Proficiency Variables Research Articles

Normative data for tests of visuo-spatial, visuo-constructional skills, and visual memory for Spanish-speaking adults in the United States.

The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) are commonly used in clinical practice. The ROCFT measures constructional praxis, visual perception, and visuospatial learning and memory, and the CDT assesses for visuospatial, constructional, and executive difficulties. Several neurological disorders are associated with visuospatial and visuo-constructional impairments, yet reliable normative data accounting for sociodemographic and acculturative variables are scarce for Hispanics living in the U.S. To generate normative data for the ROCFT and CDT in a Spanish-speaking adult population living in the U.S. The sample consisted of 245 cognitively healthy adults recruited from several states in the U.S. Each participant was administered the ROCFT and CDT as part of a larger cognitive battery. The ROCFT and CDT were normed using a Bayesian approach. Age, age2, education, sex, acculturation, and language proficiency were included as predictors in the analyses. ROCFT performance was associated with education and age, particularly as they interacted with Spanish language proficiency and time spent in the U.S. Education was significantly associated with recall abilities and a lower memory recall on the ROCFT. Age was found to vary depending on a person's bilingual abilities. Sex did not emerge as a predictor of performance, and it did not interact significantly with other variables. This is the first study to include acculturation and language proficiency variables in the creation of norms for the assessment of visuo-constructional abilities. This study will have a large impact on the practice of neuropsychology in the U.S.

A perceptual similarity space for speech based on self-supervised speech representations.

Speech recognition by both humans and machines frequently fails in non-optimal yet common situations. For example, word recognition error rates for second-language (L2) speech can be high, especially under conditions involving background noise. At the same time, both human and machine speech recognition sometimes shows remarkable robustness against signal- and noise-related degradation. Which acoustic features of speech explain this substantial variation in intelligibility? Current approaches align speech to text to extract a small set of pre-defined spectro-temporal properties from specific sounds in particular words. However, variation in these properties leaves much cross-talker variation in intelligibility unexplained. We examine an alternative approach utilizing a perceptual similarity space acquired using self-supervised learning. This approach encodes distinctions between speech samples without requiring pre-defined acoustic features or speech-to-text alignment. We show that L2 English speech samples are less tightly clustered in the space than L1 samples reflecting variability in English proficiency among L2 talkers. Critically, distances in this similarity space are perceptually meaningful: L1 English listeners have lower recognition accuracy for L2 speakers whose speech is more distant in the space from L1 speech. These results indicate that perceptual similarity may form the basis for an entirely new speech and language analysis approach.

Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound in Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis and Management.

The emergence of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has significantly impacted the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancer and its associated sequelae. While the definitive role of EUS for pancreatic cancer remains incompletely characterized by currently available guidelines, EUS undoubtedly offers high diagnostic accuracy, the precise staging of pancreatic neoplasms, and the ability to perform therapeutic and palliative interventions. However, current challenges to EUS include limited specialized expertise and variability in operator proficiency. As the technology and techniques continue to evolve and become more refined, EUS is poised to play an increasingly integral role in shaping pancreatic cancer care.

Teachers’ Proficiency as Correlate of Students’ Performance in Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The researcher investigated the relationship that existed between teacher proficiency and students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. This research work took after survey research design. The population of this study was all teachers and students of the 219 public schools in Ekiti State. Systematic and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 5 secondary schools from each of the three senatorial districts in Ekiti State. In each school, four teachers teaching the core subjects and ten students for each teacher were selected using simple random technique totaling 45 teachers and 145 students of senior secondary school three (SS3). All the 120 students used for this study were students who offered the four core subjects. Two instruments were used. They are; Teachers’ Proficiency Questionnaire (TPQ) and Students’ Academic Performance Inventory (SAPI). The instruments were validated by experts in Text and Measurement who ensured face, construct and content validity of the instruments. Reliability of TPQ was realized using test-retest reliability which yielded 0.65 level of significance. The data collected from the respondents were tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The results of this research indicated that there was relationship between teacher proficiency and students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. All the variables of teacher proficiency have relationship with students’ academic performance. It was recommended that teachers should be given opportunities to engage in professional development such as workshops, conferences and coursework so that they could improve their subject matter knowledge and teaching skills. Also, those without degree certificate should be encouraged to engage in further studies.

