Search results for: language teaching
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 5997

Search results for: language teaching

1827 An Evaluation of Digital Literacy Skills among First-year Students at a Higher Education Institution in South Africa

Authors: Abdu Feroz Maluleke

Abstract:

Digital literacy skills among first-year university students has been under scrutiny in recent years. This is largely due to the pressure faced by the South African higher education sector as the battle to integrate educational technologies into the teaching curriculum. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the digital literacy skills of first-year students at the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. A positivism quantitative research methodology will be employed to collect data from 468 first-year students at a higher education institution through a validated questionnaire. Descriptive analyses, T-tests, ANOVA, and Spearman's correlation will be conducted using SPSS. Anticipated findings suggest that various demographic factors, such as previous school, self-efficacy, and age, significantly influence learners' digital literacy competency. Furthermore, the projected findings highlight the importance of rural secondary schools adopting and implementing technological pedagogies in their curriculum. This research aims to make a substantial contribution to the development of ICT adoption guidelines for the secondary school curriculum, which would aid the basic educational sector in South Africa.

Keywords: technology acceptance model, digital literacy skills, secondary schools, south africa

Procedia PDF Downloads 64
1826 How Teachers Comprehend and Support Children's Needs to Be Scientists

Authors: Anita Yus

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Several Elementary Schools (SD) ‘favored’ by parents, especially those live in big cities in Indonesia, implicitly demand each child enrolled in the first grade of SD to be able to read, write and calculate. This condition urges the parents to push the teachers in PAUD (Kindergarten) to train their children to read, write, and calculate so they have a set of knowledge. According to Piaget, each child is capable of acquiring knowledge when he is given the opportunity to interact with his environment (things, people, and atmosphere). Teachers can make the interaction occur. There are several learning approaches suitable for the characteristics and needs of child’s growth. This paper talks about a research result conducted to investigate how twelve teachers of early childhood program comprehend the constructivist theory of Piaget, and how they inquire, how the children acquire and construct a number of knowledge through occurred interactions. This is a qualitative research with an observation method followed up by a focus group discussion (FGD). The research result shows that there is a reciprocal interaction between the behaviors of teachers and children affected by the size of the classroom and learning source, teaching experiences, education background, teachers’ attitude and motivation, as well as the way the teachers interpret and support the children’s needs. The teachers involved in this research came up with varied perspective on how knowledge acquired by children at first and how they construct it. This research brings a new perspective in understanding children as scientists.

Keywords: constructivist approach, young children as a scientist, teacher practice, teacher education

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1825 Use of the SWEAT Analysis Approach to Determine the Effectiveness of a School's Implementation of Its Curriculum

Authors: Prakash Singh

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The focus of this study is on the use of the SWEAT analysis approach to determine how effectively a school, as an organization, has implemented its curriculum. To gauge the feelings of the teaching staff, unstructured interviews were employed in this study, asking the participants for their ideas and opinions on each of the three identified aspects of the school: instructional materials, media and technology; teachers’ professional competencies; and the curriculum. This investigation was based on the five key components of the SWEAT model: strengths, weaknesses, expectations, abilities, and tensions. The findings of this exploratory study evoke the significance of the SWEAT achievement model as a tool for strategic analysis to be undertaken in any organization. The findings further affirm the usefulness of this analytical tool for human resource development. Employees have expectations, but competency gaps in their professional abilities may hinder them from fulfilling their tasks in terms of their job description. Also, tensions in the working environment can contribute to their experiences of tobephobia (fear of failure). The SWEAT analysis approach detects such shortcomings in any organization and can therefore culminate in the development of programmes to address such concerns. The strategic SWEAT analysis process can provide a clear distinction between success and failure, and between mediocrity and excellence in organizations. However, more research needs to be done on the effectiveness of the SWEAT analysis approach as a strategic analytical tool.

Keywords: SWEAT analysis, strategic analysis, tobephobia, competency gaps

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1824 Meditation, Mental States, Quantum Mechanics and Enlightenment

Authors: Ven. Bhikkhu Ananda

Abstract:

Mind emerged from the quantum field. The practice of mediation can take one to the state of enlightenment. During meditation, the change in the very behaviour of electrons, protons, and photons and their fields, known to be quantum fields, create mental states. This could well be expressed in the mathematical language of quantum mechanics. This paper qualifies and quantifies mental states created during meditation and is explained by quantum mechanics. In meditation, phenomenology can be seen as the process of enlightenment. In this process, the emptiness shown in Buddhist philosophy and the emptiness of quantum fields is compared. The methodologies used here are mindfulness meditation and metta mediation (compassion meditation ). The research findings suggest not only quantumness and change are consciousness, but well-founded behaviour of an individual in the society, which can amplify the positive behaviour caused by mental states, and that emptiness and impermanence of phenomenon are based on dependent arisings. The presence of quantum coherence indicates that quantum mechanics has a role in the evolution of the pure mind and the phenomenology created thereof in mediation.

