ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Matching of Developed Generic Competences of Graduates in Higher Education with Labour Market Needs
Author: Pukelis, Kestutis
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Educational Benefits,Education Work Relationship,Labor Market,Time Management,Graduates,Role of Education,Vocational Education,Global Approach,Knowledge Economy,Knowledge Management,Competence

Higher education provides graduates with both monetary and non-monetary benefits. Globalization and technological developments foster utilitarian approach, therefore the transmission of competences that are relevant in labour market is an important target for higher education institutions. The paper presents findings of research on the match of generic competences of higher education graduates to labour market needs. Research population consisted of graduates of EU member states and Turkey; the issue was analysed through nine sections. Mainly, graduates lack field mastery, time management and ability to work under stress; they have over-developed competences of international orientation. (Contains 8 figures and 6 footnotes.)
The Evaluation of a Training and Employment Program: Discussion on Design
Author: Bustos, Antonio
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Administration,Evaluation Criteria,Evaluation Methods,Social Services,Gender Issues,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Statistical Analysis,Predictor Variables,Training,Employment Services,Design Preferences,Research Design,Program Design,Public Policy

Universities in Europe have been playing an increasingly important role in the institutional evaluation of political and social systems for the last thirty years. Their major contribution to those processes of accountability has been to add methods and safeguards of evaluative research. In this paper we report an illustration of how evaluative procedures employed in higher education have been used for the evaluation of employment and training programs designed for the implementation of social policies in gender equity. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to evaluate the quality of the services provided both from staff and user perspectives. In this paper we report the process followed and the outcomes obtained with quantitative tools. Outcomes reveal that users' age and grades are key factors both to get a job and to be pleased with the employment program. (Contains 5 tables and 7 footnotes.)
Where It Gets Interesting: Competing Models of STEM Learning after School
Author: Bevan, Bronwyn
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Achievement Tests,After School Programs,STEM Education,After School Education,Academic Achievement,Models,Science Education,Technology Education,Engineering Education,Mathematics Education,Grade 6,Science Activities,Middle School Students

Afterschool programs are currently conceptualized in two ways. One is represented by "expanded learning," which includes a wide range of content-rich opportunities in the hours outside of school, including summer camps. The operating assumption is that, in structured out-of-school time (OST) programs, children can learn concepts or develop capacities or interests that will later enhance their engagement in everyday as well as academic settings. The other model is "extended learning," in which afterschool aligns more closely with the school curriculum. Interest in extended day models is growing as many communities seek more time to improve students' academic performance, generally measured by standardized achievement tests. Meanwhile, the additive model of learning assumes that if children participate in afterschool science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs by "x" amount, their overall interest, capacity, and engagement in STEM--and particularly in school STEM--should rise by an amount equivalent to "x." In contrast to the additive model of learning, the authors posit a "contextual" model. In using this phrase, the authors follow a long line of scholars who have documented the ways in which learning, identity, interest, and participation are related to context. To better understand and capture the complex processes of learning, research in OST STEM needs to take a longer view of how OST fits into a larger learning ecology. It needs to attend to the specific contexts of STEM learning and clearly tie the measures of learning to the models of learning.
How Wide Is a Squid Eye? Integrating Mathematics into Public Library Programs for the Elementary Grades
Author: Kliman, Marlene
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Homework,After School Programs,School Activities,Public Libraries,Skill Development,STEM Education,Elementary Education,Mathematics Education,Mathematics Instruction,Elementary School Mathematics,Library Services,Mathematics,Librarians,Science Education,Technology Education,Engineering Education,Books

Although public library programs for the elementary grades offer explorations in a wide range of topics in which mathematics plays a role, are all too rare: Mathematics offerings are typically limited to homework help. Participating in out-of-school activities that embed mathematics in authentic ways bolsters children's skill development, appreciation of the relevance of mathematics, and mathematics attitudes. Informal educators, from afterschool providers to librarians, care deeply about children's mathematical success, but they often are math-avoidant themselves and thus shy away from doing mathematics with children. To provide informal educators in library settings with an alternative vision of mathematics, the authors, based at TERC, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education nonprofit, initiated Math off the Shelf (MotS) with funding from the National Science Foundation. MotS involved two phases: resource development and dissemination with evaluation. In the first phase, the authors worked with library-based informal educators (LBIEs). In this paper, the authors describe resource characteristics and key findings. They chose to focus on LBIEs because families are increasingly relying on public libraries as free, safe places for children in the absence of other out-of-school care. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)
Effective STEM Programs for Adolescent Girls: Three Approaches and Many Lessons Learned
Author: Mosatche, Harriet S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,After School Programs,Engineering,Males,Low Income Groups,STEM Education,Adolescents,Sex Fairness,Gender Discrimination,Science Education,Disproportionate Representation,Mathematics Education,Engineering Education,Technology Education,Role Models

