Search results for: senior secondary school

Authors: Aniedi A. Udo, Magnus U. Igboekwe, Rasaaq Bello, Francis D. Eyenaka, Michael C. Ohakwere-Eze

Abstract:

Groundwater vulnerability to pollution was assessed in Akwa Ibom State, Southern Nigeria, with the aim of locating areas with high potentials for resource contamination, especially due to anthropogenic influence. The electrical resistivity method was utilized in the collection of the initial field data. Additional data input, which included depth to static water level, drilled well log data, aquifer recharge data, percentage slope, as well as soil information, were sourced from secondary sources. The initial field data were interpreted both manually and with computer modeling to provide information on the geoelectric properties of the subsurface. Interpreted results together with the secondary data were used to develop the DRASTIC thematic maps. A vulnerability assessment was performed using the DRASTIC model in a GIS environment and areas with high vulnerability which needed immediate attention was clearly mapped out and presented using an aquifer vulnerability map. The model was subjected to validation and the rate of validity was 73% within the area of study.

Keywords: groundwater, vulnerability, DRASTIC model, pollution

Procedia PDF Downloads 209

Authors: Irfan U. Din

Abstract:

The growing presence and operational capacity of Islamic State aka Daesh, which emerged in Pak-Afghan region in 2015, poses a serious threat to the already fragile state of the security situation in the region. This paper will shed light on the current state of IS-K network in the Pak-Afghan region and will explain how its presence and operational capacity in the northern and central Afghanistan has increased despite intensive military operations against the group in Nangarhar province – the stronghold of IS-K. It will also explore the role of Pakistani Taliban in the emergence and expansion of IS-K in the region and will unveil the security implication of growing nexus of IS-K and transnational organized groups for the region in Post NATO withdrawal scenario. The study will be qualitative and will rely on secondary and primary data to explore the topic. For secondary data existing literature on the topic will be extensively reviewed while for primary data in-depth interviews will be conducted with subject experts, Taliban commanders, and field researchers.

Keywords: Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Pak-Afghan Region, Transnational Organized Crime (TNOC)

Procedia PDF Downloads 290

Authors: Pei Chin Lim

Abstract:

School of Mathematics and Science of Singapore Polytechnic offers a Basic Mathematics module to students who did not pass GCE O-Level Additional Mathematics. These students are weaker in Mathematics. In particular, they struggle with word problems and tend to leave them blank in tests and examinations. In order to improve students’ problem-solving skills, the school redesigned the Basic Mathematics module to incorporate Polya’s problem-solving methodology. During tutorial lessons, students have to work through learning activities designed to raise their metacognitive awareness by following Polya’s problem-solving process. To assess the effectiveness of the redesign, students’ working for a challenging word problem in the mid-semester test were analyzed. Sixty-five percent of students attempted to understand the problem by making sketches. Twenty-eight percent of students went on to devise a plan and implement it. Only five percent of the students still left the question blank. These preliminary results suggest that with regular exposure to an explicit and systematic problem-solving approach, weak students’ problem-solving skills can potentially be improved.

Keywords: mathematics education, metacognition, problem solving, weak students

Procedia PDF Downloads 165

Authors: Chrysoula Mangafa

Abstract:

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how individuals interact with others and make sense of the world around them. The two core difficulties associated with autism are difficulties in social communication and interaction, and the manifestation of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour. However, children with autism may also have many talents and special interests among which is their affinity with digital technologies. Despite the increasing use of mobile tablets in schools and homes and the children’s motivation in using them, there is limited guidance on how to use the tablets to teach children with autism-specific skills. This study aims to fill this gap in knowledge by providing guidelines about the ways in which iPads and other tablets can be used by parents/carers and their child at home to support the development of social communication skills. Semi-structured interviews with 10 parents of primary school aged children with autism were conducted with the aim to explore their experiences in using mobile devices, such as iPads and Android tablets, and social activities with their children to create opportunities for social communication development. The interview involved questions about the parents’ knowledge and experience in autism, their understanding of social communication skills, the use of technology at home, and their links with the child’s school. Qualitative analysis of the interviews showed that parents used a variety of strategies to boost their child’s social communication skills. Among these strategies were a) the use of communication symbols, b) the use of the child’s special interest as motivator to gain their attention, and c) allowing time to their child to respond. It was also found that parents engaged their child in joint activities such as cooking, role play and creating social stories together on the device. Seven out of ten parents mentioned that the tablet is a motivating tool that can be used to teach social communication skills, nonetheless all parents raised concerns over screen time and their child’s sharing difficulties. The need for training and advice as well as building stronger links with their child’s school was highlighted. In particular, it was mentioned that recommendations would be welcomed about how parents can address their child’s difficulties in initiating or sustaining a conversation, taking turns and sharing, understanding other people’s feelings and facial expressions, and showing interest to other people. The findings of this study resulted in the development of a parents’ guide based on evidence-based practice and the participants’ experiences and concerns. The proposed guidelines aim to urge parents to feel more confident in using the tablet with their child in more collaborative ways. In particular, the guide offers recommendations about how to develop verbal and non-verbal communication, gives examples of tablet-based activities to interact and create things together, as well as it offers suggestions on how to provide a worry-free tablet experience and how to connect with the school.

