ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Effectiveness of the Research Skills Teaching Program
Author: Polat, Betül
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Skills,Elementary School Students,Skill Development,Grade 4,Foreign Countries,Program Effectiveness,Student Research

In this study, it was investigated whether the Research Skills Teaching Program (RSTP) prepared for elementary school 4th grade students was effective in imparting the sub-skills required for conducting the research process to students. To this end, pretest-posttest control group design; one of the quasi-experimental designs; was employed. The study was conducted on the students attending two classes of a state elementary school. In the experimental group, the program developed on the basis of the Big Six Research Skills Model was administered, while no such special application was conducted in the control group. In both of the groups, the Research Skills Test was administered as pretest and posttest and Monitoring Tests. The collected data were analyzed by using Independent Samples t-test and Paired Samples t-test. The responses given by the experimental and control group students to each of the open-ended items in the Monitoring Tests were separately examined. It was found that the activities developed within the context of the teaching program had comprehensive effect on the development of the skills needed to direct the research process. When the number of the students giving the most correct answers in the items in the monitoring tests was examined, it was seen that although there are students finding the most correct answers to the items in the experimental group, their levels of using these strategies were not found to be at the desired level and there are students in the control group finding the most correct answers only for four skills.
Item Removal Strategies Conducted in Exploratory Factor Analysis: A Comparative Study
Author: Acar Guvendir, Meltem
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Items,Factor Analysis,Factor Structure,Test Construction,Test Reliability,Construct Validity,College Students

The aim of this study is to examine how the practice of different item removal strategies during exploratory factor analysis (EFA) phase of scale development change the number of factors, factor loadings, explained variance ratio, and reliability values (a and ?) explained. In the study, data obtained from 379 university students were used for the development of a 46-item scale. As the first item removal strategy, crossloading items on two factors and where the difference between factor loadings was less than 0.10 were identified. Then, items were removed one by one, starting with the item with the least difference between the loadings on the factors. As the second strategy, the items that loaded on two factors and where the difference between factor loadings was less than 0.10 were found, and these items were removed from the scale as a whole. As the third strategy, the items that gave high loading on more than two factors and where the difference between these factors was less than 0.10 were identified. The item removal process was started with these items. The study results show that the factor numbers obtained using three different strategies during the item removal process of EFA were the same; however, the number of items on the scale, the explained variance ratio, and the total scale, and reliability values differed. Furthermore, the items in the factors were not all the same. The study results underscore the importance of theoretical competence in the scale development process.
Development of Learning Variations to Improve Basic Jumping Skills and Play Approaches of Elementary School Students
Author: Ritonga, Doris Apriani
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Physical Education Teachers,Active Learning,Movement Education,Psychomotor Skills,Play,Games,Athletics,Health,Grade 4,Creativity,Foreign Countries,Skill Development

From the class of 2018 to 2020, researchers found several weaknesses faced by physical education (PE) teachers in elementary schools in developing active learning. One of the very basic weaknesses is the low creativity and innovation of teachers in developing basic movement skills and character values with a play approach, and in this case, playing is made in the form of games that suit the needs of students. Teachers tend to use existing forms of play such as baseball, soccer, volleyball, and basketball, even though these games are not compatible with elementary school children's growth and development level. The purpose of research and development of learning variations of PE in sports and health based on a play approach is expected to develop basic movement abilities and character values of elementary school students. The research method used is Borg and Gall's research and development. The subjects of this study were 4th-grade elementary school students and four teachers at UPT Percut Sei Tuan. The research instrument uses a rating scale so that the variation of PE learning based on the play approach is suitable for improving elementary school students' basic techniques and character values.
Multidimensional Computerized Adaptive Testing Simulations in R
Author: Ince Araci, F. Gul
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adaptive Testing,Computer Assisted Testing,Simulation,Item Response Theory,Monte Carlo Methods,Computer Software

