Impact of WIUT Library Activities on Labour Market Outcome

This paper investigates the impact of the Learning Resource Centre activities of Westminster International University Tashkent (WIUT) graduated students on the labour market outcome. WIUT library provides a learning environment that helps students to create practical teams and individual projects to support the agenda of employability. The study aims to clarify the relationship between library activities and labour market outcomes. This proposes the improvement of a commercial responsiveness workshop, in collaboration with other services, and alumni voices in an employability guide. A quantitative research approach was employed; an online survey questionnaire was distributed to alumni students to obtain the data. It was a semi-structured questionnaire designed using a Likert Scale to collect data from 607 graduates. The study revealed that LRC activities have a significant impact on labour market outcomes for students. LRC activities such as presentation skills, information technology skills, problem-solving skills, research skills were mostly expected in the labour market. Research limitations– The study was focused only on graduates of WIUT, which may limit the generalizability. Therefore, the researcher proposed to study and compare other graduates of universities in Uzbekistan. The insights are valuable for planning the curriculum of LRC activities and developing teaching practices at WIUT. Moreover, current and graduate students can learn market-oriented skills and labour market demands. This is the first-ever study in Uzbekistan that explores the relationship of university library activities on employability skills of alumni.

Discussion Forums as a Learning Material in Higher Education Institutions

Discussion forums, which have more features among the tools used in the online group discussion process, are the most preferred learning tool in this process. Instructors, from elementary school to college often use online discussion forums to encourage interaction and complex thinking that are not always effective in traditional face-to-face learning situations. Discussion forums are a tool that enables learners to create information, collaborate and interact simultaneously or asynchronously in the online learning environment. In addition, it allows more time for all learners to reflect on their own ideas and respond to other learners in the learning process. However, it is seen that there are not enough studies on the usability of discussion forums, which are an effective learning material used in online learning environments. From this point of view, this study investigates the usability of discussion forums in online learning environments. In this study, in which qualitative research method was used, the opinions of 8 field experts determined by purposeful sampling method were consulted in the context of the use of discussion forums in online learning environments. With the investigation of the usability of discussion forums in online learning environments, it is predicted that the efficiency to be obtained from these environments will increase.

Self-Determination Theory: Statistical Correlations Between Motivational Regulations and Basic Psychological Needs

Self-determination theory has been predominantly used as a psychological framework to describe human motivation. It classifies three types of motivation with various forms of regulations, ranging from amotivation, extrinsic motivation (i.e., extrinsic regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation), to intrinsic motivation. In addition, it points out three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, relatedness, competence) which are essential components to enhance the process of internalisation, meaning motivations driven by identified, integrated and intrinsic regulations. This study aims to provide statistical evidence of statistical correlations among these factors and regulations. To achieve this, an online questionnaire with 9 close-ended statements based on 5-Likert scale was distributed to high-school students and school leavers in Thailand. A total of 206 responses were received. Overall, a correlational analysis showed a positive correlation between internalisation and the basic psychological needs (r = 0.4). Furthermore, there was a moderate positive correlation between integrated correlation and intrinsic motivation (r = 0.6) which support the described theoretical framework. In addition, there was a moderate positive correlation between autonomy and competence (r = 0.6) in the perspective of psychological needs. However, the statistical evidence shows a moderate relationship between identified regulation and external regulation (r = 0.6) which adds an insightful finding to our current understanding. It is suggested that in order to increase the level of internalisation, it is essential to provide a learning environment where students can feel the sense of success (competence), constructive relationship with others (relatedness), and a fair degree of self-regulated learning (autonomy).

E-Motions: Assessing Emotional Quotient of Adolescents During Pandemic

The coronavirus COVID 19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and greatest challenge we have faced since World War two. This study aims to assess the Emotional quotient of adolescents during pandemic by studying the affect on each attribute of Emotional Intelligence and also to study the reason behind the decreased elements of emotional intelligence during Pandemic. The study of this project started with two surveys. In first Survey, the child had to assess whether the pandemic has had positive/negative/no impact on him/her in the respective areas by comparing with pre-lockdown experiences. Second Survey was conducted for Parents. The test was for measuring Emotional Intelligence of their children with regards to the coronavirus pandemic. Both the survey was conducted on Google Forms with more than 150 responses from students of grade 10 to grade12 studying in Delhi NCR and their parents. The results of all the surveys suggests that all attributes of Emotional Intelligence have shown increase except one major attribute- Self Regulation, which has undergone a decrease during pandemic. Some elements like Commitment, diversity, Communication have deceased during these crucial times. But adolescents have been able to navigate their emotions well during this tough times. Increased levels of empathy, optimism shows that this pandemic has opened our hearts, made us more sensitive to others and our environment.

Assessment Effectiveness and Anxiety: Students´ Perception

Traditional methods of assessing university students' speaking and writing abilities, especially those in creative design fields, can be perceived both impractical and monotonous. This study aims to show college students' perception of the degree of effectiveness of the tools currently being used to assess them, either through authentic assessment or through standardized testing, and whether or not anxiety plays any role in their performance. 21 graphic design students at a private university in Madrid taking a course in advanced English for Specific purposes (ESP) completed the survey. The survey, mostly qualitative, asked students to evaluate how effective were the different forms of authentic assessment, both in speaking and writing, compared to the standardized tests they were mainly and currently evaluated on. The results of the survey found that students, in general, deemed the various forms of authentic assessment more effective, albeit not in a significant way. Similarly, there was no clear difference between the anxiety levels authentic assessment produced versus standardized and classical formative assessment. Not surprisingly however, most students preferred the use of social media platforms, such as Instagram as a form of writing assessment, even though they did not consider it valid. Hopefully, this paper will have positive implications to encourage syllabus designers and material developers to consider students' perceptions and preferences on the assessment process while keeping in mind what their fields of choice expect once they become professionals, as current trends and attitudes on assessment should be more in line with the industry.

