scholarly journals An overview of undergraduate students’ perceptions on content-based lessons taught in English

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (29) ◽  
pp. 65-78
Author(s):  
Diego Ortega-Auquilla ◽  
Paul Sigüenza-Garzón ◽  
Sara Cherres-Fajardo ◽  
Andrés Bonilla-Marchán
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Instructional Process ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Participation Motivation ◽  
The University

Currently, the English language has both an important role in university studies and professional careers. With that in mind, the present study employed an exploratory research approach to determine university students’ perceptions with regard to learning course content on curriculum and education-related topics through the implementation of content-based lessons taught in the English language. A survey was administered to 171 students in different majors from one public university in Ecuador. The close-ended questions focused on learning about the respondents’ perceptions concerning varied statements, such as the importance and suitability of the use of English for the learning-teaching process of university subjects, the helpfulness and impact of learning content through the implementation of class sessions taught in English. Furthermore, an open-ended question was put forward to find out in what ways the learning of university subjects taught in English may help the study participants in the future. The findings showed that a large number of respondents had positive attitudes towards learning content-based lessons about the education-related subject matter in English, as they found this instructional process helpful in terms of class participation, motivation, critical thinking, and other aspects. It was concluded that students could better learn the English language in a more genuine manner by means of lessons directed by CLIL, as they complete essential undergraduate courses from their field of study at the university level.

scholarly journals DEVELOPING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS OF ENGLISH MORPHOLOGY FOR ENGLISH DEPARTMENT COLLEGE-LEARNERS

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Chothibul Umam
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Instructional Process ◽  
Material Development ◽  
State College ◽  
Materials Used

<p>The role of knowledge on English Morphology for the students of English Language Education (henceforth ELE) cannot be neglected. However, the preliminary observations done by the researcher during the instructional process of English Morphology at the State College for Islamic Studies (STAIN) Kediri Indonesia, for three academic years shows that most of the students still get difficulty in understanding the course content.  The researcher, therefore, is of the opinion that the instructional materials used in the classes need to be developed. The adaptation version of Borg &amp; Gall (1983) model of R &amp; D  covering preliminary observation, designing preliminary product, expert validation, product revision, field testing or try out, and revision to produce final product is used to develop an instructional material on English Morphology. The products mostly concern on 1) the course content, 2) the exercises, and 3) the level of language difficulty or word choice. The researcher expects that the final product of this study could be used as a handbook for the students in studying English Morphology.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> <em>instructional materials, material development, English morphology</em></p>

The question of university graduates' employability: are the students aware of the employers' preferences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pambas Tandika ◽  
Laurent Gabriel Ndijuye
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
University Education ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to university students' awareness of the employers preferred competencies and the educational level capable of readying them satisfactory for the demands of the world of work.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach exploratory research design, data were gathered in an informal and unstructured manner, researchers identified undergraduate students' awareness of employers' preferred competencies of the graduates.FindingsUndergraduate students overestimated academic credentials while ignoring soft skills as employers' preferences. Nevertheless, they were worried about their capability to compete adequately when seeking employment despite identifying university level of education as the most appropriate for developing and enhancing their employability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study involved mostly second-year students from one college of the seven colleges constituting the University of Dodoma.Practical implicationsThere is a need for university education to integrate and emphasize the non-cognitive skills for adequately and holistically preparing future employees with adequate knowledge and skills to thrive in the world of work demands.Social implicationsThere likelihood that a lack of confidence would impact their participation in academia and work/job. Hence, lower down their productivity and inadequately contribute to social and national economic growth.Originality/valueThe value of these findings is that they identify, inform and can be used to enhance university education programming for improved graduate's employability.

