ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Action Research to Improve Youth and Adult Literacy: Empowering Learners in a Multilingual World
Author: Alidou, Hassana, Ed.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Collected Works - General
Subjects: Action Research,Youth Opportunities,Adult Literacy,Program Improvement,Nonformal Education,Curriculum Development,Adult Programs,Youth Programs,Textbook Content,Educational Quality,Research Methodology,Research Utilization,Case Studies,Educational Practices,Multilingualism,Multicultural Education,Numeracy,Trainers,Sociolinguistics,Educational Principles,Guidelines,Theory Practice Relationship,Praxis,Participatory Research,Reflection,Professional Development,Foreign Countries

One of the greatest challenges in education today is to adapt and respond to a linguistically and culturally diverse world, and to combat social disintegration and discrimination. Participatory and collaborative action research represents an empowering and emancipatory approach to this challenge because the &quot;target groups&quot; become involved as equal partners. This book provides guidance for trainers of youth and adult educators and for those who manage non-formal education and curriculum development programmes in youth and adult literacy. It is also aimed at publishers and authors who want to improve their services and products by collaborating more closely with their readerships. Contents of this book are as follows: (1) Introduction (Hassana Alidou and Christine Glanz); (2) Action research from a theoretical perspective (Hassana Alidou and Christine Glanz); (3) Conducting action research--three examples from practice (Hassana Alidou, Christine Glanz, Maman Mallam Garba, Alemayehu Hailu Gebre and Mamadou Amadou Ly); (4) A frame of reference for good quality youth and adult literacy provision in multilingual contexts (Hassana Alidou and Christine Glanz); (5) From theory to practice: an application of quality principles and criteria (Hassana Alidou and Christine Glanz); and (6) Summary of the main messages (Hassana Alidou and Christine Glanz). A glossary and bibliography are included.
Working with Teachers to Adapt an Evidence-Based Intervention for Children with Autism
Author: Stahmer, Aubyn C.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Autism,Intervention,Evidence Based Practice,Educational Quality,Program Effectiveness,Young Children,Fidelity,Special Education,Teacher Competencies,Behavior Modification

Increasing diagnoses of autism have led to pressure to improve the quality of educational services for children with autism by incorporating evidence-based practices (EBPs) into school programs. However, this process has been difficult, and both autism researchers and educators report frustration concerning the gap between research and practice. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of classroom pivotal response teaching (CPRT) for students ages 3-8. Goals included determining if teachers could learn and utilize CPRT in the classroom with fidelity and evaluating whether teachers' implementation of CPRT resulted in student improvement on targeted Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals and standardized communication measures. This study was conducted in special education classrooms in Southern California serving children with an educational classification of autism ages 3-8 years. Study participants included 20 teachers in San Diego County currently teaching children with autism ages 3-8. A total of 19 teachers (95%) mastered all eight components of CPRT and implemented the intervention with fidelity after receiving training. Tables and figures are appended.
Self-Reporting across Two Reading Interventions: Can It Be the Sole Measure of Adherence?
Author: Foster, Lisa Hall
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Reading,Intervention,Fidelity,Program Implementation,Reading Achievement,Summer Programs,Reading Programs,Academically Gifted,Grade 3,Elementary School Teachers,Scores

The need for fidelity of implementation (FOI) measurements and assessments during efficacy and effectiveness studies is becoming evident in the requirements of many educational research funding organizations. The purpose of this study was to determine teachers' levels of FOI when implementing a reading curricular intervention and to investigate whether or not teacher self-report of implementation could be utilized as a reliable alternative to direct observations to measure FOI. Data in this study were collected as part of a) the &quot;What works in gifted education: Excellence and equity in education of gifted students&quot; (WWIGE) study funded by a Javits grant and conducted by the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) at the University of Virginia and b) the READS for Summer Learning study funded by an i3 grant conducted at Harvard University. Participants were (1) 30 third grade gifted teachers who voluntarily participated in the WWIGE study during the 2010-2011 school year; and (2) 29 teachers from three school districts who participated in the READS study during the 2011-2012 school year. This study incorporated a mixed methods design. Data were collected via instruments and procedures that supported both qualitative and qualitative analysis of the extent to which self-reported fidelity correlated with directly observed fidelity and intended curriculum. Consistent with extant literature, study findings demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between self-reported and observed implementation ratings. Tables are appended.
Synthesis of Single-Case Experimental Data: A Comparison of Alternative Multilevel Approaches
Author: Ferron, John
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Intervention,Experiments,Research Methodology,Teaching Methods,Statistical Analysis,Models,Regression (Statistics),Simulation,Equations (Mathematics),Data

