ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
EFL Learners' Perception toward an Outdoor Learning Program
Author: Asmara, Candra Hadi
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Outdoor Education,Student Attitudes,Secondary School Students,Questionnaires,Intervention,Competition,Program Implementation,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Student Interests,Learning Motivation

The aim of this study was to investigate EFL learners' perception of an outdoor learning program, called English Scout Organization which was developed to strengthen their students' interests in learning English at secondary school. For this purpose, the 20 secondary school students in YPI Darussalam Cerme Gresik, Indonesia, were given questionnaires related to the intervention program. The program was designed for sixteen sessions with the activities including simple jigsaw, drilling, and group work activities which were scheduled in a weekly program. The students were tested in the eighth session (One Day Big English Competition) and in the sixteenth session (English Camp). These two steps of evaluations were employed to check the effectiveness of the implementation and the process of all the scheduled programs and to measure students' participation levels. Based on the analysis of the data collected, it was found that they enjoyed the English Scout Program both individually and in groups. They indicated that they enjoyed non-formal activities especially playing games, competitions, and adventures and their interests towards English learning were also strengthened during the implementation of the program.
The Relationship between Teacher's Written Feedback and Student's' Writing Performance: Sociocultural Perspective
Author: Bijami, Maryam
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Writing Achievement,Performance Based Assessment,Translation,English Literature,English (Second Language),Questionnaires,Mixed Methods Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Sociocultural Patterns,Writing Exercises,Student Satisfaction,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Undergraduate Students,Foreign Countries

Feedback plays a fundamental role in writing development. The present study seeks to investigate the impact of teacher's written feedback on the writing performance of Iranian undergraduates. The subjects were 400 students majoring in the fields of English language translation and English language literature in four universities, namely Shahaid Bahonar, Vali-e-Asr, Isfahan and Shiraz, in Iran. Writing tasks, questionnaires and interviews were used in the process of the present study. Mixed methods research design was adopted in this study. Therefore, this research used the triangulation of data collection techniques. For data analysis, the thematic coding was used for analyzing semi-structured interview. In the writing task, inter-rater agreement (Cohen kappa) was used and the Pearson correlation coefficient was run for analysis of the questionnaire. The result shows a significant relationship between teacher's written feedback and students' writing performance.
The Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Reading Comprehension of EFL Learners across Genders
Author: Sabet, Masoud Khalili
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Correlation,Multiple Intelligences,Reading Comprehension,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Medical Students,Reading Tests,Verbal Ability,Medical Schools,English (Second Language),Teaching Methods,Gender Differences,Foreign Countries,Language Tests,Student Placement,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Multiple Regression Analysis

With developments in psychology and cognitive sciences in recent years, the significance of individual differences in L2 pedagogy has been highlighted. One of the outcomes of attending to individual differences is the increased attention to the concept of multiple intelligences and its relationship with language learning and different skills including reading comprehension skill. On the same line, the present study aimed at investigating the relationship between multiple intelligences of a group of L2 learners and their reading comprehension ability. To this purpose, 157 medical students studying at the Guilan University of Medical Sciences participated in the study. The instruments utilized were Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS) and a reading comprehension test. The findings revealed that among the components of multiple intelligences of the medical students verbal-linguistic intelligence was prevalent. Furthermore, results of Pearson correlation demonstrated a positive but weak relationship between medical students' MI and their reading comprehension ability. The findings also indicated that there is no difference between male and female medical students except in naturalistic intelligence. These findings further pinpoint the importance of attending to multiple intelligences of L2 learners and devising lessons which take their individual differences into account.
The Impact of First and Second Languages on Azerbaijani EFL Learners' Writing Ability
Author: Shabani, Mansour
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Writing Ability,Second Language Learning,Native Speakers,Indo European Languages,Turkic Languages,Essay Tests,Protocol Analysis,Student Surveys,Writing Exercises,Females,English (Second Language),College Students,Student Satisfaction,Interference (Language),Mixed Methods Research