A Study on Error Analysis by Re-entry Overseas Korean Learners

This study aims to identify the interlanguage used by overseas Koreans who re-entered Korea for the purpose of studying Korean and entering domestic college through the methodology of error analysis. In particular, this study intends to systematically analyze the Korean language errors of overseas Koreans according to proficiency variables (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and discourse medium variables (written and spoken language). To this end, this study made a well-balanced corpus of overseas Korean learners with 13,238 words. The results of this study are as follows: First, as a result of the distribution of relative error frequency, the frequency of errors increases as the proficiency increases, and the frequency of errors in written discourse are about five times higher than in spoken discours. Second, as a result of analyzing the frequency of errors by error location, the errors of general nouns shows the highest frequency even in advanced levels without decreasing. Also, the subjective marker was not a top 5 error in the written discourse, although it was a top 2 error in the spoken discourse. Third, as a result of analyzing the frequency of errors by error type, replacement errors were the most common, which was followed by misform, Addition, and Omission errors. At the intermediate level, the replacement error decreased, while the misform error increased. While the misform errors are rather reduced in spoken discourse, addition and omission errors appear more frequently than in written discourse.

Strategy Use, Cultural Intelligence, and English Language Proficiency of Undergraduate Saudi Students

The study attempted to explore Saudi English learners’ second language proficiency and how it is possibly related to language learning strategies and cultural intelligence. Research questions addressed the variables of language proficiency, cultural intelligence, strategy use, gender, and educational school background. It is hoped that more insights into the interplay between these factors and successful language learning will benefit language learners, teachers, and policymakers. The study collected data from 180 Saudifirst-year undergraduates majoring in English. The data was analyzed using inferential statistics to investigate the relationship among the study variables. The results revealed that the study participants scored a medium level in both language learning strategies and cultural intelligence. Metacognitive and cognitive strategies were the most frequently used, and affective strategies were the least frequently used. No significant differences were found in strategy use when related to English language proficiency, gender, or school background. However, a significant effect was observed between language level and cultural intelligence, specifically on metacognitive, and behavioral subsections. Another positive correlation was reported between strategy use and cultural intelligence, especially with the metacognitive subsections. Pedagogical implications are presented as the study argues for the benefits of direct instruction on cultural awareness and strategy use in language classrooms.

An Examination of the Relationship between Intellectual Risk-Taking in a Social Studies Course and Classroom Climate

This research examined the relationship between intellectual risk-taking in social studies and classroom climate. The study group consisted of 294 middle school pupils, 148 of whom were female and 145 were male. Intellectual Risk-Taking in Social Studies Course Scale (IRTSCS) and Classroom Climate Perceived by Students Scale (CCPSS) were utilizated as data collection instruments. In the research, the canonical correlation analysis was implemented to scrutinize the relationship between the IRTSCS data set composed of the Approach to Taking Intellectual Risk (APTIR) and the Avoidance from Taking Intellectual Risk (ATIR) variables and the CCPSS data set consisted of the Peer Backing (PB), Teacher Backing (TB), Gratification (G), and Intellectual Proficiency (IP) variables. Two canonical functions were obtained from the analysis, and one of them was statistically significant. The shared variance between intellectual risk-taking in social studies course and students’ views about classroom climate was 23% in the canonical model composed of the cumulative values of the canonical functions.

Subjective age of acquisition norms for 1604 English words by Spanish L2 speakers of English and their relationship with lexico-semantic, affective, sociolinguistic and proficiency variables

Psycholinguistic studies have shown that there are many variables implicated in language comprehension and production. At the lexical level, subjective age of acquisition (AoA), the estimate of the age at which a word is acquired, is key for stimuli selection in psycholinguistic studies. AoA databases in English are often used when testing a variety of phenomena in second language (L2) speakers of English. However, these have limitations, as the norms are not provided by the target population (L2 speakers of English) but by native English speakers. In this study, we asked native Spanish L2 speakers of English to provide subjective AoA ratings for 1604 English words, and investigated whether factors related to 14 lexico-semantic and affective variables, both in Spanish and English, and to the speakers’ profile (i.e., sociolinguistic variables and L2 proficiency), were related to the L2 AoA ratings. We used boosted regression trees, an advanced form of regression analysis based on machine learning and boosting algorithms, to analyse the data. Our results showed that the model accounted for a relevant proportion of deviance (58.56%), with the English AoA provided by native English speakers being the strongest predictor for L2 AoA. Additionally, L2 AoA correlated with L2 reaction times. Our database is a useful tool for the research community running psycholinguistic studies in L2 speakers of English. It adds knowledge about which factors—linked to the characteristics of both the linguistic stimuli and the speakers—affect L2 subjective AoA. The database and the data can be downloaded from: https://osf.io/gr8xd/?view_only=73b01dccbedb4d7897c8d104d3d68c46.

