Search results for: evening class students
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 7615

Search results for: evening class students

7375 The Impact of Cooperative Learning on Numerical Methods Course

Authors: Sara Bilal, Abdi Omar Shuriye, Raihan Othman

Abstract:

Numerical Methods is a course that can be conducted using workshops and group discussion. This study has been implemented on undergraduate students of level two at the Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia. The Numerical Method course has been delivered to two Sections 1 and 2 with 44 and 22 students in each section, respectively. Systematic steps have been followed to apply the student centered learning approach in teaching Numerical Method course. Initially, the instructor has chosen the topic which was Euler’s Method to solve Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) to be learned. The students were then divided into groups with five members in each group. Initial instructions have been given to the group members to prepare their subtopics before meeting members from other groups to discuss the subtopics in an expert group inside the classroom. For the time assigned for the classroom discussion, the setting of the classroom was rearranged to accommodate the student centered learning approach. Teacher strength was by monitoring the process of learning inside and outside the class. The students have been assessed during the migrating to the expert groups, recording of a video explanation outside the classroom and during the final examination. Euler’s Method to solve the ODE was set as part of Question 3(b) in the final exam. It is observed that none of the students from both sections obtained a zero grade in Q3(b), compared to Q3(a) and Q3(c). Also, for Section 1(44 students), 29 students obtained the full mark of 7/7, while only 10 obtained 7/7 for Q3(a) and no students obtained 6/6 for Q3(c). Finally, we can recommend that the Numerical Method course be moved toward more student-centered Learning classrooms where the students will be engaged in group discussion rather than having a teacher one man show.

Keywords: teacher centered learning, student centered learning, mathematic, numerical methods

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7374 Enhancing EFL Learners' Motivation and Classroom Interaction through Self-Disclosure in Moroccan Higher Education

Authors: Mohsine Jebbour

Abstract:

Motivation and classroom interaction are of prime significance for second/foreign language learning to take place effectively. Thus, a considerable amount of motivation and classroom interaction helps ensure students’ success in and continuation of learning the TL. One way to enhance students’ motivation and classroom interaction in the Moroccan EFL classroom then is through the use of self-disclosure. For the purposes of this study, self-disclosure has been defined as the verbal communication of positive personal information including opinions, feelings, experiences, family and friendship stories to classmates and teachers. This paper is meant to demonstrate that positive self-disclosure can serve as an effective tool for helping students develop favorable attitudes toward the EFL classroom (i.e., English courses, teacher of English, and classroom activities) and promoting their intrinsic motivation (IM to know and IM toward stimulation). A further objective is that since self-disclosure is reciprocal, when teachers of English reveal their personal information, students will uncover their personal matters in return. This will help ensure effective classroom participation, foster teacher-student communication, and encourage students to practice and hence improve their oral proficiency (i.e., the speaking skill). A questionnaire was used to collect data in this study. 164 undergraduate students (99 females and 65 males) from the department of English at the faculty of letters and humanities, Dher el Mehraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abd Allah University completed a questionnaire that assessed self-disclosure in relation to motivation (i.e., attitudes toward the learning situation and intrinsic motivation) and classroom interaction (i.e., teacher-student interaction, participation, and out-of-class communication) on a 1 to 5 scale with (1) Strongly Disagree and (5) Strongly Agree. The level of agreement on the positive dimension of self-disclosure was ranked first by the respondents. The hypothesis set at the very beginning of the study, which posited that positive self-disclosure is essential to enhancing motivation and classroom interaction in the EFL context, was confirmed. In this regard, the findings suggest that implementing self-disclosure in the Moroccan EFL classroom may serve as an effective tool to have positive affect of teacher, class and classroom activities. This in turn will encourage the learners to attend classes, enjoy the language learning activity, complete classroom assignments, participate in class discussions, and interact with their teachers and classmates. It is hoped that teachers benefit from the results of this study and hence encourage the use of positive self-disclosure to develop English language learning in the Moroccan context where opportunities of using English outside the classroom are limited.

Keywords: EFL classroom, classroom interaction, motivation, self-disclosure

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7373 Impact of Team-Based Learning Approach in English Language Learning Process: A Case Study of Universidad Federico Santa Maria

Authors: Yessica A. Aguilera

Abstract:

English is currently the only foreign language included in the national educational curriculum in Chile. The English curriculum establishes that once completed secondary education, students are expected to reach B1 level according to the Common European Reference Framework (CEFR) scale. However, the objective has not been achieved, and to the author’s best knowledge, there is still a severe lack of English language skills among students who have completed their secondary education studies. In order to deal with the fact that students do not manage English as expected, team-based learning (TBL) was introduced in English language lessons at the Universidad Federico Santa María (USM). TBL is a collaborative teaching-learning method which enhances active learning by combining individual and team work. This approach seeks to help students achieve course objectives while learning how to function in teams. The purpose of the research was to assess the implementation and effectiveness of TBL in English language classes at USM technical training education. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from teachers and students about their experience through TBL. Research findings show that both teachers and students are satisfied with the method and that students’ engagement and participation in class is higher. Additionally, students score higher on examinations improving academic outcomes. The findings of the research have the potential to guide how TBL could be included in future English language courses.

Keywords: collaborative learning, college education, English language learning, team-based learning

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7372 Effect of Ausubel's Advance Organizer Model to Enhancing Meta-Cognition of Students at Secondary Level

Authors: Qaisara Parveen, M. Imran Yousuf

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to find the effectiveness of the use of advance organizer model for enhancing meta-cognition of students in the subject of science. It was hypothesized that the students of experimental group taught through advance organizer model would show the better cognition than the students of control group taught through traditional teaching. The population of the study consisted of all secondary school students studying in government high school located in Rawalpindi. The sample of the study consisted of 50 students of 9th class of humanities group. The sample was selected on the basis of their pretest scores through matching, and the groups were randomly assigned for the treatment. The experimental group was taught through advance organizer model while the control group was taught through traditional teaching. The self-developed achievement test was used for the purpose of pretest and posttest. After collecting the pre-test score and post-test score, the data was analyzed and interpreted by use of descriptive statistics as mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics t-test. The findings indicate that students taught using advance organizers had a higher level of meta-cognition as compared to control group. Further, meta cognition level of boys was found higher than that of girls students. This study also revealed the fact that though the students at different meta-cognition level approached learning situations in a different manner, Advance organizer model is far superior to Traditional method of teaching.

