Low-level Students Research Articles

Why Medical Students Choose Rural Clinical Campuses For Training: A Report From Two Campuses At Opposite Ends Of The Commonwealth

Introduction Although US medical schools have increased their enrollment by about 30%, most of the increase has occurred in urban areas. The affinity model proposes that rural training of a rural student will more likely result in a rural physician, but the exact role of these rural campuses is unclear. Do they solidify and reinforce a pre-existing career plan, do they create social and marital ties that make the transition to rural medicine easier, or could they be replaced with a briefer and more efficient rural rotation? We administered a questionnaire to students attending two different two year rural clinical campuses in the same state in order to explore their opinions regarding the advantages of a rural campus. Methods Two different rural M3-M4 year clinical campuses, affiliated with different medical schools in the same state, administered surveys to 70 medical students across all four years of medical school. Both schools selectively recruit rural students to the rural campuses, and require a campus decision at admission. Both schools require students to attend their first two years at an urban campus, and transfer to the rural campus for clinical education. Questions addressed student opinions on rural campus location, recommendations from others regarding attendance, campus atmosphere and social life, teaching methods and involvement in patient care. Comparisons were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann Whitney U test. Results The top five reasons students chose a rural campus included three aspects of rural training and two features of being rural. There were small differences between the two campuses regarding the importance of more procedures during training and more outdoor activities, the opportunity to study with friends, and strength of local leadership, reflecting differences in the practice setting and the environment of the two campuses. Differences were also noted between upperlevel and lower-level students regarding the importance of studying with friends, and the chances of meeting a future spouse. Finally, very rural students (30 miles from urban area) were less concerned with availability of scholarships, and lack of fine dining, but viewed the opportunity to study with friends more favorably. Conclusions This study adds to the published literature by surveying students at multiple rural campuses by year of training. There were many more similarities than differences, but there were differences between the two campuses, and there were also differences as the students progressed in their training, and differences between very rural students and other students attending the campus. Rural campuses provide both clinical and social support for students contemplating rural practice. Results of the survey indicate both are of importance to the students as well, with quality of training the most important factor.

Effects of expanded vocabulary support on L2 listening comprehension

Various forms of pre-listening support, such as the provision of vocabulary and topic information, have been used to help second language (L2) learners better understand what they listen to. Results of studies on the effects of vocabulary support have been mixed. Furthermore, there has been little research on the effects of different quantities of vocabulary items and types of word information provided on the listening performance of L2 students of different proficiency levels. Therefore, this study investigated the effectiveness of two different levels of 18-week vocabulary support (an expanded vocabulary-instruction support that targeted both a greater quantity of lexical items and a focus on multiword units vs. an unexpanded vocabulary-instruction support with a focus on single words only) for enhancing listening ability of students of English as a foreign language (EFL) defined as their performance on the listening test of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The results indicate that the group that received the expanded vocabulary support attained a significant gain and performed significantly better on the posttest than the group that received the unexpanded vocabulary support. The results also reveal that the expanded vocabulary support was particularly helpful for lower proficiency level students. Pedagogical and research implications are also discussed.

Possibilities and limitations of integrating peer instruction into technical creativity education

The effects of active peer–peer interaction on the generation of new hypotheses or models and the increase of new solutions have attracted widespread attention. Therefore, the peer discussion portion of peer instruction is supposedly effective in developing students’ creativity. However, few empirical research involves how to adapt peer instruction to concrete subject areas to increase different-level students’ creativity. This study aimed to assess the possibilities and limitations of peer instruction in teaching technical creativity to different-level students through empirical teachings in authentic high school classrooms. The results showed that peer discussion was effective in improving the creative performances of all (higher-, medium-, and lower-level) students when they have already had original ideas. However, in facilitating lower-level students to generate their own ideas from nothing, peer instruction was not as good as a teacher-centered teaching method—explicit technical creativity teaching. To develop different-level students’ creativity, a hybrid-type of peer instruction, i.e., the combination of peer instruction and explicit technical creativity teaching, was suggested.

