ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
College Students&apos; Motivation and Confidence for ePortfolio Use
Author: Douglas, Megan E.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Student Motivation,Portfolios (Background Materials),Electronic Publishing,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Student Centered Learning,Self Esteem,Student Attitudes

Research has consistently demonstrated the benefits of using ePortfolios in higher education and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&amp;U) added ePortfolios to its High-Impact Practices list (Watson, Kuh, Rhodes, Light, &amp; Chen, 2016). The majority of studies on college students' ePortfolio use have focused on implementation within a specific course or from a faculty perspective. Given the important benefit of ePortfolios for lifelong student learning, it is important to assess factors which impact intrinsic motivation from a student-centered perspective. This paper details a study of college students' motivation and confidence to use an ePortfolio system as part of a university-wide quality enhancement plan that included high-impact, experiential learning activities. This study also explored college students' personal values and their perceived advantages and disadvantages of ePortfolio use within the context of experiential learning and reflection. Data were analyzed from 339 student responses from a survey constructed based on motivational interviewing. Overall, students reported low levels of motivation and moderate levels of confidence to use ePortfolios. In addition, students who had participated in an experiential learning activity through the university's QEP reported higher confidence than those who had not. Factors identified as potentially impacting students' motivation and confidence to use ePortfolios are discussed in terms of how they can support strategies to implement ePortfolio and experiential learning programs in large, 4-year college institutions.
Bringing College Classrooms to the Community: Promoting Post-Secondary Access for Low-Income Adults through Neighbourhood-Based College Courses
Author: Bourke, Alan
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Access to Education,Postsecondary Education,Low Income Groups,School Community Programs,Neighborhoods,Barriers,Self Esteem,Adult Learning,Foreign Countries,Adult Education,Student Attitudes,Readiness,Learner Engagement

In this paper we utilize interview data to explore the workings of a college-community partnership program that delivers tuition-free, for-credit courses to low-income adult students in neighbourhood-based settings. Addressing the interplay of individual and structural barriers on the educational readiness of students, our findings explore how the program builds participants' confidence and self-belief, and how the neighbourhood-based delivery model encourages their engagement with post-secondary education (PSE). We find that the value of embedding PSE capacity and resources in low-income communities lies not only in its potential to engage adult learners, but also in how it nurtures a greater sense of community integration and social inclusion. We conclude by suggesting that our study provides a useful foundation for institutions elsewhere aiming to recalibrate and extend their community outreach strategies when seeking to promote post-secondary access and engagement for low-income populations.
Levels of Psychological Distress of Canadian University Student-Athletes
Author: Sullivan, Philip
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Students,Psychological Patterns,Mental Health,Athletes,Gender Differences,College Athletics,Scholarships,Predictor Variables,Student Characteristics

The mental health of Canadian university students is fairly well researched, but there is relatively little evidence concerning the mental health of Canadian university student-athletes. Recent research in the United States and Canada has suggested that mental health (e.g., anxiety and depression) differs between student-athletes and student non-athletes. However, the results are ambivalent as to whether student-athletes experience more or less psychological distress than their non-athlete peers. To address this gap, the purpose of the current study was to measure the levels of psychological distress in a national sample of 284 university student-athletes. Each athlete completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6; Kessler et al., 2002) via a secure online platform. The average score on the K6 for student-athletes was 8.2 out of 24; 19.8% of the sample surpassed the cut-off for assessing the prevalence of severe mental illness. A regression analysis found that gender, starting status, and scholarship status significantly predicted levels of psychological distress. Females, non-starters, and student-athletes without a scholarship were associated with increases in K6 scores.
Pluralizing Frameworks for Global Ethics in the Internationalization of Higher Education in Canada
Author: Stein, Sharon
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Global Approach,Ethics,Higher Education,Universities,Student Mobility,Study Abroad,Foreign Students,College Students,Politics of Education,Curriculum Development

Internationalization continues to be a priority within many Canadian universities. While it is imperative to attend to the ethical dilemmas that accompany the intensification of internationalization, different ethical frameworks operate according to different orientating assumptions. In this paper, we seek to pluralize and deepen conversations about the ethics of internationalization by illustrating how three global ethics approaches address questions of international student mobility, study and service abroad, and internationalizing the curriculum. We conclude by emphasizing the need for both scholars and practitioners to engage in multi-voiced, critically-informed analyses, and dissensual conversations about complex ethical dilemmas related to internationalization.
&quot;Somebody Has to Teach the &apos;Broccoli&apos; Course&quot;: Administrators Navigating Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET)
Author: Vargas-Madriz, Luis Francisco
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,Teacher Effectiveness,Administrator Attitudes,College Faculty,College Students,Research Universities,Benchmarking,Bias,Feedback (Response),Evaluation Methods,Validity,Reliability

Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) have been the most consistently administered tool, and they are still extensively used in higher education institutions to assess teaching effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to explore how SET are used by administrators in the teaching evaluation process at a large, research-intensive Canadian university. A basic qualitative research design was used in this project, and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain administrators' experiences. The research question that guided this study was: How are SET (and other tools) used in the evaluation of teaching at this university? Findings showed that although participants mostly utilized a couple of SET statements as indicators of effective teaching, they were certainly aware of the intrinsic issues concerning these tools, and that they are continually seeking to obtain more evidence if SET results are below their benchmarks.
Influence of Teachers Preparedness on Performance of Pupils in Mathematics in Lower Primary Schools in Aberdares Region of Kenya
Author: Kariuki, Loise Wangechi
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Influence,Teacher Student Relationship,Mathematics Instruction,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Elementary School Mathematics,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Achievement,Correlation,Lesson Plans,Teacher Education

Performance in Mathematics among pupils in lower primary schools in Kenya is a problem that continues to be a concern to parents, teachers and stakeholders in education. Teacher related factors and in particular teacher preparedness has been cited as a major contributing factor to poor teaching methods which fundamentally translates to pupils' poor performance. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of teacher preparedness on pupils' performance in Mathematics in lower primary schools in the Aberdares region of Kenya. The objectives of the study were to; evaluate the influence of teachers' preparation of lesson plans on pupils' performance in Mathematics in lower primary schools and assess the influence of teachers' preparation of schemes of work on pupils' performance in Mathematics in lower primary schools from the Aberdares region in Kenya. The following hypothesis were tested; Ho1: There is no statistically significant relationship between teachers' preparation of lesson plans and performance in Mathematics among pupils in lower primary schools, Ho2: There is no statistically significant relationship between teachers' preparation of schemes of work and pupils' performance in Mathematics in lower primary schools. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The study was guided by the Social Constructivism Theory (SCT) advanced by Vygotsky (1978). The target population for the study consisted of all the 385 teachers and 1320 pupils in the public primary schools in Aberdares region of Kenya. A sample of schools was selected using Gay's 10-20% sampling principle which yielded a sample size of 77 teachers and 264 pupils. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires administered to the respondents. The t-test statistic was computed to test the hypothesis which stated that there was no statistically significant relationship between teachers' preparation of lessons and pupils' performance in Mathematics. The t-test yielded a p-value = 0.027 which was less than the a-value of 0.05 hence the hypothesis was rejected. It was concluded that there were differences in pupils' performance in Mathematics depending on teacher preparation of lesson. Regarding the preparation of schemes of work, the computed t- test statistic yielded a p-value = 0.039 which was less than the p-value of 0.05. Therefore the null hypothesis was accepted. It was concluded that the pupils Mathematics mean scores were relatively the same regardless of whether the teacher prepared schemes of work or not. It is recommended that there is need for teachers to institutionalize as a best practice the preparation of professional documents before commencement of teaching.
A Concrete Proposal to Introduce Control Theory to 16 Year Old Pupils
Author: Goovaerts, Leen
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Design,Thinking Skills,Secondary School Students,Heat,Engineering,Scientific Concepts,Teaching Methods,Instructional Materials,Thermodynamics,Concept Formation,Foreign Countries

High level, abstract engineering thinking and design is a subject that is hardly addressed in current curricula for secondary education. This is contradictory to the increasing need for more in depth STEM education in secondary schools dictated by the evolution of our society towards an ever more STEM based information society. In this paper an approach is presented to introduce 16 year old Belgian pupils to some of the most important, basic concepts of control theory. Control theory is here exemplary for more general engineering science. The problem used to introduce control theory is that of heating system design in houses.
Learners&apos; Feedback Regarding ASR-Based Dictation Practice for Pronunciation Learning
Author: McCrocklin, Shannon
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Student Attitudes,Computer Software,Speech Communication,Audio Equipment,Pronunciation,English (Second Language),Advanced Students,Pronunciation Instruction,Accuracy,Workshops,Usability,College Students,Independent Study,Computer Assisted Instruction,Diaries