Single-case or single-subject experimental designs (SSED) are used to evaluate the effect of one or more treatments on a single case. Although SSED studies are growing in popularity, the results are in theory case-specific. One systematic and statistical approach for combining single-case data within and across studies is multilevel modeling. The purpose of the study is to investigate the applicability of the multilevel approach for analyzing the data from a study by Lambert, Cartledge, Heward, and Yo (2006), which is being used as a common data set in this symposium to explore the applicability of a range of different approaches to analyzing single-case data. Although the multilevel modeling approach and its flexibility are appealing, there is much about SSED data and the functioning of multilevel modeling with this type of data that is not fully understood. It is concluded that multilevel models are flexible enough to handle many of the complexities that arise in analyzing single-case data, and thus we expect them to be of general interest to single-case researchers.
The Evolution, Design and Implementation of the Minds in Motion Curriculum
Author: Cottone, Elizabeth
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Curriculum Design,Curriculum Implementation,After School Programs,Social Development,Emotional Development,Elementary School Students,Disadvantaged,Interdisciplinary Approach,Intervention,Program Descriptions,At Risk Students,Visual Perception,Spatial Ability,Psychomotor Skills,Executive Function,Mathematics Skills,Measures (Individuals),Sensory Integration

Building on the empirical work of the previous two studies, this paper describes the development of the Minds In Motion curriculum (MIM), as well as the setting and circumstances of a randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate this intervention. Throughout this paper the authors emphasize the benefits and challenges of assembling an interdisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners from disparate fields into a team focused on developing a mature intervention. The Minds In Motion curriculum was evaluated as a component of the WINGS for Kids© after-school program located in three schools in North Charleston, SC. WINGS for Kids© is a structured after-school program that serves socio-demographically disadvantaged elementary students for 3 hours daily. The WINGS for Kids© curriculum emphasizes social and emotional learning (SEL) objectives through large and small group activity sessions that follow a regular schedule at all WINGS schools. The schools and communities that are served by WINGS have high levels of social, economic, and academic risk. The children who participated in the MIM study were kindergartners and first graders recruited from the WINGS program in three schools in North Charleston. Tables and figures are appended.
The Contribution of Domain-Specific Knowledge in Predicting Students' Proportional Word Problem Solving Performance
Author: Jitendra, Asha K.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Word Problems (Mathematics),Problem Solving,Mathematics,Mathematics Education,Mathematical Concepts,Arithmetic,Algebra,Grade 7,Predictor Variables

Proportional thinking, which requires understanding fractions, ratios, and proportions, is an area of mathematics that is cognitively challenging for many children and adolescents (Fujimura, 2001; Lamon, 2007; Lobato, Ellis, Charles, &amp; Zbiek, 2010; National Mathematics Advisory Panel [NMAP], 2008) and &quot;transcends topical barriers in adult life&quot; (Ahl, Moore, &amp; Dixon, 1992, p. 81). Problems associated with the failure to understand proportional concepts and operations, and difficulty distinguishing the multiplicative relationship between rational quantities from earlier learned additive arithmetic concepts, are key obstacles to progress in more advanced mathematics, including algebra (Boyer, Levine, &amp; Huttenlocher, 2008; NMAP, 2008). This study aimed to develop greater understanding of why proportional thinking continues to be an area of great difficulty for students. In particular, it seems clear that solving proportion problems, whether they are presented in symbolic form or as word problems, require the coordination of a variety of domain-specific knowledge (including conceptual and procedural knowledge). Unfortunately, little is known about how these types of domain-specific knowledge interact and contribute to the development of proportional word problem solving. Identifying which of these variables is important in promoting the development of proportional thinking (and conversely which are implicated in those who have difficulty with proportional word problem solving) is critical to inform future interventions for improving students' performance in this area. Prior research is summarized on domain-specific knowledge (i.e., fractions, proportions) as it provides the basis for the hypotheses that certain variables are important for proportional word problem solving. The following research question directed this study: Does domain-specific knowledge (conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge, conceptual and procedural proportion knowledge) predict proportional word problem solving? All 429 seventh-grade students from 17 classrooms at three U.S. middle schools in two suburban Midwest school districts participated in the study. Results indicated that conceptual fraction knowledge, procedural fraction knowledge, conceptual proportion knowledge, and procedural proportion knowledge were significant predictors of proportional word problem solving performance. The results support the notion that both conceptual fraction and proportion knowledge and procedural fraction and proportion knowledge play a major role in understanding individual differences in proportional word problem solving performance to inform interventions. Tables and figures are appended.
Using Generalized Additive Models to Analyze Single-Case Designs
Author: Shadish, William
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Models,Research Methodology,Case Studies,Trend Analysis,Effect Size,Time,Regression (Statistics),Hierarchical Linear Modeling

