ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
DORA-II Technical Adequacy Brief: Measuring the Process and Outcomes of Team Problem Solving
Author: Algozzine, Bob
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Problem Solving,Teamwork,Program Validation,Evaluation Methods,Test Construction,Meetings,Group Dynamics,Behavior Problems,Student Behavior,Data,Conflict Resolution,Positive Reinforcement,Fidelity,Program Implementation,Observation,Test Validity,Test Reliability,Replication (Evaluation),Elementary Schools

School teams regularly meet to review academic and social problems of individual students, groups of students, or their school in general. While the need for problem solving and recommendations for how to do it are widely documented, there is very limited evidence reflecting the extent to which teams effectively engage in a systematic or effective process at these meetings or the extent to which engaging in recommended processes results in positive outcomes. One reason there has not been more progress on understanding team-based problem solving is the absence of research tools for studying the process and its outcomes. In previous research, we developed the Decision Observation, Recording, and Analysis (DORA), documented its technical adequacy for assessing the behavior of teams during their team meetings, and demonstrated its usefulness in both single-case and randomized controlled trial studies examining problem solving in schools. In this research, we expanded DORA to provide documentation that the solutions that teams develop have been implemented with fidelity and are associated with problem improvement. We found that the revised instrument was a valid and reliable tool for assessing team behavior and that it provided technically adequate information on the extent to which teams were assessing if they had implemented a solution and if the solution made a difference for students. We believe the revised DORA is a measure worthy of use in studying team-based problem solving, and we discuss our findings as a base for a well-reasoned research agenda for moving the process forward as evidence-based practice. An appendix provides: DORA (Decision Observation, Recording, and Analysis) II.
Influence of Phonological Awareness, Morphological Awareness and Non-Verbal Ability on Reading Comprehension in Malayalam
Author: Abdul Gafoor, K.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Phonological Awareness,Reading Comprehension,Elementary School Students,Dravidian Languages,Multiple Regression Analysis,Longitudinal Studies,Surveys,Predictor Variables,Morphology (Languages),Nonverbal Ability

In the context of observations that students lack mastery of elementary reading comprehension in Malayalam even by the end of 5-7 years of formal schooling, this study applies multiple regression analysis for reading comprehension. Longitudinal survey data from a representative sample of 159 lower primary students from grade 2 to 4 revealed Reading Comprehension as significantly and positively related to Morphological Awareness, Phonological awareness and Ravens non-verbal ability. The three predictors account for near 1/3 of the variation in reading comprehension in Malayalam of elementary school learners. Findings suggest enhancing phonological and morphological awareness in order to develop reading comprehension. (Includes 3 tables.)
A Study of Reliability of Marking and Absolute Grading in Secondary Schools
Author: Abdul Gafoor, K.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reliability,Grading,Comparative Analysis,Secondary School Teachers,Correlation,Foreign Countries,Evaluators,Teacher Attitudes,Scoring

Using a non-experimental comparative group design in a sample consisting of 100 English teachers randomly selected from 30 secondary schools of a district of Kerala and assigning fifty teachers to groups for marking and grading, this study compares inter and intra-individual reliability in marking and absolute grading. Studying (1) the in marking and absolute Grading in terms of coefficient of rank correlation, (2) the intra-examiner and inter-examiner inconsistency in Marking and absolute Grading and (3) comparing Marking and absolute Grading in terms of intra and inter-examiner variation, revealed that grading system discourage teachers from looking for fine distinction where they do not exist and teachers honestly confess their inability to be precise in assessment while they score answer scripts intended for grading. (Includes 3 tables.)
Divergence in Curricular-Weight Teacher-Efforts and Student-Difficulties in Secondary School ESL
Author: Abdul Gafoor, K.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Educational Change,Difficulty Level,Curriculum Development,Textbook Content,Content Analysis,High School Students,Guides,Discourse Analysis,Secondary School Curriculum,English Curriculum,Language Proficiency

