The role of goal orientations in students’ perceptions of classroom assessment in higher education

Students’ perception of assessment methods plays a significant role in determining their effort towards learning and their assessment tasks. Similar to the role of goal orientation in predicting students’ classroom learning, this study aims to examine how students’ goal orientations influence their perception of classroom assessments. Using a qualitative research design, the data was collected from 41 students enrolled in master’s degree programme at a public university in northern Malaysia, using reflection notes and semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using a typological approach to inductively develop the categories. The findings demonstrated that perception of mastery goal oriented students considerably contrasted with those with performance goal orientation. The distinctions in perception is discussed under four categories: assessment as a process or product, preferences for modes, reasons for effort and feeling and emotions. The implications of the findings are discussed for higher education practitioners.     

Effects of friendship and relationship dimensions of classroom environment on general and academic self-concept

Learning Environments Research - The purpose of present study was to examine the effect of friendship and relationship dimensions of the classroom environment on general and academic selfconcept....     

Examining antecedents of knowledge-sharing factors on research supervision: An empirical study

The use of an effective supervision mechanism is crucial between a student and supervisor. The essential knowledge shared and transferred between these two parties must be observed and understood very well in order to ensure that students are produced at good level of quality for future professional knowledge workers. The aim of this study was to conduct an assessment of the impact of individual, organisational and technical factors on knowledge sharing in a research supervision domain. In order to achieve this aim, a specific research model was developed. This model was based on systematically analysing and extracting all the knowledge-sharing impact factors and then choosing the more iterative and adaptable ones, according to research supervision models. These factors categorized to individual, organizational and technological factors. To effectively evaluate the research model, a quantitative research method was adopted. Data was collected by a survey of 150 students from the Faculty of Computing at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The Smart PLS tool was used for data analysis. In sum, the results of this research show that the individual factor in the research supervision domain – namely, the ability of students to share knowledge – in addition to technological factors – specifically, IT systems – have the greatest impact on knowledge sharing in the supervision process. In addition, it was shown that organisational factors including the culture of the university, social networks, and supervisor support have a positive impact on knowledge sharing in research supervision. However, when compared with individual and technical factors, the effect of organisational factors on knowledge sharing in research supervision was not particularly strong in the case of this study. A positive relationship did not exist between the learning strategy and knowledge sharing in research supervision. This study is among the first of its kind to empirically examine the antecedent factors of knowledge sharing in the context of research supervision.     

The role of sociocultural mediational tools in EFL teachers’ development: insights from a life history approach

The sociocultural orientation in general education, which has gradually leaked into second language teacher education, argues that teachers usually employ social relations, cultural artefacts, and theoretical concepts to mediate their thinking and practice. Against this background, the present study aimed to explore how three male Iranian English as a foreign language teachers have capitalised on the three sociocultural tools to mediate their development. The findings revealed that not all three mediational tools, though each influential in its own terms, have been available wholesale to the teachers and that different academic and teaching phases have yielded differential access to the tools. The authors indicate that during school as student, human mediation, particularly of apprenticeship, seems to be the dominant tool available for the teachers to mediate their development. Later on, in higher education institutes, although the human apprenticeship is still visible, cultural artefacts and scientific theories start to surface influencing the teachers’ learning and teaching trajectories. The implications for both teachers and teacher educators are discussed.     

Authenticity in teaching and teachers’ emotions: a hermeneutic phenomenological study of the classroom reality

This study probed the conceptualization of authenticity in teaching and its link to teachers’ emotional life through critical emotional praxis because emotions are integral to discovering who we really are (McCarthy, E. D. 2009. “Emotional Performances as Dramas of Authenticity.” In Authenticity in Culture, Self, and Society, edited by P. Vannini, and J. P. Williams, 241–255. London: Ashgate). The participants were 20 Iranian university teachers. Data were collected using interviews, field notes, and observation and were analyzed through the lens of hermeneutic phenomenology. The results revealed that authenticity in teaching consisted of themes of being one’s own self, horizon of significance, and contestation resulted from the sense of responsibility, authentic relations, and de-constructive thinking which confirmed the dialogical nature of authenticity. The emotions connected to authenticity in teaching were Transition-Anger, love, and caring indicating that authenticity in teaching was a practice toward socially just teaching.     

Working as partners for classroom reform

This paper discusses a partnership involving teachers and a teacher educator working together to develop teaching and learning practices in Pakistan. The partnership was established in response to the teachers’ need for support in developing their professional practices within the actual contexts and realities of their schools, after they had attended an in-service training course at a university. Providing case studies, the paper analyses the processes and outcomes of this co-learning partnership. The findings suggest that the collaborative process advances the understanding of teachers’ problems, resolves them on the spot, and provides teachers with the confidence and courage to transcend the constraints of their workplaces while developing professionally.     

Information searching behavior in the Internet age: A users’ study of Aligarh Muslim University

This study reports the results of a survey conducted at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to determine the extent to which Internet users are aware and make use of the Internet resources and services. The study examines the information searching behavior of Internet users. A questionnaire and follow-up interviews with the postgraduate students, research scholars and academic staff were conducted to collect data. A total of 489 questionnaires were distributed to the selected sample of eight faculties; 405 valid samples were collected. The data were analyzed according to the background of Internet users, Internet information searching behavior, use of Internet resources and services, quality of Internet information, problems of the Internet access and need for Internet literacy. The study found that the majority of respondents had a 5 year history of Internet access. The academic staff spent more time on the Internet than the students and research scholars. Although Internet search engines were the preferred information searching tool, other methods such as databases, gateways and World Wide Web (WWW) were also used. Online journals and databases were the preferred information sources among the Internet users. Respondents chose e-mail, WWW and search engines as important Internet services. About 60% of respondents believed that the good quality of information on the Internet made it a useful tool for education and research. Slow speed, lack of training and information overload were indicated as some of the factors affecting Internet usage. Further, recommendations are made to improve the use of Internet, including a well-planned Internet literacy program and preparation of subject gateways.     

The policy and management of information technology in Jordanian schools

During the past two decades the introduction of personal computers has been a major innovation in the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan. This new technology continues to offer an exciting challenge to educationalists. This paper reviews the developments of Information Technology (IT) in Jordanian public schools in the period 1984–1998. My contention is that the highly centralised nature of the Jordanian educational system and the comprehensive policy of the Directorate of Educational Computing (DEC) have made the introduction of computers in schools less difficult.