ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? An Exploratory Study into How a Sample of Lecturers Develop Digital Literacies as Part of Their Career Development
Author: Chinyamurindi, Willie T.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Faculty,Computer Literacy,Faculty Development,Computer Uses in Education,Information Technology,Career Development,Resistance (Psychology),Attitude Change,Skill Development,Teacher Participation,Training,Computer Science Education

The concept of digital and information communication technology (ICT) literacy is receiving renewed empirical attention. This focus is attributed to the changing nature of society and the move towards the ideals of the knowledge-based economy. Further, universities in South Africa and internationally are encouraging the fusion of technology in how students read and write. This research gives focus to the lecturer, particularly those lecturers who were once resistant to the use of technology as part of teaching instruction. The aim here was to track how these lecturers over a one-year period develop digital and ICT literacies to assist their career development. The study adopted an interpretivist philosophy, relying on the qualitative research approach and a series of three interviews over a year period with 20 lecturers at a selected South African university. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to generate three central themes. Firstly, the source of resistance in using technology as part of teaching and learning emanated from two main subthemes as perceptions: (1) technology viewed as a fad with little or no impact on actual learning and (2) challenges concerning institutional technology support as a limitation in integrating technology into teaching and learning. Secondly, the change of attitude (rather reluctantly) in using technology as part of teaching and learning was because of factors such as peers, the technology 'tech-savvy' student community and also a consideration for future career prospects as digital and ICT literacies are becoming a critical skills acumen for career progression. Finally, in developing digital and ICT literacies, the lecturers relied on: (1) participation in training programmes that encourage digital scholarship, (2) personal investment of time and effort to learn about how to develop digital and ICT literacies and lastly, (3) developing a career and identity management strategy that incorporates digital and ICT literacies. Implications for teaching and learning practice are made based on these findings. Further, the impact on individual career development (as far as lecturers are concerned) is also suggested.
Gender Differences in Academic Achievement of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
Author: de Waal, Elna
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Gender Differences,Academic Achievement,Developmental Disabilities,Psychomotor Skills,Foreign Countries,Literacy,Numeracy,Grade Point Average,Language Skills,Elementary School Students

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) has a negative impact on everyday activities and academic achievement in children, mainly owing to similar underlying motor and cognitive constructs. Academic achievement of boys and girls seems to be different, with boys being more prone to academic backlogs, especially in language-related areas. Aim: This study investigated if boys with DCD displayed more academic problems than girls with DCD. Setting: Ten-year-old children (N = 221, ±0.41) from different economic backgrounds were randomly selected for assessment as part of the NW-CHILD (North-West Child Health, Integrated with Learning and Development) longitudinal study in the North West Province of South Africa. Methods: The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition, was used to determine DCD status in the group. The results of the Annual National Assessment and the mid-year June exam, which included six learning areas, were used to analyse academic differences between typically developing boys and girls and those who were identified with DCD (seven boys, seven girls). Independent t-testing and Mann-Whitney non-parametric tests were used to determine differences between boys and girls. Results: Boys with DCD had inferior literacy and numeracy skills, significantly poorer manual dexterity and balancing skills and also displayed statistically and large practically significant weaker mid-year grade point averages than girls. Children with DCD also portrayed poorer academic achievement than typically developing children. Conclusion: Significant differences in balancing skills and in languages between boys and girls with DCD might have contributed to the practically significant poorer maths performance of boys.
Group Work during Visual Art Activities to Reduce Indecisiveness
Author: Thuketana, Nkhensani S.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Group Activities,Young Children,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Children,Student Behavior,Visual Arts,Art Activities,Interpersonal Communication,Student Participation,Self Esteem,Decision Making,Cooperative Learning,Foreign Countries,Interaction

