ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Student Perceptions of Social Presence and Attitudes toward Social Media: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study
Author: Leafman, Joan S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Doctoral Programs,Integrated Learning Systems,Student Attitudes,Social Networks,Student Surveys,Response Rates (Questionnaires),Social Environment,Interpersonal Relationship,Electronic Learning,Inquiry,Communities of Practice

Establishing and maintaining social presence in an online environment that depends on a learning management system (LMS) can be challenging. While students believe social presence to be important, LMS platforms have yet to discover a way to deliver this expectation. The growth of social media tools presents opportunities outside an LMS to foster social presence in online learning communities. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived levels of social presence in an LMS and willingness to use social media tools outside an LMS among online doctoral students. Student perceptions of social presence and willingness to use a social media tool were examined via a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design. The sample size was 138, representing a 52% response rate. Students reported high levels of social presence in the LMS, but noted important areas in which the LMS was deficient. While all students used at least one social media tool, the modes of communication with other students and instructors were primarily tradition (e-mail, LMS, phone). Despite their busy schedules, 57% of respondents reported having greater than 30 minutes available daily for social connections with other students and instructors, and 43% indicated that they were willing to use a social media tool if one was offered outside of the LMS. Given the importance that students place on social presence, the limitations of the LMS and the willingness of students to experiment with a social media tool in their learning environment, the exploration of adding such a tool is warranted.
The Impact of Differentiated Instruction in a Teacher Education Setting: Successes and Challenges
Author: Joseph, Stephen
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Education,Individualized Instruction,Undergraduate Students,Curriculum Development,Preservice Teachers,Comparative Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Student Evaluation,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,Focus Groups,Interviews,Observation,Academic Achievement,Correlation

This study examined the impact of using a differentiated instructional approach to teaching second year students pursuing an undergraduate course in curriculum studies at a tertiary institution. These prospective teachers varied in terms of their interests, experiences, personal circumstances, and learning preferences. Four hundred and thirty-four students in two education campuses took the course over a period of one semester. Half of the student body experienced differentiated instruction while the other half was exposed to the whole-class instructional approach. At the end of the course, an assessment was made to determine the extent to which differentiated instruction had a positive impact on students' general understanding of the course. Findings of the study revealed that students at both campuses responded favourably to the differentiated instructional approach, with 90% of participants reporting higher levels of intellectual growth and interest in the subject. Assessment of student learning revealed that the majority of students in the differentiated classrooms demonstrated sound understanding of major concepts taught in the curriculum studies course. Almost all of the students (99%) expressed willingness to experiment with differentiated instruction in subsequent practicum sessions during their tenure at the university, and 88% indicated a desire to use a differentiated instructional approach in their classrooms upon graduation.
The Importance of Metacommunication in Supervision Processes in Higher Education
Author: Baltzersen, Rolf K.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Supervision,Communication Strategies,Higher Education,Definitions,Language Styles,Communication Research,Interpersonal Communication,Communicative Competence (Languages),Supervisors,Discussion,Literature Reviews

In daily language use, we sometimes comment on the conversation with phrases such as &quot;What do you mean by saying that?&quot; or &quot;That was nice of you to say.&quot; This communication about the communication is sometimes labeled as metacommunication. It can be used for many different purposes; for instance, to try and clarify or appraise something that has been said in a conversation. In higher education, a recent empirical study finds that discussions between the student and supervisor about the supervision process have a positive impact on the quality of the communication. Despite this, we know little about the specific metacommunicative mechanisms that may be of importance in supervision. One reason is that most definitions of the metacommunication concept are vague and inconsistent. The goal of this paper is therefore to review a broad range of research literature about metacommunication in an attempt to develop a more comprehensive and complex definition. These perspectives are then used to discuss what specific types of metacommunication might facilitate good supervision in higher education. It is suggested that one should distinguish between metacommunication as part of a transparent communication style and metacommunication about the collaboration period in supervision.
The Teaching of Inquiry-Based Science in Elementary Classrooms: A Bi-National Comparative Reflection of US and Lithuanian Practices
Author: Hansen, Bobbi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Science Instruction,Inquiry,Elementary School Science,Educational Practices,Comparative Analysis,Qualitative Research,Questioning Techniques,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Participative Decision Making,Science Activities,Pacing,Grade 4,Magnets,Focus Groups

