scholarly journals The dilemma of English as a medium of instruction policy in science college programs

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1045-1060
Author(s):  
Munassir Alhamami ◽  
Abdullah Almelhi
Keyword(s):  
Native Language ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Intensive English Program ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
College Programs ◽  
Current Program ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Undergraduate Science

Achieving science undergraduate programs learning outcomes relies on the students’ proficiency in the language of instruction, a challenge that many policymakers ignore. This study is to understand the influence of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy in four undergraduate science programs, namely, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from the following groups of participants: 1461 science alumni records, 769 current undergraduate science students’ surveys, and 111 science university instructors’ surveys. The results of alumni records indicated that grades of the intensive English program in the first year predict the alumni cumulative grade point average (GPA) once they finish their four-year program. The results demonstrated that the higher is the alumni’s English proficiency, the better is their cumulative GPA. The results of the current science students’ questionnaire showed their preferred language of instruction could be predicted by their attitudes and society’s attitudes. Most of these students preferred to learn sciences in their native language (Arabic), which contradicted the policy of the current program. The instructors’ questionnaire results showed that instructors held divergent perspectives on the usage of EMI and students’ native language in the undergraduate science programs. To conclude, educationists and programs policymakers need to locate more attention and interventions toward the language of instruction. It is also recommended that universities provide science students with more English courses. Science students should also have English for science purposes courses to familiarize them with the science terms and prepare them to read science materials.

scholarly journals Context Factors Affecting Cognition and Performance of Undergraduate Science Students

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 160-169
Author(s):  
Farkhunda Rasheed Choudhary ◽  
Tariq Javed
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Context Factors ◽  
Field Independent ◽  
Field Dependent ◽  
Undergraduate Science

Individual differences play a vital role in learning, as they lead learners towards Field-Dependent and Field-Independent learning styles, assumed the perceptions of individuals. For learning science, perception, spatial orientation and analytical approach have been considered extremely essential. There are several context factors which have been reported to have connection with directly or indirectly cognitive learning styles. The present study explored the effects of context factors such as age, gender,. academic achievement and mother’s qualification of science students. For this study, 462 undergraduate science students were selected randomly from BS Physics, BS mathematics, and BS Computer Engineering programmes from four universities. The standardize test “SHAPES” was administered to recognize Field-Dependent-Field Independent learners. The regression analysis revealed that context factors such as gender, age, and grade point average significantly contribute to field contingent and field free thinking cognitive learning style.

scholarly journals Establishing a baseline of science communication skills in an undergraduate environmental science course

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Shivni ◽  
Christina Cline ◽  
Morgan Newport ◽  
Shupei Yuan ◽  
Heather E. Bergan-Roller
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Early Step ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Media Types ◽  
Undergraduate Science ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background Seminal reports, based on recommendations by educators, scientists, and in collaboration with students, have called for undergraduate curricula to engage students in some of the same practices as scientists—one of which is communicating science with a general, non-scientific audience (SciComm). Unfortunately, very little research has focused on helping students develop these skills. An important early step in creating effective and efficient curricula is understanding what baseline skills students have prior to instruction. Here, we used the Essential Elements for Effective Science Communication (EEES) framework to survey the SciComm skills of students in an environmental science course in which they had little SciComm training. Results Our analyses revealed that, despite not being given the framework, students included several of the 13 elements, especially those which were explicitly asked for in the assignment instructions. Students commonly targeted broad audiences composed of interested adults, aimed to increase the knowledge and awareness of their audience, and planned and executed remote projects using print on social media. Additionally, students demonstrated flexibility in their skills by slightly differing their choices depending on the context of the assignment, such as creating more engaging content than they had planned for. Conclusions The students exhibited several key baseline skills, even though they had minimal training on the best practices of SciComm; however, more support is required to help students become better communicators, and more work in different contexts may be beneficial to acquire additional perspectives on SciComm skills among a variety of science students. The few elements that were not well highlighted in the students’ projects may not have been as intuitive to novice communicators. Thus, we provide recommendations for how educators can help their undergraduate science students develop valuable, prescribed SciComm skills. Some of these recommendations include helping students determine the right audience for their communication project, providing opportunities for students to try multiple media types, determining the type of language that is appropriate for the audience, and encouraging students to aim for a mix of communication objectives. With this guidance, educators can better prepare their students to become a more open and communicative generation of scientists and citizens.

