A Comparison Between Visual Imagery Strategy and Conventional Strategy in The Teaching of English For Science

The main purpose of the study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness between visual imagery strategy and conventional strategy in the teaching of English for Science and Technology. A total of 89 students (n=89) were assigned to two groups, where each group underwent three phases of the experiment - 1) Pre-test Phase, 2) Treatment Phase, and 3) Post-test Phase. In this study, visual imagery strategy was a teaching procedure that incorporated the use of visuals and the forming of images that suggested the kind of representations students need to conjure within the context of the topic being taught. Conventional strategy was the teaching method prescribed by the English teacher in which students' attention were directed to important facts and concepts pertaining to the topic. Evaluation to ascertain students' le'ariing achievement was based on their pre-test and post-test scores obtained as participants performed the Language Achievement test, which included evaluation on reading comprehension and writing skills. Analysis was also done on their language functions, vocabulary tasks, reading comprehension, and essay writing skills from the science- and technical-based lessons taught to the students. The results of the study was reported in accordance with the hypotheses developed which compared the effectiveness between visual imagery strategy and conventional strategy on dependent variables such as reading comprehension achievement, writing skills and vocabulary achievement, as well comparing the effectiveness between the two strategies used among low English proficiency and high English proficiency students. Data analysis indicated that visual imagery strategy produced significant main effect on students' total reading comprehension and writing achievement, as compared to conventional strategy (F(1,84) = 17.55, p < .000), but there was no significant interaction effect between proficiency level and type of treatment applied (F(1,84) = .895, p > .347, with a very small effect size (eta squared = .011). Based on reading comprehension scores alone, it was found that visual imagery strategy produced significant main effect on students' reading comprehension achievement, as compared to conventional strategy (F(1,84) = 14.03, p < .000; eta squared = .143), but again, there was no significant interaction effect between proficiency level and type of treatment applied (F(1,84) = .002, p > .620; eta squared = .010). Based on writing scores alone, it was found that visual imagery did not produce significant main effect on students' writing achievement as compared to conventional strategy(F(l,84) = 1.27, p = .261). However, there was significant interaction effect between proficiency level and the treatments applied in determining students' writing achievement (F(1,84) = 1.06, p < .041, with a small effect size (eta squared = .012). Data analysis also indicated that visual imagery strategy (M=9.93, SD=2.98) did not produce significant differential effect on students' vocabulary skills performance during the treatment phase, as compared to the conventional strategy: (M=9.37, SD=3.51; t(87)=.802, p=.425). Students' responses regarding their knowledge and perception of visual imagery strategy and its application on teaching reading comprehension and writing skills in English for Science and Technology also favored the use of visuals and imagery instructions. Lastly, it was found that students agree that visual imagery strategy should be incorporated in English for Science and Technical lessons as it helped students understand scientific and technical passages better during reading-instruction. The implication of the study suggests that visual imagery strategy can be beneficial for students learning English for Science and Technology as the strategy promoted the recall of previous knowledge and provided interaction with the content. Visual imagery strategy as a teaching method should be utilized to its full potential, as it can be beneficial in facilitating the teaching and learning of English for science and technical reading comprehension and other language skills

Effects of Mental And Physical Practice on Learning and Acquisition of a Hitting Skill

This study examined the effectiveness of mental, physical, and mental-physical practice in the skill of hitting a ball off a batting tee and a ball thrown by a pitcher among upper secondary school students. A total of 59 subjects (n=59) were assigned into three groups, where each group underwent three stages of the experiment - 1) Pretest Stage, 2) Practice Stage, and 3) Post-test Stage. During the pre-test stage, perfonnance scores were taken for both skills. All groups did not receive any fonn of practice. The practice stage required each subject learning how to hit a ball off a batting tee correctly. Verbal and written instructions as well as a demonstration session were given on how to perform the skill. Scores were taken during the post-test stage as each subject hit ten legal balls thrown by a pitcher and another ten legal balls using the batting tee. Findings showed that subjects' who received physical practice and mental-physical practice improved significantly in their batting performance (batting tee). However, the mental practice group failed to show any significant improvement. As for their hitting perfonnance using a pitcher, subjects' who practiced physically failed to improve their performance results. In contrast, the mental practice and the mental-physical practice groups recorded significant changes in their performance scores. Analysis of covariance did show statistically significant differences in subjects hitting performance on both skills between the three groups. All three practice methods produced significant changes but the combined practice method proved most effective

