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1
Kitikanan, Patchanok. "L2 English fricative production by Thai learners." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/3410.
Full textAbstract:
In early research on L2 (second language) phonology, researchers mainly focussed on whether L2 learners can achieve ‘target-likeness’, which relates to whether or not a sound is perceived as the intended target or whether it fits into the expected IPA category as determined by trained phonetician(s). The popular model for this focus was the contrastive analysis hypothesis (CAH) (Lado, 1957). Later research extended the focus to judgements of ‘native-likeness’, which is the extent to which the speaker’s L2 sound production has native-like qualities. Methods such as accent rating tasks and acoustic measurements have become popular over time, together with investigations of how the results correlate with external factors which are thought to influence L2 speech learning. Well-known models such as the Speech Learning Model (SLM) (Flege, 1995) and the Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM) (Best, 1995) have been very influential in this field, but are mainly based on assumptions regarding L2 learners in a naturalistic setting. The aim of this thesis is to investigate L2 English fricative production by Thai learners of English with a combination of focus on target-likeness and native-likeness through four types of analysis: impressionistic, sound identification, accent rating, and acoustic analyses. This thesis also explores external factors which may contribute to target-likeness in L2 production which is more important than native-likeness as it helps in communication between interlocutors. The L2 fricatives are divided into those that have a counterpart in Thai (/f, s/ henceforth ‘shared’ sounds) and those that do not (/v, θ, ð, z, ʃ/, henceforth ‘non-shared’). As CAH focuses on target-likeness, it predicts that shared sounds are easy to produce; SLM, on the other hand, focuses on native-likeness and predicts that shared sounds are difficult to produce. Results from the four experiments in this study show mixed results. In terms of results from impressionistic and sound identification analyses, CAH-based hypotheses accurately predict most results, which show that shared sounds are more frequently produced in a target-like manner and more accurately identified. In terms of results from the accent rating task, SLM had to be rejected in this case, as results showed that shared fricatives were more often produced in a native-like manner, unlike non-shared fricatives. In the acoustic investigation, ii differences in the realisations of L2 shared sounds supported SLM-based hypotheses in some contexts. And although SLM-based hypotheses were disconfirmed when it came to the accent rating of L2 shared and non-shared sounds, the phonetic properties of non-shared sounds in the realisations that were deemed target-like were native-like in many contexts, suggesting some L2 attainment for non-shared sounds. Taken as a whole, these results emphasise the need to focus on both target-likeness and native-likeness in investigating L2 speech production. They also imply that L1 and L2 sound comparison is context- and task-dependent.
2
Hemchua, Saengchan. "Vocabulary development in Thai EFL and ESL learners." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.270286.
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Na-Thalang, Sanooch. "Thai learners of English and the English number system." Thesis, University of Essex, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.310046.
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Vanijdee, Alisa. "Language learning strategy use, interaction with self-instructional materials, and learner autonomy of Thai distance language learners." Thesis, University of Reading, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.365377.
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Boonmoh, Atipat. "The use of pocket electronic dictionaries by Thai learners of English." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2009. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/1072/.
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This thesis investigates the current situation of pocket electronic dictionary use in Thailand. It explores the types of dictionary owned and used by Thai learners and their teachers, and the teachers’ attitudes towards the use of pocket electronic dictionaries (PEDs). It also explores how Thai learners use pocket electronic dictionaries to write a summary in English (production) and to write a summary in Thai (reception), and strategies that Thai students use to try to solve their reading and writing problems. The participants in my studies included 30 lecturers who taught basic English courses at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok. Data was collected using a questionnaire to obtain personal information, and information about access to and use of dictionaries, including knowledge about PEDs. Of the 30 teachers, 6 were interviewed in order to gain insights into teachers’ attitudes towards the use of PEDs. For my large-scale survey on dictionary use there were 1,211 first and second year undergraduate participants. These came from the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science, and Faculty of Industrial Education. Of these, 27 were selected to take part in my small scale survey of pocket electronic dictionary use. The first student survey was used to gain quantitative data about the students and their use of dictionaries, while the second student survey was used to gain more qualitative data regarding their use of PEDs. Finally, 13 out of the 27 participants were chosen to take part in the main experimental studies. Data was collected using think aloud, observation, and retrospective interviews. The first eight participants were asked to read two reading passages (one in English and the other one in Thai). Using dictionaries in their PEDs, the participants were asked to write a summary in Thai for the English passage (the Light Bulb I experiment) and to write a summary in English for the Thai passage (the Water I experiment). The remaining 5 participants followed the same procedures, but additionally after the two summary tasks were completed they were asked to review their summaries again using Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, the English-English dictionary in their PEDs (the Light Bulb II and the Water II experiments). ii The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that the teachers used and preferred their students to use monolingual learners’ dictionaries. They noticed the presence of PEDs in the classroom but they were under-informed about the contents and capabilities of Thai PEDs. The student surveys showed that although most students possessed learners’ dictionaries in book form, only a few of those owning the learners’ dictionaries reported actually using them. In contrast, nearly half of the students owned PEDs and most of these students reported using them. A greater number of students also reported they would like to use or own a PED in the future. The findings also suggest that the teachers do not have much influence over their students’ choice of dictionaries. The experimental studies revealed how the participants tackled the reading passages and wrote summaries, the problems they encountered, and the strategies they used to solve these problems. Models of PED consultations were proposed. The use of the English-English dictionary in their PEDs helped participants to comprehend the reading text, and helped some participants when reviewing their English summaries. It was found that some participants failed to display knowledge of the PEDs they were using. The investigations reveal several factors that may hinder dictionary look up success as well as factors that may promote dictionary look up success. On the basis of this research, guidelines for buying PEDs and for teaching PED skills are proposed. This research makes a significant contribution to the field of dictionary use, especially regarding the use of pocket electronic dictionaries. Through the use of a combination of research methods it provides an account of what really happens when PEDs are used for reception and for production. It also investigates and assesses PED features in detail, something which no existing PED studies have done before.
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Kongsom, Tiwaporn. "The effects of teaching communication strategies on Thai learners of English." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2009. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/69653/.
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The issue of teaching and learning communication strategies has been controversial over the past few decades. Whereas some theoretical arguments reject the benefits of teaching of communication strategies, many practical and empirical studies make pedagogical recommendations and support the idea. Nevertheless, there appears to be no information on teaching communication strategies to Thai learners of English in Thailand. To address these issues, this thesis investigates the effects of teaching communication strategies to Thai learners of English in Thailand. It was designed as an interventionist study conducted with a group of students. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the current study. Sixty-two fourth year students majoring in Engineering at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok participated in this study. All the students received a 12-week communication strategy-based instruction and 12 students were asked to complete four speaking tasks and retrospective protocols. Data were collected via (1) self-report strategy questionnaire, (2) attitudinal questionnaire (3) transcription data of four different speaking tasks, and (4) retrospective protocols. The results from the self-report strategy questionnaire and the speaking tasks showed that the explicit teaching of communication strategies raised students’ awareness of strategy use and promoted the greater use of taught communication strategies of the students. The students considered the taught strategies in communication strategy instruction useful, especially pause fillers and hesitation devices, approximation, self repair and circumlocution. With respect to the retrospective verbal reports, the findings showed that the students tended to be more aware of the taught communication strategies. They revealed their intention and reasons behind their use of some taught communication strategies in more detail while completing the postspeaking tasks. Finally, the positive outcomes of the teaching of some specific communication strategies were supported by the findings of an attitudinal questionnaire on the strategy instruction. The findings suggest that the students found the communication strategy instruction useful for them. They also showed positive feelings and attitudes towards the communication strategy instruction.
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Burkardt, Brett A. "Acquisition sequence of the English interdental fricatives by Thai ESL learners /." Available to subscribers only, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1597629651&sid=2&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2008."Department of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages." Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-72). Also available online.
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Jaihow, Patson. "Corpus use by student writers : error correction by Thai learners of English." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2018. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/8274/.
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Researchers in corpus linguistics and applied linguistics have recommended the use of corpus data by language learners to promote independent learning (Bernardini, 2004; Yoon & Hirvela, 2004; O’Keeffe et al, 2007). However, it is not clear to what extent learners are able to use corpus resources independently, and how they can be trained to use a corpus more effectively. This thesis reports a study of learners using a corpus for error correction. The learners recorded their processes using a think-aloud protocol. The thesis records three main findings. Firstly, the learners found it easiest to spot and correct errors of clause structure, noun class, adjective pattern, and collocation; they found verb pattern the most difficult errors to correct. Secondly, the learners most frequently searched for information about colligation, collocation, acceptability/occurrence of strings in a corpus, and determiner-noun agreement; they searched for information about lexical pattern relatively infrequently. Finally, the learners worked most effectively with the corpus when they entered single words as the search terms and scrutinized the concordance lines for collocates and patterns; they worked least effectively with the corpus when they entered whole strings of words. The thesis also makes recommendations for facilitating corpus use in classrooms and specifies the training that learners need to use corpora effectively.