Keywords: meditation, mental states, quantum mechanics, enlightenment

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1823 Clinical Validation of an Automated Natural Language Processing Algorithm for Finding COVID-19 Symptoms and Complications in Patient Notes

Authors: Karolina Wieczorek, Sophie Wiliams

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Introduction: Patient data is often collected in Electronic Health Record Systems (EHR) for purposes such as providing care as well as reporting data. This information can be re-used to validate data models in clinical trials or in epidemiological studies. Manual validation of automated tools is vital to pick up errors in processing and to provide confidence in the output. Mentioning a disease in a discharge letter does not necessarily mean that a patient suffers from this disease. Many of them discuss a diagnostic process, different tests, or discuss whether a patient has a certain disease. The COVID-19 dataset in this study used natural language processing (NLP), an automated algorithm which extracts information related to COVID-19 symptoms, complications, and medications prescribed within the hospital. Free-text patient clinical patient notes are rich sources of information which contain patient data not captured in a structured form, hence the use of named entity recognition (NER) to capture additional information. Methods: Patient data (discharge summary letters) were exported and screened by an algorithm to pick up relevant terms related to COVID-19. Manual validation of automated tools is vital to pick up errors in processing and to provide confidence in the output. A list of 124 Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) Clinical Terms has been provided in Excel with corresponding IDs. Two independent medical student researchers were provided with a dictionary of SNOMED list of terms to refer to when screening the notes. They worked on two separate datasets called "A” and "B”, respectively. Notes were screened to check if the correct term had been picked-up by the algorithm to ensure that negated terms were not picked up. Results: Its implementation in the hospital began on March 31, 2020, and the first EHR-derived extract was generated for use in an audit study on June 04, 2020. The dataset has contributed to large, priority clinical trials (including International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) by bulk upload to REDcap research databases) and local research and audit studies. Successful sharing of EHR-extracted datasets requires communicating the provenance and quality, including completeness and accuracy of this data. The results of the validation of the algorithm were the following: precision (0.907), recall (0.416), and F-score test (0.570). Percentage enhancement with NLP extracted terms compared to regular data extraction alone was low (0.3%) for relatively well-documented data such as previous medical history but higher (16.6%, 29.53%, 30.3%, 45.1%) for complications, presenting illness, chronic procedures, acute procedures respectively. Conclusions: This automated NLP algorithm is shown to be useful in facilitating patient data analysis and has the potential to be used in more large-scale clinical trials to assess potential study exclusion criteria for participants in the development of vaccines.

Keywords: automated, algorithm, NLP, COVID-19

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1822 Gender Diversity in Early Years Education: An Exploratory Study Applied to Preschool Curriculum System in Romania

Authors: Emilia-Gheorghina Negru

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As an EU goal, gender diversity in early year’s education aims and promotes equality of chances and respect for gender peculiarities of the pupils which are involved in formal educational activities. Early year’s education, as the first step to the Curriculum, prints to teachers the need to identify the role of the gender dimension on this stage, depending on the age level of preschool children through effective, complex, innovative and analytical awareness of gender diversity teaching and management strategies. Through gender educational work we, as teachers, will examine the effectiveness of the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum the gender development of school-aged children. PATHS and a school-based preventive intervention model are necessary to be designed to improve children's ability to discuss and understand equality and gender concepts. Our teachers must create an intervention model and provide PATHS lessons during the school year. Results of the intervention will be effective for both low- and high-risk children in improving their range of math’s skills for girls and vocabulary, fluency and emotional part for boys in discussing gender experiences, their efficacy beliefs regarding the management of equality in gender area, and their developmental understanding of some aspects of gender.

Keywords: gender, gender differences, gender equality, gender role, gender stereotypes

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1821 A Textual Analysis of Prospective Teachers’ Social Justice Identity Development and LGBTQ Advocacy

Authors: Mi Ok Kang

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This study examined the influences of including LGBTQ-related content in a multicultural teacher education course on the development of prospective teachers’ social justice identities. Appling a content analysis to 53 reflection texts written by participating prospective teachers in response to the relevant course content, this study deduced the stages of social justice identity development (naïve, acceptance, resistance, redefinition, and internalization) that participants reached during the course. The analysis demonstrated that the participants reached various stages in the social identity development model and none of the participants remained at the naïve stage during/after class. The majority (53%) of the participants reached the internalization stage during the coursework and became conscious about the heterosexual privileges they have had and aware of possible impacts of such privilege on their future LGBTQ students. Also the participants had begun to develop pedagogic action plans and devised applicable teaching strategies for their future students based on the new understanding of heteronormativity. We expect this study will benefit teacher educators and educational administrators who want to address LGBTQ-related issues in their multicultural education programs and/or revisit the goals, directions, and implications of their approach.

