scholarly journals Assessing and Validating a Writing Strategy Scale for Undergraduate Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 624
Author(s):  
Saeid Raoofi ◽  
Anvar Miri ◽  
Jalal Gharibi ◽  
Bahram Malaki
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Writing Strategies ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Writing Strategy ◽  
Esl Learners

Little research has been conducted to develop and validate a scale to measure L2 writing strategies. The purpose of this study was to validate a writing strategy questionnaire for English as a Second language (ESL) learners. The validation process involved both qualitative and quantitative methods.  First, in the item construction stage, 30 items were constructed through a process that involved both L2 writing experts’ comments and undergraduate students’ interviews. Then, in the statistical analysis stage, the prepared thirty-item questionnaire was administered to 322 undergraduate students who were non-native speakers of English. The data was analyzed using Principal Component Analysis. The results showed that the writing strategies used by non-native learners of English cluster into five categories:  metacognitive, cognitive, metacognitive, affective effort regulation and social strategies. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are indicated.

scholarly journals An Investigation into Writing Strategies and Writing Proficiency of University Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeid Raoofi ◽  
Massoud Binandeh ◽  
Saifullah Rahmani
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Writing Strategies ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Social Strategy ◽  
Writing Strategy ◽  
Effort Regulation

This paper reports on an investigation into the relationship between writing strategy use and L2 writing proficiency. Although research into language learning strategies is extensive, only a few studies have addressed L2 writing strategies of university students. 312 undergraduate students learning English as a second language took a writing proficiency test and completed a writing strategy questionnaire. The results of the study showed that the participants generally had a relatively high level of ESL writing strategy use. It was also found that Effort regulation strategy and metacognitive strategy were reported as the first and second most frequently used writing strategies respectively, while social strategy was reported as the least frequently used category. The results also showed that students with high writing abilities reported a significantly higher level of writing strategy use compared with those who had intermediate or low writing proficiency. It was found that students with higher writing ability reported using significantly more metacognitive, cognitive, affective and effort regulation strategies than those with lower writing proficiency. The discussion of the results, implications for language classroom and writing instruction are articulated. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also presented.

scholarly journals Gender differences in motivations to attend festivals in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-141
Author(s):  
Faten Alshammari ◽  
Jeremy Whaley ◽  
Songyee Hur ◽  
Youn-Kyung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gender Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Saudi Arabians