While women's participation in math and physical science continues to lag to some degree behind that of men, the disparity is much greater in engineering and computer science. Though boys may outperform girls at the highest levels on math and science standardized tests, girls tend to get better course grades in math and science than boys do. Research has found that interventions can be useful in increasing girls' perception of competence in science. This article focuses on three approaches to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in out-of-school time (OST) that would be instructive for any organization seeking to develop STEM opportunities for teen girls. While Techbridge and Queens Community House focused on reaching populations most underrepresented in STEM--girls of color and those from immigrant and low-income families--the strategies they used could be applied to any population of adolescent girls. (Contains 1 table.)
Implementing Out-of-School Time STEM Resources: Best Practices from Public Television
Author: Paulsen, Christine Andrews
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: After School Programs,Best Practices,Public Television,STEM Education,Transfer of Training,Partnerships in Education,Science Education,Mathematics Education,Technology Education,Engineering Education,Academic Achievement

Business leaders, educators, and government leaders agree that, in order for the United States to retain its standing as a world leader, public and private institutions need to work together to develop a well-qualified workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, the number of graduates with STEM degrees has not been equal to the need, partly because many students arrive at college unprepared to handle math and science. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded many programs to enable public media producers, including public television (TV) stations, to provide children's STEM programming in out-of-school time (OST) settings. Educational TV programs offer children the opportunity to experience the same content across multiple contexts--home, camp, school--increasing the likelihood that they will experience a transfer of learning from one situation to the next. This paper explores the lessons learned from seven such programs and their NSF-funded outreach initiatives. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)
Variations on a Theme: Characteristics of Out-of-School Time Science Programs Offered by Distinct Organization Types
Author: Laursen, Sandra L.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Youth,After School Programs,Program Design,Science Programs,Science Activities,STEM Education,Questionnaires,Disproportionate Representation,Females

The out-of-school time (OST) domain offers a promising resource for enriching young people's experience of science, technology, and engineering. Belief is widespread that OST programs are ideal locations in which to learn science and that youth participation may increase access to science for underrepresented groups, such as girls or minorities, and enhance the science workforce. Indeed, many afterschool programs do offer science activities. The Coalition for Science After School found that 88 percent of programs in its network offered science activities, yet most offered 40 or fewer hours of science programming per year. In this paper, the authors describe initial findings about the characteristics of these programs and their home organizations, including aspects of program design, structure, funding, staffing, and youth audience. They then discuss how organization types differ in these program aspects and draw out implications for practice. (Contains 6 figures, 2 tables and 2 notes.)
Shifting Expectations: Bringing STEM to Scale through Expanded Learning Systems
Author: Donner, Jessica
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Active Learning,Science Education,After School Programs,Summer Programs,Student Projects,STEM Education,Experiential Learning,Professional Development

Expanded learning opportunities, such as afterschool and summer programs, are particularly well positioned to help address science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education crisis. A large percentage of youth participating in afterschool programs are members of groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Additionally, the nature of these programs--featuring low student-to-staff ratios and opportunities for hands-on and project-based learning--makes them an ideal environment for inquiry-based informal science education. Nevertheless, high-quality STEM education does not seem to be happening at scale. Science education is not typically expected of programs in the way that art, music, and physical activity are. To address the STEM gap in expanded learning programs, expectations of programs must change and frontline staff must be supported with professional development in STEM. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)
Getting Intentional about STEM Learning
Author: MacEwan, Michael
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: After School Programs,Learning Centers (Classroom),STEM Education,Instructional Materials,Teamwork,Grade 4,Enrichment,Capacity Building

