ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Development of Critical Thinking Skills through Writing Tasks: Challenges Facing Maritime English Students at Aqaba College, AlBalqa Applied University, Jordan
Author: Alidmat, Ali Odeh Hammoud
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Skill Development,Critical Thinking,Writing (Composition),Marine Education,College Students,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,English for Special Purposes,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Correlation,Writing Skills,Writing Attitudes

Teaching English for Special Purposes (ESP) in a context where English is taught as a Foreign Language (EFL) is no easy task. There is in fact extensive research reporting on challenges facing both teacher and student in the Foreign Language classroom where language skills must be learnt outside their usual context. Even more challenging is teaching or learning a conceptual skill like critical thinking through writing in an EFL context. The objective of this paper is to identify and describe writing tasks contained in the ESP programme with a view to examine the correspondence between the tasks and the critical thinking skills. To this end, the study examines self-reported perceptions, experiences and opinions by Maritime English students of Aqaba College in Jordan who take an ESP course and who are supposed to develop their critical thinking skills through carefully selected writing tasks in English. The study applies the qualitative procedure of in-depth interview and explores a sample of 10 finalist undergraduate informants on issues related to their writing tasks in English. Findings of the study revealed, among other things, that there is low correspondence between writing tasks contained in the ESP programme and critical thinking skills, and that writing tasks featured in the programme pursue more mechanical writing than thinking.
Does Perceived Ease of Use Mitigate Computer Anxiety and Stimulate Self-Regulated Learning for Pre-Service Teacher Students?
Author: Schlag, Myriam
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Usability,Computer Uses in Education,Anxiety,Independent Study,Preservice Teachers,Electronic Publishing,Portfolios (Background Materials),Computer Attitudes,Correlation,Attitude Measures,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries

The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of challenges and factors which influence learning efficiency with electronic-portfolios. Based on the &quot;Technology Acceptance Model&quot; (TAM; Davis, Bagozzi, &amp; Warshaw, 1989) we analyzed &quot;external variables&quot; (e.g., computer-anxiety) that influence technology acceptance and the &quot;actual system use&quot; in form of self-regulated learning. Additionally we included computer related attitudes and correlated them with external variables as well as measures of self-regulated learning. To foster learning efficacy with electronic portfolios the program Microsoft OneNote was used. A group of N = 32 preservice teachers worked on an electronic-portfolio in OneNote for 14 weeks. Results showed that computer-anxiety and the challenge of working with an electronic portfolio decreased over time. The more the computer was rated as a useful tool for learning and teaching, the less computer-anxiety, the more challenge and interest and better mood students reported. In contrast the more the computer was seen as uninfluential tool for working and learning, the more computer anxiety, hopelessness, anxiety and less positive mood, interest and joy to work on the electronic-portfolio has been reported. So, students' computer related attitudes should be considered when working with an electronic-portfolio to better tailor instruction to learner needs.
Mental Health and Academic Performance of First-Year College Students
Author: Wyatt, Tammy Jordan
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mental Health,Academic Achievement,College Freshmen,Clinical Diagnosis,Data Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Classification,Self Destructive Behavior,Suicide,Stress Variables,Depression (Psychology),Gender Differences,Student Needs

The prevalence and severity of mental health issues are increasing among college students, and such issues pose a threat to health and academic performance. Purpose: The primary purpose of the study is to examine differences in mental health diagnoses and their related academic impact with a special focus on classification year in college. Subjects and Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis. Responses from 66,159 U.S. undergraduate students about mental health and academics from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II were examined using regression analyses. Results: Differences in mental health diagnoses were found by classification with first-year students reporting higher rates of self-injury and seriously considering suicide. Upperclassmen reported higher rates of academic impact from mental health factors. Conclusions and Recommendations: Findings indicate one's first-year of college as the prime time to promote awareness of and strategies to prevent mental health issues or negative academic effects; implications for first-year experience programs are discussed.
Developing a Mathematics Module for Students with Intellectual Disability in Higher Education
Author: Prendergast, Mark
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intellectual Disability,College Students,Barriers,Access to Education,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Education,Curriculum Development,Focus Groups,Student Attitudes,Transfer of Training,Numeracy,Learning Modules

