ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Classroom: Teaching Science in Early Childhood
Author: Dejonckheere, Peter J. N.
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Early Childhood Education,Inquiry,Teaching Methods,Thinking Skills,Comparative Analysis,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Pretests Posttests,Play,Problem Solving,Preschool Education,Learning Activities,Scientific Concepts,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Preschool Children,Multivariate Analysis

This study tested and integrated the effects of an inquiry-based didactic method for preschool science in a real practical classroom setting. Four preschool classrooms participated in the experiment (N= 57) and the children were 4-6 years old. In order to assess children's attention for causal events and their understanding at the level of scientific reasoning skills, we designed a simple task in which a need for information gain was created. Compared to controls, children in the post-test showed significant learning gains in the development of the so-called control of variables strategy. Indeed, they executed more informative and less uninformative explorations during their spontaneous play. Furthermore, the importance of such programmes was discussed in the field of STEM education.
How Do Third-Grade Students and Their Teachers Construe Each Other?
Author: Sanberk, Ismail
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade 3,Elementary School Teachers,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Semi Structured Interviews,Scores,Profiles,Student Characteristics,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Student Relationship,Case Studies,Statistical Analysis,Elementary School Students,Foreign Countries,Standardized Tests,Academic Achievement,Evaluation Methods

This study aims to identify teachers' personal constructs about students and students' personal constructs about teachers and to reveal to what extent they see each other as ideal. The study is descriptive and multiple-case in nature. In this regard, it was conducted with 6 third-grade students with different mean scores and 6 teachers who instructed them in a private school. Teachers' and students' views towards each other were identified through a repertory grid technique, which is a semi-structured interviewing method. Teachers' and students' constructs towards each other are reciprocal. Students who were represented with successful and positive personal constructs, and thus who were placed closely to the ideal student profile, tended to see their teachers as ideal teachers. Similarly, students who were represented with unsuccessful and negative personal constructs by their teachers, and thus were placed as distant from the ideal student profile, tended to evaluate the teachers who had those representations negatively. Findings of the study were discussed in terms of the expectancy effect model and the transactional model.
Exploring the Relationship among New Literacies, Reading, Mathematics and Science Performance of Turkish Students in PISA 2012
Author: Arikan, Serkan
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Scores,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Secondary School Students,Correlation,Adolescents,Literacy,Predictor Variables,Student Characteristics,Likert Scales,Path Analysis

Turkish students on average had lower scores than OECD countries on mathematics, science, and reading at international assessment programs. As PISA measures the extent to which 15-year-old students are prepared to handle the challenges they may encounter in their future lives, and evaluates students' ability to reflect and to apply their knowledge and experience to real-life situations, low scores on this assessment should be investigated carefully. Therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the relationships between new literacy skills, reading, mathematics, and science performance of Turkish students. The results showed that new literacy skills measured in PISA had two dimensional structure including at and outside of school new literacy skills. These new literacy skills were shown to predict reading performance significantly, at school negatively and outside of school positively. It was also shown that reading performance and new literacy skills were effective in the prediction of both mathematics and science performances.
Examining the Efficacy of a Time Management Intervention for High School Students. Research Report. ETS RR-13-25
Author: Burrus, Jeremy
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Time Management,Intervention,High School Students,Quasiexperimental Design,Control Groups,Stress Variables,Anxiety,Depression (Psychology),Outcomes of Education,Study Skills,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Pretests Posttests,Cognitive Ability,Personality Traits,Selective Admission,English Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Feedback (Response),Homework,Statistical Analysis

The current paper reports the results of 2 quasiexperimental studies conducted to examine the efficacy of a new time management intervention designed for high school students. In both studies, there was no difference between the treatment and control groups in improvement in self-reported time management skills as a result of the intervention. However, the treatment group reported significantly greater improvement than the control group for secondary outcomes such as stress (Studies 1 and 2), anxiety (Studies 1 and 2), depression (Study 1), and knowledge of time management strategies (Study 1). Additionally, advisor ratings of student time management skills were higher for the treatment than for the control group in Study 2. Implications and suggestions for improving the intervention are discussed.
Babysitter or Professional? Perceptions of Professionalism Narrated by Ontario Early Childhood Educators
Author: Harwood, Debra
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Identity,Preschool Teachers,Mixed Methods Research,Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Self Concept,Educational Attainment,Job Satisfaction,Teacher Competencies,Self Esteem,Teacher Characteristics,Nonparametric Statistics,Statistical Analysis,Early Childhood Education,Online Surveys