Keywords: descriptive, experimental, humanities, meta-cognition, statistics, science

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7371 Conceptual Knowledge Structure Updates after Instructor Provided Structural Feedback: An Exploratory Study Applied with Undergraduate Architectural Engineering Students

Authors: Roy B. Clariana, Ryan L. Solnosky

Abstract:

Structural feedback is any form of feedback that aims to improve the quality of students’ domain-normative conceptual interrelationships. Research with structural feedback points to the potential mediating role of network graphs as feedback for tuning students’ conceptual understanding; for example, improved content knowledge and motivation were observed for undergraduate students who accessed the instructor’s networks of course content. This exploratory study uses a one-group pretest-posttest design to examine the effects of instructor-provided network feedback during lectures on students’ knowledge structure measured using a concept sorting task at the pretest and posttest. Undergraduate students in an architectural engineering course (n = 32) completed a lesson module and then an end-of-unit quiz on building with wood and wood framing. Three weeks later, as a review, students completed a sorting task that used 26 terms from that lesson, then a week later, the sorting task data were used to create a group-average network, this network along with the instructor’s expert network were added to that week’s lecture slides and were compared and discussed during class time. A week later, students completed the sorting task again. The pre and post-sorting data were rendered into pathfinder networks, and then these students’ networks were compared to five referent networks, specifically the textbook chapter network, the lecture slides network, a network of the end-of-unit quiz, the actual expert network that served as the feedback intervention, and the group-average network. Inspection of means shows that knowledge structure measures improved for all five measures from pre-to-post, becoming more like the lesson content and like the expert. Repeated measures analysis with follow-up paired samples t-tests showed pre-to-post significant increases for both the end-of-unit quiz and the expert network referents. The findings show that instructor presentation of structural feedback as networks improved or ‘tuned’ students’ knowledge structure of the lesson content. This approach only takes a few extra minutes of class time and is fairly simple to implement in ordinary classrooms, and so it has wide potential to support classroom instruction and student learning. Further research is needed to determine how critical it is to present both the group-average network along with the expert network for comparison in order to highlight group-level misconceptions, or is presenting only the expert network sufficient? If a group-level network is necessary, then a simple clicker-like classroom tool could be developed to collect sorting task data during lectures that could then immediately provide the group-average network for class discussion and reflection.

Keywords: classroom instruction, engineering education, knowledge structure, pathfinder networks, structural feedback

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7370 Two Kinds of Self-Oscillating Circuits Mechanically Demonstrated

Authors: Shiang-Hwua Yu, Po-Hsun Wu

Abstract:

This study introduces two types of self-oscillating circuits that are frequently found in power electronics applications. Special effort is made to relate the circuits to the analogous mechanical systems of some important scientific inventions: Galileo’s pendulum clock and Coulomb’s friction model. A little touch of related history and philosophy of science will hopefully encourage curiosity, advance the understanding of self-oscillating systems and satisfy the aspiration of some students for scientific literacy. Finally, the two self-oscillating circuits are applied to design a simple class-D audio amplifier.

Keywords: self-oscillation, sigma-delta modulator, pendulum clock, Coulomb friction, class-D amplifier

Procedia PDF Downloads 331
7369 Embracing Diverse Learners: A Way Towards Effective Learning

Authors: Mona Kamel Hassan

Abstract:

Teaching a class of diverse learners poses a great challenge not only for foreign and second language teachers, but also for teachers in different disciplines as well as for curriculum designers. Thus, to contribute to previous research tackling language diversity, the current paper shares the experience of teaching a reading, writing and vocabulary building course to diverse Arabic as a Foreign Language learners in their advanced language proficiency level. Diversity is represented in students’ motivation, their prior knowledge, their various needs and interests, their level of anxiety, and their different learning styles and skills. While teaching this course the researcher adopted the universal design for learning (UDL) framework, which is a means to meet the various needs of diverse learners. UDL stresses the importance of enabling the entire diverse students to gain skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to learn through the employment of teaching methods that respond to students' individual differences. Accordingly, the educational curriculum developed for this course and the teaching methods employed is modified. First, the researcher made the language curriculum vivid and attractive to inspire students' learning and to keep them engaged in their learning process. The researcher encouraged the entire students, from the first day, to suggest topics of their interest; political, social, cultural, etc. The authentic Arabic texts chosen are those that best meet students’ needs, interests, lives, and sociolinguistic issues, together with the linguistic and cultural components. In class and under the researcher’s guidance, students dig into these topics to find solutions for the tackled issues while working with their peers. Second, to gain equal opportunities to demonstrate learning, role-playing was encouraged to give students the opportunity to perform different linguistic tasks, to reflect and share their diverse interests and cultural backgrounds with their peers. Third, to bring the UDL into the classroom, students were encouraged to work on interactive, collaborative activities through technology to improve their reading and writing skills and reinforce their mastery of the accumulated vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and collocations. These interactive, collaborative activities help to facilitate student-student communication and student-teacher communication and to increase comfort in this class of diverse learners. Detailed samples of the educational curriculum and interactive, collaborative activities developed, accompanied by methods of teaching employed to teach these diverse learners, are presented for illustration. Results revealed that students are responsive to the educational materials which are developed for this course. Therefore, they engaged in the learning process and classroom activities and discussions effectively. They also appreciated their instructor’s willingness to differentiate the teaching methods to suit students of diverse background knowledge, learning styles, level of anxiety, etc. Finally, the researcher believes that sharing this experience in teaching diverse learners will help both language teachers and teachers in other disciplines to develop a better understanding to meet their students' diverse needs. Results will also pave the way for curriculum designers to develop educational material that meets the needs of diverse learners.