Computer anxiety and attitudes toward using Internet in English language classes among Iranian postgraduate student teachers

This study was designed to investigate the level of computer anxiety and the overall attitudes of Iranian postgraduate student teachers toward using the Internet in English language classes. Using a stratified random sampling, 160 participants (64 males and 96 females) were selected to take part in the study. These respondents were English language teachers who were pursuing their studies in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), English Literature, and Linguistics in public universities of Malaysia. A three-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information, Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS) and Internet Attitude Scale (IAS) was administered in the data collection process. A pilot test was also conducted to achieve the reliability of the instruments. In order to strengthen the results, a semi- structured interview was conducted as well. The results indicated that the level of computer anxiety and the attitudes of the respondents toward using the Internet were of a moderate level. The findings of the independent-sample t-test showed significant mean differences between males and females and their level of computer anxiety and also their attitudes toward using the Internet. In addition, findings of the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant negative relationship between computer anxiety and the participants' attitude toward using the Internet in their English language classes. Meanwhile, responses gauged through interview also supported the above findings. In conclusion, to eliminate the computer anxiety of teachers and encourage them to use the Internet technology in their classes, they should be equipped with sufficient technology skills through training programmes which can convince them about the usefulness of technologies in their instruction and create positive attitudes when using technology in the teaching and learning process

Investigating the relationship between creativity and academic achievement of Malaysian undergraduates.

The present study focused on investigating the relationship between creativity and academic achievement of Malaysian undergraduates who are studying TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language). Through random sampling, 100 students (46 males and 54 females) from different Universities in Malaysia were selected to participate in this study. As the research instruments, Cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and Nicolas Holt Creativity Test (NHCT) were used to measure the academic achievement and creative potential of students. Inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the data. The Pearson Correlation coefficient indicated a significant positive relationship between creativity and academic achievement of students. A significant gender differences were found between male and female students, their creativity and their academic achievement. Finally, the results of the study and their implications are discussed

Teacher cognition in foreign language vocabulary teaching : a study of Iranian high school EFL teachers.

Notwithstanding the relevance of teacher cognition inquiries, which has already become a tradition in our field, and exploration made to the many covert aspects of second language (L2) teachers’ pedagogical thought processes, previous research has not fully taken vocabulary as a curricular area into account from L2 teachers’ frame of reference. This inquiry sought to investigate vocabulary teaching approaches and challenges in some Iranian high schools from L2 teachers’ perspectives thorough a basic qualitative research design in which a multiple qualitative data collection methods has been employed. Participants were purposefully selected and data collected through this method has been the foundation for the ensuing and interpretation. Findings indicate that although participants possessed a good deal of knowledge about English language teaching in general and vocabulary instruction in particular, approaches they employed to teach vocabulary are not in congruence with their real beliefs and do not essentially include any metacognitive and socio-affective strategies. However, major problems L2 teachers face with in vocabulary teaching are identified to be either related to the educational system or to the contextual factors

Level of information & communication technology (ICT) usage among ESL teachers in Malaysia

The current study attempted to identify the level of (ICT) usage among ESL teachers, the difference between the level of ICT usage based on gender and age, the teachers’ perception towards ICT usage and the barriers faced by teachers. This study was a quantitative study using the descriptive survey approach. The total number of participants was 90 ESL student teachers. Data collection involved the use of a questionnaire and the results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings showed that the level of ICT among teachers was moderate to high. The findings also revealed that females used ICT more than males and younger teachers used ICT more than older teachers. In addition, the level of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness was moderate to high and high respectively. The findings also indicated that the level of barrier among teachers was low

Effectiveness of conference feedback on college students’ composition in the English as a Second Language (ESL) context