Self-constructed perceptions of early childhood educator professionalism were explored in a small-scale mixed-method survey using convenience sampling. Fifty-four educators in Ontario, Canada participated in the study and shared their views related to professionalism. A mixed-methodology was employed using an electronic questionnaire composed of closed- and open-ended questions on ideas related to professionalism. The results of the study demonstrated that all the educators held a strong self-perception of professionalism regardless of their level of education, reporting high levels of job satisfaction, competence, recognition as a professional from others, and self-recognition as a professional. Participants' notions of professionalism focused on the qualities of an individual considered a professional (e.g., good listener, patient, and understanding) whereas discussions of criticality, authority, or the historical, gendered, cultural, racial, and social practices of early childhood education were noticeably absent.
Constructed-Response DIF Evaluations for Mixed-Format Tests. Research Report. ETS RR-13-33
Author: Moses, Tim
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Construction,Multiple Choice Tests,Test Items,Item Analysis,Scores,Prediction,Testing Programs,Gender Differences,Mathematical Formulas,Equations (Mathematics),Mathematics Tests,College Entrance Examinations,Test Results,Licensing Examinations (Professions),Statistical Analysis,Educational Principles,Teaching Methods,Teacher Qualifications

In this study, differential item functioning (DIF) methods utilizing 14 different matching variables were applied to assess DIF in the constructed-response (CR) items from 6 forms of 3 mixed-format tests. Results suggested that the methods might produce distinct patterns of DIF results for different tests and testing programs, in that the DIF methods' results might be similar for tests with multiple-choice (MC) and CR scores that are similar in their measurement characteristics but would exhibit larger variations for tests with MC and CR scores having more distinct measurement characteristics. Impact measures of the MC and CR scores appeared to be a useful basis for indicating the scores' measurement similarity, for predicting the variations of DIF results from using these scores as matching variables, and possibly for indicating the most appropriate DIF method and matching variable for a particular test. The results are described in terms of their implications for research and practice.
Child-Centered Reading Intervention: See, Talk, Dictate, Read, Write!
Author: Bastug, Muhammet
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Reading Instruction,Intervention,Reading Programs,Program Effectiveness,Student Centered Learning,Reading Difficulties,Low Achievement,Reading Improvement,Reading Skills,Outcomes of Education,Reading Strategies,Reading Fluency,Case Studies,Qualitative Research,Grade 4,Reading Aloud to Others,Verbal Communication,Tutoring,Pretests Posttests

Poor reading achievement of children in elementary schools has been one of the major concerns in education. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a child-centered reading intervention in eliminating the reading problems of a student with poor reading achievement. The research was conducted with a student having difficulty in reading. A reading intervention was designed that targeted multiple areas of reading and aimed to improve reading skills through the use of multiple strategies. This intervention is child-centered and includes visual aids, talking, dictating, reading and writing stages. The study was performed in 35 sessions consisting of stages of a single sentence (5 sessions), two sentences (5 sessions), three sentences (20 sessions) and the text stage (5 sessions). The intervention sessions were audio-taped. These recordings and the written responses to the reading comprehension questions provided the data for analysis. The findings on the reading intervention revealed positive outcomes. The student exhibited certain improvements at the levels of reading, reading rate and reading comprehension. These results were discussed in the literature and the findings suggest that child-centered reading strategies such as talking, dictating and writing should be the main focus of instruction for students with low reading literacy achievement to enable these students to meet the demands of the curriculum.
The Kernel Levine Equipercentile Observed-Score Equating Function. Research Report. ETS RR-13-38
Author: von Davier, Alina A.
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Equated Scores,Item Response Theory,True Scores,Methods,Test Construction,Equations (Mathematics),Computation,Data Analysis,Differences