Keywords: teaching, language, diverse, learners

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7368 Implementation of the Collaborative Learning Approach in Learning of Second Language English

Authors: Ashwini Mahesh Jagatap

Abstract:

This paper presents the language learning strategy with respect to speaking skill with collaborative learning approach. Collaborative learning has been proven to be efficient learning methodology for all kinds of students. Students are working in groups of two or more, reciprocally searching for understanding, Solutions, or meanings, or creating a product. The presentation highlights the different stages which can be implemented during actual implementation of the methodology in the class room teaching learning process.

Keywords: collaborative classroom, collaborative learning approach, language skills, traditional teaching

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7367 Challenges to Collaborative Learning in Architectural Education in the Middle East

Authors: Lizmol Mathew, Divya Thomas, Shiney Rajan

Abstract:

Educational paradigm all over the globe is undergoing significant reform today. Because of this, so-called flipped classroom model is becoming increasingly popular in higher education. Flipped classroom has proved to be more effective than traditional lecture based model as flipped classroom model promotes active learning by encouraging students to work on in collaborative tasks and peer-led learning during the class-time. However, success of flipped classrooms relies on students’ ability and their attitudes towards collaboration and group work. This paper examines: 1) Students’ attitudes towards collaborative learning; 2) Main challenges to successful collaboration from students’ experience and 3) Students’ perception of criteria for successful team work. 4) Recommendations for enhancing collaborative learning. This study’s methodology involves quantitative analysis of surveys collected from students enrolled in undergraduate Architecture program at Qatar University. Analysis indicates that in general students enrolled in the program do not have positive perceptions or experiences associated with group work. Positive and negative factors that influence collaborative learning in higher education have been identified. Recommendations for improving collaborative work experience have been proposed.

Keywords: architecture, collaborative learning, female, group work, higher education, Middle East, Qatar, student experience

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7366 Research on the Effectiveness of Online Guided Case Teaching in Problem-Based Learning: A Preschool Special Education Course

Authors: Chen-Ya Juan

Abstract:

Problem-Based Learning uses vague questions to guide student thinking and enhance their self-learning and collaboration. Most teachers implement PBL in a physical classroom, where teachers can monitor and evaluate students’ learning progress and guide them to search resources for answers. However, the prevalence of the Covid-19 in the world had changed from physical teaching to distance teaching. This instruction used many cases and applied Problem-Based Learning combined on the distance teaching via the internet for college students. This study involved an experimental group with PBL and a control group without PBL. The teacher divided all students in PBL class into eight groups, and 7~8 students in each group. The teacher assigned different cases for each group of the PBL class. Three stages of instruction were developed, including background knowledge of Learning, case analysis, and solving problems for each case. This study used a quantitative research method, a two-sample t-test, to find a significant difference in groups with PBL and without PBL. Findings indicated that PBL incased the average score of special education knowledge. The average score was improved by 20.46% in the PBL group and 15.4% without PBL. Results didn’t show significant differences (0.589>0.05) in special education professional knowledge. However, the feedback of the PBL students implied learning more about the application, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. PBL students were more likely to apply professional knowledge on the actual case, find questions, resources, and answers. Most of them understood the importance of collaboration, working as a team, and communicating with other team members. The suggestions of this study included that (a) different web-based teaching instruments influenced student’s Learning; (b) it is difficult to monitor online PBL progress; (c) online PBL should be implemented flexible and multi-oriented; (d) although PBL did not show a significant difference on the group with PBL and without PBL, it did increase student’s problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

Keywords: problem-based learning, college students, distance learning, case analysis, problem-solving

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7365 The Views of German Preparatory Language Programme Students about German Speaking Activity

Authors: Eda Üstünel, Seval Karacabey

Abstract:

The students, who are enrolled in German Preparatory Language Programme at the School of Foreign Languages, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Turkey, learn German as a foreign language for two semesters in an academic year. Although the language programme is a skills-based one, the students lack German speaking skills due to their fear of making language mistakes while speaking in German. This problem of incompetency in German speaking skills exists also in their four-year departmental study at the Faculty of Education. In order to address this problem we design German speaking activities, which are extra-curricular activities. With the help of these activities, we aim to lead Turkish students of German language to speak in the target language, to improve their speaking skills in the target language and to create a stress-free atmosphere and a meaningful learning environment to communicate in the target language. In order to achieve these aims, an ERASMUS+ exchange staff (a German trainee teacher of German as a foreign language), who is from Schwabisch Gmünd University, Germany, conducted out-of-class German speaking activities once a week for three weeks in total. Each speaking activity is lasted for one and a half hour per week. 7 volunteered students of German preparatory language programme attended the speaking activity for three weeks. The activity took place at a cafe in the university campus, that’s the reason, we call it as an out-of-class activity. The content of speaking activity is not related to the topics studied at the units of coursebook, that’s the reason, we call this activity as extra-curricular one. For data collection, three tools are used. A questionnaire, which is an adapted version of Sabo’s questionnaire, is applied to seven volunteers. An interview session is then held with each student on individual basis. The interview questions are developed so as to ask students to expand their answers that are given at the questionnaires. The German trainee teacher wrote fieldnotes, in which the teacher described the activity in the light of her thoughts about what went well and which areas were needed to be improved. The results of questionnaires show that six out of seven students note that such an acitivity must be conducted by a native speaker of German. Four out of seven students emphasize that they like the way that the activities are designed in a learner-centred fashion. All of the students point out that they feel motivated to talk to the trainee teacher in German. Six out of seven students note that the opportunity to communicate in German with the teacher and the peers enable them to improve their speaking skills, the use of grammatical rules and the use of vocabulary.

