Customer Satisfaction versus Infrastructural Facilities in the realm of Higher Education–a case study of Sri Venkateswara University Tirupati

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title: Customer Satisfaction versus Infrastructural Facilities in the realm of Higher Education–a case study of Sri Venkateswara University Tirupati 

Author Name: G. Janardhana, Mamilla Rajasekhar 

Synopsis: 

This article analyses the levels of students' satisfaction and how institution provides infrastructure facilities in the field of higher education. Infrastructure is the fastest growing segment of the higher education scenario. Universities play a very vital role in a country in terms of their potential. It contributes to employment and growth. The basic objective of this paper is to look for students' satisfaction in Sri Venkateswara University. After a careful study of academic standards in higher education, an attempt is made to assess the student satisfaction in different categories of university colleges with regard to infrastructure facilities such as class room and lab facilities, amenities in the hostel, library, sports facilities etc., A framework was developed to examine the satisfaction issues surrounding university. The framework looks at the important interlinks among demographic characteristics, behavior characteristics, infrastructural facilities and overall customer satisfaction. Students first form expectations of service performance prior to purchasing or use. The customer then compares the perceived performance to prior expectations. Customer satisfaction is seen as the outcome of this comparison. The study area for this study was Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra Pradesh. The sample respondents were administered questionnaires randomly. The results of the study show that: appropriate statistical analyses such as factor analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regressions, multivariate analysis of variance, and multivariate analysis of covariance were used to fulfill the respective objectives of the study. This study also tries to highlight the importance of students' satisfaction assurance of service providers and using quality equipments in education. This paper can be useful to the planners and marketers in formulating strategies to maintain or enhance their competitiveness when compared with other universities.

The Effects of High Stakes Testing on Teachers in NJ

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title: The Effects of High Stakes Testing on Teachers in NJ 

Author Name: Dr. Sylvia Bulgar 

Synopsis: 

A great number of teachers in the United States have found themselves wrestling with an internal conflict between their teaching beliefs and a need to revert back to traditional modes of teaching in order to have their students demonstrate proficiency on high-stakes tests.  While they want to include more non-traditional methods in their repertoire of teaching strategies, they fear that in implementing these methodologies their students will not be prepared for success on standardized testing.  This paper examines why teachers experience this conflict, even when they have a commitment to non-traditional teaching strategies.  Additionally, the data that is presented will demonstrate that students can and do develop computational skill, a necessity for achievement on standardized tests, in a learning environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and problem- solving.

A Study of Locale-wise Differences in Certain Cognitive and Non-cognitive Variables

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title : A Study of Locale-wise Differences in Certain Cognitive and Non-cognitive Variables 

Author Name: Surjit Singh Puar 

Synopsis: 

The present study has been designed to investigate the locale-wise differences among high school students on the basis of certain cognitive variables like general mental ability and academic achievement and non-cognitive variables such as anxiety, emotional maturity and social maturity. The study was conducted over a sample of 400 (200 boys and 200 girls) high school students studying in Xth class in 8 different schools (4 urban and 4 rural) affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi. Dr Ahuja’s group test of intelligence, Sharma’s general anxiety scale for children, Singh & Bhargava’s Emotional maturity scale and  Dr Nalini Rao’s Social maturity scale were employed to measure students’ general mental ability, anxiety, emotional maturity and social maturity. The aggregate scores of the selected students in the C.B.S.E.board examination were taken to show their level of academic achievement. The results reported that Rural and Urban high school students differ significantly in their level of general mental ability and anxiety whereas no significant differences were found between them on the variables of emotional maturity, social maturity and academic achievement.