This paper offers a comparative reflection on how two nations, the U.S. and Lithuania, are implementing inquiry-based science in elementary classrooms. The qualitative study explored how fourth grade teachers in Southern California and in Lithuania employed effective inquiry-based strategies in their classrooms. A teacher's use of questioning strategies to guide critical thinking and the role of inquiry-based pedagogy plays in promoting student engagement were commonalities in both countries. &quot;Exercise moments&quot;, resource conservation, and &quot;voyeuristic investigations&quot; were noted in Lithuanian inquiry practices while pacing guides and standards coverage were prevalent issues in US inquiry practices.
An Illuminative Evaluation on Practical Art, Craft and Design Instruction: The Case of Botswana
Author: Mannathoko, Magdeline C.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Design Crafts,Art Education,Design,Primary Education,Elementary School Teachers,Art Teachers,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Knowledge Level,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Theory Practice Relationship,Basic Skills,Skill Development,Creativity,Practical Arts,Classroom Observation Techniques

Art, craft and design (ACD) is a practical subject that provides learners the opportunity to explore various media and techniques. This includes creating two and three dimensional work in order to help learners develop their practical skills which may benefit them in future. Learners may create products to sell and earn a living as the National Principles and &quot;Vision 2016&quot; advocate for &quot;self-reliance.&quot; Thus, effective engagement of learners in practical activities may help them develop creative and practical skills resulting in benefits in the completion of primary school studies. Engagement in the development of creative and practical skills is particularly helpful for those who do not advance to secondary education. It is in this context, that this study investigated the extent to which primary school teachers engaged pupils in ACD practical activities. The study also examined the application of ACD theory to practice as advocated by the Botswana Lower Primary Creative and Performing Arts syllabus, which was introduced in 2002. This was a qualitative case study which involved eight lower primary teachers. The research methodology was framed within Parlett and Hamilton's concept of &quot;Illuminative Evaluation&quot; accompanied by classroom participant observation. The study revealed that all of the teachers who participated in the study had limited knowledge and skills in art, craft and design. None of them had specialized in the subject. The results further indicated that teachers had been trained in basic pedagogy on the general methods of teaching in primary schools; however, they lacked knowledge and skills in ACD. This deficit may have contributed to their lack of encouraging learners to apply theory into practice, thus depriving them the opportunity to gain basic practical skills required at primary level.
Research on Revision of Training Program of the Economics and Management Specialties Based on the Training Mode--A Case Study from Changchun University of Science and Technology
Author: Qi, Dianwei
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Study,Undergraduate Students,Business Administration Education,Talent Development,Economics Education,Training,Educational Change,Educational Quality,Models,Educational Objectives,Case Studies

With China's economic development and international competition intensifications, the society requires for talents from number requirements into the quality requirements, especially. Complex and high-class trend of modern industrial development demands compound talents. There are eight majors in college of the economics and management in Changchun University of Science and Technology, so it is an urgent for the university how to cultivate compound talents of high-quality. In September 2012, new &quot;University undergraduate course catalog&quot; and &quot;University Undergraduates professional setting regulations&quot; issued by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China require all universities to amend the training programs to further promote the reform of education. To some extent, the quality of talent training is determined by talent training model. In view of this, the training program revision is discussed in the paper. By surveying universities and enterprises, based on needs of local economic and social development, considering university conditions, cultivating complex talent as a basic orientation, three-dimensional training model is constructed that merge imparting knowledge, culturing capacity, improving quality. The following aspects are included to revise training program: professional orientation and characteristics of training objectives, training standard, curriculum systems (theoretical teaching systems and practice teaching systems).
The Role of Motivation, Cognition, and Conscientiousness for Academic Achievement
Author: Imhof, Margarete
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Motivation,Role,Self Concept,At Risk Students,Schemata (Cognition),Academic Achievement,College Freshmen,Multivariate Analysis,Profiles,Academic Ability,Cognitive Style,Learning Processes,Dropouts,Factor Analysis,Blended Learning,Introductory Courses,Learning Strategies,Prior Learning,Tests,Predictor Variables,Personality Traits,Questionnaires,Educational Psychology,Goal Orientation

