ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Exploration of the Mental Health Education Competency Survey of Primary and Middle School Head Teachers
Author: Liu, Chunyu
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mental Health,Health Education,Questionnaires,Middle School Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Interviews,Career Development,Teacher Selection,Validity,Reliability,Foreign Countries,Knowledge Level,Teacher Competencies,Personality Traits,Expertise,Factor Analysis

Despite a recent focus on the mental health of students, primary and middle school mental health education in China has been hampered by a lack of resources and inadequate professional training. This study assessed the mental health education competency of primary and middle school head teachers using the Mental Health Education Competency Questionnaire, a measure based on data from documentary analysis, behavioral event interviews (BEIs), and expert judgment. Factor, reliability, and validity analysis of this questionnaire were conducted. Through these analyses, seven structural dimensions of mental health education competency were found: mental health education skill, career growth, personality charm, occupational tendency, achievement feature, student perspective, and professional knowledge. This questionnaire will improve hiring and evaluation processes and, therefore, improve mental health education.
Feedback Provision in Mentoring Conversation--Differing Mentor and Student Perceptions
Author: Korver, Bettina
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mentors,Feedback (Response),Comparative Analysis,Teaching Assistants,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Vocational Education,Teacher Education,Secondary School Students,Classification,Interpersonal Communication,Foreign Countries,Reliability,Correlation

Diverging perceptions between a mentor and a mentee on the nature and content of feedback given in mentoring conversations may have a profound impact on the mentee's learning from conversation. This study gauges whether approaches to mentoring relate to establishing congruency in perceptions on provided feedback. The aim of this research is to study differences in mentor and student perceptions of feedback provided during mentoring sessions. For that purpose, this study compares typical mentoring approaches across different settings. Sixty eight students (37 Teaching Assistant (TA) students in secondary vocational education and 31 Teacher Education (TE) students in Higher Education) and their mentors participated in this study. Mentoring conversations on teaching internships of these students were analyzed. A questionnaire instrument was used to gauge 1) acceptance of feedback from mentoring as well as 2) following recommendations after feedback provision. Approaches to mentors' conversation styles were identified with an observation instrument categorizing mentoring into four types. TA students predominantly recognized their mentor' s approach as having a Imperator (supervising) style, while the TE students identified it as an Initiator (engaging style). As a result, TA students expressed a higher degree of acceptance of feedback, as compared to TE students. Differences in perception between students and their mentors on feedback provision were found to be significant. Our findings point to the importance of mentoring approach as it impinges on the feedback acceptance in mentoring conversations.
The Concept of Happiness as Conveyed in Visual Representations: Analysis of the Work of Early Childhood Educators
Author: Russo-Zimet, Gila
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Psychological Patterns,Visual Stimuli,Early Childhood Education,Graduate Students,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Teacher Education,Case Studies,Art,Student Attitudes

This research was designed to examine how early-childhood educators pursuing their graduate degrees perceive the concept of happiness, as conveyed in visual representations. The research methodology combines qualitative and quantitative paradigms using the metaphoric collage, a tool used to analyze visual and verbal aspects. The research population included 32 students from various locations in Israel. The findings revealed that the concept of happiness is perceived as love, spirituality and emotions. In their collages, approximately half of the participants represent happiness as a list of separate and fragmented components such as children, health etc., while others attempted to find connections and relations in order to achieve a more profound view of happiness. Although the majority of the participants experience happiness as something intangible, they did not perceive academic studies and learning processes as a component of happiness.
Learning Style Preferences of Undergraduate Dietetics, Athletic Training, and Exercise Science Students
Author: Wagner, Meredith G.
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Style,College Students,Majors (Students),Health Education,Exercise Physiology,Correlation,Dietetics,Athletic Coaches,Athletics,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Case Studies,Measures (Individuals)