과학 수업에서 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습의 효과

이 연구는 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습이 학생들의 학업 성취도, 학습 동기, 과학 수업에 대한 태도, 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습에 대한 인식 측면에 미치는 영향에 관하여 조사하고자 하였다. 서울시에 소재한 남녀 공학 고등학교 2학년 4개 학급(133명)을 통제 집단과 처치 집단으로 무선 배치하였다. 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습 전략은 협력적 활동지 작성을 강조하였다. 수업 처치는 '산과 염기'와 '중화반응'에 대하여 6차시 동안 실시하였다. 수업 처치 후, 학업 성취도 검사, 학습 동기 검사, 과학 수업에 대한 태도 검사, 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습에 대한 인식 검사를 실시하였다. 이원 공변량 분석 결과, 학업 성취도 검사 점수에서 사전 화학 성취도와의 상호작용 효과가 유의미하게 나타났다. 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습에서 하위 수준 학생들이 상위 수준의 학생들에게 도움을 받을 기회가 많아져서 성취도가 유의미하게 향상되었을 수 있다. 학습 동기, 과학 수업에 대한 태도에서 처치 집단의 교정 평균이 통제 집단에 비하여 유의미하게 높았다. 스마트 기기를 활용한 소집단 학습에 대한 학생들의 인식도 긍정적인 것으로 나타났다. 이 연구에 대한 교육적 함의를 논의하였다. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of small group learning using smart devices in science classes on students' achievement, learning motivation, attitude toward science lessons, and perception of small group learning using smart devices. Four 11th-grade classes (N=133) at a coed high school in Seoul were randomly assigned to a control group and a treatment group. The intervention of small group learning using smart devices emphasized collaborative writing on activity sheet. The students were taught about acid, base, and neutralization reaction for six class periods. After the instructions, an achievement test, the learning motivation test, the attitude toward science lessons test, and a questionnaire on the perception of small group learning using smart devices were administered. Two-way ANCOVA results revealed that there was a statistically significant interaction effect by their previous chemistry achievement in the achievement test scores. Only low-level students in small group learning using smart devices significantly improved their achievement probably by having the opportunities to get help from high-level students. The adjusted means of the treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group in learning motivation and attitude toward science lessons. Students' perceptions of small group learning using smart devices tended to be positive. Educational implications of this study are discussed.

The Relationship between Use of Writing Strategies and Writing Level of Korean University Students

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the way writing strategies are used by L2 learners and their level of English writing. In addition, patterns of writing strategies employed by them were investigated as well. The participants of this study were 73 university students who were enrolled in ‘Practical English Composition’ course at a university in Busan in 2015. Data collection was conducted in two phases: first, a questionnaire consisting of 43 closed-ended questions and 11 open-ended questions was administered; and second, a sample of students’ English writing on a given topic was gathered through an in-class writing task. Results of the questionnaire were analyzed by content analysis and descriptive statistics. One-way ANOVA analysis was also run to measure the relationship between the participants’ use of writing strategies and their level of English writing. The analysis showed that overall, the students preferred cognitive strategies most, followed by meta-cognitive strategies and social/affective strategies. However, relative difference was found in the way students with different writing proficiency level used meta-cognitive strategies. Intermediate high level students used more meta-cognitive strategies than intermediate low level students. Further, while intermediate high level students used both meta-cognitive strategies and cognitive strategies evenly, intermediate low level students preferred cognitive strategies more than meta-cognitive strategies.

Perception of Environmental Risk Factors Scale for the primary school students

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to determine the effect of perception of environmental risk factors on primary school students. The participants of this study were 409 students of both low and high socio-economic level from 2 primary schools in Gaziantep. Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were used for scale development study. As a result of the analysis, it has been determined that the scale has a structure composed of six subscales and 55 items. Subscales of the scale are; perceptions of in school experience, perceptions of oneself, perceptions of family attitudes, perceptions of family interactions, perceptions of problems within the family, perceptions of the nearest living area. Cronbach Alpha for the scale was found to be .85.

