Learning English as a Foreign Language in a Blended Mode of Face-to-face and Online Discussions: A Case Study in a University in Taiwan

Learning English as a Foreign Language in a Blended Mode of Face-to-face and Online Discussions: A Case Study in a University in Taiwan Previous studies have documented many beneficial results arising from integrating online discussion with face-to-face instruction for language learning, yet the interactive process of students within both formal and informal contexts remains to be explored. This research examined the dynamics of student learning in blended face-to-face and online discussions in and after class in the context of learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in a university in Taiwan. An embedded case study was applied with a mixed-methods approach to investigate how students jointly accomplished tasks, and how this blended approach had contributed to their English learning. The data collected include the qualitative data of observations on three groups of 14 participants, three focus groups with 11 participants, 72 online discussion logs of the three groups and the quantitative data of 45 questionnaire responses. The findings revealed that students learned primarily through mediation of L1 and L2, through collaborative interaction, through co-construction of meaning, and from teacher and peer scaffolds. Students tended to provide information and suggestions in face-to-face discussions by using L1, but they expressed thoughts, gave comments and probed questions in online discussions by using L2. Students changed their interactive patterns from passive to active by mutually assisting each other in accomplishing tasks. Data also showed that students recognised that blended discussions had contributed to their cognitive, language, interactional and affective gains. Blended discussions were perceived as learner-centred undertakings that increased participation, collaboration and engagement. Four key factors were observed to have affected learning in this blended instruction. The research concludes that blended discussions changed the conventional EFL classroom culture and had a positive influence on student learning in terms of interaction, processes of meaning construction and perceptions. Keywords Online Discussion, Computer-Mediated Communication, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Blended Learning, Collaborative interaction, Co-construction of Meanin

The influence of post provisioning norms on quality curriculum delivery and management in secondary schools

The implementation of post provisioning norms (PPN) by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in secondary schools has had a huge impact on the Maphumulo circuit management centre. Many secondary schools had to declare teachers as superfluous as per the mandate from the DBE if the enrolment had decreased. Secondary schools have been left without teachers for certain subjects, the duty load of teachers have had to be changed and sometimes the school curriculum has had to change too. It is not easy for both teachers and principals to deliver and manage curriculum if the workforce is not sufficient at a school because the environment is then not favourable for teaching and learning. The DBE is the provider of the financial resources in ordinary public schools that are ranked from quintiles one to five. Schools that experience lower learner enrolment may fail to maintain the buildings, teaching and learning as well as grounds. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of PPN on quality assurance (QA) in curriculum delivery and management in Maphumulo secondary schools. The research question of this study was: What are the perceptions of secondary school teachers, a principal and a Chief Education Specialist of the Maphumulo circuit management centre about the influence of PPN on quality curriculum delivery and management in secondary schools? The objectives were to determine the effect of PPN on quality curriculum delivery and management (QCDM), and determine how PPN affect assessment, and how to improve PPN implementation in secondary schools. The qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured focus group interview and semi-structured individual interviews was used in this study. The participants were ten teachers who came from different schools, one principal and one Chief Education Specialist from the circuit management centre. The findings suggested that PPN posed a challenge to QCDM. The study further indicated that the current PPN has a negative influence on QCDM because the schools which lose teachers cannot function smoothly. Ultimately, it is hoped that this body of work will assist in promoting further discussion and debate about the influence of PPN on quality curriculum delivery and management in secondary schools.Curriculum and Instructional StudiesD. Ed. (Curriculum Studies

The management of complexity in project management – a qualitative and quantitative case study of certified project managers in Germany