In the framework of the observed-score equating methods for the nonequivalent groups with anchor test design, there are 3 fundamentally different ways of using the information provided by the anchor scores to equate the scores of a new form to those of an old form. One method uses the anchor scores as a conditioning variable, such as the Tucker method and poststratification equating. A second way to use the anchor scores is as the middle link in a chain of linking relationships, such as chain linear equating and chain equating. The third way to use the anchor scores is in conjunction with the classical test theory, such as Levine observed-score equating and the newly created hybrid Levine equipercentile equating and poststratification equating based on true anchor scores. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that with real data, under certain conditions, hybrid Levine equipercentile equating and poststratification equating based on true anchor scores outperform both poststratification equating and chain equating.
The Effectiveness of the Creative Writing Instruction Program Based on Speaking Activities (CWIPSA)
Author: Bayat, Seher
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Creative Writing,Grade 4,Elementary School Students,Writing Achievement,Student Attitudes,Pretests Posttests,Foreign Countries,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Comparative Analysis,Speech Communication,Program Effectiveness

This study aims to develop a creative writing instruction program based on speaking activities and to investigate its effect on fourth-grade primary school students' creative writing achievements and writing attitudes. The experimental method based on the pre-test/post-test model was used in this research. The research was conducted with 42 students, who were picked from fourth-grade primary school students studying in Ordu, Turkey in the academic year of 2014/2015. The students were divided into two groups: experimental group (21 students) and control group (21 students). CWIPSA was applied to the experimental group and the standard fourth-grade grade Turkish curriculum was applied to the control group. It was found that, as a result of the research, there was an increase in the control group students' scores for writing attitudes and creative writing achievements, as well as a significant difference between the control and experimental groups' scores for writing attitude and creative writing achievements, in favour of the experimental group.
Exploring Alternative Test Form Linking Designs with Modified Equating Sample Size and Anchor Test Length. Research Report. ETS RR-13-02
Author: Wang, Lin
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Construction,Item Response Theory,Testing Programs,Simulation,Sample Size,Equated Scores,Error of Measurement,Comparative Analysis,Test Format,Test Items,Statistical Analysis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of reduced equating sample size and shortened anchor test length on item response theory (IRT)-based linking and equating results. Data from two independent operational forms of a large-scale testing program were used to establish the baseline results for evaluating the results from two alternative designs. Under the two alternative designs, two simulated conditions were created from the original data. Under one condition, we reduced the equating sample size (from about 2,000 to about 1,000) per anchor item and shortened the anchor test length (by half) per equating sample. Under the other condition, we reduced the sample size (from about 2,000 to about 1,000) per anchor item only. A complete grouped jackknife replication method was used to estimate the standard errors of the linking and equating procedures from 100 jackknife replicate samples; the complete procedures included IRT calibrations, item parameter scaling, and IRT true score equating. The findings from a comparison of the results from the two simulated conditions and the baseline results showed that neither alternative design had any practical impact on the linking and equating results for either test form. [This paper was presented at the 2011 annual meeting of National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) on April 10, 2011, New Orleans, Louisiana.]
Examining Pre-Service Elementary School Teacher Beliefs and Instructional Practices in Mathematics Class
Author: Purnomo, Yoppy Wahyu
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Student Attitudes,Beliefs,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Instruction,Correlation,Theory Practice Relationship,Case Studies,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Observation,Video Technology,Interviews

The gap between theory and practice has become a critical issue in the effort of improving the learning of mathematics. Beliefs may have been one of the contributing factors to the widening of the gap between theory and practice. Therefore, examining the relationship between beliefs and practices in mathematics is crucial to gain an overview of the preparation of potential teacher candidates and the development of teacher education in the future. This study aims to examine the relationship between beliefs held by pre-service elementary school teachers and the instructional practices in mathematics class. This study employs the case study that focuses on one of the pre-service elementary school teachers who is undertaking practical field experience in the 2015/2016 academic year. The findings of this study indicate that the instructional practices do not necessarily reflect the beliefs that are held. On the other hand, beliefs about the nature of mathematics influence more dominant than the other beliefs against instructional practices.
A &quot;CBAL&quot;™ Science Model of Cognition: Developing a Competency Model and Learning Progressions to Support Assessment Development. Research Report. ETS RR-13-29
Author: Liu, Lei
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Education,Competence,Models,Learning Processes,Educational Assessment,Summative Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Middle School Students,Secondary School Science,Science Process Skills,Science Achievement,Competency Based Education,Alignment (Education),Vignettes,Student Evaluation,Simulation,Evidence Based Practice,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Metacognition,Epistemology,Beliefs,Motivation