Keywords: Learning a Foreign Language, Speaking Skills, Teaching German as a Foreign Language, Turkish Learners of German Language

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7364 The Construction of Research-Oriented/Practice-Oriented Engineering Testing and Measurement Technology Course under the Condition of New Technology

Authors: He Lingsong, Wang Junfeng, Tan Qiong, Xu Jiang

Abstract:

The paper describes efforts on reconstruction methods of engineering testing and measurement technology course by applying new techniques and applications. Firstly, flipped classroom was introduced. In-class time was used for in-depth discussions and interactions while theory concept teaching was done by self-study course outside of class. Secondly, two hands-on practices of technique applications, including the program design of MATLAB Signal Analysis and the measurement application of Arduino sensor, have been covered in class. Class was transformed from an instructor-centered teaching process into an active student-centered learning process, consisting of the pre-class massive open online course (MOOC), in-class discussion and after-class practice. The third is to change sole written homework to the research-oriented application practice assignments, so as to enhance the breadth and depth of the course.

Keywords: testing and measurement, flipped classroom, MOOC, research-oriented learning, practice-oriented learning

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7363 The Effectiveness of Video Clips to Enhance Students’ Achievement and Motivation on History Learning and Facilitation

Authors: L. Bih Ni, D. Norizah Ag Kiflee, T. Choon Keong, R. Talip, S. Singh Bikar Singh, M. Noor Mad Japuni, R. Talin

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of video clips to enhance students' achievement and motivation towards learning and facilitating of history. We use narrative literature studies to illustrate the current state of the two art and science in focused areas of inquiry. We used experimental method. The experimental method is a systematic scientific research method in which the researchers manipulate one or more variables to control and measure any changes in other variables. For this purpose, two experimental groups have been designed: one experimental and one groups consisting of 30 lower secondary students. The session is given to the first batch using a computer presentation program that uses video clips to be considered as experimental group, while the second group is assigned as the same class using traditional methods using dialogue and discussion techniques that are considered a control group. Both groups are subject to pre and post-trial in matters that are handled by the class. The findings show that the results of the pre-test analysis did not show statistically significant differences, which in turn proved the equality of the two groups. Meanwhile, post-test analysis results show that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group at an importance level of 0.05 for the benefit of the experimental group.

Keywords: Video clips, Learning and Facilitation, Achievement, Motivation

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7362 A Machine Learning Model for Predicting Students’ Academic Performance in Higher Institutions

Authors: Emmanuel Osaze Oshoiribhor, Adetokunbo MacGregor John-Otumu

Abstract:

There has been a need in recent years to predict student academic achievement prior to graduation. This is to assist them in improving their grades, especially for those who have struggled in the past. The purpose of this research is to use supervised learning techniques to create a model that predicts student academic progress. Many scholars have developed models that predict student academic achievement based on characteristics including smoking, demography, culture, social media, parent educational background, parent finances, and family background, to mention a few. This element, as well as the model used, could have misclassified the kids in terms of their academic achievement. As a prerequisite to predicting if the student will perform well in the future on related courses, this model is built using a logistic regression classifier with basic features such as the previous semester's course score, attendance to class, class participation, and the total number of course materials or resources the student is able to cover per semester. With a 96.7 percent accuracy, the model outperformed other classifiers such as Naive bayes, Support vector machine (SVM), Decision Tree, Random forest, and Adaboost. This model is offered as a desktop application with user-friendly interfaces for forecasting student academic progress for both teachers and students. As a result, both students and professors are encouraged to use this technique to predict outcomes better.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, ML, logistic regression, performance, prediction

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7361 The Development of Integrated Real-Life Video and Animation with Addie Based on Constructive for Improving Students’ Mastery Concept in Rotational Dynamics

Authors: Silka Abyadati, Dadi Rusdiana, Enjang Akhmad Juanda

Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the students’ mastery concepts enhancement between students who are studying by using Integrated Real-Life Video and Animation (IRVA) and students who are studying without using IRVA. The development of IRVA is conducted by five stages: Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) based on constructivist for Rotational Dynamics material in Physics learning. A constructivist model-based learning used is Interpretation Construction (ICON), which has the following phases: 1) Observation, 2) Construction interpretation, 3) Contextualization prior knowledge, 4) Conflict cognitive, 5) Learning cognitive, 6) Collaboration, 7) Multiple interpretation, 8) Multiple manifestation. The IRVA is developed for the stages of observation, cognitive conflict and cognitive learning. The sample of this study consisted of 32 students experimental group and a control group of 32 students in class XI of the school year 2015/2016 in one of Senior High Schools Bandung. The study was conducted by giving the pretest and posttest in the form of 20 items of multiple choice questions to determine the enhancement of mastery concept of Rotational Dynamics. Hypothesis testing is done by using T-test on the value of N-gain average of mastery concepts. The results showed that there is a significant difference in an enhancement of students’ mastery concepts between students who are studying by using IRVA and students who are studying without IRVA. Students in the experimental group increased by 0.468 while students in the control group increased by 0.207.

Keywords: ADDIE, constructivist learning, Integrated Real-Life Video and Animation, mastery concepts, rotational dynamics

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7360 Relationship between Learning Methods and Learning Outcomes: Focusing on Discussions in Learning

Authors: Jaeseo Lim, Jooyong Park

Abstract:

Although there is ample evidence that student involvement enhances learning, college education is still mainly centered on lectures. However, in recent years, the effectiveness of discussions and the use of collective intelligence have attracted considerable attention. This study intends to examine the empirical effects of discussions on learning outcomes in various conditions. Eighty eight college students participated in the study and were randomly assigned to three groups. Group 1 was told to review material after a lecture, as in a traditional lecture-centered class. Students were given time to review the material for themselves after watching the lecture in a video clip. Group 2 participated in a discussion in groups of three or four after watching the lecture. Group 3 participated in a discussion after studying on their own. Unlike the previous two groups, students in Group 3 did not watch the lecture. The participants in the three groups were tested after studying. The test questions consisted of memorization problems, comprehension problems, and application problems. The results showed that the groups where students participated in discussions had significantly higher test scores. Moreover, the group where students studied on their own did better than that where students watched a lecture. Thus discussions are shown to be effective for enhancing learning. In particular, discussions seem to play a role in preparing students to solve application problems. This is a preliminary study and other age groups and various academic subjects need to be examined in order to generalize these findings. We also plan to investigate what kind of support is needed to facilitate discussions.