Predictors of operative difficulty in robotic low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

This study evaluates the relationship of tumour and anatomical features with operative difficulty in robotic low anterior resection performed by four experienced surgeons in a high-volume colorectal cancer practice. Data from 382 patients who underwent robotic low anterior resection by four expert surgeons between January 2016 and June 2019 were included in the analysis. Operating time was used as a measure of operative difficulty. Univariate and multivariate mixed models were used to identify associations between baseline characteristics and operating time, with surgeon as a random effect, thereby controlling for variability in surgeon speed and proficiency. In an exploratory analysis, operative difficulty was defined as conversion to laparotomy, a positive margin or an incomplete mesorectum. Median operating time was 4.28 h (range 1.95-11.33 h) but varied by surgeon from 3.45 h (1.95-6.10 h) to 5.93 h (3.33-11.33 h) (P< 0.001). Predictors of longer operating time in multivariate analysis were male sex, higher body mass index, neoadjuvant radiotherapy, low tumour height, greater sacral height and larger mesorectal area at the S5 vertebral level. Conversion occurred in two cases (0.5%), and incomplete mesorectum and positive margins were found in nine (2.4%) and 19 (5.0%) patients, respectively. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and larger pelvic outlet were the only characteristics associated with the exploratory measure of difficulty. Predicting operative difficulty based on easy to identify, preoperative radiological and clinical variables is feasible in robotic anterior resection.

An Investigation into Indonesian EFL University Students’ Speaking Anxiety

The general purpose of the study was to investigate EFL learners‟ speaking anxiety and its associated factors. More specifically, the study was purposed to examine the constructs of a speaking anxiety and to explore the model for predicting speaking anxiety based on gender, proficiency and class type. Therefore, explanatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used. The result indicated that there are two factors in learners‟ speaking anxiety, but they are difficult to name as a result of overlapping variables in each component. With regards to a multiple linear regression test, the finding shows that proficiency variable is the most significant factor for predicting the variation in speaking anxiety.

An Investigation into Indonesian EFL University Students’ Speaking Anxiety

The general purpose of the study was to investigate EFL learners‟ speaking anxiety and its associated factors. More specifically, the study was purposed to examine the constructs of a speaking anxiety and to explore the model for predicting speaking anxiety based on gender, proficiency and class type. Therefore, explanatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used. The result indicated that there are two factors in learners‟ speaking anxiety, but they are difficult to name as a result of overlapping variables in each component. With regards to a multiple linear regression test, the finding shows that proficiency variable is the most significant factor for predicting the variation in speaking anxiety.

Examining the key factors behind foreign language anxiety (FLA) in online teaching of English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

Abstract Though foreign language anxiety (FLA) has long been recognized as an important affective factor in second language learning, its impact is worth studying in new educational contexts of emergency remote teaching in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The present study examines the key factors behind FLA in online teaching of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The research was conducted among a sample of 171 first-year undergraduate university students of Economics &amp; Business economics and Informatics at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Croatia, during the winter semester of 2020/2021. The research instrument used was a 33-item questionnaire adapted from the FLCAS scale (Horwitz et al., 1986) to reflect the online ESP classroom environment. The main results indicate that various background factors, such as gender, self-assessed levels of proficiency, length of learning English and frequency of English language use, significantly influence the reported levels of language anxiety. Furthermore, the study establishes the underlying structure of FLA, with five factors positively correlated with overall language anxiety at the. 01 level of statistical significance: speech anxiety, evaluation and comprehension anxiety, online ESP classroom environment, anxiety of talking to native speakers, and lack of motivation for online class attendance. Finally, multiple regression analysis shows that the five aspects of FLA, alongside the variables of gender and self-assessed pronunciation proficiency, represent statistically significant predictors of the total level of FLA among online ESP learners. The other independent variables are confirmed to be unreliable in predicting the overall level of language anxiety in an online ESP classroom.

TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE IN ONLINE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON 21st CENTURY PROFICIENCY

The pandemic phenomenon has forced the world of education to change the work pattern of services from conventional to online-based education and learning services. This study aimed to describe and analyze the level of teachers’ 21st century proficiency and its effect on teachers’ performance in online learning due to Covic-19. This research was conducted at the Alkautsar Integrated Islamic Education Foundation School, with a population of 90 teachers and a sample of 68 teachers. This is a descriptive quantitative research conducted by a survey design. The main tool for data collection is a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by calculating the mean value of teachers' 21st century competence and teachers’ performance in online learning due to Covic-19. Inferential statistical analysis was also carried out to find the magnitude of the relationship and influence between variables. The results showed that the average score of level of teachers’ performance in online learning was 3.56 in the high category. The 21st century proficiency level of teachers with a mean value of 3.72 was also in the high category. It was also found that there is a significant relationship between 21st century proficiency variables and teachers’ performance in online learning of 0.809. The effect of 21st century skills on teachers’ performance in online learning was 65.50%. The conclusion is that the better the 21st century skills of teachers, the better the teacher's performance in online learning due to Covid-19.

Deciphering the inflection points to achieve proficiency for each procedure step during training in laparoscopic appendicectomy.

BackgroundLaparoscopic appendicectomy is a common procedure early in surgical training. A minimum number is usually required for certification in general surgery. However, data on proficiency are scarce. This study aimed to investigate steps towards proficiency in laparoscopic appendicectomy.MethodsThis was a prospective observational cohort study of laparoscopic appendicectomies performed by junior trainees under supervision scored on a six-point performance scale. Structured assessment was done within a defined programme. Procedures performed for uncomplicated appendicitis in adults were included. The procedures were evaluated with LOWESS graphs generated to investigate inflection points. Factors associated with proficiency rates were reported with odds ratios and 95 per cent confidence intervals.ResultsIn total 142 laparoscopic procedures were included for 19 trainees (58 per cent female). The cumulative number of procedures during the study was a median of 20 (i.q.r. 8–33). For overall proficiency, an inflection point occurred at 30 procedures. Proficiency rate increased from 51 per cent for 30 or fewer procedures to 93 per cent for more than 30 procedures (odds ratio 11.9 (95 per cent c.i. 3.4 to 40.9); P < 0.001). Inflection points for proficiency for each procedure step varied considerably, with lowest numbers (fewer than 15 procedures) for removing the specimen, and highest for dividing the mesoappendix (more than 55 procedures). Operating time was significantly reduced by a median of 7 minutes after 30 procedures, from median 62 (i.q.r. 25–120) minutes to median 55 (i.q.r. 30–110) minutes for more than 30 procedures.ConclusionFor junior trainees, variation in proficiency is related to specific procedure steps. Targeted training on specific procedure skills may reduce numbers needed to achieve proficiency in laparoscopic appendicectomy during training.

An augmented EM algorithm for monotonic Bayesian networks using parameterized conditional probability tables

Bayesian networks offer an attractive framework for describing the relationship between latent proficiency variables and observable outcomes. In educational applications, it is useful to restrict the conditional probability tables of the Bayesian network to be monotonic—increasing skill implies a high chance of a good performance. This paper describes the DiBello family of models for Bayesian networks, which enforce monotonicity, and introduces an augmented EM algorithm for estimating the parameters of these models. In a calibration experiment using simulated data, the algorithm did a good job recovering the model parameters and the conditional probability tables with sample sizes as low as 400.

The Influence of Social Interaction and Children's Language Ability on Students' Language Politeness in Class IV SD Negeri 010157 Sei Muka, Talawi District, Batu Bara Regency

This study aims to determine the effect of social interaction and children's language skills on language politeness of fourth grade students at SD Negeri 010157 Sei Muka, Talawi District, and Batubara Regency. Data collection was carried out by using a questionnaire for social interaction variables and language politeness, and multiple choice tests for language proficiency variables. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis techniques. The results of this study show that the Social Interaction variable has a positive influence on Language Politeness. The results of data analysis for the effect of Social Interaction on Language Politeness amounted to 0.000 &lt;0.05 and tcount 27.531&gt; ttable 2.063. Obtaining data for the effect of Language Ability on Language Politeness is 0.024 &lt;0.05 and the tcount value is 2.431&gt; ttable 2.063. Based on the results of the data analysis that has been done, the Language Ability variable affects Language Politeness. While the results of data analysis for the effect of Social Interaction and Language Ability together on Language Politeness is 0.000 &lt;0.05 and the value of Fcount is 349.654&gt; Ftable 3.39, so it can be concluded that the Ha test is accepted, which means that there is an influence of Social Interaction and Language Ability together on Politeness of Language.

