Learner’s perception of task difficulties in technology-mediated task-based language teaching

The perception of learners can be used for evaluating task-based language teaching development. However, during the technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TBLT), learners faced a few difficulties. Thus, this study aimed to investigate learners’ perceptions of task difficulties in technology-mediated (TBLT). To collect data, the study used a quantitative design with an open-ended questionnaire, and, involved two hundred learners as participants who came from different departments at the university. The results strongly confirmed that incorporating technology into TBLT leads learners to face some difficulties in (1) understanding the meaning of the task, (2) practical instruction in doing tasks, (3) applying new technology to explore profound tasks further, (4) lack of direct lecturer feedback on student tasks, (5) performance assessment, (6) addressing learners’ needs, (7) goal orientation, (8) digital literacy, building knowledge, intellectual, and behavior, and (9) school and curriculum rules. Furthermore, the study preferred some strategies to solve learners' difficulties in TBLT, such as managing teaching materials to become easier and more interesting, referring technology integration to learners’ ability, implementing bring your own device (BYOD), improving classroom assessment, teachers broadening technology-mediated, task-based learning internships, and facilitating learners with compatible technology tools and stable internet connection.

Toward the Positive Consequences of Teacher-Student Rapport for Students' Academic Engagement in the Practical Instruction Classrooms

Due to the fact that teacher-student rapport may favorably influence students' academic behaviors, several scholars have empirically studied the impact of this interpersonal communication behavior on a range of student-related variables. Notwithstanding, academic engagement as another student-related variable has received less empirical attention. Further, no review study has been carried out to illustrate the beneficial outcomes of teacher-student rapport for students' involvement. The current study, hence, aims to fill these gaps by explaining the construct of teacher-student-rapport and its positive consequences for students' academic engagement in the practical instruction classrooms. Drawing on the available evidence, the positive impact of teacher-student rapport on students' academic engagement was illuminated. The significant implications of the finding are also discussed.

The Effect of Extra Educational Elements on the Confidence of Undergraduate Dental Students Learning to Administer Local Anaesthesia

Local anaesthesia is taught early in the practical part of dental programs. However, dental students express uncertainty and concern before their practical training in local anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate how extra educational elements in the teaching of local anaesthesia affect students’ confidence using local anaesthesia. The students were divided into three groups (A, B and C). Group A received the same education that was used the previous year (i.e., four hours of theoretical lectures followed by four hours of practical exercises performed on a fellow student). Group B did their practical training on fellow students in groups of three, with each student taking turns performing, receiving and observing the procedure. Group C received training using an anatomically correct model before their practical training on a fellow student. After each training step, the students completed a questionnaire about their confidence administering local anaesthesia. The students experienced a significant increase in confidence after each educational step. Combining theory and practical instruction, including the use of anatomically correct models and peer instruction, improved students’ confidence in administering local anaesthesia. The greatest increase in confidence was in the students placed in groups of three where each student performed, received and observed the procedure.

The Effects of Avoiding Instructions Under Pressure: An Examination of the Volleyball Serving Task

Wegner predicts that under pressure self-avoiding instructions not to perform in a certain manner will break down precisely where it is least desired that is the hypothesis of the present study. Specifically, the aim was to test the hypothesis that when instructed not to serve into a certain zone, ironic error would be more prevalent under pressure. Our sample comprised 43 female participants between the age of 13 and 16 (Mage = 14.51, SD = 1.35) who were active volleyball players (Mtraining years = 5.40, SD = 2.38). We measured the participants’ psychophysiological indications of anxiety via the heart rate, heart rate variability as well as the self-reported Mental Readiness Form-3. To measure performance, we counted the number of target and non-target serving zones under different anxiety conditions. Participants scored +5 points for serving into the target zone, scored -5 points for serving to the out or hitting the net and 1 point for serving into the court except the target zone. A 2 (anxiety) × 3 (serving zone) fully repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant anxiety x serving zone interaction F (2, 84) = 36.52, p < .001. When instructed not to serve in a certain zone, players’ overall performance did not change across anxiety conditions t (42) = .68, p =.50. Results did not provide support for the Wegner’s theory as expected, but instead revealed evidence for the Woodman et al.’s (2015) differentiation of ironic performance error. The results demonstrate that the theory of ironic processes may account for practical instruction-based solution for reducing the susceptibility to ironic errors in the serving type of task in volleyball.

Extensive Reading Research in the EFL Classroom of China: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis

Extensive reading has long been applied in the English as a foreign language classroom in China, but the fundamental theories and practical instruction are not satisfactory. The study aims to synthesize and examine extensive reading studies over the past fifty years (1962-2019) from a holistic perspective. By performing a qualitative meta-analysis, a total of 81 articles published in widely accepted journals were carefully coded and analyzed. Three latent problems emerged, including that 1) most extensive reading researchers misunderstand the inherent characteristic of extensive reading (i. e., pleasure reading) and less frequently follow the principles of extensive reading instruction; 2) there are methodological weaknesses in empirical research designs, and; 3) research scope is limited regarding participants and methodology. Suggestions for extensive reading research and instruction are included.

