Learner Empowerment Research Articles

In the Pursuit of Justice: A Case Study on the Role of Service-Learning in Developing Civic Engagement among College Students in Egypt

Service-learning is a form of experiential education that connects classroom instruction with community service for the benefits of the partners involved. While the effects of service-learning on college students are well documented in Western settings, considerably less is known about these effects in Eastern contexts. Given the current profound political changes in Egypt and the greater Arab world, this research utilized a case study design to explore the potential of service-learning for developing civic awareness among college students at a university in Northern Egypt. Findings revealed that participation in service-learning allowed students valuable opportunities to connect with others from backgrounds different from their own. Through their work in the community, students gained important civic skills, including thinking critically and addressing public problems, developing perspective-taking positions, and enhancing coping capabilities. The study outcomes suggest a cultural shift in Egypt that validates young adults as a productive segment of population thus affording them structured opportunities for civic engagement through which they could exercise their leadership skills and effect positive change in their communities. The ongoing critical engagement of students in their communities where they grapple with questions about the structural causes of inequalities in society is pivotal for service-learning to be a truly empowering learning experience.

Critical Text Selection for the Elementary Classroom: A case for strategically using the classroom library to open new spaces for critical literacy engagements.

The purpose of this research paper is to encourage school teachers (with an emphasis on elementary teachers) to recognize and explore the literacy potential of their classroom libraries as a powerful critical literacy tool/asset that when designed and utilized strategically has the potential to reposition their classroom pedagogy and curriculum design to be empowering, transformative, inclusive and progressive. To that effect, this paper offers/proposes a framework/model for ‘critical text selection’ that can be readily adapted by teachers across various grade levels within the K-12 classrooms to identify the specific critical literacy needs of their learners (including the learning environment) and then employ their classroom library as a critical literacy tool that facilitates learner empowerment both inside and outside their learning spaces. The paper also presents interested teachers with an alternate way to traverse the proposed framework in the hope that it will provide an impetus to teacher scholars and educators interested in adapting the framework into their classroom to innovatively modify the framework we have presented to better work with their unique curricular structure and design.

Can the Dimensions of Identity, Investment and Empowerment Increase Social Inclusion for Second-language Learners? – Moving Towards the Creation of a Conceptual Framework

Much of social research in language learning in the past twenty years has been devoted to explore issues of identity construction and its sociological implications in terms of mobility and inclusiveness. There are a large number of studies on the areas of culture and identity, and how they relate to the investment and empowerment of language learners (Dörnyei, 2005; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Norton, 1997, 2000, 2013, 2015; Norton & Davin, 2015; Ushioda, 2011). Some of these have been pivotal in the development of identity research for the past two decades and have laid the foundation upon which further research has been done: Norton (1995) proposed her Classroom-Based Social Research, in which learners become ethnographers of sorts under the encouragement of teachers; Brunton and Jeffrey (2014) examined some of the factors that might lead to empowerment with foreign students in New Zealand (2013), Diaz, Cochran, and Karlin (2016) conducted a study in American classrooms to investigate the impact of teachers’ behavior and communication strategies on students’ achievement and feeling of empowerment, and more recently Howard (2018) investigated the impact of teachers’ attitudes in the construction of socio-cultural identities in African-American students. Such research has provided a wealth of insight and suggested practices, but in this researcher’s opinion they have come short in providing any definite answers as to how to implement them or the outcomes they might yield. The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on how the aforementioned dimensions of identity construction, empowerment and investment can result in greater social inclusion for second-language learners. The paper analyzes each dimension separately, provides a theoretical background that links them to language learning, and then discusses some possible implications for teachers and researchers on how to further recruit students’ investment and enhance their sense of empowerment and inclusion.