The increasing importance of English as a global language, calls for an equally vigorous attempt to improving teaching and learning it in schools as a second language within and outside India. Highlighting the relevance of contextualising ESL learning by allowing for the needs of students and teachers in undertaking reforms to ESL learning, this paper investigated curricular weight, teacher efforts and student difficulty in teaching-learning of discourses and its features used in English textbooks at the secondary level in Kerala, India. Content analysis of high school ESL textbooks and teachers' handbooks, students' and teachers' reports on difficulties in learning and emphasis in teaching ESL revealed divergence in the three aspects of the ESL curriculum development and implementation. Implications are added. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood: Special Education in Taiwan
Author: Ho, Hua-Kuo
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Education,Early Childhood Education,Educational Policy,Public Policy,Teacher Qualifications,Practicums,Special Education

The purpose of this paper is intended to present the current model of teacher preparation for early childhood special education in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was conducted in the study to collect and analyze the obtained data. The main features of teacher preparation policies for early childhood special education in Taiwan could be summarized as: (1) The Ministry of Education is the competent authority for teacher preparation; (2) The teacher preparation programs must be approved by the Ministry of Education; (3) The teacher education courses are regulated by the Ministry of Education; (4) Teacher preparation consists of pre-service teacher education and teacher qualification test. In addition, teacher preparation procedures in Taiwan and comparisons in teacher preparation practices between Taiwan and other nations were also discussed in the paper.
On Doing Mathematics: Why We Should Not Encourage &quot;Feeling,&quot; &quot;Believing,&quot; or &quot;Interpreting&quot; Mathematics
Author: McLoughlin, M. Padraig M. M.
Date: 2012-01-07
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Inquiry,Active Learning,Teaching Methods,Mathematics,Differences,Taxonomy,Ethics,Philosophy

P. R. Halmos recalled a conversation with R. L. Moore where Moore quoted a Chinese proverb. That proverb provides a summation of the justification of the methods employed in teaching students to do mathematics with a modified Moore method (MMM). It states, &quot;I see, I forget; I hear, I remember; I do, I understand.&quot; In this paper we build upon the suggestions made in, &quot;On the Nature of Mathematical Thought and Inquiry: A Prelusive Suggestion&quot; (2004, ERIC Document ED502336) and attempt to explore why the differences between reading, seeing, hearing, witnessing, and doing give rise to the contrast between and betwixt feeling, believing, interpreting, opining, and knowing. We refine in this paper the philosophical position proposed in the 2004 paper and accentuate how reading, seeing, or hearing do not lead to understanding whilst feeling or believing do not lead to truth. We submit that &quot;interpreting&quot; gives the impression Math is as imprecise as Psychology and is rooted in relativism (the &quot;eye of the beholder&quot;) rather than certain conditional truth deduced from axioms. We posit that feeling, believing, &amp; &quot;interpreting mathematical phenomena,&quot; are actually harmful to authentic meaningful mathematical learning.
The Efficiency and Effectiveness of the K-12 Energy Technology Education Promotion Centers in Taiwan
Author: Lee, Lung-Sheng
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Power Technology,Teacher Recruitment,Volunteers,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Web Sites,Educational Indicators,Grants,Exhibits,Program Effectiveness,Energy Conservation,Efficiency

In order to promote energy literacy for graders K-12, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan initiated a K-12 Energy Technology Education Project in September 2010. This 40-month project has one project office affiliated to a university, and 18 promotion centers affiliated to 18 schools--including 5 regional centers for upper-secondary schools and 13 county/city centers for kindergartens, elementary schools and lower-secondary schools. The main duties of promotion centers are: (1) Recruiting seed teachers/teacher leaders for grades K-12; (2) Recruiting volunteers and narrators for promotion centers; (3) Promoting energy education within their regions/counties/cities, and (4) Establishing websites for energy technology education. Yearly key performance indicators (KPIs) of each promotion center are negotiated among the project office and the promotion centers. The 40-month grant for promotion centers will be ended at the end of 2013. The purpose of this paper was to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of the K-12 energy technology education promotion centers. As a result of a document analysis and a gap analysis, the following efficiency and effectiveness of promotion centers are found: (1) Not every center meets its own KPIs, which were negotiated with the project office; (2) All centers meet their KPI targets in the following three duties: establishing energy exhibition space, recruiting and training volunteers or narrators, and building a website; (3) &quot;Recruiting seed teachers&quot; is the most difficult duty to conduct and every year about a half of the centers do not meet their KPI targets; and (4) The rationale for establishing promotion centers is good and well-supported. Based on the above findings, the following conclusions can be made: (1) The efficiency and effectiveness of the promotion centers are satisfactory; (2) The administrative region-based centers need to be reshaped to become cellular station base-oriented to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of promotion centers; and (3) New promotion centers can be required to focus on the following three aspects of energy education in descending order of priority: strengthening daily energy-saving and carbon-reduction, improving existing energy technologies, and developing new energy technologies.
Transferring Education for Sustainability
Author: Gafoor, Kunnathodi Abdul
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Sustainability,Transfer of Training,Intellectual Disciplines,Interdisciplinary Approach,Teaching Methods,Role of Education,Educational Philosophy,Educational Theories