Feeding preparation strategy for the supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) system for disposing of liquid hazardous waste

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) technology has a great potential application for the disposal of liquid hazardous wastes. The feeding process is vital for the safety and normal operation of SCWO. This paper describes the feeding preparation strategy of SCWO with multilevel grouping and programming. Based on the physicochemical properties, the liquid hazardous wastes from various industrial manufacturers were first grouped into acid, neutral and alkaline groups. By mixing between samples, the primary grouping tanks were determined to be acid, alkali, amphoteric reacting, organic and organic high-chlorine liquid wastes. By distributing acid, alkali, amphoteric reacting liquid wastes into organic wastes, three parallel feeding routes are regulated for the homogenizing tank phase, which avoids the reaction between wastes. By calculating with the linear programming optimization model of MATLAB, the waste compatibility ratio of each feeding route was determined to meet the feeding requirements of SCWO. The feeding preparation strategy of this paper provides a practical instruction for the SCWO design and operation.

‘The Antifascist Kick’: A Signifying Cultural Practice in the History of Transnational Antifascism?

This article is based on an empirical study of ‘the antifascist kick’ as a formative cultural practice in the history of transnational antifascism. It scopes from the 1930s and the era of opposition to classic fascism, through to the twenty-first century where antifascism encounters political processes of globalization, fragmentation, neoliberalism, and neofascism. The article discusses the ‘antifascist kick’ in different historical contexts, from 1930s Sweden to Germany and the United States today. The article reveals that ‘the antifascist kick’ works in various cultural directions: as a political conception of those who are only worth contempt, as a symbolic representation of the antifascist struggle, and as a practical instruction for how to treat fascists in the streets.

Analisis Kebutuhan Petunjuk Praktikum Berbasis Keterampilan Proses Sains untuk Mencapai Kemampuan Merancang Eksperimen

Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis kebutuhan petunjuk praktikum berbasis Keterampilan Proses Sains (KPS) untuk mencapai kemampuan merancang eksperimen pada materi kalor reaksi kalorimetri. Penelitian dilakukan terhadap peserta didik kelas XI SMA Negeri 2 Kota Tanjungpinang. Variabel penelitian mencakup analisis kebutuhan bahan ajar dan analisis kesesuaian Kompetensi Inti (KI) dan Kompetensi Dasar (KD). Jenis penelitian yang dilakukan adalah penelitian deskriptif kualitatif. Tahapan pertama dalam penelitian ini adalah menganalisis kebutuhan bahan ajar dengan cara membandingkan dua petunjuk praktikum yang selama ini telah digunakan di sekolah tersebut, ditinjau dari aspek struktur format penulisan, aspek kreativitas, dan aspek keterampilan proses sains yang terdapat dalam petunjuk praktikum. Sehingga didapatkan kesimpulan bahwa petunjuk praktikum yang selama ini digunakan tidak memberikan kesempatan kepada peserta didiknya untuk merancang eksperimen yang telah ditentukan. Tahapan kedua yaitu menganalisis kesesuaian kompetensi inti dan kompetensi dasar, yang bertujuan untuk menentukan indikator pencapaian kompetensi (IPK) yang akan menjadi acuan dalam mengembangkan petunjuk praktikum berbasis keterampilan proses sains. Dari kedua tahapan yang telah dilakukan maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa peserta didik memerlukan petunjuk praktikum yang mampu mengonstruksi pikiran dan mengaktifkan kinerja mereka, sehingga pendekatan Keterampilan Proses Sains menjadi pilihan dalam mengembangkan petunjuk praktikum yang sesuai dengan karakteristik kurikulum 2013. This research aims to analyze the needs of Science Process Skills based Practical Instruction to achieve the ability to design experiments on the calor of reaction. This research was done to the students of class XI SMA Negeri 2 Tanjungpinang City. Research Variable includes the analysis of the needs of the learning materials and analysis of the suitability of the Core Competence (KI) and Basic Competence (KD). The type of research conducted is descriptive qualitative research. The first stages in this research is to analyze the needs of learning materials by comparing two practical instructions that had been implementing in the school, from the aspects of the structure of writing format, creativity, and science process skills embedded in practical instructions. The conclusion of this research that current practical instructions does not give an opportunity to the participants to design determined experiments. The second stage, namely analyzing the suitability of core competence and basic competence, which aims to determine the indicators of achievement of the competencies (GPA) which will be a reference in developing process skills-based teaching instructions science. Of the two stages that has been done then it can be concluded that learners need practical instructions to construct thinking and and their performance, so the Science Process Skills approach is an option in developing practical instruction suitable for the characteristics of the curriculum of 2013.

The Challenges, Methods and Results of Teaching GB Pronunciation to Slovene EFL Students

The paper presents and discusses the results of a study whose main purpose was to test the oral production of General British (GB) sounds in connected speech by Slovene BA students of English. Previous studies in contrastive English-Slovene pronunciation were mainly concerned with the perception and production of individual sounds. Our study, on the other hand, focused on the production of GB sounds in connected speech. We were interested in the state of affairs of English pronunciation before and after a 60-hour intensive and systematic theoretical and practical instruction of English pronunciation. The results confirmed out initial two hypotheses that the influences of L1 phonological and phonetic system, orthography and General American pronunciation were stronger before the instruction, and that the phonemic transcription has a very positive influence on the acquisition of foreign sounds in EFL students.