scholarly journals Autonomy in Vocabulary Learning of Turkish EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Hakan Korlu ◽  
Enisa Mede

<p>The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a mobile flashcards application, Quizlet, on the students’ performance and autonomy in vocabulary learning. The study also attempts to explore the perceptions of students and their teacher about incorporating this application into the teaching, learning and practicing of target vocabulary in English language preparatory classes. To achieve these objectives, a nonrandomized quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The participants were selected from two intact classes of Turkish EFL students enrolled in a language preparatory program at a foundation (non-profit, private) university in Istanbul, Turkey. The data was collected through pre- and post- vocabulary tests, an online survey, student interviews and a teacher’s reflective journal. The findings revealed that Quizlet had a positive impact on students’ performance and their autonomy in vocabulary learning. The overall perceptions of participating students and their teacher about using Quizlet to teach and learn English vocabulary were also positive. Based on these findings, the study provides practical implications and offers suggestions for integrating mobile learning into English language preparatory classes.</p>

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 381-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizem Melek ◽  
Dilek Melike Ulucay

This research examined how news content influences attitudes towards Syrian refugees in Turkey. The study aimed to understand if the way Syrian refugees are attributed in media – that is, media salience about Syrian refugees that comprise their image – would cause an attitude change in the public. More specifically, we intend to determine whether being exposed to positive news coverage about Syrian refugees would cause an attitude change in the public from negative to positive. For the purpose of the study, we have conducted a quasi-experimental research and used a pretest-posttest design to investigate the second-level agenda-setting effects. Two experiments (a pilot and a main experiment) were conducted during the Spring term of 2017 in Turkey. The participants were selected from a large private university in Turkey for the experiments. The t-test results suggest that positive media emphasis on the images of Syrian refugees had a positive impact on public opinion and caused an overall attitude change in the public.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Lubin Fernando Franco-Camargo ◽  
Gonzalo Camacho-Vásquez

ICT role in education nowadays is not only important, but also effective; its advancement allows a vast opportunity to be explored by EFL teachers into the EFL classroom. This action-research study envisioned and carried out from our teaching practice basis with English language B1 level students at Weisheit institute. Observation and instruments Implementation stages determined the positive impact of the integration of Wikis in EFL classrooms and how cooperative writing processes eased and helped the students improve their writing performance. Indeed, taking into account as a main strategy the “ICT” as a tool to improve teaching practices. This research was conducted through mixed-method approach and included a methodical process through data collection of journals, pre and post writing tests, semi-structured interviews and aptitude test. Of course, by looking upon that the application of these instruments helped us identify certain points of particular interest providing self-reflection on our own teaching-learning processes regarding as main problems; lack of writing skills, lack of vocabulary, grammar mistakes and writing inaccuracy. The strategies implemented had to do mainly with the integration of Wiki websites as a pedagogical instrument to improve writing skills through pre-writing eye-catching elements such as videos implementation in order to trigger motivational writing processes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline LaManna ◽  
Michelle L. Litchman ◽  
Jane K. Dickinson ◽  
Andrew Todd ◽  
Mary M. Julius ◽  
...  

Purpose The primary purpose of this study is to report a systematic review of evidence and gaps in the literature among well-conducted studies assessing the impact of diabetes education on hypoglycemia outcomes and secondarily reporting the impact on other included target outcomes. Methods The authors used a modified Cochrane method to systematically search and review English-language titles, abstracts, and full-text articles published in the United States between January 2001 and December 2017, with diabetes education specified as an intervention and a directly measurable outcome for hypoglycemia risk or events included. Results Fourteen quasi-experimental, experimental, and case-control studies met the inclusion criteria, with 8 articles reporting a positive impact of diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) on hypoglycemia outcomes; 2 of the 8 reported decreased hypoglycemia events, and 1 reported decreased events in both the intervention and control groups. In addition, 5 studies targeted change in reported hypoglycemia symptoms, with all 5 reporting a significant decrease. DSMES also demonstrated an impact on intermediate (knowledge gain, behavior change) and long-term (humanistic and economic/utilization) outcomes. An absence of common hypoglycemia measures and terminology and suboptimal descriptions of DSMES programs for content, delivery, duration, practitioner types, and participants were identified as gaps in the literature. Conclusions Most retained studies reported that diabetes education positively affected varied measures of hypoglycemia outcomes (number of events, reported symptoms) as well as other targeted outcomes. Diabetes education is an important intervention for reducing hypoglycemia events and/or symptoms and should be included as a component of future hypoglycemia risk mitigation studies.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e041599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary McCauley ◽  
Joanna Raven ◽  
Nynke van den Broek