With the increased globalization and expansion of the markets worldwide, companies have to struggle with increased competition. Therefore, organisations have begun to offer advantages such as a personalisation of products to potential customers. Market conditions and legal policies can make it challenging to predict whether those ad-vantages can be realized. Project managers are often in the position of having to fulfil these requirements; in continuously changing influencing factors that make tasks diffi-cult to manage. These circumstances create complexity. Frequently, managers are una-ware that complexity has created problems in a specific project. Often, the traditional standards of project management no longer provide a sufficient support to managers of complex projects. This research investigates how current standards of project management address com-plexity, and whether a supplement is necessary. Complexity strengtheners are investi-gated. One standard Project Management Institute (PMI) is selected as an example to analyze the influence of strengtheners on PM-processes. A funnel model is developed based on these research findings. This is aimed to help managers in their daily practice and support them in categorizing the complexity of their projects. Based on this model, managers should be able to recognize the actual strengtheners of complexity and which processes of their project are affected. Finally, a possible adaption of the standard is re-searched. A proposition for a new comprehensive guide is designed to support manag-ers carrying out complex projects. The key managerial implication of this research is the development of a five-step model for handling complexity in projects: forming, storming, norming, performing, and ad-journing. Furthermore, the intent of this thesis is to make a valid contribution to the management literature. For handling complexity the new funnel model should close the gap between the recognition of complexity in a project and underlying causes. The new five-step model thus provides project managers helpful guidelines for handling complex projects. This research applies a mixed method, consisting of a survey (quantitative method) and focus interviews (qualitative method) with experts of project management (PMI) in Germany. There are approximately 4.900 PMI certified project managers in Germany; more than 170 participated in the survey (3.6%). This is considered sufficient to provide reliable results for this research. Further, three focus interviews deepen the knowledge and validate the results of the survey: Complexity is an actual problem in project man-agement. Existing standards are sufficient for project management, but complexity can-not be standardized. This thesis proposes to help project managers to resolve project complexity by providing guidelines for navigating through complex projects

Approach for creating useful, gamified and social map applications utilising privacy-preserving crowdsourcing

