Development and validation of a novel questionnaire regarding vision screening among preschool teachers in Malaysia

AIM:To develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of a knowledge,attitude,and practice questionnaire related to vision screening(KAP-VST)among preschool teachers in Malaysia.METHODS:The questionnaire was developed through a literature review and discussions with experts.Content and face validation were conducted by a panel of experts(n=10)and preschool teachers(n=10),respectively.A pilot study was conducted for construct validation(n=161)and test-retest reliability(n=60)of the newly developed questionnaire.RESULTS:Based on the content and face validation,71 items were generated,and 68 items were selected after exploratory factor analysis.The content validity index for items(I-CVI)score ranged from 0.8-1.0,and the content validity index for scale(S-CVI)/Ave was 0.99.Internal consistency was KR^(2)0=0.93 for knowledge,Cronbach’s alpha=0.758 for attitude,and Cronbach’s alpha=0.856 for practice.CONCLUSION:The KAP-VST is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing knowledge,attitude,and practice in relation to vision screening among preschool teachers in Malaysia.

The Influence of Preschool Teachers’Social Skills on Job Burnout:A Moderated Mediation Model

Background:Teacher burnout is a serious issue in the field of education,particularly in early childhood education,where teachers face high levels of work stress and emotional labor,leading to emotional exhaustion and job burnout.However,past research has not sufficiently explored the mechanisms of social skills,empathy,and mindfulness in mitigating teacher burnout.Therefore,this study aims to investigate the relationship between preschool teachers’social skills,empathy,and mindfulness with job burnout,in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for reducing teacher burnout.Methods:This research utilized a convenience sampling approach to target preschool teachers for a questionnaire survey.A total of 1109 questionnaires were collected.To ensure the quality of the data,we excluded questionnaires that were not carefully filled out in terms of lie scale questions,those with abnormal demographic variables,and outliers identified based on response time.Ultimately,901 valid questionnaires were obtained,achieving a valid response rate of 81.2%.Participants’levels of social skills,empathy,mindfulness,and job burnout were assessed using the Social Skills Scale(SKS),Empathy Scale(Measure of Empathy,ME),Mindful Attention Awareness Scale(MAAS),and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey(MBI-ES),respectively.Data analysis was conducted using SPSS.Results:After controlling for gender,age,teaching experience,educational level,grade taught,and location of the kindergarten,the study found:(1)There is a negative correlation between preschool teachers’social skills and the level of job burnout(r=−0.238);(2)Empathy has a dual-track effect on job burnout,where cognitive empathy negatively affects job burnout(r=−0.245),while emotional empathy has a positive effect(r=0.045);(3)Cognitive empathy partially mediates the relationship between social skills and job burnout(β=−0.124);(4)Mindfulness significantly impacts social skills,cognitive empathy,and job burnout(r=0.278;r=0.286;r=−0.539),and plays a moderating role in the mediation model(β=0.003;β=−0.023).Conclusion:These findings provide theoretical support for the development of burnout prevention and intervention strategies targeted at preschool teachers.They also point out new directions for future research and potential intervention targets,suggesting that enhancing preschool teachers’social skills and cognitive empathy,as well as increasing their mindfulness level,can help them cope with work-related stress and emotional labor,thereby alleviating job burnout.

Teachers’Perception for Evaluation of the Primary School Students With Final Grade

The most difficult and delicate part of the learning process is assessment.Assessment is difficult because during his/her accomplishment the teacher has to consider not only the acquisition of knowledge from students,but also the overall degree of development of their competencies.It is delicate,because through assessment we can influence the emotional side of students and their“willingness”to learn.Despite these facts,teachers need to evaluate students during the learning process.The purpose of the research is to find out what is the perception of teachers about the level of evaluation of students with final grade.The overall results showed that 89%of teachers agree,9%of them have a neutral attitude,and 2%do not agree that the evaluation of students with a final grade is done taking into account many aspects and using many methods,the overall average of the results,M=4.36.Based on the empirical results,it was found that teachers who have completed assessment training have a more positive approach to student assessment,as the average score is higher than teachers who have not completed assessment training.From the qualitative results it was understood that the Teachers did not encounter any difficulties during the assessment of the students.

