Nonequivalent Groups Research Articles

Investigating the effectiveness of practicing English conversation with ChatGPT in improving non-English majored students’ English speaking skills at Nguyen Tat Thanh University

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of practicing English conversations with ChatGPT to enhance speaking skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, specifically focusing on four key criteria: conversational fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and grammatical accuracy. In this study, 60 students were divided into six groups for a quasi-experimental design with a combination between non-equivalent groups design and pretest-posttest design. Four groups were trained with ChatGPT for eight weeks, while two control groups were not. Speaking abilities were measured through pretest, mid-test, and posttest assessments. The findings revealed significant improvements in conversational fluency, vocabulary, and grammar for the ChatGPT-trained groups, while pronunciation showed minimal progress. These results suggest that integrating ChatGPT into English teaching curricula could help non-English majored students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University enhance their English communication skills.

Effect Of Audio-Visual Intervention and Cooperative Learning on Keyboard Mastery in Computer Studies Among Junior School Students in Ede, Osun State

This study examined the effect of audio-visual intervention and cooperative learning on keyboard mastery in computer studies among junior school students in Ede, Osun State. Three, hypotheses guided the study, and a 3×3 factorial quasi-experimental design was adopted which involved pre-test, post-test, non-randomized control and non-equivalent intact groups. The population for the study was all the students in Government Junior Secondary School Two in Ede South Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria, which at the time of this study was 965. The sample for the study was 261 from three intact classes; two experimental classes and one control class. Research Instruments consisted of: (i) computer keyboard mastery (CKM), (ii) Video Tutorials, (iii) Interactive Keyboard Simulator (iv) Typing Games and (v) a lesson plan structure provided to facilitate the teaching of computer keyboard mastery. The Computer Keyboard Mastery (CKM) was validated and pilot tested for reliability using Kuder Richardson 20 (KR-20) formula with a result of 0.75 value. Using ANCOVA to test the hypotheses generated for the study, the results revealed that there is a significant main effect of audio-visual intervention on Junior Secondary School Students’ Keyboard mastery level in computer studies in Ede, Osun State (F (1,177) =1137.406, p<0.05, η2=0.865). A significant main effect of cooperative learning exists on Junior Secondary School Students’ Keyboard mastery level in computer studies in Ede, Osun State (F (1,180) =1124.769, p<0.05, η2=0.862). There is a significant interactive effect of audio-visual and cooperative learning intervention on Junior Secondary School Students’ Keyboard mastery level in computer studies in Ede, Osun State (F (1,128) =0.057, p<0.05, η2=0.830). It was recommended that: (i) audio-visual intervention and (ii) cooperative learning should be adopted independently and (iii) in combination of both audio-visual intervention and cooperative learning should be adopted in teaching and learning of computer keyboard mastery at the Junior Secondary Schools for effectiveness.

The Impact of Science, Environment, Technology, and Society (SETS) Learning Model Integrated with Google Earth on Spatial Thinking Ability in Senior High School

Developing spatial thinking skills in students often poses a challenge for Geography teachers in Indonesia. The concept of spatial relationships in geography places spatial thinking as a distinct aspect of intelligence, enabling individuals to identify patterns and trends in spatial change. Therefore, appropriate models and strategies are needed to develop spatial thinking skills. This study aims to determine the effect of the Science, Environment, Technology and Society (SETS) learning model integrated with Google Earth on students' spatial thinking ability. This research is a quasi-experiment with posttest-only design nonequivalent groups that uses a quantitative approach with the inferential statistical method using the Independent sample t-test parametric test. The subjects of this study were randomly selected XI grade students from SMAN 10 Malang including, XI-C class as the experimental class and XI-D as the control class. The research instruments used are seven essay questions on spatial thinking ability. The data obtained will be analyzed using parametric statistics Independent sample t-test and obtained sig value. (2-tailed) 0.041. The mean value of the experimental class is greater (80.14) than the mean value of the control class (72.08). It can be concluded that the Science, Environment, Technology, and Society (SETS) model integrated with Google Earth affects students' spatial thinking ability on the material of Disaster and Environment class XI SMAN 10 Malang City. Another finding of this study is that three syntaxes are dominant in bringing up and developing students' spatial thinking ability, namely initiation, concept development formation, and concept application.