Keywords: families, perception and cognition in early development, school-age intervention, social development

Procedia PDF Downloads 162

Authors: Kehinde Damilola Ilesanmi, Dev Datt Tewari

Abstract:

South Africa is in its post-industrial era moving from the primary and secondary sector to the tertiary sector. The study investigated the impact of the disaggregated energy consumption (coal, oil, and electricity) on the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy between 1980 and 2012 in South Africa. Using vector error correction model, it was established that South Africa is an energy dependent economy, and that energy (especially electricity and oil) is a limiting factor of growth. This implies that implementation of energy conservation policies may hamper economic growth. Output growth is significantly outpacing energy supply, which has necessitated load shedding. To meet up the excess energy demand, there is a need to increase the generating capacity which will necessitate increased investment in the electricity sector as well as strategic steps to increase oil production. There is also need to explore more renewable energy sources, in order to meet the growing energy demand without compromising growth and environmental sustainability. Policy makers should also pursue energy efficiency policies especially at sectoral level of the economy.

Keywords: causality, economic growth, energy consumption, hypothesis, sectoral output

Procedia PDF Downloads 471

Authors: Foster Chilufya

Abstract:

This study sought to determine factors that affect academic performance of mature age students in Science Education at University of Zambia. It was guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The theory provided relationship between achievement motivation and academic performance. A descriptive research design was used. Both Qualitative and Quantitative research methods were used to collect data from 88 respondents. Simple random and purposive sampling procedures were used to collect from the respondents. Concerning factors that motivate mature-age students to choose Science Education Programs, the following were cited: need for self-actualization, acquisition of new knowledge, encouragement from friends and family members, good performance at high school and diploma level, love for the sciences, prestige and desire to be promoted at places of work. As regards factors that affected the academic performance of mature-age students, both negative and positive factors were identified. These included: demographic factors such as age and gender, psychological characteristics such as motivation and preparedness to learn, self-set goals, self esteem, ability, confidence and persistence, student prior academic performance at high school and college level, social factors, institutional factors and the outcomes of the learning process. In order to address the factors that negatively affect academic performance of mature-age students, the following measures were identified: encouraging group discussions, encouraging interactive learning process, providing a conducive learning environment, reviewing Science Education curriculum and providing adequate learning materials. Based on these factors, it is recommended that, the School of Education introduces a program in Science Education specifically for students training to be teachers of science. Additionally, introduce majors in Physics Education, Biology Education, Chemistry Education and Mathematics Education relevant to what is taught in high schools.

Keywords: academic, performance, in-service, science

Procedia PDF Downloads 312

Authors: Kaushalendra K. Khadanga, Lee Hee Hyol

Abstract:

Passenger comfort has been paramount in the design of suspension systems of high speed cars. To analyze the effect of vibration on vehicle ride quality, a vertical model of a six degree of freedom railway passenger vehicle, with front and rear suspension, is built. It includes car body flexible effects and vertical rigid modes. A second order linear shaping filter is constructed to model Gaussian white noise into random rail excitation. The temporal correlation between the front and rear wheels is given by a second order Pade approximation. The complete track and the vehicle model are then designed. An active secondary suspension system based on a Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal control method is designed. The results show that the LQG control method reduces the vertical acceleration, pitching acceleration and vertical bending vibration of the car body as compared to the passive system.

Keywords: active suspension, bending vibration, railway vehicle, vibration control

Procedia PDF Downloads 263

Authors: Joanna Nieżurawska, Hanna Karaszewska, Anna Dziadkiewicz

Abstract:

Contemporary conditions force companies to constantly implement changes and improvements, which is connected with plasticization of their activity in all spheres. Cafeteria systems are a good example of flexible remuneration systems. Cafeteria systems are well-known and often used in the United States, Great Britain and in Western Europe. In Poland, they are hardly ever used and greater flexibility in remuneration packages refers mainly to senior managers and executives. The main aim of this article is to research the attractiveness of the cafeteria system as viewed by generation Z. The additional aim of the article is to prioritize using the importance index of particular types of cafeteria systems from the generation Z’s perspective, as well as to identify the factors which determine the development of cafeteria systems in Poland. The research was conducted in June 2015 among 185 young employees (generation Z). The paper presents some of the results.

Keywords: cafeteria, generation X, generation Y, generation Z, flexible remuneration systems, plasticization of remuneration

Procedia PDF Downloads 410

Authors: Lilla Dorina Habsz, Marta Rado

Abstract:

Popularity is affected by a variety of factors in the primary school such as academic achievement and ethnicity. The main goal of our study was to analyse whether acting white exists in Hungarian elementary schools. In other words, we observed whether Roma students penalize those in-group members who obtain the high academic achievement. Furthermore, to show how popularity is influenced by changes in academic achievement in inter-ethnic relations. The empirical basis of our research was the 'competition and negative networks' longitudinal dataset, which was collected by the MTA TK 'Lendület' RECENS research group. This research followed 11 and 12-year old students for a two-year period. The survey was analysed using fixed and random effect models. Overall, we found a positive correlation between grades and popularity, but no evidence for the acting white effect. However, better grades were more positively evaluated within the majority group than within the minority group, which may further increase inequalities.