The study assessed the preferred learning style (LS) of college students and compared LS preferences among students majoring in Dietetics, Exercise Science, and Athletic Training. LS questionnaires were distributed to students (N = 693, mean age 20.5 ± 1.7) enrolled in health science courses at three Midwestern universities. Most students preferred a converger LS followed by assimilator, accommodator, and diverger. Some students preferred a combination of two LS. Chi square results indicated a significant relationship between college major and LS. Students in health majors were all observed to have a significant LS preference, namely the converger LS. However, distributions of preferred LS within each major differed. Understanding preferred LS of college students in different academic programs may increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
Youth Engagement in Electoral Activities: A Collaborative Evaluation of a Civic Education Project
Author: Berson, Michael J.
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,High School Students,Citizenship Education,Student Surveys,Pretests Posttests,Voting,Correlation,Program Evaluation,Questionnaires,Learner Engagement

Youth civic engagement is recognized as an essential component necessary for the preservation of democratic practices; however, inadequate levels of civic participation persist among young people. Past research has shown that young people are more likely to participate in politics when they are informed. We present survey data collected from middle and high school students during a collaborative evaluation of a civic education project. A total of 4492 students participated in the pre-survey, and 3180 students participated in the post-survey. The aim of this part of the evaluation was to explore students' civic engagement before and after the infusion of civic education into the curriculum. We discuss reasons hindering students' intent to vote, their satisfaction level with the 2008 presidential election, and how students planned to become involved in the 2012 presidential election. The results of the post-survey show an increase in students registered to vote and students' intent to register to vote after the infusion of civic education into the curriculum. The findings suggest that civic education seems to positively influence students' political behavior.
Exemplary Teachers' Influence on Their Adolescent Pupils Who Later Became Teachers
Author: Yariv, Eliezer
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interviews,Females,Women Faculty,Role Models,Classroom Techniques,Secondary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,High Schools,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Characteristics,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,Junior High Schools,Semi Structured Interviews,Experience,Mentors,College Faculty,Adolescents,Teaching (Occupation),Career Choice

There are many possible sources that may influence teachers in the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills throughout their careers. The current study analyzes 26 interviews with Israeli female teachers who reported on exemplary teachers from their past who served as role models regarding class management. Contrary to our initial assumption, the respondents of this study could recall only one or two outstanding teachers, mostly from middle and high school, from among the many teachers who had taught them in the past. The findings present outstanding professionals, those who possess unique and unusual personal and professional qualities in the inter-personal, professional and moral-social dimensions. The discussion analyzes how classroom management practices are recalled and why most of the key teachers appeared early in the lives of the respondents, long before they chose to become teachers and attend teachers colleges.
Teachers' Perceptions of the Dimensions of the Psychosocial School Environment in Primary Schools in Trinidad and Tobago
Author: Gowrie, George
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Psychological Patterns,Social Influences,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Educational Environment,Social Environment,Statistical Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Comparative Analysis,Geographic Location,Institutional Characteristics,Gender Differences,School Size,Questionnaires

The study explored some of the important psycho-social factors in the primary school environment that impact on students' learning as perceived by teachers. It also attempted to identify, describe and develop conceptual categories as separate dimensions of the social and emotional environment. The sample consisted of 187 teachers and 53 schools selected from one Educational District--St. George East. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-SPG2). Statistical means, T-tests, ANOVA and regression analysis were used to make comparisons between schools and to show the relationships between the independent psycho-social categories and the overall dependent psycho-social environment. The five independent psychosocial categories were teacher-student relations, teacher-related issues, student and curriculum issues, school organization and policy and school health and safety. The findings revealed that teachers perceived student-related and school violence issues as the most important dimensions of the psychosocial environment. There was a significant positive correlation between the five dimensions of the psychosocial environment. Also, the psycho-social environment had negative influences on students' attitudes and emotional well-being as perceived by teachers in many of our primary schools in the sample, especially in the Government schools. The findings further indicated that teacher-related issues had the greatest influence on the overall psycho-social environment.
The Cumulative Effect of Hyperactivity and Peer Relationships on Reading Comprehension
Author: Johnson, Kaprea F.
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Hyperactivity,Peer Influence,Academic Achievement,Reading Comprehension,Scores,Behavior Problems,Elementary School Students,Multiple Regression Analysis,Urban Schools,Correlation,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,At Risk Students

