scholarly journals Reading Skill among Malaysian ESL Lower Secondary Students: Which Girls and Which Boys are Achieving and Underachieving?

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-111
Author(s):  
Kamal J I Badrasawi ◽  
Noor Lide Abu Kassim

The literature on educational achievement has shown consistently that boys are underachieving. They are disengaged with learning, and their dropout rates in schools are higher than those for girls. Although the problem of underachievement and disengagement with learning is largely associated with boys, not all boys are underachieving or disengaged with learning, and not all girls are achieving and engaged with learning. There is also strong evidence to suggest that differences within gender are more significant than the difference between gender. Recent research findings have shown that educational performance is highly influenced by socio-demographic factors such as school location, race or ethnicity, socio-economic status, and parents’ education. Given that reading is a critical literacy skill for academic achievement and English is an important second language in Malaysia, this study sought to identify groups of Malaysian lower secondary students who are at risk of underachieving in English reading skill. A sample of 944 Malaysian ESL Form 1, 2 and 3 students, randomly selected from national-type schools, participated in the study. A test of English reading skill, consisting of 60 multiple-choice items was used. The Rasch Model analysis as well as selected descriptive statistics were used to answer the research questions. The results showed that students’ performance in English reading differed from one group to another, implying that gender did not exclusively influence student performance. Based on the findings, more sound and informed decisions on students’ performance in English reading skill and the most effective teaching methods can be made. Qualitative investigation of the factors behind high or low performance among these groups of students is also needed to further understand the influence of these factors on achievement and underachievement .

1986 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-570
Author(s):  
Ghulam Yasin Soomro

Experiencing high fertility and declining mortality levels, the developing countries are today faced with the problem of relatively high rates of natural increase in their populations. This pace of growth in population, influenced by high fertility levels, impedes the overall development planning. As pointed out in a document prepared by the Planning Commission of Pakistan, 'A vicious circle is set in motion in which high fertility and socio-economic stagnation breed upon each other' [5]. In the developing countries, development programmes including birth control programmes are in operation. The sustained high fertility levels, therefore, call for more insights into the mechanisms operating in the society and influencing fertility. Studies of fertility behaviour are conducted at both micro and macro levels. The difference between micro and macro is a matter of emphasis rather than one of kind, and both approaches are concerned with each level of social aggregation. Macrolevel studies describe the level and pattern of change resulting from the ongoing socio-econornic development in the society as a whole and do not explain variations in fertility at the household level [12]. However, development programmes, which are implemented at aggregate levels defined by geographical boundaries, influence the population in terms of socio-economic status and fertility behaviour. There are many factors which affect human fertility individually or collectively. Attempts have been made to identify these factors, and conceptual frameworks have been developed to explain the causal hypotheses. In this context mention may be made of the demographic transition theory, which is often applied to study fertility behaviour.


2019 ◽  
pp. 74-98
Author(s):  
A.B. Lyubinin

Review of the monograph indicated in the subtitle V.T. Ryazanov. The reviewer is critical of the position of the author of the book, believing that it is possible and even necessary (to increase the effectiveness of General economic theory and bring it closer to practice) substantial (and not just formal-conventional) synthesis of the Marxist system of political economy with its non-Marxist systems. The article emphasizes the difference between the subject and the method of the classical, including Marxist, school of political economy with its characteristic objective perception of the subject from the neoclassical school with its reduction of objective reality to subjective assessments; this excludes their meaningful synthesis as part of a single «modern political economy». V.T. Ryazanov’s interpretation of commodity production in the economic system of «Capital» of K. Marx as a purely mental abstraction, in fact — a fiction, myth is also counter-argued. On the issue of identification of the discipline «national economy», the reviewer, unlike the author of the book, takes the position that it is a concrete economic science that does not have a political economic status.


Author(s):  
José Antonio González ◽  
Mónica Giuliano ◽  
Silvia N. Pérez

AbstractResearch on impact in student achievement of online homework systems compared to traditional methods is ambivalent. Methodological issues in the study design, besides of technological diversity, can account for this uncertainty. Hypothesis This study aims to estimate the effect size of homework practice with exercises automatically provided by the ‘e-status’ platform, in students from five Engineering programs. Instead of comparing students using the platform with others not using it, we distributed the subject topics into two blocks, and created nine probability problems for each block. After that, the students were randomly assigned to one block and could solve the related exercises through e-status. Teachers and evaluators were masked to the assignation. Five weeks after the assignment, all students answered a written test with questions regarding all topics. The study outcome was the difference between both blocks’ scores obtained from the test. The two groups comprised 163 and 166 students. Of these, 103 and 107 respectively attended the test, while the remainder were imputed with 0. Those assigned to the first block obtained an average outcome of −1.85, while the average in the second block was −3.29 (95% confidence interval of difference, −2.46 to −0.43). During the period in which they had access to the platform before the test, the average total time spent solving problems was less than three hours. Our findings provide evidence that a small amount of active online work can positively impact on student performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (47) ◽  
pp. 11543-11551
Author(s):  
Uma Sharma ◽  
Suraksha Bansal