9
Kasemsin, Chirasiri. "Interlanguage refusals : a cross-sectional study of Thai EFL learners' refusals in English." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2006. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/806/.
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Using the speech act of refusals and formulaic language as focuses of analysis, this thesis aims to explore whether or not grammatical proficiency and development is distinct from pragmatic proficiency. The data were collected from 36 Thai EFL learners at three proficiency levels: low intermediate, intermediate and advanced, using four open role-plays. The role-plays were designed to incorporate different combinations of sociolinguistic variables of power and distance, as expounded in Brown and Levinson's politeness theory. The data were analyzed from two perspectives: pragmatic and lexicogrammatical. In the pragmatic analysis, the data were segmented in to refusal moves and interactional function categories. Drawing on politeness theories of face-saving, the analysis focused on a comparison of the learners' use of refusal moves, the pragmatic orientation of their refusal moves in refusal episodes and face-saving manoeuvres. The lexico-grammatical features of the data were analyzed in terms of their formulaicity. Sixteen native speakers of English were asked to identify formulaic sequences in the role-play transcription. The formulaic sequences identified were tallied, analyzed in terms of proportion, frequency and variety, and compared across the three proficiency levels. The analyses show that 1) the pragmatic orientation of refusal moves of the learners at the three proficiency levels was similar but 2) that the use of refusal moves to mitigate the force of refusals was slightly different across the levels; 3) the overall language produced by the advanced learners had the highest proportion of formulaic language, but 4) in the lexicalizations of refusals the low-inter-mediate learners used more formulaic language than the other two groups. The results indicate that the pragmatic aspects of the learners' refusals seem to be independent of their proficiency level while the way they used formulaic language in the role-plays and in the lexicalizations of refusals are related to proficiency level.
10
Puakpong, Nattaya, and n/a. "An individualized CELL Listening Comprehension Program: making listening more meaningful for Thai learners of English." University of Canberra. Languages, International Studies & Tourism, 2005. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060724.135729.
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The purpose of this research project was to examine theories of learning, theories of teaching, and theories of listening comprehension with a view to developing and testing a computer-enhanced listening comprehension system for English as a Foreign Language within the Thai university system. In addition to carrying out an in-depth literature review, factors contributing to difficulties in the listening process were also carefully examined in order to build a sound foundation for dealing with listening comprehension. A brief history and analysis of Computer Assisted Language Learning were presented together with a review of some computer programs with the aim of determining their characteristics. An Individualized CELL Listening Comprehension Program was then developed on the basis of four theoretical frameworks: the Constructivist approach, the need to use authentic spoken passages, reduction of cognitive load and response to learner differences.
The system was then used by twenty students of Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), Thailand for a period of fifteen weeks. Students were volunteers from different proficiency levels. SUT midterm and final examinations were employed, in part, to observe the effect of the program on proficiency levels. The SUT examinations, which were usually in a multiple-choice format, tested students on minor details through short, simple conversations. These tests might not fit entirely within best practice for listening but they seem to be a common way of measuring listening development in several educational contexts. Pretests and posttests examining global ideas and specific details in written and multiple-choice formats were then developed so as to provide a more accurate gauge of improvement in listening skills. Log files were kept in order to scrutinize in detail students� interactions with the system. Questionnaire and interview techniques were applied to seek out students� attitudes towards the program.
The results revealed that the participants performed better than their peers in the same proficiency levels in SUT midterm and final examinations although the difference was not at a statistically significant level. However, posttest scores were better than those of pretest at a statistically significant level in most aspects except in case of the global ideas. The log files revealed that all students tended to focus on the word level by attempting to understand and decode every word in the transcriptions. This fixation is likely to explain the low global ideas scores. Analysis was complicated by the fact that some students were not able to use the
program frequently enough, usually because of unexpectedly heavy schedules. However, the data extracted through questionnaires and interviews showed that most students demonstrated a positive attitude towards the various features of the program and felt that use of the program had improved their listening skills. In addition to findings relating to the development of listening comprehension, the study revealed that the majority of students felt that they did not think listening comprehension and, more generally the study of English, was sufficiently important to spend time on. This interesting but shocking discovery needs to be attended to immediately as it may have a strong effect on how Thai students prioritize their learning of English, and how this may impact on the levels of proficiency which they might subsequently attain.
11
Jimarkon, Pattamawan. "The effects of task type on group work interaction : a study of Thai EFL learners." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.438637.
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Pengpanich, Archara. "Case studies of the production and interpretation of pronomial and lexical reference by Thai learners of English." Thesis, Cardiff University, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.238196.
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Thongsri, Narinthip. "Thai learners' dispositions towards web-based methods of supporting the learning of English as a foreign language." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.400881.
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Lotsander, Jacob. "Thai Learners of English : An Error and Transference Analysis of the Use of Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Avdelningen för humaniora, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-34343.
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Pongpairoj, Nattama. "Variability in second language article production : a comparison of L1 Thai and L1 French learners of L2 English." Thesis, University of York, 2008. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11083/.
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This thesis explores variability in second language (L2) production of English articles by speakers whose first language (Ll) is Thai (-articles), and compares it with proficiency-matched learners whose Ll is French (+articles). The thesis addresses a current debate on whether variability in production of second language functional morphology stems from representational deficits or from processing problems in production. The investigation of L2 article production was focused on tightly defined pairs of contexts for which different theoretical positions would predict different learner behaviours. Experiments were designed which measured the level of article omissions (a) in adjectivally premodified noun phrases (Art + Adj + N) vs. non-modified phrases (Art + N), (b) with first vs. second mention definite referents, and (c) with more vs. less attended (less salient) referents. A further study explored article substitution errors, in particular the alleged overuse of the indefinite article in [+definite; -specific] contexts and the definite article in [-definite; +specific] contexts. Results suggest that Ll Thai learners of L2 English, but not Ll French learners of L2 English, omit articles more (a) in adjectivally premodified than in non-modified contexts, (b) with second than with first mention definite referents, and (c) with more attended than with less attended referents. It is argued that these results point against the view that variability in production of L2 morphology stems from processing problems in production only (i.e. the view that assumes that L2 syntax must be target-like), and that they support the view that the variability stems from representational problems, with further knock-on effects on processing. In particular, the results are interpreted as consistent with the combined predictions of the Syntactic Misanalysis Hypothesis (Trenkic 2007) and the Information Load Hypothesis (Almor 1999). The results of the study investigating article substitutions show that Ll Thai learners of L2 English, but not Ll French learners of L2 English, oversupplied the definite article in fill-in-the-gap tasks in [-definite; +specific] contexts, but only when the speaker explicitly claimed personal familiarity with the referent - not when the speaker explicitly denied persona' familiarity with the referent. Similarly, they also oversupplied the indefinite article in [+definite] contexts whenever the speaker denied familiarity with the referent, irrespective of whether the context was [+specific] or [-specific]. This suggests that LI Thai learners of English accept familiarity with identifying attributes of a referent as a possible criterion for the use of the definite article, and non-familiarity as a criterion for the use of the indefinite article. The results are interpreted as arguing against the suggestion that L2 English article choices are UG-regulated (cf. lonin, Ko and Wexler 2004). The results are shown to be consistent with the predictions of the Syntactic Misanalysis Hypothesis instead. The results of empirical investigations conducted in this thesis contribute to the debate on causes ofvariability in production ofL2 functional morphology. The observed patterns of L2 English article omissions and substitutions seem more consistent with the view that variable production stems from non-target-like syntax.
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Pongsiriwet, Charuporn. "Relationships among grammatical accuracy, discourse features, and the quality of second language writing the case of Thai EFL learners /." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2001. http://etd.wvu.edu/templates/showETD.cfm?recnum=2024.
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Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001.Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 114 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-105).
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Simasangyaporn, Nantikarn. "The effect of listening strategy instruction on Thai learners' self-efficacy, English listening comprehension and reported use of listening strategies." Thesis, University of Reading, 2016. http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/68649/.
