scholarly journals Exploring EFL university learners’ acquisition of advanced reading skills in the Yemeni context

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed Mohammed A. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Performance Achievement ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Effective Reading Strategies

Reading is an essential language skill for enhancing learners’ performance at various levels of study. However, EFL learners at the tertiary level encounter reading difficulties, particularly in acquiring advanced reading skills, which have affected their reading comprehension and resulted in low academic performance achievement. This is probably attributed to various factors, including learners’ lack of effective reading strategies. A study that exclusively explores reading difficulties encountered by EFL university learners, reasons for the difficulties, and strategies adopted to overcome the difficulties and develop advanced reading skills seem to be scarce in the literature. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to explore the acquisition process of advanced reading skills in EFL tertiary context at a private university in Yemen from learners’ perspective. The study adopted a qualitative approach to gather data from EFL tertiary learners through a focus group discussion. The data were analyzed manually using the indexing approach. Findings revealed that learners face reading difficulties such as inference making, getting the gist of the text, and managing the reading tasks. These difficulties were attributed to linguistic and non-linguistic reasons, and metacognitive, cognitive, and social-affective strategies were used in reading. The study recommends engaging EFL learners in intensive and extensive reading to help them apply the strategies they learn and develop advanced reading skills and better academic performance. Future research studies may focus on strategies for reading fluency.

Performance, Achievement, and Success in Psychological Research: Towards a More Transparent Use of the Still Ambiguous Terminology

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412199600
Author(s):  
Ivana Mašková ◽  
Dalibor Kučera
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Performance Achievement ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Universal Indicator

The present study focused on the terms performance, achievement, and success that have often been used in an ambiguous manner in psychological research. The way in which the meaning of the domain-specific constructs referred to with the terms was established for measurement purposes was investigated on a sample of 262 articles that stemmed from 35 randomly selected journals covering the full range of psychological research. The operational definitions of the constructs referred to with the terms performance, achievement, and success were analysed and compared in both inter- and intra-domain fashion. Additionally, we assessed the match among the observed operational definitions and general conceptual definitions available in the extant literature. The results revealed terminology-related issues in educational and occupational research. Within these domains, lack of adherence to the multidimensionality of the constructs of academic performance, academic achievement, academic success, job performance, and career success was identified as a general issue. Further, the tendency to measure job performance via indicators based on self-rating was considered inadequate given the objective nature of the term performance. In educational research, the overlap of the academic performance, academic achievement, and academic success constructs was confirmed, resulting from the tendency to use GPA as a universal indicator of academic outcomes. Based on the present findings, we provided several recommendations in order to encourage future research towards a more transparent way of dealing with the particular constructs referred to with the terms performance, achievement, and success. We suppose the present study may help researchers in the full range of psychological disciplines to add clarity to their own research.

scholarly journals Problem Behaviors and Response to Reading Intervention for Upper Elementary Students With Reading Difficulties

2019 ◽  
pp. 074193251986526
Author(s):  
Garrett J. Roberts ◽  
Sharon Vaughn ◽  
Greg Roberts ◽  
Jeremy Miciak
Keyword(s):  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Intervention ◽  
Treatment Condition ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fifth Grade Students ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Reading Efficiency ◽  
Fluency And Comprehension

This study investigated the extent to which problem behaviors were factors associated with response to a year-long multicomponent reading intervention for fourth- and fifth-grade students with reading difficulties. Students scoring ≤85 standard score on the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension ( n = 108), a reading fluency and comprehension screener measure, were randomized to the researcher-provided treatment condition ( n = 55) or the business-as-usual comparison condition ( n = 53). Results indicated that problem behaviors were associated with lower reading comprehension outcomes. Findings also suggested that students with higher levels of overall problem behaviors and externalizing behaviors in the treatment condition outperformed similar students in the comparison condition on the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test ( p < .05). Future research is needed on how to best identify, develop, and adapt effective interventions for students with reading difficulties and problem behaviors within school-wide response to intervention frameworks.

