ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The EFL Teachers' Perceptions of Teacher Identity: A Survey of &quot;Zhuangang&quot; and &quot;Non-Zhuangang&quot; Primary School Teachers in China
Author: Xiong, Tao
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Language Teachers,Second Language Instruction,English,Professional Identity,Primary Education,Elementary School Teachers,Rural Schools,Faculty Development,Teacher Surveys,Likert Scales,Teacher Attitudes,Demography,Language Proficiency,Educational Attitudes,Language Attitudes,Questionnaires

&quot;Zhuangang&quot; (literally means &quot;transferring post&quot;) English teachers, usually in the primary schools of rural areas in China, refer to the English teachers who used to teach school subjects other than English. Some of them may at the same time still teach other subjects in addition to English. They are a part of the solutions to the shortage of English teachers due to the policy of popularizing English learning in primary schools in China in 2001. Although they account for a large percentage of primary English teachers especially in rural areas in China, relatively little research has been conducted to investigate the status of their professional development and identity. This study is aimed at finding out whether there is a significant difference between &quot;zhuangang&quot; and &quot;non-zhuangang&quot; English teachers in their perceptions of teacher identity and if it is the case, what may be the contributing reasons. A questionnaire was allocated and a significant difference (p = 0.005) was observed between &quot;zhuangang&quot; and &quot;non-zhuangang&quot; English teachers in their perceptions of teacher identity. Implications for enhancing their teacher identity and professional development are also discussed.
Language Learning Strategies Use and Challenges Faced by Adult Arab Learners of Finnish as a Second Language in Finland
Author: Naif, Ahmed H.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Second Language Learning,Finno Ugric Languages,Arabs,Adult Learning,Immigrants,Learning Strategies,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Metacognition,Memory,Interviews

Adult Arab learners of Finnish as second language (FSL) often encounter communication difficulty when dealing with official documents. They also cannot help their children in their school homework. FSL proficiency is an essential requirement to get an employment and to obtain the Finnish citizenship. The aim of this paper is to explore the use of the language learning strategies by a number of adult Arabs learning FSL in Finland. In addition to issues and difficulties related to the learning process encountered by this category of learners. Oxford's Strategy Inventory for language learning was used for the purpose of data collection and SPSS programme was employed to analyse data collected from the questionnaire, however, interview data were analysed manually. 30 (20 male and 10 female) adult Arab FSL learners taking beginning level course in Finnish at Helsinki School for Adult Learners participated in the current study. The results showed that adult Arab learners of Finnish used the language learning strategies at medium level with the average of (m = 3.25). The results also showed a number of challenges that impede their second language learning process like the low literacy level of the learners, lack of communication with the Finnish society, and difficulties in reading and writing in Finnish.
Understanding Student-Teachers' Performances within an Inquiry-Based Practicum
Author: Méndez Rivera, Pilar
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Teachers,Inquiry,Practicums,Student Projects,Problem Based Learning,Problem Solving,Mentors,Undergraduate Students,Qualitative Research,Foreign Countries,Reflection,Intervention,Preservice Teacher Education,Instructional Design,Educational Strategies,Needs Assessment,Lesson Plans,Student Educational Objectives,Classroom Techniques,Self Concept,Professional Identity,Teaching Skills,Action Research

The role of an inquiry-based practicum in the education of future teachers has been identified as a key component to foster student-teachers' abilities to face problems, try to solve them, work on doubts and produce situated and valuable learning from their own practices (Cochran-Smith &amp; Little, 2001; Beck, 2001). The interaction between mentors and student-teachers involved in this process requires feeding the mutual understanding to collaboratively make decisions to work on difficulties. In this reflective study, the practicum was the perfect scenario to evaluate how student-teachers and mentors engaged in inquiry-based work to face problems on a daily basis in schools in the context of teachers education. This article shows how a group of 12 student-teachers and their mentors experienced difficulties within an inquiry-based practicum in an undergraduate programme while conducting an instructional intervention, designing, implementing and applying a project relevant to their teaching context. Given the qualitative nature of this study, some stages of the process were analysed over a period of a year, bringing as a result relevant insights to enhance their teaching practicum-process in Colombian public schools.
Status Quo and Prospective of WeChat in Improving Chinese English Learners' Pronunciation
Author: Wang, Kanghui
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Social Media,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Telecommunications,Pronunciation,Foreign Countries,Anxiety,Barriers,Computer Mediated Communication

