Research Highlights in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 4

Automated Essay Scoring (AES) System in COVID 19 Pandemic: A Contactless Academia Approach

2023-04-04T12:12:24+00:00

The objective of this scoping review is to identify the suitability of AES products in higher education and examine the type of methods used to present these products. The 2019 SAR COV-2 outbreak introduced the concept of "contactless" and established it as the norm for the majority of businesses as a risk-reduction measure against coronavirus exposure. In higher education, there are numerous exposure scenarios where contact presents a risk. Handling and grading essay scripts from assignments, tasks, research outputs, and more is one of them. The inclusion of the "Automated Essay Scoring" (AES) system in the mitigation toolkits for higher education institutions is a crucial step that should be taken into consideration.

This study was undertaken in the form of a scoping review using the Prisma flow sequence of literature search and selection from 6 databases.

Different AES products, literatures and research designs were employed in the investigation of AES products. The outcome of reviewed literatures varied on suitability of AES in scoring essay task in Higher Institution of Learning.

Academics and scorers should use the appropriate AES to evaluate and score assignments, written tasks, essays, dissertations, and any other academic written output, with exceptional cases assessed manually as may be required by the AES.

An Analysis of the Philosophy behind Sampling in History Education Research

2023-04-04T12:18:37+00:00

The article lays emphasis on incorporating sampling techniques in a history education research work in order to save money and other resources. In many cases, a history education researcher is unable to cover the whole population of interest in which case, a sample that is part of the study population is taken. When a history education researcher uses only part of a given population, we refer to the study as a sample survey and in the case where a history education researcher uses the whole population in a given history education research; we say that a history education researcher is carrying out a ‘census’ or ‘mass survey’. History education research gives us a clear perspective of the past and present in order to predict the future. History education research provides us with a greater appreciation of the culture and the role which history education is to play in the progress of society. The purpose of this article is to guide history education researchers understand the philosophy behind sampling in history education research.

Research on the Impact of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning by Means of Tiny Cards App on the Vocabulary Learning and Retention of Intermediate EFL Learners

2023-04-04T12:25:48+00:00

Emerging technologies have significantly altered the teaching and learning processes, and there is no doubt that the rapid advancement of technology has altered the way English teachers transfer knowledge to their students. As a result, this study looked into the impact of MALL using the Tiny Cards app on the vocabulary learning and retention of intermediate EFL learners. Vocabulary is a very important language component that is practically used in improving and boosting all other language skills. In this quantitative study, a quasi-experimental design was used. A Quick Placement Test was used to choose 40 intermediate EFL students who were enrolled in an English course at Farzan English Language Institute in Rasht, Iran, as homogenous participants. They were then split into equal experimental and control groups in a non-random manner. To confirm the learners' initial knowledge of vocabulary items, a pretest of vocabulary was given before the start of treatment. The experimental group then received vocabulary instruction via Tiny Cards app over eight sessions, while the control group received those items via traditional method of instruction without MALL. Overall, the outcomes of independent-samples t-tests for the posttest and delayed posttest of vocabulary revealed a statistically significant difference in performance between the two groups on the posttest and delayed posttest of vocabulary learning and retention. The study came to the conclusion that teachers, material developers, and educational authorities might use the findings to teach MALL vocabulary to EFL students.

Psychometric Properties of Questionnaire of Parents’ Role in Online Learning and Children’s Social–Emotional Development

2023-04-04T12:29:13+00:00

Parents plays important role in nurturing children’s social-emotional development. In the context of education, parents are the first teachers for children, who give examples to children shaping their attitudes and behaviors in accordance with the norms prevailing in society. Therefore, it is vital to have sound instrument that can be used to identify the role of parents in nurturing children’s social-emotional development. This chapter aims to investigate the validity and reliability of the instruments of the role of parents in online learning and social-emotional development of children. This questionnaire is an adaptation of the previous study. This questionnaire was distributed to two early childhood education experts and 50 randomly selected parents with children aged 5 to 7 years. The SPSS 22 program is used to analyze the data. The validity analysis results for the questionnaire of parents' role in online learning and children's social-emotional development are 0.91 and 0.94, respectively. Aside from the expert score, the results are 0.83 and 0.85, respectively. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient for the parents' role questionnaire in online learning is 0.868, and the Cronbach Alpha coefficient for the children's social-emotional development questionnaire is 0.860, according to reliability analysis. This finding demonstrated that these two questionnaires can be used to determine the stage of parental role and the stage of social-emotional development of children. Overall, the findings of the study could be applied to a similar future study.