Background: The Foundation Phase in education provides the primary building blocks for children's foundation and development. From personal experiences as educators, we observed that young learners who work together in small groups during art activities gain selfconfidence faster than indecisive learners who work alone. Indecisive learners become hesitant and lack confidence when they are allowed own choices during art activities. In line with Vygotsky's social constructivism, this article assumed that social interaction fosters learning and development in learners. Aim: The aim of this study was to observe whether group work promotes decisive behaviour and self-confidence in learners. Setting: A group of five Grade R learners in a privately owned pre-primary school in Pretoria was targeted for the purpose of this investigation. Methods: This article followed a qualitative approach in the form of a multiple case study that focused on four young learners who showed indecisive behaviour and one learner who showed decisive behaviour during a visual art activity. Learners' conversations and participation were observed and recorded as they used photographs and artefacts in the group art activity. Results: Over time, the four indecisive learners had improved and gained confidence towards decisiveness. These results support Vygotsky's theory that skilled learners can scaffold the unskilled ones to reach their full potential. Conclusion: The results in this article point to the importance of collaborative learning in classrooms to improve confidence and decision-making. It is, therefore, recommended that teachers use a group work strategy to improve learning and decisiveness in classrooms.
Foundation Phase Teachers&apos; Use of Manipulatives to Teach Number Concepts: A Critical Analysis
Author: Mntunjani, Lindiwe M.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Instruction,Number Concepts,Teaching Methods,Manipulative Materials,Primary Education,Rote Learning,Drills (Practice),Problem Solving

Background: The poor performance of learners in mathematics has long been a matter of concern in South Africa. The Annual National Assessment (ANA) results reveal that the problem starts in the foundation phase with number concepts. Aim: This research sought to ascertain how foundation phase teachers used mathematical resources to teach number concepts as this may be one of the contributors to poor mathematics results. Setting: The purposively selected participants included five foundation phase teachers teaching Grades 1-3 at two schools in the Western Cape, in South Africa. Methods: The research was located within the interpretive qualitative research paradigm and used a case study approach. Data were collected through lesson observations and interviews and analysed through the lens of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. Results: The findings of this study revealed that teaching for understanding was often compromised by teaching to enable learners to pass systemic assessments. Teachers are inclined to rote teaching with drill work in preparation for assessments such as the ANA and the systemic assessment. Consequently, manipulatives are not necessarily used optimally or opportunely. Conclusion: This study recommends that teachers should receive the necessary training to use and follow Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and also make an effort to follow the guidelines indicated in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement mathematics document in respect of how and when to use practical mathematical manipulatives.
The Role of First-Year Experience Excursion in Promoting Social Integration at University: Student Teachers&apos; Views
Author: Arends, Delia
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Field Trips,Student Teachers,Student Teacher Attitudes,Social Integration,Foreign Countries,First Year Seminars,Longitudinal Studies,College Freshmen,Peer Relationship,College Faculty,Student College Relationship

Background: The Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg, like many other universities worldwide, has a strong focus on first-year experience programmes to promote student academic and social enculturation. Aim: In this article, we report on students' views of the role of an education excursion as cohesive device. We were particularly interested in how students establish social relationships with peers, and the values they attribute to these connections over time for their incorporation into university. Setting: The education excursion consists of a specially designed curriculum in the two day programme, off campus, as an extension of the initial first year seminar. Methods: Using methods associated with longitudinal studies, we collected data via a biographical survey and questionnaire for first years, followed by dyadic interviews with a purposive sample of students 30 months later. Qualitative content analysis led to several findings. Results: First-year data reveal that students face many challenges to their integration and that the excursion helps them traverse their individual racial, cultural and religious and language differences. Third years communicate the lasting effects of the excursion on their social and academic integration into university. Conclusion: The authors conclude that the excursion has long-term value for students' social integration into the university environment and for bridging the gap between the university lecturers and the students.
&apos;Nobody Is Watching but Everything I Do Is Measured&apos;: Teacher Accountability, Learner Agency and the Crisis of Control
Author: Dargusch, Joanne
Date: 2018-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Accountability,Academic Achievement,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries,Preservice Teacher Education,Teaching Methods