Sustainability stands for sustaining the past, meeting needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet future needs. It should meet the individual and social needs, present and future needs local and global needs. A sustainable education that meets this requirements surely be a transferable education; an education that transfers from individual to social life, present to future life and local to more distant context. This type of education should begin with issues of individual survival such as food, water, health, safety, diseases, agriculture, etc. Sustainable education begins with these issues on a living manner with local and individual experiences as the basis. It grows from local to global, present to future and past as the learner develops in capabilities. The present education breaks these issues into disciplines, topics and testable contents. This type of education will not support neither a sustainable individual and hence nor a sustainable future, because schooling makes its learners more and more dependable on their parents, elders, family for every aspect of their educational and out of educational life. Hence this paper highlights in turning education more realistic, contextual, and natural and life related.
Perceived Difficulty of Chemistry Units in Std IX for Students in Kerala Stream Calls for Further Innovations
Author: Gafoor, Kunnathodi Abdul
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Chemistry,Science Instruction,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,High School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Learning Strategies,Educational Innovation,Difficulty Level

Chemistry is widely perceived as difficult. Specialized language, mathematical and abstract conceptual nature, and the amount of content are often cited reasons. Researchers have been trying to explain how students should be helped in learning chemistry better. This paper reports the results of a survey to identify the chemistry units in standard nine that are perceived as being difficult by students in Kerala state stream. The sample consists of 1382 standard X students, both males and females, from three high schools from that many revenue districts in Kerala. Six chemistry units were listed in a chart and presented to students so that each student may opt any one unit that s/he thinks the most difficult. The result shows that majority of pupil faces difficulty mainly in the unit on Periodic Table and Chemical Bonding. Since conceptual understanding in chemistry is related to the ability to explain chemical phenomena through the use of macroscopic, molecular and symbolic levels of representation; the authors suggests that innovative learning strategies be used by teachers at all levels of chemistry education to enhance the students' motivation to learn chemistry. Innovation in science education can contribute to the favourable learning environment in schools. Adopting innovative instructional strategies appropriate to the nature of the topic can create a good and favourable environment in classroom. This may in turn make further learning easier for students. (Contains 1 Table and 1 figure.)
Technology Teachers' Attitudes toward Nuclear Energy and Their Implications for Technology Education
Author: Lee, Lung-Sheng
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: High Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Nuclear Energy,Technology Education,Questionnaires,Foreign Countries,Energy Conservation,Natural Resources,Emergency Programs,Statistical Analysis,Gender Differences,Geographic Location,Teacher Attitudes