ObjectiveTo assess the experience and impact of medical volunteers who facilitated training workshops for healthcare providers in maternal and newborn emergency care in 13 countries.SettingsBangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, UK and Zimbabwe.ParticipantsMedical volunteers from the UK (n=162) and from low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) (n=138).Outcome measuresExpectations, experience, views, personal and professional impact of the experience of volunteering on medical volunteers based in the UK and in LMIC.ResultsUK-based medical volunteers (n=38) were interviewed using focus group discussions (n=12) and key informant interviews (n=26). 262 volunteers (UK-based n=124 (47.3%), and LMIC-based n=138 (52.7%)) responded to the online survey (62% response rate), covering 506 volunteering episodes. UK-based medical volunteers were motivated by altruism, and perceived volunteering as a valuable opportunity to develop their skills in leadership, teaching and communication, skills reported to be transferable to their home workplace. Medical volunteers based in the UK and in LMIC (n=244) reported increased confidence (98%, n=239); improved teamwork (95%, n=232); strengthened leadership skills (90%, n=220); and reported that volunteering had a positive impact for the host country (96%, n=234) and healthcare providers trained (99%, n=241); formed sustainable partnerships (97%, n=237); promoted multidisciplinary team working (98%, n=239); and was a good use of resources (98%, n=239). Medical volunteers based in LMIC reported higher satisfaction scores than those from the UK with regards to impact on personal and professional development.ConclusionHealthcare providers from the UK and LMIC are highly motivated to volunteer to increase local healthcare providers’ knowledge and skills in low-resource settings. Further research is necessary to understand the experiences of local partners and communities regarding how the impact of international medical volunteering can be mutually beneficial and sustainable with measurable outcomes.


Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Dimitra Kale ◽  
Daniel S. Mills ◽  
Catherine Reeve ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an opportunity to explore the role of animals as sources of emotional and physical support during a period when most of the population is experiencing social and environmental challenges. We investigated how companion animal owners perceived the influence of human–animal interaction on their physical and mental health during the first COVID-19 lockdown phase in the U.K., and what concerns they had regarding their animals at this time. We also explored the impact of participants’ interaction with non-companion animals during this phase. A cross-sectional online survey of U.K. residents aged over 18 was conducted between April and June 2020. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe any experiences and/or perceptions of their human–animal relationships during the COVID-19 lockdown phase. A qualitative thematic analysis of responses was undertaken. Four main themes related to the following aspects of human–animal interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown phase were identified: the positive impact of animal ownership during the COVID-19 lockdown (e.g., amelioration of wellbeing and mental health), concerns relating to animal ownership during the COVID-19 lockdown (e.g., concerns over animals carrying the COVID-19 virus), grief and loss of an animal during the COVID-19 lockdown and the impact of engaging with non-companion animals during the COVID-19 lockdown. The findings complement and extend previous insights into the impact of human–animal interaction with both companion and non-companion animals. They also highlight the challenges of caring for an animal during the lockdown phase and indicate the need to consider the development of further targeted support strategies, such as “day care” for the companion animals of key workers in this context.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 203
Author(s):  
Víctor Arufe Giráldez ◽  
Javier Puñal Abelenda ◽  
Rubén Navarro-Patón ◽  
Alberto Sanmiguel-Rodríguez

Background: One of the great challenges facing today’s society is the need to combat overweight and obesity in schoolchildren. This study aimed to analyze the impact of a cycle of didactic talks—given to families by a specialist in pediatrics, a specialist in nutrition and dietetics and a specialist in physical exercise—on childrens’ snack choices and nutrition quality. Methods: A longitudinal, quasi-experimental and quantitative investigation was designed, working with a total sample of 50 students divided into control and experimental groups. The nutritional quality of daily snacks was recorded during the month before and the month after the cycle of talks given by health experts. Results: An increase in the nutritional quality of the snacks was observed in the days after the talk—but, after a week, values returned to normal. Conclusions: The giving of educational talks to promote healthy habits may have a positive impact on the nutritional quality of school snacks in the days immediately following the talks. However, some forgetfulness was detected over time, which reduced the nutritional quality of the snacks once more. For future work, it is recommended that researchers measure the impact produced by giving regular talks.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Sugahara ◽  
Hisayo Sugao ◽  
Steven Dellaportas ◽  
Takahiro Masaoka

Purpose This research applies a quasi-experimental research method to investigate the impact of an innovative resource titled “Accounting Exercise” (teaching intervention using physical movement and lyrics) on learning motivation and performance on a group of students enrolled in a first-year undergraduate accounting course in Japan. Design/methodology/approach Five classes were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (two classes) or a control group (three classes). In the experimental group, 90 students participated in a 15-min “Accounting Exercise” at the commencement of lectures over three consecutive weeks. The remaining 133 students assigned to the control group did not participate in the Accounting Exercise. Findings The findings indicate that the Accounting Exercise provided stimuli in maintaining students’ learning motivation. This finding is important for entry-level students where learning motivation has the potential to influence students’ future decisions on major areas of study and career choices. Originality/value This finding is important for entry-level students where future career options are decided. This effect is also believed to contribute to reducing the declining numbers of students in accounting majors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishaq Salim Al-Naabi