Effect of graded competition on student opportunities for participation and success rates during a season of Sport Education

ABSTRACTBackground: A guiding principle of Sport Education is that all students get equal opportunity to play, which is expedited through the use of small-sided contests. One element included within the philosophy of Sport Education is that of ‘graded competition.’ In graded competition, leagues are arranged that match students of similar skill level against one another, and in some cases, even the game forms are different across the competition levels. To date, there are no studies that have examined the utility of graded competition as promoting either student engagement or learning. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that using graded competition would increase opportunities for game involvement and success rates of both higher and lower skill level students. Participants and setting: The participants in this study were 106 fourth-grade students (51 boys and 55 girls, aged 10–11) from two physical education classes within an elementary school in the southeastern United States. The content was an 18-lesson season of mini-handball taught following the principles of Sport Education. While the overall season format for both classes was the same, the composition of teams varied between the two. In the first class, all teams were heterogeneous with a mix of higher and lower skilled players. These students were able to divide into their sub-teams in any combination they wished. In the second class, two homogeneous leagues were formed; one consisting of teams with all higher skilled students and the other with teams of all lower skilled students. There was no inter-league play. Rather, there were two parallel competitions and two championships. Methods: Digital video records were made of 76 games played during the seasons. Each time a player (a) made contact with the ball (a pass, catch, or interception), (b) was the target of a pass but did not receive it (overthrow or interception), or (c) was involved with a shot on goal (as shooter or goalkeeper), that activity was recorded. A 2 (skill: high/low) × 2 (sex) × 3 (grouping: all low/all high/mixed) full factorial mixed analysis of variance was conducted on the following dependent variables: (a) percent success, (b) ball engagement rate, and (c) efficiency, with the game being the unit of analysis. Findings: The key finding from this study was that in terms of success rates, engagement rates and playing efficiency, lower skilled students seemed to be at a disadvantage when they participated alongside higher skilled classmates. While less severe, there were also decrements in higher skilled student success rates and efficiency in these mixed-skill conditions. By consequence, while higher skilled boys could thrive in either homogenous or mixed level competitions, many girls and all students with lower skill levels benefitted from playing against students of similar skill levels. Conclusions: The grouping of students in terms of skill level has implications for their in-game behaviors, for the extent to which they can develop improved game performance, and potentially for their motivation to persist during play.

THE USE OF PREWRITING METHODS TO DEVELOP EFL STUDENTS’ COMPETENCE IN WRITING

The process approach becomes a choice for teachers to apply in the writing class rooms since this approach focuses on the connection of the writing topics to the students’ experiences which makes the writing tasks meaningful to students (Yan, 20014). In process approach, students’ composition is a product that should go through several stages: prewriting, writing, and post writing. In prewriting, there are several interesting activities that can be done in to improve students’ writing skill: asking questions, discussing an interesting topic, taking notes, free writing, clustering, brainstorming, grouping, doing buzy group, outlining, completing notes based on pictures, making a list, making idea map, categorizing, and classifying (Oshima and Hogue, 1997; Harmer, 2004, Huizenga, et al., 1990). Some research have proved the significant role of process writing to improve students’ skill in writing, Ho (2006) conducted a research on the effectiveness of using process approach in writing to primary school students of upper level and lower level through pre and post test, questionnaire, interview, and observation and found that process writing was able to develop the writing abilities and students’ attitude towards writing in all levels of students. Hasan & Akhand (2010) in their research combine the product approach and the process approach to teach ESL students in Bangladesh and revealed that the combination of the two approaches facilitate students to do writing tasks. Badger and White (2000) in Yan (2014) combine the process approach and the genre approach which he called process genre approach in their study and reported that this approach helped students study the relationship between purpose and form for a particular genre while they follow the stages in process writing: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Using these steps develops students’ awareness of different text types and of the composing process.

