scholarly journals Assessment Practices of Preparatory Year English Program (PYEP): Investigating Student Advancement through Third and Fourth Levels

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Rana Obaid
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Grading Practices ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sufficient Power ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
Level Institution ◽  
English Program

<p>This small-scale mixed method research focuses on investigating the way Preparatory Year English Program (PYEP) female students in a Saudi tertiary level institution context are assessed and how they are advanced from level three (Pre-intermediate) and level four (Intermediate). A four-point agreement scale survey was conducted with fifteen English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the PYEP to critically investigate the issue from their own perspective. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight EFL students studying in PYEP in the third and fourth levels. The analysis of the data indicated that teachers were lenient in grading students. They tend to adjust grading practices to the benefit of the students, so students were allowed to pass and progress to the next level up. Additionally, the interviewed students argued that teachers could help them by granting them up to five grace marks to pass their exams. The study also showed that teachers possessed sufficient power in assigning grades following assessment. They used this power to the advantage of their students to make them advance to the following level. The study concludes with suggestions and recommendations for further research.</p>

Investigating University Level Efl Undergraduate Learners’ Attitudes about Padlet: A Web-Based Digital Tool In Reading Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-22
Keyword(s):  
Survey Method ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Peer Discussion ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level

The purpose of this mixed-method research was to assess the attitudes and perceptions of a sample of 21 University level Saudi Undergraduate EFL students at Majma University, Community College towards using Padlet as a collaborative web-based online digital tool in the reading classroom. Participants were enrolled in reading introductory course. The research applied by the researcher was basically descriptive in nature and survey method for which students’ oriented set of questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire included 21 items related to respondents’ different categories of variable constructs on a 5points Likert scale. The research tools used for data collection were semi-structured interviews, researcher’s observation, and a questionnaire. Data collected revealed that respondents indicated positive attitudes towards Padlet application in the reading classroom. A maximum number of students enjoyed Padlet tool with great zeal. Furthermore, students valued the instructors’ feedback and peer discussion using Padlet.

Investigating University Level Efl Undergraduate Learners’ Attitudes about Padlet: A Web-Based Digital Tool In Reading Classroom

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Survey Method ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Peer Discussion ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level

The purpose of this mixed-method research was to assess the attitudes and perceptions of a sample of 21 University level Saudi Undergraduate EFL students at Majma University, Community College towards using Padlet as a collaborative web-based online digital tool in the reading classroom. Participants were enrolled in reading introductory course. The research applied by the researcher was basically descriptive in nature and survey method for which students’ oriented set of questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire included 21 items related to respondents’ different categories of variable constructs on a 5points Likert scale. The research tools used for data collection were semi-structured interviews, researcher’s observation, and a questionnaire. Data collected revealed that respondents indicated positive attitudes towards Padlet application in the reading classroom. A maximum number of students enjoyed Padlet tool with great zeal. Furthermore, students valued the instructors’ feedback and peer discussion using Padlet.

scholarly journals Assessing the Pro-environmental Behaviour Associated with Small-scale Sport Tourism Events

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10(6)) ◽  
pp. 1811-1827
Author(s):  
Ayanda Mchunu ◽  
Siyabulela Nyikana ◽  
Tembi Maloney Tichaawa
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmentally Conscious ◽  
Environmental Behaviour ◽  
Sport Events

This study examined the pro-environmental behaviour that is associated with small-scale sporting events in the context of South Africa. To achieve this aim, the study employed a mixed-method research strategy, wherein face-to-face questionnaire surveys (n=316) were conducted with small-scale sporting event attendees. These were complemented by in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants who are involved in the organisation and management of such events (n=9). The key findings indicated that small-scale sport event attendees are environmentally conscious and practice pro-environmental behaviour at small-scale sport events to a large extent. However, the study observed certain nuances relating to behavioural differences at different events, with regards to environmental management. Moreover, there seemed to be a misalignment of environmental management from the event organisers and environmental behaviour by the attendees of small-scale sporting events, especially when looking into intended future behaviour at the events. The study advocates for a more comprehensive planning and management approach for small-scale events, particularly from the viewpoint of the organisers in order to promote responsible behaviour by attendees of the events going forward.

scholarly journals Investigating University Level Efl Undergraduate Learners’ Attitudes about Padlet: A Web-Based Digital Tool In Reading Classroom