It is widely acknowledged that there is systemic pressure on teachers to enact assessment practices that raise student achievement. In this article assessment related discourses that influence teacher and student classroom practices are examined in relation to initial teacher education. In Australia, preservice teachers (PSTs) are required to demonstrate assessment capability, promote student agency and monitor their practice impact on student learning whilst working in schooling ecologies that are marked by high stakes accountability measures. Processes that bridge university and in-school PST teacher preparation are an important consideration in developing assessment capability. It is argued that there are tensions in the current policy environment associated with distributed classroom power relations that are emblematic of student agency in practice. The socially constituted nature of ecological agency that underpins generative assessment for learning practices is an important consideration for judgement about initial teacher assessment capability and associated graduate impact on student learning.
Teachers Teaching Mindfulness with Children: Being a Mindful Role Model
Author: Albrecht, Nicole J.
Date: 2018-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Metacognition,Attention,Role Models,Teacher Role,Foreign Countries,Wellness,Experience,Teaching Methods,Teacher Characteristics,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Creativity

Mindfulness is taking a preeminent role in today's education system. In the current study the author explored how experienced MindBody Wellness instructors make sense of teaching children mindfulness. The methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis combined with autoethnography was used to interview eight teachers from the United States and Australia teaching children mindfulness. In this article, the author discusses findings related to the theme of Being a Mindful Role Model. Participants, on the whole, felt that someone looking to teach children mindfulness needs first to connect deeply with the practices. They felt this connection was an elemental foundation in becoming a mindful role model and teaching children mindfulness. The experienced mindfulness instructors also found that cultivating mindfulness with children is enhanced by the creation of a mindful school culture. A number of recommendations are suggested, including the establishment of MindBody Wellness and mindfulness teacher training courses at the university level.
The Ensemble and Model Comparison Approaches for Big Data Analytics in Social Sciences
Author: Yu, Chong Ho
Date: 2018-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Data Analysis,Social Sciences,Social Science Research,Models,Sampling,Statistical Inference,Hypothesis Testing,Visualization

Big data analytics are prevalent in fields like business, engineering, public health, and the physical sciences, but social scientists are slower than their peers in other fields in adopting this new methodology. One major reason for this is that traditional statistical procedures are typically not suitable for the analysis of large and complex data sets. Although data mining techniques could alleviate this problem, it is often unclear to social science researchers which option is the most suitable one to a particular research problem. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate how the model comparison of two popular ensemble methods, namely, boosting and bagging, could yield an improved explanatory model.
Preliminary Investigation of the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale with Primary School Students in a Cross-Cultural Context
Author: Wagle, Rhea
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Path Analysis,Student School Relationship,Student Attitudes,Cross Cultural Studies,Foreign Countries,Psychometrics,Factor Structure,Goodness of Fit,Measures (Individuals),Behavior Problems,Child Behavior,Questionnaires,Screening Tests,Factor Analysis

The Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale has been used for more than 20 years to measure students' sense of school belonging, yet its psychometric properties have had limited examination with pre-adolescent children. This study investigated the utility and psychometrics of the PSSM in three primary school samples from the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Exploratory factor analysis revealed good fit for a unidimensional factor structure in the US sample, which was subsequently confirmed in all three samples. Partial invariance across all three samples and full invariance across pairwise samples (United States and United Kingdom; United Kingdom and China) was found. Path analyses revealed significant positive relations of the PSSM total belonging score with gratitude and prosocial behavior, and significant negative relations with symptoms of distress. Future directions and implications are discussed. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED588824.]
Does a Rising School Climate Lift All Boats? Differential Associations of Perceived Climate and Achievement for Students with Disabilities and Limited English Proficiency
Author: Sanders, Steven M.
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Environment,Mathematics Tests,Reading Tests,Scores,Elementary School Students,High School Students,English Language Learners,Disabilities,Correlation,Academic Achievement,Limited English Speaking,At Risk Students,Outcomes of Education,Comparative Analysis,Achievement Gap,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Middle School Students