Survey and Analysis on the Status Quo of Occupational Risk Perception of Teachers in Public Vocational Colleges in an Underdeveloped Area

This paper selects the teachers of public higher vocational college(College A)in underdeveloped areas to participate in the analysis,and conducts a questionnaire survey using the occupational risk perception questionnaire of higher vocational teachers.A total of 223 higher vocational teachers were selected to participate in the survey in order to understand the status quo of occupational risk perception of higher vocational teachers.The survey results show that the Cronbach’sαcoefficient of occupational risk perception scale for higher vocational teachers is 0.846,and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin(KMO)is 0.871.The education legal liability risk,workload risk,and career development risk are the highest average occupational risk perception of higher vocational teachers.In conclusion,the occupational risk perception scale of higher vocational teachers compiled in this study has good reliability and validity.The occupational risk perceived by teachers in public higher vocational colleges is relatively high.

The Perceptions of Chinese ELT Stakeholders on the Employment of Foreign English Language Teachers

This article reports on part of the findings of an investigation into the perceptions of Chinese English as a foreign language(EFL)education stakeholders on native-speakerism.Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 26 students,14 teachers and eight EFL program administrators from six Chinese universities.The analysis of data reveals that the three groups of participants as an entirety expected their universities to hire native English speaker teachers(NESTs),particularly those from Britain and/or America and a certain proportion of them expressed preference for white native English speaker(NES)teachers.The vast majority of the students and teachers were also found to be unaware of workplace inequalities between NNESTs and local Chinese EFL teachers,contending that NESTs deserve better treatment.Although many administrators displayed critical awareness on this issue,they argued that the inequalities need tolerating for the well-being of their EFL programs.All these findings are indicative of the persistence of native-speakerism among Chinese ELT stakeholders and by extension the tenacity of this chauvinistic ideology across the terrain of EFL education in China.

Examining teachers' perceptions and practice of formative assessment in Chinese ESL classrooms

自2001年课程改革以来,中小学英语课堂形成性评价受到了教育管理者、研究者和实践者的广泛支持,但对于教师是如何理解和实施形成性评价的这一问题,还需要研究。本研究通过问卷调查方式探究中学英语教师对形成性评价的认识及其实施现状:(1)从六个维度(评价主体、评价构念、评价工具、评价时间、反馈、终结性评价与形成性评价之间的关系)了解教师对形成性评价的认识;(2)从五个方面(学习目标、反馈、终结性评价的形成性使用、不同学习阶段的形成性评价、自我和同伴评价)揭示教师形成性评价的实践特征。基于这些特征,本文为形成性评价教师培训提出了建议。

Use of Blackboard Collaborate at Qassim University： Evaluating Teachers＇ Perceptions

Learning has come a long way from the conventional blackboard that marked the earlier decades to the new age Blackboard Collaborate which enables learners to work and learn in a collaborative online environment. Virtual classrooms, especially with learners sharing in academic workload on portals such as Google Docs, have arrived as a natural development of the ICT （In Circuit Tester） wave. In addition to offering ample scope for peer interaction, Blackboard Collaborate gives learners the electronic environment they are most familiar with and keeps them updated with the latest educational tools. However, for it to succeed, the perception of the teachers is a factor that needs close scrutiny before this tool can be incorporated into the system. The aim of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of teachers at Qassim University, KSA （Kingdom of Saudi Arabia） towards the inclusion of Blackboard Collaborate into the teaching-learning environment, and its efficacy as a learning tool in the university＇s EFL （English as a Foreign Language） situation.

The Issue of Self-concept：Perceptions of Chinese Student Teachers about Their Roles

This article has presented some stereotypical views held by Western people about Chinese teachers,and then clarified these misperceptions caused by Western people's different understanding of the meanings of "teacher authority","double parental identities",and"strictness"compared to their Chinese counterparts.Then a case study of three Chinese student teachers studying in one Australian university is conducted to analyze their feelings and experiences of teaching in Australia.Finally,the study suggests that Chinese teacher must retain the essence of Chinese good teachers while adopting the advantages of Western teaching culture to improve his / her own teaching practice,and if so,these self changes could be significant to recreate themselves as new Chinese teachers.

An Investigation on Pre-service English Teachers’ Perceptions Toward Using Portfolio Assessment in English Writing Teaching at Middle Schools

According to curriculum reform,more diversified ways of evaluation on students are needed.In response to the need of this,recent years have seen an increase in using portfolio assessment as evaluation method in English writing teaching,which is a kind of formative assessment.Prior studies investigated the effects of portfolio assessment on improving students’writing abilities from students’points of views.However,this thesis is set from the angles of pre-service teachers,which looks at their perceptions to using portfolio assessment in teaching writing.