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This study aimed to explore the nature of self-efficacy among 161 Thai undergraduate EFL students through the investigation of the level of their self-efficacy and the relationship between their self-efficacy and their proficiency in listening comprehension. Learners’ attributions for success and failure, which might also influence their self-efficacy beliefs, were also explored. The second aim of the study was to examine whether a programme of listening strategy instruction could improve their level of self-efficacy, the level of their listening comprehension, and their reported use of listening strategies. Finally, the study examined whether learners from different levels of proficiency benefit from the strategy instruction in a similar manner. This research study is of a quasi-experimental, mixed method design, with one intervention group and one comparison group. Listening proficiency was measured by a free-recall listening task and a listening comprehension question task. The levels of self-efficacy and strategy use were elicited by a set of questionnaires. The manner of strategy use was also further investigated by using a stimulated-recall interview which required 14 participants to give a verbal account of how they had performed the previous listening tasks. These instruments were implemented at pre- and post-test data collection points before and after the intervention which lasted 12 weeks. The findings of the study indicate that, at pre-test, the level of self-efficacy among the participants was rather low but correlation analyses suggest a moderate relationship between self-efficacy and listening comprehension levels. Statistical analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in how much the intervention and comparison groups improved their self-efficacy levels from pre-test to post-test. However, the intervention group participants improved their levels of listening comprehension significantly more than the comparison group participants on both the free-recall and the listening comprehension question task. This was true for both high and low proficiency learners. While a 2×2 ANOVA on the strategy questionnaire items did not indicate statistically significant changes in strategy use as a result of the intervention, a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis suggested that a greater number of the intervention group participants had positive behaviours at post-test than was the case at pre-test. The manner of the participants’ listening strategy use was further explored by looking at the frequency of strategies reported in the stimulated recall interview as well as the way in which strategy combinations were employed. At post-test, the intervention group reported a much higher level of hypothesis formation, hypothesis monitoring and hypothesis formation than at pre-test, which was not the case for the comparison group. Likewise, the intervention participants also reported greater use of word or chunk identification as well as being able to combine other strategies to compensate for gaps in their bottom-upskills. Thus, there was evidence that the intervention group had changed the way in which they employed listening strategies as a result of the intervention, while the comparison group showed much fewer changes. The study not only provides evidence of the potential benefits of strategy instruction for improving L2 listening comprehension, regardless of learners’ proficiency levels, but also has methodological implications, as the strategy analyses demonstrated the value of exploring strategy use through a qualitative approach.
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Damnet, Anamai. "Enhancing acquisition of intercultural nonverbal competence : Thai English as a foreign language learners and the use of contemporary English language films." Thesis, full-text, 2008. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2023/.
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This study investigates aspects of the teaching and learning of intercultural nonverbal competence by university students majoring in English in Thailand and starts from the position that intercultural nonverbal competence is an important, but neglected area within English language teaching for international communication. Five aspects of nonverbal communication where there are pronounced differences between Thai and native English norms are investigated: facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, bodily communication, kinesics (touching), and vocalic communication.
The study employs a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting classroom research on the learning and teaching of nonverbal communication within university EFL speaking and listening skills classes. Seventy-three second year undergraduate students majoring in English were randomly assigned to and participated in one of two different teaching interventions both of which involved the use of the same four American and Australian contemporary films. The experimental intervention involved explicit teaching of nonverbal communication and the other more traditional one provided exposure to the same native speaker interactions in the same four films, but with classroom activities focused on linguistic and pragmatic features arising from the films.
Adopting a quasi-experimental pre and posttest design the study includes three phases of data collection: (1) pre teaching assessment, (2) teaching phase, and (3) post teaching assessment. The pre and post teaching assessments cover students’ attitudes towards, understanding of and ability to employ nonverbal communication when communicating in English in intercultural contexts. The post teaching assessment covers these same areas together with additional qualitative data collection about students’ experiences of participation in the study. Data analyses include use of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and within group t-tests.
The study reveals that in comparison with students from the control group students from the experimental group who had participated in the explicit teaching of nonverbal communication had:
(a) more positive attitudes towards nonverbal communication of English native speakers,
(b) a higher level of understanding of nonverbal communication of English native speakers
(c) a higher level of ability to apply nonverbal channels in communication appropriately in role playing interaction with an English native speaker,
and, in addition,
(d) most students from both groups felt positive about the opportunities that practising role plays and viewing contemporary English language films provided for them to enhance their intercultural acquisition of nonverbal competence in communicating in English with native speakers.
Qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and also indicated that students in the experimental group had achieved a deeper and more explicit understanding of the role of nonverbal communication in interactions in English, whilst also demonstrating a strong sense of what might be acceptable in an English language context with English native speakers and what is acceptable with fellow Thais. Furthermore, the results highlight that it is not essential for nonnative speakers to stay/study abroad in English as native language speaking countries in order to improve their communicative and intercultural nonverbal competences to levels approximating that of native speakers. Films and role play, when used appropriately, may provide effective native speaker modeling and opportunities for practice.
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Damnet, Anamai. "Enhancing acquisition of intercultural nonverbal competence : Thai English as a foreign language learners and the use of contemporary English language films." full-text, 2008. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/2023/1/damnet.pdf.
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This study investigates aspects of the teaching and learning of intercultural nonverbal competence by university students majoring in English in Thailand and starts from the position that intercultural nonverbal competence is an important, but neglected area within English language teaching for international communication. Five aspects of nonverbal communication where there are pronounced differences between Thai and native English norms are investigated: facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, bodily communication, kinesics (touching), and vocalic communication. The study employs a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting classroom research on the learning and teaching of nonverbal communication within university EFL speaking and listening skills classes. Seventy-three second year undergraduate students majoring in English were randomly assigned to and participated in one of two different teaching interventions both of which involved the use of the same four American and Australian contemporary films. The experimental intervention involved explicit teaching of nonverbal communication and the other more traditional one provided exposure to the same native speaker interactions in the same four films, but with classroom activities focused on linguistic and pragmatic features arising from the films. Adopting a quasi-experimental pre and posttest design the study includes three phases of data collection: (1) pre teaching assessment, (2) teaching phase, and (3) post teaching assessment. The pre and post teaching assessments cover students’ attitudes towards, understanding of and ability to employ nonverbal communication when communicating in English in intercultural contexts. The post teaching assessment covers these same areas together with additional qualitative data collection about students’ experiences of participation in the study. Data analyses include use of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and within group t-tests. The study reveals that in comparison with students from the control group students from the experimental group who had participated in the explicit teaching of nonverbal communication had: (a) more positive attitudes towards nonverbal communication of English native speakers, (b) a higher level of understanding of nonverbal communication of English native speakers (c) a higher level of ability to apply nonverbal channels in communication appropriately in role playing interaction with an English native speaker, and, in addition, (d) most students from both groups felt positive about the opportunities that practising role plays and viewing contemporary English language films provided for them to enhance their intercultural acquisition of nonverbal competence in communicating in English with native speakers. Qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and also indicated that students in the experimental group had achieved a deeper and more explicit understanding of the role of nonverbal communication in interactions in English, whilst also demonstrating a strong sense of what might be acceptable in an English language context with English native speakers and what is acceptable with fellow Thais. Furthermore, the results highlight that it is not essential for nonnative speakers to stay/study abroad in English as native language speaking countries in order to improve their communicative and intercultural nonverbal competences to levels approximating that of native speakers. Films and role play, when used appropriately, may provide effective native speaker modeling and opportunities for practice.
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Sriharuksa, Kamonrat. "The effect of focused and unfocused corrective feedback on Thai EFL learners' uptake, noticing and ability to use simple past and present perfect." Thesis, University of Essex, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.701374.
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This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of focused corrective feedback (FCF) on learners' noticing, uptake and their subsequent oral production of simple past and present perfect. It also sought to explore patterns of corrective feedback (CF) provision naturally occurring in classroom interaction in an EFL communicatively oriented setting in a Thai university context. In addition, self-initiated self-repairs were also examined. The participants were 29 students in four intact classrooms and two experienced Thai teachers. Two classes were assigned as control groups (UnFCF, n=ll ) and the other two classes as experimental groups (FCF, n=18) from the total of 85 students who agreed to take part in the treatment sessions but not the three tests. Pre-tests were administered prior to the first treatment session. During four treatment sessions of 24 hours in total, the control groups received CF on different types of errors. By contrast, the experimental groups were provided with CF on errors related to the target structures. All interactions among 85 participants were audio-recorded. Immediate and five-week delayed post-tests were administered after the last treatment session. The data on classroom interactions, were transcribed in full, coded and computed for analysis purposes and test scores were statistically analysed. The results reveal no significant statistical difference between groups on written tests over time. On oral production tasks, no significant differences between the groups were observed, but a potential trend in favour of FCF was evident. Learners made various types of errors in their speech production and different types of CF were provided as part of the 'normal' provision in the communicative classroom. FCF resulted in higher uptake and noticing. The CF patterns observed in both groups were described and compared. Pedagogical implications were also drawn based on the key findings.