Keywords: discussions, education, learning, lecture, test

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7359 Ta(l)king Pictures: Development of an Educational Program (SELVEs) for Adolescents Combining Social-Emotional Learning and Photography Taking

Authors: Adi Gielgun-Katz, Alina S. Rusu

Abstract:

In the last two decades, education systems worldwide have integrated new pedagogical methods and strategies in lesson plans, such as innovative technologies, social-emotional learning (SEL), gamification, mixed learning, multiple literacies, and many others. Visual language, such as photographs, is known to transcend cultures and languages, and it is commonly used by youth to express positions and affective states in social networks. Therefore, visual language needs more educational attention as a linguistic and communicative component that can create connectedness among the students and their teachers. Nowadays, when SEL is gaining more and more space and meaning in the area of academic improvement in relation to social well-being, and taking and sharing pictures is part of the everyday life of the majority of people, it becomes natural to add the visual language to SEL approach as a reinforcement strategy for connecting education to the contemporary culture and language of the youth. This article presents a program conducted in a high school class in Israel, which combines the five SEL with photography techniques, i.e., Social-Emotional Learning Visual Empowerments (SELVEs) program (experimental group). Another class of students from the same institution represents the control group, which is participating in the SEL program without the photography component. The SEL component of the programs addresses skills such as: troubleshooting, uncertainty, personal strengths and collaboration, accepting others, control of impulses, communication, self-perception, and conflict resolution. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of programs on the level of the five SEL aspects in the two groups of high school students: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision Making, and Relationship Skills. The study presents a quantitative assessment of the SEL programs’ impact on the students. The main hypothesis is that the students’ questionnaires' analysis will reveal a better understanding and improvement of the five aspects of the SEL in the group of students involved in the photography-enhanced SEL program.

Keywords: social-emotional learning, photography, education program, adolescents

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7358 A Marxist Analysis of Toni Morrison's Novel, The Bluest Eye

Authors: Irfan Mehmood

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The goal of this study is to examine The Bluest Eye (1979) by Toni Morrison from a Marxist perspective, a literary theory developed by Louis Althusser, which emphasizes capitalism and class conflict in the modern world. Marxist literary philosophy holds that the absence of opportunities for lower-class people to own and earn properties and resources of production is the main cause of their repression. In The Communist Manifesto (1848), Karl Marx divided society into two main classes, the proletariat (the lowest class) and the bourgeois (the ruling class). Marx contends that the proletarian class has been brutally exploited by the bourgeois class in all facets of existence. The exploitation of the lower class by means of hegemony and capitalism is covered by Toni Morrison in her first novel, The Bluest Eye (1979). The goal of this study is to determine how Morrison's chosen work highlights the struggle of oppressed African Americans against entrenched systems of hegemony, interpellation, and state apparatuses. This study will look more closely at the claim that all of the miseries experienced by Afro-Americans are mostly the result of the capitalist class structure and that they can also enjoy the blessings of life through unity, hard work, and economic stability.

Keywords: class conflict; African American culture; hegemony; interpellation; state apparatuses

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7357 Feeling, Thinking, Acting: The Role of Subjective Social Class and Social Class Identity on Emotions, Attitudes and Prosocial Behavior Towards Muslim Immigrants in Belgium

Authors: Theresa Zagers, Rita Guerra

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Most research investigating how receiving communities perceive, and experience migration has overlooked the potential role of subjective social class and social class identity in positive intergroup relations and social cohesion of migrants and host societies. The present study aimed to provide insights to understand this relationship and focused on three important features: prosocial behaviour, attitudes and emotions towards Muslim immigrants in Flanders, Belgium. Building on relative deprivation-gratification theory we examined the indirect relationships of subjective social class on prosocial behaviour/intentions, attitudes and emotions via relative deprivation (RD), as well as the moderator role of the importance of social class identity. 431 Belgian participants participated in an online survey study. Overall, our results supported the predicted indirect effect of subjective social class: the lower the subjective social class, the higher the perceptions of relative deprivation, which in turn is related to less prosocial behaviour intentions, and more negative attitudes and emotions towards immigrants. This indirect effect was, however, not moderated by the importance of social class identity. Interestingly, the direct effects of subjective social class showed a different pattern: when bypassing deprivation our results showed higher subjective social class was detrimental for intergroup relations (more negative attitudes and emotions), and that lower subjective social class was positively related to prosocial intentions for those identifying highly with their class identity. Overall, we gained valuable insights in the relationship of subjective social class and the three features of intergroup relations.

Keywords: social class, relative deprivation-gratification, prosocial behavior, attitudes, emotions, Muslim immigrants

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7356 Implementing Education 4.0 Trends in Language Learning

Authors: Luz Janeth Ospina M.