Semi-Supervised Learning under Class Distribution Mismatch

Semi-supervised learning (SSL) aims to avoid the need for collecting prohibitively expensive labelled training data. Whilst demonstrating impressive performance boost, existing SSL methods artificially assume that small labelled data and large unlabelled data are drawn from the same class distribution. In a more realistic scenario with class distribution mismatch between the two sets, they often suffer severe performance degradation due to error propagation introduced by irrelevant unlabelled samples. Our work addresses this under-studied and realistic SSL problem by a novel algorithm named Uncertainty-Aware Self-Distillation (UASD). Specifically, UASD produces soft targets that avoid catastrophic error propagation, and empower learning effectively from unconstrained unlabelled data with out-of-distribution (OOD) samples. This is based on joint Self-Distillation and OOD filtering in a unified formulation. Without bells and whistles, UASD significantly outperforms six state-of-the-art methods in more realistic SSL under class distribution mismatch on three popular image classification datasets: CIFAR10, CIFAR100, and TinyImageNet.

Does problem-based learning in Nursing Education Empower Learning?

In this discussion paper, we explored our experiences with the integration of problem-based learning and use of evaluation tools in an undergraduate nursing research class. Six content areas in the course were adapted to problem-based learning. Understanding of concepts and being able to link concepts to the real world of practice can be achieved when nursing students actively engage to construct and reconstruct their knowledge. This journey has demonstrated to us the importance of reflecting on practice as faculty and student. We encourage discussion among nursing faculty to more deeply understand the significance of moving from traditional didactic towards learner-centered approaches that enhance critical thinking.

Digital Doves

Kristin School is an independent co-educational, international baccalaureate school from early learning to Year 13, in Albany on Auckland's North Shore. Kristin School has an impeccable reputation for academic excellence and ensuring that its students are ‘Future Ready’. In 2016, after a robust school improvement inquiry, the school made the commitment to update its Learning Management System to one that was more dynamic and in line with the school’s beliefs on learning and teaching. After a robust review of systems, Kristin selected Canvas as it will allow us to grow and adapt to an ever-changing K-13 landscape.
 
 As George Couros writes in his book, The Innovator’s Mindset (2015), with any new technological improvement or innovation that schools invest in, one of the first questions to be asked is “What is best for this learner?” (p. 21) and rightly so. In asking this question, we are inherently recognizing that in order to achieve enhanced student learning, we must first invest in teacher learning. While there is a plethora of research on teacher learning or teacher professional development, current literature points to the intersection of teacher learning and inquiry (Timperley, Wilson, Barrar & Fung, 2007, Couros, 2015). Recognizing this research and understanding that strong pedagogical practice must be at the forefront, Kristin invested in a robust, staged rollout.
 
 Inspired by Timperley et al.’s, Ten Key Principles for Teacher Professional Learning and Development (2007), Kristin senior leadership allocated dedicated time for faculty learning with Canvas. Each faculty had a dedicated ‘Canvas Leader’ who had more in-depth training and were able to mentor their teaching colleagues. There were also different opportunities and modalities for teachers to learn from, including a course in Canvas about using Canvas, a YouTube Channel, faculty specific and general workshops, an active Twitter presence and the far-reaching Canvas Community.
 
 Kristin has rolled Canvas out schoolwide, from Year 1 – 13 and is fortunate to have strong teacher leaders that have embraced Canvas and have challenged themselves to not just ‘learn Canvas’, but to approach it as a core learning tool. In the Junior School, one team of teachers use Canvas as a way to differentiate the learning of students in specialist classes through the use of short videos. While in the Middle School, one of our Languages teachers uses Canvas as an integral, interactive classroom resource, where students are introduced to new concepts, are given collaborative tasks, and are linked to additional resources.
 