Capacity Building for Training Technical Specialists through STEAM Education: A Review of the Research

2023-04-04T12:32:58+00:00

The present study demonstrated that STEAM education practices appear to include methods for developing critical and creative thinking, professional communication and collaboration skills, and integrating various fields of knowledge. Study also reports the findings of the research project on training engineers through STEAM education conducted at Kazakhstan’s Saginov Technical University (‘STU’) and funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. AR09260338). One of the most important disciplines that contributes to the development of important competencies in STEAM teachers is digital literacy; this discipline is focused on the formation of students’ competencies in the field of digital consumption, the use of digital technologies, and digital security. The system of engineering higher education in Kazakhstan continues to have weaknesses in the areas of intercultural communication and teamwork, the development of critical thinking, and using the creative process to solve professional tasks. The problem appears to be overcome in part by STEAM education. It was possible to create several STEAM approaches for cutting-edge engineering education by conducting an extensive study of the global experience and developing strategies for integrating STEAM into the educational process at Kazakhstani universities based on multifactor SWOT analysis.

Problems of Interests and Attitudes of Students in Special Regions towards Science Subjects

2023-04-04T12:36:19+00:00

The goal of this study is to determine the relationship between students' interests and attitudes as a result of differences in the pedagogical and professional competence of teachers in specific regions. The concepts examined are science concepts from grades 7 and 8. This study used a comparative causal method with the number of samples involving 109 students consisting of 3 school levels, namely the upper, middle, and lower group schools with 2 schools respectively. There were six teachers in special regions involved as participants, each of whom comes from the schools in the 3T (least developed, frontier, and outermost) regions. The collected data were examined using a non-parametric scale method and a single sample of the Chi-Square statistical test. According to the findings of the statistical tests, which had dk = 2 and a = 0.05, it was determined that the teachers had a high degree of pedagogical and professional proficiency. Teachers' pedagogical and professional competence contributed positively to students' interest and attitude toward scientific concepts. Furthermore, this study discovered that the contribution of teachers' pedagogical and professional competence to the student's interest and attitude fell into a high category in science concepts and students had a strong interest in science concepts (57%) contained in the curriculum. In light of this, it can be said that a teacher's high level of pedagogical and professional competence positively affects the interest and attitude of pupils toward science topics.

On Learner-Based Teaching in Modern Educational Contexts

2023-04-04T12:42:30+00:00

The concept of learner-based teaching has been gaining popularity in recent years as a way to engage students in their own learning process and to promote active learning. It is of great significance to explore on learner-based teaching in China to promote lifelong learning. In this paper, we explain what learner-based teaching is, the advantages of learner-based teaching, how to introduce learner-based teaching into your classroom, what the potential of learner and the potential problems are. It is expected to address these points in the paper and raise other questions. It encourages you to ask yourself some more questions, to think about how you already use the potential of your learners, how you could use it more, and explore how learner-based teaching can be implemented in the classroom. It hopes to cast some enlightenment on further research in this field.

Knowledge Hiding: The Effect on Organizational Learning

2023-04-04T12:45:02+00:00

Understanding the strategic causes for knowledge to hide in organisations and their impact on organisational learning is the goal of this chapter. In order for the business to operate more successfully and efficiently, many managers expect their staff to openly share their knowledge with one another. Many aspects have been identified by the investigation as knowledge hiding triggers. Out of those, organisational learning is one of the influencing elements that is important to look at, along with the knowledge seeker's capacity for learning. Analysis further revealed that the primary aspect with the most driving power is the information seeker's capacity for learning. It has been connected to effects like diminished creativity, inventive work behaviour, poor individual performance, and interpersonal mistrust. The findings imply that in order to reduce information hiding within the context, organisations must preserve their capacity for learning, channel it, and meet the demands of knowledge searchers through appropriate training mechanisms and systemic knowledge management outlets. Knowledge hiding has earnest implications for organizations, relationships, and individuals.

Lessons Learnt through Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis-strategies Used by Teachers in Training to Survive during the Pandemic

2023-04-10T13:24:55+00:00

This study explored the impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the learning experiences of second year student-teachers during the Covid-19 Pandemic. A qualitative case study was carried out on seven purposively sampled student-teachers from a class of 55 at a University teachers-training Program. Online semi-structured interviews were used. Thematic data analysis was used. Results indicate that the student teachers experienced both negative and positive impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic. Negative effects included academic challenges due to learning gaps, financial and socio-emotional challenges. Based on Bandura’s Reciprocal Determinism Theory both students and lecturers had to adapt to their environment. The positive impacts include the shift to blended learning and integration of technology in the learning and assessment of teaching practice. Important lessons learnt include developing solidarity as exhibited through friendly networking among the students which kept most of them going because it gave them a sense of belonging and connection to others at their institution so they feel they have shared burdens and shared vision. Other lessons learnt were disaster preparedness and prioritizing education. The study recommends that everyone should be a life-long learner, develop flexibility as well as resilience as key tools to face a crisis.