scholarly journals Crossing Boundaries: Steps Toward Measuring Undergraduates’ Interdisciplinary Science Understanding

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. ar8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brie Tripp ◽  
Sophia A. Voronoff ◽  
Erin E. Shortlidge
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Interdisciplinary Science ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Assessment Development ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Science Understanding ◽  
Interdisciplinary Framework ◽  
Undergraduate Science

A desired outcome of education reform efforts is for undergraduates to effectively integrate knowledge across disciplines in order to evaluate and address real-world issues. Yet there are few assessments designed to measure if and how students think interdisciplinarily. Here, a sample of science faculty were surveyed to understand how they currently assess students’ interdisciplinary science understanding. Results indicate that individual writing-intensive activities are the most frequently used assessment type (69%). To understand how writing assignments can accurately assess students’ ability to think interdisciplinarily, we used a preexisting rubric, designed to measure social science students’ interdisciplinary understanding, to assess writing assignments from 71 undergraduate science students. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 of those students to explore similarities and differences between assignment scores and verbal understanding of interdisciplinary science. Results suggest that certain constructs of the instrument did not fully capture this competency for our population, but instead, an interdisciplinary framework may be a better model to guide assessment development of interdisciplinary science. These data suggest that a new instrument designed through the lens of this model could more accurately characterize interdisciplinary science understanding for undergraduate students.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Caliber Intelligence Quotient Test (CIQT) In Evaluating Intelligence Quotient in English Medium & Vernacular Medium Schools in Gujarat & Maharashtra

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Jignesh Prashnani ◽  
Dr. Karan Deshmukh
Keyword(s):  
Intelligence Quotient ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Medium Of Instruction

There are mainly two types of schools in India. The first one is vernacular medium schools where the students are provided education in their native language and the second one is English medium schools where the medium of instruction is English. There are various differences in between these two types of schools. In vernacular medium schools, the main focus is on the native language of the students and their culture but in English medium schools, the focus is on the English language to make them employable in future. This paper aims to analyze the methodology used by the newly lauched Caliber Intelligence Quotient Test (CIQT) in evaluating Intelligence Quotient in English Medium & Vernacular Medium Schools in Gujarat & Maharashtrawith examples.

STEM undergraduate students: library use, perceptions and GPA

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Mi Scoulas
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stem Disciplines ◽  
Library Use ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
User Groups ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Online Library

PurposeThis study aims to examine if differences exist in undergraduate students' library use, perceptions and grade point average (GPA) among science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM disciplines.Design/methodology/approachThe current study used data from the 2018 student survey. Among 2,277 students who completed the survey (response rate = 8%), only undergraduate students (n = 1,265) were selected for this study because the current study aims to examine the differences between STEM and non-STEM undergraduate students.FindingsThe findings from a Mann–Whitney U test revealed that STEM respondents perceived specific library resources (subject and course guide, library instructions and library workshops) as slightly less than non-STEM respondents. The results from ANOVA demonstrated that the mean scores in GPA for STEM respondents who never used online library, journals and databases were lower than respondents who used those library resources, regardless of STEM and non-STEM disciplines.Originality/valueRevisiting the data collected and analyzing specific user groups will be valuable to academic libraries because this study will provide academic librarians with a deeper understanding of specific user needs and perceptions of library resources and services.

Surely You Must Be Joking, Mr. Twain!: Reengaging Science Students through Visual Aesthetics

Leonardo ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-315
Author(s):  
Katherine Goodman ◽  
Jean Hertzberg ◽  
Noah Finkelstein
Keyword(s):  
Student Perception ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Personal Meaning ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Content Mastery ◽  
Visual Aesthetics ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Science ◽  
Improved Methods

Researchers have established improved methods for undergraduate science and engineering education, yet these efforts often overlook the personal meaning students find in their work. Institutions of higher learning should support the creation of personal meaning along with content mastery, aspects that are both included in arts education. The authors argue that STEM educators must work to overcome student perception that content mastery and personal meaning sit at odds. The authors provide an example of a technical course that achieves these goals as well as evidence that it is possible to foster connection while developing content mastery.