2018 ◽  
pp. 10-21
Keyword(s):  
Survey Method ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Peer Discussion ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level

The purpose of this mixed-method research was to assess the attitudes and perceptions of a sample of 21 University level Saudi Undergraduate EFL students at Majma University, Community College towards using Padlet as a collaborative web-based online digital tool in reading classroom. Participants were enrolled in reading introductory course. The research applied by the researcher was basically descriptive in nature and survey method for which students’ oriented set of questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire included 21 items related with respondents’ different categories of variable constructs on 5points likert scale. The research tools used for data collection were semi-structured interviews, researcher’s observation and a questionnaire. Data collected revealed that respondents indicated positive attitudes towards Padlet application in reading classroom. Maximum number of students enjoyed Padlet tool with great zeal. Furthermore, students valued the instructors’ feedback and peer discussion using Padlet.

scholarly journals NICU and postpartum nurse perspectives on involving fathers in newborn care: a qualitative study

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine W. Buek ◽  
Dagoberto Cortez ◽  
Dorothy J. Mandell
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Father Involvement ◽  
Perinatal Care ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Provider Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Sense Of Efficacy

Abstract Background Perinatal care nurses are well positioned to provide the education and support new fathers need to navigate the transition to fatherhood and to encourage positive father involvement from the earliest hours of a child’s life. To effectively serve fathers in perinatal settings, it is important to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of healthcare providers that may encourage and engage them, or alternatively alienate and discourage them. Methods This qualitative study involved structured interviews with ten NICU and postpartum nurses from hospitals in two large Texas cities. The interview protocol was designed to elicit descriptive information about nurses’ attitudes and beliefs, sense of efficacy and intention for working with fathers, as well as their father-directed behaviors. Nurses were recruited for the study using a purposive sampling approach. Interviews were conducted by telephone and lasted approximately 25 to 35 min. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results Overall, study participants held very positive subjective attitudes toward fathers and father involvement. Nevertheless, many of the nurses signaled normative beliefs based on race/ethnicity, gender, and culture that may moderate their intention to engage with fathers. Participants also indicated that their education as well as the culture of perinatal healthcare are focused almost entirely on the mother-baby dyad. In line with this focus on mothers, participants comments reflected a normative belief that fathers are secondary caregivers to their newborns, there to help when the mother is unavailable. Conclusions Nurse attitudes and practices that place mothers in the role of primary caregiver may be interpreted by fathers as excluding or disregarding them. Further research is needed to validate the results of this small-scale study, and to assess whether and how provider attitudes impact their practices in educating and engaging fathers in newborn care.

scholarly journals From Instructed Writing to Free-Writing: A Study of EFL Learners

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402110071
Author(s):  
Saleh Alharthi
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Writing Program ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Free Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Structured Writing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Writing is an intricate process that encompasses various factors and is a key skill for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Thus, writing assignments are vital for any curriculum. One of the essential aspects of effective writing includes good grammar knowledge. Advocates of process writing argue that a free-writing journal is a practical approach to teaching EFL students writing. This study is intended to examine the impact of the free-writing journal on EFL learners. This study was conducted on 80 students from a writing course at the University. Thirty-five students were randomly selected to join the free-writing program—the experimental group—and 45 students were kept in their regular structured writing program—the control group. The experimental group selected topics of interest to them and was encouraged to write in English freely without concern for errors, whereas the control group followed a regular structured writing program where the topics were selected for them and they wrote following a clear guideline. Five major areas were investigated to evaluate students’ progress: the number of words written, spelling, capitalization, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 students of the experimental group to elicit their perception of the free-writing program. According to the analysis, students in the free-writing program acquired better grammar acquisition than the control group. The researcher also observed students’ perception of free-writing at the end of the study and found that free-writing improved their writing skills.

scholarly journals Active Learning by Visual Programming: Pedagogical Perspectives of Instructivist and Constructivist Code Teachers and Their Implications on Actual Teaching Strategies and Students’ Programming Artifacts

2021 ◽  
pp. 073563312110177
Author(s):  
Avital Kesler ◽  
Tamar Shamir-Inbal ◽  
Ina Blau
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
Visual Programming ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Optimal Learning ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Folk Pedagogy