Teaching with Inspiration; the Challenges of Motivational Factors within the Educational Sector in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

This research paper investigates the significance of motivational factors to inspire teachers in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The aims of this study are defined as the following: first to highlight the importance of motivation that has an inordinate character in encouraging teachers to teach successfully. Second, the significance of teaching with pleasure has an impact on students’ performances. This study involved a mixed-method approach and was conducted in two stages: first, the researcher gathered qualitative data by conducting individual interviews. Second, the researcher collected quantitative data by managing a questionnaire for students. To investigate this matter, an experimental study was conducted with the participation of 153 students from 5 colleges of 2 universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 24 teachers were interviewed from 5 colleges and 2 universities in the same region. The findings exhibited in this study that the nature of motivational factors is sophisticated and it is a keystone for an effective teacher to obtain it effectively. In conclusion, the findings show that the motivational factors have more critical indicators of the literature reviews and descriptive methodology that is solid for data analysis.

Teacher Training and Its Impact on Novice Teachers’ Performance in the EFL Classroom

The main purpose of the present study is to look into the teacher training offered by a private language centre in Sidi Yahia (Algiers, Algeria) to novice teachers and to explore whether these teachers later on make use of and reflect on the teaching skills taught throughout the course of their training. Consequently, a case study of five novice teachers of English has been conducted during a period of two months. In an attempt to answer the three research questions posed by this investigation, three data collection tools have been utilized: document analysis, lesson observations (three for every participant) and one questionnaire for teachers. The collected data have been analyzed both quantitatively (closed-ended items) and qualitatively (open-ended items). The main results have shown that the language center training for teachers is rather conservative and focuses exclusively on the use of the direct method and the PPP approach. The study has also revealed that 80% of the teachers do not completely agree with the idea of using one method for all learners and have highlighted the importance of eclectic teaching. Therefore, they do not always stick to the approach that they have been introduced to during the course of their training and their classroom teaching performance progress is quite unstable. Although the school usually follows up on their progress and encourages them to reflect on their own teaching to improve, these novice teachers still feel trapped and unable to innovate within their classrooms.

For Student’s Motivation: The Role of Coping

Motivation is what we think we can do. According to the socio-cognitive approach, self-efficacy is one of the six most essential constituents of reason. This feeling encompasses all of the individual's beliefs about their abilities to implement the behaviors they deem helpful to achieve the desired results. The Sense of Perceived Personal Efficacy influences the choice of activities, performance, the expenditure of effort, persistence in the face of difficulties, positive or negative thoughts, and emotional reactions. These beliefs regulate human behavior according to four processes, primarily the affective process (coping principally). The Sense of Self-Efficacy is based on four factors: lived experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, emotional or physiological states, and sources of information about the Sense of Self-Efficacy. This article summarizes research that revolves around the following questions: is there a link between feelings of Perceived Self-Efficacy and coping strategies; can we act on the student's motivation through his Sense of Perceived Self-Efficacy possibly modifiable by coping strategies?

Blended Learning Approach in UAE Higher Education: A Selected Annotated Bibliography

In the present time, the required value of education can be achieved only by changing the parameters related to technology use and transforming a classroom into a student-centered that meets different students' needs and learning styles. The blended learning (BL) approach to learning has been the object of various studies in the last two decades as a way to achieve the required results. Many higher educational institutes started to prefer BL over traditional teaching, and the UAE universities are not exceptions. There has been an increased recognition of the fact that more attention needs to be paid to this area. Hence, this selected annotated bibliography aimed to find out and describe the primary outcomes of the BL approach research in this country. Emergent themes from the UAE studies include 1) students' and instructors' technology readiness and their attitudes towards E-learning; 2) students' and instructors' views and experiences with BL approach; 3) BL tools and technologies (mobile learning and social-networking sites); 4) BL resources (Blackboard Learn, video content, online discussions, and Google Docs); 5) impact of BL. Twenty studies have been used for this review. The primary audience for this annotated bibliography is BL researchers.

Teacher Training Systems in Three Countries (Finland, France and Morocco): Comparative Study of Professionalization Models and Their Challenges

Teacher training is still a problematic subject in projects to reform education systems. Through the quest for quality education, it has experienced major changes in different contexts in connection with the process of "professionalization". The different mechanisms of this training must allow teachers to acquire disciplinary knowledge and develop skills in order to be able to build quality teaching and learning. In addition, there seems to be a relationship between the effectiveness of the teacher and the level of quality of his training. Study results have revealed particularly poor performance levels among students whose teachers are characterized by “poor quality education and uncontrolled knowledge in the subjects they teach” (Bidjang, S. G. 2005). In other words: the effectiveness of teaching depends at least to a significant extent on what "the teachers bring". Morocco in the last reform took up professionalization and universitarization as new approaches to teacher training. However, despite the progress recorded in terms of educational training provision, the reform has not been accompanied through strategic measures. Training in Morocco appears to suffer from a number of shortcomings. The objective of the study is to discover, thanks to the comparison of three training systems (Finland , France and Morocco) if there are characteristics which would allow us to understand the relative "advantages" of one system compared to another, and to what extent such a comparison would help us improve Morocco's. The country in question are considered to have the best performing education systems globally. This involves carrying out a comparative documentary study, that is to say analysing existing documents on teacher training systems by comparing them in the mentioned context.