Language proficiency moderates the effect of L2 semantically related distractors in L2 spoken word production

Bilinguals differ substantially in their second language (L2) proficiency, but it remains unclear whether language proficiency modulates the effect of L2 semantically related distractors in L2 spoken word production. In the present study, two groups of high proficiency and low proficiency Chinese-English bilinguals named target pictures in their L2 accompanied by visually superimposed L2 distractor words while electroencephalogram signals were recorded. Distractor names were semantically related or unrelated to target names. Variables of L2 proficiency (high proficiency or low proficiency) and semantic relatedness (related or unrelated) were manipulated in the experiment. Behavioral results demonstrated an interaction between L2 proficiency and semantic relatedness, with a semantic interference effect appearing only in high proficiency bilinguals. Waveform analysis indicated that semantic relatedness only exerted significant effects on event-related potentials in high proficiency bilinguals around 300–500 ms post picture presentation. Source localization analysis revealed that semantically related distractors induced higher brain activations in the left middle and superior temporal regions among high proficiency bilinguals, while higher brain activations were found in the right prefrontal cortex among low proficiency bilinguals. Taken together, these findings substantiate the role of language proficiency in determining whether L2 semantically related distractors are sufficiently activated to exceed the competition threshold and interfere with L2 picture naming.

Interspeaker code-switching use in school-aged bilinguals and its relation with affective factors and language proficiency

AbstractBilingual children may choose to reply to utterances in one language with another language. This behavior, which we call interspeaker code-switching, reportedly varies in frequency across children yet the sources of such variation are not well understood. While its use has been linked to variation in proficiency both concurrently and longitudinally, quantitative analyses of this relationship are limited. Here we measure frequency of interspeaker code-switching in a new population, French–English bilinguals in France (ages 5–8), using parental report and relate it to children’s self-reported language attitudes and perceptions of dominance, English receptive and expressive vocabulary, and sentence repetition ability. These children use interspeaker code-switching infrequently and nearly exclusively in the direction of French. Use is predicted by children’s expressive lexical and grammatical proficiency but not their attitudes toward English and French and exhibits only a marginally significant relationship with self-reported dominance. It shows a closer relationship with proficiency than other more well studied experience variables such as current exposure and output, especially for children with lesser English use. These results support a strong link between interspeaker code-switching and proficiency but not for children’s attitudes in a context where they are generally favorable.

The role of growth, maturation and sporting environment on the development of performance and technical and tactical skills in youth basketball players: The INEX study

ABSTRACT In this paper, we outline a systematic testing programme developed to help identify excellence in youth basketball players. We examine the links between biological maturation and training experience with anthropometry, body composition, physical performance, technical and tactical skills from five age-cohorts, and characterize, in detail, facets of their environment. In total, 238 young basketball players aged 11–15 years, clustered into five age-cohorts (11, 12, 13, 14, 15 years) were recruited. We assessed measures across three domains: (1) biological [anthropometry, body composition, biological maturation and physical performance]; (2) skill/game proficiency [technical skills and tactical skills]; and (3) contextual [family support, coach knowledge and competence and club context]. The data were analysed using one-way ANOVAs and multivariate analysis of covariance adjusting for biological maturation and training experience. We report significant differences favouring older basketball players on most biological and skill/game proficiency variables. However, differences between age-cohorts in physical performance and technical skills were mitigated after controlling for the effects of both covariates. In conclusion, our findings highlight the important role of both biological maturation and training experience on youth basketball players’ performance and development. We discuss the implications of these findings for research as well as for athletes, parents, coaches and clubs.

Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment of Power Supply Magnetic Components Design Based on Bayesian Network

The power electronics engineering education is aimed at helping students in becoming qualified electronics engineers. However, the existing evaluation method cannot reflect the students’ performance in knowledge-structure and skillsets objectively and accurately. To address these issues and improve the effectiveness of the current evaluation method in the field, we propose a Bayesian network model-based cognitive diagnostic assessment method and demonstrate it to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills condition with the switched-mode power supply (SMPS) magnetic components design task. The paper starts with a brief introduction to the SMPS inductor design. It continues with the Bayesian network model-based inductor proficiency model, inductor evidence model, and the task model for power magnetics volume and weight in the aerospace SMPS. Then we identify the parameters in the graded response model, relations among variables, and calculate the conditional probability between variables. Finally, we use Markov Chain Monte Carlo estimation method to get the posterior probability distribution of proficiency variables by OpenBUGS. The results show that this cognitive diagnostic assessment system can effectively reflect the students’ study performances, scientifically advise their future study plans, and effectively achieve the education goals.