Improving Word Recognition Skills of Children Learning to Read in a Second Language Through Podcasts

<p style="text-align:justify">Failure in visual word recognition brings about frustration and failure in reading which impinge on the achievement and reading progress of learners. In order to contribute towards assisting every child to achieve minimum proficiency in reading, this investigation examined the impact of podcasts on the abilities of second language learners in sight word recognition. The study which is quasi-experimental, made use of the pre-test post-test nonequivalent groups method. The study participants who were purposively sampled from a privately owned primary school in Enugu urban, South East, Nigeria comprise thirty elementary two learners. Pre-and post-tests were administered to the participants who were grouped into intervention and control groups. The intervention group listened to podcasts in word recognition skills while the control group learned word recognition through the usual method. Statistical tools such as means, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were utilized to analyze the data collected. The research question was answered through Standard Deviation and the learners’ mean achievement scores, while the hypothesis, which was set at <0.05 level of significance, was tested with the ANCOVA. The results of the investigation showed that podcasts facilitated improvement in the word recognition skills of English as a second language (ESL) learners. The study concluded that the use of podcast proves to be an efficient instructional media capable of promoting achievement in word recognition skills of learners in an ESL classroom. On the basis of the results, exploring the use of podcasts in the teaching of word recognition skills among ESL learners was recommended.</p>

Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) Berbantuan Alat Peraga Big Book terhadap Keterampilan Menulis Siswa Kelas III SD

This research aims to describe the influence of the CIRC learning model assisted by Big Book teaching aids on the writing skills of class III students at SD Negeri 17 Singkawang. The type of research was quantitative research using the Quasi Experimental method, Posttest Only Nonequivalent Groups Design. The population of this study was all class III students consisting of classes IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC, totaling 86 students. The sample in this study was selected using a purposive sampling technique consisting of class IIIB as the control class and IIIC as the experimental class, each with 28 students. The data collection technique used an essay test technique which contains indicators of writing skills and observation techniques for learning implementation. The data analysis technique used a independent two sample t-test, effect size, and percentage of learning implementation. The results of the research showed that (1) there was differences in the writing skills of third grade elementary school students between classes that use the CIRC model assisted by Big Book teaching aids and classes that use direct learning with the calculation results showing namely 14.068 > 1.674; (2) the CIRC learning model assisted by Big Book teaching aids had a high influence on the writing skills of third grade elementary school students with an effect size calculation result of 2.36; (3) implementation of the CIRC learning model assisted by Big Book teaching aids in learning energy source material with a percentage of 92.71% in very good criteria. Thus, it could be concluded that there was an influence of the CIRC model assisted by Big teaching aids on the writing skills of class III students at SD Negeri 17 Singkawang.

Enhancing High School Student Engagement and Academic Achievement: A Comparative Analysis of the JIA Application

This study compares the effectiveness of the JIA application in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes in Pancasila Education for Class X students SMA Methodist 02 Palembang. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a 2x2 format, using non-equivalent groups. Data were collected through observation and multiple-choice tests administered as pretests and posttests. Research sampling was carried out Participants were selected using purposive sampling, purposive sampling type. Data collection was carried out using observation sheets on learning activities and multiple choices formative test questions as pretest and posttest. The JIA application significantly improved student engagement and learning outcomes. The N-Gain Score for learning activities was 46.8%, and for learning results, it was 52.5%. Learning activity increased by 12.70%, from 59.54% to 72.29%. The average learning outcome score improved by 31.02 points, from a pretest score of 47.95 to a posttest score of 78.97. The findings underscore the significant impact of the JIA application in enhancing both student engagement and learning outcomes in Pancasila Education for Class X students at SMA Methodist 02 Palembang. The study's results suggest that integrating technology, such as the JIA application, into educational curricula can substantially elevate student participation and achievement. These findings advocate for the broader implementation of digital tools in educational settings to foster more interactive and effective learning experiences, potentially guiding future policy and curriculum development in schools.