scholarly journals Determinants In The Choice Of Comprehensible Input Strategies In Science Classes

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Crisanta Comia Buri
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Comprehensible Input ◽  
Filipino Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Science Classes ◽  
Bilingual Education Policy

The Bilingual Education Policy, which was launched in 1974 and revised in 1987, has resulted in the limited exposure of Filipino learners to the English language. This is because the policy reversed previous policies and stipulates that in only two content area subjects, namely, Science and Mathematics is English to be used as medium of instruction. The limited exposure to English has been cited as one of the reasons for the declining proficiency in English of Filipino students since the promulgation of the policy (Gonzales, 1986). On the other hand, the use of English as medium of instruction in cognitively demanding subjects such as science and mathematics has also been given as the reason for the poor showing of students and even teachers themselves in nationwide tests in Science (Maminta, 1985). The overall downtrend in student achievement as evidenced by the poor performance on all of the tests has given rise to two issues concerning the policy. First, is the language for initial literacy and the second is the medium of instruction in science and mathematics. These language issues are crucial in as much as language is the primary vehicle of expression and thought exchange in the classroom. Teaching and learning are in fact language tasks carried out largely by means of verbal interaction between teacher and students (Bellack, et al 1966). The exchange of ideas between students and teachers is largely done through language as they talk about concepts in science, mathematics and other content areas.

scholarly journals Scientific Foundations of the Chuvash Language Textbook for 10-11 Grades

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 57-60
Author(s):  
Yuriy Mikhailovich Vinogradov
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Method ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Language Theory ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Content Structure ◽  
Modern Language ◽  
Research Material ◽  
The Future ◽  
Relevant Material

The purpose of the article is to familiarize the reader with the content, structure and scientific foundations of the presentation of topics in the manuscript of the future textbook on the Chuvash language for students of grades 10-11 of schools with their native language of instruction. The research material is the manuscript of the textbook "Chuvash language" for grades 10-11 of schools with a native (Chuvash) language of instruction. The comparative-analytical method of research is used in the work. The manuscript was prepared in accordance with the program approved by the resolution of the Federal Educational and Methodological Association (Protocol No. 3/20 of September 17, 2020). This program is aimed at repeating and fixing the material of grades 5-9. In this regard, the manuscript includes relevant material for this purpose. The new topic is mainly the topic of "Language and speech economy". All topics are presented in accordance with the achievements of modern language theory. The author, as well as professor I.A. Andreev, believes that the study of the topic "Phraseology" is inappropriate. Studying a word out of connection with syntax does not reveal the essence of the use of certain affixes. For example, syntactic affixes can take both individual words and phrases. Therefore, morphemics and morphology should be presented in school taking into account syntax.

Academic Achievement and Demographics of International Undergraduates

2016 ◽  
pp. 233-259
Author(s):  
Dulce Amor L. Dorado ◽  
Barry Fass-Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Community College ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Public University ◽  
Grade Point Averages ◽  
First Year ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Academic Standing ◽  
First Time

Are international undergraduates whose native language is not English less prepared to succeed academically at an American four-year institution after transferring from an American community college than ones who are first-time freshmen (NFRS) or exchange visitors (EAPR)? This question's answer was no at an American West Coast public university where five cohorts of international transfer undergraduates (TRAN) earned mean first-year grade point averages (GPA) between B- and B. Less than 12% of these students earned GPAs below C, and less than 15% were in bad academic standing (probation, subject to disqualification, or dismissed). In comparison, five parallel cohorts of NFRS and EAPR earned mean first-year GPAs averaging between B and B+ to A-. Less than 10% earned GPAs below C or were in bad academic standing. Thus, a minority of this university's international undergraduates struggled academically regardless of whether they were TRAN, NFRS, or EAPR.

Rights in Education and Self-Identity: Education and Language of Instruction in Namibia

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Chavez
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
English Instruction

<p class="apa">In 1992, the Ministry of Education and Culture in Namibia created a new language policy for schools that presented the possibility of using English as the sole medium of instruction for students starting in Grade 1. The resulting increase in schools that offer only English instruction has been detrimental to education. In order to improve the quality of education available to students in Namibia, the implementation of the language policy must be revisited so that students have the opportunity to first learn in their mother tongues and develop the necessary skills that they will need to be successful.</p>

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