Keywords: academic achievement, elementary school, ethnicity, popularity

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: Citlali Aguilera Lira, David Lynch Steinicke, Andrea León García

Abstract:

One of the challenges that higher education faces is to find how to approach the sustainability in an inclusive way to the student within all the different academic areas, how to move the sustainable development from the abstract field to the operational field. This research comes from the ecoliteracy and the pedagogical praxis as tools for rebuilding the teaching processes inside of universities. The purpose is to determine and describe which are the factors involved in the process of learning particularly in the Greenhouse-School Siembra UV. In the Greenhouse-School Siembra UV, of the University of Veracruz, are cultivated vegetables, medicinal plants and small cornfields under the usage of eco-technologies such as hydroponics, Wickingbed and Hugelkultur, which main purpose is the saving of space, labor and natural resources, as well as function as agricultural production alternatives in the urban and periurban zones. The sample was formed with students from different academic areas and who are actively involved in the greenhouse, as well as institutes from the University of Veracruz and governmental and non-governmental departments. This project comes from a pedagogic praxis approach, from filling the needs that the different professional profiles of the university students have. All this with the purpose of generate a pragmatic dialogue with the sustainability. It also comes from the necessity to understand the factors that intervene in the students’ praxis. In this manner is how the students are the fundamental unit in the sphere of sustainability. As a result, it is observed that those University of Veracruz students who are involved in the Greenhouse-school, Siembra UV, have enriched in different levels the sense of urban and periurban agriculture because of the diverse academic approaches they have and the interaction between them. It is concluded that the eco-technologies act as fundamental tools for ecoliteracy in society, where it is strengthen the nutritional and food security from a sustainable development approach.

Keywords: farming eco-technologies, food security, multidisciplinary, pedagogical praxis

Procedia PDF Downloads 318

Authors: Muhammad Akram, Qamar Naseem, Imtiaz Ahmad

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to correlate students’ perceptions of teacher effectiveness with their academic achievement in English and Mathematics at the secondary level (grade 9th) based on five national professional standards for teacher evaluation in Pakistan (subject matter knowledge, instructional planning and strategies, assessment, learning environment, effective communication. A Students’ Perceptions of Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire (SPTEQ) was developed by the researchers to collect data from 2009 students from forty public girls and boys high/ higher secondary schools in district Khanewal, Pakistan. The overall reliability of the SPTEQ was α=.86. The study found a significant positive relationship among all the five factors of teacher effectiveness construct. The study also showed significant, positive relationship between teacher effectiveness factors and students’ achievement in English and mathematics. No significant differences were found between male and female students’ perceptions about their English teacher effectiveness. The implications include students’ personal attachments with their teachers that might convince them to overrate their teachers.

Keywords: communication, students’ achievement, teacher effectiveness, teaching strategies, teaching strategies

Procedia PDF Downloads 301

Authors: Mark Anthony Casimiro, Ivan Culaba, Cornelia Soto

Abstract:

Misconceptions are the wrong concepts understood by the students which may come up based on what they experience and observe around their environment. This seemed to hinder students’ learning. In this study, six different misconceptions were determined by the researcher from the previous researches. Teachers play a vital role in the classroom. The use of appropriate strategies can contribute a lot in the success of teaching and learning Physics. The current study aimed to compare two strategies- Interactive Lecture Demonstration (ILD) and Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI) in addressing students’ misconceptions in electric circuits. These two strategies are both interactive learning activities and student-centered. In ILD, the teacher demonstrates the activity and the students have their predictions while in IBI, students perform the experiments. The study used the mixed method in which quantitative and qualitative researches were combined. The main data of this study were the test scores of the students from the pretest and posttest. Likewise, an interview with the teacher, observer and students was done before, during and after the execution of the activities. Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuits Test version 2 (DIRECT v.2) was the instrument used in the study. Two sections of Grade 9 students from Kalumpang National High School were the respondents of the study. The two strategies were executed to each section; one class was assigned as the ILD group and the other class was the IBI group. The Physics teacher of the said school was the one who taught and executed the activities. The researcher taught the teacher the steps in doing the two strategies. The Department of Education level of proficiency in the Philippines was adopted in scoring and interpretation. The students’ level of proficiency was used in assessing students’ knowledge on electric circuits. The pretest result of the two groups had a p-value of 0.493 which was greater than the level of significance 0.05 (p >0.05) and it implied that the students’ level of understanding in the topic was the same before the execution of the strategies. The posttest results showed that the p-value (0.228) obtained was greater than the level of significance which is 0.05 (p> 0.05). This implied that the students from the ILD and IBI groups had the same level of understanding after the execution of the two strategies. This could be inferred that either of the two strategies- Interactive Lecture Demonstration and Inquiry-Based Instruction could be used in addressing students’ misconception in electric circuit as both had similar effect on the students’ level of understanding in the topic. The result of this study may greatly help teachers, administration, school heads think of appropriate strategies that can address misconceptions depending on the availability of their materials of their school.

Keywords: inquiry- based instruction, interactive lecture demonstration, misconceptions, mixed method

Procedia PDF Downloads 221

Authors: Naima Nur, Safa Islam, Saeema Islam, Md. Faridul Alam

Abstract:

Background: The worldwide increase in pediatric presumptive tuberculosis (TB) is the most life-threatening challenge in effectively controlling TB. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of presumptive TB and the factors associated with it. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and November 2013 at ICDDR-Bangladesh. Two hundred twelve pulmonary and extra-pulmonary specimens were collected from 84 suspected pediatric patients diagnosed with TB based on their clinical symptoms/radiological findings. Presumptive TB and confirmed TB were considered presumptive TB and non-presumptive TB and were isolated by smear-microscopy, culture, and GeneXpert. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between outcome and predictor variables. Results: The proportion of presumptive TB was 85.7%, and 14.3% of non-presumptive TB. In presumptive TB, vaccine scars, family TB history, and school-going children were 16.6%, 33.3%, and 56.9%, respectively. In contrast, vaccine scars and family TB history were 8.3%, and school-going children were 58.3% in non-presumptive TB. Significant factors did not appear in the logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Despite the high proportion of presumptive TB, there was no statistically significant between presumptive TB and non-presumptive TB.