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The fourth industrial revolution is changing the role of education substantially and, therefore, the role of instructors and learners at all levels. Education 4.0 is an imminent response to the needs of a globalized world where humans and technology are being aligned to enable endless possibilities, among them the need for students, as digital natives, to communicate effectively in at least one language besides their mother tongue, and also the requirement of developing theirs. This is an exploratory study in which a control group (N = 21), all of the students of Spanish as a foreign language at the university level, after taking a Spanish class, responded to an online questionnaire about the engagement, atmosphere, and environment in which their course was delivered. These aspects considered in the survey were relative to the instructor’s teaching style, including: (a) active, hands-on learning; (b) flexibility for in-class activities, easily switching between small group work, individual work, and whole-class discussion; and (c) integrating technology into the classroom. Strongly believing in these principles, the instructor deliberately taught the course in a SCALE-UP room, as it could facilitate such a positive and encouraging learning environment. These aspects are trends related to Education 4.0 and have become integral to the instructor’s pedagogical stance that calls for a constructive-affective role, instead of a transmissive one. As expected, with a learning environment that (a) fosters student engagement and (b) improves student outcomes, the subjects were highly engaged, which was partially due to the learning environment. An overwhelming majority (all but one) of students agreed or strongly agreed that the atmosphere and the environment were ideal. Outcomes of this study are relevant and indicate that it is about time for teachers to build up a meaningful correlation between humans and technology. We should see the trends of Education 4.0 not as a threat but as practices that should be in the hands of critical and creative instructors whose pedagogical stance responds to the needs of the learners in the 21st century.

Keywords: active learning, education 4.0, higher education, pedagogical stance

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7355 Rhythm-Reading Success Using Conversational Solfege

Authors: Kelly Jo Hollingsworth

Abstract:

Conversational Solfege, a research-based, 12-step music literacy instructional method using the sound-before-sight approach, was used to teach rhythm-reading to 128-second grade students at a public school in the southeastern United States. For each step, multiple scripted techniques are supplied to teach each skill. Unit one was the focus of this study, which is quarter note and barred eighth note rhythms. During regular weekly music instruction, students completed method steps one through five, which includes aural discrimination, decoding familiar and unfamiliar rhythm patterns, and improvising rhythmic phrases using quarter notes and barred eighth notes. Intact classes were randomly assigned to two treatment groups for teaching steps six through eight, which was the visual presentation and identification of quarter notes and barred eighth notes, visually presenting and decoding familiar patterns, and visually presenting and decoding unfamiliar patterns using said notation. For three weeks, students practiced steps six through eight during regular weekly music class. One group spent five-minutes of class time on steps six through eight technique work, while the other group spends ten-minutes of class time practicing the same techniques. A pretest and posttest were administered, and ANOVA results reveal both the five-minute (p < .001) and ten-minute group (p < .001) reached statistical significance suggesting Conversational Solfege is an efficient, effective approach to teach rhythm-reading to second grade students. After two weeks of no instruction, students were retested to measure retention. Using a repeated-measures ANOVA, both groups reached statistical significance (p < .001) on the second posttest, suggesting both the five-minute and ten-minute group retained rhythm-reading skill after two weeks of no instruction. Statistical significance was not reached between groups (p=.252), suggesting five-minutes is equally as effective as ten-minutes of rhythm-reading practice using Conversational Solfege techniques. Future research includes replicating the study with other grades and units in the text.

Keywords: conversational solfege, length of instructional time, rhythm-reading, rhythm instruction

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7354 Integrating Practice-Based Learning in Accounting Education: Bolstering Students Engagement and Learning

Authors: Humayun Murshed, Shibly Abdullah

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This paper focuses on sharing experience gained through a pilot project undertaken to teach an introductory accounting subject linking real-life ground realities with the fundamental concepts of accounting. In view of the practical dimensions of Accounting it has been observed that adopting a teaching approach based on practical illustrations help students to motivate and generate interests to take accounting profession as their career. The paper reports that students’ perception about accounting as ‘dreary’ has been changed to ‘interesting’ due to adoption of practice based approach in teaching. The authors argue that ‘concept mapping’ can play a vital role in facilitating practice based education in accounting which promotes a rewarding learning experience among the students. The paper considers taking into account generic skills development, student centric learning, development of innovative assessment tasks, making students aware of the potential benefits of practice based education primarily through concept mapping, and engaging them both inside and outside of the class rooms are critical for ensuring success of this approach.

Keywords: accounting education, pedagogy, practice-based education, concept mapping

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7353 Self-Efficacy in Online Vocal Learning: Current Situation, Influencing Factors and Optimization Strategies

Authors: Tianyou Wang

Abstract:

Students' own intrinsic motivation is the main source of energy for learning activities, and their self-efficacy becomes a key factor affecting the learning effect. In today's increasingly common situation of online vocal music teaching, virtualized teaching scenarios have brought a considerable impact on students' personal efficacy. Since personal efficacy is the result of the interaction between environmental factors and subject characteristics, an empirical study was conducted to investigate the changes in students' self-efficacy, influencing factors, and characteristics in online vocal teaching scenarios based on the three dimensions of teachers, students, and technology. One hundred valid questionnaires were studied through a quantitative survey. The results showed that students' personal efficacy was significantly lower in online learning environments compared to offline vocal teaching and showed significant differences due to factors such as gender and class type; students' self-efficacy in online vocal teaching was significantly affected by factors such as technological environment, teaching style, and information technology ability. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended to pay attention to inquiry and practice in the teaching design, use singing projects as the teaching organization, grasp the learning process with the orientation of problem-solving, push the applicable vocal music teaching resources in time, lead students to explore and refine the problems and push students to learn independently according to the goals and plans.

Keywords: vocal pedagogy, self-efficacy, online learning, intrinsic motivation, information technology

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7352 A Sociolinguistic Investigation of Code-Switching Practices of ESL Students Outside EFL Classrooms

Authors: Shehroz Mukhtar, Maqsood Ahmed, Abdullah Mukhtar, Choudhry Shahid, Waqar Javaid

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Code switching is a common phenomenon, generally observed in multilingual communities across the globe. A critical look at code switching literature reveals that mostly code switching has been studied in classroom in learning and teaching context while code switching outside classroom in settings such as café, hostel and so on have been the least explored areas. Current research investigated the reasons for code switching in the interactive practices of students and their perceptions regarding the same outside the classroom settings. This paper is the study of the common practice that prevails in the Universities of Sialkot that bilinguals mix two languages when they speak in different class room situations. In Pakistani classrooms where Multilingual are in abundance i.e. they can speak two or more than two languages at the same time, the code switching or language combination is very common. The teachers of Sialkot switch from one language to another consciously or unconsciously while teaching English in the class rooms. This phenomenon has not been explored in the Sialkot’s teaching context. In Sialkot private educational institutes does not encourage code-switching whereas the public or government institutes use it frequently. The crux of this research is to investigate and identify the importance of code switching by taking its users in consideration. Survey research method and survey questionnaire will be used to get exact data from teachers and students. We will try to highlight the functions and importance of code switching in foreign language classrooms of Sialkot and will explore why this trend is emerging in Sialkot.