The Metaverse in Green Building Concept Learning, Creative Design Performance, and Learning Engagement

Due to the rapid advancement of technology, environmental sustainability education has gained significant attention. This study aimed to explore the effect of the metaverse on green building concept learning, creative design performance, and learning engagement. This research was conducted with 61 students from a public high school, employing a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent groups. The experimental teaching theme was green building education, where the experimental group used online metaverse with Minecraft-assisted teaching, while the comparison group used internet images for assistance. Our research results were as follows: 1. The metaverse had a large effect size on the example dimension of concept learning but no significant effect on the linkages, hierarchical structures, or cross-linking terms. 2. The metaverse significantly enhanced creative design performance, including value, usability, novelty, and elaboration. 3. The metaverse had a significant effect on learning engagement, particularly in learning attitudes.

Environmental cleaning and disinfection in the operating room: a systematic scoping review through a human factors and systems engineering lens.

To synthesize evidence and identify gaps in the literature on environmental cleaning and disinfection in the operating room based on a human factors and systems engineering approach guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model. A systematic scoping review. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched 4 databases (ie, PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, CINAHL) for empirical studies on operating-room cleaning and disinfection. Studies were categorized based on their objectives and designs and were coded using the SEIPS model. The quality of randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies with a nonequivalent groups design was assessed using version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. In total, 40 studies were reviewed and categorized into 3 groups: observational studies examining the effectiveness of operating-room cleaning and disinfections (11 studies), observational study assessing compliance with operating-room cleaning and disinfection (1 study), and interventional studies to improve operating-room cleaning and disinfection (28 studies). The SEIPS-based analysis only identified 3 observational studies examining individual work-system components influencing the effectiveness of operating-room cleaning and disinfection. Furthermore, most interventional studies addressed single work-system components, including tools and technologies (20 studies), tasks (3 studies), and organization (3 studies). Only 2 studies implemented interventions targeting multiple work-system components. The existing literature shows suboptimal compliance and inconsistent effectiveness of operating-room cleaning and disinfection. Improvement efforts have been largely focused on cleaning and disinfection tools and technologies and staff monitoring and training. Future research is needed (1) to systematically examine work-system factors influencing operating-room cleaning and disinfection and (2) to redesign the entire work system to optimize operating-room cleaning and disinfection.

Analysis of Significant Differences in The Cognitive Ability of Students With Ferris Wheel Media Based on TGT in Buffer Solution Lessons

Learning media is one way to improve student learning outcomes. The Ferris wheel is one of these media that has many varied questions. It is hoped that the Ferris wheel-assisted TGT model will not only be innovative learning, but can also influence student learning outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of the Teams Games Tournament (TGT) learning model on students' cognitive learning outcomes for the buffer solution using the Ferris wheel. A quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups and the posttest alone design approach is the research methodology used. Purposive sampling was employed during the sample process. All 294 students in class XI Mathematics and Natural Sciences at State High School 1 Lhokseumawe in the academic year 2022–2023 made up the population of this study. with a 50-student research sample. ways for gathering data, including tests, interviews, and observation. The research questions are evaluated with a school that is similar to the research location before being used in the study. The difficulty of the problems being examined, the discriminatory capacity, the validity, and the dependability of the tests are all taken into consideration. The outcomes revealed a sizable distinction between the Experiment I class and the Experiment II class. Cognitive ability as measured by the experimental class I average of 85.37 and experimental class II average of 79.58. If the value of sig 0.05, then Ha is acceptable. Cognitive findings sig. (2-tailed) t-test for equality of means on equal variances is assumed to be 0.008. The material for the buffer solution for class XI MIA was found to have a good impact on student learning outcomes when the TGT model using the Ferris wheel was used SMA Negeri 1 Lhokseumawe