Previous research studies show that a positive school climate is associated with desirable academic outcomes for youth. In the United States, students with disabilities and English language learner (ELL) students are particularly at-risk for poor academic outcomes and therefore more in need of interventions to support their academic development. The present study examined whether school climate has a differential association with academic achievement for these at-risk students compared to their peers, which would suggest that school climate has the effect of reducing or widening achievement gaps based on disability and language. For students at all levels, the main effects of perceived school climate and disability status on mathematics and reading achievement were statistically significant controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, and grade. The results of this study have numerous implications for school psychology practice. Our findings suggest that a positive school climate is associated with higher achievement for all students at all levels in both mathematics and reading, school psychologists should consider school climate improvement as part of their mandate.
The Times of the Faculty: Variations in the Length of the Workweek of Faculty at Flemish Universities
Author: Van Rossem, Ronan
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Faculty,Universities,Faculty Workload,Working Hours,Academic Rank (Professional),Foreign Countries,Gender Differences,Teacher Attitudes,Postdoctoral Education,Research,Intellectual Disciplines,Time Management,Institutional Environment

Over the past decade discontent in Flemish universities with the increased work load of faculty members has risen. This study is the first to examine how many hours a week senior researcher (postdocs and faculty) in Flemish universities actually work. The data used stems from the 2010 Survey of Senior Researcher conducted among senior researchers at the five Flemish universities. 1195 respondents provided information on their working hours. Senior researchers worked on the average 50.4 hours a week, with 12% reporting to work more than 60 hours a week. The number of hours worked varied significantly with rank, where respondents in more senior ranks reported to work more hours. Once one controls for rank any gender differences in number of hours work disappear. We did observe a significant trade-off between the time spent on various activities. Postdocs spent more time on research than the other ranks, and senior professors spent more time on service and administration. Respondents from the humanities, and to a lesser degree from the social sciences, spent more time on education than respondents from other disciplines. This study confirms that senior researchers at Flemish universities work long hours, and that the number of hours spent on various activities is largely a reaction to demands from their institutional environment.
Why Quitting Double-Degree Programs: Students&apos; Perceptions in China
Author: Ou, Chuying
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Degrees,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Dropouts,Undergraduate Students,Student College Relationship,Dual Enrollment

Around the world, colleges have been providing opportunities for students to participate in double-degree programs. In the past 30 years, double-degree education at tertiary level has been developing fast in China. While many studies focused on its positive effects, little attention was paid to its shortcomings. Through a focus group interview of five undergraduates from a Chinese university, this study revealed some underlying deficiencies of China's double-degree education. The interview comprehensively uncovered participants? motives, expectations, difficulties and reasons for quitting with regard to their double-degree programs. Colleges' failure to live up to expectations (i.e., quality of courses, teachers, job prospects) and students' lack of external support were found to be the main causes that led students to cease their studies. School policies and personal reasons also contributed to their decisions. This research provides advice for future curriculum planning and management of double-degree education from the perspectives of students, teachers and universities.
Investigation of High School Students&apos; Geometry Course Achievement According to Their Learning Styles
Author: Altun, Hasan
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,High School Students,Mathematics Achievement,Geometry,Cognitive Style,Grade 11,Gender Differences,Measures (Individuals),Scores,Individual Differences

The aim of this study is to investigate high school students' geometry course achievement according to their learning styles. 11th grade students in Izmir constitute the general universe of the research and the sampling of the research comprises of 11th grade students in Karabaglar district. Sampling of the research consists of total 50 high school students, determined by using appropriate sampling method. 60% (n=30) of these students are female and 40% (n=20) of them are males. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used depending on the main and sub-questions of the research. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory was used in order to determine the learning styles of the students. As a result of the research, it was found out that most of the students who have diverging learning style were female students (77.8%), most of the students who have accommodating learning style were female students (75%), the number of male students (47.4%) and the number of female students (52.6%) who have assimilating learning styles are close and it was found out that, among the students who have converging learning style, female students (55.6%) were more than males. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the geometry achievement scores according to learning styles and that the students' geometric achievement means were statistically significant according to gender. It was proposed that taking learning styles into account in the regulation of education environments can help to increase achievement.