Engineering Students` Writing Performance in a College-Level Writing Class: An Appraisal Investigation

This study investigates the writing of engineering freshmen in an introductory college composition class in Korea. Using Appraisal framework developed by Martin and White (2005), writing samples of 12 Korean students across three graded levels-strong (A), average (B), and weak (C)-were compared from their draft stage to their final version. Applying the Appraisal system and the subsystem of Attitude (Affect, Judgment, and Appreciation), Appraisal coding of the 24 samples of student writing was conducted. The results reveal a significant achievement gap between high-graded (strong) and low-graded (weak) students’ writing in their utilization of Appraisal resources, specifically in the use of Attitude resources. Moreover, it was found that while significant or satisfactory progress was made during the revision process in the instances of Appraisal resources in the strong as well as average students’ writing, low graded level students’ writing did not show any sign of progress but rather a regression or setback in their performance. This study calls for the application of Appraisal lexis as a rhetorical strategy to enable student writers to utilize the constructive role of evaluation in creating interpersonal meaning with readers, specifically among those engineering majors who possess weak writing skills.

APPLYING PBL AND ZUVIO TO ENHANCE ENGLISH LEARNING MOTIVATION

To inspire college students’ English learning this study proposed to combine Project-Based Learning (PBL) with ZUVIO online teaching platform. The traditional teaching methods focus on teachers’ direct instruction in class, which mean that students only receive knowledge from teachers instead of formulating the answers on their own. This also decreases interaction in the classroom and prevents students from collaborating with other peers. However, implementing PBL and ZUVIO would allow students to apply knowledge in the social context and work with their classmates. In this study, two freshman English classes in a private university in central Taiwan were chosen as the sample. The students in both classes were low-level students (CEF A2 level). One class (N = 39) was chosen as the experimental group which had to complete the PBL tasks assigned by the teacher and use peer assessment function in ZUVIO for one academic year. The other class (N = 43) was chosen as the control group which was given the traditional teaching instructions. The results showed that the experimental group performed better on the midterm exam compared to the control group during both semesters (p = 0.001). Additionally, the results of the questionnaire showed that students’ motivation to learn English increased when using PBL and ZUVIO as teaching methods. To cite this document: Bor-Tyng Wang, Applying PBL and ZUVIO to enhance English learning motivation, International Journal of Cyber Society and Education, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1-16, 2016. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/ijcse.1433 Â

Influences of motivational orientation on academic achievement within the context of lower and upper primary year levels

Many researchers have completed a range of studies to evaluate the relationship of intrinsic, extrinsic and amotivation, particularly on how it influences on a student's academic achievement. This study expanded on these studies by examining the relationship of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation within the context of lower and upper primary school classrooms. One issue that has received minimal attention is the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and academic achievement in young students. In order to examine this relationship, students completed a motivation questionnaire (Academic Motivation Scale), as well as a Standardised Academic Test (State-wide Government Year 3 & 7 Tests). Correlational analysis identified the relationship between these constructs and was used to examine the connection between students' gender and motivational orientation. It was hypothesised that students operating from the intrinsic motivation perspective, are more likely to be high achievers within their year level. It was furthermore hypothesised that students in the lower year level would show higher levels of intrinsic motivation and as students progressed through primary school intrinsic motivation levels would decline while extrinsic motivation would increase. The results of this research study concluded that high academic achievers operated with high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The study also discovered that there is a decline in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as students progre§s through their primary education.