Keywords: presumptive tuberculosis, confirmed tuberculosis, patient's characteristics, diagnosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 51

Authors: R. M. Bashir, Sabo Elizabeth

Abstract:

Electronic learning is an increasingly popular learning approach in higher educational institutions due to vast growth of internet technology. An investigation on the assessment of e-learning facilities and information need by open and distance learning students in Jalingo, Nigeria was conducted. Structured questionnaires were administered to 70 students of the university. Information sourced from the respondents covered demographic, economic and institutional variables. Data collected for demographic variables were computed as frequency count and percentages. Information on assessment of e-learning facilities and information need among open and distance learning students was computed on a three or four point Likert Rating Scale. Findings indicated that there are more men compared to women, a large proportion of the respondents are married and there are more matured students. A high proportion of the students obtained qualifications higher than the secondary school certificate. The proportion of computer literate students was higher compared with those students that owned a computer. Inadequate e-books and reference materials, internet gadgets and inadequate books (hard copies) and reference material are factors that limit utilization of e-learning facilities. Inadequate computer facilities caused delay in examination schedule at the study center. Open and distance learning students required to a high extent information on university timetable and schedule of activities, books (hard and e-books) and reference materials and contact with course coordinators via internet for better learning and academic performance.

Keywords: open and distance learning, information required, electronic books, internet gadgets, Likert scale test

Procedia PDF Downloads 288

Authors: Matthew David Marmet

Abstract:

Knowing your audience is important regardless of what profession you are in. Whether this audience is comprised of customers or students, having an idea of who these people are, where they come from, and some of the challenges they may have faced allows us to build better relationships with them. This paper will recap a field study experience that has been dubbed a "reverse field trip" to a local high school. Here, going back in time produced not only a great deal of nostalgia, but also served as a reminder of who prospective university students are before they arrive. This information is invaluable as it can help inform classroom (and other) strategies that may help them succeed, and persist through the college years, which will no doubt present them with undeniable changes and challenges. Interviews with school staff and observations of student behavior, both inside and outside the classroom, yielded several lessons learned (i.e., issues to address). These include considerations of regimen, three separate yet related levels of context, and expectation-setting. Each issue will be presented in detail, along with pedagogical strategies to help address them. These strategies have both student-level and institutional benefits as they have the potential not only to increase student engagement, but also improve retention rates.

Keywords: pedagogy, Student engagement, student retention, teaching strategy

Procedia PDF Downloads 85

Authors: I. Schiller, D. Morsomme, A. Remacle

Abstract:

Children’s ability to process spoken language develops until the late teenage years. At school, where efficient spoken language processing is key to academic achievement, listening conditions are often unfavorable. High background noise and poor teacher’s voice represent typical sources of interference. It can be assumed that these factors particularly affect primary school children, because their language and literacy skills are still low. While it is generally accepted that background noise and impaired voice impede spoken language processing, there is an increasing need for analyzing impacts within specific linguistic areas. Against this background, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of speech-shaped noise and imitated dysphonic voice on first-grade primary school children’s speech perception and sentence comprehension. Via headphones, 5 to 6-year-old children, recruited within the French-speaking community of Belgium, listened to and performed a minimal-pair discrimination task and a sentence-picture matching task. Stimuli were randomly presented according to four experimental conditions: (1) normal voice / no noise, (2) normal voice / noise, (3) impaired voice / no noise, and (4) impaired voice / noise. The primary outcome measure was task score. How did performance vary with respect to listening condition? Preliminary results will be presented with respect to speech perception and sentence comprehension and carefully interpreted in the light of past findings. This study helps to support our understanding of children’s language processing skills under adverse conditions. Results shall serve as a starting point for probing new measures to optimize children’s learning environment.

Keywords: impaired voice, sentence comprehension, speech perception, speech-shaped noise, spoken language processing

Procedia PDF Downloads 194

Authors: Chieh-Ning Lan, Tzu-Shin Lin, Kun-Hao Lin

Abstract:

Chinese handwriting skill is one of the basic skills of school-age children in Taiwan, which helps them to learn most academic subjects. Differ from the alphabetic language system, Chinese written language is a logographic script with a complicated 2-dimensional character structure as a morpheme. Visuospatial ability places a great role in Chinese handwriting to maintain good proportion and alignment of these interwoven strokes. In Taiwan, school-age students faced the challenge to recognize and write down Chinese characters, especially in children with written expression difficulties (CWWDs). In this study, we developed an instructional app to help CWWDs practice Chinese handwriting skills, and we aimed to apply the mobile assisted language learning (MALL) system in clinical writing strategies. To understand the feasibility and satisfaction of this auxiliary instructional writing app, we investigated the perceive and value both from school-age students and the clinic therapists, who were the target users and the experts. A group of 8 elementary school children, as well as 8 clinic therapists, were recruited. The school-age students were asked to go through a paper-based instruction and were asked to score the visual expression based on their graphic preference; the clinic therapists were asked to watch an introductive video of this instructional app and complete the online formative questionnaire. In the results of our study, from the perspective of user interface design, school-age students were more attracted to cartoon-liked pictures rather than line drawings or vivid photos. Moreover, compared to text, pictures which have higher semantic transparency were more commonly chosen by children. In terms of the quantitative survey from clinic therapists, they were highly satisfied with this auxiliary instructional writing app, including the concepts such as visual design, teaching contents, and positive reinforcement system. Furthermore, the qualitative results also suggested comprehensive positive feedbacks on the teaching contents and the feasibility of integrating the app into clinical treatments. Interestingly, we found that clinic therapists showed high agreement in approving CWWDs’ writing ability with using orthographic knowledge; however, in the qualitative section, clinic therapists pointed out that CWWDs usually have relative insufficient background knowledge in Chinese character orthographic rules, which because it is not a key-point in conventional handwriting instruction. Also, previous studies indicated that conventional Chinese reading and writing instructions were lacked of utilizing visual-spatial arrangement strategies. Based on the sharing experiences from all participants, we concluded several interesting topics that are worth to dedicate to in the future. In this undergoing app system, improvement and revision will be applied into the system design, and will establish a better and more useful instructional system for CWWDs within their treatments; enlightened by the opinions related to learning content, the importance of orthographic knowledge in Chinese character recognition should be well discussed and involved in CWWDs’ intervention in the future.