The Project Based Model Learning and Discovery Learning Towards Critical Thinking Ability Children Aged 5-6 Years

This study aims to determine (1) the influence of the project-based learning model on the critical thinking skills of 5-6-year-old children , (2) the influence of the discovery learning model on the critical thinking skills of 5-6-year-old children , and (3) the difference in influence between project-based learning and discovery learning models on the critical thinking skills of 5-6-year-old children . This research was a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent controls groups design . The population of this study consisted of all students aged 5-6 years in Wangi-Wangi Island, Wakatobi Regency, with a sample of 99 children selected through a purposive sampling technique . The instruments used was an observation questionnaire for children's critical thinking skills . Data analysis techniques included an independent sample t- test with a significance level of 0.05. The results of the study show that (1) there is a significant influence on the application of the project-based learning model on the critical thinking skills of 5-6-year-old children , with a t- value of -24.578 and a Sig . of 0.000 < 0.05, (2) there is a significant influence on the application of the discovery learning models on the critical thinking skills of 5-6-year-old children , with a t- value of -15,304 and Sig . of 0.000 < 0.05, and (3) there is a significant difference in the influence between the project-based learning and discovery learning (DL) models on the critical thinking skills of 5-6-year-old children , with a Sig . Value of 0.000 < 0.05.

Pengaruh Metode Demonstrasi terhadap Motivasi dan Hasil Belajar Siswa Kelas XI SMA

The problem of Biology learning at SMA Negeri 11 Semarang, namely that learning still uses conventional methods, where teachers talk more, ask questions and tell stories to inform all the facts and concepts of learning, the low number of positive activities that students remember is due to the learning techniques used by The teacher does not facilitate students to be more active in receiving the material presented by the teacher. This affects the low motivation and learning outcomes of students. To overcome this problem, the demonstration method is used. This research is an experimental research with a non-equivalent groups pretest-posttest design which aims to determine the effect of the demonstration method on the motivation and learning outcomes of class XI students at SMA Negeri 11 Semarang. The population of this study was all class XI SMA Negeri 11 Semarang with a total of 141 students. Sampling was carried out using a purposive sampling technique with class XIF as the experimental class and class XIE as the control class. The independent variable in this research is the demonstration method and the dependent variable, namely motivation and student learning outcomes. Data on student motivation results were analyzed descriptively and results were obtained at the first meeting with a percentage of 50% and categorized as low, then at the second meeting with a percentage of 62.5% categorized as quite high, because there was an increase at each meeting, it was concluded that the use of the demonstration method could improve Learning motivation of class XIF students at SMA Negeri 11 Semarang. Data on student learning outcomes were analyzed using a two-party t-test with the polled variance t-test formula. At a significance level of 5%, the degrees of freedom (dk=43) obtained tcount > ttable (3.280 > 2.014), so Ha is accepted and H0 is rejected. So from the results of the analysis of learning outcomes it can be concluded that the use of the demonstration method influences the learning outcomes of class XI students at SMA Negeri 11 Semarang.

Improving Learning Outcomes and Learning Motivation of Students Through Teams Games Tournament Learning Model (TGT)

This research investigates the impact of the problem-based learning (PBL) model on enhancing students' critical thinking abilities within civic education in third-grade classes at SDN Srewendari, Malang City. The study aims to assess the influence of the PBL approach on students' proficiency in analyzing facts, articulating reasons and arguments, drawing conclusions, and effectively presenting their findings. Employing a quasi-experimental design with the Nonequivalent Groups Pretest-Posttest Control Group methodology, the research compares the average post-test scores of critical thinking skills between the experimental and control groups through a t-test. The study population comprises third-grade students from SDN Srewendari, Malang City, with the sample consisting of experimental class IIIa and control class IIIb. Data collection involves observation, utilizing rating scale instruments, and assessments comprising test or evaluation questions administered during class sessions. The analysis is conducted descriptively and quantitatively, employing a difference test with a confidence level exceeding 95%. Findings indicate a positive and statistically significant impact of the problem-based learning model on students' critical thinking skills within civic education.