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Pattapong, Kamlaitip. "Willingness to communicate in a second language : a qualitative study of issues affecting Thai EFL learners from students' and teachers' point of view." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/9244.
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Students’ preference to remain silent in English-speaking classrooms has long been a problem in Thailand where the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach is widely used. This study investigates the reasons why Thai students do not want to use English to communicate in their EFL class. The theoretical framework for this study is based on research by MacIntyre et al. (1998) and Wen and Clement (2003). MacIntyre et al.’s (1998) framework concerns the process underlying the inclination to choose to speak a second language given the opportunity. This phenomenon is called, “Willingness to Communicate” (WTC) in a second language (L2). MacIntyre et al.’s framework was adapted by Wen and Clement (2003) and applied to nonwestern classroom settings, where a learners’ volition to speak in a second language may be influenced by cultural orientations. The theoretical framework of this study posits that WTC in the Thai EFL classroom context varies depending upon the immediate situation in the language classroom. This situation reflects the role of interlocutors as a product of cultural protocol, and the classroom communication patterns which are controlled by the classroom teacher. Based on this theoretical framework, the study primarily investigates the students’ WTC in a second language within the classroom context. Also, it aims to understand what EFL teachers do in their teaching practices to promote students’ WTC and how these practices affect students’ WTC. The framework of this study determined the rationale for methods of investigation that use qualitative inquiry to understand the contextually dependent nature of WTC in a second language. The rationale is based on a view of motivation called the person-in-context relational view of L2 motivation, a term recently coined by Ushioda (2009). The use of qualitative methods to investigate perceptions from both students and teachers concerning’ students WTC in the Thai EFL classroom context captures relevant contextually-related variables. The participants in this study were 29 undergraduate students, enrolled in five firstlevel English speaking classes at two universities in Bangkok, Thailand. These students were selected from 84 students who completed a WTC questionnaire. The selection of the participants was based on their WTC scores. Five teachers from these classes also participated, three of whom were Thai and two were native English speakers. The perceptions of both student and teacher participants were investigated xii through multiple methods: interviews, stimulated recall, and classroom observations. After the classroom observations, student and teacher participants participated in individual interviews, which were composed of general questions and stimulated recall questions based on classroom videos. Content analysis was used to identify themes indicating the variables contributing to students’ WTC and the teachers’ attempts to encourage students to speak English. Interpretation of the findings involved the analysis of data derived from the three sources of student and teacher interviews, stimulated recall data and observations. The proposed theoretical framework of the study was supported by the findings. Cultural orientation was found to be the basis of four identified variables underlying students’ WTC, classified as: Cultural Context, Social and Individual Context, Classroom Context, and Social and Psychological Context. Variables in the cultural context category highlighted two key principles underlying the norms of social interactions in Thai culture: the desire to establish a network of relationships and the need to maintain the hierarchical system embedded in the society. These two principles highlight the role of significant others over an individual’s decisions to interact or remain silent. In the social and individual context category, WTC was dependent on the role of significant others, as well as one’s personal characteristics and learning experiences. Within the classroom context, students’ WTC varied according to the influence of peer interlocutors, with whom the participants communicated. Also, teaching practices, reflecting language learning tasks and class management were found to affect students’ WTC. Finally, the social and psychological context comprised psychological variables (i.e., language anxiety, selfrelated beliefs, and goal orientations) that are affected by evaluations from significant others. Cultural orientation, emphasising the importance of significant others over students’ WTC was found to be relevant in all four WTC contexts. This interactive function of culture is comparable to the view of culture as a process, as proposed by Zusho and Pintrich (2003). Moreover, the use of a qualitative methodology in this study highlighted the explicit role of some variables on WTC (i.e., self-concept, selfefficacy, and goal orientations); a qualitative methodology has not been widely employed in previous WTC research. The findings from the present study were used to develop a model of WTC in a second language for Thai EFL learners in which the role of culture is emphasized. xiii The profound influence of culture on WTC implies that teachers need to be aware of students’ cultural backgrounds when designing classroom tasks and activities, so as to enhance WTC in English and promote English communication among students. This study contributes to theorizing of WTC in a second language from the Thai EFL perspective. Additionally, the study contributes to the investigation of WTC through qualitative research methods which have rarely been employed to date. The study also presents implications for designing teaching applications to maximize students’ WTC in EFL classrooms in Thailand.
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Apichatabutra, Chanisa 1978. "The effects of function-based academic and behavior intervention on problem behaviors and reading performance for English language learners in a Thai elementary school." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10066.
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xvi, 225 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.This study investigated the effectiveness of function-based academic and behavior intervention on behavior and reading improvement for five English language learners who exhibited escape-maintained problem behaviors and academic reading difficulties. The study sought to document the effect of a function-based approach on students with highly diverse cultural backgrounds in an international school in Thailand. The intervention emphasized (a) the functional behavior assessment (FBA) strategies to identify the function of the target behavior, (b) evidence-based effective reading instructional approaches, and (c) responsiveness to cultural perspectives of teachers and students. A combined single-subject research methodology documented a functional relationship between implementation of the function-based intervention and decreased problem behaviors. The findings revealed the potential to increase academic engagement and reading performance for the students by following a behavior support plan based on effective reading instruction and tasks modified to accommodate students' academic needs. The study emphasized cultural responsiveness of the intervention plan and implementation. Despite several limitations, this experimental research incorporated culture into behavior and academic support as well as into the research designs. In future application, cultural responsiveness among professionals will be a key element to ensure that future intervention support will meaningfully change the lives of students and will be sustained over time.
Adviser: Robert Homer
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Apichatabutra, Chanisa. "The effects of function-based academic and behavior intervention on problem behaviors and reading performance for English language learners in a Thai elementary school /." Connect to title online (Scholars' Bank) Connect to title online (ProQuest), 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10066.
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Tangpijaikul, Montri. "The Thai university student's fine-tuning of discourse in academic essays and electronic bulletin boards performance and competence /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/73139.
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Thesis (DAppLing)--Macquarie University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Dept. of Linguistics, 2009.Bibliography: p. 208-233.
Introduction -- Conceptual frameworks: language competence and the acquisition of modality -- Generic frameworks: speech, writing and electronic communication -- Linguistic frameworks: modality and related concepts -- Research design and methodologies -- FTDs in the ACAD and BB corpora -- Learner's use of FTDs in discoursal context and their individual repertoires -- Conclusions and implications.
While natural interaction is one of the important components that lead to successful language learning (Vygotsky 1978, 1986), communication in classroom practice in Thailand is mostly teacher-centered and not genuinely interactive. Online group communication is different because it allows learners to exercise interpersonal communicative skills through interaction and meaning negotiation, as in reciprocal speech situations. At the same time it gives learners time to think and produce language without having to face the kind of pressure they feel in face-to-face classroom discussion. The language learner's competence is thus likely to be enhanced by opportunities to communicate online, and to be more visible there than in academic contexts, although there is a dearth of experimental research to show this. One way of investigating the pedagogical potential of bulletin board discussions is to focus on the interpersonal linguistic devices used in textual interactions (Biber 1988). -- The purpose of this research is to find out whether students communicating online in bulletin board writing will exercise their repertoires of linguistic fine-tuning devices (hedges, modals, and intensifiers) more extensively than when writing academic essays. This was expected because hedges, modals and intensifiers are likely to be found in interactive discussions (Holmes 1983), while academic tasks do not create such an environment. Though hedges and modal devices are also found in academic genres (Salager-Meyer 1994, Hyland 1998), those used tend to be academic in function rather than communicative. -- In order to compare the frequency and variety of the fine-tuning devices used by learners in the two mediums, data was gathered from 39 Thai students of English at Kasetsart University, from (1) their discussions in online bulletin boards and (2) their academic essays. Tasks were assigned on parallel topics in three text types (narrative, explanatory, argumentative) for both mediums. The amount of writing was normalized to create comparable text lengths. Measures used in the quantitative analysis included tallying of the types and tokens of the experimental linguistic items, with the help of the AntConc 2007 computer concordancer. Samples of written texts from the two mediums were also analyzed qualitatively and compared in terms of their discourse structure (stages, moves and speech acts), to see which functional segments support or prompt particular types of pragmatic devices. -- The findings confirm that in electronic bulletin boards the students exercise their repertoires of fine-tuning devices more frequently, and use a greater variety of pragmatic functions than in academic essays. This is probably because online discussion fosters interactions that are more typical of speech (Crystal 2006), and its structure allows for a series of interpersonal moves which have no place in academic tasks. Text-type also emerged as a significant factor: writing argumentative texts prompted greater use of modals and intensifiers than the narrative and explanatory ones. Thus students' communicative competence showed itself most fully in the argumentative online assignments, and was not so evident in academic and expository essays. Frequent use of modal and intensifying elements was also found to correlate with the students' English proficiency grades, and how regularly they wrote online. This incidentally shows the importance of exposure to L2 in language acquisition, and that lower-proficiency learners need more opportunities to exercise their L2 resources in interactive discourse, in order to develop competence in using them. -- These research findings support Long's (1996) 'Interaction Hypothesis', that learners learn best in situations that cater for interaction; and Swain's (1985) 'Output Hypothesis', that learners need the chance to exercise their language naturally in a variety of contexts -through academic tasks as well as social interactions, which are equally important for language education. Extended performance opportunities undoubtedly feed back into the learner's communicative competence.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
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Kehrwald, Jane. "Learner autonomy in the LOTE classroom: a case study of teacher and student beliefs about roles and responsibilities." University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Education, 2005. http://eprints.usq.edu.au/archive/00003184/.