With the ubiquitous usage of wireless, portable, and handheld devices gaining popularity in 21st century, the revolutionary mobile technology introduces digital new media to educational settings, which has changed the way of traditional teaching and learning. WeChat is one of the most popular social networking applications in China featured by its interactivity and real-time communication that has attracted attention of educators to its pedagogical value. This study evaluates the utilization of WeChat in mobile learning and, in particular, its potential for improving English pronunciation among English learners in China. It probes into the perennial problems of Chinese students in English pronunciation acquisition and oral practice, discusses WeChat's support functions in mobile learning, demonstrates the relevant empirical studies of WeChat in teaching and learning, and analyses the potential value of using WeChat in improving English pronunciation. Examinations in this paper enable one to reflect on the strengths of mobile learning by WeChat and to explore how this social media tool is likely to solve the pronunciation difficulties of Chinese English learners. It is found that applying WeChat to English pronunciation teaching and practicing helps create better self-directed learning environment, enhance learning flexibility and improve oral learning effectiveness. It is hopefully that insights gained from examining how WeChat helps improve English pronunciation learning will shed light on further innovations of teaching designs in this area.
Starting with Ourselves in Deepening Our Understanding of Generativity in Participatory Educational Research
Author: van Laren, Linda
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Action Research,Educational Research,Participation,School Community Relationship,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS),Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Higher Education

Participatory educational research is generally characterised by a commitment to making a difference in the lives of those who participate in the research and more broadly, to promoting social transformation. This suggests a potentially fruitful synergy between participatory educational research and the multidisciplinary body of academic work on generativity as a human capacity that has at its core a desire to contribute to the well-being of others. As a research team of teacher educators from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, we seek to add an alternative dimension to current debates on participatory educational research by focusing on understanding the &quot;how&quot; and &quot;what&quot; of generativity in a participatory research process. The research question we address is: How does/can engagement in participatory educational research facilitate generativity? While participatory research literature often concentrates on collaboration between researchers and &quot;researched&quot; communities, we are taking a reflexive stance by exploring our own participation in our dual roles as university community members and as researchers studying our colleagues' experiences in relation to integration of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) &amp; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related issues in university curricula. We describe how our use of the visual method of storyboarding facilitated insight into generativity in participatory educational research. Building on an earlier concept of generativity, we identify and discuss significant generative features of participation, playfulness, passion, and perspicacity in our research process.
On the Optimization of Sentence Imitation in Primary School English Teaching from the Perspective of Strong Memes
Author: Lin, Wang
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Imitation,Sentences,Sentence Structure,Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Elementary Education,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Language of Instruction

A sentence is an important unit in English language, and plays a crucial role in language teaching and learning as well. For many years, sentence teaching is always worth discussion in English teaching, because sentence imitation is very important for students' construction of logical discourse. This paper, based on memetics, proposes some certain optimization strategies of sentence imitation in primary school English teaching from the perspective of strong memes, and points out that efficient sentence imitation is of great importance in primary school English teaching.
Reflection as Learning about the Self in Context: Mentoring as Catalyst for Reflective Development in Pre-Service Teachers
Author: Frick, Liezel
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reflection,Mentors,Preservice Teachers,Teacher Education,Higher Education,Professional Identity,Teaching Methods,Inservice Teacher Education,Focus Groups,Partnerships in Education,College School Cooperation,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research

Establishing a close alignment between teacher education programmes and the realities of the actual classroom remains a challenge in preparing pre-service teachers at higher education institutions. The literature indicates that reflection is a core quality of effective teachers. We investigate how the development of reflective practice through mentoring programmes can facilitate the inevitable transitions that students have to make to the professional sector. Through a narrative analysis, we report on the insights of a selected group of Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students participating in the initial development phase of a mentoring system during their practice teaching in schools guiding them to reflect critically on their learning and practice. The data suggest that mentoring can act as a catalyst to enhance reflection. The development of reflection as praxis can assist in bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Grammar Errors Made by ESL Tertiary Students in Writing
Author: Singh, Charanjit Kaur Swaran
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grammar,Error Patterns,English (Second Language),College Students,Writing Skills,Second Language Instruction,College Entrance Examinations,Essays,Content Analysis,Sentences,Teaching Methods,Morphemes,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Intervention,Statistical Analysis

