ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Innovative Teaching Approaches on Biotechnology Knowledge and Laboratory Experiences of Science Teachers
Author: Orhan, Tugce Yagmur
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Laboratories,Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,Biotechnology,Science Teachers,Inservice Teacher Education,Faculty Development,Knowledge Level,Creative Teaching,Foreign Countries,Genetics,Educational Innovation,Program Effectiveness,Teacher Characteristics

The current study presents an evaluation of the laboratory instructional tasks prepared based on innovative teaching approaches (research-inquiry, problem solving, project, argumentation and web-based interdisciplinary learning approaches) designed to enhance science teachers' biotechnology knowledge, awareness and laboratory experiences. The laboratory instructional tasks developed by the researchers aim to improve the laboratory experiences, as well as support the teaching of biotechnology through innovative teaching approaches. For this purpose, in-service training course titled Biotechnology Education Practices was conducted with the voluntary participation of science teachers (n = 17). The current study employed the embedded design. The quantitative part of the embedded design is designed as the single group pretest-posttest model and the qualitative part of it is designed as the case study. The data of the current study were collected through the Biotechnology Awareness Questionnaire, Biotechnology Evaluation Questions, The Laboratory Self-Evaluation form and worksheets. The results obtained from the analyses revealed that the instructional tasks conducted within the context of the Biotechnology Education Practices resulted in significant effects on the science teachers' biotechnology knowledge and awareness and that the innovative teaching approaches were effective in developing the science teachers' laboratory experiences. It would be useful to use laboratory instructional tasks enriched with innovative teaching approaches in teaching biotechnology subjects.
Development of Final Projects in Engineering Degrees around an Industry 4.0-Oriented Flexible Manufacturing System: Preliminary Outcomes and Some Initial Considerations
Author: González, Isaías
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,Manufacturing,Student Projects,Foreign Countries,Automation,College Students,Outcomes of Education

New paradigms such as the Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), or industrial cyber-physical systems (ICPSs) have been impacting the manufacturing environment in recent years. Nevertheless, these challenging concepts are also being faced from the educational field: Engineering students must acquire knowledge and skills under the view of these frameworks. This paper describes the utilization of an Industry 4.0-oriented flexible manufacturing system (FMS) as an educational tool to develop final projects (FPs) of engineering degrees. A number of scopes are covered by an FMS, such as automation, supervision, instrumentation, communications, and robotics. The utilization of an FMS with educational purposes started in the academic year 2011-2012 and still remains active. Here, the most illustrative FPs are expounded, and successful academic outcomes are reported. In addition, a set of initial considerations based on the experience acquired by the FP tutors is provided.
The Effect of e-Mail and WhatsApp on Jordanian EFL Learners&apos; Paraphrasing and Summarizing Skills
Author: Bataineh, Ruba Fahmi
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Computer Oriented Programs,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Grade 10,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Electronic Mail,Computer Mediated Communication,Language Skills,Females,Content Analysis,Language Processing

This study examines the potential effect of an eight-week e-mail- and WhatsApp-based instructional treatment on 45 Jordanian EFL tenth-grade students' paraphrasing and summarizing skills. Three instruments were used for data collection: a pre-test, a post-test, and an interview schedule. The findings reveal statistically significant differences (at a= 0.05) in the participants' mean scores on the post-test in favor of those in the WhatsApp group, combined e-mail and WhatsApp group, and e-mail group, respectively. The findings also reveal that the treatment has a significantly higher effect of on paraphrasing than on summarizing. Several pedagogical implications and recommendations are put forth.
Implementing High-Leverage Influences from the Visible Learning Synthesis: Six Supporting Conditions
Author: Donohoo, Jenni
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Program Implementation,Influences,Learning,Learning Experience,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries

Even though there is a plethora of research that can be used by educators to inform their practice, the deep implementation of evidence-based strategies remains unrealized in many schools and classrooms. The question we set out to answer was: What conditions help encourage educators to implement and adapt evidence from the Visible Learning synthesis when they encounter it? We examined two examples of the reception of the Visible Learning research in schools and identified the following six key conditions that helped foster the translation of the Visible Learning research into classroom practice in ways that demonstrated measurable impact on student learning: (1) The presence of a learning methodology; (2) clear examples of how to apply the strategies; (3) a 'knowledgeable other' to help assist educators in processing the research; (4) a supportive organizational environment; (5) the recognition of educators as agents of influence; and (6) the monitoring and adjustment of implementation strategies.
Using a Mobile Application to Support Students in Blended Distance Courses: A Case of Mzumbe University in Tanzania
Author: Shemahonge, Ramadhani
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Blended Learning,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,College Students,College Faculty,Computer Oriented Programs

