Sustainable Development of EFL/ESL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate: The Effects of Teachers and Teaching Styles

Willingness to communicate in a second or foreign language (L2 WTC) is an important individual difference variable that influences the target language learning process. To cultivate students’ communicative competence for sustainable development and help them become active citizens of the global world, language teachers and educators need to understand L2 WTC and find ways to promote it. The present study explores the effects of teachers and teaching styles (TTS) on L2 WTC of Chinese learners of English, through a comparison of a group of 148 students in mainland China and 73 Chinese students abroad. Respondents filled out online questionnaires concerning their attitudes and perceptions of TTS and self-reported L2 WTC inside and outside classrooms. Eight of them also participated in interviews. Results revealed significant differences in TTS between the two groups and a generally low WTC among them. TTS were linked more strongly to L2 WTC in the group in mainland China. The differences are attributed to the discrepancy in social expectations, culture of learning and the opportunity to use English outside the classroom while abroad. This study may provide insights into English language teaching pedagogy from the perspective of English as a pluricentric language.

Halaqa: preparing a culture of success for young professionals

This paper discusses "Halaqa", which aims to create a culture of learning by sharing experiences in sessions where people interact with one another and encouraging the free flow of ideas among the teams. This inspires young professionals to enhance the learning curve, seek new ideas and develop a culture of creative problem-solving pathways. As a definition, "Halaqa" is a platform for sharing ideas and experiences. The session is planned bi-weekly targeting young professionals in the Petroleum Engineering function. The topic of the session can be presented by (i) a senior or an experienced professional as a part of coaching or (ii) a young professional as a knowledge sharing methodology. The sessions are interactive allowing open discussions for the deeply inquisitive minds. The sessions also provide support with unpacking complex and sticky issues, helping young professionals to replicate the best practices for the efficient and effective delivery of the project. Each session usually takes about an hour including discussions and the points are documented properly for the retention of knowledge. "Halaqa" is a new concept in the asset and has the potential to be replicated in the entire organization. The uniqueness comes from the fact that it provides a platform to interact and collaborate to pursue common objectives. The relationships that are created through these interactions are crucial as far as the learning of young professionals is concerned.

Indian Art Education and Contemporary Art Practices

Arts education is a distinct academic discipline in India, with governmental and private institutions offering specialised training in the arts.Religious paradigms such as the Hindu Ashram and Muslim madrasas, Buddhist monastery etc., were used to build ancient Indian educational systemsuntil the British instituted schools following their system of preparatory schools under the Cambridge system to promote service to the British Empire. As a result, Indian perceptions of literacy and education, as well as the culture of learning, have shiftedincluding, in the context of the arts, the concepts of differences between art and craft, the social relationship between master craftsperson and artisan, public art and individual art, religious art and secular art, and so on. Art in India, as in the rest of the world, has undergone numerous changes that have resulted in what we see today, a unique amalgamation of sensibilities from the west as well as from across Asia. In the twenty-first century, a new era in India begun.The country's cultural diversity adds to the multi-dimensional approach, which is a direct approach and a direct contribution of various religious beliefs, languages, and the still prevalent rural culture congregating with the rapidly growing urban culture.The country's diversity, like its art, is an experience in and of itself that is difficult to comprehend.This is the core and crux of the new modern India and its emerging art. The paper will discuss about the contemporary art practices in India with reference to its practising artists.

Self-assessed attitudes of adolescents towards learning

The article presents the results of a pedagogical study, recently conducted on a group of over 8 thou- sand adolescents on the self-assessment of attitudes towards learning. As technologies have shifted many points of focus in addressing learning as an essential aspect of the educational process, the author intended to analyze the representations of adolescents from the knowledge and information century, administering an online questionnaire consisting of different types of questions. The results revealed diverse and mature perceptions, problems of teacher-student, student-student relations, of the institutional process of organization / culture of learning, but also of its results, as perceived by the main actors of the educational act.

Examining Researchers’ Attitudes, Barriers, and Opportunities for Participatory Research: The Case of the Riso-Biosystems Project on Organic Rice

This paper reports on the conception and implementation of a participatory approach within an agricultural research project aimed at fostering the transition towards organic in the Italian rice district. We investigate the relationships among scientists and stakeholders, exploring researchers’ attitudes, barriers, and potential in relation to participatory research. We use participant observation, in-depth interviews, and systematic cataloguing of communication documents, from the beginning to two years into project implementation, for a total period of three years. The results of the analysis show that, despite a high level of authoritative commitment to participation, scientists reveal a scarcity of knowledge and skills, and poor attitudes that come from a negative perception of participatory research. They engage in various forms of collaboration with stakeholders, as long as decision-making remains essentially in their hands. With the deep analysis of a case study, the paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the quality of participatory agricultural research, in particular, presenting evidence on the key role of researchers and their attitudes. The paper also contributes to the development of a culture of learning by doing, through honest monitoring and evaluation, and the capacity to learn from failure.

Balancing Grace

Before handing out my midterm exam the Thursday before Spring Break, the unease in the classroom was palpable. I questioned, is it the right thing to do to give a midterm exam now? Two days prior we learned online instruction would begin the week after spring break for the week and possibly longer. This was an unprecedented scenario. I never took a seminar titled, How to Continue Teaching During a Pandemic. I resolved myself with the attitude of we’ll get through this together; let’s get it done. Before passing out exams, I informally assessed students to see how many had taken an online course before, few hands raised. I then asked how everyone was feeling in regard to our inevitable online transition. Students expressed anxiety and worry because they had never taken a class titled, How to Continue to Learn During a Pandemic. As educators as we move ahead to an uncertain culture of learning, we must strive to listen and learn, grow in our pedagogies, and balance grace and flexibility with expectation.

Strategic Policy on the Development of Higher Education in China

Asian Universities rank high in the global universities, while western universities decline due to the the quality of higher education. There are several reasons owing to the rise of Asian universities including the increase in the enrollment, active research circumstances, the Asian culture of learning, etc. China has the long history of education and the earliest education can be traced back to Yu period (2257-2208 BC). Then, education in China evolves according to different dynasties and country policies. What is worth to mention is that Chinese government plays an essential role in the development of higher education in China like supplying financial support, making 985 and 211 program, and enlarging of enrollment.