Keywords: LGBTQ, heteronormativity, social justice identity, teacher education, multicultural education, content analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 248
1820 Challenges in the Use of Information and Communication Technology in Agricultural Education and Training in Colleges of Education in Adamawa State

Authors: Harrison Gideon Maghra

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The study was conducted on the challenges in the use of ICT in Agricultural Education and Training in Colleges of Education in Adamawa State. Three objectives guided the study, and the objectives were translated into three research questions and the research questions translated into two null hypotheses. Frequency and percentage were used to answer research question one, mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions two and three, and t-test statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study was descriptive research and a questionnaire was used to solicit responses from the respondent. The instrument for data collection was subjected to face and content validity by 1 expert in the Department of Vocational Education, Modibbo Adama University, Yola and 3 experts from the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Adamawa State University, Mubi. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to test the reliability of the instrument and a reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained through the test re-test test method. Results from the study revealed that ICT facilities are not available in state-owned colleges of education. Agricultural Education lecturers have a positive attitude toward the use of ICT in teaching agricultural education and training. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made, among which: Colleges of Education in the state should organize training on the use of ICT for all lecturers, including those in the Agricultural Education program.

Keywords: challenges, ICT, agricultural education, colleges of education

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1819 To Design a Full Stack Online Educational Website Using HTML, CSS and Java Script

Authors: Yash Goyal, Manish Korde, Juned Siddiqui

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Today online education has gained more popularity so that people can easily complete their curriculum on their own time. Virtual learning has been widely used by many educators, especially in higher education institutions due to its benefits to students and faculty. A good knowledge of teaching theory and instructional design systems is required to experience meaningful learning. However, most educational websites are not designed to adapt to all screen sizes. Making the website accessible on all screen sizes is our main objective, so we have created a website that is readily accessible across all screen sizes and accepts all types of payment methods. And we see generally educational websites interface is simple and unexciting. So, we have made a user interface attractive and user friendly. It is not enough for a website to be user-friendly, but also to be familiar to admins and to reduce the workload of the admin as well. We visited so many popular websites under development that they all had issues like responsiveness, simple interface, security measures, payment methods, etc. To overcome this limitation, we have created a website which has taken care of security issues that is why we have created only one admin id and it can be control from that only. And if the user has successfully done the payment, then the admin can send him a username and password through mail individually so there will no fraud in the payment of the course.

Keywords: responsive, accessible, attractive, interface, objective, security.

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1818 Teaching and Learning with Picturebooks: Developing Multimodal Literacy with a Community of Primary School Teachers in China

Authors: Fuling Deng

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Today’s children are frequently exposed to multimodal texts that adopt diverse modes to communicate myriad meanings within different cultural contexts. To respond to the new textual landscape, scholars have considered new literacy theories which propose picturebooks as important educational resources. Picturebooks are multimodal, with their meaning conveyed through the synchronisation of multiple modes, including linguistic, visual, spatial, and gestural acting as access to multimodal literacy. Picturebooks have been popular reading materials in primary educational settings in China. However, often viewed as “easy” texts directed at the youngest readers, picturebooks remain on the margins of Chinese upper primary classrooms, where they are predominantly used for linguistic tasks, with little value placed on their multimodal affordances. Practices with picturebooks in the upper grades in Chinese primary schools also encounter many challenges associated with the curation of texts for use, designing curriculum, and assessment. To respond to these issues, a qualitative study was conducted with a community of Chinese primary teachers using multi-methods such as interviews, focus groups, and documents. The findings showed the impact of the teachers’ increased awareness of picturebooks' multimodal affordances on their pedagogical decisions in using picturebooks as educational resources in upper primary classrooms.