Internet Use and Cognitive Development

2012 ◽  
pp. 315-327
Author(s):  
Linda A. Jackson ◽  
Edward A. Witt
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Grade Point Averages ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Mathematics Skills

There are surprisingly few studies of the effects of Internet use on children’s cognitive development. Surveys by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (Pew, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007) indicate that children and adolescents strongly believe that the Internet has improved their academic performance, primarily by making educational resources readily and conveniently available. The authors’ research has found that Internet use is related to academic performance, specifically, to grade point averages (GPAs) and scores on standardized tests of reading skills, at least for underperforming children. No benefits were observed for mathematics skills, or for average or above average performing children. Though null findings must be interpreted with caution, one potential explanation is that Internet use is more likely to exercise reading skills than mathematics skills, and less likely to improve the reading skills or GPA of students who are already reading well and performing at or above average in school. Implications of the findings for future research and the importance of Internet access for underserved children are discussed.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of the Logic of English Approach on the Improvement of Reading Skills of Saudi EFL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mohammed Hassan Abdel Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Fluency And Comprehension ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
Intensive Teaching ◽  
Literacy And Writing ◽  
Integrate Teaching

<p>The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which the use of the Logic of English Approach can improve reading skills of Saudi EFL learners at the college of Preparatory Year Program (PYP), Ula Branch, in Taibah University. The Logic of English Approach attempts to integrate teaching with reading skills such as, reading comprehension, reading fluency, vocabulary, literacy and writing skills. The present study attempts to check only the effectiveness of this approach on the enhancement of reading fluency and comprehension. The Logic of English Approach assumes that the improvement of reading fluency depends on intensive teaching and practice of spelling rules using phonics, phonograms, and word roots Eide (2012). To achieve the aim of this study, quantitative research methodology was conducted. The data were collected from lecturers of Taibah University, arranged in tables, interpreted and compared with past studies. The results match most of the previous research.</p>

Concept–based Analysis of Java Programming Errors among Low, Average and High Achieving Novice Programmers

10.28945/4246 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Practice Volume ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Achievement Level ◽  
Java Programming ◽  
Ability Levels ◽  
Programming Errors

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2019 issue of the Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, Volume 18.] Aim/Purpose: The study examined types of errors made by novice programmers in different Java concepts with students of different ability levels in programming as well as the perceived causes of such errors. Background: To improve code writing and debugging skills, efforts have been made to taxonomize programming errors and their causes. However, most of the studies employed omnibus approaches, i.e. without consideration of different programing concepts and ability levels of the trainee programmers. Such concepts and ability specific errors identification and classifications are needed to advance appropriate intervention strategy. Methodology: A sequential exploratory mixed method design was adopted. The sample was an intact class of 124 Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate students grouped into three achievement levels based on first semester performance in a Java programming course. The submitted codes in the course of second semester exercises were analyzed for possible errors, categorized and grouped across achievement level. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as Pearson product correlation coefficient. Qualitative analyses through interviews and focused group discussion (FGD) were also employed to identify reasons for the committed errors. Contribution:The study provides a useful concept-based and achievement level specific error log for the teaching of Java programming for beginners. Findings: The results identified 598 errors with Missing symbols (33%) and Invalid symbols (12%) constituting the highest and least committed errors respec-tively. Method and Classes concept houses the highest number of errors (36%) followed by Other Object Concepts (34%), Decision Making (29%), and Looping (10%). Similar error types were found across ability levels. A significant relationship was found between missing symbols and each of Invalid symbols and Inappropriate Naming. Errors made in Methods and Classes were also found to significantly predict that of Other Object concepts. Recommendations for Practitioners: To promote better classroom practice in the teaching of Java programming, findings for the study suggests instructions to students should be based on achievement level. In addition to this, learning Java programming should be done with an unintelligent editor. Recommendations for Researchers: Research could examine logic or semantic errors among novice programmers as the errors analyzed in this study focus mainly on syntactic ones. Impact on Society: The digital age is code-driven, thus error analysis in programming instruction will enhance programming ability, which will ultimately transform novice programmers into experts, particularly in developing countries where most of the software in use is imported. Future Research: Researchers could look beyond novice or beginner programmers as codes written by intermediate or even advanced programmers are still not often completely error free.