Universities in sub-Saharan Africa have been adopting various forms of blended distance courses to meet the demand of higher education. However, the lack of reliable and efficient support services for students taking various blended programs has continued to be the main challenge. This study developed a mobile application for enabling instructors to provide support services during learning process. The development of the mobile application followed eXtreme Programming agile method involving 12 students and 4 instructors from Mzumbe University. To test the effectiveness of the developed application, data was collected from 5 instructors and 76 students through group discussions, and questionnaires. The study found that the majority of instructors indicated that the developed application enabled them to provide promptly and effective technical and pedagogical support services to learners. Moreover, instructors found the developed system being useful tool for tracking students' progress and conducting formative assessment through students' reflections. This study extends our knowledge on how mobile technology can be used to provide support services to students taking blended distance courses offered by several universities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Eating Habits and Lifestyles in Schoolchildren from Granada (Spain). A Pilot Study
Author: González-Valero, Gabriel
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Eating Habits,Life Style,Body Composition,Body Height,Body Weight,Video Games,Elementary School Students,Dietetics,Obesity,Correlation,Self Concept,Addictive Behavior,Academic Achievement,Physical Activity Level,Foreign Countries,Child Health

The creation of healthy habits and lifestyles is fundamental in the educational field and for acquiring adequate health levels that will prevail in adulthood. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and correlations between the level of practice of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), body mass index (BMI) and problematic use of videogames and self-concept of primary education students. This non-experimental, cross-sectional study is composed of a sample of 577 students aged 10-12 years (11.1 ± 0.638). Subjects were evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence questionnaire (KIDMED), Self-Concept Form-5 (AF-5), Experiences Related to Videogames (QERV) and anthropometric measurements were taken following the guidelines of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. Most students have been found to be of normal weight, although one in five has problems with being overweight or experiencing obesity. Likewise, half of them need to improve their adherence to the Mediterranean diet, while they do not have a problematic use of videogames, although one tenth of them in these early ages offer severe problems and it is highlighted that students offer an adequate self-concept. It is also noted that BMI correlates positively with problematic videogame use and social self-concept. Greater addiction to videogames is associated with poorer academic performance, low levels of physical activity and poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Finally, it should be noted that the continued practice of physical-sports activity favors emotional competence and academic performance.
The Pedagogical Leadership of the Mathematics Faculty: A Systematic Review
Author: García-Martínez, Inmaculada
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Instructional Leadership,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Teachers,Leadership Effectiveness,Instructional Effectiveness,Professionalism,Mathematics Achievement,College Mathematics,College Faculty,Secondary School Mathematics

Background: Research on educational leadership has transcended the international sphere. Numerous studies have been developed on this factor of educational improvement. Few is their number, contextualized in the mathematics area and specifically the teachers. Methods: This paper presents a systematic review that highlights the importance of school leadership and mathematics education, providing empirical evidence on the positive impact that the former has on the latter. The method has been adapted to the guidelines promulgated in the PRISMA declaration, to ensure its systematicity. Results: Regarding the results, most of the research included in this review has found positive leadership effects on teacher professionalism, teaching and learning processes, and student performance. Conclusions: As limitations, the prescriptive nature of legislation and organizational structures has been found, which impedes the implementation of more effective leadership modalities.
A Proposed Conceptual Framework for K-12 STEM Master Teacher (STEMMaTe) Development
Author: Hite, Rebecca
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,STEM Education,Master Teachers,Leadership Training,Teacher Leadership,Educational Policy,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Expertise,Career Development,Teacher Characteristics