Impact of a structured sleep education program on mothers' knowledge and attitudes toward infant sleeping

IntroductionSleeping is necessary for the infant growth and development. Sufficient and quality of sleep can have an impact on physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Infancy is a critical time for establishing healthy habits and routines. However, many infants were suffering from sleeping issues that impact their health. ObjectivesThis study aims to evaluate the effect of educational programs given to mothers regarding their infants' sleep on mothers' knowledge and attitudes toward infant's sleeping. MethodA quasi-experimental design for nonequivalent groups was used, and data was collected from 208 mothers with infants aged 5–12 months from all Jordanian governorates who had not been exposed to educational programs prior to this study. Data was collected in two stages: pre-test and post-test, with two weeks in between for both groups. ResultsThe final results indicated that the educational intervention had a significant impact on mothers' knowledge over time. It was found that mothers in the intervention group had significantly higher mean of infant sleep health knowledge at follow up time compared to their baseline time (B = 0.236, P 0.001). Also, the yielded analysis showed that there was no significant change in mothers' mean attitudes toward infants sleeping over time (P = 0.011). The mothers’ measured sleep health knowledge correlated positively and significantly statistically with their sleep health attitudes score (r = 0.436, P 0.010).

Effects Integrating Personalized Learning Environment On Students’ Achievement in Social Studies in Secondary Schools in Imo State

This study is aimed at determining the effects integrating Personalized Learning Environment on students’ achievement in social studies in secondary schools in Imo State, Nigeria. A Qusi-experimental research design with non-equivalent intact groups, pre-test and post- test was adopted in this study. The population of the study comprised the entireUpper Basic( Junior Secondary School) students of 94,963 with 47,481 male and 48,481 female in the 68 secondary schools in Owerri Zone 1 of Imo State. Purposive sampling technique was used as the sample techniques. 39 Jss 2 students (19 male and 20 female) in one school were in treatment one (personalised learning environment) group, while 43 Jss 2 students (21 male and 22 female in the school were in treatment two (lecture method) group. The instrument for data collection was Researcher Made Social Studies Achievement Test (RMSSAT). The items in the instrument were subjected to content and face validation by five specialists, three specialists from Educational Measurement and Evaluation and two from Educatonal technology. The reliability of the research instrument was established using Kuder-Richardson (K-20) and this gave a reliability coefficient of 0.86. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) F- test statistics at 0.05 level of significance was used to interpret the result. From data analysed, the findings from study are: Personal Learning environment is effective in the improvement of students’ academic achievement and also revealed that personal learning is more effective on the male students than on the female students. The study recommended among others that: since the use of personalized learning environment has been found to enhance achievement in social studies, teachers of social studies should employ this technologically enriched method to teach students in the classroom more ewspecially those abstract to topics.