Keywords: auxiliary instructional app, children with writing difficulties, Chinese handwriting, orthographic knowledge

Procedia PDF Downloads 175

Authors: Sagheer Ahmad

Abstract:

Teaching is a sacred profession whereby students are developed in their mental abilities to cope with the challenges of the remote world. Thinkers have developed plenty of interesting ways to make the learning process quick and absorbing for the students. However, third world countries are still lacking these remote facilities in the institutions, and therefore, teaching is totally dependent upon the skills of the teachers. Skillful teachers use self-devised and stimulating ideas to grab the attention of their students. Most of the time their ideas are based on local grounds with which the students are already familiar. This self-explanatory characteristic is the base of several local ideologies to disseminate scientific knowledge to new generations. Biology is such a subject which largely bases upon hypotheses, and teaching it in an interesting way is needful to create a friendly relationship between teacher and student, and to make a fantastic learning environment. Taxonomic classification if presented as it is, may not be attractive for the secondary school students who just start learning about biology at elementary levels. Presenting this hierarchy by exemplifying Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, family, genus and Species as comparatives of our division into continents, countries, cities, towns, villages, homes and finally individuals could be an attention-grabbing approach to make this concept get into bones of students. Similarly, many other interesting approaches have also been adopted to teach students in a fascinating way so that learning science subjects may not be boring for them. Discussing these appealing ways of teaching students can be a valuable stimulus to refine teaching methodologies about science, thereby promoting the concept of friendly learning.

Keywords: biology, innovative approaches, taxonomic classification, teaching

Procedia PDF Downloads 253

Authors: Hui Liu, Xiaozan Wang, Jiarong Zhong, Ziming Shao

Abstract:

Introduction: Related research shows that students don’t concentrate on teacher’s speaking in the classroom. The d2 attention test is a time-limited test about selective attention. The d2 attention test can be used to evaluate individual selective attention. Purpose: To use the d2 attention test tool to measure the difference between the attention level of the experimental class and the control class before and after Brain-Break and to explore the effect of Brain-Break in the classroom on students' selective attention. Methods: According to the principle of no difference in pre-test data, two classes in the fourth- grade of Shenzhen Longhua Central Primary School were selected. After 20 minutes of class in the third class in the morning and the third class in the afternoon, about 3-minute Brain-Break intervention was performed in the experimental class for 10 weeks. The normal class in the control class did not intervene. Before and after the experiment, the d2 attention test tool was used to test the attention level of the two-class students. The paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test in SPSS 23.0 was used to test the change in the attention level of the two-class classes around 10 weeks. This article only presents results with significant differences. Results: The independent sample t-test results showed that after ten-week of Brain-Break, the missed errors (E1 t = -2.165 p = 0.042), concentration performance (CP t = 1.866 p = 0.05), and the degree of omissions (Epercent t = -2.375 p = 0.029) in experimental class showed significant differences compared with control class. The students’ error level decreased and the concentration increased. Conclusions: Adding Brain-Break interventions in the classroom can effectively improve the attention level of fourth-grade primary school students to a certain extent, especially can improve the concentration of attention and decrease the error rate in the tasks. The new sport's learning model is worth promoting

Keywords: cultural class, micromotor, attention, D2 test

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Kenneth Okelo, Esther Waithaka, Maureen Mweru

Abstract:

Development of oral language skills is a precursor to writing and reading acquisition. Oral skill is a means of communication through which people express their desires, ideas, excitements, amusements, disappointments and exchange information. In addition, oral skills have been found to be an important tool for thinking and concept development in children. Research carried out in industrialised countries have identified some appropriate teaching strategies used to enhance acquisition of oral language skills such as repetition, substitution, explanation, contrast, exemplification and code-switching. However, these studies’ geographical locations do not reflect the diversity of the Kenyan society. In addition, studies conducted in Kenya in the past have not established why pre-primary school teachers are not using appropriate teaching strategies. The purpose of this study was to find out whether teachers’ experience, academic qualification and type of training influences their choice of teaching strategies in the development of oral language skills inside and out of the classroom in selected preschools in Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi County. In addition, this study aimed at finding out the strategies used by teachers in Kibra Sub-County to promote oral skills development among pre-primary school children. The study was guided by Holdaway’s theory of language acquisition. Descriptive survey design was employed during this study. Questionnaires and observation schedules were used to collect data. Eighty-three (83) preschool teachers were sampled using multistage sampling methods for observation. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20. The researcher carried out content analysis on the qualitative data. The main descriptive methods used were tabulation of frequencies and percentages. Chi squire test was the inferential statistic used to test the relationship between variables. The main findings of the study indicate that teaching strategies that were mostly used by pre-primary school teachers were code-switching, examples, repetition, substitution and explanation. While questions, direction, expansion of children words and contrast were the least used teaching strategies when teaching oral language skills. The study revealed that the there is a slight correlation between the type of training of teachers and the teaching strategies as most of DICECE trained teachers used more teaching strategies when teaching oral skills compared to other teachers. The findings also revealed that there was a partial significant correlation between teacher’s academic qualifications and a few teaching strategies. A similar correlation was also observed between teaching experience and a few teaching strategies. Since the strategies used by pre-primary school teachers under the study were less than half of the recommended teaching strategies to promote oral skills, the study recommends that teachers should be encouraged to use more in structural strategies to improve children’s oral language skills.