This article examines the negotiation teacher-student feedback conferences in a college writing course. The conferences were held in groups with one teacher and six participants who agreed to take part in this study. The study includes the right for the teacher to offer advice and to criticize, which is often considered to be threatening in more normal contexts. However, as the data analysis shows, participants also interact in ways that challenge the common norms, some of which might be considered more conventionally attacking. The article argues that conference feedback should be analyzed at the level of interaction (Haugh and Bargiela-Chiappini, 2010) and that situated and contextual detail is relevant to its analysis. The study suggests that teachers’ in a second language writing classroom should provide conference feedback so that student understand what the teachers’ expect of them and, provides a useful theoretical framework for doing so. The conclusion of the study draws on real-life talk-in-interaction (from transcribed recordings), the participants’ perspectives (from focus groups and interviews) and situated detail (from field-notes) to produce a contextualized and nuanced analysis

Achievement motivation and self-efficacy in relation to adjustment among university students

Problem statement: University students’ adjustment to the campus environment is regarded as an important factor in predicting university outcomes. Studies have shown that students who do not adjust themselves well, have left the university even before graduation. Approach: A study was conducted to examine some psychological characteristics of university students which may have bearing on students’ adjustment in university environment. How students adjust themselves especially in the initial years at university may have impact on how successful they will be in tertiary education. An on line survey was conducted on 178 students from junior to senior students enrolled in education courses in a university in Malaysia. Achievement motivation, self-efficacy and student adjustment were measured using questionnaires available on-line. Results: The results showed that overall the students’ level of adjustment was moderate (M = 5.05, SD = 0.31) suggesting that they are facing some problems in adjusting to the campus environment. The senior students were better adjusted (M = 5.12, SD = 0.32) compared to the junior students (M = 4.95, SD = 0.27), t(177) = -3.66, p = 0.001). Achievement motivation and self-efficacy range from moderate (M = 3.17, SD = 0.43) to high levels (M = 5.15, SD = 0.78) indicating that they have the potentials to succeed. The three variables namely adjustment, achievement motivation and self-efficacy were found to be correlated positively with one another. Conclusion: The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of teaching and learning in higher education. Recommendations include providing the relevant courses and counseling sessions especially for the first year students

Academic adjustment among second year students in Malaysian universities

Successful adjustment to college during the first year is an area of increasing concern for most institutions of higher education (Tinto, 1993). The transition from high school to university is a major life change for many adolescents. Entering university may mean getting new learning experiences and opportunities for psychosocial development. At the same time students may find university life stressful because of the increasing academic demands and the establishment of new social relations. Academic adjustment or how well students deal with educational demands, includes motivation to complete academic work, success in meeting academic requirements, academic effort and satisfaction with the academic environment (Baker & Siryk, 2004). Previous studies have shown the relationship between several psychological factors with student adjustment in university which includes self-esteem (Friedlander, et.al., 2007) and emotional Intelligence (Summerfeldt, 2005). A study was conducted on 647 second year students in two public and two private universities in Malaysia to examine their level of adjustment in relation to several psychological variables namely self-esteem and emotional intelligence. Findings showed that the majority of respondents (70.2%) have moderate level of adjustment indicating that students are not adjusting very well in university. Correlation analysis showed that there are positive and significant correlations between students’ overall adjustment with self-esteem (r= .52, p<.05) and emotional intelligence (r=.39, p<.05). Regression analysis revealed that self-esteem and emotional intelligence together contribute 27.5% of the variance in students’ overall adjustment. The findings of the study will help to determine the relationship between the psychosocial variables mentioned with university students’ level of adjustment. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of learning in tertiary education

Understanding the Misbehavior of At-Risk Students: Contributing Factors

A study was conducted on 113 at risk students in 25 secondary schools situated in five zones in Malaysia. The purpose of the study was to identify the psychological factors which contribute to their misbehavior and their low achievement in school. In-depth interviews were conducted and data were transcribed verbatim. The data were content analyzed to extract the factors contributing to at-risk students’ deviant behavior. Among the factors identified were personal factors, family problems and peer influence. Personal factors include low self-esteem, troubled personality and indiscipline. Family problems include poor parental monitoring, poor interaction with children, low income and marital problems. Peer influence includes peer pressure, peer modeling and peer support. Implications of the findings are discussed for the future well-being of the children