A Study of Promoting Classroom Participation Based on Activities Approach

The study surveys learning needs of Chinese college students through the questionnaire. The results show that most B-level students get a clear understanding of their goals and make them more resourceful English learners. The research also demonstrates some students, especially the low C-level students have no definite need for English in their future goal. Faced with those challenges, the teacher is supposed to do utmost to attract their interest and participation in English by designing different activities to satisfy high level and low level students’ needs in English classroom. Therefore，some in and out- of- class activities are suggested which not only train students’ face to face communicative and cooperative competence but also make the classroom teaching more interactive.

A snapshot of student study strategies across a professional pharmacy curriculum: Are students using evidence-based practice?

IntroductionIn order for students to focus on deep learning and develop higher order skills, faculty need to improve the delivery of the educational experience, and students need better study skills. MethodsThis study surveyed student pharmacists across all four curricular years at a single institution about study strategies. ResultsOverall, 55% of students completed the survey. Nearly all the respondents (91%) re-read their notes, textbook, or re-watched videos with no significant differences between years. There were significant negative linear trends between cohorts with students completing practice problems (p < 0.0005), using flashcards (p < 0.0001), using retrieval strategies (p < 0.005), and thinking of real life examples (p < 0.02); in all cases a higher frequency was found with lower-level students (i.e., students in their first year or P1) and lower frequency with upper-level students (i.e., P4). Regardless of cohort, 52% of the students would re-study material rather than practicing recall without the possibility of re-study. Students reported studying in a variety of environments. While quiet areas were ranked first, a large frequency of students report studying while texting or checking emails (48%). Approximately half (52%) of the respondents participated in their own professional development regarding study skills, and these students reported less use of re-reading compared with their counterparts (88% vs. 95%, p < 0.05). ConclusionStudents used re-reading as a main study strategy despite evidence that it is relatively ineffective. Students who seek resources to improve their study skills tend to use more retrieval practices than students who do not.

نمطا الدعم التعلیمى باستخدام الواقع المعزز فى بیئة تعلم مدمج وأثرهما على تنمیة التحصیل وبعض مهارات البرمجة والانخراط فى التعلم لدى طلاب کلیة التربیة النوعیة مرتفعى ومنخفضى الدافعیة للانجاز Two Instructional Support Patterns Using Augmented Reality in a Blended learning environment and Their Impact on the Developing of Achievement, Some P

يهدف البحث الحالي إلي تحديد نمط الدعم التعليمى باستخدام الواقع المعزز الأنسب لطلاب کلية التربية النوعية مرتفعى ومنخفضى الدافعية للإنجاز فى بيئة تعلم مدمج لتنمية التحصيل المعرفى وبعض مهارات البرمجة والانخراط فى التعلم. تم استخدام التصميم التجريبي العاملى (2×2)، وطبق البحث على عينة قوامها (74) طلاب بکلية التربية النوعية، تم اختيارها وتقسيمهم وفقا لمقياس الدافعية للإنجاز إلى أربع مجموعات، المجموعة الأولى: بلغ عددها (22) طالبا ذو مستوى دافعية مرتفع درسوا بنمط الدعم التعليمى الموزع، والمجموعة الثانية: (22) طالبا ذو مستوى دافعية مرتفع درسوا بنمط الدعم التعليمى المجمع، والمجموعة الثالثة: (15) طالبا ذو مستوى دافعية منخفض درسوا بنمط الدعم التعليمى الموزع، والمجموعة الرابعة: (15) طالبا ذو مستوى دافعية منخفض درسوا بنمط الدعم التعليمى المجمع. ودلت النتائج على أن نمط الدعم التعليمى الموزع باستخدام الواقع المعزز هو النمط الأنسب للطلاب مرتفعى ومنخفضى الدافعية للإنجاز عند تنمية التحصيل المعرفى، وبعض مهارات البرمجة، والانخراط فى التعلم. کذلک فإن الطلاب ذوى مستوى الدافعية المنخفضة حققوا نتائج أفضل مع نمط الدعم التعليمى الموزع فى التحصيل المعرفى، ومهارات البرمجة، والانخراط فى التعلم، فى حين تساوت نتائج الطلاب ذوى مستوى الدافعية المرتفعة عند توظيف أيا من النمط الدعم التعليمى الموزع أو النمط الدعم التعليمى المجمع باستخدام الواقع المعزز فى التحصيل المعرفى This research aims for determining the most suitable instructional support pattern using augmented reality for high and low Motivation students' at Specific Education Faculty. The 2×2 factorial design was used. The research was applied on (74) students at Specific Education Faculty who were selected and divided according to their grades on the Achievement Motivation Test into four groups. The first group consisted of 22 students of high motivation level who studied using distributed support pattern. The second group consisted of 22 students of high motivation level who studied using massed support pattern. While the third group which consisted of 15 students of low motivation level who studied using distributed support pattern. Finally, the fourth group consisted of 15 students of low motivation level who studied using massed support pattern. The results indicated that distributed support pattern using augmented reality is the most suitable pattern for developing achievement, some programming skills of high and low Motivation Students' at Specific Education Faculty and their engagement. The results also indicated that students with low Motivation achieved better results using the distributed support pattern, while the results of students with high Motivation do not differ according to the applied support pattern using augmented reality