Keywords: Kenya early childhood education, Kenya education, oral language skills acquisition, teaching methods

Procedia PDF Downloads 266

Authors: Elena Listo, Miguel Marchamalo

Abstract:

This research studies the soil properties located in the watershed of Jabillo River in the Guanacaste province, Costa Rica. The soils are classified as Alfisols (T. Haplustalfs), in the flatter parts with grazing as Fluventic Haplustalfs or as a consequence of bad drainage as F. Epiaqualfs. The objective of this project is to define the status of the soil, to use remote sensing as a tool for analyzing the evolution of land use and determining the water balance of the watershed in order to improve the efficiency of the water collecting systems. Soil samples were analyzed from trial pits taken from secondary forests, degraded pastures, mature teak plantation, and regrowth -Tectona grandis L. F.- species developed favorably in the area. Furthermore, to complete the study, infiltration measurements were taken with an artificial rainfall simulator, as well as studies of soil compaction with a penetrometer, in points strategically selected from the different land uses. Regarding remote sensing, nearly 40 data samples were collected per plot of land. The source of radiation is reflected sunlight from the beam and the underside of leaves, bare soil, streams, roads and logs, and soil samples. Infiltration reached high levels. The majority of data came from the secondary forest and mature planting due to a high proportion of organic matter, relatively low bulk density, and high hydraulic conductivity. Teak regrowth had a low rate of infiltration because the studies made regarding the soil compaction showed a partial compaction over 50 cm. The secondary forest presented a compaction layer from 15 cm to 30 cm deep, and the degraded pasture, as a result of grazing, in the first 15 cm. In this area, the alfisols soils have high content of iron oxides, a fact that causes a higher reflectivity close to the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum (around 700mm), as a result of clay texture. Specifically in the teak plantation where the reflectivity reaches values of 90 %, this is due to the high content of clay in relation to others. In conclusion, the protective function of secondary forests is reaffirmed with regards to erosion and high rate of infiltration. In humid climates and permeable soils, the decrease of runoff is less, however, the percolation increases. The remote sensing indicates that being clay soils, they retain moisture in a better way and it means a low reflectivity despite being fine texture.

Keywords: alfisols, Costa Rica, infiltration, remote sensing

Procedia PDF Downloads 697

Authors: Dorit Lemberger

Abstract:

Wittgenstein directly used the term "metaphor" only infrequently and with reservations, but his writings include a number of metaphors that have become imprinted in the philosophical memory of Western thought. For example, the ladder in his book Tractatus, or in Philosophical investigations - the ancient city, the beetle in a box, the fly in the fly-bottle, and the duck-rabbit. In light of Wittgenstein's stressing, throughout his investigations, that the only language that exists is ordinary language, and that there is no "second-order" language, the question should be asked: How do these metaphors function, specifically, and in general, how are we to relate to language use that exceeds the normal? Wittgenstein did not disregard such phenomena, but he proposed viewing them in a different way, that would enable understanding them as uses in ordinary language, without necessarily exceeding such language. Two important terms that he coined in this context are "secondary sense" and "experience of meaning". Each denotes language use as reflective of a subjective element characteristic of the speaker, such as intent, experience, or emphasis of a certain aspect. More recent Wittgenstein scholars added the term "quasi-metaphor", that refers to his discussion of the possibility of aesthetic judgment. This paper will examine how, according to Wittgenstein, these terms function without exceeding ordinary language, and will illustrate how they can be applied, in an analysis of the poem "Butterfly" by Nelly Sachs.

Keywords: metaphor, quasi-metaphor, secondary sense, experience of meaning

Procedia PDF Downloads 439

Authors: Myungkyu Park, Minkun Kim, Sunghoon Kim, Samgon Ryu

Abstract:

Recently, research for reactive fabrics which have the characteristics of CWA (Chemical Warfare Agent) decomposition is being performed actively. The performance level of decomposition for CWA decomposition in various environmental condition is one of the critical factors in applicability as protective materials for NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) protective clothing. In this study, results of performance test for CWA decomposition by reactive fabric made of electrospinning web and reactive particle are presented. Currently, the MOF (metal organic framework) type of UiO-66-NH₂ is frequently being studied as material for decomposing CWA especially blister agent HD [Bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide]. When we test decomposition rate with electrospinning web made of PVB (Polyvinyl Butiral) polymer and UiO-66-NH₂ particle, we can get very high protective performance than the case other particles are applied. Furthermore, if the repellant surface fabric is added on reactive material as the component of protective fabric, the performance of layer by layered reactive fabric could be approached to the level of current NBC protective fabric for HD decomposition rate. Reactive fabric we used in this study is manufactured by electrospinning process of polymer which contains the reactive particle of UiO-66-NH₂, and we performed crystalizing process once again on that polymer fiber web in solvent systems as a second step for manufacturing reactive fabric. Three kinds of polymer materials are used in this process, but PVB was most suitable as an electrospinning fiber polymer considering the shape of product. The density of particle on fiber web and HD decomposition rate is enhanced by secondary crystallization compared with the results which are not processed. The amount of HD penetration by 24hr AVLAG (Aerosol Vapor Liquid Assessment Group) swatch test through the reactive fabrics with secondary crystallization and without crystallization is 24 and 146μg/cm² respectively. Even though all of the reactive fiber webs for this test are combined with repellant surface layer at outer side of swatch, the effects of secondary crystallization of particle for the reactive fiber web are remarkable.

