by Fuliang Guo and Jianan Tu
Original Research
The development of information technology and the application of computer have had a great impact on language teaching. Computer Assisted language teaching (CALT) is a new trend in the development of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Based on the theory of CALT, this paper makes a detailed investigation and analysis of the present situation of teaching Chinese as a foreign language in the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It compares the traditional language teaching with CALT, and concludes that CALT has had a positive impact on the learning effect and learning interest of students.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2016, 4(20), 1342-1346. DOI: 10.12691/education-4-20-5
Pub. Date: January 06, 2017
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by Robert Nakhosi Wamalwa, Patrick Cheben Simiyu and Lynnette Nabwile Wanjala
Original Research
Provision of learning resources by CDF influence retention of learners in public boarding secondary schools is part of an effort by the Kenya government to equip secondary school. It is aimed at increasing access to secondary schools, ensuring retention of students, promoting transition and completion rates in secondary schools. It is also aimed at reducing disparities and inequalities in the provision of secondary education. The set out to determine whether there is statistically significant relationship between provision of learning resources by CDF and retention of learners in public boarding secondary schools in Kitale town, Trans Nzoia County, Kenya. The researchers ran a correlation on a data from a sample of 338 persons which comprised of comprised of the 5 head teachers, 23 teachers, 294 learners and 16 CDF committee members in public secondary schools in Kitale Municipality, TransNzoia County, Keya. We established that there is a statistically significant linear relationship between provision of learning resources by CDF and retention of learners in public boarding secondary schools. The study also established that despite the CDF providing learning resource to boarding schools it had very little impact on learners retention as many of those in schools were from the high socio-economic status and hence their retention in school was already guaranteed. The study recommends that the government should allocate more funds for promotion of facilities in schools which are non-boarding schools.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2016, 4(20), 1337-1341. DOI: 10.12691/education-4-20-4
Pub. Date: January 06, 2017
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by Mamedu O. P.
Original Research
This study on Academic staff perception of Quality of Work-Life and University Goal Attainment was designed to have some understanding of the QWL of university academic staff and to relate this understanding to their performance towards university goal attainment in the South-South geo Political Zone of Nigeria. The topic was chosen because of persistent complaints concerning the low quality of university output in Nigeria for over a decade. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were raised to examine the QWL of university academic staff, university goal attainment and the relationship between the two variables. The significance of the study is to help those involved in higher educational planning, policy formulation and implementation to achieve optimum university outcomes through performance and QWL of academic staff. The study was guided by a theoretical concept on self-theory with a plethora of self-based theories on QWL and university goal attainment. The review indicated that only very limited work had been done in this area in Nigeria, on university and on the subjects. The sample constituted 1681 of university academic staff and this was 36% of the entire population of academic staff in the zone. Two questionnaires were each developed for QWL and UGA respectively in addition to personal interviews and document review. Results of the study revealed a state of satisfactory QWL for the staff; a state of unfavourable University goal attainment; and insignificant relationship between QWL and UGA in the universities. These results are unique in the sense that they revealed that satisfactory QWL of university academic staff does not generate commensurate satisfactory UGA in the Zone in Nigeria.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2016, 4(20), 1323-1336. DOI: 10.12691/education-4-20-3
Pub. Date: January 04, 2017
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by Omar Awadh Salamah Idris
Case Study
The objective of this research is to investigate the instructors’ perspective towards student-centered learning in teaching English language as a second language in Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to explore the difference made when applying student-centered learning. The study covered the teachers who teach Saudi Aramco apprentices. The study examines whether using Student-Centered Learning (SCL) is more effective in teaching English language than the traditional teaching approaches. To achieve the difference in teaching English language using SCL, educators or teachers have to re-evaluate the way they teach their classes and to review various course requirements that they impose. By designing instructional activities and materials, as teachers or education facilitators, we must think about how to facilitate the learning process for our students, prepare our students to think more than to use them as tools in our hands and shape them the way we like, make their learning easier, monitor them and give help when needed. The data was collected through a questionnaire given to thirty-five English language teachers from multinational backgrounds. The results showed significant change in teachers’ perspectives regarding Student-Centered Learning SCL. More than 94.3% of teachers encompassed SCL in their teaching, though some of them were hesitating whether to use SCL in their teaching or Teacher-Centered Learning approach. The results showed also the positive impact of SCL and the shift from TCL to SCL is not major factor that hinders adoption of SCL in teaching.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2016, 4(20), 1317-1322. DOI: 10.12691/education-4-20-2
Pub. Date: December 29, 2016
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by Luis Fernando Hernández Jácquez
Original Research
This research deals around the variables of academic self-efficacy and academic stress arising from the problems presented by undergraduate students of a university in Mexico. The main objective is to corroborate the main theoretical hypothesis about the self-efficacy is an inhibitory potential of the experimented stress of the people, for which a 50-student cohort (divided into two groups) was studied through a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational and longitudinal or evolutionary study over two school semesters (representing the second of three stages of Research), and using the Academic Self-Efficacy Expectations Inventory as a data collection instrument. The results show that statistically it is not possible to accept the theoretical hypothesis mentioned previously, since a significant association between both variables has not been identified in the two moments of the study. However, it has been possible to determine that in one of the study groups, the input dimension of academic self-efficacy and the general academic self-efficacy have evolved positively from one stage to another, that is, they have increased significantly, which is what is expected According to Albert Bandura's Theory of Self-efficacy, contrary to what is desirable regarding academic stress, which also increased, but theoretically it would have been expected to decrease.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2016, 4(20), 1311-1316. DOI: 10.12691/education-4-20-1
Pub. Date: December 27, 2016
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