In light of contemporary pedagogical methods, the flipped classroom has been recognised as an effective pedagogy in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This study employed a quasi-experimental one-group research design to investigate the impact of flipped learning on Omani EFL learners&rsquo; grammar and to examine students&rsquo; perceptions on the flipped classroom. An intact group of students (n=28) enrolled at the foundation programme in Arab Open University-Oman was randomly selected. Seven videos on English grammar were developed and shared with the students prior to the class. A varaiety of activities were conducted in the class following task-based language teaching. Students met for 8 lessons over the period of 8 weeks. Pre-test, post-test and semi-structured interviews were used in the study. The findings indicated that flipped learning had a positive impact on students&rsquo; understanding and usage of English grammar. Students&rsquo; perceptions on the flipped approach were positive. The study also provided pedagogical insights for the flipped classroom and recommendations for future research.&nbsp;


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roseane Mota Santana Rohrs ◽  
Claudenice Ferreira Dos Santos ◽  
Ruana Dos Santos Barbosa ◽  
Renata Da Silva Schulz ◽  
Milena Bastos De Carvalho

RESUMOObjetivo: analisar o impacto da metodologia da simulação realística na visão dos acadêmicos de enfermagem. Método: estudo quanti-qualitativo, a partir da pesquisa-ação, utilizando questionário semiestruturado com amostra de 133 acadêmicos do 6º ao 10º semestre em uma Universidade privada. Resultados: 98% dos acadêmicos afirmaram gostar muito da aula com a metodologia de simulação; 97% relataram ter diferença na aprendizagem com a simulação; destes, 62% confirmaram ter maior rendimento no aprendizado quando utilizada a simulação com paciente simulado; e 35% mencionaram ter melhor rendimento quando utilizado o boneco estático. Conclusão: o estudo demonstrou impacto positivo da metodologia de simulação entre os acadêmicos ao demostrarem preferência no uso desta metodologia em detrimento ao método de ensino tradicional e que o uso dessa metodologia permite melhorias no processo de ensino-aprendizado. Descritores: Simulação; Enfermagem; Ensino; Educação. ABSTRACTObjective: to analyze the impact of realistic simulation methodology on nursing students' view. Method: quantitative-qualitative study, based on action research, using a semistructured questionnaire with a sample of 133 students from the 6th to the 10th semester in a private university. Results: 98% of the students said they liked the classes with the simulation methodology; 97% stated they felt a difference in learning with the simulation; of these, 62% affirmed they had a higher learning achievement when using simulation with simulated patients; and 35% stated having higher learning achievement when using the static doll. Conclusion: the present study showed a positive impact of the simulation methodology among the students, demonstrating a preference in the use of this methodology in detriment to the traditional teaching method and that the use of this methodology allows improvements in the learning process. Descriptors: Simulation; Nursing; Teaching; Education; Learning.RESUMENObjetivo: analizar el impacto de la metodología de la simulación realística en la visión de los académicos de enfermería. Método: estudio cuantitivo-cualitativo, a partir de la investigación, utilizando cuestionario semi-estructurado con muestra de 133 académicos del 6º al 10º semestre en una Universidad privada. Resultados: 98% de los académicos afirmaron que gustaban mucho de la clase con la metodología de simulación; 97% relataron tener diferencia en el aprendije con la simulación; de este, 62% confirmaron tener mayor rendimiento en el aprendizado cuando utilizado la simulación con paciente simulado; y 35% mencionaron tener mejor rendimiento cuando utilizado el muñeco estático. Conclusión: el estúdio demostró impacto positivo de la metodología de simulación entre los académicos al demostrar preferencia en el uso de esta metodología en detrimento al método de enseñanza tradicional y que el uso de esa metodología permite mejorías en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Descriptores: Simulación; Enfermería; Enseñanza; Educación; Aprendimiento.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 2732-2749
Author(s):  
Anaf Abdulkarem ◽  
Wenhua Hou

With the rapid technological developments, cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) as a sector is also expanding rapidly. In the past couple of decades, China has become a major force in promoting and developing CBEC and, therefore, it was needed to explore the various antecedents and outcomes of Chinese CBEC to expand the understanding and existing CBEC scholarship. Ample studies have been conducted to understand the antecedents and outcomes of CBEC. However, limited studies have explored such variables which can mitigate the adoption of CBEC. With this background, this empirical study was focused on addressing this gap by studying the moderating role of environmental context between organizational context and the four levels of CBEC adoption with the help of a technology-organization-environment framework. SMEs operating in China were targeted for data collection, where data were collected through an online survey. A final sample size of 208 was recorded. It was found that the organizational context has a direct and positive impact on all four levels of CBEC adoption. Furthermore, the moderating role of environmental context on Level 1 and 2 was not supported. Finally, the moderating role of environmental context on Level 3 and 4 was supported by the data. It was concluded that the organizational context plays a significant role in shaping CBEC at all four levels, whereas the environmental context has the potential to mitigate the relationships between organizational context and CBEC Level 3 and 4.


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