The impact of hyperactivity and peer relationships on academic achievement has long been highlighted in the professional literature. This study highlights how much variation in reading comprehension scores, an indicator of academic achievement, are accounted for by hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problems. The participants included 129 students in first through sixth grade in an urban school district in the Northeast. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the unique contributions of hyperactivity, peer relationships, and conduct problems on reading comprehension. Results indicated that increasing levels of peer problems were associated with decreasing reading comprehension scores.
Italian Lifelong Learning in Europe: Notes to the Second Millennium
Author: Savelli, Simona
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Lifelong Learning,Educational Change,Mobility,Surveys,Citizenship,Outcomes of Education,Competency Based Education,Standards,Educational Policy,Student Evaluation,Skill Development,Employment Qualifications,Vocational Education,Technical Education,Higher Education,Learning Processes,Compulsory Education,Educational Practices

In Italy the &quot;Education and Training System&quot; is undergoing a period of complex reorganization. This occurs within a &quot;European Integration Process&quot; aimed at achieving a full &quot;Citizenship right&quot; and the maximum mobility among &quot;Member States&quot;. Starting from the latest &quot;European Directives&quot;, which make the concept of &quot;Competence&quot; the cornerstone of &quot;Education, Training and Work&quot;, and examining data from some very recent surveys of national and international significance, here we propose a picture of the current Italian situation.
The German Teacher Trainers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs
Author: Batdi, Veli
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Educators,Self Efficacy,Teacher Attitudes,Surveys,Interpersonal Competence,Measures (Individuals),Reliability,Validity,Gender Differences,Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Student Behavior,Classroom Techniques,Secondary School Teachers

In this study, the aim is to identify the interpersonal self-efficacy beliefs of German teacher trainers' in Turkey. It is a descriptive survey and the population of the study consists of German teacher trainers who have worked in the seven regions of Turkey during the 2012-2013 academic year. The sample comprises 52 German teacher trainers chosen randomly from the related population. The version of &quot;The Teacher Interpersonal Self-efficacy Scale (TISE)&quot; which was developed by Brouwers and Tomic (2002), translated into Turkish and whose reliability and validity were determined by Çapri and Kan (2006), was used to collect data. As a result of the study, it is understood that the level of self-efficacy beliefs, particularly of more experienced male teachers, is high.
Vocabulary Theatre: A Peer-Teaching Approach for Academic Vocabulary Acquisition
Author: Robb, Elizabeth
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,Peer Teaching,Grade 8,Academic Discourse,College Entrance Examinations,Dictionaries,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Statistical Analysis,Interviews,Qualitative Research,Teaching Methods,Comparative Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Associative Learning,Student Attitudes,Theater Arts

This mixed methods counterbalanced study compared the gain score means of two different approaches to vocabulary acquisition--Vocabulary Theater (VT) and Teacher Directed Instruction (TDI) for 8th grade students from three schools in New York. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of a peer teaching approach on students' vocabulary development. Students in the VT condition were instructed to take ownership of their words by teaching them to their peers. They received both linguistic and non-linguistic representations of 30 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) words over a three-week period, while the TDI condition students were instructed over the same three-week period to define the same 30 SAT words through the use of a dictionary and then use the words in sentences. The study's counterbalanced design ensured that all students received each vocabulary condition. Students were given a pre- and posttest to examine their level of vocabulary acquisition in each condition. A survey given to the students in the VT condition revealed that on average 43% of the students were totally unfamiliar with the words presented, 14% had an associative connection with the words presented and 13 % were very familiar with the words. Qualitative data were collected from all three schools in the form of group discussions, VT presentations, individual interviews, teacher interviews, and classroom observations. The quantitative analysis revealed that the gain scores of students in the Vocabulary Theatre were significantly greater than the gain scores of students in the TDI condition regardless of the presentation order.
Adult Learners' Perceptions of the Significance of Culture in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning
Author: Brooks-Lewis, Kimberly Anne
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Learning,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Introductory Courses,Intercultural Communication,Student Attitudes,Cultural Awareness,Qualitative Research,Action Research,Language Teachers,College Faculty,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Diaries,Essays