Keywords: CWA, Chemical Warfare Agent, gas decomposition, particle growth, protective clothing, reactive fabric, swatch test

Procedia PDF Downloads 297

Authors: Mohamad Sharif bin Mustaffa, Maizatul Akmam binti Abu Bakar, Mohd Harriszamani bin Abu Bakar

Abstract:

Most teens who gave birth to an illegitimate child will suffer from depression. This depression issues arising from the incident itself which contains the teen will feel ashamed because labeled as immoral, apart from that most teenagers go through this episode without support from their spouse or family. Teens also face the possibility of a large part with the will be born babies because the issue of too young and needs to go back to school. Teens also can not make a decision on the future of the baby later because they are too immature and no baby care skills other than financial issues, where young people themselves are still dependent on their family. This paper will look at how to apply neurofeedback can be used to see the level of depression experienced by teenagers who get pregnant out of wedlock. Play therapy that will help improve adolescent focus will be used for this purpose. Each level experienced by teenagers going through the phase of easy-to-high difficulty level. Apart from that a recovery module will also be developed as a whole to reduce the level of depression to enable the youth to perform routine healthy activities and can go back to school with cheerful feeling, motivated and active.

Keywords: neurofeedback, depression, pregnant, adolescent, illegitimate

Procedia PDF Downloads 439

Authors: Estelle Ardanouy, Helene Delage, Pascal Zesiger

Abstract:

Morphological awareness contributes to the acquisition of reading and spelling in typical learners as well as in children with learning disorders. Indeed, the acquisition of phoneme-grapheme correspondences is not sufficient to master spelling, especially in inconsistent orthographic systems such as English or French. Several meta-analyses show the benefit of explicit training in derivational morphology on reading and spelling in old children (who have already learned the main grapheme-phoneme correspondences), but highlight the lack of studies with younger children, particularly in French. In this study, we chose to focus on the efficiency of an intensive training in derivational morphology on spelling skills in French-speaking four-graders (9-10 years of age). The training consisted of 1) learning how to divide words into morphemes (ex: para/pente in French, paraglider in English), as well as 2) working on the meaning of affixes in relation to existing words (ex: para/pente: to protect against – para - the slope -pente). One group of pupils (N = 37, M age = 9.5) received this experimental group training in morphology while an alternative training group (N = 34, M age = 9.6) received a visuo-semantic training based on visual cues to memorize the spelling difficulties of complex words (such as the doubling of “r” in “verre” in French -or "glass" in English-which are represented by the drawing of two glasses). Both trainings lasted a total of 15 hours at a rate of four 45 minutes sessions per week, resulting in five weeks of training in the school setting. Our preliminary results show a significant improvement in the experimental group in the spelling of affixes on the trained (p < 0.001) and untrained word lists (p <0.001), but also in the root of words on the trained (p <0.001) and untrained word lists group (p <0.001). The training effect is also present on both trained and untrained morphologically composed words. By contrast, the alternative training group shows no progress on these previous measures (p >0.15). Further analyses testing the effects of both trainings on other measures such as morphological awareness and reading of morphologically compose words are in progress. These first results support the effectiveness of explicitly teaching derivational morphology to improve spelling in school-aged children. The study is currently extended to a group of children with developmental dyslexia because these children are known for their severe and persistent spelling difficulties.

Keywords: developmental dyslexia, derivational morphology, reading, school-aged children, spelling, training

Procedia PDF Downloads 178

Authors: Aviva Lvan, Lipaz Shamoa-Nir

Abstract:

Recently, has increased the research interest in modern fatherhood especially, the increasing involvement of fathers in the family. However, there is a little research evidence on fathers to children with special needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of stress and coping style on involvement in school among fathers to children with special needs in inclusive education. We compared the fathers to children with special needs (N=72) with fathers to non-special needs children (N = 75), and found that higher stress levels, greater educational involvement and greater use of social support coping style, were found among fathers of children with special needs. In addition, mission coping style and emotional coping style predict involvement in the school and emotional coping style predicts high levels of stress. The above findings contribute to the investigation of changes in the perception of the role of fathers and their involvement in their children's lives especially, among fathers to children with special needs. From the applied aspect, the findings may increase the understanding of the role of fathers and their unique contribution to the social, emotional, and academic development of their children.

Keywords: coping style, educational involvement, special needs, stress

Procedia PDF Downloads 438

Authors: Charine Faith H. Lagrimas, Rommel N. Galvan, Rizalinda L. de Leon

Abstract:

An ongoing study, methyl laurate to be used as a refrigerant in an HVAC system, requires the crystallization kinetics of the said substance. Step-wise and normal forms of Avrami model parameters were used to describe the isothermal crystallization kinetics of methyl laurate at different temperatures from Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements. At 3 °C, parameters showed that methyl laurate exhibits a secondary crystallization. The primary crystallization occurred with instantaneous nuclei and spherulitic growth; followed by a secondary instantaneous nucleation with a lower growth of dimensionality, rod-like. At 4 °C to 6 °C, the exotherms from DSC implied that the system was under the isokinetic range. The kinetics behavior is the same which is instantaneous nucleation with one-dimensional growth. The differences for the isokinetic range temperatures are the activation energies (directly proportional to T) and nucleation rates (inversely proportional to T). From the images obtained during the crystallization of methyl laurate using an optical microscope, it is confirmed that the nucleation and crystal growth modes obtained from the optical microscope are consistent with the parameters from Avrami model.