Remedial Instruction to Enhance Mathematical Ability of Dyscalculics

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title : Remedial Instruction to Enhance Mathematical Ability of Dyscalculics 

Author Name: S. Praveen Kumar, B. William Dharma Raja 

Synopsis: 

The ability to do arithmetic calculations is essential to school-based learning and skill development in an information rich society. Arithmetic is a basic academic skill that is needed for learning which includes the skills such as counting, calculating, reasoning etc. that are used for performing mathematical calculations. Unfortunately, many students in today’s schools do not perform well in mathematics. It is found that most of the children lack the ability to acquire arithmetic skills despite having average or even above average level of intelligence. Dyscalculia is the learning disorder in which pupils face severe difficulties in performing mathematical computations. It is essential for schoolchildren need to develop the mathematical abilities through the use of different learning strategies or techniques. The use of instructional media is an essential component of teaching-learning process which contributes to the efficiency as well as effectiveness of the teaching-learning process. Remedial instruction has a very important role to play as a differentiated instruction which employs different instructional techniques through the use of different instructional materials. The use of such techniques and materials in the classroom encourages active learning and meets the diverse needs of the learners. Certain research studies (Ota, 2008; Moomaw and Coup, 2008; Michaelson and Thomas, 2007; Lugo, 2005; Mohankumar & Rajaguru, 2001; Mishra, 1991; Nwaizu & Ifeanyi, 1991) reveal that the vast majority of problems experienced by mathematically disabled learners can be through appropriate, explicit and early instruction and intervention. The present investigation examined the effectiveness of remedial instruction in enhancing mathematical ability of dyscalculic children. The single group design was followed for conducting the study. The sample comprised of 46 dyscalculic students at the primary level. The tool used was a Mathematical Ability Test prepared by the investigators. ‘t’ test for dependent groups was employed for the analysis of data. The results of the study indicated that remedial instruction enhanced the mathematical ability of dyscalculic children.

A Comparative Study of the Academic Stress and Depression among High School Girl and Boy Students

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title : A Comparative Study of the Academic Stress and Depression among High School Girl and Boy Students 

Author Name: Ali Khanehkeshi, Basavarajappa 

Synopsis: 

This paper compares the difference between boy and girl high school students of 1st grade to 3rd grade in academic stress and depression. Using a random stratified sampling 120 girl and boy students (60 girls and 60 boys) were selected from 1st grade (n=40), 2nd grade (n=40) and 3rd grade (n=40) high school students. In this study gender and grades have considered as independent variables and academic stress and depression were dependent variables.  A scale for assessing academic stress (SAAS, Sinha, Sharma and Mahindra, 2001) and children depression inventory (CDI, Kovacs, 1992) were used for collecting data. To analyze of data statistics such as mean, SD, Pearson’s coefficient of correlation and regression homogeneity to test of variance’s homogeneity, and multivariate analyze of variance (MANOVA were used). Results showed that the effect of gender on combined dependent variables (academic stress and depression) was statistically significant (Wilk’s Lambda=.367; F (12, 103) = 14.81, p=.000; Eta=.63); the effect of grade on combined dependent variables was statistically significant (Wilk’s Lambda=. 708; F (24, 206) = 1.98, p=.05; Eta=.16); The mutual interaction of gender and grades on combined dependent variables was not significant (Wilk’s Lambda=.774; F 24, 206= 1.71; p=.272; Eta= .12).  The effect of gender on academic stress and its subscales (Wilk’s Lambd=.648; F 6, 113=10.23; p<0.05; Eta=.35); and depression and its subscales (Wilk’s Lambd=.495; F6, 113=19.22; p<0.05; Eta=.51) was statistically significant. Further the effect of grades on academic stress was significant but the effect of grade on depression was not significant. Finally the study concluded that there was a significant difference between boy and girl students in academic stress and depression.

The Parenting Challenge: Selecting Technology and Non-Technology Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Title	: The Parenting Challenge: Selecting Technology and Non-Technology Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Author Name	: Ennis-Cole, Cheryl Parkman
Synopsis	:
Autism is a Spectrum of Disorders (ASD) that affects 1 in 88 children.  The issues and decisions parents face are almost insurmountable depending on the child’s diagnosis, available interventions, the knowledge of parents, proximity to professionals and interventions, financial resources, and the individual needs of the child.  There is no cure for ASD; it persists over an individual’s lifetime.  As a result, the role of parents is expanded and direct caregiving, decision-making, and supervision continue into the child’s adult years.  Parents find themselves involved in advocacy, education, intervention planning, and technology selection and use.  Most parents actively seek interventions to help their children with ASD gain functional, behavioral, social, and academic skills.  Without supportive parents or caregivers, many children with ASD are unable to function independently, and the quality of their lives is greatly diminished.  This article describes technology uses in ASD and parental concerns.Findings from this descriptive study reveal the technologies parents are using, the needs and issues of families, and demographic data.   Participating families were recruited from online discussion groups and through the assistance of the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Project at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title: The Parenting Challenge: Selecting Technology and Non-Technology Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 