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[Abstract]: Learner autonomy in language learning has been described as the ability to take charge of one’s own learning by determining the objectives, defining the contents and progressions, selecting methods and techniques to be used, monitoring the procedure of acquisition and evaluating what has been acquired (Holec, 1979). Few would doubt that learner autonomy in language learning is a positive thing and can lead to learners who are more proficient in the target language. These sentiments are echoed in many language programs, which have as their explicitly stated goal the development of autonomous, self-directed learners. This project is a pilot study with the aim of investigating one such program: the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) (Indonesian) program at a regional public high school.Taking a collective case study approach this investigation sought to determine two LOTE (Indonesian) learners’ and their teacher’s beliefs about roles and responsibilities in the language learning process and how these beliefs are translated into their teaching and learning behaviour. Prior to any interventions aimed at facilitating the transfer of responsibility for the management of the learning process from the teacher to the learner, it is essential to access learners’ and teachers’ beliefs and attitudes as these have a profound impact on their learning and teaching behaviour and erroneous beliefs may lead to less effective approaches to learning, ultimately impacting on learners’ success in language learning (Horwitz, 1987).The data, collected through structured interviews and classroom observations, suggest that the subjects simultaneously exhibit characteristics consistent with and in contradiction to the profiles of autonomous learners and of a teacher who engages in pedagogy aimed at the development of autonomous learners. The two LOTE learners’ beliefs, and their learning behaviour, suggest that they defer responsibility to the teacher for the technical aspects of their learning, such as identifying learning objectives and topics, selecting learning activities and resources. On the other hand, through their expressed beliefs, and from the observed lessons, it appears that the two learners accept some level responsibility for reflecting and evaluating their learning and fully accept responsibility for maintaining their interest and motivations in learning the LOTE. While the LOTE learners defer responsibility for the technical aspects of their learning to their LOTE teacher, the LOTE teacher herself defers responsibility to the LOTE syllabus. However, the LOTE teacher was observediiiworking with learners, helping them to evaluate and reflect upon their learning and maintaining their interest and motivation in learning the LOTE.Recommendations for pedagogy to promote the development of learner autonomy and further research are presented.
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Maneekul, Jarunee. "The Effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction on the Achievements and Attitudes of Private Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Students in a Supplementary English Course in Thailand." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278801/.
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The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of normal instruction supplemented by the computer-assisted instruction English program Grammar Game on achievement and attitude scores of vocational-technical students in Thailand. The experimental design was a 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA design. One hundred seventy-eight students at the Lanna Polytechnical College in Thailand were randomly selected from the population of 10 classrooms. Four classes were intact groups, with two classes randomly assigned to the experimental groups which received Lecture/CAI and the other two as control groups which received Lecture. The 89 students in each group were divided into high- and low- ability, based on their previous English scores. Subjects received treatment for nine weeks. Pre-test and post-test instruments on achievement and attitude were administered to both groups. The Statistical Analysis System (SAS), and the General Linear Model (GLM) package computer program yielded the MANOVA results. Based on data analysis, the findings were as follows: (1) There was a significant difference between the students in a Lecture/CAI English program and the students in a Lecture English program when they were compared simultaneously on the achievement and attitude scores, F(l, 176) = 18.97, p < .05. (2) There was no significant interaction between the types of teaching methods and levels of ability when achievement was used as the dependent variable, F(l, 174) = .48, p > .05. (3) There was no significant interaction between the types of teaching methods and levels of ability when attitude was used as the dependent variable, F(l, 174) = .06, p > .05. The conclusion was that normal instruction supplemented by CAI improved achievement and attitude scores. On the other hand, the effect of two types of methods on achievement remained the same for high- and low-ability students and so did the effect of two types of methods on attitude. Future research should examine different CAI software packages, CAI within a full year, the effects of ability on achievement and attitude, background knowledge, more levels of independent variables, characteristics of an effective CAI program, and a case study with larger population in Thailand.
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Leray, Tarnruthai. "Impact de la biographie langagière des apprenants thaïlandais, conjoints de francophones sur l’apprentissage du FLE en contexte hétéro-homoglotte : analyse et proposition." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Angers, 2023. http://www.theses.fr/2023ANGE0067.
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Cette recherche vise à démontrer l'influence de la biographie langagière sur l'apprentissage du FLE chez des apprenants thaïlandais, conjoints de francophones. Nous définissons la biographie langagière comme l'objet d'étude englobant les informations concernant le parcours de vie et l'apprentissage du FLE. Les deux parcours prennent en compte des dimensions externes et internes des apprenants telles que le pays, l'origine, la société, le profil, la profession, l'histoire du couple, les besoins, les motivations, les expériences, les compétences, les projets d'apprentissage et les établissements dans les contextes homoglotte et hétéroglotte. Les travaux ont été menés entre 2018 et 2023 au sein de l’Alliance française de Chiang Rai auprès de 59 personnes, dont 57 apprenants thaïlandais des niveaux A1, A2 et B1 et 2 conjoints français. Ils ont été regroupés en 4 groupes d'études avec des méthodologies de recherche différentes : groupe 1 (22 personnes, 2018- 2020, entretien diagnostic), groupe 2 (40 personnes, 2022, questionnaire), groupe 3 (16 personnes, 2022, entretien semi-directif) et groupe 4 (2 personnes, 2022, entretien semi directif). Les résultats permettent de présenter notre proposition du guide pédagogique en vue d’améliorer l’enseignement/apprentissage du FLE pour ce type de publicThis research aims to demonstrate the influence of language biography on learning French as a Foreign Language (FLE) among Thai learners, and spouses of French speakers. The language biography is defined as the object of study encompassing information concerning the life course and learning French as a foreign language. It takes into account external and internal dimensions such as country, origin, society, learners’ profile, profession, couple history, needs, motivations, experiences, skills, learning projects, and institutions in homoglot and heteroglot contexts. 59 people were interviewed, i.e., 57 Thai learners who are in a couple with French speakers and follow FLE courses between levels A1 and B1 at the Alliance Française in Chiang Rai and 2 French spouses. The study grouped the sample into 4 study groups with different research methodologies, i.e., group 1 of 22 people in 2018-2020 using a diagnostic interview, group 2 of 40 people in 2022 using a questionnaire, group 3 of 16 people in 2022 using a semi-structured interview, and group 4 of 2 people in 2022 using a semi-structured interview. The results allow us to present our proposal for an educational guide to improve the teaching of FLE for this type of audience
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Pojar, Daniel J. Jr. "Lessons not learned: the rekindling of Thailand's Pattani problem." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/2236.
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Approved for public release, distribution is unlimitedThis thesis explores the ongoing Malay-Muslim separatist insurgency in southern Thailand. In particular, it argues that historically-rooted structural factors, to include relative economic deprivation, limited political integration, and struggle for the maintenance of ethnic-religious identity, are at the root of this insurgency. The year 2001 produced two catalysts for the renewal of this insurgency, one internal and one external. The internal catalyst was a newly elected suppressive government regime under the leadership of Prime Minister Thaksin and the Thai Rak Thai Party. The external catalyst was the growing, increasingly radicalized Islamist movement, largely defined through terrorist violence, that expressed itself in the 9/11 attacks. The combination of these has produced rekindled secessionist violence of a previously unknown level in the Thai provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala. Given the deeply ingrained structural cause of this insurgency, as well as a government administration whose policies and conflict mismanagement continually fuels the violence, the prospect for conflict resolution is not promising. Nonetheless, it remains in the best interests of the United States that this conflict is soon resolved. Should the insurgency continue growing, the situation may reach a point of drastic consequences for Thailand as well as the United States.
Captain, United States Air Force
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Castles, Jane. "Part-time adult learners : modelling factors that influence persistence." Thesis, Open University, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.289007.
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Raktham, Chutigarn. "Cultures and learner behaviours : a qualitative investigation of a Thai classroom." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2008. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/2375/.