The production and use of geographic information have become easier and more social. The interactivity of maps has fundamentally changed, not only because the touch-based interfaces are easier to use, but also because maps offer possibilities to interact with others. Map applications allow citizens to contribute but also share content to others. This contribution and sharing done by regular people is referred to as crowdsourcing. Map applications that utilise crowdsourcing face specific issues regarding the creation process, the usefulness and the crowdsourcing. These issues, however, have not been studied comprehensively and lack real world examples. This dissertation is the initial step to fill this gap by studying map applications that utilise crowdsourcing. These map applications are described using the design science research approach. Three issues relevant for the map application studied are: 1) the creation process, 2) utility requirements and usability heuristics, and 3) crowdsourcing approach. These issues are studied by using the design science research approach to produce theoretical and empirical knowledge of three map applications utilising crowdsourcing. The aim is to use this knowledge to form a design science research based approach suitable for creating map applications utilising crowdsourcing. The results regarding the creation process indicate that following a specific approach will help in creating crowdsourced map applications. This dissertation provides a customised design science research approach for creating crowdsourced map applications. Furthermore, prescriptive knowledge that provides real world examples crowdsourced map applications is provided. The results concerning the usefulness of map applications utilising crowdsourcing indicate that there are specific utility and usability requirements to be accounted for. This dissertation provides key utility requirements and usability heuristics for crowdsourced map applications. In general, a map interface for exploring and sharing content is needed. The map interface should be simple, citizens should be supported and interaction should be intuitive. The results concerning the crowdsourcing approach of map applications indicate that there is a need for specifying how citizens are involved in the process. This dissertation provides key requirements of the crowdsourcing approach of these types of map applications. The community driven crowdsourcing approach should be supported by official content and an engagement approach based on gamified and social elements to motivate content sharing. Privacy of citizens should be preserved by applying the privacy by design approach throughout the creation process. Privacy-preserving map applications utilising community-driven crowdsourcing, in which citizens can be engaged with gamification and social elements to explore and share content can be created by following the designs science research based approach presented in this dissertation.Geospatiaalisen eli paikkaan liittyvän tiedon tuotanto ja käyttö on helpottunut ja muuttunut yhä yhteisöllisemmäksi. Myös karttojen vuorovaikutteisuus on perustavanlaatuisesti muuttunut. Karttapohjaiset käyttöliittymät ovat yhä helppokäyttöisempiä ja niiden avulla kansalaiset voivat tuottaa tietoa, mutta myös jakaa sitä toisilleen. Tätä tavallisten kansalaisten tekemää tiedon tuottamista ja jakamista kutsutaan joukkoistamiseksi. Karttasovelluksiin, jotka hyödyntävät joukkoistettua tiedonkeruuta liittyy kuitenkin erityisiä haasteita niiden luomisen, hyödyllisyyden sekä joukkoistamisen osalta. Näitä haasteita ei ole vielä samanaikaisesti tutkittu kattavasti eikä näistä karttasovelluksista ole tarjolla tarpeeksi käytännön esimerkkejä ja tietoa. Tämä väitöskirja on ensimmäinen askel näiden haasteiden ratkaisemiseen, sillä tässä väitöskirjassa tutkitaan joukkoistamista hyödyntäviä karttasovelluksia. Väitöskirjassa perehdytään kolmeen karttasovelluksiin liittyvään haasteeseen, jotka ovat: 1) luomisprosessin lähestymistapa, 2) toiminnalliset vaatimukset ja käytettävyyden ohjeet ja 3) joukkoistamiseen käytetty lähestymistapa. Näitä haasteita tutkitaan tuottamalla tietoa kolmesta joukkoistamista hyödyntävästä karttasovelluksesta käyttäen kehitystutkimukseen perustuvaa tutkimusmenetelmää. Tätä tietoa käyttäen tavoitteena on muokata kehitystutkimukseen perustuvaa lähestymistapaa, jotta se soveltuisi joukkoistamista hyödyntävien karttasovellusten luomiseen. Luontiprosessin osalta tulokset osoittavat, että tieteellisen lähestymistavan seuraaminen helpottaa joukkoistettujen karttasovelluksien luomisessa. Väitöskirja ehdottaa muokattua kehitystytkimukseen perustuvaa lähestymistapaa joukkoistettujen karttasovellusten luomiseen. Lisäksi väitöskirja tarjoaa kuvailevia sekä ohjailevia tietoja joukkoistetuista karttasovelluksista käytännön esimerkein. Hyödyllisyyden osalta tulokset osoittavat, että joukkoistetuilla karttasovelluksilla on erityisiä toiminnallisia ja käytettävyyden vaatimuksia. Väitöskirja kokoaa keskeisiä toiminnallisia vaatimuksia sekä käytettävyyden ohjeita. Vaatimuksiin kuuluu helppokäyttöinen kansalaista tukeva karttakäyttöliittymä sisältöjen tutkimiseen sekä jakamiseen. Joukkoistamisen osalta tulokset osoittavat, että on tarve määritellä kuinka kansalaisen osallistuvat prosessiin. Tämä väitöskirja ehdottaa keskeisiä vaatimuksia lähestymistavalle joukkoistamiseen. Yhteisölähtöiseen joukkoistamiseen perustuvaa lähestymistapaa tulisi tukea karttasovelluksen sisällöillä, esimerkiksi kiinnostavalla taustakartalla. Lisäksi pelillisyyteen ja yhteisöllisyyteen perustuvalla sitouttamisella kansalaisia voidaan kannustaa sisältöjen jakamiseen. Kansalaisten yksityisyys tulisi turvata seuraamalla sisäänrakennetun tietosuojan lähestymistapaa läpi koko karttasovelluksen luomisprosessin ajan. Tässä väitöskirjassa esitettyä kehitystutkimukseen perustuvaa lähestymistapaa seuraamalla voidaan luoda yksityisyyden suojaavia ja yhteisölähtöistä joukkoistamista hyödyntäviä karttasovelluksia, joissa kansalaiset sitoutetaan pelillisyyden ja yhteisöllisyyden keinoin tutkimaan ja jakamaan sisältöjä