The purpose of this report is to describe a science competency model and 3 related learning progressions, which were developed by applying the &quot;CBAL&quot;™ approach (Bennett &amp; Gitomer, 2009) to the domain of middle school science. The Cognitively Based Assessment &quot;of&quot;, &quot;for&quot;, and &quot;as&quot; Learning (CBAL) science competency model and its related learning progressions were developed by reviewing existing literature on learning sciences and science education, which have placed increasing emphasis on learners' knowledge and ability to apply scientific knowledge to conduct evidence-based reasoning. In this report, we present the 5 competencies in our science competency model that reflect current efforts in the Next Generation Science Standards and the recent reform-based curriculum to promote integrated and generative understanding. In addition, we report 3 hypothesized learning progressions related to our competency model to define the increasing sophistication of both content understanding and the capacity to carry out scientific inquiry. Then we discuss features of assessment prototypes developed under the guidance of the competency model and the learning progressions, by illustrating parts of 1 sample formative assessment task prototype.
Prospective Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge of Linear Graphs in Context of Problem-Posing
Author: Kar, Tugrul
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Preservice Teachers,Knowledge Level,Graphs,Problem Solving,Teacher Competencies,Relevance (Education),Statistical Analysis,Word Problems (Mathematics),Foreign Countries,Middle Schools,Secondary School Mathematics

This study examined prospective middle school mathematics teachers' problem-posing skills by investigating their ability to associate linear graphs with daily life situations. Prospective teachers were given linear graphs and asked to pose problems that could potentially be represented by the graphs. Their answers were analyzed in two stages. In the first stage, the problems were evaluated in terms of whether they represented daily life situations or not and in the second stage, the conceptual validity of the responses was examined. Prospective teachers were found to experience difficulties in selecting stories that were appropriate for the structures of the linear graphs and in accurately conveying the data in the graphs through their stories. Of the five types of errors identified in the problems posed, the failure to express linearity was the most common. In addition, statistical analyses showed that success in problem-posing declined as the complexity of the data in the graphs increased.
Discourse Characteristics of Writing and Speaking Task Types on the &quot;TOEFL iBT&quot;® Test: A Lexico-Grammatical Analysis. &quot;TOEFL iBT&quot;® Research Report. TOEFL iBT-19. Research Report. RR-13-04
Author: Biber, Douglas
Date: 2013-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Discourse Analysis,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language Tests,Vocabulary,Grammar,Profiles,Phrase Structure,Computer Assisted Testing,Language Usage,Speech Communication,Written Language,Academic Discourse,Test Validity,Scores,Task Analysis,Language Proficiency,Syntax,Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Computational Linguistics,Writing Skills,Oral Language

One of the major innovations of the &quot;TOEFL iBT&quot;® test is the incorporation of integrated tasks complementing the independent tasks to which examinees respond. In addition, examinees must produce discourse in both modes (speech and writing). The validity argument for the TOEFL iBT includes the claim that examinees vary their discourse in accordance with these considerations as they become more proficient in their academic language skills (the explanation inference). To provide evidence in support of this warrant, we undertake a comprehensive lexico-grammatical description of the discourse produced in response to integrated versus independent tasks, across the spoken and written modes, by test takers from different score levels. Discourse descriptions at several linguistic levels are provided, including vocabulary profiles, collocational patterns, the use of extended lexical bundles, distinctive lexicogrammatical features, and a multidimensional (MD) analysis that describes the overall patterns of linguistic variation. In sum, we undertake a comprehensive linguistic analysis of the discourse of TOEFL iBT responses, interpreting observed linguistic patterns of variation relative to three parameters that are relevant in the TOEFL iBT context: mode, task type, and score level of test takers.
A General Program for Item-Response Analysis That Employs the Stabilized Newton-Raphson Algorithm. Research Report. ETS RR-13-32
Author: Haberman, Shelby J.
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Mathematics,Item Response Theory,Probability,Guessing (Tests),Statistical Analysis,Matrices,Computation,Numbers,Regression (Statistics),Equations (Mathematics),Computer Software,Multivariate Analysis

A general program for item-response analysis is described that uses the stabilized Newton-Raphson algorithm. This program is written to be compliant with Fortran 2003 standards and is sufficiently general to handle independent variables, multidimensional ability parameters, and matrix sampling. The ability variables may be either polytomous or multivariate normal. Items may be dichotomous or polytomous.