Although early ASR-based dictation programs were criticized for lack of accuracy and explicit feedback for L2 pronunciation practice, teachers and researchers have shown renewed interest. However, little is known about student reactions to ASRbased dictation practice. This qualitative study examines student perspectives, identifying advantages and challenges to working with dictation software and generating ideas for the ideal ASR dictation program. Advanced ESL participants (n=16) worked with &quot;Windows Speech Recognition&quot; in a three-week hybrid pronunciation workshop. The study identifies many themes, including advantages such as ease of use, usefulness for pronunciation learning due to feedback provided, and heightened awareness of pronunciation issues, but also disadvantages, such as frustrating levels of recognition, particularly in the first attempt, doubts of the program's transcription abilities, and lack of convenience. Participants reported that convenience and greater support in pronunciation practice would be important for an ideal program.
The Role of Library Councils in Canadian Higher Education: An Exploratory Study
Author: Revitt, Eva
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Academic Libraries,Library Administration,Governance,Library Services,Advisory Committees,Role

Scholarship exploring the makeup, function, and efficacy of collegial governance structures within the context of Canadian higher education is limited and primarily focused on the board or the senate. This paper expands that scholarship by focusing on the governance structures of the university library. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of library councils in Canadian universities and to examine their composition, role, and function as evidenced in their governing documents. Using Karl Mannheim's document method to analyze the terms of reference of 23 library councils, findings reveal that, overwhelmingly, library councils function as information-sharing and discussion forums rather than decision-making bodies. The paper concludes with a review of progressive language and governance practice as gathered from the document analysis.
Developing a Module to Teach Thermodynamics in an Integrated Way to 16 Year Old Pupils
Author: Goovaerts, Leen
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Secondary School Students,Teaching Methods,Physics,Mathematics,Engineering Education,Design,Interdisciplinary Approach,Cooperative Learning,Program Effectiveness,Student Motivation,Thermodynamics,Foreign Countries

In order to motivate secondary school pupils for STEM studies and professions, a teaching approach with a focus on integration of STEM components is developed. This paper focuses on the integration of physics and mathematics into an engineering design problem in K10 education, namely building and heating a model of a passive house with a sun boiler. Specific attention is given to the core ideas of integrated STEM while developing this module. These applied ideas comprise problem-centered and cooperative learning, with explicit attention to research and design, as well as taking into account results from discipline specific educational research results.
Social Amenities and Academic Performance in Primary Schools in Gichugu Constituency, Kenya
Author: Githaka, Priscah Wanjiku
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary Schools,Elementary School Students,Academic Achievement,Principals,Educational Environment,Water,Sanitation,Students with Disabilities,Educational Finance,Barriers,Play,Child Development,Attendance,Playgrounds,Toys

Social amenities in primary schools play an important role in the provision of quality education. Social amenities include play materials and sanitation facilities. This study aimed at examining the impact of social amenities on academic performance in primary schools in Gichugu Constituency, Kenya. The objectives of this study were to assess the status of social amenities, to establish how sanitation amenities influence pupils' performance and lastly, to evaluate challenges facing provision of social amenities in primary schools in Gichugu Constituency, Kenya. This study was guided by Social Constructionist Theory. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population consisted of 75 primary school head teachers. Kathuri and Pal's Table for Sample Size Determination was used to arrive at a sample size of 63 school head teachers who were randomly selected from the target population. A questionnaire and an observation guide were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20). The study established that in majority of the primary schools, pupils had access to clean and safe drinking water though pupils in some schools used water from nearby rivers and stream. The study also found out that majority of the schools had adequate sanitation amenities. However, the study established that sanitation facilities did not cater for learners with physical disabilities. The study established that social amenities influenced learners' academic performance in primary schools. Further, the study established that financial challenges affected provision and maintenance of social amenities in primary schools in the study region. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education and other education stakeholders should facilitate the provision and maintenance of social amenities in primary schools in Kenya in order to improve pupils' academic performance.
Barriers and Bridges between Mother Tongue and English as a Second Language in Young Children
Author: Saneka, Nora E.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Barriers,Native Language,English (Second Language),Young Children,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Parent Participation,Socioeconomic Status,Bilingualism,Social Bias,Disadvantaged Environment,African Languages,Toys,Access to Education,Childrens Rights,Language Acquisition,Language Attitudes,Critical Theory,Early Childhood Teachers