The purpose of this paper was to explore high-school (grades 10-12) technology teachers' attitudes toward nuclear energy and their implications to technology education. A questionnaire was developed to solicit 323 high-school technology teachers' responses in June 2013 and 132 (or 41%) valid questionnaires returned. Consequently, the following five conclusions can be made: (1) Most high-school technology teachers in Taiwan are keen on news about Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, (2) The majority of high-school technology teachers oppose more nuclear power plants in Taiwan, are now &quot;less supportive&quot; of expanding nuclear power plants in Taiwan after Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, oppose to extend the operating lifespan of the operating nuclear power plants in Taiwan, and oppose the construction of a new nuclear reactor within 80 kilometers of their homes, (3) The majority of technology teachers in Taiwan are now more supportive than they were before Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster of using clean renewable energy resources--such as wind and solar--and increased energy efficiency as an alternative to more nuclear power in Taiwan, and support a termination or moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction in Taiwan if increased energy efficiency and off the shelf renewable technologies such as wind and solar could meet our energy demands for the near term, (4) Nearly a half of high-school technology teachers in Taiwan do not know the evacuation route and what other steps to take in the event of the nearest nuclear power plant emergency, and (5) The majority of high-school technology teachers in Taiwan includes nuclear energy in their technology courses, and will enrich nuclear energy in their technology courses. An appendix presents the contingency table of Chi-square analyses.
Failing to Succeed the First School: Exploring Phonological Factors and Letter Reading Ability in Grade 1
Author: Gafoor, Kunnathodi Abdul
Date: 2013-03-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Phonological Awareness,Alphabets,Reading Ability,Grade 1,Grade 4,Elementary School Students,Primary Education,Dravidian Languages,Reading Difficulties,Foreign Countries,Longitudinal Studies,Reading Skills,Dropouts,Educational Attainment,Reading Failure

The context of this paper is studies worldwide on influence of phonological factors in language development of children. Such studies reveal the significance of Phonological Awareness in development language skills: including, predictive value of phonological short-term memory for reading skills in Grade 1. This paper throws light on factors in language learning that associate to failure in completion of lower primary grades in their first school. This paper analyses data obtained during a longitudinal study of school and pupil factors that leads to language difficulties in lower primary classes. The sample was cohort of students enrolled in grade 1 in the year 2010, in 11 coastal primary schools in Thrissur district (include government and aided schools). The sample was followed until 2013, through four academic years. This paper analyses phonological awareness and letter reading in Grade 1 of two distinct groups in the initial sample of 199 lower primary students. One group consists of those who successfully were promoted to Grade 4 in the same school by fourth academic year. Second group is of those who dropped out, retained or transferred to another school, before the completion of the first four years of schooling. Thus, this study tests difference, if any, in the performance of Phonological awareness and letter reading skills of groups that succeed and fail to successfully complete lower primary grades in their first school. This paper adds to understanding the problem of drop out and stagnation, which is traditionally attributed to poverty, child labour, malnutrition, and diseases among other societal and school factors. Implications are added. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)
Gender Fair Efficacy of Concept Mapping Tests in Identifying Students' Difficulties in High School Organic Chemistry
Author: Gafoor, Kunnathodi Abdul
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Sex Fairness,Gender Differences,Rural Areas,Organic Chemistry,Concept Mapping,Difficulty Level,Multiple Choice Tests,Science Tests,Comparative Analysis,Misconceptions,Testing,Foreign Countries,Test Format,Scores,Educational Practices,High School Students

In view of the perceived difficulty of organic chemistry unit for high schools students, this study examined the usefulness of concept mapping as a testing device to assess students' difficulty in the select areas. Since many tests used for identifying students misconceptions and difficulties in school subjects are observed to favour one or the other gender, this study examined efficacy of concept mapping as a gender fair test to appraise student difficulty in organic chemistry unit for high schools. Concept mapping is plotted against multiple-choice-item test, which is the commonly used objective test item format, and the true-false item test, which is advocated as efficient in finding out students misconceptions, to compare the usefulness of the first against the second and third in assessing student difficulties within organic chemistry in gender fair manner. The sample consisted of 117 tenth standard students from a rural government school in Kozhikode, Kerala. The test administration employed a counter-balanced design. This ensured that while all the students in the sample responded to all the three tests, one third of the study sample each answered the three tests first, second and third respectively. The first and second tests were considered pilot testing, such that the variation in score from the third test indicated the misconceptions than mere memory or guessing. The student performance, by gender, on the three test forms were compared using two-way ANOVA. The result indicated that concept mapping is at par with the true-false item format, in assessing student difficulties in organic chemistry in a gender fair manner, while the multiple choice item test scores favour girls, as is the customary case with the achievement scores in schools in Kerala. The findings highlight the need for developing improved formative test formats that could be used in accordance with fairer and inclusive schooling practices. (Contains 5 Tables and 1 Figure.)