Neurocognitive Bases of Crossmodal Integration Deficit in Dyslexia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gullick ◽  
James R. Booth
Keyword(s):  
Reading Interventions ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Critical Component ◽  
Crossmodal Integration ◽  
Phonological Deficits ◽  
And Training

Crossmodal integration is a critical component of successful reading, and yet it has been less studied than reading’s unimodal subskills. Proficiency with the sounds of a language (i.e., the phonemes) and with the visual representations of these sounds (graphemes) are both important and necessary precursors for reading, but the formation of a stable integrated representation that combines and links these aspects, and subsequent fluent and automatic access to this crossmodal representation, is unique to reading and is required for its success. Indeed, individuals with specific difficulties in reading, as in dyslexia, demonstrate impairments not only in phonology and orthography but also in integration. Impairments in only crossmodal integration could result in disordered reading via disrupted formation of or access to phoneme–grapheme associations. Alternately, the phonological deficits noted in many individuals with dyslexia may lead to reading difficulties via issues with integration: children who cannot consistently identify and manipulate the sounds of their language will also have trouble matching these sounds to their visual representations, resulting in the manifested deficiencies. We here discuss the importance of crossmodal integration in reading, both generally and as a potential specific causal deficit in the case of dyslexia. We examine the behavioral, functional, and structural neural evidence for a crossmodal, as compared to unimodal, processing issue in individuals with dyslexia in comparison to typically developing controls. We then present an initial review of work using crossmodal- versus unimodal-based reading interventions and training programs aimed at the amelioration of reading difficulties. Finally, we present some remaining questions reflecting potential areas for future research into this topic.

scholarly journals People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers: what matters most?

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002741
Author(s):  
Paola Brunori ◽  
Maria Grazia Celani ◽  
Angelo Alberto Bignamini ◽  
Marzia Carlini ◽  
Rossella Papetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Anger Management ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Text File ◽  
Medical Issues ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to collect the perspectives and values of people affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their carers to offer clinicians, researchers and policymakers aspects which are precious in prioritising future research questions and reshaping care service organisations in a participatory approach.Design and settingCohort study using ALS Umbria, the electronic database in Italy.ParticipantsEleven patients and 33 carers who agreed to participate in the study were divided into six focus groups by ‘status’ (patient or carer) and by four severity levels of ‘burden of disease’.MethodsA semiquantitative analysis was undertaken. Each recorded group discussion was transcribed into text file and independently read by two psychologists and two ALS specialists to blindly identify needs, emotions and medical issues, which are the key semantic meanings expressed. Any disagreement in interpretation was resolved through consultation among authors.ResultsCarers pronounced significantly more words related to patient’s disease burden they cared. 40% of subjects expressed the need for ‘assistance’, regardless of the disease burden. ‘Anger’ alone represented more than 1/4 of all expressed emotions and was more common in patients than in carers (73% vs 36%, p=0.077). The most frequent medical issue expressed by 1/3 of participants was ‘difficulty in communication’.ConclusionThis study has given voice to the expectations of those affected by the burden of ALS. ‘Welfare assistance’, ‘anger management’ and resolution of ‘difficulties in communication’ represent issues that need to be analysed in a common prioritised research agenda with sensible and shared outcome measures to implement patient-centred medicine.

What Does Science Say About Orton-Gillingham Interventions? An Explanation and Commentary on the Stevens et al. (2021) Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Solari ◽  
Yaacov Petscher ◽  
Colby Hall
Keyword(s):  
Word Reading ◽  
Reading Interventions ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Exceptional Children ◽  
Reading Research ◽  
Education Science ◽  
Clear Description

A recent meta-analysis published in Exceptional Children (Stevens et al., 2021) looked at the effects of Orton-Gillingham (OG) reading interventions on reading outcomes for students who have word reading difficulties. The results of the study have led to questions and lively conversation among practitioners and reading researchers. One of the things that is important about science is that it is constantly evolving: this is true in education science as much as it is in the health sciences. Because this journal is committed to translating empirical findings from reading research in order to make education science accessible to practitioners, the intent of this commentary is to provide a clear description of the findings reported in this recent meta-analysis, addressing the degree to which they align with those reported in similar reviews of OG interventions. We discuss the degree to which the findings represent an evolution of reading science and their implications for instructional practice, policy, and future research.

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