Keywords: picturebook education, multimodal literacy, teachers' response to contemporary picturebooks, community of practice

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1817 Death Anxiety and Life Expectancy among Older Adults in Iran

Authors: Vahid Rashedi, Banafsheh Ebrahimi, Mahtab Sharif Mohseni, Mohammadali Hosseini

Abstract:

Introduction: One of the metrics used to evaluate health status is life expectancy. This index alters as people age as a result of several events, illnesses, stress, and anxiety. One of the issues that might develop into a lethal phobia is death anxiety. This study looked at older persons in Tehran, Iran, to see if there was any correlation between life expectancy and fear of dying. Methods: Cluster random sampling was used to select 208 older persons (age 60) who had been sent to adult daycare facilities in Tehran for this correlational descriptive study. A demographic questionnaire, Temper's death anxiety scale, and Snyder's life expectancy scale were used to gather the data. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences softwear version 22 was used to conduct the data analysis. Results: The average age of the senior citizens was 66.60 (6.58) years. With a mean life expectancy of 24.94, it was discovered that the average death anxiety was 12.21. Additionally, Pearson's correlation coefficient demonstrated a bad correlation between fear of dying and life expectancy. Age, residential status, and death fear were the three primary predictors of a decline in life expectancy, according to multiple regression analysis. Conclusion: The findings suggest that there is a link between death fear and a lower life expectancy, which calls for the use of appropriate strategies to increase older individuals' life expectancies as well as the teaching of anxiety coping mechanisms.

Keywords: aged, frailty, death, anxiety, life

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1816 Quality of Working Life and Occupational Stress in High School Teachers

Authors: S. Silva

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Some professions had an increased risk for occupational stress and less quality of working life. Among several professions this risk is particularly preoccupant in teachers, namely high school teachers. This study aims to characterize the work stress in teachers and understand how the work stress influences their quality of working life. One hundred teachers, 60 women and 40 men with mean age of 43,2 years (SD=7,8), from North Portugal teaching in several high schools filled in the following questionnaires: Social-Demographic Questionnaire, Teacher Stress Questionnaire and the Survey of Professional Life, during January to March 2015. The results of our study show that high school teachers have several occupational stressors (M=5) and poor perceived quality of working life. They are unsatisfied with their current job and they refer to a considerable job frustration. 33% referred to no expectations about a better future in these profession and 40% have no career development. There is a strong negative correlation between stress and teacher quality of working life (r=-.775). Moderate levels of stress are related to more favorable quality of working life (r=.632). Stress, frequent in teachers, is a significant predictor of poor quality of working life. There are several stressors affecting the teachers’ performance. Career development is not considered among this professional class and it seems related to current job frustration. Considering the role of high school teacher in the development and learning of students, these results should be taken in consideration when planning the graduation and interventions with teachers.

Keywords: career, quality of working life, stress, teachers

Procedia PDF Downloads 365
1815 Synchronous Courses Attendance in Distance Higher Education: Case Study of a Computer Science Department

Authors: Thierry Eude

Abstract:

The use of videoconferencing platforms adapted to teaching offers students the opportunity to take distance education courses in much the same way as traditional in-class training. The sessions can be recorded and they allow students the option of following the courses synchronously or asynchronously. Three typical profiles can then be distinguished: students who choose to follow the courses synchronously, students who could attend the course in synchronous mode but choose to follow the session off-line, and students who follow the course asynchronously as they cannot attend the course when it is offered because of professional or personal constraints. Our study consists of observing attendance at all distance education courses offered in the synchronous mode by the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at Laval University during 10 consecutive semesters. The aim is to identify factors that influence students in their choice of attending the distance courses in synchronous mode. It was found that participation tends to be relatively stable over the years for any one semester (fall, winter summer) and is similar from one course to another, although students may be increasingly familiar with the synchronous distance education courses. Average participation is around 28%. There may be deviations, but they concern only a few courses during certain semesters, suggesting that these deviations would only have occurred because of the composition of particular promotions during specific semesters. Furthermore, course schedules have a great influence on the attendance rate. The highest rates are all for courses which are scheduled outside office hours.

Keywords: attendance, distance undergraduate education in computer science, student behavior, synchronous e-learning

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1814 The Representation of J. D. Salinger’s Views on Changes in American Society in the 1940s in The Catcher in the Rye

Authors: Jessadaporn Achariyopas

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The objectives of this study aim to analyze both the protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye in terms of ideological concepts and narrative techniques which influence the construction of the representation and the relationship between the representation and J. D. Salinger’s views on changes in American society in the 1940s. This area of study might concern two theories: namely, a theory of representation and narratology. In addition, this research is intended to answer the following three questions. Firstly, how is the production of meaning through language in The Catcher in the Rye constructed? Secondly, what are J. D. Salinger’s views on changes in American society in the 1940s? Lastly, how is the relationship between the representation and J. D. Salinger’s views? The findings showed that the protagonist’s views, J. D. Salinger’s views, and changes in American society in the 1940s are obviously interrelated. The production of meaning which is the representation of the protagonist’s views was constructed of narrative techniques. J. D. Salinger’s views on changes in American society in the 1940s were the same antisocial perspectives as Holden Caulfield’s which are phoniness, alienation and meltdown.

