals,Organizational Culture,Disadvantaged Schools,Essays,Qualitative Research,Elementary Schools,Secondary Schools

This article develops the Explanatory Model of School Dysfunctions based on 80 essays of school principals and their representatives in Gauteng. It reveals the degree and kinds of school dysfunctions, as well as their interconnectedness with actors, networks, and domains. The model provides a basis for theory-based analyses of specific dysfunctions, and for context and culture-sensitive interventions. The main dysfunctions relate to rules (dysfunctional rules, rule bending, and rule breaking), competences (management, finances, and conflict resolution), and roles (role confusion and conflict, abuse of power). The model was developed to invite researchers to explore these and other dysfunctions in relation to their antecedents, motivations, and consequences, as well as to formulate evidence-based interventions and policies.
Multivariate Differential Analyses of Adolescents' Experiences of Aggression in Families
Author: Myburgh, Chris
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adolescents,Adolescent Attitudes,Correlation,Statistical Analysis,Multivariate Analysis,Foreign Countries,Aggression,Questionnaires,Regression (Statistics),Parents,Parent Child Relationship,Family Environment,Predictor Variables

Aggression is part of South African society and has implications for the mental health of persons living in South Africa. If parents are aggressive adolescents are also likely to be aggressive and that will impact negatively on their mental health. In this article the nature and extent of adolescents' experiences of aggression and aggressive behaviour in the family are investigated. A deductive explorative quantitative approach was followed. Aggression is reasoned to be dependent on aspects such as self-concept, moral reasoning, communication, frustration tolerance and family relationships. To analyse the data from questionnaires of 101 families (95 adolescents, 95 mothers and 91 fathers) Cronbach Alpha, various consecutive first and second order factor analyses, correlations, multiple regression, MANOVA, ANOVA and Scheffè/Dunnett tests were used. It was found that aggression correlated negatively with the independent variables; and the correlations between adolescents and their parents were significant. Regression analyses indicated that different predictors predicted aggression. Furthermore, differences between adolescents and their parents indicated that the experienced levels of aggression between adolescents and their parents were small. Implications for education are given.
Student Teachers' Views: What Is an Interesting Life Sciences Curriculum?
Author: de Villiers, Rian
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Biological Sciences,Science Curriculum,Questionnaires,Preservice Teacher Education,Student Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Experience,Curriculum Implementation,Curriculum Development,Difficulty Level,Student Interests,Secondary School Science,Reputation,Cluster Grouping,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

In South Africa, the Grade 12 &quot;classes of 2008 and 2009&quot; were the first to write examinations under the revised Life Sciences (Biology) curriculum which focuses on outcomes-based education (OBE). This paper presents an exploration of what students (as learners) considered to be difficult and interesting in Grades 10-12 Life Sciences curricula in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. A sample of 125 first year, pre-service Life Sciences and Natural Sciences teachers from a university responded to a questionnaire in regard to their experiences with the newly implemented FET Life Sciences curricula. The responses to the questions were analysed qualitatively and/or quantitatively. Friedman tests were used to compare the mean rankings of the four different content knowledge areas within each curriculum, and to make cross-curricular comparisons of the mean rankings of the same content knowledge area for all three curricula. All four content areas of Grade 12 were considered as being more interesting than the other two grades. In terms of difficulty, the students found the Grade 10 curriculum themes the most difficult, followed by the Grade 12 and the Grade 11 curricula. Most of the students found the themes under the content area &quot;Diversity, change and continuity&quot; (Grades 10-12) more difficult to learn than the other three content areas. It is recommended that more emphasis needs to be placed on what learners are interested in, and on having this incorporated into Life Sciences curricula.
The Community of Learning Is in the Baobab Tree--How the Branches Stay Together in the Context of Professional Preparation
Author: Wolfensberger-Le Fevre, Celeste
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communities of Practice,Group Dynamics,Group Unity,Masters Programs,Individual Development,Professional Development,Transformative Learning,Educational Psychology,Ethnography,Participant Observation,Semi Structured Interviews,Focus Groups,Questionnaires,Learning Experience,Learning Processes,Social Psychology,Sense of Community,Foreign Countries

This article explores how participation in a community of learning supported transformation on a personal and professional level in a Master's programme at a South African university. It draws on the concept of transformational learning in the professional preparation of educational psychologists, and how such learning plays out in the development of critical perspectives and shifts in personal paradigms. We report on a two-year ethnographic study that involved 13 of a total of 15 students enrolled for an Educational Psychology Master's course. One of us (CW) acted as participant observer in the study and recorded the experiences of the participants through reflective letters that included symbolic metaphors, semi-structured group focus interviews, as well as a verification questionnaire. In our analysis and interpretation we used the metaphor of the Baobab tree, &quot;the tree turned upside down&quot;, because it is known for its resilience, holding capacity and continuous growth. We found the image to powerfully represent the dynamics of professional preparation and transformation in higher education.
Evaluation of &quot;Back to Basics&quot; Mathematics Workbooks: A Randomised Control Trial of the Primary Mathematics Research Project
Author: Fleisch, Brahm
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Instruction,Elementary School Mathematics,Randomized Controlled Trials,Workbooks,Cost Effectiveness,Textbooks,Grade 6,Low Income Groups,Mathematics Achievement,Teaching Methods,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis

Can providing learner support materials, particularly custom-designed workbooks, improve primary mathematics achievement more cost effectively than providing conventional textbooks? To contribute to this debate, this paper reports on the findings of a study conducted in 2010 by a consortium of educational researchers at JET Education Services and University of the Witwatersrand. Between January and June 2010, the consortium undertook a randomised control trial of learning support materials in Grade 6 classes in 44 primary schools serving low income communities in Gauteng province. The study shows that Grade 6 learners exhibit the same degree of learning improvement in mathematics, whether they use a conventional textbook or a workbook specifically customised to address the problems exhibited by South African learners. From a policy perspective, no warrant can be issued on the relative effectiveness of the specific workbooks considered in the study.
The International Impact of Education Research Done and Published in South Africa
Author: Wolhuter, Charl
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Research,Research Reports,Citation Analysis,Journal Articles,Bibliometrics,Trend Analysis,Geographic Location,Reputation,International Studies,Educational Quality,Research Utilization

The aim of this article was to determine the international impact of Education research in South Africa, through a citation analysis of articles published in the &quot;South African Journal of Education&quot; from 2000 to 2010 The citation impact (nationally as well as internationally) was found to be low. The international impact has been particularly poor, both quantitatively (in terms of the number of citations) and qualitatively (in terms of the standing of the publications in which this research does get cited, seen in the context of the hierarchy of scholarly publications). The article shows that certain topics of research in South Africa fail to break through to the international arena at all, such as research on the current restructuring of education in South Africa. Research that was cited most often in international journals dealt with research methodology, creativity and entrepreneurship education, beliefs and perception studies, and language-in-education in South Africa. In conclusion, a number of recommendations are made for raising the international profile of Education research that is done in South Africa and for further research in pursuance of that objective.