Learning Demands Research Articles

Krashen's second language acquisition, a theory or hypothesis: An analytical study

Language is crucial for adapting to society, and learning different languages enhances human efficiency. Learning a second language involves acquiring any language in addition to one's native language. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) has two meanings, generally, it describes the process of learning a second language, and more specifically, it refers to the theory of how a second language is acquired or picked up. Second language learning demands considerable effort and practice. Stephen Krashen, a prominent linguist, has conducted extensive research on non- English and bilingual language acquisition. Krashen's theory of second language learning is founded on five major hypotheses, the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, the Natural Order Hypothesis, the Monitor Hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis, and the Affective Filter Hypothesis. Given its broad scope and significant impact on language teaching approaches, Krashen's Second Language Acquisition theory is better described as a theory rather than merely a hypothesis. However, like all scientific theories, it continues to be refined and debated in scholarly circles. This article explores Krashen's theories of Second Language Acquisition and provides justifications for referring to them as theories.

Comparison of Korean and Vietnamese University Students in Blended English Classes

This study was conducted to compare and analyze the perceptions, satisfaction, and learning strategies of Korean and Vietnamese university students in blended English classes. Vietnamese students had higher negative perception than Korean students for blended English classes, indicating the use of relatively complex methods in blended English classes was a burden on foreign learners. There was a statistically significant difference in the instructor's lecture items in the satisfaction of blended English classes. This suggested that the role of instructors in English classes was very crucial. In learning strategies, interacting with an instructor appeared as a common learning strategy. This further revealed the importance of interaction between instructors and students. In addition, cross-analysis revealed that the rate of using learning strategies in non-native learners was relatively evenly distributed compared with Korean language users. This demonstrated that foreigners who had to pursue classes in a language other than their mother tongue tended to use all the strategies they could for successful learning.
 As the demand for blended learning is increasing, instructors need to develop suitable teaching materials, curriculum, and textbooks so that learners can use blended English classes more effectively when learning English. This will require support from higher education institutions, such as providing training programs for instructors, or developing special classes tailored to students pursuing blended English classes.

ASEAN Students' Interest in Learning the Indonesian Language: A Descriptive Study from the Perspective of SEAMEO ASEAN

Language plays a crucial role in the educational environment, whether in schools or universities. Besides the national language, students are also exposed to regional and foreign languages to enhance their language proficiency. Teaching foreign languages encompasses a wide range of options, such as English, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. Moreover, languages affiliated with ASEAN countries, like Malay, Thai, and Indonesian, have gained popularity. This study employs a descriptive approach to elucidate the findings regarding the interest in learning Indonesian among students in ASEAN nations. Conducted by SEAMEO ASEAN, the research draws its primary data from questionnaires and presentations submitted in September 2022. Participating ASEAN countries in this SEAMEO initiative encompass Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam and analyzed with descriptive statistical analysis. The study reveals a notable demand for Indonesian language learning among students from ASEAN countries. Indonesian is pursued for various purposes, including professional, socio-cultural, and personal development. Recognizing the interest in Indonesian among ASEAN students provides a foundation for the implementation of Indonesian as a foreign language through the BIPA program. There has not been much research on the interest of Indonesian language among students at the ASEAN level, therefore this research is included in the initial research on Indonesian language internationalization policies starting from the ASEAN level

Equipping lecturers with student-centric and learner-focused methods in response to evolving learner needs in foreign language instruction

This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of training for foreign language instructors in adopting student-centered and learner-centric approaches to address evolving learner needs in foreign language education. The study assessed how student-centered teaching models impact the performance of foreign language students. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews, involving a sample of 152 lecturers and teacher trainers selected purposively. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. The findings underscored the significance of learner autonomy, technological integration, and educators' willingness to adapt in enhancing effective foreign language education. The study emphasized the pivotal role of professional training in shaping the pedagogical landscape of foreign language education. Beyond equipping educators with learner-centric and student-centered methodologies, this training program empowered them to navigate the changing demands of language learners. Notably, the results aligned with the constructivist framework, highlighting its substantial influence in promoting active learning, autonomy, and collaboration in foreign language education. This research contributes to the growing body of evidence illustrating the essential role of professional development in fostering learner-centric and student-centered foreign language education, ultimately elevating the quality of language instruction and responsiveness to student requirements.