In an afterschool space, desks are grouped in fours. In the center of each group is a seemingly random assortment of materials, including uncooked spaghetti, spiced gumdrops, and a small cardboard square. After a brief introduction to the activity, a staff member posts the challenge on the wall: Using only these materials and working together as a team, each group must build the tallest possible tower that can support a 20-ounce water bottle independently for 10 seconds. The author is describing a typical scene in the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) he used to direct. The team members are the fourth-graders his program served--but they could equally well be the staff leader and his counterparts. As a program director, he worked to create a "culture of STEM" for both program participants and staff. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) served as the central topic across all of his enrichment clubs. Most of the time, the author and his colleagues integrated STEM with other content areas such as language arts. They thus had taken the first steps toward making STEM learning an intentional component of their program.
Playful Learning and Montessori Education
Author: Lillard, Angeline S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Play,Montessori Method,Fantasy,Outcomes of Education,Educational Philosophy,Learning Activities,Educational History,Intellectual History,Evidence,Early Childhood Education,Educational Research,Educational Practices

Although Montessori education is often considered a form of playful learning, Maria Montessori herself spoke negatively about a major component of playful learning--pretend play, or fantasy--for young children. In this essay, the author discusses this apparent contradiction: how and why Montessori education includes elements of playful learning while simultaneously eschewing fantasy. She concludes with a discussion of research on the outcomes of Montessori education and on pretend-play research, clarifying how Montessori education relates to playful learning. (Contains 2 figures.)
The Use of Play Materials in Early Intervention: The Dilemma of Poverty
Author: Nwokah, Eva
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Therapy,Early Intervention,Play,Toys,Poverty,Low Income Groups,Toddlers,Instructional Materials,Use Studies,Special Needs Students,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Practices,Play Therapy,Home Visits,Home Programs,Likert Scales,Accessibility (for Disabled)

Play is a major component of early intervention for infants and toddlers with special needs. Many of these children are from low-income families with limited resources. The authors investigate the attitudes, practices, and concerns of early-intervention providers (professionals whose services support young children with developmental disabilities and delay) concerning their use of toys in their work and their worries about poor youngsters without such playthings. The authors' survey of 320 early-intervention providers revealed that nearly all took play materials with them into the homes of some children but most of them also used items already present there. More than 80 percent of providers gave toys to their clients because of their concern that the family's poverty made toys scarce. As a group, physical therapists and occupational therapists were significantly less likely to use play materials they took into the homes. Most significantly, perhaps, all providers found that poverty increased the need for related therapist services, for educating parents about play, and for using play materials in therapy. (Contains 4 figures.)
Children's Thinking Styles, Play, and Academic Performance
Author: Holmes, Robyn M.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Extracurricular Activities,Cognitive Style,Play,Aptitude Treatment Interaction,Preferences,Cultural Influences,Middle School Students,Filipino Americans,Hawaiians,Standardized Tests,Correlation

Based on the study of seventy-four middle school children of mostly Filipino and part Hawaiian heritages, this article explores the relationships of children's thinking styles, play preferences, and school performance. Using the Group Embedded Figures Test, the Articulation of the Body Scale, and written responses to three questions, the authors found significant relationships between children's field-independent or field-dependent thinking styles and play preferences; play preferences and academic performance; thinking styles and academic performance; and thinking styles and cultural setting. They also discovered that children's preferences for sports related, both positively and negatively, to their scores on state-mandated tests for language and math; that children who preferred unstructured play activities tended to achieve academic success; and that cultural values were correlated to thinking style. The authors argue that their study has applied value for educators because it relates children's play preferences to other aspects of their life experiences, which can help school policy makers decide the extracurricular activities and the types of play they should encourage. (Contains 9 figures.)
Play and the Avant-Garde: Aren't We All a Little Dada?
Author: Prager, Phillip
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Novelty (Stimulus Dimension),Artists,Art History,Play,Theory of Mind,Intellectual History,Art Activities,Art Appreciation,Art Education,Art Expression,Art Materials,Creative Activities,Creativity,Talent

