ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Relationships among Writing Skills, Writing Anxiety and Metacognitive Awareness
Author: Balta, Elif Emine
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Skills,Anxiety,Metacognition,Grade 8,Middle School Students,Foreign Countries,Persuasive Discourse,Student Surveys,Writing Assignments,Statistical Analysis,Correlation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among students' argumentative text writing skills, writing anxiety, and metacognitive awareness. The participants were composed of 375 8th graders in six middle schools in Sivas. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (B Form) which was adapted in to Turkish by Karakelle &amp; Saraç (2007) and Writing Anxiety Scale which was developed by Yaman (2010) were used to collect data. The argumentative texts that were gathered from the students were evaluated using the Argumentative Essay Rubric, which was developed within the scope of this study. Descriptive statistics were calculated, Spearman Correlation Analysis, and Kruskal-Wallis Test were applied for analyzing the data. The analyses revealed that the students' argumentative text writing skills were inadequate. It was also determined that students with low writing anxiety were more successful in writing argumentative texts when compared with their counterparts with middle and high anxiety levels. Moreover, slight and positive relationship between argumentative text writing skills and metacognitive awareness, and a significant relationship between writing anxiety and metacognitive awareness were determined. As a result of the study, it can be stated that decreasing students' writing anxiety and increasing their metacognitive awareness will have a positive effect on their argumentative text writing skills.
Connected Education: Teachers&apos; Attitudes towards Student Learning in a 1:1 Technology Middle School Environment
Author: Luo, Tian
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Teachers,Middle School Students,Educational Technology,Teacher Attitudes,Laptop Computers,Phenomenology,Semi Structured Interviews,Teacher Surveys,Observation,Technology Uses in Education,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices

Online and blended forms of learning has been increasingly common in K-12 settings, along with the technological advancement with always-on and connected devices. The study purports to understand teachers' attitudes towards the middle school's one-laptop-per-student (1:1) policy and students' frequent use of always-on and connected technology, as well as their concerns about middle school students' capabilities of using mobile devices and technologies in 1:1 environments. Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, data was obtained through semi-structured interviews, pre- and post- teacher open-ended surveys, along with classroom and lab observations. The study concluded that teachers typically embraced student use of school issued connected technology, as well as personal, connected mobile devices in a 1:1 environment. Meanwhile, teachers are cognizant of the potential drawbacks, implementing differing strategies to balance the use of such device for productive classroom learning and student engagement of personal non-course related activities. The pivotal role of teacher guidance is reiterated by teachers' perceptions of students' inability to engage in self-directed and self-motivated learning. The challenges reveal what middle school teachers' may face when planning a curriculum and instruction for connected digital age learners.
Generic vs. Modality-Specific Competencies for K-12 Online and Blended Teaching
Author: Pulham, Emily B.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Blended Learning,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Teacher Competencies,Teaching Skills,Technological Literacy,Literature Reviews,Coding,Teaching Methods

Although research has explored teacher competencies in K-12 blended and online learning, it has not specified which competencies are appropriate to an online or digital medium, which refer to blending in-person with online experiences, or which are generic--applicable in any teaching modality. This article explores selected K-12 online and blended teaching competency documents to determine which specific modalities (online, in-person, blended, or generic) the competencies address. Many competencies are still categorized as generic, and not specific enough to denote a particular context. The authors give recommendations for pre-service teacher education and indicate needs for further research in K-12 online and blended teaching.
Retaining K-12 Online Teachers: A Predictive Model for K-12 Online Teacher Turnover
Author: Larkin, Ingle M.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Online Courses,Teacher Persistence,Labor Turnover,Job Satisfaction,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Intention,Scheduling,Mentors,Teacher Student Ratio,Teaching Conditions,Teaching Experience,Predictor Variables,Regression (Statistics),Statistical Analysis