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) is a beneficial test technique that decreases the number of items that need to be administered by taking items in accordance with individuals' own ability levels. After the CAT applications were constructed based on the unidimensional Item Response Theory (IRT), Multidimensional CAT (MCAT) applications have gained momentum with the improvement of multidimensional IRT (MIRT) models in recent years. Researchers often benefit from simulation studies in order to design the final adaptive testing application and to test the effectiveness of adaptive testing applications they developed with different methods. Recently, R has become one of the most widely used programming languages in Monte Carlo Simulation studies since it is a free and open-source software. The aims of this study are to present the MCAT simulation process step by step in the R environment, to examine the effects of the conditions that researchers can handle during the simulation process according to two different dimensional models, and to examine the effect of treating multidimensional structures as unidimensional structures on simulation results. In this direction, datasets generated in accordance with within-item dimensionality and between-item dimensionality models, MCAT simulation studies were constructed with different customizations, and MCAT simulation results were compared with unidimensional CAT simulation results. All commands required for each simulation example were explained and results were shared for each condition.
Scaling the Criteria to Be Considered in Determining Exam Anxiety by Pairwise Comparison Method
Author: Yahsi Sari, Hasibe
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Anxiety,Grade 8,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries,Institutional Characteristics,Educational Environment,Student Attitudes,Self Concept,Teacher Attitudes,Readiness

In this study, it was aimed to scale the importance level of the criteria that can be taken into consideration in determining the exam anxiety of 8th grade students by means of pairwise comparison. Descriptive survey model was used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 100 8th grade students studying at a randomly selected secondary school in Kilis. The data collection tool was a questionnaire in which the students in the study group were compared in pairs, that consisted of six criteria that affect exam anxiety, including the thought of failing in lessons, the effect of the social environment (family, friends and relatives), students' self-perceptions, teacher attitudes, social and physical characteristics of the school, and the thought of not being prepared for exams adequately. Data analysis was performed on a full data matrix by using equation of case III. As a result of the research, the first two criteria that most affect the exam anxiety of 8th grade students are respectively; social and physical characteristics of the school and how students see themselves. These stimulators are respectively followed by the idea of failing in lessons and the effect of the social environment. The two criteria, which they think are the least effective on exam anxiety, are the attitudes of teachers and not being prepared for exams adequately.
School Characteristics Mediating the Relationship between School Socioeconomic Status and Mathematics Achievement
Author: Albayrakoglu, Ozlem
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Institutional Characteristics,Socioeconomic Status,Mathematics Achievement,Correlation,Grade 8,Educational Quality,Discipline,Student School Relationship,Foreign Countries,Student Behavior

While numerous studies have reported the effect of school socioeconomic status (SES) on achievement, the factors that can cause this relationship are not well established. This study is, therefore, an attempt to understand school SES and students' mathematics achievement relationship by assuming that this relationship occurs through a correlation between school SES and school characteristics. Identifying these school characteristics is crucial to reduce the relation between SES and achievement for educational equity. Focusing on the 8th-grade mathematics data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015, this study aimed to identify school characteristics (quality of mathematics teaching at school, discipline at school, sense of school belonging, and school academic emphasis) that can mediate the relationship between school SES and students' mathematics achievement. The results of multilevel regression analyses showed that controlling school characteristics reduced the relationship between school SES and students' mathematics achievement in most of the educational systems. However, the results of multilevel multiple mediation analysis showed that the relationship between school SES and students' mathematics achievement were mediated through discipline at school, school academic emphasis, or sense of school belonging in some educational systems. In addition, the results indicated that the quality of mathematics teaching at school was not a mediator in this relationship. These results suggest the need for eliminating the effect of school SES on some school characteristics to improve equity in education.
Standard Setting in Academic Writing Assessment through Objective Standard Setting Method
Author: Fisne, Fatima Nur
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Standard Setting,Writing Evaluation,Academic Language,English (Second Language),Evaluators,Preservice Teachers