There has always been a debate whether or not the learners' first language (L1) can facilitate the process of learning foreign language. Since foreign language writing (FL) is a complicated process, it seems that the role of the learners' L1 and its effect on FL writing is of great importance in this regard. The present study aimed at investigating the role of Azerbaijani EFL learners' L1 and L2 (Persian) on their FL writing. To meet the purposes of the study, 30 female EFL upper-intermediate students were selected (through running an OPT), who were native speakers of Azerbaijani, with Persian as their L2 and official language of Iranian context. The data were collected through running three writing sessions (in which the participants wrote three essays in each session using Azerbaijani as L1, Persian as L2, and direct writing) using the think-aloud protocol, through which they were asked to report their thoughts loudly to record using a tape recorder. In addition, a survey was used to ask their perceptions towards each writing task. The analysis of the data obtained from the evaluation of learners' writings indicated that the mere use of their L1 or L2 in foreign language writing was by no means helpful for them and they performed better on direct writing task in comparison with the two other ones. It was also found that the majority of the learners (70%) had difficulty in generating their ideas using Azerbaijani as their L1. In addition, nearly 77% of them claimed that even in direct writing mode, they made use of their L2 (Persian) on the occasions they could not find a proper word or phrase in English. As the implications of the study, it seems that the present study can bring helpful insights for both FL teachers and learners about the roles that Azerbaijani and Persian languages play as the students' L1 and L2 in FL writing.
Access and Quality in Nigeria's Higher Education: Need for a Pragmatic Approach for Sustainable Transformation
Author: Njoku, Joy N.
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Quality,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Sustainability,Universities,Educational Finance,Research and Development,College Admission,Student Recruitment,Admission Criteria,Access to Education

Access and quality of higher education are among the major criteria for assessing the product of any institution of higher learning. This paper discusses access and quality in Nigeria's higher education; need for a pragmatic approach for sustainable transformation. It discusses problems of access in the areas of carrying capacity of universities, process of admission, poverty, location and corruption. The problems of quality were traced to poor recruitment procedure, inadequate infrastructure, poor funding, corruption and lack of adequate practical experience. The problems of quality also extended to poor research development and underutilization of research findings. Pragmatic approach to solving each of these problems was discussed which include abolishing policies that have not benefited the education system like quota system. The paper advocates for merit at this crucial stage of national development, at least seventy percent of admissions into tertiary institutions should be based on pure merit. Recruitment of academic and non-academic staff should be purely on merit. Funds should be made available for the provision of adequate infrastructure. Research findings and recommendations should be urgently appraised and utilized.
Causes and Effects of Begging Style Involving Children as Guides in Dodoma Municipality, Tanzania: Liability in Basic Education Access
Author: Seni, Abdallah Jacob
Date: 2017-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Children,Caregivers,Visual Impairments,Adults,Interviews,Observation,Educational Attainment,Individual Characteristics,Poverty,Visually Impaired Mobility,Access to Education,Parent Influence,Child Neglect,Alcohol Abuse,One Parent Family,Hunger,Homeless People,Social Isolation,Qualitative Research,Social Attitudes

This paper explores the causes and effects of a unique begging style involving children as guides in Dodoma Municipality, Tanzania. The rationale for Dodoma Municipality to be the study location is that the begging phenomenon using children as guides is rampant. The study sample involved 40 respondents, of whom 6 were young carers of visually impaired adult beggars, 6 visually impaired adult beggars, 6 young carers of visually impaired adult beggars' family members and 22 influential community members. Purposeful sampling technique was used to obtain these respondents. Data collection methods entailed interviews and observations. Artifacts were also used to portray issues under investigation more vividly. The data were analyzed using content analysis in which themes and sub-themes were determined by organization, reduction and interpretation of the information collected. The study discovered that lack of education, sympathy attraction, lack of proper orientation, laziness and poverty were the major causes for the existence of begging involving children as guides. The study revealed that minor causes include parents' negligence and alcoholism, Single Parenthood as well as drought and hunger. The begging style using children as guides resulted into notable limited basic education access among these vulnerable children hence a liability and not asset. The study recommends that young carers of visually impaired adult beggars should be enrolled to basic education and revitalize education for self-reliance.
New Setting, Same Skill: Teaching Geography Students to Transfer Information Literacy Skills from Familiar to Unfamiliar Contexts
Author: Allison, Caleb
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,High School Students,Low Income Students,Geography Instruction,Transfer of Training,Information Literacy,Familiarity,Skill Development,Direct Instruction,Online Searching,Search Strategies,Research Skills,Evaluation Methods,Information Sources,Feedback (Response),Student Research,Research Projects,Interviews,Questionnaires,Internet,Intervention,Qualitative Research