Afghan Enghlish Pronunciation Intelligibility: A Historically Segmental Phonetic Approach

The increasing demand for English learning and usage; and the instruction supply turns this work a mandatory structure to identify the divergences and convergences. This research examines the English pronunciation intelligibility features – precisely focused on segmentals – in case of Afghanistan. In order to do so, primarily, the recordings are analyzed perceptually and the deviations are verified acoustically. This research employees sociolinguistic variables for examination. The level of intelligibility of this variation along the international platform has been scrutinized. In methodological framework, respondents recorded data has been used as an intelligibility test material in the three concentric circles – inner, outer, and expanding – proposed by (Kachru, 1985). The topic entailment is vast. The researcher intends to comprehensively look into English pronunciation of Afghans pertaining in the context of Phonetic segmentals.

DISTANCE EDUCATION IN 2020-2023: WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THE ACADEMIC LITERATURE?

The article is devoted to the problem of distance education at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century in the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic. The relevance of the topic is justified from the point of view of pedagogy, as is its application in the educational process. The topic is timely for improving the quality of the educational process. The purposes of the article include giving insights into the academic literature on distance learning, as well as highlighting its positive impacts on education processes. The works of foreign and Ukrainian scientists, outstanding experts of the field and the topic, as well as their important scientific achievements are analyzed and emphasized. The article examines and explains the content of the term «distance learning». The definition of a type of distance learning is given, «emergency remote teaching» (ERT). The main differences between traditional, in-person teaching and online, distance learning are underlined. It is the physical presence that plays a crucial role, because while in face-to-face teaching the teacher and the students are practically in the same place, in online or distance learning this disappears as participants of the educational process might be physically hundreds and thousands of kilometres away from each other. The notion and applicability of the «flipped classroom» is also discussed in the article. It is determined that assessment of students’ knowledge can cause real difficulties for teachers and tutors. Marking written assignments needs special attention on the teachers’ part. Useful practical tips for teachers have been provided based on the academic literature. It was concluded that in Ukraine, neither teachers, nor students were prepared for the unfamiliar demands of distance learning. However, in the course of time both groups got accustomed to them and acquired the necessary skills successfully. Prospects for further research may be focusing on e-learning and its possible implementation in tertiary education in Ukraine in normal and extreme circumstances (e.g. in the time of war). The work is important for teachers, researchers and students studying the problems of distance learning.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE GLOBAL EDUCATION MARKET

The global education market is undergoing significant changes due to modern digitalisation. The latest technologies are significantly changing learning technologies, the structure of education, international flows and their volume in general. The subject of the study is to assess the impact of digital transformation on the global world market. The aim of this article is to analyse the development processes of the global market for educational services in the context of modern challenges, in particular digital transformation, and its consequences for the higher education market. The methodology of the study included research, a review of scientific literature, graphic visualisation of digitalisation. The methods of system analysis and generalisation have made it possible to identify the main directions of transformation of the global and regional educational markets, to characterise the dynamics of the spread of the latest forms of education and the growth of their profitability, to confirm the turbulence and instability of internationalisation trends and the intensification of competition between traditional and new providers of educational services. Research has shown that the online education sector is developing and expanding rapidly. The amount of capital raised and its profitability are increasing, confirming the prospects of these investments. There is a growing variety of online education providers, which generally creates significant competition for traditional institutions such as universities. Educational products are becoming more diversified and there is a growing trend towards personalised and adaptive learning on online educational platforms using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of students enrolled in various online courses, and there is a growing demand for distance learning and flexible, personalised learning options. The global education market is characterised by unstable dynamics of internationalisation due to various external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, military aggression, demographic factors, political and economic instability. Competition between traditional and new providers for students, market share and financial resources is intensifying. In general, despite the negative factors, the number of foreign students tends to increase, albeit rather unevenly across countries. The widespread use of ICT in education and other activities can pose potential threats and challenges: increased competition and lower quality of education, spread of unwanted and anti-social information.

