scholarly journals Tailored vs. Standard Curriculum and General English Achievement: A Study of Teachers’ Views

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-149
Author(s):  
Bizhan Hekmatshoar Tabari ◽  
Ramin Rahimy
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Main Phase ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Standard Curriculum ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Phase Evaluation ◽  
Preliminary Phase ◽  
Tailored Program

This study was conducted in two phases. The first one is the preliminary phase aimed at tailoring the standard curriculum based on learners’ needs analysis. The second one is the main phase, intended to evaluate the tailored curriculum based on teachers’ views. The participants in the preliminary phase of the study (tailoring the curriculum) were 346 non-native male and female undergraduate students who received the same Pre-Requisite General English course at their first semester in university. They were studying different majors, including Accounting, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The participants in the main phase (evaluation of the tailored curriculum by teachers) were 10 non-native male (7) and female (3) teachers who taught the Pre-Requisite General English course through the tailored curriculum. The findings of the study supported the hypothesis that the teachers have a positive attitude toward using the tailored curriculum in teaching the Pre-Requisite General English course. It seems that the implementation of this tailored program, which is based on learner-needs-analysis, can enhance the effectiveness of the English for General Purposes (EGP) course, compared to the standard one.

scholarly journals FROM NEEDS ANALYSIS TO DESIGNING ACADEMIC WRITING MATERIALS FOR DIPLOMA STUDENTS OF MARA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (UITM), MALAYSIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-86
Author(s):  
Nancy Chiuh Noemi
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Undergraduate Studies ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Administration Students

When students begin their undergraduate studies, they will need to adjust to the demands of the undergraduate studies with regard to academic English at university level. Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998, p.37) maintain that “their English tuition up to the tertiary level will generally have been in the area of General English, and is unlikely to have included specific preparation for study at university level…” Barker (2000, p.8), in his study on first year students’ perception of writing difficulties, found that the students “come to realise during first semester that they are not adequately prepared for the writing demands required at university”. Pecorari (as cited in Phakiti & Li, 2011) found that Asian ESL students had problems in academic writing; “the students begin their aca-demic writing from ‘copying’ which implies a lack of training in academic writing and arouses accusations of plagiarism in their writing” (p.232). Being an English-medium public university in Malaysia, MARA University of Technology (UiTM) poses challenges to both its students and instructors, as a good command of English is essential. In its attempt to equip its undergraduate students with language skills, UiTM has introduced credit-bearing English courses. This paper presents the findings from a research project to identify the academic writing needs of first-year Diploma in Public Administration students in UiTM Sabah. A total of 110 Diploma in Public Administration students and six instructors responded to the questionnaires. The research examined the students’ and instructors’ perceptions of the importance of academic writing skills the students need in order to complete their undergraduate programmes, assessment of the students’ academic writing skills, and the difficulty of academic writing skills. The findings indicated that there was consistency of response between the students and instructors. The follow-up interviews and focus groups with instructors and students confirmed this. The findings from the needs analysis are then used as the basis for developing academic writing materials to complement the existing English courses in UiTM.

Needs Analysis and Teachers' Perceptions: A Study of the English Undergraduate Students

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Teaching Aids

Needs Analysis in the context of language-learning-teaching is an important process to design a certain course and syllabus. It helps course designers to set objectives, choose content, method of instruction, appropriate teaching aids, and classroom activities for different courses. This paper reports the perceptions of the researchers on the English language learning needs of the English undergraduate students of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Pakistan. The data is based on the researchers’ personal experience and first-hand observation of the population as the researchers have been teaching in the target context for about a decade. Furthermore, the researchers have always been in discussion with their students and colleagues about the target students’ English learning needs, preferred learning styles, motivation in learning English, interest, strengths/weaknesses, and attitude toward English learning in the target setting. Learners’ assignments, exam answer sheets, and presentations have also been used is a source of data collection. A needs analysis model proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1987) has been applied in order to analyze the data. The results show that the students lack well grammatical sentences, have poor spellings, capitalization problems, limited vocabulary, unaware of collocations, poor/slow reading comprehension, and lack of effective presentation skills. Furthermore, most of the students have a lack of involvement in classroom activities and feel shy about speaking the English language. It was reported that the provision of authentic material, interesting activities, suitable audio-visual aids, relevant texts, language labs, and other logistic arrangements can better help them in learning the English language. The findings demonstrate that the students wished to have a learner-centered-course that helps them excel in their academic life and learning the English language.

scholarly journals Active teaching model to promote critical thinking

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 293-298
Author(s):  
Fábio da Costa Carbogim ◽  
Larissa Bertacchini de Oliveira ◽  
Melina Mafra Toledo ◽  
Flávia Batista Barbosa de Sá Diaz ◽  
Greicy Kelly Gouveia Dias Bittencourt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Active Teaching ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Teaching Learning

ABSTRACT Objective: To present the experience of elaboration and implementation of the Active Teaching Model to Promote Critical Thinking (MEAPC), associated to Problem-Based Learning (PBL), for undergraduate students in Nursing. Method: Case report on the experience of the educational intervention (MEAPC + PBL) with undergraduate students in Nursing, in a 20-hour course on Basic Life Support (BLS). The MEAPC was validated by judges to guide the analysis of clinical cases. Critical Thinking (CT) skills were assessed using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Result: The educational intervention took place in two phases: elaboration and implementation, allowing not only the production of knowledge about BLS, but also the development of CT and exchange of experiences for teaching-learning. Conclusion: The association of the MEAPC to the PBL in the course of BLS organized the learning, gave opportunity to acquire knowledge and to stimulate the skills of the CT.