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conduct a within-gender analysis and between-gender differences in seeking (personal and interpersonal) and escaping (personal and interpersonal) motivations to attend a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia. Specific objectives were: to conduct a within-gender analysis in motivations to attend a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia; and to examine between-gender differences in motivations to attend a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachBased on the data collected from 458 attendees at a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia, the authors employed network analysis for within-gender analysis and MANOVA and ANOVA for between-gender comparison. The network analysis served two purposes, in that it examined each item’s predictability for each gender, and analyzed the correlations among motivation items within each gender. In addition, the General Linear Model served to compare the male and female groups’ motivations to attend the non-traditional festival. The authors first performed MANOVA for each dimension and then ANOVA for each dimension’s individual items.FindingsWithin-gender analysis reveals that several sets of motivations were associated strongly for both genders. This suggests that Saudi Arabians seem to enjoy entertainment because it projects the festival mood; they want to escape both from home and work and attend the festival to relieve stress by changing their routine pace. However, gender differences were apparent in several other items, especially for the group of women. Between-group comparison analysis shows significant gender differences in several elements of motivation. Overall, personal seeking and escaping were greater for males than females. In contrast, interpersonal seeking was greater for females than males.Research limitations/implicationsEntertainment seems to be a key contributor to the festival mood because entertainment and the festival mood were related closely for both genders. In fact, personal and interpersonal escaping means were greater than personal interpersonal seeking means for both genders. Indeed, opportunities exist to develop non-traditional festivals in the country further. Gender differences were identified in several items of personal seeking and escaping, and interpersonal seeking. With respect to personal seeking, men tend to seek the entertainment, festival mood and the event’s uniqueness more than do women, a finding that their higher means in personal escaping supported. It is clear that men view the festival as a way to enjoy themselves to escape from their jobs and daily stress to a greater degree than do their female counterparts. Women are more likely to seek interpersonal experiences in that they are more likely to enjoy the festival because it offers the opportunity to meet new people and spend quality time with family and friends. This study has several limitations, leading to suggestions for future research. Because seeking and escaping motivations have been used relatively little in the festival setting, future researchers should develop a valid scale of personal and interpersonal seeking and escaping motivations specifically for festivals employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Second, while the data were collected at a single non-traditional festival, future research can use multiple sites to increase the ability to generalize the findings. Third, although this study was limited to Saudi Arabia, further research can apply seeking and escaping motivations, both at the personal and interpersonal levels, to other cultures to extend the applicability of the framework used in this study.Practical implicationsNon-traditional festival managers need to focus on an atmosphere that provides festivities, as many people in the Saudi Arabian culture appear to be escaping from their everyday lives to enjoy themselves and with family and friends. To appeal to male workers, festival organizers and managers need to advertise and market the events’ mood and liveliness overall with photos of workers leaving the office free of stress and looking forward to attending an event. To appeal to women who desire unique experiences that a variety of forms of entertainment provide, event managers must ensure that the entertainment is innovative and creative, and differs from what other festivals provide to attract more female attendees. Also, festival planners must focus on events that incorporate the family unit and promote the opportunity to meet new people to appeal to women in Saudi Arabia.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine gender differences in festival motivations in Saudi Arabia. The relaxation of the historically strict and conservative cultural values, coupled with the country’s desire to develop its tourism and event sector, provides an ideal opportunity for future research. The authors hope that this research will stimulate further interest in the country with the goal to develop and market its tourism sector and products on the world’s stage.

scholarly journals Sixty seconds about each student–studying qualitative and quantitative differences in teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of their students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieke Jager ◽  
Eddie Denessen ◽  
Antonius H. N. Cillessen ◽  
Paulien C. Meijer
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Educational Trajectories ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Student Interview ◽  
Perceptions Of Students

AbstractThis study explored the content and nature of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of their students. The knowledge and perceptions of seven Dutch secondary school teachers regarding the same 33 students in one second-year school class were studied. Each teacher was invited to tell (in 60 s per student) how he/she perceived and what he/she knew about, each individual student. Interview data were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Results showed within- and between-teacher differences in the content, amount and evaluative nature of their knowledge and perceptions. In addition, there were within- and between-student differences in how their teachers knew and perceived them. The results suggest that teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of their students varies per teacher-student combination and substantiate an interpersonal nature of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions. To understand the function of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of students for teaching, future research should focus on how different knowledge and perceptions lead to differential educational trajectories for individual or specific groups of students.

Unspoken yet Understood: An Introduction and Initial Framework of Subordinates’ Moqi With Supervisors

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 955-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingshan Zheng ◽  
Ning Li ◽  
T. Brad Harris ◽  
Hui Liao
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Feedback Seeking ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Power Distance Orientation ◽  
Work Effectiveness ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Goal Clarity ◽  
Implicit And Explicit

Across two studies and five samples, we introduce the Chinese construct of moqi (a tacit understanding of another person’s expectations and intentions) as a key, but heretofore overlooked, aspect of supervisor–subordinate relationships. In Study 1, using qualitative and quantitative methods, we develop a subordinate-focused moqi scale and establish its discriminant and criterion-related validity. In Study 2, using three-wave data from three sources (subordinates, coworkers, and supervisors), we test an integrative, information-based model explicating (1) subordinates’ actions that are useful in acquiring the necessary information to develop moqi with their supervisor; (2) boundary conditions affecting subordinates’ sensitivity to information and, hence, their development of moqi with the supervisor; and (3) the informational process underlying subordinate moqi’s positive relationship with work effectiveness. Findings suggest that subordinates’ implicit and explicit feedback seeking positively predicted their subsequent perceptions of moqi with a supervisor and, moreover, that the relationship between implicit feedback seeking and subordinate moqi is enhanced by higher subordinate power distance orientation and face consciousness. Results also indicate that subordinate moqi influences task performance and reward recommendations for subordinates via the mediation of increased goal clarity, and the indirect effects is more pronounced for subordinates with higher power distance orientation. We offer an important discussion of moqi’s cultural nuances and make several suggestions for a robust future research agenda.

