Exploring Needs, Challenges, and Teaching Norms in English-Medium Instruction Programs: Perspectives from University Students and Teachers

Research on English-medium instruction (EMI) is still in its infancy in Science and Technology universities in Thailand. Thus, this two-stage study explored the students and teachers’ perceptions toward EMI programs, challenges, needs and teaching norms. Two instruments were used to collect the data and triangulate the results: (1) a survey questionnaire, and (2) semi-structured interviews to students and teachers. The first stage of the study collected the perceptions of 97 Agricultural Technology (AgriTech) and Science students enrolled in partial EMI programs using a survey questionnaire. In the second stage, 24 students and 7 lecturers were purposely chosen to attend the semi-structured interviews. Descriptive results of the survey revealed that students have favorable attitude toward EMI since it is beneficial for developing their English, making friends, developing cultural awareness, enhancing their future career, and increasing their self-esteem. However, despite the benefits, difficulties persist in speaking, reading, writing and cognition. Students believed that they needed support, such as resources in English language development, opportunities to use English in the campus, and activities that could develop their English language proficiency. From student interviews, themes derived regarding challenges include linguistic challenges, lack of self-esteem, cognitive challenges, and teachers’ accented speech. Data from teachers affirmed students’ cognitive and linguistic challenges. The other themes induced were cultural challenges, language anxiety and lack of self-esteem. Teaching norms highlighted ways to support content comprehension, for instance, summarizing lessons in L1

The Development of Reading Literacy Using Metacognitive Reading Strategies with Analysing Text Structure

The objectives of this research were to 1) develop reading literacy using metacognitive reading strategies with analysing text structure, 2) develop metacognitive reading behaviours using metacognitive reading strategies with analysing text structure, and 3) study the relation of reading literacy and metacognitive reading behaviours of Mathayomsuksa 1 students after learning by using metacognitive reading strategies with analysing text structure. The samples were 30 of Mathayomsuksa 1/1 students who enrolled Thai language subject in semester 1, academic year 2023 at Kham Kaen Nakhon School, The Secondary Educational Service Area Office KhonKaen. Research instruments were six lesson plans using Metacognitive Reading Strategies with Analysing Text, post-lesson report, teaching behaviours of teachers and learning of students report, metacognitive reading strategies with analysing text checklist, reading literacy framework process checklist and reading literacy assessment. The instruments used to evaluate the research were reading literacy test and reading behaviours questionnaire. Statistics used for data analysis were mean, standard deviation, percentage, Pearson correlation coefficient and content analysis. The findings indicated that 1) the percentage of the students’ reading literacy scores were 83.07 and 80 percentages of the students met the criteria which was at a higher level, 2) the student’s metacognitive reading behaviours were at a high level and 80 percentages of the students met the criteria at a higher level and 3) metacognitive reading behaviours and reading literacy were related after using metacognitive reading strategies with analysing text structure

Effects of a Project-Based Learning Methodology on Environmental Awareness of Secondary School Students

Well into the 21st century, the environmental crisis is more relevant than ever. To face this challenge, citizens with pro-environmental attitudes and adequate levels of environmental awareness are needed. As future adult citizens, adolescents should be a priority for environmental educators. The objective of the study is to determine the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology in the improvement of the level of environmental awareness of secondary school students. To this end, a project related to the surrounding environment was designed and applied in the Spanish educational context. The nature of the research methodology was mixed (quantitative-qualitative), with the application of a pretest-posttest single group design. The instrument used was an environmental awareness test with a Likert-type scale and a set of open questions. The results obtained indicate a statistically significant rise in the level of environmental awareness in the participant group-class, leaving the effectiveness of the PBL in the referred level and educative context patent. There were some limitations in the research, including small sample size and the particular conditions of the exposed context, which should be resolved for future research in other educational contexts in order to generalise the findings of this study.https://www.e-iji.net/dosyalar/iji_2024_1_1.pd

Analyzing Active Tasks in Jordanian Primary Arabic Textbooks: Teaching Strategies and Skill Development Implications

This study aims to investigate the active tasks incorporated in Arabic language books for primary school students in Jordan. The focus was on the content, questions, and tasks within the books. A rubric consisting of 34 tasks and applications was used for data collection By utilizing a descriptive analytical approach, content analysis was executed using sentences and paragraphs as units of analysis. The results demonstrate that Arabic language books for 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students contain 28 linguistic tasks and questions. Of these, 14 tasks are found within the paragraphs of the text, with a concentration rate of less than 1%. Meanwhile, 18 tasks are located within the questions, with a concentration rate of less than 3%. Conversation, dialogue, and description were identified as the most common types of tasks. It was also observed that there is a similarity between the paragraphs of the text and its questions concerning the total number of repetitions. The findings of this study bear significant implications for enhancing the development of active tasks in classrooms. They provide valuable insights for educational decision-makers about the quality of tasks within Arabic language books for primary students. Moreover, they pave the way for improving student skills in critical reading, creative writing, dialogue communication, reading, and drawing by promoting interactive teaching strategies that cater to the developmental needs of students. As a result, the study proposes several recommendations for enhancing these active tasks