Fostering computational thinking with simulated 3D robots in secondary education

AbstractComputational Thinking (CT) can be defined as the thought processes involved in formulating problems so that their solutions can be represented as sequential steps and algorithms. It is a key skill for children in the 21st century. However, it is unclear how CT can be developed most effectively in children. Several pedagogical methodologies have been proposed and are being investigated. The main aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis which states that using three‐dimensional (3D) simulated robots helps in the learning of programming and CT concepts, such as directions, loops, conditionals, and functions. The research questions are: Does this hypothesis hold true? Are some concepts easier or better learned than others and to what extent? The goal is to measure and evaluate the effect of using as a learning tool a platform with 3D simulated robots and realistic physics, and compare it with the standard Scratch learning tool which does not use robotics but a two‐dimensional (2D) cartoon avatar they are already familiar with. For practical reasons, a quasiexperimental design with nonequivalent groups and 85 second‐year Secondary Education students (ages 12–13) was performed. They were separated into control and experimental groups and followed a seven‐session intervention with the baseline 2D Scratch and the 3D simulated robots platform, respectively. Both used a visual block programming language and the same activities. To have quantitative and reliable results, a widely accepted CT test has been used, pre‐ and postintervention. Also qualitative feedback is presented. The obtained results show that using the platform with simulated 3D robots significantly helps when developing students' CT. With it, the students do learn basic programming concepts and reach higher scores in the CT test. This improvement applies to all CT‐analyzed concepts except in functions where the grades are maintained. Furthermore, students manage to master the activities on the 3D simulated robots platform, which reflects on the empowerment the platform has got in them.

Teaching information literacy in online psychology courses: Effects on student performance and self-reported confidence

Using the Framework for Information Literacy published by the Association of College & Research Libraries, we developed an online intervention to increase information literacy. Specifically, we hypothesized that undergraduate students in an information literacy intervention group would increase in information literacy performance and confidence compared to a control group which did not receive asynchronous online information literacy instruction. We used a non-equivalent groups pretest-posttest design and measured students’ ( N = 101) information literacy performance and self-reported confidence before and after asynchronous information literacy instruction. We compared the intervention with a non-intervention control condition using two existing undergraduate psychology courses offered online across two semesters. Partially confirming our hypotheses, we found that providing asynchronous information literacy instruction not only increased students’ information literacy performance but also helped students to evaluate their own information literacy skills more accurately. In contrast, our intervention did not selectively increase confidence in information literacy as both information literacy intervention and control groups similarly increased in information literacy confidence over time. Nevertheless, these findings show that we managed to develop an online, theory-based intervention to increase information literacy. This intervention has the potential to build the foundations for students to engage in scientific conversations by elevating their understanding of how scientific information is produced and how science affects their daily lives.

Enhancing Early Childhood Cultural Education through the Ponorogo Reyog Theater Suitcase: A Development and Evaluation Study

This research explores the Reyog Theater Suitcase (Koper Teater Reyog) as an innovative educational tool for introducing the cultural heritage of Ponorogo to early childhood education. Utilizing a Research and Development (R&D) approach and the ADDIE model, which includes the Analyze, Design, Development, Implement, and Evaluation stages, the study employed a Posttest-only experimental design with nonequivalent groups. An initial needs analysis revealed a scarcity of practical storytelling media that incorporate local narratives, such as Reyog Ponorogo, despite its prevalence in local education. Consequently, the Reyog Theater Suitcase was developed, featuring a transparent display panel, barcode-activated musical features, and manageable cultural figurines. Data collection involved expert validation through questionnaires, teacher surveys, and authentic assessments using qualitative and quantitative analyses. The findings indicated that classes using the Reyog Theater Suitcase achieved significantly better outcomes in cultural education than traditional picture books. After two rounds of feedback and revisions from experts, the quality and educational appropriateness of the product were enhanced. Hypothesis testing in both small and large-scale settings resulted in p-values of 0.000 and 0.002, respectively, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis and acceptance of the alternative hypothesis; this confirmed that the experimental group exposed to the Reyog culture through the suitcase differed significantly from the control group using conventional media. Integrating physical and digital storytelling elements advances the discourse on delivering educational content in the digital era. However, focusing on a specific cultural narrative might limit its application to similar educational settings. Further research is recommended to evaluate its broader applicability in diverse educational environments. This study underscores the importance of innovative storytelling media that integrate local cultures, offering potential pathways to enrich global early childhood education.