Based on a cognitive motivational process model of learning, the impact of studying behavior on learning outcome is investigated. First-year students (N = 488) participated in the study. Two research questions were addressed: (1) Can cognitive-motivational variables and objective study behavior predict individual learning? (2) Which factors drive studying behavior? Results show low to moderate correlations between cognitive-motivational variables and performance. A cluster analysis yielded three profiles: (1) interested learners with high academic self-concept and effort investment; (2) low interest learners with high academic self-concept and low effort investment; and (3) interested learners with low self-concept and low effort. Groups 2 and 3 are considered at-risk students for developing a surface approach to learning and for drop out.
Assessing the Extent That the Gender and STEM Practice-Oriented Literature Is Evidence-Based
Author: Creamer, Elizabeth G.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Literature Reviews,Periodicals,Content Analysis,Mixed Methods Research,Educational Research,Evidence,Theory Practice Relationship,Educational Practices,Standards,Scores,Trend Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Gender Differences

One principal way to judge if the activity or program described in a practice-oriented publication is worth replicating is to consider the strength of its foundational component. A strong foundational component supports the credibility of an initiative by demonstrating that it was designed with an understanding of other similar initiatives and with evidence that there was a reasonable promise that the desired outcomes were realistically achievable. This paper reports on the findings of a mixed methods content analysis of 142 practice-oriented articles published in three different refereed venues between 1995 and 2009. A scale to measure the quality of the foundational component of the practice-oriented publications was used in the quantitative phases to test if there had been a change in the relative number and quality of practice-oriented publications over time. The validity of the scale was tested in subsequent qualitative phases of the project by an inductive examination of the characteristics of top-scoring articles. Results of the quantitative analysis indicated that the average quality rating of the foundational element of the articles was relatively low (3.37 out of a possible 6 points). The scale proved effective in distinguishing articles that were exemplary in other ways as well. The low overall quality score on the foundational component of practice-oriented publications either means that the authors of these publications are failing to provide ample documentation that these initiatives were evidence-based or the content analysis reveals a long-standing trend toward the adoption of non-evidence based practices.
Female Arab Students' Experience of Acculturation and Cultural Diversity upon Accessing Higher Education in the Northern Galilee-Israel
Author: Geiger, Brenda
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Females,Student Attitudes,Muslims,Christianity,Religious Cultural Groups,College Admission,Self Efficacy,Semi Structured Interviews,Proximity,Access to Education,Higher Education,Semitic Languages,Acculturation,Cultural Pluralism,Arabs,Ethnicity,Self Concept,Content Analysis,Spouses,Moral Values,Language Proficiency,Second Language Learning,Academic Achievement,Socioeconomic Influences,Social Bias,Intergroup Relations,Conflict,Jews,Teacher Student Relationship,College Students,College Faculty,Foreign Countries

This qualitative study addresses the issue of the cultural transition of Arab women who for the first time leave their secluded villages and traditional society in the Northern Galilee to access Western-style Israeli institutions of higher education located in the region in which they will study in Hebrew, their second language. This study uses several models of acculturation in order to better understand these women's experience of acculturation, cultural diversity, ethnic identity and at times discrimination as they come into contact with students belonging to a diversity of Arab and Jewish ethnic groups. Content analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 42 female Arab students of Druze, Muslim and Christian origin, revealed that parental and/or husband support, lower college admission requirements, and the geographical proximity of the colleges to the villages allowed gave these women the opportunity to access higher education without compromising their traditional values of modesty and virginity. Hebrew language proficiency, seldom spoken in the villages, and consequent academic self-efficacy perception were for these women key factors for academic success and integration in the dominant Israeli socio-economic structures. Lack of tolerance for cultural diversity, discrimination, and inter-groups conflict were at times, reported not only between Arab and Jewish but also between Druze and Muslim students and/or their instructors. Factors mentioned to be reducing cultural shock and acculturative stress were the presence of other female Arab students from the same or neighboring towns studying in the college and the going back and forth between cultures as these women returned every day back home to their villages. Exposed to other values and traditions these women sorted the values they cherished in their own and in other cultures while maintaining a strong sense of cultural identity.
Effect of Learning Communities on Student Attitudes and Corresponding Behaviors: &quot;A Mediated Test of Involvement Theory&quot;
Author: Bonilla, Daniel
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Activities,Discourse Communities,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Regression (Statistics),Social Behavior,Student Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Student Participation,Student Behavior,College Students,Student Surveys,Measures (Individuals),Predictor Variables