Undergraduates’ Perception, Engagement and Learning Experience in Online Learning amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Due to the physical separation of lecturers and learners, many students have expressed dissatisfaction with their online learning experience. The growing prevalence of online education highlights the imperative to explore the factors influencing students’ online experience. This study aims to explore the relationships between undergraduate students’ perception, engagement and experiences in online learning. Employing a quantitative design, a cluster sampling technique was utilised to select a representative sample of 609 undergraduate students from various degree courses across four public and private universities in Malaysia. The survey questionnaires, derived from the Online Learning Perception Scale, Engagement in Online Learning Scale and Community of Inquiry Survey, were administered through internet survey. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. Findings revealed that students’ perceptions of online learning and online engagements both directly affect their online learning experiences. The results also showed that students’ perception of learning directly contributes to their online learning experience. Students’ online engagement mediates the relationship between students’ perception and their online learning experience. Recommendations for future studies and limitations of the study were also discussed

Procrastination Among University Students: A Study Investigating Sociodemographic and Psychological Factors

Procrastination is a widespread problem that is very common among university populations and is associated to negative consequences. The aim of this study is to analyze procrastination in university students and its relationship with sociodemographic and psychological variables. A multicenter study involving 845 university students was conducted, with participants completing several questionnaires, including the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Student (PASS), Academic Time Management (ATM), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), and Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). The study subsequently examined procrastination patterns among these students, distinguishing between low and high procrastination profiles, and explored demographic and psychological variations using ANOVA, Chi-square analysis, and logistic regression. Results showed that forty-seven percent of students procrastinate, and males procrastinate more than female students (p=.018). Procrastination was related to psychological variables (more anxiety, depression, somatization), personality variables (less conscientiousness and agreeableness), and time management (organization, follow-up, and assignment completion). More responsible students who better plan their time and track their progress procrastinate less. It would be necessary to provide interventions for university students at risk of suffering negative consequences from procrastination

Analysis of Factors Affecting Barriers to Learning English for Students Using SEM-PLS

This paper intends to estimate a structural equation model that can represent the relationship between latent variables, and the relationship between latent variables and indicator variables. The latent variables studied in this research are Campus Environment (KPS), Family Environment (LK), Community Environment (LM), and Seating (TD) on oneself (DS). The method used to analyze the data is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Square (PLS). The research data was obtained through a survey using a questionnaire of Padjadjaran University students with simple random sampling technique. The research result shows that (1) Campus Environment has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 23.5%. (2) Family Environment has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 30.6%. (3) Community Environment has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 22.8%. (4) Seating has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 20.8%. The SEM model formed has a coefficient of determination (Rsquared) of 0.90. So, SEM-PLS is an analysis that can provide information that can be used as a support for making learning process policies

Key Elements of Effective Mandatory Professional Development Programs

Mandatory professional development (PD) programs are prevalent in the system despite research evidence of its weakness in changing teachers’ actual classroom practices. There is no coherent understanding of what makes mandatory PD programs effective. We accessed 23 articles from three databases using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis to develop a knowledge base of mandatory PD. We explored how mandatory PD programs have been researched and conceptualised, emphasising what key elements support teachers’ implementation of their acquired knowledge and skills. We developed a framework for designing a mandatory PD program with integrated system-level and school-level extended programs to ensure its effectiveness. Our findings expand Desimone’s elements of effective PD to include school-extended elements such as opportunity and autonomy to implement, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and support and resources for teachers. The framework has implications for articulating policy, improving mandatory PD practices, and theoretical understanding of effective mandatory PD programs

Perceived Employability of Moroccan Engineering Students: a PLS-SEM Approach

This study aims to build an employability model on the skills of young Moroccans, their perceptions of the competencies towards the labour market, and enhance the understanding of the employment landscape through an exploratory study based on the Conference Board of Canada (Employability Skills 2000+). Therefore, the competencies and skills under discussion are presented according to the Employability Skills 2000+ model; comprising Fundamental skills (FS), Personal Management Skills (PMS), and Teamwork skills (TWS). Accordingly, the approach used the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS software. The primary data was collected through a survey of Moroccan engineering students from the ENSAK (National School of Applied Sciences of Kenitra in English) belonging to the Ibn Tofail University of Kenitra. The survey participants included 411 students from six departments, relying on the non-probability and voluntary response sampling methodology. Finally, the results obtained revealed different perceptions regarding the priorities of certain skills in the labor market; where Personal Management Skills (PMS), Teamwork Skills (TWS), and Work Safely (WS) were perceived as highly demanded in the professional context with a medium effect on the model. Otherwise, the remains elements and features have a small effect and impact on the model, especially the fundamental skills and its sub-constructs

Student Engagement in the Context of Post-Covid: A Case of Higher Education Institutions

The impact of covid-19 has called for an urgent need to further understand the relationship between students' motivated behavior and their engagement. This study aimed to investigate the links between adaptive cognition and adaptive behavior and the engagement of college and university students during and after the covid-19 pandemic. The recent study was framed within several relevant theories, namely the self-determination theory, the need achievement theory, and the job demand-resource theoretical model. Structural equation modeling with JASP software version 0.14.1 was employed as a robust method to investigate complex relationships in the proposed research model. Data were collected through an online survey using a structured questionnaire. Respondents comprised 263 students registered at two higher education institutions in Viet Nam. Analysis results yielded the positive and significant influence of adaptive cognition ( = 0.224) and adaptive behavior ( = 0.489) on student engagement. Furthermore, anxiety predicted student engagement in our theoretical model, and the relationship was positive ( = 0.132). We also found a strongly influential relationship between adaptive cognition and adaptive behavior ( = 0.783). These findings proposed a critical implication: to promote student engagement in the context of post-covid, management bodies and leaders in higher education institutions should adopt a comprehensive approach in which the provision of psychological conditions is an integral part