Is learning about culture important when learning a foreign language? One would think that after its long history in the field of foreign language teaching this question had been answered with a resounding &quot;yes&quot;. However, I saw little evidence of this in the classroom when I returned to the university to learn a foreign language or when I began teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). I decided to investigate, and found that while much has been published about the theory of the need for inclusion of culture in foreign language teaching, I was struck by the absence of reports on the study of &quot;learners'&quot; opinions on the issue and resolved to do such a study. Since I had encountered no teaching materials that I felt encompassed the teaching of culture sufficiently, I designed an introductory EFL course specifically for the adult learners I was working. The course centered on intercultural communication and awareness, and I employed it as the &quot;medium&quot; for qualitative action research to learn about the learners' perceptions of the experience. In this paper I report on their responses to the focus on culture. The research reveals that while the inclusion of culture and the concept of &quot;learner centering&quot; in foreign language education are recognized in theory, these considerations have not been effectively incorporated into practice. It is hoped that the definitive insights from learners' assessments of the significance of explicitly learning about culture when learning a foreign language will instigate its further inclusion and promote conscious learner centering.
Opportunities and Threats to Learning: Lessons from a Pedagogical Workshop for Faculty at a Higher Education Institution
Author: Ssentamu, Proscovia Namubiru
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Faculty Development,Workshops,Case Studies,Constructivism (Learning),Adult Learning,Educational Opportunities,Barriers,Facilitators (Individuals),Educational Environment,Reflection,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Cultural Context,Predictor Variables,Colleges

Faculty quality is a key variable in the quality of teaching and learning. However, although learning is the basis for teaching, the circumstances under which faculty learn largely remain unexplained. This paper focuses on the opportunities and threats to learning by faculty at Uganda Management Institute (UMI). The paper is based on a study of the evaluations completed by faculty at a pedagogical workshop organised to strengthen their teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes. A case study confirmatory research design was used to identify and analyze the opportunities and threats affecting learning based on the theories of constructivism, social constructivism and the principles of adult learning. Findings confirm that learning opportunities and threats are dependent on the degree of support from significant others, the content, methods and environment (Reigeluth &amp; Carr-Chellman, 2009; Aldridge &amp; Fraser, 1999; Seaman &amp; Fellenz, 1989). Faculty were more critical of the strengths and weaknesses of the facilitators, methods and environment than they were of the content and of themselves as learners. The evaluation of the former focused on the conduct and management of these constructs than on the constructs themselves. Limited self-reflection and criticism could be viewed from a wider Ugandan cultural perspective. Whereas the teaching of content could be evaluated differently, content itself is a context-independent variable, and therefore a stable phenomenon (Ssentamu, 2010). Based on the findings, higher education institutions could holistically focus on colleagues, facilitators, content, methods and environment as key constructs in enhancing faculty learning both at strategic and operational levels.
An E-Portfolio to Enhance Sustainable Vocabulary Learning in English
Author: Tanaka, Hiroya
Date: 2015-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Portfolios (Background Materials),Educational Technology,Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Dictionaries,Electronic Publishing,Foreign Countries,Japanese,Native Language,College Students,Metacognition,Independent Study,Multimedia Materials,Familiarity,Computer Assisted Instruction,Learning Processes,Learning Strategies,Assignments,Surveys,Student Attitudes

Vocabulary is an area that requires foreign language learners to work independently and continuously both in and out of class. In the Japanese EFL setting, for example, more than 97% of the population experiences approximately six years of English education at secondary school during which time they are required to learn approximately 3,000 words (i.e., lemmas). Given the lexical distance between Japanese and English, this leaves Japanese university EFL learners with a long way to go before they can acquire a sufficient number of words to comprehend authentic texts in English. To help Japanese university EFL learners sustain their vocabulary learning, the researchers have developed &quot;Lexinote,&quot; an e-portfolio system that allows learners to record and save the target words they encounter online, to search for them in online dictionaries, to practice them in several ways including written and oral rehearsals according to word familiarity (i.e., level of understanding of each lexical item), and to share their own output with peers. Learners are guided to monitor and control their vocabulary learning metacognitively according to word familiarity. &quot;Lexinote&quot; also provides learners with multimedia materials such as audio lessons for business and academic vocabulary development and online video lectures to prepare for classes conducted in English. Instructors can monitor students' learning records by number of words recorded, by type of practices chosen, and by how frequently they edit their learning records. This paper introduces the key concepts and basic functions of &quot;Lexinote&quot; and discusses how it can benefit learners, instructors, CALL researchers and developers with results from a survey on learners' perceptions.