Playing I Learn Digital Classroom: Innovating the Teaching of English Communication Skills

The use of resources for digital education provides a favorable environment for students to practice and acquire a second language quickly and effectively. The objective of this educational study was to demonstrate that the implementation of digital educational resources improves English communicative skills in basic education students, Ecuador, 2023. A quasi-experimental methodology with a quantitative approach was used, using 80 students as the study population. The pretest results indicated slightly superior performance in the experimental group in all evaluated categories, highlighting a 10% increase in the Listening category. Subsequently, a 'Program for the use of digital educational resources' was introduced to enhance communicative skills in English. The results of the subsequent phase revealed that the majority of the students in the sixth grade 'A' had Listening (97.50%) and Reading (95.0%) skills at intermediate levels. However, a significant need for improvement in Writing skills was identified, since more than 50% of the students were at the low level. In response to these findings, a didactic guide focused on the development of English writing skills was developed, supporting the continuous need to adjust and perfect educational approaches to meet the changing demands of language learning.

Optimizing the Potential of Technology-Based Learning Increases Student Engagement

Technology-based education has developed rapidly in recent years. The use of technology in learning environments provides an excellent opportunity to increase student engagement, enhance their learning experience and prepare them for the demands of an ever-changing digital world. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of technology-based learning to increase student engagement. First, this article presents various technology tools and platforms that can be used for learning. In an age dominated by digital devices, there are many tools and apps that can help create engaging and interactive learning experiences. For example, smartphone apps, interactive learning software and online learning platforms can be used to create rich content, realistic simulations and better student collaboration. In addition, this article examines the importance of paying attention to the diversity of student learning styles in a technology-enabled curriculum. Every student has unique learning preferences, and technology is enabling teachers to create learning experiences tailored to individual learning styles. For example, instructional videos, interactive simulations, and online discussions can be used for a variety of student learning needs. In addition, this article highlights the importance of involving students in making decisions about technology-based learning. By giving students the opportunity to actively participate in determining content, methods and learning objectives, they feel more involved and responsible for their learning. Through active participation, students can develop the critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills needed in a changing society. Lastly, this article emphasizes the importance of continuous assessment and progress in technology-based learning. To ensure the effective use of technology, it is necessary to continuously assess its impact on student learning. In addition, continuous efforts must be made to further develop and update the technology used in learning so that it can continue to meet the growing needs and demands of learning. In short it can be said that the use of technology in teaching offers excellent opportunities to increase students' willingness to learn. Through the use of different technology tools and platforms, accommodating the diversity of student learning styles, involving students in decision-making, and continuous evaluation and progress, the potential of technology-based learning can be optimized to create more dynamic, engaging and important learning experiences for today's students.

A Case Study of Differentiated Instruction at Elementary School

The objective of this research is to determine whether there is improvement in learning through the use of product differentiation learning. The research was carried out at a private elementary school in Surakarta during the academic year 2022/2023. This is a sekolah penggerak that utilises varied learning methods. Starting in the 2022/2023 academic year, the practice of differentiated learning will be introduced in grades 1 and 4. This study employs a qualitative research approach, specifically utilising a case study methodology. The data in this study consisted of documentation, field notes obtained through direct participant observation, and excerpts from interviews. Interviews were carried out with school principals, instructors in first and fourth grades, and students in first and fourth grades. The Simultaneous Inductive analysis technique was employed to analyse the data, which involved three distinct stages: data reduction, data reading, and data interpretation. The findings of this study suggest that the implementation of differentiated instruction, in conjunction with a thorough comprehension of differentiated learning by the teacher, can effectively yield the intended positive learning outcomes. The learning conducted caters to the diverse learning demands of every students, encompassing their readiness, profiles, and interests. The use of differentiated learning has yielded positive outcomes, as evidenced by increased student enthusiasm, active participation, and enhanced innovation in every session. Success indicators are evident in the process and learning outcomes. Students exhibit a sense of ease in their learning experience, while demonstrating growth in both hard and soft skills. Additionally, students are capable of self-reflection through the creation of diverse learning products.