Performance standards have important consequences for all the stakeholders in the assessment of L2 academic writing. These standards not only describe the level of writing performance but also provide a basis for making evaluative decisions on the academic writing. Such a high-stakes role of the performance standards requires the enhancement of objectivity in standard setting procedure. Accordingly, this study aims to shed light upon the usefulness of Objective Standard Setting (OSS) method in specifying the levels of proficiency in L2 academic writing. On the basis of the descriptive research design, the sample of this research includes the examinees and raters who were student teachers at the university level. Essay task and analytical writing scoring rubric were employed as the data collection tools. In data analysis, OSS method and two-step cluster analysis were used. The analysis results of OSS method based on many-facet Rasch measurement model (MFRM) outline the distribution of the criteria into the levels of proficiency. Also, the main findings in OSS method were validated with twostep cluster analysis. That is, OSS method may be practically used to help the stakeholders make objective judgments on the examinees' target performance.
Does Learning English Require Grit? Examining the Differential Effects on Grades in Core Subjects
Author: Thorsen, Cecilia
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Persistence,Academic Achievement,Socioeconomic Status,Compulsory Education,Grades (Scholastic),Swedish,Mathematics,Student Interests,Gender Differences,Grade 6,Grade 9

Research indicates that beliefs on the locus of the primary source of learning can have negative effects on learning behaviors in school (Mercer &amp; Ryan, 2011). To an increasing extent, young people in Sweden acquire English outside school through different cultural practices (Sundqvist &amp; Sylvén, 2012). At the same time, students lack enthusiasm in English lessons, which can lead to a reduced investment of effort in the language classroom (Henry, 2014). However, learning a language requires both interest and effort. In psychological research, the capacity of showing consistency in interest and perseverance to achieve a goal, such as learning a language, is defined as grit (Duckworth et al., 2007). Studies investigating the association between grit and language achievement remain scarce. The present study contributes to filling this gap by investigating whether the effects of grit differ across different performance domains (i.e., English, Swedish and Mathematics). An additional purpose is to investigate whether there are differential effects of grit for subgroups of students with different SES, achievement levels, and gender. A total of 4646 compulsory school students born in 1992 were extracted from the Evaluation Through Follow-up Database (ETF). Multiple-group path analysis was used to examine the mechanisms of the grit facets (i.e., interest and perseverance) across time and subgroups. While both interest and perseverance predicted grades in Swedish and Mathematics, interest alone predicted grades in English. The low SES high achieving group also showed higher consistency in interest and perseverance than the other groups, indicating that grit could be more valuable in face of adversities.
The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Including Updating the Early Life Experiences and Images with the Empty Chair Technique on Social Anxiety
Author: Avsar, Volkan
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Processes,Behavior Modification,Experience,Anxiety,College Students,Self Efficacy,Memory,Etiology,Program Effectiveness,Well Being,Mental Health,Intervention,Counseling Effectiveness,Foreign Countries

Specific memories of early negative life experiences (ENLE) and images play an important role in the cause and persistence of social anxiety. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of individual Cognitive Behavior Therapy (iCBT), which includes updating a specific memory of ENLE and related images using the empty chair technique, on the social anxiety of university students. In addition to this, how iCBT applied affects the students' general self-efficacy and psychological well-being is also examined. The current study was carried out with a total of eight university students, six female and two male. Participants attended iCBT sessions for 12 weeks. Changes in participants were evaluated with Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Flourishing Scale (FS) before iCBT, and one week, three months and six months after iCBT ended. The findings show that participants' social anxiety decreased both statistically and clinically in post-tests and follow-up measures. There were statistically and clinically significant increases in general self-efficacy and psychological well-being. In addition, the changes in the participants' social anxiety, general self-efficacy and psychological well-being post-test and follow-up measures have a large effect size. This study shows that iCBT, which includes updating of specific memories of ENLE and images, is effective in reducing social anxiety and increasing general self-efficacy and psychological well-being. These findings show that iCBT, which includes updating a specific memory of ENLE and related images, using the empty chair technique is an effective method reducing for university students' social anxiety.
Language Learning in Crisis Mode: The Connection between LX Grit, Trait Emotional Intelligence and Learner Emotions
Author: Resnik, Pia
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Scores,Distance Education,Online Courses,Personality Traits,Resilience (Psychology),Academic Persistence,Anxiety,Predictor Variables,Emotional Intelligence,Student Attitudes,Group Dynamics,Humor,Teacher Student Relationship,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Undergraduate Students,Communication (Thought Transfer),Likert Scales,Measures (Individuals),Foreign Countries,Correlation,COVID-19,Pandemics,Educational Change