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This thesis investigates the extent to which Thai national culture can be used to explain students' behaviour. In addition to exploring the cultural and social aspects of the classroom community, it also takes into account the importance of understanding the way students perceive their reality and as a consequence ethnographic research techniques are utilised. The research was carried out at a provincial university in Thailand, with a focal group of forty English major students. Two ethnographic research methods, namely classroom observation and interviews, were used in the research. While the classroom observations were carried out to describe the characteristics of the classroom and identify salient patterns of students' behaviours in the classroom, the interviews were conducted with the intention of allowing students to reflect on their own patterns of behaviours. The classroom observation not only showed the physical characteristics of the classroom, but also identified the teacher-student and student-student patterns of behaviour. These social aspects of the classroom revealed that while some student behaviour coincided with Thai national cultural characteristics, other patterns of behaviour deviated from commonly held beliefs about Thai students' behaviour. Pair and group interviews were then conducted to give students a chance to reflect on their interactions and their disruptive behaviour in class. While students' interviews offered insights into several personal issues, such as students' reasons to study English at the University, their transitions from high-schools to university and their self-perception, their accounts really highlighted the importance of the social interactions and relationships on their behaviour in the classroom. Social interaction, in the form of relationships with teachers, peer pressure, or peer reaction had, from the perspective of the students, significant explanatory force; these were strategically viewed and evaluated by students as the factors guiding their behaviour. Although this thesis aims to explore the influence of Thai culture on students' behaviour, it became clear during the research that unless students were made conscious of cultural influences, they were mostly unaware of the possibility that Thai culture might affect their behaviour. Because this thesis relies on the emic view of the students, the lack of students' verbal support for the influence of Thai culture on their behaviour makes the answer to the research question inconclusive. This leads to a discussion of the level of analysis students used when asked to interpret their behaviour and whether students viewed their behaviour at the social or cultural level. The study both highlights the significance of social interaction and context, and also distinguishes between a large culture and small culture paradigm. While the large culture approach views culture as essentially a feature of ethnic, national, and international groups, the small culture approach views culture as part of any social grouping. By seeing the classroom as a small culture and allowing students to explain their own behaviour, the research gains deeper insights into the students' world and their construction of their realities, the significance of which is explained and developed.
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Phan, Thi Thanh Thao. "Towards a potential model to enhance language learner autonomy in the Vietnamese higher education context." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/82470/1/Thi%20Thanh%20Thao_Phan_Thesis.pdf.
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This constructivist theory-led case study explored how the term language learner autonomy (LLA) is interpreted and the appropriate pedagogy to foster LLA in the Vietnamese higher education context. Evidence through the exploration of the government policies and the cases of three EFL classes confirms the interpretation that learner autonomy and language acquisition are mutually supported. The study has proposed project work as a potential model while demonstrating the role of the teacher and the use of target language as mediators to enhance LLA in the local context. Findings of the study contribute a theoretical and pedagogical justification for encouraging LLA in Vietnam and other similar contexts.
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Matsolo, Matjala Lydia. "Perceived experiences that grade seven learners have in learning algebra." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_9454_1181559574.
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This thesis investigates grade seven learners perceived experiences in learning algebra.Things that learners do and say during algebra lessons and about algebra were investigated. The study was done at one of the previously disadvantaged schools in Cape Town, South Africa.The data were collected through observations, a questionnaire and interviews. Observations were made from the day the topic was started in two grade seven classes. Two different teachers taught the two classes. Focus group interviews were conducted, two group of learners, ten learners from each of the two classes were interviewed. Learners devised a number of strategies for solving problems related to sums and differences. The principal learning difficulties experienced by learners in algebra related to the transition from arithmetic conventions to those of algebra, the meaning of literal symbols and the recoginition of structures. It became obvious then that developing algebraic thinking is not necessarily dependent upon algebraic notation and that the presence of algebraic notation says little about the level of problem solving.
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Lowe, Nicole Marie. "Creating Professional Learning Programs that Recognize Teachers as Adult Learners." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/416.
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According to recent research, approximately 40-50% of teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years, creating a constant need for teachers. There is evidence that creating a supportive working environment through effective professional learning, drawing on adult learning theory, may reduce teacher turnover and increase student performance. This study explored teachers' perceptions about the professional development offerings available to them, how these perceptions influence their decisions to remain at the school, and what types of professional learning experiences teachers want to experience. Fourteen high school teachers participated in individual interviews and 2 focus groups, which were analyzed inductively for themes. Participants revealed that voice, choice, effective professional development, time, collaboration, school climate, and the district's professional development program were instrumental in creating a supportive environment. These results suggest that creating professional learning programs that incorporate the attributes of effective professional learning and encourage teacher participation are important at all points of the process. A professional learning plan project was designed in response to the study findings and recommendations. This study may lead to social change by providing the target school district and its building level administrators with a plan for professional learning based on teacher input, effective practices, and adult learning theory to use as a viable method to retain effective educators that, in turn, may result in improved student performance.
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Kumi, Yeboah Alex. "Factors that Promote Transformative Learning Experiences of International Graduat-Level learners." Scholar Commons, 2012. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4113.
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Israsena, Vasinee Morrison George S. "Thai teachers' beliefs about learner-centered education implications for Success for Life Thailand /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3959.
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Israsena, Vasinee. "Thai Teachers' Beliefs about Learner-Centered Education: Implications for Success For Life Thailand." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3959/.
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The Thai government has strongly advocated for the learner-centered education for the past decade. Success For Life Thailand (SFLT), a brain-research-based early childhood education program blended with the theories of the developmentally appropriate practices and child-centered philosophies, has been implemented in Thailand for over 8 years. The purposes of the present study were to: (a) describe the current statuses of the Thai early childhood educators' learner-centered beliefs and practices, (b) identify if the SFLT training workshop affects teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices, and (c) examine if other variables, along with familiarity with the SFLT program, predict teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices. Ninety-three preschool and kindergarten teachers participated in the study. Among them, 17 were SFLT trainees in 1999 and 2000 (i.e., the previously trained group), 43 were trained in Year 2006 (the currently trained group), and the others were comparable to the currently trained group by matching the key personal and school variables. The Teachers Beliefs and Practices Survey: 3-5 Year Olds (Burts et al., 2000) and the Learner-Centered Education: the Assessment of Learner- Centered (ALCP) for K-3 (McCombs, 2001) were used to collect data on the various domains of the learner-centered beliefs and practices. Findings reveal that: (a) Thai teachers highly endorse learner-centered beliefs, (b) Thai educators demonstrate relatively low levels of developmentally appropriate practices and high levels of developmentally inappropriate practices (DIP) in comparing with the American early childhood educators, (c) the previously trained SFLT teachers score higher on the DAP domains and lower on the DIP domains than the other two groups, and (d) familiarity with the SFLT program, along with teacher's education level, years of teaching experience, and the total number of students in the classroom do not predict variations on the different domains of the DAP and learner-centered learning questionnaires. Future studies need to use indigenous measurement instruments appropriate to Thai education to evaluate the impacts of the SLFT program on teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices when more trainees become available, and possibly to include other teacher, student, and school variables.
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Ter, Avest Irene. "More than Words Alone: Reference to Motion in L3 Learners’ Oral Narratives." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/459001.
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Cross-linguistic influence in L3 acquisition appears to be mediated by a complex interplay of factors, among which L2 status and perceived typological distance appear to be the most important ones, at least at the lexical and syntactic levels. Few studies on L3 acquisition have looked at cross-linguistic influence at more conceptual levels.
Using Talmy’s typology of verb-framed vs. satellite-framed languages (Talmy, 1991, 2000a, 2000b), and Slobin’s thinking-for-speaking hypothesis (Slobin, 1987, 1991, 1996a, 1996b, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006) as a framework, the present study investigates the existence of cross-linguistic influence in the expression of motion in Spanish as an L3. This cross-linguistic influence will not only be examined in the direction of the L1 to the L2 and the L3, but also in the opposite direction, i.e. from the L2 or the L3 to the L1, so-called reverse transfer (Jarvis and Pavlenko, 2008).