Recent reports from federal agencies and legislation call for explicit avenues to incorporate K-12 STEM master teacher voice into the policy space. National initiatives, federal legislation, and teacher recognition programs have sought to identify K-12 STEM master teachers and harness their potential. These efforts warrant a conceptual framework to quantify attributes of K-12 STEM master teachers, to foster pathways for the development of current and future leaders. Using a sample of 10 individuals from two extant programs of K-12 STEM master teachers (Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship and Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching), data from their career trajectories (sourced from Curriculum Vitae) were sequenced to construct and confirm the STEM Master Teacher (STEMMaTe) conceptual framework. This framework may be used to guide programmatic development to increase national capacity for K-12 STEM master teachers. Recommendations are discussed for the creation of pathways to develop STEM master teachers and increase their participation in the broader education system.
The Usage of Radio and Television as Agricultural Knowledge Sources: The Case of Farmers in Morogoro Region of Tanzania
Author: Mtega, Wulystan Pius
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Radio,Television,Foreign Countries,Agricultural Occupations,Information Dissemination,Knowledge Level,Rural Areas,Information Sources,Gender Differences,Language Usage,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Ownership,Energy,Literacy,Educational Attainment

Radio and television are potential for knowledge dissemination. This study investigated the usage of radio and television as sources of agricultural knowledge among farmers in Tanzania. Specifically, the study identified major sources of agricultural knowledge used by farmers; determined the potential of radio and television stations as sources of agricultural knowledge; determined the accessibility and usage of radio and television agricultural programmes; investigated factors influencing the accessibility and usage of radio and television agricultural programmes and; devised strategies to improve accessibility of radio and television agricultural programmes. This study involved 314 randomly selected farmers from nine villages in Morogoro Region. Findings indicate that radio and television were among the seven sources of agricultural knowledge among farmers. Radio sets were more accessible and owned by more farmers than television sets. Findings further indicate that majority of farmers who used radio and television as sources of agricultural knowledge preferred to listen and watch agricultural programmes respectively during evening and night. The study showed that accessibility of radio and television sets, gender based division of labour, language, number of agricultural programmes broadcasted and awareness of the broadcasting time of agricultural programmes were among the factors influencing their usage as sources of agricultural knowledge. For improving the accessibility of agricultural knowledge radio and television stations should perform agricultural knowledge needs and enhance timely dissemination of needed knowledge.
Using the Visible Learning Research to Influence Collaborative Leadership
Author: DeWitt, Peter
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Processes,Self Efficacy,Instructional Leadership,Faculty Development,Feedback (Response),Reflective Teaching,Student Evaluation,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Family Involvement,Leadership Styles,Cooperation,Teacher Influence

John Hattie's Visible Learning research has been read, dissected, and implemented by educators and leaders around the world. Whether it's the effect sizes or the influences that challenge the thinking of the status quo, the Visible Learning research has taken a place in many educational conversations. Over the last three years, the author of this paper has been researching and implementing the Visible Learning research, and used some of the findings to create a leadership workshop that focused on six of the influences that Hattie has been studying for years. The point of using the six influences he focused on was that based on the author's knowledge of leadership through his experience as a teacher and building leader, as well as his understanding and research around school climate, there were six areas that all leaders should understand deeply if they are to have a positive impact on student learning.
Stressing in the Fall: Effects of a Fall Break on Undergraduate Students
Author: Poole, Heather
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Anxiety,Vacations,Stress Variables,Foreign Countries,School Schedules,Universities,Mental Health,Program Effectiveness

Universities across Canada are responding to increasing levels of student stress and mental illness by introducing a fall break. However, scant research has investigated the effectiveness of this intervention. Our team assessed perceived stress and the number of stressors experienced by students at McMaster University using established self-report stress questionnaires, comparing stress before and after the break. We found that despite the widespread expectation that a fall break will decrease student stress, the effects of this intervention are not straightforward. Students experienced fewer stressors after the break than before it, but experienced higher levels of overall stress. Additionally, stress varied according to several demographic variables, revealing some groups to be at higher risk for stress-related problems. Given the wide-scale adoption of fall breaks, we hope that this investigation can initiate dialogue about the importance of evidence-based decisions in the development of stress-reduction interventions for Canadian university students.
Values Education or Religious Education? An Alternative View of Religious Education in the Secular Age, the Case of Turkey
Author: Genc, Muhammet Fatih
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Values Education,Religious Education,Educational History,Public Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Islam,Educational Legislation,Curriculum,State Church Separation,Higher Education