Exploring grade 9 teachers’ experiences of enacting financial literacy/accounting in the Zululand district.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The South African schooling system places more emphasis on teaching and learning of financial literacy which is directed at producing good quality learners who will pursue accounting as a subject in Grade 10, and increase the number of accountants in South Africa. However, very little increase in learner performance has been recorded and registered in the education system, despite many intervention strategies implemented to improve teaching, learning, and learner performance in financial literacy in Grade 9. Literature suggests that teaching and learning in any subject are influenced by the ways the curriculum is enacted, together with the teachers’ experiences, pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge, content knowledge, and curriculum restructuring that happens without necessary preparation and availability of resources. Therefore, this dissertation presents the qualitative case study of six teachers from a diverse set-up of schools. This study was conducted with the main purpose of exploring the Grade 9 teachers’ experiences of enacting financial literacy/accounting in secondary schools in the Zululand District. The study utilised the qualitative case-study design established within the interpretivist paradigm. As a result, reflective activity, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and focus groups were used to generate data in order to ensure the process of triangulation during the exploration of teachers’ experiences. The non-probability sampling methods, including purposive and convenience samplings, were used in choosing the specific kind of accounting and economic and management sciences teachers who have more than three years of teaching Grade 9 learners. This is because I needed teachers with in-depth knowledge of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) and accounting, and who were also accessible. The research questions guided the study to review the relevant literature on teachers’ experiences based on three spheres, namely, common, proficient, and subjective experiences. Consequently, this study adopted technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). It was then contextualised into experiences, which then yielded to the discovery of the new theory termed Common Subjective Proficient Experiences (CASPE) which emerged from this study. Issues of dependability, confirmability, credibility, and transferability were implemented in this study in order to ensure trustworthiness. Further to this, ethical issues were also considered such as consent letters, anonymity, withdrawals, beneficence, and others. The findings revealed that there is a lack of teacher content knowledge, technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. As a result, teachers are not aware that these aforementioned areas are under the proficient, common, and subjective experiences that they should always be taking into consideration if they want to improve learner performance in financial literacy/accounting. The results revealed that teachers had an understanding that learners lack interest in the financial literacy/accounting such that there are few learners pursuing accounting in Grade 10 and even those who continue with the subject do not perform well in Grade 12. As a result, a number of schools in Zululand District have removed accounting from Grade 10 to 12 and replaced it with subjects such as tourism, dramatic arts, geography, and others. The study further highlighted the influence of teachers’ experiences on teaching and learning and learner performance as a result thereof. In this study, I argue that there are various contributing factors that influence teaching, learning, and teaching practices which should be adhered to in order to improve learner performance. These factors include goals, content knowledge, time, activities, teaching and learning resources; the context and the roles teachers have to play when teaching financial literacy/accounting in secondary schools. Thus, taking into cognisance teachers’ experiences, teachers’ knowledge, technological knowledge, teachers’ professionalism and school context are paramount in order to improve teaching and learning and to produce quality results and improved learner performance in schools. In short, transposing all the various kinds of experiences (common, subjective and proficient) in the process of teaching and learning accurately provide flair to the interconnectedness of experiences that should always balance out and suppress the dominance of one experience over the other