According to Slobin’s hypothesis, native speakers become accustomed to the patterns of event construal that are specific to their L1. Such patterns are especially visible in the expression of motion events, as verb-framed and satellite-framed languages differ greatly with respect to the amount of attention speakers pay to Manner of motion. Moreover, in verb-framed languages, Manner of motion cannot be expressed by the main verb when there is motion across a spatial boundary, the so-called “boundary-crossing constraint” (Slobin and Hoiting, 1994). Therefore, acquiring a typologically different L2 or L3 entails the need for restructuring of L1 thinking for speaking patterns, or rethinking for speaking (Robinson and Ellis, 2008). However, differences in patterns of motion-event construal between languages may not be as accessible to awareness as differences in, for instance, lexical items and syntax. Therefore, the roles played by L2 status and perceived typological distance in cross-linguistic influence between thinking for speaking patterns in L3 acquisition remain unclear. The main experiment of the present study consisted of an oral narration of the frog story (Mayer, 1969). Two experimental groups of additive trilinguals (L1 English – L2 French – L3 Spanish, and L1 French – L2 English – L3 Spanish), as well as two control groups of additive bilinguals (L1 English – L2 Spanish, and L1 French – L2 Spanish), and three control groups of monolinguals (L1 English, L1 French, and L1 Spanish) told the story to a researcher in each of their languages. French and Spanish are both verb-framed languages, whereas English is a satellite-framed language. The participants’ narrations were analysed for how they had made reference to motion.
The results indicated that in L3 acquisition, cross-linguistic influence in thinking for speaking patterns takes place in all directions and between all languages, being mediated by frequency of use and proficiency, and, to a lesser extent, also perceived typological distance. Nevertheless, L1 thinking for speaking patterns turned out to be very pervasive, especially with respect to the types of elements participants had used for making reference to Manner of motion. In addition, the expression of Manner of motion in L1 English bi- and trilinguals turned out to be affected by the thinking for speaking patterns from their other, verb-framed language(s). This suggests that thinking-for-speaking patterns are not entirely language-specific, and that L1 patterns can be restructured under the influence of increased use and proficiency in a typologically different language.El presente trabajo investiga la transferencia interlingüística en la expresión del movimiento en español L3. El marco teórico de esta investigación lo constituyen la tipología talmiana de lenguas de marco verbal y lenguas de marco satélite (Talmy, 1991, 2000, 2000b) y la hipótesis de pensar para hablar de Slobin (1987, 1991, 1996a, 1996b, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006). Se investiga tanto la transferencia de la L1 a la L2 y la L3 como la transferencia inversa de la L3 y la L2 a la L1, y se presta especial atención a los factores de L2 status y psicotipología. Durante los experimentos, dos grupos experimentales de trilingües aditivos (L1 inglés – L2 francés – L3 español y L1 francés – L2 inglés – L3 español) narraron la historia de la rana o frog story (Mayer, 1969) en cada una de sus lenguas. Tanto el español como el francés son lenguas de marco verbal, mientras que el inglés es una lengua de marco satélite. Además de los dos grupos experimentales, participaron dos grupos de control de bilingües aditivos (L1 inglés – L2 español y L1 francés y L2 español) y tres grupos de control de hablantes monolingües (L1 inglés, L1 francés, L1 español. Las narraciones de los participantes fueron analizadas con respecto a la expresión del movimiento. Los resultados muestran que hay transferencia interlingüística en todas las direcciones y entre todas las lenguas. Factores como el nivel lingüístico y el uso resultan ser especialmente importantes, y en menor medida también lo es la psicotipología. Se observa una clara transferencia del pensar para hablar de las L1 de los participantes en las narraciones en L3 español. Además, la L1 de los bilingües y trilingües con L1 inglés muestra algunas características más propias del pensar para hablar en francés y/o español en la referencia que hacen estos participantes a la manera de movimiento. Esto sugiere que parte del pensar para hablar es compartida entre lenguas, y que los patrones del pensar para hablar de la L1 pueden ser ‘repensados’ bajo la influencia de una o más lenguas tipológicamente distintas.
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Facun-Granadozo, Ruth. "Teaching Strategies and Learning Experiences That Worked for English/dual Language Learners." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4334.
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Gil, Berrio Yohana. "PAIR INTERACTION IN SPANISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS THAT ENROLL HERITAGE AND L2 LEARNERS." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2019. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/564163.
Full textAbstract:
SpanishPh.D.
A growing number of studies has shown that collaborative writing tasks facilitate second language (L2) development by providing learners with opportunities to focus their attention on language and to collaborate in the solution of their language-related problems (e.g., Choi & Iwashita, 2016; Storch, 2013; Swain & Lapkin, 1998; Williams, 2012). However, most of these studies have focused almost exclusively on L2 learners, and particularly on English as a second language learners. In an effort to address this gap and drawing from a sociocultural framework, this study investigated the interactions of Spanish heritage language (HL) learners and Spanish L2 learners enrolled in the same class. Twenty-four intermediate-level learners of Spanish, organized in four HL-HL, four HL-L2, and four L2-L2 dyads, participated in the study. As part of their regular class work, they completed four collaborative writing tasks in pairs. Participants were also asked to individually complete a pretest and two posttests. The tasks and tests were intended to elicit the present subjunctive in nominal and adjectival clauses. The interactions between each pair were recorded and coded for the nature of the relationships the learners formed (Storch, 2002) and the quantity and quality of learners’ deliberations about language choice, using Language Related Episodes (LREs) (Swain & Lapkin, 1998) as units of analysis. Results showed that the most common type of patterns of interaction the learners developed was collaboration. Moreover, three pairs displayed a dominant/passive pattern of interaction and two pairs an expert/novice pattern. Results also indicated that overall, participants produced slightly more LREs focused on form than LREs focused on lexis. Furthermore, results showed that whereas all pairs produced morphosyntactic LREs, they were more frequent in HL-L2 dyads. Lexical LREs occurred more often in L2-L2 dyads, and orthographic LREs occurred only in HL-HL dyads. With regards to learning gains, results revealed that six participants obtained high scores in all tests and did not show a score change from pretest to delayed posttest. Five of these participants were identified as HL learners. However, data also showed that 16 participants scored higher on their delayed posttest than they did on their pretest. Overall, considering that most dyads developed a collaborative pattern of interaction and achieved learning gains after task-based interaction, the data suggest that despite the differences in linguistic and cultural backgrounds, learners in mixed and matched pairs provided assistance to one another and produced LREs associated with the target structure. These findings have important pedagogical implications and thus, future studies need to investigate the best practices for teaching HL and L2 learners simultaneously and the types of tasks that encourage collaboration.
Temple University--Theses
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Naruemon, Darett. "Thai pre-service teachers' beliefs about the learner-centred approach and their classroom practices." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/2428.
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The learner-centred approach has been widely used, not only in general education, but also in language teaching, since the 1960s. However, the meaning of this approach has been interpreted differently by practitioners. Since 1999, the educational reform in Thailand, which was inspired by the 1997 Constitution and the 1999 Thai National Education Act, has made it mandatory for the learner-centred approach to be applied to teaching at all levels. To date, much research on the implementation of the learner-centred approach by in-service teachers has been undertaken. However, little research has been conducted on pre-service teachers’ beliefs about the learner-centred approach and their classroom practices. Understanding pre-service teachers’ beliefs will contribute to the improvement of their teaching practices and of teacher education programmes. The study explored six Thai pre-service English teachers’ understanding and the extent to which their classroom practices reflected learner-centredness during their internship, and determined the relationship between their beliefs and classroom practices. The investigation adopted a qualitative approach, including semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that the Thai pre-service teachers possessed varying degrees of understanding of the learner-centred approach and its application. They had a superficial and fragmented understanding of and some misconceptions about the learner-centred approach. They therefore adopted this approach to teaching in a limited fashion during their internship. The divergences between their beliefs and their classroom practices may have been caused by their shallow understanding of and their misconceptions about this approach. Other factors, such as personal background and cognitive, affective, experiential and contextual issues could also have impacted on classroom practices, inhibiting the translation of their beliefs into practice. iii This study has important and far-reaching curriculum implications for pre-service teacher training in Thailand with regard to the new model of pre-service teacher training. The findings also have pedagogical implications for pre-service teacher training beyond Thailand, and add to the literature new insights into pre-service teachers’ understanding of the learner-centred approach, their pedagogical practices, and factors facilitating and hindering the application of the learner-centred approach. The findings demonstrate that research on teachers’ beliefs makes the most noteworthy contributions to a better understanding of teachers’ pedagogical practices.
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Majamana, Yanga, S. A. Govender, and N. Maluleke. "Educators’ and learners’ views on factors that contribute to poor performance of grade 12 physical science learners in the uMkhanyakude District in KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, University of Zululand, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1763.