The purpose of this study was to measure and explore factors influencing K-12 online teachers' turnover intentions, with job satisfaction and organizational commitment serving as moderating variables. Using Fishbein and Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior (1975), this study was conducted in public, private, charter, for-profit, and not-for-profit K-12 online schools in a single Southeastern state. Using a quantitative survey design, the study included responses from 108 participants. The results revealed that K-12 online teachers intend to remain teaching in the online setting in the immediate, intermediate, and long-term future. A logistic regression model indicated schedule flexibility, mentoring, number of students, number of years teaching experience, and affective commitment are predictors of online teacher's likelihood of turnover. These results inform K-12 online school leaders who seek to retain new hires of statistically significant variables that influence online teacher retention.
The University of California&apos;s Use of the iNACOL Standards for Online Classes
Author: Heller, Kevin
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Universities,College Students,National Standards,Educational Quality,Online Courses,Evaluation Criteria,Scoring Rubrics,College Admission,Admission Criteria,Teacher Attitudes,Preferences,Web Based Instruction,Educational Policy,Teacher Surveys,College Faculty,Statistical Analysis,Instructional Design

The Colin standards for online courses are widely used by educational institutions across the world, including the University of California (UC), which uses them in its formula for determining whether or not a high school course can be used to meet minimum eligibility requirements for admission to the University. To date, however, there has been little research into the quality of the iNACOL standards. Although the developers of the 52 iNACOL standards never prioritized one standard over another, UC has independently determined that 15 of the standards are more important than the remaining 37. This study asked online teachers to rank the 52 iNACOL standards, and results were compared to UC's prioritized list. Results were mixed. Overall, teachers were more likely to endorse UC's 15 &quot;power standards&quot; as being among the most important within different instructional domains than they were to endorse the 37 non-power standards. However, that pattern did not always hold true when each domain was considered separately. Additionally, there were a number of instances of online teachers selecting non-power standards as being more important than power standards. Recommendations for policy improvements appear in the conclusion, based upon the quantitative and qualitative results.
From Policies to Implementation of Open Distance Learning in Rwanda: A Genealogical and Governmentality Analysis
Author: Mukama, Evode
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Policy,Educational History,Government Role,Role of Education,Higher Education,Access to Education,Documentation,Strategic Planning,Educational Quality

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the interplay between policy formulation and implementation in terms of the historical practices of open distance learning (ODL) in Rwanda. This paper draws on the Foucauldian genealogical and governmentality analysis. The paper examines government aspirations as depicted in policy statements starting from 2001, a year aligning with the beginning of the Government of Rwanda's Vision 2020. This vision aims at transforming the country from an agrarian to a knowledge-based and technology-led society. This study analysed discourses emerging from policy statements on ODL and scrutinised how government aspirations were translated into concrete actions. Moreover, the study examined the rationality governing ODL practice and explored governing techniques adopted in relation to ODL discourses. The findings reveal that, though policies extol ODL potential to increase access, relevance and inclusion in education, and though they highlight the need to improve quality in higher education through affordable, scalable and sustainable technologies, implementing institutions tend to adopt contentious approaches to cope with a dual mode. The study makes some concrete suggestions to close the gap between ODL policy formulation and implementation.
Characteristics of Early Work Experiences and Their Association with Future Employment
Author: McDonnall, Michele Capella
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Work Experience,Employment Potential,Visual Impairments,Predictor Variables,Employment Patterns,Retirement Benefits,Welfare Services,Data Analysis,Disabilities,Longitudinal Studies,Special Education,Transitional Programs,High School Students,Statistical Analysis