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the education sector soon faced the unprecedented challenge of moving courses online within no time. The rapid implementation of emergency remote teaching (ERT) led to students and teachers alike being thrown into an emotional terra incognita. This paper sets out to explore if foreign language (LX) grit, learners' passion and perseverance for LX learning, is a predictor of learners' foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and their foreign language anxiety (FLCA) in LX classes taught remotely due to COVID-19. Additionally, the role of trait emotional intelligence (TEI) in mediating the connections between LX grit, FLE, and FLCA is investigated. With a web survey, data were collected from 481 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Europe. Regression analyses indicated that LX grit was a reliable predictor of FLE and TEI. TEI functioned as a partial mediator in the model, explaining a significant proportion of variance (14.3%) in FLE scores. Thus, grittier students, who were also more emotionally intelligent, reported enjoying their English classes more. LX grit was also shown to be a reliable predictor of FLCA. In this case, TEI functioned as a full mediator in the model, explaining 22.5% of the variance in FCLA scores. Therefore, lower TEI scores were linked to higher levels of FLCA. Less gritty EFL learners scored lower on TEI, which consequently determined higher levels of FLCA. Data from two open-ended questions revealed that particularly enjoyable or anxiety-provoking episodes during ERT were similar among all learners. While positive group dynamics, teachers' forgiving nature and easy-going disposition, humor as well as the innovative use of technology were mentioned as common factors boosting their FLE, speaking in front of strangers, overwhelming workload and technology-related aspects were frequently mentioned sources of anxiety.
The Thematic Content Analysis of the Scales Used in Citizenship Education
Author: Gezer, Melehat
Date: 2022-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Measures (Individuals),Test Construction,Construct Validity,Content Analysis,Citizenship Education,Doctoral Dissertations,Journal Articles,Social Studies,Citizenship,Sample Size,Factor Structure,Psychometrics

This study aimed to scrutinize the scales used in citizenship education in Turkey through thematic content analysis. In the study, all of the scales developed/adapted within the scope of citizenship education without a year limitation were reviewed and 56 scales found in these studies were evaluated. The document analysis was used as the method of data collection. It was determined that the scales examined in the study were mostly published within the scope of doctoral dissertations and articles. Most of the scales were developed/adapted in 2016, a great majority of which were developed by researchers themselves whereas a small number of which were adapted from other cultures into Turkish. The most frequently used key words in the studies where the scales were available were &quot;citizenship&quot;, &quot;social studies&quot; and &quot;citizenship education&quot;. The sample mostly used in the scales were composed of university students and the most frequently used sample size included 201-300 participants. It was concluded that the relevant scales considered multi-factor structures in relation to citizenship. In addition, a number of deficiencies were found in analysing the psychometric properties and recommendations were made accordingly.
The Role of Grit among Polish EFL Majors: A Comparative Study of 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-Year University Students
Author: Zawodniak, Joanna
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Persistence,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Comparative Analysis,College Students,Individual Differences,Personality Traits,Student Attitudes

The foreign and second language (L2) learning process is shaped by a constellation of individual difference (ID) factors, some of which (e.g., age, anxiety, motivation, aptitude, learning styles, language learning strategies) have long been investigated by specialists, whereas others have only recently attracted their attention. One of such underexplored variables is grit, usually referred to as a personality trait predictive of success and supportive of various important skills including, among others, cooperation and creative thinking. Given the vital role that this ID factor might play in the L2 classroom, the present paper reports a mixed-methods study which addressed the following issues: (1) the level of grit experienced by 99 Polish university BA students majoring in English, (2) the differences in this respect between 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-year students, and (3) possible manifestations and dynamics of grit in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Grit was measured using the Polish version of Teimouri et al.'s (2020) language-specific grit scale and a semi-structured interview. One-way ANOVA was employed to quantitatively compare the means of the respondents enrolled in different levels of a BA program, whereas a four-stage procedure (Dörnyei, 2007) was adopted to analyze the qualitative data. The results demonstrated a relatively high level of grit among all the respondents and statistically significant differences for one of its components, that is, consistency of interest in learning the target language between 1st- and 2nd- as well as 1st- and 3rd-year students. This particular subconstruct of grit was found to be mediated by such factors as learning styles and strategies, emotions, weariness or personality. In addition, grit was shown to be linked to participants' identification of their L2 learning weaknesses and the ability to eliminate them.