 In the coming year, Kristin will continue to lean on the work of Timperley et al., with the aim of strengthening the ties between Canvas and pedagogy and initiating inquiry groups around the use of technology in teaching and learning at Kristin. Recognizing an important part of teacher learning happens when we listen to the student voice (Timperley, Kaser & Halbert, 2014), an inquiry looking into the needs of our students will help to identify further next steps. At Kristin, we believe that when teachers are empowered to trial new methodologies and embed these successfully into their everyday practice, transformational changes will occur, in not just the learning of the teacher, but the learning experiences for the student as well.
 References
 
 Couros, G. (2015). The innovator's mindset: Empower learning, unleash talent, and lead a culture of creativity. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting.
 Timperley, H., Kaser, L. & Halbert, J. (2014). A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the spiral of inquiry. Centre for Strategic Education Seminar Series Paper No. 234 https://teachingcouncil.nz/sites/default/files/49.%20Spiral%20of%20Inquiry%20Paper%20-%20Timperley%20Kaser%20Halbert.pdf
 Timperley, H., Wilson, A., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2007). Teacher professional learning and development. Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES) Report. Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Education. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Educational_Practices/EdPractices_18.pdf

Relating Learner Empowerment with Learner Self-Regulation Learning in Higher Education

The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship of Learner empowerment and Self-regulation at university level. The researcher conducted a survey by administering the questionnaire to collect a data on a sample of 300 students in which 150 male students and 150 female students in District Lahore were included. Data were analyzed by using inferential and descriptive statistics. Researcher has used two instruments first one learner empowerment and second students’ self- regulation. Learner empowerment composed of three factors and students’ self-regulation also has three factors. Sample was selected by random sampling technique. There were 22 statements of Learner empowerment questionnaire and 23 statements of Self-regulation questionnaire. The Study revealed that students’ level of Self- regulation was high. The study also revealed that most of students were much empowered on overall learner empowerment scale and its three components. The study was also found positive and strong relationship between Learner empowerment and students’ Self-regulation at university level. It can be concluded from the findings of the study that Self-regulation and Learner empowerment are correlated and strengthen to each other.

Quality education to succeed the SDGs among college students through the role of learner empowerment and creative self-efficacy to develop innovative work behavior

Preparing the college students to be ready to perform their innovative work behavior optimally is essential, especially in supporting organizational and national innovation for the SDGs’ success. One way is by examining how the students perceive their abilities, potential, and roles in the learning environment. The researchers believe that the relationship between the learner empowerment and innovative work behavior will have a more significant influence when they can also realize the learner empowerment into creative self-efficacy. The research respondents are 539 third semester students or higher from Universitas Indonesia. This quantitative research uses the Innovative Work Behavior Scale, the Learner Empowerment Scale, and the Creative Self-Efficacy Scale. The mediation analysis results show that creative self-efficacy has a partial mediating effect on learner empowerment’s relation to innovative work behavior. The three dimensions of the learner empowerment (meaningfulness, competence, and impact) are also significantly related to the innovative work behavior, with the impact as the strongest correlating dimension. This research can be used as input for developing the learning programs, both curricular and extracurricular, to perform innovative work behavior optimally.

English language learning and learner empowerment: a mixed-method study of pre-service English teachers’ narratives on language, power and identity

It is widely acknowledged that the expansion of English has had a democratising effect: knowledge is now accessible to a larger number of people worldwide. However, it is also contended that the uncritical and unreflective teaching of English is contributing to reproducing power structures, accentuating inequalities among speakers. This article presents the results of a study carried out with 86 final-year students in the Degree of Primary Education (English) at the University of Seville. Working within the framework of critical research, and combining both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study analyses learners’ perceptions on communicative competence, on the factors that bear upon successful communication, and their capacity to identify and understand power relations in communicative interactions. Results show that communicative competence does not necessarily entail learner empowerment; learners are too worried about linguistic aspects and accuracy when they speak English; they aspire to a model—the native speaker—that they can never reach; and they are not aware of power inequalities, their origin and how they transpire in communicative situations. This analysis points to the need to include a critical component in English language teaching to equip learners to identify and tackle power asymmetries in communicative interactions.