Recovery colleges: quality and outcomes

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 212-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Meddings ◽  
Jane McGregor ◽  
Waldo Roeg ◽  
Geoff Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence regarding the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Recovery Colleges. To make suggestions for future research. Design/methodology/approach – Selective review of relevant published studies, including reports in the “grey” literature. Findings – Despite methodological limitations, it has been consistently found that attendance at Recovery Colleges is perceived to be useful and to help people progress towards their recovery goals. There is some evidence of reductions in service use (and therefore costs). In addition, there is evidence of beneficial effects for peer trainers and possible positive impact on staff attitudes. Research limitations/implications – The existing research highlights the need for further robust studies, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, to understand better the overall impact of Recovery Colleges and the underlying mechanisms of change. Practical implications – There is a need for further studies of the relationship between the “key defining features” and outcomes. This means the collection and pooling of systematic, “practice-based” evidence. Social implications – The introduction of an explicitly recovery educational (“learning”) model into mainstream mental health services seems to have a profound effect on reducing the power differences inherent in traditional professional/patient relationships. If this can be replicated across organisations it could facilitate the kind of fundamental cultural change necessary to give back recovery to the people who have always owned it. Originality/value – The information collected together in this paper is already publicly available, however it is difficult to find. The analysis and interpretation is original.

scholarly journals Supporting Expectant and Parenting Teens: New Evidence to Inform Future Programming and Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (S2) ◽  
pp. 67-75
Author(s):  
Jessica F. Harding ◽  
Susan Zief ◽  
Amy Farb ◽  
Amy Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Federal Programs ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Teen Parents ◽  
Health Journal ◽  
The Right ◽  
New Evidence

Abstract Until recently, federal programs had not explicitly focused on improving the outcomes of highly vulnerable teen parents. Established in 2010, the Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) aims to improve the health, social, educational, and economic outcomes for expectant and parenting teens and young adults, their children, and their families, through providing grants to states and tribes. This article introduces the Maternal and Child Health Journal supplement “Supporting Expectant and Parenting Teens: The Pregnancy Assistance Fund,” which draws together the perspectives of researchers and practitioners to provide insights into serving expectant and parenting teens through the PAF program. The articles in the supplement include examples of programs that use different intervention strategies to support teen parents, with programs based in high school, college, and community settings in both urban and rural locations. Some of the articles provide rigorous evidence of what works to support teen parents. In addition, the articles demonstrate key lessons learned from implementation, including allowing some flexibility in implementation while clearly outlining core programmatic components, using partnerships to meet the multifaceted needs of young parents, hiring the right staff and providing extensive training, using strategies for engaging and recruiting teen parents, and planning for sustainability early. The studies use a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate programs to support teen parents, and three articles describe how to implement innovative and cost effective methods to evaluate these kinds of programs. By summarizing findings across the supplement, we increase understanding of what is known about serving expectant and parenting teens and point to next steps for future research.

scholarly journals Development of the Sri Lankan Early Teenagers’ Violence Inventory: An Instrument to Measure Peer Violence in Schools

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Wijeratne ◽  
Rohini Seneviratne ◽  
Nalika Gunawardena ◽  
Truls Østbye ◽  
Catherine Lynch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Peer Violence ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