Keywords: code switching, bilingual context, L1, L2

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7351 The Use of Project to Enhance Learning Domains Stated by National Qualifications Framework: TQF

Authors: Duangkamol Thitivesa

Abstract:

This paper explores the use of project work in a content-based instruction in a Rajabhat University, Thailand. The use of project is to promote kinds of learning expected of student teachers as stated by Thailand Quality Framework: TQF. The kinds of learning are grouped into five domains: Ethical and moral development, knowledge, cognitive skill, interpersonal skills and responsibility, and analytical and communication skills. The content taught in class is used to lead the student teachers to relate their previously-acquired linguistic knowledge to meaningful realizations of the language system in passages of immediate relevance to their professional interests, teaching methods in particular. Two research questions are formulate to guide this study: 1) To what degree are the five domains of learning expected of student teachers after the use of project in a content class?, and 2) What is the academic achievement of the students’ writing skills, as part of the learning domains stated by TQF, against the 70% attainment target after the use of project to enhance the skill? The sample of the study comprised of 38 fourth-year English major students. The data was collected by means of a summative achievement test, student writing works, an observation checklist, and project diary. The scores in the summative achievement test were analyzed by mean score, standard deviation, and t-test. Project diary serves as students’ record of the language acquired during the project. List of structures and vocabulary noted in the diary has shown students’ ability to attend to, recognize, and focus on meaningful patterns of language forms.

Keywords: Thailand quality framework, project Work, writing skill, summative

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7350 Motivation in Online Instruction

Authors: David Whitehouse

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Some of the strengths of online teaching include flexibility, creativity, and comprehensiveness. A challenge can be motivation. How can an instructor repeating the same lessons over and over, day in and day out, year after year, maintain motivation? Enthusiasm? Does motivating the student and creating enthusiasm in class build the same things inside the instructor? The answers lie in the adoption of what I label EUQ—The Empathy and Understanding Quotient. In the online environment, students who are adults have many demands on their time: civilian careers, families (spouse, children, older parents), and sometimes even military service. Empathetic responses on the part of the instructor will lead to open and honest communication on the part of the student, which will lead to understanding on the part of the instructor and a rise in motivation in both parties. Understanding the demands can inform an instructor’s relationship with the student throughout the temporal parameters of classwork. In practicing EUQ, instructors can build motivation in their students and find internal motivation in an enhanced classroom dynamic. The presentation will look at what motivates a student to accomplish more than the minimum required and how that can lead to excellent results for an instructor’s own motivation. Through direct experience of having students give high marks on post-class surveys and via direct messaging, the presentation will focus on how applying EUQ in granting extra time, searching for intent while grading, communicating with students via Quick Notes, responses in Forums, comments in Assignments, and comments in grading areas - - - how applying these things infuses enthusiasm and energy in the instructor which drive creativity in teaching. Three primary ways of communicating with students will be given as examples. The positive response and negative response each for a Forum, an Assignment, and a Message will be explored. If there is time, participants will be invited to craft their own EUQ responses in a role playing exercise involving two common classroom scenarios—late work and plagiarism.

Keywords: education, instruction, motivation, online, teaching

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7349 The Enquiry of Food Culture Products, Practices and Perspectives: An Action Research on Teaching and Learning Food Culture from International Food Documentary Films

Authors: Tsuiping Chen

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It has always been an international consensus that food forms a big part of any culture since the old times. However, this idea has not been globally concretized until the announcement of including food or cuisine as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2010. This announcement strengthens the value of food culture, which is getting more and more notice by every country. Although Taiwan is not one of the members of the United Nations, we cannot detach ourselves from this important global trend, especially when we have a lot of culinary students expected to join the world culinary job market. These students should have been well educated with the knowledge of world food culture to make them have the sensibility and perspectives for the occurring global food issues before joining the culinary jobs. Under the premise of the above concern, the researcher and also the instructor took on action research with one class of students in the 'Food Culture' course watching, discussing, and analyzing 12 culinary documentary films selected from one decade’s (2007-2016) of Berlin Culinary Cinema in one semester of class hours. In addition, after class, the students separated themselves into six groups and joined 12 times of one-hour-long focus group discussion on the 12 films conducted by the researcher. Furthermore, during the semester, the students submitted their reflection reports on each film to the university e-portfolio system. All the focus discussions and reflection reports were recorded and collected for further analysis by the researcher and one invited film researcher. Glaser and Strauss’ Grounded Theory (1967) constant comparison method was employed to analyze the collected data. Finally, the findings' results were audited by all participants of the research. All the participants and the researchers created 200 items of food culture products, 74 items of food culture practices, and 50 items of food culture perspectives from the action research journey through watching culinary documentaries. The journey did broaden students’ points of view on world food culture and enhance their capability on perspective construction for food culture. Four aspects of significant findings were demonstrated. First, learning food culture through watching Berlin culinary films helps students link themselves to the happening global food issues such as food security, food poverty, and food sovereignty, which direct them to rethink how people should grow, share and consume food. Second, watching different categories of documentary food films enhances students’ strong sense of responsibility for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all people in every corner of the world. Third, watching these documentary films encourages students to think if the culinary education they have accepted in this island is inclusive and the importance of quality education, which can promote lifelong learning. Last but not least, the journey of the culinary documentary film watching in the 'Food Culture' course inspires students to take pride in their profession. It is hoped the model of teaching food culture with culinary documentary films will inspire more food culture educators, researchers, and the culinary curriculum designers.