Keywords: representation, construction of the representation, systems of representation, phoniness, alienation, meltdown

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1813 Enhancing goal Achivement through Improved Communication Skills

Authors: Lin Xie, Yang Wang

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An extensive body of research studies suggest that students, teachers, and supervisors can enhance the likelihood of reaching their goals by improving their communication skills. It is highly important to learn how and when to provide different kinds of feedback, e.g. anticipatory, corrective and positive) will gain better result and higher morale. The purpose of this mixed methods research is twofold: 1) To find out what factors affect effective communication among different stakeholders and how these factors affect student learning 2) What are the good practices for improving communication among different stakeholders and improve student achievement. This presentation first begins with an introduction to the recent research on Marshall’s Nonviolent Communication Techniques (NVC), including four important components: observations, feelings, needs, requests. These techniques can be effectively applied at all levels of communication. To develop an in-depth understanding of the relationship among different techniques within, this research collected, compared, and combined qualitative and quantitative data to better improve communication and support student learning.

Keywords: communication, education, language learning, goal achievement, academic success

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1812 Hereditary Angioedema: Case Presentation and Review of Anaesthetic Implications

Authors: Joshua Chew, Vesa Cheng, David Thomson

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Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) or C1 esterase deficiency is a relatively rare entity that has a potential for significant anesthetic complications. Methods: A literature review was performed of published cases of surgery in patients with HAE. Results were limited to English language only and cases were examined for management strategies and successful prevention of acute attacks. Results: The literature revealed the successful use of C1 esterase inhibitors as the most common agent in surgical prophylaxis therapy. Other therapeutic targets described included kallikrein inhibitors and bradykinin B2 receptor antagonists. Conclusions: Therapeutic targets that exist for the management of acute attacks in HAE have been successfully employed in the setting of surgery. The data is currently limited and could not be used as a firm evidence base, but the limited outcomes seen are positive and reassuring for the prospective anesthetic management of this potentially fatal condition.

Keywords: anesthesia, C1 esterase deficiency, hereditary angioedema, surgical prophylaxis

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1811 An Analytic Network Process Approach towards Academic Staff Selection

Authors: Nasrullah khan

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Today business environment is very dynamic and most of organizations are in tough competition for their added values and sustainable hold in market. To achieve such objectives, organizations must have dynamic and creative people as optimized process. To get these people, there should strong human resource management system in organizations. There are multiple approaches have been devised in literature to hire more job relevant and more suitable people. This study proposed an ANP (Analytic Network Process) approach to hire faculty members for a university system. This study consists of two parts. In fist part, a through literature survey and universities interview are conducted in order to find the common criteria for the selection of academic staff. In second part the available candidates are prioritized on the basis of the relative values of these criteria. According to results the GRE & foreign language, GPA and research paper writing were most important factors for the selection of academic staff.

Keywords: creative people, ANP, academic staff, business environment

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1810 Teacher Professionalisation and Professionalism Discourses in Teacher Unions: A Case Study of New Zealand

Authors: Huidan Niu

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Existing research has focused extensively on teachers’ professional experience in education reforms. However, there is a lack of research on the role and influence of teacher unions in education policy. This study aimed to examine how teacher unions frame teacher professionalisation and professionalism discourses. Critical education policy scholarship study was adopted. This study positioned teacher professionalisation and professionalism discourses within their socio-political contexts to explore how the meanings of teacher professionalisation and professionalism are constructed, as well as how teacher unions, as collective actors, shape these discourses. This study examined the development of professionalisation and professionalism discourses in the two main teacher unions in Aotearoa, New Zealand, the New Zealand Educational Institute, TeRiuRoa (NZEI), and the New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers’ Association, TeWehengarua (PPTA). The data were collected from documents and archival material, as well as elite interviews. Twenty-four union leaders, including national presidents, secretaries, executives, and senior union officials, participated in the study. The data analysis followed a grounded theory method: from codes to themes. The findings of the study suggest that the teacher unions, as teachers’ collective (powerful) voices, appeared to highlight tension and confrontation between the teaching profession and governments with respect to the meanings of teacher professionalisation and professionalism.