Keywords: Avrami model, isothermal crystallization, lipids kinetics, methyl laurate

Procedia PDF Downloads 342

Authors: Shubham Arora

Abstract:

This paper illustrates a relationship between the Dvaitādvaita (dualistic non-dualistic) doctrine of Nimbārka school of Vedānta and philosophy of Indian classical dance, through the Rasa theory. There would be a separate focus on the philosophies of both the disciplines and then analyzing Rasa theory as a connexion between them. The paper presents ideas regarding the similarity between the Brahman and the dancer, manifestation of enacting character and the Jīva (soul), the existence of the phenomenal world and the imaginary world classification of rasa on the basis of three modes of nature, and the feelings and expressions depicting the Dvaita and Advaita. The reason behind choosing such a topic is an intention to explore the relativity of the Vedantic philosophy of this school in real manner. It is really important to study the practical implications and relevance of the doctrine with other disciplines for perceiving it cogently. In our daily lives, we use various forms of facial expressions and bodily gestures in order to communicate, along with the oral and written means of communication. What if, when gestures and expressions mingle with the music beats, in order to present an idea? Indian Classical dance is highly rich in expressing the emotions using extraordinary expressions, unconventional bodily gestures and mesmerizing music beats. Ancient scriptures like Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharata Muni and Abhinava Bhārati by Abhinavaguptā recount aesthetics in a well-defined and structured way of acting and dancing and also reveal the grammar of rasa theory. Indian Classical dance is not only for entertainment but it is deeply in contact with divinity. During the period of Bhakti movement in India, this art form was used as a means to narrate the vignettes from epics like Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata and Purānas. Even in present era, this art has a deep rooted philosophy within.

Keywords: Advaita, Brahman, Dvaita, Jiva, Nimbarka, Rasa, Vedanta

Procedia PDF Downloads 301

Authors: K. M. S. Weerasinghe, A. H. K. Balasooriya, S. L. Ransingha, G. D. Krishantha, R. S. Brhakamanagae, L. C. Wijethilke

Abstract:

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is a major horticultural crop with an estimated global production of over 120 million metric tons and ranks first as a processing crop. The average tomato productivity in Sri Lanka (11 metric tons/ha) is much lower than the world average (24 metric tons/ha).To meet the tomato demand for the increasing population the productivity has to be intensified through the agronomic-techniques. Nutrition is one of the main factors which govern the growth and yield of tomato and the main nutrient source soil affect the plant growth and quality of the produce. Continuous cropping, improper fertilizer usage etc., cause widespread nutrient deficiencies. Therefore synthetic fertilizers and organic manures were introduced to enhance plant growth and maximize the crop yields. In this study, effects of macro and micronutrient supplementations on improvement of growth and yield of tomato were investigated. Selected tomato variety is Maheshi and plants were grown in Regional Agricultural and Research Centre Makadura under the Department of Agriculture recommended (DOA) macro nutrients and various combination of Ontario recommended dosages of secondary and micro fertilizer supplementations. There were six treatments in this experiment and each treatment was replicated in three times and each replicate consisted of six plants. Other than the DOA recommendation, five combinations of Ontario recommended dosage of secondary and micronutrients for tomato were also used as treatments. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design. All cultural practices were carried out according to the DOA recommendations. The mean data was subjected to the statistical analysis using SAS package and mean separation (Duncan’s Multiple Range test at 5% probability level) procedures. Secondary and micronutrients containing treatments significantly increased most of the growth parameters. Plant height, plant girth, number of leaves, leaf area index etc. Fruits harvested from pots amended with macro, secondary and micronutrients performed best in terms of total yield; yield quality; to pots amended with DOA recommended dosage of fertilizer for tomato. It could be due to the application of all essential macro and micro nutrients that rise in photosynthetic activity, efficient translocation and utilization of photosynthates causing rapid cell elongation and cell division in actively growing region of the plant leading to stimulation of growth and yield were caused. The experiment revealed and highlighted the requirements of essential macro, secondary and micro nutrient fertilizer supplementations for tomato farming. The study indicated that, macro and micro nutrient supplementation practices can influence growth and yield performances of tomato fruits and it is a promising approach to get potential tomato yields.

Keywords: macro and micronutrients, tomato, SAS package, photosynthates

Procedia PDF Downloads 476

Authors: Khaled M.Naguib, Ahmed M.Noureldin

Abstract:

This paper aims to achieve many goals such as knowing (quantities produced- main properties- characteristics) of sludge produced from Bahr EL-Baqar drains treatment plant. This prediction or projection was made by laboratory analysis and modelling of Model samples from sludge depending on many studies that have previously done, second check the feasibility and do a risk analysis to know the best alternatives for reuse in producing secondary products that add value to sludge. Also, to know alternatives that have no value to add. All recovery methods are relatively very expensive and challenging to be done in this mega plant, so the recommendation from this study is to use the sludge as a coagulant to reduce some compounds or in secondary products. The study utilized sludge-cement replacement percentages of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%. Produced tiles were tested for water absorption and breaking (bending) strength. The study showed that all produced tiles exhibited a water absorption ratio of around 10%. The study concluded that produced tiles, except for 50% sludge-cement replacement, comply with the breaking strength requirements of 2.8 MPa for tiles for external use.

Keywords: cement, tiles, water treatment sludge, breaking strength, absorption, heavy metals, risk analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 114