Author Name: Ennis-Cole, Cheryl Parkman 

Synopsis: 

Autism is a Spectrum of Disorders (ASD) that affects 1 in 88 children.  The issues and decisions parents face are almost insurmountable depending on the child’s diagnosis, available interventions, the knowledge of parents, proximity to professionals and interventions, financial resources, and the individual needs of the child.  There is no cure for ASD; it persists over an individual’s lifetime.  As a result, the role of parents is expanded and direct caregiving, decision-making, and supervision continue into the child’s adult years.  Parents find themselves involved in advocacy, education, intervention planning, and technology selection and use.  Most parents actively seek interventions to help their children with ASD gain functional, behavioral, social, and academic skills.  Without supportive parents or caregivers, many children with ASD are unable to function independently, and the quality of their lives is greatly diminished.  This article describes technology uses in ASD and parental concerns.Findings from this descriptive study reveal the technologies parents are using, the needs and issues of families, and demographic data.   Participating families were recruited from online discussion groups and through the assistance of the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Project at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.

   

Emotional Intelligence as a Tool for Innovative Teaching

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: Emotional Intelligence as a Tool for Innovative Teaching 

Author Name: Dr. V.P. Joshith NAMBIAR 

Synopsis: 

Interest in Emotional Intelligence can, in part, be gauged by the amount of research activity it has stimulated since first making an appearance in the psychological literature about 20 years ago. Everyone can profit from enhancing his or her emotional intelligence, because this important construct has a positive impact on human performance, leading to personal effectiveness and eventually to overall well-being. Conventionally, a teacher brings two things to the classroom that are of value to the learners, one is expertise in the subject and the other is knowledge of teaching - learning methods. Emotional Intelligence is the unrecognized third component what a teacher possess and also delivers to her learners indirectly. From the last two decades educational professionals understood the importance of feelings in the overall development of their pupils and in their own daily tasks.  Teachers are aware of the role played by emotions in their daily effort. Emotions and skills for coping with them affect learning processes, mental and physical health, the quality of social relationships and academic and work performance (Brackett &Caruso, 2007). Teaching is considered to be one of the most stressful occupations, especially because it involves daily work based on social interactions where the teacher must make great effort to regulate not only his or her own emotions, but also those of students, parents, colleagues etc., (Brotheridge & Grandey, 2002). As emotional intelligence is playing vital role in teaching the present study is attempted to adopt emotional intelligence based teaching strategies to enhance emotional intelligence which in turn influence teaching competence. The objective of this study is to develop knowledge among student teachers about their strengths and development of opportunities related to the emotional intelligence competencies. In the present study the researcher identified Self awareness, Managing Emotions, Motivating Oneself, Empathy and Handling Relationship (Goleman 1998) from the different models proposed by Bar-On, Goleman & Boyatzis, Mayor, Salovey & Caruso, Orioli & Cooper. The investigator developed an emotional intelligence package with activities for each component. Pre — Post Two group experimental design was adopted in study with a sample of 25 each in experimental and control group. The result showed that the emotional intelligence package was successful as it evinced an increased Emotional intelligence on the sample. Further, the study revealed that the student teachers are able to understand their innate potentials and the ability to tackle stressful situations. They also expressed their emotions openly and also read the minds of colleagues. The present study is a lime light for the student teachers to prepare them in a holistic approach to uphold their emotional intelligence and promote better emotional intelligence among their students by designing their classroom activities in a more refined manner.