Roles of Information Technology in Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Information Technology (SCIT) is a key enabler of effective supply chain management (SCM) activities. In 2013, $300 billion was spent on SCIT by firms globally, an increase by 1.8% and 3.8% compared to 2012 and 2011, respectively. With such significant investments, firms face risks of eroded financial performance if SCIT does not perform as expected. In fact, there is a mix of evidence with some firms benefiting from SCIT while others failing to benefit from investing in SCIT. Despite substantial research relating to utilizing information technology in a SCM context, the impact of SCIT on firm performance remains unclear. In particular, the extant literature has reported contradictive results regarding relationships between SCIT and firm performance. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to conduct a systematic investigation of roles of information technology in SCM and shed light on this extremely important research area. In chapter 2, we investigate the direct impact of SCIT on firm performance by conducting a meta-analysis study. Specifically, we look at four types of SCIT characteristics (e.g. application integration, data compatibility, analytic ability, and evaluation and alertness ability) within three loci of utilization: upstream, downstream, and both upstream-downstream. We find that SCIT is not universally associated with improved firm performance. In particular, SCIT has multiple characteristics, and each characteristic is linked to different performance indicators. In chapter 3, we investigate how SCIT can conditionally change the relationship between supply base complexity (SBC) or customer base complexity (CBC) and performance. Extant literature suggests that a complex supply or customer base can lead to suboptimal organizational performance. Using secondary data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Annual Survey of Manufacturers, we are able to examine the impact of SBC and CBC on performance at the industry level of analysis. Further, we find that SCIT helps eliminate the negative impact of SBC and CBC on performance. By systematically investigating the direct and indirect impacts of SCIT on performance, this dissertation contributes to the understanding of the roles of information technology in supply chain management

The Children’s Right to Participate in the Comprehensive School Health Programme in Kenya – How can this right become a reality? A participatory research project with children in three primary schools in Kiambu County in Kenya

Mahr-Slotawa J. The Children’s Right to Participate in the Comprehensive School Health Programme in Kenya – How can this right become a reality? A participatory research project with children in three primary schools in Kiambu County in Kenya. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2020.The research aims to answer the question: How can the children’s right to participate within the Comprehensive School Health Programme (CSHP) in Kenya become a reality? I initiated the Participatory Action Research (PAR) in cooperation with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), which financed my research. I defined its objective as investigating the social problem of the neglect of the right of children to participate in the CSHP. The UNCRC defines this right in Article 12.1. The PAR was conducted for a period of 4½ months, from September 2013 to January 2014. In the sample were six separate groups of children (aged 10-13 years) from three primary schools in the Ndeiya area of Kiambu County in Kenya. Two research facilitators oversaw every one of the 17 research sessions with each children’s group. They hailed from the same Kikuyu ethnic community as the children and were nearly fluent in their mother tongue. One key person assisted the research facilitators in each school. I guided the research facilitators in the background and managed the PAR. They applied Participatory Learning and Action methods combined with Focus Group Interviews in each research session. They also conducted two Focus Group Discussions with the children’s parents. The data analysis started during the PAR with the children and research facilitators in Kenya. I did the final data analysis in a non-participatory way when I was back in Germany. My results propose an approach on how to realise children’s right to participate within the CSHP in Kenya. I call for a global generalisation of this approach in school health promotion programmes. This approach builds on my results of the children’s views on their right to participation and on my PAR field experience with the children in Kenya. Based on these results and drawing on current theoretical frameworks for children’s participation, such as Hart (2008) and Percy-Smith (2014), I outlined the realisation of children’s right to participation according to Action Research principles. In their views, the children also accentuated actions that support the realisation of their right, such as, helping or teaching others. A puzzle model summarises my final approach. It contributes to the practice and to the theory of realising children’s participation. It concurs with those theories that advocate for the realisation of children’s participation as a dialogical process and actions, such as children’s community contributions, and as a relational change between adults and children. Moreover, my approach complements existing frameworks by defining six components and clearly structured practices needed to realise this children’s right. It highlights a broad understanding of the UNCRC’s Article 12.1, which includes children expressing their views as well as undertaking activities, such as fetching water or teaching others. Important for my approach’s workability in Kenya is that this broad understanding of children’s right to participation is rooted in the prevailing practices of children’s participation in Kenya: adults educate their children, often while jointly carrying out daily tasks. Hart, R., 2008. Stepping back from 'the ladder': Reflections on a model of participatory work with children. Chapter 2. In: A. Reid et al., eds. Participation and learning, perspectives on education and the environment, health and sustainability. New York: Springer, pp. 19–31 Percy-Smith, B., 2014. Reclaiming children's participation as an empowering social process. Chapter 16. In: C. Burke and K. Jones, eds. Education, childhood and anarchism. Talking Colin Ward. New York: Routledge, pp. 210–22