Existing research shows that high school students do not possess information literacy skills adequate to function in a high-tech society that relies so heavily on information. If students are taught these skills, they struggle to apply them. This small-scale intervention focused on helping Geography students at a low-socioeconomic high school in Auckland, New Zealand to transfer information literacy skills from familiar to unfamiliar topics. It tested whether teaching information literacy skills via direct instruction, and then giving students the opportunity to use these skills in structured practice sessions online, would help them transfer those skills. The need for the study arose from a gap in existing research into teaching information literacy for transfer. The findings of this study indicated that it was relatively easy for the students to learn to formulate search queries, but they need more help evaluating information sources. The findings also showed that direct feedback from a teacher is vital to teaching information literacy. The findings are significant in that they add to a growing body of research that teaching information literacy through practical research projects is potentially more effective than decontextualising the skills and teaching them as a standalone topic. Furthermore, the findings support existing research that teacher feedback is a necessary component of teaching information literacy.
The Relationships between the Vocational Education Training Providers and Enterprises: Theory and Practice
Author: Dang, Vi Hoang
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocational Education,Theory Practice Relationship,School Business Relationship,Partnerships in Education,Developing Nations,Developed Nations,Models,Stakeholders,Case Studies,Educational Practices,Foreign Countries

The importance of the relationships between industry and academia is stressed by strategists, politicians, Vocational Education Training (VET) policy makers, and industrial planners. Industry without knowledge surely dies, and knowledge without application of that knowledge is valueless. This paper focuses on the relationships between the VET providers and industries. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is (1) to discuss the factors which enhance or constrain the strategic partnership, (2) to present the experiences of this relationship in the developing and developed countries, (3) to propose a model that links the two institutions, the VET providers and industries, in the Vietnamese context.
Relationship between Acculturation Attitude and Effectiveness of Pragmatic Instruction
Author: Rafieyan, Vahid
Date: 2016-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Pragmatics,Acculturation,Correlation,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Language Attitudes,Cultural Maintenance,Teaching Methods,Study Abroad,Graduate Students,Instructional Effectiveness,Task Analysis,Measures (Individuals),Speech Acts,Communicative Competence (Languages),Cultural Awareness

Attitude toward accepting target language culture or maintaining heritage culture referred to as acculturation attitude can determine language learners' pragmatic gains during an educational sojourn. To this end, the current study investigated the relationship between language learners' acculturation attitudes during an educational sojourn and the effectiveness of pragmatic instruction. Participants of the study were 52 Iranian postgraduate students of English education at a university in Australia. A discourse completion task was used to assess language learners' level of pragmatic competence. The adapted version of Berry's (2001) East Asian Acculturation Measure (EAAM) was also used to assess language learners' level of acculturation attitude toward Australian culture. The analysis of Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) revealed that there is a strong positive relationship between acculturation attitude and effectiveness of pragmatic instruction. The pedagogical implications of the findings suggested encouraging and providing opportunities for language learners who are on an educational sojourn to immerse in target language culture to be able to develop their pragmatic competence to an optimal level.
Effect of Cultural Distance on Translation of Culture-Bound Texts
Author: Rafieyan, Vahid
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Translation,Cultural Differences,Sociolinguistics,Cultural Background,Undergraduate Students,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,News Reporting,Teaching Methods,Power Structure,Individualism,Collectivism,Masculinity,Femininity,Statistical Analysis

Sociolinguistic and sociocultural features of the source language can be ideally transferred to the target language when the translator's cultural background knowledge has a high overlap with the source language culture. This signifies the crucial role of national cultural distance from the source language society in the quality of translation of culture-bound texts. To investigate the actual effect of national cultural distance on the quality of translation of culture-bound texts, the current study was conducted on two groups of participants including 38 German undergraduate students of English translation perceived culturally close to Britons (considered as the target language society) and 32 South Korean undergraduate students of English translation perceived culturally distant from Britons. Data were collected through a culture-bound text consisting of some news excerpts from The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) used as the translation quality assessment instrument. The analysis of independent-samples t-test revealed the significant positive effect of national cultural distance on the quality of translation of culture-bound texts. The pedagogical implications of the findings suggested incorporation of cultural features of the source language society into every translation course.
Teacher Opinions on the Innovation Management Skills of School Administrators and Organizational Learning Mechanisms
Author: Omur, Yunus Emre
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Effectiveness,School Administration,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Educational Innovation,Correlation,Faculty Development,School Organization,Measures (Individuals),Foreign Countries