Effectiveness of Co-Operative Learning Method in Learning of Mathematics among Eighth Standard Students

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: Effectiveness of Co-Operative Learning Method in Learning of Mathematics among Eighth Standard Students 

Author Name: Thiyagu Kaliappan 

Synopsis: 

Co-operative learning is defined as students working together to “attain groups goals that cannot be obtained by working alone or competitively”. The main purpose of co-operative learning is to actively involve students in the learning process, a level of student empowerment which is not possible in a lecture format. The present study found out the effectiveness of co-operative learning in mathematics learning among the eighth standard students of Tirunelveli district. Two equivalent group experimental-designs are employed for this study.  The investigator has selected 40 students studying VIII standard in High School, Tirunelveli Educational District.   According to the scoring of pre-test, 20 students were chosen as control group and 20 students were chosen as experimental group in a cluster sampling techniques. Finally the investigator concludes that; (a) There was significant difference between control and experimental group students in their gain scores.  That is the experimental group student is better than control group students in their gain scores.  (b)There was significant difference between control and experimental group students in their gain scores for attainment of the knowledge, understanding, and application objectives. 

Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Adolescent Risk Behavior Participation and Perception

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Adolescent Risk Behavior Participation and Perception 

Author Name: Nicole Skaar, John E. Williams 

Synopsis: 

The current study aimed to investigate emotional intelligence as a predictor of adolescent risk participation and risk perception. While research has suggested that certain personality traits relate to adolescent risk behavior and perception, the extent to which emotional intelligence relates to risk behavior participation and perception is unknown. In addition, it is unknown to what extent emotional intelligence provides incremental validity over personality traits in the explanation of adolescent risk behavior participation and perception. The study included 171 students between the ages of 15 and 24 from Midwestern educational settings. Students reported risk behavior on the Adolescent Risk Behaviour Questionnaire. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, and personality traits were measured using the NEO-PI R. The results showed that the predictive validity of emotional intelligence differs in relation to age and the incremental validity of emotional intelligence over personality traits also differs across the age range. The relationship of emotional intelligence with risk behavior participation and risk perception revealed that despite higher levels of emotional intelligence and similar endorsement of risk perception, college-aged students reported higher levels of risk behavior participation. Implications for educational intervention and future study are discussed.

Leading with ‘emotianal’ intelligence – Existential and Motivational Analysis in leadership and leadership development

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: Leading with ‘emotianal’ intelligence – Existential and Motivational Analysis in leadership and leadership development 

Author Name: Thomas Mengel 

Synopsis: 

This conceptual and practical paper is integrating the work of Viktor Frankl (1985) and Steven Reiss (2000, 2008) into a model of Existential and Motivational Analysis (EMotiAn). This integrated model and approach may provide scholars, educators, consultants and practitioners alike with an innovative and meaningful framework for leadership and leadership development. First, it will be discussed how the two approaches to motivation presented by Frankl and Reiss may serve as a basis for leadership and leadership development. In particular, the paper will show how the Sources of Meaning Profile (SOMP; Reker, 1996), a scientifically developed instrument based on Frankl’s work, allows individuals to identify and prioritize areas of meaningful engagement and value actualization. Furthermore, it will demonstrate how the Reiss Motivational Profile (RMP) and the respective strivings and values of an individual may allow for a ‘balanced’ evaluation and coaching process. Both, the SOMP and the RMP-strivings and values, are integrated into a coherent leadership and (self-) leadership development model based on an Existential and Motivational Analysis (EMotiAn). Finally, the application of the EMotiAn will be described presenting the case of the coaching client Sam Someone.

A Web-Based Screening System For Dyslexic Pupils: Do Teachers Need It?

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: A Web-Based Screening System For Dyslexic Pupils: Do Teachers Need It? 

Author Name: Nor Hasbiah bt. Ubaidullah, Jamilah Hamid 

Synopsis: 

Currently in Malaysia, schools that conduct the Dyslexia Special Program for dyslexic pupils have to rely on a manual screening instrument, which is cumbersome and slow in diagnosing dyslexic traits in pupils. Thus, this study was carried out to examine prevailing problems that helped in formulating an appropriate solution to overcome existing problems. A qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews was used involving two teachers and a school principal from a primary school in Malacca, Malaysia. Findings of the research showed that the existing instrument is tedious, time-consuming, and prone to making errors. Moreover, the interviewees professed a strong need for a new instrument that could ease the screening process. More important, these findings underscore the imperative to introduce a new, novel screening application that is both efficient and effective to help schools involved in teaching dyslexic children.