Keywords: critical education policy scholarship, governments, teacher professionalisation, teacher professionalism, teacher unions

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1809 Performance of the Kindergarten Teachers and Its Relation to Pupils Achievement in Different Learning Areas

Authors: Mary Luna Mancao Ninal

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This study aimed to determine the performance of the kindergarten teachers and its relation to pupils’ achievement in different learning areas in the Division of Kabankalan City. Using the standardized assessment and evaluation of the Department of Education secondary data, 100 kinder teachers and 2901 kinder pupils were investigated to determine the performance of the kindergarten teachers based on their Competency–Based Performance Appraisal System for Teachers and the periodic assessment of kinder pupils collected as secondary data. Weighted mean, Pearson–r, chi-square, Analysis of Variance were used in the study. Findings revealed that the kindergarten teacher respondents were 26-31 years old and most of them were female and married; they spent teaching for two years and less and passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers. They were very satisfactory as to instructional competences, school, and home and community involvement, personal, social, and professional characteristics. It also revealed that performance of the kindergarten pupils on their period of assessment shows that they were slightly advanced in their development. It also shows that domain as to performance of the kindergarten pupils were average overall development. Based on the results, it is recommended that Kindergarten teacher must augment their educational qualification and pursue their graduate studies and must develop the total personality of the children for them to achieve high advanced development to become productive individual.

Keywords: performance, kindergarten teacher, learning areas, professional, pupil

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1808 Ecological Systems Theory, the SCERTS Model, and the Autism Spectrum, Node and Nexus

Authors: C. Surmei

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder that can affect an individual’s (but is not limited to) cognitive development, emotional development, language acquisition and the capability to relate to others. Ecological Systems Theory is a sociocultural theory that focuses on environmental systems with which an individual interacts. The SCERTS Model is an educational approach and multidisciplinary framework that addresses the challenges confronted by individuals on the autism spectrum and other developmental disabilities. To aid the understanding of ASD and educational philosophies for families, educators, and the global community alike, a Comparative Analysis was undertaken to examine key variables (the child, society, education, nurture/care, relationships, communication). The results indicated that the Ecological Systems Theory and the SCERTS Model were comparable in focus, motivation, and application, attaining to a viable and notable relationship between both theories. This paper unpacks two child development philosophies and their relationship to each other.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, ecological systems theory, education, SCERTS model

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1807 Analysis of the Effect of GSR on the Performance of Double Flow Corrugated Absorber Solar Air Heater

Authors: S. P. Sharma, Som Nath Saha

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This study investigates the effect of Global Solar Radiation (GSR) on the performance of double flow corrugated absorber solar air heater. A mathematical model of a double flow solar air heater, in which air is flowing simultaneously over and under the absorbing plate is presented and solved by developing a computer program in C++ language. The performance evaluation is studied in terms of air temperature rise, energy, effective and exergy efficiencies. The performance of double flow corrugated absorber is compared with double flow flat plate and conventional solar air heaters. It is found that double flow effectively increases the air temperature rise and efficiencies in comparison to a conventional collector. However, corrugated absorber is more superior to that of flat plate double flow solar air heater. The results show that increasing the solar radiation leads to achieve higher air temperature rise and efficiencies.

Keywords: corrugated absorber, double flow, flat plate, solar air heater

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1806 Warfare Ships at Ancient Egypt: Since Pre-Historic Era (3700 B.C.) Uptill the End of the 2nd Intermediate Period (1550 B.C.)

Authors: Mohsen Negmeddin

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Throughout their history, ancient Egyptians had known several kinds and types of boats, which were made from two main kinds of materials, the local one, as the dried papyrus reeds and the local tree trunks, the imported one, as the boats which were made from Lebanon cedar tree trunks. A varied using of these boats, as the fish hunting small boats, the transportation and trade boats "Cargo Boats", as well as the ceremonial boats, and the warfare boats. The research is intending for the last one, the warfare boats and the river/maritime battles since the beginning of ancient Egyptian civilization at the pre-historic era up till the end of the second intermediate period, to reveal the kinds and types of those fighting ships before establishing the Egyptian navy at the beginning of the New Kingdome (1550-1770 B.C). Two methods will follow at this research, the mention of names and titles of these ships through the texts (ancient Egyptian language) resources, and the depiction of it at the scenes.

Keywords: the warfare boats, the maritime battles, the pre-historic era, the second intermediate period

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1805 Education For Social Justice: A Comparative Study of University Teachers' Conceptions and Practice

Authors: Digby Warren, Jiri Kropac

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This comparative study seeks to develop a deeper understanding of what is meant by “education for social justice” (ESJ) - an aspiration articulated by universities, though often without much definition. The research methodology involved thematic analysis of data from in-depth interviews with academics (voluntary participants) in different disciplines and institutions in the UK, Czech Republic and other EU countries. The interviews explored lecturers’ conceptions of ESJ, their practice of it, and associated challenges and enabling factors. Main findings are that ESJ is construed as provision of equitable and conscientising education opportunities that run across the whole higher education (HE) journey, from widening access to HE to stimulating critical learning and awareness that can empower graduates to transform their lives and societies. Teaching practice featured study of topics related to social justice; collaborative and creative learning activities, and assignments offering choice and connection to students’ realities. Student responses could be mixed, occasionally resistant, but mostly positive in terms of gaining increased confidence and awareness of equality and social responsibility. Influences at the macro, meso and mico level could support or limit scope for ESJ. Overall, the study highlights the strong, values-based commitment of HE teachers to facilitating student learning engagement, wellbeing and development towards building a better world.