This study was designed to develop an inventory to measure peer violence among early teens (13–15 years of age) in schools in Sri Lanka. Development of SLETVI was carried out in two phases. In phase I, development of an operational definition for peer violence, identification, and finalizing violent acts for inventory was done by a combination of qualitative methods: a comprehensive literature review, focus group discussions among 13–15-year-old adolescents, their teachers and parents, and consultative meetings with experts in the field. Inventory was then pretested. In phase II, elaboration of SLETVI was carried out by administering it to a sample of 1700 adolescents (13–15 years old). Exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis was performed separately for experiences of victimization and perpetration. Test-retest reliability of SLETVI was assessed. SLETVI included 37 items in three factors: “less severe violence,” “severe physical,” and “severe relational” violence. Combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods enabled development of a culturally valid and reliable operational inventory to assess early teenagers’ peer violence in Sri Lankan and other South Asian schools.

Development and validation of a work motive measurement scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 700-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Shan Liu ◽  
Susan Wohlsdorf Arendt
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Need For Affiliation ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Managerial Positions ◽  
Work Motives

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement scale to assess work motives for hospitality employees utilizing McClelland’s theory of needs as the theoretical underpinning. Design/methodology/approach Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to achieve the study purpose. First, individual interviews were conducted to explore employee work motives and develop work motive scale items. Second, data from a self-administered paper questionnaire, completed by 388 respondents, were used to validate the developed scale. Findings Four themes were identified which reflect employees’ perspectives of hospitality jobs and culture: the job itself, need for affiliation, need for achievement and need for power. The developed scale, consisting of 22 items, was found to be reliable and valid in assessing work motives. Research limitations/implications The majority of participants were entry-level employees; therefore, the developed scale may not be useful when assessing work motives of individuals not in front-line positions. Future research could extend the measurement model to investigate work motives of individuals in managerial positions. In addition, future research could assess work motives as antecedents of employee organizational behaviors and attitudes. Practical implications The developed scale could be used as a selection tool to assess applicants’ work motives, thereby assisting employers in making effective hiring decisions. Originality/value This study contributes a new reliable and valid measurement scale developed specifically to address the unique work motives desirable for individuals seeking employment in the hospitality industry.

scholarly journals Hearing the Silence: Children’s Voices on Violence

10.18060/40 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn S. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Child Survivors ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Victim Services ◽  
Children’S Voices ◽  
Victimization Research ◽  
Court Process

Each year more than five million children in the United States are exposed to traumatizing events in their communities. This paper presents a discussion of multiple areas in violence and victimization research that needs to be continued as well as provides suggestions on how to un-silence child survivors through bridging the gaps between research and practice. It reviews the overarching problem of violence in the U.S. at the domestic and global levels and the effects of victimization. Suggestions on how to study possible mediators and moderators of victimization and individual and family adjustment, including: 1) The ecological perspective; 2) Court process and verdict; and 3)Utilization of victim services, are explored. Finally, a rationale and examples of combining qualitative and quantitative methods in future research that uses children’s attributions of violence as a mediator are presented.

scholarly journals IMPROVING COMPUTER ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ TRAINING THROUGH COMBINATION OF FORMAL, NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Malykhin ◽  
Nataliia Oleksandrivna Aristova
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Computer Engineering ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
General Self Efficacy

The paper analyses benefits of combining formal, non-formal and informal learning in Computer Engineering and Information Technologies undergraduate students’ training. The results of research conducted in the 2017/2018 academic year are shown. A total of 106 students earning BA in Computer Engineering and Information Technologies at National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine volunteered to participate in the research. The aim of the research was to investigate the influence of combining formal, non-formal and informal learning on improving Computer Engineering and Information Technologies undergraduate students’ training through the increase in their general self-efficacy. To collect data from 106 computer engineering and information technologies undergraduate students we applied a mixed methods approach implying the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative data were collected using a pre-test and a post-test based on a questionnaire on general self-efficacy. Qualitative methods included classroom observations and interviews with computer engineering and information technologies undergraduate students. The authors compared the results obtained in the experimental and control groups and drew conclusions concerning the positive effects of combining formal, non-formal and informal learning on improving Computer Engineering and Information Technologies undergraduate students’ training through the increase in their general self-efficacy.  

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