Memory and Learning – A Study from Neurological Perspective

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: Memory and Learning – A Study from Neurological Perspective 

Author Name: M. Parimala Fathima, N. Sasikumar Kumar, M. Panimalar Roja 

Synopsis: 

Learning is the acquisition and storage of information as a consequence of experience.  The human brain is designed in such a way that thousands of bits of sensory data are processed each minute.  The brain pays attention to what is relevant to daily life, always asking: “What’s going on?” and “How is it important relevant to me?”  The senses pass on 40,000 bits of information every second. The Neuro-science is to yet explore thoroughly about how a new memory is formed.  The sensory stimuli hit the neurons in the appropriate sensory cortex.  These crude sensations are then relayed through the thalamus and sent to the sensory association area of the neo-cortex where they are put together into, objects we recognize.  Then the information is sent to amygdala for emotional evaluation and to the frontal cortex for content evaluation.  On the basis of its analysis of physical features of the stimuli, the brain begins to construct meaning.  Depending on the clarity in sense and its relevance, the new information is either retained or ignored. A thorough knowledge of the different parts of the human brain involved in the process of memory helps the teacher to adopt suitable methodology in the classroom.  In this fast moving world, the learners expect the teacher to give everything in a nutshell.  Hence the teacher has to organize the subject content in such a way that the students could understand, restore and retrieve the information easily and quickly.  In this paper, we went through the meaning and needs of memory, and the categories of memory. Furthermore, We studied and explained eight aspects of memory activation strategies from the view of neurological perspective are suggested for practice in the classroom such as Mnemonic devices are strategies for enhancing memory, Engage in Adequate rehearsal, Schedule distributed practice, Minimize interference, Engage in deep processing, Emphasize Transfer, Enrich Encoding with Verbal Mnemonics, and Enrich encoding with visual imagery.

Nurturing the Imagination: Creativity Processes and Innovative Qualitative Research Projects

Vol. 5 No. 4

Year: 2012

Issue: February-April

Title: Nurturing the Imagination: Creativity Processes and Innovative Qualitative Research Projects 

Author Name: Thalia Mulvihill, Dr. Raji Swaminathan 

Synopsis: 

This article explores the creativity processes involved in designing and analyzing innovative qualitative research projects and evaluates examples of recent models and typologies that illustrate a variety of ways to approach qualitative inquiry. Using Gardner’s Five Minds (2006) typology, Boyer’s Model of Scholarship (1997) and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (1956;1973) the authors will provide new ideas for ways to foster creative thinking within graduate programs designed to prepare educators.  Visual thinking/writing activities (Grady, 2001;Deaver and McAuliffe,2009;Sanders-Bustle,2008), arts-based qualitative research ( Lawrence-Lightfoot and Davis,1997;Leavy, 2009; Eisner, 2008; Springgay, Irwin, Leggo, and Gouzouasis, 2008), as well as graduate-level pedagogies aimed at strengthening metacognition, all hold promise for evoking interdisciplinary understandings.  These interdisciplinary understandings will hopefully lead graduate students to the kinds of multi-modal displays of knowledge needed for exemplary 21st century teaching and learning. The authors contend that describing and defining Creative Inquiry Practices (CIPs), that can be used for pedagogy and research, receive little attention in the already relatively small amount of literature dedicated to pedagogical practices for graduate students.  Exploring the conditions and pedagogical prompts that help establish an environment for creativity and innovation will be discussed by two university faculty members engaged in preparing graduate student teacher-scholars at two different US institutions of higher education. The authors are interested in designing and describing innovative pedagogies aimed at helping graduate students build and use their Research Imagination(RI) as an essential part of the qualitative inquiry process.