Dada, an art movement that became well known in the late 1910s and early 1920s, challenged traditional notions of art and aesthetics. Dada artists, for example, tossed colored scraps of paper into the air to compose chance-based collages, performed sound poems devoid of semantic value, and modeled a headpiece fashioned of sardine cans. To most art historians, Dada remains a culturally contingent expression of World War I trauma, nihilism, political disillusionment, and an aggressive attack on the moral bankruptcy of Western culture. The author suggests that this negative interpretation originates from art history's methodological blindness to the importance of play, not only to creative and artistic endeavors, but to human identity itself. Dada is characterized by an effervescent love of improvisation, curiosity, novelty and an unselfconscious exploration of the phenomenal world; it emphatically professed to be "anti-art" and "a state-of-mind." When considered from the perspective of play research and positive psychology, Dada emerges as an early and visionary milestone in understanding play as a fundamental expression of humanity almost a century before academia would take adult play seriously. (Contains 4 figures and 73 notes.)
Reflecting Back and Looking Forward: Revisiting "Teaching about Writing, Righting Misconceptions" Five Years on
Author: Wardle, Elizabeth
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Instruction,Familiarity,Misconceptions,Expertise,Writing (Composition),Writing Teachers,Learner Engagement

In this Retrospective, we revisit our 2007 "College Composition and Communication" article in order to clarify our primary argument, address some questions and critiques that have arisen, and consider anew the value of composition courses that study writing. We review our core argument that engaging students with the research and ideas of writing studies, building declarative and procedural knowledge of writing, improves learning transfer. Now, using the example of Jan Meyer and Ray Land's notion of threshold concepts, we argue for the field to better name its knowledge and conceptions and to decide what portion is suitable for first-year students. We clarify the distinction between this broad underlying goal and our personal approaches to accomplishing it, emphasizing the diversity of approaches that have come to embody the study of writing in first-year composition. While maintaining that writing studies lacks recognition of itself as a field and of the value of its specialized knowledge to writing instruction, we revise our original argument to show how writing instructors from other fields and with other expertise can build familiarity with writing studies research without extensive, specialized study. Ultimately, we continue to advocate teaching our field's knowledge in first-year composition, while expanding our sense both of how to prepare instructors to do so and of the value of such teaching.
Latino/a Student (Efficacy) Expectations: Reacting and Adjusting to a Writing-about-Writing Curriculum Change at an Hispanic Serving Institution
Author: McCracken, I. Moriah
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Efficacy,Hispanic American Students,Institutional Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Surveys,College Students,Writing Instruction,Writing (Composition),Curriculum,College Faculty,Teaching Methods,At Risk Students,Academic Discourse,Writing Skills

Using data from two surveys and end-of-semester reflections, researchers learned that students enrolled in writing-about-writing (WAW) courses are initially intimidated by the demands of a WAW curriculum, but the students' perceived inability to complete the requirements contradicted survey data and final written reflections. Ongoing public conversations surrounding WAW curriculum and movement may lead faculty working with high at-risk populations, including but not limited to Latino/as, hesitant to adapt this approach, but the researchers challenge these perceptions and call for additional research to confirm that students who complete WAW courses have an increased sense of self-efficacy towards academic writing. (Contains 2 figures and 2 notes.)
What Does Your Money Get You?: Active Learning as an Alternative to Consumerism in the Composition Classroom
Author: Kurtyka, Faith
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Active Learning,Writing (Composition),Cognitive Mapping,Rhetoric,Higher Education,Figurative Language,College Students,Partnerships in Education,Teaching Assistants,Writing Instruction,General Education

This article offers a rigorous and researched look at how consumer rhetorics form first-year college students' understandings about life at the university. Examined in the context of consumer culture, students' narratives about university life illustrate how they marshal, appropriate, and deploy consumerist metaphors and to what ends. Using Fredric Jameson's concept of "cognitive mapping," I argue that students rhetorically position themselves as consumer and as marketing strategist because these roles have significant standing in the contemporary capitalist culture, helping students adjust to a new place where they may feel powerless or disoriented. Following my analysis of these narratives, I suggest curricular methods that can be used in the classroom to question the meaning of an education. I advocate offering students the role of "active learner," a role comparable to that of "consumer" but which also offers students a vantage point from which they can shape their university experience. (Contains 2 tables and 5 notes.)
In Support of Failure
Author: Carr, Allison
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Instruction,Failure,Writing (Composition),Instruction,Academic Discourse,Higher Education,Writing Processes,Academic Achievement

In this essay, I propose a concerted effort to begin devising a theory and pedagogy of failure. I review the discourse of failure in Western culture as well as in composition pedagogy, ultimately suggesting that failure is not simply a judgement or indication of rank but is a relational, affect-bearing concept with tremendous relevance to composition studies.