Interactive Visual-Art-centered Learning Activities in Developing Thinking Skills and Creativity

2023-04-15T13:03:14+00:00

Interactive arts-based learning methods is a modernized approach to nurture creativity in education. Visual-arts centered learning/teaching experience provides primary school students the opportunity to interact in a constructive instructional setting. In this sense, modernizing the process of learning by “teaching through visual-arts,” in which primary school students are meaningfully stimulated to visualize the creative-links between specific visual-art forms and the anchor concepts of core content areas in education, such as science/math and technology from a broad perspective.

The chapter focuses on the interrelation between interactivity in contemporary abstract visual-art and creative-thinking. Supported by interactive-technology, visual-arts learning activities generate investigative paths to imaginative/creative-thinking. This chapter outlines the importance of the use of specific art-forms as a connective pathway of integrating arts into the teaching of traditional academic abstract content exist for primary school students to further their interaction and artistic development in an increasingly smart-context.

In the remainder of this chapter, the author underexplores the fact that integrated digital-aesthetic learning instruments have fundamentally renewed the focus from not only fulfilling the existing education system, but also pick up higher level of innovative/interactive/effective forward-focused teaching-learning settings. A study was conducted to compare, evaluate, and validate the effectiveness of visual-arts-based pedagogy digital-technology blended in competing views of different art-tech software/web-based applications that support the benefits of innovative active-learning. The author then concludes with an emphasis on the efficient use of aesthetic digital-technologies through primary education as a tool to create stimulated activities to improve students' learning in a creative-process.

Measuring the Impact of Synthetic Phonics Teaching on the Acquisition of Upper and Lowercase Recognition Skills: Evidence from Oman

2023-04-15T13:05:45+00:00

Letter name knowledge is regarded as one of the most significant indicators of later reading ability, and a poorly established alphabetic knowledge is a well-known predictor of future reading difficulties. Alphabet knowledge encompasses recognition of the alphabet, identifying the names and sounds of letters, and producing letters. This chapter aims to assess the impact of a synthetic approach to phonics on Omani third graders' acquisition of uppercase (UC) and lowercase (LC) recognition. The study included 117 Omani male and female third graders in two schools in Al-Dhahira Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman during the academic year 2019/2020. A quantitative descriptive research design was used in the study, and data was collected using a UC and LC letter recognition test. According to the findings, 43.6% of third graders in this study's sample were below the minimum required level, while the remaining 56.4% were at or above the minimum required level. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference in third graders' UC letter recognition and LC recognition scores in favor of UC letters. The study showed with a set of recommendations for the ministry and English teachers in order to improve the delivery of synthetic phonics teaching as a literacy-enhancing approach in the Omani context. The study is notable since it is the first to examine the effect of synthetic phonics instruction on the development of upper- and lowercase recognition skills among Omani third graders.

Resilience and Vulnerabilities of Syrian Refugee Families in Jordan

2023-04-15T13:08:26+00:00

One of the worst refugee crises of our generation is thought to be the one involving Syrian refugees. Jordan has taken in 1.3 million Syrian refugees since 2011, which is the third-highest number of Syrian refugees handled by a single nation [1]. The study's main goal was to pinpoint the elements that prevented Syrian refugee parents and their children from integrating into the host nation. Structured interviews were carried out with 120 Syrian refugee families in Amman, Jordan, in 2016. The families consisted of a father, a mother, and a child aged 6 to 12. The findings revealed that illiteracy exists in a variety of areas of Syrian refugees' lives. Literature illiteracy, health illiteracy, and economic illiteracy were discovered to be a multiplicity of illiteracy, which was a common barrier to integration for the refugees in the study. The implications of the findings highlight the significance of creating crucial connections between researchers, non-governmental organization practitioners, and policymakers to address the multiplicity of illiteracy, in order to promote displaced refugees' integration and contribution to host countries. The connections will make it easier to create programs and policies that are more suited to the needs and assets of Syria's 13.5 million internally displaced people. Providing more accurate information on what a resettlement or host country could and could not offer to refugees would help them develop realistic expectations, making the adjusting process more successful.