Findings of Studies on Dyscalculia – A Synthesis

Vol. 5 No. 3

Year: 2012

Issue: November-January

Title: Findings of Studies on Dyscalculia – A Synthesis 

Author Name: B. William Dharma Raja, S. Praveen Kumar 

Synopsis: 

Children with learning disabilities face problems in acquiring the basic skills needed for learning. Dyscalculia is one among those learning disorders which affects the ability to acquire arithmetic skills that are needed to perform mathematical calculations. However this is a learning difficulty which is often not recognized. The objectives of this paper are to review studies and related literature on different types of dyscalculia; dyscalculics at various levels; relating dyscalculia to other learning disabilities; methods for overcoming dyscalculia; and comparison of dyscalculics and normal children. The dissertation abstracts international (1990-2010), the educational and psychological journals both at national and international levels, websites and related books have been reviewed for fulfilling the objectives of this paper. Among the studies reviewed, ten were taken from dissertation abstracts international, eleven from journals and six were from websites. The related literature was also collected from five books and from an Indian newspaper. Review of studies reveals the fact that less research has been done in the area of mathematical deficiencies. The need to conduct more researches on dyscalculia is essential in order to mitigate the problems of dyscalculics.

Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Technology, Curriculum, and Common Sense

Vol. 5 No. 3

Year: 2012

Issue: November-January

Title: Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Technology, Curriculum, and Common Sense 

Author Name: Ennis-Cole 

Synopsis: 

Autism is a spectrum of disorders which comprises Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Delay — Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Autistic Disorder.  It affects 1 in 110 children (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, [CDC], 2011), and it is a complex neurological disorder that is characterized by impairments in communication/language, behavior, and social interaction.  The individual with ASD may have mild to severe impairments in one or more of the areas listed above.  This makes it difficult to meet their needs, and it provides educational challenges.  This manuscript explores the role of technology, curriculum development, and common sense in educational planning for individuals in the spectrum.

Humanistic Versus Authoritarian Teachers: A reflection on Students’ Academic Motivation and Performance

Vol. 5 No. 3

Year: 2012

Issue: November-January

Title: Humanistic Versus Authoritarian Teachers: A reflection on Students’ Academic Motivation and Performance 

Author Name: Sarwat Sultan, Irshad Hussain 

Synopsis: 

This prospective study using self-determination theory was conducted to predict the students’ motivation and academic performance based on their perceived teachers’ humanistic vs. authoritarian orientations in the classrooms. The sample consisted of 300 students aged 14-18 years taken from different schools of Multan. The Pupil Control Behavior Scale, Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and exam scores were used to measure the perceived teachers’ humanistic vs. authoritarian orientations, and students’ motivation and performance respectively. The study revealed that students’ intrinsic motivation and performance are significantly positively related to humanistic orientation while negatively related to authoritarian orientation of teachers. A result pertaining to gender differences implies that female students report higher intrinsic motivation and performance as compared to male students.

The effectiveness of classroom-based supplementary video presentations in supporting emergent literacy development in early childhood education

Vol. 5 No. 3

Year: 2012

Issue: November-January

Title: The effectiveness of classroom-based supplementary video presentations in supporting emergent literacy development in early childhood education 

Author Name: Alaa Sadik, Khadeja Badr 

Synopsis: 

This study investigated the impact of supplementary video presentations in supporting young children’s emergent literacy development. Videos were produced by teachers using prototype software developed specifically for the purpose of this study. The software obtains media content from a variety of resources and devices, including webcam, microphone, PowerPoint slides, drawing board, and typing board in a simplified manner. Videos were supplemented to children who were identified as at risk to be viewed at home individually or with their parents. Participants were teachers and children in a full-day kindergarten in the Sultanate of Oman. Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL) scale and parent interviews were administered to measure the literacy skills and development of children in early childhood classrooms, and to understand children’s reactions to the use of classroom video presentations respectively. The results of TROLL indicated that no improvement had happened in the total score of oral language and literacy of the treatment group children (12) compared to the control group children. However, the treatment group children’s language use was improved significantly. Results from interviews showed that children liked video presentations prepared by their teachers, and parents found these videos useful for their children’s literacy development.