다차원 IRT 모형 적합 혼합형 검사를 위한 공통문항 척도 연계 방법

Under the context of the common-item nonequivalent groups design, item response theory (IRT) scale
 linking methods have been presented for each of the multidimensional extensions of the three-parameter
 logistic (M3PL), graded response (MGR), generalized partial credit (MGPC), and nominal response (MNR)
 models. The common-item multidimensional IRT (MIRT) linking methods that have been proved effective
 for single-format tests include the direct least squares (DLS), item category response function (ICRF), and
 test response function (TRF) methods. This paper extends the three MIRT linking methods to any mixture
 of the exploratory M3PL, MGR, MGPC, and MNR models for mixed-format tests. Each linking method
 extended attempts to find the linking coefficients in the rotation matrix and translation vector that
 constitute a linear transformation between two multidimensional ability scales. Simulations are conducted to
 investigate the performance of the three linking methods under various linking conditions. The results
 indicated that overall, the ICRF method performed best in estimating the rotation matrix and translation
 vector of the linear transformation between the new and true simulation scales. In not a few conditions, the
 DLS method resulted in the second best linking solutions. The TRF method tended to estimate the rotation
 matrix well but the translation vector poorly and thus showed the worst performance among the linking
 methods in some conditions.

Teacher-Mediated Pronunciation Instruction: Its Effects on Enhancing the Oral Language Fluency of Seventh-Grade English Students

This study investigated the effects of teacher-mediated pronunciation instruction on enhancing the oral language fluency of seventh-grade English students. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent groups design, 32 learners served as respondents of the thirteen-session- study in a secondary school in Southern Luzon, Philippines. The student-respondents were tested to find out whether there would be a significant difference in their knowledge and application of the segmentals and suprasegmentals before and after the implementation of the said intervention.
 In all the instruments, namely the dictation test, pronunciation achievement test, and aural-oral achievement test, the findings revealed that the experimental group performed significantly higher than the control group. Through the independent sample t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), the results revealed that the experimental group had higher mean scores than the control group with t-computed values exceeding the tabular values affirming that an explicit pronunciation instruction is better in enhancing the oral language fluency of students than only incidental acquisition. The more the learners are exposed to an intervention, the more that they will become intelligible. Other effects also include the more frequently that the teacher conducts various games, the more that the students enjoy and learn pronunciation; and the more refined a learner’s pronunciation skill is, the more improved he/she is when it comes to listening comprehension and spelling. Finally, it is recommended that more and newer interventions regarding second language phonology or any content that focuses on speaking as a macro-strand in English should be delved into.

Short-term psychological outcomes of Australia's 2019/20 bushfire season.

We investigated how Australian community members (N = 318) indirectly and/or directly exposed to Australia's 2019/20 bushfire season differed in terms of psychological distress, posttraumatic growth, coping, physical health, and COVID-19 anxiety. This was a cross-sectional study with a nonequivalent groups design. Participants were over 18 years old, English proficient, and Australian permanent residents or citizens living in Australia at some point between June 2019 and February 2020. Participants completed a 10-minute anonymous online survey 5 to 8 weeks following the bushfires. A descriptive discriminant analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between bushfire exposure groups when considering our dependent variables of interest simultaneously and adjusting for prior mental health assistance and prior exposure to natural disasters: F(10, 624) = 2.83, p = .002; V = .087, partial η² = .043. The group centroid for the indirect-only exposure group (-.374) was substantially lower than that for the other 2 groups (direct only: .137; direct + indirect: .224), indicating that the indirect-only exposure group could be differentiated by the fact that they more frequently reported avoidant coping strategies and endorsed lower posttraumatic growth scores than the direct-only and direct + indirect exposure groups. The variance accounted for by these discriminant variables was 8.4%, indicating a very small effect. Our results point to a need to tailor and/or expand disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts such that they might benefit community members both directly and indirectly exposed to bushfire events in Australia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).