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN STUDENT LEARNING

Background. Anxiety includes uncomfortable feelings when learning or using the new language. It continues to exist in the university foreign language classroom as well. A number of foreign language students report feeling anxious about language learning. Research aim was to investigate the foreign language anxiety (in our case, English as a foreign language, EFL) in the classroom context at tertiary level in relation to its effect on foreign language acquisition as well as to design recommendations of how to reduce or exclude foreign language anxiety from the university foreign language classroom. Methods. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by E. K. Horwitz, M. B. Horwitz, and Cope (1986) was used. The questionnaire consisted of 5 statements about the respondents’ general background and 33 statements which were evaluated on the Likert scale from 1 to 5 by the research participants. The research sample involved 200 first and second year students of Lithuanian Sports University . Results. The research analysis revealed that the respondents generally felt anxious speaking in the language class, making mistakes and being corrected by the teacher, worrying about the consequences of failing foreign language class and speaking with native speakers. The correlation between the students’ level of knowledge and their feeling of anxiety was established: students of lower level (A2 and B1) tended to feel higher levels of anxiety. Moreover, female participants of this study exhibited higher levels of foreign language anxiety. Conclusions. Foreign language anxiety proved to be a powerful predictor for demotivation in foreign language learning and impeded the acquisition of foreign languages. The research analysis revealed that the majority of younger respondents demonstrated a higher degree of anxiety. The more mature the students were, the more confident they felt in EFL classes. It was found that female students felt higher level of anxiety in learning English as a foreign language than male students. They were more inclined to hesitate and felt anxious in the language classroom, while male undergraduates were more confident and had a greater ability to cope with the feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Students with higher knowledge of English language (level B2) showed lower levels of anxiety and felt more confident in language class. A large number of failures was observed at the pre-intermediate and lower intermediate (A2/B1) levels. Therefore, the learners with high anxiety often got low achievement and low achievement made them more anxious about learning.

Изготвяне на иновативен курс по специализиран английски език с академични цели за студенти по ветеринарна медицина, базиран на сравнителен анализ на потребностите

The article examines and compares the results of a cross-sectional needs analysis survey for the purposes of designing an innovative EAP/ESPP course for students in Veterinary Medicine. Students from two European universities responded to a nominal polytomous survey which probed their range of preferences, expectations and motivation. We analyzed students’ selections using criteria such as language level, course content, teaching methods and forms, including the use of internet-based and ICT tools. Depending on their language level, students opted mostly for ESPP/EAP-specific activities, whereas preferences for general English skills improvement were higher in lower level students. Cultural differences were accounted for and explained to illustrate the traditional practices and the need for introducing more effective methods, including cooperation between the students and faculty of the two universities. We have also proposed directions for designing an innovative ESPP/EAP course, which will be implemented next semester at Trakia University.