Keywords: food culture, action research, culinary documentary films, food culture products, practices, perspectives

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7348 The Effect of MOOC-Based Distance Education in Academic Engagement and Its Components on Kerman University Students

Authors: Fariba Dortaj, Reza Asadinejad, Akram Dortaj, Atena Baziyar

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of distance education (based on MOOC) on the components of academic engagement of Kerman PNU. The research was quasi-experimental method that cluster sampling with an appropriate volume was used in this study (one class in experimental group and one class in controlling group). Sampling method is single-stage cluster sampling. The statistical society is students of Kerman Payam Noor University, which) were selected 40 of them as sample (20 students in the control group and 20 students in experimental group). To test the hypothesis, it was used the analysis of univariate and Co-covariance to offset the initial difference (difference of control) in the experimental group and the control group. The instrument used in this study is academic engagement questionnaire of Zerang (2012) that contains component of cognitive, behavioral and motivational engagement. The results showed that there is no significant difference between mean scores of academic components of academic engagement in experimental group and the control group on the post-test, after elimination of the pre-test. The adjusted mean scores of components of academic engagement in the experimental group were higher than the adjusted average of scores after the test in the control group. The use of technology-based education in distance education has been effective in increasing cognitive engagement, motivational engagement and behavioral engagement among students. Experimental variable with the effect size 0.26, predicted 26% of cognitive engagement component variance. Experimental variable with the effect size 0.47, predicted 47% of the motivational engagement component variance. Experimental variable with the effect size 0.40, predicted 40% of behavioral engagement component variance. So teaching with technology (MOOC) has a positive impact on increasing academic engagement and academic performance of students in educational technology. The results suggest that technology (MOOC) is used to enrich the teaching of other lessons of PNU.

Keywords: educational technology, distance education, components of academic engagement, mooc technology

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7347 Stereotyping of Non-Western Students in Western Universities: Applying Critical Discourse Analysis to Undermine Educational Hegemony

Authors: Susan Lubbers

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This study applies critical discourse analysis to the language used by educators to frame international students of Asian backgrounds in Anglo-Western universities as quiet, shy, passive and unable to think critically. Emphasis is on the self-promoted ‘internationalised’ Australian tertiary context, where negative stereotypes are commonly voiced not only in the academy but also in the media. Parallels are drawn as well with other Anglo-Western educational contexts. The study critically compares the discourse of these persistent negative stereotypes, with in-class and interview discourses of international students of Asian and Western language, cultural and educational backgrounds enrolled in a Media and Popular Culture unit in an Australian university. The focus of analysis of the student discourse is on their engagement in critical dialogic interactions on the topics of culture and interculturality. The evidence is also drawn from student interviews and focus groups and from observation of whole-class discussion participation rates. The findings of the research project provide evidence that counters the myth of student as problem. They point rather to the widespread lack of intercultural awareness of Western educators and students as being at the heart of the negative perceptions of students of Asian backgrounds. The study suggests the efficacy of an approach to developing intercultural competence that is embedded, or integrated, into tertiary programs. The presentation includes an overview of the main strategies that have been developed by the tertiary educator (author) to support the development of intercultural competence of and among the student cohort. The evidence points to the importance of developing intercultural competence among tertiary educators and students. The failure by educators to ensure that the diverse voices, ideas and perspectives of students from all cultural, educational and language backgrounds are heard in our classrooms means that our universities can hardly be regarded or promoted as genuinely internationalised. They will continue as undemocratic institutions that perpetrate persistent Western educational hegemony.

Keywords: critical discourse analysis, critical thinking, embedding, intercultural competence, interculturality, international student, internationalised education

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7346 Impact of Positive Psychology Education and Interventions on Well-Being: A Study of Students Engaged in Pastoral Care

Authors: Inna R. Edara, Haw-Lin Wu

Abstract:

Positive psychology investigates human strengths and virtues and promotes well-being. Relying on this assumption, positive interventions have been continuously designed to build pleasure and happiness, joy and contentment, engagement and meaning, hope and optimism, satisfaction and gratitude, spirituality, and various other positive measures of well-being. In line with this model of positive psychology and interventions, this study investigated certain measures of well-being in a group of 45 students enrolled in an 18-week positive psychology course and simultaneously engaged in service-oriented interventions that they chose for themselves based on the course content and individual interests. Students’ well-being was measured at the beginning and end of the course. The well-being indicators included positive automatic thoughts, optimism and hope, satisfaction with life, and spirituality. A paired-samples t-test conducted to evaluate the impact of class content and service-oriented interventions on students’ scores of well-being indicators indicated statistically significant increase from pre-class to post-class scores. There were also significant gender differences in post-course well-being scores, with females having higher levels of well-being than males. A two-way between groups analysis of variance indicated a significant interaction effect of age by gender on the post-course well-being scores, with females in the age group of 56-65 having the highest scores of well-being in comparison to the males in the same age group. Regression analyses indicated that positive automatic thought significantly predicted hope and satisfaction with life in the pre-course analysis. In the post-course regression analysis, spiritual transcendence made a significant contribution to optimism, and positive automatic thought made a significant contribution to both hope and satisfaction with life. Finally, a significant test between pre-course and post-course regression coefficients indicated that the regression coefficients at pre-course were significantly different from post-course coefficients, suggesting that the positive psychology course and the interventions were helpful in raising the levels of well-being. The overall results suggest a substantial increase in the participants’ well-being scores after engaging in the positive-oriented interventions, implying a need for designing more positive interventions in education to promote well-being.  

Keywords: hope, optimism, positive automatic thoughts, satisfaction with life, spirituality, well-being

Procedia PDF Downloads 190