A personalized recommendation algorithm for online teaching resources of vocal music based on graph neural network

Abstract In the development process of education informatization, realizing personalized learning is the urgent demand of learners. In this paper, we construct an online teaching resources recommendation algorithm (VGNN) based on a graph neural network (GNN). The project-based collaborative filtering algorithm is used to find highly similar teaching resource materials using Pearson’s correlation coefficient in order to personalize the recommendation of online teaching resources. The personalized recommendation algorithm for online teaching resources was tested and analyzed using the online teaching course Fundamentals of Vocal Music Theory as a case study. The results show that the course “Fundamentals of Vocal Music Theory” is divided into 4 clusters with clear boundary contours under the graph neural network algorithm, and the number of knowledge points in the 4 clusters is 2308, 655, 513, and 97, respectively. After learning the personalized recommended content from the 4 clusters of knowledge points, the average rate of loss of points for each of them decreases by about 0.3. The algorithm effectively solves the accurate classification of vocal knowledge and implements personalized recommendations for educational resources.

Project-Based Learning Governance on Natural Materials Improving the Creativity of Class VIII Students of SMP Negeri 1 Sigumpar

This research is motivated by the low participation of students of SMP Negeri 1 Sigumpar in participating in the scientific work competition which is their own innovation. All this time, many people think that the students from the countryside are uncreative and difficult to make innovation, and also some people think that the students of Junior High School are too early to start the research. According to Bloom and Anderson‘s taxonomy, creative competence is not only for the high school level, but has started even at the elementary school level. By learning to create something out of materials that exist in the surroundings, the construction of the child's thinking will be formed and will be increasingly critical and innovative. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-based learning really needs to be empowered from an early age. This is in accordance with the demands for independent learning that the government is currently planning. STEM-based learning makes students free to be creative and apply their ideas and creations. This research was conducted at SMP N 1 Sigumpar with the aim of finding out whether the application of the project-based learning model on the subject was effective. Nature can be a material for students' innovative work and improve student learning outcomes. The method of this research used a quasi-experimental research design with one group pretest – posttest design. The data collection method that used in this study was a questionnaire, questions and observations in class VIII A as many as 30 students. Data analysis was carried out by descriptive and qualitative. The results showed that the project-based learning increases student creativity and learning results. So that this learning method is very good to be applied because based on the experience of students the more enthusiastic about learning.Keywords : Project, Learning, STEM, Creative

Implementing augmented reality to improve students’ biology learning outcomes: Gender-based effect

<span lang="EN-US">The current study examined the difference in students’ biology learning outcomes based on gender following the implementation of Augmented reality (AR). A gender equality study is useful as a foundation for establishing gender-sensitive learning. Gender equality promotes higher productivity and development outcomes, therefore it has favorable effects on economic and technological growth, as well as social fairness. We administered a quasi-experimental non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The research population is all of class X public high school in Pamekasan Regency, Indonesia. The research samples were 56 senior high school students in class X. The classes that will be used as research samples are first tested for equality. The equivalence test analysis will use analysis of variance (ANOVA) by utilizing the SPSS 23.00 for windows program. Participants’ learning outcomes were measured using an essay test. The revised Blooms taxonomy indicators were used as the reference to construct the tests. The test covered the indicators of applying (C3), analyzing (C4), and synthesizing (C5). The participants’ answered were evaluated using a 4-point scale rubric adopted from Hart. One-way ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) was performed, involving the pretest scores as the covariate. The results showed that there was no difference in biology learning outcomes between male and female students involved in this study (p>0.05). These findings demonstrate that the implementation of augmented reality can close the gender gap in biology education. Augmented reality can be a solution to improve the learning environment in biology classrooms and facilitate gender-based learning demands.</span>

Role of Technology in Improving English Communication Skills of Rural Engineering Students in Tamil Nadu