In-Service Teachers’Perceptions of Technology Integration in English as a Foreign Language Classrooms in China:A Multiple-Case Study

Purpose This study investigates university in-service English as a Foreign Language(EFL)teachers’perceptions of technology integration and the relevant factors that may affect their technology integration in the classroom.Design/Approach/Methods This multiple case study applies Teo's extended technology acceptance model(TAM)and the theory of teacher value beliefs associated with using technology to explore seven in-service EFL teachers’perceptions of effective technology integration and the challenges they encountered.Findings This study suggests that(1)perceived usefulness and(2)teacher value beliefs are two important factors that influence in-service teachers’technology integration.Additional factors are(3)subjective norm,(4)facilitating conditions of the environment,and(5)cultural values.Originality/Value This study contributes to the existing literature on in-service EFL teachers’technology integration and increases the applicability of the extended TAM in China.This study also provides insights into these teachers’perceptions and practices of technology integration.Finally,insights gleaned from this study will guide school-level,local,and national educational policy groups on optimally supporting in-service teachers’future technology integration.

Chinese Tertiary Students＇ Perceptions of a Good EFL Teacher

This article mainly deals with a group of Chinese tertiary students＇ ideas about what makes a good EFL teacher at the tertiary level. The participants＇ learning experience, reflections and expectations have cast light upon what a modern EFL teacher is supposed to perform in the Chinese EFL context.

Exploring Paths of Preschool Teachers’Effective Implementation of SEL Curriculum

Teachers play a vital role in the implementation of social-emotional learning(SEL)curriculum.This study focuses on the Second Step program of the Committee for Children(CFC)and its roll-out at two kindergartens in Shanghai.It aims to assess how Chinese preschool teachers effectively put into action the SEL curriculum,considering knowledge,emotions,perception,and behavior dimensions.Utilizing NVivo12 software,interviews with 10 teachers are analyzed,revealing that advancements in teachers’social and emotional competencies correlate with their ability to transform SEL knowledge into practice.Teachers’perceptions of SEL significance reflect their level of SEL knowledge and influence their daily practice.Moreover,education integrating knowledge with emotions is achieved by combining knowledge,emotions,and perception.The findings highlight the following approaches to be adopted for better SEL curriculum outcomes,suggesting enhancing teachers’cultural sensitivity and exploring SEL within the Chinese cultural context,establishing a community of SEL practices to facilitate dialogue between teachers’personal knowledge and authoritative knowledge,and providing targeted support for teachers’work integrating knowledge with emotions.

Students’ perception of effective clinical teaching and teacher behaviour

Learning in the clinical environment is an integral part of nursing education programme. In tertiarybased nursing courses, students spend time learning in the clinical setting as they do in their classroombased studies. The purpose of this study was to explore teaching skills considered by undergraduate student nurses as effective in the clinical setting as well as qualities that make a clinical teacher effective. A descriptive design was employed using questionnaires to collect data. Respondents comprised year four undergraduate student nurses admitted through direct entry (DE) and university matriculation examination (UME) results. Using validated structured questionnaire, data were collected from 101 students who had completed their six months consolidated clinical experience on their perception of teaching skills and teacher qualities considered effective in the clinical setting. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Specifically, frequencies, percentage and standard deviation were used for descriptive analysis of scores while chi square and Mann-Whitney tests were used to test the mean differences in the teaching skills and to test whether there was a significant difference in their perception of teacher behaviours respectively at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that having both clinical (professional) and teaching knowledge were the most important teaching skills for effective clinical teaching. Five qualities ranked by students as teacher behaviours important for effective teaching include being honest with students, motivation to teach, willingness to listen and using good communication skills, supervising students effectively and being positive role model. These factors could be considered when recruiting future clinical teachers and when planning inservice education programmes for clinical teachers to promote student learning.

Perceptions regarding ELT at the tertiary level in mainland, China

As the title of the thesis suggests, the purpose of this research project was to investigate perceptions of English language education for English majors at the tertiary level on China＇s mainland. The study investigated perceptions held by teachers and students at universities in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen regarding their preferences for various ELT methods and the effectiveness of methods used. Teachers and students were also asked to evaluate the relative importance of the four skills （listening, speaking, reading and writing）. Other areas investigated included teachers and students perceptions of their interaction within classrooms and factors selected by teachers, students and administrators as contributing to effective language learning and teaching in their settings. It is hoped that insights from this research can assist in a more successful transition to communicative, more student-centered and skill-integrated language teaching approaches suitable within university-level language education settings on China＇s mainland.

Future Directions in Studies on Student Perception of Teacher Written Feedback

Teacher feedback plays a key role in teaching second language writing. Though teachers have devoted a great deal oftime to giving written feedback to L2 students, some students complained that they benefit little from written feedback. This studyreviews research on the effectiveness of teacher written feedback in ESL context or EFL context in United States, and tries to sug-gest future direction in further research.