Background: Social and economic aspirations held by parents can reflect a desire for their children to learn English as a second language. Bilingual education has the potential for empowering traditionally disadvantaged groups, particularly through competence in English, a language that positions identity with power, privilege and status, thus being a political and an economic issue. Aim: The aim was to look critically at the language development of young second-language learners within their social context. Setting: An early childhood centre in Durban, South Africa. Methods: Methodologically, a qualitative praxeological framework was used. Parent partnership in sustaining the mother tongue was sought and explored in focus group interviews, using an action--reflection cycle to understand the dilemma of young second-language learners in South Africa. Ways of overcoming language barriers using the strengths of the child were explored using persona dolls. These methods helped to develop sustained, shared thinking between children, their parents and the researcher. Results: Young children found their own means of engaging in meaning-making processes both at home and at school. The issue of linguicism was tackled by encouraging parental participation in sustaining the mother tongue while children learned English as a second language. Conclusion: As long as English means access to improved economic opportunities, there will be a bias against those whose home language is not English. The dilemma of the young English language learner remains an issue of equity, access and redress for past injustices.
Predictors of University Student Satisfaction with Life, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Achievement in the First Year
Author: Wilcox, Gabrielle
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Student Satisfaction,Self Efficacy,Life Satisfaction,Well Being,Academic Achievement,College Freshmen,Undergraduate Students,Depression (Psychology),Anxiety

Understanding personal factors that contribute to university student satisfaction with life is important in order to determine how we can better prepare students for the transition to post-secondary education and support them during this transition. This study examined predictors of university student satisfaction with life, academic self-efficacy, and self-reported academic achievement in their first year of university. First-year students (n = 66) completed self-report measures of academic achievement, university well-being, satisfaction with life, personality, and mental health. A linear regression analysis approach was applied to the data. Results indicated that academic satisfaction and school connectedness predicted satisfaction with life but that academic self-efficacy and college gratitude did not, conscientiousness predicted academic self-efficacy, college well-being predicted self-reported achievement, and anxiety predicted achievement but depression did not. This study highlights the importance of understanding the personal factors that influence well-being and achievement during the transition to university.
Sinking or Swimming in an Academic Pool: A Study of Resiliency and Student Success in First-Year Undergraduates
Author: Wilson, Claire A.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Freshmen,Resilience (Psychology),Academic Achievement,Student Adjustment,Predictor Variables,Personality Traits,Emotional Intelligence,Academic Ability,Grade Point Average,Self Efficacy,Success,Psychological Patterns,Extraversion Introversion,Self Concept,Foreign Countries

The transition from high school to post-secondary education presents challenges for students. Many variables have been identified as significant predictors of student achievement. Resiliency, defined as the ability to overcome challenges and adversity, may be particularly relevant during the adjustment to post-secondary education. This study assesses whether resiliency incrementally predicts student success after controlling for additional predictors. Participants were 277 undergraduate students who completed self-reports of academic skills, resiliency, personality variables, emotional intelligence (EI), and perfectionism. Students' year-end GPA was collected from the university registrar. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that resiliency, measured by sense of mastery, negatively predicted GPA after controlling for other predictors. The sense of mastery facet of self-efficacy positively predicted GPA; however, the adaptability facet was a significant negative predictor of GPA. Findings suggest that self-efficacy is a salient predictor of academic success, and that strong academic skills may serve as a protective factor for poor adaptability.
Linguistic Loneliness and Study Abroad
Author: Slagter, Cynthia
Date: 2019-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Psychological Patterns,Study Abroad,Language Skills,Student Attitudes,Native Language,Spanish,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning

This article considers the conflict between students' desire to improve their target language skills and their desire for belonging and community. The study, conducted over three years, examines student perceptions of barriers to target language gain during semester-long study abroad. Participants completed surveys, took the Versant Language Test before and after their study abroad experience, and participated in a post-program interview. Results suggest that students experience conflicting priorities in decisions governing native language versus target language use during study abroad. Although some persist in speaking the target language with their co-national peers, they find it unsatisfying because they are unable to meet their social needs. Valuing relationships over linguistic improvements, students resort to speaking their native language among themselves during study abroad. The researchers suggest strategies for how to best prepare students to reconcile these tensions.