The world has witnessed the growing demand for learning, practicing, and using English in almost every walk of life. Globalization, technological advancements, government reforms, changing demands of business, and educational reforms have underlined and created a sense of urgency to develop and enhance English communication skills. English is not only a medium of instruction but is also considered one of the employability skills for graduates. Many vernacular background students face challenges in learning and improving English communication skills from business perspectives. The present article aims to identify the major challenges college students face from an employability perspective and analyzes how technology contributes to minimizing communication barriers and improving communication skills at the college level. This article is empirical in nature. The structured questionnaire is administered to target respondents of 180 students studying Engineering courses in the state of Tamil Nadu. The study is significant keeping the educational reforms in the form of National Education Policy 2020, technological advancements, e-learning, quality education, and sustainable education perspectives.

Development of e-LKM for Elementary School Mathematics Learning as an Open-Ended Problem-Based Teaching Material using MiKIR Approach

Active learning demands teaching materials that engage and motivate pupils. E-LKM is an active learning material because of this. This study develops e-LKM mathematics learning courses based on open-ended problems assisted by the LIMIT application using the MiKIR approach and describes the trial results. This e-LKM is developed using 4D models: define, design, create, and distribute. The study included University of Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. HAMKA primary school teacher candidates. Students of UIN STS Jambi madrasah ibtidaiyah professors will test the product. Validation and practical instruments are utilised. The defined step produces the e-LKM's mathematical learning needs, including student indicators and targets. After the design stage, the mathematics learning e-LKM has a title, group name column, directions for use, lecture objectives and achievements, questions, answer columns, conclusions, and reflections. After development, the validation instrument for e-LKM was 77.33% material, 80.00% language, and 76.92% media, putting it in the correct category. Practicality instruments scored 83.76%, indicating e-LKM is practical. The distribution step will yield student and instructor opinions on e-LKM's practicality. This study suggests lecturers use LIMIT to create e-LKM and use it in learning. Research can also create an open-ended problem-based MiKIR e-LKM for additional materials.

Clarity and adaptability of instructions preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its association with individual and organisational factors regarding the psychosocial work environment: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn Sweden, older people in residential care had the highest mortality rates, followed by those who received home care, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Staff working in the care of older people assumed responsibility for preventing the spread of the virus despite lacking the prerequisites and training. This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic among staff in the care of older people and examine the factors associated with staff’s perceptions of the clarity of instructions and the ability to follow them.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was employed using a web survey. The staff’s perceptions of their psychosocial environment were analysed using descriptive statistics. The association between organisational and individual factors, as well as the degree of clarity of the instructions and the staff’s ability to follow them, were assessed using multivariate (ordinal) regression analysis.ResultsThe main findings show that perceptions of the clarity and adaptability of the instructions were primarily correlated with organisational factors, as higher responses (positive) for the subscales focusing on role clarity, support and encouragement in leadership at work were associated with the belief that the instructions were clear. Similarly, those indicating high job demands and high individual learning demands were less likely to report that the instructions were clear. Regarding adaptability, high scores for demands on learning and psychological demands were correlated with lower adaptability, while high scores for role clarity, encouraging leadership and social support, were associated with higher adaptability.ConclusionsHigh job demands and individual learning demands were demonstrated to decrease the staff’s understanding and adoption of instructions. These findings are significant on an organisational level since the work environment must be prepared for potential future pandemics to promote quality improvement and generally increase patient safety and staff health.

Temporal silhouette: validation of stream clustering robust to concept drift

Stream clustering is required in applications where data is generated continuously or periodically and must be processed considering its temporal nature. In the absence of a ground truth, internal validation is the only option to evaluate the quality of performances. Traditional internal validation is commonly used also in stream clustering, even in spite of the fact that it becomes inconsistent in the event of data evolution. Recent trends opt for incremental approaches, but these are closer to change detection rather than validation methods and limit themselves by imposing online validation on online analysis. In this work we study the impact of concept drift in the validation of stream clustering and propose the Temporal Silhouette index, therefore making internal validation conform to streaming data. We conduct tests with more than 200 datasets and contrast performances of four popular stream clustering algorithms with seven validation methods (three static internal, three incremental internal, one external) and the proposed index. Results show the suitability of the Temporal Silhouette index for stream clustering validation in the event of concept drift and different types of outliers. The demand for reliable unsupervised learning in applications that process data in streams is ever-increasing, and such reliability inevitably requires the use of validation. This fact highlights the significance of the novel approach proposed in this work.