The educational context in Malaysia demands students to be equipped with sound grammar so that they can produce good essays in the examination. However, despite having learnt English in primary and secondary schools, students in the higher learning institutions tend to make some grammatical errors in their writing. This study presents the grammatical errors made by tertiary students in their writing. The participants were a group of Diploma students who sat for a university entrance exam. One hundred and forty-four written essays of the students were collected and analysed using content analysis. Findings revealed that subject-verb agreement and tenses were the most common type of errors. Students over-generalised and perceived that the tenses could be used interchangeably. Another common error found was in the students' construction of complex sentence. In such constructions, they failed to include essential and nonessential clauses. If teachers do not teach strategies to assist students in comprehending the concept of Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA), tenses, essential and nonessential clauses, these students will continue to make such errors in their tertiary education. The findings may have useful implications for English language teachers as understanding students' learning difficulties and providing appropriate grammar instruction is the key to effective teaching for ESL teachers.
Foreign Language Anxiety in Saudi Classroom: A Case Study of Saudi Tertiary Female Students in Prince Sattam University
Author: Balla, Asjad Ahmed Saeed
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Anxiety,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Females,College Students,Language Skills,Student Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Language Proficiency,Interpersonal Communication,Foreign Countries,Communication (Thought Transfer),Likert Scales,Second Language Learning,Measures (Individuals),Barriers

This paper investigates the level of anxiety due to learning English as a foreign language. It tries to answer these questions: (1) Is anxiety a factor in hindering English proficiency? (2) Does anxiety lead to fear of communication? (3) Which type of anxiety is high among tertiary level female Saudi students? The Foreign Language Anxiety Classroom Scale (FLACS) used as an instrument. The data was collected and statistically analysed through SPSS. This paper revealed that anxiety was one of the major factors that impeded English proficiency. Besides, anxiety also caused fear of communication among the students. Furthermore, it was found that the learners had got a high level of communication apprehension that hindered their contact with their teachers and others. This was followed by test anxiety in which the students expected to fail their test. Students showed great fear of test as they feared to be negatively assessed by teachers, this fact had created great anxiety that influenced their attitudes and behaviour as well.
Learning to Lead with Purpose: National Board Certification and Teacher Leadership Development
Author: Sato, Mistilina
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Leadership,Leadership Training,Teacher Certification,Learning Activities,Educational Needs,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Opportunities,Leadership Responsibility,Training Methods,Leadership Styles,Management Development,Faculty Development,Structured Interviews

How do teachers decide what leadership work to engage? This exploratory study examined the leadership activities and responsibilities that National Board Certified Teachers identified prior to and after achieving National Board Certification. We conducted structured interviews with a diverse group of 15 National Board Certified Teachers from a metropolitan region in the USA. Teachers described that the National Board Certification process influenced their leadership in three ways: (1) opportunities for leadership; (2) choices of leadership activities and responsibilities; and (3) approaches to leadership activities and responsibilities in which they engage. Implications for teacher leadership development around articulation of purpose for what leadership opportunities to engage are discussed.
Education Policy Influence Efficacy: Teacher Beliefs in Their Ability to Change Education Policy
Author: Hinnant-Crawford, Brandi
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Beliefs,Educational Policy,Social Cognition,Advocacy,Interviews,Self Efficacy,Change Agents,Professional Autonomy,Teacher Influence,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Role,Policy Formation,Program Implementation,Trust (Psychology),Access to Education,Recognition (Achievement),Teacher Administrator Relationship,Mixed Methods Research

Guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) this study sought to understand how teachers view themselves as educational policy actors and to construct an instrument that measures teacher beliefs about their aptitude to advocate for changes in educational policy. This study employed a sequential explanatory design, characterized by quantitative data collection from approximately 250 teachers followed by qualitative interviews with seven teachers. Findings reveal that teachers are not overly confident in their ability to make change and see themselves as implementers more than creators of education policy.
From Professional Practice to Practical Leader: Teacher Leadership in Professional Learning Communities
Author: Wilson, Adrianne
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communities of Practice,Teacher Leadership,Professionalism,Secondary School Teachers,Learning Experience,Predictor Variables,Faculty Development,Teacher Role,Learning Activities,Definitions,Questionnaires,School Culture,Teacher Attitudes,Online Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research

The primary purpose of this research is to illuminate perceptions and lived experiences of secondary teachers through their involvement in a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Teachers' experiences within a PLC were examined for patterns of cultivated leadership. The second purpose of the study was to identify variables that either promote or hinder teacher leadership development. Hord's (1997, 2004) research on PLC's is the conceptual framework for this study, which states that PLCs are comprised of five essential dimensions: (1) shared and supportive leadership; (2) shared values and vision; (3) collective learning and its application; (4) shared personal practice; and (5) supportive conditions. Online survey research method was used to investigate teacher leadership in PLCs and the underlying variables associated with participation in such communities of practice. The findings indicate teachers have varying perceptions and experiences that both promote and hinder their growth as teacher leaders.
The Essence of Teacher Leadership: A Phenomenological Inquiry of Professional Growth
Author: Lowery-Moore, Hollis
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Leadership,Phenomenology,Inquiry,Graduate Students,Online Courses,Preservice Teacher Education,Relevance (Education),Leadership Training,Professional Development,Career Development,Content Analysis,Self Efficacy,Well Being,Research Utilization,Parent Teacher Cooperation,Sense of Community,School Community Relationship,Change Agents,Leadership Styles,Educational Benefits

Teacher leadership is a key to school reform (Fullan, 2005), yet it is not a widely practiced educational application (Crowther, 2009). Collay (2006) called for education faculty to assist teachers in developing powerful professional identities, but in order for university faculty to become partners in preparing teacher leaders, programs must nurture teachers' confidence and capacity to have more influence on the school systems in which they serve (Uribe-Florez, Al-Rawashdeh, &amp; Morales, 2014). The purpose of this research project was to identify themes that emerged from the final reflective papers of participants in an online graduate Teacher Leadership program. Researchers analyzed participants' perceptions of personal and professional growth in knowledge, skills, and dispositions, as well as confidence in abilities as change agents who positively influence school environments. Participants in the study reported increased confidence and ease in their current roles and desire to have more influence throughout their schools and districts.
Sustaining School Improvement through an External and Internal Focus: A Case Study of a High-Need Secondary School in Nepal
Author: Gautam, Chetanath
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Improvement,Educational Change,International Schools,Administrative Change,School Effectiveness,Change Strategies,Change Agents,Performance Factors,Interviews,Academic Achievement,Achievement Need,Educational Administration,Sustainability,Case Studies

A study of a high-need school in Nepal was conducted by members of the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN) using the interview protocol developed by members of the high-need school strand of ISLDN. The International School Leadership Development Network is sponsored by the University Council for Educational Administration and the British Educational Leadership, Management, and Administration Society in order to study important leadership practices and processes. The network includes two strands consisting of studies of high-need schools and studies of leaders for social justice.
Successfully Navigating through College: Voices of African American Males
Author: Anumba, Ethel
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: African American Students,Males,Undergraduate Students,Academic Persistence,Student Experience,School Policy,Elementary Secondary Education,Graduation,Semi Structured Interviews,Observation,Qualitative Research,Coding,Social Support Groups,Academic Support Services,Student Needs,Family Influence,Peer Influence,Teacher Influence,Interpersonal Relationship,Self Motivation,Critical Theory,Race

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that facilitated college persistence and retention among African American males who were enrolled in an undergraduate program at two four-year public universities in Southern California. This research addressed the growing problem of college attrition among Black males by conducting an in-depth investigation of the factors that facilitated college persistence among a selected group of African American males. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What are the experiences of African American males that lead to their college retention and persistence?; (2) What are the institutional practices or policies at the K-12 educational system, experienced by African American males, that facilitated their college retention and persistence?; and (3) What are the institutional practices or policies at the university level, experienced by African American males, that facilitated their college retention and persistence?