Teacher Self-Efficacy with Teaching Students to Lead IEP Meetings: A Correlation Study on Administrator Support

Vol. 5 No. 3

Year: 2012

Issue: November-January

Title: Teacher Self-Efficacy with Teaching Students to Lead IEP Meetings: A Correlation Study on Administrator Support 

Author Name: LaRon Scott 

Synopsis: 

Self-efficacy has been closely linked to teacher performance of instructional tasks. Previous studies on teacher self-efficacy focused on general activities and were less specific regarding special education teachers’ perceived ability to perform a given task. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to evaluate high school special education teachers’ self-efficacy with teaching students with disabilities the skills they need to lead their IEP meetings. The research question addressed the relationship between a high school special education teacher’s support from administration, and the level of the teacher’s self-efficacy with respect to teaching students with disabilities the skills they need to lead their IEP meetings. A sample of 84 high school special education teachers completed the Teacher Survey of Student Involvement in IEP Meetings Questionnaire (TSSIIMQ). A two-sample t test, was performed on the participant’s responses. The results showed that special education teachers’ support from administration was statistically significantly correlated with their levels of self-efficacy. This study had significant implications for social change by suggesting that a higher level of teacher self-efficacy may lead to an increase in preparing students who are self-determined advocates involved in leading their IEP meetings.

The intelligence of the hands: studying the origin of pedagogical craft education

Vol. 5 No. 3

Year: 2012

Issue: November-January

Title: The intelligence of the hands: studying the origin of pedagogical craft education 

Author Name: Brynjar Olafsson, Gisli Thorsteinsson 

Synopsis: 

Pedagogical craft was established in the Scandinavia around 1950 under the name Sloyd. The ideology was developed by European educators from 16th and 17th century. Sloyd aimed to educate children holistically via a carefully structured system for teaching craft. The child became the centre of the educational activities and the development of the capabilities of the whole person. Sloyd had a noted impact on the early development of manual training, manual arts, industrial education and technical education in many countries. The pedagogy had a humanistic character and its principles were guidelines for the whole activity in the subject. Individual development and self-realisation were at the centre of the subject, rather than just technical knowledge and skill taught by the teacher. The system aimed to fulfil the demands of a holistic education by fostering the entire human being’s capabilities. At the same time, it prepared the individual for the future working life, in accordance with the needs of an industrial society.

Personality Adjustment And Job Satisfaction Among The Lecturers Working In Junior Colleges

Vol. 5 No. 2

Year: 2011

Issue: August-October

Title  : Personality Adjustment And Job Satisfaction Among The Lecturers Working In Junior Colleges 

Synopsis: 

The present study focused on the relationship between personality adjustment and job satisfaction among junior college Lecturers in Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh, India. The successfulness of any educational program basically depends on the right performance and acceptance of teacher community. This mainly depends on their satisfaction in their profession. The teacher in their present situation is facing various academic and administrative issues. The teachers' personality adjustment is related to various professional, administrative, personal and societal aspects that are involved in the teacher profession. The aspects of teachers' personality adjustment and job satisfaction are conceptually independent and practically interdependent. The data were collected from the 112 Lecturers working in 11 Junior college in Vizianagaram District by way of two standardized questionnaires namely personality adjustment inventory developed by Sharma (1972) and job satisfaction scale constructed by Rao (1986). The data were analyzed by way of means, standard deviations, critical ratios and Coefficient of correlations. The results were discussed and the conclusions were drawn. On over all observation of the study some educational implications were given. 

A Portrayal of Women Educational Leadership In Pakistan

Vol. 5 No. 2

Year: 2011

Issue: August-October

Title: A Portrayal of Women Educational Leadership In Pakistan 

Synopsis: 

The researcher is stimulated to work on the growing trends of women leadership. The problem has been designed to investigate the factors influencing the emergence of women leadership at higher education level in Pakistan. On the basis of the studies conducted by Oplatka (2006) and Cubillo, Brown, 2003, it was assumed that specific factors influence the emergence of the women success in the society. The researcher used a mechanism of interacting with ten successful women leaders through in-depth semi-structured interviews to find out the secret of attaining their positions as leaders. The study led to the findings that women in leading positions were highly motivated and ambitious. Their elevated positions were attributed to their supportive families (particularly the father and husband), who valued education, and their equal treatment with their male siblings. They were challenged by the incongruence of their roles as female leaders relative to the prevailing social values and expectations towards women and their traditional role in society. 