Many analyses for single-case designs (SCDs)--including nearly all the effect size indicators-- currently assume no trend in the data. Regression and multilevel models allow for trend, but usually test only linear trend and have no principled way of knowing if higher order trends should be represented in the model. This paper shows how Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) can be used to inform this aspect of the analysis. It is well known in traditional interrupted time series analysis that correctly modeling trend in the data is essential to obtaining an accurate effect size estimate. Nonlinearities can be inherent in the data (e.g., weight loss that slows over time resulting in a quadratic trend) or can result from interactions of the treatment with time (e.g., after a stable baseline, a treatment slowly becomes more effective as more sessions occur). Modeling trend is difficult in SCDs because they rarely have the large number of observations on a case over time to allow use of traditional methods such as ARIMA modeling. Analyses of SCDs by ordinary regression or multilevel models can address trend, but require the researcher to impose the particular functional form, something they can only intuit from visual inspection of the graph. GAMs are a semi-parametric regression model that allows the data to inform the required functional form. The authors show how they can be applied to SCDs. Given the early stage of this research, the authors propose the use of GAMs as a sensitivity analysis for whether trend might affect the main conclusion about treatment effectiveness. They believe, We believe, however, they have potential to become a primary data analytic tool for SCD data. This research should inform SCD researchers about the need to take linear or nonlinear trend into account. With further study, it may also be that GAMs may prove to be a primary analytic method for use in SCDs.
The Use of Argumentation in Science Education to Promote the Development of Science Proficiency: A Comparative Case Study
Author: Enderle, Patrick
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Science Education,Persuasive Discourse,Laboratory Experiments,Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,High School Students,Biology,Student Evaluation,Science Achievement,Institutional Characteristics,Comparative Education,Case Studies,Measures (Individuals),Statistical Analysis,Scientific Literacy

Science proficiency refers to the knowledge and skills that individuals need to have in order to function effectively in an increasingly complex, information-driven society. The Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) instructional model is one strategy designed to foster the development of four key aspects of scientific proficiency. Classroom activities structured according to the ADI model engage students in designing data collection and analysis procedures, argument generation, group argumentation, scientific writing, and double blind peer review processes. This study explores students' development of science proficiency over the course of an academic year in two different high schools. The students at both high schools were enrolled in the same Biology course; however, the nature of the laboratory instruction in these two contexts was rather different. The objective of this study, as a result, was to document what the students in these two contexts learned in order to examine how the nature of laboratory instruction can hinder or foster the development of science proficiency over time. This research setting involved the high school biology course at a university research school (School A) and a neighboring public high school in the same county (School B). The authors conducted a comparative case study to examine what students learned from their laboratory experiences at the two different schools. They administered four different assessments at the beginning and end of the school year in order to document how students' performance on each assessment changed over time. Their goal for examining how student performance on each assessment changed was not to determine which group of students learned more; rather it was to examine what these students learned in each instructional context. Results suggest that ADI laboratories may have a positive impact on the development of science proficiency in the context of high school biology. Tables and figures are appended.
Proficiency-Based Pathways in Three Pilot Programs: Examining Implementation and Outcomes
Author: Lewis, Matthew
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Pilot Projects,Learning Experience,Outcomes of Education,Program Implementation,Academic Achievement,Accountability,Quasiexperimental Design,Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Technology Uses in Education,Intervention,Middle School Students,High School Students,Grade 8,Grade 9,Competency Based Education