Students with intellectual disability (ID) have to overcome many barriers and difficulties in order to access all levels of education and partake in college life. Thankfully, educational institutes around the globe are slowly beginning to examine how they can support equal rights of individuals with ID. In Ireland, one university has recently accredited an innovative higher education programme for college students with intellectual disabilities. One of the emergent modules focuses on mathematics and realises the important role that numeracy plays in today's society. Despite the increased emphasis on general mathematics education, the authors found there to be a dearth of research regarding the development of such a module for students with ID. This paper describes the design and development of the mathematics module and also details its piloting and evaluation with a cohort of students with ID who were enrolled in a higher education course in an Irish university.
Students' Decision-Making about A Level Psychology
Author: Bowyer, Jessica
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Decision Making,Psychology,Online Surveys,Questionnaires,Student Interests,Student Motivation,Influences,Course Selection (Students),Secondary School Students,Advanced Students

A levels in England are moving from a modular to a linear system. Additionally, the AS and A level are being &quot;decoupled&quot;, meaning that students will no longer undertake summative assessment at the end of the first year of study. Psychology may be particularly vulnerable to these changes as students often have no prior experience of the discipline. 768 current A level Psychology students responded to an online questionnaire about their decision-making at A level. Whilst subject interest was the primary motivator at AS level, decision-making was significantly more pragmatic at A level, as prior and expected attainment were the most influential factors. Additionally, students reported receiving very little advice about studying Psychology. These findings suggest that uptake of A-level Psychology is likely to be negatively affected by qualifications reform, but it may be possible to counteract this by ensuring students are informed about the benefits of studying Psychology.
The Group-Based Assessment Approach in Nursing Education: The Perspective of Nursing Students on Group-Based Assessment Process at a Namibian University
Author: Nuuyoma, Vistolina
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nursing Education,Nursing Students,Foreign Countries,Action Research,Group Membership,Student Attitudes,Undergraduate Students,Undergraduate Study,Student Motivation,Classroom Environment,Student Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation

Group-based assessments used in the Bachelor of Nursing Science (clinical) Honours programme at a public university in Namibia are usually in the form of assignments and projects. Completing tasks in groups helps students to develop important skills like critical thinking and debating. In addition, it prepares them to work in the health-care environment where collaboration with others is required. That said, nursing students lack cooperation during the process of completing their group assignments or projects. A classroom-based research was conducted using action research as the design. The objectives were to: explore what is causing lack of cooperation during group-based assessment as perceived by nursing students, and to propose, implement and evaluate measures to improve cooperation during group-based assessment task completion. Themes that emerged as factors contributing to a lack of cooperation are: student motivation, student personal characteristics, lack of planning to approach the allocated task, student learning approaches, communication-related issues, and group composition and allocation procedures. The proposed measures of students to ensure cooperation are: selection of group leaders, determining lecturer roles in facilitating group assessment, improving communication, and involvement of students in the allocation procedures of group members. All suggestions were successfully implemented. Evaluation of measures to ensure cooperation revealed that students appreciated the group-based approach strategy given its very positive impact on their learning.
Morphological Adaptation of English Loanwords in Twitter: Educational Implications
Author: Dashti, Fatimah
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Linguistic Borrowing,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,Language Usage,Second Language Learning,Interviews,Morphology (Languages),Phonology,Qualitative Research,Student Attitudes,Social Media,Morphemes,Arabs,Semitic Languages,Native Language,Vocabulary

The influx of English borrowed items into Kuwait has recently considerably increased, driven by both linguistic and extra-linguistic factors, mainly through new electronic media, and direct contact with the donor language. Kuwaitis, especially, the new generation heavily make use of English loanwords in mobile devices applications such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and others. It is significant to note that a recipient language (in this case Kuwaiti Arabic, KA henceforth) discloses different morphological and phonological features that affect English loanwords. 400 hundred tweets tweeted by young Kuwaitis were captured and then, qualitatively analysed. This paper investigates the morphological adaptation of English loanwords as used by Kuwaitis in twitter. Results indicate that Kuwaitis heavily use and adapt English loanwords morphologically in twitter and in everyday speech. Significant educational implications were collected as well through interviewing 50 students.
Speaking in Tongues: Can International Graduate Students Read International Graduate Admissions Materials?
Author: Taylor, Zachary W.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Students,Graduate Students,Reading Comprehension,College Admission,Scores,Reading Tests,English (Second Language),Language Tests,Second Language Learning,Admission Criteria,Readability,Reading Research,Readability Formulas,Computer Assisted Testing,Statistical Analysis