Debates about the teaching of religion date back to the formation of the modern education system, when religion was first compartmentalized as a distinct subject within a broader curriculum. In many places, they continue to rage today. In Turkey, they are inextricably tied to the creation of the country's system of secular public instruction in the 1920s and the transition to multi-party government in the 1940s. On 30 March 2012, Turkey passed a new law that revamped the country's public educational system, mandating twelve years of instruction divided into three four-year periods (roughly corresponding to elementary, middle, and high school). This law led to the opening of many new religious schools--known as Imam-Hatip schools (i.e., schools for the training of imams and hatips, or preachers)--across the country, especially at the middle-school level. The number of students studying in these schools rose from 70,000 in 2002 to 1,300,000 after the new law. New elective courses on religion were also added to the curriculum, and curricular and extra-curricular religious-education activities offered by government-sponsored Islamic civil society organizations became more prevalent. All of this has reignited old debates about religious instruction in the country. This article begins with an overview of the history of secularism in Turkey. It then focuses on the history of religious education and the model of religious education in Turkey. It concludes with a discussion of how religious education centering on values education operates within the secular framework of public education in confessional and non-confessional formats.
Provincial Oversight and University Autonomy in Canada: Findings of a Comparative Study of Canadian University Governance
Author: Eastman, Julia
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Institutional Autonomy,Universities,State Government,Governance,College Administration,Government School Relationship,State Legislation,Educational Legislation,Accounting,State Policy,State Regulation,Government Role,Politics of Education

In order to fulfill their missions, research universities must maintain conditions and capacity for knowledge production and dissemination, while responding to the expectations of governments, other stakeholders, and/or markets. That universities succeed in this quest is vital, not only for their own future as organizations but also for the benefit of current and future generations of students, stakeholders, and society at large. We sought to contribute to the understanding of how higher education institutions and systems rise to the challenge of achieving and sustaining relative institutional autonomy by conducting a comparative case study of the governance of six major universities in five provinces in Canada. This article presents our findings with respect to provincial oversight of the case universities. We found that the case universities appeared to be coming from and to remain at different points on a state supervision/autonomy continuum, but all appeared to be experiencing greater provincial supervision.
Student Needs, Employment Realities, and PhD Program Design in Canada: The Case of Planning PhD Programs
Author: Ross, Timothy
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Doctoral Programs,Program Design,Student Needs,Graduate Students,Employment Opportunities,Educational Change,Planning

PhD graduates in Canada routinely find themselves considering employment outside academia. This paper explores PhD program design in relation to PhD students' employment realities through a case study of Canadian planning PhD programs. Two questions guided the study: (1) How could planning PhD programs be redesigned to prepare students for a wider variety of career options post-graduation? And (2) What are some of the institutional challenges hindering PhD program reform? To engage these questions, we surveyed planning PhD students and program directors, gathered email input from planning practitioners, and held a workshop and roundtable at two different academic conferences. Findings suggest that program reforms, such as offering more external research partnership opportunities to PhD students, could help to better support multiple career pathways for PhD students. Our findings also suggest that planning scholars and practitioners need to question their views of the academia-practice relationship and PhD students' roles and aims.
Using a Project Blog to Promote Student Learning and Reflection
Author: Worthington, Paisley
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Publishing,Diaries,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,College Students,Reflection,Communication Strategies,Brainstorming,Evaluation Methods,Teamwork,Student Projects,Higher Education,Foreign Countries

Research on the use of blogs in higher education suggests that students who blog as part of a course requirement demonstrate increased reflection, heightened feelings of connection, and increased course-related knowledge. Blogging provides a promising medium for students to engage in reflection on their participation in a cooperative education work term. Blogging can help guide a project by providing an encouraging place for team members to communicate clearly, document their work and other resources, and brainstorm ideas. In this paper, we describe a qualitative analysis of blog posts written by three students during a co-op placement. The students used the blog extensively and with multiple purposes: to reflect, to communicate, to brainstorm ideas, to evaluate literature, and to document team creations. We discuss the characteristics of the project and blog that may have contributed to its extensive use and provide recommendations for individuals interested in implementing a blog in similar projects.