Proficiency-based or competency-based approaches to education are undergoing a resurgence in both K-12 and higher education settings, spurred in part by advances in digital learning technologies. These approaches allow students to progress at their own pace through a diverse range of personalized learning experiences aligned to students' interests. In a proficiency-based system, students receive credit not as a function of how much time they spend studying a subject but, rather, based on demonstrations and assessments of their learning. This study focuses on three distinct approaches to proficiency-based education. It attempts to extend the research base by describing the implementation of three diverse technology-enabled models and by providing evidence about students' experiences and learning outcomes under each model. Description of the research location. The study examines proficiency-based pathways implementation in five settings. To obtain a quasi-experimental estimate of the pilot interventions' effects on student performance in the targeted subject areas, the authors adopt a distinct approach for each site to reflect the differing scope of implementation across sites. This study highlights the role of instructional technology in facilitating proficiency-based educational approaches--both the ways in which technology is transformative and the ways in which it may be useful but less essential. It also lays bare some of the challenges in bringing proficiency-based models to scale. Though the analyses of students' outcomes are still under way, the quasi-experimental analytic results will provide new evidence on the near-term effects of proficiency-based approaches and pave the way for studies designed to yield more-robust causal inferences. A table is appended.
An Investigation of Science and Technology Teachers' Views on the 5th Grade Science Course
Author: Dasdemir, Ikramettin
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Grade 5,Elementary School Teachers,STEM Education,Foreign Countries,Content Analysis,Course Content,Science Achievement,Grade 4,Case Studies,Interviews,Questionnaires

This study was conducted to explore the science and technology teachers' views on the implementation of 5th grade science course. Open-ended questions were used as a data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 28 science and technology teachers working in Erzurum in 2012-2013 education year. The data gathered were analysed via content analysis method. According to the results obtained from the open-ended questions, a great majority of science and technology teachers who participated in the study stated that they supported science and technology teachers who were teaching this course and therefore students' performance at science courses would enhance more. On the other hand, some science and technology teachers considered the disadvantages which they would encounter while teaching at the 4th grade science course. The reasons for the disadvantages were that they would have difficulties in targeting their instruction to the level of the students and also they would encounter much bigger problems when compared to other upper grades.
The Effect of Dual-Language Immersion on Student Achievement in Math, Science, and English Language Arts
Author: Steele, Jennifer L.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Immersion Programs,Academic Achievement,English Language Learners,Native Speakers,Correlation,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Attendance,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,English,Program Implementation,School Districts,Spanish,Japanese,Russian,Mandarin Chinese,Elementary Secondary Education,Language Arts,Achievement Tests,Program Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education

Confronted with many challenges to improving the quality of U.S. public K-12 education, many policymakers have viewed the study of a second language as a useful but nonessential ingredient of a world-class education system. However, others point out that dual-language education can be a powerful intervention for closing the achievement gap for English language learners (ELLs), and that it enhances outcomes for both ELLs and English native speakers. Though numerous studies have established a positive relationship between dual-language immersion (DLI) and student achievement in core subjects like mathematics and science, questions about these direct relationships remain. The proposed paper addresses three research questions about DLI: (1) What is the effect of dual-language immersion on student achievement in math, science; English language arts, and the partner language, and on student attendance and behavior? (2) How do the achievement, attendance, and behavioral effects of dual-language immersion differ for native English speakers versus native speakers of the partner language?; and (3) How does DLI program implementation vary across programs, and does that variation illuminate differences in program effectiveness? The study takes place in the Portland Public School district (PPS) in Portland, Oregon, the largest school district in the Pacific Northwest. PPS serves approximately 47,000 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12. The study focuses in particular on the district's 19 dual-language immersion schools, which include 14 schools with Spanish programs, 3 with Japanese programs, 3 with Russian programs, and 2 with Mandarin programs. Analysis of the first years of data from a 3-year study are still under way. Preliminary descriptive analyses point to the importance of the random assignment strategy in removing selection bias. One figure is appended.