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A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, Faculty of Education at the University Of Zululand, 2018.Physical Sciences continue to be one of the subjects that yield poor results in Grade 12 every year. Many factors have been said to contribute to the poor Grade 12 results including resources and teaching methods. This study however, investigated the educators’ and learners’ views on factors that contribute to poor performance in Grade 12 from a rural UMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu Natal. A questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions was used to determine learners’ views, while an interview schedule was used to delve into the educators’ views. Frequency results from learner questionnaires revealed that learners viewed issues such as overcrowded classrooms, lack of parental support, lack of support from education local office, lack of resources, and a negative attitude towards Physical Science as the main factors that contribute to poor performance in Grade 12 Physical Sciences. The inductive analysis of the teachers’ interview transcripts revealed that teachers believed that giving extra support without resources such as well-resourced laboratories, and parental support is sometimes impossible. These key findings can contribute to programmes that seek to strengthen the teaching of Sciences in rural contexts; thus this study makes a contribution to what is known about the factors that contribute to poor performance in Grade 12 in a rural context.
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Elliott, Leck Barbara R. "Teaching and evaluating effectively, adult education strategies that motivate learners and promote achievement." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0017/MQ53634.pdf.
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Nyarambi, Arnold. "Teaching and Testing the Whole Class: Effective Strategies That Work for Diverse Learners." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/8245.
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Billen, M., A. Broemmel, Colleen P. Gilrane, and Renee Rice Moran. "Imagining Teacher Education Practices that Help All Learners Learn: Including Future Teacher Educators." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/3615.
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Idoko, Evelyn. "Perceived Factors that Influence Adult Learners' Persistence and Retention in Adult Basic Education." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5348.
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Retaining students, particularly in the 16- to- 24-year-old category, is a constant challenge for adult basic education programs nationwide. Educators need to understand factors that affect adult learners' experiences, have a better understanding of ways to motivate adult students in a nontraditional school setting to enhance their engagement, and apply research-based techniques and targeted, practical strategies to improve student persistence. The primary objective of this case study was to investigate the perceived factors that students considered influential on their persistence and retention in adult basic education programs. Knowles's andragogy theory and Tinto's persistence theory were the theoretical frameworks for this study. The research questions were designed to understand the factors that motivate students to remain engaged in academic courses. Ten students enrolled in a high school equivalency program in a large northeastern city participated in semi-structured, individual interviews. Coding and thematic analysis were used to identify, describe, and interpret the data collected. The findings indicated that factors such as individual drive, the instructor's encouragement and high expectations, relevant topics, and connection to school all contributed to sustain a learner's persistence. A professional development project was designed from the findings to provide instructors with research-based best practices and techniques to increase students' motivation and persistence through active learning experiences in student-centered classrooms. The project will impact social change by helping educators to have more insights on theories about adult learning styles and a deeper understanding of current approaches to inspire active participation, sustain learner motivation, and improve student academic performance.
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Wachman, Joshua Seth. "A video browser that learns by example." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62929.
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Bonani, Khwezi. "An investigation into pre-university factors that could inhibit access to higher education for learners from low socio-economic backgrounds: the case of high school x in Khayelitsha, Cape Town." University of the Western Cape, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4229.
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Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS)This study investigated the factors inhibiting learners from low socio- economic backgrounds from accessing higher education. The intention to investigate and identify these inhibiting factors was motivated by the growing body of evidence that suggests that there is a correlation between poverty and lack of education. The aim of the study was to investigate which pre-university factors have the most inhibiting impact on learners from low socio-economic backgrounds. The objective was to identify these factors in order to find ways in which they could be overcome and/or prevented. It was argued that, if the impact of the inhibiting factors could be minimised or eliminated, more learners would be able to access higher education successfully. The theoretical framework used in the study was based on Sen’s Capabilities approach. The list of capabilities applied to analyse the data were education and skill, economic resources, employment and working conditions, housing, and family and social integration. The study was positioned within a qualitative, interpretive research paradigm and used a case study design. The research site was a high school in Khayelitsha near Cape Town. Research participants were purposively selected and consisted of a total of twenty-nine learners from across Grade 10, 11 and 12, as well as three educators.The study used multiple sources of data instruments: secondary data (statistics and other census information about Khayelitsha), the participants’ June 2014 progress reports, a demographic information sheet, a reflective questionnaire and three focus group interviews (one per Grade).Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data through a three-stage open coding process. The list of inhibiting factors discussed in the literature, namely poor schooling, a lack of financial means, a lack of knowledge and information, and socio cultural factors was indeed confirmed by the data collected in this study. Other factors emerged from the data and these were regarded as new knowledge that this study contributes towards the body of knowledge. Lastly, the findings suggest that the inhibiting factor which had the greatest impact on learners from low socio-economic backgroundswas a lack of knowledge and information because this factor negatively impacted on all the capabilities listed above. Based on these findings, recommendations were proposed for the parents and community, school and educators, the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Higher Education and Training, and for higher education institutions.
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Baboo, Nafisa. "A case study of a neighbourhood school that included two learners who are blind." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2011. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_5817_1365584849.
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Internationally, the rights of persons with disabilities to participate as full members of society through inclusive education has become a high priority with the adoption of the first legally binding treaty, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006). In keeping with our culture of acknowledging the rights of all, South Africa has already made great strides towards fulfilling these rights and is in the implementation phase of Education White Paper 6: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System (Department of Education, 2001). In spite of this, the practicability of implementing inclusive education is questioned by many. The inclusion of learners who are blind in neighbourhood schools, as opposed to &lsquo
special schools&rsquo
, is a particularly daunting task. However, the more local cases we have from which to draw insights, the better our chances of making inclusive education both practicable and widely accessible across a range of local contexts. A public, mainstream neighbourhood school that included two learners who are blind was therefore investigated to learn more about how the learners who are blind were physically, socially and academically included in the local school community. Qualitative data collection methods including semi-structured interviews and observations were used to uncover useful strategies, challenges and enabling factors that contributed to their successful inclusion. The findings revealed that the participants in this study had very little knowledge or experience in building an inclusive educational setting at the outset, but engaged in the process with open minds, creativity and trust. By adopting a collaborative approach and an attitude of &lsquo
failing forward&rsquo
, the objective of social and academic inclusion was to a great extent achieved in the school.
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Hendricks, Dawn. "Dual language learners in head start| Examining teaching strategies that promote English language development." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3645918.
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There were dual purposes of this exploratory, case study. The first purpose was to investigate and describe the teaching strategies of six Head Start teachers within one program in Oregon whose dual language learners had shown gains of at least three levels in receptive and expressive English language development, as determined by their assessment ratings in Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System. The second purpose was to identify what, if any, professional development strategies and resources have been beneficial to those teachers in promoting English language development for children who are dual language learners.
This qualitative study utilized three data collection methods: interviews, observations and review of artifacts. The one-on-one interviews with the purposive sample of teachers occurred during the first phase. The interview questions were designed to learn about teaching strategies utilized by Head Start teachers to promote English language development for children who are dual language learners as well as teachers' relevant professional development resources and opportunities. During the second phase of the study, the Classroom Assessment of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (CASEBA) instrument was used to conduct classroom observations in each of the six teachers' classrooms. Furthermore, a review of relevant artifacts was conducted during the observations.
Seven conclusions emerged from the study. First, home language support in the classrooms contributed to English language development. Second, teachers' use of pictures, gestures and other visual cues promoted children's comprehension of English. Third, culturally responsive curriculum was not necessary for promoting enhanced language outcomes. Fourth, a supportive social/emotional environment in the classroom contributed to progress in expressive language development. Next, singing songs with gestures and high quality teachers' talk in English also contributed to expressive language development. Lastly, professional development, formal and informal, is beneficial and needed for preschool teachers.
Five recommendations emerged from the study. Policy recommendations are for college teacher preparation programs to require coursework pertaining to dual language learning and for programs to actively recruit bilingual teachers. Practice recommendations are for programs to implement a Planned Language Approach, set up peer mentoring and training opportunities, and for teachers to plan individual and small group read alouds.
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Uys, Riza Mari. "Investigating the factors that contribute to the academic underachievement of grade 9 learners / Uys R.M." Thesis, North-West University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/7570.
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Academic underachievement potentially redirects the future of adolescents. The specific sample for this research was Grade nine learners. Grade nine is when subject choices are made and the last year of compulsory education. Academic underachievement during Grade nine becomes a barrier to career enhancing subject choices. Subject choice is a first step to greater specialisation of skills and a future career path. This study focused on the investigation of factors that could possibly contribute to the academic underachievement of Grade nine learners to the extent that they would fail. The findings will make teachers more aware of the influence that the internal and external fields of Grade nine learners have on their academic achievement. From the results it was found that academic underachievement is influenced by peer acceptance, parental involvement, cognitive development, the ability to handle examination anxiety, the Grade nine learner's perception of academic identity as well as other factors. A mixed method approach was used. Interviews with underachieving Grade nine learners, Grade nine teachers and Grade nine parents, as well as questionnaires completed by a cluster sample of the general Grade nine population of this study indicated the influence of the underachievers' external and internal fields on academic performance.Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.