Selection of Instructional Methods And Techniques: The Basic Consideration Of Teachers At Secondary School Level

Vol. 5 No. 2

Year: 2011

Issue: August-October

Title: Selection of Instructional Methods And Techniques: The Basic Consideration Of Teachers At Secondary School Level 

Author Name: Saira Ijaz Ahmed, Jamila Irum, Rabia Zahid 

Synopsis: 

The main objective of the study was to identify the instructional methods and techniques used by the secondary school teachers to transfer the instructions to the students and to explore the basic considerations of the teachers about the selection of these instructional methods and techniques. Participants of the study included were 442 teachers (155 Science teachers, 287 Arts/Humanities teachers). Data was collected by a self developed five point Likert Scale. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 15. The findings of the study revealed that the use of Lecture Method and the Question-Answering technique is common among the teachers of both Science and Arts groups. Basic considerations of the teachers of both Science and Arts groups during selecting the instructional methodology for the students included Subject matter, Number of students in class, Environment of the classroom, School policy, Assessment criteria and Grade level of the students.     

Non Adherence To Study Time Management Strategies Among Noun Students And Implications For Academic Stress

Vol. 5 No. 2

Year: 2011

Issue: August-October

Title: Non Adherence To Study Time Management Strategies Among Noun Students And Implications For Academic Stress 

Author Name: Fidel, O. Okopi 

Synopsis: 

The study was designed to investigate the NOUN students' non adherence to their time management strategies (TMS) during the course of their studies. The researcher also wanted to find out whether their gender, age, marital and employment statuses have influence on their adherence/non-adherence to the plan or not. The researcher also examined the academic stress implications for not adhering to study time management strategies. Self designed 30 item questionnaire was used for the research. Five null hypotheses were formulated and tested via SPSS platform. Sample of 2,160 students were selected from 18 study centres across six geopolitical zone of Nigeria for the study using simple random stratified sampling techniques (3 study centres per a zone and 120 students per a centre). The findings of this research indicated that there was no significant difference between the NOUN students who did not adhere to their study time management strategies and those who did adhere. Gender, age, marital and employment statuses had significant influence on NOUN students' non-adherence to their study time management strategies. The possible implications of the findings are that majority of NOUN students may be experiencing academic stress and if not properly counselled, would has profound impact on their wellbeing as well as their academic programmes completion rate. 

A Study of Spiritual Intelligence of The Pre-Service Teachers At The Secondary Stage In Relation To Self Esteem And Emotional Maturity

Vol. 5 No. 2

Year: 2011

Issue: August-October

Title: A Study of Spiritual Intelligence of The Pre-Service Teachers At The Secondary Stage In Relation To Self Esteem And Emotional Maturity 

Author Name: Keerti Vibha 

Synopsis: 

The study was conducted on a sample of 500 B.Ed. teacher trainees from School of Education, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara. Spiritual Intelligence and its dimensions of Transcendence, Interconnectedness, Expansion of Self, Extrasensory Perception and Existential Enquiry were taken up as dependent variables and whereas Self Esteem and Emotional Maturity were taken as independent variables. Each independent variable was varied at two levels- Low and High. The results of ANOVA showed that Low and High Self Esteem groups exhibited significant differences on the variables of Transcendence, Interconnectedness, Expansion of Self, Extrasensory Perception and Total Spiritual Intelligence in favour of High Self Esteem group, whereas no differences were exhibited between two groups of Low and High Self Esteem on the variable of Existential Enquiry. In case of Emotional Maturity groups-Low and High, the differences were found significant on the variables of Transcendence, Expansion of Self, Extrasensory Perception and Total Spiritual Intelligence in favour of Low Emotional Maturity and no significant differences were found on the variables of Interconnectedness and Existential Enquiry. The double interaction effects of the variables of Self Esteem and Emotional Maturity were not significant on Spiritual Intelligence and all its dimensions.