Introduction: Early work experiences are a key predictor of future employment for transition-age youths with visual impairments. We investigated how specific characteristics of early work experiences influence future employment and whether the receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits is associated with early work experiences among this population. Method: Secondary data analyses were conducted using four waves of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study, which included a nationally representative sample of high school students with visual impairments who were receiving special education services. Results: Future employment outcomes were positively associated with the characteristics of early work experiences, including finding a job independently, holding multiple jobs, and holding jobs for longer periods of time. Participating in school-sponsored work was not associated with future employment. Youths who received SSI benefits were significantly less likely to engage in productive activities, including employment, in Wave 3 than were those who did not receive benefits; however, this was not the case for youths who received SSI benefits in Wave 2. Discussion: Not all early work experiences were found to be equally predictive of future employment for youths with visual impairments. The results indicate that it may not be sufficient for youths simply to be employed during high school without consideration of the types of work, how the jobs were obtained, or how long the jobs lasted. These characteristics of early work experiences are important to future employment and should be considered when helping youths prepare for the transition from school to work. Implications for Practitioners: Professionals and parents should emphasize the benefits of early employment to youths with visual impairments. Youths should be encouraged to obtain multiple work experiences during high school while keeping in mind that longer job tenure is also positively associated with future employment. Professionals should particularly encourage youths who receive SSI benefits to obtain early work experiences and should inform them and their families about incentives that allow them to retain benefits while working.
Sustaining and Scaling Up Pedagogic Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Grounded Insights for Teacher Professional Development
Author: Hassler, Bjoern
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Sustainable Development,Developing Nations,Faculty Development,Inservice Teacher Education,Shared Resources and Services,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Low Income Groups,Peer Teaching,Active Learning,Scheduling,Resource Allocation,Elementary Secondary Education,Rural Schools,Motivation,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)

Developing sustainable and scalable educational initiatives is a key challenge in low-income countries where donor-funded short-term projects are limited by both contextual factors and programme design. In this commentary we examine some of the issues related to in-service teacher development in the context of sub-Saharan Africa, grounded predominantly in our work of over five years of iteratively developing, refining and evaluating an intensive school-based professional learning programme for primary school teachers. 'OER4Schools' integrates interactive pedagogy, Open Educational Resources (OER) and the use of mobile devices (where available). Our focus here is on identifying what the main factors are perceived to be in sustaining and scaling up such a programme, from the perspectives of participating teachers, workshop facilitators and the research team. Synthesising our previous research and drawing on recent work in the field, we identify the key characteristics of effective and sustainable professional learning in low-resourced contexts. Such characteristics include effective peer facilitation, school-based active learning, explicit programme structure, appropriate scheduling and resourcing, and mitigating resource constraints through the use of OER. Our conclusions offer insights concerning the importance and impact of wider influences on participation and engagement of stakeholders and lead to recommendations for future programme design and implementation.
Distance Education Leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean
Author: Torres, Patrícia Lupion
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Leaders,Higher Education,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Blended Learning,Educational Technology

Distance higher education has only relatively recently been established in some Latin American countries, as part of wider higher education reforms. The developments of distance education have been the result of sustained efforts of leading thinkers and practitioners in the region. In this article, several leading distance education professionals coming from some of these countries are presented as recognition of their contribution to the development of distance education in the region.
Student Perceptions of the Creation and Reuse of Digital Educational Resources in a Community Development-Oriented Organisation
Author: Paskevicius, Michael
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Resources,Community Development,Community Organizations,Student Attitudes,Electronic Publishing,Recycling,Case Studies,Semi Structured Interviews,Student Teacher Attitudes,Learning Experience,Qualitative Research,Community Role,Influence of Technology,Educational Technology,Curriculum Development,Cooperative Planning,Material Development,Student Developed Materials,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries,Learner Engagement

This case study explores students' perceptions of the creation and reuse of digital teaching and learning resources in their work as tutors as part of a volunteer community development organisation at a large South African University. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, student-tutors reflect on their use and reuse of digital educational resources, and identify the challenges they experience in curating, adapting, and reusing educational resources for use in their teaching activities. The data is analysed qualitatively within the framework of an activity system (Engeström, 1987) to surface the primary systemic tensions that student-tutors face in the reuse of resources found online as well as open educational resources (OER). This study found that student-tutors sourced and used educational materials from the Internet, largely irrespective of their licensing conditions, while also creating and remixing a substantial number of educational materials to make them suitable for use in their context. We conclude that greater awareness of the availability of OER and explicit open licencing for works sourced and created within community development organisations could enhance sharing, collaboration, and help sustain high impact resources.
Effect of Spinning Cycling Training on Body Composition in Women
Author: Kaya, Fatih
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Activities,Exercise,Physical Fitness,Body Composition,Females,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Obesity,Statistical Analysis