The integration of visual programming in early formal education has been found to promote computational thinking of students. Teachers' intuitive perspectives about optimal learning processes – "folk psychology" – impact their perspectives about teaching "folk pedagogy" and play a significant role in integrating educational technologies, such as visual programming, within the formal curriculum. This study was conducted based on the mixed method research paradigm. First, a folk pedagogy questionnaire was distributed to 89 teachers who integrate differing technologies in their classroom in order to identify the teachers' pedagogical perspectives: constructivist versus instructivist. Then, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 teachers who teach Scratch in order to gain a deeper understanding of their instructivist/constructivist perspectives and actual pedagogical practices and strategies. Finally, we analyzed 96 students' programming artifacts to explore differences, if any, in students' outcomes related to the pedagogical perspectives of their teachers. Findings revealed that pedagogical perspectives are reflected in teaching strategies and assessment practices employed in a visual programming environment. It is promising that teaching visual programming promoted constructivist pedagogy even among instructivist teachers and was consequently reflected in student perspectives and expressed in their programming artifacts. We discuss theoretical and educational implications of these findings.

Individuals' waste separation practice in a relationship with social bonds: a case study of Hanoi, Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Kim Nhung Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Social Bonds ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Waste Separation

PurposeThe paper aims to ascertain whether residents in Nguyen Du ward still sort their waste at source following the end of the 3R project that ended in 2009. Additionally, this paper aims to explore the relationship between waste separation practices and social bonds.Design/methodology/approachThe Travis Hirschi theory of social control was applied, together with the mixed method research design which included a structured questionnaire survey. Twelve semi-structured interviews were also conducted with residents and the data processed by SPSS software, using Chi-Square test, Independent-Samples t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis.FindingsA proportion of respondents has continued practicing waste separation since the 3R project ended. The study also indicated that the greater the involvement in family and neighborhood activities the more the participants were likely to practice waste separation.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size limits the extent to which the most influential factors can be determined and therefore the degree to which the findings can be generalized.Practical implicationsThe study includes implications for rerunning the waste separation programs for households as together with community campaigns to improve individuals' attachment and commitment and thus their participation in pro-environmental behaviors.Originality/valueTo the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to take a sociological approach to investigate factors affecting household waste separation, which has attracted little attention in previous studies. Useful information is also provided to local authorities for a policy-making process to implement effective domestic waste policies.

Teaching Literature among Pre-Service Teachers: Challenges and Solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-103
Author(s):  
Ain Suraya Harun ◽  
Norhanim Abdul Samat
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
Public University ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Techniques ◽  
Literature Teaching ◽  
Teaching Literature ◽  
Teacher Trainees ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The University

Teacher trainees should be prepared to teach and exposed to the approaches, models, and techniques of literature teaching. Being ready can also boost their confidence to teach literature so that the lessons can be delivered smoothly.  These teachers are so new to teaching that they might face difficulties when teaching English, specifically literature. There are teaching techniques, strategies and approaches that those pre-service teachers can investigate to understand better how to apply in their teaching. Additionally, their lack of exposure towards literature teaching can also affect the performance of teaching. This paper seeks to investigate pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach literature in schools and the challenges faced by them while teaching literature. It also attempts to offer suggestions to improve better literature teaching. This mixed method research study used questionnaires distributed to 22 TESL pre-service teachers from a public university in Johor. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with two lecturers who have vast experiences in supervising pre-service teachers at schools. Results show that a majority of fourth year TESL students are ready to teach literature with the training and courses provided by the university. Also, among the challenges that they faced are time management and their students’ feelings on the subject. This study hopes to provide insights to training teachers on literature teaching.

Domestic Property Violence: A Distinct and Damaging Form of Parent Abuse

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Latesha Murphy-Edwards ◽  
Kate van Heugten
Keyword(s):  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Parent Abuse ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Qualitative Phase ◽  
Interpretative Framework ◽  
Property Violence

This article reports on the qualitative phase of mixed method research conducted in a medium-size city in New Zealand, which examined 14 parents’ experiences of child- and youth-perpetrated domestic property violence (DPV). The research used semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis, enabling parents’ perceptions of the causes and impacts of this form of family violence to be explored in depth. Three superordinate themes were identified in the analysis: damage done, the various impacts of DPV; staying safe and sane; and making sense of DPV, parents’ perspectives. An ecological meaning-making theory emerged from the data and provided an overarching interpretative framework for considering the themes both separately and together. The findings showed that DPV is a distinct form of parent abuse and one that can have serious impacts of a financial, emotional, and relational nature. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed along with ideas for further research into this problem.

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