Student-Centered Computing: Teacher Experiences in a New Introductory Computer Science Curriculum

Objectives. The goal of this paper is to introduce and describe a new introductory computer science course. Research results from the implementation of this curriculum will be presented to demonstrate the nature of teachers’ experiences with the curriculum. Participants. Participants are teachers implementing the new curriculum at two schools in the metro Atlanta area. Study Method. This paper is partly descriptive, presenting the theory underlying the newly developed curriculum as well as its various features. An organizing framework, the Teacher Accessibility, Equity, and Content (TEC) rubric from Weintrop et al. (2019) [ 1 ], is used to structure the curriculum description. Teacher perceptions were gathered via both structured interviews and short online enactment surveys. These perceptions are summarized and presented thematically, corresponding to the features of the curriculum. Findings. A newly developed introductory computer science (CS) curriculum, Student-Centered Computing (SCC), utilizes project-based learning (PBL) and culturally authentic practices (CAPs) to help promote a sense of belonging and intent to persist within computer science among all students. Teachers successfully implemented the curriculum and generally found it to be beneficial for their students, though they struggled with some of the pedagogical demands of project-based learning as well as some of the most advanced technical content associated with the music coding and app development platforms. Conclusions. This paper provides a detailed overview of a year-long introductory computer science curriculum focused on the creation of culturally relevant digital artifacts. The curriculum represents a strong effort to make CS content relevant and appealing to the full range of students by relating it to their lives and experiences. Teacher surveys and interviews revealed that both teachers and students had positive views of the course. However, teaching using inclusive PBL pedagogy and culturally authentic practices takes skill and practice by teachers, supporting the need for CS teachers to have good pedagogical training as well as a strong knowledge of computer science to create a classroom environment that promotes success for all students.

A Need Analysis on English for Civic Education from the Students’ Perspectives

This study aims at analyzing the needs of students of Civic Education study program towards English. It is conducted to provide a basis for ESP lecturers or practitioners in developing handout or teaching learning materials and activities which are suitable for the Civic Education study program students This is a descriptive study. the participants were 39 first-semester students of Civic Education study program. The tool of data collection was questionnaire consisting of 7 items asking about the students’ needs. The data were analyzed using percentages, and presented in charts. Most students (79.5%) said English is important, indicating they require it. They lack English knowledge (79.5%) and consider their English skills moderate (63.2%). Their English abilities, activities, exercises, and subject subjects focused on speaking (79.5%) and group work (74.4%), with citizenship and human rights (66.7%) being the most requested topic. This study investigates Civic Education students'' language learning demands and English’s impact on academic and career success. Most pupils regarded English’s global importance and academic and professional potential. The survey concluded that Civic Education students need linguistic support and courses because they are lack of knowledge of English terms. Different self-assessed English levels require different instructional techniques and language support to master.

The relationship between theory of mind and multiple-document comprehension in university students: preliminary research findings

The demands of learning in the twenty-first century require being skilled in the use and comprehension of multiple documents. Some individual factors such as the metacognitive skill of theory of mind (ToM) are related to this ability. This study investigated the relationship between university students’ ability to comprehend multiple documents, measured through an argumentative essay task, and their ToM. The participants were 84 undergraduates. We assessed their ToM (using the strange stories task) and their mental state talk (using a think-aloud protocol during the reading of multiple documents—MSTR—and through the content of their subsequent written essays—MSTW). The relation between students’ ToM and their MSTW was mediated through MSTR. In addition, students’ ToM was significantly associated with the quality of the essays, through MSTR, and the relation between MSTR and the argumentative quality was mediated through MSTW. MSTW was the only significant predictor of the quality of the essays. The involvement of ToM in multiple-document comprehension suggests, from an educational perspective, the possibility to support multiple-document comprehension by scaffolding mental state talk.