A recent Educational Testing Services report (2016) found that international graduate students with a TOEFL score of 80--the minimum average TOEFL score for graduate admission in the United States--usually possess reading subscores of 20, equating to a 12th-grade reading comprehension level. However, one public flagship university's international graduate student admissions instructions are written at a 17th-grade reading comprehension level, or, a 27-30 band on the reading section of the TOEFL. This study seeks to answer the question, &quot;Do U.S. graduate programs compose admissions materials at unreadable levels compared to these programs' minimum reading comprehension levels for international graduate student admission?&quot; Findings reveal average public flagship international graduate student admissions materials are written above 15th-grade reading comprehension levels, with select flagships composing these materials at 19th grade reading levels. Implications for practitioners and policymakers, as well as areas of future research, are addressed.
University Pedagogy: A New Culture Is Emerging in Greek Higher Education
Author: Kedraka, Katerina
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Teaching Methods,Instructional Improvement,Instructional Innovation,Educational Policy,Teaching Skills,Organizational Culture

The aim of this paper is to highlight University Pedagogy as a field that focuses on academics' teaching role in Greek higher education. EU has recognized the need of improvement of the teaching skills of academics and urges the member states to recognize them as an important element of their professional profile. Only recently academics in Greece have launched the debate on innovative teaching and learning methods and practices. A Symposium that took place in 2016 and a significant empirical research are presented, because they are considered to mark the beginning of an emerging university culture, which incorporates the concern on teaching and learning excellence within higher education approaches in our country. The results of these initiatives indicate that critical self-reflection on teaching can lead to the transformation and to the adoption of alternative teaching practices, since the critically reflective process is a crucial point for the enhancement of an academic's pedagogical, curricular and instructional knowledge.
Identifying Predictors of Resilience in Students
Author: Edwards, T.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Resilience (Psychology),College Students,Experience,Stress Variables,Locus of Control,Delay of Gratification,Age,Parent Child Relationship,Correlation,Multiple Regression Analysis,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Scores,Intervention

Adverse life experiences have been linked with a wide range of negative outcomes. However, despite being exposed to adversity, individuals who exhibit high levels of resilience appear to be less impacted by adversity, and continue to function normally. Using self-report measures and a sample of 161 participants aged between 16 and 21, the present study aimed to identify whether exposure to adverse experiences, locus of control (LOC), academic delay of gratification and age could predict resilience in young students. Two significant individual predictors of resilience were identified: the amount of adversity within an individual's relationship with their parents/guardians; and LOC. Specifically, the lack of adversity within the relationship with parents/guardians and an internal LOC were found to predict higher levels of resilience. These results will be discussed in relation to increasing resilience in students and young people.
The Diagonal Model of Job Satisfaction and Motivation: Extracted from the Logical Comparison of Content and Process Theories
Author: Sahito, Zafarullah
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Job Satisfaction,Motivation,Employee Attitudes,Employees,Models,Job Performance,Personnel Evaluation,Psychological Needs,Organizational Theories,Research Methodology,Mathematical Logic,Human Resources,Meta Analysis

The purpose of this study is to explore the strongest areas of all prime theories of job satisfaction and motivation to create a new multidimensional model. This model relies on all explored areas from the logical comparison of content and process theories to understand the phenomenon of job satisfaction and motivation of employees. The model consists of the whole picture of the professional life of employees and the requirements of organisations to fulfil employees' basic and fundamental needs and lead them towards the highly successful ratio to achieve personal, professional and organisational goals. The resulting model would be strong and easy to use by all stakeholders (i.e. employees, heads of departments and the organisation) to gain first-hand knowledge of the employees' level of satisfaction, motivation, performance and product. Because the measurement of every employee action and organisational policy would be calculated through different values, the evaluation generated through this model consists of top to bottom and bottom to top diagonal approaches as well as the central value of the model.
Accelerated Reader Program: What Do Teachers Really Think?
Author: Smith, Amy Frances
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Acceleration (Education),Independent Reading,Supplementary Education,Teacher Surveys,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Questionnaires,Middle School Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Graduate Students,Teacher Education,Statistical Analysis