Empowering learners with personalised learning approaches? Agency, equity and transparency in the context of learning analytics

The emergence of personalised data technologies such as learning analytics is framed as a solution to manage the needs of higher education student populations that are growing ever more diverse and larger in size. However, the current approach to learning analytics presents tensions between increasing student agency in making learning-related decisions and ‘datafying’ students in the process of collecting, analysing and interpreting data. This article presents a study that explores staff and student experience of agency, equity and transparency in existing data practices and expectations towards learning analytics in a UK university. The results show a number of intertwined factors that have contributed to the tensions between enhancing a learner’s control of their studies and, at the same time, diminishing their autonomy as an active agent in the process of learning analytics. This article argues that learner empowerment should not be automatically assumed to have taken place as part of the adoption of learning analytics. Instead, the interwoven power relationships in a complex educational system and the interactions between humans and machines need to be taken into consideration when presenting learning analytics as an equitable process to enhance student agency and educational equity.

Learner Empowerment Levels of Pre-Service Turkish Teachers Towards Ottoman Turkish Course

Bu çalışmada, Türkçe öğretmeni adaylarının Osmanlı Türkçesi dersine yönelik öğrenen güçlenmesi düzeyleri cinsiyet ve sınıf değişkenleri açısından incelenmiştir. Araştırma, 2017-2018 eğitim-öğretim yılının bahar döneminde Dicle Üniversitesi Ziya Gökalp Eğitim Fakültesi Türkçe Eğitimi Ana Bilim Dalı’nda öğrenim gören toplam 167 öğrencinin katılımı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada, katılımcıların Osmanlı Türkçesi dersine yönelik öğrenen güçlenmesi düzeylerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla Frymier, Shulman ve Houser (1996) tarafından geliştirilen, Çakır ve Erdoğan (2014) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan “Öğrenen Güçlenmesi Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, cinsiyet ve sınıf değişkenleri açısından öğretmen adaylarının öğrenen güçlenmesi düzeylerinin “etki”, “anlamlılık” ve “yeterlilik” boyutlarına göre istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı düzeyde farklılık göstermediği belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular sonucunda Türkçe öğretmeni adaylarının Osmanlı Türkçesi dersinde yapacakları faaliyetleri belirleyebildiği ve derste takdir edildikleri, Osmanlı Türkçesi dersinde edindikleri bilgileri ve yerine getirmeleri gereken görevleri anlamlı buldukları, Osmanlı Türkçesi dersi ile ilgili görevleri layıkıyla yerine getirebilme konusunda kendilerine güvendikleri, bu derste başarılı olmak için gerekli niteliklere sahip olduklarını düşündükleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Optimizing Service-Learning for Self-Efficacy and Learner Empowerment

Abstract Optimizing Service-Learning for Self-Efficacy and Learner Empowerment Joanna Gonsalves Salem State University Eric Y. Metchik Salem State University Cynthia Lynch Salem State University Charlotte N. Belezos Roxbury Community College Paula Richards North Essex Community College A framework widely used in the field of industrial-organizational psychology, the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) (Hackman & Oldham, 1976), was applied in the current study to measure the quality of students’ service-learning experiences as they relate to student outcomes. It was hypothesized that service-learning projects with higher motivating potential, in terms of characteristics underlying job satisfaction according to the JCM, would lead to greater increases in learner motivation and general self-efficacy. Study participants were 228 students engaged in service-learning courses at five community colleges and one state university in the Northeastern United States. The results showed that changes in students’ self-efficacy scores were moderated by the motivating potential of service-learning courses. Furthermore, learner empowerment appeared to be a partial mediator of this relationship. The study provides support for the application of the JCM in designing service-learning experiences to strengthen students’ course motivation and self-efficacy.