Изготвяне на иновативен курс по специализиран английски език с академични цели за студенти по ветеринарна медицина, базиран на сравнителен анализ на потребностите

The article examines and compares the results of a cross-sectional needs analysis survey for the purposes of designing an innovative EAP/ESPP course for students in Veterinary Medicine. Students from two European universities responded to a nominal polytomous survey which probed their range of preferences, expectations and motivation. We analyzed students’ selections using criteria such as language level, course content, teaching methods and forms, including the use of internet-based and ICT tools. Depending on their language level, students opted mostly for ESPP/EAP-specific activities, whereas preferences for general English skills improvement were higher in lower level students. Cultural differences were accounted for and explained to illustrate the traditional practices and the need for introducing more effective methods, including cooperation between the students and faculty of the two universities. We have also proposed directions for designing an innovative ESPP/EAP course, which will be implemented next semester at Trakia University.

Assessment of oral health attitudes and behavior among students of Kuwait University Health Sciences Center.

Aim:The aims of this study were to assess attitudes and behavior of oral health maintenance among students in four faculties (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Allied Health) and to compare oral health attitudes and behavior of all students at Kuwait University Health Sciences Center (KUHSC) based on their academic level.Materials and Methods:Students enrolled in the Faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Allied Health at KUHSC were evaluated regarding their oral health attitudes and behavior by an e-mail invitation with a link to the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory survey that was sent to all 1802 students with Kuwait University Health Sciences Center e-mail addresses. The data were analyzed for frequency distributions, and differences among the groups were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Kruskal–Wallis test. P values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant (P < 0.05).Results:The results of this study indicated that dental students achieved better oral health attitudes and behavior than that of their nondental professional fellow students (P < 0.05). Students in advanced academic levels and female students demonstrated better oral health attitudes and behavior.Conclusion:Dental students and students who were in advanced levels of their training along with female students demonstrated better oral health practices and perceptions than students in lower academic levels and male students, respectively. Additional studies for investigating the effectiveness and identifying areas requiring modification within the dental curriculum at KUHSC may be warranted.

Korean EFL Students’ Strategy Use in Gap-Filling Inference Items

This paper explores Korean EFL students’ test-taking strategy use in gap-filling inference items of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) through retrospective think-aloud protocols. Eight college freshmen participated in this study, and verbally reported the process of answering three gap-filling inference items in their L1. Students with higher proficiency levels tended to use language learner strategies with more variety, while students of lower levels often relied on familiar words and distractors as avoidance strategies. Also, the position of the gap in each item had an effect on the order and portions of reading. Unusual reading patterns were more frequently found from those who checked the gap first, when the gap was located in the middle or at the end of the passage. To foster positive washback effect of the test items on learning, this paper suggests that teachers encourage students to effectively employ language learner strategies in order to comprehend the text rather than rely on test-wiseness.

A study on the effective use of wiki software in the teaching of English writing.

This study explores the effective way of utilizing wiki technology in the teaching of English writing. To this end, the study developed a wiki-based collaborative writing model with creativity techniques and investigated its educational effects on EFL learners’ writing. The participants were 130 middle school students in Korea and they were divided into a wiki-based group (n=65) and a traditional group (n=65). The major findings are as follows: First, the wiki-based collaborative writing model was more effective in enhancing Korean student’s writing skills than the traditional model. Second, the wiki-based writing model was more beneficial to high-level English proficiency students than the traditional writing model, whereas both writing models showed equal effectiveness in developing low-level proficiency students’ writing skills. Third, the participants of the wiki-based group responded positively to their experience of utilizing the wiki in the collaborative writing task. All of the results suggest that the wiki technology should be actively integrated into the teaching of English writing to overcome the limitations of the traditional writing class and expand it to an online space for the efficient English secondary education in Korea.