On the Hypothesized Physiological Correspondence between Perceptual and Imagery Processes

1991 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 827-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vezio Ruggieri
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mental Image ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
External Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

This research examined some aspects of the interaction between imagery and perception of 16 male and 84 female undergraduate students in psychology. The data indicate that, when a subject is imagining with open eyes, a modification in the external stimulation of the retina, produced by covering the eyes, strongly modifies the imaginative activity. The majority of the subjects observed a loss of mental image. In 54% of the subjects the loss of image was provoked by covering only one of the two eyes. Other subjects presented interesting alterations of the mental image. The observed differences among subjects are interpreted by hypothesizing a correspondence between perceptual and imaginative styles that could employ common neurophysiological structures at central and perhaps peripheral levels.

A comparative study of formal coaching and mentoring programmes in higher education

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Jones ◽  
Helen A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Business School ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Practice Recommendations ◽  
Matching Process ◽  
Two Phases

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate two coaching and mentoring programmes focused on the ever-increasingly important aim of enhancing the chances of professional level employment for undergraduate students, at two UK universities. In addition, to offer recommendations to enhance coaching and mentoring success within higher education (HE).Design/methodology/approachTwo similar programmes are compared; the first study is a coaching programme delivered in two phases involving over 1,500 students within the business school. The second study is a mentoring programme involving over 250 students over a ten-year period within the business school at a different institution.FindingsThe two programmes have been compared against the key success criteria from the literature, endorsed by coaching and mentoring experts. The results highlight the importance of integrating with other initiatives, senior management commitment, budget, an application process, clear matching process, trained coaches and mentors, induction for both parties, supportive material, ongoing supervision and robust evaluation and record keeping.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on two similar institutions, with comparable student demographics. It would have been useful to dig deeper into the effect of the diverse characteristics of coach/mentor and coachee/mentee on the effectiveness of their relationships. In addition, to test the assumptions and recommendations beyond these two institutions, and to validate the reach and application of these best practice recommendations further afield.Practical implicationsThe results identify a number of best practice recommendations to guide HE institutions when offering coaching and mentoring interventions to support career progression of their students.Originality/valueThere are limited comparison studies between universities with undergraduate career-related coaching and mentoring programmes and limited research offering best practice recommendations for coaching and mentoring programmes in HE. The top ten factors offered here to take away will add value to those thinking of running similar programmes within HE.

Contraceptive patterns after use of emergency contraception among female undergraduate students in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 335-343
Author(s):  
Christiane Borges do Nascimento Chofakian ◽  
Caroline Moreau ◽  
Ana Luiza Vilela Borges ◽  
Osmara Alves dos Santos
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Emergency Contraception ◽  
Female Undergraduate

A Study of the Relationship between a Personal Philosophy of Human Nature (Good or Evil) and Self-Esteem

1987 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Martin ◽  
Garland E. Blair ◽  
Robert M. Nevels ◽  
Mary M. Brant
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Personality Inventory ◽  
The Self ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Personal Philosophy ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Age And Sex

The present study was undertaken to estimate the relationship between a personal philosophy of human nature (whether man is essentially good or evil) and an individual's self-esteem, as measured by the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory and the Self-esteem scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory. For 19 male and 21 female undergraduate students, correlations of age and sex with self-esteem were calculated. The multivariate analysis of variance indicated a nonsignificant relation between scores on philosophy of human nature of students and their scores on the two measures of self-esteem. Correlations of age and sex with self-esteem were also nonsignificant. The Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory scores and those on the Self-esteem scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory were significantly correlated at .59.

Elicitation of “Childhood Memories” in Hypnosis-Like Settings is Associated with Complex Partial Epileptic-Like Signs for Women but Not for Men: Implications for the False Memory Syndrome

1994 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 643-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Persinger
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Sensory Deprivation ◽  
Gender Effect ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Pulsed Magnetic Fields ◽  
Childhood Memories ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
False Memory Syndrome

20 male and 20 female undergraduate students were exposed singly for 20 min. to an exotic setting (partial sensory deprivation and weak, bilateral trans-temporal pulsed magnetic fields) that enhances relaxation and exotic experiences. The numerical incidence of subjective experiences described as old memories, dreams, emotions, or vestibular sensations did not differ significantly between the sexes; however, women who reported a greater prevalence of preexperimental complex partial epileptic-like signs were more likely to report experiences of “old memories” ( r = 0.61) while men who exhibited these signs were more likely to report dream-like ( r = 0.49) experiences. Because complex partial epileptic-like signs are positively associated with suggestibility, the potential contribution of this differential gender effect to the etiology of the False Memory Syndrome requires further investigation.

Nonhuman Animal Cruelty, Bullying, and Behavioral Difficulties among Women

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl E. Sanders ◽  
Bill C. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Behavioral Difficulties ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Animal Abuse ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
Behavioral Issues ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Relationship

The current study sought to examine the relationship between behavioral difficulties, animal abuse, and bullying among women. Five hundred female undergraduate students enrolled in Introductory Psychology completed surveys assessing animal abuse experiences, bullying behaviors, and victimization of bullying during their K-12 school years. Participants also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire which evaluated their behavioral difficulties. Results revealed a significant relationship between animal abuse, bullying, and victimization experiences. Moreover, animal abusers displayed significantly more behavioral problems when compared to non-abusers. Results from regression analyses indicated that animal abuse, bullying and victimization were significant predictors of various behavioral issues. These results suggest that behavioral difficulties associated with female animal abusers are similar to those related to male perpetrators.

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