Introduction

Welcome to the June 2019 issue of SiSAL Journal which contains four regular papers and three reviews. Coincidentally, three of four regular papers focus on the roles of learners within self-access centres. In addition, one of the conference reviews is by an undergraduate student (Shirakawa) who presented his research at a self-access conference in Japan. Finally, the book review (Cotterall) is for a volume edited by Murray and Lamb that (among other things) explores how learners appropriate and take ownership of spaces for learning. Our observations from conferences and recent papers, including this issue of SiSAL Journal, indicate that student leadership and learner ownership and empowerment are growing areas of development for self-access. We will continue to observe this aspect of our practice with interest.

Perspective of Yemeni students on use of online learning

Purpose Online learning has evolved into a necessary means of learning because of its capability to enhance the education quality with minimum resources and infrastructure. Nevertheless, while academics have studied the espousal and use of online learning in various settings, the effect of compatibility and transformational leadership (TL) still remains to be seen, with regards to the Yemeni context. The purpose of this paper is to forward the Delone and Mclean Information System (IS) success Model by integrating compatibility and TL constructs as precursors to user contentment and actual use for estimating performance of students. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire technique was utilised for gathering primary data from 448 students in nine state-funded Yemeni universities. The six variables in the recommended framework were gauged utilising current scales. Data analysis was done by deploying structural equation modelling through SmartPLS 3.0. Findings The outcomes encompassed three key results: overall quality (data, system and service quality), compatibility and TL have a favourable effect on user satisfaction and actual use; actual use considerably estimates user satisfaction; and user satisfaction and actual use have a favourable effect on performance of students. Research limitations/implications Because the research populace comprised students from nine state-funded universities, it did not include administrative and academic staff. Furthermore, as the study was cross-sectional, it studied the variables at a single point of time. Attaining experience in utilising online learning would transform the convictions of students, and this cannot be traced through a cross-sectional scrutiny. Moreover, the research relies upon self-testified measures for ascertaining the recommended research model. The reason behind this is that obtaining objective information regarding performance was not likely because of the privacy concern. Practical implications Despite the fact that Yemen is a low-income emerging nation with inadequate resources (World Development Indicators, 2017), it can capitalise on online-based learning that provides the advantage of excellent education and that too with limited supplies (Dokhan and Akkoyunlu, 2016; Yang et al., 2016). Additionally, online learning can enhance administration and communication, empower learning anywhere and anytime, and endorse fairness of education. Originality/value This study supplements the existing studies on information systems by blending overall quality, compatibility, TL, actual use and client satisfaction for estimating the effect of online learning among students from nine state-funded Yemeni universities. Moreover, the recommended model’s predictive prowess has a higher capability to elucidate and estimate the performance effect as against those acquired from few of the previous studies.

Ambigapathy Pandian, Thomas Chow Voon Foo, and Shaik Abdul Malik Mohamed Ismail, (Eds.) Curriculum Development, Materials Design and Methodologies: Trends and issues. Pulau Pinang: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2011. Pp. 1-342. ISBN 978-983-861-493-1 (Print). e-ISBN 978-967-461-089-0

Ambigapathy Pandian, Thomas Chow Voon Foo, and Shaik Abdul Malik Mohamed Ismail, (Eds.) Curriculum Development, Materials Design and Methodologies: Trends and issues. Pulau Pinang: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2011. Pp. 1-342. ISBN 978-983-861-493-1 (Print). e-ISBN 978-967-461-089-0

Examining the Role of Non-Formal Education as a Conduit to Poverty Reduction and Rural Development: The Case of a Rural Community in a Municipality in Ghana