Keywords: higher education, social justice, inclusivity, diversity

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1804 Rethinking the Concept of Classroom Management during COVID-19 Times: An EFL Perspective

Authors: Hadjer Chellia

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In the light of the recent global pandemic, different issues in educational research seem to invite careful considerations. Following this perspective, this study sets out to question the concept of classroom management in an EFL higher education context during Covid-19. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences, 6 EFL teachers from different Algerian universities took part in semi-structured interviews. The main emerging themes revealed that EFL teachers have different pedagogical practices in relation to classroom management during the global crisis than those of normal times. In relation to flexible education theory, the teachers’ experiences suggest flexible classroom management during Covid-19; flexibility in the teaching methods, approach and design, flexibility in time, flexibility in space and pace (speed), flexibility in assessment modes and flexibility in coping with students’ well-being. The flexibility awareness helps them to develop readiness towards the future, mainly in terms of maintaining an appropriate pedagogy to face the future crisis. In terms of theoretical concepts, working on classroom management under unusual circumstances in relation to flexible education helped come out with the concept of flexible classroom management (FCM) and virtual classroom management (VCM). It is then important for educators and researchers to rethink different pedagogical concepts and mind a careful application in the case of unusual times.

Keywords: Covid-19, EFL educators, flexible classroom management, flexible education, virtual classroom management

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1803 Information and Communication Technology and Business Education in Nigeria

Authors: Oloniyo Kemisola Eunice, Odere Oladunni Oluwafeyikemi

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Technological change and globalization have created a new global economy with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) occupying a complex position in relation to globalization. The emergence of this new global economy has serious implications on the nature and purpose of educational institutions. The paper is basically a theoretical discourse. Data for analysis were obtained from secondary sources. The paper found that significant challenges confront the integration of ICTs in education in the areas of educational policy and planning, infrastructure, language and content, capacity building and financing in Nigeria. The paper concluded that business education needs to be well equipped to anticipate and respond to opportunities created by ICTs in order to participate productively and equitably in an increasingly technology-rich and knowledge-driven world. The paper recommended, among others, that the investments in ICTs should be used to promote the development of basic skills, problem-solving and communication skills and the professional development of teachers.

Keywords: information, communication, technology, business, education

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1802 Surgical Applied Anatomy: Alive and Kicking

Authors: Jake Hindmarch, Edward Farley, Norman Eizenberg, Mark Midwinter

Abstract:

There is a need to bring the anatomical knowledge of medical students up to the standards required by surgical specialties. Contention exists amongst anatomists, clinicians, and surgeons about the standard of anatomical knowledge medical students need. The aim of this study was to explore the standards which the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons are applying knowledge of anatomy. Furthermore, to align medical school teaching to what the surgical profession requires from graduates.: The 2018 volume of the ANZ Journal of Surgery was narrowed down to 254 articles by applying the search term “Anatomy”. The main topic was then extracted from each paper. The content of the paper was assessed for ‘novel description’ or ‘application’ of anatomical knowledge’ and classified accordingly. The majority of papers with an anatomical focus was from the general surgery specialty, which focused on surgical techniques, outcomes and management. Vascular surgery had the highest percentage of papers with a novel description and application of anatomy. Cardiothoracic and paediatric surgery had no papers with a novel description of anatomy. Finally, a novel application of anatomy was the main focus of each speciality. Firstly, a high proportion of novel applications and descriptions of anatomy are in general surgery. Secondly, vascular surgery had the largest proportion of novel application and description of anatomy, namely due to the rise of therapeutic imaging and endovascular techniques. Finally, all disciplines demonstrated a trend towards having a higher proportion of novel application of anatomical knowledge

Keywords: anatomical knowledge, anatomy, surgery, novel anatomy

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1801 On ‘Freaks’ and the Feminine in Margaret Atwood’s ‘Lusus Naturae’

Authors: Shahd Alshammari

Abstract:

This paper considers one of Margaret Atwood’s short stories ‘Lusus Naturae'. Through a critical lens that makes use of Julia Kristeva’s work on Powers of Horror and abjection, this paper suggests that the monstrous girl is the disabled woman, the abject in society. The monster is used as a metaphor for the unknown, the misunderstood, and the ‘different’ woman. Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) is a pedagogy that calls for making course material accessible and relevant to students. Through the study of literary texts, we are able to help create agency inside and outside the classroom. Stories are a necessary part of establishing connections across borders and boundaries. Stories are meant to raise awareness both inside and outside the classroom. The discussion is equally important, and the text is meant to facilitate relevant questions that the students need to consider when it comes to identity. Questions to consider are: what does it mean to be a ‘girl’ today, and what implications and consequences are at hand when you fail to perform this gendered identity? Gender is sometimes a fatal bond in the Middle East, and even more so, is the disability. In the case of our unnamed protagonist, she undergoes a process of un-becoming, a non-linear process of growing up. In a sense, it is a counter-Bildungsroman. The reading of this text emphasizes that a non-linear narrative is sometimes necessary for the female protagonist’s self-awareness and development. Discussion in class facilitates this sense of agency and questioning of gender and disability.

Keywords: disability, gender, literature, pedagogy

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1800 The Effect of Culture on User Interface Design of Social Media- A Case Study on Preferences of Saudi Arabian on the Arabic User Interface of Facebook

Authors: Hana Almakky, Reza Sahandi, Jacqui Taylor

Abstract:

Social media continue to grow, and user interfaces may become more appealing if cultural characteristics are incorporated into their design. Facebook was designed in the west, and the original language was English. Subsequently, the words in the user interface were translated to other languages, including Arabic. Arabic words are written from right to left, and English is written from left to right. The translated version may misrepresent the original design and users preferences may influence their culture, which should be considered in the user interface design. Previous research indicates that users are more comfortable when interacting with a user interface, which relates to their own culture. Therefore, this paper, using a survey investigates the preferences of Saudi Arabian on the Arabic version of user interface of Facebook.

Keywords: culture, social media, user interface design, Facebook, Saudi Arabia

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1799 Financial Inclusion as Twig of Internally Generated Revenue From Entrepreneurial Venture: A University Funding Alternate

Authors: Anifowose Oluwafemi Dele, Ngah Rohana, Hasni Abdulahi

Abstract:

The economic crisis, which resulted in university funding cuts with an astronomically devastating impact on teaching and research around the world. Sequel to this, Nigerian universities are in disarray due to insufficient government funding and are under pressure to discover new financial streams of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to disentangle finance-related teething problems and most tangible means of outsourcing finance inclusively for the creation of more entrepreneurial ventures through the possibilities of prudent IGR management. To the best of our knowledge, one way to address this still-unknown or underappreciated cog is through the strategic use of IGR and the outsourcing of financing for the launch of entrepreneurial ventures. As a result, it is critical to investigate and evaluate financial inclusion through prudently managed IGR to achieve greater financial inclusion for more long-term entrepreneurial ventures. Justifying the need to look inward and devise mechanisms for strong instruments internal fund raising and managing cash inflows to benefit university entrepreneurial ventures to increase the University's IGR for the benefit of the university and its stakeholders. The paper concludes that University Managers must fully accept the use of genuine means of boosting IGR through financial inclusion of in-house funds to aggressively established IGR boosting and the creation of entrepreneurial ventures that could serve as an alternative to inadequate government funding.

Keywords: government funding, university managers, financial inclusion, entrepreneurial venture

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1798 Technical and Pedagogical Considerations in Producing Screen Recorded Videos

Authors: M. Nikafrooz, J. Darsareh

Abstract:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its impacts on education all over the world and the problems arising from the use of traditional methods in education, it was necessary to apply alternative solutions to achieve educational goals. In this regard, electronic content production through screen recording and giving educational services in virtual classes became popular among many teachers. But the production of screen recorded videos involves special technical and educational considerations so that educators could be able to produce valuable and well-made videos by taking those considerations into account. The purpose of this study was to extract and find the technical and educational considerations of producing screen recorded videos to provide a useful and comprehensive guideline for e-content producers to enable them to produce high-quality educational videos. This study is fundamental research and data collection has been done using the Delphi method. In this research, an attempt has been made to provide the necessary criteria and considerations regarding the design and production of screen recorded videos by studying the literatures, identifying and analyzing learners' and teachers' needs and expectations, reviewing the previously produced videos. The results of these studies led to the finding and extracting 129 indicators in the form of 6 criteria. Such considerations are expected to reduce production and editing time, increase the technical and educational quality, and finally facilitating and enhancing the processes of teaching and learning.

Keywords: e-content, screen recorded videos, screen recording software, technical and pedagogical considerations

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