Learning communities are small pre-selected student groups based on a common interest with a variety of goals related to student outcomes. Previous research has shown robust effects of learning community participation on student success outcomes, but little is known about the mechanisms which may mediate these effects. The current study analyzed two years of data on a large sample of first-year and transfer students using mediated regression techniques and logistic regression to explore the mechanism by which learning communities affect self reported student behaviors. Results showed that being in a learning community leads to positive academic and social attitudes which lead to increased academic and social behaviors respectively. Results shed light on the mechanism by which learning communities affect student outcomes.
Teaching Quality Management Model for the Training of Innovation Ability and the Multilevel Decomposition Indicators
Author: Lu, Xingjiang
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Business Administration Education,Quality Control,Innovation,Models,Curriculum Development,Training Methods,Educational Indicators,Higher Education

This paper focuses on the training of undergraduate students' innovation ability. On top of the theoretical framework of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD), we propose a teaching quality management model. Based on this model, we establish a multilevel decomposition indicator system, which integrates innovation ability characterized by four primary indicators and their corresponding secondary indicators, curriculum, pedagogy, teaching forms and assessment. The proposed model and indicators provide guidance for university curriculum development, university education management and practice.
Implicit Beliefs about English Language Competencies in the Context of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Comparison of University Students and Lecturers in Namibia
Author: Otaala, Laura A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language of Instruction,College Students,Language Proficiency,Lecture Method,Standard Spoken Usage,College Faculty,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Academic Discourse,Writing Skills,Notetaking,Teaching Methods,Language Variation,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires

In many African countries, English is the medium of instruction in higher education even though students may not always be entirely familiar with &quot;standard&quot; English. This study aimed at investigating the relevance of English language competencies for teaching and learning from the perspective of students and lecturers. The study was carried out in Namibia and guided by the conceptual framework of implicit theories. Through a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of 286 undergraduate students and 34 lecturers. Students and lecturers differed statistically significantly in all their views on the topic under investigation. While most of the lecturers (85.3%) believed that their students would not have good English language competencies, the majority of students (87.8%) rated their English between good and excellent. Most lecturers believed that insufficient English language competencies would cause a variety of problems for students such as having difficulty expressing themselves in English, following lectures, taking good notes during lectures, understanding academic texts, and writing coherent essays; in contrast, the majority of students believed that they had no such problems. The results are discussed with regard to practical implications for teaching and learning in higher education.
Overview of the Dissertation Process within the Framework of Flow Theory: A Qualitative Study
Author: Cakmak, Esra
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Doctoral Dissertations,Qualitative Research,Graduate Students,Doctoral Programs,Case Studies,Semi Structured Interviews,Theories,Student Characteristics,Student Interests,Emotional Response,Foreign Countries

The purpose of this study is to examine the flow of doctoral students who are also research assistants and in the dissertation process. The study was designed using the case study method. The case undertaken in the study was the dissertation process. Eleven participants were selected into the study using maximum variation sampling. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the transcripts. The descriptive analysis of the data identified four main themes: (i) personal characteristics, including tackling challenges, sense of responsibility and planned work habits; (ii) interest in the field, including decision making about postgraduate education, satisfaction from postgraduate education, the fit between the doctoral field and the student's interests and skills, and academic goals; (iii) emotional attachment, including enjoyed stages of the dissertation process, feelings aroused by the dissertation, and concentration on the dissertation process; and (iv) living the flow.