An exploration of the relationship between undergraduate students’ library book borrowing and academic achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yakup Çetin ◽  
Vivian Howard
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Circulation Patterns ◽  
Undergraduate University Students ◽  
Library Book ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This exploratory study examines book circulation patterns among undergraduate university students at an English-language University in Istanbul, Turkey, in order to investigate the relationship between students’ academic achievement and discipline of study, gender and book borrowing habits. Overall, this study supports the important role of the academic library’s print book collection in supporting and contributing to student success and demonstrates a significant positive correlation between undergraduate students’ level of academic achievement and the number of books they borrowed from the university library. This positive correlation was found for students in all faculties and fields of study, but was strongest for students studying qualitative disciplines and was particularly strong for students enrolled in English as a foreign language programmes.

scholarly journals Professional writing: Description of the writings of social workers in Botswana

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-402
Author(s):  
Unity Nkateng ◽  
Sue Wharton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Professional Writing ◽  
Support Unit ◽  
University Of Botswana ◽  
The University

The main purpose of this study is to identify the professional writing needs of undergraduate students studying social work in the University of Botswana. In order to do this, it seeks to analyse the types of texts produced by social workers in their professional setting, to find out what relationship exists between the writing done by professional social workers and the writing taught in the dedicated English Language Support unit at the University of Botswana, and to explore the similarities and differences between the documents written by the students and those produced by professional social workers. It also examines current approaches to teaching writing in the University, with the aim of identifying the writing needs of social work students and exploring how these can be effectively addressed.

scholarly journals Analysing the Situation of ESL Teaching and Learning in Large University Classes in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
Abdul Hameed Panhwar ◽  
Shah Nawaz Barich ◽  
Syed Khuram Shahzad
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
Language Support ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The University

The present study is based on a chapter of the PhD project conducted by the main researcher. It aims to explore the ESL teaching and learning practices in a Pakistani university by focusing on difficulties perceived and confronted by learners and teachers, and solutions suggested by them. One of the most significant issues at the university is large classes-exceeding to 100 and more students on average. The main researcher, being an ESL teacher at the target university, faced the same problem of large size and found it difficult to teach these classes. He embarked on analysing the situation so that he might come across some solutions through the suggestions and experiences of the ESL teachers and students of the same university. The design of the study is descriptive and the results of the present study come from the quantitative data collected through student and teacher questionnaires. The Student-participants were 300 undergraduate students from various major subjects attending English language support classes and 22 ESL teachers teaching these English language support classes at different institutes of the university. The data were analysed descriptively and presented with help of the boxplots. The views, commonly held by teachers are supported by the study&rsquo;s findings i.e., large classes are likely to endorse teacher-centred approaches of teaching; very little significant student-student and teacher-student interaction is practised because of the inadequate physical environment; majority of learners remain off-task and appear to be unruly and they are given little, if any, feedback on their in-class and home tasks. Conversely, many teachers and learners reported that the adoption of group/pair work is likely to be an effective technique to use in these classes. Albeit a few teachers revealed having adopted group work infrequently, none used it all the time.

scholarly journals The integration of mobile learning among esl teachers to enhance vocabulary learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Hafizah Muhamad Kassim ◽  
Nur-Ehsan Mohd Said
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Mobile Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Handheld Devices ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Positive Attitudes

<p>This study intended to describe seven ESL teachers’ integration and their attitudes toward mobile learning (m-learning) as a tool to facilitate students in vocabulary lessons. Mobile learning is a new way to access learning content using handheld devices where mobile technology is integrated into routine teaching activities. The concept is grounded on a theoretical foundation where the mobile application is used as a tool to enhance learning. A qualitative research approach was employed for data collection and analysis in the study. Seven respondents of ESL teachers at secondary schools participated in a series of semi-structured interviews. The interview protocol was adapted from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to understand the ESL teachers’ practice regarding the integration of mobile learning. Findings from the study indicated that the ESL teachers integrated mobile learning in their teaching due to its functionality in enhancing English language learners’ vocabulary learning. The study indicated that the teachers considered mobile learning as necessary and a convenient type of learning while displaying positive attitudes towards the integration of mobile learning. Regardless of their length in service or volition, mobile learning is seen as one of the many useful tools that facilitate vocabulary lessons.</p>

scholarly journals Measuring Discrimination Against Transgender People at the University of the Basque Country and in a Non-University Sample in Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naiara Ozamiz-Etxebarria ◽  
Maitane Picaza ◽  
Eneritz Jiménez-Etxebarria ◽  
Jeffrey H. D. Cornelius-White
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
University Environment ◽  
Transgender Identity ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The University

Transgender people suffer from others’ negative attitudes in many situations. The university context is one environment where further progress has to be made to ensure the inclusion of transgender people. In this study, a sample of 376 undergraduate students was collected and their attitudes towards transgender people were analyzed. A comparison was made between number of years in university, and a sample from the general public. In addition, comparisons were made by gender, since the literature shows more negative attitudes toward transgender people in men than in women. The results show relatively positive attitudes toward transgender people among higher education students, but they have little knowledge of transgender identity. In turn, researchers found significant differences between different years in the university and between genders. These results support the need to expand knowledge about transgender people in the university environment.