What do teachers really think about the Accelerated Reader program, a widely used supplemental, independent reading program in which their students read fiction and non-fiction books of their choice and take brief online comprehension quizzes about the books? The Accelerated Reader (AR) program was designed by Renaissance Learning Company to increase students' motivation to read and students' achievement in reading; however, a review of the literature reveals inconsistent findings about its outcomes. Very few studies have been conducted seeking teacher input as to whether the program to achieves its intended outcomes. The goal of this study is to survey teachers (Grades 3-8) who use AR as a curricular component of their literacy program. We sought to learn about how teachers use the program and perceive its effectiveness as well as how it impacts their students' interest and achievement in reading. We gathered data using an online questionnaire from teachers in urban, rural, exurban and suburban school settings in both elementary and middle schools. Teachers were asked to respond to items based on a 4-point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree including an open-ended response section. The respondents were primarily from suburban and exurban districts and they have been using the program between 1-15 years. Most of the teachers indicated their students enjoy the program and most teachers require their students to take the AR quizzes. Results indicate most teachers believe that Accelerated Reader program motivates their students to read; however, they also recognize that AR is largely an accountability measure ensuring that their students read independently. Additionally, teachers recognize that AR measures comprehension at knowledge-recall level and is not an overall strong indicator of reading comprehension. Therefore, some teachers have made their own modifications to the program.
The Impact of Student Response Systems on the Learning Experience of Undergraduate Psychology Students
Author: Walklet, Elaine
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Experience,Undergraduate Students,Psychology,Handheld Devices,Audience Response Systems,Case Studies,Feedback (Response),Intervention,Multiple Choice Tests,Likert Scales,Qualitative Research,Barriers,Usability,Attendance Patterns,Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,Course Evaluation,Cohort Analysis

Student response systems (SRS) are hand-held devices or mobile phone polling systems which collate real-time, individual responses to on-screen questions. Previous research examining their role in higher education has highlighted both advantages and disadvantages of their use. This paper explores how different SRS influence the learning experience of psychology students across different levels of their programme. Across two studies, first year students' experience of using Turningpoint clickers and second year students' experience of using Poll Everywhere was investigated. Evaluations of both studies revealed that SRS have a number of positive impacts on learning, including enhanced engagement, active learning, peer interaction, and formative feedback. Technical and practical issues emerged as consistent barriers to the use of SRS. Discussion of these findings and the authors' collective experiences of these technologies are used to provide insight into the way in which SRS can be effectively integrated within undergraduate psychology programmes.
A Successful Test of Parallel Replication Teams in Teaching Research Methods
Author: Standing, Lionel G.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Methodology,Methods Courses,Teaching Methods,Replication (Evaluation),Undergraduate Students,Self Control,Teamwork,Problem Based Learning,Cooperative Learning,Likert Scales,Gender Differences,Comparative Analysis,Psychological Studies

This paper describes the novel use of parallel student teams from a research methods course to perform a replication study, and suggests that this approach offers pedagogical benefits for both students and teachers, as well as potentially contributing to a resolution of the replication crisis in psychology today. Four teams, of five undergraduates each, independently attempted exact replications of Study 8 by Gailliot et al. (2007), which reported that participants' self-control is enhanced by consuming a glucose drink. In a 2 × 2 independent groups design, participants (N = 306) first consumed a glucose drink or a placebo, and then wrote about death, intended to deplete their self-control, or dental pain as a control condition. Absolute levels of self-control were lower here than in the target article (shown by more items left unsolved in a word puzzle), but its main result was replicated, since self-control overall was raised by the glucose drink. Also, the teams reliably reported similar effects for the experimental treatments (ICC = 0.928). Two differences from the target study results were noted: the glucose effect occurred only with female participants, and no effect was found from the writing scenario used.
Maths Anxiety in Psychology Undergraduates: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Formulating and Implementing Interventions
Author: Thompson, Ross
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mixed Methods Research,Mathematics Anxiety,Undergraduate Students,Psychology,Intervention,Focus Groups,Graduate Students,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Small Group Instruction,Teaching Styles,Lecture Method,Attitude Measures,Mathematics,Student Attitudes

Due to the empirical nature of the discipline, psychology students, during the course of their degree, are required to become proficient with a range of quantitative methods. Unfortunately many of these students experience high levels of maths anxiety, which can have a damaging effect on this aspect of their educational development. The first study in this paper used focus groups to identify, from psychology undergraduate and postgraduate students, potential interventions that could be used to reduce anxiety in an undergraduate sample. The second study implemented those interventions that were deemed valid and practical on a sample of 246 psychology first and second year undergraduates. The effectiveness of these interventions was mixed, but does suggest further avenues that tertiary educational institutions could take to reduce maths anxiety in their student body, in particular enhancing the use of real-life examples in quantitative methods teaching.