In this study the effects of a 6 week spinning cycling training on the body composition of women were investigated. Twelve sedentary women (32-47 years old) voluntarily participated in this study. The 6-week training program consisted of exercise sessions on 3 days per week. The intensity of the training program that was kept low in the beginning was increased in the subsequent weeks. The training sessions including the warm-up and cool down lasted for 30-60 minutes. The analyses on the body compositions were measured regularly every week with bioelectrical impedance method. In data analysis descriptive statistics and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used. In the end of the 6-week spinning workouts positive changes were observed in many parameters related to body composition. Particularly after the 3rd week the significant changes recorded were noteworthy. At the end of the 6th week those who were overweight by World Health Organization (WHO) standards moved onto normal weight category and those who were obese became overweight. In conclusion it was seen that the spinning cycling workouts were seen as as effective method to lose weight and reduce the body fat ratio among women in this age group. This exercise method may be recommended for getting good results among obese and overweight women in a short period of time.
Evaluation of Automatic Item Generation Utilities in Formative Assessment Application for Korean High School Students
Author: Choi, Jaehwa
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Formative Evaluation,Evaluation,High School Students,Foreign Countries,Information Technology,Secondary School Teachers,Computer Assisted Testing,Measurement,Testing,Feedback (Response),Theory Practice Relationship,Student Surveys,Interviews

The recent interests in research in the assessment field have been rapidly shifting from decision-maker-centered assessments to learner-centered assessments (i.e., diagnostic and/or formative assessments). In particular, it is a very important research topic in this field to analyze how these learner-centered assessments are developed more practical and valid by combining information (or intelligent) and communication technologies (ICT) and psychometric advances, and how these systems contribute to learning. Automatic Item Generation (AIG), which is in the spotlight recently, is a representative example of building a next-generation assessment theory and practice by integrating ICT into psychometrics. AIG has very broad and promising features in mass production, intelligent item calibration and management, especially learner-centered assessment, and so on. However, these claims have not yet been fully validated in real education settings, and it is in dire need of evaluating the utilities of AIG applications in practical educational settings. Based on these needs, the purposes of this research are, firstly, to introduce the benefits and challenges of AIG to properly assess AIG's utilities. And, secondly, this study provides empirical evaluation results of AIG's utilities within a formative assessment system for Korean high school students and teachers. The results of this study have important implications in that it is the first empirical study to evaluate the usefulness of AIG in the formation evaluation application of the actual educational environment, Korean high school setting. The results of the theoretical and empirical evaluation of the AIG will also be useful to researchers and practitioners who wish to evaluate the benefits and issues of future AIG-based educational services or theory development.
Rethinking edTPA: The Use of InTASC Principles and Standards
Author: Kuo, Nai-Cheng
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,High Stakes Tests,Standards,Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Student Teaching,Teacher Educators,Standardized Tests

The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0, developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO, 2013) in the United States, provide a set of expectations for essential knowledge, critical disposition, and performance needed for high-quality teaching. In this article, there are two parts. Part I addresses issues found in a current mandatory policy--edTPA. Part II explores how teacher educators can use the national teacher education standards to create a learning community where the voices of preservice teachers, teacher educators, and school personnel are equally valued.
Estimating the Return of Higher Education in Algeria: Evidence from Adrar University
Author: Houcine, Benlaria
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Outcomes of Education,Models,Economic Development,Universities,Questionnaires,Human Capital,Least Squares Statistics,Statistical Analysis

This study aims to measure the individual rate of return for investment in higher education at Adrar University by using both basic and extended Mincerian Earnings Function. In addition to this, the comparison had been established between the results obtained and those of other researches in the same domain. We adopted in the research the model of Mincer in evaluating the rate of the economic returns according to previous classifications and the effective experience got by the individual in the work (measured by years). The result of the model application states that the economic return of university education in Algeria has been improved by 8.49% based on the benchmark of Psacharopoulos International Return measured by 9.8%. We conclude that there is no general trend by which we can interpret the results but this lack of interpretation refers to the typical situation of the Algerian economy and its impact on the human capital (education specifically) as it is known that the relationship between the economic development and the human development is positive.