Exploring teachers' perceptions of the barriers and solutions to using one teacher laptop per class in a multi-grade context : the case of Intel®Teach-ICT implementation

This interpretive exploratory case study investigated the challenges and barriers to the multi-grade context in general, as well as to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) implementation in a multi-grade context. Possible solutions based on teacher perceptions were generated inductively within a three-level typology. The research took place in three phases. Pre-training data were gathered in the first phase, using an open-ended questionnaire (all participants: n=20); personal interviews (n=9); and two focus group interviews, which consisted of three participants per focus group. Training on the Intel® Teach ICT programme and the provision of laptops (one per teacher) constituted the second phase. The third phase included post-training data generation using an open-ended questionnaire (all participants) and two focus group interviews, which consisted of three participants per focus group, to elicit teacher perceptions of the training programme and their use of the laptops in the classroom after the training. The findings suggest that first order (school or meso level) challenges pertaining to multi-grade teaching relate to the lack of resources; curriculum challenges; learner related challenges; isolation, impact on communication and teaching; time constraints; and a work overload as a result of the multiple roles. Second order challenges (self or micro level) related to the perceived uncaring attitude of the Department of Basic Education that left teachers feeling hurt and neglected; the unpreparedness for the multi-grade context which demotivated teachers; and the negative perceptions the teachers had about their learners. Third order challenges (system level, beyond the school level or micro level) were related to the lack of Departmental support from officials; the lack of curriculum training for the multi-grade context; and the lack of support on various fronts. Regarding ICT related challenges, the findings suggest that first order barriers related to the lack of suitable infrastructure for ICT implementation; lack of peer support; lack of access to appropriate hardware and software; and lack of time. Second order barriers related to the negative beliefs in the self; negative perceptions about the learners’ ability to use the laptop; and negative beliefs related to teaching and learning. The third order barriers were related to the lack of support and assistance from the Department of Basic Education for ICT implementation. The findings suggest that the participants viewed the provisioning of enabling programmes for parents as an important solution to first order challenges, and a change in mindset as the most important solution for second order problems. Third order solutions included a “multi-grade Renaissance” towards a new model for multi-grade teaching; re-thinking the curriculum requirements regarding multi-grade teaching by the Department of Basic Education; increased support and training from the Department; incentives to teach with ICT in the multi-grade context; encouraging further research inmulti-grade teaching; providing sufficient resources; establishing partnerships with stakeholders; and the closure and merger of multi-grade schools. There was evidence that the laptops provided were used in a variety of ways after the Intel® Teach training by the participants, including email as a tool to communicate with their fellow multi-grade peers, which serve to break their sense of isolation. Quantitative data from the open-ended questionnaire confirmed an increase in the usage of the laptop after the Intel® Teach training intervention. Although the participants generally experienced the Intel teach training intervention as positive, they also identified negative experiences. These findings enabled the embedding of ‘self and sustainable support from stakeholders’ more explicitly in the professional teacher development ICT implementation framework of Du Plessis and Webb (2012b), which suggests that the Intel® Teach training intervention can be used as a vehicle to address ICT implementation within the multi-grade context. It is suggested that the Department of Basic Education should consider exposing all teachers to the Intel® Teach programme and assist multi-grade teachers by providing better on-going support and putting the necessary policies, implementation and infrastructure in place

The enactment of teacher leadership in an urban primary school : a case study of three teacher leaders.

Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.The traditional view in education leadership separates school leaders from teachers. However, traditional views has been challenged by recent research which calls for distributed forms of leadership where all teachers are viewed as having the capacity to lead and where power is distributed across the organization. Therefore, leadership must be understood as a shared process which involves working with all stakeholders in a collegial and creative way to seek out the untapped leadership potential of people and develop this potential in a supportive environment for the betterment of the school. In other words, it is within these professional learning communities that power in the school is redistributed and where teachers can operate as leaders as they strive towards a more equitable society