Attitudes toward Animal Research among Psychology Students in Spain

2001 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Navarro ◽  
E. Maldonado ◽  
C. Pedraza ◽  
M. Cavas
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Self Selection ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Psychology Curriculum ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The University ◽  
Senior Students

Animal research plays a central role in psychology, and its use, prevalence and quality depends on the attitudes of students who enter psychology in Spain. Attitudes among psychology students about the use of laboratory animals are not known, so the aim of this work was to analyze the attitudes of Spanish psychology students toward animal research. An attitude questionnaire of 15 items was given to 661 undergraduate students of the School of Psychology at the University of Málaga, Spain. Several results were found: (a) 65.7% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed with animal research. General support for animal research was significantly higher by men than by women. (b) Support for animal research was higher for senior students, suggesting that the psychology curriculum or self-selection to remain in the program might influence students' attitudes. (c) Attitudes toward animal research were similar among students independent of the type of animal being used for research in biological or psychological studies. (d) 58% considered that laboratory animals never or almost never are inappropriately handled. (e) 55.6% indicated that research in psychology on animals could be generalized to humans. Overall, these results suggest that among Spanish psychology students animals research is considered important for the advancement of the science. Likewise, a majority of students displayed positive attitudes toward animal research.

scholarly journals An Exploration of Hedging and Boosting Devices Used in Academic Discourse Focusing on English Theses at the University of Namibia

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Naftal K.T. Haufiku ◽  
Jairos Kangira
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Academic Discourse ◽  
Contrastive Rhetoric ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
English Studies ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Master Of Arts ◽  
The University ◽  
Type 3

<p><em>This paper explored the application of hedges and boosters in all ten theses of the Master of Arts in English Studies submitted and examined at the University of Namibia between 2014 and 2015. A mixed research approach was chosen because of the descriptive nature of this study. This method also gave an in-depth understanding of issues such as why research writers prefer some types of hedging and boosting devices over the others, and why some theses chapters have certain types of hedges and boosters. The study only examined three chapters of the theses: the Introduction, Discussion, and Conclusion. Hyland’s (2004) taxonomy of hedges and boosters was used to analyse the types of hedges and boosters used. Kaplan’s (1997) Contrastive Rhetoric Theory was used to explain how researchers use hedges and boosters to express their uncertainties and certainties respectively. The study revealed that writers prefer Type 3 of hedges and boosters in all the three chapters. It further revealed that there is an unequal distribution of hedges and boosters among writers. Finally, the paper concluded that the preference of Type 3 may have been caused by the fact that since Type 3 does not have boosting devices writers find it less threatening to employ it in order to conform to the accepted academic writing style. The unequal distribution may also suggest that writers in academic discourse are not proficient in the English language.</em></p>

scholarly journals Use of Digital Technological Tools among Undergraduate English Language Learners in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Maheen Tufail Dahraj ◽  
Hina Manzoor ◽  
Mahnoor Tufail
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Technology has become an important source for enhancing the knowledge of the students. Apart from the non-academic purposes, the use of technology for the academic purposes also has greater impact on the process of learning specifically on tertiary education. Therefore, it has become essential for higher education institutions to focus on the available opportunities for integrating technology in the academic setting. The developing countries like Pakistan, however; are facing some major challenges in technology integration due to the unavailability of sufficient financial resources. Hence, this study explores the use of digital technological tools at undergraduate level in one of the public sector universities of Pakistan. The study also examines the impact of the medium of instruction and respective discipline of the tertiary level students on the use of technology. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted from 200 undergraduate students studying in four different disciplines in the university. The findings revealed that the majority of the students at the undergraduate level have accessibility to smartphones, laptops or desktop computers in the university but only a few students use these available technological tools for learning purposes. Smartphones were determined to be the most easily available technological tool while the students generally do not prefer carrying their laptops to the university. Besides this, the students also reported having limited technological knowledge and skills for the digital tools to be used for educational and learning purposes. However, a greater percentage of the students were willing to participate in training sessions for learning.

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