The academic performance of student is influenced by several factors. Studies have been conducted in the field of educational data mining to find out what all the factors are that have an effect on a student's academic performance. There are many factors that can have an effect on a student's academic success, but our study aims to find the main factors that can have an effect on a student's academic performance. Predicting student performance becomes more difficult due to the large volume of information in academic databases. The responsibility of the teacher increases, she must be attentive to the activities and behavior of the student. To facilitate the work of a teacher, this study attempted to identify some factors that affect the academic performance of students. Our study could bring benefits and impacts to students, educators/teachers, and tutoring institutions. The factors investigated in this study are: student base knowledge, socio-economic status, college/school environment, environment pollution, teachers’ support, parental/family support, friend circle and health.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Syeda Razia Bukhari ◽  
Syeda Ishrat Fatima ◽  
Amenah Rashid ◽  
Farhana Saba

The aim of the research is to investigate that emotional intelligence and self-esteem in male and female school students. The present research design is research cross sectional design.  Sample contained 200 students (100 =male, 100= female)   (mean age = 14.16, SD = 0.740) all belonging to the upper, middle and lower Scio economic status. Whole sample was collected from different schools of Karachi, Pakistan with the help of convenient sampling technique. First, the confidentiality about the participants demographic information was assured after that about the purpose and procedure of research explained to participants. The participants who given consent of participation in research, the demographic form, Urdu version of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) (K.V. Petrides) were administered on them. Statistical Analysis (t-Test for independent) applied to assess the difference of emotional intelligence and self esteem among male and female.The results reveals there is significant difference among emotional intelligence of male and female school students (t (198) = 6.597, P< .05) and there is also significant difference in self esteem of male and female school students (t (198) = 2.837, P< .05).


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Tsaparlis

This work analyses students’ failure in the 2019 Nationwide Chemistry Examination in Greece, which concerns secondary education graduates, competing for admission to higher education Greek institutions. The distinction of thinking skills into higher and lower order (HOTS and LOTS) is used as a theoretical tool for this analysis. The examination included several questions that contained HOTS elements that had been unusual in previous examinations. This led to a decrease in overall student performance but better discrimination between outstanding and good students. Based on two samples of examination papers, corresponding to very similar subsets of the student population, the 2018 and 2019 examinations are compared, and the individual 2019 questions are evaluated. It was found that section B of the 2019 examination paper (which included contexts unfamiliar to the students, and for which, a large effect size between 2018 and 2019 was calculated) may have caused the large drop. An important link is established between the 2019 low performance and the HOTS and LOTS features of the questions, and the role or non-role of algorithmic calculations is examined. In addition, the critical opinions of chemistry teachers are provided, with a consensus emerging in favour of connecting chemistry with everyday life. Keywords: chemistry examinations, higher-order cognitive skills, higher-order thinking skills, student assessment, twelfth-grade chemistry.


Author(s):  
R. K. Dubey ◽  
Rajveer Kaur ◽  
Ravi Deepika ◽  
T. S. Dhillon

The present study was carried out in the department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana under DST- SARTHI project, New Delhi to analyse the socio economic and nutritional status of beneficiaries selected under the project. Moreover, nutritional status of farmers recorded to also assess the association between FVS, DDS and socioeconomic status at household level. The Data on vegetable production, selling, buying and socio-economic status were collected using questionnaire developed by PAU Ludhiana. A total 100 beneficiaries from three landholding categories viz small (<5 acre), medium (5-10 acre) and large (>10 acres) in Hoshiarpur were selected. The data have been collected to check the difference in the nutrition intake of beneficiaries during the interventional period and before the intervention. Correlation of both years (before and during intervention) calculated as 0.892243. It is concluded that the previous year diet was not healthier integration of both quality and quantity in the scores but both scores (DDS& FVS) increased during intervention period through DST Project.


2011 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. Wajuihian ◽  
K. S. Naidoo

Background:   Reading difficulties constitute an impediment to the learning process and in the educational achievement of a child. Consequently, several studies examined the visual status of dyslexic children in the Caucasian populations. Such studies are lacking in the African populations.Aim: To determine the prevalence of vision defects and investigate if there is an association between dyslexia and vision in a South African population of dyslexic school children.  Methods:  This comparative study assessed the visual function of 62 children (31 dyslexic and 31 normally-reading children), mean age 13 ± 1.42 years and 11.90 ± 0.93 years respectively. The participants were matched for gender, race and socio-economic status. The visual functions evaluated and the techniques used were: visual acuity (LogMAR acuity chart), refraction (static retinos-copy), ocular alignment (cover test) near point of convergence (RAF rule), accommodation facility (± 2 D flipper lenses), amplitude of accommodation (push-up method) relative accommodation(trial lenses) accommodation posture (monocular estimation technique) and vergence reserves (prism bars). Results:   In the following, results are  provided for the dyslexic versus control:  Refractive errors: (hyperopia 6.5% vs 3%,) (myopia 6.5% vs 6.5%), (astigmatism 10% vs 13%), (anisometropia 6.5% vs 6.5%) (amblyopia 6.5% vs 0%), (remote NPC 33% vs 48%) (esophoria at near 3%  vs 0%) (exophoria at near 9.5% vs 0%), (accommodative infacility at near  54% vs 33%), lag of accommodation 39.28% vs 41,93%,  (poor positive fusional amplitude at near, 25% vs 16%). Only the binocular accommodative facility at near was significantly associated with dyslexia (p=0.027). Conclusion: The prevalence of vision defects was similar between the dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants, which suggest that an association between dyslexia and vision variables investigated, cannot be inferred.  This study provides a research perspective on the prevalence of vision defects in a Black South African population of dyslexic children and has clinical relevance and implications for the assessment, detection and management of vision anomalies in dyslexic schoolchildren. (S Afr Optom 2011 70(1) 29-43) 


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