Problem Statement: In modern society, schools, just as other institutions, are required to be innovative organizations. For this purpose, they must not only be learning organizations, they must also be innovative. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to discover the relationship between organizational learning mechanisms at schools and innovation management skills of school administrators. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to determine high school teachers' opinions of the innovation management skills of school administrators and organizational learning mechanisms at high schools. Method: The research was conducted with the relational survey model, and 272 teachers were sampled with the random sampling method. To collect the research data, the Organizational Learning Mechanisms Scale and Scale of Innovation Management in Schools were used. The data was analyzed with frequency, percentage, standard deviation, mean, and Spearman's rho correlation analyses. Findings and Results: According to the results of the research, teachers' opinions of both the organizational learning mechanisms of their schools and their administrators' innovation management skills were medium level in total and at sub-dimensions; and there is a high-level, positive, and significant relationship between teachers' opinions of organizational learning mechanisms and the innovation management skills of school administrators.
The Effect of Vocal Training Methods on Improving Turkish Accent Defects
Author: Aycan, Kivanc
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Freshmen,Music Education,Singing,Music Techniques,Suprasegmentals,Articulation (Speech),Pronunciation,Training,Best Practices,Pretests Posttests,Measurement Equipment,Outcomes of Education,Intonation

Problem Statement: Despite analyses of how vocal training methods can correct or improve Turkish-language accent defects, for most voice educators, the most important methods continue to be breathe management control and correct vocalization exercises. We therefore sought to demonstrate the relationship of song lyrics to breathe control, accent defects, and good diction. Propose of Study: The aim of the study was to promote best practices in order to enhance students' speech in a university music department in Turkey. To that end, we administered vocal training in a group of 12 first-year student volunteers in the department. We recorded and evaluated differences in accent defects both prior to and subsequent to vocal training. Methods: The sample included 12 first-year students in the Music Department of the Fine Arts Faculty at Erciyes University. We determined pre- and post-test results by using the same oral readings (&quot;Minnelied,&quot; meaning &quot;Mutluluk Sarkisi&quot; in Turkish). Prior to the study, the students read song lyrics chosen by voice education specialists and that were translated and adapted into Turkish. We performed testing with the &quot;Vitalograph Alpha Model 6000 portable spirometer,&quot; which we used to analyze the parameters of forced vital capacity, forced expiration volume during the first second, and vital capacity, as well as &quot;PRAAT vocal analysis.&quot; Afterward, the students read the text again, and we collected pre-and post-analysis data by using &quot;PRAAT vocal analysis.&quot; We analyzed accent defects in the words &quot;insan,&quot; &quot;ormanda,&quot; &quot;gezerken,&quot; &quot;guzel,&quot; &quot;oter,&quot; and &quot;kopardigin&quot; for intensity, intensity in air, amplitude, and pitch. Findings and Results: Following voice training, FEV1 (p &lt; 0.05) increased significantly, whereas vital capacity and forced vital capacity did not change significantly. Vocal analysis revealed that the amplitude of the words &quot;insan,&quot; &quot;ormanda,&quot;&quot;gezerken,&quot;&quot;guzel,&quot;&quot;oter,&quot;and&quot;kopardigin&quot; (p &lt; 0.05) increased significantly. For the words &quot;ormanda&quot; and &quot;gezerken,&quot; intensity (p &lt; 0.05 and p &lt; 0.001) increased significantly, as did intensity in air (p &lt; 0.05) for &quot;guzel,&quot; &quot;oter&quot; and &quot;kopardigin.&quot; Conculusion and Recommandation: Students' voice lessons in the Music Department can benefit from vocal training methods that significantly improve accent defects and expressions, as well as assist in breath management. This methodology ultimately promoted the correct expression of Turkish words.