Non-formal education (NFE) programmes involve literacy and numerical programmes that aim at training people to read and write. Gaining such basic literacy skills enables a person to use the reading, writing and calculation to develop the self and the community as a whole. In the Ghanaian context, the Ministry of Education in the year 2000 established the National Functional Literacy Programme with the chief aim of making accessible literacy and life skills to the rural poor and the illiterate. The aim of this paper was to examine the extent to which non-formal education contributes to literacy improvement, poverty reduction and rural development in a rural community within a municipality in Ghana. The researchers employed Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach to economic and human development and Paulo Freire’s concept of education for conscientization.The findings of the study show that the non-formal education programme plays a very critical role in the reduction of illiteracy coupled with improving the living standard of the rural adult learners, once the programme is well organized and implemented. Thus, the activities of NFE have the potential to make the illiterate poor become functionally literate which is a necessary condition for poverty reduction. Providing skill training is one of the major ways of improving the livelihood of poor people. Based on the impact of NFE activities on those who had graduated from the programme has the potential of reducing illiteracy and improving the standard of living of the people. The impact has been felt in areas like literacy and numeracy, economic, social and political empowerment of learners in the community studied. However, the programme needs to be strengthened to address the issue of funding which has become a major challenge for the NFE. Facilitators and supervisors need enough motivation to commit them fully to the task and learners need support to start their own business to bring about meaningful poverty reduction.

A community and place-based approach to middle childhood science teacher education

This article discusses how a place-based approach to middle-level science teacher education prepares middle grades teacher candidates to leverage local culture and community to create interdisciplinary and relevant curriculum for all middle grades students. The article describes evidence-based strategies that capitalize on local place and university–community partnerships to promote empowering and equitable teaching and learning experiences. Specifically, examples of how to use the place-based approaches of photovoice, citizen science, and problem-based learning are provided.

Book review: The innovator’s mindset: empower learning, unleash talent and lead a culture of creativity (Couros, 2015)

Book review: <i>The innovator’s mindset: empower learning, unleash talent and lead a culture of creativity</i> (Couros, 2015)

IMPLEMENTASI MANAJEMEN KURIKULUM 2013 DI MTsN PANDEGLANG PROVINSI BANTEN

This paper discusses a curriculum design and comprehensive learning plan, in a school it is necessary for management to organize an organization and manage activities to be carried out, besides curriculum management is also designed so that planning, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum runs more effectively, efficiently and optimally in empower learning resources, experience and curriculum components. This study uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and document studies through a descriptive approach, in the form of words, writing or oral and description. Data analysis techniques are done through data collection, reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions and steps to test the validity of the data using triagulation techniques.The results of this study reveal that: 1) Implementation of 2013 curriculum management at MTsN 1 Pandeglang so that teachers have more understanding of the curriculum. 2) Implementation of curriculum management programs or programs at MTsN 1 Pandeglang in the implementation of the activity committee and the division of tasks of the teachers who carry out their tasks and functions, so that school activities or programs can be organized. 3) Inhibiting factors and supporting factors for implementing curriculum management as a whole there are no school barriers from internal schools that complicate the implementation of planning, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum management, 4) Strategies or steps in overcoming these obstacles are by implementing the working meeting, there is also an evaluation on The Student Conference held in the middle of the year involving homerooms, field staff, and the headmaster.&#x0D; Keywords. Implementation, Curriculum Management, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation

Psycho-social Learning Environment from Nurse Students' Perspective

The quality of the learning environment is vital for the delivery of quality training as there is a proven connection between this environment and the outcome of students' achievements, satisfaction and success. The aim of the study was to explore the experience of student nurses in Sri Lanka about their psycho-social learning environment. The study had a qualitative descriptive design. Data was collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) and individual semi structured interviews from final year nursing students in two Schools of Nursing in Western and Southern provinces in Sri Lanka. Data was analysed through manifest and latent content analysis. Findings showed that supportive supervisors, students' cohesion and social activities influenced students' motivation, satisfaction and confidence thus empowering nurse students in preparing them for their nursing profession. In contrast, theory practice gap, non-supportive supervisors, lack of facilities discouraged and disempowered them and made them feel insecure and frustrated thus making them de-motivated and fed up with their nursing education as a consequence. An empowering learning environment, which strengthens the nurse students' self-confidence and motivation to learn, is therefore a necessity in order to facilitate nurses who can deliver a professional nursing care.